who will be coming?

[small_magics]

Aianon has made a plant in the open airless space above the surface of Thilanushinyel. It is a very, very large plant - some dragons will be attending the party, after all, even if Ansharil in particular is going to be assorted small things and stay on Sarion's person the bulk of the time.

The locals will be Sarion, her beloveds, their other beloved, the five conjured dragons (and their Bondmates, where applicable: Virgivere and Lissa), and Liselen - Magania has, as usual, declined, and so far no Bell party has featured Bell parents.

Amariah is bringing her boyfriend and spontaneous daughter and two of the spontaneous daughter's friends, as well as an Alethian instance of the Rupert template.

Shell Bell is bringing Pearl and Screwdriver.

Golden is bringing her usual large contingent, as usual not including her husband but including her daughter and daughter's grown fosterling (the other remaining at home) and his wolf, both mothers-in-law and one father-in-law, adopted siblings, staff members including the Joker and Nathan, and the children of the aforementioned.

Glass is bringing both wives, all three daughters, Kanim, and her cat. She invited Icarin and Valeria, but their parents are not willing to let them gallivant into other worlds unsupervised and had a scheduling conflict.

Stella's bringing a smattering of people including Alice, Anna, Sandy, Libby, Bridget, her college roommate Janine, and Lazarus.

Tab is bringing Aelise (but not Kers) and Luhan.

Etty is bringing only Nona.

Aether, likewise, brings no one but Celo.

Pattern comes with Ripper, Slipstick, Queenie, and Ghosty.

Aegis is accompanied by her four-bodied boyfriend, Merryweather, Whitlock, and Howlett.

Aurora comes with Brilliance, Lexi with her Device Persica, Agent Honey with her Device Adularia, and Beth.

Rose brings her husband and three children and her former apprentice, Luc.

Angela brings her husband, her four children, several of her friends, and some of those friends' children and grandchildren with and without wings. Keziah also brings a friend.

Juliet shows up with Soph, Minus, Red, Giles, James, Virginia, Minnie, Ike, and Val.

Cam brings Jellybean and Tilly and stops there.

And from unBelled worlds hail additional Sherlocks and Tonies, Darcy, Matilda, Pepper, and Eights.

Comments

[most_capable]

"Not the case on Earth," says Pepper. "As far as I know. I did recently have... a fire-related experience, but I wasn't any kind of fire-anything before then."

[exactlyright]

"A fire-related experience?"

[most_capable]

"Someone came up with a treatment that was supposed to make very sick or injured people healthy again," she says. "There were complications."

[exactlyright]

"...Fire-related complications."

[most_capable]

"Unfortunately, yes," she says. "Everything's under control now, but there were some chancy moments. And now I have a few fire-related complications myself, although they usually don't come up."

[exactlyright]

"Um, okay. Mostly all I do with being a bit of a fire witch is play with hot glass."

[most_capable]

"My fire-related complications wouldn't be much good for that. But they do come in handy whenever I need to light a candle."

[exactlyright]

"I heard that in worlds with a lot of technology they don't use candles."

[most_capable]

"Not as a major light source, but we do use them for decoration," she says.

[exactlyright]

"Like the pretty carved kind with all the layers? But those are too pretty to burn."

[most_capable]

"Actually," she says thoughtfully, "there are some people who make candles with sculptures inside them, so the sculpture comes out as the candle burns down. I like those."

[exactlyright]

"Ooh, those sound neat! I don't think I've ever seen one."

[most_capable]

"I'm sure you could get someone to conjure one for you," she suggests.

[exactlyright]

"I have squares... but I would have to think of a sculpture. And a candle."

[most_capable]

"I have one in mind," says Pepper.

[exactlyright]

Carinna takes a square out of her sorter - it's in Kiawen's transparent, rainbow-misted color - and hands it to the fire-related nonwitch.

[most_capable]

She takes it, and a moment later hands back a candle: a perfectly unexceptional cylinder, blue at the bottom shading to white at the top.

[exactlyright]

Carinna takes it and smiles. "It's pretty but not too pretty to burn. What's inside?"

[most_capable]

"It's a copy of one I've seen at home. I'm not sure how to explain it exactly - a kind of lattice made of circles. I liked it because it cast pretty shadows."

[exactlyright]

Carinna puts it in her skirt pocket. "I think I will light it later when I'm at home."

[most_capable]

"Sounds like a plan."

[exactlyright]

"My name's Carinna," she adds abruptly. "Of the Enchanted Forest. I didn't say."

[most_capable]

"My name's Virginia, but I have alts, so you can call me Pepper. It's lovely to meet you, Carinna."

[exactlyright]

"I have a nametag but it wound up under my scarf." Carinna moves her scarf. It falls back over her nametag. She growls at it and takes it off and goes to put it in her uncandled pocket, then takes Mossy out of the pocket so it has room.

[most_capable]

"Oh, what a cute little... puff!" says Pepper. "What is it?"