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

[keyed_up]

"Yeah, Glass says it and the worlds like it are really really mean."

[pythbox]

"And yet, minions," says Sherial.

[keyed_up]

"What d'you mean, and yet?"

[pythbox]

"It's not historically been common for the losing side's loyal followers to spontaneously convert on the death of their leader, around here."

[keyed_up]

"Oh. Yeah, that was kinda weird. Bella kept offering to set them up an independent colony but it turns out they have to have someone to be minions of to have baby minions."

[pythbox]

"Ah," says Sherial. "And now it makes sense."

[keyed_up]

"So there are going to be ugly-cute wrinkly babies soon!"

[pythbox]

Sherial snorts.

"I've never even seen a baby," says Tianthonet. "Of any species."

[she_sells_seashells]

"Weren't you and the other conjured dragons babies at the same time? Do you just not remember it?"

[pythbox]

Tianthonet shakes her head. It's an odd gesture on a dragon, but recognizable.

[keyed_up]

"There are some little kids here but not baby little."

[she_sells_seashells]

"I think Hyacinthe is the youngest. Peninnah's next and she's like eight."

[pythbox]

"...Are human children a lot smaller than humans?" says Tianthonet, looking down at her feet as though she is afraid a small child could have snuck under one without her noticing, although she stops short of actually picking them up to check.

[keyed_up]

"They start yea big," says Soph, gesturing. "They're about full size by the time they're in their mid-teens."

[pythbox]

"Oh," says Tianthonet. "Dragons start bigger than that, I think."

"I've seen our eggshells," says Sherial. "Much bigger. But not bigger than a grown human."

"And we're nowhere near full size yet," says Tianthonet.

"But then we have much farther to go," says Sherial. "And some dragons are just small. Ansharil is."

[keyed_up]

"Is he? How big? I've never seen him being, uh, himself."

[pythbox]

"He's... Ansharil-sized," says Tianthonet.

"Just about large enough to comfortably carry one Bondmate," says Sherial. "So not all that much bigger than we are."

"We can both carry ours," objects Tianthonet.

"Yes, but not as easily as Ansharil could. And yet he still doesn't have room to pack on a dozen children like Ancaladar still occasionally complains about."

[keyed_up]

"...Dragon children or human-oid children?"

[pythbox]

"Elf children," says Sherial.

"Two thousand years ago, in Jermayan's time," says Tianthonet. "There was a war on, and the elves wanted to send their children to a special fortress where they'd be safe, and of course the best way to go was by dragon, but Ancaladar didn't like having - what was the phrase - "

"An infestation of tiny passengers," Sherial supplies.

[she_sells_seashells]

Shell Bell giggles.

[pythbox]

"It's really strange how the Dark keeps coming back every thousand years," says Tianthonet.

"It wasn't always that way," says Sherial. "Before Jermayan, Ancaladar slept through ten thousand years of peace."

[keyed_up]

"Well, I bet Sarion's going to arrange for there to be more of it. She's a Bell."

[pythbox]

Sherial smiles a dragony sort of smile.

Tianthonet looks sidelong at her and giggles.

[she_sells_seashells]

"What?"

[pythbox]

"Sherial's Bonded has plans," says Tianthonet. "Sherial's Bonded thinks the semilegendary figures shouldn't get to have all the fun."

"She's only doing what Wildmages do best," says Sherial.

"Virgivere is a Wildmage and she doesn't plot like that," says Tianthonet.

Sherial sniffs. "My Bonded does not plot, thank you very much."