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

[pythbox]

He giggles. "You can call me Celo," he says. "Short for Celosia. Since some people find my name a little hard to pronounce."

[pina_colada]

"Yeah, I don't think I can say that. It's a cool name, though."

[pythbox]

"It is!" says Celo. "I'm the only Joker who likes the one I came with."

[pina_colada]

"I guess Harley doesn't count? I wouldn't expect him to remember the name he came with when the Princess took him home."

[pythbox]

"He knows what it was. He doesn't hate it the same way as the rest of them, but he's not fond either."

[pina_colada]

"Is it just objectively terrible, I don't actually know it."

[pythbox]

He laughs. "It's not great."

[pina_colada]

"I like my name, but Mum called me 'munchkin' till I got to be taller than him."

[pythbox]

"Of course he did," snorts Celo. "That's adorable."

[pina_colada]

"Yeah. Aedyt got 'pumpkin'. If they ever have another one I dunno what that one will get."

[pythbox]

"Kas's kid got 'button'," he says. "That one's pretty cute too."

[pina_colada]

"Aww. I haven't met her yet."

[pythbox]

"Maybe you will sometime," he says. "I have no idea where she got to after everybody hugged her."

[pina_colada]

"First time I was at a Joker party the deck all congregated around me and watched me be adorable and Mum turned me into a blue fox."

[pythbox]

"Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww," says Celo.

[pina_colada]

"Ayep. Made it a little awkward when another party rolled around and I was old enough to hit on girls who'd been adults at the previous one, but, you know, I managed."

[pythbox]

Celo laughs. "Good for you!"

[pina_colada]

"Thanks. Hey, have you seen any golden bubbly at this buffet? Kinda thirsty."

[pythbox]

"Nope," he says. But a square like red-gold honey flashes briefly in his invisible fingers, and then he hands Kerron a glass. "What is that, anyway?"

[pina_colada]

"Synthetic blood - well, not exactly, doesn't taste like blood," he takes a swig, "and it's fizzy, but it fills the same nutritional requirements."

[pythbox]

"Right, Aurum bloodsuckers," he says, grinning and shaking his head although Kerron can see neither thing. "What kinds of blood work for you guys, besides human?"

[pina_colada]

"Uh, I think Dad bit Aianon once, full vampires can't stand wolf blood but it's just sort of weird-tasting to half-vampires - I haven't bit a wolf, Lily did, she's interested in culinary applications of sanguinary flavor-space or something - animal blood works fine and tastes lousy to vampires but okay to us, I'm not aware of any other experiments."

[pythbox]

"Huh," says Celo. "Maybe some adventurous nibbler should give me a try. Not you," he adds with a hint of a giggle.

[pina_colada]

"Yeah, I'm not your guy," snorts Kerron. "Dad or Lily. Or both for that matter."

[pythbox]

"I'll keep 'em in mind," he laughs.