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"Ooooh," Devin was in awe. "My brudder magic too!" He had never seen Howl do anything so cool as those lights Iggy had, though... They were beautiful, they were shiny, they were--everything Devin liked all at once. "Pretty lightth," he said, looking to Nate and smiling. "He friend?" the toddler asked, tilting his head and pointing to Iggy.

Puff was delighted. He tried to reach for the light above his head, undoubtedly planning on eating it. "Pu?" he asked when his attempts failed. "Pu?" It wasn't fair! The light wasn't solid! How could he eat it?

~~~~
Demyx rewarded his mother with his brightest smile yet. "Tank you," he said. "I always wan you too." His smile turned into a frown when Elise came over, but he supposed he did need to share his Mommy, even if she was his--the new baby needed her too.

"But Xelly," the infant complained. "I wan Mommy." Mommy was busy with Elise though, and the poor new baby did seem upset... Maybe he could play games with his favorite--and only brother until she cheered up? "Kay. I show you the games. Then we play with Mommy?" he asked hopefully. He lead his brother to a beanbag toss, and picked up a bag. "You too," he said. "We hit X and win!"

It was a simple game. Howl had clearly put it out for the younger guests. A box of enchanted toys stood by it, the wizard had taken measures to make sure no guest would go home empty handed.

~~~~~

Howl turned a glassy glare onto Alome. The heartless wizard hated all unpleasant things, including getting angry. He hated arguing, he hated conflict. He hated people who frightened his guests. "Go then," he shrugged. "You've done enough." He strode over to Tish and Elise, not looking back at Alome. Who would want him anyway, really? Was that the best insult Alome could come up with? He knew plenty of people who wanted him. Sophie was just one of them.

"You alright, Elise?" he asked, giving Tish an apologetic look. "I'm sorry about my friend," he said. "She hasn't been herself lately." He didn't need to say it, his concern was evident. He smirked at Tish, and whispered, "Demyx told me. When's it due?" He knelt down to Elise's level, giving the infant a smile. "Hey, I'm sorry she scared you. Want to dance with me, instead? You dance really well." That and he wanted to know more about her ability.

He looked back at Alome and sighed. He really had hoped they would be friends again. He backed away from Tish and Elise before turning around to face Alome. "Don't go," he said, taking her by the arm. He wouldn't let her go this time. Not after what had happened the last time...

He didn't want a repeat. "Look, Alome. I can't pretend to understand how you're feeling, or why you're acting the way you are..."


~~~~~

Loki nodded in agreement. "Of course not," he said. "Most of the mythologies I've read about seemed to believe gods were to be feared and respected rather than loved. That's why they're always so powerful and unpredictable, you know? Like Zeus, the Greeks liked to believe he caused storms when he was upset. Most of the Greek gods had really bad tempers, though..." He looked to where she gestured and smiled.

"I'll go talk to her, alright? I'll be back and we can talk more about mythologies. Maybe you know my cousin, too, Howl? He's from Ingary; a wizard. You could probably hang out with him. He's heartless though, so he might try to ask you out." And so saying, the fae made his way over to Jadyn before giving her a slight bow. His aunt had told him about her being nobility.

"Aunt Thali told me to ask you to visit her soon," he said, standing. "She said its of the utmost imporantance and has something to do with Feleti--and her baby. She couldn't come though, she wanted to. She's been on bedrest for the past week," the fae's lips twitched in amusement as he recalled said aunt's reaction to learning she had to be in bed.

"You think you know everything," Howl said calmly, as if she hadn't insulted him, as if he hadn't just witnessed his friend have some sort of breakdown. "You think you know everything. I have tried. I invited you to that picnic. As soon as I'd heard what had happened to you, I wrote you a letter only to get one in return from your father. He told me not to write again, so I didn't." The wizard started to pace, not looking at the girl.

"He apparently never told you, or I wouldn't have been accused of not trying. I have tried. Not as hard as I could have, I admit. I assumed your father would not approve of me appearing in your living room. I wrote you in my concern, and though your father's letter did assure me that you were alive, I still worried. He blamed me, you see."

He sighed. "I don't agree," he said. "I don't agree that it would have been better if you'd died. You might not be able to see it right now, Lome. But there are people who care about you."

The last thing Howl had expected was tears. The wizard seemed awkward, wringing his hands together in obvious concern. He paused in his pacing to stare at her. He didn't know what to say. What was there to say? Words failed him, and for a brief moment, he lost all traces of being the powerful wizard he had once been. He resembled a fish out of water, mouth slightly open in disbelief.

"Look," he said, when he'd regained the ability to speak. "Look, I wouldn't have invited you if I didn't think you belonged." He strode to her, intending to wipe away her tears, and instead removed her mask. "Don't hide such a beautiful face," he said, giving her a ghost of a smile. "Come on," he added, taking her hand.

"A party's not a party without friends." Saying thusly, he led his friend back into the house. He shot a smirk at Tish, and mouthed something that resembled "When's it due?" but other than that, his attention was on Alome. "I think it's time for cake," he mused, opening one of his bottles and watching as it became a sparkler. "Mine always become fireworks."

Iggy had smiled at the compliments to the soul lights, they were quite pretty in their own eerie sort of way. The blond’s blue eyes looked over at the boys in the corner with the enchanted instruments. They weren’t his friends but they seemed interesting enough even if the one gave him a bit of a shiver. “ We can play with them” he agreed before looking back that the shadow creature following him. “Come on you, too.” As he spoke the little soul light above the shadow’s head encouraging him to come as well.


Nate shook his head at the question, he was not friends with him. “Stranger,” he whispered softly. It didn’t seen like it was going to say that way for long though.