Wow... it's nearly the end of January. Yes. Again, wow.

As I've mentioned before, I'm going to Australia to shoot a movie, woo. We're leaving on the 28th, Seb and I, so I can settle in a little before shooting starts in March. Apparently they're having issues with my co-star... which I'm not particularly surprised about, given my reputation and the subject matter, but... it makes me sad. That the world has got to this sort of stage.

BUT. The point of this post was to invite you to the last Dazzler party you lot will see for a few months... 8pm, in the rec room, make sure you're wearing your dancing shoes. The party ain't going to stop til the break of day.

See you all then!

I don't usually do this.

Because, well. I'm shy, or something. I guess?

But, I've had these lyrics in my head for awhile now, and I'm actually really happy with them. I don't have any music for them yet, nothing will work at all, but. You can read them, because I'm in share mode.

( Your song... )

Look at me, all grown up.

Grown up? Well.

I'm married, anyway. For those of you who haven't caught up on the gossip.

I'd just like to apologise to everyone for what happened New Year's Eve.

Before you tell me that it's not my fault, I'd like to thank you for the sentiment, but please also take the apology on behalf of Mister Shaw, who is unfortunately unable to tender the apology himself at the moment. Because it most certainly is his fault.

And just to let you know - I'll be leaving at the end of January. I'll be starring in a movie, of all things, that is being shot in Australia. I'll be relocating there for the duration of the filming, but I'll come back and visit when time and budget allow.

I hope you all have a wonderful year this year, despite the disasterous way it started.

My father and grandmother arrive the day after tomorrow.

Holy shit, I'm getting married then.

[private] I can do this. Really. Really. I'm not terrified at all.

Who would have thought it? Little Ali Blaire from Long Island, marrying Sebastian Shaw. For all that he's spending most of his time with me, I know how powerful he is, I know the might of Shaw Industries, and yet...

When he's with me, he's just Seb, and we eat Chinese food out of the box and sprawl in front of old musicals, and he loves me and I love him, and that's all that matters.

I'm not going to think about the package, I'm not going to think about those figurines. Nothing is going to spoil my day. [/private]

From Ali:

To Seb: A CD of her singing, covers of songs that have a lot of meaning to them.
To Bobby: The first 6 Full Metal Panic DVDs, with the series box.
To Jubilee: A pair of earrings to match the necklace Seb gave them, several CDs, including Rock Steady, by No Doubt, Meteorea, by Linkin Park (the shiny special edition with the bonus DVD), and This is the Remix by Destiny's Child.
To Jean and Logan: Reservations for two at a spanky resturant in New York... They both get a date, time and place, and they know someone else will be there, but not who.
To John: A gift voucher for one of the bookstores in New York, it's one of those particularly literary bookstores.
To everyone else: A christmas stocking with all sorts of fancy goodies in, nice chocolates.

OH MY GOD LILA IS HERE ALREADY.

Yes. Anyway. Lila, who you must all be nice to and look after while I'm away, is an old friend of mine from New York, and will be singing at the wedding. Because. She rocks, like nobody's business.

So! Look after her, play nice, she doesn't bite, and I will see you all after Christmas!

JUBILATION LEE.

YOU GET YOUR ASS BACK TO THE SCHOOL QUICK SMART, OR I WILL FIND MYSELF A NEW MAID OF HONOUR! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET YOUR DRESS MADE IF YOU'RE NOT HERE FOR THE FITTINGS??

Jean, let me know when is a good time for you for a dress fitting, and I'll book us in.

I have the caterer organised, and I have a band. I'm talking to Father McInerney tomorrow, hopefully he will come up from Long Island to perform the ceremony for me.

The dresses are semi-organised... in that I have designs that are positively gorgeous and colours that will look gorgeous on Jubes and Jean and they're not made from taffeta either. Girls, you will die, really.

SEBASTIAN. YOU. You and whoever is in your side of the party needs to organise tuxes, stat, the dressmaker I talked to can organise that for you as well, let me know what you want to do.

I think that's all I have for the moment.

dakljdlakad Why in gods name did I agree to do this at New Years?

SEBASTIAN, YOU'RE ORGANISING THE HONEYMOON.

Head's up guys.

Wedding date - New Years Eve.

You're all invited.

Details to be forthcoming.

Amanda, or what ever your name is.

Shut. The Fuck. Up.

To begin with, what Sebastian does or who associates with is none of your business.

And secondly - you have no idea what has been happening here, so you have no right to make judgement calls about what we're worrying about.

I keep meaning to leave, and then find reasons to stay. I think you guys are stuck with me til Thanksgiving at least - so if you need help with the cooking, Jean and Ororo, feel free to ask. I'm not a complete disaster in the kitchen, and I can help slice up vegetables, if nothing else.

Ev has this desire for us all to go out for karaoke since I'm here - I was never a big fan of this, until I went to Japan and tried it out there. It's really amazing how fun it can be sometimes. So unless anyone has any objections, shall we say Thanksgiving Eve? I'm sure we can persuade the girls in the kitchen to come out with us.

It's kinda nice to be back. I should make a point of visiting more often.

Hi guys.

Yeah, I'm back. Seb and I will be staying around for a bit, while the place gets rebuilt. I think so anyway.

So. Yes. Hi.

Missed you guys. Alot.

I seem to have lost my ability to write in this thing, but we'll see how I go, shall we?

For those of you wondering where I've been, I've been in New York and Japan. With Seb.

We're, ah... getting married. We haven't set a date yet, but yeah. That's my big news for the moment.

Ali was going to Japan. She'd never actually been there, but it had always been on the top of her lists of places to go.

And she was going with Sebastian. She'd never thought she'd be in a position like this - after her leaving him so ubruptly, she had been surprised he'd wanted to be in the same room with her.

But here she was, sitting next to him on the plane, watching him doze off after the long day he'd had at work. And she loved him - more than she'd ever realised, more than she knew she could love someone. They'd fallen so completely back in love with each other that Ali was sometimes scared that they'd lose themselves in each other.

As much as she loved him, she couldn't help but miss the mansion. She missed gossiping with Jean, scheming with Jubilee, making ice-cream with Bobby. Hell, she even missed the late night swims with Hank, even though her heart ached everytime she thought about him.

There was only so much time Ali could spend with Seb before they would both crazy.

But Seb had his work - he had a club to run, a multinational corporation to head. And all she had was her piano and her guitar and sheets of music. And it was starting to drive her crazy.

Something inside me wants to be sorry about last night.

But I just can't do it. I can't regret any of it, because it just feels so right being in his arms again.

Maybe I shouldn't be here, maybe I should have stayed at the club, gone home, gone back to Hank.

Who is sweet and lovely and all, but... he and I are worlds apart. There's nothing he loves more than his research, his work and while I would never dream to take that away from him...

I've always believed I was born to sing, born to perform. And Seb believes that just as much as I do, and he wants me to make it just as much as I do.

And despite what happened last time I performed at Hellfire... maybe I was unfair to him, blaming him for what happened. He can't keep control over everything that happens, and maybe this time it will all be fine.

This is what I want, and this is what I have chosen. And I will not let anyone take it away from me.

Dancing on Saturday night was the best fun I've had in ages, guys. Seriously.

The dancing was so fun - Everett is a fantastic dancer, and he's not the only one. I forgot how much I loved doing that. Just going out and dancing all night.

I want to go again this weekend. Anyone else up for it?

Ok, so Seb is actually here and I saw him and just...

Woah.

It's funny how you forget things sometimes.

Like how much resentment you've been carrying for a person. I thought I hated him, I thought I never wanted to speak to him again after what went down at Hellfire. That was the beginning of the end of my not-really-started-yet career as a singer, and I blamed him for that.

And then he showed up here, just out of the blue. And. I don't know. I forgot I hated him, I forgot all of it, because.

Ok. Because I missed him. Before everything went down, we had fun together. He was charming and... ok, yeah I was smitten.

So now it's strange. I have Hank. And I love him... I do. So, yeah, the blue and furry thing is weird. And occasionally kinda... ew. But he's so sweet, and he really cares about me. When he's not too busy working, I guess.

Which is not alot of the time. Even when I was in the medlabs I didn't see him all that much, but I guess all the training they were doing wouldn't have helped, and he had his work to take care of on top of that.

Maybe the time together on Friday will be good for us. We haven't really had a chance to spend a lot of time together, and it'll be nice.

And he's taking that bitch Amanda to Pompeii, anyway. He never took me to Pompeii. I think I'm jealous.

Bah. I should just forget about him. I will forget about his offer to sing at Hellfire again. I will forget about how thrown he was when I told him about Hank. I will forget how much I thought I loved him.

Yes. Really. I will.

We seem to be starting a collection of girls who can kick Sentinel ass. I think this is rather awesome.

[private] Going on a Sentinel-ass-kicking right about now sounds like an awesome idea. Please ignore the fact that I practically killed myself doing it last time, and I'm only just out of the medlabs after my last attempt at fighting something.

I'd like to be able to prove that I can kick ass without reducing myself to a wreck afterwards. And I can. Just. Not when I'm faced with an all-powerful being that ignores anything I throw at her. [/private]

I like being out of the med labs. I can do things, see people. I met Theresa's father the other night, and Everett and I went skating earlier.

Which, by the way, was awesome fun, and we so have to do that again. Yep yep.

And to those of us planning a night out? How does Saturday sound? I'll have to talk to the Professor, make sure it's ok for us to be going out and all, and then we can rock.

My Friday night is all taken, and stuff. I think I have a date. In fact, I know I do.

And guys! Angel starts next week! Please tell me there are people around here who watch it as well.

LOOK WHO IS OUT OF THE MEDLABS!!!

Ok, so, yes, I'm slightly excited about this.

Angelo, Everett, I am so taking you up on that whole going out thing. Jubes, girl, you are so coming as well. We'll go party, and it will rock.

I am never going to the medlabs again. That's it. No more injuries, no more burning myself out. It will not happen.

I've finally managed to persuade Hank to let me use one of these things, and just, woah. There are so many more people here these days. It's like... woah.

Lots of drama too, I hear. I am really quite the willing listener, please ignore any restrictions regarding visitors and chocolate ice-cream, because I'm dying for both.