Preparing for an international supernatural summit was, Glad discovered, approximately 47 times more complicated than preparing for a normal event.
"Security," Luningning listed at the planning meeting. "We need to ensure no humans accidentally wander in."
"Translation services. Some delegates don't speak Tagalog or English."
"Dietary accommodations. Kelpies eat different things than kitsunes."
"Cultural sensitivity. What's polite in one creature community might be offensive in another."
Glad's head spun. "Can't we just... have a party?"
"This is a PARTY, Glad. A very complicated, high-stakes, potentially world-changing party."
The creature community threw themselves into preparations. Kapres built expanded seating. Duwende handled intricate decorations. Tiyanak practiced being quiet (with mixed success). Even the Department assigned extra staff to monitor the event.
Yuki, Sun-hee, Alejandro, and Morag integrated quickly, helping where they could while sharing their own perspectives.
"In Japan," Yuki explained, "we have something similar—gatherings of kitsune every hundred years. But they're secret. Exclusive. This—" She gestured at the diverse group. "This is different. Inclusive."
"In Korea, we hide individually," Sun-hee added. "No community. No support. It's lonely."
Alejandro nodded. "Mexico has nahual communities, but we're scattered. Distrustful. This summit could change that."
Morag, the kelpie, was more pragmatic. "If this works, we can create a global network. Share resources. Protect each other." She paused. "Also, your blood spritzers are better than anything we have in Scotland. Can I get the recipe?"
The days blurred into weeks. The community center expanded, renovated, prepared.
And Glad, at the center of it all, felt something she hadn't felt in centuries.
Hope.
Real, genuine hope that the world could change.
That creatures everywhere could stop hiding.
That her accidental viral video might actually mean something.
On the night before the summit, she flew over Dumaguete with Anino, looking down at the city that had adopted her.
"We did this," she told her cat. "Well, you mostly. You attacked that drone."
Anino purred.
"Tomorrow, everything changes."
Anino's purr deepened.
Change was good.
Change was necessary.
And with Glad leading the way, change might even be beautiful.