diff --git a/app.py b/app.py
index ec0c1ee..596f237 100644
--- a/app.py
+++ b/app.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 from starlette.requests import Request
 from starlette.responses import JSONResponse
 
-from isabelle.endpoints import HomeEndpoint
+from isabelle.endpoints import HomeEndpoint,rsvp_endpoint
 from isabelle.piccolo_app import APP_CONFIG
 from isabelle.tables import Event
 from slack_bolt.adapter.starlette.async_handler import AsyncSlackRequestHandler
@@ -71,7 +71,11 @@ async def lifespan(app: Starlette):
 
 
 async def endpoint(req: Request):
-    return await app_handler.handle(req)
+    try:
+        return await app_handler.handle(req)
+    except Exception as e:
+        logging.error(f"Error handling Slack request: {e}")
+        return JSONResponse({"error": str(e)},status_code=500)
 
 api = Starlette(
     routes=[
@@ -86,7 +90,8 @@ async def endpoint(req: Request):
         Mount("/static/", StaticFiles(directory="static")),
         Mount("/events/", PiccoloCRUD(table=Event,read_only=True,page_size=1000)),
         Route("/slack/events",endpoint=endpoint,methods=["POST"]),
-        Route("/health",endpoint=health,methods=["GET"])
+        Route("/health",endpoint=health,methods=["GET"]),
+        Route("/api/rsvp",endpoint=rsvp_endpoint,methods=["POST"])
     ],
     lifespan=lifespan,
 )
diff --git a/isabelle/endpoints.py b/isabelle/endpoints.py
index 9842835..b540bf8 100644
--- a/isabelle/endpoints.py
+++ b/isabelle/endpoints.py
@@ -2,7 +2,11 @@
 from starlette.endpoints import HTTPEndpoint
 from starlette.responses import PlainTextResponse
 
-
+import json
+import logging
+from isabelle.utils.env import env
+from starlette.responses import JSONResponse
+from starlette.requests import Request
 
 
 class HomeEndpoint(HTTPEndpoint):
@@ -10,3 +14,36 @@ async def get(self, request):
 
 
         return PlainTextResponse("Hello! Isabelle (REST API) here. https://hack.club/gh/isabelle")
+
+async def rsvp_endpoint(request: Request):
+    if request.method !="POST":
+        return JSONResponse({"error": "Method not allowed"},status_code=405)
+    try:
+        body = await request.json()
+    except json.JSONDecodeError:
+        return JSONResponse({"error": "Invalid JSON"},status_code=400)
+    
+    event_id = body.get("event_id")
+    user_id = body.get("user_id")
+
+    if not event_id:
+        return JSONResponse({"error":"Missing event_id"},status_code=400)
+    if not user_id:
+        return JSONResponse({"error": "Internal server error"},status_code=400)
+    try:
+        event = await env.database.toggle_user_interest(event_id,user_id)   
+    except Exception as e:
+        logging.error(f"Error toggling RSVP: {e}")
+        return JSONResponse({"error": "Internal server error"},status_code=500)
+    if not event:
+        return JSONResponse({"error": "Event not found"},status_code=404)
+
+    interested_users = list(event.InterestedUsers or [])
+    is_interested =  user_id in interested_users
+
+    return JSONResponse({
+        "event_id": str(event.id),
+        "user_id": user_id,
+        "is_interested": is_interested,
+        "interest_count": event.InterestCount,
+    })
diff --git a/isabelle/events/reaction_added.py b/isabelle/events/reaction_added.py
index fc7f498..fecdddc 100644
--- a/isabelle/events/reaction_added.py
+++ b/isabelle/events/reaction_added.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ async def handle_reaction_added(body, client: AsyncWebClient):
         text='Error RSVPing to the event. :('
         )
         return
-    if str(body["event"]["user"]) not in event.get("InterestedUsers", []):
+    if str(body["event"]["user"]) not in event.get("InterestedUsers",[]):
         try: 
             await client.chat_postEphemeral(
                 channel=body["event"]["item"]["channel"],
diff --git a/isabelle/events/reaction_removed.py b/isabelle/events/reaction_removed.py
index 6105ff1..1eb5000 100644
--- a/isabelle/events/reaction_removed.py
+++ b/isabelle/events/reaction_removed.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ async def handle_reaction_removed(body, client: AsyncWebClient):
         text='Error disabling RSVPing to the event. :('
         )
         return
-    if str(body["event"]["user"]) not in event.get("InterestedUsers", []):
+    if str(body["event"]["user"]) not in event.get("InterestedUsers",[]):
         try: 
             await client.chat_postEphemeral(
                 channel=body["event"]["item"]["channel"],
diff --git a/isabelle/events/views/create_event.py b/isabelle/events/views/create_event.py
index 0b6f5ad..896912e 100644
--- a/isabelle/events/views/create_event.py
+++ b/isabelle/events/views/create_event.py
@@ -13,14 +13,13 @@
 from slack_gfm import rich_text_to_gfm
 
 from isabelle.views.app_home import get_home
-from datetime import datetime
 
 
 async def handle_create_event_view(ack: Callable, body: dict[str, Any], client: AsyncWebClient):
     await ack()
     view = body["view"]
     values = view["state"]["values"]
-    title = (values["title"]["title"]["value"],)
+    title = (values["title"]["title"]["value"])
     description = values["description"]["description"]["rich_text_value"]["elements"]
     md = rich_text_to_md(description)
     start_time = datetime.fromtimestamp(values["start_time"]["start_time"]["selected_date_time"])
@@ -60,7 +59,7 @@ async def handle_create_event_view(ack: Callable, body: dict[str, Any], client:
         await client.chat_postEphemeral(
             user=body["user"]["id"],
             channel=body["user"]["id"],
-            text=f'An error occurred whilst creating the event "{title[0]}".',
+            text=(f'Could not create "{title[0]}\n' f'An event with the same title and start time may already exist\n' f'Please check exiting events or edit them instead')
         )
         return
 
diff --git a/isabelle/events/views/rsvp_msg_set_response.py b/isabelle/events/views/rsvp_msg_set_response.py
index 73fc402..610450e 100644
--- a/isabelle/events/views/rsvp_msg_set_response.py
+++ b/isabelle/events/views/rsvp_msg_set_response.py
@@ -9,14 +9,15 @@ async def handle_rsvp_msg_set_response(ack: callable, body, view, client: AsyncW
     emoji_name = extract_emoji_name(view)
     chosen_event_id = view["state"]["values"]["chosen_event"]["event_select"]["selected_option"]["value"]
     (message_ts, channel_id) = tuple(view["private_metadata"].split("-"))
-    try:
-        await client.reactions_add(
-            channel=channel_id,
-            timestamp=message_ts,
-            name=emoji_name
-        )
-    except Exception:
-        logging.warning("Error adding reaction in handle_rsvp_msg_set_response", exc_info=True)
+    if emoji_name:
+        try:
+            await client.reactions_add(
+                channel=channel_id,
+                timestamp=message_ts,
+                name=emoji_name
+            )
+        except Exception:
+            logging.warning("Error adding reaction in handle_rsvp_msg_set_response", exc_info=True)
 
     ev = await env.database.set_rsvp_msg(chosen_event_id, message_ts, channel_id, emoji_name)
 
@@ -61,12 +62,12 @@ async def rsvp_previous_reactions(client: AsyncWebClient, message_ts: str, chann
     if not res.get("ok"):
         return
     
-    reactions: list = res.get("message").get("reactions")
 
     # Holy ternary shenanigans. I'm so sorry for this, seems like the python way
+    reactions: list = res.get("message",{}).get("reactions") or []
     reactions = [i for i in reactions if i.get("name") == reaction_name] if reaction_name else reactions
 
-    users = [user for reaction in reactions for user in reaction["users"]]
+    users = [user for reaction in reactions for user in reaction.get["users",[]]]
 
     users = set(users)
 
diff --git a/isabelle/utils/database.py b/isabelle/utils/database.py
index c0c3d62..21211f1 100644
--- a/isabelle/utils/database.py
+++ b/isabelle/utils/database.py
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ async def toggle_user_interest(self, event_id: str, user_slack_id: str, forced_s
 
 
             if set(interested_users) == unupdated_users_set:
-                return event
+                return await Event.select().where(Event.id == event_uuid).first()
 
             await Event.update(
                 InterestedUsers=interested_users,
diff --git a/isabelle/utils/env.py b/isabelle/utils/env.py
index e6b29ee..b466b7c 100644
--- a/isabelle/utils/env.py
+++ b/isabelle/utils/env.py
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ def __init__(self):
 
         unset = [key for key, value in self.__dict__.items() if value == "unset"]
 
+        if self.environemnt == "development":
+            unset = [key for key in unset if key not in ("airtable_api_key", "airtable_base_id")]
+
+
         if unset:
             raise ValueError(f"Missing environment variables: {', '.join(unset)}")
 
@@ -45,7 +49,7 @@ def __init__(self):
             "U06QST7V0J2",  # Eesha
             "U097UCZE2BB",  # Aishaani
             "U072PTA5BNG",  # Victorio
-            "U09Q8MLTE58"   # EPS
+            "U09Q8MLTE58",  # EPS
         ]
 
         self.event_tags = [
diff --git a/isabelle/views/app_home.py b/isabelle/views/app_home.py
index c8a7536..8edaa0a 100644
--- a/isabelle/views/app_home.py
+++ b/isabelle/views/app_home.py
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ async def get_home(user_id: str, client: AsyncWebClient):
                 "type": "section",
                 "text": {
                     "type": "mrkdwn",
-                    "text": f"{'*[UNAPPROVED]:* ' if not event["Approved"] else ''}*{event["Title"]}* - <@{event["LeaderSlackID"]}>\n{mrkdwn}\n*{formatted_time}*",
+                "text": f"{'*[UNAPPROVED]:* ' if not event["Approved"] else ''}*{event["Title"]}* - <@{event["LeaderSlackID"]}>\n{mrkdwn}\n*{formatted_time}*\nInterest: {event.get('InterestCount',0)}",
                 },
                 "accessory": {
                     "type": "image",