when you're alone say 'nevermore' and you'll have nothing to fear

[serrata]

Five years ago, against all odds, you lived.

It wasn't easy – living never is. But despite everything that stood in your way and every setback that threatened to undo all your progress, you won. You celebrated the impossible victory you'd clasped in your bare hands and then... well...

You carried on living, of course. Hadn't that been the entire point?

And in a blink, five whole years have slipped by. It's hard to believe both that it's already been five years and that it could have only been five years.

Once again, the round of regal invitations go out. A familiar section of New Earth's Sexbang Park has been sectioned off for privacy and in the years since you saw it last, the park has flourished just as much as you have. There's food trucks, buffet tables, snacks and drinks galore and... all of you, of course.

Happy five year anniversary, Airlocked. Let's raise a glass to many more.

[ five years! holy shit! the progression of time is inexorable and horrifying! but all jokes aside – happy fifth anniversary! just like the one year anniversary log, you can and should pile in here with your airlocked characters and catch up with everybody because we've missed you. the reunion rules from before still apply but in general, just have fun. ]

Comments

Yuuri Tenmyouji, Ruu Wakasa & Haruka Tenmyouji

[serrata]

Ah, Ruu-chan, if you go running off like that you'll–

"I know, I know, I'll trip – look, it's all grass, I'll be fine!"

[ It certainly hasn't been five years since most of you have seen Yuuri and Ruu, but the sight of them certainly does emphasize the amount of time passed. Ruu has shot up like a weed (appropriately enough) and seems a far cry from the timid little girl who you all met here so long ago – she's bright and loud and eager to catch up with the branches of her odd little extended family she doesn't see all too often. ... or to raid the snack table. She's not picky!

Yuuri, by contrast, hasn't changed quite so extremely. She has the warm, healthy glow of a happy and settled young woman, relaxed in a way that the Yuuri who first came here had probably never been before. Like always, her long hair is loose, only tied back with the red ribbon and braid you should all be used to seeing right now – and matching her, with a little red ribbon tied into her own mop of dark hair is a certain new addition to their not-so little family.

You certainly would have heard about Haruka Tenmyouji's arrival through the grapevine even if this is your first time seeing her – at just over a whole year old, she's just about old enough to come to one of these get-togethers as well. She's not quite coordinated enough to do anything more than toddle around like a drunken fawn with her parents and aunt-slash-older sister-slash-it's complicated, but she's here to meet her whole army of extended aunts and uncles for the first time.

Yuuri's here to catch up, too. She's aggressively mingling, greeting everyone with good cheer and being sure to seek out the people she hasn't managed to see in some time. She's got so much to share she feels like she's going to burst – and she's sure everyone else is the same. They've all been living with all their might, after all.

Yuuri & Haruka replies will come from serrata and Ruu replies (ruuplies) will come from schoollifecub as usual! ]

[nojohnyouare]

Yuuri.

[Mai nods to Yuuri and her family quietly.]

Haruka... Cute. Is she doing well?

[serrata]

Ah, Mai-chan! [ Yuuri's taken a seat in the shade of one of the trees to better balance Haruka on her lap. Haruka, for her part, echoes Mai's name slightly less coherently than Yuuri and happily reaches her hands out. ] She's doing just fine. I was a little worried that the trip might unsettle her, but I think seeing so many familiar faces has helped.

[ Yuuri scooches up a little and pats the bench next to her for Mai to sit down as well. ]

Here, come and sit with me for a bit. How are you doing back home?

[burninglight]

[HE HAS NOT SEEN YOU IN TEN WHOLE MINUTES SWEET DAUGHTER]

[there is someone very not subtly Sneaking Up on yuuri in the most comically telegraphed manner]

[serrata]

[ Wow... such stealth... she's not even turning around, so certainly she hasn't perceived him...

Out loud to Haruka, in the most exaggeratedly concerned voice: ] Your grandpa? No, I haven't seen him in hours. Weeks, even. However are we going to tell Church his husband has vanished into thin air?

[ she's having fun. ]

[ratherdoweddings]

[Yurika hasn't changed at all. Well, she's grown older, adopted a cynical prodigy who now also has her own battleship, and avoided the events of the movie because otherwise she'd be utterly unplayable, but she still comes into the reunion with a smile and a wave for everyone she meets.]

Wow, it's been ages! How have you been? I sure hope it's good, at least the tabloids have calmed down a little...

[She's also got a bag of little plush robot toys that she's putting into the hands of everyone's kids, because who wouldn't want something to play with and/or chew while their parents are talking about boring stuff?]

[tokenflavortownie]

Oh, well, work keeps me busy. But I just had to make the time for this!

[Five years. Who'd have thunk it, huh?]

It's almost hard to imagine how long it's been.

[ratherdoweddings]

Of course it would keep you busy, what aren't you doing? I can relate, Pyrrha-chan. It always feels like there's no time to rest! Though of course we make time. Not enough of it, it's been ages.

[nojohnyouare]

[It takes a long time to change when you're not used to allowing yourself to... well, be. So Mai still defaults to blank expressions, few words, small movements. But those who know her can tell she's smiling, however small, as she walks in with her little robotic bear at her heels.

She stands at the edge of the party for most of it, stuffing her face with Flavourtown pizza and watching everyone talk. But she was the deadland welcoming committee, so she might come up to you with a small nod in greeting, or just follow Bear-san when he tries to vacuum a bug off of you.]

Ardyn Tenmyouji

[burninglight]

[Everyone's favorite(?) intergalactic soap opera star is back at it again, dressed all in the usual dark colors with messy hair tied by a thin blue ribbon. (If someone looked closely enough, they might catch a couple loose strands of silver in all that violet mess.)]

[Obviously, he'll greet anyone and everyone willing to tolerate him. Enthusiastically. He can not be stopped.]

[schoollifecub]

Jii-san!

[ ! INCOMING.

As usual, Ruu comes charging right over to him and

... stops short of actually just elbow dropping him like usual. She does it out of love. I think. This time she actually restrains herself, though it's mostly because of the mound of snacks she's got on that plate of hers. ]

Can you believe the kinds of food they cook in the future?!

[burninglight]

[BE NICE TO HIS LITERALLY ANCIENT BONES SWEET CHILD]

Oh? And whatever strange and futuristic snacks did you find?

[nojohnyouare]

[Mai may not be physically capable of greeting enthusiastically, but she gives a tiny nod to Ardyn, and Bear-san makes a recorded bear noise and sniffs/vacuums at him.]

Ardyn. ...You like this type of thing.

[Loud parties? Family gatherings? Flavourtown pizza? Who knows.]

Xander Farron

[kingshaming]

[Here's your favorite mole! He has a very quiet and wide-eyed pink haired four year old on his hip like a football]

[schoollifecub]

[ don't mind Ruu just materializing out of the aether at his side so she can give a delighted gaaaaaaaaaasp!!! at the sign of babby Ziggy. Smol!!! ]

Oh my God, he's so tiny! But he's actually starting to look like a little guy now, huh?

[kingshaming]

[Seigbert eyes her, a little pouty still at all the people. But he doesn't complain. In fact, he waves a little]

Indeed. He's growing quickly. It's been an effort to keep him in shoes.

[...in fact one of his shoes is missing, as toddlers are want to do]

[ratherdoweddings]

Oh, he's so cuuute!

[Yurika squeals and waves at Siegbert, then at Xander.]

How have you been doing? You've been so busy lately!

Takumi

[tacomeme]

[He's on the completely reverse side of the room from Xander, but otherwise looking... surprisingly good? Like he's slept a few times the last 5 years? He might have even grown a little!! Also wearing space fashion (including some fancy braids) and with a blaster (in a strapped-down holster so kids can't get at it) on his hip.]

[schoollifecub]

[ now when you say kids– ]

Is that a real gun?!

[tacomeme]

[He crosses his arms, trying to look like a space badass. Hurt by the fact that he's not that much taller than her now]

Yeah.

[nojohnyouare]

[Mai gives a tiny nod when she spots Takumi. Bear-san toddles toward him, and she follows, still eating her weird Flavourtown pizza.]

Takumi... You look well. Good.

Akira Kurusu

[le_mat]

[ Guess who is fucking 23 now? He's certainly taller and broader and looking like a fucking slick bitch in the over-the-top ygo verse fashion. The collar popping is ridic, but he pulls it off better than he should be able to.

He's already drinking]

[schoollifecub]

[ And Ruu hurries over to greet him, in true little sister fashion, with a friendly bop right to the arm. H–her right hook's getting kind of good?! ]

You keep getting taller! No fair!

[tokenflavortownie]

[Aaaand she's got a plate of food.]

I hope you're not drinking on an empty stomach!

Pyrrha Nikos

[tokenflavortownie]

[The sheriff of New Flavortown is here. Twenty Three years old, still lugging around her new weapon of choice - Theseus as she's named it - and keeping her hair short. Pyrrha hasn't changed that much, but... maybe that's a good thing.

And, yes, she brought her own snacks as is Flavortown custom.]