X Year Reunion

[subconmodo]

[Nightfall... What a time, huh? Feels like it was just yesterday. Or some indiscriminate number of years based on a dreamwidth poster's choice.

It seems the karaoke bar has become a hotspot for reunions over the years. And why not? What better place is there to chill with old friends and teachers, reminisce on old times, and watch a bunch of people belt it out on stage to varying degrees of success. Sometimes with alcohol involved!

So how long has it been? How are you faring now that the world is significantly less topsy-turvy and the Veil has been taken down?

Visit and remember and, most of all, have fun! You can even have it be a different reunion/time period in each thread too if you want.]

Comments

[nor_iron_bars]

[So, for a reunion, it's odd that there's someone here no one recognizes... and then she shrugs off the scarf with the illusion spell woven into it, flops down dramatically onto a bar stool, and reveals herself as Jailbreak.]

I lived, bitches!

[She's grinning knife-edged as always under the mask, hand already outstretched behind her for the bartender to put a drink into.]

[He hands her a screwdriver without even being asked, because he knows these people by now. Their collective teaching career was memorable.]

Thanks, buddy, you're a saint. [She tosses a hundred dollar note onto the bar.] Keep the change.

[subconmodo]

Oh please, as if anyone or any thing could possibly take you out.

[Avery raises his cocktail in greeting, grinning from ear to ear. He'd known it was her from the moment she walked in. Handy thing, soul-sight.]

You'd come back from the dead any time you got wind of a party with an open bar!

[spelleton]

As if dying would ever be an option for you without it being widely publicized. Even then, I still wouldn't believe it. [ He hasn't changed much, though for once he's not wearing his uniform. He considered the terrible sweaters as an injoke but he's settled for 'goth casual'.

He's also got a ring on one finger, which is definitely new. ]

[stavros]

You do always like to make an entrance.

[arcadianvampire]

[Valvatorez snorted at the entrance, as dramatic as he'd hoped it would be.]

I thought I smelled chaos and discord on the wind today. Welcome back, my friend. It's been so much more dull around here without you.

[lifeforced]

[Large gatherings still weren't Becky's thing, and probably never really would be, but she decided to at least make an effort for this.

The moment she wandered in, some of the others that were already present took notice, watching as she walked across the room, going straight to the counter to take a seat there and order herself something non-alcoholic. None of them followed her, but instead one of them muttered something under their breath before passing a pair of five-euro notes to one of the others; it seemed as though somebody had made a bet on whether she would even show up or not, or possibly whether she would have actually physically aged or not.

For her own part, she didn't really notice this, just minding her own business until either she was approached or she saw someone she recognized.]

[blossominghopes]

[There's a second, additional drink that Becky most certainly did not order also being slid across the bar, but that might be because of who's settling in next to her.

That is Lia's usual order, after all.]

It's nice to see everyone again.

[ninehilist]

[So, around...five or so years after the whole...world not ending thing, there is a vaguely familiar young man coming into the bar.

Vaguely since, well. Nines is smiling. Openly, genuinely smiling, though sure it's a tiny smile. And when asked for a name, he doesn't give "Nines", but "Finn Sparda". And that's on his ID! Which he has! He has legal ID.

But it's still obviously Nines, especially since he absolutely starts fucking with the karaoke machines the second he sits down. Old habits die hard.]

[blossominghopes]

Gotta get your kicks somehow, huh?

[Said as she slides in next to him.]

[shockingblue]

[Gunvolt could only laugh and shake his head at the man already going back to work to play around with whatever tech he could get his hands on. Either way, he invited himself over, the blonde man now much taller than what he'd probably last seen. Taller, a bit broader, and still in excellent shape.

He leaned his shoulder against the wall next to Nines, watching him go.]

You're looking well, bud. Hell, better than ever. Life been treating you well?

[lifeforced]

[About a minute after he's started messing with the karaoke machines, Becky finds her way over to him. Perhaps unsurprisingly, she doesn't look any different than she had before, still being physically seven despite actually being a bit more than three times that now.]

Interrupting the poor guys on the stage right now to rickroll the whole place is one hell of a way to announce that you've arrived.

So, hey, what's up?

[blossominghopes]

[Perhaps unsurprisingly after Nines comes in, a familiar young woman with blue hair isn't far behind.

She's just a little taller, and she's since gotten a haircut, but Lia's energy is ever recognizable, as is the way she flits about the karaoke bar, ready to greet anyone she recognizes.]

[stavros]

Ah, well met! Have you fared well recently? I must say it is good to see everyone.

[alreadyhuman]

[ It takes Vivi a moment of squinting to realize, what with the changed hairstyle and all. They've kept in touch and everything, but it's different over the phone... ]

Oh! Wow, Lia, you got tall! [ Or maybe it's just that Vivi has stayed, well, the same height as always. ] Hi!

[shockingblue]

[Not a surprise that Gunvolt has arrived too... though he never really left the Academy for any extended time.

But compared to when Nightfall came through, Gunvolt's gotten much taller, his shoulders a little more broad, and his form more filled. Muscular and in shape, but he never exploded into the shape of a superhero. Still kept his hair long and braided, though age seemed to agree with him too; he grew more handsome but still managed to look younger at the same time.

He waved to Lia, rising up and greeting her more properly.]

Long time no see.

[Whether or not this was sarcasm could vary. But the smile on his face was anything but sarcasm, regardless.]

[unlogic]

[From somewhere behind Lia, a familiar voice calls out:] Ah, there she is.

[If Lia turns around, she'll see Desi standing there with a mostly-empty glass of soda—really mostly just ice cubes at this point—in one hand. Desi herself—in her academy uniform, at least—has probably still been a frequent sight, on account of now officially working under Valvatorez, but today is one of those occasions where she's gone full casual, with her varied collection of accessories and everything.]

[stavros]

[It was up in the air whether Kokoro would show up, but those who knew her could predict that she eventually would. Serious or not, she seemed to have taken all those lessons at school about learning to have fun and relax once in a while to heart after all. She was even getting in on cheering the people up at karaoke.]

Well done! Truly your performance would move the hearts of many!

[She's also ordering a pile of food to share with everyone, so enjoy your fried chicken and cauliflower. It didn't even come out of a chest or wall.]

[evangelclairvoyance]

Haha, thank you, but I'm not so sure I deserve that much praise. There are plenty of people here with better voices than mine.

[Not to mention the fact that this was his first time taking part in the actual karaoke. For all his poise and tactical genius, there was something just a little overwhelming about getting up onstage to sing like that.]

[spelleton]

[ Ekkehardt is no longer obliged to be on duty, technically, so for once he's wearing something that's not his uniform, shockingly. He is, however, dressed in what can be described as 'casual gothic' which mostly means a lot of black and red anyway, so..not a lot of change, mostly just less layers and a few more 'impractical' accessories. (And a ring on one finger, which may or may not be significant to people.)

He greets familiar faces, student or staff, with the same amount of polite warmth as always. If he seems a little more tired, well, the last few years have been busy for him. Work never stops, after all. ]

[stavros]

Ah, it's good to see you, sir. You've been well, I take it? Less work with the apocalypse averted.

[subconmodo]

[Avery hasn't changed that much over the years, save for a change in suit and the presence of a ring on a particularly notable finger.

He still teaches at Daybreak, but every once in awhile, he takes time off, usually to attend forums to discuss the change in law in the post-Veil world.

He hums thoughtfully to himself as he sips at a cocktail, thumbing through the collection of songs available and trying to come to a decision on which to pick.]

[stavros]

I trust you're still doing well, Professor. You seem to be.

[bxbxbxbx]

[Katida has struggled to really connect with more than a few people in the time that she's spent at Daybreak, but that clearly hasn't stopped her from coming to the reunion.

In a few ways, the karaoke bar reminds her of one of the few places in Remlia where nobody really cared who or what she was, so she actually finds it pretty easy to relax while she's here, to the point where some might note that she actually seems friendly for once instead of aggressively neutral or vaguely on-edge.

She did successfully confuse the bartender for a few minutes by trying to ask for something that they had never heard of, before giving up on that and instead just asking for a recommendation and ending up with a pommeau.

She's about halfway through her drink when she starts to glance around, debating on whether she should go try to socialize or simply wait for anyone to come to her.]

[shockingblue]

[He hadn't really connected much with Katida much before Nightfall. After though, that got easier. More time to engage with more people, and that helped a lot with that. Not to mention... by this point, Gunvolt was becoming more than just a student and more of a fixture of the community and transitioning toward higher education and eventual employment.

He takes a seat beside Katida without reluctance and smiles.]

I'm a little surprised to see you here, but I'm glad you came anyway.

[evangelclairvoyance]

[As time has passed, both Christo--or, rather, Lamington's--duties to Celestia have only grown, to the point where even his burgeoning podcast/livestreaming career has had to go on hiatus. Needless to say, he's missed a few reunions up until now.

Lamington makes sure his wings are tucked away when he enters, the man looking as human as he did back when he was working undercover as a TA for the school, but he looks a little more tired than he did before.

He smiles warmly as he approaches]

May I have this seat?

[unlogic]

[Though it's been awhile, Desidera mostly looks the same as ever, with the singular addition of another accessory, a little white flower dangling slightly from a ribbon that's been tied at the base of her left horn, below the red 'X' of the charm that Valvatorez had given to her. The flower is almost completely obscured by her hair, but it being visible or not isn't important; it's that she's wearing it at all that is what counts.

She's also been highly social ever since she arrived, flitting back and forth to speak a bit with nearly anyone who would have her company, before finally taking a break from that to just go sit down for a bit.]

[ofexperience]

[No sooner than Desi sits down, there's a familiar presence next to her seat.

Shadow... still gets the occasional side-eye at the karaoke bar, but unlike a certain bird that will remain unnamed, he's at least well-behaved.

Aside from butting his head against Desi's hand, a silent demand for pets.]

[shockingblue]

[Depending on timeframe of how long it's been, you might see Gunvolt much like he was before if not much time had passed.

But as the years wear on, Gunvolt gets significantly taller, his shoulders and build a bit broader and more well realized. Though he wouldn't be mistaken for a linebacker or something, it was clear he grew into a man in impeccable shape. His more youthful look didn't really fade, despite the years being kind to him and that he grew more handsome alongside it. He still wore his hair in a long braid, and still favoring wearing blue, white, and black. At times when he walked, azure blue sparks followed in his wake, though they were harmless to the touch, at least. And no matter how long it may have been, Monarch, or Morpho, which she was now much more commonly called, was never far behind him or Desidera.

He made it to the reunion, though the truth was, he never left the Academy. Eventually graduating standard education, he quickly moved to higher education, taking a TA position to go with it. Obviously, this would lead to eventual full employment with the Academy, and he wouldn't have it any other way. Of course, joining the staff, he quickly picked up on these karaoke parties, and while initially a bit awkward, he took to them quickly enough.

But now he waited here, keeping an eye out for anyone he wanted to catch up with.]

[unlogic]

[Desidera, on the other hand looked mostly the same as ever, with the only real change being the addition of a white flower on a ribbon tied around the base of one of her horns and mostly obscured by her hair; her collection of accessories had continued to grow over time, but rather than wear all of them, she largely stuck to the important ones.

She never really left the academy either, remaining there after her graduation to work as an assistant for Valvatorez; it was something that she had already been doing to an extent in her time as a student, but now it was being done in a significantly more-official capacity.

She had been back and forth a bit to talk to some people already, and now she waited next to Gunvolt, glancing around periodically.]

Mmm, she's not here yet. [Viola; one of the students she had been tutoring before the end tried to come, and the older daughter of one of her mother's cousins.] Do you think something held her up?

[arcadianvampire]

[In the years following Nightfall, if there was ever a constant at the Academy, it was Professor Valvatorez. Even after reclaiming the title of Tyrant, he never left his post as an instructor. He kept on teaching, his reputation of being a tough but fair professor still growing. But more than that, his reputation beyond that continued to grow too: whenever he was called out to solve a dispute it proved to be swiftly resolved. Even just the threat of Valvatorez showing up was enough to bring people to the table.

And he relished every moment of that.

But all told, he hadn't changed much beyond that, being a constant fixture at every karaoke night and reunion since then. Much of the time, he kept to his non-Tyrant form to be more approachable, though, and tonight was no exception.

He sat at the bar, a fine highball of very hard Outlands spirits in front of him.]

You there! No need to be shy, though being afraid might still be wise!

[He laughed, clearly joking. ...Or was he? Hard to tell.]

[stavros]

I believe karaoke night to be a far less daunting task than purging the world of evil, Professor.

[Even though she still hasn't gotten up there.]

[hattersgonnahat]

[Puella looks like she's barely aged a bit, due to the abundance of time magic. How long has it been? Who even knows by now. She stayed longer at the academy than most, learning everything that there was. While also keeping track of her own personal projects. ...On the bright side of being part of saving the world, very few professors really care about turning homework on time. Just so long it gets done.]

[But as someone approaches, or she spots someone she hasn't seen in a long time, it was still customary to sneak around (if possible) and give the widest hug. Just regular gremlining things.] You're back! You're back!!

[stavros]

[Kokoro returns the hug, more easily than she had.]

I'm glad to see you safe as well, of course. Have you been well?