R4 Viewing Party - no crying til the end (if you can help it)

[serrata]

I'm sure this is fine.

WELCOME TO THE R4 LIVEWATCH: AIRLOCKED REACH EDITION

Comments

[induality]

[ Fukawa promised she'd watch closely, even if she wasn't thrilled about it. She certainly doesn't feel like this is the right show for popcorn-- but she does have a thick notebook she seems to be taking notes with. There are more than a few people here she wants to know about. She's probably going to regret this being the first other season she watches in due time.

If anyone is trying to get through it but having a rough time, she'll come sit with them and keep them company.

And if you have anyone important to you in there well... maybe they can talk about. Happier memories you have or something. She'd be happy to hear whatever you have to say about them. She's... interested in them, seeing as she's determined to find a way to save them too. ]

[ratherdoweddings]

It feels different this time.

[Yurika picks at a bowl of some vaguely pretzel-like snacks.]

With all of you, we had hope you'd get out, as small as that might be. For them, their only hope is us, if there really is something we can do.

[daughterofthemark]

[Arianna is here. Above all, she is here. She's in the room every time Airlocked! is on, in case she's needed. She has a feeling she'll be needed a lot.

Later she'll start taking notes and looking for clues. But for this first episode, this is all she's doing: watching, and being here.]

[serrata]

[ People who probably should not be watching this: Yuuri Wakasa
People who are watching this, regardless: Take a wild guess, friends.

Not that Yuuri looks like she wants to be here, of course. She looks tense and unhappy and she's fidgeting with her clover necklace nonstop. But there's a grimness to the tight line of her lips that makes it clear she's not going to be talked out of this. She can't do anything else for Miki now but the least she can do is watch.

The first time Miki comes on screen though, her determination seems a little shaken. She sits up straighter and her fingers tighten around the charm so hard it must be hurting her fingers. Her eyes are fixed on the screen and there's a complicated mix of emotions on her face that's hard to read. ]

She looks... she looks so...

[ Young, she wants to say and she can't believe the word's even about to leave her mouth. She's only barely three years Miki's senior, only just a real adult herself but it's been so long since she's seen any of her friends in person -- almost half a year. Time's blurred her memories of their faces and she's sure that Miki Naoki's features had been sharper, rougher. But the girl on the screen now looks like a child. Had all of them, the whole School Living Club, seemed that young, once? ]

[scourgingstars]

[People who should also not be watching this: Ardyn Tenmyouji]
[People who are also watching this: who the fuck do you think]

[To his credit he was at least paying more attention to the others than to anything onscreen; he was sitting near Yuuri specifically, and reached out to lightly touch her shoulder. Better to focus on the people that were still alive than to think about how Prompto was ten years younger than he should have been, how he hadn't seen Lunafreya yet but it was just a matter of time-]

[...It was safer to concentrate on the present, rather than lose himself in the past.]

[shikosuki]

[ Well... he's here. After that early bail from season 4 and initial refusal to watch season 1 before they found out who was in it... he's here. He probably shouldn't be, but he has to be.

Attempting to look up what happened hadn't helped - it looks like the fandom, in anticipation of the reruns, collectively decided to remove any existing spoilery details (save for the cast list) all in the interest of making things fun for the new fans that never got to experience this season. Any attempt he made to get them to spill on fan forums or spitter was met with simple "just watch and find out~ ::)"... and he was still sore about everything, so he wasn't in the mood to ask the people that would know. So here he is, seeing it for himself.

But honestly... a part of him also just wanted to see his brothers again. It'd been months, and all he had was their photo album. Even looking in the mirror wasn't good enough any more, as his own appearance had shifted too much, hair grown out because he didn't want anyone touching his hair if he couldn't trust them to give him the exact same hairstyle they always had, eyes still tired and weary...

They're going to die... they're already gone. Comatose, their brain scans corrupt or whatever. But at least for a while he can not just see but hear them too. Watch them be themselves, as terrible as those selves are...

He's sitting with his legs up and hugged tightly to his chest, watching the screen with dead, unamused eyes over his knees. ]

[daughterofthemark]

[Arianna has a Yuuri to support, but Choro is getting a light pat on the back as if to remind him he isn't alone.

Actually there's no "as if" about it.]

[scourgingstars]

[HE'S FINE THIS IS GREAT]

[Ardyn was making an effort to focus more on the others with him and their laundry list of problems, distracting himself with that and a cup of coffee in unsteady hands. Every so often he'd focus back on the screen against his better judgment, talking to himself under his breath:]

So she's remembering Insomnia and he's...before Altissia? Ten years too young, at least...

[nightcure]

[ He breathes in sharply, too sharply, when he sees them both. It's their meeting he views first, and he doesn't realize he's gritting his teeth until his jaw starts to ache too much. ]

... Of course she'd thank him.

[ His voice sounds so heavy when he says it, and he lets out a shuddering breath.

And the more he watches Prompto, the more concerned he gets. ]

... Prompto, when and where the hell did they take you from?

[scourgingstars]

If the apparent trend holds, he'll think it as early as will be painfully inconvenient.

[Sure, he was always the jumpy sort, but this was more than that. Like he expected something around every turn, or like he'd...expected to be sneaking around somewhere...aw, hell.]

[No, no way. That wasn't back quite far enough, not judging by his age as far as Ardyn could tell. It wouldn't make sense to erase such a short timeframe. Still, Ardyn couldn't quite place another point that would be likely no matter how he thought about it, and that was starting to unsettle him.]

[cyan_maid]

[Jane waits until no one else can stand to watch anymore, and they leave the living room - then, she pulls up the episode to watch. Because she can't...do this around other people. Not this time.

Roxy takes it all in stride, like Jane thought she would, and already she's finding a way to befriend many of these people just by being herself. Jane has to pause a lot whenever Roxy is on screen in order to wipe her eyes, for she is crying in silence - crying, and note-taking, and looking incredibly sad whenever a friend of a friend appears.]

God...what did they do to all of you? What did they do...

[daughterofthemark]

[Oh, you waited until everyone was gone, did you, Jane?

Are you sure about that?

Are you really, truly, 100% sure?

Did you check to make sure Arianna wasn't waiting just outside the room?

Because if you didn't then that might explain the footsteps behind you at one point when it gets especially bad.]

[tokencanadian]

[Pyrrha's calmed down from when the cast was first revealed, but she would never be fully prepared for when she finally appears on the TV.]

She seems so kind...

[She hadn't known the poor girl for more then a few minutes, and yet, that surprised look on her face was burned into her mind.]

I wonder what she's going to do here.

[everylittlesecret]

[There is literally no personal investment for her in watching this. Nari is just going to hang around as moral support or a shoulder to cry on for anyone who needs it.

Anyone who looks like they need coffee or tea will get some. Anyone who hasn't eaten in a while will be given whatever food was made in the kitchen.

Basically? Nari is going to mom those who need to be mom'd.]

[power_of_dominance]

[He still needs to talk to her about her medical skill, especially in relation to Xander's promise to cover his cravings. Right now they're pretty bad, but Soma's focused on being there if someone needs to vent and making himself scarce when he's not wanted. His issues are comparatively minor when faced with what some of the other survivors are dealing with now.

If Nari comes in to get food for someone, she'll probably encounter Soma slicing thick, warm slabs of that ever-present rosemary bread, just buttering some and leaving others plain. It's almost painfully appropriate: rosemary is for remembrance, after all. They're being forced to watch the past march toward a horrific conclusion. The teenager's sad eyes swivel toward her as she walks in, back to red from the ever-present aura of stress since the season 0 announcement.]

Hello, Miss Nishitani. You're watching over everyone, but are you okay? Do you need anything?

[helladoptera]

[ Max Caulfield has seen Chloe Price die too many times.

What's one more? You know, for the road. Anyway, she's seated and just... watching, quietly. Or she's quiet for the most part, anyway, until some blue-haired girl shows up and even when she's being angry and bitter to like, everyone: ]

Chloe...

[ God, she's... she's so...

Max doesn't really have it in her to write much in the way of notes for this first bit, she's just kind of. Aimlessly doddling. It mostly turns into pictures of Chloe and/or butterflies. ]

[daughterofthemark]

[Arianna is here to offer what comfort she can to those who need--oh hey drawings!]

My!

week 1

[nightcure]

[ ...

Noctis's face goes a little red at this exchange. ]

C-come on, man...

[ratherdoweddings]

Isn't it great that your friend recognizes how you feel? It's important to support love where you see it! Besides, it's a lot better than another stupid love triangle.

Peace weekend...?

[daughterofthemark]

[Arianna exhales when the new episode doesn't start the usual dramatic something is wrong, let's find the body stuff. After the meeting starts up, though, she frowns.]

Does this not seem strange to anyone?

[nightcure]

There's definitely something wrong.

PEACE WEEKEND that.... dinner theatre..........

[shikosuki]

[ Well, THIS sure happened.

Choromatsu is groaning. And sighing. Very loudly. All at once. With his face in his hands.

These are his older brothers everyone. ]

[scourgingstars]

...

I mean this with all due respect, but are they alright?

[What the absolute fuck, Choro.]

[scourgingstars]

[DO YOU EVER JUST REGRET SHIT?]

[Because Ardyn sure does, sitting here with his head in his hands and a look that can charitably be described as 'frazzled'.]

I am well aware I deserve this, but I want nothing more than I wish for them to stop talking.

[cyan_maid]

[...

Yeah she's just passing through and stopped because Roxy isn't on the screen for her to have a breakdown about. So she'll just come over (with feet scuffing, so you can hear her) and gently pat Ardyn's shoulder.]

Sorry, Ardyn.

[daughterofthemark]

What is a four hundred twenty zone?

[Oh, no.]

[scourgingstars]

[across the room, Ardyn chokes on his coffee and quickly tries to act like he isn't laughing.]

[helladoptera]

[ Hi gang, Max Caulfield has gone from watching to kind of... hiding behind her notes. Where she may or may not have just sketched a certain someone who's onscreen. ]

Chloe...

[ Can't believe it's possible to get embarrassed by a girl who's been dead as often and as intensely as this, but here she is!! ]

[scourgingstars]

[max honey your life sounds like a goddamn mess]

[do you want a distraction]

That's right--you're a photographer, aren't you?

[scourgingstars]

...

[Ardyn at least seemed more or less present today. In fact, he looked like he was having a gradual and possibly alarming realization from how he kept glancing out of the corner of his eye at Yuuri.]

[....Coincidences were weird.]

[serrata]

...?

[ what's the haps dad she's just innocently trying to enjoy and not have a nervous breakdown over the fun fun new season of airlocked ]

Week 2 Motive

[cyan_maid]

[Hello, Jane.exe has stopped working.

For one big reason and then all of these continuous reasons.

If she's even out of bed, she's probably just lying face first on the couch or on the floor, alternating between fitful dozing and quiet crying.

Thank you, come again.]

[helladoptera]

[ Max is... she almost let out a full name scream when Chloe ran up, but then... she's just quiet, slack-jawed, as Blaze tries to help her. And then there's...

... it doesn't even matter.

Hope you liked having a Max Caulfield in the viewing area because when that gun goes off she is outie and sprinting right back to her room. ]

R4s in Florida

[daughterofthemark]

[Along with sitting in on the Season 1 viewing, Arianna's been dutifully watching deadland to keep up with everyone's dead friends. It's been pretty, um, dead lately, but if she wants to know how Dame Mai is doing it's basically her only option.

In the latest webisode, Mai is feeding the birds agaiMOM HOLY FUCK

And so in the middle of the afternoon Arianna runs out into the living room, carrying that same tablet that brought everyone so much pain a few weeks ago and shouting at the top of her surprisingly powerful lungs.]

Everyone! Come quickly!

[kingshaming]

Arianna? Is something wrong?

so how about that body discovery hey kids

[serrata]

[ It's Friday. Do we really need to say anything else?

Yuuri's here even though she told herself she wouldn't watch the investigations. She knows it'd be better if she didn't. But she's here regardless and she's got the sort of look of someone who's trying very, very hard to push all her feelings down and grind them into the dirt. So you know, Yuuri circa week 2 on the Fantasy Sweet. ]

... There's some people missing, so far.

[ Looks like everyone's just started investigating that thumping noise while Manaka heads to the art room. Surely, this will be a murderless Friday just like the last! ]

[daughterofthemark]

[Hey guess who hasn't realized which particular people are missing? If you said Princess Arianna Wakasa of Caledonia, then you are in fact wrong because with all the anguish this season has already caused her friends you can bet she's been going down a mental checklist of Particularly Sensitive Topic Champions. And when Miki isn't one of the first four people to appear onscreen she immediately plants herself next to Yuuri.

But wow that thumping is doing her a concern.]

Goodness...

FIRST TRIAL

[daughterofthemark]

[Well. That sure as hell happened.

Hopefully nobody was really relying on Arianna keeping it together, because starting from when Lucina's bruises were revealed she's been a sobbing mess, and she somehow got worse with all the shit that happened with Tsurugi. She's had a bad time this evening, is what I'm saying.]

[cyan_maid]

[Arianna...

You've been doing so much for everyone else. So you know what? Now it's your turn for someone to do something for you. Jane is going to come over and give you a hug.]

...I'm sorry. That...that's why they call it "Airlocked". It's...not pretty.

week 3 lmao

[nightcure]

[ It's bad enough that he's worried sick about Prompto.

And then...

Not unlike the trial episode, Noctis gets up and leaves the room. Between his best friend going to pieces and seeing Luna, radiant in her wedding gown, it's too goddamn much.

He goes to his ship and contemplates flying the fucking thing to the network headquarters. He won't do it, but it's so, so tempting. ]

[cyan_maid]

[So all this stuff is happening today. And...well, who can be blamed for needing to distance yourself from it all? Breaks are totally things that are allowed from self-induced trauma replay.

So while you're out near your ship, Noct, there is a set of footfalls approaching you in the grass. They stop, about...a yard and a half away, before Jane clears her throat, just to not catch him totally off guard.]

...Hi.

also week 3

[cyan_maid]

["Fuck.

Fuck. Fuck fuck fUCK

FUCK THIS

FUCK THAT

FUCK YOU NOT!GIADA"

That's pretty much Jane's internal monologue today - watching her best friend spill the beans to Noctis' best friend in that shitty space diner with the stupid cherry pie. But she's. Trying. To hold it together outwardly, because her notes have been so lacking for this "season", too caught up in the emotion of these people so close to everyone and the ghosts of old friends, but mostly because

I have um. One friend who isn't dead, I think.

she had survived to a point where everything had ended and there was only one other person with her. Who was it? What happened?]

Who was it...Jesus Christ, Roxy, who was it...

[ratherdoweddings]

[Waiting for it all to end. That's them, too. Yurika sits down and sets a glass of water in front of Jane.]

That's the last thing you remembered, isn't it?

[ratherdoweddings]

[Yurika keeps watching. She has to, even if the others can't. She's faced the days sniffling, staring stone-faced, or wringing her hands, but here...

Here she starts giggling in the living room.]

Everyone, look, it's -- it's the exact same prank, remember? Jane-chan did this too! It's just too much!

[scourgingstars]

That song will be in my head for weeks now.

second investigation

[scourgingstars]

[There was so much running through his head that it somehow evened out to white noise like rushing water and pounding rain, like the rumbling of a tremendous magitek engine roaring to life beneath the snow and-]

[-and that was Ardyn, crossing so far into 'not okay' in a matter of seconds that he came out the other side dangerously quiet. He stood up without a word, turned perhaps a little shakily, and walked out of the room with Luscinia following barely a second behind him after leaving her perch on the back of a chair.]

[serrata]

[ So hey, this is fine. Yuuri's not watching Airlocked but there's only so many things it can mean when Ardyn goes storming out of the room (and you bet she's keeping an eye out for exactly that sort of thing on a Friday of all days) there's only so much it can be.

She gives him about half a minute (she doesn't have your self control, sorry Ardy) before she heads off after him. Where have you disappeared to, Dad, please don't say it's the roof because not everyone can warp up there. ]