[PP:F1] A Dirge for Azide, A Hero of Aincrad [KoTB and Company] [Complete]

[Opal 0]

Opal stood in front of her mirror, fixed on the tear stained eyes of her person as she attempted to alleviate the redness and water marks from her cheeks with sweep of her cuffed uniform. The woman sniffled and cleared her throat with a gentle cough and straightened her collar out and smoothed her uniform out evenly with the palms of her hands. The Vice Commander took a deep breath once more and exhaled slowly, blinking rapidly as the dryness in her throat settled. Once she felt mentally and physically prepared, she had left her room and headed for the Guild Hall where she would meet with the rest of her guild. 

For you see today was like no other day. Just another Spring morning for all the players. But recently there had been a battle, a raid battle no less that had taken the lives of two of Aincrad's players. One of them Azide, a friend, an ally, a Superior in the eyes of the forlorn katana maiden. Today would be the start of Azide's Funeral March. It was a sorrow mixed day, even the clouds that once held such a luster and the sun so brilliant seemed to weep on this occasion giving a scattered shower of rain. Today the Knights of the Blood Oath would mourn the passing of a friend and former Vice Commander, more importantly, he was a hero much as anyone else who stood on the front lines to help overcome and beat the game. No one was entitled to such a title alone. The real heroes are those who face the perils of death upon their blade and take it as a burden upon their shoulders day to day in their endless battle against the floor bosses. And yet, rarely do their efforts go known to the public. The names are scratched off a list on a stone monument on the first floor, yet, no one realizes how tragic it is to lose a friend like this until it happens to them and the scope of reality then seems to make things all the more real to that person. 

Life and Death, cherished or not, each person makes Aincrad the world for what it is to them. Some of them fight for honor, justice, glory. Others to place their boot on the people and exploit the weak. Some hold even worse burdens, fictitious titles or self claimed entitlements that add on when not deserved. But these people know who they are and are entitled to such names if they please to do so, because that is their world of Aincrad and it can't be taken from them.

Opal had marched to a stop at the Guild Hall, looking up at its modest greatness. There was nothing fancy about it, but it was a symbol to the players of Aincrad that the Knights continue to fight for their safety home. The Vice Commander had wondered what she was going to say at the funeral, there was so much to say about the man Azide. There was so much to tell, because he was worth it to be known. The scent of the woman was thick with that of a citrus scent, due to the massive amount of stress that escalated to this day, the woman had been smoking so many of her cigarettes that it seemed to no longer calm her down and was just acting out of something to keep her mind off of things. And yet still, despite all that she still clutched her heart, eyes wet with tears. She shook her head, sweeping a trembling hand through her platinum blonde hair and stood tall and proud waiting for her Knights.  

Edited May 24, 2016 by Opal

[Mack 0]

Behind Opal the door to the Guild Hall opened and closed as Mack let himself out of the simple abode that served as a meeting hall, and little else, for the Knights of the Blood Oath. Let the other guilds build their halls down here on the beginner floors. The Knights would build something far more impressive higher in the tower, a base of operations that would serve as a beacon for the rest of Aincrad. "You smell like oranges and limes, interesting combination Vice Commander," the behemoth rumbled in a soft low tone as he crossed his arms over his chest. The action had the effect of throwing back the hem of the white trimmed scarlet cloak that marked him as the leader of the Crimson Blades strike force within the guild. The Blacksmith had also forged special vanity armor for these kinds of occasions. The armor itself was heavy, but well oiled, plate armor with no buffs at all. The plates, though, were gleaming white with scarlet trim and the guild's cross prominently on the chest plate, and it easily caught and reflected the rays of the sun outside the guild hall in Taft. "I don't suppose you want to clear up that little Hoya mess quickly. There's not much to tell on my end," he said in a low, almost whispering tone, as he stood behind and slightly to the right of Opal.

[Calrex 0]

It had been some time since the bluenette had made his appearance to anyone since the fourteenth floor boss fight. In the wake of the player's defeating the giant avian Rohk the Ultramarine Knight gave a quick and prompt farewell before heading straight back towards the teleportation plaza, immediately transporting himself to the thirteenth floor and the Amethyst Boutique. It was there he had stayed for the past few days, only occasionally stepping out to ensure that the monsters which roamed the fields didn't bring too much attention to the shop.

After participating in a handful of raids Calrex had found the latest one to have been a flop. While it was true they had secured victory and gained access to the fifteenth floor, two lives were lost in the process. One was a level one player, which the young man still couldn't wrap his head around the idea of their permitted presence during the battle. The second was a man he could consider a close friend and to some level a role model, Azide. He had only first started adventuring in SAO when Oikawa had brought his and Teayre's attention to the young guildmaster's group, Square One. If things had turned out differently it was like that he would have been a member of the group, which at the time rivaled the size of the other top guilds like Cerulean Silence and the Azure Brigade. Now it was at best a fond memory for those that knew it.

Now it seemed with Azide's death, that Square One's final chapter had been written. The Ultramarine Knight knew the guild's philosophies and ideals would be carried on in those that upheld them, but in its physical form it had faded. If the guild was a ship, the young man's death was the marker that it had finally sunken back into the ocean's depths.

As Calrex appeared on the first floor he gave a heavy sigh as he pulled up his invitation from Opal to attend the ceremony that the Knights of the Blood were putting together for Azide. If he were honest, anything less he probably would not have left Teayre's shop for. At this point for him, everything seemed to be a general waste of time: Training, farming, floor raids, all merely actions that needed to be taken to progress forward towards their exodus. Running his free hand through his hair he eventually came into sight of the Knights' guild hall, a solemn yet composed look plastered to his face.

"Maybe the saying was true, you die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain...heh..."

He wasn't sure if an invitation had also been sent out to Teayre, as he didn't see her when he left the thirteenth floor. Looking upwards his blue peregrine falcon familiar had soared ahead and was circling around the guild hall as Calrex put his hands into his jacket pockets. Being in a safe zone at the moment, there was no point in carrying his sword, and with his Martial Arts skill it wasn't like he was fully and truly completely unarmed. Giving one final exhale he stepped towards the hall.

[Xion 0]

Xion sigued as he left his shop, locking the door and heading off in the direction of KOB's guild hall. The blonde tank knew that he had been asked to attend a funeral, dedicated to a player named Azide who had aparrently died in the most recent boss raid. "How tragic..." He muttered to himself as he walked, he had not known the player personally, so he didn't feel the sorrow that others might have but he still knew that it meant there was one less player fighting for their freedom, one less chance to escape. He wasn't wearing anything special for the occasion, his normal armour set with a half cloak draped over the left shoulder, the brilliant Crimson garment had a golden trim and nearly touched the floor, covering half of his body. His armour hadn't been shined or anything for the occasion, it still had scratches and whatnot from his battles. He saw little point in doing so, it was not a happy occasion, so why make it shine? 

After a while he reached the hall, seeing Opal and Mack standing outside of the building, both were wearing flashier outfits than the teenage tank. He sighed again "the vice commander is going to hate me" he mumbled to himself as he neared, nodding towards the two. 

"It's good to see you Mack, although I do wish that the circumstances were different." He said, before turning to Opal. "Vice commander, I did not know Azide, but I heard about how upset you were...I truly am sorry..." He said, hoping to console the woman, although it wasn't his strong point. 

[Heathcliff 0]

The Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath had just lost a former member the was the old Vice-Commander of the guild. Azide was a good player as well as a respected member of the guild. It was a sad day to hear that he had fallen during the previous raid. Heathcliff made his way to the Guild Hall. The man walked through town dressed in his typical red amour with white trim while leaving a professional and strong essence about him. He walked closer to the guild and could see that a couple people have just arrived. The man continued walking to the guild as the players went through the doors. Heathcliff came to the front of the doors and opened them wide. He walked in and saw Mack and Vice-Commander Opal. "Hello there Vice-Commander, Mack". The man said while pulling up a chair and sitting down and waiting for others to show.

[Magda 0]

It was a somber day in Aincrad. Almost every day Magda possessed a certain energy about her. She always seemed excited and ready to face anything that crossed her path. This day however she was rather quiet. She always got like that during a funeral and she felt especially out of place since she hadn't known the man. It almost felt like she was invading in on this remembrance of the man. She felt something like an outsider. She showed up clad in her full array of armor that bore the colors worn by the Knights of the Blood Oath. The titanium armor that covered most of her body had been dyed white and it was further accentuated with crimson trim that bore a striking resemblance to her flowing red hair that fell down around her shoulders and nearly to the middle of her back. Her shield and hammer weren't equipped but remained at the ready in case she needed it. It was more of a precaution than anything else since she knew it wouldn't come down to requiring her to fight anything. The grin that graced her face more often then not was nowhere to be found this day. She walked forward with her hands folded at the small of her back. Those dark eyes flitted from one member of the guild to the next. When she saw the Vice Commander she started to approach though she had no idea what she could possibly say in this situation.

When she saw not only her brother but the Commander near her though she hesitated and drifted more towards the outer area of this gathering. For now she was intent to simply remain quiet and play the role of an observer here while those who knew the deceased properly mourned his passing and shared the memories they'd forged with him.

[Greg Baxen 0]

Greg had opted to go to the funeral for the man known as Azide. He hadn't known the player personally, but judging by his Guild's reactions to his death, Greg knew only one thing- this man was important, and Greg would be direspecting his guild if he weren't to go. So he decided to, despite the fact that he didn't know the person. All Greg could hope is that this man- Azide- didn't have too many regrets. He was wearing the KoB Uniform for the first time but it didn't feel right on such an occasion. The plan for this was simple- he would come, pay his respects to the man, who no doubt died fighting for what he believed in, and then leave.

[Baldur 0]

Baldur lingered outside of the KoB headquarters. He knew Opal well enough, even though they had only spent that one evening together, but he had never been to the hall, nor did he know any of the other members well.  To top it off, while Baldur felt a kinship with Azide, he had not known the leader of Square One exceptionally well either, in spite of them having almost all of the same friends. Azide's death had, however, shaken Baldur deeply. The missed opportunities they would never have now were felt even more acutely. Looking down at his arm, Baldur saw the green piece of cloth he had tied about his arm in remembrance of Azide.

With little hope in his heart, Baldur said a silent prayer that this was all some prank, and that Kayaba wouldn't actually kill anyone and was merely playing an elaborate trick.

2 years later he couldn't accept that as truth, but it was the only consolation he could hope for.

Pushing open the doors, Baldur moved into the room and looked around at the other faces of those who had assembled to say farewell to Azide.

[Oikawa 1]

Sullen faces littered the area as those known and unknown to the blonde gathered around the guild hall of the Knights of Blood Oath. His own face, drained of anything remotely resembling happiness or alertness. He felt empty, a shell of what he used to be. His dear friend, mentor, follower, brother, comrade and any other word synonymous with the sort had been taken from him. Erased from this world they trapped and bound too. He was released yet imprisoned all the same. Tears leaked from lids, his thoughts mangled and he himself the most sullen of them all save for maybe Opal who seemed to still be just as affected as he. His eyes, red and puffed from the recent tears that seemed to endlessly flow darted to where she stood. Pushing past those who were there for the same reason as he, stood alongside the platinum haired girl and placed a hand on her shoulder. His navy gaze forcing to meet hers. He offered no words of consolation. No words at all really. His grip tightened briefly only to relax as he took a seat on the ground next to her and looked out on those in attendance. He spotted another brother of his as well. Calrex, his closest friend aside from Teayre and the still missing London. A sigh escaped him, today was sure to be a long one.

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

The blonde didn't want to go... but after receiving an invitation to such an 'event' she couldn't just ignore it either. Steeling her heart to numb the pain, she headed towards the KotB guild hall. Her dress this time was neither her revealing normal clothing or the flowery one she used for the recent planning. Instead she stayed true to her roots and made the traditional black kimono one wears at times like this. This was the first time she'd lost somebody close to her to this game and it was quite a blow to her morale... She tried her best to fake a smile after all, she was sure the raven haired alchemist would've wanted them to continue on the front lines. But today she would leave that place out of her head and reunite with Azide's common friends or at the very least people that knew him.

She entered the Hall and saw three of the ones she thought of her close friends, Calrex, Oikawa and somebody she hasn't seen for way too long... the katana user Baldur: "Hey guys!" she said with that horribly faked smile as she drew closer to them. Then she directed her gaze towards the KotB members present: "Thank you for organizing this... it means a lot." she said as she took a seat, waiting for the whole thing to start. She didn't knew what to expect but had a few stories she could share with the rest. She hoped that @Hikoru could join them as well.

[Macradon 0]

It had become the time for a funeral. It was a time of grief, a time of sorrow. A man had fallen on the frontlines, a person that was somewhat related to the guild, and a patron of Macradon. He was all in his casual attire with the KoB colored tabbard over his clothes, following the uniform of the guild. With a sorrowful face he would arrive to the funeral, late as always, though better late than never. "I didn't get to know you that well ... and I didn't hold the promise I made ... I'm sorry" he muttered for himself as he had arrived. His eyes closing, trying not to let any tears fall out. He would stand up stern and still have his eyes closed. He was late and was not in the position to say anything right now, so he would remain silent.

[Opal 0]

"Mack, its not the time or place," the Vice Commander said holding up her hand about the trivial matter that happened at the Hot Springs. Her mind was more preoccupied on the current situation of the gloomy day. Her white eyes cast side glances as they waited for the others. She shook her head, pressing her dainty fingers to sweep the tendrils of white from her sad eyes. But from the reaches of the melancholy day came the familiar sight of Calrex who seemed to be taking each step with a weighted heart. She offered him a smile and nod in recognition, "Thank you for coming, Cal. It means a lot to me for you being here." She swept a strand of white from her eyes once more, there were others now making faces of themselves as the woman found the small collection of players to come on such a dreary day. 

Xion had addressed her with a forlorn look, the woman smiled briefly and nodded to him. It had indeed been a difficult and trying last few days for the young Vice Commander, yet she held her steady and eye level attempting to not downcast or waver in her stance as the others approached her. Opal was then greeted by Commander Heathcliff, she knew the man would show up and she was happy to see him give a Sound Off to Azide as he was the previous Vice Commander and had naturally set this all in motion. She would carry out her guild members wishes the best she could, not to follow in his footstep but to walk beside him as he had originally planned for them all to be in equal standing. The melancholy woman had caught sight of Magda as well, she did not attempt to hide the fact she was sad as well, there was usually a radiant smile upon the woman's face, no doubt even if not knowing who the man who passed was, the entire group felt like the strings of their hearts slowly being stripped away. It had become even more difficult now as the others who were not a part of the guild but more so close friends with the person, Azide. She did not know the relationship between the others and the former Vice Commander, but her heart wept as she looked on to see those saddened faces. Even a man she had merely known, Baldur, showed up for the arrangement. 

She gave him a weak smile and nodded in greeting despite not having said a word. Though words were not entirely necessary, the meaning of the man was predominant in knowing that these people were here. It was then her attention was snapped by another familiar sight, Oikawa had presented himself. Although there was pain in his eyes, he looked to her, a firm grasp on her shoulder. She placed a hand there knowing full well of the intent before it softened and retreated to the side. She had almost fell compelled to crumble on the spot, her eyes stung from the wetness of her tears growing and getting bigger. The woman pressed a sleeved arm to her eye and pushed back the tears with a sniffle as the man sat down beside her. 

The room had temporarily filtered with light as a voice rang out with her presence toting a smile on her face. No doubt, the woman Ariel was in much pain as the VC was. She had been in talks with Azide and they had a growing partnership as they both took leave of the Knights of the Blood. She did not hold any remorse for her decision, Opal had wanted Ariel to be happy and that was evident when she respected and gave her proper greeting, "Thank you for coming. It is a small thing I can do for a man who meant a lot to me. It is only in service to him that the KoB is what it is today. Thank you for coming Macradon, " she said to her guildmate as he begun his solemn phrase. 

"Well, I see a few of us had taken the time to get here. I believe we should start moving towards the monument of life on the first floor and begin the services." Rallying herself, Opal mustered control within her and moved for the entrance of the stronghold. Her eyes winced lightly from the formation of the sun attempting to break through the clouds that seemed to hang over the beautiful city of Taft. Yet they had a long march to get the plaza. She took in a deep breath and started to move with pride in her steps once more. 

OOC: Anyone in the KoTB who wishes to attend should fall in line with the rest, we march for Gondor!  Monument of Life! 

[Grave 0]

[censored]! I shouted in my mind as I bolted through the city of Taft, heart racing and head pounding. Why was I always sleeping in when important events cropped up?! As much as I did not personally know this 'Azide', if Opal respected him and let tears fall for him, he was a man worth paying all my respects to - someone to take my Blood Oath for. I finally spotted the parade beginning to march off, Opal marking its stern. I quickly fell in rank in the large gathering of players, KoB and not, and tore the Blades pendant from around my neck and wrapped it around my bound right fist, the dagger hanging through my clenched fingers. Without a weapon, it was the best I could do to present arms for our fallen comrade...

Fallen comrade.

Thoughts shot back to Lindow and his funeral. I had raised my fists in his honor as well, both Opal and Hirru mourning at the monument of life over a piece of the warrior's Crimson Blades cloak. I swept through my inventory and quickly swept the new cloak over me, now fully clothed for the occasion.

For Azide.

[Snow 0]

Spoiler

The Black Iron Palace was never without tenants. As days grew to months and months grew to years, more friends and family of the dearly departed sulked about its harrowed halls. Sunrise, noon, or sunset, the lighting always illuminated the onyx Monument of Life in a haunting glow. Made of marble and stone, sounds of footsteps and soft weeping echoed faintly from floor to wall, yet nearly always remained silent. Funerals, on the other hand, were the rare exception.

Today...

Today there would be a funeral.

The young teen did not know this man. She did not know his story, his life before this calamity, his happiness, nor his struggles. She knew he held high regard for her new comrades: Opal, Mack, Lawfer... That was more than enough to know Azide was a good man.

Yet Snow stood in silence, clad in the black garments gifted by Hikoru and clutching a single rose against her bosom. This rose, an immortal memento to join the so many others that lay at the Monument's base, was not for this hero. This rose was meant for someone far more dear to her own heart. A friend. An idol. A companion, and a heroine in her own right.

Snow felt the warm tingle of a tear fall down her cheek. At first alone, then flowing freely from sorrow filled eyes. 

"This place..." she echoed inside her own mind. "We came here to see its beauty, its art... Its life..."

The tears became a whimper. Her chest fluttered with each painful breath.

"I'm sorry I didn't join the fight sooner... I could have..."

The girl dabbed her eyes with a sleeve and gripped the crystal rose with all her might. She wished it were a dream - some horrid nightmare. She wished to never have to say farewell so soon in life.

"I'm sorry, Daire..." Snow struggled between tears.

She shuffled toward up the steps to the monument, each stride heavy with the weight of her heart. She took a knee among the other mementos - flowers, pictures, candles, swords, and helmets... With reluctance, the girl set the rose among them and a window presented its message to her.
 

Spoiler

Name: In Loving Memory
Profession: Artisan
Rank: 5
ID: 55777
Roll: 4 (3+1)
Item Type: Trinket
Quality: Vanity (Tier 1)
Enhancements: N/A
Description: An eternal rose. Once placed, a prompt will appear to accept "yes" or "no". By selecting "yes" this rose will become an immortal object, fixed in place for all eternity. When other players inspect it, a message will read: "In loving memory of Last_Chance, Floor 13, February 13th. ~Snow"

<<This decision is permanent. Are you sure?>>

Snow looked toward the monument. The name "Last_Chance" caught her reddened eyes.

"Yes." The girl accepted the prompt.

The window dissolved into a mist of shimmering fragments and scattered into nothing. With one hand still clenched to her chest, the girl caressed the gemmed flower with the other and a small message appeared.

<<In loving memory of Last_Chance, Floor 13, February 13th.>> 
<<                                                                                                        ~Snow   >>

Snow stifled back a whimper and rose to her feet.

Today's funeral was not for her. It was not for Daire, but Snow knew the weight of loss. It compelled her. It drove her every breath. It told her, you have to live... for me...

The young blonde quietly descended the steps, her shoes echoing each stride softly in the Iron Palace's halls. Head hung low, tears flowing freely, and hands clutched above her heart. She turned, and faced the Monument, her glistening blue eyes searching for her guild-mate's name.

<<Azide - Floor 15 - March 13th>>

And there she waited. One girl in a hall of memories. She waited for her friends to arrive and for the real ceremony to begin.

Edited April 8, 2016 by Snow

[Oikawa 1]

More people arrived to the scene within minutes. Taking note of Ariel, the gray-haired man offered a look of surprise as he hadn't expected the lioness to show. Standing up as Opal motioned for them to begin the march, his cloak flapped nonchalantly behind him as he stepped in line behind her. Not bothering to wipe the tears tat ow trickled down his face, he let his mind wander on what had caused all this. Despite the boss being just that, a boss, he couldn't help but feel that Zel was to blame. The blonde had put not only everyone in team one in danger but all those in the fight as a whole. The plan was frankly rather stupid and now Azide had lost his life because of it. Sighing, the male, began to follow Opal has she lead them to the Monument of Life.

[Calrex 0]

Calrex gave a cordial greeting to all of the acquaintances that arrived. Oikawa, Ariel, Opal, Mack, Macradon, Greg, and the like were all present as the bluenette gave a small sigh to himself. Following behind the procession as it traveled upwards towards the Starting City's plaza the bluenette could feel the heaviness on his heart only growing more and more present

"With all that we've done, more and more names have been scratched off. Xanatos...things haven't changed at all since we last spoke. This community, still hasn't changed a single bit from when I was lower in level. If anything, it's like the new people that joined the frontlines became no more than just a cog in the machine..."

Moving up to walk alongside Oikawa he gave a small swipe on his inventory, producing the item he had created for this very occasion. The blonde would have recognized it, as it was designed in the exact same fashion as the Ultramarine, Scarlet, and Citrine badges were. The dark green shield shaped pin rested gently in Calrex's hand as he continued forward.

Azide was someone he had known from nearly the beginning of his time adventuring, and was a strong influence on many people's lives. The young man had only seemed to work to try and make Aincrad a better place for the people trapped here. He had tried to bear a great burden upon his shoulders, and did so until the fateful day. The Ultramarine Knight knew at this point it was after the fact, and that he probably should have done this sooner. There were few that he could put his full trust into, and the fallen comrade the ceremony was held for was certainly one of them. One of the few he would have considered suitable for the Spectrum Coalition.

[Macradon 0]

Many people had arrived at the funeral, a lot of those that he knew beforehand. He sighed and lowered his head, a fallen comrade, he fell for Aincrad, for the trapped players, for the people that wants to be free once again. A tribute, of some sort, to free us. Macradon would pound slightly with his fist on his chest at the heart region "You will be remembered, one of those who fell in Aincrad" he muttered. Macradon heard what Opal said, they should begin to march their way to the monument, Macradon nodded slightly for himself as he would march with the rest.

[Opal 0]

Opal had lead the group through the twisting archways of Taft and finally to the portal plaza. One by one they disappeared in the light and reconvened back at Starting City. It was a slow walk, people in the streets bowed their head out of respect of the Knights of the Blood Oath and those who accompanied them. Each person in the guild came with a name of respect and people were more than welcome to oblige them. A noticed had been given out and those who read that noticed knew of the significance of this march. Opal lead her guild through the massive stone cradled in the middle of the room. There she had noticed Snow and placed a hand on her shoulder and leaned in, softly a smile was given but no words were exchanged. The armor they wore of their ceremony rattled and clanked until it ceased, forming a circle around the great hall. Opal and her wet eyes titled her head up and took a step forward.

"We didn't lose Azide as many of you might think. His thoughts and ideals live on in our guild. Without him, this guild would not function as it would be today. But it was not only Azide who had perished, there was part of ourselves that had gone with him. Yet we remain here, steadfast with the want to finish this death game and help get the people of Aincrad to the safety of the outside world once more. But in order to do that, some things must be changed. It took the life of one man to show us all that we need to be better prepared for lies ahead, for it will only be more dangerous from this point on. Azide, thank you for showing me a way, for defining who I am as a Vice Commander and for giving me the opportunity to lead the Knights. I will honor you now and forever, for Azide! For Daire! For all those who now fight, continue to fight and continue to live and die in this world!" 

[Oikawa 1]

A familiar presence was made as the group continued on. The figure of the ultramarine knight slowly came into view alongside the blonde as they traversed the winding settlement of Taft. The blue-haired man produced an item Oikawa quickly recognized despite the color not being one of the three he was initially aware of. The Malachite toned badge echoed Azide and Oikawa realized what Calrex was hinting at by showing him the item.. A small grin expressed itself on his features as he quietly nodded in Cal's direction. He approved of the decision and was somewhat felt relieved that he wasn't the only one that thought Azide would've been a worthy candidate of the Spectrum Coalition.

Looking up, he slowly trailed behind Opal as they quickly passed through the blinding light leading them to the first floor. Citizens of the Starting City parted and bowed as each member of the march filed through the plaza. They slowly reached the Black Iron Palace and within, they slowly filled the hall housing the Monument of Life. The hall already had an occupant who seemed to be placing an item at the foot of the engraved slab. Allowing her to finish first, Opal then took up residence at the center of the room. Her next few statements echoing loud and proud as she spoke of their fallen comrade. Tears rose to his lids once more but this time he let them fall. Bowing his head and closing his eyes he quietly mouthed "Amen" before raising his head once more. He looked towards Cal and gestured for the bluenette to leave the gift there much like how the blonde who occupied the room before them did. Upon a little more squinting, he recognized her as Snow. She had purchased from his shop a few weeks back. Refocusing on those ahead, he looked to see if anyone else had anything to add before opting to depart into solitude.

[Calrex 0]

As the procession continued to the Monument of Life Calrex could feel the weight of the solemn atmosphere as they finally arrived, giving a small sigh to himself. Looking over to Oikawa the bluenette gave a nod at the gesture to place the badge at the foot of the structure, calmly walking over before bending down to set the Malachite Badge down.

However, the badge did accidentally slip from his hand for a second as it flipped over in mid air, showing that the opposite side of the trinket had a closer to avocado shade than the display side. Catching it before it hit the ground the bluenette gave a sigh of relief before gently setting it down. Getting to his feet Calrex put his hands into his jacket pockets, gazing at the item for a moment, as if to quietly send his own parting message before turning around, following the blonde out of the hall.