[PP-F20] Plans for the Raid and Future <Boss Raid Meeting, CA Guild Hall>

[Itzal 0]

Celestial Ascendants members invited

@Morgenstern @Hikoru @Kasier @Sey @tricolor_mina @Beat @Khrysaor @Shield  @Birdie

Itzal had sent the message to all players in the guild, including Beatbox though he didn't know he was dead.  After sending it he walked into the guild hall with a cup of lemonade that he got after helping another player gather materials.  The player didn't join him due to him having things to do, but he hadn't tried lemonade as of yet so he felt he may as well.  And daaaang was it good.  He took another sip of lemonade as he sat down somewhere in the middle of the table.  He didn't like drawing attention to himself, nor leading anything really.  He would much rather everyone be equals.  Which is one of the reasons they'd be changing a few things in the guild.  At least that was Itzal's hope anyways.  He felt that there was a few issues that needed to be resolved.  However that could wait after they discussed the boss raid.  He pulled out a few notes from his inventory and placed them down, placing one in front of each chair turned over.  The back of the page, which was what showed, only had the guild emblem on it.  On the other side was the details of the boss, which Itzal would share with the others, along with Hikoru if he joined.  Afterwards he sat down and waited.

Edited August 19, 2017 by Itzal

[Shield 0]

The guild hall stood out on the landscape proudly, an accomplishment of having ascended so high into the floors of Aincrad. Despite being a ranking officer, Shield had seen little of the great building. Days and weeks slipped away from him as he delved into the darkest corners of the floor above. He was not certain what it was he was looking for, but that had not stopped him from searching. He stood at the base of the entrance, admiring the architecture of the structure. He should have been proud. But there was something twisting inside of his belly as he gazed upward.

I know that he won't be in there.

He had seen very little of Beat since they had cleared the labyrinth guardian battle. As each passing day went by, he seemed less and less responsive to messages, tended his shop less, went out on raiding parties less. Without his partner in crime, Shield had lost much of what helped him feel like there was a home to be had in Sword Art Online.

Maybe that's why I've been avoiding this place. Just more reminders that I'm on my own.

With a heavy sigh, he pushed open the doors and walked inside. The twisting in his stomach did not relent as he made his way through the halls to the conference room. Only when he saw the familiar face of his brother in arms, @Itzal, did it dissipate somewhat. He raised his broad palm in greeting as he approached the younger player, though in levels, he was still decidedly Shield's senior.

"It's been a little bit, hasn't it?" he said, which was hardly a statement that was exclusive to Itzal. "It doesn't seem like it was so long ago that we were here preparing for Mothra though. Time moves strangely in this place."

The vibrantly colored serpent that accompanied the towering tank slid itself out from her owner's sleeve, flicking the air with her tongue to taste for danger. The small pit viper turned its slitted eyes towards Itzal and considered him for a moment before returning to the folds of the fabric.

[Itzal 0]

Itzal looked up and smiled when he saw Shield and nodded as he walked over and shook his friend's hand.  "It has been hasn't it?  That moth was not as, difficult as I expected it would be either.  However, this boss is on another level entirely.  We can't afford to ignore any buff available."  Itzal Gestured for him to sit down but before he could he noticed the familiar.  In an anime this would be where the sweat drop appeared on the side of his face while thinking 'oh no' before his own purple, hyperactive familiar somehow sensed the presence of another familiar, and shot into the room from her eating station and tackled shield, licking him first before poking her head around till she saw the familiar.  When she did she stared at it wonderingly and with awe at the multicolor scales that seemed to flow as one color.  Her tail began to swing back and forth as she wondered what kind of familiar it was.  Itzal sighed.  "And obviously you know Velnia.  Can you possibly contain yourself for one minute?"

@Shield

[Birdie 0]

A time ago, Birdie fled the Ascendants after facing a moral dilemma: to choose between caring for a dying widow and be at their side 24/7, or live knowing she condemned them to an untimely, lonely death. The girl gave all she had to the guild and disappeared without a trace, falling off the face of Aincrad and breaking off contact with those she knew.

And now, the girl stood before the halls of the very guild she ran away from. Its comfortable stature stood out among the natural landscape, an accomplishment of countless days spent grinding at the hands of every member. Birdie had hoped her contribution was put to good use and as she phased the wooden front doorway, her desires were pleasantly put at ease. Feasting her eyes on the cozy interior, the girl saw a few closed doors and a guild banner or two, though her nonchalant admiration came to a halt as she spotted two players. @Itzal whom she was well acquainted with and @Shield, a man she'd met on one or two occasions before.

It dawned on her that others might be confused by her attendance. The girl wasn't entirely sure why she'd been invited in the first place, though the scout paladin hopefully had an answer to that. A grimace caressed her lips upon realising she was early, but a neutral smile soon wiggled its way back. "Thanks for the invite, Itzal. Sorry if I'm interrupting, it's great to see you two again." Centering her eyes on the table, she choose the spot opposite her former mentor and moved to sit down. "This is a nice place, I'm quite surprised the fundraising worked out so well."

Edited August 19, 2017 by Birdie

[Shield 0]

The enthusiastic greeting by Velnia was more abrupt than he had anticipated, but Shield did not move under the impact of the familiar. It was an odd quirk he had noticed since taking the Stonewall mod. Whether or not something harmed him, his body did not give under pressure unless by a much larger creature. At least he assumed it was due to the mod. For all he knew, it could have come as part of a natural progression of leveling his tanking abilities as a whole.

Regardless of the reason, he screwed up his face at the zealous tongue bath that the miniature dragon seemed determined to give his face. Lilith was less stoic about the sudden greeting, retreating further into the folds of her sleeve sanctuary so that only the tip of her snout and the occasional flick of a tongue was visible.

"We have strong players at our disposal, but we should never treat that as anything other than a merely safer gamble," he said, attempting to assuage @Itzal's doubts. "Shorting ourselves preparations would be foolish. Mothra was too easy. I feel like there's going to be a reckoning someday for that."

The newcomer did not go unnoticed, though it was a face that the rough-cut man had not expected to see. For that matter, it took him a few moments to even place it.

"@Birdie, right?" Shield inquired, turning to her properly and inclining his head in greeting. "As I recall, you managed a rather impressive feat of crafting and completed my own crafting set in a day's work. It's largely due to that luck that I became as prominent of a Merchant as I am. Let me know if you need any of your old items sold or appraised."

Peeling Velnia off of him, Shield took a seat, followed by a deep breath. The last boss meeting had been more trying than he had bargained for. He hoped the same issue would not present itself, but if it did, it would at least not be as shocking as it had been then.

There are children stuck in SAO with us. My feelings on the matter won't change that, so I'm just going to have to fight my way through that when I encounter them.

[tricolor_mina 0]

"... is this it..?" Violet was staring up at the beautiful guild hall that had been built for The Celestial Ascendants. She could easily notice that there were three inside already, thanks to one of the windows, two faces that she had not met before, and @Itzal. One was a girl with pretty blue hair and eyes, and a man who looked like he could be consistently grumpy, with wavy dark-brown hair, and dark brown eyes that had a constant chill to them. 'thinking about it.. I've never met anyone in the guild save for Beatbox, @Kasier, Itzal, and @Morgenstern... maybe I'll be able to meet the others!' Mina sat there for a moment, before turning to enter the building, a quiet sigh escaping her mouth. Violet walked around to the entrance, and gently pushed the wooden door open, and, after making sure her Cloak of Duality was flipped out to the green side, entered the guild hall, heading over to one of the many banners hanging in the room, just to admire them. She knew how much the guild hall must have cost... most houses on Aincrad were over 400,000 Col, the most sought out ones were over a mil Col, and guild halls were closer to the price of the latter than the former. The golden yellow sun on the dark blue background... It was gorgeous.

Edited August 22, 2017 by tricolor_mina

[Kasier 0]

"Been a while since I've come to this place. Seems like the place has gathered up quite a bit of dust. Quite a shame, really, I wonder if anyone actually lives in here now. The place seems a bit unused." Kasier pointed out, walking into the guild hall for the first time in a while when she spotted Mina who seemed to have just entered the building and was scanning the area as well. Kasier stood next to the girl and looked around as well, taking in the modest, humble splendor of the guild hall. It was not extremely extravagant or filled with riches, which is what suited Kasier's tastes. "Seems like a few players have gathered up already," Kasier looked at the people who has already arrived and was getting themselves situated, "Well, feel free to sit down, Mina. Make yourself at home." Kasier smiled, walking over to the table and finding herself a seat next to Itzal quietly, like usual. Apparently, Birdie, Itzal, and the other player was talking about a previous boss - a boss that Kasier had not personally been involved with. Perhaps this time, she would join the boss fight and participate as a healer for the first time in forever. Even if she won't be joining the boss fight, she will be participating in this meeting as she is a member of the guild - healer paladin, actually. No matter what that means.

"Who's coming?" Kasier leaned over to Itzal really quick and whispered to him, wandering exactly what the attendance will be like and whether there will be any sort of drama here such as the last one that she had been in, "Who's that rough-looking guy? I don't think I've met him before. Is he part of the guild?" Kasier asked, looking at the guy with the beard while still whispering to Itzal.

@tricolor_mina @Itzal

[Itzal 0]

Itzal watched as Birdie walked into the room and smiled, nodding to her.  "Hey there Birdie!  And not at all, come on in!"  Itzal nodded, glad that someone besides him was taking this fight with extreme care and caution.  This boss would undoubtedly be the most dangerous they had faced.  He waited as Shield spoke to Birdie, thanking her for crafting some items of his, and afterwards peeled Velnia off, who was trying to sniff the snake and make new friends.  When she was removed she gave a little yelp but then afterwards she stared at Shield before breaking into a grin.  Itzal took her and let Shield sit down.  He was about to speak when the door opened again.  He smiled brightly as Kasier walked into the room, he nodded to her.  "Hey Kasier, good to see you."  He heard her first question and shrugged.  "I'm pretty sure Hikoru will pop in at some point.  I've confirmed that he's not already here.  And I think Jonathan said he'd try making it."  When she leaned over he heard her question while Shield didn't notice them.  He replied while he didn't see or hear to prevent from appearing rude:  "His name is Shield.  He's been here a decent while, and he's a pretty good tank.  He's nicer than he seems."  He straightened his back again and looked around for @Hikoru or @Morgenstern.

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru gave a small sigh as he looked at the large building. He had out countless amounts of col into this area, and it was by far the most expensive, and the best guild hall to date. But it was barely used nowadays. He entered in while Itzal was only there, and sat in the corner while others arrived. He didn't feel the need to let them know he was there until the meeting came to a start. Itzal would probably see him no doubt, and he saw him looking and decided to emerge, seemingly coming from nowhere. He saw a few players he knew well, and a few that he had never met. Introductions would soon come underway, so he wasn't entirely worried. He stood by a dark black chair that he had designated for himself near the back of the room. He felt the armrest and found his hidden initials, "A.R.S." He hadn't told anyone his real name, and didn't plan to. For now he was known as Hikoru, Master of Shadows, and he planned to keep it that way.

"Everyone." He said simply and lowered his cowl, giving a nod to the others before taking a seat in his chair. His cloak hid most of his body when he stood, but he was in the midst of allies, so he unequipped it, revealing the dark clothes underneath. He folded his fingers together and waited for the meeting to start in silence.

[Shield 0]

As usual, Shield's stoicism seemed to have gotten the better of him from the way @Kasier spoke about him. He wasn't particularly trying to eaves drop, but the room was fairly quiet at the moment and there was little else to listen to. He leaned forward in his chair, nodding a greeting as @Itzal spoke on his behalf.

"Sentinel," he added to his introduction. "I've heard your name in the guild before. You're the Healer Paladin, correct? It will be good to have some solid healing backing us up. If the number of health bars is any indicator, this won't be a fight we'll be able to outlast without some heals."

@Hikoru made himself known to the gathering, and Shield gave him a nod as well. This was unusual, given the younger man's tendency to remain unseen. It was refreshing to see familiar faces once again either way. He did not want to admit it, but the empty seat beside him caused him no small amount of unhappiness. For once, he looked visibly uncomfortable, which may well have explained why he was pegged for being 'rough.'

That sounds about right, honestly.

Looking back and forth between the two paladins who he knew more personally, Shield unconsciously let his normally impassive eyes soften a little.

"It's good to see you guys."

[Morgenstern 1]

He charged up the stairs, his feet going from side to side, and a bright smile on his face. He strode quickly from the living area and straight to the meeting room. On his way, he ensured that he gracefully plucked an apple from the basket sitting in front of the seats and munched on it greedily. He wiped his mouth and smiled before pushing open the doors to find Itzal and Kasier at on end of their table, and Hikoru sitting in the corner, by the dark oak chair that the man had silently dedicated for himself. "Great point, whoever said that. Yes, I think we should base our game plan around that idea!" He said with a lightedness in his words. His light and joking manner never failed to show up in the most serious of times. It was what he loved about himself. He looked around the room and noticed many blank stares, and then he just decided to find himself a seat. "Carry on, I am less important in this conversation, but just a tad more important in the actual battle" Any ideas he usually came up with were thwarted or already come up with by Itzal so....

"Truly been a while folks, I understand somethings have died down a bit... but we are all busy doing our own things" He made a quick questioning glance to Hikoru and Itzal, the ones who had found the boss, but perhaps might have just forgot the intsy teensy bit about how he wanted to be there. Well, no one was perfect....

Sitting in front of him were Kasier and Itzal, Shield, Mina, and... Birdie? He could have sworn she had left for her own reasons and vanish, except for the few times she was actually found. Ghost mode she had been. Finally, Hikoru was beside and behind him. "Oh... It appears we are awaiting silence.... Begin" 

[Birdie 0]

As if realising the answer to an age-old question, Birdie's eyes lifted in pleasant surprise as @Shield made his services known. "O-oh, thank you, I might need to ask you about that later." Having amassed a collection of faulty trinkets and unappraised goods, the bluenette was eager to unload the scraps of junk clogging up her inventory. She returned the gesture to Itzal, a soft smile adorning her features whilst more and more faces entered the scene. Most new arrivals were those of CA whom the bluenette was varyingly familiar with; Kasier, Jonathon and Hikoru among them. Mina was a player she'd seen before, of that Birdie was certain, though when/where and under what circumstances eluded the ex-member entirely.

Birdie scooted in closer to the table as Jon issued silence around the room. She hadn't any details about the boss arena to share, much less anything that remotely pertained to the raid. Something did occur to her, however, and she thought against overbearing cowardice to push her chair out slightly and rise to a stand. "U-uhm... this doesn't have anything to do with the battle ahead, but I wanted to extend thanks to @Itzal for inviting me to this meeting. I'm a guest within the Ascendants' halls, and I'll treat them with every bit of respect as I would my own." Her nervous tone nearly derailed towards the end though she stuck it out, and sat herself down with a gentle ease of breath.

Edited August 22, 2017 by Birdie

[Shield 0]

Shield leaned across and laid a broad hand on the table in front of @Birdie. It was all coming back to him now, how fidgety and unsure of herself she had seen in her shop back when he was first gearing up to leave the Town of Beginnings. There had also been a loud incident in her back room that he suspected was a large portion of her inventory falling onto her, but he had decided to spare her the embarrassment by not going to check at the time.

"Appreciated, but the formality is unnecessary," Shield assured her, giving the table one last tap with his hand before returning to the center of his seat. "We Ascendants consider ourselves family. It's not an overbearing hierarchy or some patriarchal pyramid. You can relax. As long as guests are courteous and bear no ill will, they're always welcome, especially when we're coming together over a boss battle."

His eyes returned to the other tank that had just joined them, his own paladin, @Morgenstern. He extended an upturned palm for his superior to slap. The two of them had not stood shoulder to shoulder since Mothra, and before that it had been in facing off against the queen bee on the lower floors, if Shield's memory served. He thought well of Jonathan, though for someone who was intended to be his superior and mentor figure, Shield had spent remarkably little time with him.

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru waited a few moments and soon Morgenstern appeared, apple in hand with a smile on his face. A few more muttered before he arose slowly, and cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention. His eyes were filled with sorrow as he laid his dagger on the table, motioning for everyone to to do. He pointed the dagger, Limbo's Fang, towards the center of the table, becoming apart of the sun's rays.

"Everyone, before we even start this meeting, I have news..." He said, and felt tears. "Upon hearing rumours on one of my information runs, I heard of a recent Pk from a player I had never heard of before." He looked at Itzal, then Morgenstern, know they would probably be hit the hardest. "I went to check the monument, as it's my job for information, and I saw.... Beatbox's name, crossed out... Killed by a player named Death Adder..." He said, then tightened the fist at his side, digging his nails into his flesh so he wouldn't cry. "I have no information of this player, but to kill Beatbox, he has to be very dangerous, enough so to kill him that easily..." He shuddered and breathed for a moment, keeping his composure. "I... I want a plaque placed in this meeting room, I want to remember him... He fought for most of us, if not all to get farther in this game, it's the least we can do... For now, I want everyone to place their weapon as I have, in memoration of Beatbox, the Star of Aincrad. They will remain there until this meeting is complete.... If for anything, do this for me... I've lost another brother, but this time I know I can keep him close, in my own way..." He looked up, and a few tears could be seen falling from his cheeks. He hated crying, especially in public, but he knew that they needed to see he was serious, and he hoped that they would all respect his wishes.

Edited August 22, 2017 by Hikoru

[Shield 0]

Shield's eyes and jaw hardened more and more the longer @Hikoru spoke. He did not interrupt. There was nothing to say even if he had wanted to interject. Though he was not particularly close to Beatbox, they had fought alongside one another on more than one occasion. It was because of him that Shield had managed to overcome the Nemean Lions on the seventeenth floor, not to mention his contributions to the various boss fights Shield had seen. He had played his part, and others would need to step up to shoulder that weight now.

He opened his inventory to take out his axe, but as he did so, his finger paused over another item. It felt silly for him to select a weapon. Weapons had no personal connection to him and barely even had a place in his build. He tapped the menu, materializing the Manticore Mask shield from the list, its many-fanged maw standing out as a garish testament to the battles it had seen. It took up more than the space of a single sun ray, so he placed it to the outside of the table, leaving more room for other players.

Thumbing further through his inventory, he found his materials, summoning out a handful of swatches of dark cloth, clearly for use in tailor work. Taking one of the larger pieces, he covered the face of his shield and slid a few to either side of him along the table for others so they could to do the same, either wrapping the hilts or blades of their weapons as a sign of grieving. He did not speak just yet, but he handed one to Hikoru to use to wipe his eyes, making eye contact for a moment. It wasn't as if he was not saddened already by the news, but seeing that pain mirrored back at him in the young paladin's expression made Shield feel as if Limbo's Fang had not been placed on the table but rather twisted deep inside of his own guts. He looked away, clearing his throat before saying his piece.

"Some big shoes are now left to fill," he said, his voice taut and his features strained. "Now as much as ever, the Ascendants have to build each other up and empower players to be able to fill that void."

With that, he sat back into his seat and leaned into the backrest, turning his eyes towards the ceiling to try to keep them clear of moisture as he kept his breathing in check.

Edited August 22, 2017 by Shield

[Itzal 0]

Itzal's immediate reaction was rather the opposite of Shield's, and even Hikoru's.  His smile vanished, his eyes widened.  He didn't move his vision as he stared at the two items on the table in utter shock and horror at what his friend was telling him.  Beatbox, was dead?  Killed?  By Death Adder?  His mind was blank except for the single word:  Dead.  He didn't think anything else.  He didn't look at anything else.  He felt nothing but horror, shock, and an overwhelming pain, as he and Beatbox had been through so much.  From the day he met the man and gave him some music while helping him out of what seemed to be a depressive state.  Their adventures together, two shotting bosses left and right.  When he let his reactions take control and make a mistake.  When he grew somber and far more powerful than before.  When he left the guild, and joined them again.  They had been through thick and thin together that Itzal felt he would have him as a friend and ally for a long time.  And now...  Hikoru was telling him that his friend was dead.  Killed by Death Adder.

Could all this have been his fault?  Itzal was the one who tried to get Beat to trust people again, as well as join the guild.  It was Itzal that convinced him to join them rather than staying outside the guild.  Itzal started this path of his.  In the end however, Itzal knew it was otherwise.  Regardless of how Itzal started, or interacted with him, he was going to meet the same fate.  Not only did Itzal believe the phrase 'where there is death, there will always be death', but he also believed in a God watching over everyone.  There was a reason for this, even if he couldn't see it at the moment.  Itzal was not to blame for it.  Especially since he had no way of knowing this would have happened in the first place.  The blame was in one area, and one area alone.  And with that thought, Itzal began to feel something he hadn't for a very long time.  A feeling that was magnified by a hundred.  Hatred.  Hatred for Death Adder.  Knowing that he couldn't show this anger to the others however, he allowed it to be mixed with sadness and grief, tears beginning to flow from his eyes.

Itzal opened his menu slowly, reaching for his two weapons.  "I know...  That name..."  Itzal selected Yakimba and allowed it to be pulled out, barely catching it.  "Death Adder...  Beatbox, told me about him."  Itzal placed his sword on the symbol, taking up one ray on his side, and another on the opposite side.  "According to Beatbox he was stronger than he ever could be."  He opened his menu a second time.  "He also said that not only did the rumors say he was cruel."  Itzal pulled out Dragon's Soul and placed it on another two rays.  "He said it was rumored he possessed a unique skill."  He opened his menu one last time, and pulled out one of the remakes of Sharpened Stardom.  Not the original, but he was looking for the imagery here.  This blade he placed in the center, and extremely slowly.  When he placed it at last, he allowed the dam to break and liquid flowed steadily from his eyes.  He had to support himself using his elbows and arms to keep from collapsing on the table.

[Kasier 0]

Kasier smiled to Shield's willing introduction to her. It was a well-timed introduction - right after Kasier had asked Itzal about him. A tank. He sure looks like one. Kasier thought. After Beat was done, Kasier nodded, and was about to point out that her level was probably too low for her to join the boss battle without any serious threat to her life. However, before she was able to do so, Hikoru walked into the room and started the meeting with a bang.

It wasn't exactly the greatest way to start a meeting. Sad news that one of the most valuable players and members of this small, little family has passed away in the manner that he has. Honestly, Kasier had no idea that such an event had occurred and she was truly shocked at hearing the news of Beatbox's death. Although he was a character of importance and reputation, Kasier never truly interacted with the man that much. The two had gone on a few quests together but that was it, and still, Kasier was not sure of exactly what the man's personalities and interests were. Although Kasier has not associated herself with Beatbox, she was still saddened at the passing of a family member that was loved by many different players in Celestial Ascendants and Aincrad in general. Kasier frowned - he was a powerful, strong player, and his death will definitely be a blow to the front lines.

Already, Kasier could see tears forming by the edge of several players' eyes as the news was processed by everyone in the room. Kasier, of course, although saddened did not share a bond with the blonde man, resulting in her lack of tears. Despite everyone's stunned sadness, it seems that Itzal was impacted by the news the most as he broke out in tears. Kasier sighed, pulling out her "Kasier's Venom" sword that she had wielded a long time ago when she first met Beatbox, Itzal, Mossino, Jonathan - the original founders and members of the guild - no, family. She remembered what she was like back then, and she would devote this blade to Beatbox, placed among the rest of the weapons and equipment in the center of the table.

Next, Kasier looked over at Itzal, figuring that the best thing she could do at the moment was to help Itzal to a room so he can calm down a little. Kasier had never seen Itzal like this and it certainly would not help the meeting progress if he carried on like this. "Excuse us." Kasier stated, pushing back her chair and standing up before grabbing onto Itzal's arm, offering to help him up to a room if he wished.

@Itzal

[Birdie 0]

Birdie's eyes fell, brows pinching together as Hikoru finished his announcement. She summoned an old relic from the bottom of her inventory - Retaliation, a rapier she used to fight alongside Beatbox many times in the past. Pulling it from its scabbard, the thin blade rattled as she placed it into a ray of sunlight, placing it down on the table. When one of Shield's rags made its way around to Birdie, she carefully stretched the material to cover the better length of her original weapon, paying tribute to the Star of Aincrad in his passing.

The wave of sorrow sweeping across the room forced Birdie to divert her eyes, unable to bear seeing the pain on the others' faces. She knew of Beatbox's fall and had already grieved for a time, but to hear those sobering words from one of the blonde's brothers-in-arms brought back that very same feeling of anguish. If the Star could watch over the guildhall now, she had to think he wouldn't want to see them like this.

To protect the people and pave the way to a better, brighter future- those were some of the things that he preached to Birdie in their final meeting, and there was no doubt in her mind that his legacy would live on in his stead. If not for Beatbox himself, then for the people he spoke of - those thousands still confined to the lowest reaches of Aincrad's torturous floating castle. "The last thing Beatbox said to me was 'There's a fight that I must win', or something along those lines. Earlier still, he mentioned inevitably fighting the leaders of Laughing Coffin, calling it the day that the guild would temporarily fall... or the day that he would die." Birdie twiddled her thumbs atop the table, drawing her gaze towards the centre. She didn't want to falsely extrapolate and parade it as the truth, though it felt like a necessary point to make. "N-not that I'm certain, but it seems like Death Adder could be a driving force of Laughing Coffin. If he really does possess a unique skill too..." Words trailed away from the bluenette as her throat became dry, unable to conclude the thought.

[Shield 0]

"There are a lot of questions on the table," Shield said, holding up a hand to call the meeting back to order. "A lot of us have some grieving to do, and we'll make sure to do so soon enough."

Shield reached out towards @Itzal who seemed to be taking the news the hardest, as well as to @Hikoru, who also seemed to be in a bad way. He placed a broad hand on each of their forearms. For a moment, he was dad once more, again comforting people he had sworn to protect. It wasn't a perfect parallel. They were family in a sense, but he hardly held any authority over either of them. Still, he was forced to once again remember that he was surrounded by kids who never asked to shoulder the burdens that had been laid upon them. Swallowing hard, he beat back the sorrow that was rising in his throat and gave each of their arms a squeeze before letting go and continuing.

"We'll do Beatbox justice when the time is right, but he like all of us knew the importance of not stopping," he continued, forcing his voice to behave itself. "We have business here. We need to see to it."

Now came the unpleasant part of being 'dad.' Shield's untidy head turned towards @Kasier, and although he had summoned up the most solemn expression he could in order to remain strong for those suffering, his eyes were not hardened or without understanding. She was comforting a friend, but that friend was needed where he was.

"No breaks just yet," he said gently, voicing what he was sure would be an unpopular notion. "Sorry, but we aren't allowed that option right now." He turned his eyes once more to Hikoru who seemed to be directing business of the meeting. "Could you start the briefing? There's a lot left to discuss."

Edited August 24, 2017 by Shield

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru watched as every member contributed, and it only brought more tears. If Beatbox could see the lives he had touched through just his guild, he would know that he had truly lived up to his title. He took a moment to cry as the small rags were passed around. He looked into Shields eyes as he passed him one, and knew that he felt the same way he did. He took it with a nod and dabbed away the few tears that were there. He watched Itzal break down, and he knew he would have to be the strong one here out of the both of them. He breathed in deeply and took a moment to regain his breath. 

"Right..." He said as he cleared his throat, seeing as his voice had cracked with the one word. "Tesseleth the Tyrant. A Black dragon that is the next floor boss. This guy had a lot of health bars, and seemed extremely dangerous..." He dabbed a stray tear that ran down his face and ignored it for now. "This is going to be one of the most toughest battles we've fought. If we go, we have to go well prepared. We need Tier 3 consumables and armor if your able to use them, and we gotta watch each other's backs." He said as he gave a nod. "We are guessing that it's going to use fire attacks, or some kind of elemental attack as Dragons usually do in fairy tales and lore. So we need to be careful and be able to be prepared for that." He thought for a few more moments, then shook his head. "Any thoughts or ideas?"