[attr="class","sidebar"]

[attr="class","postbox"]

Ollie hated funerals.

[break][break] He had never known them, not really. The earliest memories he had were of him standing at his mother's funeral, small hands clutched around that of Eva Morales, as they stood in a sea of family members listening to the words that their father had to share about their late mother.

[break][break] But the reason that Ollie had never known them was because he had always gone out of his way to not know them — he avoided disaster and war like it was the plague, going so as far as to run away from his home as it was cast to ruin.

[break][break] He wasn't brave, not like people like Eva Morales or MATIAS SILPH or paxton concordas who had been able to stay and fight for their home. He had always run because it was the easiest thing to do at the time.

[break][break] But he couldn't do that now. He was Head Ranger. Sea-gold eyes glimpsed at the sight of annalise henderson sifting through the crowd, surprised for a moment to see her hand-in-hand with MATIAS SILPH, but then reminded himself that Matias and her had always been close. He was her mentor, after all.

[break][break] The Head Ranger was quickly distracted by the appearance of several others; and as one of the leading parties from the League who had organized his funeral, the man was quickly swept away to greet them. To push down the growing storm of emotions in his own chest for the sake of others, to hold back the tears that were surely budding in his own throat.

[break][break] Much like boruta maher, the faces in front of him blur together even as he greets each one with his familiar smile and soft words of condolence. Thomas Benoit, Elise Calcifet, boruta maher, freya morningstar, FERNANDO SILPH.

[break][break] "Yeah, yeah, I know."

[break][break] "Thanks for coming."

[break][break] "I-I know he'd appreciate it."

[break][break] It's torture. Even more is the reminder that there is more to be done too, especially with the memorials for Raziel Beckett and Laurence Anderson both set up later that week.

[break][break] The only relief he finds is in those amber eyes, shining like jewels that should have burned. The only gaze that he could ever find solace in.

[break][break] "You made it," he said, mouth twisting into a bittersweet smile. He knew that she was busy — surely, cleaning up the loss of Petalburg and the half-win of Sootopolis was no easy venture. But he knew that Penny cared for the League, and she wouldn't have missed an opportunity to make a public showing. A hand reaches for her arm then, squeezing gently at her shoulder and sliding down her arm, fingertips brushing. "How are you holding up?"

[break][break] "I... I know you guys were close."

[break]

[break][break] [attr="class","icon-league"] TLDR;[break]
— Ollie says hi to everyone who greets him, including Elise Calcifet, Thomas Benoit, etc. [break]
— Distracts himself by doing HEAD RANGER TM duties but he's very sad, about Derek, but also about all the Rangers who are lost, including both Raziel Beckett and Laurence Anderson [break]
— Notices that annalise henderson and MATIAS SILPH arrive together, but doesn't think much of it because he's distracted and thinks its just the normal mentor/mentee relationship [break]
— He finds comfort in PENELOPE LIVY's presence and asks how she was doing