( tw; death mention. please don't feel any need to match muse, especially since a lot of this is just Aurum's grieving. really only the last two paragraphs are important + permission was given by Ku to do this lmao )

It was hard, to lose a friend. Such a statement would be obvious, to anyone who had gone through the painful process of having to say goodbye to one they had grown close to. However, it was even harder when you needed to be the one to bury them beneath the dirt. Unfortunately, Aurum wouldn't have trusted the task to anyone else, knowing that he was one of the few within Tanglewood that had actually taken the time to grow close to Feza. They had their issues, yes, and he always resented the fear that she felt thanks to his lion form, but she was also one of his closest friends, and now she was gone, plucked from the world far too early. The only thing that he could be glad about, regarding the circumstances of her death, was that it hadn't been gory. He was able to prepare her body without issue, not needing to stare at a colorful pelt now marred with blood and guts. The preparation process was slow, brushing her brightly colored fur back so that he could weave flowers into it, blessing her corpse with the beauty of nature before it returned once again to the earth.

The repetitive motion of it all was almost soothing, to the young proxy. Pick up a flower, brush back the fur, weave it in carefully and tie it. With certain ones, he would even grab a container of glitter he snatched from Feza's home, applying some conservatively to the petals. She probably would've thought it was pretty. And festive. The thought made his heart clench, and he shoved it down, gritting his teeth. He returned his mind again to the process, slow and meticulous. Flower, fur, weave, tie. He could already feel exhaustion pulling heavily at him when he grew finished with his work, but he pushed through, stubbornly. With her pelt made into a masterpiece of flora and glitter, the lion carefully picked up her scruff in his jaws, hoisting her up and onto his back to carry her to her final resting spot. It was a little apple tree within the forest portion of their home, beautiful and bright. It was faintly swaying in the breeze when he got there, beginning to recover and bloom from the hardships of winter and spring to welcome in the summer. There was already a hole dug in front of it, done many hours before. The grave was surrounded by various festive instruments from Feza's home, including one of her beloved kazoos. With tears stinging his eyes, Aurum carefully lowered the snow leopard into it, fightijgnthe desperate urge to cling on until he couldn't take it anymore. Once she was safely down, he shoveled the dirt back in, spending several minutes packing the grave down meticulously. As his task was finished, he lowered his head down to the earth, muttering softly, "Take good care of her... please."

To most, that would be the end of it. They would've said goodbye to their fallen friend, and try to move forward. However, that wasn't the case for Aurum. The proxy knew that Feza probably would've wanted a party. She would've wanted some kind of festivity, just to make sure that everyone was still happy and smiling even after her death. The thought of trying to celebrate right now crushed Aurum's very soul, but he still wouldn't ignore what he knew to be right. So, even with tons of weight heavy upon his shoulders, and a tightness in his chest that he couldn't shake, he began to prepare for a party. The process was thankfully familiar, both from his own events and attending Feza's. He first went to her home, which he had already mostly cleared out for her memorial. He took what was left, including various posterboard, glitter, paint, and anything else he could get his paws on. With a container full of various implements, he then headed for the tavern, just as the sun was beginning to rise on the horizon. He was exhausted, but he needed to put all of this together before everyone began to get up. There were already some still milling about the tavern, having been up late for patrols or drinks amongst themselves. He nodded to them as he slipped inside, almost in a daze.

The next several hours were all spent cutting, painting, cooking, writing, and doing everything else that would be needed for the memorial party, pushing Aurum to his absolute limit. By the time it was midday and people were beginning to arrive for lunch, a large crowd had already gathered, curious about what Aurum was doing. He had set up a table in the tavern to be full of food, thrown the front doors of the tavern itself open, and decorated the entire place in various bright, gleeful decorations. None of it did anything to soothe his aching heart, but at least it really did seem like the type of party the former guardsman would've thrown.

When his various tasks were finally complete, the angel dragged himself out to the front entrance of the tavern, clearing his throat and stretching out his wings. The motion garnered attention almost immediately, with many turning to face him curiously. He spoke in the most boisterous voice that he could manage, given his lack of sleep and his state of mourning, "Hello, everyone. I'm sure most of you already know this, but we lost Feza very recently. She was an honored guardsman and a beloved friend to many of us, and while she has already been buried, it only seemed fitting to have some sort of memorial for her. I know this isn't the most traditional memorial, but Feza was constantly trying to make our lives better through bright parties and events, and she wouldn't have wanted us to spend all day bawling over her. So, I invite you all to come and enjoy this memorial party. Play games, have drinks, and eat good food, and tell any stories of Feza you might have. Have fun and celebrate her life, because..." He hesitated for a moment, his voice quivering, before he forced his head back up, a smile almost plastered on, "...Because that's what Feza would've wanted."

[div style="text-align: right; text-transform: uppercase; text-shadow: 0px 0px 2px #1B1B2F; font-size: 24px;"][color=#44437F]— AURUM

The first to approach was Vignere, something that somewhat surprised Aurum. Not because the lion had thought Vignere cold hearted or rude – at least based off of first impressions of the other male – but simply because the other hadn't really known Feza. Still, it was tradition to join in mourning a fallen comrade of the same group, even if you didn't know them well, so the proxy felt grateful for the other's presence, especially as Vig sat with him. He offered the other male a smile, although it seemed tired, and just the faintest bit forced. He wished he could muster up a genuine smile for Vignere – or for anyone, really – but it was difficult, especially as he was surrounded by what would probably be the last remains of Feza. Despite this, he managed to get out softly, his voice a low, tired rumble from the back of his throat, "I'm glad to hear that you think so... I can only hope that this will honor her memory properly..." He glanced up at the decorated tavern for a moment, his one eye faintly gleaming with held back emotion as he thought of all the events Feza had thrown not only here, but all over. He closed his eye briefly, a heavy sigh leaving him before he continued, "It means a lot to have you here, Vignere. I know you didn't know her well." It only seemed right to express his appreciation, even in this rough time.

After Vignere was Raymond, another face that surprised Aurum. However, this time it was because of the fact that the other was one of the patrons he had shooed off to prepare for today. At first, Aurum was worried that Ray had returned to complain about being kicked out with the rest of the patrons, or just to slink back inside the bar for the drinks that he had missed. Instead of doing either of those things, however, Raymond came right up to him to offer his condolences, something that both settled Aurum and made his chest tighten. She would've loved it, darling. The statement was meant to be a friendly comfort, and it was to some extent, yet Aurum still felt like crumpling over in a heap of tears. He hoped that his extreme emotion wasn't betrayed too clearly on his face, although he had a feeling that it was, and he quickly rose a paw to scrub at his eyes, just in case he was tearing up. Throwing on another false smile, the angel tilted his head to one side at Raymond, speaking reassuringly, "Don't worry, you couldn't have known. It's not as if I announced to the whole tavern what I was doing before I made you all leave... sorry for that." He looked down for a moment, pressing a paw against his own chest as a small, comforting motion to keep him grounded before he spoke again, his voice hoarse, "And... thank you for saying she would have loved this. My only wish is that she could've seen it herself. Hopefully, though, everyone here will just enjoy themselves, and celebrate fully in her memory." Aurum had his doubts that he would be doing any celebrating, however. He wished that he could be happy and remember the good times with her, but every time he glanced around, he was only reminded more and more of the fact that she was gone.

[div style="text-align: right; text-transform: uppercase; text-shadow: 0px 0px 2px #1B1B2F; font-size: 24px;"][color=#44437F]— AURUM

Dealing with loss was easier when there were others around, right? That whole "misery loves company" adage had to mean something, after all. If so, it was probably a good thing that so many had already shown up to the memorial, most offering their condolences to Aurum. It was a bit surprising to the proxy, who felt oddly like a widow with all of the kind words. Had he truly been the closest person to Feza? The one most effected by her loss? The thought made him wince, internally wishing that he had treated her better in her life. They had eventually turned out to be good friends, and the pain that burned in his heart now was just as fierce and agonizing as when he had lost others he considered family, but... their friendship had not been an easy one. It had taken work and compromise on both sides, along with a great deal of apologies. Now, the angel only wished that he had seen the state Feza was in sooner, so he could've helped the former guardsman in any way he could've. He swallowed down the lump that formed in his throat at that thought, forcing his heart to stop clenching painfully. He had blamed himself in the past for the deaths of others, and he knew it did nothing but cause more pain. Hadn't he learned his lesson?

Ever eager to leave his own head, Aurum looked towards Alaric, the crooked smile that graced his muzzle shaky at best before he spoke, "Thank you, Alaric... go on and enjoy yourself. It's what she would've wanted people to do..." Once again, he was touched by the arrival of yet another feline that hadn't known Feza well, yet had come to remember her all the same. Still, the next person to arrive was probably the most important. Although Aurum knew that Leroy hadn't been as close to Feza on a personal level as he was to some others, it was a notion of tradition that put the lion at ease. He had been taught by his parents from a young age that it was only proper for a leader to remember his fallen comrades and group members, even if he hadn't known them well himself. Even though Aurum had disregarded most of the other information Aethelwulf and Judith taught him, that had stuck with him, simply because it was a lesson based on feeling. So to see Leroy here, honoring Feza... it filled Aurum with warmth. He dipped his head to the other, saying in a slightly hoarse tone, It's good to see you here, Leroy... I'm not sure I have any more words myself, honestly. I'm just glad that everyone thinks this is what Feza would've wanted... I can only hope she's watching from wherever she is with a smile on her face." Aurum might not have been much of a religious man anymore, even despite his status as an angel, but he hoped Feza was out there somewhere.

[div style="text-align: right; text-transform: uppercase; text-shadow: 0px 0px 2px #1B1B2F; font-size: 24px;"][color=#44437F]— AURUM