ANGEL ❝ AURUM ❞ TANGLEWOOD

Four months. It had been four months since Moth had died, and part of Aurum's soul had died alongside her. He knew that, in some form, Moth's spirit lived on within Nicabar, although the lion was not yet sure of whether or not Nicabar even realized that. He doubted it, considering how Nicabar had reacted at Aurum's shock when the other had first joined. Some time had passed since then, but the angel hadn't exactly had Nicabar running up to him with a look of understanding in his eyes. So, it was safe to say that Aurum was still down a sister, whom he missed dearly. The former proxy yearned for her presence now, especially considering the injuries that he had recently sustained from the hyenas kidnapping him in the dead of night. He missed her gently tutting at him as she applied salves and bandages, asking him why he had been so reckless, or silently thanking him for doing something to protect others. He missed having tea with her afterwards, listening to her long but sweet lectures about what he could and couldn't do while he was hurt, accompanied by a vaguely threatening glare – even if he had never taken the threatening part very seriously. And yes, he had Kiira to take care of his wounds right now, but it wasn't the same. There wasn't that same sibling love that he had grown used to.

The lion had a small basket of various trinkets in his jaws as he headed towards the flower field, his steps heavy and slow as he leaned more to his uninjured side. It took longer than usual for him to get to the large and beautiful field that lingered at the edge of Tanglewood territory, but he found that he didn't mind too much. After a few minutes of searching, Aurum managed to find the small mound of dirt that signified where Moth had been buried. Sitting down nearby, he let his wings and tail droop down and relax, putting the basket down so that he could begin to pull from it. Remembering his sister's love of finding things to add to her collection, the large feline began to pluck the beautiful multicolored rocks that he had brought with him from the basket, placing them around the grave. They seemed to glow slightly in the midday sunlight, and he found himself smiling slightly, a little chuckle leaving him. He muttered, sighing as he glanced at the flowers all around, "This place is pretty nice, right...? Nice and warm, not to mention all the flowers... it'd be a nice place to live, honestly. Although, I thought you might like the rocks, just to add a bit of variety, instead of just the flowers." He knew that Moth couldn't hear him, but he didn't care. It made him feel slightly better, and gave him some slight connection to her, even with her real spirit hidden away.

Aurum found a heavier sigh leaving him, staring up at the sky far above him before he laid down near the grave, shifting until his legs were stretched out enough that he was no longer in pain. Once he was comfortable, he continued to talk to the grave, digging his claws lightly into the ground beneath him, "I miss you, you know... things just don't feel normal without you around. I mean... they don't feel super normal right now anyways. Everything has changed, not to mention my injuries. They're actually what got me thinking about you in the first place..." Gently resting his chin against the ground, Aurum briefly closed his eyes as he continued, "I know you probably wouldn't have approved of me coming out here, not while everything hurts so much. But... I just needed a second, you know? I promise I'll go back home soon. Won't be too long before the sun goes down, anyways." For the moment, he just laid silently near the grave, letting himself relax as he enjoyed the comfort that venting provided. He knew that he would soon need to return home, but that could wait.

I'LL NEVER BE YOUR CHOSEN ONE

Loss was a beast that weighed heavy in the albino's heart, some days dragging him down. The knight knew what it was to hurt, to lose those you loved. Perhaps that's what had drawn him to the fields that day, the rolling flowers striking a memory that lingered just beneath the surface.

Shades sat perched on the alibino's muzzle, shielding his sensitive eyes from the sun's harsh rays. He often times would remain in the shade provided by the trees, finding that the sun felt like needles when it met his skin. Today had been cooler, allowing him a short excursion to the open field, where he spotted the angel. He wasn't sure what pushed him forwards, most likely impeading on something meant to be private.

He grew close, pink eyes landing on the mound marked by stones, knowing well what such a thing meant. He'd seen too many in his life time, more than any one person should ever deal with. He came to a stop near the lion's head, prosthetic leg creaking as he sat. His eyes would flit up to the sky for a moment before returning to the grave and the lion. Softly words tumbled from his maw, voice gentle and near a whisper. "who vere zey?"

WHEN THE COLD WIND IS A-CALLING

She lifted her head from her nose having been in a book and her body leaning against a tree when she had realized both Aurum and Eternalknight leaving the camp, her muzzle wrinkled upon this sight. One of the main reasons being that Aurum was injured and if Eternalknight wasn't watched, he would probably do something stupid or get stuck in the muck. Without much of a word, she would slip the novel into her satchel and rose to her paws deciding to follow both of those idiots. Though she didn't want to make it obvious that she was following either so she would stop every now and then to take notes of her surroundings. Eventually, both of them had led her to a field of flowers that was far from Tanglewood. Her eyes widened at the sight, she felt a soft flutter of excitement in her chest. Finally, a place where she could study without worrying about mud! Yet the moment was shortlived, she realized both men were staying by a small mound. A frown touching her lips as she took a few steps forward.

Loss was familiar to the young feline, she knew how it felt and how it often emotionally broke people. Sometimes, it was the final straw for someone though it never had been for her when she had lost loved ones close to her. She had been there for her cousin when he had lost what was precious to him, it hurt her seeing him in so much pain. The day he had not only lost his limb but a piece of himself too or that's how he had always told her whenever she had inquired about how his late wife and child were like... Her child mind had failed in keeping those memories close and they only lived on through Eternalknight. She hoped that neither of them would lose someone dear to them though to be fair, Sophiea was more afraid of possibly losing Eternalknight than anyone else.

The frown was still on her face as she took a deep breath only to glance over to Aurum in a rather stern manner and her voice dripping with it as well "Aurum," She began with an angry wiggle of her tail would she continue "Don't be such a daft cunt... Wandering away at such a distance with injuries, you'll reopen your wounds with such baboon antics." Though her gaze softened as it turned to the grave of someone who she did not know or will never come to know, she reached into her satchel pulling out of her books and opened it slowly to reveal a few dried flowers that looked as if she had just picked them. She placed a few next to the rocks only to shut the book and slip it back into her satchel. Her gaze lifting to watch Eternalknight with a stern gaze as well muttering with a shake of her head "You damn knob,"

Maybe she had been harsh but, she meant well, even if it didn't come off as such. "Be more careful on how far you tread," She decided to finally say which was mainly directed to Aurum though the same could've applied for Eternalknight. After all, she didn't want anything bad happening to her cousin or the man that kept walking into her home like he owned the place.

ANGEL ❝ AURUM ❞ TANGLEWOOD

The approaching presence of others was not unwelcome, although it did startle Aurum slightly. The lion was so used to the flower field being empty of anyone but himself, or perhaps other grieving souls. In this case, it seemed as though all that had come were interested in what he was doing. Maybe if he had been in a worse mood, he would've ended up snapping at those that drew near, seeking complete privacy. For the moment, however, he just lifted his head, offering the trio of other members a tired smile. A croak of laughter left the angel as he heard Sophiea, amused by the other's rather blunt nature. It reminded him of some of his old friends, and he could tell that she spoke that way because of hidden worry. As he pushed himself up into a sitting position, Aurum couldn't help the way he winced, pain rushing up his legs. He ignored the pain for now, reassuring Soph in a quiet voice, "I'm quite alright, Sophiea. I've taken the path from town to here and back many times, and I know what risks are associated with it. Besides, I wasn't going to stay particularly long. Just long enough for some nice... conversation, as silly as that sounds." In his injured state, the former proxy knew he was an easy target, but he could still handle himself against the usual threats of the swamp.

Taking notice of Vig in the background, Aurum let his tail raise in a little wave, letting out an amused chuff, "No need to defend me too much... besides, I'm sure I'm already in for an earful from Kiira when I get back to town. Or if she ends up here." He didn't mind the scolding too much, especially since he knew that there were good intentions behind it all. However, it did get old at certain points, especially when he was able to feel his own limits. Of course, he had always been stubborn, so he couldn't fault Sophiea or Kiira entirely. Sparing a brief glance back towards Moth's grave, the lion's gaze hesitated on it for a moment before returning to Vigenere, "So, Vig, what brings you all the way out here...? Come to pay your respects as well?" He didn't think anyone could truly miss Moth as much as he did, and he knew that Vig hadn't known her well, but it was impossible for him not to know of her impact. As a healer, she had done so much to help Tanglewood as a whole, and it would've been difficult for them to stay alive without her.

The last one that Aurum addressed was Eternalknight, mainly because the other had asked quite the loaded question. The angel wasn't bitter or angry about the felines nosiness, it had just taken him a moment to process, trying to figure out how to describe his deceased sister in a satisfying way. Eventually, he just decided to dive in, "She was Moth. She was my adoptive sister, and one of the first people who I ever met in Tanglewood, and she was an amazing person. A healer, not to mention an amazing mother, and she probably would've been a great wife too, if she and her boyfriend had ever gotten to that point. She liked to collect things, and she was a light in my life..." He trailed off briefly, eyes on the grave nearby as he dug his claws into the earth, "She passed away when the meteor struck and the tremors happened. She was so focused on getting her family out of their house that... that she wasn't able to get out fast enough." The lion began to notice a stinging feeling in his eyes, and he hastily took a deep breath inward. He didn't particularly want to have a crying breakdown in front of everyone.