Hushed Willows i guess it must be up to me

luckily, sunny seemed up for the challenge, and cortez's ears cupped gently forward as he listened to the new satori's speech. the man knew the deceased better than he did, so his tribute, at least in the shakti's eyes, held much more weight. when sunny had concluded, cortez gave him a gentle smile and a nod, eyes soft, before his attention was drawn by another speaking up.

ah. . .tzila, he thought? the woman had fought bravely against the bear; they likely owed lives to her courage. another—aeliana—concurred, as did cortez. you're right, he said to the two of them, tail moving serenely behind him. that would be a good way to honor their legacies.

except—oh, poor sunny. hopefully aliac would return. the odds didn't look good, but at least they wouldn't be burying her body. it wasn't over until it was over, or so the old saying went.

if anyone knows of a good place, let us know, he continued, gesturing between himself and sunny. we'll take care of it. in the meantime, take some time for yourselves. rest, recover, grieve. spend time with loved ones. if anyone needs to talk, i can lend an ear. thanks for coming, all.

that seemed to be it for now, unless anyone had anything pressing. cortez glanced at the new satori, inviting him to walk along with him if he wished—and if all was said and done, the shakti would leave the gathering, feeling the weight of the world and even more settle firmly upon his scrawny shoulders.