He knew @Desdemona would be nearby. It is why he does not bother to venture too close to the border when he called for her; in his closing address the titan had made it clear that all from the Hollows were welcomed here without question, and that by proxy - even if she had not been his wife - extended to the calico huntress. Nadia sought to remain the Hollows for a few more weeks, simply to aid with the transitioning period; their children would remain with her, naturally. So, having had at least one night of partially decent rest since his ascension, Magnus would want for nothing more than the company of his little rabbit.

irish

change had become the only constant — unexpected, overwhelming, frightening change.

though through all of change's more negative traits, there was something delightful there just beneath the surface - a small glimmer of something new and exciting, a delicate flutter beneath her breast and a soft tickle in her belly. its kept her hidden from all of the ruckus, present but keeping a safe distance, curled protectively around the slight swell of her belly and the gentle vibration of life inside of her.

while desdemona had dawdled among the hollows after nadia's victory, in comfort and shelter, she had decided to trail along the lagoon and explore what it had to offer — not to mention, properly congratulate her husband ( and for more than the obvious conquering of the lagoon ). she doesn't have to wait long for an audience with the sigrun man as she calls for her in a turn of events and desdemona finds herself gliding over the brilliant white sand, kicking it up behind her in droves.

its not long before he comes into view, palm trees drawing shadows over her pelt as she steps towards him without hesitation. the calico hardly slows as she aims to rub her side against his own, seeking to coil about to his opposite flank like a housecat desperate for attention, twining around bulk of its affection. i'm proud of you. she says simply, pausing near his shoulder to look up at him, to take in the scent of him and the new lands that would be her playground. you have a lot to be thankful for, @Magnus.

manip by sanctuare

As expected, she does not keep him waiting.

Magnus is not big on picking up subtleties; he, like most men, can be dense when it came to nuances. And so when she rushes to meet him, pressing up against his side and brushing herself along him, he would note that there was something slightly different about her but.... beyond that? Nothing - yet. He is too consumed in how pleased he is to see her to really note anything else. "I do," he rumbled in affirmation, lowering his head so as to attempt to press a fond nip to her cheek. As he inhaled he would detect a scent; again, it roused some sort of familiarity - perhaps something that dwelled in the chambers of his old Kingdom, in the weeks leading up to the arrival of.... He blinked, and then it was gone again. Shaking it away, he would step back, motioning for his love to follow him. "Will you walk with an old cripple, @Desdemona?"

irish

ah, ever the charmer, she's greeted with a fondness that brings her smile to spread even wider across her patched face. @Magnus is grateful, he says, for his newfound kingdom, wives, and family - soon to be extended even more. desdemona notices that he hasn't picked up on the mild swell of her form just yet, or the slight change in the chemistry of her body. its odd for herself to even comprehend and she swallows thickly, tongue pressed between her teeth as she prepares herself to just say it and then —

will you walk with an old cripple, desdemona?

don't count yourself out, the patchwork cat laughs, sticking close to his side so that she may have the grand tour of the lagoon, with her very royal escort. i think we've got a lot of life left in you yet. even still, she can't help but to concern herself, more worried about the sting of wounds on his pelt and battle rather than age. she knows that magnus is a warrior by nature, but the new life they have created runs her to worry much more for him - she wants, needs him, to be a constant for a long, long time.

will you miss the hollows? she asks then with a sidelong glance out into the distance, staring down the blue blue blue waters. this place is beautiful, but there's a certain familiarity that remains at the caves. while they have it under their clutches, the lagoon is to be magnus' primary residence and her mind skips to the way the earth shifts under paw and she can hear the lull of the waves. this place — this place though, i think our little ones will love the ocean. desdemona says it casually, looking at him from the corner of her eye just briefly before ahead again.

manip by sanctuare

She is too kind to him, he thinks, as her reassurances come thick and fast. Magnus would merely offer a wry half-smile in return, shrugging an aching and bruised shoulder. "Perhaps." I hope so. If he could live to see all his children grown and healthy, he supposed could die quite happily. A warriors death, hopefully - that would be most fitting. Still, he would shake away such lamentations for now, in favour of answering his wife's query. "The Hollows will always be important to me - it is where many good things started." He'd ruled there when he'd met Nadia, when he'd met Desdemona, when his first litter had been born.... He'd reunited with family at the Hollows, he'd made some of his strongest alliances and friends through the Hollows.... Obsidian would always mean a lot to him.

"That is why I left it with my sister."

She had so desired to be a Queen in her own right. Now she had the chance to be one. And Magnus? Well, he had everything he needed right here. Everything and more, it would seem. Expression dropped into one of surprise, brows furrowed and jaw slacking a fraction as @Desdemona made her sweet confession, her subtle side-eye met with outright shock. And then, quickly recovering himself, he would lean into her side with a warm rumble. "I thought there was something different about you." And now his suspicions had been confirmed. If only he knew that he would not have just one hoard of cubs to chase around in the next month or two.... "Only fitting that you have a chance to settle into your promotion of Heiress, then, before you become a mother?" He would watch her expectantly for a reaction. She did not have to accept the offer, but he certainly hoped she would.

irish

she can attest to that - the hollows had been a new beginning rife with growth and its own small joys and turmoils. desdemona had thought about it often, had memorized the corridors and would hum to the drip-drop of water from the ceiling. she would miss it, but would enjoy the sea much, much more. knowing that it would still belong to the sigrun pleased her more as she thought about it, able to dance from one pride to the next. what other lioness could boast that? i hope she doesn't mind the occasional visitor, desdemona muses, not that she hadn't already been there and then out and about as she pleased.

and now he gets it. his reaction brings her to smile, a little sheepish at the corners, but she is happy. the heroine steadies herself against her sword, the blotches of her pelt a stark contrast against the dark of his fur. what have you done to me? she pauses to reach and nip fondly at his shoulder, as if scolding him, desdemona the adventurer would have never considered cubs. in all of her selfishness and wanderlust, it just hadn't seemed possible - though now, she plots her future, drawing cub names in the clouds and imaging the splash of little paws in the seafoam.

then there's a shock all her own. an orange tail flickers, lashing out in surprise at the offer of a rank. heiress? she doesn't shirk away from the responsibility and @Magnus' trust in her settles comfortably on her shoulders. in this moment, she feels so lucky and accepts with a chirp, of course. someone has to keep this place in order. i'll make you proud.

manip by sanctuare

Úlla may have earned herself Magnus' ire on more than one occasion, but that did not stop her from being family. Not only family, but a promising member and warrior of the clan. Valuable, most certainly. And so that is why Magnus felt confident with the Hollows being left in her care; with her as its warden, Obsidian would continue to thrive. It may not be by the sea, and it may lack the open air that the Sigrún had grown up with and were used to, but it had its uses and there was no denying that.

So much so that Magnus would not have simply thrown it to one side.

With that in mind, their current situation was a win-win for everyone. The nip was endured with a gruff rumble in playful warning, and as he turned to butt her forehead firmly with his nose he would simply chuckle at her self-imposed title. Adventurer. "But domestic life suits you so well," the titan rumbled in response, not usually so facetious but unable to resist at that particular moment. Pleased that she accepted the new title, taking it in her stride, Magnus would seek to escort his wife further into the premises. With both Desdemona and Nadia keeping him in life, nothing could go wrong. "I know you will," he assured her with confidence.

Yes - nothing could possibly go wrong. Famous last words.

EXIT

irish

her scolding is met with playful touch and desdemona laughs her amusement. but domestic life suits you so well, @Magnus is met with a smile that is more teeth than lip, something that would have been more threatening if not for the softness of her features and the scent of motherhood that clung to her pelt. she would do more than play the part: she would happily accept the role in den-making and leading as heiress. of course, desdemona would grant herself some small freedoms and she's sure that magnus wouldn't deny her that. i only hope you won't toss me back to the plains if i disappoint. she absolutely wouldn't, at least not consciously, though that's a far thought in her mind at the moment. as it seemed, life right now was panning out to be something splendid.

the calico continues to trail along the sigrun jarl, interested in what more the territory has to offer on her walk and now, soon to be tour, with her sovereign. she had to know the lands she was so trusted to look after.

/exit

manip by sanctuare