the ocean's waves lapped at the edge of the tidepool, threatening to swallow the bleached white stones in its stormy grip. it was not a time for diantha to be out here, so close to the waters. but here, she was drawn to the allure of the ocean, where the water spun in crystalline dark gray, much like her own pelt's color. even the clouds above were the same, albeit lighter and ever sprawling. her paws found purchase among the smaller pools and her talons picked up the occasional small fish and stones. as a child, she was always greedy to start her own collection. septima had quite a few, but she was never generous enough to share some with diantha. nowadays, the joy from all things foreign but pretty still persisted. diantha found herself keenly eyeing a precious blue stone, picked up from the depths of a pool. though it was a rock, diantha kept it cradled against her paw as she quietly observed its shape and texture. @Ragnar

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His time away had been warranted, in fact it had been exactly what the Sigrun yearling had needed to fully come into his own. He knew what he wanted for himself now, who he wanted to be. He was determined to be the rock his siblings could lean on, but also a very particular patchwork woman clung to his mind. @Diantha. It had been too long since he had seen her and of course he wondered how she was, if she had noticed his absence and was pissed at him for being gone. There was not enough to be said, he wasn't even sure how he would go about explaining himself. Regardless he knew that he needed to find her, he wanted to find her. Making his way across the shore (this was the place his family had settled for the time being) he followed the familiar scent of Diantha on the breeze mingled with the aroma of salt water. She was only a few paces from him, observing a blue rock in her palm when he finally called out to her. "Hey stranger." He offered her a small smile as he moved closer before finally pausing, large paws submerged in the water as his blue eyes locked onto her. "It's been awhile.. How have you been?" It was a bit of a loaded question but he braced himself for it, hoping that above all else she had been okay without him here.

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hey stranger. the bleak silence was abruptly cleaved in half by the stirring of a scent. it may have been her imagination, but the voice of @Ragnar sigrun was all too familiar. the stone slid down onto the ground, its sudden rarity was forgotten for the blue of her friend's eyes. diantha raised onto all fours, half-wondering if he was a figment of her imagination - or if he was truly real. ragnar she said, throat dry and raspy. diantha took a step closer to him, mouth agape. you disappeared, your family too. a weird woman lives in the lagoon now and i hate her. her tone was accusatory, but not specifically at him. why didn't you tell me? you could've stayed with us. diantha's fur raised and eyes gleamed; she felt ready to move, ready to do something to push out the frustration she felt. but before she did anything, she lowered herself onto her haunches. too many times she acted before she thought about the consequences. ragnar may had caused her grief and ire, but he was still her friend.

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He expects @Diantha to be angry with him and rightfully so. He had disappeared, but honestly the shame and guilt of not being able to help defend his home had been enough to cripple him. Ragnar, you disappeared, your family too. a weird woman lives in the lagoon now and i hate her. why didn't you tell me? you could've stayed with us. His ears lace back, melting into the obsidian of his thick mane. It wasn't because he was upset at her, he was ashamed. "I'm sorry.. the whole situation just made me feel so ashamed. I couldn't do anything to stop it or help. I felt useless. I am useless." He mutters, staring purposely at the water that sloshed around them. "I hope you can forgive me for not coming to you. But.. I'm here now and maybe I'll come to the Oasis with you..if you still want me to." He offers to her then, perhaps now he could make things up to her. After all he didn't have any intentions of wallowing in self pity, at least not anymore anyways.

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diantha suddenly felt a prick of regret for unloading her anger towards @Ragnar. she knew little of what had happened to his family, except that one day they were there and next they were swept away. but unlike herself in the mist, no one had bothered to look for them. and, she too should have played a part in the search, even if it was just her alone. again she did something she should've thought about. but, rather than getting angry back, @Ragnar was apologetic. the boyish smile he gave her was no longer on his face. diantha watched him watch the waters and she wondered if he was thinking of the lagoon. it dawned on her that he now had no home, while she had a home to go back to. no...i am sorry for saying that diantha said as she rose onto all fours. you don't deserve what had happened. she met the high sovereign that now lived in the lagoon. while she loathed her presence, she knew that that woman was now rightfully hers. so let's train hard and get your home back together, okay? diantha said, with a spark of confidence edging into her voice.

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no...i am sorry for saying that. you don't deserve what had happened. so let's train hard and get your home back together, okay? He finally takes his gaze off the water so that he can lock eyes with @Diantha. He smiles softly, there was something about her that was just truly amazing. She understood him, more than anyone else. "Yea. That sounds like a plan." And only because he couldn't stand the space between them anymore would he move to stand before her, pressing his chest snugly against her before enveloping her in a hug. He breathed a sigh of relief, just happy that she was okay and that she supported him despite the time they were apart. "I'm going to make you a Queen, like you deserve. We'll take the Lagoon back for ourselves first before anyone else." He says to her, voice certain and steady as he squeezes her tighter. He meant it.

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surprise clouded diantha's face when @Ragnar enveloped her in a hug. this was the first someone pulled her into their embrace. genya hugged her, once, the day before she disappeared. when her and victoria fought, diantha sometimes would pull her into a hug - the deadly sort anyway. so it was almost foreign, the way ragnar held her like this. would he leave like genya? would he use the same claws to attack her if she did something wrong? so many thoughts passed through her mind, but she didn't have the energy to think.

at the very least, ragnar's tight embrace feels kinder, and more honest.

i'm going to make you a queen, like you deserve. we'll take the lagoon back for ourselves first before anyone else. she doesn't split from ragnar's hold, but she pulls back enough to look him in the eyes. ears sliding back, she lets a small smirk linger on her lips. promise? she says, voice soft. and, when we do, you'll let me fight that bitch for taking the lagoon? walpurgis only interacted with diantha once, but that one interaction is enough for the red woman's image to be ingrained in her mind. how an unintelligent creature became a queen was unfathomable in her opinion. but, perhaps the laws of their kind had always valued brute strength over careful diplomacy.

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Promise? and, when we do, you'll let me fight that bitch for taking the lagoon? Ragnar can't help but chuckle as he pulls @Diantha in closer, there was a reason why they worked so well together. "Of course. And I'll smile while you do." He said it with the same boyish grin that he's always had, except perhaps now the only difference was that his face no longer held the childhood 'roundness' and instead had begun to thin out. As well as being framed by a thicker mane those weren't the only changes about the yearling. He was taller, broader. Diantha had changed too, soon enough she would be taller than him but he didn't mind. In fact he couldn't help but notice that she too was older, different. He swallowed the lump that rose in his throat, before offering a confident smile. "The lagoon will be ours.. that will be something we can look forward to." He says it firmly before continuing, "Now the oasis.. do you think your father will mind me coming to live with you?" He asks her then, pausing to gauge her reaction.

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the promise stirred something in her breast, a flickering flame kindled by those words that took shape. she could not defend the lagoon when it broke apart, as she was too young and inexperienced. but this body was growing, gaining muscles and weight day-by-day. ragnar too had grown and diantha was confident that just them two together could overwhelm whoever was in the lagoon and push them out. there were no members to stop them. and once they were proper adults then no one could tell them what to do anymore.

no worries, dad loves new members diantha said, thinking about the new members that her uncles brought in. not all were invited, most were claimed, and some joined because antares sweet talked them. diantha ought to learn how to do the latter more, considering she had little luck with filling the dens. come with me and i'll get you settled. diantha gave ragnar a soft smile, before beckoning for him to follow. [exit w/ ragnar]

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The feelings that stirred in his chest when @Diantha looked at him was something that could not be explained. He felt protective over her and wanted nothing more then to offer her the world, she deserved that and nothing less. But he also wanted to keep her safe. He saw what had happened at the war, how many of his family members had been injured. The last thing he wanted was for something to happen to her. But by him moving to the Oasis, that would eliminate that. Or in the very least he would have a better shot at keeping her safe and within reach. She beckoned for him to follow, insisting that her father loved new members and he chuckled a bit. "Yea but those members aren't me.. and they also aren't as close to you as I am." He said it with a cocky grin before moving to nibble her jawline for a moment. With a smile he would fall in line beside her, following her eagerly back to the Oasis.

exit.

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