IPOMOEA
she said lay me down in golden dandelions
T
he gates finally opened, and Ipomoea would be a liar to say he wasn’t intimidated. There wasn’t enough time. Funny that he would think so, when he was about to meet the god of time.
Carefully, gently, he pulled a sleeping Odet from the nest he’d made in his mane, cradling the songbird close to his breast. He hesitated only a moment, stroking the bright blue and black feathers, before passing his Bonded to Messalina. “Take care of him for me?” Whatever waited the Regime inside the clearing, he wanted to know his Stellar’s Jay would be safe and waiting outside. Po wasn't planning on taking any chances today.
Squaring his shoulders, he offered Messa a small, shy smile before he was being hurried away behind Somnus. His wings fluttered at his ankles, as if unsure what to do with themselves: they reached out to brush the canons of passing horses, flaring their feathers and bringing a lightness to his step. Ipomoea had to fight to place each foreleg on the ground, lest his wings cause them to stay indefinitely hovering above ground. It gave him a distraction, settling the butterflies in his stomach as he focused instead on walking through the crowds, past the gates... into the clearing.
He nearly stopped when he saw the statue of the god, light pouring from the eyes of both carved heads. "Tempus..." His voice was unfamiliar to him, sounding small and high pitched, and Ipomoea couldn’t help but feel like a small, tottering foal once more.
With a nod in respect to the god, he followed quickly behind his Sovereign and Emissary, taking his place at the table on Somnus’ right. From there, he took his time studying the rest of the Sovereigns and their representatives--many of whom he knew, some of whom were still unfamiliar faces. Excitement thrummed in his chest, but he choked it down; there would be time later for introductions, he was sure.
A flash of movement drew his eye, and he stared intently at the statue of Tempus. 'Did he just blink? Did that hoof just move? Am I going crazy?' The statue remained as immobile as ever, save the floating stones about its head.
His wings folded up tight against his legs, to hide their trembling.
@messalina for the reference, @erryone present c: | "speaks" | notes: <3
