From his place at the head of the table, Tempus watched.
He saw them. He heard them. He knew them, perhaps more intimately than they yet knew themselves.
Their disrest had been growing for years, the tension seeping between the Courts becoming palpable. Within each of these Sovereigns, Tempus saw his own children's’ reflections: Somnus, with his bid to be fair, his reluctance to get involved in disputes for fear of destroying the peace of his own Court. Seraphina, with her discipline and work ethic, her determination to do whatever it took to ensure the safety and longevity of her Court. Florentine too, with her bleeding heart and empathy, the way she ruled with her heart and stayed true to herself despite her adversity. And Reichenbach, with his darker side that was understood only by himself and his fellow herd members. They were imperfect, each of them, and that was what made them so similar.
Their likeness to their gods and goddesses was precisely what made them each so fit to rule the Courts. But Tempus knew: it was also what caused their dissention.
He did not need to see Bexley’s scar to know of her interaction with Acton. Nor did he need to hear Florentine’s words to know the betrayal she felt. He knew the struggles of Seraphina, her attempt to rebuild her court from ash not once, but over and over again. He knew of Somnus’ solitude in the east, the dawn’s unwillingness to become involved in the strife but falling also to mediate it. He knew of Reichenbach’s passion, the wild, uncontainable love he held not only for the kirin at his side, but for his court as a whole.
Tempus knew. He ached with them, and with his children. But he could no longer stay silent and watch the equines of Novus destroy each other--and also themselves.
The God of Time became aware of the presence of his children joining the meeting, one by one. From atop their respective pillars, they too watched the Sovereigns below. They could not be seen by the mortals--for they still lacked substantial forms--but they were present. Clouded as they were by their own bias, favoring their Court and their Sovereign’s arguments above all else, they grew uneasy.
It was Solis who spoke first.
“Why are we worrying ourselves with their matters? They made their bed to lie in.” The God of Day resented the Courts for mixing once more; he found insult in their decision to leave the safety of their own realms.
Oriens chastised him. “They need us, brother. They quarrel because they are lost, because of the mistakes they’ve made; but they look up to us. Why should we abandon them?”
Next was Vespera, defending her like-minded brother. “Oriens is right. I fear they cannot reach peace without us guiding them. Without us getting along and showing them the possibilities.”
Caligo was quiet in the background, keeping her eyes trained on the gathering below. While their voices remained confined to only their own ears, the wind began to pick up, throwing the trees to and fro in its gust. Clouds began to gather overhead, swirling above the clearing.
“We owe it to them. It was our own feud that started their divisions.” At Oriens’ admission, Caligo finally broke her silence.
“Our feud? Shall I remind you each of the cause of it all?” the demi goddess glared at her brothers and sister, the wind picking up speed and force, commanded by her words.
“We all must learn from our mistakes,” Oriens chided her gently, but his words only fueled the Night Goddess’ anger.
“Naturally that doesn’t include you, Oriens, having never made any mistakes before--”
All four gods raised their guards against each other, the air became a cacophony of voices that filtered in bits and pieces down to the mortal Sovereigns below:
“They can figure it out themselves--”
“No, we have our duty--”
“Our duty is to the sun, not to them--”
“You would abandon your own people--”
“”My people” abandoned me years ago--”
“We never should have opened those gates--”
“STOP.” Tempus’ voice boomed throughout the entirety of Novus, shaking the pillars surrounding the Sovereigns. Even the wind stops at his command, and all falls silent. Slowly, slowly, as if in slow motion, the rock lining the entryway to the meeting begins to crumble, collapsing in upon itself. A pile of rubble is all that remains, effectively blocking the way in--and the way out.
“The sun does not stop because it disagrees with the time of day. You have forgotten a piece of yourselves.” The God does not show himself to the mortals waiting below, but his presence is commanding and undeniable. He looks at them in disappointment, casting his gaze over each of his children in turn before turning back to the Sovereigns. “Go now and regain it.”
The ground continues its shaking, mild tremors repeatedly running through the ground. Tempus closes his eyes, the light and animation fading from the statue. It would seem the Regimes are now alone--and trapped.
This round will end on June 24th, 11:59 PM EST. There are special requirements to this round:
- First each character is allowed a maximum of 2 posts! Please wait for at least 2 people to post in between your post.
- Second, only one person from each Regime is required to post. It is highly encouraged that everyone should post, but understandable if you cannot! It is highly encouraged you talk with the other members of your Regime to coodinate.
- Third, your characters are welcome to explore the blockage--but they cannot find a way out in this round. They can discuss it amongst everyone, or only their Court, or they can go rogue and try to do their own thing! Feel free to bounce ideas--the RE will provide a series of escape options based on what you mention in your posts in the next round for exploration.
Gonna retag the sovereigns instead of all 12 of you: @Somnus @
(as a quick note, the four gods are present but unseen; they lack substantial forms at the moment, so while bits of their conversation can be heard, the most you may see is a white flash above the meeting! c: )
ALSO. Four new subboards have been revealed in each Court! Go ahead and check them out OOCly--they're currently closed to posting, but will open on Monday, 06/18 with prompts that anyone can participate in!
Please be advised, tagging the Random Event account does not guarantee a response!
