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Mahendru Divya	The City of Great Forks had more than its share of wonders. Along boulevards planted with a hundred kind of trees and sculptures, one could see all manner of temples laid out as grand affairs of worship. But humans being human, no one wants to walk farther than they have to just to attend to the business of being human. So the streets that ran alongside most of the temples featured apartments for the priests, or hotels for laity that'd come to worship. And services like teahouses to slake the thirst and hunger of the faithful, when human needs interrupted the paen of prayers. Green Dynasty Silk was one such establishment, a little more luxurious and popular than many, for it lay on the border between a shrine to the Maiden of Journeys and a temple to the God of the Great Southeastern Way. Elegant lacquered wood with shoji panels created a spacious building with configurable rooms and all the privacy one might pay for...at least in the corners. But the main public space remained popular for the more social. In no small part due to the Goddess playing the sanxian, who'd evidently chosen one of the tables to sit on instead of a chair like a normal being. A cup of Azure Iron tea trails steam beside her, untouched for the moment, as she takes a look at those who enter or leave.
Tepet Makara	Makara has been to many establishments in Great Forks but not this one yet. He finally finished mastering the spell known as Infallible Messenger, so he won't have to pester a sorcerer who knows it all because he has to respond to an insufferable family member of his that abuses the spell. Once he steps inside the Green Dynasty Silk, he takes a seat and orders Southeastern chai. Although he expects the performer to be mortal. He wasn't expecting the god whose the supposed owner of this teahouse. "Usually it's the priestesses but I don't mind" once his spice tea arrives, he takes a sip. The dynast is currently in his typical kimono with the mons of his house included. As he's a "water aspect", his spinal column shimmers with watery essence, resembling a river of cold waters.
The Mournful Chorus	Not long after Makara, another newcomer to the establishment slips through the entrance. This one is dwarfed by most of the other patrons, but she walks with the confidence of the truly fearless. Her flashy attire, combined with her bright smile, turns more than a few heads. There's the cloak, of course, a thing of shimmering, iridescent beauty, made of some light but sturdy material that doesn't quite look like leather. Although it should be large enough to completely wrap around her, she has thrown it back to reveal a tasteful combination of bright purple and teal, shining silk pantaloons and embroidered cotton vest wrapped with several decorative sashes and girdles. Golden earrings, bracelets, and rings play with the dim light. Unlike his mistress, the monkey perched on Chorus' shoulder doesn't appear to like this at all. He clings tightly to her, making anxious, hissing noises at anyone who dares venturing too close. After a good, long look at the interior, Chorus' eyes settle on the goddess with the sanxian - not without taking note of the man in the kimono, who displays such interesting markings. She picks a spot at the bar, not too far away from both of them, ordering some kind of fancy drink with coconut water and orange juice before turning away from the server to face the room. Almost instantly, her body begins to pick up the rhythm of the song, fingers drumming along on the bar, feet bobbing in tune with the music.
Mahendru Divya	Still playing, the Goddess slowly sweeps down from the table and walks towards Makara's seat, prompting her sunlit hair to shift and flow behind her as she walks, like she's underwater. The Aspect Markings of the presumed Water Aspect especially seem to draw her eye and she briefly circles his table before she chooses a chair across from him. Rather than sitting like a normal human being, she steps up onto the seat and sits on the backrest instead, so that her taller vantage gives her the best view of the broader teahouse (and so patrons can better see her in return). "How's the chai?" she asks, her tone rich and amused and vaguely inhuman due to a faint vibrato that follows her words. "A man of your station looks like he's had the opportunity to try many in your day. How does the Green Dynasty Silk measure up?" Her eyes briefly drift back to the woman who'd made such an entrance. She arches a sunlit eyebrow when she notices the woman with the monkey is both nearby and seemingly drumming along. Amused and seemingly pleased by the attention, the Goddess gets a bit more rhythmically precise with her plucking of the sanxian's strings, catering to the one who seems to enjoy it.
Tepet Makara	Makara is sipping his chai while listening to music performed by a goddess. If this was the Blessed Isle, Immaculate monks would bust this place up. Fortunately this isn't the Blessed Isle and only a foolish monk who thinks he can takes on an entire city of little gods and exigents would ever think of it. The dynast thoughts with amusement but his attention shifts to the woman he meet before....in another shape however the goddess approaches. "It tastes as if I'm in the Southeast myself even if I've never been there before. The quality is fine and even rivals that of the Blessed Isle" He says with the courtesy of a noble to the goddess that runs this teahouse. "It's as equally good as the song you were playing a while ago."
The Mournful Chorus	Even when her drink arrives not long after, Chorus continues to drum along, despite the bartender's critically raised eyebrow. She takes a long, thoughtful sip, relishing the delicate dance of sweet juice and citrus acid on her tongue while her gaze flicks over the other patrons. While she might not be able to fully overhear the conversation between the goddess and the well-dressed man over the music and the din of voices all around, the Moonshadow has placed herself close enough to maybe catch a few words. She fixates on those two, observing them for a bit longer, then picks up her drink and strolls closer, now humming softly to the tune and slowing moving along with the rhythm. The monkey wraps his arms around her neck now, clinging to her back. He looks deeply uncomfortable, despite a few soothing strokes through his fur. Several other patrons, mostly god-blooded mortals seated on their tables, start humming as well as she passes by - almost as if Chorus' enjoyment of the music is infectious.
Mahendru Divya	"Rivaling the Blessed Isle itself," she echoes. And she looks distinctly pleased at the comparison. "How kind." And when he compliments her playing, she dips her head into a little bow, without losing a single note on the riff she's currently playing through. "People come to the Green Dynasty Silk for all sorts of reasons. The most common by far, however, is because they're metaphorically as well as literally at a crossroads. Just as this building is. I have a feeling there are paths opening before you. Which will you take, I wonder?" The arrival of the jaunty seacaptain and her monkey merit another smile and a dip of the head in acknowledgement. Her hands are busy with the sanxian but the look she casts towards one of the table's other seats is unmistakable. Shifting her gaze back to the Dynast, she says "I go by Sunrise Imzada. In the divine city of heavenly Yu-Shan, in the right office, you would find that my purview is Auspicious Initiations. A fancy way of saying I like new things and new beginnings. Especially people doing something new. Like having a little chat with people they didn't know before." "So, what do the two of you call yourselves?"
Tepet Makara	"Nice to meet you Sunrise Imzada, I am Tepet Iasomul Makara, whose blood is blessed by Danaa'ad" The dragon introduces himself to the goddess but surprised to hear she's from Yu-Shan herself. "Ah Heaven itself. I've only heard fragments of information about that otherworldly realm." He expresses on the topic of the world of the gods themselves. "I sometimes wonder if the gods that spawned the anathema reside there as well" The scion of the Scarlet Dynasty ponders if such powerful gods are in Yu-Shan "Ah the roads in life, a fine topic" He sips his tea as he continues. "Sometimes I view it as rivers, as the currents may lead you to a path you didn't choose."
The Mournful Chorus	Chorus takes the hint and approaches the seat indicated by the deity with a delighted smile on her face. The humming ceases, now that she is close enough to actually disrupt the conversation with it. As she sits, she takes a closer look at the other two. Her curiosity is palpable. Upon closer examination, both monkey and woman bear a striking similarity to a certain Dreaming Sea captain and her pet, who the goddess would remember meeting a while ago, maybe - if she were a flower merchant and not Sunrise Imzada of Auspicious Initiations. In this outfit, draped in silk and gold, and with make-up carefully applied to her face, one could easily overlook that similarity. Not just because of the way she looks; she moves and talks differently, too, albeit with that same Flametongue accent. Could this really be one and the same person? Chorus answers without hesitation: "Ravi Voice-of-Longing, I'm called. It's a pleasure and an honor to meet you", she says reverently. This is followed by a deep bow towards the goddess and the man who just revealed himself as a Dragon-Blooded. Only now does she take her seat, relaxing against the back rest. Her pet immediately ceases the chance to clamber down and vanish beneath her chair - prompting Ravi to utter a soft chuckle. A sweet, flowery perfume mingles with the scent of orange juice from her colorful drink as she carefully sets it down in the table. "As it happens, I know nothing of the gods, or Heaven", Ravi remarks with a humbled smile, "but quite a lot about rivers. The currents certainly have a way of taking you wherever they like, if you're not careful. Since I'm fortunate enough to be invited into the presence of such a honored deity and an enlightened dragon, my luck can hardly get any better." With that, she raises her glass for a toast. "To the Green Dynasty Silk!" After taking a quick sip, she inquires: "You run this establishment, Lady Imzada? Does it bring you joy, this place of revel and auspicious meetings? And you, Master Tepet... do you feel welcome in this city of ten thousand temples, many of whom don't adhere to the Immaculate prayer calendar? Some say there's Anathema hiding in this place." Her demeanor remains perfectly cordial. A completely innocent question.
Mahendru Divya	"Tepet Makara," she answers, repeating his name like it's a title of address. "We don't see too many from your House here in Great Forks. I'm glad you made the trip, though. I have a feeling you'll find something that will make the journey worth your while." His mention of Yu-Shan doesn't draw a reaction but his mention of the Anathema draws an amused smirk on her face. "Ah yes, you will find the Gods of the Anathema in Yu-Shan. Or at least, you might find their homes. They're otherwise occupied with the Games of Divinity and don't take house calls, even from the Exalted. One reason I like to spend time in Creation myself, by the way, it's nice not to lose touch with the broader world." If Sunrise notices anything unusual or amiss about the Captain and her monkey, she's at least polite enough to keep the observation to herself. Instead, she dips her head in greeting at the name offered, repeating it as she did with Makara. "Ravi Voice-of-Longing. Just the kind of woman I came to Creation to see. The mortal perspective is one that's easily lost in Heaven, after all." When Ravi offers a toast, Sunrise actually stops playing the sanxian long enough to retrieve her tea and join it. At the next question, she chuckles. "Oh, Gods aren't really allowed to own property in Creation you know. There are Laws about that sort of thing in Yu-Shan. But this place does indeed bring me joy. Like many mortal establishments, so many people meeting new people. Trying new things, even if it's only the tea sometimes." The question about Immaculate customs results in both of her shining eyebrows raising and she looks decidedly interested in how Makara might answer that.
Tepet Makara	"greetings to you as well Ravi" He nods while pretending he never meet her before. 'What brings you to Great Forks? For me, I'm admittedly a regular here even though I am stationed in the satrapy of Greyfalls. It's a nice getaway from the debauchery of my Cynis masters" Although he sometimes indulges in luxuries, something just turns him off regarding that Great House. "Personally I don't mind that it's littered with temples to gods even if it defies the Perfect Hierarchy, but I am no fool in imposing changes to where we lack power. Of course I know anathema hide in this place, they could be anywhere and anyone" He says with the zeal of a prince of the earth but deep inside, he smiles "I meet one in the arena. I never meet a silver vixen foolish enough to shapeshift /in/ public in front of thousands of people but she got away for she was too fast for me. For a face stealer, she sure is bad at hiding amongst the crowds" He then turns to the goddess regarding the topic of the powerful gods that gave the anathema power. "So they are just there whole day.....playing some divine game? Is it of importance to heaven?" He says with a perplexed expression as this is the first time he's heard of this. He finally finishes the chai and pays for it. "Wish I can stay but I have matters to attend to. My legionnaires are throwing me a party near Greyfalls even if it's just for a salary. But I will visit this establishment when I have the time" He nods as he packs up and exits the teahouse.
The Mournful Chorus	Ravi listens attentively to the Tepet's answer, careful to look away quickly and meekly, should their eyes meet. After all, she's just a mortal lucky enough to be in the presence of such a mighty demigod AND an actual goddess, right? Speaking to them on equal footing would be presumptuous... When he tells the story about an actual face-stealing Anathema in the arena, her eyes grow wide, and she covers her mouth with one hand, presumably to hide her shock. With Makara's time here coming to an end so quickly, she sighs softly in disappointment. Now that Sunrise is alone with her at the table, Chorus nods into the Dragon's general direction as he makes for the exit, catching the goddess's eye. "I'm certain he's a very busy man. Are the Dragons all like that? I don't suppose they come here often, or do they?" There's a bamboo straw in her drink, but Ravi keeps ignoring it completely, sipping the concoction directly from the glass.
Mahendru Divya	Tepet Makara's answers appear to amuse the Goddess further. Sunrise is far too diplomatic to actually -say- anything about it, at least. "Thank you for your unique perspective, my Lord," she says politely to the Dynast on his way out. Once he's properly gone, she doesn't restrain her chuckle any longer. "Ah, the Princes of the Earth. Anathema this, Anathema that. Very funny." Returning to Ravi, Sunrise shifts from sitting atop the chair, dropping entirely to the chair seat with her feet now tucked beneath her. The sanxian takes up a new tune, although a knowing ear might recognize it as a very old tune. One written to memorialize the Hundred Kingdoms defeating the last of the Scarlet Empress' attempts to seize the East centuries ago. She plays it with a deliberately jaunty twang, as if poking fun at the thought that the Realm might conquer the Hundred Kingdoms. When asked, Sunrise looks thoughtful. "In my experience, Dragons are men and women like any other. A bit longer-lived, of course. And with enough magical power to -really- get themselves into trouble if they haven't acquired the wisdom to wield that power as they should. He is not the first would-be Wyld Hunter I've met, no. But his kind are rare, here in Great Forks. We are far from the Realm's power or influence. In the midst of a thousand Gods living openly, Immaculates only come here to challenge themselves and their convictions." She raises an eyebrow now, and her hair flares a bit more brightly than before. "What brings -you- here, Ravi? Are you here to challenge yourself and your convictions? Or do you have another Fate in mind?"
The Mournful Chorus	As the music changes, Ravi's head leans toward the sanxian. She lowers her lids without fully closing her eyes. Her face grows still with intense concentration. It doesn't seem like she knows that old tune, but she certainly picks it up quickly - after a few moments of listening, she uses her glass, now half empty, as an improvised instrument, running deft fingertips for a series of crystalline chimes along the edge or nudging the straw to produce a soft clink. This goes on for a while, weaving in with the jaunty notes of the sanxian and Sunrise's voice as she talks, before the intense focus leaves Ravi, and she flashes the goddess a cheerful grin. "I travel the waters of this land for many reasons: To meet new people, to learn more about their ways... and to entertain. Stories of Great Forks soon started reaching my ears. My patrons whisper of many things, and if even half of it is true, well - then this city presents an opportunity that I can hardly pass up. Some call it Decadence, mhmm?" She drawns out that "mhm" before taking another sip of her drink. While this forces her to cut out the glass percussions, she hardly misses a beat, switching to drumming along on the table instead. "Me and my crew, we are traveling performers and courtesans." A long glance around the room takes her eyes back to Sunrise, and she watches the glowing features with wonder. "You wouldn't happen to have a soft spot for a traveling singer in need of a stage, oh Lady?"
Mahendru Divya	"A singer, did you say!" Sunrise Imzada visibly brightens (again) as she smiles at Ravi's answers. "Well, many find their way to Great Forks for there are indeed great crowds to play for. I personally like the smaller venues myself. While I watch over the experience of new for groups great and small, it's the individual that matters the most to me. One of the Divine Paradoxes, did you know." As if quoting from something, she says: "Individuals are the weakest unit of social change...and they are ultimately the only true unit of social change." "But you asked a question and I didn't answer it." The smile turns playful as she finishes off the notes on her most recent tune. "I -do- have a soft spot for a traveling singer in need of a stage, especially when it's her first time performing on that particular stage. Pick a song and I'll accompany." Her fingers poise over the strings of her sanxian, waiting.
The Mournful Chorus	Ravi's grin returns, drawn even wider this time, showing teeth, hungering for the stage and the many eyes that will be upon her soon. A spark of sheer delight fills her own dark eyes. "How about 'I Lost My Love To The Wind'?", she whispers to Sunrise. That song isn't exactly what most people would expect to hear while drinking and merrymaking - it's neither cheerful, nor does it inspire the crowd to dancing and carousing. A bittersweet tune about a seafarer finding the love of her life, only to loose her to a cruel, but cunning and alluring demon of storms. It's popular among sailors, vagabonds, and drifters along the waterways and roads of the East - if they feel up to it. Despite that, Ravi seems enthusiastic, confident about her choice of music. Without hesitation, she steps up onto the table - thankfully, the petite singer doesn't pose much of a challenge for the Green Dynasty Silk's sturdy furniture. (Only the monkey, still cowering beneath the now empty chair, lets out a snarl of protest). This immediately draws the attention of any patrons at the neighboring tables. An air of expectant interest descends upon the room as the guests' chatter dies down to a hushed whisper. Ravi bows with a flourish and waits for the goddess to begin plucking the first notes...
Mahendru Divya	With the song named, Sunrise Imzada begins to pluck out the opening to the tune. Her articulation is...a little soft and subdued, plainly intent on picking up the emotional timbre of the song based on Ravi's performance. There are a lot of ways for a tune to go, after all, and while the song's a tragedy, sailing songs rarely -play- like tragedies and the singer seems particularly enthusiastic about it. So Sunrise's initial plucks are more to further catch audience attention in the teahouse while giving Ravi the perfect spot to join in.
The Mournful Chorus	As soon as the first tentative notes escape the sanxian, Ravi spins with a flourish, then picks up the rim of her shimmering cloak to spread her arms wide, and the cloak along with them - presented like that, it looks a whole lot like the wings of a giant insect. Indeed, its texture resembles a soft, chitinous exoskeleton. Once every pair of eyes (and in some cases, several pairs on a single person) in the entire public room has settled upon the Abyssal, she throws herself into the song. The first few words are shy, rustling moths leaving her lips, hardly louder than the sanxian. This causes even the last remnants of conversation to cease. Everyone is straining their ears - what is she singing? What song might that be? Then, with the crowd's attention firmly within her grasp, Ravi begins singing in earnest... low at first, several registers deeper than her speaking voice, then picking up speed and climbing higher while the lyrics narrate the tale of the two ill-fated lovers meeting for the very first time. Although the first verse begins in a cheerful, if foreboding mood, it quickly gets darker once Ravi launches into the chorus. Her voice is an instrument of tragic emotion, expertly played to pluck the strings of even the most jaded hearts. She twists and turns on the table, displaying the sorrow, despair, fury, and longing of the spurned lover, the demon's pride and glee, and the heart-twisting jealousy, followed by maddening loss.
Mahendru Divya	Sunrise's focus, at least initially, is on supporting the performance. Not in being swept up by it. But this is a legendary performance, even to an alleged deity or to the Sidereal behind her, jaded from nearly a century of divine performances in Yu-Shan. As Ravi's voice modules from cheerful to bitter, Sunrise can't help but think of her own ill-fated romances. Mortal lovers who'd forgotten her and married others. Immortal lovers who'd tired of her novelty and moved on to the next new thing. Even the jealousy finds a place in her heart, remembering the delights her paramours found with others, delights denied to her. Arcane Fate rarely bothered her the way it did many of the Viziers. But this time, this song, she perfectly related to. So her eyes shine wetly, the moisture visibly glowing like her hair, and she plays on. Pouring her own pain into another's masterpiece, making it incrementally finer than it would be unaccompanied.
The Mournful Chorus	Finally, and all too soon, after a crescendo of lamentation, the song reaches it's conclusion - slowly fading into intermittent, drawn-out notes of the sanxian , the soft plucks growing ever more sparse, more tired and desperate, while Ravi's voice dips low again, then high, into the last few words of the lyrics, which escape with her breath as soft whispers and tired moans of a woman dying of grief. Seconds after the final note, with the song's ghost still lingering in the air, Ravi becomes herself again - a small, brightly dressed person, bowing deeply before her captive audience. A long, breathless silence follows. A multitude of eyes glistens with bitter tears. Some weep softly, others cannot hold back their sobs, and have to be consoled by their comrades. Then, despite most of the patrons still deep in the throes of mourning for lost loves and friends and siblings and homes, the first pairs of hands begin to clap. They are quickly joined by others. Many cry Sunrise's name. She can feel the warmth of prayers wash over her. But the audience doesn't only call out the goddess's name. They crowd around the table, demanding to know who that singer is. Will she give them another song? Is she going to perform tomorrow as well, and the day after? Money and free drinks are offered, but Ravi laughs rauciously, introduces herself, and tells them: "Savor this song, for it will be the only one for today. As for my return, that would depend on the whims of the esteemed Lady Sunrise." She bows low in front of the deity, smiling mischievously - not failing to spot the wet shimmer in the goddess' eyes. "Your music was breathtaking, mylady. Thank you so much! Performing with you was truly an honor. What do you say? Do I have your permission to perform again at this fine establishment?"
Mahendru Divya	The praise and acclaim of the crowd is almost dissonant, surreal, to the woman still riding high on the emotions stirred up by that enormous performance. Sunrise lowered her sanxian at the song's conclusion and just breathed for a moment before the crowd's enthusiasm broke through the lingering shell of remembered pain. The light of her hair, eyebrows and eyes had dimmed but they brighten once more as she smiles at the reception of the people. Rubbing tears from her eyes (that leave bright flecks of radiance on the tearoom floor), Sunrise's smile grows at Ravi's laughing response. Then she rises from her seat, once she's directedly addressed. Cradling the sanxian carefully, she dips into a curtsey that is seemingly a show of formal respect without offering an inch of subserviance. Her answer isn't directly to the singer but to those who witnessed the song. "You've all heard from Ravi Voice-of-Longing. And well named she is. If you would hear more, the Green Dynasty Silk hopes for an encore soon enough!" Stepping closer, she pitches her voice to a more conversational tone, meant for Ravi and not the general public. "You would not believe the performances I've witnessed over my many long years, Ravi. But yours was among the very finest. I believe you'll do -quite- well in Great Forks, for as long as you remain."