Sweet Butterfly Pea Tea: Zulte

(Originally 01-21-22)

Your soft voice reaches out to Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor, tickling their ear, "** Shadows stir across the aether, accompanied by skeins of incense smoke and the vaguest sense of another's curiosity. **."

The melodious voice of Zulte resonates in your mind, "-- an ivory petal drifts upon an unfelt wind, delicately sweeping along the eddies until it settles within a tranquil pool of water that ripples with returned greetings --."

Your soft voice reaches out to Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor, tickling their ear, "The Sultan has told me some of you, little one... Perhaps you might be willing to tell me more."

The melodious voice of Zulte resonates in your mind, "Hello Esei. Brother has not told me much of you, only that you have tea together and were once allies. As for me, there isn't much to tell - just the Sultan's little brother off doing my own thing and fulfilling whatever fancy strikes me for the weave."

Your soft voice reaches out to Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor, tickling their ear, "Hmm..." A single blackthorn petal, stark against the gloom, drifts across the aether. "Truly, nothing of note?"

Midnight shadows coalesce around a new day, and Mother Night embraces the land in utter darkness.
It is now the 16th of Vestian, 610 years after the Coming of Estarra.
There are 21 days until the New Moon

The melodious voice of Zulte resonates in your mind, "I find no pride in lauding my virtues or my accomplishments. I like to think my actions speak for themselves and prefer to people watch rather than be people watched. If there is one thing I enjoy very much it's imagining and creating."

Your soft voice reaches out to Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor, tickling their ear, "I see... Perhaps you may be willing to join me for tea."

The melodious voice of Zulte resonates in your mind, "Certainly - when would you like to share a cup?"

Your soft voice reaches out to Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor, tickling their ear, "Now, if you are available?"

The melodious voice of Zulte resonates in your mind, "Just a few moments if you don't mind waiting?"

Your soft voice reaches out to Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor, tickling their ear, "I will be at the Aetherplex when you are ready."

[waiting...]

The melodious voice of Zulte resonates in your mind, "Sorry this is taking longer than I expected."

Your soft voice reaches out to Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor, tickling their ear, "I see."

Reality shifts uneasily as a worked ivory egregore soars in from the ether.

The very air seems to quiver as Daquila, the dragon of bitter frost begins a deep growl that can be felt within your bones, his intense gaze lingering on Zulte.

Tail sweeping to encase his ankles, a fist plants over Zulte's heart as he inclines his head to you, secondary eyelids closing in reverence.

Zulte begins to follow you.

In a clicking, throaty rasp, Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor says to you, "Sorry for the wait. I'm ready now if you have time."

You portal to Ayaniya.

Lilting in an atramentous, ethereal voice, you whisper, "I have waited longer before."

You close your eyes and inhale deeply, absorbing the scent of your surroundings.
You let loose a long breath from your lungs, exhaling slowly.

[pathing]

A quaint, dim tea room.                                (#AYANIYA_50)
The shadowy outline of a twisted forest casts a dark gloom here. The light filters in from a latticed bay window on the west, casting a pattern across the stone ground. A small couch has been built into the wall just under the window, padded with dark cushions, purple pillows, and a single saffron-colored throw with tassels on the short ends. The walls are made from warm-colored wood, making the room appear smaller than it actually is. A table sits in the center of the room, met with matching chairs. The scent of tea of various types blends into a lingering atmosphere. Some backless chairs have been set up in the center of the room, surrounding a dark circular table with plenty of space for a tea party. A faint mist of incense smoke pervades the room, muting the light across the ground. A rectangular chest made from pale wood sits here with its lid closed. There are 2 lushly-cushioned backless chairs here. A set of rose-scented curtains spill to the floor from a spindly rod in a swirl of blushing beauty here. Surprisingly low to the ground, a dark lacquered wooden table stands here. His shafts of light moving erratically in orbit, a worked ivory egregore with white-feathered wings waits here.
You see a single exit leading east (open door).

LOOK ZULTE
He is a fierce illuminated dracnari fiery demigod, whose scales ripple with crimson blush, their diamond bodies reflecting heat and light in a fiery mirage not unlike flame itself. With the lithe body of a dancer, agile muscles encase his form from the bottom of ivory-clawed feet to a handsome, draconic head above. There a broad snout is decorated by a myriad of short, barbed spines that run the length from slitted nostril to wide brow, curving the crest of eyes and terminating at the bones of the cheeks. Held within these pointed serrations, reptilian eyes of liquid gold are cut through with a vertical pupil, a secondary lid often slickly blinking to keep the orbs glossy and moist. Over the crest of the head, crimson gives way to ivory, opalescent prisms dancing across scales from the crown to flood the spine and below. Undulating from the posterior of the back, a muscular tail sweeps the ground in casual, languid motion, triple bands of gold encasing the appendage's end in fanciful decoration. A chaos butterfly is resting on his shoulder. Tattooed on his face is an illustration of a butterfly kiss.

Atop his head, two brilliantly alabaster horns thrust straight upwards, curving only slightly at the tips. So smooth are their exteriors that they resemble marble more than bone, their bright white complexions marred only by incredibly faint veins of silver and gold.
He is wearing:
a sun-splashed pyramid stud through his right nostril gold-kissed and glimmering next to;
a fiery double-ringed hoop through his septum alight with a rippling rubescence within;
a stark white stole blemished with a single crimson handprint weaving innumerable times across the head and shoulders upon which lies;
a fiery garnet pendant twinkling with gemstone facets from around the neck intertwined with;
a string of monastic beads scented with citrus fragrant with crisp scents unlike;
mercurial Mysraian prayer beads weaving the arm in an esoteric helix above;
a copper wire knuckle ring repeating over two knuckles on the right hand before;
a glimmering tail chain with a golden sand hourglass turning over with each swish of the agile appendage

You pour sweet butterfly pea tea from a pale tea bottle adorned with roses into a lacquered ebon tea cup of Crow.
You give a lacquered ebon tea cup of Crow to Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor.
You pour sweet butterfly pea tea from a pale tea bottle adorned with roses into a lacquered ebon tea cup of Crow.

Scratching at some loose scales around his throat while he looks around curiously, Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor says, "Still, best to keep to one's word when they say it'll be a couple minutes - not a half day."

Zulte begins to wield a lacquered ebon tea cup of Crow in his left hand.

You wave your hand dismissively.

Zulte looks the cup over in his claws with a tilt to his head reminiscent of a curious lizard. A curious sniff is sampled of the tea inside, tongue dipping in to taste it. "I know this tea," he says with a slow, heavy wag of his tail.

You have emoted: Esei's wings fan open and closed once, making no sound as they stare at Zulte. Their head tilts slightly. "Do you?"

After a thoughtful sip, Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor says, "I thought it was my blue butterfly pea tea, but it's not."

Lilting in an atramentous, ethereal voice, you whisper, "It is not... because it is mine."

Zulte croons with a clicking pleased rumble in his throat as he samples it again, dangerous claws and lipless maw exceedingly gentle with the cup and tea.

In a clicking, throaty rasp, Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor says to you, "You did a well job - it's delicious."

Lilting in an atramentous, ethereal voice, you whisper, "And I find it rather curious that those two align, given I created mine quite some years before you would have stepped from the Portal of Fate."

You have emoted: Esei dips their head slightly, thumb running lightly across the rim of their cup. They perch delicately on the edge of one of the seats, careful of their wings.

"All the will of the Fates I'm afraid," Zulte says, words laden with naked truth and nothing but. Dipping a claw into the blue liquid and swirling it across brings the woodsy fragrance to life, slitted nostrils flaring as they taste of the scent. "Brother told me he was having tea time with a friend and I offered to make something for him as a chance to flex my tea-making imagination."

In a clicking, throaty rasp, Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor says, "Skills?"

Zulte briefly tastes the air with a fat, lizard-like tongue as nostrils flare, scenting the air.

In a clicking, throaty rasp, Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor says, "Tea making something."

You hum thoughtfully.

Lilting in an atramentous, ethereal voice, you whisper, "And do you think you were successful?"

Grinning, Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor asks, "You're the one who drank it, what do you think?"

Lilting in an atramentous, ethereal voice, you whisper, "It was well."

Tail sweeping to curl his ankles comfortably, Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor says, "Then if one person found it palatable, it was a success."

After a beat of silence, you whisper, "You follow the Elder Thousandfold, no?"

Shadows flicker in and out of the corner of vision, waiting for the return of Night.

Zulte finishes the tea, politely setting the cup upon the nearby table. "I consider myself amongst the Beloved, yes." Hands adjust the material of his stole, pulling the stark fabric straight as he continues with, "Brother invited me to walk by his side under the banner of the Lord-Lady and Neither Mysrai."

With thoughtful poise, Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor asks you, "You are related to Beloved Gurashi?"

Lilting in an atramentous, ethereal voice, you whisper, "A distant relation. Why?"

In a clicking, throaty rasp, Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor says, "Making a connection is all. I adore them very much - they are a kind person with a huge heart."

Lilting in an atramentous, ethereal voice, you whisper, "Hm... I see."

Zulte looks around, the twitching tip of his tail broadcasting interest as he curiously sniffs the air, tasting it with fleeting glimpses of his fat tongue.

You offer a gentle "Hmm?" as you tilt your head curiously.

In a clicking, throaty rasp, Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor says to you, "Never been to wyrden woods other than in quakes, which I have to burn them down and quickly - I'm sure you understand."

From the dark night, the scent of incense perfumes the air with intense, wyrden aromas.

You have emoted: Esei smiles a thin, sharp smile, while their eyes remain cold and remote.

"Esei, I want to thank you for the tea, but I did promise to take Eritheyl out for a quest this month." Zulte says with a warm breath of flame that sparks both white-hot before bleeding away into blue. "Should we share some again sometime soon? Maybe with brother if he'll indulge us?"

Lilting in an atramentous, ethereal voice, you whisper, "Perhaps."

[leaving manse]

Tail sweeping to encase his ankles, a fist plants over Zulte's heart as he inclines his head to you, secondary eyelids closing in reverence.

In a clicking, throaty rasp, Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor says to you, "Thank you for tea. I'll have to surprise you with something new next time."

You hum thoughtfully.

In a clicking, throaty rasp, Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor asks you, "Do you drink alcohol?"

Tyrus raises an eyebrow at Zulte.

You have emoted: Esei blinks slowly.

Zulte tilts his head curiously.

Lilting in an atramentous, ethereal voice, you whisper, "I cannot drink alcohol."

In a clicking, throaty rasp, Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor says to you, "Tea it is then, or punch!"

Zulte wags his tail happily.

In a clicking, throaty rasp, Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor says, "Watermelon slushies."

Zulte looks about himself, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Zulte nods his head emphatically.

In a clicking, throaty rasp, Assumed Apostle Zulte al-Saaoud, Ivory Inquisitor says to you, "Have a great day until we meet again!"

[Zulte leaves]

You have emoted: Esei laces their fingers under their chin, silently considering Tyrus.

Tyrus peers about himself unscrupulously.

Tyrus lifts a brazier of wonder high, aetheric light enveloping him.