The Wayward Plane (Orange Smoky Turmeric Chai) and Here Be Dragons (Smoky Orange Safflower Pepper Chai) (8-407 and 8-405)

The Wayward Plane and Here Be Dragons were both born out of one of the enduring friendships I found on the internet.

Back before the birdsite became such a stunning example of what happens when the supremacist owns the bar, I stumbled into space twitter while wandering around science twitter after taking a left turn somewhere in tea and fountain pen twitter.

Within that space I met a wonderful human being who knew about needing to escape abuse and knew about starting over and they were wise and kind and compassionate and oh-so-brave and had a sense of humour that aligned with mine in comfortable fashion – and… we became friends.

 They taught me things and apparently I taught them things and we were each a part of the other’s evolution during the time we knew each other.

One of the things that we shared, though not as frequently as I would have preferred (for reasons I won’t detail here because this post is for Wayward) – was a MMORPG. And the fandom and books and movies that spawned it.

Lord of the Rings Online, to be specific.

I’d been without a Kinship there for years, due, in part, to another friend’s exit from an abusive relationship. (We do seem to find one another, even when we don’t share the things that would let us recognize each other as scarcloak kin.) They offered me a place in their in-game family and invited me (and THFKAMT) into ‘Here be Dragons’ – the home they had made for themself and their friends within the game.

Me being me and a bit fixated on expressing my happiness with and in things via tea, immediately wanted to make a Kinship tea. Wayward was not the only friend and tea drinker who was a part of that Kinship family, and I wanted to create a gift to say thank you to them all.

Wayward’s tastes in spice and tea played a part, as did the colours chosen for the Kinship’s heraldry. We actually spoke at length about what the tea should look and taste like, and how I could potentially evoke dragons with it.

The first attempt (8-405, now known as Here Be Dragons) led us to the discovery that Wayward did not enjoy the taste of safflower. Time passed, and more tea tests were done, experiments made, and various teas shared, allowing me to slowly and carefully get a better idea of their taste preferences. (The more data I get the more specific my tea profile of friends and customers gets. It’s an art, it’s a skill, and sometimes an incandescent joy when I get it Really Right for someone.)

It took time. Wayward couldn’t afford to order from me often, although I supplied them with the Earl Grey I use to blend regularly – it was a way we could help each other and there was a joy in that. I sent treats and tests in the occasional care package, but they didn’t want to take advantage of our friendship. It was the kind of back and forth and sad balancing that occurs when one love limned by trauma meets another.

In an example of how quickly you can run out of time with the people you love, the complications of covid and medical care when you don’t have money and some of the deep cruelties inherent in the skewed and canted and unfair system we live in – Wayward got what was essentially an “all the cancer” diagnosis too late to do much of anything about it – compounded by the reactions of one of those who should have cared for them and had compassion and did not. It doesn’t take much cruelty to push someone towards one kind of decision, just as sometimes it doesn’t take much kindness to help someone choose another.

That diagnosis was what finally allowed them to lift their strictures on what they were willing to accept from me, and they asked if I would be willing to send them a box of tea – single teabags of anything I thought they might enjoy.

There never would have been a time that my answer would have been anything but “of course” – but as the miles between us were many and my capacity to travel near zilch – it was the way in which I could say some sort of combination of “I love you” and “I will miss you” and “goodbye” to my friend.

The solid take 2 of the Kinship tea became more of a tea for Wayward themself and was one of the ones included in that box, as were a whole host of others, I don’t actually recall all of what was sent. I went through the “teas in progress” tins and sent them one of everything that fell into their tastes and avoided their allergies.

There wasn’t enough time left. There never is, when you come down to the wire like that. Food and drink and taste were taken away from them far earlier than hoped, as they chronicled their journey – talking about how dying was fascinating if you could extricate yourself from the panic of the impending ending.

Take 2 became their tea. The Wayward Plane. A testament to a friendship and a salute to someone I wish I’d had the opportunity to meet in person.

There is still a final tribute to them on their website, and their music is still out there, too. They were much loved, and are held in the memories of many.

Now for the basics:

The Wayward Plane (8-407)

Organic Ingredients: Eureka: Smoky Monkey, Orange Peel, Cardamom, Ginger, Cinnamon, Turmeric, and Cornflower

Batch Size: 4.5 oz, 127 g, 45+ servings of tea

Options: Loose Tea (5 serving sample (Bag or Tin), Full Batch (Bag), Teabags (Single Teabag, 5 Teabag Sample (Bag or Tin), Full Batch (Bag)

Shop Link

Here Be Dragons (8-405)

Organic Ingredients: Russian Caravan, Orange Peel, Cardamom, cinnamon, Ginger, Safflower, Black Pepper

Batch Size: 3.7 oz, 104 grams, 35+ servings of tea

Options: Loose Tea (5 serving sample (Bag or Tin), Full Batch (Bag or Tin), Teabags (Single Teabag, 5 teabag sample (Bag or Tin), Full Batch (Bag)

Shop Link