From across the house, the scent finds me—sharp, smoky, and persistent. Curiosity lures me into the kitchen. It smells like toasted timber and something faintly charred, as if someone lit a funeral pyre but ran out of kindling halfway through the ceremony. My partner leans across the counter, cradling a steaming mug. “Tell me what you think of this new herbal tea—it's local.” I take the mug hesitantly, eyeing it with suspicion, and sniff cautiously. 1/🧵