Our Story
Madame Askew and the Grand Arbiter met at a fixed point in time, during a small birthday fête for a mutual friend. In that instant, the two time travelers realized they had met their essential other. The universe shifted forever, and they have been happily traveling, performing, and creating art together ever since.
For more than a dozen linear earth-years, Madame Askew and the Grand Arbiter have hosted their cheeky interactive events–Tea Duelling, Splendid Teapot Racing, Compliment Duelling, and the Cog Match Game–at fandom conventions across North America. They have produced countless virtual events, presented innumerable panels, and hosted their regular weekly live chat show since 2017. Madame and the Arbiter have also had the honour of emceeing a variety of events from costume contests to drag shows to closing ceremonies. Their greatest joy, however, has been creating their decidedly welcoming and supportive community, the Temporal Entourage, with whom they share their ongoing adventures!
“Despite her unreasonable insistence on creating costumes all the time, Madame Askew does provide a fine cup of tea.”
— Monsieur Gateau, Shop Cat Extraordinaire
Madame Askew
Madame is a time traveling tea aficionado, obsessed with tea, fashion & the proper uses for headgear. Whilst she is often the center of tea inspired escapades, especially Tea Duelling and Splendid Teapot Racing, and a dedicated advocate of Compliment Duelling, Madame loves nothing so much as meeting charming and talented individuals across time, throughout the universe, and in tea houses wherever she may appear whether virtually or in person.
When Madame is not preoccupied with tea, she operates a small atelier where she creates fanciful and charming bespoke garments, underpinnings, and hats for discerning time travelers. She is also quite delighted to teach sewing workshops and to host regular live sewing teatorials and sew-a-longs in her virtual tea parlour. Whilst Madame has lost all sense of time spent within her workshop between time traveling adventures, she is most certain that it has been less than a century but more than a minute.
The Grand Arbiter
The Grand Arbiter is the highest authority on compliments, wit, and Tea-based Justice. Not only is the Grand Arbiter an enthusiast of the fine art of Tea Duelling and the splendours of Splendid Teapot Racing, but he is also a vocal proponent for extraordinary waistcoats paired with the perfect coiffure. He is also an Avatar of Chaos, but one rarely mentions that at a proper tea. With his penchant for entropy, tumult, and cunning, it can be no surprise that the Grand Arbiter spends his time away from the tea table creating table games. When not walking his widow’s walk in far off Cascadia or judging matters of honor, he is normally found living a deeply hedonistic lifestyle.
Madame Askew and The Grand Arbiter 