Safe

“Safe is nutritious, but it’s not a drink anyone enjoys. It’s made from a plant milk that changes color in the presence of any contaminant, even spit. It’s served to guests and at meetings because, well, it’s safe. A polite gesture that says: I’m not poisoning you. At least, not right now.”

- The Fifth Season, Chapter 4: syenite, cut and polished

"[Tonkee] "Safe doesn’t work as well if it’s in a cold solution; everybody knows that. Needs to be room temperature or lukewarm. It also doesn’t catch things that kill you in a few months instead of a few minutes. Fat lot of good it’ll do you to survive today, only to come down with skinpeel next year!”

- The Fifth Season, Chapter 10: you walk beside the beast

"Safe: A beverage traditionally served at negotiations, first encounters between potentially hostile parties, and other formal meetings. It contains a plant milk that reacts to the presence of all foreign substances."

- The Fifth Season, Appendix 2: A Glossary of Terms Commonly Used in All Quartents of the Stillness