[se] where we tread

Seeds were dropped into shallow holes and carefully covered again even as beady eyes watched, all unsuspected, from beneath a nearby bush. A soft scuffle rustled the leaves, but Tal's attention was on his plantings and he grinned down at them when Deimos asked his question.

"It's one way to warm up in Deepfrost," he explained with a low chuckle. "Even if it's just for a bit. Mom used to collect peppers special, just for it. Back before the dome and bein' able to go out in the streets during LongNight. When we'd be trapped inside an' gettin' restless an' snappish towards the end of it, you know? To distract us. We'd all sit around the kitchen table an' eat the first round of peppers. If y'couldn't eat the whole thing, or when y'reached for the milk, you were out. Each round the peppers got hotter. Eventually there's just one person left an' they're the winner. Usually stripped down to shirtsleeves and all over sweat," he added with a wicked grin.

"What about you? Any fun familiar traditions from uh... where are you from?" He sat back on his heels, a perplexed furrow to his brow as he realized he didn't even know what land his Outlander friend hailed from.