The group has set up camp to rest and eat. The fire crackles and nearby Marshmellow munches on her rockbuds. Moods have been up and down on this travel to reach the Shattered Plains, but we always all gather together for a meal. Today, Furrow cooked. Which was good. He enjoyed it and made that very known. Good meals held importance to him. Furrow hummed, Consideration, as something came to mind to ask in the conversation. "Xinyi? What is your favorite food?"

Xinyi sits with his arms crossed, his chin lifts subtley at the sound of his name. He's been watching all this time, just the same as he always does. Even when he helps our occasionally, confirming certain ingredients for Furrow, his eyes never leave the food.

He thinks of his answer immidiately.

Vindaloo. The spicier the better.

"I don't really have a favorite food," he answered, flatter than his usual tone. Like he was disapointed in his own answer.

Furrow notes Xinyi's answer and tone. Surprised.

"Really? No food favorite? What comes to mind? Maybe something from home?"

Furrow takes a couple large vegetables, held in one large hand easily, and hands them to xinyi. Almost placing them in his lap before the young man can grab them. They are a two-handed task to hold for him.

"Ah-!" Xinyi fumbles the tubers in his hands, managing to save them from slipping to the ground. Not that it mattered either way, they still needed to be peeled. Which was the most Xinyi tended to contribute torwards cooking.

"No..." Nothing I can eat. Not anymore. "I prefer the taste of wine more than anything else."

"Hmmmm." Furrow mulls over this. He can work with that. "The taste of wine."

"What about when you were small?" Furrow asks as he begins to cut other ingredients. "Or at least, uh, younger?"

Xinyi isn't answering, or peeling. He's rotating the tubers in his hands, feeling over their patchy surface.

This was a question that was going to come up sooner or later along his travels, he really should have thought of a better answer by this point. But what could he possibly say? That he has to eat bland food? Women's food?

"... Its just not something that interests me," he decides to say. "There are other facets of life worth living for. Like games and music."

"Worth? It- hmmm..." Furrow starts and stops his words a few times. Puzzled as to what to say to this.

"Well. Thats ok. It does not have to be an interest. Your relationship with foods, that is your own. And you...do you enjoy the sweeter foods? There are those culture, religious things around here with food and gender. Did you find you prefer those over the "male" spicier dishes?"

Xinyi's heart spiked under the pressure of his inquisitor. What was with all these questions?? Furrow had him magnified beneath the glass, jumping between conclusions so fast it made Xinyi's head spin. At some random point he'd finally lept from his seat to shout "No," and nothing more. He just couldn't stand to be insulted any longer, even if he didn't know what else say.

Breath flared from his nose, fists clenched tight to his sides. He'd been moved by the rising heat in his chest, which was rare for him to do. Though it was hard to say if that was due to his own virtue or because no one had ever accused him of eating like a woman before. It still wasn't a good thing, to speak to a friend with such an untempered voice. So he forced himself to retake his seat, and divert the sharp glare of his eyes, not wanting to start any fights.

Furrow pauses his work, stunned by the sudden heated reaction. Hearing Xinyi sit back down, furrow's grip loosens.

The air is quiet between them as they both process what just happened.

Finally, furrow leans back a bit and takes a loud breath in and slowly out.

"Ok. ...I want to grab something. Finish adding things in ok? Use your judgment on amounts. Ill be back. Just dont add this yet," gesturing to the sweetening ingredient. "I'll be a bit but ill be back."

Furrow disappears into the wagon, leaving Xinyi to continue making the meal, food already cooking on the fire.

Xinyi is feeling more dread by the second. Why did he have to yell at Furrow like that, of all people? He's a good guy he probably just didn't know what he was doing. Before Xinyi can think of what to say next, Furrows tells him to finish the food and then rushes to the wagon.

He stares the rising steam.

He wants /me/ to cook?

Xinyi waits a moment, hoping Furrow would just come back and finish for him, before curiosity brings him closer to the pot. He's not sure he can discern one spice from another, they all look the same to him.

What did he say not to put in? This stuff?

He lifts a pinch of the stuff up to his nose and givs it a sniff. His nose wrinkles. Eyuck, it's sickeningly sweet.

In the wagon, furrow feels around in the chest. Fingers finding his quarry, he grabs hold. The feel of its shifting weight, the smoothness of the container. Hes certain its right. Opening it, a final sniff is all it takes before the final pieces of his idea comes together. He closes it and waits, deciding to hide here for a while. Long enough to hopefully calm the air. And give inyi the chance to cook.

I really upset him. This airsick culture really upset him.

Furrow has met many people. Many Vorin and not.

There will be time to explain. He's not leaving. We are both still here.

Furrow lets the time pass a bit longer. But before there is too great of chance for the food to burn, he returns. Exiting the wagon he walks back, sniffing the air. Sitting down, he places the bottle of wine down to his left, away from xinyi on his right. "How did it go?" And he gives the food a taste test.

It tasted exactly the same.

"Oh, it uh went well. A little of this, a little of that," Xinyi explained, not knowing that Furrow had a good enough sense of taste to know he was lying. Maybe that was to be expected.

It was that airsick culture again. Sweet and Spice. Even with this wide assortment of herbs Furrow had left out for Xinyi, he still only knew of two flavors. Was raised to ignore just about everything else. He was supposed to sit in his manly chair and eat his manly food, and without that he didn't even think to try anything else. Learned helplessness, I think is what they call it. It's being released from the cave and missing the shadows.

"Hmmm. The taste has not changed for me.You have room for more. And it feels light. Add in those vegetables we cut. Use your heart on the amount."

While furrow lets xinyi do that, he reaches into his pocket. He retrieves his Sparkflicker and puts the simple, yet humbly ornate ring on.

Xinyi's eyes immidiately catches onto Furrow's hand sneaking into his pocket. It's why he's watching the food at all.

"What's that?"

"My Sparkflicker. Have you seen one? I keep mine away usually but for this I will need it. It is for my nails, the sparks." And he holds up his hand and wiggles his fingers. His nails, being Herdazian, are crystalline.

(Anna should settle on exact look for them haha they are described as crystalline and tinted towards the cuticle, but boi howdy do i wanna make them so much more than that hahaha).

With the other hand, he casually runs a nail over the back of it in a quick strike, prompting sparks! Just like when he starts campfire for the group using steel.

"See?" He grins.

Xinyi's edge softens. The contagion of Furrow'a smile tugs at his lips.

"Oh! I do see." He watches Furrow strikenthe ring again, flares of vibrant light the creator can't seen, just the same as the light that always radiated from him.

"... Is it for the fire? It seems to be burning pretty well."

Good. Sounds like hes relaxing.

"Nope! You are about to see what a Herdazian can really do when given one of these! Veggies first. Got them in? Want my help?"

"hgyuhh-" Xinyi quickly lifted the bowl of chopped vegetables and just dumped them all in.

"It'sallgood, already done."

Furrow laughs hearing him quickly put them all in. "Hahaha whoa! Ok let me- hmm," furrow picks up the oversized deep-skillet and notes the heavy weight. We'll be eating well today.

"Ah, perfect. Thank you, Xinyi." He sets it down and reaches around to the bottle of wine, picking it up.

"Now, I'll explain a bit. There, mmm, there are many foods out there. More than just the spice and the sweet. Im going to make us a uhhhh well not quite Unkalaki dish, but giving it a flare from Herdazian. You like the wine flavor right?" And he holds up the bottle in show. "Thats what we will do! Only flavor, alcohol wont be there."

Furrow pours a HEARTY amount of the wine into the dish. Head tilted slightly to the side as he listens to the pour, hands both on the bottle and pan to feel the weight transfer.

"There! Now," he sets the bottle down. "The fun part! Stay back."

Furrow strikes his Sparkflicker over the dish and it erupts in flames!! Burning high and bright!! He quickly pulls his hands back as the heat finds them. His head locks forward towards the flames and he slowly moves it forward towards them. Looking at them.

"Ah!! That is brighter than I- oh wait ur gonna, ah, be seeing that. Are ur eyes ok?" He asks in a loud voice to be heard over the fire. He grabs hold of the handle again and starts working the food around to cook. Until he finally quenches the flames down.

"Only flavor...?" Xinyi repeats, watching the bottle near disapear into the pot. He feels the memory of burning death through his lower abdomen.

If this doesn't work it'll kill me.

It may kill him before he gets the chance to eat it. Because before he gets the chance to react, the alchohol does, searing blue heat bursting from the pot. Xinyi flinches back, in awe as Furrow doesn't do the same. Flames lick at his crystaline hands. Ear ringing light reaches through his blind fold,, through his blindness, enough for him to actually see, and he never pulls away. Until worried for Xinyi's sake.

"Ah-! Yeah, I'm fine," Xinyi answers, strictly because he hadn't been looking at the flames. He'd kept his eyes on Furrow.

Furrow chuckles warmly. "Good! Good. Haha. Well, what did ya think, hm?" He leans over the food, drawing in the smell. He hums, Pleased, then begins to reach for other plants at his ingredient disposal. Each one he brings up to smell, some going into the dish, others set aside. "This fire meal method I learned from a cousin of mine. To the north. Out there on the coast he would make it! He would make all sorts of dishes like this. The bigger the flames the more chance he thought he'd have with the ladies I think! Til they seared off his eyebrows." Furrow sniffs the meal again, then grabs a spoon for a taste test. He does not elaborate on if the flames seared off his cousins eyebrows, or if the women did.

Xinyi laughs through his nose, a smile growing on his lips. Though Furrow didn't elborate, he had his own image in mind.

"Did one of those women happen to be Renir?"

Furrow returns a humorous scoff-laugh. Head tilting to the side, "Renir?"

"Just a joke," Xinyi shook his head. He made be bold enough to tell it, but he wasn't stupid enough to repeat it.

He leaned in torward the stew, now that the flames were dying out.

It was starting to smell really good...

"Mmm," he sniffed, mouth already watering.

"What herbs did you say you put in this? Nothing spicy?"

Furrow remains puzzled. He lists out the herbs for Xinyi and explains how they are different taste but none spicy. He adds a small amount of cream. "Honestly, I do not care to have spicy food all the time. It can be really good but Furrow is not made to only ever eat spicy things."

He smells another herb, then the meal, then the herb. He hands it over towards Xinyi, "I can not decide. Do you think we should add this in too?"

Furrow remains puzzled. He lists out the herbs for Xinyi and explains how they are different taste but none spicy. He adds a small amount of cream. "Honestly, I do not care to have spicy food all the time. It can be really good but Furrow is not made to only ever eat spicy things."

He smells another herb, then the meal, then the herb. He hands it over towards Xinyi, "I can not decide. Do you think we should add this in too?"

'Don't care for spicy food?' Which isn't what Furrow said, but he questioned it all the same. It was so strange to hear that given that Furrow was such a guys guy. Though he didn't have too much time to contemplate before the leaves of a plant tickled his nose.

He gave it a sniff. It smelled just as herbal and strange as all the other stuff they'd put in there- but when diffused throughout a meal it wasn't supposed to taste as strong. He tried to imagine what it might taste like alongnwith everything else they had added...

"I think it'd be good," he nodded. "The smell reaches to the back of my throat in a way the others don't. I think it has its own place in the meal, ithout interfering with the others." Which was just a guess of course. But it made sense to think of them as troops along a battlefield- adding archers shouldn't get in the way of the front line.

"Alright. In it goes." Furrow adds the herb into the dish without hesitation. Xinyi had good insight on it and Furrow was enjoying seeing him get into it greatly.

"I find the first one we added pairs well with it in most meals." Furrow suddenly hears the strange singing of the Parshendi. He sees them charging at him, weapons ready to kill him. Always in pairs. Why now? Pairs. Must have been the word. "I am sure it will here too." Furrow hunches forward and finds one of his stones in his pocket. He grips it tight.

"I like spicy food a bit but not always. It does not like me after awhile either. My insides get bad." And it is this. It's the doing this. It feels just like when he cooked for his men. Often the one to cook if he could, rather than going to the mess hall. Every man under him, at some point, would eventually find themselves going to his cooking too. Which Furrow took great pride in. How could he not at seeing his men come together, bonding, strengthening one another. Strengthening themselves. And Xinyi reminds him so much of the younger boys in his squads. Like Senn. Like Dunni. He always did all he could for the young men that found themselves in these wars. Always. He could never, would never, pass them by.

"But. Sometimes I want something sweet. Well. I can almost always go for something sweet. Or something...uhhhhh its uuhhh...sour! That is it. Sour. Not bad sour. The tingly sort. There are all sorts of flavor. And you can mix them! Sometimes I want something like this one." Furrow takes the meal off the heat and sets it aside. Letting it cool and set.

"What I want right now is this joke explained. I still do not get it. Does Renir not have eyebrows? Is that it? Or something with fire?"

"Not so loud!" Xinyi dove to cover Furrow's mouth, (only able to do so since the man was bent over the pot) his eyes darted wildely before determining it was safe.

He sighs with releif.

"You can't just accuse Renir of not having eyebrows like that. Or else she'd definetly sear off both of ours. That's the joke."

Furrow's body immediately reacts to Xinyi's sudden dive and covering his mouth. One hand deftly finds the wrist attached to the touching hand. In the same moment, Furrow pulls his head from it slightly as his other hand lets go of his stone and finds Xinyi's torso, gripping the shirt and collar in a tight twist to hold.

Luckily for Xinyi, furrow waits. He waits, figuring out what this person is doing. Its quiet, no struggle. Is he looking? Thinking? Then Xinyi sighs with relief.

Hearing the explanation ties more of what occurred together but furrows muscles remain tense.

When xinyi goes to pull back, he will find he cant move. Furrow is solid as stone in his hold on him. The Herdazian's brows have pulled down together and Xinyi will see his frown hiding clenched teeth. A heartbeat passes. Then another. Before furrow opens his tense grip and frees him.

"I'm not accusing nothing. I do not know if she has eyebrows. It has not come up in conversation and i do not normally ask."

"Yes, she has eyebrows," Xinyi confirms, a slight uneasiness turning his stomach. He didn't know what that tense moment had been about, but if Furrow himself didn't want to comment on it that Xinyi wasn't going to either.

Sometimes it was best just to turn the other way.

"Is that soup done stewing yet? I'm starving."

"Ah. No. It needs to cool and get rest." Furrow shifts in his seat. I should be clear.

He reaches over slowly to xinyi and finds his arm. He holds his hand on it as he softly speaks, "Sorry. I just...did not know what you were doing." And he pats Xinyi's arm before pulling away. "Please do not touch me like that."

"Oh!" Xinyi blurts, he sounds like he's realizing something- because he is. "You're blind! Right. My bad." He rubs the back of his head apalogetically. Furrow hadn't needed to explain for Xinyi to let it go, but it was kind of nice being brought to understanding.

"Haha, I bet if somebody grabbed me like that in the dark I'd shit my pants too."

Furrow cant help his toothy grin at Xinyi forgetting he is blind. The chuckle that bubbles forth is warm and genuine.

"Hahaha my pants are just fine, thank you! Ive had scarier things than you grab me. I- haha I cannot believe you forget I am blind. That is really endearing actually! Very sweet too."

Furrow is warming back up. Shaking his head and gesturing with his hands. "Hahaha even with the blindfold! I like this."

Sweet and endearing?

Xinyi feels a little warm.

"Heheh, well you know... things just kind of happen in the moment..." he's looking away, despite there being no eyecontact to make. "You know! I don't see much steam anymore coming from that soup, it's probably all cool now- I gotta get in on that." And he doesn't wait for Furrow before returning to the pot and grabbing ahold of the spoon.

Furrow leans to the side and picks up the bottle of wine. "Ah really? That is a shame. I had one more thing to show you that we can do with this," And he holds the bottle up, tipping it slightly back and forth so the leftover contents move around. He gives Xinyi a lopsided grin, further teasing his playful mischievousness. "Buuuut if the food is to be eaten now, ah well." And he stands up as though to go grab the nearby bowls. "Things cool so quickly here. Must be the too much air down here. I forget how it works." He hums as though in thought on this.

Xinyi holds his stare of Furrow, lips pressed firmly together, sweat pricking wherever the scalding steam touched him.

"Yeah, the evening air. It's, cooler..."

He couldn't just, not know what the wine was about.

"But I mean, if the food isn't done then the food isn't done. You gotta add the finishing touches."

Furrow bares all his teeth in his victorious smile now. His delight is palpable as he bounces a couple steps back. "Very true! Should let it rest more. Let the flavor work. And the wine is no longer for the meal! Do you remember our spitting contest?"

He puts the bottle to his lips, getting a good mouthful of the drink. He doesnt let Xinyi finishing answering before spitting a mist of it into the air to the side. Just as the last of it flies he brings up his Sparkflicker and ignites it! A plume of fire!!

"HAHAHAHA!! NOW THAT'S A SHOW FOR THE WOMEN! For the people in general hahaha. Oh i love that trick. Here." He walks over to xinyi and thrusts the bottle at him, into his chest. Blue leaves of joy spren have attracted to furrow. Fluttering and falling in their dances around him. "Do it into the fire! See what happens!! Hahahaha! This is what happens when a couple misras are left alone with a fire and wine." The glee in his grin reaches all the way to his blindfold. He gives xinyi an encouraging pat on the back shoulder.

The world is very hot all over. The campire fire to his backside, a burst of flames to his fron that nearly sears his eyebrows. And the excitement, whatever that means.

It couldn't be quenched by the touch of the cool bottle in his palms, or the breeze of perceivable joy that fluttered by. Maybe that was just the strength of the warmth Furrow always carried with him. To light up the dim of evening.

Xinyi's head ducks back to pour as much of the wine into his mouth that he can, before snapping back to spray it into the fire. It catches along the mist, flashing across the air to broil him again. He laughs. This was terrifying.

"YES! AHAHAHA YEESS!"

Furrow roars with laughter. This is the most fun he has seen Xinyi genuinely have in awhile. Good. That's good. A couple glowing orbs of Glory spren appear near Furrow's head. Too far and too dim in all their brightness for him to see behind his blindfold.

He chuckles to himself as he takes off his Sparkflicker and pockets it once more. "The eyebrow thing and Renir. I still dont- ...cuz it was the fire... oh!! Oh my wording! Was it like i said the women did it?!" And he starts to laugh finally getting aaaaall of the pieces of Xinyi's joke.

The boys have been passing the bottle back and forth a few times. Furrow spitting it into the blaze as well. He passes it back to xinyi with a laugh. "You finish however much is left! This is great. I have not done this in years. Even the cooking with it Ive stayed away since, ya kno" and he gestures to his eyes, just hoping you will see it.

Xinyi passes the open bottle between both his hands, careless to its swishing contents within.

"What? That's ridiculous you're a great cook. You're blind not tasteless!"

Furrow smiles at that and chuckles. "Well, thank you Xinyi. That makes me glad to hear!" He sits down and mindlessly runs his finger along the edge of his fabric choker necklace. A wide piece of yellow fabric held close around his throat. "I like to cook. For others, really. Started cooking again only the last few years. Was...a lot. And I had to figure out how to without my sight now, you know?" He scratches at his blindfold by his eye before grabbing the dish. He then holds a hand over it, feeling for steam and heat. Satisfied, Furrow grabs a spoon and gathers some of the dish to taste as he continues, "I have been cooking, just not with this big flame in the pan from burning wine thing. Did not want to set my house on fire because I could not see what the flame would do. You would know a lot quicker than I if things caught on fire, now. ...I suppose I could have outside but...i dont know. Was not ready for such, I think."

He tastes the dish and puts the spare spoon in his own bowl to use. "My eyebrows though I would know right away!" And he laughs at that.

Xinyi stops his juggling, and listens with intent. Between each pop of the crackeling flames he can catch the sound of something subtle, emerging. Like a soul breaking free from stone.

He's blind, Xinyi thinks not for the first time this evening. He really is blind, isn't he. And he really thinks about what that means for Furrow. The limitations it poses for him, the implied yeara of frustration, adapating. Furrow moves now so freely, its hard to imagine he ever could have struggled with his disability at all. But the thought of Furrow stumbling through the dark alone makes Xinyi's heart ache.

People like that need to be taken care of.

"Don't you have anyone to help watch over you?"

Furrow cocks his head a bit, brows furrowing slightly but he still wears a smile. "I'm not sure what you are asking. I'm understanding it like im a fire or something. Where one needs to watch it all the time to be sure its ok. What is the question?" Xinyi's tone had shifted.

"Well, fire's are dangerous," Xinyi countered. "And you're just afraid. Or you were, I mean. Because of the fire." Xinyi rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. It felt as though he wasn't getting his point across clearly.

"I just, I was surprised to hear you had to survive like that alone. I'm sorry. You shouldn't have had to go through that."

Furrow's brows rose higher and higher as Xinyi continued. Furrow puts his hand out slowly in a gentle "whoa" gesture to get his attention. Same as he would for some animals.

His voice is calm. "I was not alone. Er- well..." His smile pulls down into a frown. His hands fall to rest on his knees. "I was...alone. But not like... I had to figure things out. But I did have people around. Ma and my little sis. The clan even. They were around if I needed help. And they did help me. Does this make sense?"

His mother and his little sister. Xinyi relaxes somewhat. That's good. It's not so different.

"Yes, I understand."

Furrow hunches and leans towards where Xinyi stands. "You cannot see it but im narrowing my eyes at you." A small, playful smile on his face.

Xinyi snorts, turning away from torwards the stew.

"You have no reason to. I'm being nice- now enough stalling. We're eating this goddamn soup."

"Eh eh!" Furrow picks up the stew and holds it in the opposite direction of Xinyi. "You be nice to the soup too! I have all the reason to. There were mix ups in what was thought. Furrow can narrow eyes and make sure." There is still a playfulness in his tone as he holds the dish hostage.

Furrows words makes a furrow of Xinyi's brow.

"Huh?"

Furrow scoffs, "gah! Language can be hard to understand. I mean, do not swear at the food. Its fine." And he puts the dish back down. "And I wanted to make sure we really did understand each other. That is all. Not just a "being nice". " He gives a little smile and holds an empty bowl out to Xinyi for him. "But sure. We can move on."

Xinyi snatches up the bowl, a cocky smile on his lips.

"Why of course~ Who else could understand you better than your MEEZ-RUH."

Furrow feels a little pressure on his bowl, along with an accompanying tinking sound- Xinyi toasts there bowls together before digging in.

Warmth filled furrow once more hearing the playfulness from Xinyi and his using Herdazian language. It was like...like being seen. Like Xinyi picked up a piece of who Furrow is and admired it. Showing it back to him with such positivity. Furrow cant help the surprised laugh at the sudden toasting. He holds the bowl high towards xinyi, in nod, "Haha misra! Thats good! Good Herdazian! To us Misra!" He sets the bowl on his lap. He won't fully correct Xinyi's pronounciatuin here. He was trying out a new word! And it was understandable! Furrow sees that as something great. "Haha i like that. So tell me, what do you think? Is it good? Is not the usual spicy or sweet."

"Mm-" Xinyi's brow draws in concentration as he holds the spoonful in his mouth. It doesn't taste like wine like he was expecting, or even fruity at all- it's a rich, salty layered broth. But he doesn't know that, or have the words for it. He's just certain that its different in a way he wasn't expecting, and that it makes him want more.

"Ahmh-" he's already spooning more in his mouth before he swallows. "Ihs ood-" he swallows, "Really good. And warm. Not spicewise just- it tastes warm, all the way down. Like my stomach wants more."

Furrow had leaned in, listening intently to Xinyi's every word. Hearing how the young man enjoyed the food, how he had to talk around mouthfuls as he quickly ate more. It sounded like he could hardly stop himself from eating it to talk or think. Only feeling how good it was for him. And this made Furrow's chest swell with pride. He sat up a little straighter now, smile broad and toothy. Xinyi never ate food like this. Enjoyed food like this. Now he finally had something he could. And he was quick to devour it.

And this filled a need in Furrow.

"Then fill it up as much as it desires. We made extra here so there will be plenty." Furrow rests his bowl in his lap. Not eating it yet.

Xinyi didn't notice. He had his bowl tipped up in front of his face, so that gravity could help shovel its contents into his mouth faster.

"Ahs ood ihs eay ood oh mahn ihs so ood ah."

Furrow chuckles warmly. Already thinking about the ingredients they will need to stock up on. He turns the ladle in the pot Xinyi's way so he can get his seconds.

"Alright, I'm going to call the group. Watch your ears." Furrow gives a pause in case xinyi wants to cover his ears for this. With a deep breath he lets out an almost deafening whistle. The signal he uses to let everyone, wherever they may be, know that food is ready. He will wait for them before he eats as well.

.

Thinking of the group, Furrow's mind stops on Renir. His thoughts wonder back through the conversation him and xinyi have been having. "So, -i was thinking of the being afraid thing, one thing lead to another-, why are you so afraid of Renir?" Furrow immediately realizes that this question could go bad after he says it. But he will have to see it through.

Xinyi chokes on the soup. "HcKkh-!" his head throws forward as he violently cough up a clump of potatoe. It's not his main concern though.

"Afraid??? Who said I was afraid?"

Furrow sits up fully, concern tensing his muscles hearing Xinyi violently cough. He's speaking, ok, not choking. He relaxes a bit.

"You do! For some reason." His tone is light.

"I don't! I'm not!" His head whips around to make sure no one has shown up to overhear any of this.

"It would be ridiculous to be afraid of someone I'm actively choosing to travel with! ...Now for entirely seperate reasons we need to drop this topic now."

"Ah yes, uh huh, toooootally different reason and not cuz you are afraid she will hear us speak of your afraid of her thing. A thing that would be ridiculous! I agree. But that is because she is funny! And nice! Don't you think?"

Xinyi gives Furrow a cringed expression that he can't see.

"Yeah. Very nice, very funny. I'm just trying to spare her feelings. Women can get quite sensitive about the state of their eyebrows."

"Just women, huh?" Renir cuts in. She stands a short distance behind Xinyi, arms crossed. She glances at the still crackling flames. "Oh good, you kept the fire going," and the weight of her gaze settles fully on Xinyi, "Let's see if vanity is simply a woman's burden."