Heavenfall

Sora didn't bite back his own laughter.

"She is clearly insane, and could do much better, but... if it's what she wants? A brave, beautiful, dedicated woman who shares my passions can be forgiven some bad taste in men."

Shinsei was quiet for a moment, but ultimately let out a low chuckle. "I do not think she has poor tastes, Sora. Confusing motivations certainly, but she could do far worse in her romantic pursuits. I don't see a bird on your shoulder, for instance."

"Yes, well, I said insane, not stupid..."

He sighed, looked down at his hands.

"And I know she'll tell me the truth, not just what she thinks I want to hear."

"Yes, she would. So long as you ask the right questions, I'm certain she'd tell you everything." He tilted his head to one side. "This is something you value greatly, I take it?"

"It is. Part of my... difficulty with Doji when I spoke to her, actually. So much polite obfuscation hiding... bland contempt. Kinyoubi doesn't hide things that way "

"No, I can't imagine she would. The blunt truth may hurt many, but she does seem to value it above all other things."

"I cannot wait to read her history of all of this, for that very reason."

"Yes, I imagine she's been taking an incredible number of notes in her time here. One wonders where she gets all the scrolls and ink."

Sora arched an eyebrow.

"Driving at something, Little Teacher?"

Shinsei folded his hands in his lap and smiled softly at Sora. "Am I? What do you believe me to be suggesting?"

"The plainly obvious truth that she's more than she seems."

He half-smiled.

"But there's a great deal of that going around in this expedition."

"Well, her jade is telling enough, so no worries there, yes?" Shinsei laughed softly. "This has been a... very unexpected journey for all of us, it seems."

"Putting it mildly. Of course, our hubris in even having expectations, given how little we knew at the outset made that a given."

"I did my best, I really did." Shinsei's face scrunched up slightly, as if trying to shoo an insect off his nose. "I was actually on my way back from scouting this place only to find everyone packing up to leave."

"Well. Say one thing for Reiko-sensei, say she knows how to motivate."

He sighed.

"Even if the poor woman has been tearing her hair out in clumps ever since it became apparent that not everyone present knew the importance of jade."

"Well, that is well known to us now, but much of the jade available was already well on its way to other places when we left. I imagine it won't be treated in such a frivolous manner anymore."

"Oh, that's going in the library. Written as simply as possible."

"Jade good, no sell?" Shinsei couldn't suppress a small grin. He seemed to be in a much lighter spirit following certain... occurrences.

"Too many words- Iwas thinking something more like, 'Jade good. Keep.'"

Despite it all, Sora smiled.

"Hmmmm," Shinsei frowned and rubbed his chin. "That still seems a bit much. How about the word jade and a pictoglyph of a hand giving a thumbs up?"