[ The only response that would really bother Aira is a disingenuous one, and Shu isn't in that business. She listens quietly, then selects a pen and takes some paper before finding a seat above the riverbank. ]

It's funny to imagine you as a big complainer.

[ Aira is very curious about Shu's backstory—especially thinking back to her tale about the farmer and the Xian, and what the nature of Shu's personal attachment to it might be. ]

I'm gonna keep it private, I think. I mean, my idea is just to check in with her like I used to. Hopefully it's okay that we haven't talked in a while.

[ "A while" has been years and years. At some point, the whole ritual started feeling too childish, so she stopped. ]