[Souji gratefully reaches out his hands and takes the cup, leaning over it a bit so he can breathe in the fumes - that always eases his breathing a little bit, and the slight, constant scraping noise lessens somewhat. He resists saying that some are more cracked than chipped, and then it depends a bit on how far the crack goes. Haru still has a good point, and there's a time and a place to argue semantics.]

Honestly, I've always thought that both people and things only get more interesting once they've gotten a bit chipped and stained with time - but then, I don't have to tell someone like you that, huh?

[A saniwa sage in charge of a big number of sword spirits would know all about how the marks of time bring more life to things as well as people.

He makes a soft little noise, lapping experimentally on his tea, but it's still too warm.] I'll do my best, of course. He's very sweet, and very brave and loyal. I'd like to get to know him better, and ease his mind. [He shoots Haru a warm glance.] It's strange, how different they are, and yet... at the same time, not completely different at all. And since I know I care so much about one, it is quite impossible not to already love the other.