After a moment of silence, Shinobu admitted, "...Yes. All right, yes. That MIGHT happen. But Michi," she continued, pleadingly, "This job is my DREAM. Ten years of a dream, or a hundred years of a foreign wasteland..."

"To what end?!" Michi demanded. The dog came over, snorting and huffing, and sat at their feet as if to join the conversation, but neither of them paid mind. "Aetheri will burn your work while running us off the planet. And do you think it will be fun there in the meantime? Do you think they will welcome you?? Famously too-good-for-us Aetheri??"

The pleading expression on Shinobu's face vanished, and she sneered. "What are they going to do, hurt my feelings?"

"I'm not sure you have any feelings left to hurt," Michi replied coldly.

That tore it--the bucket of feed fell from Shinobu's hands and hit the ground, spilling on the dirt and scattering the chickens. In one movement, she stepped up and slapped Michi around the face hard.