"The offer of a LIFETIME!" she raged, hurling fistfuls of feed at her feet, where several dark-colored hens were congregated to peck through the dirt. "A professorship at the University at Escalus! Total freedom to work on my bestiary! A salary! Housing! Food we don't have to farm ourselves! And YOU want to go to AMERICA."

This last was directed at another woman, who stood barefoot in the dirt among the chickens, with a bucket full of cut greens clenched in one fist. She was more broadly built, with hard, pale, glaring eyes; where Shinobu's kimono was tidily worn with the sleeves tied neatly up, hers was barely on, and on crooked at that. Even her long dark hair was tied carelessly halfway down its length.

"We wouldn't HAVE to farm our own food if you would just EAT things like a normal fox, Shinobu," she said severely. Shinobu whipped around, bristling.

"I am not an ANIMAL, Michi," she snapped, though the motion displayed her long canines.

The racket woke up the dog, who had been napping in the shade nearby. It raised its head and yawned, seeming unconcerned as Shinobu turned on her heel and Michi went bickering after her.

"Well you're not a human, either, you just like to prance around like one!"

"Oh, THIS again. Neither of us would HAVE to 'prance around' like this in Aetheri!"

"It would just be a different kind of prancing!" Michi insisted. "I don't want to go to Aetheri and I don't know why you DO!"

Shinobu rolled her eyes, growling. "UGH. You haven't been listening to a SINGLE WORD I've been saying, have you."