Liya didn't quite manage an answer, but she looked up sharply from the newspaper, eyes wide. Shinobu smiled quite smugly.

"What?" she asked mockingly. "Why the face?? Didn't you know? I'm shocked that painting Aetherians as the war-mongering colonists they once were isn't the usual propaganda fare, in your country. It'd certainly draw the eye away from the gross rights violations your country is committing on its own people."

Liya still didn't answer, but her ears went red and her hands clenched around the edges of the newspaper. Yoshi shot her a worried sidelong look and said firmly, "Shinobu, please. Another subject."

"Fine, then," Shinobu said lightly, making the strange gesture of inspecting her nails, "How are your 'night problems?'"

This caused Vlad, who was halfway through a sip of tea, to choke; Yoshi flushed deeply, looking utterly mortified.

"Na dhya!" he hissed, "Not that!"

"Oh, calm down," Shinobu said, unperturbed, patting Vlad on the arm as he struggled to regain composure, "It's perfectly natural for mixed children your age."

A loud bonging began just then, loud enough to cut off any retort Yoshi could make; he seemed to give it up, and actually covered his face with one hand, teeth gritted. Liya tucked the paper under her arm, puzzled.