Vlad regained his breath as the tolling died away. "Ah!" he gasped, grinning nervously, showing one long canine in the process. "Office hours are over. Thank the Lord. Drinks are on me tonight, you three."

He started to steer Shinobu towards the door and out into the dark hallway beyond; Shinobu protested, flattening her ears.

"Oh, you haven't got to--" she started irascibly, but Vlad interrupted in a tone of forced pleasantness.

"After that performance? I think I'd better. You're the worst. Besides, professor," he added, this in a louder tone, glancing back over his shoulder to wink at Liya and Yoshi, "It's not every day you hit your 65th anniversary working at the university. Humans would retire about now, you know. Let's celebrate."

Liya snuck a sympathetic look at Yoshi, who was practically glowing with shame. "...Is she always like that?"

Yoshi just sighed in response.

 

The strange lights in the city streets had gone an odd, cold lavender as they took another fish-shaped bus through the darkness; night was truly and properly fallen now, but the inside of the bus glowed brassy yellow.

"Perhaps this is a stupid question, Liya," Shinobu began in a business-like tone. She sat across the aisle from Liya, who was crammed next to Yoshi on the padded bench. "But have you been taught much about the multiverse theory? I admit, I'm curious what they teach children about other worlds in your country."

Liya returned her look of puzzlement. "Huh?"