Shinobu was carefully lifting one of the objects in the altar--the empty metal pot--down from the shelf; there was a basket full of blankets next to her, and she'd pulled out halfway out. Seeing this, Yoshi asked rather anxiously, "Are...are you taking the house altar with you?? How long are you going to be away??"

"Oh," Shinobu replied absently, "Five years."

The words hit Yoshi like a thunderbolt. She stammered for a moment, finally managing to squeak out, "F...five?"

"Well, yes," Shinobu said. She reached up for another object from the altar. "That's how long the study is."

Yoshi shoulders slumped, as Shinobu continued, "There's some concern that I might run into issues at the interworld border if I try to commute back and forth every day, even with the proper papers, so I've arranged to stay with Vlad for the whole time. You're welcome to use this place while I'm gone, by the way. Surely it's quieter here than in your room above the stables. And it's got a full kitchen!"

"Shinobu..." Yoshi began, covering her face wearily. Shinobu didn't glance round; she was wrapping a glass ball from the altar in one of the blankets.

"You seem disturbed. I did tell you I was leaving."

"Yes, and that's ALL you said!" Yoshi entreated. "'I'm going out of town, please drop by to see me before I leave!' Nothing about being away for five years!"

"It's a tad longer than I've been away before, but it's just Enodia, Yoshi."

"A ta--" Yoshi folded her arms. "You've never been away longer than a month at a time. And Enodia is on another planet."

Shinobu seemed to be barely listening; she just murmured an agreement. Whatever Yoshi was trying to get through was clearly not landing. After a moment of no response, Yoshi just mumbled, "...That does not bother you?"