They make their order.

"You know, when I go to restaurants with blue clients there's usually two clusters of ways people react to me," she says when the waiter's gone. "That's one of them."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. You'd think that people would realize that being nice to everyone on the table would be the better option. Even from a purely selfish stand-point."

"Being nice to me isn't the alternative I'm talking about," she says, covering her smile with a hand.

Chuckle. "Well, that reaction is easier to understand."

"Much easier."

"I'm actually fairly famous in certain ways!"

"Oh, that makes sense. Sadly, I don't think I've ever consumed your work."

"That's a shame. Maybe I should link you to some previews of my work."

"Now, I feel silly for not having thought of that."

She grins. "Well, you have gotten way closer to the source material than most people who consume my work. My rates are pretty high, usually."

"They should be."

She giggles. "The market regulates the prices, not me."

"If the efficient market hypothesis were true you'd be richer than any blue."

"I walked right into that one didn't I."

"Do you want me to stop?"

"I absolutely do not."

Giggle. "Not to be a cliche, but tell us more about yourself. Have you always lived here your whole life? Siblings?"

"Yeah, Anitami born and raised. I have two half-siblings, my mother died when I was little. I can't imagine the fact that the three of you came as a package stopped your parents from wanting more."

"That's true. They are going to get their second credit next spring."

"—wait, how old are you?"

"Five."

"Blues always needed to have fewer children because we have to pass on our lands to the future generations. The cost of the credit is only part of it. Our parents worked aggressively in the meantime."

"Still. Five springs being able to have a child and just... not doing it," she says, slightly wistfully.

"We know. But at least they spring mildly."