"Huh, somehow less magic just makes it cooler. Maybe we could get something like this back home? It definitely beats fucking around with buckets, as water delivery systems go."

"Man, I feel for you," Gabe says guiding the two to the kitchen. "I bet we have a lot of cool stuff you're gonna want to take home."

There are plates for the mushroom pastries, fried vegetables and various sauces to dip.

"There are tons of stuff we can get for you to take you home. I was meaning to ask. What are the most advanced non-magical things you have around?"

Ari thinks very hard. "This is... a very difficult question to answer, I hope you realize... um... hand crossbows? Hourglasses? They weren't around a hundred years ago, the glass has to be - oh, I know, there was this wandering merchant bloke a couple of years back who had a machine that made books. That's new, we never had that, had to write out the damn things by hand. His thing's still just his thing, but I think it's going to get big. Books are great. Wonder if he can do tomes with it?"

"Wow, that's medieval. Henry, you're not allowed to ignore the food while nerding about science."

Gabe starts to serve the plates.

Henry pats Gabe affectionately and takes a seat. "Okay, Gabe. Well, I assume that was a printing press. I don't know what properties of tomes are relevant here, but there is a bunch of stuff we have invented since the times of the printing press. I don't know where to start... I guess the most relevant might be the machines called computers, which can do math really fast. The thing is that you can convert a lot of things into doing math really fast."

"There are tiny computers that can be used to take pictures, or record and play videos, which are like, moving pictures. Also music. Also, if it's connected to the internet it can help you find hot single guys in your area."

"All of that sounds incredible. I don't have much trouble with the last one, but I welcome any assistance the tiny fast math thing can give me."

Ari takes a bite of mushroom pastry. "Also, this is extremely good. You are good. Thank you."

"Five minutes," Henry mutters under his breath. "All I want is five minutes, where he doesn't sound like a pervert."

"You know you love me," Gabe says to Henry, while sniffing his neck.

"I don't doubt it and thank you. Oooh, games! The tiny math can also do games, where it's like a video, except it isn't a recording. And it's more like... a cartoon, wait you don't have those," he frowns.

"Games... often involve tiny math that does simple pictures. One has a degree of control over the tiny pictures, such that it can simulate something compellingly interactive. Like, controlling a character that fights against enemies. Or a puzzle."

"I fight against enemies and do puzzles all the time. Can the pictures have sex?"

(Author note: Henry is thinking "Oh, no. There are two of them!")

"Of course, internet is for porn! Unless you mean, in the games? There are some games for that, but they are not very good. Luckily, a lot of generous and altruistic people have recorded sex and put it on the internet for everyone to see. We actually don't have the internet here, but I have downloaded some videos if you want a sampler."

"Maybe you can show me later. Unless you want your cousin involved in whatever this is."

"I do want to involve my cousin, but I think we should eat first."

"I am mostly lamenting that he turned a conversation about technology into sex," Henry shakes his head.

"Oh! That kind of cousin. Yes, by all means let's eat first."

"Yeah, that kind."

Gabe takes a bite. And then he pulls Henry into his lap.

"I mean, we are half-cousins," Henry says before shaking his head. "But let's eat and then introduce Ari to the technology of the toothbrush."

The lifeforce analysis is still active. It's not very precise, but Ari can tell some... flow going to certain areas.

"Toothbrush is for... cleaning teeth? I do that with magic. Most people do it with paste and a washcloth. We're not animals, come on."

Henry raises his hands. "Okay, sorry. I just don't want sauce-tasting kisses."

Gabe takes this opportunity to give Henry a sauce-tasting kiss.

Aww.

Ari finishes his pastry, then cleans his mouth with a quick necromantic spell and a drink of water.

"Now, I seem to remember certain agreements being made."

They perform their own version of that spell.

Henry wordlessly stands up and pulls Ari into a minty-flavored kiss.