"...what's 'a ton'?"

"… Unit of measurement used figuratively that I thought translated? Seriously, what's up with your language, I think I already – I keep asking you about things that don't seem to exist? Like school, I think, you said wasn't a commonly-used word?"

"I know what the word means, I mean what do you consider 'a ton of prostitution'."

"… So it's not just a weird language glitch, okay." Sigh. "I mean they have large signs and someone just suggested I do that as a way to get money, which, seems less taboo than it usually is." Pause. "For humans, from what I can tell from media."

"It's not really taboo? Anyone could die anytime—"

"Because the mood isn't gloomy enough already."

"—so people take their happiness where they can."

"It seemed like a pretty large industry. Same here?"

"Depends? Only cities where it's that large are Luca and Bevelle."

"What about recreational drugs? Meaning, since you're low on the tech – plants and things that get people high?"

"What about them?"

"How prevalent are they? I'm used to, like, getting TV shows – like spherecordings – with anti-drug campaigns in the ad breaks, and then they're there like 'why can you make some medical drugs but not recreational ones?', so – that was fun."

"...why didn't you make them recreational ones? Why would there be anti-drug campaigns?"

"Because drugs often have side-effects relating to death when abused? And often have bad side effects when you go off them totally, too. The ones that are – or were, maybe – more common back where I'm from."

"Healing magic, for one, and not the government's problem, for two? Also almost no one gets addicted to drugs, and the people who do usually just get help weaning off it and find some other drug if they want."

"Okay, yeah, the healing magic is probably a large factor."

"Zanarkand didn't have a lot of healing magic though."

"They've got a ton of weirdly safe drugs and are kinda super advanced in technology, though? Or did when I went there, at least?"

"Well, technology, yeah, but also the government doesn't have anything to do with it and the things Kaede said."

"I thought the weaning would be done by healing magic – addiction is usually pretty bad and pretty likely?" Shrug. "Maybe you just have different drugs."

"Maybe? Addiction seems to be, like, a personal thing—some specific people are more prone to be addicted to some specific drugs than others—and it's also heritable."

"This applies less in more modern times – drugs are less the plant-derived ones with really bad side effects – but I haven't really looked into recreational drug use except how to treat cases of overdose and withdrawal in hospitals?"

He shrugs. "Yeah but, well, not really a big deal."

"Must just be more of a problem where I'm from, for some reason, then."

"Yeah, maybe."