"Huh.  I - don't even know what questions to ask, again - except that I guess should we assume that the plants that are the same aren't poison . . ."

"I'd expect so, yes. I don't have any allergies - Kyeo?"

"Me either."

"Okay, I mixed all the greens together already but we can get you started on the potatoes - "  They transfer fire from the candle to a metal drawer thing via a piece of straw and put the sliced potatoes in a pan on top with some butter.

Sarham watches the cooking process with interest since he might need to learn how to use local kitchen implements.

It seems about the same as the low-tech stoves one might imagine, except that it's quite small.  Lornell notices him looking.  "Probably you'll want something bigger, since you have to eat all the time."

"Probably, yeah. Do you have a way to keep food cold?"

"We-in-general have iceboxes but I-in-specific don't."

"I think iceboxes require... new ice frequently, where does it come from?"

"We're pretty far south!  - Chraida is more northerly; it might be more expensive there."

"Can you give me a general idea of how much things cost, and how much we stand to make off eating and sleeping and being aliens?"

"Sure!"  They go over how much all the food they bought cost (kind of a lot, but not enough to set them back or anything, and they did go for a lot of variety), how much their stipend for being aliens will be while they settle in (they're not sure of the exact amount, but probably more than they make; they don't like to work a lot of hours), what they'll get if they talk to researchers (they have no clue, could be anything from very little to Now They're Rich, depending on how things go), and how much public officials earn (a pretty decent living for the full-time very useful ones, possibly less depending on how long after eating and sleeping they stay feeling rested and full, which seems like the sort of thing that would vary a lot on a personal level).

Sarham wants pen and paper to do some figuring about that but seems to find this reassuring.

Potatoes are done!  Lornell is not a master chef or anything but they're fine.

"Thanks for breakfast."

Sigh.  "You're welcome.  I guess I'll cook and eat these greens to see if they're okay for you guys and then we can go clothes shopping?  - Oh, I copied his digestion, so I can try stuff and then if it goes poorly I can just replace it and we'll know you shouldn't have that."

"- thank you, that's a good idea."

They smile.  "I thought so too!"  Cooking, cooking, om nom greens.  If they're bad for non-citrelians to eat the effects are not immediate.

" - You guys can manage the stairs on your own, right?  If I meet you outside?"

"I think so."

"Okay, take the candle, I'll see you down there - "  Their apartment has a door in its exterior wall, they go through and leap off the ledge outside it.

Aliens and candle go downstairs.

Lornell is running around and doing gymnastics in the street.  "You can just put out the candle and set it somewhere against the building."  The stairwell was entirely unlit; outside, there are occasional street lamps although not really enough to see well by.

Kyeo blows the candle out and puts it down as directed.

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