Lian- “I’m still not sure if it’s a perk of the city, or if it’s because we’re with a local celebrity, but this went surprisingly fast”, thought Lian about the quickness with which they received their official visitor status.  Her latter guess was probably closer to the truth, but it was also factual that the paper lane set in place for extradimensional guests was a swift one. 

Clerk -” That’s also because we don’t get that often people like you”, answered a clerk goat lady with whom the girl was making small talk, passing time while waiting for Ogda’s procedures. “ Wish our world could match rotation points more often, I so desperately want to meet one of your earthlings' social stars.”

Lian -” Oh…is that like a painter, or big screen actor?”, the girl asked with a small, polite smile. Her body slowly remembered, among other small gestures, how she acted doing simple, breezy things like gossip. 

Clerk -” Well, I would put it to age, but the only other 20-ish-year-old who came last time was also aloof when it came to social stars. “ Liadan didn’t even think about her age, but the goat had a keen eye when it came to guessing specifics about others. Goidel also confirmed that’s the same bracket they put her in as well. “ We can only compare you to Arim, to be fair, but yeah.” A snap from the clerks' hooves would bring the attention back to her, who was now holding a small, reflecting device in her hand.

Clerk -'' The human matron of the Union gave it to me”, she added proudly. “ It’s not working like in the human world, apparently, something about signals but I can still take photos and watch videos on it! I got one of the visitors to doown’lod my favourite’s latest video and I wanted to show it to you!”

Liadan’s next hour was spent browsing the old goat’s catalog of videos, learning more and more about Earth and what the showbiz stage was like. She would find some of them amusing, others gave her second-embarrassment and a few left her void from boredom. “ That’s more people than I thought”, she remarked at the end. “ Some of them had no schooling in the arts, but they still tried…huh. Earth seems…a bit less frightening now”. Sometimes aware, other times ignorant, Liadan had many nerves eating at her confidence. One of which sprung because of her possible home, Earth. A place she knew nothing about, with humans she didn’t know. Besides the language, she would probably have to relearn everything, culture, social interactions, history... 

Lian -” Thanks for showing me those”, the girl added while sipping from the tea provided by the clerk. 

Clerk -” It’s no problem, hun. I didn’t know you were that homesick, getting all teary-eyed from my silly videos.”

Lian -'' Oh no, that’s not why…can I tell you something?”, she asked, cowering her head a bit as if someone was listening in. The goat lady hunched over and got closer with her left ear. -” I don’t think I’m from…”, but she stopped herself, unsure of the repercussions, especially if her hunch was wrong; “...the same country as the one from the videos. They don’t have an accent I’m vaguely familiar with.”

Clerk -” Oh…and what’s the problem with that?” asked the bewildered clerk, who was expecting bigger gossip than that. Laidan then tried to add more grievances than she had, just to convince the clerk, and luckily for her, she was swayed to take the conversation in another direction.

….

Clerk- “ And done!... Almost”, exclaimed the goat lady while stamping Ogda’s card.” You’re now visitors in our lovely city, with the same rights, temporary of course, as any other citizen has.” Laidan wanted to believe their rights were applied universally, but she suspected that the approval from a Union member helped raise their lot. “These sweet boys helped us more than a few times, hun. If they say you are good, then that’s all we need '', remarked the old goat lady, while signing their visitors' badges, leaving the ‘last name’ section empty.

Their next stop around the center was a storeroom, where Laidan picked up fresh, plain clothes, followed by a quick cleanup session and finally, a cantina with proper food for the emaciated girl. 

Cook -“ What about you?'' Ogda was asked by the bored, short service cook, to which he didn’t know how to respond except for “...Rocks?”. The cook squinted his rectangular eyes, as the reply kindled some curiosity in him. “It’s a rare taste, I’ll give ya, but not unheard of. But just to be sure, can I ask you some things?”

Ogda-” I don’t mind”.

Cook -” Good. So besides rocks, have you tried anything else beforehand?”

It took the water creature a few moments to remember all the delicacies the desert had to offer for him -” I started with sand, then some mud, tried regular rocks afterward, dried branches, some bones and I finally found that I like…digest… the crystals.”

Cook -” Aha, knew it. You’re one of those energy suckers! It’s not the crystals themselves that you eat, but I’m betting it’s the juice they store.”

Lian -” Huh…you might be right. How did you know?”  

Cook -'' Years of experience boy. Served and talked with lots of Firbolgs while working here, and learned a thing or two about the foods people enjoy. Now, if that’s the case, I’m guessing you could get your pangs stuffed by the sun. But, you’re in our kitchen and I can’t let a visitor leave without his taste buds (wherever they are) unfulfilled. So, how about this?”, he asked while handing him a fruit enveloped in a hard shell. It didn’t look very appetizing to Ogda, and he wanted to ask Liadan's opinion on it, but before he could even turn his head towards her, the small server pointed something out;

Cook -” Listen, I know what I’m talking about, just take a small bite and see if you like it. If not, well at least you tried”. 

Ogda -” I…I guess it isn’t important enough to bother…Ok! I’ll try it!” To his surprise the fruit didn’t just give him the same boost, but left him with the joy of taste, something the crystals never provided him the opportunity to try. “..It’s bitter”, he mumbled after eating the entire fruit.

Both -” What do I do now?”, they had the same thought.