It's all AU.

Estraven sat at a table outdoors, and flipped through his journal notebook, looking frustrated. He looked up. "I must be still ignorant of how time is kept here," he said humbly. "Can you explain it to me? It's important I keep track of the days."

Therem had slept and eaten and slept some more. He's also found some bright, light weight clothing that breathed and suited him much better than the t-shirt and jeans Brant had given him him.

He went walking in the streets, trying to get a feel the place and it's customs, now that he was more alert. The lack of currency bothered him - theft was a terrible crime on Gethen, so he'd asked every time before he'd taken something.

He walked into one place - he'd thought it was a restaurant, but once he went in, there was dancing and not just dancing for the joy of it - Was this a kemmer house? The feeling of sex definitely in the air. He started to back out, not uncomfortable at the sex, exactly. But he was in somer, not even radiating sexual pheromones. This was not a place for him, right now. Surely it would be confusing for the people who had come to have a good time.

A figure wrapped in a fur lined coat was huddled up on a street corner, a dark thin face staring out from under the hood. It didn't take a doctor to realize, even wrapped up, that he'd lost a lot of weight recently.

Therem was unsure what to do. This was very, very clearly, not his world. These people - they made him think of the photographs Genly had shown him. Also, it was far too warm for Kerm land in the middle of winter. Where was Genly? He'd been right there.

First things first, he took off his heavy gloves and shed the coat. There was still multiple layers to protect from the cold.