Ah! Ligularia! I was just about to post a question about mine. Not sure what kind, though, until it blooms. It blooms in late summer or fall.

Ledebouria socialis--violet squill. I have a silver squill that looks just like yours but mine has tiny white flowers. This plant spreads fast and is SO easy to care for. Leona

I think it is aeonium, and they are somewhat right - somewhat wrong :) Where are you located? If you live in hot & humid location, shadier spot, and perhaps even indoors where it is cooler, may be better location. They like sun, but not extreme heat - they look quite 'dreadful' in high heat. IIRC, they don't care for high humidity. Plants brought in from stores may not have been exposed to sunlight, so they should be acclimatized to it - maybe that's what they were thinking about? Without proper light, they will loose their nice color. So bright light to full sun is good location for them. They are winter growers. They don't like to be kept dry - so watering just a little more often than most succulents is appropriate. That doesn't mean overwatering :) Most of them are monocarpic - after the plant blooms, it dies (just like sempervivums). But they produce lots of offsets to 'replace' one that dies.

Without seeing the full cactus and flowers it's hard to tell, but my guess is Epiphyllum oxypetalum aka Queen of the Night. I find Epiphyllums one of the easiest to propagate. Just bury in some mix and leave be. Keep warm and in bright filtered light. No need to water till roots form. If you have a bathroom with a window. I would keep this in there. The humidity may help to kick start with the roots. The bathroom should have a window so there's airflow and light. These guys can get fungus. Normally for other cactus I wouldn't suggest this, but these are different.I've found roots usually pop out fast within a couple weeks. If they take longer it's fine;). You can water when roots form. No harsh sun for these guys. Like I said just nice bright filtered light. Remember these are rainforest cactus. Make sure to keep the mix fast draining so no soggy soil. My Epi mix is about 30% pumice, 20% perlite, and the rest cactus mix. Maybe your friend can let you borrow some of their mix. What hardiness zone are you in:)? Really helps when giving advice.