practicality

"So magic congeals into little balls inside the earth? Do you mine them, like silver? And you can teach other people how to use them?" She hadn't gotten louder, but more intense. She had unconsciously leaned forward toward him, eyes huge with wonder behind the lenses of her glasses. "You don't have to have a.. a..." She looked frustrated a moment and frowned, tapping the book absently. "An affinity for stuff like that?" She seemed completely unaware that someone her age shouldn't even know what affinity meant, let alone how to use it in a sentence.

The dying sunlight glanced off a few coins on the desk top, catching her eye, and she looked back out the windows to where the sunset was changing the buildings to the fiery oranges and reds of a tropical fruit basket. "Yeah... Me too. I've sorta done all I can for him now... I'll just have to keep an eye on him and see if she gets there ok."

There was a growling noise, something like a small, angry wolverine, and she looked around, startled. There was nothing around. The noise repeated itself, slightly more insistently, and she squeaked, looking embarrassed. "I guess I'm a little hungry..."