[Greyson – 10 years]

Cody remains asleep as I prepare for my morning workout. My workout clothes are a pair of brown shorts and a gold sleeveless shirt, plus special socks and a pair of sneakers. They're comfortable and allow my body to breathe well.

Ready to go, I exit the dorm room and the dorm hall itself, then do some stretches on the side of the path. I already checked and it's okay for me to come out this early and do my morning exercises. Grandfather Adrian also adjusted the campus's warding scheme so that I'm keyed into the teleportation ward.

Good Grandfather Adrian. Now the ward isn't as evil anymore, and I hope he keeps it that way.

I start with a light jog around the campus, keeping it up for fifteen minutes. My ending destination is not far from the athletics hall, and I walk for a post-jog cool-down the rest of the distance. Upon my arrival, I dip my head to the staff member standing outside the door.

He's keeping an eye on everyone who shows up this early so that the staff in the actual open fitness rooms can make sure people are going where they're allowed.

Since it's Monday, I go to the room intended for the body rather than weights and machines. Once inside, I perform a series of push-ups, pull-ups, planks, squats, lunges, and other exercises, then repeat. While I don't use magic to accelerate my speed, I do use it to add some weight to myself so that I can get better results.

Upon finishing, I leave the athletics hall and jog back to the dorm hall, then head inside and up to my room. Cody's just waking up as I enter and he gives me a sleepy look.

"Why are you all sweaty?" He asks.

"I was working out," I tell him. "And now I'm gonna shower."

That's exactly what I do after retrieving some things, and fifteen minutes after talking to Cody, I'm clean, dried, and dressed in a fresh set of shorts and a sleeveless. Cody's gotten ready for the day as well but still looks sleepy, and we eat breakfast in the dorm's dining hall.

They have a fresh waffle station and I get ten of the ones made with magic ingredients, plus a giant scoop of ice cream for each. This academy might have evil wards, but they know really how to treat a kid to breakfast.

When the first test of the day begins, I start tapping away at the computer I'm assigned to. It's a test on math and it starts with baby math. Simple addition, soon followed by simple subtraction. Then it adds in basic multiplication while increasing the values for addition and subtraction. The complexity of the problems continues to increase as the test progresses. Soon, I'm doing algebra and geometry, then calculus and trigonometry. Even a little bit of physics math gets added in eventually.

They're really trying to cover all fields, aren't they? It's not just those ones in the test but more, the program doing its best to find my limits. There's still time left for today's test session once it determines where I'm at in terms of math, so it switches over to social studies.

What a leap. Why did it have to go to a boring subject, though? Magitech would've been a much more fun subject to switch to after dealing with all of that math.

Well, at least it's happening sooner rather than later. If the bad ones come early, that means the later tests will be in more fun subjects.

----------------------------------------

[Xander – 13 years] → starts early in Greyson's PoV

"-and then the turtle ate the frog and gave the other ones a very smug look because it proved it could do what it said," I finish telling Ms. Katie about that dream. "Which doesn't make sense. The frogs could teleport, so how could a talking turtle with no other abilities eat one? Couldn't they just teleport away?"

"I'm not sure," Ms. Katie answers.

"I'm not sure, either," I tell her. "It made no sense! I liked the dream with the dragon better."

"Oh?" She looks over. "What happened in that one?"

"It went fwooooosh!" I tell her. "Was flying through the sky just enjoying the feel of the wind over its body. And after flying for a bit, it went to a restaurant and got steaks! They looked so good, too, but they were huge! Sized for a dragon. If dragons were real, and they get steaks sized for them, just how big do you think the cattle would be? Um… is it okay to ask you that?"

"It is," she chuckles. "And I'd guess they'd be pretty big, for someone to make dragon-sized steaks from them."

"Yeah," I nod. "Good morning, Mr. Trey."

"You're not even looking over here," Mr. Trey says as I turn around. "How did you know I was approaching?"

"Your footsteps," I answer. "Are we expecting someone? Um… can I ask that?"

"We are, why?" He asks.

"I dunno," I answer. "I just feel like someone's on their way here."

Mr. Trey's phone pings, and he pulls it out.

"They are," he says. "Security just let me know he's at the gate, and you probably picked up on Katie fixing more food than normal."

Now that he mentions it, she is making more food than she normally does. Enough for a second me, even.

"Oh."

Mr. Trey heads to the front door as I realize that he's wearing a suit for some reason instead of his normal breakfast clothes. When he returns to the dining room, Grandpa Adrian is with him.

"I'm in trouble for the stream yesterday, aren't I?" I get off the stool.

"Why would you be in trouble for that?" Grandpa Adrian asks.

"Because you showed up in time for breakfast," I say.

"I'm here partially because of the stream," he says. "But you're not in trouble. You made it sound as if you were okay with building them to sell to others."

That's what this is about? But if I'm not in trouble… or maybe I am and he's using his power to fool my ability to tell when someone's lying.

"Would you mind explaining that to me?" He asks.

"No."

We stare at each other for a few moments.

"Xander?"

"Yes, Grandpa Adrian?"

"I was asking if you would."

"Oh," my face heats up. I should've known that but I'm too stupid. "Well… the stuff with Luke last Monday made me realize that I do have some talents. And then S.G. liking the puzzle spheres made me realize that I can make stuff that other people like. So I was thinking that maybe, if it's okay with you and Mr. Trey, I could maybe make stuff to sell? Like the puzzle spheres. And maybe the hoverboards, too. And-and it would let me earn money, too. That would help make up for the cost of the materials I use at Greyson's workshop, if it does kind of okay. I think. And if I'm not the only one with a hoverboard, it won't stand out as much, too."

Mr. Trey snorts a little as Grandpa Adrian examines me for a few moments.

"The reason you wanted the puzzle spheres to be under $50 in parts and labor is because you wanted to sell them?" Grandpa Adrian asks.

"Yeah."

"You don't quite know enough about how that works to set prices," he says. "There's more to it than parts and labor, and labor cost itself can be higher than minimum wage depending on what it's for. If you can get one where the materials cost is under $5, under $10, or between $80 and $120, I can have them produced on a larger scale and sold in stores for $10, $20, and $100 to $150. The first two would be more likely to be purchased by normal families, while the higher price point would be more attractive to mages. If you're able to make one where the material costs fit into that, I can have them produced in workshops under my control – where your secret techniques won't be shared.

"In fact," he continues. "That is something your father and I discussed yesterday."

Mr. Trey is only my foster-dad, but it's Very Bad to correct adults, especially one as powerful and important and my great-grandpa.

"I set up another company," Grandpa Adrian informs me as a small box appears in his hands. "Xanson Technologies. I had a feeling you were going to want to sell things and set it up so you don't have to do as much work. You can invent something, and the company will produce and sell it for you, and you'll earn money for each item sold based on its sale price."

"Since you're a minor," Mr. Trey says. "And under my care, I'll be handling a lot of the stuff directly relating to you. Your grandfather set it up as he's better-equipped to handle magitech production and other matters relating to the company."

"We were originally going to tell you in a few days," Grandpa Adrian says. "After your father's lawyers have gotten to look at the contracts for it, but the stream last night accelerated things a little on my end. This box contains business cards you can give to people if they ask you to make something you're selling through Xanson Technologies. Purchases will have to go through it, anyway, so you'd need them to contact even if you agree."

I open up the box and find a bunch of business cards in it, just as he said. They're all identical and have a little bit of magic in them for some reason. Strengthening magic, I think?

"Xander," Mr. Trey says. "You can ask him whatever is you're wanting to ask about the company. You have that look that says you've got a question each time he said its name and again when you looked at the cards."

"I have lots of questions," I say. "But the one I want to ask is how come it uses the first syllable in my name and the last in Greyson's?"

Mr. Trey looks surprised. Did he think I wouldn't notice? Or maybe he didn't notice for some reason, even though he's an adult.

"Because I'm going to do the same with Greyson," Grandpa Adrian informs me. "Can you keep a secret from Greyson?"

"I can try," I say. "He usually doesn't push if I say I don't want to say or am not allowed to say, though."

"Alright," Grandpa Adrian chuckles. "Greyson likes making magitech, too. Particularly computers. Those can be sold as well if he's willing to give up the designs for them, and since the two of you share a workshop and probably work together on some things, I figured it's better to make the company for products from both of you."

That's probably really smart, though I don't see what the secret is.

"Oh."

I close the box and hold it in my left hand while focusing a little. My backpack appears in my right hand, and I put the box inside, then pull out a puzzle sphere.

"So I made this one when trying to make a cheaper model," I show it to Grandpa Adrian. "Well, cheaper from my original one. I had no idea that the part I made to detect the location of Errai was worth so much. This one costs about $103 in materials, if I did the math right."

I put the sphere down on the dining room table, then pull out another.

"And if my math is right," I say. "Then this one is about $4 in materials cost," I set it on the table and pull out another. "And this one is about $10," I set it down and pull out another. "And I know you didn't list it, but this one costs about $18 in materials, so it's just-under $20. I didn't like leaving them incomplete so I did final tweaks on them already. Oh, but I obfuscated the enchantments… I'm not sure how good my work is so they probably need more tweaks by a professional. I can undo the obfuscation, but, um… can they be nice when they tell me what I did wrong? Is that-is that okay to ask?"

"I'll be the one doing the checks," Grandpa Adrian tells me. "And if there's something wrong with your work, I won't be rude when I let you know how to do it better. That's just common courtesy."

"O-oh."

"Are you okay with me taking those?" Grandpa Adrian asks. "I can see through the obfuscations so you don't need to undo them."

Of course he can do that. If I can do it, then so can an ancient mage of far superior ability.

"Y-yeah," I nod.

Grandpa Adrian gestures at the puzzle spheres and they vanish, then Ms. Katie serves breakfast for all of us. My great-grandpa sits on the end of the table beside me, opposite from Mr. Trey. There isn't really much conversation while we eat breakfast, which feels awkward to me, but I don't know what to say or if talking when the adults haven't given me permission is allowed.

Then Grandpa Adrian leaves and I get ready for my classes. I'm ready early enough that I can change the horrible drawing on the board, so I do that. This time, I try drawing a turtle with a dog riding on its back. A big dog.

Mr. Trey tells me I should draw on the board from time to time, but he didn't say why and I'm too scared to ask. I'm horrible at it, and it makes me nervous that someone's going to get mad at me, but it also feels kind of fun… when it doesn't look too bad.

I sit on the green beanbag chair I normally sit on, then wait for Luke and Parker to arrive, Luke carrying a duffel bag in addition to his backpack for some reason.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Luke's mana looks different than it did the last time I saw him. It's a lot calmer than before, the sparks not as crazy.

"Morning, Xander!" Luke says. "I saw your stream last night! Well, the VOD of it! Can you build me a hoverboard? I can pay you for-what's that?"

"A business card," I answer. "Grandpa Adrian said to give one to anyone who wants to buy a hoverboard from me. They have to contact that company to order one."

"You had that ready!" Parker laughs. "You were expecting him to ask, weren't you?"

"Yeah."

"I can do that!" Luke pockets the card, then plops onto the beanbag chair he usually sits on as Parker sits as well. "I brought the stuff for the demonstration later."

"For the building a robot?" I ask.

"Yeah!" He nods. "I tried getting Parker to help me design it last night, but he kept telling me I was trying to make it too fancy."

"No," Parker says. "You were trying to make it to flashy and ridiculous. Why would it need to be able to shoot lightning bullets from thirty different spots?"

"To make its rapidfire even faster!"

"And why would it need four arms?"

"Two for swords and two for guns!"

"And the rockets on the feet?"

"Explosive jumps!"

"Yeah," Parker rolls his eyes before looking at me again. "Without me stepping in, the design for the one he's building this afternoon would be a bit wild and complex."

"He wanted me to show him what I can do!" Luke says. "That's why I've gotta throw in all of the stuff! And make it cool!"

They bicker for a couple of minutes, all the way until the lesson starts. When it's time for the swimming lesson to start after that, I do my best to get in the water without Luke helping me… and I manage it!

Except I don't jump in, I teleport in because I find that easier for me to brave through. Luke charges toward the pool and jumps in once I've stopped flailing, then my lesson begins.

After it's done and we've eaten lunch, Luke asks where a good spot to build a robot is.

"This way," I tell him. "Mr. Trey got a room set up for a workshop over the weekend. It's not got all of the protections and stuff, but it's got tables."

"Okay!" Luke says.

We enter the room and he looks around it while Parker takes a seat at one of the tables. There really isn't much in here, just a few tables with chairs, and some shelves against the walls. Some supplies are put in here as well, but Mr. Trey only bought basic materials to work with. He probably can't afford too much for proper magitech, which is why it's a good thing I'm going to make money now. He won't need to afford too much for proper magitech since I'll be able to buy the stuff on my own.

Already can, a little bit. I'll need to get permission if it's over a certain amount a day but I have the money.

Luke drops his backpack beside the door and sets his duffel bag on the table Parker sat at, then begins pulling things out of it. I think the bag has a spatial expansion enchantment on it, based on how much he's pulling out.

I sit across from Luke and watch as he starts building a robot, and he even tells me what each step he's doing is and what the different parts and enchantments are for and do. It's a very different way of doing it from Greyson's, and also involves a lot fewer explosive aspects.

"And there we go!" Luke says once he finishes. "A robot, all done! Here, watch!"

He starts fiddling with the controller he built and has the robot move around, even makes it do a few martial arts moves. While he does have it use some of its lightning magic, that's weak enough to not damage anything, and he doesn't let it strike the tables or anything, so it really wouldn't be a problem, anyway.

"Do you wanna try?" Luke asks. "Show me what you can do?"

"I'm bad at it," I tell him. "I've been trying to build a remote-controlled car for awhile but I'm not that great it."

Luke gets a confused look on his face, then looks thoughtful. At least, I think that's a thoughtful look.

"You like dragons, right?" He asks.

"Yeah."

"Try building a robot dragon!" He pulls materials out of his duffel bag. "Maybe you'll have better luck if you're not making a vehicle!"

I'm not really sure about that, but I start working on it. I pull my special laptop from Greyson out of my backpack so I can access the database for building remote-controlled stuff and robots and use that as well. After about two hours… I have a robot dragon sitting in front of me and feel very, very confused.

"But I've never manage to make a car before!" I say. "How could I do a dragon? That's way more complicated!"

"Did you want to build a car?" Luke asks.

"Well, no, but aren't they the simple ones?"

"And there's the problem!" Luke says. "The less interested someone is in doing something, the more they might struggle with it. I bet you were struggling with it just 'cause you didn't really enjoy it. But you did want a robot dragon, so it was easier for you!"

"I'm also very stupid," I tell him. "And that doesn't make any sense to me."

"Xander," he snorts. "Hoverboards are, like, a million times more complicated than a robot dragon. That's why no one's-wait. Xander?"

"Yes, Luke?"

"Can your dragon fly?"

"Yeah."

"Can I see?"

I grab the controller and activate the dragon's flight magics, then have it fly around the room. It's an adapted form of the magitech used for my hoverboard, since I didn't want to use the normal magitech used to make planes and helicopters fly. That seemed like a bit too much, especially since those are intended for much larger machines. The robot can do flips and spins and other tricks and I try to do that, except the dragon crashes face-first into a table, breaking it.

"Fuck!" I hurry over to the table and pull the dragon off. "No, no, no, no, no!"

I push my free hand forward and use time magic on the table, undoing the damage. Mr. Trey is going to be so mad at me for breaking the table, especially since it's new! It won't matter that I fixed it, I fucked up and broke stuff!

"Did you just use time magic on the table?" Luke asks.

"Mr. Trey's gonna be so mad at me!"

"Mad at you for what?" Mr. Trey asks from the doorway.

He's back from work!

"I'm sorry!" I wail. "I didn't mean to break the table! It was an accident! I'm sorry! Please don't beat me, I didn't mean to do it! I'm trying to behave! I don't wanna get sent back!"

"Are you hurt?" Mr. Trey interrupts my pleading.

"It was the table that got hurt and I'm sorry and I fixed it, I promise, please don't beat me and-"

"Are. You. Hurt?" His tone is scary.

"N-no," my voice is very quiet, and I can only stare at my socks.

This is bad. This is way too bad. I fucked up bad and broke something and I don't even have the reason of my grip being poor. He's going to beat me unconscious and then dump me outside so the boys' home can come pick me up.

"Good," he says. "How did you break the table?"

"Luke asked if I could show him my robot dragon flying and I tried making it do a trick and it crashed into the table and I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to break the table! Please don't-"

"Xander," Mr. Trey's voice is still scary. "That's the sort of toy which should be played with where there's more space, such as outside. Especially if you made it able to breathe fire. Did you make it able to breathe fire?"

"Y-yes."

It's a toy dragon, of course it can breathe fire. If it couldn't, then it would just be a toy winged lizard. That's nowhere near as cool.

"Alright," he says. "Why don't you go outside and play with it, then?"

"W-what about my beating?"

"Why would you get a beating?"

"Because I broke the table."

"Did you get hurt?"

"No."

"Have I ever beaten you?"

"Not yet."

"Not ever," he says. "A grounding is more appropriate as a punishment, if you ever deserve one. As long as you aren't hurt and the damage wasn't something serious, I don't see a reason why you'd get into trouble, either. And it looks like you fixed the table, anyway, since I can't see any damage."

"I reversed its time."

"You say that so casually," Parker comments, and Luke snorts.

"Dinner will be in about an hour and a half," Mr. Trey says. "Luke, Parker, will you two be staying for it?"

"Nope!" Luke answers. "I'm going to a dinner with my parents at six, so I gotta be home by five to get ready for it."

"Alright," Mr. Trey says. "Clean up the mess in here, then head outside to play with your toys."

"Y-yes, sir," I say.

He's really not beating me for breaking something? Or even something else? I misbehaved and I'm not even getting a small punishment for it. This is so confusing.

----------------------------------------

[Sig – 13 years]

I get off my bike feeling very nervous. It's my first magic lesson with Mr. Roger at his candy shop and I don't know how it's going to go. After hooking my bike up outside and pulling on a shirt, I enter the shop.

"Good afternoon, S.G.," Mr. Roger greets me. "Are you ready for your lesson?"

"Yeah," I answer.

"I do require the payment up front," he tells me.

"Here," I pull cash out of one of my pockets.

He counts it out, then pockets it and walks around the counter to close the shop, then he leads me through the back and into a small yard behind the shop. A stone wall eight feet in height surrounds it, magic runes running across the top of it.

"Privacy enchantments," he explains when he notices me looking at them. "Prevents others from seeing into the yard. Since I live above the shop, this is my backyard and I like some privacy. Also makes it easier to give lessons without being interrupted or peered in on."

"Ah," that actually makes me a little more uncomfortable.

"Have a seat," he gestures to a small table. "I'll be right back."

Mr. Roger returns with a tray which has a pitcher of water, two glasses, and some cookies on it. He serves himself a cup of water while I eye the pitcher warily. I'm brave, not stupid, and this setup has me really worried.

"How was your old teacher telling you to use magic?" He asks.

"She taught me that air magics are cast by funneling the spells like a tornado," I answer. "Starting wider and shrinking it down. 'Cept Tate's dad told me that that's not how air magics are cast – it's how she casts her spells, and it's not limited to air magics. Each person's way of casting is different, though in people with magic bloodlines, it can have similarities to their parents' way of casting."

"That's correct," Mr. Roger says. "It's dependent on a few things. Your bloodline, for instance. Any particular quirks you inherited through it. A random factor no one has ever figured out. A little of your own personality shows through in it as well, and it's theorized that it may even affect your personality to a degree. Have you figured out the quirks of your mana?"

"Yeah," I nod. "He taught me how to tell. My magic wants to, I guess it's like swirl around me? Or surround me. Like I'm surrounded by a bubble or gale, or am submerged in it."

Mr. Roger gives me a nod.

"That matches up with what I know of you," he says. "You put yourself out there, drawing attention to yourself even if you don't mean to. You're outgoing and friendly, and maybe a little bit of a showoff. Your magic wants the same – to be noticed and shown off.

"For the more specific type you mentioned," he says without letting me protest the showoff part. "Try drawing some of your mana above the palm of one hand while focusing on the feel of how it wants to move. Not any particular spell but mana manipulation itself."

I nod and try doing that. It takes me a minute to figure out how to do what he's asking and when I do, a sort of glowing, whitish-blue mist forms above my right hand. It swirls around like a tornado, but in the form of a bubble. Maybe… more like one of the gas giants?

"Wait," I realize something. "That's my mana! I've never managed to manifest my mana like this before!"

"Because you were being taught incorrectly," he chuckles. "Now, think of what it was like for you to shape it like this. What did you do?"

"It's odd," I examine the swirling sphere of mana. "It's not like I'm drawing it out of my hand, more like I'm just… showing what's already there? But I can tell it's my own mana."

"Magic doesn't have to come directly out of you even when fueled by you," he says. "It follows its own rules and can simply manifest in another spot from where it's cast. You can stop now."

He rises and walks over to a chest sitting to one side of the patio we're on and pulls something out of it. A small, inflatable beach ball that's not inflated.

"Focus on that feeling," he tells me. "Your magic wants to be outside of you, it wants to be seen. It wants to surround you and show itself to the world. Channel that desire, that focus, that intent and create air to fill this up. Let your magic be the air."

I follow Mr. Roger's directions and inflate the ball. He has me levitate it above my palm after with air magics, then move it back and forth between my palms using air magics. That's not something I really know how to do, but he walks me through the steps for the spell.

Moving the ball around is a little bit of a struggle and I can't stop the ball from wobbling, but I manage to be able to pass it to him, then catch it, all with my magic by the end of the lesson. That's even more difficult than just moving it back and forth between my hands, since I have to stop the spell when I pass the ball and then cast it again to catch.

"And that's the hour," Mr. Roger says. "Will I see you again for this next Monday?"

I managed to learn a new spell in the very first lesson.

"Yeah," I nod. "Thanks for teaching me!"

Mr. Roger walks me through his shop and to the front door, and I wave before unlocking my bike and hopping on it to ride to Aunt Rachel's. When I arrive, she's in the room she set up as her office, reading something on one of her computers while tapping her stylus on the air.

"I'm back!" I tell her.

"How was it?" She looks over.

"It was awesome!" I answer. "He taught me a spell for catching and moving objects with air magic instead of just making them float! I'll need more practice with it, but it's already better than with my old teacher!"

Aunt Rachel asks me a little bit more about the lesson, then I look at her computer. She's not normally working this late.

"Get something big in?" I ask.

"Hm… maybe," she says. "I know you enjoy playing games. Have you ever considered streaming?"

"Streaming?" I ask. "You mean like what Carter does? Yeah, but there's not really a gaming viewer base in North America. I looked it up after hanging out with Carter the other day, when he mentioned it. That's mostly an Eastern Hemisphere thing. North America seems to prefer live streams like crafts and athletics, which I think might come from Adrian King's influence on things. Pretty sure he's a secret overlord."

"Pretty sure it's not secret," she snorts. "Even if there isn't much of a viewer base for it, there's still some. You don't need to do it for a job, either, but can do it for fun, too. You like hanging out and chatting with others, and that would give you another way of doing so. I know you've complained before when none of your online friends are available to hang out and you don't feel like playing a game where you can't really just chat with others while doing so."

She's kind of right about that. When I'm playing games, I love talking with others. I really only boot up Duty of Loyalty when I'm in certain moods and I can't play it too much or I burn out, since I can't just chat with my teammates due to the language barrier. My real-life friends don't like online games much, though, so I also can't just chat with them while gaming.

Well, sometimes one of them will go into a call with me, but their attention goes elsewhere once I start talking about the game or if I have to focus on something in the game.

"It'd take awhile to build up an audience," I say. "Since, y'know, gaming isn't really a streamer thing here. Not many'll look for people like me."

"You'd be surprised," she says. "You were in Carter's stream yesterday and he got a lot of views. If his viewers find out that one of the other kids who appeared has his own channel, they might check you out. And you don't have to do only games, you can do other stuff as well. Real-life stuff, for example. You're a pretty active kid and some of the stuff you do does fit into the North American audience."

She spins her stylus around for a moment, then points at me.

"Magic is something else that gets streamed a lot in North America," she says. "It's usually people showing off their skills. I did some research today and you know what there's not really any streaming of?"

She put effort into looking into streaming for me? Why?

"What's that?" I ask. "And why are you looking up this stuff? You want me to be a streamer?"

"Showing off a person's progress in learning magic," she states. "Everyone who streams magic comes from a family of mages or has been doing it for years and is already good at it. You could do a weekly stream of your progress in magical abilities, and you'd own the market on it for a little while.

"As for why…" she spins her stylus around before pointing it at me again. "Because you like showing off and need a proper avenue for it, but one which also gives you a way to chat with others at the same time. I think you'd enjoy it a lot.

"Also," she adds. "There's a game I want to play with you that has a viewer base across the globe. I think you'd enjoy it, too. It's an open-world game you can reshape as you please, take on boss battles, explore different biomes, take on dungeons and challenges, uncover lost ruins and artifacts, grow skills and learn spells, and more. A bit like your MMOs and FPSs, but without a set story, allowing you to develop your own."

"You play video games?" I ask.

"I play that one," she says. "Some of the people who commission art from me are streamers who play it. I watched a few of their streams and gave the game a try. It's pretty fun and I think it'd be nice to play it with you. We can set up a server and stream it, even if just for a smaller audience. That said, I do want moderation privileges on your account if you stream. You might think you have good judgment on what's appropriate or not, but you're thirteen. You're prone to making bad decisions."

"Stereotyping based on age is an awful thing," I say. "But maybe I can give the game a try? Just don't get upset when I pick up on it faster and end up whupping your butt."

"I won't," she snorts. "Let's get things set up for doing it on Thursdays? We can make it a weekly thing, after dinner. That way when school starts, we don't have to adjust the schedule again."

That means I probably won't be able to do sleepovers on Thursdays, but that's only if this continues instead of being a short thing.

"Alright!" I say. "And maybe I'll do the magic-progress thing. I think it'd be cool to show people how my skills are developing from week-to-week! And if I hang out with Carter more and end up in more of his streams, that means I can also have my own going for it, too! In fact, I might even be able to do some without, like if I stream laser tag. If the place would let me. Oh! And I could also…"