"Mm-hm. And then putting on pretties, and looking mirror, and Sally magic it."

Pen gestures at the jewelry she is wearing. She has been putting earwires through little gaps in her bracelets. "What is eating?" she asks.

"Coffee. Terrible stuff, never drink it. It's the blood of life."

"You a vampire?" she asks.

"Nope! It isn't literally blood, figure of speech. You continue to be adorable."

"Am. I meet vampires at space plant! There a one Mommy who one and some of more people."

"I'm guessing they weren't evil, then?"

"Nope. Friendly vampires. Two kinds."

"We've got three kinds, one friendly-ish and the other two really unfriendly."

"One kind party vampires usually unfriendly but at party a nice one."

"Heh. Don't really think that's possible for ours, for a couple of reasons."

"Why?"

"It's complicated, I suck at explaining it, and you're like six years old. Please don't make me do this."

"Am eight!" she says. "And, and only not grammaring good, am not stupid."

"Didn't say you were stupid. Said I was stupid. And it's complicated to explain it to just about anybody, at least in terms more complicated than 'they literally can't change'. And then people ask questions about it, and that just makes it more complicated."

"I understand two kinds vampires! Could too get more kinds."

He sighs. "I'm not saying you couldn't understand, I'm saying I suck at explanations."

Pen huffs a sigh. She starts taking off all the jewelry; she's tired of it now.

Ari's coffee finishes. He pours what looks to be about half the pot into a cup the size of his head. The cup flashes out its excess heat in a plume of flame, and Ari starts drinking.

Pen is startled by the fire. "Why things being fire around you?" she asks.

"Whoops. Sorry, I was just cooling down the coffee. It was really hot, so I turned some of the heat into fire."

"How learning do thing? Having born with magic or getting other way?"

"Born with, sorry. It's not all convenient, wizards make technology explode and if you do the wrong kind of magic your soul gets all icky. But it's nice to have."

"Wish it on?" asks Pen. "Like enchanting! Enchanting wish on. Can have when growing enough up. And wishing fixing explode."