"Robotics? Cool. Genies want to learn pretty often. Lucky you. And what it's gonna do next isn't exactly my problem but it could have saved someone else some work. Oh well. But as long as I'm here, I'll tell you - you'll want to use your magic, but be careful with it. Property damage is still property damage even if you're magic."

"Yes, of course . . . given that my first spell is a difficult-to-control blowtorch, do you know a good place to practice that's more fireproof than my yard? Or should I just run the hose over the lawn and have a parent with a fire extinguisher nearby?"

"No, no. You should find an empty parking lot at minimum. The SA, Spirit Association, has practice facilities, if you want to go to one of their offices - it's sort of like a spirit bearers' union. I'm not sure if mentoring is still a thing, but the practice facilities definitely are."

"I'm definitely going to check out the S.A. regardless, and their practice facilities sound better than potentially scaring people out of parking somewhere. What else is important for me to know?"

"We don't automatically sense monsters, that's cartoon stuff. Don't fight a monster unless you have to or you have someone with you, even little ones can still be dangerous to new 'bearers. There's some legal changes I'm not totally sure on - you'll need a new driver's license if you have one, and I think you'll need to visit the social security office at some point? I can find someone who knows more to talk to about that. If your school or a job gives you trouble for activating, that's not allowed. Insurance companies have to be told about it. Uh, let me think... Oh, you'll regenerate if you get hurt, but don't rely on that. It gives you nightmares and 'bearers can die."

"I want to fight monsters, but only after I'm, like, trained and stronger and part of a team that knows what they're doing. What's this about healing causing nightmares?"

"When you regenerate or get hurt by magic, you'll feel this sort of - strain in the back of your head. We call it 'unwinding'. Sleep re-winds you, but you have bad dreams during that. Also, being badly unwound can trigger ghosting, wraiths, or golem-ing. Er, d'you know those terms?"

"Yeah, those are what happens if you get too angry or sad or stuck in a routine for too long, right?"

"Yes. It's - it can be hard to tell what the thresholds are, but one bad day is no risk."

"I should be fine on that front. Good to know getting unwound can interact with it. Hmm, anything else before I go do ID things?"

"Not that I can think of. Unless you have more questions..."

She looks at her parents for confirmation. "Nope, I think we're good."

"Okay. Well, congrats again! And here, take this card, the number on it answers questions for new 'bearers."

And she's off.

Margaret waves goodbye as she takes off. Next item, are any of the government offices she's supposed to visit open right now?

The DMV closes at 7. The other ones are already closed.

Then she can go to the DMV today and the rest tomorrow. She brings her current driver's license, her birth certificate, and anything else it looks like she might need. Does her lovely new skirt have pockets for such things, or will she have to start carrying a purse?

Pockets are not a thing for her raiment yet. She could take it off, the internet describes that as sort of like taking off a pair of glasses, or just letting go - or she could do more magic, instead - but a purse might be a good idea.

Right this moment she will go with purse. If she has a path to getting pockets eventually she can just borrow an old one from her mom.

Well, some of the Spirit Bearers she can look up on the internet have pockets. No telling how long it'll take to get to that point.

Her magic is patiently waiting inside her, ready to act. She's aware the whole time that it would be just a moment's effort to use this powerful new limb-of-sorts.

She is not going to pull out her spear at the DMV, she is *not*. If the urge gets overwhelming she'll switch back to her previous clothes. After this she is definitely going to either the spirit association or an empty parking lot.

It's not an overpowering urge or anything, but the feeling that she could is there, it hasn't settled to the back of her head like the fact that she could move her arms has. Maybe it's just the excitement of having MAGIC! That she hasn't done much with yet.

Well, sooner or later she'll get to talk to a clerk.

The clerk routes her to another clerk who has to look up what to do in this particular case. They make her demonstrate the spear-summoning. There's a $25 processing fee.

Eventually she can acquire a new ID.

Well that's pretty typical. Is the S.A. building still open, or is it time to find the biggest asphalt wasteland in this suburb?

The nearest S.A. building is about thirty minutes drive away. Also, the regular office hours are over.

Empty parking lots are plentiful enough, though.