"Magic cards. Next?"

"How? Why? Who made them? How many are there, what can they do, why now not before, what other kinds of magic are there?"

"A powerful sorcerer made them for kicks. He died. They were sealed away, so no one could use them to do anything stupid or dangerous. Some kid opened them, and now they're doing stupid and dangerous things. I come from a family of sorcerers, and you've seen some of our magic. It's elemental forces, channeled through my bow, and then through the arrows. What's yours?"

"...shapeshifting, very lame, until I found this card that helps."

"Really. Wasn't this a lucky coincidence."

"Yes. Yes it was. Except I could already do some magic before and I didn't have a family of sorcerers."

"Please, bring your skepticism out into the open, so we can all have a look."

"I'm not skeptical, I'm jealous."

"Don't be. How far is this house, walking?"

"It's—" They arrive at the apartment building, just off the storm. "—here."

Do they go inside her apartment, or is he waiting outside?

"You can come in, if you like."

And if he likes, he will find a small but tidy apartment in a small but tidy building.

"Nice place. All to yourself?"

"No, I live with mom," she says, removing her drenched shoes and socks and making her way to her room, then bathroom. "Try not to get any storm dirt onto anything, but otherwise make yourself comfortable."

He looks around.

It is small but tidy! The door opens to a living room with a couple of sofas, a bookshelf, a rug, a center table, and no TV. There's a door over there that leads into a small kitchen, and the small hall that-a-way where bedrooms-and-bathroom are.

Two people live here?

He waits in the living room, examining the bookshelf.

There is a nice collection of (used) books on mathematics, physics, biology, economics, and a very small bit of SF&F.

He probably shouldn't take any off the shelf.

He reads the spines of a few biology textbooks.

Any kind of theme?

Not enough books for a clear pattern to emerge, though if there was one it'd be 'metamorphosis.'

He waits.

She has changed!

"Let's go, then, I suppose?"

"Is anyone going to overhear us? This is private enough."

"—no, probably not, you're right."

"So where should I start?"