"Thanks. I appreciate it. Nights, here... I'm still getting used to the idea, you know?" Knowing that he's was seeing things is still better than the alternative, though. This, he can shake off, and he takes a breath and lets go of the worry for the moment.

"Some people just get born with the edge, mostly. The ability to handle it." He frowns, tugging at one of his myriad leather and twine bracelets. He's had a lot of time to think about it over his life, enough to form a pretty solid working theory. "The rest is belief and the right tools. So some normals do pick up a few things, even though they can't channel it themselves."

He shakes his head. "There's a common theory that magical talent comes from something supernatural in the bloodline. A curse, a gift, or grandma fooling around with something with pointy ears from The Other Side Of Reality, you know? I think that's probably the closest real guess."

Not all fairy tales are lies. Many were warnings. And he's going on and on. His poor conpanion. He gives Gabriel a sheepish smile.

"Sorry. I'm kind of a geek about this stuff. You spend your entire life with these weird powers and everything turns into 'why?'"