Topaz sat at her desk, Comet curled up at her feet and Boo perched on top of the cabinet her bed could fold into, staring at the room with their usual creepy grin and glowing eyes. In front of her was a piece of paper with neat columns of numbers, to her right was a newspaper open on the local real estate section. She'd been doing pretty well these last few months with all her odd jobs. Acting as a guide or hired hand, buying old things and fixing them up to resell them for a profit, and selling the things she found. Never any kind of artifacts, no! But there were plants or pretty stones that others were willing to buy from her. She knew a few apothecaries and jewelry shops in each area she had visited. Honestly the only reason she still lived in the dorms was because she was only here when classes were going. As soon as things got quiet, she was gone. But it would be nice to have her own place. Her own private bathroom, a place to cook, more space, and no explaining Boo or reassuring shy Comet. There were plenty of tiny houses in the area for minimalist singles. She could even go the apartment route. True she didn't have a stable financial income, but for being a trader (of sorts) she was doing reasonably well, and she could always find a job when anything extra was needed.

Topaz glanced at an article for a cute little two-bedroom place, then leaned back in her chair with a sigh, eyes locked on the ceiling as she turned thoughts through in her mind. She honestly wasn't sure what to do. With a slight groan she sat back up, and jumped slightly. Boo had drifted from their perch to sit on her desk, making the soft hissing sounds that was their cackle while they waved little vine tendrils in the air. Topaz frowned.

"Boo, get off my newspaper," she scolded. With a stuttering hiss Boo launched theirself in the air and floated around the room a few times, clearly pleased they had spooked their owner. Topaz shook her head at the silly pumpka's antics, then looked down at the newspaper. Boo had managed to flip the page when they floated away. She reached out to turn it back, when a bold ad caught her eye. It was an advertisement for a singles mixer with the opportunity to imbue stones.

Topaz felt a pang of longing shoot through her heart. She enjoyed spending time with her little sibling Caron, and she'd always liked kids. She saw herself becoming a mom someday, though she'd never planned out anything specific. It was always put off to a nebulous future when things were "better". More stable, perhaps, but Topaz didn't see herself settling anytime soon. Did it make her irresponsible to want a child when she was still figuring out her end goal in life? She tapped her fingers against the paper, torn even further. She thought she did a good job as a big sister to Caron. She took Comet with her when she was gone for days at a time, not to mention she acted as a guide now and then, so she knew how to look after others. Just because any child she had now would be born into a life of adventure, it didn't seem like a bad thing. And this wasn't just a whim; she wanted very much to imbue a stone and have a child of her own.

She nodded, mind made up. She would tender a prayer to Oreia and Kallistos, then go to the mixer. It only offered an opportunity, after all, not a guarantee. If she was meant to have a child right now, then surly Oreia and Kallistos would guide her! Feeling a thrill of excitement, Topaz got up and left her room.