He smiles back, though his smile is more shy and awkward. He isn't sure how to take what he said, so he chooses to take it as a compliment.

"Well..." a little laugh. "Okay, I admit at first I was interested because my girlfriend is kind of sort of a magician, I guess - it's a long story- and what you're describing sounds a lot like the kind of magic she uses." And he misses her, he has been missing her for months. Months feel like an eternity to a teenager.

"But now I think this kind of thing would be really, really useful in the long run, especially in a place like this. And I like learning everything I can, because I guess I like feeling useful?"