Mer was the type of person who acted friendly—overly friendly most times—smiling a lot, tossing off jokes, without ever revealing a single damn thing about herself.
A locked door painted with a smiley face.
Most people used that door for show; instead, Mer seemed to use it like a shield.
Usually, Ignotus found those types annoying. They were a waste of thought. But not Mer.
She knew how to stay firmly on the other side of that line. She didn't pry, so he didn't pry.
It was a comfortable silence filled with noise.
Ignotus also liked her because she wasn't fake about it, nor did she posture.
And so now, with him looking at her sitting in his room, he didn't bother asking how she got in. Locks were suggestions to people like them, even in the Academy, and he wasn't about to waste breath on the obvious.
Instead, he leaned back and asked again, straight to the point as always:
"Why are you here?"
