He gladly returned the smile, taking some comfort in the fact that even when she was annoyed she tolerated his being around her.  He glanced over at Appendix 11 as she placed it in the drawer, thinking of his many attempts over his younger years to get past her barriers.  "Oh yes" he replied with a chuckle, "I'm the only sibling of yours to read every book in this study, you know."<br/><br/>He smiled proudly, wondering if she was wondering how recently he'd managed to get past the jinxes.  He'd succeeded a few times when they were both younger, back when they were both learning more basic abilities.  He never told her that he stopped trying, though he hadn't made any attempts for several years now, his last resulting in the death of a familiar.<br/><br/>"She looks well, will give her that, seems younger than her age."  Maybe it was her personality, or Suzanne's, but Kat seemed younger than the woman in whose room she was staying.  "I think piercings are a fun enough novelty, though they hardly suit my own style."<br/>