"When one is painting one does not think." -- Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino

[staff_and_wielder]

Nico dithered a bit in the hallway outside of Raph's room. For all that they'd worked out the issues resulting from their last shard-hunting trip, things still hadn't gone back to 'normal' for them. Raph still had her doing training and that went fine, but all their other conversations were still kind of stilted. She really hoped that she hadn't ruined their friendship by planting that kiss on him -- she'd been so sure about him, but then he wasn't interested, and everything was just awkward and embarrassing.

But it wasn't going to get less awkward or embarrassing if they avoided each other, so maybe she should just knock and say hi and find out if he wanted to hang out or something.

Maybe he wasn't even in his room and she was just going to look like a dummy.

Nico took a deep breath and, before she could change her mind, knocked on the door.

Is it storytime yet? (Open)

[not_the_philistine]

The un-copy-able sigils had been memorized, and Goliath had already sorted through the library to assemble all the texts he could find relating to enemies they knew they'd encountered. There must be more in the stacks yet too obscure for him to recognize their reference, but he would surely find them yet.

Now, though, the task he'd given himself in the library was to comb through stories for ones that might yet become relevant to them - either stories likely to bring new Guardians, or new children's nightmares to life.

He'd settled upon a particular story that he'd been aware of back in New York, but hadn't yet chosen for his own reading pleasaure. Fantasy stories had never offered him much in the way of escapism from his own fantastic life, and yet tended to be too speculative to relate to the reality of living hidden among humans.

This, though, he was finding himself drawn into as he skimmed through the early chapters, drawn in by the prose and the glimmers of philosophy it promised.

He came across a passage too well worded not to speak.

"- many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life." He drew the words out, thoughtful. "Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends."

Beautifully put. He'd have to remember the words.