Welcome to Gaia! ::

((OOC: Anyone who wants to join in and talk about dinosaurs is welcome, whether you're chibi or not! <3))

There was a little niche spot in the library where Guernica often holed up with books, new or old, to peruse the contents and see if she could learn anything new, or if a book warranted being checked out. She was quiet and kept to herself, very rarely even humoring conversation when it was offered to her, except when she ventured into the children's section. While the books there were obviously far below the general standard that she entertained while reading, she still loved to see what authors were coming up with the engage children's minds -- especially when it came to dinosaurs. Her own love for the prehistoric beasts had been cultivated when she first began to read, and so she had more than fond memories of the bright, colorful books that had drawn her in and captivated her ever since.

Sometimes, usually when it was raining outside and there wasn't much else for children to do, their parents brought them to the library to pick out new books to read. The nice thing about this particular library was that there was a set-up for book-readings, and a particularly comfortable chair in the kid's section that she supposed was for teachers or guests who visited and entertained children. More than once, Guernica had found herself there, legs crossed and tucked up, elbows propped up on her knees as she went through the books and turned back the dial for a little while so that she could be seven years old again. Even if it didn't last, it had been a nice, uncomplicated time for her.. as she imagined it had been for most everyone.

Book propped up on her legs, she glanced up when a small child settled in front of her, eyes wide and interested. They stared at one another in silence a moment, and then the little girl raised a chubby hand and pointed at the book, demanding, "Read!"

Guernica smiled, lifting the book up to show off the title. "Dinosaur Roar," she said, tapping under each word, and then settled in to read aloud.

Peter sat with his legs pulled up against his chest, clicking away at his smart phone as his mom wandered off to find a new novel to read, and maybe even start chatting with a friend she ran into. Trips to the library weren't horrible, but they got repetitive after a while.

He didn't know why he looked up, but when he did he easily recognized his friend from camp. Something had his attention, which then caught Peter's attention. The children's section...? He pushed himself up, making sure to not hit his head on the ledge of the counter, and began to make his way over to where there were colorful murals on the walls and shelves low enough to see over.

Dinosaur Roar?? What? Were they in kindergarten still?? Either way, he wandered over to where Sam was standing, giving him a little nod in greeting. This should be interesting... hopefully.

There was some kind of charm inherent in being read a story, even if it was one that you weren't particularly interested in, or one that was well below your level; some of these kids, when Guernica glanced up to see the small crowd gathering, would obviously have been bored with the book if they picked it up on their own. However, having someone read it aloud...! Well, that was another matter entirely.

Her face lit up, enthusiasm obvious in the way she wiggled in her seat, squaring her shoulders and getting a better position to read. Though she didn't make it a habit to read aloud, she knew that it was more interesting for everyone involved if they could see the pictures, and so she turned the book, opening its glossy pages to show bright, colorful dinosaurs.

Her hair, sweeping over her shoulders, would have fallen in the way of the pages, but she scooped it up and over one shoulder. Thus prepared, she began to read, her voice lively as she went through the pages.

"Dinosaur weak! Dinosaur strong!" She pointed at the dinosaurs as she went, tracing her finger along them to emphasize. "Dinosaur short, dinosaur... long!"

Pausing briefly, she smiled and asked, "Do any of you know which dinosaur this is?"

At the illustration of the "long" dinosaur, one that Guernica assumed was intended to depict the Apatosaurus, she tapped her fingernail against it. Would some of the kids respond with long-neck? She knew as a very small child, she would have. Perhaps brontosaurus? Scientifically redundant, but it still would be very good for children their age. She was honestly curious to know what she was working with, and relished the idea of educating them a little bit beyond what the (admittedly very) simple book would do.

Sam rolled his eyes at Guernica’s read material. When Peter approached, he gave the boy a nod of acknowledgement and gestured to the book in a slightly mocking manner. It was a bit immature, and certainly not for him. That was the sort of book he would’ve been read when he was 5 or 6. Still, he didn’t want to ruin it completely for others around him, and it a nice diversion from his boring school project. He listened, nodding a bit as Guernica read. Sam was sure eventually there’d be something he could mock a little.

Which was supplied by Peter. Sam didn’t move when Peter turned to go, instead he was interested in what other kids might say the dinosaur was. He himself didn’t know much about them, or really what kinds there were beyond the typical well known types. When Peter cut in with his smart-alecky answers, Sam snorted and ribbed Peter with an elbow. “Know-it-all.”

Guernica was amused by the young boy with his smart phone. The peril of putting technology in the hands of very young children was that there was really no way to control exactly what they found -- she hoped his parents kept a good eye on him, because the internet was a big, often inappropriate, crude place. Guernica didn't do much surfing of it for fun herself, finding that a large amount of what was actually available on the internet was drivel, but she could see the appeal to certain... types. As well as to children.

There was always something ridiculous on the internet. Still, she had to give him credit for wanting to do research, so she smiled at him. "That's good. Amphicoelias certainly was a very long dinosaur, but most of its length was in the tail -- this is probably an Apatosaurus."

As she said that, she tapped her finger on the picture, running the tip of her nail down its shape. "See the shape of its body? Amphicoelias had a much longer, whippier tail. But that was a good try. Of course, we can't know for sure which dinosaur the author meant."

She smiled at the girl who had scolded them, giving her an approving look and a brief wink, and went back to her reading. Though these children were too told to really appreciate the short phrases and bright pictures in the book, there were a couple of five year-olds who were avidly entertained.

It didn't take long for her to get through the rest of the book, however, and as she closed it, she looked around. "Are any of you curious about dinosaurs?"