Private Studying is for Nerds

"Sure, I can most definitely introduce you to Alma later," Liliana said, smiling at Apollo's enthusiastic response to Iggy's girlfriend

At Apollo's question about study material, Liliana nodded thoughtfully and then scanned the library as if she was looking for something.

"I think these are pretty good options," she said as she wrote a few names of books on a piece of paper and then gave it to Apollo.

"And.. I'd stay away from urban fiction, or at least take with a grain of salt," she said as she watched Apollo grab a few more books and return to the table.

"So, you are new to Manta Carlos, you said?" Liliana inquired as she lightly and absentmindedly tapped her pen on a book.

"Can I ask, Where are you from originally?" she asked with genuine interest. "I sense you are not quite human, but you sound familiar? Like I detect a bit of an English accent," she confessed as she looked at Apollo keenly.

"I thought so," Liliana said as a tiny smile of satisfaction appeared momentarily on her face when Apollo confirmed what she had suspected.

"I can sort of hear it in the slightly stressed vowels and the way you pronounce your "r"," Liliana explained, just nodding politely at the hair comment since she really did not pay too much attention to whether people had black, green or blue hair - which was not uncommon on the island - or red hair like her own.

Liliana just looked at Apollo impassively, her face an unreadable mask, though irritation flashed in her gaze. "Why? Nobody is going to attack or kill you here on the island? And for all you know I am one of those that you are so afraid of," she stated rather coolly, a hint of anger in her voice.

"Such ways of thinking here on MC will only cause you problems," Liliana told him. "Some of the best people I know could kill you in a flash. However, they are not animals. No strike that, even animals do not attack or hurt people without provocation," Liliana declared heatedly.

"I am aggravated," Liliana replied in an icy tone as she shut her books. "The way you think is rather insulting. Assuming others here are going to kill you," she said as she put her notebooks away.

"It's a bigotted way to think. I suppose you also think vampires hide in corners and are going to suck your blood or demons are going to possess you," she remarked heatedly.

"You are basically vilifying my friends and the people I care about," the psychopomp told Apollo, flashing him a look of annoyance.