Day 57: Patient Library (Fourth Shift)
That movie had been far more depressing than Guy had been ready for. It might not have been as bad if it hadn't all been based on real events, but knowing that people had tried so hard to escape only for so many to die was rather sobering
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He hadn't wanted to bother the stranger, but in the end he was approached by him after all. Maybe the guy just needed someone to talk to. In that case, Guy was happy to oblige. It would probably do him some good too. "Oh, uhh..." Guy glanced around as if expecting some non-fiction to materialize, even though he knew that wasn't going to happen. The main portion of the stranger's question was clear, and yet Guy was curious about what he'd said after that.
It was probably best if he answered him first, though. "As far as I can tell, they make sure not to put any non-fiction in this place. Sorry," he explained with an understanding frown. He would have killed to get his hands on some books that explained Earth's history and culture.
"But, if you don't mind me asking... who's Stephen King?" That wasn't a name he'd heard before, but he was sure that it had to be of some importance if the man had brought it up like it was common knowledge.
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Creepy.
That's what he was thinking before the guy's question, though. That deserved a respectful moment of silence. Respectful for how well this guy had to be living under a freaking rock.
"Seriously?" It was kind of hard to miss the disbelief in his voice. He couldn't help it. Stephen King had been translated into, like, every language, so even someone who wasn't American... okay, he wasn't that ethro-centric, but still. It was a striking question when you couldn't turn to the Sci-Fi channel without seeing a rerun of the freaking Stand on every hour of the day.
He scanned the nearest shelf, remembering he'd seen a few of his novels - mostly the older classics. Carrie was there, and considering that was definitely one of the best, Alaric thumbed it out from between the shoulders of the other books, holding it out to the blond. "This guy. Pretty much the most famous novelist in America, horror or otherwise. You're not American, I'm guessing?"
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He took the book when it was offered to him, raising an eyebrow when the other man described it as horror. That didn't intrigue him as much as science fiction, but if this author was so famous, then maybe it was worth looking into.
When the question was asked, Guy glanced up again, tucking the book under his arm for a moment so that he wasn't being rude. "I'm not even from Earth," he admitted. "That might sound crazy to you, but the place I'm from is called Auldrant. I'm interested in learning more about this planet, but..."
He paused to glanced around the library and then let out a sigh. "It's kind of tough when any information is kept away from us." Claude had been his main source, but the fact that he was from the future meant that he didn't know everything.
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Uh.
Well.
Okay, he couldn't really hide the slow draw of his eyebrows together, because he had to take a minute to just. Process that. At least he had made up some other planet than saying he was from Mars or something.
Sure, okay. He had spent thirty-something years of his life believing vampires only existed in Anne Rice books and dollar store costume sales, but it was like... once you learned about them, okay. There were just two additional species that most of humanity didn't know about. Werewolves and vampires. He'd swallowed that pill. Oh, and... witches. At least witches were still human.
But aliens?
Maybe if he just ignored the fact he was in a fake mental asylum and had met a time-traveling Harrison Ford, he could also feign belief that this guy wasn't just well-adjusted crazy. Or brainwashed. Or whatever.
"I've never, uh, heard of... of Auldrant. But, uh. I can tell you stuff about Earth if you... want." He was trying really hard. Really hard. "What sort of stuff are you interested in?"
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This man wasn't laughing in his face or calling him crazy directly, at the least. And when he finally worked up the energy needed to reply he was polite, if uncertain.
Guy did his best not to sigh or roll his eyes, wanting this conversation to go smoothly -- or as smoothly as it could. Besides, he'd just been given an offer and it would be foolish not to respond to it. "I don't think most people here have." Only those who were originally from there seemed to recognize the name, which made sense. They'd had no knowledge of space travel and no one who did had ever stumbled upon the planet as far as Guy knew, so...
"Well, just about anything," he said in response to the question. "I'm specifically curious about technology, but I just watched that movie in the Sun Room so now I'm looking to learn more about the second World War." That was what Claude had called it, right?
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