Mein Liebling

Untitled Part 4

After searching several of the rooms to no avail, you begin to lose hope in finding fuel here. Where IS here anyway?...

The next room you find has two large, grand doors, which peak your interest for obvious reasons. As you give them a push, a large library is revealed, which suddenly takes top priority over finding fuel. After all, fuel can wait until tomorrow, right?

You begin walking down the rows, clicking on your flashlight as the last rays of sunshine fade into night. Finally feeling yourself relax, you wonder until finding an aisle that appeals to you, and slowly filter through the books. With an arm full of curious titles, you find a seat not too far away and set everything on the desk. Some for pleasure reading, and some with hopes of figuring out where you might be.

Some time passes, though you can't be entirely sure how much, but your neck starts to ache from bending over so many books, and you've run out of creative positions to sit in the rather uncomfortable chair. So, you opt to take a break and look down some of the other aisles, you weren't having much luck with your current book selection anyway.

"Vell," You turn to find Richtofen sitting at one of the tables, stacks and stacks of books around him. " I didn't expect anyone else to be here."

"Oh, I'm sorry sir, I didn't realize you owned the entire library."

"Ja, vell now you know." He closes the book in his hands and leans forward across the table, reaching for another just out of his grasp.

You move forward, pushing it into his hand.

"Ah, zhank you." He sits back in his seat and opens the book briefly, but then quickly closes it again without seeming to have read anything. For a moment, he just studies the cover, as if contemplating something before he opens his mouth to speak again. "Vould you like to sit?"

"Oh, um," The books in your hand are getting rather uncomfortable to hold, and your previous desk was on the complete other side of the library... And, what's the worst that could happen? You seriously doubt he would actually hate you enough to kill you... hopefully. "Sure..."

Hesitantly, you take the only other open seat, which is almost directly next to him. Though, you do scoot it further away. With a sigh of relief you set your unintentionally large stack of books down, and grab the one from the top to start reading.

"Astrophysics?" He questions, a surprised tone to his voice that almost escapes sounding condescending... but not quite. "Zhe study of space zhings, ja? Und vhy vould you be reading zhat?"

"It's enjoyable for me, and after the day I had I just want to enjoy something." You don't look up from the book, instead, turning to the next page and continuing to read. "We can find fuel for the generator tomorrow, there's none in this weird ass building."

"You... enjoy reading about zhe sciences?" He seems puzzled, which honestly just annoys you at this point.

Flipping another page, you lean back on the edge on your chair and place your feet up on the table in an attempt to regain comfort. "Some people just enjoy learning, doc."

"Und you?" He questions again.

"Look," You shut your book and turn to meet his gaze, his eyes already studying you. "I know you like to think everyone else is beneath you, and I'm sure you're a genius, but there's different kinds of knowledge. If you-"

"I do not zhink everyone else is beneath me." He interrupts.

You simply stare at him in return, blinking once as you quirk a single brow.