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"I've spent some time in the library," Hickey shrugs. "I can honestly say, I've never seen as many books in there in my entire life. Figured it might be good trying to learn as much as I can about my future. After all, the likelihood I've got a warden from my time'll be slim."

"That's true, we do tend to skew a little later than you. I'm from 2015."

He may as well contextualize- although he doubts he's passing as local to Hickey in any way at all.

"It's a different world entirely. I sometimes wonder- well, I can ask you. Is it hard, being around people whose frame of reference is so different from yours?"

There's a pause as Hickey thinks things over. When he answers, he's answering honestly.

"If anything, it makes me angry. Everything's so easy for you all. If I had even half of the perks in my life that your lot had in yours, things would have been so much better."

"I'm sorry. I don't think this place does a good enough job in taking to account the things people have gone through."

Admits Quentin, quietly.

"I know it was a hard time to live in, for a lot of reasons."

"You don't know the half of it," Hickey points out, with a sharp little laugh. There's a pause before he points out.

"I know I'm going to graduate eventually. And I know I'm going to take on an inmate eventually. But after that, I don't know what the hell I do. I've only been here for a few months and I already know I won't be able to return home."

"Oh- well that part comes a little easier."

He can at least give him good news, there.

"Most people graduate by making strong relationships with people? Finding connections, forming found-families, friendships, and so on. That'll happen for you, too, and eventually, one of them is going to be the right fit for you to go home with."

Hickey gives Quentin a very skeptical look.

"Mate, you've got a lot of faith for someone you've only recently."

He knows the memory of Harry Goodsir looms large in these men. Friendships, maybe, but Hickey sincerely doubts anything more than that would happen.

"Don't take it personally; it's the rule more than the exception. I'm not really assuming you're great, I'm just assuming you're not exceptionally shittier than anyone else."

He says, hopefully encouragingly.

Hickey can't help but let out a small little laugh at that. "I'll try to keep my shittiness at an expected level."

"Thank you. I'm extremely pleased to hear that."

He says, giving in to the impulse to laugh.

Huh. Hickey likes that laugh. He gives Quentin a grin before continuing the conversation.

"Anyway, I'm still interested in maths, but I suppose I'd better work up to it a bit." He'll give Quentin that much. He knows he's not going to be some maths genius overnight. "Do you have any books that are a bit more beginner level?"

"We can find you those out there," he says, nodding at the library door and stretching out, settling back in his seat. In a second.

"Learning stuff like this is a great way to fill time here- there can be kind of a lot of time."

Hickey nods. 'Kind of a lot of time' seems like an understatement. "I've already learned that I need to find a hobby. Practicing maths might as well be it."

"Maybe pick two? And make the other one, you know, more- conventionally fun?"

Quentin loves math, but even can see Hickey may not have stumbled on the path to happiness here.

It's obvious from Hickey's blank stare that he doesn't know much about the ways of 'conventionally fun.' He gives Quentin a blank frown before hiding it behind a grin.

"I'll take up reading as well. We had a lot of men who enjoyed that sort of thing back on the ships. Maybe they were onto something."

"Yes. Now this is an area where I'm qualified to help. What do you like reading? Or- what have you read recently?"

Both, either, he's just openly animated about books.

"Mostly history books," Hickey explains, with a shrug. "I want to catch up on what happened."

"I read more fantasy, but I bet I could find you some cool stuff between you and- what year are you again?"

He's got it probably to a century or so.

"1848," Hickey answers.

At least, he thinks it's 1848. It's 1848 now.

"It's a long hundred and sixtyish years. The world goes through several terrible, devastating wars. People begin to change how they think about hatred and judgement- that part's pretty cool. We lose some good stuff- forests, traditions- but we get some good new stuff."

Is Quentin's measured verdict on the future.

"Several terrible, devastating wars seems like a given," Hickey sasses. He's too young for some of the worst of it, but he knows about Napoleon. He knows that if this weren't peacetime, the Admiralty would probably be shoving sailors off to fight in distant lands instead of explore them.

"I'll trust your judgement on what the good new stuff is."

"I think we should start you off with fantasy, anyways."

Says Quentin, sensibly;

"I always just end up regressing towards the mean that is Earthsea, but it's never steered me wrong. Come on- I know where they shelve LeGuin."

"I'll take your word on that," Hickey laughs. After all, it's not like he knows what an Earthsea is. So he'll follow Quentin wherever the man leads them.

He takes him into the fantasy section- fantasy written on Earth in his era, and then finds the slim volume, A Wizard of Earthsea, which he presents to him ceremoniously.

"It's fantasy- not a real world. But it was written about twenty years before I was born."

Hickey idly flips through the book. Honestly, he's not sure if he's going to like this. But he definitely knows that he's at least going to read enough that he can bullshit if Quentin asks him about this later.

Because while Hickey might not like the book, he definitely likes the idea of winning one of the wardens to his side.

"I'll give you a heads-up once I've finished the book," he says, with a little nod. "Thanks."

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magician_king - 2021-09-07 19:58 (UTC) - Expand