Sebastian led Marrior down the hall again, back towards the more public rooms. He stepped up to a wooden door, the front carved to look like a tree. Maybe even the one it had come from.
"This," Sebasatian said, "is the library. Feel free to visit it as often as you want to."
Marrior gazed around at the enormous room, and felt a pant of sadness as he thought of how much his sister would have loved this place. Either he would be visiting it a lot or not at all.
“It’s beautiful,” he said.
Sebastian placed one hand against a delicately crafted bookshelf, nodding.
"It's a favorite place of mine. Before all… this, happened to the world, I'd let people of all social standings in, to borrow or even take books with them. Give them a place where they could actually learn something, a place to relax." He gave a faint, sad smile. He missed those days.
“Why don’t you still do that?” Marrior asked. “There are thousands of books here, and I know lots of people would love to read them.”
Again, he thought of his sister, with a pang.
"I wish I could. But if I did, I'd be shunned by others of my standing, and to do that is to sign a death wish. My business would be sabotaged at best and found fraudulent at worse, meaning I lose my money, and everyone here would lose their safe place." Sebastian shook his head a bit.
“That’s… I guess that could happen.” Marrior sighed. “But social classes are the most important thing in the world, apparently.”
"In this world, it's come to that." Sebastian shook his head again. "It's disgusting." He sighed, leaning against the bookcase he had his hand on.
"People care too much for money and not enough for other people."
“It’s in the human nature,” Marrior agreed, gazing at the enormous tree. “If only there was a way to change people. But sadly, that might never happen.”
"Sadly, yes," Sebastian echoed. He looked around at the room, rubbing the back of his neck. "But hopefully, some day, even if it's far into the future, it will."
“What if you’re not around to see it, though?” Marrior asked. “Don’t you want to see it happen with your own eyes?”
"I do, I probably more than anything else. But… Even if it doesn't happen while I'm alive, it's better to happen after I die than never at all." Sebastian sighed gently.
"I guess that's true." Marrior stood there awkwardly, unsure if he should try to comfort Sebastian or not. He wondered, aimlessly, whether or not robots lived long, or if they died at the time that they would have if they were human.
Sebastian sighed gently one last time, pushing off the bookshelf.
"Perhaps you'll survive to see it, though." He smiled softly. Robots didn't really… die. The only reason people die of old age is their body's failing, and robots never had to stop being repaired.
Marrior gave him a hesitant smile. "Maybe. And if I do, I'll be sure to tell you. Your grave, at least." He panicked suddenly, wondering if that had been a rude thing to say. "I mean, um… I'll talk in front of your grave and tell it to your corpse?" He winced. That was even worse.
Sebastian reached out, gently, lightly placing his hand on Marrior's shoulder.
"Thank you," he said softly. "It would be nice to know someone will remember me, in those days if they come." he offered Marrior a gentle smile.
Marrior bowed his head, unable to meet Sebastian's eyes. It had been a simple thanks, but it had filled him with a warmth that he hadn't felt in a long time. He reached one hand up to rub the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yeah."
Sebastian watched Marrior a moment, still offering an assuring smile. He carefully took his hand from Marrior's shoulder.
"Well," he finally said. "It's getting late…"
"Yeah." Marrior raised his head after a moment, thanking the heavens that he couldn't blush. It was too annoying for his previous owners, and so he didn't have to be able to blush. Although if he was human, he would have been very red.
Sebastian gave a soft smile.
"Here, I'll show you your room." He gently took Marrior's hand in his own, turning to leave the library with one final look.
"I-I have a room?" Although Sebastian had already given him food and money and a beautiful place to work, this was somehow surprising to Marrior.
Sebastian nodded.
"Yes, of course. Where else would you be able to have alone time?" He smiled, leading Marrior down the hall.
"It might be a bit bare, but if there's anything you want for it just ask."
"Tha- thank you," Marrior stammered. "For real. I've never had anyone do anything like this for me before, even when I was still-" he stopped.
Sebastian watched Marrior a moment, offering a soft smile.
"Okay then…" He smiled gently again. "You'll need to get used to being treated like this then." Sebastian left his hand in Marrior's as he made his way down the hall, eventually stopping in front of a door.
"This is it!"
"I'll try." Marrior stood in front of the door to what was going to be his room for a long moment, just staring, before hesitantly resting his hand on the doorknob. His hand gave a metal clink as it touched the knob, and he turned it, opening the door.
The room was, as Sebastian had said, bare. There was a decent sized bed, with minimal decorations. There was a desk, a wardrobe, a closet, and a chair, with not much else.
"It's late now, but perhaps tomorrow we could work on decorating it?" Sebastian stayed outside the room, leaning against the doorframe a bit with a soft smile.