A/N - This is just a silly little thing that I wrote because the plot bunnies kept hopping around my head. I know it's a little OOC, and I didn't try too hard with the characters' voices, but I hope that you enjoy it even so.
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"People like to think that they know me. The fancy suits, the fine wine, the refined taste in art, these are just the things I like people to see. But people are never as simple, as one-dimensional as the world likes to think. Even the most pedestrian individual has hidden depths."
He paused for a moment, looking intently at the books on the shelf in front of him before sighing and continuing.
"Don't misunderstand me, I do like all of those things, it would be really hard to feign an interest and understanding without at least some inclination, but I'm afraid that I've rather exaggerated that interest for the sake of appearances.
"When I was a little boy I developed an absolute love of a different genre, one that is considered far less high-brow, but one that I still love to this day." He paused, dramatically.
"I love Science Fiction!"
Liz guffawed, practically spraying a mouthful of wine across the sofa, before collapsing into a fit of giggles.
"Are you quite finished" he had waited until she'd finished laughing, his face showing mild hints of indignity at the grin still plastered across hers.
"I'm just surprised" she just about kept the laughter out of her voice. "I mean, the great Raymond Reddington in to sci-fi? Isn't that just a little bit, well, nerdy?"
"It's as literarily valid as any other genre and it's exceedingly wide-ranging and varied in style. You have the greats like Arthur C Clarke and Isaac Asimov, more comedic writers like Harry Harrison, and even modern contributers like Ernest Cline and Suzanne Collins.
"After all, Science Fiction is just an exploration of human nature, just like the greatest works if literature."
He continued his examination of the bookcases for a few moments longer, leaving his companion to think on what he'd just told her. When she didn't say anything, he continued.
"Besides, people forget the contributions that Science Fiction had made to the modern world. Modern AI research is inextricably bound up in Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics, e-readers are just recreations of the Hitchhiker's Guide and what's this" he pulled out his burner cell and flipped it open "if not a communicator from Star Trek?
"And talking of Star Trek, their contributions to society and culture are immense too. They had one of the first, and certainly the most noted interracial kiss on American television in 1968, and it even spawned the first slash fanfiction in 1974, a phenomena ordinarily attributed to the internet age."
"The first slash what now?"
"Really Lizzie? You don't know what slash fanfiction is? So naive, such limited life experience!"
Liz could have sworn just then that she saw him wink at the far wall, but decided to ignore it.
"Why are you telling me all of this anyway?"
"Because we're going to be stuck here together for a little while, so I thought it would be nice to get to know each other better" he laughed. " And because I stocked this little bunker with just my own entertainment in mind."
Turning round, he held up a DVD box set, and Liz groaned.
"Really, Red? Stargate?"
"What's wrong with Stargate?"
"Well, the film wasn't bad. I used to watch it with Sam sometimes. He used to like the colonel, but I preferred the archaeologist."
"But?"
"Well, the series was just a bit rubbish! We only watched the first few episodes in the end."
Red sighed and shook his head.
"What do you expect when you watch the beginning? Stories can alter, characters change; they're only just setting it up so you have to give things a few episodes to settle in."
Seeing the scepticism in her face, he tried a different approach.
"If you'd like to watch something different, then we can. We've got Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica (you'd like Starbuck in the remake!), Blake's 7, the original Star Wars trilogy, but not those hateful prequals, and all of Star Trek the Next Generation. But really, Lizzie, early SG1 is worth watching just to see the Jaffa wearing sneakers in the first episode!"
Seeing the hopeful, pleading look in his eyes, she sighed.
"Fine, but there better be popcorn!"