Open Post: Who invented this calendar anyway?

[futaille]

How unfortunate.

Yes, Grantaire was fully aware that the year being longer at the mansion would logically cause seasons to drift when someone kept track of the old calendar, or at least what had been pinned down as the old calendar for convenience sake, which was almost necessary when people's arrivals weren't necessarily tied to the day they left. He hadn't given it too much thought last year, when his birthday, such that it was, arrived in spring like he was used to.

Dark, though, was unfortunate. Not inappropriate for the next notable anniversary coming up, but for this one, not at all. Of course, it wasn't as if he would have been planning much in the way of an event, Dark or no, but it would have been nice to treat himself to something or other, regardless.

Instead, he has installed himself in the game room, where he is carefully balancing dominoes on their ends to make a domino rally on the billiards table. It's a nice large flat surface, so it should work nicely. Have to keep entertained somehow.

Comments

[vineleaves]

"I don't know what you're talking about," he says, feigning innocence. "I am just eating my dinner."

[futaille]

"Oh, of course." He takes a long sip of wine.

[vineleaves]

"Well now you're doing it on purpose," he says, but he definitely does not sound like he minds.

[futaille]

"Doing what on purpose?" Another slow sip.

[vineleaves]

"No clue, you should probably keep on until I figure it out."

[futaille]

"Of course. Just let me know." Another sip before returning to the food.

[vineleaves]

Dionysus concentrates really intently and a little vine starts snaking its way around Grantaire's arm.

[futaille]

He looks up at Dionysus with a wry smile. "Starting the gifts early?"

[vineleaves]

"Oh, this isn't part of the gift, this is just payback."

[futaille]

"Ah." A bite of ziti. "Good payback."

[vineleaves]

"Mmhmm, I thought so." He also takes a bite.

[futaille]

"Good talk." He works on scarfing down the ziti.

[vineleaves]

Dionysus is decently worn out from using his powers so much already today (has he mentioned lately that he HATES DARK???) that he does, eventually, drop the vine, and goes back to finishing up his dinner as well.

[futaille]

He misses the vine when it dissipates but also gets how the month is tough on Dionysus, so doesn't comment but still tosses him little fond smiles here and there as he finishes his dinner.

[vineleaves]

Once they're both done eating, Dionysus gives Grantaire a kiss, refills their wine, and clears away the plates. He then brings over the basket of wrapped gifts -- a small, squared box, a slightly larger rectangular gift, a card, and what Grantaire can probably guess as two wrapped wine bottles. "The card has to be last," he explains.

[futaille]

"All right." He goes for the obvious first, unwrapping the wine bottles.

[vineleaves]

They’re both red wines, but the bottle of one has a pattern of swirls made in the glass. Dionysus points to that one. “This one is hallucinogenic, so be careful. Kind of like the kykeon, but without, y’know, the cheese. And hopefully a little more enjoyable of an experience all around, whenever you drink it.”

[futaille]

"Oh, excellent. I'll probably save it for after Dark so we can celebrate together."

[vineleaves]

“Sounds lovely,” he says with a smile. Mostly he’s just glad that if it ends up being bad somehow he’ll be at full strength and able to nullify the effects for Grantaire easily. But hopefully it won’t come to that, of course.

[futaille]

"Funny. We seem to agree!" He looks back at the basket. "Which box do you suggest first?"

[vineleaves]

“Oh, it doesn’t really matter. Maybe the larger one though?”

[futaille]

"As you wish!" He pulls the larger one out of the basket and carefully unwraps it.

[vineleaves]

Inside the slim box is a dark green book. It clearly has been hand-bound, by someone without much experience in binding books at that. On the cover, embossed in gold leaf, are the words The Collected Works of Étienne Grantaire.

If he opens it, he will find several of his …plays, which have been printed on the printing press.

“I had Enjolras show me how to get it all printed up. … I didn’t tell him what it was, but I suspect he had close to an idea, because he said I’m lucky he supports free press,” Dionysus says with a laugh. “And then I got Aziraphale to show me how to bind it. I, ah, I did explain to him what it was for.”

[futaille]

Grantaire turns quite a bright pink and he laughs somewhat helplessly as he flips through the book. "Oh là là, I was certainly never expecting to be published."

[vineleaves]

Ughhhh he's so cute when he blushes. "And why not? They're the best plays I've ever seen."