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

[futaille]

"Obviously. They operate on a completely different scale and further research would be needed. Besides, the reasons for the immortality would add further complications, so our numbers here are far too few for sweeping generalizations on the immortal and exceptionally long lived."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Perhaps barbarism sets in both when a man is too young to know to fear death, and old enough to truly understand its implications. It's not precisely what Freud spoke of in his writings on Thanatos, but I do believe it fits in with that framework nicely."

[futaille]

"Very interesting theory. Although I'm curious now as to what those writings on Thanatos entailed."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Oh just want you'd expect, I'd imagine." Susan savors another sip of the wine, then slices open the little soft wheel of cheese. "Freud said we've got two primary drives: Eros, our drive toward life, which encompasses that which is pleasurable and self-preservative, and Thanatos, or drive towards death, which encompasses that which annihilates the self. I should like to know who you excluded from your assessment, by the way."

[futaille]

"Driving towards death is entirely too common, in my opinion. That said, I thought I had said. Immortals and anyone I don't know particularly well?"

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"No, I meant specifically."

[futaille]

"Oh, all right. Well, then to start off with, Dionysus and Apollo and Crowley and Aziraphale, obviously..."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Obviously."

[futaille]

"Haven't much talked to Luo Binghe, and I think he's immortal anyway, so he's out, Aleksander and Asmodean are especially long-lived, so they're out too, and Temeraire is a dragon, so I'm pretty sure he doesn't count as 'men'."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

A shadow crosses Susan's face at the mention of Luo Binghe. "Naturally," she nods.

[futaille]

"I think that might be it?"

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"So you did in fact cast a wide net in your assessment."

[futaille]

"I wanted to answer as best I could, so yes."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"I wasn't sure who you considered someone you knew well enough to judge!"

[futaille]

"I suppose that's fair enough. I can't say with certainty that I'm necessarily right about anyone in particular but I can't say much with certainty anyway, so it follows." He has a drink.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan props her chin on her hands, regarding him. "You do like to soften your impact, don't you?" she asks. "You needn't, you know. It was an opinion question. There isn't a way to be incorrect about your opinion unless you're lying."

[futaille]

"Or unless the opinion is uninformed, in which case the opinion was still given in good faith but might not be the most accurate. And I can't see into anyone's head. Although I will at least say that yes, it was at least given in good faith."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Ought opinions necessarily be accurate?" asks Susan, who holds many, many opinions by which she would swear.

[futaille]

"Opinions should, I think, at least have some sort of basis. It's easier to call one accurate when it's internal, such as, for instance, if I say I like all wines but tend to prefer reds to whites. Of course, even those can be subject to change. If I were to, say, discover an entirely new variety of whites that shifts my perception like a hurricane. I think it's probably even more important to allow for the possibility of change when your opinions concern other people."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"A person might restructure her opinions (or his, I suppose) as she encounters new information, but as long as she's sharing them grounded by the truth of the moment, is that not all the accuracy required?" Susan tilts her head, blinks, and spreads some soft cheese on a hunk of bread. "I believe we're arguing the same thing with different words. Have you tried rose? It's a discovery I've made here. I'm given to understand it existed in my time, but was rarely available in my part of the world."

[futaille]

"We might be, although that's half the fun of arguing sometimes. That said, I have tried rose, although it was a discovery made here. It's a fascinating blend."