# [closed post]

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan has devised another activity to occupy her days. By the calendar's reckoning, the start of spring is roughly a week away. Between her and Tress, they've got the outline of a plan for the next Dark, and Susan is happy to rely on people who've got greater interest in and skill for growing things insofar as agriculture goes. But the growing season here shall be longer than usual, and Susan should like to have some idea about what that might mean for the ecosystem,

This is her flimsy excuse to pardon the latest stack of books she's currently carrying out of the library. There is a marginal off-chance that preparatory reading on soil biota could, potentially, be useful. Perhaps she might even talk someone else into reading on the subject as well, so that they might discuss it.

Comments

[onthewillowsthere]

Gravely, "I'll try to avoid it."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan twists around to retrieve a little dish from the sideboard for the tea bags. "I expect you're in good hands with your Claudius," she says, as she turns back around and starts fishing her bag out of her mug.

[onthewillowsthere]

He gives her a faintly curious look. "You don't know." But of course that's not really a surprise; Claudius likes to say that he prefers younger men and older women. Galahad isn't good at telling how old people are, but he's fairly sure Susan is more his age than Claudius'. Still, sex is a language for Claudius, and it sometimes takes Galahad by surprise that he hasn't tried to speak it with everyone.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"No," she agrees. "Ought I?" She hasn't got any interest in Claudius, not like that, but she's curious about Galahad's reaction.

[onthewillowsthere]

"He likes to learn about people that way. He says it's a way of talking to people."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"I suppose he's not wrong about that," Susan says. It's not why she has such a long list of ex-lovers, but she can see the value in such an approach.

[onthewillowsthere]

"What do you think about sex?"

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Well, I rather like it," says Susan, mostly as a placeholder to buy herself some time to sort through her thoughts.

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad waits, and eats his Jaffa cake.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"I suppose I think it's many things," Susan says then. Even with all the vagaries of their relationship, she can't possibly tell Lancelot's son that for her, the specifics of her partners have rarely been a consideration. "I like to feel good, and I like to be good at things. I'm quite good at sex and it's generally jolly pleasurable. Sometimes it affords me a measure of power, in ways I can't otherwise reliably hold. I believe perhaps it might also be a way of getting to know yourself, as well." She pauses there and tests her tea.

[onthewillowsthere]

She is, he thinks, very like Claudius. Even if Claudius hasn't said these exact words to him, he recognizes some of them -- he feels what's familiar. He likes that he can tell. He nods. "I understand."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan leans forward and props her chin on her wrist. "What do you think about it?"

[onthewillowsthere]

A slight tilt of his head. "I like pleasure. Of all kinds."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"So sex, naturally," says Susan. "And -" she dredges her memory. "New foods and clothes?"

[onthewillowsthere]

"And music, and frivolous books," he agrees. "And games. I wasn't allowed any of those things before."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"What sort of music do you like?" Susan asks, perking up.

[onthewillowsthere]

Very seriously, "I like everything. I like sounds. I like opera and hymns and the Grateful Dead and Ella Fitzgerald and Rema. I've been making lists of my favorite records."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"I'm not familiar with some of those," Susan admits. "I do like Ella Fitzgerald... I say. You haven't happened to come across any Harry Roy records, have you?"

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad closes his eyes, calling up record sleeves. "Harry Roy and his Bat Club Boys," he says, after a moment.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Truly?" A foreign expression crosses Susan's face: genuine excitement. It's been a long, long time since that's happened.

[onthewillowsthere]

"It was a few months ago. I think I can find it again."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"I'd appreciate it. Ever so much."

[onthewillowsthere]

"What other things to do you like?"

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Oh, big band music. Things you can dance to. Things that are a little raunchy. Nat Gonella, for example. I've heard some American and French records I like, too. Glenn Miller, Harry James... for vocalists I've enjoyed Edith Piaf and Frank Sinatra."

[onthewillowsthere]

"Claudius likes Glenn Miller too. He likes jazz."