# [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

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"I've heard the same."

[futaille]

He nods. "I will keep a slight reserve of ignorance for safety's sake, then."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Best of luck with that."

[futaille]

"Thank you for the well-wishes."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"They're pragmatic, you know," says Susan. "The well-wishes. If your brain started melting out of your ears, then I should think, hm." She purses her lips and gives him an assessing look, running through her mental list of suspected assignations. "At least a good third of the men here might go utterly useless. And then who could I bully into auditioning for the play? And besides, the lecture series would go absolutely tits-up." She tsks, shaking her head. "No, it's best you remain intact."

[futaille]

"The lecture series I'll grant you, especially as it will also benefit from my ignorance reserve, but a third is surely an exaggeration." He thinks it over. "A quarter at best."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Only a quarter?" Susan asks, feigning shock to cover up the actual mild surprise she feels at that. For a brief, bright moment, she misses holding court in the pubs and parties of London; misses going home with a different man every night and then never speaking to them again. It was exciting, it made her feel powerful and desired and - later - outside of herself, and sometimes it gave her such wonderfully knotty problems to unpick. But that's not what Grantaire is doing, is it? From what she's observed, apart from her, he's pursued relationships with all of the people she's picked up on.

[futaille]

"I know, I know, dreadfully disappointing."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"You really can do better."

[futaille]

"I'll have to work on that," he says with a laugh. "Only so much time in the day, though."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"You ought to aim for half."

[futaille]

"Half? That's quite a lofty goal."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan raises an eyebrow at him. "Are you saying you can't do it?"

[futaille]

"It's simply that it's one thing to set goals for yourself, but this is certainly a case where several people's opinions are just as much if not more important."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Is it? Perhaps. "I suppose that's the difference between sex and relationships," she ventures.

[futaille]

"Well, even there I would much rather not do so with someone who would rather not themselves."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Naturally not."

[futaille]

"Naturally." He shrugs. "And so, in short, time will tell. I'm far too lucky to want to be greedy."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"That's very respectable of you, Grantaire," sighs Susan, who has often been greedy.

[futaille]

He wrinkles his nose. "Not the dread shackle of respectability."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

She raises an eyebrow at him. "If the shoe fits.... Don't worry. I shall keep your secret."

[futaille]

"I can't thank you enough for your discretion."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"You're quite welcome."

[futaille]

"I would hate to see my reputation in shambles."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Never fear. I shall tell everyone that you're jolly louche."