Song 57: Adult again

[ttlyisabard]

You know, I've realized that different worlds have different rules and taboos about age. Is this just something that comes about as a world gets more advanced ... cause I've heard that my world isn't really advanced ...

It is nice to be back in my body, if only to be done with those ... 'hormones'. I think I can think clearly again now ...

Comments

[explosivetalent]

We like to think in Volstov that we are far more advanced than even our allies... I am not so sure. If you're speaking about in society as a whole, the age at which a man is considered an adult is vague. It seems to be somewhere around seventeen or eighteen.

[He's thinking of Caius Greylace, though the boy was prancing around social circles much, much younger than that.]

[ttlyisabard]

And that would the the age you can get married? Or join the army?

[explosivetalent]

Oh, bastion, no. If you are a magician, especially one with a useful Talent, you might be called into the army much younger than that. If not into the army, at the very least into Th'Esar's service.

As for marriage, arranged marriages can happen at any age, though most ceremonies are held around that time.

Though, sometimes, they don't happen at all. There are implications that the ladies of the court can be rather... loose.

[Not that he would know.]

[ttlyisabard]

[She giggled.]

Yes ... some noble girls learn to use all of their ... talents.

So ... then what's the point of being an adult rather than a child? I mean ... what expectations are different?

[explosivetalent]

[There's a smile in his voice when he speaks-- he appreciates your humor, Kate.]

Well, there is the expectation that a man will hold himself with dignity and restraint, among other things. Men are expected to make the correct decisions, and the right choices. Boys are allowed to play, and are supposed to be learning how to be a man.

[He seems to be forming his thesis as he goes.]

The classifications are hardly perfect, of course. I know men who act like foul-mouthed boys and some boys who are too old for their age.

But no matter what, being an adult implies that you can take responsibility upon yourself. Perhaps... it's better to say that it's more of a mentality than an actual age line.

[ttlyisabard]

Alright ... so there's just expectations. I can see that ... we kind of have that too. Fifteen's the age in my country though ... at least for humans. It's kind of different when elves are still little children at that age ... and other races are already well into adulthood ...

What about women? What are their expectations? When I started reading about different worlds on the boat, I noticed that my country seems to be more ... equal? ... in its expectations of men and women ...

[Having an intellectual conversation was a nice change from some of the usual talks here.]

[explosivetalent]

Most interesting. Other than animal species, any other races-- if there are any-- would only appear in myth in my world...

Women hold a very... odd niche in the society I'm used to. I cannot say that I particularly agree with their place, but... well. Women in Thremedon-- all over Volstov, really-- are not exactly respected. Oftentimes, especially in politics, they can be pushed to the side or ignored entirely, unfortunately. We are a very male-dominated society, us Volstovics. I know of several women that are changing that, but we've been set in our ways for some time... for example, some of our more nasty slurs and epithets are women's names.

[And they are often bestowed upon him.]

[ttlyisabard]

Yeah ... that's how it seems in a lot of places. It's probably different in my world because two of our first heroes were women. See, us humans were once slaves to Giants, and a half-giant chose four humans to be his knights and fight for our freedom. Freja and Kadir were women ... so no one's going to say women can't fight.

[She giggles.]

But other countries, and other races are like that ... A few are opposite too, where women have all the power. It's strange ... isn't it better for everyone to be on equal terms? I guess if you have all the power you're not going to want to give it up hu?

And that's mean ... So like what, they call people "Kates".

[She giggles again, thinking of using her name as an insult.]