Voice

[foolishjustice]

I have...something of a strange dilemma. I came here six months after my birthday, and arrived six months ago...but my birthday is in June. Based on actual length of time I've been alive, I just turned nineteen...but my birthday isn't officially for another half a year.

Do you think I should just go ahead and start listing my age as 19, or would it be to confusing for the people who know what time of year I was born? I know I've already told a few people I'm a Gemini, so waiting would be simpler...but it feels a little weird, going an extra half a year between birthdays.

Comments

voice

[justicedevil]

Honestly, I'd just go with whatever you feel more comfortable with. Everyone here knows about the time weirdness so it shouldn't be that much of a problem.

Personally, I'm doing the thing where I'm going based on time I've been alive. If I went with the date on my world than I'd be younger than what I'd be saying I am.

[foolishjustice]

That's my problem, too. And especially in a place like this...I'm not sure how comfortable I am misrepresenting my age, even if I'm claiming I'm younger than I really am. I know the difference between eighteen and nineteen isn't much, but depending on how long we're here...I'll cross my country's age of majority in another year, and that might make a difference to some people.

voice | un: vivelafrance

[ringlette]

In my opinion, you should do go with what is more comfortable to you. But if you want a more solid option, I would say you should assume you already advanced one year. The six months difference is quite a lot of time.

[justicedevil]

... Yeah, I can see where that could maybe cause a problem. In that case, you should probably just go ahead and start saying your nineteen now then so you don't have to worry about it next year.

[whateternityis]

I mean, I'm hardly the one to ask, but it's not like Earth astrology is really going to apply here.

[foolishjustice]

It really is. I might be willing to just ignore it if it was closer to my actual birthdate, but six months is...a lot to just brush aside when you're at an age where milestones are still close together.

If I'm here for another year, that would lead to people from Japan thinking of me as a minor until I've already been an adult for several months. That...really doesn't sit well with me, especially with how this place fosters...um. Intimate relationships.

[foolishjustice]

I'm sure it would confuse things even more if I waited until June this year to keep the date, but then went with December next year because the new age actually matters.

[foolishjustice]

Well, no, this planet has entirely different constellations. But people who recognize Earth astrology would still know that being a Gemini means I was born in June.

[justicedevil]

Yeah, definitely not something you should do. That'd just be confusing as hell.

[whateternityis]

So tell them you're counting from when you got here.

Unless the idea of your birthday being folded into something that looks a fuck of a lot like Christmas upsets you.

text; un: ruffestrabbit

[zunge]

The calendars may be very similar, but Earth constellations don't apply here.

[foolishjustice]

It's...a little strange to think I've been here long enough to be thinking about this, though. It doesn't really feel...long-term just from settling into a starter apartment, you know?

[foolishjustice]

I've never really celebrated either, so it doesn't matter to me either way. It's weird thinking about my birthday being in Winter, but not any weirder than being on a completely different planet.

[foolishjustice]

I know, but enough people are here from some version of Earth that it's pretty likely that any given person would associate someone being a Gemini with a Summer birthday.

[zunge]

I'm aware. Maybe your first mistake was telling people your birthday, or that you're a Gemini. If they don't know in the first place, there's no reason to be concerned about how old people perceive you to be.

[whateternityis]

They've got Christmas at the wrong time of year anyway. Not sure if they just didn't want it overlapping Passover and Easter half the time or what.

I thought birthdays were a fairly universal thing among humans, though.

[foolishjustice]

I wouldn't say there's no reason. If nothing else, most people tend to care about the age of someone who's flirting with them, and young adulthood is a time where even half a year might make a difference in comfort with looking at someone as a potential partner.

[zunge]

Not the same thing, dumbass. I meant just say years only.

Also you missed out on the opportunity to claim your 19th when you arrived. Sucks to be you.

[foolishjustice]

I've...never really paid much attention to Christmas at all, to be honest. I never had any family or lovers to celebrate with.

And...for most of my life, I didn't really...think of my birthday as something to celebrate. And even if I did, it's traditional back home for someone's friends to arrange their birthday party. I never had any, so...

[foolishjustice]

There are people here from my world who would know better. And my birthday is a matter of public record back home.

And, besides that, I'd feel even more uncomfortable misrepresenting myself as older than I really am.

[whateternityis]

Lovers? That's a new one.

[The birthday bit sucks, but there's no need to rub that in.]

[zunge]

Then enjoy overthinking the matter to your heart's content. Your "concerns" are overcomplicating what ought to be a simple matter. If I'd arrived on a month analogous to my birth month, I'd have gone ahead and claimed my next birthday. But I also don't tell anyone my birthday, and no one has ever given two flying fucks how old I am.

[foolishjustice]

It's considered a couple's holiday in Japan. Most of us don't observe it religiously, but it's common for couples to eat together and trade presents.

I'd get things from fans, of course, but...never anyone that knew me well enough to get anything particularly meaningful.

[foolishjustice]

I'm nineteen and in multiple open relationships. If I told someone I was twenty, especially someone from my own country, they'd see me differently than they would if they knew how old I actually was.

I don't want to be responsible for someone having to deal with realizing someone they've been dating is a minor when they thought he was an adult.

[zunge]

You must be Japanese. I never understood why they set the "adult age" so high. So many other places have it at 18. Besides, you can buy porn and sex products in Japan at 18, so it's stupid.