How Green Becomes Wood

"We call our home the Necropolis," Daizi said, gesturing to the walls, "City of the Dead. It doesn't come up much, except for when the house has been in local newspapers around Halloween."
 
"Is it not?" Daizi asked, recalling her roses and apple tree, but choosing to instead say, "The pets under the violets disagree. But when we die, Dark and I, our ashes are going to be buried in the garden, since there are ordinances against full human corpses in this township."

"Really we should lobby to change that," Dark mused idly.

"Mm. Hopefully before the end composting is legalized here." Daizi sighed, but then, shaking her head, said, "The point is, eventually it becomes the Necropolis."
 
Alec stepped closer to Daizi and put a hand on her arm. "Mama," he said as seriously as he could muster, "I love you with every bit of my heart, and I will do my best to fulfill any end wishes you have, but I am not burying your full corpse in the garden. For one thing, that would disrupt far too many plants."
 
Daizi chuckled, patting his hand, and was unable to resist asking, "What percentage would you bury so I can tell the mortician to chop it off?"

"Jesus Christ," Cooger choked.

"I'd just really like to decompose, but I want to haunt my home, so I need to be here," Daizi explained, "If it was legalized, I'd arrange the garden to make space for us, but since it's unlikely to happen... buried ashes it is, even though it doesn't give back to the Earth. If human composting is legalized here, though, then I can be buried here and give back, although it's still not quite ideal."

She and Dark had both written out fairly extensive death plans, which she wasn't quite ready to get into with her sons just yet, for their sake. Enough people in her life knew that she was assured, even in the case of a horrible accident which claimed herself and Dark, her wishes would be followed, so there was no need to put those thoughts in their head. Still, she wondered: Would Alec at least let her funeral be hosted here? And she knew she wanted her family to be the ones who cared for her body, despite what her mortician joke had suggested. Dark had already promise if she died before him, he'd wash her and comb her hair.
 
"That I'm not ready to think about," Xander said flatly.

"Me neither, but we'll look after... things," Alec assured her.

Xander added contemplatively, "To be completely honest, Mama, you and Ba have such strong spirits and love this house so much that I really don't think it'll matter what happens to your physical bodies. It'll be tough work to keep you guys out of here."
 
"Maybe not," Daizi agreed, "but I'd sure prefer to rest here than elsewhere. Like you said, I love this house. And it'd be nice to spend eternity in my garden."

"I am looking forward to haunting the place," Dark mused, looking around.
 
"I'm sure you are," Alec said.

Xander cleared his throat. "Right. Now that we've gotten the morbid topic out of the way. Weren't we supposed to be doing a different morbid thing? Like arranging a fake graveyard or something?"
 
Xander offered Ivy a fist bump and then headed out after Dark and Cooger. Alec nuzzled Ivy and blew a raspberry on her belly before following his brother out to see what he could do to help.
 
"It feels sort of silly to be the only ones inside," Daizi commented to Ivy, lifting her up, "But you're getting sleepy, aren't you sweetheart? You seem sleepy. Let's go take a nap, huh? A nice nap for a sweet girl?"

Outside, Dark directed everyone to a task, feeling quite pleased with how quickly things went up with this many sets of hands.
 
Xander focused well on the task. He didn't really pay attention to what it was he was moving or wrapping or tying. He just did it and listened to directions.

Alec tried. He was easily distracted and chatted happily with Cooger about what they were doing between bursts of being on track. He was enjoying himself even if he wasn't being quite as helpful as Xander.
 
Soon enough it was dusk, and getting a bit too late to work productively, but thankfully Daizi poked her head out and called them in for dinner.

There were times, like when she gave Ivy a bath, where she was suddenly struck by how wonderful it was to be a mother, despite how difficult and draining it could be. Stepping out onto her porch in the September air, hearing the sounds of her family chatting whime they worked, and bringing them in for a meal she had cooked for them: This was a time where a thrill ran through her, because this was it. This is what she had been dreaming of throughout all of the difficult, lonely years where nothing she or Dark did worked.
 
The twins tromped inside, and Alec hugged Daizi before going to get cleaned up for dinner, laughing a little at Xander grumbling about something that had happened while they were working. Xander cleaned up and then offered his help to Daizi if needed. Both twins were sniffing eagerly with bellies growling.
 
Daizi hugged Alec back, and then waited until Dark came up to kiss her on the cheek before he, too, went inside to clean up, telling Cooger that, yes, he had to wash his hands before dinner. Since Daizi had already set the food out before calling them in, once they were all cleaned up, they were able to enjoy a nice family meal together after a long day of hard work.

Of course, during the meal Daizi asked about how things were going outside, and Cooger asked questions to catch up on family affairs. Despite being over fairly regularly, he always felt like he just wasn't over enough.
 
The twins enjoyed the time with Cooger over. It was nice to have what felt like both a family member and a friend over to talk to and help fill their house with laughter. Laughter, and new topics to discuss.

Xander asked Cooger about the projects he had going on in his spare time.

Alec asked about the cats, the goose, and the chickens.
 
"Oh, man, cats are great, you know," Cooger said, waving his fork around in a way that caught Ivy's attention, "I just got the last of those kittens adopted out, and the homes seem real good for them. Millie's great, but she's pissed Dark didn't save her any seed. Actually," He waved his fork at the twins, "Probably pissed at you two, too. Let him feed the ducks, didn't think to say, 'save some for Millie.'"

"I had absolutely no way of knowing where I would be headed," Dark pointed out, seemingly quite comfortable and relaxed in his decorated home with his friend over, "Had I known I was going to see Millie, I would certainly have saved her some, but by the time I learned, it was much too late."

"Sure, and I forgive you, but try telling her that." Cooger laughed, "Not sure if I forgive them two, though. They were in on more of the plan."
 
"We couldn't tell him to save the seed, either," Alec said with a grin. "That would surely be weird at best and most likely give him too much of a clue. But we'd happily bring her some next time we see her! I'm glad all your kittens got adopted out."
 
"Me too, but honestly, kittens aren't the hardest part. Most people who want a cat want a kitten, because kittens are sweet, they stomp around, they get snuggly, and they feel, ya know, moldable. And they are, to an extent, which is why whenever I have kittens, I'm sure to handle them a ton and have lots of people over to handle them a ton, 'cause people typically want a cat who you can manhandle. But older cats, ya know, they're more stuck in their ways. Harder to teach them, 'People can touch you, you don't need to scratch at them,' because cats have boundaries. And that's great, that's what I like about 'em. I like that they get indignant when you make a fool of them, as if they don't s*** in a box. But because they ain't moldable, or not as moldable, ya know, people don't want adult cats as much. And," He waved his fork again, "They sure as s*** don't want elderly cats. It's the elderly ones that you can't adopt out, and they're the ones that need homes the worst. Sure, you may only get a couple a years outta an old man cat, but those few years are comfort mean everything to the cat. That's why most of the cats I end up keeping are grumpy old mofos. It's not always even that I fell in love with them best, most of the time it's just---couldn't find anybody who wanted 'em. So they're mine, and I pamper 'em for as long as they're around to pamper."
 
"If you're not careful, you're going to teach a certain someone an interesting first word," Xander said in amusement as he listened to Cooger rant.

"True, but he's not wrong," Alec stated.

Xander shrugged. "Never said he was. I don't know enough about cats to know one way or another."

"Kittens are truly adorable, but I like older cats, myself," Alec said. "The older the cat, the better, but I'm not sure if my heart would be ready for a truly eldery gentleman. To know as soon as you take him or her in that they are only with you for such a short time... and yet I also feel selfish for those thoughts." He sighed.
 
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