How Green Becomes Wood

"Hey, we did not go suit shopping together for this," He replied, "I've been having this suit. But no, I don't know when she's getting here. I just had to get here early cause of the whole officiating thing."
 
"Sure," Cooger replied, taking Ivy, "I'll practice my speech on her."

About half an hour later, the venue switched on soft, instrumental music just before the guests began arriving and taking their seats.
 
Lex arrived with the first few guests, her brunette hair carefully curled into soft waves and gathered at the top with a silver clip shaped like an Asian dragon. Her silver, below the knee sheath dress looked like either the scales of a reptile or armor with a mesh neckline and ruffled patches on both straps that could either be flowers or small spikes, depending on how imaginative you wanted to be. Makeup was not something she was good at, so she'd stuck to something simple and natural, and her silver accessories matched her dress and shoes. She looked for Cooger but was understanding if he couldn't spare her any time. He had a job to do, after all.

Ciara was next to arrive in a two-piece dress suit in a dark blue lace. Style-wise, it was almost identical to many of her work outfits, but made of a much nice fabric and with a little bit of a scalloped flare on the hemline, and very sensible black dress shoes with a low heel and only a tiny embellishment on the toe. As always, she had her hair pulled up and back in a low bun, this time held in place with a hair pin with a blue rose at the end.
 
As it happened, Cooger was going around and greeting the guests as they came in. At the moment, he was talking with D'Arcy who was in a blue-green Greek-inspired dress and Ellis, who was in a pink dress with black lacing over it, still with big, studded heels. When he saw Lex, he excused herself and walked up to her, "You look beautiful."


Spencer and Mittz entered with Gwen. Spencer was in a traditional black tuxedo with heels and Mittz, who despite her love of pastels, had opted for a black Audrey Hepburn inspired swing dress... with many layers of colourful petticoats beneath it and still wearing pastel, joyful earrings. Gwen wore a green dress decorated with embroidered flowers and butterflies.
 
Lex smiled and allowed herself to give Cooger a quick look over. "I liked the Viking look, but I gotta admit, you clean up very nicely," she smiled. "How are you feeling?"

Tristan came in next, navigating the front door sill with only a small amount of difficulty, then wheeling himself in cautiously. People tended not to see short people like those in wheelchairs, and it was always awkward when someone accidentally backed into him or similar. He had on a double-breasted suit in a deep, burnt-orange color with a white shirt and a navy blue tie with tiny orange flowers with green leaves sprinkled about in a loose pattern. He had his navy blue fedora on his knee as he tried to ascertain whether or not it would be appropriate to wear it indoors.

Sally, Peter, and Jack came in last. Peter and Jack had on matching silver suits that complemented Sally's deep blue, one-shouldered formal gown with a silver clasp on the single strap and a silver chain draped loosely at her waist and allowed to dangle in a glittering line down one side. Matching silver, dangling earrings and black heeled sandals with silver embelishments added to the look, as did her low, side-part bun. On one side of her hair, she'd affixed four simple silver hair clips that were outlines of some of the most common shapes she'd seen on Daizi's clothing, including a small spider shape. Jack and Peter had dark blue pocket squares that matched Sally's dress and had gone black for their embellishments.
 
"Thank you," Cooger replied, running one hand down the front of his vest, "I'm nervous. It'll be great, I'm certain of it, but I'm nervous." He glanced around the room, "But I don't think I have much time left to be nervous. It looks like it's about time to get started."
 
Lex smiled and touched Cooger's elbow briefly. "You look good, and your voice is in fine form. This is going to be the nicest event I've ever been to. I'd best go find my seat."

Alec and Xander with Ivy had already made their way to the front where they were supposed to sit and wait.

Ciara was hesitating by the door. She had said she wasn't going to this part of the ceremony, yet here she was. Should she go in? It felt so wrong! It went against everything she'd been taught, but... this was very important to people who were her family now.
 
Cooger took a breath and then put his hand over Lex's, then took a breath and walked up to the altar. Looking over the crowd of people, he nodded at them, nearly raising eyebrow when he noticed certain faces in the crowd, and then took a breath and said, "We are just about to begin. I would like to remind you all to make sure your phones are on silent, not to exit once the ceremony has begun, and that we have a photographer on the premises so there ain't no need to be taking pictures through the whole thing. Just enjoy getting to be here."

These initial announcements out of the way, he stepped to the side. Outside their door, Dark took Daizi's arm and quietly asked her, "Are you ready?"

"Of course, I'm with you."

Then they went in together. Dark had his hair perfectly combed with just a bit of eyeliner. His suit was all black except for the dark red embroidery along the lapels of his suit jacket and on his vest. He wore a black and red lace jabbot collar pinned with a stone matching their wedding rings. Daizi wore a drop-waist ballgown with dramatic sleeves and a deep neckline. Its bodice and sleeves were embroidered with lace flowers and glittered with stars. The various layers of fabric were in purples and navy blues. Her hair was braided into an intricate, romantic updo and decorated with red flowers the same colour as her lipstick Dark's embroidery. In her hands she held a bouquet which looked identical to the one she had at her wedding--or as close to it as was possible.

After the quick walk to the altar, they parted, still facing each other, and Daizi turned to give Zeinab the bouquet to hold. Amty Zeinab, unable to restrain herself, pulled Daizi into a hug and then draped a long, sheer, midnight blue fabric over her niece's head, not covering her face and whispered something to her. Daizi smiled softly and kissed her aunt on the cheek before turning away at the sound of a one-year old baby shrieking in excitement, "Mama! Baba!" and trying to wriggle out of her brother's lap to go to them.

Laughing, Daizi said, "Hi habibti!" while Dark said, "Stay with your brothers, tifla."
 
At the last moment, Ciara could not bring herself to stay for the ceremony no matter what logical arguments she gave herself. It was one of the few times she would admit to herself that her heart was overriding her head, and, at the core, she was the one being superstitious. She chose to stay out in the reception area, seated in a corner out of the way, patiently waiting. If she didn't say anything about it, hopefully no one else would, either.

Inside, Sally was carefully dabbing away tears as she watched her dear friends walk up the aisle. It might as well be a full wedding as far as she was concerned. It was all so beautiful! Ivy's squealing did make her laugh.

Alec grinned and gently restrained Ivy, giving her as much movement as he could while not letting her get down. "We're playing a game, Ivy," he whispered. "We have to wait our turn."
 
The ceremony began with Mittz, Ellis, D'Arcy, and Gwen calling in the corners and establishing the protective ring around the attendees and the ceremony. Mittz lit the incentive stick and spoke to the guardian of the East, representing the Air. Ellis lit a candle and spoke to the guardian of the South, representing fire. D'Arcy poured water from a ewer into a basin for the guardian of the West. Finally, Gwen set out a bowl of salt for the North, representative of the earth.

When this was done, they retook their seats, and Cooger stepped forward once more. "Friends and Companions," he began, looking over the crowd of people in their seats, over at the flickering candle and swirling smoke from the incense. "I'll be honest with y'all. I don't really know what I'm doing. I've never been considered a particularly formal guy, and I don't think I'm all that eloquent. Last time I gave any sort of speech it was a eulogy for my Nana Lucy, and I ended it by taking a shot of whiskey while dressed in blue jeans and my good boots. So this really ain't," He cleared his throat, "Really isn't the sort of thing I'm accustomed to. But when these two," He squeezed both Dark and Daizi on the shoulders, smiling between the two of them, "asked me to officiate this, well, there was no chance in hell I was gonna say no. So all of us here are gathered today to celebrate the tenth wedding anniversary of Ghalib Marzuq Dark and Daizi Samira Saladin Wahid, my very best friends."

Pausing for a moment, Cooger took a breath, squeezed his friends' shoulders one last time and then let go, "I am one of the only people in this room who have ever known these two apart, and I am the only one here who knows what Dark was like before he fell in love. I can honestly say I have never known two people who complement each other more than these two. They just fit. Like it's easy. And I say like 'cause I'm also one of the only people who saw what a battle it was to get these two to the altar the first time. How hard a road it was, how painful, how dramatic... Next time any of you watch a romantic comedy, say a prayer for the best friends of the main characters, because I'll tell y'all, from experience, it's not always as fun as it looks. Now, if it were me, I'd have thrown in the towel a hundred times before they finally tied the knot, but they aren't me. And although he's gonna have a lot to say in a minute, I'll tell you something Dark has told me a number of times before: Love is not something that weak people do. And I know he's right about that. Because so often, we treat marriage like it's the end goal. That once you get married, your journey is over, and everything is smooth sailing. But their road has never quite evened out, but here they are, ten years on, more in love than ever. And when I look around this room, I see the faces of old friends and family, but new ones too. And I can't say how many of y'all would be here with us right now, if Ghalib and Daizi did not work so damn hard to create and support their family."

Again, he paused, looking around at the room, then up at the ceiling for a moment to take a breath before continuing, "It takes a hell of a lot of strength. And a hell of a lot of work. And a decade on, we are together again or the first time to reaffirm that bond they share, which ties not only them, but all of us in great or small ways. So. Dark, Tarot, please join hands. I believe love is not something shared between two people. I believe it is a web, binding communities together, and what a beautiful thing that is. What a thing to commemorate, and celebrate, while we commemorate and celebrate those who we love so dearly in return. In honour of this, Ghalib and Daizi have included a Handfasting Ceremony as part of their renewal. This is a ritual representing the bond they not only share with each other but how their love bonds their family together." He turned and nodded to the twins and gestured for them to to come up, "Their sons, Xander and Alec, have been asked to perform the binding in honour of how the familial web is spun."
 
Alec was nearly in tears listening to Cooger talk. His words, rough and "casual" as they were, they were beautiful. Xander didn't cry, not even close, but he was listening and listening closely. He took what Cooger said and tucked them away to be reconsidered later.

When Cooger indicated for them to come up, both of them almost missed their cue. They stood quickly, and Alec held Ivy in front of him carefully so she couldn't grab anything she wasn't supposed to. With great care, they did as practiced and wrapped the cords as they'd been taught so Dark and Daizi could slip the cords off without untying them.
 
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