How Green Becomes Wood

"We're not all so clever as Xander," Cooger replied a bit sardonically, albeit with a teasing grin in his eyes, "Now I'm on a mission, I gotta open this all on my own, without anyone's help."

Dark turned to him as he walked with Alec out of his shed, and with a sly look said, "You will try," before shutting the door. In a low voice, he said to Alec, "It is still broken at some points. It is a complicated creation, and an imperfect one."

"Woah, hey now!" Daizi chuckled, "Who says I'm a mob boss?"
 
Alec smothered his giggle behind his hand. "Oh dear. Poor Cooger!" he whispered. "Oh well. At least it will entertain him. Oh! Did you want to hold Ivy while we walk?" He turned Ivy so she could see her father. He quite enjoyed walking with Ivy, but he also knew how much Dark loved it.

"This family is practically a mob, and if anyone's in charge, I'd say it's you. Even if you swear you share the duties with the Professor," Xander remarked.
 
"If he can figure out how to open it, it will be beneficial to me, and if he cannot, it is payback." Dark replied with some level of pleasure, and looked down at Alec and Ivy. He did want to hold her, because she was so gentle and sweet. He had never expected to find it endearing when tiny fingers dug in his beard or grabbed his hair, because he had never liked holding anyone else's babies, but there was something different about her.

Still... She looked comfortable, and Alec looked content, so he said, "Only if you are tired of holding her."

"Are we a mob?" Daizi asked, scrunching her face, "I don't think we have particular power. But you're right, I do swear Dark and I are equals. Alhough, I suppose, if we were fictional book characters, or something, it would depend on the book genre who would be 'in charge.'"
 
Alec gave Ivy one last hug, savoring the contact, before offering her to Dark. "She's getting bigger and heavier every day!" he said, grinning. "Maybe it's a good thing I have to work out now."

"We're a mob of chaos and some creativity," Xander said dryly, "and you're totally in charge. He'd lay down and let you use him as a bridge across a puddle to keep your feet dry if he thought it would make you happy. He wouldn't because he knows it wouldn't make you happy, but if you ever asked, he'd do it."
 
"She really is," Dark replied, holding her up so he could get a good look at her face, and then bracing herself as she lurched forward at him to give him one of her 'kisses.' "Although, she is perfectly average for her age. Longer, but not heavier. How has working out been going for you?"

"Ah, you didn't specify it was that kind of mob. Here I was thinking you were still caught on that early thought you had about Dark being Arab Mafia." She wondered if he remembered that comment he had made over a year ago. It wasn't something Daizi had heard first-hand, but Dark recounting it to her had made her laugh hard enough it wasn't likely she'd forget it, "I still think I'd be a wonderful advisor. If he did actually have his mystical carnival, I'd be wonderful to whisper at his side. Or if he were royalty."
 
"Ugh, I hate it," Alec moaned. "I think it's going well, but I don't like it. I guess I don't have to like it for it to work, but... ugh." He pulled a face. "I don't know how you do it."

"That kind of mob works too. You don't have to be particularly powerful to have a mob, I guess," Xander agreed, smirking. "And if he were royalty, you'd totally be the wise power behind the throne."
 
"Well I do like it, which makes an important difference. It is helpful to find exercises you enjoy, mind you. If you do not like running, try jump roping for cardio, or other switches of that nature. Daizi does not lift weights, but she does a little bit of yoga before bed." Dark advised as they walked, "You might enjoy more dance and movement-based workouts."

"I like to think that I would be his Queen, and to public eyes I would seem exactly as a Queen is 'meant' to be--subserviant to the King, gentle, taking little duties, but behind the scenes I would perform rituals to increase our station and hatch plots with him, and there would be rumors swirling about me but nobody would dare speak them. And I'd wear one of those rings with a tiny dose of poison inside." She grinned, enjoying the fantasy, "I suppose you would be our chief knight."
 
"Hmm, that could be a lot more fun," Alec agreed. "I did try looking into some dance-style things, but most of what I found was either for really old people trying not to break something. Which is good for them! But I think I might need something a little more than that." He grinned up at Dark. "I guess I could always pretend you're chasing me, and that'll make running more fun!"

"Not a bad scenario," Xander mused. "But what if I wanted to be the castle chef? And I had mad ladle skills in case of any back-door assassins or attempts to storm the castle."
 
"Even if it is not the only form of exercise you engage in, it may still make the rest of it easier." Dark told him, and rolled his eyes at Alec's joke, "I am certain me chasing you would terrify you so much you could not help but flee."

"If you wanted to be the castle chef, I would not stop you," Daizi replied, resting against the countertop as the food cooked, "I had thought to make you one of the nobility. You really like cooking that much?"
 
"Absolutely! Alec chirped. "Truly terrifying! After all, what if you were to trip and fall on me?" He grinned at Dark mischievously. "That would be an utter disaster."

"Nobility means more responsibility," Xander pointed out reasonably. "And, besides, it's easy to find someone you can watch your front or even sides. What about someone to watch your back, eh?" He checked to make sure his jobs were done. "Looks like dinner's just about ready."
 
"I am more graceful than that," Dark replied, and stroking Ivy's hair, looked down at her and said, "Your brother is silly! Oh... You are getting sleepy, my dear... You have been up for such a long time, and have had such a busy day."

"That's true. But, knights have horses." Daizi replied, "although it is good to have someone watching my back. I never said you had to be a perfectly virtuous knight, you could be like the head of the dungeon."
 
"Should we all head inside and see if dinner is ready? Should I go get Cooger?" Alec asked. "He might have broken the box by now. Or himself."

Xander opened his mouth to say something and then paused. "They do, don't they?" he mused thoughtfully. "Alright. I'll be the head of the dungeons. Or the stables or something."
 
"You can go get him. I am sure dinner will be ready soon, and I should lay her down." He looked at her tired face carefully, "Once she is fully asleep. If I put her down now, it will just wake her up all over again, and I do not want to upset her... Have you ever rocked her to sleep?"

"How about you be the head of the dungeons, so you can be part of the nobility, have any horse you want, but not be expected to dress nicely if you don't want to?" She suggested, grinning as she set the table, "You'd get a sword and not have any obligations to marry. Where do you think Alec would be?"
 
"No, I've never had the opportunity. She's always going to sleep either right after being fed or when you're home or when we're at school," Alec pointed out. He turned and walked toward the shed. "I'll be back with Cooger in just a minute."

Xander considered this question as he helped Daizi. "Hmm, normally I'd say he'd love to be the jester, and I've read they were some of the most important advisors, but maybe something like... can royals be minstrels? Or is that too lowly?"
 
"You can try, if you would like," Dark said as Alec walked to get Cooger, "It is a good feeling."

Inside the shed, Cooger was still fighting the box, and when Alec kept in he looked up and said, "I'd be able to open the damn thing if I wasn't so afraid of breaking it. It feels like some of these pieces don't move regardless of what I do."

"Many nobles were taught instruments and poetry. Especially before the printing press, books were prohibitively expensive, so people were taught history through them." Daizi explained, "I don't know if it would be a profession for a noble or a hobby, though."
 
Alec pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. "I'm sure you could," he agreed with Cooger. "I bet it would pop right open! But now it's time for dinner. Maybe you can try again later."

"Maybe something to do with relations with other kingdoms, then," Xander mused, trying to think of what nobles actually did. "Political stuff. He might be good at that."
 
"Yeah, alright," Cooger said. Despite wanting to toss it dismissively, to show the object what he thought of it, he made sure to set it down carefully, because he knew Dark cared about it, and he wasn't going to risk actually breaking it. "I love getting to come here and not have to cook for myself."

"He could be a Courtier. I imagine he would enjoy the clothes," Daizi said with a little smile, "Cooger would probably be Dark's personal bodyguard."
 
Alec giggled. "Maybe you should hire a maid for yourself who leaves things like crock pot meals for you," He suggested, leading the way to the house.

"I don't know what a courtier is, but probably," Xander agreed. "It sounds like something he'd like." He made certain everyone had everything they needed including drinks. "Alright. Food's ready. Where are the people to go with it?"
 
"That would be a really good look for me," Cooger laughed, clapping Alec on the back as they joined up with Dark, who had chosen to wait for them outside, rather than going into the house.

Turning to them when they walked up, he looked at Alec, "You did not answer me."

"We need a bell or something." Daizi frowned, "Go out and yell at them, if you would... It's kind of nice to have so many people around, though."
 
Alec looked a bit blank, all memory of any questions having flown from his mind. "Answer you? About what?" he asked worriedly.

"Don't say that. Next thing we know, you and Alec are going to be planning house parties and inviting all the neighbors," Xander grumbled. He went to the back door and called out, "Grub's on! Come get it while it's hot!"
 
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