How Green Becomes Wood

Daizi smiled, turning to face the twins, "I'm really glad to. We're so fond of them, I don't know if they really realize, or if they're able to realize yet, but... They really have become family. Although, they can definitely be a handful. The temper Xander has can be... a lot."

"Thank you, I do my best. I had to teach myself to cook," Dark replied, earnestly humble, but both he and Daizi froze slightly upon hearing that particular name, "Did you say Mr. Leeds? I am certainly sorry you had to have pleasant dealings with that man."

"I just hope you didn't have to meet Mrs. Leeds, or their son." Daizi added, lightly touching her face. She still vividly recalled what that woman had done and said.
 
Mr. Hollis paused in the act of lifting his cup to his mouth, his eyes quickly darting back and forth between them. "I have to admit, I did not expect you to know them," he said, setting his cup down without getting a drink. "I don't think I even realized they had a son."

Mrs. Hollis frowned, seeming to be searching through her memory. "Yes, I think Mrs. Leeds mentioned it that time when we had that get-together? What was his name? London?"

"No, it had something to do with an X-Man," Mr. Hollis said.

"Hmm, then it is lost to me there," Mrs. Hollis said in amusement.

Mr. Hollis waved a hand. "In any case, we've met them a couple of times casually for business reasons, but it seems that you two have had something a little more... impressionable?" He looked at Dark, truly serious for the first time since they arrived.
 
"Their son was formally enrolled at my school. Our school, I suppose," He gestured between himself and the teenagers, "And was a monster in ways words are not enough to describe. He bullied not only the twins but nearly everyone else who dared exist in his presence. He was a menace, but of course never faced any consequences, because his parents donated to the school, and nobody dared to risk the income."

Daizi made a sign to ward against evil, "The terribly racist things he said about Dark, I can't even repeat them, the slurs he used. And not just racial ones, he would use homophobic slurs, too, if he deemed it fitting, it was horrendous. Even before we began to foster the twins, Dark would come home with stories--we never particularly liked the name Logan, but if we had, it would have been instantly crossed off the list--and so after the incidents with our boys became too much to sit idly about, we held a meeting with his parents, and they actually accused Dark, and the rest of the teachers, of being the problem. And Mr. Leeds shamed my degree, calling it 'impractical,' and Mrs. Leeds kept accusing us of being 'jealous' since 'they' had money and 'we' did not, which..." She waved her hand in a loose circle, indicating their home, "I think really just shows the presumptions they make about others. And they claimed they couldn't possibly be at all racist since they 'work with Middle Easterners' as if that absolves them of anything." She huffed, clearly having not at all forgiven a word the Leeds had said during their meeting.

"Ultimately," Dark said, hoping to not work his wife up too far, "they decided to withdraw their son from the school and enroll him elsewhere."

"And then they threatened Dark's job! They said they were withdrawing their donation and saying Dark was the reason why, and expressly said it was because even if he could not be fired, they hoped it would at least damage his career! Then, as one final blow, Celia Leeds handed me the buisness card to her plastic surgeon and told me he can fix even the 'worst' of cases. They are an absolute family of soulless creatures. It was a good thing I was a lot less pregnant, then, because I can only imagine the cruel remarks they would have made." Dark rubbed her shoulder as she took a frustrated sip of her drink--and in that moment dearly, dearly missed being able to drink wine--and at last she concluded with, "I do not like to gossip, and I do not consider myself a gossip, but that family deserves to be dragged through the mud."
 
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Daizi had gotten so worked up that Peter and the twins ceased their discussion of trying to figure out which band Richie Blackmore belonged to and watched the show. Peter had no clue who they were talking about, but it was interesting to see Dark so animated and Daizi so angry when they were both normally so collected. Xander figured out who was the cause of the frustration quickly enough, and a dark scowl crossed his face. Alec nibbled lightly on a knuckle as he watched Daizi anxiously. Should she be getting this worked up? It couldn't be healthy.

Mr. and Mrs. Hollis exchanged a glance, and it seemed they communicated something with that look. Then they looked away, and Mrs. Hollis flicked a hand dismissively. "They must be new money," she said with evident disdain. "Perhaps even a lottery winner of some such other nonsense. A few are good people even with the money, others let it go to their heads and can claim temporary insanity, but people like this Leeds family, tch." She shook her head. "I knew they were a bit off from the moment we met them, but it was always in a crowd or when they were trying to impress us, never one on one like that. Truly horrendous people!"

"I feel like I need to apologize for even being polite to them," Mr. Hollis admitted. "Well, at least it ended well. Your school must be a better place after losing itself from that ruffian. Tell me, did your career suffer at all? Were your administration at least smart enough to realize that you were not to blame for that royal-" he caught himself before saying an impolite word amongst relative strangers at their dinner table. "Mess," he concluded.
 
Daizi exhaled, and with the breath recollected herself, "I apologize for getting so worked up, it was just such an awful experience, and frightening, also, to know there are still people like that in the world, that children are still being brought up to think that way. Our baby is, presumably, going to look like us, and to imagine people saying to her the terrible things their son said about Dark is so painful, because we had hoped things had improved since we were young."

"As far as I am aware, no, my career has remained stable. There was a meeting about it, but most of the other faculty were on my side. If there is a black mark in my record somewhere, I do not know about it, and I only hope it does not come up later when we discuss paternity leave or, in the further flung future, I attempt to be promoted. In the meanwhile, the PE teacher has become my biggest fan, since the son was a terrible player but was expected to remain on the football team, and the student body seem thrilled to not have him gone, so as a teacher, it is what it is. As their foster parent, I take it as a win." Dark replied, not particularly worried about if the Leeds Affair would come back to haunt him someday. He doubted it would.

"I believe in karma," Daizi added, "and we were working for good, and they for ill, so surely I expect it to all balance out appropriately, some day."
 
Mrs. Hollis smiled at Daizi. "I'm not certain if I believe in karma exactly, but I agree in a more vague sense, yes. I fully believe that people like that do eventually reap what they sew. Some plants just take longer to grow than others."

"It's a good thing that won't haunt you or I might have a mind to talk to the administration myself," Mr. Hollis huffed. "I do try not to be the type of parent who involves themself too much in their child's affairs, but you are truly Peter's favorite. What can a father do but play hero and keep his favorite teacher in school?"
 
"I like that. Some things take longer to grow... and it goes both ways," Daizi replied, glad to have met Peter's parents. She stood up from the table, "Could I interest you in dessert?"

"I am not too proud to advise you against it. Perhaps I used to be, but," He looked up at his wife, "Priorities change. I do not anticipate any future fall out, but if it ever did," He shrugged, "but I am very glad to know I have made a positive impression on your son."
 
"Please, let me help you!" Mrs. Hollis offered graciously, standing up. "More hands mean fewer trips, and if your feet feel anything like how mine felt, I imagine that'll be a relief."

Mr. Hollis leaned back in his chair. "So, tell me, what other interests do you have outside of teaching? You don't strike me as the type of man where his work encompasses all."
 
"Oh, thank you. It's actually not so bad, although I expect that to change going forward. Right now I just have the occasional round ligament pain, you know? But they say this is the easiest it'll be," She said, leading Mrs. Hollis into the kitchen, "I was hoping to surprise you. I made Om Ali, since you lived in Egypt and loved it, I'm sure you've probably missed having it." The fetched the traditional bread pudding from where it had been warming.

Dark watched the women go into the kitchen, feeling a bit weird about letting his pregnant wife and the only other woman at the table go to serve them. He had himself been only moments away from offering. Wanting to do something, he stood and began clearing the plates to make room on the table for dessert, "I enjoy cooking, obviously, and I do most of the cleaning, which Tarot keeps telling me I should not count as a hobby. Besides that, though, I draw often, sketches mostly, and I do wood carvings. For years I have been slowly creating a fully functional miniature carnival, it has expanded so much we have an entire room for it."
 
Mrs. Hollis' eyes lit up. "Oh, that is truly a treat! I am so excited! The last time I had it, I was just barely out of college and experiencing my first Ramadan. I am not a follower of that faith, but I was trying to be polite. Outside of my most likely offensive curiosity." She laughed and shook her head at herself. "I would be delighted to help you carry this amazing dish in to the men."

Mr. Hollis hastily stood and started helping Dark with the plates. "Sketches and wood carvings? I'd love to see those if you care to share. I do photography, myself, though I wouldn't say I'm much more than a passionate amateur. I find it relaxing. If you do sketches, did you design your tattoos?"
 
"I think it is better to be overzealous in your appreciation for and willingness to adapt to a different country's culture than it is to demand the world change for you. For me, I am culturally Muslim, I was raised under the faith, but I do not practice it, so I only follow the traditions of Ramadan if the month happens to fall during the time I visit my father, I try to respect his faith when I am in his home. There are a few traditions we keep to, like we don't eat pork, because since neither of us grew up eating it, we never really developed the taste for it," Daizi replied, returning to the dining room, grateful for the help, "but for the most part, I've fully adopted my own little form of paganism, although I dislike the term because it is, in my opinion, far too broad, and Dark is an atheist."

When Dark passed by his wife, he gently put his hand on her waist. It was something he only did with her, he was not the sort of person who passed by all women that way, but it helped her to know where he was, "You are welcome to see them. The carvings especially I have an entire shed in the backyard specifically for my workspace. The sketches can be a bit too personal, so I would need to be absolutely sure of which sketchbook I showed you," After setting the plates in the sink--to be dealt with later--he looked at his hand, and rolled up one sleeve to see further up his arm, "I am asked that frequently, actually. I did design them. Some of them I even inked myself--there was a time, before I became a teacher, where I considered being a tattoo artist."
 
"That makes a lot of sense," Mrs. Hollis said as she helped Daizi set the table.

Mr. Hollis looked at Dark speculatively. "I can both see it and not see it for you. A tattoo artistry seems like it'd be rather service industry-driven, if you know what I mean, but a very particular service. That certainly would have been interesting to see. Me? I'm scared of needles. I passed out when we had to get checked before flying over here for a green card." He chuckled at his on weakness.

"I could never get a tattoo because they are too permanent and I am too flighty," Mrs. Hollis admitted. "I have yet to think of something that I feel strongly enough about to get inked into my skin, no matter how beautiful the art."
 
"That is when you get one on your back, you do not need to see the needles then," Dark replied, gently teasing, "to be honest, I cannot remember exactly why I decided against it. I would probably earn more as a tattoo artist, and be able to make my own hours... but when my buisness was just being established I would not have as much freedom." That seemed about why he had changed his mind, having thought about it.

"I don't have any tattoos because Dark has enough for the both of us," Daizi laughed, reaching out to her husband as he sat back down, "It kills me sometimes that I can't see them. And that's another reason why I don't have any--I'd go through all of that for something I couldn't even enjoy." Still... She touched her pinky finger. Ever since Dark had mentioned it, she had kept thinking about surprising him with the red string tattoo. Sure she wouldn't be able to see it, but that wasn't the point.
 
"If it was on my back, then I wouldn't be able to see it," Mr. Hollis grinned, eyes sparkling.

"Oh, my goodness, this is truly divine!" Mrs. Hollis sighed in bliss, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the flavors of the food.
 
Daizi beamed, extremely proud of the compliment, "Thank you. It's a family recipe. And it was the first thing I ever cooked for Dark."

"And if I was not already in love with you, I would have fallen for you then," He said with complete sincerity, but then, so as not to risk making his guests uncomfortable with his ardent love said, "I certainly hope it does not affect any of you in the same way, or else we may have problems. But," He looked at Mr. Hollis, "I find mirrors are a very useful tool for seeing your back."
 
Mr. Hollis just laughed before taking a bite. His eyes widened and then he closed them. "Hmm, are you sure you are happy in this marriage, my lady Daizi?" he asked. "I mean, your husband clearly reserves his adoration and never shows you any affection."

Mrs. Hollis gave his arm a slight swat. "I would ask for the recipe, but I am hopeless in the kitchen."
 
She giggled and then forced herself to sigh heavily, as if she were weary and world-worn, "Oh, I know, isn't it tragic? He never shows me any love or kindness at all... but even still, I must preserve, for the children," She dramatically touched her baby bump, "And what more could I do? Even with his coldness towards me, I," she failed to keep the true devotion from her voice, although she certainly did her best to seem merely melodramatic, "love him too much to ever stray. He means far, far too much to me."

Beside her, Dark completely softened, and chuckling quietly to himself said, instantly, "You see, Jack, she is equally unfeeling towards me. It is truly an entirely political union and a sham marriage."

"Oh, entirely a marriage of convenience... And if you can't cook it for yourself, you'll just have to come over more often."
 
"Well, if you ever do decide to stray, and my wife doesn't mind, you can stray my way... with a bowl of this!" Mr. Hollis grinned, lifting his bowl. Then, realizing his mistake, he recovered by saying, "or any other delicious food you might choose to make."

"If you offer us an open door like that, we shall truly become hopeless hangers-on, waiting on your doorstep to be fed every day like stray animals," Mrs. Hollis giggled.
 
Dark looked down at his wife, and even though he knew the answer, still chose to ask, "You would not?"

"Goose," She turned up to him, "I'm six feet tall and you can lift me up with one arm, I'm yours for life."

"Good."

"Good," She smiled, and leaning against him said, "and I hope you notice, neither of them were prepared to destroy their marriage for your cooking," Looking at the couple she said, "I hope you don't start begging for scraps, we don't always cook like this."
 
Mr. Hollis chuckled softly. "You are quite a pair," he said with a smile. "No, we shan't come begging. While we might not be the best cooks in the world, we do manage to keep ourselves reasonably well-fed.

"Reasonably," Mrs. Hollis repeated with a twinkle in her eye. "But, ah, well, I suppose we shall just have to drop by now and again when we hear it's a special day."
 
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