How Green Becomes Wood

"Are you about to tell me being blind is my superpower?" Daizi asked a bit flatly, but then said, "I don't really mind the radioactive goop. I don't think I could be doing flips or most of what he does, even if I can do most normal adult activities."
 
"How could being blind be a superpower?" Xander frowned. "Nah, I just meant that because a lot of stuff is equally scary, that means blind people seem to push themselves to do way cooler stuff. I've seen videos of a guy who is losing his sight doing surfing and skate boarding, and he's doing pretty good. He does tend to run into people, though, on the waves."
 
"I don't know if we push ourselves to do cooler things, or if it just stands out more," Daizi mused, "Very little of what I've achieved I've done because I'm blind. I just am, but I've still... got s*** to do, right?"
 
"I actually think it's both, that it stands out more and a lot - not all, of course - do cooler stuff. Or at least stuff sighted people say is super scary," Xander commented. "Sure, you got sh** to do, but you go beyond just that. You do awesome stuff. Not 'cause you're blind, just 'cause you want to. Not everyone can say that no matter how 'normal' or 'unnormal' they might be."
 
"I think we have a lot more to prove. Which sucks, because we shouldn't, but we do." She tucked her hair back, appreciating Xander thought she was cool, but at the same time not really knowing what to say in this situation. "You'd be shocked at how many people act like me being functional is some sort of miracle."
 
Xander grunted. He knew all too well what it was like to have to prove himself. Even after two years of living with Dark and Daizi, a couple of the teachers at the school still looked at him as if they expected the same-old Xander with temperamental explosions and terrible grades and sleeping in school and fights. Also, for some reason, cheating. He'd never cheated once! His grades proved that. Actually, his grades had significantly improved even if they weren't where some people might have wanted them to be. He still technically passed all his classes. He'd heard one teacher express the opinion that the only reason he'd passed in the past was because none of the teachers wanted to have him twice in a row.

"We're almost home," he reported as they reached their street. "The lightening is pretty impressive. Almost as impressive as the thunder."
 
"I wish I could see it. It's probably not healthy, but I have a list of things I'd like to see, if I could. I'd like to see lightning. Dark says I look like a storm over the sea. I'd really like to see lightning." Daizi told him, trying and failing to imagine it, her only frame of reference was the shock from static electricity, which seemed pitiful in comparison to the might of thunder, "I hope they're not too worried about us."
 
"Most of the time, I don't think lightening is all that," Xander admitted. "It's just a bright light, that's it. But sometimes, when it's really, really big, then it's cool. I think if I couldn't see, the one thing I'd want to be able to see would be..." He hesitated. "I'm going to have to think about that. I don't know." He pulled into the driveway and stopped. "They can stop worrying about us now!"
 
"If you think of it, let me know. I'm curious. You've had sixteen years of eye sight, I'm sure it's a lot harder to decide. I don't know what anything looks like, but I think, if I had to choose only one thing to see, it wouldn't be lightning. I'd like to see..." She stopped herself, knowing the answer was Dark. They had spent so many years together, she had so many hours in the tattoo parlor with him without being able to see what he was so dedicated to having placed in his skin, she wanted to see him. She yearned to see what shade of black his hair was and if it was the same shade as his beard, and see the way he looked at her and let him finally see her look back. And his tattoos... she'd never say it to her son, but she'd have him undress so she could see all of them and finally truly appreciate his artistry. But all of that felt... wrong, somehow. Like it wasn't the answer she should give, so she corrected herself, "my family. If you all crowded in around each other, I could make the argument I'm looking at one thing."

Daizi couldn't help but sigh in relief when they parked: She trusted Xander, and liked being able to spend time alone with him, but the storm was heavy, and sometimes the car shook with the thunder. "Good. Should we run inside, do you think?"
 
Xander could vuess that Daizi would choose either Dark or Ivy, probably Dark, as her one thing to see, but he appreciated that she included them as her second choice.

"Yeah, we should probably make a break for it unless we want to stay here for a few hours," he said, retrieving the pan before opening his door. "On your mark, get set, don't face plant of Ba will never forgive me, go!"
 
"Alright," Daizi said, psyching herself up as she went to open the door, before hurrying outside and up onto the porch. It was a blessing it was covered, it meant they didn't have to stand in the rain as she got the door open, so it wasn't too long of a dash. The moment the front door was open, even over the sounds of the rain, was the sounds of Ivy's pitiful, fearful cries. The sound was enough to make Daizi nearly forget to remove her shoes and touch the salt before hurrying in, no longer minding the rain.
 
Xander let her go first and shook the rain out of his eyes as he kicked off his shoes and touched the salt. They might have to replace the salt after this. It was a little damp now. Leaving Daizi to look after Ivy and calm her down, he went and washed the tube pan thoroughly and left it to dry. Now it was ready for whenever they were ready!
 
"I probably shouldn't hold her if I'm sopping wet, I don't want her to get sick," Daizi realized, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her husband and stroking their screaming child's hair.

"Go change," Dark advised her.

"Are you okay down here?"

"I am okay," He promised, although he was admittedly feeling a bit overwhelmed with just how inconsolable Ivy was. "Go change into something dry."
 
The twins stayed out of the way while Dark and Diazi looked after Ivy. They didn't feel they could help much, anyway. So, they kept Enkidu occupied and did their own things while watching the storm and waiting for it to pass. Someday, Ivy would enjoy these storms, but not right now.
 
Ivy screamed until she couldn't anymore and fell asleep exhausted and tear-stained in her mother's arms. After standing still for a little while to make sure the quiet wasn't just temporary, Daizi went into the living room and dropped onto the couch about as elegantly as someone holding a sleeping baby could, and Dark joined her soon after, stretching his legs out. That had been miserable and exhausting. With one hand, Dark reached out and scratched Enkidu behind his ear and then tipped his own head back and shut his eyes.
 
The next morning dawned a little quieter and calmer. After breakfast, Xander turned his attention to angel food cake. He sorted through the recipes Alec had found and picked the one he felt seemed the most reliable. Then came making absolutely certain they had everything needed for the cake. Only once he was sure everything was ready did he go to find Daizi. "Hey. Wanna make a cake?"
 
Up in her study, Daizi had been getting some work done, but when Xander offered and excuse to do anything else, she gladly took it, "Oh, absolutely. I'd love a break from this anyway: so much of my job is a lot less interesting than you'd expect it to be. Have you ever made a meringue before?"
 
"Remind me how you can't wait to go back to work?" Xander asked her, teasing lightly. He understood that even a job you loved could be all fun and games. "Nope, never made one. I understand the basic idea, but I've never tried."
 
"Do you remember the pandemic?" Daizi asked, turning around in her chair, "I actually don't know if you would, but--I'm one of those people who feels their job just isn't the same if they can't interact with people. I like being able to easily know what everyone else is doing, you know?" She waved one hand as she stood up, "But, I don't think I could handle those long days at the office now. Meringue can be tricky, but the storm made the humidity drop, so we aren't fighting against anything. Come on, we've got eggs to separate."
 
"I don't really remember it, no, but that does make sense," Xander said, heading down into the kitchen. "I think I have everything set up. I'm not sure where Alec got off too, but I can go grab him for egg seperating duty. He's gotta work a bit for this cake, too. Then again... maybe we should just put him to clean-up duty."
 
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