How Green Becomes Wood

"I was going to say 'Prince' surpasses 'Sir,' but Sir Gawain is son of King Lot of Orkney, is a prince, but is still called Sir," Daizi mused, "Certainly, if we played a game like that in the times of peace, we'd be able to choose who we are. But if I was already a sorceress along the lines of Morgana le Fey, I'm not sure who I would dream to be."

"I would probably pretend to be the lawless rogue of my dreams," Dark said idly.

"As if you didn't discover your birthright as king after years of lawlessness," Daizi pointed out, "You, darling, have never been raised amongst royalty, and that's what makes you special."

"That is why I would be that man again in the game. Who does not miss their wild years just a little bit?"
 
"Me," Xander said bluntly. "I don't miss mind. I don't miss yours, either."

"Hmm, I can't say I miss Xander's wild years, either," Alec agreed.

"But if you want to relive them via a game, sure, that's cool. Sounds like fun," Xander said with a nod.
 
"But you forget," Dark chuckled, "There are two kinds of wild years. I had my years were your mother and I were broken up, and I was being self-destructive and hurting others---and I had my wild years where we were back together, broke, and working crushing jobs while going to school. Those are the good variety of wild years. I do not know if you have experienced those yet."
 
"I didn't think the second kind could be called 'wild years,' Xander frowned. "I've never heard anyone describe it like that before. Wild years were always supposed to be... wild. Kind of fun. Couch surfing. Nothing to do with horrible jobs."
 
"It was kind of fun," Dark explained, "because in between being yelled at for telling a customer they could not be refunded their meal because they had already eaten all of it, and stressing about finals, and stressing about bills---I was in my late twenties, sharing an apartment with the woman I would end up marrying and the man who is still my very best friend. And I do not think it would have been half as fun if we were already settling into our dream jobs, instead we were going out to dive bars and staying up too late together."

"It was a lot of fun," Daizi agreed nostalgically, "It's hard to explain. It'd be two in the morning and we'd be in tears laughing over nothing, sitting on the floor of the living room."
 
"We lived with you, didn't we?" Xander asked.

Alec smiled as he glanced between his parents. "We already have so many good memories, and we are going to be overflowing with so many more!"
 
Daizi smiled, appreciating the compliment, and smoothed the back of Alec's hair with one hand, "Habibi, I think neither of you fully realize quite how young you both are. You don't even know yet what freedom you'll have in your twenties."

"Like when you protested during Arab Spring," Dark commented, knowing she was exactly twenty then.

"Back when twitter was helpful to anything," She replied, "but I probably shouldn't call it fun, although it was exhilarating."
 
"Depending on what you're protesting, it can be. They can be a truly bonding experience, and if you're at one where you aren't at risk of being tear gassed or hit with rubber bullets, or real ones, sometimes in addition to the chants and signs there's music and dancing. They aren't all extremely intense. The ones in 2011, though, those were a lot."

"Those were frightening days," Dark replied, "Cooger and I did almost nothing but sit in front of the TV for all 18 days of the protests in Egypt. I did my best to stay aware of what was happening in the other countries, but during those 18 days..."
 
The twins glanced at each other. The weight of Dark's words felt like they took some of the light out of the sky and oxygen from the air. They wanted to act like it was nothing, like he did, but there was so much to take in! There was so much they didn't understand and probably never would understand. How could they?

"Anyway," Xander said, "sounds like a music festival might be only slightly more dangerous. We should go to one together sometime."

"Sometimes they are fundraisers or to raise awareness, too," Alec offered brightly.
 
"I enjoy music festivals, but you have to be careful about which one you go to, or you end up accidentally trying something you didn't intend to or overheating," Daizi joked.

"I miss Warped Tour so much," Dark sighed heavily, "They brought it back in 2025, I had hoped it was marking a permanent return."
 
"That's why we should always go with someone we trust!" Alec said cheerfully.

"Isn't there some kind of concert thing, not like a rock band, like the full orchestra type coming to town here in a month or so?" Xander asked.

Alec nodded. "One of our teachers mentioned it. It's a benefit concert for... something. I can't remember what, but I can look into it."
 
"That sounds like it could be very nice, I will have to ask Rose about it, I am certain she knows all of the details." Dark replied, referring to their music teacher, one of the few teachers he was slowly realizing were his friends.

"I bet Ciara would really enjoy going to see an orchestra," Daizi mused.
 
"She would, I bet. Maybe we should make a date of it with all of us!" Alec suggested. "I remember it's not for a while, so there's time to plan."

"If it's for a good cause, I guess it wouldn't be too bad," Xander agreed with a shrug.
 
"Not long after our vow renewal, a musical that was highly recommended to me is going to be performing here. I've mentioned it before, I still think the four of us should go," Daizi said, "My friends forbid me from looking up any information about it, but they said I'd absolutely adore it."
 
"I think so. It's about a famous Greek myth, but I don't want to tell you which one and have you spoil it for yourself," Daizi replied easily, "I was told the myth, and I already know it, but I'm told it's fairly on-pace with the myth, but not told in the way you'd expect, and the music isn't your classic Broadway sound either."

"It will be nothing at all like Cats," Dark assured Xander specifically. Then, consoled Alec, "I believe it is unlikely to feature much glitter, but I do not know, I may be incorrect."

"I'll tell you two of the characters are Hades and Persephone. But I'm only telling you that because it's called Hadestown, which makes it a bit obvious."
 
"Okay, that sounds like it could be cool," Xander agreed slowly, still suspicious but willing to consider the possibility of going.

Alec grinned. "That sounds AWESOME!! I really want to go! What should I wear? Do you think Ba will be confused for one of the actors? Will we take Ivy, or will we get a sitter for her?"
 
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