How Green Becomes Wood

Daizi reacted as a polite audience member, often laughing just a few moments after the rest of the audience, since the physical jokes needed to be explained to her, but she was enjoying it.

When the actor tried to speak to Xander, it was completely lost on her, and she just smiled along until Dark leaned over and whispered, "He tried to speak to Xander, Xander was unwilling," at which point she snorted with laughter.
 
The show moved on, and the actors found a different, far more willing youth to go along with them. The comedy increased as the play continued, and Xander found himself unable to hold back a few snickers of his own at some of the jokes. The actors played off each other well, and their chemistry was hysterical! The play finally ended with the mystery concluding as one of the youngest HOA members having decided to pull some sort of real estate scam (he wasn't sure he fully understood it, but many of the other audience members seemed to follow just fine) by forcing out the older generation and bringing in the young ones. The snarling, angry HOA member pronounced that they had the added benefit of not having to constantly fight the "grandfather clauses" and the dusty old bones to get anything approved! They could finally get things done and have an orderly neighborhood! As they were led away, one of the old men commented how they wondered how the HOA member was going to feel when they joined the ranks of the "dinosaurs" in a couple of decades. The play ended with all three gentlemen heading out on vacation to finally enjoy themselves! Bickering and all.
 
Dark couldn't help but chuckle at the conclusion. It, perhaps, wasn't a bad idea, considering how HOAs were, and both he and Daizi applauded politely at the end.

"I don't think it was a show I'd ever have chosen to see on my own, but it was fun, even though I missed a lot, I think," Daizi commented, stretching, "Did you enjoy it, Xander?"

"I enjoyed not being called upon," Dark said, although he did, admittedly, enjoy the rest of the show too.
 
"It wasn't quite what I thought it was going to be from the description, but, yeah, it was pretty cool," Xander admitted. "It was fun to try out something new that wasn't much of a commitment, you know? We could just walk away if we didn't like it. Made it easier to stay and see what was what."

The stage was being cleaned up, which took remarkably little time, and Xander realized that most of the people who had set up the stage and were now taking it down were the actors. There were others, too, but a good number of the people who'd been on stage also helped carry off the furniture. The band came up next and started setting up their instruments.
 
"It definitely isn't a show I would've chosen to see on my own," Daizi said, turning her head slightly to the side, "How well rounded of all of us to step outside of our comfort zones!"

"I had expected it was going to be more similar to an improv show," Dark admitted, and he didn't know if he was relieved or disappointed to be wrong, "I think I will enjoy the band more."

"How is your band going, Xander?"
 
"Nah, you don't embarrass us. Not in the least," Xander assured her. "It's kind of cool when you're in the crowd. Makes for one less heckler, too." Then, knowing the next question he was going to get, he said, "Heckling doesn't happen often. When it does, it's usually college kids in a mood. The threat of loosing out on pizza usually makes them quiet down instead of getting kicked out."
 
"It's good the hecklers aren't worse, if I was there and they started yelling at you, I'd brawl them," She said with the utmost confidence.

"Yes, you would, too," Dark replied, shaking his head, "and what a lesson it would teach them."

"Yeah, it'd teach them not to mess with our kids," She grinned, "I bet I could get one good hit in."
 
Xander snickered at the thought of Daizi fighting a group of college kids. It was a great image!

Up on stage, the band was ready. They tapped out a few opening notes and then settled into their first song. The Wall by Pink Floyd. Xander leaned back on the grass and stretched out his legs as the familiar tune rang out over the park. He still was not a fan of Pink Floyd, but it was highly tolerable and even enjoyable in short doses.
 
Dark and Daizi sat with him, and since Dark loved the entire "The Wall" album, he was quietly thrilled it was what the band chose to open with. Very naturally dropping in to rest her shoulder against Dark's, Daizi nodded along. It wasn't really a song you could dance to.

"It is not a fun song at all, so I'd be shocked if they played it," Dark said, "but I still think Comfortably Numb is the best one on this album."
 
"It's a weird way to start a song set, but I guess they decided to just jump straight into it," Xander said dryly. In his opinion, Pink Floyd dragged perfectly good songs on way, way too long, so he settled in to wait it out. Then, to his surprise, the band shorted the song. Just a little, but enough to notice. Likely because they wanted to fit more songs into their set. Next came a song from My Chemical Romance. He frowned, recognizing the song as one Dark occasionally played but not remembering the name.
 
Dark leaned forward at the first few notes. He knew this song very, very well, and the way Daizi giggled, it was clear she did too, and she scrambled to her feet, pulling her husband with her, "It's our wedding song!" She exclaimed, "Xander, I don't know if you know this, we had our first dance at our wedding to this song!"
 
"That's why it's familiar," Xander realized. He'd heard bits here and there but had never actually listened to it before. It was not a bad song, and the band did well. He watched his parents dance, not at all embarrassed, but amused and unwilling to join them.
 
Although Daizi knew she'd start dancing eventually, she didn't expect it to be at the second song. But how could they not? It was the song they had their first dance to! Of course, at their wedding it was to a beautiful acoustic arrangement of it, but they knew the lyrics. And still remembered their choreography, because it's not like they didn't make full use of it every single time this song played and dancing was an option.

Terrified of what I'd be
As a kid, from what I've seen
Every single day, when people try
And put the pieces back together
Just to smash them down

Turn my headphones up real loud
I don't think I need them now
'Cause you stop the noise, and
If you stay, I would even wait all night

Or until my heart explodes
How long until we find our way
In the dark and out of harm?
You can run away with me
Anytime you want

It still made her want to cry as she danced with him, and for the moment Dark forgot about Xander, as guilty as he'd feel about that later. It was supposed to be a day out for the three of them, but there wasn't a single more exciting or distracting song for either of them, especially not so shortly after they had decided to renew their vows.
 
Xander didn't mind being forgotten for this. If it was nearly anything else, it would have bothered him, but for now, knowing it was the wedding song and guessing the dance was their wedding dance, it was alright. He waited patiently as they danced. It was all very sentimental and eye-roll worthy, but what could he do? He just shrugged mentally and accepted it for what it was.

The song ended eventually, and a new song he didn't recognize started playing. It was in a similar tone as the one that just ended, but not a MCR song. Not having any idea what it was, he watched Dark and Daizi curiously to see if they'd keep dancing or sit.
 
When the next song started to play, Dark and Daizi sat back down with Xander. Grinning brightly, delighted Dark committed to the lifts in the dance, Daizi said, "I'm sorry, we probably shouldn't have left you. That song just means so much to us, I couldn't resit."

"I think they are playing a Panic at the Disco song, now," Dark commented, holding his wife's hand now that they were sitting, "It is a good set list."

"It's Nine in the Afternoon," Daizi commented, nodding her head along in rhythm, "Alec would like this one."
 
"Hey, you picked this," Daizi laughed, and would've bumped shoulders with him, if she could, "You could have chosen anything in the world. I really thought we'd end up going horseback riding, I didn't get to go last year."

"We can another time," Dark promised.
 
"I thought about it," Xander chuckled, "but I wanted to try something different for our first date out. It's not what I expected, but I don't hate it."

The song changed again, and this time, it was a song by Florence and the Machine. The singer was no Florence, but she did her best and clearly put her heart into every word of the song.
 
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