How Green Becomes Wood

"If you do one final performance, you have to tell us, so we can all go and see you out," Daiz said, tipping her head back to enjoy the late September light. It'd be getting cold soon. "Unless you'd rather go out quietly, then we'll respectfully stay far away."

"I think you will enjoy the added free time on your weekends," Dark said, still watching him for a few moments before looking away, "And it will be a good story to tell, one day. When Ivy calls you lame and boring you can tell her you used to be in a band."
 
Xander snorted. "She'll never call me lame or boring. I'll be a legend to her." He smirked, but inside, he was sadder than he expected to be leaving the band. It wasn't something he wanted to stay with, but it had been a lot of fun and a new experience. Maybe they'd find a way where he could join them just for fun sometimes. Find a way to recapture the fun of just playing.
 
"When she is a teenager, she will find all of us embarrassing," Dark replied, "But you can see if you can convince her otherwise."

After a little while, Daizi said, "It will be nice watching the talent show with you, this year."
 
"Says the guy who doesn't like when people assume teens are the worst," Xander said dryly. "With you guys as parents, I dunno. I don't think she'll find you embarrassing at all unless someone tells her you are." He glanced at Daizi. "Yeah? You're looking forward to that?"
 
"She will not find you embarrassing because she is a teenager, she will find you embarrassing because you will be in your thirties," Dark replied slyly.

"Of course I am," Daizi replied, "I'm excited to do anything with you, and I was always excited to listen to you perform. If you don't like performing, then I like sitting with you."
 
"Oh, come on!" Xander groaned. He grabbed a handful of grass and chucked it at Dark. (It didn't work well as most of the grass blew away, but a small bit made it to its target.) "I'm going to stay young forever!" He smirked at Dark. "You, on the other hand, will be ancient."
 
With his little smirk, Dark brushed the blades from his suit, "Nothing makes a person look older than holding desperately onto youth."

"We'll look good ancient," Daizi said, brushing off the grass that had landed on her during the toss, "Our souls already are."
 
"I believe Dhampirs age," Dark said, although he wasn't certain, "They are not themselves immortal."

"Mm, he wouldn't be a Dhampir, because he's not ours from birth. You would need to turn him." Daizi mused, her eyes shut, "I don't know if I have magic to stop aging."

"You must have, or else a cure for vampirism, I will not be immortal alone, and if we are, they must be." Dark commented, scratching his beard, "but if we control granting immortality, then I will wait until he is not young purely to spite him."
 
"True. It would be nice to be a little older. Then I can do more stuff. Like get into casinos and bars and stuff," Xander said with a smirk. "Oh, and own land for a horse or ten."
 
"If we were a different family, we'd do a Disney group costume, and you could be the cowboy toy," Daizi commented, trying to recall the last time she had been shown Toy Story.

"Cooger is considering adopting a goat, but he does not have the space for a horse," Dark said, looking back at the bandstand, "Casinos are overwhelming, but I enjoy playing poker."
 
"At first he wanted it for the milk," Daizi explained languidly, "but then I explained to him he had to keep breeding the goat to keep milk production," and maybe was a bit too graphic about how it physically felt to be producing, but she didn't mention that, "I don't know why he still wants one."

"He is considering it for fiber, but he admits sheep or an alpaca would be better for that, but he also thinks it would help keep the grass at the proper length. I honestly think he just likes them." He looked at Xander, "And of course I know how to play Poker."
 
"I don't know a thing about goats other than I think they eat tin cans. I saw it in a book when I was six," Xander remarked. He looked at Dark. "Wanna teach me, then? I know a bit, but I've never had anyone to play against."
 
"I suppose I could," Dark commented, "Cooger knows how to play too, and so does Daizi, but she is not particularly skilled at it."

"It's not my fault, I have an expressive face and I can't read everyone else's tells," Daizi whined.

"Regardless, I will not bet actual money with you, Xander."
 
Daizi recollected fondly on an old game of strip poker, but kept the memory to herself.

"We will find something, surely."

"I wonder how old Ivy has to be before we could teach her to play," Daizi joked, folding her arms behind her head, "Imagine a three year old at the poker table, beating all of the old men."
 
"What a fun family gambit for us," Daizi grinned, "We can start swindling, like in... uh... I don't know, I think there's a movie about that kind of heist. Nobody would suspect the four year old!"

"I think raising your child to help commit crime is probably not sound parenting," Dark said dryly, looking down at her.

"It's better than becoming a family vlogger,"

"Maybe, but that is not a high bar."
 
"Not to mention a criminal record would really restrict the mini later in life," Xander snickered.

A new song came on, another one he didn't recognize but it sounded older. He found himself nodding along again as a couple of other people got up to dance to the song. It was a good song for dancing.
 
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