How Green Becomes Wood

Dark frowned in the mirror, holding the hair dryer in his hand, "Does my hair ever look like that?" Then he lifted a round brush, switched on the hair dryer. On the side of his part where most of his hair was, he worked it back at an angle, so it had volume and wouldn't just fall into his face without just slicking it back and calling it a day. He used the round brush similarly on the smaller portion of Xander's hair, but that time he did work straight backwards, so it had a bit of asymmetry and fit the teen's style while still looking nice. It took some time, but when it was all dry, his hair fell nicely.

"Okay," Dark switched off the hair dryer, "How is that?"
 
No, no it never did, but Xander did want to point out that Dark's hair was thicker than his. The hairdryer was on, and he didn't want to fight through the sound, so he let it go and submitted to the blasting of hot air and quick combing. Dark was fast, he'd give him that. He would have been faster had Xander's hair dried fast, but even so, he was quick to get his work done.

Xander looked at himself in the mirror and turned his head from side to side. "That's pretty sick," he admitted, approval and pleasure in his expression. "Perfect." He stood and checked himself once more. "Thanks. You're good at your work, sir."
 
"You are welcome," Dark replied, setting the hair dryer down, "Now do not mess it up before we have court, I worked too hard."

Poking her head inside the room, Daizi asked, "Are you finished? I just still need to get ready. My hair takes longer to dry than any of ours."
 
"Sorry, I'm out," Xander assured his mother, stepping out of the bathroom. "Ba just finished my hair. I gotta go finish getting dressed."

Xander headed to his own room and stopped by the second bathroom he and Alec used, checking in on his brother. Alec was still primping his hair, also dressed in only his undershirt and pants, carefully trying to get his almost shoulder-length hair to wave in just the right way. and then quickly gelling it to try to get it to hold. He'd forgone all but some very basic makeup today to even out his skin tone and highlight his eyes, and if Xander hadn't known to look for it, he wouldn't have realized Alec was wearing any makeup at all. He really was getting quite good at it. He went into the bedroom and finished getting dressed with a dove grey button-up shirt, black suit jacket, and a deep red tie that matched his ruby earing.

Alec came in as Xander was finishing and dressed in a black button-up shirt and a dove-grey suit jacket that matched his dove-grey pants, also putting on a deep red tie that was the twin of Xander's tie. They checked each other's ties since neither were very good at tying their own, made certain they hadn't messed up their hair, and carried out their freshly polished dress shoes.
 
Daizi took over Xander's place at the vanity, traded Ivy with Dark, and while he went to dress her, she began to blow dry her own hair. Then they switched Ivy off again, so he could apply just a bit of makeup to Daizi, then again so he could put on just a bit of concealer, then again so he could get dressed, then again so she could. It wasn't that they were holding her the entire time, but somebody needed to make sure she wasn't getting into trouble while they got ready. Mostly, when they traded off, one of them just sat playing with her in bed.

Finally, they were both dressed. Dark put on all black, down to an onyx tie pin, but his suit was broken up by subtle brocade patterning in his suit. Daizi dressed as normally as she could manage, having specifically bought a dark green dress for the occasion, although it still had ravens embroidered on the lapels, and she paired it with black tights. Her hair was braided elegantly but professionally back and tied at the bottom with a ribbon the same shade of green. That day, she made sure to choose her least outrageous sunglasses, although for the party she planned to switch them out for her bat wing ones.

When they met with the twins, Dark nodded his approval to them and then, after a moment, said, "You both stole my colour scheme."
 
"I think the correct word would be 'inherited' since we're your kids," Xander smirked, though he stood just a tad taller with his father's approval. "You're looking as vampiric as ever."

"Mama, you look fantastic!" Alec told his mother with a grin. "That color of green makes you look like a forest witch. You just need a cloak. Maybe black, no! Dark brown with an abstract pattern so it looks like wood."

"Except wood doesn't flap around like a cape," Xander pointed out.

Alec waved him off. "It's inspired by, not actually. Hmm. Maybe I should wear an earring. Do you think I should?"

Xander reached into his pocket and pulled out the mate to the one he was already wearing. He helped Alec align the magnetic back into place on his right earlobe and stepped back. "Like it?"

Alec smiled and nodded. "Now this is how you Twin."
 
"It is strange to see you both dressed like me," Dark mused. The longer he stared at the two of them, the more touched he felt. This was their family. Most days, sure, they didn't model themselves after him, but on this day, the day they made it legal, they had. That meant something. After a moment he swallowed, "Had I known... Ivy looks left out. Is the earring because of our wedding rings? The silver and ruby?"
 
"Yes," Xander said without hesitation. In truth, he thought it looked good because it matched his tie, but now that he thought about it, it did look like an echo of the wedding rings. He liked that idea even if it had not been his original idea.

"I just wanted to match him," Alec said truthfully, "but now that you mention it, yes, it does look kind of like your rings, doesn't it? I like that!"
 
"Silver and ruby jewelry always reminds me of our wedding rings," Dark replied, taking Ivy back from Daizi, "I am going to change her so she stands out a little bit less. We are ready on time, so there is no hurry."

Daizi walked to the door and picked up the diaper bag, pretending like someone had remembered to actually describe how the twins were dressed to her, "I half expected you to turn around and reveal you had a matching onesie for her," She grinned, "But you know, if we're all matching, we have to have a picture taken."
 
"I'm... okay with that," Xander said slowly.

Alec glanced at him in surprise. "Really?" he asked. Xander had always been the more resistant even though neither of them had liked their photos taken. Alec had softened with exposure to positive picture experiences, and, apparently, so had Xander. Maybe Milo had helped influence him some.

"Yeah," Xander shrugged as if it was no big deal. "I mean, it's a big day, isn't it? And, you know, memorable."

"Very true!" Alec said cheerfully. "When Ba comes back with Ivy, we'll set up a camera on a timer."
 
"We should take it in the garden," Daizi said, setting the diaper bag down again, "Cooger is going to meet us at the courthouse to comandeer Ivy while we go through the legal proceedings."

Dark came back downstairs not much later with Ivy dressed in a little black dress that had two red cherries on it, "I was saving this for the pumpkin patch, but this is a suitable time, I think. Now she is all dressed up too."
 
"Aw, Ivy is so cute!" Alec cooed. "Look at those adorable little shoes! Oh, Ba, Mama thinks - and we agree - that we should scurry out to the garden for a quick picture."

Xander was already on his way. "Let's get a move on before we go from being early to being late."

Alec giggled. "Mama, you should pick the spot."
 
"A picture, really?" Dark asked, surprised by their agreement given their normal distaste for them, "Okay."

"We have to take it with the roses, in front of the apple tree," Daizi replied immediately, whistling for Enkidu to follow them. After all, he was family too, "There's no other place."
 
"Sounds good to me," Xander agreed.

The twins found their place and had Enkidu come stand between them. Dark and Daizi, being taller, would fit at the back, and Ivy could be either held by Alec or by her parents situated so she could be seen between the twins' heads.
 
Dark set up the camera, making sure the frame included some of the flowers, and then took his place. Daizi held Ivy in her arms and Dark situated himself so he could have one arm around her waist and the other on Alec's shoulder. After having a few pictures taken, he fetched his phone to show them to Alec and Xander for their approval.
 
Alec nodded first. "They look good," he declared, trying to not look nervous. He still felt uneasy in front of the camera. It was not as bad as it used to be, but with how high his emotions were already running from what was going to happen today, everything he felt was amplified.

"Yeah," Xander agreed. "Can we... get them printed? Later?"
 
The twins headed out first, and Xander picked up Ivy's diaper bag, telling Daizi he'd done so as he went to the car. They piled in, Xander carefully tucking the bag in the usual spot, and grasped each other's hands. It was happening! It was really happening!
 
Neither Daizi nor Dark really knew what to say on the drive to court. It was such a big thing. Daizi sat feeling nothing but complete confidence, and she didn't even know if she could be excited, because she was so calm. Certainly, she wasn't giddy. This was right. This is what they needed, what they had earned. This was right. It was fated, she was sure of it. Dark was more nervous, he kept drumming on the steering wheel with his thumb, but soon enough he pulled into the parking lot and stepped out, staring up at the building. When Daizi stepped out, she went and took Ivy out of the car, murmuring to her what a big day it is.

"We should find where we are going," Dark said, "there is also going to be security."
 
The twins checked their pockets to make sure there wasn't anything that would set off a detector, but other than their wallets, their pockets were empty. Security was easy, just walking through a metal detector at the prompts of someone on via an intercom. Alec was trying not to panic about the security. What if he accidentally materialized a dangerous weapon?! He didn't, of course, and for the twins, it was smooth sailing.

Since adoption hearings were closed, they took place on the second floor behind a set of big, wooden doors with a security guard outside to make sure no one could randomly walk in. There was a hearing already going on, so the family had to wait on the benches in the hallway.
 
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