How Green Becomes Wood

"Thank you, I'll need it." Cooger chuckled, giving a fist bump to both boys before heading out.

That night, Dark and Daizi crawled into bed, separated by by a carefully built pillow wall, but found it difficult to actually sleep. It was such a big day, and they stayed up too late just talking. Even so, when Daizi woke that morning, it was to Dark carving more designs into their bed post, just as he had every anniversary.

Because Dark and Daizi needed to get ready at the venue, they suggested they take different cars so the twins didn't need to wait around at the venue doing nothing. It'd be easier for Ivy, too. Overall, her presence at the event caused minor stress, but since Amty Zeinab had stayed just long enough to see the renewal, when Ivy got too tired, she's take her home.

The twins would need to arrive an hour before the ceremony began, and as they got ready to leave, Dark asked, "Would you need help to tie your ties?"
 
"I think we'll be okay," Xander assured him. "I'm pretty sure we'll manage. We've practiced a couple of times, and if we get it wrong, I bet someone will fix it for us."

"Are you sure you have everything?" Alec fretted. "If not, text us and we can bring it."
 
"I am quite sure," Dark replied, having made a list and checked it about a hundred times. "But if something is missing, I can assure you I will send frantic, panicked texts, and then a phone call three minutes later."

"It'll be great, we have everything," Daizi replied, "Remember, we're staying the night at a hotel so we don't need to drive all the way home."
 
Alec caught Daizi's hands and squeezed them lightly. "It's going to be so wonderful! You should get going."

"They are trying to. You're the one holding on," Xander reminded him.

"Right." Alec let go so they could make it out the door.
 
"We'll only be parted for a few hours," Daizi said, pulling him into a hug before releasing him.

"The dress we bought for Ivy is hung on the side of the changing table," Dark told them, "We have packed her diaper bag with everything she will need."

Then, after making their goodbyes to all of them, they drove to the venue.
 
"Well, now we have an awkward amount of time to spend while waiting to show up at a super special event," Xander commented.

"Let's play with Ivy and try to get some of her energy out before she has to be quiet a bunch," Alec suggested.

At the venue, Tristan was already there with his rented van filled with flowers. He'd hired three people with functioning legs to help him decorate the space, and they were hard at work. When Dark and Daizi arrived, he came over to congratulate them and then showed them a computer-generated picture of what flowers went where and asked them to confirm that this layout was, indeed, the one agreed upon. That only took a second, and then he was back at work.
 
Dark and Daizi thanked Tristan and Dark looked over the image carefully before confirming it was correct. There were a few things they needed to set up themselves, specifically in the ceremony room itself, including the wine, goblet, and various other instruments of witchcraft, but then they went into the backroom set aside for them to dress themselves in and began to get ready.
 
Tristan finished first with the help of his workers, and he left to drop off the rental van (driven by one of his helpers) and change into his proper suit for the ceremony.

Alec and Xander arrived later with Ivy dressed and brushed and primped to her absolute best.
 
They had chosen for her a velvet burgandy coloured dress with little flowers on it for Ivy with a matching headband. She didn't understand why she was dressed so fancy.

When they arrived, Dark came out, only in his black suit pants and black dress shirt. Along either side of his legs was a dark red satin line but his shirt, which fit him beautifully, just looked black. Although he was wearing a pair of skull and rose cufflinks, which he was rather proud of. When Ivy saw her father, she immediately began to squirm excitedly, "Baba! Baba!!!"

"Hello, amira," Dark murmured, scooping her up and kissing her on the cheek, "You look so beautiful. And your brothers look very handsome, they do." He smiled at her and then looked to the twins, "I hope she has not been fighting you? You both do look really nice. I like the makeup you chose, Alec."
 
"Thanks, Ba," Alec said proudly. He'd done a very neutral look for the most part, keeping it light, but couldn't resist eyeshadow that matched his dark green suit perfectly. "She was really good for us!"

Xander nodded in agreement. "She did really well." He'd permitted Alec to put on a bit of makeup, as well, including eyeliner that looked black at first but was actually a deep purple that also matched his suit.
 
"I am glad." He began to walk in to the ceremony room, talking them through where the wine and goblet were and giving them a pretty container for the ribbons, "Obviously, sit in the front row. When the guests begin arriving, venue staff are going to indicate for them to come in and sit. Once they are all here we are going to start." He handed Ivy back over, "I need to help your mother finish getting ready."
 
"Okay," Alec said, taking Ivy back and bouncing her gently. "We'll take her around and let her look at some things before we sit down. You look really smashing, Ba, and you aren't even finished yet!"

"You need more silver," Xander commented.
 
"Thank you," Dark told Alec, then looked back at Xander, "I prefer gold."

Saying so, he returned to the backroom. Milo was the next to arrive, dressed in a simple, clearly rented, suit, and he went up to the twins wide-eyed, "I did not know the venue was going to be like this," He told them, "Your dad venmo'd me more money than I think I've ever been responsible for as a down payment. When I quoted him my price he told me I was undercharging."
 
"Gold would work, too," Xander agreed with a shrug. He turned when Milo came up to him. "You do undercharch and undervalue yourself. You practically need a manager, man." He offered Milo a fist bump. "Need anything?"
 
Milo returned the fist bump, "I'm okay. Just anxious. It's a big deal, isn't it? I think this technically makes me a professional." He looked down at his camera than back up at the two of them, as if finally recognizing, "wow. You both look great. Those are really cool suits."
 
"Yeah, I think so, or at least like a journeyman or something like that," Xander agreed. He looked down at himself. "Thanks. It feels weird, but... yeah. I think I look pretty good." He awkwardly raised a hand and brushed the long, slender spike hanging from his earlobe. It glittered in the light pleasingly.

"Thank you!" Alec said. "Look, Ivy! It's Milo! Say hi! He's going to take pictures!"
 
Ivy gurgled and waved hello and Milo smiled back at her, crouching down slightly, "Hello, Ivy. You look very pretty today. I hope you keep your nice dress clean long enough to take pictures with your family in it."
 
"Oh, thank you," Milo said, looking down at himself, "Honestly, it... It was just what they had that fit."

As he said this, Cooger came in dressed in a nice, well-fitting brown suit with a bow tie. He wasn't even wearing boots, he was in dress shoes, and his hair was carefully combed and slicked back, "D***, Dark dressed you good," He told the twins, walking up to them.
 
"He dressed you good, too," Alec snickered. "We dressed ourselves, thank you very much! And I managed to avoid looking like a leprechaun! I'm very proud of that. You do look very good."

"Thanks," was all Xander said.

"Do you know when Lex is going to get here?" Alec asked.
 
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