How Green Becomes Wood

As they migrated around the crowd while the venue finished readying the dining room, Dark and Daizi made it over to Tristan, "The flowers look beautiful," Dark said, "You did good work."

"As much as I would love to complain about that, I put too much work into looking this nice to have the energy to look good undoing it," Cooger shrugged, glancing at his friends, "It'd be weird, anyway."
 
"Thank you," Tristan smiled. "I am glad they served you well. They really did suit your theme well and gave a nice backdrop to one of the most aesthetic couples I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Your vows were truly special, as well."

Lex snickered. "I got ya. So. Are we supposed to mingle at this shindig, too? Got any friends you want to introduce me to?"
 
"We wanted to have our ceremony in front of our rose bushes, but it's much too cold for it. I'm glad we were able to incorporate flowers in some way." Daizi told him. Neither she nor Dark knew how someone complimented their vows besides a simple thank you. Every word seemed like the only one they could have said, it felt almost strange to accept praise for it.

"Most of my friend's ain't Dark's, but I can introduce you to Daizi's friends, most of whom were at Ivy's party, or some of his old coworkers?" He offered. "Or you can meet some of the aunties again."
 
"It was an honor to help you fulfill that wish," Tristan smiled. "I wish you both many happy, fruitful decades to come."

Lex shrugged. "Either way. I'm not good at this kind of party, but it's a really nice one."

Ciara stood waiting patiently just inside the door. Shed been able to hear a little of what happened inside, particularly Cooger's speeches and Dark's vows as their deep voices carried easily, and a part of her did wonder if it had been right to stay out. No matter. She brushed the thought aside. What was done was done. Now to move forward.
 
Dark looked down at his wife, his arm still around her waist, enjoying how it felt to hold her again, "I have no doubt we have much to look forwards to."

Once dinner was ready, Dark and Daizi led the way to where they would be eating. They had established a special table only for the two of them at the head of the dining room, so they could be seen but they still had time to be with each other in semi-privacy to talk and enjoy their time. The rest of the guests had placards placing them with people they'd get along with.

As they headed that way, Dark noticed Ciara and led Daizi over to her. He knew, having been able to see the audience, she hadn't attended, but also knew Daizi didn't want to know who couldn't bring themselves to attend the ceremony, "Ciara, it is good to see you." He held out one hand to her, aware this was the first time she would've seen them today.
 
Ciara was taken off guard by Dark and Daizi's attire, though, in hindsight, she knew she really shouldn't be. It suited them as well as her office suits suited her. She couldn't argue that. Thankfully, she saw them first, so by the time Dark had lead Daizi over to her, she'd had time to compose herself. She accepted Dark's hand and shook it with a polite smile. "It was a lovely ceremony," she said, and she wasn't lying. What she'd heard of it did sound appropriately lovely. "You two are every bit a lovely couple."
 
"Thank you," Dark replied, "I am glad you enjoyed it."

"We're very happy," Daizi said, feeling like she was underselling it, but if she was there, surely she knew. "Honestly, I feel like I did at our wedding, it's all the same excitement."
 
"I am very pleased for you, and for your children, as well," Ciara assured her. She stepped aside. "I am sure you are tired. Go and sit and have a rest from all of these people.
 
The dining hall was as richly decorated as the ceremony hall, and Dark and Daizi took their seats at the front of the hall, delighted and very much in love.

Of course, they established a family table for Cooger, Tristan, Ciara, the twins, the aunts, and Ivy, but they also included Lex (as Cooger's girlfriend) and Milo (because he'd combust if he was sat with strangers. They sat the Hollis' with Art and Rose.
 
Xander made sure Milo and Alec remembered to eat and not just take pictures and chat, respectively. He was definitely the dad of the group, at least in that moment.Ciara carried on a polite conversation with one of the aunts while Lex chatted happily with the other and asked about her and her likes as well as getting baby stories about Daizi. The adult Hollis' were only too happy to talk to Art and Rose while Peter pretended he was not sitting at a table with his teachers.
 
The food was high quality and delicious, served to the table by waitstaff rather than being acquired at a buffet. Even the cups matched the aesthetic Dark and Daizi set forth.

Art was his usual, exuberant self, telling grand, dramatic stories with big hand gestures. He was dressed in a dark green velvet suit embroidered with sun flowers on the shoulders. Beside him, Rose occasionally murmured something to tease him while talking much more casually to the rest of the table. They both knew Peter was a student, but neither made a big deal of it. It didn't matter in the moment.

At the front of the room, while they ate, Dark and Daizi openly flirted with each other, very much lost in how sweet it was to be in love. Their exact words couldn't be overheard, but the way they looked was unmistakable.
 
The twins enjoyed themselves, occasionally drawing Cooger into their conversations, until it was time for Alec to excuse himself to go get ready for the song he and Rose had planned to perform together. His heart pounded in excitement, making his hands shake, but he wasn't nervous. He was delighted!
 
Rose led him to a private side room where they could get warmed up and took out her violin. This was not the one she brought to the school, this one looked much older and was clearly much more carefully guarded, "The ceremony was beautiful," She said casually.
 
"Sorry, it feels right," Alec said with a smile. He ran through his scales quickly as a warm-up, and then he played through a few bars of the first dance song. "This feels like... a dream. Does that make sense? It's something I never would have thought I'd ever do."
 
After Rose did her own warm-up, she said, "I understand. I think it's a normal feeling for really big performances, like. I've sort of gotten used t'it, but there are still some that get you thinking, 'How is this what I get t'do? How did I get so lucky?'"
 
"Kind of, but not quite," Alec admitted. "It's more like... How did I get here where I have a mother and a father who are both extremely gothic, and not only that, but they want my help and presence at their vow renewal. And this event itself... it doesn't feel real."
 
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