How Green Becomes Wood

Milo took the axes, trying to remind himself that he didn't need to be anxious. Nobody was going to laugh at him if he didn't do well. It was just for fun. Xander didn't even do well.

So he threw his first few axes. None of the initial ones hit, but the third lightly managed to hit the board. He gradually managed to make a few more hit, and he narrowed into a good spot, but it wasn't until his very last axe that any managed to stick to the board.

Still, considering he wasn't an athlete, he couldn't be too disappointed.

~~

"Wow, Peter," Sloan rolled her eyes, "What am I desperate for? A bunch of boys? You all need me, be so for real." When Becky grabbed her arm, Sloan turned towards her, "Maybe if it's little? I don't want to spend all day looking like a tiger."
 
"Not bad," Xander said in approval. "You got one in!"

"You hit the board most of the time, too," Austin agreed. "That's pretty good."

Austin and Xander gathered up the axes since there was only two sets, and once they had them all, Austin took his turn. Every ax hit the board. Every ax stuck. One of them was even a bullseye. Xander turned to stare at Austin.

Austin shrugged sheepishly. "We have one in our backyard, and if it goes over the fence into Mr. Cosgoode's yard... Well, you learn to make it stick real fast."

Xander snorted in amusement and shook his head. "You're a total shark. Good thing we didn't have anything riding on this, right, Stitch?"

~~

Alec laughed. "I think you'd look great as a tiger!"

Becky giggled and assured her, "Just a little one! Nothing too big, promise. Maybe you could get it on your arm if you don't want it on your face!"

"I'm in," Peter agreed. "I wonder if there's a kiwi bird stencil?"

Alec turned to Emma. "Want to do it? We could get matching ones!"

"Not on the face," Emma said a little disapprovingly. "Otherwise... okay."
 
Milo stared in shock for the first few axes, then backed up to take photographs of the feat. It was impressive enough to warrant it! After Austin finished, he lowered his camera and said, "Going last is cheap, but I wish I had something riding on it because I always bet against myself."

~~

"If it's just a little one, it sounds like a blast," Sloan chuckled, but then looked at Peter in confusion, "I thought you were Australian."
 
"That's a sure way to lose. Always bet on yourself. Then, even if you lose, you don't lose," Austin said with a shrug. "I'll go get the axes for my sins."

As the big teen walked away, Xander frowned at his back. "Even if you lose, you don't lose," he repeated slowly. "What the heck does that mean?"

~~

"Does that mean I can't like the bald eagle or the turkey vulture?" Peter laughed. "I like kiwis. They shouldn't exist. Like hyenas. I just shouldn't work."

"What do you mean?" Alec asked, puzzled.

"I'll tell you on a day when it's not your birthday," Peter promised. "Nature gets horrifying."
 
"I guess it's meant to be about believing in yourself," Milo replied, "I'm too much of a nihilist, though."

~~

"I think it's more like if I was really excited to get a maple leaf," Sloan pointed out, "but I'm sure your neighbors will be thrilled with the support. And I had just forgotten that hyena fact, I feel like I deserve compensation for being reminded of it."
 
"I'm amazed you and my Ba are like weird, generation gap friends," Xander remarked.

Austin returned and gave a tentative smile, checking to see if anyone was actually mad at him.

"So, when you say you have one of these in your backyard," Xander said, flipping one of the plastic axes in his hand.

"My brother wanted a real one. My mom wouldn't hear of it. This was the compromise my dad suggested, along with it's a family thing, not just his," Austin said. "It's pretty fun, but gets kind of boring after a while if you aren't totally into upping your score and trying to get it perfect all the time like my brother."

"Makes sense," Xander agreed.

Austin offered Milo an ax. "If you want, I could give you some pointers?" he suggested.

~~

"Hey, maple leaves are beautiful!" Alec said, happily innocent to all hyena facts and, judging by Sloan's reaction, content to stay that way.

"They probably are happy with the support, and I bet it's easier to paint on a kiwi than it would be to do a tree kangaroo or quoll," Peter quipped. "And if there's someone doing it for us, they might just quit if I asked for a lyrebird."

"A liar bird?" Alec repeated.

"No, lyre like the instrument," Emma told him. "It's an exotic bird with unique plumage that resides in certain area of Australia."
 
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"Maybe that's why you get along with me," Milo suggested, fiddling with his camera strap and glancing back towards Dark. "I miss having a real backyard. And, uh, yeah, pointers could be cool, I guess," he rubbed the back of his neck, "You should, um, teach Xander first, though, 'cause it's his birthday."

~~

As they were discussing the face painting, a woman came inside with two cases. One she carried in her hand and the other she wheeled behind her. After briefly talking to Dark, she went to get set up in the face paint booth, taking out both her paints and glitters.
 
"Nah, I'm cool," Xander said instantly. "Didn't you see how many I got stuck into the..." He trailed off, staring at the face-painting area. "Oh no."

"What?" Austin asked, flipping around, expecting some kind of danger.

"The face paints," Xander said tightly.

"Okay, what about them?" Austin asked.

Xander said, in a voice of true horror, "I see glitter!"

~~

Alec and Becky practically lit up. "Glittery tattoos!" they both breathed.

Peter glanced at Sloan. "Are we in trouble?" he asked with a laugh.

Emma tugged on Alec's arm. "Come on, glitter is one step too many!"

"I want glitter," Alec stated, not even looking at her.

"But it's so childish!" Emma protested.

"Glitter," Alec said again. "It's my birthday. I can be childish on my birthday."

Emma sighed in defeat. "I cannot argue that."
 
"Why wouldn't there be glitter?" Milo asked, looking that way, "Your brother loves it." Then he looked back at Xander, "Are you going to get your face painted?"

~~

"Maybe you are," Sloan teased, "I may not love glitter as much as some people," she playfully nudged Alec, "But I don't hate it. I wear glittery eyeshadows when the occasion is right." She glanced at Emma, and good naturedly said, "I don't think it's childish, a lot of my leotards have rhinestones on them, or shimmery fabric."
 
"Hell no!" Xander blurted.

Austin grinned and glanced at Milo. "I think he should. He'd really rock a pony, don't you think? Maybe on his shoulder?"

~~

"Yes, but those are leotards, which are already drawing a lot of attention to your body for the sake of your sport," Emma pointed out.

Peter gently moved them on. "I don't mind a bit of glitter, but I did spill one of those little jars for arts and crafts when I was six, and my mom swears she still finds glitter ten years and ten moves later."
 
"Do you know what I think you should do, Xander?" Milo asked after thinking about it for a few moments.

~~

Sloan shrugged, "I think everything has its occasion, and legally until you're 18 you're still a child anyway." She hurried along next to Alec and gave him a playful grin, "Last year of childhood, right? Have to make it count!"

"Hi there!" The woman at the counter said cheerfully, "Would you like your face painted? I can also do arms or hands, or really anywhere you'd like. And I've got some stencils, if you prefer something more long lasting."
 
"What?" Xander asked suspiciously.

Austin tipped his head, curious about Milo's response.

~~

"Absolutely!" Alec crowed, trotting forward. He stepped up first and smiled at the lady behind the counter. "Yes, please! I'd like one on... on my arm, please. Somewhere where it won't get rubbed off right away."

"Ooo, me next!" Becky cheered. "I want a rainbow unicorn on my face! What about you, Emma?"

"Um, I guess a puppy on my forearm," Emma said as she lagged behind.

"Good choice!" Peter told her with Becky's earnest agreement. "What are you getting, Sloan?"
 
"You and Alec should both pick one," Milo said, "but put it on each other. But you don't get to see what you're getting until it's finished."

~~

"Alright," She said cheerfully, "What are you thinking? We've got this whole book of stencils, and for face painting you can see our options here," She gestured to a wall of designs, "And you get to pick the colours yourself, as many as you'd like."

"I'm not sure yet," Sloan answered, waiting for Alec to look through designs first, "It really depends on what they have."
 
"Dude, that's brilliant," Austin said, nodding to Milo in respect.

Xander studied Milo with narrowed eyes. "Deal. Come on, Stitch, we gotta get moving if we're going to catch him before he picks one." He took off jogging to the other side of the room.

"Um," Austin said cautiously to Milo as he started to follow Xander, "can I ask... why does he call you 'Stitch?'"

~~

Alec's eyes went even wider as he took it all in. "Whoa!" he breathed. "That's a lot of power!" After a second, he said, "Becky, you should go first since you know what you want. I have to think about this!"
 
Milo grinned in shy delight at how excited his friend was about his suggestion and hurried off after him. He glanced at Austin, "I don't really know. I asked once, his explanation didn't make much sense to me."

~~

"Rainbow unicorn, alright," The artist said, gesturing for Becky to sit down, "Do you want the unicorn glitter stencil or do you want it painted so you have the unicorn ears and horn?"
 
"Oh," Austin said, accepting that. Looked like that was still an unanswered mystery.

Becky, meanwhile, was in agony! "Painted!" she finally blurted. "I want to see the details! Can I have a glitter star above that? To make it extra cool?"

Xander trotted up to the group. "Have you picked yours yet?" he asked a bewildered Alec. At Alec's headshake, Xander told him Milo's idea.

"That is diabolical and genius," Alec told Milo. "I agree!"
 
"Of course you can," The artist said, handing her a headband, "Put this on to keep your hair back for me, okay?" Once that was settled, she began painting the unicorn on, making small talk with Becky about school and her interests.

Sloan laughed at the suggestion, "That is evil, I don't know how many people I'd trust with that! Do you get to pick the placement for each other too?"

Milo just grinned shly down at his feet, rather pleased with himself.
 
"Oh, good question," Alec said. "I think... yes!"

"Yeah, alright," Xander agreed. He looked over the array on offer. "There's a lot of choices."

Austin hesitated frowning. "I don't know," he said slowly.

Xander glanced at him. "You don't have to."

Alec nodded. "If you don't want to. I think it would be fabulous if you did, but if you're uncomfortable, it's okay if you don't."

"Thanks," Austin said, reddening a little, but he did appreciate the words. "I'm thinking about it."
 
"No, it's just us," Alec chuckled. "We just meant that Austin didn't have to get a tattoo if he didn't want to."

"I think I've picked out mine," Xander said with a nod. "It's a good one."
 
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