How Green Becomes Wood

"Xander said I needed one," Dark replied, "This one may have worked better had I gone with my initial idea to be an outlaw, but as soon as Daizi suggested this instead, I had no other options."

Daizi, meanwhile, was leading Ivy towards where she heard the boys play fighting, joined in by some of the adults, and after doing her best to explain and demonstrate, the single shot of water Ivy's tiny gun could carry was shot at Xander. She didn't really aim, since Daizi couldn't give her those instructions and Ivy wasn't quite old enough to follow them even if she could, but Xander, or really the back of his leg, was the nearest thing to her.
 
Lex looked suddenly uncertain. "What, exactly, are you?" she finally asked.

Xander jumped in surprise as the spray hit his pant leg. He couldn't feel the water, but the sound and the sensation of the water pressure did come through. He looked down and back. "Well, look here. I've been shot in the back by a little sneak," he snickered in amusement.
 
Dark looked back at her, and then down at himself, disappointed it wasn't immediately obvious after the thought he had put into it. His mustache had been twisted to look so devious! Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small vial full of a green, swirling liquid. Holding it up, he said, "A snake-oil Salesman."

"Ssh, Ivy," Daizi grinned, squatting down besides her toddler, "Act innocent, habibti."
 
"Ah, gotcha, I see it now," Lex nodded. "Very good. I'm Annie Oakley. I think." She shrugged. "Westerns were never my thing, so this is based off an internet search about famous female cowgirls. I doubt it's accurate, but it is surprisingly comfortable."

"Oh my. Who could have shot me? Who could it have been?" Xander drawled mostly for his mother's sake.
 
"I have a soapbox in the car, but I have not found good reason to take it out yet," Dark said, tucking his vial safely away, "You look nice. Cooger likes it, I believe he had a crush on all the old west gunslingers, he had pictures of them taped up in his childhood bedroom, or so I saw when I visited as a teenager."

Ivy tried to shoot her gun again, but when she saw it was out of water, pressed it against Daizi's hand, "Mama?"

"Here you go, habibti," Daizi said, handing Ivy hers.
 
"Thank you," Lex said, although she wasn't sure if Dark meant that Cooger liked how she looked, or liked the old west gunslingers. He was a bit ambiguous there, and she didn't want to ask for clarification. "It seems like a real fun time, and I was thinking about maybe digging up some old movies to watch. He's got me hankerin' for the open prairie." She tried out her "cowboy accent" again, and it was possibly worse. "I hope you find a good time to get the box out. I can't wait to see that."

"Oh, great, now we're arming the children," Xander said dryly.

"What is happening over here?" Alec laughed, coming over.
 
"If you ask him, he'll show you all his favourites," Dark told her, "I spoke to Cooger about the box in advance, he liked the idea. Otherwise I would not have had any such designs."

"The children were already armed," Daizi grinned, while Ivy quickly learned how to shoot this new gun, aiming straight ahead at her brothers but not directing it any other way.
 
"I'll keep that in mind," Lex assured him. She nodded toward Daizi and the others. "I think a battle is breaking out."

"Oh no!" Alec cried, backing away. "What are we going to do? Who will save us?"
 
"I am not surprised to see my wife involved in that position." Dark commented, folding his arms over her chest.

"Good girl, Ivy," Daizi grinned, holding Ivy by the shoulders as she continued to shoot her little pistol at them.
 
"Is it a battle or a hold-up? The boys don't seem to be fighting back much," Lex remarked, watching with mild amusement.

"No! Ivy! No!" Alec wailed as he allowed himself to fall dramatically to the ground. "I am slain."

"You dope," Xander snorted as he did his best to avoid being hit, which meant he was doing a funny dance that made Toby laugh as he watched. "Mini, go for Mama! Turn around and go for Mama!"
 
"I would be very proud of my daughter if she is holding them up," Dark said, stepping to the side for a better view of his little girl in her prairie costume.

Daizi kept her hands on her daughter's shoulders, "Ivy, you would never shoot Mama!" And then, innocently as she could manage, said, "If she accidentally shoots me in the face, it'll ruin my makeup."
 
Lex nodded, folding her arms lightly as she watched. "She's doing really well, I gotta say, and she's got some good backup. Uh-Oh, sneakery is happening."

Xander gestured to Alec, who started protesting and encouraging Ivy to go for Mama, and Toby came a little closer and started dancing around like Xander. Xander carefully stepped away, walking softly so that Daizi wouldn't hear him, and trusting Ivy to be distracted enough and having enough fun not to follow him. He inched around as quickly and quietly as he could and then took careful aim. His aim was true, and he shot Diaiz right in the shoulder so it would splash up on her neck.
 
"How dare you suggest we are underhanded!" Alec laughed. He was still on the ground, and when Daizi scrambled to her feet, he got a clear shot around Ivy and shot her in the leg where her hiked skirt had exposed it.

Xander tiptoed around to the other side of Daizi and got her other shoulder. "You're the one hiding behind a toddler."
 
She shrieked, trying to move away, "I was helping her!" She explained, and shrieking again when she was shot again, "She deserves to play too!" Again, she tried to move away, but unlike the twins she didn't know what obstacles may be around, "You're the ones shooting at a blind woman!"
 
"A devious, clever, mischievous woman," Xander told her. He missed his next shot and almost hit Ivy.

"I'll save you, ma'am!" Toby grinned, stepping forward and touching her arm carefully. "Come this way! There's a barrel you can use as cover."
 
"That's why your father loves me!" Daizi grinned, taking Toby's arm, and told him, "I'll go with you, but if you harm me, it'll be at your own peril. Ivy, yalla!"

Seeing Toby reach out to help his wife, Dark slid his water gun back into his jacket pocket.
 
"Hey! Traitor!" Alec called, laughing, as he finally stood up.

Toby led Daizi as quickly as he dared over to one of the decorative barrels and showed her where it was. "You'll have to duck down, but it should mostly hide you! I'll cover you."

"I'm surprised you haven't jumped in and soaked them both already," Lex remarked to Dark.
 
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