How Green Becomes Wood

"It is more trouble than it is worth," Dark repeated, as he often did. Then, he answered Xander's question in a way incredibly typical to him, "Skin is part of flesh. I believe flesh is all of the non-bone parts of a human, and I believe viscera counts as flesh officially, but the internal organs are treated differently than the muscle, skin, and fat which we usually consider to be flesh. Why do you ask?"

I guess if it's so powerful, she should guard it, Milo texted back, If it was easily accessible, it may stop working.
 
"Because it's important to know," Xander said promptly. He frowned thoughtfully. "Think skin is its own thing. By itself. It's an incredible organism." He fell silent for a while, mulling over the wonders of skin, and then roused himself again. "Thanks for lunch. It was really good."

You raise a good point! I should go now. See you tomorrow! Xander probably will, too. Alec signed off and eyed Xander. "Maybe we should cut back a little if he's supposed to go to school tomorrow."
 
"I think all skin is flesh, but not all flesh is skin," Dark replied, and after a moment added, "But my skin is mostly ink, now." Really, he was just curious about how zooted his son was. Then he looked at Alec, "We will see how he is tomorrow."
 
Xander turned to squint at Dark. "Huh. Yes, it is. Your body has eaten a lot of ink."

"At least he's not as bad as you were that one time," Alec said cheerfully.

Xander scowled at him. "I'm right here. What are you talking about? I'm fine."
 
"Maybe instead of erasing your current canvas, maybe you should get a new one," Xander said. "When do I get mine?"

"How is he going to get a new canvas? Buy a manaquine?" Alec demanded, confused.

Xander snorted. "No, by putting it on other people."
 
"I think many people do not wish to be like me, considering I am a tattooed, mentally-ill nihilist who has more in common with Anton LaVey than with the most famous man in the Vatican," Dark pointed out dryly, "but I appreciate the compliment. Anyway, it is nearly June, so you really only have eight months to wait and not a full year."
 
Xander looked at him quizzically. "You want to found a company that calls itself a church with the stated reason to get teens and adults, mostly teens, to give him money?"

"Eight months away from eighteen. That's not panic inducing at all," Alec mused.
 
"He was a carnie who lived in a great black house and whose explorations with the occult gradually morphed into the Church of Satan, it began as a study group," Dark corrected, "but I think you may not be in the right mindset for discussions on Laveyan Satanic philosophy. Also, the aesthetics are excellent." Then he looked again at Alec, "You will be fine, not much changes at 18."
 
"Do study groups ever actually help with the think you are supposed to be studying?" Xander grumbled, not expectingor wanting an answer. He stared at the ceiling.

"Right, nothing changes... except for everyone's expectations of you when they hear the magic number," Alec agreed.

"You ever think about how you don't know what you know wrongly until someone tells you you're wrong? And then you have to figure out if they're wrong?" Xander mused.
 
"Believe me, most adults expect an 18 year old to still be immature and not know what they're doing," Dark assured Alec, "I believe I was thirty before most other adults I met started seeing me on their level, although the respect I received did increase at twenty-five." Then, once more, he turned back to Alec, feeling like he was handling two or more distinct conversations simultaneously, "Nobody can know what they do not know, because if we do not know information, it is impossible to know we do not know it."
 
Alec couldn't help but wonder if his father had also faced a lot of people who feared his potential due to his height. He'd seen the way other kids and teachers reacted around Austin, who was not as tall as Dark, but still very tall, and not to mention girthy. He'd seen some people mistake him for an adult or focus on him more than smaller, rowdier kids. Tall kids had to grow up faster. Especially boys. Also unlike Dark, though, Austin had had proper nutrition, meaning Austin had probably been taller than Dark during his younger years. It was a strange thing to compare.

"Impossible to know what we don't know," Xander mused. "If we could know what we don't know, there wouldn't be much variety or need to push ourselves, huh?"
 
"Maybe so," Xander agreed, "but the mere case of not knowing a lot of things forces people to do at least some things. Things outside their comfort zone. Especially when they are little. As they grow older, the need is still there, but their stubbornness is stronger than their need."

"What are you two talking about?" Alec asked, having completely lost the plot.
 
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