How Green Becomes Wood

"I meant more the little skit where they were teasing him," Daizi explained, beaming, "Only really liked teachers get chided like that."

Dark didn't take his eyes off the road, "I do not know about that."

"If they hated you, they'd have been mean. But to their point, it's nice when you get to be surrounded by your paparazzi. You're very popular." She swiveled back towards the twins, "There was a student who thought he was Italian when your Aunt Ciara and I came in."

"I think Xander is right, if I was more open, they would care less."
 
Alec turned back around to stare at Daizi. "Italian? Where in the world would they have gotten Italian? Oh! Mama, would you believe that during the skit one kid stood on another's back while on a chair and wore a cloak to make it look like they were a super tall man?"

Xander rolled his eyes to the ceiling with a sigh. "That was moderately funny."
 
"Italians have dark, thick hair and roll their r's," Dark commented, "I think that is why. I get Spanish and Italian often. Not everybody can pinpoint accents well."

Daizi laughed at the physical comedy description, "Did they? Oh, they were committed, then! But you don't sound like you enjoyed it much, Xander."
 
"It's okay if you didn't," Daizi assured Xander in turn, "I thought it was sweet."

"It was strange." Dark commented as he pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, but he didn't explain himself.
 
"It was super weird," Xander agreed, but he didn't say that he had kind of liked it. Only kind of.

Alec scrambled out of the car after Xander, and the twins waited for Peter's family and Ciara to join them.
 
It took Dark and Daizi longer to go inside, since they needed to maneuver Ivy, who was now very much awake, and very talkative, but they weren't too far behind the rest of them, and soon greeted the rest of the party. Dark was trying to not think too hard about Daizi's comments about the students adoring him, because, yes, it was true, and he knew that, and he supposed he was glad to be liked, but also... There was some feeling he was trying, and failing, to chase down, but he couldn't quite pinpoint. And this wasn't the place to do that work. Later.

As soon as they were seated and Dark was in the seat he needed to feel secure, he excused himself and brought Ivy and the diaper bag to the bathroom, while Daizi picked up the menu, only to set it down again because she couldn't read it. "This is so nice," she said, even though nothing had really happened yet, "I love getting to gather so many people around to celebrate when people did something amazing."
 
"This really is a lovely place, and it was a truly wonderful talent show," Sally said. "Some of those other acts were quite good. And... interesting."

"Do you want me to read the menu to you?" Xander asked Daizi quietly.

"I wonder if they'll ever have more dancing in their talent list?" Jack mused.
 
"Yes, please, thank you," Daizi murmured to Xander, leaning in towards him to listen without disturbing anyone else. Dark was only gone for a brief period, and when he came back he took his seat, keeping Ivy in his lap for the time being, and she was very alert, and giving big smiles to everyone at the table, although she focused mostly on her parents, her brothers.

"I have been to eleven talent shows at that school now," Dark explained as he opened the menu, "it really depends on who is enrolled, and who is confident enough to go in front of the school. But it is, on average, mostly singers."
 
Xander kept his voice low but tried to be as clear as possible as he went over the menu for Daizi, stumbling over a couple of words he wasn't familiar with but overall doing a decent job. He then went back over any details Daizi wanted him to, thinking about his own choice as he did so.

"That Irish dancer was something special," Jack remarked, glancing over the menu. "And the fiddle player had quite a bit of talent!"

Ciara made her decision in seconds and sat watching Ivy as she waited for the others to choose. She'd never had the desire to be a parent or have her own children, not even now, but there was something special about watching a baby with a parent they trusted.
 
Daizi listened carefully, interrupting when she needed clarification, but she stopped him when he explained something she wanted, and thanked him again for helping her.

Nodding in response to Jack's comment, Dark drummed one finger on the table and explained, "The teacher is Rose McGann, she is our music teacher, and she is wonderful. She plays piano at Le Jardin on Friday evenings and most weekends. Sometimes they even let her sing. The moment, I am sure, she has a chance to support herself only with music, she will never look back, and I hope the opportunity presents itself."

Ivy noticed Ciara watching her, so Ivy began watching back, and after a few moments smiled almostly shyly at Ciara, then she babbled somewhat loudly at her.
 
"Nice choice," Xander murmured and told her the one he wanted. Unknowingly, Alec had chosen the exact same thing, but they wouldn't find out until the server took their order.

"Usually it seems we hear the story the other way around," Jack remarked with interest. "That they start out musicians and then turn to teaching when they are older. I should make a note of her name if she does decide to make a career for herself."

Ciara wasn't sure what to do, so she managed a tentative little smile and Ivy and waggled her fingers in a tiny wave.
 
Daizi agreed Xander had also picked something that sounded pretty nice.

"It would not be right for me to share her story on her behalf," Dark said, just as reserved about his coworker as he was about himself, mostly because he knew he would not want others sharing his story, "but living here was something she simply fell into. She is from Ireland, actually. Near Galway."

Ivy giggled at Ciara and babbled again, flopping her arms. This time Dark, almost instinctively, pulled her slightly closer, and then murmured, "Hush, my darling, use your polite voice," kissed the top of her head, and focused back in on his own conversation. There wasn't much of a point in telling someone so young to be quiet, especially when she was just being a happy, friendly baby, but he was trying to lay the ground work.
 
"Really? Ireland? Now that's interesting!" Jack said. "I've never been there. A lot of Europe, some Asia, a touch of Africa, but not to Ireland or Scotland."

"If I could go anywhere in the world, I'd want to visit Greenland," Alec remarked idly, not trying to join the conversation, just commenting.

Ciara smiled at Ivy, amused, but didn't try to make her laugh again. It was adorable, but she didn't want to confuse her.
 
"I have not been either, but she speaks highly of it," Dark replied, "I do not expect to do any international travel until she gets a little bit older. I have been to Europe, and I have been to Africa, to visit Daizi's family, and my home country is on the Asian continent, so I suppose I lived in Asia for my childhood, but it is not what people mean when they say they have been to Asia. I have not been East of Baghdad on the Asian continent. I forget Daizi and myself are from two different continents." He directed his gaze towards Alec, "Why would you like to visit Greenland?"

Someone not furthering interaction was not something Ivy was familiar with, which meant she only watched Ciara more intensely, and then flapped her arms again, and babbled at Ciara more, before putting her hand into her mouth and watching.
 
Alec looked up, a little surprised Dark had heard him and wanted to include him, but smiled. "Well, mostly because it seems like no one talks about wanting to visit places like Greenland, Sweeden, Denmark, Iceland... and I think the pictures look amazing. Plus, I've been watching this lady who does shorts about what it's like to live in Greenland, and it sounds really cool. Often literally."

"Shorts?" Jack repeated, not familiar with the term.

"YouTube videos that are only a few seconds long," Alec explained for him.

Ciara watched Ivy back, continuing to not encourage her, but she was amused by Ivy's reaction.
 
"I still have not learned to adjust to the cold," Dark said, almost a bit distantly, "but Daizi has done some work in Iceland. She is more well-traveled than I am, but you should talk to her about it."

This was the most confusing moment in Ivy's life (so far). And she didn't understand why it was confusing to begin with. So, she did what she always did, and babbled at Ciara again.
 
"Some people never adjust to the cold," Jack chuckled. "I'm from one of the desert parts of Australia. Winters here are not my favorite."

Alec looked shocked. "There are non-desert parts of Australia?"

Jack couldn't help laughing even though it was, sadly, a commonly asked question.

Ciara smiled at Ivy, but continued to not engage. She was tempted to, but she didn't want to be distracting for the others. Xander and Peter likely wouldn't care. They had their heads together - figuratively - as they talked about something between themselves, and Sally was talking to Daizi.
 
"People do not understand, but I miss the desert. I do not miss what I saw near the end of my time there, but I miss the way the air felt." Dark said, and bounced the leg Ivy was sitting on, holding her more closely, but less so for her benefit, just then, "At winter it could freeze at night, but I never saw snow until I came here. It got very hot in the summers, though."

Ivy squealed again, this time kicking her feet in addition to moving her arms, and flopped down against her father's arm, and continued watching Ciara carefully. This time, Daizi turned, paying attention, "Habiti, what are you talking about?"
 
"Mmm, I remember the feel of the desert winds," Jack agreed wistfully. "It's hard for someone who's never been to understand. I'm sorry it's not so easy for you to go back from time to time.

"I believe she is speaking to me about how rude I am being to not play her games," Ciara replied to Daizi,her dry tone mildly amused. "She is not accustomed to people who do not coo over her, is she?" It wasn't an insult, merely a fact.
 
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