How Green Becomes Wood

"It was not an issue last year when I slept for hardly more than two hours a day, it will be fine this year," Dark replied, feeling certain of it, "The only change we need to make this, and subsequent years, is to not allow it to drape low enough that Ivy can grab. I do not want her to get tangled and rip it down onto herself, or worse."
 
"So, we need to measure her from toe to fingertip and add five inches just to be sure," Xander said. He picked up what looked like a candle holder and turned it over in his hands. No matter which way he held it, he couldn't figure it out. Finally, he held it out toward Dark. "What is this?"
 
"I have no idea how to get her to stay still long enough for that," Dark replied, "Maybe if we wait until she is sleeping."

He took the object from Xander, turned it in his hand, and said, "You are missing part of it." He reached back into the box and pulled out a cranium with its skullcap removed and open eye sockets, although its nasal cavities were sealed. It connected to the rest of the candleholder through the foramen magnum, and after screwing them together he said, "We like to put a red candlestick in it, when it melts, the wax pours out just enough to make it appear as though the skull cries blood."
 
Dark scoffed, "We have more taste than that." He turned it over in his hands, "It is similar to a jack-o-lantern." He turned it around to face Xander, and then set it back in the bin, "All these decorations need to wait until we replace the table cloths and runners."
 
"It just makes sense that if you bleed through your eyes, you might be suffering a massive nosebleed, too," Xander smirked. "Which tote are those in?" He turned to look at the sea of totes and started looking for labels.
 
"M'kay." Xander went through the house collecting all the old blankets, pillows, table runners, and anything else that looked like it might possibly be replaced. He piled the new items on the couch and put the old ones in the bin in a heap. He didn't bother keeping things too neat as they'd be rearranged, washed, and whatever else. Once he had everything gathered, then he started sorting what could be washed, what needed special washing, and what couldn't be washed. The pillows he figured could be taken outside and beaten. That he was happy to do!

By now, Alec had finally reemerged and glanced around. "Wow. It's beginning to look a lot like Spooky in here." He clicked his tongue. "Halloween does not fit in place of Christmas in that song."
 
This help would certainly speed up the time it took to decorate, Dark realized with delight. A lot of this he typically did alone, although Daizi would help to put things on shelves and take a stake in that side of the decorating process. And Daizi would help to wash and replace their dishes after Ivy took a nap. Because of course they had Halloween dinnerware.

"No it does not," Dark agreed, "but I am immensely pleased with how things are beginning to look."
 
Alec glanced up at the cobwebs. "What happens if real spiders decide to attempt to take up residence in here?"

"Then we burn the house and start over in the ashes," Xander replied promptly.

Alec rolled his eyes and said to Enkidu. "You are lucky you are a dog sometimes, you know that? And it's a good thing we don't have a cat!"
 
"Very much so," Alec replied quickly. "I really do, but if it was an excitable kitty, according to the stories I've heard, then it would be playing with everything and pulling it all down."
 
"That is why if we adopted a cat, it would be a cat, not a kitten, and preferably a calm one," Dark said, his tone edging on flat, "With her about to start walking, we are already at risk of everything which can be broken being broken. I like cats a good deal, but our home is too chaotic for one who is rambunctious."
 
Alec did not know enough about cats to know when one might stop being rambunctious, and he'd only ever seen the memes and heard the stories of cat chaos. Cooger had assured him that there were cats that would fit in, and that they'd had one before, but that was before children. He was resigning himself to the idea that there would be no cat for him in the future, but he wasn't going to say it now. Maybe someday if he ever got his own place without toddlers or spiderwebbing he'd risk getting a cat.
 
"Life has been very hectic," Daizi agreed, flipping Ivy upside-down, "but if this one breaks everything that can break, there will be nothing left for the cat to break, and it's not a problem anymore!"

Dark side-eyed her and leaned his arm against the bannister, "I would prefer we lose as little as possible."
 
"Always nice. So! Is there anything left for me to help with?" Alec asked.

Xander handed him a wad of blankets. "Take these to be washed. I need to go beat up some pillows."

"Alright!" Alec agreed, his voice muffled by pillows. "I think I can manage that!"
 
"Once Ivy goes down for her nap, I'll replace our dishes," Daizi said, dipping Ivy again, "I think decorating with her too involved leads to disaster."

"It certainly will," Dark agreed, stepping back and continuing his tasks.
 
The twins spent the rest of the day helping Dark and Daizi decorate or keeping Ivy out of mischief. It was an easy and fun job to keep Ivy entertained, especially now that there was so much new stuff to see! And Xander did get her measurements so Dark would know how far to keep things off the ground and out of her reach. Overall, it was a good day and one of the most ordinary they'd had in a while.
 
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