How Green Becomes Wood

"If I ever went back to Iraq, I would do a wildlife survey. The drive, you know?" He shook his head, "I never left the city, until I really left, but there are incredible animals in that country. Imagine living somewhere wildcats are not only a high school mascot. I never saw them, they were not where I was, but I knew. We have leopards!" He gestured excitedly and then the light faded as he stared out at nothing. "But there is everything else, also. And the everything else, that is what tips the scales and takes away some of the pride." He looked down at Xander, pointing at him with one finger, "And that is why you should not ignore politics, I never want to hear about you skipping an election when you are old enough to vote, okay?"

As he expressed this, the camel ate some more of the pellets and then peered at Ivy for a few moments before sniffing her hair and licking its big tongue across her hair, surprising Ivy too much to figure out if she wanted to cry or laugh.
 
Xander stared at Dark, his expression unreadable. Then he pointed at the camel. "Ba, camel. Not politics. Camel. And the camel just tasted your baby."

Alec burst out laughing at the camel. "Mama! The Camel gave Ivy half of a mohawk!"

"Are you sure they don't eat meat?" Xander asked, moving to where he could read the sign again.
 
Dark stared back at Xander and was about to say something more when the camel decided to try and go in for another taste. Making a rare inelegant sound, he swore and turned away while Daizi cracked up laughing, "Did it really?" She asked, "Oh, naughty camel, I know she's sweet but show some respect!"

Ivy, confused by both of her parents reactions, began to cry, until Daizi took her from her father, bouncing her, and saying, "No, habibti! It's silly! It's a silly camel!" managed to trick Ivy into laughing about it instead.
 
"Good camel, if licking for you is like in dogs," Xander said, patting the camel's side. "Well licked."

"Mama, you should let it have the other side to complete the mohawk!" Alec giggled.

Xander snickered. "Nah, it might get haw or straw or whatever camels eat in her hair. We can clean a bit of spit out with some hand wipes."
 
"We are not going to continue to let a camel lick my baby," Dark huffed, leading them all away from the offending creature frowning at it, "I stuck up for you, do you understand that? I was prepared to say you are better than horses because you are softer and have nicer eyelashes. Then you attempt to eat my child."

"Aw, they're just being affectionate," Daizi cooed, swaying Ivy, "Just a silly silly camel."

Grumbling, Dark went into the diaper bag for wipes, and when he came around with them, he looked at Ivy with her hair sticking up like that, and couldn't help but laugh quietly. Even he couldn't deny the humor in it. This, too, he photographed, and then he set about cleaning her up. "We should look at the rabbits next, something which will not bother us."

As he said this, something caught Ivy's attention, and soon she was giggling, the camel totally forgotten. Behind a small fence to keep people from touching them was a tiny circular pool with a metal slide, and ducklings kept waddling up to the top of the slide where the food was and then, intentionally or otherwise, slipping down into the water.
 
Alec turned to see what Ivy was looking at, and his face broke into a broad smile. "Look! Ducklings! Oh my goodness, they are so cute!" He touched his mother's arm to guide her. "Come on, Mama, let's show Ivy the ducklings!"

"I guess we'll see rabbits after we see ducklings," Xander remarked.
 
"Do you see Ducklings? Oh, how special, Ivy!" Daizi grinned, letting Alec lead her to the ducklings and holding Ivy where she believed they could be seen. Ivy was absolutely enthralled, giggling her little head off as she watched the little yellow birds waddle, slip, and slide down into the water. Every time one fell down the slide she laughed more. She knew how falling things worked, she dropped stuff all the time! It was so silly watching her puppy go and get the things she dropped! And these kept falling too! Dark stood slightly behind him, one foot resting on the back of the stroller, watching his daughter more than he was watching the ducklings, struggling to imagine ever laughing so openly and intensely about anything.
 
"That does look like a very fun game," Alec grinned, watching them. "It makes me want to go to a water park! Water parks and slides! So much fun."

Xander snickered as he watched. the ducklings. "I'd fall down a slide for my favorite treat, but I don't know how often I'd do it."
 
"We can go to the waterpark this summer! I love them. Dark is more hesitant." She turned her head to grin crookedly to where she knew her husband was looming.

"I am not particularly buoyant," Dark replied dryly, still leaning on the stroller, "The raft rides use a flimsy raft, which I do not desire to capsize at speed, and the enclosed body slides look rather narrow. When I was smaller, I loved waterparks just as I still love rollercoasters."
 
"You can ride the open slides. They still have some of those," Alec remarked. "And you get a raft all to yourself!"

"And those floaties," Xander added. "Those little wing things and stuff. I bet we can find some big enough."

"But that's an activity for much warmer weather." Alec looked at Ivy and asked, "Ready to leave the ducks and go see rabbits?"
 
"As much as I admire your enduring willingness to help, there are some facets of life which are lived with rather than fixed." Dark replied, stretching as he corrected his posture. He accepted the limitations of his physiology.

When Daizi tried to move Ivy away from the ducks, she burst into tears. Reaching out her hands, she grasped back towards the ducks, not at all being ready to move on.

"No, Ivy," Daizi murmured gently but firmly, continuing to walk on, "I know you want to look at the ducklings, but we have more to see. Let's see the bunnies, you can pet the bunnies."
 
"Don't worry, Ivy! There are lots of good things to see," Alec assured her as they walked. "Duckies aren't the only funny things here. There's so many good things!"

"Like pony rides," Xander said, pointing. "Why is it only kids get to ride the ponies? Some of those 'ponies' are full adults. Why not let an adult have a turn?"
 
"That would be a question for the handlers," Dark told Xander, because he truly had no idea. He was too tall and too heavy for any pony, or so he'd guess, so he never stopped to think about if other adults physically could, if they were allowed. "Ivy, look," He pointed to little use, "Bunnies, look."

Daizi bounced Ivy but did not offer to go back and sit by the ducklings. As hard as it was, she and Dark both knew Ivy needed to learn she sometimes did not get what she wanted. This was one of those times. It wasn't quite a tantrum, but she was upset enough that they only squatted by the rabbits and didn't attempt to help her pet them until she was calmer. Those poor gentle creatures didn't deserve to be at risk of being pulled. Eventually, she did settle sufficiently to pet them, so they were all able to move on from the petting zoo peacefully.
 
There wasn't much they could do to help Ivy calm down, and their parents had it in hand, so the twins stood back and let Dark and Daizi deal with her while they watched the rabbits. Alec eventually went over to pet them and marvel at their softness, but he soon rejoined Xander leaning on the fence. Xander was musing on ponies. Perhaps it was to try to limit the strain on the horses' backs? That would make sense. Simply being on the horse wouldn't be too bad, but getting up and down off of one would put a twisting strain on them, even with a mounting block for assistance. That was probably why. He hoped Dark and Daizi would take Ivy to the ponies. Then he'd have an excuse to at least observe them.

Alec spotted something in the distance and wandered off briefly. When he returned, he told Dark, "Guess what I found? Games! Like Carnival games!"
 
Squinting into the distance where Alec had wandered back from, Dark mused, "I wonder if I seek them or if they seek me."

"We have all day for carnival games," Daizi replied, grabbing Dark's hand and leading him away from the rabbits, "There's more to do. Xander, what do you want to do next?'
 
"We could show Mini the ponies before she gets too exhausted to get excited about everything," Xander said slowly, as if he hadn't already been thinking about it. "That'd be pretty cool."

"That's a good idea," Alec agreed. "Maybe after that we could check out the pumpkins! I have always loved how pumpkins look no matter what else is going on around the pumpkins."
 
"She'll love a pony ride," Daizi said, letting Dark lead her, and the rest of them, there, "I was thinking about that earlier. But the question is, who gets to hold her ontop of the pony? Because she can't support herself."
 
After just a moment of hesitation, Alec offered, "I could. I can hold her on really steadily, and if she slips off, I can hold her tight. Then Ba can get a good picture of her up there smiling."
 
Daizi passed Alec to him as they got in line. There was a bit of a wait, but soon enough Ivy was sat atop a small brown pony called Peanut.

Ivy grumbled softly, confused by this new experience, but she reached forward and was able to grab onto a handful of the pony's mane, like she would with Dark's beard or Daizi's hair.
 
"Good job!" Alec praised Ivy. "Okay, we're going to move forward now. Ready? Here we go! Whee!" He stayed close to the horse, watching his feet to make sure the horse wouldn't actually step on his toes, and held Ivy securely as they walked around in a calm circle.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top