How Green Becomes Wood

"Ah yes, the famous night time rainbow," Dark said cooly, "It is okay, one of us has to care about colours so Ivy learns they exist." He watched Xander fiddle with the box, "Get a knife and slice the tape. I would offer to do it for you, but someone is about to take her nap."

"No, I'm awake," Daizi replied, nestling her head on his shoulder.

"I... know. Or, believed so, now I am less sure. I meant Ivy."
 
Alec smiled at the pair. "I guess the lades of the house will nap while the men of the house try not to slice open their fingers struggling with sticky pieces of plastic."

"You could make remarks, or you could get me a knife," Xander grumbled.

"I prefer making remarks," Alec chirped, but he did set aside his music books and fetched a knife for Xander.
 
"No, I can't nap," Daizi said, not moving from where she sat, "I need to take a shower, we're having guests over. I want to feel nice, Ciara hasn't seen me since a few days after I gave birth."

A slight smirk came over Dark's face, "Then go shower, Spider. We can hold the fort down here."

"But it's so nice being with you all."
 
"You could go shower and then come back, or give yourself a five-minute timer before you have to get up and go shower," Alec suggested, already distracted as he thumbed through the Iraqi songbook.

Xander ignored the conundrum as he cautiously opened the box only to find a second box inside. Frowning, he slid it out to see that it was a thick sleeve of cardboard to which the unicorn was anchored by heavy-duty twist-ties. He tried unsuccessfully to untwist them, pricking his fingers on the sharp ends in the process, before giving up and going to get the pliers. Why on earth were they anchored in so securely? The front of the outside box was plastic! It wasn't like that offered much protection.
 
Daizi hesitated so Dark hummed lightly, pulling away from her, "Go take a shower, darling. Ivy is about to fall asleep, there is no better time." She raised her head and might have argued, but ultimately knew he was right so she stood, stretched, and headed to the stairs before stopping herself.

"We need to give Enkidu his present!" She remembered and hurried to the kitchen and from inside the pantry brought out a extra large bone with a big red bow which she immediately removed as she presented it to Enkidu, who, by the look on his face and the wag of his tail had no idea what special thing he had done to be given such a big special treat. Daizi cooed to him and pet him vigorously and then went upstairs to her shower while Enkidu trotted off to chew in peace.

"The real present is the puzzle it takes to access the unicorn," Dark commented, watching Xander.
 
Alec leaned back against the couch while still seated on the floor. His lips moved as he tried to make out one of the songs. His focus was fully occupied by the book in his hands.

Xander growled and grumbled but slowly - and painfully - released the first twist tie. "Got one!" he grinned, holding it up. Then he frowned and looked at the back of the cardboard. "Only four more to go. Two on the two closer legs and one around the body. Seriously? What the pineapple smoothie is the point?"
 
"If I was not holding a sleeping baby," he looked down and corrected himself, "an almost sleeping baby, I would help you. This is good training, though. Life is full of twist ties, nothing worth having comes easy." He chuckled, moving into a more comfortable position since he knew he'd be there for awhile, "I think it is so collectors can prove the mint condition horse is, in fact, mint condition. They make horses like that which sell for thousands of dollars when they're unopened and unused. Opening the box ruins the value."
 
Xander stared at Dark for a moment. A life lesson? Really? About twist ties? He shook his head and turned his attention back to the box. He untwisted all the ties first, and as he worked, he said, "I guess that makes sense, but I never really saw the point in a collection like that. The real beauty of the item - unicorn, in this case - is when they're sitting naturally on something like a shelf or a desk. They look almost real, a piece of art. Can't see that in the box. At least, I can't."
 
"I do not understand it either. But I am grateful for those people when years after something is discontinued and I hope to be able to buy it. Then those collectors with their meticulous boxes are good friends of mine. I like to be able to arrange my belongings as I think they should look... but I suppose that is why I like to create my figures." He looked down at Ivy and softly said, "Sleep, my darling. You look so tired. Do not fight it."
 
"Point," Xander muttered as he started trying to take the ties off without scratching the horse's legs. They were wrapped once around the leg! He eventually pulled on the horse itself to separate it from the cardboard. Then, finally, he could get the ties off! He glanced at Dark then at Alec. Smirking, he said, "Yeah, take a page from your older rainbow brother there." He nodded toward Alec, who was fast asleep leaning on the couch.
 
"You both really must have been up early." Dark remarked, looking up at Alec. He moved Ivy against his chest and slowly rocked from side to side. His sweet girl. From this position he couldn't see much of her face, but he could feel the gentle rise and fall of her breathing and the warmth from her small body, and it just... made him happy.

"Where are you going to put the unicorn when it is free?" He asked.
 
"I haven't decided," Xander admitted, carefully unwrapping the ties. He tossed the last one aside into the pile with the others. Those would come in handy later. "Maybe in the window for a while, but then the sun might make the colors fade. I don't know how fade-resistant the paints they used are. Maybe on top of the bookshelf."
 
"On the bookshelf could be nice. Or on your desk. Or in your locker, for luck. When I was in high school, I hung dried flowers inside of my locker because every time I bought or picked some for Daizi I kept one for myself." He stood, carefully stepping around his dog, so he could pace the living room for Ivy's sake.
 
Xander eyed Dark skeptically and held up the unicorn. "I think this thing is a little big to put in my locker along with all the books I have crammed in there." He set it on the coffee table and eyed it thoughtfully. "I do know this company makes small horses, though. I could get one of those sometime. They're pretty cheap. Not as nice as flowers, but I don't have someone to give flowers to."
 
"It might be," Dark agreed, stopping briefly by the back door too look outside and then went back to pacing. Internally, he was surprised Xander didn't make a face or comment about the 'sappiness' of Dark keeping a flower from every bouquet he had given Daizi, "Do you wish you had someone to give flowers to? Or is that still not something you are interested in?"
 
"Nope," Xander said without hesitation. "I don't see it working out. Besides, I can barely keep my homework in order and handle a family relationship. How the hell am I supposed to juggle a romantic relationship?" He picked up one of the perforating leather craft tools and turned it over in his hands. "I don't get why so many people are hung up on relationships at my age anyway. Half the time, people like my teachers or random check-out clerks ask who I'm dating or if I'm with the girl behind me in line, and it's like... it's none of their business. And then, the other kids who are in relationships, teachers are huffing and puffing about them being too young and probably doing stuff they shouldn't. Sometimes it's the same teachers. I don't get it. He shook his head and set the tool down carefully next to the horse to pick up another.
 
"That is a good point," Dark had to agree. "I am an adult and it is still difficult to find a balance between family, friends, work, and Daizi. And it is strange now, because she is both family and a romantic partner. But we make it work... and that is love, for us, but it is okay if you do not want that. It is okay if you do not ever want that. Some people do not." His eyes flicked to the teen, swaying gently to keep Ivy asleep, "Teachers and other adults tend to by caught up on those things because we have such a picture of what it means to be a teenager, what 'normal' teenagers should and should not be doing and it can be difficult to remember not everyone fits that same mold. When Cooger and I were growing up, I was adamant that love was not real, that I would never get married, all those things, all while slowly falling in love with Daizi... Or, slowly realizing it, I am not sure, now, I was ever not in love with her, and Cooger said he expected to get married some day, but of course he did not. And we were both spoken to the same way about it because adults are expected to engage teenagers, but if they do not know us well enough to speak to us like individuals, they default to 'are you dating anyone?' 'how is school?' and 'do you play any sports' if you look athletic but 'do you play video games?' if you do not."

He shrugged his broad shoulders, "There is no right way to be, most people do not understand that."
 
Last edited:
Xander shrugged and finished lining up the tools in a perfectly straight line next to the unicorn. "I guess people change a lot, especially when we're still kids. I'm not like I was at thirteen, so I guess I can expect to be real different at seventeen, too. But right now, I don't want nothing to do with it." He nudged one of the handles to get it straighter. "I don't see that changing." He glanced toward Alec, who was still sound asleep. No, he couldn't see it ever changing for himself, but maybe it would change for someone else.
 
"That is okay. It does not need to." Dark replied, following his gaze to Alec. He inhaled slowly and sat back down on the couch, hoping Ivy was in a deep enough sleep it wouldn't wake her if he stopped walking. Drumming his fingers against her back, he watched Xander straighten his tools for a little while before saying, "It is Christmas. Do you want to talk about that?"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top