How Green Becomes Wood

"I thought it might be a good place for Daizi and I to store our wedding rings at night," Dark said, opening the backdoor and walking to his shed, "neither of us like sleeping in them, and in case of a home intrusion, the thought of them being stolen is nightmarish, but nobody would steal a puzzle box, yes? But the issue I forsee is not wanting to go through the trouble each night to open the damn thing, so I still do not know what to store inside of it, and what is the point of a puzzle box which has nothing to protect?"
 
"You could make it look super complicated but have it be actually really simple," Xander suggested as he followed Dark. "Like... a box a bunch of rings carves around it like you'd have to move them all when really you only have to pull out one to access the empty hole."
 
"Maybe," Dark replied slowly, considering it, "That may work for the next iteration, anyway. I had ideas for this box, but the folly of building a box is you first have an idea for the thing, then you torture yourself trying to figure out what to put into it. May you never build a box."

Bringing Xander into his shed, he handed him a relatively simple, not particularly well-adorned box, and on his work bench were various schematics for the little thing. Also on the table was a wooden gear, which he also picked up and handed to Xander, "There are so many moving parts, and it is meant to be be the first thing to solve, but it sticks. And there are other issues... I expected there to be issues, this was just my first attempt, and things are never perfect at first."
 
Xander frowned as he turned the box over and over in his hands. "Alright, I get that your rings are sentimental as well as valuable, but, really? This is like you built a mini Fort Knox for them. There's no way you're going to want to get in and out of this thing two times a day, especially not when you're tired, right? I mean, totally cool, and you should use it for something else, like giving a gift in the most annoying way possible, but not a good ring box."
 
Dark chuckled, sitting down in his chair and moving to the side, "I think you misunderstood me. I had the idea for the box first. After deciding to build the box, I needed a purpose for it. The only thing I thought suitable to store inside of it is our wedding rings, but it was never intended to be a ring box. I know it is impractical for that purpose, but it seems pointless to have a secure box defending nothing, understand? The only other purpose I can think of is putting Ivy's future baby teeth inside, and after she finishes losing all her teeth, putting a piece of metal inside of it and burying it somewhere those people who go out with metal detectors frequent, and then they will go through great trouble to open it, only to find a box of teeth, and, hopefully, they will be momentarily horrified." He smirked mildly at the idea, but then he sighed, shrugged his shoulders and said, "but the problem with that, is then I would lose the box."
 
"Oh. That makes more sense." He glanced sideways and Dark. "And that's a real gross joke. I never understood keeping the baby teeth. Ick. But do what you want." He set the box down. "I guess you could turn it into a time capsule. That's popular. Or you could put something in it you don't access often. Like a piece of jewelry, or an important document. You might be able to fit a document in there, maybe. Or some kind of momentum or reminder."
 
"I do not want to keep her teeth, which is why I considered terrorizing a metal detector with them. But it is not meant to be gross, it is meant to be unnerving. It is meant to inspire questions... I suppose I could make another box for that terror." He sighed, picking up the box again, fiddling with it, "but I suppose I should make it work before I worry too much about what to put inside of it. See, look," he flicked on the desk lamp and gestured for Xander to come closer, talking him through both how the box was supposed to work and the many ways it did not, "Some of the issues are easy fixes, but some..." He hummed, turning it over in his hands, "I am going to need to deconstruct it entirely and rebuild it."
 
Xander had never built a puzzle box, but he'd found a certain satisfaction in solving them recently, but solving one more than two or three times got boring unless it was a really good puzzle, meaning he'd gotten a good feel for puzzle boxes. He frowned at the box and pointed out a couple of things to Dark, asking questions or making suggestions for how to improve. They weren't all good suggestions, but most of them were heading in the right direction. He genuinely wanted to see this puzzle box functioning.
 
"This is why I asked you," Dark murmured, taking a few quick notes about Xander's better suggestions, "You also make things, now, so you have a more... realistic view of what is possible." He set the box down, pushed his hair back, and looked at the schematics for a few moments before looking at Xander again, "When you get finished with whatever it is you are making now, or at least get it to a point you are comfortable with other eyes seeing it, do let me know. I am always interested in what you make."
 
Xander shrugged. "It was for someone else, so I was just going to give it to them. Don't know if they even want it anymore, but figured better them throwing it away than taking up space on my work bench." He gave the box another little fiddle before turning to leave. "Guess you could see it. It's almost done."
 
"That makes sense," Dark nodded, rising to his feet and following Xander out of his shed, stopping to be absolutely certain the door was shut behind him, "I would love to see it." He considered asking who it was for, but considering how initially Xander hadn't agreed to show it to him, he thought it was too soon.
 
Xander led the way over to his shed, trying not to second-guess his choice to show Dark. It was just a dumb little thing he'd put together, nothing important. He'd shown Dark other stuff in far worse shape, and this one was actually shaping up rather nicely. It was a shame he'd likely never see it being used for its intended purpose. He shook off the thought and let Dark in, walking over to the bench and picking up the piece of dark leather.

"Here," he said, handing it over. "Dunno if it'll fit. Had to get the measurements off the 'net 'cause I couldn't work with the real item."

The shape wasn't clear at first. It looked like a hollow rectangle for something to sit in and a flap that folded over, but with an odd rounded piece sticking out the front. It was for a camera, and the flap that came down and around the front was supposed to wrap around and hold the lens steady. Two snaps on the bottom of the flap closed the case securely, and as an extra bit of precaution, there was a spot for a small padlock to attach. The pieces for the padlock attachment still lay waiting on the bench, but they were the same as what he'd gotten for his own journal. The protective camera case was possibly one of his best pieces of work. It wasn't flashy, but it was perfectly molded and sewn with no obvious mistakes anywhere. It was clear he'd been working on it for some time.
 
Dark turned the camera case over in his hands, at first trying to figure out exactly what it was, but once it clicked for them, then he continued to examine the craftsmanship. After taking the right amount of time for his quiet reflection, he said, "This is really well made, Xander. You did an excellent job with this." After running his hands over the stitching one last time, he handed it back to Xander, and remembered the one quiet kid at his birthday party with the camera, and guessed it was more likely to be a present for him than it was for Jack, the only other photographer Dark was certain of. Still, he asked, "Did Peter commission this for his father?"
 
"Thanks. Nah, though he should," Xander said, taking it back. "It's just an idea I wanted to play with. Didn't come out too bad, I guess." He set it aside next to the final pieces he needed, planning on adding them that evening.
 
"You did an excellent job with it." Dark affirmed, and then, finally, looked at Xander squarely again, but very intentionally only said, "I think branching outside of our usual pursuits always helps us to improve as artists or artisans."
 
Xander glanced at Dark, still suspicious, but when Dark said nothing to follow it up, relaxed a little. Maybe he wasn't going to get questioned or pursued. "I want to finish this before heading in tonight," he said, gesturing to the case. "I'm thinking maybe twenty minutes and it's done."
 
Dark inhaled, wanting to know more, but also knowing how trying to force a teenager to talk never ended well. At least, he knew it didn't when he was the teenager in question, and he doubted it would be different with Xander. So instead, he only hoped he knew he had adults to go to if he decided he needed, or wanted, to talk about it, and said nothing, even though it pained him to do so. "You are old enough to enforce your own bedtime, just make sure you lock the backdoor when you come inside."
 
"Will do." Xander glanced back toward Dark and wavered. He almost, almost started to say something and then decided against it. "Good luck with your box," he said instead as he slid onto his stool.

Meanwhile, up in his room, Alec located his phone on the floor under the bed and laid back, holding the phone above him as he texted Sloan. Is it possible to have a personality remission?
 
"Good luck with your case," Dark said softly, and went back inside of the house to rejoin his wife. Ivy was in bed, hopefully for the night, and this was the few hours they had a day where they could be together.

...What? Sloan replied after staring blankly at Alec's text for a few moments, trying to decipher what on earth her friend was attempting to say.
 
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