How Green Becomes Wood

"She is not in charge, only very persuasive." Daizi said before giving Ivy a big kiss on the check and walking her back to the living room and trying to think of some engaging, distracting activity all three of them could participate in, because she knew this might be overwhelming for Alec, if nothing else.

"You are welcome." Dark said, "Of the cars we are going to look at, is there one in particular you are hoping for?"
 
Alec giggled and followed Daizi. "I was thinking that perhaps Ivy and I could hang out together while you put up your feet for a while. Have some tea and listen to a book! Or whatever you want to do to relax."

"The green one," Xander said. "It's the oldest of the three, but just looking at the pictures, it looked like it was built like a tank. It's got an actual metal frame. Terrible on gas, but good for winters and safety, I think. The blue one is my second favorite, but I'm waiting until I see all of them."
 
"If you would like to take care of her, that's okay," Daizi said, carefully squeezing Ivy close one extra time before handing her to Alec, "but you don't need to."

Dark thought through Xander's estimations of the different cars, "Gas mileage is important, cars are not particularly useful if you cannot afford to drive them," he pointed out, but stayed quiet on the rest of his opinions until they arrived at the car lot, seemingly just after Cooger arrived.
 
"I know I don't need to, but I want to," Alec smiled, taking Ivy. "What do you say, Ivy? do you want to hang out with me? We're going to have a good time together!"



Xander agreed with Dark thoughtfully. Each of the three cars he'd picked out to go look at had pros and cons. Each one looked good to him. He was looking forward test driving the cars. When they arrived, he waved to Cooger and gave Cooger and Dark time to mess with each other before the salesman came over to talk to them. The salesman was surprisingly laid back as they looked over the heavy-bodied green car. He was happy to let them take the car for a test drive, especially after he saw both Dark and Cooger would both be involved with the drive. Xander looked over the whole car with Cooger, told the salesman he'd be back, and then went on to look at the grey car.

The blue car was the most unassuming of the three, just an ordinary, simple blue car being sold by the owner from where he'd left it parked in a public parking lot. The owner was an awkward fellow who didn't know much about the car, just that he had bought a new one and didn't want this one anymore. It was a nice car, but it did make an odd noise that Xander couldn't quite figure out. On paper, it was perhaps the best of the cars, but once he was in the car, it didn't feel quite right. Plus, the seat was surprisingly uncomfortable.

The last car was the outlier because it was, shockingly, a minivan. Xander had no idea why he'd decided to add a minivan to his list. He did not feel like a minivan kind of guy. Maybe a full van, but not a minivan. He'd almost chosen to go look at a VW van after something Milo had said, but common sense told him he absolutely did not need that much space, and VW parts were harder to get. So, here he was, looking at a silvery grey 2012 Kia Sedona minivan. This salesman was a bit pushier, but Xander let Cooger run interference while he went over the van closely. It needed a lot of cosmetic help and it smelled a little odd, but everything else about the car was in perfect shape. It ran great, the body was great, everything about it was absolutely perfect. Then he got in and discovered the most comfortable car seat he'd ever sat in. Once they pried themselves away from the salesman to give it a drive, it rode smooth without any weird noises and had a surprising amount of power.

As they headed back toward the carlot, Xander said to Dark, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I want to buy a freakin' minivan."
 
Since Dark was by no means an expert of cars, he mostly stood back, intimidated the salesperson and occasionally offered advice when helpful or when Cooger got a bit too into cars and needed to be pulled back to earth. Yes there were other cars on the first lot which could be excellent with a lot of work, but they needed to be mindful that a cheap car with a lot of repairs costs about the same as the ones Xander was already looking at. If he wanted to go that route, Xander would have decided to look at those cars.

Once refocused, Cooger was particularly helpful in determining issues with the cars. All three seemed to be in about equal shape, although the milleage on the first car seemed a little high for his liking, and cars making an odd noise never sat right with him, unless you were planning to do a lot of work, and Dark made it very clear that was not the goal.

As they drove back to the lot in the minivan, Dark looked at him with the slightest surprise in his eyes, but said, "A minivan is a responsible choice. And should last you a long while."
 
"Yeah, just weird," Xander grumbled. "But it handles smooth, man! Like, real smooth. Definitely need to do something about the smell, but that's just surface stuff. This is the best car out of all of them, and, hey, I can fit Peter's drums back there if I wanted to! Nice space." He nodded to himself, tryng not to feel too weirded out by how much he liked driving the minivan as he turned into the parking lot and found a clear space to park. "Yeah... I like this one. I think this is the one, unless you found some issue with it?" he asked, turning to Cooger.
 
"There definitely seems a lot of utility in it," Dark replied in genuine agreement while also trying to remove any sort of embarrassment Xander might have about it, "It is easier to transport Enkidu in a car like this, too. Or packages, if your business started making larger items." He glanced back towards the seats, "Fitting a saddle or riding gear in a car like this would be no problem."

Cooger shook his head, "Nah, I didn't notice anything that couldn't be buffed out no problem. It's a little worn in some areas, but nothing that would be an issue down the line. A kid might've been sick in it at some point, but that's the lifespan of a minivan."
 
"Yeah," Xander agreed quietly, smiling at the thought of fitting riding gear into the back of the car. Having this much space opened up a lot of possibilities, and the good gas mileage meant he could reach farther cheaper. Maybe even out to a horse facility.

He got out, and the salesman wasn't far away. He came scurrying over with a wide grin. Xander glanced at Dark and gave a little nod.
 
Dark approached the salesman, returning the nod, and before the salesman had a chance to suggest they go into his office, Dark did. Then he glanced behind him to gesture for Xander to follow.

In the office, Dark politely sat through the general spiel all car dealers go through, but when they came to discussing the price, he shrugged his shoulders, leaned in, and then the game really began. He might have been playing up his accent slightly, but his tactics were solid, as he pointed out the amount of miles on the car, the scratches, the smell, and all of the other little careful details he had noticed. It took a few rounds of going back and forth with the salesman until eventually the salesman agreed to go talk to his manager, at which point Dark sat back and waited silently.
 
Xander sat back and watched the interplay closely, taking mental notes. He'd had a small idea that Dark was a good haggler, but this was way beyond anything he'd expected! This was almost artful. It was weirdly beautiful to watch, and Dark had shaved off a huge chunk of cash for him. He kept his expression locked down, but he was thoroughly impressed. When the salesman left, he raised a brow at Dark and nodded to show his appreciation and admiration, but he didn't dare speak in case the salesman or his boss could hear them.
 
Dark looked at Xander and gave him a little nod, but although his face was still, there was a satisfied gleam in his eyes, which he extinguished the moment the salesman returned with a big smile and an excited, 'good news!' and excited chatter about how his boss agreed to let him go much lower than he normally would. With this news, Dark allowed himself to glance at Xander and give him an otherwise imperceptible smirk, and handed Xander his pen to sign the paperwork with.
 
Xander took the pen, took a deep breath, and signed the paper. He did it! He'd actually done it! He had succeeded in one of the biggest goals he'd ever wanted to reach! He was actually shaking just a little as they finished the paperwork and completed the financial steps. The car was his! The first thing he was going to do was give Alec a ride! Then he was going to scrub and disinfect every single crevis. Maybe those two things should be reversed, but he couldn't wait to show his brother his prize!
 
When the salesman handed the key, Dark moved to the side so Xander could take it himself. He acted cool as they left the office, tucking the paperwork under one arm, but when they were out of sight of the salesman, he looked down at Xander with the same look in his eyes that he got when Ivy hit some new milestone. "We should have let Cooger drive us both here, I realize now."
 
"Yeah," Xander agreed, staring at the key clutched in his hand. "Might have been for the best. Probably." He waited until he was reasonably sure they were out of sight of the front windows and then gave Dark a full grin, his eyes shining. "I got a car!" he squeaked in excitement. "I got it!" He reached out and gripped Dark's forearm briefly, sharing his joy. "And you totally ruled back there. That was awesome." He turned toward Cooger, holding up the key to show him. "It's all mine! Well. Mostly. On paper it's part his, same with insurance, but I'm paying for it all!"
 
"It is yours," Dark agreed, matching his son's excitement internally if not quite externally, although he did briefly squeeze Xander's shoulder when Xander gripped his forearm, "I am so proud of you, you earned it. You really earned it, mashallah. It is yours, people have their names on things that do not belong to them, all the time!" He turned to Cooger, "He has a nicer car than yours, see? Only sixteen, with a nicer car than you!"

"That's badass, lil' gladiator!" Cooger cheered, much more outwardly expressive, "Hey, if you don't like the colour, I've got a buddy who I'm sure will paint it or wrap it for you no problem, he owes me a favor anyway."
 
Xander looked over the minivan and scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I might take you up on that, but I think I'll sit on it for now. I want to get to know it better as a car before I start doing stuff to it. Thanks, though. Maybe I'll turn it green. Thanks for all your help in picking this baby out. I couldn't have done it nearly as well without you." He glanced at Dark, unable to fully stop grinning. "Race you home?
 
"Fair enough!" Cooger shrugged, but then whipped around aghast, "Oh so now you are okay with racing? When earlier you sought superiority?"

Dark squinted at Cooger, "What are you talking about?" but then he looked at Xander again, "If we race, I may let you win. I would not want you to have something to dampen the spirit like a loss. But--also it is not fully insured yet, so perhaps another day."
 
Xander just smirked at Cooger without answering. He tossed the keys up and caught them on the way down. "Well, I think I'm ready to head home, if you two can trust my driving. Cooger, I'll totally have to give you a ride later. Shall we get going?"
 
"I will meet you there," Dark said, lingering for a few moments to just... watch Xander enjoy this moment. Then he paused and said, "I know you do not like pictures, but should I take a picture of you with your car and your keys? You may want it, some day. To remember your first car." In truth, he wanted the picture, but didn't feel like his desire supercede Xander's right to control his image.
 
Xander hesitated a moment. Then he gave a nod. "Yeah," he agreed slowly. "I guess thats a good idea." He glanced at the van and found the best angle to stand for the picture. "How's this?"
 
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