How Green Becomes Wood

"Which musical is it?" Dark asked, getting up to go ask the twins if they wanted to go, "I am about to ask them if they are interested." He put the phone on mute for a moment to explain the situation to Daizi who said she thought it would be good for Ciara to have one-on... two time with the boys, which Dark agreed with and had almost said before asking her, so unmuting the phone he said, "Daizi and I do like musicals, but we think you will be fine on your own with them, if they want to go. Anyway, we have Ivy, who certainly will not sit through a show."
 
"Ah, yes, I do not think one so small as Ivy would care for that," Ciara said, having forgotten to take that into account and feeling a smidge guilty for that. "The musical is called 'Cats.' Have you heard of it?"

Meanwhile, Alec was attempting to play model for a bag Xander had made, and he was enjoying himself.

"Could you try not looking like an idiot?" Xander grumbled, waiting to take the picture. "It's a dude's bag, not a lady's Sunday purse."

"Really? You could have fooled me," Alec teased.
 
Dark half paused, hearing the name, and not feeling particularly certain Ciara knew what she was getting into, but that was her business, "She has started crawling, now, so keeping her still anywhere is not as easy as it used to be," he told her, trying to demonstrate why it was okay she hadn't considered their baby, who not that long ago was essentially a very cute lump, "I have heard of it, although I have not seen it. But I hear it is quite popular."

He knocked on the shed door, and after being allowed to open it he said, muting the line, "Your aunt is on the phone. She is wanting to know if you would like to go to a musical with her next week."
 
Alec looked up, surprised and pleased.

Xander took the picture and looked at it on his phone, finally nodding in satisfaction.

Ignoring his brother, Alec said, "Really? That sounds like a lot of fun! Which musical?"

"Sounds torturous," Xander muttered, adjusting the picture. He never put on faces, only torsos, unless Alec was heavily makeuped and doing something more like a cosplay.
 
"Yes! I totally want to go!" Alec agreed instantly.

Xander hesitated, tipping his head from side to side thoughtfully.

"Please?" Alec asked him hopefully.

Xander sighed and shrugged. "Sure, why not? What's a couple of hours of torment? I'll go, too."
 
After waiting an extra moment to try to confirm if they wanted to talk to her, Dark asked what day next week they wanted to go and then took Ciara off mute, "Ciara? Are you still there? The twins would love and be willing to go with you." He meant one would love to go and the other would be willing to go, but if she interpreted it as they would both love it, that was fine by him.
 
"Excellent," Ciara said, an extra level of warmth entering her voice. "I look forward to seeing them. I shall text them both with the details once I have booked the tickets. Thank you for your time, Mr. Dark."

"Hi, Aunt Ciara! See you soon! Bye!" Alec called, waving. He was satisfied with that.
 
"You are welcome," Dark replied, "I am sure you will all have a wonderful time. Have a nice rest of your day." Then he hung up, put his phone away, and said, after a moment, "I know you have no great love for musicals, Xander, but I think it is a good thing you decided to go. I do not believe she has ever invited the two of you somewhere."
 
"Nope," Xander muttered at the same time as Alec cheered, "Nope!"

"I'm hoping this is the beginning of many more to come. She has such class and taste!" Alec paused. "Which makes Cats a rather unusual choice for her."

To Dark, Xander said, "Don't worry. I'll behave."
 
"I think either she has some childhood fondness for it or she does not realize what she is getting into," Dark replied, slipping his hands into his pockets, "and I trust you will behave, because I do not need to be embarrassed by proxy."
 
"Is there a way you do need to be embarrassed? Here, hold this." Xander handed him a sturdy leather bag that looked like a cross between a large wallet and a purse. It was decorated subtly and had multiple compartments for storage, but closed into a neat brick shape that could be carried or tucked under one arm. He turned away from Dark and rummaged through his scraps. "Alec, what'd you do with that black belt I made? That's not the one you borrowed, is it?"

"No?" Alec said guiltily.
 
"Nah, I'd use you for a model only if I had stuff for big and tall. Otherwise, it looks tiny," Xander said, still digging.

"I remembered something inside, so I'm going be right back," Alec said, inching out.

"You'd better bring back my belt when you come back!" Xander called after him.
 
"Be careful to make tall without including big," Dark advised him, despite admittedly being unsure if it was necessary to, "it can be difficult to find clothes for people who are tall but are not wide, if you understand. Are you asking my opinion on the bag, then?"
 
"Nah, I just needed you to hold it to give Alec a reason and a chance to go get my belt," Xander told him. "But since you're holding it, what do you think of it? Good size? Too big?"
 
He opened it up and sorted through the compartments, testing his phone in one and, after giving it serious thought answered, "It is good. Does it stand on its own or flop over while sat down?"
 
"It stands on its own unless it's overloaded on one side," Xander said.

Alec came dashing into the shed, panting. "I found your belt!" He panted. "It totally wasn't in my room."

"Sure," Xander drawled.

Alec looked at Dark and grinned. "Are you going to model the bag? It looks so much smaller in your hands."
 
"I think it is probably better if I do not, many people do not read product listings, and I do not want to be the cause of frustrated customers who expected a much smaller bag than they received." Dark pointed out, handing it back to Alec, "You should make bags with straps in the back that can slide over a belt for ren faires and the like."
 
Xander took the bag from Alec and looked it over. "Huh. I think I could add that to this model. Maybe offer half with, half without, see which sells better."

"I think it's a fantastic idea!" Alec agreed excitedly.

"Thanks, Ba," Xander said. "By the way, what's Cats even about?"

"It's about cats," Alec smirk.
 
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