How Green Becomes Wood

"Next is Mr. Dark's class," Sloan said, "he's kind of the hardest history teacher here, but he's also the best."

For a few minutes, she would push herself up, reach out, and 'talk' a lot, making the faces she could. Then, when she pushed up, she pushed herself over and rolled onto her back. When she did, a little confused look came over her face, finding herself looking up at the ceiling.
 
"Ah, sweet! I met him. He was real cool," Toby grinned. "Thanks for showing me around. You were, like, a massive help!"

Xander stared in shock. He sat up and looked down at Ivy from above. "Huh. Would you look at that?" He looked around for Daizi. "Your mum is going to flip as good as you when she finds out she missed this." He grinned down at Ivy. "Nicely done, Mouse! You did real good!"
 
"Sure no problem," Sloan said, "Good luck, Toby. Let me know if you need anything, alright?"

Ivy laughed, looking up at Xander, and she reached up for his face with both hands, kicking her feet.
 
"Will do! Thanks!" Toby seemed to almost roll as he walked into Dark's classroom. It was like a saunter, but less deliberate and more fluid where it seemed almost accidental that he was going in the right direction. "Yo! Mr. Dark, sir! Awesome to see you again!" he greed Dark enthusiastically but respectfully.

Xander leaned down so that his face was just out of her reach. If she really stretched, she might be able to brush her fingertips against his face. "Oh, yeah? Now you think you're hot stuff, so ya? I bet you can't roll onto your back now, can you?" he teased lightly.
 
Dark looked at Toby, recognizing him, but did not greet him like that. "Hello. Please take a seat."

Ivy stretched her hands up and did, in fact, manage to lightly brush her fingers against Xander's face and squealed, kicking her feet. But she couldn't roll back over, and soon Daizi walked back, "Hey there, how have you been? Having fun?"
 
"Sure thing, sir." Toby easily took his seat and settled in to work, his legs stretched out into the aisle for comfort.

"You should pat Ivy's back," Xander told her. This should be a fun surprise. "Ivy's got something there." He sat back, giving Daizi space to discover her daughter's latest power move.
 
Dark watched Toby sit down and then turned back to continue teaching his class, somewhat irritated at the way his class was interrupted. After finishing the lecture portion of class he was engaged in, and had set the class about individualized work, he walked beside Toby to provide him with the syllabus and get him caught up on the operation of his class.

"Is she okay?" Daizi asked, trying to tell if she should be concerned or not as she sat back down. When she leaned in to touch Ivy's back, she reacted in surprise when she grabbed her hand. "Ivy," Daizi said, "what are you doing, silly baby? What are you doing on your back?" A slow grin spread over her face, "Did Ivy roll o-ver?"
 
Toby was polite, though a little enthusiastic. He was doing his best to keep his voice lowered and his enthusiasm in check, but his eyes sparkled in excitement at being here in this new place with a teacher he'd already established as being "rad."

"Yep," Xander announced proudly. "She flipped herself right over! Like a little pill bug. But less leggy."
 
"Oh my goodness!" Daizi said, amazed, "Good girl, Ivy!!! You did so good!!!" She dropped her head to kiss Ivy on her tummy, and Ivy laughed and grabbed onto her mom's hair. "Why didn't you wait for Mama! Oh, I'm so proud of you, baby!" She didn't immediately disentangle herself from her daughter's grasp, choosing instead to take a few moments to just listen to Ivy's heartbeat, immensely proud.
 
"It was pretty cool," Xander said, feeling both proud and a little bashful that he'd been the one to see it first. "I bet she'll do it again for you if you give her the right motivation. She's all about the hardcore motivation, right, Mouse?"
 
When Xander spoke, she looked at him. From his angle, her face would have been upside-down and from that angle, she happily stuck out her tongue and stretched out her arms and legs.

Daizi gave Ivy one last tummy kiss and then sat back up, beaming brightly at Xander, "You got to see one of her milestones before anyone else." She reached forward and gently rolled Ivy back onto her tummy, "Okay, Habibti, let's try this again. Xander, you should record so that if she does it again we can send it to Baba."
 
"Hang on." Xander located his phone and tried to figure out how to get the recording to work. "Never actually done this before. There. Okay. Got it. Come on, now, little Mouse, show the world what you got!" He got down lower and stuck his tongue out at Ivy. "You gotta do it again so that I'm not the only one blessed to witness your mighty power."
 
Xander cheering for Ivy warmed Daizi, and she settled down on one side of her baby, and she held one hand out so that if Ivy rolled to her, she would feel it. "Come here, Ivy!" She cheered, "Roll over for Mama! Good girl!"

It took a few tries again, and Ivy didn't understand what they wanted her to do, but with her mother sitting just out of reach, Ivy did manage to roll back over on her back. When Daizi cheered as if she had just broke a record, Ivy grinned and kicked her feet.
 
"Got it!" Xander stated in satisfaction, checking the video he'd shot. "Looks nice and clear. Nicely done, ya mini." He gave Ivy a tiny, quick fist bump of congratulations.
 
"You're getting so strong, Hummingbird!" Daizi crowed, stroking Ivy's cheek, "Baba is going to be so proud of you! And so is Alec, and Khalaty Sally, and Jaddi, and Amty Zeinab..." She rubbed her baby's tummy and raised her head. "You should send the video to him now, maybe it'll make his day easier."
 
"Okay." Xander shorted the video to take out some of the long wait at the beginning but left it long enough so Dark would think it was just a nice video of his daughter. Then he sent it with the caption, "Daizi says hi."
 
At work, Dark's class was working in small groups when the text came through. He normally didn't reply to non-urgent texts with his students in the room, but it was a video of his baby so he couldn't resist watching it. When he saw her roll over, his eyes lit up and he came very near to smiling at work. She never ceases to amaze. He quickly texted back before saving the video and sending it on to Cooger and Alec.

At home, Daizi said, "Next she just has to learn to roll from her back to her belly, and then we're in trouble, because then she'll be on the move."
 
Last edited:
[Do you mean he sent it on to Cooger and Alec?]

"He says she never ceases to amaze him," Xander reported to Daizi. "So, are you ready for a crawling, rolling, toddling child you have to chase down?"
 
[Yes, fixed]

Daizi sighed, scooping Ivy up and setting her in her lap, "I don't know. I'm excited for her to be so capable, experiencing her grow up and learn to do so many new things is rewarding and thrilling, and I guess I can't wait until she can do more. But." She held her daughter up above her head, "I know she's going to be trouble when she can get around on her own."
 
Xander snorted and stretched out from his uncomfortable position. He'd gotten himself in an awkward twist trying to make sure he videoed Ivy properly, and it was good to get things in their proper position again. "Her? Trouble? With her genetics? Nah! She's going to be the complete opposite and be the sweetest, gentlest, harmless mini you ever never saw." He smirked at Daizi, his teasing tone clear.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top