How Green Becomes Wood

Daizi hugged Alec back, "I do really appreciate how conscious you are of what may not be accessible to me, habibi." She kissed his head and then let him go, although Ivy had grabbed onto him and did not decided to release him. "It would be helpful if you could watch Ivy on Thursday evening so Dark and I can go out together?" Dark looked at Daizi quickly, and then bent to tuck the brochures away in the stroller pocket, trying to hide his excitement that his wife, clearly, had planned something for them.
 
"You're welcome, Mama, but now I'm stuck. Ivy doesn't want to let go," he laughed.

"Yeah, we can do that," Xander said, watching in amusement as Alec tried to figure out if he should attempt to pull away or take Ivy from Daizi. "Watching the Mini isn't that hard."
 
"I think you just have to take her!" Daizi laughed passing Ivy over to Alec while playfully teasing Ivy, who was more than happy to be included.

"Just remember that this time, there is not really anybody else you can call if you need help," Dark pointed out warily to them. He trusted both boys, and he knew he and Daizi would both be reachable, but if they didn't feel the pressure of that moment, he certainly did.
 
"Don't worry, we'll be fine!" Alec assured Dark as he adjusted Ivy on his hip. "We'll do well, won't we, Ivy? We'll play games and read books and all sorts of fun stuff!"

"And wind down for bed time or naptime at just the right time," Xander said with a nod.

"Ooo! Shiny things!" Alec crowed, pointing to a shop window full of decorative crystals and sun catchers.
 
"I trust you," Dark said, mildly uneasy, although he knew, ultimately, it would be okay. They were okay when he went to the hospital, it would be okay now. His attention was swiftly pulled by the shop window full of crystals and sun catches, as he knew Daizi would adore them. Ivy, too, at the sparkling lights, squeaked loudly and reached out to them, even before they were inside.

As they stepped inside, Dark explained to Daizi about what they could expect, and her face absolutely lit up, and she asked a multitude of questions.
 
"There are so many shiny things in here!" Alec squealed, nearly as beside himself as Ivy, and he bounced excitedly, holding her tight.

"Oh boy," Xander said. He caught the back of Alec's shirt. "No touchy. Either of you."

"No touchy," Alec agreed, eyes on the shiny.

There were a lot of glittery, shiny knick nacks of all types throughout the shop. Most of them weren't of much value, but they were pretty! There were carved animals, famous landmarks in crystal, glass pictures, and, of course, thousands of crystals.
 
With Dark's help, Daizi felt the items he thought she'd like, and he described them to her in as much detail as he could manage, patiently answering every question for her. The employee was visibly concerned by the teenagers carrying a baby and by the blind woman touching their wares, but he couldn't say anything, because nothing was being touched that any other customer wouldn't be allowed to pick up, so he bit his tongue and watched them anxiously.

Of course, Daizi didn't drop anything and showed probably more caution than the average person would, and with Ivy being prevented from reaching out, she didn't harm anything, either. Instead, Daizi talked at length about the mystical properties of various crystals.
 
"I want to get a hanging crystal for our room. A little one!" Alec exclaimed once they'd gone through the whole place.

"Would it go with the bird feeder?" Xander asked. "I'd worry it'd scare the birds."

"Oh, good point. Just a regular one for the windowsill or a shelf, then," Alec grinned. 'But which one?"
 
Daizi came over to them to point out crystals she thought were good to have in the bedroom: Clear Quartz, for master healing, purification, and amplifying other crystals. Amethyst, to help with tension and stress, and to create an aura of protection. Rose Quartz for love, healing, and compassion. Howlite or Lepidolite, for better sleep, and she explained the intricate differences between the two. And those were just some of the suggestions she gave, although she clearly used great effort not to overwhelm Alec.

"I always keep rose quartz, amethyst, kyanite, moonstone, and clear quartz in our bedroom," Daizi mentioned at last, "although not all of them are on my bedside table, at least not all the time. Moonstone and amethyst always are, the rest I move closer at need, but they're always on display. I also like to bring in carnelian, red tiger's eye, and red garnet."
 
"Lepidolite and amethyst are really pretty," Alec remarked, looking them over.

Xander gestured to two of the others. "I like the quartz and the howlite better."

"Hmm," Alec murmured, turning Ivy so she could see but not reach. "I think an amethyst would be really useful, but quartz is also quite the well-rounded stone. How about... this smaller quartz with this smaller amethyst and a howlite? The smaller ones are cheaper, so we can get more, and fit more!"

"Yeah, alright," Xander agreed. "We can work with that." He paused and turned to a deep, vibrantly blue stone with flecks of gold. He picked it up curiously and held it a moment. It felt oddly... right. "What's this one?"

"Lapis Lazuli," Alec read off the placard, mispronouncing the word.
 
"Lazuli," Daizi corrected, and picked up one of the stones, turning it over in her hands, grateful for the raised text on the signs, "It represents , truth, friendship, wisdom, and helps release anger, especially if that anger hinders communication." She turned it over a few more times, not surprised it was a stone Xander found himself interested in in the slightest, and set it down. "Don't waste your spending money on crystals, I'll buy you crystals, they'll help you."
 
"Really? Thank you!" Alec chirped.

He carefully picked out the amethyst and the quartz he liked best and handed them to Daizi for her approval. With a bit of encouragement, Xander picked out his favorite howlite and lapis lazuli, which were presented to Daizi with great seriousness. If she approved, the four stone would find a place in their bedroom. Alec still didn't believe, but he tried to be respectful, and the stones were beautiful no matter how he felt. Xander still wasn't sure. He was a bit unnerved by the way it had felt like the stone had drawn him. Or he had been drawn? Something in that realm.
 
Daizi approved of the stones and went with her boys to buy them at the counter, feeling very pleased they were really opening up, or at least taking her suggestions if they didn't. Pretty much every room in the house was full of crystals, but the twins only ever had two. She always kept amethyst in the guest bedrooms, because it was a simple one for sleep, but she had added a second one when Dark first said they were being brought home, to help them in the tender state they had been in at the time. Once it was clear they were staying, though, she had collected them, because although she believed they were important and helpful, she didn't want anything in the room to feel like something they couldn't have a say over. But now they wanted them independently, and she was glad to supply them, because she was, at that time, carrying crystals in the diaper bag, the stroller, in her bra, and in Dark's pocket. She always sent a crystal with him, wherever he went.

"What now?" Dark asked, as they left the store. He took Ivy from Alec and placed her into the stroller, "Do you want to keep wandering or head back so we can go swim in the ocean?"
 
"No more sparkly things," Xander pleaded, holding the bag of rocks. "Whatever you want to do is good with me, just no more sparkly things."

Alec giggled and shook his head. "That's going to be hard considering how much the ocean glitters. What do you want to do?"
 
Dark looked down the street, thinking for a few moments, and he said, "How about we stay here until lunch, and then after we eat, we go back to the ocean?"

"I'm not sure if we have solids for Ivy in the diaper bag," Daizi commented, knowing if they were staying out until lunch, they'd need to feed Ivy too.

Thankfully, Dark answered her, "We do. I have rice pudding for her packed, and spoons wrapped in a utensil sleeve."
 
"Way to plan ahead!" Alec praised and pranced ahead to see what else was around.

Xander followed him more slowly, looking curious but not as fully attracted as Alec was. This was fine. Not a huge deal, but fine. Mostly it was just fun to be out together as a family with no curfew.
 
"I did not know what our plan for the day would be," Dark said, "So I made sure we would be prepared regardless of how our plans shifted. And the rice pudding was pleasant to make." He wouldn't say it aloud, but he found it endearing to have used breastmilk to cook for his daughter. That was probably weird, but it was like they were both feeding her at the same time, and it also felt very resourceful. "I like that she has tried enough foods now that we are able to put flavours together for her. It is fun getting to properly cook for her."

"I can't wait until she can have khubz. That's when she really gets to be properly Arab." Daizi said, lightly twirling her parasol over in her hands.

Dark thought about this for a little while, "We probably could. There is no milk in it."

They continued to talk idly as they strolled along main street, stopping in shops they found interesting. Dark brought them inside of a magic shop, telling them briefly about someone they used to know who owned one. Or perhaps still owned, he did not check up on it, anymore. Inside, a magician was demonstrating a few tricks to the people who came in. Another store was full of angel and dragon figurines, as well as, for some reason, dogs, and Dark couldn't help but get excited at an ornament which looked almost exactly like Enkidu. Another store was full of swords and knives, some genuine and some from popular movies and video games. And there were, of course, an absurd number of tourist gift shops selling ridiculous t-shirts, embarrassing hats, and various tchotchkes related to the beach.
 
Alec wanted to buy everything, but Xander reigned him in and kept the money they'd been allowanced. They kept their enjoyment mostly purchase-free until they both agreed to buy a small dagger. It was supposed to be a letter opener, but it was a dagger. They would have gotten a bigger one, but the other one they agreed on would have taken their entire allowance and then some. So, letter opener it was. And a small trick puzzle box for Xander from the magic shop. Alec loved the magic shop but couldn't decide what to get. Xander had him take pictures of everything he liked so they could come back later when he'd decided. When at one of the tacky gift shops, Alec distracted Dark and Daizi so Xander could sneak off and buy them both a special gift. They already had a small gift for Daizi's birthday, but this was too good to pass up.
 
When it came to shopping, Dark and Daizi had taken Xander's methods even before he voiced it: rather than buying everything immediately, Dark took down what they wanted and where it was, and when they decided what exactly they wanted, or if they still wanted it, they would return and get it. After all, they had also created nearly envelopes identical to those they had put together for the twins to make sure they also did not go over budget, and they had an extra one for Ivy.

"There is no point on spending all of your money on the first day," Dark said to them when Alec was struggling with what he wanted, "There is no way of telling what you will see later in the week."

However, when Ivy saw another child swinging around what appeared to be a light up maraca, she fussed and reached and they left the tourist shop with her excitedly shaking an absolutely horrible, irritating little toy, absolutely gleeful.

Daizi picked lunch, since Dark had chosen breakfast and the twins chose dinner the night before--which she felt was a clever system. In the future, she said, on five day vacations, each person should get one day where they picked the restaurants, but since Ivy couldn't get, switching off each meal seemed fair, although she was adamant that going forward, Xander and Alec should choose independently of each other, because they were two separate people, but also so it wasn't always Dark choosing breakfast, herself choosing lunch, and them choosing dinner.

"What could be nice," Dark suggested as he fed Ivy after they ordered, although if the twins disliked the idea he would drop it, "is if every day, regardless of what we do independently, we meet up for all of the three meals. But if that is too complicated, I think it should be required we all eat dinner together."
 
"I like it," Alec agreed instantly. "It's nice to know someone's expecting you and when. It's good. And it means that if anything happens, we'll know immediately. Not that I expect anything to happen," he added hastily.

Xander shrugged. "All three might be hard sometimes, but I think we should do it most of the time."

"I'm sure we can make all three work," Alec said confidently. "And I like that we each get to pick a place."
 
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