How Green Becomes Wood

"That is because when I am unsure, I take a photograph of it, set it down, and walkaway. If when it is time to leave, I am thinking about it still, I buy it. If I leave without it, and find myself thinking about it again days or weeks later, I come back or find it online." He picked up one of Alec's items and turned it over, examining it closely for a few moments, then set it down, "At some point I learned, sometimes I enjoy the thought of owning a thing more than I would enjoy actually owning it."
 
Alec couldn't help but wonder where this was coming from. Dark had never taken this much interest in his small purchases before. Had he done something wrong? Did Dark worry he was mismanaging his funds? Alec knew he spent a lot more on frivolous stuff than Xander did, but he still always put aside a small bit into savings, and he kept his stuff regulated to their room - except for a few small items that his parents had never seemed to mind before. Maybe Dark was afraid Alec's decorations would take over his own carefully structured and organized home decor. It wasn't like their house was short on decor items.

"That sounds like a nice way to do it, but if I put it down, even with a picture, I know I'll never find it again," Alec chuckled as he carefully picked up all the items again. "So, my system is to find out if I think it's worth carrying around a store! If it's not worth carrying, then it's not worth buying."
 
"Just, be sure to put things back where you found them, when you figure out what you do not want. It is not fair for the employees to have to restack everything for you." Dark replied, staring down at the mess of items. There was just something about it, the number of items Alec had collected, which rubbed him the wrong way. Nobody could accuse Dark of being a minimalist, but he didn't buy things purely to buy them. Everything needed a purpose and needed to be something that would matter to him in the future. There was probably some rational reason for his uneasy feeling, but it just... It didn't even look like stuff Alec would normally even like. Maybe he just didn't know him as well as he believed.

He checked his watch, "Decide quickly, though, we should be heading home soon, I believe."
 
"Oh, is it time already? Alright, I'll pick and be ready to go," Alec promised. He found some space and carefully set out the items. The cloak he liked. No, he didn't wear a lot of black, but a black cloak went with everything! And maybe he could attach sequins to it! At least the hem. That would look cool! That, he kept. As well and the intertwined black and white cats. After some debate with himself, he chose the jack-o-lantern candle holder. It looked cool, and like it would make great wall shadows. Plus, it somewhat fit with the rest of the decor of the house, so it wouldn't be the worst thing if he decided to burn a candle in it somewhere other than his room. Choice made, he put everything else back and went to find Daizi.

Xander was mindlessly poking his way through things as he waited for the sign that they were ready to leave. He'd picked up a couple of small treats for later consumption, but other than that hadn't found anything he particularly wanted. There were a lot of cool things, but none that suited him.
 
At least Alec had decreased the number of things he wanted, they were basically ready to go. As much as Dark loved Halloween decor, there was nothing this year which seemed necessary. There was a ceramic rat he was fond of, and thought perhaps it would be cute poking out from atop the China cabinet, but he decided against it. Giving away their mischief had been hard on Daizi, he didn't want it to seem like a reminder. And anyway, between the adoption, Ivy's birthday, and the vow renewal, it was a tight month financially.

Still, he picked up one of the books for Ivy, they were written by the owner, and Ivy liked being read to. Daizi also chose not to get anything, and after all of their purchases were made, they were able to head back to the car.
 
"That was so much fun!" Alec crowed, holding the bag tight. "Thank you so much, that was the greatest fun!"

"That was pretty fun," Xander agreed. He reached up while Dark was fully focused on other things and placed a few bits of corn on the edge of his collar, leaving them balanced there with a delicate touch. Then he moved away, reaching down to pick up a discarded food wrapper and tossing it in the trash.

"Mama, what was your favorite?" Alec asked his mother.
 
"Besides the obvious?" Daizi asked, laying Ivy down in her carseat as cautiously as she could, "I think it was the pumpkin slingshot. It's funny, as much as I pride myself on my independence, there's always something really fun about being helped to win a game I otherwise would be hopeless at. What about you, baby?"
 
"Dark likes that part too," She said, turning and squeezing him lightly on the shoulder before shutting the car door. As she got into her seat, she asked, "What was your favourite part, Xander?"
 
Daizi chuckled as she buckled her seatbelt and sat back, "I didn't even know they did a baby race. I wonder who thought it up. It's great Ivy was able to compete while she's still young enough to."

"Greyhounds," Dark huffed, pretending to be more annoyed than he actually was.
 
"Cutest greyhounds you ever did see!" Alec said happily.

"Oddest little greyhounds," Xander muttered.

Alec leaned forward and touched Dark's sleeve. His touch on Dark's arm disguised his other hand slipping a couple of corn kernels deftly into the slight opening of Dark's pocket. "Ba! Ba! Did you see that one really cute baby that sat down at the start of the race? The cute, chubby one. He plunked himself down and didn't want to go any farther."
 
Dark tutted his tongue incredulously, "I saw one cute baby. The one who won."

"Come on," Daizi scoffed.

"What?"

"I just don't believe you never find any other babies cute."

"I do not," Dark said firmly, "All other babies look like aliens at best."
 
"Wow, that has to be really hurtful for their parents," Alec frowned. "Lots of babies are cute! There is one that is the cutest of all, but that little guy, he was like this chubby little lump of dough, Mama. And then these other two, they got distracted by each other and started trying to play!"
 
"I do not tell their parents," Dark replied, waving one hand, "Whenever someone shows me their baby, I say all the things you are meant to. Oh, they are adorable. Oh, they look like their mother. What a cute little nose. But," he held up one finger, "I am lying. And nobody needs to know it."

"I had to ignore babies for a really long time because... because of everything," Daizi admitted, turning her face away as she unintentionally revealed what may have been a driving factor in her husband's general dislike of most babies, "I'm glad I don't need to be that way now. Ivy's competition sound like they were really sweet."
 
"They know when you're lying," Xander stated.

"But they accept it because they want you to not be lying," Alec finished. "Ivy was still obviously the most special thing out there, but the others were pretty fun to watch."

"The parents were more fun. Did you see some of those ridiculous faces and hear the sounds they were making?" Xander snickered.
 
"I think I am a better liar than you give me credit for," Dark replied blandly, "and if they truly take issue, then..." He shrugged. It wasn't his fault he didn't find babies cute. It's not like he could force himself to. And honestly, given the great wealth of his sorrow, the parents were welcome to throw a dart at the board to decide what made him so bereft that he didn't find someone's spawn lovely to the eyes. It wasn't his buisness.

"I heard some of the sounds," Daizi grinned, "Other parents had to work much harder than I did."

"Really all that should've been necessary was to say yalla and gesture," Dark joked.
 
"That's basically all you did have to do," Alec smirked.

"How come no one told me you can put brisket on a baked potato?" Xander demanded, changing the subject. "Seriously! It smelled awesome! Mine was really good, but brisket? Cooger taught you that, didn't he?"

While Xander was talking, Alec carefully leaned over and snuck his hand between the seat and the car door so he could deposit a few corn kernals in Dark's other pocket, taking his time and being very careful. Then he picked up a small toy of Ivy's that had fallen so he'd have an excuse for having leaned over. He put the toy in the diaper bag.
 
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