How Green Becomes Wood

"You are very welcome," Dark replied, while he and Daizi hugged him back. "We chose the simple white cover so you could decorate it too. When you are finished, you should date the spine so you know at a glance what year, or years, it covers."

"It will be a really special thing on your shelf," Daizi told him, "I love you, habibi."
 
Alec sat back and admired the book. It really was a sleek book, one he'd be proud to use for any function, but this was a specific function picked out with purpose! That made it so much better! "I'll make it look lovely," he told them. "And date it. That's a good idea."

"It's a really cool idea," Xander agreed. "You're going to get a lot of use out of that thing."
 
"I am excited to see the finished product," Dark said truthfully. Although a junk journal was not how he recorded his memories, his closet full of carefully dated sketchbooks evidenced his values.

"Who's next?" Daizi asked.
 
"I guess I'm next," Xander said. He pulled out the gift from Alec, carefully wrapped in a vintage-styled cowboy wrapping paper and a leather cord tied to look like a bolo tie. "Oh, so that's why you wanted a piece of spare cord!"

"I told you you could have it back," Alec grinned.

"Thank you," Xander said dryly. He unwrapped his gift to find a beanie hat, which confused him at first since that was not normally his style, but then he read the box and found it had bluetooth speakers built in. It would both keep his ears warm and give him something to listen to as he ran. There was also a subscription to an audiobook site so he could listen to more than just music, if he wanted. "Thanks! This is really cool and useful," Xander said, giving Alec a little side hug. "Can't wait to hook it up to my phone and go running."

"You're welcome!" Alec chirped. "Mama, you should go next."
 
Dark got up and handed Daizi a present--hers was wrapped in dark purple paper which from a distance looked like a simple flat colour, but he had intentionally sought out embossed paper so the pattern was raised. It wasn't quite the pattern he was hoping for, it was really just decorated like jacquard fabric when he was hoping for spiderwebs, but it was the best he could find. He tied it with a spiderweb-patterned ribbon so it was still somewhat included. "Open mine, Spider," He told her as he set it in her hands.

Very much appreciating his effort, Daizi kissed his cheek before beginning to unwrap it. Inside the box was a large hair comb. The top of it was decorated with sticks and a crescent moon with a crystal in the center. Hanging below it were chains decorated with more crystals and moons. Along with the hair comb were three golden sun-shaped hair pins. Daizi spent her time lifting them up and feeling their details before grinning and saying, "Goose, I love them. Thank you."

"You are welcome, Spider," Dark replied, smiling in his little way, "When you told me a week ago you were going to get a hair cut I was very concerned you were going to cut your hair too short to use them."
 
"Mama, it's so pretty!" Alec breathed, standing up briefly to see it better. "And suits you so perfectly! Baba, how do you always find the best gifts? It's amazing, it really is."

Xander dug out a flatish box and handed it to Dark. "Well, after that awesomeness, I have no choice but to give you this. There's no better time."

His gift to his father was wrapped in flat, black paper, nothing too special, but it was wrapped with care. Inside was a small book called Big Panda, Tiny Dragon by James Norbury, but on top of the book and hiding it from immediate view was a black baseball cap. Gothic text on the front read Sad Dad.
 
"I'll have to wear some of them today," Daizi said happily, kissing her husband quickly. "I love you."

"I love you too, Spider." Dark said, delighted to have made his wife so happy. When Xander handed him his present, he thanked him and sat back to open it. He lifted the hat, amused and bewildered. The text he understood, but, "A baseball hat?"
 
"I thought it fit your style perfectly," Xander said with a straight face. Actually, it had been an impulse buy months ago, and the fact that it was a baseball cap just made it better.

"I can't believe you went through with it!" Alec giggled, having seen the cap right after Xander bought it.
 
Dark handed the hat to Daizi who laughed at the text and before he could stop it, she put it on his head. He looked at her sly grin and then shook his head while he picked up the book and flipped through it, "The art in this is beautiful, thank you. I will read it."
 
"I'm glad you like it," Xander grinned.

"It does look like a good book. Maybe you'll let me borrow it when you are done?" Alec asked.

Xander gave him a nudge. "At least give him a few minutes before trying to snag it for yourself!"

Alec made a face. "I said when he was done. I think it's Ivy's turn again. Is there a gift for Ivy?"
 
"Of course we have a gift for her," Daizi said while Dark pulled out a nicely wrapped present. It wasn't as themed as the rest of their gifts were, since Ivy didn't have strong opinions on things, when Ivy realized she was allowed to help unwrap this one, it caught her attention and she soon crawled over.

Inside was an Activity Cube, and certainly one Dark had made himself, because although it was colourful and well-suited to a baby's interests, amongst the included animals bats, crows, spiders, and moths (although with the exception of the crows, they were painted to be colourful, even if it wasn't aligned with how they looked in reality) and amongst the plants were venus flytraps and belladonna flowers. One side had gears to turn, one side has a xylophone, one side had a clock, and one had grooves to drag an animal to its proper home. The top was a bead maze but the lid lifted up and flipped over to stack blocks, which could be stored inside the cube.

"I could have just bought one," Dark said, while Daizi showed Ivy what all the cube could do, "but the ones with the activities I liked for her seemed cheaply made for the price and if I was going to spend the money anyway, I would rather spend it to make something quality."
 
"Good grief, Ba!" Alec exclaimed, staring at it in shock. "That thing is wicked! I want to play with it."

"You just want to play with everyone else's toys," Xander teased him.

Alec pointed at the cube. "You don't want to play with that thing?"

"Well... maybe," Xander admitted. "It's way cooler than anything we grew up with. Sturdier, too."
 
"I did not want to be too extravagant," Dark replied, while Ivy began to explore the cube, absolutely delighted, "but babies enjoy these sorts of toys and Daizi and I could not find a store bought one we liked well enough. Building it was easy enough, I have experience from building the puzzle box."

"I suggested the flower garden," Daizi said, "I'm also why the mallet for the xylophone is attached, I was certain it would disappear otherwise."
 
"He didn't want to be too extravagant, he says," Xander said dryly.

"Not too extravagant at all," Alec agreed with a smirk.

"Nope. Just a simple little toy for a simple little gift for a simple baby," Xander said.

"Not a bit of extra to be seen," Alec nodded.
 
"Before I knew how many activity cubes are made from wood I would not have made it," Dark said in response while Ivy spun one of the gears and shrieked, "But the problem is, anytime I have to buy a mass manufactured wooden item, I die a little bit inside."

"It's true," Daizi nodded, "You should have seen him when I bought a wooden spoon."

"And if I am going to make it, I may as well make it suit the room it will be in while still making it fun for her." Dark concluded.
 
"Oh, yes!" Alec reached under the tree and pulled out the gift Xander had wrapped for him. It was silver and surprisingly heavy for its size. "I'm guessing it's something made out of leather," Alec teased.

Xander snorted. "Amazing guess."

Alec opened the box, and the smell of leather wafted out. A leather belt lay coiled inside, and as Alec pulled it out, it revealed a gorgeous dark brown and natural yellow-colored scroll and floral pattern. At the tongue of the belt, Alec's initials had been stamped into the leather, and the buckle was a rather flamboyant silver affair. Tiny details had been tucked into the scrolls for him to discover as he wore it.

"This is beautiful!" Alec gasped. "Thank you! This must have taken you ages!"

"Well, I thought this might get you to stop borrowing mine," Xander smirked.

Alec wrapped him in a hug, delighted at the gift.
 
"Well done, Xander," Dark praised, admiring the craftsmanship. Then, after a moment, made eye contact with his son, "Not extravagant at all."

"Can I feel it?" Daizi asked but then frowned, "Wait a moment. Ivy opened her present from you both, I opened mine from Dark, Alec opened his from us, Dark opened his from you: Xander, habibi, you've not opened one of yours yet. Ivy and Alec have already gotten to their second presents!"
 
Xander smirked. "Nope. Not one bit. Just a little side project." At Daizi's words, he said, "I did open one, Mama. From Alec. It's a hat with speakers in it so I can wear it while running."

Alec handed her the belt so she could feel it, and Xander handed over his hat so she could feel that, too.
 
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