How Green Becomes Wood

"N-not yet," Milo mumbked.

"He hasn't gotten mine yet either, but as soon as he does, I'll be over by you!" Sloan said, letting Milo march them over to where he had been taking the rest.

Soon enough Austin's "tattoos" were finished, and the artist looked around to see if anyone is left. Dark stepped up, holding his daughter in his arms, "If there is time, and you are able to, she would love one."

"Aw, of course!" The artist replied, "What would she like?"

"Could you do a Hummingbird? It is what we call her. I do not know how well she will sit for it."

"We'll give it ago, and if not I have alcohol swabs so she won't be stuck with something half-finished," The artist assured Dark, who after giving the artist permission to pick whatever colours she thought looked best, sat down in the chair and carefully held out Ivy's arm.
 
Becky cheered and waved to them before returning to her painting. Emma also went over and started working on art of her own, chatting some to Becky.

Austin was immensely proud of the tattoos and waited patiently for Milo to turn his camera to him. "Don't forget to get one of your own," he warned Milo.

"Just a hummingbird?" Alec asked. "Sounds like it's missing something. The hummingbird should be sitting on something or flying by it. Like an ivy branch?"
 
"I won't," Milo promised, glancing towards Emma after taking Austin's picture. She was the only one he hadn't gotten yet (except for Alec, who planned on getting another), but frankly... She intimidated him and was a bit too nervous to ask her.

"I think that would be really cute," The artist said, carefully painting Ivy's arm. To her credit, considering she wasn't yet sixteen months old, she was sitting really well for it, only occasionally squirming. Pausing for a moment, she glanced up at Dark, "What do you think? Should we add a little bit of ivy?"

"Would it be any trouble?" Dark asked.

"None at all, she's doing wonderfully," The artist promised.

"I would love it, then, her name is Ivy. Well, Ivy-Qadira, but most people call her simply Ivy," Dark explained, rubbing the back of Ivy's hand with his thumb. She murmured to herself and shifted briefly to look up at her father before looking back in confused wonderment at the colours being painted on her tiny arm.
 
"Is that everyone?" Alec asked, looking around. "I wanted to get another, but I wanted to make sure everyone else got one first. Hmm. Oh! Milo hasn't gotten his." He moved around to smile at Ivy. "You are doing so good, Ivy! But I shouldn't get you excited. We're going to be very chill. And then Mama and Ba can get their tattoos. What do you think?" he asked very seriously.
 
Ivy looked up at him and babbled, trying to reach out with one hand to touch where the artist was working, but Dark gently prevented it, "You should go remind him."

"I've got more than enough time, don't worry," The artist assured him, "You've been a great, and very organized, group."
 
"Um, I dunno," Milo rubbed the back of his neck, heading with Alec back to the face painter, "I guess... I dunno. Someone who I can trust to use it, I guess. Maybe your dad, he might be familiar with a camera this old."
 
"Don't tell him like that, but, sure," Alec chuckled. "He's really artistic, so he'll probably frame it really well, too. Just be warned, if you ask in my mother's hearing, she'll make some sort of joke about doing it or ask you why you didn't ask her. It's a joke."
 
"Oh, you totally can! I just didn't want you to be caught off guard," Alec told him. "She's getting a hummingbird and ivy. It's looking so good! I wonder if she's finished yet?"
 
When they made it back to the face painter, she was just finishing up Ivy's tattoo and Dark was sweetly telling his baby, "Wow, Ivy! It looks so good?" Again, Ivy reached out to touch it, amazed by how it looked and soon laughed, sticking her arm out straight. Getting up off the chair, Dark thanked the artist, who always enjoyed seeing how babies reacted to something like this.
 
"Ba, how does it look?" Alec lit up when he saw it. "Oh, Ivy, it's beautiful! That is so precious! I love it so much!"

Xander came over, seeing they were fussing over Ivy. "What's up?" he noticed the tattoo and nodded. "Nice."
 
When her brothers came up to her, she held out her arm straight, squeaking happily to show it off. Daizi, too, came around, although of course she couldn't see it. Meanwhile, Milo sat down to finally get his birds painted on.

"It looks similar of the tattoo I have like that," Dark commented, bouncing Ivy on his hip. "The ivy was a great addition."
 
"It looks so cute! And you sat so well! It looks so good, Ivy!" Alec cooed, fussing over her enthusiastically.

Xander nodded. "It looks really good. Nice."

"Oh, when Milo's done, I decided I want to get a small glitter tattoo on my cheek, a rose, I think," Alec said. "After that, you and Mama should get tattoos. And Milo has a question for you, Ba."

Xander shifted so he could see Milo's. "Looking good."
 
"She sat better than a lot of babies I've worked with, she's very trusting!" The artist praised as she painted on the birds. It didn't take very long, and then Milo found himself in the very uncomfortable position of going up to Dark to make a request.

Anxiously, he stammered, "I was wondering if, um, you know, you could, you would---I want, I've been... um... a collage. Of all the, you know," he gestured to the face painter, "but I can't..."

"Would you like me to help take a picture of you?" Dark asked, putting together what was requested.

"If you could," He mumbled, "Thank you. I'm sorry."

"There is nothing to apologize for," Dark assured him, taking his camera and holding it carefully after passing Ivy to Daizi, "Where would you like it taken?"
 
"He's been doing ours over there," Alec said pointing in the general direction.

"I'll show you," Xander said, leading the way while Alec politely inquiries about a second design.
 
Dark went with Milo and Xander to the spot to take the photographs. Daizi went along, mostly so she wasn't standing in the middle of the party doing absolutely nothing, and after Dark took Milo's picture, Milo offered to take one of Ivy's.

The artist had absolutely no problem doing a second design on Alec, and gladly allowed him to have another. She had more than enough time, and it was his party after all!
 
Alec got a glittery rose, red in the petals and a green stem, of course, and rejoined the others at the painting easels. Emma shuddered at the rose but then tried to smile and tell him it looked very nice. She was doing her best to be positive. Xander came over to join them, and they finished up their drawings before showing the others what they'd done. Then there came a debate as to whether they should do Catch Phrase or Spin the Polish next, and they put it to a vote. Peter, Emma, Xander, and Austin voted Catch phrase. Becky and Alec voted Spin the Polish.
 
After Milo got Alec's picture with the rose and the skull, he went to watch everyone vote about the games.

"What does Spin the Polish actually mean?" Sloan asked, "It's not really the spin game I'm familiar with."
 
"It's super simple," Alec told her. "It's spin the bottle, essentially, but instead of kissing people, you paint your nails! Or follow the directions on the board." He pointed to the simple, handmade "board" he'd made using an online picture as a guide. Each square had something on it like, "Paint one nail any color, paint spots, use two colors on one nail, paint with your eyes closed, spin again," and "Miss a turn."

"I don't know about this," Emma said. "It looks really messy."
 
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