How Green Becomes Wood

[pandakatiefominz]

"Very good," Dark replied, his little smile growing just big enough to show his teeth, which really said a lot, "You are getting better. What do you think, Ivy?"

"Mus," Ivy said, her little toddler version of the accent being nearly painfully cute.

"Are you hungry, Tifla?" Dark asked, and she nodded in response.

 

[BookKnight]

"I don't eat Tiflas," Xander mumbled, his eyes closing.

"I could eat a Tifla," Alec said, grinning.

 

[pandakatiefominz]

"Well do not," Dark frowned, setting Ivy down before he stood up, "I would be very sad to lose her. Baba is going to go make you your lunch, Hummingbird, do not torture your brothers while you wait."

 

[BookKnight]

Alec chuckled and sat on the floor with Ivy. "What do you want to do while we wait?"

 

[pandakatiefominz]

Out of fairness to the rest of his children, Dark also made Ivy a grilled cheese, although hers was smaller and he took the rest. Then he decided to take her to a different room so Xander could get some needed rest.

About an hour after school ended, there was a knock at the door.

 

[BookKnight]

Alec went to open the door and grinned when he saw Sloan. "Hey! Long time no see. Come on in?" He stepped aside she could enter, ready to remind about the shoes and salt if she needed it, but she'd been here before.

 

[pandakatiefominz]

"I know, it's been ages," Sloan said, stepping inside. Taking off her shoes she did automatically, since it was a rule at her house too, but she nearly forgot to touch the salt before she saw the bowl, "How is Xander doing? I brought, uh, pringles and cookies from that place in the mall."

 

[BookKnight]

"He's doing all right. He had a nap and is a little more lucid from this morning," Alec told her. "Still a little loopy and perfect for all your philosophical questions." He led her into the living room where Xander was reading a book. That was not unremarkable by itself. It was the fact that he had not turned a page in half an hour.

 

[pandakatiefominz]

"At least he thinks I'm Coolsville," Sloan laughed, walking into the room. When she saw Xander sitting there, she paused to watch him for a moment or two before asking, "What are you reading Xander?"

 

[BookKnight]

Xander stared at the page a moment longer before looking at Sloan. "I don't know," he admitted. "Words, I think. What about you?"

 

[pandakatiefominz]

"Just now, I'm not reading anything," Sloan replied, turning her head to try to see the cover of the book, "Isn't Arabic read right to left?'

 

[BookKnight]

"Uh-huh," Xander said with a nod. "It's backward. Or maybe English is backward." He let the book close as he pondered. "What if we're all living backward?"

 

[pandakatiefominz]

"I think there's a movie like that," Sloan said, turning to look at Alec and mouthing, Oh my god!, before saying, "Also I think our eyes technically see everything upside down but our brains flip it the right way."

 

[BookKnight]

Alec just grinned and went to get Sloan a drink.

Xander frowned thoughtfully. "Huh. What a convoluted way to go about it. I wonder if there are people whose brains don't flip what they see? What would it be like to see the world upside down? I wonder how long it'd take to see things sideways?"

 

[pandakatiefominz]

"I bet if they just have always seen things upside down, they're used to it and it's not a big deal," Sloan suggested, sitting on the couch next to Xander, "You're having a lot of big thoughts today, huh?"