How Green Becomes Wood

Inside, Dark was in the kitchen, trying to teach Ivy how to bake. Of all messy play, this was what he found to be easiest to do with her, because even the dog could help clean. Sure enough, Enkidu was lying right by them, patiently waiting while Ivy maniacally slammed a potato masher into a metal bowl her father held steady for her while giving her gentle praise. When the door opened, he turned towards them to welcome them both home, seeming fairly content.
 
Xander put his backpack near the door leading down, and Alec put his backpack leading up. They headed into the kitchen and watched Ivy for a bit.

"What are you making?" Alec asked with a small smile. "Potatoes?" Now he really couldn't talk about it.

Xander didn't say anything, just leaned against the wall to watch.
 
"I'll eat it," Xander offered. "I like banana bread."

"And he'll eat almost anything," Alec said as cheerfully as he could manage. He wasn't going to upset Ivy. "Are you enjoying squishing bananas, Mini?"

Kiki came trotting into the room and started demanding Alec's attention until he picked her up.
 
Turning to look at her brothers, Ivy grinned with a splotch of banana paste on her tan cheek. Dark had put her hair up in a ponytail to try to keep it from being full of banana, but she didn't have an apron.

"I think Daizi likes it," Dark said, cracking an egg into a bowl. Hnding the bowl to Ivy, he said, "Ivy-Qadira, can you pour this in with the banana?"
 
"I need to get cleaned up and stuff before I get to work," Xander said.

"I need to sort out my homework," Alec said.

Both of them waited to see if Ivy would actually put the egg into the bowl before leaving.
 
Again, Dark turned towards his twins, his usual frown on his face as he examined them each in turn, "Let me know if you need anything. I will get you when this is ready."

For Ivy, it didn't take too much prodding for Ivy to tip the egg bowl over into the bigger bowl with the banana, so while giving her deserved praise Dark gave her the bowl of vanilla to tip in next.
 
The twins clapped politely, impressed that Ivy managed to get all of the egg into the correct bowl. Then they headed in their different directions. Xander went downstairs and sorted out his school stuff, taking a moment to journal his thoughts and what he was feeling. He was not as consistent in journaling as he felt like maybe he should be, but big stuff always got written down. It helped him process things and get a better handle on what he was feeling, even if he wasn't sure what the next steps should be. Just getting a handle on things helped. It meant he wasn't going to lose his temper as easily.

When he finished, he headed upstairs to the bathroom and to check on Alec. When he poked his head in, Alec was laying on his bed staring at the ceiling, the folder with his project on the bed beside him. "So," was all Xander said.

"I know," Alec said quietly.

"You gotta talk to them."

"I know. Just not in the middle of banana bread."

Xander nodded. "Okay. Long as you know." He left Alec there and headed out to his shop.
 
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