How Green Becomes Wood

[pandakatiefominz]

"We're in the zoo anyway," Daizi shrugged, "How lost can we get?"

"Do not ask that, my love, or we will find ourselves in the Antarctic."

 

[BookKnight]

Alec rolled his eyes. "Ha-ha. Hilarious. Indeed, we shall be completely and utterly lost."

"Hey, as long as we manage to stay in this dimension, I'm happy," Xander replied. He paused by what looked like an exhibit and looked inside. "What am I looking for here?"

 

[pandakatiefominz]

Reading a sign as they walked in, Dark read, "A klipspringer, I guess they are some sort of antelope."

"What do they look like?" Daizi asked.

"Small and brown, and they like to hop on the rocks."

 

[BookKnight]

"Aw, they are so cute! And so far away," Alec said, taking off his sunglasses and peering into the enclosure.

"I can't see them," Xander said with a frown, adjusting his yashmagh.

 

[pandakatiefominz]

Dark peered at the rocks, looking very closely. Then, he pointed, "There. Look. To the left."

 

[BookKnight]

"Oh, there they are," Xander said, squinting. "They blend in really well."

"It's a good thing for them!" Alec chuckled.

 

[pandakatiefominz]

"Ivy-Qadira," Dark said sweetly, bending and taking Ivy from her stroller, "Look! Do you see the klipspringer?"

For a little while, it seemed as though she didn't, but then one of them hopped nearer to the viewing area, and suddenly Ivy's eyes widened. Tugging on her father's beard with one hand and pointing with the other, Ivy asked, "This?"

 

[BookKnight]

"Klipspringer," Alec told her. "It's a small antelope found in eastern and southern Africa! It has a lifespan of-"

"Deer," Xander interrupted him. "It's a deer, Mini. Deer."

 

[pandakatiefominz]

"Ivy can know an antelope," Daizi grinned, "Right Ivy? Say ant-eh-lope!"

"Annilow," Ivy mumbled, then grinned as the small creatue hopped on another rock.

 

[BookKnight]

"Antelope," Alec said and stuck his tongue out at Xander.

"What about deer?" Xander challenged, smirking.

 

[pandakatiefominz]

"Dee" Ivy said.

"What a clever girl," Dark said, kissing her cheek, "You talk so well, Tifla."

"Do you think we can convince her if we walk on she will get to see more animals, or will she begin to cry the moment we try?" Daizi asked curiously.

 

[BookKnight]

Alec looked around. "Oh, we can kind of see the next animal! Ivy, look! What's that? Can you see that?"

Xander headed over in that direction. He was slower than the rest of the family, a head start would help him out.

 

[pandakatiefominz]

Ivy turned her head to see, but not immediately recognizing an animal, she turned back to the one she could see.

"Yalla, tifla," Dark said bouncing her, and waited until Daizi lightly touched his elbow before walking after Xander, "We have so much more to see! Alec, will you bring the stroller?"

 

[BookKnight]

"Got it!" Alec called, grabbing the stroller and pushing it forward. "What are we supposed to be seeing now?" When he arrived at the enclosure, he quickly checked off the animal they'd just seen on the map before turning to try to find the new one.

 

[pandakatiefominz]

Dark walked over to the sign and then said, "It looks like this is the habitat for the African Painted Dogs."

"I bet they're really cute," Daizi sighed.

"Here, they have a bronze cast of one with replica of their fur beside it," Dark said, helping guide Daizi to where they were.

 

[BookKnight]

Alec squinted into the habitat. "I don't see any... I thought I did a minute ago, but now I don't. I wonder where they are?" He waited until Daizi had finished before going to touch the fur, himself. "Not as soft as I thought they'd be."

"The sign says they're shy, so maybe that's why- Oh! There's one," Xander said, pointing it out.