#ari 002

WHERE: The Fun Spot, suburbs

WHEN: December, 2024

Cage needed a night out. Not drinking at the moment rolled out any nights at the bar, and Vibrations was too loud and pulsing for his old man ears. It was too cold to do anything outside, and he didn't want to travel outside of town in case Cordelia would need him at home. Bowling, though... he could do. Bowling with his nephew's father seemed like a good place to start on one of his promises to himself, to get to know the other man better. Making his way over to the lane that they had chosen, he set down the pizza and nachos that he had ordered, as well as a pitcher of root beer and a couple of cups. "Sorry for going booze free on you, I think the tradition is beer and pizza, but I'm trying to tee-total it for a bit," he admitted on a soft laugh, dropping down to sit on the bench and leaning over to check the laces on his shoes. "Please don't tell me a secret talent of yours is being professional-level good at bowling or something?"

WHERE: Santa's Hut

WHEN: Winter Holiday Market (December, 2025)

No matter how much Stelly loved being behind the camera, they couldn't wait until the last of the Santa photos were done for the night. They were fun! The kids were cute. But it all had a tendency to be monotonous after a while. Thankfully, the elf -- err, attendant -- signaled that the next person was last in line, and Stelly shot them a thumbs up before glancing up to see who was approaching, brightening a little bit when they recognized Ari and his son. "Hey! You guys are my last shot for my shift, lucky ducks. Santa will be ready in a couple of minutes, he's just taking that little girl's wish list."

WHERE: From Brush to Canvas, coastal area

WHEN: Snowflake Gala (January 25, 2025)

One thing could always be counted on when it came to these galas: desserts. Josh had a mean sweet tooth, loved sampling all of the things that came after the meal, had even been known to sneak out at the end of the night with a take-out container full of things to eat later that night. "You have to try some of these," Josh pointed to a small cup of fruit parfait, looking over at Ari with a smile, "the fruit makes it healthy, or so I've been told." Not at all. And he was pretty sure that Ari knew that, but it didn't count when you were at a fancy event. "I was going to ask if this was your first gala, but I believe I remember talking to you at the Renaissance Faire Gala this past summer. Although arguably..." he let out a soft laugh, "this is bigger."