briggshalim

[briggshalim]

To be fair, Briggs knew that a lot of people would come to these sorts of things and play outside the guidelines. “I feel like I’m going to play by the book,” he admitted. “I mean, they’re supposed to give some guidance and I’ll probably just do whatever they do. It makes it easier and less likely, I’ll mess it up.” He let out a laugh before turning the question on her. “What about you?”

"It definitely makes it fun," she nodded in agreement. "Do you have a preference on what you're making? Flavors, ingredients?"

[briggshalim]

“There is never a boring minute.” Briggs definitely didn’t have his own kids but he had small kids in his extended family and with all the time he spent around them because of his job or community work, it never failed to amuse him. The innocence and big imaginations was a part of what made him love doing what he did. When there were so many reasons for kids to go to dark places, they were so resilient. Things were so different from when he was a kid. He didn’t know how they managed to do it. He was endlessly impressed by it all honestly. “I think the only thing that is different is the years between there and now.” At the end of the day, that was just how it was for them though. “I was adopted but there was definitely other kids in the house always. They did what they could. The youngest literally always gets them when they’re tired but your folks were probably really tired after six. At least, you never have to worry about being lonely though with that many siblings.”

"Kids say the darnedest things, right?" Darrius couldn't say that he had ever thought that would relate to making valentines, but there was a first time for everything. Maybe he'd see if he could find someone floating around who would be willing to consult on what sounded cute to a five year-old but for now, he was going to have to rely on his own expertise to get it done. And he figured that he would be okay. "Way back when, sure, but those were a little different!" Not quite the same as an art project for fun, or something that he would do if he was in an art class, where he had to be as unique and out there as possible. "The baby, yeah. The youngest of six, so we're a pretty big family. I didn't push my luck, though, I was the youngest and could have gotten away with a lot, but I didn't want to."

[briggshalim]

“The question is what kind of person are you?” Briggs couldn’t help but ask. He tried to pay attention to his surroundings, knew that she wasn’t exactly new to town because she’d been only a few years older than him in school She didn’t know her well. His tone was light-hearted though. He definitely felt like everyone had good in them and if she’d wanted to kill him, she’d have already did it. All in all, he felt like she wanted them both to make it through this night. “I mean, I’m studying to be a pastor. I’m not going to go the dark route. I’m also not looking to go to the other side today.”

It was fair. He definitely didn’t think that most people wanted to get caught up in a all of that. At the end of the day, they could only do what they do. “I’m not overly involved in the dating scene and I like to think I’m a pretty decent listen but there I can understand accepting one’s fate and cutting your loses,” he said before laughing at her question. “I do in a pinch. I am good at rides but I draw the line at murdering farm animals with you on the side of the road before you go getting any ideas. Are you in need of steak preparation?”

"Alright well, I believe you." Sav said, no real doubt at all about this guys seemingly good guy aura. She laughed to herself then when she thought about LA girlie's face after said snowstorm Portland crash years ago. "Odds of this being a Misery situation are low. And, I'm not some famous author. Go me...unless you are, then cross my heart I'm not gonna jump the wheel to drive us to a ditch either." Sav nodded, big in agreement on majority of his statement, "Mhm, my red meat doesn't need to hear about my red flag 'dates' sister or mom for a whole twenty minutes." And unfortunately, twenty minutes was an understatement. "Oh. Well how're you at steak making?"

[briggshalim]

“I try and be anyways,” he said. He supposed that at the end of the day, it wasn’t really his place to judge and label even himself. He just tried to do the right thing when placed with a decision and hoped he was on the right path. He certainly didn’t see leaving someone out in the cold as making the right choice. He couldn’t have someone potentially being frozen to death or worse on his conscience. He preferred to have the peace of mind knowing someone was going to be okay, even if it mean a little temporary discomfort for him. He definitely wasn’t the best driver in this weather but he would do the best he could. He raised an eyebrow as she told the story of another person and their driving ability. “I don’t think you need to fear my driving like that. I mean, I’m not aiming for either of us to end up hurt.”

He let out a laugh at the fact she was skipping on someone to go be by herself. “I think that’s fair,” he confessed. “I mean, sometimes it’s better to be by yourself than try and force something that isn’t working. I was mostly just headed to the house. In this mess, there really isn’t any actual hurry.”

"Alright, good person. Noted." Readjusting in the seat to put said money away. "Well thanks. In this shit, I like safe. One time, in Portland, this girl I had classes with, I don't know she was from LA or something with no snow ever and it was a full fucking blizzard, got roped into driving her beamer. Which had no snow tires, nothing. Crashing the beamer after a free fall skid down a massive hill towards the pier —didn't know what to do and wasn't gonna jump so I crawled to the backseat because I wasn't about to get that airbag to face. No way was I gonna be able to pay for that nose job. Saved by a berm." she breathed in, letting out a sigh followed with a laugh once she registered what he'd asked before she went on her memory jog of a story. "Oh no going by myself, met up with a guy back there but no way do I want to spend another two hours with. What about you? You in a hurry?"

[briggshalim]

Briggs certainly couldn’t complain about getting to do any of this. He definitely didn’t push himself out of his boundaries often. He was working to try and improve and learn though and learning how to do new things in the kitchen was appositive. “Yeah,” he admitted. “I mean, it’s definitely a way to learn a new skill set or at least try. The food at the end is a big positive.”

"For the most part, yeah," she nodded in response to his question about it being mostly assembly. "It's neat getting to do this here too though, so that's an added bonus, in my eyes."

[briggshalim]

“They can actually be pretty helpful when it comes to generating ideas,” Briggs wasn’t ashamed to admit. A lot of times, he ended up writing a message for the kid because they hadn’t quite advanced to the part of their education where they were good with letters and words. He just sort of wrote whatever they said needed to be written. A lot of times it was pretty humorous. They were equally as good at coming up with decoration ideas. He has asked questions a time or two about what the drawings on the front were and sometimes they came up with the most out of left field concepts. “No dioramas?” he couldn’t help but ask. He’d skipped college, went an entirely different direction but he remembered having to do visual presentations a time or two through high school. He could only assume that it moved more toward research papers versus arts and crafts. He nodded, listening to the other man describe what he’d done as a child. “You must have been the youngest. I suppose that is a perk. I mean, they’re out of fight at that point so you get to do what you want.”

"If that's the case, maybe I should consult a small child and figure out what they would write on a valentine," that would definitely make it a little less suspicious, make it seem a little more like a child was behind the whole thing. But Darrius wasn't too worried about it -- Briggs was right about it being the thought that counted, that was what the people were worried about when they opened their little card: someone caring. "There's not a whole lot of arts and crafts involved in the history department, teaching or the society," sometimes he'd have to put together a presentation, but he couldn't say that those involved a whole lot of glitter and hearts. Most of the time, anyway. "I mostly bought mine, I think by the time I came around, my mom was tired of buying supplies and helping to make 'em, so we made a thing out of picking out which ones I wanted the most, depending on what show or cartoon or sport I was into."

[briggshalim]

Briggs laughed at the thought of a grown up, developing a whole lie so that a child didn’t know he wasn’t gifted at handmade card making. “I don’t know that they really judge that harshly,” he admitted. “Most of the time, they’re just happy that someone even thought to send anything. Plus there are always little tells when the wording comes from an adult instead of a kid.” It was a bit like when you get mailed a gift as a kid and had to write a thank you card but then didn’t do it so your parents just sort of did it for you and forged your name. No one was really fooled. “I think that maybe our craft skills deteriorate from lack of use over time but there are some people who just never stop being great at it. Simple is better most of the time.” He definitely didn’t feel compelled to convince anyone he was a great artist. He wasn’t. It was about the sentiment. He nodded in conversation, doctoring up the card he was working on. ”Every holiday. Mostly at church but also school,” he confessed. “It was more personal and economical. I’m sure there were some store bought ones mixed in but I really don’t remember them. What about you?”

"I'm just going to invent an alter ego, come up with a pseudonym, send these cards packing," he laughed, looking down at the piece that he was trying to put together. "That way, they open it and think it came from a kid that didn't know what he was doing, not a thirty-something year-old man who should know how to use glitter glue by now." Although to be fair, at no point in his life had Darrius ever claimed to be artistic, or said that he had any knowledge about art in general. He was much better with cold hard facts. "Yeah, you're right, though. It's the thought that counts more than anything." Sure, it wasn't a perfect valentine, but it still might make someone's entire day when they opened it up. "Did you make your own growing up?" he asked, shaking off some loose glitter and beginning to brush it all into a pile, "or did you stand in the aisle and flip flop between which one you wanted to buy?"

[briggshalim]

"Never," Briggs confessed. He had many skills in life but growing up, he hadn't been taught a lot of skills around the kitchen. He tended to keep it relatively simple as an adult. He wanted to learn more, put more variety into it so any sort of culinary class was worth the effort. Pizza seemed an easy enough place to start. "I figured this would be an easy enough start off though. I mean, it's mostly just assembling pieces they are already put together, right?"

where: Pizza Thyme when: Season of Love - February 2025 who: Jayla & @briggshalim

Jayla couldn't pass up the opportunity to join in on any of the cooking classes being offered by various businesses in town. Today's choice was the pizza making classes at Pizza Thyme. Finding an empty station, she turned to the person beside her. "Have you ever made pizza before?"

[briggshalim]

There were so many store bought options to give for Valentine’s Day but Briggs had always seen the value in something homemade. Growing up, his adoptive parents had kept the fridge plastered in the art work of him (and his siblings). It felt like every holiday or season had called for new art to fit the season. “We all deserve to feel like children now and then,” he confessed to one of the few other adults helping out with all the children. He reached a hand to grab some glitter glue dabbing it with intention on the construction paper he was working with. “I don’t think you can mess it up. I mean, it’s the thought that counts and a lot of these end up going to kids in the hospital or in foster care so they’re just glad to get anything.” He offered a gaze to the other man. “I always like seeing what the kids come up with.”

WHO: Darrius & @briggshalim

WHERE: Community Center, suburbs

WHEN: Season of Love (February, 2025)

Darrius was not an artist. When it came to being creative, he was better off relying on someone else, and when he had passed out valentines as a kid, he had purchased them in a box, wrote out names, and handed them out with little packs of candy to his classmates. But ... this was kind of fun. And by fun, he did mean a little bit messy, his fingers covered in glue and glitter somehow. "I feel kind of like a kindergartener," he laughed, looking over at Briggs, holding up his fingers and wiggling them, "how do people not make a total mess of this stuff?"

[briggshalim]

Murder was not exactly something that Brigg was a fan. He wasn’t into being part of it as a fan or otherwise. He was a nice person though and he wasn’t going to leave anyone stranded on the side of the road, especially when it was cold. It was just better to go ahead and take care of them. “Exactly and I’m not uber. I’m just a good person so I don’t require payment from anyone,” he told her honestly. That was just how it was. He wasn’t going to let anyone pay him for doing the right thing. He sighed shaking his head. “I’ll just promise to do my best to get you where you need to go and where you’ll be safe,” he said with a nod. “Steak and wine lessons are a decent enough choice though. Going yourself or meeting someone there who wasn’t nice enough to pick you up?”

She couldn't help but let out a laugh at the guys jump, not that he;d see or hear it in the mix of things. It was the little things, a pension for pranks maybe. This very much not one of them though and she said teasingly through the window before taking his acceptance with the pull of car doors lever, "Damn, harsh. My money's as good as your money." Plopping in with a huff when the cold from outside to instant warmth did it's thing, "If we crash then I'll murder you. If you're not already dead. How's that? Until then I got places to be, people to see and a mean fucking steak cooking lesson in like an hour. Free wine."

[briggshalim]

“I get outside,” he said in defense of himself. He simply didn’t feel a real need to do a lot of the things other people his age felt compelled to do. He had never been much of a party kid. He didn’t really drink. He didn’t smoke. He always felt awkward in those situations. He could definitely step up and be that person who protected his friends or drove them home if they needed it though. He was much happier to throw himself into work or something else though. “I think that we all do our own things though and that was definitely something for me. I mean, it’s good to see how other lives from time to time. It helps keep things in perspective.” He definitely wasn’t going to ever take for granted the privileges that he knew he had. “Probably more than I could list. How do you feel about gospel?”

"We gotta get you outside then." She joked. She understood working a lot and being too busy to do fun activities. Over the years, she made it a priority to have a work life balance. She wanted that for her employees too. "Oh of course. I think trying to immerse yourself in other cultures is a beautiful thing. It is always good to try something new and be open to new things." One of the things on her bucket list was to even learn American sign language and perfect her spanish. "I'll have to check it out. Anything else I should check out here?"

[briggshalim]

“I enjoy a good recording as much as the next person but there is definitely something special about being able to feel the vibrations of the music and see the passion on the artists face,” he could admit. “I’ve been to a few. To be fair, I spend most of my time working or at church but – you’d be surprised how far around the world jazz translates. There was a pretty decent place near one of my bases when I was stationed overseas.” There was no point being abroad if you weren’t going to at least try and engage in some of the culture. He’d done just that. He nodded listening to her list out some of her faves. “Copeland is pretty decent,” he admitted. “Blossom Dearie is great. She had such a unique but beautiful voice.”

"I know." She smiled softly. The genre wasn't for everyone, but not everyone had taste. She knew that sometimes good music didn't need lyrics. "Live concerts are always a good time to really soak up the music, have you been to many jazz clubs?" She wondered, nodding as he continued. " Etta for sure, Buddy Guy but also new school like Shemekia Copeland is amazing. I think you'll love her stuff." She listed off before continuing. "Her work is more electric blues but She has a long discography that will make great car ride sessions." One thing she enjoyed was absolute close to silence on a car ride just to think and focus. "Now, who else do you have in mind?"

[briggshalim]

Briggs had been checking in on a family that was on his case loud most of the day. Heading home and enjoying a little quiet was on the agenda. He hadn’t slept well the night before and he’d have been lying if he said he wasn’t eager to touch his head back to his pillow. The weather wasn’t exactly helping make him feel confident about his drive. A ping of his cell phone had made him pull into a parking lot to check and see what it was, did he have somewhere else he needed to be before he went to the house? It was just spam. Putting his phone back away, he was about to pull back out and go the extra bit of a drive when he heard hands on his window.

He jumped in his car seat, terrified of what might be about to go down. Some people might have reacting with a bit of fight. He was honestly harmless though and far more likely to straight have a heart attack at the sudden sound. His eyes flickered toward the window, taking in the sight of the blonde, making out the words that were coming out. At first through the glass he thought she was actually saying she was carjacking him but then realized she was saying she wasn’t. He rolled the window down. “Your money is no good,” he said shaking his head. He wasn’t about to leave someone in the cold, even a stranger. “Just don’t murder me. I also don’t take liability if we crash in this mess.”

Who: Open (0/5) Where: the countryside When: Late evening

Desperate times called for desperate measures; tumbleweed not the first choice, hell not a choice ever— the last five-ish hours not entirely not worth it, but with a dead phone and when her carless ass was knocking on the window of someone's car (parking lot, intersection, literally anywhere) as the snow started to fall heavily enough that she couldn't make out the signs ahead, tumbleweed was permabanned. So was the countryside as a whole, and she'd sworn to herself winters meant downtown hibernation. Sav said loud enough through the window and a wave to not scare them off, "Heey! Not trying to carjack you or anything. Can I bum a ride back into town? Pretty please? I've got..." she checked her pockets, pulling out some cash, "like forty bucks."

[briggshalim]

I think that has a real distinct possibility. I'd caution to say that there are outliers in every generation and if you live long enough you come to understand someone who lived before you or after you. I can't imagine having kids. I feel like if I did, I would be stressed about how different things are these days. I worry about kids that aren't even mine these days. Honestly, I should corrupt them all to nerdy endeavors. I'm trying to talk the Pastor in my church to let me start a Dragonraid Club. I have D&D outside of it but Dragonraid or Worlds Without Number is the church appropriate tabletop roleplay and it could work. Glad to hear all is well.

That's very true, and I think it also might change from generation to generation. But yes, I agree. I try to sort if let me kids have more free reign than I had growing up, but of course within reason. There really is, and it's always interesting to see how different parent approach things regarding their kids. Nothing wrong with nerdy endeavors! And yeah, I've never thought about that honestly but it makes sense. Heck yeah I did!

[briggshalim]

“As you should be but I’m afraid you’re in the minority … albeit with good company but still minority,” Briggs was willing to admit. He knew that most people his age were into far different things. The genre really didn’t matter if it spoke to the soul and there was something magical about the way a person could make an instrument say just as much as words. “I also like blues. I think it’s just a really special thing to listen to live or otherwise.” Listening to feel and listening to have background music while partying were definitely different things though. “He’s easily a top ten artist for me. What about you? Who’s high on your list?”

"I am absolutely open to jazz." She beamed. She knew it wasn't for everyone. However, it was very calming to her. Sometimes you didn't need lyrics all the time or an actual voice. "Jazz clubs are underrated." Nay wished more people were into jazz clubs instead of the actual club. "A good instrumental are important." She was familiar with most of the greats in Jazz like Ella, Duke and Louis. "Are you a big fan of Charles Lloyd?"

[briggshalim]

Everyone has their own idea of what is safe and what isn’t. I pretty much have learned through my work that as long as they aren’t harming the kids physically or emotionally and the kids is cared for, I’m going to let people do their own thing. There are a million and one ways to parent. At the end of the day, I appreciate them just looking out for me. Parents sometimes know best and honestly I was more interested in nerdy endeavors than sports anyways. That’s so weird that you can do one but not the other. It’s probably just a mental block. Hopefully you did the hot cocoa and nap thing!

I absolutely understand that, and yeah when my kids were little I was always weary of allowing them. It's not for the faint hearted I can tell you that. I mean I can underatand your parent's reasoning, though when you think about it, you probably have a better chsnde of getting hurt playing a sport than this. See, I can't do a cold plunge but this I can, I don't know why but it is what it is. And exactly, curl up by the fire for a nice nap after some hot cocoa!

[briggshalim]

It went without saying that if it was on offer and a customer ordered it, there was only so much someone could do about it. In those rare moments where something was out of stock, Briggs wasn’t the kind of person that was going to get an attitude or act any sort of way. If there was one thing he had learned growing up it was manners. He knew how to act in public. He aimed to courteous and respectful, especially with service workers. “Is there any other way to eat it?” he couldn’t help but ask with a laugh. A good bowl of tomato soup with a grilled cheese to dip was always the move. He knew that this wasn’t medieval times but the fact that the management might fire him over a sword fight seemed a little overkill. “Where is their sense of adventure and fun?” he couldn’t help but ask. “I suppose they’re worried about the liability. I guess, waiting for the food without it will do.” He nodded, watching the other guy disappear to put in his order, shaking his head. Well at least lunch hadn’t been boring today.

Letting out a laugh as he agreed to the tomato bisque, Ryder nodded his head, "I can do that. Perfect with the grilled cheese." It was probably their best seller when it came to that kind of food on that kind of day, unless people came in specifically for burgers and wings, which he probably sold the most of. That was kind of expected in a place that was known for being a beer garden, after all. "I'm definitely not going to be doing any sword fighting. I actually like this job, so I don't want to lose it," he scrunched his nose, shaking his head at the thought. Although getting fired for having a sword might be one of the more… interesting reasons, he wasn't going to take any chances. "Bacon and tomato, got it." He made a quick note and turned to head towards the kitchen before he let out a laugh, calling over his shoulder, "that's why I got on the ladder first, but… no, I'll behave."