The only other store on Scott's "must visit" list was right around the corner. It had a big front window, perfectly showing off a burly employee hand pulling taffy using a metal hook fastened to the wall. Ryan was fascinated. Inside were bins full of different candies, mostly handmade.
Behind the counter, another set of employees were working with hard candy.
They'd just finished rolling a striped cover on a huge log of the stuff, and started pulling it in to a long rope. Ryan couldn't tell what the design was supposed to be since they kept moving it so much, but it was a really neat thing to watch. He watched them cut the rope in to sticks, then further break the sticks in to bite sized pieces of candy. The employees tossed Ryan and Scott each a piece. Ryan marveled at the tiny design, a jack-o'-lantern with a face and everything, that they'd managed to fit on such a tiny candy. It tasted as good as it looked.
They sucked on their treat as they shopped. Scott wasn't talking "no" for an answer here, and it didn't take them long to stuff a bag full of sweets to split later. It helped that Ryan was genuinely interested in trying some of the more unusual candy flavors.
Scott kept the surprises going strong. Their last stop at the outlet mall was another attraction, somewhat more high energy than the last. And at least twice as big.
"Fantasy Quest?" Ryan read the sign. "What is this place?"
"The perfect place to work up an appetite and set the tone for dinner!" Scott said proudly. "I loved this place as a kid! I even still have my wand!"
At this, Ryan was confused. What did Scott mean by "still have my wand"? And how was this going to set the tone for dinner? Not only that, the entrance fee was pricy! Scott was super excited though, and considering it was his birthday, and he was the one paying, Ryan was willing to go along with pretty much anything.
The employees were talking their jobs very seriously in setting the mood. The first room was modeled after a forest, with an older man selling toy wands to new "adventurers". Scott pulled his out of the backpack, but Ryan had to pick one out to play the game. Scott gently nudged him towards one that complimented the one he already had, even though it wasn't one of the cheaper options. Only then were they permitted to continue.
The place was an expansive live action game. There were like twenty different quests they could pick from, and Scott claimed they swapped out new ones regularly. They picked an easier rated one since it was Ryan's first time. Now armed with both wands and an objective, the game could begin in earnest.
Ryan got into it very quickly once they started exploring. He was dead set on finding the lost dragon egg before the evil wizard could use it to make a weapon to take over the kingdom. There were slides to go down, and nets to climb over, computer and actor interactions to engage in, he hadn't played like this since he was a kid! And having Scott next to him playing along made it that much easier to let his guard down and have fun.
They weren't the only patrons there that day, but it was a safe bet they were the oldest by themselves. There were a few younger children with parents in tow, but they were definitely the only unaccompanied "adults." One somewhat older kid decided to mock them for being there at all, but Scott had a pretty good comeback.
"Adults are just supposed to pretend they forgot how to have fun!"
After a few false leads, and with a cry of triumph, they ended up completing the quest with some time to spare before they had to leave for dinner. Scott was very specific about having to be at the restaurant at a certain time. To burn time, they continued exploring the compound, taking photos with some of the complicated scenery and playing some of the mini games scattered around. Of course, they also made sure to save some time to wander through the gift shop.
When it was finally time to go, Ryan was almost reluctant to leave, but excited for the next surprise. Today had been nothing but good things! How could it possibly get any better? And to top it all off, he was getting to spend it all with his fiance! This must be what "being on vacation" is all about! Ryan loved it.
The final stop of the day didn't disappoint. They had to drive to get there, and Scott got a kick out of seeing how wide his fiance's eyes got when they pulled up next to a castle.
"No way! This is a restaurant?!" Ryan asked with his face almost pressed against the passenger side glass.
"Oh, it's a little more than that." Scott replied nonchalantly.
Whatever it was, it was popular. The parking lot was almost full, and there were a bunch of people funneling into the large building. Ryan and Scott walked hand in hand, and Ryan was practically buzzing with excitement.
The inside matched the outside, and was staffed with more actors. Now it clicked for Ryan when Scott said the fantasy game would set the tone for dinner. While Scott was handing over the tickets he'd purchased ahead of time, the staff at the counter noted the "Birthday Boy" pin he had on. After verifying with his I.D., Scott was actually given a plastic crown to wear. It made his ears stick out funny, and Ryan thought it was adorable.
"May your humble servant wish you a happy birthday, your highness?" Ryan joked, bowing low.
"Now, now, none of that." Scott played along, changing his voice and stance to act more regal. He pulled Ryan up and held him close. "What is a king without his consort?"
They stared into each other's eyes for a moment or two, trying to keep up the charade. Ryan broke first, and they both dissolved into laughter. They got some weird looks for the spectacle they caused. One parent pulled their child away who had been staring maybe just a little too long.
There were photo booths set up all over the place, plus a little dedicated area that was selling souvenirs. They didn't quite get to take a picture at all the spots before a guy dressed as a king walked out on a balcony to address the patrons.
"My Lords and Ladies!" His voice boomed through the space. "We humbly invite you to proceed to the arena! The jousting tournament is about to begin!"
"Jousting?" Ryan tried to clarify with Scott, confused, but excited.
Scott just winked and led him by the hand, falling in line with the funnel of people. Ryan stuck close, not wanting to be separated. Sure enough, the next area was indeed an arena, with odd stadium tables that ensured you could see what was going on no matter where you sat.
It didn't take long to get everyone seated, and soon after, the lights above the patrons dimmed, leaving only the area illuminated. Anticipation could be felt in the air. The "King" character came out again to address the crowd, then the show began.
Ryan nearly shot out of his seat in surprise when horses of all things galloped into the space! There was music! And costume! And okay, maybe he was a little easily impressed, but he'd never seen horses do stuff like that before! He didn't know horses COULD do some of those things! For that matter, how can the performers do what they were doing from the back of horses? He was so captivated he almost didn't notice the food had been served, and that didn't disappoint either.
Scott however wasn't paying much attention to the show, and only slightly more attention to his food. He'd seen it a couple times when he was younger, and it hadn't changed much. His fiance was so much more fun to watch. The way Ryan's eyes sparkled when he was excited never failed to make Scott's heart flutter. Coming to the beach was definitely a really good idea.
At the end of it all where they paraded all the actors through the arena for the curtain call, Ryan gave a standing ovation. He wasn't the only one, but he was certainly one of the loudest. Scott matched his energy.
When they were filed back into the waiting area, Ryan jumped at the chance to talk to some of the performers, and thank them for putting on such a good show, trying very hard not to come off as creepy. Surely they got praise like this every night, but this was the first time he'd ever seen a live performance, so of course he was a little wound up about it.
Ryan didn't object when Scott suggested a souvenir, either. There were trinkets, and toys, and picture frames, but Ryan had half had his eye on something when they first came in. He picked out a novelty coffee mug, sculpted to look like a castle turret, that had the place's logo on it. He'd broken one of his other mugs last week, and this was the perfect one to replace it with. Scott picked out the same thing, in a slightly different color. You know, so they could tell whose was whose when they finally moved in together.
Ryan gushed about the day the whole drive back to the hotel, sprinkling gratitude into every other sentence. He felt spoiled, but it was a good feeling. Beside him in the car, Scott still wore the plastic crown, happily listening to Ryan babble on.