the ice cream guy

dylan cameron price. merrock's resident ice cream man. Single dad life.

[dylanprice]

continued from here

Dylan rolled his eyes at the thought of all the pine needles he would be sweeping up in his near future. "Don't even remind me about the pine needles," he cringed. Both Dylan and Caleb followed her lead over to another selection of trees. "Definitely don't want something that will consume our entire living room. I'm thinking something maybe five or six feet tall roughly." Caleb had wandered a few feet ahead of them to check out some other trees. "How about this one, dad?" he asked as he gestured to the tree next to him. It seemed about the right height, maybe a foot taller than he wanted, but it could work. "What's your expert opinion, Nari?" @narilily

[theafterlife-promos]

At the Winter Market, open to anyone @merrock​

“So, what do you think is the best thing to eat at these food trucks?” Lennon asked, trying to figure out what to get herself and the kids while they were enjoying their time at the winter market. She personally was not picky, however, her six-year-old was usually the type to be into spaghetti and chicken nuggets for the most part. “Child-friendly foods would be preferable, and I wouldn’t be opposed to one that has alcohol, too. A tall order, I know, but it has been a long day” she said, letting out a laugh. “Don’t get me wrong, I love being a mum, but I have been running all over the place today.” 

[dylanprice]

The winter market was the perfect place to browse for gifts. The entire Christmasy atmosphere could put even the Grinch in the Christmas spirit. And after a long day of shopping and walking around, the food trucks were the perfect place to grab a quick bite. He turned towards the person next to him and gave a friendly smile. "My son is pretty fond of the chicken place. His usual order is chicken tenders with fries and a side of mac and cheese." He pointed across the way to a taco food truck before speaking again. "That taco place has pretty good margaritas. And I'm pretty sure they have bottled beer too, if that's more your style."

[dylanprice]

continued from here.

As much as Dylan had been looking to Thanksgiving with his parents and extended family, there was nothing quite like Friendsgiving. It was always a much smaller event, usually consisting of Dylan, Caleb, and Charlie. Sometimes old friends from high school would drop by for a visit, but Dylan preferred the company of his son and his best friend. Dylan's brows furrowed in confusion at the mention of this new dessert. "What the hell is a brookeo?" However his question was answered as soon as he saw the package of brownie-cookie Oreos. A cheer rang from Caleb at the mention of all the frosting, sprinkles, and whipped cream. "Sounds like someone is going to be bouncing off the walls tonight before bedtime," Dylan commented, gazing at his son who was having the time of his life. "Maybe Uncle Charlie should be the one to put you to bed tonight," he laughed, knowing how much energy a ten year old had when on a sugar rush.@charliehartman

[dylanprice]

dahliadumont​:

WHERE: cobblestone cafe

WHEN: 10:30am, Sunday

FOR: open (2/5)

Dahlia had never liked winter all that much; she wasn’t particularly fond of the cold and the lack of daylight made it harder to keep busy. It made mornings especially harder, since her body tended to rely on the sunrise to wake her up. Whether or not she was physically tired made little difference on her sleep schedule because she was used to late-night shifts and early rising. But even if she was waking up at seven in the morning, it was hard to get out of bed and leave her house. However, coffee was always a great motivator, so after a cup at home, she promised herself coffee and a pastry as a reward for going out to run her errands. 

She was feeling rather satisfied with herself for having everything done before noon until she found herself with hot coffee spilt down her coat and on the floor. Looking up at the person who had just bumped into her, she bit her tongue to keep herself from making an angry retort. Instead, she cleared her throat and calmly placed her coffee and croissant on the condiments counter. “Could you, um… Could you hand me some napkins, please?”

Dylan never had an issue when it came to the cold. It could have been because he was born and raised in Merrock or because of the fact that he dealt with ice cream all day long. Either way, he had adapted to the winter weather pretty quickly. However, that didn’t stop him from making his way into Cobblestone Cafe for a cup of coffee to cut the edge of the winter frost. As he made his way into the building, he didn’t see the woman walking in front of him until it was too late. He collided against her, feeling a splash of coffee hit his jacket as she took the brunt of the spill. “Shit, I’m so sorry,” Dylan apologized with his jaw agape. He stood frozen for a moment before darting towards the table with utensils, condiments, and napkins. He grabbed a pile of them and handed them to the coffee-covered individual. “I really am sorry. I’m a klutz sometimes.” 

[dylanprice]

narilily​:

WHO: Nari & open!

WHERE: Lavender Lane, tree lot.

WHEN: winter time.

It made her sound like a broken record to say that it was her favorite time of year at the nursery. Spring brought about little green shoots, summer produced flowers and lush greenery, fall made sure pumpkins were on everyone’s porch, but winter… there was just something about the way that the snow laid on the trees in the lot, the way that the lights twinkled on the wreaths and swag that were hanging on display. Families came and walked through the lot sizing up trees, some venturing out into the rows beyond to cut down their own. New couples looked for a wreath for the house they just bought, décor pieces left in the arms of women wanting to decorate in the farmhouse style… everyone found something, and Nari found herself happy. And eager to please. “Can I help you find anything?” she asked the nearest person, turning on her customer service smile without hesitation.

Now that Thanksgiving had passed, Caleb had been adamant about picking out a tree and getting it set up as soon as possible. Part of Dylan just wanted to throw their artificial tree up and call it a day, but he also wanted to make Christmas special for his son. The two strolled through rows of snow-covered trees that varied in size. His attention turned towards the friendly voice coming from behind him. “Hey Nari,” he greeted with a warm smile. “The kid insisted we get a real tree this year, so here we are. We’re looking for something not too small, but not too big.  Any recommendations?”

[dylanprice]

Who: @charliehartman​

Where: Dylan’s house on the coast

When: November 23, 2022

The timer on the oven dinged, signaling the turkey was finally done. Moments later, another bell rang from the front door. With his oven mitts already on and his focus strictly on the small turkey in the oven, he nodded toward the front door. “Do you mind getting the door, bud?” he asked his ten-year-old son. Caleb happily sprung to his feet, scurrying down the hallway and towards the front door. A wide smile spread across the kid’s face as he was greeted by one of his favorite people, his uncle Charlie. After attacking him with a bear hug, Caleb led the way toward the kitchen. “Perfect timing,” Dylan said with a warm smile. "We’re just waiting on the most important Thanksgiving item...mac and cheese obviously.” 

[dylanprice]

joshlane​:

WHO: Josh & open!

EVENT: beach party, Costa Rica trip.

WHEN: November 17, 2022.

“Don’t freak out,” Josh held up both hands, palms out, showing that he had come in peace, rather than in chaos. Or, well, he was hoping to avoid chaos, anyway. “… but there’s a little crab headed your way.”

Dylan’s eyes widened as Josh told him not to freak out, knowing whatever he had to say next couldn’t be good. Quickly, he jumped up and ran a few feet forward, looking back over his shoulder only to get a glimpse of the crab scurrying across the spot he had just been in. “Thanks for the warning. That could have ended badly.” 

[dylanprice]

maverickharris​:

Maverick didn’t have the best day. The past few days have been great, but today was the opposite. Not only did she have the worst surfing day she had in a long time, so her entire body was on edge, but having a local walk up to her to try to hit on her made her blood boil. Could she not just enjoy her day without someone ruining it? She did her best to walk it off, her arms above her head, when she heard the shuffling of feet behind her. “I swear to god, if you don’t go away, my foot with connect with your nuts, and you won’t be able to–” She spun around quickly, before her mouth clamping shut. “Sorry. Thought you were someone else.”

@merrock​

Dylan had spent the majority of his afternoon swimming in the ocean. He even tried his hand at surfing, which didn’t come as easily to him as he expected. He made his way out of the water and back onto the warm sand. The next thing he knew, the person in front of him quickly spun around, startling him. He threw his hands up in defense as he took a step back. “Sorry, just making my way over to the bar at the restaurant. Please don’t kick me in the nuts.”

[dylanprice]

How have you and Lily been enjoying Costa Rica? Caleb and I went snorkeling for a few hours this afternoon, and he’s already started a collection of all the cool seashells he found. I’m afraid he’ll collect every seashell the beach has to offer by the time this trip is over.

[dylanprice]

cordeliaeli​:

So, who’s more excited to be in Costa Rica, Caleb or you? I know the kids are all excited about being out of school and only having to catch up on work in between an being able to spend two whole weeks frolicking with their friends and the sandy beaches but I don’t know the adults might be winning on the term ‘over thrilled’ more than the kids. 

I’d say me, but we both know it’s Caleb. He’s most excited about being out of school, not that I can blame him. But it’s like another summer vacation for them, so I’m happy to see them enjoy it. What kind of adventures have you gotten up to since we’ve been here?

[dylanprice]

chetang​:

“Exactly, and I get to be that guy so no one else has to worry about being that person,” Che said cheekily. Someone else could be that person if they wanted, but he would have to find another schtick. “Yeah, I’d imagine you have a bit more on your plate now than you did then, right?”

“Better you than me,” Dylan chuckled as he turned a few knobs, trying to get a couple strings in the right keys. “Between running The Creamery and having a ten-year-old, leaves little time for much of anything else.” Not that he was complaining. He loved the life he led and couldn’t be more thankful for his job and his family. But occasionally his mind wandered to what it would be like to set foot back out into the dating world eventually.

[dylanprice]

lcrcmcrie​:

Maybe I’ve tried it once? I know it’s quite sweet. She loves her ice cream, so she is the expert there. I like ice cream but maybe in winter I’ll go with a nice cake or tiramisu or something like that. We’ve got our pumpkins all carved and she got me to dress up for the Spookover. Luckily, I packed some extra pj’s and fuzzy socks too! 

It definitely has a bit of extra sweetness to it. Though I’ve never really been a huge fan of actual cotton candy either. It’s just alright to me and I could live without it. You know, ice cream pairs perfectly with a piece of cake. Are you getting all packed up for Costa Rica now?

[dylanprice]

Dylan as Olaf for The Big Spookover

[dylanprice]

xsylcuenco​:

I mean for me! Or I’ll just put you in charge of getting me a bounce house next year. You’re welcome and thank you in advance. How many people do you think will end up in the ER if we all just get drunk and get in a bounce house?Aw, I’m so happy to hear he enjoyed everything! He totally does deserve it all. I’m a little like what the hell happened that he’s growing up. You’re going to have to keep me updated on what he’s into cause I think I’m starting to lose any concept of what kids like. I hope he enjoyed his gifts. 

I know it’s for you! I know the drill when it comes to renting one, so I’d be happy to take on that responsibility for next year. Hopefully no one ends up in the ER from drunken bouncing. Though I have a bad feeling that alcohol mixed with bouncing will result in a lot of people getting sick. Still sounds like a fun time though. Tell me about it. It feels just like yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital. Now he’s entered the double digits. I’ll do my best to keep you updated but I feel like it changes constantly. It makes it hard for me to keep up with it sometimes. Maybe we’re just getting old. 

[dylanprice]

lcrcmcrie​:

Okay, that’s fair. Cotton candy ice cream is a hit with the kids! And birthday cake. It’s pretty tasty, though so I don’t blame them. Also bubblegum sometimes too. You and Lily seem to live by that tagline and I don’t believe either one of you. Are you excited for Spook Fest?

Cotton candy has never been one of my favorite flavors, but it definitely is always a hit with the kids. I’ve also never been into bubblegum either. Lily obviously has the right idea! I swear, even in the middle of winter, people still have ice cream cravings! Spook Fest has been a blast so far. Caleb and I stopped by the other day to check out the pumpkin patch and he even did a few crafts. Did you and Lily get a chance to go yet?

[dylanprice]

xwesjames​:

I know the feeling to well. He have a good birthday? Yeah, for sure. I get to take her to the pumpkin patch and all that this week, making up for it. 

He had a great birthday! Got just about everything he wanted and a few things he didn’t even ask for. So I’d say it was quite successful. How’d she enjoy the pumpkin patch? I just took my son over to Spook Fest the other day. He got his face painted, made some crafts, and stayed to watch Hocus Pocus. 

[dylanprice]

chetang​:

“That’s what I’m saying, it’s important to be the Wonderwall douche. That’s exceeded songwriting as my main goal of playing,” Chetan joked. He liked to hope his sets were generally fairly self aware when it came to his choice of words. ‘wow, that’s a different kind of douche there, but I feel like that’s a douche who gets laid, you know?” Che hadn’t ever learned any John Mayer, but he remembered the way the girls at school loved his songs.

“It’s always important to have a Wonderwall douche at every party you throw. That way they can whip their guitar out at any moment while saying, ‘anyway here’s Wonderwall’,” Dylan chuckled as his fingers picked at the guitar strings. “Maybe back in high school but not so much anymore now.” His main goal in life was to focus on Caleb, while keeping The Creamery a thriving business in town.