Was there anything a kid loved more than to see Santa just before Christmas and vomit forth all their gift ideas? For A, a young cub on his way to the mall, there was no greater joy-- other than birthdays and Christmas Day, of course.

The Pennyvale Mall was famous for its Santa's Grotto: a cleverly built yet dimly lit little cave that sat square in the mall's inner plaza, its exterior ladened with pretty lights, hand crafted plastic trees and a wooden, shimmering sign that no child could resist. In the depths of the cave that stretched only several metres deep was a small chamber, where Santa sat on his wooden throne, decked out in his iconic white and red garb and bushy white beard. Of course, parents and adults alike knew it wasn't the real Santa-- it was obviously an actor hired by the mall, but making children happy was something that brought in a lot of money and encouraged people to come to the mall in the first place.

A was excited. They had moved into the city earlier in the year and this would be the first time he'd see the Grotto-- his parents had hyped it up all year, for they knew it was one of the most famous and magical experiences, and they were keen to have their child see it for themselves. Strapped up in a tight winter coat, hat and scarf, A sat in the car on the way to the mall as his parents idly talked in the two front seats, his mother behind the wheel and his father laughing alongside her to Christmas songs. A was spacing out, his mind racing with the possibilities of the grotto-- and, more importantly, what he wanted for Christmas. It was still something he hadn't considered. Like every cub, there were plenty of toys that caught his interest, but he also knew none of them were something he truly wanted with all his heart. He had yet to come up with the perfect answer for his parents just yet...but there was still a good 2 or 3 weeks to go.

"A, we're here."

He already knew, of course. His eyes were fixed on the car park the minute they'd drove in. It was packed from one end to the other with a rainbow of cars, all shapes and sizes. They circled around the car park for a good few minutes before they managed to catch a space just as a car was reversing out. It was quite the squeeze to get out of the car, but they eventually managed it. Adjusting his thick thermal pants, A reached to take his mother's hand and followed her inside the mall.

Shopping was a good priority, but the grotto was the biggest reason for their visit. A knew they would head straight there first despite his father's complaining-- his mother doted on him too much to deny his excitement. It was only a short walk across the pristine white tiles beneath them, past rows and rows of shops, both on the lower and upper floor, before they reached the central plaza. In any other month of the year, the centre would have been home to various different small stalls, or big displays to encourage people to approach-- things like a couple of cars and their respective salesman, or even a large fruit market would have been the main centrepiece to an otherwise middle to high end mall. But, on this day, the entirety of the centre was covered in fake snow, large plastic pine trees and the ominous, yet magical cave that stretched further back into the mall, to the north. A cast his glance to the left and right, scanning down the length of the other 'lanes' which contained many other shops, before his mother encouraged him forth, standing in line with him. It was no surprise that there'd be a queue-- thankfully, they wouldn't have to wait long.

It was about 20 minutes before they got to the front of the line. Standing beside the cave was a goat who looked barely over the age of 18, his entire body covered in a red and green stiped suit that uncomfortably clung to every curve. At his head sat a elven hat that curled downwards at the back, ending in a point. He was chipper and hyperactive and attempted to get A into the mood of seeing Santa-- A was already particularly hyped, so it was easy to get him bouncing on the spot, to the point where his mother was giggling at the sight as his dad stood fondly to the side, watching out of queue.

"Alright, you're up!" The goat-elf beamed, gesturing towards the cave's entrance was a boy stepped out, taking his mother's hand and skipping his way out of the queue, babbling to her about what he'd talked to Santa about. A glanced up to his mother and began to walk forwards. His mother attempted to go with him, but the goat put a hand up and shook his head.

"Sorry! Santa only wants to see kids today." He smiled apologetically and encouraged A forwards, who cast a glance back and beamed to his mom, before disappearing into the darkness of Santa's Grotto.

The tunnel was lined with blue and white lights that gave his journey to the chamber almost an ethereal feeling. It was difficult to see the walls, but the length of the tunnel was straight and easy to navigate. Fake snow crunched beneath his boots and he felt distinctly warm-- it was cold outside, but warmer inside thanks to the amount of people there, and even warmer within the confines of the grotto. The cub peeled off his coat and folded it over in his hands, clad in a sweater beneath. Further and further he walked, without a light at the end to guide him-- that is, until it suddenly and abruptly lit up, revealing the man himself. A's eyes widened and his excitement grew as he found himself merely a handful of metres away from Santa.

The man in the chair shifted, clearing his throat as he prepped himself for lowering his voice, or attempted to. B wasn't even old enough to be Santa, but the pay was good and he didn't mind entertaining a few kids. His old job had gone out from under him earlier in the year, so the temp work was almost life-saving for him. He puffed his chest out, the innards padded to make him look fatter as he grinned from beneath the fake beard, trying his best to look warm and wholesome. In his hands he held a remote, which operated the lights around him. He pushed a button and the once bright lights dimmed a little, shimmering in a mixture of red and gold to set a magical scene.

"Ho, ho, ho!" He guffawed in the iconic Santa style and leant forwards, dropping the remote to the floor and holding out his white-gloved hands, encouraging A closer. "Who have we here? Another wonderful child! Come closer little one, and sit on my lap."

A hesitated, briefly, before stepping forwards, practically trembling with both nerves and happiness. Once he was within reach, B scooped under his armpits and lifted him up onto his lap, sitting him on one leg and angling A to the side, so that they could look at each other as they talked.

'This kid's cute,' thought B, running his eyes up and down the cub's body. He kept a hand firmly at his back whilst he placed the other atop A's leg, pressing down firmly.

"Now..." B began beneath his disguise, a grin spreading across his face. "Why don't you tell Santa what you want for Christmas?"