Today – Downtown La Perdita
The shopping district is radiant during the holiday season and is blooming with residents of the Island and more importantly for the Island’s income, tourists. Decorated with a mix of heritages and for a wide variety of events just about any man or meta would feel comfortable and welcome in the Island’s graces. The sidewalks were over flowing, to say the least. The seas parted as a large man rushed down the pathway to a small shop whose doors were closing.
“Wait!” the voice yelled.
The old shop keeper paused as the giant man known as Priest tripped and fell at his feet, boxes poured down over the soldiers, the heroes head.
“I hope you don’t have any breakables son,” the friendly face stated, and offered a hand to Priest. Priest gathered his boxes and wiped his hands clean over his loose Christmas themed Hawaiian shirt (snowman in a sea of blue show with little Santa hats). A matching Santa hat rested on Priest’s head.
“I made sure that those would be delivered.” He said with a smile, “A guy my size isn’t good with fragile items.”
“I can see that,” the friendly shop keeper added, “Now what can I help you with?”
“Well, sorry that I’m late,” Priest gestured towards the ‘Closed’ sign that hung from the door, “But I’ve heard from a buddy of mine that you have the BEST cookies and I was wondering if I could get a crate load of ‘em?”
The shopkeeper laughed out load, “Now, what kind of grinch would I be if I said no! In the holiday spirit I shall be right out with a full ‘crate’ Montag’s favorite cookie…”
“How did you know…?”
“He comes by a lot, talks about his friends, family. Plus he is the only one who would describe my cookies as the BEST,” Priest laughed. “Plus,” the older man added, “He left a lasting impression on my granddaughter Anne.”
Priest’s jaw dropped as the old man went in to get the cookies. The older man’s words traveled with him, “He reminds me a lot of me in my youth.”
Priest waited outside, slightly leaning on his large stack of presents, all wrapped and looking perfectly in the holiday spirit. Taking out a list, he flipped it open and it fell halfway down his body. Many names were crossed off, including Phil, Leslie, Tayden, Dr. Quantos, Mick, Shirley, Otto, Ed, Jake, Blackwulf, and the B-Team (as a single entity). Going down the list, Priest put a slash through Grissom’s name and rolled up the list.
Grimm he thought, What do you get a biker who happens to be the avatar of death and incidentally has a skull for a face for the holidays?
Before he could answer his own question, he was greeted by a familiar face, also a darker green turtle like face, that of BHAGHHH-RUPTH. Before Priest could say a word, he was hugged by the once lord of the flies.
“I never got to thank you for saving my shell!” he yelled, “You sir are one heck of a fighter.”
Priest patted Big B on the shell, “You fought one heck of a fight yourself, and saved a lot of people. Sorry I wasn’t sooner to lend a hand.”
“Nooooooo problem, its cool, I got a battle scar that drives the woman crazy.” with that, Bhaghhh-Rupth lifted his shirt that read “Kiss me I’m Italian” revealing a large wound on his “stomach” area. It had already healed at a rapid rate.
Priest laughed and opened the top of his shirt, revealing a metal plate on the left side of his chest. Knocking it with his knuckle, “I got a bit of a battle scar myself. To tell you the truth, saving you actually in turn saved my life. We owe each other a lot.”
That put a smile on Bhaghhh-Rupth’s friendly turtle-like face.
“Doing some last minute X-Mas shopping?”
“Yeah, not really sure what to get an avatar of death.”
“Same here. I’m stuck on what to get my beloved Octivia.”
“I can’t say I’ve been that good with the women in my time…”
“No? I should introduce you to Octivia’s sister Letia…”
“That’s okay…”
“No really, I think you would like her.”
Priest cracked an uneven smile.
“She’s adopted.”
Two men laughed together as the old man returned with a crate of his cookies. Priest happily paid the man with a team credit card. Bhaghhh-Rupth helped Priest with his boxes and the two men walked off to finish their late holiday shopping.
