Interlude: Halloween 2016 Special
November 2, 1950
Death was fairly certain no one but La Muerte had ever witnessed Xibalba in such a state. The Death God had practically melted into a puddle of tar under his wife's touch, eyes half-lidded, mouth open in a happy sigh as his wife laughed and returned his hug rather playfully.
"Did those two make up after their latest little family feud?"
Death chuckled. "No need to sound so disappointed, War."
Next to him on the roof of a relatively nice bar, War grumbled. Pestilence, surprisingly enough, had volunteered for duty with Famine tonight, supervising the reveling spirits in the northern hemisphere. As it was, several Reapers had dispersed themselves among the crowd of ghosts dancing across the hilltop in the town graveyard to make certain no one got a little too into the spirit of things and harmed the humans celebrating the Day of the Dead.
"Are you going to go down and dance soon?"
"Later; I prefer observing, for the most part," Death answered.
"You're always observing! Come on, live a little," War teased.
"Rather impossible, wouldn't you say?"
"My Lord Death," La Muerte greeted with a bow of the head as she and a still very much smitten-looking Xibalba made their way over. "Will you not join us in the fiestas tonight?"
"Perhaps in a few minutes, my Lady," Death responded with a slighter nod of his head.
"Make that a few hours," War muttered.
"Where has your little one gone? He was dancing with the little spirits not long ago," La Muerte wondered aloud, surveying the crowd of laughing spirits dancing in the graveyard.
Next to her, Xibalba snorted. "Probably to find something sweet, knowing that kid."
"A child after your own heart, no?" La Muerte said with a cocked eyebrow in her husband's direction while War snickered behind Death.
"Hi, guys!"
"Speak of the devil! Hi, Jacky-boy!" Xibalba laughed as Jack dropped out of the sky between La Muerte and Death, flecks of cinnamon sugar still visible on his lips.
"You've been into the churros again, haven't you?" Death asked while La Muerte chuckled and wiped the sugar off of Jack's beaming face with her thumb.
"What's wrong with that?" Jack asked defensively.
Death shrugged. "Absolutely nothing. I just figured you'd go for the sugar skulls first."
Jack's eyes immediately brightened while Xibalba laughed at his expression.
"Hey, Jack, would you like to go riding later? There's this beautiful snowy mountain peak that's really windy during the night, it seems like just the place for you," Xibalba said.
"Si, it is a wonderful place," La Muerte said, smiling as she took her husband's hand.
"Maybe a bit later, okay, Uncle Xibalba? Dad, will you come dance with me?"
War snickered while La Muerte and Xibalba grinned at Death.
"Dad, come on, it's Halloween week! This is, like, your time of the year! Come on!" Jack said, eyes pleading.
Death sighed inwardly. "If you insist," he said, taking Jack's outstretched hand as he called goodbye to Xibalba and La Muerte and allowing the child to lead him toward the other reveling spirits. "Have I taught you the Tlacolorerosis yet?"
"No. What is that?" Jack asked as they reached the edge of the crowd of laughing spirits, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"It is a traditional Mexican dance, often performed on the Day of the Dead. The spirits over by that large headstone are actually right in the middle of it. Do you see how they use those whips to accentuate the rhythm of the music? That is meant to represent the crackling of fire in the bushes during the cleaning of the corn patch. Now, to begin, you'll want to stand like this…,"
Just a short, sweet little special for Halloween 2016. Happy Halloween/Day of the Dead, everyone!