“Sir, is this really necessary?" Rudolph asked.

“To be honest? No. It's just that Callie has never been away from the

North Pole and she clearly wants to stretch her legs down here. We can't really do that properly whilst we're delivering, so I thought we could stop a while. She says she has a hankerin' for beef jerky." Santa chuckled.

“Oh, I see!" Rudolph nodded, seeming happier to indulge Callie's eccentricities than to simply stand around without really knowing why.

"Someone's coming!" Blitzen called out from behind Rudolph. Both he and

Donner were focused on a man approaching them from the gas station.

Santa turned his attention to the figure, and didn't find him quite so intimidating to look upon. He was walking from a custom painted

Volkswagen Type 2 that Looked like it had just driven out of the 60s.

It was such a classic “hippie van" that it even had the peace symbol emblazoned on the front directly below the windshield.

The man himself was almost as much of a walking stereotype as his van was. Long, dark hair was smoothed out with the help of a brightly coloured head-band. An equally long beard was also on display, which combined with a pair of round sunglasses to hide most of his face.

There was only a hint of an olive complexion beneath, although his smile was plainly visible and he seemed to have a naturally disarming appearance. He wore a long, multicoloured overcoat with an equally fluorescent t-shirt. Some green pants happily finished the whole-hearted insult to modern fashion, and a pair of worn sandals finished the look. The sandals were a particularly odd choice given the two inches of snow on the ground. Though it didn't seem to bother him so much.

“Dude! That is one sweet ride!" the man joked as he approached.

He had a calming voice, and it came across as friendly and relaxed despite the obviously odd circumstances.

“Oh? Well, thank you!" Santa Laughed and the man's smile broadened.

“Easy, you two."

Both Donner and Blitzen had clear little sparks of electricity crackling between their antlers as the man got nearer, but on Santa's orders they visibly calmed and raised their heads to regard the stranger.

"That is so cool. Look at the carvings on the sleigh, man! You mind?"

He seemed like he was going to jump on before he stopped to ask permission.

"No, go ahead. Though I must be going soon, once my friend gets back.

It's a busy night for me. I'm sure you understand." Santa smiled and walked back past the reindeer to stand beside the sleigh.