Author's Note
Hello, dear readers. It's me, your seventeenth-favorite nonbinary siblicorn, Porcelain Mug. I decided to start a story with your not-so-favorite preacher, Reverend Bookbinder. I'd like to give him more depth as a character. There has to eventually be some character development, right? I hope that you will enjoy this story. I know that writing it was interesting, to say the least.
Chapter 1: Ginger
A white stallion with a curly, grey mane stood in his house. His face showed signs of his age, as he was in his mid-fifties. His Cutie Mark was a black book with a white fish-shape on it. Reverend Bookbinder was cross. No, he was more than cross. He was furious. The ice cream/donut shop, Frozen Delights, had closed for the winter. Winter hadn't officially even started yet! He blamed that harlot, Sherbet Swirl. If she hadn't divorced her husband, Heartbreaker, her daughter, Snowflake Swirl, would be in a normal family. Yet for some reason, the mare still went to his church every Sunday. Perhaps one day, the Deity would forgive her for her transgressions. She hadn't been to confession since before the divorce. Bookbinder shook his head. It was a shame. Sherbet Swirl was a caring mother with a kind heart. It was too bad that she had gotten divorced. Maybe if she hadn't, Heartbreaker would still be going to church, too. Bookbinder finished his grocery list and double-checked it.
Bread
Milk
Shampoo
Oats
Eggs
Butter
Flour
Sugar
Mouth wash
Bananas
Hot sauce
Black beans
Tortillas
tomatoes
Yeah, he decided, he had everything he needed on his list. Now it was time to head out into the world of sinners. The general store had everything on his list and he planned on not speaking to anyone, lest he discover their sins and have to lecture them about their sinful ways. It was just a part of his life. In the end, if he was lucky, he might just manage to save a few souls.
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Reverend Bookbinder looked up to see a sign that read 'General Store'. It was time to get what he needed, he decided. He then walked up to the door. A spell that was on the building automatically opened the entrance door as he approached, allowing him to walk in. The bell above the doors jingled as he arrived. He went over to the carts, selected one, and began to push it through the store. First, he decided, he would get the toiletries. He headed over to the Personal Care section. He travelled down the Hair Care aisle. He looked at the shelves before grabbing a bottle of Old Herb two-in-one shampoo and conditioner. It was his favorite shampoo and conditioner. He liked the smell and sometimes got complements from his flock about how nice he smelled. Next, he went down the next aisle. He looked around at the oral care section of the aisle before selecting a bottle of Coltgate mouthwash in Minty Fresh and put it in his cart next to the shampoo. He then crossed the Personal Care Aisle.
Next came the canned goods. He then headed for the Groccery side of the store. He headed down the Canned Goods aisle and surveyed his options for black beans. He decided to take the store-brand ones. They made a rattling sound with his cart as he put them in the basket. He then continued down the aisle to the Sauces section of the aisle. He stopped by the hot sauces and grabbed a bottle of Frankly Speaking's RedHot. He put it in the cart and continued on his way. He crossed off 'hot sauce' and 'black beans'.
Bookbinder headed over to the Baking Aisle, intent on grabbing his next groceries. He stopped by the flour and decided that, as usual, he would buy the store-brand all purpose flour. He took a one-pound bag of it and put it in the cart. He passed by the artificial sweeteners, having no interest in them. He didn't really like the taste of them. He wanted the real stuff. When he stopped by the sugar, he looked to see if anything was on sale. Seeing that the prices were the usual ones, he selected a one-pound bag of store-brand granulated sugar and put it in his cart. He then crossed off 'sugar' and 'flour'.
Okay, what next, he thought. It was the Dairy section, he decided. Butter came first. He paused to survey the brands. There were so many options! Finally, after a minute of thinking, he put a tub of Country Craft Spreadable Butter. He then crossed 'butter' off. Next came the milk. He went down to the milk section of the aisle. He looked at the options in the refrigerated case. He didn't have to look long before he spotted what he usually got. He opened the case and grabbed a half-gallon of Land O Leaves 2% milk and put it in his cart. He crossed 'milk' off as well. He knew that the eggs were in the same aisle as the dairy products, so he headed over to the eggs, grabbed a twelve-egg carton of large eggs. He crossed that off before looking at his list again. He knew that the breads and the fruits and vegetables were in the same part of the store, so he went over there. Bookbinder grabbed a pack of store-brand flour tortillas and put them in his cart, followed by a loaf of Wonderful Bread. He crossed those items off his list. What next? He looked at his list. Bananas and tomatoes. He headed over to the fruit, grabbed a bushel of bananas, and put it in his cart. He crossed that off his list. He then headed over to the vegetables. He saw that the tomatoes were on sale and took a bag from the roll next to the produce. He put eight tomatoes in the bag before securing it and crossing the tomatoes off the list. He then headed over to the checkout. Just as he had gotten in line, he looked down at his list. Bookbinder's eyes widened. He had forgotten to get oats! The Reverend quickly left the line and headed back over to the Grocery Section. He headed down the cereal aisle. He wasn't paying attention to see if anypony was nearby. He saw that there was only one box of oats left. He reached out to take the box from the shelf, when another hoof suddenly bumped into his, both ponies reaching for the box at the same time. Bookbinder quickly looked to the side to see a unicorn mare. Her coat was the color of buttermilk and her smooth, apricot-colored mane had a single coral pink streak. Her jade green eyes framed by dark, silky lashes. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties. Her face, which even he, a celibate preacher, could admit was quite lovely, had a startled expression. Immediately, that look of surprise turned to a look of embarrassment. "Oh." She said awkwardly. "Were you getting that, too?"
Bookbinder nodded and said, "Yes, I was."
"Oh." the young mare said.
She glanced up at the top of the shelf. Bookbinder followed her gaze and saw that there was another box of oats there, this time of a different brand. "If you want the brand you were reaching for, I can use the one on the top shelf. It's not my favorite brand, but," She shrugged. "I'll eat it."
Bookbinder shook his head and said, "There is no need for that, my child. I will take the box on the top shelf."
The preacher got up onto his hind legs and reached up before, finally, securing the box of oats. He put it in his cart. He then looked at the mare, who was putting the oats in the basket of her own cart. He couldn't help but notice that her perfectly-formed flank had a Cutie Mark depicting a pole of some sort. She gave him the most brilliant smile, a smile that made his heartrate go up a little, and said, "Thank you," She then spotted his clerical collar. "ah, Father."
Bookbinder couldn't help but return the smile. "Reverend, please." he corrected.
"Sorry." She apologized. "Reverend..."
"Bookbinder." the white-coated earth pony replied.
"It's nice to meet you, Reverend Bookbinder." The unicorn gave the preacher that brilliant smile once more. "My name is Ginger."
The older earth pony smiled back at the unicorn and said, "It is a pleasure to meet you, my child."
"Likewise." Ginger said. She then looked in the direction of the check-out lines. "Anyway, thanks."
Bookbinder nodded and said, "You are welcome."
The beautiful mare then turned and exited the aisle. Bookbinder inhaled deeply, then exhaled. He turned to his list and crossed 'oats' off. He then headed down to the checkout area. He was about to get in line, when he saw that Ginger was heading to the same line. She smiled at him and asked, "Would you like to go first, Reverend?"
Bookbinder smiled and said, "You are very generous. It is not often that I find a soul as pure and untainted as yours."
Ginger let out a soft, slightly sardonic laugh. "Pure and untainted." She said, as if it was something ironic.
The preacher cocked his head, curious. Ginger said nothing more on the subject, so Bookbinder got in line in front of her. This was indeed very nice because his cart had less items in it than hers did. The two then proceeded to make small talk and the reverend confirmed that Ginger indeed was a very charming mare. When it was his turn, he began placing his groceries on the conveyor belt, putting the heavy items on first. He placed things there from heaviest to lightest, with the light things being put into his bags first. "That'll be fifty-two bits." the cashier announced.
Bookbinder looked in his wallet and got out a couple of coins plus some of that new paper money that had started being circulated recently. The cashier gave him his receipt, which the reverend put in his bag. When he was almost at the door, he paused. He then headed back over to Ginger, who was paying for her groceries. "I hope to see you soon, Ginger." Bookbinder said, smiling at the mare. "You are welcome to come attend mass this Sunday."
Ginger nodded and said, "Thanks, Reverend Bookbinder. I'll think about it."
The reverend smiled at the young mare, turned, and left with his groceries. Ginger was a very nice mare, quite unlike the sinners and harlots that infested this town. She must be very pure and the furthest thing from a harlot. Still, he thought, she had an unusual Cutie Mark. It was a pole of some sort. Perhaps she was a firefighter, he thought. It was no matter. She had been pleasant company and he found himself greatly looking forward to the possibility that the lovely and charismatic mare known as Ginger would attend his mass. He hoped to see her again in any circumstance. She was not a mare that the reverend would soon forget.
