⭐ Day 82 — Back to Work (Barely)

The wedding glitter hasn’t even settled and the cocoa mugs are still warm, but there it is on the calendar in blinking red letters: “RETURN TO WORK.” 🎄📋

Christmas doesn’t care if you’re emotionally recovering from an interdimensional bachelor party. The toys still need wrapping. The lists still need checking. And Santa now has… a clipboard.

💍 The Newlyweds Check In

Sparkles and Finn arrived at the workshop together this morning, walking that specific way only newlyweds walk — like they’re tired, happy, slightly terrified, and pretending they slept more than four hours.

Sparkles had a planner. Finn had coffee. Both had the look of elves who have seen things and still chose each other anyway.

She squeezed his hand and whispered, “We’ve got this.” He squeezed back and said, “As long as there are snacks.”

🧝 The Bachelor Squad, Post-Portal

The groomsmen showed up too… eventually.

Shortstack moved like his soul needed a nap. Frostbite Jr. flinched every time he saw a sock puppet. Glitterbeard still had faint traces of Misfit glitter in his beard that physically refuses to wash out.

They’re back. They’re functioning. They’re just… upgraded and slightly unstable.

🎅 Santa With the Clipboard

Santa gathered everyone in the main workshop and cleared his throat.

No booming speech. No dramatic sermon. Just a calm:

“Alright, team. We had our chaos. We had our miracle. Now we have work.”

He lifted the clipboard — color-coded, of course — and continued:

“This year isn’t about surviving. It’s about working together.”

The room didn’t erupt in applause, but it did soften. You could feel everyone exhale at the same time.

📦 Quiet Chemistry

No explosions today. No portals. No cults. Just… elves easing back into rhythm.

Sparkles started organizing the production schedule. Finn checked in with the wrapping teams. Shortstack took inventory of supplies (slowly, but correctly). Frostbite Jr. refilled cocoa stations like a hydration elf on a mission. Glitterbeard boosted morale by telling embellished bachelor tales.

And me? I watched all of it, pen in hand, ready to judge. Instead, I just smiled. A little.

The North Pole is back at work. Not perfect. Not flawless. But connected.

Tomorrow, we dive into the not-so-glamorous side of Christmas magic: Inventory Day. Pray for us. ⭐✨

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Stay shady (but productive),
– The Petty Elf 🧝‍♀️