With Eric on the mend and back on his feet, he was able rejoin practices again and begin to make up for the time he had lost. Rudy pushed him as hard as was safe, and before long Eric was once again stumbling back home every evening completely sore and exhausted. But at least now he was sore from doing the job he loved alongside his mate instead of sore from his injuries.
Over the next week, he was able to catch up the rest of the sleigh team with surprising ease, and the rugged new scars he had gained from his crash definitely earned him a bit of clout with the rest of the team, who now completely trusted the newest reindeer to have their backs in case anything else went wrong.
However, his intense focus on his training led him to miss a few of the more unusual things happening around him. The flickering lights and dipping voltage at the resort’s facilities only became more ordinary, and some of the guests found their transformation focus objects failing them at unexpected times. No accidents had occurred yet, but some of the higher-ups were beginning to take notice…
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“…Is that all? You’re just feeling moody?” Lars sighed, grabbing a handful of Christmas cookies from a nearby platter. He popped one into his mouth and chewed it slowly, trying to come to terms with what he was hearing.
Lars had stopped by Santa’s workshop that morning to have a word with the big boss himself about the brownouts that had been happening with increasing frequency over the past few weeks. When he arrived, he found Santa already deep in discussion with Dr. Otso, who was one of the old man’s preferred ‘outside consultants’, since as a loner with plenty of experience living outside the tribes’ territories the wolf often had a unique perspective on things. After a bit of prodding (one of Lars’ specialties), Santa had finally opened up a bit and admitted that he was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed by everything going on around the world, and that the pressure was making it difficult for him to maintain the level of focus required to keep the resort fully functioning.
“It believe it’s a bigger problem than you’re making it out to be, Lars,” Otso replied, setting his arcanathometer aside after using it to measure the ambient Christmas magic in the air. “If he is not feeling the Christmas Spirit as he usually is, this won’t just lead to increased brownouts at our little resort. It will have real effects on the rest of the world, at least in the places where Christmas is celebrated. I have plenty of medical degrees, but unfortunately psychiatry is not a specialty of mine, so- ”
“I’m sure it’s just a mood of mine,” Santa interrupted, snacking on some cookies and trying his best to sound like his usual cheerful self. “It wouldn’t be the first time that an old man got down in the dumps about the state of the world, would it? But has it ever kept me from doing my job? I think not. So, I think Lars is right, and there isn’t much to worry about.”
However, even Lars wasn’t particularly convinced by Santa’s words. It was clear to both the fox and the wolf that the old man was taking on way too much responsibility, spreading himself thin and taking the entire burden of running Christmas perfectly himself. Lars and Otso shared a tense glance, and they both knew they’d have to figure out something to do to help Santa get back into the Christmas Spirit, for everyone’s sake. And, as they glanced at the ever-present clock on the workshop’s wall, they knew whatever they did would have to be done quickly.
18 Days to Christmas
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“It’s the resort, I am telling you! That’s the key!” Lars said excitedly, practically wiggling right out of his fur as he bounced around Otso’s living room. The werefox was hyped up on sugar and Christmas spirit, spraying cookie crumbs from his mouth as he frantically jumped from one topic to the next. “You have seen it, haven’t you? Santa, he is always smiling when he gets out of the workshop and spends time with our guests, ei? We need to get the resort bigger, better, and more popular!”
Michael and Otso were lounging on the couch, watching Lars pace frantically while they sipped their coffee. By now, Michael’s transformation was nearly complete; his coat of fur had grown to cover his arms and most of his chest, and a rough coating of grey-brown fur had begun to coat his chin and cheeks in a handsome ‘beard’ of soft fuzz. Not only that, he’d been getting much more used to walking around in public without any pants on, thanks to plenty of long, romantic walks around town with Otso.
“…Okay. How do you plan to do that?” Michael asked curiously. “Are you planning on making some big additions to the resort in less than three weeks?”
“And even if you did, wouldn’t all those extra people and facilities just put even more stress on Santa? He’s pushing himself to the limit just to handle the resort right now,” Otso added calmly as he sipped at his coffee and enjoyed a few Christmas cookies. “Michael, your ex-wife is not a bad cook at all. These cookies are-“
“Will. You. Listen to me!?” Lars sputtered, the fur on his tail standing on end. “It’s not the size of the resort, it’s what the resort means! More people coming together for the holidays! More humans and magical creatures getting together in understanding! …Likely lots of sex too, but that’s probably not the big boss’s thing. Probably. But, seeing all that going on down here is bound to raise his Christmas spirit to the max!”
“Again, how are we supposed to do this in only a few weeks?” Otso sighed. He had a feeling that Lars might be onto something, but this time limit was just too limited. As a doctor, he could deal with sudden emergencies if needed, but he still much preferred a plan and plenty of time to work.
“Well, we do not need to get everything done right away! We just need to show him that next year things will be better,” Lars admitted, beginning to settle down a bit. “Santa, he is a sucker for that sort of thing, right? That sappy, lovey-dovey family paska, ei? And so am I, so this is a win-win!”
Michael and Otso both glanced at one another, wondering what exactly this odd little fox was going on about, but at the same time they were starting to get affected by his sheer enthusiasm. No wonder Lars was so vital to the resort’s operations, if he could project such energy to even a calm, methodical fellow like Dr. Otso.
“…Fine. What exactly do you want from us, Lars?” Otso finally said, finishing his cup of coffee and looking around for something a bit harder to drink. He smiled as he saw his favorite bourbon and began preparing the glasses, knowing he’d need a lot of help to make it through a long discussion with this peppy young werefox.