Final Post

 If you've come to simply look at today's artwork, you'll find it at the bottom of this post. I thought it would be appropriate to address what happens from here on first.

I would be in idiot if I denied that this year has been a crazy year, no one could have or would have expected this. Events of such nature have impacted our lives hugely and despite that Droey's Draws content continued to prevail on it's intended course, hoping to give you your brief break from the harsh reality this year has dealt us with.

2020 madness aside, this year has been focused on finding the best direction for Droey's Draws to take. As I am writing this, my current thoughts are to stick to what I've been preparing for throughout the year. This blog will no longer be updated and Instagram will be the new home for Droey's Draws content among other things.

I imagine you may have some questions for that some thing I may not have made clear yet, so allow me to provide you with that clarity- I hope!

What happens to the blog?

Nothing will happen to the blog. You can still come here to look back on old content or access external links. I simply won't be adding any new content here as it's becoming too costly for time to maintain an Instagram account, website and the blog.

What do I gain from following the Instagram account?

Instagram is the best place to go in order to follow new content and interact with me on occasions. So long as my Uni work permits it I'll be able to upload content multiple times a week and give shout outs to other artists in the community. You'll also have the benefit of interacting with my stories where I may ask for your input on upcoming artworks or just take the opportunity to communicate with my audience. My Instagram is DroeyDrawsonOfficial and would highly recommend following me there.

Is there still going to be a blog?

Yes but not with a regular schedule. A new blog will be set up on my Wix site which will allow me to control both the website and blog from one source. On said blog you may find content of a more behind the scenes nature rather than the presentation of completed artworks. It's still fairly undecided how the new blog will be used.

https://droeydrawson.wixsite.com/droeysdraws/wix-blog-app-thingy

What about Gorf the Frog or the Mix'n'Match Shipping posts?

The artworks are most likely going to be found on Instagram. However for Gorf I am more than likely to also upload future artworks of the noir frogman to the new blog so that his story can continue in the great amount of detail that it has.

As for the Mix'n'Match Shipping posts, the tradition is intended to continue. Through the Wix site, you'll find the link to the poll (when said link is published) but the resulting artwork will be uploaded to Instagram. Additionally the series will be taking on a new name from 2021 onwards, so you'll be looking out for 'Crackship Creations'. This streamlined name is intended to help spread the reach of this series and allow returning fans to not have to speak such a mouthful when discussing the content.

Will the YouTube channel be uploading again any time soon?

It's no secret that I haven't uploaded anything in 2020. Originally I stopped uploading because of the COPPA rules which I felt would make my videos too stressful to work on. As it stands I am not in a position to return to YouTube for the reason that I need enough time and the right equipment to create content for YouTube. In order to return to making videos for YouTube I would need to get new equipment and new software which currently is just not worth it. At the end of the day, I'm still uploading content to social media and I do have Uni work to keep on top of. Hopefully one day new videos will surface but for the time being, don't expect anything on the channel.

What content are we to expect from the future?

Droey Drawson and his friends will still be making themselves present throughout my work. Be it through original Instagram content, Redbubble merchandise or on the Wix site, you'll still see their familiar faces as well as the occasional new faces as the cast continues to expand.

Those of you familiar with my Instagram will know that I am currently working on the next direction that Droey's Draws will take. As already stated, my OCs will not be going away, however they won't be getting 100% of the attention. I love my OCs but original characters only build up so much of an audience which means I need something else to grow my audience with.

This is where my Doctor Who fan art comes in; though this 'movement' is still in it's beta phase, the idea is to launch a series of Doctor Who comic strips as well as post Doctor Who fan art which should grow an audience that will hopefully come to love Droey and his friends as much as I do. Why Doctor Who? I'm a huge fan of the show and have a decent understanding of it's characters and lore; coupling that with the fact that Doctor Who has been a big name for generations means it would make the most sense for Doctor Who fans to be the target of my reach.

Lastly there is Elle and her friends at the North Pole. For three years (save for one during hiatus) we have had 25 short adventures with Santa and Elle as we get to know the lives of Santa's little helpers a bit better. This however is where their story ends. They've completed three seasons and I have no wish to carry them on for a fourth and risk overworking something great. Elle has had her time and I feel that her story is complete. Her posts will remain on this blog for audiences to look back on.

I think that's just about everything that needs clearing up. It's been a brilliant few years of creating artistic content and while the journey continues, the journey on this blog is ending. Feel free to look back on these creations and I hope you'll continue the journey with me through whichever social media you choose to follow me on.

You can still follow and or support me through the following sites:

Facebook : Droey Drawson

Instagram : DroeyDrawsonOfficial

YouTube (inactive) : Droey Drawson

Redbubble : Droey Drawson

www.droeydrawson.wixsite.com/droeysdraws

Thank you for joining me and the many characters that have been created. It's time to conclude this blog's posts with a reminder of the three characters that started it all. Here's Tenvad, Droey and Anne Natalie watching the sun set on their home county of Jansterwick. See you next year, wherever we go!

THE END

(on here anyways!)

Goose

 Hope you all had a merry Christmas! Since it's Saturday you get a new post today, but there'll be a post on the 31st December that if you're a follower will definitely be worth having a look at! In any case, this is the last Saturday in which you will see new content from me, so here's one with a lot of OCs and hopefully will put a smile on your face.

A Goose has been encountered in the park and it seems to have marked the land as their territory, with a mere honk.

In this almost black and white style piece features perhaps the largest sum of characters to appear in my illustrations at any one time! From top left to bottom right these characters are:

Mercury, Anne Natalie, Redd Radcliff, Riley Naab, Albiona Whitaker, Ida Noe, Jirou Katou, Ichirou Katou, Gary Thomas, Lottie Line, Lacy Rembrandt, Droey Drawson, John Esposito, Penny Wisdom and Agrius Moth.

You won't recognize a couple of these characters unless you follow me on Instagram whereas Mercury might be someone who's never been seen until now!

This crazy illustration was actually based on a piece of work I did in college. I was given three random words for a prompt which were 'honking against abounds', this led to me wanting to draw a goose scaring off an army. The army quickly became just a group of everyday people who were scared off in the most comical ways that I could possibly depict. A year later I felt like recreating the artwork with my OCs which meant reducing the amount of people in order for their physical features to be interpreted more accurately. Had I remained completely faithful to the original illustration, we would have several more character panicking in view!

That's all for today, don't forget to come back on the 31st which will provide details about the direction Droey's Draws is headed in and ways you can access future Droey's Draws media! Enjoy the rest of your holiday!

25 More Elle Expressions - Day 25

 Elle is Laughing

Avery woke up to find a present on their desk. They realized how tired they must have been last night, normally if Elle snuck into their room they could tell. When you live with Santa, you tend to know how they do their work. There's no one else who could've done it, Eldon's too clumsy.

Avery got out of bed and approached the present. It was small and wrapped up nicely. Avery was tempted to open the present but decided to confirm where it came from first. Still in their pyjamas, Avery took the present downstairs where Eldon was cooking breakfast.

"Morning, Avery! Happy eighteenth birthday!" Eldon called over the sound of sizzling.

"Thanks, Dad. You alright?"

"Fine thanks, just a couple minutes away from finishing breakfast. Hope you're hungry." Avery looked at the fried breakfast Eldon was cooking.

"Looks good! Where's Mum?" Eldon was about to reply when there was a flushing sound, followed by Elle's arrival.

"There's my birthday elfling! Happy birthday Avery!" Elle hugged Avery and kissed them on the cheek.

"Thank you!" chimed Avery as they hugged back.

The family sat down to breakfast, but no one seemed to mention the present. It just sat there at the end of the table looking pretty. At least until Elle finished her breakfast.

"You not opened your present yet?"

"Hmm? No, not yet."

"Well go on, no need to wait on anything." Eldon urged. Avery wiped their mouth and then unwrapped the present. Inside were two items. The first one was a badge to commemorate their birthday while the second item was wrapped individually.

"Of course," Avery grinned as they looked at the badge. "I'll put that on when I get dressed." they promised. Then Avery looked at the second item, it was much smaller. Avery opened the tiny present and inside was a key. Avery was confused, they already had a house key.

"Take a look outside." said Elle, trying to hide the biggest grin. Avery approached the window and found a second car on the drive! Judging by the key for a present, the car was probably theirs.

"Jiminy Christmas, my own car?!" Avery's jaw dropped while Elle and Eldon beamed. Avery rushed over to Elle and Eldon, giving them both a tight squeeze of a hug. "Thank you so much!"

"Now don't go making any plans for tonight, coz there's something big going on tonight!"

"Am I allowed to know?" Avery asked, letting go of their parents.

"Do we tell?" Eldon asked.

"Can do," Elle replied.

"So we've hired a venue and you are invited, requested even, to attend a birthday celebration in your name!" Avery was excited about the party, and glad that their parents at least let them take their new car for a spin that morning.

That evening, the Ellingham family arrived at Claus Hall where Avery was greeted by their family, their friends, even some of Elle's staff were there. Festive music played, on top of some of Avery's favourite music like the work of Michow Mooble. The party went down a treat!

"Not as wild as our old Christmas Crackers, eh?" said Eldon as he sat down with Elle to watch the party, having just refilled his glass.

"Oh heavens no, you won't get me half naked singing again!" Elle chuckled.

"No I don't think we're quite at that age anymore."

"Nothing to do with our age, we're just- matured." reflected Elle. "Still young at heart though, at least I think so. What says you?"

"Oh yeah, definitely. See myself in the mirror some mornings and think, no way is that Eldon Ellingham. You're, adult, not like legally but you look like one, you act like one. I think it really hit home after we had Avery."

"It really did, imagine growing up to be an elf, then you become the Santa! Not so long after you're giving birth, it's crazy!"

"I don't know how you do it, you must be the world's busiest person." Eldon paused for a moment, a thought occurred to him. "Do you think that we'd have gotten by if we had another child?"

"Absoloutley not. Avery, yeah but if we had had twins or triplets, we'd be doomed! I'm glad we had just Avery, I mean that's our baby. What more could you ask for?" Eldon nodded in agreement. "I wonder what Santa would make of all this."

"I think he'd be damn proud. It's been a difficult era in history, but you've prevailed. As Santa, as a mother and as yourself. I remember the bubbly Elle who had it all together from day one, but had never been met with a challenge, so eager but unaware of what a demanding role she'd play. And here you are having accomplished more than almost anyone could. God rest his soul but if old Saint Nick isn't proud of you, then he can stuff it!" Elle gasped in amusement and smacked her cheeky husband on the arm.

"Shush you!" then Elle wiped a tear from her eye, their reflective conversation had gotten quite emotional.

Elle stood up, followed by Eldon. They decided to go and see Avery, it was after all their special day. The Ellingham family celebrated merrily together into the night around all their loved ones, just as anyone with Christmas spirit should.

THE END

25 More Elle Expressions - Day 24

 Elle is Shouting

Hoho's heart sank as his view of the world beneath him was concealed by a bitter fog. He knew he'd been advised never to look down anyway but Hoho had just contemplated getting a glimpse while nothing seemed to be happening.

"Pay attention, Hoho!" Elle ordered while she tightened her grip on Rudolph's harness. "What's the barometer saying?" Hoho readjusted to the huge task he had been assigned and checked the barometer, one of several attachments built onto the sleigh's 'passenger' side.

"Coming into fog, thick fog!"

"Good thing we have you for this portion Rudolph, you know what to do!"

"Roger that!" Rudolph's nose started to glow, giving them a crimson light to guide their path. Elle noticed that the foggy clouds were passing them quicker than they normally world.

"Hoho, where are we?"

"Coming into Wales, specifically Monmouthshire." Hoho replied as he checked the Sat-nav. "We're still on course, Santa."

"That's good, anything new from the barometer?" Hoho took another look.

"We should be clear of the fog in about ten minutes if we keep headed directly west." Hoho's words sounded rather faint as an eerie whistle started to swim through the air.

"What was that Hoho?"

"I said we'll be out of the fog in then minutes, so long as we go west." Despite raising his voice, Hoho's voices was being drowned out by the increasingly loud whistle of the wind.

"Sorry, Hoho?" Elle raised her voice.

"Clear in ten minutes," Hoho shouted. "If we go west!"

"Go east?" Elle asked loudly in confusion as the whistle of the wind turned into a howl.

"No! - West!" Hoho inhaled before starting his next sentence. "We may be facing strong winds! We should land to apply the sleigh r-" at that moment, Hoho's hat was blown off his head! Hoho climbed the back of his seat and onto the sack which had already been fastened down with strong cables. "No-o! My hat!" cried Hoho, though his cries would hardly be heard.

As Hoho watched his hat fade away into the fog, the wind changed direction. The sleigh was now starting to tilt on Elle's side, Rudolph was in danger! The wind was creating a divide between Rudolph and the sleigh. This would mean that either Rudolph could get strangled by the harness or that the sleigh could separate entirely, leaving Elle and Hoho in a perilous situation!

"Rudolph!" Elle shouted. "We need to land!" But Rudolph couldn't hear Elle through the strength of the wind. "Rudo-plh!" Elle shouted again, but the divide between them grew further, the harness was tightening further. Shouting alone wasn't going to get Rudolph's attention, Elle knew what she had to do but it was incredibly risky.

"Hoho!" Elle shouted. Immediately Hoho sat to attention, having realized what was happening. "Prepare the Sleigh-pilot, but don't activate it yet!"

"Roger that, Santa!" Hoho got to work adjusting the sleigh's manual controls, ready to give control of the sleigh to Elle. Meanwhile the fog was finally clearing and Elle made sure her grip on the harness was firm and secure. Without another thought she yanked on the harness as she shouted again.

"RUDOLPH!"

The surprise of almost being choked altered Rudolph's attention, and he heard that he thought sounded like Elle's voice. Rudolph looked back and was about to snap when he realized something was wrong. Elle was making hand gestures towards him, but not the kind you expect to see; they were like a sign language, a visual code that Rudolph understood.

"Right away, Santa!" Rudolph shouted back and immediately started to drop. The sleigh was coming in to land. It was must easier being able to see where they were now, with only the high winds causing them trouble.

With a struggle, the sleigh landed safely in the countryside. Elle almost passed out from exhaustion and Hoho wiped his brow. Rudolph took a moment to catch his breath before breaking the silence.

"Is everyone alright?"

"I think so," Hoho replied. "That was something else, though!"

"Haven't seen anything like it in decades!" Rudolph remarked. "What do we do now, Santa?" Elle sat up again and looked up to the sky. She could see leaves being blown about in the wind, also the odd trampoline, public bin and branches broken free from trees.

"We can't go back up, not in these conditions. We'll apply the roof and some more protective gear. If the wind had died down at all we'll go on but if it's just the same we'll have to stay low."

Luck was back on their side, as the wind seemed to have passed by the time they were ready to go back up into the sky. The deliveries were made and even though Elle was behind schedule, there was an opportunity to make up the time across the Atlantic as they moved on to the United States.

25 More Elle Expressions - Day 23

 Elle is Scolding

Things were still in a bad way at the North Pole. Snowvid 20 was ruling everyone's lives, more outside the workshops than within, but it was hardly a mercy. Rules were getting tighter and work was feeling workier than ever before. Masks were now mandatory anywhere with a roof unless you lived there, meaning most of the elves had restricted vision and were getting agitated from hot air and a more challenging form of breathing.

Even though the elves were following the rules, now ones that didn't make any sense kept coming in and as a result, Elle also had to dictate new rules in the workplace to accommodate whatever laws were being passed. Eventually, things began to get too much. One lunch hour, a group of elves were chatting over their half empty table.

"You know what I think?" Emily spoke first. "I think we should take action, enough is enough right?"

"What do you suggest we do?" Wendy asked.

"I'm saying-" Emily stopped to look around and make sure no one was in ear shot. "I'm saying we should go on strike!" she whispered.

"Shh! Are you kidding?!" Elsie gasped. She adjusted her glasses which nearly fell off in shock! "I don't think there's ever been an s word in Santa's workshop, never!"

"Yeah well I've been talking with Tinker, you know tinker?"

"Tinker with the funny walk?"

"No, Tinker with the birth mark on her ear." Emily corrected. "Anyway, her family history goes all the way back to the workshop's beginnings and she says there was actually a strike-"

"Shh!" the other elves demanded.

"Okay, s word back when Santa changed his uniform from green to red. The elves were being made to wear red suits and white wooly hats so they went on strike and you know what? A single day later, everyone was permitted to wear the traditional green uniforms and crimson hats like what we have now. My point being that all we have to do is go on strike and then we can have everything our way again."

"That's different!" Wendy explained. "You're talking about a dispute over dress sense, this is a legal affair we're dealing with, a nationwide pandemic!"

"Look, I need people to back me up on this otherwise we might continue to be needlessly dictated by these rules that are making work impossible! We simply can't go on like this!"

"Alright, I'm in!" Elsie agreed.

"Wendy?"

"Count me out, you're mental."

But Emily might not have seemed so mental as Wendy thought. A lot of elves were interested in the idea and after a week, Emily put the idea of a strike forward towards Carol, the shop steward of the union.

Despite everyone's best efforts however, Eldon was soon aware of the oncoming strike. Emily says Wendy ratted them out, Eldon says he was bound to find out, Elton says that Thomas Elfison being the dim elf he was proposed Eldon joined the strike. But now that Eldon knew, Elle was bound to find out.

"They're going on what?!" Elle nearly choked on her dinner.

"Yeah, they reckon they're going to strike to persuade you to lift all these stupid rules!"

"How can they do this? We have a duty to the children, to the world!"

"You should just remind them that it's the law making these rules and not yourself."

"I do remind them that but clearly it's not enough." Elle was at a loss for what to do.

The next day, the staff turned up to work. But instead of working, they were keeping out the ones willing to work, rioting and demanding change. The workshops were a nightmare until Elle turned up; by now she was ready and confident.

"There she is! Right, we want change!" demanded Emily. Elle was helped up onto a crate and then addressed the staff.

"Can I have your attention, please?" The crowd surprisingly fell quiet.

"I understand that these are stressful times and that not all of the rules are to your liking. Unfortunately these rules are the law and we can't change our situation. We are making the best of a bad-"

"Rubbish, Snowvid is probably a hoax!" called out an elf.

"You run these workshops, you're in control!"

The elves started rioting again so Elle looked to Eldon and signed something to him. Eldon got back in the car and beeped the horn until the crowd fell silent.

"Thank you! Can I ask if anyone has given any thought to what might happen if we don't finish our work on time?" Elle sternly asked. "There are children all over the world who depend on our annual tradition to bring joy to them in the winter. There are people who wish it was Christmas every day, there are people wishing they had a Christmas at all, even people whose only solace in this cruel world could be a Christmas! It's not all about the presents by any means, but our gift to them is a show of selflessness and commitment. We set an example for the youth, serving as a reminder of what comes from teamwork, kindness and an optimistic spirit. If you're really willing to strike out and boycott your promise, are you really willing to risk letting everyone else down?"

Not a word was spoken, no one dared to speak up. Even those who disagreed knew they would be in for it if they spoke up. There was silence, until Emily humbly placed her sign on the ground. The same surrendering gestures were followed by Elsie, then Tinker, then Thomas Elfison and so forth. The revolution had come to a halt, but Elle wasn't done there.

"And one more thing, have any of you thought to check the news this morning?" The elves all exchanged confused looks between each other, everyone had either been too concerned with their protest or too put off by the depression nature of the news as of late. "Let me tell you that anyone who watched the 6 o'clock news will know for a fact that a cure for Snowvid has been found, it is set to be distributed in tablet form in about a fortnight's time and our old normal should return in about four months time."

All of the elves cheered, even the ones who hadn't been protesting. Elle had saved her business and brought hope back to her staff. Once again she made a delivery, this time of great news. She had also reminded her staff just what it means to be an elf at her workshops and it was safe to say that for the rest of her career, there was no more talk about strikes and no secret rebellions going on behind closed doors. Peace had been welcomed and accepted by all and the wrokshops, though still struggling in this time for difficulty, were a merrier place once again.

25 More Elle Expressions - Day 22

 Elle has a Sneeze

What a tragedy! Some silly elf had made a Humbug soup which made them very sick. The resulting illness caused a nationwide pandemic affecting the elves; they called it Snowvid 20! Shops and schools were being forced to shut, gatherings were banned and travel had never been so restricted! Being the merry creatures they are, the elves tried to keep their chins up and support each other but northern elves crave work. Without jobs to go to, they were becoming depressed and succumbing to cabin fever. All that is except Santa's elves.

Santa's workshops were considered an essential business. Not just as the biggest employer in the North pole, but for it's significance to the economy. One bad Christmas would put the world in jeopardy for a century at the least!

"You have everything you need, Avery?" Elle asked as she and Eldon were leaving work one morning.

"Yeah, everything's good." Avery reassured. "Stay safe."

"You too!" Elle and Eldon replied. The two of them were armed with sanitizer and tissues, one can never be too careful. Eldon was keeping his eyes pealed as they made the journey, it wasn't very safe outside the grounds of Santa's workshop. All the other elves were attacking Santa's elves in order to acquire their uniforms so they could go out and about as they wished! The nurses and doctors also had this problem, but there was less of a guilty burden from stealing from Santa's elves it seemed.

Elle and Eldon arrived safely and after washing their hands, they got to work. The workshops were quieter than usual. While the business had to stay open and elves were still working, their shifts had decreased in order to comply with social distancing. Everyone was still working but with less staff at a time and having to work at a faster pace because of it.

"You know," Elle began as she spoke to her personal assistant. "I wish I was able to do my checks around the workshop. It gets so lonely just doing all this work without seeing the merry faces of my staff each day."

"That may be so but with the current situation they probably aren't as merry as usual." the personal assistant sympathized. "Plus you do have a lot of work to do, yourself. You may become too busy to feel lonely."

"If I'm doing a good enough job, I suppose you're right." Elle reflected. That morning she was due for another trip on the sleigh simulator, they had finally gotten it working but the sleigh prop had to be cleaned and isolated for three days to ensure it was safe for Elle to use the simulator. "Let's hope the sleigh works properly this time, otherwise that'll easily be another week or two before I get another test!"

"My fingers are crossed for you," said the personal assistant. "Luckily you have some of the finest scientists in the world, certainly the finest from elven regions."

Elle left the office for her test which turned out to be a success. The simulation did not malfunction at any point and Elle was able to get a proper test which ensured she would be safely capable of flying the sleigh on the big night. It was just as well, none of the scientist elves were so willing to come close to Elle; they didn't want to risk spreading infection should they have Snowvid!

Lunch time came and Elle made her way to the canteen, same as everyone else. Elle's personal assistant was adamant that they should have brought her lunch so that Elle would not be at a high risk of infection, however Elle insisted on going so that she'd get to see the staff for a bit, even if she was instructed to take her lunch back to the office for her own safety!

The canteen was just as strange an experience, every second seat was marked so that the elves would be at least a meter apart from each other. The elves were still conversing with each other but it just didn't have the usual Christmassy spirit that Elle was accustomed to. She was just about to join the queue when she felt something in her nose. It was a tickly sensation- no- it was a sneeze! Elle tried to hold it in, sneezing and coughing were seen as symptoms of Snowvid, so even if an elf was well, the act of sneezing or coughing was alarming to all!

But alas, it was no good. Elle let out a very sharp, very loud ACHOO! into her elbow. Everyone stopped and stared. Not a sound was to be heard, not even a bless you. It sounded like even the kitchen equipment fell silent, maybe even the whole workshop! Elle was beginning to wish she had let her personal assistant collect her lunch instead! Worse was to come...

Having caused a scene with her sneeze, there were now rumours going around the workshops that Santa had caught Snowvid 20! It got so bad that Elle had to take a test and then reassure her staff that the test came back negative. Even though she did so, traces of the rumour still went around the workshop, with the additional question of 'what is Santa caught Snowvid?'; all Elle was concerned about was when the cure would be found. The sooner Snowvid 20 could be cured, the sooner the North Pole could return to normal!

25 More Elle Expressions - Day 21

 Elle feels Pity

One of Santa's roles is to frequently supervise activity across the workshops to make sure everything is going well. It is also an opportunity for staff to directly address Santa with feedback about the management and optimize the functionality and wellbeing of the company. Elle makes sure to do this once a week at the least and claims it's one of her favourite parts of being Santa, getting to see all the merry elves working away towards the coming Christmas.

Elle was surprised to find one morning, that Hoho the hunchback elf was feeling down in the dumps. His head was sunk lower than any elf thought it could and his movements were uncharacteristically slow. Elle approaches Hoho kindly.

"Everything okay, Hoho?"

"Oh, morning, Santa." Hoho replied, trying to sound merry. He didn't sound very convincing. Elle watched him go back to his work, she decided she ought to have a chat with him.

"Hoho, may I speak with you in my office?" Hoho agreed, weakly nodding his head.

Elle sat at her desk with a mug of hot chocolate, another mug had been brought in for Hoho.

"As you know, it's part of my job to ensure the wellbeing of staff," Elle explained. "I've noticed a change in your behavior and thought I would take the opportunity to check up on you. Is there anything you feel that you need to talk about?"

Hoho hesitated for a moment, then he spoke up.

"I must admit," he began. "I suppose sometimes I feel, and not by any fault of your own, of course, that I feel like my work goes underappreciated." Elle was surprised to hear this but continued to listen. "My ideas are often rejected by the others. Then there's the amount of work I put into every Christmas, I know they say goodness is it's own reward but it would be nice to be shown appreciation around the workplace more clearly." Elle nodded her head pitifully, she had been writing a little note while she was listening.

"Well Hoho, I'm very sorry that you feel that way. Is there anyone's behavior making you feel this way or does it feel like it came out of the blue?"

"Out of the blue, except that point about my ideas."

"Well I'll see if I can sort that out and allow you to feel more included." Elle promised. "And to start with, I'd like to hear if you have any ideas of how I can improve things so that elves in your position may feel better."

Hoho thought for a moment, then an idea came to mind.

"You know those pictures people share over the internet? Those, what are they called, memes? What if we had something like that but in poster form? They could be motivational or reassuring posters!" Elle listened with great interest as she quickly jotted Hoho's ideas down. They chatted for several minutes and Elle could gradually see the old Hoho coming back.

"How are you feeling now, Hoho?" Elle asked.

"I'm feeling better now, thank you!" chirped Hoho. "I always knew you were the best Santa!" Elle blushed modestly.

"Oh I wouldn't say that, every Santa is quite unique!"

"Like yourself, I suppose." Hoho reflectively replied. "No Santa has ever been an elf before, I think that's why everyone loves you so much. You're not just Santa, you're an inspiration; the idea that anyone can be Santa!" Elle blushed with cheeks as rosy as the Santas before her!

"Oh really, Hoho! You're too kind!" Elle got up to escort Hoho out of her office. "As kind as a Santa, one might say!"

Hoho was flattered. It sounded like Elle was making an implication, but he didn't want to say anything lest he tempt fate or let it get to his head!

"Thank you, Santa!" Hoho humbly replied. "You have yourself a merry day now!"

"Same as yourself, Hoho. Take care!" Hoho left the office and Elle went back to her desk. She realized that the time would soon come where she'd have to ask Avery what they wanted to do with their career; they were, after all, the heir to the sleigh.

25 More Elle Expressions - Day 20

 Elle is Bracing For Impact

Santa is known for flying around the world on Christmas night to deliver presents to the children of the world. That night alone is a very demanding task and requires everything to be prepared and planned for down to the finest details.

Of course, Elle can't fly her sleigh across the world whenever she likes for practice, and she certainly can't just fluke her mission on the night! Ever since technology could make it possible, the North Pole has had facilities for simulating numerous experiences a Santa may go through, which includes the flight simulator. The simulator is a round room in which a model identical to the sleigh is placed in the center, though fixed in place while able to mimic the same motions that the real sleigh could. The wall holds a large curved screen that presents Elle with a point of view to make the simulation feel more authentic.

"Sleigh day today!" Elle declared as she checked her calendar one morning.

"Oh boy, that means sick bags at the ready!" Eldon laughed.

"The simulator's not that bad! It's meant to be a more dangerous experience so I'm prepared for the real deal."

"Yeah but how much worse?" Elle didn't answer the question, refusing to admit just how much worse the simulator was compared to the actual sleigh.

When Elle arrived the scientists were already prepared and adjusting the settings for the simulation. Elle was escorted into the room and given her obligatory safety presentation. Of course, Elle or any Santa can and should be trusted to be up to speed with safety regulations on the sleigh, but it was mandatory that they are informed all the same. Once the presentation was over, Elle braced herself and the simulation began.

The test went off to a good start, but then it got to the point where fog and wind were generated. In real life, this is a dangerous and tricky hurdle to leap over but Rudolph's nose comes in handy if he is pulling the sleigh. However the rest of the reindeer don't have glowing noses, so the simulator lacks that advantage. Elle felt she was controlling the sleigh well, when suddenly a small red light was flashing from the control panel outside the room.

The scientists addressed the problem, realizing that there was a fault in the system. While they tried to sort it out, another scientist went to shut off the simulation, but it wasn't responding. Elle found herself losing control of the sleigh! It started to go crazy and made Elle feel as though she was on a rollercoaster!

"What's going on out there?" Elle demanded, using a two way radio system that allowed Santas to communicate with the scientists.

"We're experiencing technical difficulties, ma'am!"

"No kidding!"

"We'll have you out of there as soon as possible!" promised the scientist.

According to the simulation, Elle was headed straight down towards some buildings. While of course she wasn't going to actually crash into some buildings, the impact would feel just as real. Elle braced herself, hoping to control the sleigh enough to avoid the buildings but not daring the look. She only just skimmed the roof of the house and managed to raise the sleigh to safety, just before the simulation was successfully shut down.

Two scientists entered the room and gently escorted a weak Elle out and to a spot where she could sit down safely. Then they left to continue repairing the simulator while another scientist stayed.

"Santa, I can't apologize enough. Are you alright?"

"I think so, but I'm not up to it. Not today."

"Understood, ma'am. Would you like us to inform you when the simulator is back in functional condition?"

"Yes, we'll need to get another run completed. December's only five months away after all."

After a soothing hot chocolate, Elle left and spent the rest of her day taking it easy in her office. The experience had not been too pleasant and she expected Eldon would get a laugh out of it when she got back. To her surprise, he was barely amused and greatly concerned. Eldon really didn't want Elle to go back in the simulator, but knew it was part of her job as Santa and that nothing could stop it going ahead.

25 More Elle Expressions - Day 19

 Elle is Puffed Up

I'm sure you're well aware of how Santa does their deliveries every year. There's a bit more to it than you'd have known but you've all been given the general idea. As Santa, it is up to Elle to make these deliveries across the world every year but there are a lot of risks that are involved with the job.

Elle had just come out from a rough neighborhood where numerous thieves had been dressed as Santa in an attempt to steal from numerous households. Elle's litter helper that night, Elaine, had reported the robberies to the authorities. The only problem was, with 'dressed as Santa' being the only thing to go on, it was more important for Elle herself to make sure she was unseen! It was a nightmare and Elle was glad to move on to the next settlement.

Elle's next stop was a seaside town in western England. There she seemed to get along with her work  stress free and was feeling in her element. One of the houses, however, had quite an unpleasant surprise in store for her...

Things were like any other house on the inside. The standard issue of stockings hung in a convenient place, cookies and milk left out with a sherry half drunk by one of the parents. Elle made good time and was on her way out when she remembered the cookies.

"Just a quick nibble and I best be off!" Elle thought to herself. She approached the table and picked up one of the cookies. Now a Santa has to be quick with every action they take on Christmas night, for obvious reasons. One thing they don't have time to do is examine their edibles prior to eating them. With that in mind, Elle picked up a cookie and ate it whole; there was a rather strange and unfamiliar taste to the cookie. Elle took a bite out of the second cookie, making sure to leave evidence, when she noticed something happening.

Elle's cheeks puffed up quickly and they began to feel sore. She examined the cookie closely and realized her mistake. Elle was having an allergic reaction to nuts! Elle was alright with Chesnuts but any other nuts made her cheeks swell while her face and throat would become sore.

"Oh Jiminy Christmas!" Elle groaned, or at least she tried to groan. It was the most painful, stinging groan she had felt in a long time.

Elle had to rush back to the sleigh where Elaine could then get out her medical kit. All of Santa's little helpers have to be medically trained if they are to assist with the Christmas deliveries so as to tend to any needs a Santa might develop. Elaine was giggling as she applied a syringe containing Elle's antidote.

"It's not funny!" sulked Elle.

"It is a bit, you should see your face!"

"Keep it down," Elle hissed. "Do you want to draw attention to us?"

"Sorry, Elle." Elaine whispered as she composed herself. "Right, you should be back to normal in about an hour. Will you need me to take over?"

"Only with the flying, thanks. I can handle the rest."

Elaine took hold of the harness and signaled for Dancer to take off. Elle sat back in the sleigh and waited until they were to land at their next stop.

"I hope no one walks in on us," Elle began. "Seeing Santa is one thing but Santa with a bloated face would be ridiculous!"

25 More Elle Expressions - Day 18

 Elle is Panicked

Disaster had struck! Elle was approached in her office by bodyguards and the police were out on the hunt for a rogue criminal. Coalsach prison is the only prison in the North Pole region, due to the generally decent behavior of the industrial elf's culture. The North Pole was not without it's bad apples, who were rarely in Coalsach for more than half a year. One of Santa's former employees however, had been guilty of theft, attempted murder and blackmailing; all of these were on separate occasions!

The criminal's name was Elias and he had broken out of Coalsach. It was no secret that Elias had friends from the criminal underworld, as he had obtained the means to send Santa a bomb after his first arrest. A warning had been left embedded into Elias' cell well that read:

'I won't be back alone Santa"

Eldon and Avery had been removed by the police under a witness protection program. Elle wanted to join them but with no idea how long things would be in place, she was needed at the workshop. Security was tighter than ever before and Elle never left the workshop! All the while, the police still couldn't track down Elias, the elves were getting agitated with the changes to their work life and Elle's stress levels were through the roof!

"I can't do this anymore!" Elle declared to her personal assistant. "We need to find Elias and fast!" Elle turned to her computer and started tapping away on the search engine.

"How do you intend to do that?" Elle's personal assistant asked calmly. "You're confined to the workshops and the police are already looking for him."

"Well maybe we need someone special for a special case." Elle thought hastily as she clicked on a result. What she got was the phone number for a private detective. Elle picked up her phone and dialed the number. After receiving a response, Elle was quick to reply. "Hello, I was wondering if you could help me find a missing person?"

"Alright, we're going to need some details. Name, features, a photo, you'll have to come into our office to apply for our services."

"I can't come in, I'm office bound! I'm a prisoner in my own workplace and need help finding this missing person so I can live a normal life again!" After a moment's silence, the voice on the other end of the line responded.

"I understand, Santa. Will be right there."

"How did he know?" Elle pondered as the call ended.

Sure enough, within the next couple of hours, a visitor came to speak with Elle. Elle found herself quite intimidated by the look of her detective but with a name like Krampus Hornsby what was one to expect? Elves quivered as they watched Elle escort Krampus to her office, some of the newer staff even thought that Krampus was Elias, the rogue elf!

 Krampus sat in a chair as Elle hastily gathered evidence from around her office that would identify Elias.

"He used to wear this really crooked hat, he's got a sharp tooth on the right of his mouth, or was it the left? He sneaks about, kind of has a hunched back, pointed fingers, really pointed fingers! You've never seen such sharp-"

"Okay, okay!" Krampus grumbled. "You're panicking, Santa. You might want to sit down and take a few deep breaths." Elle listened to Krampus and sat at her office chair. She tried two deep breaths, and began to feel herself calming down as Krampus continued to inquire. "Right let's look at the facts. You know the man we're after, the police know the man we're after. They were last seen heading west according to reports on the search. Might there be anything else you know about him? Anything, could be the most trivial information."

"Not really, I never got to know him that well before he got the sack."

"Why was he fired?"

"He'd been stealing toys from the workshop for the naughty children. And then after that someone sends a bomb on his behalf to Santa before me."

"So has anyone thought to find these contacts? If Elias promises to be back with company, maybe he's gone to get some help from one of his contacts."

"I'm afraid I wouldn't know where to start." Elle sighed weakly.

"That's where I come in." Krampus stood from the chair, placing a picture of Elias in the pocket of his case. "Well I'll do the best I can to find out where he's gone to. I'll be in touch regarding the payment details."

"Thank you, you don't know how much I appreciate it!" Elle got up from her desk to see Krampus out.

A week passed before Elle heard from Krampus again with progress on the case. About four days after that, Krampus had news of Elias' whereabouts! A couple of days after that, Elias had been found and arrested thanks to Krampus and some assistance from the police. While all of the contacts Elle knew of from Elias' original offences has since passed on (it had been many decades ago now!), Elias had been keeping in contact with people from the western area. By finding Elias, the police had also been able to arrest an organization that had been plotting to terrorize the North Pole, no doubt this would have been something Elias would involve himself in.

The group and Elias were all arrested and locked up in Coalsach while Elle and her staff had their tight security restrictions lifted at last. Elle had never been so happy than when she was reunited with her family; Eldon and Avery had missed her dearly.

That was indeed the last of Elias. Due to Krampus' pursuit of him getting everyone else caught, he was a very popular prisoner until eventually the bitter criminals started a brawl that would see Elias mutilated, crushed and then finally thrown about until there was nothing conscious left of him. Surprisingly, Elle attended the service held for Elias. She was one of the few there and they all seemed to be thinking the same thing; whatever happened to shape Elias into the criminal he became?

25 More Elle Expressions - Day 17

 Elle is Embarrassed

"It looks like you will be needing glasses," declared Elle's optician. Elle was not happy about this. "We have a new pair sent to you within the next five days. If you'd just like to come with me then we can choose a frame."

Elle's vision had not been too well lately. It wasn't until she nearly got into a car accident that Eldon insisted she went to an optician's. Elle did have a pair of reading glasses but never liked to wear them unless she was at home; Santa was perhaps the only other person to see her wearing them. Elle just didn't think that glasses suited her. She'd wear contacts if not for the fact that she felt uncomfortable putting them in and vice versa!

"Mum, you got a parcel!" called Avery one morning. They carried it over to her. "I think it's your specs."

"Thanks Ni- Avery!" Elle was still getting used to calling her child Avery instead of Nic. Indeed the parcel was Elle's new glasses. Elle tried them on in front of a mirror.

"They look nice!" Avery commented as they left to go to their room. Eldon came down and saw Elle with her glasses on.

"Ooh don't you look gorgeous, darling!" Eldon chirped as he put his hand on her shoulder.

"I look like a nutty librarian!" Elle remarked.

"You look like a very classy Santa." Eldon corrected. "Come on we best get going."

Elle and Eldon left for work, Eldon drove. All went well and the couple went their separate ways to get started with their work. It was at this point that Elle sneakily put her glasses back in the case; she'd be damned if she was going to let anyone see her wearing glasses!

Later Elle was doing her trip around the workshop. She came to a spot where Eldon and Elton were working. They were checking toy rabbits when Eldon noticed Elle wasn't wearing her glasses.

"Why isn't she wearing her glasses?" Eldon thought to himself, only to clumsily place his coffee mug on the conveyor belt! Off it went, following the toy rabbits, he noticed a moment later what he had done. "Oh sugar plums!" Elle recognized Eldon's voice so could tell she was headed in his direction. Elves looked so similar when they were in uniform! "Elton, if she asks, I'm on the bog!" Eldon whispered before following the coffee mug.

Elle approached who she thought was Eldon. He did look thinner but she put it down to the slightly sloppy vision. Now in the workplace you are expected to behave professionally, but with Elle being in charge as well as married to one of her employees, no one ever questioned anything like a brief hug or a kiss. They at least kept it casual and not in everyone's faces. Today would be a kiss on the cheek, but Elle got the wrong cheek!

"How's it going, hun?" Elle asked who she thought was Eldon. Elton blushed and his jaw dropped.

"Um, Santa?" Elton began. Elle instantly recognized the voice and her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Elton?" Elton nodded his head, which Elle could make out. "Oh God, I'm so sorry Elton! And stupid!" Elle cringed with embarrassment as she smacked her palm onto her face. A couple of other elves had noticed and were snickering, trying not to laugh in case their jobs were put in jeopardy!

"It's quite alright, Santa. If you're looking for Eldon he should be back in a minute." Elton replied.

"Thank you, Elton. And again, I am so, so sorry." Elle darted her eyes around to see how many people were looking, not that it made much difference because she could hardly tell anyway! "You see, I'm supposed to be um- well, wearing glasses." Elle murmured quietly.

"Oh yeah, Eldon said you'd got a pair this morning."

"He did, did he?" Elle asked. She hadn't told Eldon not to tell anyone, but would have preferred it if he didn't say so. "Well I'll just have to get even with him then, the cheeky elf!" Elle wasn't quite sure how she'd get her cheeky own-back on Eldon, but Elle had decided a couple of days later she was going to get some surgery for her eyes. She could afford it to be done well and it would mean not having to wear any glasses either!

25 More Elle Expressions - Day 16

 Elle is Relieved

Elle was in a hurry to get home. She had been visited in her sleep by the Christmas ghosts and knew that something concerning little Nic was of vital importance. By the time Elle got home, everyone was asleep. Elle wasn't too pleased about this, but decided maybe a proper night's sleep, without being haunted, might do her some good.

The next morning, Elle was due to start work early as every Saturday but decided she would take the day off. Eldon was concerned.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm alright, I've just had some time to think. I think I've been a bit obsessed with my work so I'm going to try and take this weekend easy before getting myself a healthier routine sorted." Elle gave Eldon a hopeful smile. To her relief, Eldon was impressed with the idea.

"Good for you!" he declared and kissed her on the cheek. "You can't overwork yourself, love. And I wouldn't mind seeing more of you outside of work!" Eldon quipped.

"I know, I've seen the light." Elle laughed. Then she started to get serious. "Actually I think at some point we need to talk to Nic." Eldon's eyes widened with agreement. "Have you noticed any changes about him lately?"

"Yes, I've wanted to talk to you about that!" Eldon suddenly exploded, reciting the very things he said in his conversation with Elton the night before. Instead of brushing it over, Elle listened to her husband. "I've tried to talk to him but it doesn't seem to get anywhere."

"Maybe I should talk to him. It's not just you I need to spend more time with." The couple agreed and when Nic eventually woke and rose from his bed, he was most surprised to find Elle at home.

"Thought you had work today, mum."

"Um, no. I had a rough night." Elle explained, trying to come up with something more understandable than three ghosts haunting her with the promise of a dysfunctional family. Elle wanted to talk to Nic there and then but thought it best to let them wake up properly first in case he really had been asleep this whole time.

A couple of hours passed when Elle decided maybe it would be a good time to talk to Nic. To her surprise, Nic came down the stairs and approached the sofa! Eldon was at work, in order to keep everyone convinced that Elle was ill for the day.

"You alright?" Elle asked Nic, remembering not to call him by his name.

"Yeah, um, you got a minute?" Elle was caught off guard but went along with Nic's request.

"Yeah sure! What's up?" Nic sat down on the sofa next to Elle.

"You'd love me, no matter what I am, right?" Elle's was becoming more anxious, it sounded as though Nic could be revealing something horrible like being a criminal, having gotten someone into trouble or no longer liking brussel sprouts!

"Of course I would!" replied Elle. "Why'd you ask?"

"Well," Nic began nervously. "It's just I'm not that little Nic you've gotten used to- anymore." Elle didn't say anything, she just continued to listen. "To tell you the truth, I'm not even a boy anymore, or at least I don't want to be."

"So you'd like to be a girl?" Elle asked.

"Not really. I don't want any gender. I see myself as an Avery now, with they/them pronouns." Elle's child explained nervously. They were certain, someone so traditional as a Santa would disown their own child for something so modern.

"Oh bless you, Nic! I mean Avery!" Elle corrected herself immediately. "How long has this been on your mind?"

"I've been thinking about it properly for about half a year now." Avery explained. "You're not, ashamed, of me, are you?"

"Of course not!" Elle sighed with relief and reached out to give Avery a cuddle. "Me and your father have been very worried about you, you know! But I'm glad you got it off your chest, that must have been very brave of you." Elle comforted.

"Thanks Mum!" Avery replied, happy to have finally come out to their mum. "Do you think Dad will take it well?"

"I'm sure he will!" Elle replied. "But I won't say anything, that is if you'd like to tell him when he gets back?" Avery nodded their head in agreement.

Later that evening, Avery came out to Eldon and while he was initially surprised about it, it didn't take more than a few minutes for him to come around and be as supportive as Elle. The family bond had been strengthened, things at work were starting to get better afterwards and Elle owed her comeback to three quirky ghosts. As for Avery, they were quite happy as Avery and felt very lucky to have such supportive parents.

25 More Elle Expressions - Day 15

 Elle is Sour

Elle stood in Nic's bedroom, watching him on his phone, laid facing the wall. She had just been visited by the ghost of Christmas Present and been advised to make a decision based on Nic's behavior. She was hoping that she had made the right one.

There was a knock on the door. Elle wondered who it was. Could it be the third ghost?

"Nic?" a voice calmly and quietly called. Elle saw Nic turn his head towards the door. "Not sure if you're awake but I'm off the bed now." The voice belonged to Eldon. "Good night, son." For some reason, Nic twitched at this and turned away from the door. Elle could then hear Eldon's footsteps walking away from the door.

There was silence... then another knock on the door. A slow knock. Elle jumped, Nic didn't move. In fact, Nic didn't even flinch. The knock came again. Elle was afraid, it certainly wasn't Eldon. Could it be a burglar? Elle decided she was going to investigate and marched towards the door. Just as she was about to open it, the door swung wide open faster than Elle could blink. She stumbled through the doorway and had to regain her balance.

Now she was on the landing, with the door left open. But nobody was to be seen.

"Who's there?" Elle demanded. There was no response. When Elle looked through the door to Nic's room, she could no longer see the room. Instead it was dark and mysterious, not a defining trait in sight. There was no telling where she would be going. But given the strange, mystical things she had experience that night, it seemed temping, maybe necessary to explore.

Elle stepped through the door, into the abyss. She walked on... and on... and further. Elle walked on until she decided to turn back. When she did, there was nothing to go back to. The doorway had disappeared, there was no going back. Elle was on the brink of panicking, but then took a gamble.

"Ghost of Christmas yet to come? Are you out there?" Elle waited, there seemed to be no response. Elle blinked, her eyes reopened to the sight of nine small eyes in a formation starting down at her. Elle shrieked!

As Elle looked again in fear, she could make out the ghostly figure. It was tall, it's arms long and pointed at the ends, a long hood covered the face from which only it's glowing eyes were visible and a pair of shoulder pads stretched out further than Elle's stomach!

"Are you the Ghost of Christmas yet to come?" Elle asked nervously. But the ghost did not reply, or at least not yet. It felt like they were going to say something but words never came. The ghost went to pick Elle up, but she decided to stand up on her own accord. She was afraid of how the ghost's touch might feel, or if perhaps something bad happened if they did.

The ghost paced away from Elle, who hesitantly followed. Elle was thinking of calling this ghost Mirai, but daren't say anything about it until she better knew the ghost. They continued pacing until they came to a door, it wasn't the same door that Elle originally came through. Mirai opened it and gestured for Elle to go first.

Elle didn't want to, she was feeling quite uncomfortable. But to be so bold as to defy one of the Christmas ghosts might have her ending up worse off, so she went through the door first. Mirai followed.

On the other side, Elle found herself in the workshops- but it wasn't quite like it was earlier. Everything looked brighter, louder and more energetic than ever before! Was the workshop thriving with merry spirit? Elle smiled proudly.

"If this is because of that decision then good! It looks like I made the right call!" Elle looked at Mirai to see if they agreed, but they didn't respond. It was awkward. Mirai continued to move along, leaving Elle to chase after them.

Mirai led Elle to a part of the workshop that Santa was observing. At least, it looked like Santa. The uniform was the same but Santa was older now. They depended on a cane to get around and hunched slightly. Elle remembered that this was supposed to be the future.

"Is that me?" Elle asked Mirai, as she pointed to Santa. Of course, Mirai did not respond. Were they ever going to speak? Instead, the gruff sounding Santa did.

"Call yourself an Elf? You're not even merry!"

"M-m-my apologies, m'am!" stammered the elf timidly.

"Ah stow it!" snapped Santa. "You want forgiveness, show it! Come on, give us a smile!"

Elle watched in disgust as her older self viciously showed her employee how to smile. She held the expression as the elf forced a smile in return, though they were clearly still intimidated. Elle felt just as uncomfortable, quite twitchy too.

"This isn't right, I'm not like that. Who is it really?" Elle looked at Mirai, hoping they would tell them something to give her hope. Instead Mirai just pointed at Elle. "So I'm destined to be that cranky old bag that my staff are afraid of?" Mirai nodded. "Oh God," Elle worried. "What must Eldon think of me? He must be getting some kind of special treatment, or a promotion?"

Mirai decided it was time to move along. Elle was curious, assuming they would now go and see Eldon. Their tour led them to the office, which looked very depressing in contrast to the rest of the workplace. The walls were desaturated, the office plant was dying and there were no pictures hung anywhere. On the wall however, there was a cork-board with letters, newspaper clippings and an old picture of little Nic. Elle scanned everything on the board closely. She more the looked, the more her eyes widened with horror. The more she wanted to cry, to tear up everything but the picture of her little Nic. She was completely absorbed in the horrific sigh before her.

"You will alienate your family." Elle was caught off guard by Mirai's voice, she yelped and turned to face them while she shuddered violently. Mirai's voice sounded like children, thousands of them. "Your husband will leave as you prioritize your career over your family in need. He will take custody of your son, only for him to runaway a year later. No one will ever see him again."

Elle dropped to her knees and broke down to tears as everything around her faded away. She left left again in darkness, and Mirai could no longer be seen. Moments later, she could hear voices.

"Only one thing will ever be certain about the future." Mirai began.

"The future is subjective to our decisions." continued Presley.

"We came to help you and you created the reality you just experienced." explained Bart.

"You are changing the future now."

"Will it be for the better?"

"Good luck." finished all three ghosts, just as Elle felt herself coming back to reality. She was waking up.

Elle sat in her office desk, reflecting on what she had been through. She'd been asleep for three hours. After processing all of the thoughts in her head, she slammed her fist on the desk. Today would be Saturday and she knew what she was going to do this Saturday.

25 More Elle Expressions - Day 14

 Elle is Sympathetic

Elle had been left in the dark, figuratively and literally. She was thinking about what the three Christmas ghosts were trying to tell her when she blinked and was suddenly outside her house. It was still night time, just half an hour after she had last checked the time before falling asleep. Elle was coming to terms with the sudden change when a voice confirmed she was not alone.

"Hello! Beautiful house isn't it, that you currently own!" Elle looked to her left and there was a large man wearing a sporty headband and sporting a big beard. "I am the ghost of Christmas Present, it is lovely to meet you, Santa." The ghost shook Elle's hand.

"No other names?" asked Elle, expecting she would also give this ghost a shorter nickname.

"None at the moment."

"I'm going to call you Presley." Elle decided.

"You are calling me Presley!" confirmed Presley. He seemed okay with the nickname, more so than Bart was with their's. "Now, we are wasting time with these pleasantries, we're going to take a look in your house." demanded Presley as he walked Elle to her door.

"Excuse me, this is my house! You can't just waltz in like you live here!"

"Well you've got to make a decision." Presley insisted, almost hastily. "You're staying out here or coming inside, it's very important that you make that decision now!" Presley then walked through the door, without opening it as ghosts do.

"He actually went inside!" Elle huffed as she followed. She was able to walk though the door to her surprise!

"You are having a dream and I am doing my job; it's perfectly fine." Presley assured as he walked through the door, without opening it as ghosts do. Elle was able to follow through, to her surprise.

In the lounge, Eldon was on the phone, looking weary and worrisome.

"Wait," Elle thought. "How can this be the present if I'm dreaming it?" she turned to Presley suspiciously.

"Because it's happening now!" Presley replied honestly. Then they listened in on Eldon's conversation.

"Yeah she's still at that blumin' office. I know she's got the busiest job in the world, but she's never had no time for us before. Ever since that break-in she's never been the same. You've seen her around the workshops, Elton, work is all that's ever on her mind. I shouldn't be telling you this so keep it dark, but she's even thinking of cancelling this year's Christmas Cracker!" Elle snorted in disbelief.

"I'm not that bad, am I?" Presley didn't respond, he felt it wasn't his place to. "Nothing? Look Eldon's just a bit sour because I'm taking my job more seriously. I'm doing this for the children of our world, I care very deeply about them."

"Nic?" Eldon asked. "I wish I knew how he was coping. I can't figure out why but he's been closed off lately. I want to say it's puberty but he's been acting in ways that suggest otherwise." Elle started to listen to the conversation with greater concern. "Well he doesn't like us calling him by his name, I tried some father-son activities and he's not interested. We've had letters from the teacher voicing their concerns, they think he might be suffering with depression!"

"This can't be right, can it?" Elle asked doubtfully. Presley made his way towards the staircase. "Not my little Nic?"

"We're going to check up on him." Presley answered gently. "Or are we not? It's your decision but you need to make it now."  Elle didn't hesitate to follow.

"Let's go then. But Nic wouldn't like it if he knew!" They went up the stairs, strangely without any ghostly floating and then literally through little Nic's bedroom door.

"Nic doesn't know." Presley began. "But there's something you don't know either, so pay attention."

Nic was not really a little Nic anymore. He was in his teenage years and like Eldon had said, became a lot more quiet. Nic was laid on his bead, facing the wall, staring at his phone. If not for the phone's activity, you would have thought Nic was lifeless.

"This isn't like Nic, not at all!" Elle stammered; she was confused and pitiful for her son. A feeling quite similar to that of when she thought lots of children would not be able to get presents this year. Elle began to realize that by trying to make it up to the thousands of children whose Christmases could be ruined, she had been forgetting about her own child!

Elle looked at Presley with concern.

"So what do we do?"

"We watch." Elle glared hotly at Presley. "You are dreaming, remember?"

"Okay then, when I wake up what do I do?" Elle asked hastily. "I can't let the children of the world down because it's my job to give them a merry Christmas, but I also want to know what's going on in little Nic's mind! So what do I do?"

"You're asking the wrong person. You need to decide what to do, and now."

"Why now? What's the hurry if I'm dreaming?"

"Because we're in the present. The only thing we can do in the present is make decisions."

"Or maybe I'll just think about it instead?" Elle said as she crossed her arms, trying to look smart.

"By your decision." retorted Presley. Elle's smug expressions turned into a frown.

"So I definitely have to make a decision now, yeah?"

"No time like the present."

"Okay well I'll try and get Eldon to talk to Nic and I'll get all the stuff at work sorted out even faster. Then I can talk to Nic and catch up. Does that sound good?" Elle turned to face Presley, but he was headed for the door!

"You're asking the wrong person, again. It's time for me to leave." Without another word, Presley was leaving the building. Elle was left in confusion, she was afraid.