Hefty's Guilty Pleasure

It is Christmas Day in the second year of Empath being home for good from Psychelia. The Smurfs were enjoying waking up to find presents have been left for them under the Christmas tree. This was Polaris Psyche's first Christmas, so Empath gave him a gift that he thought his friend would appreciate.

"It's a woolen Smurf hat, with gloves and a scarf," Polaris mentioned as he looked inside the box at his gift.

"This smurf thought that you would like something that will keep you warm when you're doing your security walks through the village, Polaris," Empath said.

"At the very least, Empath, it is an interesting gift," Polaris said in his usual flat tone.

"Try it on, Polaris," Empath suggested. "Let this smurf see how you look in it."

"This one does not see the point in wearing clothes just to display them before others, Empath," Polaris said.

"It's just that people like seeing how others would look wearing new clothes, Polaris," Empath said. "It's basically a custom for both humans and Smurfs."

"If this is only for you to evaluate how this smurf looks wearing the hat, then this one will do it," Polaris said. He then pulled the hat out of the box and put it on.

"Here, let this smurf adjust the hat," Empath said, reaching out to shift the top part of the hat so that it flopped forward like a regular Smurf hat. "Now you look like your fellow Smurfs."

Empath gave Polaris a mirror to see himself in. "Hmmm...so it would seem," he duly noted as he saw his reflection with the woolen Smurf hat.

"This smurf senses that you're not very excited about wearing the hat, Polaris," Empath said.

"That is correct, Empath," Polaris said. "This one can see why you and your people would need to wear a hat, and for that this one has no problem with it. It's just that, with this one, the hat seems rather...excessive."

"This smurf doesn't think it looks excessive at all, Polaris," Empath said. "At least you're not wearing Showoff Smurf's style of clothes."

"Indeed not, Empath," Polaris said with some hint of distaste in his voice.

"You only have to wear this for the next few months while it's still winter, Polaris, or you can go without wearing them at all," Empath said. "You're not forced into doing either because this is after all your gift."

"But you have taken time to put this present together for this one, and it would seem fair for this one to honor the sentiment behind the present," Polaris said. "Very well, then...this one is certain to put this gift to good use during the winter season."

Empath smiled. "Don't worry. Nobody's going to make fun of you wearing the hat!"

The both of them joined the other Smurfs as they gathered in the dining hall for Greedy's Christmas banquet, with tables that were lined up with goodies for everyone to enjoy.

"So how's your first Christmas so far, Polaris?" Smurfette asked as she joined the both of them at the table.

"It was...rather interesting, fellow Smurfette," Polaris answered. "This one can see that it is a festive time of activities for celebrating the change of seasons, and yet everybody in the village seems to have control over their behaviors...apart from Jokey constantly playing his pranks on other Smurfs."

Smurfette giggled. "I don't think Jokey will ever stop smurfing pranks on anyone no matter what the season is, Polaris. I only hope that you don't fall for them like most Smurfs usually do."

"Here comes Biscotti with another plate of fruitcake," Empath noted. "That stuff just never seems to stay on the table for very long."

"This one wonders where all this fruitcake disappears to, if it isn't Greedy and Nabby who eats it like they eat everything else," Polaris said.

"Look! There he is!" Smurfette said, noticing Hefty going to the banquet table and getting as much fruitcake as he can to fill his plate.

"Oh, yeah...it's Hefty and that appetite of his for fruitcake," Empath said. "He always does that every year."

"It is remarkably strange for him to constantly eat fruitcake like this, given his particular normal eating habits, Empath," Polaris commented. "This one wonders about his attraction to that specific food item in question."

"Why don't you ask him yourself, Polaris?" Smurfette suggested. "I'm sure he won't mind if you did."

"It would not seem prudent for this one to ask Hefty such casual questions, since this one senses his animosity toward Psyches and telepaths in general," Polaris said.

"Hefty's usually a bit more gentle around this time of year, Polaris," Empath said. "This smurf doubts you'll get much anger out of him if you're inquiring about his current eating habits."

Polaris sighed. "Then this one will venture a visit to his table for a brief conversation." He went over to the table where Hefty was sitting at, enjoying his fruitcake.

"Well, if it isn't Empath's star-faced friend," Hefty greeted. "What do you want to smurf me for?"

"This one is only curious about your desire for your constant consumption of fruitcake, fellow Hefty," Polaris said.

"So you noticed," Hefty said. "It's a very hard habit for me to hide around this time of year."

"Why is it that you eat a lot of fruitcake when it isn't part of your normal diet, if you don't mind this one asking?" Polaris asked.

"Honestly I don't know why, Polaris," Hefty answered. "I'm usually very faithful when it smurfs to keep to my regular diet. I don't like smurfing a lot of sweet stuff and junk like my fellow Smurfs do. But come Christmas, when Greedy and Biscotti start baking up the fruitcake...it's like I haven't smurfed real food in ages. And the strange part about it is that I actually enjoy the taste. You should have been here the winter when I first smurfed fruitcake."

"So this has been a lifelong seasonal habit for you, Hefty," Polaris surmised. "It's amazing with the amount that you have ingested that you show no signs of it adding weight to your figure."

"I guess you can smurf it my guilty pleasure," Hefty said, smiling. "I smurf a lot of this stuff, and I still do my regular exercise and work routines so none of it makes me smurf out like Greedy when he smurfs his own cooking. You should try it sometime...you'll find it smurfier than your usual bland nutrient paste."

"This one only wishes that were possible, Hefty, but you do know my particular dietary requirements," Polaris said.

"Too bad for you, then," Hefty said. "I guess that just means more for me. It must be a drag for you to keep smurfing the same thing every day, which is why I'm glad I'm not a Psyche."

"Perhaps someday this one may be able to experience more than just what this one is restricted to, Hefty," Polaris said. "Anyway, this one appreciates your sharing this 'guilty pleasure' of yours to this one."

"You might not want to smurf that hat everywhere you go in the village, Polaris," Hefty commented. "I just don't think you smurf good wearing it."