Grouchy Without Emotions

It was on a day during Empath's first visit that Grouchy asked Empath a question that was on his mind.

"What is it like to not be able to feel any emotions?" he asked.

"This smurf isn't certain how to describe such a feeling, Grouchy," Empath said.

"Well, you smurf all day not expressing anything," Grouchy said. "You must know what it must be like to not do that."

"Why is it that you want to know what it's like to not feel any emotion, Grouchy?" Empath asked.

"It's just that I don't feel happy expressing anything, Empath," Grouchy said. "The only thing I can ever express is hate."

"The fact that this smurf does not express an emotion does not in itself mean that this smurf does not have any emotions, Grouchy," Empath said. "Psyches are usually trained to control their emotions to the point where they are able to not express them at all."

"So you actually feel emotions?" Grouchy asked.

"The most that this smurf actually feels is curiosity, Grouchy," Empath said. "The Psyche Master only enables Psyches to have that emotion in order to inspire them to learn, but apart from that, they cannot express any emotion."

"This is just confusing me, Empath," Grouchy said. "I want to be able to not feel anything so I wouldn't have to express anything."

"Would not being able to feel or express any emotion make you a better Smurf, Grouchy?" Empath asked. "If you were truly without emotion, you would not feel any sort of contentment being in that state."

"I just have to know what it's like, Empath," Grouchy said. "I hate not being able to find out what it's like."

Empath sighed. "This smurf will temporarily disable your ability to feel any emotion so you can experience it for yourself, Grouchy." He then touched Grouchy's forehead and focused his minds-eye to cause his friend to not feel any emotion. Soon the grouchy expression on Grouchy's face turned to a blank facial expression. "So how do you feel now, Grouchy?"

"I do not feel anything, Empath," Grouchy said in a very flat, calm tone. "It's like I don't even care about anything, even about the things that I hate." He then looked around and tried to touch objects that were close to him. "I can't even feel the very things that I'm smurfing. Why is everything like this?"

"Every sense of your feeling anything has been shut off, Grouchy," Empath explained.

"How does anyone live like this?" Grouchy asked, still curious about the state he is now in.

"This smurf doubts that anyone truly can," Empath said. "This smurf will now restore everything that you are able to feel." And again he touched Grouchy's forehead and focused his minds-eye, and soon Grouchy's grouchy demeanor returned.

"Aaaah," Grouchy growled. "That was terrible! I hate not being able to feel anything! I hate not being able to feel any emotions! And I hate knowing what that is even like!"

"This smurf apologizes, Grouchy," Empath said. "This smurf was only assisting in satisfying your curiosity."

"If that's how the Psyches live, Empath, I don't want any part of it," Grouchy said. "I hate the fact that you're even smurfed as a Psyche."

"Does that mean you would hate this smurf as well?" Empath asked.

"NO!" Grouchy said. "You're a Smurf, and you should have been smurfed as one. You should know what it's like to feel like a Smurf. I know what it's like in smurfs, and sometimes I don't even like it that much."

"It is rather odd that you hate expressing yourself in any manner except for what you hate, and yet you would not give up being a Smurf just so you could feel anything," Empath said.

"It's just how I am, Empath," Grouchy said. "Every Smurf in the village knows that I don't like expressing myself much. But I don't always like how I feel."

"This smurf would be willing to know what it's like to feel everything, Grouchy, even if it's laughter, which this smurf senses that you hate," Empath said.

"Well, you certainly have some time before you resmurf back to Psychelia to find out, Empath," Grouchy said.

"Maybe we can learn from each other about our feelings, Grouchy," Empath said.