Santa wanted to speak to each furby individually or in pairs or small groups before the elves put on their Christmas program, then Carma was to bring them back home, since Jessica was likely to be returning home then.
Jet trembled when his turn came up, because of that one evil personality incident, and he was still afraid Santa might hold that against him.
Santa reassured him he was not on the naughty list and there would be something for him under the tree Christmas morning. Then he gave Jet a hug before releasing him.
Jet purred, then skipped around happily for a short time.
Other notable reactions came from Sybil, who blew Santa a kiss, Dmitri's happy dance, Kitri's purring when receiving a hug from Santa, only to reproach herself a moment later for it.
Santa laughed. "Kitri, Kitri, Kitri," he said, grinning and mimicking her manner of repeating someone's name when she was about to give them some advice, comfort, observation, or remark of endearment. "Go ahead and have a purr, you've done a good job running things when Jessica couldn't, your place on the nice list has been solidly established."
Kitri drew in a gasp of excited delight.
Santa continued. "And as for mission work, I give you my blessing, good luck wishes, and promote you to be in charge of the furby contingent."
"what? But I thought that was Sundown's designation." Kitri looked astonished.
"You can have it, I don't mind," Sundown grinned, "You're real good at taking charge. Much better than I am."
"Then it's settled." said Santa.
"Thank you, Santa!" Kitri exclaimed, and whooped for joy, then hopped and twirled around, cackling with glee. She simply couldn't contain her excitement any longer.
"Sundown and Toby," said Santa.
The two approached, and Santa picked them up, one in each hand, causing them both to purr.
"You both have experienced some very big changes during the past few months, and handled them all beautifully. Sundown Furby, when you overcame your initial fear of all these newcomers to yours and Jessica's home, you accepted everyone without a hint of jealousy or rivalry. Not all toys do."
"Really? Do toys ever get on the naughty list?" Sundown asked curiously.
"Oh, yes, sometimes they do." Santa replied. "Not usually for things that happen between them and the children, but more for misbehaviour among themselves and the things they do and say to other toys."
Sundown looked puzzled.
Santa smiled, realizing that Sundown just couldn't understand that sort of behaviour. "There are times when it is almost warranted, when a child tires of one toy as a new toy comes along to take its place. Then there is always the risk of the child growing out of paying any attention to their toys as they grow up. But none of you are at risk for that since Jessica is already an adult." Then he gave Sundown a hug with his hand.
Sundown purred and chuckled. Then, he rolled down into the snow when Santa released him, where he proceeded to lap snowflakes blissfully.
Santa took Toby and turned him so that he was looking directly at him. "Beethoven Roderick Nerdby, if there was ever a person you belong with, it is Jessica Smith. I can see that you got all you wanted for Christmas, that you probably didn't even know you wanted, and more. And for your caring, you too, are on the nice list." and with that, Santa gave Toby a hug.
Toby's eyes flickered. "Better - than the nice list - " He breathed.
"You okay, bud?" asked Willard.
"I've just been - " Toby swallowed hard and seemed to be trying to catch his breath, "Hugged by - " he took another breath, "Santa!" And with that, his eyes blinked off, as he made a sighing sound.
Kitri cackled. "Look at that! He fainted!"
"Can't exactly blame him," said Dmitri, "What an experience."
Santa laughed. "I don't have anything on hand to revive him."
"I do." said Kitri, and she jumped up on Santa to approach Toby. She grabbed one of his ears and gave it a shake. When that got little or no response, she looked at Santa, "I hope you won't put me on the naughty list for this nibble,"
Santa chuckled. "As long as it isn't harder than necessary."
So Kitri bit Toby's ear.
Toby flinched awake, sat up and glared at Kitri. "What's the big idea!?" he yelled crossly.
"I had to revive you somehow, you passed out." Kitri said, laughing.
"I did not!" Toby retorted indignantly. But a look around at the others all grinning at him, and then at Santa's equally bemused expression made him realize, "Did I?"
"Ho, ho, ho, don't worry about it, it can happen to anyone under the right circumstances." said Santa.
Toby took hold of his own ear and pretended to wipe it off with an exaggerated grimace. "Bleckh! Kitri germs!"
"I don't have germs!" Kitri retorted hottily back.
"Ho, ho, ho! Break it up, my friends," Santa laughed at their playful banter. When they settled down again, he continued. "And now, about Jessica."
Toby nodded and looked up at Santa. "There's something about her that just - I can't explain it. But even Dmitri said he was glad to end up at her house. She just makes you like her… A lot."
"Or love, in this case." Santa said with a gentle smile."
Toby stared helplessly ahead.
"It's nothing to fear or feel awkward about. Toys and their owners should love each other. Different toys are like different owners too, and they all learn to like and love and dislike in various ways and strengths. You just never felt attached to anybody until you came to Jessica's. There is a reason for that, Toby." said Santa. "It is true that Jessica is the sort of person any nice furby would naturally like,"
"Hey, we're nice!" Jet whispered excitedly to Brittany, who grinned back.
Santa grinned at them and gave a small chuckle, then continued, "You all saw some furbies getting checked out and touched up among the other electronic toys in our workshops. You aren't likely to remember, but you all started out the same way, here, in Christmases past."
"I wondered about that, but why don't I remember?" asked Sybil.
"I programmed you all to go dormant from the time you left us until you were well on the way to, or arrived at the homes of your humans, be they children or grownups like Jessica, and wouldn't remember the time you were at our workshops. I did this so you would not be traumatized by having to suddenly leave here. But for most toys, there is always a chance their first home might not be permanent. I had to do some additional programming on some of you, Toby and Kitri in particular, so they would get along with most anyone who is decent, without bonding to anyone until getting to a permanent home. Dmitri and Kitri struck up a friendship on route since they were travelling together, to the same permanent home. That, Kitri, is why you were so ferocious about making sure Jessica wouldn't kick Dmitri out when Peekaboo arrived, and then your bond of friendship with Jessica grew from there. You had already started feeling attached to her, but you fought it, fiercely, especially during that time, until Jessica proved herself. Likewise, Toby, this extra programming caused your attachment capability to delay until you came to Jessica's, where it then kicked in so strongly, so quickly."
"Hey, that makes sense." said Kitri, smiling up at Santa.
Toby nodded.
"Neither of you two are cut out to live with a fickle child, and the idea of someone just being tossed out for no good reason is incredibly adverse to you, whether it happened directly to you or someone else."
Kitri nodded.
Santa continued. "None of you would fair too well if you were singled out for abandonment while others got to remain in a home. That's normal."
All of the furbies expressed some form of agreement, and asked Santa to go on.
"If you had all ended up in different homes by yourselves with other humans and no other furbies, and those humans eventually ignored you, most of you would still be fine, probably contacting other toys in the secret land of Make-Believe without your humans ever knowing about it. Even if you went to a different home with different people after that, most of you might adjust, though you would never forget your first home and first human friend. But Toby, you would not adjust. Already you're probably feeling like a fish out of water, because Jessica isn't here. You're doing as well as you are because the rest of your friends are here with you."
Toby shuddered. "Yeah. - " he whispered, looking up at Santa helplessly. Is there a reason? Or is there something wrong with me?"
"there is nothing wrong with you, Beethoven," Santa reassured him. "All of you furbies are endowed with a lot of personality and feelings. But Kitri and Toby got some extra baggage that makes them feel particularly intense under certain circumstances."
"Baggage? But isn't that something from the past that you're supposed to know about?" asked Kitri.
"Normally, yes. But this is different. You and Toby are among the few toys exposed to elves who are in a state of extreme emotion, excitement, anger, or terrible distress while working on them, especially if such toys get cried on, or an elf has an accident and bleeds on the toy during the making of it."
"Really?" asked Kitri curiously. "what were the elves going through when they were working on me?"
"Yeah, please tell us!" Misty said, listening keenly.
"Kitri had two elves working with her, who were under some pretty serious strain. They were best friends. One was heart-broken over a betrayal, which landed the elf responsible, on the naughty list. The other elf was steaming mad at the one who was at fault, and very sorry for her friend. At some point, one or both of them either shed a tear on Kitri, or had a cut that bled, or even just perspired a great deal. And Kitri, that's why you were prepared to make Jessica regret it if she had thrown Dmitri out. Most toys would naturally be upset, but you were beyond merely upset. You were ready to wage a varitable war."
"And what about Toby?" Kitri asked.
"Ugh," Toby winced, "do I want to know?"
"Yes," said Santa, and continued. "Sybil and Toby are rabbit-like, so naturally on the loving end of the scale to begin with. But Toby was exposed to an elf who was nearly paralyzed with worry over a sick loved one. His work was difficult, but it was what kept him going, and thank goodness, his son recovered." though it took a lot of time. This elf likely said a lot of prayers and shed some tears during this time, and it's likely some of those fell on toby. In addition, this elf took Toby with him when visiting his son, so the boy could have a fun toy to watch being made, and then could play with him when work on him was completed, and before some child asked for this kind of furby again. So, Toby, you got a bundle of feelings that would've made you very loving and loyal to a child until he or she grew up or just got tired of you, and then you would've languished, and even getting a new home wouldn't have relieved it."
Kitri grimaced. Toby cringed.
Santa continued. "I couldn't let that happen, so I programmed you both so your attachment feelings wouldn't start forming until you were in a home of someone guaranteed not to abandon you or anyone else. And that is Jessica. What took Sundown a year, only took you a couple of weeks, and Peekaboo a few days on account of her being a furbling." Kitri, you fought hard against letting Jessica in until she proved herself. Toby, you could not, especially when Jessica took sick and really started loving you back. And all of this must have scared you half to death."
Toby looked up at Santa in wonder, heaving a shaky sigh.
"So now you know." said Santa.
Kitri and Toby looked up at Santa, moved.
Santa continued. "Kitri, if you had to live in a home with a child who discarded and hurt another furby terribly, but that child still loved you," Santa studied Kitri's darkening expression and nodded. "You would've been miserable because you couldn't love that child back any more."
"Ugh, no kidding." said Kitri. "I'd probably end up trying to get that kid to hate me."
Dmitri snickered.
"Or you might've attacked the newest toy the child loved in place of the abandoned one." said Santa.
"Yeah, that's possible." Kitri had to admit.
Toby nodded.
"But you are all safe from that happening to you."
"Oh, we still attack one another, don't we, Kitri?" Buck kidded.
Kitri giggled. "When you deserve it, you'll get it."
Santa smiled, but then continued. "On the flip side, toys who get exposed to and handled by beings that are incredibly evil, are very likely to be evil too."
"Is that why Laughing Jack is so evil?" asked Sybil.
The mention of Laughing Jack caused a few scowls and growls from some of the other furbies.
"Possibly, that is, he may have been constructed by someone with an evil heart, or that so-called "angel" who gave him to Isaac Lee Grossman was probably a demon in disguise. But Laughing Jack did not come from our workshops. If he had, he would've been culled. But one Christmas, there were a lot of toys exposed to both distressed elves and an evil entity trying to decimate our community. I had to program a delay in their attachment ability for them, just like Kitri and Toby; but others had to be scrapped because they caught the evil and would've tried to do harm to children and other toys if allowed to go."
"Were the evil ones furbies?" asked Dmitri.
"No. All of the evil toys were My Little Pony, Dora The Explorer, Madoka Magica, Hetalia and other anime related."
"Eww, bleckh." Kitri made a horrible face.
Sundown coughed quietly, expressing his dislike as well.
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me." said Toby with a grimace.
"there have been some toys that left our workshop, only to get corrupted by evil entities much later on. One furby that was hacked by either Slender Man or one of his slaves, a furby that looks a lot like you, Jenny, except for being pretty beat up, I would imagine. One of our elves, who is trying to take him down, theorized it was a hack by a very naughty boy named Mark. But as some people have bestowed the name Mark on Slender Man as well, I am not ruling out the possibility that it is Slender Man's doing."
Just then, Santa's phone dinged.
"Hold on, please." He looked at the message, and got a curious expression on his face. "Ah, this one is from Hanima. She is the one in charge of the missions to cream the creepy pastas. And it's a lengthy one. Please pardon me while I look it over."
The furbies nodded and began murmuring among themselves while Santa read the Ocean Elf's message.
--