Unfinished Smurfs

Chapter 4: Ideas

Partly inspired by that one movie I can't remember the name of. Gargamel has attempted to capture the Smurfs and learn their secrets, but has never tried to kill them (and certainly never wanted to eat them).

Thanks to a spell gone wrong, Gargamel and Azrael have been stuck in the human world for ten years. His magic may be crap, but it's enough for him to do pretty well for himself in a non-magical world like that, getting a fairly large place to live in. He keeps his magic secret, using it to help/cheat in various tasks and gambling and such.

When trying to open a permanent portal between the two worlds, something goes wrong and he instead pulls a group of Smurfs through — Smurfs who now have the bodies of human tweens/teens.

Gargamel reluctantly takes care of the Smurfs as they try to find a way back home, teaching them how to survive and function in this new world. As they're all forced to live together, hearts start melting and a question gnaws at them all — can they really go back to being enemies after all this?

1) Smurfette – Suzette

2) Brainy – Barnaby/Barney

3) Clumsy – Klaus

4) Jokey – Joseph/Joey

5) Hefty – Harold/Harry

6) Handy – Randall/Randy

7) Poet – Porthos/Poe

One of Jokey's pranks goes too far and almost gets another Smurf killed. The Redcaps (Smurf leaders) declare that, to make up for it, the Smurf gets to make one rule that Jokey has to follow until/unless the Redcaps decides otherwise.

The rule the Smurf decides on originally is that Jokey can't pull any more pranks, but he breaks down in tears after a few days and begs them to change it, claiming he'll do anything. They agree, changing it to Jokey having to answer honestly if asked whether something is a prank, threatening to change it back if he breaks it.

Now Jokey just has to figure out how to keep pulling pranks while having to answer honestly – shouldn't be too hard for a prankster like him, right?

• The Incident – the prank is set up and goes wrong, prompting Jokey to run for help.

• The Rescue – how the Smurf is rescued, with emphasis on the fact that Jokey feels guilty for them getting in danger but is unrepentant for pulling the prank in the first place.

• The Punishment – Jokey gets yelled at by Alchemist and Warrior in front of the whole village and sent to his Mushroom. He waits nervously while the Redcaps calm down, knowing and dreading that his punishment will be harsh, but he is still basically unrepentant. He finds out his punishment in full.

• The Few Days – emphasis on Jokey struggling not to pull any pranks, slowly breaking down as he's forced to ignore his nature. He notices perfect prank opportunities and actually sets up several pranks, only to have to quickly sabotage them when he realizes what he's done, sometimes ending up with them hit him instead.

• The Breakdown – Jokey can't take it anymore and decides to swallow his pride, showing up at the other Smurf's house in tears, begging on his knees for them to change their rule. He promises to do anything, and apologizes repeatedly, willing to go through whatever Hell the other could think up if only he gets his pranks back.

• The Changing – the other Smurf's perspective of the story's events, up to the point where they change the rule, already regretting it.

• The Pranks – Jokey's many attempts at pulling pranks with his new restriction, including making it so other Smurfs can't ask, distracting them, technical truths, and even just getting them by surprise. Like a cat getting sneakier because of a bell on their collar, Jokey gets better at pranks, even stopping lying about anything all together just to give himself a better challenge.

• The Lesson – somehow Jokey learns his lesson? Or at least pretends to?

• The Rule Is Lifted – the rule is lifted!

Maybe the rule shouldn't be lifted? Maybe Jokey never learns his lesson and instead just becomes a better prankster? Subverted moral and all that?

Brainy Sees Red

Somesmurf has taken to kicking Clumsy out of village whenever he's accidentally destructive, sending him soaring through the air to land on his head.

Clumsy's taken to avoiding the village.

Brainy finds out, and... 'strongly-worded report to Papa' is not going to cut it this time. Because this time it's not happening to Brainy, it's not because he said the wrong thing, it's not just Smurfs being idiots.

This time, Clumsy's the one holding back tears, and somesmurf is going to pay for that fact.

Grouchy is going around with a sticker on his forehead and nosmurf can figure out why. Turns out, Baby put it on him and will cry everything he tries to take it off, so he just lives like this now.

Young Brainy is attacked by a group of other Smurflings, but he can handle it. Until the strongest Smurfling in the village shows up, and Brainy knows he's doomed.

Except Hefty Smurfling doesn't hit Brainy. He hits the other Smurfs instead, retrieving Brainy's stolen glasses.

"You okay, little dude?"

Aka: how Hefty and Brainy became friends.

A potion causes Brainy to be his most honest, open self. He enthusiastically hugs Clumsy, corrects his own correction of Handy and apologizes, and casually admits that the reason he always has to be right is because being smart is all he has to contribute.

He as well won't stop talking. He walks around rambling and humming and commenting on random things because that's Brainy's most true self — ranting about anything and everything.

Brainy doesn't realize just how often he actually listens to Clumsy, until a spell-gone-wrong makes him have to obey whatever the other says and almost nothing changes.

Scaredy is scared of milk.

Jokey does a milk-based prank, laughing when Scaredy cries, insisting the other is just overreacting and can't possibly be that scared.

Scaredy tells Handy. Handy comforts Scaredy, quietly thinking as he does so.

Jokey is scared of thunderstorms.

A smurfberry hunt is interrupted by a thunderstorm. Handy spends the whole time mocking Jokey, saying a guy who constantly explodes things can't be that scared of thunder.

Jokey, in tears, snaps and yells at Handy that just because Handy can't understand his fear doesn't mean Jokey doesn't feel it.

With a flat glare, in a quiet voice, Handy replies 'Scaredy is afraid of milk.'

Jokey freezes, realizing why Handy has been so mean to him. Jokey tries to deny it at first, saying it was just a joke and it's different and milk is such a dumb phobia and...

But inside, Jokey knows he messed up. The next day, he apologizes to Scaredy... And then gives him an exploding gift box.

Jokey may have a heart, but he's still Jokey ;)

Clumsy's birthday is approaching, and Brainy is hard at work writing a brand new quotations book just for the occasion. The other Smurfs roll their eyes at the self-centered gift, but Clumsy loves Brainy's quotes books, and so long as he's happy with the gift they don't care too much.

Until the special day arrives and Brainy hands over a book filled not with his own quotes, but with things Clumsy has said to him before!

Aka: Brainy takes a step in the right direction by making the best gift he knows how — telling somesmurf else that what they say matters, and he values their words deeply.