Impatient chatting filled the whole room as more parents leaked through the entrance doors. A nice heat was flowing in the factory, carried by the warm summer wind. Kids looked eagerly around them, holding their parents' hand, their small faces shining with uncontained restlessness. The adults were calmer, fanning their sweating brows with whatever cap, hats, newspapers they held between their fingers. A mother handed a water bottle to her reluctant daughter, while a boy hopelessly stood on his tiptoes to have a better view of the stage. All the public had been directed toward a huge red curtain, alike to the velvet ones, more refined, found in theatres. Several security guards were attentively watching the crowd, while employees remained in the shadows of the nearby corridors with a mix of joy and fear. This was the very first announcement of their company, the one that would determine the course of their future success.
Mia was frenetically looking about her, taking in the cheerful colored walls, the giant toys painted on them, their frozen faces smiling at the chattering kids below them. The little girl was bouncing with endless joy as she went along with her parents, wishing she could explore the entire building. To think she had had the chance of having been chosen for this announcement! The company had promised that a huge and absolutely unique event would be presented to the public, something that would revolutionize the toy industry itself. Industrial rivals and curious journalists, attracted yet fearing the truthfulness of the promise, had swarmed in. All the others were lucky families, parents following good-heartedly their children's enthusiasm. Mia would be attending something unimaginable; it would happen only once, with the factory revealing itself for the first time to the world. She was a special guest!
"Dad," Mia said, groaning in frustration when many children ran in front of her, wanting to have a few glimpses of the stage. "I can't see anything!"
Her father crouched slightly while her mother lifted her, and in few seconds she was on her father's shoulders.
"You be careful, Mia," he told her, but the little girl was already looking in admiration at the sea of heads flowing before her.
The room was getting increasingly hot as more late families fumbled in their bag, showed their tickets before guards let them in. The room grew smaller, full of humans bumping into each other as each one tried to get to the front.
Finally the lights were switched off, and a great hush fell on the gathered guests.
Mia leaned over her father's head, her eyes locked on the great red curtain. All the children and even the adults, infected by their offspring's curiosity, were trying to peek through, to get an insight of what it hid, when a man stepped on the stage. Mia frowned, impatience boiling inside her; she already knew he was about to give some grand speech, like adults usually did, but her childish mind only wanted to see what she considered as the hidden treasure. The man had a nice gray suit, and was calmly looking at the audience as he waited for whispers to die. Finally he began, a great friendly smile on his face.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he declared, his deep voice artificially amplified by the microphone in front of him, "boys and girls alike. I must thank you for coming to the most important event in all the history this company has known."
Mia followed his relaxed silhouette as he walked to the center of the stage. There was an air of natural trust about him, and her impatience died a bit as he continued. Journalists were quickly jotting things down, cameramen checking the proper working of their equipment. Parents stretched their necks, kids weaving between them.
"My name is Elliot Ludwig, and I had had the privilege of founding this company years ago. We have always strove to create the best toys, so that all kids can know the happiness of having their own companion."
In this Mia couldn't disagree. The Playtime Co. toys were the very best on the market. Their quality was excellent, and they always had funny characters. Mia thought about all the plushies stuffed in her closet, from the timid Kissy Missy to the gluttonous Candy Cat. She couldn't pick a favorite; they had all something special about them that distinguished Playtime Co. from the mindless, dull-looking dolls of other toy companies.
"But today, we have been able, thanks to years of research, to reach a crucial point. We have been able to give birth to miracles."
A great silence rested on the gathering at those words. Mia didn't really understand what the man meant by this, and neither did the journalists from the puzzled looks they gave to each other. A man leaned to whisper to his colleague, a scornful expression on his face. The other simply nodded, but his eyes remained fixed on Elliot Ludwig.
The founder of Playtime Co.'s gaze flew over the assembly, creating a dramatic pause. Then he took the microphone, smiling as he did so.
"But what's the point in making you wait? I present you Playtime Co.'s best mascot, Huggy Wuggy!"
The curtain opened, and a great commotion rose as the colored fabric parted. Mia stared in wonder at it, completely astonished. Boxes of Huggy Wuggy dolls had been piled to form a small pyramid on the white stage, guarded by a giant statue of the most popular doll Playtime Co. had ever created. A huge Huggy Wuggy loomed above the gathering, his paw raised in a frozen greeting as his googly eyes stared into the void. Parents and journalists alike were bewildered, whereas children were almost mad with delight. Mia looked at the statue, the full-scale height, the yellow paw almost touching the metallic bars above, the blue fur softly rippling. In her eyes, it was as if Huggy itself had come to life in this truthful reproduction, and Mia wasn't the least disappointed.
"I know, I know," Elliot Ludwig resumed as he stepped closer to the statue. "You must be wondering if this is a joke, really. But I assure you, our friend here is the happiest in the room; he is so glad to see you! Why don't you say hello, Huggy?" he said, turning to the statue.
All noise died as the yellow paw came slowly back and forth, moving to create a friendly wave. A few moments passed, then the statue blinked, and its googly eyes cleared. They settled first on Elliot Ludwig, then on the audience.
All were perfectly still. The lifelike natural gesture, the cleverness in the eyes were undeniable. No one thought of a robot or an animatronic as Huggy Wuggy waved, his elbow bending in the most human manner as he kept greeting them. Eventually the blue giant stopped, and his arm fell to his side, brushing his fur.
"I present you Huggy Wuggy, the first living toy of our factory."
Silence. Heads turning, questioning each other. Cameramen pointing their camera on Huggy's face.
"What do you mean, alive?" someone asked at the back.
"I mean," Elliot Ludwig said, smiling brightly, "that he is alive, just like you and me."
No response came from the audience. Adults were looking uneasily at the giant, the stillness of his body. They didn't understand how such a thing could be possible.
"Thanks to the skillful researchers of our company and their progress in biotechnology, Playtime Co. has been able to achieve the dream of every child on this earth: to make toys their companion. To give life to them."
Still no response. Beneath his smile, Elliot Ludwig was beginning to grow worried. He knew this hadn't been going to be an easy process, but if the company was to survive, he had to sell Huggy's existence to them. He had to convince the reluctant couples, erase the wariness in their eyes, and he had to do it quickly.
"Huggy Wuggy is the perfect companion; absolutely harmless, he loves to give hug and play, as you all know. Why don't you go see your new playmates, Huggy?"
The giant nodded, at the great surprise of all, and slowly, his arms lingering on the ground, he got down from the stage. Adults shrank away from him, hesitant, while some curious children reached out to touch his fur.
Huggy had been trained for this part. It was his very first contact with the crowd of customers, and it was important for the factory that he retained a positive image of it. He had been carefully prepared to be able to react properly, and walk in a way that evocated trust. Huggy Wuggy straightened, thinking how best to reproduce that walk, and swayed his head, searching for the appropriate person. A child, he had been told, not a frightened one, a child that was curious, otherwise it wouldn't work. A little girl met his eyes, perched on her father's shoulders. Huggy looked closely at her, and detected nothing but wonder and interest. He went toward her, avoiding to get too close to other adults.
Mia felt her father recoiling as the great toy came toward them, but she clung to his shoulders, leaning over. Huggy was looking at her! He recognized her! Mia knew this was stupid, but she felt like crying as the giant plushie she had cherished for years stopped in front of them. He had comforted her in her most difficult moments, and now he was standing there, barely a few meters from her.
Huggy raised his paw in a quick greeting, and Mia timidly raised her hand, mimicking him. Huggy took this as a good sign: she wasn't scared. He slowly raised his other yellow paw, exposing his palm to her, a gesture he knew humans appreciated. Mia immediately understood his intention and high-fived him, her hand touching the soft hair. Then the giant raised his paw above her head, and the yellow fur came on her hair, gently patting it. Huggy had been taught it was used as a way to comfort, and it seemed to work as tears of happiness ran on the girl's face. Mia couldn't help it; this was more than her overjoyed heart could handle. She hoped other kids wouldn't find her stupid, but she didn't really care at the moment.
Mia's parents looked in wonder at Huggy, surprised by the carefulness of his movements. He truly seemed harmless from up-close; his body looked too floppy, as if one push would be enough to throw him to the ground, and he didn't do anything more than what was told to him. He lifted his paw in goodbye to Mia, and she returned the gesture, rubbing her face to hide her tears as she felt every eye focused on them. Huggy turned away, considering his mission accomplished, when a sudden flock of kids came rushing toward him, their high-pitched voice breaking the respectful silence, pushing away the adults. They jostled each other and the adults, wanting to touch the blue mascot, grab him, see him closer, to have the same experience as the little girl crying on her father's shoulders.
Huggy's fur immediately bristled. The uproar of sounds felt like an attack in his ears, and his lips twitched as he prepared himself to react, feeling threatened by this wave of small shrieking humans. An employee, who had supervised Huggy, saw the change and brought a small whistle to his lips. The sound went unnoticed among the children, but its melody drew Huggy's attention, as it was meant to.
"My dear friends!" Elliot Ludwig exclaimed as the children turned to look at him. "Our friend Huggy is a bit shy for the moment; please be nice to him. You wouldn't want to frighten him on his first day?"
The children stepped back, a bit ashamed as their parents sharply reprehended them. Then Elliot Ludwig clapped twice; Huggy recognized it as the sign to come back. Slowly the mascot came to him, and took his place back behind the founder of the factory. Elliot was hopeful; he had seen the changes in the adults' gaze, their shoulders slightly relaxing. They were still wary, but they at least seemed to accept Huggy's existence for now. Many were curious, and the journalists were already bursting with questions.
The last part of the event was crucial, as it was meant to definitely convince the audience in front of them, but also the one behind the cameras. Elliot offered to give a Huggy doll, and numerous children raised their hand. Finally a little boy came forward, and Huggy's clumsy paws closed on the yellow packaging. It was hard for him to hold things, but he had rehearsed this movement several times already with the scientists and his trainer, and so he lifted the box, handing it to the little boy, who stared at him dumbstruck before carefully taking it.
"Thanks," he stammered before scurrying back to his parents, brandishing the box like a precious trophy.
Before the world's eyes Huggy returned to his place, waving once more as Elliot Ludwig smiled.
"We thank you for coming, and hope you will be able to return. Playtime Co. still has lots of surprises in store. We invite you to come more; Huggy and his friends are eager to see you again!"
There was a wave of excitation at those words. Were more toys coming, just like Huggy Wuggy? Children chattered excitedly as they left the factory, hoping to see their favorite toy next time. How lucky that girl had been!
Inside the room, journalists were fighting to get to Elliot Ludwig first. Rivals had already left, too astonished to even feel bitterness. Adults were pressing in, talking about money, economy, future decisions.
"How did you create Huggy Wuggy?"
"Is he truly alive?"
"What kind of technology did you use?"
"Are there more like him?"
"What do you intend to do?"
Elliot Ludwig smiled benevolently at the cameras, at the million of eyes hiding behind them.
"Our toys are harmless, and were designed specifically for kids. The miracle of life is something I cannot talk about, but I can assure you that it is absolutely flawless This is, I genuinely believe, the beginning of an era for us all."
Never truer words had been spoken in the history of Playtime Co.
A/N: I was recently wondering, "what if Playtime Co.'s plan had worked? What if the factory hadn't fallen, and everything had gone just as they wanted? How would the world have reacted?"
This gave birth to this AU, dedicated to the exploration of this idea. I will try to portray it in the most "realistic" way I can.
Hope you enjoyed!