Miss Kedabory

"What is all that racket?!" Rita peered down on Earth through her telescope. "Fireworks? At this hour of the night? Why are those stupid humans like this? I'll show them! FINSTER!" She stormed off towards the workshop. "I need a monster to go to Earth and shut those people up!"

However, when she entered the room, Finster was nowhere to be seen. "Finster?" Rita's head darted around. "Where did you go?"

"What are you doing?" Baboo and Squatt poked their heads into the doorway.

"Finster's gone AWOL on the job!" Rita snapped. "FINSTER!!"

"Wait, listen!" Baboo insisted. "I hear something!" When everyone quieted down, they could hear a faint whimpering sound. Baboo knelt down and lifted the tablecloth that had been laid down for putty painting, finding Finster hiding underneath with his hands over his ears.

"Get off the floor, you lazy coward!" Rita scolded. "We have work to do!"

"Wait, hang on," Squatt interrupted. "Is he crying?"

"What's wrong?" Baboo tried to coax Finster out from under the table. "Come on. Pspspspsps..."

Finster squeezed his eyes shut, sniffling and hiccupping. "What is he so upset about?" Rita demanded to know.

Finster lifted his head a bit. "It...it's too loud..." Hearing the fireworks continue to explode, he curled back into himself, breathing a little too quickly through snuffs and tears.

"Oh, I get it! He's scared of fireworks!" Squatt exclaimed.

"Of course! He's got sensitive ears, and those bangs are much too loud!" Baboo eased Finster into his arms. "It's okay. We'll go into the basement, the fireworks can't get you there!"

"The heck you are!" Rita yelled. "I need a monster to shut those stupid humans up!"

"Take the- hic- goblin," sniffled Finster. "It's in the basket. I-" The loudest firework of the batch frightened the old Terrichaun further into Baboo's arms, whimpering and barely able to speak.

"Hey, don't cry!" Squatt joined the hug from the other side. "Fireworks can't hurt you!" He urged the group towards the lower quarters of the Moon Palace. "Come on, let's go somewhere quieter!"

Downstairs in the parlour, the two blue dimwits eased their elderly colleague onto a sofa. "Shh-shh-shh, it's okay," soothed Baboo, holding the trembling senior. "The noise isn't quite so bad down here!"

"Here, squeeze some clay!" Squatt fished a glob of putty out of his satchel. "That always makes you feel better!"

Finster raised his head a bit. After a few unsure sniffles and hiccups, he took the clay in his hands, pressing his fingers into the soft goo. Having something comforting nearby helped him catch his breath and settle down. "Better?" Baboo asked.

Finster snuffed. "Mmhm."