#now how are the bugsnax going to help you with that one...

[flooftyfizzlebeans]

Theory on why we headcanon specific characters as trans more often than others, using the Fizzlebeans as evidence.

Identity based character arcs vs... other stuff based character arcs.

Warning this is EXTREMELY LONG

Starting by analyzing Floofty, as they are my expertise.

Floofty is a scientist with no help, no funding, and ambitious plans. They come across as cold and uncaring, when in reality much of their shortsightedness comes from caring too much. Not for those closest to them directly, of course. But the greater good, and grumpuskind as a whole.

Their previous line of work suggests that when they had more resources, they spent more time helping individuals. Making prosthetics is a HIGHLY variable process, each individual limb that needs one being EXTREMELY different, even on the same person. Therefore they would need to be attentive towards individuals by necessity, even when making scientific breakthroughs. I don't think they'd have amazing bedside manner but I only bring this up to stress that Floofty is capable and willing to care for others should the situation call for it. However, they probably don't feel like they can afford to care after the events that cost them.... everything.

I assume they got their awesome career position through work during school, proving themself academically in a way that their.... abrasive characteristics wouldn't interfere with. Now that they have nothing, they're trying to get it back the same way they got it, by proving themself through actions.... but who they are and how people perceive them is directly responsible for their lack of help on Snaktooth. Actually, who they are likely made it near impossible to rebuild their reputation when inevitably grumps will think they are either chopping test subjects up to make murder machines or a confidentiality liability. They think their work should speak for itself, and who they are shouldn't matter. (They might even believe that they don't matter. It's already clear that their work is worth more to them than their own life.)

Realizing what they mean to others, who they could be to them when they let go of the big picture importance, and how they can help like they so desperately want to is integral to saving them. Let them forget that they are in fact, a grumpus, the very thing they want to save, and they might as well become what they study. Bugsnax.

...

Snorpy, however, as I've stated, is pretty much the opposite. Where Floofty rejects themself, Snorpy protects himself.... prepare for a staggeringly less complete analysis thanks to Not Literally Being Snorpy. Snorpies and Snorpy experts in the notes please contribute.

Snorpy is an engineer whose inventions are held in great esteem in Snaxburg, and yet he believes the world is out to get him. (By the world I mean... the grumpinati) The grumpinati is, in fact, not out to get him, and it takes incredible amounts of jumping to conclusions fueled by intense fear for anyone to shrink their world that small.

It's implied by his previous work that he was previously much more capable of... interacting with the public? being seen? than he is now. Like I mentioned, constructing prosthetics requires a lot of individual time and care, and a lot of interacting with many different grumpuses. But now? He is driven by fear. I can't even blame him, he's clearly deeply traumatized. How would you feel if your life's work was taken and warped for something you found cruel and evil all while you still depended on them for your livelihood? And you already probably had some sort of anxiety disorder?

Moving on, he is actually able to work perfectly fine. In fact, nearly every grumpus is seen using something he invented at least once? Despite inventions like The Knife Shot and flammable tripwire moments he's well liked by the town and everyone trusts his work to... work. But he's so absorbed by his own perceptions that it's impossible for him to take praise or even socialize without suspicion.

Even the relationship he holds most dear, and integral to what we call "Snorpy" is up in the air for him. I can only imagine he didn't ask for clarification or confess to his romantic feelings towards Chandlo out of fear. Fear of what exactly I can't say, as it's probably every possible factor that that course of action would change.

And... well. His main problem is never solved. Shelda is right, he needs therapy. Extensive therapy. But... he still improves. Part of why he does all of this is to protect Chandlo, and hide all of this from him... but after fighting Daddy Cakelegs it becomes a lot more clear to Snorpy that Chandlo is trying to protect him and knows a lot more than he gives him credit for. He's a lot closer to and more equal to Snorpy. Snorpy doesn't have to spend and sacrifice every fiber of his being to the bugsnax to protect who he loves.

That being said, who he is has nothing to do with his character arc. He's Snorpy, he's a nerd, he is an engineer. None of this is brought into question. Floofty's very status of "grumpus" is called into question through their experiments. (on an esoteric level. kinda. bugsnax are weird.)

What they share is their interactions with other grumpuses and how important actually letting themselves connect with others is... but that's something Everyone shares at least a little.

How does this relate to transgender headcanons? Floofty's arc features their identity very heavily, and calling the identity of the self into question is extremely transgender. Sometimes the definition of transgender. At the very least, a part of the process. (everyone is different)

That's why I think Shelda, Chandlo, and Wiggle are so popular for trans headcanons despite not necessarily doing anything outside their gender's norms. Their arcs heavily have to do with who they are and how their actions reflect that. Gramble and Triffany have a little bit of this but I can't rule out their gender non-comformity as the reason.

Of course, everyone is transgender to at least one person in the fandom because there's nothing proving anyone is cis and this fandom is very very queer.

[poliel]

Bugsnax Drabbles: Filbo/Buddy & Beffica - Trust Me

Summary: Hey, could you write Filbo asking buddy out (or the other way around)

~

How was one meant to ask their housemate out on a date? Normally living together was a step taken sometime after a romantic relationship became serious. What was one meant to do when they’d moved in with a friend before later realizing there were more than solely friendly feelings there? If they didn’t live together, the fear of making things awkward would’ve been less intense… probably anyway. But as it was, if their friendship grew awkward as a result of Buddy’s confession so would their living situation.

Buddy could just let it go and was tempted to. Romance was nice but not strictly needed. They were happy to just be friends. But… what if Filbo reciprocated? Then Buddy would just be sitting on their feelings for no reason the way Snorpy had been. Which would be lame and so…Buddy eventually found themself talking to Beffica about it over text.

‘Don’t be weird about it and just tell him you like him.’ she sent in reply to their long thought out paragraph explaining their problem.

‘Duh.’ That’s the exact thing they were trying to avoid. ‘How do I not make it weird?’

‘Say you like him romantically and/or ask him out on a date. Make extra super sure he knows it a date though. Don’t wanna pull another Snorpy.’

‘If he doesn’t feel the same, it’ll awkward living with him after.’

This time her reply took a while before coming in. ‘Maybe, idk. I think he likes you though. So don’t worry about it.’

‘Why do you think he likes me?’

‘;)’

‘What does that mean?’

‘Just talk to him, tell him how you feel. Trust me.’

Buddy would trust her with their life so it should be easy to trust her here too but… what if she was wrong? She was smart sure and good at figuring out people’s secrets. But she could easily be misreading whatever it was that had made her think Filbo might reciprocate Buddy’s feelings. Or maybe she was just trying to mess with them by pretending she knew something when she didn’t. Perhaps a method to get them to just confess as that was likely the smartest thing to do. And so they probably should just confess, huh?

***

At the same time, elsewhere in the house

Filbo’s hope that his crush on Buddy would fade grew more and more fragile every day they lived together. It was supposed to have been just a stress thing from Snaxtooth but they lived together now and Filbo was basically in love.

Maybe ‘love’ was a bit of a strong word. But the evenings spent hanging out casually with Buddy, sometimes doing something together, other times just existing in the same space doing their own things, were warm and comfy in a way Filbo had never experience before. It was different than hanging out with the rest of the group. Not necessarily more special or fun just different in a way that he couldn’t explain to save his life. He wanted to do it more and he wanted to touch Buddy, cuddle, maybe even kiss or maybe, in his dreams, a bit more than just kissing.

They were housemates though. Meaning if Flibo confessed any of these thoughts of feelings and Buddy didn’t return them, their friendship and living situation would be awkward. The absolute last thing Filbo wanted. But he wanted more so bad.

Normally his go to person for advice was Buddy, who obviously couldn’t be consulted on this, leaving him bereft of ideas. He couldn’t just continue to ignore it though… could he? Ultimately he ended up pulling out his personal phone and scrolling through his contacts. … Beffica naturally was at the top of the list. They got along much better these days – even if she still wasn’t Filbo’s favorite of the friend group – and she was good with people, right? She wrote about them all the time. Thus she’d at least have some idea what he should do, right?

‘i think im in love with buddy what do i do?’ he sent.

The reply took long enough to make him almost regret this decision. ‘OMG! Really?’

‘yes please help your good with people right?’

‘Have you tried talking?’

‘no should i?’

‘Yeah, dumdum. Don’t be like Snorpy and Chandlo. Or do be like them. It would be funny if it happened twice in the same friend group.’

‘what if they don’t like me back though?’

‘Don’t worry about that. Talk to them.’

‘how can i not worry?’ Worrying was like Filbo’s thing.

‘Trust me. Just talk to them.’

Well the other option was to continue to ignore it, right? So maybe Filbo should take the risk. Especially since he did indeed not want to potentially end up like Snorpy and Chandlo, dancing around feelings and not quite dating for who even knows how long. ‘ok i guess thanks’

‘No prob. Let me know how it goes. :)’

`

[A/N] The idea here is that Beffica is texting with both of them at the same time. I don't know how well that comes off since it's not written from her POV, hence this note to make it more clear.

[treefory]

Chandlo’s talk

854 words

No art for this one:(

Chandlo felt the shimmering spring sand on his paws as he walked back to snaxburg with Snorpy by his side. A light dusting of rain came from the light gray clouds above. Soon He looked up a his love and to see a his warm goofy smile. Of course this made him smile as well.

As they reached Snaxburg Chandlo heard the voice of the residential mayor saying his hellos and goodbyes to Floofty and Shelda as they returned. When Filbo’s eyes met Chandlo’s and Snorpy’s a large smile grew across his face (not like it wasn’t there before)

“Chandlo, your back!” He cheered

“Hey Fil-bro, how’s it hanging?”

“Oh, things are going good! How was your trip?”

“Great! Really needed it.” He nodded “but I’m really just itching to get back to the mill. Cut some wood, lift some steel, bounce some balls, ya know how it is.”

“Awesome! And how about you snorpy?” Filbo asked as he looked up to the taller grumpus

Snorpy’s face grimaced like he didn’t want to answer, but of course he did anyways “Much better now that Chandlo is back.” His face softened “I can finally rest easy knowing he’s safe.”

With those words Chandlo smiled but it also made his heart ache knowing how stressed Snorpy must have been without him.

“That is all you need to know Filbo.” Snorpy continued “now come Chandlo, we must speak of that very non important thing that you wanted to tell me.” He added as he walked off

“Uhh okay, bye I guess…” Flibo stuttered awkwardly

“Later Filbo!” Chandlo called following after Snorpy

The two walked through town together, he saw Floofty and Shelda in her gazebo and for once, not arguing. Triffany and Wambus talking in his garden, Triff clearly rambling and wambus listening to every word.

But soon they arrived at the mill. Chandlo took in a deep breath, smelling the old soot from the forge and the woody smell from the logs. All the while the faint sound of gears twisting and the distant coos of bugsnax filled his ears

“Ahhhh nice to be home.” Chandlo sighed with his hands on his hips

“That it is. Now, what did you want to tell me?” Snorpy inquired. He wore a smile on his face that terribly hid his nervousness.

Chandlo seemed to match his expression as he spoke “it’s alright Snorp-dawg! It’s just something I think we should talk about.”

“Ah I see, let us talk upstairs then. Wouldn’t want any prying ears listening in.” Snorpy suggested as he walked up the stairs. Chandlo followed closely behind.

When they reached the top Snorpy settled himself on his bed so that he and Chandlo were more at eye level but was a bit surprised when Chandlo sat next to him. Chandlo sighed as he slouched over a little.

“C-Chandlo, is something wrong?” He asked as he gently rested a paw on his back.

“Nah, I just kinda wanna sit down for this.” He shook his head “So me and shelda and I guess everyone else were talking… about you.”

“A-about me?” Snorpy echoed, taken aback

“While I was on broken tooth I was thinking about you a lot and how you’re doing out here. I know you’ve been super anxious lately and I guess I just needed some advice.”

Chandlo leaned back on the bed and looked up towards the ceiling. “So I went to shelda and she told me that you’re ‘lost in a maze of your own making’ and said that you needed… professional help.”

“Professional help- l-like a therapist? You know that I don’t trust therapists, right?” He questioned “they all work for-“

“The Grumpinati. I know, but I just think that you need a little help.” Chandlo interrupted, then crossed his paws over his abdomen, locking his digits together. “And I don’t think I can help you alone…” he choked

Silence

“I’m just worried about you.” He pleaded, his voice a soft whisper. while still laying down He looked up at Snorpy for an answer, but he sat there quietly thinking as he fidgeted with his paws and apron

There was a long uncomfortable silence

when Chandlo went to speak again to try and convince him further he was interrupted before he could even make a sound “w-well, i suppose you're not wrong… I’d hate to be a burden to you.” Snorpy whispered.

“Bro, you’ll never be a burden to me!” Chandlo corrected, “not in a million years.”

Snorpy smiled at that then laid back just like Chandlo

“I may not trust the world but if there’s any grumpus I do trust, it’s you Chandlo. A-And if you think I am in need of professional help… then so be it. As long as it means you’re happy.” He finished looking Chandlo in the eyes with an unsure smile

The biggest, most goofiest smile grew across his face as he quickly pulled Snorpy in for a big hug “thank you for understanding snorpy!”

Snorpy stammered uncontrollably, trying to find his words, before simply wrapping an arm around Chandlo and saying

“I’ve missed you so much.”

[snowqueen]

Hating The Last of us while loving Uncharted... lol, okay 😂

help why does tumblr never notify me about asks anymore. anyway i'm assuming this was sent bc i rbed this again in which case Lmao for getting pressed over a joke post about how you should play bugsnax instead

secondly uncharted was initially made and directed by a completely different person (amy hennig), druckmann worked on uncharted 1 and 2 as a designer and cowriter but didnt direct until u4 and was head narrative developer for lost legacy, the latter two ive developed less of a loving opinion of over the years as ive gotten older and as druckmanns politics have come to light. uncharted definitely is not perfect and i have many criticisms of the series myself (mostly expressed on my old blogs and my instagram which are now all deleted so.. thats on me.) but overall its not so completely entrenched in druckmanns zionism that theyre completely inseparable like tlou and a bit of lost legacy is so im more inclined to be lenient on it, and i think a lot of people feel the same way. (u4 i just think is mediocre now but the game doesnt have his zionist bs in it)

i cant stop you from thinking whatever you would like to think of me bc of my interests, but just bc i dislike one series by a certain company doesnt mean i think another one by the same company is some kind of Fantastic and Unflawed piece of art. no game is going to be perfect. now lets get you a bunger

[cyberaxolotl]

NPPHT (Non-Poisonous Plant’s Hidden Toxin)

Bugsnax Month Of Macabre Fic

Words: 3.9k

Shellsy focus

Content warnings: Mild injury, character death not in fic, a little rough around the edges

Illustrations: 0

AO3 Alternative (With plot details explanation in notes)

Fic under the cut

If there was one thing Shelda had become accustomed to on Snaktooth Island, it was struggling for food. Sauce was hardly sustenance, and her own physical inability stopped her from catching bugsnax herself, though that didn’t matter much; even if she could, she refused to make the first steps herself, and kept to her righteousness as long as she could.

It was there where her knowledge in herbology and plants could’ve been useful. Identify the edible plants, or at least their edible parts, and forage as much as possible. It was a generally good idea for those who could identify flora, but the island itself seemed to be against that.

She could identify every plant with ease, but it didn’t help when every plant was almost entirely poisonous. Foxglove, ragwort, hemlock, white snakeroot; other than sauce, only bad things grew from the ground. The island was designed to MAKE you eat bugsnax, and she had realized it very quickly. And when it came to the cacti, she didn’t have the right tools to get anything edible from them without more harm than good.

She was in the scorched gorge, looking around those patches of cacti, looking for any other kind of plant or succulent at their sides. She was on the verge of giving up on that search, until finally, something caught her eye. A plant with thick stalks and small white spikes.

Shelda bent down to it, getting a closer look. She grabbed a stalk and picked it off, seeing a bit of goop fall from the bottom, and she smiled. “Oh, thank Mother Naturae for her blessing…” She said to herself, pulling open the fleshy plant. And there it was, she could tell it now; aloe vera. The first mostly edible plant she’d seen on that island. She sat there and picked every stalk she could from the plant, hoping that the harvest she was getting would hold her over for the next few days. It wasn’t much, but it was more than nothing.

And that was how it started; a sheep-like grumpus feasting on the fruits of the island.

~~~~~~

About an hour later, Shelda had placed herself in her gazebo for a long afternoon of carving aloe leaves. She’d pull the stalk apart, get out what gel she could with her paw, then scrape the aloin away with a rock. She was sure she could use the latex for medicinal purposes later, but the rest was entirely to fill her stomach.

“Aaand what’s happening over here?” She heard a voice beside her, and turned over to see the journalist with their arms crossed. “What’s all this?”

“It’s aloe vera.” She said, looking back down at her stock. “Mother Naturae has blessed me with foraging the one non-toxic plant on this island.” She spoke with appreciation, holding up a scraped stalk.

“Really?” Their eyes widened. “I remember Filbo telling me he ate a plant that made him real’ sick. Is every plant around here like that?”

She shrugged. “They might as well be. This is the first time I’ve seen any kind of aloe here.” She grabbed another stalk, pulling it apart. “The most common plant around here is oleander, which shouldn’t be consumed at all.”

“I’m sure Gramble would’ve loved to hear that before getting food poisoning.” They rolled their eyes, looking away. “Are you gonna be sharing that?”

“It tastes like soap, child. Or,

soap tastes like aloe.” She noted, looking at the fruits of her foraging. “If you or Gramble want to have that over sauce then go ahead.”

She could see them cringe at the thought of it. “If it tastes like soap then why are you eating it?”

“Because sauce doesn’t sustain me. I’d take this batch of aloe vera over something that keeps me hungry.” Picking up an emptied stalk, she sighed. “Things get difficult as you get old, child. I am lucky that the mother blessed me with this.” With that, she took a bite.

“Euch.” They stepped back. “Have fun eating soap, I think.” Turning to the rest of town, they ran off.

“…” She watched them run off, then grumbled to herself. “That grump is always running off so suddenly…” She didn’t care too much as she got back to eating the plant’s parts, completely unphased by the taste.

When afternoon transitioned into evening, she’d had the full harvest prepared. Some stalks were left out for later, and the gel had been split between several cups. Using a handful of other herbs she’d carefully taken from Wambus, she’d made it into a sort of tea. A very thick, aloe-tasting tea, but a tea nonetheless.

She’d brought a bit of it with her to the fire.

“Hey Shelda!” Filbo greeted her happily as she joined the campfire group. “Whatcha got there?” He asked curiously, seeing her sit down with the cup.

“It is a tea made with gifts from the mother herself, a reprieve from weeks of starvation granted to me by nature.” She said with appreciation lining her breath, a smile on her face. “…I made it from aloe vera.” She added after getting several confused faces.

“You found aloe? Out here?” Wambus looked surprised, raising an eyebrow.

“In the gorge. I spared some to make sure they continue to grow, but I foraged as much of the fruits of nature as I could.” She took a sip, smiling with satisfaction.

“Well, I’m glad you found food, Shelda!” Filbo beamed, then his expression curled. “But, uh, doesn’t aloe taste all weird? And soapy?”

She sighed. “It IS commonly used for fur care rather than as something to be sustained by, but I’ve gotten used to bitter tastes.”

“…” He continued to stare at her for a second, then let out a held breath. “I can’t look at you and not think that you’re drinking soap.”

“Yep, that’s what I was about to say.” Wambus shrugged, looking at the fire.

“It can’t taste that bad if you’re drinking that much, right?” Chandlo asked, leaning forward.

Shelda pulled the cup away from her face, chuckling softly. “Oh Chandlo, my child… It’s horrid. But it’s as I said, it’s the best I have.”

They all stared at her for a few moments more before a camera shuttered behind them. “Ha! Granny’s drinking soap!” They all turned to see Beffica, holding her camera up with a grin on her face, and then scurrying off.

The old woman slouched with a sigh, holding her cup close to her chest. “I have a strong sense that I’ll be hearing that from her for quite some time.”

“Well, I mean…” Filbo hesitated for a second, looking away. “You ARE drinking it.”

“But it’s not soap, dawg!” Chandlo said, turning to him.

“She said it tastes like it!”

“I said it tasted bad.” She rolled her eyes for a moment, then sipped from the cup again. “For a change of pace from this discussion, Wambus, would you care to try growing aloe vera yourself?”

He shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the worst idea, but I don’t recall it bein’ very quickly growin’.”

She hummed sadly. “It was worth a try.” She turned back to the fire, and the conversation turned silent as the fire blazed on.

~~~~~~

Months passed, and the aloe vera forage had emptied in the first couple of weeks. It was a treat enough that Shelda appreciated it, but after long enough, she’d pretty much forgotten about it. She returned to a state where she sustained herself on herbal teas, and the occasional bugsnak that the journalist would give to her through the box. And really, the bugsnax would feel so much better than the aloe ever would.

It was one of those days where Scarla had enough snax for everybody in town, and felt generous enough to give one to everybody, even if it meant the means would be a little annoying.

“Hey, Shellsy.” They walked up to the gazebo, looking up. “…What is going on this time?”

The older woman had her back against one of the wooden poles of her home, rubbing against the corner of it. “Pardon me for just a moment, Echoyear…” She held a paw up, trying to get the wood into the crook of her neck. “…I’ve been terribly itchy this morning.” She pulled off, stumbling a little. “What do you want?”

“I was bringing you some lunch, I caught a lot of bugsnax today,” They reached into their squirming backpack, then pulled out an aggroll. “You’ve been itchy today?” They prompted her to continue.

She took the snak from their paws. “I tried making a poultice for it, but it wasn’t quite what I’d hoped for. I’d almost say it made it worse.” Putting it in her mouth, she ate it the same way anyone else would as she sat down. “I’m- gh- sure it’s just a typical rash.”

“…” Scarla stared blankly at her for a few seconds, eyes widening after a moment. Then, their eyebrows furrowed. “Are you okay?”

“..?” She raised an eyebrow at them. “Other than being itchy, yes. Are YOU okay?”

They grunted under their breath. “Oh I’m sorry, I’m just a little surprised after watching you stumble on your own hooves and then eat a bugsnak without waiting for me to even turn around.” They crossed their arms, “It’s unlike you to do that.”

“..!” After a pause, her eyes widened. “Goodness to the mother, I didn’t realize.” She put her paw on her forehead, looking dazed after a moment.

“Seems like you might be more sick than just itchy fur. You’re usually pretty on top of your act.” They stepped back, letting the older woman regain her composure. “Maybe sleeping in a bed instead of out like this at night would help.”

She shook her head at the idea. “I made my choice to have my living space be this way, I will not let it go now.” Getting back on her hooves, she stood up. “I’ll make more poultice and a cup of tea. I’m sure I just need to steady myself this afternoon.”

They watched her grab the nearest support beam as she stood up, leaning against it. “…You know, I CAN ask Eggabell if she’ll come down here and look at you. She might be preoccupied with the mystery, but I don’t think she’d leave someone like this if they’re in need.”

“I’m not in need, my child. I’m a little disoriented.” Shelda waved her paw at them. “It will pass.”

“…Eh.” They rolled their eyes. “If you say so.” With that, they walked away.

She silently watched them leave, then turned to her collection of herbs and spices. She was sure that her remedies usually worked, but if one batch of poultice didn’t relieve the itching, then another wouldn’t either. As soon as she thought about the itching, it returned, crawling up her back in an almost painful manner. It was going to be a LONG day.

But it wouldn’t be just a day.

Another month later, and the itching still hadn’t passed, nor had stumbling, or disorientation, or Shelda’s unfocused behavior. In fact, it seemed like they’d all gotten worse. It’d started taking her longer to get from her home to the firepit, she started talking less around the fire, she wasn’t sitting like she usually would, and she’d started sleeping laying down. She tried every remedy she could mix, and not one worked, but she wouldn’t give in until she had to.

And one day, she did.

It was the afternoon transitioning into evening, and after what felt like incredibly long of itching her back and neck on a beam, it was time to meet by the fire. Part of her considered not going, and instead staying there and going to sleep early, but she wouldn’t give in to herself. Not that easily. It was just the steps down from her gazebo and then the smooth walk to the center of town.

“…-!” A sharp gasp came out as she stumbled on the edge of the wood, falling forward and hitting her shin on the lower step, then planting hard onto her wrists and front on the ground. Her mind was filled with a sharp ringing as she heard small cracks from parts of her that she couldn’t identify. All of her thoughts were so foggy that she couldn’t place where they were coming from.

She didn’t make a sound as she turned her head, feeling dirt stuck on her face, and suddenly unable to move the rest of the way. Any noise she tried to make was stifled in her throat, feeling stuck as she waited. Somebody had to find her.

“Oh my gosh!” After what felt like forever, she heard somebody find her, and she didn’t look up to see who. She recognized the voice, and had to let things go by on their own. “Shelda, what just happened-?!” She let herself be turned over, finally looking up at the orange sky and the grumpus who was helping her. Her and Triffany weren’t quite friends, but she’d take the support.

“…” Shelda looked tiredly up at the raptor-like grumpus, disoriented and pained. Part of her was still very confused about how she had fallen, and she couldn’t get any words out.

“Um- Scarla! Chandlo!” Triffany looked away and called for her fellow grumpuses. “You’re lucky I was on my way through town, I don’t know if anyone woulda found you for a while, did you just trip-?”

Quickly enough, two other grumpuses were right by her, and a few more standing further away. “Grumps sake- Shellsy!” Scarla kneeled down by her, harshly making eye contact. “I know you’ve been stumbling recently but this is ridiculous.”

“Shelldawg-?” Chandlo squeaked out. “What’s happening?”

She slowly held her paw up, barely able to lift her arm up. She was very sure she had hurt a bone in some kind of way, but that had to wait. “…The doctor.” She hissed out, eyes narrowing at the journalist.

“Eggabell, got it.” They leapt to their hooves, stepping back. “I said we should’ve gotten her to look at you when this started but you didn’t listen…” She heard their voice trail off as they ran away.

“Get her upright, I don’t think she should be laying down.” She heard someone say, then felt Chandlo’s arm go behind her shoulder. With little force, she was pushed up, then held up by Chandlo and Triffany.

“Are you cold-? You’re trembling a lot.” The archeologist asked, getting no response. Shelda could only look between those around her as she waited to be evaluated, too disoriented, tired, and painfully itchy to focus and talk. She’d found it easier to be quiet than to talk in the previous weeks.

“What did Scarla mean when they said this started before?” Chandlo asked, looking around.

“I-I mean, she has been really quiet these evenings.” Filbo started, “And the scratching, and sitting weirdly, I thought she was getting sick, but I also thought she’d get over it.”

She sat in silence as everyone around her talked about her. “We can ask Scarla how long this has been going on for, but right now, we gotta wait for Eggabell.” Triffany shrugged, looking away.

“It’ll be alright. I’m sure it will.” Chandlo looked hopeful, but worried. “We wouldn’t lose the wisest one in town like this.”

She hadn’t even considered that her sickness could’ve been so severe. Really, she hadn’t been thinking of anything. All of her mind was too preoccupied by the constant stinging and ringing in her ears.

“What happened-?” Quick footsteps and a new voice entered her earshot, though faint.

“We’re not sure.” Triffany got up, “I found her down like this and Scarla said something about her being sick recently.”

“Stop crowding around. Everyone go do your own thing, I need to evaluate her.” Eggabell waved her paw at the crowded townspeople, her and Scarla reaching the group.

Triffany got up and let Chandlo continue to support Shelda while everyone else dispersed. “Can I stay?” He asked Eggabell as she walked up to the collapsed grumpus.

“I… Sure, Chandlo.” She sounded hesitant, but sighed as she kneeled down. “Shelda?” She was noticeably intimidated as she made eye contact with the sheep-like grumpus.

“…” Some part of her made it impossible to respond beyond moving her eyes, her gaze narrowing.

“…Ugh. Scarla, what’s been going on with her?” The doctor turned to the journalist.

“I'm not exactly sure. She’s stopped talking as much, she barely keeps up the righteous schtick, she’s been itchy all the time, and I’m going to assume by how much she’s been stumbling that she ended up tripping here.” Scarla explained, looking around.

“So she’s had pruritus, has been losing her coordination, and her behavior is faltering?” Eggabell checked, getting a nod. “Ah, um… Chandlo, do you know if she’s particularly light right now?” Her voice got more tense.

“Huh-? She’s always been pretty lightweight, but…” He shifted his hold on her a little, still supporting her balance. “I guess she is kinda off.”

The doctor took a deep breath, looking away. “Okay, so… Based on her history of osteoporosis, right now I think she’s cracked a bone or two from the fall, but… What I’m more worried about is that these all sound like symptoms of scrapie.”

“Symptoms of what now?” Scarla raised an eyebrow.

“It’s a degenerative prion disease found exclusively in sheep and goat grumpuses that causes all of these symptoms.” She explained, only to get more confused stares. “What’s strange is that there are no other grumpuses like that besides her on the island, and it’s spread through, uh…” She motioned vaguely with her paws, “Sharing… fluids..?”

Shelda herself managed a glare at that sentence, while the other two just looked disturbed. “Well if that’s what she has, then how do we treat it?” The journalist asked.

“That’s the thing- you don’t.” Eggabell sighed. “Scrapie is a degenerative disease in the brain that starts as behavioral changes and then ends as complete motor failure. There’s been no attempt to find a cure for it or any type of prion disease.”

It was clear that the doctor was struggling with empathy at that moment, partially from her lack of connection with Shelda, but the other two more than made up for it. “…You’re serious?” Scarla’s eyes narrowed. “There’s a disease that destroys some grumps completely and they haven’t even tried to treat it?”

“E-even if it could be, we don’t have what we need on the island.” Eggabell grabbed her arm, sitting upright. “I’m sorry. I can help with her injuries from the fall but I can’t do anything to stop this.”

“If you can’t treat it, how long does she have?” Chandlo asked quickly, looking between his friend and his older figure.

“I don’t know exactly. Symptoms can take up to a year to show after contracting it,” She turned to the journalist, “Do you know when it started?”

“I saw her stumbling for the first time a month ago.” They answered quickly, not looking at the doctor. Shelda looked lost and confused, but bitter at the same time.

“Okay, then… She might have another month or two left, but if she’s already been going quiet and losing motor control, they aren’t going to be good ones.”

They scoffed. “You go back to the mountain, Eggabell. We’ll stay here.” There was a bit of bitterness in their voice now.

Eggabell took in a sharp breath, then stood up. “Make the most of her time.” She said quickly, then hurried off.

“Ech. I guess she didn’t know her that well, but jeez…” They rolled their eyes, looking away.

“…We forgot to get her to help with her bones.” Chandlo noted after a pause, still looking down at Shelda.

“I don’t think that’s going to help much, whatever’s used to help with cracks might just make the itching worse.” Finally, they turned to the woman they were around. “I’m sorry, Shellsy.”

“…” Again, she was unresponsive.

“Shelda?” The athlete asked, getting her attention. “I’m gonna spend all the time I can with you. Does that work?”

“…” There was no change in her expression other than the slightest relaxation. “…The mother blesses you.” She let out, then turned to her gazebo. “I need my rest.”

“Were you quiet on purpose when Eggabell was here?” Scarla asked, getting a small nod. “Alright then. Chandlo, get her up. I’m gonna get a blanket from my hut.” They turned around, walking off.

Over the next minute, Chandlo carefully helped the older woman back to her place, and leaned her against a support beam. The journalist returned with a red blanket, but was quickly stopped from putting it down.

“I won’t need it. Not now.” Shelda looked over at them, “Wait until tonight.”

They folded it and placed it next to her. “Scrapie…” They muttered as they sat down with the two, “How the grump would you have gotten that? There’s not another sheep on this island.”

“I also haven’t been with any other grumpus than my wife in fifty years, and she’s a cat.” She looked up, thoughtfully. “…I do hope someone will take care of her once the expedition is over.”

“You have a wife?” Chandlo asked, confused and surprised. “You never told us about her.”

She chuckled slightly. “Harpila’s one of the kindest grumps you’d ever meet. We’d go to town potlucks and she’d bring the best dish, and she’d always make extra to donate afterwards.” She looked happy while she spoke, then turned away, looking at her pile of belongings. “…Scarla, would you open that chest for me? The code is 1920.” She motioned at a very small personal chest.

The journalist did as asked, walking over and picking it up. When they turned the combination lock and popped it open, they were surprised to find a pile of small papers, envelopes, and a worn pencil. “Bring it here,” She beckoned them, “I have something to write to her.”

They handed her the chest then sat down again. They were surprised at how calmly Shelda was taking it, but considered that the behavior changes were numbing her. Watching her go through the letters, they realized that they were all addressed to Harpila. “Do you want one of us to take these to her once we’re all home?” They asked.

“I would,” She closed the chest after taking out a blank page and the pencil. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, turning to Chandlo. “Chandlo, my child, I’d like you to do it.”

“-!” He took in a sharp breath, eyes widening a little. “…Yeah, yeah, I’ll do it! But, why me?”

She huffed a little. “Child, I know who you see me as. You’ve told me about your childhood.” She slowly held a paw out for him, “Harpila would be very happy to hear that someone saw me as motherly, and would love to share wisdom with you herself.”

He stared at her with wide eyes for a moment, and then a smile crossed his face. She smiled and turned away from him, looking down at the blank page. “…Oh, to find the words…” She mumbled.

“Would it be better if I left?” Scarla asked, looking away. “I think everyone else would want to hear about what’s happening.”

“You can go tell everybody.” She waved her paw at them in dismissal. “…And you can stay, my child.” She assured Chandlo, who looked ready to get up as well.

The two fell into silence as Scarla walked away, and Shellsy wrote a letter of her end.

[fanartalchemist]

Lucid decapitation

WARNING: body horror, mention of decapitation and gore.

what would happen if snorpy never went in to save their sibling? maybe it would work for the better... or worse.

also, spoilers for the game, especially Floofty's side quest.

P.S. this is my first time writing a story, so I like to hear how well I did or how I can do better.

"I cant believe this is taking Me more than 24 hours to set up this contraption. Its literally the middle of the night by the time I got it set up." Floofty mumbled to themselves as they made some finishing touches to the recycled machine. " Why should I be complaining? At least the journalist is doing the difficult part of catching a Bugsnack for the experiment. Not only that, Snorpy decided to bring Chandlo along with checking out the disturbance up on frosted peak. At least my anxious sibling wouldn't sabotage my work again."

Deep down, Floofty was a little bothered that their brother wouldn't be there to see their success, or at least be there when something goes wrong. What were they talking about? If the journalist doesn't back out on their plan, they're the only help Floofty needs.

Speaking of which, Buddy came back with a Strabby in their paw. "Ah, you've got the perfect Bugsnax for the contraption. Excellent." Floofty spoke excitedly. "And in a perfect time too, because I happen to be done with setting the device up."

Buddy stared at the machine Floofty was in front of, with terror forming in their face. "What in the grump is that thing?" shouted the journalist. Its clear to floofty that they never saw snorpy's other prototype inventions, despite how close they were as friends.

"I borrowed one of my brothers patented 'Grumpinati traps' and made some modifications." Floofty informed as they stepped into the machine. Once on the device, the machine already strapped them in. "Once the device is activated, snacks will flow into my open mouth, thus triggering my regeneration."

Buddy stared at it for a few more seconds before they finally spoke "This is terrifying.".

"Yes, I surmise that is why I'm in inside the device and you are not." Floofty responded. They couldn't see the journalist while laying on the cold piece of metal they were strapped in, but could easily hear how distressed Buddy was from their shaky voice.

"How do you know this will work?" Buddy questioned once more. To be honest, Floofty a little distressed about it themselves. Why should they? They came so far, they shouldn't stop now. It should work, since they sucessfuly regrown their leg. They've researched Bugsnax for almost a year. Why would that journalist question what they do when they haven't been on the island for even a month yet?

"I don't. that is what the experiment is for!" they told the journalist. "I need you to load the funnel at the back and then we can begin.".

It was silent for a moment, with Cobhoppers chirping in the background and leaves rustling in the wind. Floofty hoped that the journalist isn't backing out on their project the second they could finally see the results. Finally, they hear Buddy' footsteps going toward where the funnel gets loaded. They heard the Strabby's cry before Buddy shut the door of the funnel device. Once they did so, the blade of the machine automatically started spinning.

There was no turning back. Floofty tried to remain calm as the blade came closer to their head. Thats when they realized how painfull the process is going to be. They never took anything to numb the pain, because they want to have a clear mind when they need to take notes. They started to regret not taking anything to help with the pain that they were about to face.

Before they could think further, the funnel loaded the strabby into their mouth. As much as Floofty wanted to savor the delectable creature, they had to swallow it before the blade came down on them. That was officially their one final meal.

The blade finally punctured into their flesh. Floofty screamed in agony as the blade dug further, only to be silenced when it cut through their vocal cord. Floofty could hardly breath as blood fills their lungs, only to no longer breath when it finally cut through their throat and their wind pipes. When it finally cut through the spine, the feeling of intense agony, along with the feeling of cold metal they were being restrained by, has disappeared from the chest down. Once the blade has completely cut through their body and quickly went back in place, some sort of unknown force pushed their decapitated head off of the device and onto the soft, grass-covered ground beneath them.

"I...I'm still alive?" floofty thought to themselves, no longer being able to speak. "I supose this is the result of lucid decapitation: when the head is still cautious even after being removed from the body." luckily for floofty, they landed facing Buddy and their body laying on the machine. They could easily see the journalist, finally removing their paws from their eyes to look at the final result. As for their own body, its difficult to see since its in the shadows of the huts. Once the restraints were removed, it took only a few seconds before they could see movement in their paws. Flooftys body has sat up, showing that their head has been replaced by another one. It looked like their head from the darkness, but without their goggles on their head.

It was a success. Floofty was right about the regeneration of bugsnax. As proud as they were, they soon realized that their body now has a conscience of that of a strabby. Floofty assumed that the only thing that creature would do was scamper and wonder around like simple creatures they are.

They looked at the journalist, seeing their shocked expression. " Wow, it really worked" Buddy said to the still alive head of floofty. The creature, now hosting floofty's body, face towards the journalist. That grabbed both of their attention. The creature hopped off of the restraint platform and started creeping towards buddy. The journalist's face towards the creature, with their expression changing from surprised to genuine fear.

"Wait a minute. Stop! What are y..." Buddy pleaded before they were interrupted by the creature pouncing onto them. The monstrosity went at them with their teeth in their throat, and tore it off from their neck. Blood dripped from the monsters maw as life disappeared from the journalist's body.

Flooftie's eyes started flooding with tears as they saw the corpse of their friend. They never expected the bugsnax to commit a murder this barbaric, not even a strabby. Was this the hidden nature of bugsnax this whole time? Was this the price they have to pay for messing with the forces of nature?

The creature quickly turned toward Flooftie's decapitated head from across the contraption. It slowly walked from the corpse next to the funnel to the severed head. It picked them up and held it to the point where Floofty could finally see the face of the monster. Its eyes were that of the bugsnax, with its head being that of a rotting strawberry. Its hair are made of leaves in the same style as flooftie's, and the teeth are that of stems of strawberries. looking deep into the monsters pupils, they see themselves in its reflection.

As the creature removed the goggles from floofty, it spoke. Its voice was that of flooftie's, but distorted. "You were very helpful, but we have no use for you anymore". Flooftie's vision started going dark as the creature brought its head towards its mouth, and gobbled it up.

____________________________________________________________

"Wait. Stop!" Floofty shouted as they sit up from their bed, breathing heavily. They woke up with cold sweat soaking their bed of their brother's apartment. They looked at themselves, and felt their chest and head to see if its still attached. It was all a dream, or a nightmare in this case.

They gave themselves time to calm down and recall the current events. Floofty is still alive, everyone escaped snaktooth thanks to Lizbert and Eggabell (assuming they are the queen of bugsnax) as the volcano went off, and now they are seeking temporary refuge in an apartment with their brother snorpy, and his boyfriend chandlo, as the bugsnax wear off. That pretty sums up what happened. that, and the Bugsnax are parasites that use your insecurities to make you crave more. They were relieved that the danger is over.

Floofty leaned towards the nightstand on the side of the bed to drink some water. When they did, they studently feel something strange under the sheets. There was a red stain bleeding through the blanket, but the aroma wasnt that of blood, but a fruit. When they removed the covers, they saw what remains of their regenerated leg: nothing but decomposed snack matter. When the bugsnax wore off from where they removed their leg, it seemed to turn to mush instead of disappearing like the rest of the snakification. Now floofty only has one foot to stand on now.

Having one leg is not what bothered floofty, but the fact that they were also gonna decapitate their head after that. Floofty was filled with dread thinking of the aftermath. Even if the possibility of that nightmare becoming a real outcome, but the fact that they wouldn't be able to grow back their head after the bugsnax wear off, and the body was the first thing that would desnakify. The thought of it made them feel nauseous, making them fall to the floor to get to the trash can to hurl in when they do.

Snorpy came in with a wrench at hand as if there was an intruder, with half-awake chandlo by his side. "Floofty! are you okay?" questioned Snorpy in a concerned tone. "were you attacked? did the frumpinati..." He saw floofty on the floor next to the bed, holding on to the trach can. They looked pale and was trembling like they witnessed a Gruesome demise. Snoopy then darted his eyes to where their one leg use to be.

"Should I call someone to check if they are alright?" chandlo added.

"could you get some medicine for nausea my love?" Snorpy replied. Chandlo left the room to find what he requested, while Snorpy comforts their sibling.

"Don't fret Floofty. I already made a prosthetic for you. I just need to..."

"thats not whats bothering me!" Floofty interrupted. Snorpy realized it was bad to assume what was wrong.

"I apologize. what has been bothering you?"

Floofty let out a quick sigh. "its complicated to explain"

"Ill give you a moment then. Ill be here when your ready to talk to me."

Chandlo came back with the bottle of pills. "will this work?" he asked. Chandlo passed the bottle to Snorpy so he could examine it.

"This is good enough. could you give us a moment?"

Chandlo nodded, and left the room. Snorpy put the medication aside for later. Thats when floofy finally had the courage to answer.

"I regret trying to experimenting with Bugsnax. I should've known how harmful those parasites really are in the first place. I was blinded by my own pride experimenting with Bugsnax, when I should've had suspicion when lizbert was onto them. I should've listen to Shielda's warnings, even when they are speaking like some horoscope! I shouldn't have put Poor Eggabell so close to death!"

"Don't be so hard on yourself." Snorpy replied. "You were just trying to help the expedition, right?"

"I tried removing my own head snorpington! I was going to ruin my own life, and those I'm close to, just to help a billion!". Floofty pointed at what was left of their snakified limb on the bead, all nothing but mush. "Even if I successfully regenerate my own head, either the Bugsnax itself will have my body and use it for its sinister plot, or I have to live with the parasites for the rest of my life" floofty put their hands on their own throat, remembering the feeling of consuming those parasites. "even if I'm still myself after decapitation, I would have to keep eating them so the snakification won't wear off and kill me, and not eat too frequent so I don't become them. I may have to keep risking my own life just to find out. Its like if a rodent has eaten poison, not knowing when it will be its last day."

Snorpy sees that their sibling is trying to hold back their tears. He wanted to comfort them with words, but thought it would be better to hear more of what they have to say.

"If you haven't stopped that machine, I would end up living with that for the rest of the life I have left. You wouldn't have a sibling anymore, and I haven't realized how important it was to you until now. I'm sorry for everything I have done on that island, and before that".

That was the most sincere apology Floofty has given him. they looked into each others eyes, Floofties eyes glisten with tears. Snorpy gave them the least uncomfortable hug he can give with his short arms.

"thank you for telling me Floofty." their brother calmly responded.

They huged back, finally sheding a few tears they've been holding back. it took them a minute to finally relax, no longer queasy from fear.

"thank you for everything you've done for me Snorpy."

He was glad to finally hear that from their older sibling. He helped Floofty back into bed after Chandlo replaced the Strabby-stained sheets with fresh clean ones.

"You go ahead and get a bit more sleep while I put the finishing touches on your new prosthetic." Snorpy told their sibling. "After all, we wouldn't want to miss our chum Filbo getting elected as mayor."

______________________________________________

Title pic without text:

[welcome-home-busnax-au]

Lets introduce the characters shall we?

Home

🏠 Pronouns: It/it’s, Any

🏠 In this au, Home is the entire island itself. Yes it is a sentient island as well, but no one else knows that quite yet.

🏠 Here, Home isn’t exactly evil, but it’s not exactly safe either. It has feelings and empathy to others, but it still needs to “eat” every once in a while.

🏠 Once people consume a Bugsnak, it makes them want to eat more and more and more. Until eventually their whole body turns into bugsnax itself. The parts of snakmatter collapse and those Pices of bugsnax just scatter off somewhere. This repeated cycle it what keeps Home and the rest of the Bugsnak inhabitants feed and thriving.

🏠 Much like the game suggests, the island needs to basically “eat” to keep itself basically alive. It was a GIANT island after all, so while it can it could go at least a while without eating, it would need to eat again at another time. If not…. We’ll let’s just say.. Bad things will happen…

🏠 Every now and then, a straggler or two will eventually come across Home, so it usually never “goes hungry.”

🏠 Home ends up really liking Wally and decides to not consume him. Instead, Home lets him peacefully live on the island. Wally helps Home keeps Home feed with other people that randomly end up on the island.

🏠 As of now, Home has only let a small amount of grumpuses, aka: Wally and his friends, live peacefully on the island.

******************************************************* *******************************************************

Wally Darling

🍎 Pronouns: He/Him

🍎 Wally was the first to enter the island. In this AU, Wally was an orphaned grumpus with no friends and who had no where else left to go in life. Some how, Wally found out about about the island myth and figured that no one would really miss him, he decided to head out to the island himself.

🍎 He is very kind and gentle to his friends and to all the bugsnax he comes across, even the aggressive ones like him for some reason.

🍎 Wally does not eat the bugsnax on the island. He’d much rather be in their company instead. He actually survived by eating other food from the many crops that others before him had left behind.

🍎 Favorite bugsnax: Cinnasnail and Crapple (Red and Green), and Strabby

******************************************************* *******************************************************

Sally Starlet

🌟 Pronouns: She/Her

🌟 Sally heard about the island by pure coincidence. She was honestly just curious about it and wanted to see things for herself. So she ended up sneaking off to the island in the middle of the night on a boat.

🌟 She likes to dress up the bugsnax in little clothes she makes herself and sometimes holds plays with her friends and the bugsnax themselves. They absolutely adore Sally and love her plays.

🌟 You’ll sometimes see her making little hats for the bugsnax on occasions. She’s still trying to find a way to get the much bigger bugsnax into little costumes.

🌟 Favorite bugsnax: She loves each and every bugsnax she’s come across. Sally: “How could I possibly choose? They’re all such great actors!”

******************************************************* *******************************************************

Frank Frankly

🦋 Pronouns: He/him, They/them

🦋 Frank had his eyes set for this place for a LONG time. He’s done lots and lots of research about this island over the years, but there’s only so much one can do. They just had to go there in person to see for themselves.

🦋 Once Frank heard about the island’s existence and of its unique and undocumented bug species, you know he saved up every dime they could so both Frank and their husband Eddie could make this expedition. Frank practically begged Eddie go with him. He really didn’t want to go alone and leave their husband all alone as well.

🦋 Favorite bugsnax: Thinks they’re all amazing, but prefers the more butterfly looking ones like the Flutterjam, and the Cheepoofs (the normal, white, & flamin’ ones)

******************************************************* *******************************************************

Howdy Pillar

🐛 Pronouns: He/Him

🐛 He actually can along with Julie. They had a boating accident that caused them both to end up on the island.

���� Howdy is one of the few that actually the bugsnax. After eating some bugsnax, Howdy has gained multiple limbs and some extra height due the snackmatter he consumed.

🐛 After some time, he set up his own little store. You can trade with items or with bugsnax in order to get other goods from Howdy’s shop.

🐛 Favorite bugsnax: Bopsicle, Tacroach, Cellystix, Fryder, Green Peelbug, Pineantula, and Pinkle

******************************************************* *******************************************************

Poppy Partridge

💐 Poppy used to work as a nurse and at orphanages for many years. She looked after lots of people. From toddlers to the elderly. After retiring from her job as a caretaker, she sought out to explore uncharted places. This was how she found out about the island of bugsnax. Of course she was BEYOND nervous at first, due to all the tales and myths she’s overheard about it, but she still put on a brave face and made her way to the island.

💐 She can be a a bit jumpy at times and will sometimes hide when something spooks her, but she has a good heart. She deeply cares for her friends that she’s come to know and love.

💐 After eating some of the Bugsnax on the island, Poppy actually gained a few extra feet from her original height, as well as some new colorations on her body. Now she’s actually pretty close to Howdy’s height due the snackmatter she had consumed. This is actually part of why she’s so nervous all the time. She’s afraid of falling over and hurting someone with this new height of hers. Because of this, she’s become a bit clumsy, but she’s slowly learning to get used to it.

💐 Favorite bugsnax: Baby Cakelegs, Tropicabug, Chillynilly, and Charmallow

******************************************************* *******************************************************

Eddie Dear

💌 Pronouns: He/him

💌 In the end, Eddie decided to join his bug-loving husband, Frank. He was a bit admittedly skeptical at first, but he trusted his husband enough to know that Frank know what they were doing and what he was getting in to.

💌 Some time after arriving at the island, a lot of the Bunger species took a liking to Eddie for some reason. He was very confused at first. The Bungers just started following him one day and always stuck close by ever since. Eddie didn’t really complain, though. He just couldn’t say no to their cute burger faces. He really loved the little guys!

💌 When the gang traveled to the second island ((from the dlc)) Eddie begged and begged Frank about taking home the ginormous Bunger Royale once he found out about its existence. He was sadly denied this every time. Turns out, the giant Bunger Royale was just super affectionate, especially towards Eddie. It would always run up to him, but that sometimes lead to accidental head butts with Eddie being launched a few feet away. Don’t worry, Eddie was always unharmed afterwards! He always gave it the most attention when they would do visits to the island.

💌 Favorite bugsnax: Bunger, BBQ Bunger, Bunger Royale, Hunnabee, Kweeble, and Golden Kweeble

******************************************************* *******************************************************

Julie Joyful

🌸 Pronouns: She/her

🌸 Julie actually ended up dragging Howdy along with her on a trip to sail across the open seas with her! She actually owns a house boat, believe it or not! At some point there was an unfortunate incident that happened that caused the boat to sink. They had no choice but to jump over board.

🌸 Luckily, they happened to be passing by an unknown island. Both She and Howdy were able to safely swim to the shores of the island. This was when they met Wally.

🌸 After eating bugsnax, the snakmatter caused Julie to gain these rainbow colored horns on her head as well as rainbow teeth from eating some of the Rainbow Sweetieflies.

🌸 Favorite bugsnax: Rainbow Sweetiefly, Snaquiri, Instabug, Lovely Sweetiefly, and Crystal Sweetiefly

******************************************************* *******************************************************

Barnaby B. Beagle

🌭 Pronouns: He/Him

🌭 Barnaby was actually the second Grumpus to arrive on the island. He was abandoned on this island by a family who did not want him. Wally was able to find him before anything else bad to him. Wally, along with Home, took in Barnaby and raised him themselves. He and Wally have been best friends ever since.

🌭 After a few good years of eating the Bugsnax, he gained a nose that looks like a Weenyworm (his favorite snack). Also after eating a Stewdler, he ended up keeping the empty bowl and uses it as a hat.

🌭 Favorite bugsnax: Weenyworm, Shy Weenyworm, Baby Cakelegs, Stewdler, Flapjackarak and Waffstackarak

******************************************************* *******************************************************

Y/N (here’s where you come into the story…)

📸 Pronouns: Any (genderless)

📸 Y/N is a self proclaimed journalist. They love to explore the supernatural and enjoy posting their findings online to their small blog. Y/N isn’t exactly the most popular, with others not believing these stories, claiming them as being fake, and sometimes leaving mean comments as well.

📸 After learning about this myth of an island, Y/N did all to research they could. Finally once they were good and ready, the packed up everything they could and secretly set off in their hot air balloon ship. They left in the middle of the to not be caught. It was kinda illegal to go to the island after all.

📸 This part is basically about the same as the intro to the game. Once you make it to the island, something large crashes into your ship and you end up falling out and landing somewhere in a forest in the middle of the island. At some point after walking to find where your ship went, you accidentally stumble of a cliff and end up hitting your head and going unconscious.

📸 Favorite Bugsnax: ??? (This is up for you to decide on your own. And yes, unlike the game, Y/N will have the ability to eat bugsnax!)

((Edit: I forgot to add Home’s bio/intro thing))

[bugswapau]

Welcome to Bugswap, a Bugsnax AU about everyone’s favorite thirteen-strong expedition, except something’s not quite right. Please read this post in full before sending asks, to avoid asking an already answered question.

LAST UPDATED: 12/9/23

I think the title of the AU alone is pretty self-explanatory (well, it's a swap AU, so that's presumably pretty straight-to-the-point, isn't it?), so I'll reserve this about section as being a general quick-guide to references and other important information.

Character Profiles and References (exactly what it says on the tin)

Interviews (mock-ups of interviews based off of the ones in-game)

“Ask the Cast” Posts (character centered interactive posts a la ask blogs)

Asks are always open, however, please view this section first before you send asks.

"What do the characters sound like?"

This post is a pretty good outline of how the cast is supposed to sound in the AU.

"How does [so-and-so] and [so-and-so]'s relationship work in this AU?"

These posts cover most of the basics: Shellsy and Chandlo's Relationship Flooftix and Snorpy's Relationship Triffany and Wiggle's Relationship Lizbert and Eggabell's Relationship

"How does the Isle of Bigsnax DLC play out in the AU?"

Although I haven't yet made a proper post and plan to explain how it's done in AU, these posts help get the general idea across: Post One (disregard outdated designs) Post Two (disregard outdated designs) Post Three

"What's the deal with Clumby and Alegander?"

These posts go into further detail regarding the two: Post One Post Two Post Three Post Four As of right now, I don't have references for their designs and character bios, but I hope to make some in the foreseeable future.

"Is it alright to make fan content for your AU (fanart, dubs, etc)?"

ABSOLUTELY! All I ask is you tag me in your post so I can see it.

I have a Discord server dedicated to the AU. However, it is invite-only and 15+. If you're interested and of age, ask me off-anon or DM me for the invite.

My main blog is @ojamajodoremisharp, and my primary Bugsnax blog is @snorpdawg.

That's everything! Enjoy the blog!

[shellsy]

Interview Denrae!

It's time to ask the botanist some questions.

“Have time for an interview?”

“Huh? Oh, sorry, I’m a little busy right now.”

“I’ll make it quick, promise.”

“Then sure! What’ve you got?”

“Who are you?”

“Denrae Bubblebop! Botanist, bioengineer, sorta pathologist? I guess?”

“Why come to Snaktooth Island?”

“Have you even seen a snak? Those little beasts are the key to my next breakthrough!”

“How would you know if you’d never been here?”

“The basics were all I needed. Living things mimicking meat, fruits, whole meals, right down to the taste, all packed into a single creature? It doesn’t take a genius to realize how incredible that is.”

“Thoughts on Bugsnax?”

“Like I just said, they’re fascinating little things, crawling straight out of the ground like they do. Wambus has this idea they may be some sorta type of plant, and if he’s right, that’s even better for me!”

“Yeah, yeah, I get that part. What about their taste?”

“They’re..hmm…Tasty? I guess? Dunno. I used to experiment on the majority of the ones Liz would give me, hehe. Jellene’s always nagging me about not eating enough though.”

“Why did you leave town?”

“When everyone started fighting over food and resources and whatever, my work got caught in the crossfire! Dozens of precious specimens destroyed! Really hoping nothing was set loose, but it's hard to tell. Regardless, it was better to start anew.”

“What would’ve been set loose?”

“Oh y’know, viruses, bacteria, parasites, whole 9 yards. Try not to worry about it too much, you’ll be fine. Should be fine.”

"Why do you have those things just lying around?"

"Well what else do you want me to do with them? You think I can just tell how diseases affect snax without testing it?"

“Any info on Lizbert?”

“Both her and Eggabell are big sweethearts, always helping everyone with everything, both of them. But…”

“But?”

“Everyone here relied on Lizbert. I can’t imagine the kind of stress Liz was under, having an entire town look to her for food, leadership, everything.”

“What happened to Lizbert?”

“Probably just got tired of it. Tired of everyone leaning on her. She’s probably holed up somewhere with Eggabell, waiting on everyone here to learn to take care of themselves. Sorry- That’s a little rude. But I do mean it.”

“Thanks, Denrae. I’ll let you get back to your work now.”

“Oh! Yeah! Before you go, there's something I need to give you. Found this out in the sands a while back, seemed like a cool-looking piece of trash at the time, but maybe you can find some use for it.”

Denrae gave you a map fragment! Check your journals for details.

[chenanigans]

2024 Thoughts and 2025 Hopes

I like to talk about my year and hopes for next year!

2024 Thoughts

TTRPGs

These are all the PCs I played this year:

Cherry - Baubbie - Yulia

Terri - Sola - Ella

Pompom - Carri - Quinsey

We beat Cherry's game and she continues to live on in my heart and brain. I love that girl with all my heart and I miss playing her everyday. That game was something special. We're now playing in our 2nd game where I play as Sola and also we're playing Pathfinder 2e instead of DnD 5e. It's been fun and hard learning the system and I'm excited to get even more into the meat an potatoes of that game.

Yulia and Terri's games are also still ongoing and are both going very well. Terri is going through it while Yulia is having a blast. I'm excited to play as my girls some more in 2025 and see how the stories unfold!

Baubbie, Ella, Pompom, Carri, and Quinsey were all in oneshots and most of them got resolved. Even though we didn't finish up Ella's game, I enjoyed it while it lasted and also had fun designing her.

I ran a Wanderhome oneshot! I didn't prepare enough stuff to do, but we still had fun! I definitely wanna try running more things in 2025!

~~~~~

Games

I beat quite a few games this year:

Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe

Bugsnax

Pikmin 1

Kamaeru

Terra Nil DLC

A Little to the Left DLC

Cat Cafe Manager

SCHiM

Broken Lens

Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life

Froggy's Adventure

Metroid Dread

Witchy Life Story

LOZ: TotK

Freshly Frosted

Été

Shadow Generations

Castle on the Coast

Little Kitty, Big City

Sticky Business DLC

I'm hoping to beat more games in the coming year! My favourite game of 2024 was probably Webfishing or Shadow Generations.

~~~~~

Art

I drew a lot this year and also made a lot of money art-wise due to an illustration job in April and after I started charging in USD instead of CAD. I didn't finish the animation I wanted, but I did do a pixel animation for my icon which was fun!

My favourite drawings of this year were these:

I crossposted art on so many sites this year. I don't wanna link all so I'll just link my neocities homepage instead.

Oh yeah, I also built 3 sites! I hope to work on them more in the new year!

I'm hoping more opportunities open up next year! I've been stewing on a comic I wanted to do for months now and I think next year I'll work on it.

~~~~~

Life

Not too much has changed. I'm hoping to reach at least 25k in my savings next year. Moving out has not been on my mind at all and I don't know if next year it will be either. Especially considering how bad Canada's housing shit is right now, I don't know if I want to.

Work is same old grocery store doing stupid changes that help those on top only. I hope things change for the better rather than for the worse, but you know how it is.

I've been trying to get ADHD stuff more under control and I got appointments with ADHD Specialists January so I'm hoping those things work out. Here's hoping!

~~~~~~~~~~

2025 Hopes

Life

Save more money

Get my passport

Manage ADHD stuff more

Maybe go see friends at least once????? (Scary XD)

Art

Finish art

Finish one big comic and do comics in general

Finish one big animation and do animations in general

Work on my Chenoros Cosmos more

Build my websites more

Games

Beat more games on my list

I'm looking forward to Metroid Prime 4 and other indie games

TTRPGs

Run something with Monday group

Run something with Tuesday group

Have even more fun

[wolf-m-the-hybrid]

Some Bugsnax AU Lore & World Building, which is now called Heart Of Bugsnax AU

GNN covers up a LOT of news. Whenever something new comes up they immediately dig into it, only posting the information that would benefit them. And what would benefit them? Negativity. More negativity makes people paranoid, paranoid people stay at home, so they need newspapers to know what’s going on in the world. To them, it’s profitable and give no care to those who suffer from their redacted information. The only person who wrote about the truth was Eclipse. At first she wrote about positive stuff, the good Grumps helping others and indie artist. But none of them were posted. So she instead wrote about monster rumors and solves the case. Only one person reads those articles once they’re posted.

Magic does exist in this world, but it’s not as frequent as it was in the past. During the age of ancient Grumpases, they used magic runes and spells to protect themselves. They also used magic to make predictions, control the elements to further their civilization. But over time magic began to be pushed aside as modern technology took hold. Only those who follow Mother Naturea know how to use magic, to a small degree. Shelda used magic to help Wambus’s farm grow since out of everyone in her generation, she’s the strongest in magic.

Wambus and Triffiny are planning on starting a family in Snaxburg.

Lizbert is 3 years older than Eclipse, but that didn’t stop their friendship. Lizbert treats Eclipse like her sister and tries to invite Eclipse to her explorations. But with Eclipse trying to keep her job and doing school she always refuses, this doesn’t stop their friendship. In fact Eclipse was the second Grump Lizbert asked to go to Snaxtooth Island. But like before Eclipse didn’t go until her job was literally on the line.

The Snaxolites play a bigger role in this AU than the actual game.

I’ll post the character designs of this AU before I post the Prologue. See you guys then!

[treefory]

Beffica snoops

912 words

Everyday Beffica walked around Snaxburg, snooping through the others huts while they weren’t there. But she could never get into Gramble’s barn. Every morning his barn door was locked, but if she pressed her ear up against the door she could hear him inside. It was like this every morning

She’d try and find a crack in the wood so that she could see inside. But to her dismay she could never find one. She even tried to see through the door that connected to the pen, but of course she couldn’t. she was just dying to know what he was doing.

That afternoon she was making her way over to Floofty’s hut for some casual snooping when a tall yellow grumpus caught her eye. Snorpy stood over his seismometer while taking notes in his journal.

“Hey Snorpy!” She called as walked over to him

Snorpy fumbled as he slammed his journal shut “Beffica! What are you doing over here?”

“Oh nothing,” she shrugged “just wondering if you could help me with something.”

“If this is one of your tactics to go through my things again then you’d best run along.” He said with a scowl

“Oh please, I’ve already been through your things. And besides, I just need to borrow something-“

“If it’s something to aid in your disrespect in basic privacy, then I won’t be helping you.” He interrupted as he turned back to his machine

“Ugh” Beffica rolled her eyes and started to walk away. But then the perfect plan came to her

“Hey, you know how Gramble sleepwalks around town?” She asked without turning to face Snorpy

“Yes Beffica, everyone knows.”

“Well what if he’s not really sleepwalking?”

He looked up from his machine “what do you mean?”

“well what if he’s actually collecting dirt for the gru-“

“The Grumpinati? Y-you think he might be?”

Beffica turned around “well maybe,” she shrugged, “but I’d need your help to find out.”

“Well what do you need? If need be I could make something.”

“Every morning Gamble's door is locked and I need your help opening it.”

“So a lock pick? Don’t worry Beffica, I'll have one made by tomorrow!” He said as scrambled over to his forge.

“Perfect.” She purred.

— — —

A calm purple hue laid over snacktooth Island as the sun had just begun to rise. Beffica slept in her bed soundly. The faint sounds of her floor boards creaking filled her ears.

“Wha…?” She whispered as she began to open her eyes. Her gaze was filled by a tall yellow grumpus standing over her. Her eyes shot open and she inhaled sharply, preparing to scream. Only to be shushed by Snorpy.

“Hush! We don’t need to wake the entire town.” he whispered

“Oh my gawd, Snorpy! You almost gave me a grumping heart attack!” She said through gritted teeth

He pulled out multiple lock picks out of his apron pocket. “The lock picks are done, let’s see what he’s really doing in there before we’re silenced by the Grumpinati!”

“Uh yeah just let me get my camera.”

— — —

The two walked over to the barn, They both pressed their heads up to the barn door. Sounds of happy bugsnaxs filled their ears.

“He's in there alright.” Beffica whispered

“He must be relaying his information back to them!” He whispered back

Beffica pulled the lock into her paw “hand me a pick.”

“You know how to pick locks?”

“Uh yeah. Now stop asking questions and give me one already!” She whispered angrily

“How interesting…” he said as he gave her one

She twisted the pick in the lock just for it to snap. “Another one.” She requested

“I only made three.” He handed her another “so make it count.”

She began picking the lock again, the sound of the pins slipping into place filled the air

SNAP

“Grump! Give me the other one.”

“Last one, be careful.”

Her paws worked carefully as she slid the last pins in place

CLICK

“I did it!” She said as she held the opened lock in her paws

Together the two placed their paws on the door and on three, they pushed it open

At the same time their mouths fell agape as their gaze was filled by Gramble sitting on the floor. His once pink fur was smothered in chocolate sauce. Strabbys, peelbugs, and kweebles that once crawled all over him now stared at Beffica and Snorpy.

“I… I can explain…” Gramble began

Without breaking eye contact Beffica pulled out her camera and snapped a picture of the embarrassing scene in front of her.

Snorpy pulled the barn doors shut.

They stood in front of the door just staring at it, minds still processing what they had just seen

“That had to be the best dirt I have ever seen…” Beffica whispered to herself

“That was NOT what I was expecting...” Snorpy said as he put the lock back on the door “we must never speak of this again.”

“Yeah, I’m going back to bed.” She pulled the picture from her camera “and this little baby is going in my diary. Thanks bestie! ;0)”

“Do not ever include me in your snooping shenanigans EVER again!” Snorpy snaped

“And I am not your “bestie”. Now if you do not mind, I'm going to be writing a hand written apology to Gramble.” He continued

And like that Snorpy stormed off while muttering things about Gramble and Beffica

“I- ugh! Whatever, you weren’t bestie material anyways…”

[the-bugsnax-journalists]

Aaand here's the first of four! The main Journalist, aka Buddy!

Been a bit since I drew this guy, but I finally got him down! Under the cut I'll elaborate further on the likes and such, along with extra details regarding him AKA copy paste what I had in my notes ages ago lmao

Also, stuff regarding their sign and recorder will be drawn at a future date cus I took a 3 hour nap which REALLY put a wrench on my planning for this and let's be real, EVENTUALLY I'll make doodles and such with this in mind

General trivia

-At the start, they actually arrived at Snaxburg scrawny and such, cus ya know the Reporter's life ain't always physically demanding, BUT because of reasons, they were basically dragged away by Chandlo cus he noticed the vibes were off on them (but then again, it doesn't take a genious to tell THAT) and so the "Confidence training" began! Aka training and lifting so that's how he began to build up muscle kinda and become who he is now! ..His sleep schedule includes an extra 30 minutes of sleep now though.

-Buddy doesn't have a name at the moment as you know, and that's because outside other reasons they usually don't divulge said information willingly. Usually sticking to just "The Journalist" when asked for information regarding them before going straight to the interview itself.

-That being said though, HOW do they ask questions exactly? Well, for one they use their sign, or they use their recorder. Either works. Additionally, their recorder has text to speech options rather than a random voice, it's usually mixed up with the voice but they usually go for DSaF Dave Wise Guy. "They just like how it sounds."

-As mentioned before, Buddy is aware of the Triplicate thanks to his family. The reason for this is his family sort of works in a group built to discover and expose the Triplicate in the first place.

-Their family picks up an Oath that to sum it up, makes them unable to speak at all. The family tradition they couldn't quite understand, however their initial speaking range got them to at least not have them go through the process of this.

-Additionally, they have a sister that went rogue on the family. Not to betray them or something like that (At least, to their knowledge), but rather to do things their way. With them leaving the family, well, things got a bit rougher for Buddy.

-The reason they use a sign mostly for communication is mostly for the simplicity for it. However there is an additional detail that causes them to pick up the sign. When born young, they weren't exactly capable of speaking much, the reasons for it are unknown to this date, however this at least skipped a step he had to deal with later on

Relationship details

Filbo - They are one of few people they really talk to, although one of the last grumpuses to hear their actual voice, they grew close and became "Best buds" according to Filbo. Buddy just finds them endearing.

Beffica - Although Beffica is always trying to dig out their secrets, Buddy playfully plays around it by leaving red herrings and such. They are kind of like frenemies, and they both joke with one another a lot about it, occasionally sharing gossip at times.

Wambus - He must admit, he has a tiny crush on Wambus, however they know that he's married to Triffany, so they simply try to ignore that part of their feelings since they would probably feel bad if they intruded on their relationship. Outside that, they get along… sort of… Granted, them jumping over their farm almost crushing his crops but dodging by a mere inch causes a taad bit of tension; BUT they help with his crops every now and then as a way to make amends for the couple of near heart attacks he gave him.

Gramble - Given they have never really tried any bugsnax, they are close to Gramble, and Gramble even knit a pineantula beanie for them, which they love. When basically forced to be on a break, they usually hang out with Gramble's ranch Bugsnax to vibe and relax. One of the first Grumpuses to hear their voice.

Wiggle - Even though Wiggle is a bit overbearing with their singing, they can't help but quietly try to sing along, but immediately stop duo to embarrassment, however Wiggle tries to encourage them to find their voice. Although around the middle in terms of grumpuses to hear their true voice though, her explosive energy can be a bit... Too much for them, which is why they don't usually go their way, but they still appreciate her energy. Just at a distance is all.

Cromdo - Although they start off in some foggy area, they both… Tolerate one another. Cromdo tries to find a way to make profit of his signs/commision them to do signs for them, and Buddy… Is just genuinely curious about them, given their attempts at making "mullah" any way they can.

Triffany - They respect her, not only cus she is an adventurer and knows how to rough it when needed, but also they just really like her accent, along with just being a sweetheart to be around with. they may be a bit jealous given she's with Wambus, but they wish them the best regardless and they are close friends in the end. It does help that Buddy is nice enough to help her with her troubles whenever she needs them. Despite everything, they are the 1st to hear their voice.

Chandlo - When they found Chandlo getting stuff back for the cabin, Chandlo immediately knew Buddy was sort of like Eggabell, aka awful bad self-esteem issues so you can imagine they just pick them by the scruff of their neck even though Buddy towers over them and drags them away to basically train them up and also just chat with them and such! 3rd person to hear their voice, and second closest best friend

Snorpy - Snorpy is VERY suspicious of Buddy, given they never talk and only use signs or their recorder as communication (to their knowledge), because of this they usually watch over Chandlo at a distance when they are both training, which in turn causes Chandlo to notice and immediately snatch them to join their training too (or at least spectate on the side closer)

Floofty - They both have a mutual respect for one another, because for one Buddy is actually capable of understanding their terms fully and also they seem more leniant to becoming a test subject for them at times. They both get along well and even discuss bugsnax stuff together; however they have to admit their relationship with Snorpy can be a bit... Unfortunate to behold at times, hence why they don't necessarily go out of their way to be with Floofty.

Shelda - Shelda is basically a therapist for them. Shelda could see "the aura of sorrow coursing through them", or in other words their lack of sleep, awful posture and general "end it all" vibe when they first arrived at the island. Buddy just lays down with Shelda and rants away his problems so only she can listen, and so Shelda gives them advice that helps them in their everyday life. 2nd person to hear their voice, and they consider her a mother figure of sorts. Naturally, Buddy usually tends to help her with anything she needs, not only cus of her age, but also because she's done so much for him basically so they should repay the favor somehow.

[ginminowas]

floofty found dead in miami famous last words

[katapotato55]

How to write good horror.

1- DON'T EXPLAIN WHAT THE HORROR IS. DON'T EXPLAIN ANYTHING. no context = more scary. "oh but it is just a ghost- " YES. you know that, I know that, but things are way more scary if you don't explain it. let your audience scare themselves trying to figure it out! the first FNAF game didn't explain anything it was just "ok these machines are kind aggro". that is part of what made it popular! (And truthfully this reason is why i dislike the other games in the series) i can't name how many horror movies i immediately lost interest in because it was explained. "oh no! there is blood dripping from the walls! " its demons or ghosts or whatever. you explained it. it isn't scary now that you explained the joke. if you have to explain what it is, explain it at the END of the story or near the climax at best. (or better yet, don't explain at all) 2- restraint is key i know it is tempting to show organs and blood dripping from the walls and someone eating out a corpse or whatever but don't outright show that kind of stuff ALL THE TIME or else your audience becomes desensitized to it, and if horror fans are reading/watching your work, chances are they are going to think this is weaksauce. you need to be SUBTLE when building up suspense in your story. don't show the real scary bits until the end of the buildup/ 3- normalicy and familiarity is key i am going to use bugsnax as an example. bugsnax has no gore and can be considered child friendly, but what made bugsnax scare people is that it has the facaude of a cutesy little game. doki doki lit club has a simmular principle where its like a normal dating sim but you are caught off guard and things feel off. this is a valuable tool. 4- be original and understand why the more popular ones are popular in the first place everyone has done analogue horror. why ? because we are all so used to modern technology that older televisions and tech seem kinda creepy. Blue_channel by gooseworks is one of my favorites. It gets right to the point, and while it DOES explain what the product is, it doesn't go "oooh death and scary!!! oooooooh!" it lets the audience make up their own horrifying reason as to what is happening here. saying "oooooooh look murder your parents ooooh!" isn't scary, and putting a glitchy tv filter over it isn't going to make it more scary. and finally 5- describe the unfamiliar i know i just said familiarity is key but that is only 1/2 of the equation. Everywhere at the end of time depicts the sounds of memory degrading in an alzheimers patients. this is an experience that no one could relate to except for those who are experiencing it (and sadly, those people are either dead or mentally comatose) this is also why lovecraft horror is loved, because we can only imagine so much before the lack of understanding drives you insane. hope this helps, for the love of all that is good, please stop writing bad horror.



[yandere--stuck]

Yandere!Floofty headcanons..? 👀 If you do I'll be forever in your debt!

Sorry this took so long, but I hope you enjoy!

---

💜 One couldn't be blamed for their first impression of Floofty Fizzlebean being one that's incredibly cold and rude. Mostly due to the whole, "being incredibly cold and rude" thing they've got going on. At least at first. Hell, their first interaction with you ended with them slapping a gizmo in your hands, talking down at you as though you were a child, and then further adding onto the body horror nightmare you've found yourself entangled in. To say you weren't exactly Floofty's number one fan would be an understatement, and the same sentiment was shared by much of the rest of Snaxburg. But the other Grumpuses (and your journalistic integrity) depended on you and your help in finding Elizabert! And to do that, you needed every piece of the puzzle. Even if that piece happened to be incredibly snooty and sat on a rather high horse.

🧪 You had hoped that Floofty's behavior would improve as you spent more time together, but if anything, the scientist grew even ruder! They'd purposely bump into you, talk down to and insult you, pull you aside to demand you collect certain supplies or Bugsnax for their research! And when they weren't bothering you, they'd hole up in the ship at Boiling Bay to do… Whatever it is they do, not like they'd ever let you look. It'd be lying to say you hadn't thought of giving up on Floofty and leaving them to their own devices, but you could never bring yourself to actually do it. All of Snaxburg depended on you, and that included Floofty! … Even if you hadn't convinced them to move back just yet. And even if they don't come around, you can at least rest assured that you had remained the bigger Grumpus.

💜 Floofty eventually is convinced to move back into town, though part of you worried you might have somehow worsened the situation. The scientist now seemed to switch between pulling you closer and pushing you away. They'd ask for your assistance with their research, only to just as quickly turn up their nose at you and insist you'd only mess things up. Anytime you'd manage to have a civil conversation and manage to get somewhat chummy with them, it was as though a switch were flipped, as though Floofty were catching themself being nice to you and rectifying through arrogance. Hell, their behavior was so noticeable that Snorpy felt the need to confront them - all but having to when Floofty had nearly strong-armed you into almost chopping their head off.

🧪 But, the absolute worst thing, even above all that, was how you could feel Floofty's eyes boring into you. Just staring. Whether you were walking through town and talking with the others or running in from a snak run, you felt watched. And it wouldn't be a big deal because, hey, who doesn't people watch from time to time? Eyes are naturally drawn to movement and new stimuli! But, this was constant. A consistent pattern of behavior. And whenever you dared to face them, they wouldn't even flinch. No looking away or even pretending to be looking at someone else. Just them staring unblinking as you both locked eyes. You could swear you saw malice swirling in their eyes, glowering at you with what you were sure was contempt. And the icing on the cake? You had gone back down to Boiling Bay to fetch a snak for one of your friends, before deciding to sneak a peek inside Floofty's ship… All the air had left your lungs. Scratched over and over and over into the wood, on the floor, the walls, the ceiling, was your name. If you weren't so sure the rumor about Floofty being a killer was a lie, you would have sworn you were their next target.

💜 Before coming to Snaktooth, Floofty Fizzlebean had always been a bit of a recluse. Sure, they had family, their brother, some acquaintances and academic and professional peers, but ultimately nothing deeper than that. Likely in part due to coming across as unusual or rough around the edges. But also because they were a Grumpus that focused on the big picture rather than the small details. And, as such, they were derided for letting small details such as ethics fall to the wayside in pursuit of the greater good. Even on Snaktooth, their attempts at establishing connections between fellow professionals was impeded. Floofty was certain this was simply their fate, until you came along.

🧪 You frustrated Floofty just as much as you bewitched them. Though the scientist had thought little of you originally, Floofty was increasingly impressed by your intelligence, resourcefulness, skill, and adaptability - not to even mention your social intelligence. Deny it all you like, it took a rather special Grumpus to capture the hearts of so many in such little time. So many emotions whirled inside them it nearly made the Grumpus sick! Jealousy, affection, anger, fear, sadness, care. They wanted you close, but they were a danger to both you and themself! They knew you were intelligent but couldn't stand the thought of being seen as less than! They were charmed by your warmth and kindness but fumed at how you never stooped to their level! Why were you always so kind to them? Why did you care? Why wouldn't you just give up on them!? Just thinking about it made their heart beat out of sync and made them want to rip their hair out! You began to consume every waking thought. And even in their dreams, they weren't safe. They… They couldn't take their eyes off you, even going so far as to sneak into your hut at night. And when they weren't doing that, they'd go back to their makeshift hut to scrawl your name out over and over, hoping it'd quiet their mind, if only a little.

💜 You hadn't expected an invitation after you and the others fled the island. You'd all kept in contact, of course, but you weren't expecting anything coming up as of recent. Oddly, it was from Floofty, who'd been the most radio silent out of your friends - if they even considered themself your friend? Despite all you'd been through, you were happy to see the Grumpus was doing well! All smiles in photos and a new prosthetic to boot! They had gone back into teaching and was inviting you down to report on the findings from Snaktooth. Reading the letter, a warmth filled you and you couldn't help but hug the letter to your chest, smiling at knowing that Floofty had thought of you so well as to invite you to speak to their students!

🧪 Despite your initial nervousness at meeting them again, it went off without a hitch! You exchanged pleasantries and caught up with one another before going over their plan for the lecture. Throughout your meeting and the lesson, you couldn't help but feel proud at how far Floofty had come. They seemed so much more understanding and patient. Andfar more lighthearted, too! So much so that they even invited you back to their house to talk further, pouring you up a drink as you sat together. You couldn't get over how relaxed they seemed. And you were feeling relaxed, yourself. Relaxed… Or, wait, was it… Were you just tired? It was a bit hard to keep your head up or your eyes open. As you mumbled apologies, you let your head fall back against the cushion of your chair. Barely able to keep your eyes open, you felt as Floofty got up and approached your side. One of their paws overlapped with your own, giving a gentle squeeze. And as you fell into a deep sleep, Floofty pressed a soft kiss to the top of your head and sighed. "As glad as I am to be able to make up for my previous behavior, I fear you're simply far too trusting for your own good, dear..."