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Gosh he is so hungry.
Filbo didn't catch a single bugsnax the past few hours. He's far from the town, being in the farthest parts of Flavor Falls, and the darn Green Lollive stole his only snak trap he brought. He's all alone with no way of getting any food, and its going to be a trek back to town.
He is starting to regret not asking for Lizbert's help. He thought he could at least get a strabby for himself, but they're to quick to catch by paw.
Oh well, some sauce would be good enough, Filbo knows that he packed something on him just in case he didn't get any bugsnax... again. Opening up his backpack he sees he only gotten a cheese pod. 'Eh, it's better than ketchup.' Filbo shrugged and readied himself for some sticky, cheesy goodness. When he bite down however, all he tasted was just air. He looked around only to find the same Green Lollive that took his trap with his sauce. "You got to be kidding me."
Filbo watched as the bugsnax fly away, enjoying its nicked sauce. With a sigh, he looked around to find anything else to eat. All he sees are Sandopedes consuming a patch of ranch sauce, probably not even going leave any of it behind. It seems the island doesn't want him to eat anything today.
Filbo figures its best to just go back home and ask Liz for help... again. As he slowly walk back to Snaxburg, he spotted a multitude of purple flowers. His stomach growled at him, saying it wants sustenance. He looked at the flowers, thoughts running through him to eat it or not. His rational part of his brain told him to not even try it, he have seen Gramble in the medical tent every other week to the point where Eggabell almost forbids him on foraging. His other brain and his quaking stomach however tells him to just take a bite.
He decided that he will take a risk and pluck out a few of them. He hesitantly held the flower in front of him, thinking of all the repercussion he will have in a few moments. Closing his eyes, he ate the plant whole. He waits for the impeding feeling of bile.
Nothing happen, his belly isn't going crazy and he's not vomiting out whatever's left in his gut on the grass. "Huh, I guess it wasn't half baaad..." He was cut short as the world started to looked woozy, tittering and tottering like a pendulum. Before he knows it, he blacked out.
Elizabert watches as Filbo finally comes back from Garden Grove, she was glad he was safe from his hunting, but there's something she notice immediately about him. None of his limbs are changed so he didn't ate any bugsnax this morning, maybe he ate some sauce is was what she has to guess.
"Lizzy, pal, good to see ya." He seems rather flushed with his stature being droopy and his eyes were half-open, almost bloodshot. Either he's really down on himself of not getting any food and is trying to put up a front or something else entirely has happened to him. He smiled broadly, "Today is going to be the best day ever!"
Lizbert raised a brow at him, "Uh sure... are you okay there Filbo? You look a little sick, do I need to get Eggabell?"
Filbo stayed quiet, staring at her. Lizbert waits for him to say something, she was getting uncomfortable with the awkward silence. She was surprised with him suddenly chuckling, "Oh nah I'm tip top shape."
Yeah, no, she completely doubts it. "Did you get yourself something to eat?"
"Oh oh yeah, I'm really really full." He twitched a bit as he makes his way to his hut. "I'ma go rest for bit."
With a wave he disappeared in his hut, doing whatever he is doing is her guess. It creeped Elizabert out from how weird and aloof Filbo was acting, he would never would be like that to her... unless its toward Beffica. She will need to check on him after she gets the town some bugsnax.
Meanwhile in the hut, Filbo pulls out some purple flowers from his bag. He held it out like a grumpling before eating most of it in one gulp, laughing in complete and utter euphoria.
"Today is going to be the best day ever..."
Wiggle came from her morning routine walk from the beach, trying her best to both get a muse for her music and potentially grab herself a snack. She only got a kweeble that change her leg but its good enough to satiate her hunger.
She still doesn't have a clue on what her music is going to be about sadly, but that's like any other day. Might as well idly play with her banjo, maybe then she can get something done. When she entered her hut however, her eyes went wide as all of her banjo and guitars were broken, even her most favorite banjo was missing. She gawked at the sight of the catastrophe. She would have elegantly faint if it wasn't for this one oddity in the broken mess of a room.
A number one dad tie.
She knows a grump that wears those kinds of ties, and she knows for damn sure that he been eying her the entire time she's been on this island.
"Cromdo." She said to herself before mustering up all the building rage inside on one single roar. "CROMDO!"
Cromdo was frozen still as the entire town heard Wiggle's scream. His mind was going in million miles per hour on what he did to anger the super star.
"Ooh, you in trouble~." Beffica tease the red grumpus, holding back her laughter so she wouldn't spill her snakwater.
"What! I-I didn't do anything!" He stuttered, feeling his gut going down the drain. He sees the one hit wonder menacingly approach his stall, an aura around her he never seen on her before adding to her angered look. Scared to his bones is understatement in this situation, he felt like all his fur was going to be ripped out at once. "Wi-Wiggle, we can ta-talk this ou-"
He was lifted off the ground by his tie, his and Wiggle's noses touches. She took off her star glasses, her eyes glaring down on his being and soul. In that moment, he thought he shit himself an egg.
"Where. Is. My. Banjo."
Cromdo mentally screamed.
"Wowie, Wiggle's sounds mighty angry down there..."
Gramble watched from his window the commotion the two are bringing. He doesn't know what's going on, but he knows he's not going to go between any of that, no way. He was about to close his window until two photos was floating in front of him. He panicked a bit, but grabbed them both in a nick of time. He was confused since it wasn't windy today, but he shrugged as he checks what's on the photos.
His jaw dropped.
Beffica was absolutely laughing her ass her off as she watches Cromdo getting glared to death by Wiggle. This is the best thing she had ever seen. The one time she didn't bring her snaxscope to commemorate the heat of the moment. Eh, she already dropped the snakwater from her laughter, so might as well grab her camera.
When she entered her hut, however, she feels something was different, like some squeeb disturbed her lair. She checks her decoy diary on the drawer, seeing it still in the same spot, untouched. It calmed her little bit, but it still scared her that someone might have come by her hut. She opened one of the floor boards under her bed to get her book. When she felt only the soil, that's when she felt genuine fear.
She quickly gone outside, finding only Filbo nearby watching Wiggle and Cromdo argue. Grabbing his sash, she drags him behind her hut. Pinning him to the wall, she gave a nasty glare to him, "You should listen, and you better listen well Filbo. There's no law here to stop me, so I wouldn't hesitate on doing anything drastic. Now tell me, were you any where near my house and did you take what isn't yours? Spill the beans, squeeb!"
"I don't know what you are talking about." Filbo said with some distress. He still have the same bloodshot eyes. "I only want to go to sleep but then I'd heard yelling. I swear."
"Uhuh, then why do I smell squeeb in my house?"
"Like I said, I have no idea Beffica. I've only saw Snorpy over here a while ago, but that's it."
Bingo, that's what she wants to hear, a lead she can work with. She knows that inventor grump tends to be eccentric to other people, so she can definitely think he be in everyone's business, especially hers. She smiled, backing off him so he can breath, "Thank you, Filbo. If you weren't such squeeb, we would've been very good friends." She winked at him before rushing towards the mill, ready to grill Snorpy for sticking his purple nose where it shouldn't be.
Wambus watched some of the town folks go at it to each other. It is entertaining to watch nonetheless, but he should go back to work. He have gotten some peanut butter seeds from Chandlo when they were building a cabin in Sugarpine Woods and he wants to harvest them for easy eaten. He plants them as he hope they will grow in a warmer environment than in the more colder climate.
He was about to grab his tools when he seems to can't find them. From the corner of his eyes, he saw faint image of a grump booking it. He couldn't quite see who done it, but they did leave a mess on Shelda's gazebo. The floorboards was destroyed with a hoe sticking out of the wood and trinkets was everywhere. He must've been so distracted from Wiggle's and Cromdo's tussle that he didn't notice the perpetrator going at in Shelda's home. He went to pull out his hoe before the old lady comes back from her voyage in the Sizzlin' Sands. Sadly, he was interrupted by a meek grunt behind him.
"Oh dagnabit." He puts a paw on his face, already knowing the look of displeasure from the guru, "Look Ms. Woolbag, I know this may look a tab bit suspicious-"
"Indeed."
"But I can explain."
"Oh no, you don't need to say a word," Shelda said walking past Wambus to collect what's left of her baubles and knick-knacks, "I was just about to gather my things and leave this forsaken town anyways."
Wambus was about to say something until the barn's door was forcibly open by many kinds of bugsnax, some flew away, some burrowed in the ground and others ran like their lives depend on it. Out came Gramble looking distraught as he watched his 'family' runs away from him. When he got outside, he tripped on something when he was chasing a kwookie. He looked down, seeing a surgical saw, a shovel and his lock, now broken. He stared at them for a moment before he gives Wambus a accusatory sneer.
"You!"
"Oh Grump dammit."
The mill door was slammed open. Beffica is fumed, livid even. She was ready to tear this place down asunder to get her diary back. The moment she made a step, however, her leg was dragged by a rope, hanging her upside down in front of a battle ready inventor with a launcher that has a plunger on it.
"State your name, business and whom sent you, Grumpinati conspirator." Snorpy leered to the trapped grumpus. Beffica, though frazzled from suddenly hanging by her foot, rolled her eyes.
"Look psycho, I want my grumping book back and I know you took it." She swipe at him, only stopping by an inch from him. "Now give it back!"
Snorpy scoffed at her, "I have the slightest clue on what you're talking about."
Chandlo came downstairs and sees the two glaring down on another. "Do we have a problem bros?"
"Oh yeah, we have a problem." She points at Snorpy, "Your little bottom over here took my diary. Filbo saw him near my house!"
Snorpy looked perplexed, repeating the word 'bottom' to decipher whatever it means. "We'll talk about that later Snorp-dawg." He looked at her as he untied the rope, "Yes, he did go near your hut, but he was just grabbing my basketballs."
When the rope was untied, she hit face first on the ground. Shaking herself from the dust and the added blood in her head, she gave the two a look. "You better not hope I find out you guys actually took it, or there will be hell to pay."
Snorpy looked ready to use his device while Chandlo step in front of his friend, "You have to go through me first, Beff."
Though intimidated by the far stronger grump, rolled her eyes as she leaves, muttering, "Stupid unrequited love."
Triffany, Eggabell, and, by extension Floofty, watch as everyone are at each other throats. Beffica exits the mill, giving anyone that dared look at her a stink eye. Cromdo and Wiggle are for now talking civilly enough to explain themselves, though Wiggle seems like she's ready to punt him if she gets agitated enough. Further away was Gramble and Wambus bickering to each other.
"Oh no, they're at again." Triffany sighed. "This is the third time this week they're making a fool of themselves."
They were glaring, ready to hustle each other to the ground if they have too. Eggabell groans as she goes to her medical tent, thinking someone going to throw the first punch sooner or later, going to grab her medkit as precaution. She bet its going to be Gramble.
"Wambus is going to annihilate the pink fur ball, but I think you already know that." Floofty said, dissecting a sweetiefly they had ask from Lizbert for. They looked at their acquaintance, knowing for the inevitable dread she is feeling. They sighed, getting up from their work. "Come now, I don't want you to have a panic attack on me."
Both of them neared Triffany's hut, overhearing what the two southern grumpuses were saying. "You always tried to separate me from my family, like everyone else! That's why you broke the lock." Gramble yelled.
"For the last time, I didn't touch the darn lock. Someone else done it." Wambus angrily glared at the short rancher, "And if I did break it, I would have caught some of them for me and Triffy. Think Gramble, think!"
"Oh for the love of..." Triffany muttered coming out of hiding to face the both of them, Floofty following her, "Would you two please calm down and act like adults."
"I'm sorry Triffy, but this preyin' animal won't stop bothering me." Wambus said, watching Shelda putting her things in a bag.
Gramble went silent as his pupils grew small yet rabid. He stared at Wambus with so much disdain, he's practically drill a hole through him, "Preying... animal...?"
"Seem the farmer made an excellent analogy of what you are." Floofty snickered.
Gramble's body quake in unyielding rage, staring at the three. He chuckled as his face turn to a wicked smile, "Oh... I show y'all preying animal, hehe..." He pulled out a photo under his hat photo. He held it out towards Wambus. "Here..." He looked at it wearily but quickly snatched it nonetheless. His gut feeling told him to not look at it, but curiosity got the better of him. And this curiosity will kill the cat.
When he checked the contents of the photo, his eyes flew open as his jaw fell on the floor, making a unintelligent noise. Triffany was extremely concern for her husband's reaction. Beffica came out of the corner, wanting to distract herself from her missing book, sees the group looking tense. She sees the photo on Wambus' paws, recognizing it from her collection. She's betting that she knows which photo is that too.
Oh this going to be good. Too bad she can't use it as a playing card for demands anymore, but oh well.
"Well, what is it?" Floofty impatiently ask so they can go back to there dissection.
Wambus seem to take a moment to register who said it, and turns to the scientist. His eyes were like stone, cold and unfeeling.
"Triffy, hold me back." Triffany knew where this is going at. He's going to go ballistic. She quickly gone behind him and hold onto his waist, locking him place and ready for absolute mayhem. As she expected, Wambus shot forward towards the scientist. "Ya done gone sonvabitch, I'ma kill ya! I'ma put ya six feet under ya hear m'"
Floofty stumbled back from the wild, blue farmer, thanking whatever above blessed Triffany with strength that was enough to hold him back. Gramble was cackling like a maniac. "Preyin' animal." He copied Wambus' voice.
Everyone gather around to watch what's happening to the farmer. Floofty looked at the rabid grumpus yelling slurs at them that it could even make Cromdo felt like fainting. They looked at the dropped photo, cautiously grabbing it. They looked and gasp. On the photo was Floofty and Triffany on the floor making out like they're lovers. Everyone else sees it too, murmuring to each other of how scandalous it was. Floofty even hears their dear brother calling on him to explain.
Floofty tried to compose themselves as they tried to control the situation.
"Do not worry everyone. This is just fake, complete fabrication to delude you."
"And that's complete bs, you were literally giving tongue to her!" Beffica yelled out, sparking an even bigger fire of hate from the farmer, making Chandlo assist Triffany on holding off the furious grump.
Floofty face cringed at the prospect of being called out. "I thought we made a deal Winklesnoot!"
This made more gasps from the crowd.
"Well the deal is off till I find my grumping diary." She points to everyone else, "That's goes to all of you as well. Let me tell you, you are all weird as hell!"
Eggabell finally came back from her trip to the medical tent with a medical kit on paw. She was confused when she sees Wambus, who was exhausted from all his flailing, to and an untouched but wicked looking Gramble. "Uh what's going on?"
Gramble looks toward the doctor, still having his sickening smile plastered on his face. He approached her, pulling out another photo from his hat and hand it too her. He sat down near his barn door as he wait in anticipation. Everyone waits for her to look, while Floofty was shaking their head to do the opposite so fast, they were surprise that it's still attached.
She turned it over and accidently dropping it, letting the world know what it beheld. The photo contains Floofty and Eggabell in the same position as the previous photo held, both of them making out as well. She was blushing so much that her white fur around her cheeks turned hot red.
Everyone gasps as Floofty's fur puffed up considerable. If it wasn't for their fur, everyone would have witness them sweating bullets. Right now, they're in a lost for words, "Umm... accidently... fell... on her..."
"Floofenstein Fizzlebean, what in the darkest and deepest bowels are you doing?!" Snorpy yelled, distraught of not only seeing one, but two photos of his sibling mingling with other grumpuses lovers. Floofty couldn't respond to that. They already too far gone.
The crowd was too distracted of the infamy to notice their head leader coming back with bugsnax in her backpack.
"What's happening this time?" Elizabert questioned, ready to hear allot of complaints.
Everyone turned to their adventurer, some were glad she was here to help, others wasn't as much. Grumpuses swarm towards her, telling her what a day they had. It ranges from robbery, threats towards others, and lots and lots of taboo crap. She was so overwhelmed that she couldn't focus on one problem at a time.
"Settle down, settle down mates." She sighed as the crowd calmed down. "Okay, I will help you all for a bit. First of all, where's Filbo?"
Everyone waits for the grump in question to come out, yet he never came.
Cromdo sniffed in the air, "Hey, does anyone smell something burning?"
Everyone indeed smelled the same thing. They looked back into the village to see one of the huts burning to a crisp near Filbo's own.
"Oh shoot not again!" Elizabert ran the to the burning hut wonder how it was set ablaze, everyone else thinking the same thing. They immediately found out when Filbo was sitting right in front of it with his back against it. On his lap was a pink book he is reading, near him was some cans of paint and a banjo. He was also chewing on some purple flowers while he reads. Elizabert slowly crept towards her friend, "Fi-Filbo?
Filbo looked out at her with glee, his eyes still bloodshot red. "Good to see you Lizzy, how's it going?" He said such words like he didn't set the hut on fire.
"Filbo, what's going on?"
"Oh nothing really, just catching up in some reading." Filbo smiled as he looked towards Beffica. She looks pissed with the way her eyes are twitching. "Speaking of, I didn't know you like me like that Beffica, thanks Bestie."
Beffica was held back by some of the islanders. She wants to maul his face in so he couldn't be recognizable.
Shelda points at the blue fiend, "You were behind the atrocities of this predicament!"
"Eeyup, was real easy too, we really need to install doors." Filbo said as if it's the most simplest thing he had ever said. He yawned as he closed the book then hold the paint in front of him. "Sorry guys but the flowers are making me sleepy. I'll talk to you all later."
With that, he dipped his head into the can and breath in its fumes. He looked at them for bit before knocking himself unconscious.
Everyone stayed silent as rain came down on them. The rain smothered out the fire, but it couldn't smother the insanity that has happened to this day.
An airship plops down on the beach later that day. In it was a journalist ready to get their scoop and prove their boss wrong. What they didn't expect to see is an whole group of grumps sitting on the beach all looking like they watched a seriously sad movie. In front of them was a teal grumpus with a mayor sash splayed out on the sands. Beyond in town was scorched hut that was falling apart from its weaken wood.
This is seriously confusing, "Um... should I ask?"
Elizabert look at them and shook her head. "No, just don't."