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Snorpy Fizzlebean always was an introvert, even as a grumpling. It couldn’t be helped, really, he just was always welling with anxiety. Always felt like he was being watched, being judged for every action that he took.
He didn’t like the outside much at all. It left him feeling open, vulnerable.
Growing up was a mess for himself, unable to trust anyone because of this crippling fear in his heart, never feeling like he was in control of his life. The only time he felt safe was at home, where he knew where everything was. Familiarity was key.
Change was scary, and he didn’t want to deal with it.
His sibling didn’t help with that fear, always trying to rope him into their experiments when they were younger, much to his displeasure. It was no wonder they didn’t talk anymore.
The only change he could say for certain was positive was meeting Chandlo in kindergarten. Back then, he was so small and often hid away from everyone else where he could try to calm himself down before heading back out so the teachers wouldn’t start searching for him and stress him out even more.
Then one day a basketball landed nearby. He yelped when it landed, which no doubt alerted Chandlo to his presence, but in the end, it resulted in a beautiful friendship. He was surprisingly patient with him back then, willing to sit with him instead of playing with the others, talking quietly with him once had realised that he was scared.
He didn’t deserve him as a friend, even now, but he had him regardless. He cherished every minute spent with him, always listening to every word like it would be his last.
It would have been fine if it were left at that, but life was never that simple for someone like him. It had started with issues about getting a job with his qualifications, and how no one seemed to respond to any of his applications, no matter how he had presented himself. It had been well over six months with no reply when he knew that something was amiss, and he began to suspect that something was amiss.
The month after, he began to take notes on various things. Small, trivial details that, on their own, held no merit at all, but slowly, connections started to form. And what a picture it revealed.
The Grumpinati. A secret society that controlled almost everything behind the scenes. Many facets of media were influenced by them in some form, whether minor or major, and little escaped their reach. They knew how great of an inventor he was, and what he tinkered when he was alone, and slowly began to blacklist him from everything he could apply for. He couldn’t even apply to Grumpbucks, for grump’s sake, anyone could apply to Grumpbucks!
All the more reason to stop them and the plots they may have.
Chandlo was worried, it was obvious by his questions and looks, but he wouldn’t drag him into this. He wasn’t involved, and if he had anything to say about it, it would stay that way.
He spent a long time after ensuring the safety of both himself and Chandlo, figuring out what exactly the Grumpinati were plotting, and making backups of backup plans if everything was compromised. It was scary, having to fight an ever-present threat, but as long as he kept Chandlo safe, he would do it for as long as he could. Anything to keep him safe, with how much he meant to him.
Chandlo, bless his heart, was trying to rope him into exercising with him again. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to spend time with his best friend, but he couldn’t spare the time. At any moment, the Grumpinati could appear and take what he considered precious. Leave him with nothing.
He couldn’t risk that. He couldn’t live with himself if he lost Chandlo over something that he could have prevented. He may be making him worry about his wellbeing, but as long as Chandlo was safe, he’d be able to deal with that. Perhaps one day he’d be able to join him, once everything was safe.
That would be his dream, knowing everything was dealt with.
But he couldn’t do that, not while the Grumpinati was still at large. They could be anywhere, and he couldn’t be found. Not now, not ever. Chandlo was safe, he was unsuspecting, and would never be in their sightlines, but if he were to ever find out…
He’d do everything in his power to stop that from happening, so that Chandlo could live a happy life, away from the Grumpinati. He was happy enough knowing that he was safe, so he didn’t mind. He wanted to tell him, truly, but it was too risky. The fewer grumpuses that knew about them, the better.
He wasn’t about to let them take his closest friend since kindergarten.
Something… peculiar had happened recently. He didn’t watch the television often, if at all, but for some reason yesterday he had felt compelled to switch it on. He had no real purpose behind it, looking back, but he found himself messing with the remote, cursing the fact that the wire was slightly too short for him to rest comfortably when switching through the channels.
He had switched to a talk show that he seldom watched due to his distaste of the host, unable to find anything worth watching. Ever since his favourite show was robbed of him, TV was a dull, repetitive experience that he could barely slog through, but even he needed a break from working now and then.
Besides, Chandlo would always pester him about overexerting himself, bless him.
Of course, he was content just leaving it on as background noise while he relaxed on the couch, his best friend continuing his exercising routines nearby. It was their normal, and it brought peace of mind to his often debilitating anxiety over things outside of his control.
Then the guest on the show, Lizbert Megafig, had to mention something rather startling.
“I’m offering anyone with the skill set an opportunity to come with me on an expedition of a lifetime! Your dreams could be fulfilled, your big break could come through, it’s an excellent opportunity! All this, and whatever else you can reach for, on Snaktooth Island!”
Ever since then, Chandlo had been eager to go, always bringing it up whenever they were alone or at home. He meant no harm by it, his boundless enthusiasm showing how much the trip meant to him, but…
He didn’t know what to do. He tried to put it off initially as something that Chandlo would drop after a couple of days, but over time he just kept trying to convince him in various ways, never pushing any boundaries or upsetting him intentionally, but as a consequence of that, his anxiety rose to an all-time high over the prospect of leaving home.
He didn’t want to worry his best friend, so he kept it to himself, but every time Chandlo tried again to convince him, it chipped away at his reluctance, beginning to tempt him more and more. And that was what scared him.
What if he got too relaxed during the stay on the island? What if they didn’t even get there safely? What if…
All of these thoughts kept him awake at night, and it showed in his lack of effort in his work. Many half-finished projects had nothing done to them over the days he spent mulling the idea over. It was hard, staring at the latest model of the grappling hook he had envisioned laying in a bunch of parts with no desire to finish it.
Chandlo had picked up on it quickly, concerns rising when he stopped getting out of bed at his usual time. It took a lot of convincing on his part for Chandlo to drop it, and he wasn’t even sure that he truly stopped checking in on him when he wasn’t paying attention.
It didn’t take long after that to accept the idea of going to Snaktooth. He wasn’t getting anything done in this state, and Chandlo wanted to go. He just wished he could have brought some of his gadgets with him on the trip without having to worry about them being taken.
After all, they were always watching, you never knew where they could strike next.
He was flabbergasted at the sight of his sibling. He couldn’t believe that they had the gall to show their face to him again after what they had been through together. He had to keep an eye on them, with how unpredictable they were. Even now, he was glaring at them from where he was, far away from everyone else where he felt safe.
Chandlo, of course, stayed nearby but was in the middle of socialising with a couple of other grumpuses, really getting into the conversation. His laughter echoed out as someone cracked some form of joke, lightening his mood as his closest friend enjoyed himself. A small part of him hurt a little as he did, but he swiftly squashed down that feeling of jealousy. He swallowed, averting his eyes away from his friend’s back and taking a breath to calm his conflicting feelings.
He never liked to take risks. Putting himself out to a stranger without knowing they were safe would come back to bite him in the behind, and with Chandlo knowing him, he couldn’t risk his health over trying to bait out a spy. His eyes drew to the famous star, Wiggle Wigglebottom at that thought. She was relaxed, not a care in the world over the fact that she was likely on a one-way trip away from civilization. He grimaced, distrust forming at the sight of her.
It was convenient that someone of her calibre had found her way onto this expedition without any media coverage and managed to convince someone like Lizbert Megafig, a grumpus who was neither a fool nor was blind, to join them on the expedition.
Very suspicious indeed. He’d have to ensure that Chandlo remained safe, and possibly find some way to track the more suspicious individuals on the expedition.
He grimaced again, shaking his head as he tried to organise his thoughts. Fretting over one grumpus wouldn’t let him stay on top of things, and with everyone on the trip, that was an error he could not afford to make. All it would take is one simple mistake, and everything he loved would be robbed from him.
Sometimes, he wished he hadn’t found out about the Grumpinati. It would have been so much easier, living with Chandlo while he tinkered away, mayhaps he would have found another job that would have been sustainable. There was no point dwelling on what he couldn’t have, regardless. He set out to protect Chandlo from them, and perhaps one day stop them for good, and he was determined to make that happen.
He found himself staring down at the waters below him, watching as the waves moved according to the wind. He always felt relaxed with something else occupying his mind, with tinkering being a favourite of his. It was why he had so many tools back at their apartment, collecting dust now that he was gone.
He felt naked without them nearby, but he could always make more.
“Yo, Snorp-Dawg! Come over here, say hi to everyone!” Chandlo suddenly shouted, catching his attention. He turned, looking as four different faces were looking in his direction, all with varying expressions. Chandlo grinned, waving him over. “Come on, bro! You can’t just stand there all alone!”
He sighed but found a smile slipping on anyway. He always meant well, regardless of the situation.
“Alright, Chandlo, I’m coming.”
Chandlo and himself had taken on the brunt of construction, with Chandlo’s muscle and the tools he had managed to bring, they had managed to get basic housing up in record time, with other, bigger buildings being planned down the line. Every moment spent working together was like an eternity to him, his eyes always drawn to his friend.
Well, he couldn’t lie to himself anymore. He considered him more than a friend. Far, far more than a friend. He could easily say that Chandlo Funkbun was the most important thing in his life.
He loved him, and he desperately wanted to tell him. Fear kept him from doing so. The fear of rejection, the fear of abandonment, the fear of hatred. He loved him so dearly, but he was so scared of the possibility of Chandlo not being interested, or worse, outright despising him for saying his feelings.
That fear was the sole thing currently causing his anxieties. Everyone on the expedition, sans one or two, was at least not liable to hurt him or Chandlo, and Lizbert had yet to report anything suspicious while exploring the island. He swallowed on reflex, staring at the ceiling of the cramped hut he had built for both himself and Chandlo.
He was lucky he wasn’t here. No doubt Chandlo would have raised some concerns over his emotional state, and grump knew he didn’t want to worry him. He just felt lost. A familiar feeling after spending many nights making ultimately fruitless theories on what exactly the Grumpinati were, but this was different. Familiar, yet choking.
Almost like… Oh, he was crying. That was why.
He sniffled, pulling off his glasses as he tried to muffle his sobs to not alert anyone nearby, rubbing at his eyes and dampening his fur. He sat up from where he laid, pulling his legs over onto the cold hardwood floor as he slowly managed to compose himself as his tears stopped flowing. He hadn't felt like this in a long time, but he was sadly experienced enough to know how to stop the flow, so to speak.
Distant memories flashed up, before he shook his head again, stopping himself from going down a memory lane that would not have been good.
He slumped, looking up at the descending sun from the doorway. There was no point in lying down and doing nothing currently, he had to occupy himself before his mind drifted off again. More importantly, he had to distance himself from his feelings for the time being.
His eyes travelled to the space around him, the only thing in the hut being the beds they had. Perhaps he could get a head start on making some furniture…
His sibling was up to no good again, he could tell. The expedition’s doctor, Eggabell, had been having more and more Bugsnax as of recent and was seen in Floofty’s work tent more often than not. He didn’t know what they were up to, perhaps they had found themself a willing subject and were taking full advantage of it, but theorising about their methods of madness was never a good idea.
He would have intervened, but that would have meant unearthing the baggage they shared. Instead, he had let Lizbert know about what had been going on, and went back to tinkering and creating more capturing tools for her. Chandlo had noticed too, judging from their conversations, but was far too nice to blame them for it, despite knowing the rift between himself and his sibling.
He remembered the first time he truly feared his sibling’s methods when he had walked in on them testing a rather explosive chemical compound in their room. The fear he felt when he saw the mixture bubbling so close to their face with only their goggles to protect them had set him off and had yelled for their parents to stop them.
The glare they sent his way after they had confiscated their equipment had sent a chill down his spine. It was a sign of things to come as they got older, and the start of a tense relationship.
He at least acknowledged the fact they never roped anyone else into their insane experiments without their consent, but that mattered little when the repercussions of said experiments often affected others anyway.
Their university had never been the same after the replicating toffee incident. As lighthearted as that sounded, there was a reason their name was often uttered with disdain in the scientific community.
The media had a field day dragging their name through the dirt, and as much as he felt sorry for them, he didn’t offer any condolences. It would have been wasted on them.
In the five years since they had seen each other, they had grown so arrogant to others. The fact that they talked as if they weren’t siblings at all infuriated him, and the only thing that stopped him from slapping sense into them was the fact that they produced results. Unlike him, they got somewhere in life, regardless of their reputation, and that was what drove him mad. He deliberately made sure to dissociate from them as he went through his academic life, tempted at times to change his last name to avoid any relation to them, but…
He did still care for them. He hated to admit it, and he always would, but they were still his sibling. And severing that last connection would mean that he hated them when he did not.
He just felt like he was living in the shadow of their accomplishments. They managed to discover a lot of things that would make anyone amazed, yet their arrogance and borderline superiority complex had stopped them from truly flourishing. They were wasting the opportunity they were given.
No wonder they never got along, even as grumplings.
Lizbert had come to him for something. This had set him the wrong way, knowing how often she liked to tackle things by herself, but he had heard her out after some consideration. He trusted her almost as much as Chandlo, after all.
What he had heard had surprised him. What was infuriating, though, is that she was extremely vague about it, which only further increased his anxieties. All he knew was that she was struggling with getting something open, which was hardly detailed enough for him to pinpoint her exact location when she had disappeared. He was given a map which he had looked at in extreme detail but was unable to figure out where exactly it was since he had never left town before.
Everything was beginning to pile up, and his instinct was to lock himself inside the sawmill and start to make sense of things. His corkboard he had set up was already filled and he had only just begun trying to create a timeline of events. It was just so much information to process, and every day it seemed like another piece was added on.
It just never ended, and it was more stress than he had ever dealt with in his entire life. He could tell Chandlo was worried, but he couldn’t stop now. The Grumpinati were more involved in this than he had thought, and he wasn’t about to let them have control over his life. The earthquakes, the Snak supply running out, and Lizbert’s disappearance… It was all too coincidental.
The town wasn’t safe anymore, and everyone was feeling that. Three grumpuses excluding Lizbert had left town already, and he had a feeling that it was only going to get worse. Just yesterday their sibling had been chased out of town, the last person to see them being Chandlo. According to him, Shelda had slandered their name further, basically fear-mongering whether intentional or not.
He had grit his teeth when he heard that, but had nothing else to say about their sibling’s situation. What was the point, when they would just mock him for trying to help?
Everything was falling apart, and it all started with whatever Lizbert was trying to open. He had to figure out what had happened, and try to find her as quickly as he could before everything got worse.
But it was so much at once. He had to stop the Grumpinati, find Lizbert, ensure everyone was safe wherever they were, most of all Chandlo, all the while he was stuck on an island far from home, where he didn’t feel safe.
His head was beginning to hurt from all the thoughts buzzing through his head, and he was beginning to feel overwhelmed. His heart rate began to elevate, his breathing began to quicken, and his vision was beginning to blur.
He took a step back, trying to ground himself as he began to panic. He desperately tried to think of something, anything, that could ease him back, but nothing was working. He covered his mouth with his paws, trying to slow down his breathing, but that did nothing since air slipped through his digits anyway. He could feel tears streaming down his face again, irritating the skin beneath his fur. He felt clammy, arms shaking as he began to lose himself in his emotions.
Chandlo drifted into his thoughts, and the most important thing that he had said to him pierced through the haze.
‘Bro, no matter what happens, I’ll be there for you, all day, every day. You’re important to me, Snorpy, ya feel me?’ The warm aroma of hot chocolate wafted through his nose, huddled together with Chandlo as they watched his favourite show, the feeling of his arm wrapped around him bringing comfort.
‘Of course, Chandlo. I’ll be there for you, too.’ He replied, taking a sip from his mug.
He smiled as more tears streamed down his face, slowly coming back to the present. He knew what was at stake. He took a few minutes slowing his breathing and thinking of more thoughts involving his crush, finding himself coherent enough to turn back to his work.
Of course, he’d have to clean himself up first.
When he and Chandlo had relocated up into Sugarpine Woods, he didn’t expect too much to change, aside from it being much quieter on a day to day basis.
He was very wrong about that. He had made a horrifying discovery about Bugsnax, and it made things make so much more sense in hindsight. The Grumpinati had to be involved in their creation, and they were above their base situated here. It made sense, they made sure to keep as many grumpuses away as possible, and used Bugsnax to keep what ones who do arrive in check.
If they were used to tempt the average grumpus, who knew what other purposes they could have? Thankfully, they had no other effects on the body, as he had discovered in a moment of rash decision making, so perhaps consumption could be a viable method of getting rid of their prying eyes.
Their possible uses were endless, and he had taken to creating a tower from which he could watch them safely. Of course, the tower had been trapped if any unsavoury individuals had tried to sabotage his vantage point, but so far the only thing that had said it off were flying Bugsnax. Unfortunately, he couldn’t tell if it was an act of distraction from the Grumpinati or not, so he was stumped as to what to do in that regard.
Still, he was far more comfortable up there than down in Snaxburg. He could breathe, and Chandlo had his room to exercise without disturbing his work. It was ideal work conditions, yet he hadn’t gotten any closer to stopping their plots.
Chandlo seemed to be unaware of his frustrations, so he kept them to himself, but he often went hunting for Cinnasnails to ease his frustrations. Of course, since he had no idea how to catch any Bugsnax, let alone one as stubborn as them, he often went home without anything in his possession, only further frustrating him. He never went hunting for long, anyway, since he felt vulnerable in the outside world. With how open the area was, you could never tell if someone went missing. Thankfully, he had managed to slip a tracker on Chandlo’s hat, where he knew it wouldn’t be removed from his person, so he knew where he was at all times.
Of course, when he wanted to be alone he left him be, but knowing where he was in the event another earthquake hit that shook the very mountain would no doubt be life-saving. He wasn’t being paranoid, if the Grumpinati were involved, then he could never be too paranoid.
He just hoped that one day he could live without their presence in his life.
He stared morosely at the wall after what had happened. He had just wanted to stop the earthquakes once and for all and he ended up making Chandlo extremely worried for him.
Some “friend” he was. How could he even consider confessing to him after doing that to him? Not only had he betrayed his trust, but he had also gone behind his back after assuring that everything would be fine and straight-up lied to his face when confronted.
He had to coerce the confession out of him, for grump’s sake. The journalist hadn’t seen that part, thankfully. He wouldn’t have lived with himself if anyone else had seen his lowest point.
He hadn’t intended to make him angry, he just wanted to make sure he would be safe, not involved with his things. And because of that, he was close to losing his closest friend. His crush.
He let out a sob, not even bothering to muffle it as he stared down at the state of his body. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place, because of the fear of rejection. That little voice in the back of his head, urging him to keep him away from what he was doing might have robbed him of what he had considered his life.
His next breath was shaky as he found himself looking at the corkboard full of everything he had been working on since he had arrived. Of everything, he had believed in.
That may have been his life’s work, but it meant nothing to him. Chandlo meant the world to him, and he had disregarded his feelings in favour of trying in some vain attempt to stop something far too large for one grump to even dream of taking on.
No wonder Chandlo was so angry with him.
The mill never looked so imposing until now.
Chandlo stood in the doorway, looking at him sternly.
“Well?” He said, crossing his arms. “You ready to talk, Snorpy?”
He nodded silently, not trusting his voice to give away how close he was to break down at that moment.
He blinked, before relaxing a bit. “Alright, bro, come on in.” He turned around, sitting down on a stool in the middle of the room. He shuffled in awkwardly, sitting down across from him and looking at his feet in an attempt to avert his eyes.
He heard Chandlo sigh before he swallowed tightly. “Look, Snorpy. You can't keep hiding things from me anymore. If we’re gonna keep being like this, we gotta be more open, and you’re not doing that.” He looked up at Chandlo, who was staring directly at him. “Please, Snorpy. Tell me what’s going on. I can’t trust you unless you’re honest. You wanted to tell me, now’s the time.”
He nodded again, swallowing down the lump in his throat. “Y-Yes… Alright.”
When he started to explain everything, it was like a dam had been opened. He kept talking for a long time, Chandlo listening all the while in silence, occasionally nodding or urging him to continue softly when he stopped talking.
By the end, it was like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders, yet even that was buried under the sheer fear of rejection from Chandlo as he stared down at the dirty floorboards, his eyes blurry from unshed tears.
“I-I wanted to tell you for so long , Chandlo, but… I-I just didn’t know if you’d b-believe me…” He said, voice trembling from emotion. He sat in silence for what felt like an eternity, feeling like he was being judged for everything he had done in his life. It may as well have been, considering how much he had kept hidden.
He didn’t even know about the blacklisting.
“Snorpy, I just wanna know one thing.” He said, voice tense.
“Y-Yes, Chandlo, anything.” He stammered, looking away in shame.
“Why won’t you look at me?” He said, creaking from the stool indicating he had gotten up. “I wanna see your face, and you’re turning away from me.”
He felt himself freezing in fear, akin to stagefright. He hadn’t expected that kind of question, but at that moment, he felt some form of relief.
“W-Well, I…” He couldn’t find himself to say anything else in case his voice gave away how close he was to weeping, hoping that Chandlo would drop it to spare him from the entire situation that would stem from it.
What if he felt like he wasn’t worth it? What if he didn’t want anything to do with him anymore after everything he had admitted to? What if-
Arms had wrapped around him suddenly, pulling him out of his thoughts.
“Snorpy, it’s alright.” He said softly, rubbing circled into his back. “I don’t hate you, okay? I just want to help you, and if you don’t talk to me, I can’t.” His grip tightened slightly, pulling him up from the stool. “I don’t hate you, don’t ever think that.”
He didn’t remember anything after that, all he knew was there were a lot of tears shed on both sides that night.
He learned to accept himself, all thanks to him, and he would never let Chandlo down again.
He stared at the form of his sibling, shaking in fear and anger after seeing them using his contraption for their experiment. He had been lucky enough to stop them when he did, and the ensuing argument had brought to light many feelings he had kept hidden from them for his entire life.
The fact that they prioritised their work over themself showed how far they had gone.
“See, this is why nobody wants to help you!” He shouted, turning up his nose and stomping away in a rage.
They were hopeless. They were so focused on results that they didn’t even care about him. They didn’t care that he cared.
He let out another huff as he stormed into the mill, not even acknowledging Chandlo’s questionable grunt as he climbed into bed angrily. They just infuriated him so much, not caring about their wellbeing, so wrapped up in their work that they value themself on that alone.
Their arrogance only reflected that, and he was surprised it took this long for them to do something that reckless.
“Snorp-Dawg…? You alright, bro?” Chandlo spoke up, holding his shoulder lightly. “What's got you all angry?”
He sighed, turning around to face him in the bed. “My sibling’s arrogance is at it again. They just refuse to listen, and it’s so frustrating to care about them when they won’t even give me the time of day.” He leaned into the pillow, grumbling under his breath.
“Bro… just give them time, alright?” He said, pulling him closer. “If it got as heated as you’re saying, then they’ll think about what you said. You can talk it out later.”
He doubted it would be that easy, but he would wait. It was going to be a pain to deal with, but he’d work things out between them if only to spare Chandlo from any more family drama.
He had just come to terms with everything when everything had crumbled around him. His sibling had apologized for once, only for them to immediately try to rope him back into working with them again, which while expected, was something from them at least. Then, he had confessed to his love, only to find out they had been dating for years. That had been a shock, indeed.
He couldn’t remember the last time he had danced, but it had been the time of his life, seeing the glee in his lover’s face and the atmosphere in Snaxburg wasn’t depressing for once.
Then the earthquake hit, ruining everything.
While the journalist and Filbo went up with Eggabell up the mountain in search of Lizbert, he had set out on trying to repair the journalist’s ship for an easy exit before the volcano had caused any proper damage while everyone else kept an eye on crucial spots in the event of invaders.
For once, his strategic plans had paid off.
He hadn’t expected a swarm of Bugsnax to start attacking everyone, but they had all managed to get away without losing their lives. Aside from Lizbert and Eggabell, unfortunately.
He desperately wanted to reach out to the pair, to try and help in any way he could, but he knew it would be fruitless. Chandlo was worse off than him, falling to the ground in his grief, relying on himself for comfort, of which he had provided that in spades during the trip back.
As they departed from the ship and the journalist talked with everyone, Snorpy found himself wondering what the future held in store now that this had occurred. No one was going to get away from this completely unaffected, and it was going to take a while before anyone could recover from their Snakification, so it wasn’t like they could distract themselves with a job in the meantime.
He was lucky. He had Chandlo, and Wambus had Triffany. They all could support their partner when they needed it. No doubt others had found something with each other as well, but some weren’t so lucky.
His eyes drew to Floofty at that, who was staring blankly at the island, before lifting their arm into their sight. They shook their head, turning around and marching away from the shoreline back towards everyone else, still stone-faced.
He nodded to himself at that moment. He wouldn’t leave them to deal with this, regardless of what they said.
It was going to be hard, trying to get them to open up, but he was nothing if not persistent.
Snorpy Fizzlebean had grown thanks to Snaktooth. If he had the option to skip out on it and go back to his old life, he wouldn’t have taken it. Ever since he had come back, he had stopped trying to stop the Grumpinati, always keeping an eye out but not letting it take over his life as it had done previously. Of course, if he ever got carried away again, Chandlo would no doubt have reminded him, but he kept himself in check.
He and his sibling were talking again, and although it was still very awkward considering their colder way of talking, they still made an effort, so he was happy enough with the progress they made.
Speaking of progress, he had finally managed to land a job as a technician. Of course, since it was a for-hire service, it was sporadic income, but it still paid well considering the number of breakages in their area.
That, and he was undeniably one of the best in his neighbourhood. He wasn’t about to let pride take over, though, so he was always learning more.
He had also managed to finally hit the gym after many months of convincing from Chandlo, which wasn’t that hard surprisingly. Of course, the initial commitment was jarring, but over time he began to notice results, which only motivated him more. All the heavy tools he carried no doubt paid off in that regard, but he still had to thank Chandlo for being his personal trainer.
Speaking of Chandlo… The wedding was only in the planning stages, but they were on the way to being officially husbands. He couldn’t wait for that day, but understandably they would wait until everyone else from the expedition was ready for that.
He still considered himself lucky for having Chandlo with him. They kept each other company during the difficult nights, the many nightmares that plagued the pair were that bit more bearable knowing they weren’t alone.
Snorpy Fizzlebean could call himself a grumpus that Chandlo deserved.