Expedition Day 1: Entry 4

After about 13 minutes of walking, I eventually made it to the area of Simmering Springs, only to find a purple Grumpus who looked to be working on a small... needle thing?

"Excuse me? May I speak with you for a second?" I asked, the Grumpus looking at me in surprise.

"Snaxburg is populated again? How very surprising... and you must be the intrepid journalist, if I am not mistaken," he said, me nodding at that.

"Yeah. My name's Felicia Bundoga. And who may you be?" I asked.

"I am Floofty Fizzlebean. I came out here to further my scientific experiments on Bugsnax, but it's been going rather slow since Eggabell disappeared with Lizbert... would you like to make yourself useful in the name of science?" he asked, me smirking at that.

"Sounds interesting! You have my attention, mister Fizzlebean," I smiled at him.

"Very good. As I'm sure you have noticed by now with the other Grumpuses, their limbs change into the Bugsnax they have eaten. I have dubbed this phenomenon as Snakification. Normally, Snakification occurs at random, but I have found a way to isolate the genes of the Bugsnax to change specific limbs through a process of static projectory technology," Floofty said as I looked at the needle and then smiled.

"I got ya... something to do with that needle, right? Like, you use it to turn specific body parts into the Bugsnax in question?" I asked, him smirking at that.

"Hm, your scientific mind is quite piqued and brainy. No need to offend, but I certainly didn't expect that from a human," he said, me smiling at that.

"No need to be so modest. I worked my ass off to get to where I am today, and that's all that counts. Now, can I help in this experiment? And do you think it'd work on me? Because I ate a Lollive, like, 4 hours ago, and it still hasn't digested the whole way and I haven't gotten a single limb changed," I said, showing the fact that my chest still had a small bulge where the Lollive was almost done digesting and Floofty looked at it in surprise.

"How very curious... if you haven't gotten a changed limb after all this time, then that can only mean that you are immune to Snakification! Almost as if, due to you having a different genetic makeup, the Bugsnax have no ill effects on you, or even positive ones!... Well, if you wish to assist, you will feed me this Strabby and then activate the Snaktivator. That will halt the Snakification until you direct the snakified limb to my left foot," he said, me nodding as I took the funny needle and saw that it had a single button on it and that it was more like a dull end on it, but it was highly technical. I then fed him the strabby and pushed the button as Floofty gulped down the little berry. I then poked it into his left foot and it immediately turned into a Strabby, him then smiling and nodding.

"Very good, this is a fine day to meet another that is fascinated by science! I shall allow you to field test the Snaktivator for now. I'm sure I'll meet up with you in the future, but for now, I'll be proceeding with phase 2 of my research. Good day," Floofty said with a smile as he then walked off, me wondering where he was going... and why he was so curious about the Bugsnax and Snakification, as he called it. I then heard something to my right. It sounded an awful lot like banjo music. I then went in that direction as I then heard a voice I recognized instantly.

"~Ooooh Gramble! My love for you is true...
It runs even deeper... than the ocean blue!...
OOooooooh Gramble... I SAID GRAMBLE, GRAMBLE GRAMBLEEEEEEEEE! OOOOOOOOHHHHH GRAMBLE!~" the extremely passionate voice of Wiggle Wigglebottom sung out as I noted that she was next to a small pink Grumpus who was wearing a Strabby hat and he looked at a couple Strabbies that were hiding behind him.

"Wiggle, your song's nice an' all... but could ya maybe keep it down? Yer scarin' the little ones," he said, me knowing for a fact that he had to be Gramble.

"Oh, Gramble! I just can't help it. I just need to ~Siiiing wherever it strikes me!~" Wiggle sung at the end, as she usually did. That's why I loved her so much!

"Well, maybe it'd strike ya better... over there?" he asked, pointing down towards the beach.

"Aw, okay, Gramble. And hey, maybe we can have a little romantic walk during the twilight," Wiggle smiled.

"Y-Ya mean like... a date?" Gramble smiled widely.

"But of course. It'd be you, me, an' your adorable Bugsnax. We'd sing and dance until we slowly drift off to sleep..."

"NO! U-Uh, I mean... I think I'll pass on that, Wiggle. It's just that, whenever I sleep when yer around, my snax up and vanish," Gramble said as Wiggle then smiled.

"I understand, Gramble. Well, time to get some inspiration flowin' to my noggin," Wiggle smiled as she then walked off and I then approached Gramble and he looked at me with a glare.

"And who're you? I ain't seen you around before. If yer lookin' for Bugsnax, you'd best look elsewhere. These little ones are my kin," he said, me smiling and shaking my head no at that.

"No, don't worry, I'm not here for your Bugsnax. I'm actually here to find you and Wiggle," I said, him then sighing.

"Whew, that's a relief... sorry for being short with ya, I haven't slept much lately... so, who are you, then? Because... well, I ain't never seen someone that looked like you before," he said, me smiling at that.

"Well, that must mean that you've never met a human, then," I said, him then gawking.

"Oh my! Then that means yer that reporter girl that Lizbert mentioned awhile back! Well, if that's the case, could I ask ya'll for help with a little somethin'?" he asked as I simply smiled.

"On one condition. You gotta come back to Snaxburg. I need more manpower to find Lizbert," I said, him frowning and mulling it over as one of his Strabbies started to talk.

"Pwease, papa? We wanna go home," it said with a female voice, me smiling at that.

"Even your little Strabby friend wants to go home to town," I said, Gramble then gasping at that.

"Y-You mean... ya'll can actually understand 'em?" he asked, me nodding.

"She also called you her papa, which is adorable," I said, Gramble looking like he was tearing up and him then looking at the Strabbies and then at me.

"Well, okay, but before that, I'd like a little bit of help finding the rest of my family of Snax. I'm still missin' my three Peelbugs an' my two Kweebles. If you're able to talk to 'em, maybe you could have one of my friends to help ya out. Follow me," Gramble said as he led me to an area behind him and I saw that he actually had a small obstacle course at the base of a cliff and that there was a Strabby inside of a hamster ball at the bottom. "That there's Sprout. Isn't he just the cutest? I've been training him to follow my pointer in his Buggy Ball. Think you could lead 'im up here to us? He'd be able to help a heap with findin' the Peelbugs especially, since they always hide in holes," he said, me nodding at that as he gave me the laser pointer and I proceeded to point it in Sprout's line of sight and he started to follow it. And what was he saying.

"Pretty light! Follow the pretty light! Adventure awaits for Sprout the Explorer!" the little Strabby said, me smirking at how he sounded like a little boy that was excited for his first hike in the woods. He followed my laser everywhere I pointed it until I pointed it at a brown circle and, after Sprout went onto it, it suddenly activated a spring that sent Sprout up to us and I then caught him, which Sprout looked at me with a giggle.

"Yay! The little explorer is back among us, Gramble," I smirked, him smirking at that as Sprout then giggled at me.

"Sprout seems to like you! He's always been a good judge of character. He'll help ya out with findin' my Peelbugs. But just remember, just cuz I'm puttin' you in charge of Sprout, it doesn't mean he's on the menu for the others, got it?" he said, me smirking at that.

"I wasn't even thinking about that. Sprout is going to be considered as a partner among my arsenal. He'll be safe, I promise," I smirked.

"Well, okay. Go on, then," he said, me then seeing a hole and then looked at Sprout with a smile.

"Hey, Sprout? You wanna go into that hole and bring me out the Peelbug inside?" I asked, the little strawberry then rolling towards the hole with enthusiasm.

"Gotta help my friendly friend! Come on out, Peely! Time to go home to daddy!" Sprout said as he went inside the small tunnel and I then heard a Peelbug inside.

"Please, no? I don't wanna get eaten by that creep without the fur," the Peelbug said as it was forced out of its hole and it looked at me in fear. I simply smiled at it.

"Now why would I harm a fellow Snak friend? See the top of my head?" I said, pointing out the fact that my head had jelly. The Peelbug looked at it and then gasped.

"You're... you're part snak? Like, not from eating a Snak, but really part snak! So... you don't eat Bugsnax?" Peely asked as I sighed.

"One, but it was really difficult to get it down my throat. And it's still digesting roughly 4 hours after, so I'm not too keen on eating anymore than one per meal," I said, the Peelbug looking kinda frightened, but not retreating. "Anyhoo, Gramble wants to see ya again. He misses you an awful lot," I said, the Peelbug then looking at Sprout and then at me.

"Okay, fine. I'll go back to uncle Gramble. But make sure the others don't get seen by that orange loudmouth. She's ravenous, especially with 'music time'," the Peelbug said before then rolling over to Gramble's pen and making him smile.

"Well, I am impressed! You really have a way with Snax, just like I do!" Gramble smirked as I then looked at Sprout and smiled.

"Hey, Sprout? I have an idea of how to get the other Peelbugs and Kweebles back to Gramble. Can I ask you to go and fetch them on your own? And in the meantime, I'm going to distract Wiggle, just in case she notices what you're up to," I said, whispering that to Sprout since I could tell that Gramble did like Wiggle.

"Oh, undercover mode! I won't disappoint friendly friend! Undercover secret mission, go!" Sprout smirked as we then proceeded down towards the beach area and noticed that Wiggle was standing in an elevated standpoint that had a hammock as well as a hot spring.

"Wiggle Wigglebottom? May I ask for your attention, please?" I asked, trying to control my inner fangirl to get her attention.

"Ah, the intrepid reporter has arrived to the island, hmm? Would you care for an autograph?" she asked, me then failing to stay professional... I then squealed in delight and nodded my head up and down happily.

"EEE! I finally get an autograph from THE Wiggle Wigglebottom! This trip was SO worth it, both for the discovery of Bugsnax, and meeting you!" I smirked in excitement as Wiggle then handed me an autograph, written on a photo of herself, me smirking widely and putting it in my backpack in the special waterproof section. It was also where I kept the important items, such as my journal and the clue that Wambus gave me.

"So, what else can I do for you, my beloved fan?" Wiggle asked as I smiled.

"Well, I kinda came here to get you and Gramble back to Snaxburg... can you please come back?" I asked, her smirking.

"Sorry, hon, no can do. I'm this close to finding some inspiration for a new song, but I need a little bit of... encouragement. And by encouragement I mean Bugsnax. First thing, I'd like a new hairdo. Maybe find one of them Pineantulas and feed it to me? I know that Snaktivator thing there is Floofty's invention and I'd die to see it in action," Wiggle smirked as I noted that Sprout had managed to get the Kweebles and the Peelbugs off of the sand and towards the right side of the beach, where Gramble's gaggle of Bugsnax were at.

"Okay, one Pineantula hairdo coming up. But before that, I gotta go check up on Gramble," I said, her nodding at that as I then went towards his area and I smirked at how he was all smiles and ready to cry when he saw me.

"Y-You reunited all my kin an' me... I'm so happy that I could cry... an' I'm gonna... WAAAAHHAAAHAAA!... t-thank you so much... I'd best mosey off to town, then. An' Sprout. You treat this girl all nice, alright? Make me proud, buddy," he said as Sprout then rolled around in a circle and smiled.

"I'll do just that, daddy! I'll be the best secret agent explorer ever!" Sprout smiled as I then translated.

"Sprout said that he'll be the best secret agent explorer ever. He's very excited for the adventure," I smirked.

"Thanks again, for everything. Come on, little ones. Back to town," Gramble smirked as he then went off towards the direction of town and I then scanned the Pineantula that was down by the beach and noted that they didn't like Crapple (I'm not kidding, that's literally the name! They couldn't name it anything better?) and that Crapple liked chocolate... (the jokes right themselves).

I then coated the Pineantula in chocolate and the Crapple then walked towards the choco feces and, the Pineantula was surprised at how he got caught by the Crapple, me then rushing in and, while the Pineantula was out of the sand, I sent the net over it and the fruity Bugsnak immediately relinquished itself. As for the Crapple? He looked at me in confusion.

"You weird... you have scent of snak... but no look like snak. What are you?" the Crapple asked as I simply smiled at it. There was one thing I'd been wanting to know since I first heard it said by the couple of Bugsnax I caught while getting to town.

"How about I answer it, but only if you answer one of my questions. What is the queen?" I asked, Crapple looking at me and looking a bit worried, but then motioning me down to it.

"Queen Bugsnak is... well, queen Bugsnak. She tell us hold off plan, but that hurt island. But plan secret, cannot tell, even to half snak," the apple crab whispered, me feeling very weirded out by that. A plan? And that holding it off would hurt the island?

"Could you at least tell me how holding off this plan would hurt the island?... And if so, how much time do we have?" I asked.

"Not for much longer... at least 6 days from now... and when time up? Volcano explodes... now answer question. What are you?" he asked as I then sighed. To think that we had less than a week to get everyone off the island, or we were all done for...

"Might as well... I'm Felicia Bundoga and I'm a reporter, a human, and am the only one among the islands' Grumpus inhabitants to understand you Bugsnax... but it only happened after my head hit a rock after the previous earthquake," I said, the Crapple looking at my head and then sniffing it... though how he could was confusing to me.

"Hmm... allow me to speak with queen. I'll stay here, out of sight from loudmouth, and ask queen about human things... she know every fact on everyone on island in past. I'll tell you more later," the Crapple said before then going into the shallow water and hiding in a small alcove, me then looking at the Pineantula and then looking towards my left... to see that Wiggle was standing right there and was looking at me in surprise.

"Um, darlin'? Is it just me, or were you talkin' to that Crapple?" Wiggle asked as I simply smiled.

"I dunno, but I do know I've got tons of jokes based on the name alone, and the fact it loves chocolate," I smirked at her, Wiggle then laughing at that, which made me smirk.

"You know how to make me laugh, hon, HAHA! Okay, now you got a Pineantula, right? Can you give me my wild new hairdo now?" she asked, me nodding as I then handed her the fruity Bugsnak and she then gulped it down in one go, but not before I hit the button, halting the Snakification. I then poked the blunt needle into the hair of Wiggle and smiled at how it gave her a great new hairdo of a pineapple leaf with a small fruit piece popping up above her left eyebrow. "Ah, that's better! I can feel the muse singing to me..." Wiggle said before then doing some vocal warmups, but then frowning. "Oof, this singing is more like a dribble. You know what? Maybe something I haven't eaten before from around here? It's nearing nighttime, when the Grapeskeetos come out. They're way too wily for me or Gramble to catch, but maybe you can find out how to get it down? And then, give it to me, no need for specific limb changing," Wiggle said, me nodding as I then went out to search and I found the target flying through the air and humming to itself.

"Hmm hmmhmmmhmmm... where to find some lovely chocolate? I'm getting hungry~" the flying, grape-shaped mosquito sung as I then looked at a nearby Razzby that was on the ground and proceeding to shoot a chocolate fruit at it, which coated the Razzby in the substance. And when I did so, the Grapeskeeto made a beeline for it and then sucked at the juices of both the Razzby and the chocolate coating it, which made the Razzby woozy and the Grapeskeeto to get fat and unable to fly away. I immediately rushed in and caught them in a Snaktrap at the same time, before then putting them in different bottles.

"Oh Wiggle~~! I got your Grapeskeeto all ready for eatin's!" I smirked, Wiggle then coming towards me and smiling.

"Thanks a heap, darlin'," Wiggle smiled as I then gave her the jar and she then stuff the Grapeskeeto down her throat, which made her left hand turn into a string of grapes. "Oh, I'm feelin' the flow now!... But I still can't come back, darlin'. I need a look that POPS!..." she said, me then thinking back to the Caramel Popticks that I caught before the Garden Grove and smiling.

"Like a Pop-tick?" I asked, her then gasping.

"Oh, yes! That's precisely what I need! But I hate Caramel Popticks, so just get a normal one, hon. But you can only find normal Popticks in the desert. I can manage on my own until then," Wiggle said with a smile.

"Okay, I'll try my best, Wiggle. But, just a quick aside, try not to eat the Crapples specifically? One of them told me about something involving a Bugsnak queen and-" I was about to say before Wiggle gasped and shushed me.

"Wait, wait, hold up! Bugsnak QUEEN?! She's actually real?" Wiggle asked, me being surprised at that.

"You mean you know about it?" I asked in surprise.

"It's a Bugsnak bigger than any we've ever seen! I know that she has something to do with Lizbert's recent disappearance, since she appeared to me the night she vanished!" she said, me then gawking at that.

"Ah... ahem... well, the Crapple said he'd speak with the queen in private and wouldn't tell me anything until it was finished speaking with me... also something about this island only having 6 days left until a volcano erupts or something?" I said, Wiggle gawking at that.

"Wait, this island is going to sink in 6 days?! Then we should be finding a way off the island, right, darlin'?" she asked, me nodding.

"Luckily, my balloon-powered ship is still intact, just in need of repairs. A big flying pizza Bugsnak slammed into the ship and threw me off of it after I arrived to the island. I'm trying to get the Grumpuses back to town for two reasons. One, to get more help in finding Lizbert, and two, to repair my ship. If we really do only have 6 days left on this island, we need to get all the resources and manpower we can to get off. But we aren't leaving ANY Grumpus behind. We need to escape with everyone," I said, her nodding.

"I'd like to come back to town... but the Popticks are kinda needed. I need to greet my fanbase with a poppin' look, you get the gist," she said, me nodding.

"No worries. Starting tomorrow, I'll get going to the desert. Maybe get some other Grumpuses back to camp," I smiled as I then left the place, but not before I got a couple more Bugsnaks in the form of a Snaquiri, a Tropicabug, and one more Grapeskeeto. It was time to get back to camp with the day's supply of Bugsnax... and the grave warning that the Crapple gave me.