Expedition Day 2: Entry 3:

After walking up the makeshift staircase in order to aim and catch Cheepoofs with a launched Snaktrap three times over, my feet were killing me and I felt very tired. I then gave all three of the cheesy butterflies to Cromdo and let the Snakification turn his hands and left foot into cheese puffs. He then smiled at me after letting out a contented sigh.

"Ah, the deal has been set. Thanks for shopping with Cromdo Mart," he said as I then looked at the bridge and then at him.

"So uh... without trying to sell it to me, what actually is on the other side of this bridge?" I asked him.

"That'd be the Sizzlin' Sands. The old girl, Shelda, went there after the fight. Somethin' about 'enlightenment' or some crap," he said, me nodding at that.

"Well, looks like I will need this bridge after all... is there any way that I can get it at a reduced price?" I asked, Cromdo smirking at that.

"Aha, I knew you'd come around with a haggle! Eh, I'll go ahead an' let ya have it, but I'll need you to do me two favors first," he said as he then pointed to a nearby cliff with a windmill and a Fryder, but after scanning it, I saw it was a sweet potato variant. "I've been meaning to try that Fryder over there, but it's hard to get to. If you can find a way to get it, then we can move onto phase two. And that would require your nifty invention from that Floofty guy," Cromdo said, me smiling at that. He probably wanted to replicate the Snaktivator for himself, too.

"One Sweet Fryder comin' up," I smirked as I placed the Lunchpad, then put the Snaktrap on it, and I then aimed the trap to the left of the Fryder and in the path of the windmill. I then launched the trap and smirked at how the wind pushed the trap towards the Fryder. I then snapped it shut and caught the Fryder... but that did mean I had to jump down the ledge AGAIN. And grab the fallen Snaktrap AGAIN. Before then walking all the way back to Cromdo AGAIN!

The duo of Sprout and Scorch had long since found the storage room and had led Triffany to the place, which they simply stayed put after they saw me walk up the ramps one more time to feed Cromdo the Fryder, which turned his right upper arm into a sweet potato fry.

"Ah... thanks a bunch, my new favorite customer!... Now, I've heard through the grapevine that you're wantin' everyone back in Snaxburg for some reason. And by through the grapevine, I mean I listened to you talk to Triffany down below," he said, me simply groaning at that. "Anyways, I'm willin' to move Cromdo Mart back to town for more business, but the blazing hot sand would kill my feet. So I'm thinkin', if you turn both my feet into Bopsicles, then they'd be cold enough to withstand the heat! But you can't find Bopsicles in the desert. Better look elsewhere, pal," he said, me nodding as I then finally walked down to the bottom one final time with a newfound hunger... and I also needed a drink from the river when I got back to Snaxburg.

"Oh... my god... he's just doing this for revenge, I know it..." I groaned to Triffany, her smirking at that and giggling a bit. "So... what'd you find?" I asked Triffany. And it was then that she revealed that she had a hot dog with mustard, relish, and ketchup for a foot, which, oddly enough, was not the weirdest body limb change I'd seen thus far. It was hard to beat Filbo's new nose, after all.

"There was a rare breed of Weenieworm in there as well as tons of Grumpus skeletons. It's almost like a Grumpus burial chamber! Who knows how they died?" she asked, but Scorch then spoke.

"Tell her this. These bodies were from a civilization that worshipped the Mothza Supreme and never ate a single Bugsnak. Instead, they ate the fish in the ocean around the island. They eventually died when they had a fish famine and they had a mass burial in this room," Scorch said, me then smirking and interpreting what he said, Triffany gawking at that.

"The Mothza Supreme?! Why that's... that's the Legendary Bugsnak that roams the Sizzlin' Sands! I have a map here that says that it's been known to be the sole reason of attacking airborne ships," Triffany said, me then frowning at that.

"Any chance I could eventually be able to get some much-needed vengeance against that dumb moth? It ruined my ship, too," I groaned.

"I think I can, but you'd need to help me with my stuff first," she said, me nodding.

"Also, uh, just an FYI, but I feel the need to say this... don't tell him a word of this, but... Wambus misses you so much that he's dressed up a cactus to look like you and talks to it like its you," I said, her then gawking.

"Oh, my sweet dear... I guess the big lug really misses me... I suppose I can go back to town an' be among the livin' for awhile... I promise to not tell anyone, yeah?" Triffany said as she then walked off towards the direction of town and I then heard a loud smacking sound of two Bugsnax smacking into each other! I then went in that direction and saw that a BBQ Bunger and a Spuddy were both knocked for a loop, which made me smile.

"Time to get you both in my net," I smiled at them as I then proceeded to net them, meaning I now had enough to give food to the people back in Snaxburg... but then I saw something... odd... just chilling on the wall in the crevice of the gorge. I went over and simply picked it up and saw that it was, no joke, a Bugsnak that was in the shape of a rectangle, was squishy, and had a picture of assorted rice crackers on it.

"Nice find. That's a Snakpod," Scorch said as he crawled up to me. "They hang out in hard-to-reach areas and barely move for anything. They're also tastier than other Bugsnax," he said, me then thinking about it, but then my stomach growled one more time.

"Eh, screw it, down the hatch," I sighed as I then stuck the chip bag Bugsnak in my mouth and gasped. The flavor... the spice mixed with the cheese, the sweetness, and even the aroma... it was the tastiest thing I'd ever had in my mouth! I then swallowed it down... and this time, it was SO MUCH EASIER! I got it down to my stomach... and I actually smiled at how it made my tummy bigger, but the Bugsnak did not fight back... but yet, once again, none of my limbs changed one bit! But that was for the best, considering I had no idea what my body parts would look like if they did change with assorted rice crackers.

"Seems you're getting used to it now," Scorch said, me looking at him and nodding.

"Let's go back to Snaxburg for now. I need to interview Triffany properly and then give Wiggle her two Popticks," I said. Our group then walked back to the encampment where we saw that Triffany had finished setting up what look like a research tent with bones and artifacts lined up inside of it. And she was also speaking with Wambus.

"Wambus," she said bluntly.

"T-Triffy... yer back..." the blue farmer said with unease. It made me smile to see him genuinely bashful.

"I wanted to come back for a bit, but I do need to go back to the site at some point," Triffany said as Wambus then sighed, and Triffy noted that. "There somethin' ya wanna say?"

"T-Triffy... I've been a damn fool!" Wambus said with his voice breaking, which made me smile.

"Yeah," Triffany said in the most blunt and forceful way possible.

"I've missed ya'll so much... and... well... let's just say I've learned my mistakes... I've been meaning to want to apologize to Gramble... but I don't really know how to do it," Wambus said, saying that much at a softer volume, which made me smile.

"You... really did learn then, huh? Does that mean that I can ask you to visit me at the Dig Site now and again? Or is the farm more important than me?" Triffany asked, Wambus then smiling.

"I can visit your dig site now and again. Just please, don't leave again?" Wambus said, me smirking at the stuff as Scorch then groaned.

"Why won't they just kiss already?" Scorch asked and I simply cleared my throat to get their attention.

"My Scorpepper friend just asked a very valid question. Why won't you just kiss already?" I smiled.

"Oh, come here, you hot dish!" Triffany smiled, me smirking as she and Wambus then kissed, which made me smile.

"Welcome home, Triffy... I just hope the cactus don't get jealous," Wambus said.

"Wazzat now?"

"Nothin'." I couldn't help but hold in my laughter, which made me look like a complete doofus as Triffany turned to me and Wambus went back to his farm.

"Ugh, fine, go 'head and yuck it up," she said, me then laughing for a good ten seconds, which made Triffany roll her eyes. "So... any reason why Snaxburg seems so... I dunno... quiet? Peaceful?" she asked.

"Well... let's just say that last night, after I got a few members back in Wambus, Gramble, and Beffica, they started to argue with each other as well as insulting Filbo... and I got so angry that I shouted over all of them and my head, which at the time was filled with jelly instead of fire, erupted like a volcano from how angry I was getting at their behavior. I then made some strict rules to be enacted, since we only have 6 days at the least to get off the island before it blows up. I told them not to steal from Gramble's Bugsnak barn, and that they'd be left behind if they were found to have done so, unless I thought differently. As for rules 2, 3, and 4, they would be put on a three strike ruling. I'm sure Filbo could tell you more," I said, her nodding.

"Is that all, then?" she asked, me shaking my head no.

"Sorry, no... I need to interview the residents to learn more about what's been going on lately and get clues on how to find Elizabert," I said, her then nodding at that.

"Alrighty then, ask away," she smirked at me as I then had Scorch and Sprout follow me to the research tent and I then got out my recorder tape and pressed record.

"Okay, first, who are you?" I asked.

"Oh, I go diggin' up bits of history and try to piece 'em back together! It's usually not so dramatic, just an old coin or a severed toe under a rock. But this island's chalk full of secrets!" she smiled, literally answering everything but the most important part.

"Yes, but what's your name?" I asked.

"Oops, silly me! I'm Triffany Lottablog," she smiled in embarrassment.

"Why did you come to Snaktooth Island?"

"Well, I heard about the expedition and thought to myself, I could keep scrapin' at odds 'n ends until the day I die... or I could really get out there, followin' in gramma's footsteps!" she smiled, which caught my ear. Lottablog was her last name... and one of the lost Grumpuses to Snaktooth also had a last name of Lottablog. I had to ask.

"Would it by chance happen to be... Bronnica Lottablog? The last known disappearance to Snaktooth Island roughly three years ago?" I asked, that making Triffany gasp and then look a bit bashful.

"W-Wow... I uh... didn't think you'd do your research to that level... but yeah, that's her... and when I said follow in her footsteps... I meant that I wanna try and find out what happened to her. I miss her a lot, y'know?" she said, me nodding as I then changed the subject.

"Okay... sorry... what are your thoughts on Bugsnax?"

"They're amazin'. There are paintings of Bugsnax and Grumpus civilization from a thousand years ago and back! The Grumpuses come, they vanish, but the Bugsnax always stay. They're walking records of history, especially since ones like your Scorpepper friend have been around for centuries, nonaging and all!" Triffany said with a smile, me smirking at how I'd gotten her mood heightened a bit.

"Why did you leave town?"

"It's less that I left and more... I just stopped comin' back. I wasn't even there when the fight broke out. Imagine me coming home to see Wambus all red in the face and at Gramble's throat!" she said.

"Is that why you two split up in the first place?"

"No, no, nothin' so simple as that. I wanted him to come to my dig site, I really did. But he wouldn't give up his farm, even for me... but thanks for helping him out with his ideas, yeah?" she said, me smiling at that.

"Any info on Lizbert?"

"Lovely gal, that Lizbert! Wasn't often we'd both be in town at the same time... and when we were, we were usually getting treated by Eggabell. We'd share stories on what we'd found during our different expeditions and show off our grizzliest scars."

"You two really got injured that often?"

"Adventurin' is a dangerous business, as I'm sure you know, yeah? Archaeology is... less so, but the Lottablog method can be a tad bit unconventional. We bugged the heck outta Eggabell. She never liked to see anyone hurt, 'specially Liz."

"Any idea on what happened to Elizabert?"

"Y'know, when adventurin' on this island, it's only a matter of time before somethin' bad happens to ya. Especially with the ground shakin' and moving the geography around... Not to be morbid, but it may be another thousand years before we find out what happened to her, y'know?" she said, me nodding as I then decided that was enough.

"Thanks, Lottablog. I learned a lot," I said, her nodding at me as I hit the stop button.

"Yeah... I also learned somethin'. That you could probably help me out in finding what happened to my gramma. Maybe ask the Bugsnax if they saw a single Grumpus three years ago? And ask that, if they have, where she went?" Triffany asked... but it was then that Scorch looked a bit worried.

"Um... I know..." he said, me immediately looking at him.

"You do? Well, go on, spit it out," I said to him.

"No. I'm forbidden from speaking it," he said, me then frowning.

"Well that only makes me more curious. You know where Bronnica Lottablog is, you know what happened to her, yet you're not allowed to tell me?" I asked, him then groaning as he then simply pointed at one singular direction... Sprout?

"Um... is this a joke?" I asked... and Scorch just pointed at Sprout again.

"You mean... wait... this isn't right... Sprout is my gramma?" Triffany asked in confusion.

"Um... huh? Why you two looking at me?" Sprout asked.

"Scorch, just give it to us straight. Is Sprout really Bronnica Lottablog?" I asked. Scorch simply nodded. "Oh... my... god..." I gulped as I then looked at Triffany and then at Sprout. The fact that a Grumpus that disappeared 3 years ago was now in the form of a Strabby... and that said Strabby called herself an explorer as well? "I... I think I understand what the big secret is now. And I doubt that anyone here would believe me if I told them," I said with a gulp. That the big secret plan of the Bugsnax... was to turn the ones who come to the island... into their own kind!

"I... I uh... this is uh... very bad... like, let's not joke, this is legit bad," Triffany said as I then looked at Scorch and he groaned.

"Technicalities... thank the Queen Snak she don't care 'bout technicalities," Scorch said with actual sweat coming from his head, which surprised me.

"So... Sprout... um... this is apparently your granddaughter... and your real name is Bronnica?" I said, the Strabby looking at Triffany and then at me.

"I... think I remembering... but it very hard..." she said, me then looking at Triffany and she sighed.

"This is the absolute biggest bombshell that I have ever been hit with... do we just tell everyone to stop eating Bugsnax, then?" she asked, me then looking at Scorch and him frowning.

"Use technicalities, Scorch, and tell us the truth. What will really happen in 6 days?" I asked.

"Mmm... our plan will be enacted. Because the queen will lose control of the Snax. And that's all she wrote," he said, me then looking at Triffany and then at everyone else, before going to her earhole to speak to her in a hushed manner.

"Okay, Scorch basically told me something even more worrying. The Queen Bugsnak is currently holding off the Bugsnax from enacting 'the plan'. In 6 days, the queen will lose control of the Bugsnax and, after that happens, the Bugsnax will do what they do... so for now, everyone's safe to eat Bugsnax. We just need to find out how to coerce them to stop relying on Bugsnax, mainly since I've noticed that everyone here seems to have some heavy emotional baggage... my guess, the Bugsnax exploit weakness? And they use it against the Grumpuses that come here..." I said, all hushed, and Triffany nodded.

"Gotcha. So keep it secret from everyone, got it. I promise not to say a word... on the condition that you can give me some time every now an' again to speak to gramma, yeah? If she's startin' to remember stuff, then maybe she can remember even more? Maybe she'll remember her old life and we can live together again?" Triffany said, me nodding at that, mainly because we were speaking hush hush and, luckily, Beffica was preoccupied with speaking to Filbo.

"Thanks, Triff. We're going to go find the rest of the Grumpuses and bring them safely home," I said, her smirking at me as I then led Bronnica and Scorch to the Simmering Springs. And Bronnica then spoke after we got out of hearing range of the town.

"So... I was Triffany's grammy... and my name Bronnica?" she asked, me nodding.

"Yes, I would say to trust Scorch, since it looked like it pained him to say it... but why aren't you allowed to tell us the secret stuff without technicalities, Scorch?" I asked the peppery scorpion, him then sighing.

"Because, if the Bugsnax reveal their card too soon, then we'll be turned to mush. That's how it's always been on this island. If we try to enact 'the plan' too soon, it won't work. We have to get them to trust us, to make them WANT us. And only then can it work," he said, me gulping at that.

"Damn... that's terrifying... but I do need to speak to a specific Bugsnak at the Simmering Springs after we get Wiggle back. A Crapple said he'd ask the queen some questions about me. I'm hoping I can get an audience with said queen, mainly because she seems to never be seen, but is always talked of by the Bugsnax," I said, Scorch scoffing.

"Peh, good luck. The queen is hard to find for a reason. Buuuuutttt... you could try to get an audience with her retainer," Scorch said, me looking at him in confusion.

"Her retainer? What would that be?"

"Again, I can't say what it is. Let's just say, I doubt even you could understand the retainer," he said, me then frowning at how he doubted my Bugsnak interpreting skills.

"I'd love to meet this retainer, though," I said with a smile.