escordvi | OPEN || Kinda Bug and Kinda Snack

Entry tags:

OPEN || Kinda Bug and Kinda Snack

Who: Turo & You!
Status: Open
Where: Snaxburg Island
What: Snaxburg Secrets MANTA Quest, exploring the town-sized island and taking everything in. Building up what is essentially a Snaxdex. Other shenanigans likely to ensue.(Prose or brackets, I'll match you)
Warnings: Will but any up as needed.

Exploration 🐞

A
[Really, this was just the thing to get into after properly resting after an incident last month -and fortunate he did rest, given the mess of things elsewhere- was to head to a newly discovered island. Even if on the smaller side, the rumored life there sounded absolutely fascinating, and reason there were several notebooks stashed away in his leather bag along with a few other items more meant for anyone else exploring he might stumble across as well.

Even the moment he started in, the darting sweetie flies of various kinds were eye catching, and carefully he was able to coax a glittering one that looked like rock candy on a stick to land on his hand.]

Well, you are magnificent little one.

B
[Turo had stopped to take pictures of a few Bugsnax that were marching along, a section which had fallen behind racing to catch up, when a rather glittering, brightly colored bugsnack practically leapt into view to strike a pose the moment the sound of the shellphone's camera had gone off. Rather excitedly as well.]

Oh. You... like attention?

[INSTA!] Ah, I see.

[This one would likely stay still enough for him to sketch out- even if it wasn't necessary, but easier to share like the pictures would be...]

Take It All In 🍔

[It hadn't really been too long into Turo's adventure before a couple of Bungers had taken to following after him. Bouncing along with every step, even rushing along as if to ensure a few more aggressive of their kind kept a distance.

More so when Turo had found a good place to sit that had so many varieties of them milling about so he could pull out one of the notebooks and start sketching a few groups amongst the pages that carried a few more individual pieces that had notes with them.

Even with a few of the somewhat larger Bugsnax flying around, almost at ease with his presence.

Even with things like Loaded Spuddies and a few Flapjackarak meandering around. Watching how they seemed to 'hunt' around here.]

Are you two not hungry?

[Bunger Bunger Bunger—]

Hm. If you are sure.

Wildcard! 🃏
[Bring your own take on a starter, or hit me up if you'd like me to write something a little more personalized ᓚᘏᗢ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ As she straightens up, grinning triumphantly at the Purah Pad, Zelda hears an unexpected voice call out to her. With a gasp, she spins around to find a man (a regular man, not some kind of food man) seated nearby with a pen and paper in his lap. He greets her with a friendly wave, as if this was a perfectly normal place to run into another person, not an island populated by living snacks. ]

Oh! I, ah... [ She stumbles over her words, momentarily struck dumb by the surprise of finding another person on this bizarre island.

Fortunately, the princess's sharp wit catches up with her quickly. ]

I-- I believe so, yes!

[ Zelda carefully makes her way over to the man, making sure not to accidentally step on any food creatures. She flips the Purah Pad around to show the image captured on its screen. ] I wanted a proper picture of it from straight-on instead of looking down so that I could properly see all the, uh, sandwich layers.

[—He had been completely missed then, oops. Still no reason not to remain friendly, keeping to his spot for the moment given she was already making her way over; he placed his pen away in a pocket after making sure that it was well capped.

Leaning just a little to get a good look at the image presented.]

That is a marvelous shot, your concentration paid off very well. [A genuine compliment as well.

He lifted his notebook, showing the highly detailed scenery that did include the creature- along with a few others that had been flitting in the air. A few careful colors placed so the snack-like creatures stood out well, near life-like.]

After a few pictures I wanted to capture how things seem to tie together. [There were a few notes here and there; the repeated walking pattern, where the crystal sweetie fly seemed to rest between flying about and so on.]

So I have been quietly observing here. They're quite fascinating, and... very odd with how much they resemble food.

[ Zelda brightens at his compliment, any remaining awkwardness fading from her expression. She can't help but be delighted any time someone compliments her scholarly endeavors. Even though she's a princess, she genuinely loves research and she's always happiest whenever she gets to indulge in it.

She steps a bit closer when Turo presents his notebook and leans in to get a good look at his illustrations. How exceptional! To be able to capture their surroundings and these strange creatures so accurately on paper-- he must be an artist.

Zelda nods along with him. ] Very odd! I can confidently say I have never seen anything quite like them. Usually, a small creature's appearance is intended to deter or disguise it from predators, but these seem rather like they would have the opposite effect.

[ Tbh if it wasn't for the eyes, that would be a really appetizing sandwich... ]

In my world there are a few creatures that appear to be made of food- but nothing quite like this. [Of course there were also a few Pokémon that grew fruits on them that could be eaten, smelled of fresh baked bread, while encouraging various crops to flourish in their growth.

... None of that seemed to be right when it came to these creatures. Mimicking the life and behaviors of what they resembled aside from the food-stuffs.]

A few of them even have predatory behavior to those that very much seem to act like prey, while others seem to nearly be oblivious to what is around them and either follow some pattern or- well. Hang on solid surfaces. Then, of course, you have those that flee at the slightest disturbance to hide and others that do most certainly carry aggression to attack on sight. [He did turn the page of the notebook after a moment to some scenes of that exact behavior.

The observational notes a little more obvious for those, and a few diagram-like sketches noting the components of the somewhat 'larger' ones that he had witnessed break apart into smaller creatures—]

There is so much to this island to find, no matter how small it may be.

[ Zelda continues leaning in to look at Turo's notebook and read the little notes he's added. (She's normally more conscientious of someone's personal space, but show her something interesting and her good manners start going out the window.)

One thing that he says sticks out in her mind as peculiar. ]

"Predatory behavior?" In these creatures?

[ Don't tell her that weird-cute little sandwich creature would try to eat one of its snacky fellows! ]

Indeed- There is one that snatches others from above, and it seems to come in at least two different... colors? Green and black.

[Most of them seemed to live close in harmony, but there were others that certainly did go after whatever came close.]

There are a few in this area, and seem to go for the smaller pieces that can break from the one you followed here. Likely a reason that one moves so closely together to make a larger creature.

[Just one example, of course.]

[ Nod nod, yes that is a good defense mechanism, lining up together to make the appearance of a larger creature in order to discourage predation. Very smart, little sandwich creatures.

But the idea of foodstuffs preying on other foodstuffs is still just SO STRANGE. ]

And the predators actually consume their prey for sustenance? They are not enforcing their territory or the like?

That I have yet to observe- the prey does seem to vanish after a while, but cannot be found again after.

[Unless some other creature helped them escape, and they could be found with the signs of that, but- well. It was still so very puzzling.]

There are, of course, the territorial ones as well. Very aggressive and attack anything that comes within sight- even those like us that will charge at, or fire upon.

Wait a moment, what do you mean by "vanish?"

[ Really aggressive territorial creatures, that makes sense (or as much sense as living snack creatures can make). But vanishing after being killed by a predator? Like, literally disappearing? That strikes Zelda as extremely odd. ]

Just that- vanish, strange as it all sounds on top of everything else this island seems to hold.

[This entire island was fascinating, and frustrating at times to some degree. When he thought an answer had come, more questions instead came into place-]

I caught sight of something, but I am unsure if it was a trick of the eye and shadow. As if one of the fallen creatures simply melted into the ground as it it were never there at all.

[ Zelda's brows furrow. ]

That is incredibly strange. [ She straightens up from the way she's been leaning over Turo's sketches. ] Alarming, even.

[ Zelda crosses her arms over her chest as she thinks. ] I suppose decomposition could be described as "vanishing" in some sense of the word, but even rapid, near-instant decomposition doesn't seem like it would line up with what you saw.

[ Her gaze returns to Turo. ] Do you suppose the vanishing is a posthumous quality of the creatures? ...Or could it be an effect of the island itself?

[ An island causing dead creatures to disappear sounds ludicrous, but so does the concept of snack animals in the first place. ]

[Another page was turned, Turo's hand almost idly smoothing it down; a sketch of the sea, and a rather large food creature there amongst the waves. Some of it's body even just above the water—]

Very alarming. There are those that do burrow into the ground quickly to hide- but they leave signs of it, their movement. A reason that I could only determine it must have vanished, given there were no traces of anything happened. [It really did seem to make this island that much more questionable- and all the more reason to document everything that he could.

Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Meeting Zelda's eyes with his own then.] It certainly could be- and it is difficult not to wonder if the answer could be a mix of both. There are plants that grow flavored sauces as fruit that seem made to attract them, so it coul be safe to say this island is a point of origin for them.

There were also some stones with strange carvings- some of them matching these creatures, and others of something else entirely. I've been thinkin those may hold the answers to that and more.

[ Zelda's attention goes back to Turo's sketchbook as he turns the page. Wow, that's a huge--.... is that a piece of sushi? No, several pieces of sushi-- a whole row, even! What is it doing in the water and why is it so much larger than all of the other food creatures she's seen?

She looks up from the page again when she sees him look to her. The princess hasn't encountered any sauce-fruit plants, but she's not terribly surprised to hear about them. That suggests that the bugsnax are native to this island, since its ecosystem is capable of providing for their unique needs. ]

Stone carvings? [ Her eyes widen. ] This island is inhabited? Then its residents surely must know much more about these creatures than we've been able to observe so far.

It was inhabited once, at the very least. I've seen no signs of anything living here that needs shelter, but there is certainly no harm in looking. What I passed appeared as if they had been part of something larger, once. [Long grown over-

As small as this island could be considered, perhaps-] This island may have once been much bigger despite how it has settled in, and any sort of shift could have driven any inhabitants -other than these creatures- to perhaps seek stable shelter.

[A chance to stumble across those able to answer questions in hiding. Or perhaps further carvings that he hadn't noticed on his first pass by with how swept up in chasing after various creatures. There was so much that one person would have a difficult time catching it all.

Another page turned- and once again of the large dragon-like sushi creature, no longer at peace and as if it was the end of some bit of combat. Twisted in itself to look down at some rather large figure standing on it's 'back'.]

I can show you where I found the carvings, and together we can investigate.

[ Zelda's eyes are drawn back to Turo's sketchbook each time he turns a page. At previous times, she was still listening carefully to everything he said while marveling at the sheer variety of food creatures depicted on the pages.

But this time, his words -and all other sounds- fade into the background, replaced with a ringing in her ears as her gaze is immediately drawn to the figure locked in combat with the sushi-roll-dragon-serpent. Even in an illustration, even though the figure is some distance away from the artist, Zelda recognizes him immediately.

She barely manages to keep herself from jerking away, but her face has gone pale and she feels like she's going to throw up. It can't be him. It's impossible. She must be jumping to conclusions. Just because some stranger in a drawing happens to have the same build and skin tone as Ganondorf doesn't mean they're him. Get ahold of yourself, Zelda; you're being paranoid.

As she shakes her head to rid herself of those thoughts, she realizes that Turo has been talking to her this entire time. ]

Ah, forgive me, I was lost in my thoughts for a moment. [ She attempts to smile to show that she's fine, but she still looks a little green around the gills. ] You said you would show me the carvings you found? Yes, I would love to see them.

[ Anything to distract herself from her Ganondorf-panic. ]

You're fine- would you care for some water, or perhaps a bit of actual fruit? You're a little pale, and either may help. [His notebook was easily closed and slipped away, picking up the leather satchel that had been within reach.

Slipped away as a strap was hoisted over a shoulder.]

If you have been out here as long as I have, it may do well and I've more than enough for myself.

[His head still tipped, even as a hand hovered over the pouch-pocket of the bag he knew the flask of water and carefully bundled up fruit was.]

The ruins are just this way.

Water if you have some to spare, thank you. I had not planned my excursion to last as long as it has, so I am not as prepared as I ought to be.

[ Even though she says it as an excuse, it's also partially true. Zelda is so accustomed to Link taking care of the supplies when they travel that she hasn't quite gotten in the habit of doing it herself here.

Fittingly, her stomach grumbles to remind her that lunch was awhile ago. ] ...Perhaps some fruit too, thank you. I would rather not test the edibility of this island's plants.

[ Or food creatures (even though they look like they should taste like perfectly normal food).

Zelda checks to make sure the Purah Pad is securely strapped to her belt, ready for Turo to lead the way to the ruins. ]

It is a habit of mine- knowledge from many years of field excursions and the like, sometimes needing to wait hours in one spot, or walk quite the distance just to not draw too much attention. [Memories he held clearly, and used to keep in mind for others he could come across.

He did pull out a flask then, held out towards Zelda in one hand while the other went for one of the small wrapped 'containers' he had prepared.] Plenty to spare, here.

I would not either, honestly. Given there appears to be no real life here other than these creatures? Brings to question their ability to support other life, if any.

[Then came the packet that had mixed slices of fruit -oranges, mango, and the like- along with a few different nuts. Some sort of grain bar made with honey and sunflower seeds as well. Apparently Turo did come well prepared, and this was offered to her as well.]

Everything seems to be more inland- not quite towards the middle of the island. Parts of the walls seem to be missing, and I cannot tell if they are simply buried or... gone.

[Denser tree coverage- but more stone and hills were coming into view, even what appeared to be well worn statue work, some waterfall running along the side of it, as coming into view.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

OPEN || Kinda Bug and Kinda Snack

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject