Bog Buds Family Farm

Net lifted his head from his breakfast—his wife Maru, and children Chihiro and Kanata, dining with him—as the golden clock just outside his large, wooden farmhouse chimed the hour. When he departed from the house, checking his mailbox along the way, he gasped.

"Oh, that's right!" He flipped through the letters, magazines, Joja spam ads, and Pierre "coupons" (though they were hardly bargains, except, perhaps, for Pierre). The piece of mail that caught Net's eye was a plain, white envelope with the mayor's seal on it. "His birthday BBQ!"

"Did someone say BBQ?!" The door of the next house over practically slammed open as a small head with short, black hair, black eyes, and square, golden glasses poked out. "Oooh, I love me some BBQ!" It was Net's annoying little cousin, Boggle, even though they looked nothing alike. Net also had short, dark hair (both on his head and on his face) and eyes, but his skin was a rich brown, only a few shades different from his wife's. Boggle's skin, meanwhile, was much lighter, more similar to...

"You friendly fata—" Another door opened, and out came a woman who looked similar to Boggle, save that she was taller and thinner with longer hair. Her name was Snorlax891, a friend from back home that Net and Boggle invited to live with them on the farm. For whatever reason, Snorlax891 accepted, and then there were three, but the "family" wasn't done growing yet...

"Sup guys?" Unwittingly interrupting Snorlax891 was the resident of the fourth and final cabin. He was a man with long, brown hair, dressed all in black, a hippie mixed with a punk, and another friend from back home. He flashed a peace sign as he joined the others at Net's porch.

"The BBQ is today," Net explained, holding up the mayor's invitation. "Are we going?"

"Do we have to...?" Boggle sighed, and it was hard to tell if she was joking or not.

"Sure, so long as I can take Penny," Snorlax891 shrugged at the same time. Oh yes, even at four, the Bog Buds Farm was not done growing. Along the way, each of them managed to get married (Net to Maru, Snorlax891 to Penny, and Alex to Elliot), except Boggle who instead took a roommate.

"What of you, Krobus?" Elliot asked Boggle's roommate as he took his place beside his husband, Alex.

"Oh! I- I- I don't know... You know I don't like being seen... by people... they... they... don't really like creatures like me..." Krobus seemed to wilt, scuffing a foot on the wood floor of the porch as he looked down, though it was hard to tell since he didn't have a neck. But folds appeared on his black body, beneath his mouth. He was the very last to leave his cabin, even more asocial than his platonic roommate, Boggle.

"Don't worry, Krobus, you have us! We won't let anyone bother you!" Penny promised, joining Snorlax891 at her side. Snorlax891 turned to look at her wife, smirk turning into a smile. Before she could say anything, though, Boggle did.

"Yeah! We'll protect ya! I'm bringing my Infinity Blade!" She drew the sword from her inventory and raised it proudly. Net's face went deadpan, Snorlax891 and Alex snickered, and Penny, Krobus, and Elliot all looked mildly concerned. Maru was the first to break the awkward silence.

"I'll call Harvey and ask if he can bring an extra first aid kit," she sighed. Then she flashed Net a knowing smile. As the co-leaders of the Bog Buds Farm (even though Boggle and Net were the co-founders), they were used to being the most mature and responsible of the odd family.

ooo

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAYOR LEWIS!" Over 30 unique voices shouted into the evening sky as the BBQ began in earnest, heaping plates and piles of food, meat, and drink spread around to all the partygoers as laughter, chatter, and music filled the air. For a time, everything was perfect.