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YouLookLikeFOOD — Buddi and Tula

Published: 2021-10-30 21:50:31 +0000 UTC; Views: 3451; Favourites: 7; Downloads: 0
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Description ...I like these two, okay-  

I've got a billion ideas for them, but for now, some basic explanations:

1. Finally figured out the basics of Buddi's odd sense of morals lol; and it pretty much boils down to this:

-Buddi/Buddi's entire species has no fear of death. To them, death is just another stage of life, entirely natural and nothing to be worried about at all. Pain is a bit of a worry sometimes, but death itself isn't a frightening concept to them in the slightest.
-Despite this, there's a bit of a 'survival of the fittest' mentality on Buddi's home world. However, it's not a matter of personal survival; it's a matter of survival of the species. The fittest survive because they are best to carry on the species. There is also no resentment from the loser in any fights for resources; since they have no fear of death, there's no real reason for them to be upset when they lose; the species will carry on, and they'll wish the best of luck to the winner.
-If they're not killed, Buddi's species doesn't age; they wither away, usually decaying into the soil. Because that soil is used for other members of the species (Buddi's species doesn't really 'eat' so much as take in nutrients through their roots/vines), they really don't see a problem with 'cannibalism' in general. They would turn on a member of their own species if it meant their survival; and if it results in a fight, there's no real resentment even if someone loses. It just means the other is stronger, and they'll be better for their species' survival as a whole, and they have an odd sense of pride in helping the continuation of the species even in that way. (In fact, if one is much older/weaker than another, they'll often sacrifice themselves  'for the good of the species'.) 
-This does not mean that they don't care for each other; in fact, they care a great deal. It's another thing that leads to less resentment; since they don't fear death, they don't mind dying to help their friends and loved ones carry on. Still, it's more of a last resort; they usually try to pool resources- at least somewhat- to help as many of them survive as possible. Because of this, resources aren't exactly scarce on Buddi's home world, but there can be serious problems in particularly harsh winters; Buddi's species does very poorly in the cold and snow, and struggle greatly with a lack of sunlight, so it's not unheard of. 

Due to all of these things, Buddi doesn't actually view luring a few of his human friends away to become plant food as 'wrong'. (Frankly, he's baffled by other species' fear of death; he always makes sure there's no pain, so that's not a problem. If they're friends, why wouldn't they help each other like this? He'd do it for them in a heartbeat.) He's learned to hide these deeds since it's become a 'survival' thing- he needs to survive, so he needs to lie and scheme to survive- and eventually turned it into a bit of a 'game' with his friends; how easily he could fool them, what a fun trick, that sort of thing. (He ended up with a bit of a sadistic streak because of all this, though he can't quite admit- or even understand- it.) Still, he does genuinely care for his friends, in some sense, even if he can't comprehend them, which actually makes his lies incredibly difficult to see through. He'll show genuine love and affection for those he cares about, will genuinely try to help them, so it seems to come out of nowhere when he turns on them. It makes him very unpredictable to other species. 

All of that said, Tula is right; Buddi's species is the odd one out in that whole 'fear of death' thing. Most creatures don't actually take kindly to becoming plant food, who'd have thought it-


2. "I do appreciate the irony, that's why I showed it to you. What I don't appreciate is hearing your stupid voice singing those songs every single day for the past six months."

... these two are very good friends.  (Actually, even though Tula especially can be harsh and abrasive, they are very close, and they really just pick on each other in the way only friends are allowed to.)

Also, Tula is technically a human! Their story takes place in some future timeline in which humans have pretty much gone to a lot of different corners of the galaxy, and have evolved differently on some planets, or had children with other alien species, etc.; which is why Tula is still considered 'human' even with the catlike tail/ears. (Yes, she has actual cat ears under the hood. She never takes off the hood, however, because her real ears are severely damaged and ripped, and she doesn't like to look at them or have others see them.) 

But yes, she's technically a human, and remnants of old human cultures still exist... which is why Tula knew about Little Shop of Horrors to begin with. (Did I create this entire world this way just to reference that stupid musical, no I did not, you can't prove anything-)

3. So here's a big part of Tula and Buddi's friendship: they are actually close friends who want the best for each other. Tula never really had friends before Buddi, and frankly, she was in such a bad place that when she found out about Buddi's true nature, she decided she didn't care if the friendship was fake; it was all she had left, and if that's how it ended, then fine. 
However, once Buddi realized that she knew (she found out by accident and didn't tell him for a long time, just went about her life as though it didn't matter) they ended up making a deal. (Mutual deals/trades/exchanges are a concept that Buddi's species does share with humans, so Buddi offered a deal even though Tula couldn't have cared less at that point.) Buddi agreed to let Tula stay with him no matter where he went- even if he had to flee the planet- and Tula agreed to keep Buddi's secret quiet. Tula also has zero delusions that this basically makes her a portable emergency snack, but since that's part of the 'deal', Buddi has also agreed to not harm anyone else that Tula might make friends with (so long as they aren't a danger to him, of course), and to let her go if she decides to stay somewhere that he has to leave. He was actually quite happy to make that part of the deal; Buddi genuinely likes and worries about Tula. He knew that she was incredibly lonely, and that she really wanted someone to care about her. He was also quick to tell her that he cared about her; to explain how he feels in regards to the whole situation, and since Tula had already accepted a lot worse, she was quick to accept that this was actually the case. 

They do travel together, now, and Buddi often encourages her to try and meet new people, to make friends and have fun with her life. He has succeeded in helping her get out of her shell at least a bit; she actually does try to go out and make friends much more often, but it's still incredibly difficult for her. Tula has very bad trust issues, is painfully shy, and when she does open up she tends to be harsh and abrasive, as well as having a really morbid view on the world, so she isn't exactly the most outgoing and extroverted person in the world. Buddi is actually her exact opposite in that regard; since he has little to no fear of being hurt, he makes friends quickly and easily, and is very accepting about pretty much every personality trait a person might have. (It's a common thing for his species, and why he was able to make friends with Tula himself; because when she pushed him away, he wouldn't stay away for long- just give her some distance- and he was never offended by any of her angrier/more morbid personality traits.) 

That said, she still views Buddi as her only 'friend', particularly in any permanent sense. She still likes him more than anyone else. 

Also, something to note: even though Tula and Buddi are only friends, they're very physically affectionate with each other; Tula is extremely touch-starved and Buddi is naturally a hugger (huddling for warmth was enough of a thing for his species that it's just very natural to him). So they get oddly cuddly with each other, to the point where they're often mistaken for a couple; but they're definitely not a couple, and neither of them is really interested in a romantic relationship. 
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