Chapter Text
After the whole “emergency” was done, Froggy was let off to his own room and was given permission to explore the castle with two guards nearby at all times. Froggy knew Grox didn’t trust him fully to be on his own, but Froggydude will take what is given. He knows he doesn’t have the numbers, status, or will power to against Grox’s rules right now, so he just obliges to whatever Grox tells him. Plus, it wasn’t the worst set of rules, just stay by guards and do as you please.
Froggydude soon set off to visit the areas he’s never seen before, hasn’t gotten the best look at during challenges, or just forgot about. One of them just so happened to be the grand kitchen. For all Froggy knows, this area should be stack with good food. He’s seen it all before, cakes, high quality meat, and ripe fruit. His mouth was practically melting from the thought, it was just too good not to react over. The only thing he wasn’t looking forward to was the amount of “Grox liquid” he was bound to witness, but he wasn’t letting that bring down his mood right now.
Just as Froggy was about to lay his finger on the doorknob of the room he desperately wanted to be in, one of the guards pulled him back. They were sure not to apply too much force, it could result in a very long “lecture” from their savior. Now that Froggy was considered a higher being, they were forced to be extra careful when performing certain actions towards him.
“Grox is planning to have dinner with him later this night, he has advised us to not let you into the area.” The guard sounded calm and collected, making sure to not set off the lords new “wife”. They knew what he was capable of, seen what he does when things need to go his way. They weren’t taking any chances being rude or condescending when it came to him. Especially now that he has the authority to order them to death.
“Bro, this guy won’t let me do anythinggg” Froggy was internally screaming right now. He was so ready, so prepared to devour the dishes he requested. To see the looks on the cooks faces when he asked for fifth’s, to watch them freak out when he asked for extra everything, and see them scramble to find ingredients he asked for. Most importantly, he was already jumping with joy to figure what it all tasted like. So yes he was extremely sad about his food tasting privileges being held back.
“Good, your fatass would’ve put the island into famine…” The other guard responded under his breath. This particular guard didn’t enjoy Froggy’s new status and power, they saw it as a threat against their savior. With the power Froggy has now, he could potentially convince the people that their god was “violent” or “incapable of leading”. Hes done it before, who knows if he’ll do it once again.
“…”
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Grox shouldn’t have allowed Froggy to travel out, it just seemed right to give him the slightest freedom. He was stuck in the castle doing work or catering to Grox’s demands for most of the day, he believed Froggy deserved a little bit of grace from him. But he probably should’ve acknowledged why he even brought Froggy in, why he was even here in the first place. Why he was specifically chosen to be the “Great” lords second in command.
To show Grox how vulnerable and willing somebody can be to another. How much information someone can give out to someone else just because they were able to tear open their body and see their soul. To see how one can be so opened with their feelings despite knowing the judgement or praise that can follow. To finally have someone who can’t leave him once he gets too comfortable, can’t leave him because they both know too much about each other that can just be given out to anyone if they crossed that line.
To be dependent on one another.
It’s selfish, he knows that. He’s thought about long enough to come to terms with how this could negatively impact both of them. He’s tested it out with different villagers, seen how long they can depend on each other before they break.He’s witnessed the reasons of their downfalls. Most could be solved with simple communication, others couldn’t be solved no matter what.
Yet he wanted to take the chance with Froggy.
Froggy wasn’t like those villagers. He could think for himself, he didn’t depended on Grox to tell them what to do. He wasn’t emotionless, he could be expressive despite being told to “tone it down”. He was a person. A person who could feel, touch, love. A person with a heart that’s too big for his body.
And Grox was going to rip it out and serve it on a silver platter.
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Froggy’s day was now going slightly better now. It wasn’t bad at first, then it went downhill, but it’s up again. He didn’t get his food, but he did get to explore and admire the castle’s architecture and culture. Though, he’d didn’t appreciate how many Grox posters, statues, and paintings there were. Either he depicted as a god or as a king, which Froggy believed he was neither. Yes, Grox is powerful and has a tremendous amount of influence on the villagers, but the only description he fits into the most would be a dictator.
Then again, when have the villagers ever cared on whether or not their rights were being stripped by their “Lord”. Froggy’s seen it all before. Grox will manipulate their feelings, make them dependent on him for survival, make himself seem like he his the best savior their gonna get, and then kill them off when they don’t follow the restrictions he’s placed on all of them. Froggy wasn’t one to be scared of anything, but thinking about what Grox does to them makes him slightly shiver.
Sometimes Froggydude wonders why Grox has yet to use any of his mind games on him, to force him to be dependent on his words.
….
He isn’t gonna dwell on that too much.
As Froggy lets the thought go, he continues to other rooms. Most of them look the same, a desk, computer, gun, and some little things Froggydude doesn’t give two shits about. Surprisingly enough,a lot of the photos weren’t of Grox, but the family waiting for them when Grox decides they have the honor to go home. As for the others, it was just Grox. Only Grox. God were they obsessed with a man who’d murder them if it meant he’d stay in control and goin money.
Other than that, the rest of the rooms offered some stuff that peaked his interest. Usually he’d criticize is the castle, but right now, he’s in love with it. He’d never taken Grox as a flower guy, well is he really a flower guy if it’s withered? Froggy thinks so. Anyway, the room itself is a small area where flowers had the chance to bloom and cover the walls with their dark palette. It looked beautiful both up close and far away. If Froggy could, he’d definitely would equip something like this in his base with all his homies.
Speaking of his homies, they still haven’t appeared in this challenge. He knows there could be a possibility they were removed for this challenge specifically, but it’s never done that with main ones. Zonk either showed up as good guy or some annoyance Froggy would deal with later, Nerd was the same. The most important was baby, he was there by Froggydude’s side since the dawn of time. Always causing trouble wherever he went and coming in clutch when Froggy was in danger. He was the best baby villager a MC could wish for.
Then there was P$yc|\0-
Maybe he should look for them. They had helped him through so many challenges, risked their lives for him, hell they even built an empire just to take down Grox. It was only fair he would enjoy this luxury with them as well. Grox never said he couldn’t “invite” other people onto their little contract.
“Yeah I could probably-“
“Froggy my man!”
Froggydude nearly jumped for hearing Grox’s “excited” voice come out from behind him. It was a reflex at this point, considering Grox used to tear and shoot his body to bits, of course he was still jumpy from such a tragic experience.
(He’s not gonna talk about the times he’s eaten Grox)
“Why so jumpy? I haven’t even done anything yet!” Grox was happy he got to interrupt Froggy’s little adventure around the castle. Even happier with the fact he was even able to find him with how huge the castle had become. Every turn could lead you down a rabbit hole if you weren’t paying enough attention. Grox won’t admit he got lost in some of those rabbit holes, it’s embarrassing not knowing the own way of your castle.
“I wasn’t even jumpy for real…” Froggydude was lying out of his teeth. People would’ve thought an actual frog was in the castle with how jumpy he was about to be upon hearing Grox’s voice. Maybe even call PETA if they felt ever so endangered by an animal like him. (Yes this is shade to PETA) Though, hes suprised a buffoon like Grox could read his body language so quickly.
“Whatever you say man, it’s kinda cute anyway.”
…
Grox is so lucky Froggy’s feeling a bit kinder today.