Name: Snugget (Simplices meridiem) Description: Snuggets are bean-shaped organisms, resembling protokids, roughly the size of a football. Composed of very similar matter to novakids, Snuggets glow in a variety of colours, which brighten or dim depending on its mood, much like a novakid. Snuggets, unlike novakids, have a facelike structure on the front of their head- two (sometimes three) eyes composed of a metal similar to novakid brand. Unlike real eyes, these eyes serve no purpose other than to be cosmetic. Eyeless varieties exist, but are uncommon. Snuggets also contain an anodyne-like core in the center of their head, serving as the main generator for the plasmic shell and containing the simple mind of the organism. This core works much like an anodyne core/ingrown brand. Additionally, most Snugget varieties possess a useless, 3-shaped "mouth" where one would expect it to be on the face, sometimes even including a tongue, too. These mouths typically do little other than allow the Snugget to hold, grab or bite things. These mouths are nothing more than an indentation in the membrane, and serve nothing past cosmetic purpose. Snuggets, when sitting belly-down, typically absorb their legs fully into their bodies, forming a blob-like shape. They are sometimes nicknamed "loaves" for this reason. Behavior: Snuggets, being primarily a pet species, are generally friendly around all life forms, sentient or non-sentient. Most snuggets are especially friendly to Novakids, due to the history the two species have together. Snuggets tend to act similar to especially friendly dogs. While not very intelligent, Snuggets demonstrate strong bonding behavior, a capacity to learn tricks, and an overall good-natured attitude around sentient species. All Snuggets have very distinctive, corona-like frills extending from the back of their neck. Most have tails, too, which range from tail-"feathers" to bunny tails to curly dog tails. Some Snuggets, if bred or modified properly, can be trained to be used as hunting animals, a pack of 5-10 able to take down a small sentient at best. However, this is a very uncommon practice, as it is quite difficult and inefficient to preform. Therefore, hunting Snuggets are typically only seen to occur in the occasional savage floran tribe. Tamability: It is unknown where Snuggets originated from. The most popular theory states that they were created artificially, and have always been a domesticated species. So far, a non-tamed version of Snugget has never been spotted (there are wild Snuggets occasionally, but these populations always seem to keep their petlike instincts), so it is safe to assume such a variety does not exist. Where is it found?: Snuggets are extremely adaptable. Being made of plasma, they can eat just about anything, provided it can act as a fuel for their quick metabolism. Snuggets are most often found on airless, erchius-containing moons, as most predator species (Snuggets can't be eaten, but they can be stepped on, stabbed, or otherwise killed by mistake or on purpose by other species) can't survive without air like Snuggets can. However, provided there is fuel and harmless animal populations, Snuggets can survive anywhere. Snuggets are also a fairly popular pet among Novakids and Florans. Snuggets can also be found in Hylotl media, and are by far one of the most popular pets found in the common hylotl family. Rarity: Snuggets are fairly rare in the wild. Your best bet for finding one is to go to a zoo, pet shop, or novakid colony/floran tribe. Diet/Method of gaining nutrients and energy: Snuggets can eat anything a novakid can eat. Organic matter, rocket fuel, erchius crystals, the list goes on. As long as it contains energy. Products: Snuggets produce nothing but love. That, and a substance similar to novakid "stardust", which is pretty but useless. Reproduction: Snuggets, unlike novakids, divide like cells. During the mating season, which can happen once every 5-10 years, a Snugget will consume twice as much matter as usual until it reaches twice its size. Within the last few days of this season, the Snugget will fall into hibernation. During this time, its "brain" will divide into two, and the Snugget will then divide into two smaller Snuggets unexpectedly. These two new Snuggets will be unusually small, sometimes possessing a different cytoplasm colour than its parent. These new Snuggets will also only have one eye each (unless the parent was three-eyed, in which case one snugget will have two eyes), which can either be positioned like a cyclops or in the left or right "socket". Over time, these smaller Snuggets will grow to normal size and form a new eye, allowing them to fully see. The personalities of these two new offspring can either be identical to the parent Snugget, contain certain quirks of the parent but not be fully identical, or one Snugget can have the exact same personality while the other has something entirely new. Size: Most Snuggets are the exact size and shape of protokids, or even smaller in some cases. Most normal varieties of Snuggets are never smaller than a baseball (only newly born reach this size), and never larger than a small dog. However, some especially rare breeds can reach the sizes of large dogs, or even ponies, though they're not good to ride. Weight: Snugget weights depend on their size. Snuggets weigh as much as a dog/cat, if said dog/cat were the size of said Snugget. For example, a Snugget the size of a small dog would weigh as much as said small dog. Lifespan: Snugget lifespans range from 600-1000 years. Abilities: Some hunting-Snuggets can purposefully bleed on their prey in order to damage it. This both difficult to train and bad for said Snugget's health. Snuggets are friendly and very popular, especially in Civspace. Snuggets are hard to damage, especially with blunt force. Snuggets also have excellent wound recovery, most wounds close up even faster than novakids. Flaws: Most Snuggets are utterly and hopelessly harmless. Even hunting-bred Snuggets can't take down much more than small animals. Additionally, hunting-Snuggets are very hard to train, inefficient, and very difficult to obtain. Spitting plasma shortens a hunting-Snugget's lifespan. The only way to stop Snugget division in an adult, fertile Snugget is to starve it during mating season, which is considered cruel and unhealthy. In order to be made infertile, Snuggets must undergo an expensive week-long process that renders them infertile for life. Other: Snugget pets are obviously open to everybody, but please try to avoid trying to kill people with hunting Snuggets. It's okay to have hunting-bred Snuggets for a hunter character, but seriously, they're not very good for CRP. Also, obviously, most of the credit for Snuggets goes to chucklefish, not me. I just wrote my take on the biology and such.
