brainstorming funky bullshit anatomical traits to give (probably nonhuman) characters that would result in Dramatic Abdominal Distention & presenting them as a fun little list for anyone who also wants to play Weird Organs (some of them are pretty similar to each other I'm just trying to keep plenty of options)
☀️ gas or fluid with a low boiling point inside the digestive system of a creature that's typically found in extremely cold temperatures, which expands tremendously if they're placed in a warm climate
🪤 reflex that causes their belly to puff up when they're stuck in an effort to break free, but their body doesn't know the difference between being trapped in a tight space or caught by a predator versus being hugged tightly or wearing tight pants
🌱 digestive system that happens to be the perfect environment for certain types of seed to germinate, and, if they swallow one without realizing, grow into a full fruiting plant inside their belly
🫗 organs which store water absorbed by their skin whenever they get wet due to living in a very dry climate, which take in far too much if they get too wet for too long
🔥 smoke which builds up continuously in the belly of a fire-based creature until they breathe it out, which they can't always do if it's not a safe place to release a bunch of smoke
🎈 an organ intended to help them gauge the pressure of the air or water around them, which swells dangerously when they're not under a safe level of pressure
😱 reflex that causes them to rapidly swallow up air or water, perhaps in response to a perceived lack of oxygen, a trait that was useful millions of years ago but now is relatively rare and considered a defect when still present
☠️ poison defense mechanism that causes their organs to produce large quantities of fluid to dilute and neutralize anything toxic that makes its way into their body
🦠 microscopic life inside their guts which require specific nutrients to remain in check, and without it will produce large amounts of gases or perhaps fail to break down material that's building up inside them
🫧 organs which store air whenever possible so they can live in oxygen-deprived spaces, which take in far too much any time they're out in open air for too long
🔒 reflex that completely closes off the entrance to their stomach, perhaps when underwater or when exposed to something in the air, which is helpful until there's something causing a buildup of pressure in their stomach that can't be released
🎣 gas inside the digestive system that's used to being under immense pressure, causing drastic and painful bloating when they move to a less pressurized environment
🌟 magical energy which is stored inside their belly until it can be used, which builds up continuously, perhaps with exposure to sunlight or some other element
🐡 belly that reflexively puffs up in the face of danger, but this trait can defect by swelling far too big or swelling continuously at prolonged stress
♨️ creature whose high body temperature can cause ingested liquids to boil and turn into large quantities steam if they're running a fever