Halfling Colony.

Clive was worn out as he crawled into his tent and only just made it onto his little cot. He was glad to actually put his degree to use at least. Even if it was overhauling an entire train engine.

The dwarves were very clear in their design. Bulky, study, and impenetrable. Which was to say it was going to be slow and heavy. But they didn't seem to mind or even care. If anything that was how they wanted it! They seemed to think that the train needed that much protection for some reason. Even when he and the other local humans told them otherwise they insisted.

"It pays to be prepared." Aerin told him when they were finalizing plans for the train.

The design was simple but was VERY labor intensive. They were essentially turning a Shay into a armored train! Not only that but resources were already getting harder to come by for such a project. None of them have been able to get a call outside of town. It's always been kinda iffy, but lately you would be lucky to get through at all.

Which has put progress to a complete standstill. Which he wasn't entirely against as it was still very intense work and he welcomed the break. He couldn't just stand back and shout out orders of where this needed to go though. He HAD to be in the thick of it getting his hands and clothes greasy. That was why he became an engineer. He wanted to work with his own hands to build things.

Which made coming back to Somewhere after his time at college was over a bit of a bitter pill.

It was familiar. But his talents were all but wasted working on the trains... that he was now still working on. The irony wasn't lost on him but at least he was doing something a bit more productive than just keeping things held together with spit, gum, paperclips, and rubber bands.

He sighed contently as his body began to relax into his cot. He had gotten used to not being that physically active in recent weeks. Though he now had more of a tan than he used to. The halflings were content to do all the work themselves, not really allowing Clive to help out all that much.

Another thing he was grateful for being back at the trainyard, was that he was surrounded by people that thought the same way he did. Not to say that the halflings were stupid, simple and down-to-earth sure, but not stupid. It was just that it was nice being around people that got him better than the more traditionalist halflings.

He especially liked the time away from the halflings that the trainyard gave him. Familiarity breeds contempt isn't that what they say? Lord knows him and the halflings have gotten into it more than a few times since they've become so close together.

But at the same time he enjoyed coming back here. While it wasn't his apartment, which he may or may not be still bitter about losing, it was nice coming back to people that actually seemed to give a shit about him instead of a bored desk clerk just doing his job and neighbors that had their own things to worry about.

Or maybe that was just the halflings rubbing off on him, he thought as his eyes got heavier and heavier. He didn't really care much before, but their constant talk about family and being neighborly seemed to be having an affect on him more than he might've thought.

A slight chuckle escaped him. He remembered rolling his eyes at the halflings and their talks about simpler living. Yet he found himself doing it at the people at the trainyard when they would talk about things he used to worry about! Like taxes, union dues, rent.

Sure it wouldn't last. Eventually bureaucracy would come knocking on the halfling's, and his, door. But for now it was nice not to worry about it.

Speaking of the government, the Suits have been more nosey lately he noticed. He overheard some of the halflings talking about being approached by some and being asked to relocate. They refused when it became apparent that it wasn't some weirdly worded marriage arrangement.

Not that it stopped them from dragging halflings into tents and doing a dozen different tests like they did with him. They even dragged him back a time or two! He wasn't sure how legal it all was, that wasn't what he went to college for, but he couldn't really do much other than give the halflings some basic legal advice. Though he wasn't sure how it would work out since they technically, and legally, weren't citizens. Or even human so he wasn't sure how much UN and even the Geneva Convention would even apply to them. Which wasn't a worrying thought in the slightest.

Maybe he could call Morty and see if he has some lawyers they could loan the halflings, he thought as sleep finally took its hold on him and he left the conscious world for the realm of dreams.

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He awoke hours later not much better rested. Sleeping on a cot that isn't big enough tended to do that.

He stretched and groaned as he popped the kinks out and stretched his tired muscles. He rolled off his cot with a thump and a groan before crawling out of his tent before standing and getting a much relieved popping of his back as he fully stretched and yawned.

Clive dragged himself over to the feasting tent for his morning breakfast, giving the barest of greetings to the all-too-cheerful halflings who he absolutely hated for being early morning risers. No one should be that happy so early, he thought as he slunk over to the bar.

A simple plate of eggs and sausage were given to him with a mug of frothy goat milk to choke down. If it wasn't so early he would ask for a mug of halfling beer. Instead he guzzled down the apparently fresh, and thus still warm, goat milk. After not gagging it back up, he forced a bit of food past his gag reflex to keep the milk down.

With that horrible experience done with, he went about actually enjoying his breakfast. At least he was until thoughts of a certain halfling rogue came to him.

His relationship with Kilpa, or what's left of it, hasn't improved since last they spoke. She kept acting like she wanted to make amends but didn't seem to understand that HE wasn't the one she needed to make her case to!

He sighed. He wasn't even sure if she did bury the hatchet with the kobolds that he would forgive her. Dealing with the traditionalist halflings was one thing, but dealing with Kilpa, who by all means should be more... cosmopolitan? He wasn't sure of a better word, but she's been adventuring for years and has interacted with more people and even species than he'll ever know!

He personally couldn't understand it. But then again, he couldn't understand magic. It still took him for a loop to think the halflings aren't just humans with dwarfism but are instead another race!

He stared at his breakfast as the food was now cold and the warm, if very goaty tasting, milk was not thoroughly undrinkable. He pushed it all away and stood up to get on with his already less than ideal morning.

Great, he thought. A shit sleep and a shit breakfast. Today was going to be one of those days wasn't it? He grumbled to himself before trying to shake it off. He just needed something to do. Maybe he'll see how Hamish and them are doing at the hothouse.

Plan of action thought out, he headed towards the metal and glass building that hummed with power. Downside to making it bigger was that the waterwheel idea wasn't going to work anymore as it wouldn't make enough power for the whole thing. So they've had to resort to a few generators instead. Though with how getting things from outside being a bigger hassle they were talking about maybe doing more than a single waterwheel to power the building.

A problem for another day, he thought as he entered the humid building and he heard Hamish's voice yelling.

"I told you not ta move 'im!"

"But we didnae!" One of the other halflings pleaded.

"Tha' right? So you expect me ta believe tha' 'e just moved on 'is own?!" Hamish yelled as he pointed to a shrub centerpiece that looked strangely familiar.

The two halflings pleaded to deaf ears though and Hamish dismissed them as Clive came over.

"What's wrong?"

"Those jackarses seem ta think it'd be a right laugh ta move Henry 'ere!" Hamish shouted.

"But we didnae! We ain't ne'er touched 'im!"

Hamish waved off their excuses though. Clive cocked a brow as he stared at the shrub.

"Henry?"

"Aye. Our arbormancer 'ere found out tha 'ard way tha' messin' with magic 'ere is risky business!" Hamish declared as he pulled on the pot that contained said shrubling and positioned him where he was, before picking up bundles of roots and stuffing them into the pot with him.

"THAT'S Henry?!" Clive exclaimed in alarm.

"Aye! Didnae you 'ear me?! Is e'eryone 'round 'ere goin' deaf?!" Hamish grumbled as he wiped off his hands before going back to tending the vines.

Clive took a closer look at Henry, or what used to be Henry. He yelped in alarm when the leaves moved!

"He moved!"

"See?! We told you it weren't us!" The other two yelled.

Hamish looked at the shrub and watched as the leaves ruffled.

"Yer all goin' daft! It's just tha air from those contraptions! They're what makin' 'im ruffle like tha'!"

Clive looked back at the shrubling and watched as the leaves moved again. But this time he payed more attention to the air currents. Though he could swear they weren't moving with the air.

But he shook his head and headed over to Hamish, though he cast a glance or two at the life-like looking shrub that was once a real halfling.

"So how are you guys doing in here?"

"You mean besides our arbormancer bein' turned inta a shrub?"

"Yeah... besides that."

"Fairly good right now. It's strange bein' in a buildin' like this."

"But it's just like a greenhouse."

"Aye I know. But it's strange ta be workin' with soil fresh and warm, er air tha' tha same!"

"The marvels of modern technology." Clive stated as he looked up at the vent that blew in hot air.

"I guess so." Hamish said simply before pausing for a time like he wanted to say more.

"Say, Clive?"

"Yeah?"

"You still doin' tha' schoolin' thin'?"

"Well, I've got work now so no. Why?"

"Were just thinkin' is all." Hamish stated and left it at that.

Clive was sure he wanted to say more but decided not to press the halfling and instead moved around the building and checked a few things. Like the simple irrigation system that provided water to the buds as well as the intense lighting that acted as mock sunlight.

While the halflings were slow to adjust to the technology, they weren't sloppy when it came to taking care of flora, Clive thought as he finished checking everything and watched the halflings wander back and forth as they checked the soil and eyeballed growing stalks.

He said his goodbyes to the halflings and, avoiding a stray root from Shrubry that Hamish missed apparently, left the humid hothouse. Perhaps he'll check on Sloth, he thought as he checked his watch and determined he had a little bit of time left before he needed to return to work.

So off to find Sloth he went.

Course it was no surprise when Sloth was gone as Clive arrived at his tree home. It was about a 50/50 chance to either find him feasting on the much dwindled, though still quite large, wild boar population. Or to find him out hunting for his next meal.

Clive looked around the area. The gigantic tree Sloth called home. The nearby lake where Sloth, the halflings and him fought and the trees that cast shadows under the water even as several branches and even a couple waterlogged logs floated on top still.

Maybe he could see about pooling some money so they can get a big truck of trout or something to fill the lake and newly revived river, Clive thought as he took in his surroundings. To think that only a few weeks ago he was in his apartment in town. No it felt like he was camping everyday.

He took in a deep breath of cold nature-filled air and enjoyed the sounds of said nature. The birds that remained in the area. The splashing of water from the lake. The odd thump on the ground if Sloth got near enough for him to feel the vibrations. The turtle people setting up camp nearby.

"Wait, what?" Clive said aloud as he turned towards where a small campsite where actual bipedal turtle people were walking about not far on the other side of the lake.