act20side

My wife's been nagging me day in and day out about how these things are gonna snatch away my soul or something!

We're talking about those heaps of junk from Columbia, right? Are those metal choppers that big of a deal?

You bet they are! A legendary construction device, those things are, a machine of machines! Have you ever felt the joy of watching those things work right in front of you? My heart's never pounded so hard, not even when I first met my wife!

Huh... Guess I'll have someone stop by to put shock absorbers on your chopper one of these days.

Tomimi's going to be back in a few days, so we've got to get ready to pick her up.

Picking up Tomimi? I can imagine how much work that's going to take.

It's probably about as bad as getting beaten up by a metal chopper.

Who knows how many trinkets and doodads she'll bring back with her? Do you remember how many men we needed to grab all her stuff last time?

At first, I thought it was a whole caravan!

Tomimi's always been like that, ever since she was little. Always hoarding whatever junk she gets her hands on...

Don't you think it's gotten worse since she went to Rhodes Island?

I have no idea why she had to lug back that plate of sheet metal. The one Gavial put a hole through.

I heard she couldn't find a place to put it in her place at Rhodes Island.

Wait, who's that up ahead?

Call me mad, signing up for this kind of abuse. First it was those topsy-turvy caves, now it's this godforsaken place.

But that old man Eartheart drives me up the wall. Just clogs up the doorway and nags you all day... Gah, damn these stupid vines! And that accursed sunlight!

I've always said artificial lighting is much better than this crap!

I'm so thirsty... And tired.

I can't fathom why the Master would leave Zeruertza. Is he a masochist or something?

A little kid?

Who are you calling a kid? You're the kid!

Huh, you've got a pretty funny accent. Who taught you?

I taught myself. Got a problem with that?

Kids ought to mind their manners and be patient with strangers.

What a funny-looking fella. Kind of familiar, though, anyone like this been around Acahualla? Did someone's kid go missing?

Not a thick-tail, or a thin-tail...

Not a Liberi, or a Phidia either. Wait, hold on, could you be...?

A Durin?

What's a Durin? Can you eat it?

I've only read about them in magazines, but apparently Durins are a mysterious race of people who live underground.

You mean a metal crab?

No, you're the metal crab! Wanna fight?!

Oh, I remember now! There was an article in 'Stranger Things' a few years ago about how the Durins were really good at making alcohol! That's something metal crabs can't do.

At best, metal crabs might get drunk off of eating fermented fruits.

They also don't live underground. They just cover themselves with dirt.

That's not what matters!

*sigh*... I knew it. You surface-dwellers are just a bunch of short-sighted egomaniacs who keep running their mouths despite not knowing anything.

You people even make Durins look smart.

Gah, beyond all that though, your aesthetic sensibilities are compelte trash.

Hey, little Durin, I'll have you know— I'm wearing Sargon's chicest styles.

If that's your idea of 'chic,' then it's all the proof I need that everyone up here has trash taste. What is the point in going along with aesthetic merit determined by someone else? You might as well be a lowly pleb.

Great Chief, I think this kid might have a few screws loose. Need me to fix him up?

He's still got a long life ahead of him. Let him be.

I matured a long time ago, thank you very much!

Ugh... Why am I even wasting time talking to these ignoramuses? Farewell.

Oh. There he goes.

Hmm? He stopped again?

Uhh...

Ahem... Uhh, if I may ask a small favor, surface-dwellers...

Can I have some water?

So, the rest is pretty much what you wrote in the letter? He said that a Durin city is in trouble and needs our help?

At least, that's what Stitch said at the time.

Take a good look around us! How could this beautiful city possibly...?

*hic*! How could there possibly be any trouble?

Well, uhh, the drinks here being way too good can be troublesome. Might end up under the table if you're not careful, but that would NEVER happen to me. Cheers!

This is probably that unsociable little rascal's roundabout way of inviting us to see his beautiful home, and I can totally understand that sentiment.

Not everyone's brain is fried like yours, Elysium.

Stitch stayed with us for a month, and one day, he was pestering a group of Archosauria building a train.

He said, uh, 'You folks are good enough! These bits of iron and copper you've soldered together might be able to help me! Want to come down to Zeruertza to have a look?'

So then you–– Brother, mind topping me off? I'll finish yours––

So, you went along with it?

Though Stitch was definitely exaggerating the scope of the crisis, I... was actually curious to see if there's any business to be done with our underground neighbors.

Good idea!

If Acahualla ever wants to escape its savage, brutish state, it'll need every opportunity it can get. I heard the Durins are exceptional at smelting and smithing. If we could do them a favor, we might be able to get a thing or two in return...

You folks won't have to get all excited over a few bits of scrap metal anymore.

Inam... I didn't expect you to be such an upstanding Great Chief! I thought you'd just blow all your money in the city every day.

You brat. Is that how you think of me?

If Acahualla wants to develop, the most important thing it needs is money. Doesn't matter if it's Sargonian coins, Columbian bills, or Victorian pounds. We need them all.

But with Acahualla's current manufacturing output – some shoddy handmade products, a bit of unrefined ore, we barely have enough money for people to live decently, let alone think about getting rich.

Luckily, you don't have to worry about how the city defines 'living decently.'

That said, there's a difference between money and wealth. Sitting on a stack of money doesn't accomplish anything, but once you get it into circulation, then it becomes 'wealth.'

Acahualla is already on the up and up. But to become even better, it needs opportunity.

For example, a technological partnership with the Durins.

Hmm, this is a bit beyond me... All I know is, whenever I run into a problem, I throw some Arts at it! If that doesn't work, I can always whack it with my staff!

That's the 'Gavial's Will' way of life!

Hahaha! Even after working with Rhodes Island for so long, you still can't leave your roots behind, huh?

But, uhh, the best that I can do is some tinkering around the edges. For Acahualla to truly develop, we still need a 'leader.'

But Inam, aren't you already the Great Chief?

A leader is someone who can truly unite the Tiacauh. Am I gonna do that? A little too troublesome for me.

I'd rather go shopping in the city.

I like the way you think! I'm quite fond of shopping myself, but nothing beats the great outdoors, *hic*!

By the way, I haven't seen our little motor-mouthed friend for quite some time. Did he sneak off somewhere?

Seems like it...

I'd assume he went to set something up?

Oh, right, but since we're right in front of the big water slide... It wouldn't hurt to enjoy our vacation first, right?

I, I think the Yanese Operators at Rhodes Island have a saying for this! It goes something like... uhh, 'the host plans, and the guests follow'?

I think that means... Since the host isn't here, we can do whatever we want.

*hic*! Well said! I'll drink again to that pearl of wisdom!

Race you to the foot of the slide, my friends!

Elysium really is getting used to the Durin lifestyle a bit too quickly...

*pant* *pant*... Finally shook off that rabble of drunkards.

That's why I can't stand these soulless Durins! What are these idiots wasting their precious lives on?!

I've only been away for a month, and Zeruertza's already turned into a terrible eyesore. Dammit! I never should've come back!

And as for those stupid surface-dwellers... Gah, as long as they can build me a railway bridge that won't collapse, I suppose I can compromise my standards a bit more.

Stitch? You really came back to us! Word was going around about a teetotaler Durin wandering Zeruertza. I knew it had to be you!

Edge Eartheart... You're never going to leave me alone, are you?

Where have you been all this time? I was running all over looking for you. I wore out my old bones searching around that cave-in!

Your old bones are harder than rock. I, on the other hand, nearly died.

Don't tell me, you... went to the surface?!

What, you got a problem?