"Boss! We're back!" The Imps came back, just in time really, cuz I was starting to want to just leave this place due to the sour smell of love in the air right now.
And with that, I took the map from the Imps, laid it on the makeshift table we, or more like Boulder made.
It's actually his foiled attempt at making a watch tower, for some reason it's shaped like stone table, so we used it.
Now, let's begin this so I can finally go back to sleep!
"Alright! Everybody gather 'round! Does anybody have any suggestion of where they wanna build their house?" I yelled to the lovebirds around the village.
Scarface is still looking at his angry wife with hearts on his eyes. Gorn, now follows his wife like a tail. The opposite is happening to Tink, with his wife now following him around, he's trying to get her to stand by his side though, but the kobold lady clearly wasn't amused, so he stopped. Boulder is now hugging his wife and is being carried like a backpack around. Grumpy, well, let's just say he's trying to look cool infront of his crush, he's failing though.
It's cuz his crush is cooler than him, unlike the other ogres with hulking figures see, this one is more lithe, still packing with muscles but smaller. Clearly built for agility, the opposite of Grumpy who's solely built for strength.
The lizardman leader was also being lectured by his wife, along with the other lizardmen too. They look happy though.
Only the adviser was actually listening to me, as well as Titan too.
I guess Titan's shy, he keeps following me around and hiding from the others and all.
And the Imps? Oh, they were flirting(?) with the Imp ladies from the other side. I say flirting(?) with a question mark cuz one of them just set his friend on fire.
These guys are really annoying me now! (⇀‸↼‶)
"Alright! Everybody gather 'round! Does anybody have any suggestion of where they wanna build their house?" I yelled again, trying to get their attention. It worked, somewhat.
Grumpy tripped over his own feet trying to stand closer to his crush, earning a snort from her. Titan peeked out from behind me, his hulking frame not doing a good job of hiding at all. The lizardman leader and his group slowly slithered over, their heads low as they got the last of their scolding from their wives.
Scarface, predictably, didn't even hear me. He was still staring at his wife like she was the most beautiful ogre in the world. Gorn's wife elbowed him, prompting him to drag his gaze away long enough to mumble, "Uh… somewhere near the water sounds good?"
"Water it is for you, then," I said, making a note on the map. "Anyone else?"
The kobold lady raised her clawed hand, pulling Tink along by his tail like a leash. "We'd like a spot close to the trees," she said firmly. "Tink can use the shade when he's working."
"Yeah, sure," I replied, jotting it down. Tink opened his mouth to argue, but a glare from his wife shut him up. I hid my smirk.
"How about you, Grumpy?" I asked, more to stop him from embarrassing himself further than anything else.
"Uh… uh… anywhere's fine! As long as… uh…" He glanced at his crush, who rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "A-as long as it's sturdy!"
"Wow, very specific," I said flatly, making a random mark on the map. His crush chuckled, and Grumpy turned so red he might as well have evolved into a tomato.
"Adviser? Titan? Any preferences?" I asked, turning to the two who were actually paying attention.
The adviser pointed to a spot near the center of the map. "I'll take this area. It's central and good for communication between groups."
"Solid choice," I said, nodding approvingly. At least someone was thinking. Titan didn't say anything, just pointed to the farthest corner of the map.
"Far away, huh? Alright, if that's what you want." I marked it down, noting how Titan shuffled nervously when the others glanced his way.
The lizardmen finally finished their group lecture and started murmuring among themselves. Their leader cleared his throat awkwardly. "We'd prefer somewhere near the marshy area, if possible. It's what we're used to."
"Got it. Marsh for the lizardmen," I confirmed. The map was starting to look pretty decent now, with groups spaced out enough to avoid stepping on each other's toes—or tails, or whatever.
As for the Imps... I turned to look at them and immediately regretted it. One was dangling upside down from a tree branch, another was trying to pry a stick out of his friend's mouth, and the rest were chasing each other in circles while the Imp ladies watched, cackling.
"Hey! Imps! Where do you want your houses?" I shouted, exasperated.
One of them paused mid-chase to yell back, "Near the biggest tree!"
Of course. "Alright, near the biggest tree it is."
I stepped back and surveyed the map. Everyone had their spots now, and honestly, it didn't look too bad. Hopefully, this arrangement would keep fights to a minimum, and by that I don't mean the boys with the others but them with their wives (*ﾟｰﾟ)
"Alright, that's it! Everyone knows where they're building, right?" I asked, folding the map and tucking it into my belt.
Most of them nodded, though Scarface was too busy trying to kiss up to his wife to notice, and Boulder just gave me a thumbs-up from where he was still strapped to his wife like a giant baby.
"Good. Now get to work! I don't want to hear any complaints later!" I barked.
With that, the groups started dispersing, some more eagerly than others. Grumpy stumbled after his crush, still trying to look cool. The lizardmen shuffled off toward the marshy area, the kobold lady dragged Tink toward the trees, and Gorn followed his wife with a dopey grin.
As the noise and chaos finally began to fade, I let out a long sigh. "Finally."
I turned to Titan, who was still hovering nearby. "You alright, big guy?"
He nodded shyly, then gave me a hesitant smile(?), I dunno I can't see anything, I just feel like that's what he's trying to do, before lumbering off to his corner of the map.
I stretched, feeling the exhaustion from the day's nonsense starting to catch up to me. All I wanted now was to find a quiet spot and get some sleep.
But as I headed back to my hut, I couldn't shake the feeling that this peace wouldn't last long. With this group? Something was bound to go wrong.
For now, though, I was too tired to care. Let tomorrow's problems stay in tomorrow. I needed a nap.