Welcome to YonStore!

'Sure!' He crawls through one of the pipes leading off the main tunnel, and pulls back a makeshift curtain.

The room is not too cramped, and filled with all sorts of random junk. There are two hammocks, a couple of rotting barrels, and a table and chairs. Half of the room seems slightly cleaner and tidier than the other half

She follows him through, Arlo tottering behind her on unsteady paws.

"This is lovely! Hammocks are the best, you can pretend you're on a pirate ship while you fall asleep. Did you share this place with Ash?"

'Yeah, this was where we used to live before we got the Wolf and Rat. The slightly cleaner side was her side. Not that she was ever prissy, or anything. Quite the opposite, she actually liked it down here I think. And yeah, I do love a good hammock!' 

He points to a crate filled with books.

"It's a great place, I can see why she liked it here. Although the Wolf and Rat is great too."

She walks over to the crate and starts rifling through the books, flipping though the more interesting looking ones. "Any in particular you would recommend?"

'There's this one I always liked. About a guy whose planet is destroyed by an alien construction crew, and ends up travelling the universe with a depressed warforged. Not gonna give any spoilers, but the number 42 is very important to it!'

'Yeah, this was a nice little place. No place to raise a kid, though. Still left much of the furniture and stuff down here though, as it's a nice place for us to hang out, and the stuff also kinda smells funny, so might stink out the tavern if we brought it with us.'

"Sounds very interesting! I look forward to reading it" *lol, I love the hitchhiker's guide so much*

"Yeah I get that, it would probably get a bit cramped with a little human running around here. I can't notice any really offensive smells but then again I'm not bothered by rotting corpses, so I'm probably not the best judge."

'I'm sure you'll love it!'

'Apparently it's a bit nasty in here, not that I'd notice. Kiara doesn't know yet that we used to, ya know, live like this. The idea of her mama and dada slithering through pipes and swimming through rotting waste, well, it's something we'd like her to ideally not know until she's old enough to understand, and not be creeped out or look at us differently.'

"I wouldn't call it nasty. Maybe a bit different to how most people live, but not in a bad way. I understand wanting to protect Kiara though. As a kid who grew up very differently to most I certainly got a lot of weird looks and harsh remarks. I'm not ashamed of not being 'normal', but I guess it would make life easier if I'd had a more usual upbringing."

'Yeah. Don't want Kiara going through what any of us did. She's so sweet and innocent, man, she even thinks that Hi is just a large mouse! Then again, she did seem a little bit too interested in Bob, so maybe she is a chip off the old block'

"She is a very sweet kid. Much nicer than most of the kids I've met, the ones back in my village are truly little gremlins. And I'm sorry about the Bob thing, I don't want to get her too interested in necromancy too early, although I sure wouldn't mind having an assistant in the future."

'Maybe when she's old enough! And yeah, she is a nice kid. Must have taken after Ash'

"Hey now, you're one of the nicest guys I've ever met! Ash is lovely too of course, but Kiara definitely takes after you in the nice department."

'Aww, thanks Lil! Sorry to hear that one of the nicest guys you've ever met is a random sewer scavenger.'

"If anything, I think the sewer scavenging is what made you nicer than most. It definitely gives you a new perspective on life being down here. And it's ok, I've never been much of a people person anyway, I'd rather meet a few kind people than lots of mediocre ones."

'Ya know what, same! I'm glad I got you as a friend, ya worth more than a hundred mediocre ones! And yeah, I guess my life has taught me a few things.'

*sorry for the slow response, ddb crashed for me*

"That means a lot, thank you. I've always felt like a pretty mediocre friend to people so it's good to hear I'm doing at least one thing right. You got any sewer wisdom you want to impart on me? I'm sure you learn very different lessons living down here than up on the surface."

*it crashed for me too*

'Mediocre friend? Ya anything but. In fact, ya kinda one of my best friends! And ya want some wisdom from the great and almighty sage Flint Lester-Dracoheart? Ok, well, firstly, if ya wanna relax, there's nothing better than the sound of running water. And relaxing is important, I recommend meditation. Ya seem pretty wise already though'

"You're too nice, I've definitely been less than great to some people in the past. I guess I just don't know how to react when normal people are kind to me. Maybe it's easier with you because you're similar to me, because we're both outcasts." She picks Arlo up and gives him a few nervous strokes, clearly remembering all the times she tried and failed to grow close with people, and all the times she hurt those she loved. 

"I've never tried meditation before, but I'll give it a go! And the running water is a great tip. I have trouble getting to sleep sometimes, and it'll be a good way to calm this brain of mine down."

'I guess we've all been like that. I certainly was- never really knew how to interact with people. It definitely is easier with like-minded people, rather than with people ya don't understand. I got on the wrong side of a lot of people who could have been friends, never really got how to meet them in the middle. Maybe my brain just works differently. But you're definitely a great person. Ya don't judge by appearances, ya don't obsess over status, ya seem to be a really decent person.'

'Yeah, it certainly helps me! Why we got the waterfall fountain in the Wolf and Rat!'

"I'm glad I met you, you really seem to understand how I feel. And I'm sure those people you got on the wrong side of don't hold it against you. How could they, when you're such a lovely person? If your brain works differently, then mine does as well, and maybe that's not such a bad thing."

"Oh yeah! I'd wondered what that was for. That's a great idea, I'm sure it helps everyone relax even if they're not aware of it."