Chimper #4720
Arihiko tapped the main support beam of their noodle stall with their combat pole, listening for the tell-tale hum of stressed wood. It held. For now. They once ran a much brighter stall in the main plaza of Waterfall City, a place of easy smiles and faith in the city's high walls. That faith was shattered the day river pirates used a forgotten aqueduct to bypass the guards, turning the plaza into chaos. Arihiko lost everything, learning a lesson that clung tighter than river fog: optimism is a vulnerability. When they rebuilt on the lower docks, they did so with the caution of a siege engineer. Every nail was a defense, every escape route memorized. Locals call them The Pessimist for their dire daily forecasts, but when the last flash flood swept the docks clean, their stall was the only one left standing.
