"Let's see... Knick Knacks, Merchandise, Refreshments." Piper wanted to stop by the Starr Shop before she made her commute back to her townhouse. She figured it would be quicker to buy something inside Starr Park's tiny store than to deal with the rush hour hustle-and-bustle of a city store. And she had just finished adorning her scalp with a pristine blue hair clip to hold back massive bangs. No need to ruin that with crowded grocery store traffic.

Though as she moved from aisle to aisle she couldn't shake this feeling that something was watching her. It was that violating presence you got when you would walk down a foreign street. Like you didn't belong here. She would often look over her shoulders expecting to see someone behind her. But after she got past her thick yellow locks, she would only find her paranoia staring back.

Perhaps it was just her imagination, besides. "Ah, ammunition!" Piper looked down the giant aisle with an assortment of different bullets and projectiles with awe. Griff knows what the people want. The massive rounds she equipped into her umbrella were sitting under a section labeled Snappy Sniping.

As Piper reached up to retrieve a pack, she heard the tiniest cackle from behind her. "Eee-hee-hee." Piper felt the hairs on her neck stand on end. She snapped around to find the source but again was met with dust particles. She knew she didn't imagine that and she refused to stay here any longer.

Piper quickly concluded her shopping, lifting her massive dress so she could optimally rush from item to item. She blew a sigh of relief when she was able to get to the counter without any further close calls. Her smooth hands smashed on the golden bell, "Griff? Griff?! I'm ready to check out!"

Piper looked back and forth hoping to see the walking cash register stroll from one of the side rooms. Instead, a white tuff of hair peeked from the countertop. A giddy squeal slowly left her mouth as the Starr Shop cashier rose from below.

Piper's heart dropped when she saw the jagged smile her spiked teeth presented. The mischievous glare in the girl's eye, while not sinister, felt unnaturally chaotic. Piper tried her best to act professionally, "Hi, Colette." The girl gave back an uncomfortable wheeze in response. "Great..." Piper carefully placed her items on the counter. Colette didn't take her gaze off the southern belle.

Her heavy breathing made this awkward situation drastically uncomfortable. It took all of Piper's strength not to walk out. "So... if you could just... scan these I'll be on my way."

With a creepy whine, Colette slowly retrieved each item. Sustaining an unhealthy amount of eye contact the entire time. Piper was in a nervous sweat, unable to look away from the overly passionate employee. 'I thought she'd be satisfied with that grenade pin I dropped last week. Why is she still so creepy?'

Piper was relieved when Colette carefully passed her bags. She still reframed from speaking, only staring into Piper's mind. Again the older woman tried to break the tension, "Have a nice day, love."

Colette gasped at the classic phrase Piper would use in all her performances. The southern belle sauntered towards the sliding glass doors. Colette merrily called, "Have a nice day!"

Hoping to save face Piper turned around and waved at the girl. However, she had suddenly disappeared from her station behind the counter. Piper's jaw went slack. She looked to her right deeper into the store but she didn't see the girl. Perhaps she disappeared behind the counter again.

"Come back soon!" a voice screamed beside Piper.

Colette had somehow jumped beside the door without Piper noticing. The blonde lass let out a nervous chuckle as she slipped out the exit. Again, she had to thank the powers above that she was able to get away without a hitch. Interacting with Colette could easily devolve into fighting her off with a stick. Her fanatic frenzies were akin to rabid animal attacks. She pushed a hanging bang out of her vision. At least she didn't have to worry about besmirching her pristine image.

Her hand rested against her scalp. "Where's my hairpin?"

Colette slipped behind the counter with a sinister snicker. Her purple scrapbook had its edges frayed from constant usage. Whether that usage was for collection or combat depended on the weather. Though for today's excursion into the realm of memories she would just be opening it. She quickly flipped through the massive pages and found a section dedicated to the sniping queen.

Taped up tight within the paper bounds was a set of used ammunition from one of the shows Piper had finished. That and the aforementioned grenade pin was childishly accompanied by a messily drawn picture of Piper.

Colette snatched up a small tape roll and ripped it apart with her knife-edged gnashers. The massive sleeves of her oversized blue jacket attempted to impede her assignment but she had long since grown accustomed to its unorthodox size. She slipped the stolen hairpin from said sleeves and locked it up tight. "Another addition to my scrapbook," she merrily cooed.

"COLETTE!"

She jumped from the heated tenor of her boss's call. Smashing open the wooden office was a sentient cash register with paystubs for eyes. His gold-stained wooden cheeks were accentuated with classic keytops found on the first typewriters of old. And a metallic toupee sat at the top of his squared-off head to give him a little style.

The giant smile that stretched from drawer to drawer always brought a matching grin along Colette's face. "Yes, Mr. Griff?"

"What was that infernal dinging?" Griff used his gloved hand to crank the old-fashioned lever. His eyes rolled like a slot machine and settled on two question marks.

"Nothing sir. Just a customer checking out."

Griff dusted off his purple suit. The smooth silk rolled over his portly exterior. He strolled up to the cash register, examining the countertop for inconsistencies. "Nothing is... amiss?"

Colette shook her head like a baby doll.

Griff would have continued pestering her but was distracted by the glare of the tip jar. "Good!" He snatched the half-full container up in his grubby hands. "Then I'll leave you to it." Colette silently stared on as Griff clicked his heels back towards his office. Just as he was about to make his exit he turned around, "Oh and do keep the store spick-an'-span. We have a new hire arriving today. When they show make sure to inform me."

With that he slammed the door shut. Colette returned her attention to the front door. An inquisitive look now staining her unsettling smirk. They were getting a new worker? Colette's grin grew ten times in size. She was getting a new friend!

Colette spent the next hour rushing around the shop cleaning every dust molecule off the shelves. While she splurged herself with a cleaning spree, she couldn't stop imagining who the new hire would be. Her initial thought was another girl like her. Young and in love with Starr Park. Most likely the duo would spend most of their time at work sharing their favorite Brawler stories.

She hoped the new hire would be a fellow Brawler. She hadn't made too many female Brawler friends save for the infamous zombie model, Emz. Maybe with a new female Brawler the two could dominate the duo tournaments and get some extra cash. Normal humans were susceptible to such violent injuries in the sport of brawling. Their feeble bodies could rarely survive fighting a Brawler. Only those born with the enhanced Brawler gene could survive the traumatic battles they participated in daily.

The customers that shuffled in and out noticed a distinct lack of absurdum in Colette's usual interactions. The girl was within her bubble of reality. And her body unconsciously knocked over the Crow-themed pen she bought upon first entering the Starr Shop.

While she was below the counter, she heard the gentle chime of the front door's greeting bell. Her rushed attempt to rise again caused her to bump her head against the sturdy wood. With a tentative hand she arose, "Hello. Welcome to Starr Shop-" she hissed between her introductions. "My name is Colette. How-"

As she opened her eyes her tongue rolled down her throat. Standing before her was a young fair-skinned male with hair akin to the void of vantablack paint. Its shaggy length drooped over his shadowed eyes. The annoyed glare he gave her seemed like a permanent part of his figure.

Her eyes scrolled down to his attire. A punk black shirt with a cartoonish skull bared across his chest. That and a strange mismatched pair of grey sweatpants that sported a pink pinstripe. His hands were smothered with purple gloves and a pair of black high-tops swaddled his feet.

Though the most intriguing part of his outfit was unequivocally the striped scarf that swallowed his neck and chin. It was a matching shade of violet as his gloves with woven white blocks dividing the wool into sections. Colette silently stared at the teen as his scarf flowed in the non-existent wind. His pocketed palms quickly snapped out of their hiding place and tapped the service bell.

"Umm. Hello?" The teen's bored tone brought Colette down from her visual high. He spoke to her like a tired older brother, "Hello?"

"H-ho—ow?"

The mystery boy was taken aback. "You okay?"

Colette again tried to speak, "Wow-how." She covered her mouth. Why couldn't she form a sentence?

"Okay..." The boy looked past her, "Is Griff here?"

Colette's eyes bugged out at the request. 'Is he?'

The office door smashed against the wall again, "Colette it can't be that busy today!" The living money-maker noticed the emo at the entrance. "Ah, Edgar. You're early." Edgar cringed a little from the sudden proximity of his potential boss. Griff put on the charm extra thick today, "And may I say you are looking absolutely ~ fabulous! ~"

Edgar's scarf used one of its hanging tails to push Griff away from his face. The other end made a waving motion as if to tell the cash register, 'nuh-uh.'

Colette couldn't take her eyes off them as Griff lead Edgar into his office. Leaving a stunning silence in their wake. Colette took a second to adjust to the overload of information. Now she was unable to help herself from jumping with joy. Her oversized sleeves flew around her head as she tried to get her overflowing emotions under control.

'A boy. A BOY!' she screamed internally. 'And a cute one too.' She couldn't help but squeal a little. What better way to start a day than with a cute new employee? 'I've gotta tell someone.'

Colette proceeded to spend the following quiet minutes messaging her closest friends. The back-and-forth gossip of the gals and guys she messaged all revolved around one question. How cute was he? Colette tried to place her finger on one feature that stood out to her but she couldn't quite grasp a focal point.

She remembered his baggy eyes, his droopy hair, maybe it was his gloomy attire. But none of those were what set her off. Then she remembered his scarf. While the accessory was fashionably attractive, she was more enamored by the way it pushed up his cute button of a nose. It was like a little prick that just barely protruded from his mostly flawless face.

Definitely the nose. As she proceeded to inform all her companions a message pinged into her notifications. Her model friend Emz had asked an interesting question, Is he a Brawler? Colette looked back at the door. She couldn't see their silhouettes through the foggy window. Thinking back to his introduction, the mystical properties of his scarf could qualify him to be a Brawler. But he wouldn't be the first human to use special tools and technology to keep up with the Brawler gene.

As she sent her hypothetical sister an unsure response, she felt a soft tap from behind. Colette peeked over her shoulder and jumped when Edgar was staring down at her. He had a placid look on his constantly grumpy mug. His scarf was currently helping him fix his new rosy-red work vest onto his slim frame.

"Uh... Griff said you'll give me the tutorial?"

Colette turned back around to close her messages. With a sharp intake of air, she turned back around with a bit more confidence. "Hello, I'm Colette." She reached out a friendly hand.

Edgar dully stared at her outstretched palm, "You said that already."

Colette's internal screams were visible on her face. "Right, duh. Um... why don't yo—ou start by sweeping the floor?"

Edgar gave a lazy look to the brooms beside her. He gave her a heavy sigh, "Yeah, whatever."

She silently watched as he disappeared around the aisle and began his first sweep of the building. Colette could feel her cheeks heating up. Again, she jumped up screeching more outwardly this time. This was going to be the start of a beautiful new friendship.