The sounds of Splatfest were in the air. Sooner or later, the Squid sisters would get themselves perched on the trucks and start to sing. Spyke stared idly down at his screwdriver. He tapped to the sound of singing and excitement. He would need a good mood and some strength to do all the business he'd get after the Splatfest had begun, and especially after it was over.

A scuttling sound from behind the bushes showed that someone was lurking nearby. No normal person would have noticed, but living in an alley means you know the place back to front. He trained his eyes on the spot, slowly following the movements of the unknown character. He stared long enough to catch glimpses of some dangly green-tipped limbs, whose core was pink. A pair of headphones slid in front of him as the clumsy sea anemone dropped them. A quiet gasp came from the bush.

"Hiding ain't a good pastime, miss Annie," Spyke said kindly, receiving a tired sigh of relief in return. The shy girl slowly walked out from her hiding spot and smiled nervously at him. She slowly went to pick up her headphones, but Spyke got there first. Handing them to her, she hurriedly placed them back on her neck, before attempting to make a quick getaway.

"Hold it, Miss," he said, and she stopped in her tracks. Turning around, she stared at him with a bewildered look. "You're the new hat shop owner, right? Name's Spyke. Nice to meet you." He waved in a subdued manner to try and be friendly. It was obvious to him that the girl was among the shyest he had met. A delicate persona like her had to be handled carefully. She smiled in return, and acknowledged his deduction.

"I'm Annie, new shopkeeper of Cooler Heads," she replied, barely above a whisper. "I was taking a break before Splatfest. I'll be on my way now..." She turned to walk away, but she seemed reluctant. She turned back nervously to look at the Sea Snails surrounding him.

"Umm..." she murmured, unsure what to say. Spyke recognised the familiar reaction to his friends and explained.

"These are my pets," he said, and she jumped visibly. "I sell their shells at a hefty profit, but the snails themselves I keep at home." he patted one affectionately, and it shivered even more violently than usual. "They look terrified, don't they? They aren't very maneuverable, so they shiver to express excitement or contentedness. Isn't it just adorable?" Annie held a hand to her mouth, unsure, but she approached again and stroked one of the Sea Snails, forgetting that Spyke was there. It shivered violently and smiled up at her.

Spyke wasn't sure what to think. He had already confirmed his soft spot for anything cute and defenseless - showcased by his collection of little companions - but this was a whole new level. Large, expressive eyes stared softly at his friends, as her slightly oversized coat drooped over her petite frame. He could already tell this new shopkeeper would be very popular.

He began to worry. Surely, she wasn't going to work alone? He couldn't leave his alleyway, but he still felt she needed protecting. Surely there was something he could do...

Annie left, and for a while he mulled over the possibilities. He couldn't leave his post to ask anyone to watch over her, and he couldn't straight up do it himself... His sea snails, while inevitably adorable, wouldn't be much help either...

She needed a fish. Yes, that was it. She needed a resident fish, someone outlandish and loud to balance her personality and protect her. Someone special. Someone...

Sploosh.

Spyke turned his head and listened attentively to the sounds that followed. Something had just been dropped outside his secluded alley. He head the distinctive high pitch of a sea anemone, although the tone told him this was a male. He seemed to be speaking to a fish.

"Sorry Moe," he said, staring down at something. "but I just can't cope. You had this coming to you. I've already gotten a new resident. Goodbye." He heard the thump-thump of weak footsteps as Moe - supposedly a fish - was abandoned on the streets. Not a nice thing to do. Spyke couldn't help but try to aid the poor fish.

The small clownfish lay silent, and as Spyke carried him back to his alley, he felt that he was already too late for the little guy. He placed the boy beside him and carefully poured some water on him in an attempt to protect his chance at life. He was shocked when Moe began to mouth off to him.

"ABOUT TIME!" he screeched, glaring at Spyke. "Why was I abandoned anyway?! What'd I do wrong?!"

"I don't know," Spyke said. "But I doubt you were very compatible with that Sea Anemone from earlier. He didn't seem to like you much, did he? Not a very nice guy, I must admit," Spyke commented, trying to get on the clownfish's good side.

"DAMN RIGHT about that, Urchie," Moe moaned. "I can't help bein' loud. Just how I am. I just need some quiet person to hold ground. You get where I'm coming from? BUT NOW I'm stuck in an alley with a bunch of SEASHELLS!" he griped, letting off steam. Spyke smiled. This was what Annie needed. A strong personality to balance her out.

Putting a shell out for Moe, he quickly adopted the makeshift home. Spyke served a few early customers before he heard a rustling sound again.

"Busy night," he murmured, before reaching out and pulling Annie out of the bushes. She held a tray in her hands, which was home to a cup of coffee and a few slices of Octo pie.

"Ah, uh, sorry," she mustered, looking up at Spyke. He was quite tall when he stood up.

"What's this?" Spyke asked, pointing to the tray. "A midnight snack of yours?" It had been a while since he'd had a good Octo pie...

"No. Just, uh, a little something for you. Since I'm new here. Like an introduction thing... uh, just, um, It's for you." She hid her head as she thrust the tray into his hands. He gratefully accepted the gift, and passed her some of the pie before taking a casual sip of the coffee. It was nice to see she was trying to be friendly. Perhaps she wouldn't have as much trouble as he had thought.

Moe seemed interested in the tray too. Peeking out from his hidey hole, he stared thoughtfully at the two. He analysed the situation carefully before flopping over to an abandoned piece, and he dug in greedily.

"Oh!" Annie exclaimed when she saw the small guy. He stopped in his tracks, knowing he was caught, and gave her a good glare before returning to eating. Spyke poked Moe affectionately and earned himself a bruised finger.

"He's just a little touchy." Spyke explained, snickering at his grouchy companion. Annie seemed mesmerised by the new face. Moe realised this and leaped up to her shoulder.

"GOOD STYLE, KID!" he called, making her retract, although she was smiling. He happily hung out on her shoulder while Spyke explained some common Splatfest concepts to her. She absorbed the information gladly, and Moe was content to hang out on her shoulder. At some point during the conversation he struggled his way into her head of limbs and snuggled himself in the protective hold of her head.

"What happened to this little guy?" Annie asked, once Spyke had finished his coffee. He put down the tray and explained what had happened earlier.

"How horrible!" she cried, naturally moving her hand up to the clownfish and stroking him sympathetically. "Poor thing. He's just special, aren't you?"

"DAMN RIGHT, SISTER!" he yelled merrily. It seemed that he applied yelling to any strong emotion, not just sarcasm and anger. Annie had already adjusted herself to the loud clownfish, and Spyke noticed that she already seemed attached to him.

"Moe is in need of a better home than one of my seashells," Spyke commented. "I'm sure you'd take good care of him. If you wanted to, that is." He added, hoping she would take him in.

"Ah, really?" she asked, looking up in an attempt to see her loud hitchhiker. He nodded in approval, then hopped down to her shoulder again. "Why not, I guess. I didn't really want to run a shop on my own anyway." She smiled at him, and by the time she left she was already dead-set on having him as her resident.

"Y'know, kid," Moe said once they were safely back in Cooler Heads, "I thought I'd never get back to the way I was. Thanks for finding me." he noticed her far away expression, and after a few loud shouts he brought her back to reality.

"Hey," he commented, as she set up a makeshift bed in the back of the shop, "Just a hunch o' mine - you like that Urchin, don't ya?" Annie sputtered in disbelief as she tried to oppose the idea. She failed horribly.

"THOUGHT SO!" He cried triumphantly, Hopping into his fishbowl. He could tell hanging out with this girl was going to be fun. She turned off the lights in the back room, letting him sleep while she began to greet her first ever customers. Her mood had gone up one hundred percent. For once in her life, she wasn't alone. She'd tried to be around people, and now she even had her own resident...

Now, she had someone who understood, she thought, staring back at the unlit back room. Now, she has a chance for a better life.