Stars and Cinnamon Buns

Clothes, jerks, and childhood friends

Walking to work was always a different experience. Everyone was hurrying to their jobs, be it on foot, bike, car or public transport. Slushie was among the city's morning crowd, tapping her bag to the rhythm of the music from her headphones and checking what products were put for show in store windows. Some were interesting, some not, but one shop's window actually shocked her. It only had a few plain black pieces of clothing with a simple, but cool, logo printed on. The price, though, was as if the clothes were made of the purest silk. She hid her gasp and continued her way to the neighbouring building, wondering just how well brand names really seem to sell.

''Oh thank stars you're here!'' Amy Rose called out, and rushed to greet Slushie who had entered the store with a bell chime. ''The store next door just released a new line of clothes and we really need to up our game as well.''

Amy slammed her fist into her palm, showing just how determined she was. Another staff member heard the two girls talk and walked closer.

''We do have new designs, too, but we are understaffed, as you know'', added Blaze, and said her greetings as well.

''Right. I'm assuming - and hoping - that you aren't going to make me actually sew anything. I'm definitely not good enough to make anything worth selling here'', Slushie pleaded, reminding her of her worries earlier in the morning.

''Oh, no, no, don't worry about that,'' Amy said and patted Slushie on her shoulder reassuringly, ''we've got that under control, especially with Omega around! The guy might not seem like it but he's so good at sewing.''

Blaze nodded in agreement. ''Definitely didn't expect it but Shadow clearly knew better.''

The big red robot, named Omega just because it had seemed.. right, somehow, was an old campus robot built by the local university's greatest robotics professor, Ivo Robotnik. He had managed to create an astonishingly realistic artificial intelligence, and the robot housing it had practically become sentient. It, he, wasn't satisfied being only a campus robot, so he soon wanted to try to find his own place in the world. Shadow was close to the professor so he had met Omega early on, and the two got along so well Shadow decided to offer him a job. Unknowingly, Shadow had struck gold - Omega was a sewing powerhouse. Who would have thought?

Having heard the commotion, the aforementioned Shadow, the owner of Maria's, emerged from his office.

''Hello. Let's get the papers sorted and you can get to work'', he said simply, holding the office door open and gesturing inside. Slushie nodded and followed him in, ready to start the day.

She had visited Maria's before - it was her favourite clothing store - but this was the first time she was asked to help. Amy and Slushie were friends even before she moved into town, so Amy knew she could ask her for a quick help.

While Shadow got Slushie ready to work on the store floor, Amy and Blaze joined Omega in the back and got into the familiar groove, cutting fabrics, sewing and pressing mostly space themed prints on to the fresh pieces of clothing. Maria's might not be the flashiest or most colorful of places, but it had style. A bit of an edgy one, but a style nevertheless. It had a decent audience.

~

The morning went well, and the few customers were fairly easy to deal with. Slushie was trying her best to fold some shirts into a neat pile when a sharp looking jackal entered the store and made his entrance known.

''And who are you, exactly?'' he asked with a sneer and crossed his arms.

Slushie was taken by surprise. ''I'm.. uh, just helping today. Can I help... you?''

''Why would I want your help?'' he laughed before walking further in and peering around the corner.

"INTRUDER. STATE YOUR REASON FOR ENTERING", Omega commanded immediately.