Pureji

Pureji did not come to The Great Panda City to make friends. They came for profit, setting up a small stall along the bamboo-lined streets with a scowl that matched the scar across their face. Business was a cold, simple calculation. Then they were assigned a stall next to a perpetually humming trinket maker who offered them a share of their lunch every single day. Pureji refused for weeks. But when a corrupt gate warden tried to extort them both, it was the trinket maker's knowledge of council bylaws and Pureji's sharp, unforgiving negotiating that sent the official away empty-handed. The next morning, a bright yellow bandana was left on Pureji's counter. They scoffed, but tied it on. These days, one partner handles the customers with a smile, and the other watches the books with a quiet strength few ever challenge.