He first met Izelle as a customer at a previous job, when he worked at a clothing store. Granted she was a nice customer which may have been refreshing compared to the rest of the assholes, but she was just too nice. Too peppy. Too blissfully unaware of how horrible and grueling life really is. Izelle immediately took a liking to him because they are alike in origin, so they'd always ask for him when they came in to shop. This cost Karren plenty of ribbing from his co-workers about her being his girlfriend, and he fervently wished she'd just cut it out. He thought everything would change when he quit and took a job at a coffeeshop but... no. A few months later he had the misfortune of hiring Morrie, who just happened to be the roommate of the obnoxious Izelle - who, upon learning that Karren worked there, decided to make the coffeeshop her regular hangout. Karren's life is hell.

Morrie is a reliable employee, one of his most competent. They do their job and don't engage in drama, nor do they care for small talk which is something Karren greatly appreciates. They are alike in grumpiness so there's a silent understanding there not to mess with each other. Karren is a bit intimidated by them to be perfectly honest, not just of their appearance but because of their bluntness and the small details he's learned about their past. He's also... slightly fascinated by them. Perhaps even enamored, I don't know. But he'd never admit it to anyone, not even himself. Morrie is just one of the very few people that Karren views as worth talking to.