Chapter Text
From where you stood, the city before you looked bright and lively. The neon signs and colourful buildings dazzled the eyes with their vibrancy. The city almost felt like an amusement park or a casino town. But a tourist, you were not. Not this time. You came to Mega Pizzopolis to seek asylum from your past life. It had been a sudden move but a needed one. You had arranged to meet the owner of your new apartment at a local taco place, El Chip’s. You stood rather nervously outside the restaurant, the hood of your dark hoodie covering your head as you stared at the ground.
“Um… Excuse me?” A voice spoke gently. “Are you the person looking for an apartment?”
Looking up at the person, you took note of his clothes. He wore grey sweatpants, a navy blue sweater and black converse. He looked rather young in the face as well. Was he the person who owned the apartment building you planned to move into?
“Uh… Yeah. Are you the landlord?” You asked shyly.
“I am, call me Josh. I would have called to tell you to meet me inside but you didn’t provide a phone number.”
“I had to ditch my phone.” You did not elaborate, hoping that he wouldn’t question it.
“I… I see. You’ll need to get a new one, but for now let’s just head to the apartment so you can get settled.”
The pair of you departed from the parking lot of El Chip’s and walked down the street. The further you both walked the less people there tended to be. In the distance you could hear music pulsing louder and louder, your every step was met with a pulse of nightclub music. Walking up the apartment door, the music was at its loudest.
“Excuse the music, there’s a nightclub next door.” Josh apologised, opening the door for you.
“Why not call the cops about the noise?” You asked. It seemed like a simple solution.
“We had but that new bouncer of theirs… We gave up years ago.”
‘We’ implied that every residence around the nightclub had attempted to make them quiet down. Seems you, too, will have to adjust to living next to a nightclub. You then spotted the white and red ‘HELP WANTED’ sign in the window. You did need a job if you were to have any hope of being able to afford the apartment, food, a new phone… The nightclub may just be your only choice. Ducking your head down to show submissiveness, you entered the apartment building, a habit you would have to break. You practically darted for the elevator with Josh just barely managing to keep up. When the elevator arrived, the both of you entered and Josh pressed the button for the fifth floor, the topmost floor. Exiting the elevator, Josh started walking in the direction of the nightclub side of the building.
“I apologise for the closeness of the apartment to SuperStar Nightclub. It’s the only apartment we had available on short notice.” Josh spoke, unlocking the door and opening the door for you.
When you stepped inside, there were several things that you noticed about the place. It was a bachelor apartment, the walls were painted a dark, sort of crimson colour, the living room already had a couch and a bed. And, obviously, the music from the club next door was clearly audible even with the balcony door closed.
“I won’t push any payment yet.” Josh said, standing in the doorway. “I understand that this is a whole new start for you and you’ll need time to settle in and find work.”
“I already know where I’m gonna apply first. The nightclub next door. It’ll be the easiest to get to.” You spoke flatly as you ventured further into the apartment.
“Just… just be careful. Those robots that run the place may look soft and welcoming, but they can be a little unpredictable.” Josh warned. “Try to get some rest. I’ll see you around.” He placed the tennant keys on a hanging hook near the door before leaving, closing the door behind him.
Out of habit and worry, you returned to the door and locked it up tight, all three locks. With a sigh, you turned your attention to the bed, approaching it before flopping down on its soft surface. Your eyes naturally slid closed, exhaustion from your anxiety taking hold of your mind. Not even the pulses of the nightclub could keep you awake.
_ _ _
Waking up the next morning felt surreal, alone in an unfamiliar apartment, just the sound of birds coming from outside. You had slept in your street clothes last night. They were all you had, and though you wished you could have changed into something nicer, you couldn’t. You would have to meet the owners of the nightclub in the only set of clothes you had. You hoped that your hair, at the least, wasn’t a total disaster. Walking to the kitchenette, you grabbed a quick drink of water from the sink before walking to the door leading out of your new apartment. You quickly swiped the key that Josh left for you and slowly unlocked the locks. You kept your head low as you left your apartment, rode the elevator down and left the building. Roaming over to the next building over, you stopped in front of the ‘HELP WANTED’ sign and stared at it for a long moment, working up the courage to accept your fate and walk in.
With a deep breath, you pushed the door open and wandered inside, looking about the place as the door jingled closed behind you. The walls were navy blue with white stars that glowed faintly in the dim lights. To your left was a three segmented stage, the leftmost stage had a metal floor-to-ceiling pole, the rightmost had light blue silks hanging from the ceiling, the centre stage was hidden behind red curtains. To your right there was a bar and sitting area for customers to sit and enjoy their drinks and entertainment. What you didn’t see were the employees. The place was empty, completely and totally. How were you going to apply for the job if you can’t even find the bartender? Walking up to the bar, you spot a small bell and a note.
‘To apply for a job, ring bell to call bartender’
Well, that certainly resolved itself, didn’t it? The instant your fingers rang the desk bell, a door behind the bar opened and out came a deep purple animatronic. Their crimson eyes locked onto you as a pleasant smile grew on their dual coloured lips. Their head looked like a crescent moon and a sun, the twelve rays around their head were of varying colours of gemstones, their chest bore a sun and moon insignia. As the robot approached you, you could see their clothes better. They wore a black, sparkly tunic with puffy sleeves, a red belt cinched around their diaphragm as a pair of tassels hung down their front. Their black, galaxy print pants were free flowing at the bottom, resembling a bell in a way.
“You interested in a job?” They spoke, their voice deep but androgynous.
“Yeah. I just moved in next door and need the money to pay for the place.” You spoke quickly, slight desperation in your tone.
The animatronic simply raised a hand to stop you politely. “Allow me to fetch the owners for you.”
The purple robot reached down to their right and pressed a button under the bar, their expression had yet to change as they then looked you over. When their crimson eyes returned to yours, their rays slowly rotated around their head until the topmost one displayed your birthstone.
“We do not serve alcohol this early in the day, but if you’d like some water, I’d be happy to provide.”
“I’m… I’m fine for now. I drank some water before I left.” You spoke meekly, this purple animatronic slightly creeped you out. How did they know what your birthstone was?
“Very well.” Their tone was unchanging. “Ring again if you change your mind.” With that, the robot returned to the door they emerged from and disappeared behind it again.
You were left alone once more, but only for a brief moment as the sound of footfalls on a creaky staircase pulled your attention to your left, toward the bathrooms and second floor habitation. It wasn’t long before two more animatronics stepped onto the floor beside the bar. One a bright yellow and orange with a sunny face, his clothes simple on first glance. Upon further inspection, he looked to be wearing a red corset over a loose fitting white tunic, the baggy sleeves tied down to his wrists with red ribbon, gold bells tied near his wrists. His deep crimson pants bore sparkly golden suns all over, the bottoms tied with the same red ribbon and gold bells around the middle of his shins. Upon his feet were comfy red slippers. His companion, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. His face was of two different colours, the right a grey white, the left a dark blue. Unlike the sunny robot, who bore two bright blue eyes, the moon animatronic had one blue eye and one red. On his head was a soft looking night cap, a fluffy white pompom decorating the pointed end and a fluffy white faux fur around the brim. He wore an unbuttoned, deep blue button-up shirt, his bare chest on full display. He wore a crisp pair of dress pants that were dappled with white crescent moons and small stars. He also wore a navy blue pair of slippers similar in design to his sunny companion’s.
The yellow one stepped forth first. “Hello there! You must be the one looking for work!” You simply gave a nod, the sun animatronic’s orange rays spinning fast for a moment. “Oh good! We didn’t think anyone would apply!”
The sun’s companion elbowed him, a quiet snarl escaping him. “Ah… I mean. Not many people come to this side of town, so the potential applicants are scarce.”
“Alright, that’s enough from you!” The gruff voice of the moon animatronic split the air in twain. His pale hand pulled the yellow robot back as the moon stepped forward, putting his full focus on you. “We just have a couple questions for you. If we like your answers, you get the job and start tonight. If not… well… Don’t make us call Daffodil on you.” His tone was threatening yet firm.
“Understood.” Was all you could muster. You assumed this ‘Daffodil’ was the bouncer that Josh had warned you about.
“Good. First question. Do you have basic cooking skills?” The moon questioned.
“I do. I know how to fry, grill, bake and microwave simple snacks and meals.” You responded
“Hmm.” He simply hummed. “Second question. Do you have basic mixology knowledge? Like Old Fashioneds and simple cocktails?”
“I know a little bit about mixology. I learn quickly so any training should catch on.” You admitted, your hands fidgeting with the hem of your hoodie.
The moon stared you down for a moment before huffing and taking a step back, allowing his sunny companion to return to the front.
“Congrats, newbie! You’re hired!” He cheered, holding a hand out for a handshake. As you tentatively shook his hand, his smile grew wider. “Constellous, the bartender, will get you all set up with a uniform! Welcome to The SuperStar Nightclub team!” The pair then returned upstairs.
You stood stunned for a moment before snapping back into reality. You got the job. And were already scheduled to work THAT NIGHT. You had a feeling you’d have a lot of learning and adjusting to do.