Cold Desert Night
By Notebook
Nestled between the frigid deserts sands and smooth sandstones, lies a city that never sleeps. Underneath the starry night sky, it shines its bright lights that pierce the darkness. Drawing those who wish to find an oasis in the harsh dryness of Sandpaper Desert.
Near the edge of this bustling city lies a quaint little nightclub, known to draw in a crowd, despite its small size. Those who maintain the club consist of the owner, an old toad who bought the club when he was young, and five employees. Two of these employees were Djei and Lyrik. Both who work during the night shift, when the club was at its busiest.
It was at this nightclub where the former Legion of Stationary,Hole Punch, got a job as a cook the owner desperately needed during the night. Even though the old toad did not want to hire the former Legion as the club’s cook, Djei, and Lyrik pleaded with their boss. Begging the old toad to give Hole Punch a chance. To let them prove that they turned over a new leaf and are ready to start over.
After begging many times, the owner finally relented and gave Hole Punch the job but under a few conditions.
They must report to the owner at the beginning and end of their shift, including breaks.
They must be visible at all times, except when they are working in the kitchen.
They must not talk back, fight back, or do anything to the owner, no matter what.
And
They must not complain or ask for anything.
The owner told Hole Punch that if they broke any of these conditions, they will be fired without a second thought. The owner even warned Hole Punch that if they anger the old toad too much, their two boyfriends will get fired as well.
Desperate to earn money for rent and utilities for the three of them, Hole Punch agreed to the terms. Thus began their journey as a cook at the “Sunburst,”night club near the edge of the newly named Shnroomfit City.
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“Remember. The only reason I hired you is because your two boyfriends beg me to. So you better not slack off or else I will fire you without a second thought. Understood?”
“Yes, sir. I understand.”
“Good. Now good out my face and get back to work. Before I throw my chair at you again.“
“Yes, sir.”
Hole Punch clenches their fists as they rush out of their boss’s office and into the kitchen. In the three months they’ve been working here they have been screamed at, scolded, punched, kicked, and hit by randomly thrown objects from their boss.
Even though Hole punch could easily defend themselves from the former bouncer, they’re afraid that if they do the owner will fire all three of them without hesitation. What’s worse is that the owner could also simply fire and ban Hole Punch from the club and take out all their anger on Djei and Lyrik.
Despite their old age, the owner was more than capable of dealing massive damage to even hardened patrons from the roughest parts of the city. Hole Punch could only imagine just how badly injured Djei and Lyrik could get if the owner treated them just as badly as he treated Punch.
No, Hole Punch won’t allow that to happen to the ones who showed them kindness and love. As long as they follow the conditions and not anger the boss, everything should be just fine.
While Hole Punch was in the kitchen, chopping up vegetables and peeling up fruits for that night’s meal orders, Lyrik came into the kitchen with a first aid kit. Noticing the new face, Hole Punch turned towards the snifit and smiled warmly.
“Is there something you need?” Hole Punch said in a quiet tone.
Lyrik merely looked at them behind his mask, before pointing towards the chair at the end of the kitchen. Hole Punch shook their head.
“No, really. I’m fine. I just have a few bruises. That’s all,” Lyrik looked unconvinced at Hole Punch’s excuses for not getting treatment. Once again pointing towards the chair at the end of the kitchen. Hole Punch relents and walks over towards the chair and sits down. Lyrik takes out a few wipes to clean the scratches on Punch’s face and neck before applying the ointment on said scratches.
When Lyrik was done with Hole Punch’s treatment, the former Legion thanked them and got up from their seat. Before they could get back to work, Lyrik stopped them at their tracks. He looked at Hole Punch in the eye before finally speaking.
“Do you want to quit?”
“Huh?”
“It’s ok to quit if you want. Djei and I could work overtime, while you could find another job away from here.”
“What?! Why would I quit? It was a miracle that I got a job in the first place, and that’s because you two conceived the owner to hire me. Plus we need the money and I don’t want to leech off of you two anymore. I already did that for far too long.”
“So you won’t quit?”
“No, I won’t quit.”
Lyrik stared at Hole Punch before wrapping his arms around the cook, hugging them. The little snifit didn’t have to say anything for Hole Punch to understand why he wanted them to quit.
“Does it hurt?” Lyrik asked. Referring to the bruises and cuts Hole Punch received from the chair the owner threw at them from across the dance floor earlier that night. Hole Punch shook their head.
“No, not anymore,” they answered before returning the hug to their tiny boyfriend.
At the DJ turntables, near to the corner dance floor of the club, Djei grumpily checks the cables for any loose wiring before setting up equipment for the night. Even though Hole Punch apologized to their boss multiple times for what they have done to them, the old toad never forgave Hole Punch for stealing his face and turning them into a dancing zombie for Hole Punch’s entertainment.
Djei, at first, somewhat understood why the owner was angry and suspicious towards Hole Punch. However, after three months of the owner refusing to forgive the former Legion, as well as severely mistreating them at any given chance angered the toad like no tomorrow.
Hole Punch was really trying their best to keep the owner happy, as well as trying to prove that they have become a better person. Yet, the owner could not forget what happened to them and took this opportunity to take revenge on Hole Punch.
Even though Djei, in addition to Lyrik, really wanted to tell the owner off and defend Hole Punch, they had little money saved up and little chance to find such a high paying job in this city. As a result, the two had no choice but to stand aside and let the owner mistreat their tall boyfriend like they "deserved” it.
The guilt ate at Djei from the inside out but there was nothing he could do to change their situation. It was either ignoring what’s happening at work or risk becoming homeless and hungry.
Something that all three of them knew all too well.
———————————————————–
“Alrighty, folks. This is the last call for music requests. Anyone who wants a specific song to play, this is your last chance,” Djei said in a forced chirpy tone.
A few toads managed to force themselves through the crowd, up the stairs, and towards the turntables to input their request. Once everyone got their request in, Djei began to play their songs in descending order. As a result, it didn’t take long for the dance floor to fill with dancing toads and woozy snifits.
“Three orders of hummus, two orders of flatbreads, and seven glasses of limonana all ready to go!” screamed Hole Punch so that their voice can be heard against the loud music. Lyrik sets down the empty plates and cups on the metal counter and grabs the orders to serve them to their tables. When Lyrik left, Hole Punch grabbed the dirty cups and dishes and washed them as fast as they could.
Luckily, there were no orders when Hole Punch left to clean the dish, but they knew that could change very quickly, so it was a surprise that when they finished the dishes there was not a mountain of orders waiting for them. Instead, it was just two orders of carob juice and a note from the owner saying to clean the kitchen for the night.
Not wanting to stay overtime cleaning the kitchen, Hole Punch made the carob juice and quickly left to clean the kitchen as soon as Lyrik took the drinks to their tables.
Back at the dance floor, Djei took a glance at the kitchen and saw a tired Hole Punch sitting down on a chair in a thoroughly clean kitchen. Staring into space as they sat down to rest for the first time in 7 hours.
Deciding to treat their tall boyfriend, Djei took his mic and made an announcement.
“Alrighty folk, in a few minutes a new DJ will be coming up to bust out some groovy music and retro beats. They’re a bit shy so make sure you give them a warm welcome.”
This announcement got the attention of the toads and some snifits while Djei walked into the kitchen. Djei gave Hole Punch a smirk while the tired cook looked at them with confusion.
“What’s going on?”
“Well… I was wondering if you would like to DJ for the rest of the shift, while Lyrik and I do the setting up for the day shift.”
Hole Punch’s eyes grew wide as they took a glance towards the owner’s office then back to Djei.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to make the owner angrier than he already is.”
“I’m sure Hole Punch,” Djei said as he put his hand on Hole Punch’s shoulder.
“You’ve been working so hard for the past 3 months, and I’m sure you miss grooving to the music. Right?”
Hole Punch nodded in agreement.
“So that settles it. In a few minutes the turntables will be ready, so you can DJ till your heart’s content! Or at least till it hits 5 am. Hehehe.”
“Hahaha. Yeah,” replied Hole Punch. “Thank you for letting me DJ for the next few hours.”
“You’re Welcome. Now, make sure those toads and snifits dance like there’s no tomorrow.”
Hole Punch gives Djeis a big hug and exits the kitchen with a goofy grin on their face. Djei smiles back as he begins to set up for the morning shift’s cook.
‘This is more nerve-wracking than I remember,’ Hole punch thought when they made it to the turntables at the corner of the dance floor. They haven’t DJed in a long time and don’t know any songs the toads might like so, when push comes to shove, Hole Punch decided to try something they have been working on for a while. It was worth a shot.
Back in the office, the owner was just finishing the last of the club’s taxes when he heard cheers and shouts coming from the dance floor. Curious at what the ruckus was about, the owner got up from his seat and slightly opened the door for a quick peak.
What he saw and heard is not what he expected. The music was a unique combination of old and new which meshed surprisingly well, and from what he could tell the other toads liked it as well. The dance floor was full to the breaking point and from what the owner could hear a few toads nearby, they wanted to recommend the club to their buddies.
Liking what he was seeing, the owner closed the door and went back to work. Looks like today was gonna be another good day.
As the toads danced and stomped all around the dance floor, Hole Punch took out the microphone and spoke to the crowd.
“Now then, is there anyone in the audience who wants to request some so…ngs.”
The entire floor went dead silent as the toads realized who just spoke to them. Frozen in place as memories began to flood into their minds. Then, not a moment too soon, everyone screamed in terror and tried to run out of the nightclub. The toads trampled over each other and broke all the windows in order to escape from the Legion of Stationery.
“Wait! It’s Ok! I’m not here to harm you! I’m sorry! Please come back! I mean no harm!”but Hole Punch’s pleads fell on deaf ears as the entire clubbed emptied out in less than a minute. All the toads running out of the nightclub and into the cold night.
Hole Punch could only stare as Djei, Lyrik and the owner ran into the main room to see what was going. What they saw was an empty club with shattered glass and broken tables scattered around the floor and a quiet Hole Punch who stood near the turntables. It didn’t take long for the owner to connect the dots.
He threw a death glare at Hole Punch before throwing a glass cup towards the weary cook, missing them by only a few centimeters.
“What have you done?! Do you realize how much it will cost to fix this place! Do you know how much money we lost because of you?! Why were you even at the turntables, when you should be cleaning the kitchen?! What is wrong with you?!”
The owner screamed and scolded at Hole Punch, whose eyes grew a bit watery. Djei and Lyrik tried their best to hold their tongues, but the more the owner spitted venom towards Hole Punch. The more and more the two DJ’s wish to teach the owner a lesson.
Their anger reached a boiling point when the owner took a piece of a broken chair, with a nail sticking out of it and swung the broken chair towards Hole Punch. Whom merely braced for impact.
“Take this you stupid- huh?!”
Out of nowhere, Djei and Lyrik grabbed the owner’s tree-trunk arms, causing the toad to drop the broken chair leg.
In response, the owner grabbed Djei and threw him against the wall and then threw Lyrik on the floor. Both of their breaths were taken out of their lungs.
The owners then shouted at the top of his lungs, “Fired! All three of you are fired! Never come back here again! Or else I will-”
“Or else what?” (Clank)
A cold shiver ran down the owner’s spine as an ominous presence grew behind them. The old toad slowly turned their heads only to find a livid Hole Punch with his metal punchers out.
The owner stumbled away from Hole Punch, while the latter was approaching their former boss.
“Aw, What’s wrong? Not cussing me out or pelting me with glassware, anymore. Where’s your rage? Where’s your bravado? Where is that sickening glee when you terrorized me for 3 months?"
"Oi! Y-you think I’m afraid… o-of you? Cuz think… again!"The owner shouted, while trying to stand up.
Hole Punch merely walked up to the owner and stood face to face. Their eyes boiling over with rage towards him.
It was at this point the owner knew, he messed up.
Hole Punch grabbed the owner by the shirt and lifted him up a few centimeters from the ground.
"The only reason I let you do all things to me, is because you were the boss. You had power over my boyfriends’ livelihoods, and you knew it. Now that you fired us,” A small grin plastered on Hole Punch’s face, while the owner desperately tried to free himself.
“I don’t have anything to worry about. Do I?”
The owner begins to shake in Hole Punch’s grasp.
“Want to see how strong we Legion’s really are?"
—————————————————-
"Hey. Hey! DJ! Are you ok? Answer me! Please…"
"Hey…wake up. I know you can do it.
Lyrik finally opens his eyes to see himself surrounded by Djei, Hole Punch and a paramedic treating his wounds, just outside the club. There were a few police officers and medics here and there but nothing major.
"Oh, thank goodness you’re awake. You really scared us you know,” a relieved Hole Punch said with an equally relieved, and patched up, Djei next to them.
When the paramedic finished treating DJ wounds, she got up from her knees and told the snifit to stay laying down until he has the strength to sit back up.
The paramedic left while Lyrik lifted his arms and saw several bandages on them. He lays back down and turns towards his two boyfriends.
“What happened?"
Hole Punch scratches the back of their neck, while looking away from Lyrik’s maskless face.
"Uhhh…I snapped.”
“Huh?”
“Hole Punch finally snapped and attacked the owner while you and I were out cold,” Djei explained.
“The owner attacking us was the final straw for Punch and well… Let’s just say the owner has seen better days.”
“Ah… I’m guessing we’re fired then, huh.”
“Yes.”
“Eh, whatever. I hated working there anyway.”
“Me, too. Only stayed there for the money we needed.”
“Big time.”
Lyrik and Djei laughed together for a bit before they heard:
“I’m sorry.”
“Huh?"
"What?”
“I’m so sorry,” Hole Punch said as they looked down at the ground.
“If I hadn’t opened my mouth when I was at the turntables. None of this would have happened. I’m so sorry,” tears fell down of Hole Punches, while Djei and Lyrik wiped them away with their hands.
“This isn’t your fault,” Lyrik said to Hole Punch.
“Yeah. You couldn’t have known that the toads would have reacted like that,” Djei added.
“Yes, I should have known!”
“………”
“…….What?”
“Do you know how many toads I terrorized, when I was stationed here? Do you know how many toads I scared with my abilities? Do you know how badly I want forgiveness? To say ‘I’m sorry’ to all those I’ve harmed. I just want to make up for what I have done… but…I…I… I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve forgiveness.”
Lyrik slowly sat up and hugged Hole Punch, with Djei following suit.
They each kept comforting the tired former cook. Explaining that they do deserve forgiveness. They do deserve redemption and they do deserve love. They will always be there for them, just as they were for the two of them.
“We love you,” both Djei and Lyrik whispered as they warmed up the cold Punch with their hugs.
“I love you too,” Hole Punch said, before returning the hug.
Although in their minds, they still believe they don’t deserve forgiveness nor love
===================
UPDATE [03/08/21]: Nice dude~
Holy Shit
I like this scenario, a lot, I am sucker for this kinda scenarios tbh (let it be AU or canon, it’s just one of those things I like). You just left me wordless again dude, you got a way with words, love it.
Now I wanna draw Hole Punch DJ-ing because I can see that happening. Screw that owner no one can should treat a person like that for 3 months specially after that person has been behaving themselfs.
Keep on your good work dude!! and to you readers, I hope you enjoyed this nice fic from our mistery writter Notebook!
