Chapter Text
It was a typical Friday night in the city of Ebott. Typical for you anyway. You sat on your old, burgundy couch staring down at the laptop perched atop your legs. The bright screen was the only source of light in the room, and all was quiet except for the occasional click of the mouse or tap of keys.
With a sigh you switched from a social media tab to a job sight. Up until recently you had been a waitress at a local family restaurant. The pay hadn’t been amazing but it had kept you afloat. To bad you had to blow it. You scrolled through recent job listings and recalled what had happened with a scowl.
Your boss was never the most cheerful or friendly man. In fact, most of your coworkers had been harshly reprimanded by him at least once. but you had never really had a problem with him. No matter what kind of mood he was in you would just show up, do your job, and stay out of his way. As long as you did well, laid low, and didn’t cause trouble you were fine.
The trouble started about a month after monsters first came up out of Mt. Ebott. The return of monsters to the surface caused a major stir within the city, and the world as a whole. Some people were excited and eager to welcome monsters back into society. Others however, were fearful. A number of racist groups were quick to add monsters to the list of people the saw as inferior.
You yourself had yet to meet any monsters personally, but bore no ill will towards them. Unfortunately the same couldn’t be said of your boss.
It was a Saturday and the lunch rush had just started to die down. You breathed out a sigh and looked out over the dining area. Most saturdays you didn’t work but you had been asked to come in today as the restaurant was short staffed. Weekends in food service were honestly the worst and you were now incredibly tired. A quick glance at the clock told you that you still had an hour left in your shift. You groaned quietly.
Your attention was abruptly brought to a family who had just entered the establishment and upon seeing them your eyes widened. Standing there waiting to be seated was a family of slug like monsters. The integration of monsters in human society had been slow going thus far, and you had never seen any eat here.
Another employee was quick to greet them and grabbed several sets of silverware in preparation of seating them. To your surprise the girl was pulled aside by your boss who spoke to her in hushed tones.
“Seat them in the back. The table with the wobbly leg. And make sure they pay up front.”
You frowned. The dining area was mostly emptied out by now. There was no reason that you could see to stick them all the way in the back. And why that particular table? Everyone avoided seating customers there if possible and you often found yourself apologizing when it was the only table available. And unless there was a policy change you had missed customers never had to pay before eating.
Cautiously, you approached your manager.
“Um...Sir?”
“What is it?”
You flinched slightly at his harsh tone but pressed on.
“I happened to overhear a moment ago and...um”
“Spit it out L/N.”
“Well, I was just wondering why you decided to seat that family all the way in the back. I mean...we have plenty of tables open now that the rush is over and-”
“I’m not blind L/N. I know we have tables.”
“But then why-”
“It’s about image. When a customer walks in the door and asks to be seated what’s the first thing we want them to see?”
“A smiling face?”
“That’s right. We want them to see happy servers, good food, and a pleasant atmosphere. The last thing i want our patrons so see is a bunch of monsters.”
“What? Why not?”
You frowned once more. What exactly was the problem here?
“Do I have to spell it out for ya? I don’t want my good, human customers to be uncomfortable because some freaks are seated a few tables from them. If i had my way we wouldn’t be serving those abominations at all.”
You were flabbergasted. Was he serious? You always knew your boss wasn’t a great guy, but you still never expected this.
“Are...are you serious? Are you really treating them like this just because they’re not human?”
“Of course i am! Don’t you get it? Creatures like them aren’t normal. They’re dangerous. Wrong. Their very existence is a threat to our species.”
“No. it’s not.”
“What did you say to me?”
“Monsters aren’t out to get us. They’re just trying to settle in and live their lives. Just look at them!”
You gestured towards the far table with one arm. The slime family sat looking at their menus. The youngest was happily coloring in the supplied paper.
“They’re just a normal family.”
Your boss was red in the face and stared you down with a glare.
“I didn’t realize you were some kinda monster lover.”
His words were laced with venom and your heart froze over in fear. This was the first time you had ever stood up to your boss.
“We don’t need your kind or theirs.”
He ripped the badge from your apron roughly.
“You’re fired! Get out!”
Your eyes widened in shock. You remained frozen for a moment but quickly recovered your sense and scurried off to the back. Solemnly you hung your apron and gathered your possessions.
And that’s how you managed to lose a stable job and your only source of income. You clicked the back arrow after reading about yet another job you weren’t qualified for.
Why did you do that anyway? Sure, your boss was a racist prick. But you speaking up didn’t change anything or help that family. If you’d kept your disagreement to yourself then maybe you’d still have a job. Then again, did you really want to keep working for a man like that? No, you decide. You didn’t. And so you keep scrolling.
You needed to find something soon. That last paycheck wouldn’t last forever and rent would be due soon. Your little apartment might not be much, but it’s a place to live at least.
It’s now past midnight and you ponder going to bed while clicking the refresh button. Maybe you’d look just a bit longer. As you scroll down something new catches your eye.
“Live in nanny. Hm.”
Your interest is piqued and you click onto it. Apparently the job is being offered by a single mother with a busy schedule, who needs a full time nanny to watch her child. The job appears to pay well and doesn’t require to much previous experience. It probably should you think. You peruse the details.
If you apply you’ll be agreeing to move in with this family. That’s a big change. But it might not be a bad one. Reading further tells you that the child is well behaved and that you’ll have your own room separate from theirs.
You sigh. You're Not entirely convinced this is the right job for you, but it’s the first one all night to seem even remotely appealing. You’re not sure what it is. Maybe it’s the friendly way the listing is written. Maybe it's desperation. Maybe it’s that 1 am high that makes everything seem surreal. But you apply. Having done so, you shut your laptop and pass out.