Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“ And here’s where you’ll be working! “ Susie exclaimed, as the automatic doors to the office opened. She took a step inside, and motioned for her newest worker to follow. He did so, looking around the area a little warily. The off-gray walls of the area were unfamiliar to him. He squinted behind his sunglasses, and while they offered a bit of comfort when it came to the somewhat bright area, his eyes were still having a bit of trouble adjusting.

CS adjusted the small cardboard box in his arms, taking in some more of his surroundings as he followed Susie. There were all sorts of people at decently-sized desks, taking calls. Some were more robotic than others. Hell, some of them were robots. The noise was surprisingly minimal despite how many workers were holding phones or sitting in front of computer monitors with cameras attached, talking away with customers. It wasn’t quiet by any means, but the noise wasn’t overwhelming.

A couple of his new coworkers who currently weren’t preoccupied with work turned to look at the two. A few whispered amongst themselves. CS didn’t really mind, he was used to somewhat negative attention at this point. He just continued to follow Susie.

Susie led the man further into the office space, before stopping at one of the few empty desks. She turned back to him and smiled gently, holding an arm out to present his new workspace.

“ Here’s your desk. I don’t need to give you a run-down of your duties, right? “ Susie asked as she moved out of CS’s way.

“ Unless customer service has drastically changed in the last four years, I think I’ll be fine, “ CS replied. Thankfully, from what he’d seen so far around the office, that wasn’t the case. He placed the box he’d been carrying on his desk, and took a seat on the chair that accompanied his new workspace. “ I got it all under control, Miss Haltmann. “

“ Alright, good! “ Susie clasped her gloved hands together, and smiled once again. “ But just in case you need help, don’t be afraid to call or message me. My office’s number is already in the phone, and you can shoot me a message at any time through your computer, got it? “

“ Yeah, I got it, “ CS confirmed. “ Seriously though, this should be a breeze. “

Susie rolled her eyes at CS’s slight cockiness. “ Right. Well, see you at eight. “

“ Mmhmm, see you then. “

Susie then began to walk back the way she came, leaving CS to his own devices. First thing he did was place his belongings down on the ground. He could go through them later, because right now, he had a job to do.

Setting himself up in the company database was easy enough, seeing as how Susie had aided him in doing so the night before. All he really needed to do was log into his new computer, and he was set, which was also simple enough. CS smiled slightly. Finally, something he was familiar with. Though, this time, he’d have to make sure his service was actually helpful, instead of harmful to the customers.

CS felt his smile quickly fade.… No, no no no, that wasn’t the train of thought he should be following. Not now. CS shook his head, and frowned. This was a fresh start for him, dammit! A chance to prove that he was a different person now! That everyone that told him otherwise was wrong!

And it all started with this first customer. Whoever called him first was going to prove CS was better now. If he started slipping into old habits, or tried to scam them out of their money, he’d be able to catch himself now!

The man waited patiently for the phone to ring, or for a call request to pop up on his computer monitor. During this downtime, he started unloading the contents of the box onto his desk. It wasn’t much, just a few things. A silver nameplate that had his name engraved on it, a cute figurine of a Lovely and Rosely, a calendar that boasted pictures of areas all over Dreamland and even beyond, and a mug that Susie had gotten for him a few weeks back that read “ #1 Secretary. “

Truth be told, CS wasn’t supposed to be working with the other sales representatives, as Susie had wanted him to be her secretary originally. But after a month or so of secretary work, Susie had begrudgingly agreed to let him out onto the sales floor. That being said, she still had him run errands from time to time, as a bit of payment for letting him stay with her at Haltmann Works HQ free of charge.

Instead of thanking Susie though, CS would probably need to thank Kirby for talking Susie into it. They were being so relaxed about the whole situation and everything, almost like they didn’t care CS had been aiding Nightmare in trying to conquer or maybe even destroy Popstar, and Kirby along with it. CS fell to Popstar, Kirby helped him get a room at a Cappy Town inn, and then Kirby helped CS get this job.

When CS has asked Susie about Kirby’s willingness to help despite their past, she replied with, “ almost everyone that Pinky is friends with has tried to kill him before. It’s a little messed up, sure, but it’s also really not that big of a deal to her, so it’s no big deal to anyone else really. “ That, mixed with the fact that Kirby didn’t even know who CS was until he mentioned working for NME, was probably what led them to want to help CS out.

It felt a little wrong to CS, admittedly. He had asked Susie if she felt the same awkwardness that he currently was, and Susie admitted that at first, it did. But eventually, that feeling all but dissipated, and Susie had become one of Kirby’s allies. Maybe there was some hope CS would follow suit?

… Nah. He lightly chuckled at the idea. He wasn’t a fighter, that was for damn sure. Made in the image of one of the strongest wizards in the galaxy, and he could barely cast a spell, let alone fight the way Nightmare had. Maybe it was a little sad, but who cares? Not like it mattered right now, seeing as how CS would only really be fighting annoying customers nowadays, and not trying and failing to wrangle monsters or fight off intruders.

CS’s train of thought was halted as he heard his phone ring. Finally! First customer of the day. It was always a great feeling. He cleared his throat, and picked the phone up, smiling.

“ Hey hey hey, you’ve reached Haltmann Works Company’s Customer Service hotline, currently speaking with CS! How can I help you today? “

~ ~ ~

Susie wanted to believe she was making some kind of mistake. She’d gotten warning from Dedede and Meta Knight about her newest hire, but she didn’t listen.

If she’d hired him because he seemed genuinely passionate about working something as cumbersome as customer service, out of pity, or because Kirby was pushing her to hire him, she couldn’t tell.

It was probably that last one. Curse that cute little pink menace.

Susie tapped her fingers one by one against her desk in a rhythmic way, her other hand resting on the mouse of her computer. She’d done some digging, as background checks were necessary for new workers at HWC, and found that the newbie had a really shady past. Shadier than HWC’s somehow. Apparently he’d previously worked at some place called NME, distributing monsters across the galaxy. Other than that though, he had a clean enough record. Not like Susie hadn’t done worse before.

It was a little sad. This guy really didn’t really have a direction in life, did he?

Susie frowned as she recalled her meeting with him. The first thing that caught her attention was that he genuinely, seriously didn’t have a name. Only referred to himself as CS, which she could only assume stood for Customer Service. And those bags under his eyes… sure, his shades covered his eyes, but she could faintly see his eyebags from right under the rim of the sunglasses. He didn’t look sickly or anything, far from it, but he was clearly far from healthy.

But, he seemed like he was more than willing to do anything for a job, and Susie had enough sympathy for the guy that she decided that he was good enough for her business. Kirby had even managed to talk her into letting him live at the HWC Dreamland HQ, since, according to them, CS didn’t have a place to stay. Again, curse that pink menace.

Susie had agreed, but on the condition that CS work as her secretary for a little while, as a bit of a repayment for letting him stay. Truth be told, it was more so to keep an eye on him, but since he had a month or so under his belt with no major issues, and he kept asking to be switched to a position he was much more familiar with, his place in the company was switched.

In some ways, CS reminded Susie of herself. They had both been the closest workers under the president of a corrupt company which all but exploded right in their faces, said presidents were now dead, and despite some issues, the two were getting on Dreamland’s good side. CS thankfully didn’t really need to deal with that many people recognizing him, but still, that last bit applied due to Dreamland’s royal court and Meta Knight.

Maybe that’s why she hired him. Because she saw a bit of herself in him.

Most likely.

Susie sighed, going to click off the tab she was currently on. Why was she even worrying about this right now? There were better things to think about. She valued her employees, yes, but Susie always came first. Maybe it was a bit of a selfish way to think, but Susie didn’t entirely care.

Susie watched as a call request popped up on her monitor. She fixed her hair, made sure she was presentable, and answered.

Chapter Text

The workday slowly passed, without much of a hitch, and eventually, it was already closing time. Susie watched the cafeteria slowly empty as she started walking back up to her office from the restroom. The non-robotic employees were walking and talking amongst themselves, discussing their plans for after work and the next day. The automated employees, however, walked the opposite way, back to where they’d been previously. Susie didn’t make them work all night, she’d gotten rid of that code months ago, but the metal workers enjoyed wandering around HQ, and Susie didn’t really see a reason to stop them. They were quiet, rarely caused a fuss, and could efficiently deal with possible intruders. No reason to keep them from doing their own thing.

Susie waited as one of the building’s elevators went down a couple floors. The doors opened, and a few workers stepped out. Susie received a few heys and hellos, with one even saying “ have a good night, Ms. Haltmann! “ as they walked by. The CEO smiled, and replied with “ you too! “ before stepping into the elevator. She pressed the button that’d take her to the top floor, and waited patiently.

Today had been a pretty good day. She hadn’t gotten any complaints from customers, product sales were going steady, everyone down in product testing had been doing their thing without a hitch, it was nice. Finally, some smooth sailing for the business. Dad was proud of Susie right now, she could just feel it. Sure, she wasn’t running HWC the way he had been, but with her hard work and dedication at the helm, her workplace was prospering, and she was sure that her father was more than happy with her work.

Susie held a hand over her heart, and took a deep breath. It was admittedly still a little rough for her. She’s moved on, yes, but she was still grieving her father’s passing. Even though he’d become a shell of his former self in those last few years she’d known him, his death still stung. Mostly because it was directly Susie’s fault. But how was she supposed to know what detaching that helmet from him while he was using the Mother Computer would do?

The elevator dinged, and Susie took another deep breath. She could reflect all she wanted when she was off the clock. Right now, she was still working.

Sure, Susie could go to her living quarters and relax for the rest of the night, but she still had emails to send out and some meetings to arrange, so her work wasn’t quite over yet. She stepped inside her office at the top of HWC’s Dreamland HQ, and walked to take her seat at her desk.

Susie’s office was a decently-sized room. Three of the four walls were made of light blue glass that overlooked the landscape of Dreamland, as well as a bit of Cappy Town. The walls were a very faint pink, and the floor was covered in a white carpet. Her desk was darker by contrast, made of deep brown wood. It was large as well, holding a few monitors and a few other little trinkets, mostly just photos of her and her friends. Two chairs were placed adjacent to her desk, and a few shelves were scattered around the office.

Susie rested her hands on her keyboard. First thing first, she was going to contact the team out in Halcandria and see how rebuilding Egg Engines was going.The goal was to have it be more habitable for the people and other creatures still on Halcandria, like it had been before the Magic-Science war started. Susie didn’t know much about the planet’s history, but it was suggested to her by Magolor, and who was she to shoot down that kind of project?

“ Restoration efforts are going well, Miss Haltmann! “ the Haltworker on the other end of the call cheerfully confirmed. Susie smiled a little as they continued; “ we’re already almost done rewiring some of the factories, and refurbishing some of the old living spaces! A lot of the tech here is very old, should we take it in for evaluation? “

“ Hmm… yeah, I don’t see why not. “

The Haltworker gave a small salute. “ Understood! Anyway, that’s all that I have to report tonight. “

“ Alright then. Take care, okay? “

“ Yes ma’am! “ the Haltworker once again gave a cheerful reply, and another salute. “ See you tomorrow! “
“ Mmhmm, “ Susie confirmed, nodding. The call then quickly ended, and Susie went back to writing a few emails. Slow and somewhat monotonous as it may have been, Susie enjoyed what she did. It was comforting in a strange way. Maybe because it was what she’d been used to before becoming CEO. Doing the more basic and boring stuff kept her grounded.

Yeah, from time to time, she had to make harder decisions when she was secretary, but usually her father would handle those. Now those harder decisions fell on her shoulders, and as great of a leader Susie was so far, she was also very young, only in her 20’s. Her father was only a few years older than her when he’d founded the company, sure, but he had been preparing his whole life for this. It was a little nerve-wracking to be put in his shoes, to say the least.

While Susie was typing up a reply to an email from one of the Meta Knights, ( something about one of the training bots she’d sent them being on the fritz, ) there was a knock on her office’s door.

“ Come in, “ the CEO yelled as she looked up from her computer screen.

The doors slid open, and CS stepped through. Susie lightly smiled, and finished typing her reply, before going to address him.

“ Evening, CS. How was your first day? “

“ Is it really a first day if I’ve been working here for a month? “ he replied, causing Susie to give a playful scoff.

“ You know what I mean. “

“ I do, I do. Unsurprisingly, it went pretty well! “ CS sat down on one of the chairs across from Susie’s desk. “ No surprise, really, it’s not really that different from my last gig. Sure, I needed a little help from that employee handbook that was on the computer, but otherwise, it was a piece of cake. “

“ That’s good to hear. Any of your co-workers give you any trouble? Any complaints? “

“ Nope, and nope. There were a couple of looks shot my way, but hey! New guy and all that. “

“ Yeah, yeah, “ Susie nodded, remembering her first few days at the company. There were few organic workers back then, but she’d a similar reception with them those first couple of days. “ Glad you had an alright day. “

“ Please, alright is underselling it. It was a good, maybe even great day! I got a lot of work done, most of the customers were actually really understanding, and I actually feel like I, y’know, did my job. “

“ Again, good to hear! “ Susie replied, her smile growing a bit. Thank the stars he was already past his main concern… “ Well, you know the drill, you’re free to do whatever for the rest of the night. “

CS raised an eyebrow at that, like he usually did whenever Susie was letting him off work for the night. “ Uh… you sure, Miss Haltmann? You don’t have anything extra for me to do? “

“ Nope. I can handle the rest by myself. Just go relax, okay? You earned it. “

“ Oh- uh, right, “ CS started, and he stood back up. “ Thanks, Miss Haltmann. See you later! “

“ No problem, see you! “ Susie called after him as he left the office.

She then sighed. He was being easier than normal to deal with, at least.

CS had this habit of asking Susie if he had anything extra to do after hours, and even when Susie explicitly told him that his shift was over and he could go relax, he still asked about extra work. At first, Susie thought it was just because he was a hard worker. He seemed more than willing to take on the increased workload.

But something about it simply didn’t sit right with the CEO. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that CS was overworked. Extremely overworked. He wasn’t asking because he wanted to do the work, but because he seemed to expect it. And he’d do it, no problem, he proved as much when he was Susie’s secretary, but something about it seemed… wrong. Susie wondered how much of it was from his time at NME.

Susie wondered about NME in general. CS, despite how cool and collected he seemed, always got a bit odd when Susie asked about NME. Usually he’d simply dodge the question, but other times, he’d get somewhat… tense.

Susie had reached out to some Dreamlanders who might know about the company, like Dedede and Meta Knight, Kirby and their friends, even Dedede’s assistant, but they only gave her info she already knew. Except Meta Knight, who simply refused to talk about the subject, which Susie took as a sign to not ask him about it either.

It wasn’t her place to know about it. She knew that. But some part of Susie was still curious, and while curiosity killed the cat, Susie would be more careful.

Susie sighed. She could worry about that later. Right now, she still had work to do regarding her company. Research could come later, when she had her personal laptop with her.

Chapter Text

CS hated the end of the day. Not because he wasn’t grateful for the break, but because it meant he didn’t have anything to do.

Currently, CS was laying on his bed. The bed’s soft, light orange comforter was underneath him, and his head was resting on his pillows. He stared up at the ceiling, not sure what to do now. The day had ended. He could do whatever. But either from choice paralysis or a deeper issue with him, he simply sat on his bed.

… Actually, wait, he had one thing he could do right now. CS sat back up, and looked over to his small, lightwood desk. It was empty, save for a small, purple journal sitting right in the middle, and a few more small figurines of different creatures from around Dreamland and beyond. The man stood up, stretched, and went to sit at the desk.

CS opened the journal, and flipped to a clean page. It wasn’t full quite yet, but he was almost halfway through as is. He picked up the pen that Susie had given him with the small book, and started to write.

May 20th

Finally got back into the swing of things. Susie seemed a little nervous about it, but I did fine. I still don’t really know why she’s so worried about me. She trusts me, right? Yeah.

Work was easy today. Only had a few problem customers, but otherwise, everyone was nice. It was really strange. Not in a bad way, Nova forbid I miss how things used to be, but… it was different. I liked it, though.

I might try going back into town soon, if only so I’m not stuck in my room constantly. Maybe I’ll ask Susie to come with me? She usually takes off on Saturdays, I could ask her then. I’d rather not go alone after last time.

That was enough. CS then shut the journal, and put the pen down. Now was as good a time as any to get changed out of his work clothes. He stood back up, and walked over to the small closet that was adjacent to his bed. The door slid open, and after a bit of rummaging, CS pulled out the pajamas that Susie had lent him. Well… lent was probably the wrong word at this point, since they were now basically his.

He quickly took his work clothes off, and threw on the pajamas. Apparently they were themed after this one place, in Dreamland called Rainbow Resort? The short-sleeved top was pink and yellow, and adorned with stripes and even a small white silhouette of the Star Rod, while the bottoms were a purple to blue gradient, and covered in star patterns. At first, CS hated the pajamas, seeing as how the very thing that’d basically killed Nightmare was front and center on the shirt, but overtime, he’d grown to accept that Susie simply hadn’t known that, and it was the thought that counted. Besides, it was this, or relaxing in clothes that were a size too big, and as comfy as those were, he at least wanted something that fit.
Next was the issue of dinner. He could’ve just gone back down to the cafeteria and ate there, but Susie had a kitchen in the living space, and CS wanted to work on his cooking skills. He was alright at it, he knew the basics, but he wasn’t really good at it. So, CS walked to the door, and once it opened, he stepped out into the hall.

Susie’s “ home “ was a bit like a penthouse. High up in the air, it was the only floor that sat above Susie’s office, and was only accessible from said office floor. The penthouse was decently sized, with a living room, small kitchen, a balcony, a relatively large bathroom, Susie’s bedroom, and two guest rooms. Or, rather, a guest room and CS’s room, since he’s basically taken over one of them. Most of the penthouse’s walls were a deep purple, with the exception of the light gray kitchen and bathroom, and Susie’s very pink room.

The hall leading to the bedrooms and bathroom was lined with photos of all sorts. Mostly of Susie with her buddies, though a few with CS and Susie had began to take up space on the walls as well. There were a few of Susie with her father, and even a couple even with a woman that CS assumed was her mother. Susie was a very young child in those ones, judging from her small size and the fact her hair was purple in said photos, not pink.

CS took a turn to the left, and entered the kitchen. Said kitchen was the smallest part of the area, and had the necessities; a stove, an oven, a sink, a dishwasher, some cabinets, and a few drawers. There was a small island in the middle of the kitchen, which had a small chopping board on top. He grabbed a pot from under the sink, and a box of pasta from one of the cabinets. This was going to do, at least for tonight.

Thank the stars that he knew how to use a stove. CS filled the pot with water, and turned the stovetop on, waiting for the water to boil.

He started to quietly mumble a song he’d heard from one of Susie’s partners once. Taranza was his name, if CS recalled correctly. CS couldn’t remember the words at the moment, but he at least remembered the melody. And that was better than nothing, he supposed.It softened the blow of his own thoughts. CS found him slipping into his own mind, just… thinking. Remembering.

He hadn’t really had this kind of time to himself at NME. Even when he was young, he’d always been busy. He’d gotten breaks, yes, but Nightmare clearly had expectations of CS. Work came first, always. Whether that was being Nightmare’s errand boy, or working directly with him to con anyone and everyone they could, work was always top priority. And CS was more than happy to do said work, as it was all he knew.

Some part of CS wanted to believe Nightmare had cared about him at some point. Maybe when he was young, merely a child, Nightmare had cared a bit. He’d at least been given breaks, and was allowed to rest when needed, and Nightmare would actually check in with him for more than just business reasons. He acted interested in who was essentially his son’s childish ramblings.

But CS eventually became an adult. And things changed for the worse. CS had always been at an arm’s length with Nightmare, yes, but it only got worse. Nightmare stopped caring about CS the moment CS could become a tool. He didn’t harm CS, or talk him down, but he shut himself off from the salesman, and it hurt. CS didn’t want to admit it, because he knew Nightmare probably never gave a shit in the first place, but the sudden change in the wizard’s demeanor hurt. He pushed that down, though. Bottled it up. Maybe if he could actually do his job well, Nightmare would care again. If CS could just do everything perfectly, Nightmare would love him, right?

Those feelings got pushed aside further the longer CS did what he was made to do. At some point, he’d forgotten all about them, even. It was all about the thrill of the sale. The cash. The mind games. It was all one big game in CS’s eyes, and he needed to be the winner, because Nova forbid he fuck up a deal. There’s be consequences if he did.

CS gave a quiet sigh, going to dump the noodles into the water. He grabbed a large, plastic spoon from one of the drawers, holding it in one hand, while he closed the drawer with the other.

He’d been a means to an end. He realized it not long after he’d relayed all of this to Susie. Well, not all of it, he left some things out, but most of it was the full story. Seeing as how she had a similar story, CS figured she’d understand, and she did. But that look she’d given him… it was one of shock. She was… surprised. Worry, maybe.

At first, CS didn’t understand why Susie had been so worried about him. He was fine, right? Sure, he had a less than desirable life, but he was alright.

That couldn’t be further from the truth. He realized that now.

CS took a deep breath. That was enough introspection for the night. He could worry about all of this another night, he was cooking right now. That’s what mattered, he was making dinner for himself and his friend. He had friends now. He had a good life now. He didn’t need to worry about the past, because the past didn’t matter. It was like what Susie had told him, it’s all about the present.

CS quietly stirred the pot. He tensed up a bit as he heard the door connecting the living room to the outer hall, but relaxed as he realized it was likely Susie. He took a deep breath, and plastered a smile on his face, the most natural one he could muster.

“ Hey CS, I’m here, “ Susie stated.

“ Evening, Susie! “ CS greeted back. “ I’m working on dinner right now, so just sit back and relax. It’ll be done soon. “

Chapter Text

Today was the day. The day he’d been working his whole life for.

The young salesman entered his boss’ office. He took a deep breath. No need to be so anxious. Sure, he’d be working right under the CEO, but he could handle that. He knew that old man was already going to hire him, it was simply a matter of when.

Another deep breath. He had this in the bag. He was going to be working with a new customer. Some guy from a planet called Popstar. A recently crowned king. Apparently he’d seen an ad for NME online and decided it was worth a shot.

It was just a test today. The salesman was told by his boss that the king wasn’t going to order any monsters today, this was simply just to test the transporter they’d provided the king. All the salesman had to do was send something through, maybe butter the king up just a bit, and boom, he’d be set.

It was going to be so easy.

The salesman took a seat in the swivel chair near his desk. He turned the monitor of his computer on, and adjusted the camera. A quick fix of his hair, and an adjustment to his shades, and he was set.

From behind him, the young man could feel a pair of eyes on him. The boss had finally shown up. The salesman didn’t turn around just yet, he wanted to act like he didn’t know his boss was there, just so that he could maybe fool the boss into thinking he was acting natural.

He was admittedly feeling anything but natural right now.

Whatever. What mattered was the salesman’s first customer, who was about to call in three… two…

“ Hello? Hey, anyone there?! “ a loud, somewhat irritating voice came from the other side. The salesman plastered on the most friendly smile he could muster, and started going over the script he’d mentally written days before.

“ Good afternoon! I take it you’re King Dedede, correct? “

“ The one and only! “ the young king boasted, before giving a laugh. He was a round fellow, with a smug aura and a red crown and jacket that seemed just a tad too big. He looked to be around the salesman’s age, maybe a year or so younger. His bright blue hair was pulled back into a small bun, with only a few strands poking out from the front of his crown. Dedede’s blue eyes met the salesman’s, and he took on a more inquisitive look. “ You the guy that I’m gonna be negotiatin’ with? “

“ Yep, that’d be me! Your friendly neighborhood sales rep. “ the salesman replied. “ Let me be the first to say thank you for choosing NME. Trust me, you’ve made a great investment, your highness. For a fee, you’ll be getting the best monster delivery service this side of the universe! “

“ A fee?! “ The young king leaned forward in his throne, a bit more apprehensive. “ This better not be a scam! You ain’t gonna try and steal my dough, right?! “

“ Of course not, your majesty! The fee’s in place simply to make sure NME stays up and running. “

“ Hmph, good. “ Dedede then crossed his arms, and leaned back. “ Do you even know how much time I had to put into gettin’ your stupid transporter into the castle?! Thank Nova that wasn’t a waste of my time. “

“ Wh- a waste of your time?! “ a nasally voice called from out of frame. A man that looked to be only a few years older than Dedede walked on-screen. He was dressed in various purple and greens, and his hair was tied back into a low ponytail with a ribbon. The beginnings of a beard were starting to form on the mystery man’s face. His brow was furrowed, and his green eyes were narrowed at Dedede. “ Need I remind you who had to lug this in here all by himself?! “

“ It wasn’t all in one piece, you’ll live! “

“ Still, it was a total pain in the ass, “ the unnamed man mumbled, before looking up at the screen. “ Huh… so, this is the guy you said you had a meeting with? “

“ Yeah, “ the king confirmed, “ until you rudely interrupted us! “

“ Yeesh, alright, sor-ry! “ The unnamed man threw his arms up, looking exhausted. “ Not my fault you were too lazy to help! “

“ I was not ‘ too lazy, ‘ I was attendin’ to VERY important business! “

“ Gentlemen, please, “ the salesman put his hands up, trying to keep the two from bickering any further, “ let’s keep the fighting until after our little meet-and-greet, alright? “

The unnamed man grumbled, while Dedede looked back at the screen. “ Right, right, sorry, don’t mind Escargoon, he’s still new to this. “

Escargoon gave a somewhat offended gasp, but a glare from the king was enough to get him to zip it.

“ Thank you. Anyway, Today’s simply a test day, as was agreed upon. And to test out your transporter, we’ll be sending you a complimentary monster catalogue! “

“ Monster catalogue, eh? “ Dedede parroted back, and the salesman nodded.

“ Correct! We’ll be sending you our most up-to-date copy, but you’ll be sent any future updated copies, free of charge! “

Dedede’s eyes widened at the use of the term ‘ free. ‘ So he was going to be one of those customers, eh? Alright then. The salesman could work with that.

“ Now, just give me a moment, “ the salesman said, going to stand up. He grabbed the monster catalogue from off his desk, and stepped up to the transporter. He then tossed the catalogue in, and after a few moments, he heard a surprised “ WHOA! “ from his monitor.

When he went back to his desk, Dedede was already holding the catalogue, quietly flipping the pages.

“ Impressive, eh? What would usually take lightyears to get to you took only mere seconds! Now imagine that kinda power with a monster. “

“ Yeah, I’m imaginin’ alright… “ Dedede replied, a hand up to his chin. After a few moments, the king grinned. “ Alright, I’m sold. You just earned yourselves another customer! “

“ Ah, wonderful! “ The salesman clasped his hands together, and grinned once again.

“ Uh, sire, I don’t think- “ Escargoon began to speak up, but Dedede shut him up with a swift smack to the head. Yeouch. The salesman recoiled a bit from that.

“ I didn’t ask for your opinion! What I says goes, and I’m sayin’ that we’re customers now! “

The salesman gave a chuckle, to which Escargoon glared at him.

“ Great. Truly, great! Feel free to contact us at any time, and we’ll help you with whatever you need! “

“ Mmhmm, gotcha! “ Dedede responded.

“ Well, I think that’s all I needed to say. Have a nice day, fellas! “

And just like that, the camera feed cut. The salesman gave a sigh of relief. Honestly, part of him wanted to snap at Dedede, given how rude he had been. But, charisma was the name of the game here, and yelling at customers wasn’t going to do the company any favors.

On one hand, the king was clearly arrogant and loud. Rude to boot, too. Almost like a bratty child, even though he was clearly an adult. A young one, yes, but an adult nonetheless. The salesman was certain that dropping him from their contacts would be a good call.

But, on the other hand… he was clearly an idiot. Stubborn too. And despite his gripes with the fees, he was more than alright with the business model. So what if he was bitchy, the rest of NME’s clientele was. As long as he gave them money, it was all fine.

But dammit, if the salesman was still a bit annoyed by him. Oh well. He’d have to live with it.

From behind him, the salesman heard slow, rhythm clapping. He turned around, finally looking at the bony-fingered, grey-skinned, cloaked figure who’d been watching him the whole time. A grin was on the man’s face, as he stepped closer to the salesman. He couldn’t see the man’s eyes from behind his glasses, but the salesman knew that the man’s eyes were on him. They had been this whole time.

“ Not bad, “ the man, Nightmare, stated. He smiled as he continued, “ not bad at all. Impressive work, really. Couldn’t have done better myself, even if I tried. “

The young salesman did his best to contain his excitement over Nightmare’s words. Finally, the young man impressed him.

“ Thank you, sir, “ the salesman calmly stated, hiding his joy behind a relaxed smile. “ Truly, thank you. I suppose this means…? “

“ Yes, it does, “ Nightmare confirmed with a nod. “ Congratulations on the promotion, boy. You’re officially a sales representative. Try not to disappoint me, alright? “

The salesman nodded. “ I won’t, I swear on it. “

“ With your display today, I’m certain you won’t. “ Nightmare leaned down, and gave the young man a pat on the back. “ You’re relieved of any more duties today. But remember, you’ve got a long day tomorrow, boy, so don’t waste that free time. “

“ Right. Thank you, sir. I promise, I’ll do my best. “

Suddenly, Nightmare's smile faded. His mouth curved into a frown.

“ You’d better, or else. “

Something about that delivery... Nightmare's tone threw the salesman off a bit. Or else? He didn’t think there’d be an or else. Sure, Nightmare would often be short with the other workers, but certainly not him, right? He was Nightmare’s direct spawn, his child essentially. Surely he’d treat the salesman as such.

Nightmare then began to laugh, relieving some of the salesman’s worries. He gave the salesman another pat on the back, and smiled.

“ Don’t look so tense, boy! I’m simply kidding. “

Right. Right, it was a joke. This was all in good fun. The salesman laughed as well.

...

Something about it still felt wrong.

But he ignored it, because at least Nightmare was paying him attention.

Chapter Text

The young girl hopped over yet another ruined monument. Whatever happened here, it was clearly something catastrophic. Enough to ruin an entire civilization.

This wasn’t the only planet in this dimension, and she knew it. This was just the one she happened to be stuck on. There was other life in this dimension, she was sure. The creatures that roamed around these ruins were more than enough proof.

She’d been here for so long. Susanna prayed to Nova she would be found soon.

She’d been stuck in this dimension for a couple of years now. She didn’t know how long, but long enough that she’d become older. A lot older than when she was first lost here. If she had to guess, it’d been… six years? Seven? She’d gotten lost here when she was eleven, so that’d make her… seventeen? Eighteen?

She had likely missed a lot in those last few years. Her dad must’ve been worried sick. He had been that way about mom, so it was safe to assume he’d be like that over Susanna. The last remnants of a family he had.

And the last remnants that Susuanna had.

Susanna had met a few people in this dimension. All travelers, crossing between worlds. Most of them had ignored her in favor of getting to their destinations as fast as possible. Some of them had stopped and chatted with her, but took back off soon after. A select handful had actually been helpful to Susanna, letting her rest in their ships and borrow some clothes. Well, borrow was a strong word, it was more like they’d given them to her, since there was a very low chance she’d meet these people again.

One of them, a younger boy named Magolor, had actually been willing to transport Susanna around the dimension. He’d been very kind to her, but they eventually had to part ways due to Magolor finding his home planet. He told Susanna that he couldn’t bring her with him because his ship couldn’t handle taking two people across dimensions.

She knew he was lying. It was because he didn’t trust her. Susanna didn’t take it too personally. She wouldn’t trust herself either if she was Magolor.

It still hurt, though. She didn’t know when the next traveler would cross paths with her.

Maybe she could find a portal out of here instead. That’s what had brought Susanna here, so it could be her ticket out, right?

So she started walking. Portals weren’t uncommon here. They were common transport between planets, so maybe one could take her back to her home planet? And she could get in contact with her dad, and everything could be alright.

… Would he even recognize her? In the time she was away, Susanna had basically become an adult. During a moment of crisis while she was with Magolor, she’d dyed her purple hair pink. She looked much more tired. Mature. She wasn’t that little girl that’d gotten flung into this dimension anymore.

No, no, what was she thinking? Her dad would know it was her! Even if she had to prove it somehow, she would. And then everything could go back to the way it should be. Her and her dad, working together to bring Susanna’s mom back. It’s all her dad had wanted, ever since her mom went missing during an expedition. And it’s something Susanna was more than happy to help with.

Which is what got her into this mess in the first place.

But that didn’t matter. She’d be more careful this time. She’d be safe when she got out.

Susanna hopped over another crumbled pillar. Oddly, this area had been… very quiet. Usually, there were small, round creatures roaming around, but it was just… empty here. Maybe she’d found another safe area?

She took another step forward, and-

She was sent plummeting down into an inky darkness.

No. No no no no no no no no no no no no, this wasn’t how this was supposed to happen. She was supposed to be back home right now.

Wait, how did she know that? It wasn’t just a feeling, it was simply something she knew. She should be back home right now.

She kept falling. And falling. Until she collided with something, and woke back up in a cold sweat.

Susie shot up, heart racing, breaths shallow and quick, a hand over her chest. Her eyes darted around her room, and she took a couple deep breaths. She was alright. She was still in Dreamland. She wasn’t stuck in Another Dimension. She was in her home, safe and sound. Well, as safe as Dreamland could be.

Right. Right. She was alright.

... But she doubted she’d be getting any more sleep tonight.

Chapter Text

The next few weeks had a comfortable rhythm to them. Wake up, breakfast, work, take a break for lunch, work a little more, go home and rest, and then repeat. Not much happened to shake up the formula, and CS was more than fine with that. He’d had more than enough shake-ups as is this year. He was more than happy to get back into the swing of things.

The customers were great. Sure, there were a few issues, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. So what if this customer was impatient, or wasn’t listening, or was just generally being rude? Popstar was full of very kind people, the next call would definitely be a more pleasant one. More often than not, everyone would be friendly and sweet. It was common courtesy, sure, but… it was nice. CS genuinely appreciated how nice most customers were.

A lot of his co-workers were pretty alright too. Barring those glances he’d gotten the first day, everyone had been generally amiable. He suspected the looks and whispers had something to do with him being the new guy, because after a few days, they stopped. A couple of them had even started making small talk with him, which he happily engaged in. Of course, he tried to keep the subject on his fellow workers, seeing as how his current life was pretty boring in comparison, but it was still fun. He actually enjoyed hearing about everyone else’s lives.

Things were finally peaceful in his life for once. It was odd, admittedly. CS wasn’t really used to… any of this. But it was odd in a good way.

This sentiment didn’t carry over to how he felt outside of work. Which was unfortunate, since that was exactly where he was right now.

Out of all the people to send out into town, why him? CS made his stance on being out and about clear, even if he’d been meaning to actually get back outside for some time now. He’d been out before, on small errands for Susie, but those were small. In and out, usually. But she was having him run out into town, to go grab her a coffee she could 100% get from the cafeteria.

This was definitely just her trying to get him back out of his comfort zone.

Of course, Susie was his boss and all, so of course CS would have to listen to her. That look she’d given him too… yeah, this was absolutely some plot just to get CS out and about.

And it had, for better or worse, worked. CS was out in Cappy Town right now.

And what a town it was. First time CS had even seen the town, it was small. Village was probably a more correct word for it, given how admittedly rustic it felt, even with the more modern storefronts and all. It was mostly just farmland and small houses, bordering on the coast and the nearby woods.

Now though, it fit the town name much better. Since then, a lot more people moved in, causing a boom in the population. More storefronts, more houses, more everything, really. The roads were re-paved, certain buildings were redone, the whole nine yards. Though, the farmland and woods had been left untouched per-request, so the town still had a bit of that old feel.

It was muggy out today. Made sense, as summer had recently started. Didn’t mean CS was changing out of his work clothes any time soon, despite Susie’s insistence that he wear something short-sleeved out. He’d simply rolled up the sleeves of his orange button-up in response, which caused Susie to drop the topic.

Didn’t make the heat any less unbearable. CS wasn't really used to these kinds of temperatures. He was used to working in cooler temperatures. He fanned himself with a hand, his other hand stuffed into the corresponding pocket of his pants. Yeesh, nevermind, he wasn’t coming back out of that building until the summer was over.

He then chuckled. Yeah, right, not unless Susie had anything to say about it. Maybe he could go out during the afternoon and night, that’d be a bit more manageable.

And it meant less chance of running into anyone he knew.

Just because things had been resolved with Kirby and friends didn’t mean CS was on good terms with any of them. Maybe Kirby, but not the rest. Some part of him wanted to change that, or at least officially apologize, namely to Dedede and Escargoon. He’d gotten close to it once, a couple days ago, but couldn’t muster up the courage to do so. Or to even speak to them.

The one call from Dedede that HWC got all month, and it somehow got forwarded to CS. He’d answered it like it was any normal call, but the moment he heard an all too familiar voice say “ what the- hey wait a sec- “ CS immediately hung up. He wasn’t about to deal with Dedede again, even if he was different now. He just… couldn’t handle the thought.

CS sighed. Fuck. If he didn’t pick up the pace, Susie’s coffee was going to get cold before he got there. He started walking a bit faster, making sure to watch where he was going so he wouldn’t bump into anyone.

At least none of the randos around town would recognize CS. That made the trek a lot more manageable, at least.

Eventually, through blocks of walking, CS found the place Susie had mentioned. It was a small cafe, owned by some of the locals, nestled into the corner of the street. Cs quietly exhaled, seeing as how he was going to half to walk all the way back, and walked inside, fixing his look to be more neutral. He stepped up to the black marble counter, and watched as a barista ran up to him, smile on their face.

“ Hello! “ they greeted, “ how can I help you today, sir? “

“ Hi, I’m here to pick up an order for Susie? “

“ Hmm… oh, right! One second- “ the barista said, walking over to a room off to the side. CS took a moment to inspect the establishment while they were gone.

It was a small place, as the exterior alluded to. The walls were a pale creme color, and the floor was a dark hardwood. There were a few small booths, their seats covered in a light orange fabric, as well as some standard tables. A couple pictures lined the walls, all full of people CS had never seen in his life.

“ So, that’s one medium latte, and a medium coffee, “ the barista said, coming back out with two drinks. Both were in orange paper cups, decorated in small, white patterns. CS grabbed a small wad of cash he had in his pocket, and slid it onto the counter.

“ Yeah, that sounds about right. Thank you. “

“ Of course! Have a great day, sir! “ the barista said, to which CS replied with “ you too! “ He then grabbed the drinks, and went to leave.

Well, at least that interaction was short, meaning the coffee wouldn’t be too cold. And they labeled the cups, meaning CS could tell which drink was his. He took a sip, and smiled. She managed to get his order right every time, no matter what place she ordered from. CS saw it as some kind of reward for actually going out of his way to help Susie, like a friendly little gesture.

The fact it was a token of friendship was somewhat lost on him.