On the third isle.
Right across the tracks.
Cuphead had no idea why he was so fixated on that place. After all, he had heard nothing good about the place. Many of the stories that filtered through to him were horror stories of the unfortunate, those who had taken a night of gambling a little too hard and ended up paying the price. With their souls.
Fortunately, that didn't actually seem to happen all that often, but it was emphasized the most. There were other things though.
There were rumors claiming that the employees put something magic in the food, drink, or the air that made you more likely to do something dumb, something your rational self would never do. Some said that the place gave out a really bad feeling. However, the more one frequents it, the more addicted they become to it. There were patrons of the casino whose eyes looked half-dead but seemed insistent on visiting, almost like they were trying to get their next fix. A whole mountain of discourse, half-truths, and flat out lies surrounded the casino
That was definitely not a good reputation, and there was no reason why he'd want to take a peek.
...
Actually, that was a lie. There were a few rumors that matched the rate at which the infamous soul-taking stories were mentioned. Ones in which gamblers managed to escape being dragged down under. The escapees seemed to have been granted strange powers by the Devil himself, and were all strong enough to take out any normal joe, or a whole horde of them, without much difficulty.
In addition, nobody was sure if the Devil actually existed. Sure, it was called the Devil's casino and all, but that might have just been King Dice peddling lies to attract more daredevils (pun intended) or desperate folk into emptying their pockets. The rumors covered up their tracks by saying he only appeared to those who had gone on rare winning streaks, and that those who ever did see him were either dead, hiding, or working at the casino.
He was curious.
Then, when Mugman had a cold one day, he took advantage of his free time and headed to Isle Three. They both always seemed to get sick together, so this was a rare window of opportunity.
The third isle wasn't completely new to him; both he and his brother had stolen glances at it ever since Elder Kettle warned them from going. Usually, Mugs would give him the look if he ever suggested it, but he wasn't here right now. He felt a twinge of guilt for disobeying his family, and it was present through the whole walk there.
Cuphead pushed it to the back of his mind as he took in the sights, but he kept himself focused on his destination. Within a half hour, a very conspicuous hole loomed into view. He dashed in when he made sure nobody was paying attention to him.
Oddly enough, the first thing he noticed about the place was the palm trees planted to the sides of the two main buildings. The splotches of greenery seemed rather out of place.
Second, the atmosphere. Those drunk, gossiping flies at the local clip joint weren't kidding. The pressure the place exuded was… well, he couldn't really describe it. After puzzling it over for a few minutes, Cuphead decided that the best way to convey it was a mix of exhilaration, rage, fear, anticipation and a whole slew of other emotions mixed together till all of it made almost impossible to tell head or tails of what is what. It was somewhat uncomfortable… and intoxicating? He'd never drunk before, but the word seemed weirdly fitting.
The casino itself seemed strangely ordinary excluding the skeletons running around and sitting at tables. He had expected it to be really decked out in fancy stuff, but it was surprisingly plain. The gamblers didn't seem all that bothered by it and kept their eyes glued to their games, skeletons cheering or gasping with every turn.
At first, Cuphead had been content to simply look around, but then a cane looped around his midsection and he nearly shrieked when he found himself dragged within an inch from a squinting skull.
"'Ey kid, why the heck are ya here? Didn't your mama tell ya not to come to the bad side o' town?" questioned the skeleton.
"Uhh, I don't have a mom?" was Cuphead's articulate response.
The skeleton suddenly drew back. "Ah, sorry ta bring that up," he said.
"No problem? I don't know if I even have one at all."
"Well, okay then. Anyways, we're gettin' off topic. Are ya gonna play or nah?"
Cuphead blinked. "Me?" he asked, pointing at himself.
"Yeah, you. How many 'yous' are there? If you are, then pull out the cash and I'll get 'cha started."
"Cash?"
The skeleton paused. Then she asked tentatively, "Hey kid, do ya even know where you are? Do you know anything about casinos?"
A rush of annoyance flooded Cuphead "Yeah I do!" he huffed. "You gamble in them!"
"Do ya know what 'cha have to have ta gamble?"
Cuphead opened his mouth, then promptly shut it and looked the other way. He could feel a slight flush rising in his cheeks as realization struck.
There was a slightly awkward lull in the conversation. Then without warning, the skeleton threw her head back with a rattling laugh. "Tell ya what, I'll teach 'cha how play!
A curious glint lit up Cuphead's eyes. "I'm Cuphead, by the way."
"Name's Skeleton Jack!" she replied, giving a silly bow.
Cuphead giggled a little and went along happily with his new guide. By the end of the run-through, they discovered that Cuphead seemed to suck at some games, but possessed an unusual aptitude for others. Both of them filed the information away mentally, and eventually, it was nearly sundown.
Bidding his temporary tutor goodbye, he rushed back home, but stopped to snatch two lollipops from Von Bon Bon's hidden stash. She never minded too much when he and Mugman did, having been unwillingly impressed with how easily they had found it.
Before long, he could see the warm light of Elder's fireplace through the windows. He swiftly made his way to his and Mugman's room. As expected, Elder Kettle was sitting on a stool near Mug's bed, snoozing away with steam puffing rhythmically though his spout.
Mugman had been spooning soup into his mouth when Cuphead entered, and grinned mischievously when he spotted the lollipops in Cuphead's hand.
"Thanks Cup! I've eaten nothing but soup and porridge all day!"
"Yeah, I know. I've been sick before too, you know," he said with a wink.
The next day, he scrounged up some pocket change and went right back to the casino.
LINEBREAK
"While this one does heal you as well as the other, it will permanently leave a golden line where the crack used to be. This is why I am only now telling you of its existence. You must be mature enough not to use it for just any kind of crack, as it should be for reminding you of an event's significance."
Cuphead sighed as he tossed the dice yet again.
As usual, Skeleton Jack, as she insisted on being called, was sitting nearby when he asked, "What's the matter, Cups? Ya seem kinda out of it."
"Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking."
The skeleton grasped his chest dramatically as he said, "You? Thinking? Tha's never a good sign!"
Over the past few months, the two had become close enough that Cuphead only rolled his eyes good-naturedly in response.
"Wow, thanks SK. You really are the best buddy I could ever have."
A few minutes passed by leisurely, until Cuphead looked back to him and said, "Actually, I have a question. What kind of big thing do you think I could do? Some sort of accomplishment, I mean?"
"Other than skulking by at night sometimes, ya mean? You're surprisingly good at sneakin' despite your bad decision makin' skills."
"Do you really think Elder Kettle and Mugs'll let me come here if they knew?"
Skeleton Jack talked on as if he didn't hear. "Can ya think of anythin' you're good at?"
Cuphead stared at his companion's expectant face. "Catching bugs?" he said.
"Think bigger."
"Guessing what Djimi the Great's gonna say next?"
"Cups."
"Doing triple flips in midair?"
"Cups, tha's actually kinda neat, but ya know what I mean."
Cuphead grinned and chucked another die. "Yeah, I do know. What do you suggest though? Remember that it has to crack my head somehow."
"Maybe getting a super long streak at the craps table? Tho' I dunno how you'd be able ta break your head that way," Skeleton Jack responded.
"Yeah, I guess. This probably isn't the right way to do it. The Devil might get me or something," Cuphead joked.
Skeleton Jack froze for a moment, then said, "Yeah, tha's not the best way. Try not ta get too many wins at once. Could ya do that?"
The strangely stiff response made Cuphead stare at him for a moment, but when it was clear that his friend wouldn't elaborate, he let go of the topic.
LINEBREAK
One sunny day, Cuphead and Mugman were at the top of Grim Matchstick's tower, enjoying the nice breeze that had been passing through. The only thing off was that Mugs had been stealing glances across Isle Three, landing on a place Cuphead knew very well.
When ten minutes of this had passed, Cuphead sidled up to his brother and gave him a tap on the shoulder. The distracted look in Mug's eyes immediately disappeared and he turned to Cuphead questioningly.
"Do you wanna go take a look?" asked Cuphead.
"Huh?"
"Don't think that I haven't noticed that you, my own flesh and blood-"
"Cup, we don't have either of those," Mugman interrupted.
"-you know what I mean-has been looking over at the Devil's casino?"
Mugman tilted his head with his mouth slightly pursed as if holding back a small laugh. "Yeah, you got me. I do wanna see what's going on there, but wouldn't it be dangerous?"
"Nah, I doubt it. I'm pretty sure that all those stories are all just made up. Why the heck would the Devil himself come to such a tiny place? Taxes?" The casino had become a normal place to Cuphead, enough so that he had begun to tune out the rumors surrounding the place.
Evidently, Mugs didn't really see his logic since he was making a disbelieving frown.
Out of the blue, Cuphead felt a powerful urge to prove him wrong, to prove that the casino was actually a pretty decent place. He grabbed Mug's hand.
"C'mon, I'll show you! I'll be fine!" insisted Cuphead.
There was still doubt lingering in Mug's eyes and maybe a hint of worry, but he followed anyway. Cuphead swiftly led him down the tower and through the crowds of the next isle. It was almost as if something supernatural was guiding him along. Mugman, however, had opened up and chatted excitedly the whole way about the unfamiliar surroundings so he didn't seem to notice.
It seemed to Cuphead as if no time had passed as they made their way to the gaping maw of Inkwell Hell's entrance.
"This way," said Cuphead. His voice echoed through the cavern.
Mugman shivered a little as they drew closer to the casino. Did he feel the pressure like he did when he first entered? Or maybe he was just nervous? Cuphead couldn't tell.
Going inside the casino was rather anticlimactic. Aside from a couple looks, nobody paid the duo any attention. Not even Skeleton Jack was here right now. Something at the back of his mind whispered that it didn't matter, even if she did work 24/7 and was always there when he visited. What mattered was finding a free table to show Mugman the ropes.
He quickly walked toward the nearest craps table. "Watch this!" said Cuphead, grabbing the dice and giving Mugs a nudge. In no time flat, he had hit a winning streak. He was good at craps, but this time felt different, as if he could do nothing but win today. It was exhilarating.
Mugs seemed to be staring on in awe as his brother won more and more games. At this point, a whole gaggle of skeletons had clustered at their table, cheering and jeering at Cuphead.
Suddenly, Cuphead snapped his head up from the table. He had come.
A great shadow covered the table and the figure began to say something. The words coming out of his mouth seemed garbled together, and the only part Cuphead made out was the most important.
"Deal?"
As if on reflex, Cuphead snatched the dice and threw them in a heartbeat.
The moment the dice left his hands, it was like a heavy fog lifted from his head. He had half a second of clear-headedness to regret his decision.