A Few Months Later…
"Anchors aweigh, Mugman!" Cuphead called to his brother. He stood at the stern of a large pirate ship, twirling the wheel back and forth. Rolling waves sloshed up against the sides of the ship.
"Steady our course, Cuphead! There be rough seas ahead!" Mugman called down from up on the crow's nest. The young mug looked through a bronze telescope. He had tied a blue bandanna around his mug, and Cuphead had a red one. A slight breeze blew the knotted end of the blue silk back and forth.
"I see someone ahead!" Mug commented.
"Is it a friend or foe?" The young cup questioned. Mugman steadied the telescope in the person's direction. Adjusting the focus, a beautiful mermaid came into view. Her fair skin contrasted greatly against her purple squid hair and green fish tail. Light blue shells covered her breasts.
"Definitely friend!" Mugman beamed. Her head turned to face the boys as she twirled a squid tentacle with her finger. Green eyes opened wide when she realized she was being watched. "She's so cute!" Mug added. The mermaid's eyes then narrowed. She knew the boys were spying on her beauty.
"Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!" She hissed from afar, shaking her finger at the nosy mug. The child gasped and quickly put the telescope away to avoid making his friend mad. Both Cuphead and Mugman knew that if they got on Cala Maria's bad side, she would turn them to stone. The mermaid had both siren and gorgon blood within her veins, making her a deadly foe or powerful ally. Her beauty and lovely singing voice attracted both the young boys to her. Cup and Mug were friends with other females as well, but they thought Cala Maria's beauty was unmatched by any of them. Mugman refused to make eye contact with Cala again. He shielded his mug with his gloved hands.
"Hey Mugs! Come on down and help me raise the sails!" Cuphead called. The young mug was more than happy to help his brother and not have to face Cala Maria. Glass arms wrapped around the wooden mast as he started to shimmy himself down to the deck. His movements were slow and deliberate, careful not to slip up and fall to the wooden deck below. The young mug finally made it to the bottom and prepared to join his brother in the next sailing activity.
"Hold up!" Cup called, raising his right hand for his crew to remain still. "I think someone is approaching from the starboard side!" The young cup called out in delight. Mug looked out and saw two figures approaching the boat from the dock to the left of the boat.
"That would be port, Cuphead." He corrected his older brother. "Port is left and starboard is right."
"Yeah, yeah, right." The young cup replied, not really listening to his brother. He was too focused on figuring out who the figures were. They came ever closer to the ship. Mugman squinted his eyes to see farther out.
"Looks like it's Elder Kettle and Captain Brineybeard." Mug concluded. The kettle and pirate approached the ship and stopped just to the left of the bow. Brineybeard huffed as he followed a few steps behind Elder Kettle. Moving fast was a problem for Brineybeard because both of his feet were peg-legs. The captain finally caught up to the kettle, who also wasn't as fast as he used to be.
"It's time to go home, boys!" Elder Kettle called up to his boys.
After catching his breath, the pirate raised two fingers to his mouth. His black beard and mustache parted to reveal his mouth. A whistle emitted from the man. Just like magic, a gangplank fell from the ship to the dock. Cup and Mug rushed down the ramp to greet their two visitors.
"So did you two have fun?" Kettle questioned them.
"Of course we did!" Cuphead said with joy. Brineybeard let out a hearty pirate laugh of approval. A black belt held up his red pants as his body heaved in joy. His gray long-sleeved shirt looked like it was weakly stitched together. The pirate had a red scarf covering his head. A single yellow stripe went around the piece of cloth. He looked down at the boys with his one good eye. The right one had a black patch over it. Brineybeard had never shared the story of what happened to his eye to the brothers. His nose stuck out from his face like a red cucumber.
"What do you say boys?" Kettle prompted the cups.
"Thanks for letting us play on your ship, Captain Brineybeard!" The cup brothers said in unison. "It really means a lot to us!" Mugman added.
"Yar! Don't thank me. Thank Big Red for bein' such a good sport!" The pirate beamed, gesturing to his ship. Cup and Mug made their way to the front of Brineybeard's ship. Two large eyes looked down from its red hull and locked on the cups.
"Thanks for your time Big Red!" Cuphead praised.
"It was very generous of you!" Mugman beamed. The living ship let out a low foghorn noise of agreement.
"That means he likes ye!" Brineybeard leaned down and winked at the boys as he said this. "Feel free to come back anytime ye feel like bein' pirates!" He offered.
"We will!" Cup and Mug said together with big smiles on their faces.
"Yar! That's what I like to hear!" The pirate replied. "Farewell lads!" He waved his right hand to the cups that started to follow their guardian back to the mainland. Cuphead noticed a tan bottle in his other hand. Three x's were carved on it. "Oh! And Kettle!" Their parent figure turned to face their ally once again. "Be lettin' me know when ye make more of the good stuff!" He lifted the jug in the air to show his appreciation.
"Will do!" Kettle replied. His cane tapped on the pier as they slowly made their way back to land.
"So when are you going to tell us what's in the bottle?" Cuphead asked his guardian absent-mindedly.
"When you're older, Cuphead." The old kettle replied. Neither of the two looked at one another when talking about the beverage. Their boots made it onto the grassy land of the third Inkwell Island.
"But we're older than the last time we asked." Cup added, getting impatient with Elder Kettle's persistence in keeping the contents of the liquid a secret. He became more anxious every time he saw one of those bottles. The three boys waved to Grim Matchstick, the green dragon, as they entered Inkwell's second island.
"Perhaps I will let you boys have a sip of it when you're 18…." Kettle pondered. "That is… if you two boys behave until then."
"But that's like six years away!" Cuphead spat back. "It's an awful long time to behave…." He now looked up at the elderly kettle. Certainly there was some other condition in which he and his brother could get a hold of it. Mug saw this as a great opportunity to tease Cup.
"Wow, Cuphead! I didn't know you had been paying attention in math class!" Mugman jabbed an elbow into his brother's arm. The young cup normally asked his brother for help in that subject. He often planned pranks in class rather than pay attention to the lectures.
"Ha ha, very funny…." Cuphead retorted, seeming a bit annoyed.
"We can behave that long, right Cuphead?" Mug urged his brother to make a promise and attempt to keep it.
"Yeah, I suppose so…" The young cup's words agreed, but Mugman noticed that his attention seemed to trail off. This usually meant he had an idea. An idea that spelled misbehaving.
By now the three family members had almost made it back to their home. They stopped by their neighbors' farm to pick up some produce.
A large living carrot shuffled through his garden, collecting the items that Kettle normally asked for. This included carrots, cabbage, onions, and potatoes. Cuphead, Mugman, and Elder Kettle greeted the large living onion that held a sack that was to be used for their groceries.
"Hi Weepy! Are our groceries ready?" The young cup questioned the large vegetable.
"I'm so happy to see you guys!" The onion replied and scooped up the young boys with his free hand. It hugged them to its rosy cheeks as a flood of tears rained down from its eyes. The sensitive onion was always crying about something. If he wasn't clinging to a sad thought, then tears of happiness would burst from his large round figure. Weepy's tears started to fill up the large brown sack he held. The carrot saw this as he approached with armfuls of crops.
"Aww! Weepy! That was a brand-new sack!" It scolded the stout onion.
"I'm sorry Chantenay!" Weepy apologized. "I just can't help myself!"
"I know, Weepy." The psychic carrot replied. It then telepathically picked up a sack from their shed and brought it below his arms. The produce tumbled into the bag with amazing accuracy.
"Here you go, Kettle!" Chantenay happily offered. The bag hovered over to the kettle. A gloved hand grabbed the top of the sack. With a huff, the elderly glassware slung the bag over his shoulder. His cane shook as more weight was added to the load.
"Ok, Weepy. Time to say goodbye." Chantenay said to his friend, putting his hands against his rigid torso.
"I know. I know." The onion said, gently putting down his cup friends. "Goodbye friends! I hope I see you soon!" Weepy only began to cry even harder.
"Don't worry Weepy. We're right next door if you ever want to play." Mugman explained to the overly sensitive vegetable. Cup and Mug's clothes were now soaked from Weepy's tears. Their bandannas began to slip off. The boys wringed out the small pieces of cloth.
"We'll probably be seeing them tomorrow at the market, Weepy." The carrot reassured his friend.
"You guys are coming, right?" Weepy asked the cup brothers as he took a big sniff.
"Of course, Weepy! We wouldn't miss it." Cuphead told him as he slung his bandanna over his shoulder. Tears of joy now streamed from Weepy's face. "See you tomorrow!" The boys turned around to follow Elder Kettle the rest of the way home. A small gloved hand from Cuphead waved to the vegetables as they exited the farm.
"Grow a spine already would ya?" The cup brothers heard the voice of the large potato boom across the field. Unlike Chantenay who had patience for Weepy's personality, the potato had much more of a temper. And he lost it quite often when dealing with the onion.
The family's house was a plain brown color with a roof that looked like it could use some work. A cylindrical brick chimney stuck out like a sore thumb from the left side of the roof. The house was far from perfect. It could definitely use a few fixes here and there. But it was just perfect for Kettle and his boys. Mugman rushed to the front door to open it for his guardian. The wooden door squeaked open as the young mug held it wide, making plenty of room for both the kettle and the sack to fit through.
"Thank you, my boy!" His guardian praised. Even the inside of the house was the plain brown color. It was a miracle that the furniture and all its memorabilia were still neatly displayed within the hovel, for the building was as old as Kettle was. The elderly kettle heaved the sack into the kitchen. His gloved hand let go of the bag. It then traveled above his eyes as he wiped sweat away from his small lid with a big sigh. Mugman came over beside him after hanging his bandanna up to dry and opened up the sack. Kettle stared down into the bag for a few seconds before realizing the one product he forgot about.
"Oh! I meant to get some radishes from the boys." Kettle confessed.
"Don't worry about the groceries, Elder Kettle. I'll unpack them for you." The young mug happily offered.
"Thank you, Mugman. I'll be back in a few minutes." Elder made his way back to the front door, and then out into the yard. Cuphead closed the door behind him. He then strode into the kitchen to help his brother with the groceries. After hanging his bandanna next to Mug's, the young cup grabbed a handful of carrots and put them in the cabinet on the far right from the sink. Meanwhile, Mugman finished unloading the onions and potatoes. He forgot to close the cabinet door as he moved on to a different item. Cuphead happened to notice a spare jug of Kettle's special beverage sitting next to the two vegetables.
"Hmmm." His mischievous mind whirled with thoughts of misbehaving. Cuphead wanted so badly to try this beverage that had been forbidden to him and his brother. Two fingers tapped on his cup as he pondered what could be in there.
Too young? Too young for what? Was it full of sugar? Really fizzy? The young cup felt he could handle whatever was in there. His brown boots started to walk toward the open cabinet. Gloved hands reached out and grasped the tan jug. This was the closest he had ever been to one of the jugs with three x's on it. Excitement filled his glass body as he hugged it close. A large toothy smile formed on his face. Mugman had just finished gathering another armful of produce as he turned around. The young mug gasped and almost dropped the vegetables when he saw his brother holding the sacred beverage.
"Cuphead! What are you doing?" Mug questioned his brother. Fear ran through his body. He could just see Kettle arriving home to find Cuphead holding his crafted drink.
"I was thinking about giving it a try." Cuphead said matter-of-factly. He eyed the jug up and down.
"Maybe you should put it back." Mugman tried to convince his brother to behave like he had promised.
"Don't worry, Mugs." Cup replied, not seeming nervous about being caught at all. "Elder Kettle isn't home right now. This is the perfect time to try it!" Mugman gently put the produce down on the counter and walked over to his brother.
"No, we really should put it back." Mug put his gloved hands on the jug. He gently tried to tug it out of the other cup's hands. Both his eyes and mouth curled down in a worried fashion. The young mug was also interested in trying the drink, but he wasn't about to show it to his brother. Especially at a time like this. His eyes moved from his brother to the jug. Cuphead saw this and urged his brother to misbehave with him.
"How about just a smell then?" Cup probed. Mugman felt uneasy about this whole situation. Three-quarters of his heart told him to put it away. That last quarter, however, was Mug's curiosity. And Cuphead was pulling it open.
"Maybe one quick smell wouldn't hurt…." Mug pondered.
"That's the spirit!" Cuphead replied with a smile. His gloved hand reached down and plucked the cork out of the jug. An unusual smell wafted out of the bottle.
"Ugh!" Mugman immediately pinched his large round nose to keep from smelling whatever it was that was in there.
"Oh ho! That's rank!" The young cup exclaimed but still had a smile on his face. He noticed his younger brother looked like he was going to be sick. His mug started to turn a shade of green.
"I don't think I really want to try it now." Mug confessed.
"You're scared away by the smell?" Cuphead questioned his brother.
"Well, it certainly doesn't make it appealing…" The young mug replied.
"I think it just makes it all the more interesting! I've gotta try it now!" Cuphead went to lift the bottle to his lips. Mugman, however, heard the shuffle of Elder Kettle's feet and the clicking of his cane just outside the house.
"Wait! I think I hear Elder Kettle outside!" The young mug tried to warn his brother away. Cup lowered the jug with an annoyed look on his face.
"Nice try Mugs, but I'm not falling for that." He had heard plenty of excuses like this before when Mugman was scared of something. "It's a pretty lame excuse to try to get me to put it back."
"No really!" Mug said in a panic. "He's just outside! We have to put it back! Now!" The blue cup grabbed onto the jug in his brother's hands. He started to pull it away.
"What's your problem?" Cup's eyes narrowed as he started to tug it back. "Stop freaking out! We're so close to trying it!"
"No Cuphead! It's not worth getting in trouble for!" Mug tried to reason with the simplest logic he knew. "Now hand it over!" He hissed as he tugged harder.
"No way!" Cuphead spat back. "You just want to try it before me!" The special beverage was in a static tug-of-war, with neither brother willing to give in. Both for a cause they thought was right. Mugman did not lie when he heard Elder Kettle moving outside. At that very moment, Elder Kettle gently pushed his wooden front door open.
"Cuphead, stop being so stubborn!" He heard Mugman's voice ring from the kitchen. The kettle slowly made his way to the kitchen to find out what his boys were up to now.
"You're the one being stubborn!" Cuphead's voice yelled back. "Just let go already!" Kettle froze in the kitchen's entry way. His eyes widened in shock as one of his specialty beverages was getting tugged back and forth in the boys' hands.
"Boys!" He yelled with steam coming out of his spout. Cup and Mug froze instantly. They hesitantly looked up at their guardian. Cuphead's eyes quickly darted from Elder Kettle to the jug. He then shoved the beverage into Mugman's hands.
"It was Mugman's idea!" He accused with a gloved finger pointed at his brother's mug.
"What?! You can't be serious!" Mugman pouted back. Guilty eyes looked up at Elder Kettle. The kettle's stern eyes drooped in sorrow as he let out a sigh of disappointment. He couldn't believe that they had broken a promise that had been made mere minutes ago.
"Why can't you boys ever keep a promise?" His voice dripped with sorrow. Both young cups heard this and gasped. Guilt seized their hearts as they stared down at the floor for a few seconds. Mugman finally broke the silence. His boots traveled across the room as he went to give the beverage back. The thumping noise of the shoes echoed through the silent house. Mug lifted up the jug and handed it back to his guardian. He slowly backed away, not making eye contact with the kettle. The parent figure noticed the jug had been opened. He knew exactly who had the cork.
"Cuphead." He stated, holding out a gloved hand. The young cup rustled around in his pocket and yanked the cork out. He angrily plopped the cork in his guardian's hands. Cuphead no longer felt guilt. In fact, he actually felt mad that he never got a sip of the liquid. That he had been cheated out of a great opportunity. Cup crossed his arms in front of his chest and turned his head away with eyes narrowed.
"Did either of you actually take a sip of this?" Kettle asked as he sealed the jug. "Please be honest." Cuphead still did not make eye contact with the kettle. Mugman, on the other hand, looked up to him and gave the truthful response.
"No sir." He answered.
"Good." Kettle replied. "Something went wrong with this batch. And there could be lead in there." The elderly glassware put his cane down. He gave a small chuckle of relief.
"Wouldn't want one of you getting sick." A gloved hand roughly patted each of the boys' cups. Mug watched his guardian intensely, wondering what he was going to do next. Cuphead still refused to look at either one of them. Elder Kettle simply reached down for his cane.
"Well, I should be getting rid of this now." The kettle slowly walked off to dump the tainted drink somewhere where no one would consume it. Mugman stood still watching him until he was out of sight. He then turned to his brother. The young mug wanted to say something to Cuphead, but he wasn't sure what. After taking a deep breath, he attempted to say a few words.
"Cuphead, I-" He began to say.
"Don't say a word!" Cuphead snapped and interrupted him. Mug realized that trying to talk to his brother right now was not the best idea. He knew Cup would start arguing with him again if he prodded anymore.
"I'm going out for a walk…" Mug said as he headed for the front door. The young mug opened the door and looked back at his brother for a few seconds. A long puff of air escaped from his chest before he continued on. The door clicked closed behind him.
Mug walked around in the forest behind their house. He didn't have an end goal of where he wanted to go. The cup child walked just to be alone and think about what had just happened.
I knew it was wrong, Mug thought to himself. Why did I ever say it was okay to open it? Maybe keeping a promise just isn't meant to be for us. Cup and I have friends, but do they really trust us? I mean, I don't know if I would trust us after beating them to a pulp for their soul contracts.
Sunset soon came over the islands. Mugman was sitting in the boys' treehouse when the sky lit up a brilliant orange color over the ocean. The young mug sat with his legs hugged up against his chest. He slowly lifted his head as he heard two of his neighbors chattering in their field. His straw clinked against his brim as he crawled his way over to the window-like opening. Mug stayed low to avoid being seen by the vegetable farmers. The young mug peered over the wooden window sill to see the carrot and potato conversing with one another.
"….getting in trouble for something." He heard the potato finish a sentence. Mug didn't have to wonder for long about who was getting in trouble.
"Yeah!" The carrot chuckled. "I heard that the boys tried to sneak a sip of Kettle's moonshine just this afternoon." Chantenay blurted out.
Moonshine? So that's what it's called….
"Old Kettle never lifted a finger to punish them though." The carrot added. "Turns out it was a tainted batch, and it could've given the boys lead poisoning. He was more thankful than anything that they hadn't consumed any."
"True." The potato said. But then his more aggressive personality showed. "But if those were my kids, I'd a spanked 'em real good!"
"Don't you think that's a little uncalled for, Moe?" Chantenay questioned.
"Not at all." Moe spat back. "The only way those kids will learn is through discipline!"
"Cuphead and Mugman would probably strike back at you with their magic fingers." The carrot explained. "And they hurt…" Chantenay rubbed his head where the boys had previously pounded on him with their magic shots.
"Tell me about it!" Moe chuckled. "I still have bruises from that fight." His hands rubbed darkened patches on his skin.
"And I couldn't use telekinesis for a week!" Chanteny reminisced. They both laughed as they remembered all their injuries and struggles. Mugman let out a sigh from his treehouse.
They'll never trust us….
Mug pulled himself away from the window-shaped opening and sat back against the wooden wall. He rested his mug back on the wall as he continued listening to his neighbors' conversation. Moe and Chantenay's laughter died down.
"That old kettle's getting up there in age." The potato pointed out.
"Yeah, but he sure gets around really good for his age." Chantenay explained.
"Wait…you know his age?" The potato asked, completely oblivious to the number.
"No, but he's been around for as long as I can remember." The tall vegetable answered. Both farmers fell silent for a minute, knowing exactly where this conversation was going. They were hesitant to bring up the sensitive subject. Chantenay finally stuttered out a question that would shake the little mug's soul.
"How do you think the boys will react when the kettle eventually passes?" Mug thought his own heart was going to stop upon hearing those words. The child actually stopped breathing for a few seconds. When he finally remembered to breathe, his heart pounded with a fever as he sat ever so still. The words rang through his mug like a knife as his eyes hung wide open.
"Upset probably." Moe gave the logical answer. "Without Kettle there to get them out of trouble, the boys will probably end up getting themselves killed."
"You really think that?" Chantenay asked with utter shock in his voice.
"Think about it. If Kettle hadn't given them that special potion, they would have had no protection against us or the other debtors." Moe explained. "Let's be honest here, if I didn't squish them, then somebody else would have."
"I suppose you're right." Chantenay agreed. "Without powers, they would have lost their souls."
Moe and Chantenay's words shook Mugman to the core.
They're right…. Without Elder Kettle, we wouldn't be alive right now.
Mug hoped and prayed that Moe's words about Kettle passing were incorrect. That he and Cuphead could make the right decisions, and not get themselves killed. Especially over a stupid reason. The young mug hugged his knees against his chest. He then buried his face in his gloves that rested on his knees. Chantenay and Moe's conversation soon died down as they turned in from the fields. It left Mugman in utter silence. Their conversation repeated over and over again in the little mug's head.
We have to do good. We just have to! Elder Kettle has always protected us….but now I think it's time that we have to protect him.
Moe is right. We'll be a wreck without Elder Kettle in our life. And there's no way of stopping that from happening…
Tears started to fall from the little mug's eyes. They dripped onto his gloves and shirt. Mug stayed in that position for a good half an hour, completely unmoving. He eventually heard footsteps ascending the wooden stairs. Mugman knew it was Cuphead. Elder Kettle could not make it up to the treehouse. Not with his aged joints. Cup popped his head into the treehouse.
"I thought I'd find you here!" Cuphead said with a small smile. His smile disappeared when he saw his brother balled up in the corner. Cuphead hoisted himself the rest of the way up. He then quickly jogged over and plopped himself down next to Mug. Cup stared down at the curled-up mug for a few seconds. His brother still did not move an inch.
"Hey, I'm sorry about what happened earlier." Cuphead apologized as he wrapped his left arm around Mug's shoulders. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you when you said you heard Elder Kettle outside. It was foolish of me." Mugman still did not move or say anything. "And you were right. It wasn't worth getting in trouble for." The treehouse then fell silent once again. Cuphead was starting to get worried about his brother.
"M-Mugs?" He probed once more. "Are you ok-?"
"I forgive you." A muffled response came from Mugman's body.
"I'm hearing it, but I'm not seeing it." Cup confessed. The young cup then noticed a wet spot on Mugman's shirt. "Is there something else that's bothering you?"
"I don't want to talk about it." Mug snapped without picking up his head. His glass body tensed up even more.
"Come on, we're brothers. You know you can tell me anyth-"
"I said I don't want to talk about it." Mugman repeated.
"Okay. I understand. Now's not a good time." The young cup backed off after Mugman was firm in his words. "Just remember that I'll be here when you're ready….to talk, that is." Cuphead removed his arm from around Mug's shoulders. The red cup stood up and walked back over to the wooden stairs. "Oh, and Elder Kettle wants us to be inside in a few minutes." He added as he looked back to his depressed brother. Mug only curled himself tighter as he felt his brother leave his side. Cup gave one last worried look at his brother before descending the steps. A large sigh left the little mug's body.