(A HUGE THANKS to RosaletaDiana_Diana24, Erekio, and ScoutRandall for beta reading this chapter! Y'all are AMAZING!)
Hi! I'm back! So sorry for the sudden break, again, lol. I totally got hit with New Years, my 21st bday, my family moving, AND a wedding where I was a bridesmaid in another part of my country. So, I've been pretty swamped ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
If you want more frequent updates on my progress, check my Twitter ( ink_intrigues). I post nonstop there, AND I also drop some tidbits and hints for what is to come!
Without further ado, here is the long-awaited fluff chapter!
- Ink
It didn't take long for the Devil to realize that something was wrong.
Perhaps it was the haunting sound of a child screaming and wailing echoing out through the palace walls that tipped off the demon. Or was it the sound of glass breaking? Or, it could've been the loud echo of an impact, as if something had been thrown out a window -crushing an unlucky patron below.
King Dice was up first, hurrying over to the room's balcony and peering down, "Fuckin' hell… That fink's guts are splattered everywhere. Henchman better git on that before my casino's carpet is stained."
Another night off brought to a screeching halt.
The Devil would've incinerated the culprit on sight, except for the fact that he knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was the doing of his boys. Cuphead, to be specific. So, instead of simply incinerating the troublemaker, the Devil had to go and deal with this problem himself.
Swearing in a language no one alive understood, the Devil yanked himself out of bed, rubbing his eyes. Who knew being a parent would be so exhausting?
- Chapter Twenty-Two: A Day in the Laboratory -
Everything was a blur. The muffled sounds of concerned voices echoed out around Cuphead, but he didn't listen. He felt like he was floating outside of his body, disconnected from reality. The boy's gaze was focused on one thing: his reflection.
"I am a monster."
Cuphead was still on his hands and knees, sitting amongst the wreckage that was once his bathroom. A pair of demonic yellow eyes were staring back at him in the mirror- his own.
"I am a monster."
Mugman was at his side, trying to comfort him, but Cuphead didn't hear a single word. It was as if Mugman was at the other end of a tunnel, shouting at the top of his lungs, desperately trying to reach him. But to no avail.
"I am a monster."
Then the imps arrived. They must've almost broken down the brothers' bedroom door with how forcefully they were knocking. Mugman let them in, only to be greeted by a barrage of screams and yells.
"What the fuckin' ell didja do to teh bathroom, ya lil' brats?"
"Jus' wait till the Boss sees this. Father o' yehs or not, there'll be Hell ta pay!"
"Ya spoiled wretches killed a bloody patron with that flyin' sink! You'd better pray teh Boss lets you keep yer fingers!"
"I am a monster."
Mugman was trying to settle down the agitated imps, but with no success. Their screams and shouts brought the boy to tears and he was reduced to a stuttering mess. He looked to Cuphead for help, but his brother didn't even give him a glance.
"I am a monster."
Cuphead was so lost in his own thoughts, he didn't even realize the Devil had arrived on the scene till he felt a clawed hand grasp his shoulder. Assuming it was an imp, he slapped it away, shooting a glare upward.
When his yellow eyes met the Devil's, it was as if the world stopped spinning.
In an instant, Cuphead scrambled back, chipping his porcelain on the shards of broken glass. It was him. Anger surged through every fiber of Cuphead's being. Any self-control he'd once had was long gone.
"You! You did this to me!" Cuphead screaming, baring his now very long and demon-like fangs. Grabbing a handful of glass, he threw it at the Devil's face. "This- This is ALL YOUR FAULT!"
Both Mugman and the imps shrunk back at Cuphead's outburst, bracing for the worst. Depending on the Devil's ever-shifting moods, this could either be brushed off as nothing or could incur a week-long punishment.
To everyone's surprise, the Devil didn't lash out at Cuphead's words. Not even in the slightest.
He just… smiled. A strange knowing smile. One that extinguished Cuphead's anger in an instant. The Devil was enjoying Cuphead's suffering.
"I am a monster."
Ginette came bursting into the brothers' room not long after. She must've heard the screams. Or the Devil summoned her to get some kind of sick enjoyment out of watching her frantically trying to help her son.
The martini glass dashed over to Cuphead's side and scooped him up in her arms. The boy didn't react to her embrace, laying there limply like a corpse.
"I am a monster."
Ginette met the Devil's gaze, staring with such contempt as if she was screaming at him without uttering a word.
Mugman watched nervously, instinctively wishing to read her mind in an attempt to understand what was going on, but he didn't. His curiosity was nothing next to his fears: What deep dark secrets would he find if he did look?
Her breathing erratic, Ginette began to ask Cuphead some questions as she checked his pulse and other vitals.
"Are you feeling dizzy at all?"
"Did you hurt yourself?"
"Do you feel like you can breathe alright?"
"Do your eyes feel strange? Any pressure? Dryness? A burning or a stinging feeling?"
Cuphead answered her questions in a soft voice, refusing to look her in the eye. He didn't deserve to.
"I am a monster."
"How is he?" The Devil pressed, looming over Ginette.
"Physically? Fine, from what I can tell at least. Mentally?" Ginette was shaking with rage but forced herself to remain demure.
At least, as much as she could. One slip-up and she was back to the dungeons. She had to put her feelings aside, it was the only way she could remain at her sons' side.
"I see." The Devil mused, gesturing to Ginette to speak with him in private.
It was obvious Ginette had no desire to leave her children, but she had little choice, set Cuphead down with a weak smile and followed the Devil.
The moment the pair left, Mugman scurried to Cuphead's side, "I-I'm sure it'll be alright," the boy said, attempting to comfort his brother. "Ma will fix it. I'm sure she will. She- She's gotta…"
"I am a monster."
Thankfully, whatever conversation the Devil and Ginette had, it wasn't long. Ginette returned, her head low.
Attempting to smile, she knelt down in front of Cuphead, "Hey… Good news. Your- Your father has graciously offered that you boys stay with me today, how does that sound? Good, I hope?"
"Wow. The bare minimum," Cuphead thought bitterly, but he nodded, forcing himself to smile up at his mother.
Cuphead knew that he should thank the Devil as well. For all he knew, if he didn't, it would come back to haunt him whenever the Devil was in a bad mood and looking to dole out punishments.
But, as if on cue, Mugman stepped up to the task instead. He gave the Devil a gracious smile, bowing deeply, "Thank you, Father."
As predicted, the Devil puffed up with pride at Mugman's words, his smile widening, "Why, of course, my dear Mugman. Anything for my darling sons."
Yep. Mugman had buttered him up alright.
Now, with an extra swagger in his step, the Devil went to take his leave, but not before kissing Cuphead on the forehead, "Feel better soon, my son," he said with an oddly genuine smile.
The combination of the Devil's words, his expression, and the fact that he'd kissed Cuphead on the forehead made the boy want to throw up, but he maintained his composure, holding onto Ginette's arm tightly.
"Uh- Yeah. I-I will. Thanks, Father," was the only reply that Cuphead could muster, but it seemed to do the trick.
The Devil nodded, beaming at Cuphead pridefully, then left, disappearing in a puff of smoke.
The moment the Devil left, Cuphead let out a huge sigh of relief, burying his face into Ginette's shoulder. It was like an enormous weight had been taken off his chest, at least for a moment.
His mind was racing as it desperately tried to process what had just happened. Half of him wanted to cling tightly to Ginette and cry, while the other half wanted to gouge his own eyes out.
Unable to choose, he simply remained curled up in Ginette's arms, shaking from rage and agony. He could barely think straight, there were just too many thoughts. It was just too much…
Before Cuphead knew it, he found himself being pulled unwillingly into a restless sleep.
Cuphead groaned, rolling onto his side. How long had he been out? Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, the boy sat up. He was laying on a cot in Ginette's lab down in the dungeons, wrapped up in a swathe of blankets.
Just a few feet away, Ginette was sitting criss-cross on the floor, Mugman curled up in her lap. They were looking at two figures, fast asleep in glass observation cells.
Cuphead's heart quickened, it was the Baroness and Djimmi! They looked healthier than ever. Definitely not back to normal, but much better than the rabid strange versions of themselves that Cuphead had been forced to become accustomed to.
Ginette was humming softly, rubbing Mugman's back with one hand, while she used the other to cast a spell. Floating beside her was a pen and a clipboard, writing down the day's observations for Djimmi and Bon Bon.
Everything was so quiet and calm. An extreme rarity for Cuphead nowadays. His heart, which always seemed to be racing in recent times, was slowing down. He could feel his guard falling. He felt… Safe. What a strange feeling.
Clearing his throat, Cuphead spoke, "Hi, Mama… Hi, Mugsy."
Immediately, Ginette and Mugman turned around, their faces lighting up with joy.
"Cuphead!" Mugman called out, scrambling to his brother's side. "You finally woke up! Me and Ma were gettin' pretty worried."
"O-oh. How long was I out?"
"10 hours or so," Ginette answered, settling down on the floor next to the cot, "Mugman and I supposed you must've been pretty exhausted."
Cuphead nodded, "Sounds about right…" His sudden burst of happiness was now beginning to wane. He was remembering what'd happened. Why he was here.
Cuphead glanced at his reflection in one of Ginette's many beakers, only to see those piercing yellow eyes staring soullessly back at him, "So. It wasn't a dream, was it?"
Ginette's happy expression faded, "No. It wasn't… Cuphead, I- I'm so sorry."
"Not your fault," was Cuphead's reply, his voice quickly becoming devoid of emotion. "If anythin'? It's my fault."
"Your fault?" Ginette grabbed Cuphead's hand, "Cuphead, how is any of this your fault?"
Cuphead didn't immediately reply. Taking a deep breath, his gaze shifted to Mugman, "I went to see Elder Kettle. After you fell asleep. Y'know, to try and patch things up."
"Ain't that a good thing? How does any of that make you get yellow eyes?" Mugman asked, his face full of confusion.
"Cause I messed it up… Real bad." Tears began to well up in Cuphead's eyes, "I- I tried to explain. I tried to tell him what was goin' on, why we're callin' the Devil "father" and such, but… I don't know what I said wrong, but- He got crazy mad, tellin' me that I'd changed."
Cuphead looked over at Ginette, "That you weren't our mama and were just some pawn of the Devil's and I…" His voice trailed off and Cuphead covered his face.
Mugman reached out and placed a hand on Cuphead's shoulder.
"I- I snapped, Mugsy. I yelled and screamed and- I told him that Gin was better than he ever was, and… I told him that he'd changed too. Everythin' I said was to hurt him, and the worst part of it is, a small part of me enjoyed it. Like I was the Devil and I enjoyed watching him suffer… Then, this."
Sniffling, Cuphead looked at his reflection, "I- I'm a monster…"
"Cuphead, no." Ginette suddenly grabbed the boy's chin, pulling his gaze away from his reflection. "You are not a monster, do you understand me?"
"Then, what is this?" Cuphead cried out, breaking down into violent sobs. He suddenly grabbed Ginette's arms, shaking them as he wailed out, "W-What's goin' on? What is happenin' to me, Mama? …How do I make it go away?"
There was a pause. Ginette said nothing at first, taking a few shaky breaths, then she gently pulled herself out of Cuphead's grasp, sitting beside him and putting an arm around his shoulder.
"I don't know, son. And, I so wish I did…" Ginette's expression tightened, "This thing is what I call "Hell's Influence". It seems to affect everyone who comes under the Devil's control differently. For some, it changes them drastically, like you. For others? They don't change in the slightest. Many years ago I tried to understand it, but… I just don't know."
Cuphead's heart sank, "Did- Did the Devil do this to me…?"
Ginette's eye twitched at the question, "It's… Possible. But, I'm not sure."
"Can it go away?" Mugman asked in an attempt to give Cuphead a spark of hope.
Another long pause from Ginette. She seemed to be carefully calculating her next words. Reaching into her blouse's pocket, she fumbled with something as she spoke, "N-no. It doesn't. Not that I know of, and I… I would know."
Ginette pulled a small charm out of her pocket, setting it on the table. The moment she did, Ginette's appearance changed, like an illusion fading out of reality.
Ginette now had claws protruding from her fingertips along with sharp fangs, but, what caught Cuphead and Mugman most off-guard was her eyes. The same bright yellow that Cuphead's eyes were.
Cuphead's mouth fell open, "You have them too?"
"I… I should've told you a long time ago," said Ginette, shamefully lowering her head. "I should've prepared you-" She let out a small sob, burying her face in her hands.
Cuphead glanced over at Mugman, who was attempting to comfort Ginette. Would it happen to him too?
"I- I'm sorry," Ginette continued, forcibly reigning in her emotions. "I should've told you… I… I didn't want to frighten you. It- It was cowardice. I was too afraid and…" Her voice trailed off and Mugman put his hand on her shoulder.
"How'd it happen for you?" Cuphead asked, his voice low and mournful.
"It was a very long time ago. I think just about 6 months after I… After I became a servant of the Devil." Ginette began, her eyes focused on the floor, "This was many years before the Devil's Casino came to be, so I was stationed in Hell."
"You lived in Hell?" Mugman gasped.
"Yes, I did. For quite some time. It became like my home, and I- I did many things during that time that I'm not proud of." Ginette replied, "It was a very dark time…"
Elder Kettle's words echoed through Cuphead's mind, "Do you even know why she's here? Why she sold her soul? What about all the terrible things she's done over the past seventy-five years she's been here?"
Cuphead flinched, trying to drive the thoughts from his mind. Damn the past. Damn it all. He didn't care what she'd done. It wasn't like he was any better.
"Unlike you," Ginette continued, gesturing to Cuphead, "my transformation happened overnight." She held up her clawed hands, "I got up that morning, went to the bathroom to get ready, and- This. I begged the Devil to change me back, but he just… Laughed. Called me all kinds of things.
I looked like this for decades, till the casino opened. Surprise, surprise, the Devil didn't want his patrons to get cold feet after seeing me. So, he taught me a spell to hide this…
Strangely enough, the other casino employees never had this happen to them, not that I know of. They've changed in other ways, just not physically as I did. I haven't seen someone's eyes change in so long. Not until…"
"Not until me," Cuphead finished.
Ginette winced a little at Cuphead's words, "Yes… Not until you."
The room fell silent, no one knowing what to say. Cuphead was kicking his feet back and forth, looking solemnly at the ground. Ginette looked like she was about to cry, but desperately trying to hold it back and remain strong. Mugman was staring intently at his own reflection as if this were the last time he'd see himself like this.
"Can you cast that spell on me?"
Ginette looked up. Cuphead was intently studying the small charm she'd placed on the table. A morningstar pin.
"I- I want to, but… I don't know if your father would allow it."
Cuphead scoffed, "Of course, he wouldn't. He probably likes me lookin' like this 'cause I look more like him."
Ginette didn't deny his statement, but she didn't directly reply. The last thing she needed was to get on the Devil's bad side again.
"What about this?" Ginette said, dodging Cuphead's statement. She took the morningstar pin and pinned it to his suspenders. "While we're down here with just the three of us, you can wear it."
As she pinned it, Cuphead's appearance began to shift. His fangs disappeared and his yellow eyes faded. He looked like himself again.
Cuphead quickly turned to one of the lab's mirrors, scrambling up onto the counter to get a better look at himself. "Wow… It's like nothin' happened." He sniffled a little, wiping the corner of his eye, "Thank you, Mama…"
Ginette smiled, "Of course." Stretching, she stood up, scooping the tearful Cuphead up into her arms. "Well, I have some more tests I have to run on your friends here. If you want, you boys can help me."
Cuphead perked up, "I'd love to!"
For once, he had the chance to do something good.
"Be careful wrapping her arm. Go nice and steady for me, okay?" Ginette said, guiding Cuphead's hands as he wrapped Baroness von Bon Bon's wounds.
Not long after the Devil ordered for the Baroness and Djimmi to be healed at Mugman's request, Ginette had administered an antidote and placed them into medically induced comas.
"It'll help them heal and it makes it easier to treat them while they're still fighting off their rabid state," Ginette told Cuphead as she took a sample of Djimmi's blood.
Placing the sample under the microscope, Ginette peered through and beckoned the brothers over to look as well, "You see that little crystal-like shape? That's the poison still in Djimmi's blood. There's a lot less of it now than there was a few days ago, but we still have a long way to go before they're healthy enough to be woken up."
Cuphead's mind was buzzing with fascination, completely distracted from yesterday's tragic events. He never expected to love medicine and caring for the sick, but with Ginette as his teacher, he adored it.
The sight of blood didn't bother him in the slightest and he was more than willing to get his hands dirty and do whatever was necessary. He'd hurt others so much that, in a way, healing them was a form of atonement.
Meanwhile, Mugman was not as eager to get his hands dirty, but he enjoyed writing down observations, taking notes, and keeping their workstation clean. He was sitting crisscross, leaning on Ginette as he took notes at the speed of light.
For once, the three were happy, at peace, safe. At least for now.
"It's nice to have such excellent helpers," Ginette chuckled, handing Cuphead a bottle of disinfectant. "Maybe your father will let you come down here with me more often. Being able to fight well is only half of the battle, in my opinion at least. Learning how to care for others is just as important, if not more so."
Cuphead beamed with pride at her compliment, "I agree! After all, who can fight if everyone's dead? There always gotta be some people who can keep everyone alive."
Ginette stifled a laugh, amused at how Cuphead acted as if he was a renowned doctor after only a few hours, "Quite so."
Unfortunately, the Baroness and Djimmi didn't make much progress in terms of their recovery, but the boys seemed to enjoy themselves nonetheless. Now, it was getting late and Ginette had one boy on each hip as she walked up the stairs to their bedroom.
"Do you think that Father will let us help you again tomorrow?" Cuphead asked.
"It's possible," Ginette replied, "but I'm not sure. In any case, I'm sure we'll be able to spend time together after training, and your father has invited me to join you all for breakfast and dinner. He called it family bonding."
Both of the boys cringed at the phrase, family bonding, before descending into giggles.
"At least with you there, it'll be bearable," Cuphead snickered. "Father doesn't know how to talk about anythin' but himself."
Mugman snorted at that and Ginette was shaking from laughter, although she was trying not to show it.
"Shhh, be careful what you say," Ginette whispered, her face red from holding in her laughter. "You never know what the walls will hear."
"I know, I know, Ma," Cuphead said, wiping a tear from laughter from his eye. "But you know it's true."
Ginette rolled her eyes playfully, "I have nothing to comment on this matter."
The three reached the brothers' bedroom and Ginette gently set both boys down on their respective beds. Humming a tune, Ginette tucked them in, giving them a goodnight kiss on the forehead.
"Sweet dreams…"
"Goodnight, Ma."
"Goodnight, Mama. We love you."