Gwen was out in Inkwell City one day, making a quick stop at the mall to pick up a new dress. She prepares to walk home until she noticed a fire was happening at the hotel and people were screaming for help.

"Help! Help! Somebody help us!"

Gwen got out her ink pen and magically splashed water on the hotel and put out the fire. The people cheered for Gwen and the fire department were just relaxing on the firetruck as if they knew Gwen would show up and take care of their job easily. Gwen notices and felt insulted at their laziness. She leaves to head home until she is approached by an anthropomorphic telephone and asked,

"Hey Gwen, would you help me with moving my stuff in my house?"

Gwen sighed and goes to his house and magically moves his boxes and unloaded his stuff. Telephone thanked her and she leaves his house, feeling more ticked.

Then she is approached by lobster sailor and asked her to help load cargo onto the ships. Gwen groaned and magically moved the crates of cargo onto the cargo ships. Various people kept approaching her for various ridiculous favors as if she was being taken for granted by everyone in the Inkwell Isles.

After helping Chief Bea with broken parking meters, Gwen shapeshifted into a ghost and quickly disappeared before anybody could approach her.

Gwen flied into her room and sighed heavily and went to sleep. But before she could relax, she hears Elder Kettle call,

"Gwen!"

Gwen groaned, got up and went downstairs and saw Elder Kettle sitting in his chair with a lemonade drink and struggled to reach his radio.

"Gwen, could you turn on the radio for your dear Elder Kettle?"

Gwen was shocked at that simple request and she finally snapped,

"That's it! I'm done! I'm sick and tired of doing everything for everyone around here! Just because I have the magic inkwell doesn't mean I gotta do all the work for everyone and getting nothing in return! I'm outta here!"

Gwen runs upstairs as Elder Kettle looked at her in confusion and asked,

"What got into her?"

Gwen goes in her room, packs up her satchel, deciding to leave the cottage and lay low for a while. Cuphead and Mugman enter her room and Cuphead asked,

"Gwen, what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry guys, but everybody won't leave me alone! Asking me for ridiculous favors they can't do themselves! It's been getting out of hand! I need to leave for a while. Lay low." Gwen answered.

"Don't go Gwen! We love you!" Mugman pleaded and hugged her.

Gwen was moved and lifted him off of her and said,

"Look, I'm not leaving forever. I'm just gonna lay low for a while until people stop asking me to do everything for them."

Mugman and Cuphead looked sad and said,

"Okay."

Gwen shapeshifted into a ghost and says,

"Goodbye guys."

And flies out of her room as the cups waved goodbye sadly. Both cups started sobbing uncontrollably and hugged each other.

Gwen flies over the skies and searches for a place to lay low for a while. She decided to try the mountains, but it seemed too hazardous. She tried Cala Maria's cove, but it was too creepy. She tried Mt. Eruptus, but it was too dangerous.

Floating on a cloud, she was about to give up until she spots a little town near the docks and decided to try it. She hides in the woods and shapeshifts back to human and enters the town. She looked around and she hears an ice cream truck tune playing Pop Goes the Weasel. Gwen sees an anthropomorphic female turkey farmer approach her on a tractor with a record player and said,

"Howdy missy!"

Gwen waved and said,

"Hi ma'am. Is that your music?"

"Yep! I just love ice cream truck music playing at full blast. It's all I listen to." Turkey Farmer answered.

"Oh, nice." Gwen said, unsure about her choice of music.

"Well, gotta get goin'! See ya!" Turkey Farmer said and drove off.

Gwen waved goodbye and continued looking around until she sees a group of kids at an actual ice cream truck getting some ice cream. Gwen decided to grab a little treat and joined the kids in line. After the kids leave with their ice cream, she looks inside the truck, but didn't see anyone.

"Hmm, must've run out of ice cream. Oh well."

Gwen was about to leave until suddenly, an anthropomorphic buck-toothed muffin wearing a crooked hat and a pink-stripped outfit with a red bowtie appeared before her and greeted with a big smile,

"Well, hey there little lady! Would you like to hear the flavor of the day?"

Gwen was creeped out by his over-friendly face.

"Well, uh…"

Gwen was about to answer until Ice Cream Man interrupted,

"It's different every day!"

"But I…"

Gwen tried to speak until he again interrupted,

"But you don't even know what the flavor of the day is!"

Gwen folded her arms, sighed and said,

"Fine, what is it?"

"It is…" A drumroll plays.

"Rocky road!"

Ice Cream Man announced with a fanfare playing and little confetti thrown.

Gwen stood there, confused and noticed something.

"Uh, you do know your hat is on wrong, right?" Gwen asked.

Ice Cream Man noticed and answered,

"Yep! Just the way I like it! I only bring joy and delicious treats!"

Gwen was unsure, but let it go and asked,

"Could I just get a rocky road ice cream then?"

"Comin' right up kid!"

Ice Cream Man announced and quickly grabbed a rocky road ice cream cone and handed it to her.

"That'll be 30 cents please." Ice Cream Man said, gesturing her to pay.

Gwen reaches in her pocket and gives him three dimes.

"Thank you ma'am! Come again!"

Ice Cream Man said to her and drives away. Gwen looked at him weirdly and said,

"Strange ice cream guy. Oh well."

Gwen leaves and licks her ice cream cone.

She sits on the end of dock, takes her boots off and dips her toes in the water as she continues eating her ice cream cone and stares off in the distance to clear her mind. Just then she hears the ice cream truck song playing again and looked behind her to see Ice Cream Man selling more ice cream to a line of people.

"Okay that ice cream guy's starting to creep me out."

Gwen said to herself, but she minded her own business and continued staring in the distance. Ice Cream Man finished selling the ice cream to the people. Then, he closes his truck windows with a 'closed' sign on it and comes out from his truck with a sandwich. He notices Gwen sitting all alone at the end of the docks and decided to join her.

"Hey there again kid! Mind if I join you for my lunch hour?"

Gwen's eyes popped and saw Ice Cream Man standing behind her with a big smile and holding a sandwich.

"Uh, yeah sure." Gwen answered, feeling uneasy.

"Why, thank you!"

Ice Cream Man said as he sat down next to her and started eating his sandwich. Gwen tries to keep her cool as she finished up her ice cream cone and Ice Cream Man finished his sandwich.

"So, you're new here, aren't ya kid?" Ice Cream Man asked her.

"Well, just to this town, I've been here in the Inkwell Isles for almost a month now." Gwen answered.

"Oh. What's your name kid?" Ice Cream Man asked.

"Gwendolyn Mae Emmons. Call me Gwen." Gwen introduced herself.

Ice Cream Man thought for a moment, then he said,

"Oh yeah! Your that human girl with the magic…"

Ice Cream Man was about to say the word 'inkwell' until Gwen shushed him and said,

"Shh! Don't say that please!"

Ice Cream Man muffled, "Why?"

Gwen sighed and said,

"Look, it's complicated right now so, I gotta get going. Bye!"

Gwen said, puts her hand down, puts her boots back on, grabs her satchel and leaves the docks quickly.

That evening, Gwen is struggling to find a place to stay for the night, but is having trouble finding a hotel. Gwen sighed and said,

"It's no use, maybe I should just go home. This was all for nothing."

Gwen was about to leave town until she hears the ice cream truck again, to her annoyance. Ice Cream Man steps out of the truck as Gwen finally confronts him,

"Okay, I'll just ask it. Why are you stalking me?"

"Well, I couldn't help but notice you're all alone here." Ice Cream Man answered.

"It's nothing important. I'll go now."

Gwen said, turned to walk away until Ice Cream Man asked,

"You need a place to stay for the night kid? I got a spare room!"

Gwen's eyes popped and turned around and asked,

"Really? You mean it?"

"Sure do! Hop in my truck!" Ice Cream Man said and gestured her to get in the truck.

Gwen hesitated, but decided to trust him and gets inside his truck and Ice Cream Man drives away. They arrive a little house and Ice Cream Man takes Gwen inside his home and shows her the spare bedroom.

"Here is the guest bedroom. Well, goodnight kid."

Ice Cream Man said and leaves her alone. Gwen magically unpacks her satchel and gets ready for bed. Gwen wonders if she's doing the right thing, laying low for a while until people stop bugging her for favors. She finally trails off to sleep.

The next morning, Gwen wakes up and gets ready for the day. She hears a knock at her door and hears Ice Cream Man say,

"You awake kid?"

"Yes, I am." Gwen answered.

"Great! Breakfast is ready!"

Gwen opens the door and joins Ice Cream Man at the table and he serves her a plate of waffles.

"Thank you, for doing all this for me."

Gwen thanked Ice Cream Man as she was eating.

"Aw, you're welcome kid. So, you gonna tell me what you're running away from?"

Gwen's eyes widened and asked,

"What do you mean?"

"You don't fool me for a second kid. Most folks don't come around here unless they broke some rules, escapin' their problems or something. So, which one is it?" Ice Cream Man explained.

Gwen realized she can't lie to him and answered,

"Well, life was good living with my best friends and their caretaker. But recently, since I'm the girl with the you-know-what, people have started taking me for granted lately. Everybody stops me, asking me for pointless favors and they do nothing for me in return. I couldn't take it anymore, so I left to lay low for a while until people learn to do things for themselves instead of relying on me and my magic. I don't know if I'm doing the right thing. I just need a break and people to stop bugging me."

Gwen finished as she sunk her head in her hands.

"Hmm. Sounds like you've been burned out lately."

Ice Cream Man said after listening to her story.

"Well, yeah." Gwen agreed.

"Look kid, you're kind, helpful and selfless from what I've heard. But there's no harm with setting boundaries." Ice Cream Man said.

Gwen looked up and asked,

"Boundaries?"

"You heard me. Boundaries. Like saying 'no' to unnecessary favors, having folks respect your wants and needs and when you need to take breaks and have time for yourself. Otherwise, you're gonna be burned out and stressed out like you are right now." Ice Cream Man advised her.

Gwen was stunned by his words and realized he was right.

"Take me for example. If I don't have my lunch hours at work, I wouldn't have my time for myself to relieve stress. Unlike that time with that crazy mug friend of yours." Ice Cream Man explained.

Gwen's eyes popped and asked,

"You mean Mugman? Crazy?"

"Yep. You see..."

Ice Cream Man explained the time he came by the cottage to sell Mugman ice cream three times one day and the constant ice cream truck song kept playing and his crooked hat drove him insane and yelled at him to leave. Later that night, Mugman came to the little town looking for him to apologize until he chased Mugman in the truck through the water and back to cottage just thank him for the inspiration to get a new hat (which was still the same hat, except slightly smaller.) Then he noticed a book Mugman was reading and unintentionally spoiled the ending of the book, which drove Mugman to insanity and tried to beat him up but he couldn't hurt Ice Cream Man with his spongy-like exterior. Gwen was shocked and said,

"That explains a lot that night I came home from acting lessons and Elder Kettle and Cuphead came home from running errands that night. That was you outside the cottage that night, wasn't it?" Gwen asked, recalling that memory.

Ice Cream Man smiled, confirming her answer.

"You know something? You're right. I do need to set boundaries and use the magic inkwell when I see fit. By the way, how can I ever thank you for all you've done for me?" Gwen asked.

"Well, there is one thing." Ice Cream Man said.

Gwen felt unsure at first, but remembered that he did help her first and she owed him.

"You can work for me just for today. Help me bring joy and delicious treats."

Gwen's eyes popped and asked,

"That's it? No magic or anything?"

"You don't have to. Just help me sell ice cream to people today. Magic or no magic. Your choice."

Ice Cream Man explained.

"Okay. It's a deal."

Gwen agreed and both shake on it. Gwen packed up her satchel and both leave to start work.

That day, Gwen traveled with Ice Cream Man in his truck all over the Inkwell Isles. At every area they stop at, Gwen helped scoop ice cream in cones, add toppings and stocked up more ice cream when flavors were running low. Gwen and Ice Cream Man spent their lunch hour together and chatted some more. That evening, they finish selling ice cream and leave Inkwell City.

"Wow, how do you handle going place to place and selling all those ice creams?" Gwen asked, feeling exhausted from the day's work.

"I told ya kid, set boundaries to avoid burnout." Ice Cream Man answered happily.

"Oh. Right."

Gwen replied and cleaned up the mess from working using her ink pen, feeling much better with using magic at her own terms.

"We just have one more stop and then we'll call it a day." Ice Cream Man said.

"Really? Where?" Gwen asked as she prepares the ice cream.

"You'll see." Ice Cream Man said.

He drives the truck through the woods and arrives at a familiar place.

"Wait, is that?" Gwen asked, recognizing the area.

"It sure is kid! Welcome home!" Ice Cream Man announced.

Gwen opened the truck window and saw the cottage and the white fence. The cups run outside to the ice cream truck and see Gwen inside truck and yelled,

"Gwen!"

"Guys!" Gwen called back.

She comes outside and the cups give her a big hug.

"You came back!" Cuphead said happily.

"Don't ever leave us again Gweny!" Mugman happily added.

"I won't guys." Gwen assured them.

Elder Kettle comes outside and says,

"Gwen! You're home!"

He runs up to Gwen and gives her a big hug. Gwen hugs him back and said,

"I'm sorry Elder Kettle, I was angry and frustrated from people asking me for pointless favors…"

"It's alright dear. The boys told me everything. And I'm sorry I pushed your buttons yesterday." Elder Kettle interrupted and apologized.

Ice Cream Man smiled at Gwen, feeling proud of her. Elder Kettle said,

"Now what do you say we have ice cream first, then we can have dinner afterwards for a change?"

"Yay!" Both cups cheered.

Gwen served her surrogate family ice cream cones and Ice Cream Man gives her an ice cream cone on the house and lets her join them. Gwen grabbed her satchel from the truck and looked at Ice Cream Man and gives him a hug and said,

"Thank you for everything."

Ice Cream Man had tears in his eyes and hugged her back. Gwen leaves the truck and waved goodbye as Ice Cream Man drives away. Gwen goes inside with the family and have dinner together.

From then on, Gwen set up boundaries to use the magic inkwell when she wanted to and to say 'no' to unnecessary favors that people can do themselves. Gwen felt so much better and decided to visit Ice Cream Man when he was in town and bought another ice cream cone.

"So, how you've been kid?" Ice Cream Man asked.

"Much better, thank you for asking. I did what you said, and now things have been better." Gwen explained as she was eating the ice cream cone.

"Aw, that's great kid!" Ice Cream Man complimented.

Just then, the cups and Ms. Chalice arrive and Gwen asked,

"Hey guys, what've you been doing? And what's with the net?"

The three cups look at each other and Ms. Chalice answered,

"We've been doing some 'work'. Hey girl, could you get us some ice cream? We kinda lost our piggy bank. And he took away ours when he wouldn't take our torn dollar bill!"

Gwen wasn't sure at first until Ice Cream Man whispered an idea to her. Gwen smiled and said,

"I might get you guys some ice cream, but I'm gonna want you guys to do something for me in return."

"What?" Asked the trio.

Ice Cream Man announced,

"You three get to work one day for me!"

The three cups groaned and Mugman yelled,

"Are you kidding me?!"

"Mugman…" Gwen scolded him.

Mugman grumbled as Ice Cream Man said,

"Then it's settled! We start first thing tomorrow!"

The next day, Cuphead, Mugman and Ms. Chalice were forced to help Ice Cream Man with scooping ice cream into cones, add toppings and stocked up more ice cream when flavors were running low. The trio were forced to put up with listening to Ice Cream Man singing along with the ice cream truck song during lunch hour. That evening, the trio were exhausted from the day's work and were about to be dropped off at the cottage. Gwen is right outside the gate, waiting for them as the truck approached. Ice Cream Man gets out of the truck and says to Gwen,

"Hey there kid! Here are your friends! They did a great job today just like you did!"

The trio come out of the truck tired, a little messy and exhausted and were ready for bed.

"How was work guys?" Gwen asked with a smile.

"Ugh! It was too hard! I hate stinkin' hard work!" Cuphead complained.

"And I got ice cream all over my shirt!" Ms. Chalice complained.

"Well, guess what guys? You earned your ice cream!"

Gwen said as goes up to Ice Cream Man and he gives her the three ice cream cones he previously took away from them after being presented a torn-in-half dollar bill. The trio sighed as Gwen gave them the ice cream cones and they finally get to eat the ice cream they rightfully earned while Gwen bought herself a cookies 'n cream ice cream cone.

"Oh, little buddy, did you finish Mugbeard yet?" Ice Cream Man asked Mugman.

Mugman's eyes popped and started to laugh maniacally and said,

"Did… I… finish… Mugbeard… yet? That's a good one! I never did because of you!"

Mugman yelled and jumped at Ice Cream Man and tried to beat him up once again. But Ice Cream Man wasn't hurt due to his spongy exterior.

"I told you to turn off that stupid music and fix your stupid hat!" Mugman yelled as he kept trying to punch him.

"Mugman no!"

Cuphead and Ms. Chalice exclaimed and grab Mugman and hold him back as Mugman struggled to attack Ice Cream Man.

"Lemme at him! Lemme at him!" Mugman yelled.

"I was just asking a simple question." Ice Cream Man said in defense.

Gwen looked at Mugman and said to Ice Cream Man,

"I better help Mugman calm down. Thanks again."

"You're welcome kid. See you around!"

Ice Cream Man said as he got up unharmed and drove away in the ice cream truck. Gwen turned to Mugman and put her arms on him and said,

"Easy Mugman! Settle down!"

Mugman doesn't comply, until Gwen gets another idea. She pats his back gently as Mugman started to calm down. Gwen took a breath and started to sing the American traditional song Down in the River to Pray.

As Gwen sang, Mugman started to get sleepy and Gwen carried him inside the cottage as she kept singing. Gwen puts a sleeping Mugman to bed as she sang the final line,

"Good Lord, show me the way."

Gwen gives Mugman a kiss on the cheek, goes outside the cup's bedroom as Cuphead and Ms. Chalice stare at Gwen in awe.

"Wow Gwen. Nobody's ever calmed Mugman down like you before." Cuphead complimented.

"Thanks, Cuphead."

"Well, thanks for gettin' us ice cream girl! Even though you made us work for it." Ms. Chalice grumbled.

"Well, I'm callin' it a night. Good night guys!"

Gwen said as she went into her room and got ready for bed while Ms. Chalice turns into a ghost and leaves the cottage and Cuphead joins Mugman in bed.

Gwen went to bed, happy to be relieved of stress and burnout, at least for a while.