Cannikin (Cuphead OC) [SCRAPPED]

Chapter Seven- Making Changes

I woke up in the middle of the night for an unknown reason. I just couldn't sleep. Maybe it was all the chaos that just went down? Maybe I was still happy about the whole punching Chips in the face thing, because I was. That was the best feeling ever. Besides that, I was worried about Dice. About our (dare I say it?) "relationship". Don't get me wrong, I love him to death. But we've never really gotten to... be together very much. We have to find a way to stay hidden from the others, of course. They can't know about this. Especially the Devil.

...especially my brothers. If I ever see them again, that is.

I feel like such a jerk. He loves me, we've kissed, I love him, why am I so scared to show that I love him. He's probably gonna start hating me sooner or later.

I wonder if he's awake... no, that's rediculos. It's 3:00 in the morning. But I suppose there's no harm in checking if it'll stop this anxiety attack.

I walked upstairs and quietly opened the door, not wanting to make too much noise. I looked around, it was dark. Quiet. The casino was like an entirely new world at night. As I took a look a around, I stepped on a few small shards of glass. Looks like those idiots didn't clean up everything... I'll do it in the morning. I mean, when its not 3:00 a.m.

I made my way around the different sections in the casino. Around the slot machines, roulette tables, regular tables... lots of tables, but no Dice. Besides actual dice.

Is this confusing you yet?

Anyway, once I reached the dining area, all the candles had been blown out. Except for one, single candle, the light of the candle lit shone on the objects around it. Dice was sitting down at the table, his head down, and small piles of contracts around him.

I began to quietly walk up to him. When I reached him, I softly tapped his shoulder. Dice slowly lifted his head up and looked up at me with tired eyes.  It took him a second to see that it was me, but when he saw me clearly, he smiled. "Hello Cannikin." He said in a quiet, raspy voice, almost a whisper. "What time is it?"

"Its currently 3:15 a.m." I said. "I couldn't sleep so... I came to see if you were awake."

"Oh. Well, thank you for waking me up. I have work I need to finish."

I pulled up a chair and sat next to him. "Can I help?" I said.

Dice looked at all his work on the table. "Well... not exactly... but it would be nice to have someone just to talk to."

"Ooh, I'm good at talking! I can do that!" I said, smiling.

We spent the next few hours chatting as Dice singed papers in his beautiful cursive handwriting. I asked him where he learned to write like that. "My father taught me." He said. "When he wasn't out gambling and losing almost everything he owned, including his son- uh... sorry... I've said too much." I didn't ask him about his father. He seemed uncomfortable talking about his childhood. That was OK, I felt uncomfortable talking about my childhood too.

After an hour of talking, we began to feel more and more comfortable around each other. I scooted closer to Dice and rested my head on his shoulder. It didn't bother him, if anything, he enjoyed it. The color around his eyes was a mint green, which from what I understood, meant he was happy. I should start taking notes about his eye colors. It is rather interesting.

We talked about all sorts of things, our jobs, our feelings, our likes, our dislikes, and our hobbies. After a little while, I asked him a question I thought I'd never ask. "What's it like outside?" I asked.

Dice put his pen down at leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling. "It's a nice little island. Some call it paradise, I just call it home. Inkwell Isle is divided into multiple areas of land, where everyone lives. There's an amusement park, a city..."

"a garden?" I asked.

"Yes. How'd you know that?"

"That's one of the only things I remember about the place. I was remember I was close friends with someone there... but it's been so long... I couldn't remember their name if I tried..."

"Well, one person I know from that area is Cagney..."

Something in my mind clicked when he said that. "Cagney? As in, Cagney Carnation?" I said, eager to know if I had just remembered my childhood friend.

"Yes! So you do know him! That's great!" Dice exclaimed.

"How is he these days?" I asked.

"Oh, just classic, grumpy ol' Cagney... he has a bit of an anger problem." Said Dice. Anger problem? What? He never seemed like a very grumpy person when we were younger. "No way." I said. "When I knew him, he was shy and timid. I was the only friend he had, he hardly spoke a word to anyone else!"

Dice looked surprised. "Huh... funny... he's not like that at all now." He said.

I wonder if he misses me. Maybe that's why he's so grumpy now. I wish I could see him again.

"Anyway" I said. "What about everybody else?"

"I'd be happy to tell you about everyone else. I know everyone on this island. I have a reputation, ya know." Dice cleared his throat. "a bad reputation that is... um... anyway... Beppi works over at the amusement park in Inkwell Isle II, as entertainment. Sally Stageplay is a young woman who preforms at the theater. Oh, and we can't forget about Elder Kettle all the way at the edge of the island in Inkwell Isle one..." He paused. I froze. Elder Kettle... I know exactly who he is...

"Isn't he the man who is caring for my... my brothers?" I asked in a slow voice.

"Yes. Cuphead and Mugman right?"

I nearly leaped out of my chair. "Yes! Yes! That's them! How are they? Do they miss me? Do they remember me? How much have they grown?"

Dice rested his hand on my shoulder. "Woah, woah, calm down! I'll tell ya everything ya need to know!" He said. "They are doing fine. But I don't know much about them considering they don't like me very much... Elder Kettle takes care of them just fine. He's always tellin' those boys to stay away from the Casino, to stay out of trouble, he does pretty good at keeping them in check. They seem happy. But..." He looked up at me with a sad expression. "if I'm being honest here Cannikin, I don't know if they remember you."

I'll admit, I was upset as his words. But I'm not very surprised. I left them when they were both very little. I laid back in my chair and sighed. "It's fine, really... I have hope that I'll see them one day, and when they see me, they'll remember me. I just know it."

Dice smiled. "That's the spirit. Just gotta have hope." He said. I smiled back at him. I put my arms around him and hugged him tightly.

I just need to have hope. He gives me hope.

(Geez this chapter is a lot longer than the other ones lol oops.)