Souls (Cuphead)

Chapter 4

 A few residents looked at them, some concerned, some judging, but neither Cuphead nor Mugman cared. They were just glad to be out of there. "You boys look ragged up, alright," a voice said. They looked up and saw a man with an apple for a head. One side of his head had been chomped off. His skin was red like the apple. An Appela.

"Who are you?" Mugman asked.

The guy laid back on the bridge, swinging a leg over it. "Mac," he said. "Everyone calls me Mac." He fiddled with the leaf on top of his head. Mac.

"Hiya, Mac," Cuphead said. "I'm Cuphead, and this is Mugman." He gestured at Mugman, and scanned the list the Devil had given him. Mac saw the stamp on the bottom, and tsked in pity.

"Hey, fellas," he said. "Looks like you're in for it now, eh?" Cuphead hurriedly stuffed the paper in his pocket. "Well, I used to be the same way, always getting into trouble." He smiled at Cuphead. "Runnin', jumpin', shootin'. But now I prefer just strollin' and going to the pictures." He grinned at Cuphead's eye-roll. "But, hey, let me give you a hand! Take this!"

He pulled out three shiny gold coins from his pocket, tossing them to Cuphead. "Don't spend it all in one piece," he said, laying back again.

"How did you get real gold?!" Cuphead said, looking at the gold in his palm.

"Bit of trouble, really," Mac said. "Took some arguin' with Quint to get my hands on 'em." He chuckled. "Even then, I practically stole 'em. They're better in your hands than mine, anyhow."

Cuphead smiled his thanks, and walked towards a cart that read PORKRIND'S EMPORIUM on the front. He entered, Mugman following, and was greeted by a pig with an eyepatch and a kind face.

"Welcome!" he said. "What can I do for ya?"

"Um..." Mugman lifted a finger, and shot a tiny blue bullet, hitting the wood of the desk.

"I have just the thing!" Porkrind said, kneeling and bringing up a box full of potions. He pulled up a thick bottle with a cork on the top, and a wrapping around it with a red stamp that had three shooters. "This is a Spread. It causes great damage, if you can keep close to your target."

Cuphead held out 4 coins, which Porkrind took quickly. "You look more like a long-range kind of guy," Porkrind said to Mugman, as Cuphead drank the potion. "So here." He held out a tall, thin bottle with a label on the front of a gun target. "This is a Chaser. Long-range, no aim required. But, it does little damage."

Mugman gestured for Cuphead to give him the money, which he did. "Thank you," Porkrind said. "Goodbye."

The two left, just as Cuphead's stomach rumbled. He couldn't remember when he'd last eaten. Last night? Yes, he had an apple pie for desert last night. Lamb for dinner.

"You're hungry, aren't you?" Mugman asked.

Cuphead shook his head, but his stomach rumbled in disagreement. Mugman chuckled. "I'll find you something to eat," he said, walking away.

As soon as he was out of sight, Cuphead slumped to the ground, tired.

He never knew how he wasn't chubby by now. He worked out fairly often, enough to get a little six-pack, but he ate constantly. He had such a big appetite that he snuck food into their home school lessons with Elder Kettle. And yet he was still muscular and thin.

He hadn't meant to sell his soul to the Devil. He was thinking about all the good he could do for everyone. His family was poor, and he thought that with the money he could help with that.

"You look like you're thinking hard," a fruity, husky voice said.

Cuphead turned and his face instantly reddened at the sight of King Dice. He had a cigar in his mouth, which explained the hoarse sound. He sat on a rock beside Cuphead, his knees almost level with Cuphead's chin.

"I was," he said, wringing his hands.

Dice had cute hands. Smooth, thin, clean, with fingers capable of tricks and slips. Like sleight of hand. Helpful if you were in a casino and had quick fingers. "What were you thinking about?" Dice asked.

"My weight," Cuphead said.

"You look fit to me," Dice said. Cuphead didn't know if he meant to say that, but it made him blush nonetheless. "You're blushing."

"I am not!" Cuphead said, blushing.

"You are," Dice said. "Is it because I called you fit?" Cuphead didn't say anything. "I meant it. You are fit. Both in health and appearance." Cuphead felt like his face was a fire. "You don't get called that often, do you?"

Cuphead nodded. "I'm homeschooled," he said.

Dice exhaled a puff of smoke. "That's kind of cruel, isn't it?" he said.

"What?"

"Well, if you were homeschooled you'd never meet people unless you were outside of 'school'. It kind of makes you feel like a prison, doesn't it?"

"Personally I would rather be homeschooled. No one would tease me for my dyslexia, or my interest in men." He blushed, realising what he had said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to - "

"Don't worry about it. I was homeschooled, and it was like prison for me. The only bad thing was I had to mingle at the casino, and meet new people. That was my only interaction."

"That's sad."

"It was. Especially exploring sexuality. I managed to figure mine out."

"What is it?"

"What's what?"

"Your sexuality?"

"Why, are you interested?" Dice smirked, knowing he was teasing. Cuphead blushed so red he was sure no one could tell where his nose was. Dice laughed a jovial, fruity laugh. "I'm just teasing. I'm bisexual, but I prefer men."

Men. He liked men.

"You?"

"Oh, uh...gay."

Dice smiled. "I figured as much," he said, and lay the cigarette on the ground, crushing it under his foot. "See you around." He stood to go, before looking at Cuphead one more time. "Good luck."