Cuphead and Mugman in "Fate Will Find You"

A Step In the Right Direction

The sun seemed to rise over Inkwell early that morning. And with it, so was Cuphead. Once Elder Kettle was up and moving, the young cup felt inclined to make his guardian aware that Mugman still had nightmares despite taking the potion.

"Let's give it another night." Said Elder Kettle. "Perhaps it takes a little while to kick in."

"Yeah, maybe... " Cuphead replied. He did not seem convinced that another 24 hours would make a difference. "And what if it doesn't?"

"It has to, Cuphead! It just has to!" The kettle's voice wavered as he said this, seeming desperate for a solution to save his son from the terror and anxiety. For he realized that such nightmares, or episodes, were not good for Mug's soul. It was sure to weaken his will each time that form of stress was exerted upon him.

"Stay with your brother today, Cuphead. Make sure he's happy." His grandfather explained. "And don't wander too far from home. I have to travel off island today, but I'll be back around mid-afternoon." The elderly glassware packed up a crate of his moonshine and prepared to make his exit. He was almost out the door when he remembered one last thing. "Oh, and make sure Mugman eats some breakfast at least." His spout turned back around as he concluded his list of must-dos for the day.

"Don't worry, Elder Kettle. Everything is under control!" The young cup gave a hearty smile as he gently pounded his chest with a fist.

"There's a good lad! I'll be back before you know it!" With that, the elder exited his house. The cup child had the house to himself for a little while before his sibling finally woke up. Letting Mugman sleep in was the least he could do when nightmares filled his mind for half the night.

Mug began to eat a red delicious apple when he saw Cuphead packing food into a picnic basket and games into a sack.

"What's going on, Cuphead?" He asked between bites of his apple. The young cup bustled about, getting items together.

"We're going to have a picnic and spend the day outside!" Cup joyfully proclaimed. "It's much better than being inside, don't you think?"

"Yeah, sounds nice." The little mug replied. He was willing to do whatever Cuphead wanted, as long as it didn't involve getting in trouble.

Within a few minutes, the cup brothers migrated themselves outside. They placed a red and white checkered blanket on the ground, placing the picnic basket at one of its corners and the sack of games at another. The weather was very pleasant that day; a cool breeze blew throughout the island, but the sun was as warm as ever.

They broke into their games, immediately pulling out their yo-yos. The red and blue pieces of plastic rolled in and out. Mugman found much pleasure in trying to best his brother in duration and trick contests. Cuphead enjoyed it, too. But it was he who suggested a different game after about an hour passed. They then brought out their chess board, placing it in the middle of the blanket. The boys lay down on their stomachs as they played their family classic. As soon as the boys were old enough to understand the gameplay, Elder Kettle taught them how to play.

"It was your parents' favorite game." He had told them. Both the boys, especially Mugman, took that to heart and practiced with it often. After years of practice, they were able to beat the veteran that was Elder Kettle. It was rare that games were not neck and neck by the end of it. Cuphead, who was the most competitive of the family, often got a bit disappointed if he lost at the last second. This enthusiastic attitude was what his sibling and guardian thought was one of his best traits. However, it was that competitive nature that taught Elder Kettle to buy a toy for each of the boys. The one time a toy was to be shared among the brothers, they started to fight over it. Mugman complained that Cuphead wasn't giving him a turn, and the cup spat that it was his toy anyway. From that point on, which was many years ago, there could never be only one of something in the house.