Chapter Text
Cup was now heading to the casino to pick up Noods, after having been stuck in the hospital for a couple hours. He'd gotten his stitches fixed, finally. They'd strapped him down, numbed him up and sewed everything back together. He'd been awake throughout it all. Had asked for a local so he could stay conscious and keep an eye on the cussers working on him, and they’d accepted, as long as they’d gotten to give him a light sedation along with it; to keep him relaxed and all that. He’d consented - figured there wasn’t much point in arguing with ‘em. He’d gotten his wish.
Though he still had some of his head in the clouds fifteen minutes or so since walking out, if he was being totally honest. Some… fog on the forecast, remnants of the sedative. Maybe that's why the long as cuss trek to Hat's wasn't hurting as bad.
But now that the epidural-strength drugs pumped into his torso had worn off, he could certainly cussing feel the stitches now. And by cuss were the suckers itchy. Really cussing itchy. Like, 'I'm going to tear my sun blazing skin off' levels of itchy.
He didn't know if it was because of the string they'd used, or because they'd had to restitch bits, or if he just needed that damn cream - Hell cussing knew. Whatever the reason it was ticking him off.
And, even with that aside, he still had a reason to complain. Mugs, the flaky mook, hadn't shown his face at all yet. Cup hadn't caught a damn glimpse of him since last night. He was supposed to take Noods to the casino, and make sure she actually came back in one piece. Instead Cup had had to just leave her.
They still hadn't talked about yesterday either. Cup had no idea where Mugs was with all that. For a minute he'd thought he was getting the cold shoulder from him, but Mugs had been doing that a lot less recently. They needed to chat. At some point.
The casino was coming into view now. Ah, geez.
Just be alive at least. Cup could work with that.
He walked through the doors and into the foyer, glancing around. There were a couple dopes dotted around - nothing much. It was only midday, after all.
He was probably gonna have to wait a bit. That schmuck of a paper bag had said Hat had been behind schedule, which was very entertaining to imagine. The mook was probably frazzled as cuss - at peek irritability. Cup just hoped that didn't have much of a knock-on effect on Noods.
Never mind, that was them now. Hat had just about every cussing tentacle in existence writhing in a storm behind him as he stalked over, with the wolf next to him, blabbing on like there was no tomorrow. She was alive. That was good.
Cup wasn't able to make out what she was drivelling on about, but what he could see, what anyone could cussing see, was the demon’s blood boiling under his dusty skin, one sentence away from his last thread snapping.
“… -Had a good time?” Cup butted in, before she could finish that last sentence. He revelled in the anger that contorted his old mentor’s face further.
The demon let out a haggard and growling breath, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his invisible nose. “… That was the second most infuriating experience of my entire existence," he declared. Noods eyed him, wiping her bloody snout.
"Whit wis da first?" She asked with a bit of amusement. Cup had bets on the day the Warners went to Hell and had that whole switcheroo.
Hat faltered for a second, just glaring. "-I'm not answering to you, you- Imp tails, just take her,” he hissed and with a grip of her shoulder shoved her over and away to dispel of his obligations.
"Ay ay ay," she protested, "watch da claas, min-"
"I do not have to watch anything - not after your pitiful performance today," he spat. "You should know I do not tolerate such childish arrogance, and such... brazen comportment! I will throw you into the pits myself if I ever face such disrespect again!"
Noods gave Cup a fed-up look as the demon continued his rant. Cup mirrored it. He'd gotten this type of 'pep talk' so many times now he could practically cussing recite it. He'd learnt to tune it out over the years.
"... impulsivity, and carelessness will get you KILLED!" He roared.
For a second there nobody said anything. They just stared, as the hat huffed and puffed angrily.
"Okayy," Cup turned the wolf around and headed for the door, "good talk. We'll be goin' now."
Hat didn't know what to do with himself for a second. "-I expect you to return with some respect tomorrow," he yelled out after a pause, "or else I'll-"
"Uhh, e-excuse me," Flug's annoying voice sounded from somewhere near the demon, "L-l-l-Lord Hat, S-s-sir-"
"WHAT?!" Hat bellowed. Flug jumped and threw whatever was in his hands up in the air. Cup chuckled to himself.
He left that amusing scene behind and stepped out the casino, with Noods in tow. He watched her rummage around in her pockets for something out the corner of his eye. Probably for something to wipe her blood-crusted nose.
The dish rolled his eyes. "Alright," he sighed, reaching into his own pocket. He brought out a handkerchief and passed it over to her. "Spill the beans - What happened in the four hours you spent in that hellhole?"
She tutted a laugh, dabbing at her nostrils. "A bleedin' lot, min. It might taak me a while tae go o'ar it aa."
Cup quirked a shoulder. "Might as well." He held his arm up to glance at his imaginary watch. "Got plenty’a time. We've gotta long walk ahead of us."
Noods' face dropped. "Wait, we're waakin' aa da wiy back?? I get waakin' here, but we're no, lik, taakin' a car or somethin' back haeme??" She jabbed, gesturing angrily.
"Nope." He'd gained an affinity against 'em after a particular nightmare he'd had where he'd had to drive home while Bendy was cussing dying of an ink attack in the backseat. But he wasn't admitting that. "We're walkin'."
She scoffed slightly. "Fine. But me legs might genuinely snap aff. I aaready hit me pacin' limit dis mornin'."
"Quit whinin', it's fine," he dismissed, stuffing his hands in his coat pockets. "This is good practice for trainin'. Hat isn't gonna give a damn if your legs snap off."
"C'mon then." He motioned to her with his elbow. "Get to tellin'."
She sighed exasperatedly. "Okay. So, weell first aaff I got a toor o da buildin', 'cause da hat min wis faain' behind on schedule or whitivir. A lass caaed Demencia did it."
Right, that demon-y kid Hat took in. Cup had barely had any interactions with her. She'd shown up after.
"Tsk, lucky you didn't get Flug as a cussin' tour guide," the dish grumbled. He'd just dragged him and Mugs around by their cussing handles and shoved their heads into each room. Didn't learn stardust.
Noods squinted. "Is yun da lad wee da bag on his heed?"
"The bag is his head," Cup remarked. "And yes." He then pointed a finger at her sternly. "Don't let that mook anywhere cussin' near you with a needle. It's bad news."
She shook her head with a wide-eyed look. "Wusna plannin' tae. But tanks fir da warnin', I'll keep me letter opener handy."
Cup bobbed his head as he reached into his pocket. “Good thinkin'."
He glanced over at her as he brought out a toothpick, placing it between his lips to fill the space of a cig. “I'm guessin' the tour was fine then?"
"Yeah, we jost waalked aroond," she explained lightly. "Caught a glimpse o da clean up efter yisterday. We went past da haa dat set on fire - it wis bein' completely gutted oot."
"Oh yeah?" Huh.
She made a noise of confirmation. "An den Hat got me to do yun bloody assessment tingy," she grumbled with an eye roll.
"Uh-huh." Cup acknowledged, picking at his teeth with his pick. "And how'd that go?"
"I dunno. It wis bleedin' brutal," she stated flatly. "He had me fightin' dis... horse lad, in sheeny armour an stuff. Gods, an he hid da maest puntable grin I've ivir seen."
Hm. Horse guy with a puntable grin was ringing some bells.
"An da whole time Hat wis jost crossin' oot aa dese boxes," she continued, and started listing off on her claws, "sayin' I wusna professional at aa, hid a bruck guard, an wusna taakin' advantage o me agility." She threw her hands up. "Whit da cuss even is agility?!"
Cup nodded along with a deadpan expression. "Yep. He has a knack for that kinda stardust. He'll even criticise the way you cussin' breathe."
"But a lot of it's decent advice - things you should be takin' on board," he told her. "Although he's cussin' annoyin' about it, his critiques are somethin' worth listenin' to. The mook knows his stuff."
She hummed disapprovingly, her jowls pulled back in a deep frown. "I canna tell whit's a critique an whit's a bleedin' insult."
"Yeah, well, that's Hat for you. The critiques are on stuff you can actually cussin' work on, anythin' else is just him bein' a schmuck."
She nodded. "Noted."
"Keep up with the Hat slander though," he advised, gesturing vaguely. "I recommend it. Might get you a few extra scoldin’s, but, believe me, the only way you'll survive years of that pitscum is by cussin' him out at every chance ya get." He returned his hands to his pockets and hunched over slightly. "It helped keep my sanity in the grand scheme of things."
"Aaso noted," she chimed with a second nod. He did too, going back to looking out at the street in front of him.
"You've made it this far though." He commented. "The three of you are alive, and still have all your limbs attached. You're obviously doin' somethin' cussin' right there."
She blew out a sceptical breath. "... I dunna kain, min. He wants me tae redo it."
His attention whipped back to her. "Why??" Why the cuss would that snake want a starfallen redo??
She shrugged. "'Cause he siys I did it wrang. I climbed intae a nook in da roof an jost hid dere until he foond me. An den he sterted ravin' on an on aboot me bein' disrespectful or whitivir."
Ah. "That's why he had steam comin' from his ears."
"Yeah. Apparently hidin' isna allooed," she growled. "Noo he's caain me in tae do it aa again."
"Tomorrow?" The dish guessed.
"Damorn." She confirmed. Cup lolled his head in exasperation.
"Stars, gimme a cussin' break," he muttered. Sometimes he swore Hat just completely forgot that non-demons can't just fix their starfallen injuries on cussing command. They actually needed time to heal. And speaking of time, Cup didn't have the cussing time to keep ferrying Noods from the house to the casino. What had happened to not giving a damn about Surface folks??
"... I'll see if Mugs is up for taggin' along tomorrow, or Bendy." He suggested. "Give you some backup so you don't cuss it up again." He jeered lightly. Noods pulled a face.
"Is du sure du's gonna be able tae, wee aa yun stitchy stuff?" She jabbed back at him, motioning to his chest. Right, yeah. She knew all about the deal with his heart now - he'd had a hell of a time telling that story earlier.
"Bah," he waved, "I'll be fine." He returned his hands to his pockets. "At least I don't have a crooked nose."
"Ah, right," she acknowledged in a flat tone, taking the handkerchief to her snout with a glint of humour in her eyes. Cup snorted.
He observed as she wiped at the last of the blood, raising a brow at her. "It feel broken at all?"
"Nah, I dunna tink so," she answered, and sniffed. "It's jost been bleedin' a muckle lot."
She offered him the bloody rag back. "Du want it back?"
Cup cringed a little. "Keep it." He dismissed her with a wave. She pulled a dumb surprised face, and then tied it next to her other handkerchief, which she wore as a bandana sometimes.
"We can maybe see if Alice can do anythin' to help, so you're not walkin' 'round with a busted nose tomorrow," he continued, as she palmed her snout and moved it around gingerly.
"Yep, yun would be cool," she strained through a grimace, then sighing. "Thor's sake- I didna even get dis fae, lik, daein onytin cool, I just bleedin' fell o'er," she growled. Cup had burst out laughing at that point. He had really tested the limit of his stitches there.
It took a bit for them to make it back to the bulk of the city, and to where he wanted to be: the candy shop that bat Vicious had started up. It was getting a good chunk of attention now - word of 'a sweet old woman' and her 'delectable and melt-in-the-mouth chocolates' had spread around town. At least that was how the papers had described it. Tsk. As if that old crone had a cussing drop of sweetness in her. Cup would be the real judge of these 'delectable' candies.
That and Fanny had called him in a couple weeks ago to snoop around for whatever had her fur in a twist. She was still suspicious about the whole business, which was fair. Vicious was a shady woman. But she'd never get involved with anything more dodgy than her usual gambling stardust. It just wasn't her style.
He was gonna drop by anyway, just to make sure. And also test the chocolate out himself.
Noods didn't know about this yet though.
She finally noticed they weren't taking the path home when Cup took a direct turn away from the route to Baker's Street, and slowed down her pace. "Wait... dis isna da wiy haeme."
He snorted a chuckle as he carried on walking. "I'm makin' a quick stop somewhere - it's got chocolates 'n whatnot. You can get some for Bean if ya want." Since it was his supposed birthday, and given the candy wasn't as 'tainted' as Fanny made it out to be.
"Aw, min, I tought we were goin' straight haeme," the wolf whined from further behind him.
He clicked his tongue remorsefully. "Nope. Sorry, I lied," he confessed, approaching the entrance to the shop. "Still got one more thing on the ol' ta-do list."
"Aw du-" She started pummelling his back.
"Ay," he half turned, shoving her away with his arm, "knock it off. We're walkin' into scary lady territory here, so no cussin' around."
She paused in her attack. "We are?"
"Yeah. And wipe any visible blood off you - this woman is a mad woman." He warned.
"Ah, piltics, it's aa in me bleedin' claethes," she cussed, giving herself a once over. Cup sighed inwardly. He hated babysitting for these sun blazing barbarians.
"There should be a washroom or something in the back of this cussin' joint." He dropped a hand down on the door handle and sighed again, properly this time. Real begrudgingly. He then swung the door open, nodding for her to go in. "C'mon then, I ain't got all damn day."
Fanny brought a set tray of chocolates over to her work station, and set them down with attitude. This was her sixth attempt using this new tray - the design was being tricky. It was really testing her patience. She'd almost thrown them at the wall on attempt four.
She hardly had time for this, her shift should have ended an hour ago! And she still had groceries to pick up! She’d been able to hide this ridiculous side hustle from Brute thus far, but she was pushing her luck with these practice sessions. She needed to get home - by four at the latest. Dinner needed to be ready by seven, and then she needed to be ready by eight to clock in for a night shift. The hospital was low on staff, supposedly, so they of course decided to call in the person who had already worked extra hours for the last starfallen week! And, for what, a bunch of snot-nosed brats?? Had all the parents of Toon Town never seen a cold before?? Stars!
She’d been working more night shifts recently, to get away from Dovil. After their fight. The bird always worked during the day, so Fanny would take the night ones.
She did not want to see her after what happened. Dovil had had no right to butt her feathery head into Fanny's marriage like that. She knew that bird hated her brute of a husband, but to confront him?? And expose things - secrets - Fanny had trusted her with, and just blurt them out right in front of her face!
Fanny was lucky Brute hated that bird too - he had taken Fanny's side for the most part. Then he'd done that thing where he comforted her all condescendingly - like she was a silly child crying over a silly fight, saying things like 'it's okay' and 'you didn't know', like this entire time her best friend had been a snake and she'd been too naive to realise. Tsk. It made her beyond irritated.
He had treated her well that night. He'd made dinner, and brought it through to the living room for them to eat. Afterwards he'd washed the dishes, pampered her... he'd even given her a foot massage for stars' sake! He hadn't done anything like that since their star-forsaken engagement!
It was annoying, treating her like that when she was at her worst. It was manipulative, belittling, infuriating. Though at the time she had been too upset to argue.
She had avoided Dovil since. At work she didn't even acknowledge her. It had disturbed their mutual friend ring, but Fanny didn't care. She was too busy for them anyway. She didn't need them. She didn't need Dovil. All that bird did anyway was sit and make goo-goo eyes at her boyfriend, or comment on her and that stupid thug dish, and stick her nosey beak in Fanny's relationship. She had no right! What did she know about marriage?! Nothing!
Admittedly, Fanny had hit a couple lower points throughout the past month. It had been more... isolating... than she'd expected. Not being able to go out for drinks sucked for a bit. Stars, she'd even visited that circus house on Baker's Street a few weeks ago, when she'd been at her lowest. She regretted that.
At that point... she had been debating just biting the bullet and apologising. As much as that bird's incessant gossiping and poking and prodding annoyed her... she'd been the longest and closest friend Fanny had had.
No, no, she was not going to apologise. This wasn't some... petty grudge. What she did wasn't something Fanny was willing to forgive.
Whatever, she was over it. She had other things to worry about; like cooking enough dinner to feed a group of 'work friends' Brute had invited over, and then getting the hell out of there. Gosh, she hated his work friends. They were all loud, boisterous, and smelt like they only showered once a month, in a pit of mud and beer. Complete pigs, ruffians, the lot of them. Fanny would gladly take the night shift to escape this evening.
Now all that stood between her and going home to prepare dinner was this cursed tray of chocolates. Vicious wouldn't let her leave until she presented her with a successful batch, which was just ridiculous. Her shift for today was ending! She was entitled to leave!
But, of course, any argument with that woman was brought back to how Fanny got here in the first place - that damn card game, to win that damn deed. And every time Fanny would have to swallow her pride and shut her mouth. It was maddening.
She rested her palms against the desk and stuck her tongue in her cheek, tapping her foot angrily. She glared down at the tray.
"You better work for me on this one," she warned. "It's past lunch - my shift is ending, and I need one perfect batch to please that old biddy so I can get her off my cussing back!-"
There was a murmuring - indistinct chatter - from out in the front of the shop. It was getting closer.
Then, of all the people Fanny didn't want to run into, cussing Cuphead walked in.
The thug dish strode into the back of the shop as if he owned the starfallen place, with a random wolf trailing behind. His dumb red eyes landed on Fanny. "You called?"
Fanny scoffed loudly. "About a month ago!" What was he doing here?! Now?! Vicious could've been here!
She stomped over to the glass-brained dolt, eyeing the doorway he'd come from warily as she hissed. "Y-you can't just barge in here, you idiot! Wh-"
"Sure I can," he proclaimed past the toothpick in his mouth, and then looked to the bizarrely dressed wolf next to him. He shoved her forward into a walk. "Go clean up. But be cussin' quick about it."
Fanny watched flabbergasted as the disgruntled wolf trudged away. The dish tossed a thumb over at the corridor she was heading into. "There's a washroom back there, right?" He asked the rabbit.
She only scoffed again in disbelief, crossing her arms. She couldn't believe this cussing moron.
"You're lucky that old hag is on her weird late-lunch break," she cursed in a hushed tone. "She could've seen you, and then... baked you into a starfallen pie or something!"
He winced sceptically. "Gee, I dunno. Think the glass would do a number on the gums," he retorted. Fanny scrunched up her nose at him with a look of derision. Why did he always have to have a comeback for everything??
"Might I ask who on earth you just invited yourself into my place of work with?" She interrogated, flicking a hand out towards the general direction that wolf had disappeared in. She suspected it was one of those 'Viking' characters, though was curious to see what this dunderhead would come up with this time.
He simply jerked a shoulder. "'Nother cousin. This one's Boris' though."
"Yeah, I figured," she snarked flatly. Again? Seriously? The cousin thing had barely worked the first time.
He rolled his finger. "Just run with it."
Fanny rolled her eyes away from the dimwit stood next to her, and folded her arms with a huff. "The things I tolerate for a friendship."
He blinked in surprise, and smiled. "We're friends?"
She tutted and muttered bitterly to herself as she turned away. "I think you're my only friend currently." It was sad admitting it out loud.
A look of confusion passed over him next. Fanny cleared her throat and changed topics before he could dwell on that. "So," she rested against the counter, crossing her ankles, "a month ago, I called you to ask if you would have a look around here." She waved out to shelves stocked full of ingredients. "See if anything catches your criminal eye."
"Ha." He opened his coat and stuffed his pick away in one of the inside pockets. "Am I lookin' for anythin' specific here?"
She took a manicured finger to her chin in thought, scouring over the room. "... Check her little office nook. It's in with all the dry storage stuff - the warehouse-y room straight across from here. She caught me snooping in her desk once. I was made to hand-wash the dishes for a week after that."
He pressed his mouth into a line. "Just sounds like Vicious ta me."
"Yes, but, she's just so... secretive about everything," Fanny stressed, and motioned to the set of stairs that lead up to the apartment section of this building. "I'm not allowed to even step a foot on those damn things!"
Judging by his flat expression, Cuphead didn't seem convinced. Typical.
"And the deliveries!" She continued, and motioned to the corner of the room where the witch left all the empty boxes and sacks. "The shady people that drop off boxes of ingredients a-and stock for the shelves and stars know what else - they don't even have a real address! That is nothing if not suspicious!"
The dish raised an eyebrow. "Ya haven't been stalkin' 'em, have you?" He questioned. Fanny faltered, taken aback.
"-O-of course not, you cussing buffoon," she snapped in response, and stuck her nose up indignantly. "I just did a small background check on them, after finding a strangely... personal letter Vicious had left out in the open."
It had really sent her through a loop. It was just a letter asking for another delivery, but it was written like it was addressed to family, signed with 'Gratefully' and all.
Cuphead was watching her with that same flat expression. Cuss, she was getting off topic here. Fanny waved that part off. "Not important. Anyway. I looked into the address, but all there was was a new salon that had just opened, and had nothing to do with a bakery. And - get this - the supposed company supplying all these ingredients doesn't even exist!" She exclaimed. "I couldn't find a single starfallen thing on them!”
She started muttering to herself. It was suspicious. Vicious was suspicious. "Something fishy is going on here."
He was still staring.
She groaned and slumped over. "Just humour me here," she pleaded angrily.
The thug snorted, stifling a snicker. "L-look, I think ya need to take a load off. Breathin' in all this damn flour all day ain't doin' you any favours."
Fanny 'hmph'ed, and pridefully shook her curls out of her face. "I think it's doing me plenty favours," she sassed. "Serves as a good hair powder."
Cuphead gained a more serious air. "You should drop this detective stuff." He advised. "All that starfallen narco talk- I-It just ain't Vicious' brand, she's too smart to get into that. And if it was anythin' other than plain old bakin' stuff she's gettin' delivered here she ain't gonna leave letters cussin' lyin' around," he reasoned. "You're chasin' a very tight thread here."
"So you don't think I can do it?" She challenged, folding her arms once again.
"Oh I know you can - you'll make it happen one way or another," he stated with an exasperated eyebrow bob, which was probably supposed to be an insult. Fanny was going to take it as a compliment regardless.
He let out a sigh of defeat, and reached up to rub his face. "I also know that you aren't gonna let this thing go until you get answers, and are gonna find yourself in some deeper stardust if you keep pushin' this."
Fanny tapped her arm impatiently while she waited for him to finish his mental battle. He was taking his time, that was for sure.
"... I'll have a look around," he eventually offered. "Can't promise I'll find anythin', but if it'll stop you from divin' cussin' headfirst into trouble then I'll give it a shot."
"Thank you," she replied curtly, and swept over the kitchen. "I have several weeks worth of concerns that I want to put at ease," she grumbled through grit teeth. "Finally have some peace of mind."
"... That and I also wouldn't mind having some dirt on the old bat to store as potential blackmail in the future," she noted after a pause. "Nothing I've found so far has been incriminating enough, frankly."
"Now that's somethin' I can get down with," Cuphead chimed, and started stalking away with a determined flick of his coat collar. "Consider your concerns eased."
Fanny shook her head as she watched him stalk into dry storage, stifling her rising amusement. A total delinquent. Hell knew what that said about her for associating with him.
She returned her attention to the bain-marie she had prepared minutes prior, and turned the stove on, to bring the water to a boil. She then placed a candy thermometer in the bowl, leaving the chocolate to melt. Forty-four degrees Celsius was the target temperature.
Now it was time for the batch she'd just retrieved from the refrigerator.
Just as she went to grab her rolling pin and knock the pesky little cussers out their tray, she was interrupted. Again.
"Oh," Cuphead leaned the top half of his body back into the kitchen, "think you could hang out with Noods for a bit?"
Fanny blinked and reared back in confusion.
Her head spun to him. "The wolf?"
"Yeah, Noods. Or Noodle."
The wolf reappeared next to the dish in the corridor. She stared up at him with a concerned look and a sniff. "Whit's dis aboot me?"
Cuphead planted his hand on her head and directed her into the kitchen. "You are stayin' in here while I do some serious sleuthin'."
Her concerned gaze switched between him and Fanny. "Wee da scary wife??"
"Excuse me??" Fanny exclaimed in more confusion. Where the cuss had that come from??
Cuphead scowled and dodged answering to that, holding his palms out at the wolf. "Just- Just stay here, alright?? I've got stardust to do, and I ain't gonna be able to focus with you cussin' followin' me around." He began stepping away again, throwing an arm up at the kitchen. "Go, I dunno, smell the food or somethin', 'kay?"
She bit down on her lip and gripped at her hair in rage. "I'm gaein' tae mirdir dee when we actually git haeme."
He waved distractedly. "Yeah yeah, cool."