Chapter 10 (Sans & Papyrus
Retcons/Patch Notes:
Chapter 2 “Tu-Toriel”
Changed: “Duh I’m an A-student, and I help ya with her math homework” “Well, I ain’t an A-student, but I still help ya with yer math homework.” Mugman booped his brother’s jellybean nose.
– Reason: It doesn’t feel right that Mugman would be ‘really’ smart. Cuphead and Mugman are two cups of the same idiot. If Mugman is too smart, it would probably cause a rift between their relationship (which I don’t want). And Mugman’s core quality in my opinion is empathy and kindness instead of intelligence.
Chapter 7
Changed: “AH! FOUL HEY! YOU DON’T KICK ME IN THE FACE YA MUGHEAD!” Reason: Just sounds better. And ‘Foul’ is too strong.
Chapter 9
Changed: They looked down and gasped to see that their necks were wrapped with scarves, blue and red with respective colors both which are green with yellow stripes.
Reason: Won’t tell.
Changed: “I thought I was the only one…” Flowey rolled its eyes playfully. “But you!” Its eyes turned pale white, and it smiled with sharp teeth again. “It’s because of you I can’t do it anymore!” It chuckled with its triple-pitched menacing voice. “On top of that…” It stared smug at the boys. “Looks like you’ve done a little twist to it!” (Read this part on Chapter 9 for more). – Reason: Flowey was supposed to notice this change in how ‘Saving’ was done.
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Chapter 10 (Sans and Papyrus)
Howling-blizzard wind blew through the boys as a narrow gap slowly opened between the doors, which scraped against the stone floor. The wind blew against their flapping straws, their yellow and green striped scarves, and their clothes. Teeth chattered and they shivered as the chill enveloped them… until a great warmth, starting from their necks, shielded their entire bodies. Gasping, they looked down their necks to see orange flames flickering from their scarves, but nothing was burning them… they were more like warm hugs… like Toriel’s. They looked at each other to see that they had the same scarves of burning fire, and then looked up to each other’s eyes that were starting to water.
Through the tiny gap in the middle (of the doors), a blue gray sky was above and a long stretch of icy silver and white carpeted the ground. With grunting effort, they pushed the heavy doors on ‘til it was wide enough to get out, and the long lines of pine trees on the flanks started to show.
Altogether, they ran to the snow, crunching with each step, but with each lift of their feet, their soles dripped with water that steamed away as the flame tongues touched and shielded them — leaving trails of footstep-shaped puddles behind. On and on they ran without looking back, her voice echoed in their heads…
“The puzzlezz are waiting for you my childrenzz.” She greeted with her smile as she leaned towards them, after helping them up from the creek.
“Well as long as you take care of each other, you’ll be fine.” She said, back in the hallway, when she reminded the boys of Elder Kettle.
“Please don’t hurt yourselves after I’ve just healed you my children.” She looked at them strictly. “This is exactly why I told you to stay in that room! So that you wouldn’t get hurt! Why didn’t you listen?!” She said after healing them with a green-colored aura of magic.
“Be good… and be good to each other… won’t you?” She then placed her hands on top of their heads and gave soft rubs to both while they watched her body turn to dust. “M y …. c h I l d r e-! If you truly wish to leave the ruins… I won’t try to stop you any longer…” Her right hand grasped the chest of her toga tightly. “And if you do…” She showed the right side of her face to them, where a tear streamed from that closed eye. “Please… don’t come back.”
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“We changed what was… right?” Cuphead thought as he smiled a little nervous.
“Did we really change what was… did we?” Mugman kept running, frowning anxiously in thought.
A large twig snapped beneath their feet — first Mugman’s, then Cuphead’s — and it split into three sharp branches. Amidst their on and on running footsteps on the snow, a big thump of snow thudded from behind, like feet landing on the snow from some height.
The boys’ straws turned into exclamation points.
“W-wha-!” Mugman’s shaking eyes side-looked at Cuphead. “What was that?!” Mugman looked at Cuphead with terrified eyes.
“Do ya really wanna know?!” With a raised eyebrow Cuphead side-looked at Mugman with the same terrified eyes and a squeaky voice.
“Nooo!!!” Mugman’s voice squeaked a little higher than Cuphead’s, as if he were either competing with him again or endearingly imitating him… or both.
In sync, they both hopped into the air, their feet spinning like pinwheels. Then — poof! — they dashed off like gunshots, leaving behind a white cloud of snow-dust.
Eyes closed and while in the air, the boys kept running and running and running… but as they opened their eyes, they screamed with eyes popping out of their sockets as they saw they were heading towards the narrow horizontal ravine, instead of the boardwalk bridge in the middle.
Like airplanes releasing their wheels, the boys stomped their heels screeching in the snow. They gritted their teeth and grunted in effort to stop themselves, and just by the edge of the ravine they stopped. They both peeked one eye open, and then panic-stumbled backwards realizing they were almost over the edge. Huffing and puffing breaths slowed down into big sighs of relief. They both smiled at each other and gave each other a thumbs-up. Then…
Bones rattled from behind, accompanied by the sound of snow-crunching footsteps approaching very slowly. Sitting on the snow, Cuphead and Mugman shivered in fear, their skin vibrate from their shoes (yes, shoes) up to their necks, their teeth chattered cartoonishly loud and fast, and their straws straightened into exclamation points.
Feet and hands on the ground, the boys leaned forward about to get up and scram until-
“I w o u l d n ‘ t r u n i f I w e r e y a.” The deep voice spoke slow and sinister.
The boys froze… and they turned their shivering heads behind them (with just their heads alone).
“Y o u c o u l d s l i p i n t h i s w e a t h e r.” The shadow figure stood, it was relatively their size, and looks like it wore a hooded cloak. “A n d y o u c o u l d r u n i n t o m o r e t r o u b l e.” It tilted its head to the left (its right).
“W-we, we dun’-!” Mugman gulped. “We dun’ want a-anymoh t-trouble!”
“Y-yeah!” Cuphead gulped. “Not for now at least.” He slyly nervously smiled while looking down the corner of his eyes
“Cuphead!” Mugman hissed, eyes staring at him.
“T h e n , l e t ‘ s b e p a l s!” The shadowy figure grinned, a pearly white smile from the pitch-black figure.
From shoes to head, the boys shivered at the creepy grin.
It stretched out its hand. “C o m e o n. S h a k e m y h a n d.”
The boys squinted, leaning forward with their eyes—though their bodies (facing the opposite opposite of their heads) leaned as far back as possible. The hand was white… and all bones! The boys shivered, their butts (below their faces) shaking a bit more now, and they both patted their own to a steady stop.
The figure chuckled. “G o o n, p a l.” Once pitch-black, two eyes flashed open in the dark — yellow irises, light blue pupils. “L e t ‘ s m a k e i t o f f i c i a l. S h a k e o n i t. O n e o f y a w i l l d o.”
With just their heads turning, the boys gave nervous looks to each other.
Mugman chuckled nervously, and only his right lip squiggly smiled. “Y-yer Big bro. Remembah?” He winked his right eye, and he gave a right thumbs-up.
Fumes puffing from his tiny nostrils and his straw, Cuphead growled and stared him down. Cuphead then looked back at the bone hand. Looking at the glowing eyes, he smiled, crooked and squiggly with the heeby jeebies and then reached out his trembling hand… but then realized that his right hand was reaching the opposite direction. After a quick glance down, he panic-rotated his body, feet knee-high hopping while at it, til his front was facing the right direction. He chuckled apologetically, and then once again, he reached out his shivering hand to the bony hand, slowly… slowly… and then clasped-
*PFFFFFFFGGFFFFFFFFHHHHHHFFFFTTTTTsssssss… *squeaky baloon fart noises*!
Cuphead and Mugman’s eyes widened to the sudden sound of fart of different pitches lasted for about 10 seconds.
The pitch-black shadowy figure let out a snicker, and then let out a dorky low-pitched “Ehehehehe!” laugh, his head leaned back, and the shadows obscuring his entire figure faded, revealing a skeleton with his eye sockets ‘closed’ (as if they were his eyelids) and a cheekbone to cheekbone smile.
“The old whoopie-cushion-in-the-hand trick.” The skeleton opened its eye sockets, raised its left hand to reveal a pink whoopie cushion taped to the palm.
“Can’t believe this has EVERY time a-“ The skeleton’s gaze fixated onto the boys; the skeleton was wearing a blue winter coat zipped open, with a plain white T shirt underneath it, then black cotton shorts with a white stripe on each leg and pink sleeping sandals on its feet.
The boys on the other hand, were fixated with the whoopie cushion.
The skeleton lowered its right hand. “A… ‘cupple’ o complete strangers… come around he— “
“PBBBBFFT!” The sound of fart erupted. Cuphead giggled in excitement after pressing the whoopie cushion on the right hand, followed by Mugman (body now facing the right direction) who just giggled and danced his feet in place excitedly.
Cuphead pressed the whoopie cushion again making a short fart noise, and they both laughed so loud that they hugged their stomachs leaning back (Cuphead) and forth (Mugman).
“Oh!” Cuphead looked to the skeleton. “Hey!” Cuphead reached out to the skeleton’s hand. “It’s nice tuh-!”
*PBFFFFT!* as Cuphead clasped the skeleton’s hand.
“Ooooh!” Cuphead raised his rear high, acting as if he farted. “Ohh yeah, ‘bettah out than in’ I always say!” He smiled, eyes half-closed, and in confident teeth-sparkling pleasure.
“Eeeehehehehew!” Mugman leaned away and swished his right hand in front of his nose as if he were swishing away the scent of fart.
Mugman then turned to the skeleton, walked closer, and reached out his hand. “Heya pal, I’m-!” He clasped the same hand.
*PBFFFFFFT!*
“Oh!” Mugman raised his rear to the air. He pretend nervous-laughed. “S-sorry, must’ve been the jellybeans.” He rubbed his head handle behind, and smiled sheepishly.
Cuphead laughed so loud his mouth opened wide and unleashed it to the sky, while hugging his stomach and raising his right foot. Mugman giggled and peeked at Cuphead’s direction.
“THO-THOSE ARE-!” Cuphead laughed and then heaved. “THOSE ARE SOME STINKY JELLYBEANS!” He gave a light slap to Mugman’s raised behind.
Mugman squeaked, his body stood stiff & vibrated in shock, and he winced (eyes shrunk, fists stiffened at his hips, his teeth gritted and he blushed in embarrassment).
Mugman glared so furiously that steam puffed out of his straw, while the latter was laughing loudly while hugging his stomach leaning forward, with his behind pointing towards the former.
Mugman huffed. “Well, it’s like ya said.” He smirked, rolling his right sleeve. “Bettah-“ He slapped Cuphead’s raised behind a little hard.
Cuphead, like Mugman earlier, squeaked, body and fists stiffened (at the hips), eyes shrank, and winced.
“OWWWWW-ut!” Mugman growled furiously at Cuphead. “Than in!”
Cuphead turned around and glared furiously at Mugman, straw puffing with steam while at it. They stared and growled at each other for a good few seconds… then they smirked, then grabbed each other’s hands and started pushing and wrestling each other with just their arms and stepping back forth trying to overpower each other, all while growling battle cries while at it. They then locked noses and clinked foreheads, and then they started pushing those foreheads trying to overpower each other. But abruptly, they stopped as they remembered the skeleton was there watching them. Without breaking head contact, they both slowly turned their glances towards the skeleton.
It was staring with a slightly bigger smile to the point that its cheekbones were creasing under his eyesockets, like a real smile would. The skeleton sighed, closed its eyes and then let out a chuckle.
“And it hasn’t even been five minutes.” It then opened them again. “So, you’re brothers right?”
Heads still in contact, they side-eyed each other, and then smirked. They then stood like gentlemen, buddy-hugged each other, and pulled each other in for a clink. “Yeah?” They both smiled at the skeleton, Cuphead was more confident and teasing (as if saying ‘ya jealous?’) and Mugman was more proud and happy (as if saying ‘by golly I do!’).
“Now, that’s…” The skeleton winked and pointed a phalange gun at them. “Hilarious.” It chuckled. “Trust me, I’d know.” It reached out its right hand, the one with the whoopie cushion. “I’m Sans by the way, Sans the skeleton.”
“Cuphead.” The cup with the red shorts reached for Sans’ bony hand, and squeezed it that the whoopie cushion made fart sounds, and they both shook on it making the sound pitch high and low at every movement.
Mugman giggled. “Mugman.” The mug with the blue shorts reached for Sans’ hand and, after the latter released Cuphead’s hand, he (Mugman) squeezed the whoopie cushion and gave each other a good shake.
“Aaaand, how’d you know we…” Cuphead buddy hugged Mugman and clinked the latter’s head, making the latter laugh, and they both locked eyes with brotherly endearment. “Were brothahs?” He raised an eyebrow and smirked at Sans.
“I mean…” Sans placed his hands in the pockets of his winter jacket. “Takes one to know one right?”
“Meaning…?” Cuphead raised that eyebrow higher while pressing the other into a deeper scrunch.
Mugman gasped. “YOU’RE A BROTHAH?!” Using Cuphead’s shoulders, he boosted himself above Cuphead’s head and looked at Sans with big sparkly eyes, while Cuphead was shock-annoyed to have his shoulders suddenly pushed down.
“Eyy!” Sans winked. “You win a prize!”
With Mugman still boosting himself from Cuphead’s shoulders, the boys gasped, and then squealed in excitement while looking into each other’s reverse starry eyes. “HE’S A BROTHAAAAH!” They both squealed behind their smiles.
“In fact…” He placed his hand above his eyesockets and squinted towards the direction behind the boys. “I think that’s him right there!”
Cuphead and Mugman looked at the direction behind them, and couldn’t see anyone in the snow.
“Ya see that tall bug hunk a’ muscle running towards us like some marching superhero?”
As Sans said it, From the hazy white air in the center of the forest, a tall figure with a tall skull-shaped head and a jacked upper body but thin legs, was running towards them; his arms were jog-swinging so exaggeratedly to his head-level back and forth, his steps were too springy that he was practically flying as he ran with what looked like boots, and his cape flapped behind him up and down with every springy march.
“That’s Papyrus. He’s the cool guy.” From his forehead, Sans placed his hand to his right jacket pocket.
“Aww!” Cuddling his hands together at his face, Mugman smiled at Sans (while Cuphead raised an eyebrow at Sans). “He called his brothah ‘cool!’… wait what?” He raised an eyebrow and stared into space.
“Are ya shuuh (sure) that’s yer brothah?” Cuphead raised an eyebrow and turned his face that his squinted eye was the one facing Sans.
“Oh! Well, in your language…” Sans looked to his right in thought. “He can sometimes be a… pain in the butt?” He winked (his right eyesocket closed like a regular eye would).
In beaming smiles biting their lower lips, the boys snickered and blushed at the joke. Mugman facpalmed himself and then bursted into laughter, while Cuphead laughed to the sky while pointing at Mugman.
“Yyep!” Cuphead laughed as he buddy hugged Mugman. “He’s a brothah alright!”
“Shut up Cuphead.” Mugman playfully pushed Cuphead’s head, and the latter just took it proudly.
“Wanna meet ‘im anyway?” Sans peeked his winked eyesocket open and then raised the ‘eyebrow’ of the other one.
“Yyyeah!!” The boys leaned forward; Mugman had his hands gliding backwards, while Cuphead put his fist on his hip; their voices were enthusiastic and had a mixed tone of ‘ya betcha!’ and ‘duh!’
“Welp, let’s go then! Through this gate thingy that Papyrus made.” Sans said lazily (instead of being showman-like) while he presented his right hand to the direction behind the boys.
The boys turned around, and only now noticed there was a tall fence that was about three times taller than the three of them; it was about 12-15 feet vs. their 4-ft height.
“Yyyep!” That’s the one!” Sans said, smiling with his eyes half-closed as he placed his hands in his jacket pockets.
“It’s supposed to be a gate intended to keep humans out, but he built it too high, and made the gaps too wide, eh!” Sans shrugged his shoulders and walked circling past the boys and stepped on the boardwalk. “Said somethin’ about making the ‘Greatest Fence’ of ‘The Great Papyrus!’”
Sans chuckled, then looked back at the boys. “Come on, let’s go see ‘im.” He nudged his head a bit, inviting them to come over.
For a moment, Cuphead and Mugman smirked at each other, and then Mugman playfully pushed Cuphead away but he countered by pushing Mugman away, and then Cuphead took the head start and ran up to Sans. Cuphead danced his feet victoriously as he was first, and then Mugman caught up and gave his brother a light punch to the shoulder.
As they crossed the large fence, they looked up at the fence architecture in wonder curious about how the fence this tall was built in the first place.
Stepping off the boardwalk, they entered a large space of snow where less forest covered it.
On the far left was a light brown wooden booth, with the roof only covered in snow. Slightly closer to them was a lamp about the same height and size as the three of them; it had a purple body, and an aqua colored shade with dark aqua colored stripes.
Sans hummed as he tapped his jawbone. “I got an idea.” He looked back at the Cups. “I wanna prank my bro a bit.” He winked at ‘prank’, and the boys chuckled (Mugman covered his mouth, while Cuphead just folded his arms listening). “Could you hide behind that lamp for me?” He pointed his bony phalange at the purple lamp.
The boys briefly smiled at each other, then ran over to the back of the lamp. From the shade, thanks to the downward-trapezoid shape, the edges of their porcelain heads stuck out from the upper left and right, and their straws were taller than the lamp.
Eyes closed, Sans chuckled and shook his head. “Figures. Not so conveniently shaped this time.”
Mugman peeked his head out and took a curious look at the shade. Clap-placing his hands on the sides of his ‘mug head’, he twisted it left and right and then ‘popped!’ it out from his neck. Cuphead peeked out, curious, to see what his brother was doing. Holding his head away, Mugman’s body then stepped into the cover of the lamp, and smiled as his body was completely hidden.
Sans’ eyes relaxed, half-closed. “Grats’ you figured out one part of the solution.” He chuckled, and then tapped his jawbone in thought. Then, he closed his eyes and snapped his right phalanges. “I got it. Hey Cuphead.” He looked at the cup, who then raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Pop your head out too, then bring both of yer heads here.” He splayed his hands out.
Cuphead snickered. Imitating Mugman, he clap-placed his hands on his head, twisted it left and right, and then ‘popped!’ it out from his neck.
The boys readied their fists to their side, and in a blink of an eye, dashed to the front of Sans (who just calmly looked at them), and then handed their ‘cup heads’ to him. As they dashed back, they tripped over each other.
“Ow!” Their heads, on Sans’ hands, squeezed their eyes shut due to the hurt.
“Uhh, could ya turn us around?” Mugman peeked an eye open.
Using his arms, Sans held the cups close to his chest, then got a hold of their handles from alternating hands, and then held them facing their bodies.
Gritting their teeth, Cuphead and Mugman shivered.
“Man, being held by bones feels weird.” Cuphead side-eyed at Mugman.
Mugman just nodded in response.
The two headless bodies wearing black turtlenecks got up from the snow, and then hid behind the lamp.
From Sans’ right, jog-marching footsteps crunched to a stop on the snow.
“Brother…” A nasally high, squeaky, and peculiar voice spoke; somewhat like a squeaky unoiled door with a personality.
The boys froze into their smiling faces.
Sans turned to the direction of the tall skeleton, glaring down at him with his fists on his hips. He had a tall skull, thin oval eye sockets with lines crossing their tops like eyelids, an upside-down heart-shaped nasal cavity, and teeth that inherently smiled even if he was supposed to look annoyed.
He was wearing a white football jersey with red spherical shoulder pads, a red cape slightly torn on the center of the v-shape on his collar, blue shorts the size of an underwear so tight that his abdominal spine, upper pelvis, and his entire bony legs were exposed, and finally red boots with 3 horizontal black laces at the front.
“Why are you looking at that lamp?” He raised an eyebrow (in this case, his upper ‘eyesocket lid’).
“Oh! Hey Pap!” Sans turned his body to face his taller brother. “I was just thinkin! If a human had the exact size as that lamp…” He side glanced the lamp and nudged Mugman’s still-as-a-statue smiling head towards its direction. “Would that be called a conveniently-shaped lamp for the human? Or would the human be a conveniently-shaped human for the lamp?” Sans shrugged his shoulders, raising the two cups he was holding a bit.
Still in the same posture, Papyrus’ right eye socket (Sans’ left) began to twitch, and so did the right end of his smile. “And… what are you holding?” His stare narrowed at the cups.
Sans made quick glances at the two cups. “Oh these? I found a… ‘cupple’” He raised the two cups to his head-level and lightly shook them; meanwhile Cuphead and Mugman couldn’t help but snicker and giggle while still trying to maintain their still-as-a-statue faces. “Of happy cups.”
A ‘ba-dum-tss’ track played somewhere, and Sans winked to the fourth wall, while Cuphead giggled and snickered louder, their faces becoming more noticeably moving.
Sans turned back to Papyrus. “You want one?” He extended Cuphead’s head to Papyrus, and it earned a nervous squeak and a squirt of milk from each of the boys’ straws. “You can take the red one, it goes with your cape and boots.”
Papyrus bowed down to Sans’ head level. “You know what would make me really happy?” His eyes half-closed and he smiled with endearment.
“Oh! What would that be Pap?” Sans just smiled his usual self.
“If you…” Papyrus recoiled, raised his right foot, and took a suction of air from above. “STOPPED SLACKING OFF AND GOT BACK TO WORK!!!” Stomping the ground, he launched himself to the air and began trembling with fury while standing stiffly straight, his eye sockets grew bloodshot eyeballs that looked at opposite directions.
As Papyrus shouted, Sans also shook in the air, and Cuphead and Mugman’s faces broke into shock and nervousness.
Papyrus landed on his feet, while Sans landed sitting on the snow just carefree smiling at his brother, and the cups began to tremble as they resumed their still-as-a-statue smiles act.
Eyeballs disappearing back inside their sockets, Papyrus pointed his thumb behind him. “I’ve been doing my rounds checking if my setups have been functioning properly, and that also included yours!!” He booped Sans’ forehead.
“Aww Pap!” Sans took a glance at each cup he held. “Now they’re a cupple of ‘scaredy cups’.”
Another ba-dum-tss track played, and Sans winked at the fourth-wall again, and the cups, from nervous trembles, began to snicker and giggle again.
“Saaaaans!” Papyrus stomped his right foot the crunching snow.
At the back of the lamp, the one with the red shorts grabbed the hand of the other. Back At Sans, Mugman’s head’s eyes widened a little and side-peeked at Cuphead only for an instant, then resumed his still-as-a-statue smile.
Letters was being finger-drawn on Mugman’s palm. ‘SO.” There was a momentary pause. ‘BA-!’
Mugman’s head snickered. Before Cuphead finished, Mugman’s body then turned Cuphead’s hand and then drew on its palm. ‘I. NO. à’
“Not only have you not: recalibrated your puzzles…” He extended a left index phalange while his right touch-counted it. “But you’ve also been neglecting! Your! Responsi-bilities!” He extended a phalange on each word, extended a phalange on ‘responsi-‘ and another on ‘bilities’, making a total of four extended phalanges. “I mean look!” He stomped left, right, left — punching the air down with each furious beat. “You’re not EVEN at your station!” He pointed both hands towards the wooden booth with a mound of snow on the roof.
“And it’s already covered in snow…” He put his gloved hands on both sides of his face as looked at it pitifully (his dark eye sockets turned glossy, as if they were his actual eyes). He sniffled and wiped a tear that streamed from his right eye.
Still sitting down, Sans also looked at the stand. “Welp, I guess that’s what you call a…” He looked at Papyrus. “Snowed-in, Outpost!”
Papyrus growled. “Saaans!” He stomped his foot down and faced Sans, his eyesockets grew eyeballs again.
The cups snickered again, but then Mugman made an ‘eh’ sound.
Cuphead’s finger-drew on Mugman’s palm. ‘I. DUN. GET. -!’
Mugman’s hand gently the wrist of Cuphead’s drawing arm, turned it palm facing-up, then drew on it with his index finger. ‘ME. 2.’
“Aww, c’mon Pap.” Sans winked to Papyrus and then pointed to his brother with his left index phalange (the hand holding Mugman). “You’re…” He tinked that index phalange on the side of Mugman’s mouth. “Smilin’!”
The cups snickered again.
Papyrus growled and then folded his arms. “I am! And I hate it!” He pouted looking away from Sans.
As they heard the exchange, Cuphead and Mugman then gasped.
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“Aw come on!” With a sly and confident smile, Cuphead wrapped his arm around Mugman’s shoulders while clinking his head on Mugman. “I know how much you love punny puns.”
A few seconds of pausing happened with happy Cuphead and irritated Mugman staring at each other... until Mugman’s mouth broke into a few giggles but more tears came out of his eyes.
“Ahh! You giggled bro.” Cuphead winked and pointed his finger while he pressed his cheek against his giggling brother’s.
“I-hi did! I did!” Mugman giggled, and then grunted in regret. “And I hate it when ya do that when I’m still mad.”
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The boys’ eyes glossened and the smiled very wide, with their dirty teeth showing, their eyebags creasing up, and their giddy ‘Eeeeeeee!’ voices cheering.
Papyrus sighed and held his forehead. “Why does someone as great as me… have to do so much just to get some recognition.”
“Wow…” Sans said sarcastically, then he stood up. “Sounds like you’re working yourself… down to the bone!”
Another ‘ba-dum-tss’ track played, and Sans looked to the 4th wall, while the two cups giggled, not even trying to maintain their statue faces anymore.
“Arrrgh!” He stomped his foot. “I will go back, and keep thinking of ways to make my puzzles brillianter!” He pointed a thumb to himself. “And as for your work…” he pointed a phalange at Sans. “Put a little more…” He snickered. “Backbone into it!”
A ‘ba-dum-tss’ sound played from somewhere, and Papyrus looked to the 4th wall and winked at it.
“NYE-HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH!!” Papyrus cackled as he ran back to where he appeared from… but then he ran back a bit and looked at Sans. “EH! Eat that brother, I can do your 4th wall looking too!”
Papyrus then ran off.
Sans chuckled. “So he can.” He then looked at the cups. “Alright. You two can speak now.”
The boys began in snickers, and then they burst out laughing.
“Told ya, he’s the cool one.” Sans winked at the cups he was holding.
Cuphead suddenly started growling, and Mugman squealed in surprise.
“CUPHEAD!” Mugman laughed. “WHAT’RE YA DOIN!”
“THUMB WRESTLIN’!”
Mugman grunted. “WHY IS IT EVERY TIME!”
The cups’ bodies stepped out of the lamp and then begin pushing and wrestling each other, both their bodies and their thumbs, which were just pressing and pressing but missing and dodging.
“Aaaand we’re back in business.” Sans just watched calmly with his eyes half-closed.
The cups just stuck their tongues out as they concentrated and watched their bodies go at it from a distance. Eventually, their bodies fell into the snow, with their hands still locked on. Back forth back forth, their thumbs were pressing and missing each other, until one thumb dove in and then the other pressed down and caught it.
“YEAH! I WIN!” Mugman beamed with his eyes closed. The body with the blue shorts punched high into the air.
“HEY!” Cuphead yelled at Mugman’s head with a smile.
“Oh ya wanted it, ya really wanted it!” Mugman looked at his brother teasingly.
Sans chuckled. “Good job kid.” He looked at Mugman. Then, he tossed their heads towards their bodies.
“WHOA!” The boys’ heads screamed, and their straws turned into exclamation points.
With thuds, their heads landed on their backs.
“Hey!” Cuphead and Mugman’s heads stared at Sans.
“Whoops! Should’ve said…” Sans pocketed his hands into his jacket. “’Heads up!’” He gave a wink.
Another ‘ba-dum-tss’ track played he winked at the 4th wall again; the 4th wall zoomed-in on his face.
Cuphead snickered, while Mugman gave a disapproving grunt and stare.
“Now you two better get goin’.” Sans’ eyes rolled to the direction Papyrus went to. “He might come back. And if he does… Ya might have to listen to more of my funny jokes.” He winked at the cups.
They both screwed their heads into their necks, though the last twist was more like they were cracking their necks to correct them.
Cuphead giggled. “No thanks! Wouldn’t want that anymore, right Mugs?” He buddy-hugged his brother.
Mugman huffed. “It wouldn’t be funny anyway, ‘specially since we’d be smashed tuh peesus!” He folded his arms, as they walked away.
“Relaaax!” Cuphead held his buddy-hug tighter. “We’re both in one piece ain’t we!”
“Still, it was joirk move!” Mugman’s straw puffed steam. “Couldn’t ‘e ‘ave handed us ah ‘eads instead?!”
“Heh.” From behind the boys, Sans chuckled. “Sorry pal. I woulda but… I was too lazy to do it.”
“WELL GROW A BACKBONE!” Mugman turned around and lunged towards Sans.
Cuphead gasped, and his eyes widened as he smiled. “MUUUGS!” He held his brother’s shoulder.
“WHAT?!” He snapped a look at Cuphead. “If anythin’ ‘appened to yuh I oughta-!” He caught his punching right fist with his left hand.
Cuphead snickered. “You made a bone joke!”
Mugman’s eyes widened and then his mouth squiggled. “N-no-!!” He snickered. “I’m still mad-!” A laugh escaped from his mouth. “Don’t do this to me again!” He shook his brother’s shoulders.
“Ahhhh!” Cuphead smiled very cheekily. “Yer smilin’!” He booped Mugman’s nose.
Suddenly Mugman burst out laughing to the sky. “I haahaha-hi-, Hh-hate youhuhuhuahahaha!” He pushed Cuphead away.
Cuphead laughed. “Hey! Hey Sans! Ya bettah apolo-“ As he turned around, his smile disappeared.
Noticing Cuphead’s voice trail off, Mugman turned around — and his eyes widened as…
Far in the distance, a tiny yellow flower peeked up — just for a moment — then ducked back into the earth.Sans was nowhere to be found.
Cuphead formed a fist. “What is that Flowah-!” He growled, and steam puffed from his straw.
“He…” Mugman’s eyes began to shiver. “He’s still following us?...” He put his fist to cover his mouth.
Altogether, the both of them gave a deep inhale, then an exhale to the mouth; Cuphead’s was strong as if letting out his frustration, while Mugman’s was more shuddering as if trying to relax.
“Mugman!” Cuphead raised his voice.
Mugman’s chest jolted and he looked to his brother, who marched to the front of him and clasped his shoulders.
“That stupid flowah ain’t seen nuthin’ of what we can do!” Cuphead smiled with confidence.
“B-but-“ Mugman rubbed his nose as he sniffled, and he wiped his watery eyes with his backhand. “We just fought ‘im and we almost died!”
“Uh-uh!” Cuphead shook his head. “We gonna win! Ya know why?” He leaned closer to Mugman, to the point they were one centimeter from being nose-to-nose.
Mugman blinked, confused. “Wh-why?!”
“We’ve got bro powah!” Cuphead gently firmed his grasp onto Mugman’s shoulders and he beamed his smile.
Mugman blinked. “B…bro powah?” He repeated, slowly smiling.
“Yeah bro!” Cuphead’s eyes crunched, more confident. “As long as we stick togethah, we can do anythin’! That’s bro powah!”
Hearing those words, Mugman’s eyes glistened “Yeah bro… I like that.”
Cuphead let go of Mugman’s shoulders, and altogether, the both of them clap-grabbed each other’s hands, interlacing fingers, and they let out playful giggles.
At that moment, a yellow star shone brightly between them, and they both gasped. It shined and twinkled on and on, and the boys stared into it with caution and curiosity.
-End of Chapter 10-
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(End Notes)
Hello! Hisashiburi, long time no see!
Just please enjoy this chapter I dropped.
Leave a comment, let me know you're there.
You can also ask questions to any of the characters.
Have fun! See you again in the future!
