Queen Dice opened the door ajar, looking out to her partner, patiently waiting for her to invite her in.
"It's just... It's a stupid thought." Queen Dice sighed, her gaze drifting to the floor.
"It's not stupid," Luci frowned. "What's bothering you? You can tell me."
Dice hesitated. What were the odds that her Boss would understand? That she wouldn't lash out and get defensive about her past. She wasn't exactly one to be good at admitting her wrongdoings.
Even so, Dice was aware that ever since the 'good for nothing lackey' incident, the Devil had been treating her very differently. Respectfully. She took her and her emotions seriously.
Maybe, just maybe, she'd understand.
"Why don't you come in?" Queen Dice opened the door further, without a word, Luci nodded and did as she was told.
They sat at the edge of her bed, Lucifer gently taking her hand, patiently waiting for her to explain everything.
"I've just been thinking recently... The whole reason I started working for you was from a life or death situation... I had no choice but to sign your contract..." Dice started, taking notice of the demon's ears drooping ever so slightly.
She looked like a puppy almost, ashamed of causing a mess and getting yelled at for it. Even so, she didn't say anything. Not so much as a peep. Stll, she kept quiet and listened to what Dice had to say.
"That's how it was for years... I was just an employee under a contract. The first few years I worked for you, you hardly spoke to me unless it was to yell at me; when I was successful, you only gave me one chance before knocking me down again... And that was the cycle for a long time..."
"I know I've been a real pain in the ass in the past..." The Devil finally spoke.
"Just when I think things are going my way, something or someone blows it, and I lose all the respect I had from you... It's disheartening... I guess..." She stopped. "I— I want to know that you're going to take this relationship seriously. That if I mess up, you won't cut me off like you did before."
"I won't. I promise." The Devil reassured her.
"So this relationship... What we have... Is it just built on a contract?" Dice continued.
"I wouldn't have met you if I didn't make a deal with you." The demon replied. "But I mean... Yes, in the past..."
Queen Dice began getting tense, the waterworks threatening to burst as her Boss continued.
"I know I've made far too many mistakes in the past... I called you names, I treated you badly... I was awful to you... Truthfully, I have no idea why someone like you would go out with someone like me... But despite all my faults and mistakes... You gave me the one in a million chance... I don't want to mess it up."
Luci paused, her gaze going unfocused as she got lost in thought. Turning her attention back to Dice, she opened her mouth, hesitant to ask;
"Do you... Do you still want to work for me?"
"What?"
"Your contract. I can— I— I can go and rip up your contract right now, you'd be free. Would that make you happy? Would it make up for everything I've done?"
That single question cleared the air for Dice. She understood perfectly now that things had changed. She wasn't just an easily replaceable pawn in the Devil's game. Luci cared about her now, she wanted her to be happy, even if it meant sacrificing her best worker and potentially losing her girlfriend.
Queen Dice couldn't help but smile, touching Luci's face before giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"Of course not, I love working for you. I wouldn't want things any other way. Just knowing that you're willing to change for me is all I needed." She said, making the demon smile. "Besides, someone's gotta keep this place up and running."
The Devil immediately frowned, her ears shooting back slightly as she glared at the other.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding."
"Good."
♠️ ♠️ ♠️
Midday, the sisters had found themselves wanting to go on yet another adventure. This time with their new companion, Lucas, they went upstairs, running through the Casino to the front doors. As came with every game they played, they weren't paying attention to their surroundings. They certainly didn't expect to run into someone while heading to the front door.
"Hey!" Cuphead snapped after they'd been knocked down with the collision. "Watch where you're... Going..."
"Me?! You were the ones..." Ms. Wheezy angrily brushed off her clothes before her attention went to the girls. "Wait... Wait— I know you two. You're the little punks that raided the Casino a few years ago."
"We didn't raid the Casino, we just... Beat you guys up... And stole contracts..."
Ms. Wheezy raised an eyebrow.
"It's... It's completely different."
It wasn't a moment later, another familiar face entered the Casino. Stopping short at seeing the sisters, Chips Bettigan blinked as she stared, as if her mind couldn't connect the dots.
"Man, I think I drank too much... I'm starting to get hallucinations." She furrowed her eyebrows.
"It's not a hallucination, it's the two brats that kicked our asses."
"Well... I— I wasn't really tryin y'know... If I was, I woulda whipped both their asses in no time flat."
"What are you two doing here anyways?" Ms. Wheezy ignored what Chips had to say. "If the Devil catches sight of you, she'd have you for breakfast. And who knows what Dice would do after that. Christ, she was wasn't just upset about the contracts; we had to endure her loudly complaining about that chipped tooth you gave her." She rolled her eyes.
"How'd she even fix her chipped tooth?" Cuphead asked.
"One of life's greatest mysteries..." Chips replied.
"That still doesn't answer my question." Wheezy said.
"Well... It's a funny story, really..." Mugma'am chuckled. "Not funny haha but... We're staying here at the Casino for a bit..."
"Really?" Ms. Wheezy raised an eyebrow.
"God, they're so scared they're starting to get delusional." Chips frowned.
"It's true!" Cuphead snapped.
"Why should we believe you?!" Ms. Wheezy just snapped right back.
"You can go ask them yourself." Cuphead sassed her, Wheezy only rolling her eyes again.
"Yeah right. Right after they're finished making out in the Boss' office." Ms. Wheezy scoffed, walking past the girls.
"You walked in on them kissing once, Smokey." Chips followed close behind.
Cuphead and Mugma'am looked at each other, the latter shaking her head as the former smirked. Following the two ladies, they sat up on barstools as Chips and Wheezy prepared for their shift.
"So, what exactly do you guys do for fun around here?"
"You're underaged, you can't sit at the bar." Wheezy immediately said. "You shouldn't even be in the Casino in the first place. What are you like... Twelve?"
"17." The sisters said in unison.
"That would've made you..." Chips counted on her fingers. "You two were 13 when you gambled your souls?!"
"When Cuphead gambled our souls." Mugma'am corrected her, glaring at her sister.
"Why did Queen Dice even let you play?!" Chips asked.
"Well... I guess I did call her old when she greeted us at the door." Cuphead thought back.
"Yep, that'll do it." Wheezy's expression went deadpan. "Now go on, shoo!"
"But you didn't answer our question! What do you guys do for fun at the Casino?" Cuphead asked again.
"Well... There isn't much to do besides work..." Chips thought. "Personally, I like to play little pranks on the other workers."
"Nuh-uh! No way! I already have to deal with the likes of you! I am not letting you create two more menaces in this damned Casino!"
Chips rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, frowning. Ms. Wheezy shook her head turning to the last dirty dishes presumably from the night before and began cleaning them.
"So... If you don't mind me asking..." Mugma'am said. "How'd you two start working at the Casino in the first place?"
"I was in debt." Chips sat in a chair behind the counter and leaned back and relaxed. "I used the last bit of my money trying to gamble some big bucks and I was so close to winning that the Devil got jealous and took my soul."
Ms. Wheezy filled a glass full of water and splashed it over Chips. Immediately sitting up, she coughed and sputtered, shaking off her now soaked clothing.
"You mean you lost everything within just a few minutes and had no choice but to hand your soul over to the Devil."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I know I woulda won, Devil just doesn't like to lose and Dice cheats at every game she can weasel her lying ass into." Chips glared at the other, wringing out her blue hair.
"Now that's true."
Chips went back to relaxing in her chair, Wheezy throwing a rag straight at her face.
"Go make yourself useful and wipe down those tables."
"gO mAke YoUrSelF uSeFuLL aNd wiPe dOwN tHoSe TAblEs." Chips mocked her under her breath, Wheezy simply shaking her head.
"What about you, Ms. Wheezy? How'd you end up in the Casino?" Mugma'am asked.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Oh, come on, Wheezy, you told me! Get this, girls, her brother— "
Ms. Wheezy whipped around to face Chips, scorning her with the sharpest glare either of them had seen from anyone. Chips cowered slightly, going back to wiping down the tables.
"When we're on friend terms, I'll tell you, until then, keep your nose in your own business." Ms. Wheezy snapped at the girls.
"Wait, so... Does this mean you consider me a friend?"
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't deny it either~"
Ms. Wheezy groaned, shaking her head again.
"Wheezy and I are friends~" Chips teased in a sing-song voice.
She laughed loudly, leaning on a table as she watched Ms. Wheezy's anger build.
Ms. Wheezy whipped around to tell the other off before the Devil beat her to it;
"Bettigan, you'd better not be slacking again." She snapped and she strutted through the Casino.
"Of course not, ma'am." Chips stood up straight, going back to wiping down tables.
"And you two, away from the bar, you're underaged for Hellfire's sake!" She turned to the girls. "And get that mutt before it rips my curtains!"
They immediately got down from the bar stools, their attention turning to Lucas gnawing and tugging on the crimson curtains by the windows.
"Where are you going?" Cuphead asked as the demon stopped short in the Casino's doorway.
"Places. Don't follow me." Lucifer was short with her as she walked out the door.
Looking at one another, the sisters smirked at each other before they went to follow her.
"I wouldn't do that." Wheezy caught their attention once more. "'Places' usually means she's going off to make a transaction. And usually they get pretty ugly."
"Did you know she once took down a five person gang?!" Chips chirped in.
"The point is, wherever the Devil is, trouble isn't far behind. Personally, I'd stay clear of her."
"Do you even know the Devil?" Cuphead crossed her arms.
Ms. Wheezy turned to face her, Mugma'am immediately pushing her sister to the Hellevator before things could escalate.
"God, she's still a bitch." Cuphead muttered under her breath as they rode the Hellevator down.
"I mean... She's gotta point..." Mugma'am sighed. "She is the Devil. She has no reason to care for us..."
Cuphead's gaze lowered to the ground. This was painfully true. No matter how much they wished it to happen, this would never be home. After this month was up, they'd surely be kicked right out of the Casino and left to fend for themselves.
The Devil didn't want them around and no one could blame her.
