Cuphead and Mugman in "Fate Will Find You"

Stealing the Spotlight

"Hey Cuphead!" Sally beamed as the young cup approached them. "You're not making any more deals, are ya?"

"Me? No way!" Cup answered, but then thought of a clever response. "Well, unless either of you are willing to challenge me to a game of poker." The young cup teased. Both of the humans chuckled at his comeback.

"Go right in! We're expecting the show to be pretty full today." Mr. Stageplay announced as he flipped through his list of attendees.

"Thanks guys!" Cuphead strode into the building with his cup held high. Mugman shuffled up to the couple next. The little mug could only hope that he would get an equally warm welcome.

"Hi Mugman! I'm so glad you could make it to our talent show today!" Sally greeted the child warmly.
"Glad to be here, Sally!" A smile formed on his face as he realized that the female still treated him the same as before. Mr. Stageplay, however, did not have the same positive attitude toward the child. In fact, he tried to hide his face behind his clipboard. The male human had heard enough of the island chatter to know that he should be afraid of the little mug. Sally saw her husband doing this and promptly gave a sharp elbow to his arm.

"Ow!" The man squealed. He rubbed his arm where his wife had just most likely bruised him.

"Don't be rude!" She quietly hissed in his direction.

"Hi, Mugman." He reluctantly said as he removed his face from behind the wooden rectangle.

"Hi, Mr. Stageplay." The young mug greeted back. "Have you found lots of new talent lately?" Sally watched as her husband retreated back behind his clipboard.

"Lots!" The female answered when the male refused to. "Prepare to be dazzled!"

"That sounds great!" Mug replied with joy. But deep down he knew he wasn't welcome in Mr. Stageplay's book. His brown boots shuffled inside the theater. The young mug stopped as he heard the two beginning to converse. His small glass body ducked behind the door as he listened to their conversation.
"You need to be nice to the kid!" The woman scolded, putting her hands on her hips. "He's going through a bit of a rough patch right now."

"A possession is a bit more than just a rough patch, Sally." He replied as he scribbled on his attendees list. "That thing inside him is dangerous."

"I believe that he is going to learn to control it and fast!" The female boasted. "He's a strong and intelligent young man." Mr. Stageplay then tucked the wooden board under his arm and situated his pen on his right ear.

"Listen to me, Sally," The man began as his gloved hands rested on the slender woman's shoulders. "It's great that he's trying to do good. But the accounts tell me that you are lucky to have left the market unscathed. You and your friend Hilda are a bit too soft on him. He needs to know when he's done wrong and....when others don't want him around." That last comment made Sally mad. She promptly grabbed his left ear and yanked it downwards so that his eyes were level with hers.

"Now you're just being selfish!" The female snapped. "I don't want to hear another negative word about Mugman from you for the rest of the day! If you're mean to him, so help me, I will make you sleep on the couch!"

"Yes, dear...." He replied, shutting his mouth. Mr. Stageplay knew that his wife was serious when she threatened to ban him to the couch. It didn't happen very often, but it was a form of punishment that Sally administered to a mean husband if she felt it necessary. Mugman let out a sigh from behind the door. His glass body began to droop.

"Come on, Mugs! Our seats are this way!" The young cup called back when he realized his brother was not following him. Mug watched as the group of kids shuffled a couple seats away from where he and Cuphead were supposed to be sitting.