Morning came all too quickly yet again. Cuphead found himself waking up before his sibling. Perhaps that was a good thing, he thought. The young cup would be able to get a word in with Elder Kettle before Mugman got up. Was it possible that his grandpa would be ready to talk this morning and give up information about the reason someone tried to assassinate him? Cup was about to find out. The kettle shuffled himself into the kitchen to prepare breakfast like usual. His boy approached him before he got busy.
"Morning, Cuphead." Kettle bellowed.
"Good morning, Elder Kettle. I was wondering if you-" But before the young cup could finish his sentence, the elderly person interjected with his own idea.
"Noticed that Mugman seems to be hallucinating? Yes, quite."
Cup was confused at why his guardian would suggest such a thing.
"Hallucinating? What makes you say that?"
"Mugs often talks to himself like there is someone else around. Have you not noticed this?" Elder Kettle explained, sounding like Cuphead should no doubt agree that he has seen such behavior.
"I've only seen him do that once." Cup said truthfully. "He claims it is just the demon talking to him." The little cup tried to keep his response calm to deter the kettle from worrying even further. Despite his attempts to keep the truth low-key, mention of the demon made Elder Kettle uncomfortable.
"That is troublesome....." He said with his voice trailing off. Kettle recalled the memory of Djimmi telling him that episodes only got worse and could even drive oneself to commit suicide. But he wasn't about to tell that to either of his boys. He knew Cuphead in particular would freak out and make a big scene at that kind of news. No, it was better to keep that to himself. Kettle was the only one that need worry about that. There was no need to plant a seed of dread into his boys' minds.
"I've set up an appointment with Djimmi so he and Mugman can discuss his mental state. Djimmi plans to keep the conversation low-key to avoid provoking the demon. He has assured me that he is comfortable with having Mugman around for a little while." Cuphead nodded to his guardian in agreement. But deep down Cup felt that his brother was being treated like an animal. In particular, like a large cat that would claw your eyes out if you played with it for too long. No one wanted to be around him for an extended period of time. And that hurt both of the boys. Cuphead for the fact that he was also labeled in a way and because he was concerned about his brother's mental welfare. There was always the possibility that the demon was telling him bad things.
"Why can't I be there with him?" The young cup asked, feeling a bit offended for being excluded on a matter that was important to him too.
"I need you to come with me to see Forkington. He claims that Mugman hurt Spoonfred yesterday." His voice grew stern, thinking the boys had wandered away from home. Interaction with other people most likely meant they had left their designated boundaries. But Cuphead assured him that they obeyed what Kettle had said.
"That's not true!" Cup spat. "Mugman was just asking them to leave our yard. Spoonfred got knocked over by Ribby's nephew."
"See? That's exactly why I need you to come with me. You know what happened and can explain so to Forkington." Elder Kettle urged.
"If he'll even believe me...." Cuphead said with his gaze falling to the side and sounding agitated with the prim and proper utensil. At least, he tried to act that way even if he wasn't always true to what he said. He tended to see things in a way that blamed others instead of himself. Even when there was clearly no logical connection between what he claimed and what actually happened.
"Yes, well, that's a different story." Kettle agreed.
Mugman finally had woken up and walked down the hall yawning and stretching. He saw his brother and guardian standing next to one another as if they were in conversation. The young mug intended to join if Kettle didn't push him away. Mug ceased a large yawn and rubbed his eyes as he greeted his family.
"Morning Cuphead, Elder Kettle."
"Morning Mugs." The kettle responded but did not make eye contact with his boy. It was just as the little mug suspected. His guardian turned away to make breakfast so he would avoid any questions Mug wanted to ask. This left the cup brothers to stare at each other in bewilderment and concern.
"Did you ask him if he remembered any details?" The mug child whispered to his sibling.
"I was just about to when he changed the subject." Cuphead replied, keeping his voice low as well.
That's not a good sign... Mugman thought as his eyes and mouth curled down in worry. But then they hardened back up. No, he would not give up that easily. Little Mug was determined to get something out of the old kettle.
"Elder Kettle we really need to talk to you about something. We are still being haunted by nightmares." He explained, keeping his voice calm but stern.
"Djimmi will be able to offer better advice on that than I can. Why don't you bring it up when you talk to him today?" Their grandpa replied without turning to face them. But Mugman knew that if it was just Cuphead around, Kettle would have no problem in making eye contact and keeping a close proximity. It was because he was around that the kettle acted differently. And this made Mugman feel a bit neglected to know that his brother was treated with more affection. Especially after he was called a monster the night before when he had risked his life to save his grandpa's. It seemed hardly fair to the young mug that he was given such treatment. Nonetheless, Mugman still tried to be his usual cheerful self.
"Great! We can both-!"
"It's just you, Mugman." Cup said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Mug looked from his sibling back to his guardian. This issue did not just affect him anymore, and he was insistent that Elder Kettle knew that.
"But Cuphead-!" He went to protest.
"It's all right, Mugs. Let's just get you taken care of first." Cuphead explained.
"Okay...." The young mug let out a sigh of disappointment. They then went to sit down at the table when the little cup noticed a small but visible scratch on his little brother's nose.
"Hey, where'd you get that scratch?" He asked pointing directly at it. Mug felt his nose having been unaware of its presence. He couldn't technically feel it, so he went looking for a mirror to see it for himself. And there it was, staring at him just as plain as his nose was. A small white mark curved down his honker not even an inch in length.
"I...I don't know." Mugman finally answered his brother. The memory of the shadow invaded his mind, specifically how it came so close to him. He then shook his mug back and forth.
No. No, that was just a dream. He had convinced himself.
Are you sure, Mugman? The demon probed.
I really don't know. I can only hope it was.
Mug then went to sit down for breakfast. This random mark made him concerned about what actually happened last night. He could tell that Cuphead was also very worried about this scratch that wasn't supposed to be there. Even Kettle eyed it when he eventually settled down at the table too. Was it what he feared? Was Mugman lashing out at his own self? Fear jabbed at his heart. Something had to be done before the child hurt himself even worse. The very last thing he wanted was his own boy committing suicide. Hopefully the little mug's meeting with Djimmi today would solve at least one of Mug's problems.
After breakfast, the three of them traveled to the middle of the island. Kettle either stayed ahead or behind the young mug to avoid conversation as much as possible. It just depended on his boys' current speed. Djimmi's orange figure greeted them outside his white pyramid. The genie waved them over.
"Good to see you boys again!" He greeted. The cup brothers nodded in agreement.
"Are you sure you're going to be okay with him for a little while?" Kettle urged, making Mugman even more uncomfortable than he already was. Djimmi rested his light-weight hands on the little mug's shoulders as the child turned to face his guardian.
"We're going to be totally fine!" The genie beamed. Elder Kettle took a quick glance at his boy before averting his eyes to the orange being.
"Thank you, Djimmi. Come on, Cuphead. We have things to do." He kept his farewell short, even forgetting to say so to his boy. Cuphead, however, wasn't going to forget his sibling that easy.
"See you in a little while, Mugs!" Cup called as they began to walk off.
Mug felt the genie's hands lift off his shoulders.
"Well Mugman, what say we have a little talk?"
The mug child slowly turned around with a worried expression. If this went anything like their last encounter, Cuphead wouldn't be there to help him calm the demon. But his level of control had increased significantly since then, so the chance of the dark creature popping out was much less. Especially if Djimmi didn't prod it with his astral hands. The genie realized this was Mugman's fear and assured him that everything would be fine.
"No need to be nervous. I just want to know how you're holding up."
"Okay..." The young mug replied and followed the magical creature into his home. They stopped in the same room in which they had last talked. Mugman went to take the blue beanbag chair his guardian had sat in a few days prior. Djimmi folded his legs up as he sat on the floor like usual. With a snap of his orange fingers, a notepad and black feather pen appeared out of thin air. They floated next to the genie's head. The pen's inky side pointed to Djimmi's head, waiting for something to write down.
"Let's start with your training. I understand Kettle has been making fake enemies for you with the morphing spell I gave him." An orange elbow rested on his leg as he let his cheek rest into his hand. A puff of smoke came out of his pipe as he awaited an answer. Mugman took a deep breath and prepared to tell him the truth.
"That's right." He started. "It's going fine. The demon and I work together to take down the little devils that spawn from the potion."
Djimmi took a big gulp of his pipe as the feather on his turban shot up into a question mark shape. This was far from what he expected to hear from the child. It was a much more intriguing response than he expected too. Never had someone claimed that a demon would work with them.
"Work together? Elaborate on that for me, Mugman." Said the genie, taking the pipe out of his mouth. The pen next to his head scrabbled furiously on the floating notepad to keep up with what they were saying.
"We consult one another for strategies and share our abilities." Mugman said, keeping calm and truthful.
"So it actually talks to you?"
Ahem! The demon grumbled from within the little mug. For the dark creature did not like to be called an "it". He was a person just like the mug and genie after all and he intended to be treated as such.
"Yes. HE talks to me. We are like friends." Mug said, encouraging the idea that the parasitic creature had feelings too. "The closest type of friends there can be. Heh..." He chuckled as he made air quotes as he said "closest", referring to the fact that they were stuck together.
"Fascinating! What exactly does he tell you?" Djimmi beamed. The orange being became extremely interested in where this conversation was going. Never had he heard such cooperation between a demon and its host. Normally, the dark creatures would take over the person's mind and body and not allow for any mercy or remorse. But this... this was completely different than anything he had encountered before. He put the pipe back in and began to puff clouds quickly in his excitement.
"He comments about what goes on in my life and tells me about where he comes from." Mugman now felt comfortable with this conversation as well. He could see how happy Djimmi was to hear such news.
"Does that mean he's listening to me right now?"
"Absolutely!" The little mug beamed.
"Could I...ask him a few questions?" The genie asked, almost seeming giddy at this opportunity. His orange figure shuffled in his spot, trying to right himself to be seen as a worthy person to talk to. If the demon could hear him, it stood to reason that it could also see him. He could only imagine that such a creature demanded a certain level of respect in order to respond to someone's questions. Mug's demon could see that Djimmi was indeed trying be on his best behavior for him.
You may. The creature responded. Just nothing offensive.
"He says as long as the questions are polite, he will answer." Mugman relayed the message.
"Great!" Djimmi said with happiness just brimming from his body, in particular his pipe that was starting to make the interior a bit foggy. He then calmed himself down and focused on what questions he wanted to ask the dark creature. "So where do you come from? I know it must be Hell, but I don't know any specifics." The pen took a moment to catch up with the conversation only to begin scrabbling just as fast when the little mug replied with the demon's message.
We demons dwell in a dark realm where only the strongest survive. Any signs of weakness and you are slaughtered.
Mug copied this response word for word to the orange genie.
"What exactly does your realm look like?" Came the next question.
The only thing I know is that it is dark. Otherwise, I don't know. It simply stated. A look of confusion came over the child's face.
"What do you mean you don't know?" He talked out loud, knowing that Djimmi wouldn't mind such phenomena since he understood this situation.
I mean, we don't have any eyes in our origin form. We must rely on touch to navigate our environment. He explained.
"Oooohhh!" Mug cooed in understanding. This only made the magical creature even more anxious to know what the parasitic creature had said.
"What? What did he say?"
"Demons don't actually have any eyes."
"Really? This is an amazing discovery! How do you know what's around you then?" Both the genie and the mug's hearts beat fast in excitement. They were the very first two to hear about this elusive and secretive species. Any other demon would have killed anyone that prodded for information. They knew they were very privileged to have such a specimen in the room that had patience for mortals such as themselves.
We have tentacles. The demon said.
"They have tentacles." Mugman relayed.
"Tentacles? How many?
Ten.... I think. It stuttered out.
"They have ten."
"Ten? So you're like a squid?" Djimmi asked, trying to be specific in what their appearance looked like.
What's a squid? The demon inquired, not having seen or heard of one before. Squid-like or not, the parasitic creatures were not educated on all of the many organisms that existed in the world.
"Yes! Exactly!" Mug answered for him.
Um, are you sure?
It sure sounds like it. He silently responded.
"So what do you do all day?" The genie inquired. Surely they had some sort of activity the dark creatures could partake in. It didn't seem likely that they just sat around and mingled all day.
We fight and compete with one another. We are always fighting to become the alpha. It is the greatest honor a demon can achieve. The dark creature explained. That and we listen when the Devil talks to us.
"They fight one another to try to become the alpha and listen as the Devil talks to them." Mugman said.
"What exactly does the Devil tell you?" Djimmi wondered what that horrible creature told them. Nothing good, that's for sure.
Well, when he's not talking about himself, he tells us how flawed the world is and that mortals need guidance to a higher purpose.
"Besides talking about himself, he describes how we are all flawed and need guidance."
"Hmph! Sure sounds like him!" The genie snorted, blowing smoke out of his nostrils. "It also sounds like his desire to hurt everyone is transferred to them. That's why their world is centered around violence."
Yes, it is. But we demons are prone to violence anyway. It's just in our nature. It has been that way since the beginning of time. The demon paused before continuing with his lecture. However, that is not the only thing I value anymore. You have taught me otherwise, Mugman. ....not to be repeated though!
The parasitic creature still did not want others to know that it was becoming what the other demons would call "soft". He still had to uphold his edge and reputation after all. Mug simply nodded in response to both the demon and the magical being.
"Do you all just know each other by touch or do you have names?" The genie wondered.
We do indeed have names. They usually develop from our battle strategies or power ranking in the community.
"Their names come from how they fight and what kind of status they hold." He explained. "So what's yours?"
.....I... would rather not say. My life with you has changed my desires and goals. Thus, I no longer wish to be called by my old name.
"Oh! Okay, we can find a new name for you then!"
Yes. It will come in time. I don't want to rush it.
"A new name for him, huh? That sure sounds exciting! I'm sure it will be a journey for both of you." Mugman just nodded enthusiastically at the magical being. "It seems as though you two get along quite well." Djimmi said, addressing Mugman now. "So what was up with this nightmare business then? Kettle had asked me to brew up a nightmare repellent a couple days ago. Did anything happen as a result of that?" The feather on his turban curled back up into a question mark, becoming confused as to why this behavior persisted.
"It didn't work because he's not the one giving me nightmares." Mug answered. The child had asked the demon about other possible subjects only to have him say that there were too many possibilities. Perhaps the genie knew something different. "Do you possibly know anything else that could do that?"
"Too many to name." The orange being said with a wave of his hand, sounding just like the demon. That was not exactly what Mugman was looking for. But this question made Djimmi remember Kettle's concern about the mug child possibly hallucinating. "Would this have anything to do with the reason your grandpa thinks you're hallucinating?"
"Hallucinating?" The young mug repeated. "No, he probably just means the times he's caught me talking to the demon." He shook his mug back and forth as he answered.
"And you're sure of this? No unexpected wounds on your body from lashing out?"
Mug instinctively rubbed his nose when the genie mentioned this. For he knew that small scratch was still there and its origin was uncertain.
"You don't know where you got that do you?" Djimmi suggested.
"My only thought is that it came from whatever is stalking me at night." The little mug responded.
"Have you ever seen it outside your dreams?" The smoke from his pipe seemed to clump together into thick clouds, physically showing his concern.
"Last night there was a shadow in my room. I had dismissed it as a dream to calm Cuphead.... But I'm not sure that's the truth. I think it gave him a nightmare, too." He stared down at his boots that he swung back and forth. The whole situation was just unsettling to him.
"That is troublesome." Djimmi finally took the pipe out of his mouth for a second and tapped it against his cheek. "Sounds as though the phenomenon is spreading. Has Elder Kettle mentioned anything about having nightmares?"
"No." Mugman said shortly. "He hasn't mentioned much of anything. He just seems very secretive lately."
Hey Mugman! This might be a good time to ask the genie if he knows anything about the kettle. The demon suggested. Mug immediately knew that he was right. Any information about his grandpa was valuable at this point.
"Hey Djimmi, how long have you known Elder Kettle?"
"Oh, a good 30 years probably." He said as he put the pipe back in his mouth.
"Did you ever know him to do something that he might regret?"
A long puff of smoke came out of his wooden stick as he crossed his arms in confusion. Even the feather pen stopped writing at that unexpected question. It lifted up as if it were looking at the child.
"What do you mean, Mugman?"
"I don't know...." Mug paused, trying to figure out how he could reword the question. "Perhaps he dabbled in dark magic or something?"
"Not as long as I've known him." The magical being responded. A speck of ink fluttered onto his cheek as the pen looked back to him. He tried to rub it off and motioned for the enchanted object to keep writing. "I just know he's sworn to stay as far away from that stuff as possible. That's why he built you your house on the opposite side of the island, and away from any temptations."
"Wait! He built that house?" Mugman gasped in utter shock. He had never known anything of this before.
"Yeah. With his own two hands. He never told you boys that?" Djimmi seemed surprised that the kettle would not have shared that kind of information with his own grandsons.
"No..." The young mug's voice trailed off as his gaze fell to the floor.
There's a lot of things we don't know about the kettle. His dark creature admitted.
Their conversation was interrupted as two other children entered Djimmi's pyramid. They pulled back the magenta curtains and stepped into the room. One of the children had a red apple for a head with a noticeable chunk taken out of the right side of his head. A nice green suit covered his red skin as well as the usual white gloved hands and brown boots like the cup brothers. His nose was a small green stub upon the bright red shade of his dome. The other child had a silver axe for a head, a green button-up shirt with yellow sleeves and red pants. In contrast to the cup brothers and his apple friend, this child's feet were covered with light brown boots instead of the darker brown that most of the others bore. There was a small nick out of the blade's sharp side.
"Djimmi, we were wondering if you could help us?" They asked, almost in unison. The two children had not yet seen the little mug sitting across the room. Mugman, however, noticed them right away.
"Mac and Chip! Long time no see, guys!" Mug beamed. But the apple and axe did not have the same reaction he did. Instead, they acted like most of the residents of Inkwell did, giving a large gasp and recoiling back in fear. Their bodies almost stumbled back through the curtains as they tried to hide behind one another. Ultimately Mac was pushed to the front.
"Is this a bad time? We can come back later." The apple child whispered to the genie.
"Nonsense! We can take a quick break!" Djimmi beamed. He wanted to try to get these children to be okay with having Mugman around. Unlike most of Inkwell's residents, the genie did not see any advantage to treating the young mug like a monster. As far as he was concerned, the mug child was still the same person and should be treated as such. "What exactly are you boys seeking today?"
"We had a bet as to what will happen with someone we know and wanted to know which of us was right." Chip explained to the magical being.
"There is no right or wrong when it comes to the future. There is simply what may or may not be." Djimmi said poetically before moving himself over to the table that housed his crystal ball. "So let's see what the possibilities are." The two children huddled over to the cloth covered table and took their seats. Mug noticed that they sat at an angle so they could keep an eye on him. Better not turn our backs on the unstable mug, they thought. But Mugman tried not to let it show that their actions bothered him. He watched as Djimmi felt all over his pockets.
"Shoot! I don't have them..." The genie muttered. He then turned his attention to the little mug. "Mugman, would you be so kind as to go fetch my tarot cards?"
"Sure!" Mug said enthusiastically. For he was happy at the thought of helping and be useful. It was much better than being tossed to the corner and forgotten about. The mug was so happy that he hopped up off the blue beanbag chair.
"Great! They're in the back room, top drawer of the dresser with the big mirror. You can't miss it."
Mugman nodded and headed off for the farthest room in Djimmi's pyramid. He pulled back the magenta curtains to be greeted with a dark and very dusty room. It was clear that the genie had not used it in a long time.... or at least didn't clean it in a long time. The room was littered with props for magic tricks and ancient artifacts from centuries ago. Mug immediately made for the back corner when he caught a glint of light reflecting off a large mirror.
That must be it! He thought.
His brown boots pounded toward the dark wall when he heard a familiar noise.
"Mmmrrr!" It said. Mug immediately stopped and looked to his right. Djimmi's golden cat slunk her way out of a vase when she heard him tromping loudly through the silent room. She had been sleeping in her favorite spot when she heard the mug child enter with a purpose. Her small-boned body trotted up to the young mug and immediately started to rub against his legs. Mug leaned down to pat the kitty.
"It's good to see you too!" He cooed happily. At least someone was glad to see him, even if it was just a cat that wouldn't talk back to him. Her purr resonated loudly in the silent room. It was a sound that instilled peace within the young mug's heart. Mug stayed in that spot until she had slowed down her circling around his legs. He finally found an opening when he could proceed forward. But the feline was still right at his heels, hoping for more attention.
Upon reaching the dresser, Mugman carefully opened the top drawer. He did so slowly to prevent a cloud of dust from flying into his face. His gloved hand reached down into the drawer and pulled out the stack of cards sitting on the top.
"Here they are!" He said, bringing the objects face level. Mug could not see much of the pictures depicted on the cards since it was so dark. He was able to make out vague outlines but nothing more. The little cat still circled his feet like a hungry shark. She started to make a small meow but suddenly cut it off. Right after she did this, Mug felt something touch his shoulder. The mug child just assumed it was Djimmi coming to check on him.
"You didn't need to come in, Djimmi." He said, preparing to turn around. "I told you I could-"
Upon turning around, he saw the genie's puppet standing before him. It was standing up like a person but without the aid of a puppet master. In fact, its strings lay strewn about on the floor behind it.
".....handle it." Mugman finally finished. He stared at the wooden puppet wearing an orange shirt and shoes that were plunger-like in shape. Its shorts were turquoise like its master's clothes. It had a very light brown cup-shaped head like Mugman with a small orange nose and straight straw. The puppet stood there with the large smile that had been painted on its face. It stared at the young mug before opening up its grinning mouth. What came next chilled Mug to the bone.
"The kettle is feeding you lies!" The puppet hissed at the child. Its wooden body started to tremble as if it were trying to hold back a surge of power. "Your entire life is built on his web of lies! He has made you soft and ignorant to the truth of the world!" Mugman began to tremble himself. His mouth dropped open in utter shock. Something told him he should have been trying to get out of there, but for some odd reason he was entranced by the mimic's words. It spoke of his grandpa. But how would it know about that? Mug was scared but he wanted to know what else this puppet might say. Perhaps it would blurt out something that would help him in figuring out what Elder Kettle was hiding. The golden feline at his feet arched her back and bristled her fur as she drew her lips back in a silent hiss.
"And now you doubt his loyalty! Doubt is a small but powerful seed that will grow and consume your heart! You will lose control of yourself and ultimately be all alone!"
Mugman didn't want to believe this piece of wood that wasn't supposed to talk without a puppet master. He forced himself to slowly shake his head back and forth in some sort of protest. Try as he might, he could not bring words to his mouth.
"You cannot escape it!" It hissed once more, ceasing its violent shaking. A black sludge started to boil over its wooden brim and from its mouth. "Doubt will be your ally and the darkness will slowly consume your soul! It is your destiny to destroy the ones you love!"
Both Mug and the cat screeched in fear. The small golden body shot back toward her hiding spot while the child ran right past the puppet. He raced to get help from Djimmi. Mug burst into the room shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Your puppet is alive!"
Mac and Chip screamed and bolted out of the genie's pyramid. The magical being just watched in disbelief as the children left. He thought for sure that this was an opportunity for Mugman to prove himself a good boy. Djimmi got up from the table and approached the mug child. Mug immediately knew he had done something wrong. He hung his head, not making eye contact with the orange genie as he approached.
"I'm sorry. H-here's your tarot cards." The young mug squeaked and held the fortune telling cards out. Djimmi stayed quiet as he took his possessions. Mug finally ventured a gaze up to see how the genie was handling the situation. It was clear that he was not happy that his customers had been scared away. But at the same time, he wasn't about to reprimand the boy for doing so.
"Now what's all this about Puphead being alive?" Djimmi asked with his voice stern.
"It really was alive! He started talking down to me and made me scared!" Mugman desperately tried to describe the situation to him, no matter how ridiculous it sounded.
"Come on, let's go check it out." The genie replied with a sigh. The orange body started to walk toward the back room, expecting the mug child to follow.
"Y-you want me to go back in there?" Mug asked with fear clearly in his voice.
"If you're that scared, you don't have to." Djimmi called back over his shoulder with an annoyed tone.
Mug stayed in his spot, waiting to see what the genie found in the backroom.
You saw that too, right? He asked his demon.
Very odd indeed. It replied. I didn't think puppets were supposed to do that.... talk and move without their master, that is.
Maybe if I leave, Mac and Chip will come back. And then Djimmi won't be so disappointed. Disappearing seems like the least I can do for Djimmi right now. I just seem to trail bad luck with me wherever I go...
Without another moment's thought, Mugman proceeded to leave the stone pyramid. He intended to go somewhere without civilization. That way he couldn't hurt or disappoint anyone else.
Meanwhile, Djimmi found his puppet sprawled on the floor but otherwise looking completely normal.
"Nothing looks out of the ordinary to me." The genie said to himself as he picked up his wooden boy by the strings.
"Mmrr?" Came a short and questioning meow from his cat. She slowly came around the base of an old pot. Her pupils grew big and ears flattened against her head as she stopped short upon seeing the puppet in her person's hands. A long and fluffy tail drooped down toward the floor.
"Hey there, Kiki!" He greeted. "Mugman seems to think Puphead came to life. What do you think?" Djimmi held out his most prized possession toward his pet. Kiki responded by bristling her fur and letting out a loud hiss that turned into a growl of hostility. A clawed paw lashed out at a wooden foot that swung in her face. He quickly recoiled his wooden boy back at her reaction.
"Hmmm." Orange fingers scratched his chin. "That proves Mugman isn't hallucinating if Kiki saw it too. He'll be happy to know that this creature takes physical forms instead of just toying with his mind." His lamp shoes clinked against the ground as he came back to tell Mugman the good news. Djimmi almost entered with Puphead still in his hands, but then he thought better of it and set him down.
"Hey Mugman! Guess what?" He said but then stopped short. The little mug was gone. He and Kiki were the only ones left in the pyramid.
"Uh oh..." His tone immediately changed. "Looks like Mugman ran off again. If only I hadn't been so disbelieving of him..." Djimmi grabbed for his backpack that housed some on-the-go emergency supplies. "Kettle won't be happy if he knew I lost his boy. I better go find him and quick!" Orange arms slipped through the armholes as he hoisted it high onto his back. The genie ducked out of his pyramid. Unknown to him, Kiki jumped onto the bag and was hitching a ride. The magical being started to wander about the middle of the island calling the young mug's name.