devilsoffice

[devilsoffice]

Notice;

( Hi everyone!  Been a while.  3 weeks exactly, to be precise, since I last posted.  I’ve been going back and forth on this whole thing and I was coming here to put the Devil on hiatus, and I think that’s still true, but...

I dunno, I feel like I still got muse for him, but just never the want to actually go and write him.  But I opened up my drafts today and I thought, “ahhh, I don’t know, I can see how I can write this” so it’s been difficult for me to make choices.  I don’t wish to drop the Devil outright just yet, but I feel like, as we all have likely noticed, that I’m just not as active here anymore.

I’m still around, but, like, y’know.  I think my posting will likely be very sporadic from now on.  Consider this a hiatus nonetheless, if I post soon or not  I apologize for that.  I’ve just lost that inspo, but it’s still kinda in there.

If you need me or want to rp with me?  Come meet me over at my Porky Minch blog, @allhailkingp, where I’m at pretty much all the time.  Or you can follow me at my personal, @jeffandonnuts orrrr, whatever.  Thanks y’all and I sincerely apologize. )

[devilsoffice]

toonlybones‌:

The casino was as much as Salem expected - ghouls, demons, and a few skeletal patrons here and there. It seemed service in the casino had pretty good ears since it wasn’t five minutes before one of the devil’s imps came to welcome him. But the welcomes were all but cut off with a few terse words from the grave keeper.

“Oi, I’m not here fer gamblin’ or small talk,” Salem snapped, cutting the little demon off mid-sentence. “So yeh can cut the sales pitch ‘n‘ take me teh yer boss or whoever’s in charge a yer debt collectors, ‘cause I got a bone teh pick with ‘em about this notice.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the crumpled notice of due payment. “This here says I owe payment fer a contract here, but I ain’t ever stepped near this place, let alone signed a contract with it’s owner. So how ‘bout yeh take me to whoever’s in charge so I can get this sorted out, because oh boy, am I not in the mood teh be dealin’ with fraud today!”

He must have been a bit louder than he thought since his trip to the casino head’s office was quick and had attracted the attention of numerous eyes. Not that Salem minded. Frankly, he was too bent on justice being served to care who was staring at him or not.

The moment he stepped into the office, Sal was ready to go toe-to-toe with the Devil, armed with a hundred cutting retorts for that little “pal” remark. However, his entire verbal arsenal came crashing down the moment he saw the look on the Devil’s face. If there was a more comical expression of shock and suspicion, Salem hadn’t seen it. Then came the “joke” and the toon couldn’t hold in his disbelief or amusement.

“Pfff! Oh well, that’s good teh know,” Salem said with a snort. “Fer a second there, I thought I had a bill teh contest. I mean, I am the only Salem Bonachard in the area with birth records ‘n’ a drivers license teh prove it. But if this is just an issue a’ mixed up addresses, then I’ll just leave this here with yeh, ask my name ‘n’ address be scratched off yer list, ‘n’ be on my way.”

The toon clapped the wrinkled notice onto the devil’s desk, almost relieved to know it had just been a case of mistaken identity. Not that it was uncommon for people to share the same name. After all, he’d met plenty of folks who shared the same name and had to go by nicknames to tell each other a part. Mary Sue, Sally Smith, Mr. Peterson, John Doe— but he had yet to meet another Bonachard outside his immediate family, namely him and his brother. Still, there was always a first time for everything. Besides, this meant the Devil was still playing by the rules, however crooked they were, and wasn’t defrauding innocent folks like him out of their souls with fake soul contracts. At least, that’s what it seemed to him.

As if the impostor Salem couldn’t have insulted him more, he had the gall to laugh at the Devil himself.  This fella was in for it.  The Devil didn’t like it when people played games with him.  He was a busy man, and besides, it was his job to play games, not the other way around.  He certainly didn’t appreciate his time being wasted either, especially not by debtors trying to get out of handing their soul over.

“Salem” seemed to be under the impression that being the wrong debtor meant he was off scot-free.  How wrong he was.  The Devil wasn’t finished with the alleged debtor just yet.  He needed to find out exactly what had happened and why.  There was no way he had gotten it wrong.  He was never wrong about debtor names and he was never wrong about their whereabouts, either.  If something had slipped through, it was on the debtor’s part, not him.

The debtor set down the notice.  The Devil picked it up and double checked it against Salem’s contract.  It was all right.  All the necessary info was in the right place.  He shook his head in disbelief and anger.  What was going on here?  He looked back up to “Salem” with eyes narrowed, his very pupils burning with rage.  He’d wipe that amused look off of his face soon enough.

“You listen to me,” the Devil said slowly, “I.  Don’t.  Make.  Mistakes.  Whatever this is?  Whatever... little game you think you’re playin’?  It won’t work on me.  I’m not fucking stupid.  I KNOW that I got this all right.  Now, if Salem Bonarchard don’t wanna pay up his debt, that’s his problem.  I’m getting that soul, and just for inconveniencin’ me, I’ll probably take yours too.”

The Devil checked his file drawer again.  He knew he had a copy of the contract somewhere... of course he wouldn’t give this guy a real one.  Ah, there.  He pulled out a copy of the contract and held it out to “Salem”.  “This is a copy of Salem’s contract-- or your contract-- or whoever’s it really is.  It’s got his binding signature and all of the undoubtedly CORRECT info on him.  Now, you give this to old Salem ‘nd tell him to stop fucking around with me and get his ass down to the casino ASAP.  I’m done with you.  Get out.”

~NOTICE OF DUE PAYMENT~

[devilsoffice]

theultimatenightmare‌:

Antasma had wondered from time to time what being dead felt like. He thought it would be eternal suffering, being forced to go through your worst moments of life over and over again until your mind is broken. What he didn’t expect was to find himself in a dark void, that seemed to have no end in sight.

How long he was there, he didn’t know. It seemed like he was there for years but when he didn’t expect it, he found a light shining through the void and in a matter of seconds he found himself in a cave of some sort. It didn’t seem like a too friendly place to live in and the constant fire reminded him of Bowser. 

It didn’t take him long to find some kind of small, purple creature near by sleeping. Letting a smile come onto his face, he raised his arms as he conjured a dream portal and went inside the thing’s dream. Some fun never hurt anyone. 

Finding the imp in it’s dream was pretty easy and scaring it even more so. All he did was make himself a bit taller, tapping it on the shoulder and roaring right in it’s face as it turned around. It ran away, screaming within seconds and the Bat King didn’t really try to make it a terrifying a nightmare.

He continued like that with several others, all looking similar to the imp he scared at the beginning. With his latest victim, he wanted to try something different. He hid in a lake made out of fire, waiting for it to step inside it to give it the biggest scare of it’s life. 

He sensed something stepping inside, it was bigger than he thought but he paid it no mind. It’s a dream, anything can happen. Sensing the right moment to strike, he grabbed it by it’s leg and pulled it down. As he let it fall through the darkness, he adjusted himself to float right before it. 

The nightmare dodged to the side as something went past him. Was that… a giant, golden fork? For a moment, he wondered what kind of weapon that was supposed to be but that thought was quickly put aside as he focused back on the creature before him. Now that he took a closer look, it resembeled those imps only it was taller and covered in grey fur. What an interesting sight. 

Antasma tried hold his laughter but a snort managed to slip through at the threat. He was used to that, threats like that one didn’t bother him the slightest. 

“You don’t scare me. Vhy don’t vou pick up your oversized silverware und leave, I am busy.” The tone in his voice made it very clear, if this guy wants a fight he can have it. 

His gaze regarded the other then with boredom.”Besides, vho is this ‘Devil’ anyway? SCREEEK!”

As the Devil drew closer, he could see the figure better.  It was some kind of bat-like creature, purple all over, tall and... really not scary to the Devil.  But those little imps could be real wimps sometimes.  They’d realize eventually how stupid a nightmare about this creep was-- especially after the Devil took care of him.  There’d be no more nightmares from this guy anymore.

The creature mocked him with its snide tone and laugh.  The Devil didn’t scare him?  He’d make him eat those fucking words.  He bared his teeth, his eyes narrowed to slits.  He growled under his breath.  This fucker really thought he could get away with messing with the Devil and his people.  He was dead wrong.

Even more insulting, the beast tried to pretend like he didn’t even know who the Devil was.  Like he didn’t know!  Everyone knew!  There was no way-- unless this guy really had been living under a rock for... pretty much all of eternity.  Whatever.  That didn’t matter now.  What mattered now was the scheme the Devil was plotting in his mind to get this guy back.

The Devil held out his hand and his pitchfork flew from the ground to his palm.  He cleared his throat before speaking.  “You really must be a fool,”  the Devil said with hatred dripping in his voice, “if you don’t know my name.  But since I’m feelin’ a little nice today, I’ll fill you in, how about that?  Once again, I’m THE DEVIL.  That means a few different things.

“For one, I’m the opposition to all things good.  I’m the great tempter of humanity.  I’m the ruler of Hell.  More importantly, it means that I’m the lord over all demons, and that includes stupid fucks like YOU.  So I wouldn’t go mouthin’ off to me like this.  If you know what’s good for you, you’ll change your attitude before I crush you into oblivion.”

The Devil pointed accusingly at the demon.  He wasn’t done yet, not by any means.  Even if this guy turned around on a dime and started worshiping the ground he walked on, he was getting a punishment.  He just had to figure out how-- a taste of his own medicine, perhaps?  Oh yes, that would be perfect, and it’d come soon, but, he wasn’t quite done screaming his ear off yet.

“Now I just want to know who the HELL you are.  You wanna spare your life?  Start talkin’, creep!”

The Devil & Antasma in ❝Nightmare Nemesis❞

[devilsoffice]

inkwellcupmuses‌:

“Oh well… Hm.. I can’t remember exactly, but maybe around our late teens. Y..You see Hyde always wanted to be one, and so did i. But i wasn’t exactly as confident as Hyde was about those sort of things.” He took a sip out of the cup and then continued, “So we decided to do stand up comedy night, so i guess it happened from there that we started to work here… Still hahaha, i think i’m doing better… But Hyde tends to get upset whenever we get hecklers during my shows. But look at me, i’m talkin’ too much… I’m sorry, Mister.”

The Devil rested his face upon one of his hooves, the other hoof circling around the rim of his drink glass while he listened to the comedian tell his tale.  Man... this guy was so boring.  Like he was already about to drop dead from the amount of years this fella just put on the Devil.

Okay, maybe it wasn’t that bad.

The young man apologized for all of his talking.  Yeah, too little too late, pal, the Devil thought to himself, though he kept his expression as friendly as possible.

“Talking too much?  By no means!  I’m always a willing ear.  I know I can talk just about anyone’s ear off if I get the chance.  Now, I can’t believe you’re not the confident type!  What you do seems so effortless when you’re on stage!  You have a real natural talent for it.  I could see you making the big time in the future, yessiree.  You can’t waste skill like that.

“I wasted a lot of my life on makin’ money rather than doing anything I wanted.  You don’t want to wake up one day and realize you’ve wasted all your time...  I think you won’t.  There’s plenty of avenues you can go for here on Inkwell.  So many good places for you to work at and grow your audience.  I know you can do it.  You just need to make the right connections.”

The Devil & Jekyll in ❝The Divine Comedy❞

[devilsoffice]

Dante’s Inferno (1911).

[devilsoffice]

( Hi everyone!  I just wanted to drop by and provide a really quick update.

So college resumes for me on Wednesday, meaning I might vanish (...even more) for a little bit while I get adjusted to my classes.  I also might be picking up a job, so we shall see.  I will def try to keep up on everything, but you know, school is busy.

I do admit, I’ve been less active here.  I picked up Porky Minch over at allhailkingp, and because my brain really threw itself hard into the Mother series, I’ve just been chilling on his blog.  I still have muse for Dev!  He’s just a little muted, now.  However, everyone’s replies are done and are either posted or waiting.  Here’s the update:

Devil is finished but has yet to post: Jekyll, Antasma

Devil is waiting on (not “waiting” take your time but ye!): Peach, Wolf, Mania, Cuphead, Salem

So yeah.  If you wanna hit me up on Porky, you’re more than welcome to!  I’m really digging his muse rn, but I think I might do a couple memes on here tonight as well to try to keep his muse going since I’ve got Dev’s today.  BUT YE, EITHER WAY, that’s where I’m at! )

[devilsoffice]

maaniamaniaac‌:

|✩|-

She was REALLY in over her head– That was there nothing she could do. Mania was on top of her game and had it all in the bag. But those cats were let out loose, scurrying all around the casino floor as that one unlucky number was called out.

Why didn’t she hold back?! This place was just as SINFUL as she was! This maniacatic toon didn’t want her fun to end right then and there– But, but she had to SUBMIT TO HER FATE.

And that fate was LITERALLY RIGHT BEHIND HER!

❝ C-Can’t I pay ya back some other way! Come on, I know I’m the craziest chick of Inkwell– But I didn’t mean to go all out. That craps guy cheated!! ❞

The Devil could sense the terror and desperation in the young lady.  It was funny, honestly.  People became so desperate after they destroyed their own lives.  And what was the Devil to do?  Just let them go because they made a “mistake”?  Everyone had to face the music sometime.  He wasn’t going to go easy on anybody, especially in this casino.

She tried to spare her soul with the most pathetic of measures.  She accused the boxman of cheating.  The Devil glanced over to the skeletal employee, who rolled the burning flames in his eye sockets.  He couldn’t help but roll his eyes, too.  Did this girl know where she was at right now?  This was no ordinary casino.  They didn’t play by fair rules.  If she expected anything here to be fair, then she really was crazy.

“Of COURSE he cheated,”  the Devil said, tapping his fingers on the craps table impatiently. “This is the Devil’s Casino.  We don’t play fair.  So suck it up, hand over your soul, and stop fussing.  Trust me, you ain’t got NOTHING to offer me.  Buuut, I’d like to see you try.  Go ahead.  Give me an offer that’s better than your soul.”

[devilsoffice]

Francesco Scaramuzza, Lucifero, Dante’s Inferno: Canto XXXIV

[devilsoffice]

lycanastrophe‌:

And he thought Fox McCloud was hard to get rid of.

“Sure you’re the devil.” Wolf gave him an unimpressed look and stretched his fingers out lazily. “You don’t think I hear people comin’ out and claiming that every day? I’m not a fool.” 

Wolf wasn’t particularly religious either; maybe there was something out there, maybe there wasn’t. All he knew was that only he was the master of his own fate. Not God, not the devil, and definitely not this clown. Slipping into the Wolfen wasn’t an easy feat, but it wasn’t impossible.

He’d been to the Smash tournaments. He’d seen weird shit.

This was nothing.

“Look, I’m a mercenary. Even if you had a job for me, I doubt it’d be the kinda job I’d even want or have in mind.” Wolf may not have been book smart, but he did have enough common sense to recognize when somebody was all bark and no bite. Calling yourself the devil while hissing, spitting, and swearing revenge like that?

Stupid. If the devil did exist - which he didn’t - he wouldn’t be wasting his time acting like a bratty teenager.

Did this guy... genuinely not believe him?  What, did he think this place was a normal casino?  And what was the Devil supposed to be if he wasn’t, well, the Devil?  The dog looked so unshaken by the revelation that he was almost offended.  No, scratch that, he was offended.  After destroying his casino and being such an asshole, that beast only worked harder to destroy his own chances of getting out alive.

The Devil seriously doubted that people claimed they were the Devil often, though.  Lots of people did, sure.  There’d always be attention seekers, but this guy would have to be around a pretty kooky bunch if this was a daily occurrence, which he, once again, didn’t believe.

The wolf continued on, saying something about a job.  Now when had the Devil said anything about a job?  He said compensation, not job.  He didn’t want this fuck working for him, not even for free.  This guy was bad news-- he obviously didn’t know how to keep in line, and frankly, the Devil didn’t need that kind of negativity in his life, especially after dealing with those cup children.  He’d pass on the offer.

“I AM the Devil.  It doesn’t matter whether you believe it or not, ‘cause it’s true.  But look, I don’t give a shit WHAT you think.  What I DO care about is makin’ this right.  Surely, even a dumb dog like you could figure out that something ain’t exactly right about busting up someone’s private property and then not giving them compensation.  And when I say compensation, I don’t mean a JOB.  I don’t WANT you workin’ for me, you hear me?  So stop jerkin’ yourself off over this.  You ain’t better than me, and you ain’t even good enough to work for me.”

The Devil & Wolf in ❝Canis Catastrophe❞

[devilsoffice]

mushroommonarchypeach‌:

Toadsworth looked like he had plenty more to say on the matter. However, Peach stepped forward, closing the distance between her and The Devil. “You might understand how hard it is, but I doubt you’re sympathetic to anything.” She spoke plainly “What kind of different deal? What is it you want now, if not my soul or my kingdom?” She asked.

 Peach clearly wanted to get right to the point, when it came to The Devil. “What could possibly equal either of those in value?” Then, it seemed she put it together, as her eyes widened slightly, and her lips parted. No…could he be talking about…no, he couldn’t be…right? She looked away, as if in contemplation, before looking back at The Devil. She would let him answer her questions first before saying anything further.

The princess didn’t seem to realize what was about to hit her.  That was so cute.  For all the brains she seemed to have, she couldn’t puzzle out this one last thing.  Well, all the more opportunity for him to give her a nice surprise.  She seemed skeptical that the Devil wanted to change the deal at all.  Hey, he could be reasoned with, just like anyone.  It was just exclusively on his terms that conditions could ever change when he arranged a deal like this.

The Devil watched Peach as her expression slowly changed while the realization dawned upon her.  He could hardly contain his joy, his grin menacing but gleeful.  He loved this job.  He loved this job so, so much.  She averted her eyes, but found the strength to drag them back to the demon’s form.  She was in for it now.  She had finally guessed the Devil’s new scheme, and he couldn’t have been happier in that.

He shrugged nonchalantly.  “Think about it, princess.  A soul is nice, but think about how a different deal might benefit us both.  Trust me, we can both get something out of a deal that spares your soul, but still gives me a nice reward for all my efforts.”

The Devil could sense the tension in the room only growing.  Toadsworth was practically foaming at the mouth by being prevented from speaking his mind.  He didn’t feel compelled to tell her immediately, instead opting to pace back and forth at a leisurely speed.  He spoke again: “Like I said, it was that wonderful little mushroom steak down there that gave me the idea.  Really, you should let him take credit for the idea.  He should be proud for thinking so quickly on his feet!”

The way Toadsworth’s eyes widened was so funny.  Oh man, he had to make sure they kept this guy around.  He was a hoot.  The Devil finally stopped his pacing again in front of Princess Peach.  He turned to face her fully.  Catching her gaze, he said, “What I’m trying to say, princess, is this: you can keep your soul, and instead, you can give me something even BETTER.  Since I don’t think you’ll be picking a new successor, OR having a kid any time soon, you know what you can offer me.  How’s your hand in marriage sound?”

The Devil started to laugh.  He was almost unable to say anything at all.  He was just so happy.  He couldn’t wait to see the look on her face.  He truly was a genius.  She’d marry him, he’d get her kingdom by proxy, he’d win.  Besides, she’d probably end up in Hell for marrying the Devil anyways.  It was a win on all accounts for him.  Besides, it’s not like he really cared about marriage.  He was still free to do whatever he liked afterwards.  He wiped a few tears of joy from his eyes.  “Ah, I’m sorry.  I’m just so overjoyed.  Proposals get me all choked up.”

The Devil & Princess Peach in ❝Unholy Matrimony❞

[devilsoffice]

I got a haircut y’all! I’m so happy, I’ve never looked so good I swear :’) you can’t tell in this lightning but I dyed my hair purple too!!

[devilsoffice]

I got my Cuphead stickers today!!!!  I love them.  Idk what I’m gonna do with a majority of them but I got the important ones on my laptop anyhow, so that’s a start.

[devilsoffice]

inkwellcupmuses‌:

“That’s nice and i-i mean if you insist..” The jackal couldn’t help himself, i mean… It couldn’t hurt just to have one drink or so, “I do like Lemon Drop. Soo… Yeah let’s do that, cheers then.” He walks over to the bar, patting the seat next to him to let the devil sit there with him. The little jackal’s tail was wagging, he was in a chipper mood today.

“If you insist...”

Hell yeah he insisted.  The Devil must have looked over the moon at the comedian’s agreement.  He clapped his hands together and said, “Wonderful!  Thank you very much, sir!”

He joined Jekyll at the row of seats at the bar, resting his hands politely on the smooth wooden surface.  The comedian picked his poison, and the Devil ordered it from the bartender-- and ordered another whiskey for himself for good measure.  If he was going to be buying a round for some schmuck, then he deserved something too.  The drinks were delivered, and the Devil took a tiny sip from his drink.  He then turned his attention towards his new companion.

The Devil was going to take his time here.  He had all night to do this-- hell, maybe it’d take even longer than that.  He could be a patient man when he needed to be, and tonight, that was his game.  Slow and steady, now.  “So, why did you choose to become a comedian?  How long have you been at it with that brother of yours, hm?”

The Devil & Jekyll in ❝The Divine Comedy❞

[devilsoffice]

              …with my eternal life, I shall see the world through to its end

                            until everyone who won’t like me is GONE.

          ALLHAILKINGP – AN INDIE PORKY MINCH BLOG

🐽 - Written by Psy

🐽 - 5 years of Tumblr RP experience

🐽 - Multi-fandom, OC friendly

🐽 - Semi-selective, prefers mutuals but open to everyone!

   - LAWS OF NEW PORK CITY - GIVE THE KING YOUR QUESTIONS -                                             ABOUT KING P - NAVIGATION

[devilsoffice]

              …with my eternal life, I shall see the world through to its end

                            until everyone who won’t like me is GONE.

          ALLHAILKINGP – AN INDIE PORKY MINCH BLOG

🐽 - Written by Psy

🐽 - 5 years of Tumblr RP experience

🐽 - Multi-fandom, OC friendly

🐽 - Semi-selective, prefers mutuals but open to everyone!

   - LAWS OF NEW PORK CITY - GIVE THE KING YOUR QUESTIONS -                                             ABOUT KING P - NAVIGATION

[devilsoffice]

              …with my eternal life, I shall see the world through to its end

                            until everyone who won’t like me is GONE.

          ALLHAILKINGP – AN INDIE PORKY MINCH BLOG

🐽 - Written by Psy

🐽 - 5 years of Tumblr RP experience

🐽 - Multi-fandom, OC friendly

🐽 - Semi-selective, prefers mutuals but open to everyone!

   - LAWS OF NEW PORK CITY - GIVE THE KING YOUR QUESTIONS -                                             ABOUT KING P - NAVIGATION

[devilsoffice]

cupxftrouble ‌:

[☕] Fighting Grim a second time had been far easier than the first time around, even though the kid wouldn’t even know that, given the fact he couldn’t remember anything from his past. As far as he knew, he always worked for the Devil and that was that. The look on the green dragon’s face when he appeared before him had been priceless. The large creature was relieved to see him, yet worried at the same time. He had asked him where he had been since he hadn’t seen him in so long.

That had quickly changed when Cuphead had told him he had come to take him to his boss. The dragon had been horrified at the news, but the kid didn’t think much of it. Everyone normally was when he came for them. It didn’t take more than a few short hours before he came back to the casino with the dragon he’d recently defeated. The little cup was quite pleased as he gave a quick bow once he returned to the Devil’s office with the freshly caught dragon.

“One dragon as promised!” he chimed as he walked over and stood beside the ruler of Hell itself. He kept a watchful eye on Grim, however, just in case he decided to try something funny at the last minute. And if he just so happened to, then the kid would be ready to attack him again if he even so much as attempted to escape the office. He highly doubted he would, given how tired and beat up the mythical creature was. But it was better to be safe than sorry.

The kid stuck his tongue out at Grim as he gestured towards him when he mentioned that he didn’t want to end up like him. There was nothing wrong with working for the Devil! It was the greatest thing in the world as far as he was concerned. He wouldn’t change it for anything. Not like he had much of a choice anyway.

Cuphead titled his head to one side in a curious matter, almost like a cat or dog would do when a person talked to them. He was silent as he listened to Grim plead with him, trying to reach out to him for help. He didn’t know who this Mugman person was that the dragon was going on about, but a small part of him felt like he should know. Whoever that was, he seemed important. He also didn’t understand what he might by ‘he and Mugman didn’t fight for this’. He never fought for anyone but the Devil, and he sure as hell never fought alongside anyone named Mugman before.

Despite being curious and wanting to ask what it meant, he never got the chance. His boss was already sending the dragon down to Hell to spend the rest of his afterlife. He watched as Grim was tossed into the portal leading to his doom. He waved with a small smirk on his face as he heard Satan calling down to him as he fell. Another debtor down, another job done.

He looked up at the Devil once he turned his attention back onto him. The boy nodded, deciding that it was better not to listen to the words Grim had said. People said weird things when their lives were on the line. That didn’t stop him from pondering around it all the same. Regardless, the kid beamed, clearly pleased with the praise.

“No trouble at all!” Cuphead answered smugly. “He went down easy! He didn’t even put up all that great of a fight!”

It was true after all. Grim had been a cakewalk for the kid. Despite never fighting him before, as far as he knew anyway, he somehow was able to dodge and weave ever attack that came his way. It was like something in the far corners of his mind remembered what he was going to do and his body attacked upon them, almost as though he was on autopilot.

“I do have a question though… Who’s Mugman? That dragon–Grim right?–seemed pretty upset when he found out about me workin’ for ya. He even tried ta question me before we fought, but I didn’t give him the chance.” The kid shrugged his shoulders, leaning back on the heels of his shoes casually. “It seems really wierd ta me, that’s all. It’s like he knew me, but I’ve never seen 'em before in my life.”

The way Cuphead so confidently confirmed the easiness of the fight put the Devil more at ease.  So maybe he hadn’t realized the seriousness of the situation.  This was a slip up, still, but damn, he was luckier than he thought he was.  Thank goodness for that.  He was almost worried he’d have to kill Cuphead a second time there.  He laughed assuredly  “Good job, kid.  I knew you could do it.”

The Devil’s expression shifted to a frown as Cuphead inquired about Mugman more.  The tone of Cuphead’s voice showed his confusion, so at the very least, it hadn’t triggered any memory in him as far as the Devil could see.  He was cutting it close here, though.  Grim was a dead dragon once he had the chance to get down there.  He’d make sure that Grim never forgot what he did for as long as he existed.

“Eh.  Probably mixin’ you up with some other cup around.  I know there’s a couple other ones, but I ain’t never seen them around here.  He was obviously mistaken.  Grim never dealt with nobody here ‘cept Dice and ME.  Like I told you, it was a desperate attempt to save his hide.  That Mugman, whoever he is?  Must be a friend of Grim’s and assumed you knew ‘im too.  Don’t worry about it.  I certainly wouldn’t.”

The Devil gestured to the casino with his head.  “C’mon, let’s celebrate the win.  A fresh soul is always a good excuse to party.  I’ll let you have a beer, how about that?”

Drinking to forget was always fun.  The Devil wasn’t all too worried about the incident, now that Grim was gone, but he knew he needed to push Cuphead into focusing on their victory rather than what was said.  If he thought too hard about it, well...  that could lead to serious trouble, and the Devil had had enough trouble for a millennium.

The Devil then ushered Cuphead towards the casino through the bridge that connected his tower and the casino.  He continued on towards the bar.  As he’d expected, the Tipsy Troop was waiting there.  They often were if they weren’t needed for minion duties.  The Devil motioned for Cuphead to sit down at the bar.  He slammed his hand down on the surface of the bar to catch their attention.

“Hey, you mooks listen up!  Our pal Cuphead just brought me one of our missing debtors.  Get him a beer for his troubles, huh?  And get me one, too, while you’re at it.  Make it snappy!”

The troop mumbled congratulations to Cuphead, though they were hard to understand through the slurring.  The Devil sat down at the bar, too.  He tapped his fingers on the bar as the Tipsy Troop stumbled about to prepare the drinks.  Jesus, he could have just done this all himself.  These three were so damn useless sometimes.  Finally, they managed to scrounge up two glasses of beer.

“About time,” the Devil grumbled under his breath. “Well, kid, bottoms up.”  He took a hearty swig of his drink.  He wiped away some of the excess that dripped from his mouth.  “Well?  How do ya feel?  Think you could round up some more debtors sometime soon?”