Chapter Text
“Mugs, c’mon, it’s not THAT bad!”
Of course. Of course he didn’t think it’s bad, why wouldn’t he. Mugman sighed, reaching towards his handle to check if the ribbon Elder Kettle gave him was still there. He knew it will once again take force to make his brother agree to go home already. It was always like that – they mess up, Cuphead says “It’s not that bad!” or “I ain’t too worried about it!”, brushes it off and gets them into an even bigger mess.
“Cuphead. Your clothes are dirty, Porkrind wants us dead even MORE, if that was possible, and you’re over here saying “It’s not that bad!”. You’re insane, we’re going home.”
Cuphead scoffed, standing up, dusting himself off. He wiped his nose.
“Don’t’cha worry about it, Mugsy! I’d deal with that jerk any day! He’s no match for Ol’ Cuphead!”
Cuphead snickered at his twin’s expression, since he looked like he’s about to pummel him to the ground. Mugman just fixed his glasses.
“You’re twelwe, Porkrind is a middle aged man. You’re not beating him in a fight.”
Cuphead just waved his hand dismissively, muttering something under his breath, but just pulled his shorts slightly up and shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Let’s agree to disagree. Then, as you said, we better get going. Let’s go, Mugs!”
As Cuphead turned around and started walking down the path towards the forest, Mugman followed suit, but he stopped due to a strange feeling – like he was being watched. The mug looked around.
“Hold on.”
Once he turned around full 180 degrees, he froze.
Two wide eyes staring right at him out of the bush. Those eyes belonged to a rabbit-looking boy. Fluffy black fur, a bit longer at his neck and around his ears, which were up, as if he was listening in very intently. The boy’s green button up looked… Expensive. What was this kid doing here? But Mugman didn’t get time to think this over, before the other spoke:
“I like your ribbon.”
Mugman paused. Was this kid only looking at him because of the ribbon? Can’t be. Maybe he wanted to be friends? It could be as simple as that, yes, or it could be not. Mugman reached up to the ribbon again, tying it off and looking at it in his hand.
“Oh, uhm… This old thing? I don’t like it, personally…”
The mug looked up at this rabbit, who was, still, looking very intently.
“Do YOU want it?”
He asked, extending his hand with the blue ribbon. The other’s eyes lit up as his basically jumped out of the bush, grabbing the ribbon.
“Do I?! Of course!”
The kid didn’t waste time, tying it under his shirt’s collar, and pretty neatly, too. He looked down at it for a short while, before looking at the mug in front of him. He smiled and motioned at it with his hand.
“Does it look good?”
Mugman looked at the boy. It… It did look good. It looked nice. It suited him. The blue balanced well with the green shirt, and complimented the black fur. Not to mention it was a similar hue to the rabbit’s eyes- What?? When did he have time to register that??
Mugman fixed his glasses, clearing his throat and looking to the side, clutching his hands together behind his back.
“Yes, yes it looks okay.”
The boy tilted his head, giggling and just overall looking much more eager to chatter with the mug in front of him.
“Thanks-“
“Anthony.”
That was a voice everyone in the Isles knew, that was a tone Mugman could decipher quickly, that was a man… That the kid, Anthony, greeted with a smile.
“Oh, hi Uncle Mickey! I thought you’ll take longer at the store!”
Mickey looked at Anthony, before glancing at Mugman, who didn’t like the glare in his eye. Mickey just sighed, extending his hand for the kid he came for to take, which he did.
“C’mon, son, let’s get going…”
“Wait, Uncle Mick!”
Anthony let go of the man’s hand, running up to the kid who just gifted him something he wanted. Ant knew it’s not polite to just take something and run off. He extended his arm and, with a smile, said:
“My name is Anthony! What’s yours?”
Mugman hesitantly shook the boy’s hand, mostly because he felt the mayor’s eyes on him.
“Mugman. The name’s Mugman.”
Mickey just sighed heavily, walking closer the two, pushing Anthony from Mugman by his shoulder and glaring the other kid down.
“Great, now breeze off*, sport. Your brother’s waitin’ for ya’.”
Mugman looked shocked, and slightly offended to be honest, but this was an adult he was talking to. He couldn’t say anything back. He just took a final glimpse at Anthony, before turning around and running back to Cuphead, who was tapping his foot, waiting, and showered him with questions.
Anthony looked at his uncle as he was walking away, following after. He looked over his shoulder at Mugman – he felt bad for him, since Mickey was so unfriendly with the boy… The kid looked back at the mouse.
“That wasn’t very nice. You know, he was really friendly, he gave me this ribbon after I complimented him-“
“Oh, please, kids like him end up as hoods** when they grow up, get raised to know how to glaum*** and croak****!”
Anthony looked at the ground as they walked. Was his uncle right? He couldn’t be, Mugman looked pretty sweet from what he could tell. It was his brother who he didn’t like from the conversation he overheard-
“Oh, and that ribbon? Yeah, it makes you look like a sap*****”
On those words, Mickey reached down to Anthony, tying off the bow quickly, and pocketing it. No warning. No further explanation. Anthony would’ve stood there in disbelief, maybe even break down and cry right there and then – but he knew his uncle didn’t like to wait around for him.
*Breeze off – get lost
**Hood – criminal
***Glaum – steal
****Croak – kill
*****Like a sap - foolish