Chapter Text
He'd read about the ship in the paper one morning. His mother had been so ecstatic about it, she hadn't stopped her nattering. Mumbo had lived with this hellish limbo for weeks, but now, finally, he was about to board. The carriage shuddered over the uneven cobblestone as they rode, Mumbo and his mother shared the space and he slumped sulkily against the side, eyes watching as the dank and dirty streets of Plymouth passed them by. His mother, on the other hand, couldn't stop her mouth from flapping. She reeled off names of the first-class guests as if that meant anything to the raven-haired man. He could care less about status or social hierarchy. It was more of a curse than a blessing. He'd spent years of his life being told how to sit, how to eat, how to breath. He had had enough of it all.
Mumbo wanted to be an engineer, he'd loved how the Redstone dust felt against his skin and often would draw sketches of contraptions he wanted to build. But his mother hated that too, "An engineer is a job for the lower Class, Mumbo. If you marry properly, you'll then be doing our family name proud." She would hiss at him whenever he had the chance to get wrist deep in his dream work.
The cart pulled to a stop, his mother whined about how bumpy the ride had been and how she couldn't wait to be away from the scum that walked the streets. Mumbo rolled his eyes and sighed as the door opened. Cub stood in the entrance to the cart, his greying beard was perfectly trimmed and neat, it matched his salt and pepper hair. "I hope both of you had a pleasant trip." He greeted his mother and himself properly, lifting the bowler hat that sat atop his head, he reached into his blazer pocket and pulled out a tip to hand to the driver. "Zedaph, I want our bags to be put in our rooms." He told the blond boy, who stood behind him. The younger man muttered a quiet "Yes sir." As he moved to take as many bags as he could carry.
Zedaph was a small boy, for as long as Mumbo had known Cub, Zedaph had waited on him hand and foot. He was rather young to be a butler, but he was very good at his job and distantly seemed to enjoy serving Cub. Mumbo hated the entire dynamic, he thought it was entirely unneeded and would often try to release Zedaph of his duties, to allow the younger man a break.
"So what do you think, Mumbo?" Cub asked as he helped the other man down from the cart. Mumbo couldn't help the gasp that left his chest. The Titanic certainly lived up to its name, it was a mammoth of a ship and from the outside seemed very luxurious, Mumbo nodded silently and shrugged.
"It is rather large," He offered quietly. Cub turned to Mumbo's mother and they shared a soft chuckle at his response before he wrapped an arm around Mumbo, directing him towards the boat.
"You are so difficult to impress." He hummed as they climbed the steps.
Mumbo ignored Cub as they walked, his eyes were flicking across he metal masterpiece, his mind imagining all the Redstone that went behind it, that powered it. He longed to take a peek inside, but yet he knew he would be scolded by his mother and shamed for his curiosity. Besides, he was supposed to be nothing but a pretty face, a business deal, that brought two businesses together. People slapped on the title of marriage to make the entire process more palatable. Mumbo seethed at the entire situation. He didn't want to marry a man he didn't love. How could he? But he was, he had no choice.
The boat was just as pretty on the inside than on the out. The corridors were tall and grand, but Mumbo still felt his head was far too close to the ceiling for his comfort. He was tall and lanky, and he hated it. He was so clumsy and often would bumble into situations without thinking. His mother would tell him off for his carelessness, and in all honestly, he hated himself for it. It was probably the only thing that he agreed with her on.
Their cabins were just as large and grand, mahogany lined the walls and any builder would be astonished at the architecture, a four-poster bed was the centrepiece for the room and Mumbo felt swamped with the beauty of it all. It was so overwhelming and all a little too much for his mind to grasp. "Where would you like this, sir?" Zedaph interrupted his thoughts and Mumbo glanced to the picture that the younger man was holding. It was rather odd, so strange and otherworldly. He loved the paintings, they were his second love, only second to that of Redstone. He could stare at them for hours, imagining himself in those canvasses, free from the ties of his life. "Over there, please." He told the butler.
"Why do you insist on keeping those wretched things, Mumbo?" Cub asked as he saddled up beside the other man. Mumbo shrugged.
"Some of us simply have good taste." He told him.
Cub hummed at his jab and smirked, he seemed to enjoy teasing the other man, much to Mumbo's chagrin. He wished that he would be left alone, but alas, he was stuck in this prison. A life of luxury. Mumbo distantly wondered if he was self-centred. After all, there were people much worse off than himself.