havana-story-time

[havana-story-time]

The sound of seagulls were heard over the small ferry that carried passengers from the Mainlands of the city to the small and cozy isles in the distance. A young woman looked out at the edge towards the distance where she saw a silhouette of other islands and a ship poking out of the water, not quite sunken. The sky was a bright blue with a few clouds lazily passing by overhead, a gently breeze picking up the fresh smell of the sea and gently brushing the woman's hair to the side. She lifted up her hand and gently nudged her hair pack to its place and held it there as she leaned onto the railing as she continued to admire the view. Soft footsteps were heard walking on the wooden floors of the ferry as another young woman came over. She was holding up a map, her face scrunched up in thought and a bit of annoyance as she twisted the map this way and that way in her hands. She spoke, but grunted when she didn't get a reply, and went over to the woman and repeated herself once more, a bit louder.

"Red, didn't you hear me?"

The other woman, Red, snapped out of her trance and looked to the young woman. Red saw her sister, Delly, puffed out her cheeks and tap her foot impatiently as she scrunched the map in one of her fists, which she rested on her hips. "I'm sorry, Delly dear. What did you say?"

Delly sighed and shook her head. She had short black hair and wore lots of pink: a small pink pillbox hat, a pink sundress with ruffles and lace, and pink flats. Even her make up was lots of pink: eye shadow, lipstick and blush. "I said: What Isle is where we meet up with Honey and Constance? Where's the Theater?"

Red looked over the map and took out a red marker from her purse and circled a few areas as she explained each one. "Here, the third Isle is where we're landing. It's a big city here, but there's the harbor we're going to. Over here is the theater where the manager will meet us to meet Sally once Constance and Honey arrive. It'll be a few days, but we can look around until then. Let's see..." Red studied the map and flipped over a page where the third isle was shown to be much bigger and detailed. "There's a lot of office buldings here, but there's a few restaurants and hotels here. We'll be staying in one of these while we're here." Red turned to the next page and it showed the second Isle. "This one has a roller coaster, a castle, a pyramid, and looks like lots of places to eat at. I mean, it literally looks like a carnival."

"Oh look! A tower! Maybe there's a princess inside!" Delly pipe up as she pointed to a part on the map.

"Maybe, even better, a three-headed dragon!" Red chuckled and flipped to the last page of the map. "Not much here. Looks like the observatory is the only interesting thing here. That and a ferry. Oh, a lighthouse!" Red smiled and circled the lighthouse on the map. "We could see if we can go there and maybe see what's on the other side? Maybe we can see all of the Isles?"

"Neat! Hey, Red! We're almost there!" Delly pointed out to the distance towards the front of there ferry, where there was a few open docks here and there for the ferry to drop off the passengers.

Once the ferry reached port, Red and Delly got off and noticed a rather large red ship docked a few docks down from where they stood. Red recalled their eldest sister, Constance, said she was sailing with a captain and would be in the Isles within the few days they'd arrive. Perhaps this ship was the same one she was on? As if wondering the same thing, Delly looked over to Red, who nodded, and both headed towards the ship. As they got closer, Red watched as the sailors walked up and down the plank carrying large crates to and from the ship, setting them down in two separate piles as they continued like a trail of ants.

"No no no!" somebody cried out. "Fools! You're bring BACK the cargo we just got! Everybody STOP!!" As if on cue, all the sailors stopped what they were doing as a large figure appeared at the top of the ship. He was a large and round human with a black eye patch over his right eye, two pegged legs, a messy black beard around his face and a large red nose. He scowled at his crew and barked back orders, pointing to one pile of the crates. "The shipment we got from the last trip goes over THERE! And the supplies we need are over THERE!" He lifted up a crate that showed a logo on the box. "THIS is what we're here for! If it ain't got the logo, it's a no-go! Meaning we DON'T put it on the ship!" The crew nodded and scurried to fix their mistake. The captain sighed and noticed the two women watching, giggling from behind their hands. He tugged up his belt around his waist and smoothed out his beard before he wwalked down towards the women.

"Ahoy, lassies! What brings you here? Don' reckon I've seen the like a-you's b'fore!" the captain gave a laugh as his belly bounced up and down.

"Ahoy, Captain!" Delly smiled. "I'm Delly. This is my sister, Red. We were wondering if you had somebody named "Constance" on board?"

"Eh? I knew a lad with his ship bein' called "Constance", a "constant pain in the arse" he always told me. But I don't think I do, now that I thinks about it." The Captain tugged at his beard in thought. "Hm... What do they look like?"

"She's got long brown hair that goes to her waist. And she always has that look like she smelled something bad, like sour milk. She's always wears big hoop earrings, too. Well, last we saw her that's what she looked like." Red took a moment to look around, seeing nothing but men working the docks at the moment. "She said she's sailing with a captain to know the ropes on how to command her own ship."

"Oh! Yeah, she quit."

"What?!" Red and Delly looked up at the Captain in shock. "Quit?!"

"Aye. Well, she's her own Captian now!" the Captain smiled proudly and rested his hands on his hips. "I made sure o' that meself! Helped get her own lil' tugboat to start out with, too!" The Captain nodded and smiled. "Aye, she told me all about her wantin' to sail on her own, man her own ship and after sailin' with me she learned everythin' I know how! Last I heard of her she was headin' this way, sayin' she was gonna see her sisters for a performance. Say, wouldn't that be you two?"

Red nodded. "Yes, actually, she's our older sister. We're a Quartet. Our little sister is supposed to arrive here soon. We're going to perform at the theater here in a few days to sing."

"Oh, really? Yer goin' over to see Ms. Stageplay? I'll have to come by and watch! She keeps sayin' somethin' 'bout "ladies from the actual big ol' city" and droppin' off flyers in everyone's faces." As if on cue, the ship spat out a few flyers from its mouth, which floated down and landed in the water below. "Some of them... literally."

Delly picked up a lone flyer that landed by her feet and looked at it. It featured the sisters in mid song, much like the ones in their flyers back home, but was crossed out from their city to read "INKWELL ISLE THREE'S THEATER" marked in bright red paint. "Hey, this looks like the flyers we have at home. Maybe our manager had extras and had Ms. Stageplay use these instead?"

"Either way, as long as they're getting the word out." Red looked over to the Captain and smiled warmly. "We'd best get going, Captain. See you later!" Red and Delly waved and headed out of the docks and over towards the bustling city.

Delly looked up in awe at the tall buildings, much like the ones back home, but still had room in between them and were more colorful than the dull and boring gray back home. Once they stopped to sit down after arriving at the second Inkwell Isle, they took out the map and looked at the page for the second isle. They saw the tower peeking over the trees, the pyramid, the roller coaster, and the castle from where they stood. The two sisters first stopped to check out the castle, but the owner, a woman named "Baroness VonBon Bon" wasn't expecting anyone that day nor was she expecting visitors, as the guard stated. So, they turned around and left to go check out the pyramid. As they reached the door, a note appeared that read "The Great Djimmi is Out to Lunch!". So, in an annoyed state, decided to try and check out the roller coaster. Alas, it was "Out of Order" and was under a maintenance check at the time.

"Man, this sucks!" Delly cried out quite loudly. Red shushed her sister and looked around to notice a few surprised patrons stopping and staring for a moment before going back to their duties.

"Hey, how about we get a bite to eat? We haven't had anything since we left the Mainlands. I think I saw a malt shop we could try." Red took Delly's hands and walked with her to a restaurant, which really was the malt shop, and both ordered a large banana split to share. The ice cream was made from the sea salt and looked blue in hue, like the sea, and tasted sweet.

"Yummy! This is better than the ice creams back home!" Delly put her hand on her cheek as she continued to eat the ice cream. "It's like we're really tasting some of the sea!"

Red nodded and looked out the window as they continued to enjoy their snack. She wondered about when the other two sisters would arrive. Constance she knew would be arriving within the next few days, certainly before the performance, as she was out sailing and exploring. Honey, her youngest sister, said she would arrive around the same time as Constance. Red recalled Honey saying she'd be on her own for a bit as well to learn some new dances or at least explore a bit herself from a teacher from a far off land and would return in time for the performance as well.

"I hope they're alright..."

Red looked over to Delly and smiled reassuringly. "I know they're fine, Delly. They'll be here in a few days, we'll perform, meet the locals and head home after a few more performances."

Delly smiled back and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. You're always right, Red."

After their meal, Delly noticed it was starting to turn to dusk. "Hey, maybe we can go to the observatory to see the stars later? Maybe we can see Constance's ship from there? Oh! Or maybe go to the Lighthouse!"

"Both sound fun!" Red and Delly soon headed towards the first isle and, thanks to the friendly locals, made way to the observatory. Delly tried to open the door but it was locked, a sign post reading "Closed Until Dusk. Go Enjoy the Sunset! Come back later!"

"Man, what rotten luck!" Delly stomped her foot on the ground in frustration and took out the map again and sighed. "Looks like the lighthouse is our only option. Maybe if we take the boat to it we can get inside?"

As they ventured forth, Delly suddenly screamed in anger when she saw the small boat was not docked but was instead being used in the distance by a few figures, each with a pole in hand, as they fished from it. Delly kicked over a bucket in frustration, luckily nothing was inside it, and stomped off in anger.

"Delly!" Red called out and chased after her sister. Luckily, nobody was around to see Delly's outburst and Red trying to calm her down.

"I hate this place! Everything's closed, we can't get to where we wanna go... I wanna go home!!"

"Delly, calm down! Look, there's plenty of places we can still go to." Red took hold of the map and looked through it. Most of the places were bound to close soon... They could try and watch the sunset or maybe head to the hotel for the night?

"Hey, what's this?" Red looked as Delly pulled a small tab from the corner of the map. It was connected to the third isle's map and was hidden away. How did they even miss it? After they unfolded it, it was a mountain with a large opening leading with arrows to the "CASINO". Delly's lips curled up and she had a large grin on her face. "Let's go," she breathed. With no warning, Delly took Red's hand and rushed to the casino. Out of breath, they arrived at the mountain and the entrance.

"The Casino never closes! C'mon, we'll play a few rounds and have a few drinks.. it'll be fun!" Delly marched on inside the mountain and was in awe when she saw the actual building. It looked like, to her, a castle with a large grinning devil at the top. On one side it had a chess piece that was clearly the King's Piece, more than likely the one where the Devil's office (probably) was.

"Delly, I have a bad feeling..." Red started as she followed Delly into the casino. They were stopped by security once they entered and were asked for their identifications. Once they showed the security guard their id's they were given a raised brow and a smirk.

"Sooo..." the guard dragged. "You ladies are from the Mainlands, huh? What part?"

"Havana." Red replied quickly. "We're from all over, really. Never could settle down in one part."

The guard nodded and gave them both a nod and a smile as he stepped aside, lifting up the velvet rope. After passing through, Delly took Red's hand and smiled. "Oh man, Red, c'mon! Let's play some poker!"

"Now, Delly, listen. There's a lot of high rollera here; they'll try to get you to bet more and more until you're out of money. 'The only sure thing about luck is that it will change.' And 'Quit while you’re ahead. All the best gamblers do.' Those are some things Dad told us, right? We can still have some fun at least. C'mon, let's play a few games."

And with that, Red and Delly went around the casino to play the slots, bet on skeleton horses at the horse races, played a few rounds of poker and ended up at the craps table in the end. It seemed luck was on their side more than some of the others. With each win, they started to draw a crowd. After a few rounds of free drinks, it seemed like life couldn't get any sweeter. Delly tossed another roll and struck another win, causing the crowd to cheer.

"These ladies can't lose!" one patron called out.

With this statement, Red saw a figure appear, clad in a fancy purple suit and bow tie, stroll over towards the sisters. He had a large grin on his face, a thin moustache above his lip, a die for a head with purple pips matching his purple suit. The nose was the single pip and connected to the moustache. Red could smell an intoxicating aroma about him, no doubt a high-class cologne.

"Lady luck must be on your side tonight, ladies. Lookit the crowd you drew in over here!" The die smirked as walked around the craps table and bowed to the sister. It was like he had an heir of royalty about him, or just good practice for doing this for so long. "I'm Mr. King Dice. A pleasure, ladies."

"I'm Delphine, but everybody calls me Delly. This is my sister, Red." Red looked over to Delly and nudged her a little in the arm. Delly ignored her and flashed a sweet smile towards the die man.

"Say, how about we kick this up a notch, maybe to the VIP section of the casino? Higher wages to those who are REALLY lucky." King Dice flashed a smile and suddenly wrapped his arms around each of the sister's shoulders and pulled them close to him. "C'mon, whatdya say? I got a good feelin' about you two."

Before Red could reply, Delly spoke up. "Okay!" And with that, King Dice smirked and guided the sisters, arms now wrapped around their waists, and quickly lead them to a golden elevator that took them up a few floors of the casino. After leading them towards a large set of doors, he released the sisters, straightened out his bow tie, smoothed out his suit and opened the doors. Inside was really what a VIP would see: velvet red chairs versus the worn out and dull brown from down stairs, golden statues, and a lush red carpet heading to a lone craps table in the middle of the room.

"Fancy..." Delly looked over to Red and took her hand as King Dice lead them inside. There wasn't anybody in the room aside from a few casino workers. Some of them looked at the sisters with raised brows, others raised their brows mostly towards Dice, who just smirked and stood where the craps dealer would stand. Some male casino workers, a cigar-like man in a large coat and a larger man with an 8-Ball for a head, chuckled darkly in one corner as they watched from their seats on a velvet red sofa.

"Now, the rules apply here, too, like the rules on the floor. But... my table is higher wages. More risks. I know you ladies can handle it."

"Why bring us here?" Red asked. "I mean, same rules and all that."

King Dice shrugged and leaned his head over to one shoulder and closed his eyes. "Well, would you rather risk your lives down there after a big win? Or have something bad happen to you after you leave?" King Dice smirked and looked at Red, who looked away in reply. "Thought so. Now." King Dice clapped his hands togheter and appearing in his hands were two pink dice with white pips. He handed the dice over towards the sisters. Before Delly could reach for the dice, King Dice closed his fingers over them. "Now. Before we begin... I actually have a confession."

"Oooh, a confession! You're such a sinner, Dice!"

Red looked over and saw the cigar man laugh as he slapped his knee. Dice chuckled darkly in response, his eyes flashing green and never leaving Red's gaze when she looked back towards him. "Yes, sinners are much more fun. To confess, I'm Mr. King Dice. I'm the Devil's right hand man. The Devil is the owner of this casino. Ever since these two brats came about and clubbed the place, things haven't been goin' too well for us. But now that you two are here, things can get a bit better. Word is goin' round that you two are from the Mainlands and are quite famous. Even if we get one of ya, I'm sure that people would still come 'round to see ya perform. Ain't that right... Boss?"

Red and Delly turned towards the doors when they heard a dark chuckle coming from them. It was the Devil himself. "That's right, Dice. Now, I know you're wonderin' what the bet is." The Devil walked over to the sisters and smirked down at them. Red felt a lump form in her throat as she stared up at this monster of a... demon. Tall guys really made Red nervous, with her short stature compared to King Dice, her head only going to his chest. Red had to lean back on the craps table as the Devil leaned down and towards the sisters, his smirk still on his face.

"If you win this round, you'll have everything in my casino. You'll be living like queens for the rest of your lives."

"And... if we lose?" Red's lips quivered as she looked at the Devil in the eyes, seeing her own reflection in one eye, Delly's in the other.

The devil smirked.

"Then I take one of your souls."

"One of ours?" Delly looked over to Red, who did the same.

"Well, we only have room for one more performer. And I'm only interested in one. Now... who's it gonna be?"

Delly opened her mouth to speak, but shut it. She didn't want to lose to the Devil, if she did, and she didn't want to be stuck here... but she also didn't want her sister to be stuck either.

"I'll bet my soul."

Delly looked to Red and gasped. "Red, no!" she cried out. Red bit her lip before she continued, glaring up at the Devil. "I bet my soul in place of my sister's. If you win... you don't touch her."

The Devil smirked and held out his hand towards Red. "We got a deal." Red continued to glare up at the Devil before she placed her own hand in his, sealing the deal. Red turned towards King Dice as he opened up his hand to reveal the dice. Delly turned as well and took the dice in her hands. She looked at her sister for a moment before she shook the dice in her hands and tossed them onto the table. The air grew heavy and it seemed time stopped for a moment as Red watched the dice roll and soon land.

"Snake Eyes!" King Dice smirked at Red.

"You lose."

[havana-story-time]

Mr. Wheezy sighed as he sat down on the sofa in the staff beak room. Finally, he could catch his breath. The casino was busier than usual that night and nobody had a chance to sit down until it all died down later. Weezy took out a cigar from his pocket and held it between his teeth as he searched for a lighter. He sighed, took a breath and blew hard like one would try to pop their ears as the top of his head glowed red and grew hot. Wheezy put the cigar at his head and the tip lip at last. Wheezy relaxed and started to smoke his cigar. As he enjoyed a few long and slow puffs, the door opened and closed behind him. He didn’t need to look up as the person walked past him and sat down at the table across the room.

Wheezy felt his heart skip a beat when he noticed who it was. It was Red, one of the new entertainers for the casino, that bet her soul on the Devil. He didn’t know her that much and only spoke to her briefly before she was whisked away to do other things or she’d usually totally ignore him. At least he was finally alone with her; he could finally get the courage to talk to her. He studied her as she sat at the table, not totally gawking and not totally looking away. She was dressed in her usual red mermaid gown; her brown hair was up and curled at the ends but was pushed away by her slender gloved hand as she rested her cheek against her palm. Her eyes were looking down at what looked like a book of sorts, like she was studying the little details of the pages. Wheezy noticed the book was blank so she wasn’t really reading. In her other hand she held a pen and she nibbled on the end as she was in deep thought. Wheezy looked closer at her lips, which were parted and were red like a rose. Wheezy wandered his eyes down from her lips down to her neckline. She never did fancy jewelry, and even if she did it’d mostly be a bracelet or earrings. He went down further hoping to catch a glimpse of her bosoms but was damned with her arm blocking a perfect view.

Wheezy took a drag of his cigar and looked away nonchalantly and studied the clock a moment. Wheezy heard Red sigh and drop her pen on the table. He looked over and saw Red lean down and rest her head on the table. Her hair slid down the sides and revealed her back. Her skin was a light peach and her dress reached low to about her lower back. At least he got a better view of her hips, which he was actually grateful for. Before Wheezy spoke up, the door opened. Wheezy looked to see it was Chips Bettigan. He strolled in wearing his usual “cowboy” look: a tan blazer, white shirt, jeans and brown cowboy boots with his signature hat on his head.

“Red, there ya are, girl!” Chips said with a smile as he waltzed in like he owned the place. He saw Wheezy, nodded, and went right over to the table where Red sat and took up a seat for himself in front of her. “Ya’ll right?” His accent was thick Southern Texan. It made Wheezy want to vomit.

“I’m fine.” Red looked up and straightened back up into her chair. She again rested her head in the same hand she had earlier. “I’m just… having some trouble writing a new song. You know how the boss is. HE thinks I can come up with songs on the spot… I can’t.”

“Well, maybe ya’ve been workin’ too hard?” Chips shrugged and rested his head in the same fashion Red was. “Take a break and maybe… I dunno, somethin’ would come to ya?”

“I work a few nights a week and you call that “busy”, Chips?” Red’s lips curved up at one side. “I also help out the boss with a few errands here and there, I help out you guys from time to time on your needs if we’re busy, I get dance lessons from Pirouletta for my routines… I got a full house here.”

Chips nodded as he listened. Wheezy looked over and saw Red slump her forehead into her hand. “I can’t even find the muse for a new song… If it keeps goin’, I’m useless here.”

“Aw, don’t say that, Red! ‘Sides, the boss ain’t the one to toss out great talent like that!”

“What about that duo on unicycles that juggled chainsaws?”

“Um…”

“And that one lady who was a “magician” and couldn’t swipe a full wallet out of that one guy and got caught?”

“But that’s—”

“What about that skeleton comedian? He was funny, despite his stupid puns, right? And look what happened to him. Stuck in the underground somewhere.”

“Wait, I don’t—”

Red sighed, stopping him. “No. I’ll have to keep writing until something comes up.”

“If ya want, Miss Red, I was thinkin’… Maybe I could take ya out of the casino for a bit? I hear there’s this picture out that has a character in your predicament. Maybe that’d be a nice thing to see sometime?” Chips took off his hat and held it in between his hands. “I mean, if you were willin’ to get out. It does get a bit stuffy in here.”

“Well, mostly because of that cigar smell. Isn’t it getting stronger in here, Chips?” Red looked over and noticed Mr. Wheezy, the tip of his head glowing a dull red like a cigar being dragged for an inhale. “Oh, Wheezy I didn’t notice you were here.”

“Peh.” Wheezy huffed and turned away. He took a drag of his cigar and blew smoke out from the gap between his teeth and ignored the two as they went back to their conversation like he wasn’t there. That pissed him off a little bit. But it stopped when Red said something that piped his interest.

“Look, Chips, I’ll… I’ll sleep on it. I can’t really think straight with my head poundin’ like a jack hammer.”

Chips nodded and put his hat back on his head. “Well, I’ll leave ya to it then. Hope ya get rid of them writer’s blocks in yer head, Miss Red.” Chips stood up from his seat, tilted his hat towards Red, and walked out.

Bingo. Weezy looked back over to Red, who paid him no mind as usual, as she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. She leaned her head back and let her hair fall down from her shoulders as she closed her eyes.

“Y’know, Wheez?”

Wheezy looked up when Red said his name out of the blue. He looked over behind her in surprise. She still had her eyes closed as she continued. “Is there somewhere I can go? This room is killing me.”

“W-what’dya mean?” Wheezy spoke up.

“I mean, is there somewhere, anywhere, I can go to in the casino? What areas are blocked off?”

“Uh… obviously the Devil’s room is off limits unless ya get “special permission”. Never bother the boss at his office unless ya really wanna bother ‘im or have important info.” Wheezy looked up and thought some more. “I mean, Dice usually goes to the music room and muse on the piano for a bit, and—”

“Does he mind if others use the piano?”

“What?”

“Where’s the music room at? Maybe playing something would help me, that usually helps me get a melody.” Red suddenly stood up practically ran out the door. “Nevermind, I’ll look for it myself!”

Wheezy watched as Red straight up bolted from her chair and run out the door. Wheezy looked at the table to see that she left her book and pen there. He finished off his cigar, thinking Red would return any minute to get the book, but she never did. After snuffing out the last of his cigar he got up and went to the table where the book lied open. He turned a few pages and noticed the pretty handwriting on some and others being a bit sloppy and rushed. He decided to land on a page and began to read.

“… Havana, how I miss you already. I’m stuck in literal Hell as I write to you, my dear Havana. I will always miss being in the warm embrace of your calm winds, your gently kisses on my cheeks from the sunshine, the smell of the morning dew on fresh lilacs by my windows… […] After being in Hell, it’s always warm here. I mean, I can come and go on certain times of the day/night as long as I have a chaperone with me. Even then, I can only go to certain shops here and there and not spend too long. Everybody has a tight schedule here. It feels like I have a bit too much freedom sometimes. But sometimes it also feels like I’m restricted […] Some of the Casino folks are nice to me. Pirouletta, though serious, is like an older sister to me, I think. Pip and Dot are also nice, mostly Dot because she finally has somebody to talk to about clothes and such while her husband Pip ignores us most of the time or make sarcastic remarks.”

Wheezy skimmed the pages a moment as he tried to look for his name. She seemed to have written about at least everyone in the Casino. “Mr. Chimes… Mangosteen… Oh…”

“I caught Mr. Wheezy stealing glances my way when I was hanging out with the Devil today. He was a bit far from the table, but I could tell he was looking at me. Well, my chest mostly. I pretended I was cold so Dice could let me borrow his jacket for the rest of the evening. It seemed Lady Luck was on my side at that moment. At least King Dice’s fancy cologne masked the disgusting smells of hard liquor and cigars. Mr. Wheezy is… how do I put it? I have no words that can describe a person of his nature. One minute he’s cracking jokes and the next he seems to be undressing me with his eyes. Sometimes in the same sentence. It’s…”

“Mr. Wheezy, what are you doing?”

Wheezy jumped a little and quickly turned around when he heard the voice. He didn’t notice the door was still open when Pirouletta walked in. She was a craps roulette wheel and didn’t have her usual attire on, mostly the white blouse and black pants attire in place of her skirt as she helped on the casino floor for her shift. Pirouletta saw Wheezy with the book and raised a brow. “That is Madame Red’s book. Why do you have it?”

“I didn’t steal it. Red was here earlier and she left in a hurry and forgot about it. I wasn’t readin’ or nuthin’.”

“I was here for a few minutes but your eyes never left the pages.” Pirouletta suddenly took the book and shut it closed. “I know this is Red’s favorite journal. She uses it to write songs and keep her private thoughts down on it. I will bring this back to her now.”

“Nah, I’ll do it. Oh, and since we’re on the subject, what’s her story?”

“We were not on subject, Mr. Weezy. But if you want to know… Madame Red would tell you.”

Wheezy groaned. “C’mon, you two talk all the time! All I know is she bet her soul. What else?”

“Why are you suddenly so interested in her?” Pirouletta raised a brow at the cigar.

“Uh, because she’s talked to everybody but me?”

“Hmph. I only heard it from her, but she and her sisters are famous on the Mainlands. They were to come to the Isles to perform but decided to stop by the Casino for fun. They were to all meet up on the Isles as they were coming in from different areas. Only Madame Red and her sister came in together, the others were separate. One of Madame Red’s sisters placed a bet for her own soul but Madame Red took her place. And she is here now as a new performer. Happy now?”

“Uh, I guess. I thought it’d be kinda different… Anyways, I’m gonna go return this to her. She might actually be lost, y’know?” Weezy gently slipped the book from Pirouletta’s hands and slid it into his pocket in his coat.

“Hm. We DO help her, you know. After all, we ARE “family”. Do not forget that, Wheezy.” Pirouletta soon turned heel with grace and soon left the room.

Wheezy huffed and walked out of the room in the opposite direction and headed over towards where the music room was. He reached into his coat pockets and rested them inside for a moment. As he turned a corner, he ran into a tall figure.

“Shit, watch where you’re--!” Wheezy looked and saw a large purple bow tie and knew who it was right away. “D-Dice! I didn’t see ya there!”

King Dice’s lips turned into a scowl as he glared down at Mr. Wheezy. “Just be glad you didn’t finish that sentence, Mr. Wheezy. And, pray tell me, what are you doin’ off the floor?”

“I uh… I was lookin’ for Red.” Wheezy brushed himself off and stood upright. “She forgot somethin’ and I’m gonna return in to her!”

King Dice’s expression still didn’t change, but he did raise a brow. “Oh? Usually you’re the type that keeps “forgotten” things for your own desires, Mr. Wheezy. If you may, I’ll return it to her personally.” King Dice held out his hand towards Wheezy.

“Wait, what are YOU doin’ here? It’s busy as hell out there. Do you really got time for takin’ a stroll, let alone returnin’ something to Red?”

“Actually, I helped Madame Red find the music room. She should still be there now, if I’m not mistaken. And it’d be a nice break before I return to the casino.”

“Nah, I got this. After all, it’d leave me a good impression on her if she knew I returned this to her.”

“You never did leave good impressions on anybody, Mr. Wheezy,” Dice said flatly.

Ouch.

“Well, first time’s the charm, boss!” Mr. Wheezy walked around Dice as he soon headed towards the music room. “I’ll, uh, let’cha get back to what you was doin’ then!”

Mr. Wheezy bolted and turned a corner, sighed once he caught his breath and noticed a soft tune coming from the hallway. He walked towards where the music room was. The door was opened ajar, just enough for Wheezy to take a peek inside. The room was open with bright lights, a simple stage to practice dance acts on, several different instruments like drums, bass, guitar, saxophone… typical jazz instruments. Wheezy looked and saw Red sitting at the piano, where she strummed a sad melody. He thought he heard it before, Beethoven? Mozart? He knew just them, really, as he wasn’t too keen on slow “classical” music. He was more of a jazz and swing kinda guy. But he did know that Pirouletta would often dance to this on the phonograph.

Wheezy slipped into the room and watched from the door as he listened. Red’s eyes were closed as she played each note like a tender touch, like she’d break them if she wasn’t careful. It even seemed she knew the song by heart, as Wheezy didn’t see any sheet music on the piano. She gently leaned in to the piano, leaned back and tossed her hair back as she picked up the pace of a fast part. Wheezy recognized this part as Pirouletta would usually pick up the pace and dance a little faster to this scene, before pausing and continuing again with the slow rhythm once more. Red once again leaned in to the piano as she soon slowed down for a dramatic finish. Then, she sneezed.

"Gesundheit."

Red whipped around and looked at Wheezy in shock. "Christ Almighty you scared the shit out of me!" Red yelped. She turned back around and started to strum the keys again. "But thanks. Why are you here?"

"I heard ya playin' and thought I'd listen?" Wheezy got closer to Red and played a few keys of a random tune he made up on the spot. "So, Dice let you use his piano?"

"This is his?" she asked.

"Yeah. I mean, he plays it all the time. He never lets nobody play it."

"That's a double negative, Wheez." Wheezy gave Red a puzzled look. Red sighed in annoyance. "Anyways. Mr. Dice said it was fine for me to play his piano. It... it's actually better than the one I have at home."

"Back on the Mainlands?"

"I don't recall ever tellin' you anything about my life, Wheez. But, yes, back on the Mainlands I have a piano, but it's black. This is white." Red soon started to play another song on the piano. "Odd, such an instrument being in hell being white as porcelain, while the one I have is black as ebony. Poetic, is it not?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess?" Wheezy scratched the back of his head and shrugged.

"Hm. Thought so."

"Wait, you thought what?" Wheezy leaned over the piano and looked down at Red, who continued to calmly play.

"You're certainly not the type to appreciate certain things."

"Sure I got... things I like!"

"Yes, strong drinks, fancy cigars, and women come to mind when I think about it. But you don't appreciate it, do you?"

"The hell are ya tryin' ta say?" Wheezy was starting to get pissed off now. "That I can't appreciate shit?!"

Red stopped playing and stood up from her seat and glared down at Wheezy, who straightened up and glared down at her. "You and I will never get along, Mr. Wheezy. I'm water, you're oil. Now, if you'll excuse me I best be off before I lose my temper."

"What does the boss even sees in ya anyways? Everybody's always talkin' that yer some shit lady that can sing! Yer nice and laughin' and jokin' but behind closed doors you're... a fuckin' bitch!"

Red raised her hand to slap him, causing Wheezy to coil in defense, but she huffed. "And here I thought you were tough shit, Mr. Wheezy. I was wrong." Red carefully closed the piano and walked out of the music room without another word. Wheezy growled under his breath and took out Red's journal once again. He sat on the stool and started to read again. He could use some information against her as revenge. Teach her place and see who's "tough shit".

"Seems a bit "girly" for you, Mr. Wheezy. Are you queer? I'm not gunna say anything if you are." Mr. Wheezy felt his spine run down with a cold chill, causing him to sit up straight and suddenly close the book. "So. Red's been havin' problems with your sorry ass again, huh?" The Devil took a long drag of his cigar as he leaned against the door frame to the music room. Usually the Devil would never be in here but today was one of those special occasions. Before Wheezy could respond, the Devil took the book from his hands and skimmed a few pages as he held his cigar in his teeth. "Hm. Knowin' thy enemy, huh? She seems to have a lot to say 'bout the Casino. See, in the beginning it's how she got this here journal a few days before she got to the Isles. Then here it's the ferry, and a day or two after she got her soul taken away. Seems she's got a lot to say about everybody here, too." The Devil skipped a few pages and laughed when he saw his own name. "Oh, man she even has me in here! How delightful."

"I was gonna return it to her, I swear! I just wanted to know why she hates me!"

"Hate's a strong word, Wheez. Hold on." The Devil took a closer look at a certain page and smirked. "Dirty, dirty girl. What language!"

"What?" Wheezy got up and attempted to read over the Devil's shoulder. The Devil responded by crouching over the book and blocking Wheezy from view.

"Hold yer horses! I'll letcha see that in a minute. She wrote quite a bit 'bout me and Dice here. Juicy things. Wait, listen to this!" The Devil tried to mimic Red's low feminine voice, but it ended up higher pitched. "Oh, that King Dice and Devil sure are something! They make me weak at the knees whenever I see them strut their stuff! I can never keep my composure when they're around! My mouth gets so dry and I always get a huge lump in my throat whenever I see them. I wish I had something of THEIRS stuck in my throat!"

"Bullshit!" Wheezy replied, but he couldn't help it but smirk.

"Man, you wish!" The Devil took a drag of his cigar and flicked the ashes off onto Wheezy's head. "Anyways, she's gonna want it back now. She probably has a LOT to say after today." The Devil caused the journal to go up in smoke and flame before it disappeared into thin air. The journal landed in Red's room, right on her bed, safe from any scorch marks.

[havana-story-time]

He never felt this nervous before. Mugman stood at Red’s door holding a bouquet of flowers in his hand. Even though he’d always get her the fresh wildflowers, he thought he’d get her something nicer. Roses was what Red always loved, right? I mean, she always liked flowers and knew quite a bit about them. He wiped away the sweat from his brow and took a breath before he raised a fist to the door and knocked.

The door opened and Mugman straightened up when he saw Red smile up at him. She still looked the same, despite a few years difference that’s happened ever since she moved to the Inkwell Isles. She still had her thick brown hair, her slender body and thick red lips. She leaned against the doorframe as she continued to smile up at him.

“Hey, Mugman. It’s nice of you to stop by. Haven’t you gotten taller last I saw you?” she said with a smile as she continued to look up at him. Mugman was about a head or so taller than herself. The boy was more of a man now.

“I-I’ve been like this for a while, Ms. Red. I thought I’d stop by to visit.” Mugman blushed as he passed off the roses. “I-I got these for you!”

Red looked at the roses and gently took them from his hand. Mugman felt her fingers gently brush against his own before retreating away. “Aw, you’re so sweet. C’mon in, I can make some coffee. Or tea, if you prefer.” Red opened the door and stepped aside as she let Mugman enter her home.

“Tea sounds nice, actually.” Mugman took a quick glance around the living room, which was where the enterance took him to. It wasn’t really what he was expecting, with lots of red, but instead simple colors that blended in nicely and made it feel like home. Something modern, in his sense, compared to what he was used to seeing at Elder Kettle’s house.

“Take a seat, sweetie, I’ll be back in a minute.” Red retreated into the kitchen with the roses in hand. Mugman sat down on the sofa, which was large and plush like a feather bed, as he adjusted his gloves on his hands nervously. He actually liked it when he was given pet names like “sweetie” or whatever Red would say to him at that moment. It made his cheeks glow pink when he thought about it.

Red returned a few minutes later with the roses in an elegant vase. She carefully placed the roses on the coffee table and sat down on the sofa next to Mugman. “There. They look so beautiful. Thank you so much, Muggie. Tea’ll be ready in a few minutes.” Red sat up as she scooted back on the sofa to relax. “So. What brings you here, if I may ask? Usually when you visit your brother is usually tagging along, or vice versa.”

Mugman blushed and looked away shyly. He muttered something, shook his head a little and looked back at Red. “I… I need some help.”

Red’s smile faded as she looked at Mugman with worry on her face. “Muggy, what happened? Is everyting alright?” Se was reassured and relaxed a little when Mugman responded. “E-everything’s fine! It’s just that… I need help on a personal matter. It’s really embarrassing, Ms. Red…”

“Really? What’s that? You can tell me.”

Mugman took a breath and released, trying to calm his nerves. “I... I never kissed a girl before.” Before Red could ask, Mugman continued. “Y’see, Cuphead’s already kissed a few girls before and he’s always bragging about it. I don’t know anything about it and I came to you for help because you’re a girl and I’m a guy and… I just want Cuphead to stop teasing me all the time about it!”

Red blinked. That’s all it was? “Okay, first… do you want to learn?”

Mugman straightened up and clenched his fists. Red noticed the blush painting his face. “Yes, of course!”

“Alright. We'll take it slow so it's not too much to take in, okay? There’s actually quite a bit to learn, but with time it’ll come naturally.”

Mugman gulped. “O-okay...”

“Alright. Do you... mind if you practice on me first?”

“W-what?!” Mugman was taken aback and even jolted backwards in surprise before he straightened back up.

“I'd be able to know what you're doing and help you fix it. I've kissed men and women before. I don't mind.”

“Which do you prefer...?”

“Doesn't matter. Now, just relax, okay? Show me how you kiss.”

Mugman was a bit nervous of course, but he tried to do what he saw some lovers do. He gently put his and on Red’s cheek and puckered up. He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. To Red, it was like she was kissing a window. Mugman stayed like this for a few moments before pulling away. He saw Red’s lips raise a bit on one side, not really in disgust but more of in thought.

“Okay, are you trying to kiss me or smooch your grandma? Open your mouth just slightly, like this. Watch me.” Red gently held his face and leaned in to him. “Tilt your head slightly to one side... lean in slow... and close your eyes.” Mugman felt Red gently press her lips into his and he felt like he was on cloud nine. Everything just… felt so much lighter. He stayed still through the moment before Red slowly pulled away.

“See? Now, let’s try it again. You try it this time.”

Mugman blushed but nodded. He gently kissed Red again, this time a bit better but still could use some work. With a few more practices, Red stopped him. Mostly because the tea was long since done and it was time for a break. Mugman wiped his brow as Red went to the kitchen and returned with a tea tray and poured a cup for herself. She looked at Mugman and smiled. “I always am fascinated by you and Cuphead. You’re both cups and sometimes you drink from your own cups?”

“Oh, that’s usually at home. They charge us extra if we try to get coffee or anything for our own heads… I mean, it’s cheaper and not so much a hassle…” Mugman took a cup from the tray and sipped on it, only to realize that it was empty. Red chuckled warmly and poured him some tea. “S-sorry…”

“What’s there to be sorry for? Anyways, you’re getting better. If you want we can stop for the day and relax a bit. You’re getting better, Mugs.”

“Thanks, Ms. Red,” Mugman smiled.

“Muggy, sweetie, you can just call me Red. Everybody does,” Red smiled and winked sweetly at him. Mugman blushed and focused more on his tea.

They both sat and chatted for a bit, sipping tea and sharing stories before it was time for Mugman to return home. Red waved Mugman farewell from the door as Mugman started to walk off, but he stopped a moment to look back at Red. Red smiled sweetly and blew him a kiss, which he saw flutter over to him and land on his cheek. He sighed with a smile on his face and continued to walk back home, feeling just as light as when they kissed.

 “Hey, Mugs? Mugs!” Mugman snapped out of his daydream and he looked over to Cuphead, who was across from him in his own bed. Cuphead smirked a little as he sat up. “You’ve been on that page for a while now. What’s on your mind?”

Mugman closed his book and put it on the night stand next to him. “I was just getting tired, Cups.”

“Is it a girl?” Cuphead smirked. “C’mon, it’s gotta be a girl, right?”

“No, it’s not.” Mugman sighed and turned over in bed, his back facing towards his older twin. “Good night.”

Cuphead chuckled a little. “It’s totally a girl.” He leaned over and pulled a cord connecting to the lamp on the nightstand, making the room dark. The curtains were opened to let in the natural light illuminating from the moon. Cuphead got under the sheets and nestled in for the night. He listened as Mugman sigh a few times before his breathing steadied to something slow, then he also slipped off into dreamland.

 Mugman woke up the next morning and felt something wet. Did Cuphead do that old “water-in-the-hand” trick on him again? Mugman looked to see both his hands were dry, but by his crotch… Oh, man. Not again. Mugman sighed. He didn’t remember what he dreamed, but it felt so good… As he thought about it, he thought he remembered hearing Red’s laughter and her soft sighs… Mugman shook it off and got ready for his day. He took the sheets down to wash as well as his soiled underpants and he took a quick shower. After eating breakfast and hanging the sheets up to dry, he decided to see Red again.

When he noticed he was at her doorstep again, he panicked a little and wondered why he even returned. Before he could leave, the door opened and Mugman saw Red. She was dressed down in a pair of pajama bottoms, her hair up in a messy ponytail and wore a large oversized shirt as she held onto a coffee mug. Red was actually surprised as well to see Mugman there, as she just went out to get the morning paper. But, nevertheless, she smiled at him.

“Morning,” she said.

“G-good morning, Red.” Mugman replied.

And with that, Red let Mugman inside and they sat at the kitchen table and talked as Red resumed her breakfast. It smelled like freshly ground coffee, French toast with strawberries on the side and the tanginess of maple syrup.

“If I’d known you’d drop by I’d have made a plate for ya,” Red said as poked a strawberry with her fork and put it in her mouth. She smiled when she tasted the sweetness in her mouth. “Strawberries are always best when it’s with breakfast.

“I already ate before I got here, thanks.” Mugman smiled weakly as he watched Red enjoy her meal.

“So. I take it you’re back for another lesson?” Red looked up at Mugman as she put a forkful of French toast in her mouth. “Or is it another friendly visit? Either’s fine with me.”

“Well… I mean, I dunno why but…” Mugman looked away shyly as he tried to find the right words.

“Look, Muggy… I’ll be straight with ya. I actually didn’t expect you’d come to me for “lessons”. I’d always thought you’d see somebody else or read a few books or something.” Red put down her fork and knife and leaned back against her chair as she folded her hands over her lap, waiting for a response.

“Well…” Mugman started. He blushed more as he tried to distract himself with a piece of thread from his glove. “Y’see… I’ve…”

“Don’t force it. Hey, if it made you uncomfortable, I really shouldn’t have let you do something like that. I’ve been thinking about it, actually, when we kissed? It… It gave me mixed feelings.” Mugman felt his heart drop at this. “I mean, good ones! Confusing ones… I’ve seen you and Cups as nephews and you two grew up so much and… you coming here of all things… It made me realize something.” Red looked up and smiled a little to Mugman. “It made me realize that… love is so strange, y’know?”

“You… love me?” Mugman piped up.

“I mean, that’s what I felt. Did you feel something similar? Like, you’re floating?”

Mugman nodded. “Exactly…”

Red chuckled a little. “If you want, we can practice more later. You’re getting better. And if you’re comfortable… Only if you’re comfortable… take it to the next step? Of course, I don’t want to rush it.”

Mugman looked a bit confused. “Rush what?”

“Y’know…” Red tried to think of an example. “Second base? Going all the way?” At this Mugman turned a bright shade of pink. “Like I said, only if you’re comfortable with it.”

Mugman blushed more but he nodded a little in response. “Y-yeah… How soon can we?”

Red started to laugh. “I don’t want to rush it! Besides, you gotta KNOW the girl first. And that’s what we’re going to do.”

Mugman looked at Red, who just smiled sweetly. “C’mon, let’s see a movie tonight. Or we could walk the beach, go to the amusement park…” Mugman smiled a little and nodded. “Yeah. Let’s do everything!”

 Later that day, Red and Mugman returned home after a fun filled day of adventures. They went to the beach and swam in the ocean a bit, went to the amusement park and stuffed themselves silly with sweets, caught a movie, and finished it off with watching the stars for a few hours and pointing out the constellations they knew or made up. Red led Mugman inside her home once again and they both sat on the sofa.

“I had a great time today, Muggy. Thank you,” Red gently put her hand on his and held it. “Now. We can do this a few more times, that way you’re more used to being out with a woman…”

“No… I know I’m ready, Red.”

Red looked up at Mugman, a bit confused. Mugman gently held her hand in his and smiled at her. “Even after today, I felt like I knew you more and more… All the stories we’ve told, the things we did… I want to take this to the next step… If… if you’re okay with that.”

It was Red’s turn to blush now. She chuckled softly. “Well, usually I’d never sleep with a guy on the first date… but for some reason… I have a feeling you’re ready.” Red leaned in closer to Mugman and smiled softly. “Now, I’ll teach you a “Special” kiss that’s sure to make a girl weak at the knees.” Mugman leaned in as well and both embraced a passionate kiss. Mugman felt his mouth opening a little wider as he felt Red’s tongue gently slip inside his mouth and explore a little. Mugman did the same. She tasted like salt water taffy and the strawberry parfait they had earlier. It was so sweet.

[havana-story-time]

Mr. Wheezy is the cigar dude from the Casino in Inkwell Hell level. Chips Bettigan (Bet again haha) is a pile of poker chips. Red is my character. She bet her soul in her sister's place and lost, hence why she's here. She's a singer for the casino.

--

Mr. Wheezy sighed as he sat down on the sofa in the staff beak room. Finally, he could catch his breath. The casino was busier than usual that night and nobody had a chance to sit down until it all died down later. Weezy took out a cigar from his pocket and held it between his teeth as he searched for a lighter. He sighed, took a breath and blew hard like one would try to pop their ears as the top of his head glowed red and grew hot. Wheezy put the cigar at his head and the tip lip at last. Wheezy relaxed and started to smoke his cigar. As he enjoyed a few long and slow puffs, the door opened and closed behind him. He didn’t need to look up as the person walked past him and sat down at the table across the room.

Wheezy felt his heart skip a beat when he noticed who it was. It was Red, one of the new entertainers for the casino, that bet her soul on the Devil. He didn’t know that much and only spoke to her briefly before she was whisked away to do other things and she’d usually totally ignore him. At least he was finally alone with her, he could finally get the courage to talk to her. He studied her as she sat at the table, not totally gawking and not totally looking away. She was dressed in her usual red mermaid gown; her brown hair was up and curled at the ends but was pushed away by her slender gloved hand as she rested her cheek against her palm. Her eyes were looking down at what looked like a book of sorts, like she was studying the little details of the pages. Wheezy noticed the book was blank so she wasn’t really reading. In her other hand she held a pen and she nibbled on the end as she was in deep thought. Wheezy looked closer at her lips, which were parted and were red like a rose. Wheezy wandered his eyes down from her lips down to her neckline. She never did fancy jewelry, and even if she did it’d mostly be a bracelet or earrings. He went down further hoping to catch a glimpse of her bosoms but was damned with her arm blocking a perfect view.

Wheezy took a drag of his cigar and looked away nonchalantly and studied the clock a moment. Wheezy heard Red sigh and drop her pen on the table. He looked over and saw Red lean down and rest her head on the table. Her hair slid down the sides and revealed her back. Her skin was a light peach and her dress reached low to about her lower back. At least he got a better view of her hips, which he was actually grateful for. Before Wheezy spoke up, the door opened. Wheezy looked to see it was Chips Bettigan. He strolled in wearing his usual “cowboy” look: a tan blazer, white shirt, jeans and brown cowboy boots with his signature hat on his head.

“Red, there ya are, girl!” Chips said with a smile as he waltzed in like he owned the place. He saw Wheezy, nodded, and went right over to the table where Red sat and took up a seat for himself in front of her. “Ya’ll right?” His accent was thick Southern Texan. It made Wheezy want to vomit.

“I’m fine.” Red looked up and straightened back up into her chair. She again rested her head in the same hand she had earlier. “I’m just… having some trouble writing a new song. You know how the boss is. HE thinks I can come up with songs on the spot… I can’t.”

“Well, maybe ya’ve been workin’ too hard?” Chips shrugged and rested his head in the same fashion Red was. “Take a break and maybe… I dunno, somethin’ would come to ya?”

“I work a few nights a week and you call that “busy”, Chips?” Red’s lips curved up at one side. “I also help out the boss with a few errands here and there, I help out you guys from time to time on your needs if we’re busy, I get dance lessons from Pirouletta for my routines… I got a full house here.”

Chips nodded as he listened. Wheezy looked over and saw Red slump her forehead into her hand. “I can’t even find the muse for a new song… If it keeps goin’, I’m useless here.”

“Aw, don’t say that, Red! ‘Sides, the boss ain’t the one to toss out great talent like that!”

“What about that duo on unicycles that juggled chainsaws?”

“Um…”

“And that one lady who was a “magician” and couldn’t swipe a full wallet out of that one guy and got caught?”

“But that’s—”

“What about that skeleton comedian? He was funny, despite his stupid puns, right? And look what happened to him. Stuck in the underground somewhere.”

“Wait, I don’t—”

Red sighed, stopping him. “No. I’ll have to keep writing until something comes up.”