The Morning dawned on the Cup Brothers as the sunlight shot through their window. They both slowly start to stir awake. On both of their nightstands had a glass of water that they put their straws in while they slept. On Cuphead's shelf over his bed, he had a Newspaper Headline that said 'Hero Cups Defeat the Devil!' They woke up and looked at each other.

"Morning Cuphead." Mugman said very drowsy.

"You too Mugman." Cuphead said.

The awkwardness between the two was very obvious. What they both know about the other's crushes actually feel, and neither could tell the other because they fear that their brother would feel betrayed or hated.

"So...Today's the day huh?" Mugman said

"Yeah.....what happened to your straw?" Cuphead asked. Knowing his brother is usually careful with his belongings.

Mugman immediately blushed after remembering last night "Oh! I uh...accidentally left it at Barones's castle while I helped prepare for the Ball."

"Oh....did you put in a good word for me?" Cuphead asked.

"Uh, yeah I did." he lied

"Cool, Cool. I wrote the letter, Cala Maria would've seen it by now."

"Thanks." Mugman said.

They both got dressed for the day.

...............................................

In the town area of Inkwell Isle, Cala Maria and Hilda Berg were at Sally's Boutique. One that Sally Stageplay owned even before she became an actress. It was very popular amongst the women of Inkwell Isle. Mainly because Sally always made such amazing clothing custom made for the wearer. However, ever since her acting career took off, her business partner turned husband took over leading the shop. It was now, more or less a Boutique AND a Tailor shop.

Cala Maria came out of the dressing room, wearing a cyan colored dress that really complimented her eyes, it had the reflective look of sky blue that was reminiscent of waves and a print of a horizon sun.

"How do I look Hilda?" Cala Maria asked her friend.

Hilda's stare was broken by her friend's question. "Oh! You...look great." She said that was an absolute understatement on what she really wanted to say.

"You look absolutely stunning darling." Mr. Stageplay said as he held previously worn dresses, soon to be put back on the rack.

"Oh I can already see it now, Cuphead and I, having a center dance as everyone watches, we look into eachothers eyes, then when the clock strikes midnight we share a mutual kiss as fireworks go off in the background." Cala Maria said as she was in a blissful imaginative state.

"Umm. Cala? Don't you think you're setting your expectations a bit too high?"

This was Mr. Stageplay's social cue to let them both talk alone. He walked back to the register to resume the book he was reading titled 'The Neighbor'.

"Whaddaya mean Hilda?"

"What If.....Cuphead isn't as great as you think? He did accidentally gamble both his and his own brother's souls."

Cala Maria gave a sigh of remembrance to the incident. "I'll admit, it wasn't his or whatshisname's best moment. But he and his brother did whatever it took to make things right with themselves. In the process, he freed me, you and all of us from his debt. In a way, he helped all of us move on in life and made them change for the better. I can breathe on land now, and you can go to outer space whenever you want. I just know he'll be absolutely amazing."

"Well.....if it doesn't work out, just know. I'll be there to listen." She said sincerely.

"Thanks Hilda. You really are a true friend."

Mr.Stageplay cringed after overhearing that.

"T-Thanks." Hilda said. As much as she wanted Cala Maria to be happy, she couldn't help but hope it doesn't.

....................................................

The final preparations for the Sugarland Ball were underway, Cagney and the Rootpack were setting up and doing their soundcheck, the dance floor was getting waxed so it'll be easier to slide and groove, then there was King Dice and his minions making their first public appearance again since the Devil was defeated. He was providing the catering for the Ball, courtesy of the all new King's Court Casino. He no longer wore his purple blazer, just his button up long sleeve shirt with his lavender colored button up vest with no bow tie.

King Dice himself had a bit of an identity crisis after his boss's imminent defeat. He was free from his own debts after so many years. In his time being in servitude, a lot of characters have come to hate him for convincing them to sign their souls away. He would hate him too. Bonbon was the first and so far only one to forgive him and his minions. But tonight, would be the night to show everyone that he was no longer the Dice he was a year ago, and he knew just how to do it.

Up in Bonbon's room she was looking at herself in a full body mirror. Her Dress was reminiscent of a three stacked chocolate cake with pink frosting and strawberry toppings. Her ice cream cone hat was replaced with a hair tie that's similar to a candle. Her eyelashes were slightly highlighted with makeup and her hair was braided. Bonbon couldn't really look at herself right now, her mind was somewhere else. She looked at Mugman's straw on her desk, last night's events were still fresh in her mind.

She picked up the straw and held it tenderly in her hands. She had to do it, she had to apologize to Mugman. She then hears a knock on her door.

"Who is it?"

"It is Lord Gob Packer, Baroness. King Dice is here to speak with you."

Bonbon hid the straw behind her back and said "Send him in."

Then King Dice walked in and took a bow. "Fair Baroness Von Bonbon, the catering preparations for the Sugarland Ball are almost done. It should go by nicely, and dare I say you look mighty sweet to the eyes in your gown."

"T-thank you King Dice." she said as she was doing her best to hide the straw.

"On a more personal note. I really would like to thank you on behalf of me and my associates for giving us this chance to show the residents of Inkwell Isle that we are no longer pawns of our old boss. And most of all, I thank you for your forgiveness."
King Dice wasn't really the apologetic type, so that made sincerity of his statement absolutely true.

"You're very welcome, you can go now." Bonbon said

King Dice noticed the shifty expression she had and one hand behind her back.

"I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds Baroness. Might I ask what you are hiding?"
"You're not, and it's none of your business!"

"Okay, Okay.......Oh No! Grim Matchstick is attacking Sugarland!" He yelled while pointing at the balcony window.

Bonbon turned around, revealing to King dice what she was hiding. He quickly grabbed it.

"What the!? Give that back!"

King Dice looked at the item, he recognized that swirl of light blue and white.

"Is this Mug boys' straw?" He asked, looking over the item.

She quickly grabbed the straw again, with an angry blushing red look on her face.
"Why do you have Mug Boy's straw in the first place?"

"I.....you......" She lets out a defeated sigh. She couldn't come up with a good enough excuse, so she decided to come clean.

"Can you keep a secret?"

King Dice traced an X across his chest.

She then explained all of the events of yesterday and all things involving Mugman and her.

"Well I'll be, I never expected Mug Boy to be such a hit with the ladies." King Dice said jokingly.
"Dice! This is serious!" Bonbon said in her angered tone.

"Alright Alright, don't get your peppermint in a twist. From what ya told me, it was a pretty bold move of you to be so forward with Mugboy. Even the best of us would've been surprised. However, you shouldn't apologize for how you feel. You gotta own up to how strongly you feel for the Mug. If he can't accept that, then he wasn't really worthy of those feelings in the first place."

"I.....guess you're right. He and, ugh, Cuphead are invited tonight. I'll talk to Mugman and hope he accepts my feeling."

King Dice stood up and said "Hope you get the Mug, Darlin'." He walks out to finish setting up for the Ball.

Bonbon looked at the Straw one last time, she now felt absolute determination.

..................................

It had been a humiliating few days for Grim Matchstick. He was beaten up by the very character he was supposed to kidnap and wait to fight the Knight who's supposed to rescue her. She broke the status quo and now he's paying for it. He was too embarrassed to even leave his own castle, let alone fly around it. Grim was just lying on the top floor of his castle, with a depressing look on his face. Maybe he should move to Drewville, they're always hiring at the soup factory.

He then hears someone coming up the stone stairs with a tap of a foot step and....a wooden stick? Followed by raspy, exhausted breathing. Once the source of the sounds made it to the top of the stairs, It was none other than Captain Brineybeard. He was exhausted from the incredibly long stair climb, he obviously wasn't built for that kind of exercise. He was holding some kind of rolled up blue piece of paper.

"What? C-c-came here to rub in my h-h-humiliation B-b-brineybeard?" Grim said

"Yar, the exact opposite my medieval acquaintance." he said, still breathing heavily.

"I heard about yer little humiliation' scourge with the Royal of Sugarland. Very emasculating' stuff. I bet ye want to get back at her for what she's done."

"I-i-i do. But what can I d-d-do?"

"Well, I have a proposition for ye. You wanna teach the Royal a lesson, while yours truly needs to finally rid the seas of the dreaded Callie Maria!"

"The M-m-mermaid?" Grim said as he remembered her during the Contract hunt. She was the size of Honeybottoms Inc. Building.

"You don't know her like I do, me hearty. A statue making Medusa is what she is." Brineybeard said as he remembered all of his past ships sunk out to sea.

"What do y-y-you have in m-m-mind?"

Captain Brineybeared unrolled the blue paper and showed Grim. They were Blueprints.

Grim quickly read over it and said "I'm l-l-listening."