Gambler's Ruin [Remastered]

Pt4: Chalice's Torment

Chalice's eyes snapped open.

She sat up fast and looked around her.

"Not again." she groaned.

He looked down and sure enough, she was a ghost. She tried to turn into a physical form but it just didn't seem to work. It was infuriating not being able to, like trying to raise one eyebrow but just can't because you don't know which muscles to flex.

She tried to float out the jar but the walls were impermeable.

Suddenly, in a puff of smoke the devil appeared in the room.

"It's a soul proof jar." the devil said smugly, "infused with some fancy magic. Impenetrable to spirits. Impressive, don't you think"

"Pfft, nah?" chalice dismissed ,"listen here you inflated cat. We've been through this before. So if you'd just let us go and spare yourself the pain, that would be advised."

"Oh Ms Chalice," the devil replied ,"I don't think you fully grasp how helpless you are ."

The devil stepped close and only then did Chalice realise how small she was compared to him.the devil grabbed the jar and began to shake it violently.

"Lets just cut through all this "i won't let you win" nonsense shall we," the devil requested ,"it's ever so tiresome, i've dealt with thousands of souls just as valiant as you. Needless to say they couldn't keep up with what their mouth promised."

The devil placed the jar back down and the bruised and dizzy chalice floated back up into a standing position.

"We've bested you before devil," she yelled back, clearly rattled by the shaking ," i only lost that dance competition because of some stupid marbles and my friends have evaded your soul snatching hobby many times."

"Those marbles were just as fair as the rest of the dance," the devil said ,"you lost, i'm number one and you, well your history. And I don't think you should be leaning on the achievements of your ✌ friends✌ in your arguments."

"✌ friends✌?" chalice questioned.

"I used my artful movements to show that they are in fact not your friends."

"Yea yea yadda yadda," chalice replied, "i know where this is going."

"But think about it" the devil said, "why did the cups first come to find you in the first place? Because they wanted to figure out how to get free stuff. Why did they spend the day out with you after you sent them to jail? Because you won them the prize money"

"How do you know this?" chalice asked.

"My eyes are everywhere," the devil replied " and those aren't the only examples. The next time you three mingled was when you used your ghost powers to get money for ice cream to give to them. Don't you see it! You're just a gift machine to them. The only reason they have ever interacted with you, is for stuff."

Chalice opened her mouth to refute this claim. She knew loads of times she had hung out with the cups without the incentive of gifts, but she blanked. The memories were just out of reach. As if something , someone, was holding them back from her conscious mind.

"See what i mean," the devil replied ,"there is no other reason those clay based idiots would stick by you because, let's be honest, you're a pretty terrible person. You got them sent to jail, you just disappear for months, you try to sell their souls away. Doesn't seem like friend behaviour does it?"

Chalice floated in her jar gulping air, trying to come up with a retort through her clouded mind.

"I-if that's so!" she yelled back, perking up a bit ,"then why did Cuphead risk him and his brother's life to save me?"

"Simple," the devil replied ,"Cuphead is an idiot. I've seen him try to sell his soul for five bucks, do you really think he wouldn't do the same for unlimited cookies on legs?"

"Bu-

"Without your charm you would be nothing," the devil hissed, "you'd be a worthless street rat, starving in the endless alleyways of inkwell. No food, no home, no friends. And look at you now, a worthless ghost, you can't dance without legs. HA! You wouldn't be any use to anyone. no one would come back for you now, pathetic cup."

Chalice floated aimlessly in the jar looking into dead space as if trying to extract meaning from it.

"I'm glad you could finally see sense," the devil said, "I bid thee a fond adieu."

And with those final words, the devil slammed his pitchfork onto the floor and disappeared in another puff of smoke.