Index ~ You Rascal You

I love love love 1900s America and old cartoons. So Cuphead's a game and cartoon that's filled to the brim of writing possibilities for Inkwell's inhabitants.

King Dice is one of my favorite characters. He's not only modeled off of one of my favorite singers and performers but his relationship with The Devil in the 1930s is fascinating.

For the story You Rascal You, I want to focus on King Dice's childhood and what parts of it made him who he is in canonical ( videogame ) lore.

This post will be updated with more references and lore as my story unfolds. But I'll attempt to avoid spoilers.

~ Characters ~ 

Kaleb Dace ( aka "King Dice" )
A young die and a new resident to Inkwell Isle. He comes to Julius in search of work. 

Kacey Dace 

Kaleb's deceased older brother. He dies almost a year before the story takes place.

"Kacey" and its variants mean "vigilant" and "watchful".

Dahlia Dace ( aka "Dahl" )
Kaleb's overbearing but well-meaning mother. Although loving to her son and husband, her frustration and sorrow are often expressed in her being a bit emotionally detached and scathing. 

Dahlia's first name means "flowering branch" and her maiden name ( Beauregard ) means "lovely sight".  Of course "Dahl" phonetically sounds like "doll" which her husband lovingly calls her by.

Daniel Dace ( aka "Danny" )

Kaleb's jovial and optimistic father. A bit of a Stepford Smiler, he does his best to resolve conflict in his family and look after their well-being often at the expense of himself. 

Daniel's first name means "God is my judge" and his surname means "fisherman". His name is, as with all names I chose, significant. Galilean fishermen were Jesus' disciples and guides for those who sought them. He is the bedrock of Kaleb's childhood innocence, morality, and approach to life. 

Horace Hawk

An opportunistic and aggressive preteen Harris' hawk and vendor of the Inkwell Gazette. Despite his aggressive demeanor, he's very insecure and on edge for what may lurk around any dark alley.

The joke of a "Horace the harassing Hariss' hawk hawking papers" was purposeful lol. 

Honey Knacker ( aka "Shiv" )

A sadistic and short-tempered piebald brindle pit bull and daughter of Tige Knacker. She's named after Crenshaw's Honeybunch; one of the gamest female pit bulls in history who won 3x against the best of her sex.

Her method of intimidation is to use whatever trash she can find, turning them into effective lacerating tools.

Pincher Knacker ( aka "Shank" )
A barbaric yet intelligent piebald brindle pit bull and son of Tige Knacker. He's named after Colby's Pincher; one of the gamest male pit bulls in history with 24x wins and a foundation male for the apbt breed.

He's meticulous in his intimidation, often prolonging his victim's suffering before taking what he wants from the sheer elation he gets from it. His weapon of choice is a switchblade.

Tige Knacker  
A belligerant but hard-working brindle pit bull and owner of Tige Knacker’s Butcher and Dressing Services. He's named after Tige from the comic series Buster Brown.
 

Julius Rattigan
A large cantankerous melanistic Norway rat and owner of Inkwell Local Gazette. He's named after Julius Chambers. 

Joseph Conan Doyle ( aka "Joe" )
A frantic big-headed fly and main assistant of Julius. His first name's after Joseph Pulitzer and his surname is from Arthur Conan Doyle.

Dr. Jonathan Cotton Tronley
A cottonmouth salesman known on Inkwell for his wares. Named after Jontron's character of the same name.

~ Terms ~

Bootblack
A person who shines shoes.

Buster Brown
1902 comic character of a mischievous boy and his pit bull who was always got into trouble.

Crapper
Craps is a gambling game played with dice. In my story, it's a derogatory term specifically for dice in the Cuphead universe due to the perception that die people are deceitful and not reliable.

Goop
1900s slang for "idiot".

Ragged Dick
1860s children's book by Horatio Alger Jr. of a poor shoe shiner who grows from "rags to responsibility". Julius calls Kaleb this as an insult.

Snake Eyes
A derogatory term used for snakes perceived as deceitful. In the case of Kaleb and other die it's used to note a die as being bad luck.

Sticker
1900s term for "embarrassing situation".

~ Places ~

Inkwell Isle
Where the story takes place. 

Mainland
A place referenced by Kaleb and his family. Though not specified, it is his homeland and close to Inkwell Isle. 

Francia
The fictional version of France based on the post-Roman country first ruled by Clovis I.

Éire
The fictional version of Ireland based on the Irish nomenclature of the island.

 

~ Notes ~

Why is King Dice called "Kaleb Dace"? 

I like to imagine that many of the characters may have names that are different than the ones they use. Kaleb's name has purposeful meaning as do most of the characters.

"Kaleb" can mean "whole of heart", and "loyal", but it also means "dog" and "tenacious". Under certain perceptions, the later meanings could be implied as negative.

Ironically the biblical Caleb was one of the two Israelites to see the promised land while numerous others weren't. The irony is that canonical King Dice works for The Devil.  

"Dace" was closest to "Dice". I chose the surname because many who had it in the early 20th century worked hard labor and were of Irish and French ancestry. 

Why does Kaleb stutter? 

I grew up with friends who stuttered and were outgoing and inquisitive. Since King Dice owns a casino and in the show runs a game show, I thought it would be an interesting contrast. Especially since many real performers have stutters they temper through their passion. In Kaleb's case, it's singing.

What is Kaleb's heritage?

I did this for fun since I wanted to illustrate the colors of his family described in chapter 3.

I like to imagine that as die people age, their spots darken.

The Cuphead game alludes to real cultures and languages via surnames, locations, and attire. What's interesting however is that no countries are directly mentioned ( from my recollection ). 

Because of this, and because I wanted to avoid the butterfly effect of "real-world consequences", I attempted to keep this trend. Especially since this is very toony and fictional world. So I chose names that could be recognizable for their real-world counterparts without being too direct. 

 

But let's pretend the locations are their real-world counterparts. Kaleb would be Creole ( African-French ) from his mother's side and African-Irish from his father's side. 

Dahlia's pedigree is one of privilege hailing from "France" and settling in the Mainland's coastal southeast ( "Louisiana" ).

Daniel's pedigree is one of poverty. His roots run deeper; primarily in the Mainland's coastal northeast ( "New York" ) and coastal northeast ( "Alabama" ).

Some of this is based on my own lineage as someone who's of various mixed cultures. Specifically the black, Irish, and French portions. Although I myself don't know or speak Creole of the Louisiana variant nor does Dahlia necessarily do the same. 

Why doesn't Horace say "scout's honor"?

Because that phrase didn't come about until 1908 and this story takes place in 1905.

Is there plumbing in Inkwell?

Yes. Although it varies by state, I took inspiration from New York's protocols.

In 1901 New York enacted a decree that all new tennant housing should have running indoor water for sinks at the minimum. Older buildings did not meet this requirement and many landlords did not follow this ruling until it was enforced in 1905. This means bathroom needs were done outside as was fetching water from a local pump. 

Because Kaleb's family is lower-middle class, they do not have these, at the time, apartment luxuries. 

Were there really bathtubs in the kitchen and were living conditions that bad?

Most 1900s apartments had a kitchen, bathroom, and living in one room.
Early bathtubs doubled as a sink and kitchen prep table when not in use.

Yes. Tennants that were lower-middle class and down often had deplorable living conditions in the early 20th century before there was widescale reform. 

Blueprint of an 1899 New York apartment snagged from GaL's blog. 

Index ~ Perseus et la Gorgone

Jack Rackam's historical comedies led me down a rabbit hole of wanting to learn more about the French Revolution. From there I opened Pandora's box of, "are there A03 French Revolution fics?" That in turn caused me to land on Les Saisons by Ethike Arete which of course evolved into this lol.

My short story Perseus et la Gorgone was inspired in part by a dream. In it, I dreamt of Antoine ( Saint-Just ) flirting with Maxime ( Robespierre ) and it being awkward because of Maxime’s low self-esteem and timid personality.

Of course, it’s of historical likelihood that both men were only platonic ( and I personally believe so ). But their nature and acts fit tropes I adore be it platonic or romantic. The bookworm and the jock, the broken ace / woobie ( concerning Maxime’s deteriorating mental and physical health ), the ride or die ( Antoine to Maxime ) to list a few.

Although I love history and read many documents pertaining to Rome, the Americas, and Russia, I've only done light reading concerning the French Revolution. My knowledge contains a few excerpts I could translate from French to English, brief papers concerning certain events and people, and posts on Rodama1789's blog. I’m sure if I consumed entire books a lot of PelG would change. But I did attempt to gather basal key traits pertaining to both men’s lives, personalities, and politics and expound upon what I felt could be exaggerated. Elements I had little to no knowledge of or could not source I kept limited or vague. Otherwise, my obsession for accuracy would mean I'd never get this done if it were event and date-specific. Of course, it should be of note that when I write fiction in which the framework is of important historical people and events from the perspective of those individuals, I attempt to take no sides on the politics therein. If any side is taken, it is to reflect the character's perception of a topic in a way they'd most naturally respond. It matters not if I'm writing from the viewpoint and life of Louis XVI, Odoacer, Tsar Nicholas II, Ivan the Terrible, or Benjamin Franklin. Sincere attempts will be made to describe a person's nature, intents, and actions in a way appropriate to them and their experiences, even if I choose to alter a key trait. In this case, a homosexual relationship between Maximilien and Saint-Just.

Either way, I hope this short story brings some joy to those who consume it as I descend into the pits of hell for publishing this.

~ People ~

Maximilien "Maxime" Robespierre: ( The bookworm / wallflower ) A studious and well-read lawyer from a middle-class background. In his youth, Maxime earned so many scholarships he requested his university grant the excess to his brother Augustin. Anecdotal accounts by contemporaries vary concerning his personality. What appears to be consistent is that Maxime was subdued, aloof, and awkward, even in the privacy of those he loved. Although others note a hint of charisma that naturally gifted his brother Augustin. Concerning Maxime's alleged anxiety, one associate notes that Maxime confided to him that he was as timid as a child while orating for the various committees. That he often had to work up the composure to do so. Others note this timid nature was natural for him and were thus shocked at his blossoming despotism and brutality towards the elite and civilians the more he participated in the revolution. Accounts of his childhood, primarily from his sister Charolette, seem to illustrate a boy of a passive disposition. His love for animals, specifically birds, went uncontested. And as an adult, he owned a parrot and a large breed dog named Brount. He also had ailments of varying types that seemed to worsen as the stress of his roles and potential mental illness worsened his health. His sexuality is unknown, but both Charlotte and Georges Danton ( in accounts I've read ) appear to mark a complete disinterest in romance with Danton claiming "he ( Maxime ) could not fuck". Although there is no confirmation, I am open to the idea of him being either asexual or low-libido. For my story, I decided to go with the latter.

Louis "Antoine" de Saint-Just ( The jock ) A rebellious youth and arguably the most loyal person to Maxime. Real-life accounts, both scornful and admiring, make note of his unwavering devotion. Antoine was so devoted that he defended Maxime at every juncture even though he knew it meant potential death to himself. After the altercation at the Hôtel de Ville Antoine's characteristic stoicism allegedly left him. He remained teary-eyed beside his friend who had been gravely wounded in the incident. He was the son of a retired French cavalry officer. While an intelligent child, he was troublesome and lacked discipline, and had to attend a disciplinary school. His repulsion towards authority remained into adulthood and after a frivolous year studying law he dropped out. Antoine showed a passion for reading and writing and penned medieval fantasies and salacious libels of the aristocracy. After failing at both law and literature, however, he turned his attention toward the army. He didn't meet the legal age and financial requirements but was allowed to join the National Guard. It was here that Antoine found a sense of discipline and purpose with swift accord. His stoicism and ruthlessness were rewarded for in a few months he was elevated to commanding officer with the rank of lieutenant-colonel.

Maurice Duplay Landlord and friend of Maxime as well as a carpentry contractor and revolutionary. He is very passionate of Maxime's works and took him and his siblings ( Augustin, Charlotte ) in after the Champ de Mars massacre of 1791.

Éléonore Duplay ( Unrequited Love ) Daughter of Maurice Duplay and friend of Maxime. She is very close to Maxime, some argue obsessively so even after his execution. She was known to be articulate of political matters and to speak her mind, atypical for women of the time, and to have loved Maxime deeply. It's disputed as to if they ever had any sexual interactions or if Maxime loved her in the way that she loved him. Maxime's sister ( Charlotte ) contests this was not the case in the postmortem writings of her brothers.

Brount Maxime's molosser of disputed breed. Some note he was some sort of Pyrenees dog, but paintings suggest otherwise. To me, the descriptions are something more akin to a Bullenbeisser ( not existent yet in breeding true ) or bull dogs of old used for bull-baiting. It is known he was a loyal companion of Maxime, often accompanying him on his long daily walks.

~ Personifications ~

Maxime and Antoine were fervent readers of various mythologies of the western and eastern world. They often were inspired by these mythical heroes and alluded to them in their works.

Various references are made by Maxime concerning himself and Antoine in Perseus et la Gorgone. Below are the meanings. 

Perseus

Known for his bravery, dignity, and persistence to protect loved ones. Maxime compares Antoine to  Perseus when Antoine refuses to disown his affections for Maxime. Paris is also an accomplished fighter, much like Antoine who fought in the Austrian war.

Adonis

A mortal known for his beauty and thus a common internal compliment given to Antoine by Maxime.

Paris

A handsome and intelligent nobleman and Shepard. Even as a boy, Paris was known as the “protector of men” for his deeds ( such as stopping cattle thieves ). He was also beloved for his dedication to fairness ( as when he awarded a stranger‘s bull at a sacrifice to himself ). 

One could argue Paris mirrors Antoine’s historical persistence in protecting Maxime, even to the death. Antoine was also a legislator and orator of Robespierre’s condemning reports. 

Maxime’s comparison of Antoine to Paris is contextual and can be good or bad. In the beginning, Maxime believes Antoine's mocking his appearance and so derides him as deliberately hurting his feelings. Towards the end, this shifts.

Gorgon
Creatures feared for their monstrous and deformed appearances. Maxime had several ailments, as noted by contemporaries and current scientists. So I took the liberty of making him self-conscious of these traits. 

Interestingly, Gorgon’s only noted sex, which I could find, is female. I think it's fitting considering Maxime, when coordinated, was defined as being “feline” in movement and “somewhat effeminate” in oration and mannerisms.  

~ Locations~

Tuileries Location of the royal palace and gardens that were ransacked during the 1792 riots.
Rue Saint-Honoré The street on which Maxime lived in Maurice Duplay's estate and also the location of the Jacobin club. University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne The law school in which Antoine attended for but a year.

~ Honorable Mentions ~

Jean-Honoré Fragonard French rococo artist who painted 1767s' The Swing. He is known for his delicate portrayal of romance and has created erotic works. He's referenced due to the blossoming romance between Maxime and Antoine as well as their sexual thrusts creating a "swinging" motion.

Parcae Female personifications of destiny. They controlled the life and death of mortals, demigods, and gods.

~ Notes ~

Map I modified from Pascal's blog.

Blueprint of the Duplay Estate I tried to find as much as I could concerning the layout of the estate in relation to where Maxime lived within it. This entry by d'Anthony Pascal was of some assistance as was some from Rodama1789's blog. I could not discern with accuracy certain anatomical structures and thus took some liberty by leaving out details so as to not have it too off the mark. Maxime's Room There are various pieces showing some details of Maxime's room. What is known is that it was small, cramped, and sparsely decorated. Maxime was noted as being a frugal man. Paul Barras' account notes how Maxime bathed in front of him and I presume it took place within his study based on Pascal's blueprint. Other images depict his writing desk and bed in the same room with him looking upon the courtyard. Blueprints, hard to discern and in French, seems to make note of Maxime's study and bed being in close proximity. As an American, I'm presuming Maxime's floor would be on what I'd call "the second floor", but blueprints note it is "the first floor" as Europeans do not count the ground level as a floor as we do