#cagney is florist

[tuttle-did-it]

Murder, She Wrote ‘The Petrified Florist’ guest stars

Sally Kellerman (MASH film, ST:TOS, Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Outer Limits, My Three Sons, Ben Casey, It Takes a Thief, Diagnosis Murder, The Ray Bradbury Theatre, Dinosaurs, Law & Order: LA, The Young and the Restless)

Gregory Sierra (a character actor of 130 credits including Star Trek: DS9, It Takes a Thief, The Flying Nun, The Mod Squad, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Alias Smith & Jones, Mission: Impossible, Ironside, All in the Family, Kung Fu, Gunsmoke, Barney Miller, Sanford & Son, Lou Grant, Quincy ME, Hill Street Blues, Hart to Hart, Miami Vice, Simon & Simon, Cagney & Lacey, Growing Pains, MacGyver, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Ray Bradbury Theatre, Golden Palace, The X-Files, Dr Quinn Medicine Woman)

S9E15 Episode aired Feb 21, 1993

[lightpudding]

Some of my human cuphead headcanons

[melmac78]

For those who appreciate observational satire…

I present…

A few observations on graduations.

(In stereo where available…)

•••••••

A. Apparently, this is the time of year where folks confuse commencements with sporting events. And believe air horns are approved cheering items for graduations.

… seriously, two families thought it’d be cute to play a bad take on “Dueling banjos” for their grads.

One I could’ve sworn dogs 2 blocks away would’ve been howling as it was so high pitched, and held onto longer than the wailing Saxophone in “Cagney and Lacey.”

(My tinnitus is back to where it can’t be ignored… came full force from this. The start below).

FTR, a colleague of mine in the city was seriously worried about me because I gave a sour face and looked in the stands. He understood when I explained it - he knows my ear issues and was very sympathetic.

They may be having sentinels next year to confiscate the items during ceremony… should mention air horns are banned at sporting events too.

B. Apparently too this is the time of year 4-inch or higher heels are needed to walk up the stairs to get your diploma.

In fairness though they handled the stairs better than a few of the men getting their diploma.

But - I’ll never understand why these 4-inch heels with a dress and gown when you know you’re going up pre-fab foldable stairs and stage.

(For the record, I flats during HS and college ceremonies. Last time I wore heels it was because I was paid to do so as an extra in a movie).

C. This is the time of year to be a florist in roses.

All four commencements had a rose ceremony and if I had to harbor a guess, they’d at least halfway fill an 18-wheeler load car. Just todays (Saturday’s) they had a 2-foot tall box for them to hand out.

There were 8 graduates.

D. If you live in an area with high winds and dust, don’t consider white for outdoor graduations.

Now, these were beautiful, but high winds came about and we’ve had a drier May than normal.

Fortunately - winds weren’t constant enough to kick up a sandstorm, so the white stayed pristine.

E. Speaking of wind… put in enough hairpins to keep your mortarboard on.

Am happy no one lost theirs… but I feel bad for the top two they’ll have photos holding on to theirs for dear life while giving speeches.

F. Not a point… just wanted to add separately of all ironies, the wind slowed enough at the end this same school had the best cap throw photos of all.

G. Confetti is just not good… just stop. Yes, it’s a celebration but show respect and don’t bring out the big cannons.

This one I actually had a grad talk to me about it when I visited a store they work at and made a comment.

Said grad was upset as they were only allowed the small champagne poppers things - because neurodivergent folks can have issues with loud sounds and stimulus.

The duo after them used the HUGE poppers. Big mess and someone affected. (This was the start of the tinnitus even being noticeable.)

•••••••

Had a lot of firsts too for me covering these. While they’re observations, I’m refraining from these because the context would be a bit missing and I can’t explain as easily.

[metacosmic-jam]

I’ve decided to mess around with the idea of an AU where the characters live in a run-down part of town that’s under the threat of demolition in favour of a shiny new casino by, you guessed it, King Dice, The Devil and the rest of the baddies. Yeah, it sounds like an 80s family film. I’m doing it as an exercise in character design and world-building on the basis that I suck at both these things :)

Anyway, this is my take on Cagney. He’s an avid florist/gardener who runs a shop by the name of ‘Cagneys Carnations’ and who does his best to bring the natural world into the run-down slum ground. Due to the poor soil, he is often at odds with the Root Pack, an adjacent garden of vegetable growers. This results in…colourful exchanges on a frequent basis.  There is also a rumour that he was once a gangster. The Root pack claim he uses a modified tommy-gun to distribute seed, and to shoot at them on occasion when particularly riled.

Hopefully going to continue all the artwork for this in this pixel style.

[marvella15]

Astaire & Rogers Rewatch Part 4: Top Hat

• So we’ve reached Top Hat, which is generally everyone’s favorite including @elloette​​​. Even many film historians say it’s the best Astaire/Rogers film. And it’s definitely one of the best but not the best imo. It does however have some of my favorite dances and songs and probably the most famous dance Astaire and Rogers ever created. 

• Top Hat is kind of like a more sophisticated version of Gay Divorcee. It also has probably the best example of the Big White Set that was ubiquitous to these films. If I’m not mistaken they dyed the water black to make the set stand out more *goes to check IMDB* yep!

• Our characters/actors: Jerry Travers (Fred Astaire), Dale Tremont (Ginger Rogers), Horace Hardwick (Edward Everett Horton), Madge Hardwick (Helen Broderick), Alberto Beddini (Erik Rhodes)

• I never realized it before but Horace and his valet are like a bickering old couple. In many ways, they make far more sense as a pair than Horace and Madge.

• I’m back again to gush about Astaire’s singing. He slides effortlessly into “No Strings (I’m Fancy Free)” straight from the dialogue, and it sounds perfectly natural. Like the way hb and I integrate Parks and Rec quotes into everyday dialogue, but obviously Astaire is a bit fancier. 

• His line about feeling like a sailor at sea is fitting since, in his next film, he will indeed be a sailor. 

• This is a favorite solo routine for sure. He’s just so joyful and in the groove. I especially like when he taps out the beat on the side table and startles Horace with short burst of taps. 

• Horace thinks he’s such hot shit that some random young woman has come to see him at his hotel late at night. 

• Astaire didn’t think he was handsome and didn’t enjoy watching himself on screen, hence the grimace when he looks in the mirror, which is played for a laugh. But that opinion runs contrary to Astaire’s place as one of the leading men of Hollywood and as one part of some of the most romantic moments in film history, primarily with Rogers. It lends credence to Katharine Hepburn’s famous saying that Astaire gave Rogers “class,” and she gave him “sex” (metaphorically). He’s arguably never sexier than when dancing with Ginger Rogers. 

• When Dale comes upstairs to tell him to shut up, she gives zero effs. Doesn’t care that he’s trying to be charming or funny, or that he’s sorry for waking her, or that he’s flirting with her, doesn’t care about him at all in any way. Just shut up so I can sleep, is her message. 

• But then. She is charmed by his soft shoe dance on a sandy floor to lull her to sleep. 

• Spotted: young Lucille Ball as the florist’s assistant. We’ll see her in the next movie too where she’ll have her first ever credited roll. 

• Astaire’s face when he asks, “Don’t I even get any thanks?” is so heartfelt and open. It always makes me awwwwwwww. 

• Another favorite line of dialogue from these films:

Jerry, holding an umbrella in a downpour: “May I rescue you?”

Dale, unimpressed: “No, thank you. I prefer being in distress.”

• “Isn’t it a Lovely Day?” is a flirtatious song and they act it that way but the true flirting comes in the dance, which is about partnership and equality. They imitate one another throughout the scene, starting even while Astaire is singing. Rogers puts a hand on her chest and he then does the same. They’re dressed alike as well, thanks to her riding outfit, and that furthers the theme by making her more masculine to match him but it’s also advantageous for some of the moves they’ll perform, such as when she lifts him. 

• Jerry thinks he’s in control. He’s surprised, but pleased, to find Dale has gotten up and followed him as he begins to dance. He thinks he’s won her over. Then she mocks him a bit by sticking her hands in her pockets like he’s done and surprises him even more by busting out her own little extra tap. She’s telling him she’s not there just to follow his lead and any relationship between them will only work if they’re equals. 

• They’re definitely testing each other in this dance, finding out if they are drift compatible. Trying this step and that to see if the other can keep up. She keeps glancing at him in a self-satisfied way. He crosses his arms to see if she’ll do the same. They circle the space mirroring each other with every movement, and while they’re in sync, it’s still like one is leading and the other is following. Until they clap in unison, skip forward, and land at the exact same time. They spin around neatly and he glances over, smiling in pleasure, and so is she. 

• The first time they touch is over a minute and a half in and it’s only to lend a hand so each can twirl in turn. They glide forward and back in a wide loop as the music builds and now they’re smiling in earnest and it’s not just the characters; it’s Astaire and Rogers. He mouths something to her, maybe more than once, and they’re both clearly enjoying themselves. 

• It’s only in the last 30 seconds or so that they actually touch for real, and it’s because she has crooked her arm in invitation. He spins them around the bandstand together and although it’s a fairly standard move Astaire uses a lot, because they’re both in trousers, you can see just how close they are to one another, knees and hips pressed together. 

• And now they combine both elements of the dance: imitation and partnership. They move as reflections of one another and take turns lifting each other. During this portion is where you once again can see the acting stop and the actors just being themselves. As they near the end of the dance, Astaire and Rogers both grin in delight and he maybe looks especially proud of her. This was a technical dance with a lot of movement and she nails it. While her gowns often add to their duets, it’s routines like this, where she’s in trousers, that you can see her technical skill really shine. 

• One of the many ways Rogers contributed to the dancing partnership was in being their “button finder,” which means she was good at figuring out how to end a scene or dance. The best example is at the end of this dance, where she came up with the idea for them to finish by having Jerry and Dale simply shake hands.

• Don’t miss the sex joke in the middle of Horace and Jerry’s argument: 

Horace, who is concerned about scandal ahead of Jerry’s show: “Why, I’d rather have had it (getting slapped) happen to me than to you.”

Jerry, not missing a beat: “Oh, of course, if you enjoy that sort of thing.”

Horace: “I do, immensely… (realizing what he’s just said) Now don’t be absurd!”

• Dale’s line, “I hate men. I hate you. I hate all men!” is a mood. 

• Beddini’s response, “I am no man. I am Beddini!” is how all men think of themselves. 

• Interesting that all we’ve seen Dale and Jerry do is dance a very fun, flirtatious, but not necessarily romantic duet (ok, fine it was in a bandstand while it was raining which is pretty romantic but you get it), and yet she says, “How could he have made love to me when he was married all the time?” 🤔🤔🤔

Further 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

Horace: “You sure you didn’t forget yourself in the park? 

Jerry: “Positive. If I ever forgot myself with that girl, I’d remember.” 

• Seriously, there are some vibes between Horace and his valet. *gaydar pings very quietly out of earshot of the censors*

• I like Astaire’s little warm-up in his dressing room. Seems like the kind of thing he probably did irl. 

• One of my absolute favorites moments is when Jerry instructs Horace to charter a plane so they can fly down to meet Dale. Horace asks, “What kind of plane?” And Jerry, already about to miss his stage cue, leans back into the doorway quickly to say, “One with wiiiings!” 

• The physical “invitation” Jerry uses when singing the appropriate line in “Top Hat, White Tie and Tails” is actually Madge’s telegram about Dale. He took it on stage with him after snatching it from Horace’s hands. 

• There are conflicting stories about how many canes Astaire broke while filming this sequence and which take was used. One account says he broke 12 canes in frustration while failing to get the number absolutely right and the 13th (and last cane) was used in the final take, which was then printed. But Astaire recalled that Jimmy Cagney, who was visiting the set at the time, advised him that he’d nailed it on the second take. Astaire wanted to try a couple more but the next day, agreed that Cagney was right and the second take was used. 

• Shooting down his rivals with a cane and using taps for bullets was based on a gimmick Astaire had used years before in a terrible Broadway show. Here it became one of his most iconic creations. I especially like when he fires off a shot at the Horace’s stuffy club members in the audience. 

• How on earth did Dale think that Jerry was married to Madge? In what world are they compatible? Granted, she hasn’t actually met Horace but still. 

• While Horace is in the bathtub in his shower cap:

Horace: “Jerry! I don’t think it’s safe for you to see that girl alone.”

Jerry: “Well, I don’t think it would be quite proper for you to receive her that way.”

• In most Astaire/Rogers movies, he has a lot of bravado and pursues her but she almost always ends up shocking the hell out of him when she turns out to also be ballsy af. In Gay Divorcee, she invited him to her room. In Top Hat, she comes up to see him alone and then kisses him. 

Hardly a romantic kiss btw. But we still aren’t to the place where we talk about the lack of kisses in this film series. 

• Aaaaaand again, Astaire’s singing is so perfect for this song. He leads straight from conversation into the lyrics. The music has already been playing in the background, and he makes it appear he’s created the lyrics of “Cheek to Cheek” just for her in this moment. 

• Rogers does a magnificent job of softening when he starts to sing. Her eyes flick up and down his face, touched that he’s serenading her. And when Astaire drops his tone on the word “seek,” his gaze is heated for a just a moment and her lips quirk a little. Being sung to is awkward but she makes it seem like the most romantic thing.

• Like in “Night in Day” in Gay Divorcee, this dance is about seduction but its more developed than in the prior film. Because the characters have already danced together, elements of “Isn’t it a Lovely Day?” seep in, such as the short tap routine they do side by side. Instead of getting her to simply give in to him, he is asking her to trust him, to remember the equality and partnership they’d built before. He almost never takes his eyes off her for the entire dance, even watching her out of the corner of his eye when they’re side by side. 

• I would say most of this dance falls into the “acting” category but there are a couple Astaire and Rogers moments that peek through. After the first time he leans her back and them brings them together so their faces are close, he smiles privately to her. After their little tap section, he swings her back into his arms and they’re both smiling in delight. 

• A few times the only place they’re touching is his hand on her back and there’s something very Victorian hot about that.

• I’ve always liked the moment where she twirls and he waits, hand outstretched, expression openly adoring, until she takes his hand without looking and they’re in sync again. 

• Another callback to “Isn’t it a Lovely Day?”: In that dance, she crooked her arm in invitation to him. Here, she leaves her arm up so he can wrap it around his neck. 

• Several times he leans her back, each time dipping her a little further and keeping her there a little longer, but never failing to hold her and bring her up. Each time showing her she can trust him. When they reach the climax, she bends back completely and he holds her for several looooong seconds before very slowly returning her to her feet. Complete surrender and trust from them both. And after that moment, there is no need for anything else to cement their relationship. He can simply bring them cheek to cheek. 

• Something that is evident in most of his partnered dances but perhaps most obvious in a duet like this with Rogers is that Astaire was very good about making his partner the central focus. Your eyes instinctively watch Rogers, not him, throughout the performance. But credit must also be given to Rogers herself for commanding the screen so thoroughly not solely because of her elegant dancing and gorgeous gown but because she remembers to keep acting the entire time. We never doubt that Dale is falling in love with Jerry through this dance.

• Sooo the feather dress. So much to say, some of which you may already know:

The short story is, as soon as they started filming the dance, the feathers on the dress flew everywhere. No one wanted that dress to be used, except Ginger Rogers, and she refused to wear something else. 

Director Mark Sandrich, who was a dick to Rogers all the time, wanted her to wear a gown from Gay Divorcee. She told him to GTFO. Then she called her badass mom who came to the set to also tell him to GTFO. 

Because they could be little shits, Astaire and Hermes Pan made up lyrics mocking the dress, set to the tune of "Cheek to Cheek.” They went, "Feathers, I hate feathers, And I hate them so that I can hardly speak, And I never find the happiness I seek, With those chicken feathers dancing cheek to cheek."

Rogers was pissed, not in the least because she had designed the dress herself and also they were ostrich feathers tyvm. Tbh it does look pretty magnificent in the final edit of the film… but that was after every single feather had been hand sewn into place. And you can still see some of them float off.  

In their next film, Astaire is going to get whacked in the face by the heavy, beaded sleeve of Rogers’ dress so he really had it easy here. 

He also knew he’d gone too far in poking fun at her dress and generally being an ass about the entire situation. Astaire apologized to Rogers by giving her a gold feather for her charm bracelet and affectionately calling her “Feathers” in the accompanying note (“Dear Feathers, I love ya! -Fred”). The nickname stuck. Later, he would also give her a beautiful travel watch that was housed in a golden envelope. Engraved on the outside of the envelope in Astaire’s writing? “By Hand/To Feathers/All best love -Fred.” 

• The dress is absolutely essential to the dreamy quality of this dance. It makes her look like she’s floating along, caught up in being in love and in his arms. She even seems to come out of a daydream once they’ve finished dancing. 

• The plot and dialogue jump through so many hoops to avoid Madge ever once saying, “my husband’s friend, Jerry,” which would clear up everything instantly.

• Interesting that when Dale reminisces sadly about her love for Jerry, whom she doesn’t think she can actually be with, the tune that plays is “Isn’t it a Lovely Day?” and not “Cheek to Cheek.” High romance is lovely but sometimes nothing beats being able to laugh and have fun together.  

• Horace and Jerry have been sharing the bridal suite, as it was the only room available when they arrived. But now that Dale has impulsively agreed to marry Beddini, the management asks if Jerry and Horace would be wiling to give up the suite in exchange for a different room.

Jerry: “Well, we’ve hardly settled in it yet… Have we, angel?”

Horace: “No, and all our clothes are...(realizing Jerry is teasing him) Oh, please.”

• Upon finally realizing what’s actually been going on with Dale:

Jerry: “She’s been mistaking me for Horace all this time.”

Madge: “No wonder she thought Horace was fascinating.”

Horace: “Heh, no wonder. (then immediately) I resent that.”

• Perhaps poking fun at the way dances had been filmed until he took charge, Astaire and Rogers’ portion of “The Piccolino” starts with a close up of their feet. But instead of then cutting to a full body shot, the shot widens to show them and the dance continues all in one take. 

• This may be a strange place to talk about how right Astaire and Rogers look together but I’m gonna do it anyway. Their heights are very complimentary and they move like extensions of one another. The routine is quick and bouncy, incorporating several styles and switching between them rapidly. Throughout, Astaire and Rogers elevate one another with their individual grace and skill. That element is only going to continue to grow in the next couple of films. 

• At one point he whips around to pull her in so they can spin like they did in the bandstand. As she waits for him, Rogers’ face lights up and they go into the move smiling wide. Soon after, Astaire playfully raises his eyebrows to her. At another point, they step forward slowly, eyes on each other, and there’s a glimpse of that private world they sometimes slip into during their dances. The whole time, they’re absolutely flawless. 

• It wouldn’t have made sense to record the taps, etc live like “I’ll Be Hard to Handle” in Roberta but I wonder what might’ve been picked if they had. Aside from when they clap and there’s no sound, Astaire says something to her when they’re dancing in a circle facing each other. She definitely seems to be giggling at several points. 

• When the music kicks up and they go into an energetic section, he bows and flourishes his hand to her, once again making her the main focus. 

• While filming the final scene of the movie, Sandrich (the director) wanted the duo to do a short ending dance and he told them this on the day of filming. Astaire and Rogers were peeved. Every bit of dancing, no matter how small, was always rehearsed. But Sandrich, who, again, was a dick, insisted. According to Rogers, she privately told Astaire to simply move her about however he wanted and she would follow along.  In all likelihood, they probably did whip up this little dance and rehearse it quickly but you’d never know it wasn’t planned ahead of time.

She obviously had a lot of trust in his ability to lead them both but she also knew he was an excellent social dancer, meaning he didn’t necessarily need a pre-rehearsed routine. And she knew this because they’d gone dancing back in New York when they were dating. 

• Here’s a cool behind the scenes picture from The Academy’s archive taken during the final scene.

• And so we’ve finished Top Hat, another glamorous adventure for Astaire and Rogers. Up is a more working class outing: Follow the Fleet. 

[d00dlebugart]

Cuphead Modern Time AU

This AU is one of my abominations I call ideas.

What this is about:

Basically, this AU is having the Cuphead characters in the modern real world.

Yep

That means that they're humans with jobs (depending on age), nationalities, with ages, etc.

So this will be Inkwell Isle 1 characters so far.

The Root Pack:

Psycarrot-

Name: Peter Campbell

Age: 35

Occupation: Farmer

Nationality: Scottish

Moetatoe-

Name: Martin Thomas

Age: 30

Occupation: Farming

Nationality: Irish

Weepy-

Name: William Terland

Age: 27

Occupation: Farmer

Nationality: Welsh

Goopy Le Grand

Name: Garan Le Grand

Age: 29

Occupation: Boxer

Nationality: French

Hilda Berg

Name: Hilda Bergan

Age: 24

Occupation: Astrologist and Pilot

Nationality: Half Japanese Half Greek

Cagney Carnation

Name: Carlos Costa

Age: 30

Occupation: Florist (ex mobster hehe)

Nationality: Brazilian

Ribby and Croaks

Ribby-

Name: Rolando Juarez

Age: 31

Occupation: Professional Boxer

Nationality: Mexican

Croaks:

Name: Cristofer Juarez

Age: 28

Occupation: Professional Boxer

Nationality: Mexican

Tell me what y'all think

[im-just-velvet]

Oof than Cagney lmao

Full Name: Cagney William Carnation

Nicknames: Cags, Flower boy, Will

Age: 24

Personality:

Prankster, Short-tempered, Stubborn, Easily Angry, Moody

Occupation:

Florist

Allies:

Cuphead,Mugman,Hilda, Werner, Goopy, Beppi, Rumor, Cala and Specter

Enemies:

Cuphead and Mugman (Formerly),The Root Pack (sometimes),King Dice and The Devil

Sexual Orientation:

Gay

Love Interest:

Blind Specter

Likes:

Himself, Flowers, Hilda and Werner, Werner helping him, Rumor’s tea, Having fun with Hilda

Dislikes:

Losing his temper, The Root Pack insulting him, his flowers wilting, Winter Season, his petals tearing off

[cinnamon-pigeon]

fanfic prompt: “Dice going to Cagney about some flowers, maybe black roses”

Dice wasn’t much of one for walking, especially across all three of the Inkwell Isles in a single morning. Even as a kid, he seldom ventured out to the woods, finding it too quiet and dusty for his liking.

Unusual circumstances called for some unusual measures, though. He couldn’t exactly hop through Hell for this errand; he needed to be discreet. Dammit, being thoughtful was hard. Dice stifled a yawn as he made his way through the striped tents of the Isle Two carnival, which was still being set up for the day. The oil-and-cinnamon smell of funnel cakes being prepared for the opening rush made his stomach growl, and he reached into his pocket to retrieve a scone that he had wrapped in a handkerchief, leftover from his breakfast at a diner on Isle Three early that morning. 

He had meant to get some rest before setting off on his journey, but the casino had been busy that night, and his staff even more lively than usual. It was kind of a miracle that he had managed to get away at all.

A morning fit for a king, indeed, he thought, smirking. His sleep-deprived humor was almost as dry as his scone, which crumbled like sand as soon as he bit into it. 

Luckily, Cagney Carnation’s garden was on the easternmost edge of Isle One. The flower’s eyes narrowed as Dice approached.

“Hi-de-ho, Cags, ol’ fella! Top of the mornin’,” Dice called out, waving his hand in greeting. Seeing Cagney’s fists beginning to curl, he added, “Relax, I ain’t here on the Devil’s business. Don’t blow ya wig on me, eh?”

“Whatcha need, then?” Cagney asked. His voice was still laced with suspicion, but his fists unclenched, and he picked up a watering can and began to tend to some plants nearby.

“This a flower shop, ain’t it?” Dice responded smoothly. Cagney was still bristing with thorns; in response to the florist’s passive-aggressivity, Dice conjured a glowing pink dice into his palm and bounced it idly as he waited for Cagney to respond.

“Sure is,” Cagney responded. 

“Well, it’s just flowers I’m lookin’ for.”

“Ya got those on Isle Three, ain’t ya?” Cagney frowned. “Bit of a chore to get them out here, innit, bub?”

“It’s a...special order,” Dice responded. He let the die in his palm dissipate, and his shoulders hunched a bit. His heart was hammering, and his mouth felt suddenly dry.

“Yeah?”

“Lookin’ for roses...black ones,” Dice said delicately. “Bit of a rarity. Figured you’d have ‘em, if anyone did.”

The look in Cagney’s eyes changed from suspicious to gleeful n a heartbeat. “Ooh, ain’t that a hoot! Y’ain’t here as the Devil’s lackey, yer here as his”--

“Don’t talk, and this’ll go down like eggs in coffee,” Dice growled. He  could feel his cheeks beginning to flush, and with his pale coloring, he knew how strongly his embarassment showed on his face.

“Got it, Miiister King Dice,” Cagney chortled. “Or is it Mister Lucifer to ya now?”

Dice’s teeth gritted. “Don’ forget what I’m capable of, ya little scrub,” he hissed back. His face felt like it was on fire.

Cagney handed him a bouqet of black roses. “Yeah, yeah. Have fun with these. You got the gold, yeah?”

Dice snuck the bouquet of roses under his tuxedo as he rushed upstairs to his suite to freshen up. He hadn’t even considered that walking all this way in a three-piece suit in the middle of summer would leave him so exhausted and bedraggled. He fidgeted with the key to his suite, gratefully anticipating a cold shower and quick nap.

“You look like you had fun.” 

Dice’s shoulders jumped. Since he hadn’t even gone to sleep last night, he didn’t expect for anyone to be in his suite.

The Devil trotted up to him with a curious expression. Dice winced, pressing the bouquet against his stomach. The thorns dug through his shirt and scratched at his sweaty stomach. “Cripes!” he exclaimed loudly. “’M I s’posed to just anticipate you hangin’ out here when I’m gone now, boss?”

“Well...” The Devil smiled teasingly. “You did decide today was my birthday, after all.” Birthdays were insignificant to demons, and as such, the Devil didn’t have a date to celebrate each year; Dice had arbitrarily picked one as an excuse to throw a party. 

“’Kay, ya got me,” Dice said.

“And...what have we here?” The Devil’s tail flicked the obvious lump in Dice’s suit jacket. The cellophane wrapped around the floral bouquet crinkled loudly.

“Geez, boss. Subtlety, ya know?”

“Not my thing, Dicey...”

“Fine,” Dice sighed and unbuttoned his jacket. If it were up to him, he would have presented the Devil with the bouquet on the casino floor, maybe at the end of a song he sung for him with Pirouletta accompanying on the piano, but the glitz was his thing. The Devil favored immediate gratification.

Dice sighed and presented the bouquet with a flourish. 

“For me?” The look in the Devil’s amber eyes was giddy.

“Walked across the damn isles for these. Hope ya like ‘em,” Dice said. Although he had wanted the moment to be different, the look on his lover’s face was more than he ever could have hoped for.

“‘Course. Bring it in, Dice.” The Devil leaned in, and Dice wrapped his arms around the Devil’s neck, inhaling a deep breath of the musky scent that reminded him now of home.

“We’re still gonna do the big blowout in the casino tonight,” Dice murmured with his face pressed into the Devil’s shoulder. “Been plannin’ for weeks, ya know. Piro’s got a whole new routine just for the party tonight.”

“I can live with that.”

“Live with it? I expect ya to love it,” Dice retorted playfully.

The Devil laughed. “As long as you’re there.”

“I’d better be.” Dice sighed deeply. “Been up all night, though. Gotta get some shut-eye before that.” He flopped onto the bed and tossed his coat across the roo onto a chair. “You gonna check on the casino?”

“I could,” the Devil said thoughtfully. “If you like napping alone...”

“Up to you,” Dice responded coyly.

The Devil sidled up next to him. Dice smiled and rested his head against the Devil’s chest. He had the most luxurious satin bedding, but the Devil’s warm shoulder was his favorite pillow. “Thanks,” he murmured, closing his eyes.

The Devil’s lips pressed against his forehead. “I’ll slip out when you’re asleep.”

“Wake me up for the party, then. I’m gonna need some time to freshen up.”

“Sure. Nighty-night, Dice.” 

[ablogtoaskcupheadcharacters]

Cagney, I have had news...FLORISTS ARE COMING FOR YOU!

“Then the florists were never seen again...”

[sarcastic-little-glaceon-hey]

More characters from my (Fan fiction) book series YAY! Welcome Clarrisa to the blog! She is Cagney Carnation’s twin sister. She is 21 yrs old. She is a florist, and a poet. More on her character soon, since I’m too lazy to write down more info about her. Even though Im on summer vacation..... So yeah.

[rothmanmoss]

Cagney , Serena, and Cagney Jr. wish everyone Happy Holidays and a happy New Year~! some fanart for @adoggoart ‘s AU- I love how she characterizes these two as well as everyone else a lot! go check out doggos sideblog for them as well- @mobster-florists - it’s real nice !

[uas-art]

I wasn’t a big fan of my little Cagney doodle at first, but guess you could say it *GREW* on me? ;D

Ok, bad puns aside, what I tentatively have on him for now is that he’s a florist, the deal he made with the devil was to cultivate any plants he wants, including the little beasties he pulls out when he’s against a wall, and used to be a ruffian, but grew out of it (or so he claims).

Idk if I’ll draw any more humanized version of the other enemies, this was mostly a doodle that got out of hand…>.>

[ask-cagney-carnation]

Hey Cagney! How's your garden? (@friendly-florist)

“My flower patch is great I live in it, I eat fertilizer with flower friends, and I plant new flowers or plants to keep me company day by day! Even though they can’t talk” Cagney said with a big smile.