Curly (Mouthwashing)

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Do-Gooder
Full Name	Curly (first name unknown)
Alias(es)	Captain Captain Curly
Origin	The Last One and Then Another
Occupation	Captain of the Tulpar Freighter (formerly)
Powers / Skills	High intelligence Pilot expertise Leadership Resilience Psychological evaluation
Hobby	Leading and hanging out with his crew. Spending time with family. Trying new things. Weightlifting. Snow sports.
Goals	Lead the crew of the Tulpar freighter. (succeeded; now obsolete) Follow a different path due to his dissatisfaction with remaining captain. (failed) Prevent the Tulpar from crashing. (failed)
Family	Unknown
Friends / Allies	Jimmy (formerly) † Anya † Swansea † Daisuke †
Enemies	Jimmy † (arch-nemesis)
Type of Hero	Misguided Scapegoat

“	Curly: Lately I've just been thinking. Is this enough? Should I just stay here because I've been successful at it? A good long haul freighter captain. Jimmy: And that's bad? Curly: That's what I'm saying, it's not. But... It's terrifying. I think, "Am I figured out? Is this all I'll ever be?" Or do I take the risk and try something new? Even if I'm bad at it.	„
	~ Curly's conversation with Jimmy.

Curly is the deuteragonist of the 2024 psychological horror game Mouthwashing and debuted in The Last One and Then Another, both developed by Wrong Organ.

He was the hardworking yet dissatisfied pilot of the Tulpar long-haul freighter ship, overseen by Pony Express, and became horrifically maimed after the ship crashed. The Tulpar's crew initially believed that Curly intentionally caused the crash, but it was actually Jimmy's doing, driven by feelings of jealousy and inadequacy. After being incapacitated for months aboard the ship, enduring abuse and mutilation by Jimmy while witnessing the downfall of each crew member, he is eventually placed in the final cryopod, offering a slight chance of survival.

His laughter, choking noises and screams were provided by Martin, who also provided his voice for Daisuke.

Appearance

Before the crash, Curly is a Caucasian male of average build with blue eyes and blond hair, dressed in cyan, Pony Express overalls over a red and yellow T-shirt.

After the crash, he is heavily bandaged and burnt, with exposed flesh underneath. His left leg is amputated just above the ankle, and his right leg below the knee. Both of his hands are missing. His face is unrecognizable, concealed by bandages that only leave his left eye (now missing its eyelid) and teeth visible.

Personality

In contrast to Jimmy's narcissism and jealousy, Curly was generally a dependable, compassionate, and rational captain who tried dedicating himself to his crew and responsibilities. He strove to be responsible yet caring, even when interpersonal conflicts or poor working conditions affected morale, and also maintained trusting relationships with each crew member. However, despite his passion for being a great captain, he expressed dissatisfaction with the role, wishing to pursue other goals after being at the top of the ladder for so long. Nonetheless, while ambitious and longing for more, he remained loyal and would never abandon his crew for personal gain, despite Jimmy’s accusations to the contrary.

One of Curly's major flaws, however, was his tendency to enable others, often being overly passive, even toward those who didn’t deserve it. His habit of giving others the benefit of the doubt, avoiding confrontation, and prioritizing stability played a key role in the game’s central conflict. When he learns that Jimmy impregnated Anya—likely without her consent, given her expressed fear and discomfort around him—Curly opts not to reprimand Jimmy directly. Instead, he tries to smooth things over with Jimmy, despite Jimmy's lack of remorse and Anya's insistence and distress, claiming that he "knows him" and would be able to talk him through it. In doing so, Curly neglects Anya’s feelings and ultimately leaves Jimmy in a position to hijack and deliberately crash the ship.

In Jimmy’s hallucination, Curly admits he could have intervened, acknowledging that in Jimmy's stories, he would be portrayed as the villain due to his failure to resolve the matter effectively as captain (though this takes place in Jimmy’s mind, where Curly was likely projected onto). This theme is symbolically emphasized again when he and Anya discuss a dead pixel on the Tulpar's screen. Unable to locate the pixel himself, Curly notes his tendency to see the "bigger picture" in things, suggesting the pixel doesn't ruin the illusion and that the screen remains peaceful anyway. He also struggled to wield his authority effectively in other challenging situations, such as when he hurt crew morale by informing them that Pony Express was dissolving, despite being instructed not to. This was yet another catalyst in Jimmy's decision to sabotage the ship.

Following the crash, Curly, unfortunately, becomes mentally disturbed, left incapacitated, horribly maimed, and in constant pain. As a result, he begins to lose his sanity, often seen crying in agony, gagging, moaning, or laughing mirthlessly due to the tragic situation and the horrors unfolding around him.

Biography

Pre-Crash

Little is known about Curly's life prior to the game's events. What is known is that he spends most of his time on Earth around his friends and family, and that those around him always have something interesting going on. When he's not stuck on a haul, Curly spends his times trying new things. It can also be assumed that he has been working for Pony Express for quite some time, having reached the "top rung of the ladder," as stated by Jimmy. Curly and Jimmy are established as friends, and Curly ultimately helps a struggling Jimmy join their crew as co-pilot on the Tulpar.

Anya conducts crew evaluations, and during Curly's evaluation, she confides in him that Jimmy is the final crew member she needs to assess, but Jimmy makes her uncomfortable. She cites his inappropriate remark about being sexually attracted to cartoon horses as the reason, which Curly laughs off despite her discomfort. As a result, Curly offers to conduct Jimmy's evaluation in her stead. When Daisuke gets covered in foam while attempting to fix a broken vent shaft, Curly unlocks the ship's utility axe, clears the foam from Daisuke, and entrusts the axe to Swansea to complete the task. Curly then conducts Jimmy's psychological evaluation in the cockpit. Afterward, they have an off-record discussion where Curly reveals his trepidation about his position as captain. A notification from Pony Express prompts Jimmy to leave, and Curly is subsequently informed of Pony Express' bankruptcy and the crew's impending termination. He is also told that he would receive both a commendation and exceptional references, but the rest of the members would not. He is ordered by higher-ups to wait until the end of the haul before informing the crew.

A week later, the crew gives Curly a surprise birthday party. Outwardly enthusiastic, yet uneasy during the celebration, Curly eventually informs the crew of their termination, believing it would be unfair to keep them in the dark. Jimmy erupts in an accusation that Curly is happy about the termination, claiming that Curly is the only crew member with resources to survive after losing their job, and thereby reframing their previous conversation in a more negative light.

Later, Anya reveals to Curly that Jimmy had sexually assaulted her, resulting in her pregnancy, and she has hidden the ship's gun, which she cannot access. Curly offers to mediate and asks for the gun. Instead of letting him speak to Jimmy, Anya tells Jimmy about the pregnancy without Curly's involvement. Jimmy's response scares her, which she shares with Curly. Upset that Anya approached Jimmy first, Curly attempts to calm Jimmy down regarding the stressful situation aboard the ship. Jimmy suggests that his actions would be blamed on Curly as the captain and implies they would both evade responsibility if the ship somehow crashed before reaching their destination. Jimmy tells Curly he'll "take care of it" and deliberately steers the ship into an asteroid. Curly, shocked, intervenes by rushing to the cockpit, diverting the ship from a direct fatal collision, but gets caught in the impact, where he is maimed and grievously injured.

Post-Crash

Anya tends to his wounds and stabilizes him, leaving him on the hospital bed in Medical. He is alive, but his skin is burned off, his hands and feet are damaged to the point of amputation, and he is incapable of movement or speech. Jimmy assumes Curly's captain status and blames the crash on Curly, with the crew deciding to keep Curly alive on painkillers despite believing he purposely caused the crash. Anya, hesitant to administer painkillers, has Jimmy do it instead, but Jimmy continuously abuses Curly to vent his anger by aggressively shoving pills down his throat and beating him. He also uses this opportunity to speak his mind, having no one else to talk to without implicating himself. Eventually, Anya locks herself in the medical bay with Curly. Daisuke notifies Jimmy, who is concerned about Curly's potential euthanization. However, Anya ultimately commits suicide, which Curly is forced to watch.

After the deaths of all other crew members, Jimmy arranges the corpses in the dining room and places Curly on the table. He cuts a slice of Curly's leg for himself and the dead crewmates, eating a piece and force-feeding a piece to Curly. Jimmy has a final hallucination of Curly, where he witnesses him flaming in space. The hallucinated Curly accepts responsibility for the disaster, admitting that he could have prevented it, but Jimmy apologizes and insists that they can both be heroes in the end. In his final moment of clarity, Jimmy carries Curly to the final cryopod before killing himself. Curly is left in cryostasis for an intended 20 years, with the off-chance that he might ever be found, his ultimate fate remaining uncertain.

Quotes

“	It's easy to get on this boat when you have to. You say to yourself, this is just temporary. Just until I get what I need. Got bigger things planned! Then suddenly you're one year in. Five years. Ten. First I couldn't stand the constant, constant noise. Now I can't sleep without it. A lot of things can't follow you out here. But it also means the outside world moves on without you. Won't even notice until it's too late. ...easy to get on, hard to leave.	„
	~ Curly in "The Last One And Then Another".

“	Do you want to hear a joke? Three men are in the hospital. The first man cries "I lost both my hands, they told me I'll never work again!" The second man wails "I lost both my legs, they told me I'll never work again!" The third man? He rejoices "I lost my hearing, they'll never be able to tell me I'm fired again!" Hahahah! Good one huh?	„
	~ Curly telling a joke.

“	Next comes spite. First it stares back at you in the mirror. Then it's those around you. They're wearing your face and you theirs. ...You know. He joined because of me. What were the words I used? Ah, right. "It's a great opportunity. Easy money, just a trip or two." Someone else's words in my mouth. Hey, worked on me as well, right? Change hurts, but worse things fester for a long time. I told him as much. I tried, I really did. We're defined by our past, but not slaves to it. We said tomorrow will be different. Today would be the last day. The last one. The last one and then another. And another, and another, and another...	„
	~ Curly talking about him and Jimmy.

“	Why don't you finish what you started? Don't worry, if anyone ever finds us, I'll still be playing the villain. You'll be the better man in the end. Like you wanted. I could have stopped it. I'm taking responsibility.	„
	~ Curly in Jimmy's hallucination.

Gallery

Curly talking to Jimmy shortly before the ship is crashed.

Curly on the bed in Medical following the crash.

Curly in The Last One and Then Another.

Curly sitting down for some cake in Jimmy's hallucination.

Curly being laid out in front of the corpses of his crew, moments before Jimmy saws off his leg.

A mechanically modified Curly designed to consume his own leg.

A flaming Curly talking to Jimmy in space.

Curly's Steam trading card wallpaper.

Trivia

• From what can be seen on Curly's ID card, fans have speculated that his first name could be either Grant or Clint.
• The opioid Curly is given during the game is called oxycodone, and it is highly addictive.
  • Common side effects include euphoria, constipation, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, drowsiness, dizziness, itching, dry mouth, and sweating. Side effects may also include addiction and dependence, substance abuse, irritability, depression or mania, delirium, hallucinations, hypoventilation, gastroparesis, bradycardia, and hypotension.
• The medication he receives from the medical cabinet when the oxycodone runs out is 500 mg paracetamol (acetaminophen), which is an over the counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. It is used to treat mild to moderate pain.
  • Although paracetamol rarely causes side effects when taken at the right dosage, they include drowsiness, tiredness, rashes and itches.
• The first and only time the player sees Curly's face prior to the crash is in Chapter 20.
  • Originally, Curly was not going to be shown pre-crash until about a month before release, when the script for that scene was slightly rewritten.
• Curly's eyeball always tracks the player's movements.
• Unlike other characters', post-crash Curly's model consists of three pieces: jaw, eyeball, and body.
• Curly was initially intended to have a British accent, remnants of which are still in the script.
• Curly's favorite Pokémon is Pikachu.
• Post-crash Curly was one of the first things created for the game, as his appearance was always central to the story's identity.
• According to Wrong Organ, recording Curly's pill-feeding sounds was one of the funniest parts of the game to work on.
• At first, the player was meant to question whether they were playing as Jimmy or Curly more, but that quickly became more frustrating and confusing than compelling. Because of this, the idea was disregarded.
• An earlier concept of the game had the player give each character a psychological evaluation from Curly's point of view.
• The first pre-crash scene, where Curly goes from having his psych eval with Anya to eventually the conversation with Jimmy in the cockpit, was the most difficult to write.
  • Initially, both conversations were much longer, and the player was meant to see some of the evaluations conducted. However, the question/answer format was way too tedious and made the conversations stilted, so instead, the development team used the fadeout to imply the test had been done and had Curly and Jimmy talk sort of around it instead.
• After Pony Express went under, Curly was set to receive both a commendation and exceptional references, while the rest of the crew would not.
• Curly doesn't like sweets.
• One of Curly's fondest birthday memories is his friends making him a cake out of chocolate and caramel whey protein powder one year, which collapsed under its weight and tasted like a chalkboard.
• Curly is into weightlifting.
• He spends most of his time on Earth around friends and family. Apparently, someone around him always has something interesting going on, and Curly enjoys trying new things when he’s not stuck on a haul.
• Winter is his favorite season because he's a "snow sports" kind of guy.

External Links

• Curly on the Mouthwashing Wiki
• Curly on the Inconsistently Admirable Wiki