#worse than the first! | fake peppino | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

beatcroc · 3 months

Text

a year!!! as of today i have now been drawing these funny little pizza freaks, to the exclusion of almost everything else, for!!! an entire year!!! i wanted to do a nice group shot/lineup of everybody to compare to when i first started trying to draw them because oh boy were they bad. i never even posted most of them anywhere because they were so bad. but im posting them here, now, to see how everything's changed/evolved.

this is probably the hardest time i've ever had trying to figure out how to work with a style, but we got there eventually; i'm pretty happy with the handle i've got on everybody now...dont let ur memes be dreams. lots of unimportant journaling and idle thoughts abt it below.

older pics

the first one is the VERY first time i drew them, before i thought i was going to actually have any interest in drawing them [lmao]; it was just the one isolated image, for my friendserver, to illustrate the funney message, so there was no attempt to make it Good or actually understand anything going on w/ the designs or style.

second is the original run of practices sketches to start trying to figure them out for real; done after i started having ideas for the comics and such and realized oh god maybe i am actually gonna draw fanart for this. [again, lol, and lmao.]

third one is the first pt art thing i posted on here. there were a couple weeks of sprite studies between this one and the previous image. the one on the top right wasn't part of that post i just threw it on as space filler; i'd intended to shift to doing Sprite Redraws But Stylized to explore tings more, but that was the only one i did. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

individual characters

peppino: by far the hardest dear god. bro what ARE your shapes how DOES your face work. jesus christ. everything i have trouble with this style for, peppino has it in excess. i draw in polygons! i need consistency! and that is the last thing this kind of style is concerned with. they are made of squarshy clay and i do not understand how to mold them. i was really hoping trying to learn this game's style would GIVE me that kind of flexibility for fun exaggerated facial expression but i don't think much came of it in the end 😔. anyway on the bright side all this means once i got peppino figured out a little bit everybody else clicked way easier.

fake peppino: honestly i never did anything with him on purpose except for how his eyes work + the perma-smile thing. i figured ok hes supposed to look weird and off model so whatever happens with him happens. and it did. and it kept happening. it is still, in fact, happening.

noise/ette: somehow, for every bit that peppino was the least natural thing i've ever tried, these two worked pretty much right off the bat. i still don't understand it, seeing as pretty much all the things at play for peppino are also at work for them. i think the new sketches are actually a little worse than older ones but not enough that i care.

gustavo: really funny bc i drew him on model twice and just went 'okay, cool nice, easy, um. he doesn't have any fucking legs?' fortunately he was the only one i had a strong idea for how to stylize him [square] and it worked exactly as i was hoping so wahoo.

brick: is an animal and therefore 5000x easier and more natural for me to draw/stylize than anything else in the cast. that is Just a rat bro. i can draw a rat.

gerome: i think the funniest one here. the most drastic and least necessary change imo. i was gonna have him be really small at first, like smaller than the noises, but then i just... didn't. he's just peppino-sized now. also i gave him like. actual human facial structure, which is funny bc in most cases i'd do anything to avoid, but it works well for his being A Rock to give him some angles and definition like that+ to differentiate his vibe from the rest of the cast who are all very squishy. also since he is essentially Just A Head it's good to emphasize that too ig.

john: i only drew john a couple times but he gets to be here because i like him. and because most of the stuff i applied to gerome was readily applicable to john, though i did try to keep him a little more uncanny because he is a Huge And Lanky Freak. i hate that he is barefoot btw but idk how to make his color balance look right with shoes.

pizzahead: i did not want to put him on here honestly but i Have drawn him a handful of times and more importantly i didn't know what i was gonna do with john's pose if i didn't have him there to be glared at. the only thing that's different with him is giving him wider-bottomed pants, which i got from when i tried to draw these guys in clone high style [i never posted that one either][i will eventually]

snick: he gets to be here because 1. he's like 6 lines 2. i like him and 3. ive scribbled him a few times offhand and it went pretty well

misc

there are some guys missing because those are guys i didn't draw enough [or at all] to have gotten comfortable with them. sorry

i would have Liked to shade these but for the time being i have accepted that my grasp of light/shadow has decayed to the point im not going to be happy with anything i try there, so For Now i am working on my presentation with flats i guess. gerome has a shadow only because he's shaded like that ingame and looks naked without it

anyway if you are still reading [hi?] i get to shamelessly plug now. i'm over the hill of my pizza run now, and while i still have plenty of things i want to make here, most of the bigger more in-depth ones have passed. pizza tower was the first thing in THREE YEARS to get me out of my oc groove to doing fanart, and once i am done with my ideas here i will be going right back to it. if you like my art or how i write characters/interactions you should check out my oc/webcomic blog @jamverse . i can't promise people who like pizza stuff will be terribly into my designs, but i can guarantee i treat my guys with the exact same sort of tone i handle the pt guys with. and hell, i've mentioned it a few times before, but like 70% of my characterization for fake pep is just copied off one of my characters, so if u are going to miss him... he will still be there in spirit >;p

and if you dont care about any of that and are still reading thank you anyway. actually making these comics + seeing how shockingly well-received they've been has done a lot for my confidence, and for seeing that my kind of stuff IS something people enjoy :')

#pizza tower #peppino spaghetti #fake peppino #gustavo and brick #the noise #noisette #pizzahead #arting #pizzaposting

178 notes · View notes

marclef · 11 days

Note

Soooo... FakePep is obviously kicking around, but what about the other clones? The other FakePeps like him, with darker clothes & less stability? The mass-produced Peppino Clones from WAR, made with a majority Frog DNA compared to FakePep? Maybe there's even others??????

sooo.... in my canon/Pizza Tower AU i suppose, there's technically 3 types of Peppino clones, i'll try to explain them a bit here.

well for starters, there's obviously Fake Peppino, we all know this boy. i headcanon that he's the first Peppino clone that was made, and is by far the strongest out of them. he's also fairly smart, just.... a lot different than the average person. he sees the world a lot differently than others do.

the Fake Peppino "Clones" from his boss fight, in actuality, aren't technically true clones per say, they're more of a defense mechanism from the true Fake Peppino. if he's under attack or feels severely threatened by something, (for example, a defensive Peppino), he's able to split these weaker clones off of himself to either attack or defend against the assailant. they're a lot less stable than he is, though, and only live for a few short moments before dying off into (mostly) inert goop. that's why they aren't TRUE clones, necessarily, but I'll count them anyways.

it takes a lot of energy for Fake Peppino to create these "clones", though, so he rarely ever does it. unless he feels in great danger, or worse, is agitated enough by something...

and of course, there's the numerous Peppino Clones from War, made to be mass-produced and a lot less human than even Fake is. they're based off of Fake Peppino's DNA, but a lot smaller than he is, more frog-like, and can reproduce rapidly. unlike Fake Peppino, their intelligence is only about as much as a standard frog's, meaning.... they're not exactly that bright. they see anything smaller than them as potential prey, but are generally aggressive towards each other as well, along with the true Peppino.

but, as for where they are now, before the Pizza Tower was destroyed, a good few of them managed to escape out into the wild, where they multiplied quickly. they eat nearly anything, and split into new clones once they've fed enough. however, they're not the strongest, and due to their small size, they're preyed upon by larger predators, meaning that despite everything, their population is stable.

they just need to be wary of going near Peppino's Pizza.... Fake Peppino doesn't take their presence well.

#that little one might be in trouble..... if only they didn't have hot air for brains 😔#but well. this turned into Peppino Clones lore dump time didn't it? heh i guess it's as good an excuse as any to share my headcanons 😅#thank you for coming to my Frog Talk though 👍👍#my art #pizza tower #pizza tower fake peppino #peppino clone #man..... i want pet frogs again. those little guys are just so delightfully silly.....

64 notes · View notes

phantomdoofer · 6 months

Text

Chapter 17 - Grudges, Part 1

Trigger warning. Just... trigger warning.

Peppino stood in front of the oven. He scratched at the rampant stubble on his cheek. It had been two weeks since the attacks, and everyone in the town was on edge. While the cold had loosened its grip, the icy fog still showed up daily. Everyone was a nervous wreck. Several more attacks had happened, only blunted by the fact that no one went out without a Toppin alongside them now. No more deaths, at least. Peppino had narrowly dodged a few himself. The only thing that seemed to stop the horrible things was a strange reluctance to enter buildings.

Peppino was hardly sleeping. He'd forgotten to shave so many times now he was in danger of looking like his brother. Not that anyone else is different. The police were stretched to the limit, patrolling day and night. Vigi seemed to be more coffee than cheese these days - his arm had grown back in short order, but that was small consolation.

Peppino glanced across the street. Noisette's was quiet these days - both for lack of customers and fear of attracting attention. Peppino's own business was slacking again, though his deliveries were through the roof. He refused to do them after dark, however. I'm not risking anyone, even for my business.

Tower Town and La Crosta were cities under siege.

Mushroom piped a little noise, trying to cheer Peppino up. He idly scratched its cap, thinking. We have to find a way to break this. There were no leads, however - nothing so far had given them a single clue where the monsters came from. Even Giuseppe's vaunted secret connections were coming up blank.

The door opened, and the man himself appeared. Speak of the devil. "Buongiorno, Seppe. What brings you out in this?"

Giuseppe walked to the counter, Sausage hopping off to greet Mushroom. "Mio Dio, Pino, you look like hell."

Peppino looked his brother over. "You're-a one to talk." Indeed, his brother's mustache and beard were even bushier than usual. His hair looked mussed. Looks like he just rolled out of bed. Or forgot to roll into it.

Giuseppe flippantly waved his hand. "Too busy trying to find out where this nut is." He leaned over exhaustedly. "Not that I've had any luck. Nothing. No one has a clue. Even Anita's underworld connections are clueless."

Peppino slammed a hand down. Giuseppe jumped. "Porca Puttana, fratello, we have to find-a something! We can't-a live like this!"

"I know, I know!" Giuseppe grabbed the sides of his head, his eyes bleak. "Even the government is clueless, though! These things are starting to turn up other places, too! Did you know there was an attack on the Italian capitol yesterday?"

Peppino was stunned. "Why didn't-a I see that on the news?"

"They kept it quiet," Giuseppe said, "trying to quell panic. But it's getting worse." He shook his head. "That's the fifth capitol that's getting attacked now. No one knows where they're coming from."

Peppino matched the motion. "Come on, fratello, think! Monsters don't-a just appear from thin air, do they? Except... in... the Tower..." Peppino's voice trailed off.

"The Tower... that only appeared... when it wanted to be found..." Giuseppe's voice trailed off as well.

The looked at each other in surprise. They spoke in unison.

"The Ruins."

~~~~

Peppino had called in the Tower Bosses, just in case. Peppino, Noise, Pepperman, Vigilante, Gustavo, Brick, Fake, and Giuseppe stood outside the crumbled remains of the Tower. Purple stone walls and pillars stood everywhere.

Noise flicked a cigarette away. "So why are we here, fat man? Figure you can't handle ol' Pizzahead alone?"

Giuseppe shook his head. "Most of us were the first targets. Everyone here was involved, except me. And since I was attacked at the same time, I'd be willing to bet he wants me here, too." He walked to a particular spot, and opened a hidden trapdoor. "My team found this right before I moved here, but they said they didn't find anything. Got a hunch that'll be different now." He pulled a handful of flashlights out of a bag and gave them out. "Stay together. No telling what we'll find in here."

Below the trapdoor was a set of solid stone stairs. The dim light seemed reluctant to enter - the shadows were thick within a few feet. As the group walked, they shone the light around. "None o' this looks familiar," Vigi said, "and I thought I explored the whole place." He turned to Fake. "I know you got around, any o' this look right?"

Fake shook their head. "Nnno. We explored as well, and we never found this. Somehow it was hidden from us."

Noise snorted. "Youse guys remember that ol' Pizzaface said no one could find this place if he didn't want it found, right?" He growled. "Guess he didn't want us findin' this. Creepy as hell."

Gustavo patted Brick - the rat was shivering. "Something's not right. Brick was never this scared in the Tower. Not even at the top."

Peppino turned. "Do you-a think she can pick up what-a the Toppins do?" The Toppins had one and all refused to come into the Tower ruins. "Badbadbad," Cheese and Pineapple had both repeated. Kind of wish I'd listened to them.

Gustavo touched the rat's head, and she turned and nuzzled his hand. After a moment, he nodded. "She says this place feels unnatural. Threatening. Like it's angry we're here."

All of them felt a chill at the words. How can a place feel hate?

Suddenly they could all feel it - pure malice on the air, like a stink. Peppino shivered. "Whatever's-a going on here, we should be-"

BWIP

~~~~

BWIP

"-care...ful...?" Peppino trailed off. He recognized the feeling from his previous visit. We just got teleported.

Behind him, Noise looked around in a panic. "Uh, just you and me here, big guy. Great. Where'd the rest of 'em end up?"

Peppino grimaced. "Wherever they are, I wish I hadn't-a ended up with you."

"Fuck you too, fat boy."

Peppino snorted. "I may hate-a your guts, you little-a gremlin, but this is serious. I'd-a work better with pretty-a much anyone else."

Noise looked thoughtful. "Which is probably why Pizzamug put us together."

Peppino raised an eyebrow. "Good point." He looked around. "Well, it's-a obvious he's here. Let's try to find-a the others."

As they walked, Peppino looked back at Noise. The little man was walking slowly, looking around. He had a Noise Bomb in each hand. He's terrified. "I don't-a think I've ever seen you this scared, Noise."

The yellow-suited man growled. "Listen, pasta paunch, Pizzahead freaked me out before I found out he was psychopath. If he's back, and mad at us, I'm gonna blow shit to hell if I catch even a whiff of him."

"Capisco," Peppino replied. Seeing the little man so unnerved would normally have made him happier. But in this situation...

The two crept along the dark hallway, checking every shadow.

~~~~

BWIP

"...what in the hell?" Vigilante said. He clutched his head. He'd only experienced the feeling of a teleporter once, but it gave him a migraine.

He looked around. The dark hallway was empty, except for himself and...

Brick nosed the cheeseslime, obviously distressed. Her eyes were wide, and she was whipping her head around, searching.

"Just you and me, looks like, girl," Vigi said. He pulled his sidearm. Not risking it anymore, with Pizzahead around.

Brick turned and looked at him. She squeaked pitifully, and clenched her paws. She looked ready to cry.

Aw, hell, don't have time for this, Vigi thought. He held out his free hand. "Listen, girl, I'm sure he's somewhere else, that's all. We just gotta find him."

She looked mournfully at him, then stood up and struck a stolid pose, squeaking confidently at length.

Wish I understood what the hell she just said. Vigi shook himself. "Aight, let's see what we can see. Stay together, ya hear?"

The rat nodded.

~~~~

BWIP

Gustavo winced. Great, a teleporter. "Hey, Brick, you all..."

He turned. Brick was gone. In fact, everyone was gone except for... "Pepperman? What happened?"

The giant pepper was picking himself up off the floor. "I... don't know. My head is positively swimming." He looked around. "Where's everyone else?"

Gustavo shook his head. "Think we got teleported away." Be safe, guys. "Any of this look familiar?"

Pepperman looked around. "No. Of course, I never ventured as far as the others. I'm afraid other than my dashing good looks, inestimable charm, and massive strength, I won't be much help to you."

Gustavo rolled this eyes. If egos were weapons, we could level the tower right now. He chastised himself. Being away from his companion had him edgy. "I can't sense Brick. Too far away, or something else?"

Pepperman shrugged. "With the technology in the Tower, could be both. We could be on the other side of the world."

That thought chilled Gustavo to the bone. "Let's hope not. Come on, let's see what the can find."

~~~~

BWIP

Giuseppe immediately threw up his hands in a defensive position. Teleporter! He scanned around. The room was different, a long hallway. It was just him and Fake.

Fake was down on all fours, growling softly. "We smell him. We smell him here."

Giuseppe's hair stood up a bit. "Pizzahead?" And now we're separated. Wonderful. He pulled this firearm. He knew all too well what the insane Ninda was capable of.

Fake whipped their head around, trying to keep everything in sight at once. "We're not sure where, but the smell is everywhere." Their hands reflexively formed into claws. They climbed onto the ceiling. "We will stay up here. If an attack happens, we will defend you."

Giuseppe snorted. "I'm not exactly defenseless, you know."

"We know," Fake replied, "but he has planned this. We leave nothing to chance. Be ready to fight."

Giuseppe nodded. They've got the right idea. "All right, I'll take point. Keep your eyes open."

"Agreed."

~~~~

A distorted figure stated at monitors. Each one displayed one of the four groups. They grinned, their face twisting horribly with the motion. "I hope they enjoy the playgrounds I've prepared for them. This will be so much fun!"

Their voice cracked and echoed as they cackled. The figures around it, each twisted and monstrous in their own way, shrunk away in fear. Their master tended to spread the "fun" around.

The figure turned and waved a hand. One of them burst into flames. They didn't even have time to react before they were a pile of stinking ash. "Don't worry, children. You'll have your fun soon enough."

~~~~

Giuseppe crept along the darkened corridor. It was still of debris. Lots of places to hide. Or be hidden. It also prevented him from getting up to speed - he didn't have Peppino's acceleration. Probably by design. He shook his head. Can't believe I didn't think about a trap. Too tired, I guess.

Above, Fake crept along the ceiling. They had been deathly silent the entire way - Giuseppe couldn't hear the faintest sound from them. They were moving in a very predatory way, creeping from shadow to shadow, slinking along like some malicious cross between a big cat and a snake.

The fact they were doing this on the ceiling just added to the anxiety factor.

Suddenly, Giuseppe saw something on the ceiling he recognized. He waved at Fake, making a "stop" motion.

They obliged, tilting their head inquisitively.

Giuseppe pointed at the object, then pointed at Fake, making a motion like he was pulling off a bit of himself and rolling it into a ball.

Quietly Fake spit out a glob, balled it, and dropped it to Giuseppe. Just like a wad of dough. Giuseppe tossed it at the object.

A virulent green ray shot out and the ball vaporized, then the object sparked and fell apart.

Fake dropped down beside Giuseppe. "What was that?"

"We called 'em biomines. They're only set off by biological matter getting too close. Figured your dough would count. Good thing it did." Giuseppe shivered. "Evil little things. Thankfully they pretty much always give out after one use. Lost too many people to them over the years."

Fake looked thoughtful. "Then you won't like that we can see several more ahead, on the walls, floor, and ceiling."

Giuseppe sighed. "Well, think that's up to you. Not like I can snap off my fingers and toss 'em."

Fake grinned. "We could snap them off for you, if you like."

"Very funny."

A few minutes later, the passage was full of sparking, smoking debris. Giuseppe carefully searched. "Nothing. You see anything else, Fake?" Silence. "Fake?"

He turned. Fake was sprawled on the ground, unmoving. "Oh, merda." Giuseppe trotted over and flipped them over. They're not breathing... do they even breathe? "Fake," he said, shaking their shoulder. "Fake! Say something!"

Fake weakly turned their head. "We used... too much... so tired..."

Giuseppe's heart clenched. Without a word, he grabbed them and tossed them onto his back. They're so much lighter...

Fake looked up weakly. "You... why? Why are you doing this?"

Giuseppe grimly trudged through the gloom. "I'm not leaving you behind. I'm not losing anyone else if I can help it."

Fake sensed there was more to that than was being said. "But... we are... extra. Expendable. No one needs us. Why do you care?"

Fake felt a shiver pass through the big man. "Fake, never say that around me ever again." He shook his head. "I saw... too many people toss away their lives for "the greater good" over the years. Dozens. Maybe hundreds." Giuseppe faintly heard the sound of bodies hitting the floor, the sizzle of energy beams, the rumble of an overloading engine.

And bodies. So, so many bodies.

He shrugged Fake higher up on his back. "Besides, who said no one wants you? You really think Pino would let you stay in his pizzeria if he didn't care? Do you think he'd put up with your pranks?"

Fake considered. "He invited us to Christmas dinner."

"Exactly. Not exactly a wide invitation." Giuseppe was quiet a moment. "I don't think Pino would want you to be left behind."

Fake considered this. "We're sorry. We never really considered it." They thought a moment. "Your fear of leaving someone behind... there's more to it than that. Something deeper."

The big man shuddered again. "I lost a lot of people that way over the years. The worst was... a little kid. Couldn't have been more than ten. A refugee. Didn't know til later he was the deposed president's son. We were trying to get him to the border, but they had vehicles, and we were on foot. Even I couldn't outrun them yet. The kid kept telling me to let him go, that they only wanted him." He paused. "Suddenly the kid lets go of my hand, and runs back. I didn't even feel it at first. I was too focused on running." He sniffed. "Before I could catch up, those bastardos gunned him down. Like... like he was nothing. In the end, his sacrifice didn't matter. They caught us, and we had to fight our way out." He sniffed again. "He gave it all up... for nothing."

Fake was silent. "We're sorry for bringing up such painful memories."

Giuseppe paused to wipe his nose. "Ah, forget it. But... no heroic sacrifices. I don't think I can handle any more."

"Deal."

Giuseppe felt the ground tremble. "Uh oh." He jogged to the side, and laid Fake down.

"Something... is coming..." Fake muttered.

Giuseppe looked grimly down the hall. "Yeah. Figured. Try to stay out of sight, all right?"

Fake nodded and crawled behind a rock.

Giuseppe jogged to the other side and hid in a small cleft in the wall. He started working up his rage. He hated doing this. Always feel burned out afterwards. But it was useful for activating his powers when he needed them.

Down the hallway loped... something. It was at least twenty feet tall, or would be if it stood straight. It looked to have multiple limbs. It crawled along, weaving it's head around, obviously searching. For us.

As it got closer, Giuseppe realized... It's Fake. A giant Fake... but horribly, horribly changed. Multiple eyes dangled from its face. It's mouth extended much too far - it's entire face was split. A sickly yellow tongue lolled out, practically dragging the ground. It had four arms, and they ended in vicious claws. Its body was covered in things that shouldn't be there - eyes, teeth, fingers. Its back legs had far too many joints, and it didn't even have feet.

Giuseppe had never seen anything like it. Talk about nightmare fuel.

The thing raised its head and snuffled, searching for them. Great. And me without de-scenter. It had always been a problem of his during stealth missions - he had a strong scent.

It was only a matter of time before the thing found him.

As Giuseppe worked himself up to charge, the thing suddenly whipped it's head towards -

Fake! As weak as they are, they'll have no chance!

That was enough to make his anger burst. In a flash, Giuseppe charged the beast, slamming into its side.

The creature emitted a horrible gurgling shriek and fell on its side.

Giuseppe pummeled it quickly, but seemed to do nothing. It's made of dough, too!

Suddenly the creature stood and opened it's mouth wide at him. A strange rumbling sound filled the air...

"Look out!"

Fake appeared from nowhere and tackled Giuseppe out of the way just as a huge blast of heat came from the thing's mouth. Giuseppe smelled burning rubber and baking dough. His shoe soles had partially melted, and Fake's feet looked crispy.

The wall behind them spewed melted rock.

"Figlio di puttana!!" Giuseppe yelled. He was shaking. It reminded him of the weapons the Demons had used in Inferno.

Giuseppe grabbed Fake and ran for it.

The giant clone roared and gave chase.

Giuseppe frantically dodged as smaller bursts of hot light melted rocks around them. He was fighting not to panic. "I can't dodge this thing forever! I don't have any weapons that'll take it down! You have any suggestions, I'm all ears!"

Fake nodded. "It is dough, like us!" They yelled. "Tough, but if blown apart it may not hold together! If you throw me at it, I will distract it while you get up to speed, then you will ram it!"

"Are you out of your goddamn mind?!?" Giuseppe said. "It'll kill you! You're too weak! I'm not sacrificing you! I'm not sacrificing anyone! Not again!"

Fake grinned. "Do not worry! We have an idea! There will be no sacrifices today! Trust us!"

Giuseppe turned this head. Fake looked completely serious. "Promise me!"

"We promise!"

Giuseppe nodded, turned, and charged at the beast. He juked as it fired several small blasts at them - the smell of poisonous gas and hot rock was choking. As he ran past, he hurled Fake on the beast's back.

The creature warbled in surprise. Fake grabbed it by the sides of its grotesque head. "HUNGRY!" Fake yelled... and bit into the beast.

The giant shrieked as Fake began devouring its doughy flesh.

Giuseppe, still turning in the distance, heard the bloodcurdling cries. Whatever they're doing, that thing really doesn't like it! He dug down and pushed himself beyond his limits. His eyes turned wild. Not again! No sacrifices! NOT AGAIN!

The room shook. A sonic boom echoed as Giuseppe broke the sound barrier.

Seeing the shockwave, Fake leapt upwards. "Addio, abominio!"

Giuseppe flashed underneath, and the creature exploded.

Skidding to a stop, Giuseppe turned. The walls were laminated with burnt dough. The smell of bread was almost overwhelming.

Fake crouched on the ceiling, looking enormously pleased with themselves.

As Giuseppe panted and caught his breath, Fake dropped down beside him. He obviously was feeling better. "What... what did you do?"

Fake looked smugly at their fingernails. "We saw they were made of dough, like us, and realized... we could distract it and replenish ourselves at the same time. So we started eating it."

Giuseppe shivered. "That's... that's a bit fucked up, Fake."

"We know. Normally we wouldn't do such a thing anymore. But we would not have survived." Their expression turned serious. "Sometimes it is kill or be killed."

Giuseppe looked at Fake grimly. "True. Doesn't mean I like it."

~~~~

Brick picked her way through the rubble of the huge room, Vigilante on her back. "Better if can get a good view, right?" He'd said, and she'd seen the wisdom in it. Not that it had helped much, though. The room was so huge even Vigi's telescopic sight couldn't see the walls, or ceiling.

Brick considered. She might be a rat, but she absorbed everything she heard. She recalled something she'd heard someone discussing. "This place can be bigger on the inside - a lot bigger. You could fit a whole city on a floor of this place."

Seeing this, Brick believed it. Her senses were scrambled - it was telling her she was in a small room and outside at the same time. And nothing her nose told her made sense.

She was relying on the cheeseslime on her head to guide her.

Vigi scanned the terrain, looking for any clue of where to go or what to do. Every time he tried to use his Sight, he got dizzy. The images were confusing. Swear this place is designed to fuck with me. How am I supposed to aim when I can't damn well see right?

He closed his eyes, remembering his days with Grandpa John. Just close yer eyes and visualize, Vigert, his grandpa had said. He opened his eyes again... but things still felt just as distorted. He snorted. "Somethin' messing with me in here. How about you?"

Brick nodded. She was nervous, interacting with the cheeseslime. Like all of her kind, she loved cheese with a passion, even an obsession. But cheeseslimes were not food, they were people.

The smell was driving her crazy, even so.

Suddenly a strange device popped out of a rock nearby. "Gun!" Vigilante yelled.

Before Brick could react, it fired on her.

Brick doubled over in pain - her hunger had increased immensely. Food! FOOD!

Vigilante picked himself up from where he'd dove, hoping Brick would be able to get out of the way. He turned and saw her doubled over. "Ah, no," he said as he oozed up to her. "Where ya hit, girl-"

Suddenly Brick snapped at him. He jumped away. "What the hell?" He looked at her as she stared at him... Red eyes. She's droolin. Aw no... He remembered the Giant Rats, back in the Tower. They'd looked like that. Pizzahead had kept them hungry, and they'd eat anything. They especially liked Cheeseslimes. He'd had to put quite a few of them down. He'd hated doing it - they were just following their instincts - but they were a menace.

Brick had the same look they'd had. She advanced on him, slowly. Food, food!

He pulled his sidearm out and pointed it at her. He trembled. He hated putting down animals. Grandpa had always had to do it. It's a kindness, Vigert, he'd said. They're just a ball of pain and rage at that point. It's mercy.

But she's not an animal. "C'mon, girl," he said, "snap out of it! Don't make me do this!"

She continued stalking towards him. Food. Food. The thought filled her mind. So hungry. So tasty!

No! A tiny part of her screamed. Friend, not food! Not an animal!

Vigilante cocked the hammer of his pistol. He was trembling so hard, he wasn't sure he'd even hit, if he did shoot. "Brick! Please! DON' MAKE ME DO THIS!"

Brick paused. No. She shook her head.

Vigilante realized what the motion meant. "Yeah! Fight it, girl! Don't let it win!"

The inside of Brick's head was chaos.

Food FooD

HuNGry

NO FRIEND

FEED KILL

NO!

The red left her eyes.

Brick collapsed to the floor, writhing and squealing in agony. She thrashed around - her pained squeals made Vigi's heart ache. Then she started banging her head against a rock.

Vigi was horrified. He oozed over. "Stop! STOP! YER GONNA KILL YOURSELF!"

Brick looked up at him. There were tears in her eyes. Her expression said it all. Good. I want to die.

Vigi's heart clenched. "Naw, naw, girl. Don't be like that. You fought it. You beat it. You didn't let Pizzahead win." He patted her head. "You beat it."

She stared at him for several seconds. Then she squeaked piteously, and wrapped him up in a hug. Vigi felt tears dropping on his hat.

He patted her back. He was trembling. Damn you, Pizzahead. Damn you for what you almost made us both do.

Continued...

8 notes · View notes

dessertdungeon · 10 months

Text

Everything to know about(Fake Peppino/Froggie)

~basic info~

Name: onippeP ittehgapS

Nickname: pip, froggie(his favorite name), Bruno

Age: unknown , but adult. close in age with Evi.

Gender: intersex, but identifies with male

Pronouns: he/it

Sexuality: panromantic demisexual

Species: clone.

(TW: in the backstory there is talk about mental abuse, and lab experiments)

~Backstory~

Pip was the most successful out of many attempts at cloning peppino. And even despite that he still had some flaws, he was as close as they could get him- but not close enough for what pizza head and pizza face had wanted.

Despite this, pizza head had went on in trying to train him to be like peppino. Unlike mrs Neapolitan he was a bit kinder to his experiments, and did more encouraging of the behaviour he wanted then testing him(though that doesn’t mean he didn’t get tested on oh boy.), but that doesn’t mean he didn’t get a bit manipulative to pip.

Pizza head (and occasionally pizza face) had done all he could to make him like peppino, mentally and emotionally manipulating him to feel bad about any of the things that weren’t perfectly like peppino. Though at first he kind of wanted to find his own path, It got to the point where it triggered him if he was called a fake by any means..

Unlike Evi, he was able to roam around the tower freely, being the most perfect clone they could get of course. He was still deemed a failure by pizzaface, but pizzahead hadn’t gaven up on him.

They had found an old but familiar(to him) pizza place , “Bruno’s pizza”, where he resides in most of the time now, though sometimes he goes to wander around other places accessible to the tower.

Once he found another lab in the tower, curiousity got the best of him— he found another experiment by the name of “Evi”, who he got attached to instantly. Though he usually preferred being called peppino, the nickname she gave him stuck as one he cherished the most.

“Froggie.”

Now he resides in the tower, sometimes going to find Evi and take her back to his little home/pizza place.

~personality~

Froggie is much different from peppino, as he usually isn’t anxious. He can definitely have meltdowns and anxiety like attacks, and in a way they are worse than peppino’s- but he’s often smiling (and not just cause his face is permanently stuck that way), and usually is much more curious and childish about things.

You could compare him to a dog in some ways, if he trusts you and cares about you- he’s very friendly and loyal to you, though he’s not as friendly if he doesn’t trust you, and if he doesn’t like you at all and you try to hurt him or someone he loves- he will bite you.

Similar to peppino though- he is very determined about things that are important to him, though it can make him Stubborn sometimes. Though more differently What he places his importance on can sometimes seem random, but to him it makes sense.

~other information~

Coming soon!

#pizza tower+dessert dungeon #dessertdungeon #pizza tower #pizza tower au #fake peppino #pt fake peppino #digital art #pt+dd

12 notes · View notes

whereismyhat5678 · 11 months

Text

Okay I need to make another headcanon about Pepperman for a sec-

(Also I’m gonna be writing A LOT, so if you don’t wanna read that much than you could skip this if you would like 😅)

So I’ve had this in my mind for a bit, and since I’ve seen a post similar to it, I NEED to say it, because I kinda like this idea

It’s pretty hard to come up with a reason and/or how Pepperman was introduced or how he got into the tower in the first place(?). For Vigilante I think after his grandfather died he started working on the farm more and (I actually don’t know how but somehow) became a Vigilante, and Pizza Head heard about this and hired him or requested he stayed at the tower (and I guess lives in now-) because he himself says that there are many dangerous things lurking through the walls, and he only wants the BEST to get rid of them, and Vigilante couldn’t say no to that right(?)! And I also think he gets the Noise to stay at his tower because in general, Noise TV wasn’t doing very great on it’s own and Noisette’s cafe wasn’t bringing in any costumers, so to keep in track Pizza Head told Noise that if he were to supply him with an abundance of crafts and gadgets he’d become more popular and maybe even make the Tower known(?). And of course he said yes!! HE’D be more popular and his wife could get more costumers 😄, he couldn’t say no to that! (And I think Pizza Head might also be the reason why Noise turned out to be kind of a jerk and more dangerous because of the attention he was attracting and in general the dangerous stunts he was pulling was inflating his ego y’know?). So that just leaves me with Pepperman. (I think Fake Peppino being an experiment Pizza Head created would be reasonable backstory enough 🤷‍♀️).

Here’s my idea! Pepperman being known as a “good enough” artist was what made Pepperman become more determined, he wanted to be known as GREAT and ADMIRABLE, and to be fair he was a great artist, he just didn’t have that much supplies to work with. He didn’t get that much from the commissions he did therefore he couldn’t really afford much. But then a certain commission caught his attention, at least after he sent it he was paid quite heftily, more than he was usually paid in fact. He contacted the person who commissioned it and it was none other than Pizza Head, he claimed that he REALLY enjoyed his work and he would only love it if he did more for him! Pepperman was ecstatic! He’d never gotten this much attention before so it was only an easy answer to that offer! When he came to the tower Pizza Head put him right to work, potentially inflating his ego a lot more as time went on, and Pepperman even noticed he was getting bigger and stronger! What was this feeling? He looked amazing! He’d looked WAY better than before, he was a masterpiece! He had to paint!! So he did, he admired his growth in both his painting and the way he looked, he felt the world had won him the Jack pot, Pizza Head was a gift from the heavens!!!…

Or so he thought….

As he did more commissions for him he later saw that he started to change, his compliments become little critiques, he still liked them yes but what good was it if it wasn’t perfect? He only wanted the best from him! He was the best, right? The critiques later became insults, he could do better than that certainly! Pepperman felt as though he could do better, he had filled the tower to the being with paintings of Pizza Face and Pizza Head that he only felt obligated to do more better for them. But it got even more worse! He was outright bashing him! Claiming that, “This is not the artist I’m paying for!!”. And it hurt, it hurt like a brick to the head, he started to shrink…. Of course Pizza Head still kept him, he practically lived there now, and who was gonna supply him with dozens of paintings in a matter of days? And even just the pure strength, he had muscle too, he gained the muscle, surely he was good for something? He had to keep him, just in case for a certain moment in time for extra muscle. Although he was still upset at Pepperman not being as great as he once was. It indeed hurt Pepperman, but he tried for it not to get to him, HE was a masterpiece after all, I mean, if he was such a great piece to behold he should only paint himself right? He did feel great when he did, admire his beauty! He was amazing!

I think you get the idea of what I’m striving for, I hope- 😅 I think Pizza Head would potentially get more abusive with his power he had over people, he LOVED being in power so I feel like he’d make sure everyone knows who’s in charge.

It wasn’t just Pepperman he did this to again, it was also for Vigilante and The Noise, sometimes Noisette, and basically all the enemies in the tower because of how incompetent they seemed at times.

But y’know… THAT’S JUST A THEORY-

(Yeah I’m sorry we’re not doing that- 💀, also sorry for the long paragraphs I got carried away 🙇‍♀️😅)

#Pizza Tower #HEADCANONS GO BRRRR #Pepperman #Pepperman headcanons #Jesus why did I write so much-#Also some Vigilante and Noise headcanons because I also feel the need to explain their backstory #I love Pizza Head but DAMN did I make him a piece of shit-

12 notes · View notes

silverstarsheep · 1 year

Note

hhhh take care of urself please!! (Also absolutely get you with the fic stuff as I sit on a pile of fics that aren't getting any love)

So anyway, still, some fake pep stuff! I bet Fake has never been out of the tower in it's entire life until the collapse! They 'recognise' things to a degree but still so much is new to them! Things Peppino thought of as super mundane suddenly have a new light to them as he watches Fake discover things all over again, there's so much room now! They can run so far! Oh gosh so much room to run! Wow! Just everything that comes with having never left the tower and not interacting things seen as just so plain/everyday as much as everyone else so they're all new and fascinating.

idk I just feel like life outside the tower would just be so 'new' and different to them and everythings amazing they're learning and seeing so much!

thank you! I'm doing my best, but it's really difficult when you relax and cope via drawing, but drawing can cause you physical pain. apparently it's not carpal or cubital tunnel according to recent EMGs (though my body does it's absolute best to convince me it is), so who knows what I'm actually dealing with. painkillers don't work, which sucks greatly. getting a doctor to actually help with this has been a trick and a half, even down to getting them to listen to me when I express concerns about my prescription maybe making my thoughts worse.

ANYWAY enough about me, let's talk about the goopy boi.

I totally agree that Peppy's never been out of the tower before, heck, I don't think he ever really left his FLOOR. I think that bruno's pizza is a physical place in the world, tied to the tower via a Pillar John, but Peppy never went out of it. just used a portal right to his floor in the tower. I mean, he refused to chase Peppino further when he got out of the pizzeria!

lots of new experiences... he can touch grass for the first time. and lick grass. maybe eat it. not so good, but he liked the experience! and new sounds, more than just "bad part of town" noises and car sounds.

he has fun!! he loves it!!! he's going to run 300 laps around the area!!!!!!!!

#silver asks #fake peppino #headcanons #anon #anonymous #sorry for the personal talk weeeeehhhh

19 notes · View notes

phantomdoofer · 7 months

Text

Ombre

Peppino sat at the counter, tapping his fingers. He was idly browsing his phone, something he almost never did while the store was open. But business was non-existent right now. Not that he was alone in that - it was a few days before the new year, and with the threat of a blizzard looming, everyone was staying home except for essentials. Of course, earlier in the day, it had been a different story - he'd had several bulk orders, and it had been all hands on deck. He'd seen Noisette's across the road had been overflowing, too - people stocking up on things before they got snowed in. He'd sent Gustavo home early - he had no intention of opening the pizzeria until after the roads were open again. Maybe I should go ahead and close up myself. It was already snowing outside - the snow was quickly drifting against the walls. He wasn't bothering to go back to his place in the city; Giuseppe had offered to let him stay there until it cleared up, since he lived in the village. He'd even offered to let Fake stay.

He slapped his hands down on the counter. No. No more point in pushing it. He walked outside and dragged his scooter inside. I can't drive it in this snow, anyway. Better to leave it here for now. He turned and locked the door, flipping the sign to CLOSED. "Fake!" he called behind him, "get everything-a closed down, we're closing the shop before this gets any-a worse!"

"OkAAy," Fake called. Occasionally they still sounded a bit froglike. Peppino heard them start shutting everything down.

Peppino flipped the lights in the dining area off. The wind was picking up. We'd better get going! Good thing Seppe doesn't live far! "Fake!" he called again, "Don't-a worry about cleaning! Just get-a everything closed up and shut down! We need to be gone in fretta!"

Fake looked out from the kitchen in surprise. Despite his flakiness on occasion, Peppino was fastidious about cleaning the pizzeria. They nodded and rushed to finish closing things down.

Peppino saw Noisette's lights shut off. One of Noise's cars was out front. Good, she's out of it too. He could just see Noise, not in his outfit for once, escorting her to the car. She looked worried, while Noise looked at the sky in annoyance. Despite everything, he'd been good to his word - he'd been running Peppino's ads for months now, and not a peep out of him, other than that one incident right after Halloween. He didn't even start up right after Christmas. Bet after New Year's will be chaos, though. Even so, he'd enjoyed the increase in sales, as well as the relative quiet.

He went to the back - Fake already had the place locked down. Peppino grabbed his coat, and handed Fake their own. Being made of dough, and part frog, they were particularly susceptible to cold. "We'll-a have to walk, Fake. Will you be OK?"

Fake nodded as they slid into their coat, then put on leggings, boots, and gloves. "Yes. If we hurry, we should be OK."

Peppino wrapped his scarf around his face. "Bene. Here, bend-a over." He reached up and wrapped another scarf around Fake's neck, then pulled up Fake's hood. He quickly doffed his own hat. He moved to flip the lights off. "Ay! Condimenti! Andiamo!" Peppino called, and the Toppins hopped out of their various hiding spots to climb aboard. Mushroom hid under Peppino's hat; the rest cozied up in various pockets of Fake's coat. While they'd been terrified of Fake at first, they'd eventually warmed up to them, especially Cheese. Now they all looked worried. Must sense how bad it's getting. They stepped into the alleyway behind the pizzeria, and he locked the door behind him. "All-a right guys, let's double time to Giuseppe's."

They had barely gone a block before they were nearly blinded. The storm had hit like a freight train. Peppino held Fake's hand, his other shielding his eyes from the piercing ice particles. Could really use some goggles right now! Thankfully there weren't a lot of open spaces between the pizzeria and Giuseppe's apartment - just a series of buildings and narrow alleyways. Peppino kept his eye on the wall of the building beside him, never walking free unless he saw the next building. It could be a death sentence in this. He had his phone's GPS set just in case. Fake was wiggling about as they walked, trying to keep in motion. If he slowed too much, he'd start to freeze up. They weren't sure what would happen if parts of them froze and broke, but they weren't willing to test it.

Peppino's phone rang. He barely heard it over the howling wind. Who in the hell? He ducked into a stairwell, and picked up. "PRONTO!" He had to yell to even hear himself.

"Peppino?" Giuseppe's voice came through. "Are you still out in this, fratellino? I thought you'd be here by now!"

"It-a blew up too fast, Seppe!" Peppino yelled back. "I think-a we're only a few blocks from your place! We're-a trying to hurry!"

"The weather forecaster is saying it's only going to get worse! It'll be total whiteout in maybe half an hour! Get here ASAP!"

"We'll be there as soon as we can!" He hung up, an looked at Fake. They were wiggling frantically, trying to stay warm. "Keep-a your eyes open as we go! We don't-a want to get lost! We've-a only got maybe a half hour!"

Fake nodded. "W-we will. Must h-hurry though. Cold. So cold."

Peppino grabbed Fake's hand again, checked his GPS, and set off again. Less than a block away, Fake tugged Peppino's arm. Peppino heard Cheese chattering. "Little one s-says they saw s-something strange in that s-snowdrift over there." They pointed a shivering arm to the left.

Peppino nodded, and trudged towards the snowdrift. Out of the top of it was sticking...the top of a hat? A cowboy hat! Vigilante! Peppino dug frantically and found the cheeseslime, looking strangely bloated. Then he realized: the cheeseslime was wrapped around someone else. He gently lifted a flap and found a small girl, unconscious. "Oh no," he said. He picked up both of them and handed them to Fake. "We have-a to get them inside! They're both freezing!" He pulled out his phone again, and realized the signal was being blocked by the storm. Mio Dio, not the time! He waved the phone around, hoping against hope to catch a signal. Finally, it caught just a flicker and pointed to their right. "That-a way!" Peppino grabbed Fake's arm and hustled in the appropriate direction. His heart lifted a little when he saw the shadow of Seppe's apartment building. He quickly led Fake up to the third floor, and pounded on the door.

"Seppe!" he yelled. "It's-a us! We've-a got injured!"

Giuseppe quickly opened the door. Peppino practically shoved Fake inside, then ducked in himself. He took the two unconscious bodies from the clone, who was shucking clothes in a desperate attempt to get warmth into their flesh. The Toppins hopped out, running to various perches and chittering worriedly. "It's Vigi and a little-a girl, Seppe," Peppino said. "Vigi wrapped himself around her trying to keep her warm. He's almost solid!"

Giuseppe blanched. "Cheeseslimes freeze even faster than humans do." He took the two and set them in front of a heater. "I know you have medical training, Pino, I've got an emergency medical kit in my bedroom closet. Go grab it, I'll tend to them."

Peppino nodded and hustled to the closet, tossing his coat and gloves on the couch as he passed. Treatment for hypothermia was... he grabbed every blanket he could find, as well as every hot pack. As he walked out, he spoke. "Seppe, do you have some tea or coffee, something hot you can brew? We have-a to get their internals heated up."

"Both, actually." Giuseppe stood up.

Fake moved towards the stove. "We'll d-do it. S-standing near the heat will be good for us, t-too." They turned on the stove and rattled about for a pot and tea bags.

Peppino nodded. "Good. Seppe, we-a have to get Vigilante unwrapped, but we have-a to be careful, cheeseslimes get-a brittle when cold. We don't-a want to break him."

Giuseppe nodded. "Just tell me what to do. I never got more than basic field aid."

Together they carefully separated the two, Peppino's words and finer control directing Giuseppe's strength. Peppino quickly checked her over for frostbite, but he saw no permanent damage. Meno male for that. She just got so cold she passed out. Good thing we found them. Giuseppe wrapped the girl in blankets and set her on the couch. She was already stirring. "Wh... who?"

Giuseppe went to her. "It's OK, you're safe here. Stay inside the blankets. My name's Giuseppe. What's yours?"

She sniffed hugely. "Ma- Maria. I think I've seen you. Aren't you Mister Peppino's brother?"

Giuseppe smiled. MISTER Peppino? "I am. We need to get you warmed up. Let me get you some tea."

Peppino grinned. It's always the kids who recover fastest. Then he turned to Vigilante. He's still ice-cold. Is he even breathing? How do I even know what to look for? His medical training, being from the military, hadn't had much to say about cheeseslimes - they weren't common in battle yet at that point, thought to be too fragile. Got that heavily disproved later, though. He wasn't entirely sure what was safe or not. "Are-a there any doctors we can call? I can-a probably treat him here if I just-a know what to do."

The little girl spoke up. "Is he going to be OK? He found me when I got lost, and then we both got lost, and..." she sniffled. "He wrapped around me, trying to keep me warm..."

Giuseppe patted her hand. "We're gonna do everything we can, but this blizzard has us stuck here." He reached for his phone. "I think a doctor moved here recently... let me check."

Peppino set the hot packs around the still cheeseslime, then covered him with a blanket. Until we get information, I can't do anything else. I might do more harm than good!

Finally, Giuseppe spoke. "Found one. They're in La Crosta, but they specialize in cheeseslime biology." He dialed, and a few seconds later, they answered. "Hello, Doctor Case, my name is Giuseppe Spaghetti, we have a situation here, and need your expertise... let me hand you to my brother." He handed the phone over.

Peppino and the doctor spoke tersely, Peppino explaining the situation and the doctor providing guidance. "Just warm him up slowly. We cheeseslimes are actually pretty resilient, and our insides don't work the same way. But keep an eye on his breathing. If he stops, pick him up and compress his sides, like playing an accordion."

Peppino tried not to laugh at the sudden mental image of himself picking up Vigilante and stretching and squeezing him like he was trying to play a polka. "Grazie, doctor. I didn't want to hurt him," Peppino said.

The doctor chuckled. "Thank you for caring, Mr. Spaghetti. We still tend to suffer a bit of indifference - we're treated as expendable. If you have any issues, give me a call. It sounds like you're doing all you can."

"Thank you, doctor. Ciao." He hung up. "Well, That-a makes me feel a bit better." He sat back on the floor. "I guess all we can do is-a wait."

~~~~

They all sat quietly as the cheeseslime slowly warmed up. Giuseppe had called the police to let them know about Vigilante and Maria. They had given Giuseppe Maria's parents' number, and the phone call between them had been emotional. He'd had to talk them out of trying to come get her. "We'll take good care of her, don't worry. I've got plenty of supplies. She doesn't have any special medications or anything like that, right?"

While Giuseppe talked with them, Peppino checked on his patient. He's warmed up, but I don't have a way to check his core. Would he choke if I tried to give him some tea? "Ay, Fake, can you come give-a me a hand? I need-a you to hold Vigi up."

Fake loped over, gently holding a cup of warm tea. They seemed much more fluid again - the stove's heat had done the trick. They set the cup down and crouched next to Vigilante. "We will hold them up? While you pour?"

Peppino nodded. "Sì. We need to get-a warmth into his core. This is-a taking too long."

The clone gently held the cheeseslime in a sitting position while Peppino carefully poured the hot liquid down his throat. Suddenly he coughed. "Vigi, it's Peppino. You need warm fluids. Please, try to swallow."

The cheeseslime weakly obliged. As Fake laid him back, he spoke. "The girl...?"

Peppino patted him. "Safe and-a sound, Vigi."

He opened his eyes. "Where...?"

"Giuseppe's apartment," Peppino replied. "Fake and-a I found you in a snowdrift on the way here. That-a was quite brave, Vigi. And-a reckless. You-a knew you were weak to cold, what-a possessed you to go out in this mess?"

He closed his eyes. "Couldn't... just leave... a young'un to die."

Peppino held his hand below Vigi's nostrils - his breath was getting warm again. He smiled. "That's-a it, Vigi. Getting better now." He held the cup out to Fake. "Another, per favore."

This time Vigi sat up themselves. "Ugh, you couldn' put some sugar in it?"

Peppino laughed. "If-a you're feeling up to complaining, tough-a guy, I think we're in the clear."

~~~~

Later in the evening, the group was watching TV. The wind howled outside, the windows completely blank white. So far the little girl was the only one reported to have gone missing, and the news was already full of the story of Vigilante's valiant rescue. The hero of the hour still slept, having downed a cup of soup, laying beneath a blanket in front of a heater. Fake was curled up around the Toppins, all snoring gently. Peppino and Giuseppe sat to either side of Maria, who slept fitfully. Suddenly she sat up with a cry, and reflexively crawled into Giuseppe's lap.

The big soldier held his hands up, not sure what to do. He looked imploringly at his brother.

Peppino grinned. "Hug her, you silly polpetta," he whispered, "she's-a had a nightmare."

Carefully, Giuseppe wrapped his arms around her, and she snuggled up, her head partially hidden beneath his beard. Almost instantly she was asleep again, giving tiny kitten snores. Giuseppe looked completely perplexed.

"Nothing in-a all that training on dealing with-a small children, eh?" Peppino grinned smugly.

Giuseppe gently leaned back and got comfortable. "I, uh, didn't get to be around kids much in the work I did. I guess you did?"

"Sì, sort of. Mama used to babysit for extra money later in high school. Got used to rocking fretful-a kids to sleep." He reached out and gently tugged a blanket up around them. "Hope-a you don't mind sleeping like-a that."

"Kind of wish she'd scoot down a little," Giuseppe said. "She's right up under my chin." He fidgeted his head around a little.

Peppino poked his arm. "Don't-a you dare disturb her. She's had a rough day."

Giuseppe sighed and slid down a bit. She squirmed and settle down into the crook of his arm. Shortly after he was asleep too, head thrown back and snoring loudly. She stirred enough to poke him in the ribs, and he snorted and stopped.

Peppino chuckled softly, then moved over to the recliner to get some sleep himself. He turned off all but one light, wrapped a blanket around himself, and settled in.

The blizzard outside pounded against the windows, but to no avail.

~~~~

Late in the night, Vigilante stirred. He sat up, looking around - Giuseppe and the girl were snoring together, Peppino off to the side in a recliner doing the same, Fake and the Toppins curled together like a momma and her pups. He smiled to himself. Peaceful scene like this ought not be disturbed. Quietly he slithered over to the window and looked out. There wasn't much to see - the blizzard was at complete whiteout level. Only occasionally did he even see the road below.

Almost bought the farm that time, he thought. Don't think I wanna see Pappy and Grampa John just yet, though. While he missed his farm, he'd found a new calling as the village's sheriff. Bein' trusted is a new feelin'. A good one, though. He felt like his Grampa would've been happier knowing his grandson was happy than mad over the loss of the farm.

Wait. Vigi squinted - is that somebody out in this mess? A large shadow loomed on the street. It vaguely reminded him of Pepperman, but bigger. What in the hell...? Ain't no Veggies that big around here. It moved jerkily, then stopped. The shadow shifted, like it was looking up at him.

There was very little Vigilante was afraid of, but suddenly he was glad he was on the third floor. Then, who - or what - ever it was disappeared into the snow. Vigi was wishing heartily he had his sidearm on him, but he'd lost it in the snow. He quickly but quietly oozed over to the door and made sure it was locked and bolted. He really wanted to call his people and tell them to keep and eye out, but he'd ordered them only to risk going out if it was life or death. He'd have to wait til morning.

He sat and waited, every sense alert, as the night drifted on.

~~~~

Peppino woke on the morning of the second day to the sun shining through the window. He stretched and looked around - everyone else was asleep. Maria had refused to let Giuseppe out of her sight. The whole day they'd been stuck inside she'd followed him around, much to his chagrin. Peppino and Vigi had both found it hilarious, until he'd gone to get a shower, and she'd latched onto them. She didn't actually know any of them, so it was oddly endearing. She'd also quickly taken to the Toppins, who'd all been intensely curious once she was up and about. Overall, she'd taken everything in stride after the first night. Tough little kid, Peppino thought. Even he'd twitched a little when the winds started howling too loudly.

Peppino stood and walked to the window. The drifts were immense - it'd be days before they saw the ground properly again. But the snowplows were out, and quickly clearing the roads. Shouldn't be long before we can leave. He walked over to Giuseppe. Maria was curled up in his lap again. Peppino gently poked him.

He snorted, stirred, and cracked one eye. " 's it, Pino? Tryin' not to disturb her."

"The roads are being-a cleared. We should get her ready," Peppino said.

Giuseppe grumbled, but gently rocked his charge. She muttered and tried to burrow back behind him. "Ay, ragazza, your parents should be here soon."

At that, she sat up. "Really?" She jumped up and ran to the window. Peppino held her up so she could see. "Yay! Can we go play in the snow?"

Giuseppe shook his head. "Nah, ragazza, let's make sure you're presentable. Come on, let's at least wash your face, eh?"

She protested as Giuseppe led her to the bathroom. Peppino smiled and started digging out materials to make breakfast. Giuseppe had floundered at first, but he had picked up how to deal with a small girl pretty quickly. He shook his head, and started frying bacon.

~~~~

Cleaned, fed, and dressed, the group opened the door... and found a circus. At the foot of the steps was a large group of people, cameramen, and reporters. One pointed up at them. "There they are! Sir! Sir! Can you come down for an interview?"

Peppino and Giuseppe looked at each other, and shrugged. "Special interest-a piece?" Peppino said.

"Looks that way," Giuseppe replied. "All right, Maria, let's get you to your parents."

Fake retreated back into the apartment. "We'll stay here, we don't like... crowds." They closed the door.

At the bottom of the steps were a man and woman, waiting nervously - the woman looked like an adult Maria, while the man had a beard very similar to Giuseppe's. Reaching the bottom, the two cried out and threw themselves around Maria, kissing her and petting her. All three were crying. Cameras were snapping everywhere. A reporter shoved a microphone in Peppino's face. "Excuse me, Mr. Spaghetti, is it true you found this girl and Sheriff Lantte while seeking shelter here?"

Peppino held his hands up. "S-sì, I was on-a my way here when I found-a his hat sticking out of a snow-a-drift. I brought-a them here and treated them as best I could, with guidance from a Dr. Case."

She held her mike back. "So you have medical training, Mr. Spaghetti?" The mike whooshed back towards Peppino.

"Sì, I received-a medical training while serving in-a the Great War." His eye twitched a bit, but he controlled it. Don't have a meltdown on TV, Pino! "Their injuries were-a not serious, thankfully. Basic-a hypothermia and a bit of frostbite on the Sheriff."

She swung the mike back. "And where is Sheriff Lantte?"

Peppino looked behind him - Vigilante was nowhere in sight - until he noticed an edge of cheese peeking out around the corner of the stairwell. "Oh, uh... One moment, per favore." He walked back up and found Vigi sitting very still, an uncharacteristic look of tension on his face. "What's-a wrong, Vigi?"

The cheeseslime looked up at Peppino. "I... I ain't used to bein' so... SEEN." He shuddered a bit.

Giuseppe came around the corner. "Case of stage fright, Vig?" Vigilante nodded. "It's OK, Vig. Just make a short statement and say you're still recuperating. They'll leave you be after that. Come on, Maria's asking for you."

Vigi squared himself and oozed down the last flight of steps. Before the reporters could mob him, Maria ran up and bear-hugged him, knocking off his hat. "Thank you so much for saving me, Mr. Vigilante," she said, "I promise I won't run off like that ever again!"

He reached up and patted her head. "Glad t'be of service, little one."

Then she turned and hugged Peppino and Giuseppe's legs. "Thank you for taking care of me, Mr. Spaghettis," she told them. "And tell Mr. Fake and the Toppins I said thank you to them, too." Then she ran back to her parents.

Then the reporters were on Vigilante, talking over each other, trying to get the first word in. Giuseppe quickly stepped in to act as a buffer. Peppino tried not to laugh. Poor Vigi. He didn't look that panicked when the Tower was coming down! He waved at Maria as they walked away, and he went back upstairs. Once this circus is gone, I can take Fake and the Toppins back to the pizzeria, then I'll head over to check on Mama. The babble of reporters down below faded as he closed the door.

Fake looked him over. "Well?" they asked.

Peppino shook his head. "Let's wait for the reporters to clear out first." He flopped down on the couch and grabbed the remote. "Let's get a movie going. I think Vigi's gonna need to relax when he gets back."

14 notes · View notes