#Except maybe Fake Peppino

[ask-spoilt-pizza-au]

First up, Pepperman and The Vigilante!

(( Why both at once? Cause they're constantly together anyway, it'd be a shame to split them apart.

More or less I wanted to lean into the personalities they have already, but to crank em up a bit.

They're two of the five strongest creations in the tower, as well as close friends of P. his leads them both to be rather simply manipulated by him, especially given how gradual it was.

-

Pepperman is a loud and proud figure, constantly boasting about his mastery of the arts and his determination and perseverance to never half-ass any of his creations was there for everyone to see.

Thus, P started taking advantage of that.

P would constantly commission Pepperman. At first it was in reasonable quantities, maybe a painting every so often, maybe a little statuette here and there. But the amount and speed that P started demanding became absurd.

Pepperman deep down could tell that he was accepting more work than he can handle, but his pride wouldn't listen. He kept staying up longer and longer to finish the pieces, to the point where if you were to ask, he probably wouldn't even remember the last time he painted or even sketched for himself. Or when he last slept.

That's the state our protagonists would hind him in; very very overworked.

Rather unfinished first encounter with Pepperman^ (Check alt text if anything is hard to understand)

And here's a bunch of miscellaneous art of him (explanations in alt):

-

Vigilante is a serious and gruff fellow who puts his farm and the people he cares about before himself. He used to be a Vigilante until he got promoted to the Sheriff not too long ago. Now he just wears the name cause he's used to it. No outlaw can escape his wrath, as he's very handy with a gun and loves practicing using it in sparring matches.

This is where P ruins that for him.

P used to just have fun little matches with Vigi, fighting fair and often allowing him to win as just a thanks for spending time with him. But, as time went on, it became relentless.

P would constantly attempt to catch Vigi off-guard to "test his reflexes", not quite to the point of keeping him awake, but rather just making him paranoid and fearful of each minute he's awake. His hand was constantly on the trigger of his gun to feel at least a little in control. And P doesn't go easy on him either. He's left actual dents and errors in the cheese, wounds that shouldn't even be possible.

But Vigilante doesn't know how to stop it. If he were to say stop, he'd be angering his boss and more importantly friend. He cares about the time they've spent together, but knows at the same time that this is becoming far too much for him to handle.

And that's how you meet him, high-strung, worried about disappointing P.

I never finished the intro to him, but it would've taken place not along after Pepperman's. In fact, in the same room, like, canonically like ten minutes apart. He'd go in there to discuss about getting ready for P's big event and just casually reveal to Peppibow about them being a clone, which would lead to quite a bit of tension as well as the proper in color introduction to P.

Misc art of Vigi:

-

Their relationship would be up in the air. They were gonna be written as friends, but could be read as whatever the reader wants.

Vigilante would often drag Phil (as he calls Pepperman, since it's his real name), to Noisette's Cafe as a way to relax whenever he was pushing himself too hard.

Pepperman would be there to hear Vigi discuss his situation and give advice, which more or less fell on deaf ears, but were appreciated nonetheless.

They've been friends as long as they can remember, to the point that they can't even remember ever meeting, just that they always knew eachother.

Comic of Vigilante pulling Phil away from his work to take a break^ (I was gonna originally make a better digital version but haven't gotten to it)

First refs of them^

Bonus info:

Pepperman's final design doesn't have a bow, since its colors would've been decided by askers. Thus it would've been added after the votes were in.

Vigi was originally gonna have a cheese pattern bow that would work similar to the patterns do in Chowder.

All of Fun Farm is Vigilante's farm.

Pepperman would be on the spectrum.

I forgot that Pepperman's small form exited while making him, so he has nothing to do with that.

Vigilante was planned to die in one of the drafts after revealing to Peppibow that they're a clone, as P had specifically told Vigi and the other bosses not to do that, and thus gets angered. P would pop his hand through a portal, crush the life out of him and then drag him away, leaving Pepperman and everyone else in the room horrified. And that was one of planned introductions to P. I decided against it, as Vigi didn't really do anything to deserve that fate and plus it would've been rather anti-climactic in general.

[beatcroc]

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 :')

[manicplank]

okay, I'm sorry for that question but..I'm just curious, what do u think about sugary spire? :D

and also, winter headcanons maybe? (i loved that one with summer and "i love you" reaction, so, why not? only if that's okay with u of course)

Also, have a nice day! <)

It's ok! To be honest, I'm not sure which question you're apologizing for. I don't have a problem with any of your questions (:

I'm not the biggest fan of AUs in general. Not much of a fan of Sugary Spire either. (not hating on it, I like the idea but just not into it).

Anyways,

Winter headcanons!

Peppino: Can't stand the cold, either. He has a better tolerance to cold than heat, though. Will bundle up with every piece of clothing he owns just to stay warm. Definitely gets seasonal depression, this poor old man can't catch a break.

Gustavo: Is neutral about the cold. A bit of a cool breeze makes him happy, but negative temperatures make him bitter. However, warm weather means soup and hot cocoa season! He also gets to wear all of his favorite sweaters! And he LOVES Christmas!

Mr. Stick: Absolutely DESPISES the cold. No matter what he wears, he's freezing. He can't last more than 5 minutes without getting frostbite. He prefers to stay inside in the heat. The cold makes him a but cranky.

Pepperman: Doesn't like the cold. Anything below 40°F (sorry, I'm american, and I don't know celcius) will make him fatigued. Plants don't do too well in the cold, and he is no exception. He would rather light himself on fire than go out in the cold. Has tried to build snowmans of himself, only to nearly die from frostbite.

The Vigilante: Not too keen of the winter. The cold makes his body more solid and harder to move. Lower temperatures means he has to work harder on the farm to keep things going smoothly. But, much like Gustavo, he's a fan of hot soup and cocoa.

The Noise: While he doesn't like being in the cold, he loves sleeping in it. Other than that, he absolutely hates winter. There's a reason he had the NTV tower built in the desert. He probably gets seasonal depression. Tries to hibernate by sleeping surrounded by blankets and snacks. Fails.

Noisette: Another hater of the cold. But she does like winter activities. Ice skating, playing in the snow, and Christmas!! She finally gets to wear all of her favorite sweaters. She also enjoys staying in and snuggling up in thick, fuzzy blankets. Unfortunately, The Noise is hogging most of them. This doesn't stop her from taking them.

Fake Peppino: No! No cold! No like! He does not like the cold at all! It makes him feel icky! He thought snow was pretty until he stepped in it. It was cold, too! He will refuse to go outside until it gets warmer. Frogs do not like the cold!

Pizzaface: Likes the cold. His gears run smoothly without overheating. He likes to throw dangerously giant snowballs at people. Sometimes, it results in casualties. He doesn't care. He thinks it's funny.

Pizzahead: He tolerates the cold. It sucks sometimes, but there's also a lot of good and fun things that come with it. He likes having snowball fights, building snowmen, build igloos, ice skating, and all sorts of fun things. He just can't stay in it too long, or he'll freeze solid.

Pillar John: Not too keen on the cold. It doesn't really phase him much since he's made of rocks, but he's still not a big fan. He's been a victim of Pizzaface's giant snowballs. That's how he got some of his cracks.

Gerome: Couldn't care less. The cold doesn't bother him since he's also made of stone. In fact, it makes good sleeping weather. He doesn't understand why some people hate it. Of course, he's immune to freezing to death, soooo...

[askcherryandpeppino]

Seeing that fake peppino likes sweets, how would he react to popsicles or maybe sour candy?

Peppino: He likes-a those frozen treats even if it freezes him and his brain-a off. Though he doesn't-a like sour things except from lemons. He expects a different result every time he licks-a one.

[smalltimidbean]

I can only imagine how peppino would probably react to one of the baby clones, gummy or not- [ I sent this to the fake pep ask blog initially but thought it might clog up that ask box so sending it again but here- ]

Considering Pep's blog is already clogged up with... 857 other asks, I don't think a single ask would have made a difference (lighthearted)

But I am afraid you'll have to keep imagining for now! Peppino's reactions/thoughts on baby clones is a potential plot line I hope to follow, so drawing a hypothetical would spoil that! (and hence why I did not answer the initial ask, I was saving it for when we do eventually reach that point)

Besides, there are not many baby clones around at the moment, let alone any little gummy bear ones! Only lab-made clones have that stage, and Chickpea was the last one to be made - and he is a very big boy now lkdfgsk

Non lab-made clones have their 'gummy' stage while still attached to their parent, while in their egg or just righttttt as they are birthed, but they grow very quickly - and all current babies are in their non-gummy toddler stage (except maybe Sundae's, but they're a special case (the case being; I haven't decided yet jkfdsl))

So it is unlikely Peppino would ever see one of those babies this time - He could potentially see a toddler clone since there are some in the area, but most of the parent clones would either run away if they saw him, or scare him enough for him to run away first

Or if it's Cake, it's on fucking sight and Peppino would probably be obliterated before he sees Cupcake hgjdsd

[phantomdoofer]

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."

[sweet-n-spicy-sauce]

... I have no idea what to say to all of you...

Except these 3 words.

I BROUGHT BRUNO!

(Shoves fake Peppino into the scene, pats his head, and just watches the three peppinos' reactions)

Petey: BRUNIE!!~ ✨ Pep: Ten seconds. That was ten whole seconds. Maybe even less... Sheesh, I haven't even picks a SONG yet...

Temporary event: looks like Bruno is here for a minute!

[smalltimidbean]

question! Does what you said in that last ask about fake bean apply to anyone else? You could guess it might apply to pep, but I just wanna confirm, and maybe see if this applies to anyone else :]

I assume you mean the whole 'changing when hungry' thing, but if not, please feel free to clarify!

But no, that is mostly unique to Fiend - but it is basically their version of the 'chase' form, so you could maybeeeee say Pep does a similar thing?

But whereas Fiend's is mainly triggered by hunger, Pep's is triggered mainly by rage, and he does require a mass of clones to absorb, so I personally I would not call them the same ability, despite the similarities

When Pep is hungry, he is more likely to get upset rather than turn into a giant monster hkfdk

For the other Peppino clones, they do not have a drastic physical change when hungry, except for one (currently known) clone, but major spoilers for later hehe