#Peppino has two hands for a reason

[whereismyhat5678]

Guys.

I think I built up the courage to FINALLY post this one sketch I tried posting but then backed out like a wimp.

SO I’M DOING IT NOW. I AIN’T NO PUS-

(Tw: It’s uh- It’s uh- It’s It’s It’s- 🪭🔥)

That’s it- that’s the post- 💀

[manicplank]

Hc time! How about everyone’s opinion on Dougie Jones?

Peppino: He doesn't really know him that well. He can't tell the difference between him and the other Pizzards. He sympathizes with him as he knows that Dougie works for The Noise. He knows Noise can be a handful.

Gustavo: He thinks he's okay. The two had a few conversations in the third floor as well as in the Gnome Forest. He thinks he's nicer than the other Pizzards. The two chatted about their bosses and work stuff.

Mr. Stick: He doesn't really know who Dougie is. He's seen him walking around the tower a few times but minded his own business.

Pepperman: He likes Dougie. He tries to get Dougie to do things for him and assist him with miniscule tasks, but Dougie refuses since Pepperman won't pay him for it.

The Vigilante: He thinks Dougie is a good soul, but he doesn't know much about him. He feels sorry that he has to deal with The Noise. He's seen how The Noise treats Dougie, and it is not good.

The Noise: He doesn't like Dougie. He thinks Dougie is an idiot who is shit at his job (and he's not entirely wrong). He gets very angry with him and will shout and scream at him. Due to The Noise's mistreatment, Dougie has tenure and is almost impossible to fire.

Noisette: She likes Dougie. She respects him for putting up with Noise's shit. She occasionally makes him treats like cupcakes or banana bread (her baking is actually good, just not her cooking) as a way to say "thank you for dealing with my manchild of a boyfriend".

Fake Peppino: He doesn't know who Dougie is. He's never seen him or met him before. If they ever met, he would probably like him. Dougie wouldn't be afraid of him.

Pizzahead: He's neutral on Dougie. The whole reason he assigned Dougie as The Noise's assistant was that he was sick of Dougie half-assing things. Dougie was originally his lab assistant, but Pizzahead could only withstand so many explosions. He thinks Dougie is a nice guy but a shitty worker.

Pillar John: He's okay with Dougie. He doesn't know much about him other. He's seen him a few times, but they never really talked.

Gerome: He's alright with Dougie. He feels a little sorry for him having to deal with The Noise, but he also knows how lazily Dougie does things. Gerome half-asses things because Pizzahead imprisoned his brother. Dougie half-asses things for no particular reason, and Gerome doesn't respect that.

[unexpectedbrickattack]

Compiling some Peppino-centric hcs i have bc i would like to have something to look back on as a point of reference 😌 (this is so long. SO fucking long. Im sorry)

- starting w the basics: hes a short king; 5’2 (157cm). Hes like late 40s-early 50s to me. Hes got brown eyes i never draw bc i like drawing him w dots lol. Hes particular about his appearance and grooms very consistently. Has literally no issues w balding (exposed to balding bears in his youth; thinks they are hot now 😌) and it helps that he can literally cave someones skull in if they speak ill of him. He does have a couple of comfy hats incase his hair decides to be unruly in bad weather.

- very bulky build; think of olympic strongmen/ highland games but short. Visibly muscular arms and broad shoulder, fat chest and stomach, smoother legs (fat layered over muscle; v thick thighs and calves). Hes got surgery scars on his lower back from a bullet wound (only entry/no exit point). Debated giving him a scar around his sternum from heart surgery or some other crazy injury he had but im not sure yet; the bullet extraction scar is definitely staying tho.

-does NOT work out; he used to wrestle in his late teens/early 20s but otherwise he was (still is) a man who did lots of physical labor around his childhood home and grandparents shop. Continued the cycle when he got his own home and his own restaurant; cheaper to do his own (extensive) repairs than call for specialists/contractors when u are Fucking Poor.

- he DOES exercise; he is fond of jogging. He does this alot postgame, usually in the early mornings before he opens, and at the beach on his days off. He had it drilled in v early in his life that he Needs to stay active, so he will roll out of bed and do this almost daily. On his days off he will have random people come and join him; usually pepperman or noisette. Its too tedious/boring of a task for gus and noise, and vigi is out cold until sunrise at minimum.

- he owns a HOUSE; he does not rent an apartment. This is bc i think it would be reasonable to assume that anyone who OWNS a restaurant was at some point, well off enough to own a house instead of renting. And i like the idea of him using this house as collateral; if the shop goes under, so does his home (more stress for him…). (Ive seen other people treat his shop like a duplex ie shop on the lobby level and an apartment/living space on the second floor. This is ALSO v good and coincides w my want to have his home tied to his restaurant)

- the house is small; two bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, and a basement (where the 1/2 bath is located). BIG kitchen, small livingroom. It is surprisingly well furnished bc of his family donating things to him when he bought the house in his 30s. Lots of older wood based furniture. Hes not grossly messy (like food, bugs, etc) but he is disorganized beyond belief. Lives an ��organized mess’ lifestyle bc of his high stress. Also extremely apathetic to his living conditions until postgame when his restaurant starts to take in profits again; less stress -> more positive time at home -> aware of the clutter as he spends more time at home.

- drives a beat up lookin car to and from work. Its his BABY; his ol reliable. He has to do lots of work to keep her intact and functioning. Eventually gets a newer car with his profits, but its rlly to help ease the strain on her so that he can take her out for drives occasionally.

-eldest of like 6 siblings; will not try to name them all just know that hes the only boy. Eldest daughter is only a year younger than him. Good relationship w all of them and his immediate family. Very matriarchal immediate family. Only a handful of uncles, his dad, and his grandpappy. Stubbornly cut off contact w everyone after the horrors (war) and refused to accept help w his failing restaurant (prideful). Eventually his (eldest) sister reaches out and he makes amends one at a time. (Gets an earful from his momma)

- works LONG hours. Awake by 4am, in noisettes cafe by 5am, in the shop by 6am. Preps and calls until opening at 9am. Closes at 9pm. Closes up FOR REAL at 10pm. Rinse n repeat. As the shop does better financially, he starts opening later and closing earlier (at the insistence of Gus). He still does his walks and his morning routine, just a little later, and he has enough time at home in the evening to cook for himself.

- on the topic of cooking, he is a good chef all around; pizza is just easier to market and consistently do Correct. Likes food alot. So much…..he isnt picky but he does go 😬 when eating something. Bad. And it happens Often.

- stress baked often. He felt bad about throwing out his food afterwards so he would give it away to his neighbors. No longer stress bakes but he will cook out of boredom which is not as bad but still not the best 😭 luckily he has so many freeloaders that will eat anything he makes (gus and noise)

- this is his second shop; the first one was in a larger city (think similar to pig city). Closed down due to insufficient payments, but reopened on the outskirts of the city (close to the forest) after putting up his house as collateral.

-first shop is where he first meets pizzahead. Hes offered a generous sum of cash to sell the business (which would then be converted into a ph brand shop). Obv declined. Later offered a position in pizzaheads business instead; nearly killed the man when scaring him out of his shop.

- Peppino is NOT some aggressive out of control beast (despite what pizzahead believes). He is vaguely neurotic and it is exacerbated by extreme stress and bouts of anxiety. So funny how removing the extreme stress and sources of anxiety makes him more Normal. (Somewhat encouraged by an official image i saw after i made this hc of peppinos attitude outside and inside the tower. He is relatively apathetic and inside the tower he is borderline manic. More hcs about that too)

- he is relatively fun to be with otherwise. He has some extremely dry humor. Hes incredibly sarcastic. He LIKES customer service…otherwise this would be impossible for him to endure. It helps that he Owns a shop, instead of only being a worker; he can yell at people who are rude and annoying to him and he knows (at least postgame) that he has loyal regulars.

- he is a bit of an asshole; he make snide remarks he shouldnt and hes been in his own fair share of fights bc of it. Has mellowed out drastically as he got a better grip on his emotions postgame. Only the most tolerant could really deal w him prior to postgame (gus) in part due to his anger (response to exacerbated neurosis and ptsd)

- also autistic. Extra stress bc of this. Easily overstimulated and the response to this is anger. Completely undiagnosed lmao but hes like late 40s; he just learned how to deal with it.

-common stress responses: bites on anything, usually his hand (Tried stopping this bc people would TOUCH him if he did that in front of others and that just made shit worse). Grinds his teeth. Jaw clenching. Making A Fist So Tight You Accidentally Cut Urself. Flappy hands, usually w hands balled up into a fist (specifically eyes closed; jaw clenched; head ducked, flappy hands over his ducked head). It looks ‘worse’ than biting but at least the excessive movement deters people from touching him.

- on a more positive note; knows quite a bit of magic tricks. Sleight of hand stuff is his forte. It is good for the anxiety and it keeps his hands busy. He is will consistently say that he is not good w kids but he loves entertaining them; they say the funniest shit and he likes being a bad influence on them 😈. Also teaching them tricks and letting them see behind the curtain is so fun for him; like they are so excited about silly tricks and it makes him feel a little cool….

- he is the kind of person whos like (dad voice) ‘not gettin a damn cat in my house’ and then has blackmail of him passed the fuck out with a cat on his stomach. He feeds the local strays by his shop and he cant help but feed the strays that end up by his house. He doesnt feel confident enough to take care of another animal when its so hard for him to remember to take care of himself so for now he just feeds them. But maybe soon he will take them inside…he also baby talks cats but if u caught him doing that he would kill u i think. (Pov u are the noise)

- silly hc that he has a real last name but he keeps it as spaghetti bc its funny to fuck around w people who ask him. No i dont know what his last name would be but i think it would be funny to have him ‘change’ it for branding and have people believe it. Also i think its funny to think of peppino saying this to ph somehow and he completely runs with it as gospel. Like ‘granny did u KNOW his last name is fucking spaghetti??’

- wrt young peppino, i say that w him being 20-23 in mind. Worked in his grandparents shop during this time. Worked as a line cook for some other restaurants as well (and saved up money to buy his own home while he lived w his parents and sisters). He was generally a sweetheart, just a bit odd (the Autsim and Anxiety), but that was (and still is) his charm point lol

- (SUGGESTIVE) cannot stop thinking of him as a little otter that hung out w older bears in the leather scene. He prob had his best years w them before he had to focus on other shit. He still keeps in contact w some of the peeps that were around his age postgame, and they meet up sometimes to hang along w vigilante. Now that hes older it is a bit surreal to now be the bear he used to look up to in his younger years. But its a bit flattering. Noise and Pepperman are younger than him and they both regard him w the same kind of wonder he used to give older bears. He thinks its cute lol (pepperman bc thats his muse and he sees his body type as PEAK human form, and noise bc i hc him as a bit sheltered despite the fame)

- (STILL SUGGESTIVE BUT THATS IT I SWEAR) adjacent to this; its weird for him to come back to this side of him bc hes been living in survival mode for over a decade. Got his house in his early 30s -> WAR -> comes back traumatized -> leaves family to cope -> dumps money into a restaurant to cope w leaving family. So he kinda missed it alot. Its fun to explore it w gus heehee and sometimes noise when he behaves.

-other things i wanted to mention but didnt know where to fit it. Peppino is a decent artist; he drew the logo for his shop and in general he is good at caricatures (another thing he can do to entertain a crowd; helps w anxiety to know how to not be awkward).

- Peppino is a bit of a mechanic (aka he learned bc he was broke and didnt want to call them for minor problems). Hes not a tinkerer but he likes the joy of creating sm and will make little. Creations. every once in a while. One of these creations is Peshino! He is a wooden windup toy made as a prototype for a more mechanical, mass produced version. He was intended to be sold as a cute little toy to help cement the branding for Peppinos shop but he never got the time or money for it, so peshino is collecting a bit of dust in his basement. Postgame, he takes peshino out and cleans him up; he feels a bit guilty about him….and the Big Peshino found in the tower plays music in Peppinos shop :) He also takes the time to clean him up and keep him functional.

Okay i think thats all i got for now byebye

[jellazticious]

JELL YOU CANT JUST DROP THIS RANDOM LORE ON THE FLOOR AND RUN AWAY!! TELL US MORE PLEASE IM BEGGING YOU

If this is about the Peppino clone theory then alright, buckle up cheesebags

First of all it's a theory and a headcanon, not lore, I don't want anyone acting like what I'm saying is canon 😭

BUT ANYWHO

I just thought it's weird that Peppino supposedly has never seen the tower in his life before or he has but he gets no association with it BUT he is plastered all over the posters, graffiti, boxes, etc in the background like he was part of the team. There's even like toys and robots designed after his scrumptious physique.

Next there's his malleability. I know this is a cartoon world with cartoon logic but alllll I'm saying is why doesn't Gus have that same whackiness? It's all mostly Brick doing the comedy. The most we have to Gus deforming his body was during the double jump where he turns into a ball. Peppino on the other hand? Turned to cheese, turned to a pizza, turned to a puppet, able to handle being in the front of a rocket, his body contorts during exaggeration of poses, way faster on foot than a rat etc.

He is just as cartoon character as the residents of the tower compared to the human levels of the outsiders like Gus and Stick. I mean yes, Gus can have exaggerated body parts but he is never as exaggerated as Peppino is

Next reason, the WAR level and the very confusing and retconned implication of what Peppino did. Some say it was canon that he was an actual veteran, some say he was technically not a soldier but a pizza delivery guy for the soldiers, and some say he accidentally wound up in the crossfires. Other than the war setting, the level, for zero reason or explanation, transitioned to a laboratory with clones of Peppino and the big ass tube in the bg has Pillar John in it. Cloning is not new to the tower but by god are they SHIT AT IT

Also here's a little intermission because I just LOOOOOVE this one tube in the bg so much

it's so stupid, he looks like he wanna die and he isn't even born yet, that's how you know you're getting a Peppino variant njsngjksrkj

but anwyay back to topic

I'm pretty sure we all think that the WAR level is the tower's last attempt at getting rid of Peppino by making a horrendous cheap move with making him relive his trauma. I love that take so much man, to think that the tower is this desperate because Peppino is SO CLOSE to destroying it that it didn't even have Pizza Time but a constantly ticking timer.

It makes sense with the war part of the level. That is clearly a traumatic event but then it turned to a lab which gets confusing.

I kinda stitched the two together and made them two different memories. The first one came from the original person the clones are based off and the other is Peppino's. I like to think that Faker and Peppino are opposites lol. Peppino has the perfectly structured body but not the mental stability while Faker is smart as hell despite being animalistic with a constantly shambling body. They're sorta the best ones to come out of the lab. but yeah, sorry for putting that tangent there. It's so to give a little context with how Peppino remembers stuff.

His brain is done fucked up that he cannot tell which memories are from him or from Bruno. It's like when you're dreaming and you already have stock knowledge in the dream's universe and it just hurts your brain when you try to pinpoint when exactly you got that information. He'd say some shit about his childhood and full believes he was the kid in the memory, and to Peppino he'd admit that all his memories are hella fuzzy for some reason but he just shrugs it off with "I'm just getting old". Also he kinda gets dreams about the lab and shrugs it off as some weird ass nightmare about the restaurant debt lmao.

(btw, Faker is well aware about Bruno's memories and know how to distinguish it from his own. I really love interpreting him as the alpha of all clones, it's so fun)

But yeah those are my reasons why I formulated and headcanoned Peppino as a clone.

All else that you need to know about this is that Peppino escapes, spends time in the real world, forgets his origins because brains are weird and it does this thing where it forgets traumatic events, and runs the restaurant (instinctual thing???), and seeing that Peppino is thriving on his own, Pizzahead thought how funny it would be to bring his ass back to the tower. Pizzahead is Pizzahead, his choices are whack asf

but all in all, I have always interpreted clone Peppino in all my silly little doodles gbjsbgksrbkj but like no one's gonna ask about it so I never made a peep nor a sound. But now you know lmao, which would raise questions that I'm more than happy to indulge

[blueberrybladelemonade]

Avoiding Amore

Summary: You and Peppino have become good friends over time. If only you both could shove that weird feeling down for good that happens when you hang out sometimes.

Speaking of, you have a new idea to pitch for what to do for this upcoming weekend. You're just going to hang out as friends, nothing weird will happen. 

...

Right?

Contains: Mutually denying feelings for each other! (Leaned more into it with this fic versus Confessions in the Dark),Getting a motel and NOT following the "there's only one bed" trope, Questionable taste in music, a tone deaf duet, Lying to get a discount, Why'd you put that in your mouth?! No angst and a whole lotta feelings you can't (Or, rather, read that as; refuse) to place, kinda suggestive in a couple places but nothing nsft. 

You hum to yourself briefly as you get closer to your destination, the building's name becoming clearly visible. Peppino Pizza. The weekend started tomorrow and since your friend would be off, you had one goal in mind. 

As far as you knew -and of course you'd know- Peppino didn't do much on his weekends off. Mainly the man would keep to himself and stay home. Since you weren't much different, you decided months ago you'd hang out with him on those off days. 

For the most part you both would find something to watch on TV, go to the store to find something to cook together, or sometimes go and hang out with the rest of your friends. On more than one occasion you'd spent the entire day with him. If it'd get too late you'd spend the night at his house, asleep on the couch.

You smiled to yourself, recalling after the third instance of you spending the night, Peppino gave up trying to convince you to let him take the couch and you sleep in his bed. It had even become a frequent enough occurrence where you had started leaving a set of clothes at his place. 

This weekend would be different, however. You were determined to break up the monotony of your days off with a new idea. You smile as you see two familiar people inside the restaurant.

"Oh look Peppino! It's your favorite customer!" Gustavo chimed. 

Peppino quirks an eyebrow at the smaller man. There was that tone he used again. Without fail when ever you would show up Gustavo had a glint to his eyes. His comments seemed innocuous enough but there was a hint of something to them. 

Electing to ignore the comment, Peppino grabs the pizza peel and pulls another pizza out of the oven. 

"Hi Y/N!" Gustavo waves as the door opens and you step inside. 

"Hi Gustavo! Happy Friday!" You return his smile and make your way to the counter. As you hop up onto the nearest stool you pretend you don't see Gustavo swat and mumble something at Peppino. Your eyes cast a sideways glance as he shoots Gustavo an annoyed look. 

"Good afternoon cara mia! How has-a your day been?" Peppino calls over his shoulder as he sets another pizza to the side. 

"It's been alright so far. Just ready for the weekend!" You reply, "Which reminds me, for this weekend, I was wondering if you'd like to do something different"?

You wait for Peppino to turn to face you. In a few quick motions, the pizzas had been boxed and set off to the side. Gustavo stacks the two and quickly is out of sight as Peppino leans against the counter, resting a hand on his chin.

"Like what"?

"Wanna go on a day trip?" You suggest, although a bit tentatively. In hindsight this sounded like a good idea but for some reason you hesitated under his gaze. "I was going to say we go a town over...the one near the bay"? 

The words died in his throat as you both jump at a sharp and sudden bang. Your head jerks to the side, eyes caught on Gustavo who had a tray that had slipped from his grasp. He shoots you both an apologetic look before stooping low to pick it up. 

Peppino clears his throat, "Sure, we can do that-a.." he averts his gaze for a moment, seemingly interested in something on the tiles. "Would 7:30 be a good? I can come pick-a you up".

You make a face, "Make it 8? I wanna sleep in for a little bit". 

He rolls his eyes, "Fine. 8. But don't eat breakfast. We'll stop on the way".

"Ok sounds good"! 

You both chat for a bit longer before you decide to head home. You didn't have to pack much but you'd like to make sure you had time to pick out something nice and comfortable to wear. Unlike last time where you rushed out the door and you were sweating all day and your feet hurt. Turns out a thicker shirt and nice shoes were a bad mix to go on trails with.

Peppino watched as your silhouette faded into the distance. 

"Ooooh what are you guys going to do tomorrow?" Gustavo nudges Peppino in the ribs. Peppino simply stares ahead, a small scowl forming. "A nice time out by the water all day. A nice dinner...maybe later you guys will get a room too an-"

"Stai zitto!" he snaps. "Why-a must you insist there should be something between us? We are just-a spending time together"! 

Gustavo goes silent for a moment, peering at Peppino curiously. "I was going to say get a room and talk or watch TV" Gustavo replies innocently. "What were you thinking"?

Peppino shot him a glare. He knew full well what was being implied and Gustavo knew it too. Gustavo was simply waiting to see how, or what, Peppino would reply back with. Rather than play this game, he stalked off, feeling heat prickle from his neck. 

* * * * *

"If you play-a that 'Insane Clown-a' band, I'ma leaving you in the parking lot when we stop for breakfast." Peppino warned. He was not going to sit through an encore of songs about axes being your "buddy" and "Imma kill you".

"Ok! No problemo!" you reply cheerily, opening the passenger's side and hopping in. 

His eyelids droop, watching you settle into your seat. He followed suit onto his own side. "And no Self-a Indulgence either". 

You give an exasperated whine "Awww why not Pino"?

"No. You're not-a playing that".

You played it. 

Peppino simply shook his head at your antics. Despite his best attempt to look disinterested or annoyed, he wasn't able to stop a small grin from forming.

"Heeey tomorrow," you sang. "Fuck you! And your friend yesterday! 

You sounded terribly off key, though it's not like Peppino could sing much better. He stubbornly ignored the tiny flutter he felt inside his chest at how animated and cheery you were. 

"But you can never catch me because I'm old, I'm bold, I broke that fucking mold..." 

You were generous enough to only play a few additional songs before switching over to the radio. There was a mutual agreement to keep it on the rock station, for the most part. 

Some songs played you recognized, some you hadn't. Some songs you both would sing as a very off-key duet. Honestly anyone that was passing by and catching a glance would think you were both deranged. 

"Well, I'm not paralyzed, but I seem to be struck by you" 

You both had gotten into the songs that had been playing, getting progressively more animated throughout the drive. 

"I wanna make you move because you're standin' still" 

You both briefly glance at each other and grin, bobbing your heads to the beat. 

"If your body matches what your eyes can do-"

The car that had been beside yours suddenly blared its horn. Apparently Peppino had been a little too preoccupied by your duet and had started to accidentally drift into the other lane.

”Shit." he hissed, swerving back into the right lane. He shot the other vehicle a quick apologetic wave. 

After one last song you turn down the volume to where it's barely audible. You lean back in your seat, content with just watching outside as the scenery rolls by. 

You feel your phone buzz. As you fish it from you pocket you stare down at the message.

"OMG YOU'RE GOING TO BE ALONE WITH HIM ALL DAY???? ;) " 

You roll your eyes at the text. No one can be normal about you both hanging out, can they? 

"What's wrong?" Peppino asks, you shrug. 

"Just Noisette being obnoxious about us being alone together all day". 

He scoffs, flicking on his blinker as the lane began to merge with the next one over. 

The harassment from your friends continuously got on both of your nerves. You're both just friends and that's it. Why did everyone have to try to make it weird? You were about to press send but instead you swipe over your reply and press delete. 

You both drove in silence as the trees of the forest around you blurred past the windows. Peppino's eyes kept flicking to you out of the corner of his peripheral. A small grumble escapes your lips as you sink down into the seat and stare outside. 

* * * * *

You give another small stretch as you step out of the car, your legs had just started to stiffen from the drive. You give a small sigh of relief as you feel your muscles ease up. Peppino jostles the car handle, checking that it had locked. 

There had been few clouds in the sky but the trees offered a pleasant shade from the sun. Taking a deep inhale of fresh air, you broke the silence, "How about we go to the park we seen a few blocks away?" Maybe a walk would be nice while you figured out what to do. 

There had been a few moments where both of you had taken a dirt pathway or simply sat at a nearby bench just to enjoy the greenery and shade. You both had spent a few hours walking through the park, chatting and enjoying each others company before deciding to see what shops were downtown.  

Sounds from the next block over could be heard as you approached a busy looking street. As you round the corner from the main street you find yourselves in the shopping district. Some shops were out in the open with bright canopies shading their table. Others were inside the simple stone buildings with signs and names hanging overhead. Freshly baked sweets wafted in the air and occasionally more savory scents clung nearby. 

As you step deeper into the district the cacophony of voices and various items clanging only grew louder. A sense of unease fell on you as your eyes darted through your surroundings. You never had been a fan crowds like this and were scrambling mentally to find a quieter place. The floral and musky scented candles nearby quickly turned your stomach as you feel your heart beat a bit quicker. 

You startle, whipping your head to the side as you feel a hand wrap around your own. As your about to yank your hand away, your gaze meets Peppino's. Your stress seemed to fade into the background, not gone but muted. He shoots you an apologetic look before slowly pulling his hand away. 

"It's ok cara, I'ma here".

You don't know what possessed you to do it, but your hand found his again as you delicately take it. You smile at him tentatively.

"Do you want to go over there where there's less-a people?" He asks as he closes your hand back into his, but more firmly. 

"That'd be great".

You went through a few local shops and an antique store, looking at nothing in particular. Most of the time wandering about looking at random goods until evening had begun to settle in. 

Not realizing how late it had gotten, you both opted to cut your perusing short to look for somewhere to eat. After coming back from where Peppino had parked, you notice and point out the signs advertising about dining right next to the water. 

As you both were seated you purse your lips, looking across the table at Peppino. He returns your look with a raised eyebrow. 

"You'd rather look at the wall instead of the bay?" you ask incredulously. Peppino simply stares at you. Before he can protest you cut him off, "Nah, sit next to me." You scoot over in the booth, gesturing him to come sit next you. 

His demeanor melts subtly as he moves to sit directly next to you. He feels a pang of...something, as his leg brushes against yours. 

"I think we were outside too long, you look like you got sunburnt." You mumble, looking at his face a little too intently. 

"I-uh, I think that's just the lighting in here Y/N." He waves you off, craning his neck a few inches away. 

You shoot him a dubious squint, glancing down to your arms and hands. They looked unchanged under the light here though. Shrugging it off, you stretch out an arm and grab a menu for the both of you. 

You see a small box at the bottom and shoot Peppino a sly grin and nudge him. His eyes follow to what your finger had been pointing to, only to let out a "Tch". 

Of course.

'Couples Discount Special this week only!' The text read. 

"Is this-a why you wanted to come here?" He rolls his eyes, "To get-a discount meal"?

You huff, taking a sip of your drink. "No, I just happened to read it just now! And lower your voice they might hear us". 

He let out a groan. Though, as he read what the special entailed, it did sound tempting. 

What ever, if life gives you lemons. 

"Fine."

He flinches as you loop your arm through his. 

"What are you doing?" Peppino hissed, feeling your skin stick to his. Suddenly he had become aware of how clammy his own arms were. 

"We're dating remember?" You hiss back at him, though your eyes seemed to take an interest in everything else.

"You don't need-a sell it that hard." He grumbles under his breath, wiping a sweaty hand onto his pants. 

"Have we decided what we're having?" A feminine voice asks, suddenly beside him. 

"Ah. Yes. We were going to have the couples...special".

The server's eyes sparkle as she writes down the order and walks back to the kitchen. 

"You can let-a go now." Peppino casts a sideways glance at you.  

"O-Oh right." You pause, "What if they find out we were lying though? We should at least wait until they give us our food, no take backsies after that".

Peppino opted to look out the window, taking a sharp inhale of air. He clenched his teeth. Mio dios, all this for-a discount. That pang in his chest only seemed to grow the longer you were against him. 

You set down your napkin with a happy hum. Dinner had been perfect; the atmosphere of the small restaurant was relaxing, the food and drinks were delicious, and your company was enjoyable.  

Being back outside into the crisp evening air you noticed there was slight chill to the wind. You decide to trail off from Peppino for a bit to go near the water to take a few pictures.

The sky reflected beautifully on the water now that the sun was setting. A click resounds, signifying a successful capture. As you look further along the horizon, you admire the vibrant shades of pink, purple, and orange painting the sky. You stepped over some rocks, still warm from the sun, and stopped close the water. As close as you dared without risking a slip. You watch the reflection in the currents as the last rays of sunlight bathe the water. The trees around you drowned out the sounds of any nearby traffic. The only things you could hear were the distant chirps of crickets and lapping of the waves.

This trip had been wonderful. You sigh. Even if you were only a few hours from home, coming to this place was exciting and new. You didn't feel suffocated from reminders of your everyday life here. It had been nice to get away from everything you were familiar with. 

Well, almost everything. You were glad Peppino agreed to come with you. Although you would have went by yourself (at some point), you would rather be with him. Sharing moments and days like today were always better with someone. 

As you look back towards the wooden bridge noticing Peppino was off to the side. At that moment found yourself unable to to tear your gaze away. He had his arms resting on the wooden railing as he looked out across the water. The breeze played with his shirt and the light shone gently down on him. 

You take a picture, reminding yourself to show him later. 

Despite taking the picture your eyes remained fixed onto him. He looked nice. You decided that was the word you'd use. 

Peppino stared absently at the line of trees in the distance, lost in thought. Deep down he knew this wasn't a feeling "just friends" had for each other. There was an intense longing for you. A need for you to be closer, to hold you. Sometimes it was almost overwhelming, like earlier when your arm was wrapped around his.

Peppino tried to dismiss that thought, dragging a hand down his face in annoyance. Something about this trip was playing with his head. You weren't doing anything differently and neither was he. So why was he suddenly having these thoughts? 

Truth be told, he would have passing thoughts like this on occasion. Though he waved them off, refusing to entertain them whenever it'd come up. You were friends. That was it.

"Well it's getting late, we should probably get ready to head home." Your voice causes him jump. He blinks as his train of thought dissipated. 

The last light of sunset had faded into the horizon, and the moon was just barely peeking out. Overhead the sky had turned into a deepening indigo as the first few stars were twinkling brightly. 

Peppino nods and you both begin your walk back to the car. 

* * * * * 

"Shit".

The treads on the tire had been shredded. You stare at the damage. "Damn when was the last time you got your tires changed"? 

Peppino shoots you a look before popping open the trunk. "It wasn't like that-a before we left. It must've happened on the way here". 

You poke your head over his side with an annoyed "Well shit."

Peppino sighs as he realizes the spare tire is flat too.

"Do you think we can still drive home"? You follow him back into the car. 

"It's not safe to drive back like this. And it's getting late." He grumbles, hands gripped at the wheel. "Let's call it a night and find a shop around here in the morning". 

Sleeping in the car the whole night didn't sound comfortable. It'd get warm and cramped within a mere hour. You could already feel a kink in your neck at the thought. "We could rent a room at a motel." You suggest, "There has to be one nearby".

A light shade of pink seemingly rushed to his face before he jerked his head to look out the window. 

"I guess we could-a do that".

* * * * * 

A rush of air burst out as you pulled the door open. You let out a satisfied hum as you stepped into the room. The idea of getting a motel room had made you uneasy, as you expected the worst; bugs skittering around, weird smells, and a dingy bathroom that made gas station ones look remarkable in comparison. 

While you didn't want to sleep in the car, you would have, had that been your fate. You were just relieved your worries weren't realized. 

Instead you make your way over to the bed furthest from the window. You pause a moment before nodding, choosing this bed to sleep in tonight. As you turn back to Peppino, you watch him set the room key on the nightstand between the beds. You notice in your peripheral he's taking his shirt off, your eyes dart away.

Instead your attention settles on the dresser against the opposite wall. You never know, you think. Maybe someone left money in it. Or who-knows-how-old cans of beer. It was like a shitty version of Schrodinger's cat. Also known here as Schrodinger's cheap motel dresser. 

You grumble, the first drawer appearing caught on something. What ever it was caught on wasn't going to give, no matter how much fumbling you did. 

"Let me help." you hear Peppino approach from behind. 

As he makes his way to you, his foot catches on something and he stumbles forwards. You let out a sharp gasp as you bring your hands up to try to stop him from falling. Not that you'd be able to do much. You jerk your head to the side instinctively and snap your eyes shut, waiting for the impact. 

But it never came. 

Your eyes flick open, discovering he had managed to catch himself, hands braced against the dresser to either side of you. 

He sighed, looming mere inches over you. "That was close"!

You tentatively lowered your gaze, realizing your hands had still been raised and were touching something. Your eyes widened, face and neck immediately burning at what that something was. 

Your hands had both been pressed against Peppino's bare chest. If he had noticed, Peppino made no move to shy away from your touch. Instead he remained frozen in place, his expression unreadable. His arms remained locked in place, loosely caging your body against his. 

His eyes fixated on you, a look to them you couldn't recognize. Something about his gaze had darkened as you tilted your head up at him. Normally you weren't so self conscious about being this close to him but right now, feeling his breath against your lips-

"I-uhm...Sorry!" You jerk your hands to your side. Why didn't you do that sooner? At an instant that look Peppino had disappeared, and seeming to to realize his position, immediately stepped back.  

You hitch a thumb behind you. "Well. Uh. I'm gonna to go to bed!" you scrambled away and pull off the comforter, crawling under the sheet. Stretching out on your stomach, you bury your face into the pillow. "It's been a long day we should get some rest! Goodnight"!

Peppino straightens and regains his composure. Watching in a daze as you rush to pull the sheet over your entire body, including your head.

"Goodnight". He finally replies, climbing into his own bed. He remained on his back but tilted his head to look at you. After what felt like hours, your form gradually relaxed and muffled snores were eventually heard, signifying you had nodded off. 

Peppino shifted and instead stared up at the ceiling. What just happened? He kept replaying how you looked up at him and didn't move away. Your scent, warm and inviting. How you leaned into his body. 

He couldn't ignore something stirred within him in that moment. There had been a whisper in the back of his mind to pull you against him. 

That's what unsettled him. He had to consciously suppress that urge as he clenched the dresser. Had you not jerked away when you did, Peppino was certain his self-restraint would've snapped.   

* * * * * 

A soft sigh escapes your lips as you roll to your side. You scrunch your face as you feel the light against your eyelids. It was morning, but how early was it? Not that it particularly mattered, you didn't think you'd be able to go back to sleep anyways. Instead you lazily open an eye and stare across at the shape in the other bed.

 Peppino was still asleep, snoring.

Well there was no point in staying in bed, you decide. You inch off the bed, softly stepping across the threshold of the bathroom. 

You splash water onto your face. It felt cool but not really refreshing like you had hoped. You grab the towel nearby and wipe your face. A faint click of the door is heard and you jump at the feeling of arms snaking around your middle.

"Buongiorno cara mia." Peppino mutters, resting his chin against your shoulder.

What.

You twist around in his arms to stare at him, bewildered. Where was this coming from? "Uh...Pino"?

He kept an arm around your waist as he gently cupped your chin and tilted it up. There was that look again from last night. Your eyes remained locked with his, waiting to see what he would do. You attempted to ignore the heat that had started creeping up the back of your neck. 

You felt Peppino's hand drift to fidget with the tips of your hair. 

"I've wanted to do this for a while." He breaths, his forehead gently touching yours. His hand softly caressing the back of your head as he pulls you forward. Your breathing hitches as his lips brush against your own. 

You awake with a start, eyes snapping open and darting about the room. You suck in a deep breath, shocked at what shoved you from your haze of sleep.  

What kind of dream was that? 

You blink again and rub the blurriness away from your vision. Who in the fuck authorized this. You feel an uncomfortable heat spread from your neck to your face and chest as you scan around the dimly lit room.

You felt your jaw tense as you recalled remnants from the dream. You sigh, attempting to think about anything else.   

Focus

From the streetlight filtering through the blinds you determined it was still very early. Too early to even think of getting up yet. But how could you go back to sleep aft-

"Sorry, did I wake you?" A voice asked, cutting through your thoughts. Your head snaps towards the voice, realizing Peppino's awake. His silhouette lingering at door frame of the bathroom.

"N-no..." You stutter, rubbing your eyes again. "Just had a bad dream". You couldn't help but peer at him, your breath catching in your throat, leaving you with a sudden tightness in your stomach. At least it was dark enough that Peppino couldn't see your face.  

"Do you need to talk about it, cara mia?" he asks, taking a small step closer to you. 

You flinch. Suddenly aware of something. How often did he call you that? "No!" you snap, shaking your head abruptly. You see him stiffen at your tone and stop, as if in thought. He nods slowly before making his way back into his bed. "If you need to talk I'ma here Y/N." he says quietly. 

In a way you felt bad for replying like that to him, but also how were supposed to explain what you dreamt about? "Thank you Pino." You whisper back. 

* * * * 

You couldn't get back to sleep. For the next two hours you simply stared up at the ceiling wide awake. Thoughts swam in your mind, some of which were very unwelcome ones. As you lie in bed that damn dream kept replaying. 

You could chalk that up to...the third one like this? Unlike the other ones though, this dream was the most vivid.

Could you even call it a dream? 

You frown at your thought. It wasn't really what you'd call a nightmare. Weren't nightmares supposed to be scary? Peppino didn't scare you, obviously. The dream did make you uncomfortable though. He was your friend, of course you'd be uncomfortable at the thought of-

You huff, turning back onto your side and face the wall. In a frustrated motion you jerk the sheet down to your hips. Why was this damn room so warm? You cringe and attempt to shove down another intrusive thought creeping into your head. 

* * * * * 

You stretch your arms out with a groan. Daylight was streaming in much stronger than before. You guess you nodded off at some point after all. 

You reluctantly tilt your head over to Peppino noticing he was already awake and sitting up in bed. His eyes meet yours as you smiled back with a soft “Good morning.”

"Buongiorno. Did you sleep better after...?" He trails off. 

"I did. Sorry if I worried you".

"It's alright Y/N, everyone gets nightmares sometimes." He sighs and stretches, "Some just more than others". 

You wince inwardly, you had forgotten Peppino often woke up from night terrors. 

You ask as you scoot out of bed and make your way over to him. He leaned into your touch as you trailed a hand down his back. "Did...you have a nightmare again, Pino"? You gently stroked his back, attempting to ignore your hand was against his bare skin. The reminder sending another tingle up your back. 

Peppino shrugged. "It's alright. It-a wasn't the worst I've had". He turns to glance up at you, "You should-a get ready to leave".

Your hand stops and you blink, remembering something. "Uh...about last night," His eyes shoot up immediately to meet yours. "Sorry for raising my voice at you, I was still trying to process what woke me up." You give a short chuckle and scratch the back of your neck. 

"Ah". Was all that Peppino replied with, his eyes looking away as if to contemplate something. He shakes his head, seeming to shrug what ever it had been off. "It's ok Y/N. I know how that feels".

As you make your way to the bathroom, you shut the door and turn the lock before directing your attention to the mirror.

You grimace at your reflection. Your hair was a mess and your clothes were wrinkled from sleeping in them. You sigh. It can't be helped. No amount of hand smoothing was going to make your clothes any more presentable. 

The first thing you were going to do once you got back home was take a long shower and properly clean. You didn't even want to think about how bad your breath was either. You cringe, but in the corner of your vision something catches your attention.

Actually...

Your eyes lower to the bottle of hand soap on the counter. Oh this was a supremely stupid idea wasn't it? But, you pick up the bottle, will it work? There's only one way to find out. You give the bottle a few pumps, thick liquid dripping into your open mouth. 

You instantly regret this decision, sputtering as the the soap coats your tongue before beginning to outright gag. As you attempt to spit it out you wretch the knobs on the sink to get water. You hurriedly cup water into your mouth and spit repeatedly. Unfortunately this created more suds as you swished the liquid around, making you heave. 

"Are you ok!?" You hear Peppino shout from the other side. 

You scramble to unlock the door and he bursts into the room. "What's wrong"?!

"Soap." You choke out through the foamy mixture, doubling over to gag again. Your feel your back sting for a moment as Peppino slaps your back firmly and repeatedly in an attempt to help. 

"Cosa diavolo! Why would-a you put that in your mouth"!

"Mm!" You give one last spit of soapy water into the sink. You took in a deep, shuddering breath. As you clear your throat, you gesture to let him know to stop patting your back.

You turn to look up at him, giving a sheepish grin. "This...might sound stupid but..." You trail off, Peppino gives you a look to go on. 

"I...didn't expect to stay the night here so... I didn't bring toothpaste." You shrink a little into yourself, "So I thought that maybe...soap might...work"? You finish, your voice tapering off. 

Now that you thought about it -Did this idea even involve a single thought in your head? 

Well, you did learn one thing. Watermelon soap does not taste like watermelon. And it was in this moment Peppino also learned you were a dumbass. 

The room went silent as Peppino simply gawked at you. You offer a small half smile in return. He clicks his tongue and shakes his head. If he had been about to say something he thought better of it, instead choosing to finish getting ready to leave. 

"Che cazzo." You hear him mutter. 

You turn your attention back to your reflection. A small trail of sudsy saliva had dribbled down your chin onto your shirt. The white of your eyes also had a tint of pink to them now. Somehow you managed to look worse than when you had woken up. The sight almost made you chuckle. Almost.

You groan as you remembered you had to go out in public like this. 

* * * * * 

After getting the tires replaced the drive back home had been uneventful. As he pulled into your driveway to drop you off, you tilt your head towards him. 

"You don't have to leave right now do you? At least come in and use the shower or eat something." You urged. "I can wait to get mine but I do want to brush my teeth". 

"I had-a shower at the motel." He pointed out, but had already shut off the engine. 

"Well a nicer shower. You still have a pair of clothes you left here. After you get out I can make us breakfast..." You glance at the clock on your phone, "Er...brunch"? 

"I'm done!" You call out from the bathroom as you step out, leaving the door open. You make your way to the kitchen feeling much better. 

Peppino walks past you carrying the set of clothes he retrieved from your closet. "I'll wait for you to get out before cooking! So don't take too long, I'm starving!" You call over your shoulder. 

As you wait Peppino to come back out you mentally scold yourself for not asking what he'd like to eat, if anything. Instead you pulled out a chair and took a seat, taking out your phone as you waited. Maybe you should make egg sandwiches? You had ham and bacon in the fridge.

You decide to go through your camera album. Idly you flip through the various pictures you had taken, some dating back months ago. Some of flowers, the occasional sunset, and as you continue swiping, dozens of pictures of you and Peppino, or just Peppino.

You like him. 

A lump forms in your throat. Of course I like him, we wouldn't be together so much if I didn't like him. You argue, continuing to swipe through your album. Anything to try and distract yourself. 

You want to be more than just friends.

You briefly close your eyes, hoping to shut up that nagging voice this way. A futile attempt. The thoughts you had been shoving down for months finally starting to break through the cracks. 

Please shut up. You beg to yourself. Why did this have to come out now? 

Last night flashed through your memories. You wanted to close that gap. That dream you had of him wrapping his arms around you and pulling you into a kiss was something you wanted. 

You want him.

There it was. You stare vacantly at your screen, breath caught in your throat. The picture taken from yesterday, the one you had meant to show him.

There it was. You stare vacantly at your screen, breath caught in your throat. The picture taken from yesterday, the one you had meant to show him. 

He looked stunning. Not just nice. He looked handsome. Perfect.

You heard the water stop. Within seconds you jolt to your feet and move to the stove, pretending to look busy. Your body, however, remained motionless.

You heard a door click shut, making you jump, and Peppino appeared in the corner of your vision. 

"Are you sure you're ok?" he asked, stepping closer to your side. "You've been acting off since this-a morning".

You squirm, an uncomfortable knot of tension suddenly appearing in your stomach again. 

"Yeah...I just…” Your voice trailed off. How exactly were you supposed to answer that? You couldn’t tell Peppino how his close proximity made you feel. You knew this discomfort wasn’t going to go away and unfortunately might get worse.

You want him. The voice repeated. 

Your head turned to face him, only to realize that he was watching you, and apparently had been, as he made no move to avert his eyes. 

As you blink your eyes lower to avoid his. You feel your breath come out with a slight shake and you turn away. 

He frowned, nudging you slightly with his shoulder. It was as if he was telling you to go on, but the words were caught in your throat. Even if you wanted to explain, you couldn’t. 

Peppino reached a hand to your shoulder, and you felt him lightly skim over your neck. You shuddered. Gently taking hold of your chin, he turned your face towards him. Your eyes met with his again, half lidded.

"Nnm?" You mumble, confused. 

A look of horror flashed on Peppino's face, realizing what he had been doing and jerked his hand down. 

"I-I should-a go". 

He stepped away from you and hurried to turn and leave. Your feet remain rooted to the floor, but you desperately grabbed for Peppino. Your hand catches his sleeve and you pull at him weakly. His eyes dart back at you anxiously, but a spark of curiosity was in his eyes as well. 

 "Please don't leave." You whisper, barely audible. His face softens as he takes your hand from his shirt and into his own and tentatively takes a step closer. 

His other hand roamed across your back before settling there. When you didn’t push him away, he pulled you closer against him, his hips pressed against your own and his mouth brushed against yours. A burst of heat flared within you and a shiver shot up your spine. Finally, your lips met in the kiss that had been denied to you both the first time. 

Slowly you pulled your hands from his to wrap your arms around his neck. Peppino raised one hand to run it across your cheek before resting it at the back of your head as he deepened the kiss. As his hand tangled itself in your hair, your fingers slid up against his chest, clinging to his shirt for support as your legs buckled. His arm against your back supported your weight as you reclined in his embrace.

You didn't know how much time had passed when he pulled away, dragging at your lower lip gently with his teeth before letting go. When he finally broke the kiss, you were breathing hard and your head was spinning. 

* * * * * 

You stretched languidly, slowly blinking away the haze of sleep. Sunlight softly slipping between the opening in the curtains.

Peppino's chest was pressed against your back, an arm wrapped around your waist. You could feel every steady and slow breath against the back of your neck. It seemed like he was still asleep. As you shift in bed to look at him, Peppino's eyes drift open, he gives you a sleepy grin. 

He leans his head towards yours and you close the distance, pressing your lips to his. It was lingering, almost passionate, but also conveyed a feeling of comfort and trust.

Your lips disconnect and the world fades back into existence. Peppino rests his head on your shoulder and pulls you closer. Your body molding perfectly into he pressed soft kisses against the back of your neck.

Staying in bed with him bit longer wouldn’t hurt. 

💜Thank you everyone that supported and anticipated this one coming out! Pacing in a few places felt off to me but overall I think this one turned out how I hoped it would💜

[oldmanenjoyer]

Can I request a Peppino x neko reader

(Ears and tail)

Where the reader tries to hide it, it does work for a while, but he finds out for some reason

(Also the reader works at the pizzeria)

(Only if you want to, sorry if this upsets you)

Please and thank you~

It all comes clean with a simple trip.

The hat you usually wear falls off your head, skittering across the checkerboard floor alongside you. Peppino drops his pizza peel to rush over, to assess damage and help you up, but he freezes.

From your head rise two flicking cat ears. They twitch and flatten as you groan and curl up, pushing yourself back onto your feet. They're not fake, truly made of fur and moving unlike anything Peppino has seen before.

You notice his boggled stare, and realize how naked your head feels with a grimace.

"Ah. . . Happy Halloween?"

"It is-a March." Peppino replies.

"Fuck." You stand up, smiling as Peppino offers you a hand. Seeing as the gig is up, you pull your tail from your pants as well, then flick away the contact you wore to hide your eyes. "Well. Surprise!" You little jazz hands does not help the awkwardness hanging heavily in the air. "I'm, well, part cat!"

Peppino blinks. "Er, why?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." You shrug. "Sorry. I should've told you earlier, but I was worried you'd be freaked out or think I was. . . well, weird."

"I have-a fought sentient cheese." Peppino tells you. His sudden sternness is a surprise, and your ears press back against your head again. "You are by-a far the least weird thing I have-a ever seen."

"Sorry." You mutter again.

"Ay," Peppino bemoans, opening his arms for you to walk ashamedly into, "what am I-a going to do with you?" Your tail flicks back and forth as you giggle. Peppino touches it, the soft fur gliding through his fingers. He wonders if you purr. "Gattino."

"Hey!" You shout, and to Peppino's delight, your tail puffs up. "Watch it!" His laughter doesn't help your anger, but he doesn't let you go either, so you sulk in his arms. "I almost wish you hated me."

Peppino chuckles, and as he scratches at your ears so a low purr crawls from your throat, you both know it's not true.

[cacio-e-peppino]

Headcanons: Peppino Spaghetti

So, a big reason for me making this blog is that I wanted to share my headcanons for different characters! ... Particularly for Pizza Tower since I have a lot of headcanons for these characters that I don’t think would be very welcomed on other spaces. So, without further ado, let’s start with the man of the hour and my favorite character: Peppino Spaghetti. This man consumes 50% of my braincells at any given moment, so I have a lot of them. You can find them under the readmore ^^

Peppino is gay and trans. I like Peppino both being pre-op and post-op in terms of top surgery, and he's definitely on T.

Peppino is a first-generation American born to an Italian father and a Greek mother. They fled fascist WWII Italy when speakers of Greek were being persecuted (aka Peppino's mother) and settled somewhere vaguely in the New York City/New Jersey/Philadelphia area

Despite being born in America, Peppino still has a strong Italian accent! He learned how to speak Italian long before he learned how to speak English. He's trilingual and can speak three languages: Italian, English, and Greek. Italian and English are his two best languages. Sometimes he'll forget the word for something in one language and substitute it for the word in a different language instead

Peppino is autistic! His special interests include cooking and strategy games. He's a vestibular (i.e. movement and balance related stuff) sensory seeker who enjoys going really fast and climbing stuff. He also talks with his hands a lot, particularly since he's both autistic and Italian.

He also has some oral stims as well. For example, he likes to bite and chew things. For this reason, he can often be found carrying a pack of gum. He tries his best not to bite his hands since it's both considered a Sicilian insult (so he was frequently told to knock it off as a kid, that stuck with him) and because he doesn't think it's the healthiest behavior. Though, if he's really stressed, he'll bite his hand to calm down.

Spicy food is hit or miss for Peppino, most often miss. While he doesn't like hot wings, one of his favorite foods is Pepper Pizza- which is very spicy. He's very particular about spicy foods

Speaking of foods, Peppino's favorite food is unsurprisingly pizza. Even after the whole Pizza Tower incident, it remains his favorite food. Of course, while he likes many other Italian dishes, Peppino also really likes a lot of other Greek dishes too such as gyros and tomato fritters

Peppino fought in the Vietnam War. He wasn't drafted, but rather joined willingly as a display of masculinity (there was some household tension I think when Peppino first came out as trans, he didn't really understand nor care about the politics behind the war). Peppino was able to successfully get into the army using falsified documents and successfully hiding his feminine traits through techniques like upselling his Italian accent to mask his voice and explaining that he was just a bit out of shape to explain his larger than normal chest

The war was constant hell for Peppino. There was no safety to be found anywhere for him. Of course, the front lines are always dangerous. But, camp wasn't any safer for him. Peppino had to be very careful about hiding his identity as one slip up could have him ousted and sent back home shamed or worse. Additionally, an injury could out him to the medics too if needed medical treatment. So, to compensate for this, Peppino became the best fighter in his entire platoon. I think some people eventually figured him out, but didn't rat out Peppino because they knew they were safer with him around.

To his credit, Peppino was celebrated when he returned home and was recognized as a man by his family. Though, he got out of the army as soon as he could, and he ended up regretting joining in the first place since he was left with severe PTSD from the whole experience.

After the whole Pizza Tower incident, he ended up becoming friends with most of the Tower's inhabitants as he recognizes most of them didn't really work for Pizzahead and were instead manipulated some how into working for him. Though, Noise still bothers the shit out of him and he hates Pizzahead, doesn't like him at all.

Peppino feels this weird sense of responsibility for Fake Peppino, as if giving up on him was giving up on himself. So, even though Fake Peppino used to unnerve the hell out of him, Peppino let him live at the Pizzeria with him, Gustavo, and Brick and now he's pretty comfortable with Fake Peppino around

The only ship I particularly like with Peppino is Peppiblast (Peppino x Antonblast). I prefer him and Gustavo as friends, with Gustavo almost taking on a mentor-like relation with Peppino. I prefer Peppino and Noise as frenemies. While he's had bad relationships in the past, I do like the idea of Peppino wanting to be in one. I think his relationship with Anton is an interesting one with both of them helping each other grow- with Anton learning to become a bit more sensitive to those around him (you gotta be careful being a demolitionist dating a war veteran) and Peppino learning how to set boundaries better and communicate his needs better (he comes from a loving but misguiding family which left him with some issues)

[angelofpizza]

Evil Peppino romantic headcanons cus why not

When this man wanna make out he's gonna make out, no quickie, he's going the whole nine yards. He won't stop until he's made you breathless, literally.

Peppino doesn't mind PDA but he'd rather you keep your more intimate sessions behind closed doors. Mainly because he believes that no one should have the privilege to see you this vulnerable, or for that matter hear the cute little noises you make.

No matter how tall or wide you are, this man has a way of making you feel smal in his arms. It fuels his ego when you deliberately lean into him while seated on his lap.

Peppino has offered you a job at his restaurant before but you quip back saying that he would just be distraked the whole time, and boy would he.

It's no surprise that Peppino is a bit possessive of ya, yeah sure he gives you your space but if he spots someone eyeing you across the bar he won't hesitate to make it very apparent to them that you're spoken for. Though he won't get violent in front of you, he'd hate to have you concerned, unless you're into that side of him, then he will be more open about his misdeeds.

Years of Kneading dough has its advantages, not just in acutely Kneading the dough but having the ability to give a mean back massage. Even though he only has one working hand left that doesn't deter him from giving you a well earned backrub. very attentive and caring to your sore joints as well and knows exactly where to rub.

this guy is a thigh guy, he will discreetly brush his hand against yours or even squeeze it just to feel the muscle underneath flex in reaction to his touch. And if it makes you blush? Jackpot. Peppino just found his new favorite stress toy and it's in the form of your thighs, if he had to die it would be in between them. God save you if you have thigh highs, you won't be leaving for work that day that's for sure.

You agatha have earned a lot of trust from this man to be dating him, hell even to just be friends with him would take time and effort. So he has a lot of trust in you, the only way I can really see someone willingly being in a relationship with him is if they already had a sick and twisted heart to begin with.

Peppino enjoys the chase, he lives the hot bubbling rage numbing his mind fogging his seans of reason, reaching desperately for the source of his outburst only to have it slip from his hands so effortlessly. But when he gets his hands on it? Oh there are not enough words to describe what he would do to it. There's only a select few people that get to hear his carnage, and you just so happen to be one of them.

Although this man is a brute behind closed doors that doesn't mean he won't take you out to wine and dine on the occasion that he has some time to kill, which isn't often. He's also a believer of “the man pays for the date” but if you insist on splitting the bill between you two then he won't complain.

In other words, consider yourself lucky, not many people that get involved in his work come out unscathed.

woah!!! that's pretty cool! left me flabbergasted lmao

i am deeply inspired by this now hehehe

[saucekkkkkkkk]

Imm so curious would u like 2 infodump about your silly au I see content of it on twt and I'm like "huh! What the fuck is that!" But in a good way

HEHHEHEHE ID LOVE TOO

TW: Mentions of Death, violence, etc.

BACKGROUND INFO

The au is actually made by two of my friends who were doing a roleplay with their characters (kingston and pizzana)

kingston is a massive stalker and he loves pizzana to literal death!! (and yes pizzana is pizzano genderbent but my friend decides to use her because she loves pizzana)

They do their own separate roleplay/plot while me and my other friend do our own separate ones too! But that doesn’t mean they’re not in the same universe.

It’s sorta a combination of Pizzatower, sugaryspire and whatever au evil peppino is from, all the characters are in one (even the genderbent universes and anton blast) But it’s like that because for fun and more characters to have and fuck around with.

I also like to think that the au takes place like a few years later as well!

PEPPINOS

Okay!! time to info dump on my peppinos!!

Let’s start with Chopper, formally known as the original Peppino.

Chopper wears a bigger tank top and it has stains of dry blood on it. He carries around a butcher knife (hence the name Chopper) and he has two stitches on his hat. He hates everybody and I mean it. Also Chopper takes care of stray cats on the streets because he loves cats<3 He’s mute and will only speak if you’re worth talking to or if he needs to express himself badly.

His backstory is pretty much Pizzano burns down his pizzeria for funnies!! Noise tried to talk Pizzano out of it but you know how that bitch is.

The fire then caused the pizzeria to burn and eventually it hurts Gustavo really bad on the side (a bleeding wound.) Peppino is scarred on his eyes and his mouth is cut from falling objects. Gustavo takes his last breath in Peppino’s arms and Peppino starts uncontrollably crying.

That is until he realizes what he’s lost. Peppino suddenly has the urge to RUIN whoever did this or KILL if he has to.

He places Gustavo on the ground (they’re outside the burning pizzeria) and he walks INSIDE the PIZZERIA straight into the kitchen. He grabs the nearest weapon there and it happens to be a butcher knife!

Peppino also grabs his hat on the ground (which has two cuts on it) and wooo!! there we go!

EVILER PEPPINO is literally Evil Peppino but he’s more serious and stern. He has MAJOR trust issues (you’ll see why in a little) and he is brutal to literally anybody. He has a robotic eyeball (because rich and cool) and he has a sort of biker outfit on Id say but it’s just supposed to make him look badass. His pizzacutter has spikes on it now! Woo!!

Also Kingston is a RIVAL GANG to Evil Peppino, they hate each other.

Backstory is that Evil Gustavo ratted Evil Peppino out to a rival gang (he told them where evil peppino lived for money and shit) and then the rival gang jumped his house!!

Obviously Evil Peppino beat the absolute shit out of them (killed them all) but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t hurt either. He was damaged pretty good with some cuts and stuff. (explaining his X scar on his cheek)

He knew it was Evil Gustavo because he threatened one of the rival members to tell him who told them his address (and he actually didn’t let him go he killed him!!!)

Evil Peppino arrives to Evil Gustavo’s place and asks why the FUCK he would do that.

Evil Gustavo then states how he’s tired of Evil Peppino being a massive bitch and friend to literally everybody and how he tried to reason with him MANY times.

Evil Peppino doesn’t take this bullshit and then OH MY GOOODD they start fighting to death because they’re angry at one another. (Evil Peppino threw hands first)

Evil Gustavo stabs Evil Peppino’s eye with some object, causing Evil Peppino to lose an eyeball.

Evil Peppino wins!!… But all for what?

Evil Gustavo is dead. Gone. And all because Evil Peppino wasn’t a good friend. It’s a conflicted situation but Evil Peppino stills actually feels bad that he killed Gustavo.

With all of that, Evil Peppino gets a new badass look and everything he’s currently wearing. He lives in big ass trust issues and is scared to make close friends again because of what happened with Evil Gustavo. His bitch anger issues haven’t left him either.

His only close friend is Evil Anton!…. only close friend…

PIZZANO known as Dealzano in this au, wears a long blue massive trench coat with a fedora sorta hat and he carries a pipe everywhere with him for coping. Also he has a robotic arm!! He’s still cocky, loud and obnoxious like the original Pizzano but that’s only because he’s holding up a facade. Dealzano is a massive addict to fucking money like he’ll do anything for a fat stack of cash (EW stop if you’re thinking about that you’re gross!!!!) Dealzano is sorta a right hand man to Eviler Peppino since they work together in the business. Dealzano deals out weapons that he stole, bribed or have, etc. He’s a sneaky guy who loves to mess around. He has lots of cash from doing business but that doesn’t mean he’s the happiest either..

Dealzano’s backstory takes place a couple weeks later after Chopper’s pizzeria incident.

Dealzano was still Pizzano at this time so he was upholding a special event or concert for PTV. And you know Chopper wanted revenge badly.

Chopper got help from Eviler Peppino as Eviler Peppino supplied Chopper with bombs and such to destroy and ruin a concert, Chopper also knows where Pizzano’s lair is. So he’ll ruin that too. (Also Eviler Peppino didn’t know what Chopper was gonna use the bombs for^^)

Right when Pizzano’s on stage a massive explosion happens.. underneath him. BOOM!! There goes his arm.

Everybody’s screaming, shouting, yelling, crying and anything you can think of.

Pizzano’s practically having war flashbacks and he’s clenching his arm painfully, he’s scared. Chopper doesn’t stop there. He keeps wanting more to explode and ruin Pizzano, just like he did to him. Pizzano sits there, holding his arm which is now only his shoulder, it’s bleeding heavily. And he hears somebody from behind him.

It’s Pizzelle. She gasps and pulls Pizzano away from the explosions and fires now happening. She tells him that they need to get out of here.

Pizzano has no words but he just complies anyway. Pizzelle then brings him to her candy shop and patches him up.

Stinky happened to be there too and he also stated that he could make Pizzano have a new arm.

By this time you think he’s good right? New arm and everything?

No. The world turned on Pizzano.

It was on the news, people saying how this was planned and saying how Pizzano is a villain and etc after he got his new arm.

And then.. everybody leaves Pizzano because they believed that HE WOULD do such a thing. It was an immature and stupid move of them, but the one who stayed was Pizzelle.

Pizzano can’t go out in public like this anymore. But he loves PTV. So he starts his job of being a dealer to get money and rebuild PTV. And he knew just the guy.. (EVILER PEPPINO)

He still has hope to rebuild PTV and become famous because he wants that same love and attention again.

Everything was going great!!… Until Pizzelle got her debt into Eviler Peppino.

Pizzano had to choose between his literal boss and Pizzelle. He could’ve helped Pizzelle pay for her debt, he was loaded with cash!!.. But PTV.. PTV right?..

Eviler Peppino was furious when Pizzelle didn’t meet her deadline, in result he sliced her chest and spared her, but added another 2,000 to her debt just to make it worst. She accidentally burnt the money because she’s clumsy.

Pizzano had to watch. Pizzelle wanted him to do something but he didn’t. And that only stirred up more tension between their friendship.

OUR ROLEPLAY PLOT:

While my other two friends do their plot stuff with Kingston and Pizzana, me and my friend Nubbykins do ours!!

This is my friend’s oc!! Her name is Reddaria and she works for Eviler Peppino as well.

She and Dealzano go on missions to get debtors or clients that haven’t paid their debts or just for meetings. (Dealzano goes because he’s bored or Eviler Peppino tells him to because he knows everybody.)

something funny that she made^^^

GEHEHHEHE AND THATS PRACTICALLY IT!!!

thanks for letting me rant :33 i’m obviously gonna be posting more!! if you read this all ily<3

also since my asks are open, feel free to include the my evil au peppinos too!!

👁

[patches-bitsandbobs]

7/2/2023 - oh I know Brick ated the cheese. *contains mild spoilers for the end of the game!*

Peppino whistled a jolly tune, practically skipping to the kitchen. for once, he was in a good mood - with the destruction of the tower came a sudden, surprising bloom of travellers, who had come from far and wide to see what the fuck had generated the plume of dust. once the sight see-ers were done marvelling at his enraged handy-work, they'd stop by his parlour for a freshly baked pizza. even after the dust had settled, word continued to spread of not only the remains of the bricks, but also of his establishment, until it wasn't the tower people came to visit anymore.

the tourists had helped pay off the majority of his debts (in such a short time, too!), and slowly, he was beginning to fill up the tip jar with extra change. sometimes the others would help out with getting some extra funds (since they refused to leave), such as Pepperman taking quick sketch commissions, or Vigilante shooting out cans with his eyes closed (after Peppino got shot right in the ass, he made sure he stayed inside when Vig went out with the revolver. they usually split it, but the money had stayed on Peppinio's side that day). he had rebuilt his reputation with the towers fall, further helped along from Mr Sticks' (paid for) ads.

now, he had not one, not two, but three big orders to bake, and all three were to be done via moped delivery. and they all lived in the big city. the big city was where the big dosh was. his parlour was known in the big city now. it had been months since he'd taken the moped out for a spin; months since his last reason to go in to the big city. he was ecstatic.

but when he entered the kitchen, he saw Brick, perched on the counter, shaped like a square. literally; he was shaped like a solid square. Brick blinked at Peppino. Peppino blinked at Brick. slowly, Peppino moved to where the cheese was stored. when he opened the fridge, he saw it empty of cheese. he nodded to himself, once, his mood instantly falling flat. he looked back at Brick. Brick continued to stare back. there was nothing behind his eyes - no emotion, no guilt; only the pure bliss of cheese.

'Gustavo.' Peppino called. Gustavo instantly entered the scene, because if Brick was there, then Gustavo was never far behind. 'why did you let Brick in here.'

'oh! we were only popping in for a quick visit is all! I just got caught up with Vig; why, has something happened?' worry flooded Gustavo's expression. Peppino pointed at Brick. Gustavo looked at Brick. the worry morphed into confusion, because, yes, that sure was Brick alright. he wrung his hands. he said nothing about Bricks strange square-ness. Peppino expected distraught at the sight - perhaps even some anger on his part - but the lack of anything accusatory brought Peppino to half hearted splutters.

'I- you- are you-? ... Gustavo, he ate all the cheese.' the worry instantly changed to shock, Gustavo snapping his gaze to Peppino with horror. that only made Peppino the confused one. 'why are you- he's literally square shaped, Gus. like, come on. it's obvious.'

'but Brick would never do something so heinous!' Gustavo defended. Peppino's mouth gaped open. he could feel his sanity drip from his ears as he spread his arms toward Brick, as if that would help Gustavo see his shape better.

'he's a SQUARE. what do you even MEAN. he's LITERALLY a SQUARE.'

'what the fuck is going on in here?' Noise suddenly demanded, skateboarding into the kitchen. he skidded to a stop beside Gustavo, annoyed. 'we can hear you from the front, dipshit-'

'Noise, does Brick seem off to you?' Peppino asked, ignoring his comment. with a raised brow, Noise looked over at Brick. Brick snuffed a satisfied little squeak. he couldn't move too much, on account of being a square.

'... eh, he's still a rat.' Noise said after a short inspection. Peppino’s eye twitched.

'yes, but is he different.'

'uh, no?' Peppino’s glare could have melted through steel.

'you're fucking with me. both of you are.'

'what- no I ain't, he's literally a rat.'

'YES, I KNOW he’s a rat, but right now he's a SQUARE. he's square because he ate the CHEESE. he isn't NORMALLY a fucking SQUARE - he’s Round 100% of the time. he's usually a SPHERE.' Gustavo placed his hands on his hips, his own frown overtaking the worry as he levelled Peppino with a defensive sneer.

'now hold on a second there Peppino! do you even have any solid proof of this?' Noise joined Gustavo in the defence, his arms crossing.

'yeah! why'er you always picking on the rats, huh?' Peppino grit his teeth, grinding them in an attempt to soothe his growing frustration. it didn't help. oh I'm always the one picking on the rats, he bitterly thought. what about ME for once. the rats are always picking on ME.

at that moment, Fake Peppino walked into the parlour, heading straight for the fridge. he stopped dead once he saw the confrontation, tilting his head with a little hum as everyone turned to face him. Peppino deflated with elation, glad to see a familiar, smart, handsome, slightly freaky face. (when Noise asked Peppino why he didn't shit himself around Fake Peppino anymore, Peppino had responded that it was a bit of an ego boost to see himself in such a different light. Noise had called him "a right fucking weirdo", leaving it at that.)

'ah, finally, someone with sense,' Peppino sighed, waving at Pepper, who looked like a deer caught in headlights. Peppino pointed straight at Brick, determined to get at least one thing on his side. 'ain't it obvious that Brick ate the cheese? like, it's plainly obvious, right? that he's guilty of theft? you agree with me, right? like it's so obvious he ate it, and that these two are wrong, and I'm right.' by the time he was done with his speech, Pepper had crouched down into a fucked up little ball, his weird, spindly arms wrapped around his head. his eyes popped from his head; the pupils darted between the defensive left side, Brick, and the prosecutor's right side. neither party made a move to convince Pepper to their team.

'... Pepper?' he leered straight at Peppino. he slowly lifted his right leg. 'PEPPER.'

'man, you have got to stop picking on the rats, Italian. it's getting boring.' red filled his eyes, a look that could wilt flowers aimed Noises way.

'I'M PICKING ON THE RAT BECAUSE I'M RIGHT.' Pepper, still hunched low, gurgled with laughter.

'now now lads, let's calm down here! Peppino, are you out of cheese?'

'YES.'

'then not to worry; me and Brick will get some more for you! we'll be back in a jiffy!'

'but Brick is-' Gustavo took one step toward Brick. with an obnoxiously loud GULP, Bricks body did a flash of stretchy movements, before he returned to his oblong shape, all signs of his crime gone. the large rat hopped off the counter with a flourish of speed, allowing Gustavo to mount him. with a pat on the head, Gustavo gave the group a thumbs up, and the two of them jumped out the window.

they watched their silhouettes disappear down the path, Peppino flabbergasted, Noise bored, Pepper just glad to be there. with a big stretch, Noise kicked off, slowly rolling to the door without another word. standing to his full height, Pepper stretched an arm behind Peppino's back, opened the fridge, and grabbed a handful of frozen mushrooms. with a jolly grumble, he closed Peppino’s hung open mouth with his other hand, patting his head once. he, too, then left without a word.

it took a minute for Peppino's brain to regain function. with an irritated, exhausted sigh, he got to work on a pizza, grumbling the entire time about stupid rats.

---

I know I drew something like this, but I feel like I’m a lot more flexible with the written word. this was just plain fun to do too - I love writing bullshit for fun. I also headcanon that everyone calls Fake Peppino “Pepper”, both because it’s cute and because it’s easier than typing Fake Peppino every time

[not-a-good-writer]

Odd Friend | fake Peppino + self insert

AN: this is an entirely self indulgent fic of my self insert meeting fake Peppino.

CW: very brief implication of violence

Emma skated cautiously down the dark hallways, trying to see in the low light. Everything was quiet, too quiet. Usually there would be sounds of enemies or rats or something, but for some reason it was totally silent.

She got separated from Peppino and Gustavo while they were being chased by some enemies. It wasn't until they finally let up and she could stop that she realized her friends weren't with her.

This was the first time she was completely alone since entering the tower, and she was feeling quite scared. She figured it would be best to find a safe place to stay put and wait to be found.

She came to the front of a building and strained to see what the giant letters above the door said. "Bruno's Pizza." she read aloud to herself. Hopefully it was someplace safe. She went inside, not catching the 'danger' sign plastered outside.

"Hello?" Emma called out to make sure she was alone. The echo of her voice was the only thing that responded to her, so she sat down on the floor against the wall.

Suddenly, a strange croaking sound echoed through the room. She jumped and looked around, and saw two eyes staring at her in the darkness.

She tried to get up but the thing bouned towards her at great speed. It loomed above her and she froze in terror, staring back at the creature.

"remotsuc a!"

The thing grabbed her ankle and dragged her further into the building. She screamed but was cut off after being dropped onto something.

A sudden light cut through the darkness and she was finally able to see. She looked up at the creature before her to see... Peppino? No, no this wasn't Peppino. It was tall and goopy looking, and it didn't have human proportions.

It seemed more like something that was trying to look like Peppino; or at least, Emma hoped this wasn't the Peppino she knew.

"Tnemom a tsuj ni ydaer eb lliw doof ruoy." The creature stated before walking off and into an adjacent room. Emma sat up and tried to process what was happening. The creature didn't seem like it wanted to hurt her, but then again, that could change.

She looked around the room to see if there was anything she could defend herself with. Upon observation this place looked like a pizzaria, which would explain the sign outside. But the place looked old. Cracked tiles, holes in the walls, odd stains here and there. There wasn't even a proper light source, it was just a single lightbulb with a pull string above the table she was sitting at.

Emma wondered why there was a pizzaria in the tower, and why there was a doppelganger of Peppino here.

She didn't have much time to dwell on that thought however, as 'Peppino' came back with a dish in his hands. He was smiling as he presented it to Emma, "Etiteppa nob!"

She looked at the pizza that had been placed in front of her, then back at the clone. It looked at her expectantly, and she contemplated if eating the pizza was a good idea. The tower had been merciless, and she hardly was able to stop and take a break, much less eat anything. Besides, if this thing wanted to hurt her, why go through the effort of poisoning her? It already proved it was strong enough to haul her like a ragdoll.

She picked up a slice and took a bite. Aside from being cold, it wasn't that bad. Pretty similar to any other fast food chain, in terms of quailty.

"This tastes pretty alright. Thank you." The creature made a happy gurgling sound. Emma continued eating as the creature watched her. It wiggled and danced around the room, as if she was the first person who enjoyed it's food. She giggled at the happy being, feeling much safer and more content.

After she finished eating, she leaned back in her seat a sighed, "Thank you, really. This place has given me nothing but greif. I'm glad that I can finally relax for once."

The creature purred and plopped It's head on top of her's, "You sure are happy! What's your name?"

It's eyes lit up, "ylno dna eno eht, Peppino!" Emma paused. No, this couldn't be Peppino, could it? Had something in the tower turned him into this thing? What about Gustavo and Brick? What happened to them?

But before she could assume the worst, the sound of distant voices could be heard. And they sounded an awful lot like...

"Peppino!" Emma rushed to the entrance and listened closely. It was her friends! They were calling out for her. She turned back to the fake Peppino, "I have to go, my friends are here, but I'll-" the creature whimpered. The expression on it's face looked like a mixture of sadness and anger, "Hey, what's wrong?" She tried moving closer to it, but it turned away and squeezed itself into a hole in the wall before disappearing.

Emma felt a bit upset at the loss of her odd friend. She skated to the door, but before leaving called out,

"I'll be back, Peppino."

[3nding]

Sanremo Italian Song Festival: love at first sight

It all started with Inna, my Russian teacher. I thought that she had had enough of my tardiness, lack of concentration, yawning, incomplete homework; while I prepared myself for a severe chastisement, I still tried a “You are right, from tomorrow I will put more effort”. Much to my surprise, Inna, instead looked at me with resignation and started singing “Parole, parole, parole…” (words, words, words..). I said, “Pardon?”  And she answered, in Russian, “Slova.”

“How do you know the Italian singer Mina?” I asked her. Inna soon abandoned our language class in favour of a nostalgic monologue about her memories of watching Sanremo Italian Song Festival on channel 1 of Soviet State TV when she was a young girl. I started reviewing the images that I had registered recently, but not put into the “correct” context: posters advertising Al Bano’s concert (October 2013), Celentano’s songs on the radio, and being apostrophized with the gag from the song of singer Toto Cutugno “Un Italiano? Un Italiano vero?” (“An Italian? A real Italian?”), all in Moscow. I surfaced from my thoughts and in her dulcet, calming tone Inna continued. “The streets were empty, people no matter their age, were glued to the television set, from grandparents their grandchildren. We girls would make sketches from the clothes and would sew identical ones for ourselves. We found it most unusual that Romina was taller than Al Bano, so we would gaze at her feet but there were no high heels, she was wearing flats! Was she a giant? He a midget? We ignored the height issue and concentrated on the fashion and decided we liked them too, the “balekti”, ballet flats. We would sing along, although we didn’t understand what the lyrics meant, except for ‘Felicità’ (happiness). My love for the Italian language was born with Sanremo, and consequently the reason for studying it at University. Italian is a sweet, mellow language, which makes it remarkably close to the essence of the Russian soul. For us Russians, Sanremo was a breath of fresh air, a window on Europe, the only one on the Western world. The Festival of the canzonets, all about love, passion and happiness, was the only western TV show the Soviet government would allow to be aired”. 

The reason why Soviet TV broadcasted the Festival is a mystery that maybe finds its roots in the Russian love for classical music, for the “Bel Canto”, in the first cultural agreement between Italy and the USSR in 1960. Already in 1965, Gianni Morandi and Rita Pavone were with the Cantagiro (Italian summer Festival) at Gorky Park in Moscow. Anyway, no matter the reasoning behind it, what is hard fact is that the Festival of Sanremo is a piece of musical

heritage enjoyed as much by Russians as it is enjoyed by Italians. In 1973 the radio transmitted a programme about former Festival winners like Mudugno, Bobby Solo and Peppino di Capri. Inna’s father recorded this production with a reel-to-reel tape recorder and then made pirated prints. That’s how “Non ho l’età “ (“I’m not old enough”) by Gigliola Cinquetti conquered the whole apartment block. The first time songs from the Festival were aired on television was in 1982, during a show about “foreign melodies”. Ten songs were shown in 1983 and in 1984 programmes were made exclusively about the Festival, which were then aired in the whole Soviet Union giving the performers universal glory! From 1987 onwards, San Remo has become an important part of the Russian Kultura, keeping pace with Perestrojka, and two evenings each year have been dedicated to the Festival. In 1989 clips of all the winners were broadcasted. In 1990 all of the competitors were examined. In 1991 and 1992 both of the two Finals were shown from start to finish. From 1994 to 1998, when Russia was hit by a crisis, Sanremo Festival adapted itself and was transmitted in a limited version. Silence for 15 years and then…Sanremo returned on the crest of a wave in 2013, shown live and for the full five nights of its entire length! This exciting event saw Toto Kutunio performing together with the Red Army Choir singing “L’Italiano”. Furthermore Andrei Malakhov, (a popular Russian TV presenter), dedicated his show “Tonight” to the Festival. On that occasion he reminded of: “In 1987  Sanremo Festival was shown purposefully on Holy Easter night, on 19th of April  (to prevent people from going to Mass). My parents were absolutely against me watching that show “on that very holy night”, so I had to record the concert and watch it later”.

After Malakhov’s show was aired, the demand for holidays to Italy and Sanremo went through the roof in travel agencies. Italian songs from that era onwards were all the rage into every single radio and TV show, and the records signed by the State label, Melodia, were everywhere. Al Bano and Romina Power, Ricchi e Poveri, Pupo, Mattia Bazar, Riccardo Fogli and much more were invited for music tours in Moscow, Leningrad and in many, many Soviet Republics until they were finally given the privilege of being awarded a show in the Kremlin in 2005 – the ultra-special “Sanremo Gathers Its Friends.” This also involved singers that were less well known in Russia, like Amedeo Minghi and Anna Oxa, to perform together with famous Russian singers, like Valeria, Nikolay Baskov amongst others.The decision of showing San Remo in the 80s was an absolute goldmine of opportunities for a handful of artists that, maybe inadvertently, wrote the soundtrack of Russian history and inspired the love for Made in Italy in the ex Soviet Union.

The moral is: Sanremo was born during the Cold War. It grew throughout the Soviet era, survived its decline and blossomed in the global age.

A “Real Italian” miracle: long life to Sanremo – truly Russian too!

- WebArchive

[unexpectedbrickattack]

How strong is Gus compared to Peppino exactly I did saw some concept where Gus grabs peppino with a giant hand and shakes him around

(Had to check the sprite wiki bc i was SO sure i saw something similar to this; its a scrapped animation of Gus punching Peppino if Peppino failed to deliver a pizza (also a scrapped concept))

Gus is VERY strong and almost on par w Peppino. I have no reason for this; i just like the idea of both of them being very small and also deceptively strong heehee The best way I can compare the two is that Gustavo can Wrestle w Brick (basically a fucking Bear) and win; Peppino can just body check Brick and knock him out completely (and win, lmao)

You didnt ask for this, but Gus (ignoring important gameplay mechanics that prove otherwise) is NOT very fast at all. He can do a pretty decent sprint but he tires out very fast; Brick is the majority of his speed and he has no shame in relying on him. He does find it a LITTLE offputting knowing that even at Bricks full speed, Peppino can EASILY outpace them, blazing past the two of them looking absolutely deranged and redfaced. He can keep that speed up for an incredible amount of time too but the second he hits something or is forced to come to a stop, he just crashes right there 😭

[brandbaskets]

New Post has been published on https://brandbaskets.in/fifa-world-cup-2018-a-look-at-hilarious-moments-tense-battles-between-rivals-from-1930-to-1970/

FIFA World Cup 2018: A look at hilarious moments, tense battles between rivals from 1930 to 1970

Editor’s note: The 2018 FIFA World Cup is in the offing, and another set of historical football memories will soon be created. Noteworthy losses, legendary goals and personal feuds have dotted the history of this tournament, which makes it such a fulfilling viewing experience. 

Before we turn our eyes to Russia, here’s a look at some unforgettable moments from previous years’ World Cup matches — from stolen trophies to beer running out to the emergence of game-changing players like Pelé. In part one of this series, sportswriter Austin Coutinho flips through the pages of the years between 1930 and 1970.

It will soon be football time again. The World Cup of 2018 is at hand; the colourful, month-long celebration of ‘the beautiful game’!

The carnival this time around comes to Russia, where 32 of the best football nations in the world will compete, nay combat, for the coveted FIFA World Cup, and for national pride. The World Cup matches of 2018 will be played from 14 June to 15 July.

The World Cup, for me, began in 1966 when I was just 11. This was the year Bobby Moore won the Cup for England at the historic Wembley Stadium. I was instantly infatuated by football, and for me, Pelé, Eusebio, Bobby Charlton, Moore and a few others were gods.

That was also the year that the Jules Rimet Trophy, then the World Cup, was stolen while on display at Westminster and then found, hidden under a bush, by a dog named ‘Pickles’. A story right out of Enid Blyton!

Illustration courtesy Austin Coutinho

The North Koreans entered the play-offs of World Cup ’66, and by the 22nd minute of their quarter-final match against fancied Portugal, were three goals up. The Portuguese genius Eusebio then got his act together and scored in the 27th, 42nd, 56th and 59th minutes as the Asians watched in awe. With another goal from Augusto, the North Koreans were dumped 3-5, much to the delight of an uncle of mine who had grown up in Goa!

The final between England and West Germany was watched by more than 92,000 people as the home team romped to a 4-2 win, in extra time. England’s third goal was controversial, though, and the argument still rages on, 52 years later.

I also recall reading about England’s big defender, Jackie Charlton, going missing after that epic final. It was later disclosed that he had spent the night out in town, drinking at almost every soccer fan’s home in North London. When he returned to his hotel room the next afternoon, he had found a worried Alf Ramsey waiting for him. Quizzed about his whereabouts, Jackie had told him he need not have worried, producing a card from his top pocket with the directive: This body to be returned to Room 508, Royal Garden Hotel.

England were my favourites to win the Cup again in 1970, at Mexico. But then Brazil had other ideas. With brilliant players like Pelé, Jairzinho, Gerson, Carlos Alberto and a few others in its ranks, they trounced Italy 4-1 in the final. And winning the Jules Rimet Cup a third time, retired it.

The Jules Rimet Cup was a 4 kilo solid gold statuette of the goddess of victory holding an octagonal cup in her outstretched arms. Mounted on a base of semi-precious stones, it was named after a French football administrator. It is said that during World War II, he hid the trophy under his bed fearing that the German forces would steal it and melt it down. After Brazil retired the trophy in 1970, it was stolen in 1983 and melted down anyway.

At Mexico, England lost to its archrival West Germany in the quarter-final. After the score was 2-2, Gerd Muller scored in extra-time to sink England. It is interesting to know that just before the team embarked for Mexico, England manager Alf Ramsey received a letter from an East African witch doctor offering him his ‘services’. Ramsey refused the offer politely but perhaps regretted it much later!

On the long drive back to Mexico City, after losing to West Germany, Ramsey had ordered crates of beer to help his players drown their sorrow. Halfway there, he heard his rugged half-back, Tommy Wright crying. “C’mon, I know we lost. It’s not the end of the world,” Ramsey consoled him. “I’m not crying because we lost,“ replied Wright, “It’s just that all the beer is gone!”

Nine World Cups were organised till 1970 and Brazil had won three of them. The inaugural edition of the World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930. Despite the hosts building a new stadium and offering to pick up the bill for travel and accommodation of all participants, most European nations chose not to undertake the arduous three-week sea journey to Montevideo. England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland too kept away in order to maintain their amateur status.

The inaugural tournament had other teething problems too. In the final at the Centenary Stadium in Montevideo, the Belgian referee Langenus blew the final whistle a full six minutes before time. The Uruguayan and Argentine teams were then brought back from their dressing rooms to finish the game.

One match between Romania and Peru, at Montevideo, had only 300 spectators – the lowest attendance ever. In another match, when USA played Argentina, an American official who was doubling up as team doctor rushed to the sidelines to protest the referee’s decision. He threw his bag down in anger and in the process broke a bottle containing chloroform. Losing consciousness, he had to be carried off.

Interestingly, Hector Castro, who scored Uruguay’s final goal in 1930, had only one hand. He had lost his right hand in a childhood accident.

World Cup 1934 was hosted by Italy. Uruguay, the reigning champs, refused to play, still seething from the snub by so many countries in the first World Cup. The Dutch team was accompanied by thousands of supporters and their war cry was, “We’re going to Rome” (for the final). After Holland’s shock defeat to Switzerland at Milan, without any lack of enthusiasm, they changed their chant to: “We’re going back to Holland.”

There was a Spanish goalkeeper named Ricardo Zamora in the 1934 tournament, who carried a broom with him to matches. He disliked dirt and mud, and therefore, whenever he got a chance, he swept the goalmouth clean.

The 1938 World Cup was played in France against the backdrop of conflict; Germany had invaded Austria and Spain was embroiled in civil war. Only 14 teams participated, 11 of them being from Europe. Jersey numbers were first introduced during this tournament and the first Asian team to participate in the World Cup was Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia. Sweden used a private plane to travel to France and also used it to move from one venue to another.

In a semi-final match that year between Brazil and Italy, the Italian skipper Peppino Meazza had a sinking feeling as he neatly placed a spot-kick into the net. His shorts tore earlier, slipped down to his ankles and left him exposed. In that match, the overconfident Brazilian manager ‘rested’ his star striker Leonidas Da Silva and paid a heavy price, losing to Italy.

The next World Cup was held in Brazil in 1950, the intervening 12 years being consumed by World War II. England decided to field a strong team but was floored by a goal from Haitian-American Gaetjens. Shell-shocked, the Englishmen then lost to Spain and took the next flight home. Alf Ramsey, who was a member of that star-studded squad, was asked much later by a reporter if he was playing ‘for England’ in World Cup. “Yes,” he replied, “I was the only one who was.”

India, it is said, was invited to participate but chose not to because they were not used to playing with boots. The final, between Brazil and Uruguay, at Rio de Janeiro on July 16, 1950 was attended by 1,99,850 spectators!

During World Cup ’54 in Switzerland, in a quarter-final match between Hungary and Brazil, three players were sent off during a rough and brutal match. The fighting then continued after the match, in their dressing rooms, with players from both sides receiving gashes from broken bottles. This is famously known as the ‘Battle of Berne’. In another incident, referee Mario Viana was chased off the field by Italians after they lost to Switzerland in a group match at Lausanne.

In this tournament, a player named Lefter Kucukandonyadis represented Turkey; probably the longest name in World Cup history!

The World Cup of 1958, held in Sweden, was known for two things; the televising of matches in Europe and the emergence of Pelé.

The Brazilian team, which won the World Cup that year, had a few brilliant players in its lineup but none more brilliant than Garrincha. He was the swiftest winger and had brilliant dribbling skills. However, he was known to have below-average intelligence. In the final at Solna Stadium, Stockholm, when Brazil and Sweden lined up for the introductions, Garrincha suffered a fit of giggles. The reason: The referee reminded him of Mickey Mouse!

The World Cup of 1962 was held in earthquake-devastated Chile. When doubts were raised about its ability to stage the event, its football president Carlos Dittborn appealed to FIFA, “We must have the World Cup because we have nothing.” Sadly, a month before the World Cup kicked off, Dittborn expired.

Chile’s fans claimed that their players ate Swiss cheese before the match against Switzerland and won 3-1, and that they ate pasta before the match against Italy and won 2-0. Before the quarter-final against USSR, the players supposedly had a few swigs of Vodka and beat them 2-1. In the semi-final against Brazil, Chilean fans displayed banners saying, “With or without  Pelé, we shall drink Nescafe!” Brazil smothered Chile 4-2 and then beat Czechoslovakia 3-1 to lift the Cup a second time.

In the Chile-USSR match, Eladio Rojas was so excited when he scored the winning goal that he first hugged Russian goalkeeper Lev Yashin and then kissed the Dutch referee, Leo Horn!

Amid all the serious business and the tense matches, World Cup football provides us with some really hilarious moments. Lev Yashin, the big Russian goalkeeper, was known to yell orders to his defence throughout the match. But he was scared of his wife, who would tell him off for talking too much on the football pitch!

The author is a sportswriter and caricaturist. A former cricketer and ex-president of Mumbai Dist. Football Association, he is now a sought-after mental toughness trainer.

!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script','https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '482038382136514'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); (function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "http://connect.facebook.net/en_GB/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.9&appId=1117108234997285"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Source link

[blueberrybladelemonade]

Masquerade

Evil Y/N x Evil Peppino

Was writing a different fic and then I scrolled through @pervertedindividual 's evil Peppino comics and @angelofpizza 's drawings and randomly got inspired, in a way, and made this instead x)

Summary: Peppino has done some unsavory crimes. What he doesn't know is your just as evil, if not more so, than he is and he has trouble processing it. 

Contains: Mentions of murder, Death, Dark theme, Description of murders, Kinda crazy mutual possessive love, Y/N might be more evil than Peppino, The Birds (well A bird) attack, Swearing is caring, somewhat crackish in a part or two (trust me you'll know where)

"Do you wanna hide a body?" You sing to yourself, a cleaver glinting in the light as swings downward. "It doesn't have to be in one piece!" A sickening crunch fills your ears followed by a heavy thud. 

"Whoo boy, I'm gonna need more bleach"!

You slump into the chair with a sigh as the pressure is taken off your feet. As you relaxed, the tingling in your arms grew into a throbbing pain. That was going to feel great in the morning. You think before staring at the stone counter, watching as thick red lines down onto the tile floor. You grimace, knowing you still haven't even gotten to the cleaning part of the job. 

From another room you heard a faint chime. It was almost too far away -that if you moved- you might've missed it. 

Was it that late already? The chiming grew more frantic and loud. You grumble, reluctantly getting to your feet as you make your way out of the garage and into your home. 

I guess I should eat something while I'm at it.��

* * * * * 

Peppino wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. In one final motion he slams the dumpster shut. That had taken much longer than he anticipated. Oh well, the deed was done, he wiped his hands on his pant legs as he stepped out of the alleyway. 

Now to just head back into the restaurant, wash off quickly, and go find you. Peppino checked the clock as he strode into the backroom. Good. You would be headed this way soon as you walked home.  

With a final glance over Peppino nodded to himself, determining he looked presentable enough. He frowned as a few stains finally caught his attention. Cazzo! That could be a problem. 

Peppino had already spent too much time in here, he needed to hurry. He darted out of the bathroom and into the office to grab your gift. If anything, Peppino could just tell you he spilled some sauce. You would believe him, you had no reason not to. Anxiety crept into his thoughts as he stepped down the dirt road away from the pizzeria. 

What if you found out it was blood? He could imagine your sweet face twisting into disgust and horror. You running away from him as the image of your dear friend became tarnished forever. 

He swallowed thickly. No. He could say he was cutting sausage or some kind of meat. Peppino became almost too engrossed in this train of thought that he almost didn't notice you were heading right towards him. 

A short yelp had you jumping back as Peppino whipped around, eyes wide. "Hey, are you ok Pino?" You tilt your head as he gave you a short laugh in response. 

"Oh signorina! I didn't realize you were there!" Peppino replied, regaining his composure. "But that's not-a important right now". 

You blink as a blur of colors are pushed close to your face. You realize it's a bouquet. 

"For you".

"Oh Peppino, you shouldn't have!" You smile brightly as you take the flowers, pressing them flowers into your. Peppino returned your smile, watching as a happy sigh escaped your lips. You inhaled deeply, relishing the sweet scent. 

It was a good thing you didn't go into any alleyways, he wouldn't want you to faint if you had seen the blood trail, or worse, the corpse of that filth that flirted with you the other day. Just the thought alone made him clench his jaw. 

Although, if you did, Peppino would be there to comfort you and tell you to keep close to him. He'd tell you that he would protect you. He'd make sure no one would hurt you. That much was true, Peppino would never let his sweet and innocent Y/N be met with an ill fate. Or suffer the affections of another. 

You were his after all. Even if you didn't know it. Yet. One day you'd be his in more than just his fantasies. 

Peppino buried his face into your neck as you threw your arms around him in a hug. Oh what he'd do to keep you close like this for longer, or when ever he wanted. He let out a small sigh, hiding his disappointment as you pulled away. Peppino clasped his hands behind his back, fighting the desire to yank you back into his arms. To bury his face into your neck and inhale your intoxicating scent. 

As you said goodbye and continued on your way home, Peppino's eyes lingered on the horizon. You were just a small dark blob from here but Peppino couldn't tear his gaze from you. Even after you were no longer visible he remained rooted in place. 

* * * * * 

"Hey Peppino, she's out there. Again." Gustavo gestured over to the window. Peppino's eyes followed to where Gustavo's finger was pointing. Across the street a figure was sitting in their car with something pressed to their face. 

"Merda. That-a crazy signorina". Peppino grumbled to himself as decided to go outside this time. That would catch you off guard. You had been doing this for months now, sometimes up to four times a week. Didn't you have your own job to be at? The door swings open as he steps outside, the gentle breeze pleasantly cool compared to the kitchen. 

"Good morning, ragazza matta!" He yells across the street. You drop your binoculars into your lap, head jerking away as heat rises to your face. Shit. He seen you. Ok, play it cool Y/N. Pretend you haven't been watching him for an hour. You were looking at something else! Of course you were. 

Your eyes focus in the opposite direction from where Peppino was. Eyes locked onto a lamppost with sudden fascination. Damn that sure was a tall one wasn't it? And was it made of metal? Wow, look at that glow fro-

"Whatcha doin' signorina"? You jump at the all too familiar voice, tentatively turning your head to the voice. Peppino was leaning an arm into your open window and smirking down at you. 

"O-oh you know. Just hanging out." You drawl, fidgeting with the hem of your shirt. Peppino's eyes glimmer with something predatory, as if he had caught some helpless prey. 

"You 'hang out-a' here a lot". Peppino replies nonchalantly, watching as you shrink into the seat. 

Shit. How long had Peppino known you were doing this?

"If you want-a gawk at me, come inside to get-a better view." he teases, hitching a thumb behind himself at the pizzeria. Peppino winks at you, "I'll even give you a free slice while I'm at it".

"O-oh." You fell silent, feeling beads of sweat form onto the back of your neck. Peppino opened the car door and held out his hand to you. As you take his hand your heart flutters. His hand fit perfectly with yours, like it was meant to. You idly brush your thumb along his hand, feeling the roughness against your softer palm. Peppino helped you to your feet but quirked an eyebrow at feeling your grip tighten instead of letting go. 

"Y/N?" Peppino raises his hand, yours still holding onto his.

"Oh! Sorry!" You drop your hand to your side and give what you hoped was an apologetic look. One day. One day you'd be able to enjoy having his hand in yours for as long as you wanted. 

* * * * * 

You spent the remainder of your day sitting in the pizzeria. Every so often Peppino would return to your booth and talk, sometimes offering more food or to refill your drink. When he'd return back behind the counter, you'd watch Peppino work alongside Gustavo as they'd fill orders and cook. You were content to simply admire him, appreciating Peppino at every angle when he wasn't looking. 

Outside the sky had transformed into yellow and pink hues as evening began to settle in. You stood to stretch your legs again, deciding to stay here for a while longer before going home. Overall, you had no complaints as you simply enjoyed being in the general proximity as Peppino. 

...

That was until they walked in. Currently you were shoving down that feeling again. You idly felt in your pocket for the familiar shape, fingers slightly curled into the fabric as you drew in a shaky breath. 

You narrowed your eyes, lips forming a thin line. Who the fuck is she? You glower, anger increasing with every movement the woman made. 

Peppino's eyes darted to the side, at you, before returning his attention to the woman across the table. In that moment Peppino decided he would ignore you for the moment, amused at your reaction.

When he first glanced over at you, he was taken aback, barely recognizing you with that enraged expression. Why did you look like that? As the woman began talking again it dawned on Peppino that your eyes were set on her. 

Peppino smiled back at this woman, not even caring to remember her name, just that her very existence was pissing you off. He grinned as she leaned closer to him. What she said was a compliment -he thinks- about how handsome he looked. What Peppino was actually grinning at was how you were now clenching at your pant leg, your eyes locked onto this woman. 

Now this was interesting. Peppino decided to play along a little longer and continue talking to your newfound enemy. Your reaction was cute with how jealous you were.

Peppino knew you had feelings for him. A part of him wanted to confess to you how he felt the same. However, Peppino knew his crimes and dealings would send you running in the opposite direction. Even if he wanted to have you for himself, he couldn't. At least not right now. He needed to be patient and wait until he could taper off his crimes. It was that or Peppino would have to come up with dozens of methods to keep you in the dark about his misdeeds. Neither were ideal but it was for the best. For now. 

He's mine. You continued to seethe inwardly. Who the fuck do you think you are? Walking in here like you own the place.

He's Mine. 

The word repeated in your head as a mantra as you continue watching the scene unfold from your own booth. 

Jealousy. Hate. The two things you always heard that made someone ugly, you were exuding it. The emotions bubbling up and blanketing you in a dark aura. 

She had ordered a salad and garlic knots which had long been finished by now. Originally you paid her no mind, much like every other customer that came in. 

What snapped your attention to her was when you heard a tinkling laugher and locked onto Peppino, sitting at the same table across from her. He initially was just going to take the cleared dishes to the kitchen but the woman had struck up a conversation, urging him to stay. 

* * * * * 

"Hi!" You call out waving at the woman as you approach. She whips around at your voice, giving you a dubious look. 

"Do you mind if I walk with you? I hate being on the street at night like this, it makes me nervous." You rub the back of your neck. "Sorry to be a bother".

"Oh! Sure!" She nods and smiles at you, making room for you to walk beside her on the sidewalk. "I started to think the same thing, I'm not usually out this late. A bit of company makes me feel safer, too". 

Meaningless conversation droned on and on as the woman talked with you. About what? You didn't care, what she was saying barely even registered as the gears in your head turned. A shrill cry pierced your ears as something flapped overheard and away from you. Just another block. One more. You were so close. Your heart began thudding loudly, drowning out the background noise as your destination grew closer. 

In that moment you slowed until the woman was walking in front of you. You clamp your hand over her mouth before yanking her against your chest and ducking into the alley. At an instant she begins to flail wildly, you wince as she steps on your foot and the vibrations against your hand only increase as her panic fully sets in. 

Despite her best but futile effort your grip doesn't loosen. With your other arm you snake it around her waist before leaning your full weight forward, dropping both of you to the ground. You sputter as her elbow jabs you in the stomach and a shrill scream causes you to grit your teeth, scrambling to clamp your hand over her mouth again. "If you don't stop struggling I'm going to kill you instead." You hiss into her ear. 

A vicious smirk flashed across your face as your free hand withdrew from your pocket. Peppino was yours. And you weren't going to have anyone take him from you. 

..

Peppino watched curiously when you left the pizzeria, shortly after that woman did. From a distance he followed as you skulked down the street. He quirked an eyebrow as you approached the woman, throwing up a friendly facade, starkly contrasting to your demeanor in the pizzeria. Peppino chose not to interfere as you dragged her into an alleyway. When you stepped out and the woman didn't, Peppino knew, without even having to check, to know what you had done. 

Though that seemed wrong. You were too innocent to do something like that. Right? Had that woman really worked you up into a frenzy that you-

Peppino stepped into the alleyway anyways, curious to see how you did it. What he seen had left him speechless and frozen. Multiple slashes were all at key points. You were quick and efficient, only being in this alley for a few minutes. This obviously hadn't been the first time you had killed. 

All for merely flirting with him. 

You both were the same, in a way, he realized.

* * * * * 

"So..." You trail off voice barely above a whisper as you lean closer to him. "Ever use that to slit someone's throat?" 

He sputtered. "Wha? Why-a would you ask that? Dio mios, this is-a for cutting pizza"! 

"Come on, really?" You shoot him an incredulous stare, "You think I'm that naive?" You ask, giving an indignant huff. 

When you stepped out of that alleyway that night, you knew someone had been following you. At first you didn't know who, making you rush to finish the job. As you darted across the street you watched from the cover of the shadows and foliage. You let out a small gasp, covering your mouth as you make a face at the coppery odor. 

You wondered how Peppino would react to you next time you approached him. Would he pretend he hadn't almost witnessed a murder? It would seem so. 

You knew he had killed before, too. To what extent you weren't sure, but him playing dumb was endearing.

"That's a pretty nifty device though," you nod your head towards the pizza cutter he had instead of a hand. "You basically have a weapon on you at all times. For me I have my own methods and how to dispose of the bodies after. I prefer to take a niiiice boating expedition out to sea. Or, did you know that a few pigs can completely eliminate the evidence within a day?" You flash him a wicked grin, your teeth gleaming in the light.

Had Peppino not followed you that day, you would've baffled him. He would've thought you were alluding to knowing he killed people before and were threatening to have him arrested. Now though, he realized you weren't nearly as good natured as he always assumed.

"It's a much better method than hiding a body in a dumpster". Peppino's eyes widened, his mouth open to protest but no words came out. You knew? 

You drop the subject and chuckle at his expression. Instead you pop the remains of crust into your mouth before leaning back into the booth, smiling at him. 

Desire peppered Peppino's thoughts as he watched you practically skip out the door. Maybe he wouldn't have to wait to confess. Although, if you felt the same, why wouldn't you do it? As he stared back to where you had been seated Peppino's thoughts wandered to your words earlier. 

Were you more deranged than he was? He was anxious about protecting you from himself. What if...he needed to be protected from you? If he pissed you off, would you also kill him? Anxiety didn't rear it's head as often as it used to. Usually Peppino buried that feeling down and replaced it with rage anymore. As he began to sweat he noticed his hand was trembling when he rubbed the back of his neck. 

* * * * * 

"I'm so stupid!" You groan, flopping onto the bed. "Masterful gambit Y/N! Ooooh! You know I kill people! I know you kill people! Let's talk about how we kill people"! You fling your arms upwards in exasperation before pressing a pillow into your face, letting out a muffled scream.

You toss the pillow to the floor and glare up at the ceiling, taking your rant internally. Should you even go back to the pizzeria? No? Maybe you should leave Peppino alone for a bit. He's probably still shocked at his new discovery about you. Give him time, it'll be ok. Right?

You bolt upright as something roughly taps at your window. Seeing nothing there, you begin to settle back down before the sound repeats. It was getting late, you agree, seemingly to no one as you walk over to the window. You undid the latch and pushed it open before stumbling backwards as a black blur sped past you, thudding onto your pillows.

You fold your arms across you chest as brown eyes blink back at you. "And where have you been all day, mister?" You ask the raven. 

"Gwah!" He replies back at you before hopping the edge of the bed. 

"Oh, is that so?" You nod at the reply, extending a hand to rub at the bird's neck. A croak bubbles in his throat and he flaps off towards your dresser, perching on the edge.

"Is my sweet baby boy Blackberry hungry?" You croon. The raven dubbed Blackberry pecked at a bell laying beside him before lifting it with his beak. You smiled slightly as he rapidly bobbed his head, the bell ringing loud and erratic. 

"You sure are! Come on buddy." You call over your shoulder, crossing the threshold from your room. The bell clanging as it drops to the floor with your raven squawking after you. 

You fix Blackberry his meal and pour a glass of water for yourself, bringing both to the table. He clicked at you happily as you pushed the bowl to him. His head instantly ducking into it to swallow down a piece of meat. You watch the massive bird for a time until your thoughts returned to Peppino.

"I think I fucked up." You say, resting your head into your arms as you lean into the table. "I think I should give Peppino some space.  Maybe I should only try to greet him in public for a while? That way it'll put him at ease that I won't kill him. At least until the shock wears off".

"GwaaaaAAAaah!" Blackberry replies, rolling a berry towards you. You ignore him, flicking it back. 

"But..." You trail off to stare vacantly at the wall. Past memories floated to the surface. The times you would go on late night walks together, just enjoying each other's company in peace. When you'd stop by the pizzeria and how Peppino would have you favorite pizza freshly made and waiting for you. Even if you tried to pay he'd refuse to take your money. Though that didn't stop you from throwing a generous amount into the tip jar when he wasn't looking. 

You frown at how he acted earlier today. How he had a slight tremble to his voice and movements as he spoke with you. "What if it never does? What if I'm too fucked up even for him"?

You flinch as Blackberry snaps his beak an inch from your face. "Well I'm just thinking about the worst case here!" You argue, moving your head away as he snaps at you again. 

In response you cup the birds face in your hands, thumbs stroking at his cheeks. "Fine." You murmur. "I'll stop assuming the worst and give Peppino time".

"Tok tok." Blackberry clicks back at you, closing his eyes as you continued petting him for another minute. 

As you move your hands away back under your chin Blackberry hops over to his bowl, fishing for some other treat.

"Thanks for telling me someone was following me that day". You were thankful the fact it was Peppino and not anyone else. That was too close and almost too sloppy for your liking. Had it not been Peppino that watched you go into the alley the whole situation could've gotten much more messy. 

You yawn but are interrupted with a gagging fit, the raven shoving a piece of egg into your open mouth. Bits of shell and yolk fly across the table as you sputter and spit, grabbing for your drink and chug it. With a final cough you draw in a steady breath and glare at your assailant.

"WHY"!? 

* * * * *

In his peripheral Peppino caught a glimpse of a familiar shape in the shadows. 

Peppino ducked his head lower to Gustavo's ear. "I-a fear no man, but that-a woman...she scares me." Peppino murmured to him. Your eyes followed after Peppino as the pair walked away from the corridor. Gustavo replied back with something but he too was speaking softly and too far away to discern any of the words. 

Weeks had passed since the last time he seen you at his pizzeria. It was as if you disappeared out of existence. After that day,  Peppino had started requesting Gus to follow him home. It helped to offset the knot in the pit of his stomach when ever shadows darted off the walls or when he would pass an unlit alley. 

Sometimes you'd meet Peppino when he was in the street, as if suddenly popping into reality again just to haunt him. Peppino always made sure to remain in public view from now on when you were around, in case you tried anything. The time before last you looked hurt when he flinched at a hand movement that was a little too quick. 

Then the last time Peppino had bumped into you, you threw your arms around him, hugging him tightly. You whispered in his ear that you missed him. When you did that, it reminded Peppino of the memories he had with you. 

How you'd both talk for hours after he closed for the day. Other times where you'd both watch horror movies and he'd laugh to himself as you'd always link your arm with his in fear (So he thought. At the time anyways). Anything on the screen was nothing compared to what he could do, but he'd sooth you by tracing gentle circles against your skin. 

The soft laughter that hung in the air as you laughed at Peppino's jokes, even if they were bad, or just sarcastic remarks. He missed the sweets you baked for him and how brightly you smiled at his compliments. 

Why had he suddenly taken to avoiding you? You killed one person, at least one, that flirted with him. Hell, even he did that for you, but you weren't afraid of him. How long had you known he had been doing that anyways? Why was he so unsettled by you, now? He was bigger and stronger than you were. 

Was that the reason? Someone smaller than he was that was just as -if not more- dangerous than him, was off-putting?

Peppino waved Gustavo off, thanking him for accompanying him, again, tonight. Peppino locked the door behind himself as he made his way to the shower before going to sleep. 

Thoughts of you flooded his memories as he shifted constantly in bed. He didn't want to let you go. What if that day was the last day he'd ever see you? The last thing he did was keep his arms to his sides for far too long before he finally wrapped them around you, replying he missed you too. It couldn't end like that. He didn't want it to. 

* * * * * 

The wind carried a chill tonight as Peppino walked home alone. Unfortunately Gustavo had to go home early, leaving Peppino with only the sound of his own footsteps and rustling leaves. Despite his resolve to find and speak with you, unease still nagged at him. 

You need to get over it. Peppino reminded himself, again, that you weren't going to kill him. Even if you were sick in the head like he was, that didn't mean you were incapable of feeling. He knew you cared about him.

Peppino jumped at feeling someone tap his shoulder. He took several staggering steps back upon realizing it was you. Suddenly appearing out of nowhere again. A frown plays on your lips and you furrow your brow at his actions. 

You shake the negative thoughts away. After today he wouldn't look at you with fear anymore. 

You hoped. 

"Oh, hey there handsome, wanna go behind the back alley?" You force a smile, knife settled behind your back. 

Peppino froze, mind racing at the various implications this could mean. Did he trust you? He thought he did. Even if he didn't, would he be able to overpower you, if you tried anything? He looked downward at the poorly concealed weapon you held. The thought sent a chill up his spine and made his heart race. Had you shown up tonight to take your anger out on him for avoiding you? 

Peppino nodded weakly at you, you responded with a small but genuine smile. You gesture with your head towards the alley across the street. 

He followed you as if in a trance, weaving through cross sections and corridors until a large dark sheet formed a wall before you both. With the flash of the knife Peppino flinched, the sound of fabric tearing broke the silence and the massive curtain fluttered to the ground. 

As Peppino focused on what was there, he realized he was at the entrance to a small fenced in courtyard. Complete with high hedges and a iron wrought fence that climbing halfway up them. In the center of the room was a table with a pair of plates, glasses, and utensils. The centerpiece was a simple candle decoration, the glow from it and the moon providing the only light to the area. In front of the entryway in dark letters were the words "Will you be mine"? the word 'mine' being bolder than the others. 

You turn to Peppino, the knife clattering to the ground as you took a step towards him. "I would never hurt my sweet 'Pino." You placed both hands on either side of his waist. "You know that, right"? Peppino's expression softened as he brought his hand up to your cheek. He looked behind you back at the words on the ground but said nothing. 

"Well, come on." You pull away and tug at his arm. "I made dinner". 

As Peppino sat down, you lifted the cover from the large bowl in the center. Fragrant herbs and sauce filled the air as you dipped a pair of tongs into it, heaping a mess of pasta onto your plate before holding it out towards Peppino. He takes it and exchanges his empty one into your hand. 

You still weren't done serving food though. A shallow plate was pushed towards him along with a chunk of bread. A thick liquid was poured to one side before you followed the same routine for your own plate. 

Peppino tore off a tiny bit of bread and dipped it into the liquid. His eyes widened at the taste. This was the olive oil mixture you made together, months ago. The recipe he taught you was one Peppino made himself when he was much younger. 

You leant down, shuffled around in a bag Peppino hadn't noticed, and brought up a bottle of red wine. You smiled at him as you filled each glass. 

While there had usually been chatter between you two previously, there was none now. Only the sound of forks scraping against plates and the occasional tink of your glass. You watched as Peppino ate slower than normal. 

He had no idea what to make of any of this. Well, the question on the ground gave Peppino a big enough hint for the meaning of this dinner. Was this a date? Could he even consider this a date? 

You nod down at the drink Peppino left untouched. "What? Do you expect to find strychnine in your red wine"? He winced as you guessed correctly. Well, aside from that choice of poison. That was oddly specif-

"There's not actually strychnine in it." You reply flatly, not bothering to look up as you twirl the pasta with your fork. 

You cover your mouth with your napkin, masking your sigh. This was a mistake wasn't it? A lump forms in your throat and take a moment to clear it before you speak again. When you finally do, you look up at Peppino sadly. "I'm sorry for dragging you here. I just thought...it would make up for these last few months I haven't been around to see you". 

You set the napkin down next to the plate. 

"I got a job in the next town over for the next few months and thought that I would like it. But I..." you fall silent and swallow against the uncomfortable feeling. "I miss you".

Peppino remains speechless, watching as tears threaten to spill over as you turn away. You get to your feet and wipe your eyes with the back of your hand. 

"I should've left you alone after that but I don't want to. I still don't." You choke. Peppino's hand shot out and caught your wrist before you could walk away. Your gaze mets his, bewildered, as he stands up to yank you against his chest. 

"Then don't". Peppino whispers, wrapping both arms around you tightly. "Be mine. Be all mine". You bury your head into his neck as tears soak his skin and into his shirt as he said this. You cling to Peppino as if he would disappear at any moment. 

"I'll-a be yours." He presses a kiss to your temple. "You don't have to kill anyone for it to stay-a that way".

"You too." You reply, albeit muffled, and press a kiss into his collarbone. "I'm so fucked up". 

"Yes-a you are. You're the most-a fucked up signorina I ever met." Peppino pat you on the back and took your chin in his hand, tilting your head up to look at him. 

"Do you mean that"?

Peppino nodded, "Even more than-a me. You scare me when-a you get angry. It's exciting".

Silence takes over once more but it's a comforting stillness. You relaxed into Peppino's arms, staying like this as long as you both needed and wanted. Every so often either of you pressed small kisses against the other. 

"If anyone upsets or hurts you, I'll kill them".

"I know, Y/N." Peppino caressed your face. He would've told you the same but words weren't needed. You knew and so did he. Peppino's lips were on yours in that moment, hand pressed to the back of your head as he deepened the kiss. 

You pressed into his body as much as you could, hands against his hips as you pulled him close. A whine bubbled in your throat, wishing you could be closer still. 

A shrill sound caused Peppino to abruptly break the kiss as he jerked his head upwards. His eyes darted to the direction he heard it had come from, quirking an eyebrow as you seemed more annoyed than startled. 

"The fuck-a is that?" Peppino squints up at a dark mass settled on the tree. 

With a huff you pull a small item from your pocket, giving it a few clicks. At an instant the mass swooped down and you lurched forward as a large bird slammed into your back. Peppino winced as he attempted to help you steady yourself. As he did so his eyes fixed onto the face of the bird that was peering over your shoulder at him.  

"This is Blackberry." You point to the raven, not that you needed to, as it snapped it's beak in the air. "He was supposed to stay in the tree". You reach behind your back to shoo him off, watching as Blackberry hopped to the ground. 

Peppino stifled a laugh as the bird snatched a piece of bread from the table. "You're always full-a surprises signorina".

His eyes darkened as he fixed his attention back onto you. "But, anyways..." his arm snaked around your waist, "Would you like to continue where we left off? Somewhere more...private?" He smirks as you're already melting into his touch. His forehead presses against yours, you shudder as his breath ghosts your lips. "We can belong to each other. I'll be yours and you'll be mine. How does that sound"?

You close your eyes and nod, feeling yourself hoisted into Peppino's arms as he scoops you up. You wrap your arms around his neck, listening to his breathing while he carries you back to his home. He would be sure to relish in the prized catch that was you, and he knew you felt the same.

(My brain came up with this at 4am lmao, so in my delirious state you got a dash of crack to this :] 💜 )

Also obvious disclaimer: don't kill people