#and poor Peppino all hurt in the other...

[radaverse]

OMG I LOVE ALL OF THESE

PEPPINO IS SO CUTE YOUR STYLE IS SO CUTE EVERYTHING OF THIS IS SO CUTE!!

This made my day thank you 💗

CW: ⚠️Gore/ Body horror ⚠️

HEEEEEYYYYOOOOO!!! Managed to stay motivated enough to finish some of these in between personal projects

[manicplank]

Ik you did S/O breaking/dislocating there bone but what about them breaking/dislocating their bone (slimey babygirls ig just remove a piece of them)

S/O dislocated their bone!

Peppino: Much like his reaction when they broke it, he is incredibly squeamish. He doesn't like that he can SEE that it's dislocated. It makes him sort of nauseous. He's slightly panicking.

Gustavo: He's a bit grossed out by it. It's not a pretty sight. While he's very concerned for his s/o, he's not too sure what to do. He gets some ice and tries to put it on them, but he's afraid to touch it and make things worse.

Mr. Stick: He can't even look. He apologizes profusely to his s/o. He knows it's not their fault, but if he keeps looking, he's going to puke. He'll immediately call an ambulance.

Pepperman: He thinks it's super weird. Bones can do that? That's crazy. He would try to put it back in place only to be stopped by his s/o since he doesn't know what he's doing.

The Vigilante: OH GOOD LORDY SWEET CHEESUS CRUST ALMIGHTY- this poor old man is horrified! How the hell is his s/o not dead? How can bones even do that?! Call the ambulance, call the fire department, SOMEBODY CALL SOMEBODY!!! (He's freaking out.)

The Noise: He dealt with this once when Noisette fell while roller skating. She dislocated her elbow and immediately started crying. He called an ambulance and comforted her while they waited.

Noisette: The Noise gets hurt all the time but rarely sustains injuries. On the rare occasion that he does, she thinks she can fix it and calls herself "Nurse Noisette"! She only ends up making things worse. (She would likely dislocate another bone.)

Fake Peppino: He's very confused. Why is their bone doing that? Can they shapeshift, too? He tries to show them how to shapeshift, but they're in too much pain to watch. Then he finally realizes something is wrong.

Pizzahead: He handles it calmly. It's not the worst thing he's ever seen, and he knows it must hurt like hell. He gets them comfortable and then calls a doctor.

Pillar John: He's very worried. He doesn't really understand how bones work, so he's not sure what's happening. He keeps calm and asks what he should do.

Gerome: Surprisingly, Gerome actually knows how to relocate a bone. He will relocate it but still encourages them to see a doctor in case any other damage was done.

[whereismyhat5678]

Guys. When Brick was introduced to the idea of behind the ear scratches, his entire world changed.

I’d imagine the tower was an absolute nightmare for the big rats. They’d occasionally run into things that could possibly hurt them or even worse, kill them. The Peppino clones to the regular enemies Peppino hits they all troubled the poor things and they never caught a break. And the only reason they stayed there cuz they were sorta trapped, once they entered they couldn’t leave or find an exit.

Brick ran into many things, many things he didn’t like and many things that did end up trying to kill him so he was DEFENSIVE. I’d imagine the reason he started chasing Gustavo was because he immediately thought he was gonna hurt him.

Once they started to fight Gustavo realized how fucking RUTHLESS Brick fought (of course because he was an animal but also cuz of the defense nature). So when they stopped, Gustavo wanted to make up with him.

Brick found out the tremendous glories of pets, he didn’t get any because….well….y’know he was a stray rat- So this feeling was something different. He actually felt pretty safe…which was new! He was cautious at first of course but he soon learned Gustavo wasn’t going to hurt him….he didn’t feel threatened by his presence anymore, he didn’t feel he had to hide like he did with other creatures. He felt relaxed. He felt he was actually going to be okay. And every time Gustavo were to pet him, he felt extremely emotional. He never felt this way, he never experienced this type of affection, or even affection at all!…..

I think Gustavo just naturally likes animals, so he tried to get close to him at first but realized he couldn’t, he had to build trust first. Which they did! Gustavo treated Brick like a sorta person, but also like a pet, where he’d pet him and such. He found it quite odd Brick knew how to smoke a pipe and how to cook for some reason- but he didn’t question it.

The more they grew, the more Brick started to like Gustavo. He saw him as someone he could finally feel safe with. Anything and everything in that tower could hurt him, but Gustavo?…It was a nice change of pace.

Brick is attached to Gustavo. I will die on this hill to say if he isn’t the type of pet to wait for you ALL DAY beside the front door for you to come back I don’t know what life is anymore.

That’s it. I wanted to ramble about Brick because I think he deserves more attention. We love him, he needs love, people, please treat this guy well he’s been through it.

[hungry-bigfella]

How mark found drip

[more to come to the others]

Mark:hmm oh ok umm how i meant drip it was a good few years ago he was alone weirdly it was a Rainy Night all I heard was the sobbing from an alleyway I walked in there and saw a small clone it looked like me except it had a mustache which was weird but I didn't mind the fact right now I walked over to it it was crying for some reason it was in this old dirty blanket he was drenched wet I decided to give him my hand but he scattered under the blanket I didn't mind the fact that he was afraid poor guy his arms were all teared open it looks like they've been healed but teared back open again by something I felt bad for him it took me a couple of weeks to get him to trust me first he decided to walk with me until he ran back to his alley because of a dog second he made it to the restaurant but he decided to stay in a Box near the alley then after that he decided to come inside for once only once because he got hungry and he asked for food he was too cute and small to give away so I decided to give him a pizza boxing but I got from Peppino because I didn't eat anything this morning but it was okay I have cupcakes anyway then he came in through the window which was strange he was still whimpering and everything back then it seemed like he didn't know how to talk yet

You have this huge deep hole in his eye too so I gave him something that can cover it and soon enough they can't attached to his body and I gave him bandages to wrap around his arms so then he's able to walk around without getting hurt after a few years he started to like doe I guess that's how he loved how to cook he did it with me all the time it was so cute I guess when he started getting older he always felt like he was small and a little kid I left that about him he still believed that he can hide behind me now it's the greatest thing to me because I would still want to protect him mostly everyone here in the bakery wants to protect him since he's more sensitive and afraid of what's out there even though he seen everything used to be too afraid to come up to me but now he can't stop but say hello and love on me because he is thankful that I found him but yeah that's how I found him he was in an Alleyway under a dirty blanket

[pizza-games-and-more]

Pizza Tower: The Series Episode Concept

Title: "The Red Orb (Parts 1-3)"

Season: 3

Summary: Clove calls Noisette and her friends aside from Peppino to the forest. What dies he want with everyone, and why is Peppino excluded? And more importantly, what's going to happen with Peppino?

Notes: The Season Finale Arc is here, and to put it this way: "emotional rollercoaster" is an understatement. You will feel so much heartwarming joy being quickly overtaken by terror and sadness multiple times. Enjoy!

Fair warning: This one's description is LONG.

After the setup, the group make their way up to the forest. While the others trust Noisette to know what she's doing, Maria can't help but think about this Clove character. Noisette told her that he's a "really nice friend". But... is he really?

As The Vigilante tries to ease her concerns, the group end up making it to the forest entrance, where Clove is waiting with a serious look on his face.

Meanwhile, as Peppino does his job as usual, he gets a phone call from someone clearly using a voice changer, much to his annoyance. However, said person just wants a pizza delivered to them, so he complies. He wonders who would want a pizza in the back of the forest, though...

Back to Clove and the others, he explains to the others about the time in which he'd spied on them all while invisible, and later found that Noisette had the same social circle as Peppino. He explains how confused he was about all this, but slowly came to understand after having a talk with his boss.

Clove: That's why I'm going to imprison you all so you'll all be out of his way.

Hearing those words, everyone was confused, before Clove's magic pulled them all into a tight space.

As Clove coldly confirmed that he was going to trap them all right there and then with his magic, while everyone else was angry, Noisette was destroyed by the betrayal of someone she thought was her friend.

And then a magical dome formed around the group, imprisoning them as Clove sighed and made his way further into the forest.

Clove: Pizzahead... It's done.

Pizzahead was waiting impatiently at the back of the forest for Peppino to arrive, holding in his hands a mysterious red orb. He gets a call from Peppino explaining the pizza might be a little late, since there's a lot of demand right now. Using his voice changer, he replies understandingly and hangs up.

He then immediately changes his tone to that of a temper tantrum, before calming down and looking forward to what he'd do to Peppino, grinning at the red orb in his hands.

The others try in vain to break free from their dome prison, while Maria angrily pulls an "I told you so!" to everyone, before she hears Noisette sobbing and turns around to find The Noise and The Vigilante both trying to comfort her.

The poor girl was so badly hurt by the betrayal that all she could do was sit in the corner and cry. After it was made clear that nothing they could do would bring her out of it, The Noise and Vigi make their way to bust out of there with all they've got. No way was that wizard getting away with hurting Noisette like that.

Using all their force, they manage to shatter the magical dome and escape. Noisette remains inside, still sitting in the corner. The Noise glances at her sadly before promising her they'd be back for her.

---

Part 2 begins, and it starts off with a bang. Literally. The Vigilante finds Clove and begins shooting, fury written all over his face. Clove uses his magic purely defensively as the others begin attacking him as well.

Realizing that he's not going to counterattack, Vigi decides to forget defense and go all out. He ends up breaking through Clove's magical barrier, knocking his staff away and pinning him to the ground.

With a gun pointed directly at him, Clove starts trying to speak but stuttering too much to be understood.

Maria realizes that he has something to say and convinces Vigi to back off for a bit while he does. Meanwhile, Fake Peppino restrains The Noise from ripping into him.

After calming down, Clove then explains the reason he decided to imprison everyone.

It turns out, he did it to save everyone. Pizzahead had gotten him to find an artifact in the forest beforehand. That artifact was the red orb he was holding.

That red orb is an easy-to-access but limited-range spell that can petrify any target with a beam shot from it.

Pizzahead wanted to use that to petrify Peppino. Especially once he learned that petrification means that the target's entire body would be turned to stone, and all living sensations would be gone. Killing him would be kinder.

Once Clove met Noisette, however, he felt attached to her to the point he wanted to spare her from potentially meeting the same fate, and the same desire applied to her friends after observing them and determining them to be good enough. So he planned to keep them out of harm's way once and for all.

The Vigilante decided to spare him on two conditions. The first being that he take them to where Pizzahead was going to petrify Peppino. The second? Apologize to Noisette at once.

Clove was confused until Vigi and the others took him back to the dome, where he saw how badly his actions hurt Noisette.

Clove headed straight in there, no longer caring that Vigi clearly had his gun out in case of further betrayal.

Sitting next to Noisette and talking to her at least got her talking again, but even apologizing wouldn't get her to budge, until he mentioned one detail.

Clove: I wanted to protect you because... you're my friend.

That was what she needed to hear, and after tearfully hugging Clove, she was back to her usual cheerful self.

The Vigilante put his gun away, happy that Noisette was back. But The Noise hadn't forgiven Clove just yet and was still struggling in Fake's arms.

Then the group remembered. Peppino was in danger!

As they headed over to the other side of the forest, Peppino had finally arrived with the pizza. Confused to see that no one was there, he stepped into the forest only to find himself face to face with Pizzahead.

After the two fought until exhausted, Peppino thought he had won...

Until Pizzahead used the red orb and fired the petrification beam at him.

The others arrived just in time to see it. Gustavo burst into tears seeing what just happened to his best friend, while everyone else was furious.

As most of the cast began chasing Pizzahead, Gustavo, Brick and Mr. Stick stayed behind with Peppino, staring in horror at what Pizzahead had done to him.

---

At the start of the final part, Gustavo's still in tears over Peppino's petrification, with Brick and even Mr. Stick comforting him as best as they can.

Then, they hear a voice coming from behind them. They turn around. It was Gerome! Gerome then asks the two if he can come over to the petrified Peppino...

And then it cuts to the fight the others are having with Pizzahead. Much to their annoyance, he's very good at avoiding their attacks.

Once The Vigilante has him backed into a corner, the two start fighting properly, only for Pizzahead to end up grabbing hold of the Cheeseslime and holding him literally inches above the river.

As Pizzahead threatens to drop the cheeseslime, who is now paralyzed with fear, Maria arrives just in time to pull Pizzahead back and save him. As Pizzahead seemingly runs away, Maria sees the state Vigi is in and pulls him into a hug to calm him down.

And then the petrification beam fires from the red orb Pizzahead is holding, turning both of them to stone.

Noisette, horrified at what she just saw, just sits there for a while, all the while Clove protects her from further attacks.

Back at the area where Peppino is, Gerome gently touches the petrified Italian, having a telepathic conversation with him to explain what's going on (that's why I posted that headcanon). He then returns to the others and explains there is a way to restore Peppino to normal.

As it turns out, there is a blue orb that can reverse the effects of the red orb's petrification. Gerome had found it while searching for anything that could save his brother back during the tower incident, but left it somewhere in the forest due to it not being useful.

As thanks for saving his brother back there, Gerome decided to head into the forest to grab the blue orb and save Peppino.

Gustavo and Brick followed, while Mr. Stick kept watch in case anything happened to Peppino.

Back at the fight, Noisette snapped out of the horrified state she was in when she heard The Noise, Pepperman and Fake Peppino fighting Pizzahead behind her.

As The Noise was losing badly, Pizzahead was ready to petrify him to get him out of the way.

Noisette would not stand for that, so she got up, ran over... and took the beam for him.

While Pepperman and Fake Peppino backed off, believing The Noise would go berserk... instead, he cried.

Clove then headed over and defended The Noise with his magic, now done with being Pizzahead's henchman. That was what The Noise needed to forgive him.

So, with the help of Pepperman and Fake Peppino restraining Pizzahead and taking the orb from him, Clove and The Noise delivered a powerful combo attack, blasting the pizza man into the air, out of their way for now.

As Gerome and Gustavo found the blue orb, they rushed back and freed Peppino, restoring him to normal. The remaining others returned just in time to see this and quickly informed Gerome of the others that have been petrified.

Gerome then frees the others. Noisette runs over to The Noise to hug him. Maria is still holding Vigi, who's still shaken by what Pizzahead had almost done to him.

Clove apologizes once more for getting everyone into this situation, but they all forgive him, knowing he helped them get out and relieved that his friendship with Noisette was genuine after all.

Then they all make it back to town as a group, as Gerome takes both of the orbs back home.

Pizzahead then crashes into his wife's lab, looking very annoyed. Pizzawife then assures him not to worry, as her latest creation is almost complete...

[reinabeestudio]

Damn These Bitches in Love (WIP)

I don’t know if I’ll ever finish whatever this thing is, so I’ll just offer this one scene I liked even tho is lazily written 👍 (excuse any mistakes)

Some context: takes place time after the game, Pizza Head lives with Miel (calls him Pip btw). They had a party to celebrate one of the character’s birthday or something idk :v

So yeah. Pizza Head/Miel content 🍕👑. Cheesy as hell lol

Noisette dusted off her hands after throwing out the trash into the dumpster, and grabbed the handle to go back inside with the others when she heard the restaurant’s front door open.

“Basil?”

Oh, she knew that voice. That was Miel!

Noisette peeked around the corner, and she spotted Miel and Pizza Head in front of the restaurant, her friend approaching the man resting against the wall.

“Hey, doll!” he greeted her with his usual big smile. “Great party we had there, eh?”

“Certainly. I’m surprised everyone managed to behave.”

“And I’m surprised that the weird, frog guy was the first one to fall asleep!”

Miel giggled. “Poor Bruno, he could barely keep his eyes open.”

There was a comfortable silence between them after those words. Noisette noticed her friend lightly scooted closer to him as the duo looked up at the stars above, sometimes covered by passing clouds. There was the muffled sound of the others inside the restaurant, talking.

It wasn’t exactly the quietest of conversations, which was to be expected when you had an italian man and a british guy in the same room. If Noisette paid attention, she could hear Peppino’s hand gestures.

Miel looked up at him. “Pip?”

Likewise, Pizza Head looked down at her. “Hmm?”

“Thank you for helping with the party, and also for not being bitter towards Peppino for what happened in the tower.”

Pizza Head’s smile grew. “Well, I can’t exactly blame the guy for what he did. I did have a laser threatening his whole life! I’d not be happy ‘bout that either, hah!” The guy didn’t look resentful, that’s for sure.

“And then I came along, angry as well,” she added with an amused smile.

“And then you came along....” his usual demeanor faltered for a moment as he held her hand and caressed her knuckles with a dopey smile on his face. “That was just a lucky break for me, doll.”

Noisette watched as the lanky man wrapped his free, gloved hand around her friend’s waist. Her firm grasp on the brick wall tightened when she noticed that her friend didn’t reject the gesture, although her face did redden.

“I...” she looked everywhere but at him. “... I also wanna thank you for helping me with the house, fixing things and whatnot.”

“Wow! Now, wait a minute!” he said with a raised eyebrow, half-laughing. “This is the guy who builds things that break down all the time, remember?”

“No, no, no! I like your gadgets!” She held up a placating hand. “... Well, maybe you could use some, erm.... friendly feedback during development.”

Pizza Head laughed. “I’d not mind! If you’re applying for the job.”

Noisette’s grasp on the wall was so strong that it looked like she was going to shatter the old bricks at any moment.

Pizza Head tilted his head quizzically as he leaned in closer to Miel’s face. “I’ve never seen you this close before! You got pretty eyes. Sweet as honey.”

A look of surprise crossed her face. He backed away with an awkward laugh.

“Sorry, doll. That was pretty corny, huh?”

Miel shook her head. “Not at all. Anyone would like a sweet compliment like that.” Then she booped his big nose with a smirk (which earned a little honk). “And you have pretty eyes too.”

Pizza Head gasped loudly, mocking offense. “You can’t use my own nice words against me! This isn’t UNO!”

Miel laughed. “Well, I’ll do it again! You have pretty eyes and your smile is radiant!” she said with another boop to his nose (which earned another honk).

Pizza Head looked down at her with feigned hurt, acting as he had been stabbed in the heart. “Noooooooo! You’re cheating!!!”

Miel bursted into a fit of laughter, unable to contain it after the silly display. Pizza Head started laughing cheesily not long afterwards, infected by the sound of her dorky laugh. It felt good to see her this happy, and knowing he was the cause of it.

When her bout of laughter calmed down, she spoke again. “I’ll have to do this often, then. Maybe you won’t compliment me as much that way.”

Pizza Head’s smile dropped a bit, as well as Noisette’s, who was still watching from the corner.

He hung his head in defeat. “Guess I’ll just have to learn to live with it.” Promptly he looked down at her back with that energetic glimmer in his eye. “Though I know a way of silencing you!”

“Oh, really? How so, smart guy? Gonna make me laugh with your overacting to death?”

He stopped and tapped his chin in thought. He wasn’t convincing anybody with that. “Tempting! But I had something else in mind.... ”

Noisette watched attentively as Pizza Head cupped Miel’s cheeks and leaned over. She noticed her friend was closing the distance as well, standing on her tip toes.

Their faces were only inches apart. However, the sound of a familiar voice calling for Miel made them quickly break apart from of each other, both of their faces red as tomatoes.

“Miel!” Peppino called from inside the restaurant. “Come here, I need your help with something!”

“Ah,” Miel cleared her throat. “Sure, I’ll be right there!”

Pizza Head laughed awkwardly once again. “I’ll, uh—Gonna go back home, doll. Feelin that tower fatigue creeping in.”

“Oh..... sure. Do you need me to go with you?”

“I’ll be fine, doll! You go help the big guy.”

She looked at the restaurant, then back to Pizza Head (who gave her a toothy thumps up), back to the building then back to her roommate.

Miel sighed. “Very well. I won’t take long.” Then she stood on her tip toes again, and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. “Good night, Pip.”

“Good night, Miel.”

Miel kept looking back at him as she went to help her anxious friend, waving goodbye at the lanky man before she went back inside. Noisette sadly watched as he waved back and promptly sighed before he turned around and made his way back home, touching the cheek where he was kissed.

[angelofpizza]

So I saw that one anon asking for a scenario in which the reader is unhinged like Peppino, unfortunately I don't have enough ideas to come up with one, BUT I do have some ideas, if you'll indulge me.

Ok, when i said i had ideas i meant specifically two, the first being that the reader is the opposite of Peppino in there personality, occupation and the way they dress, but they have the same twisted mind as there lover. Finding pleasure in others' pain.

Or this one that came out way longer than I thought it would (based of off the two last scenarios)

Listen, here is how I picture Evil Peppino and his “relationship” with you. He knows he can't cort you in the traditional way due to his work, much to his annoyance. But he finds another solution that will still keep him on his toes, one in which he breaks you, little by little. He relishes in the prospect of having taken a piece of you, mentally. Reshaping your thought process, friendly faces on the streets suddenly turn into masked predators, waiting to strike, but he'll never change, he's your safe haven. And if you do find out? His influence is enough for you not to speak a word. One glance from him and you're suddenly tight-lipped, not that he would ever hurt you, but you don't need to know that.

He finds amusement in knowing that you will never leave despite not even being in his vicinity. But then aegean if you don't know he has other ways in making you stay.

Turns out having someone obsess over you and send you gifts takes its toll on your sicky and causes your morals to go into arie, making you do things you never thought you would. One late evening an unlucky soul sought to make some quick cash out of your positions, the burglar had no idea on what would go down that night. Tired, frustrated and beyond pissed caused the inevitable. With a knife in your hand and his arm in the other, you plunged it straight into his heart without hesitation. The weight of the situation had not dawned on you until some time later when your transe was broken by the early morning rays of the sun peaking through the curtains. Suddenly everything came crashing down, the stalking, the anxiety and now the blood that stained your hands.

And Pappino's reaction to this sudden change? His poor poor angel finally got tainted so viciously, by that filth, he knew it was a bad idea sleeping that night. Oh but not to worry, he will comfort you in your darkest hour, gently rock you back and forth as you pour your heart out, acting surprised when you beg him to let you stay. Though despite his burning hatred towards that intruder they gave him an opportunity he can't pass. By having all those love letters stop coming your natural thought was that the man you killed was your stalker. It shakes you to your core wondering what they would have done if you hadn't acted, but Peppino is there to muffle those thoughts, and you couldn't be more grateful. To you, he's your friendly neighborhood pizza chef, but behind closed doors he's so much more. And even if you did find out you'd be too exhausted to run.

I know that the last one wasn't exactly what the anon wanted but I hope this satisfies their appetite.

WOW! That's amazing holy!! :D I bet the anon would be satisfied hehee!!

[idreamofasriel-blog]

I’ll be fine, I promise (Metal Slug Short Story)

“Marco, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that I hurt you.” Poor Fio was a mess. Tears were streaming down her face after her long-struggling battle against the once alien brainwashed Marco. Marco softly smiled at Fio and took her into his arms to help the young maiden to calm down. He gently took her cap off and stroke the back of her head and whispered to her in a gentle voice, “It's all right, Fio. You didn't hurt me badly and you did a good job stopping them from controlling me. I'll be fine, I promise. Now go help the others to finish this fight. I'll catch up with you later.” Fio couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned in her bed, hugging her stuffed bear, Peppino in her arms and stared at the ceiling of her darken bedroom. She can't shake off the images digging its gnarling claws into her brain. The fight, Marco's injuries, and that hideous Controller, flying around and controlling Marco against his will like a puppet. After defeating the Invader Queen with the help of the Rebels and the Martians, they headed back to Head Quarters to rest and Marco was sent to get a medical check over and have any lacerations cleaned up and bandaged. As for Fio, she headed straight to her bedroom to wash up and change into a pair of fresh clothes. She sat down on her bed and grabbed her childhood friend, Peppino and hugged the bear tight in her arms, fighting back the tears, “They forced me to fight Marco, Peppino. I can't forgive myself if I killed him or worst.” She sniffed and wiped the tears away from her eyes and hugged the bear again. She wants to be left alone for now and hopes that her thoughts will clear up by the time her friends comes looking for her. Fio snapped herself back to the present. She tossed the covers to the side and set Peppino on her bed. “I'm going to check on Marco, Peppino. I'll be right back.” She put on her glasses and slipped her feet into a pair of cute fox slippers she always keeps by her bed and quietly closes the door behind her. The hallway's light was dimmed down this late at night to save energy and Fio can see pretty well to make her route to Marco's computer lab. She punched in the security code and the light changed from red to green. Curious, she opened the door and stepped in. Marco wasn't in his computer lab and Fio wondered if he went to bed already. She could go back to her room or she could knock on his bedroom door to see if he's awake. She silently crept toward his door and knocked. “Just a minute. I have the door locked.” Footsteps grew louder and a lock clicked follow by the door hinges creaking. Marco stood in the doorway, shirtless and wearing only a pair lounge pants. Fio can see the wrapped bandages around his abdomen, his right arm, and a gauze secured over the spot where the Controller latched its cord on his neck. He even got a small strip of band aid over the bridge of his nose and one on his jaw and another on his chin. “Fio. What can I do for you at this hour?” Marco asked and stepped to the side to let her in. “I couldn't sleep so I came here to check on you.” Fio said quietly and sat down on his bed. Marco frowned a bit and sat down next to her. They were quiet for awhile till Marco spoke up. “That fight is still bothering you, isn't?” he asked almost in a whisper. He can see his answer in her tears that trickled down her cheeks and he gently wiped away the tears from her cheeks. Marco always asked himself, “Why put a sweet innocent girl with a childish nature in a cruel world of war? She doesn't belong there, she belongs at home where she's safe with her family and away from the merciless killing, the chaos, and heartless people who won't hesitate to snuff out one's life.” Fio sniffed and Marco offered her a tissue to blow on rather than on the sleeve of her adorable teddy bear pajamas. “Fio,” She turned to look at Marco and he reached out to hold her hand. He caressed his fingers over her hand, they were soft to the touch and no traces of doubt came across his mind that Fio took great care of herself off the battlefield. She took better care of herself than he would with himself even though he shaves and baths on a daily basis. Not sure he could say the same with Tarma smelling like engine grease and sweat once in awhile. Marco sighed, “Fio...We went through a lot ever since we first met and I remember you as a young lady who was scared and confuse after your paper works got mixed up and I knew from the beginning that I am willing to make sure to get you back home safe and sound after the war and live out the life you wanted before the war broke out.” Marco stopped for a minute to clear his throat and continued. “But you showed me that you can keep your innocence and be optimistic during the time of sorrow, chaos, and when all things looked bleak. I know you want to stop worrying about me, but yet you're scared that one day, you're going to wake up and this is going to be the last time that you'll be seeing me or our friends and I'm scared too that one day I'm going to wake up and this will be the last time I'll see any of you alive with my or any you with our untimely death.” Marco teared up a bit and smiled at Fio, “Don't be afraid to cry or be worry. It's what makes us human in this broken world, Fio. It's okay to cry once in awhile, to know that we're still alive and human.” Fio smiled and Marco was right. Even though they live out their lives like as if it's their last day on this planet, she still has the rights to shed some tears once in awhile and worry about their health or what missions they took and be gone for days. But in the end, they care for each other and willing to help each other come home alive and safe. He put his arms around her and pull her into a hug. He stroked her long hair and whispered to her, “I'll be fine, I promise. Even if I'm scared of losing you all.” Fio closed her eyes and smiled. She hugged Marco back, careful not to mess up his bandages. “Thank you, Marco. I feel much better now.” She let out a small yawn, she can feel the sleepiness overcoming her and it was way passed her bed time. She let go of the hug to rub her eyes and stretched her arms out. “It's quite a walk from here to your room. Why don't you crash here for the night?” Marco suggested. Fio was surprised by this and thinks it over. “If I do, where would you sleep?” she asked, concern for Marco and where he'll be sleeping for the night. “Don't worry about it. I'll share my bed with you. It's big enough for the both of us” Marco smiled. Now, this is a big step for Fio with Marco. Even if they have gone out on a few dates in the past and she was blushing at this whole idea of them sharing a bed. Marco chuckled. He finds Fio blushing to be one of the cutest things from her. That and how he would kiss her on the nose to she the once angry Italian girl run off blushing while covering her nose. “Okay, I'll spend the night here then.” She looked at him, shyly smiling at him and he smiled back at her. He moved covers to the side and got in first so Fio can be closer to the nightstand to put her glasses there and Fio removed her fox slippers set them down on the floor. He tucked her in and cuddled up next to her to give her a kiss on the cheek. “Good night, Fio. I love you.” Fio closed her eyes and smiled, “Good night, Marco. I love you.”

[silver-soliloquy]

So I actually do have very late notes from last week’s reading! Uh, oops, I’m really slow at translating notes into semi-coherent form apparently

XXXVI

o   Carnival time!

o   Dumas seems to be going for a ~demonic debauchery~ angle here, but tbh costumes and confetti and flowers and parades seem like a pretty good time?  okay

o   Why won’t Edmond get down from his fancy window? I want someone to throw an egg at him

o   Albert finally gets some flirting in!  Well done Albert!  Franz’s fond teasing is both hilarious and adorable

o   Franz apparently really wants us to know that Albert’s peasant costume is really hot?  OKAY THEN FRANZ

o   I’m kind of curious about how much regional variation in dress there was that you can specifically do costumes of peasants from specific areas and expect them to be recognized?

o   “I AM IN LOVE” Albert declares after like 3 days of chucking flowers back and forth with a girl, what a nerd

o   Franz is also “a true Byronic hero” apparently? I am a little skeptical of this, he’s not extra enough

o   Admittedly it’s been a while since I read any Byron, I should maybe brush up since they keep referencing him ALL THE TIME

o   If anyone knows of any articles and suchlike on the relationship between the French and English Romantics I would really love to read that

o   I love that Robin Buss keeps calling out Dumas’s timeline inconsistencies in the footnotes, it’s both hilarious and informative!

o   “he himself would prefer not to be in Paris when the count was there” thus proving that Franz is the smartest person in this novel

o   The whole scene with the moccoletti is absolutely gorgeous, and I love that the carnival ends with as sudden a mood shift as it began—from horror at the execution into revelry and then into darkness and melancholy just like that

XXXVII (the roman numerals are getting kind of ridiculous)

o   FRANZ WHY DID YOU LET HIM GO BY HIMSELF, YOU KNOW HE’S THE MOST TROUBLE-PRONE PERSON IN EXISTENCE OF COURSE HE WALKED RIGHT INTO A TRAP

o   Okay so I’m assuming Edmond arranged for the kidnapping, but was his plan actually just to loan Franz the money or was he actually counting on Franz knowing that he knew the bandits so he could go play the savior without having to suggest it himself?  Your chessmastering gives me a headache, Edmond

o   The thing where he pretends to be surprised that Peppino remembers him saving his life a whole WEEK ago seems…significant

o   I’m glad Teresa is still having fun at parties, although I have a lot of questions about how her life is going as the mistress of the bandit king

o   I feel like Edmond definitely meant for Albert to have to sit and ponder his fate all night, given his penchant for absolute-last-minute saves

o   IS VAMPA IN ON THIS WHOLE BIT OF THEATRE??? EXPLAIN YOURSELF EDMOND

o   Albert is entirely too chill about this whole affair and I can’t stop laughing

o   Franz asking the head bandit for book recs before he goes: EVEN MORE HILARIOUS

o   Okay so by Edmond’s messed-up theories about a person’s reaction to imminent death revealing their True Character, I think Albert did pretty darn well there?  Obviously he didn’t have to wait till the exact moment of death before being saved like poor Morrel (what the hell Edmond), but if this was intended as a test of Albert’s character as well as a way to get him in the count’s debt he should’ve passed with flying colors!  And yet Edmond still can barely deal with shaking his hand :(

o   PLEASE DON’T HURT THIS NICE KID, EDMOND

XXXVIII

o   “I wanted to demonstrate something to those bandits, namely that while people fight one another in every country in the world, only the Frenchman jests as he fights” okay this was hilarious until I thought about “the besieged were running out of cartridges but not out of witticisms; in this whirlwind of the sepulcher in which they found themselves, they laughed” and now I might be crying a little bit

o   Franz is finally realizing that leaving Albert alone with the count is a bad idea!  Well done, Franz!  One near-death experience per vacation is plenty

o   NOW PLEASE GO BACK TO PARIS WITH ALBERT AND KEEP AN EYE ON HIM, THE COUNT’S ~PLANS~ ARE CLEARLY NOTHING GOOD

o   “Worried about the rendez-vous!  I never!  Are you mad, my dear Franz?”  ALBERT THE LAST RENDEZVOUS HE LET YOU GO ON ENDED IN YOU GETTING KIDNAPPED AND ALMOST MURDERED.  THAT WAS LITERALLY LAST NIGHT.  DUDE.

o   Nooooo Franz don’t leave :((((

XXXIX

o   Yay Paris!!

o   YAY MORE FRIENDS!!

o   I…still do not really understand what Debray’s job is, but he’s sure entertaining

o   *lowkey ships Debray/Beauchamp*

o   WHY DID CHATEU-RENAUD AND FRANZ FIGHT A DUEL THOUGH, I NEED MORE OF THIS BACKSTORY

o   How does Franz still think of himself as The Reasonable One when he apparently gets into duels with his close friends for flimsy enough reasons that no one can remember what that was even about later oh my god

o   I love how Albert solemnly swore not to tell anyone about Franz’s hash adventures at Monte Cristo and then turns around and tells literally everyone he knows at the first available opportunity

o   I don’t actually have that much to say about this chapter except that I love all the banter and teasing SO MUCH, these kids are all so delightful and I hope we see much more of them

o   Okay so Edmond is still clearly very fond of Maximilien in his weird creepy way, and he seems surprised to see him but he doesn’t really react to fact that his friend’s kid is friends with his enemy’s kid? I’m interested that that didn’t get more of a spotlight, since that seems like it’s going to be an Issue with Maximilien later in the book?

XI

o   Edmond does surprisingly well with being thrown into the Baby Dandy Bffs crowd first thing in the morning, that seems like kind of a weird way to introduce someone to ~society~ but our Count is unruffleable as ever!

o   “how do you go without food and sleep for that long????” “oh, drugs” EDMOND THAT IS NOT HEALTHY WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS

o   Wait so that was Haydee whose freedom Edmond bought with the giant ridiculous emerald, right?

o   Edmond quit trolling poor Maximilien

o   “They did not know whether Monte Cristo was play-acting, but everything that this man said, despite his eccentricity, was delivered in such a simple tone that it was impossible to suspect him of anything” OH BOY

o   Edmond sure is Weird about Haydee

XLI

o   Albert has Notre Dame de Paris fanart on his walls oh my gosh what a cutie

o   Hi Delacroix!!  This is about the time he was bopping around Morocco fueling everyone’s interest in Orientalism, right? (thanks a lot, Delacroix)

o   Dauzat’s Orientalism travel art isn’t actually that bad, he seems more interested in intricate architecture and really big rocks than creepily exoticizecd people.  And he did Sinbad fanart! (although not till the 1860s I think)

o   On the other hand, probably I’m just relieved that he’s not Jean-Leon Gerome levels of terrible, I really hate that guy

o   ANYWAYS ART HISTORY NERD TANGENT OVER

o   Wait no it’s not, the class-as-costume thing from carnival getting lampshaded in the portrait of Mercedes is super interesting—also that Albert apparently either doesn’t recognize the style or doesn’t know his parents’ history?  Either way there’s so much disguise in this book I just want to take note of Mercedes’ original identity represented through her poor Catalan clothes being taken for another disguise

o   Also it’s just really cute that Albert keeps a portrait of his mom in his room

o   …Antoine-Jean Gros is the same one as Grantaire’s ex-teacher, yes?  Is there room for crossovers here because I would like Grantaire and Albert to be friends please

o   Okay so the thing with Albert’s family’s coat of arms and his nobility on his father’s side—did I miss something about Ferdinand or did he just totally make all this up after he got rich and titled??

o   Mercedes is still the best!!!

o   THIS GUY IS SKETCHY, literally everyone screams at Albert as he cheerfully ignores them

o   Nothing to add to the last chapters except that Edmond apparently thinks it’s really entertaining to torment his servants, nice