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sonicasura · 9 months ago

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Persona 5: Tower Scramble

Yup. I'm expanding more on the crack idea of Peppino being Ren's biological dad. This is basically a deeper dive into the concept like worldbuilding, further shenanigans and a slice of some plot. Hope you enjoy! Link to alternate version here! Make sure to check the reblogs for extra stuff.

First thing to start with is actually the Pizza Tower universe. I decided that there needs to be more stuff involving the Who Framed Rodger Rabbit dynamic aka toons interacting alongside normal people. Everyone in PT are cartoons in nature which includes Ren/Joker. Arséne nor his adjacent forms doesn't escape this either since he was born from Ren's heart.

Due to the Velvet Room contract, our hero is forced to take on the appearance of those in Personaverse to not draw attention. Although it doesn't fully suppress his toon capabilities. If I can summarize Ren and Arséne's appearance as Toons then it's the Persona 5 Tactica iteration but mixed alongside some Pizza Tower aesthetics.

Like any other cartoon, Joker and his Persona have cartoon abilities. There's the basics like the hammer space but unique ones that suit a toon's particular trope. Ren alongside Arséne have the escape artist/thief type which means they can break in or retreat in various cartoony ways. EX: Instantly teleport via smoke bombs to slipping under doors.

Like I said in the previous post, Ren did inherit some of Peppino's abilities such as incredible speed and strength that can be boosted through rage. Although being in the Personaverse suppresses a good chunk specifically his unique trope. Ren sulked a bit when he couldn't stretch his arm under a door to unlock it or pull a keyring from outta his hair.

Only his dad's abilities remains untouched by the change. Being in the Metaverse actually loosens the restraints on Ren's toon abilities. How a Toon interacts with the normal is much different than vice versa. Toons can subject others to cartoon shenanigans on varying degrees that usually depends on their trope.

For example a Toon with Magician trope can successfully do extreme tricks like sawing someone in half on a normal person without killing them and undo the damage easily. The non-toon will feel degrees of pain though. How bad it is depends on whether the act is malicious or not. Death is too cheap for a toon.

The new contract Ren receives after Royal's events freely allows him to shift into his toon form without being in the PTverse. Arséne was unaware about Ren's cartoony heritage would affect him too. The Persona found out very quickly when he manifested at Peppino's Diner and notice the place was a bit too roomy. Cartoon heights vary erratically from normal people.

Peppino is barely 4'8 ft, Ren is around 4'4 as he still has a growth spurt awaiting him, and Toon!Arséne's height about 10'2. The toon Persona got noogied by Captain Kidd who thought the new difference was funny. Jokes about Toon!Arséne being fun size will never die amongst the Persona.

(Unrelated note, Ren as an adult will be much taller than Peppino. His forms heavily contrast at that point. Under a human guise, Ren is about 5'8 and looks barely different despite being more physically fit alongside having a mustache. His real toon self is the epitome of a fucking bear. Adult Toon!Ren is 7'2 feet tall, beefy and quite hairy. He does take more after Peppino than his 'mom'.)

Toons are prone to comical gags with Ren being no different. He's quite happy to show it to his friends as well. Casually stretching his arm from the kitchen to snag some chips outta Ryuji's snack bag whilst his friends sits at the farthest booth by the door... Sojiro did his absolute best not to drop a fresh pot of coffee on his feet via sheer shock.

Arséne couldn't resist the pull of mischief either. You know the Genie In The Lamp? Let me present Arséne in a Teapot! Milady and Haru were the only ones who knew something was up when Ren brought over a closed up teapot. (He barely hid a smile too big for a normal person before reaching the table.) An awareness that kept their dango from going airborne once Arséne shot out of the teapot the gremlin he is.

Unintentional gags are also prone to happen around a toon which includes the infamous banana peel. Yusuke was planning to paint around the subject of litter and gotten a fresh one from Ryuji. What do you get when you add: 1 Clueless Ren, 1 Banana Peel and 1 Ghost Mushroom(an invasive partially sentient powerup which turns a toon into a ghost)?

You get Yusuke panicking as he believes he just killed their leader while Gustavo calls a priest over to unghost a Teru Teru Bōzu!Ren. (His Japanese heritage changed the form to that instead of being the normal bedsheet ghost.) Peppino feels like he went from a father of one to ten(pending) at this point.

It isn't uncommon for his son's friends to the visit his pizzeria. Sometimes it is a study group where Peppino prepares some snacks for them and help with some of the questions. He makes sure Ren's Stupid Rats get a cheese log to keep them occupied as Crouton likes eating schoolwork. (Makoto got to use the rats ate her homework excuse at least.)

They often show up to help around the restaurant and hang out on slow days. Having extra hands to help around made things easier especially when it came to deliveries. Peppino wholeheartedly agrees on why Ren thought Morgana was a Toon as a cat becoming a van is very toonlike.

Peppino can't help eavesdropping on Phantom Thieves discussion though. Some of the requests these kids get can be really concerning even for an adult like him. Morgana had been kind enough to explain the 'Changing Hearts' and 'Metaverse' spiel.

If this is what they want to do then Peppino wouldn't stop them. The Persona already promised to keep the group safe. (Not like there was any chance to turn back.) He doesn't know who made those Golden Pizza Cutters but they definitely are there for the purpose of helping his son if needed. (Or help with his stress as beating up Shadows is therapeutic.)

On some occasions one kid from the Phantom Thieves would show up at odd hours. Whether it be looking for advice or have someone listen to their problems. Peppino does his best to help as he understands how hard and suffocating life can get at times. (If he's ordering a few adoption papers then no one will know or stop him.)

They definitely left their mark on his diner though. Paintings, group photos, books, little knickknacks from Japan and ironically Phantom Thief merch. Peppino picked up some Japanese vocabulary too as much the teens learn a bit of Italian outta him. The Persona just add more languages to the table.

Now I mentioned how Ren practically gets shoved into a non-toon form when entering the Personaverse. Well the same DOESN'T apply to other Toons. If one ends up there then they won't be restricted to a human form and everyone sees their true appearance.

The new Velvet Room contract does provide a neat effect though where Toons companions(keyword there) only look like normal people/allies to those who aren't Ren's confidants, other Toons or Persona Users. It makes things easier for Peppino alongside his toon companions. Whether it be attending the kids' special events or take a simple break around Japan.

Peppino isn't the only getting dragged into Metaverse. The Golden Pizza Cutter isn't restricted just to him as Gustavo, Brick and Pep(Fake Peppino) also join in on the mayhem. Sometimes on accident when you consider Persona's habit of snatching someone into the Metaverse unexpectedly.

Gustavo and Brick are the only ones who aren't as off put about the Phantom Thief business. The pizza chef had help raise Ren whenever Peppino couldn't so he's used to the chaos this kid gets into. Brick is from the Pizza Tower thus any oddities are ignored since that place is just as weird.

While they can't break through Physical resistances like Peppino, the duo's teamwork makes recon, item searches or corralling various enemies much easier. Gustavo tends to snag little knickknacks from any Metaverse excursion. Brick just munches on whatever he can find since various snacks can be found there.

Pep is someone Ren hadn't expected to meet upon going home. Although finding a malformed froggish clone shapeshifter of your father made by an insane pizza toon that definitely squat in the pizzeria and eat what is most likely roadkill for dinner is a given at this point. Ren pulls the Clone = Your Kid card, like the little shit he is, on Peppino.

Man had no room for rebuttal either since Pep took a liking to the younger Spaghetti. When you consider Ren's more eerie Personas such Legion, Abbadon or Mara, none of the Phantom Thieves were bothered by the clone's Eldritch Horror trope. Although Joker is the only unfazed when it comes to surprise goopy hugs.

Like Peppino, Pep tends to be very protective of the Phantom Thieves. Sometimes hitching a ride in Ren's bag much to Morgana's annoyance upon discovery. (Can I say Strikers with a shit ton of Pep antics?)

Some Shadows learned the hard way on why not to piss off a clone who can shapeshift into man eating giant monster. Nevermind that Pep has amped up versions of Peppino's abilities alongside his own. The Phantom Thieves have various allies to call when needed.

Although trouble won't just be from the Personaverse. Peppino has his own rogue gallery specifically one who ain't too happy about this new predicament. Nor the existence of Ren Amamiya Spaghetti.

Hope the Phantoms been taking on the Tower Scramble mode in the Thieves' Den. Toons fight way different from Shadows. Nor do they have limits to the chaos one can cause.

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