#pizza tower showtime

[radiopixelctive]

@fluffygiraffe :]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FLUFFEY !!!

i wish you all the best, good health, and excessive happiness for the rest of your life. You're a very nice person with whom i can chat about funny stuff and just have a good time, and I hope it will continue like this! your silly but cool AUs, your cute artstyle, your personality in general - it is unique (in a good way)

i am pretty much glad i checked your blog when you just followed me, and i am glad i decided to do that fanart of LS Peppino

happy bday, Fluf!! (again)

[fluffygiraffe]

Gustavo and Brick in the Showtime AU!

They work in the film crew, as Gustavo has a passion for filming and photography!

Brick wears a harness/saddle, as he is an animal inside a film set. He needs to be kept track of.

They're more chill in this au, but Gustavo is still very adventurous and will go out of his way to get the perfect shot (much to brick's displeasure)!

They're friends with Peppino and try to help him keep the actors (including Pizzahead) out of trouble! He's the good cop in the good cop bad cop situation.

[unexpectedbrickattack]

violemnce

Text from each panel in order:

"Hello?? My order..?"

--

"I guess you all must-a been VERY happy that Pep went inside [the tower] scared instead of angry"

"What do you mean by this, little gnome man?"

"Oh! Just that he is-a good with weapons! Knives, butcher knives, you-a know; Kitchen things! Sharp things! Very glad no one was hurt!"

--

"little gnome man, I must head home. Good day to you."

[maxwell-grant]

Playing Princess Peach: Showtime got me the Mario brainvurms again so I wanna ramble a bit: As much as I adore and put a lot of stock into Wario and Waluigi's dynamic (and as much as Waluigi's my favorite character), I actually don't think Waluigi should be in the Wario games. Particularly Ware, but that also goes for Land in case that ever comes back from the grave. And it's not because of anything wrong or lacking with Waluigi as a character, quite the opposite: I think a lot of what defines him, what makes him interesting in different ways than Wario, actually makes him a terrible fit for Wario's narrative real state. Not an issue when they're together filling in a necessary dynamic in Mario territory, but it gets trickier when Wario's supposed to be the lead in an actual story.

In regards to Land, the central appeal of Wario Land is in the fact that you can play as Wario. I'd said as much before that, generally speaking, where as Mario is altered to fit his games, Wario's games are built to fit him. As much as WL did to flesh out Wario as a character, the core concept for Wario Land 1, and every subsequent game, comes back to the idea that you are playing a bigger, nastier Mario, who can't run as fast or jump as high, but is stronger and full of stranger surprises, so he engages with different kinds of obstacle courses and yyou have to figure out what he can and can't do to solve them. Every alteration made to the Wario Land series over the years, not just in relation to the Super Mario Land platformers it spun out of, was built around turning Wario's existing traits into gameplay mechanics.

He is a bully and a brute and thus you shoulder bash your way through problems, his propensity for comedic slapstick turned into full blown immortality and the source of his power-ups, he is far more interested in sniffing for gold than actually saving anyone so his adventures are less linear, your endgoal is to get the biggest treasures possible, his thieving bastard explorer nature eventually allowed for a timed Indiana Jones boulder escape at every level, Shake It lets you literally shake down enemies for cash, etc. The one time they took the opposite route and really altered Wario to fit a pre-ordained gimmick was in Master of Disguise, and soundtrack aside there's some good reasons why that one's so unpopular it's not even considered a Wario Land game.

All of these are traits that are built to fit Wario, and mainly Wario, and you could argue that these by extension apply to Waluigi because of his traits that overlap with Wario's, and for sure the spin-offs demonstrate that Waluigi does tag along on Wario's treasure hunts sometimes, but if we concede this and add Waluigi as a Player 2, then: A: What is so great and unique about Wario, if other characters can also do all the absurd things he does? And B: What is so great and weird about Waluigi, if all he's doing is just the stuff Wario already does?

The Mario platformers don't really have this issue with Luigi not just because Luigi as the Player 2 is grandfathered in, but because mechanically speaking Luigi isn't very different from Mario, and because the gameplay mechanics for Mario platformers are nowhere near as specialized as Wario's is. Everybody runs and jumps and collects power-ups and does the same things Mario does, that's why the Toads and the princesses can jump in on it just fine. Wario sharing the glory of being Wario is just not what Wario does, and it's Waluigi's thing even less. With everyman all-ages Mario, everyone's invited to join in the fun, but when the whole point is you reveling in "you get to play as Wario!", WHERE BEING BAD IS GOOD AND GREED IS GOOD HEHEHEHEHEH, you really lose a lot of the appeal turning it into "you get to play as Wario, and another guy (or even more) who can also do the things Wario does, turns out Wario's willing to share I guess". Even working in a different set of paths and solutions per level so Wario and Waluigi could solve problems differently would just be splitting levels by half of the work and half of the fun.

For comparison's sake, Pizza Tower has a second playable character in the form of The Noise, a rival who is opposite to Peppino personality-wise. Despite having more or less the same proportions (and in prior builds playing identically to Peppino), in order to accomodate his personality that is also his main selling point, he plays in a different manner through levels that weren't designed around him (not different enough that it excludes co-op though), and so he actually breaks the game, and that is in fact worked into everything he does: Pretty much the main running gag through The Noise Update is that he is brazenly cheating and easily clearing through the things Peppino worked so hard to beat "fairly", and that he is a piece of shit with no emotional stakes in what he's doing, turning every hardship or battle into a joke.

Pizza Tower is just as much built around Peppino's character as Wario Land is (which is part of why the game became faster and more stressful, and thus played increasingly less and less like Wario Land over every subsequent build up until release), and it was only ever going to accomodate the Noise's personality by either designing new levels (and thus a new game) around him, or going all the way on him breaking the existing ones and occupying an opposite role to Peppino's, which fits him. Again, you could argue this dirty cheater angle fits Waluigi. The problem is, again, redundancy, and it not fitting Wario Land. Gameplay-wise, Wario is already breaking and even cheating through levels to clear them, he is already flipping the middle finger to traditional Mario-style platforming the way The Noise is doing to Peppino's playstyle. And story-wise, Wario doesn't let himself be outdone, he is not getting upstaged from his own adventures. Peppino doesn't WANT to be in his own adventures, that's why the game plays him for pathos and The Noise gets played for pure satire. They get to do completely different things in a way I'm not sure you could do with Wario and Waluigi without significantly overhauling the way Wario Land works, and at that point, why bother.

That being said, I definitely do want there to be a way Wario and Waluigi could star in a platformer together, it would be a dream for me. But I don't think that's going to work for Wario Land, and not doing Wario Land runs the risk of doing Master of Disguise again so, it'd take a lot of work. I want to say there is at least a possibility of making it work, which is definitely not an argument I'd make for Waluigi joining the WarioWare cast.

The thing about how WarioWare's cast works, and how it manages to keep Wario recognizably Wario even in a drastically different role than the one he occupies in Mario spin-offs and Wario Land alike, is a very simple but effective dynamic: Wario is the boss, and everyone else is your friend/co-worker. Wario is the ringmaster, and the circus freaks need your help to keep the show afloat. Wario is Michael Scott/J Jonah Jameson, and you're in the Dunder Mifflin/Daily Bugle trenches with everyone else.

All of the WarioWare characters are lovable weirdos, it comes with the question of "what kind of person would not just be friends with, but willingly work for Wario?". They are weird, they are dorks, they are (mostly) nice, they (mostly) get along, but above all, they are accomodating. Of their weirdness, of your weirdness, even of their boss' weirdness. Their goal is to guide you through the challenges and fun and encourage you to succeed. They do all the hard work in making these games fun to play. They are directly, proportionately opposite to how much of an dynamic jerk Wario is, and that's why Wario gets to keep on doing Wario things.

He gets to cause problems and lead the gang into trouble, he gets be mean, he gets to hijack proceedings and directly insult and mess with the player, he gets to be the villain, he gets to be the butt of the joke, he gets to crash and fail. The Ware crew gets to be people you come to know and relate to and love, while he gets to be the GOTTA WIIIIN guy. It's a fine balance and a very good deal on their end.

It also has no room whatsoever for Waluigi, anti-social party crasher conniving drama queen extraordinaire, in anything other than a cameo or a one-off antagonistic competition with them. He isn't going to take Wario, or anyone's place, and his dynamic with Wario in the spin-offs just doesn't translate to Wario's role in WarioWare. And he belongs even less in the WarioWare crew (especially with characters like Jimmy T and Crygor, who have significant overlapping traits with Waluigi already), he is just not made for playing nice with others like that. It's not that he can't, his player interactions can be remarkably non-antagonistic and chill even, but it's not his thing.

He is Waluigi, as they reiterate in every bio, he is dastardly and mean and also a tryhard loser who "thinks" he's Luigi's rival more so than he actually is, and who doesn't seem to get along with anyone other than Wario, in fact he barely plays nice with Wario a lot of the time, they're partners in crime first and foremost and are depicting bickering over spoils when they work together. He'd just break the balance that makes this cast dynamic work so well without offering anything in return, and would be worse off for it. If anything Waluigi should be the last person to work for WarioWare, it has nothing to do with what he's about and the dude knows firsthand how little Wario intends to pay anyone ever. You could get stuff out of playing him as a rival trying to muscle in their gigs, or beat Jimmy T on the dance floor, and even that's stretching a bit.

I think the biggest problem comes down to the fact that the main thing with Waluigi, much like Wario, IS his outsized personality and the role it offers him, and with how Wario's games are precision-built around him and him alone as the center, putting Waluigi in those is dooming him to get sucked into Wario's orbit in roles that just don't work for him and dillute the chief appeal of putting Waluigi in stuff. Even if he's already secondary to Wario in the spin-offs, in there they fill in a niche together, two halves of one idiot, Camelot's favorite boys and all that, that you can't carry over when Wario has bigger things to do than just play along and be a nuisance to Mario.

I was very happy with Princess Peach: Showtime in part because of how committed it was to the idea of putting Peach and Peach alone in the spotlight, with NO Mario elements whatsoever tagging along for the ride. There is not a single trace of Mario or Bowser anywhere, the Toads leave at the opening cutscene and don't come back until the post-credits when their only role is to give her crown back. The game is just Peach going on adventures, righting wrongs and trying new personas and putting on a show with the people she's saving.

It's short, sweet, it's kind of a baby game and it has to be for the target audience, and it doesn't seem to be super popular in general but I'm glad it sold well, I'd like for Nintendo to make more games like it. It got me to like Peach more than I ever have before, and it got me feeling very good about the fact that this exists at all. Seems like there really has been a creative renaissance for Mario over the past years. Not that I ever expect it to happen anymore, but I always dreamed of Waluigi getting to have something like this, although I'll say that Peach's was a very long time coming (especially given the failure of Super Princess Peach) and I'm glad this premise was made with her. I never thought it'd happen and that makes the former dream seem, y'know, a little less impossible. Maybe.

Semi-unrelated but I am also extremely glad that Madame Grape exists, definitely a character I'd like to see return to occupy a position akin to King Boo or just go-karting with the others. And by no means was this intentional, but I definitely get a kick out of the fact that the villain in Showtime is an overlooked purple-clad drama queen who creates and leads a group literally called "Sour Grapes", who wants to claim her role in a world of happy shining people who don't APPRECIATE her work unless she makes them, who wants to plaster her face and name and colors everywhere, and who is incredibly invested in making Peach her nemesis and foil, even though this story was supposed to be about Peach taking a break for a change and Grape is very far from being the worst thing Peach has to deal with on a regular basis. Just reminded me of another guy who tried to hypnotize "the rhythmless masses" with sweet dance moves once.

[sillylittlegaymer]

Show time

Sketch vv

Drawn in magma, might redraw in procreate tomorrow

[ika-archieves]

the noise in a nutshell

[dylan-skel]

I doodled Lydia as a cowgirl in response to Princess Peach Showtime.

Also referenced this because I like Pizza Tower

[manicplank]

What do they do all day? (More headcanons) I am very bored.

Peppino: Delivers pizzas, but business is shit sooo... He and Gustavo probably play cards while waiting for orders. At home, he watches T.V. or learns new dances. Unbelievably flexible for his age and weight. Goes to Noisette's movie nights every now and again.

Gustavo: Outside of the restaurant, he still loves to cook. He takes his time cooking himself a good dinner (and sometimes will invite Peppino over for a meal. He worries about him.) He likes to teach Brick new tricks or simply pets him. They like to watch shows together. Goes to Noisette's every Monday for movie night.

BONUS Brick: Naps! Big on naps! Likes to snuggle up to Gustavo or lays his head on Gustavo's lap. Has some toys around that he likes to play with. His favorite toy is Gus's shoes.

Mr. Stick: Works in finances, probably works full time. Outside of work, he gambles or stays home and watches whatever show is trending. He either loves it or hates it. Very critical. Enjoys a good nap quite often. Might have a drink or two after 5. Sometimes goes to movie night at Noisette's.

Pepperman: PAINTS, DUH. Outside of painting, he probably does models, like cars or rockets or whatever. He's always trying some new form of art. Tried origami, but his fingers were too big. Definitely cried over it. Not invited to Movie Night Mondays.

The Vigilante: Works on the farm. Feeding the cows, cleaning the pastures, bailing hay, etc. He cries happily every time a calf is born. Loves the farm life, it brings him peace and joy. He prefers it over being the sheriff. However, he usually only works when there's a bounty involved since the western district is pretty quiet crime wise. Goes to Noisette's every other Monday for movie night.

The Noise: Works A LOT. Whether it be on set or in office, he works anywhere from 8-12 hours depending on the day. Typically takes a nap when he gets home unless it's close to dinnertime. After that, he might watch an episode or two of something (and criticizes it, much like Mr. Stick. He thinks his shows are almost always better.) Sometimes he might play a bit of video games. On his days off, he practices skate tricks, naps, or gets into trouble. Might "accidentally" get a little too drunk in The Pig City and have to call Noisette for a ride home. Doesn't usually participate in Movie Night Mondays, because he doesn't like the people. Calls his mom every Tuesday.

Noisette: The cafe is only open 3-4 days a week from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m., with her getting home around 1 or 1:30. She has a group of friends, her girls, who she goes to brunch with occasionally. They definitely gossip. I imagine them like a younger, less boring version of Sex and The City. While Noise is gone, she watches his shows. For some reason, he gets all bashful when she watches them while he's around. She's his #1 fan, after all. She also watches a lot of cheesy shows and movies. Loves romcoms and chick flicks. Hosts Movie Night Mondays with just about everyone she knows. Except Pepperman. She despairs him.

Fake Peppino: Depending on the day, he will sit and stare at the wall ALL DAY. He doesn't always need entertainment. He might help out Gerome and clean up whatever Gerome simply can't stomach (guts, bones, etc.) Some days, he's silly. He'll zoom around the slum. He might want to play. (Stated in a previous post) He likes to play fetch and tug if war, typically using something important... Like a gun or a knife. Something he isn't supposed to have, he will pick up and run away from whoever is trying to take it from him. Only allowed to explore the rest of the tower when SUPERVISED, typically being kept on some sort of leash. Pizzahead refers to this activity as "walking the frog." Goes to Noisette's every Monday for movie night.

Pizzaface: Surprisingly, he's typically on autopilot unless it's SHOWTIME. He floats around the tower keeping everything and everyone in check. Basically a security guard. Plays cards in the saloon with Noisette every now and then. Might knock over one of Pepperman's statues for a laugh. Might go to Vigi's and pet a cow. Might argue with The Noise just for the sake of pissing Noise off. Sometimes has long talks with John or Gerome, feels bad that they got caught up in the tower mess.

Pizzahead: Works in the lab a lot. Always trying to create the perfect clone. Sometimes will tinker with Pizzaface's mechanics. Goes to the cafe every now n then to grab a coffee and chat with Noisette. Dresses up like a cowboy and has a drink at the saloon. Stalks Peppino. Might take the frog for a walk. Not allowed at The Fun Farm after he tried to steal a baby cow. "It was just so cute!" Will talk to John on the fifth floor, much to John's dismay. He also chats with the toppin monsters and tinkers with their gears. Always goes to Movie Night Mondays, he and Noisette are besties despite her not realizing that he's the "Pizzaboy Guy."

Pillar John: Stares at the wall. He can't do much else since he's stuck in the fifth floor bound by cheese. Might chat with Pizzahead out of boredom, even if he doesn't like him. Talks with Gerome at any chance they get. Made good friends with Gustavo while Peppino was running through the levels. Wishes he could go to Movie Night Mondays. Also wishes he could go to the cafe and order some food (crazy, I know, but based off the treasures used to resurrect him in the end, I think it's safe to assume he'd eat LITERALLY anything.)

Gerome: He doesn't get to do much of anything but his job. Might sneak away for lunch, a nap, or to chat with John. Goes to the cafe for a coffee. Might have a chat with Peppino or Gustavo. Mostly avoids everyone else. Wishes he could go to Movie Night Mondays, Noisette still invites him every single week.

[vg-soundtrack-showdown]

Song recs from nomination form below the cut

Pizza Tower: Extraterrestrial Wahwahs, Distasteful Anchovi, It's Pizza Time!, Spaghetti (Pizzascape - Unused), Unexpectancy Part 2, Bye Bye There!, The Death that I Deservioli, Tropical Crust, The Noise's Jam-packed Radical Anthem, There's A Bone In My Spaghetti, LEANING NIGHTMARE, Oregano Mirage, Unearthly Blues, Pepperman Strikes!, PIZZA TIME NEVER ENDS

Rhythm Thief: Last Dance (both versions), SHOWTIME (both versions), Cheering Marie (both versions), Mastermind, Day in Paris, Night in Paris, Phantom R’s theme, Looting the Louvre, Moon Princess, Melody of Hope, To the Eiffel Tower, Flight from the gardens, Family Ties, Sharp Shooter, Ping-Pong Rally, Harder Than Hard Boiled, On Dangerous Ground, A Father’s Duty, Time Limit, Phantom From the Opera, Showdown with Napoleon, En Garde Jean-François

[pizzatowerconfessions]

hi, this is just me being a nerd, but speaking of the crossover stuff ive been having a little idea for a while i just dont wanna draw yet

basically, a crossover project sekai event (like the sanrio event where each character interacted with a sanrio character in their own card) with pizza tower and wonderlands x showtime SPECIFICALLY sorry other group fans go make your own aus /jjjjjj (for those who dont know, prsk is a gacha rythm game with different units/bands)

basically all 4 unit members have a trained and untrained card, the untrain card is what you get in the gacha, the trained is. Well when you train the card by leveling it up and stuff in simple terms

heres what im thinking

Tsukasa: in the untrained, he's baking pizza with peppino, FLAMING with motivation, hes probably thinking "ooh im gonna become a SUPER MASTER CHEF at this rate ☆" and peppino is like "?" But appreciates the enthusiasm. In the trained, he IS peppino, running over stuff killing enemies, all the fancy stuff.

Nene: in the untrained she's in the dining room in a table, and gustavo looks really interested in the game she's playing, making her a little nervous with the sudden interaction. In the background brick looks somewhat distrustful of robo-nene. In the trained, nene IS gustavo and robo nene IS brick, and nene is currently riding robo nene (because rocket feet and stuff) rushing through gnome forest

Rui: in the trained he's hanging out with noise, looking at his blueprints and shit looking inspired. Peppino and tsukasa in the background are both SHITTING themselves at the sight of this. In the trained he's noise bombing peppino in his boss arena idk (i think this parallel is especially funny cuz yknow . Tsukasa is sometimes a comedy relief getting the short end of rui's schemes and stuff, getting launched or blown up, all in good fun lol)

Emu: im still not sure about emu but shes hanging out with noisette in the untrained and she IS noisette in the trained yknow how it goes

Miku: miku gets the 2 star (which is like a less detailed card of the character in-theme, but without background and stuff) where shes just hanging out with pizzahead

Also just for picturing sake, heres what wxs looks like

from left to right: rui, emu, miku, tsukasa, nene & robo nene (thank god robo is in this picture)

anyways i dont even like project sekai that much sorry if an actual fan sees this feel free to correct :((

also if anybody recognizes this yes this is basically just reverse wonder tower au OKAYYYY ENOUGH NERDING OUT sorry stupid rat mod

‎

[juliendesclefs]

68th Marle Does Things - The plushie army (look under the cut)

Hi!

For the 68th Marle Does Things , Marle Clef de Nuit presents to you her army!

They will bring all heroes' end!

Think you can survive a fight with each of the army members?

Then you can try to fight (and die) to the dark mama!

And if they are together, don't even a thing against them, it's useless!

Marle Clef de Nuit's evil plushies team is quite big!

We have, from left to right.

⚫ Dark Bowser [Super Mario]

🔪 Chara [UnderTale]

🍕 Pizzaface [Pizza Tower]

⭕ Marle Clef de Nuit herself

🌼 Flowey [UnderTale]

🍄 Toad [Super Mario]

3️⃣ SMG3 [SMG4]

⭕: "Welcome to your worst nightmare! Meet my army!"

🌼: "With us, it's kill or be killed!

🔪: "And we are here to slash through your hopes ..."

3️⃣: "... We'll take everything from you..."

🍕: "'...'Cause our showtime is at the end of your time! .."

⚫: "... We shall spread darkness over the land..."

🍄: "End pesky heroes and princesses, to take over the world... Bow before the dark goddess..."

⭕: "And I am the Final Boss, whose evil is legendary! My army and me, we will take everything! Bow before me or die in pain!"

[Everyone laughed evilly]

⭕: "Come on, everyone, let's show how evil and powerful we are... Let's do another Total Party Kill!"

[apocalyptyx]

Hey all! Chapter 4 is on its way! While I write, I’ll have this poll up for answers!

I only had room to put all the boss fight tracks😭 but any song from the OST is an acceptable answer! I’ll go first:

I have a couple favorites, but my all time favorite is probably Your Best Nightmare, followed by Metal Crusher and It’s Showtime!

To be honest out of any game I’ve played, Undertale has the best OST (Pizza Tower is a close second on that front tho :p)

[fluffygiraffe]

this man gives me so much happiness you don't even KNOW

[noir-ish-bee]

someone give me drawing ideas before i start drawing pizza tower as wonderlands x showtime songs

[chasmalvice]

indigo's prediction for the future concerns me. BUT THE SONGS SLAP jan- the pizzaria, theterrain WE COOK-A-DA-PIZZA, MAMA MIA. i create my own pride month for italian pride in honor of mr pizza tower man. feb- a voz do violao, god3ps i become entrapped in a sappy romance with a sad ghost and it's very dramatic and sweet until i take us out romeo and juliet style march- la puerta, frankie reyes i am banished to limbo for my crimes april- showtime, DVA ENTERING MY EVIL DIVA MONTH. i become mega quirky and force people working at gas stations to make me burritos stuffed with every ingredient so they have no hope of folding them properly may- starfucker, slayyter i divaed too hard, now i'm tangled with a sigma june- snowfall, oneheart i shouldn't have messed with that sigma, the sigma community cast their evil magic on me and now i'm trapped in a 4k sigma edit july- it can't be helped (there is nothing in the sky), vessel, rahki singh THE LACK OF STIMULUS AND BEING FORCED TO REPEAT SIGMA RULES IS TURNING ME INTO A SIGMA RAAAAAA august- gay bar, electric six I'VE BEEN RELEASED FROM THE SIGMA EDIT BUT I'M A MAN NOW, AND I LOVE MEN. WAAAOOOOO september- do ya feel it?, crawling vines i do weed and fall into a weed coma october- come home, golden living room i'm beginning to rethink things after that weed coma. i just want to live a normal life and be happy november- lily, eevee i have quieted down, looking for an affordable house in the market, and want to settle with someone peacefully december- boss bitch, doja cat SIKE I CHEW CHEW CHEW BECAUSE THEY HOPE I CHOKE i really have no one else to tag on here that indigo hasn't already except for @weedthestampede

i wanna start a tag game so: let your spotify predict your 2024!

shuffle your on repeat playlist, and the first twelve songs represent your 2024

january- guns and ships- hamilton (idek what this could represent but okay)

february- we fell in love in october- girl in red (PLEASE)

march- say no to this- hamilton (…i have nothing to say about this)

april- castles crumbling- taylor swift ft hayley williams (damnit sad month then?)

may- you’re losing me- taylor swift (FUCK TWO SAD MONTHS?? breakup songs are even worse now that im actually in a relationship. please. better not be accurate)

june- astronomy- conan gray (please stop why am i having so many sad songs)

july- stoned- ed sheeran (oh fuck this)

august- new year’s day- taylor swift (hm okay. idk what to say about this)

september- heather- conan gray (i consider heather to be a happy song AND it’s mine and my partners song so i’m taking this as a good one)

october- 18- one direction (yessss we’re going okay now)

november- king of my heart- taylor swift (YESSS)

december- all too well (ten minute version)- taylor swift (i take it back ugh)

no pressure tags!!- @autumnleavesforwinter @weeping-in-the-willows @swiftieannah @felizusnavidad @jittyjames @anixknowsnothin (please help me get this off the ground, but also if this flops you saw nothing)

[swanqueeneverafter]

48. Broken Heart, Pt.1

Storybrooke. Present. Beneath The Clock Tower. (Emma has Mr. Gold tied to a wall as she enters. Placing a bowl of food beside him, she uses her powers to untie him.) Emma: “Better eat up. You're gonna need your strength if you're going to remove this sword.” (She walks over to Excalibur as Mr. Gold watches her, warily.) Mr. Gold: “I, uh, I won't be able to do that. You should really just let me go. Please. I-I need to see Belle.” Emma: (Crossing her arms, she leans on Excalibur:) “You're not going anywhere until you get me my sword.” Mr. Gold: “Well, you have so much power. W-w-why do you need Excalibur?” Emma: “Tell me, when you were the Dark One, did you advertise your plans?” Mr. Gold: “My plans were always hidden. But my reasons were not. Every time I used magic, I told myself it was all for my son... to protect him.” Emma: “How noble.” Mr. Gold: “Despite my best intentions... I still lost him.” Emma: “I'm stronger than you were.” Mr. Gold: (Takes a step towards her, but his hobbled leg causes him to stumble:) “Well, that... that really doesn't matter. The more you justify what you're doing, the more you push them away. And take it from me... you will always lose the ones you love the most.” Emma: (Her expression unreadable:) “Merida.” Merida: (Appearing from the shadows:) “Yes, Dark One?” Emma: “Get him out of my sight. Take him to the woods and begin.” Merida: “How long do you think you can hold my heart and threaten me?” Emma: “As long as it takes me to get what I want.” Merida: “Maybe. But I'm thinking I can break your spell!” (Merida lunges, but Emma turns, holding Merida’s heart in her hand.) Emma: (Squeezing the heart:) “Now take him to the woods... and make me a hero.” (Emma stops squeezing and Merida reluctantly walks over to Mr. Gold. She takes his arm as Emma uses magic to transport them to the woods.)

Storybrooke. Main Street. (Regina, Mary Margaret and David are walking together.) Regina: “What do you mean a dance?” Mary Margaret: “It was Henry's idea. Violet and her father were brought here from Camelot and they're feeling a little... out of place.” Regina: “So you want us to throw a street party for two people?” Mary Margaret: “No. Everyone here needs a little hope, Regina. I think it's time Storybrooke had a ball.” Regina: “May I remind you that this girl broke Henry's heart back in Camelot?” David: “If at first you don't succeed...” Regina: (Rolling her eyes:) “Ugh. Spare me the farmer's wisdom, David.” David: “Shepherd.” Regina: “Whatever.” (At that moment, Belle runs over to them, carrying the enchanted rose under her arm.) Mary Margaret: “Belle. What is it?” Belle: “It's, uh, it's Rumple.” Mary Margaret: “What happened?” Belle: “He's missing.” Outside Granny’s Diner. (Violet sits alone as Henry approaches.) Henry: “Hey. Did you see my text? (Takes a seat next to her:) About the block party.” Violet: “Oh, yes. Um...” Henry: “Everything okay?” Violet: “I'm afraid I'm not in the mood for parties. My horse ran off this morning.” Henry: “Oh... oh, no. Did you check the stables?” Violet: “He's gone. My father's out right now trying to lure Nico with some pumpkin. It's his favorite treat.” Henry: “It's okay. He'll come back. The town isn't that big. Maybe tonight will help you get your mind off of it.” Violet: “Henry, I can't go dancing or go to a party or anything... not while he's still out there.” Henry: “I'm gonna find your horse, Violet. And I know just the person to help.” Somewhere In The Woods. (Merida tosses a sword at Mr. Gold’s feet as he struggles to stand.) Merida: “Don't think about running. With that limp, you wouldn't make it ten feet. Pick up the bloody sword and let's make a hero of you.” Mr. Gold: “But I-I can barely stand, much less fight someone.” (Merida thinks a moment before taking a branch from the ground and handing it to Mr. Gold.) Merida: “Now you can stand. All a man needs is a sword and one good hand. You've got both, so pick it up.” (Gingerly, Mr. Gold leans down to pick up the sword. As soon as he does, Merida knocks it out of his hand.) Mr. Gold: “Look, t-this is useless. If she wants me to pull Excalibur, then... then let me try. When I fail, she can move on.” Merida: “When you fail, there's no moving on. You turn to dust.” Mr. Gold: “What do you care what happens to me?” Merida: “I don't! I care what happens to me! And my brothers and my kingdom... none of which I can help while this goes on. So whether you like it or not, you're going to get me home.” Mr. Gold: “I can never be brave.” Merida: (To herself:) “Me whole fate rests in a coward's hands. It's really come to this? (To Gold:) Yes, you will be. You have to.” Mr. Gold: “You have the wrong man.” Merida: “Well, if words won't drive you, we'll have to figure another way, now, won't we? There has to be something. And I'm gonna find it.” (Merida knocks Mr. Gold out with the hilt of her sword.) 

Mills House. Porch. (Having just been summoned by Henry, Emma appears before him.) Emma: “I’m beginning to feel like Beetlejuice, kid.” Henry: “Do you remember why I first brought you to Storybrooke?” Emma: “Of course... Operation Cobra. Bring back all the happy endings.” Henry: “Well, your mission isn't over.” Emma: “Henry, things are different now.” Henry: “They don't have to be. Show me that the mom I know is still in there somewhere.” Emma: “She is. This is me.” Henry: “Then prove it. Help me return my friend's happy ending.” (A short time later, they walk down the path towards Emma’s car.) Emma: “So, the horse likes pumpkin, huh?” Henry: “Yeah. Violet's dad is out trying to lure it with some.” Emma: “Back in my bail-bondsperson days, I caught a guy because he loved pizza, but I didn't walk around randomly holding a slice of pepperoni. There is a better way.” Henry: “I've missed this... us. Operation Cobra.” Emma: “Me too. (Emma and Henry get into Emma's yellow bug:) So, tell me about you and Violet.” Henry: “She's okay. We like some of the same stuff.” Emma: “Like what?” Henry: “I played her some music, and she was into it.” Emma: “What did you play?” Henry: “Yaz.” Emma: “What song?” Henry: “Only You.” Emma: “Did your dad teach you that move?” Henry: “He said it always works.” Emma: “Did with me. He loved that song.” Henry: “It's a good song.” Emma: “Yeah, it is. (Starts the engine:) Okay. Let's get your girl's horse. I have a good idea where to start.” Mayor's Office. (Merida slams the Once Upon a Time storybook onto the desk. She turns to the page where Rumplestiltskin is holding the chipped tea cup in front of Belle. Smiling, Merida closes the book.) Mr. Gold's Shop. (Merida shoots an arrow into the door, shattering the lock. Entering, she searches the shop until finding what she wants.) Merida: (Breathes deeply:) “There we go. That'll do.” 

Beneath The Clock Tower. (Regina, Robin and Belle walk through the tunnels beneath the clock tower.) Regina: “Showtime. Henry says he's got Emma occupied.” Robin: “You told Henry what we're doing?” Regina: “No, but he'll let us know when she's headed back. Let's do this. (They walk on until they reach the stone where Excalibur rests:) Well, now we know what she’s hiding.” Robin: “Excalibur. It’s back in the stone, but how?” Belle: (Taking a closer look:) “I never got to take a good look at it in Camelot, It's the... the same design, the same edges.” Regina: “Well they were both forged from the Holy Grail. What the hell does she want with this? And with Gold. What is she up to?” Robin: “Well, given her secretiveness, I'd wager whatever it is, it's not good. Let's take a better look at the thing and find out.” (Robin reaches for the sword's hilt.) Regina: “Stop! It could be booby-trapped. You could get killed.” Peter's Pumpkin Stand. (Henry and Emma step out of the car.) Henry: “Mom, this is genius!” Emma: “Yeah, when the first curse ended, this Peter guy opened this place. I wouldn't have known about it, but it got so many noise complaints. I guess ‘Peter Peter’ likes his parties. Hadn't thought of it ‘till you mentioned the pumpkins, though.” (Nicodemus whinnies.) Henry: “Violet wasn't kidding. Look!” Emma: “Would you look at that. Come on. (They walk towards the horse. Neighing, Nicodemus shies away from Emma:) Careful, Henry. I got this.” (The horse rears up again, neighing.) Henry: “Mom, you need to step back and let me handle this.” Emma: “I didn't do anything.” Henry: “You're the Dark One. Now get back.” (Nicodemus is snorting, stamping as Henry picks up a piece of pumpkin and approaches the animal.) Emma: (Anxiously:) “Henry...” Henry: “It's okay. I got it. (To Nicodemus:) It's okay, Nicodemus. Come here, boy. It's okay, Nicodemus. Come here, boy. Come here. Yeah. Here you go. (Henry lures the horse in by holding the bit of pumpkin towards the horse's mouth while his other hand reaches for the reins:) There we go. See? Told ya.” Emma: (Impressed:) “Now that you've got your girl's horse, don't you have a dance to get to?” 

Beneath The Clock Tower. (Belle walks over to the wall behind the sword.) Belle: (Sighs:) “He was here. Rumple was here.” Robin: “And now he's gone. Let's try searching further.” (Cellphone chimes.) Regina: “No time. It's Henry. She's on her way back. (Belle sees something as Regina and Robin head for the exit:) Hey. What are you doing?” (Belle opens a box to reveal a brown dreamcatcher with three seashells and brown and white feathers.) Robin: “What the hell is that?” Regina: “It's a dreamcatcher. Apparently Neal gave her one similar to this a long time ago. But this, it's different.” Belle: “Why would she have it?” Regina: “Because they can be more than just objects of folklore. When imbued with magic, they can be quite powerful. The question is, who’s memory does she have?” Storybrooke. Woods. (Merida returns to Mr. Gold whom she has tied to a tree.) Merida: “Well. Glad to see the bears didn't get ya.” (Merida swings her sword and cuts his restraints.) Mr. Gold: “Please. Please. I-I... I can't fight.” Merida: “No. You won't fight. Big difference. You know, my father used to say, ‘If you want a lad to fight, give him something to fight for.’” Mr. Gold: (As Merida reaches into her bag:) “W-what are you doing?” Merida: “Oh. Reminding you what you have to fight for.” (Merida reveals the chipped teacup, dangling from her pinky.) Mr. Gold: (Suddenly intense:) “Where did you get that?” Merida: “Oh, means something to you, doesn't it? (As Mr. Gold pulls himself to his feet:) Oh! If you want it, you're gonna have to fight me for it.” (Merida throws Mr. Gold a sword. He throws it away, and reaches for the cup. Merida kicks out his staff and legs.) Mr. Gold: “Gahh!” Merida: “Oh! I see it's chipped, eh? Ohhh. Must be fragile. We wouldn't want to drop it, now, would we?” Mr. Gold: “No, please. Please don't. Don't.” Merida: “So, what happened? Did your Belle see the yellow-bellied man you really are? (Mr. Gold reaches for his sword:) I bet you she did, didn't she? Ooh! That had to sting! (Mr. Gold stands and attacks Merida with his sword. Merida blocks it:) Oh! Did you feel that?” Mr. Gold: “Feel what?” Merida: “That swing right there! You weren't thinking of yourself or the limp. You were thinking of her. That was an act of true bravery. Ready to try again? Eh? Eh? (Mr. Gold points his sword angrily towards her:) Good! Because we've got a long way to go before you're ready to take on Emma.” 

Main Street. Harvest Festival. (The people of the town enjoy the festivities as David and Mary Margaret look on.) David: “Your plan seems to be working, everyone seems happy.” Mary Margaret: (Nods:) “That’s something at least. Oh, David, what happened in Camelot? How did Emma fall so far?” David: “I don’t know, but I promise you we will find out and save our daughter.” (Through the laughter, dancing and music playing, Violet and her father arrive at the festival.) Morgan: “Just try to have some fun tonight, okay?” (Nicodemus whinnies as Henry rides him up to Morgan and Violet.) Violet: (Smiling, surprised:) “Henry. Henry, you did it!” Morgan: “Well done, lad. Well done.” Violet: “Henry, this is my father, Sir Morgan. Father, this is Henry.” Morgan: “Indeed, we’ve met before. You've made my daughter very happy. We owe you a great deal of thanks.” Henry: “It was nothing, sir.”

Morgan: “Heroic and humble. (Violet Laughs:) It appears I was wrong about you. (Patting Henry on the arm:) You're a good man, Henry. You'll make a fine knight someday.” Henry: “Thank you, sir.” Morgan: “Now, you two... enjoy the festivities.” (Morgan takes the horse’s reigns and begins walking back to the stables. Henry and Violet look to each other and smile.) Violet: “Thank you, Henry.” (Violet kisses Henry on the cheek and they both walk together towards the fun and games.) Mills House. (Regina stands holding the dreamcatcher. Waving her hand over it, the memories come to life before her. The dreamcatcher shows Henry and Violet in the stables.) Violet: “I'm Violet.” Henry: “Henry.” (Henry returns home and begins to walk into the room, but stops and watches the scene before him.) Camelot. Past. Stables. (Violet reads a note from Henry that reads, ‘Dear Violet, Meet me this evening at Granny's Diner. I have a surprise for you. Henry.’ Violet smiles and turns to find Emma stood beside her.) Emma: “Violet. Can you keep a secret?” Violet: “Of course.” Emma: “Good. (Takes Violet’s hand:) Because Henry can never know about this. (Suddenly, Emma takes Violet's heart from her chest:) Violet, listen. You will get this back. I just need your help first.” Violet: “W-w-what do you need?” Emma: “I need the tear of a lost first love... a fresh tear. (Voice breaking:) I need you to break Henry's heart.” Mills House. Present. Regina: “Wha... (Henry drops his bag of popcorn. Turning, seeing her son and realising he saw everything:) Oh, Henry.”