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Peppy yawned loudly, stretching his lanky arms out of his comfortable red sleeping bag. Tucking his arms back in, he nestled himself back into comfort and warmth. He peered over the lobby floor, watching the morning light that was just starting to peek in through the windows. The air was crisp and cool, and the entire pizzeria was peacefully quiet, although the sound of a few cars made it inside. Peppy found it so relaxing.
He closed his eyes for a few moments longer, thinking about the upcoming day and daring his body to fall asleep once more. But, he remained awake. He slid himself out of his sleeping bag and rolled to his feet, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He did a quick scan of the lobby, making sure Peppino wasn’t awake yet, before he did a big stretch, pulling his arms and legs well past their normal state. He unearthed a yawn so loud that it unhinged his jaw to the point where his brain could be seen inside his mouth. He shook himself back into normal form, feeling quite refreshed.
After a quick trip to the bathroom to moisturize his dry skin in the sink, he rolled up his sleeping bag and hid it in the janitor closet. He then grabbed a few cleaning supplies to wipe down any dust or grime that could have collected overnight.
Just as he started to wipe down the tables, he could hear Peppino stirring in his bedroom above. Peppy stared at the ceiling for a little while, wondering if he accidentally woke his brother up, however he soon remembered that Peppino had something to do today.
By the time he had wiped down all the tables and counters in the lobby, Peppino was dressed and downstairs, looking quite disgruntled.
”!gninroM“ Peppy chirped.
Peppino grumbled low, but returned the sentiment by flashing a smile. He yawned and shuffled into the bathroom to finish his morning routine.
Meanwhile, Peppy was in the kitchen and was wiping down the counters, making sure that the surfaces were ready for the day’s cooking. Something fluttered in his chest; a feeling of excitement and anxiety that made his eyes bob about merrily. Today would be the first time he would man the pizzeria all on his own! This came with a few challenges and struggles, but it was nice to know that Peppino had come to fully trust him!
Peppino finally made his way into the kitchen, still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He yawned and opened the fridge, “What do you want for breakfast?” he asked groggily.
”!enif dnuos nocab dna sggE“
The portly chef grunted and collected the ingredients. He put on a pot of coffee, and made quick work of frying up breakfast. Both he and Peppy preferred their eggs sunny-side up, so he clicked his tongue when he accidentally broke the yolk of his own eggs. He just scrambled them, instead.
“Thanks for keeping an eye on the shop,” Peppino said as he shoved a fork full of egg into his mouth.
Peppy made himself a bit of toast, and was now dipping it into his egg yolks, ”!em gnitsurt rof sknahT“ he cheered.
“Heh, I think you've more than proved yourself,” Peppino smirked, “You feeling nervous?” he took a sip of coffee, “I know I was when I first opened the place. I was sweating bullets when the first customer came in!”
”!gninrom lla gnikahs neeb ev'I“ Peppy admitted. He shook out his arms, as if to prove a point. After eating a strip of bacon, he asked, ”?yadot noisses gnidrocer eht tuoba suovren uoy erA“
“I didn't even sleep! ” Peppino grumbled, “I don't even know how to act on TV, but if recording a test pilot will get the Noise to stop hounding me, I might as well give it a try…”
Peppino glanced up at the clock and jolted suddenly, remembering how long it took to get to the TV station. He swore under his breath and shoveled the rest of his food into his mouth.
“See you later!”
”!kcul dooG“
The chef bolted out the front door, leaving Peppy to wave him goodbye. He went at his own pace while finishing off his breakfast, but wasted no time in getting his day started.
He began with making some fresh dough. He decided to make more than he normally would today. Without Peppino around, and with free reign over the kitchen, he thought he might try making some new things! Some calzones, perhaps some simple pepperoni rolls, and to go even simpler, just loaves of bread! He highly doubted that anyone would buy anything that wasn't on the menu, but it wasn't as if they didn't have plenty of friendly mouths around to feed. And Peppino so rarely said no to Peppy’s cooking these days. He couldn’t help but laugh to himself. That was a far cry from four months ago!
Two hours later, the pizzeria was filled with the mouth-watering aroma of freshly baked bread. Peppy observed his perfectly domed loaves with a squeak of pride, and couldn't wait before he cracked one open. He watched the steam roll off the fluffy white interior with delight. It was still pretty hot, but he dug in regardless, humming with joy as the warmth filled him.
He had set the rest of his dough aside, waiting until he got an order to see if he had enough time to make the calzones, or not. And he didn’t want to waste precious toppings…
While he waited, he kept himself busy by taking stock. He noted that they needed more yeast, and it wouldn't hurt to get a little bit more flour. Toppings seemed to be in good stock, so he ignored those for now, but wrote down pepperoni for good measure. It was the most popular, after all! In regards to supplies, he nearly jumped when he noticed how low his gloves had gotten. He didn't realize how quickly he went through a single box in a week!
Just as he was making way for the janitor closet, the phone rang. All at once, he was stricken with both great anxiety, as well as unmeasurable excitement. He scrambled for the phone, but quickly retreated back into the kitchen to grab his boombox. Although Peppino had come to understand him, random customers certainly wouldn’t. Picking up the phone, he held it up to the boombox’s speaker.
He hit play, and a pre-recorded message came through, “Thank you for calling Peppino Pizza! Unfortunately, we are not offering delivery today, but we’re still happy to fill your order if you pick it up!”
He could hear the customer swear lightly on the other side, but they didn't seem angry, “Ah, oh, alright, can I get a large pepperoni with green bell pepper and bacon?”
Peppy fiddled with the recording, holding the phone away so the client wouldn't hear, “Yes, is that all?”
“Uh, do you like, have breadsticks?” they asked, “I'm so in the mood for breadsticks… Um… that'll be it, I think. How much will it be?”
The chef grunted, fumbling the buttons a little and making the customer ask, “What was that?” before he sneakily recorded a new voice clip.
“Certainly! That will be $29.31, and will be ready to pick up in forty minutes!”
“Cool! Thanks.”
The customer seemed satisfied enough, and hung up. Peppy could feel the jitters bubbling up inside of him, and he bounced from one foot to the other. He gurgled in delight, feeling incredibly proud of himself for succeeding at placing his first order all on his own. This was exciting!
He got to work immediately, starting with the dough for the breadsticks. He whipped up the dressing, prepping a delicious garlic sauce, and slathered it on generously. He sprinkled on some parmesan cheese, and threw it into the oven to bake.
While that cooked, he worked on the pizza itself. He rolled out his dough, then prepped his sauce. He found a new recipe that worked quite well, and Peppino even approved of. With the pepperoni and cheese added, another layer of pepperoni was sprinkled on top of that, with the bell pepper and bacon following suit. In no time, it was ready to bake, and by the time he had finished it, the breadsticks were ready.
After cutting the still-warm breadsticks, he placed them into a warmer, and watched as the pizza baked. It was hardly his first time baking on his own, but there was something inherently special about completing the order from start to finish by himself.
When the pizza finished cooking, he carefully placed it and the breadsticks into individual boxes, threw in some dipping sauce for the sticks, and waited expectantly in the lobby for the customer to arrive. He could barely keep his hands still, fanning them gently in the air (a movement he had unknowingly picked up from Noisette), and fiddling with the hem of his shirt. He beamed when the customer came into view, and stepped inside the pizzeria.
It was someone new, but then again, Peppy never saw most of the customers. They wore a baggy sweater over a brightly colored t-shirt, as well as an equally bright beanie. They seemed to freeze in the doorway, blinking as they gave Peppy a once-over. Seeming to shrug it off, they stepped over to the counter and pulled a wallet from their back pocket.
“Thirty bucks, right?” they asked, leafing through some bills. Eyeing the boxes, they muttered under their breath, “Dang, that smells good…” When Peppy didn't respond vocally, they looked up to him quizzically, and he nodded to confirm their question.
Seems like he should have recorded more voice lines… Oh well.
They handed him a ten, a twenty, and a five, and said to keep the change. Now that they had made eye contact with Peppy, it seemed as though they couldn’t look away. The chef chose to ignore this, going out of his way to avoid looking at their face.
Peppy took the money and hummed pleasantly, discreetly pushing the play button of the boombox under the counter, “Thank you, and enjoy the pizza!” he mouthed along to the recording with some practice.
The customer threw one final glance at Peppy's face, a strange look flashing across their features before they gave him a smile, “Yeah, thanks, you too.” their face suddenly turned red, and they scurried out of the shop, boxes in tow.
Peppy's smile only grew while watching the customer leave. Placing his hands on his cheeks, he gurgled with delight and bounced in place. That couldn't have gone better! He rushed back into the kitchen. feeling quite chuffed and inspired. Time to make those calzones!
An hour or so later, Peppy had finished his baking. Since no one had called since the last client, he had more than enough time to make the pepperoni rolls, as well. He felt a little disappointed, but this was usual fare; it was well past lunch, and typically, people preferred to have pizza for supper, rather than randomly in the middle of the day.
At least his time wasn’t wasted. He started wrapping his food when there was a knock at the back door. He jumped.
He answered it meekly, cracking the door open and poking one eye through so he could see. He smiled when he saw that it was Gustavo and Brick, the latter of which was sniffing around the base of the dumpster.
Peppy allowed them inside, and in no time Brick was scouring the kitchen floor, searching for any tidbits that had managed to fall. Unlucky for him, Peppy did his best to be as clean as possible! Regardless, he watched the rat do his routine search with a smile. He’d offer him a snack in a bit. First, he greeted Gustavo.
“Afternoon, Peppy!” Gustavo grinned, “Where’s Peppino?”
”?uoy llet eh t'ndid ,hO“ Peppy started, but when Gustavo gave him a strange look, he sighed and went to retrieve his boombox. The adventurer didn’t stick around enough to get used to Peppy's manner of speech…
Recorder in hand, Peppy started again, “Didn't he tell you? He's at Noise’s TV station, doing a test recording. I think he called it a 'pilot?'”
Gustavo blinked in surprise, his eyebrows quite high, “Really?” he remarked in awe, “I was sure he was against doing that…”
“Well, Noise was hounding him, so he gave in… If it doesn't go well, he's not going to do it!”
“Oh well, whatever happens, happens, I suppose!” Gustavo laughed with a shrug. Looking to Brick, he clicked his tongue loudly, noticing that the rat was starting to climb up the counter, his snout getting dangerously close to Peppy's calzones.
Brick threw a glance over his shoulder, propping his paws against the counter. He sniffed the calzone a few more times, then started chittering and squeaking. Peppy thought it was cute.
Gustavo heaved a sigh and placed his hands on his hips, “Brick’s looking for a snack,” he explained, “Would you mind if he had something? Anything will do, even leftovers.”
Brick squeaked loudly and defiantly stood on his haunches. He pouted, folding his little paws over his chest.
Gustavo sighed again with defeat and said, “Alright, alright… He'd like to have one of the calzones. Is that alright?”
Smiling brightly, Peppy nodded, “Of course!” he sang, “You both can have a calzone if you want! They're fresh!”
The rat seemed quite pleased with this, and immediately helped himself to the fat one near the edge of the counter. Gustavo said his thanks for the both of them, eagerly grabbing one for himself.
They decided to eat in the lobby, and Brick was the first to finish off his food. He boggled and chirped happily, as if to say thanks. He then leaned his entire body into Peppy, his weight scooching the chair slightly, very obviously expecting some love and attention. Peppy was more than happy to oblige, grabbing Brick’s face and squishing it between his hands. Giving his cheeks a good rub, the rat’s whiskers tickled his face.
“Do you have any idea when Peppino will be home?” Gustavo asked.
Brick seemed to have his fill of having his face smushed, so Peppy moved on to stroking his back. Tilting his head to one side, he eventually shook his head, “No, but do you have a message I could pass on to him?”
Gustavo mulled this over a bite of calzone, “This is really fantastic!” he remarked before answering, “I could just come over tomorrow, but it’s not as if this is any secret,” he took another bite of the calzone, “Brick's birthday is coming up very soon, and we'd love it if Peppino could cater the party!”
Peppy perked up considerably at the notion. Catering seemed like a lot of fun! “I'm sure he'd be happy to do it!” he chimed a little too quickly, and recording hiccupped slightly, “Well, he probably would.” he corrected with a laugh. If Peppino wasn't, his brother certainly would be! The gooey chef was grinning.
“It would be nice if he would!” Gustavo chuckled, “Let him know, and I’ll be back tomorrow.” He finished off his food, “Oh, how much for the calzones?”
Peppy dismissively waved one hand, but Gustavo leaned forward and insisted.
“Listen, I'm not one to make a habit of freeloading!” he exclaimed, “Especially not when you're still trying to get out of the hole!” he tapped his knuckles against the table with purpose, “ Now . How much for the calzones?” Despite being firm, a smile creased his features under his mustache.
Blinking, Peppy briefly stopped petting Brick. Until now, he was planning on either eating them with Peppino, or giving them away… He thought about it briefly, comparing the prices of their other menu items, and came to a conclusion.
“Twenty for the two of them…?” When Gustavo seemed to be fine with that price, pulling a few heavily crumpled bills from his pocket, Peppy sighed with relief.
The pair stuck around for a while longer, talking about various things. Mostly about whatever Gustavo and Brick had encountered in their recent adventures, as Peppy was always so curious. There was a part of him that wanted to join them at least once, but he found that he wasn't such a big fan of the great outdoors… Though the greater temptation was to ask for some sort of souvenir, even if he didn’t have any clue of what kind of thing to ask for.
After a while, Peppy got tired of talking and making recordings, so he and Brick started to play, chasing one another around the lobby in the kitchen. They tried to get Gustavo to join in, but he declined, wanting to relax. He seemed to enjoy watching them play tag.
The rat and adventurer duo decided to leave when the phone finally rang again, giving Peppy space to fulfill his orders. As supper was fastpproaching, more orders started to trickle in, slowly but surely. A deep dish with extra pepperoni. Two personal pies, one with only cheese, and one with the works. A basic pepperoni pizza. An extra large party pizza with the toppings divided up into quarters.
Just as Peppy was starting to feel overwhelmed by dinner rush, Peppino had finally come home, looking brow-beaten and exaggeratedly tired. He stomped into the lobby and slumped into a chair, groaning loudly, falling silent, and then groaning louder a second time. Peppy approached with caution, folding his hands together and hovering over the exhausted chef.
”?…ylroop taht og ti diD“ he questioned nervously.
“No, it went well! ” Peppino's snipped, making Peppy step back, “That's the problem! It went just fine! ” he threw his head back over the chair, “It was a completely normal, perfectly fine show–but the Noise!” he ran his fingers over his face, muffling a scream, “The Noise! He's such a PAIN to work with!”
Peppino flew to his feet and started to pace in a tight circle, “He's so particular about everything, and anytime I made a mistake, he rubbed it in my face!” he scratched at his sideburns furiously, “He seemed to try and not be as MUCH of a pill, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was!” he followed this up with a string of Italian swears. Peppy silently let him blow off the steam.
Stopping in the middle of the floor, he threw his arms into the air, “But again: that's the problem! It went well , which means if the pilot rates just as good, then I'll have no choice but to do this show!” he tossed himself back into his chair, rubbing at his temples, “I should have said no, I should have said no!! ”
Speechless, Peppy circled around Peppino, trying to find the words, or the means to comfort him. On one hand, it was good that the show could be successful! Goodness knows they need a little extra money to stay afloat. But Peppy also completely understood why Peppino didn't want to do this. He tried to imagine himself being watched by a camera, and his skin crawled.
While Peppino attempted to regulate his breathing, Peppy crept closer and gently wrapped his arms around him, pulling the other in for a tight embrace. Peppino leaned into it, heaving a weighted sigh.
“Thanks…” he mumbled into Peppy's shoulder.
Once he had finally cooled down, and Peppy pulled away, Peppino clapped his hands together, “Hah! So! Enough about that. How'd your day go?”
”!yadot sredro evif tuoba dah eW !taerg tnew tI“
Peppino's eyebrows rose, impressed, “Hey! That's not bad!” he leaned forward a bit, as if hopeful, “Do… We have any orders now?”
Peppy's face grew hot, and he rubbed the back of his head, ”!…ni emac uoy erofeb thgir eno tog tsuj eW !hA“ he had totally forgotten about it… Hopefully the customer wouldn’t come early to pick it up!
A grin cracked Peppino's face, “Good!” he exclaimed, “Let's get started! We don't have any time to waste! You can tell me all about what happened while we cook it.” he sprinted for the bathroom to wash up, “Ahh, you already told them deliveries are closed today, right?” Peppy nodded, and Peppino frowned, “Ah, oh well, I really could use a good sprint after that…”
Despite Peppino's frustrations, Peppy smiled to himself. All in all, today was pretty great! And with Peppino to help him finish off the rest of the orders, it seemed like it would end on a good note, at that.
Well and truly, he had finally settled in.