History Characters / DrCraftyPepperAndPickles

* BareYourMidriff: A consistent detail across Pepper's outfits is that her tops leave most of her large belly bare; they almost always sit above her navel. The description of [[https://www.deviantart.com/blue-paint-sea/art/Warm-and-a-Little-Bit-Snug-778243295 this piece]] reveals that her clothing tends to be slightly undersized; their hems always rise back up. This isn't the case for her Beach Month attire, introduced in "The Beachles," which is merely the top of a bikini that exposes her belly entirely.

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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_1pepper_cropped.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"There are so many unique combinations that are special in their own way. [[SupremeChef And baking is such a delicate process that it makes it such a new adventure every time!]]"\\

[[quoteright:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see Pepper rendered by Blue-Paint-Sea (and in her casual attire).]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_1pepper__the_octo_chef____2021_render_by_blue_paint_sea_deu4tds_fullview.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
[[quoteright:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see Pickles rendered by Blue-Paint-Sea.]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pickles_render_2021.png[[/labelnote]]]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_1pepper.png]]

[[quoteright:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see Pepper rendered by Blue-Paint-Sea (and in her casual attire).]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pepper_render_2021.png[[/labelnote]]]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pepper_6.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"There are so many unique combinations that are special in their own way. [[SupremeChef And baking is such a delicate process that it makes it such a new adventure every time!]]"\\

* GentleGiant: Like Nurse, Pepper's height can be hard to discern during a typical ''Dr. Crafty'' episode. She is in fact ''[=7'4''=],'' being the biggest of the protagonists in height ''and'' weight. However, there's not a mean bone in her body; if anything, she's immensely caring, accommodating, and affectionate.

* CelibateHero: Pepper is a loving, compassionate person, but she never feels the need to pursue a romantic relationship. Her outlook on romance and her sexuality--a contributing factor behind her approach to the former--are both explored on occasion.

*** "Going Poster" is the first to drop such a hint; it also implys Pepper's asexuality before it's explicitly revealed in "Ad-ORC-able!" When the Crewmates discuss what genre a hypothetical ''Dr. Crafty'' movie should be, Pepper suggests making a romantic comedy. Messi agrees to the idea and coyly suggests adding sex scenes into the film, which Pepper noticeably balks at.

*** "Going Poster" is the first to drop such a hint while also implying Pepper's asexuality before it's properly revealed a few episodes later. When the Crewmates discuss what genre a hypothetical ''Dr. Crafty'' movie should be, Pepper suggests making a romantic comedy. Messi agrees to the idea and coyly suggests adding sex scenes into the film, which Pepper noticeably balks at.

--->'''Pepper:''' Um... You don't necessarily ''have'' to have an action movie to make a movie, Doctor. Maybe we could make something like, uh... a romantic comedy?\\

* CelibateHero: To justify why she can't reciprocate her admirers' feelings, Pepper reveals in "Ad-ORC-able!" that she's asexual. The description of [[https://www.deviantart.com/blue-paint-sea/art/Pepper-And-Pickles-Profile-Model-Sheet-official-805172532 this reference sheet]] elaborates on this quality, specifically labeling her as ''gray''-asexual--but ''not'' aromantic. She's very capable of feeling romantic attraction; she just never feels compelled to act upon it. Episodes like "Pirates Vs. Doctors" imply that she fulfills her romantic needs indirectly by consuming and producing romantic works. But past those activities, the simple joys of cooking and providing for others in need are more than enough for Pepper.

* RomanticAsexual: Despite having no interest in participating in romantic relationships herself and being grey-ace, Pepper will happily indulge in romance vicariously.
** "Going Poster" provides the first hint about Pepper's romantic tastes and her asexuality in general. When the Crewmates discuss what genre a hypothetical ''Dr. Crafty'' movie should be, Pepper suggests making a romantic comedy. Messi agrees to the idea and coyly suggests adding sex scenes into the film, which Pepper noticeably balks at.
--->'''Pepper:''' Um... You don't necessarily ''have'' to have an action movie to make a movie, Doctor. Maybe we could make something like, uh... a romantic comedy?\\
'''Messi:''' I'm interested! Buuuut, if we're going that route, we're gonna need to increase the rating on our show for all the romance scenes...\\
''[At Messi's suggestion, Nurse blushes profusely, not at all hiding her enjoyment of the idea. Pepper, meanwhile, doesn’t blush; she simply stares awkwardly at the camera, unsure of how to respond at first.]''\\
'''Pepper:''' I wasn't picturing ''that'' kind of movie, but, um...
** She and Crafty grow rather invested in the character design that they're making in "Pirates Vs Doctors," and they each suggest story ideas for him. Crafty edges towards something dark and suspenseful, while Pepper prefers something lighthearted and romantic for Captain Crowsnest and his crow companion.
--->'''Pepper:''' Wow, Doctor! You seem to be really into this character!\\
'''Crafty:''' I really do love this idea and wouldn't mind building on it more! Maybe a spin-off show about a crow looking for love out on the open ocean--\\
''[Pepper blushes and clasps her face in joy, but her smile drops when Crafty continues explaining his idea.]''\\
'''Crafty:''' --only to find the ''hooked hands'' of the captain!\\
'''Pepper:''' As much as I can appreciate dark shanty tales, Doctor, maybe it could be about the Captain and the crow both finding love out on the open ocean instead! They can go on enchanted adventures together, and--\\
'''Crafty:''' Mmmmmm, nahhhh. I want it to be a ''rough and gritty'' story, not a magical girl reboot.\\
'''Pepper:''' ''[dejectedly]'' I suppose I'll keep my fan fiction to myself, then...
** "Over the Moonsault" reveals that Pepper is an avid shipper, even making cross-franchise pairings if it suits her whims. Specifically, she ships the episode’s character design, the wolf wrestler Moonsault, with Incineroar, who partially inspired Moonsault.
--->'''Pepper:''' Okay, I know they’re two fictional animals from different universes... But I ship them~.\\
''[[[VisualPun A picture of a cargo ship appears onscreen to illustrate Pepper's point]].]''\\
'''Crafty:''' How would that even work?\\
'''Pepper:''' I just want them to ride off into the sunset and wrestle each other! I am a girl of simple needs...\\
'''Crafty:''' Riiiiiiight...

** According to her [[https://www.deviantart.com/blue-paint-sea/art/Dr-Crafty-Fan-OC-Concept-Sheet-705832767 initial concept art's biography]], Pepper's core design was very much inspired by Marina of ''VideoGame/Splatoon2:'' Both of them are sweet-natured and reserved octopus creatures with long, draping tentacle hair, eyebrows that are downturned by default, and are very tall among their respective casts. They're both dressed in outfits that expose their midsections, and even their bodies have colour schemes that are associated with different hues of green.

* MultiArmedMultitasking: Pepper has a set of uneven tentacles attached to her head that function as additional arms, much like the larger ones that are connected to her thighs. Both sets are very practical for multi-tasking, which plays a big part in why she's such an effective chef. It has yet to be demonstrated in the show proper, but various pieces of official artwork (such as [[https://www.drcraftyart.com/crafty-gallery?pgid=jzoy5jwt-06b672d7-636e-47f3-a708-0864abd7b275 this Halloween piece]] and [[https://www.deviantart.com/blue-paint-sea/art/When-a-Cook-Explores-the-Dungeons-870390134 this design]] of Pepper from a ''Dungeons and Dragons'' campaign) show this skill in action.

** While both artists use oval dots to represent Pickles' eyes, Blue-Paint-Sea tends to also give Pickles a variation of comma eyes, deliberately reminiscent of characters like WebAnimation/HomestarRunner. Alex's design merely uses simple dots for Pickles' eyes.

Before being hired into Crafty Industries, Pepper was a well-traveled nomad, one that gained a vast amount of culinary knowledge over a long period of time. It's thanks to this lifestyle that Pepper would acquire a vast amount of culinary and cultural knowledge over time, which manages to make up for her shyness. Her most recent job prior to joining Crafty was that of a waitress at a seafood restaurant: The Fish'n'Fish. During his vacation between Seasons 1 and 2, Crafty visited said restaurant and he easily picked up on how miserable Pepper was in her position. He immediately made arrangements for her to work with him--not just as the ''Chara-Cafe's'' co-host, but as the lair's head chef, and the Crafty Crewmates have been enjoying her meals ever since.\\

* TentacleHair: Pepper has a set of uneven tentacles attached to her head that droop like large bangs of hair, and function as additional arms when active. They tend to express themselves throughout her pose set, pointing and curling in all sorts of directions as she moves around.

* TentacleHair: Being an octopoid, she has green tentacles on her head.

A highly-reserved chef with life experience to spare, Pepper is a humanoid cephalopod mutant who is introduced in Season 2 as the co-host for the first of ''Dr. Crafty's'' spin-off series: ''Crafty's Chara-Cafe.'' She is the most kind-hearted of the cast by far, always approaching life with her gentle, affectionate touch. Conversely, she's also the most introverted of the Crafty Crew, barely able to keep up with the show's sense of humor. This passivity can impede her from helping out or contributing when she really should be, but otherwise, she tries her best in everything she does.\\

Before being hired into Crafty Industries, Pepper was a well-traveled nomad. It's thanks to this lifestyle that Pepper would acquire a vast amount of culinary and cultural knowledge over time, which manages to make up for her shyness. Her most recent job prior to joining Crafty was that of a waitress at a seafood restaurant: The Fish'n'Fish. Crafty dropped by there during his vacation between Seasons 1 and 2, and he immediately picked up on how miserable Pepper was in her position. He made arrangements for her to work with him--not just as the ''Chara-Cafe's'' co-host, but as the lair's head chef, and the Crafty Crewmates have been enjoying her meals ever since.\\

* BigFun: Not only is the generously rotund, sweet-hearted Pepper as well-versed in pop culture as the other hosts, but she also has one major goal: to ensure that everyone she meets is well-fed and happy. She reveals as much in "The Art of the Con(vention)" when Crafty asks her about her backstory:

* BikerBabe: In addition to being played up as one of the most desirable Crewmates across the series, [[https://www.deviantart.com/blue-paint-sea/art/Delivering-With-a-Smile-750097685 a certain supplementary piece]] reveals that Pepper uses an old, beat-up, slightly undersized scooter as her primary means of transportation. It's a remnant from her time as a pizza delivery girl, one of her most fondly remembered previous jobs. While it seldom appears on ''Dr. Crafty'' proper, the scooter and Pepper's ability to maintain it and other vehicles are alluded to a few times.

* JigglePhysics: [[https://www.deviantart.com/blue-paint-sea/art/Dr-Crafty-Fan-OC-Concept-Sheet-705832767 As explained in the biography tied to her concept art]], because of her soft stretchy skin, flexibility, and all the fluid she retains, Pepper's body jiggles fairly easily whenever she moves. Messi mentions that this uncontrollable jiggling is something that she has in common with Pepper in "Player Select."

* MultiArmedMultitasking: Pepper's tentacles--both sets, on her head and around her hips--are very practical for multi-tasking, which plays a big part in why she's such an effective chef. It has yet to be demonstrated in the show proper, but various pieces of official artwork (such as [[https://www.drcraftyart.com/crafty-gallery?pgid=jzoy5jwt-06b672d7-636e-47f3-a708-0864abd7b275 this Halloween piece]] and [[https://www.deviantart.com/blue-paint-sea/art/When-a-Cook-Explores-the-Dungeons-870390134 this design]] of Pepper from a ''Dungeons and Dragons'' campaign) show this skill in action.

** Blue-Paint-Sea tends to give Pickles a variation of comma eyes, deliberately reminiscent of characters like WebAnimation/HomestarRunner. Alex's design merely uses simple dots for Pickles' eyes.

''[Chic's "Freak Out" starts playing as the disco ball appears and Crafty starts dancing. To represent how awful it is, [[StylisticSuck Crafty's dancing is depicted as him merely swinging punches from side to side]].]''\\

''[Chic's "Freak Out" starts playing as the disco ball appears and Crafty starts dancing. However, to represent how awful it is, [[StylisticSuck Crafty's dancing is depicted as him merely swinging punches from side to side]].]''\\

''[Chic's "Freak Out" starts playing as the disco ball appears and Crafty starts dancing. However, because of limited resources, [[StylisticSuck the dancing consists of him swinging punches from side to side]].]''\\

* ArtEvolution: Blue-Paint-Sea went on to simplify certain elements of Pepper's design that influenced how she appears in subsequent ''Dr. Crafty'' artwork. The most prominent changes were made to her hip tentacles — they were thinned out to match her head tentacles' proportions, but to keep them distinct, they're now conjoined by webs of skin, which maintains their resemblance to a skirt. The green portions of her design were redistributed to emphasize her yellow skin, as well. Pepper's Season 4 promotional artwork, unveiled in "We’re Back! A Crafty Story," consolidates some of these changes into Pepper's ''Dr. Crafty'' design. It’s also in this episode where Pepper’s pose set became scaled up slightly. This makes her height above most everyone else more apparent.

* BreakoutCharacter: At first, Pepper and Pickles were initially just conceived for ''Dr. Crafty.'' However, their overwhelmingly positive reception and Blue-Paint-Sea's own enjoyment of the characters caused them to be fleshed out ''far'' beyond their presence on the show. Now, they're major characters in Blue-Paint-Sea's work, contributing hugely to another set of stories entirely.

* BikerBabe: In addition to being played up as one of the most desirable Crewmates across the series, [[https://www.deviantart.com/blue-paint-sea/art/Delivering-With-a-Smile-750097685 a certain supplementary piece]] reveals that Pepper uses an old, beat-up, slightly undersized scooter as her primary means of transportation. It's a remnant from her time as a pizza delivery girl, one of her most fondly remembered previous jobs. While it seldom appears on ''Dr. Crafty'' proper, the scooter and her ability to maintain it and other vehicles are alluded to a few times.

** For "Crafty Horror Picture Show," the Crewmates all dress up as "Rocky Horror" characters while performing a "Sweet Transvestite" parody. Pepper dresses as Eddie; the one immediate thing that the two share in common is their use of bikes. Pickles even dons motorcycle handlebars on his head to complete the homage and drive the analogy further.

** Some trivia on [[https://www.deviantart.com/blue-paint-sea/art/Pepper-And-Pickles-Profile-Model-Sheet-official-805172532 this model sheet]] reveals her extremely few, infrequent exceptions to her otherwise broad aversion to seafood, provided that someone else prepares them for her. [[ShownTheirWork All of them come from creatures that octopi typically prey upon]]: crabs, scallops, and other similar meats used to prepare seafood fettuccine, her favorite pasta dish.

* DoesNotLikeSpam: With few exceptions, Pepper refuses to eat seafood; she's afraid of becoming a cannibal of sea life if she goes too far. For the same reason, she avoids seafood preparation entirely. These moral dilemmas were why she was forced to become a waitress at the Fish'n'Fish rather than a chef before Crafty inducted her into the Crafty Crew, and that still did very little to dissuade her discomfort in her workplace. Some trivia on [[https://www.deviantart.com/blue-paint-sea/art/Pepper-And-Pickles-Profile-Model-Sheet-official-805172532 this model sheet]] reveals her extremely few, infrequent exceptions to her otherwise broad aversion to seafood, provided that someone else prepares them for her. [[ShownTheirWork All of them come from creatures that octopi typically prey upon]]: crabs, scallops, and other similar meats used to prepare seafood fettuccine, her favorite pasta dish.