(open.) october catch-all

[tsumtsuki]

🧙 WHO: Tsumugi Tsukioka and you!
⚔️️ WHAT: catch-all ft. pumpkins, street acts and gardening. also maybe some closed prompts later on? who knows.
🕒 WHEN: throughout October
🗺️ WHERE: around Camelot
⚠️ WARNINGS: N/A, but will edit if needed.


A ❄ pumpkins spicing things up | quest prompt: PUMPKIN MAYHEM!
[ Tsumugi isn't really... the most artistically gifted individual... to put it kindly... but it's fine! What's most important is that he's having a good time while not injuring himself with the knife! And he's succeeding on both fronts! Though either: ]

[ 1. he's carving out the last details for his dog (? question mark?) jack o'lantern. when suddenly it barks, causing him to jolt and carve into the poor dog's face. ] Ah! [ Can... can pumpkins growl...? His pumpkin might be growling now. Uh. ]

[ or 2. he's admiring his, honestly, very ordinary looking jack o'lantern with a comically big smile when, without any warning, it speaks! ] Hey! Why did the witch get kicked out of school? [ There's an awkward silence, save for the pumpkin's "eh? eh?????"s, before it finally gets to the punch line. ] Because she failed her spelling tests! Get it? Spelling tests? Hahahahahahaha!

Ahahaha... [ ... at least his forced laughter is kinda convincing? Kinda? ]

---

B ❄ to bloom, but only for a while | limited to: second week of October
[ The few days of sun amid the rain are a welcome sight for Tsumugi. Not wanting to waste any precious time, he's quick to roll up his sleeves and gets his hands dirty - quite literally, in fact, as parts of the ground are more mud than earth.

The flower beds outside Kaika Theater have seen better days, and with the temperatures dipping steadily, it's only a matter of time before it's too cold for them to survive. Still, Tsumugi is determined to keep the gardens beautiful for as long as possible. Maybe the sight of vibrant flowers blooming, despite the changing weather, can bring a sense of hope or comfort to someone? At the very least, he's been entrusted with their care... but selfishly, it's for himself, too, so he can have something for his hands to do while he thinks, and thinks, and thinks.

Whether you have business at the theater, or are just walking by, you might overhear Tsumugi talking to someone, or something. It's either: ]

[ 1. a small group of children surrounding him, including one sitting on his knee, enraptured as he teaches them the basics of gardening, answering each and every one of their questions with patience and grace. ]

[ or 2. the fae frog he picked up earlier in the month that decided to accompany him on this gardening excursion. Despite having green magic and how useful it'd be for his Garden Bossing, Tsumugi hasn't really been using it... which the fae frog has plenty of thoughts about. ]

Honestly! You could at least be trying to use your magic! Anything is better than nothing, you dolt!

Sorry... [ He reaches his hands down toward the flower bed, about to try something - but before he gets very far, the frog croaks indignantly (if that's even possible) and smacks his hands away. ]

Wrong!

---

C ❄ putting the "act" in "charitable acts"
[ Tsumugi Tsukioka isn't a fighter, or even all that confrontational. When he tells himself there's nothing he could've done to stop the destruction, it isn't self-deprecating, but the cold, harsh truth. It's a bitter pill to swallow, but he tries nevertheless. Because as a good friend of his would say, "the show must go on". There wasn't anything he could do then, it's true - but there are things that Tsumugi Tsukioka the actor can do, here and now.

Rain or shine, fog or wind, if you're out and about within Camelot, you might come across this acting junkie preparing for yet another street act. Replacing his usual sign advertising Kaika Theater is a slightly one that reads "If you enjoyed this street performance and are able to, please make a donation to one of the following:", along with a list of any charities, soup kitchens, and the like that need support. There's even instructions on how to do so, just in case (thanks, kazunari, for teaching him how that works).

With the street corner as his stage, Tsumugi takes his place, breathes in, and begins. ]

1. a monologue about someone pining from afar (click to expand)

[ In Tsumugi's hands are a pen and a notebook. He flips to a blank page, then begins to write. ] To you, [ His voice is warm and gentle. ] I hope you are in good health, and that you are happy.

I suppose I know the answer to that first part, though - I heard that your procedure went smoothly, and you are well on your way to recovery. Words cannot begin to express how happy that makes me.

Perhaps you’ve received blessings from an angel. [ He smiles, wistfully. ] It’s a nice thought, don’t you think?

Do you believe in angels, friend? I understand if you don’t. But I-- [ His head snaps back, as though the paper he’s writing on bit back. He scratches up whatever he wrote, then continues. ]

Sorry, my pen slipped. What I meant to write is: I hope you know that you are never alone. No matter how far you may stray from home, there will always be someone by your side.

Sincerely yours, your secret admirer. [ He folds up the paper and slips it delicately in an envelope. He seals it with a kiss, then holds it over his heart as his eyes close gently and he ends with: ] ... your guardian angel.

2. “that sounds like something a supervillain would say” (click to expand)

[ With a potted plant in hand (a miniature yellow daffodil), Tsumugi goes through the motions of ringing up an imaginary customer’s purchase. ]

Thank you for your patronage! We hope to see you again soon. [ He smiles pleasantly for a few seconds... and then the smile drops as he chuckles to himself. ] ... Heheh.

[ He gently strokes one of the petals with the back of his finger, reminiscent of how a cartoonishly evil villain might pet a cat. ] It seems my plans are starting to bear fruit.

It’s only a matter of time until- [ He stops, and turns suddenly. ] - what was that?

[ Are you a fellow conspirator? A hero? An ordinary citizen? Something else entirely? Whatever you choose, it’s time for you to take the stage with him! ]

3. create your own (give me something to play off of, or message me and we can come up with something together!)

Comments

A1

[patchricide]

[Honestly, part of the reason Allura had stopped to see Tsumugi's pumpkin is because she can deeply, deeply sympathize. She's avoided making one herself because she doesn't want to ruin a perfectly good pumpkin. So when she sees a design with a childish scrawl that bears some similarities to her own drawings, she wants to stop and say something encouraging.]

[You know, like... "Keep trying! It already looks very animal-like!"]

[But then she hears the growl, and the yelp — and she wonders if she shouldn't get involved for different reasons.]

Are you all right? ... wait... your sheep drawing! You stabbed it! [It was supposed to be a sheep, right?]

[tsumtsuki]

[ It's not supposed to be a sheep... That's just how he draws animals........ But that detail isn't important right now. ]

It was an accident! [ Even so, his pumpkin seems quite upset about the slip-up, if the continued growling means anything. And really, who could really blame it when, regardless of Tsumugi's intent, it got stabbed in the face with something that's still in its face. Any sentient creature wouldn't like that.

Tsumugi frowns and addresses the pumpkin. ] I'm sorry. Will you let me help you? [ To which the pumpkin replies "no" in the form of barking low and backing away when he reaches for the carving tool. In theory, his pumpkin shouldn't be able to hurt him - there's no defined mouth, therefore no bite - but he's not going to press his luck. The same magic that gave his carving life could've given it teeth.

With that failure under his belt, he turns to Allura once more. ] I'm sorry to trouble you, but if you don't mind, I could use your help...

[patchricide]

It's no trouble at all. Let's see what we can do. [She steps forward, putting herself between the pumpkin and its creator. Her eyes narrow with focused intent, unafraid of the carved up vegetable. She starts to draw a strange weapon, one that only has a handle visible...]

[And then she stops herself, turning to look back at him.]

Hold on, should I just retrieve the knife? Because I could take care of the whole thing, if that's what you would like. It would be a shame, but...

[Something about the pumpkin looks oddly... smashable.]

c1;

[prontissimo]

[ Alberto's stopped by the street corner on his usual walks about town, having nothing particularly urgent to ever do with his time, so standing by to watch the performance is a casual lure. The signs tipped him off that something's going on. He stands with a bored and skeptical look at first, contraposto with his hand on his hips, barefoot and with a very vintage-looking Polaroid camera hanging around his neck. As he watches on, though, his expression softens quickly... and by the end of the "letter," has melted into pain, empathy, clearly stirred by the performance. His heart feels full. It's not exactly his situation, but the words still strike a chord... Just hits too close to home. He's never seen a street performer, so he doesn't know what to do — clapping seems... not it? So the child just stands there staring with this pathetic look on his face, expectant and emotional. ]

[tsumtsuki]

[ The crowd, for the most part, disperses after Tsumugi takes a bow. So when he lifts his head, he finds himself staring right at Alberto. He can see he made an impact - he wouldn't be so stunned, so clearly emotional otherwise - but while he'd like to think it's a positive one, he rather be sure.

With a soft, kind smile, Tsumugi steps a little closer to Alberto, but remains mindful of his space. Just in case. ] Is everything alright?

[prontissimo]

Ah—? Y-Yeah...!

[ The check-in takes him aback a bit, but he's quick to recover, straightening up his stance hurriedly. But he can't quite wipe that painful look off his face, can't stop his knotted brow from quivering slightly still. Definitely clear a chord was struck, even if it's also clear he's hesitant to admit it to a strange (however kindly) stranger. ]

Yeah, yeah, everything's great. Um—

[ He hesitates, averting his eyes, before meeting Tsumugi's gaze again more earnestly. ]

...Was that all true? The letter you wrote — to your friend?

C2

[scriptwriter]

[Who approaches Tsumugi will be Kotarou who's wearing a grey cloak with the hood hiding his face and a tall wooden stick in his hand. He was watching his street performance and figured that he could lend him a hand a bit. Why not have a little fun with helping him his donation cause? Stepping forward, Kotarou decides to play along with this guy. For now, he'll play the role of a evil villain sidestick. Those were always fun to do. He figured that he could use his light magic at some point to help out this guy's performance a little.

This meant that he'd have to do a bit improvising on stage, wouldn't it? Kotarou wasn't sure how much an actor he could be, but he never hated to do some grandstanding.]

Sorry for coming in late to work, boss. I was on my way, but the horse traffic was... [He looked ominous with his hoodie on, but then he pulls it down to reveal a more easygoing expression as he winks at the audience.] ... anneiiiiiighing!

[BA-BUM CHING. That's it. That's his delivery.]

[tsumtsuki]

[ Oh! So he's taking this in a comedic direction. Tsumugi can roll with this. While it's not his specialty, he has some experience he can fall back on.

He pinches the bridge of his nose while still holding that tiny potted plant in his hand. ] Let me guess. [ His voice pitches to more closely match Kotarou's. ] "There was an overturned apple cart on the side of the road, boss! It was backed up foal-"

- dammit, now you've got me doing it! [ If he had a desk to slam his hand against, this is where he'd do it. Instead he grumbles a little before continuing. ] "It was backed up for miles!" Is that your story?

[scriptwriter]

Well, there's a little more to this tale! I don't want to bore our audience, but it looks like they've got some time to spare. So why not explain what happened?

[Kotarou decides to lean up against the wall and crosses his legs with his stick resting against his shoulder. Yes, he's totally that slacker co-worker who goofs off at his job.]

This all began with something that happened last night! I was hanging out with a group of goblins named Tom, Larry and Moe. You see, Moe is just so happening to be getting married soon and needed advice for flower bouquets that he needs for decorations. And I told him, "Hey, I just so happen to work at a flower shop. My boss can help you get to the root of the problem."

A-2

[gunmettle]

[ Juzo doesn’t really subscribe to this whole “holiday merriment” thing that Camelot seems to enjoy so much, but here he is anyway, meandering around while people carve faces and creatures and all sorts of things into hollowed-out pumpkins.

He still doesn’t get it. But, when the pumpkins start talking, well, he can’t say he’s surprised. Seems on-brand for this place.

There’s a rather large, looming presence suddenly behind Tsumugi as Juzo wanders up. His expression is unreadable as always, but he deadpans, ]

What a rotten joke.

[tsumtsuki]

[ Tsumugi, noticing the rather large shadow from the looming presence behind him, turns. ] It- um. [ And whatever pacifying comment he planned to make vanishes from his mind as he takes in Juzo's appearance. While he's gotten a bit more used to seeing non-human beings, there's plenty to experience still, it seems...

He won't gape for too long, though, because that'd just be rude. ] Sorry for staring...

[ The pumpkin, on the other hand, seems completely unfazed. It rolls back a little to stare up at Juzo with its big, carved out eyes that might be narrowed if it could physically squint. ] I'll have you know that that joke's as fresh as I am! Just picked from the patch! [ the... the joke patch?

Before either of them have the opportunity to process what that could possibly mean, the pumpkin continues. ] Maybe you'll like this one better: why did the skeleton skip the party?

[gunmettle]

[ In the face of all that staring and the subsequent apology, Juzo simply lifts one massive shoulder in a half-shrug. ]

I’m used to it.

[ It’s a very rare person who doesn’t stare at him when they first meet. Even if they try not to make it obvious, he knows when he’s being looked at like… well, like his head is a giant gun.

The pumpkin cuts in, anyway, and Juzo takes a contemplative drag of his cigarette. ]

‘Cause he had no body to go with.

[ Come at him, pumpkin, this is his brand of humor!! ]

B-2

[reloves]

[ Minako is definitely just passing by, rather than intentionally going towards the theater. But as she's walking past, it's hard to not notice the sound of that frog bossing someone around - and when she looks over to see who it is, Minako realises she actually recognizes the guy.

It's her yoga buddy! Her yoga buddy who she hasn't seen since.. well, let's be real, Shit Went Down, but she figures that exactly makes this a good moment to check up on him.

And to make sure he isn't being bullied here.

So Minako walks over to where the other is kneeling next to the soil, staring over at the duo. ]

.. Is everything alright here?

[tsumtsuki]

[ Maybe one day Minako will run into Tsumugi while he's not in the middle of embarrassing himself in some way... but clearly today is not that day, as his frog continues lecturing away until she catches their attention.

Tsumugi looks to her with a sheepish smile (which, oof, sure is familiar). ] Ahaha... yeah, I'm okay. But thank you for asking, Minako-chan.

Yeah, just peachy. [ The frog hops onto Tsumugi's shoulder to get closer to eye level with Minako. (there's still a giant height difference. it's fine.) ] Say, you wouldn't happen to know green magic, would you? This boy needs all the help he can get.

[ ... the frog says, but the flowers look well taken care of as they are. ]

[reloves]

No, I don't..

[ Thankfully Minako is a little better at standing her ground in front of sidekicks - if this frog can even be named that, honestly - so it's not like she's just totally going along with this and abandoning poor Tsumugi to his fate.

.. Especially when she looks over and sees the state of those flowers. ]

But I'm not really sure what he'd need help with? All of these look totally fine to me!

C2

[natsupiko]

[Kazunari hasn't done a whole lot of acting since he arrived in Avalon, but that is about to change. He watches Tsumugi's scene unfold and has to muffle a giggle. He always forgets Tsumugi has this side to him. As funny as it is, it's totally convincing. It's like he's watching an old cartoon.

Then, he is given the perfect opening and he has to jump in.]

I-it's just me, boss!! [Enter the completely unaware, ditzy part-timer. Kazunari stumbles onto the scene, all smiles and his voice a pitch higher.] I'm back from lunch! Did you say somethin' about fruit? 'cause I have some extra if you'd like ~

[tsumtsuki]

[ If Kazunari thinks that's funny, then he really needs to tag along the next time he drags Itaru out for their weekly street acts...

Tsumugi sighs heavily and shakes his head a little, perfectly channeling that Competent Boss With Questionably Competent Underlings persona, as often seen in old cartoons. ] I said bear fruit, lackey. That has nothing to do with real fruit.

[ A pause, then: ] ... But what do you have with you?

[natsupiko]

W-w-w-wait!! Are you saying there's no such thing as bear fruit?!

[Kazunari dramatically thrusts his arms forward to show Tsumugi the fruit in his invisible bag.]

Then what are THESE?!

A2

[glossophobia]

[ Its easy enough to not be surprised by many of the oddities that occur in the city, but pumpkins that tell shitty puns, or just shitty puns in general, strike a particular nerve in Rosho that he finds difficult to ignore. ]

Please put that thing out of its misery so it'll stop.

[ He knows that might be a rude suggestion when he's just a passerby, but god, don't make anyone else endure this terrible routine any longer before it continues. ]

[tsumtsuki]

[ In Rosho's defense, Tsumugi isn't particularly attached to his joke o'lantern. He's laughing simply because it feels rude not to, not because he finds the jokes funny. But still. ] Isn't that a little much?

Yeesh, tough crowd. [ If the pumpkin could look disappointed, it probably would right now - but alas, it can only wear its big, clumsily carved grin. ] Maybe you'll like this one better. What's a vampire's favorite fruit? Hm? Hmmmmm?

[ ... never mind, there might be some regrets now. ]

[glossophobia]

I have a low tolerance for comedians, especially if they're this bad.

[ Oh no, it has another one prepared. Rosho stares at it dead-eyed. ]

This'll be the last joke you make in your life so make it count. Whats the answer, huh? Blood orange?

A2

[rotacalamitas]

[Was that a joke? if it was, Bennett isn't laughing, thinking it's just kind of mean-sounding. And to make matters worse, he thinks Tsumugi is the one who said it, not the pumpkin he carved.]

How's that supposed to be funny? I'm sure she tried her best. You shouldn't make fun of her for giving it the best she had!

[tsumtsuki]

[ Tsumugi and the pumpkin both look to Bennett, confused. ] I'm sorry, but I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding here...

You said it! The joke flew right over his head, just like that witch! Hahahahahaha! [ This time the pumpkin laughs alone, because he's honestly unsure if that was supposed to be funny. Sorry.

Seemingly unfazed by the lack of response, the pumpkin continues. ] Maybe you'll get this one: why didn't the skeleton want to watch a scary movie?

b2

[silvergarden]

[What pretty flowers! Rinea was only passing by the theatre, but stopped to admire the remaining fall blooms when she hears the scuffle a few beds over. She tilts around the corner to see, just in time to watch the little frog whack Tsumugi's hand. Wowee!!

Putting that aside, though, the boy looks familiar.]

Excuse me, um... [She cringes a little, hoping that the frog's ire will not be turned upon her for interrupting.] Are you mister Tsumugi?

[tsumtsuki]

[ Luckily, the frog isn't interested in giving Rinea a hard time! ... at least, right now. But she certainly has their attention!

Tsumugi's eyes brighten with recognition, and he can't help but smile warmly. ]

I am. It's good to meet you in person, Rinea-san. [ Taking advantage of the lull in the lecture, Tsumugi rises to his feet, brushing the dirt off his knees as he does. ] What brings you over here?