Carving Contest

Velvet wasn't entirely the best at crafts.

It was a little ironic - as a necrobie, she was made of plush and stuffing. It wasn't the best to not know how to repair herself if she got damaged. She just... wasn't the best at working with her hands. Er, paws.

However, she was told that there was a reward for the best carved pumpkin... and that curiosity wouldn't stop itching at her mind unless she tried. She wouldn't want to miss out, right?

Once she had arrived at the fair, she realized that the pumpkins used for carving were provided by the Stitchwitches. Oh. She had brought her own. Oops. Hopefully that wouldn't disqualify her?

She was thankful for the provided tools, however - she had assumed previously that her claws would work well enough with it, but she saw another necrobie at the table accidentally crush their entire pumpkin in their paws. Yikes. This seemed to need a little more finesse and expertise.

She took a quick look over the provided knives. Some had ridges, others were smooth... all in various different sizes. Maybe a smooth, simple knife would be best for this situation? She couldn't go wrong with that.

Once she made the first cut, though, she realized that she had made a great mistake. She was going into this event hoping to come out with a prize - but she had no experience with pumpkin carving, or any kind of carving in general. She figured that it would be as easy as cutting a fruit or vegetable open in preparation for cooking, but the way it made the squelch sound when she sunk the knife in made her artificial skin crawl.

Why was it so... wet? She knew, logically, that pumpkins were fruit. But the fact that she'd be expected to carve out all of the guts and seeds before carving hers was a small issue that she had forgotten entirely before showing up to the contest.

She cringed, pushing the pumpkin further away from her. The strong smell also wasn't doing this situation any favors.

"Um- excuse me," she mumbled, walking over to one of the judges. "I just decided that I would like to... donate my pumpkin. For a different contestant to use. I'm going to be dropping out of this competition. Sorry."

"Oh, really? That's a shame," the judge said, frowning at her. "But if you're certain, that's fine. We can find someone else who can put that pumpkin to good use!"

"Mmhm," Velvet hummed, trying not to make her look of discomfort too obvious. "Thanks. I mean it. Appreciated lots."

She gave an awkward thumbs-up - or at least, the closest approximation she could with her paws - before scurrying away.

Maybe she'd try again next year. But she doubted it. She was better suited at the sidelines.