Don’t Take The Money

[sir-scamsalot]

Task 11 —> Intro & Connections

Sunny Flemming Scamsalot // Forty Five // Professional Scam Artist // He/Him

+ Charismatic, Approachable, Humorous - Cunning, Fraudulent, Suspicious

Full Bio [ x  ]

Facts/Headcanons

Sunny frequents Redwood Hollow but does not currently reside there year round. He has a place there, but isn’t always home. The most likely chance of spotting him is during the summer

Sunny does not reveal his last name to most people; the only one who knows it is his boyfriend

Recently came out as gay after being in denial for years

Taken Connections

Boyfriend: @heilanlecoq

Friends: @ozborror-highroller

Wanted Connections*

Friends: Sunny isn't the best at making friends, but if you get through to him, he is a very loyal and helpful friend to have. He would like more friends, but is hesitant to trust people.

Clients: Sunny could use some loyal customers! People who believe in his work and come back each time to see what new wares he has to offer

Wanted Plots / Plot Ideas*

Non-Believer: Someone who either knows or highly suspects that Sunny is a fraud. They're not buying what he's selling, in the literal or metaphorical sense, and may often try to expose him

Pity the fool: Opposite of the non-believer, maybe they are a loyal customer or just someone who frequently stops by and checks out his things, but they believe everything and anything that he is telling them. His fancy words and false promises just seem so believable!

Other

One character from the open tag you would like to see taken: Any of the muses

[sir-scamsalot]

Ever the entrepreneur, Sunny had of course graciously volunteered to run several of the booths for the festival. He was a people person after all, with experience in many different schemes er— jobs. Whatever the situation called for, he was on top of it. "Come on, come on, who's next? Don't be shy," he beamed, encouraging the next person in line to step forward.

@happieststarters

[charlxttelabouff]

the festival had her all excited like a kid in a candy story revved up on sugar. she was practically skipping around and stopped at the booths to see what was on offer. charlotte watched the next person step up and she stepped to the side to talk to sunny "what is it he has to do?"

[sir-scamsalot]

“Ah, very wise to watch and ask before saying yes,” Sunny nodded. “For this one, all he has to do, is throw a ball at the cans, and knock all of them down. Catch is, you’ve only got three chances. If even one is standing, I’m afraid the game is over.” Sunny looked back at the next contestant and watched as he made his first throw. “Ooh… gonna be a close one.” Sure, about a third of the cans fell, but you really wanted more than that, to start. There were tricks to it, after all.

[sir-scamsalot]

Sunny could tell by the way this girl walked up, downing this drink, that she was pretty desperate to get something in her system. "Well, we've got lots of fried food, some on sticks, some in those little paper boats... what about cheese fries?"

[shock-borror]

.

Fried food of all sorts could probably satisfy that craving she had, but his suggestion got Shock's eyebrows shooting right up. Cheese fries sounded extremely good. "Yes. Yes, I definitely need those right now."

She fished a handful of crumpled bills from the back pocket of her shorts. "That, and, uh... another cold beer, if you have any." All stands there should be offering beer and cold drinks, in general, if they wanted to earn some serious money. It was a hot sunny day, no doubt about it, and she was looking forward to spending the rest of the day in the shade.

[sir-scamsalot]

As a fellow cheese enthusiast, Sunny smirked. “Good choice.” Carbs and cheese were always a good combination. Unhealthy, but good. Besides, it was a festival, for crying out loud, they could be healthy any other time.

“Sure, I can do that for you.” He reached under the counter where there was a cooler with ice and beverages, and pulled out a bottle. “Usually festival food is quite pricey, but for one of our musical performers, I suppose I could be flexible,” he grinned. “Do have to charge you for the alcohol, but the fries will be free this round. Good turn out for the concert?”

[sir-scamsalot]

Ever the entrepreneur, Sunny had of course graciously volunteered to run several of the booths for the festival. He was a people person after all, with experience in many different schemes er— jobs. Whatever the situation called for, he was on top of it. "Come on, come on, who's next? Don't be shy," he beamed, encouraging the next person in line to step forward.

@happieststarters

[heilanlecoq]

"My turn, my turn!" Heilan chimed, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet as he stepped up beside his fiancée. His excitement was downright infectious, a wide grin stretching across his face while he fumbled through his wallet with exaggerated determination. After a brief moment of searching, he triumphantly pulled out a five-dollar bill and held it aloft like some grand investment.

"All for the good sake of the trees!" he declared with complete confidence, handing over the money before taking aim. He narrowed one eye in intense concentration, tongue peeking out ever so slightly as he lined up his shot. The dart flew from his fingers with a satisfying thunk, landing dead center in the bullseye.

Heilan threw both arms into the air in celebration. "Ha! Did you see that?" he laughed, beaming with pride as though he'd just won an Olympic medal rather than a carnival game.

Only then did he pause, blinking as he realized what he'd done . His triumphant smile softened into a sheepish one, and he scratched the back of his neck.

"...Uh..." He glanced toward his fiancée with an innocent tilt of his head. "What does that mean, actually? Did I win something?"

[sir-scamsalot]

If it had been anyone else running up to him like that, Sunny may have been trying to hide embarrassment. But in all honesty, he had grown used to Heilan’s shenanigans. “Alright, I do believe we have one enthusiastic contestant,” he laughed, speaking aloud to the small crowd that had gathered.

Sunny -and others- watched in amazement as Heilan landed his dart on the first try. Holy shit, he thought to himself, brows shooting upward. Not many people were supposed to be able to do that. “Yes, yes indeed, you definitely won something,” he nodded, still perplexed at how easy that was. Quiet murmurs were filling the background, as people whispered about what just happened.

“You can pick from anything in this row,” he explained, gesturing to a level of medium sized / valued prizes. “Or… you could play again for the chance to win something even bigger.” This got the crowd talking even more, as they wondered whether or not Heilan would take the odds. “No penalty if you miss.” Well, except you’ll be out more money, he thought.

[sir-scamsalot]

Ever the entrepreneur, Sunny had of course graciously volunteered to run several of the booths for the festival. He was a people person after all, with experience in many different schemes er— jobs. Whatever the situation called for, he was on top of it. "Come on, come on, who's next? Don't be shy," he beamed, encouraging the next person in line to step forward.

@happieststarters

[annaarendelle26]

Anna loved that the Plenty of Trees fest included a carnival section. Maybe she would be able to win a few stuffed animals for prizes. She looked around and spotted a balloon popping game with a '$5' sign hanging on it. 'Wow, that's cheap!' Anna thought. Surely, it must mean that it was five dollars for three darts, like how other carnival games start with three items to throw.

The vendor employee called her over so Anna excitingly skipped over, expecting an easy, cheap game. As she stepped up to the counter, she looked down and saw a paper that started with '$5 = 1 dart.' Anna's eyes widened but now she felt too embarrassed to walk away. One game couldn't hurt, right? "Uh, yeah," she said nervously, handing over a five dollar bill. "I'll play!"

[sir-scamsalot]

Sunny smiled warmly at his next victim volunteer. “Very good, very good. Alright miss,” he began, pocketing the $5 and sliding a dart across the counter. “Hit any balloon you want, win a prize. The more you hit, the better the prize, but if you’re starting with one, that will get you anything up there,” he gestured to the bottom row of small prizes. “Ready?”

[shock-borror]

open starter @happieststarters

Prodigal Daughter's latest show was, unsurprisingly, a success. Not that Shock expected any different. What she did expect, right after the band has played its last encore, was to be able to have something nice and cold after all the water bottles she had brought with her ended up rather lukewarm.

"Finally," she sighed, taking a long swig of a can of almost-frozen beer. There were a bunch of little stands with food and drinks, and she had basically headed to the nearest one and slammed her money on the counter for quick satisfaction. "Uh... what else do you have, that's savory and filling?"

[sir-scamsalot]

Sunny could tell by the way this girl walked up, downing this drink, that she was pretty desperate to get something in her system. "Well, we've got lots of fried food, some on sticks, some in those little paper boats... what about cheese fries?"

[sir-scamsalot]

Ever the entrepreneur, Sunny had of course graciously volunteered to run several of the booths for the festival. He was a people person after all, with experience in many different schemes er— jobs. Whatever the situation called for, he was on top of it. "Come on, come on, who's next? Don't be shy," he beamed, encouraging the next person in line to step forward.

@happieststarters

[mydearestflynnrider]

Thriller!

Lady surveyed the crowd with the unwavering focus of a hawk circling its prey. Becoming a duchess had changed many things about her life, but it had done precious little to dull the instincts forged through years of police work. Once a cop, always a cop—that old saying rang true enough. Her gaze swept effortlessly from face to face until a discarded paper cup arced through the air and landed carelessly on the ground.

She was moving before she'd even consciously decided to, closing the distance with the effortless authority that had once made seasoned criminals think twice. Her voice cut cleanly through the festival chatter, sharp enough to turn more than one head.

"Pick that up," she ordered, fixing the culprit with a look that brooked no argument. "Before I fine you for littering."

@happieststarters

[sir-scamsalot]

Sunny looked around, confused and curious. Had he dropped something? Surely not... or maybe he had. "Who, me? I can assure you ma'am, there was no intentional littering on my part. I'm just a simple man handing out samples, but I'll pick it up for you, sure," he replied, with the most genuine smile he could muster. He'd long since mastered the art of deception.

He carefully squatted down with his little box of drink samples, and discarded the trash in a nearby wastebin. "Would you care for a sample? We've got lavender lemonade, right now. Very refreshing."

[heilanlecoq]

I suppose both men were nervous, though for different reasons, so Heilan’s heart hammered harder than he cared to admit. There was always that lingering fear of taking things too quickly, of letting something soft and meaningful turn too intense before its time. Like the watch—what should have been a simple gift almost felt like it carried the weight of a proposal, when really it was only meant to be the first proper step. Even though Heilan already knew, deep down, that he wanted to marry the man standing before him, he worried that wanting it so soon, so fully, might be enough to scare Sunny away.

“Yes, you can accept it. It’s yours.” The words came out steadier than he felt, though his chest tightened, as if he’d just handed over more than metal and glass—something closer to his own heart.

He waited then, resisting the urge to rush in and fill the silence, not wanting to seem too eager, too desperate for the answer he hoped for.

“Yes—you’ll accept the watch, or yes, you’ll live with me whenever you’re ready…?” Heilan added, a soft chuckle slipping through, pleased with either possibility, even if one clearly meant more than the other.

“You can be such an idiot, Sunny,” he murmured, though the fondness in his voice took any edge from the words. Heilan stepped forward and pulled him into a warm, lingering hug. “You deserve the world,” he added quietly, his voice soft near Sunny’s ear, “and I almost pity myself for knowing I can’t give all of it to you… only what I am.”

[sir-scamsalot]

Sunny stared at it, partially in disbelief, partially in awe. It was a beautiful watch, of course, and he'd always had a liking to the sort. Pocket watches, wrist watches, clocks... it was strange, he knew, but he loved them. Hell, he even found sundials fascinating, even if he wasn't sure he believed they were entirely accurate. For the times, sure, he supposed they were great. "I love it, thank you," he smiled, warmly.

Taking it carefully in his hands, Sunny fixed it onto his wrist, and admired it for a moment. It really was a beautiful watch, and he knew that it was definitely expensive, which he felt inclined to argue about -in a playful sense- but for once he just accepted it.

After a beat, he looked up at his boyfriend and chuckled. "Both." The hug was not expected, but more than welcomed. A gesture which Sunny happily returned. He didn't fully believe in what Heilan was saying, but that wasn't the other's fault. He'd grown up with that mentality, and it couldn't be turned off overnight. However... maybe he could start to try seeing things through another point of view.

"That's more than enough," Sunny confessed, pulling back enough to kiss the man.

[heilanlecoq]

Heilan chuckled softly, the sound low and warm. “Well… good thing I realized it was my beloved speaking to me,” he murmured, a teasing lilt in his voice, clearly pleased he could still catch Sunny off guard.

“Alright, maybe it was a bit expensive,” he admitted, glancing away for a second before looking back with quiet intent. “But to be fair, I’ve been saving up for it—for someone special.”

You, Sunny. Always you. It was almost absurd, the way his feelings had endured—stretching from restless teenage years through uncertain twenties, and still lingering now, nearly three decades later, just as strong… if not stronger.

“Though I suppose,” he added with a small shrug, “you’ll say something ridiculous, like you don’t deserve it.” His lips curved faintly, but there was something firmer beneath it—certainty. Because, in his mind, this had always been Sunny’s. Long before he ever bought it.

He stepped a little closer.

“It’s a Rolex,” he said, almost casually—almost. Then, softer, more deliberate: “And it comes with a question, too…I promised myself if I'd find my person, id never let them go and after someone adviced me, I realized I don't want to let you go anymore, so my question is: will you move in with me?”

[sir-scamsalot]

Internally, Sunny was feeling a bit nervous with all of this beating around the bush. He knew Heilan well enough to know that there was something deeper behind this. Which, again, made him nervous but also excited at the same time. "I might say that, if I think it's true," he admitted.

His entire life, after his mother died, Sunny had a hard time feeling like he deserved anything if he didn't work for it himself. Of course, he'd never really spoken about that, but it was true. Internally, he was constantly fighting a battle in his own mind whenever it came to things like that. Hell, he had to hustle and find a way to survive since he was a teenager. That came with a lot of unresolved childhood trauma that no one was likely prepared to listen to. This was also why he didn't like people spending money on him. Money was a valuable thing, used for survival.

The confession of what the gift actually was made Sunny's thoughts come to a screeching halt. He'd never been given a watch before; always had to get his own. Really, he didn't know what to say. "That's— I don't know if I can—" But then Heilan added that there was a question attached to the watch, and he blinked slowly, staring at the man's face.

Sunny may have been rather oblivious to the other's affection for all of those years, but now, standing there, face to face, the question he proposed felt a whole lot more real, more serious, more... deep than the surface level. Hell, it didn't sound like just asking him to move in. It sounded like...

The thought slipped away when he realized he still had to answer and accept the gift. This was not what he expected, in the slightest. "I— well... sure. Yeah, okay," he nodded, slowly. "And you're right, I don't think that I deserve this," he laughed, shaking his head.

[arturodelisle]

Arturo jumped at the man's voice. He was not sure why he did, the man had not entirely sneaked up on him. He saw him coming, so why his body still gave him a spooked response was beyond him.

"Oh hi, uh, I mean, maybe? Yes. I think. Definitely. I hope so. Sure? Um, why are you asking?"

[sir-scamsalot]

Sunny smiled wider, clapping his hands together. He knew that he had an eye for this sort of thing, still. "Well because dear boy, it's nearly Valentine's day! And what better way to express gratitude for someone than with a gift? So... tell me; what sort of message are we trying to send?"

[heilanlecoq]

“Well…” Heilan said, his cheeks blooming pink as a soft, traitorous chuckle slipped out. “You could say I have… a special someone.”

His eyes drifted—completely, hopelessly, embarrassingly obvious—toward the man who had just spoken to him. Sunny. His boyfriend. The title still felt unreal and wonderful in the best, dizzy sort of way, like saying it too loudly might make the universe snatch it back.

“And, um… I might have gotten you something,” he added quickly, rubbing the back of his neck with a nervous smile. “I promise it wasn’t overly expensive.”

That was, admittedly, a gentle lie. Not criminally expensive. Not ruin-your-life expensive. Just… slightly devastating to a teacher’s budget expensive. The kind of purchase that required instant noodles, heroic self-control, and months—years, actually—of quiet saving.

Because tucked carefully away was a golden Rolex.

Heilan had started saving for it when he was twenty-two, long before Sunny was officially his, back when “future lover” was just a shy, fragile dream he barely dared to name. He’d told himself it was silly, dramatic, wildly impractical… and then saved anyway. Coin by coin. Paycheck by paycheck. Hope by stubborn, ridiculous hope.

And now Sunny was here. Not a dream. Not a maybe. His.

So really, what better moment than Valentine’s Day to give the gift he’d been guarding for years—along with his heart, which, frankly, had been Sunny’s long before the watch ever was.

Heilan cleared his throat, suddenly shy again despite everything. “Just… don’t yell at me for it, okay?”

Because if Sunny did yell, Heilan was fairly certain he’d still be smiling like an idiot the entire time.

[sir-scamsalot]

Sunny was so far in the customer service zone that it took him longer than normal to realize just who had walked up to him. Slightly embarrassed, he shook his head. "Sorry, I didn't realize it was you." There was something different about him today. Something softer, which was saying something. It was making him a bit nervous, truthfully.

"I feel as though that's not entirely accurate." He had known Heilan for years. The man didn't do anything small. Sunny was almost positive that whatever it was, if he felt the need to play it off, was likely more expensive than he was letting on.

"Why would I yell at you?" he asked, slightly confused, but with a soft smile on his face. That was only sort of silently confirming he was correct, but just in case, he waited patiently.

[sir-scamsalot]

l like us. Don't you like us? (Heilan)

"You mean in a general sense, or in a together sense?" he asked, feigning a serious expression, before cracking a smile. "Kidding; I think you know that answer by now."

[patrickpattersxn]

"yeah, anytime i can smell chocolate it makes me feel sick. i'm more of a simple salted pretzel kind of guy. i'm a picky eater, i don't like any of those other flavours you mentioned. my dad always says i'm the worst person to take to restaurants"

[sir-scamsalot]

"Nothing wrong with the classics. Ah, I'm sure you're alright. There's loads of ways around that, these days. For example, you could look up the menu ahead of time, see if anything on there sounds good before showing up and wasting your time."

[hirrobotics]

Hiro blinked, staring at the stranger in front of her. Alright, quick judgement to make. Especially with something like this?? The guy must be in the worst case of indecision, then. Or something like it. She looked over at the trees in question. 

“Best embodies the spirit of Christmas… I guess it wouldn’t be that one, it doesn’t look very sturdy. That one doesn’t look very ornament friendly, maybe this one? Its branches are long enough for a lot more ornaments and it doesn’t look like it’ll topple right over so…”

He trailed off, hoping the other got the rest of the meaning. Honestly, Hiro wasn’t too sure what else his brain wanted to say. She cleared her throat. “So, yeah. I’d go with that one. Need anymore life changing decisions done for you? Not taxes though, they’re too complicated for me.”

[sir-scamsalot]

Sunny didn't think there was so much technical stuff about picking a tree, but he supposed that made sense. He stood there, assessing the trees and looking back and forth. "Hmmm... I see. I was never good at this sort of thing... Hell, I think the last time I had a Christmas tree in my home was when I was a teenager."

He didn't need to spill his entire family trauma to a child. "Oh trust me, my taxes are... far too complicated for most to understand. But regardless, I feel like I should be asking you that question... how old are you?"

[sir-scamsalot]

Sunny was a business man first and foremost, so where there was a profit to be made, he would find a way to do it. Redwood Hollow was certainly in need of spreading the love, over the past few months. He was just... doing his civic duty, to assist with that. If that meant selling slightly overpriced flowers and knickknacks for Valentine's day, well... so be it.

"You there! Got someone special in your life you want to get a gift for?"

@happieststarters

[arthurrasa]

“Huh… what? Me?” Arthur stammered, blinking at the stranger like they’d just asked him to solve some impossible riddle. He shuffled on his feet, then ran a hand through his hair, unsure where to look. “I… I mean, I wouldn’t really know?” He cleared his throat. “I, uh… I wasn’t really allowed at, um… Christmas parties. Not because—I mean, not because I’m Jewish or anything—because I’m not, I’m Christian, technically—but… uh…” He waved a hand vaguely toward his neck, scratching it nervously.

“My adoptive dad… he… he said I would, um… ruin the mood. Or… like, spoil everyone’s fun? So, yeah, I was basically, uh… stuck in the basement. Cutting potatoes, or, um… doing dishes, I guess. Or whatever else made me… useful, he said. While everyone else… was upstairs, I guess… having fun? With cocoa, presents… stuff like that.”

Arthur’s words tumbled out faster than he could think, and he winced, realizing he was oversharing again. “Uh—I didn’t mean to… spill all that. It just, uh… kind of… came out? Yeah.” He cleared his throat, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other, hoping the stranger wouldn’t notice how weirdly nervous he’d become.

[sir-scamsalot]

Sunny stared at the young man, blinking slowly. He recognized some of the mannerisms and body language that he was giving off. It was the energy of someone who had experienced a lot of trauma. He didn't even need to listen to the words coming out of the boy's mouth to know that. However, he wasn't about to interrupt. So, when he was finished, Sunny nodded slowly.

"No, don't apologize. It's quite alright. Well, forget about the Christmas aspect. Do you think it looks good, aesthetically? If you were to go out into the woods, would you stop to look at this tree?"