[Black.Wings]

Username: Black.Wings
Buttermilk: Bullet
Prompt: Do you have a profession, or a way to make a living? If not, what would your dream job be?
Bullet takes a sip of her drink and gently sets down her cup. “Hmmm” her face twists into a thoughtful expression as she clearly thinks through her answer. “I haven’t thought about it much love.” Bullet was a wandering free spirit. She spent her days doing freelance work. She didn’t have a job per-say and was never in the same place for long. It was a miracle she even stumbled across this festival to begin with. She made a living off artistic commissions or small jobs like mowing lawns or yard work. “If I had to choose to settle down love, I think I’d like to be a tattoo artist. I haven’t got the funds to go to school though.” She swirled her drink around in the cup, grounds swirled around the rim almost poetically. “I like traveling the world love, there’s so much beauty in every hill and valley. Each lake tells a tale old as time. The people you meet each leave their own unique experience on your heart.” Her gaze meets yours for only a moment, she sends a smirk across the table and takes an another sip of her drink. “Maybe one day I’ll grow tired of the adventure and settle down love, then I can go to school.” She finishes off her drink and slides double whats owed across the table. “Keep the change love.” She turns to leave, halfway out the door she turns back to look one last time. “Be sure to travel the world love, there’s no good in living this life you’ve been given if all you do is stay in one place.” She disappears through the doors to the cafe. Will you ever see her again?
285 words

[Clawdina]

Username: Clawdina
Buttermilk's Name/Link: Cashmere
Answer to Prompt:
Upon hearing Azai's question, Cashmere can hardly contain herself. Without a moment's notice, she begins her thought train, "Well, I don't have any jobs right now, but the idea of a historian or author absolutely fascinate me! The idea of discovering the lives of people long forgotten is something that cannot be understated in the building of civilizations. Without those lessons, we might never learn and do better." Cashmere is about to continue before stopping a moment. She looks up as if she has changed her mind. "I do suppose an author could be just as thrilling, though. Such tall tales to be spun, keeping everyone guessing as to what might be true or not! Imagine, tall tales of heroes and dragons, tragedies of lost love, or even discovering the truth behind a cold case. Fiction was an escape for me for a long time, and every time I find myself coming back to it, I understand how wide of a spread writing has." Cashmere, clearly having lost her train of thought, looks at Azai once again.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is, being an author sounds like it is an absolute dream, and I'd love to give people the escape that they might need from the harsh reality that life can be.

[strawberrymwilk]

Username: strawberrymwilk
Buttermilk's Name/Link: kanti
Answer to Prompt:
kanti took a moment to think over the question before deciding, "in all honesty, i do not really know, something that would allow me to travel the world!" in her free time kanti loved to learn about new places and the cows who lived there. as much as she loved her barn, it felt restricting at times. the world was so vast, surly she was not meant to spend her life in the same area. she looked up at azai making sure he was listening before speaking once more, "that seems like it opens up the chance to so many yet so little jobs all at once. hmm.. maybe i could be a photographer! i could capture the beauty of nature and of the locals who live there. maybe some even have stories they want to share with the world." kanti finished her thought excitedly, liking where her train of thoughts were bringing her, after the festival she had a lot to think about!
[164]

[honeybunchesofoats]

Username: honeybunchesofoats
Buttermilk's Name/Link: hey look
Answer to Prompt:

The thick velvet curtains ripped away from each other like polarized magnets. Bright sunlight filtered through the pristine windowpane. Icarus' eyes were already open as he stared at the ceiling unmoving. He loathed every second of being awake in this stupid castle. He learned to silently let his servants tend to him in the morning after multiple unpleasant conversations with his mother. They dressed him, delivered him breakfast, and read out to him his schedule for the day. He moved through the motions like a robot, but nowadays even they had more soul than him.

Icarus would never need money. The job of a prince and the possible future king of a nation was not for monetary reward, but for the responsibility of carrying the weight of an entire society on your shoulders. He spent every day of the last 20 years studying politics, patience, and poise. He was entirely sick of it. Icarus was always evading his lessons, it was getting harder to pin the boy down the more time passed. Only the palace artist knew of all his secret hiding spots, but the elegant swish of purple hair would never give his best friend up.

He knows that technically, he has it easy. He is more fortunate than any of his mother's people and he will never have to break a sweat for a piece of bread. If he were to wake up in another body, or in another timeline, he would not wish to never work. Drive was not his obstacle. He would wish to fly under the radar and for once, feel like an average person in an average house with an average job. (278)

[bluex]

username: bluex
buttermilk's name/link: cybele
answer to prompt:
cybele's shell melted away at the question. despite her usual hesitations to speak, even cybele finds it hard to contain herself when there's an opportunity to talk about her passions.
"conservation!! I work in environmental conservation!! my focus is on sustainability, but I also take care of my own apiary in my free time. I think its so important to have people to take care of the planet, especially since it takes such good care of us!" she shuffles in her seat, settling in to the conversation. she reaches for her bag and jingles the bumblebee bag charm, looking up at azai with pride.
"I'm so proud of the work I do, I could talk about it for hours. hydroponics, vertical gardens, waste reduction, all for the greater good so people like you and me, and the creatures we share our home with can all coexist." she turns to look out at the festival grounds, crawling with people. spotting a small sparrow bouncing in the autumn leaves, cybele smiles and hums in content. "i'm excited to go home and see my bees again. nothing beats the honey from a happy hive... now i'm hungry. do you have any honey?"

[199]

[literal.swag.]

Username: literal.swag.
Buttermilk's Name/Link: bluebell
Answer to Prompt:

while bluebell spends some of her time with communities she cares for and believes in, her dream profession would be a herbalist and an artisan! her love for flora, of herbs and spices, of flowers and weeds, has led to a lifelong passion for all things plant-related. countless of hours of pouring over foliage and their composition to know everything she can has shaped her life. she finds it entertaining and exciting to learn all the properties of each different type of weed or herb and all their subsectors and to put them to use. to be able to help others with her knowledge and love of plants would be the dream. along with her adoration of flowers, bluebell also has a passion for crafting and creating things by hand. the joy and importance her creations bring to others make her heart swell like nothing else. really, all bluebell wants to do is help others. [155 words]

[case]

username: case
buttermilk's name/link: infinity
answer to prompt: As Infinity plopped down in the bar stool, she immediately felt a wave of peace and tranquility overtake her soul. She realized that she had forgotten how exhausting participating in these types of festivals could make her. The quiet pop-up cafe was just what her spirit needed. "I am starting to think that I need to hire you to set up a pop-up in my driveway," she laughed, eyes twinkling. "I truly love what I currently do for work." Infinity reached in her bag, pulling out a mini Pantone book. She flipped through a few pages, which were yellowed and dog-eared. She started to point at a few of the vibrant hues. "I am responsible for giving these colors their names. It is actually a lot harder than it looks. Most people are utterly uncreative and uninspired. That is why it is so important for me to come to a place like this," she gestured around the cafe. "This place is exhilarating and stimulating." Infinity reached in her colorful bag again, pulling out a few colored strips of paper. "If you do not mind, I am going to try to put a name to these colors. Do you have any suggestions?"

[201]

[certified]

Username: certified
Buttermilk's Name/Link: Eeve
Answer to Prompt:
Eeve blinked and blinked again. She opened her mouth to respond and shut it just as quickly when she couldn’t sum up a response for Azai.
She shook her head slightly, staring into her lap and fiddling with her fingers nervously. Tears began to swell in her eyes, threatening to spill over onto her cheeks. She took a deep breath and waited for the tiny droplets to vanish.
“I paint for the most part and sell locally. Things like flowers, scenery, abstract portraits. Things of that sort.”
She inhaled and opened her mouth again, as if to speak and nothing came out, yet again.
She barely lifted her eyes to meet Azai’s as he smiled at her gently. His face soft and empathetic. Listening.
“I’ve never been asked that before. Is it bad I’ve never really wanted to do any one thing for the rest of my life? That I don’t want to settle on just.. one job?”
Her gaze went back to her hands in her lap as she sat and thought more.

[♔Voltaire♔]

Username: Voltaire
Buttermilk's Name/Link: Azai
Answer to Prompt:

The bell had chimed to signal my entry, and the moment it rang out I had frozen in place. It was as if the entire room went silent, save for the whirring of the espresso machines and clinking of kitchenware in the back, and I remember that I felt eyes on me the entire time as I shyly shuffled to the back of the cafe, head downcast to avoid meeting anyone's scrutiny. Anxiously I had white-knuckled the back of the chair, pulling it out and causing a loud, echoing screech as the legs scraped against the wooden floorboards, my cheeks hot from embarrassment at the loud sound. I remembered sitting quickly, fumbling with my fingers nervously under the table and trying to blend in as best I could, despite the earlier circumstances.

I tried my best to tell myself that the anxiety and the restlessness were normal; applying for a job in the midst of grieving my mother's passing just a week prior can do that to the soul. My belly churned with both nerves and the fact I hadn't eaten in almost three days, and it only worsened with the presence of footsteps and the unceremonious plop of someone sitting in the chair across from me. The young had immediately clocked me on my nervousness, and I couldn't do much more than chuckle sheepishly and scratch at my temple in shy embarrassment. It wasn't much of a typical interview, the two of us clicking immediately after a little interim of awkward tension. We had chatted about this and that, shared stories, shared grief. By the time the 'interview' was finished, it was time for her and her employees to start the closing process. I remember the look she gave me, tossing me a set of spare keys with a small comment about how she would see me tomorrow at 6 AM sharp.

Her name is Zoe, and she has managed Brew Ha Ha for the better of four years; honestly, she was born for the role.

I have worked at that little cafe for five years now, and it's surreal to even begin to comprehend that amount of time has passed already since I was hired. Since my mom has passed. I have made countless friends who have provided me with one of the most stable support systems I have ever had- but as someone who had been homeschooled and wasn't provided with much of a social life; that's not saying much. But... It means the world to me. My work means the world to me, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

(435 words)

[Butter Dragon]

Username: Butter Dragon
Buttermilk's Name/Link: Junebug
Answer to Prompt: “Do you have a profession, or a way to make a living? If not, what would your dream job be?”

Junebug has never worked, living on a farm isn't never something she's had to do or even think about. But she has heard of jobs, and sometimes she has wondered what they might be like. Being the daydreamer she is she has often pictured what various occupations might be like, probably inaccurately, and wonder whether she might enjoy them or not. Although she's gone through this thought exercise multiple times, she tends to come back to a single job; pet therapy. She had heard of some animals that will be taken to see the sick and provide some joy, and being the sweet buttermilk she is Junebug gravitates to the idea of bringing joy to others even if they are strangers. Although she doesn't know what all it would take, or if a cow could even do such a thing, she will still imagine what it might be like to visit those who need more joy and do what she can to help.

[163 words]