[Glitchatopia]

username + number: Glitchatopia + 1065549
name: Cascade Over Leaf-Dappled Waters
prompt:

[dolly]

username + number: dolly 741113
name: mika
prompt: [529 words]

Age 10

Mika swiped her paw across the pond. Her reflection erupted into harsh ripples, hiding her twisted frown.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she hissed, swiping at it again. “Stop.”
Her eyes drew up, stuck on a lily pad farther down the pond’s length. A brilliantly white lotus bloomed from its side. She slammed her front paws into the water. Her toes dug into the rocky shallow beach below.
“I’m normal,” she insisted. “I’m just like everyone else.”
But she wasn’t. Those lotus blooms covered her back, too. Her fur parted, leaving way for leaves and petals. Even if she clipped them, they’d always come back. And every time she went down to fetch pails of water for the village, that thing would stare back at her. A thing with blooming floral eyesores.

Age 15

Her eyes avoided the pond as she scooped water into the pail. The last time she’d had an outburst, someone saw. She hadn’t heard the end of it for weeks from the other kids. It was the gossip on everyone’s tongue. As if she wasn’t freakish enough. Of course she had to be crazy, too.
Her gaze remained stuck to the mossy bank. An ugly longing coiled in her chest. Moss would be easier to hide. Moss could look like fur. Lotus flowers look nothing like fur.

Age 20

For the first time since she was young, she stepped into the water. The weeks were getting longer and longer. She had to get out of here one day. She had to go somewhere where nobody knew her, or she had to go find somebody who could fix whatever was wrong with her. Maybe others like her existed somewhere. Maybe there was someone with forget-me-nots dotting their legs or ivy growing down their tails.
Cool water lapped at her ankles. As cool as the morning breeze. She stepped in further, letting it climb her legs. Across the horizon, the opposite bank sank with her gaze. The lotus blooms became one with her sightline. As if she was one of them.
They were prettier like this. Their petals shot up like spikes. As if they’d offer any sort of protection if someone cruelly stomped them. They’d poke back. This, of course, was a fantasy, but it warmed her stomach to think of. Their pads were just as pretty. A deep green that shone bright in the sun. Delicate like flags in the wing, dancing against the slow current. She wondered if hers looked just as pretty.
Would anyone else think they were pretty? If someone peaked over the edge, would they find her blooms magnificent? Would their eyes be drawn to how her hair tangled into them like seaweed? Would she be something more?
To this town, no. She wouldn’t. But maybe outside, maybe far beyond where anyone told gossip about the crazy girl with lotus blooms.
Somewhere out there, she’d sink into a pond like this, and someone would find her lotus blooms beautiful. They’d watch her swim for hours. They’d see the pink edges of her flowers and see someone amazingly unique. They’d see someone who belonged there. Someone so much more.

[JolleeFroot]

•─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───•

Username+ID# - JolleeFroot 757997

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Name - Europa

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Prompt -
Europa lives in the kingdom of Ocerius, a realm that spans and extends beneath the shores of the Crystal Abyss. This beautiful sea sparkles with liveliness during the night due to its beautiful coral reef. Above is the beach where Europa lives, which is named the gleaming margin. It gets its name from the sand, which glistens and gleams a gorgeous rainbow of color in the light. Sadly, she herself cannot breathe underneath the shore, so she has a nicely made home beside it. And since many kalons are unable to breathe underwater, scuba shacks stand beside the water for those who wish to venture into the colorful coral reef. The coral is enormous; something has caused it to grow far larger than it should, allowing kalons of all shapes and sizes to be able to create a home of some kind. Each home is intricately made, primarily sticking to the original shape of the coral, only adding or getting rid of parts if it’s needed. Most homes ‘doors’ are just open holes in the coral because of the internal waves that would often lift and move previous attempts to cover the entrances. Ocerius is the place Europa calls home; it's the place where she’s welcome to be themselves, free and happy. She is often asked to help decorate the water for special events, which is attributed to their ability to grow lotuses like no other. Europa is loved by many here, always seeming to be followed by younger kits who want to see their lotuses. She's happy most times to show, although sometimes she wishes she could be left alone for a moment or two.

•─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───•

[lizzybee]

🐸 username + number: lizzybee, 979405

🪷 name: charlotte (lottie)


𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟


Lottie shrieks as the water crashes over her head, momentarily disorientating her as she paddles halfheartedly beneath the swell. Fishes dart around her face and she blows out her oxygen in bubbles that they delightedly swim through, moving this way and that, scales glimmering rainbow in the sunlight.
When she surfaces it's with a laugh, splashing her way to the edge and scrambling up to the bank amongst the cattails and river weeds. The water feels like it clings to her back paws sorrowfully as she leaves its embrace, flopping onto the damp ground and stretching out in the sun. She closes her eyes and every so often she feels the water move just close enough to brush off her and keep her damp. Her long hair is dragged back into the river as it goes and after a few minutes of laying there enjoying her fur drying, she open her eyes and rolls them at the body of water, rolling back onto her belly and stretching again.
"You're so needy," she grumbles affectionally, resting her head on her paws as she watches the sunlight dance. She loves this place. She loves the waves, the plants, the animals, the way the water cuddles and protects her whenever she's with it. She knows it might seem strange to some people, that her only true family, friend, relationship, is with water. It's just so... alive. In a metaphorical sense, but a physical too. When she cries into it, her sorrow is swallowed and swept along to be felt by anything that gets too close. Her rage is eaten by it and crashed against bridges that get built over her head, without her. Her joy comes alive in gentle currents that swirl just enough to toss her about but not enough to harm her, because her friend has no real desire to hurt her, does it? It's just here to comfort her.
It splashes up over her nose suddenly, and she splutters as she inhales it, and then snorts it out. It tastes - smells - feels? - sort of metallic in her nostril and she grumbles as she sits up, rubbing it to try get the water out.
"That was rude," she declares when she finally feels like it's gone, and the water washes apologetically around her paws. She guesses she was lost in thought, which is fair. They're supposed to be playing. It's such a beautiful day to play with her best friend, when noone else will come near her.
She wades back into the shallows and is immediately embraced. The water doesn't play any tricks this time, just lets her float there quietly in the warmth. She doesn't need anyone else here when she has this. Why would she? She's not lonely. She has a friend so vast it never ends. It's forever. It'll be here for her, forever.
Lottie closes her eyes and lets out a long sigh, sinking into the water so only her hair and a few lilypads are exposed. She'll nap here, she thinks. The water will make sure she doesn't wash too far from where she is. It'll keep her safe, as it always does.

(527 words !)


𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

[Ucanthandleme]

Username + number: Ucanthandleme
Name: Gulf
Prompt: The fear of water

Drowning.
The robber taking air from their lungs with a haunting beauty.

A stormy night. The waves on the ocean turned and the sky rumbled in fear, eternity waited in the ocean. The large wooden boat seemed to be shaken with a great force, the shouts of sailors causing a ripple on the water but was quickly swallowed into the deep. Gulf waited under the ocean's waves, bright eyes glowing with the blood dripped moon, the sailors knew it was a bloody omen, the ocean knew this too.

Breath. A world of black and blue covered the expanse of his vision. They were getting closer. The creaking sound of the ship's old wooden boards against the crashing waves fell in his ear, a march of death getting nearer. Closer and closer the shadow of the ship came, blasted by the raging ocean with no relief in sight. Gulf felt his heart tighten, and icy grip made it hard to breath, hard to think. This was the moment, the moment he had been preparing for all his life. If he failed… they would hunt him too.

Fear gripped him tightly and the oceans currents sung of his impending doom. It was here. His pupils constricted and the world became clearer. Quick. Fear was pushed aside and the adrenaline aided to keep his mind clear. He breached the ocean waves, his seaweed blue hair bleeding into the daunting sea, but his eyes remained bright against the backdrop. He could see now, the fear not too different than his own on the faces of the sailors. It seems they too even felt fear. A bubbled chuckle and bright smile, the stage was set.

Haunting music of the oceans maiden. Enchanting hummings of a deadly creature. The older sailors shouted in horror but it was far too late. A sailor stood at the edge of the boat, a fanatical look in his eyes as he looked at Gulf. Gulf looked back, a flick of his tail and even more melodious tune danced from his lips, begging the sailor in. SPLASH! The sailor hit the water and he immediately pounced before they could regain their mind. A blow of air as he dragged the man under.

Widened eyes looked in horror but the beauty stopped his struggle. Down and down he dragged the man until the man became one with the ocean. Gulf looked at the ship's hull once again before diving down into the blackened water. The fear he had felt from his first hunt was gone, instead he was left with elation. He now need not fear the sailors, their deadly nets and sharp hooks, he could fight. He had finally found the enchanting voice that would take them silently, without a whisper of their woes.

They would fear like he had feared, they would cry like he had cried, they would scream like he had screamed. The ocean was his hunting ground, the waves were his cover, the water was his breathe. They now would fear the monster of the ocean, the singer of death.

(517/600)

[deerbroken]

Closed! I'll work on judging asap ^^

[deerbroken]

Hi y'all sorry it took me a while to judge- all of your entries were well written / drawn, it was genuinely hard to pick so i asked for some help from some other staff members before coming to a final decision.

with that being said-

congratulations to SilhouetteStation! I love both the world building as well as the insight to the character's thoughts in your form. I really love that they struggle with their identity- struggling with the weight of being such an important figure in the community, while also grappling with the truth of the matter. Take good care of Balu!

I also want to offer a runner up prize to Melon bread and Atlantica! Both of your forms were well-done and stood out to me as well as the other judges. For your prize I'm offering a rare edit! I'll bank these myself in a few moments.

If you made art, please let Silhouette know if it's okay to use your artwork! and good luck to everyone entering other competitions ^^

[honee bee]

Congrats Silhouette! Your form was amazing and I hope you enjoy your new baby! You’re more than welcome to keep the art I made, as it took me a long time and I’d love for it to be enjoyed and appreciated <3 Please credit/link to bee-a-trice on toyhouse/deviantart, and honee bee on chickensmoothie/discord! <3

And congrats to melon bread and atlantica! Can’t wait to see what you do with your rare edits <3

Thank you again deerbroken for such a fun comp! Congrats to everyone!

[Glitchatopia]

congratulations to all the winners, totally deserved! I had a lot of fun drawing :^)

[Alantica]

Congrats Silhouette!!! I also really enjoyed reading your form! The emotions in it is so raw and vulnerable unlike what the villagers want them to be! Really the contrast <333!

Congrats to Melon as well! Your art is stunning as always! I love the way you portrayed them to the audience, their face towards the water but their reflection to us!

And tysm for the RU rare edit <333 ;w;!!!