CS Writing Competition - May Entries Open!

[duckblind]

November 2024
Link to Pet:

Entry:

At night, beneath the glow of the full moon, the ghosts come out to play... and so does Gordie, the enchanted pumpkin! This friendly guy has lived here at the farm his whole life, nestled in the corner of a bountiful pumpkin patch. He's always been a bit small for his size, which has often caused him to be overlooked, but he doesn't mind. In fact, though it is lonely work, he prefers to look over the rest of the patch as they go through the cycle of life and find new loving homes.

This year, as one crisp fall evening fell, Gordie looked out from between the hay bales where he lay and noticed something different. The creatures scampering around in the comforting stillness of the night were lingering in the patch, gathering around a newly ripe pick even smaller than Gordie himself. He watched as it shook, and shook, until it sprouted little arms and legs and took its first wobbly steps. It was alive, just like him! There must be magic in the air tonight, he thought.

"Excuse me," he called out. "What's your name?"

The little pumpkin turned her head both ways, trying to find the source of the noise. "Who's there?"

"Over here, in the corner!"

She stumbled over and beamed upon the sight of a kindred spirit. "Oh, hello! My name is Millie."

"Hi, Millie. I'm Gordie."

"Nice to meet you!"

Their introduction was interrupted by the squeak of a mouse scurrying by, sniffing around the two as if whatever force responsible for their enchantment was tangible.

"Say, don't these critters seem rather restless?" Millie observed, tilting to look at it- one of the few things even smaller than she.

Gordie thought about all those chilly nights spent with only his thoughts to keep him company. They had been peaceful, but deep down there was a part of him that had always hoped for a friend. He wondered if maybe the mouse, and others like him, felt the same way. They had always come to the farm alone rather than in groups.

Hmm...

"Maybe we can help out. I have an idea, but I didn't quite grow the same limbs as you!" the older pumpkin laughed as he glanced at his lumpy, stationary form. "I'll need you to go get some things."

"Sure!" Said Millie with a nod.

"Okay, here's the plan..."

---
The twilight hours seemed to stretch on as the pair worked- Gordie calling out instructions and Millie navigating the field with newly nimble feet. They made a great team, and finally...

"Ah- that should be the last of it!" said the fledgling of the duo as she hefted a small gourd, almost the size of her head, and gingerly dropped it near the hay surrounding her partner. It had been delicately carved with holes just big enough for their nightly visitors and sat adjacent to many more that looked just the same. One of the mice still roaming took note and slowly inched towards this new development, ears alert with curiosity. It sniffed one of the gourds in the same manner the two pumpkin friends had been, then let out a squeak of delight as it curled up inside. A new, warm home had arrived just in time for the holidays.

Soon enough, more animals began to arrive one by one. Gordie had never seen so many gathered in one place before! They were laughing and playing in their own special languages, and he watched them all with a warm smile. It seemed like everything had worked out.

In the years to come, word spread far and wide throughout the woodland world. Even those from warmer climates would travel to see the magical pumpkin patch, its two proprietors, and their free lodging for any little beings who had been overlooked as the weather grew cold, much like Gordie had. It was a place of community and love, and most importantly, it entertained the humans as a touching display nobody wanted to bother. On those most special evenings when a new member of the patch was brought to life, they too were welcomed with open arms.

Gordie, and everyone else on the farm, would never be alone again. It was a tradition worth waiting for.


--------
(Sorry to the person above for posting the same pet! I've been working on this for a while and just happened to finish today after yours was already done.)

[meltheviking1992]

November 2024
Link to Pet: Cupcake
Entry:
Cupcake had never seen so much candy in one place. The store was full to the brim with every kind of candy you could imagine, all in a spooky theme. There were gummy ghosts and hard-boiled pumpkins, witch lollipops and chocolate apples. If you could imagine it, Cupcake’s boss had it in stock.
It was Cupcake’s first fall working at the candy store on the end of the strip. She had been worried that her wings would get in the way, but the owner had been desperate for help and the sweet little wolf got the job. But that was back in August and it was Fall now.
“What are these?” She asked, holding up a box of gummy skeletons.
“It’s candy. Y’know for Halloween.” Cupcake’s boss looked confused. “You do know what Halloween is, right?”
Cupcake put the box down. “Of course I do. But why are these like bones?”
The candy store owner sighed. “Because it’s Halloween and that means candy shaped like bones. Or vampire bats, or mummies. Or anything!”
“Yes, but why skeletons? They’re scary. No one wants to eat scary things.” Cupcake tucked her wings in tighter. “How many did you order?”
“8 boxes. They’ll go fast.”
Cupcake rolled her eyes. “Ok, boss.” She said, “We’re ready to open.”
Cupcake’s boss was a middle-aged dog. He was fat and always wore a tie.
“Cool, then let’s open!” He straightened his tie. “I can’t wait!”
The winged wolf sighed. Her boss was never going to grow up, was he?
The bell rang to announce a customer just as Cupcake settled herself behind the counter. It was going to be a busy shift.
Cupcake’s first customer of the day had a basket full of Halloween candy, but she hadn’t bought any gummy skeletons. Cupcake’s boss glared at her, as if to say, “They’ll sell, don’t you worry about it.”
“Halloween,” Cupcake said under her breath.
Cupcake still wasn’t sure how she felt about Halloween. Autumn wasn’t her favourite time of year. She much preferred the summer, when the weather was nice and she could lie in the sun.
The second and third customers both bought Halloween candy, as well as some regular candy. Cupcake had dug the regular candy out from under a pile of Halloween candy. “People still have to buy their usual candy, boss.” She explained.
On the fourth customer of the day, Cupcake had a bit of a shock. A mother had brought her two children in to help choose the Halloween candy. One of them was dressed as a devil and the other was wearing a witch costume. It was the devil that caught Cupcake’s eye first, startling her with his bright red pitchfork. Cupcake laughed. “That’s a brilliant costume!”
The little dog grinned.
As the shift wore on, Cupcake became more and more delighted with every costume her customers were wearing to shop for candy. She loved how candy made people happy, but for her, the costumes were the best part of Halloween, and even fall itself. By the time the store closed, Cupcake was decided. She was going to dress up for Halloween this year!

[scmarshtacky]

November 2024
Link to Pet:

Entry: ThunderBringer

It was time. The time of year where the last vestiges of the air’s warmth crashed against the imminent arrival of the frost. The two powers surged against each other, and in their battle, they awoke a different beast.

Though he occasionally roused during the heat waves and blizzards, no time of year was as invigorating in this wild realm as the leaf’s bud or leaf’s fall, where sweeping gales brought the truest, most powerful storms to the earth. Stretching his wings, he looked out over the land. The steel gray clouds were gathering in the horizon. They were ready, building and biding their time while they waited for him to join and give them life. And of course, he wouldn’t refuse.

Jumping off of his perch on the ancient fir tree, he flapped his wings, spreading the electrical charge through the air. The gusts circled and spun the power before returning it, stronger than before. Pockets of both heat and cold buffeted him as they slashed through the sky, vying for dominance.

He met with the clouds then, turning them to black, and they surged forward, joining him in the winds that he brought along with each flap. Soft pops could be heard between the tips of his feathers, and as the misty rain began to fall, the electricity gained strength.

With a loud caw, the gathered power coalesced and crashed downward to the surface far below. From the desert, to the plains, to the forest they traveled, bringing the storm to the onlookers far below.

Though he could not see them, he knew of their tales; the myths of a bird that soared through the sky with the lightning on his tailwind were prominent across all of the native people of this land. They would halt their hunting or gathering, cooking or stitching, and whisper to their neighbors a single phrase:

“The Thunderbird has come.”

Some uttered it with fear, some with hushed reverence, but there were a small handful of others that rushed from their hide-crafted shelters to stare upward, and to relish in the storm brought on by his power. He gave another joyous cry, and with it the thunder echoed across the lands.

Together, he and the clouds rode to the water’s expanse. It was here that he parted with them, allowing the now fluffy white puffs to rest as they continued their journey onward. He, too, would require rest, and to that end, he found an old hollowed out hickory to perch on. A yawn escaped through his opened beak.

Today, his job was done. Tomorrow, as the weather changed, the storms may come again, but that was alright by him. Truly, it was one of his favorite times of year.

[horsesrule76]

November 2024
Link to Pet:
Pet's name: Mcclellan
Entry:

It was the first cold morning of the year, and Mac was ecstatic. The crisp November air chilled the whole farm, though luckily the barn remained cozy. His stablemates, Star and Rory, were less than pleased with the change in weather, but Mac couldn’t stop the joy in his heart.

“Our water buckets will start to freeze over,” Star lamented.

“It’s frigid out there!” Rory exclaimed, gesturing with his nose to the outdoor paddock.

Mac snorted in amusement. “You guys say this every year, it’s practically our tradition! I’m going out - I’ll see you later!”

Mac headed to the tack room to get his green blanket - he was thrilled whenever he got to break it out of storage. Star and Rory looked at each other. “It’s HIS tradition to be so excited about this,” Star said with an equal balance of amusement and annoyance.

—

Mac trotted happily down the dirt road, his green blanket’s metal straps jangling cheerily. He headed past the paddock and passed through a fence that opened up to a beautiful, scenic field. Once he reached the grass, he started cantering, pushing himself to move faster and faster. The strain on his muscles felt good as he flew through the green meadow, mane and tail whipping in the wind.

He stopped short when he reached the wood fence on the far side of the field. Taking a deep breath in, his closed his eyes and let the sounds and smells wash over him. The wind gusting through the trees that lined the property. The smell of chimney smoke from a nearby farm.

After an unusual fall with unseasonably warm temperatures, this finally felt like winter was arriving. Mac whinnied loudly and did a little buck of energy and excitement, then started walking along the fence. He started to think of all the exciting things that he wanted to do in winter - put up holiday decorations around the barn, brew his favorite hot cocoa and sip it while looking out over the field, and take trail walks through a snowy wonderland. The future was bright, and Mac couldn’t wait to enjoy all that winter had to offer — just like he did every year.

[Seasonal]

The November competition will be closing at 00:00 CS time (about 5 hours from now) so be sure to post your entry soon if you still want to enter!

[Chelydra]

November 2024
Link to Pet:


Entry:

Picture the magnificent monarch of the forest.

If you see a stag, I bet he's got an impressive pair of antlers.

Nowadays deer live in cities and ride the bus to their desk jobs, but some things never change and among them is:
Antlers make the stag.

Antlers: The Icon of Masculinity. The media is full of 12-point heroes and 16-point venerable kings. Naturally, all boys are obsessed and can't wait until they get theirs.

Lloyd is the only one who doesn't like antlers. He thinks they're unwieldy and the whole “they grow, then they fall off and new ones grow”-thing is bizarre. Unfortunately, Lloyd is a male deer. So when puberty pounces on him, it makes antlers grow on his head. It's horrible.

And no one understands! Certainly not the other young stags. Nor his other classmates, who also think antlers are pretty cool. And his parents try to comfort him, but it boils down to: “We know puberty can be scary, but it's part of growing up. Give it time, it will get better.”

It doesn't.

Every year, the antlers start growing in spring, the velvet falls off in autumn, and the bare bones remain on his head until the end of winter. Then the process repeats and every time the antlers get a little bigger.

Lloyd has no need for antlers. He doesn't care about size rankings, he doesn't use them to fight and he isn't trying to impress girls!

More importantly: he can't wear hats anymore. He needs special clothes because he can't pull a shirt over his head. And whenever he looks in a mirror, he shudders. The fuzzy velvet looks like mold, the bared antlers like a bleached, long-dead tree. Things that have no place on his alive head.


He says all this to his BFFs one afternoon when they're working on an art project. It's not the first time he's complained about his antlers, but Lotti and Owlette listen patiently. It feels good to get it all off his chest, and he's immensely grateful. They might not have a solution to his problem, but they're here for him, always, and try to understand him instead of saying he's being over-dramatic.

Instead of offering unhelpful advice, Owlette admits: “I'm sorry, Lloyd. I don't know what could help you. There is medication that stops antlers from growing, but that is for transgender people...”

“... and I'm not a trans girl.”

Silence falls. Lotti pets his shoulder with her tiny legs to comfort him.

Then Owlette says: “You said your antlers being plain white makes them look skeletal next to your colourful fur. And we can do something about that!” She gestures to the art supplies.

Lotti perks up. “That's a great idea! They won't look scary if they have funny faces on them!”

Lloyd isn't sold, but... “Okay, let's give it a try.”


When they're done, a paint-covered caterpillar takes a bath in the sink, Owlette scrubs at the splotches on Lloyd's fur, and Lloyd stares at the silly, cheerful chaos they made of his antlers and smiles.




All deer are excited for autumn. When the leaves fall from the trees, so does the velvet from the stags' antlers and they are proudly presented in their full glory. It's a time of competition where the stags face off against each other in martial arts, but it's also a season of love, where they hope to win the heart of the doe of their dreams.

But Lou (formerly Lloyd) is excited for a whole other reason: with the last creepy tatters finally off, their antlers are smooth and white – a perfect canvas. It's time to call the gang.

The six of them meet up on a sunny Saturday. Leopold and Lotti get the art supplies ready, Owlette leafs through the sketchbook with drafts while Toto is more interested in the photo album of past designs, and Lucis lies on Lou's back and observes the bustle lazily.

Lou calls the group's attention to the question at hand: “So what are we doing this time?”

Owlette presents the drafts, ideas get thrown around, deciding on one is always the hardest part.

“Let's just do whatever! If we don't get started soon, we won't finish in time!” Leopold exclaims impatiently.

“Then Lou ssshould schoose,” Lucis suggests, “it'sss their antlerss after all.”

Lou smiles at their friends. “How about freestyle? The more colours, the better!”

[Seasonal]

Entries for November 2024 are CLOSED.
Judging has now commenced and the winner will be announced on December 15th!

Entries for December 2024 are OPEN.
Please refer to the main post to make sure you are following all rules.

Please note that a new rule regarding AI usage has been added.

Prompt: It's the last day of school before winter break starts, and your pet just got invited to a SNOWBALL FIGHT! Tell us how your pet will strategize to take home the gold medal.

Judge: Aaron✦

Prize:

[Seasonal]

The winner of our November 2024 writing competition is…

LadySonder!

You’ll receive a trade with your prize shortly. Thank you all for entering! December entries are still open for the remainder of the month

[Ruhn Danaan]

December 2024

Link to Pet:
Pet's name: Natasha
Adopt virtual pets at Chicken Smoothie!

Entry:
After what felt like an eternity, the bell rang, signaling the start of lunch break. Natasha threw her backpack over her shoulders and waved happily to Mr. Merris, wishing him happy holidays before scampering out the door. She was always excited for winter break, but this year was different. This was her first year at Blue Pines Middle School, and her classmates had just invited her to the annual BPMS snowball fight. Only three more classes then she would be out on the playground with all her friends.

Anyone who looked at her would assume she would be the obvious winner. She was the only polar bear in her class, and had basically grown up with a snowball in her paws. But Natasha knew better than that. There were all kinds of creatures who would be strong contenders. Chimps with opposable thumbs, ferrets who could slip through the snow with ease, and cheetah cubs who could run faster than the wind. She would need a plan.

All of her friends sat around her in the cafeteria, laughing and chatting away. But not Natasha, she was planning as she picked at the sushi piled high on her tray. She began by doing a mental checklist of her strengths and witnesses. She was strong and could easily throw a snowball across the playground, she could blend in easily with her white fur, and she was exceptionally good at burrowing into the snow. On the opposite side, she wasn't very nimble and couldn't easily dodge snowballs, she was large and made for an easy target, and it took her a little longer to make a snowball due to her lack of thumbs.

Finally her plan slipped into place. At the start of the fight, she would sneak off the edge of the playground and quickly dig herself a small cave to hide in. Then, she would assemble at least five snowballs. With only her head and throwing arm poking out from the cave, she'd target the fastest and strongest players, making sure to eliminate them from the game as fast as possible. The cave would be the most important part, she had to make sure it was deep enough to completely conceal her if someone saw her. She had to count on staying as out of sight and inconspicuous as she could or her plan might not work. But she was confident she could do that.

The lunch bell rang and Natasha smiled to herself, popping the last bite of sushi into her mouth. She was going to win this. She would take home the gold medal and start her winter break as the reigning champion of the BPMS snowball fight.

[the real colette]

December 2024
Link to Pet:

Entry:
Every year at the CS high school, on the first day of winter break, a fierce battle broke out in the snow-covered wintry wonderland that was the empty lot next to the schoolgrounds. Originally, the students started it, but the teachers liked it and now it was a school-wide event.

Roxie, however, was not excited. This was going to be her first time participating, since her mom forced her this year, and even though she knew the rules like the back of her paw, she still got the jitters on the last day of school. Her only friend, Doug, didn't help, since he was an athletic dog and loved the fight.

The reason Roxie hated it so much, was because she was very short. The snow always opened its blustery jaws and swallowed her whole. Other foxes could command winter with their very muzzles, kicking up snow, tunneling deep underground, showing the powdery drifts who was boss. Roxie wanted this power. She wanted, no, she needed the ability to control the snow like that.

At lunch, she was sitting alone, when an arctic fox came up to her. He was also pretty short. "Hey- who are you?", Roxie asked. "Im Alan. I see you always have trouble in the snow, yes?", he asked. Roxie sighed. He was right. Every day for the past two weeks, she had been going out into the empty plot and attempting to practice. It always ended in her being submerged in the snow, writhing her way up and coughing up tiny flakes. "Mhm.. how'd you know?", she asked. Alan pointed to his usual lunch table, which was right next to the snow-filled plot of land. Roxie opened her mouth- she was used to this bullying, but Alan slapped his paw over her mouth. "Im going to help you." he said.

At recess, while all the other pets romped around elsewhere, Alan and Roxie were situated in the snowdrifts. "First," Alan began, "Always tunnel or build caves. Small foxes like us work best when we use the element of surprise. Watch.". Alan began digging a tunnel. Soon, he popped out of the snow on the opposite end of the land. "I like to create secret tunnels the day before.", he said triumphantly. "Hmmm...", Roxie said. She dove into the icy, soft maze. The cold temperature pressed in on all sides. She chose a spot and created a spyhole, just big enough for her head and arm. Then she would act like a turret, spinning and chucking snowballs at the nearest pets. She winked and smiled at Alan. She had created a plan.

That night, Roxie lay in bed, confident. When the Principal said the familiar rules of 'one hit and your out', she would be below the ground, creating piles of five snowballs next to the various spyholes. She cuddled up in bed and smiled, silently thanking Alan. Even if she didn't win, she had found a new friend.