CS Writing Competition - December Entries Open!

[Seasonal]

Official CS Writing Competition

Hey all! With our original coordinator's retirement from the staff team, and knowing how much the community enjoyed this event last time, I wanted to bring our monthly writing competition back. Please bear with me as I get a feel for everything. Some of the submission dates that you're used to have changed, so be sure to read the entire thread for the most accurate information.

Please find all information for this month's competition below. Before entering, be sure to read the competition rules. We look forward to seeing your entries!

The CS writing competition was originally started by reynard and Lacuna ♥

This competition's dates are:
December 1st, 2024 00:00 GMT to December 31st, 2024 23:59 GMT
(You can check CS time here!)

December 2024 Information

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.

Aaron✦

Competition Rules

• Word Minimum: 350; Word Maximum: 750
• Font cannot be smaller than size 85.
• All entries must include your CS pet and said pet must be linked in the entry.
• Only entries should be posted on this thread - comments or concerns can be directed to the Discussion Thread. Off-topic posts will be removed.
• **NEW: Your entry should be written by you. Do not use AI to write your entry.
• One entry per person.
• All entries must conform to CS rules.
• Please use the below form with your entries.

Code: Select all

December 2024
Link to Pet:
Entry:

Frequently Asked Questions

How is this judged?

Judges will be primarily focused on the story you tell about your CS pet and how it fits within the prompt. Grammar and structure are mostly important for readability purposes but are not the primary focus.

What if I want to use a pet I don't own?

That's fine - but the image must be taken from the archive. You can only use a pet from your collection or from the archive.

Can there be other characters in the story, and can those characters belong to someone else?

Yes, your story may have side characters, and it is okay to use characters you don't own (fandom) or from someone you know (with permission). However, your pet should be the main character and the only image/link in the should be to your pet/the archive image of the pet you're using.

If I dress up my pet or post, will I get extra points?

No. The quality of the pet's dress up or the rarity of the pet will not be factored into the judging. As well, if you choose to decorate your post using coding or images, this will also not impact judging. Please make sure if you are using special coding on your post it is still readable for the judges. As well, any images added must conform with ChickenSmoothie Rules.

[Seasonal]

CS Writing Competition Archive

Past Prompts

• November 2024: "Tell us about your pet's favorite fall activities! Do they like to carve pumpkins? Go apple picking with their friends? Have they started any traditions of their own?" judged by Spaceinmyhead
• January 2023: "New year, new you... right? Tell us about your pet's New Year's resolutions and their plans for achieving them, or how they spent their New Year celebrations!" judged by Seasonal
• December 2022: "Your pet's favorite stuffed animal is lost! Tell us the story of how they search for it, and if they are successful in their quest!" judged by Lacuna
• November 2022: "The weather is starting to change for the winter! Tell us about how your pet is enjoying the change - whether they are waiting for snow in the northern hemisphere or soaking up the sunshine in the southern hemisphere!" judged by reynard

Past Winners

• November 2024: Currently being judged
• January 2023: SuperMega [entry]
• December 2022: ChillyKitty [entry]
• November 2022: horsesrule76 [entry]

Past Entries

• November 2024
• January 2023
• December 2022
• November 2022

[Seasonal]

Prompt: Tell us about your pet's favorite fall activities! Do they like to carve pumpkins? Go apple picking with their friends? Have they started any traditions of their own?

Judge: Spaceinmyhead

Prize:

Prompt: New year, new you... right? Tell us about your pet's New Year's resolutions and their plans for achieving them, or how they spent their New Year celebrations!

Judge: Seasonal

Prize:

Prompt: Your pet's favorite stuffed animal is lost! Tell us the story of how they search for it, and if they are successful in their quest!

Judge: Lacuna

Prize:

Prompt: The weather is starting to change for the winter! Tell us about how your pet is enjoying the change - whether they are waiting for snow in the northern hemisphere or soaking up the sunshine in the southern hemisphere!

Judge: reynard

Prize:

[Seasonal]

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

Prompt: Tell us about your pet's favorite fall activities! Do they like to carve pumpkins? Go apple picking with their friends? Have they started any traditions of their own?

Judge: Spaceinmyhead

Prize:

[comfypxl]

November 2024
Link to Pet: here
Entry: what is their favorite fall activity? [487]

casper was basically born to adore and celebrate fall! well, not literally, but his passion for the season only rivals his siblings. he crafted a tradition of maze exploration, apple bobbing, hay rides, and sunflower picking. the chilly weather never bothered the round cats so the trio would begin their day early in the morning. they'd start by making homemade chai lattes, talking excitedly about what they are looking forward to the most as they drank. their first stop afterwards would be a farm, specifically the one they grew up going to! it was still kicking after all these years, something casper and his siblings were grateful for. despite visiting yearly, the place still felt so nostalgic and had a certain childish charm.

they would start with the corn maze, casper's favorite activity! the path was different each year, keeping casper on his toes as he navigated. despite being known as the "puzzle-solver" amongst the trio, he actually enjoyed the maze for a completely different reason; getting lost. the corn maze was one of the few safe times where casper could let himself struggle without worry. his siblings certainly didn't mind either! they'd chat up a storm as they appreciated the little "rest stops" the farm made, which contained decorations that were inspired by a movie theme.

after a successful trip to the maze, casper would lead them to the apple bobbing. the game wasn't made to be competitive, but the trio found it more fun that way. whoever gets the most apples in a minute was the winner! casper won once, a long time ago, and only because his sister got distracted by a kid running into her. speed wasn't really his thing but he still participated each time. the count this time was: casper - 4, ghoulia - 8, haunt - 7. his siblings started bickering afterwards, which in it's own odd way was also traditional.

they headed over to the hay ride, where they were given paintball guns. the carriage took them to the sunflower patch, but had a fun game of "shoot the zombie" on the way. wooden zombie faces would show up at random and the trio would start shooting. they all had different colors, which led to a new, personal game; who can shoot the most zombies first? casper had a surprise for his siblings this year, managing to beat his brother's score by three! it did lead to him getting a shot in the shoulder, but casper retaliated and the group broke into laughter.

finally, they arrived at the sunflower fields. haunt loved sunflowers and he'd always purchase some to take home for decoration. there would be a sunflower wreath on the door, sunflowers in vases on multiple counters and tables, and he'd dry some to use the crumbled petals in his art. he was quite resourceful, but it was silly to see how he used his skills to fuel his sunflower obsession.

[Ruhn Danaan]

November 2024
Link to Pet:
Pet's name: Muninn
Adopt virtual pets at Chicken Smoothie!
Entry:
A cold wind swept through the trees, ruffling Muninns stark white feathers and rattling the leaves that now hung in various shades of orange and gold. Across the clearing sat Huginn. His brothers black feathers painted him nearly invisible in the darkness, but Muninn knew he was there, waiting patiently.

He cocked his head to the side, listening intently. In the distance, the sounds of laughter and singing were beginning to die down. The raging bonfires now just piles of glowing embers dotting the surrounding fields. Tonight was the Autumnal Equinox, and the humans were finally winding down from a night of festivities and rituals. Odin would be pleased when Muninn reported all of the offerings left for him in the morning.

But dawn was still hours away, and now the brothers could begin their own equinox ritual. A sharp cry from Huginn had him launching toward the cosmos, his strong wings beating in time with the heartbeat of the earth. The cold wind carried him swiftly over the canopy, and the twin calls echoed into the trees.

All around, dark shapes rose to meet him. The moonlight reflecting off his white feathers illuminated him like a beacon as they made one last sweeping turn and headed for the clearing. Up ahead, he could see Huginn, followed closely by another large group. They met above the trees, close to one hundred ravens dancing and twirling together under the stars. For a few beautiful minutes, Muninn was lost in the ethereal feeling of flying with his mortal brothers and sisters. But every moment must come to an end, and soon Huginn was leading them down into the clearing. They landed among the grass where a feast awaited.

For years now the brothers had put together this feast. The days leading up to the equinox were spent gathering as much food as possible, nuts and seeds, berries, scraps from human villages. Each fall a different location. They could not offer their brothers and sisters on this plane protection from the threat of the upcoming winter, but they could offer them a night where food was not a worry. Where friendships old and new were kindled like a warm winter fire.

Muninn loved serving Odin. He loved being able spread his wings and soar across the planet, preserving the memories of Odin's children. But here, for a fleeting heartbeat, he wished he was mortal. To really live.

For hours they ate and chattered, hopping around in the grass and enjoying the company. Too soon the sky began to lighten on the horizon, the stars winking out one by one. A heaviness settled in his chest as he caught Huginn's eye. Their time with the others was over, Odin would be waiting for their reports soon. As he took to the sky, he made one more circle around the clearing, taking in the sight of his kin.

With a final cry into the fading darkness, Muninn soared into the sunrise, counting the days until the next Autumn Equinox.

[Chick Nugget]

November 2024
Link to Pet: this one
Entry:
It was deep night in the city. All around, dark shadows that seemed to dance in front of houses and trees.
Ayrton crossed the pumpkin patch silently. Seeing him from afar, someone might have thought he was the ghost of a lone wolf.
Rustling the ears of corn around him, he finally approached his destination. A very old ruined house that stood imposingly a few meters away.
Ayrton felt a shiver of excitement run through his fur. He had heard legends that said that the house had been abandoned for hundreds of years and that now it was abandoned. And that was why he had decided to explore it. Sure, he had obviously had a lot of fun trick-or-treating and carving pumpkins with his friends, but... now he wanted to try something new.

So he trotted towards the house. His paws made no noise on the small stone path that led to the house.
He approached the door but it was too heavy for him to open. Then, he jumped onto the broken window sill and entered through it, being careful of the glass fragments scattered all around.
Finally, he was inside the house. It was very dark inside, but Ayrton's eyes quickly got used to the darkness.
He looked around curiously. He noticed an armchair in front of a small table with an old vase of flowers still on it. The chandelier was large anddecorated, with chipped light bulbs. An old fringed carpet, with a crease on one side, covered the floor. The color had faded over time, but presumably it had once been red. There were also five or six other flower vases around the room. On the floor lay shards and pieces of wood, along with many leaves.
The whole thing was covered with a thick layer of dust.
Ayrton contemplated the room. He was fashinated of it.
He walked through the room until he reached a door at the end.
Cautiously, he stepped through it and saw another wooden door in front of him and, on the left, a staircase leading upstairs. To the right, the corridor continued disappearing into the darkness.
He stood on his hind legs and tried to open the door in front of him with his front paws, but found that it was locked. So, he decided to climb the stairs.
The wooden steps that made up the stairs were very old. Many creaked and in some places they were completely missing.
Being careful not to trip and fall, he reached the landing and looked left and right. There were three doors: one in front of him, one to the east and one to the west.
He decided to explore the west door first.
He found it open and entered the room. It was completely bare, with only a layer of dust on the floor. The only interesting thing was the balcony at the end of the small room.
Ayrton ran towards the balcony, which no longer had doors. The railing, once made of iron, was now all creaking and covered in pungent red rust. From there, Ayrton could see the entire pumpkin patch, the ears of corn, and the big moon in the sky.
A gust of cold wind blew in his direction and ruffled his fur. He shivered and left the room. Then he decided to see what was in the room in front of the stairs, but he discovered that it was only a closet with an old broom, a moldy wooden basin for water, and many cobwebs.
Ayrton closed the closet door to concentrate on the last remaining door: the one to the east. He opened it and discovered that it was a bedroom. There was a single bed, with a canopy, a very elegant desk, a wardrobe, several pots for plants and flowers, and another balcony. This balcony, however, still had doors, one closed and the other open. In addition, there were still white curtains, torn in some places, fluttering and rustling in the wind.

Ayrton soon explored the entire house. But then he decided to return to his house, because his mistress and her friends were surely looking for him. He went out through the same window he had entered, crossed the pumpkin patch and the ears of corn again and trotted home, in time to join the party around the bonfire, a tradition he liked very much.
Exploring the abandoned house turned out to be fun for Ayrton. Besides, he had not encountered any ghosts.

[LadySonder]

November 2024
Link to Pet:

Pet's Name: Aisha and Pumpkin

Entry:

It was the night of Halloween, and as such, it was time for the immortal Aisha to awaken.

She slowly unfurled her burnished orange wings, letting her eyes adjust to the dim light of the cave. It was a small space, enclosed between stalagmites and rocky outcroppings, which cut the light of the moon into small crescents upon the walls. There were once people here, as well-- worshipers who would cradle her within their hands, brushing their fingers along her white fur, soothing her with gentle murmurs. However, they were now nothing more than a burning memory-- an emptiness within the cave that only they could fill.

Aisha dropped from her resting place on the roof of the cave and flew into the night, dipping her head upwards to bathe in the light of the moon. She couldn't let herself think about those who were no longer around to soothe her loneliness. After all, she had a tradition to keep, even if it was hardly befitting of an immortal to bend to the will of a--

"Friend! Ohhh, it's my friend! Over here, Aisha!" A childlike voice called out, interrupting her inner monologue.

Aisha glanced beneath her and swooped towards the source of the voice, which belonged to an inchworm perched on the branch of a tree. In any other circumstance, she would have found it ridiculous to encounter such an unnaturally large specimen covered in orange fuzz, but this inchworm was the only one who remembered her, much less awaited her arrival every Halloween night.

"Aisha! Tell me-- have I grown at all?" The inchworm asked her.

Aisha was very familiar with this question-- this inchworm, whose name was Pumpkin, asked this every year. It was a barely concealed dream of his to eventually become a butterfly.

"Yes, of course" she said smoothly, even though she didn't truly believe it. "You've grown very much. I'm sure you'll become a butterfly soon, and maybe it'll be before I see you again next year."

Pumpkin quivered with excitement. "This means we have to practice! Just like before, okay? I have to be ready!"

Aisha couldn't help but smile at how much Pumpkin was looking forward to their yearly tradition, even if it hadn’t changed over the many years they've known each other. "As always, Pumpkin. Just don't look down."

...

"Woahhh!" Pumpkin yelled.

Aisha flapped her wings, sweeping across the moonlit grasslands. She held onto Pumpkin with her claws, adjusting her grip to make sure he didn't fall. However, he seemed to be fully enjoying himself, excitedly swinging back and forth as if they weren't already far above the ground.

"Aisha, can we go higher? I wanna go through the clouds!"

Pumpkin's words were nearly carried away by the wind, but Aisha nodded her head and flew higher, trying to ignore how ridiculous this sight might appear to the odd passerby-- a white bat clutching onto a fuzzy orange inchworm, flapping along as if nothing were out of place.

However, this thought disappeared from her mind the moment they surfaced the clouds drifting above them. The sight of it took Aisha's breath away-- the deep blue sky, dripping with countless stars and constellations, woven like gossamer above their heads. The moon; a shining pearl adorning the heavens. The quiet that surrounded them; a pool of water so deep that Aisha didn't dare to breathe, as the stillness of it might be disturbed by the slightest ripple. Even Pumpkin, who was so enthusiastic only a moment earlier, paused to drink in the sight before them.

When Pumpkin spoke again, his voice was quieter, as if he were deep in thought. "Aisha, do you get lonely up here?"

Aisha nearly faltered, but she adjusted herself to keep flying smoothly. "...yes, I do, Pumpkin. Sometimes."

"This is why I'm so excited to be a butterfly," Pumpkin declared. "I'll be able to fly up here with you, and then you won't be lonely anymore."

Aisha's vision began to blur as tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. Lonely. The word clutched at her heart, causing her tears to spill over.

"You won't be lonely anymore."

Despite all that Aisha had lost, it was this promise that finally broke her, because she truly believed it.

[crrow]

Novermber 2024

Link to pet:


Pet's name: Airmed

Beforehand, I will say I run all my pieces of writing through an AI detector since nowadays even grammarly is considered AI. This will show up as 26% AI generated, simply because I used an informational website to generate some ideas on the Irish goddess Airmed. I hope you enjoy! This should just BARELY pass the requirements! ;u;

CW: grief, violence (chicken smoothie friendly, I hope! No terrible descriptions or anything).

Entry: Airmed’s breath came in ragged gasps as she ran through the dark, dense forest. Shadows stretched out like twisted fingers, and every step seemed to echo louder than the last, but her focus remained fixed. Her tears trailed behind her, soaking into the forest floor, each drop a prayer whispered into the earth.

At last, she reached her destination—her brother’s grave. Clawing her fingers into the dirt, as though it could somehow pull her closer to him, she tilted her head back, looking up at the sky. Its inky blackness pierced only by a single sliver of the moon. Her voice broke as she pleaded to the gods,

“Please… give me a sign. Show me he’s still here.”

She prayed endlessly, hoping for the smallest whisper, the gentlest breeze, anything that might tell her his spirit lingered. But the forest remained silent, and the stillness pressed in on her, unrelenting. She lay beside the grave, curled up as though seeking the warmth of her brother’s memory, and allowed herself to drift into sleep.

Airmed awoke with a start, a strange sensation prickling through her body. She sat up, rubbing her tired eyes, and gasped. Sprouting all around her, from the earth that held her brother’s body, were plants—hundreds of them, each one glistening under the moonlight. A bounty of three hundred and sixty-five herbs, each one unique, lay before her, covering the ground like a lush tapestry.

She realized that this was a gift—a blessing from her brother’s spirit. Her heart swelled, and for the first time in days, a smile tugged at her lips. She could sense the power in each plant, each one carrying a different healing property, a secret woven by the gods into their roots and petals.

Tonight was Hallows’ Eve, the night when the veil between worlds was at its thinnest, and she knew that her village would be vulnerable to the spirits that roamed freely. Already, the people had begun to suffer, plagued by maladies that no ordinary remedy could heal. Airmed gathered the herbs into her cloak, securing each one as though it were a precious gem. She rose, casting a final, grateful glance at her brother’s grave, and set off through the forest.

The village was in turmoil when she arrived. Each villager already bore an affliction, each one relating to a different joint and sinew. Airmed wasted no time. She ground herbs into pastes, brewed teas, and placed poultices over wounds, her hands moving with a precision honed by years of study and instinct.

Word of her work was bound to reach the ears of King Nuada, who was suffering himself, with his arm severed in a recent battle. When he discovered the healing power Airmed wielded, he summoned his chief physician, Dian Cecht, and ordered him to seize her and the powerful herbs she carried.

Dian Cecht wasted no time, and rode through the night to seize Airmed. As she bent over yet another villager, she heard the thunderous approach of horses and the sharp calls of men. Panic flared within her.

In a last, desperate act, Airmed gathered the herbs and threw them high into the air. The plants rose, as if carried by divine hands, then scattered, each one floating as though it had a mind of its own. They dispersed, drifting far and wide, carried by the wind to all corners of the earth, a gift to the world beyond her grasp.

Dian Cecht’s soldiers reached her moments later and seized Airmed, dragging her back to the king’s court, where she was imprisoned, ordered to craft a new arm for Nuada using her druidic skills. For days, she was left in a dark cell, her strength fading, but she refused to yield.

A week later, when they came to check on her, they found only an empty cell. Airmed’s body had vanished, and in her place was a small patch of leaves, fresh and green, sprouting defiantly from the stone floor.

In the years that followed, the villagers continued to honor her memory. Every Hallows’ Eve, they gathered at the shrine that had been built in her name, taking a single leaf from the patch that grew beside it. They carried these leaves with them, symbols of healing, protection, and the enduring power of her spirit. Airmed’s legacy lived on in the herbs scattered across the earth, a reminder that her love and knowledge would protect her people for generations to come.

[Dreepypasta]

November 2024
Link to Pets:
Pet's name: Fudge (Melanistic)


Pet's name: Milky (Piebald)
Entry: Not as nice as everyone else’s, but oh well. (Later edited to meet word requirement.)

These are the two twin dwolf brothers (dragon wolves) I got from the Halloween event. Milky is a crimson piebald/leucistic dragon wolf and Fudge is a melanistic dragon wolf. In spite of their appearances, both are rather docile and lack a prey drive for the most part. Neither of them has ever severely harmed another animal, except in self defense. Most likely they are orphans, that have permanently bonded out of necessity.

Like many of the pets from the Halloween event, their diet consists mostly of candy due to their soul magic. Milky likes sweet candies while Fudge likes salty or savory ones. Like bats they tend to suck the juice out of their meals, though sometimes they will swallow lower quality foods whole without chewing. In general, they will share food with each other the way many packs do. Their main method of foraging is by scavenging abandoned leftovers or rummaging through garbage piles.

Once they’ve both received their fill, they nap in dark shadowy alleyways from dusk to twilight, curling up alongside each other on cardboard or tossed out furniture. Once digestion has kicked in, they explore the city atop rooftops or view the forest by climbing trees, their wings allowing them the ability to glide across gaps. At dawn they wander the town streets on foot, this time not for food, but to feed their curiosity. Fudge enjoys looking in the windows of gothic shops or climbing abstract statues. Milky, on the other hand, will busy himself with children’s toys for his collection or tear apart magazines to cause an overcast of paper. Both leave cryptic markings before sunrise, almost as if to taunt humans with a mystery.

Humans are rarely active at the same time or area as these fraternal beasts. However, some do sight these brothers, although they think nothing of it. So far Milky and Fudge have only been mistaken for stray dogs or oversized raccoons. Some people even give them sugary scraps, which would be detrimental to other animals, but for these two it is vital to survival. Overall, despite the dying plants and hibernating animals, autumn is the golden season for these two dragon wolves. Without holidays and festivals like Halloween, they wouldn’t be able to survive.