[Namida_☾]

“I’d like to help harvest!”
Username: Namida_☾
Buttermilk: Lola

“I’d like to help harvest some more!”
Username: Namida_☾
Buttermilk: Lola
Word Count: 177 words
Prompt:

Unlike most on Poppy Meadows, Lola barely celebrates any holidays. She only celebrates them, because all of her friends celebrate them and she doesn’t want to let them down. But there has been one thing she always celebrates. A couple years ago, in summer, they all had planted an apple tree together. But not just a normal one. These apples were special, because they weren’t pale on the inside, but were a bright red and tasted sweet but also sour. The first year, the tree did not carry any apples, which made them all a bit sad, so they all were even more excited for the upcoming year and hopefully all the apples. And indeed, that year the tree carried a few. They were very little and not very much but they all were still very happy and celebrated it with baking an apple pie with these apples. So, every year, they all, even Lola, celebrate the first apple from this apple tree with baking an apple pie and having a picnic on the big poppy field.

[lucas tazmily]

“I’d like to help harvest!”
Username: Pufferheart
Buttermilk: Beth

[yeena]

“I’d like to help harvest!”
Username: ceance
Buttermilk: Wulfe


“I’d like to help harvest some more!”
Username: ceance
Buttermilk: Wulfe
Word Count: 560
Prompt: There wasn't much for Wulfe to celebrate besides birthdays, usually. It was the same every year, he would go to Bianca's party if she would have one. Otherwise, he was left to his own devices and nothing important to see throughout the year. There was, however, one tradition he had before meeting his husband. He would visit his parents gravestones and leave them bundles of flowers that he struggled to grow, unable to make a single petal stay hydrated. Regardless, he would do it for the sake of his family and own grievance.
Wulfe never had any particularly close ties with his parents. They were absolutely average and, as a result, weren't necessarily bad or great. His father could have an attitude and had a tendency to take his anger out on him before, but his mother typically reassured him that his father was simply in a dry mood. Sometimes, she would even calm her husband and help him realize that it was his blood and flesh he was angrily snapping at, to which his father would solemnly shake his head and mumble a small apology to Wulfe before walking away.
As insignificant as that would seem to most individuals, he knew his father was sincere in his apologies, for the sake that his father never apologized to anyone. When his parents passed suddenly, he never reacted. Regardless, it did affect him to not have a family. He was placed into a foster family and while he never had any issues with them, they never got to know him. He didn't ever want anything bad for them and they didn't know how to befriend the emotionless son that they had adopted. Years later, he would visit his parent's graves and give them flowers as a way of paying respect to them. He was the only one that had any relations to them.
Their graves were always dusty with his old flowers on them but, every anniversary of their passing, he would wipe their tombstones clean and carefully lay his new, lively yet not quite, flowers on top of them. This had been his personal celebration for years, until Morgan came along.
He married Morgan a few years after meeting him and got blessed with the answer of yes. Ever since then, he had been dutifully taking care of his husband, faithfully devoting every waking day to his husband's shenanigans and taking care of him. His new, second form of celebration was suddenly to make his husband happier every passing day. He wanted to make sure that Morgan knew he was adored, after years of living to please everyone else, he wanted his husband to be pleased. Every smile was like a victory to Wulfe and would cause a stupid, goofy smile of his own.
Of course, his parents still existed and he would keep them in memory forever. Hell, he still would drop flowers off for them, though the flowers were obviously healthier than his own. Morgan would help him take care of the flowers.

"Do you think they appreciate these flowers?" he softly asked Morgan, his voice dry and gruff. He wasn't necessarily upset, but he didn't know how to handle these deaths still, didn't know what to do. Morgan gripped his hand tighter, adjusting Wulfe's scarf to be more snug around his neck.
"Yes, of course they do."

[certified]

“I’d like to help harvest!”
Username: certified
Buttermilk: Journee

[Andromeda]

“I’d like to help harvest!”
Username: Bluebird-
Buttermilk: Belle

“I’d like to help harvest some more!”
Username: Bluebird-
Buttermilk: Belle
Word Count: 407
Prompt: Three days had passed and the crop field was slowly being emptied, Belle hurried to the next row of produce, bright green heads of lettuce. She gingerly but one to free it from the ground without making marks in it, tossing it into one of the baskets at her side. One down, a whole...lot..to go. She looked at the seemingly endless row of lettuce and took a deep breath, one more achievement to mark in her journal! She always wrote her achievements down, so if she ever needed motivation, she could refer back to them and remember how excited and happy she was! Sometimes when she had a particular goal in mind, she'd write it down and pencil in a special reward she would give herself upon completing it, this also helped to motivate her!

Her first biggest achievement, she could remember it clear as day, was her 3rd day on Madagascar. She had been tasked with taking photographs of as many endangered species as she could find. 30 minutes into her tropical trek, and a Panther Chameleon, a species native only to Madagascar, clung to a branch right in front of her. It looked at her, unmoving, its bright colors blending into the tropical foliage surrounding it. Belle froze in her steps, meeting its gaze. "I hope...you wouldn't mind if I took your picture.." she whispered, bringing her camera up and zooming the lens in. It focused beautifully on the reptile, the resolution capturing every blip of color on its scaly body. The heifer thanks it graciously and sidestepped its branch, heading deeper into the jungle.

Along her trek, she continued to bump into endangered reptiles, like the spider tortoise, the Madagascar tree boa, and the paroedura lohatsara (a special gecko native only to Madagascar). All made wonderful subjects to Belle's camera and when she returned home that evening, she immediately put the SIM card into her laptop. The pictures had come out so perfectly!! The heifer printed them out and hung them on a string to drape on the wall above her work desk, also pulling out her achievement journal. She wrote down every species she photographed and at what time they were photographed along with roughly where she had found them. Not only would this motivate her further to continue doing what she loved, but it helped extensively with her research. It was a really great day!

[Venatici]

“I’d like to help harvest!”
Username: Morghettio
Buttermilk: The Holy Trinity

“I’d like to help harvest some more!”
Username: Morghettio
Buttermilk: The Holy Trinity
Word Count: 603 / 100
Prompt:
What is something that your Buttermilk loves to celebrate? A favorite holiday? A special date? An achievement? Liz would love to hear about a time your buttermilk has celebrated something!



To some, Morgan is known as the god of the forest: he almost has the suspension of belief similar to a cryptid. If you hear windchimes in the forest, or see a white see through butterfly, most are beckoned to follow it, for this must mean Morgan is nearby to come to their aid. While this is not entirely false, as Morgan does help passerbys who get lost such as hikers or schoolchildren who venture too far, Morgan is well known as something else.

The bull is very well known for his manager position. After working incredibly hard, the couple he lived with allowed Morgan to open his own nursery as a branch under their company. While the days of living in their basement are long gone, as Morgan now falls asleep in a warm bed with the company of his husband Wulfe, it is very well known that Morgan is the problem solver.

So, if someone decides to come home with a bunch of succulents, they might be having a crisis: but maybe for a different reason. Morgan acts almost like a free therapist, offering his advice to anyone who truly is struggling and is need of advice. If that includes finding them a therapist or other form of specialized help that is not just a gardener, then Morgan helps them find it. If not, Morgan is happy to listen to relationship problems.

There are two incredibly important days that Morgan celebrates as a result: his engagement, and the position of manager at his own nursery. His engagement is very small, very special, very intimate. His nursery opening, however, is another story.

Every year, Morgan hosts a small little gathering. He clears off an area of one of the fields and sets up all sorts of food from everywhere, inviting people to cook like a barbeque. Except here, you can get a taste of so much more: food you would have to buy at a specialized market. Morgan likes it this way, the blending of a community and the love between everyone. He has people bring their families and children for a night of fun, karaoke, speakers, and of course, animals! He loves to bring in animals (provided they stay away from the plants!) and all sorts of weird farm equipment. From the beginning of the day, towards the end, he holds a little silent auction with all sorts of gifts donated from the community. He uses these proceeds to then donate to those who struggle to meet their needs.

These gatherings he holds are very special to him and very close to his heart. He thoroughly enjoys hosting them, especially when at the end of the night those willing to stay are invited to watch a movie and grab some popcorn. Depending on what is left over with the food and who else is willing to help, they also have special desserts made from different cultures, just like the lunch made earlier!

While he loves celebrating holidays and other special days, this occasion is one of his favorites to celebrate. Even more so now that he has his husband, Wulfe, to enjoy the festivities with him. Even though Wulfe prefers to sort of keep an arms distance from everyone, it brings pure joy to Morgan for him to have Wulfe share a part of his daily life with him. This is something he longs for, and something he loves sharing with the person he loves the most.


After all, is it not important to spend the most crucial days with the people you love, so that they can enjoy it too?

[Micki.]

x
“I’d like to help harvest!”
Username: Micki.
Buttermilk: Mia

“I’d like to help harvest some more!”
Username: Micki.
Buttermilk: Mia
Word Count: 242
Prompt:

Mia’s condo was dark, candles and the city lights outside the only source of light.

Lee opened the door just as she was setting out plates, and Mia turned around and gave a small squeal of delight, “Just in time! The food’s all ready.” The other woman looked around the condo with confusion, her brows knitted together and forehead wrinkled.

“What is all this?” Lee questioned, looking back to Mia bewildered, before tacking on an incredulous, “Food? You cook?”

Mia scoffed, “Don’t be silly, I had the chef make it before he left for the night.”

The other woman nodded repeatedly, eyes closed, as she processed. Then she mumbled to herself, “Yeah… yeah… yeah, that makes more sense… definitely makes more sense.” She looked from the candles on the table to the food Mia was dishing out onto the plates to the candles all around the condo and back to Mia. She shook her head, still puzzled, “What are you doing, Mia?”

The thin blonde turned to Lee, frowning, “Don’t you remember?”

“Remember what?” Lee responded, exasperated.

Mia let out a small huff, “Today’s the anniversary of our meeting.”

---

Mia loves to celebrate basically any achievement or holiday – anything that is an excuse to party is a-okay in her book. However, the only things she really and truly loves to celebrate just for the pure joy they bring her are her anniversary to Lee and the anniversary of their meeting.

[fawn-]

“I’d like to help harvest!”
Username: fawn-
Buttermilk: Mia

“I’d like to help harvest some more!”
Username: fawn-
Buttermilk: Mia
Word Count: 105
Prompt: Mia's favorite thing to celebrate is the Apple Festival. Every fall, she brings her biggest wagon and best boots to go out into the orchards and pick apples fresh from the trees. She gets some of every kind, always filling up her wagon quicker than the year before. She snacks on a few to keep her energy up for the festival games. Apple archery, caramel dipping and candle making are a few of her favorite activities, all apple themed of course. When she finally gets home, she bakes nonstop for days, making apple pies, fritters, cookies and even preserves to deliver to friends and family.

[Joke's On You]

“I’d like to help harvest!”
Username: Joke's On You
Buttermilk: Pluto

“I’d like to help harvest some more!”
Username: Joke's On You
Buttermilk: Pluto
Word Count: 446
Prompt:

Pluto and her mother are extremely close to one another. Any holiday bringing family together in any aspect is very important to Pluto. With this in mind, since Pluto is a big family Buttermilk and is very close with her mother, she finds herself loving Mother's Day activities.

A day with her mother means a lot, so a day dedicated to appreciate how much she's done for her over the years is something that she goes all out for. She loves to make the day all special just for her!

However, one year proves to be her favorite in particular. This was actually the first Mother's Day that she was able to celebrate with her mother, and it was just past a year since she had been born. She had been planning for weeks. And her first surprise with her mother was to give her breakfast in bed. The humans that owned Huckleberry Acres made sure to help her with making it a memorable moment and gave her mother the food that they considered the best of the best for their Buttermilks, and boy, by how her mother put it, the food was good!

The next thing that Pluto had planned for her mother was a simple mother-daughter bonding time. They went on a walk out in the pasture, making sure to take it slow and have room for plenty of conversation. They loved to talk, so doing something simple like setting aside time to talk with her mother was able to make that gift to her great.

Next on her list was a bouquet of the most beautiful flowers. She gave it to her mother in a vase that said: 'Love Pluto' on it. The humans came useful for this once again, since obviously, she couldn't write or buy the flowers herself.

Then to end off the very special day, Pluto took her mother out to the pasture to watch the stars, as they always did when Pluto was a mere calf. It was something special between them, and often, Pluto would end up falling asleep under the stars as a calf. It was a little trip down memory lane and more bonding time with her mother. Another simple gesture with a big meaning, as Pluto liked to say. That night was what topped off the Mother's Day activities that Pluto had planned. She couldn't think of a better way to end her day with her mother than by doing something they used to do all the time together.

So when you as Pluto her favorite thing to celebrate, it would be Mother's Day. The day she got to show her mom the most appreciation.

[bluex]

“I’d like to help harvest!”
Username: bluex
Buttermilk: Lyre

“I’d like to help harvest some more!”
Username: bluex
Buttermilk: Lyre
Word Count:
Prompt: Lyre was never really much into celebrating anything. She wasn’t interested in trading gifts in the snow, handing candy out to needy calves in badly made costumes, or following trails of chocolate eggs left behind by some magical human sized rabbit. To her, everyday was just another day. She’d skip over her friends’ birthdays, any festivals that might come and set up nearby. Anything that was out of the ordinary schedule was typically ignored by the young heifer.

It wasn’t that she thought of those ideas as silly, or has some kind of prejudice against fun, she in reality she just really didn’t understand them, and was afraid of being outcast again. No one around her as a growing calf really showed her any compassion throughout those holidays. By the time her first Halloween rolled around, Lyre was in the weaning paddock fending off other calves. Her mind was always clouded with envy as she watched the calves pin up their costumes, messily sewing random materials together in hopes it would look somewhat like a witch’s robe. She’d feel herself drool as she watched calves bounce around with candy in their pumpkin pails, their mouths lined in bubblegum and taffy. She would have loved to go join them, but she didn’t have any costume to wear, any candy to eat, or any friends to play with. She went from being her mother’s little spoiled brat to the outcast of the herd, if she could even be considered in it.

Christmas was where Lyre suffered the most strain on her heartstrings. There was snow falling, and calves huddled together against the cold winds of the season. Trees had small lights of all colours strung over them, and they got gingerbread as a special treat from the farmers. She loved the smell of the cookies, however, you had to be at the front of the crowd to get a taste. Since Lyre was never at the front for anything, she was one of the only calves that didn’t get gingerbread. Presents started rolling in from across all the other paddocks, parents and friends showering their loved little bundles of joy their rewards for being extra good that year. Lyre was no exception - at least not originally. Her mother sent her 2 gifts and her old paddockmates sent her a total of 5, and she was feeling pretty lucky for the first time since she was out in this paddock. Of course, look all good things, her happiness came to an end. Her short-lived bliss was robbed when other calves took almost all of her presents, leaving just the one that she had locked between her hooves - a special little box from her mother that she was far too heartbroken to open.

Lyre is a heifer that will hold grudges for life, and that feeling of disappointment and sadness was one that she tried to avoid feeling at all costs, no matter what she had to sacrifice. Maybe one day, someone would come along and change her mind. Maybe a partner, maybe a set of 4 littles hooves thudding against the ground? Only time would tell.
(525 words)