#hsf2k22

[hero7of4oblivia]

@mirroredranger

Turn this way and then-

Had Summer been unable to sit still the whole time while Val was fighting the Garchomp? Yes. Did they spend the whole time pacing and obsessively checking their little phone for any potential updates? Also yes. Are they now sprinting to Val's room because it's either that or throwing up from worry? Yes. Yes they are.

As they enter Val's room (not very carefully) their eyes are wide, cheeks flushed, and looking about ready to cry.

"Val!"

[fairymint]

It’s Felix’s turn for the @hisuianspringfestival​ ‘s Contest Appeal!

Hope you enjoy the show!

[mirroredranger]

A zorua yawned as Valerie’s fingers wandered around her fur, trying to find a good spot to scratch. In actuality, the ranger was not paying attention to the pokemon she was gifted.

“It wasn’t a travesty...”

The yelp from the blue vulpine pokemon told Valerie that her emotions took over again, digging too much with that last scratch. “Sorry, little guy.” She moved to just rubbing the zorua’s ear, which the pokemon leaned into.

What was she going to do?

This whole contest had turned into nothing short of a shit show, not because of the coordinators. Well, in Valerie’s mind, there was one who made it worse. Partly. The rest was on Volo. The wonder and appreciation for finally finding “family” had blinded Valerie to what kind of person he was. And now, she felt anger. Not quite disgust. Just a low-simmering anger.

But now, it was over. Valerie could go home.

Home.

Alola didn’t feel like that now. Coming up with her show, Valerie realized that. She was used by the ranger union to gather intelligence on people she cared for and held as a potential tool. Alola wasn’t a place where she was needed, it was where she was kept.

Hisui didn’t feel any better. The wonder that Valerie first had for Volo and Fiacre spread to the region. But over time, she felt separated. And when Volo’s harsh judgments revealed him, that separation became harsh, a severance.

There is no home.

Tears started welling up in the redhead’s eyes as her zorua started barking.

[yellraiser]

Piers’s Entry for the 2022 Hisuian Spring Festival: Prepare to Die Edition.

Content Warnings: Near-death, blood (kinda), self-harm (technically????)

The former Gym Leader of Spikemuth tries to sing a little ditty by Queen, only to repeatedly face his own demise.

[quasimyth]

@slyginkgo​ 

How strange and forbidden it is, the union between Giratina and Arceus standing before him. Such tension can he feel ‘twixt the two, but not one that’s necessarily ancient; this struggle is old beyond the years, but it’s one of husband and husband. Perhaps rather deeper than that--Kazimir was assigned to Volo as his watcher, it seems--but it is free of the primordial hatred that courses between the Giratina he knows and the Arceus he loathes.

This is not, however, a Volo he can necessarily trust. The man is ever-shifting, hard to read--and that, perhaps, is reason enough not to invite him to the Hisuian Spring Festival. Perhaps not the most tainted soul he’s ever read, but not the cleanest, either. If he pushes further in his soul-reading, he could most likely see the reason why this soul feels so off to him…but not before making his feelings known.

      “So. You’re the other Volo,” he huffs. “What purpose do you have in visiting the Festival?”

He has a feeling already. He can’t think that this man will be up to anything good. But sometimes, it’s the disparity between the response and what intuition tells him that can be the most revealing.

Cynthia stands behind him; he doesn’t need to see her to feel her look of worry. 

Don’t be worried about him, Volo thinks, knowing she can hear. Worry about the Festival.

[hisuianspringfestival]

FIRST PLACE: @invictarre​ - Leon Delarosa, 105 points

SECOND PLACE: @mirroredranger​ - Valerie Winters & @rosengard3n​ - Melli, 78 points

THIRD PLACE: @yellraiser​ - Piers Cooper, 74 points

HONORABLE MENTION: @mindovermechanics​ - Cameron Winters, 69 points

@goingtopulsera - Jack Johnson, 65 points

@fairymint - Felix, 59 points

@muse-in-a-box - Carrie, 51 points

A Final Word

It is with both joy and sadness that I bring the Hisuian Spring Festival to a close. I am elated because I have brought this event to a successful conclusion in spite of all the mental health scares that have rocked me throughout--ones so strong that I thought I might not even be able to write the finale. I am also filled with happiness because of all the wonderful activity that I have filled peoples’ lives with (as well as my own)--the plots, the Pokémon-catching DMing, the hilarity of Volo’s roasts and his comeuppance in the end. And I am happy because after four long months (holy shit we started in February and it’s already June), I am finally able to put the Hisuian Spring Festival to rest. Yet there is also a sense of melancholy as I leave this event behind. Because as you are all aware, I may never return to hosting again.

I have many things to consider before any formal decision to definitively pull the plug, the first and foremost of which is my schedule and whether I will have the ability to handle event-related drama with how busy I am about to get. Part of me thinks that in time, I can do it; part of me isn’t so sure. Part of me is brave enough to try again; part of me secretly wonders how many friendships I’m going to lose due to stuff that happens at events. It’s just been a big tug of war inside me, one part hope and one part fear. The hope part of me says that the fear part of me is unwarranted. The fear part of me says that my hopes for future events are likewise unfounded.

Whatever I choose, though, I will ALWAYS be happy that I spent the past 6 years hosting. The struggles of hosting events may give me diminishing returns on investment in the future, but without a doubt, they are a defining part of my past that I will always hold dear. Even though I have been through so much stress due to events, I can still look back and definitively say that at least while my life wasn’t so busy, it was worth every drop of blood, sweat and tears that I shed. I will always be proud of my creations, and of the fact that I created them.

Part of this is because I will never regret getting to spend so much time with all of you, for whom I will always be grateful. The people who almost always sign up every single year no matter what my event content. The people whose muses I can always count on to make juicy, juicy plots. The people who embody the spirit that Contests are for fun, not winning, something I’ve had to learn. Whether you drop out or whether you finish doesn’t matter to me; the fact that people are always eager to try is still part of the spirit that makes all of my events so special. Whether I come back at some point with an event that I’ve already had ideas for or whether this is my last huzzah, I will always treasure what I have done--what we have done. Together.

Much love,

天

[mirroredranger]

Valerie's entry for @hisuianspringfestival !

Read here!

[fairymint]

Kissing the hem of Arceus’s robe...?! How could you say something so embarrassing like that-

“I’m more of a musicals guy myself, it’s been half my life since I’ve even seen a contest, sooooooooooo.  It’s about my pokémon having fun, not you.” That’s what he’s got to say for himself thus far as judging. He doesn’t really care, this was just a fun event.

[hero7of4oblivia]

"That's not the point!"

Summer stopped flailing their arms, but they were shaking and looking Val in the eyes.

"Ever since we got here, you've been acting differently and more dangerously. And it's scary because you keep getting yourself hurt. I hardly get to see you as is and each time we spend time together here it's after you injure yourself or try to drown yourself for the sake of a performance. I really, really like you Val and I'm worried about you."

hero7of4oblivia​:

The last comment did not help Summer’s nerves at all, and in fact made the worried arm motions and almost crying worse. “Why did you do that you got really hurt and what if you got more hurt or the Garchomp did something really bad-!” It appears that Summer has thought a lot of worse case scenarios.

Lucario poked his head in, and after giving Valerie a “good luck” look, motioned for Sven to leave the room. Val would probably be stuck in bed for a few hours.

Valerie frowned as she tried to sit up. Ouch, bad move. And despite her best efforts, she winced while doing so. “I had to give it a try. And it’s not as bad as it looks.” She tried to give a wry smile to reassure Summer. She did appreciate how they worried about her, even if it can be a bit much. “And I’ve been through worse, I know I would have come out fine.” The ranger took a deep breath before trying again to sit up. That was better, no wincing this time. “I’ll just be out for a couple of days at most.”

[mirroredranger]

"Mmhm," she nodded. "I'm one of the really unlucky ones." Valerie really didn't want to look at Summer's face. Summer just said that they really, really liked her. And honestly? Valerie really liked them as well. But more importantly, she didn't want them to get hurt or tangled up in the faller mess.

"I thought I was lucky when the ranger union reported to know who I was, but-" this was the hard part of last year. "-but I found out they wanted to use me."

hero7of4oblivia​:

The last comment did not help Summer’s nerves at all, and in fact made the worried arm motions and almost crying worse. “Why did you do that you got really hurt and what if you got more hurt or the Garchomp did something really bad-!” It appears that Summer has thought a lot of worse case scenarios.

Lucario poked his head in, and after giving Valerie a “good luck” look, motioned for Sven to leave the room. Val would probably be stuck in bed for a few hours.

Valerie frowned as she tried to sit up. Ouch, bad move. And despite her best efforts, she winced while doing so. “I had to give it a try. And it’s not as bad as it looks.” She tried to give a wry smile to reassure Summer. She did appreciate how they worried about her, even if it can be a bit much. “And I’ve been through worse, I know I would have come out fine.” The ranger took a deep breath before trying again to sit up. That was better, no wincing this time. “I’ll just be out for a couple of days at most.”

[mirroredranger]

It took a few painful breaths still before Valerie felt ready. "You remember when the group chat was talking about Fallers?" That was the heaviest thing on her mind.

"There's more to it than- than the Hisuian heroes. Space-time rips are more likely to happen around them in unstable places like Hisui, Faller's aura changes," her voice croaked. "So it's attractive to ultra beasts from other worlds. And-" there was another croak.

Her voice was so small, soft. "The really unlucky ones suffer amnesia."

hero7of4oblivia​:

The last comment did not help Summer’s nerves at all, and in fact made the worried arm motions and almost crying worse. “Why did you do that you got really hurt and what if you got more hurt or the Garchomp did something really bad-!” It appears that Summer has thought a lot of worse case scenarios.

Lucario poked his head in, and after giving Valerie a “good luck” look, motioned for Sven to leave the room. Val would probably be stuck in bed for a few hours.

Valerie frowned as she tried to sit up. Ouch, bad move. And despite her best efforts, she winced while doing so. “I had to give it a try. And it’s not as bad as it looks.” She tried to give a wry smile to reassure Summer. She did appreciate how they worried about her, even if it can be a bit much. “And I’ve been through worse, I know I would have come out fine.” The ranger took a deep breath before trying again to sit up. That was better, no wincing this time. “I’ll just be out for a couple of days at most.”

[mirroredranger]

hero7of4oblivia​:

The last comment did not help Summer’s nerves at all, and in fact made the worried arm motions and almost crying worse. "Why did you do that you got really hurt and what if you got more hurt or the Garchomp did something really bad-!” It appears that Summer has thought a lot of worse case scenarios.

Lucario poked his head in, and after giving Valerie a “good luck” look, motioned for Sven to leave the room. Val would probably be stuck in bed for a few hours.

Valerie frowned as she tried to sit up. Ouch, bad move. And despite her best efforts, she winced while doing so. “I had to give it a try. And it’s not as bad as it looks.” She tried to give a wry smile to reassure Summer. She did appreciate how they worried about her, even if it can be a bit much. “And I’ve been through worse, I know I would have come out fine.” The ranger took a deep breath before trying again to sit up. That was better, no wincing this time. “I’ll just be out for a couple of days at most.”

[hero7of4oblivia]

Summer nodded to show that she was listening, taking in what Valerie was saying. She hadn't said much during the conversation, not exactly her area of knowledge. She knew that fallers exsisted, it that's about all she knew.

"Are....are you a faller, Val?"

hero7of4oblivia​:

The last comment did not help Summer’s nerves at all, and in fact made the worried arm motions and almost crying worse. “Why did you do that you got really hurt and what if you got more hurt or the Garchomp did something really bad-!” It appears that Summer has thought a lot of worse case scenarios.

Lucario poked his head in, and after giving Valerie a “good luck” look, motioned for Sven to leave the room. Val would probably be stuck in bed for a few hours.

Valerie frowned as she tried to sit up. Ouch, bad move. And despite her best efforts, she winced while doing so. “I had to give it a try. And it’s not as bad as it looks.” She tried to give a wry smile to reassure Summer. She did appreciate how they worried about her, even if it can be a bit much. “And I’ve been through worse, I know I would have come out fine.” The ranger took a deep breath before trying again to sit up. That was better, no wincing this time. “I’ll just be out for a couple of days at most.”

[hero7of4oblivia]

The last comment did not help Summer's nerves at all, and in fact made the worried arm motions and almost crying worse. "Why did you do that you got really hurt and what if you got more hurt or the Garchomp did something really bad-!" It appears that Summer has thought a lot of worse case scenarios.

Lucario poked his head in, and after giving Valerie a "good luck" look, motioned for Sven to leave the room. Val would probably be stuck in bed for a few hours.

@mirroredranger

Turn this way and then-

Had Summer been unable to sit still the whole time while Val was fighting the Garchomp? Yes. Did they spend the whole time pacing and obsessively checking their little phone for any potential updates? Also yes. Are they now sprinting to Val's room because it's either that or throwing up from worry? Yes. Yes they are.

As they enter Val's room (not very carefully) their eyes are wide, cheeks flushed, and looking about ready to cry.

"Val!"

[hero7of4oblivia]

Summer shuffled over, sitting on the bed. It hardly moved under them, Summer's just that small.

"I want to listen."

hero7of4oblivia​:

The last comment did not help Summer’s nerves at all, and in fact made the worried arm motions and almost crying worse. “Why did you do that you got really hurt and what if you got more hurt or the Garchomp did something really bad-!” It appears that Summer has thought a lot of worse case scenarios.

Lucario poked his head in, and after giving Valerie a “good luck” look, motioned for Sven to leave the room. Val would probably be stuck in bed for a few hours.

Valerie frowned as she tried to sit up. Ouch, bad move. And despite her best efforts, she winced while doing so. “I had to give it a try. And it’s not as bad as it looks.” She tried to give a wry smile to reassure Summer. She did appreciate how they worried about her, even if it can be a bit much. “And I’ve been through worse, I know I would have come out fine.” The ranger took a deep breath before trying again to sit up. That was better, no wincing this time. “I’ll just be out for a couple of days at most.”

[mirroredranger]

It felt like all air left her like a released balloon. Before she could explain anything, Summer came out with the last sentence. Valerie's mouth felt dry now.

They were right. Valerie's eyes looked to the side. Her stomach felt knotted, and it didn't help that her chest was in pain from two broken ribs. There was so much to tell them. Finally, Valerie moved her legs and patted the bed, motioning for Summer to sit. "I-" she stopped, then started over. "It's a lot, if you want to listen."

hero7of4oblivia​:

The last comment did not help Summer’s nerves at all, and in fact made the worried arm motions and almost crying worse. “Why did you do that you got really hurt and what if you got more hurt or the Garchomp did something really bad-!” It appears that Summer has thought a lot of worse case scenarios.

Lucario poked his head in, and after giving Valerie a “good luck” look, motioned for Sven to leave the room. Val would probably be stuck in bed for a few hours.

Valerie frowned as she tried to sit up. Ouch, bad move. And despite her best efforts, she winced while doing so. “I had to give it a try. And it’s not as bad as it looks.” She tried to give a wry smile to reassure Summer. She did appreciate how they worried about her, even if it can be a bit much. “And I’ve been through worse, I know I would have come out fine.” The ranger took a deep breath before trying again to sit up. That was better, no wincing this time. “I’ll just be out for a couple of days at most.”