#hsf2k22

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.

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

“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.

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,

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

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