Little Scriven Luminious Square

[Inkedust]

"So it seems that the others have gotten more involved?" Bellatrix commented, glancing at Ghaspius. Though he had evolved, the air-headed look gave his identity away to her immediately. She hadn't paid much attention to each intricacy of the performances, having spent her time speaking to Gray and Belle. Would it be fair for her to cast any vote? Voting for the performing Wayfarer would make her seem biased, voting against them would seem foolish if the Wayfarers had actually given the better performance. Perhaps there was another way to break the tie.

"Encore! Encore!" she called, now paying full attention to the stage.

 

[MintyMimix]

"Ladies and gentlemen, your enthusiasm is truly infectious, but let's show some love and respect for our talented performers!" Quagsire's jovial voice cut through the crowd's cries for an encore as he let out a hearty laugh. "After all, they deserve a chance to soak in the festivities too! Now, if you're rooting for our seasoned stars, give 'em a cheer that shakes the rafters!"

A thunderous wave of applause and shouts ensued, punctuated by their distinctly not-aliased names being called out by eager spectators.

"And for those backing our fresh faces, let's hear your voices ring out like thunder!"

The cacophony swelled into an outright roar of enthusiasm. Even Tsuya added her melodic trill to the chorus, while Gray opted for a more reserved applause.

"Alright then, it's settled! The crown goes to Mr. Spooks and Tempest, our reigning Improv Move Combo champions!"

After a bit of awkward waving and smidgen too bright of lights, the Masquerain took the pair backstage, offering a brief but amused congratulations. "I know it's no trophy, but our 'contestant' over there didn't give us much prep time for the festival."

Atop of her were a pair of necklaces each in the shape of a bird's wings. One necklace depicted the wing holding a pen, and the other an unfurled scroll. Two halves of a whole.

Rather than picking between the two, Ghapsius offered both to Isidora. "They're all yours, Tempest, I'm usually wearin' a scarf or a poncho, so it won't really work with me," he said with a soft smile on his face. "Sides, ya can always use it as a great present for someone ya trust."

 

[JFought]

Isidora was left panting by the end of it all, and stood there on stage as the audience cheered and then they won. Girarina, what?! She couldn't stop herself from smiling, that giddy feeling returning with full force, tickling through her pelt and causing her confined tail to quiver. I can't believe it...

She rode that feeling backstage, and could barely process the announcer's apology for the lack of a trophy (a trophy!). A necklace was more than she had ever expected really, and then-

Rather than picking between the two, Ghapsius offered both to Isidora. "They're all yours, Tempest, I'm usually wearin' a scarf or a poncho, so it won't really work with me," he said with a soft smile on his face. "Sides, ya can always use it as a great present for someone ya trust."

Isidora took them cautiously and held both in one paw. This was all too nice. "A-Are you sure? You worked hard for this too, and I didn't do much..."

 

[MintyMimix]

The Mismagius let out a hearty chuckle. "Sure as sand on a beachside," he said with a cheeky smile. "'til I've given somethin' a bit more substantive to the team, I ain't earned it quite yet."

He lightly tipped his hat as he properly introduced himself, "Mismagius Ghaspius. I think I remember your name from the meeting... 'e-saw-doe-ra, right?" His brows furrowed, clearly uncertain about his own pronunciation. "Or would ya prefer Tempest?"

Ghaspius gave her a moment to answer before lightly twirling. "It's been fun. Not sure if ya had any plans after this, but I'm sure there's plenty of the festival to see."

 

[JFought]

Isidora clenched her paw over her prizes and smiled with soft gratitude. "Thanks." She reached under her cloak to place them in her bag. Someone I trust, huh?

She finally lifted her mask up, and her ears twitched a little under her cloak at the mangling of her name. It ain't that hard to figure out, is it? "Isidora's fine. I don't really do titles. Not normally, anyway," she said, before smiling again. "And, I'll admit, it was fun. Thanks for havin' my back."

That was it then. The rest of her festival experience wasn't looking to be anywhere near as exciting. "Actually, I was gonna check out Frosty's after this. And festivals aren't much fun alone, so..." She hesitated a bit, unsure. "...Wanna come with?"

 

[Cresselia92]

"You really are a hero!" Tsuya declared with a trill. "Like a wandering warrior-monk from a faraway land that cleans the water, beats up the bad demons, and then is gone with the wind! Leaving behind a lesson and a treasure of gold and..." Her eyes widened as she connected the Sneasel with a story in her mind. "...silver...!" She uttered the last word in awe, as though she had just unlocked some hidden mystery of the world.

Heat instantly rose to Silver’s cheeks, a bashful smile appearing on his face as he soaked in the praise and felt his ego strengthening. The now-Sneasel sure was glad and grateful that his body was covered in dark fur, because heck! He must have been glowing red underneath his pelt.

“Huh! Well, I… hm…” he mumbled, tapping the floor with the tips of his claws. “I’m just doing what needs to be done to help and bring a positive change to this world. That’s, well, that’s the right thing to do!”

That sounded so cliche, didn’t it? And yet, he firmly believed his own words and wished to keep his promise. While he couldn’t claim to be a true hero yet and he knew there was plenty of work to do, that show of admiration made all his past efforts worth it.

Silver, a hero of legends… clearing water… gone with the wind…

After a bit of thinking, the image of a navy blue Suicune with a silver crown and red mane floated into his mind in all its glory, its crown gleaming under the moonlight and its mane waving dramatically thanks to a self-made gust. Elegant; graceful; powerful!

‘I mean! That would be pretty darn cool!’ he exclaimed mentally, snickering at his own imagination. ‘And if not a Suicune, what kinda Saint would I turn into if I were given the chance? Hmm…’

The sudden squealing and chirping from the Starly by his side snapped him back to reality. He gave another playful chuckle at her behavior and hummed in thought when she shot more questions:

"Like your home? Was it always like this?! A festival all the time?! Was it glowing and bustling and full of Pokémon 24/7?!" Tsuya's questions finally became a bit more pointed as she turned her head to Silver and relaxed her posture just a smidgen.

“Well, not really, but they celebrate some kinda celebration or sacred day every other week, so that’s close enough,” he remarked. “But yeah, there’re always a lot of Pokémon around. I’ve also heard stories of deities attending to their own sacred days, but they’ve appeared less and less frequently in recent centuries.”

"Yes, yes, yes, you get it! Action stories are so cool!" She said, pumping her wing as though she had just won an argument. "My friends keep saying, 'Oh but they're all the same' and I keep telling them no they're not! They're just saying what their parents think!"

The Starly furiously shook her head. "Super-Marill is only strong because of her friends in her heart! Flightogon beats Megasaur by breaking a dam to wash off all the poison pollen! Charcamon has to master the eighteen types from different lands and learns how to unite everyone along the way! And they all do cool beat-ups doing it!"

Her feathers puffed up as she became a ball of feathery fluff. "I like action and fantasy! And no one's gonna tell me it's stupid anymore! Not when Silver himself says they're cool!"

Silver grinned, letting out a quick series of excited dooks. He had found another fan of action stories! Oh, he wanted to ramble about his own fictional heroes and sources of inspiration so badly, but which ones could he pick? There were so many!

“Can you tell me where I can borrow those books?!” he asked with a childish, geeky glee, then blinked in shock when he realized how he was behaving. With an embarrassed cough, Silver tried to keep his enthusiasm under stronger wraps.

“T-that’s for no reason in particular! I’m just, huh, very curious! Anyway,” he smirked with confidence, “yours is the right spirit! Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and cannot like! And—”

Her head turned towards the stage as her she let out a gasp. "Look, look at that! Look at that! Is that one of your teammates? Wait, is that the mayor?! That was her the whole time?!"

“—Hm? What?” Silver turned to the amphitheater and hummed in thought. “…Oh! Yeah, that’s one of my teammates. And the masked fella looks familiar, too…”

And then came the grand finale, celebrating the victory of the Mismagius and the masked ‘mon. Shrugging, Silver contributed to the celebration by clapping his paws, and turned his head toward Tsuya. “Well, it’s still early, so I think I’m gonna check out some other place. Got any suggestions?”

 

[MintyMimix]

That was it then. The rest of her festival experience wasn't looking to be anywhere near as exciting. "Actually, I was gonna check out Frosty's after this. And festivals aren't much fun alone, so..." She hesitated a bit, unsure. "...Wanna come with?"

"Sounds like a grand ol' time to me, Isidora!" Ghaspius swayed from side-to-side in a voice as sweet as dessert. "Hmm, ya think they'll let me in back of house to see how they make the stuff...?"

As the airhead as light as air floated alongside his newfound companion. Festvials truly did bring people together, even when things around them could be so dire. To embrace in those moments of wonder and glee between days of struggle — was that not the story of life?

“Can you tell me where I can borrow those books?!” he asked with a childish, geeky glee, then blinked in shock when he realized how he was behaving. With an embarrassed cough, Silver tried to keep his enthusiasm under stronger wraps.

“T-that’s for no reason in particular! I’m just, huh, very curious! Anyway,” he smirked with confidence, “yours is the right spirit! Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and cannot like! And—”

"The Scrivener's Library, of course!" Tsuya more than happily trilled as Silver's enthusiasm only boosted her own. "Say 'hi' to mom if you see her there! She runs the whooooole thing!" It was likely an exaggeration, but the Starly's pride swelled along with her posture.

"Can't wait to tell my friends that a real hero backs me up on my faves!"

“—Hm? What?” Silver turned to the amphitheater and hummed in thought. “…Oh! Yeah, that’s one of my teammates. And the masked fella looks familiar, too…”

And then came the grand finale, celebrating the victory of the Mismagius and the masked ‘mon. Shrugging, Silver contributed to the celebration by clapping his paws, and turned his head toward Tsuya. “Well, it’s still early, so I think I’m gonna check out some other place. Got any suggestions?”

Turning towards the other Wayfarers in the distance, she remarked with a hint of incredulity, "They look scary and weird!" Oh, the tactless honesty of a child. Without skipping a beat, she opened her wings and added, "Let's go to Frosty's! You ever had saints-inspired ice cream before?!"

The energy of youth and celebration, though ephemeral, was one to be treasured. When the day comes for their own call to action, there was no doubt they would lead the charge into whatever adversary they may come across. But until then, they could welcome what new sights and new delights awaited them at every turn.

...

And though age and experience brought weariness, so too did it bring wistfulness. A perspective from above guided by one's own past to help tell the story of the present for those in the future. Like well-forged steel, one admire its shining splendor while finding in respect in what it took to make it. One just had to ensure the blade was pointed in the right direction.

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