Lunch and Learn [M]

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park

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played by

dreamflower

she/her

December 12

Anistar City, Kalos

Bisexual

Blacksmith, bladesmith

Associate

Art is risk

Tempered by wisdom

5'7"/170 cm height

A keen mind cuts deeper than even the sharpest sword.

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1,014 posts

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Aurelie Lefevre

Lunch and Learn [M]

POSTED ON Jan 5, 2024 23:36:30 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]Old friend, new year

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Among the many benefits that came with the Iron Lady Forge establishing a firmer financial footing in Hoenn—not to mention enjoying continued Rocket patronage—was that Aurelie felt more comfortable working shorter hours than she used to at first. At first, she hardly dared to take any time off at all. Now, she actually felt safe only working a half-day in the middle of the week and taking the time to have a late lunch with—

Well, she wasn't quite sure what to call Caleb Harcourt, still. At first, she only knew him as a Ranger who'd asked questions and bought a custom-made utility knife from her shop. Then she learned he was Zev Harcourt's younger brother and feared what would happen to him if Zev ever found him. And then...the battle at the Ancient Tomb, and twenty years in memory-Galar.

Not to mention what happened after Galar.

There was so much Aurelie wanted to know, so much she wanted to ask Caleb, so much she wondered about him. So, she had cautiously texted him with an invitation to meet up, talk, and eat. She still wasn't sure if he would really come or decide against it at the last moment.

Now, Aurelie sat at a quiet booth in the corner of her favorite Lilycove bakery, leaning back contentedly against the well-cushioned seat. The mid-afternoon lull had left the bakery blessedly quiet and empty. Quiet, low-key jazz music filtered from the speakers, and the delicious aromas of fresh-baked bread, buttery pastries, and coffee filled the air.

While she waited for Caleb, she was reading a book. Entitled Powers and Peasants: A History of the Middle Ages, the book's cover displayed a crowned king being guarded by an armored knight. It struck Aurelie as an oddly appropriate choice for this little rendezvous. A steaming bowl of soup and an uneaten sandwich on a dainty little plate sat before her on the table.

Surely, he would make a little time to reconnect with an old friend? Even if that friendship happened in another time and place that never really existed except in several dozen people's minds? Or was she just an ordinary blacksmith to him, a random civilian among a sea of other civilians?

[attr="class","aurelie_tag"]

Caleb Harcourt | Mission: Swept Under the Rug | Outfit

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

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played by

nellethiel

Caleb Sharpe

He/Him

October 13

Lavender Town, Kanto

Bisexual

League Ranger

Elite

Chasing memories

of sapphire eyes and cruel smiles

6'4" / 193 cm height

Leave the past where it is: behind you.

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647 posts

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Caleb Harcourt

Lunch and Learn [M]

POSTED ON Mar 14, 2024 19:10:11 GMT

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[attr="class","calebtest2"]

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Caleb entered the bakery - only a few minutes late - and was immediately greeted by the sweet, buttery scent of pastries fresh out of the oven. He paused, feeling suddenly out of his element. He was grateful for the momentary respite amidst the hectic scramble to deal with Hoenn's newest anomalies, but a part of him was also nervous, too. It wasn't that he regretted accepting Aurelie Lefevre's invitation...it was more that he had absolutely no idea what she was supposed to mean to him now.[break][break]
Almost two years ago, the Rangers had asked him to investigate her forge, due to Rocket-related rumors. He'd found nothing suspicious there: only an extremely talented blacksmith. He'd respected her dedication to what some might call a dying art, and had purchased a custom knife from her. He'd liked her, but had no reason to pursue a relationship that was anything more than an artisan and her customer.[break][break]
Until a few months ago, when everything changed...when they'd both ended up trapped in a dream of Galar for what had felt like twenty years.[break][break]
Without her, we all would have died, he remembered. She had created the weapons that had saved countless lives, that had given the people of Motostoke - people Caleb had been tasked to lead - a fighting chance against the Black Knight and the Skeleton, nightmarish monsters that had threatened to destroy them all. He had come to know Aurelie well, respecting not only her artistry, but her keen mind and kindly personality.[break][break]
But did she even remember all that? Even his recollection was hazy, unraveling at the seams.[break][break]
Her red hair was easy to spot. Sucking in a breath, he made his way to the table, sliding into the vacant seat across from her without much pretense. The first thing he noticed was the book she was reading: Powers and Peasants: A History of the Middle Ages. A shiver travelled up his spine, followed by a wave of nostalgia hitting him squarly in the chest.[break][break]
"Hey, Aurelie," he greeted - and to his credit, it was only a little bit awkward. What he found, most of all, was that he was glad to see her. Like a sudden weight had been removed from his shoulders that he hadn't even known he'd been carrying.

[attr="class","ooc"]

[attr="class","tag"]Aurelie Lefevre

[break]

NOTES

⬥ Outfit[break]
⬥ Mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

[attr="class","credit"]

MADE BY GUNSMILE

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played by

dreamflower

she/her

December 12

Anistar City, Kalos

Bisexual

Blacksmith, bladesmith

Associate

Art is risk

Tempered by wisdom

5'7"/170 cm height

A keen mind cuts deeper than even the sharpest sword.

awards

1,014 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @aurelie

Aurelie Lefevre

Lunch and Learn [M]

POSTED ON Mar 25, 2024 21:22:51 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]Old friend, new year

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Looking up from her book at the sound of her name, Aurelie had to fight down a thrill of visceral fear at the sight of Caleb Harcourt. She knew immediately it wasn't fair; the one she feared wasn't Caleb at all, but his brother Zev Harcourt, whom he so strongly resembled. But Caleb was taller, and underneath the dark hair, his blue eyes and chiseled face shone with genuine emotion, warmth, and life.

The reminders of the brothers' differences, subtle yet stark, drove the fear from her mind. They evoked instead the struggles they'd gone through together, the victories they seized, the losses they suffered, the battles where they fought side by side, and the long, precious periods of peace and prosperity when they could make plans for Motostoke's future. Aurelie's face brightened with a smile.

"Caleb! Hi!" she exclaimed, closing her book with a snap. He came, she thought with mingled surprise and relief. He's here.

With that relief came an outpouring of cheerful, sociable everyday chatter, as Aurelie beamed at him in welcome and gestured to the empty chair opposite hers at the small table. "I'm so glad you agreed to have lunch with me! Please, sit down. Have you been to this café before?

"If not, I recommend their croissant sandwich with ham, Gruyère, lettuce, and tomato! Their clam chowder's really good too," she went on blithely. "Or their lemon poppyseed muffins, if you're in more of a dessert mood."

As she spoke, the redhead studied Caleb's face thoughtfully, struck by how familiar and yet how strange he felt now. In real life, they'd only met once or twice before being thrown into the medieval memory-Galar world with dozens of other trainers. And since coming back from that, both their lives had only gotten more complicated and chaotic than ever.

She swallowed, thinking of some of those complications, particularly in his life. Were those dark shadows under Caleb's eyes the vestiges of torture and betrayal? Did he move more stiffly now than she remembered, hampered by injuries she couldn't even guess at?

Were he and Isaac fellow Rangers now, happily protecting and rescuing Pokemon, being League heroes together? Tears stung her eye briefly at the thought, and she didn't know if it was sadness or happiness that prompted them.

"Thank you for coming," she burst out, pushing away the uncomfortable thoughts. "I wasn't sure you would, given how..." Aurelie groped for the right word for a moment. "...busy we've all been.

"How have you been, Caleb? Are you doing all right? I know you've been through...a lot." It was an understatement, if what she'd heard was right. "I thought it would be nice to catch up, after all this time."

[attr="class","aurelie_tag"]

Caleb Harcourt | Mission: Swept Under the Rug | Outfit

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

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played by

nellethiel

Caleb Sharpe

He/Him

October 13

Lavender Town, Kanto

Bisexual

League Ranger

Elite

Chasing memories

of sapphire eyes and cruel smiles

6'4" / 193 cm height

Leave the past where it is: behind you.

awards

647 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @caleb

Caleb Harcourt

Lunch and Learn [M]

POSTED ON Apr 16, 2024 20:08:23 GMT

BARNABY FINCH likes this

[nospaces]

[attr="class","calebtest2"]

[attr="class","text"]

Had Aurelie always been this talkative? A lop-sided smile formed across Caleb's lips as she rambled on about the menu, her obvious delight at his presence endearing enough to relax his shoulders and soften his demeanor, smoothing out the edges anxiety had wrought upon his figure.[break][break]
But then he watched her expression melt into a complex mix of happiness and concern. The way her brow furrowed ever so slightly; the way her visible eye seemed, though gentle, shadowed by something - a sadness? - that reeked of pity. He felt suddenly uncomfortable, then, realizing, perhaps, that she had likely heard about his recent capture by Rocket. How - he wasn't sure: maybe she knew other Rangers. Maybe she knew Isaac.[break][break]
Of course she knows Isaac, he chastised himself. Why he felt so confident of that, he had no idea. But it felt right. It felt true. Like all of the other blurry memories he had of them together, living in Galar.[break][break]
Her gratitude was genuine, however. That much was clear. Caleb did not lose his smile, doing his best to ignore the small tremors in his hands, the way his chest constricted if he thought too hard about BARNABY FINCH's prison.[break][break]
"I don't think the Rangers will be less busy any time soon," he commented, trying not to sound overly ominous. She knew as well as he did that their region was in constant peril these days. "So I think it's important for us to...take the time to relax when we can."[break][break]
A waitress appeared, and Caleb requested coffee - black, no sugar, just pure caffeine. It was a blessing, to be given a few more heartbeats of extra time to consider how best to answer Aurelie's general inquiry.[break][break]
"I'm..." Trying to bounce back? Fighting to maintain my sanity? Afraid my brother, who is a literal walking nightmare, will find me and kill me? "...I'm doing okay."[break][break]
It was usually enough. But this time, it wasn't. He hated lying to her the moment the words slipped from his mouth.[break][break]
"Dammit, that's not it." He sighed, running a hand through his hair, and letting the mask of composure slip - just a little. "I'm sorry, Aurelie, but I'm a fucking mess."

[attr="class","ooc"]

[attr="class","tag"]Aurelie Lefevre

[break]

NOTES

⬥ Outfit[break]
⬥ Mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

[attr="class","credit"]

MADE BY GUNSMILE

close tab

played by

dreamflower

she/her

December 12

Anistar City, Kalos

Bisexual

Blacksmith, bladesmith

Associate

Art is risk

Tempered by wisdom

5'7"/170 cm height

A keen mind cuts deeper than even the sharpest sword.

awards

1,014 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @aurelie

Aurelie Lefevre

Lunch and Learn [M]

POSTED ON Apr 19, 2024 20:42:57 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]Old friend, new year

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]When Caleb ordered his coffee and assured her that he was okay, Aurelie found herself relaxing a little at the normality of it all. She even felt relieved that he didn't seem more wounded in body and spirit by his ordeals. Clearly, he's stronger than I am, because I know I wouldn't deal with it so gracefully, she reflected.

Then, he broke down and told her the truth, and Aurelie's calm expression crumpled into a look of grief, pain, and sympathy. Instinctively, she reached out to take his other hand but stopped herself, not sure how he would take the gesture in a moment of such heightened emotions.

"Oh, Caleb," she breathed, her heart aching at his words. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry you had to go through all that and...I'm sorry it was so hard for you and it left you in such a bad place."

The words felt so inadequate in her mouth. Especially when she was still part of Rocket, the organization that had inflicted this on him. Even the sunlight filtering through the windows seemed dimmer and colder now.

Hesitantly, Aurelie ventured, her words emerging in stuttered fragments, "I...I did hear a little bit about what happened to you. Through Isaac. A few months ago. He said he went looking for you...when you disappeared...after we all woke up at the Ancient Tomb."

A shudder rippled through her as she bared her teeth in a grimace. "He said you'd been kidnapped by...by Rocket, of all things. And Isaac dragged you out and got you home."

The very thought of it made Aurelie angry, but she couldn't tell right now what the source of her anger was. Was it that these things had happened to Caleb? That Rocket had been foolish enough to do all this to him? Or was it that this sequence of events had caused Isaac to leave Rocket? That Caleb had caused Isaac to defect?

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," she added quietly, lowering her gaze. "I'm not a therapist, after all! But if you want to... She shrugged and glanced back up at him.

"I guess at least I wanted to find out if it was all true. It's so hard to believe that all that happened to you. It's insane that there are people out there who do things like that."

[attr="class","aurelie_tag"]

Caleb Harcourt | Mission: Swept Under the Rug | Outfit

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

close tab

played by

nellethiel

Caleb Sharpe

He/Him

October 13

Lavender Town, Kanto

Bisexual

League Ranger

Elite

Chasing memories

of sapphire eyes and cruel smiles

6'4" / 193 cm height

Leave the past where it is: behind you.

awards

647 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @caleb

Caleb Harcourt

Lunch and Learn [M]

POSTED ON May 2, 2024 18:00:47 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","calebtest2"]

[attr="class","text"]

He couldn't blame Isaac for talking to Aurelie. Isaac was a talker, after all. He was constantly bouncing ideas off his inner and outer circles, navigating all of the various ways he might be able to make some kind of difference healing their war-torn world. The Liberator, they called him now. It was a fitting title; he'd always been the better king.[break][break]
"It's all true," Caleb murmured, knowing the truth would sting, but also wanting Aurelie to understand the reality of his situation. She deserved to know, not only because he trusted her, but because Rocket was dangerous...and she ought to steer clear of them as much as possible. Not that he expected her to ever get involved with a criminal organization, but as a maker of weapons, it was always possible they might try and coerce her to their side.[break][break]
He wouldn't put it past them, in any case.[break][break]
"He saved my life. Isaac, I mean," he continued. The memories were a swirling whirlwind now: the ice-tipped claws of jayden cross's ruinous beast, their narrow escape onto the streets of Sootopolis, angelo vestri and Latios appearing like an oceanic deus ex machina, his brother's arrival and his subsequent separation from Isaac, who would have died if not for Suicune's eventual intervention...[break][break]
They'd made it out alive. That's what mattered.[break][break]
"It's not so hard to believe," he sighed softly. How much did Aurelie know about him? It felt like such a jumbled mess: a pendulum swinging back and forth between newly acquainted and twenty-years-of-friendship.[break][break]
"Rocket isn't especially kind to defectors. I escaped Kanto a few years ago, but it was only a matter of time before the sins of my past caught up to me. And besides...my brother and I aren't exactly on good terms." He paused. "He's in Rocket still."

[attr="class","ooc"]

[attr="class","tag"]Aurelie Lefevre

[break]