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TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON Apr 25, 2022 1:30:07 GMT

Xiura Balfaltin likes this

[attr="class","mon"]

[attr="class","monlyrics"]Life is what you bake of it.

[attr="class","monbody"]Aurelie whistled quietly to herself as she walked along the streets of Lilycove City, enjoying the warm sunlight and the cool, soothing sea breeze, which lightly tousled her short-cropped hair and invigorated her senses with its briny freshness. Her Flareon loped smoothly beside her, his bushy tail raised high in the air and waving in the breeze. Along the way, she noticed a few flyers about a local volunteer group asking for donations and fundraising to support the clean-up of Lilycove City's harbor. This morning, though, the waves that gently lapped the seaside seemed crystal-clear and pristine, thankfully free of any detritus left by ships providing passage to Slateport.

The morning was so lovely, in fact, that Aurelie couldn't help but take it as a good omen for this auspicious day: the day she delivered the first order ever made to Iron Lady Forge, her newly established bladesmithing business. Her business was so new and so small that Aurelie would probably be hand-delivering her orders for some time, assuming she ever received more orders for custom knives or cutting implements. Whatever had drawn Xiura Balfaltin to her forge that day, she had no idea.

Nonetheless, Aurelie had poured her heart into the set of custom-made, hand-forged kitchen knives for Xiura, out of pure gratitude. She hoped the café owner would be happy with the resulting product.

Quickening her stride, she continued making her way to the Bubble, Bubble Tea, and Trouble café, keeping careful hold on the box holding Xiura's order with both hands. When she caught sight of the café, her idle whistle turned into an appreciative sniff as she admired the wide patio and balcony and caught a faint whiff of fresh fruit. Resolutely squaring her shoulders, Aurelie walked through the welcoming front doors and looked around the interior for a glimpse of Xiura.

"Hello?" she called, hoisting her box high. "I have a delivery for Miss Balfaltin here..." Her voice trailed off as her nose twitched, pulling her glance toward the door leading, presumably, to the kitchen. Was that smoke she smelled? Was something on fire in the kitchen?

Without pausing to think, Aurelie rushed toward the kitchen door. She knocked insistently on the door, raising her voice to call to anyone who might be on the other side. "Hello? Is everything all right in there? Is anything on fire? Or anybody?"

[attr="class","montag"]Xiura Balfaltin | Mission: The Great Hoenn Bake-Off

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

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played by

lucina

She / Her

June 10

Ecruteak City, Johto

Ace / ?-romantic

Boba Cafe Barista

Elite

107 height

May you always know pain as temporary and laughter better.

awards

340 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @xiura

POSTED ON Apr 26, 2022 1:23:30 GMT

Aurelie Lefevre likes this

[attr="class","ig"]

[attr="class","ninety"]

[attr="class","joker"]

[attr="class","game"]

MISSION: THE GREAT HOENN BAKE OFF

[attr="class","kikan"]

“

"Fairy?" Clefairy sounded very concerned from where she was hovering near the piping-hot oven. Several dozen fruit tarts, adorned with strawberry, cherry, kiwi, and mango toppings, sat cooling on a wire rack.

"Just a second, Clefairy, I've just got to..." Xiura huffed out a breath, frustratedly brushing strands of hair away from her eyes. Smudges of flour were daubed over her forehead and cheeks. "It's so hard to pare down these apples with this kind of knife. I hope our delivery comes in soon."

Fed up with the poor condition of her cheaply-bought knives, which had taken poorly to the salty seaside air, Xiura had recently placed an order with the newly-opened blade-smithing shop.

Entirely focused on the maddeningly slow process of peeling apples, Xiura didn't think to look up from her work until she heard a sharp rapping on the door separating the kitchen from the front of the café.

"Just a moment!" She put down the knife and wiped her hands on the dish towel at her side. Hurrying to the door, she opened it wide to see the very owner of the Iron Lady Forge, Aurelie Lefevre . "Ah! Welcome, Miss LeFevre! I'm so sorry about the mess, how are you doing?"

"Clefairy! Clefaaaairy!" Clefairy squeaked urgently, bouncing over to tug at Xiura's apron.

"Clefairy, what—Oh, oh... Drat!" Black, billowing smoke was pouring out from the seams of the oven door. Fumbling at her waist belt of Pokéballs and tossing one forward, Xiura exclaimed, "Poliwrath! Bubble beam!"

Poliwrath appeared in the middle of the kitchen, immediately spitting out a host of bubbles that popped and splashed water all over the oven, immediately putting out the small fire—and drenching all the nearby fruit tarts as well.

Xiura clapped her hands over her mouth in dismay. "Aah! The tarts!" Poliwrath looked up at her with wide, watery eyes. "Oh, I, well, thank you, Poliwrath. You've saved us all. Tarts are easy to replace." Xiura gave Poliwrath a tight hug, making him burble happily in response.

"Sorry about all that," Xiura said to Aurelie with a self-deprecating laugh. "Back to square one for this bake off, I think."

for Aurelie Lefevre

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played by

dreamflower

she/her

December 12

Anistar City, Kalos

Bisexual

Blacksmith, bladesmith

Associate

5'7"/170 cm height

A keen mind cuts deeper than even the sharpest sword.

awards

1,031 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON Apr 26, 2022 22:19:48 GMT

Xiura Balfaltin likes this

[attr="class","mon"]

[attr="class","monlyrics"]Life is what you bake of it.

[attr="class","monbody"]"What quick thinking!" Aurelie marveled, her visible eye wide and her voice sounding a little dazed as she absorbed the flurry of events she'd just witnessed. "No need to be sorry, I'm just glad everything ended up okay."

Everything had happened so fast, but Xiura's timely response in summoning Poliwrath had effectively averted the disaster that Aurelie had feared when she'd first scented the smoke. What impressed Aurelie even more than Xiura's swift problem-solving was the level-headedness that she showed in praising her Poliwrath for putting out the fire, rather than scolding it for its unintended damage. Considering that Aurelie wasn't sure she would've shown that level of self-control during such a chaotic moment, she very nearly applauded when Xiura compassionately gave the Poliwrath a hug rather than a tongue-lashing.

The only thing that kept Aurelie from actually applauding was the box she was still holding, which she set carefully on a relatively dry section of kitchen counter. Then she opened the box for Xiura's inspection.

Clearing her throat self-consciously, she continued, "I'm sorry about your tarts, but I hope these can help. Here's the delivery of the kitchen knife set that you ordered from my forge. One chef's knife, two paring knives, a bread knife, and a carving knife. I included a wooden knife block to store them safely and keep the blades in good condition."

Warming to her subject, Aurelie added with a proud lift of her chin, "These knives are made from 60-layer high-carbon Damascus steel, with blackwood handles that should be contoured to fit your hand very comfortably." She said this part with immense confidence, having memorized the relative size and shape of Xiura's hand from the handshake they'd exchanged after finalizing the order. "They should be much sharper and more durable than any stainless steel knives you'd buy from a store. Make sure you dry the blade and handle thoroughly after each use, and these knives should last you for decades."

Xiura had paid in advance, so with that, the delivery should have been done and the order completed. Aurelie hesitated, though, glancing around at the disordered kitchen with a bite of her lip. She couldn't help feeling partially, obscurely responsible for the mess. After all, would Xiura have been able to deal with the smoking oven less drastically if she hadn't been distracted by Aurelie banging on the door?

Moved by Xiura's predicament of having to start all over again now that her fruit tarts had been inadvertently drenched, she asked, "Are you making pastries for the local bake sale? Can I maybe…help? I feel like I owe it to you for coming in at such a bad time..." Her voice trailed off as she looked around, casting about for ideas on what to do. "Could I help sweep things up? Or chop things? I'm good at chopping and hammering things."

[attr="class","montag"]Xiura Balfaltin

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

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played by

lucina

She / Her

June 10

Ecruteak City, Johto

Ace / ?-romantic

Boba Cafe Barista

Elite

107 height

May you always know pain as temporary and laughter better.

awards

340 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @xiura

POSTED ON May 10, 2022 20:41:58 GMT

Aurelie Lefevre likes this

[attr="class","ig"]

[attr="class","ninety"]

[attr="class","joker"]

[attr="class","game"]

MISSION: THE GREAT HOENN BAKE OFF

[attr="class","kikan"]

“

Xiura looked over the knife set with evident enchantment as Aurelie laid them out before her with understated grace. Clefairy bobbed over the various blades as well, eyes shining with curiosity.

Xiura looked up with surprise at Aurelie's offer to help, saying, "Well, I feel bad about imposing on your kindness, especially after your expedient delivery of such a complicated order." And surely it must have taken hours if not days of the forger's time, with such a beautiful masterpiece to show for her efforts.

Taking one of the paring knives in hand, Xiura tested the weight and shape of it, her brows quickly rising in pleased disbelief. "I see what you're saying! They feel perfect for me! I only regret that I had not requested your services sooner."

Turning her head, she asked, "Clefairy, would you please lend Poliwrath a hand in cleaning up?" Clefairy trilled amiably, bouncing away to the broom closet to fetch a brush and dustpan. Poliwrath was already inspecting the inside of the oven, where a dozen charred black tarts lay on a baking sheet, still smoking. On the counter, all of the tarts were practically ruined, their glossy sugar-syrup glaze all but washed away.

Xiura took one of the full cooling racks in her hands, dumping an abundance of soaked tarts into the trash bin. "Anyway, these were for the bake sale..." She sighed, then caught herself and shook her head. "It's doable, but it'll just take some time to bake the shells, make more custard, slice the fruit..."

Xiura winced, thinking it over. "I really wouldn't mind another helping hand, if you're free." She walked over to the fridge and pulled out a deep, compartmentalized plastic bin of various washed fruits. Taking a strawberry in hand, Xiura placed it on the cutting board and experimentally sliced several thin cuts into it with the new knife, fanning out the slices to create a pleasing shape. "It's like cutting through butter, or air," she marveled. "I think it'll take half the time to prepare the fruits again."

Xiura took a step back from the cutting board and dried her hands on the towel tucked into her apron sash. "May I leave the cutting to you while I prepare more pastry shells, Miss LeFevre?" She smiled sheepishly.

for Aurelie Lefevre

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played by

dreamflower

she/her

December 12

Anistar City, Kalos

Bisexual

Blacksmith, bladesmith

Associate

5'7"/170 cm height

A keen mind cuts deeper than even the sharpest sword.

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1,031 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON May 12, 2022 2:00:06 GMT

Xiura Balfaltin likes this

[attr="class","mon"]

[attr="class","monlyrics"]Life is what you bake of it.

[attr="class","monbody"]Of course! I would be happy to help," Aurelie exclaimed promptly, moving with alacrity toward the cutting board that Xiura Balfaltin had just been using. Putting on an exaggerated Kalosian accent for a moment, she added with a gallant little half-bow and a cheerful chuckle, Eet will be un honneur to be your sous chef, mademoiselle!"

Picking up the paring knife on the counter, she paused briefly to admire the clean, precise cuts in the strawberry, pleased with the results of her own handiwork. The sides of the sliced fruit were as smooth as polished glass, with no signs of tearing along the strawberry's delicate skin. Xiura's compliments about the knives being both sharp and well-suited to her had already made Aurelie glow with pride, and this visible evidence of her days of hard work paying off was more icing on the cake.

It was this thought that made her speak up. "And please, don't worry about imposing on me," she said, returning to her ordinary tone of voice. "If anything, you're granting me something of a treat. Once a blade leaves my workshop, I don't often get to see it in action and watch how it performs. Especially if it actually does a good job! So, if anything, you are doing me a favor too by letting me help out."

With quick, efficient motions, she finished up slicing up the strawberry that Xiura had started on and reached for another. "Are these the right size?" she asked absent-mindedly, pushing over the plate of finished fruit slices for Xiura's inspection.

The sound of the knife thudding against the cutting board, the rustle of flour and sugar being measured, the smells of fruit and spices in the air—it took Aurelie back to cooking alongside her mother as a child. She looked around the airy kitchen, admiring its tidy, well-organized cleanliness and smiling as her Flareon joined the Clefairy and Poliwrath in their cleaning efforts by trotting over to the dustbin to step on the lever and pop open the cover. Kitchens had always been comforting to Aurelie, not least because the heat and variety of tools always reminded her of the forge, yet another place where she'd worked alongside her mother and helped her finish her masterpieces. A lump rose in her throat and her single visible eye brimmed, though, when she remembered the look on her mother's face the last time she'd seen her—saddened, regretful, and disappointed.

With an impatient gesture, Aurelie dashed the moisture from her eye and cleared her throat. "So, uh, this café belongs to you, right? And you sell bubble tea and fruit here? It's a very nice place." A small smile curled the corners of her lips. "So...what's your favorite bubble tea flavor?"

[attr="class","montag"]Xiura Balfaltin

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

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played by

lucina

She / Her

June 10

Ecruteak City, Johto

Ace / ?-romantic

Boba Cafe Barista

Elite

107 height

May you always know pain as temporary and laughter better.

awards

340 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @xiura

POSTED ON May 16, 2022 23:36:56 GMT

Aurelie Lefevre likes this

[attr="class","ig"]

[attr="class","ninety"]

[attr="class","joker"]

[attr="class","game"]

MISSION: THE GREAT HOENN BAKE OFF

[attr="class","kikan"]

“

"Yes, I'd always wanted to have my own boba tea café, so eventually I was able to purchase this one." Xiura smiled broadly, pride shining through her expression. "I used to work alongside my mother at her traditional tea house in Ecruteak City, so I learned the ins and outs of running a business."

She had learned inventory and orders under her mother's watchful eye, but she remembered better the seemingly endless finances, the large numbers moving in and out of the tea house, and the importance of keeping these sums and surnames close to her chest.

"It was truly a worthwhile experience, even if perhaps I didn't appreciate all the hard work when I was younger." She poured some baking beads into the molds before setting the new pastry shells in the pre-heated oven to bake until golden brown.

Xiura also remembered the repetition, the endless hours of practice, perfecting the art of the tea ceremony. The exact measurements and motions of creating the perfect cup of green tea. Whisking over and over until she spilled nary a drop, until her wrist ached and kept her up at night.

"There are so many flavors to choose from, my favorite tends to change from week to week. I think right now my favorite is the strawberry milk black tea. We use jasmine green tea too, but I prefer black or oolong in mine. Do you have a favorite?"

Looking over at Aurelie's cutting board, Xiura smiled, nodding at the precise, even slices of Aurelie's finished fruit in approval. They were perfect.

for Aurelie Lefevre

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played by

dreamflower

she/her

December 12

Anistar City, Kalos

Bisexual

Blacksmith, bladesmith

Associate

5'7"/170 cm height

A keen mind cuts deeper than even the sharpest sword.

awards

1,031 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON May 18, 2022 2:26:10 GMT

Xiura Balfaltin likes this

[attr="class","mon"]

[attr="class","monlyrics"]Life is what you bake of it.

[attr="class","monbody"]Aurelie listened respectfully as she continued removing stems and cutting up the strawberries remaining in the plastic bin into neat, uniform slices, the silvery folded steel of the blade flashing brightly as the paring knife rose and fell in a steady, natural rhythm. It had always been a point of pride for her to learn how to use all the bladed products she created, from knives and shears to swords and daggers, with at least passable proficiency. Even though she knew her knife skills wouldn't measure up to those of, say, your average line cook, Aurelie was happy enough knowing she was helping speed up Xiura Balfaltin 's baking, rather than slowing her down.

In the meantime, she couldn't help smiling at Xiura's earnest, analytical response to her offhand question, showing she had put a lot of thought into both her business and her boba. So, Xiura had also learned and worked at her family's business before coming to Hoenn to run her own establishment. Aurelie could only hope Xiura's departure from her mother's tea house had been less acrimonious than her own falling-out with her family had been. Judging from Xiura's serenely beaming smile, it probably hadn't left quite as many emotional or physical scars, at least.

For now, though, Xiura's friendly question deserved a response. "I've only ever had boba tea once, actually," Aurelie confessed, cocking her head to one side, "and I didn't like it very much. It was far too sweet, so I couldn't really taste the tea, and the boba pearls were oddly mushy, which wasn't very appealing."

She shrugged, a bit self-consciously. "It might have just been that particular café just wasn't to my taste or made the order badly, but still, I haven't been motivated to try it again since. But..."

Aurelie paused to sweep the finished strawberry slices onto the waiting plate and pushed it along the counter in Xiura's direction, before reaching for a kiwi in the plastic bin. "Maybe I'll give the boba at your café a try sometime. I can see that you use very high-quality ingredients, if nothing else, and that is always a good thing," she added approvingly, admiring the ripe, jewel-colored fruit as she continued to slice and chop.

As the pastry shells baked in the oven, Aurelie took a deep, appreciative sniff as the buttery aroma slowly filled the air. "Mmm, that smells delicious! Hopefully it will be even better than the tarts you made earlier." Catching a whiff of vanilla, she peered over her shoulder toward Xiura's side of the kitchen. "What's that you're making now? Is that the custard?"

[attr="class","montag"]Xiura Balfaltin

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

[newclass=.mon]width:340px;padding:40px;background:#862939;[/newclass]
[newclass=.mon img]height:100px;width:100px;padding:15px;border:1px solid #fff;border-radius:100px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.monlyrics]text-align:center;font-family:verdana;font-size:9px;text-transform:uppercase;color:#eee;letter-spacing:1px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.monbody]width:340px;padding:40px;background:#222;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;text-align:justify;font-family:verdana;color:#aaa;[/newclass]
[newclass=.montag]text-align:center;font-size:9px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.montag a]font-size:9px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.cred]text-align:center;font-size:8px;color:rgb(132, 132, 132);letter-spacing:1px;font-family:verdana;[/newclass]
[newclass=.cred a]color:rgb(132, 132, 132);font-size:8px;letter-spacing:1px;font-family:verdana;[/newclass]

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played by

lucina

She / Her

June 10

Ecruteak City, Johto

Ace / ?-romantic

Boba Cafe Barista

Elite

107 height

May you always know pain as temporary and laughter better.

awards

340 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @xiura

POSTED ON Jun 28, 2022 1:19:20 GMT

[attr="class","ig"]

[attr="class","ninety"]

[attr="class","joker"]

[attr="class","game"]

MISSION: THE GREAT HOENN BAKE OFF

[attr="class","kikan"]

“

Xiura stirred whole milk, vanilla bean, and butter in a large saucepan, redoing the custard filling for the fruit tarts. Soon, small bubbles came popping up at the surface of the rich liquid as Xiura listened to Aurelie Lefevre's recounting of her first bubble tea experience.

Xiura nearly splashed hot custard-to-be all over the stovetop as she gasped a small, surprised, "Oh!" Her astonishment and horror were surely most evident on her face from the other woman's description of the mushy, poorly-textured tapioca and the unbalanced sweetness of the tea she had imbibed once before. Xiura snapped back to attention as Clefairy let out a warning cry, and stopped stirring the milk so energetically.

"Thank you; this is the custard indeed," she said, taking the saucepan off the stove and planting it on a round wooden trivet. "I like to use real vanilla bean in it to get the most flavor out of the tart filling." She nodded at Clefairy, who popped open a carton of fresh eggs and started cracking them into a large metal bowl. "Whisk them together with the white sugar and cornstarch, please," she said to Clefairy, who trilled agreeably in response.

Satisfied with the next steps pertaining to the custard, Xiura turned to Aurelie and said with great sympathy, "I'm so sorry your first experience was horrible. If you don't mind, I'll be sure to try and remedy that!" She nodded at Incineroar, who trudged over to the drying stove and flicked on the gas flame.

The familiar smell of sugar syrup and boba filled the kitchen, alongside the sweet smell of custard.

"Now, what flavor should we have you try?" Xiura pondered aloud, pacing back and forth along a long row of silver-colored airtight canisters that housed several powder bases. "Mango and taro are pretty popular. A traditional black milk tea is fairly subtle, but perhaps we could try strawberry." She turned to Aurelie with an inviting smile.

for Aurelie Lefevre

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played by

dreamflower

she/her

December 12

Anistar City, Kalos

Bisexual

Blacksmith, bladesmith

Associate

5'7"/170 cm height

A keen mind cuts deeper than even the sharpest sword.

awards

1,031 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON Jun 29, 2022 22:12:58 GMT

Xiura Balfaltin likes this

[attr="class","mon"]

[attr="class","monlyrics"]Life is what you bake of it.

[attr="class","monbody"]Aurelie's cheeks reddened to almost the same hue as her hair, and she couldn't help exclaiming in a tone that mingled gratitude with a certain embarrassment, "Oh please, you don't have to make a special tea for me right now! Surely that's something that can wait until later!"

She waved her hands rather futilely in the air, for she could already see Xiura Balfaltin's Incineroar starting up the stove out of the corner of her eye, looking somehow both hulkingly menacing and culinarily competent. In the face of the Pokemon's clear determination and Xiura's inviting smile, Aurelie couldn't find it in herself to continue protesting, especially when she thought of the horror-stricken look on Xiura's face upon hearing how bad her first experience with boba had been. Without a doubt, Xiura took boba just as seriously as Aurelie took knife-making! Letting her hands drop back to her sides, the red-haired smith chuckled and shrugged, telling herself it would be silly to resist such a generous offer.

"Well, at least, if you must make something to compensate for my unlucky first taste of boba tea and redeem the honor and dignity of boba tea forever," Aurelie mused laughingly, "you should make something tasty for yourself too, like your strawberry milk tea. That way we can enjoy some tea together! And then we can both be re-hydrated and reenergized for when the pastry crusts are done baking and the custard is ready."

When Xiura asked what flavor she wanted to try, Aurelie peered curiously over Xiura's shoulder toward the row of silver canisters bearing labels like "Taro", "Mango", "Strawberry", "Oolong", and "Honeydew". The number of options was definitely a lot for someone like her to handle, when she had no idea what would taste good. She spread her hands in a gesture of cheerful helplessness.

"Let's go with taro, since you said it's a popular flavor," she replied. "It must be popular for a good reason, right? And subtle sounds good, so maybe just stick with traditional black tea for me. I entrust my taste buds and my well-being to your capable hands, Miss Balfaltin," she added with an irrepressible grin.

At that moment, the oven went "ding!" to signal that the pastry shells for the fruit tarts were done baking. Aurelie looked up in surprise, startled the baking time had gone by so quickly. "Let me get that," she said to Xiura, pulling a pair of oven mitts over her hands, "while you and Incineroar take care of the boba." She pulled open the oven door, appreciatively inhaling the rich, buttery fragrance of the perfectly golden-brown shells, and pulled out the baking pan, which she set to rest upon a cooling rack on a counter nearby.

"What should I do about all these beads?" she asked, looking a little perplexed by the multitude of baking beads that filled the shells. "Do I take them out or just leave them in the shells like this?"

[attr="class","montag"]

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

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played by

lucina

She / Her

June 10

Ecruteak City, Johto

Ace / ?-romantic

Boba Cafe Barista

Elite

107 height

May you always know pain as temporary and laughter better.

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340 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @xiura

POSTED ON Jul 7, 2022 0:48:38 GMT

Aurelie Lefevre likes this

[attr="class","ig"]

[attr="class","ninety"]

[attr="class","joker"]

[attr="class","game"]MISSION: THE GREAT HOENN BAKE OFF

[attr="class","kikan"]

“

The pastry shells were perfectly baked and formed, ready for their custard filling. Xiura checked on the egg mixture that Clefairy was working on and found that it was quite done. "Great job, Clefairy," she said, helping Clefairy fold the egg into the heated milk mixture in the saucepan until it slowly thickened into the final vanilla custard.

"Oh, just pour out the beads into this bowl, please." Xiura pulled out a metal bowl from a low cupboard, setting it close to Aurelie and the shells filled with baking beads. "Be careful! The beads are very, very hot, and they can roll everywhere if dropped," she cautioned. "Isn't that right, Clefairy?"

Xiura grinned teasingly at the little pink Pokemon, who shouted a little in protest. "Clefaaairy!"

"Sorry, sorry, but it's fun to laugh about now, right?" She patted Clefairy and offered a strawberry slice in apology. "Now, we can let the pastry shells cool off for a bit before we pipe in the custard. And then we can decorate the tops of them with fruit."

As Clefairy enjoyed her own piece of fruit, Xiura turned to Aurelie and said, "In any case, taro black milk tea it is! And since boba is best enjoyed together, I'll heed your suggestion of a strawberry black milk tea for myself." Wiping her hands on the dish towel at her waist, she set aside two canisters with the flavored milk powder, then turned to check on the boba. Incineroar had already turned off the stove and stepped away, collecting a couple of clear glasses—perfect receptacles for him to spoon in the slippery boba mixed with simple syrup. Next to him, a kettle of black tea steeped, ready to pour.

Xiura gratefully accepted the cups from Incineroar, then added ice cubes and the black tea. She stirred in a few heaping spoonfuls of each canister into their respective cups, making sure each was well-incorporated. As a final touch, she added a wide straw into the glasses, perfect for imbibing the tapioca along with the sweet, milky liquid.

"There we are! One taro black milk tea for you, and a strawberry black milk tea for me." She handed Aurelie the glass with the lilac-tinted concoction and kept the pink one for herself, each one cradling a host of black pearls, settled at the bottom. "A toast to teamwork for this bake off!"

for Aurelie Lefevre

ℳ𝒾𝓏𝑜.☽

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played by

dreamflower

she/her

December 12

Anistar City, Kalos

Bisexual

Blacksmith, bladesmith

Associate

5'7"/170 cm height

A keen mind cuts deeper than even the sharpest sword.

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1,031 posts

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part of

TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON Jul 8, 2022 19:26:44 GMT

Xiura Balfaltin likes this

[attr="class","mon"]

[attr="class","monlyrics"]Life is what you bake of it.

[attr="class","monbody"]As Xiura Balfaltin prepared the boba tea for Aurelie and herself, the red-haired smith occupied herself with obeying the boba café owner's instructions to pour out the baking beads carefully. Evidently, there was a cute but embarrassing story behind the affectionately teasing interaction between Xiura and her Clefairy, but Aurelie took the lesson behind it to heart. She found a long-handled spoon and started using it to collect baking beads and discard them into the bowl that Xiura gave her. The process was slow but steady, and thankfully it risked no damage to the pastry shells or anyone nearby.

With impeccable timing, Xiura's preparation of the boba tea—a process that she performed with the efficient elegance of an expert—concluded just as Aurelie finished scooping out the last of the baking beads. Accepting the glass full of creamy pastel-purple boba tea from Xiura, Aurelie paused for a moment to admire the beautiful lilac hue of the drink, especially in contrast to the black tapioca pearls slowly settling at the bottom. Even though she'd watched Xiura and Incineroar prepare this tea on the spur of the moment, Aurelie could've believed this tea had come straight from a glossy food-and-wine magazine or a perfectly-lit photo in a food influencer's blog.

"This looks almost too pretty to drink!" she exclaimed. "But I will certainly drink to that toast. To teamwork, prosperity, and two small business owners making it work!" She raised her glass and clinked it lightly against Xiura's before taking a cautious sip.

She'd expected flavors to burst and pop in her mouth like fireworks, but instead, the boba tea's aromas unfolded and blossomed as luxuriously as a flower's petals spreading wide beneath the sun. Aurelie's visible eye widened as she let them wash over her palate. "It's delicate and creamy," she murmured aloud in wonderment, "kind of like melted vanilla ice cream. But also…nutty?" She frowned, unsure if that was the right word. "Like hazelnut cream, maybe. But I can also taste the black tea, and it kind of balances out the sweetness really nicely."

Stirring up the tea to bring up the tapioca pearls, Aurelie took another, longer sip. "This is really good! And ooh, these pearls are really fun. I see why people love the texture of these now." She beamed sunnily at Xiura. "Thank you! Consider the honor of boba tea redeemed, at least as far as I'm concerned. I don't know if I would drink this every day, but it makes a very tasty and refreshing treat."

She set the glass down and wiped her lips. "After the ruin of your pastry shells and now the free sample of your café's products," she said, in a tone that brooked no disagreements, "let me offer you a 10% discount on your next order to Iron Lady Forge. Or, if you don't see yourself making more orders, I suppose I could just owe you a favor. Just let me know at some point what you'd prefer," she added, with rather more self-assurance than she actually felt as a first-time small business owner who had yet to secure a steady stream of customers or revenue.

"And now, let's get started on the custard," Aurelie continued, clapping her hands briskly. "And then the decorating! The decorating seems like the most fun part."

[attr="class","montag"]

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

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played by

lucina

She / Her

June 10

Ecruteak City, Johto

Ace / ?-romantic

Boba Cafe Barista

Elite

107 height

May you always know pain as temporary and laughter better.

awards

340 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @xiura