MARCH UPDATE

Short King height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

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4,402 posts

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TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Dec 15, 2022 3:08:52 GMT

[nospaces]

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]Another day, another bit of drudgery. The visits were nice, but the waiting? Oh, the waiting was getting interminable. Who cared if the headaches were splitting his head? The eye was already gone, it wasn't like he had anything left to damage. Who cared if he still didn't have the whole depth perception thing down yet? He wasn't going to learn just sitting in a bed feeling sorry for himself. Who cared if it was safe in here? He'd take the risks of the outside world over being smothered and suffocated in here any day of the week.[break][break]

Ugh. At this point, even his complaints were the same shit, different day.[break][break]

Whoever said there were five stages of grief was a liar. It was really more like a burrito. You could try to stack it up all nice and orderly, one stage over the next, to make your grief all neat and simple and easy to swallow. Then, despite your best efforts, it'd all unravel and mingle into a chaotic mess the second you took a bite.[break][break]

Early moments of acceptance were overtaken by sudden fits of depression or rage. The hope of things getting better mingled with delirious attempts at bargaining for a little too much. He'd reflexively find his mind wandering to old hobbies like motorcycle riding, important duties like mission and bartending work, or even memories of his dearly departed Kiryu, only to be forced to accept that those days were long gone.[break][break]

Ashley Shepard being his hospital roommate helped, but those days were coming to an end fast. A broken arm, it turned out, did not require quite as much hospitalization time as eye removal surgery. A broken mind took a little bit longer, but a part of Isaac wondered if Ash was dragging the days out to keep him company. Other visitors popping in helped, but Isaac couldn't help but hate them seeing him like this. Acknowledging he wasn't doing okay was one thing. Having them actually see his struggles was another.[break][break]

Both options were preferable to silence, though. And silence was what today had offered. Isaac was running out of things to do while laying in bed, and it didn't seem like any visitors would be slipping in. What else was there to do but rifle around his backpack and grab onto an old standby?[break][break]

He had no idea how to play the game that the dusty old book he read before. It was one of his little brother's nerd things, and he was godawful at the digital ones that he was constantly being asked to play. This one didn't need him to contort his fingers into pretzels, but it was still all gibberish to him. The art looked badass, though, and it gave him something to focus his eye on. So, for now, it was time to stare at dragons until something more interesting happened.[break][break]

Ladies and gentlemen, hospital life.

[break][break]

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[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Aurelie Lefevre

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

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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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1,224 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON Dec 20, 2022 4:02:00 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]Pen, paper, dice, and imagination

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]As the sole staff member of the Iron Lady Forge, Aurelie generally avoided taking non-business-related trips out of the city, considering that she didn't exactly have anyone who could cover for her while she was gone. One major exception, though, were her periodic visits to Sootopolis City to visit Rocket's HQ, receive mission briefings, pick up on recent organizational news and changes, and assist with projects at HQ. And, if she was lucky, to make new friends or reconnect with old ones among Rocket's members.

Although today's planned reconnection had a lot less to do with luck and a lot more to do with the misfortunes of war.

Though Aurelie hadn't fought in any of the clashes over the 99943 METENO meteoroid and Hoenn's primal points, she did know a few people who had. And not all of them had made it out unscathed. Thus, instead of immediately taking a Corviknight taxi home after her trip to Rocket's HQ, she made a detour to the hospital lugging her overnight bag in one hand and carrying a simple care package in the other. It didn't take long to find out where Isaac was staying; the nurses all seemed to remember him, especially his energetic, sociable, and talkative nature and his restlessness. And his injury, too.

Pausing just outside his door, Aurelie took a moment to breathe in deeply and prepare a friendly smile. Remember how you felt when you were in the hospital last year for your eye, she told herself. More importantly, remember how you wanted to be treated. And don't overstay your welcome.

Then the red-haired smith cleared her throat loudly to announce her presence and stepped inside. "Hey, Isaac," she said, doing her best to sound just as if they'd run into each other on the street and were saying hello. "I've brought you some...well, some pretty silly gifts, honestly, but I hoped they might brighten your day a little."

With a flourish, Aurelie presented a potted orchid with several graceful purple-and-white blossoms. "The lady at the store said it doesn't need much watering, and I thought it might add some color around here." Putting it down on the bedside table, she then laid a box of shell-shaped, sugar-dusted madeleines beside it. "These are a favorite treat of mine from back home. I hope you like them."

With her gifts dispensed, the red-haired smith allowed herself to look directly at Isaac. It was strange, honestly, looking at someone else wearing an eyepatch like hers. It was even stranger to remember that, like hers, the eyepatch wasn't a fashion choice or a costume, but a reality, hiding a wound beneath. She smiled softly, sympathetically, caught up in a moment of fellow feeling.

Not wanting to dwell on his loss or make him more uncomfortable than he likely already was, she dropped her gaze. Her uncovered eye slid to the book in his hands, a much-battered volume that she nevertheless recognized instantly. The classic sixth edition Monster Manual!

"Oh! I thought you said you didn't play games like this," she exclaimed, almost accusingly. "I knew it'd be up your alley! Hmmm, you know," she added, reaching down almost unconsciously toward her overnight bag. "I brought the Players' Manual with me as some light reading material on the trip over. And I'm sure I've got some dice on me somewhere."

Aurelie raised an eyebrow at him, a ghost of a smile curving her lips. "Interested in a quick little game, Isaac?"

[attr="class","aurelie_tag"]

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

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played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

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4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Dec 20, 2022 4:42:58 GMT

[nospaces]

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]The hum of the fluorescent lights. The groans of protest coming from his bed as he tossed and turned. The cough of someone at the door. The interminable ticking of the world's loudest clock. Yep, Isaac was used to the many, many sounds that Sootopolis' hospital had to offer-[break][break]

Wait, what was that cough?[break][break]

Isaac didn't realize that Aurelie was here until she was inside and saying hi. Startled, he fumbled his book. It was a miracle that he caught it before it crashed down on his face. Quickly, Isaac slipped the book beneath his pillow, shooting Aurelie a casual grin. "Hey, Aurelie," he said, so casual you'd think he wasn't A) hospitalized and B) hiding something.[break][break]

She didn't ask how she was. She didn't need to. Her gifts did all the talking for her, and they left Isaac doing a double take. "Silly? You kidding? These are great," he said, especially as the aroma from those madeleines hit him right in the stomach. Oh, he was so having a hot date with those later tonight. "I owe ya one, big time."[break][break]

Maybe he'd be cashing in on that owing sooner than later. Aurelie smelled nerdery in the water, and she had come to play. A bit of a blush dusted Isaac's face as he scooted a little bit more against his pillow. "H-hey, it's true!" Isaac protested. "I just look at it for the pictures, honest."[break][break]

The bashfulness continued, Isaac averting his glance from Aurelie. " 'Sides, it's not like I know how to play or anything like that."[break][break]

Isaac couldn't be more tsundere if he sprouted a pair of twintails. His "rejection" was a blatant invitation. As if Aurelie didn't have enough material to roast him over already!

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Aurelie Lefevre

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

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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

1,224 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON Dec 24, 2022 0:11:17 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]Pen, paper, dice, and imagination

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]In the back of her mind, Aurelie wondered if this was even the right way to be talking to Isaac while he was in the hospital, even as she gleefully pulled up a chair beside Isaac's bed. Surely, there had to be better ways—gentler, more empathetic ways—to talk to someone who was recovering from the serious physical and emotional wounds left by battle. She should be asking how he was feeling and if there was anything else she could get for him, or she should be wishing him well and hoping he recovered soon.

Not that anyone ever really recovers from something like this, the red-haired smith thought with a hint of bitterness, reaching up unconsciously to touch her own eyepatch. You get used to it, but I don't know if you ever get better. At least, she mentally added, remembering the way she'd collapsed after reliving the memories of her own injury, I certainly haven't, so far.

Perhaps dragging Isaac along into a fantasy world of wizards, goblins, and dragons wasn't the worst way to interact with him while she was visiting. At least, when he was blushing and fumbling with his book, he didn't look sad or gloomy. That had to count for something, right?

"Well," Aurelie exclaimed triumphantly, and perhaps just a little smugly, "good thing you've got me here to teach you! And believe me, I am more than happy to share what I know about the game. You should feel so lucky," she declared, wagging a finger playfully at Isaac, "to have such an expert on hand!"

Bending down, she fished her copy of the Players' Handbook out of her luggage, feeling grateful for the sudden whim to bring it along for her trip to Sootopolis. Her copy even had a little bag attached that held a handful of polyhedral dice in several different shapes and colors. She flipped open the well-worn, much-loved book to the first chapter, which showed drawings of an elf archer, human bard, gnome wizard, and orc barbarian above a few paragraphs of text and a small table of numbers and figures.

Rubbing her hands together eagerly, Aurelie grinned at Isaac as she assumed what she fondly imagined to be a professorial, lecturing tone of voice. "So, the basic premise is that each player creates and controls a single character that represents a person within a fictional, usually fantasy setting.

"You select several options for your character, such as name, race, class, abilities, and backstory, and then you direct the actions of your character and their interactions with other characters and the world in general." She mimicked pushing a pair of glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"During the game, you describe or maybe even act out your character's actions, and then the game master, or dungeon master, or storyteller, or whatever you want to call them, tells you the outcome. As your character fights more battles, overcomes more challenges, and accomplishes more tasks, they'll change over time and become stronger and more capable. A little bit like real life, ideally, right?" She let out a dry little chuckle.

Then Aurelie took a moment to look at Isaac's face, trying to gauge his expression and actual level of interest, his sullen insistence on ignorance aside. Her face softened as their eyes met—both their single, uncovered eyes. "Does this sound like it might be fun or interesting to you? Maybe just as a short experiment? Or would you rather do something else rather than roll dice and pretend to be a dragon-slaying dual-wielding warrior?"

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

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played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Dec 24, 2022 0:45:35 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]Oh, boy. Now this was happening.[break][break]

Isaac's immediate thought was to curl into his shell like some sort of Blastoise. There was nerdy, there was hopelessly nerdy, and then there was whatever this was. It was like a video game that everyone just kinda pretended existed. Which, okay, that meant he didn't have to risk motion sickness from his new lack-of-an-eye. And he didn't have to deal with fumbling with some overdesigned hunk of plastic.[break][break]

There was still all that math, though. Okay, so the math came after getting to throw a bunch of dice around. Isaac was no stranger to games of chance. He knew the satisfaction. Maybe he had the wrong idea. Maybe it was like an improv session that you got to gamble during. Ugh, no, damnit. He wasn't showing that side of him. Not like this. Not when this brand new facial injury snatched that dream away for good.[break][break]

Besides, it was a limited range of improv. It was just a bunch of nerdy stuff. Wizards and dragons and all that shit. Cool, sure, but cool to look at! Nerdy as heck to talk about. The only way it'd be nerdier was if there were costumes and props and shit. Even if Aurelie could probably make those look badass.[break][break]

She sounded so proud of herself, talking about it. Fine. He supposed he could give it a try. But he was totally doing it to keep her happy, dangit.[break][break]

Yeah, no. Isaac's internal monologue was a dirty dirty liar. His true thoughts were written on his face. The more Aurelie spoke about it, the more intrigued he sounded, even if he occasionally caught his interest on the way out the door. There was a certain self consciousness to his expression, as if he was almost afraid to open up and admit it. But the way Aurelie held his attention made it clear that this self consciousness was an obstacle to be crossed, not an insurmountable wall.[break][break]

"Well, it's not like I've got anything better to do," he teased, motioning to his oh-so-inviting surroundings. "And you did go out of your way to see me. So, what the heck, I can give it a shot." Then, as if remembering something, his eye darted away from Aurelie for a moment. "But, uh. How much of the whole acting things out stuff do I gotta do? Is that, like, a big part of it, or . . . ?"[break][break]

Was he looking for an out? Or was he looking for permission? Isaac didn't even seem to know.

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Aurelie Lefevre

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

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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

1,224 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON Dec 30, 2022 0:51:28 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]Pen, paper, dice, and imagination

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Aurelie huffed a small sigh of relief when Isaac grudgingly, somewhat half-heartedly, teasingly, yet not entirely unenthusiastically agreed to give the classic fantasy roleplaying game a try. Even though she enjoyed the game, she hadn't wanted to push it on him, especially when he surely wasn't feeling his best. She couldn't help chuckling wryly when Isaac indicated that he clearly wasn't going anywhere or doing anything else more exciting, though.

"That's the spirit," the red-haired smith agreed, rubbing her hands together. "You make the perfect student-slash-victim for all the geeky shenanigans I haven't been able to carry out since I moved to Hoenn. This should be fun!" She grinned at Isaac to let him know she was joking.

"Honestly, I'm just glad you didn't fall asleep or have your eyes glaze over while I was talking," Aurelie admitted honestly. "I know how I get when I go into Lecture Mode. And maybe this isn't quite as niche a hobby as bladesmithing, but I know full well it isn't very mainstream either. So, thanks for staying awake and still being willing after listening to me go on and on."

She pondered his question for a moment, pursing her lips thoughtfully. "The acting things out part is something that differs from player to player, and group to group. You can act things out as much or as little as you want to," she answered finally. "I've seen people dress up in full costumes and physically playact fights and so on.

"Other players are happy just rolling the dice, talking out their actions, and recording things on their character sheets. Most people, like me, though, like using miniatures to represent their characters, as well as maps and diagrams to position them on. But…" She smiled at Isaac and spread her hands wide. "If you're the type who'd like to physically portray your character and use costumes and props, then by all means, allez! Whatever is most fun for you."

With a shrug, Aurelie waved a hand in the air dismissively. "But we are getting ahead of ourselves here. Before we even begin to think about that, the first step is to start thinking about your character." She pointed toward the Players' Handbook still spread open atop Isaac's bed and opened her mouth, before looking at Isaac and abruptly closing it.

"Tell me, Isaac," she said instead, meeting Isaac's eye with her own. "What would you like to play? A fierce warrior who fights with the power of rage? An inspiring musician? A priest who wields divine magic or the powers of nature, perhaps? A master of physical combat? A stealthy trickster and thief? Or a magician who casts spells to overcome enemies? It's a big decision, probably the biggest decision you have to make when creating your character, so think about it carefully."

Then she grinned. "No pressure, of course! And if you need more information than those descriptions, I can help. But does any of them spark your interest so far?"

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@isaac

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

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played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Dec 30, 2022 4:26:42 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]It was funny. Isaac was never one for school. His little brother was always the egghead in the family. But once someone he cared about started diving into a passion of theirs, he was hooked. It was like night and day from the dull, dry lectures he associated with a "proper" education. The material was a lot better, to boot, even when it was a bunch of nerd crud like this.[break][break]

"Oh, please. At least you care about the stuff you ramble about," Isaac admitted. "That makes it way more fun than any Lecture Mode I've been subjected to."[break][break]

Apparently some people took the game seriously enough to get in costumes and whack each other with weapons. "Shit, I bet that'd get Ruby Garcia's attention," Isaac said. "Though I'm pretty sure we'd have to remind her not to actually whack my head off with a mace."[break][break]

Aurelie seemed to take the game a middling level of seriously. She used a few props to make the game run more smoothly, but she didn't get that level of Into it. She then invited Isaac to get that Into it if he wanted to, an invitation that got Isaac blushing. "I-I think I'm good starting simple," he said, hellbent on capping the lid on his secret ambitions before Aurelie sleuthed them out.[break][break]

Okay. Good. They were starting at square 1 before analyzing Isaac's psyche, ambitions, and most secret dreams. That was a weight off Isaac's shoulders. Instead, he'd just have to pick the window through which he'd interact with this world of fantasy, adventure, and math.[break][break]

"I like the idea of someone that's always a step ahead of their opponent," Isaac said, the answer coming to his surprisingly quickly. "Not, like, in the sense of some wizard that's already got the answer for everything written in his brain. But a clever underdog that can think his way out of whatever mess he's been thrown into. So, I guess the trickster option?"[break][break]

He didn't even realize the irony.

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Aurelie Lefevre

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

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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

1,224 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON Jan 3, 2023 23:49:48 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]Pen, paper, dice, and imagination

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]"Aha, so it's the rogue class for you then," Aurelie replied, clapping her hands and smiling with pleasure to see Isaac showing a spark of interest in the game material."Now, I wouldn't say the rogue—that's the game's name for the trickster-type class—is necessarily always one step ahead of everyone. Nor do they have to be clever underdogs. In fact, in the game community, the rogue is generally considered one of the strongest classes, and it's certainly seen its share of nerfs and adjustments through the various editions of the game.

"But," she agreed, "rogues do rely on stealth, skill, and cleverness to get the upper hand in a situation, rather than magic or brute strength. So, that definitely fits your bill. Good choice!"

Reflexively, she reached for a pen to write down this important detail, before realizing she'd been about to write on the blank character sheet page of her own book. Shaking her head, the red-haired smith cast about herself for some blank scratch paper to write on but couldn't find any in her luggage or Isaac's tiny, utilitarian hospital room. "Ugh, give me a moment. I'm going to find a copier or something," she grumbled.

"But! In the meantime," Aurelie added, standing up from her chair and picking up her copy of the Players' Handbook. "The next question I wanted to ask is: What race do you want your rogue character to be? In the basic rules, there are dwarves, who are short, bearded, and skilled warriors and craftsmen; elves, who are graceful, delicate, and fond of nature, art, music, and magic; gnomes, who are also short, mischievous, and inventive; and half-elves, who are charismatic and adaptable."

Ticking off the other common races on her fingers, Aurelie went on, "Let's see, then there's the halflings, the smallest of the races and the most naturally stealthy and dexterous; the half-orcs, who are strong and tough, but often misunderstood; and of course, the humans, who are ambitious and versatile jacks-of-all-trades. So, plenty to choose from even among the starting races! Think about that while I go make copies, Isaac."

With that, she took her book and wandered along the hallways, until she found an assistant who could direct her toward a copier that visitors could use. Aurelie rummaged in her pockets for change and fed coins into the ancient copier, before making copies of several important pages from her book. It took a short while before she could return to Isaac's bedside, happily loaded down with copies of character sheets, game guides, and useful lists and tables.

"Sorry about that," she apologized, flashing Isaac a lighthearted grin. "The next time I come barging into your life trying to assimilate you into one of my hobbies, I promise to come better prepared! But here, this rogue page ought to come in handy for you as we think more about your character."

She laid out the copied pages in front of Isaac, in the process catching herself subtly trying to arrange them closer to Isaac's good eye so that he'd have an easier time reading them. Stop that! Aurelie scolded herself, forcing herself to place the sheets of paper normally. You know you hated it when people tried to do things differently around you because of your eye.

"Another important thing to think about while you're creating your rogue character, besides their race," Aurelie went quickly, trying to smooth over the moment and unconsciously lapsing back slightly into Lecture Mode, "is his or her relationship to the law. It's not something every character has to think about, but I think it makes a lot of sense to figure this out for rogues. Does he or she have a criminal past, or possibly an ongoing criminal career? Is he on the run from the law, or does he belong to an existing thieves' guild?

"Furthermore," she went on, tapping the cover of the Player's Handbook with her forefinger and feeling a little like she was starting to psychoanalyze or interrogate Isaac with these probing questions, "what made him decide to go on adventures? Greed? A desire to explore or learn more about the world? Or just finding a new way to survive and support himself?"

[attr="class","aurelie_tag"]

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

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played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Jan 4, 2023 2:33:23 GMT

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[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]They didn't have to be clever underdogs, it seemed. But they could be, and for Isaac that was all he needed to hear. "Rad," he said, ready to sit back and listen to more of Aurelie's strangely soothing rambles.[break][break]

But the ramble never came. A lack of paper cut Aurelie's description short, forcing her to give a quick who's who of the game's fantasy beings before peacing out to grab more paper. From her first description, gnome sounded like it would be on the money. A small size would help him blend in and hide better. A natural penchant for mischief would help him in talking and thinking circles around his enemies. And being inventive would help him make sure he could always pull some sort of nonsense out of his hat.[break][break]

He was sure he'd know his answer by the time Aurelie returned. Yet, the longer she was away, the more half-orc seemed to call to Isaac. Looks could be deceiving, and that didn't always translate to big surprises in little packages. It was just as foolish to assume a "common brute" was incapable of finesse, cleverness, and charm. Besides, the line about being "misunderstood" was already living rent free in his head. He wanted to be an underdog, right?[break][break]

Isaac knew a thing or two about being written off for his blood alone.[break][break]

The creak of the door signaled that the time for introspection was over. Aurelie was back, and Isaac made sure to put that smile right back on his face where he left it. "Hey, don't sweat it. Not like you came here with some master plan to try and draw out some secret hidden nerdiness . . . or, did you?" He squinted suspiciously towards Aurelie, barely able to hide a teasing smirk.[break][break]

Huh. Was she adjusting the papers she set by him? Or was it just his imagination? By the time he tried to figure out what was going on, she'd already set them back in their usual place. Being the stubborn bastard he was, Isaac tried to read them, even if he'd have an easier time were he to set them a little to one side.[break][break]

Whatever happened, Aurelie was quick to launch into a new topic. And boy was it a familiar one to Isaac. Did he want to have a criminal past? Or did he want to have a criminal present? Was he a criminal out of necessity? Or was he a criminal out of desire? Did he do what he wanted, when he wanted, how he wanted? Or did he have lines he drew and stands he made? Did he seek to be loathed, or seek to be loved? Just what did he even want to get out of this whole crime thing, anyway?[break][break]

"Oh, you totally did this on purpose," he grumbled, more to himself than to Aurelie.[break][break]

Still. It was important to think about. Old histories and new beginnings. Did he want to separate those, or were they all too intertwined? Was a true fresh start even possible? "I think those two things tie into each other," Isaac finally said. "If he was part of a guild, he sure isn't now. He was a scapegoat, and then he was a loose end. So what else can he do but hit the open road, always trying to stay a step ahead of his fate?"

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POSTED ON Jan 9, 2023 3:44:06 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]Pen, paper, dice, and imagination

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]The more Aurelie listened to Isaac thinking aloud about the kind of character he wanted to try out first for their impromptu tabletop gaming session, the more she was getting the impression that this wasn't just some lighthearted escape into a fantasy world for him. This was definitely starting to feel far more personal, profound, and possibly even philosophical than Aurelie had anticipated. So much for taking his mind off things, I guess, she thought ruefully.

At least, Isaac looked more pensive and thoughtful than unhappy at the moment, which she decided to take as a good thing.

"That's all really good, Isaac," she said aloud encouragingly. "That's a lot more thought than I put into the very first character I made, for sure! But it's important to think about the character's background and personality at least a little bit, because that should definitely guide the decisions that your character makes in the game."

At this point, she paused a moment and tapped the rogue pages in front of Isaac with her index finger for emphasis. "But notice, I'm saying 'your character' or 'the character' in all these lectures, because your character in the game isn't you. They can be a lot like you, if that makes the game more fun for you, but remember—they come from a fantasy world that's a lot different from our own. This world doesn't even have Pokemon in it, if you can imagine that!"

Sucking in her breath, Aurelie concluded rather cautiously, "So, I guess I'm just trying to say: Remember that this is a game. And your character in it is part of the game. Even if they're a lot like you, remember they aren't actually you. That's all."

Then she cleared her throat and clapped her hands briskly. "Anyway! Let's keep moving with this. So, the next part of creating a character is rolling their ability scores. This," she added with a grin, "is where we get into the arithmetic of this nerdy fantasy game.

"Ability scores," Aurelie went on, "are basically a quick numerical representation of your character's—and every other creature in the game's, for that matter—physical and mental capabilities. If only things like that existed in real life, right, so that we'd know exactly our own strengths and weaknesses here?" She flashed a wry smile at Isaac following this quip.

Then the red-haired smith held up her hand and began ticking off each ability score on her fingers. "There's Strength, for, well, physical strength; Dexterity, for their agility and grace; and Constitution, for their stamina and health. Then there's the mental abilities: Intelligence, for reasoning and knowledge; Wisdom, for perceptiveness and intuition; and Charisma, for charm and force of personality."

Aurelie pulled open the bag of dice affixed to her copy of the Players' Handbook and took out four six-sided dice. "The way we generate a starting character's ability scores is, we roll four of these at a time. You discard the lowest die roll and add up the others. Then you pick which result goes to which ability score. Rogues, if I remember correctly," and here she pulled over the copied character sheet for Isaac's prospective character, "especially emphasize Intelligence and Dexterity, and of course Constitution is important for everyone just to survive and take hits without dying."

Then the red-haired smith interrupted herself with a quick shake of her head. "But wait, I'm getting ahead of myself here. Which race did you end up picking for your character? The choice of race also affects the character's ability scores." She tilted her head attentively in Isaac's direction, her pen poised over the blank copy of the character sheet.

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POSTED ON Jan 9, 2023 4:47:58 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]Really, was it even possible to portray a character that didn't have at least a bit of you put into it? You could write up all the details and divergences in the world, and on paper that'd be one thing. But once you needed to bring them to life, where else were you supposed to find the breath of life? Isaac knew, no matter what sort of fantasy whatsit he whipped up, it would inevitably have his fingerprints all over it.[break][break]

That point where reality collided with fantasy, and the invisible became the undeniable . . . there was nothing quite like it.[break][break]

"I can't believe you're not gonna stab me in real life every time I get hurt," Isaac deadpanned at Aurelie's advice. "You're totally killing my immersion here."[break][break]

Still, from how cautious her advice sounded, Isaac figured that maybe he could ease up on the joke throttle a bit. Clearly, it was coming from an important place for her. "I'm just messing around. Don't worry, I'll keep that in mind," he assured her, a resolute smile on his face. Why did Aurelie sound so hesitant, though? Maybe some people took that kinda thing too personally and turned into huge assholes.[break][break]

He listened to her descriptions of ability scores, snickering a little about her wry commentary. "It'd sure save me a bunch of headache, that's for sure," said the man infamous for leaping in over his head and punching above his weight class. "So, Dexterity and Intelligence, huh? Well, I picked Half-Orc, which if I remember right . . ."[break][break]

Strength and Constitution. Shit. He should've known he'd be playing against type.[break][break]

"Well, hey. That's just the way it is sometimes, huh?" With a confident smile, Isaac reached a hand out, ready to accept the burden of his first-ever rolls. "Y'know, it's funny. Half the time, I've got crazy good luck. The other half the time, my luck's garbage. Let's see how this ends up, eh?"[break][break]

The second he had a set of dice in his hand, and a clear surface to work off of, he'd throw the dice. Minus the straggler, he saw 5, 5, 6. "Ha! Not bad for my first time!" he said. 16 out of 18! That was going in Dexterity for sure, right? Well, no time like the present to give it another go. 5, 5, 6. ". . . Huh. Legit the same roll. Weird."[break][break]

After two of the same roll, the dice gods decided to throw him a changeup. Two 6s . . . and a 4. "Again?" Scoop. Toss. Roll. 6, 6, 4. "Sheesh, are these things broken or something? Or am I just blowing the good karma life owes me on elf gambling?"[break][break]

Maybe he shouldn't have looked the gift Stoutland in the mouth. 6, 4, and 3. It was his worst roll so far . . . which was frankly saying something. "That's more like it," Isaac said, just knowing that the final fistful of dice he threw would be his ticket to a well-balanced character.[break][break]

6, 6, 5.[break][break]

". . . Well then. I, uh. I guess this is gonna make picking where my scores go a lot easier, huh?" he said, shooting Aurelie a somewhat nervous smile.

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[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Aurelie Lefevre

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POSTED ON Jan 13, 2023 21:54:22 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]Pen, paper, dice, and imagination

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]"Half-orc, huh?" Aurelie echoed thoughtfully, thumbing through the well-worn pages of her Players' Handbook to find the section on half-orc traits and statistics. "That would've been an unusual choice in previous editions, where half-orcs actually had a penalty to their Intelligence score. Not so great for the trap-finding, lock-picking thief character, right? But," she mused, shuffling through the pages and studying the rogue tables with a critical eye, "I think that's actually a fine choice now. Bonuses to Strength and Constitution are completely fine, and darkvision—the ability to see even in total darkness—seems like it'd be handy for a stealthy, sneaky character."

Then she grinned and shook her head rapidly, reminding herself not to get too far ahead of things with the game mechanics. Isaac was absorbing her words and drinking them as readily as drought-stricken soil soaking in a gentle summer rain, to be sure, which meant he was learning quite quickly despite his earlier show of resistance. All the same, though, Aurelie knew there was a lot of information to pick up in the beginning, and she didn't want to overwhelm him right away.

"But let's see how you roll," she went on, gently urging him toward the little clutch of six-sided dice.

Little did Aurelie expect the astonishing run of good luck that was really the only way to describe Isaac's ability score rolls. Her eye widened in shock as she watched him roll four 16s in a row, followed by a "bad" roll of 13, and capped off with a 17. If they hadn't been her dice, Aurelie might almost have wondered along with Isaac if the dice were loaded or weighted somehow.

"Holy arms of Arceus, remind me never to play craps against you," she breathed, shaking her head again and marveling at the uncommonly good rolls he'd racked up. Unable to help herself, she picked up the dice too and tried an experimental roll of her own. She got a 5, 4, 1, and 3—only a little above average, and certainly lower than anything Isaac had gotten.

"Well, I don't think the dice are broken. Isaac, you obviously must be a dice-rolling savant!" Aurelie chuckled. "I've never seen a series of rolls as good as yours before. The next time I make a new character in this game, I want you to roll all its stats for me!"

She tugged the blank character sheet in front of him and handed him a pencil she'd snagged from the hospital's copier room, pointing toward the column of ability scores. "I'd say the 17 should go in Dexterity. The four 16s should go into Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, and Constitution, which will also end up being a 17."

Aurelie grinned and sighed a little, her uncovered eye twinkling with mirth. "And then your poor little sad 13 can go into Strength, which will end up being a 15 with the half-orc's racial bonus—and yet still somehow your character's lowest score, after all of that. A 15! I can't believe it! Your character is certainly going to be one very talented person, for sure."

Remembering Isaac's words earlier, theorizing about his character being something of a scapegoat and then a loose end, she clapped her hands enthusiastically. "Oh! Maybe the story behind your character is that they have incredible raw talent and are very naturally gifted. But maybe it made them very reckless and arrogant, because everything comes so easily to them, and they angered the wrong people in power because of it.

"Or maybe other people decided that your character's natural talent and strength would make them a better leader than whoever is currently in charge, and that angered and frightened the people in power. And so in a way, your character's very strength could prove to be their weakness, and they end up being a victim of their own incredible abilities."

She nodded to herself, thinking of talented people she had known in her life, who had never learned to work hard because of it, or to take failures or hardships gracefully, let alone rejections or emotional stress. Aloud, she added, "That should be an especially interesting angle for a half-orc, who are usually considered brutish and coarse. Their human blood can give them more cunning and determination than a full-blooded orc would have, but I still think a physically powerful and silver-tongued genius half-orc like yours would take a lot of people aback—and probably unwittingly make a lot of enemies."

Then Aurelie's eye fell on the very first field on the partially filled-in character sheet in front of Isaac. "Oh, but first, your character needs a name! Let me see…the Players' Handbook usually has some suggestions that can be used for inspiration."

She groaned and wrinkled her nose in distaste as she found said list in the book and read aloud from it. "Umm, well, there's Dench, Feng, Gell, Henk...Holg... Ugh, these are pretty terrible. Maybe something guttural and harsh-sounding, but with more than one syllable?" She looked up from the book and tilted her head to one side, trying to string together consonants and sounds into something coherent. "Like Narruk? Krothgar? Thuggak? I don't know."

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POSTED ON Jan 25, 2023 0:39:22 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]"Heh. Guess all those years of rolling the dice paid off, huh?" Isaac said, a teasing smirk on his face. By now, Aurelie was no stranger to the risks that Isaac took on the regular. She'd know he wasn't just talking about gambling. "Well, hey . . . why should I look a gift stat spread in the mouth? I'll take 'em!"[break][break]

Aurelie suggested ways of turning that strength into a weakness. Both of her spins on the idea were rather interesting, especially in the context of the background that had already been kicking around in the back of his mind. He could feel it. He was on the cusp of something. And all he needed was the missing ingredient-[break][break]

"A traveling faire."[break][break]

"Entertainers by day. Thieves and conmen by night. They'd show up in towns, distract them with all sorts of performances and curiosities. Nothing was ever as it seemed, of course. The games of chance were rigged. The goods were stolen or knockoffs. The shows were smokescreens while pulling off heists right under their noses. Then they'd go to another town before anyone caught on. Y'know, kinda like if my Bazaar was even more carny than it already is." Isaac's grey market was perfectly on the up and up, thank you very much![break][break]

"They were a bunch of misfits. Crooks wanted by the crown who changed their name and face. Frontiersmen who bailed on their failing towns. Runaway kids with nowhere else to turn. Y'know. That kinda stuff." He thought for a second. "Tarkus was one of those. Dad didn't know how to raise him. Wasn't ready for the whole half-orc thing. Heck, wasn't ready for any kid; he just managed a church library and found him dropped off on his doorstep."[break][break]

"You know how sometimes kids run away and join the circus? Yeah. That's what happened here. He was reaching the age where tensions were starting to boil over, and the travelling faire looked so exciting compared to being locked up in some stuffy church basement. He made friends with a kid his age, working as a pickpocket for them. And that's when he made his choice."[break][break]

"When he was younger, he was a pickpocket, like most of the tagalong kids. But puberty hit him like a truck, and once he hit his growth spurt he became a 'prizefighter.' It was all rigged, of course, and he was the fall guy. Young, fit, charming, and hungry; he was the guy they wanted the crowds to throw their money behind, so he could take the fall and they could rake in the gold. Classic scheme, and he had enough drive to make it look good on his way down."[break][break]

"For a while, he was perfectly happy being #2. But the crowds wanted him. Some of his friends liked him better than the current champ, who was a total ass about it. And, hell, he kinda wanted to be the center of things for a change. So refused to do a dive and, by fighting hard, fighting smart, and fighting dirty, ended up being the last guy standing."[break][break]

"Turns out? Honor among thieves falls apart when you break that honor. The ringleader wasn't happy. The champ wasn't happy. And a whole bunch of jobs got disrupted by this little show. Things got tense, and there were gonna be consequences. So what else could Tarkus do but bail while he still had his hide intact?"[break][break]

He sighed, easing back into his bed. That took a lot of thinky-brain exertion. "The fucked up part? Maybe if he went back and talked to them, they'd forgive him. But I don't think he's scared of what they're gonna do to him. I think he's scared of facing them after letting them down. And til he can handle that, the open road's the only friend he knows."

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[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Aurelie Lefevre

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POSTED ON Jan 26, 2023 19:53:34 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]Pen, paper, dice, and imagination

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Aurelie spontaneously broke into a round of applause when Isaac finally concluded his seemingly spur-of-the-moment, yet surprisingly detailed and comprehensive diatribe about his character's origins and backstory. She hadn't expected him to embrace the game, let alone the character generation process, so wholeheartedly. Still, if they were both having such a good time that a nurse had to pop in to see what the noise was about—which one did, with a quizzical look on her face—she figured that could only be a good thing, after everything that Isaac had been through recently.

"Would you mind bringing a glass of water for him, please?" Aurelie asked the nurse quickly, before she popped back out. "This guy here delivered a huge speech just now. Thank you so much!"

Thankfully, the nurse nodded and brought some water, setting it next to Isaac's bed. Aurelie smiled and thanked her again, before turning back to the matter at hand.

"Bravo! Wow!" the red-haired smith enthused. "I feel like that could be a whole movie or novel unto itself, your character's backstory. It honestly reminds me of a superhero movie or TV show I watched recently. Have you ever considered being a novelist or a screenwriter? I feel like if you can come up with big, deep plots like that off the top of your head, you'd definitely have a knack for it!"

Privately, she couldn't help thinking that maybe his backstory was a little too complicated to work well in a novel or movie, or at least she'd feel like it could have been simpler and worked just as well. But that was probably just Aurelie's personal taste; she tended to prefer simplicity and efficiency in most things, including stories. Besides, considering most beginners usually gave character histories no thought at all, the alternative was vastly better.

Anyway, best to keep things moving. Isaac's creative pyrotechnics were impressive, for sure, but visiting hours weren't going to last forever, and she wanted him to get more of a feel for the actual experience of the game and not just the character generation process.

"So, Tarkus, that's a good name," Aurelie mused, nodding pragmatically toward the character sheet in front of Isaac. "And wow, well, that backstory helps a lot with the next part of the process, which is setting some of those story elements you just came up with into concrete game terms and mechanics. Like his morality, which the game calls an 'alignment' that sums up his attitude toward good and evil and toward law and order.

"So, the alignments go from being lawful, which means they follow the law, tradition, or personal codes very strictly; to neutral, which means they don't take sides and kind of do whatever seems best at the time; to chaotic, which means they follow their conscience or whims instead of doing what's expected of them. Then there's good and evil, which...well." Aurelie grinned. "We could probably debate this all day in real life, but in the game, good is defined as being unselfish, kind, and constructive, and evil is selfish, cruel, and destructive. Neutral's about the same as before.

"For your guy, since he worked at a traveling fair outside of society's norms, I'd say he sounds more chaotic?" she suggested. "And maybe either good or neutral. Maybe he cares more just about himself, or maybe he usually helps people out."

Hopefully, deciding his character's alignment wouldn't be too long of a process, but she knew she couldn't be sure about anything when it came to Isaac and his character, which was becoming his own epic saga at this rate. But she plunged on anyway toward the next step of character generation. Aurelie took a deep breath and flipped to the next page in the Players' Handbook.

"Okay, and then after that, there's just some more quick bookkeeping and game decisions before we start. Mostly just filling in your character sheet and filling out fields and marking up boxes," she explained, nodding again to Isaac's character's sheet. "As a rogue, Tarkus can choose four skills in which he'll be proficient. He'll get a special bonus to any rolls with those skills, because he's especially good at them.

"Not that you need huge bonuses on top of your amazing ability scores, right?" she added, grinning at Isaac.

Aurelie turned the book to face Isaac and pointed to the list of skills in which rogues could be proficient. "So, there's Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Performance, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth. Whew, that's a lot! Well, Tarkus would 100% have Athletics, right? And Performance. I always think Perception is really good, but it may not fit him as well. What do you think?"

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The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

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