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

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON May 5, 2023 2:49:25 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"]Finnegan Yang wasn't doing so hot after the events of the Ultra Deep Sea. Okay, so nobody was going well after that mess. Even Rocket, who had emerged victorious, had to deal with paranoia gnawing at their hearts, their nightmares being put on display before their very eyes, the League fighting with all of their heart, and horrifying meat rocks. It wasn't a fun time for anyone involved. But it had been especially unfun for Master Flying Sword.[break][break]

Isaac couldn't just stand by. He was going to help his master get his groove back. And he knew just how to do it.[break][break]

There was just one problem. Isaac knew absolutely nothing about how to make a sword. Sure, he had a distressingly good track record at attempting things he had no practice with, but those things didn't tend to involve fire and pointy objects. It was way more likely he'd be showing his appreciation and devotion through a blob of molten slag.[break][break]

He could always buy one at a store, but that'd just feel impersonal. "You've given me the courage and conviction to buy some dollar store katana out of the back of a mall." Bleugh. No thanks. If he was going to do this, it needed to be badass. It needed to be unique. It needed to come from the heart, from a truly special place.[break][break]

Wait a minute.[break][break]

"I ask you way too many favors," Isaac muttered as he stood at the entrance of Aurelie's shop. Sometimes, it felt like the only time he was able to hang out with the busy smith was when he was asking her to help him make things. Maybe he'd have to lure her away from her forge with the promise of more ice cream so they could actually have a proper hang session. Until then, he'd just have to kill two birds with one stone.[break][break]

The door's "a customer has arrived!" bell jingled away as he stepped on through.

[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

1,249 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON May 7, 2023 20:29:59 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]I come to bring peace with a sword

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Hard at work within her workshop, Aurelie narrowed her uncovered eye in concentration, fully absorbed in wielding a pair of tongs to carefully slide out a white-hot billet of forge-welded steel from within her propane forge. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the bright blue alarm light that she'd rigged up to connect to the call bell on the shop's front counter to flash whenever it was rung. Someone had entered the store and was requesting service.

Aurelie exhaled sharply and muttered a brief, earthy Kalosian obscenity before pulling out the billet of metal before it overheated inside the 2,000-degree forge. Not that she minded having customers—or their money—but they did tend to arrive at the busiest or most inopportune times. She took a moment to eye the color of the heated metal and judged that she probably had only a couple minutes to greet the customer she'd need to rush back inside the forge to hammer the metal before it cooled too much.

But it didn't do to keep a customer waiting. Aurelie hurried out the workshop door, still clad in a leather apron, leather work gloves, and safety goggles and still holding the tongs with the glowing-hot metal. Taking a deep breath, the red-haired smith entered the shop, prepared to just say hello and ask if the customer would mind waiting a few minutes.

At the sight of the blond, eyepatch-wearing young man at the front counter, though, Aurelie broke into a genuine smile of surprise and pleasure. "Isaac! Hello!" she exclaimed with a shock of recognition.

The two had texted and chatted sporadically since the last time she'd seen him at the hospital, always planning to get together and maybe even play another roleplaying game sometime. But those plans never got beyond the planning stage. Now that he was here in person, Aurelie was glad to see that he looked much more like himself, fit and healthy, with a hopeful look on his face.

"Long time no see! How have you been?" she asked lightheartedly. "What have you been up to? More adventures and crazy quests?"

Then, as if just remembering the tongs and hot metal she was carrying, Aurelie looked down and waved toward Isaac, beckoning for him to follow her. She didn't usually allow customers into her workshop, but Isaac had been there before. At least, she felt like she could trust him to stay out of the way and not touch anything or knock things over.

"Sorry, you caught me in the middle of something," the red-haired smith explained. "I need to hammer this metal before it cools down too much. Why don't you come with me and tell me what's going on with you."

With a touch of whimsy, she grinned and added, "Of all the forges in all the cities in all world, what brings you here into mine?"

[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 May 7, 2023 22:09:36 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"]The way Aurelie immediately went from exasperation to delight was a shocker. Isaac had been worried about being a burden, and yet his friend was all too happy to finally see him again. Maybe, just maybe, he was actually . . . well liked? Impossible. Inconceivable. Yet at the same time, undeniable. The longer the war against his imposter syndrome raged, the less power it had over him.[break][break]

Hopefully, he could do the same for Finnegan Yang.[break][break]

"Well, I've been-" Paranoia gnawing at his heart. Nightmares being put on display before his very eyes. Clashes with both the Pokemon League and his own ideology. Horrifying meat rocks. Adventures didn't even begin to describe what he'd been getting himself into lately.[break][break]

Yet he couldn't just fixate on the bad, now could he? He was coming closer to finding himself. He was reconnecting with the people he'd thought he'd never see again. He was pulling off accolades that he never even expected to earn. It was surreal. It was exciting. It was strangely terrifying.[break][break]

"I've been taking on the gym circuit lately, for one. Would you believe me if I said I've already got five badges under my belt?" There was a touch of pride in his smile, an emotion all too rare on Isaac's usual spectrum. "Between that, and getting some swordfighting lessons, I've felt like a whole new me lately. Can't even think of the last time I've been this active without some kinda life or death clusterfuck pushing me into it."[break][break]

"Now, here's a better question. Why'd I ever want to check out any other forge?" Isaac teased back. It wasn't just empty praise; as much as he liked spending time with Aurelie, her work was also beyond compare. There was nobody he'd rather give his patronage to.[break][break]

"How've you been doing?"

[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

1,249 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON May 9, 2023 23:07:33 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]I COME TO BRING PEACE WITH A SWORD

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]By now, Aurelie probably should have expected that even a simple question like "What have you been up?", when directed toward Isaac, would cause him to withdraw moodily into a troubled, haunted-looking trance. Then after a few minutes, he'd come out of his stupor to tell stories of his latest exciting accomplishments. And yet, that sequence of events always took her by surprise.

"Wow! Five badges!" she enthused. "I'd applaud, but, well..." Aurelie chuckled and nodded toward the hot metal in her tongs.

"Speaking of which, I really should get back to work and take care of that before it cools too much," she exclaimed, frowning a little to see the metal's color darkening to bright orange. "Hopefully, we can talk while I work. I promise I won't run the noisiest machinery while we're in there."

Motioning for Isaac to follow her, she turned around and hurried through the door back into her forge. It was definitely hot inside, despite the two open windows allowing the cool breeze outside to circulate through the room. Fans and water bottles were scattered across tables and workbenches, attempting to counteract the heat coming off the active propane forge.

Aurelie thrust the billet of metal back inside the forge to warm back up to temperature, while mulling over Isaac's news. "So, you're learning swordfighting now?" she asked, smiling approvingly. "That's very cool! What style are you studying?"

Her uncovered eye sparkling mischievously, she added, "Maybe we should spar sometime! I studied classical Kalosian swordsmanship for several years when I was a teenager and had a few years of fencing too."

Regretfully, Aurelie remarked, "I only had a few lessons in Kantonese swordsmanship, sadly, since I really wanted to learn how to wield those beautiful katanas the way they should be used."

She pulled the metal back out once it was glowing golden again and started toward the power hammer, the new crown jewel of her forge, before glancing back at Isaac and remembering he didn't have any ear protection for the noisy machine. Instead, she headed toward the hydraulic press, which she used to slowly flatten and stretch out the hot metal while watching the results intently. Thankfully, the forge-welded billet stayed in one piece and didn't fan out or split as it was being shaped, much to her relief.

"As for me, I've mostly just been working," Aurelie added, pulling her attention away from her steel and raising her voice slightly to be heard above the hydraulic press' rumbling. "Trying to take advantage of the good publicity from the Steel Chef cooking contest, you know? I was very impressed by your cooking skills, by the way! You and Zev must make for a culinary dream team over there at Howling at the Moon."

[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 May 11, 2023 2:50:55 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"]"I'll take some complimentary tong clicks once you're done," Isaac teased, taking a little step back to symbolically give Aurelie her waking space. He wasn't surprised she was talented enough to work and talk, but that was all the more reason to show her the respect that she deserved.[break][break]

The forge was hot. Even a native Hoennian and habitual jacket-wearer like him was starting to sweat just stepping in there. Isaac made sure to leave his jacket by the door, giving Aurelie a rare glimpse of a non-accessorized Isaac. Huh! Who knew his arms were starting to get so toned?[break][break]

Perhaps it wasn't a surprise that Aurelie was interested in swords. Perhaps it was a surprise that her interest was so hands-on. She lamented the fact that she only studied two forms of swordsmanship instead of three, which was maybe the definition of the coolest problem that anyone could have.[break][break]

"I'm studying Flying Sword style. It's a real agile style from a small village over in Fortree. If you really wanna see some of those katanas put to quick use, trust me. You'd love stopping over there." It was also close to where Alexei Ivanov's gym stood, and where Julia Davis's ranger base was stationed, which meant Isaac had a good few reasons to pop in. It was also where El Sunderland was stationed, which meant Isaac had a lot to unpack.[break][break]

That said, Aurelie seemed less interested in visiting and more interested in hands-on experience. Isaac took one look at the badass hunched over a piece of flaming metal, which she was currently beating into submission with a hammer, and did an evaluation of his chances. "Well, if someone's gonna kick my ass, glad to have it be someone I trust," he teased. "Name a time and a place, and you're on."[break][break]

Aurelie's own kind words met his own on the battlefield of kindness. "Thanks! Between Zev Harcourt and Ashley Shepard, I've had a lot of good people to learn from," Isaac admitted. "Starting to think being a sponge is my real talent. I see someone do something enough times, and I start to catch on a little, y'know?" He was a jack of all trades, but only when his dormant potential was unlocked. On his own? Well, cue five years of wandering.[break][break]

"Glad the contest did some good numbers for you, though. You sure as hell earned it."

[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

1,249 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON May 12, 2023 21:30:43 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]I come to bring peace with a sword

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Aurelie burst into cheerful laughter at Isaac's teasing request for some complimentary tong clicks. She was happy to oblige after taking her billet of metal out of the hydraulic press and placing it back in the forge to heat back up.

"I guess this works as a metalsmith's version of a standing ovation," she commented to the accompaniment of snappy metallic clicking. "I don't even know if I'm applauding your badges or your good placement in the cooking contest, but you deserve congratulations for both! At this rate, maybe you can be a master chef and a...Champion...or, well, maybe a Beast...well..."

Her voice trailed off, and she bent her head to take her metal out of the forge and place it on the anvil to hide her momentary discomfiture. Neither Elite Four, Champion, nor Rocket Beast status felt like goals that Isaac could or would pursue, from what she knew of his nature. Taking up a hand hammer, she began shaping out the tip of the blade with rhythmic, ringing blows, while still trying to maintain a lighthearted conversation.

"Or just a master chef and a rising star of a trainer," she finished, emphasizing the word "just" with a comical roll of her eye. "And now a swordsman too? I have a feeling there's not going to be too many things you can't do, with the way you're going!"

He certainly is becoming a man to be reckoned with, Aurelie reflected, glancing toward Isaac as she set her hand hammer aside. Or honestly, he is one already! Far from being the fragile, demoralized-looking boy from the hospital, Isaac stood straight and proud, though the red-haired smith thought she could discern a shadow of gravity and grim experience there too, from seeing too many things that she couldn't even imagine—and didn't want to.

Even his arms and shoulders had strengthened, going from slender to now showing some significant muscle tone. It must be that sword training! Arceus knows, just learning to wield a broadsword with any amount of grace and dexterity had been taxing for teenage Aurelie, even after years of blacksmithing.

"I've never heard of the Flying Sword style," she remarked thoughtfully, pursing her lips as she listened to Isaac describe the style and school. "But if it's fast and agile, it sounds like a good counter to the Kalosian styles I've learned, which tended to be more defensive and methodical.

Besides," she added candidly, "I'm years out of practice. I'm pretty sure you'd be the one kicking my ass, Isaac! Or at least, I doubt you'd be the underdog. Smart money should be on you, not me." She said this all straightforwardly as she worked, hammering out subtle bevels along the blade, with no hint of false modesty or self-deprecation.

Then Aurelie lifted her head and flashed a mischievous grin at Isaac. "Oh, is that what brings you here to my forge? Want me to forge you a cool sword, so you can show me how a real swordsman maneuvers his blade on the battlefield?"

[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 May 13, 2023 4:23:24 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"]Champion.[break][break]

Fuck.[break][break]

Isaac had five badges, and the last one he'd earned was one of the most difficult fights he'd ever faced. Getting a sixth wouldn't be so difficult by this point. That meant he could face the champion assessment. That meant he'd have to face the champion assessment. That meant he'd have to take a deep, long look inside of himself to fill a role built atop a pile of lies.[break][break]

Beast.[break][break]

Double fuck.[break][break]

Isaac had the strength and technique. He had the admiration of those lower on the totem pole than him and the acknowledgment of those higher. If he had the right motivation, he could have become a Beast of great renown. It was just a shame that the position couldn't have been further from Isaac's good nature. Just the thought of what acts he'd have to commit left his blood running cold.[break][break]

Could he champion a government whose flaws disgusted him? Could he serve an organization whose crimes terrified him?[break][break]

Part of him wanted to step away from it all, but he knew it was too late. He knew too much, had gotten in too deep, and now he was stuck walking a razor-thin tightrope between two worlds. At any moment it threatened to snap under the weight that he had picked up from a solid year of pushing onward.[break][break]

And yet he saw the pride Aurelie - Aurelie of all people! - had in her eye as she watched him. She had seen him at his lowest and most pathetic. She had seen him at his highest and most noble. Through it all, she was like an anchor in the tempest of his life; always her badass self, always kind and humble in the face of it, and always keeping a much needed distance from the insanity that was Hoenn.[break][break]

Sometimes, he wished he could be following in her footsteps instead. But it was far too late for that. He could only move towards the future, and the pride she took in him was one of the things keeping him moving forward.[break][break]

A million neurons fired through his head, each carrying a million thoughts per minute. At the end of that tunnel, they compressed into but two words.[break][break]

"Thank you."[break][break]

She insisted she'd be the underdog in their skirmish, out of practice and using a more defensive style against his more agile techniques. "Hey, I might be a quick learner, but I'm still a newcomer," he said. "I'd say we're at least even. But I guess we're gonna have to find out the old fashioned way, huh?"[break][break]

Her mischievous grin had half-hit its target. "Cool as that would be, it's not me I'm looking to make a blade for. This time," he admitted. "It's about my swordmaster, you see? Something happened that threw him majorly off his groove, and I guess I figured this would be the best way to help him get it back, you know?"

[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

1,249 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON May 15, 2023 22:37:24 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]I come to bring peace with a sword

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Aurelie could have bitten her tongue when she saw the shadow of sorrow deepening across Isaac's face in response to her carelessly uttered words, "Champion" and "Beast". Even though he'd made great strides toward qualifying for either role, of course the conscientious Isaac would shudder at the thought of actually taking either role. Considering the misgivings that he'd voiced about both Rocket and the League, how could he possibly feel comfortable fighting against one organization on behalf of the other?

Sometimes, Aurelie wondered if Isaac truly felt like he belonged in either organization—or if he existed in some nebulous, liminal space in between, never quite one or the other and thus never fully happy anywhere.

If she could read his thoughts more fully than these vague guesses into his psyche, Aurelie would've been thoroughly flabbergasted by the oddly high esteem in which he held her. To be sure, the two had somehow welded a laidback friendship out of chance encounters and friendly meet-ups alike. By now, she felt at ease around him, wanted to help him and cheer him on, and even felt oddly protective of him on occasion—not that he really needed it from her.

Compared to him, though—or to most people who spent their lives striving toward a goal greater than simple craftsmanship—Aurelie had always felt that she was no one special. With his five Gym badges, his seemingly limitless network of friends and allies, and his growing renown in Rocket, he was the special one, surely. It would have shocked her to the core to ever learn that Isaac, of all people, saw her somewhat differently.

Blissfully ignorant of all this, though, the red-haired smith simply smiled back when he said, "Thank you" and tried to smooth over the awkward moment. "Well, whatever you do, you clearly do it well," Aurelie replied gently, "and that's just the truth. So, no need to thank me for that."

She did snicker a little when he suggested testing out their respective swordsmanship skills the old-fashioned way, though. "Well, if you insist, then fine! You're on," she exclaimed laughingly. "But whenever we do throw down and spar, maybe let's do it near a nice clinic or hospital, so we can easily get all the scrapes and bruises we're bound to collect—and inflict—taken care of easily afterward!"

Aurelie's smile faded, though, when Isaac explained that he had come looking for a custom-made blade—but not for him. It was for his master. Though her expression softened at the kindness of the gesture, the red-haired smith couldn't help pressing her lips together in unease.

"That's so like you," she began hesitantly. "Of course, your instinct is to help out a friend in need no matter what. But...your master. Is he on our side?" Aurelie emphasized the "our", gesturing between him and herself.

"Because...my fighting weapons...I don't make them openly. They're always under-the-table secret deals for the...shadier people who request them, you know?" Aurelie shifted her weight uncomfortably, glancing away from Isaac. "I can make a practice sword for him, with blunted edges. Something he could use to teach, but not kill. Would that work?"

[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 May 16, 2023 1:24:45 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"]"Hey, hey, c'mon. I'm not gonna put you in the hospital," Isaac said, a touch of worry in his voice. "Control's one of the most important things we learn at the school. You'd be surprised how intense some of those spars can get without anything worse than a little bruise."[break][break]

It wasn't just about not hurting Aurelie, though. Isaac let out a sigh as he cast a distant look out the window. " 'Sides, feels like I've spent the last year going at a minute a minute, y'know?" he said. "It'd be nice if we could just . . . share a nice, chill spar instead."[break][break]

How had he sustained himself for an entire year at a pace locked to life and death?[break][break]

He wasn't the only one who was mildly troubled by what the other had to say. Aurelie was moved by Isaac's offer. She truly was. However, she was still a part of Team Rocket, as fringe of a member as she was. That meant if she wanted to keep operating her forge, she had to play by certain terms and conditions.[break][break]

"Don't arm the enemy" was an obvious one. And when you were a group like Team Rocket, if you weren't a part of them, you were against them.[break][break]

"I don't think he is," Isaac conceded, eyes downcast. For a second, he considered asking her to make it their little secret, something he could keep between the two of them. Then he remembered that he wasn't alone in these classes. Even there, the long shadow of Zev Harcourt stretched over him like a pall. "And I wouldn't want to get you in trouble over something like that. You're right. This was a silly idea."[break][break]

At least, as she always did, Aurelie had a solution. "A practice sword could work!" he said, perking up a little. "He could probably get more use out of it at the school, too."

[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.

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1,249 posts

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TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON May 19, 2023 22:26:31 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]I come to bring peace with a sword

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Amused and touched by Isaac's concern when she mentioned looking for a hospital nearby when they sparred, Aurelie shook her head and wrinkled her nose playfully at him. "Put me in the hospital?" she echoed. "Oh, please, Isaac. I said we might be inflicting bruises and scrapes, not broken bones and muscle tears!"

Shrugging, she conceded, "I guess cuts and bruises aren't exactly hospital-grade injuries, though. So, never mind about that part. Maybe we just need to remember to bring a first-aid kit just in case and call that good enough."

Then, with a sudden smirk, Aurelie added, "And you had better bring some Pokedollars to pay me with! I'm still betting that you'll come out on top during our little spar, even if I bring everything I've got against you."

Her smirk faded into a sympathetic smile as Isaac mused over the frenetic "mile a minute" year that he'd had. Aurelie could only guess at all the things he'd done and seen, but she could certainly understand why he might be hungry for rest and peace. She fell silent when he quietly struggled over the seemingly insurmountable problem of her not wishing to forge weapons for the League, of which his new teacher was clearly a member.

To her relief, Isaac enthusiastically welcomed the idea of giving his master a blunted practice sword as a gift. Classically, Aurelie supposed that most practice swords were carved from wood, but steel practice swords certainly existed too. She exhaled a long breath, glad not to have dampened Isaac's flagging spirits any further.

"Well, if you think that would be a good gift, then a practice sword is totally within my power and ability to create," the red-haired smith declared with renewed confidence. She studied the shape of the blade that she'd hammered out on her anvil—a long, slender filleting knife—and laid it aside with a nod of satisfaction.

"Well, now that makes you a client," Aurelie said to Isaac, gesturing for him to follow her back out of the smithy with a chuckle. She held the door open for him and indicated that he should sit in one of the chairs before the front desk. "So, let's do this the proper way and have a good client-smith meeting."

She followed up her words by sitting down behind the front desk herself and pulling open a notebook in front of her. Holding a pencil poised over the blank paper, Aurelie tilted her head attentively toward him. "So, please tell me more about your master and the fighting style he teaches at his school. Does he have any favorite swords he seems to like using the most often? If so, what are those swords like in terms of length, width, flexibility, curvature, and shape? Is he a quick and aggressive fighter, a subtle and accurate one, or a methodical and defensive one?"

[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 May 20, 2023 5:09:33 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"]"Wait, whoa whoa whoa. There's money riding on me winning?" With the concerns about hospitalization put aside, now it was time to tackle some real important business. "That changes things. Maybe I'll just have to take a dive so I can make a pretty penny off of it. Get in on those profits you're raking in." It was obvious from his wink (or was it a blink, in his current condition?) that he was messing around.[break][break]

"Nah, nah, nah. For you? You can bet your ass I'll do my best."[break][break]

They went from talking joking business to talking serious business. Isaac's second gift idea for Finnegan Yang had landed a lot better than the first. At the very least, it had far less chance of backfiring on Aurelie than a real weapon would. They moved from the forge to the front desk, because Aurelie was nothing if not a stickler for procedure.[break][break]

"Master Flying Sword's style is agile, but focused. It's a lot more about quick, subtle movements than putting on a big, flashy show. He'd rather settle it with a single, accurate strike than throwing around tons of attacks," he explained. "So a blade for him would be best suited to slipping through guards instead of bashing through and overwhelming them. Something light and well balanced, the kind he can quickly draw and sheathe when the need suits him. Long enough to keep knives and brawlers away, but not so long that it gets cumbersome."[break][break]

"Outside of that, you're the expert on design. So I'll leave the rest of it in your hands." That lasted for about five seconds. "Do you think an inscription would be tacky?" he blurted, as if questioning design decisions that only existed in his own mind.

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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.

awards

1,249 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON May 24, 2023 1:34:57 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]I come to bring peace with a sword

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]"Hmph!" Aurelie snorted, shaking her fist in mock indignation at Isaac's suggestion that he might take a dive during their planned future spar for the sake of hypothetical bets. "You'd definitely better bring your A-game, or...or else..."

The red-haired smith paused and chuckled, clearly struggling to think of a good enough pseudo-threat to launch jokingly at Isaac. The words "Or else I'd be tempted to put you in the hospital for real, and then Zev would come after me for messing up his best bartender" were on the tip of her tongue, but she stopped herself just in time. That one cut a little too close to home. If not stabbed too close to home.

"Or else everyone would pity us both for having only two working eyes between the pair of us" also felt...just not right, even if it was probably true. Especially since it very well might be true. No, best not to go there, for sure.

"Or else you'd make me very sad," Aurelie declared finally, sticking out her lower lip in a feigned tragic pout. "I'm sure you wouldn't want to do that, right, Isaac? It'd break my little heart to think we weren't keeping things real between us."

On the topic of the gift practice sword that Isaac was commissioning, though, Aurelie's smirk was quick to melt into a thoughtful, businesslike frown. Taking notes as he spoke, she found herself getting swept up in his descriptions of the fighting style his master taught. What an elegant image, combining speed and agility with simplicity and precision all at once!

"I can see why you thought of katanas as an idea," she mused aloud, tapping the pen contemplatively against her lips. "But I wonder, with the way you describe the school's style—or maybe it's just the name that's got me thinking—I wonder if an even lighter, thinner blade than a katana would suit your master?

"This is what I'm thinking, you see..." Aurelie pulled out a blank sheet of graph paper and began swiftly sketching out the design of a slender straight sword, rather than the classic curved blade of a katana, with a subtle taper to the blade. "I'm thinking something quite light, perhaps only one-and-a-half pounds, with a double-edged blade rather than the single edge of a katana. Even easier to land an attack from different angles, you know? And less of a cleaving style of blade too."

She explained aloud that this type of sword came from a slightly different tradition than the katana and, if Aurelie remembered correctly, was called a jian. Though simple in form, it looked like it'd be ideal for quick, precise attacks. She could style the guard and pommel into winged shapes too, to honor the "Flying Sword" moniker.

"I could do an inscription, sure," Aurelie affirmed when Isaac asked, not particularly noticing him offering a suggestion despite saying he'd leave it in her hands. She'd had any number of picky customers, and Isaac wasn't nearly as bad as any of them! "Or better yet, since I'd be forge-welding this from two different high-carbon steels to combine flexibility with edge retention and durability, I was planning to acid-etch it anyway to bring out the pattern.

"Before I acid-etch it—which I promise won't harm the integrity of the blade; I don't use acid nearly strong enough for that—I, or you for that matter, could draw a design on it with nail polish. The acid won't interact with the polish, so it'll leave that part of the steel shiny and untouched. Then you remove the nail polish itself with nail polish remover, and—voila! Your design will be bright and clear on the surface of the blade, showing a name or drawing or whatever you want."

[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 May 27, 2023 0:59:03 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"]The pout was devastating. Isaac was powerless before such a big, sad eye staring back at him. "Okay, okay, you win this one," he said, trying to hold back his snickers at her over the top reaction. "You're lucky I like your poor little heart so much."[break][break]

With one deal sealed, it was time to get cracking on the other. And unlike fighting (though Isaac was still certain Aurelie could clobber him), this was one where she was undoubtedly an expert. A smaller, double edged blade that slashed instead of cleaving could go a long way towards helping his master land blows at closer range. It also seemed like it would be the perfect fit to take his already stunning agility and ratchet it up to new heights.[break][break]

Then Aurelie revealed that an inscription was the least of what she was capable of. To say Isaac was impressed was an understatement. "A design," he repeated, amazed that he would both have a hand in this procedure and be able to create something so elaborate. "You're seriously full of surprises, aren't you?"[break][break]

The only limits were his imagination and the amount of detail that a nail polish brush was capable of. He could already imagine brushlike strokes in the shape of a Gyarados coiled "around" the blade, its fearsome maw leading to the tip. It would be as if each slash of the blade was the strike of a powerful dragon. Perhaps this arcing Gyarados would be on one side, and then on the other he could write a message. A wish for the future, perhaps? After all, the intent of this blade was the remind Master Flying Sword of what he represented.[break][break]

"May you always soar, so others learn to fly." Excellent.[break][break]

"I think I know what I'm gonna do," Isaac said, now practically on the edge of his seat as he waited for the chance to try this idea. "Just let me know when its go time!"

[break]

[break]

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

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

close tab

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

1,249 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON May 31, 2023 0:56:35 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]I come to bring peace with the sword

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Aurelie couldn't help but smile at the amazement and infectious excitement Isaac showed when she described what she'd always thought was a fairly cut-and-dried process for adding designs to a metal surface. To be sure, there were artists out there who could draw stunningly beautiful things on a blade with nail polish and a brush—like my mother, she thought with a pang of painful nostalgia—though Aurelie herself had never done more than write a few words or draw some basic swirls. Still, it was fun to be able to surprise Isaac with new information and data.

Then he said, "I think I knew what I'm gonna do" and "Just let me know when it's go time", and Aurelie's brain screeched to a halt. She gaped at him for a moment in surprise.

"Wait, wait, wait," she exclaimed, chuckling and holding up her hand. "Are you planning to be the one who draws the design before it's finished? Usually, I'm the one who would be doing that for a commission, although..."

Her voice trailed off, and she tilted her head to one side contemplatively. "I mean, I suppose I don't mind if you want to assist more directly with the sword-making process," the red-haired smith said slowly. "I wouldn't necessarily trust most people to come into my forge and work with hot metal, but..."

She eyed Isaac up and down consideringly. "Well, a man who's gone tomb-raiding for ancient treasure and survived—whatever it was that happened with the meteoroid and the Primal Crystal battles—can probably handle himself in a simple workshop. At least, I trust you to keep your eyes open and listen to my instructions, which is more than I could say for most people."

Aurelie didn't linger long over this decision; she nodded once and clapped her hands briskly. "All right, fine, you can be the one who draws the design with your own hand, and you can help out with the forging process if you want, for a discount on the price of the sword. I think it's a risk worth taking, in your case. I can start this very afternoon on the sword, considering I don't have any other commissions at the moment. But..."

A slow smile crept across Aurelie's face as she nodded toward the clock mounted on the wall. "It's almost lunchtime! What do you say we toast our upcoming partnership at that sushi place you went to when you were waiting for me to finish up your Mega accessory? You know what they say: the best way to start something new and fresh is by eating some delicious raw fish, seaweed, and rice."

Laying aside her pen, she stood up from behind the front desk and grinned at Isaac in anticipation. "And then, this afternoon, we can get to work on your gift for your teacher. Together...if you're willing."

[attr="class","aurelie_tag"]

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

close tab

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