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196 cm (6' 5") / 119 kg (262 lbs) height

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POSTED ON May 26, 2023 16:43:52 GMT

Smith

Mission: Hammer Away, ft. Aurelie Lefevre

"Iron Lady's forge..." A craft supplies store on one side, a bespoke tailor on the other.

Yep, this was the place.

He stepped into the establishment, smiling at the smell of iron that greeted as the door closed behind him.

"Hoh." Authentic.

He liked it so far.

This was not the first smithing establishment he had visited. He had visited plenty, but they never felt... right. Imitation smiths were aplenty. Enthusiasts who taught themselves the basics of a culture that had excited for millenia, but never mastered the essence.

He was hoping this one was different. It had a fairly established name attached to it, but... He didn't trust the internet.

He would figure out soon.

"Greetings!" He called out into the shop as he came to a stop before a long, wooden counter, his approaching steps dulled by the crimson carpet.

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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

1,250 posts

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TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON May 27, 2023 23:32:40 GMT

Gwyar Wledig likes this

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]Craftsmanship isn't about meeting expectations,
but exceeding them.

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]"Oh!" Hearing the jingle of the bell on the front door of her shop as it swung open and closed, Aurelie looked up from behind the display case where she'd been rearranging a row of shining, needle-fine scalpels on a bed of black velvet. Pushing the glass sliding door closed, she straightened and flashed a friendly smile at the man who'd entered the shop.

"Hello! Welcome to the Iron Lady Forge," the red-haired smith called in response to his greeting, coming forward. "How can I help y—"

Her question was cut abruptly short as the eye not covered by her eyepatch quickly ran over the tall, blond man who'd entered her shop and came to rest upon the gleaming pauldron, vambrace, gauntlet, and other pieces of armor adorning the left side of his body. It was unusual enough to see a man wearing medieval armor in everyday life, assuming Aurelie wasn't at the Ren-Faire. Someone wearing a partial suit of armor like this in everyday life was certainly eye-catching, and she couldn't help analyzing the armor's workmanship and historical provenance with a critical eye.

The more she looked, the more Aurelie was spellbound by the sheer beauty and artistry of the man's silvery armor. The articulation of the exquisitely layered scales, the mirror finish of the metal, the elegance of the rivets and accents along the shoulder and forearm... She stared unabashedly at his left side and drank in the details of his armor with a captivated expression, her jaw going slightly slack with admiration.

It took a few minutes before the red-haired smith noticed that she'd gone awkwardly silent in mid-word. With an effort, Aurelie pulled her gaze up to meet the blond man's green eyes and smiled apologetically.

"That's some gorgeous armor you have there," she said by way of explanation for her odd staring. "I couldn't help but be impressed by it. But, um, as I was saying—how can I help you? What brings you here to my shop today?"

[attr="class","aurelie_tag"]

Gwyar Wledig | Mission: Hammer Away

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

[newclass=.aurelie]width:420px;padding:40px;background:#862939;[/newclass]
[newclass=.aurelie img]height:100px;width:100px;padding:15px;border:1px solid #fff;border-radius:100px;[/newclass]
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played by

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009

He, him, his

March 31

Freezington, Galar

Irrelevant.

Mossdeep Police

Gym Leader

196 cm (6' 5") / 119 kg (262 lbs) height

Was doing swords and shields before it was cool.

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POSTED ON May 31, 2023 2:23:12 GMT

Aurelie Lefevre likes this

Smith

Mission: Hammer Away, ft. Aurelie Lefevre

There was an uncomfortably long moment were the lady behind the counter just stared with her one eye and said nothing, her previous welcome dying in her throat.

And while Gwyar wasn't entirely unaccustomed to attention from women, should they not be repelled by what appeared to be ren-faire cosplay in broad daylight, they would usually stare at his face. Or chest. Or lower.

Not... thi—

"Oh?" He uttered when she suddenly complimented his armor, lightly tilting his head as a smile inevitable rose to his lips. "My! How kind, thank you! That's quite high praise, coming from a smith of your repute."

Whether she deserved that reputation or not, however, was for him to find out.

With a smile on his lips, the man lightly tipped forward as he reached behind himself and into a pouch on his belt.

"I've been searching for someone of particular skills— within hoenn. No time to go abroad." He said, producing an item wrapped in several layers of fabric before slowly setting it on the table. "Quite a few artisans in the region boast of enviable prestige— but i've found precious few of them capable of living up to their own fame."

he began to unwrap the item, peeling away from layers until he revealed... the mysterious ore within.

The first, and easiest test.

"Tell me, Lady Lefevre..." He said as he held out the ore towards her, letting her take it, should she wish to. "Do you know what this is?"

If she mentioned any known metal commonly used in craftsmanship... she failed. If she mentioned any rare ores found on Earth... she still failed. There were only two correct answers. The right one, and 'I don't know'.

Most 'famous' craftsmen hadn't gotten passed this step.

Mission

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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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1,250 posts

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POSTED ON Jun 2, 2023 19:04:44 GMT

John Sullivan likes this

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]CRAFTSMANSHIP ISN'T ABOUT MEETING EXPECTATIONS,
BUT EXCEEDING THEM.

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Aurelie breathed a sigh of relief when the man not only wasn't annoyed by her blatantly staring at his armor but in fact seemed quite pleased that she admired it as much as she did.

"You're quite welcome!" she answered forthrightly, smiling up at him. Her eye strayed again toward the silvery dome-shaped pauldron on his left shoulder and the elegantly layered lames descending below to protect his upper arm. With utter sincerity, she went on, "Surely, you must hear compliments about your armor all the time, with how beautiful it is. I can't imagine anyone who could see it and not be impressed and dazzled by such fantastic worksmanship."

But soon enough, the man diverted her attention to the object he'd brought, which he unwrapped from within several layers of fabric and held out to her for inspection. Aurelie's uncovered eye widened with curiosity and interest. This certainly wasn't the usual type of walk-in customer! It seemed like the man was testing her or trying to evaluate her for something, which made her wonder what would happen if she managed to pass his test.

"Well, I'm always interested in encountering new materials and alloys," the red-haired smith temporized, cautiously studying the lump of ore in the man's extended hand.

She bent to study it for a moment, circling around his hand to look at it from different angles, before slowly reaching forward to pick it up with the utmost care. It was heavier than it looked, with a weighty heft that one wouldn't expect from a fist-sized piece, and reflected the overhead light with an uncanny glimmer. It looks familiar, Aurelie thought, puzzled. I've seen something similar to this before, I could swear it. But where?

Holding the ore in both hands, she frowned and bit her lip in thought. It made her think of mysterious, mechanical music that slowly crept through your mind and filled your thoughts—and of the screech of a predatory Corviknight from the skies—and the boom of a fiery quarrel fired from an arbalest...

"The strange ore from beyond the rift!" she exclaimed aloud, heedless of her current audience. "From the weird mechanical world full of clockwork and robots. That's what it reminds me of." She nodded to herself, staring more closely at the ore this man had offered.

Yes, that was exactly what it made her think of. This piece of ore was very similar, though with subtle yet significant differences as well. Still, even with those differences, it was easy enough to tell that this ore hadn't come from Hoenn, or even this world at all, but from some unearthly place beyond.

"Is that what this is?" Aurelie asked the man then, raising her head and looking the man directly and boldly in the eyes. "It's ore from one of those rift worlds, isn't it? I've heard of those rifts and even visited one of them myself, once. I didn't have a chance to keep the ore I found, but I was definitely intrigued by it."

Her lips curled into a faint smile. "Is this meant to be a test? Or is this ore to be my payment? Or—is it material that you want to experiment with—or make something out of?"

[attr="class","aurelie_tag"]

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

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played by

Epic BugCatcher

009

He, him, his

March 31

Freezington, Galar

Irrelevant.

Mossdeep Police

Gym Leader

196 cm (6' 5") / 119 kg (262 lbs) height

Was doing swords and shields before it was cool.

awards

1,526 posts

DOLLARS

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TAG WITH @gwyar

POSTED ON Jun 3, 2023 14:56:40 GMT

Aurelie Lefevre likes this

Smith

Mission: Hammer Away, ft. Aurelie Lefevre

"I'm afraid you are of a unique sort, madam. Not nearly enough people appreciate craftsmanship within Hoenn." He said, a flattered smile on his lips.

Her keen eye and glib tongue was not everything she had to impress with, however.

She didn't just pass the test— she went above and beyond those before her. She actually knew what she was looking at.

A first, and possibly, an only.

"Outstanding...! You're indeed correct." He said, giving the woman a toothy grin, meeting her gaze. "This goes beyond my expectations!"

He hadn't expected for any of the smiths on his list to have actually ventured into the Wilds. This woman... she was not average. No one who willingly ventured into Hoenn's nonsense was.

The fact that she stood before him, alive, after paying the Gear kingdom a visit, was proof. That damn bird mech was no joke.

"Something like that." He said, casually picking back the ore and lugging it up and down, unconcerned by its weight. "As I said before— I am looking for a smith of particular skills. Your boldness inspires confidence, but it alone cannot dictate whether you are the one I'm looking for."

He placed the ore back down on the counter.

"But I certainly hope you are." He said, leaning slightly forward over the counter. "You're correct on another front— I am looking to experiment."

He smiled, his gaze rolling over her many crafts hung upon the walls, a smile on his lips.

"So... Would you indulge me on a request, Madam? Money will not be an issue, I assure you."

He pocketed the ore.

"You see..." He produced a scroll. Filled with several items... Commissions.

"I would like to watch you work."

Mission

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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

1,250 posts

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part of

TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON Jun 6, 2023 21:52:03 GMT

Gwyar Wledig likes this

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]CRAFTSMANSHIP ISN'T ABOUT MEETING EXPECTATIONS,
BUT EXCEEDING THEM.

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]"You want to what?" Aurelie exclaimed, her voice rising slightly at the end of her question. For a moment, she could only blink and stare at him open-mouthed. Her brows drew together so swiftly in consternation that her eyepatch started to slip out of place, and she had to scramble to quickly tug it back in place with one hand.

Then, with an effort, the red-haired smith took a deep breath and managed to regain her composure. Only then did her eye fall upon the scroll in the blond man's hand, filled with what looked like quite a long list. Who uses scrolls anymore? was Aurelie's first amused thought, followed quickly by a more incredulous, Wait, are those all...types of blades? Is this a list of commissions?

"I...sorry about that," Aurelie said apologetically. Running a hand across her face, she added with significant understatement, "This...wasn't exactly what I expected when you brought out the ore and asked me if I knew what it was. I don't think anyone has ever asked me if they could watch me work, and it took me by surprise."

She favored him with a ghost of a smile, rueful and self-deprecating. "Not many people see blacksmithing or bladesmithing as anything more than professions rendered obsolete a hundred years ago. Of course, not many people walk around in broad daylight in partial plate armor either, so..." Aurelie paused and chuckled, nodding briefly toward the blond man's left side in acknowledgement.

"So, I'm guessing that your interest isn't just a passing notion or a purely academic one, either, but something that's serious and genuine."

Crossing her arms, Aurelie looked up at the man's face and tilted her head questioningly to one side. "But there's too much that I need to understand before I agree to anything, up to and including letting you watching me work. What is it that you're looking for? You said you're looking for a 'smith with particular skills'—what skills would those be, exactly?

"Second, what do you get out of this?" she asked bluntly. "Are you interested in learning blacksmithing? If so, there are surely online videos out there or other teachers you could find, without needing to ask them if they can identify a rare piece of rift ore."

Aurelie's faint smile deepened into a wry grin as she concluded, "And third, and possibly most important to me: What do I get out of this? I don't have any particular trade secrets or hidden techniques that I want to keep a mystery, but I also don't have any particular plans to take an apprentice or teach a novice student the basics, while simultaneously working in a busy forge—unless there's something in it for me.

"If this sounds mercenary of me, well, I am running a business, after all." She shrugged and raised her eyebrow challengingly at the blond man. "I know you said that money isn't an issue, but how much are you offering? Or what else can you offer me to make having your presence in my forge be worth my while?"

[attr="class","aurelie_tag"]

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

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played by

Epic BugCatcher

009

He, him, his

March 31

Freezington, Galar

Irrelevant.

Mossdeep Police

Gym Leader

196 cm (6' 5") / 119 kg (262 lbs) height

Was doing swords and shields before it was cool.

awards

1,526 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @gwyar

POSTED ON Jun 10, 2023 18:37:42 GMT

Smith

Mission: Hammer Away, ft. Aurelie Lefevre

An understandable reaction, really, as were the myriad of questions she threw his way.

The man laughed heartily, waving a single hand gently.

"One at a time, Ms. Lefevre, I can't keep up like this." He said between chuckles.

She could've just taken the money and ran with it; but she had questions and her own demands. He was appreciating this smith more and more.

"I wouldn't be much of a knight, were my perspective of your craft so shallow." He said, addressing one of her earlier musings with a hum before finally moving on to the meat of the matter: the questions.

The many, many questions.

"Yes— my interest in your craft is no mere scholarly pursuit." He said, considering his next words.

"You see —with all due modesty— I am a master of my own craft. A swordsman, if you're curious."

He leaned away, his head tipping back as his eyes fluttered shut with a smile.

"I teach many students. Amongst them, a few are very rare, particular talents." He said, his mind going back to kyle lopez and Melody Miro. "I think they've got great potential. Soon, there'll be nothing to teach— merely to polish to perfection."

Though he supposed such assessments would be made by the Swords of Justice.

He turned his gaze back to her.

"I believe I know these students' strengths better than anyone— so I wish to craft their swords myself. A last, parting gift frmo their teacher." He paused. "That is my desire. To give these students of mine a unique blade, tailored to each of their strengths.

Then, he tilted his head, eyes closing shut.

"... Unfortunately, my experience on smithing entails only the upkeep of one's equipment." He knew in concept how a sword (or any other piece of steelwork, really) was made. In practice, though?

Eeeh.

"I would never be able to make a sword with a metal such as this at my pitiful level." He said, placing his hand on the ore. "So, that is what I set out to find: A master smith who can."

Finally, he brought his gaze back to her.

"Which brings me back to you, madam." He said. "I said money wasn't an issue— and I meant it. Whatever the price, I'm confident I can foot the bill."

He was a noble after all.

"Unfortunately, this is where I must ask the question back to you." He asked, expression serious. "What would justify my presence on your forge, madam? Beyond money and as much ore as you desire— the only skills I consider worth of notice in my repertoire are my Martial prowess and pokemon training ability."

He had a few extra, but they weren't the kind one could bring up in polite conversation though without raising a few eyebrows.

Mission

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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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1,250 posts

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TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON Jun 12, 2023 22:36:56 GMT

Gwyar Wledig likes this

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]CRAFTSMANSHIP ISN'T ABOUT MEETING EXPECTATIONS,
BUT EXCEEDING THEM.

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Aurelie's eye widened with astonished surmise when the tall blond man described his own skill set and his reasoning for wanting to watch her work. "A swordsman," the red-haired smith repeated thoughtfully, looking unabashedly intrigued and interested. "A master swordsman, you say. And a teacher. Well. Well, well, well."

She looked the man over, this time studying not just his armor and face but also his imposing physical build and confident, capable bearing. Aurelie didn't know much about the modern-day orders of knights, but she supposed she could see this man being one, judging from the ease with which he wore his armor and the evident value he placed on it. And if he was passing on his swordsmanship skills to students, it made a certain amount of sense that he would want to present them with special swords.

"That is seriously the coolest thing," she eventually enthused, her voice a low, awe-filled murmur. "I studied classical Kalosian swordsmanship for a few years as a teenager myself. I wish my teacher had given me a handcrafted sword custom-made for me afterward.

"So, honestly, I love that. It'd be an honor to let you learn your skills from me for such an admirable and frankly awesome end." The red-haired smith grinned up at him.

Then Aurelie cleared her throat and held up her hand to count off her points on the upraised fingers. "But...first of all, classically, a swordsmith isn't made overnight. Traditionally, you have to undergo five years of apprenticeship to a master and complete a weeklong certification test to be recognized as a swordsmith. Of course, these days it's not nearly so strict, but..."

She shook her head and shrugged. "It's still not an easy road to take. Just as you can't learn elite swordplay overnight, you wouldn't learn the many skills involved in blacksmithing and bladesmithing for months, certainly, and perhaps years. If you're expecting to be able to craft your students' swords by yourself anytime soon, then I'm not the right person for you to learn from or shadow.

"However..." Aurelie paused for a moment. "I am willing to teach you and then to help you craft swords for your students. That way, they will still have the personal touch and knowledge that you bring, but also...well..." She smiled briefly and continued, "The benefit of my experience and expertise."

Before he could seize upon that opportunity, though, Aurelie then cleared her throat again. "Now, that would be if you were willing to craft these swords from familiar, conventional steel alloys. But...you mentioned you wanted to use these ores." She nodded toward the rift ore in the man's hand.

"With that added requirement-slash-complication, even if I were helping you, there's still no way this would happen quickly or soon." The red-haired smith shook her head firmly. "I extensively test every new normal alloy I encounter and research its properties before I ever use it on my forge. I need to know as much about its material properties as I can so I feel safe using it. And for those ores..."

Crossing her arms, Aurelie shook her head again. "For those ores, there would be very little verifiable information to find. They're very new to Hoenn, they're difficult and dangerous to get, and they're too valuable and rare to experiment with easily. I would want to spend weeks, if not months, just testing and analyzing a sample of those ores before I'd ever feel confident working with it or making things with it the way I could do with everyday steel."

After all that talking, Aurelie reached for the bottle of water she'd been carrying with her and took a long swig to soothe her dry throat. She let out a sigh and tilted her head pensively at the blond man. "So, if you're all right with none of your proposed projects being completed anytime soon, then I'm fine with taking you on as an apprentice. If you're ready for this to take years, the same way it would take years to train a novice swordsman to a master, then I'm ready too.

"As for my payment for this extra service..." At this point, the red-haired smith averted her one-eyed gaze for a moment almost shyly, and her posture softened, losing some of its sternness and authority. "Like I said, I used to study swordsmanship myself a long time ago. It's been a while, and I've been thinking about taking it back up again sometime.

"So..." Aurelie lifted her head back up to meet his eyes and gave a faint, almost wistful smile. "What do you say to an exchange of learning? Do you have room for another new student yourself?"

[attr="class","aurelie_tag"]

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

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played by

Epic BugCatcher

009

He, him, his

March 31

Freezington, Galar

Irrelevant.

Mossdeep Police

Gym Leader

196 cm (6' 5") / 119 kg (262 lbs) height

Was doing swords and shields before it was cool.

awards

1,526 posts

DOLLARS

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TAG WITH @gwyar

POSTED ON Jun 18, 2023 15:55:30 GMT

Smith

Mission: Hammer Away, ft. Aurelie Lefevre

He smiled and nodded and hummed and tapped at his chin, and did all such things that marked that he was paying rapt attention. It was an important and lengthy conversation, and he knew it best to let the smith made herself understood. He

A classically trained smith with experience in swordsmanship. A uniquely talented craftswoman with a discerning eye and an adventurous streak, as her knowledge had demonstrated.

It was clear that this was his ideal teacher. But even a superb mentor could not avoid a few realities.

As with all crafts, training a smith took its time— perhaps more than he would've been willing to wait. Mercifully, she had an alternative solution, should it come to that.

As for the ore, however... that, too, came with its own caveats.

Ultimately, if he was willing to accept the realities... then he had his teacher.

And all for the prize of... teaching swordsmanship?

He smiled at the now shy young lady, offering hand towards her, smiling brightly.

"I would say that I'm getting a steal here." He said with a laugh. "I am always looking for promising students!"

Should she grasp it, his hand would shake hers firmly.

"I understand and accept your conditions, Madam." He said. "Thank you for listening to my eccentric requests. Please— do not go easy on me."

He grinned.

"I certainly will not go easy on you."

Gwyar was strict to his direct students.

Mission

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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

1,250 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON Jun 23, 2023 2:30:14 GMT

Gwyar Wledig likes this

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]CRAFTSMANSHIP ISN'T ABOUT MEETING EXPECTATIONS,
BUT EXCEEDING THEM.

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]After talking so much all at once, laying out her points and conditions and then expressing her interest in swordsmanship classes, Aurelie took another long drink of water. Making speeches like that was thirsty work! At least, this one apparently hadn't gone to waste, judging from the attentive expression of the tall blond man nodding respectfully along with her words.

At the end of it all, his bright smile came as a relief to her.

"A steal?" Aurelie echoed him, unable to keep from smiling in return. "Well, don't forget I'll still be charging you for actually crafting the things that you want to be crafted." She gestured toward the scroll in his hand and took another sip of water.

"The swordsmanship classes are just in exchange for the training," she added, "just to be clear. It probably is clear, but..." She grinned. "Your comment about it being a steal makes me wonder if I should've demanded you fight a dragon and bring me its scales or something like that."

But when he offered his hand, the red-haired smith unhesitatingly reached out and took it in her own, her callus-roughened hand dwarfed by his. They shook on it. Feeling obscurely like it was an appropriate gesture for the occasion, Aurelie bowed slightly in acknowledgement.

"It'll be an honor to help make swords for you and your students," she said solemnly, her smile softening, "and to experiment with the sample of ore you brought. Thanks for understanding about the length of time the whole process could take and being patient—instead of wanting to take shortcuts or skip to the ending somehow."

The corner of her single uncovered eye crinkled as she gave a wry chuckle. "And I look forward to trading my knowledge for yours, no matter how easy or difficult the process may be for either of us. I have a feeling you'll be a much better teacher than I will be, so I'll try to be at least a fairly reasonable student."

As long as he didn't believe in something like corporal punishment or being a bully to his students... But somehow, she doubted that would be the case. Someone who cared so much about making a thoughtful and meaningful parting gift for his students wouldn't be the type of person who'd turn around and pick on them.

Aurelie took another drink of water, finishing up the rest of the bottle, and looked about herself for a moment. "Would you care to see my workshop?" she offered. "If becoming a smith interests you so much, then I figure you might like to become familiar with what sort of tools and environment you'd be working in.

"Not that it's very complicated," she hastened to add, "or probably very different from what you'd expect or have already seen before. But you might find it interesting just to see and think about."

[attr="class","aurelie_tag"]

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

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played by

Epic BugCatcher

009

He, him, his

March 31

Freezington, Galar

Irrelevant.

Mossdeep Police

Gym Leader

196 cm (6' 5") / 119 kg (262 lbs) height

Was doing swords and shields before it was cool.

awards

1,526 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @gwyar

POSTED ON Jun 30, 2023 21:13:55 GMT

Smith

Mission: Hammer Away, ft. Aurelie Lefevre

"Oh, do you mean like a quest?" The man interjected at the mention of dragons and scales. "That sounds fun."

He was in a grand mood. It wasn't every day hat one managed to strike such a great deal.

"No need to doubt yourself, Ms. Lefrevre." He said with a smile. "Those who truly grasp their own skills are able of passing them on to others. I trust your abilities, and so should you."

There was much one could learn about becoming a better teacher, but he trusted her knowledge of her craft. He could see the results of her years of hardwork all around him, in the way she carried herself— and indeed, in the way she had flawlessly passed his little tests.

"I would be honored!" He said with a grin at her offer.

It might well become a space he spent a lot of time in within the next several months.

"I'm actually rather excited to see it." He confessed, chuckling as moved to follow her with a smile. "I've been in a few forges before. The smiths in Freezington all gave their workspaces their personal touch."

He was curious to see what Aurelie's looked like.

Mission

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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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TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON Jul 4, 2023 2:59:38 GMT

Gwyar Wledig likes this

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]CRAFTSMANSHIP ISN'T ABOUT MEETING EXPECTATIONS,
BUT EXCEEDING THEM.

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]"I suppose I should've guessed you'd actually leap at the idea of undertaking a heroic quest, Mr. Knight," Aurelie commented wryly when the man seemed delighted by the idea of fighting a dragon to get its scales. She grinned back at him, her single eye twinkling with amusement.

"Well, next time I'll find a lion's den that I can throw my glove into or demand you bring me the Philosopher's Stone as payment. I'd be happy to play the Merlin role with such a gallant Galahad!" she remarked mischievously.

When he enthusiastically accepted her offer to look around her workshop, Aurelie beamed with genuine pleasure. She'd had a few clients and friends occasionally visit the space before, but she never wearied of showing off the machines, tools, and supplies that had taken her so much time and effort to acquire. She beckoned for the blond knight to follow her toward the workshop door.

"It's my honor as well to show you my forge, humble though it is," she assured him, standing up very straight and proud. "I don't know about having a personal touch, but I suppose every forge is personal, isn't it? It's definitely where everything happens for a smith—the beating heart of their business and livelihood."

Opening the door, the red-haired smith ushered him inside. The forge beyond was a spacious, high-ceilinged room with large windows along one wall that let in the bright sunlight, as well as fans and ventilation apertures throughout. Aprons, safety goggles, leather gloves, and other protective gear hung from hooks on the door and wall, and a fire extinguisher and medical kit lay just inside.

Aurelie led him straight toward the power hammer, the crown jewel of her forge machines. "This is my Mighty Maroon power hammer, specifically the 250 MAX model," she explained. "An incredible tool for any metalsmith! It can achieve up to 200 strokes per minute and can accommodate metal billets up to three feet long. Even with an ancient art like smithing, there's always amazing new technology to make things easier and faster."

She then pointed out the hydraulic press nearby, used for pressing heated metals into a flattened shape for blade-making. Then she led him back toward the center of the room, where a pair of propane forges alternated with sturdy, heavy anvils. Tall quenching tanks stood next to the tables that held each forge, redolent of vegetable oil.

"These propane forges are much more efficient and powerful than coal forges, which also create more smoke and produce uneven heat that can scorch your metal," she explained. She picked up the tongs, glancing over toward the wall where a set of them hung on hooks. "So, even though coal forges are more classical and traditional, I don't favor them for anything that doesn't need to be completely historically accurate."

Hanging up the tongs, Aurelie then pointed out the row of belt grinders on a worktable. On the largest grinder, the gleaming form of her Klinklang winked at them, its turning gears quiescent for the moment. "These let you grind and polish the blade, as well as shape the bevels and edge into the precise geometry you're aiming for."

Finally, Aurelie showed him her shelves and cabinets containing handle materials, ranging from different types of wood to colorful synthetic materials and even bone and ivory, and the pantry that held an array of steel alloys, from stainless to various high-carbon or even powder metallurgy products. She seemed almost equally as proud of the variety and amount of metal she had on hand as she had been of the power hammer. But then, what was a metalsmith without metal to work with?

"And of course, the humblest tools of the trade," Aurelie said at last, nodding toward the rest of the hand tools hanging on the wall. "Hammers, tongs, chisels, mallets, punches, drifts, and so on. This hammer's my favorite," she added fondly, picking up a well-worn and lovingly maintained hammer from the very first hook.

"It was a gift from my father," she explained in a soft voice, "when I turned 20. It was to mark the tenth anniversary of when I first started studying forging and smithing." A shadow briefly crossed her features, before she pressed her lips tightly together and returned the hammer back to its hook with an affectionate little pat of the grip.

Then the red-haired smith looked back toward the blond knight, her expression once more smooth and friendly. "Any questions so far? I suppose you must be pretty familiar with all this equipment already, if you already have visited your fair share of forges. But if you are curious about anything, this is a good time to ask!"

[attr="class","aurelie_tag"]

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

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played by

Epic BugCatcher

009

He, him, his

March 31

Freezington, Galar

Irrelevant.

Mossdeep Police

Gym Leader

196 cm (6' 5") / 119 kg (262 lbs) height

Was doing swords and shields before it was cool.

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1,526 posts

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TAG WITH @gwyar

POSTED ON Jul 29, 2023 22:59:12 GMT

Smith

Mission: Hammer Away, ft. Aurelie Lefevre

"No, I cannot say I am!" Gwyar interceded with a laugh, staring at the woman's cutting edge equipment with a measure of wonderment. "I saw some of these from afar— 'tis my first time standing so close, however."

The man's gaze traveled up the length of the equipment, each machine getting an intense look. It... wasn't exactly what he expected, yet, he felt foolish for not doing so.

Of course the smithing profession had continued to advance over the centuries. Just because the master smiths of Freezington stubbornly stuck to the old methods, it did not mean that human ingenuity had not designed a better way.

Yet... his gaze drifted back to the woman's hammer, and the rest of her most essential and humble of tools. There was an undeniable charm (to him at least) in these, and in the work that was performed with them. A tool made for smashing steel into shape should show its wear and tear— yet, hears was almost immaculately cared for

"I think it might be my favorite tool as well." The man said sheepishly, before shaking his head.

"Will I need to worry about mastering all this cutting edge tech any time soon?" The man asked as he brought his gaze back to his master. "... No, I'm guessing I'll be learning the 'traditional' methods for a while before that?"

He hoped so. He kinda still wanted to do it the old fashion way.

He clapped his hands, smiling.

"I suppose the only real question I have is— When do we start?"

Mission

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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

1,250 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @aurelie

POSTED ON Aug 1, 2023 21:14:47 GMT

Gwyar Wledig likes this

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]CRAFTSMANSHIP ISN'T ABOUT MEETING EXPECTATIONS,
BUT EXCEEDING THEM.

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Aurelie couldn't help but smile as she listened to the blond man's questions and comments, appreciating his evident appreciation of her equipment and tools of the trade. The red-haired smith noted that while he certainly looked impressed, he didn't look daunted or intimidated. Nor did he act like he openly favored either the high-tech tools over the low-tech ones, or vice versa, which pleased her.

"I'm glad to have introduced you to some new ideas and apparatus!" she responded cheerfully, her single eye bright and lively with undisguised enjoyment. Standing tall and proud, moving between the equipment with ease, she looked quite in her element inside the workshop.

When he asked if he'd need to master any of this "cutting edge tech", Aurelie tilted her head quizzically and stared hard at him, uncertain if he was just joking or not. They'd only just met, after all, and his deep voice and calm features seemed unchanged and sincere. But still...cutting-edge? Propane forges, electric power hammers, and hydraulic presses had been around for many decades.

On the other hand, he did walk in here in a partial suit of armor holding a scroll in his hand, Aurelie thought. Maybe he really is just living that much in the past.

For simplicity's sake, Aurelie decided to just take him at his word. "It's not too terribly cutting-edge," she chuckled. "But yes, I think it might be easier to grasp not only the how but also the why of the smithing process if we use the traditional, old-fashioned methods first. Once you're skilled with the basic fundamentals, then it'd probably make sense to transition to the newer technology so you can appreciate how much time and effort it saves."

When he asked when he'd start, Aurelie swallowed. It was hard to fathom that she was doing this—not just helping him make swords, but teaching him to make more, considering he was very clearly not part of Rocket and in fact, helping Elite Four and League Champions learn swordplay. It felt uncomfortably like arming the adversary, even if indirectly and even though Rocket had never said she couldn't craft weapons for the League. And yet...

He wants to learn from me, and I want to learn from him, she thought. And I want to teach him to do it right. Who knows what he'd learn if he went elsewhere? And with that ore of his too.

Maybe if he made a better warrior of her, then she could feel confident enough to get involved in more Rocket business. Perhaps in a way, he too was arming the adversary. And besides, how much did all of that matter when so much knowledge was involved?

She cleared her throat. "We can start tomo— Oh, wait, I'm pretty well booked up tomorrow. Let's start next Monday. We can start planning and constructing the simplest sword design that you have planned. And then after that..." She gave a sharp-toothed little grin. "Then maybe you can teach me how to use it properly."

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