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POSTED ON Jul 25, 2024 5:03:42 GMT

The mess hall was a crypt, with hardly a soul within. Whether that was due to the elusive appearance of the presumed dead Admin Fox or the royal presence of Aurelie, the archaeologist did not know. Maybe she was picking something up from Calyrex, because she conducted herself with purpose and authority Howard had rarely seen in her.

It was awe-inspiring, to an extent.

"..." The admin twirled a streak of white hair between his fingers as he stared at the table. The white hair was distinct, hard to hide, and clashed with Howard's naturally darker hair. A lasting memory of travel between worlds. "Aurelie."

The much-anticipated plate of beef bourguignon with carrots, leeks, and the elusive red wine sauce stared back at him. The mashed potatoes quickly followed, and whatever else came from the culinary redhead that darted around like a bolt of lightning.

A fork danced in his hand, before getting caught between his ring and index finger and clattering to the table.

"You don't think this is a bit much?" He shrank slightly. "A bit overboard, even?"

Aurelie Lefevre

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dreamflower

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December 12

Anistar City, Kalos

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POSTED ON Jul 28, 2024 6:01:18 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]A song of ice and fire

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Aurelie surveyed the plates of beef bourguignon with dissatisfaction. All she'd had to work with in the mess hall were cubed beef, frozen vegetables, and cheap pinot noir hastily bought from a Sootopolis corner grocery store, along with bacon and some staples she found in the mess hall's pantry. The resulting stew was a simpler, less flavorful version than her preferred recipe, which took over three hours from start to finish.

In three hours, though, Howard looked like he might just keel over from starvation. In those conditions, she was willing to compromise. He honestly seemed stunned that she'd demanded he eat at all.

I guess he's never seen me when I get...assertive in the kitchen. Or the forge, Aurelie reflected. She and her family always believed that the smith was the ultimate authority in their workshop, higher than presidents and kings, second only to Arceus. A chef in their kitchen was no different.

"What do you mean, 'too much'?" she asked, sliding Howard's plate of stew, garlic mashed potatoes, and buttered toast toward him and arching an eyebrow significantly. "It's not like people stop needing food because of impending war.

"It's not even as much as promised. I keep forgetting I'm not home in my own kitchen," she grumbled, frowning discontentedly. "But after days of fluids and hospital food, I figure this'll be an improvement for you, even if it's not as good as I usually make."

She sighed and crossed her arms, staring unabashedly at Howard. He wasn't the first admin she'd felt concerned or sympathetic for, of course. Yet, he was the first she felt afraid for rather than of.

I...want to help him, she slowly realized, the revelation like a slow-building ocean wave breaking over the outer shoals of her consciousness. He doesn't just feel like a superior. He's almost like an equal. Or even...a friend.

It was an uncomfortable thought. She didn't like how much she was starting to like his company. He'll end up hurting you just like Isaac did. Just like your brother did. They always do. And you'll always know you weren't good enough, smart enough, strong enough, brave enough. You just weren't enough.

Aloud, to silence the melancholy inner voices, Aurelie asked gently, "How are you, Admin Slayte? I'd almost believe the Megalopolans threw you in an even worse prison with even angrier Fezandipitis and Ogerpons than last time, and no mochi. And Doug getting smashed for real right in front of you too."

[attr="class","aurelie_tag"]

An observer of eons cannot feel the warmth of another.

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

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Admin Fox

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Rustboro City

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POSTED ON Jul 28, 2024 6:32:01 GMT

In three hours, the League could've laid siege to Sootopolis, knocked out its walls, and gotten the submarine on a parking violation. It was for the best that Aurelie had compromised, lest the city fall in the time that it took for her stew to begin simmering.

"Yeah, but I pay for the food. Most of it, anyway. We smuggle or fish in the rest. Keeping the city fed is a pain in the ass." Howard's gaze grew distant as he began thinking of all the numbers and figures required. He was not an affluent CEO nor the heiress to a dead husband's fortune. He had simply seen both sides of wealth and destitution. "Soldiers eat a lot, Aurelie. Armies don't march on empty stomachs."

It seemed like a saying the smith would prefer. Full stomachs made people more accommodating, more joyful. In a city eternally under siege, ensuring that Rocket never starved was a high priority.

It also happened to be a very expensive one. He picked up his spoon dutifully and looked up at Aurelie. She arched her eyebrow and he looked down at his bowl.

When had he last had solid food? Shred's modest soups weren't exactly fulfilling. Hospital meals barely counted. Aurelie could run circles around them, even if Sootopolis's hospital had pulled out all the stops for Admin Fox.

"Thanks." The spoon rose to his mouth and he visibly sighed upon tasting it. This was not her best dish, but attention and care had gone into it. This had been made by one of Rocket's few creators, an enigma in a sea of masked destroyers. "You spoil me."

SHE'LL ABANDON YOU WHEN SHE ASKS.

His eye twitched. Screaming monkeys and smashed Gigaton Balls danced in the foreground of his bind while an island burned in the background. Velmos dead on the ground. Three months spent in another prison composed entirely out of crystals in a Galar he shouldn't have seen.

Stop caring. Let go.

She was too kind. Her empathy was undeserved. A smith was the queen of her own forge, a chef was the god of their kitchen, and an archaeologist was the god of their own tomb.

"Terrible. War is coming." He thumped his head against the table. "How much do you know?"

Word of Dewford's destruction had traveled a long way.

Aurelie Lefevre

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dreamflower

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December 12

Anistar City, Kalos

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POSTED ON Jul 29, 2024 22:08:51 GMT

howard slayte likes this

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]A song of ice and fire

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Aurelie smiled faintly at the admin's assertions about everything he did to keep the city fed, a smile that grew wider only when he himself finally gave in and ate a little as well. Only then did she sample the stew herself. To her mild surprise, it was rather tasty, even if it didn't have the depth of flavor she was used to and the beef wasn't fall-off-the-bone tender.

"Wait, you pay for all of Sootopolis' food bill? Out of your own pocket? For the entire city?" She whistled tonelessly, looking startled and impressed. "I always thought the money came from Rocket's coffers, not from any individual person.

"And I admit, I always thought you were more managing the finances and accounts of Rocket, like, well, like an accountant. Which I always figured was a huge job on its own." The redhead winced, thinking of how much she'd had to teach herself and learn on the job when bills and payments started flowing through her own shop.

At least, Remiel made more sense in the admin role now. Howard...still didn't, at least to her. But then, when had Aurelie ever understood what machinations the Rocket leadership had in mind?

They ate together for a little while in companionable quiet, with the admin offering a few polite words of thanks and praise. As she replied aloud, it was always a pleasure to cook for those who appreciated good food. And who doesn't scare the hell out of me, she added internally.

Though Aurelie wondered if that would change when he too inevitably grew stronger, more cunning, and more embittered by the things he'd seen and the lot he'd drawn in life.

At his question, though, she burst out laughing. "Ha! Please! You give me too much credit, How- Admin Slayte. You can always assume I usually don't know anything, especially about current events.

"But in this case, I really don't know." She set down her spoon for a moment to cup her cheek in her hand and sigh deeply. "I've been cloistered in that Sootopolis warehouse for weeks finishing up Calyrex's sword. If the rest of the world blew up while I was working, I wouldn't have known."

Picking up her spoon again, the redhead hesitated for a moment. Leaning back in her chair, she smiled weakly. "So, enlighten me. Teach me, like you're used to doing. What happened to you in Dewford? What did they do to you there?"

Already, Aurelie assumed that Howard was merely victim and not aggressor. Or culprit.

[attr="class","aurelie_tag"]

An observer of eons cannot feel the warmth of another.

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

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Admin Fox

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Rustboro City

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POSTED ON Aug 2, 2024 9:32:00 GMT

Remiel Calcifet likes this

"Not out of pocket. I only have like... what? Seven dollars in my checking account right now?" He swallowed another bite, his hand trembling as he did so. "Money gets pushed around a lot. My smuggling routes, my ships, my supplies. Money moves from hand to hand, and the world gets fed along the way."

Money did not do much if it stayed in one place gathering dust. It had to be used in order to reach its maximum efficiency. Despite his affluence, Remiel Calcifet had understood that. It was why he placed so much importance in controlling Slateport's docks.

Too many people in Rocket had been born into riches. Many had become blind to the workings of economics, even if the average working-class smith did not.

Yet that was the cost of life. The circumstances of existence guided them all. Just as certain members were guided to affluence and leadership by wealthy upbringings, there were cogs that ensured that everything kept running smoothly. Out of sight, out of mind.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Stop thinking about it. Focus on the meal. The silence was comfortable. Familiar. It was simply two people sharing a meal. Two associates. Two coworkers. Two colleagues. Two friends. It was an enjoyable moment of normalcy that was often missing in a region teetering on war.

Until Dewford was mentioned.

Damn.

"It's not what they did to me. They didn't do anything to me." If anything, he was touched that Aurelie had taken his side on something she knew little about. It was about what they had done to him, not the other way around. If she knew...

Dammit.

He was betraying the purest form of trust. The only way to ensure that trust was maintained was to lie, and yet...

Never again.

"It's what I did to them." Kyle had died. Navy had shut down, turning to his work rather than his city. The archaeologist had been left alone to solve the crisis with Eternatus, and in his folly... "You don't understand, Aurelie..."

He was on the verge of tears as he looked up at her.

"It was me."

Aurelie Lefevre

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dreamflower

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December 12

Anistar City, Kalos

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POSTED ON Aug 6, 2024 21:07:11 GMT

howard slayte likes this

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]A song of ice and fire

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Given her simplistic understanding of how to earn money—you created something or performed a service that was needed, and you got paid—Aurelie gaped as she listened to Howard briefly describe his methods of building wealth. For her, investing in stocks or bonds felt advanced and sophisticated. She couldn't even fathom the subtle, intricate work he did to enrich Rocket and feed Sootopolis.

With the mellow, buttery taste of garlic mashed potatoes in her mouth, though, the redhead certainly appreciated all his hard work. Better him than me, she thought, not for the first time. Nor was it the first time she thought, Rocket's lucky to have him.

Even if he's not lucky to have us.

At the change in Howard's face when she mentioned Dewford, the way his expression fell, she drew a sharp, hissing breath. Without thinking, she blurted out, "I can't imagine no one did anything to you, when you look like...like you aged 50 years and fist-fought Groudon with your bare hands."

But he claimed it was all him. All that damage, all that fallout. Aurelie stared at him and, with care, set her fork quietly on the table beside her empty bowl.

"I clearly missed out on quite a lot by not keeping up with the news," she sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Can you start from the beginning? Why were you there? What was even in Dewford that made you want to visit?"

The only time she'd ever stayed in the vicinity for longer than a quick delivery was to explore and fight at the resurfaced island last autumn. In her mind, Aurelie rapidly sifted through what little she knew about the town itself. It took her a moment to even remember the Granite Cave, let alone what it held.

"Were you there for the Ultra Deep Sea?" she exclaimed in dismay, her eye widening. "Considering I know you're interested in Eternatus..."

They'd talked about its power and peril, and its connection to the Wishing Stars and Dynergy before, after all. Well, he'd talked and she'd learned. Was Howard there to learn even more? the redhead wondered. Or did he go there for something crazy and stupid and it all blew up in his face?

"Please tell me. I hate knowing that I don't know something this important. And if you've suddenly become as powerful and terrifying as Zev or Cillian, I want to know that too."

[attr="class","aurelie_tag"]

An observer of eons cannot feel the warmth of another.

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

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Admin Fox

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May 9th

Rustboro City

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POSTED ON Aug 7, 2024 9:37:23 GMT

At being compared to the Harbinger or the Devourer, the admin reeled back like he had been slapped. The War General's name did not even register. When it fell from her lips, Howard's mind censored it. All he heard was ■■■. Whenever he heard that man's name, Howard wanted to cry.

Being compared to him made his heart hurt. ■■■ would not have blinked before turning Dewford into ash.

He would've relished in it.

"Not them. Never them. I'm just... me." He gestured at himself awkwardly. When he looked down, he expected to see himself cloaked in shadow or covered in crystal. Instead, he saw flesh and bones. He was Howard Slayte. He was Howard Slayte. "That's all I'll ever be."

Aurelie sat in front of him. Not a monster or a shade or a Dynamaxed Pokémon. The distant sounds of Dynamax rang out in his mind. The thuds of earth shaking filled the dining hall. Howard squeezed his eye shut.

The sound abated. When he opened his eye, Aurelie was still sitting there. Not a dream, perfectly real. She was real. He was alive.

"The only person in the world who wanted to beat Eternatus needed my help. I stabbed him in the back for his ineptitude." The words felt like lead. He could not pity himself for betraying Navy in his most desperate hour, but that didn't mean he deserved atonement. "So I tried to kill Eternatus. I tried to stab it in the heart and I twisted until the blade shattered."

A sigh followed and Howard locked eyes with the redhead. His gaze was flecked with red and magenta, memories of Eternatus.

"And I fell into a dream. When I woke from it, Dewford was gone."

Aurelie Lefevre

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December 12

Anistar City, Kalos

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POSTED ON Aug 11, 2024 4:33:18 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]A song of ice and fire

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]At the sudden, stricken look on Howard's already-ravaged face when she named the two Rocket leaders that she considered the most fearsome, Aurelie unthinkingly reached out to cover his hand with hers, comfortingly. She shook her head rapidly in apologetic protest.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say you'd be like them like them. Not truly, not in your heart." She smiled weakly. "You could never be like them. And they could never be like you.

"I was just wondering if you'd become as strong as they are. They're the ones that I could easily imagine single-handedly decimating a city. That's all I meant."

Only then did Aurelie realize that she was touching him. Again. Her face flooding with color, she hastily snatched her hand back, not even sure if her gesture had even had the intended effect. "Sorry! Again. I'm...I'm just a very, uh, tactile person. Sorry about that."

She lapsed into mortified silence for a moment, unable to summon the courage to cheekily point out that Howard hadn't really told her much of anything. Instead, Aurelie shook her head again, this time in confusion. She ran her other hand through her hair, rumpling it irritably.

"I don't understand," the redhead said finally. "The only person in the world who wanted to beat Eternatus? That doesn't make any sense. Was he the only person in the world who wanted to beat it and was strong enough to do it, and then you backstabbed him?

"Who was he, even? A friend? An enemy? A stranger?" she persisted. "There's no way the situation was anywhere near as straightforward and simple as you make it sound."

Then, Aurelie sighed and held up a hand to forestall him from actually answering. Her voice was quiet and intent as she continued, "No, no, never mind that right now. Can you start from the very beginning? Like in a history textbook or a travelogue or something?"

She chuckled pensively. "'On the first of July, a brave and adventurous Howard Slayte set out into the Granite Cave. He had but one mission in mind: to defeat the venomous, skeletal dragon monster lurking within.' You know? Something like that."

It was the only way she could think of to really understand what had happened, and why. As usual, there was just too much that Aurelie was unaware of and ignorant about. She could only hope that Howard's patience would be equal to this.

As a potential enticement, the redhead offered with a feeble chuckle, "I promise, there won't be any more questions or demands from me after this. I'll leave you alone, if that's what you want. I promise."

[attr="class","aurelie_tag"]

An observer of eons cannot feel the warmth of another.

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

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Admin Fox

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May 9th

Rustboro City

Bisexual

Archaeologist

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The future will tempt you, the present will indulge you, but the past will shackle you.

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POSTED ON Aug 11, 2024 9:20:01 GMT

His hand threatened to recoil. It twitched like a beaten dog afraid of being struck again. Bryan had almost crushed him. The Devourer had threatened him. Barnaby had locked a memory somewhere within his mind, only to remind him of his failures when the Infernal had visited in the dead of night.

To be touched was to accept pain. Yet Aurelie did not strike him like she did an unforged sword. It was a comforting caress. When she retreated, the admin almost reached out again, as if to savor the moment.

He buried that.

"You're fine. Don't worry." He thanked her with a murmur. Thanks for believing in me."

As Aurelie restated her query, Howard stared into the distance. He stared past her concerned, curious face and into the battlefield of another world. It did not take long for the rhythmic thuds to ring in his mind again. How could he articulate this to him

"He is my best friend and my greatest enemy, and we are to kill each other if he ever sees me again." The words almost made him want to cry, but that was an emotion he buried too. It was unbecoming of his position to break down. Aurelie wanted the truth, and it was his obligation to provide it at any expense. "I can't blame him. As for the textbook..."

A small chuckle at Aurelie's request escaped his lips. It was a rare smile, reserved for moments of enjoyment in this darkest hour. He steepled his fingers.

Near the end of May, I took a group of grunts to Dewford to stall the police department there while I went into the Ultra Deep Sea. Regice had been running low on power for a while now, and I needed to enhance its capabilities with a Wishing Star from Eternatus. I couldn't find one of good quality outside the Deep Sea, so I went in to seize one."

Against his better judgement. Against his oath to Navy. He could mention the death of Kyle breaking the Elite Four into rubble. He could mention the Gym Leader that he found untrustworthy. Yet to slander the people of Dewford and blame them was unbecoming.

Dishonest.

"I fought him, he almost won, and all seemed lost." Howard's expression turned contemplative. "A dog carrying a blade appeared to face me. I put the Wishing Star into Regice, and then..."

If only Calyrex were here.

"...that dream of Galar. I fell into it with him."

Aurelie Lefevre

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dreamflower

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December 12

Anistar City, Kalos

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POSTED ON Aug 13, 2024 22:50:22 GMT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]A song of ice and fire

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]At Howard's surprising reassurance over the unintended hand touching, she blinked and then breathed a surreptitious sigh of relief. To be fair, he hadn't been angry at her over the cheek kiss either, let alone sought retribution. The last thing Aurelie needed, though, was an accusation of sexually harassing an admin, of all people.

After all, it wasn't like Rocket exactly had a friendly HR department. No, they just had a few leaders who could probably get particularly painfully imaginative with punishments. Some of them might even use her own knives to mete them out!

Hastily, Aurelie pulled her thoughts from gruesome visions of being eviscerated with a pen knife, back to what the admin was saying. Her eye widened at Howard's description of the man who'd been with him in Dewford.

"That's so...dramatic," she murmured. "Your best friend and your greatest enemy? It's like something from a movie.

"Well, if you ever have your dramatic final duel in the rain..." She'd been thinking to conclude with a jesting, Then give me a call ahead of time so I can make katanas and samurai armor for both of you for the occasion. But she faltered when she saw how deadly serious Howard was.

"...I hope you're the one who survives," Aurelie finished instead, lamely but sincerely. And she resolved not to try to bring humor into this conversation again.

Instead, she gasped at Howard's adventures obtaining a Wishing Star from Eternatus and facing a dog with a blade. Zacian? she thought in wonder. Of course it was! It clearly hadn't allied with Howard, so then it must have been helping his friend-slash-enemy, though...

And then the dream of Galar. By this point, Aurelie felt like she was numb to shock. How the dream had happened the first time, she still had no idea. So, who was she to question that a new dream would arise from the clash of Zacian and Regice?

"I'm impressed you—along with Regice—already managed to survive against your friend and Zacian," she mused. "But...I didn't expect that was the dream you fell into. I thought you meant you fell into a coma or something.

"So... What did you dream of?" She leaned forward, all her attention focused keenly on him. "Did you go to a strange poisoned Galarian city too, like Ballonlea or Motostoke? Did you become a king and then defend your kingdom against Gigantamaxed Pokemon?"

A frown creased her brows then, a faint line appearing between them. "And...was your friend there too? Did you fight each other in the dream too? Or did you make up?" It seemed a foolish hope, if they were now sworn to kill each other in real life, but she still hoped it had happened, for Howard's sake.

[attr="class","aurelie_tag"]

An observer of eons cannot feel the warmth of another.

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

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Admin Fox

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Rustboro City

Bisexual

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The future will tempt you, the present will indulge you, but the past will shackle you.

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POSTED ON Aug 14, 2024 22:36:51 GMT

He and Navy could never make up. They had simply agreed to a ceasefire until Eternatus was dead and its corpse lay unmoving in the dimension it called home. In regards to the war, they were foes. Navy would try to kill Howard and he would try to kill Navy. Their war would not end.

Not until one of them was dead.

FAILURE. FAILURE. FAILURE.

"No, but he won't kill me. Not yet. Too much to do, too many things getting in the way. He'll get his pound of flesh when the time is right, but not a moment before."

He locked eyes with Aurelie, feeling ashamed. It had all been for nothing. She had forged thousands of things with purpose, and he had thrown away months of good living for Rocket and ego.

Even if Navy had erred. Even if his successor was unreliable.

He had thrown it away for nothing.

"No, nothing like that. By the time I got there, all of you were gone. It was like I joined in the epilogue, when the main cast has left the stage, and the region was poorer for your departure. I made it back, though." A weak smile flickered across his lips. "It was the best three months of my life."

There had been no Rocket. No League. Just a purpose, and a long journey with Zacian and a band of Pokémon. He had killed Elisabeth. He had killed Penelope. He had killed Jayden. Finally, he had killed Ting-Lu's chosen: himself.

Fear had not ruled him since. He was not its slave.

"...I hope you're the one who survives."

His spoon clattered against the plate. A clear noise that cut through the conversation like a bell. Aurelie was wrong. She was wrong. This moment did not deserve this. This moment of peace, this food she prepared. Someone better deserved it.

Why was she kind? Why did she care?

FAILURE. FAILURE. FAILURE.

"Aurelie." His voice was small. He looked up at her. "Remember what you said back in my office a few months ago?"

He trembled.

"I could really use that hug you promised right now."

Aurelie Lefevre

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dreamflower

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December 12

Anistar City, Kalos

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Blacksmith, bladesmith

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A keen mind cuts deeper than even the sharpest sword.

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POSTED ON Aug 15, 2024 23:21:21 GMT

howard slayte likes this

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]A song of ice and fire

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Despite the conversation in his office happening back in spring, Aurelie could still remember it like it was yesterday. It was the first time she ever visited his office or cooked for him, and she'd learned much that she didn't know about Calyrex, Eternatus, and the power of stories in general. By the end of it, she'd impulsively offered to give him a hug as meager comfort for all the wrongs he'd suffered.

When Howard brought up needing that hug now, the redhead's face crumpled, and her heart stung. They hadn't even known each other a year ago, they were as much work colleagues as allies or friends, and yet, there was still no way Aurelie would say no. He just looked so...lost. So forlorn.

She didn't even need to think about it, let alone say a word. She just rose to her feet, walked over to Howard with a single stride, and bent down beside his chair. She slid her arms around him and held him nestled against her, tears springing to her eye.

As Aurelie had expected, he felt as weightless and frail to the touch as a small child or a very old man. She rested her forehead against his shoulder, as lightly as if his bones had turned to glass. I know I promised not to do this again, but he asked me, she reflected. Well, sort of. But he did!

Only then did she think back to his answers to her many questions. In a low voice, she mused, "I'm glad you loved that time in Galar. I know many others did too. Another chance, the possibility of a different life, a world without factions terrorizing and tormenting each other?

"I still miss it too, sometimes, even though I don't remember it so well anymore." Her voice caught, and more tears threatened to spill. Closing her eye, she murmured, "Maybe you should've stayed in there and kept dreaming. I'm sorry you had to wake up to...this."

I should let go now, Aurelie thought. Hugs get awkward if they go on too long. But she didn't. Her heart hurt, from the vulnerability he'd dared show her and from her own doubts and fears about the war looming over them. And she didn't want him to see her cry because of those things.

I should ask what happened after he awoke from the dream, she thought next. She'd come here and cooked dinner for him expressly to interrogate him in her own way, after all. But she'd already asked so much, and he'd given her what he could, even though it clearly cost him something to say all these things.

I should never offer to cook for anyone else in Rocket ever again. Clearly, it only ever ends in tears. She thought of Isaac, who'd not only praised her food but also helped her prepare it. But she knew she'd still probably keep using her food as a bribe, as a bridge, and as a gift in the future.

Instead of doing any of these things, Aurelie merely sighed softly, her breath barely ruffling a lock of Howard's hair. "Do you want me to help you against your angry friend? Do you need weapons? Protection? Backup? Some Kalosian cuisine to distract him for one crucial moment? I can't offer much, but...whatever help you need, I'll try to give it."

[attr="class","aurelie_tag"]

An observer of eons cannot feel the warmth of another.

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

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played by

Magnetic

Admin Fox

He/Him

May 9th

Rustboro City

Bisexual

Archaeologist

Rocket Admin

5'9 (with hat) height

The future will tempt you, the present will indulge you, but the past will shackle you.

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POSTED ON Aug 16, 2024 8:52:21 GMT

FAILURE. FAILURE. FAI-

Bliss. Silence. The weight of the world was temporarily lifted. He gasped slightly at the embrace. Contact. Proof of existence. Proof of purpose. Proof that in this precise moment, joining Team Rocket had not been a mistake. It was one, Howard could not deny it, but as he hugged her back, it felt like the right decision.

If only for a moment.

He did not deserve this. She should hate him. Why doesn't she hate him? Why is someone with such empathy in Rocket of all places? Why hadn't she left this organization with Isaac? It did not care about them.

She shouldn't have cared about him. She-

Let me have this. Please, if Arceus cares at all, let me have this. Just one moment where everything feels fine.

"Just stay safe. Live your life. Perfect your craft. Please, if there's anyone alive who cares about you, anyone who loves you, don't torture them. Live. Live, and forge your sword and shield. When you're done, let someone else wield them." Calyrex had chosen her for a difficult task, but it was a mere commission. She could be free. "That's how you can help. Just... be you. Never change how you approach life, Aurelie."

It was so refreshing. It didn't stop him from crying. He could not be Isaac Merlo, someone with nothing but hope in his heart and a desire to change the world. Isaac and Aurelie were so similar.

Why had he betrayed Isaac?

Why had Isaac betrayed her?

Howard didn't let go.

"I can't go back. I want to, but this world is broken. My dream is my own, and this is our world. People live here. Even if nobody else cares, I will."

If dreams died when the dreamer woke, then it was best to never wake up. If one had to, then they would simply have to recreate their ideal world in the land of the waking.

A peaceful world, full of light.

Aurelie Lefevre

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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.

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POSTED ON Aug 17, 2024 0:51:47 GMT

howard slayte likes this

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_lyrics"]A song of ice and fire

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]If Aurelie could read the admin's mind when he reacted to the hug, she would have laughed hilariously. Then, she would have gone to work correcting all his mistaken perceptions of her, especially his notions about her empathy, optimism, similarity to Isaac, and worth as a person. She would've lectured him at length about her history of only being kind to those she loved and malicious to everyone she didn't.

But then...she probably would've also gleaned a lot of information that she really shouldn't have and honestly didn't want. She probably would've run screaming. But at least, she'd also have a much better understanding of Howard's experiences in Dewford and in the dream, which was still very hazy.

Thankfully, though, Aurelie had never been and would never be a mind-reader. She understood nothing of his feelings or struggles. She only heard his answer to her offer, and it made her smile wistfully.

"If you say so," she replied, the doubt in her voice faint but perceptible. "I wish I could do more to help you than just...living. Doing my usual stuff. Provide some kind of support, maybe. Or help you avoid him, if you don't want to fight!"

One of his comments made Aurelie idly wonder if there was anyone in Hoenn who loved her. Isaac, perhaps—but he loved everyone, so did he count, really? Jack, she supposed—but did that count when it was probably half lust and mostly founded on deceptions? If there was anyone else, she couldn't think of them.

Though her back was starting to stiffen up from bending, the redhead didn't straighten or move away. There was a piercing sweetness to this hug that she didn't want to cut short. She did, however, raise one arm slightly to use the edge of her sleeve to dab at his face when she felt the trickle of Howard's tears.

For a moment, Aurelie simply silently contemplated her damp sleeve. Then she turned her arm toward Howard and showed it to him.

"I wish I could do more, because I know you're a good person." Better than her, which surely he would realize sooner or later. "I don't know if you agree or not, but to me, it's clear as day.

"What happened to Dewford... I know you wouldn't have wanted to cause that. I doubt you meant for all that chaos and craziness to happen. You just wanted to help Regice."

Tilting her sleeve toward the light, she went on, "You know how I can be so sure? Even if you admitting how damn much you care about this world despite being...well, who you are and where you are...didn't show it, this does.

"You care. You have a heart. You feel pain, and grief, and regret. And remorse too. You're a good guy at heart. So, I wish I could help you more. But..." She turned her arm again and flexed her hand, showing the calluses on her fingers and palm. "This is all I have to give. And it's not going to be worth crap against the likes of Eternatus or Zacian."

[attr="class","aurelie_tag"]

An observer of eons cannot feel the warmth of another.

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

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played by

Magnetic

Admin Fox

He/Him

May 9th

Rustboro City

Bisexual

Archaeologist

Rocket Admin

5'9 (with hat) height

The future will tempt you, the present will indulge you, but the past will shackle you.

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3,510 posts

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