He had just published his first poem, a sonnet of unrequited love, uncharacteristic for his signature writing. As he recalled, his emotional father accompanied him as far west as the army would allow. The future writer saw action in the Battle of Transylvania, then withdrew with the defeated armies into besieged Moldavia. His fighting earned him the Star of Romania and the rank of Captain. Meanwhile, Puiuțu Teodoreanu volunteered for the French Air Force and died in April 1918. During the same interval, Ionel, still in Iași, fell in love with Ștefana "Lily" Lupașcu, who became his wife. She was half French, and, through her, the Teodoreanus became cousins in law of Cella and Henrieta Delavrancea (orphaned daughters of writer Barbu Ștefănescu Delavrancea); and of Stéphane Lupasco, the French philosopher. In 1919, upon demobilization, Alexandru returned to Iași. Like Ionel, he became a contributor to the magazines "Însemnări Literare" and "Crinul", and also proofread for the former. He took a law degree from Iași University, and, in 1920, moved to the opposite corner of Romania, employed by the Turnu Severin Courthouse. He only spent a few months there. Before the end of the year, he relocated to Cluj, where Cezar Petrescu employed him as a staff writer for his literary magazine, "Gândirea". The group's activity was centered on Cluj's New York Coffeehouse. Together with another "Gândirea" author, Adrian Maniu, Teodoreanu wrote the fantasy play "Rodia de aur" ("Golden Pomegranate"). It was published by the Moldavian cultural tribune, "Viața Românească", and staged by the National Theater Iași in late 1920. Some months later, Teodoreanu was co-opted by theatrologist Ion Marin Sadoveanu into the "Poesis" literary salon, whose members militated for modernism. In short while, Al. O. Teodoreanu became a popular presence in literary circles, and a famous "bon viveur". The moniker "Păstorel", candidly accepted by Teodoreanu, was a reference to these drinking habits: he was said to have "tended" ("păstorit") the rare wines, bringing them to the attention of other culinary experts.