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Marshall chuckled at Nomi's excited greeting and bent down to pet her Sylveon. "It's a cute place," he told his friend as he straightened again. "Really charming, like I could really see myself coming regularly for a beer when the weather's nice."[break][break]

But then she mentioned the fires, and his expression sobered instantly. When he spoke next, his tone had lost its humor. "I'm glad I was able to help. You and Jack are my friends, and I can't just sit by while you're both in danger like this."[break][break]

Marshall stuffed his hands in his pockets, pensive. By the time he'd arrived at Verdanturf after receiving Jack's text for help, the locals had mostly contained the flames. There had still been other tasks that required his help, though: checking on the injured, setting up an information board, and serving food to displaced families.[break][break]

Then he shook his head, as if to shake himself free of such weighty thoughts. "But anyway! Enough of that. What did you want to show me?"

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Marshall followed Nomi to the bar and took a seat while she poured three different beers from the taps. When she placed the flights in front of him, he audibly oohed and aahed at them, mesmerized by their colors.[break][break]

"Let's see," he said before picking up the first glass Nomi had described. The flavor of the pumpkin IPA was deep and rich, and though he could pick out the pumpkin, it was subtle like she'd explained. "The hops are a bit overpowering. Good if you like that kind of thing, but it almost feels like false advertisement," he admitted.[break][break]

Next was the lager. Marshall smiled at the warm, roasted flavor. "I like this one a lot. It's cozy and paints a picture of autumn in my head. Sorta like… hmm, cozy sweaters and curling up in front of a fireplace."[break][break]

Finally, he tasted the pumpkin porter. "Oh, this one is really good, too. I can see some friends of mine preferring this over the second one, because of the sweetness and spice. It could definitely be popular."[break][break]

Setting down the glass, now empty, he drummed his fingers against the bartop in thought. "Out of all of them, the second one is my favorite, but the third one is close. I think both might sell well," he concluded.

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Marshall accompanied Nomi outside, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he walked. At the mention of flowers, his red gaze followed the direction of her gesture and beheld the majestic lavender fields, the bright hue of the flowers a delight in the afternoon sun. A smile pulled at Marshall's lips; he thought of the blossoms he'd purchased for Amelia Livy from Fiorelli Floristry and hoped they'd been well received.[break][break]

"Thanks for the offer, Nomi," Marshall said, meaning it. "I'll keep that in mind for next time."[break][break]

He did not elaborate further, instead walking with her into the greenhouse. Immediately, its humidity washed over him, and he absently pulled out a hair tie to put his hair up into a ponytail.[break][break]

"There hasn't been much racing, honestly," the redhead admitted. "With all the troubles across the region, the Hoenn Motocross Commission here has decided to cancel all upcoming races. So I've mostly been working — like photoshoot modeling and commercials."[break][break]

Though he spoke casually, the turn of events had actually been nothing but frustrating for Marshall. He had come to Hoenn in the early summer for sport, and though he'd raced a few practice courses, the cancellation of the championships felt like total loss. He knew it was not the HMC's fault, yet he could not help but find their decision hasty. After all, the race was not until November.[break][break]

Nomi changed the topic of conversation before Marshall could say any more, for which he was silently grateful. He replied just as nonchalantly, "I did go to school, yeah, Virbank University. I was studying mechanical engineering with a minor in physics, but I dropped out in my third year. I wanted to race, not sit in boring classes and do boring homework."[break][break]

He grinned at her, the picture of mischief.

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"Do you regret it?"[break][break]

Marshall stilled as Nomi's question, innocent in its unbiased curiosity, settled upon his body like a heavy weight. He did not like to think about regret. The word tasted sour on his tongue. Everything he had accomplished in life was in pursuit of one he could live without regrets. After all, the world was too huge, and life too short, to worry about the could-haves and what-ifs.[break][break]

Spontaneously, unbidden, the memory of the motorcycle crash sprang to mind. The shock that ran through his body at the impact. The pain. Thank Arceus he had worn a thick riding suit and a helmet that day, or he would have been a broken body on the asphalt.[break][break]

He had not regretted getting on that bike that day, nor had he regretted getting on another one after his recovery. To regret would have meant giving up on a boyhood dream, exchanging it for something depressing and dull.[break][break]

Marshall's mouth pressed into a thin line. Avoiding Nomi's gaze, he looked studiously at one of her potted herbs. "Nah," he replied, stubborn. "It'd be too late for me now, anyway. I'll be thirty in a couple of years."[break][break]

Frankly, that too frightened him.

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Of all the people he knew to reprimand him for such an attitude, Nomi was the last one Marshall had expected. He blinked at her in surprise, taken aback by the forcefulness of her tone. Even when she softened her voice to compliment him, he continued to stare at her like she had become a totally different person.[break][break]

Eventually, he came out of his shock, giving Nomi an embarrassed smile. "Sorry, I guess," he said, not knowing what else to say to her sudden outburst.[break][break]

Marshall's eyes lowered to the rose bush she was tending and decided he'd rather change the topic for now. He walked up next to her and leaned over, trying to see what she was doing.[break][break]

"Anyway, what did you wanna show me here?"

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