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Nomi knew that exuberant tone! She rushed out from behind the bar when she heard Marshall Slade entering the brewery, grinning as she wiped her hands on a small red and white checkered hand towel. She'd been in the midst of cleaning one of the tap handles when she'd realized someone was speaking. Valerian, who'd been napping underneath a table nearby, perked up and padded over to Marshall, licking his hand affectionately.[break][break]
"You're finally here!" Nomi exclaimed happily. "Well, what do you think?" She waved her hand around the tap room, with its hanging plants, quaint tablecloths topped with wildflowers arranged in empty beer glasses, and rustic atmosphere. It was a simple brewery, nothing fancy, but she hoped it made people feel at home when they visited.[break][break]
As she waited for Marshall to make his assessment, she added, "Thank you again for checking in on us after the recent fires. It really is good to know that there are brave people like you and jack wainwright willing to watch out for a little town like Verdanturf."

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NOTES

+ Social![break]
+ Nomi's Outfit

BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","marshallposttext"]

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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Social | Marshall's Outfit

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Marshall's kind review of her brewery made Nomi beam with pride. Charming was exactly what she had been going for: somewhere folks would feel at home. "I'm so glad you like the place," She replied. "Oh! Before I give you the whole tour, I have something I need your help with!"[break][break]
She walked back around the bar until she was behind it again, and rummaged around before pulling out three small 4 ounce tasting glasses. She brought them over to the various taps built into the wall behind the bar, and filled them with three different variations of beer. She carefully walked them over to the counter and set them out in front of Marshall. The first was a bright golden color, the second a slightly darker honeyed brown, and the third a rich mahogany. "I'm testing out different recipe variations to see if I can settle on the perfect pumpkin ale!" She explained to her friend. "The first is a pumpkin IPA - more hops than spice, the pumpkin is subtle. The second is a toasty lager made with real oven-roasted pumpkin seeds. And the final one is a pumpkin porter packed with plenty of vanilla, cinnamon, and cardamom spice." She pushed the glasses forward towards him.[break][break]
"Well? Which one do you like best?"

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NOTES

+ Social![break]
+ Nomi's Outfit

BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","marshallposttext"]

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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Social | Marshall's Outfit

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Nomi nodded, listening carefully to Marshall's assessment. "I think I'll tweak the IPA slightly, maybe go for a double instead of a single. Make it more bitter." She smiled deviously at that thought. "The other two will definitely sell well, I think. You're right that the stout will be popular, but I think the roasty one is my favorite too." Her smile turned appreciative as she regarded him. "Thanks for your help!"[break][break]
The pink-haired girl hopped back out from behind the bar, and motioned for him to follow her outside. "Let me show you the greenhouse next, I think you'll like that. Oh, and if you ever need flowers for somebody special, I've got plenty," she winked at him and waved her hand in the direction of the massive lavender fields surrounding the brewery grounds. Valerian padded dutifully after them.[break][break]
As they walked, Nomi cocked her head slightly, tone growing curious. "Besides saving people from fires, what have you been up to recently, Marshall? More racing?" She tried to remember if he'd ever told her anything about his schedule. "I admit, school has kept me quite busy these days. I've been a little behind in my brewing schedule. I don't think my new beers will be ready for the public until early October." As she pushed open the doors to Synthesis Greenhouse, something occurred to her. "Did you ever attend college before you became a professional athlete?" She asked, realizing she knew very little about her friend's past.

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NOTES

+ Social![break]
+ Nomi's Outfit

BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","marshallposttext"]

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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Social | Marshall's Outfit

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As Nomi walked around a small wooden work table where she often re-potted plants or harvested various herbs, leading Marshall to where all of her hops were growing happily up the walls of the Greenhouse, she considered the lightness in his tone and the mischievous nature of his grin. She was an observant young woman, and could not help but notice the hint of a lingering disquiet in his expression - likely due to the cancellations he mentioned regarding the racing circuit.[break][break]
"Do you regret it?" She inquired thoughtfully, keeping any scrutiny or judgment out of her tone. "Now that there's no racing, do you regret not having a secondary profession to fall back on? Modeling and such sounds fun enough, but that's commissioned work - unpredictable, I imagine. A job as a mechanical engineer would be consistent and," she paused, realizing something. " - and perhaps somewhat more fulfilling than looking nice for a photoshoot, too, especially for someone who loves vehicles as much as you clearly do." She smiled at that.

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NOTES

+ Social![break]
+ Nomi's Outfit

BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","marshallposttext"]

"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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Social | Marshall's Outfit

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"Nonsense," Nomi replied, matter-of-factly. "It is never too late to go back to school. Why, there is a mother of three in one of my evening labs right now. She decided to get the degree she'd always wanted, now that her kids are a little older." She eyed Marshall, the kindly brewery owner replaced by the observant, critical scientist, and, seeing how he would not look at her, decided that her friend was in need of a little tough love.[break][break]
"Stop making excuses," she reprimanded, tone firm. "Thirty is hardly old. If you want to finish school, do it. I can recommend Slateport University, it's a fantastic institution, but there are plenty of options across Hoenn. Marshall," and now her tone softened, just a bit, and she touched his arm with her hand, the gesture meant to be encouraging. "You're one of the bravest people I've met. Not just because of the racing but because you're...so willing to leap into action to help those you care about. Well, care about yourself for once, okay?"[break][break]
Satisfied, she let go of him and stepped back. Val eyed Marshall, head cocked expectantly, as if waiting to see how the man would react. Nomi gave her friend some space to consider her advice, and idly began trimming back an overgrown rose bush.

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NOTES

+ Social![break]
+ Nomi's Outfit

BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","marshallposttext"]

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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NOTES

Social | Marshall's Outfit