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TAG WITH @john

POSTED ON Nov 27, 2022 16:26:43 GMT

elijah gardner, John Sullivan, and 1 more like this

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Hobbies. They're all anyone ever seems to talk about. What their newest success is, what creation they've been working on, how John 'doesn't have any ' -- which isn't really true if you ask him. He watches the pro circuit. He takes notes on the latest matches. He keeps track of his favorite trainers.

CIAN MAHER is his top choice to watch right now, since John Sullivan has taken a step back to focus more heavily on his military duties. It's a commendable thing Cian did, leaving Rocket, and he's a damn good battler. Interesting in the minor leagues but glowing in the majors.

Weather. What a concept.

Anyway, point is John apparently lacks hobbies; so he decided recently that he would try out gardening. Helping a friend from the night market harvest berries counts as gardening, right?

Either way he can't say he loves it. Admittedly, it's hard to tell if the berry harvesting is the problem or the weather. What kind of plant blossoms in autumn? Berries, apparently. At least some of them.

"Can barely get a grip on these . . ." John quietly gripes, trying to use the thorns of a tamato to make up for the lack of friction his thin gloves give him.

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TAG WITH @cian

POSTED ON Nov 28, 2022 4:53:37 GMT

john nelson likes this

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practically hidden underneath his straw hat, it isn't until he tilts his head up from his squatted position that he sees exactly why this man can't get a good grip on the berries.[break][break]

"i think it's because you got the really thin gloves! heh, rookie mistake."[break][break]

he holds his two gloved hands up, flexing them briefly before he stands up. reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a clean pair and offers it to them.[break][break]

"luckily, i got a spare, so here you go."

[attr="class","ooc"]john nelson[break]

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TAG WITH @john

POSTED ON Nov 28, 2022 14:17:08 GMT

GIDEON GRAVES likes this

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John doesn't immediately turn to look at the person addressing him.

"Ah, yeah, I guess that makes sense," he replies, words chopped up by his attempts to dig his fingers in and twist this damn berry off the branch it's affixed to. It's only once he manages this great task and drops the spoil in his basket -- and once he's promised a better pair of gloves -- that he turns his eyes downwards to see the person offering him gloves.

And even then he doesn't see. His eyes land on the gloves (which he takes) and then his basket (which he puts down so he can put on the gloves) before he turns his attention back to the actual young man who's been so helpful.

"Thanks, I'm new to all this . . ." his voice trails off as he looks past the large hat the stranger is wearing. His mouth goes dry as his friendly, conversational smile changes to an open mouthed expression of shock and awe.

Holy shit.

"Holy shit," he breathes. Speak of the damn devil. Think of the damn devil? That's Cian Maher.

"You're Cian Maher."

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TAG WITH @cian

POSTED ON Nov 30, 2022 9:15:38 GMT

john nelson likes this

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"ah yeah don't even mention it, man! these berries can be really slippery."[break][break]

the same way the stranger isn't really looking, cian doesn't either as his attention shifts back to the berry bush in front of him the moment the offered gloves are accepted. he's perfectly content to continue filling up his basket.[break][break]

at least until the stranger name-drops him which would've been cool and all if not for the damning fact that this stranger could very well be someone from team rocket.[break][break]

so cian tenses, movements halting as he tilts his head back up.[break][break]

"that's me. are you here...to kill me?"

[attr="class","ooc"]john nelson[break]

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TAG WITH @john

POSTED ON Nov 30, 2022 16:04:27 GMT

CIAN MAHER likes this

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It takes a moment for John to recognize what's just been asked of him. His mind is so full of the classic fanboy thoughts: gushing praise for Cian's battle style, statements to how regularly he watches his matches, requests for autographs (maybe on the gloves Cian just gifted to him).

When the words finally do make it through this haze of selfish thoughts, John's first instinct is to laugh. The words land on his ears like a joke.

It's not until a few seconds pass that he remembers the position this young man is in. That the expression on Cian's face is schooled and completely lacking in humor. To say John is mortified, then, by his own ignorance would be an understatement. He is quick to throw up his hands in a show of pacifistic surrender before stumbling over himself to correct the misunderstanding.

"Shit, no, no dude I'm not --" he takes a breath, it won't do for him to be so flustered, "I'm uh, I'm just a fan."

John swallows.

"Loved your battle against Melody Miro ."

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TAG WITH @cian

POSTED ON Dec 3, 2022 12:01:56 GMT

[nospaces]

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"oh."[break][break]

it takes cian a bit more to process and to come to the conclusion that the man in front of him probably means him no harm. he looks pretty harmless at the very least, and cian's sure all the self-defense trainings he's done would help him win a fight.[break][break]

so his shoulders slump back down, relaxing as he exhales.[break][break]

"well shit, man! you scared me there for a sec."[break][break]

he rubs the back of his neck, chuckling.[break][break]

"sorry, sorry! i've just been, like, super on edge for a while now. but, uh, thanks!" did he say he was a fan? cian must've missed that. "i didn't quite catch your name..."

[attr="class","ooc"]john nelson[break]

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TAG WITH @john

POSTED ON Dec 3, 2022 17:06:33 GMT

[attr="class","samcam"]

John's hands return to his side as Cian seems to settle. It's an intentionally slow movement, not so dissimilar from the way he's gestured at spooked alley Meowth outside his apartments: 'I'm cool ' it says, 'no danger here '.

"Yeah, sorry about that, I didn't think," he replies, fighting the urge to mirror the gym leader and reach for the back of his own neck.

"It's really brave by the way. What you're doing," it's kind of a stock platitude but John delivers it as earnestly as he can, "I think everyone knows what Rocket's capable of these days. It takes a lot of guts to . . . but you don't need me to tell you."

Then he does actually rub at the back of his neck before offering a hand to shake.

"Anyway, my name is John, it's an honor to meet you."

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TAG WITH @cian

POSTED ON Dec 4, 2022 18:09:24 GMT

[nospaces]

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having grown up a popular athlete in school and later a somewhat notable trainer, cian's used to fame to a certain degree, but it only ever existed within the local confines of rustboro. ever since his story with hbs aired, he's started to get recognized more and more all across hoenn.[break][break]

like at this random berry farm, for example.[break][break]

the recognition he can take as he's used to it. the admiration (and sometimes glamorization) is something that still remains foreign. words like honor feel undeserved.[break][break]

"gee, i don't know about that, john, but it's nice to meet you too!"[break][break]

and maybe it's the casualness of the situation or of john but cian feels at ease, allowing him to share more than he intends.[break][break]

"and hey, thanks, but i actually do need to hear stuff like that sometimes. gets me out of my head, you know? not that i second-guess myself of course! no, no, i just mean that, uh, sometimes i regret putting my family in the position that they're in, but i think it'll all be worth it in the end. or so i hope."[break][break]

a few seconds pass before he realizes.[break][break]

"sorry! shared a bit much there, heh."

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TAG WITH @john

POSTED ON Dec 5, 2022 1:49:26 GMT

CIAN MAHER likes this

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John gives Cian's hand a firm shake as they make their introductions (or rather, as Cian recognizes his own) before returning it to his side.

It's a bit of a surprise, how humble Cian seems in person. Almost bashful. In his interview with HBS he'd seemed incredibly confident and straightforward. In his gym battles he comes across as meticulous and eccentric. Neither image quite aligns in John's head with the somewhat unsteady kid in front of him right now.

It's not a bad thing. If anything it endears John to the gym leader even more.

"I mean, I don't mind if you don't," he replies gently to the younger man, smiling faintly.

"And I hope you don't mind me saying, but you shouldn't feel guilty about any of it. It -- and really, feel free to tell me to keep it to myself if I'm overstepping -- isn't like you're the reason your family was in Rocket. You getting out is the right thing to do and you speaking out is proper, too. All that said, it's hard to imagine your family would have anything to hold against you."

He nods and smiles a bit wider.

"I'm sure, like you said, that it'll all be worth it in the end."

Cian would have every right telling him to mind his business at this point. It's not like John knows him personally but, seeing the younger man so vulnerable, it feels wrong not to say something reassuring.

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TAG WITH @cian

POSTED ON Dec 8, 2022 7:25:34 GMT

[nospaces]

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adrenaline subsides as he continues to be reassured by john, a stranger who really should not need to but has taken it upon himself to be kind and lend a hand. his demeanor is calming, grounding, and it's something cian won't ever forget.[break][break]

"thanks, man. i really appreciate it."[break][break]

the smile he offers is genuine, now as bright as the sun over their heads.[break][break]

"anyways...do you battle? or do you just watch?"

[attr="class","ooc"]john nelson[break]

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TAG WITH @john

POSTED ON Dec 8, 2022 19:19:14 GMT

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A part of John genuinely expects the interaction to end there. Maybe it's a reflex from the office, where often times juniors come for a pep talk and then are off on their way once they've got it. He bends to reach for the basket at his feet but stops halfway when Cian speaks up again.

He blushes slightly at the question and rubs at the back of his neck again. Oh man, how does he answer that. His left hand is still curled around the back of his neck when he straightens up (basket in his right).

"I used to -- battle, that is -- but uh," he laughs, the sound much less genuine than any of the words he'd had to offer Cian, "well, you can only chase a dream so far, right? So not so much anymore."

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TAG WITH @cian

POSTED ON Dec 10, 2022 13:18:45 GMT

[nospaces]

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"i get that."[break][break]

he'd almost given up as well either with running or later on with battling. well, he did give up running eventually, but that was due to other reasons.[break][break]

idly, he continues plucking berries and dropping them into his basket.[break][break]

"well, if you don't battle now, then what do you do? because it definitely isn't picking berries."

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TAG WITH @john

POSTED ON Dec 10, 2022 18:01:46 GMT

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There's a reflexive something that flares up in response to Cian's words. 'I get that.' -- that something wants to immediately spit in reply: 'I doubt that.'

After all how could he? He's living the thing John dreams of.

It's a nasty, bitter habit. Unfair. And one he's, thankfully, familiar with enough that he squashes it before he actually says something regrettable to this kid already struggling with so much. The only tell is the flicker of a falter in John's smile. A momentary frown that vanishes as quickly as it arrives.

He moves on to make sure it stays gone.

"Definitely not berry picking, yeah," he can't dredge up a laugh for Cian's joke and kicks himself internally for it, "Mostly I work. Data entry for a bank. It keeps me busy."

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TAG WITH @cian

POSTED ON Dec 14, 2022 7:22:03 GMT

[nospaces]

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dare he ask which bank? memories threaten to surface but they are pushed back down, buried under everything else that has gone wrong in his life.[break][break]

"ah. the nine-to-five. i did data entry as well over the summer once."[break][break]

he found it incredibly tedious.[break][break]

"i hope you don't mind me asking but why'd you stop battling?"

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TAG WITH @john

POSTED ON Dec 14, 2022 20:46:06 GMT

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It's hard for John to picture Cian behind a desk plucking away at spreadsheets. Hard enough that it breaks him out of the moody fog he was settling into to try. Gods . . . even imagining the kid in a tie . . .

"Funny." he says, thinking aloud more than replying.

The question of why he quit battling nearly sucks John back down, though. Bitter feelings always simmering just under the surface fill his mouth with a sour, unpleasant taste.

"Ah, nothing interesting," he replies in a hurry, words breathy as if they left his mouth half-formed.

"I just got stuck. Something like fifty percent of trainers don't manage to get their fifth badge. I just happened to be one of them, and there's no real life in battling for a bottom-half trainer pushing thirty."