Hm. It seemed those words werenāt quite the right ones. Or they were, and this was just the next step forward. Branching paths of different answers, and heās landed on this one. And, partially, heās glad itās this one; he knows how to handle it.
Whatāll happen when I run out of material? If I fuck up a live show on-stage? Thereās only so many stories I can tell and so many roles I can fulfill.
Oh Edward, youāre so silly sometimes.
āYou could be the ever-changing.ā Itās a simple suggestion on the surface, but he keeps going, as one does. āThe merciful, the bold and brave⦠the human. People always undermine being human. If some are to see you as lesser for not winning all the time, does that not say more about them than it does you?ā
He shifts his positioning so heās facing more towards her at an angle, and hesitant it may be, he gently offers a hand out for her to hold. Comfort, in its more sincere form.
āThereāll always be something for someone, miss Gloria. Do you believe I had always believed myself destined to be for the arts? My dear older brother used to always fret about being a burden to me because he never found something he could stick to straight away, and look at him now. He found something he could do and, more importantly, something he enjoyed.ā
⦠a pause, and his voice goes nigh above a whisper.
āDo you, erm, actually enjoy being Champion, miss Gloria?ā
Ā Ā GLORIA HANGS ONTO Shirleyās words as he speaks, peeking up with wide eyes and accepting his offered hand with a light and gentle grip ( she doesnāt squeeze his hand too hard; he doesnāt seem to be one for much physical contact, after all ).Ā
Ā Ā The hushed question causes Gloria to freeze, if only for a moment, and the hesitation in her following answer only lasts long enough for her to glance around the area to ensure there were no unwanted ears present. Then, in an equal whisper:
ā... I donāt know.ā
Ā Ā The statement hangs in the air for a moment.
āI never... When I went off tae take on the gym challenge, I hadnāt expected tae go very far. I was fightinā tae support Hop, so I was never really prepared tae win. I love battlinā, and I love beinā good at somethinā! The people out there need someone strong tae look at after everythinā that happened with the chairman, and I fit that ticket right now. That much, I donāt mind.ā
Ā Ā She sighs, hanging her head.
āBut they never tell you everythinā about beinā champion. Nothinā about all the papers and scripts and schedules for things no normal kid has any idea how tae go about doinā. Thereās so much of everythinā that you need tae get a hang of right away, and by the time the sun sets, you get maybe an hour or two tae spend thatās really for yourself... on a good day. Iāve got some help from someone tae help balance all of it, but itās all been rough, especially when I know that Iām gonna be on call if anythinā else big anā bad happens. Iāve got a big shadow tae fill, no matter who I end up choosinā tae be...ā