"I wish my friend Ben were here. Not the king in Auradon, my friend Ben Song from home. He... He's the one who always knows just what to say. But since you're stuck with me I'll try and do my best to think about what he'd say. I think, if Ben were here, he'd probably say that sometimes all it takes to be a hero... is to be there for the person who needs you most when they need you. And I'll add from myself... it is not just being there then, but when you keep showing up for them." Ian took a deep breath.
"You see the thing is... we don't always know the impact we have on the world, and on those around us. For good or for ill sometimes things we think are huge and we are ashamed of ourselves for... or even proud pf ourselves over... go unnoticed or unremarked upon. And then sometimes we do something so simple... something we do reflexively... is everything to someone else. It's like...." They considered for a moment how to de-tech this example. "Ah, okay so let's say you built a bonfire. You could have built it to warm people or to give light if you were being kind, or if you were being intentionally horrible, maybe you made the bonfire with important papers and someone's treasured ph.... notes. But if it is a hot day at high noon, very few people will see the bonfire at all. But if it is a dark night and you light a candle you happened to have... you were probably doing that for yourself and didn't think it was anything special. Anyone would do it. But to everyone in the area that don't have any candles... they all see you and probably appreciate the light more than you realize."
Ian rolled their shoulders. "I can't say anything for myself if you are a hero or not, but what you just said, about making sure Chara doesn't walk down that dark path? That sounds pretty heroic to me."
no subject
"I wish my friend Ben were here. Not the king in Auradon, my friend Ben Song from home. He... He's the one who always knows just what to say. But since you're stuck with me I'll try and do my best to think about what he'd say. I think, if Ben were here, he'd probably say that sometimes all it takes to be a hero... is to be there for the person who needs you most when they need you. And I'll add from myself... it is not just being there then, but when you keep showing up for them." Ian took a deep breath.
"You see the thing is... we don't always know the impact we have on the world, and on those around us. For good or for ill sometimes things we think are huge and we are ashamed of ourselves for... or even proud pf ourselves over... go unnoticed or unremarked upon. And then sometimes we do something so simple... something we do reflexively... is everything to someone else. It's like...." They considered for a moment how to de-tech this example. "Ah, okay so let's say you built a bonfire. You could have built it to warm people or to give light if you were being kind, or if you were being intentionally horrible, maybe you made the bonfire with important papers and someone's treasured ph.... notes. But if it is a hot day at high noon, very few people will see the bonfire at all. But if it is a dark night and you light a candle you happened to have... you were probably doing that for yourself and didn't think it was anything special. Anyone would do it. But to everyone in the area that don't have any candles... they all see you and probably appreciate the light more than you realize."
Ian rolled their shoulders. "I can't say anything for myself if you are a hero or not, but what you just said, about making sure Chara doesn't walk down that dark path? That sounds pretty heroic to me."