The rest of the battle came and went in what felt like a flash. Cassius couldn't remember much, beyond that Gloria had dominated.
He and Hop had left their viewing area the second the fight ended. The last thing Cassius saw was Gloria shaking Milo's hand before promptly and unceremoniously leaving the pitch, Scorbunny perched atop her shoulder. Vaguely, he could recall Scorbunny having been Dynamaxed before laying waste to Milo's remaining Pokémon. He could look up the highlights later—his mind was an overactive mess at the moment.
Gloria had been a machine. Purpose and precision, in every move she made. Not a single misstep, at least that he could recall. It was impressive, sure, but to Cassius, it was more than that. He'd been on the edge of his seat attempting to figure out what Gloria had been scheming against Flapple from the start, and when it clicked, he'd been unable to tear his eyes from the fight.
It was unlike anything he'd ever seen before. He couldn't begin to describe it.
They'd waited a little longer outside the locker room, waiting for Gloria to finish her postgame media scrum, and to finish changing. The second she emerged from the room, a heat-seeking Hop engulfed her in a hug.
"I knew you'd do it!" Hop cheered, spinning her around in jubilation. Cassius seemed to remember Hop being worried before the fight, but decided to keep that to himself. "You were amazing! That was the best fight I've ever seen from you!"
"Lemme down, fackin' prick!" Despite her vehemence in objecting, her flushed cheeks betrayed her. As did the smile that threatened to split her face. "Yer gonnae make me boke!"
It took Hop a second longer to acquiesce, setting her down gently. Still, he held a firm grip on her shoulders. "I mean... wow. Wow! I figured you'd go for something flashy, but a one shot? Against his first Pokémon? That's crazy, even by your standards, but you made it work! You nailed it!"
"Of course," Gloria huffed, as if it were the most obvious thing. She was still pointedly angling her gaze away from Hop. "Wasn't so hard. Lucked out with the paralysis. Was a free hit once I'd buttered it up."
"Still, that was incredible. You've come so far. I'm beyond proud of you," he complimented genuinely. His lips curled into a small smirk. "At this rate, you might be able to take a single Pokémon off me, if you're lucky!"
That got Gloria to look at him, returning his snark with some of her own. "You'd be lucky to get a single lick in on me, fraud. Consider this fight a warning."
Hop laughed, relishing their banter. Gloria smiled, enjoying herself just as much. Cassius, for his part, felt like the biggest third wheel in the world.
Eventually, the two disengaged, Gloria finally noticing Cassius. "Oh, you're here too."
Cassius scoffed. "Where else would I be?"
"Relax, I'm kiddin'. Mostly." She eyed him closely. "So. Learn anythin'?"
More than he ever thought he would. "Yeah," he settled on saying. "A lot, actually. That was... a really entertaining fight."
"Entertaining, or educational?"
Cassius thought for a moment. "... both?"
Gloria seemed satisfied with that. "Good. Didn't think you'd take my suggestion seriously. Glad you learned a thing or two." Stretching her arms above her head, she sighed. "Awright, let's get out of here. Reckon I've had enough of this place for one day."
She was so... nonchalant about the entire thing. Like she'd just finished completing a particularly bothersome errand. She'd smiled more after seeing Hop again than she had throughout the entirety of her fight with Milo. Was that normal?
"So, where to?" Hop asked once they left the back entrance of the stadium. A precaution, they'd been told, to prevent challengers from being swarmed by fans after matches. Or worse. "Probably a few pubs open nearby. I'm assumin' we head back, get changed, and go out and celebrate?" That had been her plan, Cassius remembered Hop telling him.
To Cassius' surprise, Gloria seemed very put off by the suggestion. "Fuck no. I'm exhausted. Fight took way more out of me than I thought it would—no chance am I pubcrawlin'."
Hop seemed to be similarly shocked. "Wow. Never thought I'd see the day you'd decline a night out."
"Fuck off. I'm tired, tha'sall."
They took a few more quiet steps in the direction of their hotel before Hop spoke again. "Okay, so if we aren't drinking tonight, what do you wanna do?"
This time, Gloria gave him an incredulous look. "Who said we weren't drinking?"
The rate at which Gloria could down a beer was impressive, in all honesty. Scary for sure, and definitely unhealthy, but impressive nonetheless.
Placing her drink down on the table, Gloria sighed tiredly. "Whatta day. I deserve this."
"You certainly do," Hop agreed, nursing his own beverage. "Were you stressed at all?"
Gloria scoffed. "Fuck would I be stressed for?"
Hop nodded toward the pint she'd yet to relinquish from her hand. "I mean, that's your third drink in fifteen minutes. Seems to me you couldn't wait to take the edge off."
"It's a reward, not a bleedin' coping mechanism." Gloria emphasized her point with an angry swig of her rapidly depleting beverage. "I won my match today, so I'm rewarding myself with a hard-earned bevvy."
"Your third hard-earned bevvy," Hop quickly reminded her.
"Prude."
As it turned out, the hotel they were staying at was very accommodating when it came to gym challengers, especially victorious ones. Almost immediately after they'd gotten back, a staff member had congratulated Gloria on her first career victory, before asking if she wanted to partake in a celebratory dinner—discounted, of course. Seeing as she'd been given the opportunity to drink to her heart's content (as she'd originally planned to do) without having to go through the pain of changing and finding somewhere else to get wasted for full price, Gloria had quickly accepted.
"And you?" Gloria turned to Cassius. "Any smart comments?"
Cassius had opted for a beer (at Hop and Gloria's insistence) and nothing else, seeing as his stomach was still working on the food he'd had during Gloria's fight. He'd been doing his best to take occasional sips before the table's attention turned to him.
He quickly shook his head. "Uh, no."
"Good," Gloria nodded. "Least one of you has the common sense not to nag." Cassius chose to take that as a compliment and tentatively returned to his beer.
"So," Hop continued to pester her. "What was it like? Being out there?"
"On the pitch? Like it always does," Gloria answered simply.
Hop didn't buy that. "That can't be true."
Gloria rolled her eyes. "Hop, we've done this before. No different than how it was back in the junior circuits. Only thing that's changed is the size of the crowd."
Hop was hardly satisfied with that. "I don't think even you believe that, Gloria. This is what we've been working toward our entire lives! The entire reason we bothered with the junior circuit was for today! And you're gonna tell me it felt the exact same as it did back when we were duking it out on dirt pitches when we were, what, fourteen?"
Cassius was inclined to agree with Hop, and figured Gloria would relent and do the same before remembering that Gloria was stubborn, and presently inebriated. "Please," she scoffed. "I'd almost prefer kickin' some pre-teen's teeth in over the commercialized garbage I saw today."
"Commercialized?" Cassius asked.
"How many fuckin' cameras did you see 'round the pitch? How many photographers? Journalists? None of 'em were there for a good, entertainin' battle. They were there to get my good side, watch me Dynamax my 'Mon, ask me some stupid shit postmatch, and leave before publishin' it all on some website somewhere for a paycheck."
"Gloria, you don't know that," Hop shook his head.
"Do you?" Gloria shot back. "'Fore I even got the chance to step onto the pitch, I had to put on some stupid pedo-bait outfit, wait in the tunnel while the telly channels took their sweet time wrappin' up their prematch jerkfests, wait for the stadium to finish Milo's intro, wait for the stadium to finish my intro, wait for the ref to explain the rules, and only then did I get to fight. So much fuckin' waiting." She scowled. "Back in the juniors, we showed up, either brought our Pokémon or got our rentals, got on the pitch, and fought each other. Simple as."
"The league's still a business, Gloria," Hop countered. "How do you think they're able to pay their employees? The gym leaders? Us? Maybe it's a bit over the top, but it's necessary at the end of the day. Spectacle's just a part of the game from now on, and it's on us to get used to it."
Gloria certainly didn't seem to think so. "Whatever," she settled on saying, taking another long swig.
Cassius didn't need to be her best friend to know that this was bothering her. He'd picked up bits and pieces about how Gloria felt about the peripherals and details of the challenge throughout their time together—Gloria hated the spectacle, hated Dynamaxing, and hated the press. From what limited information he had on professional battling, that maybe wouldn't have been much of a problem in, say, Unova, but Galar seemed to be an entirely different beast from the worldwide battling scene. It was more publicized by default, due to the inherent nature of the region's scheduled Gym Challenge.
Was she struggling to adjust? The thought of her struggling with anything related to Pokémon battling seemed unlikely, but then this wasn't something she could remedy on the pitch.
"Maybe it'll lessen as we progress through the challenge," Cassius offered. If nothing else, he could try helping her relax a little. "Once the novelty of seeing us battle wears off, anyway."
"Unlikely," Hop shot down. "Our status aside, once more trainers start losing, that'll naturally mean more time to focus on us. Not to mention the continued microscope on us as we continue winning. Just the nature of fame, sadly."
Gloria continued her glowering as Hop spoke, still silent. Hop looked to be at a loss for what else to say, choosing instead to leave her to her mood.
Cassius offered the only act of kindness he could in the moment. "Next drink on me?"
The downturn of her frown softened marginally. "Thanks."
They continued drinking in relative silence. Hop eventually decided to leave ahead of them, citing a need for a full night of sleep before his match. With a hug for Gloria and a firm dap for Cassius, Hop left some cash to cover his tab and tip before wishing them goodnight.
Cassius had been tempted to do the same, before Hop had whispered something to him as they'd dapped each other. "Could you keep her company?" He asked. "Just to make sure she doesn't go overboard. Or end up rantin' to herself."
"Sure," Cassius nodded. Not like he had much else to do. He still needed to talk to her, anyway.
Once Hop was gone, Cassius let the silence simmer for a little longer, carefully observing Gloria from the corner of his eye as he continued to nurse his own drink.
Or at least, he thought he was careful. "Quit starin'," Gloria muttered. "S'weird. Got somethin' to say, just spit it out."
There went the idea of being subtle. Suppressing a sigh, Cassius just went for it. "I feel obligated to ask if you're feeling alright."
"M'fine."
For some odd reason, he didn't believe her. "Are you sure?"
"Wha'sit to ya?" Gloria's tone wasn't as harsh as her words let on.
Cassius rolled his eyes. "Well, we're travel buddies, for one thing."
"We're buddies now?"
"Acquaintances, going on buddies," Cassius amended. "I just wanna know if you're feeling okay. No ulterior motives. Promise."
"Well I'm fuckin' not okay," Gloria answered stiffly. Seeming to realize the force in her own voice, Gloria took a breath and relaxed. "... sorry. Ain't yer fault. Yellin' at you does me nothin'."
Surprisingly, Cassius offered the opposite. "Sure it does. Gives you someone to talk to, at least." At Gloria's look of confusion, Cassius pressed on. "I mean... look, I'm not gonna pretend like I know what's wrong, and I won't know at all unless you decide to tell me. If nothing else, I'm not someone from the league or some important guy in a suit. Yelling your problems at me isn't gonna get you in trouble."
For once, Gloria didn't have something immediately snippy aimed at him. Cassius supposed his sudden eagerness to talk had caught her by surprise. That, or she was already hammered.
One extra push, then. "Besides, it definitely wouldn't be the first time you've yelled at me," Cassius gave his attempt at a knowing smirk. "Not like I can stop you. Haven't even paid my tab yet." He had actually closed his after paying for his first and only drink, but he was banking on Gloria not knowing that.
Gloria scoffed. "Fairs." Gloria took a breath, emptied her pint, and turned to him. "Awright. Suppose I owe ya for the drink. Don't go tryn'ta play therapist, though."
"That's putting a lot of faith in my ability to give reliable advice, to you of all people." Cassius put his hands up. "For all intents and purposes, I'm just your soundboard."
"Good," Gloria nodded. "Now then, answer me this—what's the first thing that pops into yer head when you think of Pokémon battlin'?"
The first thing? "Uh... Pokémon. Big battles. Flashy moves, massive attacks."
To his surprise, his basic answers seemed to satisfy Gloria. "Very good. And?"
"And?"
"Keep goin'."
What else? "Okay... Charizards. Leaders, champions. Cynthia. Um... trainers. Are gym badges still a thing?"
"Sure, but beside the point," Gloria answered. "Those were good answers. I'd say most would agree with you."
"Thanks...?" Cassius didn't really understand the point of that, or what she was trying to build up to.
"Did the idea of television deals come up at all when you were thinkin'? What about commercial revenue? Brand sponsorship?"
Oh. "Not at all, really."
"Exactly my point," Gloria emphasized, leaning closer to him. Though her voice was lowered, its intensity hadn't diminished. "You're new here, so I'm sure you haven't realized it yet, but this country has lost the fuckin' plot on all this. This isn't even battlin' anymore. It's just watered-down nonsense."
"Watered-down how?" Cassius asked.
"Everythin'. The entire industry. Hoards of pure dafties in suits that never stepped foot on a pitch getting to run a Pokémon league. S'all fuckin' up."
Cassius nodded slowly, digesting what she was saying. "You hate how the league is going away from battling, and more towards spectacle."
"Fuckin' right," Gloria agreed emphatically. "Take today fer example. My actual match took about thirty-ish minutes, give or take. Guess how much programmin' there was outside of that?"
Cassius couldn't hazard a guess. "How much?"
"Hour 'nd a half prematch, another thirty minutes postmatch. Not counting the media scrum immediately after the match ended, or the commercials before and after my bout."
That prompted a grimace from Cassius. "That's a lot." How did she even know that?
"But you see what I mean. Two hours of programming sandwiching a thirty-minute fight. That's backwards. People don't tune in to see talking heads—they tune in to see me."
She was absolutely right. On paper, the disparity was absurd. However... "I mean, is it a bad thing?"
Gloria's eyes narrowed. "Is what a bad thing?"
"I mean yeah, the two hour thing is bad, but they're spending those two hours talking about you," Cassius argued. "I agree, people are watching on TV and paying in person to see you. But I like to think that the TV and media people know that, so they spend that allowed time hyping you up. Trying to drive up the excitement so that the people watching are more invested in the fight."
"People are already invested in the fight," Gloria pushed back. "S'why they're watching."
"They are, but... gah," Cassius struggled for the right way to put it. "Okay, so I'm assuming you already have fans, seeing as you've been an upcoming trainer for years now."
Gloria nodded. Cassius continued. "So, when those fans of yours tune in, they obviously want you to win. But more than that, fans of a person or team want that person or team to be recognized for winning. They want to hear talking heads praise them, call them great, and say that they're going to win because they're just that good. Conversely, they get more invested when those same talking heads hype up the other side, whoever it is their favorite team or person is going up against. It adds drama, and stakes. Maybe there's some pre-produced segment detailing the lives of one of the competitors, and you get to know them better. Maybe there's some big streak on the line for the favorite. All of a sudden, what might have been a match that was lopsided on paper becomes must-see viewing, even for casual viewers who didn't really care about who won or who lost. Maybe you even start to care, on a personal level."
Cassius took a breath after his wordy explanation. "That's what the media people do during all that programming. Even beyond the fact that media attention makes them money, they're following one of the most fundamental tenants of sports—debate and drama are the biggest catalysts of any major sport."
Gloria looked like she wanted to retort, but after taking a moment, she instead leaned back into her seat with a frustrated huff. "Thought you were 'posed to just be a soundboard."
Cassius winced. "Sorry. Just thought I'd try to explain it from their point of view."
"How do you even know all that?"
"I mean, I'm one of those fans," Cassius admitted. "Big basketball guy, remember? The U.B.L. is the biggest professional basketball league in the world. Everything they're doing here, they do the exact same thing there. I get happy when my Opelucid Dragons get talked up, get pissed when people on TV try to discredit them, and every game feels like life or death to me. The media plays a big part in making me feel that way—I don't think it would be nearly that serious if I solely watched the games."
"And that doesn't bother you at all?" Gloria didn't seem to understand entirely. "You don't think it's at all excessive?"
"I'm not saying that," Cassius quickly denied. "It's just how things are now, I think. Even if I wanted to change it, what could I do by myself? Especially when it's probably money in the billions I'm fighting against?"
"Even if it meant we go back to how sports should be?"
"How should sports be?"
"Not this," Gloria gestured around them—at nothing in particular, but then Cassius didn't get the feeling she literally meant the hotel dining area. "Not any of this."
Cassius chose not to respond this time, letting a brief silence overtake them. It was becoming increasingly clear to him that Gloria didn't harbor some minor dislike of the pomp leading up to her battle. It was a pretty obvious disdain for how battling worked as a business in the modern day. Something deep-rooted, and personal.
He hadn't meant to oppose her, at least like this. Turns out he made for a pretty crappy soundboard. "If it's any consolation, it's a lot different from being a fan watching compared to being someone actually in the business. I haven't been in this for longer than a month, but even I feel like it's a lot. Probably too much." Then again, he would have likely been nervous regardless, but the point remained.
"You're different," Gloria echoed his own sentiment. "You had no idea what to expect."
"What should I have expected? What did you expect?"
That seemed to stump her, if the aggravated scowl on her face was any indication. "I dunno. Apparently, I need to 'grow up', when it comes to what I should expect from all this."
That surprised Cassius. "Who told you that?"
"Hop did."
That was even more surprising. "Do I wanna know the context behind that?"
"No," Gloria quickly shot down. "Point is, when I set out for this whole thing, I wasn't expectin' sunshine and rainbows. It's a grind. Shit's hard. The better part of a year roughin' it out, goin' from city to city, singularly focused on winnin' against the best trainers in the country. If you go it alone, that's also a year spent away from friends 'nd family. It's as much of a challenge mentally as it is physically. Even though I knew I was gonna have Hop, I knew what I was gettin' myself into."
Her hands clenched. "I just... this shit is my life. Battlin' is everythin' to me. Sure, it's hard, but it's what I love doin', more than anythin' else. 'nd hittin' the road with my best mate, doin' what we both love, winnin' 'nd trainin' 'nd all that, I had an idea that I would embrace the challenge 'nd enjoy it all. That's what I was prepared for. Not... branding. Not having to look good in front of cameras, 'nd talking to journalists. None of the shit that doesn't involve fighting, or trainin' for a fight."
She didn't sound angry. Well, her normal brand of angry, anyway. In Cassius' view, she seemed more disappointed. Defeated, even. It would have maybe been hard to tell for anyone who hadn't known her for an extended period of time, but this brand of negativity from her seemed more devastating and personal. And to Cassius, that was substantially worse than her usual lively outbursts.
It boiled down to one thing. "The challenge hasn't been what you thought it would be," he summarized.
"Good on you for listenin'," Gloria scoffed, without much vitriol. Cassius didn't linger on it, choosing instead to move on.
"You and I are in kinda similar boats, I think."
That got Gloria's attention. "Are we now?"
"In a sense. In my case, I tend to avoid the media aspect of this whole thing because if they find out... you know," he gestured to his person. "I'm screwed. You avoid the media stuff because it's not what you want to devote a ton of energy towards. Different reasons, but we're the same when it comes to all that." Cassius thought on it more a bit. "We might be the only ones with this problem, really."
"'Cause no one else is getting enough attention for it to warrant a problem?" Gloria guessed.
"Sure," Cassius nodded. "I mean, Hop seems to be leaning into it all. But he's a special case, too. He was probably the most prepared anyone could have been for that side of the challenge, given his brother's the champion and all." Thinking to the other notable competitors, Bede seemed like the kind of ass who would enjoy the constant attention. He remembered someone mentioning that Marnie had a brother who was a gym leader, so maybe she was similarly prepared as Hop was. If there was anyone else that might have shared he and Gloria's plight, he'd yet to meet them so far.
Gloria seemed to concede the point. "Guess so." Another moment passed. "So what, you 'nd I are just both miserable?"
Cassius shrugged. "Seems that way."
"Great. That supposed to make me feel better?"
"Maybe not make you feel better, but at least let you know that I at least kinda get where you're coming from." Cassius had been trying to make her feel better, though. "We aren't the exact same, but I'm not gonna look at you like you're crazy for feeling that way. I get it. Really."
Gloria's drink had long since been finished now, meaning she couldn't distract herself with another sip. Instead, she stared up at the ceiling wordlessly. Cassius hoped she was at least pondering what he'd said in a positive light. He certainly hadn't been the most succinct, but he'd tried. That had to count for something, right?
It was a while longer before Gloria inevitably spoke again. "Doesn't help the immediate problem... but thanks."
He'd readily take that. "You're welcome."
He could have just let it end there. Call it a night, suggest they head back up, keep this conversation in the back of his mind before forgetting about it with time. 'But there's still something you should say,' his mind reminded him.
This was a bit more embarrassing, but seeing as it could help Gloria more than himself, he figured he owed it to her to at least tell her. "Can I say something that might sound a little weird?"
Gloria rolled her eyes. "No amount of encouragin' pick-me-ups are gettin' me into bed with you."
"That's not even remotely what I was trying to—oh, you're kidding," he quickly noticed when he saw Gloria snort somewhat humorously at his flushed face and quick denial. Try as he might, he would never get used to how vulgar Gloria was. "I'm trying to be serious."
"Awright. Go on, then." Gloria gestured for him to continue. Stupid as it was, his embarrassment and apprehension from bringing this up was mostly gone now. Maybe she'd noticed his nerves and done that on purpose. Or maybe she was just being a dick. Who could say?
"I just wanted to tell you..." he started. "Today, during your fight. You were great."
Another snort. "Wow, thanks. Any other 'weird' things you'd like to share?"
"Okay, I know it sounds stupid, but I mean it. You were amazing on the pitch today." How could he frame this in a way that didn't sound obvious? "When I was watching you, I mean... I couldn't take my eyes off of it. I've watched battling before, casually, but never anything like that."
Still, Gloria didn't seem surprised. "Mm. Well, glad you thought so. Sure you weren't the only one out there feelin' that way."
She still wasn't getting it. "No! I just... fucking listen to me, Gloria!" He didn't even realize he'd stood up until he'd finished speaking. "That fight was the greatest thing I've ever seen in person! Arceus, it was amazing! I didn't get what was happening at first, when you were setting up to one-shot Milo's Flapple, but when it clicked... seriously, I can't even begin to describe how I felt!"
He hadn't meant to sound so forceful, and when he immediately realized he was standing and shouting, he quickly sat back down. Embarrassed as he was, however, he didn't feel any regret. And seeing as Gloria was currently wordless, eyes slightly wide from surprise, he figured he finally got the point across.
Softly, he continued. "Look, I know it sounds generic and silly, but I want you to get what I'm trying to say. I haven't felt that way with anything before—not basketball, not school, not anything I've ever done. I've watched Pokémon battling casually before, but that was different from this. Watching you out there was the first time I'd enjoyed watching Pokémon battling—and I loved it." Despite himself, he laughed. "Like, the second the fight ended, I wanted to pick your brain about what you'd been thinking, and then get out there and start training again. I haven't felt that inspired and motivated ever."
He was starting to ramble, but he didn't care. She needed to hear this. And admitting this all to himself out loud only solidified what he felt. It was a good thing, this feeling that Gloria had given him. He wanted to hone and refine it; nurture it into something that could elevate him beyond going through the motions of training and battling. Because that was what he'd been lacking, right? That genuine love for Pokémon battling? That burning desire to win, at all costs?
Gloria, even if she hadn't meant to and was only fighting on her behalf, had inspired him. For however she felt about everything else regarding the challenge, and for whatever history the two of them had, she had done something for him that he previously hadn't even been able to do for himself. She deserved to know that.
"I wanted to say thanks. For helping me to realize and come to terms with that. If you feel like you're being bogged down by everything with the media, I wanted you to know that your battling got through to at least one person. And really, I'm sure I'm not the only one." Finally in control of his words again, he winded himself down. "I guess I just wanted you to know that. So... yeah."
When Gloria didn't give him an immediate answer—obviously overwhelmed by the mass of words and emotions Cassius had just thrown at her—Cassius figured now was as good a time as any to make his escape. Committed he was to saying his piece, but committed to seeing the aftermath he was not. "Welp, this was fun, but I'm getting pretty tired and we have a long day tomorrow, so I'm just gonna—"
"Like shit you are," Gloria gripped his forearm as he made to walk by her, rooting him in place. "What, you get to dump all that on me, 'nd just leave after?"
"I said it was weird!" Cassius argued.
"Ah didn't force ya ta say any a'that!" Gloria countered. "Can ya just give me a second?" Growling, she rubbed her eyes with her free hand, still gripping him firmly in her other. Essentially unable to leave, Cassius awkwardly stood by and waited for whatever she was going to say in response.
When her response eventually came, it was equal parts what he was and wasn't expecting. "Yer such a nyaff."
Cassius pursed his lips. "I don't know what that means."
"Forget it," Gloria sighed. "Yer makin' too big a fuss over this. Coulda just said, 'aye Gloria, great battle yeah?' 'nd kept it a'that. Now lookit what ya did. Makin' things weird."
Weird, yes. But it was how he felt. "I'm sorry if it made this conversation awkward... but if you want me to apologize, I'm not."
"I dun' want you to apologize, git!" Gloria quickly snapped. "I just... ya know ahm nae good a'this. So springin' it on me all sudden, whatt'm I 'posed ta say?"
Cassius was having a tougher and tougher time following along with her accent, but he got the gist. "Honestly, I wasn't really thinking about what you'd say."
Gloria took a moment to get her words under control. "'nd why not? Coz I'm such a heartless bitch?"
"What? No. I just... wasn't sure what you'd think."
"Well, that makes two of us," Gloria grumbled. And that certainly left them at an impasse, didn't it? Especially since Gloria still hadn't relinquished her hold on his arm.
Cassius opted for the cordial approach. "Look. I meant what I said as a way of cheering you up, I guess. That's all. I'm genuinely grateful. I planned on telling you at some point after the fight, and this just happened to be a good time to do it. You can take it however you want, but that's how I intended it." Well, almost cordially. "Really, when you think about it, you're the one who's weird for taking a genuine compliment so oddly."
"Oh yeah?" Gloria challenged. "'nd what, you just go 'round spillin' your heart out for anyone who does good by you? That's normal? Some Unovan custom I don't know about?"
"... whatever," Cassius settled for saying. "Look, you feel better, you're not whining about journalists or cameras or whatever, and I said what I wanted to say. We're all good. Can I go now?"
"'nd do what? Sleep? Wack off to my touch?" Gloria taunted. "I know you haven't had any physical contact with a girl who wasn't your mum for years, but I didn't think it was this bad."
Of course it would devolve to this. A genuine attempt to thank her, and not even five minutes later they were arguing. It didn't feel entirely serious, but still.
"Maybe you are a heartless bitch," Cassius tossed out. "No other woman I know would ever react to weirdly to someone trying to be nice to them."
"Oh, as if you know other women."
"More than you, Miss Alcoholic."
"Weren't you just on your hands 'nd knees thanking this alcoholic for such an inspiring battle a few minutes ago?"
"You'd know plenty about being on your hands and knees, wouldn't you?"
"Aye, yer mum taught me well."
Was this what banter felt like? This was the first he'd engaged in a back-and-forth... probably ever. It was a new feeling. Cassius was surprised he was keeping up this well, in all honesty. Maybe some of Gloria was really rubbing off on him after all. More than that, however...
"Really?" He deadpanned. "A mom joke? In the twenty-first century? Good one, real unique."
Gloria, still very inebriated, didn't seem to have a good comeback for that one. "Fuck off."
"I gladly would if you would let my arm go. We can pretend tonight never happened."
Finally, Gloria did as he asked, releasing his arm from her grip. Not without a final word, though. "Yeah, well, when you finish wacking off to the thought of a woman's touch, remember to be down in time for Hop's fight. Wouldn't wanna miss the chance to gobble his knob too, yeah?"
Cassius scoffed. "As if you'd let anyone approach your totally-not boyfriend," he muttered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing," he answered. Turning his back to her, he stalked off with a huff. "I'll be up. Thanks for nothing, I guess. Goodnight." And then he was gone.
Gloria remained at her table, finally letting her posture slump once she confirmed Cassius was gone. A good thing, too—he was a good few seconds away from getting his arse beat. Probably. Maybe. She was hardly new to fights, but she'd yet to experience an old-fashioned pub brawl. Her first one should have been special—not wasted on the likes of him.
Still, her thoughts swam with what he'd said. Nonsense about how she'd made him feel something for a sport he'd never felt before. Genuinely trying to cheer her up. Like any friend would. Because they were friends, apparently, in his eyes. Or "travel buddies," as he'd said to her earlier.
It was all stupid. So unbelievably stupid. "Git," she muttered to herself as she leaned over her table, leaning toward her drink that she'd forgotten was empty. With an annoyed grunt and nothing else left to do, she buried her head in her arms and was silent.
Not without one more parting shot. "You're fuckin' welcome, prick," she grumbled, to no one in particular.
Merry (Belated) Christmas! And a Happy New Year!
