You Won't Let Me Stay Down, You'll Pick Me Back Up

Starling would do his best to try to comfort him. Saying that he was more than he gave himself credit for, and then even saying how he wasn't like his brother who stumbled over his paws every step. Shrike would look up at the other young man with a frown. "So? Who cares if you stumble? You're really smart!" Shrike refused to let his brother say anything negative about himself, even if he was the one initially putting himself down. The young man would frown, listening as Starling continued to speak again.

Make it a game... a competition to learn Italian. He would frown a bit in uncertainty, but he felt a little better as Starling continued to speak. His ego was getting stroked, feeling a bit of his confidence return. If his brother believed in him then surely... surely he could make it. He would think for a moment and then give a small nod. "I guess we can give it a try..." He would say gently. "What exactly did you have in mind?" Shrike would adjust himself so that he was sitting before his brother, looking at him with gentle bi-colored eyes.

"Speech!"
'Thoughts!'