[Voice/Action]

[eyesofpity]

[Filtered from Joshua Bright / 70% unhackable]

A few questions for all of you:

Has anyone ever experienced an effect of a kidnapping actually get worse over time rather than better? Or does anyone know of a good way to deal with rather strange recurring nightmares?

[He probably should add asking about how long these effects usually last,

Comments

[Action]

[eyesofremorse]

[Leonhardt, if you want to filter something from Joshua, you might want to make sure your filter's airtight. As it is, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that he's hacking that message.

...Recurring nightmares, huh. That sounds awfully familiar... and not in a good way. Not at all. Despite this, however, he won't respond to the actual entry - rather, later in the evening, Leonhardt can expect to hear someone knocking on the door to his apartment.]

[Action]

[eyesofremorse]

[It'd be nice if it didn't get that bad. Having to rely on sedatives that strong just to get some sleep isn't really all that great, and if the nightmares are what's causing his sleeping issues as Joshua suspects, those will still persist if he decides to rely on that option.]

It could be. [But he really doesn't think that's it.]

...Is anything bothering you, Loewe? [He might as well ask, just to be safe. Maybe he can get him to talk about it somehow - that might just help a little bit.]

[Action]

[eyesofpity]

[It would be nice, but if it ends up being a month of this it's doubtful he will be able to deal with this in any other way.]

No...nothing is bothering me.

[Of course there was a slight pause there that likely gives away that that was indeed an outright lie. But really, Joshua is the last person he wants to talk to about all this.]

[Action]

[eyesofremorse]

...All right. [He doesn't sound convinced.]

But if there's ever anything bothering you, I just want you to know that you can always come to me. I'm not like my sister, but... we're still like family. So if there's anything on your mind, you can always talk to me if you want to.

[He means every single word of that. Admittedly, he's not too fond of giving pep talks, but... if he's been able to support Estelle this way, he doesn't mind doing the same for Leonhardt.]

[Action]

[eyesofpity]

[And despite what Joshua may say, it is still hard to completely let go of the fact that Joshua is his little brother who needs to be protected from all the bad things that he can protect the boy from. There were definitely things he and Karin would keep from Joshua, but more because he'd been too young to understand.]

I'll be sure to remember that.

[And still say nothing more to Joshua, because really he doesn't want to talk to Joshua about these nightmares. If they didn't involve Joshua and Karin having horrible things happen to them so much, maybe.]

[Action]

[eyesofremorse]

[...Well, that didn't work the way he'd intended. But if he doesn't want to talk about it right now, he can't exactly force him to do so. ...He could probably handle hearing about Leonhardt's nightmares just fine, though.]

I should probably head back. [Not that he'd mind staying over for a little longer, but since he only really meant to give Leonhardt the tea, there isn't really any need for him to stay any longer, is there?]

[Action]

[eyesofpity]

[He probably won't talk about it at all with Joshua. He doesn't know those images are real things he and Joshua lived through, so he's definitely going to still act on the protect little brother from horror and violence as much as he can mindset still.]

You don't have to unless you have something else to do. You know you're always welcome here.

[Action]

[eyesofremorse]

[He's a lot older than Leonhardt remembers, though. Things like what he's been dreaming about likely wouldn't bother a 16-year-old as much as a 6-year-old, regardless of whether he's lived through them or not. ...But hey, if he'd rather not talk about it, it's not as if anyone will force him to do so.]

Well, I wouldn't mind staying a little longer... but I don't want to bother you. [He doesn't really have anything else to do today, admittedly, and he definitely has no qualms with spending a bit more time with Leonhardt while they can still be on more normal terms... It's really just a matter of him not minding.]

[Action]

[eyesofpity]

[It merely is the fact that it is hard for Leonhardt to fully accept that his little brother is 16 and basically grown up now. It's hard enough to accept that under normal circumstances when a child grows naturally, but for him it was just one day Joshua was grown up. If this effect would last longer he likely would eventually accept it, but it won't last long enough to get used to the change from what he remembered.]

You are never a bother. Not even when Karin pushes you onto me. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable.