[Joshua dips his head in a brief nod to show that he’s listening to Anya. Otherwise, he’s engrossed in the puzzle before them, not because of its brokenness—but because of what he’ll have to do to fix it.]
All right.
[He’d been doing his best to avoid engaging with the spikes of cold that would pierce his heart in the presence of nightmares. Yet now he’s purposefully addressing it. Calling it. Willing the acceptance of this curse to perhaps bring something bigger out of this new malady that seeks to replace another from home.]
[In earnest.]
[Joshua closes his eyes and sucks in a steadying breath through his nose.]
[Then, he reaches deep inside himself, like trying to open a door frosted over to invite the darkness inside. A few moments pass, and he begins to consider that perhaps his attempt was futile. He can’t say he’s exactly saddened by the thought.]
[That’s when the wisps of inky black run like murky rivers from the shards and, after using a second to find their target, launch their way into Joshua’s heart.]
[He grits his teeth against the sudden impact, grunting with the effort it takes to wrest his hands from the image. Breathing heavily, eyes squeezed tightly, it’s clear he’s not in any shape to speak. Still, he tries.]
no subject
All right.
[He’d been doing his best to avoid engaging with the spikes of cold that would pierce his heart in the presence of nightmares. Yet now he’s purposefully addressing it. Calling it. Willing the acceptance of this curse to perhaps bring something bigger out of this new malady that seeks to replace another from home.]
[In earnest.]
[Joshua closes his eyes and sucks in a steadying breath through his nose.]
[Then, he reaches deep inside himself, like trying to open a door frosted over to invite the darkness inside. A few moments pass, and he begins to consider that perhaps his attempt was futile. He can’t say he’s exactly saddened by the thought.]
[That’s when the wisps of inky black run like murky rivers from the shards and, after using a second to find their target, launch their way into Joshua’s heart.]
[He grits his teeth against the sudden impact, grunting with the effort it takes to wrest his hands from the image. Breathing heavily, eyes squeezed tightly, it’s clear he’s not in any shape to speak. Still, he tries.]
Did… did it work…?