[ Yeah, you don't exactly hear about vampires leaving behind families. Most don't want anything to do with theirs, or maybe didn't have anything left for them. Bones opened the door for this, so he doesn't shy away from Yuri's question, either. Hell, it's not the kind of problem a kid like Yuri can relate to, but he ought to know that at least Bones isn't speaking from some high horse. ]
My wife left me. She took my daughter with 'er, too. [ Saying it aloud feels like a punch to the gut, but Bones shakes his head. ] I can't blame 'em, really. Bad enough her husband never comes home from the clinic 'cause he's obsessed with saving lives and seein' patients. I felt like shit every time someone died, but I didn't want 'er to suffer my shit either, so I turned to drinkin'... and never stopped.
[ He brings a hand down his face. This is probably too much to put on a kid, isn't it? Yeah. Bones' licks his lips, looking away from Yuri for a moment. Oh, well. In for a penny, as they say. ]
She waited long enough for my ass to drag itself out of the pit I dug myself into, but I just never came up for air. I let the guilt swallow me whole, and before I knew it... I left her and my daughter long before she ever left me. I just didn't realize it.
[ He sighs, blinking back any emotion from his voice. It's easier as a vampire -- but that almost makes it worse. He wishes it weren't. He wants this to hurt, as unhealthy as that would be. But then, Yuri doesn't need to know all that. And hey, at least with all this time he's spending, that thrall should be back with the oatmeal soon.
With a quick shake of his head, Leonard is back to his glib, casual frown. ]
Anyway, you probably don't wanna hear about my sadsack life. But my point is—guilt'll make you do a lot of stupid shit if you let it run your life. I know sayin' it and doin' it are two whole different things, but you just... gotta try not to do it all alone, y'know? It'll never get any easier if you shoulder all that shit on your own. Don't be like I was an' think no one else understands, 'cause that's horseshit, plain an' simple.
cw discussion of alcoholism
My wife left me. She took my daughter with 'er, too. [ Saying it aloud feels like a punch to the gut, but Bones shakes his head. ] I can't blame 'em, really. Bad enough her husband never comes home from the clinic 'cause he's obsessed with saving lives and seein' patients. I felt like shit every time someone died, but I didn't want 'er to suffer my shit either, so I turned to drinkin'... and never stopped.
[ He brings a hand down his face. This is probably too much to put on a kid, isn't it? Yeah. Bones' licks his lips, looking away from Yuri for a moment. Oh, well. In for a penny, as they say. ]
She waited long enough for my ass to drag itself out of the pit I dug myself into, but I just never came up for air. I let the guilt swallow me whole, and before I knew it... I left her and my daughter long before she ever left me. I just didn't realize it.
[ He sighs, blinking back any emotion from his voice. It's easier as a vampire -- but that almost makes it worse. He wishes it weren't. He wants this to hurt, as unhealthy as that would be. But then, Yuri doesn't need to know all that. And hey, at least with all this time he's spending, that thrall should be back with the oatmeal soon.
With a quick shake of his head, Leonard is back to his glib, casual frown. ]
Anyway, you probably don't wanna hear about my sadsack life. But my point is—guilt'll make you do a lot of stupid shit if you let it run your life. I know sayin' it and doin' it are two whole different things, but you just... gotta try not to do it all alone, y'know? It'll never get any easier if you shoulder all that shit on your own. Don't be like I was an' think no one else understands, 'cause that's horseshit, plain an' simple.