Romeo listened closely, trying to make sense of the fragmented sentences, of what Rikku was saying in part by how much she was not saying it.

She'd listened to his own story, the whole soggy sorry mess of it, without blinking, without a cross look at him. What Reno did, then ...

Was for him to ask Reno. Later. He was talking to Rikku, now.

"You don't sound mad," he said, first. "Just ... confused. And a little broken."

"What can I do?" he asked, tentative. Getting sympathy was much easier than giving it.