... Maybe if you had, you could've done a little better in defending yourself.

[ At least made it obvious, then, who might've been the root of things.

(You don't-- want to talk about this, though, all the vile feelings, all the giddiness, feels like it's going to erupt at once.)

Siffrin smiles. All they can do, right now. Smile. Restrained, forced, a mix. A squeeze of their hands. Too far apart, too distant. ]

Not that I would've been any help, myself. We were pretty... busy. The past day or so. For this.

[ A head tilt to the splendor. ]