[fuck off there are more of them, he didn't need to know this about the local catboy population. not like this.]

I'm... about one hundred percent certain on the glasses, but it was dark. Never mind.

[Never mind, Rio time; he presses their arms together more firmly, like this point of anchored touch will make the awful truth of what happened to Rio feel further away. After another moment he covers their joined hands with his free one, turning his head to kiss the top of Viktor's when he leans into his shoulder. Mmph.

It's one thing to feel that blank nothingness, the bleak satisfaction, and it's another entirely to hear the reasoning and explanation behind it; to picture Rio's big, goofy face bumping into him at all hours in all places, and to ever think that her quality of life wouldn't matter. He sighs.]

We should have thrown the beakers back at him, [he says, after a pause.] Honestly, if we'd had to apologize, we'd have been locked down here for the next couple months. Or learn. I didn't learn anything worth knowing.

[Rio, he means, but he glances up at all the Cytherea scrawling, too. He doesn't count all that as "learning," necessarily. Hmm.]

I brought blankets; are you alright to spend the night here, still? After we clean up.