[ Tighnari's words are kind, kinder than Kaveh has any right to hear; the blonde sucks in a deep breath, and when the fennec's eyes seek to meet his, the crimson of his answers by dropping away, too ashamed to seek his friend out. Despite the other saying that he was young, that he couldn't have known, that he shouldn't blame himself—

He shakes his head, the words thick in his throat. ]

He entered the championship, and... he didn't win, but— [ Another shuddering breath, and Kaveh's fingers tense, the urge all too great to dig back into the soft skin of his thighs, just for something to cling onto. ] Sachin got to him, somehow. It changed him, and...

[ Kaveh shakes his head, trailing off. He died. Alone. In the desert. What else is there to say? ]

My mother, she... she's never been the same. If I hadn't asked—

[ This time, he covers his face with both hands, trying to hold back a fresh barrage of sobs. ]