( ...oh, man, that's a tone of voice adalia understands all too well. it takes actual effort to keep the sympathy out of her voice, in case it reads as pity, but she manages well enough. )

I'm not charging at all until I have a solution for you. I can't just hear about something that's causing someone such distress and not help with it, but I'm not going to charge for help that hasn't actually been rendered either.