[Skin against skin. His hand and their neck. It's a sensation they're unused to, and they can feel the goosebumps rise on their arms.

Their first instinct is to ask him if he's sure. They know how much they stand out, how many people, even here, see them and automatically assume they aren't human. But Altius has never made him feel anything less. He's been there. He's reached out to them. He's offered his hand. And now...]

< I can't promise you I can answer all of them. > [The gears continue to turn and whir with more force than usual, but the ticking itself remains steady. Soft, despite everything going on within.] < Hard to answer things I don't even know about myself, after all. >

< But... I'd like to be with you too. >