[The way he watches the sculpture isn't lost on her, but she's not sure if it's the right time to ask. She just peeks at Beaky like the familiar might give her the answer, at least until her eyes are drawn to Alex in turn as he speaks.

Her hand comes to her chest to rest over her heart like that might alleviate the way it squeezes at Alex's words. It's not like it's the first nice thing he's ever said to her, but there's something raw and vulnerable still inside of her, torn open by Wash's dishonesty, by Ogata's crime, by Mista's words of love.

She blinks to clear the sting from her eyes and finds a few tears, and she laughs in bashful surprise as the other hand comes up to wipe them away.] Geez, s-sorry. [Her next breath results in a small sniffle, and then she leans over to bump her shoulder affectionately against his.] I just— y'know.

[On an Earth where he lived to see her world programmed into existence, would he feel the same way? Would her story still mean something to him if they hadn't met here?]

I'm glad I met you too. It turned out to be lucky I couldn't fall asleep that night, huh?

[Lucky they were both kept awake at camp. Lucky they're here at this place and time, a dead boy and a digital girl, meeting only by the serendipity of Lucretia's outstretched hand.]