Rocky on the trip back to Erid registering that Grace has defaulted to using he/him for him for sexism reasons and that they don't actually have to go by he/him. xe does some research on the human computer and spends several weeks cycling through different pronoun sets. starts switching so frequently Grace becomes convinced sie has started being difficult on purpose. after a while Grace is like omg will you just pick one and stick with it. Rocky is like okay i have decided. rock/rocks. rockself. Grace like well i can't argue with that.
#see the hill that I will die on is that if Andy weir was cooler rockey would use either they them or xe xir#you’re telling me cool middle school teacher Ryland grace is unfamiliar with the concept of fun new genders#absolutely not. his students have taught him about singular they them and neopronouns
Grace trying to explain to Rocky that they can be whatever they want to be and presenting a whole list of different pronoun options and Rocky (who has no concept of gender) being like 'why would I care about any of this'
Rocky: which pronouns does Grace use question?
Grace: he/him
Rocky: okay. Rocky will use he/him too
Grace: okay but I feel like defaulting to he/him promotes a patriarchal kind of mindset and we should be more thoughtful about it
Rocky: okay so use the other standard pronouns
Grace: she/her?
Rocky: yeah
Grace: okay but that feels weird too
Rocky: why weird question
Grace:
Grace, later, lying awake: I never considered that Rocky might wanna be a she... Am I a bad person?
Rocky: Grace mix it up suggestion
Grace: I guess I could
Rocky: Rocky he/she/they/it
Grace: I don't know if you can use it
Rocky: why not question
Grace: it's just considered dehumanising?
Rocky:
Rocky, being a little shit: I choose it/its
Rocky: this conversation boring, let's go back to Grace tones
Grace: okay so you won't pick a pronoun but I have to pick a tonal inflection?
Rocky: my thing more important statement
Grace: okay fine can't you just your tones for me?
Rocky: but Grace not qualified engineer
Grace: well is there a schoolteacher tone?
Rocky: uhh no
Rocky: schoolteacher not
Rocky: schoolteacher not prestige profession statement
Grace:
Grace: WOW.
Grace: is there not like a default tone to use when you don't know all this stuff about a person?
Rocky: yes but very rude to use for close friend statement
Grace: wait hold up 🤔 you think of me as a close friend?
Rocky: yes maybe Grace shut up now
Grace several years into their voyage, finally getting good enough at understanding Eridian to clock when Rocky has switched back to using the Neutral Tone for him, thereby implying that they are no longer friends: HEY??
Grace, in the middle of a big argument: did you just. dead person inflection me?
Rocky: uh-huh
Grace: does that mean what I think it means
Rocky: it means what it means statement
Grace: come ON
