Grace: *Retroactively freaking out about Doing A Misogyny™*

Until Grace slips out a sentence along the lines of "could you give me a little grace here" and Rocky immediately points out he used a word wrong so Grace has to explain that yeah, grace means elegance but it can also mean mercy sometimes too.

Rock doing the equivalent of blushing furiously and swooning like "omg... my mate is so so so beautiful."

Also imagine that they never stop growing until death, so maybe by the time they reach 600-and-something and die of old age, they're MASSIVE.

So an old Eridian will just lumber off a ways, sit down, and pass on. and boom. they're a mountain now. That's a mountain.

Turns out there's a childhood disease to the tune of measles that erodes the carapace, and the first symptom shows up about a week before any actual damage is caused.

Grace comments to Rocky that one of his students seems to be turning oxidisation-green. About a week later that student has to be hospitalised for this illness.

Eridian scientists realise pretty quick that Grace can detect the illness long before any of their equipment can, and when caught that early it is much, much easier and safer to treat.

You're sick. You recognise the symptoms from your crew, you have radiation poisoning. The astrophages that were protecting you and powering the ship are gone. You couldn't find the leak in time to stop it. And now you're dying out here in space, alone.

The life support systems on the ship are shutting down. Everything is shutting down. Your planet will die– your entire star system will die. They'll never know how close you came to saving them.

You think about Grace. Is his ship dying too? Or is he on his way home, none the wiser to your fate?

Maybe you're fighting until the end, or maybe you've 'made peace' with it.

And then you hear knocking, on the outside of your ship. Furious, desperate banging on the window. Your friend, your lab partner, your first contact, has come back to save you.

- Was eventually trialed by governments of the world as a scapegoat and sent to prison

- She somehow BROKE out of said prison and currently commandeers a rogue paramilitary faction of Project Hail Mary loyalists who believe in her over world governments, who presumably are still hunting her down

- She currently is on the run and staying mobile on an ice breaker ship like some kind of james bond villain base (but you know, good) while STILL working on project hail mary the whole time

- Her rogue loyalist faction controlled enough resources they could go to space and collect the beetles Grace had sent. Alternatively, it was the world government that collected the beetles, and Stratt had a whole ass heist movie to steal them, which is why she had the little xenonite figure at the end of the movie. Either ways she was running circles around them.

Ryland Grace will have the biggest funeral of any human ever

He already was the reason for the 2nd largest Eridian Thrum

When he passes, two entire planets will celebrate his life. (Head cannon) Eridians view funerals a bit more light heartedly than humans. While the passing of a loved one still hurts, it also concludes an experience so sacred within the universe. They throw a rager in Graces honor. Rocky commissions a memorial & for WEEKS it’s surrounded with food, dancing, tributes & speeches reminiscing everyone’s experiences with one of the saviors of Earth & Erid, but most importantly their memories with their Friend Grace

Earth will get the memo in an Eridian probe years later. Someone, probably a younger friend of Stratt/a descendant of PHM will give the news. There won’t be quite the collective celebration, but everyone, everywhere, will pay tribute to him somehow. Some families include him in their ofrenda, others whisper to his spirit in the wind, some name their pets for him

Statues are built, of course. On both planets. The two largest are one right outside of Grover Cleveland Middle School & the other is in Grace’s biodome on Erid. He’s wearing the fox sweater in both

Should he stay? God he wants to stay. Stay close to Jack, soaking in the heat, feeling safe and protected in his arms.

Should he leave? They were done and the way they fell into it, didn't really imply any further attachment. A shudder ran through him. This was a one time thing. Probably. It should be enough. It had to be enough. Something to remember and dream about. Nothing more, nothing less.

Slowly Robby got up and looked around for his clothes. He felt naked in a cold way. Ashamed for wanting more. Flustered because he didn't know how to navigate.

"What're you doing?" Jack asked, propping himself up against the headboard.

"I..." Robby started. What was he supposed to say?

I'm leaving?

I need to go?

I'll get out of your hair?

He rubbed his hands over his beard and neck. A habit, that had been built over the years of too much meaningless sex and not enough genuine touch.

"Mikey?" Jacks soft voice interrupted his thoughts. "Come here, okay?" He held his hands out in invitation.

A small, needy sound escaped Robbys throat, as he let himself fall against Jacks chest. The warmth soothing something deep inside his own. His muscles were still tight and he didn't allow himself to relax. Still worried, still not sure if how much of this was okay.

Jack started to rub circles against his naked back with one hand, the other found a place in his hair. Just holding on.

"What do you want?" Jack asked. Always direct in his approach.

"I want..." his voice cracked.

"Just tell me, love"

Love. Jack called him love. Like they were more than brothers in arms. More than friends, who blew off some steam. It was stupid, but it was enough for Robby to be brave.

"I want to stay." he said quietly, almost a whisper. "I want you to hold me." He continued. "I want to come back to you every day and I want you to come back to me."

The hand on his back stopped and went up to tilt his face towards Jack. His lips were captured by the softest kiss, that brought tears in his eyes.

Like Grace can have complicated feelings and understand that Ms Eva made the tough choice and ultimately did what was necessary and best for everyone in the long run and he forgives her in the end

And 2 of them DIED! While they were asleep with no one to watch over them!!