Ah... Noodles

Sometimes, Grace will do it without thinking. That’s how Kiddo and Buddy got their nicknames. Often, Grace will nickname students after their coloration. Gaia got his nickname because he’s blue and green, and apparently looks a lot like Earth. Violet got hers because she’s purple. (She was initially disappointed since color means nothing to Eridians, but then Friend Grace showed them violet flowers and said that humans often associated purple with wealth and royalty, and she changed her tune.) Most of the time, Grace will give his students what he calls “regular human names” like Abby, Carl, or Martin.

But the most coveted nicknames are ones named after Earthen creatures. When ♩♪♬ 🎵 ♩♪♬ 🎵 first introduced themselves, Friend Grace immediately perked up and shouted “Robin!” After a bit of explaining himself and a few videos of bird calls, Robin was trilling and chirping happily, excited at having a nickname that felt like a 1-to-1 translation of their own.

On bad days his questions aren’t even grammatically a question- just a statement spoken with a different inflection. He remembers himself when called out on it, which should be soothing but it just makes Adrian worry more. (“Adrian go sleep soon?” “Was that question, question?” “Yes was question. Adrian go sleep soon, question?”)

On that note, his sentences tend to be missing certain unnecessary words. “Was question” instead of “it was question.”

In his defense, Rocky has been in space for literal decades- has been completely alone for most of that time and living with a literal alien for another considerable portion of it, so Adrian tries to not make a big deal out of it, but it does keep happening.

Then Adrian gets roped into building the alien’s biodome. Alright, “roped into” isn’t the correct word, because Adrian was the one to suggest it, if only to spend more time with their mate who in turn spends a lot of time with said alien. It makes sense for Rocky to be with Grace- while Grace can understand Eridian very nearly fluently by the time he arrives on Erid, he is physically incapable of speaking it and needs Rocky to translate to other Eridians for him. Adrian stars to learn the alien’s language too, because Rocky can’t be there at all times and construction moves so much quicker with another Eridian being able to translate. (They need to build him a speaking device at some point!)

About six months in to learning Grace’s language, is when it happens. Adrian comes home, notices Rocky who is preparing to leave and asks “Where Rocky going?” With the exact same inflection as a usual question but without the actual Eridian grammar for making it a question. Their sentence is even missing an entire “is” because it was just quicker not to say it.

Later, when they try her for her crimes, he stands at the courtroom door and stares directly at her in that knit cap and crème fox sweater. When they drag her off, he walks with her, his pale hands in his pockets against the cold. He sits with her in her cell when they keep her in solitary confinement for twenty days straight, his eyes tired, bent over his knees as they wait for the minutes to tick by together. He never says a word.

I actually said "oh my god" out loud when I opened the link

(ʘ‿ʘ✿) “what you say ‘bout me”

Yeah you're cute when you sleep but you didn't let me sleep either so I'm going to annoy you now because I'm bored. Hahah get poked, sleepy idiot.

How do you not comprehend this when I am literally staring at you. Like I understand that your brain can't understand things this nuanced but come on, how do you not get this.

I don't know if you know that what I am currently doing is an expression of affection, but that won't stop me. Knowing that I showed you that I love you is enough.

I heard a crinkly material and the sound of you chewing so I have to know what's in your mouth RIGHT FUCKING NOW.

I can't communicate with you and you can't communicate with me, so I'm just copying the tone of the sound you're making in hopes that you understand that I try.

You are doing activities beyond my comprehension, and I find this fascinating. I will never understand what the fuck you are trying to achieve here, but I am intrigued nonetheless.

The dude goes completely pale faced. I saw true horror in his eyes. 

He didn’t know the joke.

So apparently dude just had three of his best friends demonically screech at him for no goddamn reason.