benvenuto a tutti quanti

this could be colored by the fact that I enjoy eva stratt, so consider that an obligatory grain of salt served with this post.*

however, I don’t think rocky would have anything negative to say to stratt at all.

rocky is a savior of erid in the exact same way that grace is a savior of earth, except rocky actually volunteered. despite his genius, book!Rocky frames himself as less worthy than eridian scientists and very trusting of his government and worldview. he is quick to point out grace’s flaws despite their friendship, and is a very demanding rock person. it’s charming because his speech is broken by the translator, but rocky is undoubtedly just as quick to criticize grace when he’s done something wrong as he is to praise him.

best friends, certainly. but considering that grace’s reaction upon regaining the memory of his abduction is blame to himself that he wasn’t brave enough? considering eva stratt’s role in saving earth, saving erid, and - centrally to the narrative - introducing grace and rocky and allowing their friendship to show ryland grace who and what he died for?

I don’t think, in the scenario of rocky and stratt meeting, he’s angry at all. I think he may be vaguely uncomfortable, in the way that best friends are comfortable resenting their friends’ bosses and co-workers for dumb things their friend has ranted about.

he may even dislike her - many of the characters do. but rail and swear? attack her?

no. she is the same as erid’s government to him. if anything, grace is the one vaguely uncomfortable in a meeting between the two. because both of them know who he was, and only rocky knows who he became.

if rocky ever met eva stratt, he might even thank her.