Stellar Cafe

this study got out of hand haha, but it's a perfect shot for the text from the book (opening of chapter 24) - what a brutal passage :(

Lesson #14 Flexibility

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Thank you to the people proofreading it!!! You guys are my saving Grace!!

@sandersclause

@xushibeetle

science teacher besties!!

I can't stop thinking about how, despite everything, everyone on the Hail Mary Project either liked, loved, or greatly respected Grace.

I just keep thinking about the parts of how the greatest minds of that generation followed him everywhere like ducklings, and listened to his every word, even copying some of his sayings, either because they liked them or it made them smile.

Yao Li-Jie and Olesya Ilyukhina instantly took to him. This man they had never met before, and they welcomed him with open arms.

When they first meet, Yao assures him that he, too, can be brave. And before that, we see him clapping him on the shoulder and joking with him as if he'd known Grace eons.

Olesya knew he was scared, and she tried to comfort him, telling him that he'd be dying in some pretty awesome company. She knew he was terrified, knew that there was nothing else that could be done, but she wanted him to know that he wouldn't be alone, that she and Yao would be with him.

Carl was his best friend during this entire process; he went with Grace everywhere. They made a life-form together, all while eating Grace's favorite candy and joking. He didn't hesitate to spend as much money as he could to see whatever experiment Grace came up with come full circle. And when the worst came, he told Grace that he could do it, that he knew who he was, and that he could do it.

Stratt saw he was sad and decided singing for him would make her feel better (she was right). When he got nervous and felt he didn't belong, she was always there to stop that line of thinking. Either by patting the back of his chair or pushing him forward so he could explain what was happening. She never let him fall to the back; she kept him front and center.

And I'm not sure if this was her or not, but when he was being taken away, his head was in someone's lap, and fingers were carding through his hair, trying to comfort him.

She packed everything she could for him, packed everything he loved in his pages as a way to say sorry, even though she knew it her apology would never be accepted.

And Stratt was lying, and she knew she was lying when she said Grace didn't have a family or friends, because he did.

And yeah, Grace never really saw that, because he didn't think that much of himself, but everyone else saw it; they became his friends, his family, his picket fence.

But saving the world got in the way, and I can't stop thinking of how if things hadn't gone so wrong, he would have hopefully figured out how much he meant to them all, not just because he was smart, but because they genuinely loved being with him, for him.

Even the security liked him.

His students love him.

Rocky, Adrian, and all of Erid adore him.

Girrlll whatever

Yao and Ilyukhina somehow survive and Dubois and Shapiro are freaks. Post.