Roxifilo

An idea, just because... well, just because.

But first!

This whole thing sparked from a little character study on Tom.

Mainly because... well, Tom is a total jerk. And yeah, the concept of him falling for Ryland is super interesting, but let’s be real—Tom is completely codependent on his celebrity status. He loves the fame, the perks, being the center of attention, and being seen as "the man"—the ultimate sex symbol of his generation. So, when you factor in how much weight he puts on his public image and how far he’s willing to go to maintain his A-list status... it speaks volumes about him.

Of course, Gail is a huge asset to his character, and yeah, she’s the one doing most of the dirty work. At the end of the day, Tom is her little golden goose... but if Tom doesn't want something, she won’t push it.

She manages so much of his life—his brand, his gigs, the way the world perceives him; she is, when it’s all said and done, his manager. But she never crosses a line she knows Tom wouldn't want her to. In other words, even though Tom gives Gail free rein to do whatever it takes, he only does it because he knows Gail gets what he likes, period.

So, if Tom wants to land major film roles year after year, loves being labeled the ultimate sex symbol in the US and Australia, and thrives on the talk-show circuit... he knows Gail will simply take whatever path gets him there. ONLY because it serves his interests.

And that, one way or another, definitely messes with the boundaries between his private self and his public persona. Since he is so deeply exposed in the media with every detail of his life out there, it implies that Tom doesn't actually separate the two. Tom is the actor on set, and he’s still the actor off it.

But anyway, I’m getting a bit sidetracked. Actually, a lot. Keeping this quick character study—or rather, this simplified breakdown—in mind... here’s the plot pitch:

While the public thinks Tom is single and straight, the truth behind closed doors is a completely different story. Tom has actually been secretly married to Ryland for several years. Back when Tom was just starting out, he never brought it up; it felt like a deeply personal thing, and the topic just never crossed anyone's radar because his early roles were minor co-stars or lacked the clout to get him interviewed by the media.

I mean, the only time Tom ever hints at being romantically involved with someone is when a crew member catches it on a Behind-the-Scenes clip for a low-budget indie film. But the habit of keeping it under wraps stuck. Over time, Tom stopped dropping even the slightest hint that he wasn't straight at all.

Ryland put up with it at first. He knew how much it meant to Tom, plus, since he also works in an industry where toxic masculinity and homophobia are still very much a thing... honestly, he kind of got why it was necessary.

But while Ryland was simply being private about his love life... Tom was straight-up denying it. He started getting into PR relationships with other actresses to keep up appearances, all while texting Ryland on a second, secret burner phone, asking how his day went.

And you can pretty much guess what that kind of dynamic does to a relationship.

To make matters worse, it's not like Ryland could turn to Colt or Jody for comfort. From day one, Colt had been vehemently against Tom and Ryland tying the knot. Colt and Tom couldn't stand each other—way before Gail ever hired Colt as Tom’s stunt double—so he refused to attend both the civil ceremony and the symbolic wedding. At first, Ryland tried to play peacemaker, but it reached exhausting levels since he and Colt would end up in massive, draining arguments. It got to the point where... well, Colt just cut ties with Ryland completely.

They hadn't heard from each other in years.

In short, Ryland was emotionally stranded.

His only comfort came from Rocky and his husband, Adrian, who were old college friends. And even to them, Ryland was basically single, given that Tom was hardly ever around unless he was on a hiatus between shoots.

And it was always on the down-low. Tom would completely alter his appearance whenever he had downtime and went home, even going as far as hiring a body double just to make public appearances at exclusive spots so the paparazzi would think he was still living the usual high-profile life. It was as if Tom wasn't truly home.

Sure, he was romantic, he was affectionate during those "vacations"... but as the years and the secrecy dragged on, Ryland began to feel like Tom was just acting. Like their home was some ultra-contemporary art project and Tom was constantly putting on a performance.

They couldn't go out to the movies, grab coffee, or—without exaggeration—go grocery shopping without Tom getting paranoid about whether someone had clocked him or not.

In fact, Ryland actually had better communication and mutual understanding with Gail than with his own husband—which totally blindsided Tom, considering she was supposed to be his confidante above anyone else. Gail, in a way—and for the longest time—had been the mediator holding Tom and Ryland's marriage together.

She knew that despite everything, Tom genuinely cared about making it work with him. Because she knew Tom loved Ryland. And that’s why she pulled strings for him, even if it meant lying through her teeth. Like the times she lied on Tom's behalf so he could take breaks from filming just to spend time with Ryland.

She knew Ryland missed Tom, and vice versa, and that he just wanted to be with his husband. Even if it had to be hidden from the rest of the world.

But obviously, that kind of lifestyle never leads anywhere good. The arguments turned into a daily routine. Gail got caught in her lies on more than one occasion. Tom insisted on staying completely off the grid.

So, when Colt’s accident happens—which this time was a genuine accident, a total miscalculation that played out just like in the movie—Ryland rushes to the hospital to meet up with Jody, ignoring Gail’s warnings about how Tom was on his way and that they shouldn't be spotted together.

Ryland arrives at the hospital, asks about his brother, and hands Tom a manila envelope containing divorce papers.

Even though Colt refused to see him, Ryland just walks away. He wants absolutely nothing to do with Tom anymore, and just start signing all the legal documents for Colt's treatments. Now, the only thing he cares about is at least getting the chance to talk to Colt, letting him know about the split, and mentioning that he’s leaving for a research assignment in Antarctica.

Gail finds Tom completely broken, crying on the floor of a private hospital bathroom.

So. A Coltland AU.

So... let’s assume that, in reality, Ryland is Colt’s older brother. A huge age gap; Ryland was in his last year of college when his mom called him one day to tell him he was going to be a big brother.

A couple of years pass, Colt is barely a toddler about to star talking, when the news breaks that the Sun is officially cooling at dangerous rates and that the only salvation lies in the results of the Project Hail Mary line.

And, like in canon, Ryland is sent into space. This time, Stratt, in her desperation, didn’t think to look up Ryland’s mother’s maiden name and never discovers Colt Seavers.

Colt only knew Ryland through stories from his mother, his father (Ryland’s stepfather), his students, occasionally from Carl (when the guilt consumed him enough to go visit), and sadly, through the distorted stories Stratt sold to the media. Colt grows up thinking his big brother is, definitely, a brave man who knows no fear, and that fear or cowardice simply aren’t in his vocabulary.

He grows up knowing a version—well-intentioned, but unrealistic—of who Ryland actually was. He grows up believing his brother bravely sacrificed his life to save the world.

And, partly due to his personality, he decides to become a stuntman after being a fan and practitioner of extreme and contact sports. An adventurous soul, just like his big brother.

Right?

Until, when Colt is in his 30s... not only do the beetles arrive (they arrived years earlier, when Colt was still in high school, confirming that Ryland—HIS big brother—was alive and that there was a solution) with the logs. But now... Ryland himself arrives in a remastered version of the Hail Mary.

...

And with his arrival, the scandal of the century.

It was probably Carl who leaked the video of Ryland being captured to be anesthetized, or someone who researched the sun cure and held a grudge about the crimes for which Stratt couldn’t be convicted.

But it leaked. On national TV, when Colt receives the info that Ryland was still in medical quarantine at a naval hospital, the unedited video of how his brother fought for his life, fleeing from Stratt’s military or guards, airs.

Colt still remembers how not only did the idealized image of his brother collapse, but he was filled with terror just hearing how Ryland screamed and begged for mercy, cried for Colt, cried because he wanted to live, and implored Carl to give him more time.

Ryland’s videos, the ones that hadn’t been made public, of how Ryland spent months (a compilation) without knowing his own name or if he was in a simulation because of the memory drug.

Colt feels like he dies when he sees a version of him—somewhat older (damn time dilation and twin theory)—healing in a hospital bed.

“Oh, Colt. Wow, I don’t think I can carry you anymore.” Ryland’s voice was terribly weak and nasally, fragile, due to the near-starvation that was killing him when he was on his way back to Earth (he later discovers that even alien technology has its limits regarding the cloning of nutritional tissues). “You’re taller, buddy.”

Colt doesn’t have an older brother.

Well. Yeah. He has one, but now his big brother and he are almost the same age, and one is definitely braver than the other.

In the movie, they always portray Tom as an idiot—and he is—but I don’t think Gail would have been so desperate on taking care of him if he didn't have some actual acting potential. It’s clear he’s been in various projects, and Gail has probably managed to perfectly exploit his face for ads and modeling. But the point is, in this story, we’re talking about a Tom who has real potential and some... unique methods for getting into character.

Unfortunately, they tend to be peculiar.

In both cases, he dives deep to figure out how to play his character based on lived experience. When he’s in a good mood, he just tortures and stalks the poor guy he’s picked as his archetype reference, following him everywhere to study him. Gail constantly has to bail him out of the police station for stalking and pay a fortune in settlements. Like the time that he follow a pizza delivery guy for three months.

Or the tima when Tom actually stalked a regular officeman, during a hole year. Gail actually almost did not made it for compensation. Almost.

The second method, which Gail likes the least, is when Tom completely vanishes from the face of the earth for months—no trace, no social media, no emails, no discos, no parties, no drugs—returning only a few months before filming starts, fully prepared and sober. Nobody knows what happens to Tom, but his characters are always believable, so nobody can really say much about it.

Until now.

Tom’s forte has always been action, comedy, and suspense. But then he gets a role in a motivational drama about a teacher who wants the best for his students. For some reason, Tom ends up choosing his second method.

Thomas Riddle arrives at a school in San Francisco to teach drama... and meets Ryland.

The casting is a year and a half out, so Tom literally vanishes from the media for that year, and in that time... oh! Thomas meets the sweetest, kindest man of all: the cute science teacher, Ryland Grace.

He loves it when the kids ask Mr. Grace a thousand questions about science; he blushes when he clumsily tries to help Thomas with his own students. And damn, he feels his face heat up when he sees sweet Ryland getting absolutely furious during a district school board meeting, demanding more supplies for the children.

Ryland, who bikes to work every day, who is patient with the most distracted students, who crochets his own little anatomical plushies, and who always has snacks for the hungry kids.

Ryland, who has a beer on nights out with colleagues and blushes perfectly when Thomas starts getting kind od flirty. Who loves it when Thomas brings him something to eat, or when they chat about the kids who seem to want to become actors or scientists. When they go as chaperones to school dances... Tom falls deeper and deeper for Ryland every single day.

Ryland, who adores how Thomas always seems so excited when his kids are rehearsing lines in the hallways, and who seems obsessed with the sound and lighting equipment just to make sure his 'little stars' always shine in their plays.

Ryland, who loves when Thomas takes the rowdiest kids and casts them as extras in the 'battles' during his theater simulations (they remind him a bit of Colt, his twin, who has been suspiciously happy for quite a while now that he’s free from his odious boss). Ryland, who hates to admit that he blushes when Thomas helps paint the posters himself during school festivals or when he always has a coffee ready for him.

Ryland, who can’t help but smile when Thomas lends him his jacket on museum trips when they’re both chaperoning, or when he blushes even deeper watching Thomas comfort some girls while fixing their hair for school photos (apparently, one of the braids had been ruined because someone spilled juice during recess, and Thomas somehow knows perfectly well how to braid hair in under 10 minutes using just some gel and borrowed hair ties).

More over, when Thomas took a deep breath, and kiss the most cute science teacher after a science fair.

Until the year is up, and Thomas has to disappear.

And Tom hate it.

Tom hates it. He hates watching his calendar count down. He hates that his return tickets to California were booked so far in advance, and he dreads knowing he has to turn his phone back on—to answer Gail’s frantic calls and tell the director of that new project that he’ll be back in time for the start date.

He hates how much it hurts to pull away from kissing Ryland, and he hates how cheerfully Ryland says goodbye to him every afternoon. He hates that his contract at the school is coming to an end—though, considering he was just a temporary teacher, it was bound to happen anyway—and he hates having to let his hair grow out just so he can dye it back to its original color.

He wants to tell Ryland everything—damn, he wants to tell him everything, especially since they’ve been officially dating for a couple of months—when Colt arrives to visit his twin, finding Tom in the living room.

And, like in an action movie, the times freezes.

Colt sees red.

Colt screams at him, they both start arguing, and then Ryland walks in with dinner. And, damn.

If Jody mentions that Ryland is identical to Colt because paying for Tom's image rights is so expensive… what about Simon? Or does Mark not exist in this universe?

Oh! …yeah, well, here's a funny little detail: I completely forgot about Mark. When I wrote that scene, I was just aiming for a funny moment where Colt thinks Ryland had to look like him for some deep, personal reason—only for the actual resemblance to boil down to image rights.

Hi everyone! I’ve finally decided to upload the story based on this post to AO3. The first chapter is now available, where Colt recounts his first meeting with Ryland. It’s a brief introduction and I’m still polishing a few plot details, but I invite you to check it out. I hope you enjoy it!

Based post: https://www.tumblr.com/projecthmary/820082660169990145?source=share

Chapters: 1/1

Fandom: Project Hail Mary (2026), Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir, Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary - All Media Types, Iron Lung (2026), The Fall Guy (2024) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: The Convict | Simon (Iron Lung) & Ryland Grace, The Convict | Simon (Iron Lung)/Ryland Grace, Ryland Grace & Colt Seavers, Jody Moreno/Colt Seavers, Adrian/Rocky (Project Hail Mary) Characters: The Convict | Simon (Iron Lung), Ryland Grace, Colt Seavers, Jody Moreno, Ava (Iron Lung), Eva Stratt, Rocky (Project Hail Mary), Adrian (Project Hail Mary), Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Carl (Project Hail Mary 2026), CyberLife Employees (Detroit: Become Human) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Post-Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Alternate Universe - Detroit: Become Human Fusion, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Found Family, Fluff and Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Romance, Androids, Protective Colt Seavers, Ryland Grace Needs a Hug, Ryland Grace & Rocky are Best Friends, Ryland Grace and Colt Seavers are Twins, Amputee The Convict | Simon (Iron Lung), CyberLife (Detroit: Become Human), Human Rocky (Project Hail Mary), Human Adrian (Project Hail Mary), Alternate Universe - Project Hail Mary Fusion, Eva Stratt Has a Bad Time, The Convict | Simon Needs a Hug (Iron Lung) Summary:

Colt feels like a blood vessel is about to pop in his head. He is dangerously close to snapping. Jody doesn't seem to be doing any better; her delicate features are completely contorted into a deep scowl. Actually, "scowl" is putting it mildly—he has never seen his fiancée this downright furious before.

"What do you mean you've lost our Ryland?!" Jody's voice skyrockets, not only startling Colt—who is standing right next to her—but probably blowing out his eardrum in the process. "We just brought him in for an update! What exactly are you trying to imply?!"

The target of all this yelling, Eva Stratt, the manager of the CyberLife branch in California, doesn't even flinch at Jody's escalating outrage.

Before Tom got famous, he was just a struggling actor taking tiny roles in adverts and modelling gigs. He was basically living paycheck-to-paycheck, crashing on a mate's sofa in a packed flat. Things were looking pretty grim. But one day, he saw a fertility clinic offering cash for sperm donations. He wasn't completely desperate but that money could had helping a lot, so he only gave one sample. It wasn't a fortune, but it was exactly what he needed to survive until his next audition. He nailed that audition, landed a massive TV role, and his career completely skyrocketed after that.

Cut to a few years later. Tom is now the ultimate sex symbol of this generation and the highest-paid actor in the industry. And, to be clear, he almost does not remember anything about his donation to de fertility clinic.

Meanwhile, Ryland is looking through donor files at a clinic, hoping to have a baby. He’s feeling super frustrated because none of the regular options seem right. Just as he’s about to give up, they hand him a private catalogue of "only one" samples. He spots a profile for a "Thomas R." The man is healthy, has great genes, and even with his photo blurred for privacy, he looks so atractive. Ryland goes with his gut and chooses him.

The clinic does its part, and Ryland ends up pregnant (use your imagination) . As for Tom, he only finds out—and remembers the clinic—when Gail interrupts him right in the middle of a shoot , drag him to his trailer and started to shouting about an email he received three months ago and never opened.

It was a notification from the fertility clinic informing him that his one and only sample had finally been used, and that any remaining material had been destroyed. And because of the contract Tom signed back in the day, any information regarding the child's parent or parents was strictly private and completely off-limits.

So… a thought that just popped into my head. A Detroit: Become Human "Bloody Mary" AU.

Basically, it all takes place in the universe after the android revolution and the aftermath with CyberLife.

Now, androids can’t be hunted down once they’ve broken free from their programming—not just in Detroit, but in any U.S. state, provided they don’t cause any harm to humans.

It’s still a hot legal debate, but essentially, as long as an android breaks its own code, it’s allowed to lead a regular "human" life. However, for that to happen, the glitchy code that allows for "deviance" has to be "transferred" to the android—at least for older models, where any code insertion or programming has to be done manually, unlike the newer models that come with that programming pre-installed.

Here’s the setup: Colt is a stuntman, but as he once mentioned to Jody in the film… being set on fire is a nightmare, and it hurts like hell. So, while he does most of his own stunts—especially the ones so dangerous that the team takes months just to plan them—the truly lethal ones are performed by an android identical to Colt… who he calls Ryland.

To Colt, Ryland is a completely adorable android, and he has a special soft spot for him. He’s a little "nerd" robot who knows a ton about physics, chemistry, and special effects, as he was programmed with all that knowledge to do his job better. On top of that, Colt programmed him to be chatty. Plus, Ryland was designed to look as human as possible at all times.

Colt usually keeps Ryland with him during his downtime; they live together, or, because Colt feels bad leaving him cooped up, he takes him out whenever he’s running errands around the city. Colt is so attached to him that he jokes with everyone that Ryland is his twin brother. He even studied his maintenance manual cover-to-cover so Ryland wouldn’t get "scared" during his periodic updates; Colt handles the reprogramming or software updates himself with Dan’s help.

The problem is, since Ryland is a relatively old design, Colt had to keep him hidden during the android revolution, and he didn’t update him. CyberLife was terrified that androids would malfunction during server updates—especially since the first publicized cases of "deviants" were the aggressive ones. Ryland kept fulfilling his role, but between the end of the revolution and the success of the leader, Markus, in getting their voices heard… Ryland starts glitching and needs repairs because his systems are outdated.

Colt and Jody take Ryland to a CyberLife center for repairs. Since he’s missing so many system updates, they decide to do a full reset… and during that reset, Ryland becomes conscious and breaks his programming. He became "infected" by another android, Simon.

Since Ava bought him for commercial use—specifically for heavy lifting and high-risk work—he's a bit rough around the edges, and she barely bothered to customize him in any other way.

Simon was Ava's new android, working for an oil company that needed deep-sea divers. They couldn't send humans into zones where the pressure was lethal, so they used androids. During one deep-sea dive, Simon breaks his code—because the cabin pressure failed and the submarine started to collapse—and he manages to surface just as his sub is being crushed.

Simon's entire personality is based solely on the interactions he’s had with Ava and the oil company workers. It hasn't exactly been a pleasant experience, either, since the human divers were constantly complaining about being replaced by androids. They weren't physically aggressive toward Simon, but they certainly weren't very kind to him, either.

Ava manages to "rescue" him from being scrapped by citing the new post-revolution laws, and she takes him in for repairs because he needs a new arm. The technician had to power Simon down because he was acting quite hostile, and he grouped his update base with Ryland’s… when Simon wakes up, he has a new arm and meets the cutest android he’s ever seen in his short life.

As for Ryland? He’s literally crying blue tears because he has no idea what the hell is happening. He thinks Colt has abandoned him for being an old model; during the update, some memory files were deleted, and Ryland doesn't remember that Colt was supposed to pick him up once he "woke up" (remember, Colt was always the one to handle his updates). Simon, meanwhile, has absolutely no intention of going back to Ava to be sent back to a submarine.

What’s the most logical move? It’s simple: Simon takes Ryland by the hand, they steal some clothes, and they decide to run away to Canada. And there you have it: Colt is absolutely furious, Ava is desperate for Simon and Ryland’s safety (since Simon was a fairly new android, his personality wasn't fully configured), and Eva Stratt—the state branch manager at CyberLife—is completely livid because the idiot technician left both androids in that state.

And while the humans are running around like headless chickens, desperately trying to track down their respective androids… Simon and Ryland are busy planning their new lives in Canada.

So... a peculiar idea. But an idea nonetheless.

Tom ABSOLUTELY adores his husband. Literally.

Many people think—partly due to the management of his public image—that he’s an idiot. Right, fair enough, he can be a bit of a berk, and he only really enjoys being affectionate and patient with his beloved Ry-Ry. But he isn’t as thick as many people like to claim or believe.

After all—even though he’s been in the industry since he was a nipper—Thomas Ryder holds a university degree in acting and fine arts. He definitely has more than two brain cells to rub together, thank you very much.

But, as I was saying from the start, Tom dotes on his husband.

Ryland is, in more ways than one, the love of his life, the very reason for his existence, the light in his darkest moments, and—definitely—the reason he can actually perform in romantic films.

Gail had spent YEARS trying to get Tom to venture into romantic movies or series. His forte, until now, had been action plots—which is how he met Ryland, as he’d be visiting Colt on set—and war films. He’d also featured in historical dramas as a supporting character, war epics, or—occasionally—in comedy series as a recurring character (early in his career) or as part of the main cast (now that he’s at the peak of his career).

But he NEVER took part in projects with romantic storylines. And certainly not as a lead.

In action films, his characters would have some sort of romantic interest. But, since the plot didn't revolve around romance, he didn't really need to share many scenes with the other actor. And, to Tom’s total embarrassment, he admitted that those shots were always left until the very end, given how tense he would get whenever it was time to be affectionate with his co-star.

So... yeah. Tom might be a modern-day sex symbol, capable of flirting with the camera and being all lovey-dovey in interviews... but he couldn't be "believably" romantic on camera.

In fact, many casting directors used to tell Tom that... perhaps romance just wasn't his thing.

Because the man, to put it mildly, was dreadful at pretending to be in love with his castmates. Not to mention, he could be a bit of a numpty with the other actors, which made sharing scenes and photoshoots incredibly difficult.

Until Ryland came into his life.

And blimey, was everyone shocked.

Gail realised, because she’s not blind, that every time Ryland was visiting Tom and Colt on set, it was enough for Ryland to be standing behind the co-star of the moment for Tom to literally nail his lines.

It was almost a miracle. And she wasn't foolish enough to waste that new discovery.

His body (Tom’s) would become less tense, he’d appear more expressive, and his monologues for close-ups definitely flowed faster. Plus, he seemed much kinder to his co-stars—something the production team appreciated immensely.

Did the scene require Tom’s character to be on a romantic call with his love interest? They just had to put Ryland on the other end of the conversation, whether in person or via phone call. The editor would have to cut a few pet names, but nothing major.

Did Tom have to deliver a big romantic confession or gesture, where only he was on screen? But Ryland couldn't make it to the set? Colt—stupidly dressed in Ryland’s clothes with a photo of his twin taped to his face—would just stand where Tom could see him. And Tom would deliver the most romantic speech anyone had ever heard.

Did Tom have to film a scene where his character had to propose to his love interest? He just had to think about recreating the proposal he’d made to Ryland. But, if Ryland was right there, they’d simply dress him in the co-star’s clothes to get several takes of Tom and sort it out in post-production. (Makeup and art literally have a small collection of Ryland in disguise, with costumes, makeup, and wigs, as Tom’s co-star).

Did Tom have a scene scheduled where he had to run—that classic movie trope—after his girl/boy so as not to lose his love? Ha! They just had to tell him to imagine it was Ryland leaving him. The cameraman and his assistants had never run so fast in their lives.

The same went for any scene where they had an argument or Tom cried over the potential loss of his love interest. They only needed Colt to tell him that Ryland was upset with him for Tom to shed tears that looked genuinely convincing. Although, at the end of the day, you could catch him on an endless call with his Ry-Ry, as he wouldn't stop sobbing and Ryland would have to comfort him.

If Tom literally had to film any take where he had to show love, they simply had to tell him to imagine his co-star was his beloved Ry-Ry.

Gail’s most desperate measure, during one particular shoot, was putting a cheap mask on Tom’s co-star, since Ryland was on a school trip with their kids and couldn't get to the set or be on a call. It worked.

So, yeah.

Does someone need Tom to act romantically and affectionately with a co-star? They just need to call his husband. And, failing that, call his stunt double and dress him up as his twin brother.