my take on the au "Rocky/eridian scientists secretly extend Grace's lifespan" is that. It would mean that once again, Grace has medical experiences decided FOR him, out of his control, re the forced coma or (if we go by book canon), the amnesia drugs. I enjoy the au not for wholesome reasons but for decidedly evil ones lolol. Would Rocky, traumatised by loss, so co-dependent with Grace that he cannot bear losing him, and desperate to "fix" every problem, go against Grace's knowledge? Maybe. Would Grace, on learning what was done to him, have the biggest blow up since the Denmark incident? Oh yeah baby. And this time, alllllll directed at his best friend in the universe. Because, deep down (probably subconsciously), Grace will always have those doubts. "I trusted someone before and they violated my autonomy in every possible way. What's the chances it'll happen again? I'm at the mercy of the Eridians here in the bio-dome, but they'd never abuse that power dynamic... right?" Oooohhh it's the opposite of a sweet, funny au. It's Grace's nightmares come alive. Crucially, even if Grace WANTS to live longer, it would be such a manifestation of his trauma that I feel it would create a massive rift between him and Rocky. But also, it would force them to both recognise why this has happened: Rocky, unable to let go, and Grace, unable to trust.
@entomancy I feel similarly tbh, the funniest (and most wholesome) possible way for this AU to stay lighthearted is for it to be a total accident, and for both Grace and the Eridians to be utterly baffled when Grace stops aging.
There is a really good fic on AO3 called Aging Gracefully that handles this concept very well.
