Welcome To Whatever The Fuck This Is

project hail mary says bravery isn’t something you’re born with it’s something you develop when you have someone who makes you want to be brave. ryland grace who woke up with no memory and only the vague notion that the dead crewmates next to him were his friends. ryland grace who found bravery in making sure his friends didn’t die in vain. ryland grace who found bravery in the thought that he could ensure his students didn’t die to something he could have stopped. ryland grace who found bravery in a strange little rock alien that puts on puppet shows, who shows up at his door unannounced at 3am, who forcefully commandeers his lab space for a bed, who makes fun of the way he eats, who gets excited when he thinks he made a joke, who experienced surfing and fishing and fireworks and lab goggles and nitrile gloves. ryland grace who found bravery in a strange little rock alien, his friend named rocky. and ryland grace who turned around with only minimal second thoughts to go save his friend so he wouldn’t die alone. who did actually throw himself out of the airlock without a second thought. ryland grace found bravery in his best friend. ryland grace who was brave.

Still thinking about how Grace was always treated as disposable. Kicked out of his passion field for his honesty—underpaid as a (very good) teacher, to the point he can’t afford a car—left alone in a room full of argon with a sample that might kill him, while all the indispensable guys who put him there stood on the other side of the glass and watched. Shoved screaming into a mission that would kill him. And then, then this bonkers little alien who just met him gladly trades years off his life (via extended return mission) to save him. Runs burning through deadly air to keep him from dying. Chooses finally to weave their lives together forever and recreate Grace’s best dreams of Earth to make him happy. No wonder Grace told Rocky he doesn’t have to get him a gift, he’s given him everything. To one little spider guy, Grace is irreplaceable. That’s love.