there’s something to be said

Just a nerdy 20-something unleashing her insanity on the world Previously into The Fall Guy, currently obsessing over The Magnus Archives This will mainly be me screaming into the void over Jonathan Sims so if that’s your cup of tea then you’re welcome to join me

[feral-em]

You've heard of Rocky giving Grace cuteness aggression, but I raise you Grace giving Rocky cuteness aggression - but specifically in the way that you see a dog that’s so ugly that it becomes the cutest thing of all time. Grace is gross and squishy and leaky and he'll do literally anything and Rocky will have to fight the urge to squeeze him and hold him and sing the Eridian equivalent of 'aww.' Grace is that nasty crusty smelly dog you see at the animal shelter that you immediately want to take home because you know nobody else will want it. He snores in his sleep and Rocky has to try not to squeal.

[feral-em]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary (2026) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Ryland Grace & Rocky, Ryland Grace & Ryland Grace's San Francisco Students, Ryland Grace & Eva Stratt Characters: Ryland Grace, Rocky (Project Hail Mary), Eva Stratt Additional Tags: Mentioned Adrian (Project Hail Mary), Implied Ryland Grace/Eva Stratt, i.e. grace is tired and touch-starved and has some confusing feelings about his boss, and his boss is not helping, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Ryland Grace is a Leaky Space Blob, Ryland Grace Acts Like a Wet Cat, Ryland Grace Is Not Graceful, Panic Attacks, Post-Planet Adrian Fishing Incident (Project Hail Mary), Wound Care, Worried Rocky (Project Hail Mary), rocky has so much guilt guys, Ryland Grace's Biodome | Beach House on Erid, the boys watch the sunset togetherrr, and they're wildly codependent, as a treat, Good Teacher Ryland Grace Summary:

"You really did a number on me, huh Rock?" I say as I study the burn with morbid fascination; it's angry red, seared deep into my skin, and it's the exact shape of Rocky's claws. The painkillers provided by the medical bot don't really do anything to dull the constant burning, stinging, throbbing sensation all rolled into one, traveling from my forearm down to my fingertips. "I bet it'll give me a pretty cool scar, don't you think?" . . . Four marks left on Grace, in different times, places, and by different people.

[somepomegranatetea]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Words: 2,599, Chapters: 1/1, Ryland Grace & Rocky

“What made you come up with this?” Grace asks. His voice is thick. “Grace need comfort,” Rocky says matter-of-factly. “Like a hug. This comfort Grace, question?” Grace presses his hand more firmly against the top of Rocky’s carapace, and Rocky shifts a bit within the xenonite, rising so that they make nearly direct contact through the panel. It’s not like they haven’t done something like this before—Rocky is always pressing his claws up against Grace’s palm—but it’s different for Grace’s whole hand to be so close, to feel the heat of a living thing against his side and against his palm all at once. “Yeah,” Grace breathes. ~~~ On the trip to Erid, Grace is starving.

[kyri45]

I'm so normal about this movie that I did this in 3 days with a total of 10 hours of sleep. If you know this song you know it s time to bring out the tissues.

Song is The Cave by Mumford and Sons

[bizarrelittlemew]

Are you frustrated you can't leave second kudos on AO3? or third kudos? or whatever-who's-counting kudos?

Well, have I got the html for you!

Plop any of these in a comment (by copy&pasting the code) to make an author's day and show your appreciation!

Second kudos: <img src="https://i.ibb.co/tHMjbb6/second-kudos.png" alt="second kudos">

Third kudos: <img src="https://i.ibb.co/52bggQH/third-kudos.png" alt="third kudos">

nth kudos: <img src="https://i.ibb.co/6y7qGtC/nth-kudos.png" alt="nth kudos">

yet another kudos: <img src="https://i.ibb.co/wKtcj0s/yet-another-kudos.png" alt="yet another kudos">

It will look something like this (and will be transparent with white outline on dark backgrounds):

Feel free to spread and use these as much as you like! (and if you have ideas for other variations, let me know ✌️)

[bizarrelittlemew]

So happy to see people enjoying these and spreading the love 💖

UPDATE with some suggestions from the replies! And bonus: cookie kudos.

HTML codes under the cut.

ALL the kudos: <img src="https://i.ibb.co/KsndWzq/all-the-kudos.png" alt="all the kudos">

Chapter kudos: <img src="https://i.ibb.co/9ZSmqrp/Chapter-kudos.png" alt="Chapter kudos">

Elevenses kudos: <img src="https://i.ibb.co/6P4JTsP/elevenses-kudos.png" alt="elevenses kudos">

Heaps of kudos: <img src="https://i.ibb.co/GvRw2HS/heaps-of-kudos.png" alt="heaps of kudos">

Kisses your forehead kudos: <img src="https://i.ibb.co/6nph6nM/kisses-your-forehead.png" alt="kisses your forehead kudos">

Reading in public kudos: <img src="https://i.ibb.co/f1HDR2K/reading-in-public.png" alt="reading in public kudos">

Re-read kudos: <img src="https://i.ibb.co/jWYQ8bt/re-read-kudos.png" alt="re-read kudos">

Should be working kudos: <img src="https://i.ibb.co/26WJHKg/should-be-working.png" alt="should be working kudos">

Read the whole fic in one go kudos: <img src="https://i.ibb.co/jMHrgSk/the-whole-fic.png" alt="read the whole fic in one go kudos">

Ungodly hour kudos: <img src="https://i.ibb.co/84300T6/ungodly-hour.png" alt="ungodly hour kudos">

What about elevenses kudos: <img src="https://i.ibb.co/WW3cQJ2/what-about-elevenses.png" alt="what about elevenses kudos">

[gingersnapwolves]

let me tell you, I got a ‘kisses your forehead’ kudos and it absolutely made my day

[feral-em]

And if I said that when Grace dies of old age, Rocky takes him back up into the Hail Mary and releases his body into the stars like Grace did for his crew mates. What then.

[astrugglingacademic]

Do you think they covered up Ryland being forced into space until later when nations are inevitably at war and Stratt is on trial and things come up? Do you think there are audio recordings of Grace begging for his life and his need to stay with the kids that resurface later on? Do you think those kids, now teens or adults, hear those and realize he was just as scared as they were?

[feral-em]

I love the idea of Rocky coming up with the idea for Grace’s beach on his own.

Like, Grace is malnourished and sick and barely coherent and Rocky can barely get him to eat, much less describe what he wants his habitation to be like. But Rocky remembers what the beach looked (or sounded) like when Grace showed him in the earth room on Mary, and he remembers how fondly Grace talked about the ocean and the sand and the fog. He remembers the longing, sad smile on Grace’s face as they watched the digital waves lapping against a digital shore.

So that’s exactly what Rocky gives him. He and Adrian and a crew of other scientists and engineers work around the clock to build the perfect environment for Grace - exactly to Rocky’s specifications. (He has incredibly high standards. Everything has to be perfect for the human who sacrificed so much to save him and his entire race.)

So when Grace is back on his feet and Rocky takes him to see his new home, he’s so surprised and delighted that he breaks down into tears. He has to clarify to Rocky that it’s “Happy leaking. I couldn’t be happier buddy. Thank you. Thank you so much.”

[happyill]

Guilt (emotion),

𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯

[midwesternvibes]

Do you think that when Grace had to be sedated via neck right after the excessive centrifugal force scene he got minor flashbacks to the first time he was sedated via neck, but he was so scared for Rocky that it was hard for him to differentiate between the fear he felt for Rocky and the deep primal terror of being put to sleep against his will again?

[feral-em]

Adding onto my post about Grace and Rocky having separation anxiety once they reach Erid because many of you lovely people have mentioned this in reblogs - Grace being severely malnourished when they arrive would ABSOLUTELY make matters 10x worse.

He gets increasingly worse as the years go by, and by the time they reach Erid, Rocky is in full panic mode because at this point Grace might not make it and what will he do if Grace doesn’t make it? After everything they’ve been through, after everything Grace has done for him - it’s not fair.

Rocky is borderline inconsolable when they arrive because he doesn’t know what to do and trying to explain everything to his people in a succinct enough manner that gets Grace’s needs across quick enough for them to start working on a solution right away is difficult. He can’t even give Adrian the attention that he wants to, can’t fully process their reunion, because he can think of nothing but making sure that Grace is safe and healthy and no longer nearly incoherent through the pain he’s in.

It takes time - time that Grace doesn’t have - for them to figure out how to house him and synthesize a food that will properly sustain him. Rocky spends every waking moment with him, keeping him company and watching him sleep (which he does more often than not.) He checks his vitals obsessively and listens intently to his heartbeat (less strong than it used to be.)

They finally build accommodations for Grace and figure out the meburgers, but even then it’s not easy. Grace is so weak that he can’t even get out of bed on his own (Rocky can hear how painfully prominent his ribs and hips are) and his emaciated body large and by rejects the hearty food at first. He spends long nights hunched over, vomiting up the nutrients he needs to live, his entire body trembling and tears leaking out of the corners of his eyes. Rocky spends those nights glued to his side, urging him to eat for the sake of what he can keep down, humming words of comfort.

It’s putting a strain on Adrian - Rocky can tell. He wants to give his mate his undivided attention, he just can’t. Not until he knows that his best friend is going to be okay. Not until Grace gets his strength back and can keep food down. Adrian understands, Rocky knows, but it doesn’t make it any less hard.

Slowly but surely, Grace starts to get better. He still throws up some, but each day he’s keeping more and more down. He gets to where he can sit up in his own, then stand. His skin grows less gaunt and does a better job covering his bones. The day he works up the strength to smile at Rocky…well, Rocky knows that if he could cry, he would be sobbing.

[feral-em]

Hey so y’all know about Hachikō, the dog that waited for his owner to return at a train station for almost a decade after he passed away suddenly while at work?

Yeah I’m thinking about Grace passing away of old age on Erid and Rocky keeping a ceaseless vigil for decades because he can’t bring himself to leave Grace’s side.

Rocky watch Grace sleep.

[feral-em]

Feeling emotional about the concept of Rocky being able to hear Grace’s heartbeat. Like what do you mean he was alone for 46 years and he had no choice but to sleep without anyone watching, terrified cause he’s never had to do that before in his life, but then he befriends this alien and he’s weird and soft and his internal organs make noise and maybe that’s annoying at first but it becomes something soothing, a steady presence, always there. It speeds up when he gets nervous or excited and steadies out, calm and predictable, when he sleeps - and it’s always the first thing Rocky hears when he wakes up.

And what do you mean that the first time Rocky fell asleep after they parted ways to save their respective planets, he had to wake up to silence instead of Grace’s heartbeat.

[feral-em]

Y'all think that Grace and Rocky get mad separation anxiety when they aren't together on Erid? Like, you spend years in a small space, living practically on top of each other, and y'all drive each other crazy because any two people living in such close quarters would, but you also get to know each other in a way that's so personal and you love each other so much so honestly you wouldn't have it any other way. You've almost lost each other too many times and you've seen each other suffer and you've fought tooth and nail to stay together and those things have gotta leave a mark, right?

They get to Erid and they finally have a chance to get some much needed space from each other, but they realize very quickly that they Don’t Want That. It’s scary to leave your favorite leaky space blob alone because he’s so soft and fragile and he has zero self preservation instincts and you feel this need to be with him at all times to fix something if it goes wrong. And it’s scary to watch your best friend walk away from your dome and disappear into the darkness of his planet cause the last time you two parted ways he came dangerously close to dying a slow and painful death. But Rocky can't be with Grace in his dome 24/7 and it's not exactly easy for Grace to follow Rocky around outside, so I feel like there’d be a big struggle with that, at least at first.

Grace sleeps too often for Rocky to be there to watch every time, and that Stresses Rocky Out. And Grace, far too often, wakes up from nightmares and has to remind himself through shaking breaths and a heaving chest that Rocky not being there doesn’t mean something bad happened. Grace can’t help but be filled with disproportionate relief when Rocky comes to visit, and vice versa. They spend as much time together as possible, and it’s a balancing act for Rocky, dividing his time between Grace and Adrian.

I think they’d have to learn how to be apart, learn to be able to let the other out of their sight and to trust that they’re okay.

[feral-em]

I'm sure this has been talked about already, but does it haunt anyone else that the last human touch that Ryland Grace ever felt was the hands of Stratt's guard dragging him kicking and screaming out of her office. cause I can't stop thinking about it.

[feral-em]

Grace letting the Hail Mary get messy (subconsciously or on purpose) because it's one of the few things that makes the ship feel less like a death sentence and more like a home.

[rat-in-a-cloak]

*smites that bastard* :))))