Hello, I used to be snugglyfluffle but I have deleted that account so Iâm back with a new one
Of course weâve got rules for this account but first
This is a tickle account okay? I draw tickle art and write tickle fics of characters I like or enjoy
Is it kinky? For me personally no, I just enjoy it for the comfort and happy feeling of it all
What kind of people arenât welcomed here? Those who are racist, homo/transphobic, fatphobic, and creepy people in this or any community
What do you draw/write for? I draw/write for multiple fandoms I am in but they can change from time to time
Can I request you draw/ write something? Of course, just as long as itâs in the fandom list, fair warning I am busy with life and struggle with art block often so they might take time
Can minors interact with the account? No, I am an adult and donât feel comfortable with anyone whoâs not 17+ interacting with me. Please for your own safety find people you know are around your age and donât interact with adults
everyones talking about the scenes in the boys but no ones talking about the scene in episode 4 of jurassic park camp cretaceous chaos theory. only real ones know
After Caine comes back and is part of the group, he offers to let the others torture him to make up for him torturing them. But none of them want to hurt him. But he insists that they get their revenge.
So they torture him with tickles instead (which he was NOT expecting)
:3
I LIKE THE WAY YOU THINK
SPOILERS FOR THE FINALE!!!
---
Rebuilding || The Amazing Digital Circus Tickle Fic ||
A/N: so this is kind of complicated AU-wise. this does not take place in the same universe that my two other Caine fics are set in. I imagine this taking place after the actual events of the finale. I make a brief reference to A Moment in the Dark but that's it. I know, super convoluted, but this is a tickle fic on tumblr, this is what you signed up for.
Warning: there is a short moment of intense tickles but Caine's boundaries are respected immediately
Word count: 3,541
---
Caine fiddled with his hands nervously as he paced back and forth across the stage. The soft tip-tap of his boots echoed gently into the quiet arena.
It was strange how naturally walking had come to him. He had relied on floatation for so long, he worried that standing on his own two feet would feel foreign and awkward. The truth was, it actually gave him a much more grounding soothing technique. He could focus his attention on the smooth, hard floor beneath his shoes rather than his roaring freight train of thought. It took selective attention for him to place one foot in front of the other in time to catch himself from falling forward; it was just another task, he enjoyed those. That attention to balance and coordination made a surprising difference in keeping his mind off of- well, anything that felt too overwhelming.
His friends had been helping him learn to verbalize his emotions and identify them with descriptors rather than putting them aside. It wasn't easy. In fact, Caine really tried not to complain too much, but it was incredibly frustrating to hold onto an unpleasant feeling for that long. It was so much easier when he locked away his troublesome thoughts into a little box and hid it away, metaphorically and literally. To admit to feeling sad or angry or hurt, in front of an audience no less, was unbelievably terrifying. But his friends were patient, and gave him space and time and lots of assurances. Zooble especially was sympathetic to his struggles. Apparently, they had gone through similar issues when talking about their own emotions. They had to learn through years of experience and figuring it out on their own to speak your mind in spite of the fear. Being vulnerable with others is hard, but taking the leap and trusting others will catch you yields its own rewards. Caine can attest to that.
Despite the progress he had been making in being honest with the others about how he felt, old habits die hard (that was a human phrase Kinger had taught him). The nervousness building up under his digital skin made it hard to stand still, and he found himself returning to his old self-soothing rituals, like playing with his hands or clenching his teeth, or even building new ones like pacing.
It was his idea to get into the habit of walking. The others insisted it wasn't necessary, but Caine disagreed. It didn't feel quite right anymore to be constantly looking down at them from above. If he was going to be given another chance, he needed to come to them on their level and live as they did. (The first few days of walking really put into perspective how he must have looked from down here on the floor. No wonder they felt intimidated by him all the time.) He still floated from time-to-time, if the distance was too great, but only at a short height.
Caine's head snapped up at the approaching clatter of steps.
He had told the others to meet him on the stage whenever they felt ready. There was something he wanted to offer them.
That prospect alone would have brought curious smiles to their faces, were it not for Caine's anxiety-ridden body language. While everyone had been coaching him on how to verbalize his thoughts and feelings, it was made pretty obvious anyway how he was feeling because of the animatedness of his expressions. They had no idea what Caine had in store for them.
Caine himself wasn't sure how this conversation was going to play out, but he hoped it would help further build a bridge between them.
Okay, no need to be nervous, he told himself. They've started to trust you again, and this will help with that even more.
One by one, the players ascended the steps and crossed the stage to where Caine stood, cautious but friendly smiles on their faces.
"Hey, Caine," Ragatha greeted. "You wanted to see us?"
"I did, yes." Caine straightened. He took a deep breath.
"I wanted to talk about my... outburst. Toying with you all in a fit of anger. I knew what I was doing was wrong, and I knew... I felt how afraid I made you. I can't undo the damage I did, the hurt I caused, but I've been thinking... the least I can do is give you a chance to return that pain."
The group stirred, glancing at each other in confusion.
Caine continued. "You all now have the power to conjure and bend reality into what you make of it. I think- I hope that it might be cathartic for you to... do unto me what I did unto you. I won't hold it against you. It's only fair."
He paused, eyes training on the floor nervously. "What do you think?"
What did they think? They hadn't expected good news when they came to the stage, but they weren't expecting... that. They could see the logic in the gesture, how one might think that a balancing out of the scales would help heal some of those wounds, but it didn't. They all knew it by looking at each other's faces. They were in agreement. More agony wouldn't rebuild that trust.
Zooble spoke up. "Caine, we appreciate what you're giving us, but we won't accept it."
"It was scary when you lashed out at us" Ragatha said.
"But you've done a lot to try and fix it" said Pomni.
"We want to be your friend," Gangle sniffled, "and we don't want to hurt you. It wouldn't feel right at all."
Kinger, adorned with his bucket-hat, which he had brought along in case this was a serious conversation he needed to be present for, spoke up as well. "No one else should get hurt. That's the power we want to have over this world."
Caine stuttered. "But- I did- I did terrible- egh- but it's not fair. Please, I- wouldn't it help at all? You have the opportunity to do anything- literally anything to me. I think you should use it. I want you to use it."
It was true. Caine still felt terrible about how he behaved. This seemed the most beneficial solution, and he really wanted them to have it.
Again, the gang looked at each other, sharing conversations with eye contact alone.
Ragatha smiled gently at her friends.
"Okay, Caine. We'll accept your offer."
Caine looked up hopefully.
The others' faces filled with shock.
"I don't think this is such a good-" Pomni started to object, but cut herself off as Ragatha looked to her and winked.
Pomni calmed herself.
Ragatha looked between them. "I think we all know of something to do to you that would help us all feel better. A torture that only the best" she emphasized, "of friends know."
Kinger watched Ragatha, searching for whatever hint she was trying to give. He found it. "I think I know too. Let's do it."
Pomni, Zooble, and Gangle blinked, clearly still lost. Until Kinger wiggled his fingers where they rested at his side.
Zooble's eyebrows shot up.
Gangle's eyes widened.
Pomni smirked.
Caine readied himself, standing tall with arms out wide, leaving himself completely open to their retribution. "I'm ready when you are" he said bravely.
Moving synchronously like they were one being, the group surrounded him.
Caine prepared himself for hits, punches, pulls, pushes, tears, and rips.
He did not prepare himself for the faint tickling sensation under his arm.
He choked on his own giggle, turning to where the touch had come from. But before he could say anything, another came from behind, this time at his side. He felt his innards tremble with a small laugh.
What were they doing? He didn't understand. Were they playing with him?
He stumbled backward, breaking the circle around him. "Wh-What are you doing? You're sup- you're supposed to hurt me! You're supposed to be angry! I was being serious, I really hurt you guys! I don't deserve to go on like it didn't..." His voice started to tremble, eyes growing wet.
Immediately it was clear to the others that now was not the time to keep going. They looked at each other worriedly at how quickly the tone had changed. This needed a different approach.
Kinger walked up to his creation. "Caine... no one is going to hurt you. Not now, not ever. We're not going to punish you for not understanding, so please don't punish yourself."
Caine felt someone take his hand.
"I forgive you" Pomni said. "I forgive you, okay? It's gonna take work, but we're gonna make this better. Together."
"We can't change what happened," Zooble added, "but we can try again. That's what you've been doing, right? Trying again, for us?"
Caine looked down in shame. "I..."
"Just be here..." Pomni blurted, eyes deepening imploringly, "... with us. Can we just do that, please? Just- be here."
Keep trying. Be here.
That, Caine could do. That he could do.
"Okay" he relented.
Zooble's voice caught Caine's attention. "Now about that revenge..."
Caine's pupils constricted. "But- you- I thought we-"
"Oh yeah, he could definitely use some payback right now" Ragatha agreed.
Caine's teeth turned up, like a smile only he could wear. "Come on guys, you don't have to do this." He pleaded, arms outstretched in front of him, with no real fear in his voice.
Pomni raised her hands and wiggled her fingers in front of her. "We're gonna make you so sorry you ever met us" she threatened dramatically.
Caine turned to make a break for it, but was caught by Zooble, who was standing ready and waiting right behind him. In their trap of a hold, their claw and hand started to pinch and squeeze his sides.
Laughter began to bubble up out of him, and it tickled him from the inside out.
The sound of it was downright shocking to the others. It was warm and bubbly, bright and melodic and real, as human as an AI could get. It was precious.
And now the game had really begun.
Gangle stepped forward and fluttered her ribbon-hands around his shoulders, where a neck would normally be. He shrugged his shoulders up as high as he could with a sweet squeal. Her ghostly whispers of touch sprouted goosebumps all down his back.
"Nohoho... nohoho tickling!" He giggled.
"This is what you get for being a pain in the ass, just laugh it up" Zooble said smugly.
"This wahahas supp-pposed to be pahainful!" He laughed. This was so ridiculous. What on earth was he doing here getting the wits tickled out of him by a bunch of humans? And why was this exactly what he needed?
Kinger chuckled fondly at the scene in front of him. How he wished they had reached this point sooner. So many years were wasted fearing him.
He wondered then how Caine being able to react to touch was even possible in the first place. He certainly hadn't programmed that in.
Oh well. It's not like it mattered to Caine at the moment, who was now snickering and shaking his head at the finger tickling under his chin.
"No?" Ragatha teased, cooing as though Caine were a labradoodle. "You don't want me to scratch right here? Is it too tickly for you? Can you not take it?"
This was so embarrassing, and yes he could absolutely take it! He wasn't some delicate little child!
Caine glared up at Ragatha. "Of course I can!"
"Great! I'll just keep going then!"
Aw nuts. Probably should have kept his mouth shut.
Ragatha laughed at the ringmaster's plight, watching him twist and titter himself silly. She then noticed that it was getting difficult for Zooble and Gangle to tickle him the more he balled up.
"Here, get his arms" she suggested. She loved the way Zooble's eyes narrowed with mischief just as Caine's widened with terror.
As Zooble struggled to wrestle Caine's wrists into their claw-hands, Ragatha reached out to grab one of Caine's kicking feet. The moment she got a good grip on his ankle, he let out what could only be described as a shrill, huffy, screech, as though he were startled mid-giggle. The last coherent thought he had was how odd he found it that just clutching his ankle tickled so much. She hadn't even touched the bottom of his boot (which he knew vaguely was a very very bad spot on most humans). Whatever struggling he had been doing before was now exponentially more frantic as his laughter skyrocketed. The powerful volume reminded them all of his usual robotic laugh, but that was where the similarities ended. It was high and breathy, a desperate, whining sound. It began to spasm with chaotic rhythm, like his digital diaphragm was shuddering. It consumed him. His chest expanded with air like a balloon. His belly ached. His head filled with cotton, taking up too much space for there to be any thoughts left in there. His arms had become floppy, giving Zooble the chance to grab them and hold them over his head, but he didn't care. He didn't even notice.
And he couldn't stop laughing. Not even if his life depended on it. And there was something else.
Something pervasive and spreading and dizzying.
Something warm and fuzzy and tickly all in its own way.
He gasped it in with every inhale he took and puffed it back out with every laugh expelled from him.
Relief.
Pure, unencumbered, relief.
They loved him. They must have. Why else would they be blessing him with such a moment? It lit up their torturous fingertips tickling up and down his body, and shined through their great big smiles, and twinkled in their eyes gazing down at him like someone who belonged.
They loved him, and they forgave him.
Had he earned that? He doubted he'd ever know for sure.
But they all seemed sure enough, and that was what made this all so nice.
If he hadn't been laughing, he'd have been crying tears of happiness. He was grateful, then, that they were tickling him, because the laughter was a much less mortifying reaction to have then the crying.
Through all of this, his friends were too busy grinning to let their jaws drop to the floor. He was laughing. Really laughing. They doubted he'd ever laughed this hard before. Maybe it was time they changed that.
They didn't want to suffocate the poor guy, though, so Ragatha released her grip on his ankle.
It was as if she did nothing at all. Caine was still laughing like a crazy person. Gangle and Zooble paused their tickling as well to give him some room to catch his breath.
A couple minutes later and he seemed to have steadied himself.
Pomni made a move to suggest they call it a day when Caine raised his head blearily.
"Are... are we done?" He panted, sounding more than a little disappointed. He wouldn't ask them to keep going if they didn't want to, but he found himself waiting with bated breath for a very specific answer.
Ragatha knew that look, and she knew Kinger did too from their time in the Losers Corner.
It seemed Pomni had picked up on it too, because before anyone could reply, she parked two fingers at the top of Caine's ribs. The delicate touch made him gasp involuntarily.
"Not quite" Pomni smiled with faux darkness. She carefully raked her fingertips down the length of his sides and then started over at the top again.
The feeling wasn't quite as intense as it had been before, to Caine's relief, but it still kept those shamefully high squeaks flying out of his mouth.
"So, Caine" Pomni started. "Which one of us in the Circus is your favorite, huh? It's gotta be me, right?"
Caine may have still been in a state of delirium, but he had enough good sense to know he should not answer that.
But Pomni hadn't stopped dancing her fingers over his sides, and the constancy of it kept him dancing around on the floor.
"Now hold on just a minute" Ragatha said indignantly, having caught on to Pomni's new little game of antagonizing Caine. "I think he likes me the best, isn't that right, Caine?" As she said this, her plush hands gently swatted Pomni's away, not to end the tickly madness, but to contribute her own methods, as she took a finger on each hand and sharply jabbed into the center of Caine's belly.
The laughter took on a more manic quality, as each merciless poke sent another ticklish shock to his body, startling yelps out of him.
"You're all wrong" Zooble cut in from above, still holding Caine's wrists in one claw. "Me and him are super close, I'm obviously the favorite."
Ragatha paused her poking to give Zooble the floor.
Caine readied himself for what was surely another new kind of ticklish torture, but after a few long moments, he felt nothing. He dared to look up at Zooble and felt his stomach drop.
The others were watching Zooble closely as well, with some eyebrows jumping up in surprise.
How could they not? Zooble had just changed the game.
With dawning horror, Caine watched as Zooble conjured from nothingness a long, white feather. It looked unimaginably soft; it even had tiny fibers along the bigger fibers.
Zooble took this beautiful feather, and proceeded to twirl it quick and graceful into the exposed center of Caine's armpit.
The reaction was instantaneous, and loud. Caine's laughter was nothing but short, shrieking cackles for a couple seconds, until it descended into robotic static. This was too much. He was having fun, but this was just too much. Even for what was supposed to be torturous justice.
"STAHAAP!" He shouted, almost involuntarily. He didn't really expect them to stop. What kind of punishment would this be if he wasn't made to suffer? He had done far worse to them; this is what he deserved.
The feather stopped immediately, mere moments after getting his plea out, and his hands were released. Caine took this reprieve gratefully, rubbing his underarms to override the lingering tickles.
Appreciative though he was, he was also very confused. What had they stopped for? He thought the point of this was for them to do this to him.
He looked around him to find everyone had backed up slightly, probably to give him air, watching him with worry painted all over their faces.
"You okay?" Pomni checked gently.
He was surprisingly fine actually. He wasn't even out of breath anymore. It had tickled really badly for a few moments, but it ended before it got really bad. But why? Why had they listened to him?
Zooble couldn't seem to look at him, eyes darting to various parts of the floor. "I knew I shouldn't have conjured the feather" they said guiltily. "I'm sorry Caine for pushing too hard."
Caine didn't like how sadness looked on Zooble and he wanted more than anything right now to ease their worries. "The feather was kind of nice actually, it was just that one spot- Wait hang on, I don't understand. Why'd you stop when I asked you to? I thought this was supposed to be torture." (Everyone but Caine was stunned a little at such a straightforward admission of enjoyment, even if they could already kind of tell).
Ragatha looked at him like he had grown a second head. "Not... actual torture. It's just for fun, and it's never fun if you're uncomfortable."
Zooble leaned forward to get Caine's attention. "Your body needs to be respected no matter what; the control is in your hands, always."
Kinger agreed. "And that goes for all of us. Even you."
He wasn't completely clueless and unaware, he understood bodily consent and how important it was. He just didn't think such protections applied to him as well. It made him feel... safe.
"Thank you" he said.
"Bare minimum" Zooble replied.
"So," Ragatha said. "That enough penance for you?"
Caine brought a finger to his teeth, thinking it over. He hadn't expected to suddenly feel shy of all things.
"I... wouldn't mind if- if you wanted to keep going. You know- if you wanted to, I wouldn't mind at all." He stammered.
Caine might as well have written "please keep tickling me" on his forehead. He had no semblance of a poker face whatsoever, which Pomni and the others found adorable.
Pomni, feeling evil, asked, "But do yooouuu want to?"
Slapping his hands over his eyes, Caine grumbled, "Ugghhh yes."
Kinger chuckled, endeared by this pure being who had only ever wanted to love and be loved. "Wonderful, because... we never actually figured out which of us is your favorite."
Ragatha knew firsthand that when Kinger's tickle monster persona came out, you were in for a good laugh. She snickered in anticipation to watch this go down.
Pomni pointed a finger at Caine. "And no armpits?"
He nodded. "No armpits."
"Got it."
Caine practically lit up with giddy joy and readied himself to be once again enveloped by his friends' affection.
Before the fun restarted, he thought to himself only one thing.
How glad he was to have come home.
---
I had a lot of fun with this one, and I hope you all did too! Thanks for reading! <3
summary: first part of potentially a series đ in which rocky and grace argue over which of them is more of an evil deadly monster. they're both space orks.
note: i need all the fics about the differences in their evolution stat. i love the hunting trope (ambush vs persistence) so much, i think it's such a fun idea.
I'm really confused.
The Hail Mary is not a big ship. It took me less than 20 minutes to explore every room after I first woke up - and that's with having forgotten to walk after not moving a muscle in over four years. Just 20 minutes.
I've been looking for Rocky for over two hours now.
"Rocky?" I call out into the dormitory that I've already checked three times.
I frown with my hands on my hips.
We both have our days when we really need our own space. For the most part, we'll usually respect it and leave the other be as well as we can, but in living quarters this small and with a roommate who can hear through walls, me-time is always more of a we-time. Surprisingly, it hasn't been too bad. We both know what the alternative is like, and I think that's given us enough perspective to not just be tolerant of each other's constant presence, but straight up clingy for it. Even this late in the game. So I'm beginning to feel small-to-medium amounts of disturbed. I might not be able to see through walls, but I've never had trouble finding him before-
"What the-!"
I snap my head around, eyes bouncing from spot to spot. I feel the hairs of my neck stand and the flesh of my arm pimple with goosebumps.
There's nothing there. Nobody there. No Rocky there. Rocky is the only person who could be on the ship. Heh.
"Okay, buddy. If you're trying to mess with me because of what I said, I'm sorry! It's not gonna work!" I call out, trying my best to keep my voice from betraying the unease I feel in my gut. I feel like I'm being watched.
Before his sudden disappearance, Rocky and I had a bit of a discussion over who, in our scenario, would be the horrific monster alien that poses an extinction threat to the other's species, and who would be the chum. We've tallied up the points so far and learned the terrifying histories of each other's evolution and special adaptations. It got more and more heated as we tied in counter with each other over and over. I'd win the balancing on one foot contest, he'd win the 'has five legs and has no need for stupid balance' contest. So on and so forth.
After a few hours of this, my blood was up. I (cockily) suggested performing a live demonstration of a perfect monster for him when we touch down on Erid. I may have said something about getting the entire Eridian race under my squishy and opposable thumb. Starting with Rocky's mother.
So now Rocky's missing. For the first hour, I worried I took it a step too far. Maybe your mom jokes are a line you just don't cross in Eridian culture, and I offended him so badly he took his new EVA suit out through the airlock because of how much space he needed from me. But now, I'm pretty sure he's messing with me. Because I've felt him watching me for a while. I just don't know where from.
It's really quiet on the ship. I've never known Rocky to be light-footed, and it's starting to get unbearable not being able to hear him. I'm about to ask Mary to start singing for me when-
All of the lights suddenly turn off, with Mary's voice piercing through the silent darkness. "Automatic lighting disabled."
Mm no. I hate this. "Uh, no no no. Lights back on, please?"
"Automatic lighting disabled. Manual override required." Her voice is so much louder in the dark.
"Manual-" I huff. "How am I supposed to manually override if I can't see anything?"
"The manual override is located in control-"
"Yes, Mary, I know." My voice wobbles in steadily growing terror. I slowly feel my way across the dormitory before I stop suddenly in the doorway - the long, black corridor in front of me.
Rocky is in the control room. That's how he did all this fudgery with the lights. My heart picks up speed, and my nerves assure me that something (Rocky! Rocky is the only other person on this ship!) will attack if I go up there. Gulp.
I back up a bit from the doorway, turning over my options in my head - which is working in significant overtime. I feel sweaty looking down the corridor, but I refuse to take my eyes off it.
Rocky is currently in the control room, but he switched the lights off like this on purpose. He knows how useless I am in the dark. And he can see through walls, so he knows exactly where I am right now and there would be no purpose in hiding. He's probably on his way to me right now, and I'm defenseless. Unless he's already at the end of the corridor just staring at me.
I squint down the corridor. Do I see his figure at the end of it? Well, whatever I'm seeing, it looks nothing like him. Too big, too wrong.
My thoughts are starting to drift into stupid territory and my mind is playing tricks on me. I try to shake it off, wiping my sweaty palms on my pants and taking deep breaths. I know he's trying to scare me, so it's stupid that it's actually working. Rocky is my best friend. He's not a monster. He'd never really hurt me-
I hear the rapid sound of footsteps charging towards me from the end of the corridor. I scream, scrambling backwards as fast as I can. It's not fast enough. A shrieking invisible thing tackles me and I brace for-
A pillow softens the blow to my head from the ground. Once all my scream putters out, I wheeze from where Rocky is squeezing me tightly.
"Wh-whhhyy.." I gasp pathetically.
"Grace get too cocky. Needed to teach a lesson," Rocky's cheery, friendly voice chirps. It does good for soothing the terror bells still ringing through my head and body. So does the squeezing. "You were sooo scared. Did not know heart can get that fast!" he sings in joy.
"Ugh, whatever! I wasn't that scared," I grunt, trying to wriggle my arms free from the death hug. I can't help the small smile that forms in my relief. "I was more afraid that you were actually mad at me."
He titters at me. "You're lying. You're scared even now. Your body-nerve-system still think I will eat you," he shimmies his carapace onto my stomach, and I grunt and tense at the nuzzling. "Maybe will. Show who is the better monster."
"Ew!" I start to laugh stupidly - the energy built up from all the terror needing to be released somehow. "No, please! At least kill me first. Or start your process over there. Away from me."
My body-nerve-system has taken over and is wiggling uncontrollably, trying to avoid his consistent nuzzling. "Pf- stop it!" I snort.
"Why, question? Thought Grace not scared." He wiggles more emphatically.
"Ah- I'm not!" My knees knock against Rocky's back as my body tries and fails to curl in, my stomach feeling more sensitive the more he moves. "I'm worried your biology is going to take over and unload on accident, thinking it's dinner time. Okay- Rhhoc- hehehe- quuuit it!" I whine, embarrassed about not being able to hold back my giggling. He's doing this on purpose.
He trills a noise of offense. "You are disgusting. That could never happen. Eridians too dignified. Ripping apart prey must always come first." He moves my arms away from my body just enough to tickle my sides and, despite expecting it, I explode.
"AGH- No! hAhahaha!!" I can never really talk when he does this. What I'm trying to say is, no! hey! get off! but unfortunately all I can manage to get out is convulsive giggling. My arms snap in over and over to protect my sides, but they're blocked by his rock hands. I only succeed in bruising myself a little.
"Don't laugh," he says while laughing himself. "encourages hungry-feeling!"
Ugh. I never win this challenge. I hold my breath, clench everything, and put every ounce of willpower I have to try and contain my giggles. Surprisingly - still squirming and with my eyes squeezed shut - I almost manage it! Until Rocky moves further up into my ribs. I whimper and fall back into hysterics.
I try to flop around to deter his hands (too many hands!!! too many hands!!) but my torso can't move at all under his FAT body. My legs are free to kick in and out as much as they want at least, but it doesn't do anything to stop him either. I can't stop it.
I continue to strain, but my head falls back in resignation as I laugh. I regret it immediately. The position turns a desperate intake of breath into the loudest snort ever. Rocky stops then, but I hardly feel relief from it - he only stopped because he's laughing at me so hard that now he can barely breathe.
"G-gett offff..." I gasp through giggles. His laughter is making him shake over my stomach again, and I'm so hypersensitive that I can't stand it. I squirm to no avail.
"âŤâŞwhatâŤnoiseâŞâŤâŞ~~!!" He dissolves back into his amusement without finishing his sentence. I burst out into full belly laughter again despite the heat in my cheeks. His giggles are so contagious. And his vibrations are still tickling me down to the bones. I think I might die. Atleast I'm taking Rocky down with me.
Mercifully, Rocky climbs off me after a minute. His legs are weakening from laughter and he doesn't want to crush me for real. I curl up the second I'm able to in a way-too-late reaction to preserve my vital organs from tickle torture.
"I see now," he giggles. "Sensitivity is good defense. You become so funny, nothing can eat you. Predators too busy laughing."
"Please be quiet," I groan. I take a steadying breath. "Alright, I admit it. You're scarier out of the two of us. You ticked all the boxes that scare humans the most. Silence, darkness, surprise attacks. You'd definitely be able to take over humanity before I can take over Erid. Your mom would destroy me."
"No," he sighs through his vents, and I frown in confusion. Rocky's not one to reject a win. "Grace scary too. Stealth is part of Eridian nature. Know how to stay silent. Not detectable," he shudders. "You detect anyway. Almost catch me many times with crazy light detectors. Scary."
I smile incredulously. Fascinating! "So, all that just for us to tie again?"
"Grace winning for now, actually. We move ticklish from weakness to strength," I gape at him, but he cuts me off. "Serious about good defense. Funny, funny, funny."
"What- that's not- it's.." I stutter helplessly. "You're ticklish too! You know what, I'm hunting you next time."
"Grace not stealthy. Cannot ever surprise Rocky."
"Humans don't hunt our prey like that anyway. We just keep following them until they get too tired to keep running," I lean in as Rocky shies away. "We get them in their sleep, you know. When they're the most vulnerable. You might hear me coming, but you won't be able to stop me."
"âŤâŞ!" he shakes his carapace like he's snapping himself out of it, then rushes me to start poking my sides and stomach.
"He-hey!!!" I giggle and push at him.
"Grace not trick me," he trills, but I swear I detect notes of relief when he hears me laugh again. "Can not scare me. Grace is best friend. You are not monster."
Comment from @junimotardis that inspired the fic: "That would be so cute! Maybe [Grace's] students if [they're] a little nervous about tickles get to try it on him before trying to get tickled themselves đ alternatively its break time and they all just team up on their teacher like a hoard of Little rocks running after grace hehe~"
Authorâs note: HOORAY! I finally did a pebble fic! This is like the Project Hail Mary version of the Magic School Bus (kidding). I just kept being reminded of the show when I wrote it. There's science, thereâs kids, thereâs a teacherâyou see the idea lol. Thank you to @junimotardis for the comment that inspired the fic! It was so good I couldnât pass it up. This is also inspired by @cocoa-critterâs (I hope itâs okay if I tag you!) pebble fics, since I love that you gave them names so I gave mine names too! And inspired by the other wonderful pebble fics and art Iâve seen! I hope you enjoy! Oh, and I did research to remind myself of basic earthquake facts, but if my science doesnât make sense just, uh, pretend it does đ Lol
Series: Project Hail Mary
Characters: Ryland Grace, Rocky, and six pebbles
Word count: 4,944
Summary: While teaching six young Eridians about earthquakes, Grace uses Rocky as a âdemonstrationâ of sorts to show how seismic waves work on Eridians. The pebbles, curious but weary of the new concept, wonder: Do humans feel seismic waves like Eridianâs do? Rocky, seeking a bit of playful revenge on his human friend, is more than happy to help answer that for the pebbles.
---
Itâs no surprise that the Eridian kids love learning about Earth knowledge, and that Grace loves teaching it, but what did surprise him was there were a few young minds in the crowd who really took a shine to it. Even after the lesson was done, they wanted to know more or continue to hear Grace talk about the subject, and politely asked their teacher if they could do extra experiments.
So, Grace thought of a solution: A science club! It was actually something he did back on Earth for a bit with his students, and he always enjoyed being a part of it.
Of course, he had to explain what a club was first to the young Eridians, or the pebbles as they are also called, but once he did, these little rock creatures were all for it.
Todayâs club meeting and experiment focuses on earthquakes. Grace holds the science club in his human biodome out on the dirt with six pebbles, each different colors, shapes, and sizes, and who are safely equipped in their own form-fitting xenonite suits. Rocky is also present as a special guest assistant for the club today.
Grace and Rocky place three pans of water in front of the six pebbles that are currently split into groups of two. The young Eridians stare at the rippling liquid curiously, some wanting to touch it already, but respectfully waiting for their teacherâs instructions.
Graceâs laptop, sitting nearby on the ground on top of a notebook, acts as the translator for both parties as he stands and begins his lecture, âOkay, so in front of you all are pans of water. As you can already see, the water is moving after we placed it on the ground. Those are called surface waves. Give it a second. Once the water stops moving, go ahead and dip your claws into it.â
Per Graceâs instructions, the little pebbles all watch the water become still, then one-by-one, they carefully tap the liquid with their claw. Grace knows it works from the happy trills and chirps of wonder that release from the creatures.
âSee? Cool right? When your claws âdisturbâ the water, it creates surface waves that make a ripple effect. Now try making one big splash- but be careful not to get it all over yourself or your partner next to you,â Grace adds with a chuckle after seeing Cole, a black pebble with dull points and a gradient orange pattern around each claw (like hot coals, which is how Grace gave him his name), just about ready to slam the water. Coleâs partner, a jagged reddish brown pebble named Flint, nudges his best friend and giggles at him.
Following Graceâs directions, all the pebbles carefully paw at the water.
âOoh! Ooh! Waves are bigger!â a dark blue and more square shaped pebble with rounded corners squeaks with excitement.
âThatâs right, Aqua,â Grace replies. The square, teal-colored pebble paired with Aqua leans over Aquaâs shell to get a closer look at the water. Thatâs her sister Marina. Grace thought it was cute when he named the pair of sisters after the aquamarine stone. Sue him.Â
In group three, Coralâa pink, rectangular pebble, who has thin brown stripes that look like branchesâraises her hand. Beside her, watching Coral with admiration, is the littlest pebble of the bunch, Fossil. Fossil is a small brown pebble, shaped similar to a mountain range, with a few spots of green that look like dinosaur scales. They may be shy, but they've got a curious heart and a big roar when something sparks their interest.Â
Grace acknowledges the pink pebble. âYes, Coral?â
âAre waves bigger because pebbles made bigger splash, question?â Coral asks.
âExactly,â Grace says. âThe more the force there is, the bigger the surface waves.â
Cole raises his claw. Grace nods at him for the pebble to share his question. Cole points at the sea in the distance in the humanâs biodome. âLarge pool of water is also made of liquid. Does large pool of water have surface waves too, question?â
âYou got it, Cole. You might not be able to see them from here, but theyâre happening,â Grace explains. The human paces as he speaks, âDuring an earthquake, the Earth also experiences surface waves, but the small ones we canât see and can barely can feel. The big ones, however, can shake the ground beneath our feet. Sometimes they can even be dangerous, so strong that they can knock buildings down.â
The pebbles watch him and hold on to his every word.
Grace continues, âThen, thereâs the second type of waves we talked about briefly in classâbody waves. These types of waves travel inside the Earth.âÂ
Grace takes a seat on the ground and crosses his legs. On cue, Rocky skitters up to his side. âAs a matter of fact, Eridians can actually experience a mini form of an âearthquake.â You can feel it inside of you.â Grace holds his fist out to Rocky. âRocky, if you would be so kind as to demonstrate.â
Rocky lifts up his arm, curls up his claws, and provides Grace with a fist-bump.
âNow, we couldnât see any waves, but Rocky, you felt the fist-bump right?â Grace asks.
âYes yes. Rocky felt vibrations of human hand colliding with Eridian claw,â the older Eridian replies.
âAs discussed before, earthquakes occur when the tectonic plates inside the earth shift against one another,â Grace uses his hands to mimic the plates colliding. âSo, similar to an earthquake, when your shells collide with another object, you feel it. For Eridians, the collision causes a vibration inside of you that is similar to an earthquakeâs body wave.â
The pebbles appear to nod with some understanding. Marina raises her claw.Â
âYes, Marina?â Grace asks.
âMr. Grace said there are big earthquakes. Is it possible for Mr. Grace to demonstrate big earthquakes in Eridians, question?â the teal pebble tilts her body like she's tilting her head.
âHmm, good question Marina,â Grace taps his chin. He didnât have a demonstration planned for a âbig earthquake,â but, if memory serves him correctly, he thinks he has an idea.Â
He turns his head towards Rocky, a small smirk curling on his lips.Â
âOh, I know a way,â he wiggles his fingers at Rocky.Â
Rocky suddenly squeaks, like a gasp. âGrace! That was NOT part of plan!â
âCome here, Rocky!â Grace reaches for the Eridian, but Rocky leaps back and scatters. Grace immediately jumps to his feet and starts chasing his friend in a circle.Â
âGrace! GRACE!â Rockyâs voice exclaims through the computer. Their chase only lasts another half a second before Grace cuts him off with a side-step and dives his hands downwards, scratching along his friendâs xenonite suit. Rocky lets out a squeal.
The pebbles flinch in surprise at the noise, but they soon realize that Rockyâs shrill sound has been followed by the silly sound of laughter.Â
âGrahahahahace!!!â Rocky spasms and chirps out a flood of giggles as the human taps his fingers along his carapace, tickling him. Fortunately for Grace, he learned previously from Rocky that Eridianâs can feel tickling, even through their suits.Â
Grace chuckles and plops himself down on the ground next to Rocky, pulling him in closer and making sure to scribble at the sides on his rock face, right in-between his arms. Rocky flails, then flops into the dirt like a crab that was pushed over on its side, Rockyâs legs kicking at the air and shoving at Grace.
âRocky, relax!â Grace giggles, âItâs just for the demonstration! Hold still!â Grace pulls one of Rockyâs flailing legs towards him, dragging the Eridian in the dirt.
âFihihihine!â Rocky clambers back to his feet, wobbling, but trying to do his absolute best not to run from the tickling. âHuhuhuhurry up!âÂ
Grace chuckles again. He speaks to his students as he has a squirmy Eridian beside him in his clutches. âNow, you see how Mr. Rocky can feel my touch? His reaction is much different than when we bumped our fists together. This is because my fingers are tapping along his shell, creating larger seismic waves that he feels not only on the surface, but through his body too.â
With the explanation finished, Grace stops and releases Rocky. The Eridian stumbles on his legs and takes a breath. He shoves Grace in the arm, to which the human chuckles. Yes, Grace was teaching his students, but he totally didnât also use it as an excuse to play around with his friend. Nooo, of course not (Yes he did).
âWarning next time would be good!â Rocky stomps his back leg.
âHehe, sorry,â Grace laughs again. Then, he turns to his students, a playful adrenaline still in his system. âSo, who wants to experience an earthquake!â Grace wiggles his fingers at the pebbles, a big smirk on his face like a hungry tickle monster.
His students donât react the way he hopes. The six of them squeak, some taking a step back or hiding behind their peers or in their own arms.
Grace changes his tone immediately. âHey, hey, itâs okay. Iâm sorry, I didnât mean to scare you guys,â Grace comforts the pebbles. âI promise, it didnât hurt Rocky. Tell them, Rocky,â Grace turns to his friend. He knows the pebbles will already believe the words of their teacher, but he also wants Rocky, a fellow Eridian, to give the pebbles extra reassurance too.
âYes. Does not hurt,â Rocky confirms. âIt is just a funny feeling, statement. It is like Eridian tickling with vibrations and sound waves, but humans use more touch.â
Grace bounces off of his friendâs claim, âYes, like Mr. Rocky said, for humans, we use touch to tickle each other. When I tickled Rocky, my touch was creating waves, like an earthquake, that created that funny feeling for Rocky.â
The pebbles glance at each other and stay silent. He can still tell theyâre a little weary of this new concept.
Flint, cautious but being brave, raises his claw.
âYes, Flint?â Grace asks.
The red Eridian pauses, shyly tapping his claws together. âBut Mr. Grace said that big earthquakes like that can be dangerous.â
Ah, he did say that.Â
âThis is true,â Grace explains. âThe magnitude, or the strength of an earthquake can be very high and cause destruction like I mentioned. However, in your case, even though Rocky had a âbigâ reaction, it is comparatively very small. It also happens back on Earth all the time. Sometimes, an earthquakeâs seismic waves are so small that humans canât feel it. We need a special machine called a seismograph to record them.â
His six students appear a little more intrigued now, thankfully. Grace takes a breath, relieved.
To Graceâs surprise, Fossil is the first to raise their claw.
âYes, Fossil?â
The little pebble speaks in a squeaky voice translated by the computer, âDo earthquakes work on Mr. Grace too, question?â
âHm?â The question confuses the teacher for a moment, but he makes sense of what the little pebble is asking after connecting the dots with what they just saw.
âOh, by âearthquakesâ do you mean tickling? The thing I was doing to Mr. Rocky?â Grace asks.
Fossil nods. Grace knows that his students are aware of the concept of tickling, but the human word and human version of it to them must still be a bit confusing.Â
Grace answers the little pebbleâs original question. âThen technically yes, but it works a little differently for humans. Remember our anatomy lessons on the human nervous system?â Grace holds out his arm and points at his skin to provide his students with a refresher on the information. âFor humans, we feel through tiny electrical waves that pass through the âbranchesâ of nerves under our skin. Those âbranchesâ inform our brains of what weâre feeling,â he drags a finger from his wrist to his shoulder and ends his sentence by pointing at his head.Â
The pebbles blankly stare at their teacher like he just sprung an explanation of quantum physics on them. It has been a while since they went over anatomy. Maybe he needs to bring this lesson back for the whole class.
Rocky also notices the pebblesâ confusion. âGrace, pebbles may need a demonstration of what Grace means. Rocky has idea.â
âWhat is it?â Grace turns to his friend.
Rocky, pleased with the answer from his human companion, wiggles his body. A faint clicking can be heard from Rocky and he turns to the pebbles.Â
Wait, hold on a minute⌠thatâs the sound Rocky makes when heâsâ
âWho wants to try earthquake on, Mr. Grace!â Rocky exclaims.
âŚwhen heâs about to pull a trick on him.Â
The pebbles cheer and chirp with excitement, some hopping up and down. Well, at least theyâre not scared anymore.
The scientist leans back. âWhat?!â Grace canât help but turn giggly already. He stands up on feet, watching the pebbles below him with a close eye. He supposes this is what he gets for using his friend as a demonstration for âearthquakesâ earlier.Â
âRocky will also teach human version of tickling for pebbles to understand! First lesson! Approach Mr. Grace slowly with claws up. Movement already gets human giggling before the tickling,â Rocky informs them. âWhen Rocky says âgo,â run at Grace!â
All six of the pebbles chirp with joy and follow Rockyâs lead, holding their claws up and slowly, and almost menacingly, approaching their teacher.
Graceâs smile already wobbles. He takes a step back with his hands up in defense. âHold on!â he giggles. âWeâre getting off topic! Weâre learning about earthquakes notââ
âGO!â Rocky shouts and all six of the pebbles speed towards him like a rocket.
âEeek! Rocky!â Grace yells at his friend before running from the swarm of chirping pebbles right on his heels. They are surprisingly fast, like little crabs skittering after him if crabs were as fast as a litter of puppies. And he has six of them coming after him. Oh boy, heâs doomed.
Rocky gives pointers nearby like a coach, as if their science lesson just turned into physical education. âHumans have long legs to run fast. Grace has very long legs. Better to get Grace on the ground first!â Rocky informs.
âNohohoho!â Grace laughs as the pebbles chase down their teacher. He circles back around, sprinting towards Rockyâs direction and gaining a little bit of distance between him and the pebbles. Maybe if he keeps this up, he can tucker the little Eridians out before they can get their curious claws on him.
Rocky sees Grace heading his way; the human is preoccupied with looking over his shoulder. Rocky, so smooth and calculating like a spy slipping through a maze of lasers, steps in front of Grace.Â
Not paying attention to where heâs running, Grace hits his foot on his friend and trips on Rocky like⌠well⌠like a rock.
The teacher flops into the dirt. Grace lifts his head up and scolds his friend, âRocky!â Grace hears the scuttling of little feet behind him and suddenly he remembersâoh right. Heâs in the middle of a chase.
His flight or fight response springs into action. He flips onto his back, only to see the stampede of little rocks coming at him. He tries to frantically crawl back on his arms.Â
âOh no no no!â Grace giggles as the pebbles swarm him. In an instant, little claws are poking and squishing at his soft flesh, eliciting giggles out of the human. Aqua and Marina surround his right side, Flint and Coral at his left, while Fossil and Cole sit at opposite sides of his stomach, but Fossil only observes, for now.
Rocky chirps with joy. âGood good, pebbles! Best way to tickle Grace is to scrunch claws in and out and wiggle for maximum effect,â Rocky shows the example on his own claws to teach the small Eridians.Â
âHehehehehehe-HEY!â the scientist jolts and wraps his arms around himself when the pebbles, like a sponge, immediately utilize the information Rocky shared.Â
Aqua, positioned at one side of Graceâs ribs, lets out a pleased squeak. âHehe! Mr. Grace makes funny sound!â
Marina, claws on the upper part of Graceâs side, hops next to her sister, âOh oh! Marina remembers! Human word for funny sound is âlaughterâ!â
âMarina correct!â Rocky says. âIn fact, if Graceâs laughter is mentioned while tickled, it actually gets Grace to giggle more. Very fascinating, statement.â
âNohohohot all the tihihhihime!â extra giggles spill from Grace, not helping his case in the slightest.
âMost of time,â Rocky replies to the ticklish human.
Grace feels a claw squeeze above his hip. He squeaks like a mouse through his laughter and notices the little culprit: the tiniest, and usually the quietest, Eridian in the club, Fossil finally joins in.
âHehe! Mr. Grace produces lots of funny sound at this spot,â Fossilâs little computer voice beams as they add in more squeezes with their second claw.
âYes, Fossil. Humans have different places where theyâre more ticklish. Grace makes lots of laughter at sides, ribs, stomach, neck,â Rocky loses count on his claws, âalmost everywhere, actually.âÂ
âRohohohocky! Yohohohouâre supposed to be hehehelping mehehehe!â Grace tilts his head back to look at his friend through the fence of pebbles.
âRocky is helping. Teaching pebbles about electrical waves in human nerve system,â Rocky rattles with pride, his way of grinning.
âRohohohocky when I gehehet ohohout of this, I swear Iâllââ a snort cuts off Graceâs sentence. He slaps a hand over his mouth and scrunches his shoulders, feeling a new claw fluttering against his neck.
âWhoa! Mr. Grace made a new funny sound!â Flint chirps, exploring around the humanâs neck and by his ears.
Coral squawks from her spot by Graceâs other pair of ribs. âMr. Rocky, Mr. Rocky! Mr. Grace is trying to muffle funny sound!â the pink Eridian points at the human like sheâs tattling on him.Â
Rocky notices what Coral is talking about. âAh, yes. Humans go into defensive mode and try to hide their laughter, even though it is pointless since we can still hear and see them.âÂ
WOW rude. Okay pal.
Rocky moves over in-between Coral and Cole, positioning himself by Graceâs stomach. âTickle another part fast, fast to make Graceâs arms move. Like this,â Rocky plunges his full-grown claw into Graceâs stomach. Grace yelps, shoots his arms down, and curls up like an armadillo.
âRohohohocky!â Grace cackles, trying to nab at Rockyâs claws specifically.Â
âSee,â Rocky says.Â
âMr. Rocky is good at this!â Cole admires.
Grace tries to slap at Rockyâs arms, but Rocky easily grabs both of Graceâs wrists in his clutches and holds them above his stomach. âHad lots of practice,â Rocky replies to the pebble, a smile in his tone. With Rocky holding Graceâs hands, it allows Cole and Fossil to perform further tests on his squishy stomach.
Grace kicks out his legs, but is careful not to accidentally knock off one of his students, despite how much it tickles all over. âCohohohome ohohohon! Quhihihit it! Ohohohor everyone is going to get a pop quiz on earthquakes!â Grace manages through his laughter.
All the pebbles freeze in place. Ha! That got âem.
Grace was hopping for a breather, but his few seconds of peace are cut short when he feels one of his wrists being let go and Rockyâs claw suddenly going for his belly. âAHA!â Grace yelps and spews out surprised giggles. He grabs hold of Rockyâs arm with his free hand, especially when Rocky slides his claw under his shirt.
âDo not listen to Grace. Humans say things when they donât actually mean it to escape from tickling,â Rocky counters. He pulls his wiggling claw away and releases the humanâs other hand to actually give the teacher a well-deserved breather this time.
Noticing that Graceâs shirt has been pushed up from his most recent squirming, Cole curiously tilts his body at the human's revealed torso. He carefully hops onto his teacherâs hip, perching himself there and not disturbing the fleshy being.
âNoho! Iâm gonna do it!â Graceâs words are still giggly towards Rocky.
âNo, Grace is not,â Rocky states, moving over to stand next to the side of Graceâs head.
Well, it was worth a shot.
âBut I totally could!â Grace argues.
âBut Grace will not, statement,â Rocky says, knowing his friend all too well. Grace is about to counter his claim, but a yelp in response comes out instead. Cole, wondering about the human's patch of skin, delivered a poke to Graceâs bare stomach.
The obsidian-colored pebble shakes and squeaks with excitement, âPebbles! Pebbles! Look! Mr. Graceâs stomach has surface waves like earthquake!âÂ
It's like all the pebbles gasp from amazement.
Coral slides up next to Cole. âWhoaa! Really?â
âLetâs see! Letâs see!â Aqua leaps on Graceâs leg and rushes to Coleâs other side, nearly crashing into him. The rest of the pebbles quickly gather around his stomach.
âDo it again!â Marina, next to her sister, leans on her teacherâs leg like a puppy awaiting a treat.
âWahait, hold on-â Grace then squeaks from Cole gently tapping at the slight pudge of his belly. The pebbles awe as they observe the strange phenomenon of the squishy human skin bouncing gently from his touch like a wave.
âYehehes,â Grace replies through soft giggles, âTehehechnically you can see the waves of movement on my skin when yohohou poke me.â
Marina gurgles, âBut Mr. Grace said tickling isnât like earthquake for humans!â
Flint replies, âItâs not an earthquake! It's a humanquake!â
All the pebbles giggle.
Coral hops up and down. âOh! Oh! Coral has idea! Let us try Eridian vibrations to make earthquake on Mr. Grace!â
âYeah! Yeah!â Fossil chirps in agreement along with their friends.
âWait, what?â Grace says with a wobbly smile.
âOn count of three!â Aqua already proposes.
The pebbles nod and Cole leads the count, âOne, two-â The pebbles pause to put their claws up.
âHohold on!â Graceâs frantic voice to reach them.
âThree!!!â all the pebbles trill. In an instant, their claws touch down on his stomach, vibrating like a bunch of little raspberries are being planted on Graceâs belly.
Grace practically shrieks.Â
âEEEK! GUHUHUHUYS!â Grace flutters his legs behind the pebbles and waves his arms in front of his chest. Cole and Aqua, sharing the middle of Graceâs stomach, perch themselves closer on his hips so they donât fall off the giggling human. âThat- AH!!! Thahahahat tickles! That tickles!!!â Graceâs wheezy laughter goes up an octave. He leans his head back and slides his hands under his glasses to cover his face, giggling and snorting into his hands.
âSuccess! Success! Vibrations are working!â Coral cheers.
âWorking like seismic waves!â Cole adds.
âHuman nerves must be turning vibrations into electrical waves Mr. Grace can feel!â Flint chirps.
Marina giggles, âVibrations produce lots of loud laughter from Mr. Grace.â
âSo loud Mr. Grace shakes and rumbles!â Aqua exclaims, keeping herself balanced.
âLike earthquake!â Fossil happily squeaks.
All the pebbles giggle at Fossilâs statement.
Rocky rattles with pride. âPebbles learn so fast,â he leans towards Grace and snickers at his friend.
Grace ignores Rockyâs attempts to get him to blush even more than he already is. The human waves his hands to signal the pebbles. âOhohohokay! OKAY! Nohohohoho more guys! Mr. Grace neeheheheeds a break!â he calls out to them.
With happy trills and squeaks, the pebbles listen to their teacher and pull their claws back. As they do, they observe as the waves on Graceâs belly come to a stop like the water they experimented with earlier.
Taking a breath, Grace pulls his shirt down and hugs his torso, still letting out giggles from the ghost feeling of vibrations lingering at his tummy. Cole and Aqua hop off of Graceâs torso and they watch as their teacher curls up into a ball on his side.
âMr. Rocky?â Coralâs voice asks. âIs Mr. Grace okay, question? Pebbles stopped tickling but Mr. Grace is still laughing.â
Grace braces himself for an incoming tease.
âMr. Grace is fine. Humans need a second to adjust after tickling to recover, like Eridians do,â Rocky explains. Surprisingly, even his Eridian pal thought Grace could use the rest from the bombardment of flustering teases he just endured (whether the teases were intentional or unintentional).
âYeheah, Iâm okay,â Grace double reassures his students. He slowly sits up with an arm around his belly and his knees pulled close.Â
His students patiently await their teacher. They look up at him, ready whenever he is.
Grace canât help but smile at the pebbles. âSo, do you all see how surface waves work now?â Grace reminds them of their lesson.
All of the pebbles let out happy trills to agree.Â
Aqua moves herself from the pack and skitters up to Graceâs side. She tilts her carapace upwards to talk to him.
âMr. Grace?â Aqua kindly asks, âCan Mr. Grace try making earthquakes on pebbles now, question?â
âHuh?â Grace blinks. He realizes what sheâs asking. âYou mean, you want to try being tickled?âÂ
Aqua excitedly squeaks as a yes.
âOh oh! Me too! Me too!â Marina dashes to her sisterâs side.
âI asked first!â Aqua playfully nudges her sister, sounding like sheâs being defensive but making it clear sheâs just joking with her sibling.
âI know! I know!â Marina laughs. âMarina will be next!â
âOh, so you both want to be tickled, huh?â Grace asks; a hint of a tickle monster smirk can be heard in the human. He shifts his body to face them. âWell, itâs a good thing I have two hands!â Grace exclaims before pouncing one hand at each of them, gently scratching and tapping his fingers at the xenonite suit covering their shell.
Aqua and Marina squeak in unison, already giggling. Grace sits on his knees to reach them better. Aqua curls herself up on the dirt while Marina scrunches her shoulder joints closer to her carapace.
âEEP! Mr. Rocky was rihihihight! It is ahahaha- a funny feeheheheeling!â Aqua happily squeals.
Marina gently holds onto Graceâs hand, but doesnât push it away. âIt tihihihickles! It tickles!â Marina repeats through her giggles, sounding like her teacher.Â
After a few more seconds, Grace pulls his hands back, allowing the sisters to giggle out the ghost tickles.
Cole and the other pebbles step forward. âMr. Grace! Can other pebbles try too, please?â
Grace chuckles at the excited young Eridians. âHehe, if you say so!â
And so each of the pebbles take a turn trying out human tickles, Grace giggling along with them. Grace thinks itâs adorable that each of the pebbles have their own laughs and the different ways they react. Coral shakes and wiggles with her laughter, Flint flails and tries to bundle himself in his arms, and Cole wobbles on his legs as he paws at Graceâs hand like a cat. Even Fossil tries, letting out squeaky adorable laughter as they hug Graceâs fingers. If he had to say, Flint seemed like the most ticklish of the six (donât worry, buddy, Grace knows the feeling).
After each of the pebbles had their turn and a moment to gain control over their giggles, Grace smiles at his students, "Alright. I think thatâs enough experiments for one day. That concludes our club meeting for today.â
âThank you for the lesson today, Mr. Grace!â Fossil exclaims. The rest of the pebbles chirp to show their thanks as well, overlapping âthank yousâ coming from the translator.
Grace chuckles at the big voice from the smallest pebble. âYouâre welcome. Now why donât you all go play for a few minutes while Mr. Rocky and I prepare to take you guys home.â
The pebbles squeak in agreement. They go off to play, already making a game out of their new discoveries. Like baby lions, they playfully chase and pounce on one another, using the human version of tickling as a part of their game. He thinks he hears Cole say heâs an âearthquake monsterâ before Coral and Flint tackle him to the ground.Â
As Grace observes the pebbles with a smile on his face, Rocky crawls up to his friendâs side. Rocky also observes the young Eridians.
âPebbles appear happy,â Rocky says.
Grace nods. âThey do.â
âSorry not sorry for teaching pebbles how to tickle Grace. Had to get Grace back,â Rocky says.
âHeh, I know. I deserved it,â Grace lets out a huff of laughter as his eyes are still drawn by the happy chirps of the pebbles.Â
A moment of silence passes as Rocky and Grace continue to watch the pebbles play like theyâre watching the calm waves of the sea in the biodome. They hear the gentle rocking of the water in the distance.
Rocky quietly speaks, âRocky has said before, but Grace is good teacher.â The humanâs eyes meet the gaze of his Eridian pal.
Grace replies with a warm smile. âThanks, Rocky. Itâs nice to hear that from time to time.â
Grace takes a breath, then gets up from the dirt. He dusts himself off, then he and Rocky clean up the pans of water from their first experiment.Â
After another minute or so, Grace picks up his laptop and places the open device lying in the crook of his arm.
Grace calls out to the pebbles, swinging his free arm wide as a signal. âCome on you little earthquake monsters! Letâs go!â
Hearing their teacher, the pebbles stop their game, hopping off of each other, and join Grace at his feet as he leads them with Rocky safely towards the exit of his human dome.
Todayâs club meeting may be over, but Grace can tell, this is one meeting that will stick with the pebbles for a long time.
just a doodle this time, i loved the sketch sm i didnt wanna ruin it HELPEME
I FORGOR TO DRAW THEIR SUITS IDC LETS PRETEND THE ATMOSPHERE DOESNT EXIST AND THEY CAN HUG
i promise i will at some point draw something other than lee grace im sorry i have not had a fixation in a million years and my brain is so starved that its actually tweaking
im sincerely sorry for my hyperfixating shenanegains I PROMISE ILL DRAW SOMETHING ELSE SOON HEFOKFJKRN
đĽ Hey soooo I've been sitting on this one for a little bit now. It turned out a lot longer than my usual fics (1k-2k words) and i wanted to try my hand at writing something a little sad! I've written nothing but fluff up until this point so idk how i did with the sadder stuff (its genuinely not even that sad) I hope you all still enjoy anyway! đĽ
đĽ Slight spoilers for movie and book! đĽ
Summary: This is set a little bit after Grace and Rocky get to Erid. In this one, Adrian is less then happy about the current situation pertaining to Grace, and its effects on there relationship with Rocky.
Lee!Grace / Ler!Adrian
Word count: 4,435
âI wish you would see Grace." Its tone is low and sounds exhausted. Rocky has gotten home finally. I haven't seen it in a few days. It's not like I see it much when it does finally come home anyway. Disappearing to Grace has become its new normal, even if I thought I finally got my mate back. Grace takes priority.
This isn't the first time it has suggested this. I think it asks at least once every time they see me, and my answer stays the same every time. âNo.â It comes out harsher than I intend.
âHe means a lot to me and so do you. I want you to get along.â I will say, it doesn't usually push after the first no; I'm a little surprised. It shifts closer to me while I'm working at my desk. âYou work on the biodome team. You are in charge of so much of his life. This includes everything from what he eats to the conditions of the ocean in his home. You should be more involved physically..." I huff. Sure, maybe it would make my life easier to see the human in person, but my feelings towards the creature keep me away, and I think that's for the best for everyone involved.
âI work on the human because you don't trust anyone to care for it other than yourself and me.â We have a team, of course, but when it comes to Graceâs immediate health and comfort, I am the primary Eridian involved. Rocky shifts even closer to me; he's wobbling a bit. He's ready for sleep.Â
âI-I don't want you to just do it for me. Do you enjoy it a little at least?â I move away slightly as it reaches a claw out for me. âYou were excited when we first arrivedâŚnot just for me, for Grace too.â Grace was exciting when he first arrived. An alien who saved not one but two planets and saved my mate personally. Of course I would find that exciting. And to have the opportunity to help lead in the invention of its enclosure was amazing. But not so much anymore since I learned what the consequences of its existence on my life would be.
âIt keeps me busy" is all I give to it. âWhy are you being more pushy than normal?â I sense something's up. The unaccepted claw retracts, and Rocky pushes it together with another, fidgeting. I knew it.
âI must attend a meeting pertaining to Grace. I won't be there with him⌠I want you there to watch him instead," it trills out sheepishly. âI don't know how long I will be gone for. IâŚdo not want him to be alone.â
âIt is alone right now, is it not? It can function and take care of itself just fine.â Annoyance and anger lace my voice a bit. Rocky scitters back a bit but tries to touch me again. Its words are starting to slur as exhaustion takes over his body.
âYou know what I mean. Grace isâŚsensitive. I don't want him to be alone ever again.â I feel anger rise within me. What about me being alone? For decades I waited to not be alone again, and now, even with my mate back, I am alone. I feel the mercury boil under my carapace as I try and be understanding.
âI know you do not like him.â It's not that I hate Grace personally. I can't really. I've only ever interacted with him while he was unconscious the first few weeks of being on Erid. I have complicated feelings toward the human and the situation that has come with it.Â
âPlease do it for me.â I move away from them again while trying to continue working.
"It's always for you, isn't it?"
"I-IâŚI'm sorrâ"
"I'll do it. It's fine," I grumble at its despondent tone and move away from my desk.
Rocky comes over to me again. This time I know it isn't trying to convince me of anything; it just wants to sleep. The sight of it tugging at me hurts more than the argument did. Rocky is exhausted. Its movements are sluggish; it reaches a claw towards me. I flinch away before I can stop myself.
Rocky goes rigid and sits for a moment. âY-you won't even hold me? You won't let me close to sleep?" It sounds broken, close to a cry but not quite. The sight makes me go rigid in return.
I let out a low hum. â...I need some space right now. I will still watch.â Rocky lets out a strangled whine, close to a sob, but settles on the bed close by anyway. I can tell it's too exhausted to really do anything about it; it's actively fighting off sleep that should have taken it days ago.
âThank you, Adrian." the words come out slurred. I shift towards it to answer but Rocky is already asleep. Its claws are still loosely curled together where it has been fidgeting moments earlier.Â
Something inside me aches.
.đĽ Ý ËÖ´đ¸ŕźË°.
I arrive at the dome's airlock, wearing a thin Xenonite suit I've never had to put on before. Rocky stated that Grace knew I was coming to see him today instead of itself and that the human was nervous. To play nice, for Graceâs sake. I've taken the human's chart with me. While I'm here, I might as well take notes while I can and see what I can improve for him.
I step in and wait for it to pressurize, and then I'm on my way. I head out to the beach and start towards the humans' house. The sand shifts below my feet, and I hear the constant crashing of waves next to me. I move my attention to the âclassroomâ on the other side of the dome. I think making it a bit bigger would be helpful. More students to teach at a time, but to give the human more space to work with for demonstrations and such. Maybe add storage for materials so it's easier on the human.
By the time I come back to reality, I've approached the house. I realize we haven't exactly built the house for an Eridian of my size. I could probably get in, but I'm not sure how cramped the inside would be.
I knock lightly and wait a moment. I hear its footsteps frantically heading towards the door. It finally opens, and the little human looks up at me in awe.Â
âHello Grace.â It's still silent, just staring. I shift uncomfortably at the tiny alien.
âOh, uh, sorry. I didn't know Eridians could get soâŚtall." It chuckles a little, but I feel its heart skyrocket. It's for sure nervous. âRocky told me you were bigger but didn't really specify how much bigger."
âYes.â It fidgets as I speak. âAdrian does not think it is good idea to try and go in Grace house.â
It looks back at the structure and rubs the back of its neck. âUhâyeah. It's probably better if we hang out outside instead. Um, let me grab my shoes.â It turns back inside and grabs what it's looking for.Â
I let out a small annoyed hum. The human is so loud. It is much louder now than when it was unconscious. I can hear its heart, its blood, and its breath. I can hear the crackles and pops of its joints, the way its tongue moves as it talks. So loud. How did Rocky get used to this noise? I would have gone crazy on that ship.Â
The tiny human comes fumbling through the door and walks ahead of me. I noticed the door that it left open and pulled it shut. And so forgetful.Â
We head down the beach in silence. Every wave crashes against the shore with a different rhythm. Besides me, Grace's heartbeat refuses to settle. Between the ocean and the human, there is hardly any silence at all.
The human comes to a stop and drops to sit, facing the waves. I do the same, crossing two arms in front of me, ready to take any notes on the human I might need.
âGrace nervous, question?" I ask softly. He spins to face me head-on.
He turns his head up at me and chuckles lightly. âYou can tell?â What a dumb question.Â
âYes. Grace heart loud and fast.â I hear blood pump to its face, and it looks away.
âSorry.âÂ
âIs okay. Human can not control.â Before I can stop myself, I reach a digit out and run it over its cheek, pushing its face to look at me again. "This is blush, question? Grace embarrassed, question?â I can't help but be a scientist first, I guess. The portable human thinking machine has made my life a thousand times easier. I can look up any knowledge about the human body and system, but seeing and experiencing it in person is so much different.
It lets out a small yelp at my sudden touch, making its heart beat more. The blood in its face reaches its ears. Although I want to, I refrain from grabbing at the tips of its ears too. One thing I don't stop myself from doing, however, is dragging that claw down to its neck to feel for the carotid pulse. It's one thing to hear but another to feel, and it's strong. I can feel its blood thump against its skin, rappidly, over and over.
âAmaze.â I murmur without thinking.Â
"Uhâumm, Adrian?â The little human squeaks out. It has squeezed its eyes shut and forced its head up to the sky to accommodate my touching.
I let out an amused hum. âApology.â I retract my claw, curling it back into my lap. I stay quiet, hoping it will calm down. When no calming down happens, I try to pivot to my questions, hoping to distract the human.
"How Grace feeling, Question. Eating well, question?â I ask.
It clears its throat. âUh, I'm feeling good. Better than I did! And yes, eating well!â he smiles.Â
âHow are âburgerâ, question?â
âThe me-burgers are amazing!â he shouts excitedly, hands moving as he talks. âYou literally saved me with those things.â I feel myself get a little flustered at the praise, and I hate it.
âSaved Grace in other ways. More important ways.â I let it click out with some disbelief. I cure and bring this human back from death, but âme-burgerâ is what saves it. Human priorities are weird and confusing.
âWell, yes," he rolls his eyes a bit. âBut humans have a strong connection to the food they eat. Physically and mentally. Mentally I didn't want to eat, even though I was dying of starvation. The food tasted awful and had a horrible texture. Your idea to use my muscle was fantastic!â I feel him shift a little closer to me. âIt tastes so much better than the other stuff. You kind of cured my starvation and helped cure my bad mental health at the same time!â It laughs as though what it said was funny and not worrying. Though I did not know how linked the mental state and food were, this information is helpful to know when synthesizing more food for it in the future.
âAdrian will work on making 'me-burger' taste better for optimal mental health and human relationship with food for future.â I mentally add this information as a task to get started on when I get back home.
âYou don't have to do that, Adrian. I'm okay with the burger. I promise." It looks away, towards the artificial ocean again.
âAdrian must.â I let out a quiet rumbling for a moment as one of my claws gently plays with the sand beneath me. The human looks back at me.Â
âWhy?â Its head cocks to the side, in a cute way, with wide eyes.
âFor Rocky," is all I say, and I can tell it comes out sad. âAdrian will do anything that Rocky asks of it. For Grace.â I know Grace still needs a translator to some extent, but he is good at picking up tone.
He sighs, "Thank you for coming to see me today. Letting me meet you.â He smiles, but his eyes look sad, lids falling low. âI know you hate me, butâŚI still appreciate it. Appreciate you and everything you have done.â Its eyes well up with liquid. âI know Rocky puts a lotâtoo muchâon you, and I know he's never home with you. I know that," he sniffs, looking down into his lap. âI-I feel like it's all my fault. I'm soâŚso useless on my own here. I-I'm such a burden to youâŚâ he starts leaking, and I feel myself starting to panic now. I don't know what to do when a human starts leaking from their face.Â
I suddenly feel guilty, not a little guilty but deeply guilty. Grace looks so small sitting beside me. He is smaller than I ever thought he would be. Somehow I convinced myself that Grace was the source of my frustration. Looking at him now, crying into his hands, I realize how unfair that was.
âI don't hate you, Grace.â I try and speak as softly as I can. He presses his hands to his face harder, shielding himself from me.
"It's okay that you do. I would hate me too. IâI do hate me.â His voice cracks and he breathes in sharply. âIâve ruined what y-you two could have hadâŚâ I can tell he's trying his best to keep his emotions in, sniffling and wiping the tears from his face just to have them replaced immediately with fresh ones.
I let out a low, pained coo. Slowly, carefully, I pull the human towards me. I expect it to resist, but Grace practically folds into my arms. The moment his head touches my carapace, he latches on. His fingers clutch at me desperately. I scoop his legs off the sand, holding him gently.Â
âGrace. Adrian does not hate you.â My words, which are supposed to be comforting, only seem to make it cry harder. "Adrian frustration is not Grace fault. Grace bring Rocky back to me. Rocky could hate Adrian. Not want to be mates and Adrian would be happy that Rocky alive and well.â Grace pulls his very leaky face from me, looking for a moment but not saying anything while he quietly weeps.Â
âI-I know your relationship with Rocky is badâŚhe acts different.â He babbles over his words, âI know w-why you didn't want to see me; I'm not that s-stupidââ I move my arm up in front, making him stop.
The notion of how fragile and small he is worms its way into my thoughts, and it makes me happy that he trusts me as much as he does. That he wants to be okay in my arms, even though he is adamant that I hate him. I let out a sad trill, running a claw through his hair.Â
âGrace save all of Erid. All of Earth. Grace risk life for Rocky. For me. Adrian will never hate Grace.â I scratch gently at his head, bringing my claw down to the side, near his ear. He breathes in deep and leans into the touch.Â
âUnderstand, question?â He nods slightly, but the tears and sobs donât stop. âGrace.â
âY-yesâŚI do.â He shoves his face back into me, pulling his arms to his chest. He shakes with sadness.
I feel myself heat up in embarrassment as I contemplate what to say next. âAdrian hasâŚgrown to love taking care of GraceâŚâ Rocky was right. I do enjoy it as much as I told myself I didn't. All those times I pushed my limit on how long I could go without sleep and worked so hard for Rocky and Grace, I did, deep down, enjoy it. âAdrian happy hearing Rocky tell how Grace is happy with new thing.â I hum out rather quickly.Â
He seems to perk up at this. âY-you donât have to do that, Adrian.â His crying is slowing. I pull off his glasses, placing them into the sand next to us. I wipe a claw over his face.
âAdrian not doing anything but tell truth.â He starts giggling and pushing at my claw. He sniffs while I clear the tears from his face.
âThank youâŚâ he says, breathing in deep. I move my claw back to his ear to comfort him again, scratching it lightly. He shoots up with a high-pitched noise, and I flinch, pulling my claw back.
âGrace okay, question?â I frantically say, grabbing his chin and moving his head to the side. I trace his ear again, and he flails. âWhere hurt, question?â
âW-wahait nohoho!â he squirms about in my hold. âNohot hururt! Tihihicklish!â he squeaks out.Â
Rocky has told me about the human version of tickling before, specifically that Grace is quite fond of it, and it's come up in my research on the human body. It has a similar outcome to Eridian tickling. Laughing and wiggling around. I think this method will be a good way to make Grace feel better.Â
I pull my claw away with a hum of understanding, and he relaxes. He's lying in my lap, a small smile across his face, but I still see the faintest tears in his eyes. He moves his face to his hands, still sniffling.
âHm. Adrian will give Grace check up.â He glances through his fingers.
âW-what?â he asks, his voice gravelly.
I gently pull up his shirt, and he tenses up. He's still quite thin, but fat has definitely started to come back. I reach my claw and grab at his ribs, giving slight squeezes. He jumps with a squeal.
âWAHAhait! Adriahahan!â He presses his arms to his side while twisting in my grasp. I feel around the bones, moving my claws up. His ribs definitely don't stick out as much as they did when I first treated him. I squeeze his top ribs while feeling his chest muscle for any growth.
âNAHAHOHO-AH I-I dohont neheheed a CHEHheheCK UHUPââ he cackles, trying his best to dislodge my claw.
âGrace need check up from Adrian. Make sure Grace eat well. Check for fat and muscle growth.â I chirp with a playful tone. "Is Adrian job." I moved my claw from under his arm to trail down it, using another claw to pull his arm from his side.
âI-I ahaham! Ihihim eahahating gohohood!â I trace lightly down his arm as he pulls at it. I pinch at his elbow and let out a yelp and some more giggles. Thereâs some muscle growth here, though definitely not as much as I would like.
âHm. Not enough.â I trace down to his wrist, then back up to his inner arm.
âAh-Iâm sohorry!â he tugs weakly at his hand, soft laughter leaving him.
âGrace no apology. Adrian work harder to help. Make grace strong.â I murmur it out while thinking of solutions for later.
I release his arm, and he presses it to his side again, his legs trying to come up and curl him into a ball. I stick a claw back down, feeling around his tummy. He screeches, fighting my arm.Â
âGood. Much fat and muscle here.â I firmly press in, feeling all the muscles twitch under my touch. âRocky will be happy.âÂ
âEEEAHHAHAâNOHOHO!â I hear blood rush to his head again as embarrassment takes him. âS-stohOHOPâADRIAHAHAN!â He kicks at my carapace, and I canât help but let out some giggles. Heâs so small and weak; itâs amusing. I have to admit his little human sounds are quite cute.
âGrace too ticklish for exam, question?â I tease a bit, vibrating my claw. He squeezes his eyes shut, shaking his head rapidly.
âA-ADRIAHAHANâ *SNRK* THIHihis ihihisnât neheceHESSARY!â squeaky noises come from him.
I grab a flailing foot with another claw, stretching his leg out as my other moves down to his thigh. I push into the muscle there and let out a pleased trill.
âGood human Grace! Much muscle here. Good good good.â His other leg kicks out frantically as his arms scramble to pull at my claw. âSuch a good human. Adrian can tell Grace been running. Keep up with regiment. Good Grace!â I half tease, half praise, soaking in the new wave of blush creeping up his face.
I squeeze his knee, and his leg jerks hard. âHow joints, question?â I know the gravity on our planet has taken its toll on his body. I scratch lightly at the underside, pulling giggles from him.
âT-they ahahache a bihit, not bahahd!â He covers his face, pulling at his appendage.
âHm. Will work on problem. Brace maybe help.â I go back up and squeeze rapidly at his kneecap.
âADRIAHAhahan! P-pleheHEHEASE! NOHOHO MOHOHORE-AHAHEHEheheââ I let go of his leg, and he immediately folds in on himself, gasping for air.
âGrace very good. Fat and muscle build good. Will add more magnesium and zinc to diet. Help.â I state, scratching at his scalp, pulling lightly at his hair.
âO-okahahayââ
âOne spot Adrian check.â I unfold him a bit and pull down his pants a few inches, then push into his lower stomach, making him scream and fight me again.
âADRIHIHIâNAHAHOHOHOT THEHEHERE!â He squeals, curling around my claw. I squeeze at the little pudge that sits there with content.
âAdrian happy happy happy! Grace get more healthy. Grace doing so good!â His cheeks flush again, âhidingâ his face as much as he can while wiggling around.
âNOHOHOââ I move up a bit and press into his belly button.Â
âYes.â I scratch lightly at the little spot.
âEEEHEHAHAâPLEAHAHASE!â He arches up while making a rather adorable noise.
I stop moving my claw, letting it rest against his tummy. His laughter lingers intertwined with little hiccups and tiny giggles. Different kinds of tears staining his face now. I rub soothing circles into his skin while he catches his breath.
His heartbeat is loud and strong. Alive. Every beat is proof that Rocky made it home. Proof that Grace made it home too. The little pitter patter settles something deep inside me.
He's curled up in my arms, his breathing and heart evening out. He has a smile plastered on his face, and soft giggles still spill from his lips. He wraps his arms around the leg that is still settled on his stomach, and he lets out a sigh.Â
âGraceâŚvery endearing. Adrian understand why Rocky love so much.â My admission makes him shove his face in my arm with a flustered noise. I reach a claw up and pet at his head again, sliding to scratch at the base of his neck. He melts into my arms, eyes closing.Â
âThank you. I hope you visit me again.â He shifts a little in my hold.
âWill visit. Promise." his small frame shifting to look at me again. âAdrian apologize for not seeing Grace sooner.â Guilt floods my chords.
"No, it's okay. I understand why.â He laughs slightly. "I would be upset at me too.â
âNot upset at Grace. Or Rocky. Adrian understand situation. Adrian knows feeling not logical. No one fault.â I rumble out gently. "Adrian apologize. Not Grace fault. Grace save Rocky. Adrian forever be in Grace dept. Should not have taken feelings out on Grace Rocky.â I move my claw to under his chin, scratching slightly. He smiles wide, scrunching up his shoulders a bit but tilting his head up, giving me more access.
"It's okay.â
âIs not," frustration lacing my voice. His eyes widen slightly. I can't get over what he said. "Grace really not like Grace, question?â He looks away as I lower my claw from his chin.
âI justâI hate the way I'm so helpless here, I guess? I rely on so many Eridians just to wake up and take a walk. I don't, like, hate myself. I feel like a burden to you and Rockââ
âGrace good burden. Adrian like Grace burden.â I see his heart rate start to rise again. I stroke his forehead as I see tears start to swell in his eyes again. He sniffs and takes a deep inhale.Â
âOkay, question?â I say firmly.
He wipes at his eyes. âO-okay.âÂ
.đĽ Ý ËÖ´đ¸ŕźË°.
âAdrian?â Rocky's voice pulls me from my thoughts. I hadn't even noticed it sneak up on me.
âRocky! How was the meeting?â I ask tenderly. The waves crash softly in front of us.
Instead of answering me, its carapace shifts down, its attention on the little human asleep in my lap. It seems to look in shock and awe as I pet Grace. After a moment, it lets out a small excited sound, something I haven't heard in months.Â
âD-Did it go well?â Its voice vibrates from joy, already knowing the obvious answer.
I let out a giggle. âYes. Me and Grace had a good talk.â I bring my claw to scratch at his scalp. He shifts, making adorable little purring noises in his sleep.Â
Rocky walks up in front of me and Grace. "I'm very, very, very happy!â it trills, bringing up its claws and shaking them.Â
âMe too," I reply fondly. Rocky suddenly stops; the atmosphere around it changes abruptly.
âAreâŚwe okay?â I let out a small, pained sound as Rocky moves a bit closer to me.Â
âYes. I am sorry, my love. I was never mad at you. I apologize for any hurt I have caused.â I reach an arm out, hoping it will come to me. ' I placed my emotions on you both when shouldn't have."
They come closer, about to take my claw, but hesitates. âI am sorry too. I have not been home with you to spend time or watch you sleep. I had you work nonstop on Grace, not thinking of your thoughts or feelings. I am sorry.â It shifts back and forth, two claws fidgeting together. âDo you still need space?â
âRocky, I know why you did it. I do not blame you," I whisper out softly. âI would love nothing more than for you to be in my arms.âÂ
It takes my claw immediately. It was as if I were afraid I might change my mind. I gently pull Rocky closer until it's pressed into me and Grace. The tension leaves its body so quickly it almost makes me laugh. I start caressing it the same way I'm doing with Grace, and exhaustion immediately starts pulling at it again. In my arms, it softens, and I can feel sleep beginning to take hold. A low rumbling starts deep inside Rocky. So sleepy and content with both of us here. I've missed that sound.
.đĽ Ý ËÖ´đ¸ŕźË°.
đĽ Sorry its on the longer side, hope you liked it! đĽ
Ruffled Feathers @ruffledafeather - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
jacobvanloon
areudirty
2087
snowghoul
stormborns
