More rolling Grace and Rocky sketches since I wanted to sketch out some more. Also I realized that I haven't drawn some of the pebbles on Erid, so here ya go!
Guys imagine Rocky (and Adrian, and their pebbles), Simon and Grace go back to Earth and opon seeing Eva Simon and Rocky just go to straight attack mode, but Grace is like "DON'T... SIT... please-"
Simons all pouty and growly. "But-"
"No. No buts. This is my thing."
So now heres Rocky and his children hissing and fussing at this woman, as Eva stands there in shock and teary eyed.
"You made friends.." She smiles, clearly ashamed and desperate to break tension.
Grace just stands there, staring at her. She stares at him. He stares at her.
Grace pushes up his glasses. "I had too. My old ones weren't that great." And then whole ass just walks away with his literal band of Aliens, irritated and clearly shameful of his behavior towards her. He wants to forgive her. He WILL. Forgive her. But it hasn't been enough time. He doesn't know when it will be enough time.. but he does want his friend back.
The issue is he worries he won't be able to trust *any* humans ever again. Esspecially not her.
Ever since they could see Earth, the anxiety in his chest squeezes. He doesn't feel like he can breathe here anymore. He doesn't look forward to the fame and attention to the press conferences and meetings he will need to do as Earth's (and Erid's) savior.
The only thing keeping hid spirits up is the pure wonder that his new besties are experiencing. Simon had cried seeing Earth. He thought it was just a legend, and the pebbles jumped so excitedly, wanting to explore and say hello to "All of the humans" but Grace keeps them all close, terrified that this second chance he was giving to Earth would take a bad turn if he wasn't strict with who, where and what happens.
Grace had even promised to take Simon to see all the gardens and parks in San Francisco once things dyed down. Rocky is not impressed very much and if anything is more worried about how Grace is doing rather then his own entertainment. The plan was to go back to the life he wanted.. but the more Grace's heart beat, so quickly that Rocky was worried it would explode, the more doubt is on Grace's face of staying. He had second thoughts. Thoughts of "Oh shoot I messed up. I want to go home."
Not *his* home though. He wanted to go back to Erid.. seeing how happy and excited Simon was though, gave him mixed feelings. Later, he'd break down sobbing in the bathroom of the hotel. But for now, he had to play the role.
The most important man on Earth.. who returned agasint all odds... How fun...
Of course, I hate the idea of him going back. We all know what humanity would (try) to do if ligit aliens came. Were a species built on ignorance and fearful aggression.
Hi! I thought up a request for a phm tickle fic if your inbox isn't too full :3
Imagine Grace invites Rocky to be an assistant for a lesson explaining the differences and similarities between Eridians to all the pebbles, and Rocky jumps when the opportunity to embarrass his beloved alien friend pops up. Of course he would want to show the pebbles that not only Eridians are ticklish, but squishy Humans too!
Poor Grace has to try and explain what's different and similar between Human and Eridian tickling.
(Ignore this request if it's bad :p)
Oh WE GOT A GENIUS OVER HERE /VPOS
This is a GREAT idea!HELL YEA. LET’S DO IT.
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Live Demonstration
This was a blast to write bro, y’all don’t even know. AND THANK YOU TO ADRIEN FOR THE BAMGER REQUEST. YOU RULE, DUDE.
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Lee!Grace (WHO’S SHOCKED, RAISE YOUR HAND.)
Ler!Rocky and the pebbles
(that HAS to be a Midwest emo band name)
-
Today, Grace’s class focuses on the differences between human and Eridian anatomy, with Rocky as a special guest teacher. Naturally, when the ever fascinating topic of the nervous system is covered, the pebbles have a hard time wrapping their minds around particular human responses to touch.
-
“Okay class, let’s all take our seats.” I call out, pressing the ‘live translation’ setting on my Eridian to English software, setting the laptop down on the table beside me.
“One, two, three, all butts in a seat.” I raise my hand counting to three with my fingers.
The young Eridians settled down behind the xenonite divider, the excited chittering and chirping, lulling into idle warbles.
“Good morning, pebbles, how are we today?” I tak a step forward, clasping my hands together with a smile.
“Happy!” “Excited!” “Learn time!” “Hello Grace!”
I chuckle at the dozens of voices coming through the laptop behind me.
“Good! Im happy to see you all too. Nice to see everyone’s… lack of faces” I say with a nod. “Now. For today’s lesson, we’re going to be focusing on the difference between Eridian anatomy,” I open my arns out.”and my anatomy, the things that make me human.”
The Eridians chirp and bounce around in their seats.
“Can anyone tell me, just by looking at me, some differences you see between my body and your bodies?” I ask, standing with my hands on my hips.
“Grace tall!”
“Grace have only four limbs not five!”
“Grace have long body!”
“Hands!”
“Many holes in face!”
I nod at every observation. “Yes! Those are all correct! I’m tall- 6ft, to be exact. have hands, a long body, also called a torso, and I’ve only got two arms, and two legs. Awesome job guys!”
The pebbles all trill in satisfaction.
“Now, in order to help me better explain my less obvious differences to you all in a what you may be better able to understand, I’ve asked a very special friend to help me out.” I look to the side, giving a beckoning motion towards a very familiar brown rock a few yards to my left.
Rocky comes bounding over, galloping a lap around my feet before coming to a halt beside me.
He greets the pebbles with a series of notes I had come to recognize as a greeting.
They all return the greeting to Rocky.
“Hello class! Rocky here to help Grace teach about human and Eridian anatomy!”
I smile. “Shall we begin?”
-
Within the span of a few hours, Rocky and I manage to touch on all the major systems within our respective bodies, from circulatory, to respiratory, to endocrine, reproductive, and muscular.
The class was fascinated to learn that my blood was metallic, like theirs, and just as shocked to hear that I didn’t require a dual circulatory systems to keep my body temperature regulated.
They learned the evolutionary and cultural purpose of human hair, the maintenance and purpose of teeth, the concept of eyesight, and the difference between bone and cartilage.
We covered… a lot of ground.
“Ok, we have time for one more system. Just one more.”
The pebbles cheer and trill.
“Alright let’s talk nerves.” I change slides on my, admittedly unnecessarily long, PowerPoint, displaying some isolated images of the human nervous system.
The image is met with confusion, surprise, and a slight undertone of fear.
“These, Are called nerves. These little fibers stretch all throughout the body, from scalp to sole. Every single one of these connect to the brain, allowing for us to feel and respond to external stimuli. Anything from the warmth of sunshine, to the pain of a wound. Every one of those signals is carried by nerves.”
I explain.
“You guys have them too, apparently. According to Rocky, you all have nerves deep beneath your shells, only coming close to the surface at the top of the carapace, the joints if the limbs, and between the digits on the claws.” Rocky points to each part of the body on himself as I list them off.
“Humans have nerve endings all over.” I gently run my hand over my arm, producing a patch of goosebumps and raised hairs. I hold my forearm to the camera, giving the texture image converter a moment to process, and display the visuals on the other side of the xenonite for the pebbles to see.
“My nerves are so sensitive, that even the slightest touch raises the alarm in my body.”
I’m met with a symphony of awed Weidian music.
One of the pebbles raises their hand.
“Yes, Sophie. What’s your question?” I point to the pink-ish, quartzite patterned Eridian who always sat in my front row.
“Is all touch painful to human nerves?”
“Great question, kiddo! Uhm no, actually. We have a spectrum of different sensations we can experience when an outside force makes contact with our skin. Yes, a lot of it can be categorized as pain, but contact with the nervous system can also make us feel comfort, pleasure, affection, things like that.”
“Can also make humans laugh!” Rocky chimes in.
I look down at him with a furrowed brow.
“Uh yes, that too.” I chuckle awkwardly
“Laugh, question?”
“Why touch funny, question?”
“Why laugh, question?”
“Touch make Grace laugh, question?”
I raise my hand to quiet the class.
“If you can hear my voice stomp once.”
They all stomp in unison. Silence. Works every time.
“Yes. Rocky is… correct, touch can sometimes make humans laugh. It’s a uh- rather peculiar phenomenon that’s believed to have been a form of self defense training a long, long time ago.”
I walk back and forth along the length of the xenonite wall as I speak.
“It’s called “tickling”. And those who are susceptible to the effects of it, are considered to be ticklish.” I explain. “Someone who’s ticklish will react to being touched in certain ways by laughing, and moving uncontrollably.”
One of the pebbles raises their hand.
“Yes, Danny?”
“Are all humans ticklish, question?”
“No sir. The majority are, but about 33% of the population are not. Yes, Marie?”
“Is painful, question?”
“Not really. It’s considered the lowest form of pain, but it doesn’t actually hurt, no. Finn?”
“Is Grace ticklish, question?”
I pause, finding myself unable to articulate myself.
“I- well, y-yes, as I said, the majority of people are, so it’s no surprise that I would be as well.” I chuckle awkwardly.
“Demonstration!”
“Show Show Show!”
“Guys, guys, settle down, I can’t- I can’t demonstrate. Humans aren’t able to tickle themselves. The whole point is that the brain doesn’t expect it. If I try to tickle myself-“
I tilt my head, scratching gently at my neck, and shrugging.
“My brain already knows whys happening. The effect is blocked, and voided.”
They looked… disappointed.
I sigh. I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job explaining the concept to them, but darn it, the pebbles thrived on example. Demonstration.
Would my next decision hurt my pride a little bit? Yes. But for the pursuit of science, I’d do it.
“I suppose… I know how I can give you a demonstration. Who wants to come on a field trip to my side of the glass?”
The pebbles all cheer and bounce around their classroom.
-
Alright. Can everyone see me?” I ask, sitting crisscross in the sand, with two dozen Eridians sitting in front of me in their atmosphere suits, nodding intently. “Good.”
Rocky scuttles over, sitting right beside me, and I feel like a prisoner at the block, with my executioner looming nearby.
“So. Humans are typically the most ticklish in places that conceal vital organs underneath.” I say, pointing to different parts of my body. “Like the side and stomach, and the neck.” I take a breath, looking over to Rocky.
“Go ahead…”
“Yes, yes!” Rocky pounces on me like a puppy, knocking me backwards. His two front claws directing their attention to the center of my stomach.
“gAH-! H-haha-! The uh- haha-! The stomach is where m-most of the vihihital organs live- AH-“ I fight to get my words out as Rocky demonstrates the action. “L-liver. PAHAHANCREAS- uh- intestines- ohOHOKAY/!” Rocky chirps, taking my signal and moving up to scritch at the side of my neck.
I shriek, twisting away. “AHAHA-!! A-AND THE NECK, YES- h-haHA- that’s where the jugular vein, s-spinal cord, and other vital nerves live- ohokAHAY BREAK-!”
Rocky immediately backs away, leaving me lying on my back in the gravel, heaving to catch my breath.
I look up, and the pebbles have closed in on me, staring down at me like roadkill. One of them raises their hand again. What now?!
“Yes, Lucas. Go ahead.”
“Are humans ticklish only where important organs live, question?”
I sit up with a groan.
“Good question, bud. No, most humans have several spots that make them laugh. Many of them can be… unconventional, or strange. Y’know- hands, knees, shoulders, elbows…”
They all look at me expectantly. Darn it. These kids were lucky I love them.
…
“Fine. Go ahead, Rocky. Show ‘em.” I mutter, hanging my head in resignation.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Rocky is on me again. This time, he pushes me into the gravel a bit harder, two hands descending onto my thigh, and my collarbone, both digging in with purpose.
“AH-! AH- AH-! H-HAHAHA-“ I gasped frantically, twisting and squirming under Rocky.
“Grace very ticklish in unimportant places, statement.” Rocky explains. “Different places make Grace laugh different ways.”
One of the pebbles chimes in. “Why?”
“AH-! R-REMEHEHEMBER TO RAISE YOIUR HAND, B-BELLA.” I instruct. Though really I’m in no place to be giving direction right now. “I- I CAN’T EXPLAIN- ROHOHOCKY-!”
I pass the baton to Rocky to explain.
“Yes yes! All humans different. Humans react to different spots differently. Grace very ticklish all over, but some spots have more sensitive nerves.” He explains, a hand migrating from my collarbone to my shoulder, squeezing gently.
“AHAHA-! AUGH- CHEEHEHEAE AND CRACKERS.” I grit my teeth bucking beneath Rocky, trying not to strike any of the pebbles with a rogue kick.
“Grace very ticklish here. Make big laugh.”
He then moves both his hands to my forearms, to which I gave hardly any reaction, taking the chance to catch my breath.
“But Grace no ticklish here. One of very few places.” Ok- that last part was unnecessary.
Once Rocky stops, I sit up, pulling my legs into a crisscross, only now noticing I had apparently kicked off one of my shoes. Two pebbles had taken an interest in it. One of them, a pebble quite small for their age, sat inside of it, the other fiddled with, and pulled at the laces.
I smile at them. “Don’t pull that out. You can keep it for now, but don’t bother the laces.0 I say.
“Mister Grace, question?” I feel a gentle tug on my shirt, turning to see a tiny, purple and grey pebble. An amethyst, I had guessed. I smile at them.
“Yes, Emmy?” They didn’t speak up much, so I was happy to see them warming up.
“Why Grace shout and yell when tickle, question?” They ask, quiet, shy, melodic trills and hums almost drowned out by the computer translator.
I chuckle, patting Emmy on the top of their carapace. “That’s just sort of a side effect. Humans become frantic and a little panicked when they’re tickled, as you’ve… just seen… and that causes a rush of adrenaline. The excess excitement can cause us to raise our voices. Not on purpose. Instinctually.”
“Ohhh. Understand. Thank you Mister Grace.” Emmy bows their carapace, taking a few steps back to join the rest of the group.
A moment of quiet passes. I extend my legs in front of me, leaning back on my arms
“Well, do we have any other questions before we wrap up for- gAH-!” I flinch, shooting a look down at my leg, where two pebbles had commandeered my right ankle.
“Yes yes, question! What about here!”
“W-what about where, exactly?”
“Grace ticklish here question?”
One of the two chitters at me, reaching down to paw at my foot, not unlike a dog pawing at the ground looking for something it buried.
I yell out, trying to retract my leg. The thing about Eridian young, is that even though they were, by their standards, teenagers, and not fully grown like Rocky or Adrian, they were still monstrously heavy.
An Eridian adolescent could weigh an upwards of 200 pounds. Thankfully, the ones currently pinning my leg to the sand were only about 130 or so respectively, with most of their weight in the sand. Regardless, I was stuck.
“AHA-! Y- yEHES. Severely so. I uh- I don’t think we need any more demonstration- though- I- I think we get the iDEHEHEHEA-! AHAHA GUYS, COME ON-!”
I jerk, falling back against Rocky, who had stepped behind me to ensure didn’t fall into the sand again. He caught me with two arms wrapped around my middle, warbling to announce his presence. I couldn’t reply.
The pebbles by my ankle giggle at me, continuing to poke, pinch, and skitter across my foot, and all I could do was wait until they bored themselves with me.
“Pebbles experiment with Grace! I keep still!”
“W-WHAHT?! ROHOXKY, WHAT THE HECK-!” Rocky shifts his arms up, forcing my own arms to raise up in the air. My eyes shoot open as I realize… I’m completely trapped.
My class of heathenous traitors bounce and chirp in glee, an eager few springing forward while the rest looked on with intrigue.
About a half a dozen pebbles pounced on me. They were gentle enough not to crush me with their weight, but ruthless in their attack.
A few paw-like claws found their way to my sides, some to my stomach, I feel a particularly aggressive claw jabbing my chest, others worm under my arms, and a few kneaded like cats on my legs.
I had laughed so much already, there was barely anything else to give, but boy did I laugh anyway. I cackled and writhed under my class, struggling against Rocky, and pleading for reprieve when I could find space between breaths.
“P-plehEHease-! I- can hardly breheheathe-!” My lungs burned by this point, and I could only whimper. My eyes streamed tears down my face, and my head was light, and spinning. It felt like I was going to pass out… in fact… everything was going dark…
Wait- no wait that’s just a shadow. A really, really large shadow.
I look up wearily to see an absolutely massive, greyish blue Eridian with flashing facets of shifting crystal. Labradorite.… Adrian.
A deep, bellowing tone emminates from somewhere deep within Adrian’s immense carapace, the translator spitting back a long, drawn out, rather intimidating “Enough.”
With the sound of their voice, the pebbles shrieked, scuttling away from me. Even Rocky laid me down and took a few steps back.
They commanded a lot of respect around here, apparently.
“Adrian… hi, thank you…” I mutter, words slurred in exhausted babbling.
They nod.
“Grace biodome able to keep him alive, but not perfect Earth conditions. Grace body not able to tolerate same amount of stimuli as he can on Earth.still acclimating. Do not overwhelm Grace. Could hurt him.”
Adrian says to the group. Had they come down from the biodome control room just for this? Wow, what a legend.
I sit up slowly, Adrian providing an arm for me to lean on.
The pebbles whimpered in concern”
“It’s alright. I’m okay, I’m fine. But they’re right. I almost passed out- you guys are ruthless.” I say, leaning back against the mountainous Eridian behind me. “Humans need breaks to breathe. We only have so much lung capacity, and laughter wastes a lot of oxygen. Just- keep that in mind.”
They all nod in understanding. I slowly pick myself up off the gravel, standing up, braced against Adrian while I find my equilibrium.
“Tim, Sasha, may I have my shoe back please?” I ask.
Tim gallops over, dropping the shoe in front of me.
“Thanks, bud.” I put it on, not bothering to tie it.
“Ok that is… plenty for today.” I slowly make my way back over to my desk station.
“And since you all wanted to use class time to bully your teacher, next class we will be having a quiz about the systems of the human and Eridian body.”
I hear a collective cry of disapproval.
“Ohhhh boo-hoo, yes, a quiz. Keep crying and I’ll make it a test.” They fall silent. “Thats better. Now, get outta here so Mr Grace can go take a nap. Unless you want the quiz now, of course.”
Like ants under an overturned stone, they scatter back through the biodome airlock, leaving Rocky, Adrian, and myself on the beach.
I take a deep breath, stretching my back, and closing my laptop.
“Grace okay, question?”
“Oh now you wanna know if I’m ok?! What the heck, man?! You trapped me back there!” I wasn’t really mad at him, of course.
“Rocky give class demonstration! Hands on learning!”
“Too many hands on.” I point at him sternly, but with a smile on my face.
“At least Adrian cares if I’m dead or alive. Thank’s buddy- for interviewing.”
“Adrian Job is to keep Grace alive. Not problem.”
I give them a pat on the leg as I walk past, other hand in my pocket.
