mmeathead



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  1. Public Bookmark *

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    The Hail Mary has sent off its Beetles and Eva Stratt is the first to dissect them for the data within. If anything, she’s simply glad that Ryland Grace, as odd as he may seem at first glance, is thorough. His logs, both visual and written, go over everything in pretty good detail.

    She’s also come to learn that he has a pretty bad habit of leaving the camera on when it isn’t meant to be.

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    02 May 2026

  2. Public Bookmark *

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    Ryland Grace encounters a problem he can’t solve without getting into the NannyBot’s guts. He’s not prepared for what he finds inside.

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    02 May 2026

  3. Public Bookmark *

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    Petulantly, Rocky says, “Grace sound stupid. Like child.”

    “I’m just talking how you talk, buddy.”

    “Yes. This is because I talk like child, to speak to stupid human.”

    “Well, you don’t have to do that,” I say without thinking.

    “♪♫♩as this♪ when, underst♪♪♫d ♪me, question?” Rocky says.

    “What?”

    “Can♪♪♫will understa♫d it ♫think talks♫♪ as this♪ Eridian you♩♫, question?”

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    01 May 2026

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    AUGHH TEARS. TEARS STREAMING DOWN MY FACE. THIS IS SO GOOOODDD

  4. Public Bookmark 99

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    “How far did he get?”

    “Almost touched the fence,” Carl says.

    “He was motivated,” Eva murmurs distantly. She is suddenly very tired.

    “Past tense already?”

    Eva flinches, feeling slapped in the face. No more coffees brought to her right as she starts to lag in the afternoon, no more bags of obnoxiously-colored candies hidden away in her pocket to slip to him, lest the vultures in the engineering department claim them all. No more staring at reports while he spins his chair around and talks about nothing, his voice soothing white noise to her after three years of hearing it practically nonstop. No more beers shared after a long day’s work, a brief respite before beginning another grueling day the next morning. It is all past tense now.

    (eva stratt has just kidnapped her second-in-command. eva stratt has just lost her closest friend.)

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    26 Apr 2026

  5. Public Bookmark *

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    "Hey...can I ask you something kind of weird?"

    "Shoot," Rocky says, his voice sounding amused. "But not actually shoot."

    Grace wants to laugh at the joke (he's been getting better at joking and sarcasm) but instead he swallows, his fingers tracing idle patterns on the blanket. The ache from earlier at the classroom, the beach, the constant invisible wall feels closer tonight.

    "What does it feel like... to touch you?" he asks. "I mean, if we could. Your carapace. Your claws. What would it feel like to me?"

    Rocky is quiet for a long beat. When he sings again, his melody is thoughtful and gentle.

    "Hard. Rocky, like name. Like...strong stone that is alive. My claws are sharp but careful. My body pulses a little when I am happy. Like singing Grace can feel instead of hear." He pauses, then adds with a soft, almost shy trill, "What does human skin feel like, question? To me, I wonder."

    He imagines it.

    In his mind, the xenonite shell vanishes.

    Or: Grace is touch starved and Rocky wants to make it better

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    05 Apr 2026

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    6