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Grace sits at the water's edge, staring off into the artificial ocean that Rocky and Adrian and so many other Eridians had worked hard to create. It's still the wrong temperature, but it's getting there. It's certainly warmer than it was last week, but he still isn't going swimming in it anytime soon. A noise to his right makes him glance over, and he tumbles back into the sand when he sees two smaller Eridians standing right there.
"Savior Grace!" The shorter one chirps, either oblivious to or unfazed by his sand-laden tumble. After staring at them for some time, Grace finally recognizes the two. They're a part of his class, the shorter one usually more enthusiastic about it than the taller one. Colors were hard to see in the classroom, but now that they are here in the biodome he could see them perfectly. The shorter Eridian is red with streaks of brown and beige running along the jagged carapace, just like jasper. The other one reminds him of Adrian in a way, with the taller carapace colored like a warm summer's meadow and streaked with bright oranges and yellows. But, more importantly, what in the world were some of his students doing in the biodome?
"What are you two doing here?" Grace asks, tilting his head. The two Eridians (he really needs to give them names…) turn to each other and make several hushed noises. Then, they turn back to him. He guesses the 'turning' is a form of privacy, just like humans do, since Eridians don't have one singular face that they use. Neat. He should ask Rocky and Adrian about that later.
"Wanted to ask Savior Grace question, statement." The taller one—okay, this is ridiculous. Grace racks his brain for name ideas for these two, and smiles softly when he finds some. The taller one is now Dandelion and the shorter one…hm…he likes the name Wayne for some reason. Yeah, he'll go with that. Dandelion is the one to say that, and Grace is never going to be one to turn down a curious student.
"Alright, what's your question?"
"Why Savior Grace have no mate, question?" Wayne asks, and the notes pack quite the punch. He splutters and coughs after the question is asked, sending the two into a bit of a frenzy.
"Savior Grace okay, question?"
"Savior Grace coughing, bad bad bad!"
"No, no, I'm fine. Your question just caught me off guard," He says, Dandelion and Wayne stopping their freak out immediately after hearing he's okay. "But to answer your question, having a mate isn't something I particularly want for myself,"
Dandelion and Wayne consider this for a moment, Dandelion drumming their digits on the ground. Well, on the ground through the xenonite suit that both Eridians are wearing.
"
Savior Grace have no mate because…you no want mate, question?" Dandelion chimes, the tone of their notes making their confusion obvious. No different from Earth, really. "Why, question?"
Grace shrugs, "I've never really experienced that 'pull' you feel toward someone you want to make your mate, if that makes sense."
Wayne wiggles their carapace in agreement, "Yes, makes sense to 𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥. Much thank."
"Still no understand, statement." Dandelion grumbles, stomping their feet. Grace, again, shrugs. He couldn't truly explain it better than that without going into a full lesson on how human attraction and sexuality works. Well, actually…
"You two want an exclusive Dr. Grace lesson?" Grace smirks, rising to his feet. The pair both rise up to signify attention, then they launch into enthusiastic chimes.
"Yes yes yes! Time for Teacher Grace!" The pair chirp in unison, making him laugh.
"So, the way that human attraction works is…"
𝅘𝅥𝅗𝅥𝅘𝅥𝅮
Multiple hours later, Grace finally finishes the lesson on human attraction and sexuality, the trio having ended up in his home where he has his whiteboard stored. Dandelion and Wayne couldn't see the ink, but it helped Grace to visualize and remember what in the world he was talking about. Now, the three were laying in Grace's bed, the two Eridians (who Grace learned are childhood best friends) animatedly discussing the lesson they just had with each other. Grace starts to drift off, before a knock at the door startles him back awake. Dandelion and Wayne seem to sag, and he can figure a guess as to who's at the door, if the incessant chimes are anything to go by. He waltzes over and pulls open the door, looking down to see Rocky.
"𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥, 𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅗𝅥𝅗𝅥, time go home!" Rocky insists, pointing toward the bio-dome exit. Wayne and Dandelion protest, but it only takes another stern word from Rocky to send them scrambling home. Grace smiles fondly as he watches the two go, then he turns to his best friend.
"Don't want other Eridians in my house?"
"Overstay welcome. Time go home." Rocky states, "What doing, question?"
"They asked why I don't have a mate," Grace says, sitting back on his bed. Rocky climbs up to sit next to him, the mattress sagging under his weight. "So, I gave them a biology lesson,"
"You no want mate, statement." Rocky says firmly, his limbs going every which way to emphasize his point. Grace nods.
"Took them a bit to understand it, but I think they get the gist."
"Good good," Rocky shifts a little, tilting his carapace up at Grace, "We have word for that,"
"What, not understanding something?"
"No. Not wanting mate."
"What's the word?"
"It is ♫𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥𝅮," The word is unfamiliar, which isn't surprising. Eridian is a living language, and as much as he could understand, he's still learning new words everyday. Especially since his students love to use slang that he cannot for the life of him understand. He hums the notes to himself, smiling. The word fits, in a strange way. "What English word for it?"
"We call ourselves aroace, which is a shortening of the words aromantic and asexual," Grace explains, smiling down at Rocky, who takes this in silently. It's just like their early language exchanges back on the Hail Mary, back when he thought he'd die in space. Back before he and Rocky became best friends. The Eridians have given him so much, and he doesn't know how he'll ever repay them. Sure, he saved their planet and his own, but that doesn't mean they had to make a whole bio-dome just for him. He should do something more for them. Grace leans against Rocky, contemplating.
"I really need to repay you guys for all this," Grace gestures to the house and the bio-dome at large. Rocky vigorously shakes his body underneath him.
"Grace save Erid, save Rocky. Bring Rocky home. That enough."
"Really?"
"Yes. What no understand, question?"
"I don't know, I just feel like I should be doing more for all of you. Does that make sense?"
"Yes yes, make sense. But Grace teach Eridians human science, advance society. That good enough." Rocky says, aggressively jabbing one of his claws at him. Grace smiles softly, realizing Rocky really is right. He's imparting all the knowledge he has onto a species who didn't even know about radiation before he came along. His lessons will help Erid grow in the future, help everyone better understand the universe around them. That's enough to the Eridians, so it has to be enough to Grace too.
"You're a great friend, Rocky," Grace says, tears welling up in his eyes. Rocky remains silent for a beat, and then responds.
"Grace great friend too. Even if Grace leaky."
"Okay, I don't 'leak' that much!"
"Grace leak lots. Grace very leaky."
"You're so mean,"
"That what best friend for, statement,"
"Yeah, that's what best friends are for…you're still a jerk,"
"No understand word."
"I taught you that forever ago! I thought you Eridians had perfect memory?" Grace laughs, knowing that Rocky was messing with him.
"Sarcasm." Rocky shivers, but he stands tall, meaning that he's proud of his antics. Grace rolls his eyes, gently shoving Rocky. Which, of course, barely budges him. The two enjoy each other's company for the rest of the night, and Grace knows that he wouldn't trade this for anything in the world.