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Rocky and Grace were closer than your average duo.
I mean can you blame them?
Being trapped in a tin can hurtling through space with only one other person tends to lead to you knowing the other inside-out and back-to-front
Ever since Grace had so kindly gifted Rocky the “ earth portable thinking machine “, he has taken to learning everything about earth's culture.
Ultimately, this had led to Grace being flabbergasted, for lack of a better word, when Rocky would sometimes beckon him over to look at the computer screen only to see some choice words.
Rocky would then demand to have the words explained to him, which is also how the first alien to ever use urban dictionary occurred. Who knew?
This in turn had led to Grace being bullied- “ Rocky not bully Grace, Grace is stupid, fucking liar. Statement.” into adding these words to the translators extensive vocabulary.
He had initially been vehemently against the idea of this language being used in his presence, him being a middle school teacher after all, but who was he to censor his closest friend ?
He regretted this, so, so, much.
Every time Rocky sensed that he was tired he would use and abuse his new words, knowing it would get a rise out of Grace. “ Rocky know why Grace so cranky, is because Grace is stupid ass bitch, who no listen to Rocky when he say it time go bed.”
He also had a short period of time in which he had discovered how to input words into the computers ‘dictionary’, without Grace's knowledge. Rocky enjoyed those few days, he , of course, feigned innocence every time. “ What Grace mean, question ?” He would chirp as the translator would whir away, “ Rocky no say bad words, Rocky not know! “
Grace swore that if the alien had eyes he would have the biggest, most irresistible puppy dog eyes as he said that. However, Rockys act didn't last long as Grace caught him in the act around three weeks in.
Ryland walked into the 'don't go crazy room' as Rockys translated voice repeated " Mary add '♭♬♪♫♩♪♫♬' to dictionary, please."
Mary, being a computer programme, complied. " Sure ! Adding " fuckface" to dictionary! "
"WHAT!?"
Safe to say Rocky deemed himself an expert on earth.
Grace unfortunately did not have access to an all-knowing computer that had all of Eridian knowledge on it and had to rely solely on Rocky for his information.
This was a grave mistake.
He supposed he should have known that given Rocky's 46 years spent in space all alone would have affected his ability to be… normal.
Grace wouldn't claim to be the most ‘normal’ person on earth, or in the universe? But compared to Rocky he was as normal as could be.
He learned this the hard way on the final stretch to Erid.
___________________
Grace has been stressing, what if all the Eridians hated him? What if when he got down there they took Rocky back and then pulled a Stratt and sent him back into space?
His mind was plagued with the ‘what ifs?’ and the worst possibilities his mind could conjure up.
He wouldn't have expected Rocky to be as nervous as he was. Of course, he expected him to be a little anxious, considering he hadn't been on his home planet in years, but he never expected him to be scuttling about on the verge of an Eridian anxiety attack for a week straight.
It all came to a head on the second to last night of their journey.
Ryland had been attempting to clean the lab up, key word attempting, when he heard Rocky approach him from behind, the tell-tale sound of his ball whacking off the floor breaking him out of his concentration.
He lifted his head and turned around slightly, “ Rocky, you okay bud ?” he prodded lightly.
There was no answer besides the slight shuffling of his two back claws off the ball.
His attention was now completely pulled away from the vials he had been trying to sort and label, instead he was now leaning back against the lab table hand supporting him at hip height. “ Rocky,” he said with a hint of concern in his voice,” what's up ? Why are you so quiet all of a sudden? You've been making nothing but noise this past week, is there something wrong ?”
Rocky made a half chirp-half grumbling sound, an Eridian version of clearing your throat awkwardly. “Rocky have confession.” the translator conveyed his hesitation clearly, “ Grace promise not be mad.”
His teacher instincts had now kicked in , the conversation reminding him of when shy students would approach him after class to talk, seemingly deeming him the teacher to confide in.
A small part of his brain had also lit up with the memories of his safe guarding trainings from over the years, although they were irrelevant now, seen as he was in space and talking to a being around eight times his age.
He pushes off the lab table and comes to a crouch in front of Rocky's ball, he notices that Rocky has a green looking cloth held tightly in one claw, slightly out of sight.
He brings a hand to his chin to rest,” Uh ,whatcha got there bud?” he asks calmly,” Is that what you wanted to talk about?”
Rocky bounces nervously from one leg to another anxiously, “ Grace promise, promise, promise won't be mad, question?”
Unsure of where this is going Grace cautiously responds, “ Well, I mean that depends on what you say.”
He seems to not like this response, shaking his carapace quickly from side to side , a habit he had picked up from Grace. “No, Grace promise, statement.”
Knowing he won't win the argument, he concedes. “ Uh, sure, okay. I promise I won't be mad”
Rocky slowly bring the cloth to the front of his carapace, holding it to show Grace fully.
It appeared to be a… shirt? Or a Sweater maybe.
It has five leg holes, and a hole at the top, likely to keep his vents exposed.
Ryland grabs his glasses from where they had been tucked into the neck of his t-shirt, wipes them quickly, god he really needs to clean them more often- that's besides the point.
He leans in closer to analyse it further, maybe it was a ceremonial garment, he knew they wore the jewelry Rocky had shown him, but this might be for more official events, like the landing of an alien space ship, and for the engineer who saved the world returning.
I mean, how was he supposed to know ?!
Rocky takes this as an opportunity to slip the garment above his carapace and uses two of his claws to slide it down to fit snugly around it. So, it was a sweater of sorts.
Rocky's nervous rocking - heh rocking, nevermind- had stopped, and he now stood completely still as he chirped his confession.
…
“ Rocky wear clothes.”
Ryland huffs out a laugh at that, bringing his hand down to rest on his knees to push himself back up to lean against the table, “ Well I can see that now ,but it's only for like special occasions or something right, kinda like our ceremonial uniforms back home, right ?”
A long silence followed.
“...No.”
“No?”
“No… All Rocky plural, wear clothes.”
The silence is so thick Ryland doesn't even think a knife could cut it.
He stares at Rocky, even though the alien doesn't have eyes. “ So you're a nudist…?”
Rocky ‘stares’ back at him and tilts his carapace, looking eerily reminiscent of an inquisitive puppy. “What nudist, question ?”
________
The two sit before a laptop, Ryland sitting on the floor next to the lab table, and Rocky is perched in his ball with his crystal device to ‘hear’ the screen.
Ryland leans forward and types ‘ nudist ‘ into the urban dictionary.
Nudist
A person that typically prefers not to wear clothes when the situation permits. Not to be confused with streaker.
‘If you ever meet a nudist, just look them in the eyes.’
'nudist' by Zatu November 1, 2005
‘Oh.”
“Rocky is nudist, statement”