Chapter Text
Ryland typed on his laptop, the rushing woosh of the water in front of him.
It was bliss writing out here. His own little world, created and tended to by some of those he loved the most.
Over the years, Ryland had learned mountains of facts about Erid, Eridian biology, culture, language, technology and more. He may not have been able to go outside of the biodome very often, so most of these things were brought to him.
An education about the planet he helped save, readily given at the slighted whim.
Those days on The Mary seemed so far away now.
Still, he had a job to do. He was an educator and ambassador for earth, as well, not like there was anyone else.
In a couple years, Earth years, not Erid years. They were going to send unmanned ships to earth to relay information about Erid and as they had Grace, they had a translator.
Ryland could feel his thoughts drifting again. Back to The Mary. Back to when he first met Rocky.
He rubbed the ring on his left hand.
This was going to be an interesting paper.
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"...If you were on Erid right now, with Adrian. What would you do?" I posed the scenario to Rocky. He let out an melodic sigh.
"Rocky and Adrian would walk together. Talk engineering, gardening, philosophy and go see popular places." Rocky mused, his tone turning warmer the more he talked.
"So you'd go on a date?" I asked.
"'Date'. Is that what Rocky described?"
"Well, kinda. A date is when you and your mate go out to enjoy things. Spend quality time." I explained, when suddenly Rocky flopped to the ground. His limbs splayed out as much as they could be inside the confines of the ball.
"Quality time... been so long..." He droned. I grimaced at his flattened state. Rocky had been pretty down lately so I had been trying to help him focus on the positive memories. Really treasure them and use them to power through.
However, I think my lack of experience may have been jeopardising my efforts. Linda and I were not a very long-term thing. And then there was Stratt...
...And then there was Stratt. I may have been her lapdog but I wasn't anything more. I was a tool to her, and while that might have caused some to suspect we might have been together, it was never anything real. My feelings on her were complicated enough.
I put my head in my hands, rubbing my temples.
"Sorry, Rocky make Grace sad." He said in somehow an even lower tone.
"No buddy. I'm trying to think of ways to help. " I sigh, looking up at the screens inside the enrichment centre. Or as I like to call the 'don't go crazy room.'
"How about we watch a movie. I can teach you more about human dating?"
"Hmm, Rocky think okay. Want to learn many many things about human customs."
"And I wanna learn about your customs, buddy." I lightly flicked the xenonite ball Rocky sat in and it made a 'plink'.
...
The movie we picked wasn't really all that memorable. It was definitely something you'd call a 'chick flick'. What was fascinating and kind of hilarious, is that I described it like a documentary to Rocky. Of course I explained the scenarios were fictional, but the portrayals of human connection were a good baseline to get started on.
"How is a miscommunication causing much much mess?" Rocky complained, waving his arms at his little texture screen.
"It's a common trope in fiction, but also happens a lot in real life."
"Humans stupid."
"You telling me Eridians never say the wrong thing? Or misinterpret what they heard?"
"Eridians are logical, rational beings. We would not make such mistakes."
"Oh I do not believe that!" I scoffed.
"Rocky will show you one day."
"I'd love to, but that not going to be possible. We have a duty to our species."
"Hmm... movie still playing. Keep watching." Rocky said, quite dismissively trying to get me to shut up.
So I did, I kept watching and explaining things.
That was until, we got to the third act. And the kiss.
Rocky hunkered down again but in a different way than earlier. He wasn't depressed or frightened. This was a kind of posture I have yet to see. His carapace tilted forward, almost looking like a hissing cat.
"What are they doing? Grace why are you showing Rocky this?" He sounded a little panicked, and maybe disturbed? Was Rocky 'clutching at his pearls' over a kissing scene?
"It's the emotional finale. Usually at the end of these romance movies, humans kiss."
"Why?" He asked sharply.
"Well, there's theories for that. But mostly is an intimate form of connection. Not for every culture, but most of the ones I know."
"....What purpose?" Rocky asked again, still with what looked like his hackles up, but a slightly less panicked tone.
I looked at him blankly for a moment. Hadn't I just answered that?
"I mean, intimate connection is an important part. Humans just use their mouths for many things. Not just eating or talking. Our tongues-" I began, noticing how the two lead actors were now french kissing, on the massive screen in front of us.
I heard Rocky's carapace shudder when they did this. Did he really find kissing so disgusting?
"Uh, as I was saying. Our tongues are sensitive. Sensitive to taste, temperature and texture. So licking is sometimes a part of human courting." I tried to explain as in little graphic detail as I could because I could clearly see Rocky was uncomfortable.
The two leads stopped making out and Rocky calmed down.
Jesus, if this is how Rocky reacted to kissing, how would he ever make it through learning about human reproduction?
I had told him some details. The sperm and egg, baby grows in the womb. The basic stuff you relay to kids. I had not gone into detail about sex and pleasure.
Rocky may have had an understanding through me that human bodies are sensitive to sensations and touch, but not in any intimate kind of way.
I mean, maybe a little. We've touched hands through the xenonite and hugged, and I expressed that it had a platonic intimacy to me, and how as a generality, mates also did that kind of thing too.
After the movie, Rocky and I spent some time away from each other. I was biting my finger nails and pacing, worried I had horribly offended him. But an hour later he came back as chipper as ever.
What even was that about!?