stumblebump



Recent bookmarks

  1. Public Bookmark *

    Tags
    Summary

    "Grace, question?” Rocky says from his tunnel.

    “Yeah?” I peek my head up, wiping nonexistent dust off my pants. The storage compartment was almost completely sterile, but I needed something to do with my hands.

    All okay, question?” There’s a slight quiver in the notes of his voice that I’ve come to recognize as hesitance.

    “Of course, buddy.” I laugh disbelievingly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

    Ryland finds Yao’s gun and he is perfectly normal about it, thank you very much. He’s only been stuck in the same environment eating the same meals everyday for a year now. He’s fine.

    Language:
    English
    Words:
    3,115
    Chapters:
    1/1
    Comments:
    105
    Kudos:
    5,596
    Bookmarks:
    697
    Hits:
    20,984

    13 Jun 2026

  2. Public Bookmark *

    Tags
    Summary

    The data on the Ringo probe is just a little different from the others, and when she investigates, Eva Stratt is privy to the last, and most treasured, messages from Ryland Grace.

    ———

    In other words, Eva watches Grace fall in love from across the galaxy.

    Language:
    English
    Words:
    5,682
    Chapters:
    1/1
    Comments:
    91
    Kudos:
    993
    Bookmarks:
    184
    Hits:
    3,604

    12 Jun 2026

  3. Public Bookmark 11

    Tags
    Summary

    Grace has told me that he thinks I look dead when I am in rest. I refrain from telling him that he looks like he is dying. Dying, like a friend or mate or enemy thrashing and whimpering in its last moments of termination, the backflow of mercury feasting upon its vessel the same way Grace’s tears indulgently moats its creator’s face in another one of his leaky nightmares.

    or: a prose-poem in which rocky talks about a few things he does not understand about grace.

    Series
    Language:
    English
    Words:
    2,563
    Chapters:
    1/1
    Comments:
    15
    Kudos:
    63
    Bookmarks:
    11
    Hits:
    443

    11 Jun 2026

  4. Public Bookmark *

    Tags
    Summary

    “Hey! It’s a lot up here, okay? It’s a normal response to stress.” He rubs a hand over his face. “Okay, I cried a lot down there, too. But not in class! Not if I could help it. But having to say goodbye, gosh, I’ve never been good at that.” Grace laughs, but it sounds sad. His mouth is shut firmly, and he leans against my ball. He’s so soft, his body melds to the side of the xenonite with ease. “I can’t imagine what a mess I’ll be when—” he cuts himself off, but I know what was coming next.

    I’m not sure how I’ll be when we say goodbye either. It didn’t seem like it’d matter so much at first, after all, if we part ways, it means we succeeded. I’d be going back to Erid, to Adrian, to home. But I’d be leaving behind Grace. The thought of that is unpleasant. It sinks deep in me; the emotion is painfully familiar. It’s been a long time since I’ve had anyone to mourn losing anyone again. I don’t want to think about it, I’m not ready.

    or 5 times Rocky feels something for Grace. 1 time he does something about it.

    Series
    Language:
    English
    Words:
    16,373
    Chapters:
    6/6
    Collections:
    1
    Comments:
    511
    Kudos:
    4,485
    Bookmarks:
    719
    Hits:
    37,230

    08 Jun 2026

  5. Public Bookmark *

    Tags
    Summary

    "Many stages in Eridian reproductive process. Rocky Adrian laying cycles finally sync up recently. So, Rocky Adrian think finally time for eggs. Adrian lay five eggs, very good. Only, strange thing happen. Rocky only lay one egg."

    “Oh,” I say. “That’s unusual, right?”

    "Very," Rocky hums.

    My throat tightens. "Does that mean there's something wrong? Are you sick?"

    Rocky makes a gesture I usually interpret as "not exactly". "Not sick," he says. "But doctors still worry. When Eridian start to make fewer eggs, this usually means laying period of life is over soon. Rocky very young for this. Rocky supposed to be in ideal time of life for laying. Rocky younger than Adrian, even." He shifts on three of his feet. Already, my mind is racing ahead, wondering -- "Doctors told Rocky to ask Grace, is this radiation side effect, question?"

    Language:
    English
    Words:
    8,236
    Chapters:
    3/3
    Comments:
    303
    Kudos:
    4,226
    Bookmarks:
    919
    Hits:
    17,571

    04 Jun 2026