ashcat



Recent works

Recent bookmarks

  1. Public Bookmark 74

    Tags
    Summary

    The lives of the crew of the Long Shot are statistically ridiculous. They've travelled over sixteen light-years to answer a three-decade-old distress call from a dying planet. They expected to find any number of things upon arrival at 40 Eridani, but being greeted by a human voice certainly wasn't on the list.

    Dr Ryland Grace says they're welcome. He says the problem has already been solved, and everything's fine, and so, in fact, is Earth. But all they know about Ryland Grace is that he left on a suicide mission ten years before they launched. And they're not so sure they should be taking a dead man at face value.

    OR: The Eridians have learned to safely host a human, despite every barrier of language and instinct. Now they just need to do it with seven more. At least, this time, they have Grace's help, right?

    (This fic is part of a series but will stand alone.)

    Series
    Language:
    English
    Words:
    16,605
    Chapters:
    5/7
    Comments:
    149
    Kudos:
    327
    Bookmarks:
    74
    Hits:
    2,967

    05 Jul 2026

  2. Public Bookmark *

    Tags
    Summary

    Grace is unprepared for the level of love that all of Erid seemed to have for him. It was vaguely terrifying, but also.... nice? To be cared for. To be wanted.

    It gets worse when they find out the circumstances of him ending up on the Hail Mary.

    When his declining health necessitates a trip back to Earth, he is faced with a planet that loves him so fiercely and wonderfully that it finally starts to break through his crippling lack of self worth and bloom into something incredible.

    And Earth? Earth has to deal with an Erid that is polite, protective, and most of all, pissed.

    Language:
    English
    Words:
    53,481
    Chapters:
    14/?
    Comments:
    1,211
    Kudos:
    3,375
    Bookmarks:
    1,024
    Hits:
    50,026

    28 Jun 2026

  3. Public Bookmark *

    Tags
    Summary

    "What if I help you?" Grace blurts out desperately, sweating even in the coolness of his house as his words finally manage to stop Adrian from storming out.

    "What?" Adrian says after a tense moment.

    "I can prove it to everyone," Grace says, his heart in his throat. "I'll - I'll make you and Rocky the most celebrated couple on Erid. I promise."

    "Stupid human," Adrian hisses. "You would give up your chance for him just like that?"

    "Yes," Grace says hoarsely.

    "Anything for him."

    ***

    Adrian does not like Grace.

    Which sucks, really, since Grace loves Adrian's husband and all.

    Language:
    English
    Words:
    87,395
    Chapters:
    37/60
    Collections:
    3
    Comments:
    4,727
    Kudos:
    10,161
    Bookmarks:
    1,994
    Hits:
    245,321

    21 Jun 2026

  4. Public Bookmark *

    Tags
    Summary

    Every screen in the room blazed with the same breaking news feed. An alien voice had just asked for him by name on live television.

    “Mr. Grace?” little Jamal whispered from the front row, eyes huge behind his glasses. “Is that really you they’re talking about? Like, you you?”

    Ryland’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. His heart slammed against his ribs like it wanted to escape and hide under the desk with the class hamster. He was just Mr. Grace. The guy who drew cartoon planets on the board, who stayed late helping kids glue together messy dioramas of the solar system, who once spent an entire lunch period comforting a sobbing girl because her goldfish had “gone to the great fishbowl in the sky.” He graded spelling tests on vocabulary words like photosynthesis and asteroid. Aliens did not know his name. Aliens did not ask for science teachers.

    The marker slipped from his fingers and clattered to the floor.

    Language:
    English
    Words:
    29,998
    Chapters:
    12/?
    Comments:
    815
    Kudos:
    2,860
    Bookmarks:
    799
    Hits:
    34,083

    16 Jun 2026

  5. Public Bookmark *

    Tags
    Summary

    "I was just having a… nice dream, and my body responded. It’s a… natural biological process.” Ryland makes the conscious decision to not tell Rocky what it’s called. “It’s related to reproduction, sort of."

    “Oh,” Rocky says. “Understand. Is biological process finished now, question?”

    Even through the filter of the computer voice, Ryland can pick up on Rocky's devious tone. He knows the answer to his question. Ryland had gone over basic human reproductive biology with him on like, day 25 of their relationship. Friendship? Whatever. And Rocky never forgets anything, so of course he knows he wasn’t “finished.” He can tell Ryland is embarrassed, and he’s trying to make it worse, for some reason.

    Well, it’s working. Despite his best efforts to remain neutral, Ryland is pretty sure he's blushing down to his chest.

    “Yes and no,” he finally answers, trying to ignore that despite everything that’s happened since he woke up, he’s still very hard in his underwear. He rubs at his face, trying to make the blush go away. “I’m… going back to sleep.”

    “Okay,” Rocky says. “Sweet dreams.”

    That little… fudging… freak. Darn him to heck.

    Language:
    English
    Words:
    60,748
    Chapters:
    17/?
    Comments:
    562
    Kudos:
    966
    Bookmarks:
    162
    Hits:
    16,700

    05 Jun 2026