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Even before the moment Ryland landed on the planet, he worried, and he did it very well if he could add. thinking realistically Eridians would want to study him and then it would be out, Ryland wasnt born with strange markings on his chest and stomach any more than Rocky was. Maybe they see it like that?
No that would be lying and making an entire species of aliens distrust him, bad Ryland.
He'd just have to have that awkward conversation then.
---
Results in: they dont care. Rocky translated for the anxious Earthling and had no reaction either which surprised Grace the most, they simply dont care!
Grace would've jumped for joy if he wasn't actively attached to several very complicated and probably tricky to repair machines. He allowed himself a little grin instead. Rocky either was too distracted or chose to ignore the tiny celebration from his friend.
A few months later, as both Rocky and Ryland were allowed back to their respective domes and/or homes, Rocky asks.
"Grace is strange human… question?" He hesitated a bit Grace noticed. Theyd been sitting down at the beach for a while before silence washed over them.
"What do you mean Rock?" Grace is lying in the sand, trying his best to ignore the fact that sand is slowly seeping and sticking onto every crease of clothing and skin it was touching.
"When Grace in lab-" Oh no "he is happy when Eridian scientists go ‘okay’ but was not said with intent to make Grace happy, simply observation tone. Grace was worried, but not after ‘okay’"
Rocky hums to himself, it dosen't sound like words to Grace.
Theres a thousand ways Ryland could take this and then his mouth speaks before he can tell anything reasonable to exit his brain.
"im transgender" shit.
"not know word"
"its er" think Ryland think "you know how on earth, there are tw- well mostly, two types of human" finally his brain catches up to what hes going for.
"yes"
"well sometimes a person of one... sex, wishes to um, be another" Grace cant help the wince, bracing for an impact that logically cannot come but has been engraved into him enough times to simply know.
"Rocky… maybe understand"
"its tricky, took me a while to figure out too" he chuckles.
"Grace wish to be female human?"
Ryland cant help but choke on his own spit for that. A compliment he supposed.
"no Rock i was female"
"now not"
Grace nods, a tired smile creeps across him.
Rocky makes a sound between a windchime and a hum. thinking.
"Okay" its neutral. Surprisingly so.
Ryland gets up from his spot laying in the sand.
"youre okay with this?" he asks tentatively.
"is earth not?" Rocky counters softly
Ryland sighs
"some people are, not everyone. I hardly ever told anyone, not even Stratt knew until I used it as an excuse to get out of going on Mary." silly "she just made sure that the ship had enough bottles and gel to last a lifetime… or at least my lifetime"
Rocky nods, the human gesture still moves something in Grace whenever it happens.
after a while Rocky chimes "Earth is… strange, Erid does not mind if you are… changing. Still bravest human Erid has ever seen."
Grace allows himself to grin this time. he wrings his hands excitedly, bad habit but screw it.
“Thanks Rock”
Rocky gets up and turns to Ryland, a little signal that he wants to go in the water. Grace gets up and follows the Alien to the faux seas edge.
Slipping off his shoes and socks, he lets himself go ankle deep in the slightly too cold water. Rockys clear xenonite suit sparkles as he splashes into the water. The alien lets out little chirps of joy as the waves crash over him.
As the pair is walking back from the ocean Rocky slowly starts to make his thinking noise again. Grace can hear it even whilst being a few stairs above Rocky.
“whatcha thinking about?” Ryland asks, if its about before best to get it out of the way Grace reasons with himself.
“if people sexually dymophic, and Grace was female, then scars are there for reason”
Ryland hums a little uh huh
“they're from surgery yes, I had parts i didnt want or wanted and they added or removed what I needed. When I had the money of course” Rocky was vaguely aware what money meant on Earth compared to Erid.
Eridians worked better from trading than they did currency, symbolic physical value didnt entice them as much as humans would.
“so changing is expensive?” if Rocky had a mouth Ryland imagined he would be frowning.
“yeah, some people save up for ages, just for whats normally considered the early steps, I was lucky, I was saving up before I could even go to the doctors about it” he smiles, reminded of all the odd jobs that 16 year old Ryland did just to make sure he could afford all the doctors needed when he turned 18, then selling his old car for top surgery and part of his bottom surgery a few years after.
most people didnt get it but Grace did, and screw other people its not like hes ever going to see another person ever again.
“Rocky understand, when Rocky meet Adrian Rocky want nothing more than to house together, spend loooong time waiting for house to be available. long time wanting is hard”
Grace nods, they both understood each other in their own words.