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"Grace use different word for humans, question?"
Grace looked away from the screen and at Rocky. "Hmm?"
"Grace use 'he' for Rocky. Grace use 'he' for Grace. Sometimes Grace use 'she' for some humans. Why question?"
Grace ran a hand down his face. "Oh Rock, it's a whole thing. I told you about how we generally have two biological presentations, right? Not always, but it's complicated. Anyway, we use different words in my language to distinguish the type of presentation someone is."
"Is important to know presentation, question?"
"Uh. I guess? I dunno. It's never really been something I thought about much, honestly. Some people hate it and wanna use words that aren't tied to it, or they change their presentation, and some people hate those people. Some people try to use the words to hurt others, too. It can get kinda messy."
Rocky paused. "Humans are strange, statement."
"Yeah," Grace agreed. "Yeah, they really are."
Grace turned back to the screen for a bit. He honestly didn't know how to answer Rocky's more sociological questions with any kind of ease at all. He never really considered stuff like gender, honestly. Just seemed like background noise that didn't actually matter. He turned back to Rocky.
"What words do Eridians use for each other then?" Grace asked. "You don't have sexes or genders, right? So is it just one word for everyone?"
"Yes," Rocky answered. "Word is [musical notes]. We use same word for all creatures and things."
"Yeah? Sounds closest to the human english word 'it'. We don't usually use that for people, though."
"Why, question?"
Grace let out a long sigh. "Dunno, really. Humans like to differentiate ourselves from things, I guess. So you use 'it' to talk about me, yeah?"
"Yes. Does this make Grace uncomfortable, question?"
Grace went quiet. He thought about it. Then thought about it some more. "I… No, actually. It feels kinda… nice? I've never really thought about it, before."
"Grace does not want a word tied to presentation, question?" Rocky asked.
"I guess I don't." Grace blew some air out as the thought hit him. "I always just let people call me whatever they were gonna call me, didn't wanna make a fuss. But it's just… I just don't think it's important to me at all. Who cares? I don't. I mean, I'm the only human here, why do I cling to it? Why did I default to using he for you? None of it matters."
Grace went quiet as all of it rolled through him like a slow but unstoppable wave. He didn't care. Being a man was just something in the background, something he never thought of. He'd never considered there being a different option. Sure he loved the trans kids that came through his school, he never thought any of it was weird, but he'd never considered any of it for himself. Itself?
Grace brought a hand up to its mouth as the new thought slotted itself in neatly to the jigsaw puzzle of itself. A piece it had never realised wasn't quite right turned ninety degrees and clicked into place.
"Holy mackerel," Grace breathed as an unexpected tear ran down its cheek.
Rocky fussed on his side of the room. "Grace okay, question? Grace leaking."
"Yeah buddy," Grace said as it patted the xenonite panel separating them. "I'm fine. Just having an existential realisation. All good."
"Sarcasm, question?" Rocky asked, and Grace could hear the higher pitch of concern.
"Yeah, sort of. I am actually good. Just figuring out something about myself. I… I think I'd like to use the Eridian word for a person, now. I'm gonna start using 'it', okay? You want me to use it for you as well?"
"Yes, statement," Rocky said. It bounced up and down with excitement. "Grace coming to live on Erid. Grace become an Eridian. Happy that Grace embrace Eridian culture. Amaze amaze amaze."
Grace smiled and then couldn't hold in the laugh that bubbled out of its chest. "Yeah, buddy. Grace become an Eridian. Can't wait."
"Grace be first leaky space blob Eridian," Rocky trilled.
"You jerk," Grace laughed, and suddenly the room felt bigger than it ever had before.