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It had been a week on Erid and Simon couldn’t tell if he had become any more or less crazy.
He was getting discharged in a few days, and so far the infirmary’s white walls and plain furniture were throwing him off with their cleanliness. It was the complete opposite of what he was used to - muck and debris and grime on surfaces, long since used to so long since forgotten about. Here, everything was pristine and perfect, the thin layer of dust on anything he found would be cleaned by the next morning.
The one who cleaned it was an Eridian who introduced themselves via translator as Lapis. Even for someone with little education, Simon could tell it was a rather uninspiring name, considering the other looked exactly like a Lapis Lazuli, but he wasn’t well going to complain about their name to them as someone who looked after him.
The Eridian was a nurse, just like his Mama had been.
The first day they left Simon alone to sleep, he cried. It was unusual for someone to look after him now, not since his Mama had passed when he was younger. Before everything went south. Before-
Simon was pulled out of his thoughts by the door handle opening. It wasn’t Lapis because they had left ten minutes ago, the robotic voice of the translator telling him that they would be back to check up on him in an hour. Upon coming to this realisation, he curled up on the bed, making himself smaller whilst also adopting a position that would make it easier for him to defend himself.
The door opened wider, and he heard a scuffle, before a blonde head poked over the side of the door, only visible past the nose.
Bright blue eyes met warm brown eyes.
They stared at each other in silence, both nervous, both unsure. The blonde was the first to look away, breaking the eye contact.
Simon tilted his head. “Uh… hello?” he asked gruffly, chastising himself internally for coming across as harsher than he intended to be. He couldn’t upset these - uh, people? Technically? - already. He had only been here for a week and didn’t want to get on anyone’s bad sides yet.
The blonde waved, stepping sideways to move out of the doorframe a little more. He was now half out of the doorway, and Simon was able to get a better picture of who this new mystery man was.
He was slightly older, with messy blonde hair and beautiful eyes. Simon could tell that he was a few inches taller, despite the bad posture the other man had. He seemed harmless looking, wearing a cardigan of all things, and his shirt was some stupid…science pun? He couldn’t tell, he was never really taught much science after Eden made him train to be a soldier.
Metaphorically shaking those thoughts out of his head, he looked up to see the blonde man avoiding eye contact, then sitting in the infirmary seat across from him. Yet again, they fell into silence for a few minutes, neither awkward nor comfortable, until the blonde man pulled out a clip from his cardigan pocket.
The pin he pulled out was the type of thing someone would wear went they were new on a base for the first week - he saw two new guards wearing them during his time in his cell. His eyes flicked down to see it, scrawly handwriting legible enough to read.
‘Hello, my name is: GRACE.’
“… Grace?” He muttered, looking up at him. “You’re Grace?”
Grace smiled, finally looking up to make eye contact with him, eyes wrinkling at the sides as he nodded enthusiastically. Simon noted that while doing so, his eyes flicked to the mutations on the side of his face, although despite looking at the honestly monstrous addition to himself, his expression didn’t change.
“Uh- nice. I’m Simon.” He said, watching as Grace’s expression stayed the same, but his eyes darted down to the satchel he had brought with him - Simon had only just noticed it at this action.
It was brown, and looked like leather, although after spending time with Lapis he knew that it likely wasn’t; apparently the Eridians were very crafty in being able to make one thing look like something else. Personally, Simon didn’t really understand all of it, a good chunk of the technical terms may as well have been jargon to him.
He watched as Grace took the satchel from where to hung limply in his hand to resting it on his lap, facing himself. He opened it, and brought out some items.
The first was a book. The outside binding was green, with imprints of… plants? The imprinted vines went down the spine, and wrapped around the corners of the book. Some parts of the imprinting was deeper than others, using the shadows to act as colouring for the vines. The title was another imprint but had been further detailed by being painted in gold. However, Grace picked up another book and put it on top before Simon could read the cover.
The second book was pink, with similar imprints (must be a popular technique, he guessed). On this one, however, the vines were replaced with flowers and hearts, although what flower he couldn’t tell. It was pretty though, with the petals forming a trumpet shape, and thin bulbs inside. Whatever they were, they were pretty- they made Simon long to touch a flower.
A final book was placed on top, the dark blue cover in stark contrast to the pastels of the other two. The front had a skull imbedded, unsettling him slightly. The rest of the book was flat, aside from the title which Simon now had chance to read: “Yeogon Borne’.
“What are these for?” He asked, trying to not look too intently at the books should he be considered overly curious or invasive.
Grace picked up the books and slowly dropped them in Simon’s lap. He pointed a finger at the books, before bringing his hand up to tap Simon dead centre on the chest.
“For… me?” He said, unable to keep the surprise and awe out of his voice, eyes widening in shock.
Grace nodded, his grin turning into more of a soft smile.
“Oh… thank you.” Simon said, gently picking up the books to inspect them. He moved the ‘Yeogon Borne’ book to be back of the pile to further inspect the titles of the other two now he had the chance.
The pink book was called ‘Love in the Lillies’.
“Lillies… is that what these flowers are?” He asked, looking up at Grace while simultaneously pointing at the imprinted flowers.
Grace nodded, confirming his speculation, and he shifted the pink book to the back of the pile this time.
The first book, the green book, sounded like less of a story like the other two and more like an informational book.
‘Botany for Beginners’.
“Huh.” Slipped out past his lips, and he opened the book to the first page, reading the header.
‘Botany for Beginners - the simple informational guide to plants.’
“Thank you.” He repeated, his words coming out less awestruck and more sincere. Tentatively, he closed the book, before he grazing his hand across the back of the book, as if to double check it was real. For a second, he almost forgot about the seemingly kind man in front of him, who was waiting for his patiently to leave his trance.
After a few moments more, Simon looked up, now remembering that the other man was, in fact, still there.
“Uhm… do you expect anything in return? I don’t have any items to give you in return, but I can do pretty much any kind of job you need me to-“ he started trying to explain quickly, before being cut off with a hand in front of his face. He looked up, half expecting Grace to be angry or at the very least frustrated with his short speech, only to be met yet again with tired eyes, which now took on a slightly sadder undertone.
The blonde shook his head, reaching out to push the books further into Simon’s lap, before patting his hand albeit a little awkwardly and then standing up. He walked to the door and opened it ajar, but remembered to turn and give Simon a little wave goodbye. He left after, leaving Simon slightly confused.
It felt like giving a dog a reward without making the dog earn it. Why? It’s not like he’d done anything to deserve it. If anything, it was the opposite. He’d done nothing but drain their medical resources, eaten their food, drank their water, taken up their space. Why would he, after all of that, still be given more? Given something that wasn’t even a necessity?
He huffed in frustration, not quite understanding. The teeth on this side of his clicking in response to his emotions. None of it made sense.
A little while later, after Simon had stared at the books in hesitation, half torn between opening them to consume their knowledge and the other half too scared to touch such a gift, Lapis came back in,
“Hello, Simon.” Came the chirps of the translator, the actual notes coming from the Eridian slightly drowned out but still audible underneath.
“Hello Lapis.” He murmured back, turning on his cot to face the Eridian that had walked into his room. He was growing used to the alien’s deep blue rock-like form, and although the concept of the species as a whole not having faces, it was far less unsettling than that thing in the blood ocean.
“How is Simon, question?”
“Uh, I’m okay, thank you for asking. How are you?” He asked, making sure his manners were used to the maximum. It was times like these he was grateful for his Mama being so stern about them.
“Good, statement. Thinking about entering the next mating season to find mate for Lapis.”
“Oh, that sounds nice.”
“Is good. Where Simon get books from, question?” The Eridian said, noticing the new arrival of the gifts on Simon’s bedside (cotside?) table.
“Oh, Grace came in my room to give me them.” Simon said, turning to glance at them one last time, still not used to the fact he was given gifts, and for free no less.
“Simon and Savior Grace participating in mating season early, question?”
“You- what?” Simon spluttered, eyes wide, whipping his head around to face the nurse.
“Gift giving part of nature of gifting. Not same in Earth culture, question?”
“I- not quite. I don’t think he was doing it to ‘court’ me, so to speak.” Simon explained awkwardly, not sure on how to explain to Lapis that meeting once and bringing gifts doesn’t equal courtship.
“Hm. Was only speculation. Would make sense both ways. Saviour Grace and Simon are only humans on Erid, would be natural to become mates. But Saviour Grace and Simon humans, different courting traditions than Eridians. Will have to note down in study.” Lapis rambled, getting a grasp on the situation.
“Yeah, uh- wait, study?” Simon quirked up, noticing the term used. He wasn’t about to be a lab rat. He curled in on himself, his one and only hand going out instinctively to protect the books. Strange. He’d only just gotten the gifts as was already shielding them instead of himself.
“Yes. Must note down human behaviour patterns. Learn what to avoid and to accommodate for.” The nurse explained, moving back slightly to give Simon space, sensing his discomfort.
“Okay I guess… sorry for freaking out a little.” Slowly, he relaxed after saying this, hand moving down from defending the books to limp in his lap.
“Yes yes, is fine, no need for apology.” Lapis chittered. “Will leave Simon to sleep. Is sleep time in human custom.”
Simon watched as the Eridian retreated further away, scurrying out of the door, shutting the door as it went down the hall.
“Bye.” Simon whispered, more to himself than the nurse, as the lights in the room dimmed accordingly. Damn, these Eridians ran a tight bedtime schedule. Accepting it with ease, just as he had done with all the rules in his life, he was about to get into bed, though deciding not before checking the room for cameras. As he moved around doing so, it was also a nice slow form of exercise - since loosing his arm in the… accident… his balance had been off, so in a way the movement was a nice way to start readjusting. It was vastly different to his previous bi-daily workout, to which he had stuck to almost religiously, but still. It would take time to get back to what he once was.
Feeling satisfied, he got back down into his bed, pulling the duvet over his shoulders, refusing to have it over his face like he used to, avoiding being reminded of the tight space that he was in during his time in the SM-13.
That night, he dreamt of blonde hair and a warm hand dragging him through a library excitedly.
— —
Over the next week, Simon had begun to read the books that he was given. Occasionally, Grace would come into his room and they’d have a conversation - if you would count Simon talking at Grace and Grace smiling, nodding, and shaking his head in return as a conversation.
For the duration of the week, Simon had put off reading the books he had been given. They seemed too precious to touch, never mind to open and read. However, just before Grace would leave his visiting-Simon sessions, he’d look at the unopened books with sadness. So, on day six, he’d decided to open the books and have a look.
The blue book he had been given deemed to be too much for him - try as he could, he was honestly getting creeped out by the content in it. In the end, he put it down and started the pink book.
The pink book was okay, and it was a bit better in that it didn’t creep him out any, but the way the main characters used metaphors for Lillies all the time made him think about the green book. He hadn’t yet picked it up, kinda trying to save the best for last; he changed his mind shortly after a particularly cringe scene that he just couldn’t handle.
He opened the book, the header of ‘Botany for Beginners - the simple informational guide to plants.’ greeting him again. Written below it was:
This is an A-Z guide on common flowers.
He flipped the page to L.
Lilium
This is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large and often prominent flowers. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. Most species are native to the Northern Hemisphere and their range is temperate climates and extends into the subtropics. Many other plants have "lily" in their common names, but do not belong to the same genus and are therefore not true lilies. True lilies are known to be highly toxic to cats.
As he kept reading, he became more interested in the flower, and once finished, began looking through the book for others. He spent the entirety of the day and a good chunk of the next morning reading.
It was during this next morning, day seven, that a knock at the door sounded out, and the door began to open. Simon looked up just in time to see blonde hair and bright blue eyes poking over the side of the door, the same as yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that.
“You can come in.” Simon said, making room on the other chair by taking the other two gifts off and placing them onto the bedside table. Grace came in and sat down, and then his eyes flicked down to the book in Simon’s hand, shock flashing through his eyes before a smile took over his features. He made a gesture with his hands, pointing at Simon, then putting his thumb and middle finger on his chest, and then moved his hand forward while bringing those two fingers together. Then, he put his hands together and opened them.
“I… something… book?” Simon questioned, not having a clue what the second gesture was.
Grace looked a little dejected, eyes drooping at the fact Simon couldn’t understand him. For a second, it looked like Grace had given up, before looking around Simon’s room. When he didn’t find what he was after, he looked back up to Simon, making a rectangle shape with his fingers before imitating writing. This, however, was a sim0er gesture that Simon understood at once; Grace wanted to write down his messages.
Simon reached into his bedside table’s drawer and pulled out a sketchbook, pushing off some pencils that rested atop as he did it. Before they all had chance to roll off, he swiped one and wordlessly handed it to Grace. Next, he flipped to the back of the book, ripping out a page to hand to Grace.
“Here.” He said whilst he held out the sketch paper for Grace.
Grace accepted it with a smile, quickly writing something as Simon put the sketchbook back. By the time he had turned back, Grace had written something for the shorter to read.
‘Do you like the books?’ was written. Simon noted that Grace’s handwriting was cursive, a mix of being beautiful and elegant whilst being scrawly too.
He looked up, meeting Grace in the eye. “I didn’t like the blue one. It didn’t really… uh… appeal to me. I didn’t mind Love in The Lillies, and I liked the Botany one the best.”
Grace nodded with a smile, and held his hand out. Upon noticing Simon’s head tilt in confusion, he made the book gesture again, and pointed at ‘Yeogon Borne’ on the bedside table, admittedly at the bottom of the pile.
Simon turned around to pull it out from under, twisting his torso once more to hand it to Grace. He accepted the book with a smile, reaching into his satchel and putting it back in. Then, he pulled out another green book, this time a darker shade, and handed it to Simon.
“Another plant book?”
He got a nod in response.
“Thank you, Grace.” He said quietly, before his eyes flicked with suspicion. “How did you know I was gonna like this one the best? How did you prepare for this? Are there cameras in here?”
Panic flashed through Grace’s eyes before it went away almost as quick as it came, with him shaking his head. His featured morphed into a more sheepish tone as he opened the satchel, revealing more books. One was another shade of pink, and the other a slightly lighter shade of blue.
“You… You prepared all of these for each answer?” Simon looked cautiously.
Upon seeing that Simon had once more calmed down, Grace’s smile pulled back onto his face with a nod. That was, until Simon said:
“So you don’t have cameras in here?”
Grace turned to look guilty, reaching for the pencil and paper he had periously set aside. He scribbled something quickly before handing it over to Simon, who looked all but impressed with him.
‘Only heat sensor cameras for privacy reasons.’
Just as Simon finished reading it, Grace motioned for the paper back. When he was given it, he wrote something else. On the paper, below the last message was:
‘I have them in my room too if it makes you feel better. It’s the standard.’
Simon let out a huff. “If you say so…”
Grace nodded. Again. (Seriously, it was as if he was so cheery and enthusiastic for Simon’s benefit.)
They settled into comfortable silence, Grace sketching what Simon could only assume was several mini Eridians whilst Simon skimmed through the new book he had been given. It had been almost an hour before a knock came from the other side of the door rang out, startling both men from their relaxed state.
Not a moment later, the door swung open, and both Lapis and another Eridian came in, the second one bouncing and busting with life, at least compared to the neutral personality that the nurse had. As if in a flash, the brown alien scampered over to Grace, the xenonite suit glinting from the overhead lights. It kept bounding until it was right in front of Grace, the two limbs the Eridians use as arms coming up to grab his arms.
“Where Grace been, question? Grace no tell Rocky they would miss hangout. Make Rocky very worry!” The Eridian questioned, although the speech distorted Simon a bit. Unlike Lapis, this… ‘Rocky’ character was not wearing a translator. However, because Lapis was, it picked up his speech, so Rocky’s voice sounded like it was coming from Lapis, distorting Simon’s senses a little.
Grace shrugged with a sheepish smile, clearly a little guilty, if only a little.
“Rocky very worry when knock on door and no answer. Grace no do again. Grace understand, question?” Rocky said, grabbing Grace’s shirt and tugging him toward the door. Grace, slightly powerless under the strength of an Eridian, gave Simon an apologetic smile as he was herded out.
After a moment, Simon spoke, his eyes still trained in the door.
“Lapis.”
The Eridian heard their name, turning to face Simon.
“Yes, Simon?”
“Are all of their interactions like that?” He questioned, bewildered by what had happened.
“Yes. Grace Rocky very strong bond after spending many years in space together. What humans call ‘best friends’.” Lapis answered, translator as neutral of a voice tone as ever.
“Huh. Okay.”
— —
Simon had been released from the hospital ward type room he was in after a week and a half of supervision on his remaining injuries, and was moved into the bio dome, where Grace lived. It was a refreshing sight to see something that resembled earth, something Simon had only seen in pictures and books and lessons on Eden. At the same time, it was a weird thing to see, the vividness something the copied text hadn’t quite captured.
As he sat next to Grace in the beach, babbling about nothing, feeling the sand under his hands, making shapes in it with his fingers, it was easy to just forget, even temporarily, the horrors of the Iron Lung, and the darker side to Eden, and filame-
Grace pulled him out of his ever spiralling thoughts by revealing an upside-down origami flower in his palm. He used his other hand to pull up Simon’s wrist, turning Simon’s palm up to his. He flipped his hand to drop the flower into Simon’s, with the darker haired man instantly recognising and the flower from the passage he’d read multiple times - a Lily.
“Thank you…” he said quietly, awestruck at the craftsmanship in the delicate flower in his hand.
Grace smiled, his warm, gentle smile, that daresay made Simon a little giddy with the warmth that was portrayed in it. It was here, that Simon realised he hadn’t really given much effort into understanding and properly communicating with Grace.
“You know, Grace, I don’t really think we ever got that language barrier, with you being so quiet and all. I’m sorry for not trying harder to communicate with you properly-“
It was here that Simon was abruptly cut off by a chuckle, which turned into a haughty laugh, coming from the man beside him. Momentarily, Simon was stunned by the sound, it was beautiful, better than he’d imagined. Then the spell was broken by graces mouth opening to make a different noise. Not laughter - words.
“No, no it’s not your fault.” Grace smiled, turning his head to face Simon.
What the fuck??
“What the fuck?? You speak??” Simon said abruptly, confusion etching itself over his features.
“Yep…” Grace donned his sheepish, guilty look Simon had come to recognise in a heartbeat.
“And- you speak English?”
“Of course i do? How do you think I understood you? Who do you think taught the eridians?” It was Grace’s turn to look a little confused, although behind that was amusement his eyes couldn’t hide.
“You’ve spoke English the whole time I’ve been here??” Simon spluttered.
“I’ve spoken English since I could babble, it’s my mother tongue!” Grace giggled, seriously finding amusement at Simon’s predicament.
“How come you were so quiet this week then?” Simon said, staring at the beach below him. Had he done something wrong? Did Grace not trust him enough to talk around him? Was he the problem?
“Oh, no no no. It’s just that- errr.” Grace paused, mentally scrambling to find the right words. “It’s been a very, very long time since I’ve seen another peer on. My mind went into a sort of fight or flight mode, except it went to another sub-branch, of freeze. So I went nonverbal, because being around a new person after all this time was a little overwhelming to hear, you know?” He did his best to explain, trying to put it into simple terms that Simon could understand.
“Uh, sure…” he said, slowly grasping the concept. “What were those hand gesture you were using before then?” He tilted his head questioningly.
“Oh! Right, so that’s sign language, there are different types depending on where you are from, I use a ASL, and basically…”
As Grace trailed off, trying to teach Simon the different basic hand gestures, Simon realised their situation was now mirrored, with Grace rambling as Simon looked at him fondly.
“Uh huh.” He smiled, copying the hand motion for like. “oh, you were asking me if I liked the books.”
“Yeah! You pick up on this quickly.”
“Thanks, Grace.”
From the biodome cameras, Rocky watched as his best friend continued to teach Simon sign language.
“Once a teacher, always a teacher.” He chirped musically.