Uh?

My parents partook in a ground search for a missing trans man today (I'm planning on joining the next. I just couldn't get the time off work on such short notice on a Friday) They told me that they were shocked that the cops really didn't care. They left the crime scene completely open for 3 days, haven't followed up on any leads, basically just took statements and left. The neighbors have footage of someone entering and leaving the house days after with a huge black garbage bag and throwing it into a trunk of a car.

They're shocked that the cops don't give a shit. I regretfully had to inform them that this is the case for literally any missing queer person, or marginalized person in general.

The kid was picked up by an ambulance 30 minutes later.

Now as an adult working in security I get SO MANY folks- upper-middle aged mostly- coming to me to 'rat out' people they think are faking it.

I was once sent into a bathroom because a client demanded that the "fucker won't get out, so go drag them out"- I was NEVER going to do that, so I did a wellness check instead. You know who it was? A person recently released from the hospital after a car accident. They had a hole in their skull and major hearing loss. They couldn't answer the owner because they couldn't HEAR the owner.

Another time about a homeless man who got around town by kicking the ground from his wheelchair. "You know he doesn't actually need that thing, his legs work fine, it's just for pity points"- Oh, so he's not paralyzed, his wheelchair is performative? Funny story Dale, I actually know that guy, he was backed over by a truck and has chronic pain from his shattered pelvis. But sure, let's make him stand up and walk everywhere so nobody feels too bad for him and tries to help him or something.

"She doesn't need that scooter, I've seen her get out of it."

"Look how fat he is, because he just rides around and refuses to get up."

"She doesn't really need that cane- she comes here without it all the time"

just to reiterate, this is NOT canon to the comic. or to either movie probably lol.

just love the idea that the reason simon didn't listen to the written stuff was because it sucked to read (and not, like, either defiance or a purposeful disregard for the sake of survival)

Simon told Grace about being in the sub and the monster and the blood. He did not tell Grace why he was there. He's desperate to leave the convict and the butcher behind him. Grace saved him. He's kind and forgiving and saved the stars. He's better than Simon deserves, and he knows it, but Simon nearly died in the most horrific way possible, and it's been like a year in the biodome on Erid, and he's happy.

And then the same thing that brought him to Erid drags a COI ship to Erid as well. And Simon's terrified and grieving. He knows that Grace is going to find out and won't look at him with care anymore. He'll know how terrible Simon is.

But that's not what happens.

See, when Grace hears the real story, and the people in the COI start getting pissy that the convict is living in such luxury, Grace gives them a dead eyed look and says: "You promised him freedom if he went into the ship. He did. He survived. He's paid for his crimes."

Because, while Simon doesn't remember it, the very first thing out of his mouth when he woke in a panic was "They promised me my freedom if I went into the ship!" So while Grace didn't know what Simon did to earn what was clearly a suicide mission, he knew it was bad. And he knew Simon was cleared. They'd talked about their missions. Grace knew what he did. Simon was like him.

And that's when it becomes a problem for the COI. What the higher-ups would *like* to do is move into the biodome, take control, and have a new place for humanity (or at least the humanity on the ship). But it becomes clear very rapidly that they cannot remove Dr. Ryland Grace and make a new leader. If anything happens to Grace, the COI will be lucky if the Eridians simply blow up their spaceship.

Dr. Ryland Grace is very special to the Eridians. He saved the stars, and more than that, he gave up a chance to go home to return one of their own safely to Erid. He put Eridians above himself. He was kind to his own detriment. And from the human movies, shows, and books, they know that humans are not always like that.

When it comes to other humans, the Eridians defer to Grace. And if Grace, who is kind and forgiving and caring, looks at humans with eyes filled with anger, then the Eridians know they are not humans worth keeping.

So the COI gets three choices:

1) They can submit, move in to the biodome, and follow the rules, knowing that as far as laws, Grace isn't a president, king or emperor, he's a god and what he says goes.

2) The Eridians will get them food and fuel and point them in the direction of earth, and they can *hope* they make it.

3) If they refuse to be peaceful about staying or leaving, the Eridians will drop them into Erid without protective gear and let them "survive on their own" far away from the biodome so Grace and Simon won't be bothered.

A few choose to stay. A few choose to leave. And a couple of the more belligerent, unfortunately for them, choose 3.

And Simon? Simon finds himself in a weird position of respect, because he's important to Grace, and he's been working to help Rocky and Erid's scientists just like Grace.

But most of all, he's never felt so safe and protected. Because no one with that much power has ever protected him.