Nightowl343

I love the idea of a scared Simon, who grew up isolated from humanity in a space cult suddenly on an alien planet filled with more kindness than he’s ever experienced.

Like an abused dog, he’d be freaked out at first, terrified even and waiting for a shoe to drop or for them to boot him.

They don’t.

But he wants so badly to be useful to Grace, used to the transactions that make up relationships in a cult.

Grace who had all choice, consent, and agency stripped from him in an instant now having someone else with him. He’s ecstatic of course!

But also deeply, keenly aware of the power imbalance. And worse, Simon feels indebted to him, it seems like.

So with patience and curiosity, he keeps giving Simon choices about everything. He never ever wants Simon to feel like he’s lording over him. He hates that this imbalance can’t really be helped because of the extremely unique situation.

He will be damned though if he does anything that even vaguely insinuates power over Simon.

So like you would with an abused dog, he offers endless patience, kindness and choice.

And he also has another human with him. He isn’t alone anymore. That alone is a literal miracle to him. He wants to make him as welcome as possible.

Simon is totally caught off guard by this, panicked sometimes, but figures it won’t stop. He’s here now. He makes little choices, and bigger ones. Eventually, he feels comfortable enough even asking for a few changes to the environment.

Gradually, over a process that takes literal years, he understands that this isn’t transactional. They understand that they were both a miracle for the other.

The perceived imbalance rounds out as Simon works out his cult programming and Grace stops being so anxiously careful.

happy disability pride month from bloodymary +third wheeling rocky :D

Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia), mother and chicks, family Strigidae, order Strigiformes, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon, USA