Sribbles And Reblogs

Grace was the first vampire to question how the science of their supernatural nature worked after learning about completely normal animals like bats and insects that live off blood.

His hypothesis was that vampires processed blood in their stomach similarly to common vampire bats, but that they were more efficient in the use and didn’t need to feed as frequently.

He was proven wrong when instead it was found that they don’t produce blood in their bodies like humans do in their bone marrow. He's still mad that there's no scientific reason for a lot of what happens around supernatural entities, but he was slowly working on uncovering it before taking a "break" to be a teacher.

General vampires:

They must drink approximately as much blood as a normal human body uses to maintain optimal functions. Too much and their body purges it, too little and their bodies essentially mummify.

Can only die from external means that fully destroy the body, this includes fire, dismemberment, etc. The sun is painful and can weaken or scar them but isn't deadly. Starvation puts them at greater risk of these threats as the body can't repair at a rapid rate.

Can turn into a variety of forms associated with vampires over history after they had been caught transforming. These include bats, foxes, wolves, and dogs.

The forms they turn into stay relatively close in size and density to their humanoid forms. They don't create or destroy matter, just readjust it (including their clothing) into a new form through seemingly magical means.

Appearance-wise they look like humans but have sharpened canines and premolars similar to a snake's fangs to hold on to prey. Sometimes they can have more human-like or feral appearances based on behavior, intentional cosmetics, or lineage.

They are created as a form of undeath where the victim is drained of blood, drinks the blood of their sire, and then awakens as a vampire.

Vampire of Earth (PHM)

Most of vampire media known to humans is based on some aspect of truth. Vampires are like a horribly kept secret. Most people believe in them but can't prove them unless they are part of the supernatural community in some way.

The majority of vampires feed on donated blood and have integrated into society. They can drink animal blood too, but it's less efficient at fueling their bodies and they need additional supplements or physical aids to account for their body not having all necessary blood cell types or nutrients.

Vampires of the COI (Iron Lung)

They feed directly on humans or non-vampires, and many display a superiority complex because they are the only entity to still have members old enough to remember the first space stations that colonized mars.

Most believe in saving humanity. It is unclear to any outside their order as the leadership of the COI whether this is because they want to save the humans under their protection or to save themselves a slow undeath of starvation. The answer is likely both.

Simon can read just enough to read an outdated language (aka he can read the eden equivalent of the catholic prayers in Latin), and understand through context clues what pictures are referring to.

He is very smart and was taught engineering skills and basic letters by his brothers, which is how he can work out what the notes left behind are; I also like to headcannon the note was in Latin and that’s how it was missed and the only thing he read through completely. 

He thinks he’s dumb because he can’t read, which is why he didn’t mention it. It was weaponized by Eden, as it is sometimes done by historical and modern religions and governments. You can’t know if what you’re being told is wrong if you can’t understand it or see it for yourself, after all. You tell the people the truth is in the written word, but only the chosen can read it and become shepherds. The flock must follow and strive to be good enough to join the shepherds. Simon was never good enough, he was just elevated amongst the sheep.

Iron Lung canon divergence: Everyone lives and is teleported to Erid, Simon was teleported during the end sequence of the movie (the black box is sent out of the sub but the mutations were limited and mostly “healed” by the Eridians trying to put him back together as close to their human example as possible. I.e without face teeth), and the rest of the space stations were teleported 2ish months after retrieving the black box. I am taking creative liberty with the Eden religious structure since very little is clear. 

Project Hail Mary canon divergence: We’re saying Grace had seeds or the Eridians somehow grew him edible plants. I know it was really significant he didn’t have these in the book, but my mans Simon needs a garden and I don’t want the IL people living on Grace’s fabricated meat flesh and their ship ration bars <.<; Also it’s not mentioned, but I like to think Yao Li-Jie and Olesya Ilyukhina stayed in a coma the whole time, woke up on Erid after extensive medical intervention, and went back to earth. I don’t know how this could have possibly happened. They deserve to live too in this “Everyone lives” au, but Grace still needed to have his depressing lonely arc because he and Rocky deserve that codependent bromance. Just… suspend some disbelief my beloved book readers. 

Lastly, Grace is AuDHD and aro/ace, based on my personal experiences being AuDHD and aro/ace. Simon is unlabeled but on the ace spectrum, based on my spouse who chooses not to be restricted by labels but identifies on the ace spectrum. Grace loves Simon in every way he can, even if it isn’t quite a “normal” relationship. Simon is so down bad for Grace he’d go to hell and back for him without hesitation.

I have mentally based Eden mostly on traditional catholic teachings of the Tudor period, but I want to be very clear I am not implying anything about a specific religion. Since humanity can remember, governments and society have been using religion as a way to inspire and control the people. It gave people a reason to live and thrive, but also created opportunities for abuse of power.

It is also a known fact that modern cults especially will withhold access to education to keep victims from questioning what they are being told about themselves and their religion. 

How it presents in this fic: Simon is still dedicated to his faith but is deeply confused and distrusts Eden for how he was treated and what he had to do (canonical events only). They restricted his education to a point his life (and the lives of others) was endangered on the mission, and no one was aware of the extent. 

This started as a brain worm because I’m obsessed with the idea that Simon just… can’t read all that well? obviously he can read, and that the glossing over pages and pages of the manual except for pictures and what’s in bold is part of movie pacing, BUT- what if instead he’s barely literate because Eden (following historical religious governments and modern day cult retention tactics) heavily restricts access to education to keep their power as a militaristic religious patriarchy? And because it’s considered non-essential except for the “worthy”/enlightened?

Excerpt (aka why I wanted to write the other 4000 words): “Why didn’t you fucking read the manual like you were supposed to!” Ava screamed back, eyes tense with pain as Jack was carefully taken away by Eridians and their robots for triage, and David stared impassively down at all of them.