Grace, Arguing and using all of his new found false confidence and authority to protect his friend's rights to exist without being locked up, interogated, or worse. Not letting them out of his sight, Activly playing the role of bad guy, glaring at anyone who even looked at them for too long.
It doesn't take Simon long to become nervous, becoming conscious of his face, his eye, and the fact his arm was badly amputated on a ship with milinal equipment. He stands closer to Grace, Hiding his face. Simon, who immediately switches up upon seeing Grace's stern figure. Standing up straighter, keeping his head on a swivel.
Grace, Who dosnt even realize that his group has absorbed his anxiety. The man who ussually is nothing but bubbily and kind, instantly hostile and afraid.
It gets to the point where the pebbles are hissing at reporters as they walk through, trusting Uncle Grace wouldn't be on edge if it wasn't a scary environment.
By the time he notices, Grace is shocked. "What are you doing?? Shh! You can't hiss at them, you have to show them how friendly you are!" His eyes are wide, worried, clearly terrified of what would happen if any of them was declared a threat, But they don't say anything.
Simon only blinks. "But.. you're not being friendly.."
"What..?" He whispers, as if aware he was presenting himself with such anger and aggressive intent. He had thought he was hiding it pretty well, actually... oh.. He hasn't had to mask in so long.. he must have forgotten how..
Rocky steps forward, putting himself against his leg as Grace tears up. He was setting a terrible example.
"Grace wouldn't be upset for no reason." Rocky says to him.
Adrian puts the pebbles on his back, making a chirp and coo to them to stay up there and don't hiss at humans anymore.
Grace shakes his head. "No.. no, if they're scared, they should show it. I need to know. I can't hear the vibratrions they make.. I just.. This is so important. The last time we found out about aliens I-.. they.. we went crazy. We hunted them to extinction." He mumbles.
"Astrophage deserved it." Rocky states. "..Is Grace okay?"
Grace takes a breath, starting to nod but the tears were already flowing as he shifts into shaking his head. "I just- this is so much. Its so loud. I know that hurts you guys and.. and theres nothing I can really do. I just dont want anything bad to happen to you guys and I cant... They could kill me right now and kill you all too."
Adrian makes a stance of worry, concerned for his children. He knew Grace said people were terrible sometimes, but he didn't think it would be like this.
"But.." Adrian starts. "You saved them. And we haven't done anything wrong.. right?"
".. Humans will turn on anything the second they're scared..It dosnt matter if theyre innocent or not.." Simon says, lowering his head, guilty of this himself.
"Look, we've delt with worse.. kind of.. we just have to get past all .. this.. and then.. well hopefully I can give you a proper tour of the place. Im sorry. I really should have not come here again. I just.. I dont know what I thought. The more Im here- the more *youre* here, the more danger we all are in." He explains, walking with them to debriefing area.
Grace had to address the entire world... tell them hes alive. Tell them.. that aliens were real. Actual societies of them. Multiple.. plural.
Each step felt more and more wrong. What if he said the wrong thing and then.. and then
He didn't want to think about that.
Out of everything, he only knew two things.
1. He was homesick for a home that wasn't his.
2. Realitistically, he couldn't do a darn thing if the government decided they were a target. And that made him wanna hurl.
