Kent/Feldspar

[videointhenoise]

"Just once more," they had said when Ellie's team petitioned for it. She was busy with Palmer, falling in love with science while he fell in love with God, and Kent was left to pick up the pieces. He wanted another damn go at it. The Machine had a pricetag in the billions; it was begging to be used again.

But they wouldn't let Ellie go. They wouldn't let just anyone go. They wanted someone who knew how it worked, who had been there from the beginning, but someone who isn't completely taken in by Ellie's words.

That leads them to a dozen people and they end up with Kent. He's blind, but that's not what decides it. They claim that he wouldn't hallucinate the way Ellie did. That he has a unique perspective.

And, he's already proven himself steady and loyal.

He experiences it all the way that Ellie does, but something goes wrong on the other end. Maybe another terrorist attack. Maybe not. All he knows is that he's in the sphere and then, suddenly, he's floating, unable to find his footing until a great crash and he slams into the bottom of the machine.

He groans, pulling his helmet on with a grunt and a wince.

"Fuck this," he mutters, finding the edge of the sphere with his hands. There was a door there somewhere. He just - has to find it.

Comments

[getfeldsparred]

Love. Love. Oh. “Only the first time,” they chuckle, “the second time I was flying around the sun.”

[videointhenoise]

"Flying around the sun," he repeats and shakes his head in disbelief. Happy, loving disbelief. "How close does it get to the sun?"

[getfeldsparred]

Flying around the sun isn’t the craziest stunt they’ve ever done, but it feels nice to talk about doing anything but sitting in the Dark Bramble for years. They grin a little. “Close enough that you would have killed me if you knew. This was before we met though.”

[videointhenoise]

"Which was before Slate knew anything about basic safety!" he reminds them with a laugh, reaching over and taking their hand. "You're an asshole."

[getfeldsparred]

They take Kent’s hand in theirs and bring it up to their lips, idly kissing his knuckles and counting them in his head. Four knuckles.

“Yeah, well, that wasn’t gonna change.”

[videointhenoise]

"It changed once I got my hands on them," he says, pressing his fingers gently against their cheek.

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar leans into Kent’s touch, a soft purring noise rumbling in the back of their throat. “That’s because they’ve always had a crush on you.”

[videointhenoise]

He snorts. "We'd never work out. I'd kill them," he teases, not really taking it seriously.

[getfeldsparred]

“It’d be mutually-assured destruction,” Feldspar nods sagely. After a beat or two of wearing a wide grin, they frown softly.

“Did you ever…while I was gone? Did you…uh. Y’know. Date?”

They wouldn’t mind it if he had. In fact, they almost hoped he did after realizing just how long they’d been gone.

[videointhenoise]

Kent chews on the inside of his cheek, thoughful and a little somber.

"No," he answers. "No, I never did."

[getfeldsparred]

Never. Kent means it too; they may have been gone a long time but Kent’s facial expressions have remained the same.

Feldspar exhales softly. “Nobody?” They know for a fact that Hornfels would have been up for it, maybe Esker too. They adored Kent. “Can I ask why?”

[videointhenoise]

"Because you never left me," he says softly. "Because no one could make me happy."

[getfeldsparred]

He doesn’t mean that in the physical sense, and as sad as it makes their for their love, they understand completely. Kent never left them either, even if they believed they’d never see him again.

“Someone might have made you happy…but I get it. And I love you too.”

[videointhenoise]

"I know." He kisses their hand. "Do you want to try walking outside today? Lapis said they'd give you a tour, too. And the others will keep people away. They told a story about you at the bonfire. Said that you had been found but that it was hard for you to talk about. And that you'd come when you were ready."

[getfeldsparred]

They smile and bring their hand to Kent’s face, a slow exhale falling from his lips.

“Yeah, that sounds nice. Can’t say I’m not curious.”

Their hand drops and they look down at their baggy clothes. They’ll look stupid, like a sick little hatchling, but if no one’s around to see it should be okay.

[videointhenoise]

"I know you are." He stands up and holds out a hand to them. "Ready? Lapis shouldn't be far."

[getfeldsparred]

They follow, hand holding a little more tightly than intended. “Are you coming with us?”

[videointhenoise]

He doesn't laugh, even if it seems like a silly question. "Of course I am," he promises them. "But I'm not a good guide."

[getfeldsparred]

They’re relieved to hear it, but they don’t loosen the grip they have on Kent’s hand and they definitely don’t let go. They want to spend time with their hatchling, but it makes them a little fearful to do it alone, even if they did apparently do it over a dozen times in their loops.

It makes them feel awful. Since when did they become such a coward?

“I’m doing it for the company,” they say lightly.

[videointhenoise]

"Oh I know," he drawls lazily, taking the practiced path outside to the door. They meet Gneiss along the way and Kent tells them to go and find Lapis, to meet them outside. They give Kent a small kiss on the cheek for luck, pat Feldspar's hand, and go off to find the little hatchling.

[getfeldsparred]

Gneiss looks so old. It’s really the first time they’ve been able to look at them in the light. The lines by their mouth, always smiling, are deep and the bags under their eyes are dark. Their ears droop so much the tips could touch their shoulders.

They’d loved Gneiss so much, and they’ve missed so, so much time.

Feldspar leans slightly against Kent as they wait, staring up at the upside down river hanging over their heads.

[videointhenoise]

Kent settles down in the grass, slipping off his shoes. "What's it like?" he asks them softly. He knows the structure of it, but he doesn't know Feldspar's thoughts.

[getfeldsparred]

They only had a brief look before, but even for Hearthian standards they’re surprised by how much infrastructure’s gone up. Their little village in the crater had been workable, nothing fancy, and small to suit their needs. In this sprawling space ship - is that even the right term for it - there’s evidence of Hearthian ingenuity everywhere. Bridges spanning across the large river, the barebones start of a dam, quick little homes that had been cobbled together from the trees and debris they’d found upon their arrival.

Though mostly still centered by the areas just outside the landing bays, they can see paths on the outskirts of the river just above their heads. Some of them have already gone exploring. They’ve no doubt that the team was lead by Outer Wilds Ventures.

In the near distance they see a few campfires, and hear some music being played. A simple strumming of a guitar and the plucking of a fiddle, soft and sweet but somehow still cheerful.

“Looks like an untamed wilderness to me. I think I can see Marl and Tektite hacking away at a tree. That river though…I’m kinda surprised at how strong it is. Looks like there are rapids down the way.”

Feldspar squints slightly as they turn their head, their gaze falling on a weird black structure. “There’s a big building with imposing chains to our left. Looks like a safe or a…an old tomb.”

It looks like something they’d want to explore themselves, and they feel that jerk of their heart towards the unknown.

[videointhenoise]

Kent takes their hand and kisses it, hearing the spark of what they once were back in their voice. That need to know and to do and to explore is strong and firm.

He feels his own heart stirring at the sound.

"Lapis said they would be taking care of that. They sounded - I don't know. Like it was important."

[getfeldsparred]

Well Lapis is crazy if they think they’re gonna let them do it alone. They snort softly but keep looking at the strange tower with horns, wondering what could possibly be inside.