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

[videointhenoise]

They look away. "They can find out the secrets if they want. But some of it is just...destroyed. So it doesn't matter."

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar shrugs a little exaggeratedly. “It just seems important to you, that’s all.”

[videointhenoise]

"I'll show you tomorrow," they tell him with a sigh. "It's - I need to be ready."

[getfeldsparred]

“No rush,” Feldspar tells them gently, “I’m real good at waiting things out.”

They put a hand to the wall and begin to pull themselves up. “Did I ever tell you about Gneiss and the village orchestra? It’s a good story. Spinel falls into one of the geysers and Rutile sets their fiddle on fire.”

[videointhenoise]

"Is that the story?" they laugh, glad for the change in subject and stands up to help them if they need it.

[getfeldsparred]

They squeeze Lapis’ hand and start to tell the story, naturally exaggerating all the good parts that they’ve probably been misremembering this entire time. They were young when it happened, so it’s not as though the exaggerations are for that much dramatic effect. They chat while they both walk back to their rooms, lowering their voice as they pass around the outskirts of the village and the low-burning campfires.

“I think that’s why Slate decided to play the guitar,” they laugh quietly. “Gneiss got their orchestra though.”

[videointhenoise]

The story is perfect. Everything that Lapis needs to hear and everything that they want to know. It cheers them enough that they walk closer, feeling conspiratorial.

"Not all of it," Lapis says with a smile. "I think they're making something else now."

[getfeldsparred]

“Oh, yeah?”

They feel a knot in their throat at the thought of Gneiss doing a special project without them knowing. Gneiss had been their biggest champion, and they’d just -

Kept going after they’d disappeared.

It’s not fair to think that way, they know that, but they can’t help how they feel.

[videointhenoise]

"Yeah. They've been working on it since we got here. Just a few days, but - I can tell when they have a project in hand."

They shrug as they duck into the hallway, heading down to the room where Kent is sleeping.

[getfeldsparred]

“Just as busy as ever,” Feldspar says with a shake of their head. Their voice lowers as they get closer to their shared room, not want to inadvertently wake Kent.

“Where are you sleeping tonight?”

[videointhenoise]

"I've got a little place across the river that no one seems to know about."

They're sleeping near their Prisoner, of course.

[getfeldsparred]

“Are you comfortable there? Did you want to spend the night with your dad and I?”

[videointhenoise]

They pause. They haven't slept with them in years and - they've never wanted anything more.

"I can?"

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar sees their ears perk up ever-so-slightly. “Yeah, of course,” they smile. They Lapis by the hand before they can change their mind.

“Just keep it down, alright?”

[videointhenoise]

"You're the loud one," they snort and walk inside, smiling as they hear Kent's steady breathing.

"He won't wake up anyway."

[getfeldsparred]

“Really? He used to be such a light sleeper.”

They frown softly but continue to creep softly forward, sitting on the edge of the bed to pull off their boots. Kent continues to sleep on, unaffected by the slight jostling and soft conversation.

[videointhenoise]

"He hasn't been sleeping well," Lapis mutters and takes off their shoes before crawling into the giant bed.

[getfeldsparred]

They don’t ask about when that started; they know exactly when.

Feldspar shrugs their outer jacket off and lays down onto the bed on the other side of Lapis, letting the hatchling sleep in between them and Kent. Like old times.

“Comfy?”

[videointhenoise]

"Very," Kent says softly because no amount of deep sleep will make him unaware that his child and his love are coming into bed with him.

"It's a good thing these creatures are big or we'd never fit."

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar snorts a soft laugh through their nose. So much for being quiet so Kent can sleep.

They turn so they can put their head on Lapis’ shoulder - affectionate, but not too much, just in case Lapis wasn’t ready.

[videointhenoise]

Lapis doesn't move away. They just reach over for Feldspar's hand and hold it tightly, squeezing it just once.

"Get settled," Kent mutters and pulls the blankets over them all, feeling something unknot a little in his chest.

[getfeldsparred]

“We won’t wiggle,” Feldspar mumbles, keeping Lapis’ hand in theirs as Kent tucks them both into the bed.

They missed so many years, but in the moment it feels like no time has passed at all. Their little Lapis is looking for snuggles or trying to hide away from a storm, and Feldspar and Kent are going to take care of them.

Feldspar dozes off in the nice warm bed, falling into a deep and peaceful sleep.

[videointhenoise]

Kent and Lapis both sleep soundly, but Kent is the first one awake. He sleeps well for the first time in a while, and gets up to get dressed so that he can sneak out and find breakfast. He's walked the halls enough that he can find where the smell of cooking fish is coming from.

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar wakes a little after Kent rises. They leave Lapis to their slumber - they doubt they’d gotten a good night’s rest in a long while - and quickly follow after Kent to also find the source of the good smell.

“Hey, wait up!”

[videointhenoise]

Kent hears their voice and pauses, grinning as he turns back around. "Oh? I thought you'd be sleeping longer than that." He reaches back, hoping for Feldspar's hand in his.