openmisc | Kent/Feldspar

Kent/Feldspar

"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.

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Rutile’s face falls a little - maybe not too noticeably, but Feldspar always could tell when the mayor was a little worried or disappointed - but they quickly turn it around. “Lapis has been overseeing most of it. They know the infrastructure of the ship pretty well.”

“Give Slate another week,” Spinel chuckles, “they’ll have this whole place wired.”

“We need the dam built first,” comes another voice - Porphy, who Feldspar hasn’t seen since their last growth spur, apparently.

"Hey Por," Kent says in greeting, reaching out a hand for them. "We'll get the dam back up, don't worry. That's just a matter of putting the puzzle pieces back together." He has faith in that, at least.

Porphy seems to tower above them as they make their way over to Kent and take his hand. “Hey, buddy, how’s it going?”

They glance down towards Feldspar, brow cocking slightly in silent recognition. For some reason it makes their stomach twist into knots.

“Yeah, we’ll get it done,” Porphy agrees.

“Once the skeleton’s built it’ll go up like that,” Rutile says with a snap of their fingers.

"Exactly. Should be done in days. And then we'll have plenty of electricity to go around."

He seems confident as he squeezes Porphy's fingers and then goes back to his breakfast.

Porphy does give Feldspar a smile before they turn to Spinel and get a bowl for themselves. “I think I’ll open the barrel of sapwine I managed to bring with us when it’s finished.”

“Yeah, we can have a nice bonfire and play some music like old times,” Spinel agrees.

The three of them continue to chatter as Feldspar eats a decent portion of the food that was given to them. They can’t waste food now, even if their stomach is still too small for much.

"Mm, save some of that sapwine for me," Kent calls out and Spinel scoffs playfully.

"After what happened last time?" they tease and Kent waves them off.

"I don't have cake this time," he points out.

Rutile smirks and Porphy chuckles, and Feldspar just sits a little closer to Kent.

Kent’s not the alien here, they are.

“Hey,” they mutter, finishing off another bite. “I promised to do something with Lapis this morning. I should probably go.”

Kent slides an arm around them and turns. "Are they alright?" he mutters as the others talk.

Feldspar frowns softly, hand touching his knee. “I’m not really sure, but they’re opening up to me. I think that’s a good sign.”

"I think so, too," he assures them. "Take your time. Take as long as you want."

They nod and bump their head gently against his. “Stay with them all for a bit, okay? I’ll meet you back in the room when we’re done.”

They tip their head back slightly and kiss his cheek.

Kent squeezes their hand and nods, turning his attention back to the conversation happening around him.

He doesn't know what Lapis is going to show them, but he knows it's important. For Lapis, yes, but for their relationship together.

They excuse themselves from the campfire, not looking back to see if anyone’s eyes are following them as they head back up the path. Spinel handed them a separate bowl for Lapis without a word, and they hold it carefully as they wind back up to the room.

“Lapis? Are you up yet?”

Lapis is sitting on the bed, fidding with their fingers, fully dressed. They look up when Feldspar calls and nods.

"Yeah. I'm here."

Feldspar offers Lapis an apologetic smile as they cross the room and sit down beside them. “Here, eat some breakfast.”

"How's dad?" he wonders, taking the bowl from them and eating slowly, like it's something he has to do rather than something he enjoys. Today, everything tastes like ash.

“He’s alright,” they answer, leaning forward onto their knees. “Sitting with the others at the fire now, talking about bonfires and cake.”

Almost carefree, even if none of them are feeling carefree anymore.

“You sleep okay?”

"Good. Then we should go while everyone's distracted."

They don't want to be seen or watched. They don't want to be known.

"That okay?"

Feldspar couldn’t agree more. “Yeah, of course,” they nod. “We can leave your breakfast for later. Is there…is there anything I should bring?”

"No," they say, standing up. "Just - an open mind?"

That's all they can think of.

Feldspar turns and stares them down, deadpan expression on their face. “I fell in love with an alien. I think I’m pretty open-minded, Pebble.”

They sigh quietly. “I promise, Lapis. I promise. I’m…uh, I’m here for you, okay?”

"I know. That's why I wanted you to come along." He opens the door for them both and puts his finger to his lips, stealing off along the river, away from the sounds of talking.

Feldspar furrows their brow and nods, slinking off silently after Lapis down towards the river. They seem to know all the back paths, all the little hidden pockets and walkways possibly treaded by the former inhabitants and then lost to time. It’s the explorer in them, finding what others couldn’t.

They tread closer to the big, black antlered tomb with the large chains, and Feldspar feels a knot form in their throat. They’ve never seen anything so evil-looking in their life.

Lapis' feet feel like lead. They feel like they've taken this path a thousand times, but that they won't ever get to take it again. They're marching to their own death and then....nothing.

Once they reach their destination, he reaches out for Feldspar. "That's a prison. The person inside, the prisoner, has been here for thousands of years."

The structure is even more imposing up close. They scowl to themselves as they take Lapis’ hand, looking for the entrance to the thing.

“What did they do to deserve a prison like that?”

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