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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They’ve always liked that saying of Kent’s, even as their memory from Kent’s picture book of said elephant is sort of foggy and distant now.

“It’s dangerous,” Feldspar says, the usual mirth in their voice replaced by a quiet sternness. “And we still don’t know a lot about the systems on the ship. We can do a lot, us Hearthians and your dad, but deciphering the Nomai’s technology to use for ourselves took time.”

Lapis sighs. "Yeah. I know. Hal and I are working it out, too. So we're doing stuff. I just - we can't just let them die," they complain and there's real panic in their voice.

Kent reaches out for them. "Hey, hey, it's alright. Look. We have - so much technology. And so do they. So who is to say that we can't find a way to upload their consciousness somewhere safe while we figure everything out, okay? We're going to do this. I promise."

They can’t let Lapis’ prisoner die, not when they’re getting their first taste of freedom in thousands of years. Feldspar glances at Kent and helps guide his hand to touch Lapis’.

“We told all of Outer Wilds founders about the simulation,” they add. “Minus most of the details, but they know that there are people living there. They’ll be careful, pebble.”

"They are people," Kent confirms gently. "And we're going to treat them like that. They're no different than us and they were here first. Your friend included."

He feels Lapis' hand squeeze his own. "It's alright, pebble."

And he pulls them close in an embrace.

Lapis doesn’t resist the hug, and falls into their dad’s embrace like a young hatchling who was afraid of a storm might. Feldspar smiles to themself and rubs their back from where they sit.

“You’ve got to tell your dad about them, Lapis,” Feldspar urges gently. “About the one in the tower.”

"It's the opposite of a tower," he tells his Mapa with a frown.

Kent sighs. "Semantics, kiddo."

“Like a reverse tower,” Feldspar huffs.

Kent groans.

"I'm going to eat. You two can fight."

But Lapis grins and sits back instead, telling their father about the Prisoner instead. About what they did and how they did it. What happened to them after.

Kent just - sighs after. "God...what a fucking nightmare."

Feldspar picks sparsely at their food as Lapis tells the story of the inhabitants and their fear of the Eye. When they start talking about the prisoner - about the trouble they went to find them and each loop that they ended themself - they reach over and rub Lapis’ back.

“It’s torture, is what that is,” Feldspar mutters. They’re honestly surprised they still had any semblance of themselves after being left to rot for hundreds of thousands of years.

“But we’re clever,” they quickly add. “We’ll find a way for our hatchling and this prisoner to spend more time together.”

The practicality of it is a hard thing to swallow; Lapis would have to spent more time asleep than awake. But love is love, isn’t it?

Kent nods. "Of course. You deserve this, Lapis," he assures them. "You deserve to slow down a while and enjoy yourself. And they deserve to make choices for themselves."

Lapis nods. "That's what I told them, too."

Well. "told."

Feldspar couldn’t agree more. Lapis needs to take the time to be a young and dumb adolescent hatchling who doesn’t have to literally carry the weight of the universe on their shoulders.

“Alright, our plan of attack is settled. Now let’s eat, eh?”

Kent nods. "It's already a little cold. Don't let it get more." He pushes a bit of the fish onto Lapis' plate before handing it over to him.

"Better?"

“Yeah,” Lapis says, smiling a little sheepishly. “Thanks, dad.”

Feldspar nods and eats their own food, sighing at the familiar Hearthian cooking methods.

Kent keeps his head down, trading gossip he heard while with the others, People are opening up a little more, talking and chatting and fighting as normal. He even drops the bomb about Slate and Marl.

Feldspar is a little surprised to hear the news about Marl and Slate, but they did notice Marl making eyes in the general direction of where Slate was working today.

“And there’s Porphy and Gossan,” Lapis adds, and the gossip at the table continues.

Eventually Lapis raises their arms over their head and smiles. “I think I’m going to sleep in my own room tonight.”

Kent grins. "Alright, kiddo. Are you sure?"

He does reach over to give him a tight hug. "I love you," he whispers to them."And we'll figure out more tomorrow."

Lapis hugs him back tightly. “Love you, dad. I’ll see you in the morning.”

They pull away and it’s Feldspar’s turn to give the hatchling a hug. They squeeze them tightly and give them a few affectionate taps on the back. “Don’t wander around tonight, okay?”

Kent hears the warning and pauses, but he doesn't say anything. He waits until Lapis is gone and finds Feldspar. "You think they'll go back tonight?"

“Oh, absolutely,” they nod. “And there’s not much we can do to stop ‘em. But think about it - nothing kept you and I apart in the beginning.”

Kent leans back, his head in their lap. "No. But - it wasn't to the detriment of ourselves," he points out.

They gently comb their fingers through Kent’s long hair. “I’m not even sure if Lapis and their…friend can be a couple. I couldn’t say if their feelings are reciprocated or what, and then Lapis would have to figure out what that life is going to look like.”

They suck in their breath. “Too many unknowns, y’know? I think for now they’re just happy they get to see them without their memories being wiped every time.”

"I think a little unrequited love would be good for anyone, but god, what timing."

He sighs. "They haven't ever expressed interest in anyone," he tells them softly. "Not a single other Hearthean. Too busy with their head in the books, deciphering languages and working with Hal."

“I always thought it was going to be Hal. Or Hearth, even Gabbro. But they’ve been through so much, I think they’re just looking for someone who might share a drop of understanding. I dunno, Kent. I think we can agree that we both just want them happy.”

"I'm not arguing with you, honey. Not at all. Don't uh - don't think that I am. I'm just trying to figure out how to help them. This is brand new territory for us in a lot of ways," he explains.

“I didn’t think we were arguing,” they reassure him, stroking along his hairline down to his ear. “I’m just sorta thinking out loud at this point.”

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