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]

He raises a hand and plants it right on top of Feldspar's face. It's as close to a slap as he can get.

"I'm already asleep," he mutters into their shoulder.

[getfeldsparred]

“Good.” They turn their head and press a kiss to…somewhere. Who knows at this point, but it’s warm and smells like Kent.

When they’re sure that Kent’s sound asleep, his breathing deep and even, they exhale quietly into his skin. “I love you,” they whisper, almost testing it out.

[videointhenoise]

Kent doesn't hear, of course, but he does pull them closer in his sleep. And when he wakes up the next morning, his stomach grumbles, reminding him that all he had to eat the night before was one perfectly roasted marshmallow.

"Felds?" he mutters, reaching for him.

[getfeldsparred]

They’re not in the bed with Kent when he wakes, having gotten up early and gone out to do some of the chores so the elders can sleep. They’re in the kitchen when they hear Kent call for them, and they grin and pop their head into the bedroom.

“Hey! I’ve got breakfast if you’re hungry.”

[videointhenoise]

"How the hell did you get up so early?"

But he crawls out of bed and finds his clothes, tying the little belt around his middle.

[getfeldsparred]

“I get up early when I’m not coming back from a flight!” they call back, grinning to themselves.

They finish cooking up the fish and set everything out for Kent: a bowl of berries, roasted fish, plain broth soup, and a few dumplings with roasted veggies stuffed inside. A perfectly good Hearthian breakfast.

[videointhenoise]

Kent stands up and holds out his hand for them. The cabin is similar to his own, but without his markers, he's a little lost.

And god knows where his stick ended up.

"It smells delicious," he admits.

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar’s by his side in a matter of seconds, guiding him into the kitchen and at their declutterred table.

“Gneiss taught me how to cook, so now the only fires I start are with the ship.”

[videointhenoise]

"Mm, and is this where I'm supposed to be thankful?" he laughs, settling down at the table. He reaches out and finds each of the plates, starting with the berries. "This is great, though. Thank you."

[getfeldsparred]

“I never said anything about being grateful, though a little appreciation would be nice.”

They sit down and pull their own plate closer, their foot finding Kent’s under the table.

[videointhenoise]

Kent locks his feet around theirs. "Nope. Not from me, flyboy," he smiles.

The fish is next, taken slowly. "You stop setting this forest planet alight and then we'll talk."

[getfeldsparred]

“I do my best. I think you should talk to Slate if you want to reduce the fires - they’re the one making the damn rockets.”

[videointhenoise]

"Oh no. I'm talking to you. You're the one driving."

Kent flicks a berry at them.

[getfeldsparred]

The berry hits Feldspar square in the face, and they start to laugh in equal parts surprise and glee. “That hit me in the nose! Do it again!”

[videointhenoise]

Kent cackles and picks up a berry, eats it, and then tosses another one.

"Bullseye?" he teases.

[getfeldsparred]

This one hits the wall behind their head, and they sigh in fake disappointment.

“I guess that means ‘hit the target’? The answer’s no, sorry.” They have some of their soup, holding the bowl with one hand as they sip. “What’re you up to today?”

[videointhenoise]

"I was taking the hatchlings out for a lesson today so they stop trying to stand on top of each other to get into the observatory," he laughs.

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar laughs. “That won’t stop them, it’ll just encourage them. But who knows? Maybe you’ll be inspiring the next generation to visit space.”

[videointhenoise]

"Maybe I will. Or maybe I need to invent school," he teases, rubbing the back of his neck. "I heard there's a new clutch in the tree, too," he adds absently.

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar remembers the pictures of this ‘school’ thing, which they think Kent would be perfect for, but they’re distracted by talk of the new clutch.

“Oh. Yeah. You heard about that, huh? When an egg’s ready we’ll have a hatching ceremony and welcome them. We like to come up with names at the campfire or one of Rutile’s meetings.”

[videointhenoise]

"Oh I know," he says with a playful lilt to his voice. "I've already talked to the others about it. They told me."

He picks up the bowl of soup. "They also told me it's your favorite ceremony."

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar sputters a little into their soup.

“They uh…they told you that? Who told you that?”

They’re not wrong, but it’s not something Kent needs to know!

[videointhenoise]

"I know," he says with a smile. "But I know you are. Even if they didn't tell me. I would know."

He is suddenly very interested in his soup.

[getfeldsparred]

“You know I am what exactly?” Feldspar asks, glad at this moment that Kent’s blind and they can study his face.

[videointhenoise]

Kent manages to look very, very innocent. It's a look he's perfected over the years with the help of many people.

"I know you love the hatchlings," he says. "You would take them all in your ship if you could."