nullified jumpscare
The dark, shimmering frame stood before him, tall and imposing, though it lacked each of the four corners which were replaced by a block of dirt. Neo's fingers twitched around his flint and steel, heart pounding in his throat as he faced the obsidian structure. It was fine. He wasn't afraid. He was fine. He'd put this off long enough.
Despite having never followed the standard progression of the game prior to his defeat at the hands of Entity 303, Neo was well familiar with how Minecraft was intended to be played, and that included the Nether. Not only was the End dimension locked behind the Nether - and with it shulkers, Elytra, and a good source of ender pearls - but the Nether contained other valuable resources, like netherite, blaze rods and netherwart to brew potions, and a surplus of gold to trade with the piglins that resided there. Neo was dressed in diamond armor, well-armed with enchanted weapons, and held a Totem of Undying in his left hand should something go wrong. There was no reason why he shouldn't go to the Nether.
And yet, every fiber of his being screamed for him to back away, to break down the portal and never look at a block of obsidian again.
Neo clenched his jaw and turned away, putting his back to the obsidian and studying his base. He just needed a moment, just to clear his head. He wasn't afraid.
He put his fears to the back of his mind, focusing instead on his living space. It had been two months, three weeks, and four days since he was forced into this new body, forced to learn how to survive without the very fabric of the world bending to his whims. In that time, he had learned very quickly that he could no longer rely on sheer willpower and rage to keep him alive. He had fallen to the lowest of hostile mobs, to environmental hazards, to bees for crying out loud, and every time was forced to pick himself back up, retrieve his items, and try again.
It grew easier. Over time, Neo had built up his fortifications, planted wheat and potatoes and carrots to feed himself. His base was crude, but functional, built into the side of a hill to keep him safe from the mobs that roamed at night. He rarely traveled far from it, and when he did he kept a map close at hand so that he could always find his way back. He had never had a home before this, and it was… comforting. To have a place, a safe place, to call his own. He even had a tamed wolf, which sat by the door and kept the skeletons away.
And now he meant to leave it, for the Nether of all places. Neo cast an uneasy look at the unlit portal frame. Of course, he was coming back. The very worst case was that he somehow died there, under which circumstances he would respawn back in his base. He would not be trapped. Not now, not ever. No one was hunting him.
A sliver of anxiety wormed its way into his heart, and he firmly banished it. "I am not afraid." He muttered aloud. "I'm not."
Considering this to be an ample amount of hyping-up, Neo strode towards the portal and flicked the flint and steel, the resulting spark causing the portal to light up in a brilliant purple.
The hum of the portal sent a wave of panic through him, and Neo staggered back, clutching the tool to his chest in his fright. He swallowed hard, scowling at the softly rippling portal. Not afraid. He wasn't afraid of an inanimate object. Swapping the flint and steel for his sword, Neo advanced towards the portal, only hesitating for half a second before stepping into the frame.
The heaviness of the portal sank in all around him, and his stomach rolled, but he grit his teeth and endured it. He could not, would not be a slave to his fear. Not now, not ever again. He lost a lot of things when the hacker gave him this powerless form, but he did not lose his courage.
His vision flashed black, then purple again as he was transported to the Nether.
Neo nearly choked on the sulfuric air as it washed over him, the heat overwhelming as he stumbled out of the portal. Fine. He was fine. His knuckles were white where he clutched at the hilt of his sword, his silver eyes scanning his Nether spawn. Netherrack stretched as far as the eye could see, lit by the distant glow of a lava lake. A ghast cried in the distance, and Neo's shoulders hunched involuntarily. The hum of the portal boomed in his ears, the smell of fire and brimstone choking him, he could all but feel the empty grating of his stomach as he starved-
He can't do it.
When he was back on the other side, Neo sank down against the cool frame, his legs trembling too much for him to get any further away. His heart was racing, his breaths coming short and fast but he couldn't stop, tears burning in his eyes that he just couldn't seem to banish and he hated it. He hated this. What was wrong with him, why couldn't he just do this one thing that should be so easy?!
His armor was too heavy, and he ripped it off, tossing it a little ways away to lay in the grass. He didn't need the Nether, anyway. He was doing just fine here. He was surviving, he hadn't died to the mobs in a long time, and the caves weren't nearly as bad as they used to be. He was doing just fine without netherite, or potions, or the End.
The tears leaked down his face, and Neo hunched over himself, the sounds of the portal behind him not allowing him to calm. He'd break it down. It wouldn't- he wouldn't be able to focus like this.
It took about 10 minutes for him to gather himself enough to stagger upright and flee from the portal, back to his base to fetch a bucket of water. He wasted no time in breaking the portal, then retreated back to his base for the rest of the day, giving his dog a pat on the head as he passed by. He'd break down the obsidian another day. It was getting late, after all.
One day, he told himself as he put a stack of potatoes in his furnace. One day, he'd be over this childish fear. One day he'd be able to brave the Nether just as easily as he could the caves. He would become as powerful as a player could be.
Just… not today. Neo slumped onto his bed, staring at the glass skylight he had installed early on in the low-ceilinged space. Today, he would rest, but one day he would try again.
"Maeow!"
"I can hear you!" Heather grumbled, shuffling into the kitchen in her pajamas and slippers as the grey-and-white kitten trailed along behind her. "Yes, yes, it's breakfast time, hush." The cat did not seem to get the message, her desperate cries only increasing in pitch and volume as Heather fumbled in a cupboard for a can of cat food. Across the living room, her other pet lifted her head, tail beginning to thump enthusiastically at the sight of her master up and about.
"Did she wake you?" A voice from the hall distracted Heather from her task, and she turned to see her husband making his way into the kitchen.
"No," She sighed. "I was awake. And the little stinker decided not to let me go back to sleep."
"Jellie," Herobrine scolded, scooping up his cat who yowled in protest. "That's no way to behave."
"It's not her fault," Heather offered halfheartedly. "It is time to eat, she doesn't care that it's the weekend." Herobrine shrugged and kept the cat imprisoned in his arms while Heather opened a can of food and emptied it into a dish. Hearing the sounds of breakfast, their sleek, golden dog padded over, winding her way past Herobrine's legs to await her turn. Heather reached down to give her a pat. "Morning, Lucy." Her reward was a wet nose stuck into her hand.
Herobrine released a squirming Jellie as Heather set down the food dishes, chuckling as the tiny cat lunged for her dish. "You'd think we don't feed her." He commented as Lucy began to eat with considerably more restraint.
"She's a growing girl." Heather folded her arms with a sigh. Neither of them spoke for a moment, watching their pets have at their breakfast.
Herobrine slid an arm around her shoulders. "Good morning."
"Morning." Heather tilted her head to rest it against his shoulder, closing her eyes. She was accustomed to waking up early - Herobrine rose before dawn on weekdays to get ready for work, and Heather was a light enough sleeper that she was usually roused by his movements no matter how hard he tried to slip past her. Last night, however, had involved watching movies until the wee hours of the morning, and she was groggy.
"Are you going back to bed?" Herobrine murmured. Heather shook her head.
"Too awake now." She said with a sigh. Herobrine hummed, then fell silent, and Heather drifted back into her thoughts. Did they have plans for the day? They should go visit Steve and the others soon - it had been a bit…
Her half-asleep musings were suddenly interrupted when Herobrine shifted, placed both hands on her waist and lifted her up to sit on the kitchen counter.
"Hey!" Heather squeaked as she grabbed his shoulders for balance, causing Lucy to perk up for a moment before returning to her breakfast. "Rude-"
"I'm only trying to help." Herobrine gave her a cheeky grin. "You look like you're about to fall over."
"That's no excuse to flaunt your size this early in the morning." Heather scolded him. That just made him laugh, and she sighed. His hands were still on her waist, and she leaned forward until they were face to face. "Hi."
"Hi." He kissed her, and she kissed back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He broke the kiss and Heather tucked her face into his neck, closing her eyes again. It was too early for this. "Sure you don't want to go back to bed?" He murmured. "Or do you want coffee?"
"Coffee." She said, then proceeded to tighten her grip when he tried to pull away. Obliging, Herobrine held his position, letting her lean on him for a little while longer.
"Look at the sunrise." He murmured. Heather reluctantly lifted her head from his shoulder to peer out through the kitchen window. Bands of pink and purple and gold spilled over the far horizon, lighting wispy clouds ablaze with color and snuffing out the last persevering stars.
"Ohh… pretty." She adjusted her hold on him, lifting her chin to get a better view. "You see this every morning, huh?"
"I see the sunrise," he confirmed, "but I rarely see one this beautiful. Besides, I prefer to see them with you."
"Mmm… sap."
"Hush." Herobrine kissed the side of her head and adjusted his grip. "Here." Pulling her off the counter, he set his wife on her feet again. "I'll make breakfast. You go lay down, and I'll let you know when it's ready."
"Mkay." Obliging, Heather released him, shuffling back towards their bedroom as the coffee machine powered on behind her with a beep.
Instead of going to sleep, though, she sank down on the edge of their bed, kicking off her slippers and staring out the window at the sunrise. It was mid-autumn, meaning that the days were beginning to cool, but the sky was mostly clear and it looked like a pleasant day to be outdoors. There was a park that she had been meaning to visit with Lucy. She should ask Herobrine if he was up for a walk.
As Herobrine cooked, indicated by the soft noises from the kitchen, Jellie appeared in the doorway and trotted over to hop up on the bed. She was about three months old now, large, but still far from fully grown. Herobrine had been the one to ask for a cat, and had picked her out for adoption, but Heather still adored her, early-morning wake up calls and all.
Lucy had been Heather's choice, and remained her primary responsibility, not that Herobrine ever complained when she asked him to help out. Even though she'd wanted a puppy, Heather had fallen in love with Lucy as soon as she saw her, an eight-year-old golden retriever-pyrenees mix. She was a very sweet-tempered dog, and very patient with the rambunctious Jellie.
Heather had gotten dressed by the time Herobrine had finished breakfast, coaxed back out of the bedroom by the smell of bacon. Herobrine was setting two mugs beside two plates, heaped with eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit, and he glanced up at her approach with his face lit in a small smile. "Hello."
"Hi." Heather gave him a kiss before sinking down into her chair. Lucy was laying on the floor beside the table, obviously hoping for a scrap of bacon. Jellie had no such restraint, and hopped up onto the table to make a beeline for Heather's plate.
"Jellie, no." Herobrine swept her up before she could get the chance, plopping her on the floor beside Lucy. "You've had your breakfast already."
"She wants my breakfast." Heather told him. "How else will she grow up big and strong?"
"Stop siding with the cat."
"I'll do what I want."
Their breakfast was peaceful, lit by the steadily rising sun outside the east window. Jellie, blessedly, deigned to leave them to their own devices, pouncing on Lucy's sweeping tail instead.
"Do you want to go on a walk with me and Lucy after breakfast?" Heather asked as she poked at a blueberry with her fork. "There's a park a few miles away that I've wanted to check out, and it looks nice out."
"Sure." Herobrine agreed. "Bring a jacket, though. The high today is around 16." Heather stared at him blankly for a moment.
"Oh, celsius." She pulled out her phone to check the forecast herself. "So low sixties."
"Yes, whatever." He cut into his eggs indifferently, and Heather gave him a mock glare. His strict adherence to the metric system was a subject of lighthearted rivalry between the two of them. "After that," he went on. "Maybe this evening we can go visit Steve and Alex and the kids."
"We should." Heather agreed. They had yet to spend all that much time with Notch's seven new 'official' players, and Heather looked forward to getting to know them better. "Don't forget we're seeing my parents next weekend."
"Right." Herobrine sighed. It wasn't that he disliked her parents, but he did always seem uneasy around them. Something about not wanting them to think he wasn't treating her right. Heather frankly had no idea what he could possibly be worried about.
The two of them chatted quietly through the rest of breakfast, talking about their upcoming dinner with her parents, and taking the new players to see the Elder Guardian. Jellie wore herself out attacking Lucy's tail and passed out on the floor, only roused when Lucy was summoned by the sound of Heather getting her leash and harness. It didn't take long for Herobrine to get dressed and ready to go, and Heather obligingly slipped on a jacket as he joined her at the door.
"Ready?" He asked as he stepped into his shoes. Heather nodded, waving to Jellie where she watched from an armchair.
"Be back soon, Jellie." She wrapped Lucy's leash around her hand and opened the door, taking Herobrine's hand with her free one and stepping out into the cool, autumn air.
"what is this all about", you may be asking. WELL, it's twofold. This is a promotion for WTP Storm's fanfic of this fanfic, "Neo", of which the first chapter was just posted earlier today! You can find it in my favorites list on my profile! I got to preview everything of the fic that's been written so far - this chapter takes place after it, but before the second half of the epilogue in this book. I'm enjoying it immensely so far.
But also I just finished reading my mom, LPK9,'s latest Pride and Prejudice fic, "Ramsgate Rescue", which I ALSO got to preview, and it got me in such a gosh darn romance mood that I had to write my favorite married couple. So here you are. It's them. Enjoy.
Please check both of them out! I now return to staring blankly at the next page of Fall, Angel, Fall.
~FFF