#oh and the tiniest bit of maya and gill in there- | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

lunaraen · 8 years ago

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Is it okay if you some Aiden X Fem!Jesse fluff.

When Aiden wakes up, shiftingbefore he opens his eyes, he’s convinced that his blanket is either heavierthan he remembers it being or that it’s been replaced by a soft bag of bricks.

When he opens his eyes, it turnsout that his blanket is the same as it was a few hours ago, only that now it’son top of Jesse. It’s also on top of Aiden, by extension, but Jesse seems to betrying her hardest to cover as much of him as she can, something easier saidthan done thanks to her height, her grip firm but not too tight and her headtucked beneath his.

If she was even just the tiniestbit taller, he’d probably have a mouth full of hair right now. Still, despitebeing shorter than him, he really doesn’t think there’s any part of him thatshe isn’t clinging to, or not any part that he can move without risking wakingher up.

He doesn’t remember waking up,which means Jesse’s stealthier than she should be, because Aiden’s not a deepsleeper and he’d like to think that he’d notice her latching onto and lying onhim like he’s some sort of teddy bear, and it also means she didn’t have anynightmares.

(He’s not a deep sleeper. She’s aloud screamer. It’s not a good combination, not when it comes to sleeping wellor at all some nights, but it’s a small price to pay if it means making sure hecan comfort Jesse. She’s attacked him a few times, tackled him or gone for histhroat, thinking he was someone else, but he’s never gotten hurt and he can’tblame her.)

No nightmares means Aiden’ll behere for a while; he doesn’t mind. He doesn’t have work today and Jesse hardlyever gets enough sleep.

A few months ago, he’d have wokenup, cold and alone, on a thin cot that was more rips and holes than it was anactual cot, in a tiny room with no sunlight. He’d stare at the cracks in thestone and, if he was lucky, get to listen to a muffled storm. Maybe even get tohear a rat scurrying past the door. With winter starting to creep in, it’d beeven colder now.

It’s not a life he misses.

But it’s where he’d be if itweren’t for Jesse– and he doesn’t just mean that he wouldn’t be here. He’dstill be in prison, behind thick bars and thicker walls, if she hadn’t takenthem off of Isa’s hands when she did.

As far as he knows, Maya and Gillhave a home near the farm Gill’s family owns. It’s more than they ever had injail. And from the start, Jesse’s let him stay here. He’s not dumb enough tothink that most of it wasn’t, and still isn’t, out of pity, out of guilt aboutthe treatment they got in jail, but that doesn’t change that Jesse’s done morefor him than some people do for their closest friends.

Maybe he shouldn’t be here.

But it’s warm. It’s inviting andcozy just like she is and the idea of leaving carries a hollow feel to it thatAiden’s quick to push aside.

Where else would he be? Thefurther away he stays from Gill and Maya, the better. He’s not ruining theirlives again, and leaving means being lonely. Oh, he doesn’t think he’s notselfish. He is. He knows it. Jesse makes him feel happy, safe, and solitaryconfinement was as good a reminder as Lukas’s leaving that Aiden can’t handlebeing alone.

She’d be happier if he left.

And he wouldn’t be being used asa mattress.

(Which doesn’t feel like as muchof a bonus as maybe it should. Part of him’s more concerned about howcomfortable Jesse is. Out of prison or not, he still doesn’t eat much, and hecan’t imagine that lying on bony ribs is any fun.)

Aiden exhales sharply through hisnose as he lets his head rest back on the pillow with a little more force thanprobably necessary, holding his breath as Jesse mumbles before nuzzling hischest. She goes quiet and still a few moments later, and he slowly moves a handto play with part of Jesse’s hair.

He is not leaving.

Jesse’s told him before that shewants him to stay. That he makes her happy.

(And for a long time, he thoughtshe was lying. Maybe part of him still does. But she sounds like she reallybelieves it, like she means it, even if he can’t figure out for the life of himhow somebody like him could make her even remotely happy.)

He has a job. It doesn’t paymuch, but it’s enough, and even if Jesse won’t accept the coins, it doesn’tstop him from finding ways to leave them in her room, or near one of the chestswhere the Order’s finances are kept. He’s not a leech.

(And he is not a pet, as much as he heard the word during his first few weeksat the temple. He knows Jesse’s friends are just as confused as he is about whyshe bothers to keep him around, but Jesse’s made it abundantly clear that whenit comes to what he is, a pet isn’t anywhere close. Besides, even with as muchas she’s done for him, he has enough dignity that he wouldn’t stay if that were the case.

He stays because Jesse asks himto, because he cares about her and she seems to care about him for some weirdreason. But it’s not because he’s a pet, because he isn’t.)

Besides, when it comes down toit, there’s something he can do. He can help with the nightmares. It doesn’tsound like much, and maybe it isn’t, but it’s one of the best things he can do,and he knows how Jesse tries to hide the nightmares, the nights spent notsleeping, from the others. He knows how much she’d rather just not sleep at allthan take the potion Ivor gives her to keep her from dreaming. None of herfriends really get to deal with the rough nights when they happen.

On adventures, they’re probablyeither in too much trouble to worry about bad dreams and flashbacks or don’tstay out long enough to have to worry about sleep at all. Aiden doesn’t think he cancomfort Jesse better than her closest friends can, but at least he’s here totry.

He’s not sure what it means, thatshe doesn’t try to hide her nightmares from him.

(It’s probably because he’scaused at least half of them. And it’s not okay, not really, but beatinghimself up about it won’t solve anything. The least he can do is try to fix hismess.)

Bottom line, though, she makes him happy. The least he can really do is return the favor.

#My Stuff #fanfiction #mcsm #minecraft story mode #anon

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shielddrake · 8 years ago

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Rebel of Sky City Ch. 8

There’s a special shout out to TheAmberShadow, one of the regular reviewers of this fic, in this chapter. Thanks a bunch for the idea!

Chapter Eight

Petra let out a long, low whistle as she stared at the training grounds of Sky City.

She had been escorted around the palace and to the far edge of the island, along with a number of other guard trainees. The space was a long rectangle with long grass, which Petra could only presume was to keep the trainees from hurting themselves too badly when they inevitably fell to the ground as they exercised. The grunts coming from some of the guards practicing such maneuvers only proved her point.

Wooden fences surrounded the grounds, separating everyone from both the edge of the island leading to the Void and from the streets leading to Sky City proper. The wood was certainly high enough to keep anyone from climbing over unless they had a couple blocks of gravel to spare (which Petra did, but no one needed to know that). Training dummies and armor stands were scattered around the training area, and a couple guard beginners were already practicing their skills with them.

A long table was located at the entrance to the training grounds with a small gate leading inside. Petra could barely see another table at the far right of the rectangle where a number of people were gathered around.

Petra walked up to the entry table, where two women wearing the typical guard uniform sat, each with a board. She waited in line, forcing herself to not tap her foot, until she was at the front.

“Name?” one of the guards asked. Petra gave it, and she checked her board. “There you are. You are in pair C. Pick up your gear at the other table and head for the marker with your letter.”

“Pair C. Got it.”

Doing as she was instructed, Petra soon found herself with a Sky City Guard uniform. She slipped the brown and gold outfit on over her regular clothes, and replaced her shoes with the black boots. She stared at the hat with a golden egg on the front, snorted, and then put it over her red hair. The last bit was the pair of white gloves, which she instantly disliked.

“These things are going to itch so bad,” she muttered.

The presence of the gloves was quickly made up by the final piece of her new equipment: the iron sword. Having seen Jesse craft one a few nights before (and having been taught how to make her own), she felt much more comfortable handling one of these than she thought she would.

She swung the sword around to get used to the feel of it in her hand. Feels good to carry one of these. I’m going to like this.

“You’re good at that already.” Petra heard a deep, gravely voice say behind her. “Was one of your parents a guard too?”

Petra turned to see a rather tall young man standing behind her. He had at least half a foot over her, which was saying something since Petra was one of the tallest people in the city. He wore the same uniform as her, although his didn’t look like it fit nearly as well. It wasn’t too small, but just barely so. He was a large man, but in a muscular sense. He carried iron sword of his own, but his kind of dangled rom his fingers without any sort of grip to it. His hat was lopsided on his head, showing a full head of black hair.

“Nope. Guess I’m just a natural,” Petra said, finally answering his question. She stuck her thumb at the sign with a giant C on it. “You part of pair C?”

“Yeah. I’m Axel,” he introduced, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess we’re partners, huh?”

“Guess so.” She put her sword away and smiled. “I’m Petra. Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Axel glanced around the training area. “Pretty cool, huh? Being here? Getting to be part of the Guard?”

“Yeah, pretty exciting,” she answered. Exciting to get a shot at The Founder’s inventory.

Axel glanced at the sword in his hand. “Not so sure about this though. I’m better with my fists.”

“Eh, you just need to practice,” Petra said encouragingly. “We both do. Feel up to sparring?”

Axel’s thick eyebrows shot up, but he grinned nonetheless and positioned himself with his sword pointed towards her. Petra took out her sword again, and soon enough the two blades were clanging against each other. Petra was faster, but she really struggled to keep Axel at bay when the two had their weapons pressed against each other. He was easily able to push her backwards, mainly due to his increased girth, pretty every time they came to a standstill.

The two were still going at it a bit when a loud voice called out from the front of the training grounds.

“Attention! Attention, everyone!” Petra and Axel ceased their sparring and turned to the origin of the voice. Reginald stood at the front of the grounds, with his second-in-command Gabriel next to him holding a clipboard. Reginald glanced around, waiting until everyone was silent, before continuing. “Welcome to you all. I am pleased to see so many new faces this year.”

Petra stared at him, trying to keep the smirk off her face. “Let me guess. He’s the boss?”

“You don’t know that already?” Axel asked, his voice just slightly higher in surprise.

“I’ve heard his name, but I’ve never actually met him before.”

“For those of you who don’t know, my name is Reginald, and I am the Captain of the Guard. I am in charge of the security and safety of the people of Sky City, including and especially for The Founder,” Reginald explained, his voice booming loud enough for everyone to hear. “I will be in charge of your schedules and your inventory while you on are on duty. I will also be leading your training for the next four weeks, at which point you will be fully inducted into the Guard.”

The Captain looked around at all the trainees, his gaze stopping on Axel for just a moment before moving on. It didn’t go without Axel noticing, however.

“Great, I stand out here too,” Axel whispered, keeping his eyes glued to his shoes.

“That’s not a bad thing, is it?” Petra inquired, but simply shook his head in silence.

“We will begin drills shortly, so please make sure you are in uniform and ready,” Reginald finished. “You will be working with your partner for the duration of training, so try to get along. If you have any questions, please direct them either to me or my second, Gabriel. Thank you.”

The murmuring started again as Reginald began making rounds. Petra turned back to her partner, who still kept his head down.

“Come on, big guy,” she said, punching him lightly in the shoulder. “You were excited a little while ago. What’s got you down?”

Axel sighed. “I just always stand out too much. Even the Captain thinks I’m weird.”

“Again, how is that bad?” Petra wondered. “Seems to me that being a guard would be perfect for you. You’ve got the physical strength for it.”

He allowed the tiniest of smiles to reach his face. “Huh, thanks, Petra. I hope I don’t let you down.”

There was a loud laugh from the pole labeled D. Petra’s head spun around to look at the trainee who did it. Besides the guard uniform he wore, he looked like any ordinary man Petra had seen before. He had a dark beard and mustache to match his hair, making him look older than he probably was. He was smirking in Axel’s direction and pointing, nudging his partner so she would look as well. She was giving Axel a similar expression, her chin jutted out and looking down her nose at them, even though both Petra and Axel were clearly taller than her.

“Looks like the loser got into the Guard after all,” the man jeered. “Or maybe he’s just supposed to the pack mule.”

The woman chuckled. “Good one, Gill.”

Petra narrowed her eyes at the pair. She looked at Axel to see why he wasn’t responding, but he was looking everywhere but at them. Pressing her lips together, she turned back to them.

“What’s your problem?” she asked.

The man, Gill apparently, just sniggered. “Just feeling sorry for you, being stuck with the guy with more meat on his bones than brains in his head.”

The woman laughed again, and Petra silently wondered if she was able to do anything else.

“Seems like that fits your description better,” Petra scorned.

Gill stared at her for a minute before smirking again. “Get a load of this, Maya. The loser’s made a little friend.”

“Oh, and it’s a girl too!” his partner – no, Maya – snickered with a shake of her head. “Honey, you can do so much better.”

“He’s my partner while we’re in training,” Petra announced. “And who are you to talk? No way you’re better at sword fighting than anyone else here.”

“Petra, don’t,’ Axel said quietly. “They’re just being unpleasant. They always are.”

“So they’ve been jerks to you before?” Petra felt her face flush with irritation.

“Well, yeah, since we were kids,” he admitted, waving his hand. “But it’s not a big deal.”

For some reason, this newly learned fact did not sit right with Petra. Maybe it was watching Jesse want to dunk Hadrian during the festival after she learned he was a thief, or maybe it was from seeing her defend Olivia from Aiden at Build Club. Whatever the reason, Petra’s tolerance for conceited idiots was incredibly low at this point, and she was not pleased that her new partner was being condescended to like that.

“Back off,” Petra growled, placing herself in front of Gill as if to challenge him. “He hasn’t done anything to you.”

“Oh, you’re really defending him?” Gill mocked, lifting his upper lift in scorn. “Here I thought you were joking before.”

Axel, Gill and Maya all let out a gasp as Petra quickly pulled out her sword and glared at the shorter man, aiming the point of the blade right between his eyes.

“I said, back off.”

Gill immediately backed up and raised his hands in a surrendering gesture. Maya’s eyes widened as she stared. She looked like she was about to pull out her own weapon when a another voice called out.

“All right, all right! Enough!” It was Reginald, and Petra internally cringed as he placed himself between the two groups, holding a hand up to each. “I don’t want any infighting in my ranks. Swords away, now!”

Petra gave Gill one last glare before putting her sword back in her inventory, and Maya removed her hand from her sword’s hilt. Reginald looked at each of them, causing Axel stiffen and salute a bit clumsily. Petra backed up but didn’t take her warning eyes off Gill.

“That’s better. You are all part of the Guard now, and you must learn to trust and rely on one another to keep The Founder and our citizens safe,” he announced, loud enough for everyone in the training area to hear. “I don’t want to see you drawing your swords on one another again. Am I understood?”

He seemed to direct this command to Petra more than the others, likely because she was the one who had her sword out when he came over. Petra nodded and saluted, and this seemed to please the Captain. Gill and Maya both smirked and left to do their own training. Petra just watched them go with squinted eyes.

Why do they get away with that so easily? She thought.

“I’ll have a separate talk with them. Don’t worry.” Petra and Axel turned their attention back to Reginald, whose tone had softened. “I heard him goading you on. I won’t stand for taunting like that either.”

The Captain looked over the two trainees as they stood next to each other. Petra kept herself from looking away or biting her lip. She didn’t want to show any weakness in front of her new boss. Not when her opportunity to get access to The Founder’s inventory depended on his approval.

“I do commend you for defending your partner, however,” Reginald said at last, and both Petra and Axel jumped at little at the statement. “That kind of loyalty is important in the Guard. Keep it up.”

Maybe not such a bad way to start off after all. Petra thought as she saluted again. “Yes, sir.”

“Thank you, sir,” Axel added with his own salute.

Reginald nodded to them again before turning and looking back towards the rest of the trainees. Axel smiled at her.

“Thanks,” he said. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“No one messes with my partner,” she replied. “How about we get back to it? How are you with defensive maneuvers?”

“I could use some practice.”

“I could too. Let’s do it.” Petra made this last comment while unsheathing her sword again.

After a number of hours of drills and training before Reginald called it done for the day, Petra was exhausted. Her back and her legs were sore, and sweat was pouring down her skin in a vain attempt to cool her down. Summer was well underway, making the outdoors start to be unbearable. She quickly removed the extra layer of her uniform and wiped her hand over her forehead.

“Man, training’s going to be a pain when it’s this hot,” she remarked with a shake of her head.

“Tell me about it,” Axel concurred. “Remind me to bring buckets of water here in the future.”

“Hey Axel?”

“Yeah?”

“Remember to bring buckets of water here in the future.”

“Oh, ha ha.” Axel was still smiling despite the heat and the joke. He kept swiping his sword at the practice dummy. “I’m not that scatterbrained…usually.”

Petra grinned. Whether he was a scatterbrain or not, Axel was still pretty cool. He just needed some encouragement every once in a while.

“Hey, I’m going to go hang out with some friends of mine,” she said. “Want to come?”

Axel looked like he was biting his tongue. “Uh, maybe next time. I want to practice with my sword some more. I need it.”

“Eh, you’re doing all right,” Petra answered. “But practice makes perfect, right?”

“Right!” He briefly paused. “Thanks for the invite anyway.”

“The offers open whenever you feel like it,” she added. Petra turned and started walking away. “Don’t get heat stroke, okay? I’d hate to have to be assigned another partner.”

Axel let out a boisterous laugh. “Sure thing.”

With Axel and the training grounds behind her, Petra headed off to the her friends’ meeting place. They would change locations every so often to vary the view, and this time they were headed for the outer wall of Sky City. Lukas had found a ladder leading to the top a long time ago, and it was a great place to behold both the city itself and the vast emptiness that was around it. It was both breathtaking and gloomy at once, depending on the time of day.

When Petra arrived, Lukas, Jesse and Olivia were all already there. Petra was pretty sure this was the first time Jesse had been there, unless Lukas had shown her the spot sometime beforehand. Whatever the case, Petra climbed the ladder and plopped herself down next to Lukas.

“Hey, guys.”

“Hi, Petra,” Jesse said with a smile.

“How do you like the view?” she asked her new friend.

“It’s amazing!” Jesse threw up her hands in excitement. “I don’t know why the view is different here than from home. Closer, I guess.”

“Yeah, it’s really nice, huh?” Olivia added.

“Both the city and the sky look amazing from up here,” Lukas said, glancing back and forth over both edges of the wall. “I wonder if The Founder’s view is as nice from the palace.”

“Who knows?” Petra replied. “The palace is really tall, so probably.”

Jesse nibbled on her bottom lip for a second, something that Petra was beginning to notice was a sign of her being nervous about something. What Jesse was nervous about, she had no clue.

What’s eating her?

It was not a moment later that Jesse pulled some apples out of her inventory. “Hey guys, look what I have!”

“Oh, nice!” Lukas cried and took a bite out of the apple she passed him. He leaned back so Jesse could give one to Petra. “Man, I love apples!”

“Be careful, Jesse,” Petra teased while Jesse gave an apple to Olivia. “If you keep giving Lukas his favorite food, he’ll keep coming back for more.”

Lukas rolled his eyes as Jesse laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

The group turned their attention to the clouds and tiny blocks of dirt that hung around in the sky surrounding the island. In the daytime, the sky was the brightest blue possible, with clouds covering the space below the island leading into the Void below. Petra squinted as she tried to make out the shapes of some of the other islands in the distance, but she couldn’t make them out in any detail.

Almost as if she was reading Petra’s mind, Jesse spoke: “Do you think there’s anything out there?”

“Out in the sky?” Lukas asked.

“Yeah. Like this island. There’s got to be more people out there, right?” Jesse clarified. “I mean, that’s how…The Founder brought everyone together, right? There was just one island, she expanded it, and brought people together to Sky City.”

“It would be cool to find out if there is anyone or anything else out there,” Petra said. “Maybe other people or monsters or something exciting! Better than this place.”

“Sky City is pretty short on fun,” Lukas moped. “Other than the festivals, there’s not much to do here.”

“If you could go out there,” Jesse wondered. “What would you do? Where would you go?”

“You’d need some kind of build that could fly,” Olivia calculated. “More redstone and pistons than you could shake a stick at, and The Founder would never approve a petition like that.”

“Sure, but hypothetically speaking,” the dark-haired girl continued. “Let’s say The Founder did allow something like that. Would you do it?”

“I’d be all for it,” Petra declared. “Exploring adventuring, discovering new things…That’s right up my alley!”

“Me too,” Jesse agreed. “Though I’d want to go down, see if there really is nothing in the Void.”

“You think there’s actually something down there?” Olivia inquired.

“I don’t know, but that’s what I want to find out,” Jesse answered. “See if…The Founder is right or wrong. She says it’s a lost cause, but how can we know if we never look?”

“I’m with you there,” Lukas swallowed another bite of his apple. “I’d love to write about adventures like that.”

“Oh, speaking of writing…” Jesse dug through her inventory again for a moment before pulling out an item with an “Aha!” look in her eyes. “Here, Lukas. This is for you.”

Petra glanced over to see her hold a blank book and quill out to him. Lukas’ blue eyes widened in joy, and his smile was as bright as the sun.

“I know your dad’s petition for this was rejected,” Jesse explained. She held the book in her hands, waiting for Lukas to take it, but he appeared to be too shocked to move. “And, um, you keep talking about how much you like to write, so…”

Lukas still didn’t move, and Petra could tell from Jesse’s expression that she was worried she had done something wrong, if her blinking eyes and furrowed eyebrows were any indication. Petra gently slapped Lukas in the back of the head.

“Ow!” Lukas glared at her and rubbed the back of his head.

“She’s trying to give you a gift, dummy,” she said, pointing to the book. “Better take it before she changes her mind.”

The group laughed, the tension completely broken, and Lukas took the present from Jesse’s hands.

“Jesse and Lukas, sitting in a tree,” Olivia began singing with a impish smile. “K-I-S-S-I-N-G…”

Lukas leaned over and gave her a playful punch, and Olivia stopped singing with a smirk.

“What?” Jesse’s concerned face returned. “But we’re not sitting in trees, and we’re not—”

“Thank you, Jesse. This means a lot to me,” he interrupted her, giving her his best grin. “Do I dare ask how you go this?”

Jesse shrugged. “I’ll leave that to your imagination.”

It’s not that mysterious, Petra thought. She petitioned The Founder for it, and unlike Milo, she wasn’t rejected.

She kept this thought to herself, however, and the team continued to munch on their apples until they were gone. They alternatively sat and lay lazily on the outer wall, discussing everything and nothing at all, until the sun began to set and Jesse claimed that she needed to head home before dark. Olivia agreed and went down the ladder first, heading home herself. Petra and Lukas weren’t far behind.

“Can I walk you home?” Lukas offered to Jesse.

This was probably the eighth time or so that he asked Jesse this question, and Petra was expecting the same negative reply. Lukas probably was too.

Instead, she just gave him a small smile. “I, uh, can’t let you follow me all the way home. I’ll get in trouble. But maybe until a few roads down?”

Lukas let out a breath he probably didn’t know he was holding. “Great!”

“I’ll leave you guys to it,” Petra said, turning to head in the direction of her flat. “See you guys later!”

“Later, Petra!” Jesse called, and Lukas waved.

Petra waited until the pair had walked around the nearby corner leading towards the town squares, slowing her pace and then turning around to follow them.

Leave them to it? Yeah right! She thought.

She stepped as lightly as she could to keep the sound of her boots as quiet as possible, all the while trying to stay close enough to keep an eye on them but far enough away to as to not be spotted by them. Petra couldn’t hear most of the conversation, but the smiles on Jesse and Lukas’ faces told her they were having a good time. Since this was the first time Jesse actually allowed Lukas anywhere near her when she was heading home, maybe she was finally getting through her trust issues? Maybe the next step would be letting Lukas actually see her home?

Where does Jesse live anyway?

“I, uh, think this is as far as we can go together,” Jesse said at last, having stopped in front of one of the darker alleys near the town square that was located right in front of The Founder’s palace. Petra crouched behind the corner of a nearby building, making sure she was not in direct line of sight for either of them. Thank goodness for her practice at keeping out the Guard’s sight. “Thanks for walking me.”

“No problem.” Lukas gave her a wink. “Got to protect you from the bandits Sky City is known for.”

Jesse giggled and placed the back of her hand on her forehead. “Oh yes! My hero, come to rescue me from the evil thieves!”

“Hey, I could be a hero,” he claimed with his hands on his hips. “I could pull it off, right?”

“I think you’ve been reading some of Petra’s books again.”

“Petra doesn’t read those kinds of books.”

“Then where are you getting this hero stuff?”

“Maybe I’m just a natural hero?”

Jesse didn’t respond to that. She glanced down at her feet for a moment. “Hey, Lukas?”

“Yeah?”

“What was that song Olivia was singing before?” she asked. “The one about us in a tree?”

Lukas choked and coughed, and Petra could see his cheeks turn a little pink.

“You, uh, never heard that song before?” he said. “I wouldn’t even call it a song really…”

“Guess it’s just another part of life I’ve missed out because Mother’s kept me cooped up.” She gave a smaller shrug this time. “But you’re avoiding the question.”

“It’s just a dumb song people sing to make fun,” he explained, biting the inside of his cheek. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Make fun of people kissing?”

“Pretty much.”

Jesse raised an eyebrow, and Petra had to stop herself from snorting. She always thought it was ridiculous too. “But what if it was true?”

Petra blinked. What?

“What?”

Jesse started biting her lip again. “Just that, you know, it’s, uh…I don’t know how to say this.”

Is she about to do what I think she’s going to do?

If Lukas was planning to respond to her stammering, he didn’t get the chance to do so. Jesse stepped forward and got on her toes, pressing her lips against his cheek for just a moment before backing up. She rubbed the back of her neck, turned around and took off, covering her face with her hand. She paused at the entrance to the alley and turned to look at Lukas again, her neck turning red.

She needn’t have been worried though. Lukas just watched her with a wide grin. He put his fingers to his cheek for a second before giving her an enthusiastic wave. Jesse returned it, her frown turning upside down, and she disappeared into the alley towards her home.

Lukas’ wave slowed until she was no longer in sight. He gave a little jump as he turned around to walk back to Milo’s inn, and Petra chuckled.

Oh man, what a dork. What am I going to do with those two? Petra waited until Lukas practically skipped out of sight before leaving her hiding spot. “So Jesse made the first move. Looks like Olivia owes me two iron.”

With the sun setting beneath the island and the sky turning dark, Petra decided to wait until morning to gather her winnings from her friend. Unfortunately for her, her luck at staying out of sight had run out by the time she took five steps.

“Never took you for a voyeur, Petra.”

She groaned. Petra hated the sound of Aiden’s voice, and it had only become more and more annoying since the Spring Festival. She rubbed the bridge of her nose then looked over her shoulder at him.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Same as you,” he answered. “Spying on a friend.”

Petra turned her whole body to face him. “I really doubt you’re here for the same reason as me.”

Aiden frowned. “No, guess not. You were probably cheering for Lukas the whole time.”

“Maybe I was,” she admitted. “Why does that matter to you?”

“Just thinking how Jesse hasn’t realized the better option,” he sneered. “But that won’t take long.”

“Aiden, I swear,” she growled, taking a few steps forward so she was looking down at him, using her height over him to her advantage. “If you do anything to sabotage them—”

“All’s fair in love and war, right?” he teased, looking nonchalantly at his fingers. “Why shouldn’t I take a shot at the best?”

“The best” being Jesse? She’s not an object. “If you do anything to hurt Jesse, Lukas will be the first person I tell.”

“Please. You’ve been ‘warning’ him about me for years.” Aiden used air quotes with his statement and rolled his eyes. “Do you really think he’s going to believe you now?”

Petra felt her nostrils flare. “Then if you do anything to hurt Jesse, your face will get acquainted with my fist.”

This time, Aiden let out a barking laugh. “Believe me, hurting Jesse is the last thing I intend to do.”

Aiden’s shorter height didn’t stop him from knocking Petra in the shoulder as he pushed her out of his way. She watched him go with narrowed eyes, the edges of her mouth crinkling in a frown.

Better let Jesse know to avoid Aiden from now on, she thought. I guess the first thing is to explain to her what a date is and to never accept one with Aiden.

#mcsm #mcsm jesse #mcsm lukas #minecraft story mode #fanfiction #Sky City!Jesse #Sky City!AU

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jillmckenzie1 · 5 years ago

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The Worst of All Possible Parents

The Willoughbys is streaming on Netflix

Once upon a time, there lived a parent. This parent had the colossal misfortune to be a) alive during a pandemic and b) in charge of children. It was bad enough that the wicked virus forced people to stay inside.* Movie theaters closed. Baseball stadiums were empty. Jobs vanished. People scoffed at the idea of eating at buffets.

As you can imagine, all that time spent inside was incredibly boring for the parent. There were only so many times they could make sourdough bread! But as dull as it was for the parent, it was a thousand times worse for their kids. They couldn’t spend time with their friends, couldn’t shoot bottle rockets at each other. All they could do was read, watch television, and cyberbully weaker classmates.

For the parent, this was intolerable. He (or it could be she) spent several weeks devising activities and attempting to home school their offspring.** She (or it might be he) also vowed to limit their child’s screen time, which was hilarious. In the end, the parent thought, “To hell with it,” let the kids watch TV as long as they wanted, and prayed to a distant God that their children wouldn’t accidentally become radicalized while watching YouTube.

If, like me, you’re in charge of kids during this time of plague, it’s a challenge to find something for them to watch. You don’t want to hear the sounds of Frozen (or Heaven forbid, Frozen 2) for the 367th time. You want something else, something that’s not offensively stupid or a 90-minute ad. Say what you will about Netflix’s original programming, but they’re not doing half bad when it comes to kids’ movies. The most recent is The Willoughbys, a stylish and fun romp that’s also not a snooze for us old folks.

We’re introduced to The Cat (Ricky Gervais), a snide feline who will be acting as our narrator and occasional supporting character. He gives us the history of the magnificent Willoughby family, a clan stuffed to the gills with explorers, adventurers, poets, artists, and all manner of wonderful folk. The only thing exceeding their deeds? Their legendary facial hair.

All families eventually hit a generational speed bump, and the Willoughbys are no different. Mother (Jane Krakowski) and Father (Martin Short) are notable for only their narcissism. They love each other deeply — and nothing else. You can see how that would be a problem for their children, right?

Said children are Tim (Will Forte), a nervous boy working overtime to protect his siblings, Jane (Alessia Cara), a sharp girl with a lovely singing voice, and the alarming identical twins Barnaby A and Barnaby B (Sean Cullen). In another family, these kids would be happy. Unfortunately, they rolled snake eyes. During Tim’s first day on the planet, he is told, “I’m your father and that sweet woman that you insulted with your rude birth is Mother. If you need love, I beg you, find it elsewhere.”

To put it plainly, this sucks. But it won’t suck for long, as the kids have devised A Plan. This plan consists of sending their parents on a wildly dangerous worldwide vacation. There will be lava, bears, acid pools, and an unclimbable mountain. With luck, the Willoughby children will be orphaned, but the involvement of an orphaned infant, a sweet Nanny (Maya Rudolph), and candy tycoon Commander Melanoff (Terry Crews) complicates matters.

Is The Willoughbys good viewing for kids? Oh, yes. Director Kris Pearn and co-director Rob Lodermeier have made a film that feels like the love child of Wes Anderson and Charles Addams. Bright colors pop off the screen, and strong computer rendering creates distinctive and angular imagery. It bears mentioning that hair textures are fiendishly difficult to create using computer animation. Here, the characters have hair that looks exactly like red yarn. While watching, I could almost feel the fuzz between my fingers. Along with the film being great looking, Pearn and Lodermeier’s pacing is impeccable. There’s not an ounce of fat, and it knows when to zip through a set-piece and when to slow down for a little character development.

Based on the novel by Lois Lowry, the screenplay does something a lot of children’s entertainment fails to do. It tackles some dark concepts, but it does so in a way that’s witty, funny, and relatable. I suspect that screenwriters Pearn and Mark Stanleigh gleaned inspiration from classics such as Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach and Coraline by Neil Gaiman. While we’re dealing with a story in which a group of children attempts to bump off their folks, Pearn and Stanleigh keep the tone light. The neglect from Father and Mother is played broadly, and the ultimate message deals with the necessity of creating your own family. While the script is occasionally slight, it’s sweet without becoming cloying.

Pearn has assembled a team of voice actors that are old pros at this sort of thing. Need a couple of someones to play nitwitted narcissists? You get Martin Short and Jane Krakowski, who knock it out of the park. Need a kind nanny with the tiniest bit of an edge, or a huge candy maker with a sweet interior? Maya Rudolph and Terry Crews can do that sort of thing in their sleep. Nobody breaks out of their comfort zone. They don’t need to, since they show up, do their thing, and do it well.

At some point during this pandemic, you’ll get profoundly tired. Your shoulders will slump, you’ll sigh audibly, and even the most macho of us will think, “Calgon, take me away.” With The Willoughbys, Netflix has given us parents a piece of children’s entertainment that’s a cut above the norm. You’ll appreciate it, until your kids have watched it for the 15th consecutive time.

*Though a small number of people went outside as much as possible and insisted that it was all a conspiracy. These days we refer to them as morons.

**The parent learned a valuable lesson — that teachers work unbelievably hard and deserve far more money. The parent resolved to support educators until they learned that a salary increase would only be possible by raising taxes. “Screw that,” said the parent, and continued to vote for Republicans because they were afraid of socialism.

from Blog https://ondenver.com/the-worst-of-all-possible-parents/

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