Acquisition & Inquisition
2.2k words
Herobrine x gnreader(There'll be separate writings for scenes that require a gender and third scene for my nb readers:))
(Reader is old-old guys, and currently has a semi-healed sprained ankle)
As always, feedback, likes, comments, and reblogs are always appreciated
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I missed Jerome, my ‘pet’ cannibalistic daisy cow. She was a little too invested and interested when I ate any type of beef near her. A flash of yellow flickered in the corner of my eye, and I tensed. Snapping my head towards it told me it was a sand axolotl. I pulled out an empty bucket, and I put a piece of fish in there, cooing, “Hey lil guy, why don’t cha come ‘ere?
"I’ve got nobodyyyy." Reading more was a thought that came every time I hummed. My feet ached, and soreness stabbed my back. I had a thin blindfold over my eyes to keep a bit of comfort. Sandstorms were too common not to worry about. I’d been walking in a desert biome for a couple of days; someone had tipped me off that people were searching for me. I wasn’t stupid; I knew exactly what they were looking for…..okay, maybe I didn’t, but that didn’t stop me from packing everything up and burning down my hut.
The axolotl sniffed the air before tentatively crawling to the food. It went into the bucket and began munching on the fish. I pressed my lips tightly, trying so hard not to breathe loudly. I tilted the bucket up, and the axolotl slid down. It had finished the small bit of fish and was just lying on its stomach now, content to stay there.
A high-pitched squeal echoed in my head as I reached my fingers in and stroked their back; they were so cute, and my heart was pounding. They turned over on their back, and it was all I could do to keep standing; my face was burning, partly from the sun, partly from overheating.
I started tickling their belly, and their legs began to wave around in quiet giggles. Scratching their chin rewarded me with a throaty purr, their limbs stretching in contentment.
A dry branch broke behind me, and I turned around, still cooing at the axolotl, whom I had now named Charlie. A tall man in a faded, dark red shirt was trailing behind me, trying to stay inconspicuous with his head bowed low. He froze and looked up. I muttered a “Shrink,” and the bucket shrank, Charlie, growing smaller with it. I held the bucket out and dropped it, letting it dissipate mid-fall. The man held his hands out, showing his weapons-free grip, “I come in peace,” he called out. I didn’t trust him, and I will defend that I was right with my life.
My legs were pumping as my lungs worked overtime to supply air to my muscles. The surprise of running gave me distance initially, but with my shot ankles, I couldn’t run forever. I heard footsteps behind and made a choice; he didn’t need to know my limitations. Hope flickered before my ankle twisted, again, and the man tackled me; the timing was horrendous. I could fight back, but even if I won it, I wouldn’t be able to run any further.
I flipped over and kicked him in the stomach. A strained keening came out of him, and he fell on his butt. My blindfold was resting under my chin now, and I blew my hair out of my face, muttering, “Bastard.” He flipped his finger at me, the audacity, and asked, “What was that?” ‘Bastard.” I reiterated. He rolled his eyes, “Not my fault you decided to run.” My jaw dropped, “What do you mean it isn’t your fault?!” My voice rose, “IT LITERALLY IS YOUR FAULT! Why were you following me?”
“I want your help,” He started, “And knowledge of the world benefits us.” As if that explained everything and justified tackling me to the floor. I pulled up one leg and took a knee, Aether, my ankle hurt so badly. “Who is this ‘us’?”
He gave his hand to me, but I ignored it, choosing instead to be stubborn and push myself up. I gave him a pointed look, and he relented, sighing, “My boss and his men.” I said, “So your boss is a dude….doesn’t help me actually.” Trying to connect some random dots. As much as the stranger told me, they didn’t know who was after me. The man grabbed my hands and pulled them behind my back, “You know you can just ask, right?” he said, pulling out some rope and beginning to tie my hands together.
I didn’t bother resisting and asked him straight up, “Who’s your boss?”
“He’s a powerful man,” Conner answered with a cheeky tone. I groaned, “Oh, great, twenty questions.” “You didn’t really think I’d tell you straight?” He mocked, tightening the knots. I started to respond, but he cut me off, the bastard, “Of course not, I’m curious.”
That stopped me, “About what?” Conner grabbed my elbow and pulled me forward, forcing me to walk, “You, I’ve heard some interesting things about your supposed existence,” He explained.
I was so confused, “Well, I’m here, and you even tackled me, so I think my existence is no longer supposed.” I said, a bite evident in my tone. “Fancy that, now, you ask a question, I ask a question, seems fair?” Conner compromised.
“I don’t like you,” I informed. He replied, “You never have love,” ‘So we know each other.’ “Now onward, we’ll talk as we walk.”
.
.
.
A few seconds passed in awkward silence before he broke it and said, “My name's Conner, just for future reference.” Like I didn’t already know that. “Where did he spawn?” I asked, but Conner shook his head and said, “Nope, too specific.” I rolled my eyes and asked another question, “Do you have one boss or multiple?”
Conner debated in his head for a couple seconds before relenting and answering, “One with strong allies.” I groaned silently, “You’re really unhelpful.”
Conner grinned with a smug look in his eyes and mocked, “Aw, shucks, where did you spawn?”
“The Overworld, can he see?” I shot back, not ready to face it, “As far as I know, can you?” He answered. I said, “Yes, what are his ideals?”
The conversation picked up as we fired off questions faster and faster, like it was a were a competition. “No clue, something about forcing the acknowledgment of past wrongdoings. How old…are you?” Conner explained, slowing down towards the end of the remark.
I paused, my mind blanking, and answered, “Not sure, why do you follow him then?”
Conner stayed silent and stopped moving. He hesitated before responding, “I don’t remember.” He gained a far-off gaze, looking past and through me before shaking out of it and continuing with a lighter tone, “Who was there when you spawned?” I squinted my eyes and defiantly said, “No.”
Conner tightened the corners of his mouth and said, “Don’t shut down on me, were you around the ancient builders?”
My eyebrows rose as I drew out, “Woowwww,” A barely contained smile on my face, “Calling me ancient now?” Conner smacked the back of my head and said, “Shut up!” with an exasperated look on his face. “Yeah, nice people, lack common sense sometimes.” I replied, Conner's eyes darted over, and hummed, “Oh?”
“Does he have a main base?” I asked, forcing the conversation to trudge on despite Conner’s hesitance, “…Yes, why did the builders disappear?” I continued, “They didn’t, how big is the army?”
“Pretty big, I haven’t seen the full extent,” Conner admitted, “Where are they now, then?” “Everywhere, are they undead? I pressed.
A rabbit hopped by. Conner watched it, “The boss or the army?” and it jumped near a cactus, not far enough outside its spinal range. “The army, dipshit.” I clarified.
“Most of them are, where are the builders?” The rabbit took severe damage before collapsing and dying, leaving behind some rabbit hide and meat.
“Majority’s in the Nether. Where did you spawn?”
“In the Snowy Taiga biome,” Conner grinned and donned a knowing look, “They’re the mobs, aren’t they?” “Yeah,” I agreed. Silence filled the gap between them, excuse for the sound of sand shifting and rolling over. “What’s your dominant hand?” I spoke up. Conner looked over and replied, “Left, you ever meet Herobrine?
I looked up to the sky and thought about it for a second. “Which one is he?” Conner’s face dropped as he explained, “You know Steve?” He asked, “ He’s a spitting image of him with slightly darker skin, a more prominent beard, and pure white eyes.” Recognition flickered in my head, “....Yeah,” I let out, my voice strangled, “I know of him.”
“Ohh…kayyy.”
I restarted the conversation and asked, “How good are you with your right hand?”
“Fairly decent, I can’t write with it though. How much do you know about myths?”
“Not many. What’s the opposing side’s ideals?”
“Not a clue, I never did stay long enough to know. What myths do you know?”
“Giant Alex, I’ve figured out where she came from, but I haven’t actually seen her, so she’s still a myth to me,” I replied, a smile on my face. She was so nice to me, a bit violent, but nice. “Who’s Giant Alex?” Conner asked before I said, “Ah ah ahhhh, my turn.” with a snap in my tone.
Conner mockingly bowed and teased, “Right, of course, my liege, do grace me with your forgiveness.”
“Suck up.” I accused. Conner's spine straightened immediately. “Shut up.” He complained. “That ain’t no way to speak to your liege, is it?” I demanded, my voice taking on a haughty and pretentious tone.
Conner rolled his eyes and muttered, “I hate you.”
I gasped dramatically, ‘full circle, I guess’ “Oh, the betrayal, favorite weapon?” I tried to yank my hands forward to clasp my chest before the rope tightened from the tug, ‘Oh yeah,’ “What’s your preferred weapon?”
Conner stroked his face and replied, “I like axes, they’re heavy and sharp and just good for aggression.” I can’t believe I wasted a question on that, “I guess, she’s like Alex but giant with angry, red, strained eyes with black sclera?” I explained, my voice rising towards the end. Conner’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
I caught Conner’s look and explained, “It’s the white part of your eyes.” “Ohhhhh,” Conner said, understanding falling on his face.
“Who’s your favorite glitch?” I redirected. Conner’s face scrunched up, like he was trying to rub his nonexistent brain cells to spark a memory, “Isn’t there one called Jeb?” I blinked twice and asked, “...the nametag?”
I heard whirring in the distance and looked forward, spotting an obsidian portal frame on the horizon. Two people were flanking on each side, wearing solid pants and a dark chestplate, a hooded robe on their backs, with swords and shields in their hands. Guards, I suppose. One of them saw Conner and me walking towards them and pulled out three items from the depths of their robes. They turned to the portal, placed flint on the obsidian, and started smacking two hefty pebbles in hopes of sparking a flame.
“Nooo,” Conner said slowly, “ It’s a random strand of code connected to the nametag.”
I shook my head, responding hesitantly, “It’s really not…”
“So you’re telling me that there isn’t a person named Jeb?” Conner asked skeptically. He stopped for a second; I guess he saw the look on my face. My head tilted from side to side before I admitted, “I mean…he was a sheep, but I guess?” Conner stared at me while he asked, “You mean to tell me, the nametag Jeb, known to rainbowify sheep, came from a sheep named Jeb?”
A spark caught the flint shavings and started a small smoky fire.
I leaned my head and challenged, “ Is that judgment I hear?”
“No, no, I would never.” Conner widened his eyes in mock innocence. “Right,” I said, doubt and amusement filling my voice.
The small fire caught on some obsidian dust and lit the portal. It was a bright, deep purple; ribbons of pink energy were wrapping around the frame. I looked at it and sighed, resigning to my fate. Conner looked in the same direction, “Well, that was kind of informative,” he offered. I pursed my lips and hummed, “Hm, the Nether?”
Conner gave a small smile, “Figured it out yet?” he asked as he let go of my arms. I scoffed and laughed in my throat, “Brother, I knew the moment you answered about his ideals.” The guards stepped back and went through the portal. They began to fade as the portal swirled louder and louder until they finally disappeared.
I took a few steps forward, and Conner yelled, “WHY’D YOU CONTINUE THEN?!” his voice pitched higher. “NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, YOU STUPID PIECE OF SHARDS!” I yelled back. Conner stopped and stuttered, “Hu-what?”
I rolled my eyes and muttered, “Bastard.” Connered grumbled exasperatedly and shook his head.
I stepped up into the portal, and it started vibrating and humming louder. The shimmering ribbons slowly made their way towards me. They began to wrap around my limbs and torso, the sand below Conner’s feet trembling and bending to the whims of the vibration and bouncing into small groups. The ribbons were glowing brighter, the portal near deafening, and I answered quietly, “Nobody was there.”
Conner’s head snapped up, “WHAT?” He hollered, deaf to what I said, but I was already gone, a small thud sounding after me. Conner rustled his head, shaking out the sand and letting it fall. The wind had softened, not as loud, and it carried the sand to the small piles. He muttered, “Bitch.” The corners of his lips curled up in a minuscule smile.
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