Work Text:
Jessie hates one thing in the world. It’s square and bright and addictive.
If you guessed Lily Pad you’d be incorrect, however there was a time. When they’d butt heads, argue, and fight for hours over who knew best for Bonnie. But now Jessie and Lily were friends- both having sorted out their problems and forgiving out where they stand with helping Bonnie.
No, Jessie doesn’t hate her anymore, although if you asked her a month ago- she would’ve definitely said LilyPad. Now however, it was something more sinister.
More evil and corrupting- it showed Bonnie violence and promoted her to use it herself. It told her to kill animals and monsters, to steal from well meaning villagers and travellers.
It was a small digital game called Minecraft. And it was stealing Bonnie from them.
LilyPad harboured the thief, it stayed within her digital blood like that was its home. It was more of an infection than anything, no matter how many times LilyPad would delete it- Bonnie would complain and her father would download it once more. Or a fungus… but that implies it might grow on Jessie. She remembers few of the many pick up lines buzz has used on her, one of them being “are fungus? Because you’re growing on me.”
Yeah that one sucked. The others were better, she’d tell you if she could remember. But right now, Jessie stands in-front of LilyPad, ragdoll hand hovering over the screen. Minecraft home menu glowing at her.
It’s night. Bonnie’s asleep, so are the other toys, resting from a long day of playing with Blaze. Today, they weren’t ignored in favour of the square universe. Today, they were gifted with attention and care. With imagination and want. Just like when they first arrived at Bonnie’s- before LilyPad.
The room around them is dark, save for the soft glow eminenting from LilyPad. Jessie’s not sure what she’s going to do, just that she needs to do something.
“I can just delete it and we can forget it you know. It’d be super easy.” LilyPad said clearly aware of Jessie’s visible hesitation.
“No,” she sighed, “Bonnie will just redownload it. I need to get to the source, maybe we can negotiate something.” Nodding, attempting to convince herself more than Lily.
“Ok..” unconvinced, “but at anytime I can delete it.”
“I know.” Jessie took a breath, mentally preparing herself for what ever was to come. Reminding herself to keep a clear open mind, she cannot loose her cool again. Buzz says she has a short temper, but that he likes that about her. It’s not her fault people are trying to ruin the life she’s worked so hard to achieve.
“I got this.” More to herself than anyone. Then, to not waste anymore time or be open to chickening out, Jessie slams her hand on the play button.
It brought her to another menu, great, more buttons to click. This menu, however, didn’t consist of 3 giant buttons, no, it had practically a million. Images of square worlds with words underneath- most a variation of ‘Bonnie’s cool epic world.’
The most recently played one, ‘Bon bon survival’ played just yesterday. This would be where the demon taking Bonnie’s poor young soul would lay.
This time, before Lily could say anything or doubts could creep in, Jessie hit the button. Maybe she would have let the doubts creep in, maybe she should have let hesitation stop her- because in a flash, sparks of every colour swarmed around her.
Lifting her in a swirl of light, drawing her nearer to the screen. It might have taken a hundred lifetimes or just a second, but before long, Jessie found herself being pulled closer to the screen- no, into it.
With a blinding flash, Jessie finds herself laying on the floor.
A grass floor. How did she end up outside? Also, what the heck just happened? She looks up and around, for a landmark that can show her where she’s ended up. All she can see it grass and trees, lining the horizon.
Dusting herself off, she stands. Twisting her head, whirling in a circle to find something- anything. For a moment she thinks she’s completely lost with no sign of life, but just then, a small house peaks out from behind a tree in the distance.
Yes! People!
Another thing she must note, is that everything is life sized. She’s no longer the small ragdoll that has to look up at everything, always too small and having to climb to reach. It’s like she’s a real human person, like she’s been plucked from her doll body and stuffed into a person.
Readjusting her hat, Jessie takes off toward the distant house. As she nears, another house makes itself known. Then, another- and another- and another. So many more, it becomes apparent that she’s stumbled upon a village instead of a lonely cottage. This, is much better to work with.
Immediately upon arriving in the village, she takes it upon herself to talk to the leader- or councillor- or mayor- whatever political system this town has, Jessie will talk to the top of that system. Firstly, finding out who that might be.
A man with an astronomically large nose walks past, arms crossed into his green robe. “Oh! excuse me sir!” Poking him on the shoulder, he spins away from the touch with a disgusted look casted on his face.
“Sorry,” she concedes, “I was just wondering if you know who here can help me find my way home?” The man’s expression does change. Silence grows between them, only filled by a faint moo-ing of a cow in the distance.
The man, seeing that Jessie won’t leave him alone unless he says something, lets out a harmony of grunts and groans. Once he finishes his string of nonsensical noises, he looks to her like she should know exactly what that means.
“Sorry could you repeat that?” She chuckles nervously. The man sharks his head, rolls his eyes and continues on his walk. Leaving Jessie more confused than helped- did she hit her head?
Maybe he did- maybe he was the crazy one. Yeah, let’s go with that. Keep Jessie’s sanity for a little while longer.
She trudges onward, deeper into the village. She doesn’t stop anymore else, not yet, wanting to live in the delusion that it was just that man and not her. It’s a very traditional village; wooden houses, a completely stone church, small farms and live stock in pens dotted around, and a well in the centre next to a bell.
She’s only vaguely seen villages like this in the movies that Bonnie’s parents watch- when Bonnie’s asleep buzz opens the door a peak so they can all watch what’s playing on the living room tv. Sometimes, Jessie wishes she could be just like one of the female leads in the movies. Adventure the world of her own free will, see everything in its lively form and not have to wait for it to be dead to be able to stand.
Not to say she doesn’t like helping Bonnie. No, it’s one of her greatest joys. She just wishes it was her own choice, not one made because she was made a toy. Of course, she could go off the grid- live like woody and Bo. But it wouldn’t be the same as her dreams, she’d still have to avoid people and hide in the darkness.
As she walks, something catches her ear, it’s a woman yelling- met with those nonsensical sounds again. But! a woman! Yelling in English! A language Jessie understands! Yes!
Booking it round the corner of a house, she spots the pair creating the commotion. A pale girl with curly ginger hair, in a green shirt- a kind Jessie’s never seen before, it’s low cut, a lighter green lace tracing wrapping around it before it flows down like a dress- and brown baggy jeans with white embroidery lacing it up and down in swirls. She’s mesmerising- and yelling wildly at a man. He’s dressing in a brown shirt and black trousers, covered by a dirty brown apron. Atop his bald head that shines in the sun lay silver goggles.
The pair stand bickering on the patio of an unusual looking building. It’s wooden again, but this time its roof is flat and made from .. cement? The patio holds two furnaces fused into the wall and a stone bath of something out of Jessie’s sight.
Immediately, Jessie steps closer to investigate. Theo woman’s words becoming clearer- “four emeralds for boots? How is that fair at all? This is extortion!” Slamming her foot down and she aggressively points around for emphasis. The man responds in a hum of angry noises, apparently, this woman can understand these people just perfectly fine. She scrunches her face in annoyance, “i would if I could.” She says. The man continues, which only makes the woman’s anger grow- if that was possible.
Jessie should step in before things get physical, the ginger woman looks like she’d be happy to take it to that level. “Hey maybe leave her alone sir.” She says, trying her best to sound as confident as she hoped. Usually, in situations as this, Jessie would know exactly what to say and how to handle it- but so far the situation was half heard, only parts were available to her.
Both turn to face her a record speed, looking equally annoyed that their argument was cut short. The ginger woman must see Jessie’s nervous demeanour and take pity as her expression softens the second she lays eyes on Jessie. It makes her heart skip a beat. The man, however, does not take pity- instantly redirecting his anger to Jessie. It throws her a little- to be yelled at by a broken wind bag.
The woman comes to her immediate defence, “ok come on, lay off her.” Snaking her way between them as he gets closer. The man only glares at them, “what was it? 4 emeralds? I’ll give you five for the boots.” The man’s glare dissolves instantly, shaping into a professional respectful smile Jessie’s seen on the business men in movies.
He agrees, the woman pulls out 5 shines green rocks from her pocket, handing them to the man. Nodding as he pockets them, turning into the building. A minute later he returns holding silver boots, the woman takes them with regrettably.
She curls her hand around Jessie’s arm, dragging her away without another word. Pulling Jessie down the dirt path, she takes a sharp right behind a house. She slams Jessie against the wall, cornering her.
“Who are you?” She asks. Tone demanding like she’s interrogating her- probably is, Jessie would be if some random person came up to her. Although, she likes to think she’d be a little less rude and not slam them up against a wall- but that’s just her personal take.
“Jessie. Who are you?”
“The woman looks her up and down, eyes narrowing as she mentally weighs her options, then, quietly- less confident, “Alex.”
Alex. Jessie smiles despite herself, despite the situation, a beautiful name for a beautiful woman. It suits her.
“So- Jessie,” testing the way it sounds from her mouth, like she’s never said a name before, or like Jessie’s lying, “what are you doing here?”
That was the million dollar question, what was she doing here? In the middle of nowhere? How did she get here? There’s no point in lying to the only other person who she understands.
“I’m not sure, I just woke up here.” She shrugs.
That piques Alex’s curiosity, “what do you mean?” Raising an eyebrow.
“I just woke up in the grass over there,” pointing somewhere behind her, “I’m not ever sure where I am right now, or why no one here speaks English.”
Alex laughs at that- “they speak English.” Then reconsiders, “well- they don’t speak it, but they know it. They just aren’t capable of speaking it.”
That makes sense, some of the toys weren’t capable of speaking either, often just using sign language if they could or over emphasising expressions. Jessie nods, “well where are we anyway?”
“Just a village in one of the oak biomes.” She explains casually, shoulders shrugging as she lazily points around them.
“Do villages not have names here?”
Alex shakes her head, “they don’t leave much and Steve won’t let me name any we come across. Says we won’t remember and that it’s useless.”
Steve? Another person? Perhaps her boyfriend- maybe not, hopefully not. No matter as luck is on her side today, now she has double the chance of getting home. To Bonnie, to buzz, to rex and slinky dong, to Mrs and Mr potato head. To her home. To her life.
“Who’s Steve?” She asks, ignoring the other burning question that sits in the back of her brain, where other unspeakable questions and thought lay.
“He’s my friend, my partner in crime if you.” Jessie could practically faint in relief, thank god she’s not taken by a dude named Steve. Who’s named Steve? Weird name for a guy if you ask Jessie.
“Actually, we should go find him. He came here with me, he’s probably at the farmers getting crops or directions. He’s sensible like that.” The last part is quiet, almost so much so that Jessie thinks she shouldn’t have heard it, but she did, and Alexs mocking tone makes her laugh a little.
Alex catches it, caught off guard that Jessie heard her, before smiling back. Again, Alex grabs Jessie’s wrist, gentiler this time, leading her into the village.