Chapter Text
Philza Minecraft or just Phil stood on the edge of the building in the dark of night. He was being chased by the organization out to capture him, steal his wings, and learn more about his being. Just as he got cornered, Phil jumped off the building without hesitation and with a smile on his face. The men in suits ran towards the edge and looked down, but then a blur of black feathers flew up past them. Phil spread his wings as he looked down on the men. He smiled and flew off.
Wilbur Soot Minecraft was on stage with his new, number one band, Lovejoy. The band was relatively new, but they were a sensation when they debuted their first EP. With their second EP release, the band is more popular than ever. Wilbur started as an indie solo artist online who quickly grew in popularity. Once he found some new friends, they all formed Lovejoy. Now they are playing in the largest venue in the city with no seat left empty. The spotlight was on all of them, but cameras focused on Wilbur's singing. He played the guitar as he sang his heart out for the thousands of fans in the audience and those watching on tv.
Techno B. Minecraft was a popular model in different types of fashion styles. It's funny to think about how he started as a regular online content creator. Now he's one of the most, if not the most popular model, in the country of L'Manburg. He is famous for his pink hair, royal aesthetic, and piglin representation. He was currently in an interview asking about his origins, his family, and other questions often asked in interviews. Techno, as usual, is calm and makes sassy comedic jokes.
Tommy Minecraft changes the channel on the television again only to find more media stories about the rest of his family. He sighs as he turns off the tv in his room and lays back on his bed. Staring up at the ceiling of his bedroom, he thinks back to what happened back at school.
In the boy's bathroom, Tommy was washing his hands when a few older boys gang up on him. The trio of boys frequently tries to belittle Tommy for not being famous in the entertainment industry like his father and brothers. Today's attempt is no different.
"Hey Tommy, how does it feel to be the only one in your family without any talent?" Lackey number 1 asks with a smug grin.
"Honestly, I'm not even sure why your family keeps you around." Lackey number 2 states with malice in his voice. "If you can't even stand on a stage, I'm surprised you haven't been tossed yet."
"Shut the fuck up, dickheads! I'm plenty talented!" Tommy shouts back as usual.
"Sure you are. Why don't you say that when you actually make an achievement in this world?" The leader snarks back. The trio laughs and leaves Tommy alone in the bathroom.
Usually, their words don't bother Tommy, but today they hit differently. Suddenly, Tommy hears the voice of his dad.
"Tommy! Dinner's ready!"
"Coming!"
Tommy gets up and heads downstairs to the dining room. When he reaches the floor and turns the corner, he sees his family already there. In the kitchen, Phil is finishing up the food. Meanwhile, Techno and Wilbur are already at their seats. Wilbur has his guitar with sheet music scattered on the table, and Techno was reading a book as usual. Wilbur looks up from his music writing and waves at Tommy.
"Tommy, there you are! What do you think about this new song?" Just as Wilbur was about to play, Phil interrupted him.
"Wilbur, what have I said about work at the table?"
"'Don't bring work to family time...'"
"And what did you do?"
"Bring work to family time..." Wilbur sulks and puts his guitar against the wall behind him. He lays on Techno, who is beside him. "Oh Techno, what am I to do? Father is trying to stifle my creative freedom!"
"Get off me, Hamilton kinnie." Techno says blankly. Tommy cackles at Wilbur's expense as Wilbur looks offended at his little brother.
"Not you too, Tommy. And here I was hoping you'd back me up."
"I'm not gonna lie he got you, Wil."
"Tommy!" Wilbur whines. Phil laughs at the antics of his sons and calls out to them.
"Alright, that's enough, boys. Techno, stop teasing Wilbur. All of you, come get a plate and let's eat." The three boys get up and grab a plate of food. Dinner goes on without a problem. The twins poke fun at each other, Tommy making snarking commentary, and Phil watching with a fond look. However, Phil notices his youngest not eating much of his food.
"Hey Tommy, you alright?"
"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine."
"Toms, you know you can talk to us if anything is bothering you." Wilbur looks at his brother worriedly.
"I'm fine, king! Anyway, I saw your concert on tv! You guys were pogchamp! Hearing you guys perform will never get old."
"Aw, thank you! At least SOMEONE appreciates my efforts." Wilbur says as he looks over at Techno.
"I appreciate your efforts." He says back before taking a bite of his food. His eyes did not leave his book.
"Techno, put the book down." Phil says to Techno.
"But Phil, it's The Art of War." Techno finally looks up from his book to look at his dad.
"Are you going to be fighting any wars?"
"This world, our lives are a constant war. I need to be on guard."
"I guess you have a point. Still, the book isn't going anywhere. Put the book down and eat." Techno puts down his book and does as he's told. Socializing was never his strong suit, despite how many interviews he does on a daily basis.
After dinner, Wilbur stays behind because it's his turn to do the dishes. Techno remains in the common area to read more of his Art of War book while Tommy returns to his room. Tommy falls onto his bed, exhausted from the day. While he COULD do his homework, he could also pull out his phone and check social media. Tommy opts for the latter and opens up Twitter. The topics "Lovejoy," "Techno," and "Philza Minecraft'' are currently trending. The "Lovejoy'' tag has everyone talking about the band's most successful concert of their career. The "Techno" tag has people discussing Techno's latest interview and his more recent magazine cover. Everyone is talking about Phil's newest movie under his hashtag. Tommy scrolls through the trending page, and he spots a tag he is afraid to look at, "Youngest Minecraft." Cautiously, Tommy opens the tag and scrolls through the page. From the title, Tommy knew the topic was about him. Every tweet talked about him. He's either being called the talentless Minecraft, the runt, or the non-existent Minecraft. Tommy quickly left the tag and put his phone down, afraid that reading any more would hurt him more than he already is about not being famous as the rest of his family. As he said, he's plenty talented. He's picked up different skill sets from his family as they continued to grow. The only reason Tommy hasn't put his name out there is that he doesn't know what he wants to do. Having skills is one thing, but doing something with them is another.
Tommy sighs, trying to get those thoughts out of his head. He picks his phone back up and scrolls through more tags. But another topic catches his eye, "Reflection: This new virtual platform has been growing in popularity. Join now and become the person you want to be." Curiously, Tommy opens the page, and everyone is talking about how fun the platform is. Everyone is anonymous, has custom avatars, and has unique names. Reflection utilizes advanced VR technology. One of the many things people are saying is how Reflection "literally draws them in." Whatever the fuck that means. Still, this Reflection was gaining a lot of popularity. Seems like fun, so Tommy checks out their website.
The website advertises its mobile app, the gateway to the world of Reflection. It explains that more information will be given through the app. Tommy saw no harm, so he downloaded the app onto his phone. If everyone is using it with no problem, what could go wrong? The logo has a translucent background with an oval mirror. The mirror icon had a gold border and a silhouette in the glass. Tommy cautiously tapped the app, and the screen quickly transitioned. The screen resembles the glass panel of a mirror with a slight shine. A black silhouette fades into the image, representing a person's IRL self. Then the glass shine moves over the dark figure, changing it to a colorful rainbow avatar in the process. Once the app finishes loading, text slowly appears on the screen.
"Welcome to Reflection. A place where you can become the person you want to be, do what you want to do, and start anew. Please enter your username."
The screen changes and the phone keyboard pops up. Tommy thinks of any nicknames his family calls him, but they all make it too obvious. If anyone he knows is on Reflection, they'd immediately realize that it's him. So Tommy taps the "suggest a name" button, and he receives the name "Orion." Not a terrible suggestion. Techno frequently calls him "Theseus," why not go for a different myth? Tommy accepts the name and continues the introduction. The app then instructs Tommy to hold up the phone to a mirror as the app camera opens. Tommy's closet doors are mirrors, so he walks to his closet and does what he is told. Suddenly, the screen gains a trail of light and transforms his reflection. This is his new avatar, Orion.
His avatar is slightly taller than Tommy. His hair is still blonde, but he has a dark brown ombre near the top and is a bit longer in the back. His bangs are now side-swept and are also longer. Atop the side of his head was a small crown with red jewels. Near the base of the crown are two ranunculus butterfly flowers. Beneath those are two gold chains that hang and wrap around the back of his head. His once blue eyes are now red with a yellow ombre at the bottom. His outfit is simple yet reminiscent of an idol. He wore a long, white coat with a yellow satin interior. The sleeves are rolled up past his elbows, and the back went to his knees with a wedge in the center. The lapels have a stained glass look with a fiery color palette. On the left shoulder is a small cape. The pants are dark, reddish-brown, and tucked into black boots. His shirt is white with gold lining and an amulet at the center of the neckline.
Once Tommy finishes taking in the appearance of Orion, he finally notices a button at the bottom of the screen titled "Enter." Getting one last look at his avatar, he taps the Enter button. Suddenly, his phone lights up, and Tommy feels himself being pulled into the world as he's blinded by the light. As his vision clears, he hears a voice.
"Welcome to Reflection.”