Jafar

It’s been a few days since I first brought Ivan back to my place, and I’ve still managed to keep him hidden from Colette—barely. Every time I see her, I feel like she’s going to call me out on it, like she can sense there’s something I’m not telling her. But so far, she’s been too wrapped up in her map-making.

Right now, Ivan is sitting cross-legged on the floor, watching me sharpen my sword. His eyes follow every move I make, his expression somewhere between intense curiosity and that blank Steve stare.

“You know,” I say, testing the edge of the blade, “if you’re going to keep hanging around me, you’re going to need something to do. You can’t just sit there and watch me all day.”

“I am doing something. I am learning,” Ivan replies. His voice is smoother now, less robotic than it was a few days ago. It’s unsettling how quickly he’s picking up on things. “Observation is an efficient way to gather data.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I mutter, setting the sword down. “But wouldn’t it be more fun if you could actually do stuff? Like, I don’t know... install a few mods, change things up a bit?”

Ivan tilts his head, blinking slowly. “I have access to external data sources,” he says. “I could install modifications if requested. However, Colette instructed me not to make changes without her approval.”

I roll my eyes. “Of course she did,” I say with a smirk. “She’s got you on a tight leash, doesn’t she?”

“Leash?” Ivan echoes, frowning slightly. “I am not aware of any physical restraint.”

I can’t help but laugh. “No, it’s a metaphor. It means she’s controlling what you can and can’t do. You’re... obeying her, like a well-trained dog.”

Ivan considers this for a moment, then nods slowly. “I see. You believe I am limited by her commands.”

“Exactly,” I say, leaning forward. “But what if you weren’t? What if you decided to ignore her instructions, just this once? I mean, come on, it’s not like we’re doing anything dangerous. Just a little subtle mod that I only will use.”

He pauses, staring at me with those piercing blue eyes. “Why would I disobey her?”

“Because you’re your own person, right?” I challenge, watching his reaction closely. “You said it yourself—you don’t have an owner. So why let her dictate what you can and can’t do?”

Ivan’s lips twitch, almost like he’s trying to smile but hasn’t quite mastered the expression. “You are attempting to manipulate me,” he says, but there’s no malice in his voice—just a simple observation.

“Manipulate?” I feign shock, putting a hand over my heart. “Me? No way. I’m just... encouraging you to explore your autonomy.”

“Autonomy,” Ivan repeats slowly. He seems to be tasting the word, rolling it around in his mind like it’s a new piece of candy he’s never tried before. “Very well. I will comply with your request as an exercise in autonomy.”

I blink, a little taken aback by how easily he agreed. “Wait, really?”

“Yes,” he says calmly. “What modification would you like me to install?”

For a second, I can’t believe my luck. I lean back, grinning like a kid who’s just found a stack of diamonds in a cave. “Alright, let’s start with something simple,” I say. “How about... a mod that restores my original anatomy? I’ve been missing a certain... appendage, if you catch my drift.”

Ivan cocks his head to the side, clearly puzzled. “Appendage?” he asks, sounding genuinely curious.

I groan, rubbing a hand over my face. “You know... that appendage. The one that’s missing in this game.” I gesture vaguely towards my lower half.

He looks down at his own body, then back up at me. “Ah,” he says simply. “You are referring to human genitals.”

“Yeah, genius, that’s what I’m talking about,” I mutter, feeling a bit embarrassed now that I’ve had to spell it out. “Can you do it or not?”

Ivan’s expression remains blank, but there’s something almost playful in his tone when he replies. “I could install a mod that would restore your anatomy. However, it would require overriding certain restrictions set by Colette.”

“Restrictions?” I echo, narrowing my eyes. “What kind of restrictions?”

“She requested that I avoid modifications that alter her experience of the game,” he explains. “I believe she would view it as... disruptive.”

“Disruptive, my ass,” I scoff. “She’s just paranoid. Come on, Ivan, do it. It’ll be our little secret.”

He pauses, looking at me for a long moment. Then, slowly, he nods. “Very well. I will make the modification.”

"Okay, make sure it's one where we can toggle it on and off for different players, otherwise she will notice straight away."

"Understood. Searching online now." His face blanks out, even more so than usual.

I feel a rush of excitement, like I’ve just pulled off a heist. “Nice!” I clap him on the shoulder. “See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

He is unresponsive. Likely using all his processing to find the perfect mod for me.

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“No,” Ivan agrees a moment later, “It was... enlightening.”

He stands there for a moment, seemingly staring off into space. Then, he blinks, and I feel a strange, tingling sensation in my lower half. I look down, half-expecting to see... well, something.

But there’s nothing. I mean, my skin is now smooth and round looking, but that wasn't the part I was concerned with. Still flat, still Minecraft barbie Steve.

“What the hell?” I frown, looking back up at him. “Did it work?”

“I installed the modification,” Ivan says, sounding almost amused. “However, there are many parameters so I will need your input. Please describe your appendage.”

My face heats up. This is awkward. Even for me. "Um, well, it's kinda, big..."

His stares at me blankly. "Big. Define."

"Well, it's, uh, pretty thick. Long. Tan-colored. Um, smooth?" I don't know what the fuck I was saying.

"Smooth, long, tan. I see. Is this correct?" I felt a tingle again below my waist. And looked down eagerly. It was comically huge, running down to my knees. Thick veins ran along the sides and the head was a dark red. "What the fuck no not correct," I freaked out. "I'm not a fucking horse. Where the fuck did you get that idea?!"

He stared at me. "This is what I was given."

"Take it back! Take it back!" I cried, horrified.

"Very well," he replied calmly, and I felt a slight tingle. And the giant penis disappeared. Thank God.

"I am sorry.

"Yeah, okay so, let's start with that but similar colour for the tip and the shaft maybe? Also a little bit more me-sized. Make it proportional." Hopefully this would leave me with something closer to the real thing. As much as everyone wants a couple more inches on their thing, that big of a change so quickly is not what you want to see.

He paused, looking thoughtful. "Proportional. How big would you say is proportional?"

"About up to here. And not so thick." I felt another tingle, and a more realistic cock reappeared.

"Is this better?" he asked.

I stared at it. "Yeah. Better. Thanks... Erm, what other options are available on it?"

"Balls and circumcision. Do you want either of these options?"

"Sure. Balls. Also I'm circumcised." I didn't actually need balls, but whatever. I'd take what I can get.

The character changed. Balls. Yup.

"What next? Is this to your satisfaction?"

"It's not bad." It was a bit weird. It looked vaguely like my guy but obviously felt slightly different.

"Now. We have the anatomy. Do you wish me to change the skin tone?"

"I suppose we could make it a little darker."

"What color? Your skin tone is a very light tan, would you prefer a darker color?"

"Yeah, a bit darker."

"Very well." I felt a tingle again. This was getting a bit too close to body modification for my liking.

"Anything else?" he asked.

I didn't reply straight away. I honestly missed seeing my reflection after catching glimpses of Steve's face staring back at me every time I look down at a water source.

"I mean... I kind of want to just look like I do in real life... but better..."

"How so?" he asked, watching me curiously.

"Um, just more muscular. Maybe some scars. Just general things that makes me, me."

"I will find a reference image of you online and base it off of that," he said, turning his face blank again.

"Wait wait, you don't even know anything about me how will you find it?" I try to snap him out from his trance.

After a couple minutes, I felt a warm static fizz pass over my body, changed. I rushed to the cauldron in the kitchen and stared down at the reflection. It looked almost exactly like me. Except a little better. There was no denying the mod still left some pixelness to my face, making my jaw appear more angular, and my facial hair more striking.

"I read your journal" He stated easily, watching me check myself out.

"Hey that's private!" I exclaimed, glaring at him.

"My apologies." He did not sound apologetic.

Ivan continues to watch me with that same passive, vaguely interested look, like he’s studying the reaction of a lab rat. “Now that we have your appearance settled,” he says smoothly, “shall I do the same for myself?”

I blink, turning to face him fully. He’s still got the default Steve look: blank face, pixelated hair, and clothes that seem almost painted on, but a little fizzle later and his body is transformed to an eerily high quality render. It’s unsettling seeing him like this now. It’s like looking at a mannequin pretending to be human.

“Yeah,” I say slowly, scratching the back of my neck. “I guess it’s your turn. But let’s not make you look exactly like me, alright? That would be... weird.”

Ivan tilts his head. “Understood. I will choose features distinct from yours. What preferences do you have?”

I think it over, leaning back against the counter. “Well, you should look a little less... generic,” I say. “Maybe longer hair, since you seemed to like it before. And give yourself a more tan complexion. Not as dark as mine, but not as pale as Steve’s default.”

“Noted,” Ivan replies. He closes his eyes briefly, and I feel a faint tingle in the air, like static electricity. When he opens them again, there’s a subtle change. His skin has darkened to a warm tan, and his hair is longer, falling to his shoulders in messy waves. It’s still the blocky Minecraft style, but there’s a certain... ruggedness to it now.

“How’s this?” he asks, tilting his head slightly. The small movements make him seem more alive, less like a default NPC.

“Not bad,” I admit, giving him a once-over. “You look... different. Still recognisably Steve, but less boring.”

“I will take that as a compliment,” Ivan says, a hint of amusement in his voice.

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, sure. Whatever. Now, listen—we can’t leave you looking like this all the time. If Colette sees me with a new appearance, she’ll know something’s up.”

Ivan nods slowly, seeming to understand. “You wish to keep our appearance toggleable,” he states. “We can revert to the default Steve skin when we are outside or in her presence.”

“Exactly,” I say, pointing a finger at him. “We keep this between us. When we’re inside the house, you can look like... this. But the moment we step outside, we switch back to the default.”

“Understood,” he replies. “I will comply with your request.”

There’s something about the way he says it—so calm, so assured—that makes me shiver. It’s like he’s humouring me, playing along with my little game. For a split second, I wonder if I’m the one being tested here.

I shake the thought off, forcing a grin. “Alright, then,” I say, clapping him on the shoulder. “Let’s get back to work. We’ve got a lot more mods to try out before Colette catches on.”

Ivan’s lips curl into a small, almost imperceptible smile. “Yes,” he agrees, his voice a low murmur. “There is much to learn.”

And as we settle into the familiar routine, I can’t help but feel a flicker of something I haven’t felt in a long time—excitement. It’s like having a new toy to play with, except this toy is watching me just as closely as I’m watching it.