Chapter Text
Wilbur puffed furiously on his last cigarette for the foreseeable future while he skimmed over his instructions again. Second thoughts had hit him days ago, he was on 53rd thoughts at this point, but nothing had changed, his hands were tied and he was completely out of time. The letter in his hand was overworn from how often he had poured over it these past some odd weeks. It had been printed in a standard, untraceable font so as to not give anything away, and the lines were simple, clear, and unyielding.
‘You will report to the Mansion in the new realm of the SMP.’
Much like when he had returned from the dead, he found the world had shifted in his absence after the debacle at the Prison. He had taken a leave to go out and build up his plans and his resources only to find everything had changed. Dream had been broken out of prison by Technoblade and Philza, Ranboo was an impotent ghost, Quackity was distraught and distracted by internal management issues, and more shocking than anything an entire new world had been born alongside the familiar one. It came equipped with new materials, riches, sights, and opportunities. And he had wasted so much time in claiming parts of it for himself and starting over again. All his plans were wasted. His desires now seem small and childish. What was worse, no one was interested in it. Other than the town of Ohio, lovingly crafted by the resident half-shark half-totem, and a forcefully relocated modern mansion, also set up by Foolish, there was little desire to build anything of worth in this new land.
‘I will provide everything needed for you to lead the conversation in the appropriate direction.’
And even more infuriating was the rise of Kinoko Kingdom in power and popularity. The creator of the magnificent builds was, once again, Foolish. The dark wood and red supports towered above the land, brought together by a simple path. But that wasn’t all, not even the half of it. Their underground rail system had sent him into a panic the first time he went down there to lurk around. Karl had been so proud, his plans executed by his friends so easily, so efficiently, it made Wilbur burn. They had also snatched up several of the newer and old members of the server. Tina happily made herself a home, setting to work with a small farm, and offering snacks and comfort to all who visited her. Tina brought along Callahan. Kinoko’s one and only neighbor was Niki, his Niki. Erin had also asked about joining but eventually left to do his own thing, far away from the central hub, too far for Wilbur to easily influence. They brought over many residents with a holiday celebration as well, winning over the server as the darlings of hospitality.
‘Stick to the first floor, the guests and staff should be discouraged from wandering off. Keep them focused on the goal.'
Parallel to that there was an increase in religion. Foolish had built his ode to DreamXD and collected his sign ups for his fan club. The giant statue had towered over the desert and all of the other magnificent builds that made up the ‘summer home’. Wilbur had to give the man credit, he had brought on board BadBoyHalo who was used to starting cults and convincing others to join. He assumed it was just the start to the next Egg Empire. He had long thought himself lucky to have missed out on that era. Being dead and all. Then madness had taken BayBoyHalo and Sam, and despite their ramblings about buckets, Wilber knew in his depths that this was more of the Egg. He planned on being long gone before it all popped off, but first he had to tie up this loose end.
‘I will provide all necessary staff. If unexpected guests arrive they must stay until the evening concludes. This night is of the greatest importance, I cannot allow the nature of it to be leaked to the outside before we have secured what we are looking for.’
He had spent days wandering around the server, shocked at Tommy’s familiar walls built in fear of Dream. Phil was acting odd. Badboyhalo had developed a drinking habit on top of everything else. Sapnap was firmly aligned with Tommy to some end no one wanted to share with him. No one was paying attention, no one was including him, he was just… adrift. Like he had never come back at all. But then one day he fell asleep in the woods near the burger van and woke up to a chest next to him that had not been there before. In it was a letter very different from the one he was currently looking over. It had accused him of aiding Dream in hiding out from those that conspired to hunt him down and kill him for good. That if he did not want to be outed as the person giving Dream quarter then he needed to pay a hefty fee in either Netherite, Diamonds, or Emeralds. Wilbur had laughed. He had never been able to keep hold of any riches, that wasn’t his aim. Power bought wasn’t real power, and he wasn’t interested in something so flimsy.
‘Trust no one but yourself. Not even people you know and have aligned yourself with in the past.’
It had been funny, being blackmailed, at first. There was nothing that they could do to him. He didn’t have the ability to pay, and he had nearly nothing that they could take from him. His van, sure, but without Ranboo alive to help him run it and Quackity distracted it seemed pointless. Another failed dream, this one less realized than any of his others had been. Whoever they were, they blew up the van anyways. He hadn’t even been around to see it burn, the ashes and twisted remains had long since given up smoldering by the time he got around to swinging by for a check in. Then the anti-Dream posters went up around the server that declared the hunt was on. They proclaimed that anyone found aiding Dream would be killed or imprisoned, and that just wasn’t what he saw in the cards for himself. The next month he snuck into Ranboo’s house to steal some emeralds and paid off his debt. For a month he was safe, but felt himself being watched.
‘Do not disobey my instructions. I will know if you do. My eyes and ears will be everywhere.’
The next month he paid up again. But the month after he left a note in the original chest that gave him the first letter. It asked for a meeting to come up with some other arrangement. He professed his total innocence, and for once he was telling the complete truth. Wilbur had no clue where Dream was, he hadn’t even been aware that the man had escaped for a long while after it happened. Sure he had admiration for Dream, and was grateful that he was back, but Wilbur couldn’t even aid himself, let alone a man like Dream. When he returned to the chest a few days later, after the due date of his payment, he found an answer in the form of an ultimatum. He either helps force the others suspected of helping Dream to confess, or he turns himself over to the Hunters.
Easy choice. He won’t be going back to Limbo again.
He tossed away the cigarette and finally looked up to study the huge Mansion in front of him. It wasn’t as large as the one Ranboo and Tubbo had commissioned by Foolish, but it was still impressively large, and the largest thing built in the new world that had appeared on the other side of a portal when he wasn’t paying attention. It was made of blackstone, and accented with the new copper blocks that had been allowed to weather. The build was imposing and ominous, but Wilbur considered that maybe he was just nervous. There was nothing for it. If he wanted to go home then he had to get through the night, he just wished he had another cigarette to stall with. Upon walking into the house he took off his trench coat and revealed his uniform for the evening. A black suit with a simple white shirt and a red tie, gifted with the instructions by his… employer. It fit him well but he felt like he was being suffocated in it, not used to such formal wear. He stood in the grand hallway for several moments, just to take in everything. Again, stalling.
The interior of the place was much more welcoming than the outside had been, and he supposed was worth admiring. The floors were spruce, and the walls tastefully done in olive green. There was a decorative border along the edges and carpet that branched off to the doors that lined the hall, leading to the grand staircase that leveled out and then split, going up opposite sides to the second floor. Everything looked custom, high quality, and seamless. Foolish. Wilber sighed, this type of luxury had been scarce in his prime, and it ate at his insides. He was a simple man that spent more on his dreams than his material prospects, he wasn’t sure if he envied or pitied those who looked upon these riches and felt less than. Compelled to reach beyond their limits on trappings they held no love for.
While he pondered his ears picked up on small noises coming from the different opened doors. Whispered conversations, clinking of glass. The clanging of metal. And music, coming faintly from the door closest to him on his right. The staff was clearly already underway with preparations. For a moment more he hesitated. There were only so many people who could be working this little gathering, and that left him bad odds on who might be behind any one of the doors. A lot of people disliked him, no matter if he knew them personally or had apologized already. It could make things uncomfortable, possibly even unmanageable…
The noises in the room closest on his right were the loudest and most tempting. He decided to start there in his endeavor to discover who all made up this ‘necessary staff’ of his.
Might as well.
The door opened to reveal a large open room with floor to ceiling windows and a row of noteblocks with two jukeboxes on either end. There was also a set of redstone lamps that could be wired to whatever pattern was desired over the music making equipment. On side wall was a series of booths with low lighting, and curtains that closed them off from being too open to the public. Fussing with the noteblocks was Ponk, who was dressed up in some sort of branded clothing that he probably thought was cool. They turned and eyed Wilbur warily. “Don’t be coming in here bothering ol’ Ponk. I got all my things ready.”
Wilbur missed a few beats while he mulled over the sharp drop in the mood. “As long as everything is ready.” Wilbur replied evenly.
Ponk’s eyes drifted over to a corner that Wilbur hadn’t noticed before. There was a series of chests stacked neatly, unassuming and easy to miss. “Eight boxes ready to be opened after dinner as instructed. I have to say, getting everything wasn’t easy, you know.” Ponk said with a sudden burst of anger. “I’m not complaining. But I’m just saying.”
Wilbur blinked and nodded agreeably. “I understand. I’ll pass that on.” Ponk looked pleased. “I’ll signal you when dinner has been completed then?”
Ponk rolled her eyes. “I know my part. Don’t you worry about me.” Something flashed in his eyes before they turned away from Wilbur to go back to fiddling with the noteblocks, muttering quietly. Words and sounds that Wilbur didn’t catch enough of to recognise, but enough that it put him on edge.
He quickly left the room, taking most of the steps to the door backwards, not sure what could happen if he turned his back on the other person. Ponk had always been a bit volatile, and couldn’t be underestimated.
One thing was for certain, if this was how his first meeting went he wasn’t looking forward to meeting the rest of the staff. He glanced around the hall, evaluating his options, quickly resigning himself to doing a full sweep of the floor just in case.
From the music room he crossed the hall into what turned out to be the bar. There he found Karl and Jack Manifold cleaning glasses, and wiping down serving trays. Both men froze when he walked in and locked eyes with each other. Wilbur nearly rolled his own eyes. Jack, of course it was Jack. Had to be Jack, the man who Niki now preferred the company of, and who would caution her from speaking with him. And Karl, mastermind of the rail system of Kinoko. Two pains in his side and neither possessed any scrap of subtlety. The temperature in the room dropped several degrees, when their eyes left each other and turned to him, glaring as hard as they could.
“I’m just checking in.” Wilbur offered. They looked at each other once again.
“We’re just setting up for when they arrive.” Karl shrugged. The casual tone keeping a sharpness that said loud and clear he wasn’t welcome. He had learned that Karl preferred an extra helping of aggression when being passive aggressive. He wasn’t certain why Karl personally disliked him, but the man was loyal, and apparently someone had gotten in his ear.
Wilbur nodded politely just the same. “Excellent. Was there anything you needed?” He offered, feeling just slightly more comfortable with this conversation than the one he had with Ponk, simply due to the lack of veiled threats. He would take whatever he could get.
The pair stiffened, and made eye contact a third time. Which, honestly, at this point Wilbur would prefer if they just addressed him while keeping eye contact with each other. “We were wondering if the guests would be staying in here before dinner, or if you would rather they be sent to mingle in the library?” Jack asked in a more subdued voice than Wilbur was used to hearing. Interesting. Jack was worried about something. From what he remembered the man wasn’t exactly one to keep his head down. Which meant there was something Wilbur was missing about his presence here.
He looked around at the small space evaluating several aspects at once. There were six bar stools and two high backed chairs near the fireplace. Which, firstly, was enough room for everyone, but he wondered if some of the guests would find it suffocating being around each other. And secondly, didn’t provide him any clues or insight as to what Jack was worried about. “I’ll have a look at the Library and get back to you.” He answered in a friendly tone, which did nothing at all to ease the tension.
They nodded to him once, and resumed their cleaning, keeping a clear eye on him while he remained.
Wilbur quickly exited the room and took a moment in the hallway to collect himself. He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but having everyone so guarded and on edge was making this night more uncomfortable than it should be. While he hadn’t expected the night to be pleasant, he had assumed that it would all start once the guests of honor had arrived, not before.
He decided to stop by the kitchen next, to see who was going to be working on dinner. There was no hurry to check the library and get back to Jack and Karl about their request, they didn’t want him around anyways. He took the first door after the bar, which was actually the dining room. There he found Hannah and Tubbo working on flower arrangements for the long table. There were three. One large and two small with a mix of different colors that added a splash of vibrant color in the room that was more distracting than soothing. Wilbur cringed internally when both of them froze as he entered. He wasn’t sure what all they were doing but he didn’t think that interrupting them was necessary at this point. Tubbo wouldn’t want to speak with him and Hannah… had he ever spoken with her before? It didn’t matter, clearly her mind was made up about him. He continued on into the kitchen through a door on the far side of the dining room. The room was full of movement with two people darting back and forth between stations, complemented by delicious smells wafting through the air.
“Is everything alri…” His words were met by a knife being held up to his face.
Niki. Lovely Niki with rage filled eyes had the knife inches from his face.
“Dinner will be ready at 5:30 as instructed.” Came another voice came from further back. Wilbur leaned to the side to peer around the knife only to have it follow, but he caught a glance of Antfrost hovering over tall pots on the stove. The cat looked uncomfortable, but restrained.
“I see.” He laughed awkwardly. “Well, I better let you two get back to it then. Good work.” He laughed nervously. Niki never dropped the knife but allowed him to back out of the kitchen. When he turned around back in the dining room Hannah and Tubbo were gone.
“This is so bizarre.” He sighed to himself, rubbing at his eyes. Niki and he hadn’t gotten to speak yet, and he wanted to, wanted to so badly, but this wasn’t giving him much hope or confidence for the future. She would probably hold anything that happened tonight against him. The guests tonight were some of the most volatile on the server, anything could happen to her or someone she cared about.
Oh.
She was what had Jack so nervous. Everything clicked together in his head now. The staff knew this was big, and given the less than pleasant way he had been brought into this he could imagine it being similar for the others. All forced and accused of aiding Dream. But… that didn’t fit right either. Tubbo wouldn’t have helped Dream, nor would Karl.
No, that part didn’t fit. Not perfectly at least.
What he was certain on is that the staff was aware this was a dangerous meeting, and that their friends had been brought in as well. They were all at risk and several of them were on their last lives.
Wilbur pulled himself out of his thoughts, satisfied for now that the puzzle was slowly revealing itself to him, and crossed over to check in on the lounge. This was where everything was going to happen after dinner. With a huff of determination he opened the doors and strode in.
There were two people that he didn’t recognize at first setting up a display stand on a large table against the back wall. It took him several awkwardly silent moments to recognize them as Tina and Corpse. Both of them were wearing the same generic white button down shirt tucked into black pants that everyone but Ponk and the two in the kitchen had been wearing. The missing pastel dress and… Hooters uniform required him to wrack his brain for their identities.
“Don’t mind me. I’m just making sure everything is in order.” Neither of them answered, which was quickly making awkward silence his preferred communication style in his staff. Not caring to dwell on the mood, he crossed the room to the large desk in one of the far corners, feeling their eyes on him the entire time.
On the table were several documents. Instructions. Scripted declarations. And most damning of all, packets of evidence that pointed to the individual’s involvement in giving aid to Dream. Each labeled with the name of a flower. A day ago he had been given a list of names, the guests that he was expecting, each connected with a code name that only he knew. He ran his hands over each individual packet noting the different thicknesses and weights of each one. The one labeled 'Dandelion' was heavy and the largest in thickness, while 'Poppy' was wider and taller but much thinner for some unknown reason.
His instructions told him that this evidence was to remain unopened until much later in the night when they got down to the details of figuring out who was guilty. Wilbur glanced at the package with the code 'Allium' looking small and unassuming. He wondered which of his guilty secrets were inside.
When he finally looked up he found the room empty, Tina and Corpse had cleared out on their own. Luckily everything looked ready. The stands were set up on a table covered in white cloth. There was ample seating centered around a large coffee table that would help with the… process. Wilbur was satisfied with the lighting, the layout. Everything was perfect.
Which left him with nothing much else to do.
As his last stop on his tour he popped into the library which was blessedly empty. He spent several minutes in the room after closing the door catching his breath and letting his mind replay all of the interactions he had with all the different people so far. Niki's reaction aside, everyone was on edge and very suspicious. Like they were afraid of him, or like something was hanging over their heads as well. Which brought him back to the thought that they hadn't been able to pay the blackmail fees either and were here to pay a debt much like he was.
It made more and less sense as he thought about the staff. Niki, Tina, Hannah, Ant and Corpse could all possibly be accused of aiding Dream. But Tubbo, Karl, Ponk and Jack? Unlikely.
Which brought him back to a great big nothing. He was running out of time.
Eventually he forced himself to leave and declare that the library wasn't suited for hosting the arrivals. While there was more room it lacked necessary seating and it was well over an hour until dinner.
He alerted Karl and Jack of his decision, finding Tubbo setting up vases with single roses and Tina making small adjustments to the room while Corpse was behind the bar making a drink. They all froze upon his appearance in the doorway. Not wanting them to stop their work he quickly left giving them all a collective nod and retreated back to the library to wait for the first arrival. He wondered who would be so unlucky.