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dioles-writes · 1 year ago

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“MEET MR. LIM”

Masterlist | Credits go to @jiphenn | Characters: Felix (he/him), Maddox (he/him), Akali (he/him), Winola (she/her), Alzena (she/her), Nyssa (she/her), Astley (he/they), Rory (they/she), Kuali’i (he/him), Wilder (he/him), January (he/him), Haven (she/they), Manon (she/her), Atiah (he/him), Borislava (she/her), Reese (they/them), Einar (he/him), Shehani (she/her), Hiraya (she/her), Una (he/they), Mr Lim (he/him)

“Welcome to the Lim Residency.”

The front door swung open, revealing the biggest house Felix had ever seen in his entire life. You couldn’t even consider it a house, or even a mansion, seeing as it was even larger than January’s had been. They stepped into what seemed to be a huge ballroom, probably a hundred nicely-dressed Dioles all standing around, chatting and laughing happily. Felix glanced around in awe, shocked that a place so nice could even exist. Or that he was somehow standing inside it. Several people glanced in their direction, all giving them friendly smiles. Felix was too dumbfounded to even return the gesture.

“Well, go ahead and mingle around with the guests. I’ll come get you guys when it’s time for dinner.” Haven said, brushing past the Board Game Club and disappearing into the crowd.

“This is… a lot nicer than I imagined.” Alzena said, glancing up at the intricately designed chandeliers that hung from the domed ceiling, nothing like any of them had seen before. Felix nodded slowly in agreement, still taking it all in, absolutely mesmerized.

“We’ll go exploring, see you guys later!” Rory said, separating from the rest of the group and bringing Kuali’i and Wilder with her, melding in with the rest of the crowd like Haven had done. Felix stepped closer to Akali, deciding that there was no way he was ending up by himself in a place this vast and unknown.

“I’m gonna go too.” Astley said, and Nyssa trailed behind him, since they were basically besties now. Maddox scanned the crowd. “I’m going to look for January.” And with that, he was gone too, leaving just Felix, Akali, Winola, and Alzena.

Felix played with his Board Game Club friendship bracelet, running his thumb along the bright yellow beads nervously. He had been dying to get invited to the Mansion since his first day at Paradise, But standing here now, he felt even more anxious than before. He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but it definitely wasn’t this.

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “We should look for January.” He said, turning to Akali.

Felix hadn’t been able to think about much other than January since they arrived in Paradise. Although it had only been three days since he last saw him, it felt so much longer. Probably because it had been so long since Felix had really seen his friend. January hadn’t spoken a word to him since the Winter Concert, much less even gave a glance in his direction. He’d been an entirely different person in Chumps Jr. Although he couldn’t really blame him, too much had happened, so much had changed.

He didn’t know if January would ever speak to him again. But nevertheless, he was determined to find him, to talk to him, to make sure that at least he was okay.

Akali followed closely behind Felix as he made his way through the crowd, slowly pushing past the seemingly never-ending sea of people, as the two of them started to realize it was very extremely hard to spot him with the hundreds of Dioles surrounding them and blocking their view. Felix still wasn’t deterred, looking for his friend desperately, glancing around for January’s familiar fluffy black-and-brown hair and dangly earrings.

Thirty minutes passed. Still no sign of January.

“There you two are!” Someone called from behind them. Felix glanced back hopefully, praying for it to be January. He was met with Haven staring down at him, to his immediate disappointment. “Time for dinner.” She said, turning around and signalling for them to follow.

She led them through the crowd, which easily dispersed at her wake, and met up with the rest of the Board Game Club and Manon as they continued to walk through the impossibly large ballroom. They entered an enormously gigantic hall, which seemed to go on forever, before eventually finding themselves in front of a pair of huge oak doors. “Behind these doors is the dining room. Be on your best behaviour.” Haven warned them.

She pushed open the doors, revealing another room so impressively large that Felix’s jaw almost dropped. There was a long wooden table in the middle, where all of only the most important people were seated.

No January.

Felix’s heart sunk. He was dying to see his friend again, to make sure he was actually okay, like Manon had said. He was starting to doubt if she had been joking about him being all knocked out and tied up. Maybe Mr. Lim really was a psycho. Maybe he had invited them to the mansion to kill them. Get revenge for Gunther. He was sure that Gunther’s father couldn’t be any less crazy than he had been. He paused, terrified that all his worries over the past few days were about to come true in front of his very own eyes.

Suddenly, the doors on the other side of the room started to slide open, creaking as they did so. There emerged January Restall in all his glory.

And he had a shiny bald head.

Felix went running at him, most of the Board Game Club right beside him, as they all tackled him, practically crushing him in a huge group hug. Instantly they started to bombard him with questions, unable to contain themselves any longer.

“January?!”

“Are you okay?!”

“What happened to you?”

“Why are you bald.”

January glanced over to Manon, who made her way over to the group along with Kuali’i, Wilder, and Winola. She laughed, giving him a thumbs up and a big grin. He smiled, reaching up and ripping the bald cap from off his head. “Surprise!”

His hair was reverted back to the original length it had been back in September, when they had first met, but instead of being a soft brown colour it was now fully black.

Alzena was the first to break the silence. “It suits you.” She said with a smile. January beamed.

“I missed you.” Felix grinned at him. He had never been more relieved; so, so glad to see his friend smile again.

“Sorry for worrying you guys.” January said with another smile, pulling away from the hug. He looked at Akali, whose jaw had now turned into a mess of cracks, black fog-like smoke filtering through. They both stared at each other for a long moment, before January finally spoke again. “You look good.”

Akali’s eyes softened. “You too.”

“Okay, okay, enough chitter chatter, everyone sit down.” Haven said from her seat.

Felix turned his gaze back to her. She was seated at the end of the table, the other side occupied by the Top Five, along with Reese, Borislava, and Manon who was now joining them, sitting across from her brother. Haven motioned for them to hurry up, and they all started to sit down, Felix taking a seat in between Maddox and Akali, with Alzena directly across from him.

He fiddled with the end of his shirt sleeves, feeling incredibly sweaty all of the sudden, as the table lapsed back into silence. The air was thick and Felix felt unbearably hot in his button-up, the atmosphere a million times more intense than before.

Well, other than Una.

“Hi Winola!” He said, grinning and happily turning to Winola, coincidentally sitting in the seat right next to her. “Isn’t this place nice?” They asked, which got nothing more than a quick glance and a small nod out of her. He continued to happily talk to her, unfazed by Winola’s obvious discomfort.

Just then, the big oak doors rattled. They swung open with a loud bang, revealing the one guest everyone had been waiting for…

It was an old man. He must’ve been older than even Ms. Hoompadoomp had been, his hair just tufts of pure white, his back unbelievably hunched over, wrinkles covering almost every inch of his sagging skin, pale blue veins visible beneath it. He staggered to the head of the table, knees almost buckling with each step he took, his whole body wobbling uncontrollably.

Everyone stood up at once. He shook and heaved, slowly and agonizingly pulling out his chair at the head of the table and sitting down. As soon as he got comfortable, he looked back up at everyone, and they bowed before sitting back down. Felix did the same, feeling even more nervous than before in his presence, and about a hundred times more confused, too. The man in front of them looked like he was on his deathbed. He had no clue how this was supposed to be the mysterious leader of Paradise.

“Good evening everyone.” Mr. Lim croaked out, hand shaking as he raised it. “I’m very honoured to welcome our eleven special guests.” He glanced to the end of the table with a welcoming smile. “Gunther’s friends and our new comrades.”

Felix watched him silently, Gunther’s name bringing a million bitter memories to the surface. But for once he kept his expression completely neutral, not allowing himself to show an ounce of emotion, not even daring to move.

“Now-“

“Cut out the grandpa act you loser.” Haven interrupted.

“Aw, you’re no fun Haven.” Mr. Lim sighed.

His body started to morph. It was almost as if he was going back in time right there in front of them, as he lost the hundreds upon hundreds of wrinkles on his face, his hair darkening back to a smooth black, becoming thicker, and his fixed posture making him grow a few inches. Eventually, his body reverted back to its “original” age, and the first thing Felix was able to notice is that he’s breathtakingly sexy. Undeniably so.

He combed his fingers through his dark slicked-back hair, a few strands falling loose in front of his face. He turned to Haven with a playful grin. “Really had to go and ruin my grand reveal, didn’t you?”

“You were breathing out dust onto the table.”

“Well, let me properly introduce myself.” He looked back to the Board Game Club and gave them all another smile. “I’m Vincent Lim, Founder of Paradise.”

Felix’s mouth dropped open in complete shock. If his mind wasn’t absolutely blown already, it was now. Vincent Lim. As in, Howard Restall’s best friend, Vincent Lim? His mind swirled with a million different thoughts and questions, desperately trying to grasp at what that statement really even meant. He’d heard the story about a million times over the years: Howard Restall had formed Diole Eradication Act back in 1996, after the disappearance of his childhood best friend Vincent, and seeing the horribly high crime rates caused by Dioles. Felix had never given it another thought, the story nothing more than another history lesson that he was forced to listen to each year in school. But now here he was, sitting mere feet away from him.

He wondered how he was ever friends with Howard Restall. It was almost incomprehensible to Felix.

Vincent laughed at their reactions. “I know you all must have a thousand questions and frankly, most of you probably don’t want to be here right now. Please feel free to ask me anything at all without fear or shame. I’ll make sure Haven doesn’t kick you out.” Felix for a second thought back to Gunther, the question that had been tormenting him for weeks, dying to ask, yet unable to actually bring himself to speak.

“Let’s start with introductions.” Vincent continued. “Like I said, I’m Vincent Lim, Founder of Paradise. I can rewind and fast forward the stages of objects, living or non-living.” He said with pride. “Hence how I did my little trick earlier.” He smiled. “Well let’s move down the line.” He looked at his left to Atiah.

“I’m Atiah Majok. I’m the son of Vincent Lim and Rank Three of the Top Five.” Atiah seemed much more formal and interested now that all the others were here. “I can control any string-like materials. Silk, thread, wires; even the thinnest of spider web.”

He turned to Manon, who looked more than excited to be at this big fancy dinner. “I’m Manon Naessens! And I’m the daughter of Vincent Lim. I can manipulate dreams and make hallucinations.” She turned to her dad to make sure she said it right and he nodded, giving her a smile of approval.

They all turned to the next person: Borislava. “I’m Borislava Volkov. Leader of the Entertainment Unit.” She said. “I have telepathy and telekinesis. So I can hear people’s thoughts as well as control inanimate objects.”

“Reese Carlin, Leader of the Medicinal Unit. I use kinetic, thermal, and electrical energy to speed up and enhance healing processes.”

“Einar Onesager, Leader of the Combat Unit and Rank One of the Top Five. I can slow down and speed up time around me, but I remain unaffected.”

“Shehani Indika. Rank Two of the Top Five.” Said the girl with the long curly hair which Felix recognized from the meeting with all the Top Five. “I can control blood.” Her explanation was short and sweet.

“I’m Hiraya Cortez, Rank Five of the Top Five.” Everyone in the Board Game Club (minus January, who was sitting beside her the entire time) blinked, evidently in shock at the sight of her, surprised to find that Felix had, indeed, not been lying. “I have perfect aim.” Hiraya said. “So I can hit any target I set.”

“Una Olearius, Rank Four out of the Top Five.” Una said with a smile. “All I can do is make clones.”

It was then back to the Board Game Club to introduce themselves, just like they had done thrice before in the club room. Everyone went, listing their names and powers, some sounding like they’d rather be doing anything else other than this.

Last but not least: “I’m Haven and I’m the Co-Founder of Paradise. Paradise is my own mind space, meaning I can monitor and choose basically everything that goes on around here.”

She looked back towards Vincent. “Now that introductions are over, let’s begin eating.” The lids of the dishes were lifted off, and a wonderful aroma filled the room. Each dish was overflowing with just about any and every food anyone could possibly want, all cooked to perfection. Felix’s mouth watered at the sight of it.

Before anyone could take anything, Vincent began to dish up the empty seat next to him. “This plate is to honour those who’ve helped make Paradise the society it is today, yet cannot be here.” He announced, continuing to dish it up with a million different exquisite foods. “I’d like to dedicate this plate specifically to my dear son Gunther.” He smiled at the Board Game Club once more. “I know how much he looked forward to this day.”

“If only things had gone a different way.” He said, placing the last bit of food on the plate and motioning for everyone to start on their own. Instantly everyone started to grab food, expensive silverware spooning up different delicacies and scraping against plates the only sound to be heard, as everyone silently enjoyed their delicious meals.

Felix bit into his, and although the food was absolute heaven, exploding with a million flavours unlike anything he had ever tasted, it couldn’t distract him from the one person that had tortured his dreams for weeks, the one person that despite spending every waking hour trying to forget, he couldn’t get out of his head. The one person that was missing from this dinner.

Gunther.

He looked up from his plate, to where Vincent was seated at the head of the table, eating his perfectly cooked and perfectly juicy steak. Felix couldn’t make himself speak, not yet, still too afraid. He wasn’t sure if it was because so many important powerful people were at the dinner, people he would not want to make a fool of himself in front of - or piss off. Or if it was the fact that finding out the truth of Gunther’s betrayal, finding out his reasoning behind murdering so many innocents, all without a care in the world, frankly kind of scared him. A part of him didn’t want to hear him out, wanted to stay clueless forever. Nothing changed either way, if he found out or if he didn’t. It wouldn’t bring back Gunther, wouldn’t erase what he did, wouldn’t make his life go back to the way it had been.

He could feel Akali pointedly glaring at him, instantly reading his thoughts, and silently begging him not to open his big mouth. To just shut up for once.

But Felix couldn’t. He had to know, even if it just hurt even more. He had to know why someone could do something like that, why someone could cause so much destruction, all whilst laughing at the damage. Why someone who had been his friend, who had, for the most part, been normal, could do that.

He cleared this throat. “Um…”

Everyone at the table whipped around, turning their heads to stare at him. He could feel all their eyes burning holes into him. Felix had never been more uncomfortable, or anxious, in his entire life. “Is it okay if I ask a question?” He asked, meeting Vincent’s gaze.

“Why, of course.” Vincent gave him a smile. Everyone else stared at him, completely stone-faced.

Felix was about two seconds from backing down, shutting up, and just muttering an apology before the question he’d been dying to ask finally slipped from his lips: “Um, do you know why Gunther uh… attacked the school?”

The whole table was absolutely silent for a moment, just staring at him with unreadable expressions, before Atiah loudly scoffed. “Were you not listening to that entire speech he gave?”

Felix recalled Gunther’s so-called “speech” like it was only yesterday - although, to him it had more sounded like deranged rambling. He’d spent hours every day trying to decipher what he could have possibly meant, how anything had made any sense to him. But even after weeks, playing Gunther’s words over and over in his head, trying to figure out if there was some hidden meaning behind them, Felix still didn’t have a clue. “Uh, yeah…” He mumbled, feeling like an absolute idiot in front of the entire Paradise Board. “I still don’t really understand why he did it.”

“He was yappin’ about freedom so much and the message still went through one year and out the other, didn’t it?”

Felix went bright red. He couldn’t even try and defend himself, the words that may have once been shot back without a care, hot and angry, dying on his tongue. He stared down at the table again, feeling more embarrassed than ever, everyone’s eyes not leaving his face. He wanted to shout back about how they were going to get their freedom, how they had been a mere day from finally getting to live perfect, normal lives before Gunther had betrayed them. How he was supposed to get everything he had ever wanted as soon as January hacked their files; but nothing came out. “Now, now, Atiah, be nice to our guest. They’ve only been here for a day or two so this place must really look like Paradise to them.” Vincent smiled at Atiah before turning back to the Board Game Club.

“Now let me ask you all, what does freedom mean to you?” He leaned forwards, eyes still on them. Felix didn’t dare to speak up, and neither did any of the other Board Game Club members, who all looked like they were just wishing Felix had kept his mouth shut.

“In a literal sense, it’s the ability to speak, think, and do whatever you please without restriction.” Vincent continued. “While the term freedom holds a singular meaning, the way we attain and feel it can look different for everyone. For example, although I may be completely free and comfortable here, who’s to say any of you feel the same way?” He smiled once again, his gaze flickering to the right side of the table, where Kuali’i, Wilder, and Winola all sat.

“Do you think it was easy to get to my position?” His tone changed into something more eerie.

“The main point is, to obtain freedom you have to make sacrifices. For Gunther that sacrifice was the Board Game Club.”

“Were you told much about what happened in the outside world during your time in hiding?” Vincent asked. Everyone shook their heads. During their time at Chumps Jr. they had been practically clueless, relying on only Maddox’s Grandpa R as a way to find any news on what was going on. The most Felix had heard while he was awake was that there had been a large rise in Diole attacks, specifically on GDEO warehouses that would be distributing the vaccine, but nothing more. Most days all he could do was stare at the window and watch the snow fall down onto the empty street, trying to pretend he was back at home.

“Well, the world is in a bit of an uproar right now.” Vincent laughed. “It’s been a good three months and still no Diole vaccine.” He hummed. “And I know that was what your guy’s main concern was.” He looked at January. “You all thought you would’ve been fine if your leader here just hacked your files and changed your data. Which, yes, you guys would have. But did you ever think of what would happen to all the other Dioles in the world?”

“The difference between you guys and Gunther is that he wasn’t selfish.” His gaze hardened just slightly. “I doubt any of you even pondered the thought of what would happen to other Dioles as long as you and the ones you cared about were safe. Never thought of the guilt or emptiness that would fill you watching countless people like you die in front of your very own eyes. And the whole time knowing you survived out of pure luck.” He paused for a moment, letting his words truly sink in.

“But unlike you, Gunther thought of all those things. They plagued his thoughts every night.” His eyes softened again and he chuckled. “He always was soft.”

Felix had to choke back his utter shock at that sentence. Soft was never a word he would use to describe Gunther. Felix was pretty sure he was the complete opposite.

“He was even so soft when fighting you.” Vincent smiled, laughing again. “He could’ve killed you all right then and there but he just kept throwing you around and shielding himself from your attacks.” He turned to Felix, light purple eyes locking with his brown ones. “Tell me, why do you think Gunther didn’t crush you in a second?”

“Um…” Felix faltered. He was completely speechless.

“The answer is simple,” Vincent gave him a small smile. “He couldn’t bring himself to do it.”

He couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Felix had thought back to that moment about a hundred times, could still feel Gunther’s claws wrapping around him, squeezing slowly, as pain exploded through every single muscle, every single bone. And Gunther just grinning at him, ignoring his screams and sobs, ignoring his pleas to please, please let go. He had thought back to every conversation with Gunther, had wondered how someone could be smiling and laughing with him, not a care in the world, and then try to kill him without a second thought only days later. He had never once framed the question that way, had never once thought of Gunther as being merciful.

“You think he just let go of the two hostages he was holding? You think he couldn’t have easily killed Avil who was the only one doing anything to him? You think he didn’t see the mountain of rubble flying over him?” Vincent asked. “And you know what happened in the end? All of you escaped with injuries that didn’t kill you. And the only one of you who didn’t make it was killed by a human.” He sneered the last word.

“Gunther would willingly give his own life in exchange for those he cared about. He’s always been like that.” He smiled and laughed.

“I remember when I first found him, he was shaking with the most fearful expression I’ve ever seen.” He said. Haven smiled, the memory flooding back for her as well. “Even though his eyes were as wide as saucers and his body trembled he still refused to cry or make a sound.” She added. “He always wanted to appear tough.”

“Ah, let’s save those stories for another time.” Vincent said. “My food will get cold before I even get through his full childhood.” Everyone turned their attention back to their plates, going back to eating in silence.

It didn’t taste good anymore.

After several excruciatingly long moments, Felix feeling about a million times worse as he tried to choke down his dinner, Una broke the silence. “So guys, how’s the pre-training going?” He asked with a smile, looking at Winola and Felix.

“It’s fine.” Winola mumbled, not bringing her eyes up from where they were fixed onto the table.

“Oh that’s right, you two are representatives.” Vincent smiled. “Maybe I’ll partake in training someone this time.”

All the Paradise Board slowly turned, staring at him in complete shock. “All your trainees die.” Haven said, which made Vincent laugh.

“Guess I’ll have to find someone who can handle it then.” He chuckled.

“I’m sure some of them wouldn’t mind.”

“Representatives always go quite far though. Shehani and Una used to be representatives.” Einar added, trying not to scare the Board Game Club with the thought of training to death. “Shehani was my own representative.”

“And Gunther trained me.” Una said with a grin. Felix looked up at them in shock and horror, still reeling from the news about Gunther’s sacrifice. He wasn’t sure if he could take much more of this dinner. He really wished he could have been anywhere but here right now, wished he didn’t have to be surrounded by Gunther’s friends and family, surrounded by constant reminders of him.

He should have never asked about him.

“His training sure was intense. No wonder he never wanted to train with you guys!” Una continued, unfazed by the looks he was getting, his energy completely different from the rest of the table (minus Atiah, who evidently found this hilarious).

“But if you complete the workouts then you should be fine.” Einar added again, trying to make training seem less frightening.

The rest of the dinner passed by fairly quickly, everyone eating in high spirits and talking happily about different topics, but everything was just a blur to Felix. He couldn’t get his mind off of Gunther. He didn’t know what to think of him anymore. Vincent had spoken of his betrayal as if it was the opposite: a huge heroic sacrifice, made for the freedom of all Dioles, and the Board Game Club. He had called him “soft”. Yet he couldn’t stop thinking about how he was supposedly so “soft” as he murdered hundreds of innocent people, innocent children, all in cold blood. How he obliterated Adelio’s arm, how he laughed while crushing Bliss. How his very best friend, the kindest person Felix had ever met, who had nothing but pure love for everyone, was in the hospital at this very moment, all because of Gunther.

Maybe he was being selfish. Maybe he was supposedly “wrong” for joining the Board Game Club, for not caring about what would happen to the rest of the Dioles as a whole. Maybe Gunther’s death was supposedly “heroic”. But Felix knew that what he did, hurting people like that, people who had not done anything, people that he had called his friends, Felix knew that was wrong. Gunther couldn’t have been right. He wasn’t right. He didn’t care what Vincent believed.

He would never forgive him.

“Well I’m stuffed. Let’s head back to the main lobby, shall we?” Vincent dabbed his mouth with a napkin and stood up, everyone following his lead and pushing in their chairs as he led them down the hall back to the big ballroom.

“This was Gunther’s first guitar.” He pointed to a little guitar hung up on the wall. “I remember stealing that like it was yesterday.” He laughed. There were a lot of cutely drawn family photos on the walls, all varying in skill. Drawings and portraits of Vincent, Haven, Gunther, Atiah, and Manon plastered over the place, some pictures appearing to be newer than others. Felix stared at his feet, trying to ignore the guilt that was bubbling to the surface seeing Gunther’s grinning face again, and the hate he felt towards himself for even feeling guilty.

Vincent stopped, bringing the group to another portrait, which was much larger than the others. Felix glanced at it, noticing the person in the middle of it looked very familiar.

It was the very same lady whose face was plastered all over the walls at January’s mansion.

“That’s my cousin, Olivia.” Vincent said, and Felix’s jaw dropped to the floor. “So that means January’s part of the family too.” He gave January a big grin and he smiled back. “We’ll have to get your portrait up here soon.” January could not look more pleased.

They reached the ballroom. As soon as Vincent was spotted by everyone they all started cheering and flooding over. “Aw, that’s my cue to go. Come find me if you guys need anything or want to talk!” Vincent was whisked away, leaving Felix to try and wrap his head around what everything that had just happened.

Winola belongs to @sleepsloooop || Maddox, Akali, Alzena, Nyssa, Astley, Rory, Wilder, January, Haven, Manon, Atiah, Borislava, Una, Reese, Einar, Shehani, Hiraya, Mr Lim, and Olivia belong to @jiphenn