Please keep hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times.
Now that we've officially begun our descent into the Netherworld for my story, I thought I'd introduce you to a few characters who will be joining us in Part Two. And don't worry, the Devil definitely makes an appearance 😈
This was an absolute BEAST to shoot, but I feel like I've come such a far way since my first lil Blender cinematic😭. I used a ton of stuff to make this—way too much to list, but if you see anything pls just ask, and I'll try to run it down. Also, I do want to shout a few peeps out bc their stuff goes so hard, and a lot of it inspired me!
In no particular order, let me yap:
As soon as I saw that floating hands hair accessory by @thekunstwollen, I knew I wanted to use it for the Erinyes. Their look didn't fully come together until @thebramblewood's I'm So Julia cc set. I really wanted them to appear chaotic and unhinged, but weirdly fun? Like they love to party, but pls be safe bc they will literally eat the flesh off your bones.
Agony came about as soon as @surely-sims made all those gorgeous masks for Halloween. I also used Office Space to make Netherworld's Housing and Urban Development Office (lol listen, even the dead need housing). And I'm so grateful they put a Bonehilda out there! The version I made would not work with Sim Ripper, and I was gonna cry.
Grief (Oizys) is a) a thirst trap and b) inspired completely by the mask set by @thatonegreenleaf. I was so worried that it wouldn't work in Blender, and it did!
B'Ollithiranon is also a thirst trap. Even in his monster form 👀👀👀👀 @remussims made this incredible Grim Reaper skin, and I'm obsessed. The Ferryman has never looked better BAYBEE!
Curae's whole fit is by @happylifesimsreblogs (as is Jacques's). I was struggling to figure out what to do with him, because I saw him as old but refined. I didn't just want to copy Agony's outfits. But then I saw their 1920s vampire attire, and a lightbulb went off 😭
Detective Sam Savage exists as a character because of the Vice Collection by @housealizarin 💀 I had plans for a detective character (lol shout out to @citylighten for the inspo), but I nearly scrapped them because I kept getting stuck on character design. Turns out I needed to go less "Dick Tracy" and more "Miami Vice" 😉😉😉😉
I don't think they do Tumblr, but RASCGAL and SOVA SIMS are like MVP for animations. Like, babe, I could never.
Cora's mom is evil, but goddamn do she look good in the Camellia Collection by @sentate.
Also, I really wanted a sword-fighting animation for Agony, but converting something from Mixamo was just beyond my skill set, and I wasn't sure it would work. But I found this one by @adakasay, and it was perfect! Also, they've inspired me to TRY and learn (emphasis on try lol).
Alright, let me hush for now. I will shout out more stuff as we get into future story chapters, and I tried to skip the stuff I already called out just so this list isn't ten thousand miles long💓 Gonna take a break for a week or so and play for fun, but then we'll get back to it. If you want to catch up, the story nav is here.
[DARLING]: Babe? Can you get the cash to pay Ben and leave it in the box? I forgot about this tattoo appointment.
[MORGAN]: Yeah, fine. But we have to talk about your hiring practices. What kind of crazy sim calls themselves The Ferryman?
[DARLING]: Ben does. Or B’Ollithiranon or whatever his application said.
[MORGAN]: See! This is what I’m talking about. What is his real name?
[DARLING]: I don’t know. He said he was “known by many names,” but he’s like really good at crowd control, so—
[MORGAN]: So nothing! That’s the craziest thing I've ever heard. I swear, if I weren’t here, you’d—
(Cam enters the shop)
[CAM]: Hello? Am I interrupting?
[CAM]: Sorry, you said this time was good. I appreciate you moving me up. I was stuck at the brunch from hell, and I needed an excuse to leave.
[DARLING]: No problem! When my girlfriend starts angry-cleaning the bar, I also need an excuse to leave. Let me show you the designs.
(Wolfgang enters the shop)
[WOLFGANG]: Holy shit, guys, I just saw my dream woman at Jadosi and—
[CAM]: And?
[WOLFGANG]: And I was gonna say she has literally the worst taste in sims and I didn’t even get her phone number, but that sounds really rude, and holy shit, why can’t I stop talking? I’m sorry!
[CAM]: No, it’s fine. They actually really suck as sims. Well, Courtney is great, and Caleb is nice, even if very pale and deeply weird. You’re not insulting me.
[WOLFGANG]: Good. Sorry for all the word vomit. So uh, you’re getting a tattoo? Darling is the best.
[CAM]: So I’ve heard. Do you want to hang?
[WOLFGANG]: Definitely!
(Cam and Wolfgang flirt and banter while Darling prepares to give her a tattoo. Outside the window, the Divine Creators watch)
[TIME]: Sims are so oblivious
[UNIVERSE]: I told you we should fix that, but you insisted.
(Darling is in the middle of giving Cam her tattoo; Morgan and Wolfgang are watching)
[DARLING]: Hey, babe, did you lock the doors?
[MORGAN]: Of course.
(Despite the doors being locked, the Divine Creators stroll right in)
[MORGAN]: Excuse me, ladies, those doors were locked.
[UNIVERSE]: As if some mechanical buzzer could keep us out.
[TIME]: Hello, Wolfgang! My, my, you are looking positively prescient. Let’s give ourselves some privacy.
(The Divine Creators freeze Morgan and Darling and leave them floating in the middle of the room)
[WOLFGANG]: Who are you?
[TIME]: Why, we’re the ones who gifted you that power, sugar. Your “raison d’être.” Your divine employers.
[UNIVERSE]: And we’ve been heralding our arrival for weeks now.
[WOLFGANG]: I…I don’t…I don’t know what that means. Is that an email?
Evan follows Toni through a series of doors until they end up in a field. In the distance, he can see an old farmhouse.
It shouldn’t be beautiful here.
The grass sways like it’s alive, whispering secrets he can’t quite hear. His thoughts drift to Jayden and how he would have loved to paint the muted colors. The fields seem to go on forever.
He feels small.
Lost.
Determined—like this place was meant to break his resolve. He squares his shoulders, reminding himself he didn’t come here to die but to save Jayden. To bring him home alive.
“Careful now,” Toni warns, her tone low. “Let’s just see what we’re working with. It’s a Harper-Strange Family motto: Don’t rush where the wands won’t carry.”
They creep through the field, keeping to the tall grass so they stay hidden. Suddenly, Toni flings out her hand, bringing them to a stop.
Evan looks over to see what caught her attention and has to swallow a scream as Toni yanks him down to the ground. Three women, their eyes alarmingly blank, disembodied hands holding their hair in every direction, lounge by the well as a skeleton approaches. Despite the cheerful design of their clothing, they are covered in blood.
“Darling Lizzy, is your father about?” They ask, their voices acting as a chorus.
The skeleton stiffens. “He’s training his army today.”
“His?” They all tilt their head at the same time. The effect is eerie. “What a curious choice of words.”
The skeleton folds her arm and lifts her chin. “Well, like I said, he's not here. But if you want to talk to my mum—”
The three women lurch back, a hiss on their lips. “We don’t deal with Bonehilda. Tell your mother to send word to Algea. He is needed at the Apparitional Baths. Rumor has it, The Determined is coming, and we are eager to start the ritual.”
“You’re eager to eat,” Lizzy huffs.
“Same difference.”
“And don’t you call him Algea. That name is for family and friends. He’s Agony to you.”
“All the same, pass on our message,” the women say.
The three of them set off down the path. They pass by the grass, seemingly engrossed in their conversation, but their heads swivel every which way, the hands in their twisting and twirling as if petting them.
Oh God, they’re close. Too close.
Evan presses himself flat against the ground. Toni’s fingers are steady—his are shaking.
How is she calm? How is she not screaming? He swallows hard.
I can’t die here. Not before I save Jayden.
He squeezes his eyes shut. I'm doing this for you, Jayden.
They stay still, listening to the sound of footsteps retreating.
“You can come out now,” Lizzy calls. “They’re gone.”
For a moment, Evan can’t make his limbs work. Every blade of grass felt like a warning.
Every shadow felt like a hand reaching for him. Everything within him was shouting at him that he shouldn’t be there. That he wasn't meant to be there. But then—he’d walk through worse if it meant saving Jayden.
But Toni, seemingly fearless, steps out. “You knew we were here, huh? Why not mention it?”
Lizzy frowns, at least as much as a skeleton can frown. “I don’t trust the Erinyes even a little. They are their own creature. And mum said we should be prepared for strange visitors when Ghost God returns.”
Evan clears his throat. “Is that the God of Death?”
Lizzy nods. “That’s the name you call her. But to the Dead and the denizens of the Netherworld, she’s Ghost God.”
Evan debates asking his next question because it’s undoubtedly risky. But then again, nothing risked, nothing gained. “What do you know about the ritual?”
“For The Determined?” Lizzy shakes her head. “Not much. Last time the God of Death passed such a judgment was before I was born.”
“Anything you know might be helpful,” Evan presses. “You said you weren’t born yet. But you didn’t say you hadn’t heard stories. I have kids. I know they listen when they aren’t supposed to. Please… even a half-heard story could help.”
Lizzy glances toward the house. “I…I did hear some things. Once The Determined arrives, the ritual has to start. No one can stop it, not even the God of Death herself. Either way, it’s clear who you are. You can’t outrun the judgment, and I can’t help you any further.”
“There’s really nothin’ else you can tell us?” Toni raises a brow. “Is that how your mama raised you?”
At the mention of her mother, Lizzy sighs. Her hollow gaze finds Evan. “Are you an honest man?”
If I tell her the truth, will she turn away? Will she see me as selfish? Desperate? Foolish?
He swallowed hard. What was the right answer? All he knew was that he was honest in his love for his husband. That he would do anything to save him, and that was a truth he could stand on. “Yes, I believe I am.”
“Good. Stay that way. There is nothing the Erinyes hate more than a liar. And if you fail, you’ll become their next meal.”
Evan falters. “What? What am I supposed to do then?”
A voice calls for Lizzy. She runs for the steps, but pauses before ascending. “Get yourself a good lawyer. That’s my best advice. My brother Bryan knows more. He’s working today, but you might find him at the River Styx Station.”
Rolling her shoulders, she hurries the rest of the way up the stairs and disappears into the house.
“We’ll do that,” Toni calls back and motions to Evan. “Come on. I know where that is. Let’s go.”
For a minute, Evan is consumed by doubt.
I’m so in over my head.
Is this place going to eat me alive before I even get a chance to save him?
[TIME]: You’re sweet, Wolfgang. That’s why you’ve been entrusted with such incredible power. But that naivete will get you split from gullet to belly in a back alley.
[UNIVERSE]: Yes, you really should get some better assistants. Or learn some self-defense.
[TIME]: Anyway, we have a job for you, and it's all kinds of important. As I’m sure you’re aware, chaos abounds in Windenburg. Gods being reborn, curses unwinding, sharp-toothed idiots waking the thing that hunts.
[WOLFGANG]: Whoa. I don’t know anything about that stuff.
[UNIVERSE]: We sent you the messages clear as day.
[WOLFGANG]: You mean my nightmares? Those weren’t clear. They were terrifying and confusing and…gods? Sorry, did you say gods?
[TIME]: Yes, dear, keep up. Now that she’s with us, things are going to get complicated. Ghosts have been neglected for quite a while, not casting blame, but I did say they needed more attention, and—
[WOLFGANG]: And the dead shall have their own god. A small god, but mighty. A vengeful thing who will bring grace to endings. And woe be unto those who cross her.
[UNIVERSE]: Oh! You did get the message
[TIME]: Is that really what you wrote?
[UNIVERSE]: Is this the argument you want to have with me right now?
[TIME]: We’ll finish this at home tonight.
[TIME]: Anyway, it's that vengeance part. You’ll need to make sure she gets a handle on that.
[WOLFGANG]: What?
[TIME]: Yes, and also get a handle on The Hunt.
[UNIVERSE]: Not a literal handle. Don’t touch him. He’ll kill you.
[TIME]: Well, Akira will too. Probably. He’s very impatient, that child. But what more can you expect from Fate?
[WOLFGANG]: Kiki? Wait…no. That’s the ghost.
[TIME/UNIVERSE]: Ghost? You got a message from a ghost? How?
[WOLFGANG]: Uh…she said Edith told her to make sure I remember her name so…
[TIME]: Meddling. And I’ll give you a devil of a guess as to “who,” but here’s a clue: it's definitely your fault.
[UNIVERSE]: I didn’t make him the way he is. You create entropy and destroy a world once, and man never lets you hear the end of it.
[WOLFGANG]: I…I really can’t stress enough how crazy that sounds. Also, I don’t know what’s going on here.
[TIME]: You will. Just help them is all. See that those who deserve it get their just desserts, but not so much dessert that it wipes half the world off the map, killing everyone you know and love and spinning us into an apocalyptic event well before we’ve scheduled it.
[UNIVERSE]: Exactly. Now, go do your job and take your little assistants with you. And don’t forget to grab the box.
[WOLFGANG]: Wait! How do I—
(Darling, Wolfgang, and Morgan are zapped out of existence. Things are quiet. Cam gets up and starts creeping through the shop)
[CAM]: Shit! I’ve got to get out of here.
[TIME]: Oh no, honey, don’t think we forgot about you.
[UNIVERSE]: She is clever.
[TIME]: Yes, and she’ll still be clever later when we need her. Back to your original timeline, dear. See you soon.
[CAM]: No! Help!
(Cam is zapped outside. She seems confused. She looks at the shop door, but it's closed.)
[CAM]: Closed? I thought I had an appointment.
(She looks at her watch)
[CAM]: It’s 2 pm. I moved it to now so I could get over brunch and—ow!
(looks down at her arm)
[CAM]: How the hell did I already get my tattoo? Something weird is going on, and I’m gonna figure out what.
Alice’s adrenaline feels like a living thing dancing on the edge of her skin as she watches James leave. She had no idea what sending a mirror meant, but she demanded it, didn’t she? Glancing over at Missy does nothing to soothe the rush of energy coursing through her. If anything, the skeleton’s judgmental look just makes it worse.
“What?” she snaps.
“Pardon me, but you need to get a grip is what,” Missy puts her hands on her hips.
“Oh, so I guess we’re done with the ‘Your godliness’ stuff then, huh ?” Alice clambers down from the throne, pressing a hand to her head. Why was she so pissed off?
“You are not acting very godly,” Missy insists. “And James might be too foolish to tell you, but this is dangerous. You’re meant to lie low, but you plan to judge The Determined?”
“If that’s what I feel like doing, then yes!” Alice shouts. Her voice echoes off the mountains, rattling the island. Fury floods her system so thoroughly, she feels like she’s melting.
The giant statue of her tips forward slightly, its eyes glowing. Impossibly, it shifts to its knees, reaching a hand as if to scoop her up.
“No!” she croaks, scrambling back. “Stop!”
Missy rushes to her side, “Get back! And stop moving that thing!”
Alice stares up at herself, a frisson of fear whipping up her spine.
Was she doing this?
But how?
“Okay, I was angry before, but now I’m scared. I have no idea how to turn the butt-naked statue of me off because I don’t know how I turned it on in the first place!”
“Eris,” Missy mutters softly under her breath. “I knew we shouldn’t have come here. You can’t think clearly with her around.”
Alice has no idea what Missy is talking about, but a beat later, she’s so consumed by rage she can hardly breathe. She takes a step back, clutching her chest, willing her heart not to burst out of her ribcage.
Is she crying? She might be crying.
Suddenly, a cool skeletal hand grabs hers. The relief is immediate.
“Come on, Your Godliness, let’s go. Quickly, now.” Missy tugs her forward. “And whatever you do, clear your mind and don’t look back.”
Alice matches Missy's pace. First, a brisk walk. And then a run, terror propelling them forward. They dive through the doors, landing hard on the carpeted floor of a strange-looking office.
Another skeleton looks up from her computer and leaps to her feet. “Missy! Mum said you can’t be bothering me at work! And who in the Death is that?”
“I’m not bothering you,” Missy hisses, helping Alice to her feet. “And this is Death. Ghost God in the flesh. Ghost God, this is my sister, Emerson.”
Once again, Alice is treated to a skeleton staring at her like she has two heads. “Uh, hi. Alice is fine, you don't have to do all the 'Godliness' stuff."
“Your Godliness,” she gasps. “You can’t be here!”
“We have to be here,” Missy snaps. “We was at the baths in Tartarus, and she was compromised.”
Immediately, Emerson frowns. “Oh, that is not good. The baths belong to Eris.” She comes around her desk. “Why would you bring her there? Mum said to keep them separated until she has better control of herself.”
“Missy didn’t bring me. I brought myself. Well, I brought them, too. It’s all kind of hazy, but I think I broke us into a million pieces and put us back together again,” Alice twists her hands nervously. “I…I was sad. And someone was calling me.”
Emerson sighs. “Oizys must’ve been about. Still, you can’t be here. Mum also said to keep her from the Erinyes.”
“They are long gone,” Missy insists. “Look at the cobwebs, it’s half past five. No one would stay late on a holiday, least of all them.”
Alice looks around the office at the heavy cobwebs hanging from various places and also at the row of clocks above Emerson’s desk. “Uh, you don’t use the clocks as clocks?”
“Pfft,” Missy rolls her eyes and laughs. “Useless for anything except telling the time above. We’ve our own time down here. Besides, spiderwebs is easier. They just make sense. No one ever accused a spider of being late.”
Alice tries valiantly to stay focused on just what in the actual hell that statement even meant, but she feels wrung out. Going from the depths of grief to the heights of fury has zapped all her energy. “Is there somewhere I could sit down? Or lie down? I feel drained.”
“Of course,” Missy lifts her chin. “We’ll be in the waiting room. Send James in when he gets here.”
“I will not,” Emerson stamps her foot, “I’m calling mum!”
“And telling her that you’re still at work when the spiders have been about? Could it be because you’re waiting for someone she does not approve of?”
The change that comes over Missy’s sister is instant. “Actually, let me get you settled. No need to call mum, this here isn’t her business.”
“Thank you,” Alice says, catching herself before she stumbles. Something is tugging at the very center of her, compelling her to answer it. “Sorry, I’m a little bit dizzy.”
As soon as she says it, she can hear Akira’s voice admonishing her. “Shit. I’m not supposed to say 'sorry.' Or 'thank you.' Please don't bind me." Her whole body aches, like it's being pulled apart at the seams, "Fuck. I don't remember what Akira said to get out of this. I just..." she trails off, rubbing her shoulder.
“We ain’t fae,” Missy says. “And we belong to you, not the other way around.”
“What’s wrong?” Emerson turns to her sister, clearly concerned.
“She called for a mirror,” Missy murmurs.
“The Determined!” Emerson’s hands fly to her skeletal face as Alice doubles over in pain, “But what if they answer? What if the ritual starts and—”
“Do not borrow trouble,” Missy tells her sister, firmly. “Ain’t nothing to indicate that The Determined is even coming, so we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
Gently, Missy ushers Alice into a waiting room that has seen better days. Old TVs blink with static, the bookshelf is barely stocked, but the rug is super plush. And just like when she was in the mortal world, Alice makes a beeline for the floor.
“I’m sorry I lost my shit,” she gives Missy a sheepish look.
“Oh, don’t be worryin’ about that. We all lose our shit around Eris. It’s her thing.”
Alice digs her fingers into the soft carpet and tries to keep the questions straight in her head. “Who’s Eris?”
“Part of the Embodiments, but don’t let your mind fuss over that. You don’t need to figure everything out all in one day.”
Akira would. He'd have a complete rundown of how this place worked in minutes. He was good at paying attention to details and staying focused and rudely demanding that everyone tell him what the fuck was going on or else.
“You alright, your godliness?” James asks as they slip into the room, Emerson behind them.
Alice jumps up, “Oh, no, I’m fine!” She steals a glance at Missy and sighs. “Okay, yeah, obviously I’m not fine. I’m really tired, I miss my boyfriends, and I’m worried about my friends. I realize you’re trying to help, but I’m overwhelmed. And I don’t want to be away from everyone that I care about.”
“You can bring them here,” Emerson suggests. “They can be with you while you get settled.”
At that, Alice perks up. “I have that power?”
“As we live and rattle,” James replies solemnly. “Just call the dead and tell them to bring everyone you need.”
Frustrated, Alice scrubs a hand over her face. “See, you say that, but that doesn’t make any sense to me. I’m just supposed to what? Whip out my cell phone and call Zombie HQ?” She snorts. “And while I’m at it, why don’t I just order myself a pizza?”
“Could we get one too? Been ages since breakfast, and not all of us got a lunch break,” Missy shoots her sister a dirty look.
“Some of us worked through lunch,” Emerson replies primly. “So yes, a pizza would be lovely.”
“You’re serious?” Alice balks.
She nods. “Though mum says the roaming charges are out of this world, so you might want to consider just thinking about zombies. That’s more direct.”
Alice gives them a slight smile. Pizza did sound good. And how hard could it be to think about a bunch of zombies doing her bidding?
“Alright, two hot honey pepperoni pizzas plus zombie escorts for everyone I need in my life coming right up!”
PREV | NAVIGATION | NEXT
We’re back, baybee! Buckle up because the Imposter Part 3 crossover continues. Keep your eyes peeled for a familiar character, and thanks to the ever-fabulous dandylion240 for collaborating with me. It’s been so fun to make this, and I can’t wait for y’all to see all the drama we have cooked up!
And thanks to all of you for sticking with me even through this hiatus that lasted longer than I thought because these chapters took FOREVER to make.
Wolfgang had a migraine, which was usually what happened after he had his nightmares. But now, it was like he was stuck in a nightmare he couldn’t wake up from.
And he’d brought his brother with him.
And lost his best friends.
This whole thing was a disaster.
He didn’t know why he was standing in some long-abandoned office or what the hell he was supposed to do with the wand he had hidden in his jacket or—
“It's an old transportation map,” Gunther says with wonder.
Wolfgang stares at his brother. Leave it to him to set aside the horrors of this whole situation to marvel at some piece of technical history.
“Maybe that’s not important,” Wolfgang says, but as soon as the words are out of his mouth, a splitting pain hits his head. Names of stations and locations flip by so quickly that he can hardly make sense of them until his mind lands on one location: Central Processing.
“Wolfy? Are you okay?” Gunther cries out.
“I was wrong,” he pants. “The map matters.” Just saying the words takes all his energy. He starts to drop to his knees.
“Magic is real. Monsters are real. And…and I’m like an oracle? My bosses are really scary, and they told me to get the box. And I don’t know if I was supposed to open it, but I couldn’t stop myself!” He sucks in a breath as he hits the ground. “I think I’m here to stop the God of Death from unleashing an apocalypse. I know it sounds crazy,” he rasps, “But I swear it's the truth."
"I’m scared. Gunther, this is like the stuff that happens in books, only I don't know what I'm doing. What if I fail? What if…” he can’t bring himself to finish the statement.
The light in his head is so blinding it hurts. But then suddenly, it lessens.
He can feel his brother propping him up, shielding him. "Gunther," he gasps, his throat tight. His brother probably can't even see the thing he's protecting him from, and yet, he does it without hesitation.
“Don’t stress about it, Wolfy. Let me take the weight.”
Their dad used to say that all the time. First, it was a joke about how heavy their backpacks were, and then it just became a thing he said whenever he didn't want them to worry. Even when he was sick, he never wanted the boys to feel like they had to grow up too fast or take on too much.
Exhausted, Wolfgang blinks back tears. “You’re a really good brother, you know that?”
“The best older brother you’ve got,” Gunther jokes.
Even though the situation they’ve found themselves in is horrific, Wolfgang laughs. “Yeah, that’s true. Hey, have you talked to Lucas? Is he—”
“I’m sure he’s fine,” Gunther assures him. “Just rest. I’m going to figure out this map.”
---
Gunther makes sense of everything pretty quickly. Apparently, the Netherworld measures time in spiderwebs, which...what? And if you thought you could catch the train by waiting patiently on the platform like a normal sim—
Think again.
The weirdest part was that they weren’t alone: an old woman, a young man, and a skeleton were also riding along. Or maybe "weird" was the wrong word. It was kind of terrifying.
Gunther, though, didn’t miss a beat. With business-like efficiency, his brother facilitated introductions and gathered baseline information from everyone about what they were even doing here.
The woman wouldn’t stop staring at Wolfgang. Surreptitiously, he pats his jacket. The wand is snug inside a hidden pocket. Glaring, he tries to channel some of the closed-off, sullen-teenager behavior he adopted after his father died. He grunts and sneers his answers while trying to soak up all the details he can about Death herself.
“I don’t understand why the God of Death can’t just bring my husband back on her own,” Evan says, “Why do we have to do some sort of court case?”
“Ritual,” Bryan corrects, “Although yes, it is for all intents and purposes a court. Death is required to do it.”
“How’s that?” Toni demands. “Gods are all-powerful. They can’t be bound.”
“The Divine Creators rule even the gods,” Bryan huffs.
Yeah, that sounded about right.
“The god before Alice had a very loose relationship with the requirements of the job. The Divine got so fed up with B’Ollithiranon and his haphazard approach to bringing the dead back to life that they decided to force a more rigorous process. One he had to participate in.”
Evan looks rightly horrified. “Jayden is already dead?”
The skeleton appears to consider that. “I mean, yes? But also no. He’s in between, not to be confused with The In-Between, which is sort of an unregulated area of the Netherworld. The God of Death hasn’t taken his soul yet, so it could go either way. Hence, the need for the ritual.”
“Tell us more about the court,” Toni demands, “What should Evan prepare for?”
At this question, Bryan looks distinctly uncomfortable. “It’s a judgment. You plead your case, with the help of counsel if you have one. The Erinyes interrogate you, and any denizens present in the Netherworld are welcome to observe and act as a jury. It’s up to The Determined to sway them if they want even a hope of swaying Death herself.”
“Well, that sounds straightforward,” Gunther replies. “I’m sure there are good lawyers here who manage that sort of thing. When was the last judgment? Maybe you can get whoever won that case.”
“It’s been an age,” Bryan replies solemnly. “And no one has ever won a case. The Erinyes always get their meal.”
“So that’s what they meant by 'eat,'” Evan looks devastated. “They’ll eat my Jayden if I lose.”
“Oh no,” Bryan shakes his head, holding up his hands in a placating manner. “Even the Erinyes don’t get to eat what belongs to the God of Death. She’ll devour your husband’s soul if she wants. The Erinyes eat you.”
The train ride is silent after that. Wolfgang tries to steel himself, but he has no idea how to face a god fond of devouring souls. He worries about the meaning of the wand. He worries about how receptive she’ll be to his request not to cause an apocalypse. Or at least, to pull back the apocalypse she already started. The Divine Creators weren’t very specific about what she was going to do, but Wolfgang had to assume that letting loose an army of zombies was probably it.
He tries not to get too close to Evan, since it seemed like he wasn’t long for this world. Wolfgang's heart skitters at the thought of leaving his fellow sim to face Death on his own and deal with a ritual that was almost certainly going to kill him. But no vision shows up to give him a glimpse of a solution.
Nothing, though, could have prepared him for meeting the actual God of Death.
“Alice?” Gunther blinks, “W-what are you doing here?”
“That’s the God of Death you’re talking to,” a skeleton in a knit cap crosses her arms and jerks her chin in Bryan’s direction. “And what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”
Nervously, Bryan twists his bony fingers. “I am working. But then I ran into The Determined, and so I had to bring him here.”
Alice’s mouth drops open. She stares at Evan. “You’re The Determined? Sorry, I just…I thought you’d be way different. Everyone made you sound so bad.”
“He is bad,” says the skeleton in the knit cap. “And no one would blame you if you killed him.”
This is it.
This is Wolfgang’s moment.
He didn’t expect Death to be wearing blue jeans and a werewolf sweater, or to be someone that Gunther was apparently friends with. But it was his job to steer her from her evil path.
"STOP!!!!" he shouts.
“Sorry, I…I didn’t mean to yell. I’m not trying to be rude, but Evan isn’t important right now. I mean, I don’t think you should kill him,” Wolfgang winces. He was already getting off track. “What I mean is that I don’t think the court case is what you should be concerned with. You need to pull back the apocalypse.”
He braces himself for some kind of attack, but when he peeks open one eye, Alice is just staring at him.
“Uh…court case?” she scratches her head and frowns. “Also…what apocalypse?”
No one ever listened to Luna. That was the problem. She’d read all the self-help books about how to be more assertive, and even when she managed to assert herself, she was still shot down.
“Well, this isn’t Windenburg…” Sofia murmurs as she glances around.
Luna clenches her fists and tries not to scream. Sofia was sweet and extremely pretty, but she was also as dumb as a box of rocks. Why would she think running into an obviously haunted mausoleum would lead them back to the city?
“Everyone okay?” Siobhan glances around, her gaze skirting over both of them like she’s checking for injuries. She’d been the leader of their friend group ever since one of the older kids tried to kick them off the swings on the playground, and Siobhan called them an “idiotic little cunt” and made them cry.
“I’m trying. I might be alright to try and stand on my own,” Luna says weakly.
“I’m okay. Did you get hurt? You were the first one through,” Sofia points out.
See? Nice. Incredibly dumb, but very nice.
“I'm fine,” Siobhan pulls away from Luna and brushes an invisible piece of lint off her sleeves, “This looks like Ravenwood gone bad.”
It’s true. Luna looks around them. The field they are standing in is huge, but the sky is wrong. And then there’s the strange statues and cracks in the surface of the ground where magic is leaking through.
“Oh, no, this is bad. This is very bad. We have to go back.” Instinctively, she lunges for the mausoleum, choking in surprise when Siobhan catches her arm and hauls her back.
“Are you crazy? There are zombies out there waiting to eat us!”
“Are you crazy?” Luna fires back. “This place is way bigger on the inside than it should be. You’re worried about zombies? The magic careening all over the place is what’s going to kill us.”
“How do you know?”
Luna snaps her mouth shut. She hated thinking about magic, it made her nauseous. She knew it was an unavoidable part of life, her dad was who he was after all, but she didn’t like seeing it. Maybe if the world were full of good witches like her mom had been, instead of monsters like Jacques Villareal, she’d feel differently.
“I…I didn’t want to say it, but my dad is the head of a supernatural organization,” she mumbles, looking away.
Sofia frowns. “Luna, your dad is the head of the mob. Or like crime club. Did you forget?”
“Yes, I know what my dad does,” she snaps, trying hard not to lose her patience completely. Sofia was sweet, and that was the sort of thing Luna liked to reward. She was drawn to it even in the worst of circumstances. That’s why she liked JJ, even though he technically he was a monster too. “It’s the same thing,” she sighs, “he’s the head of a supernatural criminal organization.”
“And you’re just now telling us this? Luna, what the fuck?” Siobhan scowls and puts her hands on her hips.
Gods, she was such a self-righteous bitch. Worried about Luna keeping secrets when she should be worried about whose realm they were trapped in! “Siobhan, please—”
“Wait, what is your dad?” Sofia interrupts. Suddenly, her eyes light up. “A vampire? Are you immortal? Will you always have great skin?”
Luna bites down on her cheek. She didn’t like to think about what she was. In fact, she’d spent most of her life pretending it wasn’t the case and keeping herself as normal as possible. Only when the fortune-teller hinted that there might be danger for her and her friends in San Myshuno did she bother to get her brothers to teach her a little about the gods and magic.
“Forget your dad,” Siobhan hisses, “What’s going on with your mom? Was she a monster? Are we in danger?”
“No!” Luna scrubs a hand over her face and tries to cry. Usually, a few tears were enough to get Siobhan off the warpath. “Just stop!” she sniffs, her face disappointingly still dry. “I’m just like you! Okay? You know me.”
"We know you can sense magic which makes you like, some kind of magic sim," Sofia replies confidently.
“Sure. Luna's a witch. That's obvious. The real question is if she cursed my ex-girlfriend." Siobhan's eyes narrow at Luna. "Did you curse my ex-girlfriend? Is that why she broke up with me?”
Luna swallows hard. First of all, Siobhan’s girlfriend broke up with her because she was literally the meanest, bitchiest sim on the planet.
And second of all, the curse hadn’t worked. At least, not the way Luna intended.
Gods, she was desperate to end this conversation. If she could just convince them to get back in the mausoleum and go home, this would all be fine.
She's in the middle of making herself sick with worry when out of the corner of her eye, she spots it: salvation.
It was a universal law, one Luna learned in middle school and never forgot. If everyone thought you were a freak and you wanted to shift their attention, all you had to do was find a bigger freak.
She turns and points out the skeleton who has just walked out on the front porch of the house. “Guys, look, I think we have bigger problems to worry about. We should go.”
“Is…is that a whole ass skeleton?” Siobhan’s jaw drops. “How?”
Luna can sense her anxiety and Sofia looks worried, too. Finally! they can get the hell out of here. “I’m pretty sure we can go back through the door,” she tells them confidently, even though she isn’t sure of that at all.
They are on the verge of following her when disaster strikes.
Instead of screaming at them or creepily rattling her bones, the skeleton simply adjusts the bow on her head and kneels to put on a record. The sounds of Octavia Moon fill the field.
Sofia freezes. “That’s a great song. We should ask for help.”
Luna looks on in horror. “What? No! Be serious! She’s a monster!”
“You be serious,” Siobhan shoots back, already linking arms with Sofia and heading towards the house. “No one monstrous loves Octavia Moon in her 'My Husband Cheated On Me With Some Random Filmmaker And Men Ain't Shit' era. The music is just too good.”
“Yeah,” Sofia says, “She’s finally speaking her truth after years of being silent. The song is a sign, Luna. We’re totally safe here.”
