Wormville: Rotation 4: Bleeding Bitter, Night I.
Part 1!
I must admit that this one is a bit of a hot mess, but I hope you'll find enjoyment in it! It's in parts, because, to be honest, I've written this out as a wormwriting (with no pictures) about three and a half months ago, so I've had a lot of time to overthink it, and it's a bit too hefty to sit in one article. So, given that it was supposed to be just text originally, the screenshots might be a bit silly, and a lot is still left to your imagination. Anyway, I'm going to post the Night I. in parts one after the other, then play a round of a different family and then pose and post Night II. With that being said, enjoy! <3
Also, if you haven't been reading Wormville from the start, check out the comment I'm going to write before reading this for a tl;dr of what happened before!
PART 2 >
“Can someone tell me where is the intersection of-”
The lecturer is interrupted by a phone ringing loudly. He quickly scans the classroom, only to realize it's his own. He skips to his desk and looks at the number. It's his wife. He immediately presses the red button. She knows when he's teaching, and knows he can't answer the phone. He'll call her back after class-
The phone starts ringing again.
A freezing pang of anxiety runs through his body.
“Apparently, there's an emergency. Excuse me,” he says to the students, grabs the phone and hurries behind the door.
Victor: “Hello, ‘Ranni. What is it-”
“...ctor… can't… br…”
Victor: “What? Sorry, I cannot hear you. I do not know what is with the signal.”
He only hears a horrible wheezing sound.
Victor: “Aranni…?” he asks quietly.
“Can't… breathe…”
There is no problem with the signal. Victor hears his heart race.
Victor: “I will be with you immediately,” he says, hangs up and storms back into the classroom.
Victor: “Alright, folks! Unfortunately, something very serious is happening, and I need to leave now. Dismissed!”
The students start whispering among each other and gathering their things. Victor also takes his bag, and stands still. He takes several breaths. To the onlookers, the gestures he starts doing look extremely peculiar, but in a moment, they summon a shimmering yellow shine that envelops the historian. The spell takes a lot of arm movements and quiet chanting – as quiet as Victor can get when his voice trembles with impending panic and he's losing control of it. But then… he finally disappears.
Magivestigium, the teleportation spell, takes a similar amount of time, roughly a full minute or more, to get the witch to materialize in the target location. In this case, it's the bedroom in the Splat, the Beldine residence.
To his horror, Victor finds his wife lying next to the bed, as if she fell off or collapsed when trying to get up.
Victor: “‘Ranni!”
He immediately jumps to her and gets on his knees. He very gently shakes her, to which she doesn't react. He half instinctively lifts her off the ground and puts her on the bed. She doesn't move. Doesn't move at all. At all-
Eyes bulging with fear, his own breath baited, Victor checks her vital signs. No pulse. He does it again. No pulse! He presses fingers to her wrist. No pulse! To the other wrist. No pulse! Her neck. No pulse! Puts his head against her chest. No movement, no sound, except for his own desperate whine that escapes his throat.
He grasps his phone.
Victor: “Regina. V-Victor here. Immediately come! It's Aranni, she's she's dead! I found her- she's not breathing and has no heartbeat please please come quick!”
He just listens, trembling.
Victor: “CPR? I-I know how, in theory. I shouldn't do it? Wait for you. Okay. Put her- okay, done-” Following the instructions, he puts his wife's lifeless body to a safe position where she's less likely to choke on her own tongue. “Please, hurry.”
Then Regina hangs up. Victor immediately makes another call.
Victor: “Hello. It's Beldine. Victor Beldine. I need help very urgently and desperately. Aranni is dead, but her body is not being collected. I don't know what to do! I must help her! Please, come and help her!”
A soft voice replies in a comforting cadence, “Alright. That's awful. Victor. Please, try to stay calm. I'm on my way.”
Victor: “Thank you!”
Nico: “No need. Is Regina there?”
Victor: “Not yet, but she is coming.”
Nico: “Good. I will be there in a second.”
Victor still clutches the phone. He glances at Aranni. She's in the exact position he put her in, hasn't moved a millimeter. She's not breathing either. He feels another sob, or perhaps a wail building up in his chest. He can't stop it. Something in him can't even believe this is happening. It feels too much like a nightmare-
“Dad?”
Victor springs up to the door, preventing Ulrike from entering the room. He slinks past and shuts it behind himself.
“Go to your room!” he says, his voice way higher and louder than he wanted.
The girl flinches and frowns.
Ulrike: “Why are you yelling? I didn't do anything…”
Victor tries his hardest to blink away tears, to not let her see how shaken he is.
Victor: “Yes- I'm sorry. I apologize. I didn't mean to. Sorry, princess, sorry. Go… go to your room. Please, go.”
Ulrike: “Why? Why must I go to my room?”
He’s always encouraged her to be inquisitive and question authority – but now he would really appreciate it if she didn't.
Victor: “Because it's the best place for you to be right now. The safest.” He tries to control his voice as much as possible. It's not very possible at all, but it at least sounds soft. Absolutely terrified and teary, but soft.
Ulrike: “Why are you crying? And what's unsafe here?”
Victor: “I will tell you later, okay? Now I need to solve this. Just trust me. Go to your room. Find Frieda, Trudy and Henry and go to your room together.”
Ulrike: “Okay… But where's mom? She's in the bedroom, right? Is she sick?”
Victor: “She… yes, darling, she is sick. But she will be fine. Just do not be scared, get your sisters and brother and hide in your room, alright? I will come for you.”
Ulrike: “Uh-um…” Hesitantly, Ulrike turns back and leaves. Victor hopes she will obey him – but no matter if she actually collects her younger siblings and goes into her room, she will not see the dead body of her mother, and that is what matters the most.
Victor returns to the bedroom. A look at the bed, at her, is enough to get him shaking again. He kneels again by her side.
Victor: “‘Ranni… please…” he whispers.
Suddenly, there's a knock on the door. Victor jumps up, startled.
“Is something going on? I saw Ulrike running around crying- mom…?” Fabian, having opened the door and entered the room, freezes in his step. “What's happening?”
Something in Victor breaks. “I… I have no idea. I found her like this. I have already called Regina and Nico. I'm so sorry, Fabian, I could not save her…”
Fabian: “She's only sleeping, right?”
Victor: “I really hope so, too. But she does not have… any vitals.”
Fabian: “W-What?”
Victor: “I cannot explain this…”
Fabian: “B-but if she was dead, Death Himself would've come for her!”
Fabian crawls on the bed and starts shaking the lifeless woman.
Fabian: “Mom, wake up! Mom!”
Victor hugs him. He wants to say something, but the only thing coming out are tears and sobs, soon joined by Fabian's. The boy collapses in his arms, crying.
“It is not lost. Regina and Nico are coming. They might still help her. Return her…” Victor says quietly.
Fabian: “She can't just die… not like this…”
Victor: “Shhh. It is going to be alright. They will return her. She will be back.”
Victor holds the boy close and deeply hopes he hasn't just lied to him. Fabian is hugging him back, letting his tears soak into the vibrant fabric of his father's top.
“Fabian. I need your help. Go downstairs. When Regina and Nico arrive, you will open the door for them,” Victor says and lets go.
Fabian: “Yeah.” The teenager nods and visibly tries to gather his composure. He climbs down from the bed and starts walking away.
Victor: “Wait. One more task. Then you will not return here. You will go to Ulrike's room. If your siblings are there, you will stay there with them. If not, you will go and find them. Please.”
Fabian: “But I want to be here with mom!”
Victor: “I know, but they need you. Ulrike's still too young herself to comfort them. You can help them. Go!”
Fabian: “Okay! But do they know?”
Victor: “No. I prevented Ulrike from seeing how bad it was. Do not tell them. We will tell them when we know more, and when Aranni's conscious again.”
Fabian: “...alright.”
Victor: “Go already!”
Fabian nods and runs off.
After a painful moment, Victor finally hears steps rushing towards the room. The door opens. Regina walks in first and immediately throws herself to Aranni. Nico closes the door with a somber look on his face.
“Victor, would you tell me what happened? Tell me everything,” the priest speaks.
Regina begins performing CPR.
Victor: “I do not know. I was at work. Then, Aranni called me. On the phone, she was choking. At first I could not recognize it, and thought it was just bad signal, but then I realized, and immediately teleported home. But… but I was still too slow! She was lying on the ground dead.”
Nico: “It's okay. It's okay. Easy… Perhaps it's better that way. You wouldn't have been able to help her anyway, and it's better you didn't see her suffer.”
Victor: “I do not understand… Everything was alright in the morning…”
Nico: “So you have no idea what could've done this to her.”
Victor: “No…”
Regina's voice cuts their conversation short. “Her body's not reacting. I'm so sorry, Victor. She's gone…”
Victor: “Then why isn't she being collected? Death Himself is fast! He comes immediately!”
Unless…
Victor feels his stomach turn. Memories way too recent of Bennett and Quincy flood his mind.
Nico: “Sometimes, and it's very rare, he doesn't come at first.”
Victor: “At first…?”
Nico: “Yes. He comes eventually, unless there is way too much death at once.”
Victor: “So… we have to wait? That is… alright. I will wait for him! And when he comes, I will plead for her life! If I win, he must heal her and leave!”
Nico slowly shakes his head. “No, I'm so sorry… he will not come on his own. We'll have to burn the body.”
Victor: “No! Unacceptable! You will not hurt her! You will not touch her!”
Nico: “My friend, she's dead… The flames will not be hurting her. She's dead, and her soul is still stuck in her body, trapping her. She cannot join the Entity. She cannot access the afterlife. We must free her. It's a good thing.”
Victor: “I… I see. She will not feel any pain, right?”
“Victor…” Regina gently puts her arm on his back. “She has no vitals. I cannot get her heart to pump. What will burn is completely lifeless. She'll feel no pain at all, there is no way she would.”
Victor: “I know. I understand that. But her death is not normal. I had to ask.”
Nico: “We should do it as soon as possible. We can now. In your garden, if you don't mind. Or we can carry her to the temple.”
Regina: “Wait. I… if Victor consents, I would like to do an autopsy first. We need to find out what killed her. Especially if it was a disease, it could be disasterous! Everybody in this building could already be infected, and I must rule out the possibility. Victor?”
Victor: “I do not like the thought… but I agree. I want to know how she died… and if we are safe. Especially the children…”
Regina: “Where are your children now?”
Victor: “In a different wing of the mansion. I told them to gather, so if one started to choke, the others could call for help quickly…”
Nico: “That was good thinking. I'm afraid we'll have to isolate your family. Regina and I will also quarantine. Until we find the cause of death and rule out the flu or a new disease, we need to be careful.”
Victor: “I understand. I will not leave the house, and the children will not either.”
Nico: “Thank you. Regina?”
Regina: “Yes?”
Nico: “I will help you carry her to your lab. But first, I will do my examinations, if you don't mind. I can do it anywhere, even now, and it is going to be quick.”
Regina: “Alright. I'm going to wait outside. Vic?”
The doctor takes the historian's hand, wanting to lead him out. But he shakes his head and pulls away.
Victor: “Can I stay here?”
Nico: “Yes. You don't have to leave her yet.”
Victor: “Thank you…”
Nico: “I found something. I feel something. There is… magic. There is a very strong print of magic in her.”
Victor: “I can't feel anything...”
Nico: “I had to meditate to access it, plus my senses are much more sensitive to the paranormal than yours, despite you being the sorcerer between us. But the magic I felt was… hard to place.”
Victor: “What do you mean, hard to place?”
Nico: “I cannot tell much from just sensing it. Perhaps a witch who is also a priest could, but not me, sorry.”
Victor gasps. “But- but it is already a lot! Magic! Of course!”
Nico: “I could only infer it was dark. But that goes without saying. A spell that isn't wouldn't make a person just collapse dead.”
Victor: “Dark magic…”
Nico: “I must ask you, and I'm sorry, but… have you done any experiments or rituals recently? Something Aranni could've seen, or been accidentally too close to? Or something that could've rubbed off on her from you, that wouldn't hurt you since you're a mage, but…”
Victor: “No! No. I mean… no, I am certain that is not what happened. It couldn't be. I have not done anything arcane in a very long time, save from using some very basic and harmless spells such as Magivestigium, preparing reagents and reading my grimoire. No rituals, no experiments, no risks.”
Nico: “I see. I believe you.”
Victor: “Lester!”
Nico: “I don't think-”
Victor: “No. There are two witches in this town. Lester and I! I did not do it, not even by accident, and not only does Lester remain as the only possibility, they also hate Aranni! They have a motive!”
Nico: “It seems likely, but please, try not to jump to conclusions.”
Victor: “It is clear! They wanted revenge for Balthazar, so they killed her! And maybe they found out that he couldn't move to the afterlife, so they did it in a way that guaranteed she wouldn't either!”
Nico: “Vic, please, listen. I feel for you, but do you remember how you used to think that Serenity started the fire?”
Victor: “Yes, but…”
Nico: “And then it turned out that not only she didn't, but your insistence that she did prolonged this war needlessly?”
Victor: “Yes!"
Victor: "But back then, the only thing I had was grief, anger and fear. I was going solely by my emotions. Now I am employing reason! I am not saying Lester did it just because I dislike them or just because I feel it, but because it makes perfect sense!”
Nico: “It makes too much sense, my friend. Why would they do something that can be so simply traced back to them? Lester is a Devir, they are not shielded by the code of clan feud. Killing a Sim outside of the narrow rules is punished very harshly. They would have to be stupid to do something like this.”
Victor: “Perhaps they are. They grieve for Balthazar, and grief makes you do very dumb things. They could have placed Aranni's demise and my pain… our pain, the pain of the children… as more valuable than their own life, because that is how much they hate us!”
Nico: “No, I do not think so. I've spoken to Lester recently. They appeared to be very sad, but also… stable. Definitely not about to throw their life away just so they could take Aranni down with them.”
Victor: “Yes, but if not them, then who?”
Nico: “I do not know. Let us wait. I know it's hard to hear. Regina will do the autopsy, and that will tell us more about what the spell did to Aranni's body. That might give us more pointers. In the meantime, I will research in my library and interrogate people around town. Then…”
Victor: "..."
Victor: “Then we will burn her and set her soul free.”
Nico: “Yes… Once again, I'm sorry. Do you need a hug?”
Victor: “No. Do not touch me. Call Regina in again.”
Nico peeks out of the door and nods. The doctor returns.
“I was thinking,” she says, “and I believe we need to put her in a refrigerated place and wait at least for thirty hours before the autopsy or burning.”
“Why?” asks the priest.
Victor gasps. “It could be just an illusion of death!”
Regina: “Yes. I remembered that there were poisons that could make your body seem dead for a short period of time, while only keeping it in deep hybernation. Since Death Himself is nowhere to be seen, I think it could be the case!”
Nico: “Could a spell do that, too?”
“Most definitely!” Victor exclaims. Then he pulls Regina into his arms and squeezes her tight. “I knew it! I knew she couldn't be dead! Thank you! Thank you!”
Regina laughs a little and hugs Victor back. But then she sighs. “Hold on, Vic. Don't… don't celebrate yet. It's just a theory. It's possible, and Entity, I hope it's the case, but until she wakes up, it's not proven.”
Nico smiles. “I'm so glad to hear that there is hope now. Let's all pray tonight for Aranni's safe return.”
Victor steps away from Regina and nods.
Regina: “Definitely, but first, let's take her to the clinic. If she's under the effect of the poison…or spell, it wouldn't matter, but if she's not, she might start decomposing soon… and we want to stall that, for everybody's sake.”
Victor: “I will go with you, and I will wait there for the thirty hours. I want to be there when she wakes up.”
Regina: “No. Go to your children. They need you.”
Victor: “Ah, that is… right. They need me even more.”
Regina: “And I need you to write up a report. If she doesn't wake up, I will need to know everything concerning Aranni's or your health or state since you've returned from Homeland. Write everything. Nothing is too trite, and nothing is too… intimate. Anything might help us diagnose what happened to her. I spoke to her last week, but much could've been different yesterday.”
Victor: “I will do that…”
Regina: “Thank you. Now, Nico, will you help me carry her to the car?”
Nico: “Of course. Hold on tight, Victor. The Entity bless you.”
Victor just watches them lift his wife and carefully carry her away. He follows them like a soulless husk, his eyes trailing behind the car as it disappears in darkness. Then he runs back upstairs, and makes for Ulrike's bedroom. He hopes the children gathered there.
He knocks and enters the room.
They are, indeed, all there. Fabian sits on the bed, and all the children just cower cuddled up to him, except for little Frieda, who seems asleep leaning against Fabian's side. The oldest sibling, all red in the face from crying, is petting Henry's hair, as the younger boy clings to him, hiding his face under the blanket he has over his shoulders. Trudy sits in her brother's lap and looks in the distance, eyelashes still glued together by the recent tears. Ulrike, the second oldest, a soon to be teen, is the only one who stands alone, but still close to the others. She keeps wiping her face, but it's very clear she cried, too.
Ulrike: “How's mom?” she asks, trying to sound calm and mature, but sounding anything but.
Victor: “She's…”
Victor takes a deep breath. He sits down on the chair by the desk, opposite of the bed.
Victor: “Your mom is unfortunately very unwell. There is an evil spell on her, and it made her sick. She is now with doctor Regina.”
Gertrude sobs loudly. Henry blows his nose in the blanket.
Victor: “She…”
He can't. Victor can't tell them she will be alright, because what if she isn't? But he believes, he wants to believe, that she will, too! He can't tell them the extent of his anxieties either…
Victor: “She will be alright. The priest and I will find out what the spell is, who cast it, and how to lift it. And doctor Regina will heal her…”
He can't lie, but he has to, anyway.
“So she's not dead?” Fabian asks, pale.
Victor: “Probably, hopefully, not. There is a good chance it is only an effect that makes you look like you are dead for some time, but in reality, you're… sleeping.”
“So… she could be dead?” Ulrike pipes up, her voice unusually thin and high.
Victor: “I…”
Another chance to tell the truth.
Victor: “Yes. Unfortunately. I am so sorry. But I am sure she isn't! I am certain she is just asleep, and can be woken! Yet, the danger that she isn't sleeping… exists.”
Ulrike looks to the ground. “I see…”
Friederike shifts awake and opens her eyes. “D-dad?” Seeing him, she smiles a little.
“Where's mom?”
Victor Beldine loses his fight with tears and starts crying.
Later that night, Fabian and him managed to get the children to their respective beds – but it was quite obvious they would mostly just pretend to be asleep. Then Victor sent Fabian to bed, too, despite it taking some persuading. Now he is alone, standing on the roof near his telescope, watching the silhouettes of the other buildings in Wormville, the serene mountains on the horizon, and the darkness that shrouds the meadows and fields.
He feels a strong urge to immediately waltz into Lester's farm, grab the bastard by the neck and-
Victor's phone starts ringing.
“Hello? Bel- oh. Regina. What?”
Regina: “She just isn't here. She disappeared. One of the windows is broken. She must've used it to escape.”
Pick a side!
Victor/Aranni. They are murderers, but repentant.
Lester. They just want to avenge their brother.
They're all stinky worms.
I find it hilarious that the game decided to randomly perfume Ulrike for the photoshoot. "Your mom is dead"-sort of occassion to dress up, I guess. Just know, please, that I didn't perfume the child on purpose, I just didn't know how to fix it XD
Another thing, when I was posing this segment, I had an especially bad luck with expressions. The mod I use to overlay their faces only works for teens and up, so I couldn't do anything with the children and had to wait for a lucky moment when nobody was giggling to snap the screenshots.
But! I've got this adorable picture of Fabian with Frieda, and I love it so much.