#stw nancy

[angstyaches]

I recently got the witch expansion for Sims 4 and since I now have both vampires and witches, I thought, "Oh, cool, I could make Ryan and Nancy!"

Had a lot of fun with their character designs and outfits, even started decorating a house for them with a whole floor dedicated to Nancy's research and spells.

But I accidentally gave Ryan no romantic attraction so I can't even get them to romance each other, let alone get married, and I -

[angstyaches]

Page Sixty-Nine

Lilith Mars Forrester (they/them) and Blake Forte (he/him) belong to my WIP, Madame A’s Retreat for Spellworking.

No sickness or whump. Just a snippet with character vibes.

___

It was late afternoon, and Lilith had just found Blake in the library. He was cradling a leather-bound book in both hands and his back was slightly arched as he sat in the green-and-orange chair that he’d re-established as his designated ‘reading’ spot ever since his return. Lilith would have liked to scoff at his audacity, but had to admit that the tangerine tinge of his hair, and the dark tones that wove through most of his clothing choices, suited the aesthetic of the upholstery. He and that chair looked like a painting.

Unluckily for him, Lilith believed in a firm rift between the art and the artist. Blake and that chair and that book might all look beautiful together, but they knew the bullshit behind the visuals.

They walked right over to him and slapped the book out of his hands.

Its covers collapsed together and it flipped onto its back side before landing on the floorboards with a thunk.

"Hey!” Blake screamed. “You made me lose my page, asshole."

"Page sixty-nine," Lilith snapped. "Same page you've been ‘reading’ for the past two weeks."

Lilith half-expected him to say something snarky about Lilith looking over his shoulder often enough to notice that he never turned any pages. 

“I’m a slow reader.”

“The other day, you had your book upside down. For an hour!”

If Blake had been flustered, it only lasted a couple of seconds before his face corrected itself.

“It’s page sixty-nine,” he shrugged. “It’s the same both ways.”

“Oh, shut... up,” Lilith murmured, trying not to think too hard about the fact that Blake was, infuriatingly, right.

Blake folded his arms.

“So, what are you actually thinking about all day?" Lilith planted their hands on their hips and tilted their head so aggressively that their whole body leaned to the side. "While you're staring a page, pretending to read? What’s going on in that head of yours?"

Blake shrugged. "I don't know. Chickens with bras on? Did you want something from me, Lilypad?"

Lilith almost physically retched in repulsion. Giving out nicknames was one of their proudest talents, and they sincerely hoped this wasn’t a case of their own medicine tasting terrible. “Okay, hate that. Knock that off this instant.”

Blake shrugged as if he couldn’t give a shit whether or not this conversation progressed. Or whether or not Lilith lived or died. 

“What’d you want?” he repeated.

“I wanted to ask you what you came back here for!” Lilith gestured all around them, at the books and the leather and the gentle streams of sunlight that fanned out across the floorboards. It all seemed aggressively at odds with Blake’s icy presence. “Hmm? You’re not here to improve your skills. You’re not here to make friends. So what the fuck are you here for, Blake?"

Blake’s lips curled just a little. He leaned back into the armchair and propped a couple of fingers under his chin. It made Lilith bristle whenever they were reminded of the serene, commanding presence that Blake was capable of exuding; like his body was a golden statue, and he was surrounded by plastic imitations.

“Well?” Lilith asked, emphasising that their questions were not rhetorical. 

They were pissed off enough that they genuinely wanted answers out of this guy. They’d have been lying if they denied being vaguely curious, too. Something had held Blake’s attention elsewhere for two solid years, and suddenly he was back at Madame A’s retreat, acting as though he’d never given a shit about anything or anyone in his life. 

“What is it then? Are you here purely to make the rest of us miserable?”

"You flatter yourself, Lilypad."

"Okay, this is your last warning. Call me that again and I'll -"

Blake snorted. "This'll be good."

Lilith ground their teeth. Even if they could think of a suitable threat, Blake was going to dismiss them anyway. It was thankless work, arguing with this guy. It was better to scrunch your annoyance up into a little ball and store it somewhere within yourself. 

"Blake.” Lilith lined up the tips of their fingers on each hand and pressed them together. “You've got Rex picking up the slack for you on the pairs project. You’re mean to Astrophel...”

“When have I ever been -?”

Lilith parted their hands, demanding to be allowed to finish. “You haven't cooked for us on any of your designated nights. You don't even hang out with us after lessons.”

"Fuck’s sake, is this what you're upset about?” The ghost of a smirk crept over Blake’s face. “That I won't come to your tedious Doctor Who marathons?"

"If you would just give Capaldi a chance - hmph." Lilith stroked their hands through the air to calm themself. "Blake.”

“Lil....”

Orion, give me strength.

“...lith,” Blake finished, his face the picture of forced innocence. The picture of a smug shithead. 

Lilith exhaled. “Forget about hanging out with us. Forget about the dinners. No one missed your ‘plain pasta with salt’ anyway.”

“Harsh.”

“But stop. Taking. Advantage. Of. Rex,” Lilith said. “The only reason Madame A brought back the pairs projects is because there’s an even number of us this year. Thanks to you. Which means the extra work you’re dumping on Rex is double your fault.”

“You don’t give Rex enough credit.” Blake’s tone was disarmingly sharp. Accusatory, even. “If she had a real problem with me, she’d tell me herself. In fact, didn’t it occur to you that maybe she prefers not having to work with me? Do you think I didn’t see those looks all three of you gave each other when Madame A set the pairs?”

Guilt spilled over from the pot of emotions bubbling in Lilith’s gut. Had Blake really just made a series of good, morally impressive points?

“So. How about you shut up, leave me be, and stop trying to be everybody’s hero?” Blake looked nauseated, as though the word ‘hero’ had tasted like petrol on his tongue.

The guilt was abruptly washed away in a tide of anger. The least useful of the emotions, and the very last one you should bring into a conversation with Blake Forte.

Lilith turned away. For a few seconds, they were fully intent on just walking out of the library and leaving Blake’s words hanging, untouched, in the air. But before they could get through the door, they turned back around.

“Fuck you.” They wished their tone hadn’t been so gentle and matter-of-fact. They might as well have just told Blake that the weather was nice today. 

But they were still kind of relieved that they’d said it.

Blake had just leaned down to pick his book up from the floor. “Hey, Forrester, remind me - what page was I on, again?”

[angstyaches]

Femme-ish Picrew dump ✨

Picrew Maker

[angstyaches]

okay so i’ve been staring at that list for ages and it’s stressing me tf out because i want to know everything about everyone so here’s the thing : you pick! 🍄

Okay, I decided to go for 🏹 for the main StW cast (the three babies + the Aldridges). The inspiration for the OCs-sitting-in-a-room-together-answering-questions format is from @hold-him-down! I love what they do with these ask games.

Ask Game

🏹- For a talent they wish they had

___ Shayne and Charlie and Rin ___

Shayne grunts under his breath. "I just... I just wish I was able to do that thing that Charlie does."

Charlie starts as though he wasn't expecting to hear his own name in all of this. "Wait, what thing? What do I do?"

"That... thing you do with your eyes and your mouth when you look at me sometimes. The thing that makes my stomach flip, but, like, in a really nice way."

"My eyes and my mouth," Charlie mumbles, confused.

Rin's eyes widen as it dawns on her. "Wait, are you talking about smiling?!"

"Yeah. That. What about you guys?"

"I..." Charlie blinks, still reeling a bit. "I'm not sure this counts as a talent - just like I'm not sure smiling counts as a talent -"

Shayne rolls his eyes.

"But I've always loved the idea of lucid dreaming," Charlie goes on. "My dreams are always so vivid, and even though they're sometimes terrifying, it... it would be really cool if I could properly explore the worlds my mind creates for me." He laughs, but it sounds a little dry. "It seems like a bit of a waste otherwise, honestly."

Rin twists the ends of her hair and stares at the floor. "I also wish I could do something that Charlie does."

Charlie raises his eyebrows. Shayne sits forward slightly to see her better.

"You have telekinesis," she says breathlessly. "You can levitate. And - yes, I know, being possessed can suck sometimes, but... I wish I had some kind of supernatural ability. Partly because it would be really cool." She grins at both of them, but quickly drops it again. "But also because it'd be really validating to be set apart from other humans, because... because I don't feel like one of them. If I could prove to myself that I am different, with something like that, it... it wouldn't feel as lonely."

Shayne hums under his breath. Charlie reaches over to squeeze her hand.

"Sorry," she laughs. "I didn't mean to bring the mood down. And I'm sorry I didn't say I wanted your talent, Shayne, because yours seems... well, you know."

"Nope," Shayne murmurs. "That's fair enough, Rin."

“And what would you choose?” Charlie asks softly. “If you could pick a supernatural talent?”

She twirls the end of her hair again, only waiting a second before looking at Charlie and saying, “Mindreading.”

___ Felix and Elliott, Ryan and Nancy ___

“Hmm.” Elliott folds his arms and looks deep in thought. The question is rhetorical, but he’s taking it as seriously as he would if it were a genuine offer. “I suppose I would want invisibility.”

“Really?” Felix asks.

“Yes. Ever since I’ve improved my bat-travelling, I’ve found myself wishing that I could remain in my... foggy-bat state a little longer, just to observe my surroundings a little more carefully before I manifest.” Elliott shrugs. “And now that I think about it, being able to turn invisible on command would achieve the same effect that I want.”

Felix blinks. “Interesting.”

"What would you want, Fee?"

"Nope." Felix shakes his head adamantly. "I don't want anything else. Being a powerless, semi-immortal half-vamp suits me just fine, thank you very much. I do not feel the need for anything flashy or mysterious or spooky." He realises he’s said all of these words like they're insults, and then looks sheepishly at his partner and his guardians. "Sorry. N-no offence."

"None taken?" Nancy answers somewhat doubtfully.

"It doesn't have to be supernatural, boo,” Elliott tells him. “It can be anything."

"Oh." Felix's eyes turn dull for a moment as he thinks. Then he snaps his fingers. "I've always wanted to be able to make my own macarons!"

"You scoff at the notion of vampiric gifts," Ryan says dully, "but jump at the prospect of creating puffy French cookies?"

"Yes." Felix looks her square in the eye. "They're notoriously finicky, Ryan. Notoriously."

Ryan holds up her hands as though she’s surrendering. She leans back in her chair and folds her arms, fingers drumming against her elbow. “I suppose my administrative talents have not always been the most elegant. There are potentially hundreds of hours of work that I’ve done over the years that was proven to be pointless, due to my failure to properly record and retain the essential information.”

“Boring,” Felix mumbles, almost inaudibly. He’s still sulking.

“Well, I’ve always indulged the idea of being a potter,” Nancy says, her eyes brightening. “I’d love to use my hands and my imagination to create the most beautiful vases and drinkware, but I’ve always been extremely clumsy when it comes to anything that doesn’t concern magic.” She blushes a little and looks at Ryan. “I suppose you think that’s a rather silly wish.”

“On the contrary, love,” Ryan reassures her. “The craftsmanship you speak of produces practical items, the beauty and function of which can last for generations, if properly cared for. Macarons, on the other hand, require a great deal of time and labour, and are then demolished and digested within seconds.”

Elliott grimaces and reaches over to pat Felix on the shoulder as the smaller boy clenches his fists.

[angstyaches]

freshly introduced to ryan elliot : freaking out bc ryan went out of the room with a Grim Face when he accidentally said something gay

ryan in the adjacent room : getting kissed senseless by her wife “maybe we should adopt him i think we’re ready”

we ignore the part where said man goes on a killing rampage like 5 mins later bc we love him 🍄

YESSS, god, I love every part of this!!

[angstyaches]

ooh can you please tell us more lore about nancy and ryan’s life together? just funny stuff / slice of life / early days things? i’d love to know more about that!!🍄

CW (because of course I would be incapable of writing fluffy headcanons without the need for content warnings lmao): hunger and nausea mentions, species-related food intolerance.

_

Back when they first met, Nancy was a disgraced witch who had been cast out of the magic academy where she'd intended on becoming a professor. Ryan was a recently-identified Elder, and was lying low so as not to attract the attention of stronger Elders and their clans, as she was still young/weak and had nobody protecting her. She was also low-key on the hunt for her missing brother, but easily became distracted from that when she started to fall for Nancy.

Their early days are the embodiment of this very specific meme where two chameleons are lesbians/wlw, but neither one can work out if the other is a lesbian/wlw, so they both just die and become skeletons... (if I come across the meme/video again, I'll link it here lmao)

Basically, if they didn't both have regenerative powers and/or immortality, it's likely that they would never have gotten together. Because it would have taken them too long to figure out that they were attracted to each other.

They can never accurately tell the story of how they eventually got together, because they can never agree on who came on to who first, who picked up on whose signals and when, etc. Asking them how they got together is one of the quickest ways to make them end up in an argument.

I think I've spoken a lot about how Nancy was working in a 50s-style diner at the time, and even though human food played absolute havoc with Ryan's stomach, she kept coming in and forcing herself to eat and drink menu items so she could have an excuse to be there.

She'd usually play it relatively safe by ordering black coffee, or the occasional pastry, but occasionally, Nancy would looked concerned and say something like, "Oh, is that all... ?" And Ryan, due to sucking at social cues and feeling desperate to blend into human society, would be like, "Uh, no, of course not, I will also have a steak and a some nachos...?"

Even though black/white/grey is Ryan's beloved colour palette, she noticed how brightly Nancy used to dress/accessorise at that time, and began wearing a pop of red every day. A red scarf, or a red ribbon in her hair (which was down to her waist at the time!!), or a red tie on her shirt.

Conversely, Nancy also noticed Ryan's fashion choices, and began to make efforts to look more sophisticated at work. For example, she used to wear her hair in two bouncy pigtails, but started tying it in a single low ponytail.

Nancy's first observation about Ryan was that she looked like a black-and-white photo come to life.

Nancy often used to start work without eating breakfast, and end up working through her lunch break, so there were multiple occasions where Ryan heard her stomach growling during her shifts.

There were also times when Ryan was starved for blood, and looking like Grade A Shit as she sat at her regular table.

There was a period of a few months in which Nancy knew for certain that Ryan was a vampire, but Ryan didn't know that Nancy knew. So during this time, she'd see Ryan looking frighteningly pale and weak, wishing that she could offer her what she needed, but knowing there was no way to do that without revealing what she knew.

The first time Nancy cracked and asked Ryan if she needed to drink some blood, there would have been a conversation something like:

Ryan: Wait, you know?!

Nancy: Yes, of course I know! How stupid do you think I am?

Ryan: Well...

Nancy: Oh my goodness, don't you dare finish that thought!

Their first kiss was in the rain. It didn't last very long because Nancy doesn't like the rain.

Their first shared lover was a woman who Ryan had already been seeing (for both recreational and feeding purposes). Nancy happened to be around when Ryan had plans to meet up with this woman, and it all just sort of naturally happened. Afterwards Ryan and Nancy were both just kinda like "Huh. Okay. That works. Let's make this a thing."

Ryan was endlessly impressed by even the smallest things Nancy would do, like produce a little glowing light to see in the dark. It used to make Nancy extremely excited and flustered when Ryan would keep going on about how amazing she was; particularly because with Ryan's deadpan voice and articulate way of speaking, it was hard not to take what she said as objective truth.

[angstyaches]

don't know if you've established this yet but what are you're stw ocs' sexuality's

Anon, I have not established them, but you are currently my favourite person for asking! You have no idea how much I've wanted to make a post like this. It just felt weird to post it out of context, but now that someone's actually asked... 👀

Shayne: bisexual. demisexual/gray ace

Charlie: gay

Rin: asexual, aromantic

Felix: bisexual

Elliott: gay

Kazu: straight

Mitsuko: straight

Asher: gay

Ryan: pansexual

Nancy: lesbian

[angstyaches]

Picrew