Who: Nancy (+ Temperance) and Ace What: A ghost stirring up drama and trouble. When: Sunday Oct 30 Where: Nancy’s House Rating: low Warning: Will add if something comes up.
Nancy had been keeping herself slightly busy as an excuse to avoid having a serious discussion on what Ace had seen in her apartment. It wasn’t like she could really go into details to explain everything he may have seen or the bits that made sense. Made her thankful that most of it was a jumbled mess, which didn’t help at all when someone was looking at without knowing the story. Still, Nancy had more than enough excuses to avoid the awkward conversation with her having to avoid certain questions and answers. Only she had run out of excuses, forcing her to finally text Ace about coming over with coffee and to hang out.
She had made sure the apartment was clean of all research the night before. Only Nancy had a different surprise the morning she was expecting him, and it wasn’t a good one. The voice had put Nancy on edge, hoping she was just losing it. Much better than the alternative with Temperance actually being in town. This town did not need that woman running around here.
Ignoring and trying to pass it off as her head playing tricks, Nancy had went into the living room dressed in jeans and a top. Sighing and hoping for the best with this discussion. Reaching for the handle, the figure out of the corner of her eyes caused her to jump, redrawing her hand rather quickly from the handle. “What the hell?” She hissed quietly as if Ace would hear through the door or at least that’s who she figured was on the other side. “Your guess is as good as mine,” Temperance said, looking confused as well. “Nope, not doing this,” she said firmly, refusing to let Temperance cause more problems.
Opening the door, she smiled and ignored the smile that came across Temperance’s face at the sight of Ace. “Looks like I arrived at the perfect time,” Nancy could hear the glee, ignoring to focus on Ace. “You want to come in?” She asked, tuning Temperance out or trying to anyway.
Ace held up a paper bag. “I brought bagels?” If Ace noticed it took her longer than usual to answer the door, he didn’t seem to let on. He thought maybe he heard some talking, but Nancy sometimes talked to herself when she was figuring things out. He did notice she looked a little off when answering the door, though.
“Everything okay?” He stepped in. Maybe someone had phoned her and gave her bad news? He wasn’t sure what else it could be unless, maybe, she was having bad dreams or something.
Had this been anyone else Nancy wouldn’t even be questioning whether she should tell the individual about how she was seeing what she figured was a ghost. Had to be to explain the whole sitting right here in her kitchen because no way would she let the woman even in her apartment. But the individual would think she was losing it. Ace wouldn’t do that, but Nancy knew he’d be worried, especially since he knew some of Temperance had done back in their own world.
“He does look better alive than lying dead on the ground,” Temperance added in a tone as if she was mentioning the weather outside. That comment caused Nancy to tense up, trying to focus on the question that was just asked by him. “Uhh, that’s really debatable right now,” she admitted. If Temperance was going to be here, making snide little comments, then she was going to have no other option than be honest with Ace….well, honest to a certain degree. “All I’ll say is the dome doesn’t like to take a break.” Nancy stepped to the side and let him in before remembering his comment about bagels that went to the side with her focus on the ghost. “Oh, and I’ll always open the door for bagels.” And for him, but she kept that thought to herself.
Ace wasn’t sure he believed Nancy and there was just the slightest of pauses before he nodded and took a step in saying, “Okay.” Nancy was obviously not telling him something, but for now Ace wasn’t going to push. It didn’t feel like she was in danger so he probably didn’t need to push, right?
He put the bag on the counter and took off his coat - it was getting cool out now in October. “So…” It felt weird to just ask about what he’d seen before going into the Upside Down to find her. He had tried to bring it up a few times, but Nancy had always seemed to dodge the question. “...Any new cases lately?”
Nancy hated this and by this she meant….well there were a lot of things she was hating right now. She hated the dome, hated the awkwardness between her and Ace, hated how many lies kept piling up between her and Ace, and hated how Temperance was right here standing and getting some sick pleasure of taunting her. When did she catch a break? Out of everything, she could handle all of it other than the awkwardness between her and Ace.
He was her rock whether he knew that or not and the idea of there being any tension between them was not something she could handle. Closing the door, she shot a look in the direction of Temperance who only smiled, moving to stand near Ace. “Curious which is more likely to happen,” she taunted, knowing only Nancy could hear, “you get him killed or you push him away that you lose him from your life. Any guesses?”
Nancy tensed up, biting her bottom lip. No, she wasn’t about to let Temperance enjoy this or get the upper hand even as a ghost. Nancy couldn’t tell Ace everything, but she sure as hell could tell him about the ghost. It’d be one less lie or secret that she was keeping from him. “Personally? I wouldn’t really call it a case. Work? Yes, I have a few. How are things going with your job?” She asked before shaking her head. They didn’t do the awkward small talk, it wasn’t their thing and she hated awkward small talk. “We need to talk, Ace. I think you should sit down before I tell you what the dome is up to right now.” Nancy fought the urge to smirk at Temperance’s reaction at trying to figure out what was going on.
She trusted Ace more than anyone, and she knew he would believe her about who was in the room. He always believed in her even before the dome and them really knowing about ghosts so she figured it’d be the same here.
He blinked when she asked about his job. He wasn’t sure what he should say considering he worked retail at an art shop and occasionally helped to cater events. It seemed though that the question was short-lived though and now they needed to talk. “Okay…” He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to feel about all this as he sat down, but he couldn't help thinking he had done something wrong. A sliver of worry began to worm its way through Ace as he took sat there, though he managed to do a good job of sitting there neutral while looking at Nancy.
“Is everything okay?” This was the most important thing to ask.
Nancy was not sure who she was more pissed with at the moment. The dome for whatever this was with Temperance, Temperance for being here and everything else, or herself for how awkward she was being. Then again in her defense, Nancy was still trying to figure out the play behind bringing Temperance here and in ghost form. Not that she was going to complain about that. Ghost form was better than with her able to cause trouble, knowing full well the woman would have no issue causing problems around here. At least, the dome did something right if it had to bring her by making it in a ghost form.
“Sorry, I know I’m being odd,” she admitted with a sigh. Ace was the last person who she ever wanted to be awkward around and yet, here she was doing exactly that. “Depends on your definition of okay,” Her eyes looking over at Temperance who had a smile on her face that Nancy didn’t like at all. Right now wishing she could read minds to know what the woman was thinking. Turning her eyes back on Ace, she pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear. “You know how the dome loves to cause trouble, and surprise us in both good and bad ways? Not really sure the why, how, or any of those questions, but Temperance is here,” nodding her head in the direction of where Temperance was. “I get the joy of having to hear, see, and deal with her.”
Hoping that explained some of the awkwardness that was coming from Nancy right now.
Ace looked around the room as if he could now suddenly see her since he knew she was there. He realized after doing it that it was a stupid move, but it had been instinct. Then Ace’s brow furrowed in typical Ace concern while he tried to figure out the why and how just as much as Nancy was trying to do. “Okay… well that’s a little concerning.” The fact that Nancy could see her and he couldn’t either meant that Temperance was purposefully hiding herself from him or that this was some targeted ghosting by the Dome. Ace wasn’t sure which one was better.
“Are we sure she’s not dangerous in ghost form?” Could witches do spells as ghosts? He had no idea if that was possible or not, but it was definitely disconcerting. Then Ace realized he wasn’t focusing on the most important part. He looked at Nancy again and his expression softened. “Are you okay?” It couldn’t be easy for her.
Nancy looked right in the direction of where Temperance was when Ace looked around the room, shooting her a glare when the woman seemed amused by the whole thing. Of course she was. Once again she had the power in a way. She already made it where Nancy couldn’t say anything to him, and now she was here haunting her, thanks to the dome because it was the only reason she could see, which once again Nancy couldn’t do anything. Then again could any of the ways to rid a place of ghosts work when the dome brought them? It was a good question that might be worth testing out.
“”I have no idea. Not sure if this dome knows what it did by bringing her,” she said, hating as Temperance lingered near Ace. Her eyes watching the ghost more than Ace, feeling very uncomfortable after what the woman had done to have her near the man that she loved. It didn’t seem like she could actually do anything; however, the thought was still in her mind of how if anyone would find a way, it’d be Temperance. “While it could change after what I did to her, she never came at me head on. It was always people around me who I cared about.” Her eyes glanced at Ace as she said it before snapping them away when she realized she did that without thinking. “Such a shame he’ll never know how much you love him. Maybe now you can move on from this nobody.” Nancy wanted to explode, hating that anyone was calling Ace a nobody. He wasn’t and he would never be to her. Watching her hands move near him. “Don’t you touch him!” She said with more bite than she meant, but Temperance was hitting buttons on her that were off limits.
Was she okay? “I don’t know,” she said with a sad chuckle, admitting to him something she probably wouldn’t if it was anyone else. Her track record of dealing with things on her own and bottling up her feelings was well known to people. This was different, it was hurting and she couldn’t help but open up to Ace even for a moment.. “I have no idea how long she’ll be here or what she might be capable of in this form. Other than that, it seems she can’t touch anyone. Still, I can’t have her hurt you…or anyone else.” Her concern was more on Ace and she was hoping for once he was off his game to where he didn’t catch that.
The outburst of ‘Don’t you touch him’ almost startled Ace. It was definitely a surprise. While he was listening to the rest of her conversation, Ace stood up, then once she finished speaking, pulled her into a tight hug. Yes, there were worries. Yes, he knew it sucked. He wanted Nancy to stop any downward spiral she was currently having.
“We’ll figure this out.” He spoke, then finally pulled back. Realizing he was standing too close, he took an extra step back after. “She wants to get under your skin. Don’t give her the satisfaction.”
Even though Nancy knew on some level the ghost wouldn’t be able to touch him, she still hated the idea of Temperance even trying. But of course, she wanted to get under Nancy’s skin and she had allowed the woman. Her arms wrapped around him, feeling better for a brief moment, and he had made the spiral that was going on in her head stop. That was until Temperance spoke, knowing Nancy could only hear her. “Should we take a guess on how he’s going to die?” That question caused Nancy to tense up against his body, pulling back.
A hug wouldn’t start it, right? No, it was just two friends with one caring about the other. As if thinking that would make it so the hex didn’t somehow start. “Bit late for that. She knows the buttons to push,” she told him, and all of them involved him. No point in hiding it because Temperance already knew considering she was doing a great job of it. “I know we need to talk, but I have a favor to ask of you,” her eyes glanced over at Temperance before moving over to the counter. Tearing a piece of paper out of a notebook, she kept it so Temperance couldn’t see anything even if she did come over. Ignore the coffee idea. See about ways to get rid of a ghost just in case the dome tries to make this permanent. I’ll keep her busy.. Folding it up, she held it out. “Could you go get me a coffee? I’m going to need it and I have some things I need you to pick up on this list.” Even if Temperance knew she was lying, it wasn’t like she could do anything…hopefully. Though Nancy was being careful in case she found a way since it wouldn’t surprise her at all if Temperance did.
Ace read it like he was creating her order. He nodded and looked up. “If they don’t have regular milk, I’ll get you almond.” Thankfully Ace was adaptable and not a terrible liar. Plus he figured if he was around, Temperance was probably either making comments or threatening him, not that he was aware of how real those threats were.
“I’ll be back later, okay? And I’ll even make sure the coffee is still hot.” He gave her a smile he hoped read ‘things will be okay’. He even defiantly looked in the direction Nancy had last glared. “Hope to never see you again Temperance.” He nodded again before turning to leave while pocketing the note.