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cross your heart && hope to die

[An August catch-all! Please note that Nancy has been cursed to compelled to tell the truth. This curse lasts until she reveals 3 things that she never would have otherwise, or until the next full moon (Aug 29). Please mention if a thread occurs AFTER the 29th as for now, she's defaulting to cursed.

Lots of fun. Please see these lovely starters, and check the comment section for a few starters. Want something specific? you know where to find me (

sheakespeare).]

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Option A
The day after Lammas, Nancy woke up like any other day. She fed her cat, had some coffee and cooked up a bit of bacon to keep her hangover at bay. Today was supposed to be like any other day, grab a few bottles of Blood Replenisher to give to Cooper, more VT for her, and maybe stop by a local cafe to read for a while. And everything was going just great.

At least, until she got to the apothecary. When she was asked how she was doing, instead of just saying 'alright' and moving on like any normal person would do, she found herself looking at him and saying, "I'm bloody hungover and I don't know what just happened." But she'd said those words, even if they weren't the ones she wanted to. Blinking, she tried again, but the results were the same. Even after a third time.

"Fine, just ring me up I can tell you're impatient and think I'm crazy." He gave her a look, but rang up her purchases. Nancy was only too glad to get out of there.

Once on the street, that's where she was able to take stock of herself. Putting her bags down, she leaned against the wall. "Alright, Nancy. What's going on with you? This isn't like you." And that was the first of many incidents that day, where she thought one thing, and wound up saying something entirely else. Something, she found, that was true, and only occurred when she was lying.

Someone had cursed her. And she still had to run errands.

Option B

Nancy was determined not to let this curse keep her from working. So here she was, another night, another bar, dolled up. Whenever she approached men, however, she still couldn't, try as she might, even dance around telling the truth.

She sounded desperate, awful, and her game was at an all-time-low. At this rate, she'd have to ask Fagin for money, and he was notoriously tight with his purse strings. The only thing worse than that would be asking someone like Killian to help her out. Completely unacceptable.

Another failed solicitation, and the bartender finally nodded to the bouncer. said bouncer, who had once happily checked Nancy's ID, marched over to the petite girl and promptly informed her that this bar had no room for prostitutes, and she was therefore banned from the establishment for the rest of forever.

Shoulders sagging forward, Nancy trekked through London, trying to keep her tears at bay. Tonight, she decided, she was just going to walk home. Usually, she'd find herself at Fagin's, pouring herself a drink of gin on nights like tonight. But seeing the old man would only be a disaster tonight. Besides, she needed some time to think to herself.

Option C

If anyone has cared to notice, it's been a few days since Nancy'd been seen around London, or even responded to any sort of texts or anything. Her phone is off, and she's more than happy to spend her time right now sitting on the couch with her cat in her lap and read. Reading would lead to drinking and watching television, or even practicing videogaming but all the same, the fact remained she was lonely. Lonely and bored. First July kept her in the house for the Hunt, and now August had her nearly unable to open her mouth at all to have any sort of normal human interaction.

And, when it was feeling like it was going to be impossible to ever lift the curse, she started researching. She had a few books hidden away from when she lived at the Den, and poured over them, attempting to find a solution to her problem.

Option D
Wild Card. Make your own prompt.

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Cooper had a standing invitation to stay at Nancy's, while he was recovering from fae blood. Not exactly the safest thing, considering he'd been planning on draining her dry, but it was still Nancy's decision, and he was her friend. She needed to help him.

Which meant when he was craving, she'd go to the apothecary again to bring back more replenishers and vt. It was only her second trip that month, and returned back to find Cooper where she'd left him with the pizza.

"I grabbed you more Blood Replenishers like you wanted, and I got myself some VT because I care about you, but I don't trust you." Immediately, she dropped the bag to the couch and slapped both hands over her mouth. "Oh gods. Cooper. I'm so sorry."

"All alone, are we?" Balem said, stepping out from behind the corner of a building, his footsteps eerily silent, "You don't look overly joyful. Is something the matter?"

Not because he actually cares, but because he wants to know if Circle Midnight had the tar beaten out of them in a magic war or something like that.

The arrival of one handsome and increasingly creepy fae caught Nancy off-guard and she stopped in her tracks. Oh, Cephei.

"I am-" she winces at her words and knows what's coming even before the words cross her lips. "Yes, there is something the matter I just got kicked out of a bar for soliciting." Which brought her to her next point: "I can't say what I want to. something's making me say all this."

"Oh, dear, looks like you've been cursed," he said, "I knew I sensed something strange in the air. Do you know who did it?"

"I have no idea. no witch enemies, only Redbright but she thinks I'm a girl named Emma." compulsion to tell the truth meant that she was often over sharing.

"I don't know who could have done this or why. this would backfire on Fagin if he is behind it."

For the first few days, Cooper had been all but insensible. He'd been laid up, sleeping heavily during the days, and going through withdrawal symptoms at night. Shivering night sweats seemed to be the order of the day. He'd talked too, sometimes to Nancy and sometimes to people that weren't there. A name that kept popping up was Stefan and Cooper seemed to keep apologizing over and over for failing him.

When the worst of it had passed, he'd woken up looking like death. The first order of business had been to take a shower and get some blood replenisher into him. Afterwards, he'd started feeling more like himself again, albeit a version weak as a kitten. He and Nancy hadn't really gotten a chance to talk beyond a few cursory words.

Currently, he was laid up on the couch, a slice of pizza half-eaten in front of him. He frowned at Nancy's words, folding his arms over his lanky frame. "You don't trust me? I'm not the one that poisoned their supposed friend!"

"No, no, I doubt it's him if you know any of his secrets," Balem said, because while the fae also couldn't lie they were at least good at keeping their mouths shut and making sure hidden things stay hidden, "Has anyone else been similarly affected, that you know?"

Nancy had spent the past weeks pushing her sleeping habits closer and closer to nocturnal for Cooper's sake. She couldn't leave him, she knew, and had relied on the kindness of some of the boys to help her out with groceries. They were always happy to help her out.

Juliet, for her part, was under strict instructions not to leave Nancy's bedroom, and was taking her food with vt in case of the worst. The cat wasn't happy about it, but she'd settled into a routine as well.

It was only recently she felt that she could take off. Take off and, well, speak to him. But even that was just paltry nothings. And now? Now she was cursed.

"You were going to drain me. I had to, to save both of us. I was terrified. I-" She swallowed, oh gods, this curse couldn't have come at a worse time. Wincing again, the words came out. "I- I'm so sorry. I thought you were going to kill me!"

Even Nancy couldn't proclaim to know that much about Fagin, outside of her immediate reality. She knew what he was to her, and to others like her. She knew his business. She'd never wanted to know more.

"None," she shook her head.

[continuing from here.]

--

When Kenzi knocks at her door, Nancy's already opening it, throwing her arms around her friend. "Kenzi- I'm so scared I can't stop!" She was shaking in her bare feet probably crushing the tinier girl.

"I'm cursed. I was kicked out of Five Swans, I have to avoid Stiles, and- I can't even work! Who would curse me?" She pulled back for a moment, her eyes red and puffy. Any makeup she had on had long since run down her raw cheeks. Her curls fell limply, and even Nancy was reduced to wearing sweat-pants and an over-sized t-shirt, alcohol on her breath. It was safe to say, she looked like a train had run her over a few times.

Without waiting for any indication that Kenzi understood, she grabbed the other girl's wrist and pulled her into the apartment, slamming the door behind her and dragging her to the couch.

"Nancy, isn't it?" Speaking of errands, Faust had one or two of his own to deal with today. Perhaps running into one of Fagin's contacts was providence. He looked around in case anyone was listening, but as was often the case in the big city... well, no one really was.

"I need to talk to you. Or rather, to him. My shipment arrived -- dead. There's no way I'll be able to use any of it for my craft."

"Yes it is," she said, turning on her heel to face Faust. Oh, no. He didn't look happy. At all. And she had no choice but to continue the conversation.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Doctor Faust." And she was. "I wish I could do something about it." She couldn't, it was completely out of her hands to begin with.

"It could just be someone having a little fun and choosing a random target," he said, "Imps and pixies and the like are rather prone to that type of behavior. Are you simply barred from lying, or are you compelled to speak even if you'd rather not?"

"compelled." she didn't even have to think about it. this curse didn't give her the same luxury as the Fae, who could simply choose to remain quiet. "it's going to bugger everything up."

Kenzi came over right away, and it's pretty clear she was in the middle of a hair experiment because there is a smell of fresh bleach and dye. Those colored extensions don't make themselves. Her fingernails are all completely purple.

"Okay, okay - " Kenzi could only manage that much as Nancy ran on and pulled her to the couch. This was new. And very awful.

"What the hell happened?"

First things first.

"Did you know this would happen?" His voice was little more than a whisper. "You did, didn't you? That's why you were acting so... odd."

He should have recognized the signs; this sort of thing had happened before. But he'd been too tired, too off his game.

She can't even tell Kenzi what's up yet. No, she has to address the smell and the nails and oh gods, "I'm sorry I brought you away from something. Next time you should wear gloves." Oh. Well, that was a lot better than she expected.

"I haven't been able to lie! I have to tell the truth! Cephei says it's a curse. I don't know who would have done this and I'm terrified, Kenzi." She'd been in sticky places with everyone she'd spoken to so far, kicked out of bars, on the verge of ruining everything in her life against her will. "You're the only person I trust."

"I thought it might." She took a step back, nearly catching her heel in a crack in the cobblestones. "Fagin's not the sort of man you can trust not to pull one over on you. He doesn't care about the people, just the money he's making." Selfish devil.

"He'll care about this," Faust said. The words were half-hiss, half-exhalation. "He'll pay for this. I'll make sure of it."

This was more of a business transaction than a personal vendetta -- if it had somehow involved his wife, he would have devoted all his resources to the task. But as it was, he was content with the goal of simply costing Fagin what he'd cost Faust. Maybe by picking off a few of his associates. Or employees.

His gaze lit on Nancy's face and suddenly changed. "You're cursed."

He should know. It was one of his specialties.

If the increase in her palor didn't give her away, her words did, even as she took another step back. "N-n-yes."

The way he was looking at her was far from comforting.

"A shame. I'm rather used to simply staying quiet," he said, and he wasn't afraid to admit that because you didn't get to fifty-thousand without having a few secrets, "It's difficult to undo another fae's curse, but if you wanted to make a deal..."

"Did he do it...? But that wouldn't make much sense, would it? Hobbling someone under that loathsome wing of his." Not the biggest fan of Fagin right now, this guy.

He could take it out out of Nancy, maybe. His payment. But would that really serve his ends? His expression slowly cleared.

"...I think we might be able to help each other."

"No." Nancy ahd a feeling the word would have come out just as strong had she not been cursed. "I don't make deals with fae. Not after my mother sold her first-born to Fagin." Something lifted in Nancy, despite the words bringing about a look of horror on her face.

The first secret was revealed.

She didn't trust him, blinking warily at him. "He didn't do it." She knew too much.

"How? I don't trust you." But since when did Nancy trust many people? None of this should have been news to Faust. "I told him to take extra care of your plants. Exactly how to do it."

Well, to be fair, did anyone really trust Faust. Probably not a good idea.

"I understand. And I can't make any guarantees. However, if you'd be willing to tell me a few things about your employer, I'd be happy to assess your condition. Maybe even reverse it. Dark magic is one of my specialties, you see."

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cross your heart && hope to die

while you're out there getting high (Cooper)

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one more night to wonder why (Kenzi)

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Last time on the Kenzi & Nancy Adventures!

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