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aceofnace · 10 months

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Nancy’s Feelings for Ace

Nancy told Ace that the first time she realized she had feelings for him was during the dreamscape with the wraith, because that was her official “oh” moment, but as a viewer we know she had feelings for him long before that, even if she didn’t know it. The first real signs for us were her obvious jelly feelings as she watched Ace flirt with Amanda in 2x07 and her mind immediately jumping to Ace when she heard the sentence “the one with the pretty eyes” in 2x08. But really, it goes even further back than that.

Nick asking Ace in the last episode if it was ever really only friendship and nothing more between him and Nancy got me thinking back to the very beginning. And to be honest, I don’t think it ever was only friendship. For either one of them.

We know now that Ace had a crush on Nancy in high school. So naturally, when she started working at The Claw, that crush returned right away (even if he also had a crush on Bess at the time). And we know Nancy met Nick and it was lust at first sight and she immediately embarked on a physical relationship with him soon after. This all happened before the show began. What else happened before the show began and it’s one of the first things Nancy tells us about Ace when her narration introduces us to him?

The smoke break.

Upon first viewing, it feels like an unimportant throwaway line. A piece of information that could just as easily have been left out. But it wasn’t. Why? Because I think that smoke break, a moment we’ve never gotten to see, was when Nancy’s feelings for Ace actually started.

Think about it for a second. We know that Nancy has always found Ace attractive. When she hears the term “pretty eyes”, she’s like “Who, Ace?” When she’s under the spell of a lust dress, she lets it slip out that she’s always imagined how soft his hair would be. In as early as episode 1x02, she’s placing a hand on his shoulder for no reason while she talks and she doesn’t let go until she’s done. He may not have necessarily been on her radar in high school like she was on his, but he certainly was as soon as she started working at The Claw.

So, now that we have obvious physical attraction out of the way, that smoke break. We know very little about it. The most of what we do know about it is made up from the minds of countless fans who’ve written their own fan fic version of it (myself included). But the one canon thing about it, the thing Nancy told us herself, was that he didn’t judge her for tanking her grades after her mom died. And how did he even know about that? Because she told him.

Nancy Drew, who at the start of the show was the queen of high emotional walls who didn’t like divulging personal information to anyone, divulged some pretty personal information to this boy she barely knew (and even though it’s never discussed again, there’s a pretty good chance that wasn’t the only smoke break they ever spent together). Meanwhile, she was hooking up with Nick and even sorta calling herself his girlfriend, but any time he tried to get her to open up and talk about anything, she shut him down immediately.

I feel like this is something that should be discussed more. The fact that she was able to so quickly and comfortably share stuff like this with Ace and nobody else is a huge deal. And in the beginning, it’s completely overlooked because Nancy’s love interest was Nick, and then after they broke up, Owen was next in line. For most of season one, she did not outwardly show any significant interest in Ace as anything more than a stranger–turned–co-worker–turned–sleuthing buddy–turned–close friend. But that interest was there.

And why wouldn’t it be? As I already mentioned, Nancy was always physically attracted to Ace. She knew from before the show began that he was a good listener and easy to talk to. And then early on when she learned about his hacking abilities, she saw how smart he was. Soon after that, she learned how loyal and dedicated he was. The boy risked his entire future to break her father out of prison, and he did so without her even asking him to. He willingly drank what could’ve been poison to prove she was right and to keep her from getting arrested. Every time she called, he answered. Every time she needed help or needed a favor, he delivered. How could she not possibly fall for him?

So, she did fall for him. Most likely even in season one. It was evident during the library scene where they were reading Ryan and Lucy’s emails out loud. Hearing Ace say things like “I think I love you too” and “I want to be with you, I don’t care what anyone else says” made her feel something, hence the look the two of them share afterward. But here’s the thing: if Nancy recognized that feeling at all, she would have shoved it down so far and so fast because that feeling was something real. Something more than she was used to feeling. And that scared her.

Nick was a distraction from the grief over her mother’s death. Owen was also a distraction from that grief, as well as from her break-up with Nick. Ace wasn’t a distraction. He was a friend. A confidant. Someone she could rely on. Someone she could count on under any circumstances. This kind of relationship with a guy was one she wasn’t accustomed to. And she knew that it could someday lead to something more serious—something she most definitely wasn’t ready for.

In 2x10, while under the spell of the lust dress, Nancy theorized out loud that perhaps the dress was intensifying feelings of attraction she already had but was repressing, and she said it while turning and looking directly at Ace. Keep in mind that (somehow) 2x10 in the timeline is not that far from where they were in season one, so to assume those repressed feelings started in season one is not that much of a stretch. And looking back, even starting within the first few episodes of the series, you can clearly see she has always been drawn to him in a very subconscious way. She would always stand so close their arms would almost touch. She would lean closely over his shoulder when he was on his laptop, their faces sometimes only mere inches apart. She would practically bump into him while walking side-by-side. She’s always had this unrealized need to be near him. To be close to him. And he’s the only one. I challenge anyone to find scenes that show her casually existing so closely next to Nick, Owen, Gil, Park or even now Tristan. You can’t. Because they don’t exist.

And this makes sense. Canonically, they are soulmates. And that would explain why Ace could simply see her make a volcano erupt in high school and develop feelings for her. It would explain why since day one, Nancy has had a bond with Ace that she’s never had with anyone else. And I know the writers say that Nace wasn’t the plan from the beginning, and I do believe that, but somehow, they inadvertently set it up perfectly for these characters to end up in the situation they’re in right now: desperately in love and desperate to be together. They are each other’s person. And they always have been from the very start.

To go back to what they were before would just be staying the same. They’ve never been just friends. And the sooner Ace can admit that to himself, the sooner they can get back to trying to break that curse and securing their future together.

#nace #nancy x ace #ace x nancy #nancy drew cw #cw nancy drew

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booklove22 · 11 months

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Ahhhhhhhhh I finally got to watch! I’m just…

WHAT IS THIS FANFICTION???

1) Ace, as suspected, looks very hot in scrubs

2) Bess “parent trapping” Nancy and Ace. Angry Ace telling Nancy that it wasn’t fair to lose their friendship over an almost kiss.

3) Nancy telling literally anyone who will listen that she’s in love with Ace and has been basically non-functioning for the past 5 weeks “I’ve feel like I’ve lost my true north.”

4) Nick telling Nancy how messed up Ace has been and how she “shattered his barometer”

5) Ace getting arrested for the missing bodies and Nancy blaming herself for not solving the case faster

6) Nancy writing Ace’s name on the paper in the bottle to reunite lost lovers/souls mates.

7) The bottle breaking when they almost kissed again (Nancy my god you have no self control!)

8) Ace finding the note with his name later and presumably running god knows how many miles to Icarus Hall, showing up sweaty and panting, and being like “You lied. You have feelings for me.” Right after the lights go out obviously because this episode was FAN FICTION.

9) Them almost kissing again (Jesus Nancy!) but Nancy’s flashlight cracks “we can’t do this” WHY NOT?” “Because you’re cursed.”

#nace #nancy drew #cw nancy drew #nancy x ace #ace [redacted]

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pluckysidekick · 4 months

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Nancy Drew Episode 218: The Echos of Lost Tears

I wrote a little essay about how amazing this episode is for the HAND Discord server, where we’ve been doing brackets for the show’s episodes (the brilliant idea of @binancydrew). But it got kinda long-I had a lot to say 😂. So I’ve posted it here along with a few gorgeous GIFs from some amazing Nancy Drew fan creators (with credits). I hope you enjoy it!

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218 is the zenith of the best season of TV ever, Season 2 of Nancy Drew. The Wraith storyline, hidden in plain sight throughout this incomparable season, comes into focus and allows Nancy to work through her deep trauma and learn to accept all of the parts of herself, even the ones she doesn’t like e.g. Nancy Hudson. And her friends, her soulmates, are there, in real life AND in her dreamscape, to support her, to defend her, and to love her just as she is.

218 is also the culmination of Nancy’s journey to find out what kind of person she wants and needs as a partner in life. We see hints of her being amused by Ace, being attracted to Ace, and increasingly relying on Ace, throughout Seasons 1 and 2. But only in 218 does she finally admit to herself that Ace is her *person*. There’s a reason that in 403 she tells Ace that she knew she had feelings for him when they fought the Wraith.

GIF by @andsjuliet

“You’d been there for me so many times before, but that was…” She was overwhelmed by how supportive Ace was throughout their fight to defeat the wraith, while he asked nothing in return. He tells her “All this time, the wraith made you think there was no separating you from it- you just proved that wrong”*Swoon*. He kept her safe as he drove her to New York in Florence, and held her up when she was weak. He held her hand, and rubbed her back, when she was fighting the wraith. He helped her to stand when they’d defeated it but she was still weak. When Nancy expressed surprise that she was strong enough to hold the trauma, Ace is the one that said, “I think you always were, Nancy,” as he helped her stand up, and with that look between them.

GIF by @nacesource

But 218 also has growth for every character. Bess saying goodbye to Odette, and George’s generous offering of love and friendship to allow them a passionate kiss before Odette goes inside forever, with Lo Moon playing, was so beautiful I want to cry just writing this.

GIF by @booasaur

George takes a huge step forward by proposing to Nick after she hadn’t even wanted to pretend to be his fiancée, and Nick has found someone that loves him for him, and we see him preparing to open the Youth Center. Carson helps Nick to lay Celia to rest, signs away his right to be Nancy’s dad, and invites Ryan to move into the Drew house. An incredible turnaround in their relationship, and the foundation of Dad #1 and Dad #2!

The ending, as heartbreaking as it was that Nancy just missed Ace (for now), Nancy ending the episode claiming herself as a Hudson and deciding to break up the company and provide reparations to Everett’s victims is a powerful statement. And while the wraith is a fantastic supernatural monster, it’s also an amazing metaphor for depression, and feeling a lack of self-worth. Nancy’s breaking up with Gil is so powerful and meaningful for many people who’ve been in difficult relationships.

GIF by @hucklebucket

And so many classic moments! “You drew a fish!” “I hate zebras!” The look between Nancy and Ace at Odette’s antics outside Myrtle’s house- silent communication at its finest. The Myrtle/Temperance reveal! The Dads and knuckleball! And of course, “You weren’t born broken- the only way to heal is to let that pain become love.” “It’s time to kick the monster out of your house.” “Will you hold me?” “I thought you’d never ask.” “Knock ‘em dead”.

GIF by @hucklebucket

Speaking of which, the dreamscape was an amazing sequence technically, writing-wise, and emotionally. The progression through Nancy’s different selves, the support of her friends (George and her crowbar), the realization that she loves Ace and that amazing dream scene at the bluffs (the first almost kiss!). And the way it ties together so many moments from past episodes - tween Nancy and her first big case, her birth at the bluffs, her adoptive mother’s death, the evolution of her relationship with Nick into deep friendship, her low point of the kidnapping of Everett. AND the little touches of everyone wearing outfits from earlier episodes - Ace wearing his 212 outfit e.g. the Grant episode where Nancy saves him at great cost (“I couldn’t lose you”), was a personal favorite touch of mine. All in all, brilliant storytelling, perfectly executed.

GIF by @nancydrewcentral

I haven’t said enough about Ace’s growth. He starts the episode wanting to get away, but not being able to leave Nancy when she’s in trouble. And then he’s the most supportive friend he (or anybody) could be. But he’s loyal, and he doesn’t suspect that Nancy has developed feelings for him yet (remember he thinks it didn’t happen until DetectiveCon). So he is able to put his hurt feelings about Gil aside, and apologize to Amanda, and go on the road trip. But when he tells her “I feel like I left something behind”, while Nancy is simultaneously going to his house to confess her feelings, while “For Me, It’s You” plays- AAAHHHHH. *Weeping*.

GIF by @wandasviz

313 is an amazing episode with iconic scenes, the Nace scenes specifically. I advocated for it as one of the strongest episodes of the latter half of the series. But some fans found the pacing is challenging, and the fakeout deaths of Ryan and Ace (beautifully) painful, and can be hard to rewatch. 313 is a jam packed, excellent episode of television. But 218 is a beautifully constructed, emotional journey for Nancy, the Drew Crew, and her Dads, and a cap to what many, including Kennedy (on Twitter), think is the best season of the show. It’s a superior episode overall from a superior show and fantastic season. Vote 218!

GIF by @drewcrewdaily

#nancy drew #nancy drew cw #nace #ndcw #ace hardy #2x18 #author: pluckysidekick #cwnd #cw nancy drew

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rattacat · 9 months

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Relationships post about Nancy Drew S4

***Warning Spoilers ahead for the whole season up until 410 and theories onward***

After calming down after each episode and looking back at the season as a whole, I know I am in the minority of people who are actually enjoying this season so far and thinking that the writing is BRILLIANT this season. Having said that, here are some thoughts that I have about the relationships going on this season.

The mystery is a whole other topic and I am so intrigued by it. It has so many moving parts I can't quite piece everything together. So I am enjoying that ride as well and can't wait to see how this whole mystery unfolds by the last episode!

**LONG post alert under the cut. Again, spoiler warning for the whole season.**

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Again, I am one of the few people who thinks that the writing this season is brilliant. I know I will probably be attacked for this post but I need to get my thoughts out.

As painful as this season has been to Nace, and believe me I get it, I love how the writers are actually depicting their relationship amongst everyone else's. HERE ME OUT:

This season definitely has the Drew Crew growing up. They are still friends and still there for each other, but they are starting their "adult" lives. At the start of the season, we have Nick still co-owning the Claw, *not sure what is going on with the youth center*, and the whole running for council thing, Bess is in charge of the Historical Society, George still co-owns the Claw and is shadowing Judge Abbot and going to school for law, Nancy has her investigative business, and Ace is an assistant at the Morgue.

With that being said, they have also shifted their friend dynamic to an adult friendship dynamic. With the way that the timeline is depicted in the show, with some episodes taking place over just a single day, I'm not surprised at how some relationships are depicted onscreen. It's very realistic.

I know that a lot of people don't like that Ace always seems to be in the morgue and away from the crew, but he IS the only one with an actual 9-5 job that he can't get away from, so this doesn't actually shock me. This is a job he said he loved in 313 so I can see him not wanting to mess that up. With that, Nick still seems to visit him and check in on him, bringing him lunch and making sure he talks to someone at least once a day and Bess seems to go and visit him occasionally and appears to have a great relationship with Rebecca this season which we hear about but don't actually see. As soon as someone needs him, or calls him, he always helps out still while being at "work" so to me, he isn't as distant as some might think he is. And I don't think that the writers are doing him dirty as some people think either. There is a LOT that happens in an episode and it can feel like he is distant but he really isn't. (we get in him scrubs, I'm NOT complaining about that either!)

He is also still with the crew when he can be! He was with everyone in 402 and 403. He was with Nick at the Claw in 404/405? He was with everyone in rescuing Nancy in 406, playing the game in 407, and obviously the whole of 408, except the last scene. (And while I would have loved if Ace was there for that scene, I also am not mad about him fishing with his dad....more on that phone call later.)

Getting into it:

I love Nancy and Nick's BFF era this season. I also love that Nick seems to be dad #3 of the group and I'm here for it. We start out S1 with them in a relationship which didn't work out and never really had a friendship, so it's nice to see them have one now and get past that awkwardness. Nancy can lean on Nick, she knows this, and he seems to be the only one. Major growth here!

Nick and George: S3 ended with them in a bit of a mess but I am liking where their relationship is kind of headed. George admits that there are some days where it is hard to be friends with Nick but they are working on it and the friendship is growing. The body swap episode (408) proved that. Nick being there for George and her date was a sweet touch. I would love for them to get back together but even if they don't, I'm happy to see George trying with someone and I do love Jade!

Nick and Ace: Living to finally see this friendship. We get snippets of it over the course of the other 3 seasons but now we are finally starting to see it. Nick being there for Ace and hearing him out, giving advice, I love them seeing them together.

Bess and George: I am happy that Bess at least has George fighting on her side this season with Carson. Their friendship really grew and I actually liked that Bess and George said they are best friends, because they are! And yes, while Bess said "Don't tell Ace" and everyone got a little mad, you can have more than one best friend. I do!

Bess and Ace: They are still very much plantachors! They know each other well and they still seem to have a solid friendship even though we aren't seeing it much this season. Like I said before, Bess still seems to visit him in the morgue and she also seems to have a good relationship with Rebecca now which is implying that a lot of their friendship is offscreen this season. In 402, Ace said he went to Bess for moral support about finding out about the curse, and she went to everyone else. So, STILL my favorite plantanchors!

Nick and Bess: I am LOVING this friendship that came out of the past seasons. They are helping each other out a lot this season and Nick is there for Bess still with the whole situation about the Historical Society and the "witch-hunt" storyline. keep it coming!

Nancy and Bess: these two seem to have grown into sisters. They have a great friendship even though we don't see it a lot but they are there for each other in a heartbeat!

Here we go!

Nancy and Ace

Where do I even start? The most epic of slow burn romances out there. There have been so many crumbs over the last 3 seasons all leading up to this!

This is a love for either of them that they have never experienced before. While both Nancy and Ace have had other relationships, they don't even come close to the love that they feel for each other. They have admitted that they are the loves of each other's lives and Nancy admitted that Ace is her person...... That's HUGE.

They have both done so much growing up over the seasons to be able to recognize this. So, this season:

While yes, there is a lot of pain, I believe it actually grew their relationship and the writing is done very well here. Yes, Ace wound up breaking Nancy's heart at the end of 403, but Nancy broke his heart first.

This whole journey after that is them coming back together and trying to figure it out. They don't know what it is like to be "just friends" with each other and we definitely see that. Nick calls Ace out on this and you can see him agreeing! It was never just about friendship for him. Ace admitted that he still wants to be with her more than anything, but watching her almost die in his arms definitely scared him. This isn't a hallucination from Temperance, this was REAL, and Nancy ALMOST died. If Ace looses Nancy, he's losing a piece of himself and he won't know what to do. He finally understood what Nancy went through in that hallucination and understood why she stayed away. That thought is what scares him into running away and giving up because he would rather see her alive and with someone else than risking her life. That whole speech he gives her at the end of 405 was incredibly written, as heartbreaking as it was. He was very openly honest with her here too. He told Nancy that she deserves to be happy and with someone who can love her completely, EVEN THOUGH IT WOULD RIP HIM APART. He was honest!! And Nancy knew that! Nancy still loves him greatly and she doesn't know how to be around him either without those feelings rising to the surface. Everything they have done was for each other, so to take a step back, they don't know how and I think this is beautifully shown up to this point!

They are trying to be just friends, and failing. This is why it is hurt after hurt and the fights we have been seeing all season because there is still too much feeling there. They keep trying to give each other space but winds up being impossible. Ace still helping with the mystery and being part of that friend group is keeping her attached to Ace.

Tristan happened to be in the right place at the right time. While I think there is something more there (mystery pertaining), at this point, yes he is uncomplicated and easy. And NOT cursed. (well, until the sin eater reveal in 410)

But Nancy can't bring herself to let more feelings in because she is still hung up on Ace. She felt guilty when she found out that Ace saw her with Tristan and immediately tried to tell him about it. Ace being nonchalant about it on the outside affected her, you can visibly see it, and she doesn't know what to do with that.

Ace however, is still very much hurting on the inside. He just doesn't show it. He told Nancy to move on and this is what she is trying to do. So he is braving it, and trying to let her. Still being affected by this however, leads to the fight at the end of 407. Nancy needs Ace to give her space so she can try to heal. This is understandable. They never really got a chance to really be together so Ace doesn't know how hard it is for her. Nancy had that WHOLE hallucination, multiple days with him, to know what she's trying to walk away from. So, he agrees and leaves her to it which we see Nancy crying because yes, that still hurts.

Then, Nancy texts the whole group that she needs help and to meet at the Claw ASAP. Despite everything, Ace still shows up because she needs help, and she tells him this. Ace still showing up knocks her a bit because yes she still wants the space, but it means a lot to her.

Spending the day in each other's bodies doesn't help either. But this was the turning point. They had to work together, and be together for the day and that really proved to them that they are better together, whether they like it or not. Cut to the end of the episode when Nancy tells Ace to go be with his dad. There was a LOT that was loaded in to that speech. She was talking about making memories with his dad and still being able to because she lost Kate, but she was also talking about them. "All that's left are memories. That's all you're really left with...just messy, stupid memories that stick around..." She's still remembering him. And I think Ace caught that meaning too. There is so much they can say to each other without actually saying it and this is one of those moments.

After Ace goes fishing with his dad, he realizes that he can't stay apart from her. Now for the phone call:

Again, this is the turning point. Ace told Nancy that he is a better person with her in his life. Nancy admitted that she wasn't happy without him in hers.

However, before this, Ace still tells Nancy, again, that it still hurts to be her friend right now. Why? Because he still loves her. You don't get over that that quickly and Nancy knows she still loves him. There was something in that pause from Ace where you knew he wanted to say more but held himself back. This is where it takes a turn.

The next couple of episodes their whole relationship seems to change. Nancy is freaking out about saving Tristan, which understandable, but something seemed really off.

In 409, we hear that Tristan has been trying to ask Nancy out for a bit... a few days, but she doesn't answer him because she doesn't know if this is what she wants. After she shoots him and they are trying to save him in 410, that's where it hit me that something is wrong. She refers to Ace as her ex and tells Tristan she just got out of a relationship, which isn't entirely wrong, but they way she's explaining it doesn't sound right.

One line got me...."Sure, call my ex to help the guy I like". Why would she not want Nick to call Ace? He's been helping her this whole time and he still helped when she got stuck. So why now?

Here is my theory........After we find out at the end of 410 that Nancy was the last sinner, this whole couple of episodes makes more sense.

Why all of a sudden, Tristan is now a "maybe" thing. Nancy altered her memories of her feelings for Ace, in turn altering his. I don't know if anything happened, but after that phone call, the only way they are going to move on is if those feelings for each other are gone. They can't be happy and still be friends. This was the only sure way.

Nancy doesn't want Ace to hurt anymore and she doesn't want to hurt either. But she doesn't NOT want him in her life. Hence, going to the black door.

If this winds up being right, WOW! this would be a great twist and I would love to see where this brings them!

I have absolute faith in the writers and know we are getting our endgame, so BRING IT ON.

as Kennedy says, "Ride the wave, baby!"

sorry for the rant!

#nancy drew #nancy drew cw #cw nancy drew #nace #ace x nancy #ace [redacted]#nancy x ace #long post #sorry!#lots of thoughts #megapost

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minimorgana · 8 months

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Rambling about Ace Hardy:

To me, Ace saying "I believe in being true to yourself, even at the risk of being misunderstood" is one of his most character defining lines in the series. It's cool to think about this quote after finishing the series and knowing everything we do about Ace.

Even though at the point of him saying this we haven't seen the full extent of the conflict with his dad, in retrospect, we can understand that Ace is likely thinking about his dad in some sense when saying this. Yes, he is saying this to Laura and in response about leaving Horseshoe Bay, but it extends to so many aspects of his life and character.

Ace is well aware that his dad doesn't understand or respect where he currently is in life, but he doesn't try to change himself to make his dad understand him. No matter how much he wants his dad's approval, he doesn't compromise who he is. He knows that will only lead to him living a life that isn't really his. What his dad sees as laziness is Ace having not found his purpose and not wanting to force himself into a box before knowing if he will fit.

Ace values being true to himself, and he values this trait in the people he surrounds himself with. This is at the heart of the conflict between him and Nancy in season 2, and I think it might give some perspective to why he struggled to find a solid group of friends before the Drew Crew.

We all know that high school is a difficult time for self-identity and finding yourself, and this has been affirmed through Nancy's character and her high school friends. So I think Ace struggled to make meaningful friendships with people who weren't necessarily being true to themselves (speaking from experience, this is something I struggled with in high school, and it was aggravated by questioning my own sense of self and hiding parts of my identity).

But for the most part, once the layers of secrecy at the beginning of season 1 are removed, I think Ace realizes that this group of people try their hardest to be true to themselves, despite some slip ups.

Nancy could easily leave the mystery solving to the police and stay out of trouble, but she values truth and justice, and she knows it is her responsibility to find those things. Bess values family, whether it is biological or found, and she strives to do right by the people she loves, even if it costs her. George has been known as the town screw up but for the most part, she ignores the labels others put on her and works hard to build a life for herself and her sisters. She knows she is more than their labels for her. Nick is driven by his desire to help and protect people. We see him stay true to himself most clearly when he tells his mom he's staying in Horseshoe Bay, that he has a purpose in this town and he's been planted there for a reason.

That was a long winded way of saying that Ace has finally found people who try their hardest to push away the opinions of other people and stay true to themselves.

For a moment, I was thinking about this quote in line with him telling Nancy he isn't lacking anymore after getting his apartment and starting to work at the morgue. Because if this is the code he lives by, then why would he do these things just for someone else's approval? But then I realized that he isn't. He's had an interest in medical and forensic examination since season 1 when helping examine Lucy's bones. And I think he's been ready to move out of his parents house for a while. He just needed a push to do those things and his insecurities tell him that he has to prove to Nancy that he is good enough for her. But the things he chose to do are still true to who he is.

So yeah, I really just love this quote and think it sums up who Ace is and we can see it reflected in everything he does throughout the series, even up to the very end.

P.S. Another good example of him living by this code is when he visits Mr. D and tries to understand why he made the choice he did. Part of him knows that if Nancy ever found out, she wouldn't be happy about him befriending her dad while she is very mad at him. But he does it anyways, even at the risk of being misunderstood. Because to him, he's doing what is right.

#ace hardy #ace nancy drew #nancy drew cw #nancy drew #ramblings #i don't know if any of this makes sense but i just love his character so much #there are so many things about him i relate to

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nnon-but-cwnancydrew · 4 months

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Secret Sleuth Exchange (@secretsleuthexchange) for @katmichail13

Merry Sleuthmas Kat! I was honoured to be your Secret Sleuth this year. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas season and I wish a wonderful 2024 for you.

I'm so sorry that the initial fanvid gift fell through. Rest assured I'm still working on it but I'm starting completely from scratch so I wouldn't have had the time to finish before the dateline. Instead, I hope you'll enjoy a Christmassy version of your icon, a playlist, a couple of mood boards depicting AUs of our favorite platonic soulmates, and a few ficlets to go along with it.

And the playlist is here

Without furthur ado, let's begin:

1) Princess and Knight

AU Concept: Nancy "Crown Princess" Drew-Hudson and Ace "First Knight" Hardy Tropes: Forbidden Romance, Childhood Acquaintances to Lovers, Slow Burn, Princess x Body Guard Dynamic, Royal AU Theme Songs: King (Florence + The Machine), Icarus (The Crane Wives), YOUTH (Troye Sivan), False God (Taylor Swift), Afterglow (Ed Sheeran), Fool's Gold (Niall Horan), King and Lionheart (Monsters and Men), Long Live (Taylor Swift)

Plot: Growing up, Ace's father was King Carson's First Knight until a wartime injury forced him to resign lest he wanted to forfeit his life. Thom started training Ace to become a knight after that, the exercises taking up Ace's time and slowly distancing himself from his friends.

Before Thom's injury, Ace and Nancy would play together with the children inside the palace walls, including George Fan, the cook's apprentice. The children would wreak havoc all around the castle, no one was safe; servants would spring it if their way, nobles would learn to fear when things got too quiet and the kitchens gave up trying to stop them from stealing a bun or ten.

Alas, good things never last and when Thom's injury happened, the group began to disband. Ace was taught in the ways of the sword, the bow and more. When Thom taught him all he could, Ace was gifted his own horse, a dappled brown mare, which he named Florence and was sent off to squirehood.

Nancy was saddled with more responsibilities and lessons, etiquette and diplomacy, languages and conversation, politics and household organisations (who said being a princess was easy?). George worked longer hours at the kitchen to earn better wages, needing to feed three younger sisters at home.

Things started to liven up when Bess Marvin, Marchioness Diana Marvin's long lost niece turned up at their citadel. Then, Duke Ned Nickerson, a distant cousin of Queen Consort Tiffany Hudson, appeared from the far south and started to court Nancy. The crown princess, equally besotted, returned his affection. And for a while, that was enough.

Then Queen Consort Tiffany Hudson was murdered.

Nancy didn't particularly care for her stepmother, but Tiffany was always kind to her. Setting out on a harebrained journey to find Tiffany's murderer, she would soon find a trustworthy band of friends in Sir Ace Hardy, Lady Bess Marvin, Ms George Fan and Duke Ned Nickerson. They'll go in to fight witches, evil within the kingdom and anyone that wishes them harm.

Three years later, she would find something even more precious than friendship in Ace, her heart, her love. When he proposes, it as at their secret glade, hidden from the burdens of Crown Princess and First Knight, becoming just Nancy and just Ace.

"Will you solve this part of the mystery with me?" he asks, the golden light reflecting off the water into his blue eyes, Kate Drew's diamond ring in his hands.

Her voice is watery when she says, "Yes", and she moves him until he's standing again, for she doesn't want him to be kneeling to her for this part. "Always. Forever." And she hugs him and kisses him and it's like the first time all over again but it's better and she can't help but laugh with joy.

Her Ace, His Nancy, together in the song of the afternoon. She couldn't think of anything else that sounded more right.

Other Tidbits of this AU:

Nick and Nancy break it off mutually then he has a whirlwind romance with George that ends in disaster. they both do their own thing for a while as friends before coming back together because they realize there's no one else for them romantically.

Bess falls for a couple of women, including Lisbeth the castle guard (they weren't right for each other), Odette Lamar the foreign businesswoman (before she found out Odette had a wife back home named Mary), and Addy Soctomah the small town of Horseshoe Bay's elected mayor (third time's the charm).

Other Tidbits of this AU: Nick and Nancy break it off mutually then he has a whirlwind romance with George that ends in disaster. they both do their own thing for a while as friends before coming back together because they realize there's no one else for them romantically. Bess falls for a couple of women, including Lisbeth the castle guard (they weren't right for each other), Odette Lamar the foreign businesswoman (before she found out Odette had a wife back home named Mary), and Addy Soctomah the small town of Horseshoe Bay's elected mayor (third time's the charm). Ace never became a physician, but he did invest a lot into their kingdom's medical research, helping the industry prosper and saving them from an unknown plague that other kingdoms fell victim to.

And they all lived happily ever after.

2) Ice Skater and Boxer

AU Concept: Bess "Figure Skater" Marvin and George "Hockey Player" Fan

Tropes: Strangers to Lovers, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Kinda Instalove, (Just a Soft Little Fic)

Theme Songs: Silk Chiffon (MUNA, Phoebe Bridgers), Tis the Damn Season (Taylor Swift), Girls Like Girls (Hayley Kiyoko), Friday I'm in Love (Twenty One Two), Enchanted (Taylor Swift), Slow Dancing (Aly & AJ), Ashes (Celine Dion), Daylight (Taylor Swift)

Plot: Girl I'm sorry I tried but I can't really view them from a romantic lens and so for Georgess I'm just gonna leave you with the vibes. I'm thinking a soft dreamy winter love in the big city.

If anyone wants to take a crack at this AU (or any of the others) please feel free. Just tag and credit me because I would love to read it!

3) CEO and Bodyguard

AU Concept: George "Spy/Bodyguard" Fan and Ned "Businessman/Inventor" Nickerson

Tropes: Strangers to Lovers, Spies AU, Forbidden Romance, Ballroom Scene, Making Out to Avoid Being Caught

Theme Songs: I Can See You (Taylor Swift), Plastic Hearts (Miley Cyrus), Weapon (Against the Current), Teeth (5SOS), Delicate (Taylor Swift), Roman Holiday (Halsey), Perfect (One Direction), New Year's Day (Taylor Swift)

Plot: Ned Nickerson thinks he’s done well in his life. Accepted into MIT on the honors roll, top intern at tech billionaire Tom Swift’s R&D department then branching off to start a very successful tech company of his own with the help of Tom and socialite and rich heiress Tiffany Hudson; all before the age of 28. Sure, his life is a little bland and his assistant Addy Soctomah had a bit of a point when she said that he was the most vanilla Black man she ever met but boring was good in the business world.

Then, the universe remembered he existed and made him the sole witness of Tiffany’s murder (which, was very traumatic, thanks for asking) by some terrorist company called the Road Back. Now, he was on the hit list of said terrorist company and had to be assigned a bodyguard (who very clearly did not want to be his bodyguard) that was maybe sorta cute when she wasn’t ignoring him like crazy. George said it wasn’t personal but it didn’t seem like the case to him when she stared at him unblinkingly when he was trying to close a business deal.

The mantra of ‘Fuck Drew’ was all that ran through George’s head when she had to protect Mr “Call me Nick”, rags to riches wonder boy and media darling, every day. She could be out chasing the Road Back with her team right now if Nancy had pulled the pin on that grenade 5 seconds later. 5 seconds and Owen wouldn’t have died; 5 more seconds and her foot wouldn’t have gotten pinned under all that rubble, and she could have lifted that column off Owen before he suffocated to death while their friends tried to get to them in time.

The thought that it took four minutes without oxygen for a person to sustain permanent brain damage was all that ran through her brain as she listened to the harsh wheezing from the person underneath the column slowly stop. George had never really seen the fragile process of human to corpse before, never sticking around after her bullets left their chamber, but she could swear that it took hours for Owen to flatline.

It took three minutes. The brain damage would happen after four minutes. The team took eight minutes to get to them and they were the longest eight minutes of any of their lives.

The team fell apart: Nancy blamed herself bitterly, Bess mourned her cousin, Ace kicked himself for sending them into a trap and George- George was numb. Then she became angry. Claw Superiors kicked their team into mandatory leave and psych eval after 2 months. Guess Carson didn’t want his only daughter to crack mentally even more than she already had.

2 weeks in and George begged Carson for any assignment, after barely passing her psych eval. She snatched the first case he held in his hands from him, not even looking into the file and just showing up at Ned Nickerson’s company the next day. Boy did she regret not negotiating more. Turns out Nick witnessed the murder of Tiffany, the woman whose husband cheated on with George years ago, and now he was the Road Back’s No. 1 target. Talk about awkward.

It took spending 3 days in Nick’s presence to figure out that 1) He had a ridiculously good moral compass, 2) He and Tiffany were super close and 3) Telling him about her past history with Tiffany would make him hate her. So she kept quiet and kept her walls up, not wanting to get close to another person so soon after Owen’s death, not she was just starting to bond with him.

But it’s difficult to spend day in day out with someone and not get close to them at some point. Nick was gentle and persistent with her, prying personal details from George like she was one of the machines he was experienced with. How she was the eldest of four sisters, how she almost went into law school, how her favourite colour was green. In return, he told her about wanting to help troubled kids find a community, how he was discovered by Tom Swift (and had a brief fling with him), how his mother taught him piano because they couldn’t afford it at the time and for her last birthday he’d bought her a grand piano to play to her heart’s content. It wasn’t her favourite mission by far, but Nick wasn’t bad company, and there was little chance of her PTSD triggering in civilian bodyguard life while the rest of her team recovered.

Then Nick caught wind of a Road Back operative that was gonna be at a major social function that’s being hosted by Nick’s dickhead rival companies’ CEO: Everett Hudson. George hatched a harebrained dream of capturing the person to win back the grace her team lost at their agency. Nick offered to be her date so she could sneak in and around but she has to help him find dirt on Everett about the Bonny Scott which can bring justice to 12 innocent people and send Everett to jail. George accepts, which was a horrible idea for them both because now they’re catching feelings for a colleague-ish person.

(As long as you save me a dance, Fan.

You're on, Nickerson.)

At the party, there’s a point where they’re in Everett’s office digging through his files and they hear footsteps coming so they panic. There’s nowhere to hide in the office, and George grips Nick’s arm tightly.

‘Do you trust me?’ she says, urgency coating her words.

There’s a beat of hesitation when they look into each other’s eyes, George begging Nick to say yes. Still, looking, he nods, and she spins him around to pin him against the wall.

‘I’m sorry about this,’ she says quietly, before kissing him.

For a moment, everything in the world narrows to his back against the wall, the girl he likes pressed up against him, her lips on his, her hands on him. Realising his hands are just hanging dumbly by his side, he moves one to run through her hair and the other to cup her cheek.

‘OI! You’re not supposed to be in here!’ A loud voice cut through the air, and he remembers why he shouldn’t be doing this. They spring apart, and he’s sheepish when he addresses the person who caught them.

‘Sorry sir. Won’t happen again.’

‘Not today anyway.’ George’s coy face and satisfied smirk makes him blush and he finds he can’t look at the security guard for more than a second without looking away in embarrassment.

‘I don’t care what you do and where you do it as long as it isn’t in here. Now get going before I change my mind.'

'Got it, sir.' He blocks George from view as she surreptitiously swipes the hard drive that had finished downloading information in the time they were caught by the guard. He repeats, 'Won't happen again.'

Outside, George apologises and they go home but there's still an air of awkwardness. She hands the drive over to Claw Agency superiors and is called back in the week to pursue Road Back members with her old team. Since the Road Back is disbanded, Nick doesn't need a bodyguard anymore and they part ways, both thinking this is the last time they'll see each other again.

Three months later, they round up the last of the Road Back members, and George hands in her resignation form. She makes her team promise to keep in touch, thanks the Claw superiors for giving her a lifeline back then, and shows up at Nick's house to confess her feelings.

'You know,' she says, after the heavy emotional talk. 'We never did get that dance.'

'Never too late,' says Nick. He holds out his hand. 'May I?'

'But there's no music,' she laughs, taking his hand anyway.

He smiles at the sound. 'Don't need music. Your laugh is the most beautiful sound of all.' And she proves him right by laughing again.

When they have their first dance at the wedding, they're laughing merrily through the whole thing, calling each other Mr Fan and Mrs Nickerson.

Other Tidbits of this AU: Everyone on the team is field cleared but George and Owen were the only true field agents so they were closer because they have to trust each other's back in the field. Ace is the Hacker, Nancy is the scientist with a focus on biochem and Bess is the pilot/driver/etc. George and Nick play chess but George is more logical and Nick is more passionate. They're equally skilled. Bess meets Addy while the team visits George and they start talking and start dating just before Fanson's wedding. Nace dance around each other for years before everyone locks them in a small room and they come with messy hair and red lips to a chorus of "Finally"s

In every universe, the Drew Crew wishes Kat Michail a very Merry Christmas and hopes that she enjoys her gift. In this universe, Shannon wishes Kat a Happy New Year too. I hope you liked your gift Kat!

#nancy drew cw #cw nancy drew #nancy drew #george fan #ned nickerson #nace #fanson #ace hardy #ace [redacted]#bess marvin #addy soctomah #baddy #secretsleuthgiftexchange

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naancypants · 6 months

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After reading Julia's fabulous Honest Drew Crew Endings post, I literally can't stop thinking about it. It's the way that their endings were not only empty shells without any real significance tailored to their characters, but were in fact EXACT CONTRADICTIONS to the growth arcs that were set up for them in the first place.

Nancy Drew themes: Self-acceptance. The lynchpin to Nancy's development has always been about overcoming her demons, accepting shortcomings, and learning that she is not inherently a bad person and is in fact worthy of love and good things. Nancy Drew ending: Her soul is intrinsically linked to a horrendous murderer and oppressor of the town, something that shakes her so violently she has to leave Horseshoe Bay to find any sort of peace; the town where she recently decided to put down roots, to "grow where she's been planted".

Ace Hardy themes: Finding family. As a loner, Ace always longed for a community where he felt he truly belonged, which he canonically found with the Drew Crew. These friendships fueled his drive, self-esteem, and gave him purpose. Ace Hardy ending: His friends are all too caught up in their own lives to spend time with him anymore, so he dives headfirst into an isolating career in medical examination that drives him even further away from everyone. Oh, but also, they're all splitting apart anyway so who cares.

George Fan themes: Breaking the cycle. An absent father and deadbeat mother forced George to work hard to provide for her sisters, which also closed her off from forming deep emotional connections for many years. George Fan ending: George leaves her sisters behind to pursue an exhaustive, difficult career path on a whim. She ends the series in a new surface-level relationship rather than one that helped her open up and be vulnerable.

Bess Turani-Marvin themes: Creating a happy life. Bess arrived in Horseshoe Bay to connect with family and escape from an empty, traumatizing life on the run. She seeks joy and stability; somewhere she can finally call home. Bess Turani-Marvin ending: Bess randomly loses her room at the Drew home (?), her entire found family leaves her after less than a year together, oh yeah and her fucking HOUSE BURNS DOWN.

Ned Nickerson themes: Building community. He wants to improve things in his new town, now that he's proclaimed he's finally found where he belongs after a troubled adolescence. Ned Nickerson ending: Nick's several attempts to make a difference (buying The Claw, starting a youth center, running for council) all go nowhere. His efforts are a flop. He essentially gives up and takes a job with Tom Swift instead (career choice is consistent for him, at least).

Absolute insanity.

#cwnd #nancy drew #cw nancy drew #nancy drew cw #drew crew #negativity tag #analysis post

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alto-tenure · 1 month

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Fandom: Layton’s Mystery Journey (sorry if this is cheating!)

Ship: Emiliana/Kat

Character: Janice Quatlane

I mean uh. I sent Whiskers Great Ace Attorney specifically, so LMJ-specific isn't cheating. I'm sticking to game-only for the sake of this.

Favorite character: Emiliana

Least Favorite character: Britannias. ACAB is always applicable (ignore my favorite), but even more so for him.

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): Uh. Katriana. Whatever people call Cesar Chance/Taboras Lloyd. I'm fond of Pipper/Liza...uhhh, I don't really feel strongly about any other ships

Character I find most attractive: meh

Character I would marry: meh

Character I would be best friends with: the waiter!

A random thought: I wonder how many people end up being in the Ratman network.

An unpopular opinion:

My canon OTP: Bess/Benjy I guess?

Non-canon OTP: Katriana <3

Most badass character: Katrielle

Pairing I am not a fan of: Sorry, people who ship Katrielle and Ernest...I just can't really see Katrielle reciprocating his feelings. I think seeing more nuanced portrayals of their relationships that dug into how Case 12 affects them would help, but I don't think I could ever really see it.

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): Ernest. The twist with him could REALLY have used more foreshadowing (like how he would react to Katrielle getting buddy-buddy with the Seven Dragons, for instance).

Favourite friendship: I do feel strongly about Katrielle & Ernest's friendship. I think...they're similar to how I feel about Claire & Dimitri, but with much lower stakes due to being nowhere nearly as tragic.

cut here for length, but I did answer the rest!

when or if I started shipping it: It was Katrielle Layton: Wanted that really cemented it for me.

my thoughts: I really like Emiliana growing to care for Katrielle and respect her as a rival and as a friend, as well as developing respect for Katrielle's methodology.

What makes me happy about them: Rivals to lovers is a really fun trope.

What makes me sad about them: Emiliana has a pretty strict moral framework that I think is not impossible to reconcile with Katrielle, but will take a lot of work to really develop.

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: This isn't really a bad thing, but I do wish there was a little less 100% fluff in the tag. It doesn't annoy me, I like the fluff, but I wish there was more variety.

Things I look for in fanfic: I'd love more stuff like the fic I wrote last year, but not written by me, lmao

My kinks: nope, not answering this here

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: I respect the people who ship Katrielle and Lucy immensely.

My happily ever after for them: they reconcile their conflicting moral frameworks

How I feel about this character: I like Janice :) She's a neat character and I really like the parallels to Hershel.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: obviously Melina. and also Emmy

My non-romantic OTP for this character: her and Hershel

My unpopular opinion about this character: uhhhhhhhh I don't even know what the popular opinions are, ngl. I guess...I wish we had gotten more pre-canon flashbacks to establish her dynamics with the Whistlers?

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I think she should take a break from music and figure out if she wants it for herself or if she wanted it because Melina was by her side doing it. I think she ultimately comes to the conclusion that she does like it, though.

My OTP: Janice/Melina <3

My OT3: a while ago @magicwhiskers29 and I were kicking around an Emmy/Janice/Melina triad after I shared some lines from my Janice/Emmy fic with her about how both Janice & Melina admired Emmy and her abilities. in my head there's also a version of this where Janice and Melina are still sharing a body when this happens

#professor layton #lmj #lmj spoilers #katriana #janice quatlane #answered ask #101flavoursofweird

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anactualcaseofthetruth · 10 months

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I'm not mad at Nancy for getting flirty and friendly with Tristan. It was inevitable.

I'm mad at how they did it at the expense of Ace. As in, his character doesn't get growth or development except for when it has to do with Nancy now that she is his love interest.

I'm mad that after they tried to break the curse all we saw was Nancy's after care. We heard all the calls from the crew the episode after. We heard how both her dads told her to move on and she'll get over him. We saw Bess's notes saying she has options and even made a point to remind her that she got a few numbers. We got an entire speech of Ace telling Nancy how he wants her to move on and be loved by someone else because he can't love her the way she needs/deserves.

We got very little on Ace. All we knew was that he missed her and desperately wanted their friendship back. And I do understand his frustration at wanting to be able to see her, but I also understand Nancy needing time and space.

I'm mad that, because of how slow time seems to move in this show, that it's probably been 2 weeks AT MOST since they decided to call it quits and Ace had to walk in and see Tristan and Nancy together like that.

Everyone has been telling Nancy to move on and I don't recall hearing one person say to Ace "move on" or "you'll find someone else" or even a "I know this is hard but you'll be fine".

I also don't think seeing Tristan with Nancy would have been so off-putting if we had already met Aces love interest. Maybe then it wouldn't have felt mean.

We've seen Nancy taking this ordeal pretty hard. So I don't blame her for wanting to feel better, even if for a few moments with Tristan.

We've seen Ace taking this hard too. We saw him attempting to extend an olive branch of friendship to Nancy only to feel like he didn't matter, much like she made him feel last season. He doesn't deserve that at all. I know it wasn't Nancy's intention and she didn't want him to see it but it did hit him where it hurts.

I hope the writers realize how bad they are making Nancy look and how bad they are making Ace feel.

They're better than this. They better remember that next ep (and all the ones after).

#nancy drew #nancy drew cw #nancy drew x ace #nace #ace nancy drew #ace [redacted]

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we-pay-for-everything · 9 months

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So far into my Nancy Drew season 1 rewatch, episodes 12 and 13 were the best.

Episode 12 is where Ace finally gets some screentime, and he's great! He's so funny. "Everything's going to be alright! Unless it isn't." lmao. He had some other jokes too. When the waiter asked "Do you have a reservation?", he answered "Oh, I have plenty" (re: asking Ryan for a favor). I love Ace's humor. I missed it. I don't think he's as deadpan anymore. But I remember in the beginning of season 4, when fisher guy comes in with a delivery and says he made his bed so he has to lay on it (because he helped hide Nancy), Ace is like "I make my bed everyday. I made it this morning." lmao.

Anyway! Ace came in and saved the day. I don't think Nancy thanked him properly for that! Bess was a badass too, but Ace hacked into a government website again - after already getting caught once and nearly going to jail -, somehow managed to get a hold of a prison van, broke Carson out of jail, "barricaded" the two of them inside Nancy's house, and strong-armed a detective - with minimal help! Like, not even Nancy could've pulled that off. And it's cute because it's the beginning of Ace and Carson's friendship, which I find adorable.

As for Nancy, Nick and George's adventure, Lucy's mom was scary.

Episode 13 was less fun, but more interesting. Nancy clearly still had feelings for Nick but it seemed like the real Nick, although super concerned for her, had already moved on in some way? In Nancy's perfect world Nick and George dated but ended things, perhaps foreshadowing them dating for real? Or that they're not endgame? Did the writers intend to make Nick and Nancy endgame? Did Nancy dream it because she picked up on the switch in their relationship? Ace is the only one that's the same in Nancy's dream. Because they're not close? She doesn't know him well, so she doesn't know what he wants or what he feels or thinks of his life. To her, he's happy doing the dishes forever, and he even reduces himself to that. It's like he's not fleshed out in her mind. Bess is an influencer, and also a socialite, because that makes sense, but it's the most basic take on Bess too. The Claw is successful so George is happy and she's more open and "warm" too, which is something Nancy probably wanted. And Nick is still rich but unburdened. He's also immediately drawn to Nancy, like when they first met. Aside from Nancy's mom, of the fake characters he's the most tridimensional, which indicates that she feels a bigger connection to him.

Oh, one of the best scenes in the series is when Ace and Bess go find the priest lmao. "Don't turn around.". Bess's reactions were epic. I also laughed when the fake orderly at the mental facility said the priest was "very big on the holy water. He spritzed everywhere". Lmao. Ace also called the holy water "next level" or "quality" or something.

It's interesting that Nancy kept saying how weird it was that her fake friends were so nice and liked her, as if in reality they weren't also going out of their way to help her. She really didn't think they cared for her, but without her knowing Ace and Bess rescued her dad, Bess was crying while holding her hand and talking to her, Ace held her hand and her head, Nick was beside himself, and George was super concerned too...

#ace nancy drew #nancy drew cw #cw nancy drew #nancy drew #ned nickerson #bess marvin #george fan #carson drew

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