You, sort of

You reluctantly got ready for Jane's dinner party, but you couldn't get Jan out of your head. For one thing, you couldn't believe that Jane simply put together a couple silly folk spells and expected the Jan problem to go away. The issue wasn't whether her ghost book was accurate or not...but rather that your 'ghost problem' came from Jane's own self-centered actions, and she wasn't even willing to apologize to Jan for them.

Jan might have been a little melodramatic on her return, and you're not sure that she would have readily accepted Jane's apology — but Jane didn't even try. After seeing both Jane and Jan as ghosts, you made the assumption that the experience had the effect of exaggerating passions at the expense of inhibitions, but Jane was back in her own body now...and it was like she still hadn't considered her actions.

You had no idea how it might feel to be trapped as a prisoner inside your own body, but the thought of it alone meant you knew that the basis of Jan's anger was justified. Her standing threat had you a little on edge, curious about where she'd next show up, but it was rooted more in knowing Jan was simply upset and stewing somewhere that it was in your concern for Jane or her ill-timed party.

Jan had real feelings for you. And since you were taken, there was a factor of respect — just decent humanity, really, that kept her from ever acting on them. In that sense, Jane and really done more than just toy with Jan's body; she violated an inner-self that people keep private for their own reasons, and she more-or-less played with Jan's desires for fun.

Suddenly, you got a chill. Something seemed to tickle your back as you started to button your dress shirt, and you brushed it off until instinct told you it was more than a shiver.

"J-Jan?"

Oh god, John...how can someone's own thoughts be more compassionate than their words? It was an odd experience. You heard Jan, but it was a resonant, sonorous sort of sound. You weren't sure it was sound at all, and-- It's not, John. Not precisely. This isn't for Jane to hear, so if you have to respond to me at the moment, just focus on me...but listen first.

You shivered again as you looked down at your chest. The fabric of your dress shirt seemed to ruffle a bit, moving on its own as the next button met its hole, coming together.

There's an irony about my telling you about your own nobility by eavesdropping on your thoughts...especially when those thoughts involve reflecting on how wrong it was for Jane to invade my 'inner-self' for fun, as you put it, so when I'm done with my little speech, if you want me out, just say the word...and I promise I won't listen in like that or speak to you this way. I want you to trust me.

"I, uh...no. No, you're good--" You say aloud, stopping yourself from saying 'Jan' at the end.

Shhh...you know she'll suspect me if you talk to yourself. Just think back at me. But listen first.

Got it, you focus back.

I will never try to drive you from her. I want you to understand that. Your shirt went on buttoning itself up, and you sighed a little as the fabric began to grip you around the chest, as if it were massaging your pecs. I don't appreciate how she treated us, and I'm not happy with her...but I'm not going to try and convince you not to be with her. Now the strange-but-not-unwelcome massage moved to your shoulders, and you flexed your arms and back against the moving fabric. However, I'm also not going to be shy about my feelings about you. There's no point to it now, and since she's the one that shed sunlight on it in the first place, I think it's only fair that I should get to express myself.

Her voice was...so soothing to you. Maybe the ghostly physical attention was helping, but--

That's my touch, John. I'm...kind of in your shirt if you want to get technical, but it's my touch all the same. You like it as much as you like my voice, don't you?

Are you going to hear everything I think? You ask her, letting out a little laugh at the thought of being interrupted in your own inner monologue.

I can back it down a little, I think...so that I can only hear you when you really try to focus on me. I'm not really fully possessing you right now more than I'm just kind of...jacked in to your temporal lobe and your auditory canal, sort of.

You're okay for now, you tell her. I'll let you know. It's just funny to--

Be interrupted in your own thoughts. I know. I won't just hang out in here forever without you knowing, I promise...but, I wanted to state my intentions since you seemed so worried about me, and...

The ghostly voice trailed off, as if she couldn't get the next part out. And she said she wasn't going to be shy...

You know how hard it is to have all your suspicions about a person confirmed? Jan asked.

About Jane? You mentally ask her back.

No, gorgeous...about you. About how caring you are. About how you are on the inside...and how it's just as amazing as you seem on the outside. You could feel yourself blushing at this, and gratitude flowed through you in more than just thinking 'thanks' back to Jan's voice. You were caught off guard a little when something seemed to reach into your pants.

"Hey, J--um," You stopped yourself from saying her name again, watching your waist as you realized she wasn't reaching for you in that way. She was actually just...tucking in your shirt.

If that's piquing your interest, we can always explore that later, Jan said. But your guests will be here soon. We'll talk later, John.

And with another shiver, she was gone. The voice, the motion in your shirt. She was out of you and your things. You heard Jane coming up the stairs, turning the corner in the hall.

"Did you call me?" She said. You shook your head.

"Uh, I was gonna ask if you'd seen my belt, but I found it," you say, pointing at your waist. Jane sized you up. "You look nice," She smiled. "Ready to entertain?"

"Well, I mean, as ready as I would normally be, but it's your party, so you better take the lead," You say. "And thanks."

"No sign of..." She mouthed 'Jan?' silently, as if saying her name aloud would summon her.

"Why, did something happen?" You ask, avoiding her question.

"No, no. Just...maybe my spell things worked. I dunno. I'll get a hold of Emilia later."

"Maybe just...chill on this stuff for now, Jane," You say. "Worry about your guests." She shrugged, nodding as she headed back downstairs.

"Come help me in the kitchen!" She shouted as she headed back down the stairs.

"Very smooth," Jan said aloud this time, however quietly. You could faintly make her translucence out in the afternoon window light. "You didn't even lie to her."

"So much for nobility," You whisper back to her, following Jane down the stairs.