Writing Ideas - Blog Posts

Not so much a writing prompt but an idea I'd like to see in a story: completely unrelated alien species keep managing to evolve into Humans, much like crabs, and the galaxy/unuverse getting increasingly annoyed about it

Writing Worksheets & Templates

will update this every few weeks/months. alternatively, here are all my tagged Writing Worksheets & Templates

Chapter Outline ⚜ Character- or Plot-Driven Story

Death & Sacrifice ⚜ Magic & Rituals ⚜ Plot-Planning

Editing: Sentence Check ⚜ Writing Your Novel: 20 Questions

Tension ⚜ Thought Distortions ⚜ What's at Stake

Character Development

50 Questions ⚜ Backstory ⚜ Character Creation

Antagonist; Villain; Fighting ⚜ Protagonist & Antagonist

Character: Change; Adding Action; Conflict

Character: Creator; Name; Quirks; Flaws; Motivation

Character Profile (by Rick Riordan) ⚜ Character Sheet Template

Character Sketch & Bible ⚜ Interview your Character

Story-Worthy Hero ⚜ "Well-Rounded" Character Worksheet

Worldbuilding

20 Questions ⚜ Decisions & Categories ⚜ Worksheet

Setting ⚜ Dystopian World ⚜ Magic System (AALC Method)

Templates: Geography; World History; City; Fictional Plant

References: Worldbuilding ⚜ Plot ⚜ Character ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

all posts are queued. send questions/requests here.

Writing Notes & References

Alchemy ⚜ Antidote to Anxiety ⚜ Attachment ⚜ Autopsy

Art: Elements ⚜ Principles ⚜ Photographs ⚜ Watercolour

Bruises ⚜ Caffeine ⚜ Color Blindness ⚜ Cruise Ships

Children ⚜ Children's Dialogue ⚜ Childhood Bilingualism

Dangerousness ⚜ Drowning ⚜ Dystopia ⚜ Dystopian World

Culture ⚜ Culture Shock ⚜ Ethnocentrism & Cultural Relativism

Emotions: Anger ⚜ Fear ⚜ Happiness ⚜ Sadness

Emotional Intelligence ⚜ Genius (Giftedness) ⚜ Quirks

Facial Expressions ⚜ Laughter & Humour ⚜ Swearing & Taboo

Fantasy Creatures ⚜ Fantasy World Building

Generations ⚜ Literary & Character Tropes

Fight Scenes ⚜ Kill Adverbs

Food: Cooking Basics ⚜ Herbs & Spices ⚜ Sauces ⚜ Wine-tasting ⚜ Aphrodisiacs ⚜ List of Aphrodisiacs ⚜ Food History ⚜ Cocktails ⚜ Literary & Hollywood Cocktails ⚜ Liqueurs

Genre: Crime ⚜ Horror ⚜ Fantasy ⚜ Speculative Biology

Hate ⚜ Love ⚜ Kinds of Love ⚜ The Physiology of Love

How to Write: Food ⚜ Colours ⚜ Drunkenness

Jargon ⚜ Logical Fallacies ⚜ Memory ⚜ Memoir

Magic: Magic System ⚜ 10 Uncommon ⚜ How to Choose

Moon: Part 1 2 ⚜ Related Words

Mystical Items & Objects ⚜ Talisman ⚜ Relics ⚜ Poison

Pain ⚜ Pain & Violence ⚜ Poison Ivy & Poison Oak

Realistic Injuries ⚜ Rejection ⚜ Structural Issues ⚜ Villains

Symbolism: Colors ⚜ Food ⚜ Numbers ⚜ Storms

Thinking ⚜ Thinking Styles ⚜ Thought Distortions

Terms of Endearment ⚜ Ways of Saying "No" ⚜ Yoga

Compilations: Plot ⚜ Character ⚜ Worldbuilding ⚜ For Poets ⚜ Tips & Advice

all posts are queued. will update this every few weeks/months. send questions or requests here ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

Friday Five

Write a piece that contains the following five elements:

good or bad news

a craft or art project

instrumental music

a resolution

a specific month of the year

Try to incorporate all five senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste & smell) in your piece. Use the five elements listed above in any way you like.

Thoughts for Thursday

Imagine your character going somewhere for the first time.  Perhaps it’s their first day at a new school or their first day on the job. Maybe they’re meeting a friend’s parents and are entering the family’s home for the first time.  Where they go is up to you!

Here are some things to consider:

Why are they going to this place?

Do they want to be there?

What is your character thinking about as they enter the place? 

How are they feeling? 

What do they imagine the place will be like? 

Are they anticipating any problems or do they expect an uneventful time?

How are their senses being engaged? How does the place look and sound? Are their any unique scents?

Think of a place for your character to go, and describe their thoughts and feelings about going there and their impressions of the place. 

Tuesday - Two Characters

Characters A and B are at a wedding. This does not have to be the marriage of A and B.  One of them might be marrying another character, or they both might be observing the marriage of two other characters. One might be officiating the ceremony, standing as a member of the wedding party, participating only as a guest, catering the event, or filling any other role you can think of. The roles of characters A and B in this wedding are up to you.

The character officiating the ceremony asks, “If anyone has any reason why these two should not be joined in marriage, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.” 

There is a moment of silence and then B (or A) cries out, “I have a reason!”

What happens next is up to you!

Here are some things to consider:

What reason does B give for why the couple should not marry?

How does B feel when explaining their reasoning? Are they afraid, angry, guilty, gleeful, heartbroken?

How does A react to B’s behaviour? 

How does A respond to B’s reasoning?

How do other characters react?

Does the couple marry anyway?

Does the relationship between A and B change because of this situation?  Is it changed for better or worse?

Is this story a comedy or a tragedy?

Monday Monologue

Choose one of your characters, and have them tell a story in their own words. Try to get inside your character’s head, and write the piece from the first-person point of view.  

For an added challenge, pick a character whose perspective you don’t normally write from.

* Your story does not have to be a monologue. You can include other characters and as much or as little dialogue as you like.

This week’s prompt is:  It was the first rainbow I’d ever seen

Sunday Sparks

Sparks of inspiration can come from anywhere.  I am constantly viewing the world through a storyteller’s eyes, and my ideas are inspired by everything from the most commonplace situations of daily life to the most unexpected occurrences.  

This blog’s Sunday feature is Sunday Sparks, a series of prompts to help get you thinking in new directions about your characters and their lives and interactions.  These prompts will be broad and non-specific on purpose, The challenge will be to use your creativity in interpreting them and to craft a story or a scene inspired by them. 

This week’s prompt is:  one character proposes something to another

“Someone Says” Saturday

This week's dialogue-based writing prompt is:

“You can’t blame it on me this time.”

Friday Five

Write a piece that includes the following five elements:

a social media site

ice cream

a game or sport

a disagreement

the colour blue

Try to incorporate all five senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste & smell) in your piece. Use the five elements listed above in any way you like.

Thoughts For Thursday

Does your character have a favourite photograph?

Write a piece describing your character’s favourite photograph and the thoughts, feelings and memories associated with it.

Here are some things to consider:

Who or what is in the picture?

Who took the picture?

How old is it?

Is it black and white or colour?

Is it a professional photo or a candid snapshot?

Does this photograph belong to this character or to someone else?

Is it displayed in a frame? If so, what does the frame look like?

Where is the picture displayed? 

If the photo is not on display, where is it kept?

What condition is it in? 

How does this photograph make your character feel?

What do they think about when they look at it?

Do they have a specific memory associated with it?

So you've heard of queer-coded villains, but have you heard of...

...villains who don't sit correctly? Evil executives who sit criss-cross applesauce in their oversized chairs, waiting for a protagonist to walk into their office so they can dramatically spin around? Monarchs who put thousands to death as they sit on the armrests of their skeletal thrones? Mad scientists who perform inhumane experiments, build bombs and sit on the headrests of cheap plastic chairs without a care in the world? Why? Because people who don't care about about manners or other people aren't going to let anyone else tell them what they can and cannot do.

Antagonist Idea;

A being with the power to determine the worth of anny item hoards items of incredible value; souls, for instance. He'll gladly give you any item, if you're willing to give him an item of greater value.

Hero: Wait, don't you mean equal value?

The Dude: No, I said greater. What would be the point in giving them away if I wasn't making a profit?

Ellie "I WILL bite you" and Danny "He's just a baby" Fenton

Deaged Danny and caretaker (and tiny bit feral) Dani (Ellie)!!!! In Gotham!

Basicly Danny gets outed as Phantom and either by his parents or the GIW start doing experiments when he's captured by either of them. Team Phantom (Sam, Tucker, Jazz, Dani, and even Valerie after telling her everything) and even some friendly ghosts all help get Danny back.

Only when they find him the torture and the experiments were to much for him to handle and he retreats into his core. Dani is the only one that can hold his core, due to being his clone and a ghost herself, for a long period of time. Anyone else hands start freezing after a few mins.

The escape is hectic and chaotic and in order to lose the ones that hurt Danny off their trail they have to separate and scatter, each one laying false trails while Dani, whose really good at traveling, flies as far as she can.

She eventually stops in the one place she knows most people will pause and think twice before entering.

Gotham City.

She's okay with hiding there, she knows all the empty places and can just go invisible to steal food if she needs to, she just needs a place to rest for a few days until Danny comes out of his core. Dani's hid from the Bats before, never once getting on their radar, she can do it again even with Danny's core in her care. She keeps in contact with the others on a secure phone network Tucker made and they keep her updated on either the Fentons or the GIW.

During this time of taking care of Danny's core, Dani gets a little more protective over him. She may or may not punched a bunch of goons into unconsciousness when she returned from getting food and found them in her hideout, talking about showing their boss this cold orb thing they found laying around. She packed up and moved locations after that. (This incident got on the Bats radar)

Does she bite the Joker when she gets taken hostage while carrying Danny's core on her person one afternoon? Yes. Did she pick up Riddler's cane and beat him with it when she found him about to use the warehouse she was using to keep Danny's core safe for his next big 'game' for the Bats? Yes. Does she haunt Penguin for two whole days after him and his men woke her up (and woke Danny's core too she felt it (coughtheywokeupthebabycough)) when they held a meeting nearby where she was sleeping and started a small turf war in the area? Yes.

Dani is a little confused, but not complaining, on her new found protectiveness over her brother/original but everything makes sense when Danny finally comes out of his core...

Because he's a baby now, almost a toddler... the damage done to him turned him into a baby and Dani's ghost instincts knew thus prompting her to be very protective over him. And now seeing him tiny makes the feelings even more so.

She can do this. She can take care of Danny while in Gotham, she can keep flying under the Bats, the Fentons, the GIW's, and Vlad's radar while hiding out there. She can do this. She totally can.

And Ancients help anyone who tries to harm or take Danny while he's under her watch.

Waiting... Waiting...

So... This was inspired by listening to EPIC (FREAKING LOVE ALL THE ALBUMS, SO GOOD) and by @noxcheshire post of Tim being Odysseus reincarnated and Danny (maybe also reincarnated) being his Penelope (Here) so I had to turn it into a Dead Tired idea.

The song The Challenge is the main one here. (Cause I LOVE that song... along with Would You Fall In Love With Me Again)

So WHAT IF Danny IS the reincarnated Penelope, after becoming the Ghost King Danny's memories of his past life as Penelope returns and remembers how before dying/ or being reincarnated both Penelope and Odysseus promised to find each other in their new lives, no matter who they are, what new form they take, they will find each other.

So Danny/Penelope, just like before waits for their Odysseus to return to them, but also tries to find him in their new life (CW is laughing whenever Danny asks for hints and gets a 'In due time, just wait' answer, ugh Danny wants to smack CW for that)

However just like in his previous life with being in a high position of power, Danny is being pressured to marry/take a spouse (now its not just men/males though so its a huge headache, I head canon Ghosts don't care much for gender preference) mostly by the dang eyeballs that Danny is still trying to find a way to get rid of without upsetting the Infinite Realms delicate (but slowly healing) balance even if Danny wanted nothing more than to punch all of the suitors out.

So Danny decides to play the long game again.

And waits for their Odysseus return.

Danny's wait is over when they suddenly feel the Realms shift one day, as if welcoming someone familiar home, and the same feeling Danny had when he had been Penelope and saw the storm that was sign of Odysseus coming home, Danny decides its time to bring out The Challenge once again. (CW gifted Danny a few things from his past as Penelope as a coronation gift, like Odysseus's bow (now enchanted to be unbreakable), a painting of when he was Penelope, with Telemchus, and Odysseus, and the Marriage Bed/Olive Tree, AND the Palace Odysseus made that Danny takes to being in over being at Pariah's Keep)

-x-x-

Meanwhile

Tim Drake, aka Red Robin, always had strange dreams as a child.

War, Death, Monsters, Gods, Goddesses.

His dreams were more like nightmares, haunting him and he sometimes woke up in cold sweat.

He hated storms. Hated being in the water for to long. Hated how he felt both tense but also at home when around Greek heroes, as if he was afraid to 'disrespect' them (Cassie was the only one he didn't feel that way around, mostly cause they had been somewhat friends before their heroing since their parents knew each other) but also knew how to appease them should he insult them. He also had a strange hatred for the CoO with a burning passion because he felt like they were mocking real Owls.

The worst part of nightmares that always pop up are of what feels like should be his home is being invaded by unwanted guests (they aren't guests), how they are angry over trying to string a bow and shot an arrow through axes, of the terrible terrible things he hear them saying they were going to do to his loved ones (two names that keep getting muted out).

How it ends in bloodshed with echoing of begging, pleading, mercy, and screams.

However in those nightmares at the end. He also finds himself looking for something in them.

Or rather he always found someone waiting for him at the end of the nightmares. Calling him by the wrong name but it sounds just right coming from them.

The dream always ends with the person asking 'How long has it been?' and before he can answer he wakes up.

So yeah Tim has horrifying nightmares/dreams he could never explain.

And the urge to find someone. To go home to them.

It isn't until he and his friends from Young Justice are hit by a spell from Klarion (who may or may not had a visit from a certain chaos encouraging Time Keeper) and sent to a place called the Infinite Realms in the middle of their fight, that Tim is hit hard with déjà vu when he spots a certain Palace in the distance and overhears some of the 'people?' (they glow and float and some don't even look human?! where are they?) talk about how the 'King' has issued a new 'Challenge' for his 'suitors'.

A Challenge involving a bow, and axes.

And Tim, feels like he knows this all too well and needs to do it.

I want more TaliaxDanny stuff so how about this AU. Its mostly HEAVILY hinted though.

[Side note: Danny is in his 20s, maybe mid 20s btw, also enjoy my actual writing style, haven't done this in a while besides some small snippets I write]

Talia discovers the future plans Ra's has for her baby, her heir, her child. She is hurt and enraged because "How dare he! How dare he raise my son to be a sacrificial lamb just to extend his own life!" And the fact he had no plans to truly step down from being the Demon Head. (Basically the timeline where Ra's planned to overtake Damain's body)

-x-x-

Talia stared, her green eyes almost glowing toward the sleeping form of her son on her bed. Her eyes roamed his tiny face, the way he lightly dozed the day away unknowingly of the danger that had set in stone for him. Yes, being not just her son but the son of the Bat and the grandson of the Demon Head he was always going to be in danger but never had she really thought the danger would come from the very person who just declared him his heir. At least not in the way its been presented.

Talia had just discovered the fate her father, Ra's al Ghul, the same man that had held Damian not even a day ago and spoke of the future he could see Damian bring to the League once he was of age and would lead it, had actually planned for her son.

He planned on using her son, raising him to be the perfect heir.... to... to...

Use him as a vessel in the end.

He planned to leave his old decaying body, a body that was beginning to no longer respond to the Lazarus Pits as of late, and basically jump ship to a younger and better body...

The body of her son. The son she created and craved to have and raise. The son she made with her beloved's blood running in his veins.

Despite how enraged she is' Talia knows she can't confront her father. He would kill her... no he would torture her by hurting her baby to the point death would be a mercy if she tried. She also knows she can't go running to Bruce, she had burned the bridge to him ages ago when she refused to leave her father and his teachings and knows he would rip Damian away from her should she tell him what she did. He would, under the guise of protecting their child gain sole custody from Talia, set up next to nothing visitation rights for her to follow. He would say it would be to protect Damian from Ra's but Talia knows Bruce, knows he would use it as a half-excuse just to keep her away... but Talia wants to be in her child's life. Wants to raise him. Wants to be his mother, despite knowing next to nothing on how to be an actual normal mother, she wanted to try. She needed to try.

Running away was also out of the question, especially since Damian had been declared her father 'heir'. He would hunt them down and there was no where in this world she could hide that her father could not find them...

And-

Talia barely gives any warning when she flings the knife behind her. She waited for only a second, either to hear the ting of metal being blocked or the sound of it burying itself onto the wooden door she knew was in its pathway.

Instead she heard neither of those things and instead heard the ticking of a grandfather clock and a deep chuckle.

"As expected from the daughter of the Demon. Sharp and deadly with no hesitation in sight."

"Who are you." It was not a question but a demand. She slowly turned her head and was meet with an odd sight that even the daughter of the Demon has never seen before.

"At most.. an ally to have. At worst, merely a passing stranger with an offer."

The ticking never stopped.

Everything else outside the room though did.

-x-x-

Danny stared, his currently green eyes burning even more brightly than they normally do. Many emotions passed through them, anger, frustration, pain, sadness, regret, heartbreak, and hopelessness to name a few.

He stared at the tiny sleeping face within the healing pod in front of him and closed his eyes as memories of spending time with the one sleeping filled his mind.

"My King." A voice began, Danny's sharp pointed ears twitch for a moment and he turned his head slightly but it was all the speaker needed to know that they had his attention even if he didn't give them his full attention.

"I bring the updated reports from Chief Frostbite you requested." The young yeti ghost said, this had Danny finally turning around and looking upwards and towards the young yeti, who was smaller than Frostbite but none the less bigger than Danny. Danny held his hand out and took the stack of papers in their hands.

Once the papers were in his hands he gave a curt wave of his fingers as if to say 'go on' without actually saying the words and turned his attention to the words on the papers. The young yeti, Icewinds took the signal and began.

"Princess Danielle's core has remained the same since the last check up. No major sign of deteriorating or destabilizing... However that also means there have been no signs of improvement or healing as well..." Icewinds stopped for a moment, allowing their King to register the words being spoken "We will continue to monitor her as best as we can but... My King..."

Icewinds took a deep breath and delivered the news everyone already knew "Without a female donor to complete her Ecto-DNA, should the Princess suffers from another Fading even a minor one, I fear it might be too much for her core and with her current body form it will not be able to withstand the stress... I'm truly sorry My King."

The room fell silent, the only real sounds being the monitors in the room and sound of rustling papers in Danny's hands, who was staring blankly at the words written on them but not really taking them in.

After a moment, Icewinds shifting uncomfortably for a second, Danny spoke his voice raw but strong and firm "I understand. Please inform Frostbite I am... grateful for his, yours, and everyone's continued support and everything everyone's has done to help her... If you do not mind Icewinds, I would... Like to be alone for a while and think... For a moment."

"O-Of course My King." And with that Icewinds left the room, Danny barely taking not of the door closing and his enhanced hearing picking up the hushed soft words being spoken to the Knights that stood outside the room of Danny's request of being left alone for a while.

Once the talking outside the room faded, Danny tilted his body and head back on the chair he had been sitting in for the last few days and allowed the papers he had his hands to fall out and onto the floor. Danny took in a shaky breath and closed his burning eyes as he tried to keep his core emotions in control, knowing if he lost control the Realms would echo him and would panic or worry his people.

And he couldn't deal with that. Not now.

"Clockwork, whatever timeline you are trying to set in motion, I hope it pans out soon." Danny rasped out as he tried his best to keep himself from falling apart. Losing Danielle, losing the girl that was his clone, his mirror, but also was like a sister... daughter sometimes would break him, harshly and deeply.

He knew his advisor and resident Timekeeper had something in the works, the way the aging spirit had looked at him before he left was telling when the news of Danielle's suffering from another Fading attack and Frostbite having to perform a Core Transform nearly last second, which in turn turned her into a baby from how close she was to fully Fading, had been delivered to Danny and the others.

But despite knowing Clockwork had a plan, Danny knew that smile he had before he had left. It had been Clockwork's 'Have hope, but even I am unsure.' smile, a rare one the Timekeeper would wear when even he didn't know which way the pendulum of chance would swing first.

So he did the only thing he could do for now, and that was to remain in the room with Danielle, keep her stabilized as best as he could with his own ectoplasim flowing, and wait to see if whatever Clockwork had planned would work out.

Waiting, even with all he's done in his life from becoming a Halfa, to defending his home and haunt, from fighting off insane Fruitloops to dismantling government bigots until there was nothing left of them, all the way to fighting a tyrannicidal Ghost King to the point Danny had won the crown by Trail by Combat thus taking up the mantle of Ghost King of the Infinite Realms since his seventeenth birthday and bringing the Infinite Realms into a new age of healing the broken crumbling lands and ruling over all justly but firmly, waiting was all he could do for Danielle.

And the waiting. The stress. Was agonizing.

Because what they needed was...

Was a miracle if Danny was to be honest. They needed a female, a donor in all sense of the words, to complete Danielle's incomplete Ecto-DNA, because of course that damned Fruitloop tried skipping steps in creating a clone of Danny and it was no wonder he had failed so many times with only Danielle the most stable of them all and given the fact she still wasn't was damning, but they couldn't just have any female donate their DNA to her.

No the DNA needed the donor to at least be limenal, thus turning the DNA into Ecto-DNA because Danielle was created to be a halfa... The only problem was that the person in question needed to be Jazz level of limenal Ecto-DNA as well.

Meaning that despite both Sam and Val offering their Ecto-DNA from the years of being exposed to the Realms and Ectoplasim theirs wasn't enough to work with Danielle's. Jazz's Ecto-DNA was off the table seeing as she was his sister and mixing it with Danielle's would just lead to problems.

No they needed someone who was born near or in ectoplasm, breathed it, ate or at least filtered it, grew with it for years like Jazz and Danny did, basically the person in question just needed one odd day of dying and returning to life at the same time to becoming a halfa levels of limenal. Only those high levels could complete and combined with Danielle's.

Which given the fact only Jazz had those levels, finding someone near those levels was like looking for needle in space, because forget the haystack.

"....You've returned." Was the only words Danny said when his ears caught the sound of a ticking clock suddenly in the room, his anxiety raising as both dread and a tiny slimmer of hope both slowly climb up in his emotions, knowing whatever answer Clockwork would give him would outweigh the other.

"On time, as always My King." His cryptic Timekeeper responded "I bring... a chance."

Those words were enough to snap Danny out of his chair, he quickly looked towards where Clockwork's voice had been coming from and floated. His eyes burning with determination for a moment before he caught sight of movement behind Clockwork.

Behind the ever changing being stood a breathtaking woman. Tall and proud from the way she held herself, she looked a few years older than him but Danny could sense she was far older her soul not really matching her body. She was lovely to look at no doubt but deadly, very deadly and that was something else Danny could sense after all he was the Ghost King.

And she wasn't alone for in her arms was a baby, roughly the same age that Danielle had been de-aged to as well.

Danny blinked at them when he noticed something.

She...

She was limenal.

Very limenal. Even more limenal than Jazz.

In fact both of them were.

"I would like you to meet Lady Talia al Ghul and her son Damian, My King." Clockwork said as he gave a tiny bow towards the woman who stepped forward, a frown on her face she took in Danny's features and her eyes darting towards Danielle's healing pod for a moment, Danny could see she was tensed and a little weary from no doubt everything so far.

".... Welcome Lady Talia to the Infinite Realms. I am King Phantom." Danny greeted, his many years of training with other royalties coming forward as second nature now, he wasn't some normal teen from the middle of the Mid-West after all. "Has Clockwork told you the reasoning as to why you have been... chosen?"

He honestly would put it past Clockwork to be cryptic about the reasoning, but he hoped he hadn't because Danny really didn't want to explain the importance of it all and why they needed to hurry. And judging by the roll of his eyes Clockwork knew what Danny had been meaning as well.

"Yes King Phantom" Talia spoke, her voice rich and silky that sent a tiny shiver up Danny's spine from the sound "You need my DNA to help heal your clone. Should it be successful however it will change her from being merely a clone to instead into becoming yours and mine daughter."

"Correct." Was Danny's response, short and to the point. He needed her answer now if they wanted to save even a fragment of Danielle's core.

The room fell silent again, each them of taking a moment to think.

But eventually Talia spoke. Her voice steady and strong.

"I will offer my aid to you and yours... But only if you swear to both me and my son that we will be given sanctuary from my father and any who dares harm us for the blood that runs in our veins."

Danny only had one answer to that as his eyes caught hers.

Because despite being the Ghost King Phantom nowadays. He had once been Danny Phantom whose core started as a protector spirit and could sense the honestly of needing safety in her words.

"Yes."

-x-x-

Clockwork watched and smiled at the two adults in the room as they continued to stare at each other.

He knew he had been cutting it close, waiting for Talia to be at the ends of ropes and needing a chance to finally leave her deadly and abusive father without the toxic strings attached her ex would tie around her under the guise of safety for their son.

Turning his attention away from the two as they began to speak terms, Clockwork cast his gaze towards an window in the room and stared out of it, smile still on his face as glimpses of the rare future he saw slowly rose up more frequently.

Danny and Talia slowly and surely working together to raise not just Danielle, or rather Ellie as they renamed her since she was no longer a clone of Danny, but also Damian together. Passing them off as twins to those outside the Realms or Amity Park.

Talia learning to release the toxic love she had towards Bruce Wayne, and understand if someone truly loved you for you, they would demand sudden change from the only way of life one knows. That since she was no longer the thumb of her father she could finally be free to be herself.

Danny learning that despite being crowned so early in his life, that the weight of the crown didn't need to be carried alone. Sure he had his friends and family but Danny needed someone, someone who understood the weight of the feeling of needing to wear it head held high. And who better to help teach that than the woman who had to carry the name Daughter of the Demon Head herself.

The two growing closer and closer. Until fondness changed and shifted into more. As they raised the two infants with laughter and joy and love.

Ellie getting a kiss from Talia on the forehead when she had a nightmare and seeked her mother out for comfort. Toddler Damian riding Cujo around the castle as he copied Fright Knight after watching him ride off, Danny floating right by him making sure he didn't fall off. Ellie learning how to fight not just from her mother but from her idol Pandora. Damian learning to identity the stars and their names from the man he saw, and later wished was, his father. Ellie and Damian building pillow forts in the library and reading all manners of stories to each other. Danny and Talia holding their tiny hands as they took them to their first day of school within Amity Park their joyful laughter bringing soft smiles on their parents faces.

Danny holding a crying Talia as she explained the things she had been taught and forced to learn by the orders of her father in the dead of night. Doing his best to calm her down as he had been taught by Jazz ages ago.

Talia standing tall and firm when the Observants tried to undermined a order, no a law Danny had set in motion that had upset the eyeballs badly. How she gathered evidence of their attempts to go against it and how they were nothing but traitors towards their King and couldn't weasel themselves out of it this time.

Clockwork smiled warmly when he caught sight of one more glimpse of this future timeline.

Talia dressed beautifully, a crown made of stars and black jewels on her head. Her son dancing with her as firm as he could but his little tongue peeking out of his mouth as he concentrated on his steps and was dressed like a tiny prince complete with a tiny crown of stars on his head as well, Talia's face held a tiny smile of love watching him try his hardest to dance correctly with her. Joyful squeals of laughter rang out as King Phantom twirled with Ellie, who was dressed like a true princess, in his arms.

Around them in the ballroom the citizens of Realms laughed, joyfully danced, sang, ate, or merely watched. For the first time in many, many years the Realms felt... Complete. Whole. Happy.

A true wonderful afterlife that all could enjoy.

Yes.

He knew waiting the last second was a long shot, for a chance that almost wasn't, but the future he saw was well worth it.

A good future. A balanced one. A happy afterlife one.

Now, all he had to do was wait for the seeds of this future to bloom.

Tim, buddy, what do you mean you might had accidentally made a Love Child?!

Danny finds out that

1. He's a clonish 'love child' of two heroes

2. He was accidentally created during one of his donors mental break downs after losing his father and best friends (one of which was his other donor)

3. CW interfered before his creator realized what he made and pulled him out of that dimension because "it would had lead that world to true ruin if he found out at his state of mind. He's better now but it would had been the final straw for him should anything had happened to you in his care and given who he had to partner up with later... I did what I had to."

4. Due to Danny having a bad fall out with his parents after he told them about being Phantom (they didn't attack him... but they did disown him.) Danny is left adrift of what to do. He doesn't wanna bug Jazz, she's in college and dorming. Tuckers place has no room. Sam's parents would never let him stay. Vlad was a definitely a no go. And Dani (Ellie) last check in was near the Amazon rainforest.

5. Danny finds out some of his powers might not be as ghostly as he thought... it does explain the huge power boost some of his powers have compared to other ghosts.

6. He went to Clockwork... who proceeded to tell him the truth, smile his cryptic smile while saying "and now. Have fun this time around. I'll see you again in due time Daniel." Before yeeting him into a portal.

7. Danny woke up in his home dimension.... deaged to being five years old (the age he would be if he stayed and grew by now) (DC timeline is slower than DP in this)

8. He woke up apparently his creator's home city... during a Gala (Danny woke up in a garden, dazed and confused. His memories are fuzzy)... and wandered into the party... and apparently he looked like a perfect mix of his.. dads? Which catches A LOT of peoples attention.

9. Especially with Tim Drake-Wayne and Conner Kent-Luthor just announcing they're dating that very night.

10. Rumors and gossip of a random kid, who looks just like the recent happily announced couple, go flying quickly among the elite... and reaches certain ears before it gets to batfam and supers (I have a feeling they learned how to block out rumors and gossips during these events)

11. Those ears happen to be Lex Luthor and Ra's al Ghul (both who are there at the Gala just to annoy and unnerve the Bats and Supers)

12. By the time the rumors get to Tim and Conner, they find Danny almost getting taken away by one of those two.

Bellatrix Star

A TaliaxDanny idea that came to me.

Damian, Bruce, and the rest of the bats discover the Talia al Ghul they had been fighting against, the one that cloned her own son, had the clone kill him, plant a control device in him when he broke his spine, etc etc was actually not the real Talia al Ghul.

Turned out Ra's had cloned her and killed the original when she discovered his little plans to take over Damain's body and she confronted him about it. Ra's had to make a clone when after tossing a dead Talia into the pits but never returned (he meant to kill her as a warning, as a "you may be my blood but will not hesitate to end you Talia.") It explains so much to Damian when remembers how out of nowhere his mother changed, her training him changed from harsh to deadly, the soft motherly love she would give him when behind closed doors suddenly stopped, the tales she would spin for him about his father no longer whispered to him for bed.

How this was find out?

Well it's hard to ignore the facts that when your foolish grandfather in his quest for immortality summons an eldritch being known as the Ghost King into the Mortal Realm and uses Damian as a sacrifice while his (not) mother watches emotionless.

When the being appeared, plunging the room from green glowing flames and the glow of the Lazarus Pits into darkness before a cosmos exploded to life, its glowing green eyes snapped open in the stars and stared at them all. Making every single one of them feel small, so very small.

It took a single glance around the room before stopping on the al Ghul's. It's eyes widen before a steel and firm look entered them. Just as quick as the cosmos sprang to life, it suddenly swirled away into a ball, putting them all back into the Lazarus room,and reformed in front of them to a more humanish height and body.

When the body, around the height and build of Batman, was done forming it took a step forward and suddenly as one blinked a man stood in front of them. Or rather floated. Snow white hair that flickered and wisped towards a crown made of fire and ice, glowing green eyes that held none of the madness but all of the power the Lazarus Pits could give. His clothing were tailored made that were tastefully a mixture of black and white with some silvers and greens, clothes fit for a King one would say. The cosmos that once engulfed the room had shifted into a cloak that hanged around his body, on one side more than the other (think like how CW wears his only the hood is down).

This, this was no doubt the Ghost King, he stood tall and regal and made everyone in the room feel the need to look down, to bow ones head for even just a moment. Even Ra's had trouble disobeying the urge to do so.

"Well..." the being said, his voice deep but not as gravely as Batman's was "What an interesting way to meet my In-Laws and Step-Son..."

He has said that as he looked towards the al Ghul's. Damian flinched back with a frown of confusion and disbelief while Ra's looked panicked for a second when the words registered into his mind, meanwhile Talia... looked emotionless and barely even twitched.

"What the fu-?" Someone began only to stop when the King lifted his hand and with a snap of his fingers a green portal appeared, it looked almost like the Lazarus Pits but it felt... cleaner? Less angry?

"My Bellatrix, my warrior star. I believe I've been summoned to your home dimension. And judging by the looks of it your father created a barely functioning Mirror of you and planned on using your son as a sacrifice to me." He spoke out towards the portal before holding his hand out.

A hand appeared from the portal, a slender hand and with green and black painted nails manicure to perfection before someone walked through it as they took hold of the Ghost King's offering hand.

Standing in front of them was another Talia, only this one looked a tad older than the one in the room. She wore clothing that matched the King to a T but even then, as always, Talia looked deadly in it. Beautiful but very deadly. From the heels she wore to the crown upon her head, a crown made of not ice and fire but of stars and black jewels. Her eyes were sharp as she stared at everyone in the room, frown on her painted lips, but her eyes lit with a small soft joy when she saw Damian only for them to turn poisonous when they landed on Ra's and the other Talia nearby.

"I should had know you would had created a Mirror of me instead of admitting to my son you killed me Father." Queen Talia spat out. "The least you could had done was not make my Mirror so cheaply, it doesn't even have a proper soul attached to it."

The reblogs make the story so wholesome

For Them

About to go to bed and this plot idea came into my head so I'm gonna be quick.

Danny and Dani (or Ellie) are on the run from well... everything. (Bad Fenton parents? Vlad? GIW? IDK pick)

They almost escape into the zone when Ellie gets hit by something that starts destabilizing her. They escape but toss themselves into a random portal that opened up and crash land in a dark gloomy city alleyway. For a moment they think it's okay, they're safe for now but they gotta keep moving. So they do, they run and run into the city until they find a place to finally rest.

It isn't until then they realize what's happening to Ellie. Her body is destabilizing now that the adrenaline she had was going down. She starts panicking and freaking out cause she knows they don't have any ecto-dejecto.

Danny, freaking out and desperate to save her freezes her body with ghost ice to make her stop melting (basically it doesn't hurt her despite not having an ice core but instead kinda puts her in a status)

And it works.

But it sends Ellie into a deep sleep as well.

Danny, stressed and on the verge of passing out from using his ice core (and willing some of his protectior spirit into as well to keep Ellie safe in the ice), looks up when he hears footsteps coming towards him.

He passes out when he realizes the place they had hidden in, a warehouse, had already been pretty cold even before Danny had used his ice powers.

When he wakes up, he realizes hes been moved from the warehouse and freaks out and tries to find Ellie. When he opens his door from the room he was in, hes greeted by cold (but Danny isn't bothered by it) and a man, a Dr. Victor Fries, who just so happened to had been at that warehouse that night looking into stealing some valuable equipment being imported but instead had watched a young, badly hurt teen desperately try to save and have to freeze his 'sister' as she was melting in front of him.

New ideaaaa~ I'm starting Hannibal rn and I got the idea of Hannibal characters x male reader who can't feel pain (congenital analgesia). Like at all. Like any kind of pain, not just physical. Like I'm thinking will Graham (is that how you spell it?) x male reader and Hannibal x male reader too. Maybe they compete? Idk. Or maybe a Hannibal x Jeffery Dahmer male reader

So here's some ideas for the Hannibal fanfic. I was thinking maybe he's a cop or one of the people on site during the investigations in Hannibal (only on ep 3 guys give me time lol) and he catches their attention maybe by like cutting himself on something deep and doesn't even notice. Like at all. Or they here about him from some gossiping cops about how he was shot in the shoulder or leg and didn't even notice and kept on running after a criminal or robber or something and was on temp leave and is coming back soon or maybe he's one of wills students thing and he hears gossip from students about his lack of pain or something.

Cod ideas are maybe he was a soldier who literally came back from a mission with like 4 bullets in his legs or something and was on temp medical leave and price hears about him when they team up with the mcs squad on mission and they overheard something about the story and him coming back soon and as for getting him on price's team maybe the mc was talking about moving teams when he gets back (I'm thinking the mc prefers a team that can handle him not being able to feel pain and looks out for him or maybe the mc is a perfectionist and the fact that someone even got shot that many times before someone helped him or killed the enemy or something is bad to him so he's disappointed in his team for allowing that to happen to him or something idk how to explain it. He's looking for a better team that can effectively use his inability to feel pain well and also make sure he doesn't get too hurt with something like getting shot 4 times or something idk)

We could also use him for a cod x male reader fic too or avengers or dc

I like the painless version better tho it's unique

I'm only on ep one rn so I haven't thought of a plot start yet.

I prefer long fics and series so if you use this (for anything rather) let me know

Art not mine, found on Pinterest

I was thinking he'd look something like this, maybe heavy scars on his body tho

One of the sorts

He'd work with any fanfic tho so I really wanna see some x male reader or oc who can't feel pain

Actually maybe using the art from one of the previous posts would match too

You guessed it guys. Another idea. I just got black myth: wukong (great game btw been wanting to play it) and I thought of what about a various marvel or DC (or bnha) x male sun wukong reader. Like he's a mischievous easygoing blunt monkey man cuz honestly despite him being a monkey in the game he be looking great. And he used the staff and can shape shift into literally anything and I guess see the dead or something and control clouds and stuff. Heck you can do a monster poly tf 141 au x him too (like maybe he's an experiment or something or made half monkey or maybe he's a guy who found the staff artifact and became sun wukong overnight or maybe he was buried in ice and discovered by the Russians deep in the tundra or permafrost and they put a collar on him forcing him to be a mercenary or they had him in a tube and the tf 141 was sent to recover him or something idk) also I feel like he'd be a power bottom or a switch. This probably isn't one of my best ideas and I kinda just somewhat thought this one out. Ooo also god of war x him would work to or even record of Ragnarok x him because honestly I love Buddha from that show and Jack and Hermes and other characters or even jjk x him like he's a spirit or casted from wherever he's from (don't know enough about sun wukong) and the energy blast alerted everyone and he meets gojo because of that or sukuna goes wild in Yuji trying to go find him or some sorcerers uncovered his shrine somewhere and they're sent out all beat up and gojo is sent or something

Here's a gif of the man because why not

Someone please write this and tag me in it or something like please and I would die if you based his appearance on the pic. Cod idea version is below two parts. Please continue reading.

Ugh I wanna read a MHA blharem fanfic where the MC is suicidal (in a funny but also like dark way) but he has stupidly good luck that keeps anything bad from happening to him, like to the point bullets dodge him and hit the opponent type luck or a bird will come outta nowhere and take a hit for him, or the knife he uses to try to kill himself with breaks or is super dull, or the pills suddenly expire, or a hero always swoops in when he jumps and that's how he meets heros or something. Just stupidly good luck but bad in his opinion and he keeps on stumbling into villain attacks and his luck makes it like he did something to stop it like a villains attack will suddenly cancel or malfunction or a large gust of wind will blow the villain down, successfully making it look like the MC has multiple quirks or something. Other than his suicide attempts drawing attention to himself, he trys his best to be completely invisible. I seriously need more books rn, MHA has such cool characters and there's so much potential for inserts but almost none are to my style. Also preferably a power bottom or uke mc

I feel like he'd listen to songs by Glass Animals or Two Feet. Like the beat and vibe of take a slice would fit him well especially if he's thinking about committing in his room. I imagine he's laying in his bed lights off, broken knife or ripped rope in hand or expired pills scattered around him while he's staring at the ceiling in annoyance or with a somber look while take a slice plays or or go fuck yourself by two feet plays while stuck in his thoughts or just blank minded. I feel if you use the second pic he'd like to listen to songs like too sweet by Hozier and artists like Two Feet, Arctic Monkeys, Glass Animals, Hozier, Des Rocs, MISSIO, Lund, Son Lux, The Neighborhood, David Kushner, Steve Lacy, Red Leather, Cigarettes After Sex, Troy Boi, d4vd, Tsunami J. (Die Young for ex), Mac Miller (for ex. Self Care), ThxSoMch, alt-j, FKJ, etc

This could also work with literally any fandom. Like for example in a cod fanfic he could be the bastard son of a rich family (who had a lot of enemies) who they don't care about (but should cuz his luck could take them places ;)) and they, because despite everything he's the only child and they can't have him die from an enemy because itd ruin their image, hire taskforce 141 to protect him in a lone warehouse (the big rich apartment things I forgot the name of) while they're gone for a year. Tf 141 wouldn't be happy of course but they grow on our mc and take it as a vacation or something. He secretly tries to commit when they can't notice and they don't for a while but they finally find out when he finds one of their guns and tries to shoot himself just for it to literally break which shouldn't happen because they take care of their guns or something or they catch him about to hang himself with one of the rope, brand new btw, they literally use to climb into a helicopter so they know it's sturdy, and it immediately breaks (rips? Tears?) which also shouldn't happen because they know the rope is able to literally carry like 5 men at once, and that's how they discover his good luck and suicidal tendencies. The mc immediately gives up trying to commit in secret and goes to do it in the open now. They come up with a compromise, he can only attempt one time a die and they just gotta watch him till he does try, not that it'll work anyway, his luck prevents it. Or he could be a marine or Merc or something who joined just so he could get into danger so he could die but to their horror and his own, nothing will kill him. Like he'd run out of ammo and everything and be in front of an enemy just for the enemy's gun to suddenly jam or for the enemy to step on a mine or get hit by a stray bullet or something. His call sign would be clover 😂. Like he'd be known for being in or a part of the most dangerous missions that go to crap or something and come out unscathed. Like if he's a Merc he'd deliberately choose dangerous missions that other mercs avoid and go in alone and not even try, just walk right into an enemy's base and start shooting with the hopes of dying himself. Like even as he's doing a cool takedown move the only thought in his mind is ugh I wish a bullet would just hit me already or I wonder if this guy can kill me or I wonder if this guy is strong enough to choke me or I wonder if my luck can stop a grenade or something. Like don't give this guy explosives he'd probably tape an active one on himself. His handler refuses to give him explosives when he's alone because they've had to stop him from activating it on the spot and shoving it in a pocket. I was thinking poly 141 x male oc/reader (plus like Alejandro and his buddy and some of kortac or other hot cod characters). I'd expect him to be like silent and brooding but it looks cute to others. I'd also imagine he's incredibly short like 5'4. He also wears his hair like that in hopes it would help with him getting shot or something. His power of only good luck make him usable for any fandom just let me know if you use him cuz it's like to read it. Prefer if he's used for long fics with chapters or something but do what you want

He could also be a bartender in Gotham in the middle of an area between all the territories of the villains or something.

Also this is how'd I think he looked, art not mine at all. Probably found on Pinterest

Feel like he'd look like this too, especially for cod. Art not mine I'm pretty sure I found it on DeviantArt. Love their art tho

Just had an idea. Ghost Rider male reader x poly tf141 or ghost rider male reader x tf141/cod they would probably be better off in monster au. Though I'd prefer he's a power bottom/sub. Also long fics please, like series though feel free to use this for other things too. Please tag me if you use it I wanna read it

Edit one: I was thinking he could be a Merc or something and takes down corrupt squads or just corrupt politicians/rich people/etc in his free time. And maybe he's like really tall and stuff and wears a skull mask (like just a skull mask, not like ghost's) and looks like he'd be a top but is a bottom/sub (not required just a preference. Do what you wanna) and has a soft spot for animals and children. And he's the guy they send when crap really hits the fan cuz he's so destructive and angry when he fits. Like a quiet anger. And he's a total lone wolf, afraid he'll burn the wrong person and is really insecure about it. Omg please someone make this I'm dying

Edit two: I'd imagine he looks like this normally (art not mine at all. Probably found on Pinterest and I downloaded it. Credits to true artist if you find it, please tell me who it is lol)

I imagine he's like really quiet and soft when he's human but when he burst into flames (so like if imagine the flames are white or something) he's like a metalhead but still quiet, like roach quiet. And despite this he has all the power bro and he's huge under his clothes like he totally has man boobs and stuff. Also I feel like songs by SWARM match him perfectly or the song I'M A METALHEAD, BITCH by KILL KARL would match him too (great song, very fun to listen too and he Lowkey kinda goofy) but in a secret way, like he looks like he'd listen to classical or nirvana but his ghost rider thing makes him angry inside so he listens to metal. But I also feel like he'd be like in the umbrella academy where they, despite being serious and stuff, would just randomly start dancing to goofy music and he will straight up dance to a song like hey ya! By OutKast while he's cooking or making him some coffee like that'd be cute for the guys to stumble into. Also I feel like anytime he experiences anger or negative emotions he feels like really hot or he's always angry but he controls it unless he needs the destructive forces his anger would bring.

Now I'm being specific but it's okay. Feel free to use it or do whatever

Also I love contradictory characters

Bro I need a frickin fanfic (preferably story) where the male reader or oc is a power bottom biker boy who drives something like a Yamaha r1 or a BMWS1000RR or some other hot modern bike and is a adrenaline junkie and stuff and slowly builds up harem of powerful men for himself and he starts by pulling up next to starks limo at a red light or something and immediately catches his heart or something and because of this he ends up eventually after a while of 'hanging' with stark he meets the rest of the avengers just for the other guys to fall for him too because honestly it'd be a trip. I mean who doesn't want to get on your knees for a biker boy, I definitely would 😂 (guys don't judge, a girls gotta simp)

Edit: and if he has a superpower, it should be like dumb luck. Like the kind that makes birds show up outta nowhere to take a bullet for him or something or no matter what he comes out unscathed. Like to the point powers malfunction when directed at him or something dumb will happen to keep him safe, which is why he's an adrenaline junkie. No one knows his power tho, not even himself. He just thinks it's normal. This also could work in a bnha fic

Edit 2: oh and a foreign accent like idk which but you choose.

Edit 3: I feel like he'd listen to artists like slen, sxmpra, BVDLVD, Freddie dredd, ghostemane, mac Miller, $uicideboy$, bones, d4vd, red leather, witchz, 1nonly, etc just for like the aesthetic or something (guys I listen to these guys but I don't look or act it at all. It's a guilty pleasure lol and I feel badass to some of the songs for the beat alone. This or he'd listen to heavy dubstep, trap, phonk, etc) and I'm thinking big dawgs by hanumankind would fit him perfectly

Actually this can apply to any fandom with hot guys. I'd die for a cod one where he meets them in a country they've got a mission in by pulling up next to them on his bike or he owns a bike shop or he's their neighbor or a DC one cuz Batman's reaction would be funny or jokers if his plans never work when the MC is involved because of his luck

Pic not mine, probably found on Pinterest. Credit to them but this is how I'd think he looked

Far and away my favorite trope.

Like what do you mean they’ve moved from simple friendship to deep, unconditional love so seamlessly that neither of them noticed? That their lives became irrevocably entangled without a second thought?

I’m feral for it. Rabid. Shaking these two back and forth in my jaws like a delighted dog with its favorite toy.

"Didn't know they were dating" is slowly but surely becoming one of my favorite tropes. What do you mean, these two characters who are soulmates haven't actually been in a long-term relationship like everyone thought? What do you mean they didn't know? Everyone knows!

# Gilded Lily

( ⋆ )

Stranger Things Fanfiction

☆ hyunjulovebot, 2025 ⋆

| CIRCA NOVEMBER 8TH, 1983

Stranger Things S1

II. The Party of a Lifetime

THE SLAMMING OF a locker startled Josie out of her trance, she had been staring at the stuff carved into the smooth metal of her own locker. It appeared someone was trying to spread rumors, the carving read; “J+J”. There are many people with J names at Hawkins High School, but because it was on her locker and that she hangs out with Jonathan the most, she guessed it was about her and Jonathan. She ran her hands over the rigid lifted engravement, she sighed in exasperation. She couldn’t even wipe it off so she was just going to have to deal with everyone seeing it. She balled up her fist and hit it against the locker gently. The sound of it was completely drowned out by the crowd of students around her clamoring and blabbering on.

She turned the locker lock, it was almost second-nature at this point. She had memorized the combination by the second week of school last year. She pressed the little button that released the locking mechanism and the door clicked open. Josie jammed her backpack into the small space, unzipping it to take out the books she would need for the day. Once she held those under her arm, she closed the locker, leaning her head back against it.

That is when she spotted Nancy and Barbara talking to one another, Josie pushed herself up from the locker and strode over to the duo. She had a pep in her step as she crossed the crowded hallway. She waved, more toward Barbara than Nancy, once she arrived. “Hey Barb!” She smiled softly.

The red-haired girl turned toward Josie, she held onto books in her right arm, holding them tightly to her chest. Nancy stood with her shoulder against her locker, looking at Josie out of the corner of her eye. “Josie!” Barbara welcomed her, Nancy also said a small greeting underneath her breath. “How are you doing?” Barbara asked.

“I’ve been doing fine, what about you?” Josie asked, but before Barbara could answer, Steve Harrington and his friends strolled up to them. Steve had his hands in his pockets, his infamous hair ever voluminous, Tommy H. stood behind him, his little minion. Carol Perkins had almost her entire body wrapped around Tommy H.’s right arm.

Steve began to speak but stopped himself, seemingly trying to think of the right words. “You want to come share a beer at my place?” He began, “It’s a party, these two are invited too.” He said, dismissively pointing at Barbara and Josie.

Upon hearing this, Carol groaned quietly. Josie and Carol had always had a hate-filled relationship, since middle school. They had never liked one another, so Josie was hesitant to even go because she would be there but seeing that Barbara agreed, she shrugged and nodded. “Sure.”

Tommy H. is staring off into the distance and when everyone followed his gaze, they saw Jonathan putting up missing person’s posters for his brother on the bulletin board near the entrance of the school. The bright sunny day outside is a stark contrast to the dark, gloominess of those actions. “God, it’s almost pathetic..” Tommy H. said, putting his elbow onto Steve’s shoulder and leaning against him, one foot behind the other. Nancy, Barbara, and Josie look at one another, Josie knows Jonathan already knows about her worry and concern so she lets Nancy walk over to the brunette boy and comfort him. Josie and Barbara watch, Josie still feels so goddamn guilty for what happened.

SCHOOL FLIES BY and Josie ended up back in the car on her way to pick Jude. So much has happened in the last day, too much to even recount, and now she was going to a party? While a little boy is missing? She leans her elbow against the window sill, then rests her head against her hand. Her other hand gripped the steering wheel hard, her mind was elsewhere. Her speed picked up as her foot stepped down onto the gas pedal. A horn rang out around her, snapping her out of her thoughts. She snapped her foot to the break, hitting it quickly just as a car turned the corner to cross in front of her. She stuttered to a halt, her breath caught in her chest and her heart racing.

Nathan wasn’t paying attention, the music was too loud, everything was too loud. He was shouting obscenities and berating her mother, Eleanor. Which was ironic considering the song that was playing was Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles. Josie sat in the backseat, trying her best to focus on anything else but the raised voices only a few inches away. Jude was still in a car seat at the time, she was so young she couldn’t understand what was happening, she just absent-mindedly played with the toy attached to the side of the seat. She whined whenever it would swing away from her, Josie pushed it back in her direction every time.

The car was starting to get faster, but the arguing wasn’t stopping. Nathan wasn’t even looking at the road anymore, he grabbed Eleanor tightly on the forearm, even at her young age Josie could tell it would bruise. She saw tears in her mother’s eyes at the strong grip. “Don’t ever do something like that again, or I’ll break your fucking arm next time!” He threatened, pushing her arm away. Eleanor grasped her own arm gently, examining it in case of any bruising. Josie didn’t even know what her mother did to garner this sort of reaction, but what she knew was that she didn’t like how the cars were going by so fast. They were faster than normal and she felt a pressure in her chest, she whimpered against the feeling, reaching over to hold Jude’s tiny hand.

“Nathan, watch out!” Eleanor exclaimed and when Josie followed her gaze, she let out a yelp before everything went dark. That was the last thing she remembered until she woke up in the hospital three days later, she would learn that a car had rammed into them on Nathan and Josie’s side, leaving them severely injured. The medical bills essentially ruined the family, they had once lived comfortably but now they had nothing to their name. They had been basically bankrupted by this event.

The rest of the ride continued as normal, she picked up Jude and they headed to the store. The car bumped up as Josie drove into the lifted parking lot. Her hand rested on the steering wheel lazily as she turned into a spot. She clicked open the door and stepped out, ducking as to not hit her head on the roof. She jogged to the other side, helping Jude get out as well. She twitched her fingers next to her calf, a signal for Jude to take her hand. The little girl did, then they began walking into the store. When they got up to the entrance, Josie leaned over and pulled open the door, letting Jude walk in first. As Josie entered, the bell above the door rang out around the store, she just stood for a second, breathing in the familiar smell of Melvald’s. She gave a small tug to Jude’s arm and they began walking again, just looking for the basic things that they needed for the next few days. As Josie browsed, she heard a voice she recognized coming from the direction of the cash register. Josie looked over and saw Joyce talking to the cashier, she knew Joyce had worked here for many years, that was one of the reasons she liked this place so much, but she didn't expect her to be back so soon after her son went missing. And she wasn't back, it seemed she was buying something instead. Josie tuned out the conversation and by the time she needed to check out the things she was buying, Joyce was gone.

JOSIE WAS SITTING on the couch, her legs under her as she watched the television. She had her elbow resting against the arm rest, her chin sitting on her hand. She held the remote in her other hand, repeatedly pressing buttons to change the channel. The remote was broken, she had to press the buttons roughly and repeatedly to get it to even work at all. The news station's introduction music began blaring, she sat the remote down, actually interested in what was being reported right now. As Josie sat on the couch, Jude was sitting on the rug in the middle of the room playing with a few toys she had dragged from her bedroom. The news anchor introduces a reporter, a woman with puffy curly hair who is holding a microphone close to her face. Her glasses halfway down her nose, they definitely aren’t doing anything. She is standing on the scene, behind her Josie can see a glimpse of bright yellow caution tape surrounding a building. The building looked familiar but Josie couldn’t quite put her finger on it. “Benny Hammond, owner of Benny’s Burgers has been found dead in the restaurant of an apparent suicide.” The reporter stated. Josie let out a small, shaky breath, her heart had dropped. Josie and her family used to go to Benny’s Burgers all the time, it felt like everything from before was falling apart right in front of her and she could do nothing to stop it. She hurriedly stood up, jogging into the kitchen, she was going to wash dishes to get her mind off of everything.

NATHAN AND JUDE were asleep by the time Josie got done deep-cleaning the house, she had done this numerous times before, she did it every time she was stressed. She ran into her bedroom and packed a small bag of things for the party, then she tip-toed out of the door, not wanting to disturb her father or little sister. She locked the door behind her then made her way to her car.

First, she decided that she wanted to join the search party for a few hours before the party began. She drove to where a sign she had seen said the search party was starting, she left her bag in the car and got out. She walked up to the group of citizens already there, she joined Chief Hopper and Mr. Clarke, the science teacher at Hawkins Middle School. She walked with them while they searched, talking quietly and yelling out for Will.

The Hawkins National Laboratory came into view, Josie could see the gray walls looming in the distance, as they got closer they stumbled upon a sewer pipe that connected to inside the gates of the place. At first Josie thought nothing of it, then Mr. Clarke spotted something, a torn piece of cloth lay in the murky water. It was discolored from the time it had been laying in the dirt. Hopper picked it up with his index finger and thumb, he examined it closely. “I can take this in as evidence,” He stated, putting it into his breast pocket.

Other than that one piece of cloth, the search party came out of the forest empty handed. That saddened Josie, she just hoped Will would be found safe. She quickly said her goodbyes to Chief Jim Hopper and Scott Clarke then walked back to her car. She sat down, put on her seatbelt and started the engine. She began her drive to Steve Harrington’s house.

The drive was short and sweet, her headlights illuminated the beautiful gardens in front of all the houses. This was a wealthy neighborhood, Josie had never lived anywhere like this, even before the car accident. She looked at the streetlights, which were few and far between because the houses were quite far apart. This far down Cornwallis was getting into the countryside. The houses all looked very similar to one another, they were very molded and pristine, almost an exact copy. Each one had paneled siding, they were just all different colors, and each one had brick accents somewhere. The yards were perfectly manicured, grass cut short and perfect landscaping everywhere. Which was a contrast to Josie’s house at the trailer park. Sure, her grass was mowed, though it hadn’t been in a little over a month, but the decorations were carelessly put down with no thought for how it would look from a distance. Josie was the one who did the outside, she just put down things where she liked them and didn’t bother enough to change it.

She arrived in front of Steve’s house, the lights were on and she could faintly hear music coming from the backyard. She spotted Barbara and Nancy in a parked car in front of the house, she used someone else’s driveway to turn around so she could park right behind the other two girls. Josie looked turned and grabbed her bag from the backseat, she opened the door and stepped out, slamming it behind her. She leaned over so she fixed her hair in the side view mirror. Once she was sure she looked fine, she stood up and walked toward the other car. She knocked on Nancy’s window, once they looked over, she waved and thrusted her thumb in the direction of Steve’s house. Nancy puts up one finger, signalling for Josie to wait a second. They swiftly snatched everything they needed before exiting the car. Josie stood between Nancy and Barbara as they walked toward the ever increasing volume of music. It was eerily quiet, Josie could hear the chirping of the crickets and see the abundance of moths swirling around the lightpost. No one spoke as they climbed the stairs to the entrance, Nancy volunteered to knock.

A few seconds later after a few scurrying footsteps, Steve appeared at the door. He was wearing a green sweater, the same one he had been wearing at school, he leaned against the door with one hand resting on his hip. “Ready to party?” He asked.

The group entered the house, each of them taking turns wiping their feet on the welcome mat. They followed Steve into the living room, through the window they could see Tommy H. and Carol getting stuff ready. He led them out to the deck. “You can sit anything down here.” He said, putting his hands up and spinning. Josie sat her bag down on the armchair before turning toward Steve again, with the flick of his wrist he signalled for the rest of them to follow him. Josie held onto the sliding door as she stepped down into the backyard.

The radio was sat on a lawn chair that surrounded the lit up pool, a cooler filled with ice cold beers was placed directly next to that same lawn chair. Tommy, upon hearing the footsteps, looked up and his face lit up. He beamed as he yelled, “Let’s get this party started!”

THE PARTY DRAGGED on, most people just sat around and talked for a while. Nancy and Steve sat on the edge of the pool, their feet resting in the cold water, they were just talking. Josie hated even looking at the two being close to one another. Barbara and Josie stood next to each other, arms crossed as they watched everyone from afar and talked. Tommy H. and Carol were sitting together in a chair, snuggling close and being very affectionate. Josie and Barbara were definitely third and fourth wheeling, but at least they had each other.

Steve suddenly stood up, his hands on his hips again. “Time for drinks!” He announced, striding over to the cooler, he flipped the lid open and pulled out a cold one. He reached down and drew out a pocket knife. He stabbed into the side of the can roughly and hurriedly brought it up to his mouth to drink it, Tommy and Carol followed suit, all without any problems. Next, it was Nancy’s turn so she walked over and reached down to grab ahold of a can. She was able to get the drink open without any problem but when she tried to get it to her mouth, a bunch spilled out all over the ground. She laughed through a mouthful of beer.

Josie ambled over to the cooler. She carelessly grabbed a drink, Nancy handed her the knife and she speared through the can, almost missing but thankfully relocating to the can at the last second. She leaned back as she brought it up to her mouth, the cold liquid flooded her senses, you could taste the money, this was one of the most expensive beers she had ever tasted. She hadn’t drank that many beers in her life, but still..

Finally, it was Barbara’s turn, she clumsily leaned down to take hold of a beer, I passed the knife to her. She took it, tried to puncture the can, and missed. She cuts her thumb open, blood begins dripping onto the patio. She winced, dropping the can, “Shit!”

Josie gasped, grabbing the knife from her, she breathed out through clenched teeth, a small hiss. “Do you have a first aid kit?” Josie asked Steve, turning her head toward him as she walked over to gently grab ahold of Barbara’s arm.

“Yeah, it’s in the cupboard under the sink in the bathroom.” He stated, pointing toward the sliding door. Josie held onto Barbara’s arm with one hand and patted her back with the other, they began to walk into the house. Josie guided them through the house, even though she didn’t know the layout.

They eventually made it to the bathroom, she pushed Barbara gently down onto the toilet, she leaned down, opening the cupboard to seize the first aid kit. She clicked open the lid and took out the gauze. “They don’t have any disinfectant so we just have to put the gauze on raw,” Josie said with a small laugh. Barbara smiled softly. She handed Josie her hand and Josie began to wrap the bandages around her thumb.

Once she finished doing that, she put the first aid kit back where she found it. The duo wander back to the backyard, the others are talking but once they see that the two are back, Tommy H. yells out, “Swimming time!” He began to pull off his shirt. Carol pulled off her shirt and stepped out of her pants, she ran, jumping into the water. It took a few seconds before she resurfaced but once she did, she laughed loudly. Tommy jumped in after her, then Steve followed him. As Nancy undressed, Josie could feel her face heating up. She forced herself to look away, but she heard Nancy jump in.

After a few seconds of peer pressure, Josie grabbed the hem of her blouse and began to pull it over her head. Her hair was picked up by the shirt, it fell messily against her back when she fully removed it. She kicked off her flip-flops. She unbuttoned her jeans, unzipping the fly and pushing them down her legs. She stepped out of the mass of denim below her and walked back a few steps to get a running start on her jump into the pool. She used one of her hands to close her nose, all noise escaped as she splashed into the water. Once she resurfaced, her hair was hanging loosely on her shoulders. She looked over and saw Barbara was still standing, holding onto the gauze around her wound. “You sure you don’t want to get in?” Josie asked.

Barbara nodded. “Thank you, though, I’ll just watch..” She stated. Josie swam to sit in the corner, holding her legs close to her chest. If you blocked out the screaming from Carol, this was actually quite relaxing.

“Yeah, he’s such a weirdo, he probably killed his brother.” Carol laughed.

Josie’s eyes opened and she looked over at her. “What did you just say?” She asked, her eyebrows furrowed.

“You heard what I said, Jonathan Byers is a weirdo who probably killed his brother.” Carol said, matter-of-factly as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Why would you say that?” Josie asked, standing up straight now, making her way toward Carol. “I’m fine with you not liking him,” she began, Nancy looked between the two girls, “But you don’t have to bring his missing little brother into it.” She bit the inside of her cheek, “That’s just fucking despicable.”

“It’s the truth!” Carol exclaimed, her voice was annoyingly high-pitched as she said it.

Josie was beginning to feel uncomfortable at this party, she turned away from Carol and toward the ladder, “I’m leaving.” She started, pulling herself up the ladder. Barbara tried to get her to stop but she just kept walking. Josie grabbed a towel from her bag and wrapped it around herself, she picked up her bag and walked out. ‘God, Carol’s such a bitch.’ She thought to herself.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

words: 3503 !! i hope you are enjoying this so far! i wanted to further develop barb and josie's relationship before tragedy strikes 😭 this chapter isn't the most interesting but it does show some backstory and steve's party!

we got a little cameo of joyce going out to buy a new phone! my bbg jonathan doesn't deserve any of what steve's friends say in this chapter 💔 next chapter covers josie finding out about barb's disappearance and them finding will's “body” in the quarry. anyways, i hope you all enjoyed! bye-bye <33

# Gilded Lily

( ⋆ )

Stranger Things Fanfiction

☆ nikiscooler, 2025 ⋆

| CIRCA NOVEMBER 6-7TH, 1983

Stranger Things S1

I. The Disappearing Kid

THIRTY MINUTES BEFORE Josephine’s alarm clock was supposed to go off for school, she was woken by the wall-mounted phone blaring in the kitchen. Her eyes strained against the morning light that flowed in through the window. She pushed up with her elbows, throwing her legs over the edge of the bed. She didn’t want to get up, the warmth of the blankets was almost like a magnet, pulling her back into the comfort. She defied it, lazily standing up, her arms hanging loosely by her side. She grasped the bedspread and pulled it up to wrap it around her shoulders. She heaved it tighter around herself as she trudged out of the bedroom, her feet dragging beneath her. Once she crossed the threshold of her room, the ringing seemed to get louder. Her footsteps thumped against the newly mopped linoleum floors. Other than the floors, the house was in complete disarray. The counters were covered in beer bottles and old Chinese take-out containers. Once Josie reached the phone, she rested her hand against the cold plastic for a moment. Then, she pulled it off the switchhook and put it up to her ear. “Hello, Josie Ainsworth speaking..” She stated, she has always felt the need to be more formal when answering calls.

Josie heard breathing on the other side for a moment, “Hello, Josie,” The woman began, Josie immediately recognized the voice. “This is Joyce, I was wondering if you saw Will at any time last night?” The night was a bit blurry in her mind, she sucked a breath in through her teeth as she thought back to the night before.

Josie had been hanging out with her friend Barbara Holland all day, studying and whatnot, and now she was biking home because it was getting dark. Though she didn’t want to get home, didn’t want to face her father’s rage at her being out so late. So, she kept circling the neighborhoods closest to the trailer park, stalling as long as possible. The street lights flickered as she drove underneath them. The crickets were particularly loud tonight, perhaps they knew something she didn’t.

As she continued riding, the lights seemed to be acting increasingly more sporadically. As she turned the corner of Cornwallis and Kerley, the lights went entirely dark. It only lasted a few seconds but it felt like an eternity in which she spent in the blackness. Josie heard the click, then the humming as the lights started back up again. She sat there for a second, one foot on a pedal and the other planted on the ground to stop herself from rolling. She was trying to gather her thoughts. She heard the sound of a wheel spinning and when she jerked her head toward the sound, she saw a boy also rounding the corner on his bike. She knew who the boy was, it was Will Byers.

She smiled politely as he rode past, waving. Will looked away from his strict eye contact with the road in front of him to wave back, then he disappeared again as he turned the corner in the direction of his house. Josie straightened herself back out on her bike and started off again.

Josie felt her heart sink in her chest, had something happened to Will last night? She saw him, she could have helped! She could have done something! Her mouth opened but no words came out, just a stuttered breath. She closed her eyes to recompose herself, then she finally spoke. “I saw him last night, while riding my bike through town.” She admitted.

Joyce gasped, the relief evident in the sound. “Where did you see him exactly?” Josie could hear shuffling on the other side of the phone.

“Where Cornwallis and Kerley meet,” Josie stated, “Or, uh, it might have been the corner between Cornwallis and Randolph.” She really couldn’t remember the exact location, so she just said the two to cover all her bases. “All I know for sure is that it was close to your house.”

Joyce made a small, almost inaudible noise, “Thank you, thank you so much for telling me.” She doesn’t give Josie any time to say anything back before she hangs up the phone. Josie sighed deeply to herself, running a hand through her disheveled hair, she put the phone back on the switchhook before returning back to her bedroom to get ready for school.

JOSIE’S ARM WAS rested against the window sill as she turned the wheel and pulled into the high school parking lot. Her blue 1979 Hatchback stalled a bit as it struggled to get over a small speed bump. She wanted to park close to the school, but it was just her luck that there were no spots open. She guessed that is what happened when you have to drive all the way across town to take your little sister to the elementary school.

She ended up having to park a good ways away from the building, she pushed open the door and stepped out into the lukewarm November air. She reached over to the passenger side to grab her backpack, her fingers grazed the metal pins that lined the stitching. She stood up straight and slung it over her shoulder. She closed the door noisily and started toward the entrance.

Once Josie arrived at the door, she leaned forward and grasped the handle. She stumbled with the weight of it. She used her foot to hold the door open and she slipped inside through the small crack. The clammer of students drowned out her footsteps as she walked through the hallway toward her locker, she was interrupted by Jonathan, he looked distressed, and Josie could understand why. “Hey Josie.” He greeted, looking at her, concern riddling his features.

“Hey Jon,” Josie said, “I heard what happened with your brother.” She kept her hands on the straps of her backpack as she turned toward him, “How are you doing?”

Jonathan winced a bit at the thought, “Yeah, my mom’s been freaking out,” He chewed on his lip momentarily. Josie unlocked her locker as she listened, taking off her backpack and stuffing it in there. She unzipped it to get the books she needed for the day out. “I’ve been feeling pretty bad about it too, I was supposed to take him home last night.” He stated just as she slammed the locker door shut.

The brunette girl nodded in understanding, she reached her hand out to comfortingly squeeze Jonathan’s shoulder. “Just don’t blame yourself for what happened,” She started, “It’s not your fault.”

“I’ll try..” Jonathan’s facial expression revealed what he didn’t say, he was definitely going to blame himself, and they both knew it but Josie didn’t push anymore. They fell into a comfortable silence as they continued to walk through the hallways. The duo reached Jonathan’s homeroom, “I’m gonna split off here.” He stated, thrusting his thumb back toward the door. Josie nodded and waved as she began her walk down the hallway again. She makes it only a little way down when she sees Nancy Wheeler and Steve “The Hair” Harrington, the king of this school, making out next to someone’s locker. Josie grimaced, turning away, disgust rising in her chest. Nancy and Josie had been friends in freshman year, but since she started dating that douchebag, they had become distant. She tried her best to avoid them, walking over to Barbara Holland, who stood only a few feet away, back against her locker. Josie grasped Barbara’s hand, pulling her away from the lovebirds.

“Let’s leave them,” She let go of her hand once they were halfway down the hallway, they shared the same homeroom, so they were headed to the same place anyway. “Have you heard what’s going on with Will Byers?” Josie asked.

“Like Jonathan’s brother?” Josie nodded. Barbara thought for a second before tilting her head. Her face was laced in confusion, “No, what’s going on?” She queried. A curl from her short auburn hair fell into her face, she quickly moved it back.

Josie didn’t want to tell her the whole story, especially the part about her seeing Will the night before so she just resorted to saying, “Apparently he disappeared last night.”

Barbara took a deep breath, shaking her head slightly. “Oh, that’s terrible,” She began and Josie nodded solemnly, “I hope he is found safe.” She stated, but before they could expand any further on the topic, they reached their first period. They stepped into the room and said their goodbyes as they headed toward their assigned seats at opposite ends of the classroom.

THE REST OF the day went off without a hitch, it was just the usual monotony of school that always left Josie struggling to come back the next day. She picked up her younger sister from the elementary school, as they rode down the winding roads they listened to a mixtape Josie had made, it consists exclusively of children’s songs for car rides like this with Jude.

As the compact blue car pulled into the trailer park, Josie could already sense a feeling of dread looming over the area. She gripped the steering wheel, turning it aggressively to the left to pull up to the Ainsworth family trailer. She scanned the front, the door was closed; which is uncommon for her father, but the door looked like it had been closed so forcefully, it had almost fallen off its hinges. It was slightly crooked as far as Josie could tell from her view in the car. She whispered a little reassurance to herself as she opened the door and stepped out, slamming it behind her. She walked around to the other side to help Jude out as well. She grabbed ahold of her hand and guided her toward the front door. She reached out to touch the plastic button-latch door handle on the glass screen door, she pulled it open and walked inside.

The atmosphere immediately shifted, Nathan, Josie’s father, sat on the couch, a beer bottle in hand. Josie had been around him long enough to know that he was angry, the way his other hand was balled into a fist beside him, the way he clenched his jaw as soon as he saw his two daughters stumble into the old, muted trailer. Josie’s thumb rubbed a comforting circle onto Jude’s knuckles as she tried to walk past him to their rooms, but she was stopped by a loud, thundering voice next to her. She almost jumped out of her skin, she turned toward Nathan slowly, closing her eyes tight and taking a deep breath. She was already preparing for the beration she was about to endure. “Where were you?” He questioned, eyes narrowed as he stared at her.

Before Josie answered, she pushed her sister away, toward her bedroom, whispering, “Go, go into your room Jude.” Jude didn't say anything, she just listened to her sister’s instruction, entering her room and closing the door behind her. Josie turned back to her father, “At school, dad.” She said, twirling her necklace with her thumb and index fingers anxiously.

“Don’t be a smartass,” Nathan commented, “I meant last night.” He was calm, so calm in fact that it was terrifying.

Josie had hoped he hadn’t noticed her absence last night, but of course the one time he is sober enough to think about her is when she is gone. “I was at a friend’s house.” She stated, not wanting to elaborate any further.

The blond man looked from his gaze at the television over at Josie, “Who told you that you could be out so late?” The volume of his voice was rising rapidly, the hand holding the beer bottle shaking. His eyebrows were furrowed.

Josie continued to fidget with the heart locket, she stammered for a few seconds, trying to figure out the best thing to say. “You weren’t home.” She finally remarked.

Nathan grumbled under his breath, Josie could see the gears turning in his brain. “Don’t ever do that again,” He had chosen mercy, for once. “Now, go fetch me another beer!” He exclaimed, holding up the beer bottle threateningly. Josie listened, jogging into the kitchen. She opened the fridge, leaning down to grab another thing of booze. She silently walked the beer back over to him, she held it out to the man. “Open it for me.” He demanded. Josie took a deep breath and shook her head, she wasn’t going to open his drink for him, he was a grown man. She knew he was going to get angry at that, so she sat the bottle down on the coffee table and started immediately toward her room. “Don’t you dare say no to me!” He yelled, standing up drunkenly and tossing the empty glass beer bottle at Josie’s head. It smashed into the wall behind her, shattering into pieces. She finally reached her bedroom door, she opened it and stepped inside, closing and locking it behind her. She turned around, resting her head against the smooth wood, taking deep breaths, she closed her eyes in exasperation. She doesn’t cry, she has gotten so used to living with this man that she doesn’t cry about these things anymore.

Josie took a deep breath to collect herself, then pushed herself off the door and strolled over to her desk. She sat down, running a hand through her hair tiredly. She already had the books laid out from yesterday, so she just dragged them over to infront of her and began to study for her upcoming geometry test.

JOSIE LOOKED AT her alarm clock upon hearing the front door slam shut, it had been a little over an hour since she started studying. She placed the papers in the book, so she wouldn’t lose her page then closed the book gently. She leaned back in her chair, lost in thought. Will, that little boy who was always so sweet to her didn’t deserve any of this, she wished there was a way she could help them find him.

That is when an idea sprang into her mind, she would go help the Byers in their search for him. She used her arms to throw herself up, circling the chair and walking out of her bedroom. She took large steps on her way into the kitchen, she worked fast, making a quick ham and cheese sandwich. She placed it on a plate and carried it over to Jude’s bedroom. She knocked gently, “Jude, I have some food for you.” She said softly.

Jude opened the door, “Jo-Jo!” She squealed in excitement, grabbing the plate from her with one hand and holding onto her doll tightly with the other.

“I am heading over to my friend's house; just stay in your room, eat the sandwich, and stay quiet.” Josie commanded, “Even if dad comes home, okay?” She asked, tilting her head. Jude nodded a bit and closed the door. Josie heard her drop the doll onto the floor before she walked away.

THEN, JOSIE WAS off, it wasn’t a very long drive to the Byers house, only a few minutes. When Josie pulled up, she noticed the high amount of movement going on inside the house. She parked beside Joyce’s car and stepped out, she slammed the door behind her and jogged up to the door, knocking firmly. She waited a few seconds, hearing rushed footsteps behind the door. Then, finally, a disheveled and panicked Joyce answered. Her brown hair was up in a messy ponytail and she looked as if she had been hyperventilating. “Josie, hey, what are you doing here?” She asked, almost breathlessly.

“I want to help you search for Will.” Josie stated and Joyce’s face softened. She stepped aside so that Josie could step inside. She had been to the Byers house before, but under very different circumstances, last time it had been for a sleepover between Jonathan and Josie.

Joyce leaned back a bit to yell for Jonathan, “Josie is here to help us search!”

Just as she said that, Jonathan turned the corner, coming out of the kitchen, he speed-walked over to the brunette girl and hugged her close. “Thank you for helping.” He said, “We were just about to head out to the woods, near Castle Byers to search for him.” Jonathan held Josie by the shoulders, “You can join us out there.”

THE TRIO HAD spent almost two whole hours combing through the woods, yelling out Will’s name, searching every little nook and cranny that they possibly could but they came up empty handed. Josie could feel the desperation rising in the others as they entered the house again. She let out a deep breath, her neck craned up a bit, she was just hoping they would find the boy soon. Josie followed Jonathan into the living room, where a whole art station had been sat up. There were markers, photographs, and large pieces of paper. Jonathan leaned over, “We are making some posters, you’re welcome to stay and help.” Josie, of course, stayed and made several posters. Joyce was on the phone with people, trying to get a hold of anyone who might know where her son is.

She looked toward the two, who sat criss-crossed on the ground, making these posters. “I’m going to try and call Lonnie.” She explained as she dialed a number. Josie had never met Lonnie, she had met the family after Joyce and him had divorced. But she had heard stories from Jonathan about how bad of a man he was. Joyce held the phone up to her ear. Someone answered and Josie tuned out the conversation as best as she could, wanting to use all her focus to work on the things in front of her. She was startled by Joyce slamming the phone back on the receiver and yelling, “Bitch!”

Suddenly, a car door slamming could be heard and Joyce ran to the windows, looking outside. “It’s the police.” She stated and unlocked the door. A knock rang throughout the house, Joyce opened it and Chief Jim Hopper stepped inside.

“We found the bike.” He stated, Joyce looked over at Jonathan. “It was down the road from here, so we thought the best decision would be to search the property.” He stated.

“What, you think I didn’t search my own house?” Joyce snapped, but Jonathan rested a hand on her shoulder to try to get her to calm down. Everyone knew she was stressed and worried, so no one held her reactions against her. So, the cops sprawled out, searching everywhere; the house, the shed, the woods. Josie, Jonathan and Joyce could just stand there and wait. The police didn’t end up finding anything.

JOSIE PULLED UP beside her father’s car, it looked like he had hit one of their garden gnomes in the front yard, a white painted fluff of hair was underneath his front left wheel. She opened the door and stepped out, closing it gentler, so as to not bother her father who was inside. The front door was open, it seemed Nathan had forgotten to close it when he got home, he always does that. She walked into the trailer, closing the door behind her. She spotted her father passed out in the living room, one arm slung over the top of the couch, the other over his chest and both legs hanging off the side. Josie sneaked past her father’s slumbering form over to Jude’s room. She cracked the door open a smidge to peek inside, her sister was also fast asleep but she had eaten the food she was given so Josie took the plate and placed it into the sink in the kitchen. With that, she sneaked back into her own room, sighing in relief at the sight of her untidy bed. She trudged over to it and flopped down onto it, her arms splayed out around her, one leg hanging off the side. It was like the weight of the day finally hit her like a truck and she was out like a light. Dozed off into a deep sleep.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

words: 3365 !! i hope you enjoy this first chapter, i enjoyed writing it a lot! but you can probably tell i was rushing near the end 😓 i love josie and jonathan’s friendship so much. this chapter was kinda short bc i just wanted to use this to introduce everyone. this chapter covers the first episode because each chapter will cover one episode each!

next chapter will include more backstory and the party at steve's house! i’m so excited to write more of josie's relationships with steve, nancy and barb. i hope you are excited as well!

☆

☆

“but i know you'll take me with you,

we'll live in spaces between walls.”

GILDED LILY ⋆ CULTS

ACT I. Strange Happenings In Hawkins

“i've started not to doubt it,

just wrap my head around it.”

GILDED LILY ✎ CULTS

ACT I.

# Gilded Lily

STRANGER THINGS FANFICTION

☆ nikiscooler, 2025 ⋆

❝ i was made for lovin’ you, baby,

you were made for lovin’ me,

and i can't get enough of you,

baby, can you get enough of me? ❞

I WAS MADE FOR LOVIN’ YOU ✎ KISS

: ̗̀➛ SEASON ONE EPISODE ONE —— SEASON ONE EPISODE EIGHT

# Gilded Lily

STRANGER THINGS FANFICTION

nikiscooler, 2025

N. Wheeler x OC

━━ : ̗̀➛ ━━ : ̗̀➛ ━━ : ̗̀➛ ━━ : ̗̀➛

━━ : ̗̀➛ ━━ : ̗̀➛ ━━ : ̗̀➛ ━━ : ̗̀➛

˚₊‧ ꒰ა 📻🔦🕰 ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

| • ° ☆ all the lonely people, where do they all come from? all the lonely people, where do they all belong? ⋆ ° •

━━ : ̗̀➛ ━━ : ̗̀➛ ━━ : ̗̀➛ ━━ : ̗̀➛

˚₊‧ ꒰ა SOUNDTRACK ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

[ 001 ] vienna —— billy joel

[ 002 ] gilded lily —— cults

[ 003 ] eleanor rigby —— the beatles

[ 004 ] we fell in love in october —— girl in red

[ 005 ] unfair —— stray kids (felix)

[ 006 ] hey jude —— the beatles

[ 007 ] good luck, babe! —— chappell roan

[ 008 ] birds of a feather —— billie eillish

[ 009 ] the night we met —— lord huron

[ 010 ] somewhere only we know —— keane

[ 011 ] you're on your own, kid —— taylor swift

[ 012 ] what was i made for? —— billie eillish

[ 013 ] i was made for lovin’ you —— kiss

[ 014 ] social path —— stray kids

[ 015 ] funeral —— phoebe bridgers

[ 016 ] do you remember me??? —— emily jeffri

[ 017 ] francesca —— hozier

[ 018 ] the water is fine —— chloe ament

[ 019 ] i want you to love me —— fiona apple

[ 020 ] i bet on losing dogs —— mitski

[ 021 ] i wanna be yours —— arctic monkeys

[ 022 ] family line —— conan gray

[ 023 ] little dark age —— mgmt

[ 024 ] headlock —— imogen heap

[ 025 ] not strong enough —— boygenius

[ 026 ] slipping through my fingers —— abba

[ 027 ] scott street —— phoebe bridgers

[ 028 ] kids —— current joys

[ 029 ] fine line —— harry styles

[ 030 ] war of hearts —— ruelle

[ 031 ] seven —— taylor swift

# Gilded Lily

( ⋆ )

Stranger Things Fanfiction

☆ hyunjulovebot, 2025

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I made a playlist and Pinterest board for this fanfiction! Here are the links: https://pin.it/6W5ISL3pi & https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2SJCoDJoBup1lySYUZZ6C2?si=nkCKhergSdu9aEjNgxS2bQ&pi=JhDyxWuyQoyH7 !! Thank you so much for your support, I will try to get this started as soon as possible!

p r e s e n t i n g . . .

GILDED LILY

production made by nikiscooler

“but with my double vision, how was i supposed to see the way?”

cults, gilded lily

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STRANGER THINGS FANFICTION

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: ̗̀➛ S U M M A R Y !

JOSIE AINSWORTH WAS AFRAID.

Strange things have been occurring recently in the small midwestern town of Hawkins, Indiana. It all started with the disappearance of Will Byers, a young boy who went missing while biking home from a friend's house late at night. But that wasn't the only reason Josie was afraid, her home life scared her too, she needed to get her sister out of that hellhole before it was too late.

Josie felt guilty. She hadn't wanted to go home that night, so she was biking around town after being at her friend Barbara’s house when she saw Will on his way home. She didn't say anything, if she had said something, he would still be here now. Everything was piling up on her already burdened shoulders, she felt like she was going to crack, like a porcelain doll.

Josie and Nancy Wheeler had been friends at the beginning of high school, but they had drifted apart since Nancy started dating that douchebag Steve Harrington. They now only talked through their mutual friend Barbara Holland. So, when Josie walked out of a party that would end in disaster, she felt the guilt suffocating her. None of this was supposed to happen, she was just angry at fucking Carol.

The Ainsworth family was well known in the community as being a story of unexpected downfall. Before the car accident, Josie’s parents Nathan and Eleanor were well-respected, they hosted parties and were church-goers. The family got into a terrible car accident, and the hospital bills cost them basically all they had to their name, it essentially bankrupted the family. Eleanor left, just walked out on her two young daughters and Nathan began to drink heavily. He was fired from his job because he kept showing up to work drunk. They lost their home because they couldn't pay for it since Nathan wasn't working. They had to move to the trailer park. Now, people refuse to speak to the Ainsworths, most of them are scared of Nathan, who has grown violent over the years.

Her friends are the only bit of comfort she has left in her life. Though, after what happened to Will, talking to Jonathan has gotten harder and harder.

At school, she sinks her brain into her work, keeping her mind off everything else going on. She doesn't let anyone see what she is dealing with and no one seems to notice either. She is invisible to the world around her.

With Nancy and Steve's relationship growing distant, and Nancy and Jonathan growing closer, a friendship blossoms between Nancy and Josie. And when Nancy and Jonathan start dating, Josie is happy for them.

But that wasn't true, was it?

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⋆ nikiscooler, 2025 ♡

N. Wheeler x OC

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🎸⋆⭒˚｡⋆ I N T R O D U C I N G ,, : ̗̀➛ THE CAST -^-

JOSEPHINE “JOSIE” AINSWORTH ⋆ Hailee Steinfeld

( xv, lesbian, she/her, sagittarius )

#You're On Your Own, Kid / The Punching Bag.

NANCY WHEELER ⋆ Natalia Dyer

( xv, closeted bisexual, she/her, scorpio )

#What Was I Made For? / The Sharp-Witted.

Act One, 1983 / STRANGE HAPPENINGS IN HAWKINS

Lucas Sinclair ☆ CALEB MCLAUGHLIN

Dustin Henderson ☆ GATEN MATARAZOO

Mike Wheeler ☆ FINN WOLFHARD

Jane ‘El’ Hopper ☆ MILLIE BOBBY BROWN

Will Byers ☆ JAEDEN MARTELL

Jonathan Byers ☆ CHARLIE HEATON

Steve Harrington ☆ JOE KEERY

Jim Hopper ☆ DAVID HARBOUR

Joyce Byers ☆ WINONA RYDER

Karen Wheeler ☆ CARA BUONO

Ted Wheeler ☆ JOE CHREST

Holly Wheeler ☆ ANNISTON & TINSLEY PRICE

Nathan Ainsworth ☆ GARY WEEKS

Jude Ainsworth ☆ PIPER RUBIO

Act Two, 1984 / SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH WILL

Maxine ‘Max’ Mayfield ☆ SADIE SINK

Murray Bauman ☆ PEDRO PASCAL

Billy Hargrove ☆ DACRE MONTGOMERY

Eleanor Ainsworth ☆ MELANIE LYNSKEY

WARNINGS

This is a Stranger Things fanfiction, so anything included in Stranger Things will happen in this book, those things include; child abuse, violence, gore, death, mommy issues, daddy issues, etc. This fanfiction will also include period typical transphobia, racism, misogyny, and homophobia.

DISCLAIMERS

I don't own the Stranger Things characters or their storylines, all rights are reserved to the Duffer Brothers and Netflix. I did however, make my original character Josie Ainsworth and her whole story.