Fic by lunaraindrop
Well, you asked for it! Let's find out about Steve's secret twin!
The red numbers mocked her as her digital clock blinked over to 4:27 pm.
Robin's nerves were frazzled like the feather on her band uniform.
Tonight was supposed to be a fun night! Vickie had asked her last week if she wanted to come over to her house and have a movie marathon...and a sleepover. Of course she jumped at the chance! (Steve had said, excitedly and with way too many winks that Vickie was putting the moves on her.)
Robin had not known if it was a "friend movie marathon" or a "i-like-you-makeout movie marathon", but she had prepared for both.
But then Vickie called her earlier that afternoon to postpone. Apparently, her entire family got a stomach bug, and their house was a cesspool for germs.
Bummed, Robin tried to think of something else to do.
Hanging with Steve was out. His parents decided to grace him with their *lovely* presence after four months away on "business." They insisted on having a "family dinner." Steve always gets ultra stressed when he has to do the staunchy dinners in The Harrington Dining Room with the real silver, cloth napkins, and the Fine China that cost probably as much as his car. Telling him that her "maybe date" was off was just going to disappoint him too.
Eddie wasn't going to be any fun, either. All Eddie would do would be pine over Steve, try to sneak in a smoke, and eat whipped cream out of a can.
Nancy was spending the day with Jonathan. The kids made sure they all had things to do because Steve couldn't take them anywhere.
Then she had what she thought was a great idea. She could get her learner's permit! She had studied the written test bookelett front to back, as well as gone over all the driving rules and tricks with Steve and Eddie.
She wasn't working that day, and she was completely free. Perfect timing! All she had to do was get her birth certificate.
Which...proved to be harder than she thought.
Robin paced her bedroom, probably wearing a path in the carpet.
She never caught on that her parents were reluctant to give her her birth certificate. When she would suggest getting her permit or license, they would talk about how they couldn't afford to have her driving. A car and insurance cost a lot of money. Then they would guilt trip her into not driving at all with fears of her getting into an accident. She never knew her name, but that was how she was told her bio mom died.
She would always let it go when they talked about the "angel that gave them their precious baby girl."
But she knew now that they were hiding something from her!
When she pressed until they gave in, she saw what on her birth certificate. She felt so betrayed! How could they lie to her like that?
The taunting clock on her nightstand changed to 4:30. The DMV was now closed. Not that it even mattered!
She couldn't take it anymore! Robin picked up the phone.
"Hey, Nancy? I hate to ask, but could you and Jonathan come pick me up? I really need a friend right now."
---
In the Byers-Hopper living room, Nancy blinked up at Robin. "So, you are actually a year *older* than you thought you were?"
Robin threw her hand in the air. "Yes! And they didn't tell me! Evidently, it wasn't just that I took longer than the rest of the babies to walk! Oh no, I was in the NICU for *months*! I was so far behind in my milestones that my parents decided to just tell me I was a year younger and enroll me in school a year later than everyone else!"
Jonathan dodged a flailing arm and handed Robin a cup of tea. "Here, sit down and drink this. It's my mom's chamomile. I think you need it."
Taking a breath, Robin nodded her thanks and took a sip. Then made a face. "This tastes like laundry detergent and bourbon."
Jonathan shrugged with a small smirk. "I said it's my mom's."
Nancy went into investigation mode. "Okay, so your parents adopted you three days after you were born. Closed adoption. Your biological mother died, and no information about your biological fatherm. Instead of 1968, you were adopted in 1967."
Carefully putting the mug down on a magazine on the table, Robin ran her fingers through her hair. "Me being adopted is old news, Nancy. I've known I was my parents 'miracle baby' since I was able to walk...which I don't know when that is now! Was it *actually* six months after most kids, or *a year and six months* after most kids?!?"
Nancy waved her hand to cut Robin off. "Robin! I understand. I'm just trying to understand how nobody knew this information."
Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "About Robin being adopted?"
Nancy sighed. "No, about how Robin could go through the whole school system and sign government NDA's without getting flagged that her birthday was wrong. I'm wondering if her adoption records say something else."
She got up to grab a notepad and started scribbling. "The information given to the Buckley's, if they can believed- sorry Robin- is that the adoption was a closed adoption. Having records sealed makes sense, but not a closed adoption. There was no father, according to Robin's parents. Just her biological mother. Who died in a car accident. So...who made sure it was a closed adoption? Who isn't supposed to be contacted? Does that have anything to do with the year change?"
Jonathan got up and pulled out his wallet. "Robin, you've never had a physical ID, right?" He showed off his own driver's license with his awful bowl cut hair picture.
"No. I haven't even had a permit yet. At nineteen! I'm so far behind!"
Jonathan nodded and looked to Nancy to continue. When she nodded back, he handed Robin his license. "If you've never had an ID, the only time you would see your birthday written anywhere would either be at school or by your parents." He turned to Nancy. "If her school records say she was born in 1967, then they knew she was a year older, but didn’t say anything... If they filled out her forms saying 1968, then they lied to the Roane County Board of Education, and they didn't check her birth certificate."
Nancy pointed a pencil at Robin. "You might have accidentally uncovered a hidden adoption scheme in Hawkins."
Robin flexed her fingers. "That's nice, you guys. Really nice. I may be a part of some big adoption conspiracy. But the fact remains, I'm a year older than I ever thought I was, and my parents lied to me about it."
Nancy and Jonathan both flinched.
Right. Comfort Robin now, investigate later.
Nancy walked over and stilitingly pat Robin’s shoulder. She wracked her brain for something to cheer the woman up.
"Well, you and Steve can actually pretend to be twins, now! Your birthdays are now only three days apart!
Part 1 here:
Inspiration from this post (here) from @dclovesdanny
[Tags/TW: Trans!Danny, implied SA(false), implied grooming(platonic), de-aged Danielle, de-aged Dan, ghost pregnancy, destabilized clones, dead Fentons, ghost Jazz, grieving, platonic yandere(Vlad), passively suicidal thoughts, emotional manipulation, misunderstandings, eavesdropping, OCs for plot reasons, domestic abuse]
Part (One) Part (Two) Part (Three) Part (Four)
Extras: [Comfort song]
The Picrews used are: (Vlad) (Danny) (Dani) (Dan)
by Writerthreads on Instagram
A common problem writers face is "white room syndrome"—when scenes feel like they’re happening in an empty white room. To avoid this, it's important to describe settings in a way that makes them feel real and alive, without overloading readers with too much detail. Here are a few tips below to help!
You don’t need to describe everything in the scene—just pick a couple of specific, memorable details to bring the setting to life. Maybe it’s the creaky floorboards in an old house, the musty smell of a forgotten attic, or the soft hum of a refrigerator in a small kitchen. These little details help anchor the scene and give readers something to picture, without dragging the action with heaps of descriptions.
Instead of just focusing on what characters can see, try to incorporate all five senses—what do they hear, smell, feel, or even taste? Describe the smell of fresh bread from a nearby bakery, or the damp chill of a foggy morning. This adds a lot of depth and make the location feel more real and imaginable.
Have characters interact with the environment. How do your characters move through the space? Are they brushing their hands over a dusty bookshelf, shuffling through fallen leaves, or squeezing through a crowded subway car? Instead of dumping a paragraph of description, mix it in with the action or dialogue.
Sometimes, the setting can do more than just provide a backdrop—it can reinforce the mood of a scene or even reflect a theme in the story. A stormy night might enhance tension, while a warm, sunny day might highlight a moment of peace. The environment can add an extra layer to what’s happening symbolically.
The bookstore was tucked between two brick buildings, its faded sign creaking with every gust of wind. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of worn paper and dust, mingling with the faint aroma of freshly brewed coffee from a corner café down the street. The wooden floorboards groaned as Ella wandered between the shelves, her fingertips brushing the spines of forgotten novels. Somewhere in the back, the soft sound of jazz crackled from an ancient radio.
Hope these tips help in your writing!
In an alternate universe they're university professors and married I saw it in the wild rune
This is my mini little pitch post for "Mistakenly Saving the Villain" because ever since I've read it, it won't leave my mind and there's woefully little fan content for it. I think it might actually be my favorite webnovel now.
It is completely translated with a total of 120 chapters (translation link here) (novelupdates for full list of tags) ***extremely important to pls look at the trigger warnings and tags before reading***
It's a xianxia danmei novel about a terminally ill medical student, Song Qingshi, who transmigrates into the immortal cultivator who is master of the Medicine King's Valley. His system issued mission is "to rescue the gentle, kind and tragic protagonist shou of the novel 'The Exceptional Furnace'". Naturally, he instantly fails this task by saving the "wrong" person.
Overall, the story is about healing, so enter the story with caution, since the first half of the novel is very painful and at times quite hard to read with how heavy the subject matter is. That being said, I really admire how the author made healing a long process that can't be fixed by love alone.
Also, both the mc and the ml are veryyyyy devoted to each other, and without spoiling too much... you might think while reading that there's no way that mc can match the ml's intensity but he can ;)
I think I would recommend this story to people who enjoyed tian guan ci fu, since the past is also extremely important in misvil and the story takes place on a similarly large scale (if not larger).
I feel like this story works best when you don't have any spoilers, because the twists in this story really elevate it from being just your run of the mill transmigration story to something more like an epic. I'm still surprised that the author had an explanation that wrapped up every single loose thread while also adding a whole new layer to the novel.
For an added incentive ;) read the novel so you understand why this is literally the main couple:
Giving personality to a character is an essential part of character development in storytelling, whether you're writing a novel, screenplay, or creating a character for a role-playing game. Here are some steps and considerations to help you give personality to your character:
Understand Their Backstory:
Start by creating a detailed backstory for your character. Where were they born? What were their childhood experiences like? What significant events have shaped their life? Understanding their past can help you determine their motivations, fears, and desires.
2. Define Their Goals and Motivations:
Characters often become more interesting when they have clear goals and motivations. What does your character want? It could be something tangible like a job or a romantic relationship, or it could be an abstract desire like happiness or freedom.
3. Determine Their Strengths and Weaknesses:
No one is perfect, and characters should reflect this. Identify your character's strengths and weaknesses. This can include physical abilities, intellectual skills, and personality traits. Flaws can make characters relatable and three-dimensional.
4. Consider Their Personality Traits:
Think about your character's personality traits. Are they introverted or extroverted? Shy or outgoing? Kind or selfish? Create a list of traits that describe their character. You can use personality frameworks like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or the Big Five Personality Traits as a starting point.
5. Give Them Quirks and Habits:
Quirks and habits can make a character memorable. Do they have a specific way of speaking, a unique fashion style, or an unusual hobby? These details can help bring your character to life.
6. Explore Their Relationships:
Characters don't exist in isolation. Consider how your character interacts with others. What are their relationships like with family, friends, and enemies? These relationships can reveal a lot about their personality.
7. Show, Don't Tell:
Instead of explicitly telling the audience about your character's personality, show it through their actions, dialogue, and decisions. Let the reader or viewer infer their traits based on their behavior.
8. Create Internal Conflict:
Characters with internal conflicts are often more engaging. What inner struggles does your character face? These can be related to their goals, values, or past experiences.
9. Use Character Arcs:
Consider how your character will change or grow throughout the story. Character development is often about how a character evolves in response to the events and challenges they face.
10. Seek Inspiration:
Draw inspiration from real people, other fictional characters, or even historical figures. Study how people with similar traits and backgrounds behave to inform your character's actions and reactions.
11. Write Dialogue and Inner Monologues:
Writing dialogue and inner monologues from your character's perspective can help you get inside their head and understand their thought processes and emotions.
12. Consider the Setting:
The setting of your story can influence your character's personality. For example, a character who grows up in a war-torn environment may have a different personality than one raised in a peaceful, affluent society.
13. Revise and Refine:
Don't be afraid to revise and refine your character as you write and develop your story. Characters can evolve and change as the narrative unfolds.
Remember that well-developed characters are dynamic and multi-faceted. They should feel like real people with strengths, weaknesses, and complexities. As you write and develop your character, put yourself in their shoes and think about how they would react to various situations. This will help you create a compelling and believable personality for your character.
First it was a few classes because of a lost dare, but then those few turned into a usual thing for him.
In fact, he got so into it that even his rogues, when they realized it was almost time for his Ballet lessons, would pause the fight and make sure he went. The young half-ghost was, in their opinion, far too tense and stressed, and if they wanted to make sure he was in top form for fighting then he needed a hobby.
Regular Ballet lessons turned into competitions.
Competitions turned into him being scouted.
And while he never, ever expected this path for himself, at the age of twenty-four he became one of the best Danseurs in the country.
He's also a registered meta, but only because when he dances he gets so into it that some of his ghostly features leak over to his appearance.
Floating white hair, eyes shifting from blue to green in the lights, slightly pointed ears; costume designers adore him.
So it's no surprise that he has his fair share of stalkers.
This is where John Constantine comes in, because someone just tried to send a very nasty curse to Danny, and they need to find out who.
Song that inspired this idea here
funny idea where Shen Yuan transmigrates into a cute colorful lil world and his system tells him to collect data on bunnies, and not just any bunnies- beast bunnies
He thinks its cool, like omg theres this one bunny w dark fur and lil horns!! Omg its so cute, and this one has wings..!! And this one- its glowing! Its literally so cute!!
So he's in beast heaven where his goal is literally just Gotta Find Them All and optionally record their behavior for extra d-points! (D standing for data <3)
Eh, downside is he cant really use his left arm cuz he hasn't unlocked dual maining yet... but he'll get to it soon! For his bunnies!!
but! Theres evil creatures trying to eat his precious bunnies while he's researching them...!! His system tasks him with getting rid of these corrupted devourers to protect his defenseless bunnies-
well they're not all defenseless but the ones who CAN protect themselves are rare and most of what he has are just precious babies hiding behind him!! So, he takes up the missions and fight the evildoers!
Hey, but wait a minute- system, why are the devourers just.. pirate carrots?!
Oh, hey atleast he got a weapon!
Crack crack, boom!! He defeats the corrupted devourers- er, carrots- but wait, something sparkles in the corner of his eyes... he trims through the bushes and finds- another bunny?
[You have discovered Haze-Coated Dreams!]
His eyes were wide and shining because WOAH omg this bunny was majestic! It had a light shade of green and like, cute wind patterns! Theres even a little star pattern on its head!
But... aww, poor thing is trembling, it was so small too, probably just a baby. His heart clenched at the thought that those devourers were gonna eat something so cute... he looked around, though he cant seem to find its mother. They were probably eaten by the devourers...
He sighed and decided to just take the bunny in! More d-points for him!
He gently picks it up and cradles it in his arms.
[You have acquired Haze-Coated Dream!]
[Adding to database....]
_____________________________
Xiao Jiu ran as fast as he could, trying to get away from monsters that sought for his flesh and blood.
But it was futile, wasn't it? They were faster, stronger, and he was just prey.
It wasn't any better that his clumsy self tripped and sprained his ankles. Fuck.
His heart thumped wildly in his chest, he didn't want to die yet. Please.
If he could not run, he crawled. He crawled and hid in a large bush, hoping those demons had not seen him. Hoping that whatever god was up there was merciful and let him live. But then what?
He trembled in the cold, his body aching and hurting all over.
Why did it have to be him?
His breath hitched as he heard the sounds of cracking bones and tearing flesh. He trembled and hugged himself tighter, trying to get himself together.
Crawl, crawl damnit. Move. Anything.
Why did it have to be him?
He couldn't hide his fear when he so clearly felt a shadow loom over him. His instincts burned and screamed and made him look up, to see if the monsters had spotted him.
The bush was cut, and he was exposed.
No. No.. nonononono NO NO-
Please.
Xiao Jiu froze as he saw a bloodied man, arm ripped off and dry blood staining the ripped clothing.
The man- more demon-like than the actual demons he saw - approached him- no get away from me- and picked him up. And cradled him.
He couldn't do anything. He was scared, confused, angry- and.. helpless, in a lot of senses.
He wasn't willing to backdown without a fight however.
(It took sy 3 hours to put his disoriented bunny that was trying to fight him thinking he was probably one of the carrots to sleep. Poor baby.)
__________________
Anyways so yeah shen yuan thinks he got transported into a beast bunny heaven
Literally everyone around him says otherwise, but oh no shen yuan doesnt speak bunny and carrot language unfortunately :(
Sy thinks he's a beast tamer and also he chops up all the carrots to feed to his bunnies (remember what carrots are?... yeah... his house is a bit... messy...)
Sy: omg new rare bunny type?!?!?!!! This is the best day ever.
Sj, traumatized asf: who are you..?!. (sy baba-beams him and he immediately (4 weeks) becomes his boy)
Sy serving his bunnies the chopped up carrots: eat up and grow big and strong!
Sj: (avoiding the "carrots" bc he is NOT eating raw flesh)
Sy, noticing sj avoiding the carrots: oh no, my baby still has trauma from that experience :( its ok, SYSTEM!!!! gimme recipes. Now.
Sy looking at the (dead) carrots: i wonder if i can eat this...
System: no!!! It is heavily advised against!!
Sy: huh? Why?
System, sweating and trying to find an explanation that doesnt reveal the carrots are literally just demon abomanations: .....theyre digestible only to the rabbits! Theyre toxic to humans like how chocolate is toxic to dogs!
Sy: (believing it) huh... that makes total sense.
if you're wondering what sy looks like in this au, in literally everyone else's POV he:
Has one arm, the other looks like it was ripped off
Has clothes that are bloody and dirty asf like he just got out of a bloodbath
Has dead eyes and a clawed out eye (referencing to the fact he sees the world like a cutesy place even tho it isnt LMAO system pulling so many strings)
Has a butcher knife
His okay-arm has spikes coming out of his flesh
So basically he looks like he got out of a slaughter/cruel lab but he loves his bunnies (monstrous pets with 1 lil very hateful kid) very dearly and no when he sees himself in reflection he just looks like a Normal Guy
This is just my excuse to make monsteryuan but slightly more insane
Heavy eyelids, struggling to stay open.
Slumping shoulders, barely able to hold themselves up.
Dragging feet with each step.
Speaking in a slow, slurred manner.
Dark circles under the eyes.
Yawning frequently and deeply.
Head nodding forward, trying to stay awake.
Leaning heavily against walls or furniture.
Rubbing eyes and face with hands.
Deep, weary sighs escaping lips.
Wincing at bright lights or loud sounds.
Staring blankly ahead, unable to focus.
Weak, unsteady movements.
Muttering incoherently to themselves.
Falling asleep in unusual places.
Lack of response or delayed reactions.
Propping their head up with their hand.
Collapsing onto the nearest available surface.
Swaying slightly on their feet.
Barely lifting their head to speak or listen.
Thinking about that prompt i found on TikTok about faking your death and then coming back and knocking on your best friend's door like nothing happened.
That but make Steve fake his own death accidentally, so he is clueless why Robin is freaking out when he goes to visit her.
(with a side of Steve going feral a la Jonh Wick and Die Hard over his car, i'm so normal about this, so normal, it's not like i use this like an oportunity to make a b99 reference, pff, Gertie who??? )
Like, i know nothing about witness protection and how faking your death would work, but, but- let's use our imagination.
Steve's father being a lawyer and messing with someone he shouldn't have. He ends up dead and because of this, the cops think they could go after Steve too.
Which, true, Steve has an accident that destroys his car (RIP BMW, I love you, but this is for plot reasons, you would be missed), so now he has to be under witness protection.
Steve, like the ball of repressed trauma and anger issues that he is, decides that the best thing to do is go after the people who destroyed his car, a la John Wick; because:
Going after them to avenge his father: no, thank you.
Going after them to avenge his car: yes, let me go for my bat.
That without forgetting to leave a cryptic message to Eddie's and Robin's voicemail.
While Steve is having his own action movie with handling the 'mob' and cops that kinda want to help, kinda don't care; the rest of the Party is freaking out because "WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO ONE INVITED HIM TO SPEND CHRISTMAS WITH SOMEONE AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN HIS CAR WAS FOUND IN THE QUARRY???".
Dustin asks Robin if something happened with Steve during christmas, like kissing under the mistletoe or something, only for Robin to say she didn't invite him because Eddie did, but Eddie hears that and goes, "Uh, no? I chicken out; I thought you would invite him after I didn't."
They asking around if someone invited Steve because it's kind of public knowledge that his parents suck, but no one did, and he hasn't come to the Party's Christmas party yet, so he's probably mad at them.
But Eddie and Robin are having a Bad Feeling™ because of the voicemails, and Hopper is being called to identify a car that it was found in the quarry that morning.
And Hopper knows that car, he has seen that car since Steve was a dumb teenager that got his parties busted by the chief. He hasn't seen Steve for a while. He wasn't at the christmas party. Where was he again?
The Party still isn't in the know, but Hopper is already looking for Steve but he can't find him and-
Remember that i told you Steve was in witness protection? Well, i think sometimes they fake their deaths, i'm not sure, but this is the perfect oportunity and cover to pretend that Steve died.
So the government uses it, and The Party doesn't know because different branch of the government and all that.
When Hopper founds out he doesn't know how to tell the other that Steve had an accident and they are still looking for him in the quarry; but they already know, they used Dustin's cerebro to find out what was going on.
Everyone is devastaded, and then, Eddie and Robin hear their voicemail again only to bring out that maybe it wasn't an accident, that maybe Steve did it on porpose.
And grief, pain, mourning, sadness, anger. Just a lot of feelings.
Meanwhile, Steve is kicking ass and using the Bad Guys™ headquarters like his own personal rage room.
Blablabla something something something.
Steve let out his anger, has a few personal realisations, lets himself think about the trauma he's endured all those years and comes back like a new person, ready to confess his feelings for Eddie Munson and let people care about him.
The first thing is go talk with Robin, she's probably worried about him and she probably knows better than him to help him confess to Eddie.
So he goes, only to be utterly confuse by the amount of tears, snot, yells and hugs that Robin welcomes him. It's not like he died.
Then Robin is flabbergasted by his Audacity.
Both of them fall into a bickering that makes Robin cry harder because she thought she wouldn't have this again and Steve starts to cry because Robin is crying and now they're both crying.
Needless to say, they catch up about all the things that happened in both ends.
It's not the end of tears, hugs and yelling, though.
Just give Steve all the confort that he refused to accept because he didn't think he deserved and that people didn't know how to give.
Fluff, Fluffy, Fluff. A bit of Steddie here.
Yeah, that's all.
academy
adventurer's guild
alchemist
apiary
apothecary
aquarium
armory
art gallery
bakery
bank
barber
barracks
bathhouse
blacksmith
boathouse
book store
bookbinder
botanical garden
brothel
butcher
carpenter
cartographer
casino
castle
cobbler
coffee shop
council chamber
court house
crypt for the noble family
dentist
distillery
docks
dovecot
dyer
embassy
farmer's market
fighting pit
fishmonger
fortune teller
gallows
gatehouse
general store
graveyard
greenhouses
guard post
guildhall
gymnasium
haberdashery
haunted house
hedge maze
herbalist
hospice
hospital
house for sale
inn
jail
jeweller
kindergarten
leatherworker
library
locksmith
mail courier
manor house
market
mayor's house
monastery
morgue
museum
music shop
observatory
orchard
orphanage
outhouse
paper maker
pawnshop
pet shop
potion shop
potter
printmaker
quest board
residence
restricted zone
sawmill
school
scribe
sewer entrance
sheriff's office
shrine
silversmith
spa
speakeasy
spice merchant
sports stadium
stables
street market
tailor
tannery
tavern
tax collector
tea house
temple
textile shop
theatre
thieves guild
thrift store
tinker's workshop
town crier post
town square
townhall
toy store
trinket shop
warehouse
watchtower
water mill
weaver
well
windmill
wishing well
wizard tower
Welcome to my page! This is were I keep the cats, books, and dimension-traveling characters!
183 posts