Finding Me

Avery "Ava" Pruitt has always preferred shadows to spotlights-both in real life and at the Dungeons & Dragons table, where she plays the Rogue: observant, guarded, and sharper than anyone realizes. But in Hawkins, Indiana, being quiet doesn't mean being safe.

When one of Ava's closest friends mysteriously disappears, she's pulled into a nightmare that feels ripped straight from one of their campaigns-except this time, there's no dungeon master, no rules, and no guarantee of survival. As stranger occurrences ripple through Hawkins, Ava and her party must rely on the same instincts they use in-game: trust, strategy, and courage under pressure.

Across the events mirroring Stranger Things Seasons 1-5, Ava grows from a cautious middle schooler into someone forced to confront real monsters-both supernatural and deeply human. Each season marks a shift: friendships fracture and reform, secrets get heavier, and the line between childhood and adulthood starts to blur.

At the same time, Ava is navigating something just as confusing as the Upside Down, her feelings for Nicole Dunne, a classmate who doesn't quite fit into any one group either. Nicole is bold where Ava is reserved, perceptive in ways that make Ava feel seen-and sometimes exposed. What starts as awkward glances and shared moments slowly build into something deeper, even as danger escalates around them.

But love, like everything else in Hawkins, isn't simple.

As the stakes rise and the cost of survival grows steeper, Ava must decide who she is beyond the Rogue archetype. Is she someone who hides in the background? Or someone willing to step forwards-even if it means risking everything?

Because in this story, the final boss isn't just the darkness creeping in from another world.

It's fear.

And Ava Pruitt is done rolling stealth.