𝒩𝒾𝒸𝓀𝓎

[nickyygomez]

Nicky Gomez

" I fear failure because I regret failing her."

STATS.

name: nicky (nic) gomez

age: 18

pronouns: she/her

sexuality: pansexual

occupation: tutor (all subjects) & cashier at imperial panda in starcourt mall

ABOUT.

nicky was the only child of the gomez family, an average hawkins family that never particularly stood out in anyway

she is the distant cousin of barbara holland aka barb, but due to nicky's blunt and unsympathetic nature, they never got along growing up

now, that is nicky's biggest regret, because while she always thought of her cousin as too soft, she admired how kind a person she was, and sometimes she wishes she could have been more like her

when barb went missing, no one knew how deeply it affected nic, not even her parents

she still does investigative research to try to find out exactly what happened to barb, but she always stops short of the truth, because she refuses to believe in anything otherworldly or supernatural (and she smelled bullshit all over the explanation the government gave to her family)

outside of her cousin, nic keeps to herself and always has her head in a book

she never makes any time for socializing, because she uses all her time to study for college or work to put more money towards college

some of peers and instructors think of her as an antisocial genius, but that's only half true, because she is definitely smart, but she has worked hard to achieve her academic excellence

she hopes to become a best selling author one day and is currently working on a novel (the main character is based off of barb!)

overall, she is willfully oblivious to all the weird things happening in hawkins, but she will have to accept the truth someday if she wants to reconnect with barb

[nickyygomez]

moodboard 001: nicky + hawkins

[nickyygomez]

Nicky was attending the Memorial parade with her parents. She would rather be digging her nose into a book than watching the colorful floats pass by her, but her parents were intent on giving her a full teenage experience before she left for college. She tried to seem interested. She crossed her arms and scanned the colors passing her by, but a sudden chill ran up her spine. Without thinking, her gaze focused on a blurry figure in the crowd, but the figure quickly became clearer. Her mouth ran dry, and she wanted nothing more than to confront the vivid figure of her cousin. "Barb..." The name left her mouth, and only one person seemed to notice amongst the busy crowd.

[cynicalkilljoy]

"Only if you want to read it. I won't force you to," Ollie said, looking at the girl, then glancing around the room. The lights weren't flickering around her, so Ollie was safe from the Echoes—for now, at least. But she didn't let her fear show; it was what she was good at.

The people around them chatted in hushed voices, each caught up in their own conversations. It made Ollie slightly nervous. She always thought the whispers were about her, and lately, they were. She rolled her eyes and looked at the people whispering about her, wanting to say something, but she didn't and instead turned back to Nicky. Ollie knew that if she said something, people would just talk even more, so it was best not to say anything at all.

[nickyygomez]

"I will," she declared, always happy to offer her opinion. Nicky didn't just educate herself for her own benefit. She liked to share her learning with others, but she had been warned that she came across as being a know it all when it wasn't asked for.

Taking the notebook, Nicky was honed in as she read over the other girl's writing. "You're good at setting a scene," she spoke softly, still reading through the written pages. "I notice you repeat a few words and phrases often. If there's no deeper meaning behind that, I would switch up the vocabulary now and then." A few more moments passed before Nicky finally put down the notebook.

"This is interesting. You should write more," she encouraged.

[mikewheeler-ste]

Mike jerked upright so fast he nearly dropped his book, eyes wide behind his bangs as the dog's yips drilled straight into his soul. “Oh! uh.. hey,” he managed, scooting his back against the tree like that would somehow protect him from a six‑pound fluff gremlin. “It’s fine. Totally fine. I mean, I’ve been attacked by worse.” He immediately regretted saying attacked, because the dog was now sniffing his shoelace like it was a diplomatic mission. He cleared his throat, trying to salvage whatever dignity he had left. “So this is… friendly?” he asked, eyebrows lifting as the dog pawed at his sneaker. “Cool. Yeah. Great. Love that for us.”

His eyes flicked up to Nicky then and that’s when the real fluster hit. Her hair a little wind‑tousled, her expression somewhere between apologetic and amused, the leash wrapped around her wrist like she’d been dragged here by fate or a very determined puffball. He pushed his book closed, trying to look casual and absolutely failing. “Didn’t know you were a dog person,” he said, voice softer now, a little teasing but mostly curious. “Or… a ‘being dragged across town by a dog’ person.” Charlotte yipped again, and Mike sighed, resigned. “Okay, okay, I get it,” he muttered, offering the dog his hand like he was negotiating a peace treaty. “Hi, Charlotte. Please don’t eat me.” Then, glancing back up at Nicky, a small, crooked smile tugged at his mouth.

[nickyygomez]

The dog was overly friendly. Nicky considered Charlotte to be a creature with no sense of self preservation, but she also saw no reason for the fur ball to be defensive. The biggest danger to small animals that Nicky knew of was foxes in the local forest. She could definitely take on a fox. Theoretically.

"She barks because she has some sense of being no bigger than a tennis ball," she remarked. It sounded like a joke, but Nicky was serious. "I'm not a dog person, my mom is... but I won't let her bite you." Despite her serious demeanor, she felt the need to reassure him, even if he was joking. His smile was cute, but she would not admit that easily. "Did we interrupt you?" She asked, nodding to the book in his hands.

[mikewheeler-ste]

the playground || nicky & mike

Mike had picked the farthest bench from the playground on purpose. The one half‑hidden under the big oak, where the shade stayed cool even in the afternoon. It was quiet here. Predictable. The kind of place where a guy could actually read without someone yelling his name or asking him to fix a bike chain. He pushed his glasses up his nose, thumb holding his page, the breeze ruffling the corner of the book. For once, he was actually relaxed. No monsters. No drama. Just words.

@nickyygomez

[nickyygomez]

Nicky had a tight grip on her mom's dog's leash, a tiny, black ball of fluff that she only tolerated for her mom's sake. She didn't hate animals, but no matter how cute, she would prefer not having to brush fur off her clothes every day. Sighing, she let the dog pull her where it pleased as her mind wandered off to ideas for her next physics paper. Her thoughts were broken when she realized Charlotte, the dog, was yipping at a guy trying to read. "Mike? Stop it Charlotte," she tugged at her leash, but she was careful not to yank her since she was so small. "Believe it or not. This is her way of being friendly."

[cynicalkilljoy]

Ollie’s eyes lingered on the page for a moment, studying the dialogue that Nicky was pointing at. As she did, Ollie read the lines, each word seeming to fill her mind. This kind of writing amazed her, and she felt both intrigued and eager to help the girl out. Ollie didn’t have much experience with other people or critiquing their writing. She believed that if you could form a complete sentence, then writing would come naturally—that it didn’t matter if your grammar or spelling was off, as long as it made sense to the reader.

“Hmm, maybe describe more of what the character is doing… and don’t be afraid to add more dialogue as well…” There was a brief pause as the ceiling fan stirred, gently moving Ollie’s hair. “That’s really all I’ve got for right now… but other than that, it sounds good, and I really like it. Hopefully I can read more,” she said, catching Nicky’s gaze for a moment.

Ollie stood back up from where she had been leaning over the typewriter and reached for her notebook, which lay just inches away. Now holding it in her hands, she returned to Nicky. “I’ve also been writing a little something too. It’s not as good as yours—you know, since it’s on paper,” Ollie said with a small, shy laugh as she awaited Nicky’s response.

[nickyygomez]

Nicky nodded along with her words, contemplating how they applied to her work. She did agree that her writing could be too straightforward, similar to her own personality, but she was doing her best to write a character that was completely unlike herself. A character more like the cousin she remembered.

"I appreciate your critiques. I wouldn't be opposed to you reading more when I've finished my rough draft," she confirmed, eyes following Ollie's movements.

Her gaze traveled down to the worn, but well loved notebook. "The medium doesn't detract from the quality. Are you offering for me to read it?" She asked, unsure about the other girl's intentions. Not everyone was as literal or direct as her, so she had made the mistake of misinterpreting people one too many times already.

[vi-ckiedunne]

Vickie nodded along to the girl's voice as she spoke, glancing at her while attempting to focus on the road. She was very... matter-of-fact. Very to-the-point in the way she spoke. Not that Vickie disliked that.

"Candles, really?" Vickie questioned lightly, following Nicky's directions. "I've never tried that. Guess there's a lot of things I haven't tried. I usually just spiral inside my head until I had to physically stop myself—shout something like 'Stop it, Vickie!'" She laughed at herself a little, shaking her head. "Or I just throw myself into doing something else. Distraction works wonders for me."

The car slipped into a bit of silence and feeling the need to fill the space, Vickie started speaking again, "Not to intrude, but what were you doing that you ended up at the hospital this late?"

[nickyygomez]

"Yes," Nicky confirmed, eyes focused on the road so she could give prompt instructions. "Distractions do work in the short term," she agreed, comfortable with letting the car fall into silence until the other spoke again.

"You mean my arm." She glanced down at her bandages. "I was chopping vegetables, and I suppose the knife needed to be sharpened because I had to use more force than normal. In short, the knife slipped, and there was a concerning amount of blood."

Unfortunately, she still needed to clean up that portion of the counter and finish cooking dinner before her parents walked into the bloody scene.

[nickyygomez]

location: public library for: @nancywheeler-ste

The library was thankfully quiet aside from the occasional whisper and shuffle of pages. Nicky had claimed a small table to herself, reading old newspaper clippings she had already read a hundred times before. It had been a while since her last deep dive into the circumstances of Barb's disappearance, so she was hopeful she might spot something new with fresher eyes. She just needed the smallest of clues to prove her suspicions because, despite what anyone told her, she refused to consider her cousin truly gone.

[vi-ckiedunne]

Vickie nodded her head quickly, thankful for the distraction. Caring for people—that, she could do. "Yes, of course. My car's right here..."

She waited until the girl was situated in the passenger seat before sliding into the driver's side, buckling her seatbelt—safety first—and pulling out of the parking lot. "Just, uh, direct me where to go," she told the girl. The girl. She forgot to ask her name.

"Um, what's your, ah, name? Sorry, I'm bad with faces," she chuckled. It was the typical lie all doctors and teachers told their patients and students when they had no clue who they were. That, or a soft 'oh, yeah, I remember you! Definitely!' She only hoped her companion didn't notice. Although, she did seem like the quiet-observant-type, not unlike some other people she knew. So Vickie wasn't confident.

"I'm Vickie, by the way," she introduced herself, realizing she'd forgotten that as well, "one of the nurses at the hospital. Sorry, I'm not usually so frazzled, but... well, I've just had a long day. Stress can really affect a person like that."

[nickyygomez]

"Great," Nicky commented as she got into the stranger's car. She did consider it could be risky to trust a stranger, but the other was a candy striper who she assumed bled rainbows, given how cheery they often seemed. It may be their job, but she trusted her instincts, and nothing about the woman screamed dangerous.

After buckling up, she started to direct the woman to her home.

"My name is Nicky. I don't stick out," she stated bluntly. She was usually quiet and to herself, especially outside of school, so she was not one of the teenagers who were well known simply because they made for good gossip fodder.

"Nice to meet you, Vickie," she offered honestly. "Yes, people underestimate how often stress can lead to physical symptoms." She glanced at the other after gesturing for her to make another turn.

"Candles with the right scent make good relaxers. Lavender and eucalyptus fragrances have worked best for me," she remarked, trying to be helpful in her own way since the other was doing her a favor.

[cynicalkilljoy]

Ollie looked up from her notebook as Nicky asked her a question. She pointed at herself and nodded. “Yeah, you can,” she said quietly, just loud enough for Nicky to hear.

Ollie got up and walked closer to Nicky, standing there for a moment before pulling a chair beside her. She held her notebook in her hands as she looked at Nicky. Something about this girl’s vibe was so awesome to Ollie. It seemed like Nicky was also a writer, which was something they could really bond over.

But Ollie wasn’t always very good at making friends. She was always excited to meet new people, yet it had been hard growing up when her only “friends” were the kids in the lab or the staff members. You couldn’t really make friends in a place like that—especially if you wanted to stay alive.

“Uh, by the way, I’m Ollie Izenheart. It’s nice to meet you,” she said with a small smile as a strand of hair fell out of place and she tucked it behind her ear. Ollie’s green eyes locked with Nicky’s, hoping she hadn’t ruined her first impression.

[nickyygomez]

Nicky still hesitated, but then she made room for her as she approached to look at her current page on the typewriter. She pointed to the last line of dialogue. "I need it to sound more natural," she whispered back. There were a couple of precursory paragraphs that would give her enough context about the scene if she was willing to help.

"Nicky Gomez," she paused, glancing at the other for a brief moment, as if she was assessing her. "Likewise."

Anyone who was a fellow writer was golden by Nicky's standards. Her standards were high, but she also held great respect for anyone who had the courage to put their words to paper, regardless of the topic. Books were her lifeblood after all. All their knowledge, fact or fiction, was equally important in her eyes.

"Don't be afraid to be critical," she added after a moment, preparing herself for any harsh criticism she might have for her writing.

[mikewheeler-ste]

Mike froze mid‑juggle, one book still half‑slipping from his arm when she spoke. He blinked at her, cheeks warming just a little, not from embarrassment, but from being caught in the act of being… well, himself. “Yeah, well,” he muttered, shifting the stack against his chest, “hard surfaces have a personal vendetta against me, so.” He tried to smirk, but it came out more like a grimace. When she said a novel, he nodded like that explained everything, even though he had no idea what kind of novel someone like Nicky Gomez read. Something smart, probably. Something he’d pretend to understand if she asked. Her suggestion to sit made him hesitate for half a second, not because he didn’t want to, but because he wasn’t used to being invited into someone else’s quiet space. Especially not someone who looked like she’d chosen this corner specifically to avoid people like him.

But she wasn’t glaring. She wasn’t annoyed. She was… offering. So he exhaled and slid into the seat across from her, setting his books down with exaggerated care, like they might explode if he breathed wrong. “Thanks,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Didn’t mean to, uh… invade your corner.” He glanced at her notebook, then back at her, curiosity flickering but not pushing. “You read a lot,” he said, not as a question, more like an observation he couldn’t help making. “Makes sense. You’re… y’know. Smart.” He winced immediately, like he regretted how that sounded. “I mean.. not that I’m, like, ranking people or whatever. I just… I’ve seen your name on the honor roll. A lot.” He cleared his throat, trying to recover some dignity. “Anyway. Sorry for the noise. And the book avalanche. And the… everything.” A breath. “You don’t have to move or anything. I can be quiet.”

[nickyygomez]

Nicky knew he was being sarcastic, but the corner of her mouth upturned into the tiniest of smiles. "Your life sounds—difficult," she remarked back before her gaze returned to the last sentence she had written. She took notice when he accepted her offer. She had decided it was better for Mike to take the empty space than someone who would be less considerate. For a place that was supposed to be the epitome of quiet and studiousness, she found it was rarely either. The number of times she had found a couple making out in a corner section was utterly disturbing in her eyes.

"It would be weird if you didn't notice," she responded easily. Despite her lack of care for the opinion of others, especially those she held no respect for, she was aware of what most of her peers thought of her. A boring bookworm. "I've noticed you too. Your grades are excellent, especially when it comes to science." She liked to keep an eye on other outstanding students in case they could be potential competition in any academic area.

"It's fine, I'd ask you to move first if I were bothered." Straightforward as ever, she had no problem making her displeasure known. "Are you reading for fun or school?" She asked, glancing over the titles he had crowded onto the table.

[kittleinferno]

Breathing a sigh of relief, the soft woman pulled out a chair and took a seat, grateful to be forgiven by the other. At first, she appeared a little awkward, as if dreading the conversation that she anticipated would follow. She'd never been any good at small talk.

So, when the following question was regarding one of her interests, Kitty visibly brightened. "Oh!" she displayed the book cover across the table, "I'm reading- well- re-reading "The Colour Purple" by Alice Walker." Blue eyes twinkling, she seemed to lose herself in her explanation, "It's...it's gritty, but it's real, and it's hopeful. It's a testimony to our ability as humans to grow, to change for the better."

A pink blush settled upon her cheeks as she realised she'd inadvertently raised a voice with all the excitement. "Sorry," she whispered, "What- what are you writing?"

[nickyygomez]

Nicky noted the book in her hands, listening as she explained the premise of it. She recognized the title. It was on her list of books to read, but it was low on the list since, in preparation for college entrance exams, she had to focus more on her non-fiction studies.

She was confused when the other apologized, so she chose to ignore it. She had a hard time understanding certain emotions the same way other people did. Something like shame was not a feeling she was at all familiar with.

"A novel. It's slow going," she admitted reluctantly. She had the entire story outlined and the beginnings of a rough draft, but she found herself stuck, particularly with the more emotional scenes. Envisioning how the average person would respond, a person like her older cousin, to certain betrayals and heartaches, did not come easily to her.

[vi-ckiedunne]

Vickie turned at the sound of another voice, whipping around, forgetting the world wasn't as dark as it just had been. She stared, wide-eyed and still clutching her keys tightly, at the dark-haired girl on the curb. And she relaxed slightly, remembering catching a glimpse of her and a bleeding arm just a few moments ago, inside the hospital. So at least she knew she wasn't hallucinating now.

"Uh, yes—yes, I'm, I mean—no, nothing's wrong, I'm alright." Vickie took in a shaky breath, glancing around at her surroundings to remind herself where she was. Parking lot. Hospital. Car. Just a simple, quiet night. No vines, no swirling stormy sky. Everything was normal. "Are you—are you alright? Taken care of and everything?'

She could breathe easier now, calm herself down. "Do you need assistance or anything? Do you have someone to take you home?"

[nickyygomez]

A candy striper. She studied the young woman. The other had clearly been disturbed by something, but Nicky doubted she wanted to tell all her worries to a stranger. She definitely would not. "Yes, the doctor, or I should say the nurse, did a firm job with my bandages." She lifted her arm to show she had already been treated. The doctor had stepped in to reassure her that the nurse was capable, but she could tell the woman who had treated her was experienced by her demeanor.

It took her a second to contemplate whether or not she wanted to trouble the girl for a ride, but she decided she would rather waste the time of a kind stranger than her overworked parents. "I'm fine, but I could use a ride home. My neighborhood isn't far," she assured, putting away her textbook. "Would you mind taking me home?"

[kittleinferno]

Kitty breathed in sharply as the question was snapped in her direction, a rosy tint spreading over pale, freckled cheeks. Her head whipped between her crime (the hardback she had accidentally knocked off the shelf with her overstuffed bag), and her prosecutor (the irritated author sat across from her). How embarrassing. "I am... so sorry..." she whispered, bag falling off her shoulder as she bent to retrieve the fallen literature. She glanced around at the other tables, seeking an escape route. "I was just-" Was there really nowhere else to sit? "Sorry, do you mind if I sit here-" Please, dear God, let the earth swallow me now.

Her body tensed at that thought; if she'd learned anything from living in Hawkins, it was that such wishes could be easily granted. A quick glance down at her shoes confirmed that the ground was still very much intact. What a relief.

"-please?"

[nickyygomez]

After living her entire life in Hawkins, she was used to encountering teens who were scavenging for books for a last minute report or preteens just causing ruckus over the latest comics, but instead she was met with a fellow bookworm.

Nicky softened, surprisingly, when she realized who she was encountering.

"Sit," she stated, nodding to the free seat.

The woman might be her age or older, but Nicky was not the type to let such a fact dictate her need for a quiet space.

"What are you reading?" She asked, wondering if she might be able to pick the other's mind for some much needed inspiration.

[mikewheeler-ste]

Mike jerked at the sound of her voice. Sharp, irritated, way too loud for a library. He’d been halfway down the aisle with an armful of books he definitely wasn’t supposed to be borrowing when the bang happened. He’d dropped one. Okay, maybe two. He blinked at the girl behind the typewriter, her glare hitting him like a thrown stapler. “Uh... sorry?” he whispered back, hands half‑raised like he was being held at gunpoint by the Dewey Decimal System. “Didn’t mean to… book‑bomb your whole chapter.” He crouched to gather the fallen hardcovers, wincing at the echo they’d made. The librarian shot him a look that could peel paint. Great. Perfect. Exactly what he needed.

Mike straightened, hugging the books to his chest. “It was an accident,” he added, quieter now, but still a little defensive. “Didn’t realize the floor was gonna amplify it like a freaking cannon.” He hesitated, eyes flicking to the typewriter, the half‑finished sentence, the tension in her shoulders. “You, uh… writing something important?” he asked, softer, the edge fading from his voice. “I can move to another aisle if you want. Didn’t mean to mess you up. And I swear I’ll try not to drop anything else. No promises, but… I’ll try.”

[nickyygomez]

Surprisingly, Nicky recognized the male. It was surprising because she hardly knew the difference between most of her peers and a total hole in the wall. Mike Wheeler. He and the other boys he was usually with were an exception due to their excellent academic standing. Even if she was a year above them, she made it a point to be aware of anyone else in school who was an academic standout. She watched as he awkwardly fumbled with his books, and she softened slightly, recognizing the chaotic juggling act of grabbing one too many books.

"That tends to happen when hard surfaces suddenly meet," she stated, not as an attack, more of a calm remark, now that she knew Mike was not being noisy on purpose. "A novel," she answered without elaboration. She doubted he really wanted to know. "Why don't you sit down before your temple of books starts to topple again," she suggested, nodding to the empty seat across from her. She chose the table because it was tucked into a corner, giving her as much privacy as possible in a public setting.

[mavericksdavenport]

Maverick swore loudly. She'd knocked a stack of books over and yes, shouldn't curse in the library, but who was going to call her out? She was the only (as far as she saw) librarian. "Despite the fact that libraries are meant to be quiet, unfortunately there is noise on occasion. If you have an issue with it, you're more then welcome to leave." Blunt? Unfortunately so. But that was the truth! She'd hushed the noisy children, threatening to call their parents about being bothersome malingerers (a word she'd picked up from a dictionary) and so on and such. She crouched down to pick the books up and re-stack them, taking care to order by their Dewey Decimal numbers. It was a good thing she'd had that memorised for a while.

[nickyygomez]

It was hard to understand how this person had ever been hired here, but Nicky supposed everyone had to contribute one way or another. "Accidents do happen, however, as a librarian, you should be less abrasive towards those not causing disturbances," she snapped back before returning to her writing. She would leave if directly asked, but otherwise, she had work she needed to do.