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Danny Phantom: Lost

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Lost is the third story in Danny Phantom: Stranded. Danny and Star get lost in the Ghost Zone together.

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    A-J 
  • Abhorrent Admirer:
    • Colette flirted with Danny, but her being pretty doesn't detract from how spoiled and annoying he finds her.
    • Paulina is still this to Danny as he finds it absurd that he used to be flattered by her crush on his ghost-self until he saw how irritating and self-absorbed she is.
  • Act of True Love: Two for Star.
    • She stands up to her mother Stella and the Beviers for their callous attitudes towards Danny when she thinks he left because they were insulting him.
    • Star rejects Danny Phantom because she's been developing feelings for Danny Fenton. Granted, she didn't know yet that they're the same person.
  • Actually Pretty Funny: Star finds it hilarious when Danny Phantom pretends not to know who Paulina is just to mess with her.
  • Age-Inappropriate Dress: While shopping, Colette tries on and decides to buy a white mini-dress which is described as a little too short and tight for a teenager.
  • Aloof Big Sister: Downplayed. Star does not hate her baby half-brother Pierre, but she is not thrilled about him coming to visit, along with her mom and the rest of that side of the family. That said, she is fine with Stella bringing Pierre along for future outings together as long as her stepfamily is absent.
  • Alpha Bitch: Colette is an even worse one than Paulina because she's an obnoxious and entitled Spoiled Brat who torments Star and steals her boyfriends just for kicks.
  • Alternative Character Interpretation: In-Universe, even Stella herself is unsure if she fell out of love with Johnathan because his workaholic ways led him to neglect her or if she simply grew bored with him. Either way, it's clear their differences contributed to them becoming distant from one another until Stella believed there was no point in salvaging their marriage.
  • Amazingly Embarrassing Parents:
    • Star is mortified by Stella's snobby comments and pretending to be a French person.
    • Johnathan seems to be a more sympathetic version since he at least tried to be nice to Danny and didn't realize that inviting himself and Star for Cocoa was embarrassing her.
  • And I'm the Queen of Sheba:
    • When Sam says she's just worried about Danny, Tucker thinks, "Yeah, and I'm a vegetarian".
    • In a flashback when a crying Star claims she just has something in her eye, Valerie replies, "Yeah, and I'm an XXXL".
  • Androcles' Lion: The Monster of Specter Island ends its feud with with Danny and Star after the latter feeds him and they set him free.
  • Anger Born of Worry: When Danny and Star return, Jack, Maddie and Johnathan are angry at them for vanishing. It's said to be the most worried Danny and Star saw their families.
  • Aristocrats Are Evil:
    • Downplayed, as she is more selfish and thoughtless than evil, but Stella is from a wealthy, high-bred family who has no respect for the middle-class. It's also implied that her family is the same way, because according to her, she was raised to believe that her opinion mattered more than what the "commoners" believe.
    • Stella's husband, Jean-Luc, is not necessarily evil, but he's a Blue Blood vineyard owner who treats anyone not on the same status as him with complete disdain and scorn, and has no problem stepping on others to get what he wants.
  • Asshole Victim: At the end of the story, Box Ghost scares Colette and Jean-Luc. He's overjoyed at finally scaring people.
  • The Atoner: In the end, Stella begins working to earn Star's forgiveness for how she abandoned and neglected her over the past four years to avoid losing her forever. She not only owns up to her mistakes and apologizes to Star and Danny, but promises to be there for her daughter more by relocating to Amity Park for the foreseeable future.
  • Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Stella was shown to be a selfish and neglectful parent who favored her new family, not caring about how her actions affected Star, all while spoiling her rotten. When Star disappeared, Stella seemed sincerely worried for her, only to show how selfish she truly is by refusing to take responsibility for her daughter's disappearance. However when Johnathan plans to terminate Stella's visitation rights after calling her out for being a bad parent to their daughter, combined with Star still missing, Stella finally realizes just how serious this situation is, which shows that she really does love her daughter deep down and wishes Star was home safe.
  • Babies Make Everything Better: Discussed. When confronting her mother, Star accuses Pierre's birth of being the only reason Jean-Luc hasn't yet dumped Stella for another woman.
  • Battle Couple: Danny and Star defeat Skulker together moments before admitting their feelings for each other.
  • Beauty Is Bad: Star describes Colette as sweet on the outside and poison on the inside.
  • Be Careful What You Wish For: After calling her mother out, Star storms off and cries her eyes out over what had happened. She wishes she and Danny were as far away from her step-family as possible. Desiree happened to have overheard her.
  • Berserk Button: Box Ghost still doesn't like being mistaken for a caterer or a shoe salesman.
  • Birds of a Feather: Stella and Jean Luc Bevier; both of them are spoiled, selfish, and shallow rich upper-crusts who only care for themselves and look down on the lower-class.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Star claims that her stepsister Colette is this. According to Star, Colette acts sweet and polite in front of her mom, but in reality is no different than Paulina, being a fake, snooty, bossy, and two-faced Spoiled Brat who bullies her for fun.
  • Blame the Paramour: A major part of Star's resentment towards Colette is for stealing all of the former's past boyfriends, with most, if not all, of her ire directed at her stepsister.
  • Blue Blood: According to Stella, she was born to one of New York's richest families, who came there all the way from France generations ago.
  • Bond Villain Stupidity: As Danny notes when he sees the Plasmius Maximus has a switch to restore powers, Vlad doesn't learn from his mistakes.
  • Brainless Beauty: Stella looks like a grown-up version of her daughter, but is lacking much of her common sense.
  • Bratty Teenage Daughter: Colette is Jean-Luc's spoiled brat daughter who likes to take what she wants whenever she wants.
  • Break the Haughty: After being told by Star she hates her and Johnathan threatening to take away her visitation rights, Stella finally realizes how her callousness and elitism has severely strained her relationship with her daughter. She strives to make amends by apologizing to Star and Danny for her earlier unacceptable behavior, and promises to become a better mother and person.
  • Brutal Honesty:
    • Star is very upfront to her mom about her flaws and doesn’t sugarcoat that Stella severely messed up from the start with her insensitive and self-absorbed attitude toward the former and Danny.
    • Danny bluntly tells Colette he doesn't like her.
  • Calling the Old Woman Out: After thinking Danny left because of their insensitive comments, Star finally calls her mother out for her vapid attitude, leaving her loving family for a womanizer and his spoiled brat daughter, and for not fulfilling her role as a parent. When Stella tries to defend herself and orders Star to apologize, Star then admits she hates her mother.
  • Cannot Spit It Out: Deconstructed with Sam. In the last chapter, Star points out it's Sam's own fault that she's not the one dating Danny, because she kept pining for him without even trying to ask him out.
  • Casanova Wannabe:
    • Tucker questions how Danny got Valerie and Star, two former popular girls who despised his very existence, to like him.
    • To Colette's surprise, all of her attempts to win Danny over completely fail due to his devotion to Star and growing dislike of her.
  • Cassandra Truth: Apparently, Dash bragged about how he once got shrunk with Danny Phantom and they survived a ghost attack together. Star didn't believe it until Danny confirms it.
  • Challenge Seeker: Colette becomes genuinely interested in Danny when he's the first guy to reject her and accepts him as a "challenge" to overcome.
  • Character Development: Stella begins hers at the end of the story after realizing the gravity of her mistakes and how she needs to make some serious life changes if she wants to reconcile with her daughter. She starts to shed her snobbery by supporting Star and Danny's budding relationship, and agrees to make some real mother-daughter bonding time for Star (without Colette or Jean-Luc). As a minor detail, Stella also drops her fake French accent and begins calling her daughter by her nickname (Star) instead of her full name (Estelle).
  • Clingy Jealous Girl: Neither Sam nor Paulina enjoy watching Danny Phantom flirt with Star.
    • Sam stands out because she begins hating Star more than Paulina after Star and Danny begin dating. Even after Danny reveals Star rejected "Danny Phantom" for "Danny Fenton", and despite Star quitting the A-Listers and standing up to Paulina for him, Sam remains convinced that she has an ulterior motive. Star is not impressed and can easily discern the real reason for her hostility.
  • Clueless Chick-Magnet: Danny doesn't realize Star and Sam are both into him and trying to take his interest away from the other.
  • Continuity Nod: Upon meeting Box Ghost and Youngblood, Star brings up the time the former was handing out free shoes at the mall where he gave her high heels that pinched her feet in "Boxed Up Fury" and the time the latter kidnapped all the adults in Amity Park with Ember McLain's help in "Pirate Radio".
  • Cuddle Bug: Star has developed a habit of hugging Danny when she sees him. Danny doesn't mind or recognize her growing attraction to him, but Sam does and isn't happy about it.
  • De-power: Thanks to an explosion from the Plasmius Maximus, Danny is slowly losing some of his powers.
  • Disneyland Dad: Gender-Inverted. Star says that while her parents are divorced, her mother still sends her a lot of expensive gifts and money year-round, and that she makes multiple trips a year to see her daughter in order to "spend time with her".
  • Doesn't Know Their Own Child: Stella doesn't know much about her own daughter outside of what's on the surface.
  • Dramatic Irony: Paulina thinks Star and Danny are perfect for each other because they're both losers, all while nursing a hopeless crush on Danny Phantom. Both are unaware that Star has been nursing a crush on Danny Fenton, Danny Phantom's true identity, and grown very close to him.
  • Dramatically Missing the Point:
    • After Star explains why she and Paulina aren't friends anymore, Stella's response is to ask why she didn't just go to Paulina's party if she and Danny had already escaped the school by then, much to Star's anger at her mother's thickheadedness.
    • A much more upsetting one when Stella's reaction to Star's "Reason You Suck" Speech is to try to send her back to the hotel room and again demand an apology to the Beviers because they're her family. Star isn't having it and tells her mother she hates her before storming off.
  • Dumb Blonde: Averted. Now that she's not Paulina's Beta Bitch anymore, Star no longer acts like this. She's revealed to be very intelligent and reasonable, and takes her studies more seriously.
  • Dysfunctional Family: Star's parents are divorced. Her mother has her new sleazy husband, spoiled stepdaughter, and newborn son, all of whom Star can live without.
  • Entitled to Have You: Paulina certainly shows this attitude with Danny Phantom, outright declaring he’s supposed to love her.
  • Establishing Character Moment: It’s quickly established how much of a stuck-up asshole Jean-Luc is when he refuses to greet Danny and insults him in French. It becomes obvious we’re supposed to hate him.
  • Everyone Can See It: Johnathan and Colette certainly pick up on Star’s obvious attraction to Danny.
  • Everyone Has Standards:
    • Stella may look down on Danny at first but doesn’t go out of her way to be a jerk to him like Jean-Luc since she doesn’t insult him directly. She's also genuinely worried when Danny and Star go missing.
    • Stella and Jean-Luc may not approve of Danny but they don’t stop him from spending time with Star and Colette.
    • Nobody wants to be friends with Klemper because of how clingy and annoying he is.
    • Star felt it was excessive of Danny Phantom to shoot Box Ghost with a ghost ray even if he was irritating.
  • Exact Words: When Star questions Danny Phantom about living in the Ghost Zone, he responds, "I don't really like living in the Ghost Zone. I spend every chance that I get in the Human World". It's technically not a lie, he just left out that he lives on Earth.
  • Fair-Weather Ex: It's revealed Kwan stopped trying to get back together with Star after she left the A-Listers, proving that his popularity matters more to him than their relationship.
  • First-Person Perspective: The first chapter focuses on Star recapping the previous two stories in her diary.
  • Forceful Kiss: Colette plants one on Danny just to spite Star. Danny didn't take it well.
  • Former Friend of Alpha Bitch: Star and Paulina are at each other's throats after the former recognizes how terrible a friend the latter is.
  • Friend Versus Lover: Sam and Tucker do not like Danny spending so much time around Star, especially after she finds out his secret. Star tries to make some kind of compromise, as she doesn't mind not being friends but doesn't want to be enemies with them. Tucker seems to consider it, but Sam rejects it.
  • Freudian Excuse:
    • Colette's attitude likely stems from being spoiled by her father and her mother leaving them.
    • Stella was born into a family that taught her from an early age that her opinion mattered more than what the "commoners" believe. Because of that mindset, she never thinks or cares about the consequences of her actions or words and how they affect her loved ones.
  • From Bad to Worse: A disastrous dinner with Star's step-family ends with her and Danny getting lost in an unfamiliar part of the Ghost Zone.
  • Full-Name Ultimatum: Estelle Joy Strong and Daniel Fenton receive it from their respective dads after they return home from the Ghost Zone.
  • The Gadfly:
    • Colette hits on Danny just to annoy Star.
    • Danny Phantom pretends not to know who Paulina is just to mess with her. Star takes great joy in watching him make a fool out of the snobby Hispanic mean girl.
  • Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!: When Star begins freaking out over being lost in the Ghost Zone, Danny has to calm her down by slapping her in the face.
  • Give Geeks a Chance: When Colette tells Danny she’s genuinely interested in him, he asks her why since he’s heard that she’s dated guys older and wealthier than him that drive fancy sports cars and can afford to buy her any expensive gift she wants. Colette admits she enjoys all the gifts and attention, but likes Danny because she finds him interesting. Danny isn’t flattered because he doesn’t like her anyway for her terrible personality and awful treatment of Star.
  • Gratuitous French: It seems Stella tends to use French words in her sentences, even when talking to her English-speaking daughter. She drops it at the end when apologizing to Star.
  • Has a Type: Colette becomes genuinely interested in Danny because she sees him as a challenge.
  • Hate at First Sight:
    • Danny quickly grows to hate Colette because of the unflattering stories Star told him about her and her annoying, bratty personality when she hits on him just to hurt Star.
    • Jean-Luc despises Danny immediately for being a “commoner” and openly insults him, sometimes in French. The feeling becomes completely mutual after Danny sees Jean-Luc is just as much of a complete jerk as his daughter Colette, and insults both of them in Esperanto.
    • The Fentons instantly despise the Beviers because (as far as everyone knows) their rude behavior towards Danny is what caused him to go missing, which isn’t helped by their insensitive attitudes, inability to accept responsibility, Jean-Luc flirting with Maddie (which earns him a smack from her), and Stella’s constant fighting with Johnathan.
  • Hates Their Parent: After thinking that Danny left because of her mother and Jean-Luc's comments, Star ends up arguing with her mother, calling her out on all her faults and after Stella refuses to take responsibility for her actions, Star outright says she hates her before leaving to go find Danny.
  • Heroic BSoD: Star has a panic attack after realizing that Desiree teleported her to the Ghost Zone.
  • Hidden Depths:
    • Star knows French and is a skilled bowler.
    • Despite her self-centeredness and general vapidity, Stella genuinely praises Star for her good grades.
    • It's later revealed that despite always being self-centered, Stella did truly love Johnathan when she married him. Also, she still loves her daughter and it's shown that in Star's early childhood, she was not always a bad mother to her.
  • Hidden Disdain Reveal: Johnathan confirms he never liked the A-Listers, even when he didn't know the extent of their bad influence on Star.
  • Hollywood Mid-Life Crisis: When Stella met Jean-Luc, she was discontent with her life as a "30-something mother" who felt trapped in a marriage that lost its spark and seemed more and more like an obligation. Thus, she eagerly ran off with him because he made her feel young and passionate again in a way that she hadn't felt since before she and Johnathan married.
  • Hopeless Suitor: Paulina continues to fixate on Danny Phantom even when he makes it clear he doesn't reciprocate (anymore) or see her as anything but another citizen he saved.
  • How They Treat the Help: While Stella mistook Danny for a servant, she did thank him for bringing her family's luggage to their hotel suite and tipped him $10.
  • Hypocrite:
    • Stella looks down on Danny (at least in the beginning) for his common background despite having once been married to Star’s father Johnathan Strong, who is also from a common background.
    • Despite claiming to like Danny, Colette never stands up for him to her parents and wasn’t at all concerned about him when he went missing along with Star, as she only thought about going to the spa. When Danny returns, Colette flirts with him without even inquiring about his well-being and just blames Star for the whole thing, while trying to paint herself as the better option for him.
    • Jean-Luc despises Danny for his common background but has no problem hitting on the boy's mother Maddie, who doesn’t appreciate this in the slightest and smacks him for it.
  • I Can Change My Beloved: Colette thinks she can make Danny more preferable for her boyfriend, but Star thinks Danny is perfect as is.
  • I Hate Past Me: Star regrets that she ever treated Danny so poorly before. She later admits to everyone that she regrets the awful person she became just to join the A-Listers since it wasn’t worth all the harm she caused.
  • I Love You Because I Can't Control You: Colette originally hit on Danny to irritate Star, but his rejecting her advances made her like the "challenge" he presented.
  • Innocently Insensitive: Stella doesn't seem to comprehend when her comments come off as rude or insulting to people she talks to or about. It takes some serious chewing out by Star and Johnathan for her to look past her ingrained views and realize that maybe she isn't as blameless in her treatment of her first family in particular since her divorce as she thought (or justified to herself).
  • Insistent Appellation: Jazz still insists on calling Skulker "Ghost X", since she thinks her name for him sounds better.
  • Insulting from Behind the Language Barrier: Jean-Luc quickly proves himself to be a stuck-up asshole when he insults Danny in French as "plain" upon meeting him.
  • Internal Reveal: Star admits to the Fentons and her parents that she was a Beta Bitch who bullied Team Phantom when she was in the A-List.
  • I Regret Nothing: Star does not regret leaving the A-Listers and is happy she is no longer friends with them, having found better friends in Danny and Valerie.
  • It's All About Me:
    • Paulina refuses to change the cheer the squad have been using when Star finds it underwhelming, because she was the one who made it.
    • Jean Luc, Stella, and Colette Bevier. All three of them are spoiled, selfish, and shallow rich aristocrats who only care for themselves and their rich lifestyles.
  • It Amused Me: Colette’s reason for trying to seduce Danny since she likes to mess with Star for her own warped entertainment.
  • It's All My Fault: When Desiree sends them to the Ghost Zone after overhearing her wish, Star blames herself for their predicament but Danny (as Phantom) tells her that it's Desiree's fault.
  • Jerkass: Something the Bevier father and daughter have in common. Jean-Luc is a pompous jerk to anyone not attractive in a skirt, while Colette is a two-faced spoiled brat who makes hidden insults towards Star.
  • Jerkass Has a Point:
    • Colette quickly deduces that Star likes Danny as more than just a friend. Her overprotective behavior towards him was definitely a big clue.
    • Johnathan plans to use his connections as a high-ranking lawyer to terminate Stella's visitation rights so she can't see Star anymore. While it's true that he plans to manipulate the court system, he is right when he points out that Stella has been a bad parent due to her thoughtlessness, not caring how her actions negatively influenced their daughter, and the fact that she had sided with her stepdaughter over Star. What makes this worse is that unknown to Johnathan, Stella was a corrupting influence on Star for years, turning her into a selfish, shallow, two-dimensional popular girl because he thought Stella still loved Star and encouraged her to spend time with their daughter whenever she was in town. In hindsight, it would have been better for Star if Johnathan cut Stella out of her life from the start.
    • Johnathan is also correct that Star’s disappearance is Stella’s fault because her insensitive attitude and immaturity is what drover their daughter away.
    • Subverted when Stella and Johnathan begin arguing about the fate of their marriage. Johnathan reveals he is still very angry that Stella left him for another man, even more since she abandoned their daughter. Stella fires back that their marriage was already dead when she met Jean-Luc and it's not like they could've stayed together until Star left for college. Johnathan does not argue that point, but he retorts that she still did not have the right to cheat on him or abandon Star in the first place.
    • Star is disgusted to no end by Paulina’s fixation with Danny Phantom since it’s pathetic that she refuses to get it through her thick head she has no chance with the hero given his obvious lack of interest in her.
    • While he was just saying that to mess with Paulina, Danny Phantom is right that he can’t be expected to remember all the people he’s rescued since there's a lot of them, so Paulina shouldn’t expect him to know who she is just because he saved her a few times in the past.
    • Star tells Sam she has no real right to be jealous of Danny choosing the former over her when she never made a move on him. Star warns that Sam needs to accept she lost her chance with Danny and move on, or else keep "pining for him outside [their] window".
    • Despite her jealousy, Sam is right that Star softening up towards Danny doesn't erase how she previously bullied Team Phantom since middle school.
  • Jerkass Realization: Stella has one in chapter 17 after Johnathan informs her that he plans to terminate her visitation rights after calling her out for being a bad parent to their daughter. This and Star still missing causes Stella to finally realize how serious the situation is, that her selfishness has consequences, and she made a mistake, wanting her daughter back home safe.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: At first when Stella learns that Star is missing. When yelling at Johnathan, she seems genuinely worried for Star, but then in the next chapter, Stella refuses to take responsibility for her daughter's disappearance, going as far to say she sacrificed her figure to give birth to Star. It's Subverted when Stella faces the possibility of losing her visitation rights and the chance to apologize to Star.

    L-W 
  • Lack of Empathy:
    • Stella and Jean-Luc act like snobs when first meeting Danny and refuse to apologize for insulting him when Star calls them out on their attitudes. Though Stella does feel bad when her flippant attitude causes Star to lash out at her, and she makes amends with the kids.
    • Unlike Stella, Colette and Jean-Luc aren’t the least bit worried about Star when she goes missing, something an outraged Johnathan points out to a delusional Stella. Colette is more interested in going to the spa to relax, much to Johnathan's disgust and Stella's mortification.
    • Jean-Luc tries to take the opportunity to hit on Maddie at the police station during the search for Danny and Star. Needless to say, Maddie is totally disgusted and doesn't hesitate to deck him for it.
  • Laser-Guided Karma:
    • Now that the teachers are not favoring the A-Listers, they are being punished whenever they are caught in the act of bullying the other students.
    • Stella left her husband and abandoned her family to live with Paris with a French man and his daughter. In this story, Star has had enough of her actions and calls Stella out. When her ex-husband Johnathan plans to terminate her visitation rights, Stella realizes that because of her thoughtlessness, she's going to lose her daughter.
    • Star gets back at Colette for trying to come in between her and Danny by dumping a glass of water on her head at the restaurant.
    • In the last chapter, Jean-Luc and Colette are completely soaked by a fire hydrant Cujo destroyed.
  • Last-Second Chance: Star gives Stella one last chance to make up for her mistakes since her mother sincerely regrets it and she remembers how Danny previously gave her a similar chance. Also, despite his unresolved issues with her, Johnathan allows Stella to keep seeing Star for their daughter's sake, though warns his ex-wife that she's on thin ice and he will follow through on his threats if she hurts Star again.
  • Let Us Never Speak of This Again: Danny has made it a vow to never acknowledge the whole incident from The Ultimate Enemy ever again. Star questions why he won't tell her, but recognizes it was traumatizing and doesn't press on.
  • Like Parent, Like Spouse: Okay, they aren't a couple but Star is slowly falling in love with Danny, a Nice Guy who is more rational and down-to-Earth than her. Meanwhile, from what we've seen, her father Johnathan is also a Nice Guy and the more reasonable parent.
  • Love Confession: After surviving Skulker and finding a safe place to talk, both Danny and Star finally admit their feelings for each other while Star learns Danny's secret.
  • Love Epiphany: While going to save Star, Danny starts to realize he may have feelings for her.
  • Loving a Shadow: Johnathan admits to himself that his love for Stella blinded him to the type of person she really was until it was too late.
  • Mama Bear: Maddie gets back at Jean-Luc for being a total prick to Danny by slapping him. She also makes it clear to Stella that she hasn't forgiven the latter for her snobbery towards Danny and being indirectly responsible for him disappearing, and any further cruel words towards her son will NOT be tolerated.
  • Missing Mom: Colette's mother never appears. According to Star, she apparently left her family due to Jean-Luc's philandering ways.
  • Mistaken for Servant: Stella initially mistakes Danny for a bellhop who'll bring her family's luggage to their suite in the Milton Hotel until Star informs her that he's her friend who she invited as her guest.
  • Must Make Amends: In the end, Stella admits her self-centered attitude has pushed Star away and becomes determined to fix this by making amends with and actually listening to her. She apologizes to Star and Danny for her deplorable behavior and resolves to move back to Amity Park to be closer to Star in order to mend their relationship.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: Despite trying to cover it up, Stella grows progressively uncomfortable as Star calls her out after Danny leaves, and seems genuinely hurt and even remorseful when her daughter says she hates her.
  • Never My Fault: Stella does not see herself to blame for Star's disappearance, even after she badmouthed Danny for not being good enough for her daughter. Subverted when Johnathan brings up how bad of a parent she is to Star, and Stella finally admits to herself that she made a mistake and wants her daughter back.
  • No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Despite Johnathan's understandable anger at his ex-wife for cheating on and leaving him, he does not try to get in the way of Stella having a relationship with their daughter Star. Stella was a corrupting influence on Star, causing her daughter to grow insecure enough to befriend toxic friends and become a spoiled mean girl in the first place.
  • No Sense of Personal Space: Deconstructed as Colette's invasive advances make Danny dislike her even more since he points out that just because she's pretty, it doesn't mean he likes her invading his personal space.
  • No Sympathy: Jean-Luc and Colette don't show any concern at all that Star and Danny are missing, carrying on with their own activities. Johnathan points this out to Stella, in which she weakly defends them by saying they are dealing with Star's disappearance in their own way. Johnathan is clearly unconvinced.
  • Not Distracted by the Sexy: Danny is completely unphased by Colette's beauty and superficial charm, being more uncomfortable than anything when she deliberately tries on an Age-Inappropriate Dress to get a reaction out of him.
  • Not Helping Your Case:
    • Colette wants Danny to like her but her unpleasant Spoiled Brat personality, combined with her constant bullying of Star and complete lack of respect for his personal boundaries, only fuel his growing disdain for her.
    • Star was already furious with her mom and the Beviers when she believed that their rude comments were what caused Danny to leave the restaurant but their refusal to even understand that they did anything wrong only causes her to lash out at Stella and tell her mother that she hates her before storming off.
    • Stella does nothing to endear herself to Johnathan or the Fentons with her snobbery, insensitivity, refusal to take responsibility for her blunders, and blind defending of the Beviers' obnoxious behavior, even when Maddie slaps Jean-Luc for hitting on her and Colette prioritizes going to the spa during the search for Star and Danny. For all Johnathan and the Fentons know, Stella and Jean-Luc’s rudeness is the reason for their kids going missing, and Stella only makes things worse by refusing to acknowledge she did anything wrong.
  • "Not So Different" Remark: Star admits to everyone that she was just as snobby and mean to Danny at first as her mom was, but he still gave her a chance to make up for her mistakes and become a better person, so she’ll give Stella the same chance.
  • Oblivious to Love: After revealing to Team Phantom that he and Star are dating, Danny fails to notice Sam's visible anger at the situation, prompting Tucker, Sam, and even Star to think how "clueless" he is (like in canon).
  • Official Couple: Danny and Star admit their feelings and, after going on a date, go steady.
  • Old Shame: Star greatly regrets ever hanging out with Paulina after seeing how much of a pathetic Hopeless Suitor she's become towards Danny Phantom.
  • One-Steve Limit: Averted and Played With. Star's real name is "Estelle" and her mother's name is "Stella", both of which mean "Star".
  • Only Friend: Valerie was the only one of Star's friends who she could talk to about her parents' divorce.
  • O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Towards the end, when Colette refuses to leave with her father so Stella can talk to Star and Danny in private and tries kissing up to her stepmother as usual, Stella doesn't budge and firmly says Colette's name to make her listen. Both Colette and especially Star are shocked, as Stella had never used such a tone with her before.
  • Ordered Apology: Played for Drama. After Star explodes on Stella, Jean-Luc, and Colette over their snobbishness, cruelty, and abysmal treatment of her and Danny, Stella tries to order her to go back to the hotel and think about her behavior before apologizing to them. At this, Star feels betrayed and declares to her mom she hates her before following Danny out.
  • Parental Favoritism: Stella seems guilty of preferring Colette over Star, which makes it even more tragic since Star is her biological child. Star deeply resents how Stella spends more time with Colette, always takes her side, and is willing to turn a blind eye to her faults while calling Star out for hers. Thankfully, it's implied Stella will begin working on this at the end as she reconnects with Star.
  • Parental Neglect: Stella is so engrossed with the rich lifestyle Jean-Luc lives that she barely has any time for Star. Star eventually calls out her mother for never visiting or at least checking up on her when it really mattered, like when she came down with chicken pox, lost her pet goldfish, or was lost at sea and stranded on a deserted island.
  • Parental Obliviousness: Johnathan wasn’t aware of Star’s or the A-Listers' bullying until she told him since he didn’t peg them as THAT bad of an influence on his daughter despite never liking them.
  • Parent-Preferred Suitor: Deconstructed with Stella, who only liked Kwan for shallow reasons such as being a handsome and popular jock, and finds Danny too plain and unimpressive for her daughter. This only fuels Star's resentment towards her and puts their relationship at severe risk of being destroyed for good until Stella vows to make it up to both of them.
  • Parent with New Paramour: Stella has remarried and Star really hates her stepfather, viewing him as a creep and refusing to call him "Papa".
  • Pervert Revenge Mode: Maddie slaps Jean-Luc as payback for hitting on her and being a complete jerk to her son, Danny.
  • Pet the Dog:
    • Danny and Star bring her family's luggage to their suite in the Milton Hotel where they're staying.
    • While Stella mistakenly believed Danny was a bellhop at first, she did thank him for carrying her family's luggage and gave him a $10 tip.
    • Johnathan apologizes to the Fentons for what they’re going through after Danny goes missing, especially since his ex-wife Stella played a role due to her insensitive and thoughtless actions.
    • At the end, Stella promises to make it up to Star and Danny for how she acted so insensitive earlier.
  • Playing the Family Card: When trying to stay and listen to Stella's conversation with Star and Danny after they return, Colette "innocently" points out that her stepmother said this is a mother-daughter matter, and she is Stella's daughter too, much to Star's annoyance. While Stella agrees with the sentiment, she remains firm that this isn't for Colette's ears and orders her stepdaughter to wait outside with her father.
  • Punch-Clock Villain: Danny sums Kitty up as this. She doesn't have any real enmity with him like his other enemies, treating him cordially when she encounters him in the Ghost Zone. She really only causes trouble when her temper flares up and even then she'll be happy to stop once she calms down.
  • Rage Breaking Point: Star blows up at her mother and stepfamily when she thinks Danny left because of their insults, which ends with her tearing into them, especially Stella, for their flaws. When Stella tries to order her to apologize, Star is stunned that her mother is still defending the Beviers and doesn't seem to care about everything she just aired out, and tells Stella she hates her before storming off in tears.
  • “The Reason You Suck” Speech: As stated above, Star gives one to her mother, Stella, and stepfamily for their flaws after Danny leaves the restaurant. Overlaps with Calling the Old Woman Out.
    Colette: So, where is your handsome friend, ma sœur...?
    [Star had no expression. She just grabbed the ice tea that was next to Colette and dumped it on her head, effectively ruining her hair and dress and getting everyone's attention]
    Colette: MY HAIR! THIS CURLING JOB COST $100!
    Star: So did this ice tea!
    Stella: Estelle!
    Jean-Luc: Vhat is the meaning of this, Estelle?! Apologize to Colette, right now!
    Star: Ferme ta bouche, espece de sac a ordures! note 
    Stella: Estelle! What has come over you?!...
    Star: He left! He left because of you three! The one guy who actually liked me for more than my looks just left because of you!
    Stella: What are you talking about?
    Star: We heard you! Danny heard you! He heard you guys trash talking about him and he left!
    Jean-Luc: So vhat? We didn't say anything untrue!
    Star: SHUT UP, YOU JERK!
    Colette: Do not speak to my Papa, that way!
    Star: Shut up, you two faced, boy stealing harpy!
    Stella: Estelle, now calm yourself, I am sorry if your friend felt offended.
    Star: No you're not, you're just sorry that we caught you!
    Stella: Estelle! Behave yourself! Everyone is looking at us!
    Star:
    I DON'T CARE!
    Stella: Estelle, I am your mother and I know what is best for you and that boy is beneath you.
    Star: Shut up! You have no right to say that you know what's best for me, you weren't there for me when I had chicken pox in the seventh grade, you weren't there for me when my pet gold fish Bubbles passed away when I was 13, and you weren't there for me when I was stranded on that accursed Specter island and was fearing for my life or be bothered to ask me how I was after I was rescued! At least dad cancelled his court case in New York to come back home to check up on me while you were busy getting a manicure at some stupid Parisian salon!...
    And you have no right to say that about Danny! You don't know him! You don't know that he's the nicest, bravest, sweetest, most selfless guy I have ever known and I am grateful that he is my friend now and I regret ever being mean to him just because he's not popular! The only reason I even bothered to show up to greet you and spend time with you and your
    stupid family was because Dad asked me to, even though he has every right to hate you after you left him for this slimeball!
    Jean-Luc: Excuse moi?!
    Star: You heard me, creep!
    Colette: You have no right to speak to us that way!
    Star: [Slaps her] Shut up! I hate you, Colette!
    Stella: Estelle! Stop that!
    Star: I hate you! I hate your stupid fake curls! I hate your stupid high voice! I hate how you always try to take my things just to mess with me and then break them and I hate how you fake cry to mom every time I try to call you out...and I hate that you kissed Danny in front of me because you wanted to take him from me too!
    Colette: [Smirks] So you do like him?
    Star: Of course I do! He saved my life and actually cared about me not because I'm pretty or rich...but for me! Something you can never know about!
    Jean-Luc: Now just a moment—
    Star: [Sends him a poisonous glare] Shut up, you obnoxious womanizer! I hate you more than I hate your daughter! My mom is too air-headed to see that you're nothing more but a shameless flirt, you flirt with every woman you see, why do you think Colette's mom left you?!
    Stella: Estelle! Enough!
    Star: Stop calling me that! It's Star! Mom! When are you going to see that you are just
    Wife #5 to him?! The only reason he hasn't picked Wife #6 yet is because you got pregnant with Pierre!
    Stella: [Gets mad] That is not true, now apologize to Jean-Luc and Colette!
    Star: Oh, apologizing to the womanizing jerk who seduced my vapid mother into leaving her family?! Or the two faced spoiled brat who you stupidly let yourself be fooled by!
    Stella: [Gasps] How dare yo-
    Star: NO! How dare
    YOU?!
    How dare you leave me and my dad when I was a kid and pretend that it was no big deal! How dare you decide sending me some stupid jewelry or presents was more important than making sure I was alive after I was stuck on an island for days! How dare you turn a blind eye to Colette's faults but call me out on mine! How dare you bring her and her sleazy dad with you and expect me to be okay with spending time with them, especially since I only see you after months at a time! And how dare you treat my friend, who by the way I don't care if he isn't a jock or rich, so disrespectfully after he's saved my life more times than you've been present in it since abandoning us!
    Stella: But... mon-
    Star: And stop doing that! Stop trying to have a French accent every time you talk! You were born in New York for crying out loud!
    Stella: Estelle, this has gone far enough! Now go to the hotel room and think about what you have done and how to apologize to me, Jean Luc and Colette, they are your family, whether you like it or I will not tolerate any more of this unruly behavior... [...] Estelle?
    Star:
    [Whispers] I hate you...
    [Stella was stunned silent and looked hurt. Star didn’t care and walked past everyone, storming to the door]
    Stella: Where are you going?!
    Star:
    [Opens the door] To find Danny. And after that... anywhere you're not! [She loudly slams the door]''
  • Rejection Affection: Colette originally flirted with Danny just to mess with Star but became genuinely interested in him when he turned her down, and accepts the "challenge" of stealing him from Star. Danny is not the least bit flattered since he rejected her for a reason, namely being too much of an annoying Spoiled Brat.
  • Rejected Apology: Downplayed. Star knows her mother Stella is genuinely sorry but refuses to forgive her right away since a single apology doesn’t make up for years of abandonment and insensitivity. However, she gives her mother the chance to earn her forgiveness.
  • Relationship Upgrade: Danny and Star become a couple near the end of this story.
  • The Reveal Prompts Romance: Star and Danny officially become a couple after Danny reveals his secret to her.
  • Rich Bitch:
    • Colette tries to demean and show up Star every chance she gets by flaunting her wealth and status, and expects everything to happen by her word.
    • Stella is much older but she is just as shallow and materialistic, and seems to have very little respect for the middle-class.
  • Sand in My Eyes: In a flashback when Valerie finds Star crying in the janitor's closet about her parents' divorce, Star tries to lie that she just has something in her eye. Valerie doesn't buy it.
  • Screw This, I'm Outta Here!: Star and Danny quickly flee while Kitty and Johnny 13 are distracted by their lover’s spat.
  • Secret-Keeper: Star vows to never tell anyone Danny's secret without his permission.
  • Shadow Archetype:
    • Stella looks like her daughter, but much more shallow and rather unable to see how her actions negatively affect people around her when she wants something, like a more handsome and suave husband even when she was already married. She's essentially what Star could have been if she remained with the A-Listers and didn't have her Character Development kickstarted by her feelings for Danny.
    • Colette is another one to Star. They're both rich kids who live with their divorced father, but Colette is what Star could have ended up being like if Johnathan spoiled her.
  • Shallow Cannot Comprehend True Love:
    • While Star and Danny aren't dating yet, Stella and Jean-Luc are confused as to why she would be so close with an unpopular middle-class boy who isn't even into sports.
    • Colette doesn't understand why Danny isn't affected by her flirtations and only views his rejection of her in favor of Star as a "challenge".
    • Paulina is shocked that Star would turn down Danny Phantom for Danny Fenton.
  • Shallow Judge of Character:
    • Stella thought Kwan was a nice boy and doesn't understand why Star would be with an "average" boy like Danny over him. Deconstructed as this shallowness and snobbery only worsens their relationship until Stella realizes she needs to make amends with the couple.
    • Stella also seems to have approved of Paulina being friends with Star, not understanding why her daughter would cut ties with her even after Star explains their fallout.
  • Shameless Fanservice Girl: Colette tries on a short, form-fitting dress in an attempt to seduce Danny when he's accompanying her and Star on their shopping trip.
  • She Is Not My Girlfriend: When pressed about it, Danny and Star insist to her mother's family that they are just friends. Star hopes that will change, while Danny is unable to process his feelings for her.
  • Shipper on Deck: Multiple characters for Danny and Star.
    • Johnathan Strong seems to recognize his daughter's interest in Danny quickly and voices his approval of her new "friend" more than the A-Listers.
    • When Star admits to liking Danny, Cujo overhears and gets happy at the notion.
    • Upon seeing Star, Frostbite finds her more amiable than Sam and thinks she'd be a worthy mate for Danny.
  • Shipping Torpedo: Stella and Jean-Luc dismiss the idea of Star being with Danny, finding him too plain and unimpressive for her. However, Stella seems to start coming around in the end when she apologizes to Danny and agrees to give him a real chance.
  • Shout-Out: To Spider-Man: The Animated Series when Danny Phantom reveals his feelings for Star, who admits her feelings for Danny Fenton and finds out his secret.
  • Sibling Rivalry: Stepsisters Star and Colette hate each other and compete for things, with Colette usually winning due to Stella taking her side.
  • Sickeningly Sweethearts: Danny and Star's close romance disgusts Sam. Justified, given Sam's feelings for her old friend.
  • Single-Target Sexuality: Danny and Star are developing this towards each other and it's one of the reasons why he isn't moved by Colette's flirting.
  • Skeptic No Longer: Jean-Luc and Colette don't believe in ghosts until the Box Ghost shows up in front of them.
  • Slimeball: Jean-Luc, Star's stepfather, who she has no real love for. She describes him as "Pepé Le Pew without any charm", since he seduced her mother while she and Star's father were still married and made her leave her family.
  • Small Name, Big Ego: Paulina sees herself as Danny Phantom’s soulmate just because he saved her a bunch of times and is surprised that he supposedly doesn’t remember her. He clarifies to her that she’s no more special to him than anyone else he’s rescued by pretending he doesn’t recognize her just to mess with her.
  • Smarter Than You Look: Despite her vapid and shallow demeanor, Colette is quite perceptive as she notices that Star cares for Danny as more than just a friend, given how protective she is of him.
  • Spoiled Brat: Colette is an even worse one than Star or Paulina ever were, as she is spoiled rotten by her father and so used to getting what she wants that she won't take Danny saying no for an answer.
  • Stealth Insult: Star and Colette trade these when they reunite.
    Colette: Oh, ma sœur, I simply love that outfit...I remember seeing it in a magazine about a year ago...
    Star: Thank you. Oh, Colette... I simply love your hair... where did you buy it?
  • Sure, Let's Go with That: When Desiree sends both Danny and Star to the Ghost Zone to grant Star's wish to be with Danny somewhere far away from her family, Star assumes Desiree sent Danny Phantom instead of Danny Fenton because she didn't specify which Danny she meant when she made the wish. Not wanting to let Star know they're the same Danny, he pretends to believe her theory.
  • Tears of Remorse: Stella cries out of guilt after Star goes missing, blaming herself for it due to their fight and Star calling her out.
  • Teasing from Behind the Language Barrier: In the end, Danny insults Jean-Luc and Colette in Esperanto to return the favor over how Jean-Luc insulted him in French throughout the story.
  • Teens Love Shopping: The only thing Star and Colette can agree on is going shopping.
  • Tempting Fate: Just as Jean-Luc and Colette scoff at the thought of ghosts being real, the Box Ghost shows up and scares them.
  • Throw the Dog a Bone: The Box Ghost is thrilled to finally scare someone when he spooks Jean-Luc and Colette.
  • Time Skip: It’s mentioned at the start of the story that it’s been almost 3 weeks since Star quit the A-Listers.
  • Toxic Friend Influence: Star admits to her parents that she acted like a Beta Bitch in the past to fit in with the A-Listers.
  • The Unapologetic: Jean-Luc makes it clear he’s not sorry for insulting Danny since as far as he’s concerned, he was just telling the truth. Star just calls him a French scumbag and tells him to drop dead.
  • Understanding Boyfriend: While they aren't dating, Danny finds himself sympathetic to Star's plight with her step-family and offers to join her when they arrive in Amity Park, earning a kiss on the cheek from her as a result.
  • Undying Loyalty: Danny doesn't fall for any of Colette's flirting because he's already secretly falling for Star and doesn't like Colette anyway for how she treats her stepsister.
  • Unintentionally Karmic: Stella's decision to move to Amity Park eventually leads to Colette, and to a lesser extent Jean-Luc, beginning to receive karma for their despicable actions, starting with being scared by the Box Ghost.
  • Uptown Girl:
    • Deconstructed. When Johnathan and Stella were first married, they were happy and in love despite their contrasting backgrounds, as Stella came from an upper-class family and was raised to believe that she was inherently better than "commoners", while Johnathan came from a middle-class family but with hard work, became a successful lawyer. Their different values and upbringings eventually caused them to drift apart over the years and Stella ended their marriage when she ran away with an upper-class Frenchman.
    • Seems to be hereditary, as Star plays this straight while she seeks to be involved with Danny, who is also middle-class while she comes from a rich family.
  • Used to Be a Sweet Kid:
    • Star was once a kind, innocent girl as a child. However, her parents' divorce, her mother's corrupting influence and actions, and her stepsister's bullying caused her to become insecure enough to befriend toxic friends and develop into the selfish, shallow, two-dimensional mean girl seen in canon.
    • Downplayed. Stella was always a thoughtless and selfish person, but chapter 17 reveals that when she married Johnathan, Stella genuinely did love him but they grew apart over the years, and chapter 18 also shows that she was not always a bad parent to Star. However, Stella eventually cheated on Johnathan and left him, as well as neglecting Star in favor of her new family while she merely spoiled Star instead.
  • Violently Protective Girlfriend: Downplayed as while Star secretly loves Danny, she's not his girlfriend yet, but she still threatens Colette into leaving him alone so he doesn't become part of her sick game to hurt Star by stealing the boys she likes. This clues Colette in to Star's true romantic feelings for Danny.
  • Visit by Divorced Dad: Gender-Inverted. Star's mother Stella, who moved to Paris with her new husband and his daughter Colette and just had a baby boy Pierre, is coming to visit for the weekend with her new family. A visit Star isn't exactly thrilled about. Deconstructed as Stella's visits just consist of a brief reunion with Star and giving her another expensive present, before leaving her daughter and Colette with money to spend while she goes out with Jean-Luc for hours.
  • Villainous Crush: Colette is very taken with Danny, who wants nothing to do with her.
  • You Can Talk?: To their surprise, Danny and Star find out that the Monster of Specter Island can actually speak when he thanks them for setting him free.
  • Wacky Parent, Serious Child: Stella is more naive, spoiled, ditzy, and immature than her daughter Star. Deconstructed as Stella’s careless and selfish behavior severely strains their relationship.
  • Wasted Beauty: Danny does acknowledge Colette is pretty but finds her WAY too bratty and self-absorbed to tolerate. Her constant invasion of his personal space and awful behavior towards Star certainly don't help.
  • Wham Episode: Star learns Danny's secret and the two enter a relationship, while Star's estranged mother decides to move back to Amity Park for the next year, bringing her new family with her.
  • Wham Line: "I hate you." Said by Star to Stella when she blames her mother and Jean-Luc for supposedly driving Danny away.
  • What Does She See in Him?: Deconstructed. Stella and Jean-Luc Bevier loudly wonder why Star would associate with a (seemingly) unremarkable middle-class boy like Danny Fenton, but this shallow and insensitive attitude only further worsens Star's relationship with her mother and stepfamily. Danny's disappearance serves as the breaking point that leads Star to tell her mom that she hates her because she believes her family's insults are what made him leave.
  • What You Are in the Dark: Star turns down Danny Phantom because she already likes Danny Fenton (she didn't know about his secret at the time).
  • Womanchild: Johnathan calls Stella out on her immaturity for driving Star away with her callous and unapologetic attitude.

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