Back and forth they always seemed to go. One minute they'd be fine, able to co-exist and even be friendly to one another. Then the next one of them, often Mari, would start up an argument. She wasn't innocent in the slightest, had instigated her fair share of arguments, but for the most part she minded her business. There was no need to fight one another, not when they were all trying to make it to tomorrow and even next week, but sometimes it just happened.

Except it hadn't happened for a while. For some reason ( weird and confusing if she was being honest ) they hadn't fought as of late. The two fighting and seemingly to have an issue with one another was Mari and Shauna. Which, if she was being honest, Misty didn't mind not being on the receiving end of either woman's radar. She just wanted to exist and help out however and wherever she could. And if she was being honest, something she'd never admit to, she liked it when the other was nice to her.

They had won the game, outsmarting Shauna and her team. Everyone was having fun, overall, and there was plenty of mulled wine going around. Though she rarely drank more than enough to make her head feel fuzzy, her body tingling just slightly; that was enough for her. Tonight was no different except she had found herself seated next to Mari, somewhat away from the others and it was going alright. And she's not even sure how their faces wound up so close to one another, yet she didn't mind it, not really.

When boy's are mean to you, it means they like you, someone had told her once upon a time. Misty had believed it and kept reminding herself of it every time a boy at school picked on her. Though the only person as of late, since they've been stranded, to pick on her has been Mari. And she wonders if that saying could be used for girls, if that's why the other picked fights with her and vise versa. It's why the words left her mouth without much thought, curiosity and mulled wine shoving them off the tip of her tongue. And she notices how Mari's eyes dart down to her lips, how her own do the same and how there's a flutter in her chest, how her mouth goes dry.

mari's still shocked that misty would say something like to her. maybe it was the wine, she had some herself. but it didn't explain where it would come from. it was so forward, so unlike misty. it was almost enticing - like a dare. that's why she had placed her finger on the other woman's lips, testing the waters. she was just curious. there wasn't anything wrong with that.

there's a slight scoff at misty's words, shaking her head. "i don't believe that." her eyebrows raise, one finger hooking under her chin and pushing softly upwards so that she would have to make eye contact with her. she doesn't know if it's the wine or what - but weirdly the more mari thinks about it the more she doesn't think she'd mind kissing misty. it actually sounds sort of appealing? which is a problem for later.

there's an awkward smile at the joke. like okay yes it wasn't a bad joke. god damn it mel, don't be funny when it's supposed to be strange. that wasn't playing fair.

she didn't really know what was going on in any of their lives, she didn't have the need to. but jackie not being with jeff throws her for a loop for a second. if jackie wasn't with him was ...... no. she forces herself to think otherwise, just choosing to throw on a smile instead. "oh!" she can feel the tension in the air though, both of them clearly trying to figure out if the other will speak about their shared feelings surrounding shauna.

"the second we let me in charge is the second we start dropping like flies. for dumb shit too, i'm sure-" he joked in return. carefully he moved the pieces of wood to either side of her leg. keeping very shaky hands away from contact as best as he could. "you say that now, but wait. i'll need a break every three seconds if i touch you."

self deprecation was easy. "we'll get you through this. it won't be a cast, but fishing line is incredibly strong so if the wood holds in place, it'll be the best thing we have." he was not their medic. that was still on misty. but he could wrap a twine just fine. if anything, he'd call her in if he felt like he wasn't setting it right.

eyes wander towards the wood surrounding her leg, a feeling of thankfulness washing over her. this would have to do for now. she knows she'll heal eventually, or she hopes she will. the last thing she needs is to not be able to participate or be useful because of her knee. optics meant everything in the wilderness and she wasn't looking to be alienated from the group even more then she was.

"i don't know...if we haven't dropped like flies by now...i'm sure you'd be fine." she remarks, shrugging. being leader isn't something she wants, knowing that she would much rather follow whoever is in charge. there's a fear that the wilderness will choose shauna next and she shutters at the thought. "if it works well enough, i'm fine with it. anything is better then nothing."

( this is basically just a very self indulgent list of various fluff, angst, and suggestive themed dialogue sentence starters. )

❛ i could keep you safe. they’re all afraid of me. ❜

❛ i’m trying to fix your hair, so hold still. ❜

❛ your heart is beating so fast right now. ❜

❛ promise me you’ll still be here when i wake up. ❜

❛ you’re not as bad as everyone says you are. ❜

❛ i thought you’d like some company. ❜ 

❛ clean yourself up. you're getting blood all over the place. ❜

❛ here, give this a try and tell me what you think. ❜

❛ you can kiss me, you know. ❜

❛ come back to bed. ❜

❛ you look good like this. ❜

❛ working together again, it’s just like old times. ❜

❛ how is it you always know what i need, huh? ❜

❛ you’re lucky you got away with only a scratch. ❜ 

❛ i can’t imagine losing someone like that. i’m sorry. ❜

❛ you know you can always talk to me. ❜

❛ the only one who gets to kill you, is me. ❜

❛ so, what do i owe this pleasure? ❜

❛ ah, so you aren’t heartless after all. ❜

❛ may i have this dance? ❜ 

❛ it’s okay, you can touch me. i won't break. ❜

❛ enemies make the best lovers, you know. ❜

❛ hold still. this might sting a little. ❜

❛ we can't keep doing this. ❜ 

❛ you look like you've got something to say. ❜

❛ just relax and let me take care of you. ❜

❛ thought you’d be lighter without all that blood. ❜

❛ i had it under control. you didn’t need to do that. ❜

❛ everything looks so beautiful from up here. ❜

❛ you treat all your ladies like this? ❜

❛ well? how do i look? ❜

❛ can’t sleep? ❜

❛ do you mind if i smoke? ❜

❛ i’m scared of ending up alone. ❜

❛ i don’t think i’ve ever seen you smile. ❜

❛ how long has it been since you've slept? ❜

❛ you are losing my interest, and that’s very dangerous. ❜

❛ i’d suffer hell if you’d tell me what you’d do to me tonight. ❜

❛ you look really pretty right now. ❜

❛ i’ve never cared for anyone the way i care for you. ❜

❛ i’m not wearing any underwear. thought you’d like to know. ❜

❛ just a few more stitches and you’ll be as good as new. ❜

❛ i’d say we make a pretty good team. ❜

❛ i want you to forget this ever happened. ❜

❛ i'm here for business — not pleasure. ❜

❛ if i didn't know any better, i'd say you were jealous. ❜

❛ you'd look better down on your knees. ❜

❛ fine, keep acting like you hate me. ❜

❛ kiss me again. ❜

❛ are you asking me out on a date? ❜

❛ just sit there and look pretty and let me handle this. ❜

❛ you okay? caught you staring off into space again. ❜

❛ well, i do feel better now that you're here. ❜

❛ i'm not drunk enough for this. ❜ 

❛ why is it whenever we see each other, you’re covered in blood? ❜

❛ i was wrong about you. ❜ 

❛ the first time i met you, i had no idea you'd mean this much. ❜

❛ you gonna be a good girl / boy for me? ❜

❛ i’m not afraid of you. ❜

❛ books mean more to me than people anyway. ❜

❛ i just wanted to say thank you for protecting me. ❜

❛ how about a kiss goodnight? ❜

❛ i don’t have time for distractions right now. ❜

❛ you shouldn’t be out here by yourself. ❜ 

Maybe what she had written was a lie. Melissa had existed long before the other day, though she had only ever seen the other in passing. Seen her at practice and games or in the halls at school; she was the only one to wear a pink hat. But there were more than just one way to see someone, and that was something Shauna realized the other day. When they kissed, she looked at the other in a way she hadn't looked at anyone—outside of Jackie—ever before, not even Jeff.

Ever since then, anytime her eyes landed on Melissa, she saw her. And she couldn't stop thinking about the kiss or how it made her feel. She had tried to ignore it, to pass it off as a once off, but her showing up right now had her wanting more. Which she knew she hadn't conveyed that plainly, had all but ignored the other woman except a look here and there. Why? Because she didn't really know how to process it all, to have one of the others not avoiding her. For maybe feeling some sort of way for her in a romantic sense. To be feeling, somewhat, happy and hopeful. It was a lot.

Hearing the nervousness come from her with one word, was almost enough for her to smile. Brows arched as she listened further, wondering if she would ask to talk about the other day and how she'd turn her down. How she'd do anything, even kiss her again, to avoid talking about it. But nothing comes out and a soft sigh left the brunette as eyes returned to her journal. "You can stay if you want, Melissa..." she murmured, leaving the metaphorical door open for the other.

melissa's heart flutters as shauna tells her that she could stay, a smile covering her face as she slowly walks closer to the other, sitting down besides her. "oh. I guess i'll stay then." her voice is quiet, mustering up the courage to say more. what do you say to your crush after you make out with each other after being standard in the woods for the past however many months? there wasn't a playbook and she didn't even think that this could happen before this.

any chance he could, charlie took it to help the others. laura lee had blamed herself for bringing the plane down and the rest had laughed about it. but that idea festered in his chest like a wound. not that laura lee had done it, but it was somehow his fault. like the miasma of bad luck that followed him brought them to suffer. it was selfish, but on days of lucidity and away from the haze of hunger, charlie reasoned that it was always better to blame himself than any of the others just trying to survive.

"god, you're more helpful then anyone else here. you should be the leader." of course she had to have a dig at the others, a small eye roll comes after speaking. "but please, take as long as you need. i just need to be able stand for more then a couple seconds. it's embarrassing to be this fucked up."

"I don't even know where you end and I begin."

the one thing that could whip those memories back? a face returning, almost if from the dead, that lingered in those nightmares. melissa.

she had spent so many years jealous of jackie for reasons that seemed tiny now. they never really became friends, either. melissa had always been more of the quiet outcast, most of the group not into getting to know her. the term boring was thrown around a few times, of course.