i'm still here !

"in only 20 seconds?" jj grinned, "come on lara, make it challenging for me at least." she knew, on some level, that this wasn't the best idea -- but what else was there to do? it beat sitting around thinking about the state of the world.

"you know, equality and all that, you're welcome." he joked, rolling his eyes at her statement. "you look fine, but i look incredible. and you get to witness it all yourself today. a thank you would be nice."

"just fine?" jj replied in mock offense, "that's not how you compliment someone who's paying for your drinks. you can buy your own."

after having crawled in through one of the underground passages, he leans against the fence, a wave of sudden pain making every nerve sting. so he was not only out of luck but out of adrenaline too. the stab wounds & every other scratch he didn’t know he had were making themselves known, just as the flashlights from the lookout posts start coming his way. fucking great. his senses are almost completely numbed that he barely notices the figure that approaches him out of the corner of his eye. once he does, he backs up, shaky hands raised in surrender. ❛ hey, hey, easy. listen— i can.. split the cargo with you if you don’t.. tell on me. ❜ holding a hand to his side, his fingers are coated in crimson & his vision turns blurry but he has to keep it together. ❛ please— what do you want? ❜

"oh fuck!" she startled, her volume low out of habit, "what the hell did you do?" jj was no stranger to outright breaking the laws of the qz, so she vaguely recognized the man as one of the cord alley smugglers, and she wasn't sure if that put her at ease or made her more wary of him. on one hand, he probably wasn't a snitch, on the other, who's blood was that?

"we've all got something to hide, don't we?" he retored, rolling his eyes playfully. "you can't rush me if you just got ready seconds ago." he pushed himself off the door, leading jj out of the apartments moments later. "ok, it's drinking time and drinking alone is for the sad and lonely. drinks are on you."

"and they say chivalry is dead!" jj said dryly. she brushed past brayden in the doorway before pausing after a few steps. "i got ready seconds ago and somehow am still the better looking of the two of us. funny how that happens."

"yes, i recall, it's happened five minutes ago, get your head out of your ass." he shook his head lightly. "you don't get to know the things until you feel the sting of the cold air, come on, come on." he reiterated, leading against the door frame as he waited for her. "don't i know it, we're not going anywhere illegal, at least that isn't the plan for now."

"woah don't get defensive, i might think you have something to hide. that would disappoint, like, half the qz." jj teased. she shrugged her coat on her shoulders before moving to face brayden in the doorway. "alright, lead the way." with a dramatic flourish she motioned to the door behind him.

"fuck, all night?" he repeated, whistling out of a noise in response. "when did you get home, just now? and you answered the door just for me? jj, you're in love with me, it's time to admit it." brayden's eyes scanned her apartment, not looking for anything in particular, it was just what he did. "i need you to get dressed, we have some shit to do."

“need i remind you that you’re the one who showed up at my door, brayden.” she said with a pointed glance. taking a more serious tone she continued, “and what things? i don’t trust that it’s not a dumbass idea.” despite her grumbling, she started digging through her things to find a warmer sweater. “fedra isn’t fucking around given what happened to those people, y’know?"

she shut the door behind her and turned back to face the apartment. it, like usual, looked like shit, but not that shittier than everywhere else in the qz. "going on the lamb would be a better alternative than another all-night lookout shift." she couldn't complain too much, it was said lookout shifts that offered her insights to all the going-ons of the qz. "what do you need, brayden? you better have woken me up for something."

❛ i'm not trying to be rude or anything but like , maybe those ' missing people ' don't want to be found . ever thought of that ? ❜ or perhaps she was simply jealous of how quickly people seemed to gather round for some random rescue mission . she doubted anyone ever thought to do that for her , even with the reported sightings of a ' ghost girl ' in one of the residential buildings . ❛ they're adults , it's okay to want to be alone , you know ? especially when the company here can make you want to scoop your eyes out with a spoon . ❜

jackie grinned, crossing her arms over her chest. "finally, someone here has fucking common sense," she paused, re-evaluating her words, "not that i don't want them to be found, but having us all spend energy on search parties? while there's already no food?" jackie sighed. "if it's on purpose, i don't blame them. fuck, it's probably better out there."

❝ i saw something today that reminded me of you. ❞ ❝ why do they say things they know upsets you? ❞ ❝ don't worry, i'm never going to let you go. ❞ ❝ you told me that you were going to change. ❞ ❝ i'm not going to leave, no matter what. ❞ ❝ stay for dinner? i made too much, i think. ❞ ❝ you can't just commit murder because you want to. ❞ ❝ when things get too bad, i shut myself in. ❞ ❝ well, if blood doesn't make family, then what does? ❞ ❝ you showed up drunk just so you weren't alone? ❞ ❝ i can't believe i'm saying this... i love you. ❞ ❝ you look like the dumbass i know you are. ❞ ❝ you're lucky i love you, even at your worst. ❞ ❝ i hope you can walk. i'm not carrying you. ❞ ❝ imagine a world without me... pretty sad, isn't it? ❞ ❝ you don't believe in ghosts? your probably will soon. ❞ ❝ i'm never going home, not unless you're with me. ❞ ❝ oh wow... you look way different in real life. ❞ ❝ you need help! i can't fix you this time. ❞ ❝ why are you being so nice to me now? ❞ ❝ hey, i need to talk to you. it's... urgent. ❞ ❝ i don't love you today... maybe some other day. ❞ ❝ everyone's lied about the silver lining... it never comes. ❞ ❝ you're nothing without me and i'm nothing without you. ❞ ❝ i need a good reason not to kill you. ❞ ❝ first chance we have, i'm taking you to bed. ❞ ❝ enemy is a strong word... more like former friend. ❞ ❝ narnia isn't real, just come out of the closet. ❞ ❝ we'll hope for the best and see what comes. ❞

it eats me alive.

DAISY JONES & THE SIX Episode 3: Someone Saved My Life Tonight

COURTNEY EATON as LOTTIE MATTHEWS Yellowjackets — Season 1