#yellowjackets oc

pairing: vamp!nat x reader

summary: after your new 'friend' has been avoiding you and ignoring your texts for weeks, papers switch.

warnings: twilight au/crossover, please keep in mind there's an in between w talk to me and this!! reading the text messages will make sm more sense... GHOSTING, confronting, nat being kind of a looser (cute), reader chasing nat and viceversa, coming out, hints of homophobia (sorry), kissing, 3k words or so, Edward mentions, usual TWs

from Crimson hymn (twilight x yellowjackets au)

Two weeks.

That's all it took for Natalie to get back to avoiding you. Right after that coffee date meet up and finishing that stupid project over the next week, (it was perfect and beautiful, of course,) she hadn't hesitated when it came to walking past you. It wasn't just the fact that she didn't even speak that bothered you, but now she also didn't even dare to look at you. Why? You had no clue.

And that pissed you off more than you cared to admit. Because, at this point, it wasn't just 'a cute girl' ignoring you. No, it was someone you'd actually talked to every single day, about the project but being honest that had just turned into an excuse. You'd text and call each other every chance you got, ramble on the hallways about the stupidest things, share each others notes.

And now nothing.

Radio silence. And fuck it hurt.

Either way, you tug at the sleeves of your pink braided sweater, seeking for some of the warmth that Antartiforks (you're still working on the name, let's not judge…) deprives you from. A sigh leaves your lips as music flows from your crappy headphones. As you make your way into the school's decorated hallways, you end up walking behind her, as if something stronger, more powerful than you was pulling you two together. Such a great thing to feel towards a girl that ignores you, heh…

But you didn't mean it in a creepy way! In your defense, she had been ignoring you for what— weeks? days, really, but that's not important.

What's important is that you're here, and so is she. Now staring right back at you with her dark brows arched before she goes back to looking down at the sink.

"Seriously?" She looks back up, meeting your eyes for a second. "Did I do something?"

"W-what? no!"

"Then why are you ignoring me?" She stutters some nonsense, the usual 'i'm not ignoring you' she's been preaching for the last weeks. "Natalie, please. Just be honest."

Finally, she looks at you. Her eyes take you in fully, and her pupils dilatate and contract as she takes in your features; your tired expression, the dark stains under your now darkened gaze, your swollen eyes, probably from so much crying, and overly, how exhausted you look. Over her. Over this. Over chasing her into this nonsense.

"What? is it 'cause you've found out?" you mutter, aiming for the worst.

Her brows furrow in confusion, head slightly tilting to the side. "Found out about what?"

Your lips part, but really, nothing comes out of them. Fuck. She didn't know? or maybe she did, and was just playing coy?, but it now feels like it's already too late, and like your dad always says, 'cat's outta the bag', so might as well just go for it.

"That I like girls." It comes out in a mumbled whisper, and Natalie can palp your fear, the way your body is tensing, so fucking scared of her reaction. But it's the truth. And you've been here before. You've seen your best friend's expression harden when you told her in middle school, the rejection and disgust that filled her face, the way your heart sunk. You weren't even into Emma, you just wanted support, to talk about girls the same way she talked to you about boys.

But before Natalie can form a thought or a solid answer, the bathroom door swings open and a group of girls comes in, voices chipping and gossiping filling the tiled bathroom doors. So you do what Natalie does best; run. Sliding through the bodies with tiny sorry's and excuse me's, you get back to the sea of people drowning the hallways, and you disappear.

It's crazy how papers switch.

Ever since your hit and run (or coming out and running), Natalie has been almost practically chasing you. And you've done what she has on the last weeks, avoiding and ignoring.

Funnily enough, the blonde hates to be in your position, and lasts way less than you did. After only four days and about a hundred texts coming from her, (yes, she's been the one texting you, crazy, right?) three calls and multiple encounters and lingering eye contact from across the cafeteria, Natalie finally catches you.

It's on friday, when you're skipping class. You hate chem, and chem hates you. It's a fact, but it still pisses you off because you hate feeling dumb. Besides, it's just one hour, so you just have to wait for Bella to get off so you can two drive back home together.

Your pencil is scratching the thick paper of your sketchbook, pressure deflecting on the intensity of the strokes, the woody landscape beggining to form on the palm of your hand.

"Nice work there," your head turns at the sudden voice, and Natalie seems visibly nerveous. So do you. Looking away from her, you start stuffing your bag back up, clumsy hands stumbling with your pencil case.

"Wait—" Her hand reaches your biceps, and a shiver rinds down your spine. Natalie notices, and instantly lets go. "I— can we just talk? please? I- I promise I'll be quick."

Your lips part and you feel your lip quiver. "Don't say anything." Natalie looks confused, and you just might wanna punch some sense into her. "About what I said the other day in the bathroom, don't say anything to anyone. I- I'm fine with you going back to ignoring me if you don't."

"What? No! I'm- I'm not gonna say anything-"

"I'm serious Nat. If anyone finds out I'm fucked, like knee deep fucked-"

"I'm not gonna-"

"It already sucked in Phoenyx and it wasn't a shoebox of a town like this shitshow so imagine what it'll be like here, with all Forks looking at me like a fucking weirdo-"

"Hey-"

"What about my dad? How do you think he will take it? He's gonna freak out. It's gonna be terrible, and I can't even get back home because my mom is too busy with her new husband and I-"

"I like girls too, okay?!"

Silence. Both of your breaths ragged, eyes hesitant, surprised with what's just come out of her rosy lips. I like girls too. Natalie seems even more taken back than you, even if she's the one who just said it. Birds chip in the background, the soft cold breeze whispers to your face and Natalie is still there. Standing in front you, worn-out black leather jacket, one of her stupid band tees and that dumb expression in her face you can't help but love.

"What the fuck?" An incredulous mumble unclogs your throat. "You've liked girls all along?"

"Y-yeah"

"Liked me?"

Quiet.

"Oh so thats what this all about?" Your face is no longer scared, but slightly angry and still surprised.

"I-"

"You've been avoiding me cause you're into me?" Natalie opens and closes her mouth a couple of times, but ends up saying nothing but a 'Something like that'. "You gotta be fuckin' kidding me," you grumble turning to sit resting your worn out converse on the bench spot. You feel her shift, the squicky sound of her jacket following her moves. "I'm sorry." She whispers almost in your ear. It makes a shiver run through your spine, but you try to keep it cool. Hope she doesn't hear how fast your heart is racing. How hard is it to breathe right now. Fuck.

"Does it have anything to do with the whole 'you-should-stay-away-from-me' thing you and your siblings got going on?" You mumble, looking down at her not so shiny boots.

"…yes."

"Why am I supposed to stay away from you?"

Natalie doesn't respond right back, waiting instead for your eyes to find hers. When you do, she tries to hold back, to keep looking at you, but ends up glancing away with a swallow. "Because…" Because because. She doesn't say anything else, as if she's trying to find an excuse, to make something up just to get you to stop. But she doesn't want to. She doesn't want to stay away from you. She wants you to call her, to text her, she wants to see you in school, to sit beside you after you save the seat for her, to see your smile, to try your obnoxious scented lip glosses, to listen to your laughter, to catch your scent before she even sees you. "I dunno." Is all she manages to mumble.

"Wow. And they say Plato's is dead." that makes her laugh, but your instant glare quiets her down. "I'm really sorry." She says again.

"I don't want your sorry's if you're not gonna explain shit."

She sighs, shifting uncomfortable in her seat. Her hands come up to rub her face and grasp her hair, and even if you're unbeliveably hurt and pissed, you still hate seeing her like this. You gently cup her elbow, not wanting to do too much but also show here you're listening. She looks at you through her bleached mane, and you think you catch a glossy layer over her emeralds. "Hey- Nat," you start, making her groan as her thumbs attampt (failing) to rub the upcoming tears off. "Hey…" Your arm comes to wrap over her back, hand gently caressing her shoulder in a lame attempt to soothe her.

"I'm sorry, I'm so fucking sorry. I'm an asshole, and I was scared and I didn't know how to- and you just- I've made you suffer so much-"

"Wow, okay— suffer is a big word," She laughs and sniffs through her hair. "Is it cause your brother doesn't want you hanging with a dyke like me?" Your tone is playful, harmless even, just a stupid attempt to get her to stop crying— "Joke, joke," you mumble as her head lifts to look at you in a defenetly not laughing expression. You reach into her jacket's pocket, taking off a pack of cigarettes and a lighter with The iconic image of a Rosie the Riveter with a bicep flexed, wearing a red polka-dot bandana and blue work shirt, Jersey girls get shit done instead of the iconic 'We can do it!'.

"How did you-?" She stutters, confused. "I stare, remember?" Now, she finally smiles. She takes one and offers you another, and with both of your lips pursed around a cigarette, the metally click of the used lighter pulls you closer, tobacco tips tipping against each other as the flame licks them both. You look at each other all the way. Not even paying attention to the burning sensation of holding the smoke for too long, your hand reaches to her cheek, watching as she let's you wipe a rebel tear before it rolls down her cheek. It feels oddly romantic. You slowly pull apart, the burning sensation being too much to hold as you watch Natalie's pupils dilatate. At your touch, because of me, you think, and the word Delusional flods your mind.

"…Can't we just go back to hanging out and shit-talking everyone?" You offer, letting out your third puff.

"Yes please." She blurts out fast, faster and more desperate than she'd like to admit. "I- I mean, y-yeah, that'd be… cool to… hang out again." You turn your head to her in disbelief. "You're unbelievable." Your murmur. "How can you avoid me for two weeks and be so needy?"

"I'm not needy!-" you cut her with a huffed 'oh fuck yes you are' "I'm not! I just- I just-"

"Just what?"

"I just missed you!" Now it's your turn to be stunned, smoke dancing with silence between the both of you. "God, you really are gay."

"Oh shut up-" she mumbles embarassed as she nudges you.

It was good to have her back.

You could spot Natalie's pale complexion from a mile away. And this wasn't gonna be the exception. She was wearing a striped shirt (god she had an obsession with fucking stripes), ripped jeans and her usual doc martens. And oh, ofcourse, the leather jacket.

Nat

You're staring again

You

You wish

After you two made up, Natalie finally agreed on hanging out like the two normal 'friends' you were. And you say 'friends' because you seem to feel everything but friendly feelings towards her, and it seemed to be the same thing for her, so…

Regardless of the elephant in the room, she had agreed on taking you on a 'town tour' so you could finally know your way around. Wich, to be fair, you already knew, given the countless times Jessica and Angela had dragged both you and Bella on shopping sprees, but Natalie didn't need to know all that. Besides, she seemed more confident when she thought she was in control, and you weren't about to take that away from her.

You cross the sidewalk, getting closer to where she's already waiting for you, arm perched on her waist silly grin on her lips. "Looking good, huh." Natalie hums, making you raise a brow. "What?"

"'Looking good?' God you're worse than Mike-" You murmur as a grin spreads on your lips.

She makes an exaggerated offended face, scoffs and you can sense how nerveous she is. "I'm not!"

"Yes it is. Horrible pick up line."

"I wasn't trying to pick you up," she doesn't seem very convinced when she says so.

"Oh, so you just get incredibly nervous when you're around me." You start walking, leaving her behind standing like a statue. "I don't," She catches up quickly, crimson to her cheeks.

"Oh but you do," you hum smiley, her brows furrowing at your comeback, "ohh Natty s' okay, I get it. Pretty girls make me nervous too." You'd think the reason for her now twisted face is caused because she understood you meant she was the pretty girl you were talking about, as if she'd finally got it. Weeks and weeks of flirting finally coming to her understanding. But really, it was because of the nickname. Not because it was the first time she'd ever been called that, but because it had been a long time since she'd last heard it. Last time she did, it didn't come with a sweet tone like yours; laced with interest and leaving a honey-like taste on her throat. No. It came from her father, almost fourteen years ago, a couple of years before she had even been converted.

That last argument.

That last Natty.

That last ounce of hatred he'd finally left her with, a sour memory of the father he'd never really been.

And now there was you. Giving that burried name a whole new meaning, reviving something Natalie had left for dead before she even realized.

But all she did was huff a laugh, roll her eyes and tell you to just shut up and follow her around town.

Just a stupid nickname, right?

"Okay, so, serious question—" the lollipop makes a satisfying 'pop' sound when it leaves your now shiny lips, "rumcoke or vodka lemon?"

It's been hours since you two got home. After all, spending all afternoon walking around a almost deserted town gets exhausting, and neither Bella nor Charlie were home that day. So there was nothing wrong with inviting a friend over, right? 'If it's a girl, I don't care,' your dad had said after all, unaware of how 'just girls' made a lot more things to you than just gossip and manicures.

"Beer." You instantly lift up from the bed to look down to Natalie's cold body. She's laying on top of your pink fluffy carpet, courtesy of your father (thanks, Charlie). Her box blonde strands of hair twirl between the flakes of pink fur. Her forest green eyes find yours, and she instantly smiles at your reaction. "Beer?" you repeat, a funny grin spreading on your face. She nods. "Seriously? No vodka lemon, no cocktails…?"

"It's too sweet," She hums, making your head tilt. "Too sweet?" She nods, "Then why do you keep using my Victoria's secret Cherry bomb lipgloss?" Color erupts from her cheeks and her eyes drift away from yours as she stutters, suddenly seeming very interested on the papered walls and the fairy lights.

"Uh- because it's um— great. Hydration. And pigment. Yeah." You stare at her for a moment and then burst into laughing. "Stop laughing! I'm serious," you don't. "Stop!" It's more of an embarassed stop, and the more you lean on the edge of the bed, the more she sits up.

"Oh I can't take you seriously when you blush like that," you hum smiley, her face closer than you realized it was. She doesn't either. Realize until now, you mean. Chewing her bottom lip in a nerveous habit, eyes flicking back at yours. "Can't help it." She whispers back.

Your breaths mix as your eyes chase each other, nervous, confused, hopeful. Who knows.

You lean in a bit, making her breath get ragged and her throat bob as she swallows. "We shouldn't."

"Says who?"

"Says- common sense." She's really trying to look away, but you keep hunting her eyes, sweet breath caressing her skin.

"Is common sense's name Edward?" You tease. Because of course he is! He's always in the middle of fucking everything, telling everyone what to do— both for Nat, and apparently now Bella.

"N-no." Stuttering, as per usual. So cute. Your smile grows wider, "I don't buy that,"

"I-" She tries to speak, failing in a sputter of mumbles.

"Just fucking kiss me already."

Natalie's eyes flicker down to your lips.

Once.

Twice.

Like she's trying not to, like she's losing (because really, she is,) and for a second, she just stares. For once, she doesn't look smug, or teasing. Just straight up... Terrified.

You see it then, hidden under all the sarcasm and nervous stuttering; the fear. Raw and ugly and desperate. Like kissing you would mean crossing a line she wouldn't be able to uncross. But why was it that much of a problem? Kissing you, you mean. Why did Edward care so fucking much? Was he such a homophobe?

Her voice comes out in a quiet "You don't know what you're asking for" and you almost laugh.

"Nat, we're seventeen, not in a Shakespeare tragedy."

That actually pulls a breathy huff out of her, but it dies quickly. Her hand twitches against your carpet like she wants to reach for you, but stops herself halfway.

"You make me wanna do stupid shit." she whispers.

Your chest tightens embarrassingly fast. God you're a mess for this girl--

"Maybe I like stupid shit."

"Yeah, that's kinda the problem."

You roll your eyes softly, but your heartbeat's going insane. She can probably hear it. Actually— considering Natalie— she definitely can, but you don't know that yet. Instead, you lean closer.

Close enough to smell cigarettes and vanilla again, enough that her breathing stutters.

"You know," you murmur softly, eyes dropping to her lips for a second, "for someone who wanted me to stay away from her, you spend a lotta time in my bedroom."

Natalie lets out another quiet laugh through her nose, head dipping slightly. Then, her hand finally reaches for you.

Cold fingers.

Gentle.

Her knuckles brush your cheek first, hesitant, almost asking for permission even after you practically begged her to kiss you.

"You have no self preservation instincts." she mumbles.

You huff. "And you talk too much."

That earns you a tiny smile.

A real one.

And then she kisses you.

Like she's starving.

But trying very, very hard not to bite. It's soft at first, almost painfully careful; her lips feel cold moving against yours while her hand cups your jaw like you're something fragile, something precious she shouldn't play with.

Your fingers immediately tangle into the collar of her shirt, pulling her closer with a breathy sound that makes her freeze for half a second.

Then she kisses you again.

Deeper.

Needier.

Like those weeks without you finally cracked something open inside her. The kiss tastes faintly like tobacco and cherry chapstick, and you think you could get addicted to it.

Her other hand braces against the edge of your mattress, caging you in without crushing you, and when your lips part slightly against hers, Natalie makes this low sound in the back of her throat that nearly kills you on the spot.

Holy shit.

You barely notice yourself shifting closer until she's practically between your knees, (how did she get there so quick?) your bedroom glowing pink and gold around her pale skin.

And for the first time in weeks, she isn't pulling away. When you finally separate, both of you breathing harder than before, Natalie rests her forehead against yours, eyes still closed.

"...Edward's gonna kill me."

You burst out laughing.

And Natalie thinks it's the prettiest sound she's heard in almost a century.

YAAAAYYY finally bringing this!!! I've been working on this for soooo long im soso happy to bring it to you guys!!!

dividers by @saradika-graphics!!!

taglist open!

did someone ask about my yellowjackets oc

no one asked about him but here he is

his name is eddie taylor and he's jackie's brother and i've written 40k words just to put him in the story (and thats an incomplete season one there is SO much more to write) anyways this is the ao3 link to that if yall want: https://archiveofourown.org/works/64741555/chapters/166349272

(background) lottie matthews x femme!reader x shauna shipman

MASTERLIST. AO3.

warnings for this series: 18+. internalised homophobia. homophobia. conversion therapy. religious trauma. parental abuse. toxic relationships. manipulation. misogyny. sexual harassment mentioned. classic yellowjackets warnings. body - slut shaming.

content warning. reader has some mentioned attributes that i try not to include a lot but this was originally an oc story — i imagined her of more mena / latin ancestry but i don’t mention physical attributes as much. reader is a lesbian.

shauna shipman found it easy to loathe you.

From my psychotic girlfriends universe

More dark! Headcannons!!!

Nats up next

I fear Shauna is pretty dark in this 😭 I keep getting even darker ideas for her and idk how far to go

Warnings:

Shauna is dark in this, physical abuse, knifes, cutting, toxic relationship, abusive relationship, manipulation, cult stuff, typical Yellowjackets stuff tbh, isolation, starvation, hallucinations, etc

(note: i’ve never made one of these before sooo shh sorry if its bad)

name: adriana martinez

relationships: lottie matthews (romantic) travis martinez and javi martinez (siblings) natalie scatorccio (best friend during crash)

face claim: dafne keen (teen timeline), aubrey plaza (adult timeline)

about her: oldest martinez sibling, a little bit self absorbed, lottie’s on again off again gf, currently alive in adult timeline, tries to be positive, tries to be motherly figure to her brothers, sarcastic, protective, kind of obsessive, would listen to lana del rey if teen in modern timeline, kind of a mix of jackie, nat and lottie

pre crash (tw - sex work mentioned): 18, apart of the student council and volleyball team, dealing with undiagnosed anxiety and bpd, typical ‘overachiever perfectionist’ stereotype, had applied to columbia and got in on full scholarship, hides the fact that she’s broke from people, formerly worked at strip clubs before crash to get her family some money, had sex/relationships with a lot of shady/older people,

during crash: wasn’t as good as hunting as travis and nat but could still do it, so whenever one of them wasn’t up for it/couldn’t do it, adriana would step in, would usually pretend everything’s okay and would try and keep a smile on her face but when javi died, and travis wouldn’t talk to her, adriana started breaking down and isolating herself, sad cause she lost both of her brothers

relationship with lottie during crash: they got together between s1 and s2. once everyone started worshipping lottie, she would give her less chores and special treatment since adriana was her gf, which pissed off plenty of people (especially mari since she wanted lottie’s attention and shauna since she wanted leadership), lottie was very possessive of adriana and adriana was very possessive of lottie, but their personalities clashed often, and in between lottie and nats leadership, adriana took over after a fight with lottie, and she was one of the people who suggested the ‘drawing cards and hunting’ in the first place, so she blames herself for javi’s death, and when adriana was obviously in no place to lead, everyone suggested they follow lottie again, which is when lottie suggested they follow nat instead, which strains her relationship with nat but ultimately adriana still supports her in hopes that’ll get her and travis back together

post rescue: after the rescue, she also got sent to a psych ward, but a different one then lottie, nowhere near as exotic as in switzerland, she still gets horribly treated though, adriana and lottie don’t really keep in touch but occasionally they do get involved, she tired sending adriana money as well since lottie knew adriana’s financial situation, but adri declined, she tries and keep in touch with nat and travis as well but they’re dealing with their own problems so she’s kind of alone, found out about lottie’s death through misty separately/before the other yjs, even though she doesnt trust misty really she immediately agreed to help mistys investigation of lotties death(travnat is canon for the majority of the teen timeline but i imagine right before nats death her having a convo with adriana that implies her and misty are sort of a situationship)

maddie swallowed hard, staring at the blood on her hands. if this was survival, then why did it feel like she was already dead?

notes and lore about my yellowjackets oc, she's still currently in development as i wait for s3 to be finished. post layout heavily inspired by @puppybutcher.

MADELINE "MADDIE" SHEPHERD ( lamb drawn to the slaughter. )

played by olivia scott welch

PRE-CRASH

born madeline annabelle shepard, first name derived from the greek name magdalenē, which is associated with mary magdalene, a disciple of jesus who came from magdala.

maddie grew up in wiskayok, in a busy but loving household as the middle child of three sisters, constantly overshadowed by their academic and athletic achievements.

she was raised surrounded by faith. she went to church on sundays, she whispered prayers before bed, and there was the quiet presence of religious symbols in her childhood home. it was something her parents believed in fiercely even if they weren't at church every day of the week. it was something that was supposed to make sense and it was supposed to make her feel safe, but for maddie faith was never simple.

she wanted to believe, really, truly believe, but it never settled into her bones the way it did for others. she tried. god knows, she tried. she went through the motions, clasped her hands together in prayer, recited the words with everyone else. but deep down, she always had questions. what if god wasn’t really listening? what if he was, and he just didn’t care? what if there was nothing at all? doubt crept into the quiet spaces of her mind, but she never spoke it aloud. because faith was supposed to be unshakable. and maddie? she was always shaking.

at age 12 maddie was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, right as she was entering middle school. it had been building up for years with stomachaches before big events, trouble sleeping, overthinking every little mistake, but it wasn’t until she started having more frequent panic attacks and struggling to focus in class that her parents took her to a doctor.

the diagnosis made sense to her, but it didn’t necessarily make things easier. she wasn’t the type to talk about it much, not wanting to be seen as fragile or difficult. she learned to manage it in her own ways through routines, distractions, and throwing herself into hobbies, but it was always there, a quiet weight she carried.

spirit in her step, fire in her smile—wiskayok’s heartbeat on the sidelines.

from a young age, maddie was drawn to cheerleading. she loved the way it made her feel like she belonged to something bigger than herself. she wasn’t the loudest or most outgoing cheerleader, but she had a natural talent for movement and rhythm, and she worked hard to perfect her routines. her sisters would sometimes help her practice, holding her steady as she tried out new stunts or braiding her hair before competitions.

on game days, she especially loved cheering for the girls' soccer team, the energy of the field fueling her own as she called out chants and pushed herself to keep up with the intensity of the game.

the weight of representing wiskayok was pressing on her shoulders, but even then she never imagined it would be the last time cheerleading truly felt like her world.

maddie hadn’t expected to go to nationals. only a few of the senior cheerleaders were chosen to accompany the soccer team, and with so many girls ahead of her, she figured she’d be cheering from home. but when the final list was announced, her name was there. it felt unreal; one last big trip with the team before graduation, a chance to prove herself on a bigger stage.

she was nervous, excited, and ready. boarding that plane, all she could think about was the game, the routine, the thrill of it all. she never imagined none of it would matter.

WILDERNESS

i don't belong here.

the first thing maddie registers is the heat. it rolls over her in waves, thick with smoke, stinging her eyes before she even opens them. something heavy is pressing into her chest, making it hard to breathe. the air smells like burnt plastic, fuel and blood, and she hears muffled screams all around her. she blinks, vision swimming. everything is sideways. the world has tilted. the seatbelt digs into her ribs, keeping her suspended at an unnatural angle. maddie chokes back a sob, throat tightening with panic.

the screaming is getting louder. she has to move. her hands fumble with the seatbelt, fingers numb and shaking. the buckle won’t—fucking—budge. her breath comes too fast, too shallow, she can’t breathe, she can’t—then it snaps open. she falls forward, catching herself against the seat in front of her. her limbs feel like they belong to someone else, unsteady and sluggish as she stumbles into the aisle. bodies. so many bodies. some still, some barely moving, some missing parts that should be there.

after the crash, most of the few cheer members were killed on impact because they were sitting towards the front of the plane, either from the plane breaking apart, being thrown from their seats, or being crushed under wreckage. maddie stands frozen in shock after running out from the plane, she now was completely alone in a group that wasn’t hers to begin with.

she saw reminders of the other cheerleaders in the wreckage—a stray pompom, a crushed megaphone, a jacket that belonged to one of them—and it made her queasy. this makes her relationships with the yellowjackets more complicated. she has no one who truly understands her old world, so she either has to integrate with them or be left behind. it pushes her toward lottie’s influence later on, as she is looking for purpose in all the senseless loss.

maddie clung to scraps of warmth as the wilderness unraveled her.

maddie becomes closest to lottie in the wilderness. while she connects with others, lottie is the one who soothes her anxieties in a way no one else does, offering a strange but undeniable sense of comfort. their bond deepens during doomcoming when lottie quietly braids some strands of maddie’s hair, just like her sisters used to do for her. it’s a small but intimate gesture, one that makes maddie feel seen in a way she hasn’t since the crash.

after the crash, her faith became something else entirely. at first, she prayed like never before. desperate. hollow. raw. she begged for a rescue, for warmth, for safety, late at night when no one could hear. she prayed for the souls of the ones they lost, even the ones they had to eat. but the more time passed, the more survival demanded of them, the more god felt like silence. she watched as lottie’s influence grew, filling the void where faith had once lived.

maddie wanted to resist, wanted to hold onto what little she had left of the faith she grew up with. but she was tired. she was hungry. and she was afraid that if she let go, she’d have nothing left. so she followed. not blindly like the others, but because she needed something to hold onto. maybe lottie was right. maybe there was something in the wilderness watching over them. maybe faith wasn’t about god at all. maybe it was about survival.

but even then, doubt never fully left her. it was always there, lingering beneath the surface. a quiet, gnawing thing in the back of her mind. because if there really was something out there—if something was listening—then why did it demand so much from them? and if it wasn’t god, then what the hell was it?

the lamb wasn't ready, but the wilderness was.

after weeks of winter, food runs dangerously low, and the group begins to truly fear starvation. the tension has been building for weeks, whispers of sacrifice hanging in the cold air. maddie, already weighed down by guilt and a growing sense of detachment, starts to believe she is meant to be the one to go. she tells herself it would be easier this way. that if she gives herself up, maybe the others will survive, maybe the wilderness will be satisfied. she offers herself to be eaten instead of participating in the hunt. the guilt of survival, the desperation, and lottie’s growing influence all collide in that moment, she truly believes it’s the only way to atone.

but when the others refuse, when even lottie hesitates, she’s forced to keep living, to reconcile with the fact that she’s not ready to die. because now, she isn’t just surviving but waiting. for what, she isn’t sure. but the wilderness isn’t finished with her yet. this changes her and deepens the conflict within her, between her faith and fear and between her surrender and survival.

ADULT TIMELINE

played by victoria pedretti

she tried to outrun the wilderness, but in the end, it was always waiting to take her back.

maddie had spent years convincing herself she’d left the wilderness behind. she built a life that was quiet, structured, and something she could control. a career helping children, a marriage she thought was love, a world where the past couldn’t reach her. she had been young when she married her husband, she was blinded by devotion, desperate for something safe and certain. but his love turned to control, his affection to manipulation, and soon she found herself trapped in a life that felt just as suffocating as the wilderness.

by the time the yellowjackets returned to her life, so went the unraveling of everything she had tried to build. the divorce was already in motion, a bitter, drawn-out fight that left her feeling hollow. but that emptiness was nothing compared to what came next. the hunt. the blood. the whispers of the forest that had never really let her go.