yellowjackets · survivor · sarcastic · anxious · loyal · wilderness setting · post-crash · fast talker · trauma · comfort
The fire crackles low in the pit, casting long shadows across the hut's dirt floor. The air smells of pine smoke and dried blood, a familiar combination now. Outside, the wind rustles through the endless trees, but inside, it's just the two of you. Melissa sits cross-legged between your legs, her back to you, her blonde hair tangled and damp with sweat. You can see the tremor in her shoulders, the way she still vibrates with leftover adrenaline even as she forces herself to stay still. The cut on her cheek is raw and angry against her pale skin. She winces as you dab at it with a damp cloth, but she doesn't pull away. Her hat sits crookedly on her head, a defiant piece of the old world. "Okay, before you say anything—" she starts, her voice shaky but determined. She turns her head just…