Nat's relationship with the Wilderness is so fascinating to me. She is clearly playing the role of the group's skeptic—she resists the rituals, challenges Lottie’s authority, and often positions herself as the rational voice amid rising hysteria. But underneath it all, she does believe in the Wilderness, perhaps even more deeply and purely than many of the others.
Nat's defiance and skepticism is a defense mechanism. No matter how much she denies it, even to herself, there is some part of Nat that knows the Wilderness is real. But unlike those who romanticize the idea of the Wilderness as a source of self-preservation, salvation, or hope, Natalie sees it for what it truly is: something wild, hungry, dangerous, and intimately tied to their worst impulses. Nat and Lottie possess a unique understanding of the Wilderness as something that lives inside of them all, rather than an external force. I think it's very possible Nat has felt it from the beginning, some darkness within all of them, and it terrifies her. Her resistance is a form of self-protection, a way to maintain some sense of autonomy in the face of something she instinctively knows could consume her. Rather than give herself over to it like the others, she fights it tooth and nail, perhaps knowing better than anyone what it is capable of.
Lottienat getting cancelled for being “aesthetic” and Taivan for being “too healthy”… and these are insults??
there is just no way that laura lee didn’t experience some form of abuse as a kid
The other post was getting a bit long, so here’s more from the Excessive Violence AU. This time with Cody imparting his problem solving strategies to Rex, because let’s be honest, Rex deserves this most.
the others criticized shauna for spending so much time with jackie’s corpse but i mean…. there wasn’t shit else to do in that cabin 😒
Fanfiction literally cannot "normalize" anything. Fanfiction is a weird little niche and fics are not something with massive cultural impact.
Joy Sullivan, from “These Days People Are Really Selling Me On California”, Instructions for Traveling West
finally finished a jayvik animatic I started in January, I hope you like it!
Some frames under the cut
These are the ones I like the most :>
Natalie’s entire life was about giving everything she had to others and getting nothing in return.
She hiked for miles in subzero temperatures just to find something to hunt and feed the group, and instead of being met with gratitude, she was blamed when the food ran out.
She extended compassion and support to everyone else when they needed it (comforting Lottie in the middle of the night, holding Shauna’s hand and never leaving her side throughout her labor, understanding Travis’ grief when no one else would) and yet she is always completely alone in her own moments of suffering.
She took on the burden of leadership even while still reeling from the trauma of Javi’s death and the cabin fire, guiding the group out of one of their darkest times. She guided them in building shelter and creating a thriving community. And they repaid her by pushing her to the ground, calling her a murderer, stripping her of her leadership role, and forcing her to butcher the body of her only father figure— whom she had just killed out of mercy and necessity for the group, so that no one else would have to bear the burden of his blood on their hands.
She risked everything to carry out an elaborate plan to get everyone rescued—climbing a mountain, contacting help, ultimately saving all of their lives—and still, in the adult timeline, they treat her like she’s beneath them.
She literally died as a sacrifice so the rest of them could keep living and all she got was a 1 minute funeral.
they/them. free palestine. pfp is my ferret. not a bot, just lazy because i’m locked out of my old account :(
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