#Dani x Pelle

[lolaparton]

First of all OP how dare you do this to me.

Wait For It

I am the one thing in life I can control

I am inimitable I am an original

I’m not falling behind or running late

I’m not standing still I am lying in wait

[irulancorrinos]

MIDSOMMAR (remake) 2019, director Ari Aster

[arulia108]

[darkcrowprincess]

Midsommar has a happy messed up ending because I say so and its fictional. If I think Dani is happy in the cult. Let me think shes happy.

(Don't like don't read. Post hate and I'll block you)

[phoenixfeatherquill]

HELLO & HAPPY HOLIDAYS! every now & then I randomly remember you mentioning a fic in progress about Dani being pregnant during the Midsommar festivities & I go absolutely feral. Do you have any plans to share that one some day? No pressure if not, just the idea alone makes me go completely bonkers so thank you for that regardless haha :)

You know what’s goddamn WILD about receiving this message? I’ve recently been in a Dani x Pelle mood and I’m rereading some of my old favorite fics (which the writer took down for some reason, but some enterprising person had downloaded and shared the PDFs…) Like I’ve been in a serious Midsommar mood and I’m edging nearer to updating the WIPs…and yes, possibly starting a new fic featuring pregnant Dani! Like…are you guys just IN my brain, cataloging my fandom focuses?

I’m torn on if it should be Pelle’s due to a secret affair or Pelle should just steal both Dani and her baby from Christian…

[vegan-velociraptor]

This is a work of art.

The Pelle/Dani Receipts Masterpost

Post One: Introduction

Post Two: New York, Pre-Tragedy

Post Three: The Couch Scenes

Post Four: The Journey to Hårga

Post Five: Arrival in Hårga

Post Six: Dani’s Birthday Plot

Post Seven: Making Dani at Home

Post Eight: Ättestupa

Post Nine: “Do You Feel Held By Him?”

Post Ten: Plots

Post Eleven: The May Queen

Post Twelve: Runes

FURTHER ANALYSIS POSTS:

Can we spare some appreciation for how Florence Pugh is styled in Midsommar?

Okay, I just noticed something about the costuming in Midsommar…

An Obsessive Midsommar Scene Analysis, or, I Need Help

Another obsessive Midsommar scene analysis: Arrival in Hårga

“What happens at 72?”: Pelle’s throat-cut “joke”

But Why Didn’t Pelle Get Sacrificed?

Dammit, Dani is a Gemini: Signs, Scripts, and Screenshots in Midsommar

[entitled-fangirl]

That's a love rune. Casts a love spell.

Pelle x reader

Summary: Pelle carves the reader a love rune to make her realize their potential for each other.

Words: 2,122

Warning: Love runes, not forced love but manipulated?? Weird cult stuff

Author's note: This is my favorite thriller of all time, so obvs I'm doing this. :)

Masterlist

.....................................................................................

In the short few years Pelle and Y/N knew each other in college, she knew she wouldn’t be able to bear the day that he had to leave again.

It seemed that her wish would come true. Very true. 

Here she was, in the shared room of the Harga. Her bed felt cold and hard, and her eyes were barely able to catch any sleep. As hard as she tried, it just wasn’t happening. She sighed, sitting in bed, and rubbing her face with her hands. Her hair was wild from the consistent tossing and turning. 

She heard a noise.

Her head turns quickly to the side, her eyes scanning every bed carefully, checking on each of her friends. Pelle sits, two beds down. He sits on the end of his bed. He holds something in his left hand, and a knife in his right. It takes her a while to realize he’s carving something. He’s so focused, he doesn’t look up at her. He seemed to not notice her at all.

She pushed herself to the side of the bed carefully, her socked feet touch the ground cautiously. She stands, stretching her arms up. She didn’t want to scare Pelle. And she definitely didn’t want to wake the entire room.

His eyes finally flicker up at her movements, so vibrant, it’s like she could see the blue hue in the dark. Or maybe because as of now, his eyes were wide. He masks it quickly with a smile.

“Y/N, what ever is the matter? It’s nearly 3 am. You should be getting your beauty rest.” Even at the darkest part of the day, he still worried for her. Or at least, she thinks it’s the darkest part of the day. It’s hard to tell with all the windows and doors closed. 

She gives a soft shrug, walking to him slowly and quietly, “I’m not sure. Just can’t sleep.”

He chuckles softly, “Don’t worry, Darling.” He pushes his things further up the bed and away from her view, opening his arms, “Come here. Sit with me.”

She gives a soft smile and does so. Sitting by him always felt right. It felt cozy. And warm. Mostly because his arm had wrapped its way around her shoulders. “I’d hate to bother you from your… work, Pelle.”

He laughs quietly, “You did nothing of the sort. Truly.”

She takes this as an answer. “Tell me what you were doing?”

Pelle is slightly frozen in time, his gaze fixed on her face. What was he going to tell her? Whatever it was, he would have to say it quick, for he feared melting under her gaze if fixed on him for too long. A simple glance from her could send him to the moon or leave him in a trance for what felt like years. “It’s…. An old tradition.” Okay. He could make this work. But, Y/N is a curious thing, so chances are-

“How so? What is it?” 

He called it. He loved her open and curious nature, but in times like this, it could be his downfall. She turns her body to look back at the bed, but his hands come to each side of her shoulders, stopping her. They were now very close.

He could feel her breath on his face. It was driving him wild. He’d have to get this done, and fast. “It’s a rune. I’m carving a rune.”

She nods. “Carving a rune? Sounds interesting enough,” her voice was so soft. It made him want to reach out just a little further towards her and- 

“And why in the middle of the night?”

He looks down to the ground. Think of something, Pelle. “Uh, yes. I don’t find myself with enough time to do it during the daytime activities. And it’s a rather… intimate thing to do.”

Her cheeks turn pink. She stands quickly, an apologetic look on her face. “I’m so sorry, Pelle. I didn’t know. I hope I didn’t ruin it, or-“

His hand reach up to hers, pulling her towards him. “Relax. Nothing is ruined. Nothing at all. In fact, I believe it made it better.” His eyes bore into hers, as if he could read her every thought. If he could find a way too, he would have already done so. To him, this girl hung the moon and the stars. And if he didn’t already have a religion, he’d spend his days worshipping her. 

Her eyes bore back into his. “Are you sure, Pelle? I can leave like it never happened.”

He shakes his head with a smile, “No. I’d rather you stay.” He pulls her more towards him by the grip he has on her hands until her standing body is in between his legs as he sits on the bed. “Perhaps,” he even thought, “You could help me bless it?”

She shakes her head. “Bless it? Me? Pelle, what does it do?”

The panic sets in his head again. But Pelle was no idiot. “It helps things grow.”

“Grow?”

He nods. “It will be fine as it is, but,” He tilted his head back and forth, “it would be stronger with another soul to bless it.” He couldn’t have made this better if he planned the entire thing.

She lets out a shaky breath, looking down at his pleading blue eyes. She was a cautious woman, and while she liked Pelle, she couldn’t help but feel the strange vibes coming from the other members of the group. Or perhaps, just a dark spirit. She frankly was not spiritually sound enough to know the difference. 

He noticed this hesitation and pulled her closer, his hands now moving her the outside of her thighs. “Y/N. Please. It would mean so much to me.”

She sighs, “What do I have to do?”

He takes this as a yes. He quickly stands, turning to grab the ruin. He then takes her hand with his other and drags her out into the moonlight. Weird to finally see the moon after a few days. 

He holds the almost finished ruin in his hands, and holds it up to the moon. He brings it back down after a while, holding it out to her, “Now, you must kiss it.”

She tilts her head, “Just kiss it? Anywhere?”

Pelle is beside himself at this opportunity. Not only was it rare to have the scenario happen to a rune like this, but it was highly celebrated in the Harga. His eyes couldn’t look away from her as his breath became uneven. 

She takes it from his hand gently. She holds it in her own, her other hand running over the carefully carved dialect in it. For a piece of wood, it was quite beautiful like this. She looked back up at Pelle for one last chance of backing out. He didn’t seem to want to back out.

So, she pulled it up to her lips gently, kissing the top of it. 

Pelle let out a shuddered breath as if she had just kissed him. She was slightly weirded out, but the last thing she wanted was to embarrass her friend. She hands it back to him. “Does that work?”

Pelle’s smile was wide. She can’t remember the last time she had seen him this happy. “Oh, Y/N,” he said, taking her face in one of his hands, “You’ve done me an honor. An honor.” 

Still weird out by the event that just unfolded in front of her, she nods. “Of course, Pelle. Least I could do for ruining your quiet time.”

He seemed to melt at her words, “My need for quiet time could never outmatch the need to hear the sweet sound of your voice, Y/N.” 

While her heart felt something at his words, he was a friend. Just a friend. He invited her on the trip with their friends, and here she was, acting a fool. Dare she even think she was liking Pelle?

She nods, “I’ll just… go to bed now.”

He nodded as well, his hand dropping from her face. “Goodnight, Y/N. And may you dream the most pleasant dreams.”

She quickly retreats to the shared room, tucking herself back in. She tosses another 30 minutes in thought before Pelle finally enters the room again. He walks past all of the beds before stopping at the foot of hers. He quietly kneels, his hands reaching under the bed. He then stands up, his gaze on Y/N, and then he hesitantly moves back to his own bed. He simply sits on his, facing hers. He’s unable to sleep the rest of the night. But now, Y/N had no problem doing so.

Morning comes, and Y/N is awoken by Josh lightly pushing her shoulder, his voice low in her ear. “Y/N. Hey, Y/N.”

She stirs, her eyes opening to find Josh kneeling right beside her bed. She jumps back. “Jesus, Josh. Watch what you’re doing next time.” She pulls herself to a sitting position. 

Josh looks concerned. “Listen, Y/N. I… I found this under your bed.” In his hand, the rune Pelle carved.

Her eyes widen, taking it from his hand gently, “Under my bed?”

He nods, reaching down again, pulling a similar one into her line of sight, “One under Christian’s bed, too.”

He grabs that one quickly as well, comparing the two small pieces of wood in her hands. It was clear they were carved by two different people, for the markings were quite different, as well as the stroke of the carving tools they each used. She looked up at Josh. “Pelle told me that it’s a rune to make things grow.”

Josh takes the other rune from her hand, “Well I asked someone else, and they said it’s a love rune.”

Her eyebrows knit together, “A love rune?”

Mark’s voice is heard outside the house, “Josh! Y/N! C’mon!”

Josh sighs, placing Christian’s rune in his coat pocket. “Just, don’t tell anyone about this until we figure out what’s going on.” He then stands quickly and leaves the building, leaving Y/N by herself.

She looks down at the carefully crafted rune in her hand. Pelle had carved this just for her? She blinked. He is even more kind than she originally thought. And quite charming. Her fingers run over the markings. Maybe she’s liked him for a while but refused to acknowledge it. 

She looked up, dreaming about what he’s doing now. His long, wavy hair getting tangled as he runs his fingers through it. How he looks on his knees in the gardens. How skillful his hands are at picking the ripe vegetables. And his eyes. Oh, God, his eyes. She would do anything to have them gaze at her now.

As if her prayer was answered, a figure stood in the doorway of the house. Her head perks up, “Pelle?”

He walks to her quickly, kneeling by her bedside. “Good morning,” he says, setting a plate of food down on her lap, “Please. It’s from me.”

He failed to notice the rune sitting in her lap, now blocked from view by the plate. She nods. “Thank you, Pelle. That was very kind.”

Both of his hands go to her face, cupping her cheeks, “I would do anything for you. You must know that.”

She nods, watching him stand and turn to leave. His voice chips up as he goes, “You must stay here for the day. I’ll fetch you at supper.”

He walks a few more steps before her meek voice chirps up, “Pelle?”

He stops immediately, turning his body around. As he does so, she collides with him, having run from her bed. She wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him close and kissing him. He’s shocked, pulling back only for a second, before completely melting in her hold. His hands go to her waist, pulling her closer. The kiss is heavy, as if years of pining had finally led up to this moment. He pulls away, his smile bright. Both now breathe heavily.

“I shall be back at supper. You’ll wait for me, sunshine?”

“I’ll wait as long as it takes.”

He nods at this, leaving the house. 

She moves back to the bed, holding the love rune in thought.

When her eyes do move from the rune, they go to her bed, where a folded paper rests under her breakfast plate. She picks it up as well, opening it.

Inside, a drawing resides. It's Pelle and Y/N sharing a gentle kiss. Under it, a scribbled note:

To today and many more with sunshine, Pelle <3

Her eyes move back to the door in thought.

[ao3feed-danixpelle]

Maybe, maybe, maybe.

by disasterdump

The rationalization of murder.

Can it really be so bad if looking at the hot Swedish guy makes it feel fine?

Words: 1065, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Midsommar (2019)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Relationships: Dani Ardor/Pelle, reflecting on past Dani Ardor/Christian Hughes

Additional Tags: Here's who is in it like... technically... (mentions), Josh & Mark & Christian, Hanna & Ulla & Maja & Torbjorn, Grief/Mourning, The secret sixth stage of grief is Murder, rationalization of murder, The Aftermath™, This is my first time writing anything and I don't know how to tag, Honestly I don't know what the ending is, idk man i just work here (lie) (not even an intern) (just some dude off the street), if someone somehow ends up clicking on this and thinks i should adjust tags please tell me

https://archiveofourown.org/works/52936675

[illusioninfnty]

pretty when you cry ↠ day 30 ; corruption

↠ dani ardor x reader

fandom: midsommar word count: 1k warnings: nsfw 18+, dubcon, delulu reader, cunnilingus

kinktober m.list || read on ao3

She was the most gorgeous when she cried.

You chased after her when she fled from the men she came here with. Her face held so many emotions; you had never seen such expressions from a person before. You wanted to see more.

She looked surprised when she saw you. Her face was always so easy to read. Her cheeks glimmered with the wet tears that streamed down them, like crystal clear streams of water. Her blue eyes glistened, complimenting the red rimming around them.

You held her hand, weaving your fingers together with hers, kissing her fingertips and caressing the palm with your own. The redness that surfaced on her cheeks was enough to satisfy you for now.

You offered no words of comfort. She would get that soon enough.

The touch you gave her was fleeting. It would leave her wanting more. She would come back to you. You would make sure of it.

~

Pelle wanted her too. You could see it in his longing glances, the narrowing of his eyes when that man she was with tried to talk with her. His gaze was predatory, his words slowly starting to sink their way into her skin.

You would not allow this to continue.

She is not for you, he had said when he noticed the way she stared after you. You must leave her alone. Choose another. His words did not matter to you. She was so moldable; you wanted one of your own. She was the perfect choice. You always loved the golden blonde hair that your commune members had. She fit right in with them—with you. She was what you had dreamed of at night. The girl of your dreams. 

Her purpose is greater than your fleeting desires. No, no, no, he was wrong. Her purpose is with you. It is why he pushes you away; he knows the destiny that you share. She only pulls away from you when he is there to distract her. The connection you share is one she cannot deny. Pelle needed to learn. Needed to understand. She was yours; your sister, your companion, your toy.

No man would take her away from you.

~

It was easy to convince Maja.

She had already thought he was attractive; all you needed to do was give her that extra push. And the drugs.

You stole Dani away first for the may pole competition. You danced and danced with her, staying close by her side.

She had held onto you so tightly, the drugs disorientating her. She needed to depend on you, to lean on you for support. You were there to ensure she won. But you didn’t need to worry too much. Dani was always meant to be the May Queen. Everyone in the commune knew it. But she didn’t need to.

She wanted to know where he was after her crowning. He showed no care for her, yet she was still concerned with him. It sickened you. She would soon learn that he wasn’t needed anymore, that she didn’t need him anymore.

You guided Dani to where Christian was. She needed to see it for herself to truly understand who was best for her. She had collapsed, and you held her, you cried with her, you calmed her down. You caressed her cheeks and kissed her hair. She trusted you, just what you had wanted.

Everything was going perfectly.

~

You brought her back to the quarters. She was still crying, but you continued to wipe the tears away as you sat her down on a bed. The two of you were alone in here, just as you anticipated. She was still a beauty through her sobs, and she was just what you needed to establish your place here. You both needed this.

You gently guided her towards her bed, shushing her as her tears continued.

It will bring us some healing.

You kissed her cheeks, tasted her tears.

He is doing the same with her.

Dani did not want to hear any of that.

She allowed you to remove her shirt, her perky breasts on full display. You played with her nipples, her little gasps causing heat to rise in your stomach. Her cheeks were flushed, and she refused to meet your eyes.

She gripped your shoulders tightly as you knelt down in front of her. She would be your queen, and you would pleasure her as so.

He did not care for you like this, did he?

Dani had never received treatment like this before. She acted like a virgin, gasping at every little touch. Her boy was a useless runt, and it was up to you to teach her what he had failed.

You lowered your mouth onto her cunt, a small taste of Heaven. Dani’s nails dug into your skin, marks you would show off as a sign of your loyalty. She grasped onto you like you were the only thing holding her stable.

Her lifeline.

She moaned and gasped and writhed as you tasted her, flicking your tongue deftly in her. You ran her hands up and down her sides, ghosting your fingers down her heaving stomach. Her head was thrown back, jaw pulled taut, and she looked every bit of a goddess as she would be revered as.

Her legs were thrown around your body when you licked her cunt and played with her aching clit. They shook when she orgasmed on your tongue, her moans echoing in the quarters. Everyone would know who it was that pleasured the May Queen, who brought endless success to the commune. You finally satiated your lust.

You won.

~

She was dressed in her May Queen ceremonial garbs. A picturesque image, buried underneath the flowers of her reign. You explained the final ceremony to her—the sacrifices, and her choice. You stood by her side the entire time. Your hands remained on her shoulders, moved down to the small of her back. 

Her choice was the right one.

Christian was wheeled in, barely conscious. Dani had little reaction—only stared, a slight crease in her brow. You caressed her shoulder, hands delicately pressing the flowers that surrounded her. Her head tilted—ever-so-slightly—towards you. 

No, she wanted you; she didn’t want, didn’t need, that boy of hers, or Pelle, or any other man in the commune. Everyone would need to agree to her wishes.

The May Queen has the final say, after all.

[darling-i-read-it]

The Pairing

Pelle x fem!reader

Word Count: 3k

Warnings: not edited because who can be bothered, midsommar type things (cult, murder, people mysteriously going missing, a weird pairing ritual that includes murder, mentions of dani's trauma, mention of incest), I tweaked the plot a bit to fit the request

Author’s Note: Helly dear I hope you enjoy this! I left it open ended because I figured it was safe to leave the reader up to what they would do. Personallllyyyy I think after trauma bonding I could be swayed into a weird marriage lol. Enjoy(?)

Requested: by anon, Hi! Since you still write for Midsommar (which makes me very happy 🥳) and I saw your requests are open... I got one. The reader is friends with the group, she's Dani's best friend, and of course Pelle has a thing for her, he always tries to make any sort of excuses to touch her. She's invited to Sweden along the rest, and she's tricked into a sort of ritual where it's "decided" that Pelle and her are to be married. When she finds out she's mad and she wants to leave. Then you decide how to end it. Like she stays? She escapes? Is she kidnapped? You choose.❤️❤️❤️ I basically just found your blog, and I read almost all your work, and I love it! You're a great writer 👏

I don’t own these characters. They belong to author/director/creator

(not my gif)

“Do you remember Pelle?” Dani asked. You looked up from your phone. She was sitting on her bed, against the wall, arms wrapped around herself as she thought. Her phone had been recently discarded on the bed. You were sitting at her desk chair. You thought about Pelle, the gentle guy with the gentle smile. 

“Yeah sure. He’s nice. Why?” You meant he was nice in that he was nicer than the rest of Christian’s friends. They were okay but they were guys and tended to act that way no matter who was around. 

“He’s invited me to Sweden with him and the others.” You raised an eyebrow. 

“They’re going to Sweden?” 

“Pelle lives there,” she explained. “He’s going home and everyone else is going to visit where he lives. It’s supposed to be some kind of commune or something.” You sat up, putting your phone down. 

“Are you going?” She shrugged. 

“I don’t know if he wants me there. Christian, I mean. I don’t know if he just invited me to be polite.” 

“You said Pelle invited you.” 

“Well he seemed happy I was going but I don't really know him. I mean, he talks to you more than he talks to me.” You shrugged. You and Pelle had been friendly through the semester, simply because you go whenever Dani wants you to and Christian drags his friends around like dead weights. You narrowed your eyes at her, unsure what she was getting at. 

“Do you want to go?” 

“Yeah, I think so. I mean, I should get out of the house right?” You nodded. 

“I think it’s a good opportunity. I mean, Sweden! That’s so cool.” 

“Pelle extended the invitation to you as well,” Dani explained. You raised an eyebrow. You didn’t know the others that well and you knew Christian about as well as anyone knows their best friend's boyfriend. “You don’t have to come but I think I would be more comfortable if you were there too. I’m not sure how I’m going to react and I don’t know Christian’s friends that well and I don’t know the place and-”

“Relax Dani. When is it? I’ll check my schedule.” She grabbed her phone and started to scroll through, looking through the dates. 

“We’d get there on my birthday.” You smiled a bit. 

“That’s perfect. I didn’t think you should spend your birthday here anyway.” You shrugged. “I’ll go. I mean, I should probably look at how much it’ll cost and stuff but it could be fun. Right?” You didn’t deny how nice it would be to spend more time with Pelle, this time on his home turf. 

“Really?” You nodded, shrugging. She smiled easily, shoulders dropping the tenseness. 

“Yeah Dani. It’s for your birthday, how about that?” 

-

Pelle grabbed your hiking backpack as you approached the car. The drive was supposed to be over four hours and you were all stuck in the same van, along with all your luggage. You weren’t exactly excited for the overwhelming boy aura that would come along with it. 

“Thank you,” you said, gently. He nodded once, a kind smile on his face. 

“Of course. I’m so glad you could come,” he expressed. 

“Me too! It’s so exciting to see your home.” He shut the back of the car. Everyone else had gotten into their spots in the car. You called shotgun the second you got off the plane and you were grateful for it. Dani was squished in the back beside Christian, her window already down for some air. The sticky hot air was indicative of a nice morning turning into a nice day. You hoped this car had air conditioning. “Is there anything I should know? I’m sorry I don’t know a lot of Swedish, other than what you taught me.” 

Pelle had been giving you words here and there, trying to get you to pronounce things correctly. It was kind of a lost cause but it was fun regardless. 

“It’s probably going to be foreign at first. There are some things Americans aren’t exactly used to.”

“Like what?” “It’s easier for you to just see. But I assure you, you’re always safe.” He walked to the front of the car. You stood there a moment longer, unsure why you would need to worry about your safety. You pushed it out of your head, walking to the passenger seat. “Everyone buckled in?” Pelle asked, turning the car on. 

There was a chorus of yeah’s, followed by a couple seat belts buckling in. You adjusted to be comfortable in your seat and prepared for the drive. 

“Keep your hands, arms and feet inside at all times,” you joked. “The show is about to begin.” 

-

The hike to Pelle’s home was nice, if not a bit hot. Eventually you found yourself settled into beds, backpacks finally down, feet resting. You were itching for a shower but didn’t want to ask about it. You had been showered with kindness, large slightly unnerving smiles and flower crowns. Pelle sat beside you in the grass as everyone started to explore. They found themselves in their own bubbles, the dancers and the educators. Even Dani was able to find some sort of place alongside those who were making dinner. You kept a keen eye on her, just in case. 

The sun not going down tripped up your inner clock. It had to be closer to midnight than it was to midday. 

“This place is beautiful,” you admitted and you meant it. The sense of disconnect from the rest of the world was somewhat jarring. You could tell how someone could enjoy a life out here. “I can’t imagine why you’d ever leave.” Pelle smiled gently. He was leaning back on the palms of his hands. You picked at the overgrown grass under your fingertips. 

“It’s slightly limited,” he assured you. “I wanted to see what the rest of the world had to offer.” You shrugged. 

“Then decided to come back?”

“This is my home,” he said wistfully. 

“Home is where the heart is.” He nodded once. You looked back towards him, squinting in the sun. He seemed used to it, like it had no effect on him. “That was cheesy.”

“But true!” he promised. “Things are cheesy for a reason.” You laughed a bit. 

“I think that's a classic,” you argued. He shook his head. “When does the sun set?” 

“I thought I told you earlier that it doesn’t.” He leaned forward and gestured to the blue sky. “The midnight sun can go for days. Sometimes just a day, depending on the time of year.” You nodded, opening your mouth to ask another question when Ingemar approached the two of you. 

“Good evening,” he said happily. 

“It’s evening?” you scoffed. “See, this whole thing is messing with my inner clock. You got a wristwatch?” Both men shook their heads. You weren’t sure why you even asked. They probably still used the stick in ground timing method out here. Or maybe they didn’t even care and simply went about their days as thought time didn’t matter at all. You weren’t sure you could ever adjust to that.

“May I sit?” You and Pelle nodded. He sat down beside Pelle, getting comfortable on the hillside. “Are you both ready for the pairing tomorrow?” Pelle gave Ingemar a look. 

“What pairing?”

“It’s silly, really. It’s part of the festival.”

“You haven’t told her?” Ingemar questioned. He laughed, making you feel left out. You weren’t sure why Pelle wanted all of this to be some sort of mystery to you. You wondered if it would lose its charm if you knew what was going to happen. But the pairing sounded somewhat sexual and you wanted to know if you were entering a sex cult or something. 

“After the Attestupa tomorrow the elders make five pairings of people. It’s like…superstition. Whichever pairing seems to be best put together by the end of the festival gets to be married.” You scoffed. 

“Married? Like a legit wedding?”

“As legit as we get around here. There is no paperwork or church to defy,” Ingemar explained. 

“What’s the Attestupa?” you asked. You didn’t want to be insensitive to everything going on but you poked around for the sake of your sanity. 

“Another thing easier seen than said,” Pelle explained. 

“You are being awfully mysterious Pelle. Should I be worried?” He shook his head. 

“No, not at all.”

 -

After the Attestupa you were about to leave. Dani’s panic attack, which was justified after the events you had all witnessed, caused you to jump into protective mode. It was too early in her grieving process to be seeing death at all, let alone death right in front of her. It didn’t matter what kind of processes the people here went through, she needed to leave. 

It was Pelle who convinced you both to stay. He apologized, assuring you both that nothing like that would happen again soon. It was part of the world he grew up in and didn’t think he needed to protect you from something he saw as normal. 

You waited for Dani’s go ahead. When she said she would stay, so did you. 

Then came the pairing. 

The elders gathered everyone around the table again. They had a scroll out in front of them and you stood next to Dani, teetering back and forth on the balls of your feet. Pelle assured you there would be no deaths here. This was about the rebirth of those who had just died, the children that would be had from the couples paired together. You looked around, wondering which people had been waiting for this their entire lives. 

Then your name was called. 

Pelle and you. 

Ingemar and Connie. 

Then other names you didn’t know, people that had lived here their whole lives. Your eyes were still bursting out of your head from the time they brought you and Pelle up, gave you intertwining floral headgear and showed you to one of the private cabins. 

Simon was still yelling from outside about Connie, wanting to drag her away, unsure of the reason she had been chosen. Dani watched you go but couldn’t grab you. She wanted to give you a thumbs up but didn’t have the heart to, unsure if you were going to die the second you were away from her eyeline. 

When you were inside the cabin you took off the flower crown. You placed it on the bed halphazerdly., turning to Pelle. 

“Okay, what the fuck is this?” you questioned. “Ingemar has a crush on Connie and now they’re paired together? What is this Pelle? Please.” He approached you and you didn’t back away. You still felt safe with him, even after all the things that had happened. You truly believed he wouldn’t hurt you. 

“It’s not like that, I promise.” He put his hands on your arms, trying to center you. “They pair up some of the visitors every Midsommar,” he assured you. “I had no idea it would be you and I or Connie and Ingemar. They have to pair up some outsiders to avoid any incentuous children, they aren’t doing it from any kind of ill mind.” 

It felt weird. In this room, alone, when you had just been in a group housing situation. You already wanted to see Dani. 

“This is weird Pelle.” 

“I understand it isn’t normal. But they aren’t forcing anything on us, on you. We’ll sleep here but it would be normal, as though we were sleeping a couple feet away in the group house.” 

“So we don’t have to do anything right?”

“There will be a few pair games but those are normal. Like…compatibility games. They aren’t dangerous, I assure you. Do you trust me?” You swallowed hard, meeting his eyes. You nodded slowly. 

“I think so. Yes,” you promised. He nodded. 

“You’re allowed to leave and see Dani and our friends. Don’t worry.”

“What about Simon and Connie?”

“I’m sure Connie and Simon will see each other again soon. There’s no need to worry about them.” You nodded. 

“At least they paired me with you. They could’ve paired me with Christian and I could've drowned him in the toilet or something.” Pelle gave you a small laugh. He put his hand on your arm, softly. 

“Let’s have dinner alright?” You nodded, following him out of your cabin.

-

“So it’s like a game?” Dani questioned. “Why couldn’t they put Christian and I together. Maybe then he’d finally think about marriage.”

“You don’t wanna marry that guy,” you said, shaking your head. You were sitting by the gardens together. Pelle was harvesting some food and you watched, for moral support. “Pelle says it’s like a game. Whoever is most compatible at the end gets married.” 

“Legally?”

“As legal as this all is,” you said. 

“Did you see that Simon left this morning? Without Connie. Hitched a ride,” Dani explained. You shook your head. 

“Really?”

“Yeah. Someone took him in the car into town.” You didn't know the guy well but were surprised. They seemed really close. Engaged, if you remembered. 

“Pelle?!” you called. He turned around, putting the shovel into the dirt. 

“Yes?” 

“Did you hear Simon left?” He shook his head and walked over. He was sweating from the sun. His white baggy shirt clung to his chest. You were grateful again that you were paired with him out of anyone, the slight crush growing with the coincidence. 

“I didn’t. Who told you this?”

“Ingemar,” Dani explained. “When Connie went looking. Do you think Christian would do something like that?” You wanted to scoff and answer honestly. Instead you met Pelle’s gaze and shook your head, lying. 

“I’m sure he wouldn’t.” Pelle extended a hand. 

“Would you like to help me?” 

“Looks like hard labor.” 

“I promise I’ll make it easier. Come.” You reached out and let him help you stand. You glanced back at Dani, who smiled, squinting under the sun.

“You guys are cute. Sure to win best pair.” You rolled your eyes. 

“You get to be the maid of honor.”

“The may queen traditionally get’s that spot,” Pelle explained. You raised your eyebrows to her. 

“Better get your dancing feet ready.”

-

“Have you seen Josh?” Dani questioned. She stood in front of your cabin door, concern lacing her voice. You rubbed your eyes. Pelle had let you sleep in a bit, allowing you to skip breakfast and bringing some back. You shook your head. 

“No. Not since yesterday. Why?” Her jaw set. 

“I can’t find him.” 

“Isn’t the May Queen thing today? I doubt he’d miss that,” you offered. “Plus, I have a compatibility thing today too.” Dani nodded tightly. You were right. Josh would show up eventually. 

“Can you ask Pelle if he’s seen him?”

“Yeah of course. You okay?” She nodded but she had that melancholy look on her face that was hard to read. You weren’t sure if she was just putting up a front or if she was at all settled. You wanted to ask her more questions but she turned slowly and walked towards the main part of the commune. You squinted in the sun. Pelle passed her while he was walking back from wherever he had gone. 

“Are you ready?” he questioned. You nodded a bit. 

“Thanks for letting me sleep in.” 

“Of course. I want you rested.”

“So what do we have to do? Is it like a sack race or something? Who knows each other better? Quick, what’s your favorite color?” He chuckled. He looked down, intertwining your fingers. You let him, though you were suspicious. 

“A tad more serious than that.”

“Pelle…”

“You’ll be fine. I promise.” He was determined to win this one. He had never been chosen for a pairing before but he had seen it happen. The pairs were sent out on the cliff and had to be the last two standing after a scuffle of pushing and shoving. 

Ingemar and Connie were removed, after Connie mysteriously disappeared after causing too much commotion. There were only two more couples. 

Neither were as strong or connected as you and Pelle. 

He just wondered how he would get you up the mountain. Once you were there he had no doubt he could convince you to push for your own self preservation, along with his. 

As Dani took a drink of the special tea before the May Queen dance, you drank some offered by Pelle as you started up the mountain.

[noodlecupcakes]

Hiiiiii 👋🏻 Could I request 🦄 🎬 and 👻 for Tabitha and Alex for the moodboards, please and thank you? Feel free to pick and choose if you don't want to do them all! 😁

Thank you so much for your ask <3 <3 I also appreciate that you know how much I love horror and film and chose to give me those themes <3

Tabitha's Fairytale Mood Board - Sleeping Beauty

I chose Sleeping Beauty for Tabitha using her grief and addiction as a metaphor for Aurora's slumber. Tabitha's so stuck in her grief at the loss of her sister that it pushes her further into a Xanax addiction as she uses them to help herself sleep at night. Joseph is the only thing that can help Tabitha out of her grief and addiction much like Prince Philip is the one to break Aurora's curse.

Alex's Fairytale Mood Board - The Scorpion and the Frog

Alex was much harder to find a suitable fairytale for considering Alex is not a good person nor is she a damsel in distress. She's one of the villains in her own story. So I branched out into folklore, mythology etc. until I found the tale of the scorpion and the frog. For those not familier with the tale, the scorpion wishes to travel across the river and asks a frog to cross on its back, the frog is weary at first not wanting to be stung. The scorpion says 'I wont sting you as then we'll both drown.' The frog agrees and the two begin to cross the river. Eventually the scorpion stings the frog and the two drown as its in the scorpions nature to sting. The scorpion would be Alex. Amanda and/or Mark could be the frog considering Amanda ends up dying and Alex ends up dragging Mark down with her.

Tabitha's Film Genre Mood Board - Folk Horror

Now whilst I could have picked horror for both the mood boards, I'm a huge film/horror nerd and chose to delve into sub genres. Tabitha's story closely resembles southern gothic folk horror what with the religious themes, the dark dealings of the cult, Joseph's manipulations and trauma bonding with Tabitha and the setting of Eden's Gate itself. If I had to delve even further, I would choose Midsommar as a big source of inspiration for my Salvation rewrite, mainly focusing on the love triangle between Dani X Christian X Pelle which some elements will be seen regarding Tabitha X Mikey X Joseph.

Alex's Film Genre Mood Board - Torture Porn Horror

I had to pick torture porn for Alex considering the universe she belongs in is the same genre. Her story will start off with her torturing and killing her childhood abuser, she then endures torture herself with her trap before being recruited by Jigsaw. And more torture porn ensues after with various traps and games. Alex is familier with hurt and pain whether it be physical or emotional, she's comfortable with blood and violence so this would be her genre.

Tabitha's Monster/Cryptid Mood Board - Angel

Is this one a little on the nose considering the pet name Joseph gives Tabitha? Maybe. But its fitting. Tabitha would be an angel, yes she's gone through her trails and tribulations, yes she has done some bad things in her past, but deep down she is a good person. She's innocent and naive in nature, she's pure. And Joseph ensures she keeps her innocence and her purity, sugar coating the more unsavory actions of Eden's Gate.

Alex's Monster/Cryptid Mood Board - Medusa

Considering Alex's backstory it makes perfect sense for her monster to be Medusa. Alex was sexually abused as a child in the orphanage she had to go after her mother was no longer fit to look after her. Alex was the whistleblower for this abuse considering she was not the only girl being abused by said member of staff. She tried therapy after but did not respond well to it, instead she held onto her feelings of rage and hatred and becoming a bit of a violent individual especially towards men that gave her unwanted attention.

[roleplayfinder]

Looking for some fandom rps!

-The Hunger Games

Coriolanus Snow/Lucy Gray Baird

I’d like the opportunity to write as Lucy Gray since I’ve written as Coriolanus a few times already but I’m not picky. This is the fandom I'm most interested in atm. I've kinda been seeing that apparently the fandom vibes a little more with submissive Coryo than I thought people would? I'd really like to play that out in an organic of a way and as canon as possible with the characters. 

I could also be persuaded to write Katniss/Peeta, but right now I’m just kind of obsessed with Coriolanus/Lucy Gray, I’m not gunna lie.

-South Park

Eric Cartman/Kyle Broflovski

-The Righteous Gemstones

Jesse/Amber 

I know this is a weird one, and a stretch haha. But I’d really like to play around in this universe, and I’d like to find someone who not only wants to play either of the characters above but ALSO some of the other characters. Not necessarily doubling so much as just having a little bit of an ensemble cast rp experience. I’d be open to having a small group of people as well.


-Midsommar

Dani Ardor/??

I’m not sure what I’d want to do with this. I like the idea of playing out a dark Dani/Pelle plot. I’m just really interested in writing for Dani.

-Buffy

Spike/Buffy

I could play either

Other fandoms I might be interested in

Death Note

Chobits

Twilight

Sailor Moon

X/Pearl/Maxxxine

House of Leaves (novel by Mark Z Danielewski)

Hi! My name is Jane and I’ve been rping for a loooong time now. I am 20+ so no minors and I'd prefer someone with a couple of years experience. 3rd person, past tense.

I write anywhere between one paragraph and multiple discord messages worth of paragraphs, it really all depends. I like to plot out a lot and talk about our various headcanons for that particular rp, send playlists, all that stuff. Being friends outside of the fandom discussion would be nice but not required.

*NSFW is welcome, and I could be convinced to do something that sort of skews towards kink being a large portion, but it genuinely has to be well written and mean something to the characters, the plot. Nothing with bodily fluids, feet, etc.

*my only real trigger is animal abuse. I cannot handle it.

*sex or gender of rp partner isnt important to me as long as no one is being a self-insert creep.

Please only like or comment if you are genuinely interested in plotting then moving forward as I've had a lot of people show interest and just say "I'm interested!" and not respond much after. I totally understand being busy but I do view rping as somewhat of a commitment and I'd love to find a partner who feels the same way in addition to being excited. And as a heads up if you've already ghosted me during the plotting process or whatever, my guess is just to keep someone on the backburner, I won't message you. So whether you're worried about connecting with someone you don't want to or whatever, don't. I'm not trying to talk to anyone who's not interested in talking with me :)

I'm available pretty often and the better the rp is going, the more time I will make for it, honestly.

Thanks for reading!

.

[darkcrowprincess]

My thoughts on the horror movie Midsommar:

Oh Midsommar. How do I describe you without saying whats been told a million times? I will attempt to try. The movie is not only a horror movie about a cult in Switzerland, but also a dark fairytale. The story is basically a break up story with a very dark happy ending. And yes I'm one of those idiots who sees the movie ending as a dark happy one.

The story is about a young woman named Dani who goes through the horrible tragedy of losing her entire family. Basically becomes a orphan. Not having anyone else she clings to her horrible boyfriend Christian. In doing this she follows Christian and his friends on a vacation to Switzerland unknowingly landing in the hands of a cult called The Hårga. A Swedish pagan cult that brings new people in but also does human sacrifices every 90 years. Ergo where the name Midsommar comes from. Pelle the cults recruiter falls in love with Dani. Everyone in the cult falls for her too and desperately wants her to join them. After many weird, horrible and strange things happening in the movie, Dani becomes the May Queen. And Christian is killed under Danis orders. By the end it's implied she fully and happily joins the cult.

Things I loved about this movie:

Cinematography! The way this movie is filmed is so beautiful and creative! Its like reading a book play out on screen. With how horrible movies are today it's refreshing to see something so new and creative! A24 is like one of the few film companies now a days that are making movies. New intriguing ideas. Not just copy paste empty ideas that just want your money. My favorite shot is the opening scene with the snow. Plus the contrast of when they get to The Hårga conmmun with everything so bright and colorful.

The aesthic of the movie! I love the clothes so much and the earth flower like paganess of everything. Especially the cult. After watching the movie I looked for so many fashion videos describing The Hårga outfits. And and the May Queen flower outfit! Is so cool! How they managed to have her completely covered in flowers like shes becoming one with nature! So creepy and cool. But so pretty to look at the same time!

3. How feminine the movie feels. Like it feels like a woman directed this movie. But really its a man. And it makes me realize that man can up their game and actually get into the mind of a woman without being insulting.

4. How much I just dislike Christian and how happy I was when the asshole finally died!

5. Dani, I feel for this character so much. The whole movie I just wanted to give her a hug. I know its stupid, but I hope she and Pelle are happy in the cult.

6. Pelle and The Hårga are really cool and interesting villians. The whole cult is interesting. Would I want them to actually exist in real life? HELL NO! If they were real the cult would give me nightmares. Actually there are tons of cults probably just like them. Which for me as a person who has a interest in true crime and cults in real life, its cool how much Ari Aster got right about cults. Though most of my knowledge of cults come from watching true crime documentaries, reading books and magazines and watching YouTube videos and learning about it in school. Cool in I mean a really dark and terrifying way.

Overall those of my thoughts on Midsommar. It was a good movie, though read up on the trigger warnings of this movie because theres a lot. But its a rated r horror movie for a reason. Though I still think you should watch it. I really enjoyed it and plan to watch it again.

[feyhunter78]

20 Fanfic Questions

Thank you for the tag @cchickki this was so fun!!!!

1.) How many works do you have in AO3?

I have 22!

2.) What's your total AO3 words count?

My total is 509,650 words

3.) What fandoms do you write for?

You can find the link here!!!

4.) What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

In order, it is 1.) Pink Pastels 2.) The Dowager Queen 3.) Orange Blossoms 4.) Among the Sun 5.) Trials of Tributes

5.) Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes!!! I love getting comments, they literally make my day, encourage me, and one or two have almost made me cry from how sweet they were🥺

6.) What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

It would be my only angst fic, But Darling (I’d Still Die For You)

7.) What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Oooooo so this is a tie between Moonflowers and the ending I’m thinking about for Pink Pastels

8.) Do you get hate on fics?

I have before, usually it’s super dumb, and I screenshot it and send it to @celestialsolstice, so we can tear it apart together

9.) Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Y’all know I dooooo, but I write sweet smut! Nothing too harsh, no degradation or violence, just two people who care about each other

10.) Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I do not and have not

11.) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge, but I live in constant fear that someone has put Pink Pastels in an AI somewhere

12.) Have you ever had a fic translated?

In the very beginning when my only fic was Poisoned Tears and Scorched Tongues someone asked if they could, but I was super new to AO3 and thought it was a scam, so I never responded💀

13.) Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Lollll nothing that’s been published, but back in the day me and @celestialsolstice started writing a “sister of Markiplier” fic. It was not that good for what I remember, we’re both much better writers now😂

14.) What's your all-time favourite ship?

Honestly it used to be Nalu, but now it’s Dani x Pelle from Midsommer every fic I’ve read about them is a fucking masterpiece😭

15.) What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Definitely Hold My Heart (Between Your Teeth), and Turn of the Tide, Call of the Sea. They both had such a good premises, but I just lost their plots entirely and cannot muster up the energy to finish them

16.) What are your writing strengths?

I think it’s my prose, and my ability to switch between writing styles, aka modern for Pink Pastels and “old English” for HOTD and Among the Sun. People compliment me on the flow and word usage in my writing, which always make so, so happy!!!!

17.) What are your writing weaknesses?

I don’t plan and if I do, it’s so messy, I just sit and write. Also, thigh riding, dirty talk from reader’s perspective (IMO) and descriptions of objects and/or places. I’m not good at describing settings, y’all😭

18.) Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

For Spanish, I use Spanish Dictionary, my shitty public school Spanish education and my readers. I double-check the translation by running it through twice and sometimes breaking the sentence down to make sure I’m using the right word😂

19.) First fandom you wrote for?

First one I put something out publicly for was HOTD, first fic I ever wrote was for DC Legends of Tomorrow

20.) Favorite fic you've ever written?

Honestly as chaotic as it was Targaryen Inc was so much fun to write, it was off the rails batshit crazy, but I loved it

I’ll no pressure tag @celestialsolstice, @dilf-superiority and @dapper-zappa

[roleplay-today]

Looking for the following fandom rps!

-The Hunger Games

Coriolanus Snow/Lucy Gray Baird

I’d like the opportunity to write as Lucy Gray since I’ve written as Coriolanus a few times already but I’m not picky. This is the fandom I'm most interested in atm. I've kinda been seeing that apparently the fandom vibes a little more with submissive Coryo than I thought people would? I'd really like to play that out in an organic of a way and as canon as possible with the characters. 

I could also be persuaded to write Katniss/Peeta, but right now I’m just kind of obsessed with Coriolanus/Lucy Gray, I’m not gunna lie.

-South Park

Eric Cartman/Kyle Broflovski

-The Righteous Gemstones

Jesse/Amber 

I know this is a weird one, and a stretch haha. But I’d really like to play around in this universe, and I’d like to find someone who not only wants to play either of the characters above but ALSO some of the other characters. Not necessarily doubling so much as just having a little bit of an ensemble cast rp experience. I’d be open to having a small group of people as well.


-Midsommar

Dani Ardor/??

I’m not sure what I’d want to do with this. I like the idea of playing out a dark Dani/Pelle plot. I’m just really interested in writing for Dani.

-Buffy

Spike/Buffy

I could play either

Other fandoms I might be interested in

Death Note

Chobits

Twilight

Sailor Moon

X/Pearl/Maxxxine

House of Leaves (novel by Mark Z Danielewski)

Hi! My name is Jane and I’ve been rping for a loooong time now. I am 20+ so no minors and I'd prefer someone with a couple of years experience. 3rd person, past tense.

I write anywhere between one paragraph and multiple discord messages worth of paragraphs, it really all depends. I like to plot out a lot and talk about our various headcanons for that particular rp, send playlists, all that stuff. Being friends outside of the fandom discussion would be nice but not required.

*NSFW is welcome, and I could be convinced to do something that sort of skews towards kink being a large portion, but it genuinely has to be well written and mean something to the characters, the plot. Nothing with bodily fluids, feet, etc.

*my only real trigger is animal abuse. I cannot handle it.

*sex or gender of rp partner isnt important to me as long as no one is being a self-insert creep.

Please only like or comment if you are genuinely interested in plotting then moving forward as I've had a lot of people show interest and just say "I'm interested!" and not respond much after. I totally understand being busy but I do view rping as somewhat of a commitment and I'd love to find a partner who feels the same way in addition to being excited. And as a heads up if you've already ghosted me during the plotting process or whatever, my guess is just to keep someone on the backburner, I won't message you. So whether you're worried about connecting with someone you don't want to or whatever, don't. I'm not trying to talk to anyone who's not interested in talking with me :)

I'm available pretty often and the better the rp is going, the more time I will make for it, honestly.

Thanks for reading!

[entitled-fangirl]

Adjustment.

Pelle x American!reader

Summary: Three summers ago, Y/n became a part of the Harga. With Pelle returning for midsummer with American friends, she begins to rethink her life here.

Warnings: MANIPULATION TO THE MAX Y'ALL!!! But if you've seen Midsommar then you already knew that I guess. This is a dark one so discretion is advised.

A/n: To the anon that asked for this- I HAVE DELIVERED! This is the first fic since like June that hasn't been GoT related, so it was a nice change of pace, despite that it's just Pelle manipulating the reader

Masterlist

..................................................

She watched Pelle approach, a radiant smile coming over her face. "Pelle!"

The man's head shot up, and his eyes brightened, his arms opening wide. She ran to him. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, one around her waist, the other in her hair. "Oh, how I have missed you."

"I promise I've missed you more. You've gotten to explore, and I've been stuck here without you."

"I trust you have adjusted well," He mentioned as he pulled away, his hands coming to cradle her face. 

"As much as I can. You've brought others?"

Only then did he remember the others. "Ah, right." He turned and pulled her to his side, gesturing to each person. "These are my friends. Josh, Mark, Christian, and uh, Dani." His thumb rubbed at her waist, "Everyone, this is Y/n. She is uh, my spouse, of sorts."

Mark's brows came together. "Like, you're married?"

Josh chipped in. "You didn't mention that."

"No, no," Pelle assured. "Here, we do not believe in the typical marriage that others do. She is my one. But we are all of one family, so legal marriage seems unneeded."

"I see," Josh nodded.

"It is lovely to meet you all," she chimed. "You are American, no?"

"Yeah," Christian agreed. "You're uh, you are too?"

She grinned. "Yes. A dear friend of mine was from here, and she brought me along for midsummer a few years ago. I met Pelle, and the rest is but chance."

"More than chance," Pelle beamed. "She is a beauty, is she not?"

"This friend of yours that brought you," Josh mentioned, "Is she here?"

Her face fell a bit. "No. No, uh. She has died."

Pelle was quick to comfort her. "Her pain is our pain. And you know her life was well lived. There is no death in life, huh?"

"No," she agreed. She quickly fixed her upset features. "Ingmar has made a tea, if you wish for it."

Pelle hummed. "That is quite the idea." He turned to the others. "That would help relax us, yes?"

She pulled from his arms and moved to Dani. "Perhaps us women may speak of finer things. I would enjoy the company."

Dani's eyes pulled into a worried expression that she tried to hide. "Oh. That… That would be nice. I've been in a car with four guys for hours. I'd like the change of pace."

Y/n smiled. "Then it is settled. Pelle?" She asked, turning to him.

His head tilted in an admiring way. "Of course. My company is lovely, but I'm sure Dani would appreciate that."

They watched the men walked off, no doubt going to get high and stare at the grass for the next couple hours. 

"I miss it, you know," Y/n admitted.

"What?"

"America." She looked out over the mostly empty field. "The sun shines differently here. And… I miss the color."

"It's beautiful here," Dani tried to ease.

"Yes, but I meant," she trailed off, gesturing at Dani. "The clothes. I miss my shirts and the pants I had."

"Is that all you wear? The white?"

"Hm?" She looked down at her dress. "Yes. But I have the stitching in both blue and red."

Dani chuckles lightly. "I don't think I could live without sweatpants."

"It gets easier after a while. Pelle promised to bring back books for me. I have not adjusted as well as he was hoping. I know it worries him."

Dani nodded. "He did bring some books. I admit, I didn't want to pry him about why, but that makes sense now."

"He really did? Oh, what kind? And… and how many? Are they popular ones? In America, I mean?"

Dani's eyes widened. "Oh, uh. I don't know. I didn't really look."

She forced her excitement down. "Right. Right. Well, enough of me. Please. I want to know about you," she smiled as she began to lead them down the path to the Harga.

Dani shrugged and put her hands in her pockets as she walked. "Um, let me think. There's not that much to know, really."

"You're in college, aren't you?"

"Yeah. But I'm not in anthropology like the guys-"

"-hmmm. That's odd," she mused. "I studied anthropology as well. For a year or two, anyway."

"Oh," Dani remarked, trying to smile at that. "That is kinda strange. Small world, I guess."

"Yeah. Strange…"

…

Quite a few hours later, the boys stumbled their way into the Harga, Pelle slightly more conscious than the others. He immediately crossed the field, hugging his relatives along the way as he went.

Upon seeing them again, Y/n ushered Dani back over to them.

The more Dani had talked, the more Y/n was beginning to grow concerned about the Harga. 

Like maybe she should have trusted her mind in the first place all those summers ago.

"So many thoughts in your mind," Pelle chimed as he approached her. "I could feel them across the field."

"Dani told me you've brought books," she immediately admitted, not bothering to try to do small talk with him.

Pelle gave a soft chuckle at her eagerness. His hands cupped her cheeks. "I did. Just a few. I know it is not quite everything you want, but I could not bring an entire library. Not when there is so much here for you to still understand."

She couldn't hide the light disappointment in her eyes. It had been such a long year without Pelle. The people of the Harga were comforting and understanding, but there still were the few that stared at her during dinners, like they could read the growing fight in her heart.

She missed home so much. And everyone knew it.

It worried Pelle to no end. 

That's why he brought small things to help her adjust. Books, magazines, art, each summer visit back to the Harga included Pelle's way of reminding her that the rest of the world existed.

Just outside of her reach.

Last summer had been the worst when her friend had offered herself as a sacrifice. Y/n begged Pelle to let her join his travel back to the States.

"I'll be good! I can… I'll do anything! Just don't leave me," she pleaded, her hands in tight fists that gripped his clothing. "I can't do this again."

Pelle gave her a pitying look. It pained him so much to do this to her, but he knew the moment she made it back in the States, he'd lose her. It was not something he was willing to bargain.

"It is only for a few months," he tried to ease. His voice always managed to sooth her. "I am almost done with all of my classes, then I'll return back home. Forever. You just have to be patient." He tilted her head up, ignoring the ugly tear streaks across her cheeks. "Can you do that? Be patient for me?"

"I… I'm feeling sick," she admitted to him. Her mind was so flooded with conflicting thoughts that a headache had began to form.

"How awful," he cooed, his hand rubbing at the back of her head. "Surely they can manage without you for the day. I will walk you to bed."

"No," she covered. "I'm rather hungry-"

That sparked his need to provide for her. "I will go and get you something. I'll bring it to your bed." He kissed her forehead. "Go on."

"Can Dani walk me?" She asked.

Pelle's brows pulled together as he looked from her to Dani. He wanted to say no, but he couldn't understand why exactly. "Okay."

Once the two women got away from the group and into the large building, Y/n grabbed Dani by her biceps. "You have to leave," she warned lowly.

"W-What?" 

"If you stay, you'll stay forever," she cried. "I can't- I can't go home. I've begged. And they'll kill me if they find out I've told you. Please. You have to leave."

"Y/n-"

"-Please!" She cried again. "You must trust me!"

"But Pelle understands we're just visiting."

"I was just visiting," she pointed out. "Until I wasn't. Pelle is a small silver lining in a dumpster of shit. Promise me you'll try."

Dani ran a hand through her hair. "H-How?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "And you can't let them know what you're thinking. They're smarter than they look."

"Alright. Let's just get you in bed for now. We'll talk when you feel better."

"Dani, I'm not crazy. Please-"

"I know." Dani tried to ease. "Let's just get you in bed."

Dani tucked the woman in, making sure all was right before promising to return later to check on her. As she left, she almost ran into one of the older members of the Harga. "Oh. Excuse me."

"She's sick, that one," the older woman, Irma, mused. "We've tried to help her. But her mind is quite plagued. You understand, yes?"

"I…" Dani hesitated. Everything was still so new that she didn't know who to trust, and it was clear that this woman didn't trust her. "Yeah," she lied. "We all say things when we're sick."

…

Pelle came in not long after, Irma catching him on his path and speaking to him in a low voice and handing him a small pouch. Pelle's face dropped at whatever the lady said before nodding and going on with his mission, the skip in his step now gone.

"I've brought you some stew," he chirped when he stepped to Y/n's bed. "Ulla tells me that has been your favorite as of late."

She sat up with a groan, watching Pelle set it at her bedside. She moved to speak, but he beat her to it.

"The elders… they don't think you should speak to Dani anymore." He sat on the side of her bed with his body facing her, though his head was down to avoid eye contact with her. "And after hearing what you said, I have to agree."

Ice poured down her veins, pausing the headache. "Pelle-"

"I think I have been too lenient with you," he admitted in a whisper, like even he didn't want to say it.

"No, listen to me-"

"I know adjusting has been difficult, but have we not been a home for you? Have I not been enough?"

She reached out to his sleeve, tugging on it. "You've been wonderful, I'm the one with the problems."

How easily she was manipulated.

"I think," he muttered, finally looking up at her. "I should stop connecting you with… outside influences."

"No!" She begged. "No, Pelle, you can't! Please!"

"The books, the art, I'll have someone come collect them tomorrow." He sighed and watched himself pick at his nails. "I knew it was a poor idea the moment I started it."

Hot tears fell down her cheeks as she continued tugging on his sleeve in a desperate attempt to make him reconsider. "I need connection, Pelle-"

"That is what they are talking about," he pointed out. "Connecting you to all of these things, making you feel like you are missing out, it is harmful to your little mind." He ran a hand over her hair as he said so. "It has made you dislike your home here." He stood. "And maybe I am the one to blame. I let you hang on to your old life. I should not have." He rubbed at his forehead in thought. "So I must apologize for this."

"What do y-" her sentence stopped in the middle as her eyes widened. "Don't take me away!"

"My American friends need to sleep here, and since we cannot have both you and them here at night, it is easier to relocate you. Perhaps a talk with Siv and a private room for a while will help this."

"No," she begged. "No, Pelle! NO! Not Siv, don't make me!" She cried in a desperate tone.

He sat again, sighing deeply and running a hand over her cheek in a calm manner. In a caring way. Like maybe he truly wouldn't make her. Like he may go back on his word. "It pains me to do so," he sighed. "So very much." His eyes searched hers, the deep blue irises studying her from the inside out, trying to find a way to be merciful yet firm. "Only until you have learned better."

He reached down to the small pouch he was given by Irma earlier, taking a pinch of the powder in it and holding it out in his hand in front of her. 

She tried to move away, but Pelle's blow was quick enough to send the powder into her face. She coughed immediately, prompting a large breath in and her eyes glazed over. 

Pelle caught her head gently, taking extra care when laying her down. 

…

When Y/n didn't show the next day, Dani finally got the nerve to ask Pelle where she was.

Pelle turned with a reassuring smile. "She had other matters. She will return soon, I'm sure." 

Dani nodded and pretending to forget about it. But the girl's words ran clearly in her head. 

They needed to leave.

.......................................................