#maybe i can remedy that sometime who knows... but either way i'm always eager to talk about this if you want to

[beastsovrevelation]

I don't know whether I'll ever actually write Yellowjackets fanfiction (I might have to though), so here's an idea I had... It's weird.

Note 1.: This isn't an actual fic, just a plot of a longfic I've dreamed up, along with some musings.

Note 2.: At the point of posting this, I've seen 3.08, not beyond, so anything beyond doesn't matter.

Note 3.: Yes, I'm quite aware certain details aren't from actual Greek mythology, I'm a damn Classical student, and I'm taking all the creative license I fancy.

-♡-

Basically, when Jackie has sex with Travis, the resident deity possesses him, to impregnate her. The deity is in fact Artemis, so... Of course a Greek goddess would pull something like that, you know how Greek gods are.

The frenzied girls bust into the attic during the process, and Lottie sees Artemis' beast form on top of Jackie. The beast form is an all white peryton by the way, with silver antlers and hooves (yes, antlers, even though she's female), the wings of a buzzard, the tongue of a serpent, and the teeth of a dog.

Jackie and Shauna have their fallout, but Lottie forbids Jackie from leaving the cabin, literally bodyblocking the door. Following Lottie's lead, everyone starts protecting and worshipping Jackie, since in their eyes, she's now a Mary-like figure. They give her the warmest clothes, the most comfortable bed, and the most food. She resists, she's still depressed, and creeped out, but the others don't listen, they objectify her as much as they venerate her. Shauna she stays away from the newfound cult, and the others are irate, but Jackie orders them to leave her be. Jackie's made the official leader, except everyone still mostly obeys Lottie.

So, Jackie and Shauna are pregnant at the same time. There's a gaping rift between them of course, they don't speak to each other. Like Nat, Jackie's frustrated with Lottie for giving Travis false hope about Javi being alive. Deep down, she knows "the Wilderness" is real, and that she's pregnant by "it", yet she refuses to accept it. She grows rather close to Nat, after all, Nat still treats her like a normal person. Jackie's denial is shattered when Artemis visits her in a dream - instead, it's replaced by (very understandable) anger, at the goddess, and about the pregnancy. Artemis keeps reaching out to her via dreams and visions, which she pointedly ignores. She only shares what's going on with Nat, who remains skeptical, but is very supportive. Lottie, who knows about Artemis' efforts despite Jackie keeping away from her, encourages her to embrace "the Wilderness", which causes her to snap. Her rejection of Lottie wavers when sleepwalking Tai locates Javi, and she reluctantly begins attending the meditation meetings, telling herself it's not wise to remain out of touch, though of course, her distrust persists.

When Shauna goes into labor, Jackie prays to Artemis out of despair, promising to do whatever she wants, if she saves Shauna. Artemis grants her wish, however, the baby boy dies. Later, after Jackie retreats outside for a breath, Artemis appears to her. Jackie is furious at her about the baby's death, but so she has to keep her end of the deal, since she did ask for Shauna's survival only. Artemis tells Jackie the baby was never meant to live, and the sacrifice will give their child strength, but instead of comforting her, it does the opposite. Jackie stays away from Shauna, and the chasm between them only grows wider, due to the weight of what Jackie knows, and Shauna's boiling resentment. When Shauna lashes out, Lottie steps in, fearing Shauna may hurt Jackie. Lottie's sacrifice makes Jackie feel extreme guilt, so she cares for Lottie's injuries. In fear of losing the prophet, the others decide on the draw; Artemis warns Jackie not to stop them - Lottie's injuries are too dire for her death to be prevented, her soul may only be replaced by another. When Nat draws the Queen of Hearts, Jackie pleads Artemis to pick someone else. The goddess complies, fond enough of her anointed champion, and causes Javi to perish during the hunt for Nat. Jackie is heartbroken about Javi's death, yet relieved it's him instead of Nat. When Lottie finds out about the hunt and is upset, Jackie informs her there was no other choice, as the group needs her. At last strong enough to rise from her sickbed, Lottie insists she's not the one to rely on anymore - everyone must heed Jackie. To Jackie's dismay, everyone complies this time. Of course, unbeknownst to the group, her authority will only succeed to a point, for it's outmatched by the influence of "the Wilderness".

The fire happens. Artemis asks Persephone for help (the group won't survive in winter without shelter; space in the caves is too tight for that many people, besides, it's not time for Ben to die yet). Persephone ushers in spring, but later appears to Jackie, warning her it won't last forever, and that Artemis craves blood. Jackie asks her about the souls of those who died, and Persephone informs her the mountains does not let go of those they claims. Jackie at last settles into her role as leader, with Nat as her right hand, both of them trying to make the small community prosper to the best of their abilities. Being pregnant slowly grows on Jackie, and she realizes she loves the baby; Shauna can tell, and it infuriates her, since that's exactly what she experienced, except her baby died. Lottie withdraws, no longer feeling a connection to divinity. She desperately looks for a new oracle, at first thinking it's Travis, who insists it's Akilah instead. Jackie and Nat are aware Ben's alive, but keep the knowledge under wraps, until Shauna and Mari's conflict puts an end to the secret. Everyone insists on hunting Ben down. Jackie tries to dissuade them, but fails, as while she believes Ben's harmless, and had nothing to do with the fire, neither she nor Nat can prove it; divinity is of no help, and Lottie, while she stays behind with Jackie and Travis, admits she doesn't know what's right. After Ben's brought back, Akilah informs Jackie and Lottie of a vision she, Van and Shauna had in the caves.

Jackie and Nat insist on a trial for Ben, at the end of which Shauna strong-arms everyone to voting him guilty, largely to spite Jackie. The group decides on execution via firing squad. Jackie employs Akilah, Lottie and Travis to go back to the caves, where Akilah has a vision about Ben being a bridge. Ben is spared, but after he's shut back in the animal coop, Shauna and Melissa sneak in, to cut his Achilles tendon. When the group confronts them, Shauna and Melissa claim it's so Ben doesn't run away. Jackie is angry, but can't bring herself to punish Shauna, instead warning her that if she goes rogue again, she'll face severe consequences. Ben remains in the coop for weeks, begging for death, and going on a hunger strike; in the end, Nat kills him out of mercy. The group, led by Shauna, is furious - thinking on her feet, Lottie claims it's the will of "the Wilderness". Jackie joins in, insisting they will honour "the Wilderness", and that Natalie will prepare the feast as a punishment. The decision appeases the group, and it's up to Shauna to teach Nat how to properly butcher a body. Meanwhile, Lottie wanders back to the caves, begging "the Wilderness" to speak to her. Jackie begins to feel cramps, but decides to ignore them. During the feast, Artemis influences Lottie's vulnerable and desperate psyche, prompting her to start a feral rave, which catches the attention of the researchers. Still possessed, Lottie kills Edwin with an axe; Hannah and Kodi flee, most of the group at their heels. Only Mari, Gen, injured Melissa, and Lottie stay behind - Jackie's helpless to stop anyone, as she goes into labour. Gen cares for Melissa, while Mari takes Jackie to her shelter, terrified, but aware she needs help; Lottie remains whispering to Edwin's corpse. Artemis appears, and with her (and shellshocked Mari) as a midwife, Jackie delivers a baby girl, whom she and Artemis name Aradia. The sweet moment of Jackie holding her daughter for the first time is interrupted by the others bringing Hannah back to the camp. Jackie begs Artemis to let everyone go home, but she claims they now belong to the wilderness, and vanishes. Misty helps the group track down Akilah, Travis and Kodi, via the trail of clues Akilah had left, after Travis reveals to her he had made up the vision of her being the chosen oracle.

Everyone's excited to go home, but Artemis' words weigh heavy on Jackie. Akilah has a vision of dead animals in the coop, which only convinces Jackie and Lottie "the Wilderness" demand they stay. When the group is about to leave, Jackie insists they can't, supported by Lottie. Jackie and Nat fight, which causes a schism in the group, Akilah, Mari, Shauna (to whom, Artemis had sent a vision of a dull future), and Taissa (influenced by her connection to the wilderness, and unwilling to give up the freedom she had experienced within it) deciding to stay behind. When the rest of the group attempts to leave, a giant white moose charges at them out of nowhere, injuring Kodi - Nat and Travis instinctively shoot at it, which does little damage (but a bolt from the crossbow does make the animal wail in pain). The group is forced to turn back, and while Misty tries to nurse Kodi, he dies from his injuries (at one point, the possibility of a draw is suggested, but Jackie points out they'll be asking the same god they wish to abandon for help). With no more hope of rescue, everyone settles back into life in the wilderness. Hannah, of course, is horrified when Kodi is butchered, and Lottie warns her she'll soon understand (they dig Edwin back up, but his flesh is already rotting, so they only keep the bones for broth). Lottie isn't wrong, as animals seem to have vanished from the forest around them, while the ones in the coop don't last for long. When winter comes, the group is forced to resort back to the draw, growing more sadistic and eager with each hunt. It breaks Jackie's heart, especially when Mari, Akilah and Hannah (with whom she bonded, because Hannah was naturally drawn to a confused teenage mother and her baby) are chosen, yet she wears the crown of antlers, and a necklace of teeth, and lets the others bring the spoils to her feet, despite her burning guilt (she's excluded, as she's deemed the bride of "the Wilderness", her baby it's avatar) - she has to think of her daughter's survival after all, whom she cradles under her white cloak. At one point, Shauna is determined to kill Jackie and Aradia, but a pack of white wolves confronts her, tearing her to shreds - while it proves a hallucination, it convinces her to back off.

One night, Jackie has a dream of a rescue team approaching. She understands it's a premonition, and begs Artemis to let the survivors go. Artemis agrees, if Jackie and their daughter join her on Olympus (a divine realm, not the mountain in Greece). When Jackie sneaks out with Aradia, Nat and Lottie hear her, and follow her. Jackie tells Nat that a rescue team is coming. When Nat asks Jackie what about her, Artemis appears in her beast form, to take Jackie and the baby away (back in civilization, at least for a while, both Nat and Lottie will convince themselves it was a mirage, and that Jackie ran off into the woods, bringing her baby along).

I'm not sure what might prompt Artemis to go and terrorize the survivors 25 years later, maybe she's simply bored. Jackie has lived in Artemis' domain ever since. Upon arrival, she was elated to discover Mari, Akilah and Hannah already there - while Artemis is horrible, she's not heartless, and understood her bride would be happy to see her friends (their souls belong to the mountains, but the mountains are Artemis' hunting grounds). Between the survivors' teen timeline and adult timeline, Jackie has become good friends with Persephone; no, they haven't slept together, Persephone and Hades are monogamous, but Jackie probably has slept with Aphrodite. Also yes, in the adult timeline, Artemis actually does reject Travis, since he stopped believing in her, he wounded her that one time, and he's male.

I feel like, Aradia and Callie should meet in the survivors' adult timeline. Maybe, even become romantically involved... Aradia's older, yes, and the consort of Apollo (her uncle indeed, it's nothing strange in Greek mythology), but they probably have an open marriage, not to mention, whatever goes on between her and Callie, would be ten times more healthy than what happens between Aradia's she-father and her mother. Because, in the end, this story is about a teenage girl abused, and used by a cruel, bloodthirsty deity, a teenager girl who sacrifices herself in desperation to ease the fate of others. She ends up among the immortal, yes, but her heart still hurts, even in eternal spring. Her daughter and her friends are the only balm to it (I suppose Mari, Akilah and Hannah are something like her handmaidens).

Artemis' faceclaim is Anya Taylor Joy, Aradia's is Grace Van Dien. Both of their hair is white like the Moon.