#𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙀𝘼𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍𝙉 𝙀𝙐𝙍𝙊𝙋𝙀 ⎯ 2018/2021

[rescuefield-a]

@alatibule ft. ethan asked : ❝ well, what do you think? it’s hopeless, right? ❞

gaze focuses on the practice target across the wall, a few bullet holes missing the X but otherwise claire would say she's seen worse. "nah, you did good." she hopes the encouraging tone of her words is enough to not turn this training session into a pity psrty, mostly because if what chris has told her about dulvey is true, ethan can fend for himself just fine already.

"you know i was the same - my brother gave me some training just to have something in common whenever we would meet." and thank god she didn't turn down the offer back then, otherwise she would have been dead and gone in raccoon city by now. "training is one thing, but once you find yourself in it all the instincts will kick in... like muscle memory." small smile is offered along with a firm nod. "the fact that you're willing to learn already makes you less hopeless than a lot of civilians."

[rescuefield]

verses tags.

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙍𝘼𝘾𝘾𝙊𝙊𝙉 𝘾𝙄𝙏𝙔 ⎯ 1997

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙍𝘼𝘾𝘾𝙊𝙊𝙉 𝘾𝙄𝙏𝙔 ⎯ 1998

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘽 : 𝙍𝘼𝘾𝘾𝙊𝙊𝙉 𝘾𝙄𝙏𝙔 ⎯ 1998

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙋𝘼𝙍𝙄𝙎 ⎯ 1998

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙍𝙊𝘾𝙆𝙁𝙊𝙍𝙏 𝙄𝙎𝙇𝘼𝙉𝘿 ⎯ 1998

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙉𝙀𝙒 𝙔𝙊𝙍𝙆 ⎯ 2000s

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙑𝘼𝙇𝘿𝙀𝙇𝙊𝘽𝙊𝙎 ⎯ 2004

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙑𝘼𝙍𝘿𝙑𝙄𝙇𝙇𝙀 ⎯ 2005

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙒𝘼𝙎𝙃𝙄𝙉𝙂𝙏𝙊𝙉 𝘿𝘾 ⎯ 2006

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙒𝘼𝙎𝙃𝙄𝙉𝙂𝙏𝙊𝙉 𝘿𝘾 ⎯ 2000s

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙒𝘼𝙎𝙃𝙄𝙉𝙂𝙏𝙊𝙉 𝘿𝘾 ⎯ 2010s

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙉𝙀𝙒 𝙔𝙊𝙍𝙆 ⎯ 2010s

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙏𝘼𝙇𝙇 𝙊𝘼𝙆𝙎 ⎯ 2013

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙎𝙀𝙅𝙈 𝙄𝙎𝙇𝘼𝙉𝘿 ⎯ 2011

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙐𝙉𝙆𝙉𝙊𝙒𝙉 𝙇𝙊𝘾𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 ⎯ 2011/2012

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙐𝙉𝙆𝙉𝙊𝙒𝙉 𝙇𝙊𝘾𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 ⎯ 1998

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙐𝙉𝙆𝙉𝙊𝙒𝙉 𝙇𝙊𝘾𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 ⎯ 2000s

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙐𝙉𝙆𝙉𝙊𝙒𝙉 𝙇𝙊𝘾𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 ⎯ 2010s

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙎𝙊𝙉𝙄𝘿𝙊 𝘿𝙀 𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙏𝙐𝙂𝘼 ⎯ 2014

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙎𝘼𝙉 𝙁𝙍𝘼𝙉𝘾𝙄𝙎𝘾𝙊 ⎯ 2015

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙀𝘼𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍𝙉 𝙀𝙐𝙍𝙊𝙋𝙀 ⎯ 2018/2021

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙉𝙀𝙒 𝙔𝙊𝙍𝙆 ⎯ 2020s

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙒𝘼𝙎𝙃𝙄𝙉𝙂𝙏𝙊𝙉 𝘿𝘾 ⎯ 2020s

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙐𝙉𝙆𝙉𝙊𝙒𝙉 𝙇𝙊𝘾𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 ⎯ 2020s

[rescuefield-arch1]

by the time they reach the highest place up from where to have a complete vision of the village, claire can already tell something is wrong. it's too quiet - even though the lords are dead and only miranda is left roaming the grounds, at least birds should still chirp. or at least fly around. there's nothing instead, everything suddenly seemingly as dead. "this is not normal." she whispers, more of a thought said out loud than anything.

"you sure that duke guy actually knew your friend from valdelobos?" claire inquires just a little louder to her partner, still in disbelief of how small the world can be sometimes. even though it seemed like the man was making fun of their plan to help the winters, claire tried not to pay mind to it too much. after all chris has observed these people for a while - if he never found anything strange and deemed it safe for her and leon to approach then they're trusted... sort of.

earpiece in her ear buzzes for a moment, her brother's voice seemingly trying to say something. "i can't hear you!" silence follows, static noise before hand taps on leon's arm. "can you hear?" finger points at her ear, a frustrated expression already building on her features. "look, i know chris gave us orders to cover from above but something weird is happening right now - i don't think we should be here."

@deadaim : i have a mission to complete and that’s exactly what i’m going to do. 

"leon," claire calls out as hand wraps around wrist, pleading gaze searching for his. it feels personal, that she can understand. but god be damned if she lets him take even one more step. "we're leaving." the silence that follows along with stern tone doesn't leave much choice for an argument, yet knowing him for so long claire is more than aware he will still try to talk her out of it. "you got kids at home, too."

she's not playing fair and claire doesn't even bother to hide it - her family coming first even though they have sworn they will do everything in their power. it's selfish, but she will deal with the consequences later. "i sure as fuck not gonna tell them their dad died on this rock." gaze instinctively lowers down, height reminding of the overseer's tower. thought id quickly pushed away before she can dwell in the imagery of wind, sea and fear. "please."

[rescuefield-arch1]

information should come as a surprise, yet finally claire is finding her answers to the doubts she's had lately - little things that didn't hold much importance in the big picture of their plans to catch miranda, but that now make sense and highlight how indeed they were being spied on by other people than the doctor and her associates. "different missions require different parts of ourselves, no?" claire tells the other, and god knows how much she's seen these past years - people she thought to already know everything about easily surprising her... for better or worse.

"yeah, i doubt your name is crow either." it's the thing that comes with myth, claire thinks - a name attached to an obvious choice of dressing, the people of such a small village remained stuck in time couldn't come up with anything more literal. still, the crow's comment sparks a short laugh, sarcasm dripping through it regardless of her own opinions about how much said codenames actually suit the time. "but you can tell someone in the room was obviously into wolves." it's ridiculous, and claire had pointed it out too before giving up and following the lead once hit with the realisation that disagreement comes with having to hit the road and go home.

to each their own she guesses, after all they're all trying to fit with in with the imagery imposed on the place they're supposed to save ( that it's turning more and more into a rotting ruin doesn't seem to matter much to anyone anymore, somehow ). "how convenient." she remarks, the feeling that she will be played at the end hard to shake off - especially when this allyship is going so smoothly. thoughts brought to a pause, here claire goes again with that bleeding heart of hers. "you got enough ammo in those fancy pockets? last thing i need is you dying on me."

with her speculations confirmed & a very personal chord struck with a maestro's precision, she does curve her lips behind her mask . a rather sick smile that needn't be hid, knowing she can play claire redfield as well as anyone else, even with the limitations imposed by the veil of the crow . all it takes is an exposed organ & their hand around it, fingers applying pressure with the knowledge she has inferred already & the crow learns for the first time . no betrayal hurts greater than the one from your own family & chris is too bullish a man nut to cut the ties that bind him to his sister . she doesn't know the reason, nor the specifics, but like her crossbow the interpersonal relationships of the people around her are tools in her arsenal .

the crow won't stress, no, for now they will absorb & consider what claire said, nodding along & stretching out their fingers, raising their free hand in some mockery of comfort, “ i apologize, i suppose it is rude to assume . ” even they could easily picture the emotional distance between a small squadron of soldiers, the life they live together on the field as one unit & the separate lives spent apart, away from smoke & fire . she could do with some rest & relaxation right now, but all she has to indulge herself is the power she holds over this conversation . with claire so vulnerable the crow looks at her like a tree whose fruits are ripe & ready for picking .

the hand is retraced, pretending like claire's counter is a small set-black, a humble laughter emanating from beneath their ribcage, the beak aimed low in a semblance of humility . “ i have been keeping an ear to your private communications . ” observing from afar, hijacking the radio signal, their encryption is always so easy to crack & the hound wolves haven't thought to use codewords, except for, “ sköll & canine, alpha & tundra . somehow i doubt those are your real names . ” even in this village . “ but they seem to suit you &, well, i'm no one to speak on naming conventions . ” claire doesn't even know there is a punchline waiting to be delivered, as long as she asks .

“ & seeing as we haven't stumbled over each other beyond our little tiff, you have my full cooperation . i don't need to be convinced . ”

[rescuefield-a]

more tags what can i say. you know the drill, A is canon and B is alt verses

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙍𝘼𝘾𝘾𝙊𝙊𝙉 𝘾𝙄𝙏𝙔 ⎯ 1998

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙋𝘼𝙍𝙄𝙎 ⎯ 1998

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙍𝙊𝘾𝙆𝙁𝙊𝙍𝙏 𝙄𝙎𝙇𝘼𝙉𝘿 ⎯ 1998

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙉𝙀𝙒 𝙔𝙊𝙍𝙆 ⎯ 2000s

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙑𝘼𝙇𝘿𝙀𝙇𝙊𝘽𝙊𝙎 ⎯ 2004

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙑𝘼𝙍𝘿𝙑𝙄𝙇𝙇𝙀 ⎯ 2005

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙒𝘼𝙎𝙃𝙄𝙉𝙂𝙏𝙊𝙉 𝘿𝘾 ⎯ 2006

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙉𝙀𝙒 𝙔𝙊𝙍𝙆 ⎯ 2010s

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘽 : 𝙒𝘼𝙎𝙃𝙄𝙉𝙂𝙏𝙊𝙉 𝘿𝘾 ⎯ 2010s

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙏𝘼𝙇𝙇 𝙊𝘼𝙆𝙎 ⎯ 2013

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙎𝙀𝙅𝙈 𝙄𝙎𝙇𝘼𝙉𝘿 ⎯ 2011

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙐𝙉𝙆𝙉𝙊𝙒𝙉 𝙇𝙊𝘾𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 ⎯ 2011/2012

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙎𝙊𝙉𝙄𝘿𝙊 𝘿𝙀 𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙏𝙐𝙂𝘼 ⎯ 2014

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙎𝘼𝙉 𝙁𝙍𝘼𝙉𝘾𝙄𝙎𝘾𝙊 ⎯ 2015

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙀𝘼𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍𝙉 𝙀𝙐𝙍𝙊𝙋𝙀 ⎯ 2018/2021

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘽 : 𝙀𝘼𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍𝙉 𝙀𝙐𝙍𝙊𝙋𝙀 ⎯ 2018/2021

[rescuefield-a]

@mycelae ft. mia asked : some things are best left unexplained .

claire's umpteenth attempt to gain mia's trust through the power of female solidarity is once again unsuccessful - the apologetic expression on her face melting for a moment when she looks down at rose peacefully sleeping in her arms, a definitely more successful attempt to let mia relax for a second.

there are things claire is curious about from what happened in dulvey - how it ended up covered so well when the trauma thrusted on the winters' shoulders still seem to linger heavy. one way or another, they're all casualties of some place left to its own devices; some people are just more equipped to deal with it than others. "might be true, but unsaid things drive people apart." she tells the younger woman, hint of regret in her tone because she knows all too well what kind of damage they can actually cause.

"i know we don't really know each other that much, and frankly i don't understand how you ended up working for those people but..." voice trails as she places rose in the crib, empty arms now crossing at chest. "from a mother to another, talking about how you feel might be helpful. doesn't have to be with me if you don't want to, but i have the feeling everything feel like an interrogation around the others." now she's just assuming, but if she knows her brother even just a little, it probably hasn't been a walk in the park. "ethan really loves you a lot, i'm sure his questions come from a place of concern." a pause, throat clears slightly. "so, how are you feeling, mia?"

[rescuefield-a]

@mycelae ft. ethan asked : "I don't know. Just needed some air."

eyes looks up when she hears ethan's explanation, gloved hand fishing in pocket of her coat to retrieve a lighter for the cigarette balanced between lips - first of the day since she's made a mental note of not smelling like smoke his house, especially with a kid so young around. claire lets silence fall between them for a moment before taking a long drag, warmth such a stark contrast to the cold weather surrounding them.

"that night diaper change duty is starting to hit, uh?" she jokes, though she can tell there is more to it than the general tiredness that comes with being a parent. claire can't even blame ethan really, after all he went through it's a miracle he's somewhat well adjusted to begin with. "it gets easy... give it time." she'd love to have more comforting words for him than to have patience, but if there's one thing claire has learned is that there really is little comfort when their lives are the way they are. "mines are a bit older and don't drive me as crazy anymore... most of the time... but once you find a routine things will get better with your mrs, too."

[rescuefield-a]

when claire reaches the metal runaway all she can see is utter darkness, her flashlight only helping so much when the area is so big. a door comes next in sight, heavy locker closet blocking the way. light flashes on a silhouette running behind it, trying to hide away from something claire is supposedly not yet aware of, still its presence in her mind lingers like a déjà vu - or maybe a loop of fighting and hiding and killing that she can't escape, always finding a way to break in her mind and dreams like poison.

if time hadn't stopped already it sure does the moment sherry comes by her side now that's it's safe - some part of her mind suggesting this is her miracle girl, so innocent and strong yet so scared. claire's heart breaks for her, never admitting out loud how she could see herself in the child and how she wasn't sure that was a good or bad thing. she wants to believe the former simply out of pure desire to get both of them out of this hell - find sherry's mom and break a cycle that started with her own mom's death.

and so hand in hand they walk, mind set to protect this child like her life depends on it ( probably because it does ), claire venturing in the house disguised as the wreck that raccoon city has turned into. and then there was nothing - only dark, empty and alone. sherry's hand out of her reach in the cruelest of ways once again, heartache felt yet no time to stop and grieve. claire runs as fast as she can, tiredness beginning to take her. she could just succumb it, follow all her fears and hurt all the way down. what's the point of existing without her loved ones anyway?

In  a  moment  it  felt  as  though  no  deed  would  be  worse  than  to  bring  this  woman  back  in  a  personal  hell.  The  master  of  𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬  had  never  heard  of  anything  that’d  happened  beyond  the  village  borders;  oftentimes  whilst  delving  inside  the  mind  of  another  human  being  she  was  somewhat  distracted  by  whatever  she’d  see,  but  the  sense  of  terror  and  nauseating  anxiety  was  far  too  great  within  the  darkest  corners  of  Claire’s  mind  for  Donna  to  focus  on  anything  else  but  to  guiding  this  puppet  through  this  makeshift  world  of  horrors.  Unspoken  fears  unfolding  right  before  those  eyes  of  the  person  she’d  barely  met.  What  a  sweet,  devastating  universe  of  suppressed  nightmares  resided  within  this  bright  mind…  a  shame,  really.  But  it  had  to  be  done  as  there’d  been  no  other  way  for  the  dollmaker  to  prevent  this  courageous  being  from  leaving  her  𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐦;  letting  her  walk  away  in  peace  would  have  resulted  in  Donna  having  her  heart  ripped  out  of  her  chest  by  the  almighty  Mother,  only  to  have  it  squeezed  to  a  pulp  and  put  right  back  in.  A  failure  of  a  daughter  she  was,  dear  Miss  Beneviento,  but  a  useful  one  for  sure.  Punished  for  crimes  she  hadn’t  done  and  haunted  by  all  she  shouldn’t  have  experienced  in  the  first  place;  just  like  Claire  Redfield.

Ignoring  the  lump  this  crime  against  life  had  formed  in  her  throat,  Donna  eyed  the  red  hue  of  Claire’s  odd  𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝  before  allowing  herself  to  follow  her  from  the  safety  of  invisibility. In  reality  she  was  guiding  the  street  in  a  way  that’d  lead  towards  her  house. Capturing  this  unfortunate  soul  would  be  much  easier  in  an  area  that  had  more  limitations  than  these  haunted  grounds. Who ?   They  are  all  dead  already. You’re  late…  you’re  late.  All  alone. Donna  couldn’t  tell  whose  tone  this  strange  echo  had  stolen,  but  its  pitch  suggested  the  voice  belonged  to  a  child  that  Claire  had  once  known.  A  sweet  little  girl.

It was at this moment some of the dead bodies lying on the concrete rose back on their feet, greedily growling and screeching, desperately 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 onto life and trying to reach Claire. Run, girl. They're coming for you ! You're the only one left. Run, hurry !

[rescuefield-a]

@blitzkriegers asked : don’t come crying to me if you end up dead.

the warning is fair and claire knows she should listen to it, after all this is the enemy's territory and he's being so nice to point out she might not make it out alive from this journey. so she has two choices, declare defeat and come back home - an innocent child will just disappear and be erased from history even though claire knows very well she was alive, or go ahead and risk it all even if it means saving one life.

lips part to let out a snark remark toward the screen, just for it to turn black when communication is interrupted. "you... are a son of a gun, sir." gets mumbled before a sigh of frustration leaves her lips, eyes setting on the path ahead with uncertainty. shotgun gets fixed better on her shoulder while gun remains in her hand, and so her journey continues. "well, here goes nothing - ready or not, here i come."

[rescuefield-a]

@macabremachinations asked : “ You don't have to trust my words, but do you have any better options? ”

question is answered with a deadly glare, calling it quits and admit defeat simply because she's had enough - it's cold outside, claire's tired of walking around without an actual plan and this guy is pretty much just taunting her to the point she might accidentally forget he's supposed to be her ally in this circumstance.

"you gonna make me chase the sun like an idiot now?" she inquires then, sarcastic bite in her tone as a brow quirks - if he knew where to find her then he probably knows who she is too. "name's sköll." she adds after a moment of silence, because her brother raised her with manners after all. "i assume the dogs are yours?" but were those even dogs? she couldn't really see in the darkness, but considering the weird shit she's seen during her stay in the village, claire wouldn't really be surprised if there was an army of wolves too.

[rescuefield-arch1]

verse tags

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙍𝘼𝘾𝘾𝙊𝙊𝙉 𝘾𝙄𝙏𝙔 ⎯ 1997

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙍𝘼𝘾𝘾𝙊𝙊𝙉 𝘾𝙄𝙏𝙔 ⎯ 1998

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘽 : 𝙍𝘼𝘾𝘾𝙊𝙊𝙉 𝘾𝙄𝙏𝙔 ⎯ 1998

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙋𝘼𝙍𝙄𝙎 ⎯ 1998

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙍𝙊𝘾𝙆𝙁𝙊𝙍𝙏 𝙄𝙎𝙇𝘼𝙉𝘿 ⎯ 1998

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙉𝙀𝙒 𝙔𝙊𝙍𝙆 ⎯ 2000s

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙑𝘼𝙇𝘿𝙀𝙇𝙊𝘽𝙊𝙎 ⎯ 2004

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙑𝘼𝙍𝘿𝙑𝙄𝙇𝙇𝙀 ⎯ 2005

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙒𝘼𝙎𝙃𝙄𝙉𝙂𝙏𝙊𝙉 𝘿𝘾 ⎯ 2006

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙒𝘼𝙎𝙃𝙄𝙉𝙂𝙏𝙊𝙉 𝘿𝘾 ⎯ 2000s

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙒𝘼𝙎𝙃𝙄𝙉𝙂𝙏𝙊𝙉 𝘿𝘾 ⎯ 2010s

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙉𝙀𝙒 𝙔𝙊𝙍𝙆 ⎯ 2010s

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘽 : 𝙒𝘼𝙎𝙃𝙄𝙉𝙂𝙏𝙊𝙉 𝘿𝘾 ⎯ 2010s

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙏𝘼𝙇𝙇 𝙊𝘼𝙆𝙎 ⎯ 2013

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙎𝙀𝙅𝙈 𝙄𝙎𝙇𝘼𝙉𝘿 ⎯ 2011

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙐𝙉𝙆𝙉𝙊𝙒𝙉 𝙇𝙊𝘾𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 ⎯ 2011/2012

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙐𝙉𝙆𝙉𝙊𝙒𝙉 𝙇𝙊𝘾𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 ⎯ 2000s

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙐𝙉𝙆𝙉𝙊𝙒𝙉 𝙇𝙊𝘾𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 ⎯ 2010s

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙎𝙊𝙉𝙄𝘿𝙊 𝘿𝙀 𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙏𝙐𝙂𝘼 ⎯ 2014

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙎𝘼𝙉 𝙁𝙍𝘼𝙉𝘾𝙄𝙎𝘾𝙊 ⎯ 2015

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘼 : 𝙀𝘼𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍𝙉 𝙀𝙐𝙍𝙊𝙋𝙀 ⎯ 2018/2021

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙀 𝘽 : 𝙀𝘼𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍𝙉 𝙀𝙐𝙍𝙊𝙋𝙀 ⎯ 2018/2021

[rescuefield-a]

the way things have been dealth with in dulvey are a complete shitshow, that much claire can tell without even needing to have the same amount of experience as some of the agents at the BSAA headquarters who were supposed to prevent anything like that from happening. in a way it reminds her of what happened in raccoon city - negligence leading to a disaster, a civilian getting out of it being turned into something akin to a soldier for better or worse.

"i wish i could tell you that everything will go back the way it used to," she tells him in apologetic tone that matches her expression. "the people who get involved into this kind of stuff rarely get to leave it behind their backs and move on." claire is all too aware that her ominous words might have the opposite effect than reassurance, but then again in her experience an harsh truth is better than a sugar coated lie. "you either live with it or die because of it." a pause, lips pursing tight as she gets lost in thought for a moment. "let's go with the lesser evil, yeah?"

Claire had a point. Ethan had managed to hit targets well enough during the incident in Louisiana. Honestly, Ethan had hardly ever touched a weapon before Dulvey. He supposed it WAS mostly instincts at the end of the day. The blond regarded the target with a small sigh, lowering the gun fully.

"That's reassuring," Ethan half-smiles, and he means it. Claire was easy to get along with, training with her was the most comfortable he'd felt since being rescued from the Baker farm. "I'd prefer to not have to ever be in that situation again, but... I doubt it's that easy, huh? I mean, there's probably a reason everyone's insisting that I get all this training." The training, the security, the move - not to mention all the tests both himself and Mia were being put through. Not that any answers were being shared with Ethan himself.

[rescuefield-arch1]

supposition leaves claire with a bitter aftertaste at the thought of what it's supposed to imply. there was a time where she had nothing if not her brother - took care of her, sacrificed everything just to ensure her well being first. even after all this time claire is not sure what was the last nail in the coffin when it comes to her relationship with chris, but one thing she knows for sure; if their parents' death had brought them close, the destruction that followed them after that did nothing but draw them apart so far from each other she sometimes can't help but wonder who the man is to begin with.

"can't really cry on someone's shoulder if they're never actually there, i guess." she counters, and it's so ironic how despite everything there is still so much love for the people in her life, another fatal flaw of claire's - these men who keep stabbing her back while acting like they care. a lesson she never learned, really. "either way you made it this far, so." now she's just trying to provoke a reaction, perhaps find out who hides behind the mask if she's lucky enough to see another day. blue hues stare down at the branches with a certain mix of curiosity and disgust, a soft hum as response to the other.

"i think you do." light hearted tone gets more somber, even without the identity element claire is sure that the crow has heard more about her and hound wold squad than they let on. "but that's beside the point," voice trails as she kneels toward the branch - a sample of it could come handy, yet the voice at the back of her mind reminding how someone else's doomed fate started with this curiosity too makes claire refrain. "one thing i learned all these years is that as long as one person listens and decides to live by those words, then it's still worth."

would it not be too indicative of a weight being lifted off her shoulders, she would breathe a sigh of relief to see the crow's hail mary working . their question a stump in claire's reminiscing that throws her off balance, forcing the discussion into another direction . their posture does relax, the snow & mud no longer an obstacle, as if she just remembered overcoming the harshness of siberia's winter . she has wasted too much of this assignment lost in her own memories of a daughter she never wanted, looking at ethan winters not as a pawn in a larger game but a reflection of her own desperation, & he was far more deserving of a reunion than she . if only she believed in the superstition of fate she'd let the fantasy of seeing mei-li again go, if only it wasn't the light guiding her forward, the reward she'd ask once miranda gift is in her employer's hands . how delusional motherhood has made her .

the crow has found the soft spot between the rock where their ice pick strikes, neither of them at the mountaintop yet, “ because you have greater allies on whose shoulders to cry on, i imagine . ” if not the rest of her squad, at the very least her own brother, unless he treats claire with same level of impersonality as the rest of his men . creating distance so that the pain of separation stings less, even with family . weren't this a mutual sin perhaps she'd judge . “ you know me from legend & though i am quite prideful i must admit, the villagers had a tendency to exaggerate . ” miranda hadn't given them time to decide what the crow was, either heretic or hero, all they could do is cling to their offered hand as the only savior between their lords & miranda's dogs . a lie so easy to believe despite it's hasty construction, followed now by another, rolled smoothly off her tongue . she was back in her element .

“ plus, i don't even know your name . ” there is almost a comedic pause, stopping in their trek in front of the megamycete's branches, humor complimented by the blank stare of their mask . a younger version of herself would have underestimated claire's intelligence, not even considered that the reason claire feels this odd comfort around the crow was because she senses some subconscious familiarity, but she would still test the limits of her disguise . even lanshiang couldn't rid ada wong of her hubris .

“ how would i know who to pass your legend onto ? would your little band of soldiers even care to listen to a little crow like me ? ”

[rescuefield-arch1]

she doesn't make much of the other's behaviour, for in a time so dire claire knows better than to judge - god knows how conflicted she used to be in the past just the same as today. she wants to believe it's because of the experience gained in these two decades and some of, the way death and destruction won't leave her side and how humanity gets worse and worse despite her best efforts.... but the truth is even more simple than that. she's always worn her heart on her sleeve - but where did it lead her? friends and loved ones turned into enemies and nightmares to remember by, yet somehow claire is still standing.

"why not?" she counters, shoulders raising slightly and for a moment claire feels like she's gone back to the police station that has haunted her for so long; her first time being part of this bigger picture she's can't quite see clearly yet even after all these years. her trust was just a tad too much even back then, but considering what it gave her back, claire knows better than to complain. the crow's questions are all legit and if it wasn't for the fact that lives are in need to be saved, perhaps she would have given in to recount more of her story. "giving the benefit of doubt is what kept alive sometimes, i guess."

it started with the rooky cop that night in raccoon city; the friend she couldn't save in antarctica and the friends she lost in many other islands after that; the doctor who made one good choice after so many wrongs and just for once it was enough. had it not been for her heart, she would have been already gone for a long time. "i like to think i'm not exempt from death despite the way my odds always turn out good." claire says, ghost of a smile as she turns to face the crow. "something tells me you're really good at escaping shitty situations, so in case i don't make it out of here at least someone knows i tried my best."

it seems the mask can remain firmly fit to their visage . chiseled bone attached to silicone rubber & synthetic polymers, a chance encounter in an emptied home between someone whose face should never be seen & the heresy of one's man passions for his prophet . she is sure the sculptor is long dead now, dragged from his house in the night by lycans who could never envision the blasphemy they were punishing, & should he have survived longer, the fire that surrounds them now would have claimed him anyway . another lost soul for miranda's pyre . somehow she doubts the hound wolf squad has orders to rescue survivors, even with their bleeding hearts the redfields should see that all hope was lost in the orange dusk .

ethan was all that remains, all that mattered to the outside interest encroaching on the village : BSAA, hound wolves, duke & crow alike . he was the only one that stood a chance against miranda & she has done her part to ensure they battle for whatever's left of his daughter . now the crow leads claire to the ritual site not as aid but as witness, the fruits of their labor, the culmination of ethan's journey . there must be some beauty awaiting them there, some kind of catharsis to steel her own resolve, watching father & child reunite & picturing herself in ethan's spot . she has let far too much sentimentality bleed into her purpose, each step taken as the crow listens to claire bare her soul to a stranger feeling heavier .

sherry was a name easily recognized, there was a time so very long ago that ada wong snuck into the birkin household as her mother's coworker turned babysitter, a break in the hellish schedule umbrella imposed on all staff & a connection formed then between her & annette that would later turn into a brief affair . her first chance to play at childcare, a skill learned fast & discarded into the folded pages of her repertoire, never to be reopened until she was met with a tiny broken shard of her mirror that could only call her mother, memories of mei-li weighing her down, resentment expressed in a frustrated grunt as they drag their feet through the snow . as if a spike had pierced her through her chest, formed a wound between her lungs from which she bleeds dark crimsons into moonlit whites .

this must all be a cruel twist of fate . of all the fieldwork she could've been offered & it just had to be an assignment where the core narrative thread was family, sat next to a woman that was more a mother than she had ever been, sharing her failure with the crow when they could not impart their own . a swell of emotion deep beneath her sternum that only tightens her fists, nails indenting leather so that pain may claim the palms of her hand, focus her mind on the mission . the crow turns to claire & asks, “ why are you telling me this ? ” voice brimming with surprise, such that the unsung plea from the woman beneath to stop isn't heard . “ you're very quick to trust & i appreciate the benefit of a doubt, but why open your heart to me ? ”

[rescuefield-arch1]

there's some truth in what the crow says, a child that young will probably never remember any of what's happening now and have nothing to cope about whatsoever. probably a blessing in disguise whether she considers it as a parent or just another young child who had no business finding herself in danger. their answer comes in a way that leaves claire less than satisfied, but then again she's been reaised better than one would think when it comes to her brother - so questions and curiosity are pushed back in favour of not upsetting her companion, though a questioning look shot in their direction as pace quickens to catch up simply because she can't help but worry. always been her weakness, and by now at this point she wouldn't be surprised if it's the thing that finally puts her in a grave.

claire was born and raised fiery and fierce, yet there's some irony in the way fire has followed her since a young age, ruined most if not everything in her life in a moment she would have never expected and then just kept on haunting her again and again in similar ways. the flames engulfing the village they were supposed to protect still burn bright in front of her eyes despite being away now, and for a moment she can't help but think about the fire that stole her parents away and almost got her too - the fire that many years later would have come to try and claim her again at the gates of raccoon city's police department. there are only so many times one can be lucky, and suddenly her whole thoughts are poured on the girls left back at home; too old to call them children now and yet every time claire lays her eyes on them that's all she can see - ghosts of past memories.

"then i guess we'll just have to try harder than her." ever the bravest and first to go ahead, even claire can see this time chances might be slip. but hope can't be lost, not now that they're so close to catch miranda. "my uhm... sherry, the eldest. to put it simply her dad turned himself into a monster and began hunting her. not really sure he remembered that was his kid anymore. the night i found her she seemed so small but she was so strong - stronger than me in so many ways at least." throat clears slightly, sniff echoing in the empty tunnel. "she's not my own in the way one would consider typically, but it doesn't make me love her any less. and i've made some mistakes with her along the way but there's really nothing i wouldn't do for her."

and if someone can love and care for a child that much then claire can understand where both miranda and ethan come from, albeith arboring her own biased opinions on whose child deserves a life right now, for lack of better terms. "what's done is done, if miranda thinks we'll let her win then she's wrong. we're not trading lives."

they see themselves observed, through the black voids of a gasmask covered in chiseled bone they watch claire's eyes narrow, the weight of silent contemplation bringing with it focus, a look she is more than familiar with . were she either ada wong or the crow in that moment, confusion trails behind them like blood from fresh wounds & claire redfield treats all mysteries the same . the red string that ties together a board of evidence is a noose she provides through the crow's words, some more carefully chosen than others, “ hmm, nightmares she will never understand . ” like another little girl that dragged herself between the sheets shared by her mother & her partner, on a night hiding away in washington a few days after fleeing china, & she remembers how it filled the room with choking melancholy, how perverse it felt to consider this family . a botfly laying its larvae in living flesh .

a notion she wouldn't entertain, not then, when the dust had barely settled & her name was a curse inflicted out of vengeance . all she could do is hide, sit & wait for all the unburned evidence of simmons' passion to come into light . for the world to decide if ada wong was ever a woman walking of her own accord, or just some manufactured toy for a childish man, easily broken & easily replaced . she knew she needed time, carla's distant screams & simmons' insistent hands wouldn't relent in the shadows of another mission, & her daughter deserved a chance to know a life outside the quad tower, with someone that could play a better mother . she wonders if she ever mastered the act, if mei-li misses her as much as she does, or resents her mother for leaving her behind when they got caught .

it's a worry that comes as a persistent question, one she will live to know the answer to, she must . it helps steel herself from the spear of claire's own curious tongue as it pierces through her chest . it seems lying aches in a way it never has, all this talk of parents & their children can't allow her to reveal the crow's identity . “ no⸺ ” their boots strike the ground, snow crunching beneath their heel, their free hand forming a fist as the woman behind the mask bites into her cheek, runs her tongue between her top row of teeth . “ i am a child of the black god, of our mother, nothing else . ” perhaps too decisive in responding to something rhetorical, too quick, claire might know she struck a cord, but she can salvage it .

“ you worry for your kin in a way miranda never has . she has let the lords die & our village burn . while i can promise you danger, it's one you're aware of already . she won't let anyone get between her & the only child she's ever cared for . ”

[rescuefield-arch1]

gaze narrows as claire studies the crow, something in their response sparking conjectures in her mind that she doesn't dare reveal out loud, if anything because last thing she wants is to upset her ally of circumstances. there is some truth in the words they speak - her own tragedies starting at a young age and only seen mirrored over and over again in the eyes of children who had lost everything too, some time later.

"that little girl will probably have nightmares for the rest of her life." slips past lips in such an easy way it almost makes claire stop in her tracks, the irony of her own prediction coming right back a couple decades later not being lost on her. they all come to her like a flooding river then; sherry in raccoon city, rani in harvardville, natalia on sejm island, marilou on sonido de tortuga. all little girls claire had sworn to protect but somewhat failed on the most recent parts of their lives. a part of her is quick to remind about the young girl claire has been taking care of before joining her brother's cause - how she's a mysterious patchwork of grief and tragedy too like her and the others before and yet she's grown attached without warning.

claire follows along, shotgun aimed ahead and behind her as they walk, not believing for a moment that the plan to reach ethan could be so easy. "do you have kids?" she inquires then, the topic igniting a curious spark despite rudeness that comes with that specific type of questions. "because i do, and i need to get back home to them on my feet." a pause - alive would already been enough than claire is willing to admit. "hope you're not leading me into a bait... wouldn't be too nice about it this time."

the glass half full, the struggling eyes of a woman who has seen hell still focusing on how the liquid distorts light . it was misguided, almost aspirational, from the many death warrants singed in chris redfield's name he will ink ethan winter's own, she is certain . pushing him away from the corpse of his wife like neither belonged in their home, placed like chess pieces so close to this village it made her wonder just how deep miranda's claws dug into the BSAA, slicing away at the connections when they failed to grow her a child to her liking . rose seemed the better fit, & the father will bleed himself dry for his daughter & soak the morning sun crimson, as long as she is safe . the crow has seen to that, carrying a heartless man to the duke's caravan under the cover of night as one final act of guidance . ethan has made his bed, lied in the rotten flowers of a battle he doesn't understand & she is lucky to know her own daughter is sheltered, that it was her mother in danger, & when the time comes & she has shaken herself free they will be together again .

“ never say never . ” a response that flows neatly through the façade of a hooded figure, she has taken her mask off once already for a man that didn't know the face beneath, & even through her altered voice & cartoonish accent the crow lives on borrowed time . claire will guess the answer out of habit, she's a little too smart for comfort, a woman who thrives on figuring out the mysteries of a world that relies too often on lies & secrecy . it's why their lives rarely intersect, why ada wong remains a shared question that does not want to be solved, & now a small part of her landed under claire's nurture without her knowing . it was a warmth kept somewhere within the walls of her heart that she cannot share . “ our worst memories tend to linger with us, & their weight is far stronger when we're young . ” she thinks only of the lab mei-li was raised in, carla's coldness for a child she should've never been forced to carry, & how she struggled to accept when her mother seemed to change, when she pulled her from her cage & gave her own life away so that mei-li could finally live her own . she was cold too, on those days when the rain couldn't seem to stop & all she could see in her daughter was the horror of her birth, every counted death at the hands of a man who thought she could give him a family .

they look ahead, to the burning village & the melting snow turning the roads into a river of mud . somehow she imagines claire's eyes would feel blinding, a light absent from her own . “ west, the ritual site is past the graveyard . ”