#Ashley/Salazar

[loruleanheart]

Ok, just finished my Ashley/Salazar short story. Going to post the epilogue in full here too since its short and I don't think there's anything here that's too objectionable. If you enjoyed, please consider leaving kudos on the work on AO3, and a comment if you're up to it!

Wounds: Epilogue

She sat in the university's atrium, alone on a bench, twisting the thick gold band on her finger from side to side, a habit she’d formed over the weeks and months since. This ring… It was to her a reminder of the evil in the world—but also, the good. It didn’t look like modern jewelry by any stretch of the imagination—more so that it belonged in a museum behind thick glass. 

The opulent central diamond was surrounded by a ring of pearls. On the inside of the band, engraved in fine, delicate script were two names. One, ‘María Isabel’, and the other ‘Catalina’. It seemed the ring had been passed down through the Salazar family. Had Ramón really just given her such a priceless heirloom?

Perhaps with Lord Saddler’s blessing, you will be returned to me once this is all over… My darling…

Ramón’s words echoed through the recesses of her mind, amazed that she could recall his voice and his words so clearly, all things considered…

She’d really meant that much to him…

Something deep inside her wrenched and then wavered before subsiding. A thousand different thoughts and feelings were conjured up, competing against one another. Her mind was buzzing with all she wanted to relate to someone else, but couldn’t.

After the plaga had been removed she’d gotten off the operating table and stood and walked on her own feet, like nothing had ever happened. How she felt inside, however, was indescribable—there was relief, yes, but she was also bent, almost to the point of nearly being undone as she tried to put on a cheerful face for Luis and Leon’s benefit.

The general public remained blissfully unaware of the dangers Los Illuminados could have posed, though Leon would go on to write a confidential report that would make its rounds among groups committed to fighting bioterrorism.

Back in the United States, her life resumed as it had been. She returned to her university, her sorority, and her friends. She was forever changed, and everyone else was none the wiser. The whole ordeal had come and gone so quickly that not even her friends were aware she had been missing. Not that she’d dare breathe a word of what had happened. Who would believe her?

She made her best attempt to settle back in. Life became predictable again. The time she’d spent with Ramón might have been mistaken for a fever dream if she were not wearing the ring he’d placed on her finger.

How odd it was… That one crazy, long-ago night in Spain had seemed endless at the time, full of the most intense fear and dread she’d ever experienced. Now there were countless nights she would give anything to get back on that sofa.

Radiant sunlight poured down through the high glass ceiling as if the sun had been partially obscured by thick cloud cover moments before. Presently, she stopped fidgeting with the ring and glanced up again at her surroundings.

The only sound was the gentle trickle of the fountain in the center of the atrium. It was quiet and peaceful this time of day, which was one of the reasons she would frequent this place in between classes. And because it reminded her so much of the castle garden she’d been so captivated by under the moonlight.

She breathed deeply and reached for her laptop sitting next to her on the bench. Strange… She’d never been very creative before, nor much of a writer, but now she felt a hundred stories brimming inside her. She’d even enrolled in a creative writing course—quite a deviation from the business degree she was pursuing. Perhaps she’d become a novelist instead of following in her father’s footsteps. Would he be disappointed?

Tonight, like most nights, she’d crawl into bed, the end of a long day of classes and studying, with a pad of paper and write until she felt her eyelids growing heavy. She’d write everything from the sweetest romance to stuff that would probably make Ramón blush.

For him, she would write, and she would live. That was how she would honor what she’d lost. She would write about different lives and scenarios, different identities. She liked to think of them as the lives they might have spent together if they hadn’t been hindered by distance, illness, or a parasite-worshiping cult—or the most damning of all: death. She could not publish anything she had experienced in Spain, but there were no rules against writing fiction.

Ashley sighed.

Ramón… You deserve a thousand first-class scripts.

[rabbitlegs]

so how about that RE4 remake demo

[anininas]

Pixel residents

[daily-leon]

What's your favorite Leon quote?

Technically the second one is "if you don't need me then get off my back old man", no thanks bro was unfortunately shorter though

[justtoomuch]

Re4 doods — also resi related requests are open if anyone wants to see their fave character or ship :)

[allfortheslay25]

My Fox girls

I was too lazy to really finish the sketches so ignore the unfinished hands and feet

#1 Cheryl Jackie Jane aka Jackie or Captain Jackie: born in London, moved to Chicago. Humanities major

#3 Naia Keaulani: born in Hawaii, moved to Nevada. Education major

#7 Amirah Bahar aka Mirah: born in Maryland. Communications major

#12 Ashley Susan Salazar aka Ash or Ass: lived in foster system, moved to Texas. Mathematics major

#8 Anala Bhati aka Nala: born in Arizona. Nursing major

#15 Lisa Leslie Samfield aka Lis or Sticky: born in California. Communications major.

[chaoticretwtau]

[bincue]

[chrisitsraining]

me rn

[abgcomics]

Andrew’s VG Comics #2: Leon ‘Show Biz’ Kennedy

[loruleanheart]

My Fanfics

A/N: I give blanket permission for anyone who wants to create content related to my fanfics (art and podfic in particular are very welcome!) If you do, please don't hesitate to @ me, I'd love to see it!

All My Works:

Resident Evil Fanfiction

Wounds

(Complete, short story, Rated M, Romance: Ashley/Salazar)

Following her capture at the claws of the red-cloaked Verdugo, Ashley wakes up in the throne room, meeting face to face with the strange man she and Leon saw earlier up on the balcony—Ramón Salazar.

Astor and Zelast Fanfiction:

No Longer Hylian 

(In progress, long fic, Rated M, Gen fic, pairing free) 

The story of Astor from cradle to grave and his downward spiral into reverence for Calamity Ganon.

Desired Fate 

(Complete, long fic, Rated M, Romance: Zelast)

Zelda, Princess of Hyrule and Astor, Prophet of Doom. Both had opposing destinies to fulfill, but no one would have guessed what the Goddess Hylia had in store for them. Semi-novelization of 'Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity' with twists.

Into the Flood 

(Complete, oneshot, Rated M, Romance: Zelast)

"He shouldn’t have even been entertaining whatever this was. He should have cut her thread long ago, yet here they were. And he couldn’t help but be completely taken by her, getting drawn in, wondering what possibilities could unfold, to go down this mishap in fate’s design with her.” Takes place during the 'Each Step Like Thunder" level. Zelda takes out her frustration on Astor and then one thing leads to another.

Yugilda Fanfiction

The Legend of Hilda: Her Wish 

(Complete, long fic, Rated M, Romance: Yugilda)

After the events of ALBW. Hilda, driven by guilt makes a wish on the Triforce to erase her ancestor's mistakes and her own. She awakens in a beautiful, prosperous Lorule where the Triforce was never destroyed. As she reflects on the old Lorule and what her future might hold, she considers her feelings towards the one who holds the greatest sway over her heart, and these realizations do not come easy.

Dark Paradise 

(Complete, Oneshot collection, Rated T, Romance: Yugilda)

“The doe-eyed girl peered out the window of Lorule castle. Her fingers traced the indentation of the Triforce on her armor – something she did often. She hung her head in defeat. "Lorule will be lost forever...unless I do...something..." Hilda/Yuga. A collection of Yugilda one shots. SPOILERS

[residentevilnet]

Resident Evil 4 Remake (2023)

[sapphire-weapon]

Up to this point in SW, Ada's exposure to Leon has been:

Seeing him during the village fight and then ringing the bell for him

Seeing him getting choked out by Mendez, then watching him stumble his ass over to the gate, unlock it, and head back towards the village

Luis's radio call to him at the start of his castle section

Their very first scene together in his campaign

The "babysitting's tough, huh?" conversation

Seeing him run over to a dying Luis

The "I guess you're not heartless" conversation

That's it.

So, let's explore Ada's feelings as she goes through Separate Ways with regards to Leon, Ashley, and herself.

The very first time Ada hears Leon's voice, it's him teasing Ashley with:

"I wanted to go home, but Ashley had to see this castle first."

The very first time Ada speaks to Leon herself, the first expression of emotion he shows is when she tells him to leave Ashley behind -- and it's anger at her.

The very first time Ada sees Ashley in person, it's this moment ^^^ in the shots.

This is what I mean by SW making the main campaign feel like "The Leon and Ashley Show" from Ada's perspective. Of those seven encounters, four of them have been about Ashley. In fact, the only conversations that Leon and Ada have had up to this point have been about Ashley.

And this happens over and over and over and over again. Ada can't seem to catch Leon at all without Ashley also being in the picture in some way. The boat scene is literally the only conversation they have or moment they share where Ashley doesn't come up at all.

This is what I mean when I say that SW feels like Ada's being forced to bear witness to what her relationship with Leon could have been in Raccoon City if only she'd been honest and genuine with him up front.

The point of having Ada listen in on the "Ashley had to see the castle" line was so that she became aware of what the relationship between Leon and Ashley was actually like. It isn't just business between them; it's warm and playful.

And Ada rejects that, at first. She outright denies it to herself. That's what's really at the heart of her telling Leon to leave Ashley behind -- because Ada, at first, almost doesn't confront Leon at all. She damn near leaves the room before he walks in, but then she thinks better of it at the very last second.

The full line of dialogue of:

"Leave the girl. She's lost no matter what. You walk away now, and who knows? Maybe you'll live to meet me again. And then I might get you that 'greeting' you were looking for."

immediately follows her openly hitting on him ("Not a bad move. Very smooth."), to which he has no reaction. And so she gets more explicit with him. Let's break it down:

"Leave Ashley. She's not important. If you leave her, you'll finally get to have me. That's what you really want, right?"

That's why her actual line isn't framed as a warning. She doesn't double down on it when Leon pushes back on it; her response is: "Right. How about we continue this discussion another time?" It's not about Ashley turning or not turning -- it's not about Leon saving her. It's about Ada offering herself and then feeling "what the fuck" about it when the offer is refused.

But she still denies it to herself. That's why her follow-up line of dialogue once she jumps out of the window is a very coy "See you around, Leon." She still isn't ready to accept that she's been replaced as the focus of his attention and affection -- hence the pettiness of her "Babysitting's tough, huh?" line.

Her attitude only starts to change after Luis's death -- when his dying wish is for her to help Leon. So, Ada puts her pettiness aside and switches from demeaning and belittling Ashley to referring to her as "your friend" instead. It shows a degree of respect while still removing the overt affection from the equation.

But then Krauser runs off with Ashley. Leon's anger boils over, and he shoots Salazar in the face. And now, Ada's reaction is:

But when she finds him right on her heels because he's that fucking pissed and that fucking determined to go after Krauser for Ashley's sake, it still catches her by surprise. It speaks to the depth of Leon's concern and affection for Ashley.

Once again, it reaffirms that Ashley's not just a mission objective to Leon. It's personal, for him.

This leads directly into the boat scene, where Ada tells Leon that his greatest strength is still the love and compassion he has for other people...

... though it's not as if he hears her at all.

The next time Ada sees or hears from Leon, it's her walking in on the "for Luis" scene.

Even though Capcom went out of their way to make sure that Leon and Ashley didn't hold hands because they didn't want people to ship them, because, as we all know, holding hands is a universal sign of romance so that's exactly what they were talking about for sure and hi I'm twelve years old and I don't know how exaggerated anecdotes work what is this? anyway so Leon and Ashley hold hands in this scene even though that's not what Capcom wanted

I mean

Along with the pep talk scene, this is the most intimate scene in the game. Ada is intruding on a very private, vulnerable moment between Leon and Ashley that ends in a promise:

"For Luis."

This is Ada's affirmation that Luis wasn't jerking her around -- he was being genuine about wanting to help Leon and Ashley, and now they're committed to honoring his memory and granting him his dying wish.

And Ada's pettiness finally melts away -- at least, for a time. They have their way of honoring Luis, so now it's time for her to do it her way.

Suddenly, Leon and Ashley's closeness doesn't matter to her anymore -- because it's not about them, and it's not about her. It's about Luis.

Walking out of the comms facility, she hears Ashley successfully fighting off Saddler. Interesting framing here with the jet ski in the foreground.

But interestingly, Ada's focus doesn't fall to her.

There's actually not a single moment in this game where Ada says Ashley's name out loud. Ashley is either "her" or "the girl" or "the president's daughter." No matter how far she comes in this, Ada still can't let go of that last little bit of pettiness. It's still personal for her, and the only reason why Ada helps Ashley at all is because it also helps Leon, which in turn honors Luis.

So, she does do it.

But not for Ashley's sake.

And she isn't about to go out of her way, either.

And then we reach the apex of it all.

Ashley's watching Leon's fight with Saddler with her hands clasped against her chest as though in prayer, as embers float around her like fireflies. This is overtly romantic imagery. I've said this before but: this is so romantic in its imagery and symbolism that it's just straight up on the level of Final Fantasy nonsense.

And not only is Ada forced to reckon with that, but the first and only thing out of Ashley's mouth to her is an order. Not a request. Not a plea. An order.

And all Ada can say in return is:

"On it."

She's lost this fight.

Leon and Ashley (and Luis, to an extent) are a team, and Ada isn't part of that team. She sees it in this moment. Ashley is so comfortable in her place at Leon's side that Ada is a non-factor in the equation all together. That's why she wasn't in the lab with them. Ada acted as Luis's substitute, but in the lab, he was still with them.

"All of this -- removing the parasites -- this was Luis?" "Yeah. We're alive thanks to him."

The matching scars that Leon and Ashley end up with as a result of their radiation surgery are different from the matching scars that Leon and Ada have.

Leon and Ada's scars are a symbol that they once carried the same consequences born of the same mistakes.

Leon and Ashley's scars are a symbol that they once carried each other.

And that’s a huge fucking difference.

Ada feels that difference in that moment.

There is no "Who was that woman, anyway?" "She's like a part of me I can't let go" in this version of the story, because Leon has long since let her go.

And so her pettiness comes back. At the very end, she shoots her final shot:

It's a bookend for and a direct callback to what we were talking about earlier:

"Leave the girl. She's lost no matter what. You walk away now, and who knows? Maybe you'll live to meet me again. And then I might get you that 'greeting' you were looking for."

which really meant:

"Leave Ashley. She's not important. If you leave her, you'll finally get to have me. That's what you really want, right?"

and led into:

"Right. How about we continue this discussion another time?"

She's ready to continue the discussion. One last ditch effort to see if all love is lost between them.

Leon's answer is very clear.

The Leon and Ashley Show isn't over, but Ada's role in it is.

Which leaves her to wonder who and what, exactly, she'll be the next time she and Leon meet now that her status as The Love Interest has been completely and utterly usurped.

[kdval]

Resident Evil 4: Remake

› Familiar faces in Valdelobos

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

[infectedgirlsss]

at the closing of a year, I fear I have to draw something re4 related otherwise leon kennedy will devour my liver

[wastedskins]

Resident Evil 4 Remake, 2023.