#silent conversations and inside jokes ( thank you DI for the crumbs of their usual dynamic despite everything )

[rescuefield-arch1]

once again thinking about the redfields and their bond with leon - how in a day ( and then a few months ) he's become such an integral part of claire's life that despite being mostly far they created a strange family of misfits with sherry, and claire brought them in what is left of her own because they're all orphans with no one to rely on except for her. and you know for a while sherry and leon were both relying on her because she organically takes on the role of leader - and continues to do so even after she introduces them to chris ( she's just more level headed ironically )

and you know i reject the idea that she introduced chris and leon to each other in 2010 simply because code veronica exists to tell us otherwise lol, but like. she's the one who mostly reaches out until there's a shift in dynamics because claire can empathize but can't really relate to what it's like battling alcoholism - she's got demons of her own but she never drowns them, at least not for a long while until she's up on that tower that the only thing to do is jump.

i'm not really surprised that as they grew up there's seems to be a rift in their little family that goes even beyond the chip thing. chris ( and becca ) found leon drunk off his ass, he probably had to call in claire for the infamous off screen intervention and even then she hesitates because if piers kept away from her intel about chris alcoholism induced shenanigans in fear of her reaction, imagine what she could have done about her best friend too.

and she's so guilty about it too, dismissing signs, perhaps sometimes even indulging on it herself and not seeing how bad that was. taking at face value every missed call and unanswered text as a "oh well i guess we hate each other now" when it was never about that. there's a certain softness she reserves to him - like a thing barely held together that needs to be handled gently, which makes it so obvious she wants his best but also doesn't have the best approach ( at least that she thinks of )

idk without being weird about it, i just think that they complement each other in a way that is rarely seen in found families 🤧