"How am I supposed to check to see what my hair looks like if I can't check in the mirror?"

"Claire!" The bag nearly falls from his hands with how fast he whirls around. He's seen a few people from home before... Ada, Chris... but part of him had always hoped he'd see Claire again before too long. Unfortunately, though, that means she's trapped, too.

'...she does always seem to run headfirst directly into the chaos. But it's not like I can talk in that department... Ha. Must be why we get along so well.'

As soon as he's close enough, he goes for a hug, unable to hold back a smile. It's good to see her, even if the circumstances aren't perfect. With a quick once-over to make sure she isn't hurt or anything, he pulls away. Jeez, where should he even start?

"Yeah, uh..." He holds up the bag sheepishly, hoping she won't look too hard at the contents. Frozen meals, cheap liquor, snacks... it would be embarrassing if she didn't already know him. Back home he never had the downtime for cooking; it's not like he's going to start now.

"Have you been here long? If you want, we can head back to my place and grab lunch while we catch up." A pause as he glances at the grocery bag with a sigh.

...

"Wanna order pizza?"

@firstclassrookie | liked for a starter!

in theory, claire knows exactly what to do: investigate, confront her kidnappers, then find a way out! it should be routine, but exploring's only left her more stumped; compared to what she'd expected, life here is so normal! shops, restaurants, and weirdest of all: no threats.

funny. that guy up ahead even looks a lot like...

"leon!?" she rushes toward him with a bemused laugh, motioning vaguely to their surroundings, "figures we'd both get mixed up in whatever the hell this is." was he taken, too? sent on a government mission, maybe? either way, with all they've been through together, she seriously couldn't ask for better backup than her kick-ass best friend (awful quips included). it's a huge relief.

there's just one teensy little thing...

"hold on. are you... are those groceries?"

That's... a lot to take in at once, but Leon listens intently.

"I see. A story like that is just so crazy that I have to believe it." Leon runs a hand through his hair, sighing.

"I'm not gonna pretend like I completely understand," it's never been his job to understand, "But I think I get the gist. And from the brief experience I had, I don't envy you." Bingo lays on the ground between them, slowly blinking up at Bigby before closing his eyes as if to fall asleep with his head still raised.

He trusts this other human-shaped wolf, and he thinks his friend does, too.

"I'm... sure you had questions about my setup, too. I promise I'm not some crazy guy who hoards weapons; back home there's a reason I needed so many. But I can't shake the habit of having to have a way to survive if shit goes south." He puts his hands in his pockets, shrugging.

"I'm mostly just a normal guy, but I'm willing to do whatever I can to help people out of tough spots. It's why I do what I do," he looks up at Bigby.

"So, uh... might have been weird circumstances, but if you ever need help with anything..." he puts his hand out for a handshake.

"It's good to have all the friends you can get, don't you think? Especially in a place where weird shit keeps happening."

Out of respect for present human company, Bigby refrains from rolling his eyes. Seriously, is there something in the air here? Is this how dogs happened? He'll never understand it.

"Heh. Nah, not werewolves. Well - a werewolf was involved, apparently, not that I ever met 'em - but that's not really the point. I'm not a werewolf, is the main thing." He lifts a shoulder in a half-shrug. "Guess it would be accurate to call me a wolf-were, not that I use the term. Doesn't make much sense to come up with a word for it when I'm the only one like me." And when everyone he'd interacted with back home had known the story, more or less.

How much to tell? Leon really deserves an explanation - frankly, everyone in the city probably deserves full disclosure, just so they know what they've got in their midst, but so far Bigby's managed to calm his uneasy conscience on that front with the excuse that there are enough visible threats on a regular basis that everyone should be on guard, even if they don't know the extent to which he's one.

He tips back his head and sighs, squashing the urge to dig for a cigarette with Bingo around. Leon, in particular, is owed at least enough of the story to explain what he must have experienced in Bigby's body. And that means a fair bit of explaining, even if he skips over most of his own blood-soaked past.

"Very long story short? I was born a wolf, although not strictly the same as the regular kind. Lived that way for a while. Bunch of shit happened. Then the uh, the... beings... who lived around where I lived, things went bad there, and we all had to pack up and move, hide out in - well, it wasn't America yet, but it is now. Anyway."

"Had to keep it secret, that we were all different from, y'know, regular humans. There was - well, there were a couple of options, a couple of communities, but there was too much bad blood between me and the people who were going to hide away from humans, so I couldn't go there - don't get me wrong, I deserved it. But the other place, where we were gonna blend in and pretend we were like them - obviously I couldn't go there the way I was. I mean, I don't know how good of an idea you got, but you were actually smaller than I really am. Couldn't have passed for a dog, much less a human."

Is he rambling? God, he is, isn't he? Maybe it's because he's not used to telling the story - everyone knew, of course, back in Fabletown, and the few times he's tried to explain here he's usually been in a situation where he's trying to stress the whole I am an incredibly dangerous mass murdering predator angle rather than skipping over it. (Not that that's worked out, historically.)

He waves a hand idly, trying to bring the meandering story back on track. "I had to be able to pass, so a..." (God, what can he call her? How does he summarize what Snow was to him, is to him now?) "so someone I knew, she came up with a plan. Cut me with a knife that had werewolf's blood on it, so it mixed into mine, and I could change like they can. But it takes... control, I guess is the word. A lot of control, to stay changed - 'cause I'm not meant to be that way, you know, technically speaking. I had a long time to learn that, and sometimes I still slip up. You were freaked out - a hundred percent normal response - and you didn't have any of that, or know how it worked, so you changed all the way back."

Bingo circles the other wolf and Link, wagging his tail excitedly. He's learned not to jump up due to his size, but he's still rather affectionate, bumping his head against Link's hand.

"I don't normally keep him leashed, but with all the weird creatures running around, I didn't want him getting into trouble," a sigh as he runs his hand through his hair. "Not that that stops him, apparently."

It's been nice having this companion around, as well as the weird Spiramon thing that keeps following him around. Another dog... but this one seems to be hanging back a bit, as if wary of Leon himself.

He'll keep watch, but he isn't about to go trying to force things.

"Yeah, I dunno what kind of dog Bingo is or anything, he just sort of hangs out with me," Leon shrugs. "He's a good adventuring partner, if nothing else."

In one moment, Link was traversing the area with his new found friend-- showing him all the best places to sleep, to swim, to hunt, to run. Perhaps that was why he hadn't noticed the sudden force coming at him before it was too late-- the world around him spinning as he suddenly found himself knocked off of his feet.

"Waah--!"

With a thud, Link fell to the ground below; taking a moment to collect his bearings as he blinked up at his apparent assailant. However, compared to the usual suspects he had to deal with back in Hyrule, this one was a welcome surprise; despite Twiwolf immediately growling and getting on his haunches in the other canine's direction.

However, as the wolf was called back, Link put an arm out in front of his own; shaking his head a little. It was a perfectly harmless interaction-- he was just excited was all, though the much larger creature next to him had certainly grown protective over Link in their short time together.

"I'm fine," he answered the man once he was able to get back onto his feet, brushing the dirt off of his trousers. Twiwolf still seemed defensive, so Link began scratching him behind the ears, in hopes it would settle him down some. "He was probably just happy to see someone like him-- this one doesn't mean any harm, either. Their kind aren't really meant for leashes though, so wearing one might.."

... hold on a second. Did he just call it a..

"... 'dog'?"

@slumberingcourage

"Woah! Hey! Slow down!" Leon considers himself to be in pretty good shape-- has to be in his line of work. But that doesn't mean keeping up with a big dog like Bingo is easy. What's the point of keeping a dog on a leash if he can just pull it out of Leon's hand?

Bingo barrels straight into a young man a few feet away, wagging his tail as he inspects the man and his spiramon. When he finally catches up, Leon beckons Bingo back, his own spiramon, another "dog", trailing a few feet behind.

"Sorry, I think my dog saw yours and got excited. He's friendly, I promise." He puts a hand on the dog's head, sighing. "You keep bowling over strangers and eventually you're going to get me in a lot of trouble, you know that?"

[woof!]

Leon shakes his head, glancing at the stranger.

"You aren't hurt, right? I've been trying to teach him to quit jumping up like that..."

"Man, it seems like some kind of sick joke that so much of my life these days has revolved around raccoons."

Guess whose spiramonster looks kind of familiar...

"Yeah, this definitely looks hazardous to your health."

Then why is he drinking it?

@oneeyedpsychic

"Tell me you didn't." He holds up several potion bottles, all missing labels. Was there really no other way to tell them apart than to have him test them...?

"Listen, ten dollars is ten dollars, but if you turn me into a frog or something you better have a way to fix it."

Leon can't deny that he's pleased to hear that Bingo likes him-- the feeling's quite mutual, after all.

"Well whattya think, bud? Friends?" A small smile crosses his features as Bingo bumps his hand. It feels nice to have someone by his side.

"Yeah, I'm not planning on keeping him hostage or anything. Like I said, he's just been kinda... following me." He shrugs, putting his hands in his pockets. Of course he had questions, but he'd never wanted to cross any lines. As far as he's concerned, that's the other guy's business.

"I experienced some of it first hand," though he doubts that's the full experience. "But I guess my first question is what the deal is with the change in appearance. I'm guessing it's not some sort of horror movie werewolf situation."

"...or maybe it is. I'd be willing to believe a lot of things at this point."

... Huh, okay. Actually being listened to - much less asked for his advice - is... not normally how these encounters go. (Maybe it's having had undeniable proof of his 'expertise' on the subject, and boy, the two of them clearly need to stop dancing around it, don't they?)

"He seems to like whatever it is you're doing, so I guess it's fine?" He presses his hand back against Bingo's head awkwardly, less of a petting motion and more of an attempt to ape the motion of two heads rubbing against each other. "Well, more specifically, he, uh, he says he likes you. And your food and shelter. No accounting for taste - no offense - but if this is what he wants, and you're not constraining him in case he changes his mind, it's probably all right."

Frankly, Leon should probably be awarded some kind of medal for patience, given that Bigby's now all but dropped the subject into his lap with the whole 'I know what he's communicating' chestnut. Huffing out a breath, he glances around for a bench - this is going to be a long conversation, so they might as well sit down while they're at it.

"Not that I don't appreciate the... discretion... but we can talk about... you know, me. Frankly, I'd think something was wrong with you if you didn't have questions."

resident evil: 4 remake starters

❝ man, that stinks. ❞ ❝ this just keeps getting worse. ❞ ❝ you’re still a kid holding onto fantasies of what’s right and wrong. ❞ ❝ i’m gonna let you in on a little secret. just between us. ❞ ❝ the hell is going on? ❞ ❝ hey, we’re a team, right? ❞ ❝ where’s everyone going? bingo? ❞ ❝ you and me are two sides of the same coin. ❞ ❝ that’s just like you. you always had poor judgement. ❞ ❝ ah, so you aren’t heartless after all. ❞ ❝ like i told you, i’m gonna get you home safe. ❞ ❝ i’m not falling for your mind games. ❞ ❝ you proved you can handle yourself. ❞ ❝ you haven’t changed a damn bit. ❞ ❝ you look like you’ve got something to say. ❞ ❝ gotta fix everything myself. ❞ ❝ you can’t run. you got to keep moving forward. ❞ ❝ you’re nothing but an extra in my script. ❞ ❝ i thought you were gonna die. ❞ ❝ i don’t pay you to ask questions. ❞ ❝ there’s no time for resting. ❞ ❝ revenge? you think i’m doing all this…for revenge? ❞ ❝ i need you to trust me, and do exactly as i say. ❞ ❝ you’re too soft to do what’s necessary. ❞ ❝ i know your potential better than anyone. ❞ ❝ you’ve made it all this way, but you haven’t learned a thing. ❞ ❝ maybe you’ll live to meet me again. ❞ ❝ the most important thing in this world is pure, unadulterated power. ❞ ❝ i’ve something to ask you…but i don’t think i’ll get a straight answer. ❞ ❝ you didn’t answer my question. what’re you after? ❞ ❝ you know, you were always an asshole. ❞ ❝ you have a strange sense of humor. ❞ ❝ you are nothing if not unyielding. ❞ ❝ i just wanna feel good about myself. make amends. or something like that. ❞ ❝ just give me a heads-up before you stab me next time, okay? ❞ ❝ it’s okay to be afraid, you know. ❞ ❝ what do you think? people can change, right? ❞ ❝ not looking good, eh, my friend? ❞ ❝ you try to save one person; a hundred others die. ❞ ❝ was that an act of defiance? against me? ❞ ❝ a well-tuned weapon can make up for a lack of skill. ❞ ❝ i’ll let myself out. ❞ ❝ you won’t get away with this. ❞ ❝ be a shame to live the rest of your life wondering ‘what if’ - am i right? ❞ ❝ you have the stench of battle on you. ❞ ❝ so, tell me, why did you come to this horrible place? ❞ ❝ you wanna help? cause i could use it. ❞ ❝ if i could just forget what happened that night, the pain - even for a second… ❞ ❝ i knew i could count on you. ❞ ❝ i think you’d be pretty dashing in it. ❞ ❝ i’m not used to having such good company. ❞ ❝ hey. it’s dangerous outside. ❞ ❝ god damn…i was almost a pancake. ❞ ❝ a lot of people have gone missing around here. and it’s been like that for a while now. ❞ ❝ sorry. i, uh, screwed up. ❞ ❝ i’m so scared. when that happened…i wasn’t myself any more. ❞ ❝ well done. you’ve proven yourself reliable. ❞ ❝ won’t be going anywhere in this thing. ❞ ❝ sorry, didn’t realize that was yours. ❞ ❝ this time, it can be different. it has to. ❞ ❝ everything will work out just fine. ❞ ❝ you missed. that’s not like you. ❞ ❝ come to my rescue, prince charming! ❞ ❝ sometimes it’s more fun not knowing. ❞ ❝ if you do well, i’ll make it worth your while. ❞ ❝ that hurts, you know. ❞ ❝ this is one hell of a gloomy place. ❞ ❝ why help me, though? what’s in it for you? ❞ ❝ oh, well, maybe just untie me then? ❞ ❝ knowledge is power. remember that. ❞ ❝ i can’t tell if that’s meant to be a compliment. ❞ ❝ i’m sure you’ll do your best to help me. ❞ ❝ bill me for the repairs later. ❞ ❝ it seemed like you really wanted to talk. ❞ ❝ you know, those things will kill you. ❞ ❝ you haven’t changed. you just think you have. ❞ ❝ don’t let the smallfry distract you from the big fish. ❞ ❝ quiet type, eh? ❞ ❝ guess you picked the wrong spot to vacation. ❞ ❝ a most warm welcome to my castle. ❞ ❝ bet you’ve been in spots like this before. ❞ ❝ to think you could be this foolish. ❞ ❝ give me a break already. ❞ ❝ i’m sorry. i wish i could do more to help. ❞ ❝ i don’t want to recall what happened down there. ❞ ❝ years haven’t been kind to us, i suppose. ❞ ❝ finally, some peace and quiet. ❞ ❝ who are you? and what are you doing here? ❞ ❝ i’m just an average guy who happens to be quite the ladies’ man. ❞ ❝ you should really be telling me what a good job i did. ❞ ❝ is this the first time you coughed up blood like this? ❞ ❝ so much for helping me. ❞ ❝ so, who are you working for this time? ❞ ❝ you think i’m gonna give up that easily? ❞ ❝ hey, are you sure you’re good? ❞ ❝ i’m gonna get you home safe. ❞ ❝ i have a plan. but you’re going to have to trust me. ❞ ❝ gimme some space. ❞ ❝ i don’t get you. why risk your life like this? ❞ ❝ it’s a little over-the-top, don’t you think? ❞ ❝ they’re coming! get behind me. ❞ ❝ does that hurt? are you in pain? distressed? ❞ ❝ you are really starting to become a giant pain in my ass. ❞ ❝ you know i don’t work and tell. ❞ ❝ you’ve done well to make it this far. ❞ ❝ tell someone who gives a shit. ❞ ❝ happy to help. now you owe me. ❞ ❝ are you just trying to use me again? ❞ ❝ what’re you, my mother? ❞ ❝ i’m definitely gonna catch a cold. ❞ ❝ this artwork…doesn’t it look like it’s telling some kind of story? ❞ ❝ what do we do? there’s no way out. ❞ ❝ what’s wrong with wanting the same for myself? ❞ ❝ it’s a little old fashioned for my taste. ❞ ❝ you’re losing your cool. making mistakes. ❞ ❝ don’t scare me like that. ❞ ❝ you’re slow. and so goddamn weak. ❞ ❝ wow, you’ve really gone all out for me! you shouldn’t have. ❞ ❝ i will send you back to the hell you came from. ❞ ❝ heheh, having a rough day? ❞ ❝ the reaper comes for cowards and the careless alike. which are you? ❞ ❝ i’ve got to think. need to get my head straight. ❞ ❝ i shall leave tomorrow. go far away. ❞ ❝ here’s my question…have you changed? ❞ ❝ we will beat this. together. ❞ ❝ what’s wrong? show no mercy! ❞ ❝ i admit - you’ve done well to stay alive this long. ❞ ❝ this means death. a slow, miserable death. ❞

"I can't talk, given my track record with vehicles."

"Yaoi was not the main focus of the trip." Unfortunately. "But, uh, thanks for the offer, I guess."

"You needed a whole trip to Spain just to understand it? Jeez, I know a guy who could hook you up with a couple light novels, that'd be way easier!"

"Ashley explained yaoi to me when we were in Spain. "

...

"We had a lot of time on our hands, so she gave a pretty comprehensive explanation."

@spydress

"Ada...!" Leon knows this woman. It's hard to piece together exactly why; it feels like his memory is in shambles. How does he know her? Where had they met?

He can't focus on any of it, but there's one thing he does know. She's important to him. And he's not about to let her walk away without telling her how he feels. Not this time.

"I heard the message about what's happened. I know there's parts of us that are missing. And while I don't know what you've lost..." He closes his eyes with a sigh. He's never been good at this sort of thing-- a corny one-liner comes more easily than a candid discussion of feelings. But this is too important to mess up.

"I think I found something that's yours." He offers it forward, a gentle hand careful with precious memories that aren't his own.

What he'd seen from it was enough to give him pause. All things she had seen with him, and yet his own memory of that time is filled with gaps. A night on the run, a kiss, a train... a ruined village, and all of their many goodbyes. The memory had played out scenes he'd never known about; Ada and Wesker, talking about Krauser. In every scene he was shown, she was looking out for him, whether he knew it or not.

"I know you have no reason to believe me, but I think--" (I'd like to think) "--that these mean something to you."

"Even when I can't be sure of myself, I'm sure that I can trust you. What about you, Ada? Do you trust me?"

"...who makes prisoners wear crop tops?"

"...Y'know. This is making me realize crop tops are not a very practical prison uniform."

"If you get it, you get it, if you don't you don't."

"This is bold." Take off the jacket, Leon.

"Listen, the crop top is easier to move around in."