52Hello, everyone! Yes, I'm alive lol I have gone through lots of things over the years: I have read all your reviews and trust me when I say that there has not been a day that I didn't think about the community, my supporting fans, and updating my stories in general.
We can just say lots of personal stuff happened in between my last update and now, but to be quite honest, I feel great – the best I've ever felt. I'm learning Forex, working on my book to be published before the year ends, and designing stuff for a clothing brand or two lol Otherwise, I think that's it for some of the personal stuff.
I had another 'The People in My Life' chapter nearly complete, but my previous laptop just stopped turning on one day. I replaced the battery, and it still would not budge :/ Thankfully, a good portion was emailed to myself, but I had done tons more on the laptop, so we'll see if I can get it to budge and turn on lol
As for Red and Black, the chapter is coming! I'm about a quarter into it, so I should be updating that soon enough. It will be the second half of the mansion chapters (go back and read the previous part to know where we are in the story). I might change some things going forward, so I might have one or two more chapters after this mansion one, just to close it out. I told you all I wouldn't give up on it, so I plan to stick to that. I just got a little lost on the road of life, but I promise, I didn't stray far at all 😉
As an appetizer, I thought I'd make a drabble with mini scenes all in one chapter, while you wait for the original chapter that was supposed to come before this one. I will say that chapter was about Enrico and Wesker, and it was pretty funny lol Hoping the laptop will turn on so I can transfer that portion to my new laptop, since I had written a ton more lol Sucks it's not here at the moment, but we'll see… Let me know what you think about this style. Of course, it will not replace the usual chapter formats I've uploaded in the past, but I still would like feedback. I've decided to challenge myself and have no dialogue for these scenes, and just describe them. These scenes will be from different parts of the RE timeline/games, where Wesker was involved in some way.
Without further ado, thank you for waiting patiently. Please, enjoy this salad with stale croutons :P (Pass the bacon bits, please?)
No Rest For the Weary
Wesker poured another cup of steaming coffee into his mug, feeling the warmth as his hand curled around the ceramic, while the other placed the pot back onto the burner. He turned to exit the break room and stopped, hearing his Pager go off. He scanned the digits across the screen, and placed the device back into his pocket, shrugging off the mad scientist that had been pestering him all day.
Chris Redfield darted across the screen with his female companion. No, they wouldn't make it much further, but it deeply stirred something within Wesker, like an old specter having been disturbed from their resting place – an old memory purposely forgotten now being brought to light. Seeing Chris now… Wesker couldn't help but smirk: they were two sides of the same coin. They both lost pawns in every game they played. The only difference being Wesker couldn't care less.
He looked like Wesker, even more so if they stood side-by-side, he wagered. His hair wasn't blond, however – more of a red or rust, perhaps even auburn if one squinted. Did his mother have that hair? Wesker couldn't remember. He had a scar down his cheek, too. Finally, something Wesker could certainly relate to. Except no one could see his.
Some months after the destruction of Raccoon City, Wesker accompanied an old task force disguised as a debris clean-up crew. The aftermath was horrific, though, he had expected as much. What he remembered as the backwater-type town that was bustling with locals and out-of-state crowds around, had now become a wasteland where any remnants of the dead ceased to exist. He adjusted his gasmask, thankful he did not have to breathe in any harmful chemicals or materials still lingering in the air, and began walking. He had no map to get around. What would a map do anyhow? The only site anyone would take notice of was the crater that remained – a reminder to the world of what Umbrella forced the government to do. Wesker was sure there were still survivors before the impact, and if he had a heart at all, it would've gone out to them. But he didn't. He wasn't here to mourn or pay his wishes…not in the traditional sense, anyway. After walking for some time and having made several changes in the direction of his path, Wesker stopped and looked down.
Here.
He was sure NEST lay in ruins some miles beneath his feet, along with the ashes and highly contaminated gunk from the experiments that had, undoubtingly, been left behind when William –
Wesker looked to the sky, briefly taking his thoughts elsewhere. No, William was not up there, surely. He was his own god in one way, yes – always having a hand in every creation since Wesker could remember.
But he pushed it too far this time – nothing more than a few DNA samples now.
With a sigh, Wesker produced a garden shovel from his tool belt and began to dig. The hole only went down a good 6 inches before Wesker stopped. He placed the shovel back on his belt and pulled a small plush the size of his palm from his jacket. A unicorn made by the spawn of Frankenstein, Wesker had told himself at one point. It was amusing, then. William got red in the face about it, and Wesker had a good time reminding him. Now, this plush only served to remind him of a life that once was. It was haunting, and casting whatever was left of it away like this was the only way he could rid himself of it for good.
Wesker gave the unicorn one last look over and plopped it into its resting place. With his boot, he pushed the dirt that had been dug up into the shallow grave, pressing down on it firmly so it packed in nicely, and stepped away.
It was done.
The tiniest of shackles that still had a hold on him were gone. He would leave his past here, buried in the same soil the poor unicorn now lay in. Now, he could move forward without looking back.
With a small nod, Wesker turned on his heel and walked away.
Jill had always been tough as nails, as the saying goes – beautiful and nicely shaped, but had the means to lash out and put you in your place if you pushed her.
Wesker remembered it fondly.
It was Valentine's Day, the same year STARS would meet their end just a few months later. Of course, Wesker was in no mood for any holiday, let alone a commercial one that capitalized on people's definition of love. What a waste, he'd say. Leave it to Jill to host a small gathering in the STARS office, soaking up the attention everyone gave her about it being "her day." Bowls full of foil-wrapped chocolate and scattered chalk-tasting hearts with sappy words on them sat on every member's desk, Wesker's included. He refused to indulge and would place the bowl next to Barry's desk to keep it out of sight. Barry never uttered a word, as he eventually took the hint and just let his captain do his thing.
This didn't sit well with Jill.
At first, she chided Barry for taking more than enough sweets for himself, especially since he had promised her he'd cut back on the junk for the new year. Barry – good ol' Barry – kept to himself about how the second bowl of chocolates got there. Wesker made a mental note for later.
Then the dreadful day came.
Wesker stepped in that fateful morning to find the entire office, his own included, decorated with hearts of all sizes and cupid cutouts. He refrained from letting his shoulders slump and moved to his office. He nodded to everyone present, and noticed Chris with a peculiar expression, as though he was about to laugh. Wesker furrowed his brows and ignored him. Once inside his office, he immediately noticed a card on his desk.
His first instinct was to sweep it into the trashcan at the end of his desk, but the tiniest bit of curiosity won him over. He sighed and picked it up, splitting the heart sticker that sealed the card shut.
It read:
To the Grinch who Stole Christmas, whose heart grew three sizes today. Even if it's not Christmas, I appreciate you in every way. To the hard ass who doesn't quit, even after a while. Please do yourself a favor and learn to fuckin' smile.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Wesker felt his body go up in flames. He flipped the card over numerous times, trying to find a name attached to this so-called "Valentine's" card. He ducked under his desk and moved the trash can to the side, but nothing had accompanied this elementary school piece of work.
Who would dare?
And then the image of Chris nearly bursting at the seams from holding in his laughter appeared in Wesker's mind, and within a few strides, he was out the door and making a beeline for Chris. The laughter was nowhere to be found once he saw steam coming off his captain and sank back into his chair in confusion. Wesker took the card and ripped it to pieces in front of Chris' eyes. He watched the cardstock bits fall like snowflakes onto his desk.
There. Satisfaction.
Chris had his mouth open and Wesker was ready for him. But nothing came out. Instead, his eyes repeatedly darted to someone behind Wesker and after enough indication that he needed to turn around, he did, and was met with a fist to the mouth. His head gave a slight whip to the side, stunning him for a second, before he realized it was Jill who threw the punch. She stood there, red as a tomato, ready to throw another strike, but was stopped by Barry. She fought in his grasp for a second, before storming out of the office in a huff.
Chris gave a loud sigh, shaking his head in his captain's direction, before going after Jill. The rest of the office stared at Wesker in confusion – most not knowing what had transpired leading up to the punch. Barry offered a shrug and the party awkwardly continued without missing a beat. Wesker placed a hand on the corner of his mouth, feeling a slight raise of the skin. He tasted blood, something that hadn't graced his tongue in quite some time.
Wesker had to admit, that was one hell of a hit. He supposed that was a lesson he should've taken to heart, but it didn't really matter in the end.
He smiled.
She would be dead in a few months anyway.
She was persistent, more so than Chris on a good day. And that was saying something. Wesker wanted to say no and crush her little spirit. She wasn't a mouse, so she wasn't entirely a pushover, but there was something about the way her confidence bubbled to the surface that made things go her way. That, and she was still just a kid.
Well… in Wesker's eyes.
He gave the basketball photo she had downright forced him to take, one last look, before shaking his head and placing it into the recesses of his drawer. With a slam, he sat back in his chair and let his eyes wander over the ceiling tile. Unlike the other members, who also received similar prints to tack on their cork boards to show support, Wesker felt rather slimy displaying his copy. By no means was he hiding it away out of respect. If anything, Wesker felt it was highly inappropriate and far out of character for him to have it anywhere near his field of vision. Rather, he decided to spare her feelings. He'd have tossed the print the moment Rebecca left his office. But that opened the door to more questions than he cared to answer.
Oh well.
She'd forget about it at some point, as would he.
Jack Krauser was an interesting man – a military brute of brawn and tactical prowess, prideful, but smelling of desperation the moment Wesker met him for the first time. Like others before him, he sought out Wesker's aid in hopes of having his misfortune turned in his favor.
And like all others before him, there was always a price to pay.
Krauser stepped through the threshold of Wesker's secret base, the wound on his arm carrying such a scent that the latter could practically taste it. His red, cat-like eyes smoldered behind his sunglasses.
T-Veronica, to be exact.
Wesker hadn't expected Krauser to still mostly be human. In fact, he hadn't mutated much at all. Not like Steve and Alexia had.
Funny how the virus came back full circle, knocking on his doorstep.
Wesker sat back in his chair, hands clasped, and legs crossed. He knew an opportunity when he saw it.
Krauser didn't have to utter a word.
That red dress always stood out as the perfect target. Why she insisted on wearing such an obvious color was beyond anything Wesker bothered to think about. Ada Wong was Ada Wong. She completed her missions; he paid her handsomely.
It was like clockwork.
But with a dance like theirs done so many times, Wesker was easily able to notice even the slightest misstep – a wrench stuck in the well-oiled machine.
Leon S. Kennedy, coming to save the president's daughter.
Government agent, ex-RPD officer…
How delicious.
The well-oiled machine just might get along all right.
Ada knows the dance just as well. She swears he's not a threat.
Wesker can't help but frown in disappointment.
Anyone is capable of anything.
Wesker had a taste for luxury where it suited him, but he wasn't the type to flaunt it in the face of others. He had that natural air about him. The more successful he got, the easier it was to merely let his reputation do the work for him.
It was as easy as breathing.
Excella had extended her slender hand towards him, and he reluctantly took her bony fingers in his palm and shook. In that moment, he sized her up from wrist to neck and downwards. It was comical, really – how easily he could snap her bones with one hand if he wanted to and cause all the diamonds adorning her body to fall from grace.
But did Excella have any grace to begin with?
Wesker watched her forced smile and noticed the trapped lust behind her feathery lashes. Even the sheer fabric of her gown couldn't hide her… less than tasteful underwear preference. He couldn't help but smirk.
No, she did not.
He hated STARS meetings, namely those with Irons. He would scream about incompetence – that the teams weren't as optimal as they should be – and in the same, albeit, short breath, he'd patronize Wesker and Enrico for a job well done in leadership. The two captains would exchange glances, occasionally. What a load of shit.
In some ways, Wesker was thankful Irons was smart enough to uphold the tyrant chief image, while also understanding saying too much would have Wesker getting Umbrella involved. It didn't matter to Wesker either way. Irons was a corrupted asshole, and Wesker merely had to keep the mask on the entire time – that what the RPD stood for mattered to him, or that his subordinates and their well-being was at the top of his priorities list.
Preposterous. Wesker only cared about having everything work in his favor. Nothing more.
When Irons was finished with his tirade, he took a handkerchief from his back pocket and wiped his red face down, while everyone looked on in boredom. No one uttered a word. It was then Wesker stood, commanding everyone's attention. He nodded for Enrico to follow, and the rest of the members did so shortly after.
Irons started a new rant, spewing some nonsense about disrespect and walking out during an important briefing, and threatened Wesker with a meeting, to which the STARS captain obliged with pleasure.
Enrico looked back at Irons as Wesker said this, later mentioning that his red complexion instantly turned stark white, and that his eyes were as big as those UFOs in the sky.
Only Wesker could create that reaction in a person, Enrico would joke sometime later.
Oh, if he only knew…
What did you all think of this format? Definitely not my usual, but it was certainly a ton of fun to write. I might do it more often and switch up the characters a little more. These were mostly characters that not only came to mind but were involved with Wesker in some fashion. Of course, that's what The People in My Life is about.
Some were clearly longer than others, and this is mainly because certain entries just came out that way. I didn't force them if they were short and didn't try to shorten them if they were long. I just let my mind go. And let me tell you, it was wonderful. I feel such joy writing FF again. I'll be doing so more often while I'm working on other things.
I think my favorites had to be Wesker's "goodbye" to William, Jill's Valentine's Day, and probably Krauser's? I don't know lol They were all a blast to write, and I will say I'm not the best with short-form content. In the meantime, I'm still working on the next Red and Black chapter as well as the next The People in My Life chapter with Enrico and Wesker. I might have to change the 2nd half of that story, since that bit was lost on my previous computer. It was funny, too lol But maybe I can refine it by memory when I actually get back to it :D
Anyways, reviews are appreciated but not required. I'd like to hear your thoughts, and please feel free to PM me if you have any confusion with these. Also, if you have any suggestions, I'm open to prompts, too. Otherwise, I'll just continue to take ideas from this brain lol Many thanks for reading! Until next time – Lil V. :D