#like ashley at least had leon to go through that with mia didn't really have anybody

[highlifeboat]

Thank you for the brain vibes ^_^ Can I ask about how you see her eventually finding Mia again? Or Mia finding her? I just really like the idea of Alcina meeting an old college roomie and wondering if she has reasons to worry (cause Mia talked about their fun times as roomies and we've seen Alcina with a jealous streak... until Mia starts gushing about her wife to Ashley, then it's all good). Meanwhile Ash is trying to handle the fact her roomie's wife is a 7 foot tall cannibal woman and she has 3 bug daughters (and possibly one human toddler) prodding at her/buzzing around and asking a million questions.

It only gets more complicated with the introduction of Melony, Mia's other pseudo-daughter. (Maybe Ash can bond with Elena or something. She's been through the "life was normal then got weird" vibe. Max, too, technically, but he also had a shit ton more trauma. Though so did Ash. *think*) Just let the roomies chill and be honest about bio-related trauma for a bit, probably neither expected the other would get it before now.

The current (actually realistic) idea is that Ashley is working with either the BSAA or another (more political maybe) organization to try and cut a deal with the Village. Basically sent her to try and negotiate terms about containing the megamycete underneath it and in return they provide various needs (like trying to reconnect them with the current world), and such. And, y’know, obviously she going to check out the giant fucking castle. She knocks but ultimately just walks in, probably signs Alcina’s little guest book. Just kind of meanders into the main hall Ethan Winters style while looking around.

Immediately she’s bombarded by the daughters, swarmed from all angles by flies (and their manic giggling), which freaks her out so Ashley runs. And the girls chase. Running her around like a mouse in a maze for probably a solid five minutes before she (quite literally) runs into Mia. They have a split second “Ashley?” “Mia?” moment before the daughters finally catch up. And just when Ashley thinks she might be eaten alive.

“You three knock it off!” The buzzing stops and suddenly Ashley is staring at three tall women, who all look like they’re about to be told off by their mom. Mia gives them a small scolding for chasing Ashley around, the three girls mutter an apology and then buzz off.

Ashley stares at Mia.

Mia stares at Ashley.

“So… Long time no see, right?”

“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT-”

In other words: An intense and sudden reunion.

In terms of Alcina, there’s definitely a spark of jealousy at first when meeting Ashley. It’s not huge, but it’s there. She listens to Mia gush about all the good times they had together in college, their little movie nights, and listening to music, and going out to do things together. Ashley’s equally as happy to talk about those times, if a little nervous being stared down at. They share some stories about things that happened while they were there. Alcina finds it amusing, to be sure, but there is that pang of not fully understanding some of the things they’re talking about. (Plus it would be a lie to say Alcina isn’t a tad possessive and perhaps a tad jealous more so at the idea that Mia shared a room with this woman.)

And then of course Mia has to gush to Ashley about how amazing Alcina is and any stories she has from living at the castle. And that quells whatever jealousy Alcina has pretty quickly.

The daughters are completely enamored with Ashley (now that they aren’t chasing her around). They have so many questions, and Ashley can only answer so much before she needs a break. They’re so curious about where she’s from, and “What was Mia like before?!” and “What’s a college?” and everything she answers seems to spring 15 more questions. Rose isn’t nearly as bad (thank God) but she did pull Ashley’s hair by accident when she was holding her. Along with just… general toddler behaviour. (Ashley still thinks Rose is a cutie but she prefers not to hold her)

In terms of the S/Os, Elena and Max are probably the best for understanding Ashley suddenly being thrown into insanity, but Elena is definitely the easier of the two to talk to about it. Max understands the struggle, but he’s also incredibly deflective about his own problems so a lot of his responses are pretty… “Yeah. Shit’s fucked.” type rather than actually talking about it. I do think Ashley and Elena would get along pretty well, though. Considering Elena is probably the most normal person within the family. (She thinks Melony is very nice, but goddamn that girl has a hard time with conversation.)

And, finally, after all this “meet the family” stuff, Mia and Ashley have a chance to actually talk to each other, one on one. And of course Mia’s first question is “What happened?” Because there were rumours, and hearsay, but she wants to know the truth.

And Ashley explains. She was kidnapped, transported to Europe and injected with Las Plaga. They were trying to turn her into a bioweapon. A man came and saved her. They ran through the Village and people died and she was possessed and nearly killed Leon at least twice. “It was terrifying. I knew what I was doing but I couldn’t… control myself.” And there were bioweapons, and knights, and Saddler, and the island exploded. By the time she got back home she just… couldn’t go back like everything was normal again.

When she looks back Mia has this kind of empathetic look to her. As if she understands. So now it’s Ashley’s turn to ask.

Mia starts with Dulvey. Eveline, the boat crash, the Bakers, the three painfully long years of being half lucid and being unable to remember anything. She brings up Zoe. Talks about Ethan, and how she almost killed him. Very similar to Ashley’s own experience with Leon. How Ethan killed Eveline and they had three years of bliss, only for Mia to be kidnapped a second time and experimented on by a mad woman.

And they just kind of revel in this notion that they both suffered somewhat similar scenarios at completely different points in time.

Maybe they hug. Like a kind of "I understand what you went through and know how hard that is to handle" kind of hug where it's very tight and comfortable.

#asks #coleblackblood #mia winters #ashley graham #miacina #wait wait i just realized that like mia would finally have somebody who *gets it* #that lingering feeling of dissociation/depersonalization that takes so long to shake off after being controlled #like ashley at least had leon to go through that with mia didn't really have anybody #i mean she had zoe but zoe was never really forced into doing things like she was so it's not quite the same