Scientists. Even with all her knowledge, Ada never was one for the finer art of it. She was no doctor, and although she had played the role of a nurse or a biochemist before for a job, it wasn't her calling. Too formal, too many words, not enough action. Doctors were a nuisance, believing themselves to be above everyone else merely because they were the ones to cure or cause illnesses. She tolerates them for a living, especially Wesker.
❝ I suppose I should be grateful for that, doctor. ❞ The title is spoken with an amused tone of disapproval, and her eyes narrow at the proximity. Wesker always knows how to toe that line between being too close and being too far away to make an impression. Most people fear him for that ability, the way he can make his presence so very oppressive. Ada never was- he was simply another powerful man who thought of intimidation as his best tactic to keep her in line. Lucky for her, very unlucky for most former employers.
Wesker is not like the others. They are overly touchy, at times, demanding, usually ignorant of her nature. Self-serving, loyal only to her own cause, and mostly- indifferent to emotion. Wesker is different. He does not act out of impulse, he doesn't overstep out of anger, even if he is furious, he leads with the mind. It's entertaining, and almost- almost intriguing.
He treats her an opponent at the same time as he pays her, their cooperation like a very dangerous game of chess, as he watches her every move. They are on opposite sides of the board, and yet he controls it almost entirely. If he was more arrogant, he'd make sure the control was unmistakeably his. For unexplainable reasons, however, he allows her closer to a check mate than he should. Closer than any other man would, and she tests her limits more than a woman in her position should.
However, Albert Wesker is more than a chess player. His pawns are not just the pieces on his side, but the whole board. She moves pieces in his puzzle, arranging them to make her moves, but ultimately, Ada knows she's testing boundaries of his command. It's the dance of seeing how far he'll allow her that makes this job worthy of loyalty- not trust, no. But loyalty? That is a currency that is realistic, if highly inaccessible, these days.
❝ Such lavish praise. ❞ Ada responds with the raise of a dark eyebrow. Praised for something as simple as telling the truth.. Sometimes, Wesker surprised her. This interaction is surprising. His personal intervention coming to her rescue, his lingering in this small, old room. His snidy attitude, and most of all, his insistent, loud, and frankly, uncharacteristically obvious dislike of Leon.
Ada is not fond. She never has been, of any man. Or woman, for that matter. Surely not of a rookie cop, one whom she is attempting to introduce onto the chess board between her and Wesker as a pawn of her own. A pawn that she knows could bring rewards to both of their endgames. Fondness? No. The look Wesker receives is that of an angry serpent.
❝ I'll keep the embarrassment to a minimum. ❞ She seethes, tilting her head as her displeased expression turns to a smirk. And with Ada, a smirk is much like the stafford's gambit. A false loss, which she turns to a crushing victory.
❝ You don't own me, Wesker. I'm not your pet, and a blatant execution of a special agent will cost you extra. It takes more to cover up. ❞ She leans on the windowsill, and her tone is not at all as accusatory as it should be. She says it matter-of-factly, throwing the statement towards him like one throws dice when taking a turn in a game. 'Good Girl', he'd said, in the same sentence as he called Leon a dog. Leon, whose name he said as though it was an insult. Interesting.
❝ Leon can be of use. An asset. ❞ Ada is careful to pronounce the name slowly, almost with interest, even though they both know it's something else entirely. A gambit- a play of intellect, not emotion. ❝ Dogs are so very loyal, Wesker. Blindly, sometimes. That makes them a wonderful choice in pets. One simply has to say 'fetch' in the right tone. I'm more than aware of the right tone to use. Especially with our government mutt. ❞
When she trails off, her smirk is genuine, even though his words still put an incredulous note in her mind. Wesker tests limits too, just like her. It's what makes this worth her time, money aside. It wasn't just financial demand that made Ada Wong unaffordable to most.
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