i think something that's unique about resident evil zero is the sense from the very beginning that's there no winning. rebecca and billy decide to trust each other and keep choosing to trust each other through it all, they defeat marcus, they survive the night. but rebecca is only heading into another deathtrap, where she'll lose the rest of her team one-by-one because of one man's ambitions. billy is free but he can never be billy coen again, the man who was to be murdered by the state because he was the only one to try and stop a massacre. they've made it out into the sun but the clouds keep rolling in, plunging them back into grey darkness. they never even learn that they were being watched by wesker and birkin, who are already setting in motion the events of RE1 and RE2. the first thing you hear in the game is its theme, and it's slow and heavy and sad, like it's already in mourning. rebecca's voice-over reiterates that they were doomed from the start. the very last thing you see is a butterfly caught in a web. rebecca's the only survivor of her team and billy is never seen again. there's no winning.
brady fiechter's review from when the game first came out really captures what i think sets the tone of this game apart from the rest of the series: "No Resident Evil has established such a gloomy mood […] this prequel to the original master of horror exists almost as an interactive gallery of gothic paintings. But what sets this game apart is a tone that is creepier and even more lavishly fed…"
That word nearly caused Billy to whack his head on the beach umbrella's pole. He sat up, thinking he must have gotten sand in his ears and misheard. Rebecca sat beside him on the beach towel, her knees drawn up. The floppy hat she wore obscured her face, but he had a sense she looked calm as she admired the ocean waves. Puerto Morelos was relatively quiet today despite it being summer tourist season. The people walking the sandy shores were mostly residents. Billy wasn't one for beaches, but Rebecca had requested a trip to one "for fun."
"Uh." Billy trailed off, brows furrowed, as his brain worked overtime to figure out how the hell he had forgotten their wedding anniversary.
Then he realized—it was July 23rd.
"We got married in November?"
Rebecca slipped off her hat and faced him. For a moment, he was distracted by the forest green bikini she wore and how good she looked in it. Billy forced himself to focus before he caused a scene.
Now she looked confused. "Today's the anniversary of that day in Arklay."
The gravity of what she said almost made him laugh. In the past, when July rolled around, Billy's anxiety spiked up and stayed that high for an entire month. Memories of that dreadful night resurfaced slowly as the 23rd crept up on him. He despised it. He pulled out every coping skill his therapist—who didn't know the full truth of that day and who he was—taught him whenever July came.
Over time, the month gradually lost its grip on him. When Rebecca said she wanted to go to the beach on the 23rd, the Arklay memories hadn't come screaming back. All he could think about was going on a trip with her.
Billy held her hand, and she breathed in deeply as she gripped it. "I almost forgot," she said.
"Me, too," he confessed. "Maybe that's a good sign. It's not hanging around us as much anymore."
Rebecca nodded, her fingers stroking Billy's. "It's just weird. I never thought I'd get to a point where the thought of it wouldn't make me freeze up."
He understood what she meant. It was an awful part of his life, and yet, if it weren't for that night, he wouldn't have met her. He hadn't realized it at the time, but something beautiful came out of that nightmare. He drew Rebecca closer until she was caught between his muscular arms. She smiled when he brushed the side of her face with his knuckles; laughed softly when he kissed her.
"Today's the day I met you," he said between her lips. "For that, I'm grateful."
The blush that started on her face as they kissed continued to spread. She hugged him tight and mumbled, "I'll always feel lucky."
Up next, in Career Day disaster... (Happy 23rd July, everyone 🧟♂️🚞)
"Scientists make observations every day," she told the class. "Today, you’re going to do the same using a very special specimen.”
Rebecca removed the white cloth covering a plant sample and held it up for everyone to see. It was green and thick, measured over a foot long, and shaped like a blade with small, pointy thorns sparsely lining its edges.
A chorus of awed gasps swept through the room as the children’s eyes lit up with curiosity.
“That’s a dinosaur’s tail!” one of them exclaimed.
“Looks like one, doesn’t it?” Rebecca smiled. “It’s actually a leaf. It came from the aloe vera plant.”
“Ooh~” the children murmured as they looked at the picture of the whole plant beside her.
“We’re gonna look at the special gel it has inside. People use it to help care for their skin,” she added. “Now put your gloves on. Then line up to collect a sample from either me or Billy.”
The children shuffled into lines, accepting their aloe vera leaves with the exaggerated caution of archaeologists handling priceless artifacts.
Rebecca guided them through the observation sheet, encouraging them to look closely and to pick the right adjectives to describe the plant’s texture and characteristics.
Then, it was time to slice the leaf open. “Remember, this is a sample,” Rebecca had to raise her voice to be heard over the excited chatter. “We’re not gonna eat it. The edible aloe vera jellies are waiting for you after the activity, okay? Promise me?”
Step by careful step, the children used their plastic knives to cut into the leaves. As they pulled the two halves apart, the aloe vera gel oozed and stretched between them, sending everyone into a frenzy.
“WOW, IT’S GOOEY!”
“IT’S SLIPPERY”
“IT’S SLIMY!”
As with most children, the word “slime” was met with near-religious enthusiasm. Mentioning “snot” only amplified their excitement. Within seconds, the classroom devolved into complete pandemonium.
“EWW, MATTHEW LICKED IT!”
Rebecca spun around so fast she nearly dropped an entire tray of specimens. She looked at Matthew, who appeared deeply unrepentant.
“What? It tasted scientific.”
Billy physically turned away. He had his elbow up in front of his face, hiding what was clearly the beginning of laughter.
Rebecca pointed at the sink with the authority of a distressed emergency response officer. “Go wash your mouth! Right now!”
Matthew saluted. “YES SCIENCE MA’AM!”
The room collapsed into hysterics, even the teacher had given up.
Amid the noise and the laughter, the questions and and the utter destruction of classroom order, Billy looked at Rebecca standing there in the center of it all. All that chaos didn’t stop her from trying to maintain some educational structure, even as the children waved their plant samples like swords and victory flags.
He thought she fit there strangely well.
“What adjective do we use for the smell?” came a small voice beside him. He looked down to find two children discussing the worksheet.
“I don’t know, yucky?”
“Does it smell bad to you?”
“Kinda. Like my dog’s hair.” Then the child looked up. “But not yours, Mr. Billy. Your hair smells nice.”
Billy froze.
“Yeah, it smells just like Dr. Rebecca’s!”
“Did someone call for me?” she asked from afar, completely oblivious to the argument that was about to start as a third child chimed in.
“No, Dr. Rebecca smells like HIM.”
“No, she doesn’t!”
“Yes, she does!”
“Smell them again!”
“Nobody is smelling the guests!” interrupted the teacher. “Stop this argument right now.”
Just as Billy thought it was a good time to excuse himself, another child called out, giving him a mission update. “Mr. Billy! The slime got in my hair!”
I uploaded the whole thing (along with the last page in it’s full glory and with Billy’s pretty face+torso) bc I’m pretty sure I can’t show it here… I’m also working on that last page to make it more explicit >:3
✨️looked at this so many times i'm starting to cough up bubbles✨️ 🫧
this scene and the lovely fic that inspired it are canonically what happened after re0 between these two dorks, trust me I was the faucet. 🤫
this comic just has it all. the faves cramped in a ridiculously small bathtub, basked in beautifully rendered lighting...and getting it in on 🤭. colors so fresh i want to taste them. all the little details (the iridescent bubbles, the scars, the lil hearts T o T, the toy train... 🤌🏻).
it's...*cough, cough 🫧* it's just so peak. 💖
in these trying times, your art is a light in the darkness my dear bapo. 🫰🏻
