Amy scrutinised Luciano as he kneeled before her to pick up the sword. Her hand hovered over the handle of the gun, twitching ever so slightly as the movement happened in slow motion. If he had even so much as looked like he was about to inch forward, she would’ve reacted. She would’ve killed him.
But he didn’t, so she didn’t.
The distance between them, after he’d retreated, was relatively small. Yet, at the same time, it felt enormous. She had teamed up with Luciano only the day before, even given him some painkillers. Not out of sympathy, or kindness, but just because he had a headache. She still didn’t feel any affection for him, because he was condescending and acted shifty, but it was weird how their relationship had turned around so much, even when they were on the same team. The gun pressed into her side.
She hadn’t tried to attack him at least, which was better than how she’d dealt with RJ. Maybe she was getting better at the teammate thing, she thought to herself. She would’ve rolled her eyes at herself if they weren’t so fixated on drilling in to Luciano.
But now that everything was wrapping up, now that she was leaving him with a weapon and her with her pride, the emotions weren’t settling. Somehow, she felt conflicted. Something was troubling her.
“Hey…” she started, and that was as far as she got. Her hand moved away from the gun. She felt like there had to be a part two of that sentence, for reasons she wasn’t sure of. Her eyes softened, as she tried to find the words.
‘Don’t die’ ? He couldn’t promise that, and she couldn’t rely on it.
‘Help our team win' ? Asking him to kill on her behalf. Smooth. Brave. Bloodthirsty.
Drip, drip drip. The clock was still ticking.
‘Sorry’ ? Already dismissed that option. She wasn’t sorry. Not for doing what she had to.
“I’m… just, don’t…”
She couldn’t decide. She didn’t know.
Try Like the Devil
Day 2, after announcements
Luciano's slow movement away from the girl came to a sudden halt as he heard her voice. His fingers gripped tightly to the handle of the sword as he looked up into her face, analyzing her expression (or at least, attempting to, given how dim the lights were down there). Several agonizing seconds passed as he waited for her to finish, the time ticking by as her words hung in the air.
The silence continued. Luciano swallowed hard as his eyes wandered away from Amy and down the floor, his vision beginning to lose focus as his mind began to wander. The whole situation felt unreal, as if it was some sort of messed up dream rather than the reality that he knew it was. In the span of just a few minutes he had gone from feeling fairly safe to fearing for his life, and then back down again. If either of them did anything differently back there, the situation could easily have ended up with him bleeding out on the floor. Not exactly a pleasant thought.
The slow dripping of water rang in his ears as he slowly looked back up at the girl in front of him, the one who had come so close to blowing his brains out mid-conversation. To be perfectly honest, he didn't want to spend any longer around her than necessary. In fact, the best thing that he could think of happening would be for her to leave right fucking now.
Still... a small frown began to make its way across his face as their standoff continued. Despite all that had happened, he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of pity for the girl. Who knew what had happened to her on the way here, what horrors she had experienced? There was no way that he'd ever be able to trust her, but even putting aside the slight worry of provoking her into attack mode, he wasn't about to make things worse for her if he didn't have to. His voice shot out softly across the corridor, cutting off whatever sentence that she was struggling to get out.
"I...I think it would be best if we went our separate ways now."
He wondered if he should follow that up with something, but what else could he say? There was no possible farewell statement that he could possibly make that wouldn't sound hideously fake or sarcastic. Probably best to just keep his mouth shut and hope she took the hint.
The silence continued. Luciano swallowed hard as his eyes wandered away from Amy and down the floor, his vision beginning to lose focus as his mind began to wander. The whole situation felt unreal, as if it was some sort of messed up dream rather than the reality that he knew it was. In the span of just a few minutes he had gone from feeling fairly safe to fearing for his life, and then back down again. If either of them did anything differently back there, the situation could easily have ended up with him bleeding out on the floor. Not exactly a pleasant thought.
The slow dripping of water rang in his ears as he slowly looked back up at the girl in front of him, the one who had come so close to blowing his brains out mid-conversation. To be perfectly honest, he didn't want to spend any longer around her than necessary. In fact, the best thing that he could think of happening would be for her to leave right fucking now.
Still... a small frown began to make its way across his face as their standoff continued. Despite all that had happened, he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of pity for the girl. Who knew what had happened to her on the way here, what horrors she had experienced? There was no way that he'd ever be able to trust her, but even putting aside the slight worry of provoking her into attack mode, he wasn't about to make things worse for her if he didn't have to. His voice shot out softly across the corridor, cutting off whatever sentence that she was struggling to get out.
"I...I think it would be best if we went our separate ways now."
He wondered if he should follow that up with something, but what else could he say? There was no possible farewell statement that he could possibly make that wouldn't sound hideously fake or sarcastic. Probably best to just keep his mouth shut and hope she took the hint.
“R..right.”
She resigned herself to leaving, with apparently nothing more to be said between them. Perhaps it was the last time she’d ever have the opportunity. Perhaps she should’ve made the most of it.
But she didn’t have the words. She would’ve just stood there, spouting nonsense. Even with a gun, and the power, and coming out the victor of their little one-sided standoff, she still didn’t know what to say to Luciano. She wasn’t sure there was anyone she would know what to say to.
That was that, though. She wouldn’t just stand there, looking sorry for herself. She didn’t go through all this only to crack at the last minute, to look like a fool by trying to force a conversation that would never go well. Even if she wanted to try, she didn't know how.
So she turned to take her leave via the ladder, stopping only to look back one more time. She justified it as making sure that Luciano wasn’t sneaking up on her, one last ditch attempt to prove her suspicion right, but it never came. All that was left between them was a sadness lurking behind her stony eyes.
((Amy Barrows-Shaw continued in A Moment of Respite))
She resigned herself to leaving, with apparently nothing more to be said between them. Perhaps it was the last time she’d ever have the opportunity. Perhaps she should’ve made the most of it.
But she didn’t have the words. She would’ve just stood there, spouting nonsense. Even with a gun, and the power, and coming out the victor of their little one-sided standoff, she still didn’t know what to say to Luciano. She wasn’t sure there was anyone she would know what to say to.
That was that, though. She wouldn’t just stand there, looking sorry for herself. She didn’t go through all this only to crack at the last minute, to look like a fool by trying to force a conversation that would never go well. Even if she wanted to try, she didn't know how.
So she turned to take her leave via the ladder, stopping only to look back one more time. She justified it as making sure that Luciano wasn’t sneaking up on her, one last ditch attempt to prove her suspicion right, but it never came. All that was left between them was a sadness lurking behind her stony eyes.
((Amy Barrows-Shaw continued in A Moment of Respite))
((Will come back and flesh this out more soon))
Luciano continued staring at the ladder for several minutes after Amy had left, gripping tightly onto the sword that he had come so close to losing. The thought of how lucky he was to come out of that confrontation alive was disturbing enough to make him feel a little light-headed, combining with the boiling anger at his own contribution to said situation. This... this whole situation didn't have to happen... it shouldn't have happened. The only reason he had come so close to an untimely demise was his own foolishness, letting his guard down despite having no reason to. A loud metallic thud echoed through the hall as he slammed his fist against the wall of the sub, wincing momentarily at the pain resulting from the hard impact.
Alright, alright. Time to calm down. He took a few deep breaths, leaning against the wall again for support. Images of all the different ways he could have handled his encounter with Amy flashed through his head, and it took several seconds for him to suppress them long enough to put forth a coherent thought. Trusting his team was clearly not a winning strategy here. Anyone was a potential threat, no matter how harmless they may have seemed on the outside. All it could take would be one moment of carelessness, and it'd be his name on the announcements the next morning.
A few trudging steps back to the control room later, he had gathered up all his belongings. This place wasn't really defensible without some sort of firearm, and besides, after all that he had just been through, he'd be happy if he never saw a submarine again for the rest of his life. It was time to...relocate.
((Luciano Ascencio continued elsewhere))
Luciano continued staring at the ladder for several minutes after Amy had left, gripping tightly onto the sword that he had come so close to losing. The thought of how lucky he was to come out of that confrontation alive was disturbing enough to make him feel a little light-headed, combining with the boiling anger at his own contribution to said situation. This... this whole situation didn't have to happen... it shouldn't have happened. The only reason he had come so close to an untimely demise was his own foolishness, letting his guard down despite having no reason to. A loud metallic thud echoed through the hall as he slammed his fist against the wall of the sub, wincing momentarily at the pain resulting from the hard impact.
Alright, alright. Time to calm down. He took a few deep breaths, leaning against the wall again for support. Images of all the different ways he could have handled his encounter with Amy flashed through his head, and it took several seconds for him to suppress them long enough to put forth a coherent thought. Trusting his team was clearly not a winning strategy here. Anyone was a potential threat, no matter how harmless they may have seemed on the outside. All it could take would be one moment of carelessness, and it'd be his name on the announcements the next morning.
A few trudging steps back to the control room later, he had gathered up all his belongings. This place wasn't really defensible without some sort of firearm, and besides, after all that he had just been through, he'd be happy if he never saw a submarine again for the rest of his life. It was time to...relocate.
((Luciano Ascencio continued elsewhere))