Week 67: Clandestine Companionship

"..Hello, oh.. h-hi." Hugo felt a turning in his gut. Guilt mixed with lust and apprehension. He'd left Silvia in the room with Una, and he knew this was wrong, but he couldn't help himself. There were some things he had to do, and had to do alone.

He licked his lips and moved a little closer. His palms were sweating, and he couldn't even look up at her for more than a few moments. Even from across the room he'd noticed how attractively built she was, all curves and strength. "For-forgive me for being so forward, but... You're, you're lovely." His voice was a hoarse whisper. His hands tentatively, unconsciously moved closer to her as he thought about how perfectly she would fit in his arms. Under the lights of the case, she had no shadows... Just fine smoothness, in a deep matte orange, like a dying star. Gold sparkles in fractal waves spread across her underside. Normally he didn't find gaudiness appealing, but there was something so confident in her design. She even had an expanded ammunition slot, blended seamlessly into the rest of her design.

There was no way he could be in a long term relationship with something so loud, so dangerous, to crude, so brash. The rotary cannon was quite unlike any gun he had liked... Well, that wasn't true. When he was a little nuke, guns this big had seemed so fantastic and appealing, all of their attractive qualities ramped up to eleven. His tastes had mellowed, gone for more dignified, plausible, refined weapons. But here, in this floating paradise, there was something that made him want to forget about Una, if only for a night. Maybe that is why his fingertips were slick with sweat when he ran them down the muzzle. "...My.. my name's Hugo."

The agent standing a few meters to the right of Hugo gave the man a strange look. She had to be an agent no one else could be so ripped without shattering their bones. Understanding mixed with disbelief as she observed the exchange. Personally she was never so loud when speaking to a gun. Or really so.... reverent. There was a selection process, approval could not be shown first. The agent turned her gaze away from the huge hulking monster of a man and to the gun immediately in front of her. The woman was standing before another excessively expensive gun several plinths over. If she were to tell the truth, unlikely in the extreme though that was, she had once coveted the.... masterpiece before her at least as much he did his. Though... not in the same way. The woman placed her hand on the handle hefting the weapon up, to be critically examined.

Her eyes took in the design, the narrowed nozzle, the blue flickering flame, the body work and the.... yes, the sniper scope attached to the top. They ignored the bling, the over-the-top hotrod red and yellow colour scheme and she switched off the AI commentator, without giving it a second thought. This was a weapon that would weather any storm and that was enough. The nuke cast another wary glance over at her fellow... enthusiast, before moving over to the firing range. She set the AMS Prometheus down on the counter with some hesitance before removing a hair tie from her jacket pocket. The agent tied her pink waist length hair up into a much smaller pony tail and put a nondescript brown baseball hat atop. She looked down at the weapon, looking so eager to do her will, and reclaimed it. Slowly, a thin smile split her face.... Pinkie was ready.

Hugo gave the other shopper a jealous look. Oh sure, pick it up without any internal conflict. He stared at her back for a moment before realizing what he was looking at. Another extremely strong heavy weapons expert. In another world, or even at another time a few weeks ago, he might have been as keep to pick her up as the slutty rotary cannon before him, but right now he was too full of guilt about Una. Oh.

It wasn't cheating if it wasn't in combat, right? ..Right? Heartened by the other company of the almost-certainly-other-nuke, Hugo wrapped his hands around the rotary cannon and hefted her weight in his arms. With a nod to the staff, he too moved over to the shooting range, taking the spot next to the other muscular agent. Oh yes, she had to be as strong as he was now, at least. He looked over her focused face for a moment and added, in accented, South-Feddy English. "You'd think we were the first people to shoot all day. So clean." It was as much to allay his own nervousness about holding the Tornado as it was to actually make conversation.

*Pinkie froze as the other nuke spoke, all of her muscles tensing. After turning a less than impressed expression on the huge, terrifyingly strong man, she breathed out slowly. Unfreezing as she did so. After a moment she shrugged, before checking the gun for damage where she gripped it. Finding none she began checking the cylinders, all the connectors and generally field checking her, no, the Prometheus."

Hell they will have copies. One for use at time, send to cleaning after use.

*The woman spoke with a hiss accenting her syllables and as she spoke Hugo could see why. Huge canines filled her mouth and it was obvious that her whole jaw was augmented. Her voice was level and carried a forced neutrality. Without waiting for a response the cybernetic murder machine pressed a button on the desk before her, bringing a target to within 6 metres. She lined up a shot, swinging the Prometheus up to her shoulder. Pinkie did not immediately fire but gently squeezed the trigger back. Not enough to make the weapon discharge but she had brought it right to the cusp. She focused, blocking out everything else.*

Hugo gave other agent's wolfy mouth an appraising look, but it was nothing compared to how she was treating the flamethrower. It would be immediately hard to tell if he was admiring how she teased at firing it, or finely crafted weapon itself. "Even the range is clean, though. It doesn't even smell like anything's been fired."

But it seemed like such meaningless conversation in the presence of such overwhelming company. He couldn't even bring himself to look at the galvanic cannons, yet. He turned away from her to face the rotary cannon. He grabbed an MPAJ and loaded the gun. He ran his hands over it, and then focused on the distant target at the other side of the long shooting range. Unlike the other nuke, he wasted no time firing. (Pass HW by 15.) Despite the distance of the target, he shot true. The distant target, armored as it was, exploded. Oh, the promise of beautiful destruction with such a high quality weapon. "Mother..fucker.." He whispered roughly in shock.. or arousal. It was hard to tell.

*Pinkie frowned at that, she hadn't even noticed. She drew in one huge whiff and nearly coughed as the other agent fired. The would be assassin glanced over to take in the devastation of the shot and internally agreed with the other nuke's comment. Her eyes flicked back to the target and she fired [Heavy weapons passed by 12]. A searingly hot jet of blue fire shot out of the nozzle and burnt the tiniest hole straight through the target. Pinkie started one in exasperated disbelief which turned into awe when she saw how fucking far the flamethrower shot had gone. Once the heat passed, she glanced over at the other nuke and quickly compensated for her utterly embarrassing damage.*

Fucking AMS. Twice the intensity does not make up for a quarter the fire. They did the same fucking thing with the Jupiter range. *Pinkie huffed, staring daggers at her fellow nuke daring him to pass comment.* "Though.... that range." *She could not help but nod in approval and pat the Prometheus.*

Hugo stared dumbly at Pinkie for a second, and then looked down at the unmistakably high quality Tornado in his hands. The Jupiter range... Guilt flooded through him like a plasma round, and he had to fight the urge to throw the poor flirty weapon to the ground. Instead, he offered it to the other agent. "You want damage, try this, please."

He barely even looked at her as she took it, and he visibly sagged. He took a step back, as if distance could change his cheating ways. His voice was almost giddy with relief for no longer touching the thing, though. "You don't even know the half of it. The original product had almost twice the damage, but the extra capacitors were deemed to cause 'unacceptable field losses'." On this familiar ground, he sounded more confident, and bitter. He finally managed to give her, and the wantonly seductive weapon in her hands, another look. "They were gonna trash the whole range. They almost did, too... Almost." His voice had a tiny edge of guilt mixing with the pride.

*Pinkie had given Hugo a penetratingly wary look and then a warning glare before taking the Tornado with her other arm. She immediately felt more at ease dual wielding heavy weapons, even one that was so much heavier than the other. Pinkie listened with one ear as she lined up both guns for another shot. He spoke with fierce determination, if nothing else. When he had finished she fired the flamethrower once more [pass by 11, 2 damage], doing little better but at least the target was burning now, slowly and brightly. Pinkie's smile re surged as she fired the tornado at a further target [pass by 8], there it was. That was devastation and the sight brought familiar memories back to the surface. The strongest was a massive column of laser energy firing straight through into a SY gunship. The nuke turned her predatory grin on the huge man. Her voice was half bark, half happy growl.*

Allllmost?

The guilt in Hugo's chest redoubled. He should have asked. Should have brought her along. It as absurd to have left her, even if it was in Silvia's company. He looked down. "I saved the prototype of the heavy, Una. She's beautiful... She.. she can't do.. that.." And here he gestured to the remains of the targets that scattered the ground next to the burning pyre of the flamethrower's victim. "But you couldn't ask for a better gun."

Now he just seemed absurdly guilty, looking down at his feet. He sighed deeply. "I shouldn't even be here, but... I just couldn't turn down a chance to fire these beauties... Why do I always fuck this shit up? God, I'm an asshole."

*Pinkie looked between Hugo and the weapons in her arms with a blank look. As she looked back up, she raised a single eyebrow. The wolf girl looked young for a moment, chewing on her lower lip.*

Well if you are an asshole for playing, then what the hell does that make me? I am not even true to one weapon type. My twin flamethrowers are my first, best and have never let me down. They are not even here.

*There were tears now, in the pink haired agent's eyes. It seemed Hugo's self hatred spread rather quickly. The nuke placed both heavy firearms on the floor with only the slightest clunk. Her face had grown long and sour and Pinkie's lip curled up into a snarl. The cybernetic murder machine spun on the spot, reaching out with her hands and unleashing her pink lightning on the targets. After a moment she seemed less.... crazy and spoke once more.*

You saved her life.... I am sure she will let you make this up to her. After all, you are not connected to them the same way.... it is important to see that. Try the Railgun.

Hugo very briefly touched the other agent's shoulder with his rough hand, moved by her weapon based mourning... But only for a second before she spun and fired an impressive array of galvanic energy. He took his hand away, giving it a little nod before her words sunk in. "I.. did save her life. Whenever I fuck up, she forgives me, even if she's upset. We've been through so much for months. And I just.. never thought I could feel that way, you know? But.. It still feels wrong to.. to go looking elsewhere. Even for a few moments..."

He looked back into the showroom, at the black rail gun, its surface etched with pale lines to mimic X-rays. It was beautiful. Everything here was.. beautiful. His eyes rested on the other agent. "Just because she'd forgive me doesn't mean that I should do things she'd need to forgive. As.. much as I want to."

He looked back down the range at the burning target, which was crackling quite merrily. "It's not just that I fire them, it's that I want to. So much. ...I should have just brought her along. She could have made friends. ...I'm sorry, I don't mean to ramble to a stranger about my problems... ...Though it's been, what, almost.. three weeks since I last talked to someone who understood. ..Three weeks? Fuck, I should call Alessandro." The last bit was an aside, mumbled to himself.

*Pinkie looked at Hugo, her eye's half lidded. The other nuke's words washed over her, she didn't feel the way he did... about guns. But she understood. She did. The would be assassin pursed her lips and let her gaze fall from Hugo to the floor before replying. Her hands were balled into fists at her sides.*

Three weeks? Three weeks! .....Try never.

*She sighed, moving away from this.... person she didn't know and had never met before he risked harm again by touching her. Pinkie drew herself up onto the firing range's counter, it didn't so much as creak as she sat. The cybernetic murder machine pinched the bridge of her nose before rubbing her forehead with one hand.*

You are not wrong. There are... some things.... you can not take back. Not ever.......... No matter if you are forgiven for them. You should not be here then, so get lost.
.... But, thanks, anyway.

Hugo flashed the pink haired agent a sincere grin. "You're right. I should go. Presents.. can wait." He still felt guilty, but at least he felt a little better for looking at the beautiful, tempting little gun hussies. It wasn't their fault he felt so wrong inside, and despite it all, they are beautiful. He took a step back.

"..Thank you, lista. And you... Should try to find more friends who understand. Nukes understand each other. It's rare enough." With that, he turned on his heel and walked out, to go back to his room and apologize for having such lusty thoughts.

*Pinkie hung her head in her hands for a moment after the other nuke left. Find friends, easy for him to say. She rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh. The wolf girl ran her hands through her hair in frustration before jumping down. With long, urgent steps Pinkie crossed the distance to the doors, only one thought in her head.*