Fast Eddie's, Thursday Evening

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

Hannibal hadn't actually been into this particular place yet but, once he'd walked in, he decided he needed to be here more often. It was like walking into the dream almost all teenage boys had at one point or another.

And it didn't make him a nerd or a geek or anything. It made him a boy. Yes, he was firm on this.

But, he wasn't here to geek out. Today, he was here to teach his poor deprived roommate the awesome game of pool. Everyone needed to learn to play pool. It was the game of champions, a great icebreaker and just a really good way to show off.

"I missed places like this," he said, grinning widely.

[For one but it's a public place so open, yes.]

Comments

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"Obviously," Angela remarked off the look on his face. "When was the last time you did this, anyway?"

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Played pool?" He shrugged. "Been a few months. Not since I got here, at least. I used to play all the time back home after school."

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"Not worried you've lost your touch in that time?" Angela asked with a teasing smirk.

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"There's no chance that's happened," he said, spotting the pool tables and gesturing her to follow him. "So, you haven't played at all? Do you know how to play, though? I mean, the basic rules and stuff."

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"I think I played once," she told him. "It was a long time ago, but I can probably pick it up easy enough."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Good, that'll save me a lecture," he teased easily. On the way to the table, he grabbed a rack of balls and placed them on the table once they'd gotten to an open table.

"We need to pick you out a stick now," he said and smiled.

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"And me suggesting 'whichever one's nearest', would probably makes me a heathen, right?" Angela said after a moment.

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Not a heathen," he laughed. "Just unlearned about the importance of sticks. It has to be comfortable and it has to fit your height. You couldn't use a stick that I'd use...or you could but it'd make shooting a little difficult."

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"See, this is why I need you," Angela decided, looking at the rack of cues. "Because I would have no idea."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"I try," he said, running his fingers over a few of the cues before choosing one that looked her size. "How's this one feel to you?"

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"Given I wouldn't know the difference," Angela said, smiling as she turned it between her hands a moment. "I'm going to trust your choice."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Works for me," Hannibal said, selecting a stick of his own. He racked the balls quickly.

"You wanna go first or wanna watch me go first?"

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"Think I'll just watch you," she decided, leaning against the table as she waited for him to break. "So I get to see what I'm up against here."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Sounds good to me," he said, chalking up the end of his stick before he leaned forward and hit the cue ball with his stick, sending it hard against the other balls. The other balls scattered, bouncing off walls and into each other before settling.

He didn't pocket one.

"Damn," he mumbled. "Your turn. Know how to shoot?"

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"As far as I'm concerned, it comes down to lining things up and crossing some metaphorical fingers," Angela replied, grinning at him as she moved around the table to see if she could spot an obvious shot to take.

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Of course it is," he said, not quite believing in that strategy but willing to let her take a shot to see how it worked for her. "Show me how it's done."

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

Angela finally seemed to settle on an option, and leaned over to set a line for her shot. "Here goes."

It wasn't too difficult to hit the cue ball, at least, just because she didn't actually pot anything from that didn't mean she couldn't come back.

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Not too bad," he said, nodding. "For someone that hasn't played this before, I'm glad to see you were able to keep the cue ball on the table."

With a grin, he found his angle and poked a soft shot, dropping one ball into the corner pocket.

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"You say that now, and you might jinx me," Angela said with a laugh.

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"I doubt that," he said, lining up another shot and just barely missing sinking his second one in a row. "Let me know if you need a hand or anything."

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

Angela nodded. "I don't know," she remarked as she looked for a shot to take. "I think there's probably some psychology for it in there somewhere."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"And probably some math too," he agreed. "But I like to go more with feeling, observation and finesse."

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"Little bit of everything," Angela decided as she bent to go for her second shot.

Probably should've taken a little more time over it, since the ball just bounced off a few of the sides. Always in hindsight. She wrinkled her nose. "Doesn't work for me."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Next time, let me help with that shot," he said and winked. Since it was his shot, he leaned over and banked the cue ball off a wall. It clinked off another and sent the targeted ball into the pocket. "Works for me."

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

She stuck her tongue out at him a moment. "You have had a lot more practice," Angela said, leaning back against the table as she watched.