Reality hopping

"I am very, very good at mathematics." Because that was the only viable answer right?! "I don't think I've ever been to Vegas..." she leaned on her cue, trying to remember all the places she'd been through. And nope.

"Nope. Never been to Vegas. And generally I'm too distracted by other things when I'm traveling to play a nice game of pool." This was a nice game after all. Three called banks and a sink on the Eight. "We are looking to repair Bill's truck though, if you guys want to set me up against anyone else. I figure you'd know who would have playing against me here or nearby." Best way to avoid any ugliness was to invite them in on the fun?

While they mulled that over though she was going to collect her winners, pass them to Bill, then go settle in his lap because she could!

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"Math, right," Blake deadpanned, handing over his money.

Bill grinned at the company, and put his arm around her waist.

"Hey there, Ms. Shark."

Blake set about racking, putting his hands on the table when he was done and looking at the couple.

"Yeah, we might know some folk, but I wanna rematch, first." He wasn't particularly angry about being taken, but he did want a chance at evening things up.

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"Yes, math." Clarice agreed easily. "Look at the angles." she leaned back against Bill for a few moments to allow Blake to rack, then slipped liquidly to her fete.

"For example, the set up here. Equilateral triangle. Apply pressure at any point A, B, or C and you get a predictable scatter. Given the length 3/4 of the way down the table and the shooting arrangement, Point C is impractical and the other two have even chances of sinking when scattered." As she demonstrated after chalking her cue. Three sinks, two of them solids.

"Now, point to any one of mine and I'll explain the angles as I work." Because interactive learning was fun?

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Blake tried to maintain an unimpressed expression, but it was still clear he was paying attention.

Looking the table over, he pointed out a ball that would be a hard shot for a pro.

"Let's see it."

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"Okay, first the triangle of nearest rail, pocket intended, and ball. If the triangle is over half the length of the table on it's shortest side you need to pick another pocket, generally." She held her cue up over the ball, ignoring the others in the way to help outline the triangle she was going for. "With me still?"

Good, because it got complicated then. She broke the larger triangle into smaller triangles between each blocking ball, until, if one could picture it, it was miasma of angles. But there was a path through all that. A path she also outlined by explaining how to bisect certain triangles safely and the greatest probability of not sinking opponent balls while getting the angles and spins necessary...

...and then she shot, and sunk. "See why's it's easier to just call the number of banks?" INNOCENT SMILE!

What? Mathematics like this were vital on a battlefield. Best to learn it well!

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Bradley watched, and was clearly lost by the end of it (as were the other three on the sideline), but impressed.

"An' you can do that with any shot? Any ball?"

Bill scratched behind his ear, shaking his head into his mug as he drank.

"Shit, I didn't get most of that, an' I did good in high school geometry."

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Hey! She'd been drinking! Who didn't babble a bit after drinking? She just got to babble math today! "Yeah, but sit me down with pen and paper and math stumps me. I have to do it all hands on..."

Bill? She was coming over for a kiss because now she was worried she'd upset people!

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Blake wasn't exactly upset, just confused and trying to work it out. He hunkered down beside the table, checking the angles on the remaining balls, shifting his weight from left to right to look at each side of the ball and trying to sort it out in his head.

Bill wasn't upset, either, and was glad to accept the kiss.

"Think y'broke our heads'a little bit there, darlin'."

Straightening up, Blake dug a five out of his pocket and held it up in the air.

"I got five bucks says you can't sink that seven ball there without puttin' in any of the others."

He pointed at a ball that was pretty well surrounded by others. There were paths, but he was confident it was still an impossible shot.

"Think yer on again," Bill drawled, his accent thickening noticeably as the alcohol levels in his system went up.

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"It's just angles! It isn't that bad!" She sighed, stole another quick kiss and sip from Bill's beer then went to go look over the Seven ball.

Well, he would pick a tough one wouldn't he?

"That one, sir, is just going to take a little bit if gentleness is all." She smiled at Blake, lined up her shot straight at a wall and...shot. The point being not to hit the ball hard enough that the energy in the ball would sink others. Two balls came awful close to sinking, within an inch of their pockets, but they didn't go in and the Seven did. "Mind if I finish out the game now or do you want to quiz me some more?"

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They all watched the ball intently, heads turning in sync as it rolled, and holding their breaths as the two threatened to go down, but didn't.

Bill let out a whoop when she was in the clear and started to laugh.

Blake frowned, scratched his head, took another look at the setup, then finally waved his hand and shook his head.

"No, ma'am, I'm smart enough to know when I'm licked. Y'all have fun, I'm gonna go back to takin' these two clowns money."

He nodded to his two companions and took a step back away from the table.

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"I'm not done with you yet," Clarice grinned. "We got a truck to fix." Simple as that really! "Not saying you need to keep playing...but do you know who we should play? Maybe some people who aren't very nice?" They were local they'd know!

She played her fingers along her cue, smiled, and cleared the table, giving the man and his friends time to think it over.

"Bill? Any idea how much we might need to get new tires?"

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Bill finished his mug and was well and truly on his way to being Drunk.

Smiling wide, he was busy humming the country song that was playing to himself while she cleared the table. Snapped out of it by her question he canted his head to the side and shrugged.

"Oh, I du-- I dunno. Five hundred bucks... maybe. What-- what's'a tire cost these days? Times it by four 'cause a truck has four. One, two, four. Each side."

Blake stroked his chin, and shook his head.

"You're lookin' for that kind of money you gotta play Mike an' his crew. But... they don't like losin'. At all."

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"Bill, babe, you might want to switch to water or juice for a bit of we're going to play some tough guys." She slipped over to give him a rather deep kiss. Sue her, she liked how he tasted!

When she was done she slid a rather...feral...smile toward Blake. "Where can we find Mike and his? I've kind of been aching for a good game or a good fight myself..."

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"M'good," he insisted. The kiss was great, and he was all too happy to accept and return it. Licking his lips when she pulled back, he grinned. "M'real good."

That smile of hers made Blake chuckle, and he had a feeling he should be more worried about Mike than for her.

"Place couple blocks down called the The Scratch. They've always got the back corner claimed, but if you flash a few bills they'll let you play."

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"Billl...I'm going to go play with some poor boy's head. And his gang's. That alright with you?" Best to ask before she went in intending to come out winning everything!

"The Scratch, gotcha. Want to come watch or just wish us luck and laugh into your beer when you hear about things?"

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"Hm? Sure, darlin', sounds great." Bill tended to get far more agreeable to things the more he had to drink. Right now, he'd gladly wander into a den of hustlers in a shady bar if that was what Clarice felt like doing.

Blake shook his head.

"Nah, I'm going to look for my own score around this joint, but look forward to hearing how it goes. Good luck."

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"Babe, if we're doing this you need to be a liiiiiittle more sober." Clarice slid into Bill's lap and waved for a bottle of water. "Things could get nasty with this group and I don't want you hurt."

Granted, she could just sit in Bill's lap for a good long while and let him sober up slowly...she was amiable to that!

"If it goes really well Blake I'll come back here, buy a round, and play darts with you instead?"

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Bill waved off her concern with a 'Pfft.'

"M'fine. Little fresh air on th'way an' I'm good t'go. Told you, takes more'n a couple shots t'get Bill Pardy drunk."

"Sounds good," Blake agreed, "We outta still be here.'

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"I'm sorry to tell you, Sheriff, but you've had a LOT of shots and some beers too." She nibbled his jawline a little, not budging an inch. They'd wander down to The Scratch in a bit.

"Thanks for the advice Blake, gentlemen. It was fun!"

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"So've you," he pointed out, tilting his chin as he liked what she was doing.

Blake gave a nod and a wave and left them to it, taking the other two with him back to their table.

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"Yep, and I'm drinking some water too before I go ass kicking!" They could sober up together! "Plus, well, insane metabolism on my part. Genetic bonus." And since he liked the nibbling, well, she'd keep doing that!

All the way up to an ear if he let her!

"And here's our water!"

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Bill chuckled, low and warm.

The thing about drinking was, not only did it make him more agreeable, it also made it more likely for him to say what he was thinking and not blush about it.

"Hmm. You keep doin' that an' I might say we should forget the truck an' head on home."

Giving her a smirk, he took his water and had a drink.

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"Why Bill, are you trying to distract me on our first actual date?" Yep, still nibbling his ear as a matter of course. "You'd regret it in the morning babe. You don't rush into things, I know that and I got you drunk." Yep, she kind of regretted knowing that really.

Maybe another time.

"Unless you want me to tuck you in cozy and warm and come back to finish things here?"

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"I've known you a few months now, that really count as rushin'?" he asked with a laugh.

Shaking his head, he had some more water.

"No, I'm comin' with you. Just let me settle up here an' we'll go."

He pulled out what she'd given him, and started to rifle through for enough to pay their tab.

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