First-Time Outing

[pentagrandma]

Without the added tension that came with being watched, Ash achieved a swift and smooth victory. Rather than rack the balls for a new game, she left Dom’s remaining as they were - if only to show she’d played fair. Though, if she had wanted to cheat, she supposed she could have just plucked up the last two with her hands and dropped them into a pocket.

While she waited, she stood near the window - breathing in as much fresh air as she could. She fished her phone from her jacket, which remained draped over the stool nearby, and fired off a couple of responding texts. Her mother, checking in on her; Adam, her best friend and ex, wishing her a goodnight. Further time was wasted bonding over fashion with a girl who’d come to compliment her clothes.

[Black Philip]

Jimmy listened, but was far less interested when he realized this was a professional consultation. This was such James work, and he debated fading out and letting his more prissy half take over. He wanted to play with the delicious looking man, not treat him. Still, the mention of Lazarus, and the awkwardness of the beauty before him, kept Jimmy engaged. He liked the extra friction created by Dom when he leaned over to pay, and let his lips get's dangerously close to the mortal's during the moment. He thought about Dom's question, knowing that bar-side consultations weren't the best way to do an assessment. An experiment on the other hand could produce interesting information.

"So you're saying you just can't say no to a man like me," he parroted back. "And you're wondering if it's Lazarus or you. One way to find out. Drink that whole drink for me and order another."

It was purely scientific experiment to see if he could say no or not. Jimmy hoped he couldn't say no at all. That made this whole evening so much more fun. 

[Existentially Odd]

Dominic looked at Jimmy with a confused expression, uncertain how him chugging a fresh beer would give him any sort of insight into his weakness for vampires. Maybe the doctor was playing a trick on him or extorting some sort of fealty before he said anything? It wasn't like Dom was looking for an analysis on the spot, he'd more been broaching the topic of a future conversation in professional circumstances - one he'd pay for.

He blushed as he realised he definitely hadn't made that very clear. No wonder Jimmy was testing him; he thought this was some sort of gaslight to get him worked up or give his time for free. Dom always felt the same way whenever he got cornered into helping someone with their garden, because they knew someone he knew. That murky area of not being compensated for your professional time because of an acquaintance was always as uncomfortable as shit. He deeply regretted putting the doctor in that position.

"And look, I don't expect any answers right now, I get that you're not at work and all," Dom assured Jimmy, obediently grabbing his beer and emptying it down his throat in a few long swallows. He placed the empty bottle back on the bar and made eye contact with the distant barman, pointing at it and lifting a finger to signal he wanted another. His other hand came up to cover his mouth while he emitted a healthy burp. He turned back to Jimmy, feeling the effect of skolling the alcohol with a light headspin but persevering with his reassurance nevertheless. "Sorry if I didn't make that clear, and all. I was just hoping I might get your number or something, so I could book some time with you? If you have any openings, that is?"

The leg friction shuffle was played out again as Dom retrieved his wallet to pay for his new beer, his gaze earnestly centred on Jimmy's until he glanced over his shoulder and saw Ash standing looking at her phone. He turned back and smiled at the doctor, his dimples flashing. "I reckon you're up, too. Think she's finished me off. You coming?" he asked, sliding off his stool and collecting his drinks, belatedly realising he hadn't put enough thought into his actions when he found himself trapped in the lee of Jimmy's legs. His stool was pressed up against his ass, hemming him in until the doctor chose to move.

[Black Philip]

Jimmy's wide smirk became much more sinister as Dom did as he was told. There was no reason for him to drink that whole drink other than Jimmy had told him to do so. Even as he explained what he wanted he still complied. It would be one thing to do so out of simple obligation, but his acquiescence had seemed almost second nature. Jimmy had all the same training as James - although loathed to admit it - and decided that Dom probably could use James's help. He wondered if he could ruin Dom tonight and let James fix him down the line, or would a torrid hook up tonight mean no work for James tomorrow? He debated just grabbing the mortal and leaving the pool hall. It wasn't his job to fix broken humans with a vampire problem. Still, some small part of James was present, and his desire for immediate gratification was put off for now. He still had the other human to play with, and decided he wanted to play a fun game of pool while he further watched Dom.

"Take my number," Jimmy instructed, providing a cocktail napkin and bar pen. "I'm drunk as a skunk tonight, so you might have to remind me of some details come our first session, but yes... I think I can help you."

He made sure that the untangling process was lengthy and full of lots of leg rubbing. "Gosh, these stools are small," he excused, as he finally rose, turning to rest his bum close to Dom's crotch. He sauntered back towards Ash, hoping that Dom was watching him go. He saw the human on her phone. Humans loved phones these days. If they all didn't have masquerade breaking cameras they'd be lovely distractions. He approached the table and started racking the balls.

"Still up for a match," he asked, ignoring the business from earlier.

[Existentially Odd]

Dominic looked down at the napkin and pen, Ash's drink in one hand, his beer in the other and tried to figure out how he could pick the objects up and bring them with him to get the doctor's number. He got distracted when Jimmy stood up practically in his face, holding the drinks aloft so they didn't get bumped as the vampire tried to figure out how he was going to get out of a space mostly occupied by Dom's huge frame.

He blushed, feeling personally responsible for the awkwardness, even if Jimmy said he was drunk. He was pretty sure vampires couldn't get drunk and stay drunk for any length of time so he was obviously just being polite and trying to make Dom feel better about getting in the way. The ass pressed against his groin brought colour to his cheeks for a whole different reason and he stayed where he was to have a few deep breaths while the doctor finally extricated himself and sauntered away.

Dom looked at the pen and napkin again, his mind buzzing with the four beers he'd now consumed. "Fuckit," he muttered as he realised he didn't need the pen and paper. He sidled out from between the stools after Jimmy. He had his phone in his other back pocket, he'd just give it to Jimmy to put his number in contacts when he got a chance.

He circled around the table and walked up to Ash when he got there, handing her her drink with a silent smile. Not wishing to interrupt her conversation with a random woman that was standing with her or with Jimmy, he sat on the stool that she'd put her jacket on. He was angled towards the pool table but far enough away that he shouldn't interfere with anyone's shots. That said, he was now rather looking forward to watching the doctor bent over the table; from what he'd felt, the view would be tight and generously rounded.

[pentagrandma]

Ash was all smiles by the time the pair had rejoined her, having self-soothed herself into a state of calm. “Sure am,” came her breezy response to Jimmy. She accepted the drink from Dom with a grateful inclination of her head, and gave focus back to the woman to thank her for the chat.  After a bout of polite goodbyes, she pulled a generous mouthful from her drink, swallowed it down, and turned back toward the table. “... Your terms?” She queried.

[Black Philip]

"A gambler," Jimmy remarked, mocking surprise, and placing a hand on where his pearls would be. Jimmy loved a good wager, normally because he won them. Having supernatural sight helped out a lot at games, and being able to read people helped a lot at cards. He looked around the room, as if looking for something worthy of wagering. His eyes stopped on Dom. Ash had given him an idea.

"Well since Dom here is the loser of the last match, let's say whoever wins this one get's to go on a date with him. The loser loses nothing except the possibility of being escorted by such a fine looking bloke. If you don't want a date with Dom, I understand he's shared I'm a psychic. I'll answer three questions of your choosing... if you beat me."

Dom's permission was not sought, but Jimmy made sure to give big eyes and chose that exact moment to stretch, lifting up his shirt and revealing a small amount of smooth torso. His promise to answer three of Ash's questions was a rare treat indeed, and he wondered if she won how she'd use them. He pulled his shirt back down and returned his gaze to Ash. "Unless you'd rather play for money. That's what I normally do."

He grabbed a cue and and began to chalk. He was ready to play.

[pentagrandma]

Aislin turned toward Dom with marginally lofted brows as their stakes were established; if they could even be called stakes. She found him attractive, sure, but she had no interest in dating him. She had no interest in dating anyone. The last thing she needed was to rely on another person in that way, like a crutch, when she wanted so badly to stand on her own.

The two gentlemen together, however… that was something she’d have liked to witness. They would make a truly sexy pair, she determined, and the thought served to coax forth a bloom of incriminating color across her cheeks. She could feel her face heat, and hoped neither of them would interpret the response as some girlish display of hope. Yikes. Times like these made her wish she weren’t so fair-skinned, so she might better conceal her embarrassments.

“Three questions will do,” she said, almost in a bid to exonerate herself - attention having returned to Jimmy. Had she not already convinced herself of his apparent psychic abilities, she’d have taken that offer as confirmation enough. Sweet, gullible Aislin. The truth was, she had no desire to know about her future; the notion frightened her. What if she didn’t like the answers? She’d rather remain unaware; it was safer. If she won, she’d waste her questioning on trivial matters.

She moved to reclaim her own cue, sipping again from her drink before stating, “You break.”

[Existentially Odd]

Dominic had interpreted Ash's questions as being about the rules Jimmy wanted to follow while they played. To suddenly hear talk of a wager - with him offered as some sort of reward - had his eyebrows lifting even higher than Ash's.

The thought of a date with Jimmy thrilled him far more than it should. He'd been so good, staying away from vampires for so long... but a ravenous part of him ached with desire to get close to temptation, perchance to be bitten. He suddenly wanted Jimmy to win, even though he'd been having a great time with Ash and he found her lovely. Of course, the good sport in him also wished her a victory and he was pleased that she chose to have three questions as her reward. He wouldn't be much good to her on a date, after all.

Dom sat silently, nibbling his lower lip thoughtfully, sipping his beer and fiddling with his phone (he'd set up a new contact under Dr. Jimmy Barrow and was just waiting for the man in question to pass by so he could give it to him to add his number) in between watching Jimmy. He had a new regard for him now. He wasn't just the doctor that might help him get some perspective on his life, he was Jimmy the vampire, pool player and potential date. It was going to be fucking hard to stay professional, if things went that way. He'd have to strive for restraint... and his track record was dismal in that regard.

[Black Philip]

When Ash asked him to break, Jimmy smiled like a fairy tale trickster - Rumpelstiltskin or a leprechaun.  He sauntered over to the front of the table and leaned over slowly. With one eye closed, he used the inside of his thumb and index finger to measure out a good angle. The vampire took pool seriously. It had long been a way to meet bad men, and he loved beating those bad men in more than one way. Sticks and Stakes was family friendly by comparison to the pubs of Vauxhall. Condescendingly, he'd actually learned to play the game over the years, and now used it to pass the time. Even he needed a healthy habit or two, and considering what he'd been doing before arriving at the pool hall, this was down right moral.

A quick strike and Jimmy's shot was off, the cue ball hitting right between two balls and sending the spheres whizzing around the felt. Two solids and a stripe landed in various pockets. The remainder of the map wasn't as pretty, a few balls clumped together near the left bank. Jimmy eyed the map, and the results thus far and made an assessment.

"Looks like I'm solids," he said. The good doctor's follow up shot was not as successful, only serving to make the mish-mash of balls even more cramped. He saw a few ways inside, but all of them would have to wait until his next shot. He turned and winked at Dom, flashing a closed mouth smirk. He had to win. Dom was too good of a prize.

"Take it away Ash," he teased, pointing to the clusterfuck he'd made for her.

[pentagrandma]

Ash exhaled a soft little wisp of laughter as she considered what she was left with. She couldn’t do much, could she? If she opted to break up the cluster, it would only serve to aid her opponent - and she wasn’t likely to sink any of her own in the process. She drank again from her glass, and walked casually over to the window to place it upon the sill.

Upon returning to the table, she made another show of contemplating her options - skirting its edge and examining all angles. The best she could do was nothing, so that was the avenue she took. She leant forward, and shot the cue-ball toward an uninhabited cushion with just enough force for it to bounce barely an inch away. Not a single colored ball was touched - leaving the clusterfuck still, effectively, clustered and fucked.

“Oh, no,” she relayed with a healthy measure of faux regret, words at variance with the spreading of a wide grin. “I missed.” At least she had nothing to lose; nothing to gain, really, either.

[Black Philip]

Jimmy laughed at Ash as she missed handing him back what he'd left her. He supposed it was only fair, but he'd been hoping she'd clean up his mess for him. Pity. Oh well; it was more fun this way. He patrolled along the table spinning his pool cue like a baton. It went in front, round the back and into the air, before landing neatly in his hands. He was mostly sober now, the half life of alcohol for vampires not being nearly long enough in his opinion. Jimmy did the little trick for nothing but his own amusement, and quickly scanned the table for what to do with this bastard of a board.

His shot ended up freeing a few of the balls, both stripes and solids, and the clusterfuck was still still a bit clustered but not nearly as fucked. Jimmy eyed a few open shots Ash might have, and thought it might be time to read her aura. He'd made sure to make his shot so that bum was clearly in view.

"Hope you don't miss again," he said sarcastically, assuming she wouldn't. He spun his cue again, although this time just a simple once around the back.

[Existentially Odd]

Dom snickered at Ash when she surrendered a penalty in favour of not helping Jimmy out, taking a sip of his beer in order to hide his amusement at her cheek. Luckily, Jimmy was just as easy-going and he shrugged the tactic off, spinning his cue like some sort of pool-playing ninja. Dom couldn't resist admiring him, even though those moves were pure sass. If the wood hadn't been swirling like a blade, he might've been game enough to approach with his phone and get the number he was increasingly more interested in getting. But it was, so he simply sat back and kept watching, greatly entertained.

[pentagrandma]

Aislin found herself quite impressed with Jimmy’s cue-whirling stunt. She would never have been able to pull something like that off. If she could somehow manage to avoid flinging her cue in the process of an attempt, she’d most assuredly strike an innocent bystander instead; a combination of both outcomes seemed likeliest. Some trick that would be.

She cast a sweet smile toward Jimmy, one she’d practiced well in her years serving at the local diner back home. “Come on, now,” she implored, allowing a touch of humor to color her tone. “That would be outright sloppy.” She was having fun; it felt good to be socializing, and she resolved to not hermit away again.

Enough liquor had now run its course that her following performance was far more relaxed; less calculated than in her match with Dom. She allowed herself to be driven by impulse over deliberation, and it served her well in her first two shots. On her third, however - though she still managed to sink a tertiary stripe - the cue ball dove into the pocket in swift pursuit. With a wince, she stepped back. So much for avoiding sloppiness. “Ouch,” she said, in reflection of the sentiment. “I suppose you’ve got two shots, then.”

A soft bloom of muted pink, as a peony; enjoyment, laced with a small, remaining drop of nervous energy; a longing for success and acceptance, and the determination to achieve both.

[Black Philip]

Jimmy's eyes didn't change colors, or glow, or any other stereotypical feature of vampire power, but they did seem to twinkle, and cast a strong reflection of light. He stared intently at Ash as she made her shots, and learned some valuable information. His lips formed a sinister smile. Her aura came into focus, and as she was a human he gained much from a surface look.

A soft bloom of muted pink, as a peony; enjoyment, laced with a small, remaining drop of nervous energy; a longing for success and acceptance, and the determination to achieve both.

The old seers said an aura's color told the seer a great deal about the person it belonged too, and whole code books had been written on the subject, saying what colors meant what things. As Jimmy racked his memory for what pink meant, he moved to examine the board. She'd gotten two up on him, and he couldn't have that at all. He was losing now. As he took his first shot, sinking a solid ball that was near the right corner pocket, he remembered what the old books said about pink.

Compassionate

However, there was a muted quality to it. Was it a limited compassion? Was it muted due to her distrust of him from before? It made more questions than it answered. There was something cotton candy tasting about Ash, not that Jimmy actually knew what cotton candy tasted like, but he imagined this feeling of sugary sweetness was it. The most interesting part of the read was the longing feeling, the wanting to be accepted. There was determination yes, but beneath the layers Jimmy smelled something very human indeed; insecurity. He evened the score on his next shot, rather impressively jumping the white ball over a stripe and knocking two solids into a side pocket. It would've been a perfect play, except that his jump shot had caused the white ball to move with too much force, and he scratched.

"Fucking hell," he cursed at the white ball, smiling at Ash to let him know his frustration was with his own playing, and not with her. "Well I guess it's back to you now," he offered.