Approaching the table, Quintus bows low and lines up the cue stick, only then seeing the choice as the bridge. Moving back to the rack, he chooses a light stick with a green stripe just low of the middle of the stick. Bending to line up the strike, Quintus makes a few practice strokes with the cue and then slices the air with a mighty swing as he tips the cue forward, barely clipping the top of the ball. The cue rolls forward cracking the triangle of balls, but not breaking them up more than a few inches.
     "Ah, yes, I see. May take just a bit more practice. I hope you are still in good form my aquarian friend. I am correct in saying, since nothing fell into the pockets, it is your shot now, right?"

 She stands up with her glass of wine and sips at the wine and walks over to the table they were playing at and watches the game.

" what is this game called"

     "The game is called puddle, err pool, pool table that's it, yes! Oh sorry, as I was saying, the game is called pool, I was being initiated in it's workings by the rough one named Boone when you first arrived." Quintus puffs out his chest at remembering the name, completely overlooking the disastrous first shot.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:58, Sat 21 Mar 2009.

 Smiles and covers her mouth and giggles and her hand brushed his arm as she found him   cute. She looks at the other man and smiles at him

" do you  mind if I watch"

"I must say I do not my Lady. I call the game billiards but I new a cowboy who named it thus... ah yes... pool as my Roman friend stated so elegantly."

He swept off his bowler & gave the woman a courtly bow "The name is Smythe, Meriwether Lewis Smythe. I am at your service."

He then rose giving Quintus a wink "Hello my old friend. Did you mention tea?"

Gallus looked at Quintus and then shook his head. He approached the table to line up his shot. Taking his time, he aimed and hit the cue like a pro. The cue bounced off one of the solid colored balls, but did not send it in. He smiled and said a small curse. "It is your shot, Quintus."

Meriwether gave the big man a nod in greeting "My prdon sir. I do not think we have met. Meriwether Lewis Smythe. A pleasure I'm sure."

     "Meriwether, this is Captain Gallus, without his huge suit of armor. He was Sergeant the last time we talked. Thank you Gallus," Quintus lined up his next shot, this time to the striped yellow one. With a bit more control, Quintus shoots the ball. The cue strikes the nine bouncing the ball near the pocket, but bouncing off of the banks, rebounding into the center of the table. With a strong crack the 9 ball separates the pack, and with a lazy roll the three ball wobbles over to the side pocket and falls.
     "Well, what do you make of that, I was going for the striped ones, your shot big man." Returning over to the table, Quintus refills the mug and two glasses. Waving for another glass to the barmaid Quintus hands a full glass to Meriwether. "One of the last bottles made from the Scarpelli family, my own vineyard raised these grapes, my own kin pressed this wine. Here try it, there is a heart to the wine you won't find elsewhere. You can have tea later." A serious and forlorn look crosses his face.

 Curtsy to the young man and looks back at the  game

" some more wine please"

Meriwether took the glass from the Roman. Meri had not known the man for long but already counted him among his friends. He noticed the change in the man's demeanor & gave him a friendly nod of encouragement.

"If the vintage is from your family's vineyards I expect it to be most excellent indeed. Tis good to see you my friend. We all appear to be out of sorts what? Let us take heart of new friendships made."


He turned to the huge mechanical monstrosity that was Gallus "Most pleased to meet you Captain. My father, The Major, was a military man. Queen's own Guard, 32nd Regiment of Foot. Most admirable profession indeed. Do not allow me to interrupt your shot my good fellow."

The Englishman then turned to the beautiful & elegant woman beside him. He extended his arm & goblet of wine toward her "I am sure Quintus can fetch me another. A gentleman never allows a Lady to go without while he may help it. It comes by good authority that the vintage is most excellent. Yet, I must say, it can not touch the man who's family distiled it. Please enjoy it... ah... forgive me but I know not your name?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:09, Sun 22 Mar 2009.

     "My apologies to both of you, Meriwether Lewis Smythe, this is Lady Alexis Con De Leon." Quintus makes sure to stay clear of the line of sight as he introduces the two.

"You flatter me Quintus, but it will not help your game to distract me." He laughed, deep and booming."You sunk a ball, it is still your shot until you miss. I believe that is correct, is it not?"

     With a gracious bow of over exaggerated manners Quintus approaches the table again. "I bow to your experience, though technically, doesn't your first experience start a few thousand years from my last experience?" With this last little jibe, Quintus lines up on the five ball, draws back and rocks forward with the cue. Striking the cue, the pearlescent ball rolls hard to the right at a slow speed. striking the six, and the eight ball. Both balls bounce around the corners at the far end of the table. No success, nothing drops, nothing even the slightest bit close.

Gallus smiles and waves him off. "Come now, what is a few thousand years among friends, hmm? In all honesty, I would almost prefer your experiences. At least you only fight humans and your term can be at an end. I must fight until death. A Space Marine does not get to retire." He goes silent lining up a shot on the ten ball. His swift, powerful shot sends it straight into a corner pocket, followed closely by the fourteen ball. His next shot goes wide and hits nothing.  With a few curses,he reaches in the corner pocket and throws the ten back onto the table."Foul, your shot."

 Smiles  at the Englishman.
" thank you very much I apericated  the offer of drink. and yes it is very good Vintage"

     With concerns over his prior actions, Quintus questions the big blonde. "Have I missed a rule here? Why did you return the ball to the able from the pocket?" Quintus quickly moves to the side pocket, ready to retrieve the 3 ball if he needs to offer one up in fair play.

"It is customary for my brothers or myself to remove a point or reduce a score when we miss. It is to symbolize the loss that doing nothing creates. I did it only out of habit." He shrugs and waits for the Roman to make his move.

     With a quirk of his mouth Quintus thinks to work the game differently. Perhaps a lesson could be taught to the large Captain. "It must be a hard life to think that every action that does not progress your personal gain is a loss," With this, Quintus lines up on his 6 ball, he sees that if he tips off the six he can angle off the rail and bury the cue ball in the corner. From there, Gallus would have a hard time even banking a profitable shot out.
     Taking his shot, the balls click together, the cue ball angles off the six, passes the four on the rail side, bounces from the rail clear of the pocket and rests behind the four, two, one and eight. No clear shot out. the six stops rolling in front of the side pocket. "Ouch, that didn't work out too well for me, nothing dropped." Quintus quickly pulled the three from the pocket and rolled it out on the table so that it would interfere with none of the balls.

Noting the Roman mimicking his action and at the same time setting him up for a difficult shot, Gallus nodded.

"Aye, that it is a hard life, but like I said before, I will never retire from war. It is all a Space Marine can and will do. I have seen countless horrors and will doubtlessly see countless more. We are doomed to live until we die in battle. I have long thought that my place could have been elsewhere. I was born on a small tariff agriculture planet. The Skyhawks used the world as a crusade stop to pick up more neophytes. I was chosen because of my size and stamina. The test were brutal, but if I survived them I would be sent home. They kept their promise in a way. My home became the battle barge they were in and my family my battle brothers. For years I served, many died under my command as a Sergeant, and more have died under me as a Captain. I regret every death, for it was family that I sent in knowing their doom. But it is said that what good is a Space Marine if not to die for humanity? A question that I have yet to find an answer to."

He made no shot, lost in thought.

Meriwether gave the woman a half bow "My pleasure I assure you!"

He glanced at the game. Then again at the big armored man "I say ole boy? Captain I think Quint called you... when did you arrive?"

Meri's pale blue eyes suddenly glossed over & became sad "Arrived? Strange word what? I vaguely remember arriving here before... Joseph was here... Yes! A beautiful elf & another woman... yes & Joseph... & I went upon an adventure. The Sage was with us as well. Yet, I can not remember a Bloody thing!"

The Englishman's face flushed a bit "Please excuse my language My Lady. Frustration won out but it is a poor excuse for bad manners!"

 Smiles and nods her head.

" it is all right. but are you well sir?"

 She looks at him with concern in her eyes. She  takes sip for her wine and  relaxes and watches the  game

    With a grin, Quintus taps Gallus' boot with the butt of his cue stick, "Dream between shots big man, I wish to lose tonight so I may get back to my duties, haha." Quintus begins to wonder what this big man would see about his time, and if there was anything that could be done. This man decided the fate of countries, from what it sounded like, he decided much more than that with his actions. Could Quintus return and make a difference?

"Sorry, tend to do that alot now. Not in battle of course." He lined up the stick and cue once more, but instead of a straight on shot, he bounced the cue over the one, grazing it. The cue hit the twelve ball teetered on the edge of a pocket. The one rested in front of the opposite pocket.

     "Great shot!! How did you do that?" Quintus is all eyes as the ball leaped over his barricade to continue across the table. "Can you do that according to the rules of this game? Do you not have to stay on the table?" If the answers are no, then this game enters the 3 dimensional, and the sand table gains terrain instead of forces. Taking in the angle that Gallus struck the ball, Quintus mimics the strike in the air to the side of the table. The ex-soldier like a child in the throws of a new game.

 She smiles and claps her hands. She had no clue what they were playing but she was cheering them on just the same