The crack erupted through the silence as the cue collided with the polished sphere, making it roll towards the targetted net. The soft rolling sound, the ball against the felt cover, was soon interrupted by the gentle catch of the pocket, which Iason Mink congratulated with a smirk. His victorious grin was soon wiped from his face by his friend's unnecessary ramblings, something which although he didn't appreciate, he sill put up with.
"Did you know there are some unsettling rumours spreading among the pets recently, Iason?"
The average pets Iason was forced to witness every day was something he didn't wish to speak about. Compared to his own pet, the diamond in the rough, pets were mere rocks.
"No." Iason's curt reply was cut short by another striking of pool balls, by his own hand. Targetted towards the same net pocket, the two heavy spheres collided with each other, reminding Raoul that he was losing the game.
But Raoul seemed more interested in the pet talk rather than the pool game. "It seems your Z107M and my Mimea have been suspicious," Raoul continued. His use of Riki's tag number almost made Iason roll his eyes, although he was too fixated on Raoul's turn. Although he managed to hit another ball, he wasn't able to pocket one like his opponent. "It's unusual for you to miss one. Or is it that even you can have your skill disturbed by unexpected news like that?"
"And...?" Iason didn't completely understand what Raoul was trying to get at.
"Looking as if he's caught a demon's head, Kyle's been whispering." The striking of balls forced its way into the conversation again. "I've been thinking recently about pairing Mimea. With a pedigree, of course. I don't want to attract any useless bugs. As you know, Mimea is of an improved line that I bred myself."
Raoul made his shot again, but it was obvious that Iason was going to win the game, as Raoul clearly had more important things on his mind. His lack of attention to the game was rather irritating.
"Are you trying to tell me to keep Riki locking in his room?" Iason asked, turning his own attention away from the game to confront his friend.
"I'm not," Raoul replied. "Show him at a Free Party. Because it's been over a year since you first showed his face and haven't once shown him at a Free Party, you'll only make yourself a target for unsavoury rumours." Raoul exhaled heavily, proving his point that he wasn't happy. "If you're going to say you find those moronic sex-freaks tiresome, I won't try to force you into excessive pairings. But show him at a Free Party. Show him, and have him take a female. Or if not a female, a male is fine."
In a small attempt at ignoring him, Iason took his turn, turning his full attention to the game, resulting in pocketing another ball. Raoul noted this, and continued his lecture.
"Since he's come, the pets have changed and he's having an affect on everyone. So if you make him pair with a male, it'll put an end to the rumours. In the meantime, make him pair with another pet. At least then the criticism surrounding you would fade a little."
Taking his second turn, Iason pocketed another ball. "No. I have no intention of showing Riki at a Free Party."
"Iason!" Raoul snapped. His aggravation was showing through, despite how calm he had been mere seconds before.
"If you're worried about the gossip, I'll leave him in his room for a while," Iason compromised. "If that all right?"
"What do you plan to accomplish by locking him away?" Raoul snapped back, irritated by his friend's stubbornness. "You're the one that said he's a male in his prime with no Control or Imprinting on him. He's a troublemaker. Just by keeping him in there you won't change the minds of the pets – no, not just the pets. There are even the rumours spreading with the great interest among the elites. If he's a pet, use him as a pet. Don't leave him to his own any longer!"
Iason took his third turn and pocketed yet another ball, making Raoul cringe in defeat of the game, and the fact that he knew he could not change Iason's mind once it was made up.
"I understand what you're saying. However... I have no intention of showing him at a Party now."
And with that, Iason pocketed the last ball, ending both the game and the conversation.