Gerrard

Asteria listened patiently, nodding while he explained himself. The mare had determined that she misunderstood him when she had interpreted his words in such a strange manner. When he explained that it was another way to say the same thing, she nodded again, seeming to indicate an understanding of his words. "I understand. Please forgive my ignorance, I am not properly socialized in some areas as others might like. I will accept your offer of free food," the unicorn calmly added while she thought over what she would order. The black mare was unsure of the quality of the food on the menu. "Sir Saddlesore, I will accept your expertise with this establishment. I will order the item you most highly suggest, she explained, the unicorn not the type to commit to any real preference. Her crimson eyes glanced over the green waiter and her blue friend while she patiently waited for further direction from her 'date'.

Asteria silently followed alongside her stallion friend, the odd mare scanning the city with her crimson eyes. She was very familiar with the layout for most towns in Equestria, the courier delivering items to every corner of the region. When they reached their destination though, her eyes did a more thorough examination of the establishment, the odd mare seemingly unfamiliar with the insides of the building. She clearly wasn't the type to eat out much, but she decided it was in her best interest to appease her former client. When the waiter gave the pair a shocked expression, she could only speculate as to why, at least until he clarified a moment later. When introduced, the unicorn mare performed a subservient bow for the waiter, lowering her tall form carefully for him. "It is an honor to meet you sir," she replied in her usual formal, but completely static voice. The eyes of the other patrons were locked on Asteria and her new friend, the made not entirely sure as to why. She thought that was unlikely that his rude mannerisms were so widely known. While this was the actual reason, Asteria also kept in mind that one or both of them may have violated an accepted norm of society without being aware of it. Regardless, she did not have enough information to go off of and make a blind guess. She simply decided to accept his direction and look over the menu. "It's on me?" she commented in a confused voice as she lightly cocked her head to the side. "Are you asking me to order food in an attempt to remove it from you? I believe I need further clarification for your comment," she replied in her standard voice. It was unclear if she was joking, the made seeming unable to understand the common figure of speech.

The black mare listened intently, nodding in understanding as he explained that it was his honor to have her around. There must have been some sort of other benefit to having her around that she could not quantify, the odd mare not sure of how to handle the odd situation. "Thank you sir, I appreciate the offer of an all expenses covered dinner. I will accept your terms and accompany you to dinner," she replied simply in her usual unchanging voice as she walked up beside the stallion. Her tall, graceful form contrasted well with his own, the mare seeming to show no visible pride in her form as she patiently waited for his direction. "You may lead the way Sir Saddlesore, I am ready and able to follow your direction," she commented into his ear, the mare lowering her head slightly to speak to him. She paused when he bowed before her, the mare not often receiving such displays from others. Asteria returned the bow to the stallion and carefully trotted around his body and stood firmly at his side, the unflinching mare clearly ready to follow him.

Asteria lowered her lean leg just in time to for the stallion to ask her out on a date. She listened intently to him as he finally worked up the courage to express himself to her. Her fiery eyes studied his every movement as he professed his love for her, the unicorn finally deciding that he simply appreciated his presence, and was not fearful of her in any real way. The courier had no obligations for the night and had agreed to be in his company for an undisclosed period of time. She simply needed to articulate the terms of her response, the mare blinking as she thought of how to reply. "I will agree to be your guest, but I must inform you that I do not carry formal wear while I am working unless it is a unique situation. Would my presence be detrimental without proper apparel? And thank you for the flattering words, I always welcome the opinions of others in regards to my appearance, thoughts and other idiosyncrasies. Do you wish to negotiate a payment agreement for the meal? Will a fifty percent share for each of us be satisfactory, or do you have other plans sir?" she explained patiently, deciding for one reason or another to not fret over the caloric values of the meal he was offering. She either was hungry, or was going to work off the calories later, the exact reason not clearly defined as she stood beside him.

"Thank you for your promise Sir Saddlesore, it means a lot to me that you would promise to respect my confidentiality," she replied, bowing her head subserviently before him, her well groomed scarlet mane sweeping around her face before returning to its normal position. "Yes, the deals are mutually beneficial, I provide them my services when other carriers may not, and in exchange, I am payed a gratuity for the danger involved," she added, explaining that her motives were not completely altruistic, at least at first. When asked about her books, the mare paused, blinking again as she thought over the proper way to summarize her reading. "I read for self-improvement. I read about the cultures and social protocols of the different species of Equestria and beyond. I also read about general information and seek to become more familiar with a wider array of sources of knowledge that were not covered at my university," she explained, the mare seeming to not notice the slip of the tongue as he accidentally complimented her again. Unfortunately for Saddlesore, she simply liked to handle issues in small sections and only delayed remarking on his outburst. "Sir Saddlesore, my name is Asteria Stillheart. Perhaps I have failed in properly introducing myself. Or is my presence influencing your thinking process? I apologize if I am making you act in a manner that you are not comfortable with. Is there a way for me to help remedy your current condition?" she asked calmly, the mare standing up, her tall form briefly on display as she lifted a leg to his forehead to check his temperature. "Your head is unusually red, yet you don't seem to be ill. Perhaps you need a more qualified individual to diagnose your ailment?" she suggested in her usual serious manner, the black beauty apparently oblivious to just how infatuated he was with her.

Gerrard was going to release his literally close friend from his clutches when she squirmed free from him, the pegasus having a short fall to the ground. He turned around and spotted the mare back on her hooves, the 'great hero' glad everything turned out like it did in his head, minus the few ideas of what might have gone wrong of course. "Yeah, sometimes one must go with primal instinct. Be ready to face harm head on, literally in this case," he cheered, chuckling lightly as he made light of his reckless use of her hat. "We make quite the dynamic duo! Strength and Speed, and whatever you bring," he joked, giving her an instinctive bear hug, squeezing his pony friend tightly the moment she had recovered. After a moment of squeezing, he released her to the ground, his eyes noticing a few scrapes on her smaller frame, the hybrid feeling a bit guilty, regardless of what his face might have shown. "Quite the cuts you have, lets rub some dirt on them and move along," he said in an inspired manner as he pulled out some gauze and touched up her dyed coat a bit. The taller griffon didn't have much problem spotting all her minor wounds, quickly turning the cloth red before discarding it to the ground for the next pair of hapless adventurers to find on their way through. "Sorry about being so rash. Next time, I'll make sure to take your share of the damage," he added in an honorable manner, the griffon winking one of his golden eyes playfully as he spoke to her. When she cheered about the case, the griffon was stunned a bit, nearly having forgotten about why he was here in the first place. He was supposed to fix a pipe and figure out why water was going missing. The water had apparently been going into a giant reserve that had been used in an attempt to drown them. "If the villain had water to spare on us, imagine how much water they are storing somewhere else. This is a desert after all, they might really be able to flood a city or two already," Gerrard declared in his normal voice, the griffon starting to get genuinely concerned. "Regardless of what might happen, we must continue onward. The lives of hundreds, if not thousands rest on our talons... and hooves. Lead on friend!" he announced, pausing a bit to add her into the cheer, the griffon seeming willing to allow her to share the glory, like any good hero would.

Asteria patiently watched him leave and retrieve another glass of water for her. "Thank you again Sir Saddlesore," she replied, nodding for him as she grasped the drink in her crimson magic. She took a few careful drink, making sure to not make a mess with her drink, the Canterlot mare drinking very formally. The unicorn's black ears perked up very slightly when he asked about her personal life, the strange mare not the type to idly speak about herself. This didn't mean that she never did, especially when prompted to, the courier not the type to disappoint others. With a quick flick of her magic, Asteria carefully placed her drink on the table, returning her attention to the blue stallion as she thought over the most appropriate response to his request. "I can tell you about myself, on the condition that you respect my desire for anonymity. Simply do not disclose my personal details to another person and I will agree to divulge a portion of my personal information. My name is Asteria Stillheart, and I am from Canterlot. I am the daughter of Stern Gavel, and Elegant Star, a judge and actress from Canterlot. I work as a courier, delivering and retrieving items in secret for my clients, an additional focus being placed on serving needy dragons and griffons. I appreciate truthful and honorable people, and I like reading about new things on my travels," she explained calmly, the odd mare revealing a bit about herself while not really giving any revealing information about herself. She seemed to follow directions, almost too well, Asteria needing more direction to squeeze out substantive replies.

The temperature seemed constant in the room to her, the odd mare finding his statement odd. Perhaps there was a change in temperature and she couldn't perceive it, the mare always keeping open the possibility that she was the odd one. Her previous experiences with him did seem to indicate that he tended towards outlandish and highly unlikely comments, Asteria keeping open the myriad of possibilities that could explain their odd conundrum. Regardless of what she thought though, a cool breeze blew into his home, the colder air improving her condition as it normalized her temperature. "Your efforts have normalized my body temperature adequately, thank you for your thoughtfulness," she complimented politely, the mare not understanding that he was simply being hot and bothered. He asked her again if she wanted water, the mare deciding to agree to take water, both because she wanted some, and because he seemed interested in giving it to her. "I would appreciate additional water, assuming of course it is not bothersome to you," she replied, lightly shaking her scarlet tail as she looked across to him with her aloof crimson eyes. "Are you sure this is the only way I can repay your hospitality? Perhaps there is a way to concentrate my payment plan to you? If there is not, I will settle for spending time in your presence," Asteria added, showing no real preference on her still stoic expression.

"You wish to test my virtue by seeing if I will selflessly donate food to you? Doesn't that seem more in your interest, than the interest of virtue? Perhaps there is something here that I simply am unable to comprehend?" Asteria commented, the odd mare feeling that there was a chance that the knight was being selfish. Regardless of what it seemed like, the odd mare kept open the possibility that she was wrong, deciding to not outright call the filly a bully. The white mare watched Fate eat her ice cream, the young filly stomping her hooves in delight as she enjoyed her unique cold treat. Miss Lemon giggled at the spectacle of her two guests, the filly eager to devour all the food she could get her hooves on, while Asteria was hesitant to eat anything at all. "Yeah, Asteria cares too much about her lady-like figure to eat any ice cream, she is a stick in the mud," the storekeeper explained, drawing the gaze of her courier friend. "The nutritional content of ice cream does not merit the time investment required to shed the excess weight it would attribute to my body," Asteria explained, getting a giggle from her adult friend as the black mare essentially affirmed what the blonde mare had said. When Fate practically begged for her ice cream, Asteria turned her attention back to the young knight and presented the food to her. "You may have my food, but be aware that eating too much ice cream could be unhealthy if you do not get adequate exercise," she warned in her usual apathetic sounding voice, the mare never seeming to sound too enthralled as her voice was locked at a predetermined tone.

When asked what item he needed to sign for, Asteria paused, thinking over her introduction of the item. She thought the presentation was clear, but mulled over possible ways to improve the visible delivery of said item. She could have described what she was actually delivering, but that idea was relegated to the back of her mind when she determined that it would be unprofessional to look at her clients item without asking them, something she clearly could not do until reaching them of course. His quick change of approach signaled to her that he was probably not paying proper attention, the mare thinking of better ways to gain his attention before he simply decided to sign the ledger. Her keen eyes watched him sign with his mouth, a technique that was always hard for her in practice, the mare not usually having the time to work on her non magic manipulation of items. Upon Saddlesore finishing his signature, the black mare carefully scooped up the parchment and secured it in one of her saddlebags. "Thank you, I appreciate your kindness Sir Saddlesore," she commented, her words quickly being followed up by mention of weather. Asteria wasn't the type to usually mention weather, and figured that an observation that went contrary to his own was likely to create conflict. Her black eyelids hid her fiery orbs as she thought over a response that would be both truthful and informative. "There was a minimal amount of humidity in the air and the cloud cover was generally sparse today," Asteria added, the odd courier not understanding the point of weather discussion as she basically put forth evidence to attempt to support his statement instead of taking it as a queue for discussion. Saddlesore would quickly go on to mention that he didn't need payment for his generosity, and the odd unicorn paused, thinking over the most efficient way to reply to his statement. While his kindness deserved some sort of payment, demanding to pay one would have been rude and only served to anger him further. After going over his words closely, she determined that he wanted payment in the form of her presence. If he wanted her to stay in his house as compensation, she would be willing to do so, the mare knowing that unpaid debts were usually subject to interest. The only question left for her, was one about the duration of this 'payment.' She had no current obligations and could spare a few hours, or days even, but she had never dealt with such abstract exchanges of currency before and was not sure of the going rates. The current value of her time was low because she had nothing pressing to deal with, but she wasn't sure of what amount of time currency he wanted. Did he know the value of her time, the possible exchange rates that were never static? She would have to ask him, but to ask him how much of a price he was to put on her would have been rude, the odd unicorn not sure of how to approach the situation. She decided to go with the least confrontational route, the stoic mare simply deciding to wait until he asked her to leave. Remembering to uphold his request to stay comfortable, Asteria shifted about on his couch to gain a more comfortable position, her long lean muscles moving like a well oiled machine while her scarlet mane and tail faintly shifted from her awkward movements.

The long black horn atop her head glowed red yet again as she deftly gripped her cup. The mare gave the water only the faintest of visual observations, not wanting to offend him before she politely took a sip of the cold liquid. It tasted within the normal parameters of water and she decided there was nothing negative to comment about the water. "Thank you Sir Saddlesore, the water is everything I could have predicted. It is satisfactory for the sating of my thirst," she responded politely in her usual manner, the black pony still using a peculiar set of words to speak. After speaking, she opted to finish the drink, the mare believing that placing down a cup that still had water in it could be interpreted as a disapproval of his water. A few seconds later, she had placed the empty drink on the table and returned her fiery eyes to her gracious host. Asteria slid the ledger over to Saddlesore, neatly placing it in front of him with her magic. "Yes, could you do me the favour of signing for the item. I need evidence of your retrieval of the item before I can officially give it to you. The good word will be welcomed, I hope to provide additional contracting work for the postal service in the future," she explained, patiently, doing her best to seem gracious. For Asteria, dealing with others was always delicate business where she tried her best to avoid stepping on anyone's feet. She felt that his hospitality and accommodating attitude needed some sort of mention, the mare blinking as she thought over the best way to order her words. Making an open ended comment seemed like the best idea to her, increasing the likelihood that he would be receptive to her offer. "Sir Saddlesore, is there any way I can help repay your generosity? I am open to a wide array of options to accommodate your selfless actions," she added stoically for him with a completely straight face while her athletic body rested comfortably on the couch for him.

Gerrard was starting to question the sanity of the odd pegasus. Most ponies would be at least a little scared, but Pathfinder seemed to revel and thrive on danger. She had the faintest of crazed glimmers in her eyes, but Gerrard figured that it was probably for the best. What truly frightened him was the fact that she agreed with his plan, something the novice adventurer was hoping she had a better plan for their escape. Gerrard silently gulped and decided to put on a fake sense of bravado, pumping his chest out proudly. "Of course my dear mare. I will lead the charge! I will protect you from the traps to the best of my ability," he proudly remarked without being sure of what to do. He nodded in agreement with her plan, at least until she had seemingly called him 'big'. Gerrard gawked at such a notion that he was above average in size. "Perhaps you lack a certain level of sophistication to understand the specimen before you. In Canterlot, I must swash buckle my way through a menagerie of mares who marvel in my magnificence and machismo. Perhaps you are simply too small," he playfully teased, the griffon possibly embellishing, if only a 'tiny' bit. When she explained her plan, Gerrard resolved to be brave and daring, reckless even! He knelt down in a lion sprinting posture and tapped his talons on the stone floor. When she triggered the traps, his keen eyes watched spikes fly before he snatched up Pathfinder in his right talon and darted into danger, pegasus in tow. "Fear not my fair feathered maiden. I will protect you with a portion of the safety allotted to my earlier run of the gauntlet to you," he explained, darting the the set off traps with ease. Upon reaching the other side, his talon set off a hidden arrow trap, spraying a hail of projectiles at him. With a bit of quick thinking, the griffon raised his pith hatted friend and used her head ware as a shield, deftly stopping all of the arrows in their tracks. "How about them apples?" Gerrard confidently commented, hiding his shaking talons from view.

Asteria watched patiently as he returned, the stallion unable to control his mouth for reasons unknown to her. She wondered if her newly revealed form had frightened or surprised him. The mare watched him critically as he stammered nervously and apologized. She blinked her crimson eyes, her orbs vanishing behind her dark eyelids as she formulated a comment. "You do not need to apologize, I am not offended. Regardless, I appreciate your sentiment," she explained patiently as he fled to get more water. She cocked her head to the side, ever so faintly as she tried to understand his seemingly irrational behavior. She returned her head to it's normal position when he returned and spoke to her about her work. "Yes, you are correct about me not working directly for the postal service. I operate a private company that specializes in the discreet delivery and retrieval of sensitive and important documents," she explained in her in usual professional and rigid manner. When the nervous stallion called her beautiful by accident, Asteria blinked, the only physical tell her controlled form ever seemed to have, while she thought over how to address his awkward confession of admiration. The mare was self trained to react quickly to a wide array of situations, and while she never prepared for one like this, Asteria decided to nod while accepting his compliment. "Thank you Sir Saddlesore, I am glad that my personal appearance is satisfactory for you. I believe that your form is satisfactory as well," the athletic mare awkwardly replied on her usual confident manner as her crimson eyes examined him. It was a bit unclear what her exact thoughts were behind her stoic visage, but then again, that was probably the point of her serious demeanor. "I have no immediate pressing needs sir. Thank you for the attention though I appreciate your efforts," she politely added, deciding to address her own needs last. One thing about the made was peculiar though, for the entire duration of his accidental outburst, Asteria never blushed a single time. Was her coat simply too dark to see the blush through? Was she simply a robot that felt no emotions? Or was she just really good at hiding any potential shyness?

His amazement was quickly followed by a sense of anger that was quickly washed away with a sense of cheer. His emotions were very strange by normal standards, but that thought did not cross her mind. Accepting something as weird without explanation was like disrespecting the thought process of the eccentric stallion. She decided that it was probably best to explain herself in an attempt to temper his feelings. "I am a contractor, hired by the postal service to retrieve your package when their employees cited unsafe working conditions for the package retrieval, she explained to him while he was probably getting water. The mare decided to check if her actions were the source of his actions by becoming compliant. When asked to relax and get comfortable, she silently agreed to do so, not wanting to alienate him further. Her long black horn glowed red while her magic aura enveloped her cloak. The sound of buttons popping and fasteners loosening filled the air as she freed herself from her heavy cloak. Her saddle bags quickly followed and in what seemed like seconds, she had shed her restrictive equipment and revealed her true form. Her tall body seemed to operate like an optimized machine, long lean muscle muscles fitted tightly be weather her black coat, that was accented with her cutie mark, a discreet silver package Her scarlet mane was shortly cut in a utilitarian manner that couldn't hide the seemingly perpetual expression of indifference on her stoic face. Even an untrained eye would be able to tell that she was a trained runner of some sort. Asteria took a comfortable seat on his couch, the courier carefully folding her long legs as she settled down. With one swift swipe of her magic, she pulled a ledger out of her bags and sat it down on the table for him to sign when he returned. It chronicled the details of her delivery, from the ditsy pegasus, to the 'scary' dragon. It even had the official seal of Trottingham stamped on it for extra credibility.

The cloaked courier blinked as he grumbled to himself about the notoriously unreliable postal service. She decided that he deserved a more appropriate explanation, the unicorn shifting her tall form ever so faintly as she gathered her thoughts. "Your mail was delivered to a dragon by accident. He was sleeping and fortunately did not disturb your package. The carier spoke of a daring delivery to a dragon, and with a bit of research, it was determined that they had delivered your parcel to the wrong person,"she explained partially before being asked inside by the stallion. For one reason or another, the strange made avoided speaking the common word of pony and seemed to speak broadly in specific circumstances. She paused for just a moment when asked, weighing the costs and benefits of accepting his offer. Asteria had no obligations for the rest of the week and had time to spare. While there was a chance that this could be an elaborate ploy to trap her, it seemed very unlikely, not to mention rude to deny his hospitality. "I will accept your terms for company. My journey has only been approximately 50 miles and I am only suffering from a minute case of dehydration. I can accept your request for tea as well, although I would prefer water, unless it would be too much of a bother. It would be a cheaper alternative for you, while being a healthier alternative for me," Asteria commented, in the same tone as before, her seeming strangely static, just like her stoic expression. She seemed to be the agreeable type, feeling the need to justify even the faintest signs of dissent. After giving him her two cents, the seemingly aloof mare lowered her head in a subservient manner again. "Regardless, I will accept your terms and enter your residence. Your hospitality be be duly noted, thank you," she explained in her usual polite, if not submissive manner as she waited for him to show her around. While he did invite her in, she didn't want to aimlessly roam about his home and accidentally trespass into his personal areas.

Asteria blinked ever so faintly as the grumpy stallion growled at her. The demeanour of the unicorn remained completely static, either because she expected a grumpy response or was just a composed person. The courier felt that the response was warranted and opted to hear him out without interruption. Crimson orbs stared back at him while the stranger watched him pull an about face with his attitude. She silently contemplated why he might have changed, the made suspecting that he was either scared or infatuated. While it seemed likely that it was the latter, she was modest enough to entertain other options. "My deepest apologies for interrupting you at such a late hour. I am Asteria Stillheart and your parcel was lost by your delivery pegasus. I was hired to retrieve it and deliver the object to you as fast as possible. Are you Sir Soresaddle? You match the description and address given to me," she politely remarked in a vaguely alluring Canterlot tone as the tall made performed a subservient bow before him. Her long black horn glowed red as the shimmering sound of her magic filled the air outside his humble home. A small bulge appeared beneath her form fitted cloak, and just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished as she pulled a well wrapped package from a concealed location on her body. The unicorn held the object firmly in her magic aura before politely presenting it to him.

The marvelous moon meandered across the magnificent sky of the municipality of Trottingham on an otherwise melancholy night. The quaint city was well into the night when a shadowy figure rushed into town with a surprisingly quiet canter. The figure belonged to a unicorn made with a body as dark as the night. Her form was cloaked in utilitarian garb that hid all details of her form aside from a few scant pieces of information on her face. Her piercing crimson eyes scanned over the dark city streets, searching for places unknown. Faint traces of her scarlet mane came into view as she panned her head across the deserted roads of the sleeping town. After a few moments of searching, she had found her destination, the mare trotting towards the end of her journey, the mare's face as stoic as when she first set hoof in the city. The mare's long black horn shimmered a dark red as she grasped the knocker on a seemingly ordinary door. It belonged to a Mr. Saddlesore, or at least that was what her client had told her. Even though it was late, this was something she had to do. With one swift movement, the mare knocked on the door with the rigid metal apparatus, filling the home with loud reverberations as she tried to elicit the attention of the resident.

Asteria was inquisitive as well, the mare preferring to observe others before asking any substantive questions. She had learned from experience that some people didn't respond positively to personal inquiries. A certain elusive tact was required in some dealings and her years had taught her that patience was important. She wanted to discuss business with him, but promised her client to proceed to her destination without delay. The unicorn listened to his introduction while she followed him to their mutual destination. Asteria nodded for him as he spoke, signalling that she was listening before giving a proper response. "It is an honor to meet you Sir Dawn, Owner and Lead Cosmologist at the Ponyville Observatory," she commented politely, her tone always constant. When she finished speaking, the unicorn performed an awkward bow before Dawn while keeping pace with him. The pony seemed hard wired to be respectful, even if doing so was bothersome or annoying. Asteria entertained Dawn's request for more information and thought about what her client would have wanted. After a brief moment, the dark mare decided to comment, "I am a Canterlot native who is delivering something to the Astronomy department of this university. I was given explicit directions to keep the contents of this parcel hidden from a Sir Dawn. I have been informed that you may attempt to compromise my delivery," she explained calmly in her usual eerie manner. It was unclear if she spoke the truth, but her posture seemed as rigid as when they meant, her outward disposition complety static. She somehow maintained her composure, even when faced by the one person who could ruin her. While Asteria did not know his true intentions, she couldn't allow anything silly like fear to make her rude. Her keen eyes examined her equally dark counterpart for reasons unknown, the odd mare somehow being approachable, even to her employer described nemesis.

A smile crept across the black maw of the griffon as he saw her display of magic. His keen eyes watched her own glow as she used her telekinesis deftly. He sat on his haunches and made a check shaped motion with a digit of his talon. "Now was that so hard? You are skilled with telekinesis or are a magic ninja. Was that so hard to say? I'm an irrigation architect who operates out of Canterlot. I don't mind if you have secrets, but what I do mind are liars. How can I work with someone who I know can't tell the truth," he explained in an authoritarian tone. The normally jovial griffon seemed disappointed in the made and it was reflected by the shaking of his head. After a moment of awkward silence, he reached into the bag that was strapped to his neck and pulled out a document that was crumpled up for one reason or another. "Telki, did you know that I used to pull out my credentials to everyone who would bother to look at it. I didn't do it to trick anyone or show off. I did it because I was proud of what I had accomplished. You should take some pride in what you do and stop hiding behind a shroud of lies," he added sternly, trying to inspire her to be more forthcoming. When he finished speaking, Gerrard walked over to Colton and helped him lay out more pipes. "And uh, yeah you too Col ton," he added, trying to make it look like he wasn't picking on her. The griffon leaned over to the pegasus and covered up his beak with with his talons as he prepared to whisper something. "All the feathered fellows are okay by me, even Mr. Hooves, he added, playfully poking a hoof for the bird to see.

Asteria was always one to speak what she thought, unless of course it would be rude. That of course didn't stop her from speaking the painful truth when asked directly, the odd mare a firm believer in always speaking the truth. She had rationalized that he would not hit her, it wasn't a matter of bravery, such a concept was as foolish as fear to her. Standing up to a threat was just as foolish to her as turning your back to one and hoping for the best. She simply surveyed the situation, watching the expressions of the two males as they seemed to be enjoying themselves. When Talkie announced that he had found his new villain, Gerrard's face contorted a bit as he thought over the statement. He was a rather busy griffon and told himself beforehand that he was just here for laughs. But the chance to let the world marvel in his own splendor was something he could not resist. "Ahh, well Mr. Talkie, I have so many obligations to attend to you see. But if it is for the betterment of Lady Asteria, I would be honored to further your cause," he explained, bowing before Asteria as if he were truly selfless. The black mare had thought he was here to be of assistance to him, and decided that he had no reason to lie. Her thoughts were clearly wrong, but she still turned to address the griffon. "It is very selfless of you to portray yourself as a villain for the satisfaction of other. I hope that you don't damage the reputation of yourself or your species," she honestly commented, stunning the griffon as he remembered a promise to himself long ago. "I will do my best to show griffons off in a positive light," he remembered in his mind, thinking back to his first days in Canterlot, the uppity ponies doing their best to remind him how awful they thought everyone else was. He had promised to promote the image of griffons as best he could, and he wondered if this would undermine it, scaring ponies with his delightfully fearsome visage. After a moment of inner turmoil, a smile crept across his maw, the griffon deciding on his course of action. "Oh I will show griffons to be the greatest actors of all! All the mares will need my autograph, stallions too I suppose," he added, apparently letting his self interest overtake any of his humanitarian goals. "I will teach Asteria, no the world about the trials and tribulations that villains must go through. I will enlighten the world with my craft!" he explained dramatically, hugging Asteria with one talon while pointing into the sky with his free talon. Asteria blinked and turned to face Talkie as Gerrard crumpled up her clearly expensive dress with his tight hug. "I believe that your terms have been accepted sir. What do you need us to do?" the black unicorn commented, not sure of what she needed to do. While she had the vaguest inklings that she needed to emulate a pony very similar to herself, she wasn't very familiar with how the process was handled. Gerrard finally returned to his senses and released the mare, gently patting her dress while he tried to clean it off with a few careful brushes of his talon. "Sorry Asty," he added sheepishly, the odd mare never seeming to complain, even when he was bothersome.

The white mare brushed her blonde mane to the side as she peered around her stoic friend to spot the cute little crusader. She looked the filly over before looking back to Asteria. A mischievous grin spread across her maw as some thoughts entered her mind. "You never told me that you had a filly of your own. Whose the father, is it the griffon friend of yours? Where is your beak at kiddo?" she teased playfully, the less serious unicorn leaning forward as she faked looking for a beak. Asteria remained focused on business, turning her attention back to the filly. "I am not qualified to make objective conclusions on taste, but I can subjectively state that it changes the taste of the ice cream, she calmly explained, the made seeming to have infinite patience as she dealt with her two lighter coloured counterparts. "Lady Lemon, Sir Gerrard is only an ally. I have had no physical relations with him that I am aware of. This filly believes that I am a thief, set out here to deliver stolen goods to you," she explained in her usual dry style of speaking. As she finished explaining herself to the other adult, Asteria returned her attention to Fate, needing to address her comments on free food. "Wouldn't a criminal be more likely to give free food in attempt to avoid suspicion? I believe that many people would avoid paying a bribe to someone who accuses them of a crime they did not commit," she explained seeming to rationalize her denial of the greedy request. Miss Lemon giggled at the spectacle and quickly presented the filly with some yellow flavoured ice cream. "You are so serious Hasty. Loosen up and have soon ice cream. The rosemary makes it bitter or sour like a real lemon, she explained, presenting it to Asteria as well. Oddly, the stoic mare seemed to stare down the ice cream as if it were poison. She might have been on a diet or possibly disliked lemons. It was unclear why she seemed reluctant to eat it, but one thing was clear, she wasn't eating.

Her keen eyes watched his expression contort subtly as he examined her form. It was as if they were reflections of one another, their colour palettes interchangeable. Her expression didn't change in any meaningful manner as her fiery eyes as they traced his form. She made no comment about his immediate appearance, the odd mare either too polite to bring up his odd appearance, or the black unicorn seeming to accept his appearance as normal. She listened closely to the pegasus as he informed her that he was heading the same way she was. While it was unlikely that the two ponies would be headed to the same point, the odd unicorn didn't seem to question him. Lucky for Dawn, this strange coincidence was seemingly overlooked by the mare for one reason or another while she listened to his introduction. When he finished his introduction, the mare performed another bow before him as she prepared her reply. "Thank you for supplying me with directions Sir Dawn. While I am an alumni of this university, I must admit that I am not familiar with the changes to the campus," the black mare explained as she followed after the pegasus. They had seemed to make considerable progress towards their destination when he asked for information about her purpose at the department. Asteria blinked as she thought over his question, the mare seeming to search for the most appropriate words. "I am here for business on behalf of a client. I am not at liberty to divulge their personal details in public. If you wish to learn more about the purpose of my visit, I would need evidence of your credentials or credibility," she remarked in her usual voice. While her voice may have been vaguely pleasing to the ear, a keen listener would notice that her tone seemed rather constant, almost as if she was withholding her true thoughts. As for her words though, the cloaked unicorn seemed very precise with her words. If anything, it seemed as if she being paid to protect something important, and not just in the physical sense of the idea. At the very least, the unicorn was strange, and at worst, the black mare was purposefully hiding something important.

This seems ready for looking over as is. The only thing I can question would be her cutie mark. It sounds really complicated to the point that it would need an explanation. I am not familiar enough with music to make that determination though.

Asteria was about to ask for assistance when she was interrupted by what sounded like a concerned stallion. She wanted to keep the discussion short as to minimize his loss of time, the cloaked mare knowing that many Canterlot residents valued their time highly. She decided to expedite the meeting process by opting to reveal herself quickly. Her hood glowed a dark red as her magic enveloped the top portion of her cloak. In one swift movement, her magic lowered the cowl to reveal her dark visage. A pair of crimson eyes peered out from beneath a long black horn that still faintly glimmered with her red magic. She had a scarlet mane that was cut short in a strictly utilitarian manner. Her face was well proportioned and would probably be considered beautiful if her face wasn't locked in a perpetually stoic expression. The cloak masked everything else about her form, an obvious exception being made for her tall frame and the apathy her posture seemed to exude. She quickly pinpointed the source of the voice as her dark ears perked up. After setting her intense eyes on him, the strange mare lowered her head in a subservient manner. "I would greatly appreciate your assistance sir. I need the directions to the astronomy section of this university. I am Asteria, honored to meet you," she replied formally to the pegasus in a vaguely alluring tone. Despite her questionable garb and intimidating appearance, the mare seemed to have the formality of a Canterlot native. She seemed like a walking contradiction, her formality and presence at odds with one another. Perhaps there was a lot more to the made than she was letting on to.

The city of Canterlot basked in the glory of the brilliant summer sun. The residents of the famous city all seemed lost in their business, going about their busy lives as they tried to keep pace with their crowded schedules. Asteria was no exception to this rule, the black unicorn deftly trotting through the city streets, weaving between oblivious city folk as she made her way to the university. Although the mare did not look like an alumni of the university, the dark cowled pony had graduated from the world famous university a few years earlier and took her talents in secrecy to the market of Canterlot. While most delivery ponies delivered objects between two places as fast as possible, Asteria focused on doing so while drawing the least amount of attention to her object as possible. The black unicorn was in the city, delivering the astronomy information of a rival observatory to the university. The work was highly speculative and was only for the eyes of highly qualified individuals at the university. While it was by no means a top secret job, the fact that it started and stopped in her native city more than compensated for the below average pay. She had picked up the job less than an hour previous and was already at the front entrance to the university. Her crimson eyes peered out from beneath her cowl as she examined the university map at the entrance to the campus. The grounds had just been previously altered and the map was no longer accurate, making it all but worthless to the courier. Her scarlet coloured tail shifted lightly beneath her cloak as she thought over ways to deal with the lack of directions to her destination. It took her but a moment to come up with a coarse of action, the unicorn deciding to search for a person experienced with the current layout of the university.