Manehatten The Most Valuable Treasure (Bellosh101 & Zoebel12)

[Bellosh]

For a stallion who enjoyed the finer things in life, Dr. Merlot’s office wasn’t particularly the fanciest place in Manehattan. It was a place of archaeological work, meaning that while the room remained clean at most times, it looked plain compared to the executive suites one found within the city’s glistening skyscrapers. Framed newspaper clippings and a doctorate diploma covered one sidewall, a window on the other side looked out to the Seasaddle Bay, and a coat rack stand (already covered by a white jacket and fedora) could be found next to the door. Behind Merlot’s desk at the room’s opposite end stood a decorative bookshelf featuring numerous works on archaeology and hippopology.

Dressed in just a white wrinkle-less shirt and a black tie, the good doctor busied himself with writing while waiting for an important client to show up. Technically, the anticipated guest was actually the daughter of Duchess Silver Belle, one of Merlot’s most distinguished clients. After a recent series of near-misses and brief encounters, the gentlecolt would finally have a proper one-on-one meeting with the young mare named Presteza. From initial written correspondence, it appeared that Presteza stumbled upon an object of ancient Unyasan origin, and she requested Merlot’s services in figuring out the artifact’s true nature. Merlot might have wondered intensely how Presteza acquired the object in the first place, if not for the logical assumption that the mademoiselle most likely had access to her substantial family fortune.

Dr. Merlot swiftly found himself with no more time for either pondering or writing, for his secretary cracked the door open and peeked her head in. “Sir,” she announced; “Your 2:00 is here.”

“Ah good,” the grinning well-groomed stallion ordered, glaceing at the clock to see that it was indeed 2 PM; “Let her in.” This is where the fun began.....

[Pretzelparty]

"Ugh... I hate Waitin' rooms. They're so bloody quiet n' uncomfortable" thought the yellow-tan unicorn as she sat in the doctor's waiting room. While she hadn't been waiting long seeing as she seemed to be the only pony scheduled for this time, she never was the kind of mare who liked staying still for long.

"Miss Presteza, You may go in now."

Seems she wouldn't in fact have to stay still for long at all,"Thank you very much." she said in her most polite tone. Presteza had been getting ready for this meeting all morning. While she normally never cared for all this fancy upper class stuff she knew it was best to look... well, her best when speaking to somepony who was both respected and in her own mother's employ. Presteza may have been away from the noblepony life style but she had the lessons in manners and etiquette quite deeply embedded in her memories. Gone was the borderline Trottingham Cockney accent she usually used when amongst the ponies who had the more casual and interesting lifestyle she so admired, now replaced by a more refined and formal speech pattern peppered with the smallest hint of the characteristic North Trottingham accent that the rest of her family shared. As the mare walked towards the door she gave her a polite smile,"I'll be sure not to take too much of the good doctor's time."

As she approached to door the mare took a deep breath in preparation and put on her most charming smile before entering the room. Gently pushing open the door the tannish-yellow mare entered and spoke up, the mare's voice giving a hint as to her age; having only recently reached marehood as it cracked slightly,"It's a pleasure to meet you, Doctor Merlot. My Mother spoke quite highly of you."

Once Merlot took a look at her he'd see she was indeed all made up for the occasion. While she didn't wear anything extravagant or glamorous to this appointment, what she did wear was truly beautiful but of exceptional quality despite it's simplistic appearance at first glance. She wore a long dress that covered her hind legs rather well, however on the sides of the hem it bore a bit of a slit that let her move more freely and allowed her cutie mark to occasionally peak past the fabric. On her chest was simple blouse with ornate jeweled clasp with a sapphire in the center. The mare's normally messy and unkempt mane was now well combed and tidy with the fringe that normally obscured one of her bright, icy blue eyes from the world was only partially brushed aside allowing her a better view of her surroundings.

The mare calmly strolled towards the stallion desk and momentarily her visage took a slightly questioning look,"I must admit, Doctor. You're a lot... well, Younger than I thought you'd be!" she said before glancing around at the various things littering his office,"I apologize, My manners may be somewhat rusty. Allow me to formally introduce myself; I am Presteza, Daughter of Duchess Silver Belle and Brigadier General Bastion Trundle. Do you have any questions Regarding what I've learned thus far about.. this?" she said before levitating a simple looking medallion with multiple markings and a single gem in the center on to a clear area on the stallion's desk.

[Bellosh]

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Doctor Merlot. My Mother spoke quite highly of you. I must admit, Doctor. You're a lot... well, Younger than I thought you'd be! I apologize, My manners may be somewhat rusty. Allow me to formally introduce myself; I am Presteza, Daughter of Duchess Silver Belle and Brigadier General Bastion Trundle. Do you have any questions Regarding what I've learned thus far about.. this?"

A smile of radiance graced Dr. Merlot’s face from the moment Presteza trotted into his office. Once again, the appearance of the young mare contrasted greatly with what Merlot remembered. The last time Presteza’s presence graced the stallion’s eyes and ears, she took after the ways of a common pony instead of a privileged descendant of the House of Aethermane. And yet today, the unicorn mare once again performed a complete 180 on her persona, now back to the prim and proper mannerisms of a lady.

While Merlot felt slightly unnerved at the thought of having no idea anymore concerning Presteza’s true personality, such petty concerns wound up overshadowed by the spell casted by her dignified looks. Thank Celestia for the boutiques of Manehattan, for the mare looked absolutely breathtaking. Perhaps it would have been a wiser idea not to mess around with the daughter of one of his best clients, but Merlot right now couldn’t rid his mind of the thought of adding Presteza to his ever-growing list of romantic conquests.

The young mare levitated the medallion in question onto Merlot’s table, but the gentlecolt didn’t feel like analyzing it just yet. Remaining mindful of previous encounters, he remained silent for several seconds before commenting with a million-bit grin; “.....I think I recall seeing you in Las Pegasus about a couple months. It was at the Tops if I recall; I saw you volunteer for a stage-show act as a matter of fact. I must say, seeing you now, heh heh heh... it seems almost like night and day!” All the while, Merlot’s shining eyes bore intensely into Presteza’s.....

[Pretzelparty]

Well... Hayseeds. Here pressy was all dolled up like when she was a filly to keep up appearances for at least her mother's sake and it seemed that her boisterous introduction when she volunteered had indeed done what she'd hoped; It'd left an impression, even in the more wealthy members of the audience. It seems in this situation it had less than desired results. Thinking back to that day she remmebered some of the faces in the crowd and realized Dr. Merlot did in fact look exactly like one pony in the audience that day.

The mare gave a sigh that had an odd tone that mixed both defeat as well as relief,"Well, looks like ya found me out... but then again I guess I did kinda bring this on myself. I guess I'll 'ave ta explain the accent. Let's just say that spending time on the road 'as made me a bit less inclined ta be articulate." It really didn't make sense to keep up her articulated and fancy speech pattern anymore. The mare took notice of the stallion's intense gaze and blinked a few times,"Is there somethin' on my face or...?" she trailed off questionably at the end of her short inquiry.

While this mare may have been the slightest bit dense when it came to the subtler aspects of flirtation such as the look the good doctor gave her. She did have to admit his odd sort of classiness was sort of charming even to a mare who had mostly been drawn to the more down to earth lives of average ponies. Suddenly the mare perked up and gave a smile,"Actualy, Dr. I've seen ya after las pegasus too. I asked yer opinion on my dress fer the Grand Galloping Gala... also if I remember right I also met you there too at the bar, but you were a bit more interested in the bartender... ya did help me get 'er attention an' helped me get a straw fer my Manehattan." The unicorn spoke a bit quickly in her last statement but soon she added on,"So thanks again fer that." with a slight hint of cheekiness in her cracking voice.

[Bellosh]

"Well, looks like ya found me out... but then again I guess I did kinda bring this on myself. I guess I'll 'ave ta explain the accent. Let's just say that spending time on the road 'as made me a bit less inclined ta be articulate... Is there somethin' on my face or...?"

Heh; just like that, Presteza folded and revealed that she indeed felt more comfortable talking in that Cockney accent. Dr. Merlot couldn’t help shrinking his smile by just a little, obviously preferring the more refined voice for his typical elitist reasons. Still though, the gentlecolt reminded himself that Prestza was Duchess Belle’s daughter, and as such, couldn’t be simply dismissed as just another plebeian.

Evidently, this young mare also had a hard time picking up on Merlot’s ques. In a way, the good doctor found this somewhat endearing, for pretty damsels inexperienced in the ways of romance were often very susceptible to the stallion’s charms. On the other hoof, these same mares tended not to understand that couples could begin romantic affairs for reasons other than kindling deep emotional bonds. This made breaking off affairs for Merlot extremely difficult once he wanted to move on.

Softening his gaze, the archaeologist gently laughed before answering Presteza; “On the contrary mademoiselle... I think you look stunning. You’d be surprised how a day in Manehattan can work wonders. After all, it’s why I live here, ha ha ha.” After chuckling in merriment, Merlot quipped; “Heh, I hope all the time you spend travelling isn’t keeping you away from your art studio.”

"Actualy, Dr. I've seen ya after Las Pegasus too. I asked yer opinion on my dress fer the Grand Galloping Gala... also if I remember right I also met you there too at the bar, but you were a bit more interested in the bartender... ya did help me get 'er attention an' helped me get a straw fer my Manehattan. So thanks again fer that."

Ah yes, Dr. Merlot now remembered those two other occasions. If he recalled correctly, Presteza had looked extremely out of her element in that Gala dress she wore, explaining how Merlot didn’t take much notice of her then. Even though it went against her natural personality, the young mare today did a much better job of acting like she belonged among the illustrious world inhabited by Merlot and her noble mother. The gentlecolt even reckoned that had he not joked about Presteza’s apparent change in demeanor, she could have carried on her performance flawlessly.

No matter if the lady seemed more comfortable as a common pony, her attempts at self-improvement were worth commendation. But remembering he was supposed to be analyzing an amulet, Merlot turned his attention over to the object; “So Miss Presteza, would you be so kind as to refresh my memory, and tell me where and how you found this object.....?”

[Pretzelparty]

“On the contrary mademoiselle... I think you look stunning. You’d be surprised how a day in Manehattan can work wonders. After all, it’s why I live here, ha ha ha.” After chuckling in merriment, Merlot quipped; “Heh, I hope all the time you spend travelling isn’t keeping you away from your art studio.”

Presteza couldn't help but notice how Merlot's smile shrank slightly after she dropped her refined pretense. Maybe it wasn't so great she'd relented so easily... but she couldn't just lie to him and say that wasn't her. After hearing him compliment her appearance she blushed a bit before perking up after noticing one word in particular Merlot had said; Mademoiselle. It'd been a long time Presteza had spoken Fancy but she remembered her lessons back home at the manor. Her mother had insisted that her and her brother learned a second language as it was a skill they could make use of later in life... it seemed she was right, "Je vous remercie beaucoup, Monsieur! " she said, thanking Merlot for the compliment before adding,"If ya want I could go back to the more refined accent if this one bothers ya."

When merlot mentioned an art studio she paused a moment before speaking up once more,"Well I don't have an offical art studio... but I plan on runnin' one in Canterlot one day. For now though, the world is my studio!"

“So Miss Presteza, would you be so kind as to refresh my memory, and tell me where and how you found this object.....?”

"Well... that's a fun story." She began with a chuckle before continuing with her story, "It began when I first started explorin' Unyasi. The boat ride there wasn't very fun but once I got on land and began meetin' the local Zebra tribes and gettin' familiar with 'em. When I asked about some o' their ancient legends they told me about the legend of the Abada and how one of their former tribe members from ancient times stole an amulet and then an incredible potion from 'em... actually since yer an archeologist I guess ya already know that story. So anyway after a -lot- of work trackin' that zebra's descendent down I found 'im and eventually I managed ta get the info outta 'im; turns out he'd sold it ta some griffon who didn't know what it was. After I learned that I tracked down that griffon and bought it offa him with some o' the money that my folks send me every once in a while." Presteza decided it would be best to tell merlot the short version... and leave out the part where she had to get both the zebra and herself completely drunk to get info out of him ... and after getting the information from him and the next morning she had almost no memory of what happened the previous night, and given the looks she was given by some zebras she didn't recognize it was probably best she didn't remember.

[Bellosh]

"Je vous remercie beaucoup, Monsieur! If ya want I could go back to the more refined accent if this one bothers ya."

Dr. Merlot laughed again, gladdened to know that the girl retained an excellent knowledge of Prench. He didn’t see much point in having Presteza switch back to a received pronunciation on a whim, so the stallion kindly suggested; “Use whatever accent you feel like using today, Miss Presteza. Heh heh, this is clearly not a garden party, as you can surmise.” If nothing else, the young mare just might return with another random artifact if she did not feel intimidated from being at her social best. Such was the business of archaeology.

Just as Presteza’s common sense predicted, Merlot knew about the Abada legend and its particulars. No hard evidence proving the existence of that mythical race or their city of Mbili'Pembe had yet to be found, but vague clues popped up in Unyasi once every blue moon. Clues such as the story of a stolen amulet. Assuming the young mare’s hunch rang true, than that object just might be sitting on top of Merlot’s desk right now!

But nothing conclusive could be determined just yet; “I’ll have to take a closer look at the amulet, mademoiselle. With a proper analysis, I can determine how old this object is, and what it’s made out of. Once I know those things, I’ll have an idea of whether this object only has a periphery connection with the Abada stories, or if it could have indeed... come from Mbili'Pembe.....”

[Pretzelparty]

“Use whatever accent you feel like using today, Miss Presteza. Heh heh, this is clearly not a garden party, as you can surmise.”

The mare gave Merlot a smile, it was nice to know her mother's associate was nowhere near as snooty as she had envisioned him. "Well... thanks, Doctor Merlot. Yer a real Stand up stallion!" she in her most charming of cheery tones.

“I’ll have to take a closer look at the amulet, mademoiselle. With a proper analysis, I can determine how old this object is, and what it’s made out of. Once I know those things, I’ll have an idea of whether this object only has a periphery connection with the Abada stories, or if it could have indeed... come from Mbili'Pembe.....”

As the good doctor spoke a knowing and sly looking smile creased the young mare's lips. She knew that that amulet was indeed from the Abada's mythical hidden city but obviously it would be a doozy of a surprise for Merlot that this young heiress from Trottingham had tracked down an actual Abada artifact all on her own. With slighlty smug look the mare took a step away and began to look over some of the things that adorned Merlot's shelf, "well... I'm Pretty sure that it's the real thing... How long do ya think it will take ya to appraise it." While she looked over some things on the shelf but making sure not to touch anything.

While she waited for the stallion to finish his process if he had indeed started it she decided to strike up a bit of conversation,"So... Mr. Merlot, how long 'ave ya known my mum?... she told me you and my big brother used ta play tagether when you were little."

[Bellosh]

So far, this consultation session was going very well by Dr. Merlot’s standards. From his observations, Presteza seemed very enamoured with his charms. With just a little bit more effort at wooing, Merlot imagined he could easily get the young mare to accept an offer to go out on a romantic evening. Of course, that still didn’t take into account the sensibility of leaving the daughter of one of his biggest clients alone.

Back to the matter at hoof; “A full evaluation of the object can take anywhere from two to six weeks. Various research and tests have to be made every time an artifact comes my way. While I can’t provide a final fee at this time, do note that I charge 50 bits a hour for such services. Depending on how much time I spend, be prepared to pay upwards to 4,500 bits.” Good thing Presteza comes from a wealthy family… although Merlot wouldn’t mind negotiating a lower price exclusively for the lovely damsel.

Curiously, Presteza then brought up a matter concerning Merlot’s childhood. The gentlecolt let a chuckle escape from his lips; he and the mare’s brother were indeed playmates back in the day. Merlot however would never dare say that as a colt, he had a huge crush on the ravishing Duchess Silver Belle. Being the harmless thing it was, it eventually died as all pre-adolescent infatuations must. Despite this, a psychologist could probably make a good case that even to this day, it affected Merlot’s criteria on what constituted what ladies he found desirable enough to court.

Never one to reveal the full truth, Merlot simply replied; “Your mother’s memory serves her well; Silverheart and I were close friends back then. You were too young to remember, but I was a frequent guest at your family estate. Oh,” the good doctor paused to smile, making it so suave that his teeth produced a twinkle complete with an audible *DING* effect; “You can just call me Merlot, my dear mademoiselle.”

[Pretzelparty]

“A full evaluation of the object can take anywhere from two to six weeks. Various research and tests have to be made every time an artifact comes my way. While I can’t provide a final fee at this time, do note that I charge 50 bits a hour for such services. Depending on how much time I spend, be prepared to pay upwards to 4,500 bits.”

The mare nodded as she continued to browse the artifacts on the shelf,"Darn... that long, eh? I guess I'll need ta find somethin' ta do while I'm here." It seemed the mare was more focused on how long it would take to get the artifact appraised rather than the price, Likely reflecting her rather privileged upbringing by not worrying about such a large sum of money due to her family having bought many expensive things for her when she was a filly. "Anyway, the price sounds great. Mum sent me a check that will cover that and more." It seems that presteza was sort of drifting between well spoken and folksy speech patterns now.

“Your mother’s memory serves her well; Silverheart and I were close friends back then. You were too young to remember, but I was a frequent guest at your family estate. Oh, You can just call me Merlot, my dear mademoiselle.”

The mare chuckled a bit,"Well... I guess a good memory is somethin' me and my mum have in common. " Walking back over to the doctor she smiled,"Well, Merlot, ya can call me Pressy if ya like. I look forward ta gettin' ta know ya."

[Bellosh]

"Darn... that long, eh? I guess I'll need ta find somethin' ta do while I'm here. Anyway, the price sounds great. Mum sent me a check that will cover that and more."

Unlike the rest of Dr. Merlot’s business partners, Presteza fretted over how to spend her time in Manehattan waiting for the results on the amulet. “Heh heh, by all means,” Merlot advised the young mare; “There’s no need for you to stay here in the city while I conduct my evaluation. Since you move around a lot, I’ll just mail the results over to your family estate. I’m sure your mother could hold on to that until you return.” More importantly though, payment was all but assured by Presteza, which suited Merlot very well.

"...Well, Merlot, ya can call me Pressy if ya like. I look forward ta gettin' ta know ya."

“And I look forward to knowing you too... Pressy.” Grinning, Merlot got up from his chair and made his way next to the girl; “While you’re here, perhaps you would like to see our facilities?” The gentlecolt always made sure that his clients toured his storage and restoration areas, guaranteeing them that Merlot was indeed a professional archaeologist. But another motive revealed itself as Merlot’s hoof gently but firmly took hold of Pressy’s, raising it upwards in a flashy gesture of chivalry; “It would be my most sincere honor, mademoiselle.”

[Pretzelparty]

“There’s no need for you to stay here in the city while I conduct my evaluation. Since you move around a lot, I’ll just mail the results over to your family estate. I’m sure your mother could hold on to that until you return.”

"Well this is my first time in Manehattan. I was kinda hopin' ta immerse myself in the 'local flavor' as it were." she said before turning around and strolling to another shelf closer to the good doctor's desk. From all the artifacts and knick knacks on these shelves this stallion's office sure looked impressive. "I was thinkin' o' startin' with the statue o' friendship in the bay... although I'm gonna hate the ride there." she admitted with a dry laugh.

“And I look forward to knowing you too... Pressy. While you’re here, perhaps you would like to see our facilities? It would be my most sincere honor, mademoiselle.”

The mare nodded calmly, "That sounds great! I'm sure there's plenty o' interes--" the mare blinked a bit in surprise as Merlot took her hoof in his chivalrous display, suppressing an urge to roll her eyes. Presteza recognized that gesture in particular. She'd seen it quite a few times when she was attending the Grand Galloping Gala last time she attended it. Given the circumstances she didn't feel like she should turn him down though... and unlike most of the stallions (and a couple mares) who had shown an interest in her at the Gala, she at least knew Merlot through her family. It helped that he didn't react nearly as negatively as she thought he would when she revealed how she normally spoke.

Calmly and still with her smile on she decided she may humor him for now but not act like she was going to be easily swept up into his charms, "As I was sayin' it'd be wonderful ta see your facilities, Monsieur. Please, Allons-y!"

[Bellosh]

"That sounds great! I'm sure there's plenty o' interes--"

Dr. Merlot almost found it odd to see Presteza react the way she did. It was only his remembrance of how little high-class social events the girl attended that he decided to dwell any further on her body language. Come to think of it, most few mares not in the upper crust scene who caught the gentlecolt’s eye pretty much shared the same reaction to his gestures. Unlike the rest however, Pressy showed no outward signs of attraction when she finally gave an affirmative response.

The rational part of Merlot’s head figured it was just as well; it’d save him some ghastly trouble later down the line. But the part of him that ached for victory protested the notion that a worthy mare could actually be immune to Merlot’s charms. Well, that shouldn’t last long. Letting go of the lady’s hoof, the beaming doctor declared; “Ah excellent. Just make sure to not stray too far from me while we’re in the storage area Pressy. It would be a pity if you suffered an accident.” Opening the door with magic (and not forgetting to take the amulet), Merlot also made sure to present a foreleg for Presteza for her to hold on to... if that was her desire.

[Pretzelparty]

“Ah excellent. Just make sure to not stray too far from me while we’re in the storage area Pressy. It would be a pity if you suffered an accident.”

The mare chuckled softly and accepted the offered hoof, "I'll keep that in mind... if there are any accidents though I can guarantee ya, I'm a lot tougher than I look." she said sticking her tongue out playfully at the stallion, apparently starting to loosen up further. As she was lead through the door she looked around wide eyed at all the various crates and tarps giving the vaguest of outlines to statues and other items, were these all artifacts he was appraising?

Presteza whistled in amazement, "This is really impressive, Doctor. Is all o' this stuff from digs and other sites?" she asked, glancing every which way as if trying to get a look at every single thing at once. This was proving to be a very interesting little appointment and a very intriguing stallion.

[Bellosh]

"This is really impressive, Doctor. Is all o' this stuff from digs and other sites?"

It was not everyday that Dr. Merlot saw a mare he desired stick out her tongue in a vulgar, childish display. If it wasn’t apparent earlier that Presteza enjoyed being a free spirit better than being a proper lady, that moment symbolised it right now. Merlot understood that if he still wished to woo this lady, and potentially future Duchess, he’d have to charm her through different methods. Methods he neglected for at least a decade, not since the gentlecolt’s ascension into the ranks of the wealthy and famous encouraged him to adopt an air of chivalry in pursuit of the most high-class mares.

Like any good academic well-vested in the procedures of science, Dr. Merlot reckoned he needed a way to test his hypothesis. In a stroke of genius, the stallion realized that one object coming right up would be more than suitable for this “game” of his. Setting down the amulet on a free shelf spot, Merlot trotted ahead towards one of the shrouded artifacts lying around. Just by looking at Pressy, Merlot could tell how much awe she was already experiencing for everything housed in this storage facility. Doubtless to say, the good doctor believed his female companion to be in a suitable frame of mind for what he planned to do.

“Come, come,” excitedly beckoned Merlot; “There’s something special I want to show you first.” Using his magic, the gentlecolt lifted the veil from a small figure, revealing a gold idol underneath. By plebeian standards, the object looked especially hideous; a bulking diamond dog as the centerpiece, with an even smaller puppy peeking out from behind the adult’s legs, which was hard to see if one wasn’t expecting it. Touching one side of the idol’s base with a hoof, Merlot mischievously encouraged Presteza to do the same; “Don’t be shy Pressy, heh heh; touch the other side of this idol’s base real quick.”

Wait, wasn't it supposed to be a bad idea to romantically win over a client's daughter?

[Pretzelparty]

“Come, come, There’s something special I want to show you first.”

Eventually, as the two continued walking through the storeroom. The gentlecolt beside spoke up and began to. As he went off to look for whatever he was looking for, Presteza calmly hummed to herself. The tone of what she hummed being a soft and lilting tune that could be considered pleasant to anypony's ear.

Once Merlot returned she went wide eyed at the artifact before her, "Wow... are those diamonds dogs? I've never seen one of those... I hear their really dangerous. Somehow that just makes me wanna seek 'em out more." The pony chuckled a bit at the sight of the smaller diamond dog pup depicted in the carved stone idol. Looking curiously at the thing she decided she might try and place just how old it might be,"Looks pretty old and really weathered, I'm gonna guess it's like... Five hundred or so years old?"

Once she finished speaking Merlot expressed a desire to have her touch the idol. Since she was genuinely interested in the artifact it wouldn't take much to get her to accept...

“Don’t be shy Pressy, heh heh; touch the other side of this idol’s base real quick.”

Although something about that little laugh made her hesitate for a moment, but she quickly nodded and stepped forward touching her hoof to the other end of the idol. With how close she was now Merlot could now get a good look at the pretty little mare from Trottingham. It seems despite having some features from her father's side of the family, the heiress still had an attractiveness that matched her mother. Her cream colored coat and the couple freckles on her cheeks seemed to go very well with that mane of hers, and the bright blue eyes that carried a sort of liveliness in them were still as lustrous as her mother's,"So... wot's this idol do that we're waitin' for?"

[Bellosh]

It was hard to tell whether Presteza was brave for confessing a desire to seek out suspect diamond dog packs, or foolhardy. Honestly, a thin line existed between bravery and foolhardiness, the distance between the two measured only by success. In the girl’s case, the fact that she managed to successfully hunt down an artifact meant she likely would end up on the “brave” side of that thin line. Meanwhile, Dr. Merlot didn’t know any of his past flames who’d even dare say the same thing, not even that brainless Snowfall who fell in love with the most criminally insane Daring Do impostor in existence.

At any rate, Presteza made a good guess at the age of the idol; “It’s about 1000 years old actually. Don’t worry though, my team made the same guess as you when they first found this object. It turns out this statuette has been preserved remarkably well, making it quite valuable indeed.”

When Merlot successfully tempted Presteza to touch the idol with him, the gentlecolt finally got a real close look at the lady’s face. There was no mistake; Pressy’s eyes were the exact same as her mother’s eyes. And those eyes revealed to Merlot, once again slightly leaning so that his handsome grin and hungry eyes revealed mischief, that Prestaza was somepony who infused passion into every aspect of her life. Faced with such an intriguing specimen of a mare, Merlot made up his mind once and for all. He’d risk the wrath of Duchess Belle so that her daughter directed her lively passion at the gentlecolt... and this time, Merlot would let nothing deter him from this potentially great prize that awaited him.

With no doubt remaining, the sneaky Merlot “explained” what the two of them just did; “What we’re doing right now... is in fact a ritual of the diamond pack from whence our idol came. You see, if a couple came together and touched the object together like we’re doing now,” the stallion’s smile became even more joyous; “It was their belief that the souls of the couple would form a mystical bond transcending all space and time. Forever.” Merlot’s half-lidded eyes emphasized that last word, which would likely give the impression that Presteza’s destiny now inexorably became intertwined with that of the stallion.

Of course, Merlot’s claim was completely bogus. The object’s true purpose was to symbolize fertility, which explained why a baby diamond dog hung on the leg of the mother figure. If Pressy could see past Merlot’s light-hearted deception and see that idol for what it truly was... well, that’d only make Merlot hold the young mare in higher esteem anyway. Whether Pressy’s mind opened itself further to the thought of courtship or if she failed to get fooled, Merlot wins.

[Pretzelparty]

“It’s about 1000 years old actually. Don’t worry though, my team made the same guess as you when they first found this object. It turns out this statuette has been preserved remarkably well, making it quite valuable indeed.”

"Aw darn... well at least I made a guess on par with yer professionals" she said in a cheerful tone. The young mare looked a bit closer and she had to admit that the artifact did seem a bit older than her previous estimation. Maybe it was that odd odor that came off it that one could only describe in the simplest and perhaps crudest of terms; old. More likely though there was some official method or technique that the stallion before her (and probably other specialists in his field) would know.

After she'd put her hooves on the other side of the idol, the stallion on the other side of it spoke up and began to explain what the consequences of their actions would be.

“What we’re doing right now... is in fact a ritual of the diamond pack from whence our idol came. You see, if a couple came together and touched the object together like we’re doing now,” the stallion’s smile became even more joyous; “It was their belief that the souls of the couple would form a mystical bond transcending all space and time. Forever.”

Almost immediately the silver maned pony cheeks went red. At first she wanted to ask the stallion if he was serious but after a bit of thought she realized something. Soon the mare's expression switched from embarrassment to a look of sly confidence that Merlot might find rather familiar. This was the kind of look that her mother seemed to wear almost twenty four-seven when in public or especially amused. Giving a light flick of her mane the freckled pony looked at the stallion from the other side of the idol.

"Nice try, Mister Merlot." she began," But If you'd found an artifact that actually had such power... I dare say ya would've sent it ta the princess' school ta have it studied. Plus My mum herself would've taken an interest in it 'erself" she said with a chuckle and pulled a hoof away from the idol's base. "I gotta admit though, It's rather sweet that ya were willin' ta share a destiny... even a fake one, with a pony like me."

[Bellosh]

Being a clever girl, Presteza reasoned how improbable it would be to let Dr. Merlot leave a truely magical object hanging around in his storage facility like that. But seeing that blush on the young mare’s face was absolutely priceless. For a moment, Pressy unquestionably must have guessed that by a great power, she would be bound to a stallion like Merlot, and everything entailed with it. But perhaps even more priceless had to be that near-perfect emulation of Duchess Belle; a crafty and alluring look Merlot fondly remembered from his younger days. Rest assured, it set the gentlecolt’s heart aflame with a desire for romantic conquest even further.

And yet even with the farce exposed by Presteza, she managed to give Merlot’s face a dumb unscripted appearance of accomplishment when he expressed her fondness at being bidden to share a destiny with somepony else. The gentlecolt knew better than to give the girl any false hope of a long term relationship; the good doctor absolutely couldn’t risk the fallout of an ugly breakup, lest he lose his greatest patron and his very first role-model. Should Merlot continue this risky game of hearts, he’d have to set the boundaries, and as soon as realistically possible.

Conjuring a calculated smile again after a few seconds, Merlot jovially replied; “In all honesty, I prefer sharing evenings with others myself. But come; the restoration room is this way.” Heading towards that chamber now, the stallion took time for further explanation; “By the way, what we just touched is actually a fertility idol. It’s supposed to bring good luck for the growing of new plants, animals, and diamond dog puppies. It’s got nothing to do with bonding others with each other, heh heh heh.”

[Pretzelparty]

The mare couldn't help but giggle at that look on Merlot's face. That look of unbridled glee and sense of achievement at her words, it was an adorably out of character moment in the mare's eyes. Since she'd gotten here she'd only seen the playfully flirtatious side of the stallion, along with an air of constant suave sophistication so a look of unrestrained emotion was a welcome sight. It seemed that Merlot himself realized his momentary break in character and quickly corrected it, going right back to his suave demeanor.

“In all honesty, I prefer sharing evenings with others myself. But come; the restoration room is this way.” Heading towards that chamber now, the stallion took time for further explanation; “By the way, what we just touched is actually a fertility idol. It’s supposed to bring good luck for the growing of new plants, animals, and diamond dog puppies. It’s got nothing to do with bonding others with each other, heh heh heh.”

The mare gave Merlot a playful chuckle as she followed him to the Restoration room. Glancing back at the Idol she couldn't help but chuckle,"A fertility idol, huh?" the mare smirked, "Well I hope if it does have any effects they last long. I don't plan on havin' foals fer a while."

Once the duo arrived at the restoration room, the mare took a look in the door. The room was very large and housed all sorts of fancy looking equipment, most of which she knew next to nothing about. There were many tables on that had microscopes and other weird contraptions on them to inspect old looking tablets and artifacts. Their was a rather heavy musty smell in the air, probably because of the many old artifacts that had been removed from the not the freshest smelling tombs. As she and Merlot walked inside she let out an impressed whistle,"Very nice, Mister Merlot... I trust you spend many lonely nights here?" she asked playfully.

[Bellosh]

"A fertility idol, huh? Well I hope if it does have any effects they last long. I don't plan on havin' foals fer a while."

“Neither do I,” the gentlecolt quickly explained; “I’m in the years of my prime, completely content with how I live life at this time. I have clout, fortune, and thus the freedom to do any respectable activity as I please. For the life of me, I just can’t see myself as a father at all.” Merlot snickered; a foal of his own was absolutely out of the question. Unless he hired a nanny, the stallion couldn’t bear the thought of being burdened by a family to raise, and lose opportunities to further his archaeological and social endeavors.

"Very nice, Mister Merlot... I trust you spend many lonely nights here?"

Presteza’s question gave Dr. Merlot another chance to laugh as he entered his restoration room. “Never,” the archaeologist boldly dared to answer; “Thankfully, I have research assistants and interns who can spend those many lonely nights here instead. Unless I’m on a dig, I find that it is very unhealthy for a Manehattan stallion, of my exceptional vintage, to ignore what treasures this grand city has to offer. Ponies like myself... or you for that matter, who can’t bring themselves to live a little might as well live out their wearisome lives in shabby, smoggy Beakbreak City.”

Placing the Unyasan artifact on the cleanest table in the area, Merlot hovered a clear plastic bag on over to begin wrapping it. “Speaking of my assistants, they’re all out for lunch, which is why nopony’s here. Oh, Pressy...” he turned to give a million-bit smirk at the young mare of his desires; “You did remember to grab yourself a meal before your appointment, have you?”

[Pretzelparty]

Presteza’s question gave Dr. Merlot another chance to laugh as he entered his restoration room. “Never, thankfully, I have research assistants and interns who can spend those many lonely nights here instead. Unless I’m on a dig, I find that it is very unhealthy for a Manehattan stallion, of my exceptional vintage, to ignore what treasures this grand city has to offer. Ponies like myself... or you for that matter, who can’t bring themselves to live a little might as well live out their wearisome lives in shabby, smoggy Beakbreak City.”

“Speaking of my assistants, they’re all out for lunch, which is why nopony’s here. Oh, Pressy...” he turned to give a million-bit smirk at the young mare of his desires; “You did remember to grab yourself a meal before your appointment, have you?”

The mare was about to open her mouth and speak before she was cut off by a soft rumbling sound coming from her stomach. she froze for a second as a blush spread over her cheek and then she let out a slightly awkward laugh,"I guess that kind of answers your question..."

Presteza had already gotten rather familiar with some of the area but she wasn't familiar with any good restaurants... besides Itailian food places that would specialize in her number one favorite food of all time; pizza. Since the stallion she was with currently more or less had made his base here, he would likely know of all the best places to eat. As she looked around the room's various items she took a moment to glance back at Merlot and ask, "Do you know of any good places we could grab a bite?"

[Bellosh]

“Do I ever,” Dr. Merlot slyly replied to the hungry lady’s question about restaurants; “Why, I know all the best, most classiest places in town. None of that lowest common denominator junk will do at all. I therefore propose taking you to W.G. Bucks for lunch; it’s one of the few establishments around here where you don’t need reservations to order food that’s more of a work of art than an, heh heh heh, edible product.” Where else was a true gentlecolt like Merlot supposed to take the lovely Presteza? A messy, crowded pizzeria? HAH!

The archaeologist meanwhile finished wrapping the artifact, setting it down on the table before eagerly walking over to his newfound lunch-date. Seeing no reason to delay his pleasure, the smirking Merlot offered a foreleg to Pressy; “Now then my dear, shall we head out and cure you of hunger?”