Tea for you.

I, Black Stripe, was born on a cold evening nearly twenty three years ago to two wonderful parents. Both brainiacs who wanted nothing more than to raise a fellow intellectual. Cloud Thrower and Mist Flicker raised me from birth to the legal age of adulthood in Equestria. Throughout my life I maintained a sort of book-worm state preferring literature to friendship. While I did have friends they were more or less just other class mates and I never went out of my way to be with them.

Generally I am a calm pony. I do drink, probably a good amount more than I should. I am an average, shy sort of, unicorn. I was never one for powerful magic but I do know some pretty powerful magic and can use it with a fair accumulation of my skills. Now, onto my appearance. I usually wear a nice black coat and white under shirt over my light gray body. My name is Black Stripe, and the reasoning behind this name is obvious if you see me. From my forehead to the tip of tail, there exists a black stripe. My mane is longer than most of my gender, isn't usually well kept and is rather soft.

Since I love books to no end one occupation that stuck out among the rest was, if you haven't guess it yet: Book Store owner. I took a loan from my parents and bought a large building in Canterlot. It was and usually still is a success. I buy my books in bulk and usually have a good eye and sales pitch ready for the top sellers. My service to my regulars and non-regulars alike has earned me a popularity among the Canterlot community. I simply have fair prices, treat everypony with respect, and try to be usually well mannered.

The building I bought is a three story stone structure with marble floors and an atrium style entrance with the stairs dead center in view. The stairs go up unto the second floor and the second floor has a very nice view of the first since its not a full floor but basically a squarish outline with books all around the walls. The third floor is only accessed from my office on the second. I live on the third since strangely enough it has the only other bathroom (besides the first floor) and has a gas oven already installed on some little island like kitchen set up with granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances. The third floor has three rooms besides the kitchen. They are as follow: living room, master bed/master bath, and a dining room. All this does equate to a swanky little flat for me to live in. (Don't question my use of the word "Swanky"!)

Anyhow. One ghost town like Friday I awoke with a fit of migraines. It was a cold winter day and the only ponies out were new paper colts shouting to anypony they saw about the Manehattan stock exchange's large fire that has the place closed for repairs. I kept the shop closed for a bit and laid in bed until about ten in the morning when my migraines passed away and simply left me with a head ache and irritable attitude that only a stiff drink could solve.

Once I was out of bed and manning my little desk to the right hoof side of the entrance, I was dressed and somewhat groom. Sitting with a book in front of me and a bottle of scotch (Which I would simply swig from time to time) to my right on the mahogany desk. At noon the bottle was half empty and I was feeling slightly better. I was on chapter 6 of a book about how to possibly build space-born vessels. That feat seemed impossible since in Equestria we have no real way to gain enough upwards propulsion to get a twenty tone vessel past the sky. Yet the author vowed it could and would eventually be done with out magical assistance. (Yeah right.)

Anyway, when the grand father clock behind my desk struck one my bottle of scotch was running low and I was fairly pleased and had just finished the book. I decided that there was no point in being open since a bone chilling cold winter day decided to freeze my customers in their homes. I got up to not only put away the illogical book but also to change the sign and lock the doors. After putting the book in the "Sci-fi" section of my store I was about to lock the door when Princess Luna, my strangest but favorite regular, knocked on the glass door and greeted me through the glass with a smile.

I, of course, sprang into a happy state of mind and open the door. Returning her smile and shivering once I felt wind from outside on my face. I closed the door behind her and the just looked to the Princess with my "Good-to-see-you" smile.

"Good afternoon, friend." Luna said, her voice echoing in the emptiness as she went about warming up in my book store. "Did the chill kill your customers? This place is a graveyard with a drunk it." she said playfully as she nodded towards my nearly empty scotch bottle.

"Maybe you can ask your sister to bring the sun a few million miles closer." I said with an echoing chuckle.

Luna grew quickly a bit shy as she thought something over. She seemed a tad distant from there and onwards. As we made a bit of small talk she seemed to be per-occupied with thought. We talked about new books, recently read books, etc. (We talk about books a lot since we're both avid readers.) However after a while she brought up something else entirely.

"....so the book is very grim and the author uses dark language and details to boost this. Also....umm............" She didn't seem to want to make eye contact now. She rubbed behind her ears and seemed to blink at an abnormal rate. She was nervous. "I have a request for you Black Stripe.."

I simply grinned at her and asked. "What is it?"

"Would you like to.....maybe go out to a show or restaurant on a............" She gulped and her voice cracked as she said the word. "...date?"

My grin faltered but did not fade as I answered her.