After a quick summary of what was already spoken between Steel Gait, Sky Ray, and Atreus the trio watched Tough Dough intently as he leaned back in his chair. The stallion pressed his hands together and placed his finger tips to his lips; eyes looking toward his ceiling as the last of the day’s light flowed in. When Atreus had woken up on the beach it had been very early morning and by the time he had made it to the town it was late afternoon. By the time the explanation was finished it was nearly evening, it appeared to be the beginnings of spring in Equestria. So not every day had the same daylight hours, as it was still moving away from winter.
He appeared to be in thought about how to proceed with his actions. There wasn’t a tension, no one was worried, there wasn’t truly an immediate problem only expectation. Tough opened his mouth and with a completely straight face uttered, “Was there a problem in that explanation?”
“What do you mean!? Can’t you see the issue at hand here?!” Steel was annoyed at that response. She had been expecting words of advice on how proceed with Atreus and his unique issue. He could be thousands of miles from home, or if he was to be believed on a different world or whatever it could be. ‘At the very least a housing issue before we can see if we can send him home is apparent!’ Steel thought angrily.
“You know Steel you really shouldn’t shout like that you won’t attract any stallions doing that.”
“What does my romantic life have to do with this?!“
“You know something else Steel, you having iron bars as a cutiemark is odd to me, you're talent is rounding ponies up and keeping them contained/pinned. What does that have to do with a cage?”
Steel Gait began to breath more, she needed to calm herself before she strangled the old stallion and had to arrest herself, “For your information, because it must not have been clear, my cutiemark is a metaphor for trapping/overpowering and containing ponies.”
“Hmmmmm, you know with how good you were at tying up and pinning down the bullies when you were growing up. I am surprised you grew up to become the town guard and not the town dominatrix.”, Mr.Dough said with a smirk. Just as Steel was going to leap at him for that comment she felt to hands on her shoulders. As she looked over both she saw Atreus and Sky with concerned expressions. Though Pantheons was more of a frown towards her and the stallion.
“I do not mind humour in the slightest. However, I believe the phrase, ‘Read the audience’ would be appropriate.” Pantheon said to Tough as he sat down again reassured that Steel was going to solve her anger at a later time. “As for your earlier statement, I find that there are many problems at play here. How you do not see them is either the result of ignorance or a sign for further explanation on my part.”
“Read the room or know your audience pick one,” Tough smiled, “Regardless, when I was called ‘knowledgeable’ earlier I didn’t object because I know Steel meant wise. I am wise to some degree, but I am not smart. You want a reasonable and rational answer to your problems. Ask Sky here.” He pointed to the pegasus who up until this point had merely been observing, at the mention of her she tensed slightly. “She studies everything, she is the smartest pony on the island. However, you came to me for wisdom which isn't truly related to smarts. I grew up on a farm, my mother worked the fields, my father fished to sell to traders. Goodness knows he didn’t catch fish for us to eat. My mother hated the smell of fish almost as much as she hated the idea of eating meat. I have lived a simple but long life. My experience makes me a good pony to ask for advice. Mine to you is this, figure out where you are, if you can get home, and if you make peace with whatever answer you find. Everything else falls by the wayside in terms of these goals in my mind.”
Atreus nodded in new understanding, ”Wise, I suppose we came to the right per-...pony for the job.”
“Well don’t go acting like I’m some great sage now. You had enough wisdom of your own to see where I was going with this. While the reasonable and rational was fuming about words.” He shot at Steel.
“You brought up my personal life when you could have easily just said your advice from the beginning.” She shot back.
“But we all learned something in the end.” Dough nodded knowingly as if it was obvious.
“What lesson?” Ray asked innocently.
Immediately Tough Dough smirked and began to speak, as he did Pantheon moved from his chair to behind Miss Gait as the words left Tough’s mouth, ”Steel is secretly a dominatrix because she never denied it, and got angry when she was exposed!” At that moment Atreus had to quickly place his hands firmly on both of Steel’s shoulders. She on the other hand held a quick blush along side her apprentice, however that was quickly taken over by beat red anger.
“I swear to Celestia Tough Dough I will kick you into the sun!” She declared on her good ruler’s name.
“It would be best if you apologized, while I am fully capable of holding back her strength, she may find a way to slip from my grip somehow.” The explained as he began to grip the shoulders of Steel with one arm and her stomach with the other. She was at a forty five degree angle only being held back by the god like warrior and the table between her and Tough.
“I’m sorry Steel you are always so easy to tease,” he smiled genuinely, “I know you are not like that. The only way you would be anything like that is being overprotective of your special some pony.”
Steel calmed down but pointed her fingers to her eyes and then at Dough. Dough found something very interesting in his shirt and decided to remove to get a better look leaving him with an undershirt and the rest of his ensemble. Pantheon noted this and thought about the clothes he had seen everyone wearing as he passed through town. They main thing he saw was a lot of seams and pockets, they looked odd but efficient to the warrior. He simply didn’t think about how the factory made clothes were made, he simply assumed that was the style of the local seamstress. Sky spoke up, “Mr. Dough earlier you said figure out where he is. You sounded like you have an idea in mind for figuring out if ‘Runeterra’ and Equis are the same planet.”
Tough turned his attention to her as he put his grey shirt on again, “Never claimed anything of the sort. But now that you mention that particular thing. Yes, I can see the way to know for sure.”
“Really what?” Sky asked curiously. Tough looked at her as if he was sizing up her response and chuckled.
“You know Sky when I said you were smart early that wasn’t a challenge for you to prove me wrong.” He smirked as he finished his sentence. Ray huffed and looked peeved at being called dumb. “It is very simple,” the stallion look to Pantheon as he questioned, ”you look at the stars.”
“I don’t see how star gazing his going to help our friend here.” Steel spoke in a slightly curt way. Atreus however had understanding dawn on him as he thought the word over in his head a couple times. ‘I once trusted my fate to the stars... now I must see what they herald.’
“The night should fall soon,” Pantheon stated, “I hope you do not mind me waiting here till then Mr. Dough. I have been standing all day and wouldn’t mind some rest before figuring out what to do if our stars do not match.”
“Not at all, I owe you that much for stopping Steel from garroting me after all.” He got up from the table, “while we wait how about dinner, been a while since I’ve had guests.”