”I, uh, I don't think that's going to work.”
>Maud always disagrees with you.
>But she's your project partner, and you'll be damned if you'll work with a mare like Screw Loose.
>How'd that pony even get into this university?
>“It will work. If I add Boulder to the tube you will see.”
>She plops her pocket pet into the test tube.
>Small bubbles begin to appear, accompanied by a fizzing noise.
>“Just a couple more seconds. I will get my rocktorate this way.”
>It's so difficult to tell if she's trying to joke with you or she legitimately thought adding her stone would help with the sodium chloride bond.
>The bubbles are rising quickly now and you stand back, knowing you were right.
“I told you, it's not going to work.”
>Without warning though, the bubbles suddenly stop rising, and recede altogether.
>”What did I tell you.”
>Monotonous Maud.
“Well, I stand-”
>Before you can finish your sentence, you're blinded.
>Smoke, fog, whatever it is, something's blocking your vision.
>”I did not intend for this.”
>When it clears, you see that a fairly large column of stone has arisen from the test tube.
>And Boulder is safe and sound on the table somehow.
“What did I tell /you/?”
>Maud turns from your project and trots out of the room.
>Should you go see if she's okay?
>After all, this project is incredibly important to her.
>Is she even angry?
>Dammit, you just can't tell with this pony.
>You decide to do the noble thing and stride out after her.
>She's sitting in the hallway, staring blankly at an old portrait painting.
>Oddly looks familiar.
“You alright?”
>She says nothing for a few moments.
>”I'm disappointing him.”
>She points at the painting.
“Who's he?”
>”An old relative of mine.”
>That explains the familiarity.
>You sit next to her.
“Well, we can just try again. Right?”
>She turns to you.
>”We have tried again 4 times already.”
>That also seems familiar.
>Her head flops down to stare at the ground expressionless.
“You're a good geologist, Maud. I learnt more about rocks in the first day I worked with you than I'd have thought I'd learn in my whole life.”
>Her ears twitch ever so subtly.
“And I'm a... semi-good chemist. What do you say we try again for the 5th time?”
>She pulls her rump off the floor and walks with you back into the laboratory.
>”What prompted you to motivate me like that.”
>Huh?
“What do you mean?”
>Her eyes retain that same blank expression, but she stops in the hall.
>”I thought you did not like me very much.”
>Well...
>There was the time she brought in a pile of limestone pebbles from the beach and just put them all in the water bath.
>You scorned her for that.
>And when she got Boulder to “monitor” her post.
>The helium leaked out of the gas tube. You had a voice like an Ewok for a week.
>You didn't scold her for that. It would've been too embarrassing to do so.
“Uh... how did you get that impression?”
>”I am not very good at putting my knowledge to practical uses.”
>She can say that again.
“That doesn't mean I dislike you.”
>You take a step into the lab, and she follows shortly after.
>”Not many ponies do though. I just made an assumption.”
>Must be hard for someone like her to get along in this place, where everything is expressed through colour or loud noise.
>Her lab coat is indistinguishable from the dress she usually wears.
“Well, I like you.”
>Her head darts around to face you.
>”You do?”
>A small hint of vocal expression makes its way into her voice.
>You nod.
>”I like you too, Anon.”