[SRP] First Impressions (Galaxia Sangfroid and Sable Nimbus)

[divena]

“Well, if you want to be part of the herd fully, then you’ll have to allow for an adjustment period,” Galaxia pointed out. This seemed obvious to her, but it was equally obvious that Sable had a different experience with herds. What was clear to her wouldn’t necessarily be clear to him. She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, but didn’t want to insult his intelligence by over simplifying things. She hesitated a moment before continuing, choosing her words with care, “You said you’re not good at dealing with people. Everyone in our herd is a little… odd. I mean, my mother and father are complete opposites. Mom is very… um… outgoing, while Dad is very…. Not.” That seemed like a simple way of saying that her mother was practically a force of nature while her father was a ball of nervous jitters. “A lot of people don’t see how the two can even stand each other. But they’re happy and they’re a perfect example of what makes our herd what it is.” Mainly because the herd formed around their family.

Sable felt a small seed of hope bubbling up inside him. If a couple of opposite personalities could find a way to live with each other, then perhaps he could learn how to behave around the rest of the herd. If they would allow him to stick around long enough. “If I am unable to learn to be accepted, would I still be allowed to live on the fringes?” he asked, trying to consider all possibilities. It wouldn’t be ideal, but he would be willing to live in the caves, alone, if it meant finally having a single place to live. One where he didn’t have to worry about being chased off because he didn’t know the right thing to say, or the right person to say it to.

“Of course,” Galaxia quickly assured him. “But I think you might be selling yourself short. You might not get along with everyone right away, but eventually you’ll figure things out. Or you’ll find the right boundaries. Whatever. The point is that, like I said, you’ll need to give yourself and everyone else an adjustment period. Even if you were the most charismatic person in the world, you’d still ruffle someone’s feathers. It always happens.”

That was something that had never occurred to Sable. Granted, he had never really been around any group for long enough to observe many behaviors. Perhaps that was one of the reasons he was rarely able to figure out the motives behind the reactions of others was because he never spent much time with them beyond those first few meetings. It wasn’t a lack of willingness on his part, of course. The thought of trying to learn more, of possibly becoming more personable, was exciting in and of itself. The fact that he simply had to persevere past the rough first impressions was a bit disheartening. Could he have found a place much sooner if he had just dug in his heels and refused to be moved?  

[divena]

When Sable didn’t say anything for a long moment, Galaxia had to resist the urge to fidget. Had she said the wrong thing? No, she doubted that. Perhaps she had just given him a lot to think about. She debated speaking up again. Perhaps she should clarify what she meant. For example, she could explain how there were always personalities that simply didn’t get along. It was never anything personal. The larger a group, though, the more likely it was that there would be individuals who simply couldn’t stand each other. Maybe she should explain that he didn’t need to be universally liked. Heck, even being universally disliked wasn’t a deal breaker in her herd. He simply had to be tolerated by the majority of the herd. Granted, it would be nicer for him if he was liked by at least a few individuals in the herd. Still, she wasn’t too worried about that. Zahavah had a tendency to latch on to the odd balls of the world. Their herd was a prime example of that. Galaxia would personally make sure that Sable settled in, assuming that Zahavah gave her final stamp of approval. At this rate, though, Galaxia didn’t think that would be much of a problem. Should she mention that? “Um… are you still interested in joining our herd?” she asked, cautiously.

The question snapped Sable out of his thoughts and he blinked at the tiny mare, startled and surprised by the inquiry. “Of course,” he answered, before he could really consider his response. It didn’t seem like a very complicated question. Why wouldn’t he be interested in joining the herd? After all, he had come to her to be interviewed, not to do the interviewing. He knew his chances in the world well enough to understand that he would be glad for any herd that would take him. Well, take and keep him, at least. He couldn’t forget the herds that he had been kicked out of because he could never figure out the right thing to say. Was she trying to find a gentle way of telling him he wasn’t suited for her herd? No… that didn’t seem likely. The conversation thus far made it seem as though she was looking for a way for him to fit in… Maybe he had hesitated too long to speak and now she had changed her mind. It wouldn’t be the first time he ruined a perfect opportunity by not speaking. He forced his nerves to settle. He was overeating, surely… at least, he hoped he was.

Galaxia smiled, relieved. “Oh, good. Well, then the next thing we’ll need to do is introduce you to the herd alpha. I should probably warn you, she’s got a big personality. I’m sure she’ll like you, though. And she’ll be able to help you find a place in the herd.”

Sable stared at her for a moment, certain he wasn’t hearing her correctly. Still, her smile didn’t waver and she seemed rather… pleased with herself. “I… I do not understand,” he admitted, haltingly. “You’re accepting me?” That was what she had said, wasn’t it? But surely there was more to be done… more questions to ask… More…. Something. It couldn’t be this easy, could it?