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A touch uncomfortable...had Guiliaume realized that he was regarded as such, he would have been quite chagrined; while it was true that he didn't care for socialization, he had always retained some degree of confidence in the fact that he was acquitting himself with proper decorum and respect. Unlike Soquili that were truly socially awkward, Guiliaume had long since lost any sense of shyness or unease; any perceived discomfort on his part came entirely from his strong dislike of putting himself forward or being disobliging. Ironic, really, how it was a desire NOT to be awkward that created the awkwardness!

Fortunately Aziza was not the sort of mare to remark on such things; while there were many in possession of good humor and kindness, those traits were often combined with a light-hearted, jesting nature that could easily result in bringing pain without realizing it by remarking, even teasingly, on the awkwardness or discomfort of another. To the speaker, it might be a joke and nothing to be ashamed of, but to the target it could be unknown information and enough to truly mortify their spirits. Guiliaume didn't regard himself as so easily discomforted, but that didn't mean that he would enjoy such jests!

But as she had kept her opinion on that score to herself, there was no need for Guiliaume to be upset, either in reality or his imagination. Instead, he was able to focus on the details of this conversation and taking advantage of her instruction! "To not be a burden; yes, this is what I should be speeching." After all, just because she was willing to listen didn't mean it would be at all acceptable to pour out the details of his life to what was a very new acquaintance; besides, as far as he was concerned he had no real troubles to report. His life hadn't been sunshine and roses, but it had taught him self-sufficiency and proved to himself that he was able to follow-through on a goal! "I am not wanting to be a burden, that is it." A small success, but a success nonetheless.

Her information on his name was interesting, and he wondered if his mother had been aware of this fact or had just picked it because of the similarity to his father's. As he looked so identical to his father even at birth, it had been logical on the part of a very uncreative mare to give him a nearly identical name; indeed, it wouldn't have been unfathomable for him to have been dubbed 'Guilian Junior!' Still, he was glad for the slight differentiation, and had always been quietly partial to his name. "Thank you...and I am very impressed. I don't think that I have been anywhere even close to six years; this region has been my home for less than a year, and prior to that I have been doing much travel for years. Not exactly...exploring, but looking. My father, he was gone before I was born, and I wanted to know him, and not knowing where or how to find him, I traveled." A very understated description of the actual events, but between his lack of language skills and his own generally self-deprecating manner, it was about as dramatic a tale as he was likely to offer on his own!

"Saying," Guilliaume repeated obediently. It sounded familiar and rolled off the tongue, though he couldn't quite recall saying it much previously himself. "Saying," he repeated again, then cocked his head to one side as he asked, "Is 'speeching' close to 'saying,' or am I very far from the correctness?" If he was going to learn the right way to say things, he also wanted to know why what he was saying incorrectly was wrong. Having a somewhat focused personality, Guiliaume had always given his all in terms of attention and dedication to whatever he was doing. For the past few years, that had been finding his father; at the moment, it was a much smaller mission, but one that gained just as much attention.

It was a trait that Guiliaume shared with a few other family members, this dedication to detail. It manifested in different ways for different Soquili; for his brother Louie, it was in the practiced art of apathy and driving others crazy; for his brother Leon, it was finding out the innermost workings of the hearts of those he cared about so he could always cheer them up. Guiliaume didn't have one defining 'trait' like his younger brothers, no one skill or passion that he could devote all of his energy and focus towards, but he was just as capable at sticking to his guns!

He glanced after the human momentarily as she left, but it was more out of attention to the movement than anything. Being silent and unobtrusive, she had barely registered after his initial arrival. Then again, what chance did a human have against a mare wearing clothes and speaking the language he wanted to learn? But he did grace her retreat with a glance before turning back to Aziza, smiling as he commented, "Having a place to be that is home, that is something...special. When I was young I would have given muchly things to have a home." Another understatement, and if she was afraid of sympathy then she was looking at the wrong stallion. What reason did he has to offer her sympathy when she seemed so content?

But he was able to smile himself as he answered her question (or at least the part of it he understood). "Yes, last year I found him, and he has been very welcoming and kindly. But when you are used to searching and moving, it can be...hard to no longer have purpose." There was no bid for sympathy or plea for attention in Guiliaume's voice, merely simple statement of fact, and he followed it up with a shrug. "I have seen much, but much of it I have no wish to see again. The rest of it, I don't know." He paused, considering his words very carefully and speaking even more slowly in an attempt to be correct. "I just need to make...alterations in how I work with things. I am tired of being a...wanderer."

Once again, a few of Aziza's words went over Guiliaume's head and he had to clarify, "What is 'context', please?" It was in circumstances like these that a notebook and pencil would be useful, if those this actually existed in the Kawani lands...and he had hands. It was a bit silly to ask for the meanings of words that likely wouldn't come up in basic conversation, but Guiliaume was nothing if not thorough and refused to smile and nod when he had no idea what was actually being said. That was unhelpful to him, disrespectful to Aziza, and misleading in general as it lead to the potential for those words to be repeated without him actually understanding what they meant!

Though he did understand 'similar', and could consequently rest assured that he had not said something improper or unrelated to what he'd meant to say! His uprightness in comparison to his parents' laxity was odd in some respects, but as a reflexive trait it was far from uncommon. Aziza, it seemed though, was unfamiliar with that concept from her question/statement about his mother's lands being his home, and while he responded with a slight bow, it was with an overly formal and dismissive tone that he replied, "Perhaps that is being the common way, but I found no happiness there. Having a...goal was the greatest happiness I could ever have wanted, until I achieved it."

He was thoughtful as he considered her suggestion regarding his current mission, the reserve that accompanied his thoughts of his former life dropping to briefly show the more relaxed and easy Guiliaume that had appeared once or twice so far this conversation as he finally smiled in an almost rueful way. I would say that you are correct, and that is actually what I have been doings for some time, ever since I met up with my father. Yet..." He paused, as much to figure how to say the next thing as to how to phrase it to not come off as disrespectful to the father and family that had been so welcoming to him. "Well I began my search, I small knew how large my family would be. Before, I had no one; now, I have everyones, and it overwhelms."

Ok, in retrospect asking for a definition had been a bad idea. He should have remembered that definitions themselves could often involve unknown words or complicated thoughts, and the definition of 'context' displayed those characteristics in spades. He caught a few words here and there, but the bulk of the explanation went right over his head, leaving him a touch regretful that he'd put her to all that trouble for nothing! "I am sorry...I am not knowing enough yet to understands. We will have to return again later to this, when I am knowing more!" After all, one needed to walk before they began to run!

But conversation would be a good way to attain that, and he had to appreciate that she was keeping the topics on such general subject. After all, words for families and emotions were among the most basic learned by anyone! And he could also appreciate her allowing him to steer the conversation away from distasteful subjects; unfortunately, there were many who wouldn't pay attention to non-verbal clues and would keep barreling ahead without realizing how distasteful their actions were to others.

He smiled at her analysis of his familial situation, giving her a slight nod. "We are thinking the same; I am trying to meet people slowly, which should not be a problem for long, as they do not all live nearby each others. But I am something new, and my story interests. The names and faces are not a trouble for me, as I am good with...details; it is just the numbers!" He sighed here, shrugging his shoulders at the mare. "It is a hardest thing, going from being alone to being in a crowd."

Words had never been a problem for Guiliaume. He had been able to speak properly starting from a very young age, with minimal 'baby talk' even with a mother who rarely had time for him. Learning names was just another form of learning words, and for a stallion who could pick up on different languages with relative ease, remembering the names of those he met was hardly a chore. Over the course of his journeying he'd met up with numerous Soquili, and could name them all in his head even now. Whether he'd see any of them again was doubtful, but if he did, he'd at least know their names!

It was interesting, just how different Soquili could be from one another. He smiled in response to Aziza's confession about her own difficulties with names; he could very well suppose that in certain situations, that would be a greater problem than being socially insecure. There were a great many failings that could be overlooked when they were accompanied by a personalized greeting or apology (as the case might be).

"Yes, there certainly are things that I find unique about my relations, and I look forward to getting to know them in time." The last two words were stressed very slightly, just enough for anyone within earshot to get his point. It wasn't that he disliked his family, or found anything untoward in their interest, it was just a case of too much, too soon. And he hadn't even met some of his siblings, that was the real kicker. He'd been overwhelmed by little more than half the group!

"I am sure that it will be a beneficial experience for me, once I have acclimated to all of the differences. But going from being a nomad to being settled, from having no family to family everywhere...it is all a lots for me to accepting at once. Having addressed that, though, he was more than ready to let that subject pass for the time being. Much as he appreciated any interest, he was not currently in want of advice and was beginning to feel claustrophobic on the subject. Instead, he steered the conversation back to her. "Do you enjoy living amongst so many of the...humans?"

Guiliaume had to chuckle internally at his own shortsightedness. When they had been talking of him, he had been able to stick largely with terms that he understood or could at least guess at. From Aziza's self-deprecating air, it had been logical to assume that her story would follow a similar vein and he would be able to understand; instead, he was faced in rapid order with terms like 'dress' and 'sailor' and 'dog', none of which had come up for him before. Worse still, the statement itself was so peculiar that there was no help to be had from his old ally, the newly understood 'context'.

Oh well.

"I'm sure that they are unusual, as I do not understand what you said in the slightest." His tone was apologetic, but without treading too close to being overly so. After all, to use an appallingly bad metaphor, that dead horse had been beaten enough. "I might think the strangeness would make things interesting, but with a high...likeliness to be overwhelming." Oddly enough, the topic met the requirements of conversation segue, and he had to smile as she steered the topic back to him again. "My family is...well, unusual. Physically and mentally and behaviorally, they are unlike what I have always found familiar." A bit cryptic, but true. "There is much...differences between them." 'Variety' was the word he was looking for, unsuccessful as that attempt was. "I have ten siblings, for beginnings. The three oldest are triplets with a kalona for a mother. The next two are twins with the same mother as the youngest two, but a DIFFERENT mother than the triplets who follow them in age..." Even he didn't completely understand it. "It is very hard to be keeping them straight. We many of us look different, but most have similar markings and some even have similar names."

It was somewhat amusing, how a word could be so common and understood to one creature, but completely foreign to another. Language was such an extraordinary thing; when facing a person who shared your 'common' language, self-expression and mutual understanding was almost assured. Sure, you might have to explain an unknown reference from time to time, but for the most part, communication was instinctive.

Coming to the Kawani lands had been an eye-opening experience in many ways for Guiliaume, not the least being the stumbling blocks that were local customs and tradtions. It was ironic that he was familiar with the common tongue of the Kawani lands, but was handicapped by his lack of familiarity with the culture. In speaking with Aziza, he had to pause and think before he spoke, but it was almost easier to do a verbal translation than a behavioral one!

"Kalona..." He mulled over the word for a few minutes, trying to figure out the best way to describe them to one who was unfamiliar with the breed. It seemed only prudent to instill an appropriate sense of caution; just because she hadn't crossed paths with that race thus far didn't mean she might not find herself in a position where the knowledge would be valuable. "Kalona are another...race of Soquili. Just as we two are not...matching," he said this as he spread his wings for demonstration. "They are also different. They have wings, not....feathered....but...scaled? No, not scaled...leather? Wings like the...small bat? Yes, I think bat. They also have fangs, like the wolf, and...horns on their heads. They are...hunters. They eat...meat. Many of them are...." He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to find the right word and avoid giving into any feelings of frustration. "Harmful."

Though he was quick to add, "Not all are harmful, but most should be...treated...with...care."