hadriel | 002 [Video]

[He supposes this is as good a time as any considering the events of the past few days and Rosen's recent post, so...

Lance is looking more put together than he has recently, although he hasn't completely returned to the formal look; he has bothered with a suit but not with a tie, and his hair's getting slightly out of control and distinctly curly. He also looks a bit like he's either gotten too little sleep or too much, although his voice is steady and even and he certainly sounds more professional than he did in his last post.]

Due to recent events, and in followup to Dr. Rosen's announcement, I think this is a good time to reiterate that should anyone be in need of someone to speak to about anything that may be bothering them, I'm always available for counseling or just to talk.

[He's gotten the impression this is something a whole lot of people here probably need, and it's important to make sure they're aware of the option and don't have to go hunting for information on who to contact.]

My name is Dr. Lance Sweets and I'm a clinical psychologist, which, for those whose worlds don't have such a profession, means that I work with helping individuals work through any mental or emotional issues they might be having. Although I've counseled patients on a range of subjects, my primary work has been with the FBI and therefore often in the area of coping with witnessing or experiencing traumatic events.

[Which is fortunate, since there seems to be a lot of that here. Which, itself, is unfortunate.]

Meetings can be as formal or informal as you're comfortable with, and where we speak can also be decided upon on an individual basis. I'm also willing to answer any questions you might have before making any agreements or arrangements.

[Because he's very aware that a whole lot of people don't get the idea of psychology at all, and he's also expecting at least a few 'aren't you twelve?' comments.]

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[Well, that's not ideal, but it's perfectly understandable; it's also nice to hear that there are people here that care about others even when they're not extremely close.]

I understand. The behaviors you described in your friends are relatively common, but they're caused by a variety of different underlying factors; those can range from a fear of failure to a sense of guilt to simply trying to distract themselves from other issues they have to deal with. The problem is that without knowing the underlying cause, it's difficult to correct the behavior.

[If she might know or be able to find out--or even have a guess at--the reasons for her friends' behaviors, then he might be able to give advice. Unfortunately, without that there's too many variables to be able to guess at what to do to help.]

I can guess at some of the reasons for it, by examining things they have brought up the network, things that have prompted stronger reactions than expected, little details they have told me about their lives, and so on...like assembling a puzzle.

[Most of her practice at reading between the lines has been used for less kind purposes. A mercenary needs to know how to use and manipulate people, and her privileged childhood was spent exposed to politics. She can get a read on people to some degree, but not in the way that helps people. And here, where there is no currency, there's no point to her previous line of work.]

[He nods again, taking note of her response; it's not just useful in this instance, but worth remembering in the future.]

If you think you can discern why your friends are behaving as they are, then I might be able to offer specific advice or suggestions on how to help them.

I appreciate your honesty, Dr. Sweets. Should you wish to learn to defend yourself, I have taken on several students in the art of the sword.

[She's been quite public about her proficiency with a blade, and if he's willing to help her with assisting her friends, then she's willing to help him learn to defend himself. It's a fair trade.]

[Well that's not an offer he's expecting, and even more unexpectedly--to himself, anyway--he doesn't immediate rule out the idea. The childish side of him jumps at the idea of learning to use a sword, because how cool, and the practical part of him also thinks learning to use another weapon might be a good use of his time. Not only would it give him another way to defend himself, but it'd be a good distraction and something to focus his attention on, and that would greatly help him mentally.

But on the other hand, he's hesitant to trust someone he doesn't know enough to be in close quarters with them with weapons. It'd be putting himself in a very vulnerable position if she turns out to be less than upstanding, although she certainly seems to be sincere in her concern for her friends and in her offer.

But he also thinks she's telling the truth about having taken on several students, and so she's probably trustworthy in this. So, although it takes him several seconds to actually answer, he eventually decides that the pros outweigh the cons here.]

I'd like to try.

[Although he can't guarantee he'll be any good at it, and there's another thing he needs to mention.]

But I wouldn't be able to take you up on the offer for another few weeks, if that's alright. I was... I'm still healing from some injuries.

[He hates to admit it, because it's revealing a potentially dangerous weakness, but he's already made the decision to trust her on this. And he absolutely can't take the risk of accidentally getting hit in the ribs in the wrong way, during the course of a normal practice, until he's fully healed.]

[She can observe some of the hesitation, but she's not offended by it. She is, after all, an unknown to him.]

That is entirely fine. My primary style emphasizes precision, so there are a few ways you could prepare for training without any risk of overexerting yourself. Drawing, painting and calligraphy all helped me indirectly develop myself as a swordswoman, as did cooking.

[Sorry, give him a moment after hearing that to raise his eyebrows slightly and sigh, glancing off to the side.]

I can't do any of those things, especially the last one.

[He's utterly terrible at cooking, his handwriting isn't much better, and he can't draw or paint. However, that said--]

I can play a piano, if that counts for anything.

[He's very talented at that.]

That does count for fine control and training your ears, at least.

[She does appreciate music herself.]

I will have to listen to you play sometime, if you have a piano here. I have a guitar and microphone.

There is a piano here, although it isn't mine.

[He definitely interested in the rest of what she said, though.]

A microphone?

[How does that work here, without all the electronics? The guitar is slightly less interesting--he only knows the very basics of how to play one--but still also cool.]

Much of the technology from my world is powered by magic. I gave Tranquility a detailed enough explanation of how a magically powered microphone looks and how it would work that he was able to reproduce it. The guitar is amplified by magic as well, although I can adjust the volume.

[Oh, huh, how neat.]

That's really useful.

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