Dominic chuckled, at what Bruno chose to start with. "Spark is a special sort of animal from my world called a Talker. They're not common, and they have much longer life spans than other animals of their kind. Spark's been with me since childhood, and we'll probably be in our dotage together. The trick with Spark isn't getting him to talk, it's getting him to talk about something other than fish," he said with a laugh. "There are actually laws in my land about talking animals, one of which being that their testimonies are not admissible in a court of law, because they are by nature food focused to such a degree that it is easy to get them to perjure themselves, even if they feel strongly about what they would have said otherwise."
"I for one cannot heal, at least not physical ailments, but I would always be interested to learn new recipes. I am especially looking at more vegetarian dishes these days as I have been having more and more orcish guests." Yes, orcs are real. And vegetarians.
"Even if you aren't comfortable putting on a character to talk to people - and many people do that as a coping mechanism, there is nothing wrong with it if you do - there are still lessons from theater we can use. Rehearsal, for one. Decide how you want to start the conversation and practice it alone. Or with someone you trust. Run lines. Anticipate how the other person might react and prepare lines for multiple reactions. Being prepared is an Oracle's greatest tool, and it lends confidence as you practice with it. Competence breeds confidence which breeds competence. And if you want to know how someone will react to what you are going to say...?"
Dominic grinned and lifted up his crystal ball. "I for one, hate surprises. So before I asked Luna out the first time, I checked to see how she'd react. She said yes," he added with a fond smile. "Big decisions, you can't see like that. When the world goes grey in the way it does when a Seer is close to someone struggling with a choice that could alter their lives forever, that you can't see past. You can see possible paths, but that is a moment when everything is in flux. Other from that, however... with our powers people become predictable. But as you start using your powers to predict people, you learn that they are actually predictable without Seeing. Because the more you know a person, the better you understand how they are likely to respond to something. That is a skill that anyone can learn. We have an advantage, of course, but reading people is not intrinsic to what we do, Bruno."
He set down the crystal ball. "Other habits from theater that you can adapt are things like projecting confidence even when you do not feel it. Modulating your voice. You don't have to fully be in a character to borrow from a character." Do not ask Dominic's thoughts on honesty, you probably wouldn't approve, Bruno. "For example, if you once played the role of a confident young man who always had a glib answer for every scenario... in preparation for that role you probably did a lot of improv as that character with fellow members of the cast, who helped you to brainstorm how that character would react to moments where you were stuck. Put yourself halfway into the mind of that character when talking to people, and then you have his confidence... and you can consider what he would say and choose not to say it, but to use ideas from it for what you do say."
"Which leaves gaps, yes. But Bruno... there is no shame, no harm, in getting into the practice of thinking before you speak. How will they react if I say this? What would this character I want to be more like or this person I admire react to this. And as a Seer, we have an excuse for dramatic pauses when we need them. Work them into your persona and then you can use them for visions as well as for every day interactions. You'll find that just an extra two seconds before you speak can make a world of difference to your social anxiety as well."
"Speaking to people is like any other skill, Bruno. It takes practice. And if you avoid it, you fall further and further out of practice. I will tell you this, you can always practice on me. And on Spark. Spark is blunt and will tell you if you tick him off, but he won't leave forever because of it. He's cutting at times and well... catty...," pause for the pun, "but he is also a good weathervane for how people might take things at their worst or weirdest. And if you can navigate talking to him without devolving into puns or being talked into feeding him, you're ready to talk to nearly anyone. Trust me, I'm a former hermit myself. Or I tried to be. For years I lived alone, just me and Spark. I'd occasionally check my See-mail, but other than clients and the occasional odd thieves, I was more or less alone. And trust me, my clients did not want to speak to me socially and that was very mutual."
He leaned back. "I had been bullied a lot as a child," he said with a shrug to show it no longer bothered him. "Which made it easier to prefer to not talk to anyone outside my family. And then... Well we went our separate ways. Left home. I wound up in Lynnsbrook. Found pretty much one person in the whole town worth talking to, and after friendship became dating, and then we broke up... And then it was just me and Spark. And I was happy. Or so I told myself. Told myself I didn't need anyone but my cat. I stopped checking in with old friends like Szark and Dejah. Stopped contacting home. Just... stopped. I was in my twenties and already becoming a grumpy old man." A small faint smile.
"Then Luna. She was one of the few surprises I don't regret. She wasn't in my visions because every path I had chosen she had already been dead. I actually stopped her from dying when I stumbled upon her by accident. The point isn't how I missed seeing her, the point is that once I had her in my life I saw how empty my life had been before. I had to relearn all my social skills. It was difficult, but worth it. Don't become like I was, Bruno. You've been isolated too long. Use your time here with the train to practice. Be involved with people again."
He let the thing about Trujillo go, because there was little good that would come from arguing. Dominic still had a sore spot when it came to bullies, and should the man ever cross paths with him... well, Dominic could take care of things on his own. And if Bruno wanted to know.. he could get better at scrying.
no subject
"I for one cannot heal, at least not physical ailments, but I would always be interested to learn new recipes. I am especially looking at more vegetarian dishes these days as I have been having more and more orcish guests." Yes, orcs are real. And vegetarians.
"Even if you aren't comfortable putting on a character to talk to people - and many people do that as a coping mechanism, there is nothing wrong with it if you do - there are still lessons from theater we can use. Rehearsal, for one. Decide how you want to start the conversation and practice it alone. Or with someone you trust. Run lines. Anticipate how the other person might react and prepare lines for multiple reactions. Being prepared is an Oracle's greatest tool, and it lends confidence as you practice with it. Competence breeds confidence which breeds competence. And if you want to know how someone will react to what you are going to say...?"
Dominic grinned and lifted up his crystal ball. "I for one, hate surprises. So before I asked Luna out the first time, I checked to see how she'd react. She said yes," he added with a fond smile. "Big decisions, you can't see like that. When the world goes grey in the way it does when a Seer is close to someone struggling with a choice that could alter their lives forever, that you can't see past. You can see possible paths, but that is a moment when everything is in flux. Other from that, however... with our powers people become predictable. But as you start using your powers to predict people, you learn that they are actually predictable without Seeing. Because the more you know a person, the better you understand how they are likely to respond to something. That is a skill that anyone can learn. We have an advantage, of course, but reading people is not intrinsic to what we do, Bruno."
He set down the crystal ball. "Other habits from theater that you can adapt are things like projecting confidence even when you do not feel it. Modulating your voice. You don't have to fully be in a character to borrow from a character." Do not ask Dominic's thoughts on honesty, you probably wouldn't approve, Bruno. "For example, if you once played the role of a confident young man who always had a glib answer for every scenario... in preparation for that role you probably did a lot of improv as that character with fellow members of the cast, who helped you to brainstorm how that character would react to moments where you were stuck. Put yourself halfway into the mind of that character when talking to people, and then you have his confidence... and you can consider what he would say and choose not to say it, but to use ideas from it for what you do say."
"Which leaves gaps, yes. But Bruno... there is no shame, no harm, in getting into the practice of thinking before you speak. How will they react if I say this? What would this character I want to be more like or this person I admire react to this. And as a Seer, we have an excuse for dramatic pauses when we need them. Work them into your persona and then you can use them for visions as well as for every day interactions. You'll find that just an extra two seconds before you speak can make a world of difference to your social anxiety as well."
"Speaking to people is like any other skill, Bruno. It takes practice. And if you avoid it, you fall further and further out of practice. I will tell you this, you can always practice on me. And on Spark. Spark is blunt and will tell you if you tick him off, but he won't leave forever because of it. He's cutting at times and well... catty...," pause for the pun, "but he is also a good weathervane for how people might take things at their worst or weirdest. And if you can navigate talking to him without devolving into puns or being talked into feeding him, you're ready to talk to nearly anyone. Trust me, I'm a former hermit myself. Or I tried to be. For years I lived alone, just me and Spark. I'd occasionally check my See-mail, but other than clients and the occasional odd thieves, I was more or less alone. And trust me, my clients did not want to speak to me socially and that was very mutual."
He leaned back. "I had been bullied a lot as a child," he said with a shrug to show it no longer bothered him. "Which made it easier to prefer to not talk to anyone outside my family. And then... Well we went our separate ways. Left home. I wound up in Lynnsbrook. Found pretty much one person in the whole town worth talking to, and after friendship became dating, and then we broke up... And then it was just me and Spark. And I was happy. Or so I told myself. Told myself I didn't need anyone but my cat. I stopped checking in with old friends like Szark and Dejah. Stopped contacting home. Just... stopped. I was in my twenties and already becoming a grumpy old man." A small faint smile.
"Then Luna. She was one of the few surprises I don't regret. She wasn't in my visions because every path I had chosen she had already been dead. I actually stopped her from dying when I stumbled upon her by accident. The point isn't how I missed seeing her, the point is that once I had her in my life I saw how empty my life had been before. I had to relearn all my social skills. It was difficult, but worth it. Don't become like I was, Bruno. You've been isolated too long. Use your time here with the train to practice. Be involved with people again."
He let the thing about Trujillo go, because there was little good that would come from arguing. Dominic still had a sore spot when it came to bullies, and should the man ever cross paths with him... well, Dominic could take care of things on his own. And if Bruno wanted to know.. he could get better at scrying.