Yes, he is. I suspect that Caspian has ample experience with trauma survivors, and part of that is probably just because of his specialty. Most cetaceans in need of human medical care are there because humans fucked them up somehow. Ones that like humans and will actively seek help, like Moderato, are real but very rare.
Also Caspian may very well have a subclinical amount of empathy or aquatic animal communication. He can't do much on his own, but connect him with someone else's talent and he seems to get a lot more than usual.
Put the two together, and you get someone who can deal with a completely freaked out Steel and not get turned into a grease spot on the deck.
>> How would Moderato do as a grief counselor, given proper training? <<
I'm not sure. He's so cheerful and optimistic at heart, that might be a stretch. On the other hoof, he managed to keep Steel alive and functional, and that's no accident. Steel has a much deeper understanding of grief, just iffy on coping skills.
Put the two of them together and they'd be great at it, eventually.
Oh, and there's also Siggy, a dolphin who works with special needs clients. He has helped people deal with a variety of difficult emotions and experiences. He's currently studying human psychology with the help of tutors. Siggy was introduced in "Tools and Toys."
>> And would you consider giving your whales waldoes so they could do their own emergency first aid? <<
If they want, the technology is there. I doubt it would become popular though. Most of them just aren't interested in stuff like that. Their worldview is very different, and few cetaceans have the monkey urge to handle everything in sight. Moderato thinks it's vulgar. Steel doesn't need it, he's telekinetic, and sometimes they argue even about that. (They argue about almost everything, though.) Gladhammer would be ecstatic over a set of gizmotronic hands.
As for first aid, Steel would need to have the bottom rungs put on the ladder first:
* It is not okay for you to be hurt. * It is not okay for people to hurt you. * If you are hurt, it is not okay to ignore it. * Injuries need to be treated, so they do not get worse when it could be avoided. * When people get hurt, they are entitled to care.
It's going to take a while for Steel to get the hang of that much, let alone anything fancier.
Conversely Moderato will find Emotional First Aid very appealing. Trying to help Steel directly is an exercise in frustration more often than not, because extensive violation has made him hypersensitive and suspicious. But giving Moderato better techniques would be a lot more effective. Steel is rather more inclined to listen to him than to anyone else -- and while Steel will bail out of a conversation with humans, you couldn't pry him away from Moderato with an industrial crane.
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dancing_serpent
Thoughts
Date: 2015-05-01 05:22 pm (UTC)Yes, he is. I suspect that Caspian has ample experience with trauma survivors, and part of that is probably just because of his specialty. Most cetaceans in need of human medical care are there because humans fucked them up somehow. Ones that like humans and will actively seek help, like Moderato, are real but very rare.
Also Caspian may very well have a subclinical amount of empathy or aquatic animal communication. He can't do much on his own, but connect him with someone else's talent and he seems to get a lot more than usual.
Put the two together, and you get someone who can deal with a completely freaked out Steel and not get turned into a grease spot on the deck.
>> How would Moderato do as a grief counselor, given proper training? <<
I'm not sure. He's so cheerful and optimistic at heart, that might be a stretch. On the other hoof, he managed to keep Steel alive and functional, and that's no accident. Steel has a much deeper understanding of grief, just iffy on coping skills.
Put the two of them together and they'd be great at it, eventually.
Oh, and there's also Siggy, a dolphin who works with special needs clients. He has helped people deal with a variety of difficult emotions and experiences. He's currently studying human psychology with the help of tutors. Siggy was introduced in "Tools and Toys."
>> And would you consider giving your whales waldoes so they could do their own emergency first aid? <<
If they want, the technology is there. I doubt it would become popular though. Most of them just aren't interested in stuff like that. Their worldview is very different, and few cetaceans have the monkey urge to handle everything in sight. Moderato thinks it's vulgar. Steel doesn't need it, he's telekinetic, and sometimes they argue even about that. (They argue about almost everything, though.) Gladhammer would be ecstatic over a set of gizmotronic hands.
As for first aid, Steel would need to have the bottom rungs put on the ladder first:
* It is not okay for you to be hurt.
* It is not okay for people to hurt you.
* If you are hurt, it is not okay to ignore it.
* Injuries need to be treated, so they do not get worse when it could be avoided.
* When people get hurt, they are entitled to care.
It's going to take a while for Steel to get the hang of that much, let alone anything fancier.
Conversely Moderato will find Emotional First Aid very appealing. Trying to help Steel directly is an exercise in frustration more often than not, because extensive violation has made him hypersensitive and suspicious. But giving Moderato better techniques would be a lot more effective. Steel is rather more inclined to listen to him than to anyone else -- and while Steel will bail out of a conversation with humans, you couldn't pry him away from Moderato with an industrial crane.