The Book - Comfort: Teammates
.
.
The first part of comforting someone takes place before the actual action and it is to gather Intel on what is bothering your target, information such as;
What is bothering them?
What possible reasons may it be bothering them?
To what extent does it bother them?
Being able to deduce what and why and how much something is bothering your target is helpful in preventing you from making the situation worse- like a mission, you cannot proceed without the proper intelligence without risk to your objective.
Once you have gathered the proper Intel, you must determine if your comfort will be passive or active. To determine which course you should take, answer the following question;
Is there anything you can do- whether it be physically or verbally doing something- to effect what is bothering your target?
If NO, then your comfort will be more passive in that you cannot directly alter the situation which causes your target's distress. Passive comfort can be compared to Standby wherein your target is to be aware of your presence and that you will come forwards to assist if signaled to do such.
•NOTE: Depending on the personality of the target, you may step forwards into the position of Touchstone along with the responsibilities of such. Know that your relationship with the target shall decide if you are a Platonic, Platonic-Intimate, Sexual or Sexual-Intimate Touchstone.
If YES, then your comfort will be active. Now answer this;
Is the action you're taking to effect what is bothering your target verbal or physical?
If VERBAL, then you need to judge how whatever information you say would effect your target. It is not like a mission where all information- good or bad- is required to be told clearly, concisely and immediately.
Information which is "good" can be told in a similar manner as there is no real reason why you shouldn't just bluntly inform your target of the "good news" in order to positively alter their emotional unbalance.
Information which is "bad" may be disregarded if it is not something of an immediate concern, "bad news" which is of an immediate concern must be handled with delicacy unlike "good news". This is due to the varying degrees in which you can negatively alter your target's emotional unbalance, the less delicate in which you handle the "bad news" the greater the emotional balance will slide to negative. If at all possible, have those that your target considers friends present and have the location somewhere private yet where your target feels at ease, be sure that your target is aware of your presence- as you would with [Passive Comfort]- before and after you inform them of the "bad news".
If PHYSICAL, than you need to judge how whatever evidence how have will affect your target. Unlike [Active, Verbal Comfort], no evidence should be hidden although similar to aforementioned, it will be presented with more delicacy than one would use with a mission.
Evidence which is "good" can be similarly presented as the "good news" of [Active, Verbal Comfort] though some semblance of privacy may be warranted due to the target's preference.
Evidence which is "bad" is something best presented in privacy with conditions similar to the "bad news" of [Active, Verbal Comfort] though it is something in which you should present at the soonest possible moment.
I remember some mentioning wanting more when Sai looked up how to comfort someone. This is for you. (And because it dug into the back of my brain until I wrote it)