#Child emotional well-being strategies

[kidsinnowadays]

What Is Good for Children's Mental Health: Strategies for Emotional Well-being

Strategies to promote kids' emotional well-being and mental health. Build relationships, foster resilience, teach coping skills. Essential reading for parents. #ChildrensMentalHealth #EmotionalWellBeing #ParentingTips #ChildDevelopment

Importance of Children’s Mental Health Mental health is a critical component of a child’s overall development and well-being. Promoting positive mental health in childhood has significant impacts that can last throughout life. Healthy emotional and psychological development enables children to thrive in multiple areas, including: Relationships – Children with good mental health are able to…

[azrielwingspan]

'Someone' (Azriel x Reader)

Summary: The IC try to pry into your life and find out who you're crushing on.

Warnings : Noooone.

He was devastatingly handsome. Unfortunately for you, it did not bode well. You were supposed to be focusing on the meeting taking place and yet all you could think about was the shadowsinger seated opposite you.

"It would be best if we were to implement our previous strategy. What do you think Y/N?"

You snapped out of your daze and blinked slowly at your brother seated next to you. He looked at you expectantly as Cassian tried to stifle a laugh.

"Uhhh...yeah..we must...indeed." you choked out.

FOOL FOOL FOOOOOL. You screamed at yourself in your head trying your level best to get back your bearings and steer the meeting in your favor.

"Although, I do think we should discuss the previous strategy in detail and draw up a plan b in case things go south."

The others at the table nodded in agreement and you held in your sigh of relief. Rhys threw a suspicious glance your way but held his tongue. The people closest to you would describe you as an extremely focused and high functioning individual. Surprisingly for them and you , you were anything but that at the moment.

Azriel hadn't uttered a single word throughout the meeting instead choosing to listen attentively and observe , his usual mannerism. You stole another glance at him and froze. Fuck.

His eyes were trained on you, the gold piercing through the flecks of green and brown. Expression unreadable, he raised an eyebrow at your befuddled face. Giving him a crooked smile and almost wincing at how you must have looked, you turned your attention back to the matter at hand. Fantastic. Absolutely, truly fucking fantastic.

Putting in a ton of conscious effort, you managed to get through the rest of the meeting without making a fool of yourself again. Eventually, the conversation at the table turned into casual chatter. After all, everyone at this table was like family. You would fight for every single one of them.

"Y/N was heartbroken. It was rather funny to be quite frank." your head snapped in the direction of Mor who was shooting you a devious grin. It took a few seconds for the realization to kick in and you almost hid your face from absolute mortification. Today was going terrible.

"I was 25!! A CHILD in fae years." You defended yourself hiding your face in your hands. Laughter rose around the table and you sank further into your chair.

"Wait.." Feyre wiped a tear off the corner of her eye, trying to hold in her laughter. "so you're telling me, Y/N fell in love with a stable boy who was terrified of her? Why was he scared? What did you do?"

"She has this weird smile she ..." Rhys saw the glare you directed his way and a smug grin made its way onto his face.

"Okay..okay..I'm sure your love life has improved since then Y/N. Tell me, who is the unlucky guy these days?" Cassian asked sending everyone into a fit on raucous laughter yet again.

You were sure that everyone had noticed the way your shoulders tensed slightly. Cursing yourself for not doing a better job at hiding your emotions, you gave a casual shrug. "No one."

"Riiiiight." Cassian leaned back in his chair and looked to Azriel who had a small smile playing on his lips.

"What do you think Az? You're the spymaster after all."

"I don't pry into others personal lives brother." Azriel leaned forward placing his elbows on the table. "But...I might know who it is."

A flare of shock pulsed through you causing your heart to thump against your chest. Azriel noticed the change in your posture and let a small smirk slide onto his face. Handsome cocky bastard. Did he know?

You didn't think so. Aside from today, you had never given a hint of anything being strange or weird. He was probably playing mind games with you.

"So there is someone then." Mor's eyes twinkled , the makings of plan behind her eyes to glean the information from you later. You told Mor everything. After all, you were the best of friends. Which is why, you couldn't bring yourself to reveal this massive crush on Azriel yet. You knew Mor didn't love him that way and yet you couldn't speak to her about it.

"You guys are delusional. There is absolutely no one and I'm quite content thankyou very much. Also, spymaster..." you emphasized his title, giving him a sour smile "you need to brush up on your skills."

Azriel bowed his head trying to hide the grin blooming on his lips. "Now...if all of you are done gossiping about my non existent love life, I'm going to go spend some quality time with my new book." You left the room before any of them could notice the red blooming high on your cheeks. What you failed to notice however was a tendril of shadow reporting to its master about your flustered state.

That night as you were drifting off to sleep, a note was slid under the door into you room. It read

"It's hard not to pry when you're involved."- 'Someone'

You would be starting your morning with a heart attack tomorrow.

PART 2 OUT NOW ! READ HERE

Part 2 sneak peek here !

A/N: Let me know if you guys have any scenarios or ideas you want to read about. Would love to hear about them!

[space-dreams-world]

Another twin Au: D and T twins

D and T twins part 2: more info on the twins

When Danyal was pretty young, by accident, he tripped into the pits when no one was looking and came out fine, by after his trip he had gained some abilities that while he wanted to share with his sister, her treated of him was pretty negative and kept to himself, in fact after this he spent his time at the All-Caste to hone his skills partly, but distant himself from his sister.

During this time, he was contacted by a Deity named Chronos/ Clockwork who promised him some clarity on the future of the League as well as some insight into his family and his place in the league.

Now, Danyal knew that the League was not a good nor safe environment to promote the betterment of others, but had a fate that maybe it could change. Both himself and his sister were trained in the art of combat and assassination, but Danyal excelled better in emotional manipulation, strategy and the element of surprise, while his sister was the brutal attacker with her deadly charms.

Talia forgot due to trauma, that one of Ra's tests was to have some assassins assassinate them in their sleep, but one was a little more handsy than they should of, so when Danyal heard his sister's quiet tears, Danyal was there and with quick efficiency and brutally the assassin was dismembered into chunks that Talia had to change sleeping quarters and they could never really get rid of the bloodstains in that room. (This hints at some aggression that can be seen in Dan Phantom)

This is where Ra took a personal interest in Danyal and had mandatory sessions with him. During or after some sessions, Danyal was able to get into Ra's journal without being caught and he read the first-hand account of Ra's deeds. Danyal is appalled by this but understands that from an early age, his father has been mentally unwell from his Lazarus pits baths and that whatever remains is his brain struggling to process all the years he has been alive and that his mistreatment of his sister is due to old ways thinking. After the failed switch between Danyal and Ra, Ra trained his sister to be on equal footing as her brother, but without the spiritual resilience Danyal had.

[During Danyal's trip into the Danny Phantom universe, Danyal had been reduced to being reborn again into the Fenton Family and lived his 14 years ( and experienced his sister's frustrations with a "Golden child" sibling with Jazz) with them until his accident. Danyal, now Danny was good friends with both Tucker Foley and Sam Manson but had some reservations about their goals in befriending him. With Danny's new abilities, he dons the character of Ghost superhero as he had opened the portal and was partially responsible for its work.

Danny played the role of a failing high student who was bullied by peers,( a Clark Kent/Superman role) cut to the episodes where Danny deals with enemies such as Vlad, Freakshow, the GIW, the Observants, Valerie, Pariah Dark and any other big names. Danny had made friends with some of the ghosts including the deity Clockwork after a false assassination attempt and had learned the true nature of the Lazarus pits i.e. ectoplasm. Danny doesn't really entertain the idea of dating but accepts that he has preferences for strong driven individuals...batman.

At the end of the series, not including Phantom Planet, the Sr. Fentons have discovered Danny's true identity as Phantom as well as Danyal Al Ghul that he briefed to his sister, his clone (That after being discovered and rescued from Vlad was kept in the Zone to properly stabilize) and friends some time ago, the Fentons are outraged and in a move of pure idiocy, they blow up their portal that blows their home up and killing them and turning them into ghosts.

They spend their afterlives in ghost zone prisons, learning to correct their biases in death. Jazz ends with either the Foleys or Mister Lancer as Danyal is declared dead at the scene along with his parents. (He's not but once he gets back to his dimension, and Jazz has finished her education she will join him. Sam and Tucker may summon him, but he is not bringing them as he feels that there is no need for them to join him in the assassination and Danny is mentally older than them both as he played Danny as he never experienced normal childhood. Even if Sam harbours a crush on him, he has stated that he reserved his affections for someone else.]

More in part 3...

[thesophistiicate]

Hellu

Can you tell me some tips for emotional regulation?

Thanks 🩷

so i’m not a qualified doctor, counsellor, or mental health professional but have built my own emotional regulation over time. it is really helpful to do this with the help of a counsellor, therapist, or even life coach if you can, but you can work on it alone too.

notice and reframe negative thoughts: taking notice of my inner thoughts and realising they were super negative was a big wake up call for me. i tuned into my thoughts more often (esp when stressed or upset) and would turn negative thoughts into positive ones.

journaling: i write morning pages nearly every single morning and it makes a massive amount of difference in identifying emotional patterns. i’m a lot better at figuring out how i feel + managing that before it gets to meltdown/burn out mode. i used to only journal when i was already overwhelmed and emotional and it did help, but it was also creating a cycle of drama and not preventing the overwhelm. daily introspection is preventative.

labelling emotions: i used to really avoid and fear my emotions. but you have to face them, truly feel them, and process them. naming when i am stressed, sad, angry, happy, excited, nervous etc helps so much.

self-nurture: i “self-parent” myself by talking to myself as though i’m a mother speaking to a child: after all, that is the relationship we have to ourselves. especially when i’m upset i speak to myself in a way that’s compassionate, nurturing, gentle, and forgiving, yet also still encouraging and firm.

boundaries: i found setting boundaries really hard at first, i didn’t even know what they should be or how to do it. but doing all the above will help you figure out your limits and how you need to be treated in order to function well. then you can define boundaries that support this.

exercise: yes it has general mental health benefits, but more deeply exercise has helped me gain a sense of connection with my body and how i actually feel, which is huge for getting in touch with your emotions. being out of sync with your emotions often is due to being out of sync with your physical body. exercise will reconnect it. it’s not just about physical goals, exercise is seriously essential to personal development.

overall just paying attention to the tension points in your life, any patterns that keep repeating, any emotions that really trip you up (stress really gets to me) and then figuring out your strategy for overcoming them. be methodical but gentle. but your first job is just to observe.

[ohai-there]

post canon SVSSS x minato hokage era naruto crossover where it's scumplane (bcos i love scumplane) heading to the elemental nations on official business for some reason or another (maybe theres a barrier between their lands to prevent leakage of spiritual energy or somethign) SJ hates being alive purely because it means he's in SQH's debt for ripping him out of SQQ's body that Shen Yuan was inhabiting and reviving SJ (because SY decided to fuck off and live his best life as the demon emperor's wife and Cang Qiong NEEDS a peak lord for Qing Jing)

canonically immortals are extremely beautiful (even SQH is described as a 'proper' face iirc) and SJ is like TOP TIER beauty, but also immortals are sometimes described to have faces 'carved from jade' so I imagine when they step into immortality, they no longer have micro expressions and have like... crazy control over their facial muscles - so it kinda freaks out the ninjas, because the only emotions they can see is exactly what scumplane want them to see (SJ - disgust, usually. SQH - cowardice/flattery)

Scumplane also have 0 sense of danger when it comes to shinobi - they're immortals and old (lets say this is an indetermined amount of time after canon wraps up) so things like mundane steel and mortal poisons mean nothing to them when theyre so old. They also don't even bother holding back their tongues because what can these mortals even do to them? Worse comes to worse, they just seal up the worlds again, or just wait out for all these mortals to die (a strategy they use for troublesome emperors or politicians).

They also bring their disciples (Ming Fan specifically because I want him to have a redemption) and after canon had wrapped up the PIDW's story finished, everyone in the world actually bounced back into their rightful places (e.g. MF suddenly got a second puberty, his face improved to be beautiful as it should be and his intelligence returned to the level that the head disciple of the scholarly peak should be).

I want it to be during Minato hokage's short, short tenure - Minato is 23, a war hero and recently hired as ninja president, Konoha just came out of a war and suddenly the daimyo is paying WELL and hiring for the best teams of Konoha to escort these foreigners who are so otherwordly beautiful and so otherworldly RICH, like, the material of the clothes they wear puts the daimyos court to shame, they can pay in pure gold and stones thrumming with power.

SJ's whole thing is like... based on image. So imagine SQH bowing and being like 'ooh thank you for your hospitality' and SJ just grabbing him by the back of his collar and hauling him up like 'wtf dont even bother bowing to this guy. Have some face. he's only got the same rank as you AND he's a fucking child.'

(He's figured that Daimyo = weak emperor-ish, because what kind of a emperor only has control of such a small land AND has others in nearby lands with the same, competing title????. Hokage & Konoha is like the sects, and all the peak lords of CQS are of the same rank as a sect leader. Of course, they all defer to YQY officially, but tbh all the peaks run like their own individual sects, and SJ has never allowed himself to act below YQY in rank)

During Minato's reign, Orochimaru is still a loyal Konoha shinobi.... his interest in immortals makes him soooooo crazy invested in them....

SJ looks at Orochimaru who's questioning him on immortality and is like, 'out of all these people, you are the closest. Your mind is too unstable, however (ironic, coming from SJ) and you still cling too tightly to the material world. Abandon all worldly matters and immortality may be in your grasp, if the heavens deign it so.' acting like he's a good teacher or something, while SQH is in the background, the voice of reason like 'SHIXIONG WTF!!! WE'RE NOTT SUPPOSED TO BE GIVING UP THE SECRET TO IMMORTALITY TO THE MORTALS OF THE FORBIDDEN REALM????'

Maybe SQH does know they're in the naruto world, and knows what naruto is, (hc that the water walking we see YQY do in the donghua was ripped off from naruto, when SQH was still writing PIDW) but it's been like 200+ years! He can't remember shit!!! This is all new information to him!

[kanafinwe-makalaure]

I have been thinking about Maglor and Finrod again recently and how I usually characterise them kind of similarly on the surface - in their youth, they're eccentric divas who like their attention and their jewellery, whereas in later Ages, they are more mellow and have this slight, but permanent air of melancholy about them.

All of this is really heavily based on my own headcanons, but I think to me and my interpretation of them, the key difference is that for young Maglor, that loud and dramatic persona is a performance and for Finrod, it is not.

In my mind, Finrod is naturally a total sunshine, the type of person you can't help but feel comfortable and happy around. He is that type of person who you feel completely seen by and who you can't help but look at, listen to, and admire. He naturally attracts attention and he loves to just share his music and his happiness with as many people as he can; he genuinely loves talking to and meeting other people and he does deeply care about getting to know each new person he meets - everyone's lives and inner worlds, to him, are an adventure to explore! He's all smiles and flair because that is who he is at his core.

After the First Age, and especially after spending so much time alone, he is, of course, very sick in spirit, and so no longer has the energy to adopt that persona again, nor the will. It is difficult to disentangle his genuine hurt from what is simply his nature, but healing, for him, would include embracing his natural tendencies. This would be extremely vulnerable for him because that persona he embodied in his youth was his shell of protection. Maybe the awareness that he would not have the energy to perform this role anymore is even part of the reason he did not want to return to his own kind during his wanderings - the belief that no-one would want him for his true self, anyway.

It is during the First Age that Finrod first experiences loss and sadness and fear and death and discovers that half of the spectrum of emotion that he has previously never really spent too much time on - whatever grief he had was always small enough to either process or distract himself from, but those strategies no longer work for him and it fundamentally changes him and the way he interacts with the world. I also do doubt if his release from Mandos might not have been premature, so he might not have healed entirely and discovered new, healthy coping mechanisms.

He is still fundamentally a very positive person who seeks to find and spread joy, but everything that he once knew and that does bring him joy is now also tied to painful memories for him. For Finrod, healing would mean finding ways to process that grief and make more positive experiences than negative - which is difficult for him, because he is still not the type of person to dwell on sad things because maybe, it frightens him a little, and that unprocessed grief is felt in the air around him everywhere he goes.

Meanwhile Maglor (I went into my interpretation of him in more depth here) I see as someone whose nature is actually more mellow and melancholic. As a child, he is pensive and tends to spend time alone, likes to ponder the big questions of the universe and is very sensitive and quiet. Unfortunately, in a family like his, to be quiet is to be invisible, and his parents express worry about him being so prone to sadness, so he adopts a louder persona - he must be seen at all costs, he must outshine everyone at all costs. He is especially focused on pleasing Fëanor this way. Given all this, he is secretly very insecure, but hides it relatively well. Few people ever see behind his mask.

However, this means it is difficult for him to make connections that go beyond a surface level. Both with Fëanor and others, his "perfect formula" for being entirely pleasant and likeable never 100% works because the personality he shows to the world is disingenuous, and even the admiration it does get him is based on an act, so his actual self-esteem is not very great. The only thing he is truly confident about his his music, but he ties his entire sense of self-worth to it as a result, which is not great for his mental health, either.

Later, it means he lacks the confidence to stand his ground against Fëanor and Maedhros even when he disagrees, and so shrinks in the shadow of those he follows - until the very end, when they have all left him.

If he returns, it really will be difficult for his loved ones to get used to this more vulnerable version of him, but with time, they would realise he is much healthier that way. Once he builds a new sense of identity that more closely aligns with his personality, he can feel much more secure and build a more genuine connection to himself and the world around him.

[queensunshinee]

Time Of Our Lives || Part 17

Part 17:

The silence in Liana and Patrick's room had a static tint. Like hearing a sound from an old song over and over again but not knowing which song it is. A familiar but distant feeling. A repression that explodes in your face. Over and over and over again.

The knowledge that she was alone made it easier for her to release the tears, as if in this characterless room, in the fancy hotel, she could allow herself to be well…herself. And all she wanted right now was to lie on the bed in a fetal position and cry over the years she wasted. Over the time that won't come back. Over wrong choices. Over mistakes. Mistakes. Mistakes. So many mistakes. Why couldn't she be one of those people who shout "bingo" after exactly three rounds? Why does everything have to be complicated? Why does someone else always win?

Patrick came in late. As if he wasn’t even trying to hide what he did. Liana fell asleep easily, it was past midnight, and he expected her to be asleep. To his surprise, the light was on and Liana was packing a suitcase. "Lilo, what's going on?" He swallowed hard. He didn't see her face but his heart was racing, 'You know what's going on.' "Lilo," her voice was quiet, and sarcasm washed over her like the last of the cynics as she chuckled while repeating the nickname.

"Where were you, Patrick?" She turned to him, and he swallowed hard. She was swollen and red from crying and anger, and like always, all her emotions were displayed on her face like a billboard. He had seen her contempt for him before, but not like this. Not with such determination.

"Liana," he closed his eyes and tried to regulate his breathing. "Be a man and say it," she said, not moving, continuing to look vaguely at him, past him. He was silent. "Pussy," she rolled her eyes and went back to the suitcase. She sounded like Tashi for a moment, and Patrick wanted to die. Sweet, gentle Liana. The one who thinks eight times before saying something, sounded like Tashi. "Liana, look at me for a second. Wait a minute." He wanted to throw up. He didn’t know how to stop her anger. How to minimize the damage. How to make sure she stayed where she was. How to make sure she would let him get close to her again. "If you touch me, I'll stab you in the eye." She said with feigned indifference when she heard his steps approaching her. "Please look at me." He begged. "Liana." His voice was more authoritative, knowing she wouldn’t withstand it. That her desire to feel needed and good was usually greater than her anger. "It won't work. Not this time. Not when it comes to Tashi Duncan." She said, as if knowing in advance what his strategy would be. What he would try to do.

"Let me explain. Please." He would get on his knees if he had to. She couldn't leave this room without knowing that he loved her. That he would leave his entire life for her. As he had done once before.

"Thank God I don’t have your baby. God, what a mess would that be." She muttered to herself as she closed the suitcase. Patrick took a few steps back. "What are you talking about?" He also had tears in his eyes, and he felt like he couldn't breathe. "What the hell are you talking about? Hey, look at me!" He approached her, raising his voice with every word he spoke.

"Do you really think I would have kept your baby, Patrick? As if this whole life isn’t a mistake anyway," she shook her head from side to side, saying the most venomous and painful things she could think of. "What baby?" His voice returned to being quiet. Like a child who was promised a puppy and then told he hadn't behaved well enough. "Ask Tashi." She scoffed and walked past him towards the door.

Patrick didn't stop her.

Art couldn't look at Tashi. They were supposed to go over videos of his competitor and do a short practice before today’s game, but he couldn’t look at her, and he couldn’t hide it either. "Did you tell her?" she asked after 20 minutes of awkward silences and business as usual. "Huh?" he didn’t understand. "Liana, did you tell her?" she asked more slowly. Sometimes it took Art a moment to understand. "What did I tell her?" His heart started to race. "Oh my God, Art, you saw me and Patrick yesterday. Don’t tell me you didn’t tell her." She reacted as if it was obvious. "You saw me?" he asked. "Of course I saw you. You wore green and stood out like a traffic light." She rolled her eyes. "And you still went with Patrick." He didn’t understand.

"Oh my God, Art. Just answer me, did you tell Liana or not?" She was starting to lose patience completely. "Yes..." he turned red and couldn’t look at her, "I’m sorry, I couldn’t hide it from her, Tash-" he started a monologue, hoping it wouldn’t cost him his friendship with Tashi. He had gotten used to her presence more than he was willing to admit, and she really did make him a better player. "Good, did you seal the deal?" she asked, and he blinked at her, not understanding anything anymore.

"Tashi, what?" he asked, feeling like they were having a conversation between a deaf person and a mute one, at this point. "Art, God help me, did you fuck her?" she asked directly for a change, reaching the conclusion that she couldn’t hint at anything with him. "What? No!" he was startled by her accusation. He would've jumped out of the couch if he hadn’t been more concerned about his composure in front of her.

"Why the hell not?" she asked in disbelief. "I don’t understand this conversation." He voiced his thoughts aloud. He was maroon-colored at this point. "I made it so easy for you, Arthur, what else needs to happen for you to claim what is yours?" She looked him in the eyes and saw him swallow hard.

"Liana is not mine." He said. Loser. "She’s not Patrick’s anymore. That’s for sure." She replied. Tashi really and truly didn’t understand what was holding him back. For a year she had seen him fumbling in the dark with the girl he looked at with hearts in his eyes. A year. Who doesn’t give up after a year?! Maybe someone who carries the key to her room for five years like a pathetic fool while she’s in a relationship with his best friend. But Tashi knew more than Art. Tashi saw Liana up close as a woman sees another woman. She saw the dark circles around her eyes and the despair. She saw so much despair.

And Patrick has this ability, Tashi thinks. To be the best and the worst at the same time. Like an electric current throughout the body, there are places where it feels good and places where it burns. Patrick mostly burns. And Tashi saw Liana six months ago, almost completely burnt out. Almost begging for a lifeline.

So she gave a push. She gave a little shove in hopes that everything would sort itself out. If Art had enough balls, everything would have been sorted out yesterday, but in the meantime, everyone keeps suffering and paying for his mistakes from five years ago.

"Okay," she sighed. "Let’s go back to the video and leave this until we get back from Atlanta, alright?" she asked. "But Tash-" he tried to resist. There were so many questions on the tip of his tongue. "Art. You are going to win this tournament. You are going to be the winner of this week, do you understand me?" she asked in the most authoritative and serious voice she could find. Art had no choice but to nod.

Hey, can we talk? -Patrick-

Liana -P- Hey, not sure if you saw, but I won the Atlanta Open, wish you were here. How are you? -Art- Hey girl, you haven’t answered your phone for a few days, should I be worried? -Melissa- Liana, if you don’t answer me, I’m coming to America and staying in your shitty apartment until I grow old. -M- Patrick and I broke up. -L- Do you want me to come? -M- Always. -L- I miss you. -P- Liana. we need to talk, we can’t leave things like this. -P- Just tell me you're okay. -P- You weren’t at the construction site today, can I call you? -A- I packed all your things, when can you pick them up? -L- Liana, can we talk like adults? Please. -P- Lilo, I’m begging you. -P- Okay, tomorrow at 8 PM, is that okay? -P- Leave the key in the closet outside when you’re done. -L- You won’t be at the apartment? -P- Hey, can I come over tomorrow around 8 PM? -L- Of course. Here’s the address. -A-

Liana heard a knock on the door at two in the afternoon and got annoyed. She didn’t want to see Patrick, and they had agreed that he would come to get his things at eight in the evening. Why couldn’t he just do one thing properly for once?!

“We agreed you’d come at eight, so what the fuck is this?!” she asked as she opened the door, seeing Tashi standing there. “I decided to come early,” Tashi replied sarcastically. “Can I come in?” she asked and entered without waiting for an invitation.

Liana was dressed in an oversized T-shirt and shorts. If Tashi had to guess, and she didn’t really want to, the shirt probably belonged to Patrick. Her hair was greasy, and she looked like she hadn’t slept since Tashi last saw her briefly in Atlanta, three weeks ago.

“You don’t have a couch in your living room,” Tashi said. The small space that could barely be called a living room looked empty, filled with boxes that Tashi assumed were Patrick’s, but the absence of the couch was noticeable. “I paid the neighbor $150 to get rid of it or burn it. I don’t know. Why are you here?” Liana asked, looking at her with complete disinterest.

“You and I, we’re not friends, you remember that, right?” Tashi said. “You came to my house to tell me we’re not friends? You slept with my boyfriend, I figured out we’re not friends on my own.” Liana rolled her eyes. Indifference was the only thing evident in her voice. Maybe also exhaustion. “I just remember you sitting across from me in a café, me asking if you wanted to be friends, and you saying something like ‘God no’. We were both there, right?” Tashi reminded her of their conversation when Liana had asked her to accompany her to the clinic.

“Well done, Tashi, you did a good deed for a complete stranger, and now what? You won’t rest until we all remember that you’re actually a bitch?” Liana asked, looking at her. “Look at you, how much character you’ve developed in these weeks,” Tashi replied and chuckled. “What the fuck do you want? I’m busy.” Liana said, turning her back to her. “With Self-pity?” Tashi asked. “Do you need something? Did you come to gloat? What’s the purpose of your visit? How do we finish this faster?” Liana ignored her question.

The truth was, Liana pitied herself a lot. She had ended a relationship with someone she really loved, who had hurt her so much there was nothing left. And she probably still loved him. And she probably always would. And what did it say about her if she was willing to love someone who treated her like gum stuck to the sole of his shoe? But Tashi didn’t need to know all that.

“I wanted to say I’m sorry if you got hurt.” Tashi sighed, and Liana turned to her, raising an eyebrow. “I don’t think you’re supposed to get hurt, but I’m sorry if you did,” she added quickly. “I’m not supposed to get hurt by the fact that my boyfriend of the last four years slept with someone I trusted enough to ask for help when I had no one else to ask?” Liana asked in response. Her leg started to shake uncontrollably.

“You’re not in a relationship with me, I don’t owe you anything.” Tashi shrugged. “Do you want to hear what I think, Liana?” she asked.

“No, not really.” “I think you chose wrong. I think one of them thrives when you’re with him, and one of them withers when you’re with him. You chose wrong. And now you’re dealing with your choices. Because we both know Art worships you, and when you stand next to him, he’s the best he can be. He proves to you he’s the best he can be. He’ll be the best for you because you’re there, next to him. Watching.” She paused to catch her breath but looked at Liana with a gaze that made it clear she wasn’t finished.

“Patrick, on the other hand. He’s at his best when he needs to prove to you that he deserves your attention. The moment he got it, he lost it. He lost interest. He lost the reason to prove himself. He stopped striving higher. He wilts. You think he’s draining your will to live? Just by agreeing to be his, you took away his reason to live. It’s too comfortable for him now. He doesn’t need to impress you anymore, and who is Patrick Zweig when he doesn’t need to impress Liana Levy? A shadow of the person he was. You chose wrong, and you know it.” She finished, examining Liana, who just looked at her with tear-filled doe eyes.

“Buy a couch, Liana, or better yet, leave this shithole. It smells like mold here. Art’s apartment is nice, and I think he’d be happy to have you as a roommate.” Tashi applied what looked like hand sanitizer, patted Liana’s shoulder twice, and left the apartment.

All Liana could do was sit on the floor, crying. She didn’t have a couch to hold on to for the remnants of her self-respect.

heyyy :) kinda shorter chapter but I felt like it was a needed one. also, once again, we have more Tashi 🤭 as always, talk to me, the askbox is very open <3

taglist: @soberbabes @nina357 @lamoursansfin @marley1773 @ruyaas-world @apolloscastellan @primlovesdilfs @fangirl-kimora @serenadingtigers @imbabycowboy @do-it-for-kicks @izzywags478 @4deline08 @igotmajordaddyissues @jackierose902109 @ganana @yoitsme-04 @swetearss

[vesora]

dealing with fear of abandonment through LOA + general tips

personal backstory / long post ahead

“Change your conception of yourself and you will automatically change the world in which you live. Do not try to change people; they are only messengers telling you who you are. Revalue yourself and they will confirm the change.” ― Neville Goddard, Your Faith is Your Fortune

as a child, my needs were not met and therefore, i developed a schema that people were meant to disappoint me and leave me and my relationships, both platonic and romantic reflected EXACTLY that.

countless times, i was ‘left’ without any reason, always strengthening the notion i had always felt that people were meant to abandon me. even if i was close to someone, i would still engage in self-sabotaging behaviours when i felt disappointed by the expectations i had set for them. feeling this lack of control when it came to relationships because i was so deathly afraid of being left alone; of disappointing the other. not putting myself first because i felt the only sense of worth i had was through whether another found me worthy. this is all very hard for me to say of course, im a private person but i felt maybe someone at least needed to hear this. my parent would be nice at one point and disinterested in the other, i felt i had to work to gain their approval and for them to be nice to me all the time. i needed them to view me as perfect, so they wouldn’t leave me. but guess what guys? thats stupid, bcos fuck perfection.

in my abandonment activation strategies/self-sabotaging behaviours, my body would go into a state of desperation, in dire need of any sort of relief and safety, crying my heart out because i was so scared, leaving people because i was scared of being left first. being scared i was being clingy by asking for reassurance which in turn sends me into another frenzy, isolating myself from people so i have no chances to be hurt, feeling resentment when someone doesnt meet my expectations/needs through no fault of their own. my inner child would just take over my body, repeating the same distress i experienced as a kid. 

but i am not a kid anymore. i am a well-functioning adult and i cannot continue this abandonment schema. so what do i do?

i use loa. 

how to use loa + general tips for this:

recognise that everything and everyone is you pushed out. your relationships play out the way you assume they will. this is not to say at all what happened when you were a child was your fault. we are not to blame. our needs were simply not met.

change the way you view relationships, no matter how hard it may be. if everyone is just us, how can anyone else abandon us? not even that, why would anyone leave us? we are amazing and fun and good people

be someone YOU are proud of, irrespective of what other people think. all is mind, so why do you think you need to impress someone who’s just another part of you? a part that can easily be molded

you are not clingy. you are not desperate. you are not unworthy. you are not unlovable. repeat affirmations that you are lovable. that you deserve to have your needs met. that everyone meets your needs. that you never feel abandoned. that you love yourself unconditionally. YOU are on the pedestal, NOT anyone else.

if someone is emotionally unavailable, this DOES NOT mean they do not love or care about you! they might be busy, not be well-versed with showing emotions in a healthy way, express their love in a different way than yours or they may simply be going through something in their lives right now. 

when this happens, you can talk to the person about it and usually in my experience, the person understands and reassures me that they still love me and that we are okay. if a person is not willing to make sure you are okay, maybe rethink their position in your lives. you are the pedestal, not them. now just because someone reassures you doesn’t mean you don’t work on yourself. you do work on yourself through LOA and useful strategies.

take deep belly breaths when you feel yourself get triggered. it is okay. you are going to be okay, i promise. the next day im sure you will feel fine. it is not the end of the world, i promise you. the world IS you. just change it.

reassure your inner child and your adult self that you are okay now. you are the best version of yourself right now. you are safe. you are secure. you are not in danger. your life is in YOUR hands. YOU are in control. YOU created this life. the only way to change it is within.

if you feel impatient and you want things to change IMMEDIATELY, i.e. when youre having a panic attack, take deep breaths and remember this is temporary. remember you are in control of what happens but also do not be attached to any outcome, just have faith that everything works out in your favour.

if you feel resentment when someone doesn’t meet your expectations, do NOT use strategies to hurt them or leave them. just calm down and view them with a gaze of love. transmute this feeling of resentment and abandonment to love and understanding, you can even visualise it. they still love you, you can manifest them to love you the way you want to idk but still they love you! don’t try to make them jealous, don’t distance yourself, don’t do whatever you do to get ‘revenge’ idk, it is NOT healthy. it only hurts YOU in the end. plus, LOA dictates the way people act with you is a reflection of yourself, so all you need to do is change self.

no matter what, KNOW you are loved. even if your body is freaking out and wants to flee, tell yourself in the moment it will pass. it has to. your trauma trigger reactions are NOT you. 

it may be hard to believe that someone loves you. for me, i felt like i was delusional. that i was kidding myself, because how dare i assume someone loves me? that’s why i kept seeking external reassurance for any semblance of love because i was not giving that reassurance to myself internally. and when someone didn’t give me that reassurance in the 3d, i’d freak out, even though i had manifested it unknowingly. how can i go to the 3d and ask for love when everything, good and bad, is within me? as the creator, how can i not tell myself i am worthy of love and that people close to me love me? how can i not believe that when all is me? it is a bit stupid to think like that, no? well i did, and to an extent i still do. but i’m recovering. i deserve to live a life where i am not constantly afraid. i deserve to live a life where i can speak with confidence that someone loves me. it is hard for me, even now, but i know i will get through it, as will you. 

let’s be brazenly impudent together, shall we?

“Dare to believe in the reality of your assumption and watch the world play its part relative to to its fulfillment.” ― Neville Goddard

[too-antigonish]

Morse and drinking in the 70s...

Long....because I can't write short. And obviously, a lot of you will already know this stuff...

Just want to take a moment to talk about alcohol and alcoholism in the context of the early 1970s and remind folks of how totally and completely different it is from how we see it today.

Drunk driving had not been outlawed in most countries. Not only that, it was widely regarding as funny—funny enough to be used as a regular “gag” in movies. Problem drinking was also seen as funny. There were regular cartoon strips about it. The “drunk” was a funny stock character in all sorts of plays and movies.

Alcohol was ubiquitous. We’re not just talking liquid lunches. We’re talking drinking at work, while you work—just as you see in Endeavour. Think about that for a second.

And politely saying no wasn’t something you did without social consequences. It wasn’t just seen as a personal preference. Unless you had a specific, acceptable reason, turning down a drink was often seen as stand-offish and judgmental or as a social snub. Teetotalism was regarded as rather naive and ridiculous—not something any man or woman of the world would embrace.

In the early 1970s, there was no widespread understanding of alcoholism as a disease. It was still seen very much as the consequence of personal weakness—still a matter of “If you cared enough or tried hard enough, you wouldn’t do this so it must be a character flaw.”

Plus, most people, “normal” people don’t have problems with alcohol, so if you do then there’s something abnormal and defective about you—most likely something you brought upon yourself.

And as a “personal weakness” and a “defect,” the shame around it was profound and the secrecy matched. If someone went away for treatment, it was very much akin to an unwed mother going off to have her baby and then returning without the child. You never spoke of it. You pretended that it had never happened.

If you were a kind person, you also didn’t go out of your way to parade babies in front of her or talk constantly about children when she was with you. But refer to it directly? Never. Ask for help? Never. It was always something to be hidden. Everyone did their best to forget that it had ever happened and saw this as the "kindest" thing to do.

When Morse returns from his “cure,” it would simply be assumed that everyone would pretend that nothing unusual has happened. Why he’s  just been off on a tour of the West Country and nothing else! Hope you had a lovely time! That sort of polite fiction was exactly what he would have expected upon his return. Anything more direct—at least in a public setting—would have been shocking to him and everyone else.

Where things break down, however, is in the more personal interactions. His relationship with Thursday is such that they can at least broach the topic of drinking. When they do, my impression is that Thursday is well-aware that Morse not “cured.” However, in the context of the time, saying this would be akin to saying, "You failed," because there was no disease model of alcholism in widespread use. You went to be cured and it worked or it didn't.

However, I'd also add that Thursday is almost to the breaking point with the cumulative strain he is under. He can’t cope with the “burden” of Morse being in a precarious state and he knows it. He feels desperately guilty about that—as well as about other things like Strange and Joan or about life having moved on so much while Morse was gone—and so he just shuts down. 

Shutting down is Thursday’s go-to strategy when he’s overwhelmed. We’ve seen him do it many times before. And part of that for him, is that he pretends that the people around him are ok—even if they are anything but ok. Not surprisingly, he does it the most with the people he has the closest emotional ties with—Win, Joan, Sam, and Morse.

So the only way that Thursday can cope is by having Morse be perfectly fine. Conveniently, his preferred coping strategy fits exactly with his society's expectations about how alcoholism works. If Morse is "cured," you don’t need to worry about sparing him the constant offers of alcohol in the same way that the young unwed mother might hope to be spared babies. You certainly wouldn’t embarrass him (especially after he’s been through the humiliation of rehab) by drawing attention in any way to a possible to the idea that he still has a problem. 

And finally, a last note on time context. The scene in the pub where Morse has that first drink after finding out that Joan is marrying Jim is utterly heartbreaking for so many reasons. One of those reasons, however, is that we know it’s the first drink—and that the first drink leads to the second, and so on and so forth. Then Morse says to Thursday, “They said the, the odd beer, the odd shot, does no harm…"Everything in moderation," they said,”  and we automatically assume he’s lying.

I’m fairly sure that those scenes were meant to be interpreted through our modern viewpoint. However, it’s worth noting that again, the model of alcoholism in the 1970s was nothing like what we have today. The idea that someone with a drinking problem/addictions needs to abstain entirely was not even close to universal at that point. It’s perfectly possible that the advice Morse is quoting is the advice he received!

[total-drama-shark]

I wil SO go into more detail like another time, adding this to my list to eventually just ramble on like there’s no tomorrow.

But saying Zoey and Sky are identical/same/indistinguishable/lacking in personality is such a disservice to them, specially Sky who is so misunderstood by fandom.

Zoey archetype is that she’s meant to be the indie chick, though in the show her defining personality seems more guided towards “pushover, nice (yet judgmental) and naive girl” she expresses her emotions very well and never pretends to get along with people she doesn’t, she’s also an only child from a small town and distinctively dislikes jocks. In ROTI her physical skills aren’t anything to scoff at, but they really stand out once she goes through “commando Zoey” where she suddenly gains incredible physical ability as well as strategy and a meaner personality. Zoey in general is a passive character, she doesn’t tend to take leadership and her development is tied to other characters. Zoey came to the show to make friends, she needs them, and while the money definitely inclines her to stay in the competition she cares more about her relationships than the focus on winning.

Sky’s archetype is the athlete, and it’s actually clear to see in her actions her physical ability from the start, her personality is significantly more reserved and composed than Zoey’s. She also has a sister who she looks up to and is the first character with indigenous coding. As a team leader she has to coordinate her teammates and try to get along with them (even the ones she evidently dislikes), because of this, and possibly as just part of her nature, she’s not as outspoken in certain areas, her dislike or liking to other characters are read with small gestures, her composure is steady, she only loses it twice in the entire season after being pushed to her limit, and it’s still nowhere near to how Zoey lost hers. Sky has a much more active role in the series as a team leader and her actions influence others instead of it just being the other way around. Sky is firmly set on her goal to win the million and does what she can to achieve it, by trying to control her team, using her skills to her advantage, and avoiding forming relationships with eventual competition.

I have so much more to say but I’m slowly becoming less comprehensible so I’ll plan this out neatly another time in another post.

[sensitivehandsomeactionman]

Rewatched 1x03 Dead in the Water (this is a really long one, so I added a "read more" break)

This episode 100% gobsmacked me in the face with Jensen's beauty all the way through. It's unreal, shocking. There's a simple mystery story, but the real mystery is how anyone can have a normal conversation with that face in the room? Thank you, Kim Manners.

Thank you also for the bleak mood of the story. Several unsolved deaths and a failing dam; the townsfolk seem puzzled and depressed in their dreary surroundings. It has the aura of a deteriorating Rust Belt town already mourning its impending doom.

Sam is impatient to follow the (nonexistent?) trail to Dad. Dean has to persuade Sam to do the monster of the week as this town is vaguely "along the way." Silly excuses for a MOTW aside, I do like that character-wise, pretty consistently throughout the series, Dean is a "trust the process" guy. When he's at a loss, he'll revert to the familiar steps of the hunt till there's another lead or inspiration hits. Very workman-like. (By season 7 it morphs into a more existential "fake it till you make it" survival strategy.)

We move on to them hitting the road in the gleaming Impala. Flirty Dean at the diner becomes flirty Dean at the sheriff's office. Andrea isn't buying what he's selling, and we get a little light comedy. Sam's "Name three children that you even know" is a nice bit of misdirection to imply Dean has no connection to kids. We and Sam are about to learn differently.

Sam's research uncovers that Lucas witnessed his Dad's death, setting up a parallel to Dean's loss of Mary. Dean's attention gravitates to Lucas, and his empathy opens a window for us into Dean's own childhood trauma. When Lucas gives Dean a drawing, I feel like Andrea's look of surprise towards Dean mirrors our own. Maybe there's more to him than that brash beauty.

There's a hint that Lucas has premonitions -- I love that they're laying the groundwork for premonitions, soon to be significant for Sam -- and can give them clues through his drawings. Dean's confession about being scared and thinking his Mom would want him to be brave is delivered with honesty, almost matter-of-fact. It's all the more poignant. I think it easily taps into how we all remember the loneliness of childhood sadness as well as the instinctive desire at that age to make our parents proud. This time instead of Andrea we get to see Sam register surprise at this reveal from Dean.

Giant Sam is able to pull nude Andrea from the haunted bath. I'm a bit distracted by the technical need to not reveal too much of her body, and I can't help but worry about actresses being put into those circumstances during filming. More memorable is Dean saving Lucas because of that emotional connection between them. I love the physicality that J2 imbue into the action, especially when they're clearly doing their own stunts. 

The first two episodes seemed to be pulling Sam into a reckoning with his past, and while he's not the emotional center of this episode, he's our proxy. Sam is seeing his brother in a new light. It's the same when you're a young adult, re-examining your childhood memories and finding a new perspective on and context for things you long took for granted to be true.

The two brothers together pulling a dead child's buried bicycle from its grave is a chilling visual on loss of innocence, and a fitting metaphor for how their work is unburying their own past along their way to rediscover Dad, their family. And the message here is that the violence didn't stay dead and buried; it needed to be acknowledged and reckoned with to stop the cycle. Psychologically satisfying.

Some echoes from the previous episodes: bathtub danger, creepy ghost kids, bereft and fatally flawed parents, a grateful pretty woman giving Dean a farewell kiss, a rock song sendoff. Toy green army men are connected to Dean's childhood. It was fun to see Amy Acker, as I really enjoyed her in Angel.

I love the melancholy of this episode. The filming is intimate and assured, full of dark rooms, quiet conversations, and grief. Noir shadows highlight Dean's stunning face, which I continue to gif in attempts to hold onto that wonder a few seconds longer. I love all the groundwork this episode lays for the mytharc while being a satisfying standalone ep. Jensen's acting with Lucas, and Jared and Amy's reactions to Dean bring an unexpected, deeper dimension to Dean. The story has begun to roll on the Getting-to-Know-Dean track, and I'm always ready to hop on this ride.

[hanayama-simp]

Can you make a scenario where most evil convicts (Spec, Dorian, Yanagi, Sikorsky, Doyle) discovered that their y/n is pregnant and that they are the father?. Hope you have a great day or night ❤️❤️❤️

hiiii, sorry for the delay, it was hard for me to write it, but here it is, I hope you like it and have a nice night/day 💗💗

Spec

When Spec receives the news that his partner is pregnant, for a moment, the world seems to stop. There is nothing that can break his silence; It's an unusual reaction for someone who normally expresses everything through violence. His face, usually dominated by a sadistic smile, shows an expression of surprise that is rarely seen on him.

Internally, Spec faces conflict. His life has always been simple: violence, power and chaos. Now, a sense of responsibility begins to emerge, something totally new for him. He remembers his own childhood, the difficulties he faced, and for a moment he wonders if he could be a good father. The idea disturbs him, but it also motivates him.

After some time of reflection, accept the reality of the situation. Spec decides that he will protect his partner and the baby at all costs. This new protective side that emerges in him is unexpected, but firm. However, his instinct to protect turns into an almost obsessive desire to keep his partner away from any danger. He even considers isolating her from the world, just to make sure they are safe.

Although he is still a violent being, Spec begins to control his aggression in the presence of his partner. He does not want the fear he generates in others to separate him from this new stage of his life. Furthermore, an unusual care begins to appear in his actions. He makes sure that his surroundings are in order, that his partner is comfortable and safe, something that would have seemed irrelevant to him before.

The news of the pregnancy makes you think about the future in a different way. Spec imagines his son being strong, powerful, perhaps training from an early age to face the world he himself knows so well. However, there is also a latent concern. Despite his toughness, he wonders what his son's life will be like in such a dangerous world and if he can protect him from everything.

For the first time in a long time, Spec allows himself to feel more human emotions. Reflect on what it means to be a father and what you must do to be worthy of that role. He knows that the life he has led until now is not compatible with being a good father, but he is determined to find a way to balance both aspects.

In the end, Spec makes a decision: he will do everything in his power to protect his family. He begins to prepare mentally and physically for the birth of his child, knowing that the path ahead will be difficult, but willing to face it with all the strength that characterizes him.

Dorian

Kaioh Dorian, known for his facade of serenity and unsettling laughter, finds himself in a state of utter perplexity upon receiving the news that his partner is pregnant. His usually mocking smile freezes on his face, and for a moment, his combat-trained mind is devoid of any logic. There is no plan for this, no strategy in his arsenal that prepared him for such an unexpected revelation.

As he retreats into the solitude of his mind, Dorian reflects on what this means. His life has been a constant game of deception, strength, and survival. Now, there is something in his life that is entirely new and vulnerable. He struggles between his instincts to protect and his destructive impulses, questioning whether he can truly balance these two aspects of his nature. Throughout his life, he has cultivated a disdain for human emotions, but this news begins to tear down those walls with a force even he cannot resist.

Dorian, in his meticulous and calculating manner, begins to consider how this new being could fit into his world. The idea of a child both fascinates and terrifies him. He imagines his child inheriting his strength and cunning, but also fears they might inherit his dark legacy. In his most private moments, Dorian allows himself to imagine a future where his child follows in his footsteps, but with a spark of hope instead of despair.

As time progresses, Dorian undergoes changes in his behavior. Though he remains a master of deception and manipulation, he starts to act with an unusual caution. His protective nature manifests in subtle ways; his attacks on enemies become more ferocious, not just to secure his own power but to eliminate any potential threats to his future family. At the same time, in the privacy of his home, he shows more attentiveness, almost care, towards his partner—a side of him few have ever seen.

The pregnancy of his partner brings moments of introspection that he has never experienced before. Dorian begins to reconsider his life philosophy, meditating on what it means to be a father and what he must do to ensure his child has a better life than he has lived. He faces the dilemma of how to protect his family without exposing them to the brutality that has defined him until now.

In the end, Kaioh Dorian makes a decision: he will not only be a warrior on the battlefield but also in life, fighting to secure a future for his child. Though he remains a formidable figure, a new motivation has awakened within him, giving him a purpose beyond survival and power. He is ready to face any challenge, prepared to protect his family with the same intensity he has dedicated to his life as a warrior.

Yanagi

Ryuukou Yanagi, the master of poison hand techniques, is accustomed to manipulating fear and danger with cold precision. However, when he learns that his partner is pregnant, he finds himself facing an entirely new kind of uncertainty. His usually composed and calculating demeanor falters as he grapples with the unexpected news.

Inwardly, Yanagi’s mind races. The world he knows is one of shadows, deceit, and lethal force. Bringing a child into such a world seems unimaginable. He wonders how he could possibly protect this new life from the dangers that have defined his existence. For someone who has always seen emotions as a weakness, this sudden surge of concern and protectiveness catches him off guard.

Yanagi begins to think about the implications of fatherhood in his unique situation. His first instinct is to shield his partner and unborn child from the world, possibly even isolating them to keep them safe. He knows the enemies he’s made and the darkness that follows him. But he also recognizes that his skills and knowledge could be used to protect, not just to harm.

As he reflects on his past, Yanagi recalls his own harsh upbringing and the training that made him who he is today. He contemplates whether he wants his child to follow a similar path or if he desires something different for them. This thought process brings a rare moment of vulnerability to Yanagi, as he considers the kind of father he could be—one who might guide with wisdom rather than with fear.

Over time, Yanagi’s behavior begins to subtly shift. His actions, though still deliberate and strategic, now carry an undercurrent of caution that wasn’t there before. He becomes more meticulous in his dealings, ensuring that his enemies are kept far from his personal life. Within the confines of his home, he takes on a more nurturing role, offering small gestures of care and reassurance to his partner, something that would have seemed alien to him before.

Yanagi’s meditations deepen as he considers the future. He ponders what it will mean to teach his child about the world, about strength, and about survival. He wonders if he can break away from the cycle of violence and secrecy that has dominated his life, creating a safer environment for his family.

In the end, Ryuukou Yanagi decides that he must adapt, using his skills not just for survival but for the protection and well-being of his family. The news of his partner’s pregnancy has planted a seed of change within him, one that compels him to re-evaluate his purpose. Though he remains a shadowy and dangerous figure, Yanagi is now also driven by the desire to protect his family, ready to face whatever challenges may come with the same precision and resolve that have always defined him.

Sikorsky

Sikorsky, the towering Russian convict known for his brutal strength and ruthlessness, is a man who thrives on chaos and violence. When he learns that his partner is pregnant, the news hits him like a punch he didn’t see coming. For a moment, the ever-present intensity in his eyes dims as he processes the information.

At first, Sikorsky’s mind struggles to reconcile this new reality with the life he leads. His world has always been one of primal instincts, where power and survival are paramount. The idea of bringing a child into such a life feels completely foreign to him. His first reaction is one of confusion, followed by a rare sense of vulnerability that he’s unaccustomed to feeling.

As the days pass, Sikorsky begins to think about the implications of this news. He’s never seen himself as anything other than a predator, a man whose hands are stained with the blood of countless enemies. Now, he finds himself contemplating a future where he’s responsible for a life that is utterly dependent on him. The thought is both terrifying and strangely exhilarating.

Sikorsky’s thoughts turn to his own past, the harshness of his upbringing and the relentless struggle for power that shaped him into the man he is today. He wonders if he wants the same for his child, or if there’s a part of him that desires something better for them—a life that isn’t defined by violence and fear.

His behavior starts to change, though subtly. Sikorsky, who has always operated on raw aggression, begins to exhibit a cautiousness that’s new to him. He becomes more strategic in his actions, avoiding unnecessary risks and keeping his enemies at a distance. At home, there’s a softness in his interactions with his partner, an unspoken understanding that something precious is at stake.

As Sikorsky reflects on the future, he faces an internal conflict. Can he truly protect his family while continuing to live the life of a fighter? He begins to see fatherhood as another challenge to conquer, but one that requires a different kind of strength—one that he’s still learning to harness.

In the end, Sikorsky decides that he will do whatever it takes to protect his family. The thought of becoming a father has ignited a new purpose within him, one that he never expected to find. Though he remains a fierce and formidable presence, there is now a layer of determination that drives him to ensure the safety and well-being of his partner and child. Sikorsky is ready to face whatever comes, not just as a warrior, but as a father.

Doyle

Hector Doyle, the cold-blooded assassin known for his lethal precision and unshakable calm, finds himself confronted with something entirely outside his realm of experience when he learns that his partner is pregnant. For a moment, the calculating mind that has guided him through countless deadly encounters falters. He’s a man used to controlling every situation, but this news is something he could never have anticipated.

Doyle’s initial reaction is one of disbelief, followed by a deep introspection. His life has always been about survival, efficiency, and eliminating threats without hesitation. The idea of becoming a father, of being responsible for a life that is innocent and fragile, is a concept he finds difficult to grasp. Emotions he thought he had long buried begin to surface—concern, fear, and an unfamiliar sense of protectiveness.

As he processes the reality of the situation, Doyle begins to think about the implications. He has always been a solitary figure, moving through life with the singular focus of a predator. Now, he must consider how his lifestyle could affect not just him but also his partner and their unborn child. The thought of bringing a child into his dangerous world troubles him, but it also sparks a determination within him.

Doyle’s thoughts drift to his own past, to the harsh and unforgiving path that led him to become the assassin he is today. He questions whether he wants his child to inherit the same brutal lessons or if he can carve out a different, safer life for them. This internal conflict marks a significant shift in Doyle, revealing a side of him that’s rarely seen—one that is capable of compassion and concern.

As the days pass, Doyle’s behavior begins to change. Though still methodical and precise in his work, he now approaches situations with a heightened awareness of the risks, making decisions that prioritize the safety of his family. His interactions with his partner take on a new tenderness, a quiet understanding that they are now bound by something greater than themselves.

In his moments of solitude, Doyle contemplates the future. He knows that his life as an assassin is incompatible with the stability a family needs, yet he also knows that his skills could be turned towards protection. The thought of guiding his child, of teaching them how to navigate the world, brings a sense of purpose he never expected to find.

In the end, Hector Doyle resolves to protect his family at all costs. The news of the pregnancy has awakened something within him—a drive to be more than just a killer, to be someone who can provide and care for his loved ones. Though he remains a formidable and deadly figure, there is now a layer of humanity that pushes him to ensure a safe and secure future for his partner and child. Doyle is prepared to face whatever challenges come his way, not just with the precision of an assassin, but with the heart of a father.

[empressgeekt]

Trolls- headcanon, Creek and Branch are Cousins and Rosiepuff was both their grandmother...

okay. This randomly came to me, and I have to write this down. On mobile sorry for issues.

So, I was scrolling through Tumblr and saw fanart of acdepressed creek, and I though, "hey he kind of looks like Floyd's old concept design". Don't look up that design it's horrifying, but originally Floyd was supposed to look like Grandma Rosiepuff. Then things started to spiral. F9r two characters who seemingly have nothing to do with each other, Rosiepuff and Creek look awfully similar to one another. Same skin tone, and they both have minty green in their hair. In fact one could argue that Creek resembles her more then her own canon grandchildren. BROZONE all have cool colors and John, Clay, spruce, and branch all have blur eyes like her, while Floyd has a smaller similar nose shape. But that's the extent of it.

What if Rosiepuff had two surviving children, instead of the one who had brozone? And Creek was born of that second child.

I don't know what other people think but alot of the jab Creek makes towards Branch feel very personal. Sure pre trolls one Branch was not liked by the community, but Creek despises Branch personally. He tells Poppy that Branch doesn't want to be happy. Confronts Branch head on while the others passively complain. He even calls out the vest and that is a deep cut to Branch as we all know...but how would Creek know? Unless they share more of history then we think.

There are number of ways that's this could've played out, be it Creek's parent having a falling out with Rosiepuff before he's born, or maybe they didn't want anything to do with the band, but the two sides of the family clearly don't talk. Evident by Rosiepuff raising Branch alone, and never once is an aunt/uncle mentioned. However it wouldn't be too hard to believe that Creek knows about Rosiepuff, her death, and blames Branch for it. Heck he could've been taught that by his parent, The possible child of Rosiepuff's. And now in turn hates Branch.

This could even be supported by the amount of similar traits Creek has with Brozone. For starters, both Creek and at least two of the brothers (branch and clay) are planners. Branch and clay are prepping for the worst, but Creek is always planning how to control situations he finds himself in. Their uses are different, and as are the strategies, but the principle still stands. Creek also has a high emotional intelligence, like Floyd. He'd have to in order to manipulate people the way he does. A level head under pressure could also be a shared trait, Creek only really panics when he's in immediate danger, being eaten or when he and chef were one fire, otherwise he's very collected. He's the one telling everyone in the bird cage to remain calm after all.

But if they are related the why didn't JD or any of the others ask about him when Brozone reunited? Well, simply they didn't know about him. Creek is either the same age or younger then Branch, and if the two sides of the family weren't on speaking terms in the first place then its a slim chance they would be told about a baby cousin. And I have a hard time seeing Creeks family taking Branch in afte the accident and he went grey. So if branch knows about their relation, he's probably so detached that he doesn't consider them family. Not to mention the whole betrayl thing...

So thought? Was my brain on to something? Or is this just rambling.

[tumblingxelian]

The Fraught Family Ties of the Rose-Xiao Long Household:

Sorry for the ramble, I wanted to share something born of a discussion I had with someone regarding the canonical relationship on the Rose-Xiao Long sisters & their father figures.

So, I often find Tai (& Qrow) propped up as good father figures who maybe just had some moments of weakness but either got better long before canon or during the show and who are super close with Ruby & Yang with very healthy relationships.

Given possibly my most popular post, (Yang & Ruby's childhood) I don't think this is a universal stance, certainly not these days, and I don't think its well supported in canon either.

This doesn't mean that love isn't there, but love and resentment can live in the same house and the Rose-Xiao Long household is far more complex than I think people give it credit for.

Now, some will probably highlight positive tones and references in the early volumes, but here's the thing. A child growing up around something can get used to a lot. Ruby & Yang are clearly very used to Qrow stumbling home utterly wasted, even carried by strangers and needing to take care of him. This is normal to them and neither show any resentment towards it until on their last nerve.

That is to say, Ruby and Yang are fine with Qrow's drinking and smile through it, riiiight up until they themselves are on the edge of snapping real hard over things such as in V6.

Neither of them express their trauma like say, Jaune does, who tends to be quite open with his resentment and prone to lashing out. The sisters smile through it, they may express frustration or anger at other things, but not their loved one's, which makes it easy to pretend everything is cool and normal.

Hell, keeping things light with humor is explicitly noted to be how Yang copes and Ruby is shown consistently beginning to show sadness before quickly bottling it up up. This is just how they handle negative emotions they cant comfortably express.

Thus, while Ruby expressing frustration at Yang giving Tai like advice in V1 doesn't indicate hostility, nor does her being all smiles around his presence in V3's opening indicate everything is super awesome.

After all, things are good at that moment, but let's take a look at the end of V3.

Tai is clearly worrying and trying to fuss over Ruby. But she is very neutral on the whole thing, mostly just trying to get intel on what the fuck happened from him and not being remotely upset when Qrow makes him leave. She show's a bit more vulnerability around Qrow, but is still very focused on the practical questions of what happened.

Its only when she's alone with Yang, that Ruby really becomes expressive with her emotions and more to the point, shows outright uncertainty in what to do. This leads her to being shocked when Yang is in no fit state t provide her with the guidance and support she clearly craves and expected.

Ruby also specifically addresses her letters to Yang and broadly speaking doesn't really seem to think about Tai all that much. Again I don't think she dislikes him, but given she openly acknowledges Yang as the one who raised her & Yang herself noted she had to keep the family together...

Well, I think that Ruby doesn't really perceive Tai as a parent, strictly speaking. In the sense that I don't believe she views Tai as someone to go to for comfort or advice or guidance.

He's her dad and she loves him, but he's less of an adult to her than Yang was. In that same vein Qrow is a Huntsmen, her mentor and uncle yes, but the former I think inform her behavior with him more than the latter.

Now, let's also compare Tai and Yang's relationship a little.

We know Tai taught her how to fight, but he doesn't show any real understanding of how her Semblance works or her fighting style given she has utilized plenty of blocks, dodges and clever strategies in the first three volumes. What's more him critiquing her for fighting that way and making it her fault when he taught her feels suspect to me.

(I would note it was Yang who realized Ruby needed CQC help before anyone else, so she clearly thought deeply on this stuff.)

But beyond that, we see Yang is heavily isolated, both from how the camera work frames her. But also because she us housed in a guest room and that Tai, while obviously unhappy about what happened overall seems far more focused on Ruby in terms of trying to provide some care. What's more, when she's clearly distressed he walks away and leaves her to stew.

Yang's shown still doing lots of work around the house, despite everything and his efforts to 'help' her are all about getting her back into the fight over worrying for her safety like he did Ruby.

This is a big thing for me, Tai was clearly deeply upset when Qrow wanted to speak to Ruby alone and terrified when she left.

Meanwhile when it comes to 'helping' Yang its all about getting back into the action and going after Ruby. He doesn't seem to mind the idea of sending her into danger.

Then there' show he hypocritically dismisses her trauma and depression while at the same time diminishing her maturity despite him having left her to raise Ruby and keep the family together.

He also makes his help for her conditional on her no longer "Moping" while its her teachers who barely know Yang that provide actually useful guidance on healing.

When alone he also frames 'caring for her' IE letting her live in the house and take care of herself, like its this heavy burden that is keeping him from Ruby.

This is despite the fact he ultimately does not go after Ruby.

You can claim its a budget thing the show we have is the show we have. Thus, he sends her off to parent Ruby instead of himself. Also Tai outright compares Yang to Raven despite them being radically different and honestly Ruby being a lot closer to even the positive traits he ascribed to Raven.

Thus I think there's an element of projection that leads to Ruby being preferences between the two but also Tai having come in too late to really be seen as the parent he wants to be perceived as.

Now, let's look at Qrow.

Both sisters are clearly used to him staggering or being carried home drunk and needing to take care of him, meaning they have been doing this since childhood.

This would have a hugely negative impact on their mental wellbeing and impact how they perceive him.

Beyond that, I am unsure how close he even is to Yang outside the superficial. Some of that may indeed be down to time, but there have been periods where they could have shown a deep bond and its not manifested.

When Yang is framed, her team, two of whom have only know her for a few months and have plenty of trauma that would make them rightly suspicious choose to believe her and sympathize with her.

Qrow meanwhile says she is either lying or crazy and does not express much in the way of real empathy or trust.

Rather than showing an interest in maybe trying to resolve the issue or help her through decides that maybe directing her to Raven might help. He obviously cares, but generally never shows much of the same concern or affection for Yang that he does for Ruby.

Granted even then Qrow requires caretaking from both his nieces.

What's more he often tethers Ruby to Summer. So while his mentorship of her does let her be a little more vulnerable with him than Tai its still an unbalanced relationship.

However outside of that, Qrow's generally fairly good with Ruby and her influence on him seemed to be the primary thing that stopped him drinking. He also shows a great deal of faith in her in general, though how much of that is projection likely varies.

But he mentored Ruby so its natural they are maybe a little closer.

Still, I think Ruby & Yang held Qrow in higher regard, at least as a Huntsmen than their father, there's a lot of baggage to the relationship at a minimum.

I also think Ruby & Yang's lack of communication seen in later volumes is sort of reflective of the families unhealthy dynamics evolving between them.

Yang being forced to raise a sister two years younger than her is already a heavy burden on both of them. Yang from having to step up and fill the roll of an adult as a child & Ruby because no matter how hard Yang tried it as never gonna be perfect but she couldn't exactly complain about it either.

So both just sort of smiled through the pain as they grew and came out fairly functional and happy if carrying a lot of baggage beneath the surface. This is why both respond to grief and trauma in a similar manner, pushing the issues down until they explode or collapse. It was how they got by.

They were also extremely close, for all that Yang talked of Ruby maybe trying to branch out onto other teams, she instantly tried to seek her out in the Emerald Forest, saved her a spot in the auditorium and generally tried to assist and advice her along with expressing great pride in her.

Ruby bore with with a mixed degree of playfulness and teen like annoyance, while still wanting to cling to Yang. She was also very comfortable early on with expressing her concerns around Yang, such as with Blake being so stressed and not knowing what to do about it & seemingly had total faith in Yang's ability to resolve things.

As previously outlined, when Ruby was seeking comfort and guidance after the Fall of Beacon she went to Yang and was shocked when Yang couldn't provide her what she needed and quickly began separating herself, clearly deeply impacted.

Yang remained the center of her homeward focus after that fact and when Yang returned she was able to express vulnerability with her.

Briefly.

However, Yang soon showed that her recovery was not as complete as she wanted to project and again Ruby was at a loss for what to do with a Yang who is upset.

Keep in mind she's entirely capable of comforting a drunk, hung over or otherwise very upset Qrow, but the prospect of comforting Yang leaves her shuffling nervously outside the door while Weiss helps her.

Ruby's perception of Yang seemed to have put her on something of a pedestal in the way a lot of children do their parents where its hard to start seeing them as a person.

& When Ruby did start seeing Yang as a person, her complexes regarding leadership caused her to see Yang as someone who needed protection.

This caused her to freeze Yang out of her issues, we see this with her rejecting Yang's efforts to comfort her in V8, responding instead with sullen silences or sharp emotional jabs to try and make Yang go away.

Yet at the same time, she didn't entirely try to keep the façade up, perhaps in part because she couldn't.

I also think there's a part of her that sort... Expected Yang to know what to do and to say for her even though Ruby has changed as a person and is no longer communicating clearly like she used to.

Which then causes her to resent Yang for not being able to say the right things and provide the right assistance like she did when they were kids. Even though Yang doesn't know how Ruby feels their relationship has changed and can't know with Ruby actively avoiding acting in a manner that would elicit her concern.

Basically, this is an extremely messy family.

It has four actual adults, the most competent of whom martyred herself. One of whom left because she couldn't handle it and two of whom failed when put to the test.

This left the role of grown up in the room to Yang who had to keep the family together and raise her sister. While Ruby had to basically become the least troubled child possible to make this easier on them all.

Raven cutting herself out of their lives and her ties to Yang, while Summer being a beloved martyr seems to have also rippled down to their kids.

With Yang almost being like the black sheep of the family. She's the one they expect to do something immoral or "crazy' and generally expected to take care of herself and Ruby without any kind of acknowledgement or significant assistance.

Meanwhile Ruby is regarded as a sort of proto Summer, this beacon of purity, which leaves Tai over protective but ultimately inactive leaving the task of helping her to Yang. With Qrow expecting the world from her which just applies more pressure.

I do think everyone of them love each other, but I also think there's also a lot of resentment, frustration and projection going on here, with many utter failures of parenting. These ultimately caused the families relationships to never developed into what they should be and are instead leaving them in an odd sort of limbo; with a lot left unsaid and unhealthy.

[ashoss]

i wanna jump in on the bat x pjo au! (absolutely obsessed with it btw… the jason and cass being kids of nemesis……… galaxy brain)

(and forgive me if youve already said in a prev maybe)

but do any of the kids have additional demigod powers? like beyond the good at battle, understands greek, stronger than the average bear etc but like how percy can create hurricanes :)

i might have gone over some of their powers in separate posts but ive never really gone into depth on any of them :)

i don’t really want to give them super strong powers (like nothing on the level as the Seven lol). i think them having small sway over things would be best. (btw im going through each cabin's abilities on the pjo wiki :D)

dick as a child of hermes has a bit of increased speed, im not sure how much though lol. definitely stealthier and can sense traps and different locks and stuff. hes probably also pretty persuasive.

babs- since she isn't a demigod but instead a blessed mortal is a bit different from all of them. @pooky-chan sent me a great ask about apollo and babs and her blessing which i thought was very yummy! so babs just finds it easier to find information and find connections between things a bit easier. as they put it apollo "greases the wheels".

jason and cass's powers would be similar to eachother, since theyre both nemesis kids. they both have tychokinesis (what ethan nakamura has on his wiki - so directly controlling "the likelihood of things good and bad things happening to individuals to even out supposed good luck and bad luck") they can sense when people want revenge/vengeance on something.

(theres actually not a lot to go based on for powers for the children of nemesis so im not all sure on it)

its mostly their legacy powers that stick out- cass as a hades legacy can sense death and can actually feel or see a soul leaving a body. she could probably talk to the dead but it causes a physical strain on her. while not as potent as nico's, she could faintly see someones life aura. she can also blend into the shadows easier. (she cant shadow travel or have actual control over the dead.) shes basically Nico Lite (tm) (i also like to think she unconsciously makes the temperature colder when shes around :))

and jason as an asclepius legacy would be able to tell at a glance if there is something medically wrong with someone and has pretty good medical knowledge. (basically jason is a godsend in the medbay). he does have healing powers, but he probably doesnt figure them out until after he's revived. i think it would be interesting if he could only heal other people and not himself :)))) (he also unconsciously heals people) ((also also to foil cass he probably makes the temperature a bit warmer. like how being healed feels warm :DD)

(tim im a little unsure on atm. hes def a child of aphrodite but i do also want to incorperate athena in there too. i dont know if i want him to be like,, 25% aphrodite or 25% athena - basically his parents were demigods- but im still debating a bit between that and child of Venus, as the roman equivalent of aphrodite has more warlike associations - i.e battle strategy... soooo) he has better emotional insight and can sense peoples emotions. he has a light form of charmspeak thats mostly more about sounding Intelligent more than actually influencing people (like an authority bias. people are more likely to listen to him because he sounds intelligent and he knows what he's talking about- ex: if tim were to suggest someone clean something up, they probably would because well, why else would he be suggesting it? he knows what needs to be done.) hes also pretty crafty and has some more strategic intelligence in addition to his bat training lol.

stephanie i think im set on being a child of Cardea (minor roman goddess of hinges). if thats the case, pooky-chan sent another ask where they went over how broad hinges really were. so steph could manipulate hinges and since so many different things contain hinges it could really be a pretty powerful ability.

however i do like child of veritas (roman goddess of truth). in this case she would basically be a human lie detector, and also people would probably feel the need to NOT lie to her.

damian i legit have no clue. hes the one i have the least ideas on lmao. because for him i would also have to go into the LoA and bruce's parents, and both i dont really have anything im set on yet :p. definitely something with magic from the al ghul side tho!

[astral-mariner]

Wait a minute I can just send you an ask about how you think saiyan culture varies by region and also about that religious tail removal headcanon you mentioned on the extremely long tail post lol

Infodump incoming! (Caveat: these are just some fun headcanons, and I love other people's headcanons just as much. I love when there are a million different versions of things so I can enjoy them all and enjoy the content millions of times over!)

Epic Rambling below the cut.

Okay, so. I made up all of this to be background stuff for my Saiyans under Freeza fic. Like a collective memory the characters have that people like Nappa could reference. To give the fic a sense of history and context even if we don't see the saiyan planet. To show how the characters see the world, how they think about things, what they care about, and why.

Basically, I imagine that Vegeta-sei had a handful of "nations" that roughly correspond to different population groups on different parts of the planet. They each have some unique cultural practices, beliefs, fighting styles, etc. Only in the recent(ish) past had their culture become more globalized due to receiving more access to technology from the Planet Trade. So they may have had scouters and whatnot before, but not everyone would have had them. They may have had healing/incubation pods too, but they weren't readily available to most people. All of this is to say that their different cultures wouldn't have converged into a uniform one due to globalization/colonization.

As for the different nations themselves, I imagine that different regions prioritized different things about being saiyan. Or they had different ways of approaching class hierarchies. For example, one nation might center Super Saiyan legends in their cultural consciousness, whereas another might center Oozaru transformation. This is precisely the difference I imagine between the nation that surrounds the royal palace/lands and the nation that houses a population closer to one of the planet's poles:

The royal bloodline bases their claim to power not just on their (supposed) higher latent strength, but also their alleged ancestral ties to saiyans that have become Super Saiyans. And the royals/nobles themselves perpetuate this narrative to consolidate power. Even though it seems pretty apparent that no saiyans have living memory of actually seeing a Super Saiyan---just that there are stories about their might, what they look like, etc. So the royals and everyone around them would be steeped in these legends. And the general culture of nobility, too, would contribute to obsessing over ancestry, power level, etc., where having ties to the royal family grants social status.

But it's not just social status---probably one of the reasons why SSJ legends have such a hold on people is that the Super Saiyans of legend helped them conquer their own planet(s?), won critical battles in the distant past, and perhaps played a sort of "savior" role. They have a sort of spiritual/religious significance. They provide a sort of "ideal" to which any strong, virtuous saiyan should aspire. An avatar for how saiyans construct morality and excellence (beyond just those in power wanting to maintain order and control).

Vegeta references that a Super Saiyan is a warrior with a "cold" or "pure" heart. Some of this is probably his own or his father's spin on the stories he was told as a child. Shutting down his emotions and detaching himself simultaneously from forming any connections as well as from the horrors he was experiencing/committing was certainly a coping strategy for surviving under Freeza. But some of it definitely came from his culture and from saiyan spiritual sensibility generally.

Different translations refer to the heart of the Super Saiyan as "pure," "cold," or even "tranquil." Because "pure of heart" captures a different kind of vibe in a Western mind than it does an Eastern one. It's not about being, like, "morally good" or anything---it's more about being empty, or single of purpose. Unaffected by attachment, and not in the "I don't care about anyone" sense (though it definitely is about that as well in some cases). Think along the lines of nonattachment philosophy you see described in Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, or (for a more Western flavor) Stoicism. So you can see how it simultaneously captures the adjectives of "pure" and "cold/tranquil." Or, for a pop culture reference that many will be familiar with, how the Jedi and Star Wars try to stay above attachment to the world and being swayed by personal passions.

And I bring all of this up to make a point about how saiyans might approach virtue. It's more about excellence than it is about doing what is right. So, something done excellently is virtuous, even if it is something humans would consider evil. A virtuous saiyan is someone who is as strong as possible, fights with clearness of purpose, and is unswayed by personal passions. The state of SSJ is a kind of state of enlightenment. (Which puts the differences between Goku and Vegeta on display: Goku is actually more exemplary of someone who fights in this "enlightened" way---purely for the sake of itself---whereas Vegeta is caught up in his emotions in every fucking battle he fights. He hates Kakarot, he hates Freeza. He's always trying to prove something. While Goku isn't trying to prove anything. He's just fighting because fighting is what he does, and he does it excellently.)

Now contrast this with a group of saiyans who prioritize Oozaru transformation more. Instead of trying to detach oneself, imagine leaning into one's passions and becoming a fucking monster. You know, the call of the moon, the bloodlust of the beast. Totally different vibe from the Enlightened Warrior. I find it absolutely fascinating that you have these two competing narratives for how a saiyan shows strength. That they have these two main transformations with these totally different flavors (that are later unified in transformations like SSJ3/4?). And you even see little nods to how saiyans think about their Oozaru transformation. Sometimes it's just about letting loose and being destructive. Other times, different saiyans in canon (such as Vegeta in the Saiyan Saga) seem to turn to it as a last resort. Not their main line of defense; something messy and unbecoming, even.

I'll write more about the saiyan cultures that lean more into Oozaru vs. SSJ in another post about the backstory I've constructed for Vegeta's mom! I headcanon that she belonged to one of these cultures, and that Vegeta's parents followed different traditions. (Also makes the relationship between King Vegeta and Vegeta's mom quite interesting!)

Now about saiyans who remove their tails: So with alllllllll of that said about SSJ vs. Oozaru and the different approaches/philosophies behind them, you can imagine a kind of extremist faction of the SSJ-prioritizing culture that eschews Oozaru transformation altogether as an attempt to strive for excellence only, to be totally pure-hearted, to have no passions whatsoever. And some of them would remove their tails as an expression of their spiritual sensibilities. Perhaps they belong to an ascetic warrior tradition. Tail removal would simultaneously be seen as something scandalous/taboo as well as very serious, as for most saiyans, this removes their access to one of their more powerful transformations (at least for a little while, if the tail eventually grows back).

I don't think King Vegeta would have belonged to this faction even if he would be drawn to some of their philosophies/practices. He probably couldn't remove his tail for social status reasons as well. But I can see him employing some of the tailless saiyans in various corners of his regime. Like, think of what kind of flex it would be to employ ascetic warrior fanatics to positions of, say, law enforcement. As in "these people are going to torture you, and they aren't going to give a single fuck about you or anything else while they are doing it." Because of the nonattachment stuff. People who just follow the will of the heir to the Super Saiyan Legacy and pursue strength/excellence while casting off all else.

I could literally go on and on about this. How these different philosophies shape the characters we know, how the characters twist these narratives to suit their aims or cope with their lives. I know this is super rambly, but I think you get some of the ideas here?