#also the minor intimacy of an emotionally stunted character having to trust and rely on someone else

[darkxsoulzyx]

I know the “emotions translate to strength of magic” and the “repressed emotions character unleashes their emotions and the magic they let loose is so powerful, no one can stop it” tropes are really really neat

However, have you considered: “Repressed emotions character that unleashes their magic, but the only thing that comes out is a trickle from having stuffed down their feelings for years— and it’s a long and painful journey of trying to reteach themself on how to do magic— and in turn cope with their feelings”?

I do love me a character getting to go apeshit after not allowing themself to do so for years, but I am starved of content where when the emotionally repressed character finally *does* get a chance to, they *can’t*.

And they feel this sense of powerlessness since they used to have such a big control of their own magic— having kept their emotions in check for years— only for the moment they need to call upon it again, it lets them down because of the lack of gentle nurturing.

Which in turn causes the character to become frustrated with their magic and the progress they have to retrace, which riles their emotions negatively, which affects their magic and… you get the point.

Think it’d also be nice to have the character have someone that loves them enough to help them one step at a time. Spending quiet hours of the evening, sitting together as they slowly untangle the reservations that have been here for years. Guiding the process carefully as they both figure it out together.

While outbursts of emotion can be cool and flashy, I think the treacherous hours of time and care afterwards are just as interesting.

Outbursts only last a few hours at most.

Healing can take forever.