#i definitely think she's a fawn rather than a fight/flight/freeze

[tripleskxawng]

as someone who was briefly a woman of color in stem (im now a man of color in a pink collar job #thriving) i often wonderrrr if the avatar was empowering to alma in the workplace. when i was a stem fem my superiors didn't take me seriously when i met with them in person, and their treatment of me noticeably shifted when i started meeting with them through zoom during covid and was no longer physically a foot below them and when my asian features were somewhat obscured by a shitty webcam. also i have an anecdote from a friend whose racist family member was IN LOVE with netytiri until he realized she was portrayed by a black woman. when he realized she was zoe saldana under the blue cgi he reacted like he'd been catfished.

in a meta sense i think white guys see black woman characters very differently through the lens of a na'vi or avatar body and i wonder if that might extend in-universe.

obviously spending all her time in the avatar was an unhealthy way of coping with identity issues but i wonder if those identity issues had anything to do with how she was treated in the RDA as a black woman. plus we don't know how tall alma is because this is a video game but i think she's extremely 5 foot coded and regardless physically towering over men who metaphorically look down on you i think would probably be an ego boost.

i'd like to believe Human racism and sexism aren't as big of a problem by 2154 but if they werent ingrained into the fabric of the culture i think they wouldnt be doing any of that shit to pandora in the first place like i have no evidence but i imagine an antiracist culture probably would not genocide and colonize a species of indigenous-coded blue alien people. also the way mercer talks about the humanities reeks of scott yenorism

[illarian-rambling]

Thanks for the tags @ominous-feychild and @theink-stainedfolk!

OC Deep Dive 🎶

How's about we give Sepo some spotlight? My grumpy siren could always use some love <3

What uncommon/common fear do they have?

Sepo generally lives about two steps from full panic at all times. His years at the bottom of the Trench food chain gave him an acute fear of being hunted or having his friends taken from him. Aside from that, he's afraid of being damned to hell. In book 1, he walks a heretical line with the god he follows. In book 2 and 3, some things are revealed to him that don't help this fear whatsoever. My man has some religious trauma, suffice to say.

Do they have any pet peeves?

Many, in fact. Sepo doesn't like loud noises or bright lights on account of his acute siren senses. People with no manners piss him off. People who think they're superior to him piss him off. People who are too timid also piss him off. Generally, if he's upright and aware, something is pissing him off.

What are 3 items you can find in their bedroom?

A leviathan-tooth dagger, a very plush quilt, and a stack of books.

What do they notice first in a person?

How much of a threat they pose. Sepo's eye is trained for hidden weapons, suspicious scars, or signs of sorcery.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how high is their pain tolerance?

10/10 for physical pain. He's been through the damn ringer and is used to fighting through injuries. As for emotional pain, 4/10. It's hard to hurt his feelings because he really only cares about three people, but hurt any of them, and he shuts down. Or blows up. Depends on what his god is willing to offer him.

Do they go into fight or flight mode when under pressure? (or freeze and fawn)

Fight. It used to be freeze, but then he spent a decade in prison and learned that those who strike first are more likely to be the ones to walk away. This isn't great for non-threats, as he'll pull a knife for anything. Bird rustling in the bushes? Knife is out. Friend running up to hug you from behind? Knife is out.

Do they come from a big family/are they a family person?

In terms of biological family, it was just Sepo and his older brother Saius for most of his childhood. His mother, Carmira, was a prostitute and his father was an unknown client of hers. When she died of a disease, Sepo and Saius were sent to study as priests of Lamsara Hedandros. Things were fine until they weren't. Years later, after losing his brother, Sepo ended up with a little found family to hold dear to him. Izjik is his oldest friend. She's his soulmate and his other half. Twenari is like a little sister to him. They're the most similar in temperament and enjoy quiet reading time together. Djek is also like a little brother to Sepo, albeit a rather irritating one. But deep down, he loves to argue with the younger man and does his best to make sure he stays on the straight and narrow.

What animal represents them best?

A killer whale, I'd say. A dangerous, vengeful animal, but one with a strong sense of family.

What is a smell that they dislike?

The scent of blood. It means something has gone wrong.

Have they broken any bones?

Oh, definitely. He was running around with a broken arm for all of book 3, broke a wingfin in the Trench once, and has fractured more ribs, fingers, and toes than can be counted.

How would a stranger likely describe them?

"You see that unsettling fellow over there? The tall, gaunt one with the long, wavy brown hair? I think he's a siren. Those eyes don't lie - as black as the starless night they are. And he has skin that looks like it's just been introduced to the sun a week ago. ...I don't like that look he has."

Are they a night owl or an early bird?

Very much a night owl. Sepo would rather eat glass than get up early.

What is a flavour they hate and a flavour they love?

Due to the fact that he's missing his tongue, Sepo has a limited sense of taste and relies much more on texture to differentiate between foods. His favorite texture is that of caviar or couscous. Anything small, grainy, and soft. His least favorite texture is bread or anything similarly spongey.

Do they have any hobbies?

Despite the painful memories it can bring, Sepo loves music. He loves listening to it, writing it, and playing the fiddle. He also enjoys reading, usually nonfiction, but he does enjoy a good mystery from time to time.

Boom, surprise birthday party! How do they react to surprises?

Immediately draws a knife. Once he notices it's his friends, he'll calm down a bit, but still probably snap at them for startling him. After that, he'd actually be quite touched by their care. Not that he'd ever deign to express such a thing, of course.

Do they like to wear jewelry?

Only on special occasions. Sepo can't afford much in the way of fancy things, so he saves anything he has for days that deserve it. He prefers silver jewelry and usually goes with some sort of hair piece.

Do they have neat or messy handwriting?

Incredibly neat. He only learned to write Janazi characters rather recently, so he still makes spelling mistakes, but his letters are impeccable.

What are the two emotions they feel the most?

Terrified rage and protective love.

Do they have a favourite fabric?

Probably silk. He has expensive tastes at heart.

What kind of accent do they have?

In my brain, he's upper-crust British. Canonically though, he has a very thick Llanaodan accent when he's using his telepathy ring. It's very sing-songy and all the words flow together. The closest Earth equivalent would be one of the romance languages but more musical.

I'll tag @mk-writes-stuff @theprissythumbelina @witchy-shortcake @thecomfywriter and anyone else who wants to play :)

[phoenixfangs]

🍓 and 🥀 for the oc ask game ☺️💕

HI ANA THANK U!!!! i almost fell into the trap of doing work at my job that i am paid to do, boy am i glad to be thinking about my darling angel instead!! ❤️

🍓 does ur oc believe in anything? are they superstitious? religious? atheistic? has anything in their past made them this way? | HOOOOO BOY!! i was just starting to sketch this out in my mind yesterday with kim. so Currently feiga is something of an agnostic/athiest, she doesnt have Time to think about higher powers in a tangible "is there or isnt there" sense, but she grew up in an ultra-religious family, the kind that moved into the deepest part of the drachman tundra to escape modern society. the kind that, when a child falls ill or injured, they are praying for a cure instead of tending to the illness/injury, and if the child dies it was their gods will. this ended up leaving her the last surviving child in her family, she had a lot of siblings that ended up dying of illness or injury and neglect at their parents hands, so shes definitely Resentful of the idea of religion based on that. but ultimately, she herself in her adult life is not religious at all and actively forced herself to block out a lot of her upbringing

arguably though, she could probably be considered superstitious. she believes in luck as a concept, and that she has None and every good thing in her life had to be fought viciously for and earned, whereas other people, especially people shes decided have Not earned their right to live, survive due to being favored by luck, possibly in a bid to spite her specifically (in a way, that is the higher power she believes in and resents, rather than whatever literal interpretation of a higher power her parents believed in)

🥀 how does ur character deal with stressful situations? is their fear response fight, flight, freeze, or fawn? | FIGHT OMG shes going to thrash and kick and scream and spit and bite and claw her way through any and all hardship in her life, and if shes going to go down, its going to be swinging and drawing as much blood as she can. shes vindictive, shes vengeful, shes cruel, but most of all shes Hurt by her life circumstances and will lash out at any sign of difficulty or stress. she is a kicked dog, my poor puppy. the only exception would be while she is working as a political assassin, in which case if her contractors are angry with her, her training takes over and she will fawn to placate them. u dont argue with or fight cruel military generals, politicians, and warlords who Want an excuse to beat and degrade u! so while shes still Doing All Dat she will degrade herself in front of them, but them alone. she is a kicked dog, and theyre the ones doing the kicking, so she doesnt feel she has any power to fight them. any other situation shes going to fight fight fight biting barking ripping tearing bark bark bark bark bark

[elfdyke]

🥀💄 can u talk to me about diana and lilith…..for my health…

NEED ADRI TO ANSWER THESE FOR DIANA..... but hehe heres for lilith :+)

🥀 (wilted flower) - How does your character deal with stressful situations? Is their fear response fight, flight, freeze or fawn?

lilith deeeefinitely fawns 💔 shes very much a people pleaser and tries her best to appease others even when it comes to her own detriment. shes tried to grow out of this mindset and be more selfish, but especially in her love for diana, shes kind of fallen back on that. obviously it depends on the scenario of course, she isnt a complete pushover, but more often than not she tries using charm and kindness to smooth things over when she can

💄 (lipstick) - What does your oc think of their face? Do they have a positive or negative opinion? Do they wear makeup? Do they have a skincare routine? What traits do they like most about their face?

SHES NOT THE MOST KIND TO HERSELF 💔 she doesnt think shes ugly ofc, she knows shes pretty enough, but she definitely doesnt see herself for how she truly looks and is percieved. dianas an artist and quite good at it and we we've talked about her drawing lilith quite often and lilith feeling rather flustered over it, thinking dianas being far too kind with her depictions of her, but dianas just drawing her earnestly AHDJJF. she definitely washes her face and takes better care of herself than most people would given the time period 💖

i think she likes her eyes the most 💖 she thinks they look kind and she likes that ahout herself ^_^ also her nose probably.. HEHE!

[konohamaru-sensei]

29 and 54 for your new OCs?

29. How do they respond when someone doesn’t believe them?

Rhia: Stubborn. She just gets worked up and storms out. How dare the person think she is lying? Does she deserve such slander? Definitely not! Dumbass, I will never speak to that dumbass again!!

Toshi: She will be firmly insistant. Here is a chart on why it is statistically unlikely that what she saying is wrong. That she has never, would never, and will never be untrue (unless she is, but psst), and that swear on her heart the other person needs to believe her.

54. What’s their instinct in a fight / flight / freeze / fawn situation?

Rhia: BITE :D Oh you suprise attack her? She will ankle bite you, sorry not sorry! You think you can overwhelm her with streght? Tough luck because she is stubborn as hell. She'd rather drop dead than to run away from someone, especially when they are threating someone in her guilld.

Toshi: She is not a fighter, so running would be her best option. But if she has the feeling that she is needed, then maybe her instinct would be to stay (even though more likely than not, she'd be in the way!)

[littleperilstories]

*cracks knuckles*

Will: 💥 COLLISON - what emotions do they have trouble dealing with?

Jamie: 😨 FEARFUL - when scared, do they go into "flight" or "fight"?

Bree: 👪 FAMILY - what is their family like? what is your ocs relationship to them? does your oc have any siblings?

Colette: 🕷️ SPIDER - what is their biggest fear? do they have any irrational / mundane fears?

Hatch-fucking-ett: ☄️ COMET - what do people assume about them? are they right?

From this ask game.

Warnings: mention of abusive dad, parental death, corporal punishment in school, general sad backstory & trauma

Spoilers (I guess) for this chapter below (the one with Ezra).

Will: 💥 COLLISON - what emotions do they have trouble dealing with?

Oh, this boy is such a goddamn silly complex mess. He's totally a "put on a brave face" kind of guy—respond to terror with snark. (Not that this ever helps him out, by the way. Back in his schoolhouse days, the teacher would just bring the strap down on his palm harder.) Grief and dread are hard for him to manage, too—they result in more snark, and of course the false hope that bit him in the ass after Ezra's execution.

The moment Will truly admits to himself that there's nothing, absolutely nothing else he can do to fix the mess he's in—the moment he gives up and gives in—you know our boy has finally broken.

Jamie: 😨 FEARFUL - when scared, do they go into "flight" or "fight"?

So....Jamie's whole thing is that, like Colette, he is cautious—a thinker, a rational decision-maker, when circumstances allow him to think things through. In most situations, he knows when it's the right choice to fight or flee. (He is unlikely to 'freeze' or 'fawn,' if you've heard that variation.) He cares so much about the people he helps through IA (who our fave thieves give their spoils to), that he is probably thinking about what's right for them in a moment of crisis as much as he's thinking about what's right for him.

What "fight" looks like on Jamie Wardrew, though, depends on what's going on. He's not a naturally violent person, and he doesn't resort immediately to using his fists (like a certain little brother probably would). But he knows how to fight in other ways—like going against "the man" to battle injustice.

When it comes to protecting Will, though...well, let's just say that he'll go against his own rules.

Bree: 👪 FAMILY - what is their family like? what is your ocs relationship to them? does your oc have any siblings?

haha OOOKAAAY. Bree had a terrible relationship with her family.

She doesn't remember much about her grandparents, though they were still alive when she was quite young. I'd like to think that they would have been kind and loving had they lived long enough to get to know her, but Bree never got the chance.

Her mother was very different from the young woman Bree has become. She got steamrolled by Silas Cooper for her entire marriage to him, and she did little to fight back against his abusive tendencies. Bree grew up knowing that's not the kind of person she wanted to be.

Bree's relationship with her dad was basically a nightmare. He was verbally, emotionally, and physically abusive for much of her life. He never fully accepted responsibility for losing the family fortune, and he definitely still expected his wife and daughter to take care of him even when they were living in poverty—even when his wife was growing ill. That responsibility fell to Bree after her mother died.

He insisted on honouring Bree's engagement, something that had been arranged years before, despite knowing that she and the would-be groom were ill-suited to one another. Silas Cooper's death was liberating rather than tragic for her.

Colette: 🕷️ SPIDER - what is their biggest fear? do they have any irrational / mundane fears?

LOL I love that you picked the spider for this one.

Time for a lore drop / some Colette backstory!

What is Colette afraid of? Being abandoned, and doing the same to those she loves. After she was cruelly disowned by her father and stepmother for something over which she had no control, she lives in fear of being rejected again—and of becoming just like the family members who hurt her.

I have this weird feeling that she might be a little afraid of dogs but that inkling came out of nowhere. We'll see if it becomes canon.

Hatch-fucking-ett: ☄️ COMET - what do people assume about them? are they right?

I think strangers assume he's a chill, well-rounded guy who's got his life together and who is content with his lot in life. Why wouldn't they? He's got a good job. He comes from a moderately wealthy family. He always looks proper, his unifom absolutely spick-and-span. Why shouldn't he be happy with the hand he's been dealt...why wouldn't he have a robust social life and a gal he's chasing after?

Are they right? Hell, no. This guy has zero grip on reality. He is under a lot of pressure to prove himself in his position of power that he was promoted into (probably a bit too quickly). And, no, he doesn't have a girl he's wooing, not since some penniless harlot broke his (admittedly already-icy) heart a few years ago. His job has become his life, his vendetta against IA an obsession.

[not-dabis-bitch]

Trauma responses- todoroki family

Manga spoilers!! My friend convinced me to post this. It’s kinda messy, I just copy and pasted from my notes

There are four types of trauma responses; fight, flight, freeze, and fawn. Descriptions:

Fight

* establish firm boundaries

* Be assertive

* Find courage

* Become a strong leader

* Protect yourself (and loved ones) when necessary

* Controlling behaviors

* Narcissistic tendencies

* Bullying

* Conduct disorder- “Children and adolescents with this disorder have great difficulty following rules, respecting the rights of others, showing empathy, and behaving in a socially acceptable way.”

* Demanding perfection from others

* Feelings of entitlement

Flight

* Disengage from harmful conversations

* Leave unhealthy relationships

* Remove yourself from physically dangerous situations

* Properly assess danger

* Obsessive or compulsive tendencies

* Needing to stay busy all the time

* Panic and constant fear

* Perfectionism

* Workaholic tendencies

* An inability to sit still

Freeze

* Mindfulness

* Awareness

* Full presence in the moment

* Dissociation

* Isolation

* Frequent “zoning out”

* Brain fog

* Difficulty making decisions or taking action

* Perceived laziness

* Fear of achieving or trying new things

Fawn

* Compassion for others

* Compromise

* Active listening

* Fairness

* Codependent relationships

* Someone to stay in a violent relationship

* Loss of self

* People pleasing to the point of destruction

* Little or no boundaries

Obviously Fuyumi is fawn. Even though Endeavor is “trying to be better,” he didn’t try to improve until after he got what he wanted (number 1) so it’s an empty promise. Fuyumi doesn’t recognize this or chooses to ignore it. She exhibits traits like compromising, showing compassion, people pleasing to the point of destruction (breaking down during the dinner scene in s5), and giving herself little to no boundaries (by letting herself get yelled at and mistreated by both her dad and natsuo). I’m not really sure about the other traits as they fit her vibe but I can’t think of specific scenes.

Natsuo is flight. When Endeavor starts pulling his self pity bs, Natsuo is the first to challenge him and walk away, one of the positive traits for flight. However, he doesn’t seem to be around very much. When him and Fuyumi visit their mom in the hospital, Rei mentions that he doesn’t come to see her as much. Fuyumi jokes that there’s a girl on campus/where he works (I’m not sure if he’s in med school or actually working yet). This points to needing to stay busy and workaholic tendencies.

It’s pretty obvious that Dabi is fight. In the league, we see him apply the first five characteristics (though the last one is less “loved ones” and more for personal gain). He’s narcissistic in some of the comments he makes to the league. Even though he doesn’t consistently fight to be the leader (controlling), he challenges shigaraki at first and is in some sort of leadership position most times (summer camp/kidnapping arc). Bullying: he’s a dick I mean he doesn’t actively bully people he doesn’t have time for that but he’s mean count it if you want. Do I need to explain conduct disorder... mass murderer I mean. He just killed people to prove a point and throw a temper tantrum on tv. Definitely exhibits entitlement tied in with demanding perfection from others. He (kinda justified) thinks of himself higher than Fuyumi, rei, and natsuo as a kid. When he fights endeavor and todoroki, the whole thing just scream entitlement as he’s destroying a city and trying to kill his brother even though they received similar treatment from their father (not saying this isn’t justified or anything that’s just a conversation for another day). Perfectionism from others also demonstrated in the way he’s disappointed with twice and toga’s performances (I think twice at the summer camp and toga failing to get more than one vial of blood for something, don’t remember arc)

*A lot of todoroki’s stuff could be argued as autism, which complicates things a lot as the symptoms overlap so read this under the assumption that it’s not autism symptoms and instead ptsd symptoms

Todoroki’s is honestly the hardest one to figure out as he exhibits traits from almost all of them. Through process of elimination, he would be freeze, which is pretty fitting. Mindfulness, awareness, and full presence in the moment are all traits of his. His memories of abuse are very clear (can be argued that it’s for audience purposes, but also he narrates it so I’m calling it as the memories are clear). He is aware in battle, particularly during him and endeavor vs touya. While Endeavor and the other students are freezing up, Todoroki is the one to step up and give instruction. However, this also coincides with the fight response in being assertive, finding courage, being a good leader, and self preservation/protecting loved ones. The only time he really shows difficulty making decisions (freeze) is earlier on when he was thinking about using his left side. He doesn’t really show fear of achieving/trying things, but I don’t know that we’ve seen a situation where he doesn’t know he’s at the top and powerful enough to handle it (recognized as the most powerful in their class so). Narcissism and conduct disorder do come into play here though. During the final exams, when him and momo fought aizawa, he went with his plan first before asking hers (though he does ask later on). He is rude quit a few times in the earlier season and again during the provisional license exam towards the wind quirk guy from shiketzu. These also tie into entitlement, which would make sense since he has been powerful from a young age and again recognized as the most powerful in his class. It all comes down to his intentions I think, which leads back to freeze rather than flight. Dabi exhibits conduct disorder in an extreme way, while the prospect of todoroki having it is more surface level. Reiterating definition for scrolling purposes: “Children and adolescents with this disorder have great difficulty following rules (not really only thing I can think of is kidnapping incident and stain attack), respecting the rights of others (not really), showing empathy (yes. Like he’s not an asshole on purpose he just doesn’t get things sometimes), and behaving in a socially acceptable way (can elaborate if needed but I don’t know about this one. It’s just not disruptive enough, might have to tie in the autism thing idk).” He’s obviously very isolated. I’m not sure about dissociation and zoning out, might have to rewatch. Some stuff he does could be considered zoning out, only specific scene i can think of is sports festival fight with bakugo and he’s falling and like flashbacks to some shit but that’s pretty weak. It’s a little difficult to decide, but due to not having bad intentions and a quieter nature, I’m gonna go with freeze for now.

[hereticalheraldry]

Disney Princesses’ trauma types

IE, definitely the darkest take on Disney I have ever done!

(see this post on trauma types)

Lots of Disney characters have had Adverse Childhood Experiences (death of mothers, to start with!) and exhibit signs of traumatic stress. Below are my guesses as to their chosen coping mechanism.

What 4F trauma type is each Disney character below (Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn)

Snow White (dead mother, dead father, abusive and neglectful stepmother, stepmother literally tried to have her killed): It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this, but I’d say it’s Fawn-Flight. She is unerringly sweet. Her immediate reaction when in any form of danger (with a strange man, the huntsman, or the dwarves) is to try to appease, appeal, and make friends. She also has a ton of energy (flight), which she channels into obsessive cleaning, though she doesn’t seem to edge far enough into that to call it OCD. She also literally ran away in a segment that makes obvious how her fear drives her to flight.

Cinderella (dead father, abusive and neglectful stepfamily treats her as a slave): another Fawn-Flight. Unfailingly kind and sweet. So desperate for friends that she befriends the MICE. Also an incredibly hard worker (though tbf, her stepfamily forces that on her). When traumatized by stepsisters yanking to pieces her clothing (both a destruction of her hard work and a physical assault) she literally runs away into the garden to cry. She also runs away from the ball at midnight rather than turning back right there and explaining to the prince that she only got to go to the ball through magic because her family is abusive and probably stole her inheritance. Cinderella gets the wish that many with CPTSD have: that somebody would swoop in and rescue them! She gets rescued twice: by her fairy godmother AND by the prince.

Peter Pan (abandoned in Kensington Gardens and brought up by fairies, who are not the most emotionally stable beings out there): Flight. Classic ADHD: response: runs all over the island fighting, flying, and crowing. (Also literally flies.)

Ariel (dead mother, controlling and abusive father): Freeze-Flight. Instead of trying to please her excessively harsh father, like her hard-working singing sisters, Ariel ditches not only practices but CONCERTS in order to get away from her father and lose herself in her collecting hobby. She has a secret place where she hides in order to fantasize about having a different life in an entirely different place, away from her family. Her friends attempt to persuade her that life on land is impracticable for her. But when her father destroys her hidey-hole, she is retraumatized and resorts to flight to someone she thinks can fix her problems for her by making her human and sending her to the surface: she therefore literally runs away, and tries to get both Ursula and Eric to save her and get her away from her father.

Prince Eric: Surprisingly non-traumatized! I mean, as far as I remember.

Belle: non-traumatized? (at least to start with. I mean, we can always suggest Stockholm Syndrome later...) DOES seem to think she’s entirely different from everyone else around her (a common CPTSD symptom). Maybe traumatized by mother’s death? Bullying from the neighbors? Becoming a parentified child to take care of her absent-minded (though affectionate) father? Unaccustomed poverty? In any case, except for the trauma of her father’s near death and her own imprisonment, she is unusually competent and calm. If she edges toward anything, it’s probably Freeze-Flight: she has a pronounced capacity to become absorbed in fiction and ignore everything around her. When irritated by Gaston’s insulting and bullying proposal, she physically retreats entirely from the village in order to sing about how she wants to leave her poor provincial town for the great wide somewhere. She is fixated on escape, either mentally or physically.

Beast (dead parents, raised by servants who deferred to him rather than parenting him): Fight-Freeze. Hides in his castle; when encounters people is an ASSHOLE. Interestingly, Fight-Freeze types are notoriously hard to treat. Belle might have a future in psychotherapy if she can build better boundaries.

Aladdin (dead parents, has to eat to live, has to steal to eat, ostracized by his community, frequently threatened with death or maiming for theft): feels entirely different from the rest of the world. Flight. frequently in a state of frenetic energy, though a lot of that is because he’s stealing food and escaping the cops. His idea of a great date is to get Jasmine away from the palace: to escape and help her to do the same. intense feelings of shame and inferiority (despite his insistence that there’s so much more to him). He tries to hide from Jasmine the truth of his low-rank identity, though he does eventually recognize the need to tell her the truth.

Jasmine: surprisingly untraumatized (mostly just a healthy assertive), considering what she’s been through (dead mother, parentified child of a nice but absent-minded father who, judging from his looks, is closely related to Maurice; isolated from peers and almost everyone but her pet. I mean, there MUST be servants in the palace, but all you ever see are the guards...) She recognizes when people are treating her unfairly and says so, which makes her unusual among Disney heroes and heroines!

Simba (father died, was told it was his fault, was forced to leave home, almost died in the wilderness, subsequently raised by a couple of irresponsible weirdos): Flight. Literally runs away from his problems instead of facing them. Keeps himself busy with Timon and Pumbaa in order to occupy his mind.

Pocahontas: Non-traumatized! (Dead mother, but strong emotional connection with father and strong emotional support system in her community. Not to mention a maternal figure in the shape of a talking tree in whom she can confide.) DOES feel different from everyone else in her community, though. (Are you sensing a theme?)

John Smith (father died when Smith was 16, he left home, went to sea, served as a mercenary, engaged in piracy, fought the Ottomans): Flight. Constantly on the move: seeing new places, meeting new people, and killing them. Overachiever. Can’t sit still in England. However, he does have some healthy assertive skills and is able to stand up to people in power.

Quasimodo (holy emotional abuse, Batman!): Freeze. Taught that the outside world is cruel and wicked and that he can only be safe inside the cathedral. Daydreams to the point where he almost believes the gargoyles come alive and talk to him. Manages to overcome his Freeze instincts to save Esmerelda.

Esmerelda: Not traumatized, despite apparent lack of living parents and her position as an oppressed social minority. Probably the result of loving parenting while they were alive and strong community support from the rest of the Roma of Paris. Another heroine with healthy assertive traits!

Phoebus: Not apparently currently suffering from traumatic stress (though may have had periods of it in the past: he’s a crusader, after all). Surprisingly well-adjusted.

Hercules (kidnapped at a very young age and taken away from a one life to be placed in another, ENTIRELY different life. Despite strong emotional support from adoptive parents, has been rejected and bullied by his community. Feels he is entirely different from everybody else [I mean, he kind of is]): Flight. Yes, that’s right, flight, not fight. Hercules may be a “fighter” but he is a SUPER non-aggressive guy. Gentleness embodied. Feels he has to achieve something huge in order to be worthy of love and affection from the world (and especially from his divine father, who has literally told him that he has to earn his way back to Olypus by becoming a True Hero). Tendency toward despair when the people whose love and affection he thought he had (Phil and Megara) abandon and betray him. Eventually earns everybody’s love and affection--which is not the greatest lesson ever. Shouldn’t Disney be teaching us that we deserve love even if we never become heroes?

Megara (super traumatic history): Fawn-Fight. Puts the good of the people she loves WAY before her own, to an unhealthy level (sacrifices her own soul in order to save a man, who then abandons her). Seems sarcastic and rough, but heart of gold underneath. Acts like she’s superior, but actually feels enormous guilt and shame, with low self-esteem. Won’t say she’s in love.

Mulan (inconsistent expectations from her family and community. Sometimes her family supports who she is, defends her, and puts up with her unusual behavior; at other times they join with her community in criticizing her [lightly if frequently]. They apparently did not teach her society’s gender roles but then expects her to abide by them in public): she feels entirely different from everybody else and that she has to prove herself. Doesn’t know who she is inside. CANNOT behave the way she has been taught she should; is clearly triggered by a criticism from her father. Flight. Seems almost hyperactive, can’t keep silent when her society tells her she should. Driven to act and to succeed in order to prove her worth and bring honor to her family. Again, EARNS everybody’s love and respect in the end.

Shang: Possible inferiority issues from his relationship with her father. Not enough data.

Mushu (constant criticism; scapegoated by the ancestors): Flight. Has channeled this coping mechanism into ADHD (and humor). Feels the need to prove he is worthy of his spot (I mean, the ancestors TOLD him he did...)

Tarzan (storm and fire killed everyone around him in his infancy; parents had to resettle entirely alone in an alien land; parents were brutally killed right in front of him; he was nearly killed and eaten twice by a leopard; adopted by nonhuman animals; rejected by father figure and much of his nonhuman community): Realistically, I WOULD say that Tarzan should not be able to learn to SPEAK, since he doesn’t appear to have acquired language until his mid to late twenties. However, the film makes clear that the gorillas have a complex spoken language that can convey complicated thoughts like, “Jane will stay with Tarzan”. Feels entirely different from the rest of his community (he is). Scapegoated and constantly criticized for being different. I genuinely don’t know what his style is. lol

The elephant in tarzan: It’s been too long since I’ve seen this film, somebody do this one lol

Cuzco (dead parents, running an empire in his early twenties, nobody has apparently ever taught him limits, appears to have a very emotionally isolated life): Fawn-Fight. Extremely narcissistic, though his character development reveals that he does have a conscience underneath there somewhere. Charming but highly self-centered. Good with words and fast-talking, so may be Flight or gifted. Behavior improves quickly and immensely when provided with the emotional support (and healthy boundaries) of an ersatz family.

Lilo (loss of both parents; being parented by a highly stressed and very young adult who is struggling with poverty and her own trauma): Flight. Gifted, imaginative, ADHD, constantly into everything, constantly in trouble. Sometimes slides into Fight with defiant behavior.

Nani (loss of parents, pressure of having to parent her little sister and provide income for both of them at a very young age): Fight. Her temper gets the better of her when she’s upset, but she’s really trying.

Marlin (loss of his wife and all his children but one): Freeze. Constantly hiding from the perceived dangers of the world and trying to teach his son to do the same. Very nurturing of his child, despite his difficulty overcoming his own trauma. Considering he is a Freeze type, going on a big journey to save his son demonstrates ENORMOUS bravery.

Dori (???): Flight-Freeze. ADHD, constantly on the move, can’t sit still, just keeps swimming, just keeps swimming, swimming, swimming. I include Freeze because her difficulties with her memories may be a dissociative effect of trauma, and dissociation falls under Freeze.

Tiana (loss of beloved father, poverty, traumatizing lifelong experience of systemic racism, somewhat ameliorated by loving and supportive mother): Flight. The classic driven, achievement-obsessed workaholic. Always seems to only be halfway there. Fate helps her overcome these tendencies by forcing her to fail in her quest to become human again (and therefore to open her restaurant), though she actually does succeed soon after anyway. Actually, DID she overcome these tendencies? Like, she toned it down enough to maintain an apparently lasting romantic relationship, but she might still be a workaholic...

Naveen (highly critical parents): Flight. Constantly traveling care-for-nothing that can’t seem to stick to anything. Deep down has low self-esteem about his lack of achievement and how he can’t seem to please his parents. Demonstrates some symptoms of ADD or ADHD. Tiana and Naveen demonstrate how “Flight” behaviors can results in two very different character types!

Rapunzel (holy shit: kidnapped in infancy and raised by a woman who is demonstrably emotionally abusive and negligent and literally is only keeping her alive for her hair. Imprisoned in a tower almost entirely without company her ENTIRE LIFE. Demonstrates painful mood swings between delight and horrific guilt when she finally escapes for the first time. I seriously wonder how long her mental recovery took after Mother Gothel’s death...): Flight-Fawn. Overachiever, constantly doing EVERYTHING, EXTREMELY QUICKLY (cleans the entire place top-to-bottom between 7:00 and 7:15 AM). Literally runs away. Makes friends immediately with almost everybody she meets, including a gang of hardened, violent criminals. Wants desperately to be loved, but believes very quickly that Eugene doesn’t like her after all and has abandoned her. Note that it is not Rapunzel that kills Mother Gothel but Pascal. Rapunzel is so emotionally traumatized that she probably could never bring herself to “betray” Gothel in any real way.

Eugene Fitzherbert (orphaned; raised in an institutional setting, which is notoriously traumatizing. Poverty, social rejection): Flight. Channels his immense energy into complicated and daring heists. Adrenaline junkie. He thinks he wants to rest on a deserted island with an enormous pile of money, but I can guarantee that he would get antsy after a week (at most) and go back to his life of crime in order to distract himself from his pain.

Merida (was in a life-endangering encounter with a bear as a young child; her father was maimed. Has emotional support from her father, but her mother--primary caregiver, especially of a daughter--is highly critical): Flight. Tons of energy, adrenaline junkie, climbs a frickin WATERFALL, overachiever in her chosen hobbies. Greatly dislikes quiet pursuits like embroidery, possibly because they leave too much time for contemplation, and she needs more distraction.

Elsa (almost killed her beloved younger sister by accident, treated by her parents as dangerous and frightening, almost entirely isolated for most of her life): Freeze (HAHA) and Flight. Has been taught to retreat alone from a world that will reject her. Experiences enormous shame and guilt for herself, her gifts, and how dangerous she can be. Classic perfectionist. Attempts to protect herself and others by shutting down all emotions. When she fails, she literally runs away to live entirely alone forever to escape the storm of the rest of the world, because the cold of isolation “never bothered her anyway” (an obvious lie she has taught herself). “Let It Go” sounds like an anthem of freedom, but Elsa is actually literally running from her problems and from any human connection.

Anna (almost died as a small child, which she doesn’t directly remember, but may still cause her traumatic reactions. her beloved older sister SUDDENLY refused even to SEE her, and her parents wouldn’t talk about it, so she probably felt in some obscure way that there was something wrong with HER,  that it was all her fault. Then isolated almost entirely in the palace, and certainly isolated from other children, followed by the death of her parents and the CONTINUED isolation from her sister and anybody other than servants): flight-fawn. she seems possibly a little ADD, a little hyperactive (rides her bike around the halls), impulsive. VERY friendly and sweet to almost everybody she meets, desperate to make friends. Dreams of being rescued through marriage to a prince that she loves at first sight. Desperate to be loved.

Moana: probably NOT traumatized, for the most part. She DOES feel entirely different from everybody else (”what is wrong with me?”) because her instinctive love of the ocean has been criticized and squelched by her father and her society. However, despite her father’s clear struggle with his own trauma from the survivor’s guilt of his best friend’s drowning, this is one of the healthier families/societies we see in Disney! The silence around the death of Chief Tui’s best friend is meant to be kind, but I think Tui probably needs to talk it out more, and while I understand why they didn’t tell Moana about it as a young child, I feel like she SHOULD have been told before her father’s reactions to her hurt her own self-image: he’s actually just projecting his own guilt onto the daughter who is so much like him. She is less traumatized than she might otherwise be because she has both her mother, and especially her grandmother, to confide in. If Moana has a trauma style, I would say it’s Flight: she’s an overachiever who is constantly rushing from one task, one way to help, to another. In a deleted song, she also talks about walking around the island so much that she knows exactly how many steps it is to the ocean. She always wants to get away. All of this is classic Flight. Chief Tui is Fight. he’s not aggressive, but he IS controlling.

Maui (Most of the trauma in this film comes from Maui. he was abandoned as a baby, and probably almost died. grew up with the knowledge that he was not wanted by his parents. grew up away from human society): Flight-Fawn. Has spent the rest of his life trying to earn acceptance, love, and gratitude from humans. Constantly does crazy and death-defying tasks to try to win them over., but It never brings him true fulfillment. He clearly DESPERATELY wants to be recognized, celebrated, and loved for his achievements and his gifts, which makes him into a brash show-off.