1) establish offhandedly/without thinking about it too fully that ur ttrpg character lost both parents at a young age, because you have issues with your parents and want to navigate around that trigger by just... not having your character have any
2) work out that a person u play ttrpgs with lost a parent at young age
3) become PAINFULLY awkward about the whole thing
4) accidentally be more offensive by trying to downplay the importance of this backstory element (which briefly suggests to them that you don't think one of the most earth shattering things to happen to them is that big of a deal)
5) technically resolve/clarify things (and finally get the greenlight to retcon the character backstory, thank fuck) but experience crippling RSD for who knows how long
it's such a bummer that losing control of your emotions only makes the entire situation worse in really embarrassing personal ways. losing control of my emotions should give me pyrokinesis.
my 8 year old has some emotional regulation difficulties, and I've done my best to help him with those.
unrelated, I gave him a shovel a couple of days ago and told him to go have fun in the field because I was tired.
He suddenly seemed happier, having less trouble breathing through disappointment and just being generally all around more cheerful and able to focus in school better. Sure, my partner had to pull him out of a six foot by three foot hole today, but he was stoked about it!