#forged friendships + formed mental illnesses etc

[chaneilkular]

CHANEIL KULAR as Anwar Bakshi Sex Education 2x06

[waroftwowolves]

Character Sheet: Lochlan Almash

BASICS

Full name: Lochlan Almash

Nickname(s): Loch, Wolf

Title(s): Swordsman

Sex: Yes Please? (I’m not sure what this one entails to be honest)

Gender: Male

Height: 5 feet 10 inches (Human) | 8 feet 9 inches (Worgen)

Age: 45 years old

Zodiac: Sagittarius

Spoken languages: Common, Minor Thalassian, Some Orcish and Gutter Speak (mostly insults)

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Hair color: Black

Eye color: Slate Blue

Skin tone: Tanned with some freckling on his shoulders

Body type: Lean and Muscular

Voice: Deep with a slight rasp. Northern Gilnean Accent (Irish)

Dominant hand: Ambidextrous

Posture: Relaxed.

Scars:

- Clip taken out of his chin, Notch taken out of his left ear (Clearly made by a blade), Large bite scar on right forearm; visible chunk of flesh missing.

Multiple battle scars on chest, back arms and sides. Scratch marks down the back of his shoulders, hips, and back. Whip lacerations criss-crossing his backside.

Tattoos: None

Birthmarks:  None

Most noticeable feature(s):

-Piercing blue eyes.

CHILDHOOD

Place of birth: Small Sheep Farm within the Northern Headlands of Gilneas

Birth weight/height: Unknown

First words: Baah

Siblings:

-  Elywyn Almash (Youngest sister, alive)

Parents:

- Peter Almash (Father- Deceased)

- Sarah Marie Baird-Almash (Mother-Deceased)

Parental involvement:

- None. Was sold off at the age of 8 to the local Baron to pay off gambling debts. Has a deep seated hatred for his parents.

Children: None

ADULT LIFE

Occupation: Swordsman, Muscle at The Lace Lounge Brothel, Sellsword, Bodyguard and Part Time Blacksmith

Current residence: The Lustrus Isle (Headcanon location)

Close friends: Murkey McCree ( @murkeyglglgl ), Tanija Kai’jere ( @duelsanddancing - Though he would never openly admit it), Eliceyn Birch ( @eliceynbirch )

Relationship status: Dating Murkey McCree @murkeyglglgl

Financial status: Gets by

Criminal record:

- Public Drunkenness

- Public Disturbance (Fighting)

- Not caught or suspected for the rest.

Vices:

- Smoking

- Sex

- Alcohol

- Occasional over-indulgence in sweets

SEX & ROMANCE

Sexual orientation: Straight

Preferred emotional role: submissive | dominant | switch

Preferred sexual role: submissive | dominant | switch

Libido: Very High

Turn-ons: Intelligence, Mental Challenge, confidence, clear wit and humor, A bit of dominance (Gotta challenge him), Take Charge Attitudes, Good hips, smooth movements, Gentle Touches, Affection, Neck and Ear Bites, Boldness.

Turnoffs: Timid Natures, Overly excitable Personalities, Damsels in Distress, Cowards, Squeaky Voices, Arrogance, Abusive Individuals, Dimwitted Individuals, Those who don’t learn or refuse to, Whining, Jealousy, Demanding Individuals, Etc Etc (honestly the list is long)

Love language: Soft Touches, Teasing Looks, Mild teasing, Small Affections (Whether a gentle brush of a hand along the small of a back or shoulder, or a kiss to the cheek), Little Surprise gifts (Usually things he’s made, or a place or activity that might be enjoyed together), Other things are still being learned (He’s still new to the whole ‘love’ thing)

Relationship tendencies:

Before: Lots of one-night stands or friends with benefits. Refused to allow attachment or to be attached due to stigma’s held from his previous life in Gilneas and later due to Mental issues.

Current: Slow burn that started out as a friendship that turned to friends with benefits seems to be the way it starts. Extremely loyal and overprotective, shows some tiny signs of jealousy if the right buttons are pressed but suppresses them. Surprisingly affectionate in private (He soaks up affection like a sponge) And incredibly awkward when trying to display emotions beyond grumpy or professional.

Character’s theme song(s):

- For The Glory- All Good Things

- Walk On Water - Thirty Seconds To Mars

- Gravedigger- Blues Saraceno

Hobbies to pass time: When not drinking himself into a crate of Whiskey he Spends time in his forge on various projects, Works out, or practices his reading and writing. When alone he will sit and sketch in his notebook. And of course, he drinks. Dies chores and handy work at the Brothel and around Murkeys farm.

Mental illnesses: PTSD, Depression, Self-Destruction.

Physical illnesses: Worgen curse

Left or right-brained: Right Brained

Fears: Failure to protect those he looks out for. Repeat of the past.

Self-confidence level: High.

Vulnerabilities: keeps everyone at arm’s length, Self-Destruction, Severely repressed emotions to the point of disconnection. Stopped caring about himself. Doesn’t care much what happens to himself. Severe repressed anger issues and barely able to control the beast (Worgen Form)

[stevetwisp]

I love all your vids analysing mlp!! A thing I've been thinking about while watching the earlier seasons is how much the characters and the show formula has evolved. Any thoughts on that?

oh yA YA I GOT LOTS O THOUGHTS ON THAT!!

thesis: both versions of the show have it’s strengths but ultimately season 8 is built for a different audience than season 1 was originally built for

my personal feelings on this vary as my little pony, as a whole, ignoring the context that it exists in, my little pony is an evolving show, where it’s genre evolves with the age and roles of it’s protagonists which is really exciting !!! the only other story that comes to mind when thinking about this is adventure time and then probably harry potter, i’m sure there are more out there.

but my little pony is special because it wasn’t always intended this way. and while part of me is like, it’s very cool i like the idea of a story that can blossom from humble beginnings and into a full fledged story with nuance and meaning

the other part is frustrated with the role that fandom played in the ultimate warping of the show.

now i just want to say, “pandering” or “fanservice” in these cases at least, it’s not necessarily a bad thing and it’s not always a bad thingbut it does feel like… bringing in an outside element when trying to conduct an experiment.the experiment is now contaminated and we’ll never know where the show would have ended up without that outside influence and there’s a bit of a sadness in losing the trail we could have gone down.

ok with that said

there is no stronger season (there are weaker seasons, im looking at u s4), but season 1 isn’t inherently better or vice versa, because they aren’t really comparable.season 8 is no longer the same show subscribing to the same “laws” that season 1 abides byhow can we compare the friendship lessons, when we’re learning different lessons completely? 

it’s why i like to describe the show as a spectrum that goes from dealing with close interpersonal relationships, broadening all the way out to how your actions reflect into the society around you- while also broadening the types of characters you might interact with. (which is why i believe the later seasons especially season 8, are SO interested in mental illness and how it functions against other characters) 

which is really interesting because! … well, you know i’ll use myself as an example and if you relate to this well then you’ll see what i mean

now i got into MLP because it was cute, the songs were nice and the art was incredible. but there was something so calming about having the moral laid out simply for you at the end of the episode. and not only that but these morals also dealt with relatable issues, you know, disagreements with friends, having more good things than can go around, etc. etc. 

and i personally became drawn to this as a sort of guide to life. the MLP universe is soft and inviting and if i can take these lessons to heart, maybe i can make MY world soft and inviting too. 

so now you’ve got a bit of a fandom who are consuming this media in hopes that it will teach you something new about dealing with that unsavoury world outside your door. and while the show flounders a bit with it’s new found audience (IM LOOKING AT U SEASON 4) 

by the time starlight comes in, this new form of the show now has a true audience surrogate and now the show has taken a decisive turn into where it wants to be. show morals become a little more grey, we around recounting old lessons but from different points of view, we’re broadening the scope in which to look at the show. 

we are moving from internal relationships to external relationships as it grows with the needs of the audience. 

i think it’s interesting how we start watching the show thru twilight’s eyes, she’s the main character and we relate to her and as we go thru the seasons we grow up with her, but the show is gentle with us at this stage, we are still so youngso when starlight comes in, we now have to be aware of our faults and the impact we have on others, this character we looked up to, twilight, has now become a literal teacherguiding us through our everyday as we struggle to overcome our past mistakes and move into a new generation

and the best part about this is that they approach it from the point of view of, well, what if you have something that can really hold you backwhether it’s where your from or how your brain is wired, they don’t try and tell you that YOUR the problem, they simply try and install you with the tools to cope and the knowledge to prepare you for the future. 

they are aware that the audience watching right now FEEL like they are the villain. whether it’s because your one of those fans, or whether it’s because you live in a place where you can’t be yourselfthey take that idea and they tell you, it’s okay if you think you are bad. we know that all it takes is a friend to change things for the better. 

this is quite a ramble so i’ll wrap it up here but;the early seasons of my little pony are so SO important, it’s a formula that i think works extremely well, it’s accessible for almost all audiences and i truly want to push the idea of making children’s (and even adult’s) television way more educational than they currently are.

it’s sad that the show doesn’t subscribe to this formula anymore, but in abandoning the formula they allowed for the story to grow and change outside of it’s assigned box and that’s something to really celebrate! art is about it’s evolution through the years and my little pony is a fantastic example of that and it’s impact on people. 

i’m excited to move into this era of long form story driven animation but i’d be lying if i said i didn’t hope that someone out there is still working to forge a new kind of story experience based on the formula of bottled episodes. 

edit: also i will be uploading a new video soon i wanna get one or two done before i move and then after that i wanna do them weekly once we’re settled 

[coupsyboopsy]

BANGTAN THEORY TIME

I have been stewing this over for a couple days now. J-Hope and Jimin’s storylines in this hell that BigHit is putting ARMYs through is actually going to be pretty impactful. So I’m going to share my thoughts on these two. The others are to come.

I encourage you to read it all but there will be a tl;dr/ at the bottom. 

Of course, there are trigger warnings with this topic: suicide, mental illness, terribly antiquated words

First of all, I do not think that this is going to be a bunch of love stories. Maybe a few of them will be (my prediction is probably Yoongi and Jeongguk; I will explain later). J-Hope’s and Jimin’s is not a love story. If it is, I’ll be real pissed.

But first...

J-Hope’s character, as we all know, has been diagnosed with Munchausen Syndrome. Here is the wiki page about it that talks about the signs, symptoms, history, etc.

In his short, he was prescribed a placebo as well. The form that the presumed-doctor (the short was creepy, okay) said that his thought process was “illogical, retarded” and that his mood was “ anxious and... irritable.” These are symptoms of emotional distress, of mental illness, but some of the words aren’t clinical and are judgmental. I feel like the doctor represents not only medical attention but society as a whole. Mental illness isn’t taken seriously in Korea (Here is an interview with actor Gong Yoo talking about his depression; notice how the interview negates everything with a simple, frustrating comment—start about 28 minutes in). The fact that the doctor is using words like “retarded” is shocking because it is an antiquated term in the medical field, and every country relies on the same research and developing terminology. Hobi’s doctor is a reflection of society.

Jimin is in the same place as J-Hope in both Run (the start of the pillow fight in the white room) and in his short. Jimin has been open about some of the things he struggles with. Struggling with image and weight can lead to depression, etc. The bathroom/bathtub in INU seems to be a breaking point in Jimin’s character. I think that if any of the plot lines are along the lines of suicide attempts, it would be Jimin’s (especially as he remains wet in the prologue video and Young Forever). I think it was a failed attempt and he was institutionalized.

In his short, it’s very obvious that he’s in the same area as J-Hope (the picture, the box, and the box’s shadow). His room is dark, there is an empty bed, I think that represents the feeling of being alone and self-isolation that comes with depression and suicidal ideations even if there is someone there. Maybe J-Hope’s character’s case worsened and he was taken away. The assessment that Jimin is going through is with an automated hand, not a doctor. I think this is another representation of society, but in the “acceptable” professions (doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc.). The thing that is supposed to represent Jimin’s doctor, help, support is mechanical. Its not real. Doctors are supposed to help but there is such a stigma with mental illness in Korea (and society in general) that nothing seems authentic when getting help anymore. 

The lyrics for “Caught in a Lie” is also very striking, and we all know that the songs are pretty personal to the boys. Reading the translation and the images from the short are all kind of Biblical in a way (the apple in the video and “don’t be a pray, be smooth like a snake; there are more). A lot of times, mental illness is seen is a “punishment” from God for something. You feel depressed, you must have sinned and not asked for forgiveness. This kind of internal shame is rife. I think that maybe the lyrics might be this exploration out of religious shame and into understanding of yourself and the biology of how a depressed brain works. The chorus of “Caught in a Lie” goes”

Caught in a lie find me when I was pure I cannot be free from this lie give me back my smile caught in a lie pull me from this hell save me I’m being punished

I know that when I was in high school and I was dealing with a lot of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideations, rebellion, etc., I was told that I wasn’t “on track with God” and that I just need to get back to praying, reading my Bible, etc. to “fix” my problems. I think that’s why Jimin’s solo is my favorite because the lyrics are exactly how I felt when I was younger. I think that the mechanical hand might also be a representation of religion on society as well, how it appears to be helpful but it’s restricting and keeps you bound to one place. Jimin is stuck in the same place, the same room, the same walls, and he’s not free. It’s taking away his innocence. 

THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS OKAY SO NOW TO THE GOOD STUFF

Thus begins J-Hope’s and Jimin’s stories coming together. WOW IT TOOK FOR FUCKING EVER. FORGIVE ME. 

I think that their characters were institutionalized together. They became friends because they suffered similar ailments and you deal with trauma best (Jimin’s trauma is unknown beyond his possible suicide attempt, but issues that prompted his mental state to get to that point is unknown). They healed together and found their own paths outside of the institution. I think that if there is a love plot here, it would be between them. And deep friendship can be true love without the societal idea of what “true love” is. I think that the girl was with them and she helped them heal, as they did for her. 

In the first highlight reel, she gives J-Hope a cake for his birthday, but he says it’s not. I think that she’s celebrating the day he was released from the hospital, the day that this institution deemed him healthy enough to go into society, function well without the need for constant “medical care” to feed his mental illness/state. That’s something to celebrate. 

Note that they all three seemed to have found solace with dance. I think that’s important, I just don’t know how. 

NOW FOR THE BIG ONE: The Flashback™

J-Hope seems to be triggered by closing his eyes. Makes sense. But don’t be angry at his mom for leaving him like that. One, maybe she came back. I doubt it because my idea is that two, she’s a single mom. 

Single moms/unwed moms in Korea are horribly stigmatized. They are actively encouraged to give up their children. These women have hard time finding and keeping jobs because the stigma of a single mother is that bad. 

Here is a National Public Radio article where a Korean woman was adopted at the age of 4 with her twin to an American couple. Years later, when she went to find her mom in Korea, she found out that her grandmother had forged documentation and adopted her granddaughters out while their mother was at work without their mother knowing. That is how bad the stigma is. It’s getting better these days, but it’s still a big deal.

J-Hope’s character’s mom couldn’t provide for him because she was single. “Mama” is J-Hope’s thank you to his mom for sacrificing so much for him and his dream despite everything. His character’s mom did the same thing but in a way that protected him and would give him a chance at life. 

Should she have left him like that? No. But there are so many kids that lose parents because they are homeless and can’t give their kids life, so they leave them at comfortable, fun places like that. In the book “Holes,” Zero’s mom left him at a park that they visited often. It’s a sad and far-more common occurrence than people realize, I think, for parents to sacrifice the love they have for their children in hopes that they have a better life (be it leaving them at a park or signing away their parental rights to a foster family, as what happened with my little brothers). 

J-Hope’s mom made so many sacrifices for his dream. His character’s mom made the sacrifice so that he could have life. The message, I think, is to show that youth and children are a lot more resilient than they get credit for because Hobi did live and make something of himself despite it all. Youth has more strength than anything, I think, and young people can overcome so much... especially together, especially when you find people who understand and accept you for everything you are, mental illnesses included. Healing comes with community. 

Youth comes strength. 

TL;DR/ J-Hope and Jimin were hospitalized together for their mental illnesses. The girl was there too. They helped each other heal with friendship and dance. It is not a love story. It’s a friendship story. Single moms need more support and love in Korea. Mental illness needs more support in Korea and around the world tbh. Society sucks. Youth is strong.