#anyway listen to midst

[kerosene-in-a-blender]

I'm thinking again about how Bells Hells repeatedly insisted they had "no choice" but to release Predathos in the finale, when they very much did have a choice even as they felt it was the best of a series of bad options. They might not have liked the choice, but they did choose to go into the Hallowed Cage instead of doing something else. And the thing is, this refusal of their own agency is something they've done the whole time. One of their most aggravating traits as an adventuring party has been repeatedly asking everyone they come across (gods, world leaders, Predathos itself) what they want as a way to avoid choosing what to do for themselves, to the point that the Raven Queen eventually calls them out on it.

And the fact that the larger political and theological implications of the finale were carried out largely without Bells Hells only further highlights their lack of acknowledged agency. It was in conversations between Vax and Morrighan and Deanna with their respective deities that the implications of the gods becoming mortal where dealt with and the question of whether saving them was worth it was answered (yes they were worth saving, because everyone is). The logistics of what to do with the Ruidians who want to live on Exandria and the establishment of diplomatic relations with the moon were settled by Vox Machina and the Mighty Nein, with Bells Hells taking pretty much no part. Bells Hells lack of involvement in either of these series of conversations makes it feel like these events occurred outside of them despite being spurred entirely by their actions and choices.

But what really makes this stick out to me, is that I've written about characters who actively defer their own agency to external forces before in regards to Moc Weepe and Jonas Spahr of Midst. But where I think both of their arcs work and Bells Hells falls flat is the narrative of Midst acknowledges their deferral of agency and directly grapples with it. Learning to acknowledge that he is making choices and those choice have consequences that he needs to take responsibility for is a key component of Spahr's character arc, which climaxes with him finally making a decisive choice for himself. Weepe in contrast continues to deny his own agency even in the face of the woman he loves begging him to take some accountability (on her deathbed no less!) and this ultimately leads him to his ruin. Whereas with Bells Hells everything worked out just fine in the end despite all their waffling and refusal of responsibility without any consequences that would make them take a good long look at what they did, or bite them for choices they refuse to acknowledge that they made.

[helimir]

grinning like an idiot listening to the midst april fools joke

[danikatze]

[ID in alt text]

✨ This scene ✨

[heymacy]

IAN GALLAGHER + his journey with bipolar disorder

╰┈➤ “At times, being bipolar can be an all-consuming challenge, requiring a lot of stamina and even more courage, so if you’re living with this illness and functioning at all, it’s something to be proud of, not ashamed of." - Carrie Fisher

[w1lmuttart]

(WIP)

Wind waker scenery that just hits different :’)

[essektheylyss]

Finally got around to listening to Unend "Hollow" and there's plenty to say that I'm sure has been said but all I personally have to say is: Dot gray-ace freakout? Gray-ace freakout??? For me???

[lovereadandwrite]

my bby has done nothing wrong ever in his 1000 years of life THIS IS SLANDER !!!😩😬

[being-of-rain]

If you're a fan of audio fiction then I really reccomend you listen to the podcast Midst! It's really unique, presented by three omniscient narrators who interrupt and complement each other, with a cool soundscape backing them up. It's very compelling and pleasant to listen to. And has short episodes too.

As for the plot... it describes itself as a sci-fantasy space western, and it drip-feeds you the details of its fascinating world when you need them. But all you need to know is that it's about a few people trying to do the right thing (and sometimes failing catastrophically).

[seaofreverie]

I knew about the post concert depression but no one told me about the post concert constant feeling of AAAAAAAAAHHH that lasts days and makes everything much more bearable and beautiful and some sort of ethereal type of hope is restored into the world, or maybe it's just the "seeing your favourite band after first thinking that it would never happen and later spending many months waiting for it all the while fearing that it wouldn't happen after all because of circumstances outside my control or feeling like it was too beautiful and wonderful to be true so ofc it wouldn't come true" part of it all

[junebugdunes]

I hope the guilt hits you like a brick

[utilitycaster]

"nice, Phineas. Smooth." is perhaps the funniest way to end the episode. We shall discuss the opening later.

[chaosgenasi]

"this is your opportunity. and this is your LAST opportunity." i gasped

[someoneoffthestreet]

I’m only on episode 7 of season 2 so don’t get too spoilery for me but I’ve been thinking thoughts about Midst and

you only refer to a currency with a word like valor if you are making A Point. right? are we agreed? and to the Trustees, valor is something to show off, to tell everyone and their mother about. they drape themselves in it, have Notaries (multiple! just standing around at street intersections!) to go tell their good deed to, and it’s funny when our main protagonists are getting mobbed by people trying to tell them about how they did this for a relative without being asked or put up with that without complaint, but-

and during the raid, Phineas points out Weepe and asks (demands) him to further help them and that struck me in the moment, of how Weepe was so uncomfortable with the amount of valor he received from turning in his friends, to the point that he specifically asked Imelda to wait before moving on the info because he didn’t want his former friends and colleagues to know what he did, and I’m sure Imelda has her own reasons for why she didn’t honor his request but also, in their culture, it’s like- why would he hide it! something that big, that valorous? most anyone would shout that from the rooftops! come look! look at what I did for the Trust!

even the Consecutors aren’t free of this, they’ve got a reporter following them around, relaying their every heroic move over the radio like it’s an episode of The Lone Ranger and not a literal hostage situation. that’s what heroism, what valor, is to this society. you broadcast it over a radio, you wear it as a jewel around your neck, you literally trade and barter it for material goods and political favors!

and YET-

Phineas, who despite how hard he’s worked and the people he’s saved, is still not valorous enough to be a free man. he is still! not enough! to shine on his own! he’s going to drive himself crazy trying to please these people!

and YET-

he zip-lined down a live communications cable with no reporters to commentate on it. he successfully pulled off a plan to escape a giant monster with only two strangers (one of them a literal child) to witness and to help. do you get it. do you see. that it’s only upon being free (abandoned, even) from the high society that never saw him as enough on his own that he is going to understand what true valor is.

[cel-aerion]

I am LOSING MY MIND over Mangled because guy is just there going back and forth between 4/4 and 3/4 and 6/8 time for the beat???

Started by trying to figure out what was going on with the off-beat drums and fell down this rabbit hole.

[animalsandskyyy]

aaaahhhh spotify is evil :/ (not really….but still)

[babybirbb]

not me and my friends making last minute plans to go have a picnic down by the river on the hottest day of the fucking month while there’s literally an excessive heat warning

it wouldn’t be that big of a deal if we weren’t literally gonna go out there at the exact hour it’s gonna be at its hottest

i fucking hate texas sometimes