#midst tag

[utilitycaster]

I’ve long noticed and previously commented on the odd fandom antipathy towards characters like Suvi of Worlds Beyond Number and Jonas Spahr from Midst; and simultaneously a far, far more generous approach to outright villains like Will Gallows, many of the witches, and Moc Weepe.

I’ve also commented on the favor and endless forgiveness shown villains before, and to get it out of the way, yes, a lot of this is due to horny reasons, and as someone who does not identify personally as a monsterfucker this might be part of my lack of interest. But I think it would be unwise to chalk this up entirely to people wanting to fuck the villains, and given that Suvi and Jonas are both extremely attractive as well it’s certainly not the whole picture.

Suvi and Jonas are born into and achieve positions of privilege - military/political no less - in imperial societies. They are both explicitly indoctrinated. They are not, in my opinion, brainwashed; but they are driven into who they become through competition.

I think a lot of people are really uncomfortable with characters shown to be complicit in and favored within this kind of society. I think Spahr and Suvi occupy a space that they find too close to home; too close to what they themselves are. A villain validates one’s beliefs: Weepe is ruthlessly self-interested, driven by profit, and terribly violent, and so it’s easier to be comfortable with him, ironically enough, because the story tells you he’s a bastard and you can feel good about clocking him as a bastard, and even like that this character is on a meta level telling you that you’re right in your beliefs.

Suvi and Jonas and those like them don’t permit you that validation. They participate in these harmful systems while believing it to be the right thing to do. They are also young people who grew up knowing little else, with unfathomably high expectations placed upon them. They are flawed, with no shortage of harsh edges, but they are also frequently kind and generous people who are incredibly important, as they currently are, to characters one might find more sympathetic. They are deeply human. And they are both the beneficiaries and the victims of a vast and complicated system. You cannot fit them into the box of a “stripped of choice” victim even though both have found themselves backed against a wall by their respective societies. You cannot avoid that the dissolution of their society would have devastating consequences, even if it might be right (which Midst directly explores; I suspect the Citadel might not be a thing to be dissolved). And while many people do so, one cannot in good faith and intelligent analysis treat them as nothing more than a shipping doll who needs to be programmed to become a mirror of the “correct” character of one’s choosing without ignoring who they are and what they bring to the table: a political savvy, a great deal of talent and intelligence, and a desire to embody the best parts of their respective flawed societies.

As Midst reaches its denouement, one of the core messages is that a harmful society is still one comprised of people: some upholding it, some actively furthering it, and some just living within it. While Worlds Beyond Number is nowhere near its end, Brennan Lee Mulligan’s body of work upholds a similar message; that one cannot lose sight of the personhood of people, even those involved in messy and damaging systems, and that people must be judged with that in mind. Suvi and Spahr are not cogs to be wrenched free and corrected, but characters to appreciate in their complexity. It is a shame that so many reject them in favor of those who consistently choose to do harm because it is less difficult and challenging to think in terms of Good Guy/Bad Guy.

[playerkingsley]

the fact that valor & caenum as concepts were fleshed out in tandem with phineas as a character makes sense considering his arc. but also: so tragic

[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

[druidposting]

Jonas Spahr and the cat that he doesn't have but definitely should. Cant take credit for the idea, that comes from this post from @captainofthetidesbreath

IMPORTANT INFO UNDER THE CUT

He'd definitely have a long haired tabby. Something something the phenomenon where owners end up with pets that look like them

He dresses it in the stupidest, most over-the-top bullshit bows and ribbons (the cat hates this)

That look of despair in the cat's eyes is indeed very real JONAS YOURE HOLDING IT WRONG it has never been so disgraced as it is right now

[strawberryblondie-locks]

sometime between visiting denjis burnt house & getting on the train

[somerandomdudelmao]

So! I came across this:

And you have no idea what a unique emotions this thing brings me. As a story writer, as someone who knows the full context and all the spoilers. Oh my God, I can't even explain it to you...... But I can definitely tell you that if you stick around for a few more episodes of the comic. And then watch this animatic again. Oh boy, it will feel different

[ozwuv]

[kimdokjas]

We are alive. And we will continue living. So long as you remain by my side.

[essektheylyss]

LITERALLY EVERYONE WATCH MOONWARD THIS SHIT SLAPS

[ariadne-mouse]

omg is that a DARK MICA ship?? Are there properties of dark mica that make it uniquely suitable for both high Un and deep Fold? Did the events of Midst/Moonward basically enable the in-universe version of space travel??

[utilitycaster]

Otohan Thull think they Elon Musk. Elon Musk think he Ludinus Daleth. Ludinus Daleth think he Moc Weepe. Moc Weepe think he the hamburglar.

[playerkingsley]

sara thirdperson brand awareness: time is a weird soup

[stopper-my-heart]

Nothing like Heartstopper S2E8 removing some of Taylor Swift's "seven" lyrics just so that the singing can specifically come back in at "Or hide in the closet" while Isaac is processing difficult emotions related to the book he's reading (i.e., Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen).

Did I mention "Or hide in the closet" hits just as the camera focus finishes shifting away from Isaac?

This is fine

[captainofthetidesbreath]

congratulations to Jonas Spahr on the clarity, but fucking christ alive what an ordeal of a conversation that was.

bonus, and I'm redeeming my personal experience card for this one, so don't @ me about taste:

[awesome-shoes-with-wings]

I was left without a choice, and without a doubt - I finished this character design thingie @hedgehodgy, and I fear I will continue to be obsessed with arting for your fic.

And the rest of you! D'you love traumatised little guys!? Do you love angst and unresolved tension!? Do you like complicated yet endearing families dynamics!? Then Mercy Upon Ourselves is a MUST-READ for you, so go read it! It's good! Like 'stay up at night and think about it' good!