#independent player

[dudja]

Independent Player featuring Juvenile

Out Everywhere Now #rap #dudja #juvenile ffm.to/DownLP

[flashhwing]

i love the kirkwall squad because they all have such protagonist energy. any of them could be the main character. except for varric but he did that on purpose. any of the rest of them could be the main character

[xenoanamorph]

I have so many thoughts on this character but I’m staying quiet until everyone has seen the film 🫶💚🫶

Player 2 from Stream (2024, dir. Michael Leavy)

Prints available on my Etsy shop: http://www.anakalivasart.etsy.com

Tip Jar

[dykedvonte]

A Defense of Benny Gecko

Benny is more of a capable leader and person than people give him credit for.

Seeing as no one challenged his position as head Chairmen for 7 years and even then he only loses the position if he’s caught, killed or forced to leave. Yes, it’s also likely House wouldn’t have allowed him to be killed but he sure as hell would of found a way to remove him if he was causing too much unrest within The Tops power structure. Even Swank and Tommy don’t outright dislike him and more so are concerned with his recent secretive and shady behavior, emphasis on recent.

Taking all we know into consideration, Benny likely knew the future direction that he wanted to take Vegas but was so caught up in the plans to acquire Vegas that he didn’t think of how to make his dream a reality. Something he admits to in canon. I see this being used as the main argument that Benny doesn’t know what he’s doing at all but I see it more in the same vein as you can’t really plan something from nothing. The transformation of Vegas is a sensitive thing that he can’t really work on until he has it. The only reason he ran to the Fort prematurely is the Courier who was causing so much of a stir he would’ve likely been found out much faster, making all that planning for nothing if he didn’t take that chance.

Benny is careful (well a lot more careful than he is regularly depicted in fanon), the Courier being able to trace him was dumb luck on their part and his hair being noticed at the Fort is a realistically small oversight that even Caesar is disappointed in because he admits Benny got farther than he should’ve been allowed by his legionaries. The fact he can plan an ambush on the Courier or tries to quickly and concisely clean up lose ends that don’t lead back to him shows he’s not just acting on impulses or in the moment decisions. Or rather he’s quite good at thinking them out, whether they work depends on how you play really. This is all to say it’s 100% believable that Benny could lead an independent Vegas (house was basically setting him up to do that). If he had known explicitly that House was setting him up to replace him, he likely would’ve bought more time by getting in closer, learning more of the system to then flip House’s edge to his favor. Again something he was doing already but likely without the knowledge of House’s feelings on him personally.

No matter what, Vegas’ future was tied to Benny; House’s plans for him, having to get the chip and if he had somehow succeeded. It’s also interesting that of all the people vying for control of the dam/Vegas, Benny’s plans are the only ones actually oriented towards a new future, not a recreation of something long past.

[omnificent-orion]

Day 5: Unique I thought a lot about this one since seeing the prompt list and couldn't really come up with something. I don't know that it's unique, but something that I never ended up expressing in the comic was how they modify their clothes. Their wardrobe changes over time which means I'm constantly checking that I've got their design correct for the chronology of any given piece. That said… I'd like to push that a little more in the future, cause some more problems for myself.

[incorrect-slaytheprincess]

the long quiet: so... this is my full potential?

the shifting mound: yes.

the long quiet: so, then it's all downhill from here.

the long quiet: like the narrator.

the shifting mound: i do not know what this narrator is. but they sound disappointing.

[theomniplayer]

Main group for my personal project, currently with the WIP name- Project Paranet

It’s a paranormal/scifi story based around a group of players and their self aware character companions getting stuck in a digital world in attempt to uncover a mystery to do with their favourite online game.

It also has themes about overcoming things like anxiety and depression and being understanding to people different from you. It’s a very personal project as one of the main characters is a fictionalised version of myself and I hope to capture some of my struggles with my mental health and trying to stay hopeful. Maybe I can even give some people some comfort that they aren’t alone with this kinda stuff, I want to make something like that to help people in a similar way to how the owl house helped me stay hopeful when I was struggling.

[carsonjonesfiance]

The reason people are telling you Touch Grass after you called Farming Sims “a bourgeois fantasy of landownership” is because, in general, farmers are not the bourgeoisie.

[csphire]

Purples, Blues, and Gold

Words: 1,800

A prequel to Rosemary, Lilacs, Lilies and Bergamot

Astarion is at a loss on how to go about picking out something new for himself when given the chance. Floundering a bit he reaches out to his love for help and receives some supportive guidance. Just a short and hopefully sweet fluffy one-shot that's been living rent-free in my head since buying him an outfit at the Facemaker’s Boutique.

Bodies scattered the floors and blood soaked into the rugs at the Facemaker’s Boutique. The staff and owner were still rattled by the murder attempt. But at least Figaro ‘Facemaker’ Pennygood was so thankful to still be alive that he offered a discount to them all on the spot. The last thing Astarion expected was for their defacto leader as well as his lover to actually take up the offer so readily. But in their early days, she was not above picking up rags and anything else not nailed down for a bit of extra coin to buy one more healing potion or spell scroll.

With a soft clap, Anna declared, “Well now that bit of unpleasantness is all sorted out, how about we all do a little shopping?”

He watched as Gale and Karlach gave one another a tired but agreeing shrug. They both made a beeline to pick out some long overdue fresh undergarments to start. Astarion however felt rooted to the spot for so long that she noticed, drew close, and offered her hand. Stopping just short to give him the chance to decide if he wanted the contact or not. He stared at it for a moment before thinking to take it in his, give it a nervous squeeze, and side-eye the others. His lips pursed tighter as one of his brows cocked high in quiet alarm.

In a discrete murmur, so low only he could hear she guessed, “Star… has it been a while since you’ve picked something out for yourself?”

After a soft embarrassed clearing of his throat, he admits in his own way, “To say I’m out of touch with the current trends would be an understatement. What do you think I should get?”

Read on here:

[gaytedlasso]

“Lasso runs to Kent as he celebrates his first goal of the season, assisted by a stunning pass from Kent. The American has been showing a new passion and consistency in his playing today. This brings Richmond ahead at 2-1.”

~

Inspired by my beloved Jay @bahoreal’s fic Lasso 7

[davekat-sucks]

Although Vriska will probably live after stepping into the plot point, I still think there could be a possible narrative reasoning for killing Vriska off.

Vriska is the thief of light. One who steals knowledge and luck, using these attributes for their own benefit.

Naturally, thieves are aggressive and independent and usually desire control and wealth. Light players often like to search for or create new knowledge to enhance their intelligence as a means to flex control over the narrative. In the case of passive classes (like Rose making the GameFAQ or Aranea’s bookkeeping on her friends and leprechaun romance) they also would try to subvert fate using knowledge. Rose destroyed gates, Aranea steals the ring of life. Rose breaks the narrative of Sburb’s game mechanics, and Aranea trues to break the narrative of the alpha timeline.

Active light players, well, Vriska, obfuscate knowledge, like when Vriska kept Kanaya out of the loop on her attempt to swoon Tavros.

How does this all connect?

Well, Vriska, the light player, exerts control and authority wherever she goes as a thief, and uses knowledge and luck as her tactic to exert narrative power. As an active light player, she can obfuscate and hide knowledge from outside observers, acting as an extra coat of camouflage for the candyverse.

Interestingly enough, by absorbing her into the plot point, all the relevance, luck, and knowledge she stole is dissipated into the fabric of the Candyverse, and since she is a character who is always relevant, the candyverse becomes relevant by absorbing Vriska’s essence.

That would be an interesting idea. Part of me though is a bit skeptic because past events in the series also shown that Light Players is not actually about relevance. See how Rose fall into alcoholism and does absolutely nothing after Act 6. She's even a nobody by Post Retcon. Aranea disappears after her villain arc moment and nobody mentions her again. Vriska lost the hero title when it was TAVROS the one who rallied all the ghosts to fight against Lord English. And don't even say she would be the one to take down LE as well. Because by Epilogues, it is shown she couldn't beat him. It was DAVEPETASPRITE who would sacrifice itself to beat it and NOBODY else would know it was them. There's a chance that it could be about this to Vriska. That though she is part of the mission, bitch won't actually get the cool epic moments she desires or wants. It would be other characters who get it or worse case scenario, happenstance occurs without her influence. Though that's just my thoughts because of how Andrew Hussie and WhatPumpkin had treated the aspect within the narrative. Just like they did with John as a Breath Player. Breath was never about freedom and the writers mock us of thinking us. Maybe it will be different for James Roach and HICU since they want to be in at least good graces with the fandom. James Roach too was even the one who suggested the classpect book to Hussie and has plans to explain more about the classes in HSBC despite the short summary. But I wouldn't hold my breath for it.

I'm sick of Vriska saying she will do shit to become a hero and nothing comes of it. Vriska created Bec Noir, forgets about him for Lord English. Even when focusing on LE, it was Tavros who made the ghost army in the first place. And by Epilogues, she wouldn't be the one to kill him, it was a fused kernelsprite. What will the bitch actually do this time that will have people, both in narrative and audiences, kneel to her for doing an action to show she is a hero despite being an awful person? Call me a jaded bitch. Cause why did they have to drag us along seeing how shit and worse things have gotten along the way that would lead up to the cool moment? Especially one not many worked for? Even if it's to soon disclose all the horrible mistakes that Hussie and WP did, it would have been better to just do it so early in the beginning when they took control of this dubious canon series. There's no need to give one single damn respect to Hussie or certain members of WhatPumpkin for what they had laid out in Homestuck 2. It's better to wipe it out sooner than to continue on building on top of the crap in the first place.

[bluud-sugar]

hateposting in a small fandoms main tag when you clearly don't actually give a shit about it then jumping to profanity the second someone shows an ounce of pushback like a child is one way to announce you're insecure as hell in your basic beliefs and probably just don't like it because it makes you think too much

[kj-munch]

is this a bedbuge?

[overbearingstruggles]

Just to weigh in (if I may) on what your previous anon said: I was at the Chicago show, so one of the tentpole shows this summer/tour, and I personally just did not get the feeling that they’re intending to slow down. They sounded good, they looked good, the energy was good, and the crowd was having a great time; I definitely felt there was less interaction as far as just chatting with the crowd (but TBF they had a tight curfew and played for almost two and a half hours so can’t really ask for more) but they just seemed very in harmony with each other.

I think until the legal issues are resolved they’ll sort of have to look backwards and lean into what they had instead of looking forward; so for now that’s re-recording older music to have masters ownership under their own record label (also, at least to me, it more so sounded like their intention with the label is to represent themselves and have complete ownership of the music and decision-making power rather than recruiting other artists to the roster) because they feel like they need to rely on themselves after the fallout. Hopefully once this is finally over they can meaningfully move forward with a clearer vision.

All this to say, and I’ll take off the analysis goggles here: Alex is such a talented person who deserves to have the space to write and work in ways that are beneficial to him. I really hope that their own label will at least free him from outside factors that preclude his further development and might move something internally for him as well. I love that little guy and miss him so much and just want him to work it out!!

Yesss yes I am so on board with this! And thank you for framing the label thing in a way that fully makes sense. I could see them doing more with it in the future but they are their own priority. Why did that last paragraph make my eyes water 🥹

[hunxi-after-hours]

LOVE your thousand autumns meta. you've commented how certain characters are heroes of some other novel and that's how i feel about lady qin 500%. it's her birthday party, someone accuses her of using a relationship with an enemy to steal his symbol of authority, her sons are OUTRAGED, and then she's just like "yeah i did that, no regrets, wearing it right now actually". not to mention her hidden sword moment when yuwen xian's killed. she's in like two scenes but WHO IS SHE WHAT IS HER STORY

ok but you see meng xishi just DOES this, she casually tosses out all of these side characters that can carry their own stories and then doesn't elaborate on any of them!!! which is like, 1) a power move but also 2) really makes her jianghu feel dimensional and populated. our narrative may be firmly anchored to Shen Qiao, and we follow his perspective throughout the political centers and the geographical frontiers, but you as the reader get the sense that the world continues to move and change beyond your sight, which is such an understated but deft turn of writerly skill

[walkswithfae]

I'm sorry but you're telling me that Sean Renard is working to put random wesen in charge to make a more brutal but progressive(???) world? The guy that just recently wanted to end the royals and work with a Grimm? What was his plan there anyway? They were already ruling everything as a shadow government, how is black claw better? They're not better, they're just gassing him up and he'll be in the same position as he was before. He was a player who made pretty good moves before this so I don't get it.