#the show goes on

[mayapapaya33]

Evan being fully done with K's hacker psychodrama "I'm being hunted by big brother for my thought crimes because I'm so awesome" bullshit but grumpily playing along so K will be safe is so funny. Tying a bandana around his head and kicking major ass while robotically shouting action movie catch phrases with the air of a disgruntled ex; beautiful, chef's kiss.

[electronicclowncollector]

Chapter 14:

(Made by @lilacharbour)

Rogue wonders what he did wrong to deserve this. Not only was his perfect attendance ruined, but Sting was also downstairs, in his house, talking to his dad. A large snowstorm hit Fiore throughout the day, and Sting’s own father got snowed in at work (All the airport runways got closed so he couldn’t fly home either). Sting, in such a rush to aid Rogue in his moment of need, forgot to take his house keys with him. Locking himself out.

So, Rogue was pacing in his room, listening to Sting ask if he can stay the night. Rogue blushed, this was too forward, Sting has a girlfriend! A girlfriend who he abandoned to take care of him… Rogue shook his head. Sting only took care of him because he’s a walking angel. He probably only did it because he thought Rogue was pathetic. Imagine getting sick on a school night, Rogue usually holds out until mid-term break.

Sting slid into the room finger guns blazing. “Your dad’s cool with me staying the night.” He smiled.

Looking at Sting’s smile almost made Rogue’s worries melt away. Until he realised something.

There was only one bed!

Blushing, Rogue covered his face with his hands. This was a disaster! Rogue could handle holding Lucy’s hand in public, but sharing a bed with Sting was a different dragon ball game altogether. What if Rogue accidentally cuddled him in his sleep? Sting would be disgusted, since he has a girlfriend. Rogue will be sharing a bed with a committed man! With his good dragon bed cover on too!

“Are you alright Rogue?” Sting asked. “Do you feel sick again? Your face is flushed.” He began to reach over to feel Rogue’s forehead, but Rogue skilfully backflipped out of the way. To prove that he was healthy and to avoid the interaction.

Rogue’s dragon dad poked his head through the door, “I’m away up to the attic to bring the air mattress down.” Rogue completely forgot they had one of those, since he never had any friends round, let alone stay over. Bed sharing crisis averted.

“This reminds me of when you two used to have sleep overs all the time as kids,” Skiadrum sighed wistfully, “time just flies by.”

“Oh yeah I remember that, and the barbeques too!” Sting beamed.

Rogue could never forget them. They lived in each other’s pockets, inseparable. The smell of the barbeque, the illegal fireworks Weisslogia always brought. The one time they tried to camp out underneath the stars, but got scared by a dog barking, so they ran inside and hid under the covers for hours. It all changed one year Sting went to a summer camp.

He came back with new friends and an earring. Much too cool for Rogue to hang out with. Rogue was sure spending time with him would make Sting realise how weird he is, especially because he was friends with the likes of Bickslow. So Rogue hid in the shadows, claiming to be busy when Sting wanted to hang out. Spending his newfound free time on dragons, all alone until he found Fresh. Sting never stopped saying hello to him.

Rogue briefly wonders if his own insecurities made him sabotage his relationship with Sting… No, Rogue thought, shaking his head. That would be ridiculous, Bickslow alone was horrible to him. He is sure all the others would’ve been the same. Although Rogue can’t help but wish they reconnected sooner.

“Now you just make yourself at home Sting, Rogue knows where the extra blankets are if they’re necessary.” Skiadrum assured.

“Will do Skiadrum!” Sting gave a double thumbs up as Rogue nodded. Watching Skiadrum awkwardly make his way, bumping his head on the door frame.

Sting sat himself down on Rogue’s bed, swinging his legs a bit before turning to Rogue. “So… what do you want to do?” He asked.

Rogue blushed, this was too much pressure! Especially when the genuine answer was to cuddle up to Sting and watch dragon videos, or maybe. If feeling cheeky, introduce Sting to every single dragon plush and action figure he had. Each one having their own name and in-depth lore. However, Rogue did not want Sting to judge him, so he went with a neutral response.

“We could watch DragonTube?” Nailed it.

“Sounds good.”

Turning the TV on, Rogue quickly logged out of his personal account. Lest Sting see his embarrassing DragonTube Recommendations, containing dragons, snakes (Lucy), cats and god forbid the catboys. Rogue scrolled through the recommendations, trying to find something Sting would like to watch.

“Wait,” Sting cut in, “Go back two.” Rogue complied, squinting at the familiar face on the thumbnail.

“Is that?”

“Yes.”

“Why does Mr Dragneel have a dating podcast?!” Rogue sputtered.

“Don’t know, don’t care. Let’s watch it, for a laugh.” Sting grinned as Rogue warily pressed play.

As the video ended, Sting and Rogue sat in shock. Both silently vowing to never speak of this experience again.

Small scratching noises came from Rogue’s window. Impossible to see out of it, due to the frost, Rogue opened the window. Wincing as icy air entered the room.

Fresh popped their head through the window, then stumbled into the room headfirst. Rogue smiled scooping them into his arms. “I was wondering where you went to,” he cooed.

Fresh let out a “Ribbit,” before immediately passing out in Rogue’s arms, still drunk.

Sting laughed “We should follow suit, it’s getting late.” Glancing at the time, Rogue agreed. He couldn’t afford to miss two school days in a row, particularly from something as petty as sleep deprivation.

Sting stood up stretched, audibly cracking his back. Before starting to take his top off.

“What are you doing?!” Rogue asked panicked, blushing furiously. Did Sting have no shame? This is too soon! Sting also had a girlfriend! Rogue wasn’t that type of guy, even with Sting he wouldn’t partake in cheating... Probably.

“Taking my top off? It’ll be too warm to sleep with it on.” It’s -4 degrees Celsius outside. “Oh, actually Rogue. Do you have any pyjama bottoms I can borrow? These are uncomfortable to sleep in.” Sting added, pointing to the trousers he had on.

Rogue is convinced Sting will be the death of him. When one crisis ended, another started. Sting didn’t mean anything by it, the request makes sense. They’re similar sizes after all, in fact their legs are the same height (Sting has a shorter torso don’t ask how Rogue figured that out). However this felt more intimate than the thought of sharing a bed, than that one-time Rogue thought Sting was going to propose or holding hands with Lucy.

Blushing furiously Rogue stuttered “Y-yes, I-I-I’ll go get you a pair. Can you go set up the air bed?”

Giving a thumbs up Sting bounced into action, still shirtless. Which was fine, Rogue survived the Dragon ball game. Sting wasn’t going to wear his clothes back then, but it’ll be fine. Rogue could feel Doug smirking at him, despite him being drunk in a bar

After Placing Fresh on down on his bed. Rogue began the quest to find the fanciest dragon themed pyjama bottoms he has. Sting only deserves the best of course.

In the time it took Rogue to decide on pyjamas. Sting had set up the air bed and was now chillaxing in it. Pointedly ignoring every new notification, as he scrolled on his phone. Rogue wished he had that problem, but the only person who regularly texts him is his dad.

Looking at the floor and blushing, Rogue handed the pyjama bottoms to Sting.

“Thanks dude!” Sting praised. As he started to put them on, Rogue took off his glasses.

Avoiding looking at Sting’s general direction, Rogue got into bed. Gently manoeuvring Fresh, to not wake them up.

“Right, night night Rogue.” Sting adjusted his head against the pillow, looking up at Rogue and giving him his winning smile.

“Night,” Rogue muttered. Reaching over to turn the lamp off.

Looking up the ceiling, Rogue briefly ponders if this is what life would be like if he and Sting were married. Minus the air bed, hopefully. Unless Sting kicks in his sleep or something. Of course, Rogue knew these thoughts were silly. Sting was dating Sorano, and they’ll probably get married, with Rogue being Sting’s best man if he was lucky. He’s being selfish thinking of such things.

Wait, he still hasn’t told Sting he’s not dating Lucy.

Sitting up Rogue looked over to Sting, who he had already started snoring. It makes sense that Sting could fall asleep easily, he’s great at everything.

Sighing Rogue laid back, he can explain the Lucy situation to him tomorrow.

Author’s Note: Despite tracing him multiple times and me explicitly mentioning it in this fic. @Electronicclowncollector has only noticed Sting had a scar this week, so everyone point and laugh.

[partysleeprinserepeat]

The Show Goes On - Lupe Fiasco

[palesmokeisinthevoid]

Y’know what, fuck it *posts a bunch of Oc/Reborn Nuzlocke stuff I’ve made over the past month*

Local idiots run out of money and sign up for a motivational poster thing to get some

Riptide (He/they, Dewott) needs so much therapy

David’s (He/him, Flaaffy) first reaction to his home getting destroyed was running around a random building for 20 minutes until his older siblings found and informed him of their dad abandoning them

I nearly gave Trevor (he/they, Swirlix) the wrong hand before posting this.

Annie (They/them,Girafirig) and Thing (She/her, Girafirig tail) originate from a Friendlocke a friend did. The only other context I’m giving is that the reason why the summoning circle is pizza is that Annie and Thing had a really weird time in the Pc

Dira, otherwise known as The Director or Dira Keeper (He/she/they, trainer), is the phone.

This drawing is the reason I made Andy (He/they, Weepinbell) and Rachel (She/her, Pidgeotto) a couple. Also Andy is shiny (this is a Reborn Nuzlocke which is why the colors are different)

Honestly I didn’t really know who would scowl so I just chose Nathanial (He/they, Sewaddle), he’s also shiny, which is the entire reason he and Andy are brothers

I made Jon’s (He/him) design on the spot. I’ll probably make an actual design for him later

Laura (She/they/it, Sudowoodo) died in game but unfortunately (or fortunately) for me I come up with stuff about characters along the journey and I grew really attached so now she’s co-trainer’s with Dira. She’s also a robot.

Bird girl and shiny plant boy

Doodles part 1 - featuring people who either died or “left” (in universe they left, in game they are dead)

Also the parallels are between Dira and a sibling of her’s, since they both have little mer sons (except one is a shapeshifter who just likes looking like a fish and the other is more like a half selkie…? Eh close enough, Dira’s son boy Edwin is still alive, he’s just in the box)

Doodles part 2 - now with more readability

I like to think Dira fixed Laura himself so no one would take them back to their creator after realizing that people usually don’t have wires and oil instead of veins and blood.

Which is also why Laura has an x on one eye: They couldn’t replace the optic because they spent the money on everything else so Laura just decided to paint an x over the eye until they can get an eyepatch or new optic

[tuuneoftheday]

Bruce Hornsby and The Range - The Show Goes On

[thankstothe]

!👏

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Expertise can't help you here.

[batcavescolony]

Katniss is such an unreliable narrator. She says "Then something unexpected happens. At least, I don't expect it because I don't think of District 12 as a place that cares about me" girl you deliver strawberries to the Mayor, you hunt and trade for the district, when you fell at Prim being chosen someone caught you, when you went to Prim people parted for you, when you volunteered EVERYONE stopped. Idk how to tell you but I think you're a pillar of the community.

[atalana]

but seriously i do find it so funny that ford was like OH GOD MY PRECIOUS REPUTATION after bill possessed him around other people for all of one night

and then he gets back to this dimension after thirty years and this is now the photo the press associates with his name

[mayapapaya33]

Sam's confrontation with the puppet Fergus is everything.

I always felt bad for Real Fergus because I genuinely was like, idk what the problem is, he seems like a good dude trying his best who doesn't always fully understand what's happening but is willing to learn and wants to invest the time and energy to fully understand different feelings and perspectives to his own. He seemed like he genuinely cared so the "boo Fergus" stuff always rang hollow to me. But this, THIS makes perfect sense.

Sam has the same problem as Evan. She's devalued herself and in turn devalued the people around her accidentally because they can't ACTUALLY like her because she's NOT actually likable so they must be stupid and falling for a trick. Ouch ouch ouch. It has nothing to do with Fergus and everything to do with her and her lack of self esteem.

They better go to the pissberg and resurrect Fergus because that poor man deserves it.

[cdyssey]

genuinely stunned at the fantastic choice for Percy not to pray to his absent and unknown father—like he did in the books—but to his mother.

the show is really taking us to one of riordan’s central theses straight off the bat.

parenthood isn’t about power and legacy and the recognition of shared blood.

It’s about the incredible act of showing up for your child—again and again and a-fucking-gain. That’s how you inspire respect. That’s how you become a child’s patron and beloved god.

[duckysprouts]

if you were at your worst, if you’re a villain or a screwup or whatever, there is a goth man dressed as a giant bat who keeps coming after you, bothering you. he sabotages your journey of self destruction over and over. ur ready to give up but he won’t let you. you think, today he won’t come. today he will give up on me too. he never does.

[afrotumble]

Lupe Fiasco - The Show Goes On

[luguangs]

though the movie might be cancelled, yuri on ice will live forever in our hearts. thank you yoi fandom, it's been real ♡

[freakcliff]

many things about the chronicles of Narnia made me irrevocably insane at the small age of six years old but one of the big ones was the bit in prince Caspian where caspian blows susan's horn to try and summon help and it summons the pevensie kids like. that's crazy ok. that's insane. imagine at 12 years old you're given a horn thats purpose is basically summoning divine intervention & then years later someone blows it and summons YOU . I'm crazy !

[fairsweetlonging]

truth serum / system reveal au where shen qingqiu gets hit with an uncloaking spell that reveals the system in the reflection of his eyes every time it pops up.

during one of his missions, in the treasure hoard of some dragon-like creature, he finds a golden, oval shaped hand mirror, its gaudy style more victorian based than anything (airplane you hack!), that doesn't seem to do anything when he looks into it. but when he does, it reveals the system's screen in his eyes.

he doesn't notice this, of course, because he can't see it, and the system, surprisingly, stays quiet.

the peak lords think he's cursed.

maybe mu qingfang is the first to notice, during the mandatory post mission check-up, when shen qingqiu is scrolling through his most recently accumulated points and mu qingfang can see the strange vividly-blue lines reflected in his pupils. it's gone when shen qingqiu blinks, like it was nothing but a trick of the light.

it comes out when yue qingyuan is visiting and, just as he's done laying out the plans for a new mission, shen qingqiu's eyes glaze over and a bright blue box takes over the whole of his iris. shen qingqiu goes quiet; the thing in his eyes moves, shifts, pulses for a second, like static worms crawling all over his pupils. then he blinks, and it's gone, and shen qingqiu accepts the mission that yue qingyuan was almost sure he would decline.

maybe there is an intervention, when the peak lords corner shen qingqiu at qian cao peak and try to figure out what's wrong, subjecting him to all kinds of treatments and curse-finding spells that turn up empty, they can't find anything.

of course, the silencing threat is still very much up and running. at first shen qingqiu was kind of confused by the whole ordeal, but when the peak lords start describing a "strange blue box", he realizes, with sickening suddenty, that they're describing the system. and he can't say anything.

this only makes everything worse, because their fellow peak lord now keeps evading every question and acts like he doesn't understand. liu qingge points right at his face and asks, "that blue box, what is it?" and shen qingqiu laughs nervously and starts talking about how bright the weather is and surely it's the sky and nothing to worry about!

even worse, during the intervention the system thought it was a good idea to start talking to him, so now even the peak lords who hadn't seen it and who might have been persuaded by light tricks and reflections, get a first row view that no, that definitely isn't a trick of the light.

they try to do the whole thing of "are you in danger, blink twice" but shen qingqiu can't even do that because it's still a direct admittance!

maybe eventually he starts saying vague confirmations that don't actually confirm anything, like "this master hears what you're saying", or maybe he goes with a classic "this master can neither confirm nor deny that." but the system starts warning him for that too and eventually he stops saying anything, which worries the others more.

luckily mu qingfang catches on that every time they ask a direct question about the box or shen qingqiu says anything vaguely confirming, it appears. it doesn't appear when they ask about curses or demons, so it must not see that as a threat.

for a little extra angst: maybe the peak lords keep pressuring him for answers, and at some point shen qingqiu gets fed up and snaps out something like, "why don't you understand that i'm not allowed to answer that!" the system counts this as a direct admittance, threatening it's existence. so it punishes. shen qingqiu has a qi deviation so bad it lasts two weeks and takes two people every day to cleanse his meridians. the system doesn't appear in that time. it doesn't appear for a long while after that, either. the peak lords stop asking, mainly because shen qingqiu will instantly leave the room if they do. they don't stop searching for a cure, though.

shang qinghua returns from a business trip and catches on the second someone mentions a blue box and forced silencing.