October TV shows
Nov. 4th, 2025 09:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dolorosa_12Somewhat belatedly, let me catch up on TV logging. I watched five shows this month (although I'm cheating a bit as I only finished the fifth this evening), which were the usual mishmash of genres and tones. The shows in question were:
Season 3 of Blue Lights, a BBC police procedural miniseries set in Belfast. Although the characters are a familiar mix of well-worn stereotypes (the idealistic rookie, the maternal type who cares too much, the one who's joined the police in spite of a backlash from her community, the world-weary old hand, the maverick), they're written with heart and humanity. The true pleasure in this series, however, lies its sense of place — it's deeply grounded in its Belfast setting, and does a great job of showing the various political and social currents buffetting the city, and the wider region. The real villain, though, is austerity, in a way that I don't think I've seen explored so bluntly on UK TV in contemporary times.
A Thousand Blows, a fabulous historical miniseries by Steven Knight (the creator of Peaky Blinders), set in the East End of London in Victorian times. Here we encounter a variety of deprived, traumatised, down-on-their luck characters, who converge both in a series of boxing matches (initially bare-knuckled affairs in the local pub, later more genteel competitions organised by the aristocracy in the West End), and in a heist plot. The characters are fantastic, the writing is as lurid and melodramatic as a penny dreadful, and in essence it's a great retread of two concepts that Knight explored well in Peaky Blinders: certain people who were made to feel vulnerable and afraid become singlemindedly relentless in pursuing an existence where they will never feel fear or vulnerability again, even if they have to burn down the world and destroy all their meaningful relationships in the process, and communities battered by poverty, exploitation and lack of opportunity who accept a certain degree of violence and exploitation done to them (e.g. by gangs offering their 'protection') as long as it's people they perceive as being from their own community doing the violence. This is familiar ground for Steven Knight, and he explores it to great effect here — and hopefully in subsequent seasons!
Film Club, a sweet little six-part BBC miniseries about two rather lost twentysomethings who started a rather intense film club (no phones during the viewing, full thematic fancy dress, elaborate snacks, etc) during their university years and are desperately trying to keep its magic going some years after their graduation, when the realities of professional adult life have begun to wear them down. One character has had some form of psychological breakdown and moved back into the family home with her mother and sister, and remains trapped there by agoraphobia, and the other character is on the verge of leaving for a new job in a new city, and worrying how it will affect their friendship. It's a sweet-natured love story, with teeth, and in spite of a somewhat cinematic sense of heightened reality, the depiction of quarter life crisis existential angst is grounded in a truth that resonates a bit too much.
The latest season of Only Murders in the Building, which I thought was a massive return to form. This time, our trio of true crime podcast sleuths investigate the death of their apartment complex's doorman, which inevitably uncovers sometime much bigger, managing to skewer local New York politics (prior to today's election), oligarchy, housing pressures, and more. My patience with this series had been wearing thin two seasons ago, and I felt it was fast approaching over-milked cash cow territory, so I'm delighted to have been proved wrong. Your patience for this latest outing will probably hinge on your tolerance for New York (and New Yorker fiction about New York) nonsense, which it continues to lampoon with affection.
Riot Women, Sally Wainwright's latest love letter to the north of England and the strong, complex women who live there — this time, our cast of characters are a multigenerational group of misfits who start an all-woman punk band, with songs about menopause, feeling invisible and underappreciated, and so on. All of them are dealing with struggles at once soap operatic and banal: family tensions, empty-nested loss of sense of purpose, sandwiched pressure between troubled adult children and elderly parents in nursing homes, or showing early signs of dementia. Women's invisible labour is front and centre, but also women's anger, turned inwards and outwards. As always with Wainwright, the characters feel painfully real, and she does an incredible job of capturing the stories of the types of older women working ceaselessly (and often without much acknowledgement) upholding messy, multigenerational family households, doing all the work that no one ever notices, but whose absence would certainly be noticed. It's an absolute masterpiece — with an incredible soundtrack. (And, since this is not always a given with ostensibly feminist British cultural figures, it was fantastic to have unambiguous confirmation that Sally Wainwright's feminism is most definitely trans-inclusive.)
I don't think there was a single dud in this collection of shows!
I don't think there was a single dud in this collection of shows!
what to icon suggestions - november.
Nov. 4th, 2025 09:53 pmwickedgame posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
mundodefierasHey, everyone!
Which of these fandoms would you like to see more icons of? You can leave your suggestions in the comments.
( The list is long and full of terrors... shows, I mean shows )
Which of these fandoms would you like to see more icons of? You can leave your suggestions in the comments.
( The list is long and full of terrors... shows, I mean shows )Assignments Out - INITIAL PITCH HIT
Nov. 4th, 2025 12:36 pmprowlingthunder posting in firstandlastalexchangeAll assignments are out. We have 1 initial pitch hit.
If you DID NOT receive your assignment email, check your Assignments page on Ao3.
You do not have to do what you matched on; you can do any of your Assignment's potential pairings. All gifts must adhere to the DNW list; assignments must be 1000 words or a nice sketch on unlined paper.
All mediums have been hand-checked to ensure compatibility.
Lastly: If your ptolemaeverbloom is reading this and you have DNWs you would like to send to your gifter, please contact here.
All Comments are screened.
Initial Pitch Hit below. If you would like to pick up this assignment, respond to this message with your Ao3 name. Pitch hits must adhere to the DNW list. If you would potentially like to receive something in exchange, please leave that request as well.
Pitch Hit 1: tellmetheskyisblue
Request 1: Dark Moon: The Grey City (Webcomic)
If you DID NOT receive your assignment email, check your Assignments page on Ao3.
You do not have to do what you matched on; you can do any of your Assignment's potential pairings. All gifts must adhere to the DNW list; assignments must be 1000 words or a nice sketch on unlined paper.
All mediums have been hand-checked to ensure compatibility.
Lastly: If your ptolemaeverbloom is reading this and you have DNWs you would like to send to your gifter, please contact here.
All Comments are screened.
Initial Pitch Hit below. If you would like to pick up this assignment, respond to this message with your Ao3 name. Pitch hits must adhere to the DNW list. If you would potentially like to receive something in exchange, please leave that request as well.
Pitch Hit 1: tellmetheskyisblue
Request 1: Dark Moon: The Grey City (Webcomic)
Tahel/Enzy/Najak (Dark Moon Webtoon), Tahel/beta!Enzy/alpha!Najak (Dark Moon Webtoon), Tahel/alpha!Najak (Dark Moon Webtoon), omega!Khan/Tahel/Enzy/Najak (Dark Moon Webtoon), omega!Khan/Tahel (Dark Moon Webtoon), omega!Khan/omega!Khan's pack (Dark Moon Webtoon), omega!Khan/Louis/Luka (Dark Moon Webtoon), omega!Khan/Khan's pack (Dark Moon Webtoon), Medium: Fanfic - Freeform, Opt In: Additional Gifts
General Likes:
Devotion in all forms, Soulmates and anything adjacent, Established relationships, Domestic Fluff & Caretaking, Pet Names(!!!), Fluff/Cute things contrasted with The Horrors (aka my dark likes), Animal/Human Hybrids of any nature/design, Characters with unusual teeth/braces, Fantasy and Sci-Fi AUs, Outsider POV, Cakeverse, Clingy partner/Smitten partner, Taller or physically larger bottom/Smaller top, Pack/Family Feels, Underage (any age okay, <16 preferred), Incest (siblingcest and parent/child), Plushophilia, Obsession/Codependency, Stalking/Intentionally crossing boundaries, Non-consensual sex (especially when romanticized + forced orgasm), Vomiting/Emetophilia, Boy pussy & Squirting, Praise kink(!!!), Holding hands during sex, Spit/Drool, Crying, Overstimulation/Passing out during sex, The softest doms, Cock Warming, Scent kink/Scent marking, Lactation outside of pregnancy, Sexualizing things that are usually nonsexual to show just how horny/obsessed a character is
General DNW:
G-rated fics, Crack fic, Character study, References to past relationships, Infidelity/emotional infidelity, Unrequested AUs, Anti-LGBT sentiments of any kind, including internalized and implied, Office/Workplace settings, Breaking up or falling out of love, Exes to lovers/Second chance romance, Enemies/rivals to lovers, Fake dating, “On-screen” Pregnancy, Religion, Recreational drug use/smoking (Non-consensual and/or accidental drugging is fine), Dogs (Hybrids and wolves are fine and encouraged!), Marriage/Wedding, College/University (Brief mentions of the characters being students/meeting in college are fine, but avoid descriptions of school life/stress), Holiday fics, Toxic masculinity, Second & First person POV, Aging up canonically underage characters, Clubbing/Strip Clubs, Unrequested kinks/sexual content, Humiliation/Degrading, Hate sex, Friends with benefits/”no strings attached” sex, situationships, Unrequested genital tearing/bleeding during sex, Guilt over attraction as a major theme, BDSM, Sex positions where eye contact can't be made, Sex without the characters having kissed at least once, Grief as a major theme, Relationships that go against soul bonds or fate, piss kink with a focus on desperation, The Blood Altar characters/references (The Grey City Cuttoon references are fine!), characters having serious arguments/"on-screen" fighting, not acknowledging Enzy as Tahel and Najak's brother, non-incest aus, dominant Tahel, top Tahel (will make exception for Khan/Tahel), Non-wolf AUs (unless otherwise requested), Aging up canonically underage characters, Bottom/submissive Najak, Najak/Enzy-centric if Najak/Enzy/Other
Fandom-specific likes:
Animalistic behavior/instincts(+ bonus if they override human morals), scenting/scent marking, full shift wolves, bestiality(full shift wolf on human), marking/defending territory, forest sex, pack sex, heats/ruts, pack hierarchy, moon phases affect behavior, piss as a form of scent marking(piss drinking also okay), biting, pack = family (so they all think of each other as blood brothers), mating for life/”true mates”, polyamorous pack, No vampires AU, Tahel being the Little Brother of All Time, everyone’s obsession with Khan being theirs, Louis and Luka being Khan’s “knights”, physiological differences between loupgarou and lycanthropes, puppy piles, bedsharing between pack members, nesting, hair/fur grooming
Additional details are in my letter!
Dear Creator Letter https://docs.google.com/document/d/10sBoy43T3opt9H5tR3J6_6UotyGocb4OzgTspi2Nh50/edit?usp=sharing
Request 2: aoen (Band)
beta!Shirahama Hikaru | Haku/alpha!Sota (aoen), omega!Yamakura Ruka/beta!Serizawa Kyosuke (aoen), omega!Shirahama Hikaru | Haku/alpha!Sota (aoen), Medium: Fanfic - Freeform, Opt In: Additional Gifts
General Likes:
Devotion in all forms, Soulmates and anything adjacent, Established relationships, Domestic Fluff & Caretaking, Pet Names(!!!), Fluff/Cute things contrasted with The Horrors (aka my dark likes), Animal/Human Hybrids of any nature/design, Characters with unusual teeth/braces, Fantasy and Sci-Fi AUs, Outsider POV, Cakeverse, Clingy partner/Smitten partner, Taller or physically larger bottom/Smaller top, Pack/Family Feels, Underage (any age okay, <16 preferred), Incest (siblingcest and parent/child), Plushophilia, Obsession/Codependency, Stalking/Intentionally crossing boundaries, Non-consensual sex (especially when romanticized/"loving rape" + forced orgasm), Vomiting/Emetophilia, Boy pussy & Squirting, Praise kink(!!!), Holding hands during sex, Spit/Drool, Crying, Overstimulation/Passing out during sex, The softest doms, Cock Warming, Scent kink/Scent marking, Lactation outside of pregnancy, Sexualizing things that are usually nonsexual to show just how horny/obsessed a character is
General DNW:
G-rated fics, Crack fic, Slice of Life, Character Study, References to past relationships, Infidelity/emotional infidelity, Unrequested AUs, Anti-LGBT sentiments of any kind, including internalized and implied, Office/Workplace settings, Breaking up or falling out of love, Exes to lovers/Second chance romance, Enemies/rivals to lovers, Fake dating, “On-screen” Pregnancy, Religion, Recreational drug use/smoking (Non-consensual and/or accidental drugging is fine), Dogs (Hybrids and wolves are fine and encouraged!), Marriage/Wedding, College/University (Brief mentions of the characters being students/meeting in college are fine, but avoid descriptions of school life/stress), Holiday fics, Toxic masculinity, Second & First person POV, Aging up canonically underage characters, Clubbing/Strip Clubs, Unrequested kinks/sexual content, Humiliation/Degradation, Hate sex, Friends with benefits/”no strings attached” sex, situationships, Unrequested genital tearing/bleeding during sex, piss kink with a focus on desperation/holding, scat, Guilt over attraction as a major theme, BDSM, Sex positions where eye contact can't be made, Sex without the characters having kissed at least once, Grief as a major theme, Relationships that go against soul bonds or fate, Dominant/Top Hikaru, Submissive/Bottom Sota, Top Ruka
Fandom-specific Likes:
Genderbend!!! Making any of these ships f/f would mean everything to me, Intense Pining on Kyosuke’s end, Sota being obsessed with Hikaru, Sota being compared to a cat, Hikaru being compared to a swan, references to Hikaru’s ballet training/flexibility, Canon-typical nicknames (adding -chan to names, Kyo calling Ruka “mama”), Top Sota, Traditional alpha Sota, Inexperienced top Kyosuke, Sub top Kyosuke, Milf Ruka, Nerdy Hikaru, Characters just being generally weird with/about each other, Fics set during live streams, Characters being affectionate, bodily fuilds (including piss/vomit), Hybrid AUs!!, sibling incest for S/H, parent-child incest for R/K, beta to omega bitching, boypussy/girlcock, Sota raping Hikaru, f!Sota using the nickname "hime/hime-chan" for f!Hikaru, body worship between R/K
Additional details are in my letter!
Dear Creator Letter https://docs.google.com/document/d/10sBoy43T3opt9H5tR3J6_6UotyGocb4OzgTspi2Nh50/edit?usp=sharing
Request 3: &TEAM (Band)
Medium: Fanfic - Freeform, Opt In: Additional Gifts, Any Relationship
General Likes:
Devotion in all forms, Soulmates and anything adjacent, Established relationships, Domestic Fluff & Caretaking, Pet Names(!!!), Fluff/Cute things contrasted with The Horrors (aka my dark likes), Animal/Human Hybrids of any nature/design, Characters with unusual teeth/braces, Fantasy and Sci-Fi AUs, Outsider POV, Cakeverse, Clingy partner/Smitten partner, Taller or physically larger bottom/Smaller top, Pack/Family Feels, Underage (any age okay, <16 preferred), Incest (siblingcest and parent/child), Plushophilia, Obsession/Codependency, Stalking/Intentionally crossing boundaries, Non-consensual sex (especially when romanticized + forced orgasm), Vomiting/Emetophilia, Boy pussy & Squirting, Praise kink(!!!), Holding hands during sex, Spit/Drool, Crying, Overstimulation/Passing out during sex, The softest doms, Cock Warming, Scent kink/Scent marking, Lactation outside of pregnancy, Sexualizing things that are usually nonsexual to show just how horny/obsessed a character is
General DNW:
G-rated fics, Crack fic, Slice of Life, Character Study, self harm, disordered eating, References to past relationships, Infidelity/emotional infidelity, Unrequested AUs, Anti-LGBT sentiments of any kind, including internalized and implied, Office/Workplace settings, Breaking up or falling out of love, Exes to lovers/Second chance romance, Enemies/rivals to lovers, Fake dating, “On-screen” Pregnancy, Religion, Recreational drug use/smoking (Non-consensual and/or accidental drugging is fine), Dogs (Hybrids and wolves are fine and encouraged!), Marriage/Wedding, College/University (Brief mentions of the characters being students/meeting in college are fine, but avoid descriptions of school life/stress), Holiday fics, Toxic masculinity, Second & First person POV, Aging up canonically underage characters, Clubbing/Strip Clubs, Unrequested kinks/sexual content, Humiliation/Degradation, Hate sex, Friends with benefits/”no strings attached” sex, situationships, Unrequested genital tearing/bleeding during sex, Guilt over attraction as a major theme, BDSM, Sex positions where eye contact can't be made, Sex without the characters having kissed at least once, Grief as a major theme, Relationships that go against soul bonds or fate, Dominant Jo, Dominant/alpha Nicholas, Nicholas/Euijoo-centric if Nicholas/Euijoo/Other, Harua/Maki unless with top/dom/alpha Harua, Dominant Taki, Submissive Fuma, Dominant Maki if Fuma/Maki
Fandom-specific Likes:
polyamorous pack, all-omega pack, traditional alpha Harua, pack leader/head omega K, Nicholas and Yuma being compared to cats, Taki and Maki being compared to dogs, Harua and Fuma being compared to rabbits, Shy/gentle Jo, Shy/gentle Jo is secretly a freak, K being seen as a parental/older sibling figure(sexual or nonsexual), Maki being a sweetheart, Euijoo being a sweetheart, Clingy Yuma, spoiling each other, Taki and Maki being seen as little brothers(sexual or nonsexual), mutual pining, established relationships, Maki’s fixation on Jo being boyfriend-coded, all sorts of jp/kr honorifics being used, Fuma manhandling others, domestic bliss, incest AUs, cute/soft Nicholas, Harua and Taki being best friends, Maki and Taki being best friends, Maki wanting attention from the others, Harua and Yuma being partners in crime, devil!Harua and angel!Yuma dynamic, characters being soft for/with each other, mating bites
Additional details are in my letter!
Dear Creator Letter https://docs.google.com/document/d/10sBoy43T3opt9H5tR3J6_6UotyGocb4OzgTspi2Nh50/edit?usp=sharing
Request 4: Crossover Fandom
Byun Euijoo | EJ (&TEAM)/Park Sungho (BOYNEXTDOOR), Medium: Fanfic - Freeform, Opt In: Additional Gifts
General Likes:
Devotion in all forms, Soulmates and anything adjacent, Established relationships, Domestic Fluff & Caretaking, Pet Names(!!!), Fluff/Cute things contrasted with The Horrors (aka my dark likes), Animal/Human Hybrids of any nature/design, Characters with unusual teeth/braces, Fantasy and Sci-Fi AUs, Outsider POV, Cakeverse, Clingy partner/Smitten partner, Taller or physically larger bottom/Smaller top, Pack/Family Feels, Underage (any age okay, <16 preferred), Incest (siblingcest and parent/child), Plushophilia, Obsession/Codependency, Stalking/Intentionally crossing boundaries, Non-consensual sex (especially when romanticized + forced orgasm), Vomiting/Emetophilia, Boy pussy & Squirting, Praise kink(!!!), Holding hands during sex, Spit/Drool, Crying, Overstimulation/Passing out during sex, The softest doms, Cock Warming, Scent kink/Scent marking, Lactation outside of pregnancy, Sexualizing things that are usually nonsexual to show just how horny/obsessed a character is
General DNW:
G-rated fics, Crack fic, Slice of Life, Character Study, References to past relationships, Infidelity/emotional infidelity, Unrequested AUs, Anti-LGBT sentiments of any kind, including internalized and implied, Office/Workplace settings, Breaking up or falling out of love, Exes to lovers/Second chance romance, Enemies/rivals to lovers, Fake dating, “On-screen” Pregnancy, Religion, Recreational drug use/smoking (Non-consensual and/or accidental drugging is fine), Dogs (Hybrids and wolves are fine and encouraged!), Marriage/Wedding, College/University (Brief mentions of the characters being students/meeting in college are fine, but avoid descriptions of school life/stress), Holiday fics, Toxic masculinity, Second & First person POV, Aging up canonically underage characters, Clubbing/Strip Clubs, Unrequested kinks/sexual content, Humiliation/Degradation, Hate sex, Friends with benefits/”no strings attached” sex, situationships, Unrequested genital tearing/bleeding during sex, Guilt over attraction as a major theme, BDSM, Sex positions where eye contact can't be made, Sex without the characters having kissed at least once, Grief as a major theme, Relationships that go against soul bonds or fate, references to other ships, Euijoo falls first, nonchalant Sungho, other BND members as major characters, dom/top Euijoo
Additional details are in my letter!
Dear Creator Letter https://docs.google.com/document/d/10sBoy43T3opt9H5tR3J6_6UotyGocb4OzgTspi2Nh50/edit?usp=sharing
Found Some Fangans*!
Nov. 4th, 2025 07:14 pmcyberpunk_pygmalionSo I was looking through the tags on Squidgeworld, and saw some tags for DR fangans I haven't seen of. I already know of Eden's Garden & rionaleonhart suggested Despair Time (even if I haven't gotten to them yet). But still wanted to know of some fangans. Please ignore the fact we're bad at getting into new stuff, it's always nice to know of new (to us) media. Most of the tags seemed to be for games are (partly) done by Zephirum on itch.io, all of them seem to be various levels of unfinished. Which still good for the creators that people wanted to create fanworks for them. The one fangan tag with a finished game attached to it was LIVe or Die. The reviews of that seem pretty good so I might give it a chance some day alongside Eden & Despair Time.
rionaleonhart suggested Despair Time (even if I haven't gotten to them yet). But still wanted to know of some fangans. Please ignore the fact we're bad at getting into new stuff, it's always nice to know of new (to us) media. Most of the tags seemed to be for games are (partly) done by Zephirum on itch.io, all of them seem to be various levels of unfinished. Which still good for the creators that people wanted to create fanworks for them. The one fangan tag with a finished game attached to it was LIVe or Die. The reviews of that seem pretty good so I might give it a chance some day alongside Eden & Despair Time.
SFBB15: Check-In Reminder
Nov. 4th, 2025 01:11 pmsfbbmod posting in smallfandombangIf you missed the post when it went up, it’s time for our first author check-in. The check-in period will be open through Friday, November 7. Please remember that these check-ins are mandatory and that there are now penalties for disappearing without a word, therefore if you need to drop out please contact me, do not just skip checking-in.
So, if you haven’t yet checked-in, please head on over to the check-in post and do so now:
Author Check-In No. 1 Post
Don’t forget to watch or track the community so you see important posts!
Thank you!
(If you can't see the post, then I ask you to remember the first rule of Small Fandoms Bang, which is 'join the community!')
So, if you haven’t yet checked-in, please head on over to the check-in post and do so now:
Author Check-In No. 1 Post
Don’t forget to watch or track the community so you see important posts!
Thank you!
(If you can't see the post, then I ask you to remember the first rule of Small Fandoms Bang, which is 'join the community!')
Just one thing: 04 November 2025
Nov. 4th, 2025 11:07 amjazzyjj posting in awesomeersIt's challenge time!
Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.
Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!
Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!
Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.
Go!
Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.
Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!
Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!
Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.
Go!
Prompt: #467 - Package
Nov. 4th, 2025 10:55 amsweettartheart posting in 100wordsThis week's prompt is package.
Your response should be exactly 100 words long. You do not have to include the prompt in your response -- it is meant as inspiration only.
Please use the tag "prompt: #467 - package" with your response.
Please put your drabble under a cut tag if it contains potential triggers, mature or explicit content, or spoilers for media released in the last month.
If you would like a template for the header information you may use this:
Subject: Original - Title (or) Fandom - Title
Post:
Title:
Original (or) Fandom:
Rating:
Notes:
If you are a member of AO3 there is a 100 Words Collection!
Your response should be exactly 100 words long. You do not have to include the prompt in your response -- it is meant as inspiration only.
Please use the tag "prompt: #467 - package" with your response.
Please put your drabble under a cut tag if it contains potential triggers, mature or explicit content, or spoilers for media released in the last month.
If you would like a template for the header information you may use this:
Subject: Original - Title (or) Fandom - Title
Post:
Title:
Original (or) Fandom:
Rating:
Notes:
If you are a member of AO3 there is a 100 Words Collection!
Zhou Zishu - 50 Sentences
Nov. 4th, 2025 03:09 pmtarlanx posting in 1characterCharacter: Zhou Zishu
Fandom: Word of Honor (TV)
Theme set: Alpha
Rating: PG GEN and SLASH
Warnings: none apply
01 SPEAK
When he spoke people tended to listen, perhaps because he did not tend to speak that often, and when he did those who were not listening tended to die.
02 TOUCH
With the nails in his body he was already losing his sense of taste, smell and sight but what he truly feared was the day he would no longer be able to feel the sword in his hand.
03 MEMORY
As he poured a tribute drink across the table his thoughts turned to memories of happier days, of laughing and singing with Beiyuan and Jiuxiao, and he fought to hold back the tears of loss.
04 VANILLA
For someone who had once commanded hundreds of assassins he had led quite a sheltered and celibate life, making him seem very chaste and vanilla in comparison to a hedonist like Wen Kexing.
05 CHOCOLATE
The first time he tasted chocolate he really wasn't sure what to make of it as it was neither sweet nor bitter but as the centuries passed he found himself craving it almost as much as Lao Wen.
06 WAYS AND MEANS
Zishu found Lao Wen confusing as there were many ways to accomplish his revenge, especially when he had the resources of Ghost Valley behind him, and yet he was going about it all wrong.
07 BELIEF
Zishu had wrongly believed in many people over his life, especially his cousin Prince Jin, but he never felt more certain in his belief than when he was standing by Lao Wen's side.
08 LINGER
He had put the nails in his body slowly over time, wanting to escape the darkness he had fallen into, aware he would only linger on for a few years but at least he would die with the sun on his face.
09 LUMINANCE
Nothing was more beautiful to Zishu than the smile on Lao Wen's face and the brilliant sparkle in his eyes, like a summer sun bursting across the sky after years spent in the darkness of winter.
10 ORNAMENT
The mirror was too burnished to show him the pinkness of his cheeks as Lao Wen placed his own jade hairpin into Zishu's hair, but he felt the heat of that pleasured blush to the tips of his toes.
11 COUP DE FOUDRE
He had always refused to believe in love at first sight but years later he had to admit there had been something captivating about Wen Kexing from the moment their eyes first met in Yue.
12 ARCHWAY
When he looked back at the arched window at Mirror Lake Sect, the man dressed in funeral white was gone but Zishu had a strong feeling they would meet again soon.
13 FATE
Fate had torn them apart and taken both of them to dark places but perhaps it was destiny that had Zishu choosing that particular spot to sunbathe on that pleasant afternoon in Yue.
14 PULSE
Wu Xi pressed his fingers against the pulse point, measuring the ebb and flow of Qi in Zishu's broken body, and Zishu could only wait in silence for his verdict.
15 ENVELOPE
A drunken Lao Wen was a happy man who became even more tactile, wrapping his arms around until Zishu was enveloped in his warm embrace, and Zishu could think of no place better to be.
16 COLD
The Six Harmonies method would leave him immortal and with it came a price of living off snow and ice, atop a cold mountain but it was a price he would willingly pay as long as he had Lao Wen to keep his heart warm.
17 NEED
Zishu believed he did not need anyone, abandoning the Window of Heaven for a lonely beggar's life, content to wander until his body gave out, but then he met Lao Wen and the need to live returned.
18 DRUNK
Judging by the grimace on Lao Wen's face the wine was either too cheap or had soured but Zishu could no longer taste it nor feel the effects of drinking too much.
19 MASK
His master had taught him the art of masks and he used it now to hide his true face, aware he needed to disappear before Prince Jin could drag him back into a life he had come to hate.
20 ROSE
As a child he could not wait to get up and start practising his martial arts but now he rarely rose with the dawn, much to Lao Wen's constant amusement.
21 TWO
The two of them made a decent home on the mountain, spending their days reading and teaching new disciples, but the best moments were when they were alone together wrapped in each other's arms.
22 FRESH
Catching the lake fish was easy but having already lost his sense of smell, Zishu could no longer tell if it was cooked or not, and he blamed the fresh fish when Chengling screwed up his eyes in disgust at the bitter taste.
23 BRIBE
There were many ways to extract information including torture, but Zishu knew the best way with Lao Wen was to bribe him with either sweets or kisses.
24 ERROR
As he walked away from Lao Wen he could feel his heart breaking at the mistake he had made, silently wishing he had never let himself believe this man could be his soulmate.
25 APPETITE
Lao Wen's actions proved he knew of Zishu's loss of appetite, brought on by the nails, as one more fat shrimp was carefully placed on a dish before him along with encouraging words to eat.
26 REFRAIN
The one thing his life as an assassin had taught him was to be cautious and refrain from doing anything that would make him stand out but now he had no need to merge into the shadows as Lao Wen always seemed to be standing in the spotlight.
27 FAMILY
Zishu thought he had lost everything, his brother disciples, his home, his reason to live, but that chance meeting in Yue had given him back everything he ever wanted, including a sense of family.
28 GRIEVE
He had lived by the motto, men don't shed tears, they shed blood, yet he could not hold back the tears when he realized Lao Wen was still alive and he was dying.
29 VAPOR
Several times each day Duan Pengju forced him to breathe in the vapor of the muscle relaxant, believing it would make him weak, unaware Zishu had lost all sense of smell some time ago and so could easily cleanse it with his qi.
30 TEA
Lao Wen had gained his revenge and as they celebrated he held up his cup for wine only to get tea, silently wishing he could tell Wu Xi it was already too late to save him as he had removed the nails himself, but he needed this last happy memory more than he needed to be drunk.
31 MEDICINE
He knew the medicine would be bitter and was willing to deceive Lao Wen just to make him take it, but months later he still rubbed his palm in amusement as he recalled having to slap it against Lao Wen's mouth to force him to swallow.
32 MOTH
Watching the moths dancing around the candles he thought he was the moth to Lao Wen's bright flame, unaware he was also the incandescent light to Lao Wen's moth.
33 PERFECT
He once believed a perfect world was where everyone he loved lived and all his enemies died but as he looked across in horror at Lao Wen's white-haired, bowed head he knew a perfect world required just the living presence of this one man.
34 ROPE
Lao Wen's plan was to give Zhao Jing just enough rope to hang himself and Zishu wished he had shared that plan with him despite his injuries as now they had even less time together before he died.
35 WIND
The wind that sent the funeral papers scattering through the temple courtyard was not a natural one and danger was closing in on them but Zishu knew he still needed more time to recover, perhaps more time than they had to spare.
36 CROSSROADS
After handing Chengling over to Zhao Jing, Zishu found himself standing at a crossroads where he could return to his former path as a wandering beggar, but as he turned to leave he thought of Chengling all alone in this cruel world and knew he would be taking a different road.
37 SUMMER
The heat of summer had given way to a warm autumn followed closely by Frost's Descent, and now the New Year loomed ahead of him and with it would come the arrival of Ye Baiyi, hopefully bringing Zishu good news of his friends, Beiyuan and Wu Xi.
38 CANDY
Lao Wen darted from one stall to another, sampling different cakes and sweets, like a small child visiting a market for the first time, and all Zishu could do was watch him in fascination... and hand over his money.
39 PHOTOGRAPH
There was a time when he had not expected to live beyond a few years, drinking himself to death before the nails finished the job, but here he was centuries later, both stunned and pleased by the new contraption that captured a perfect image of his beloved Lao Wen.
40 SPOON
Zishu could measure the growth of his relationship with Lao Wen from the way they went from sleeping far apart to the now familiar feel of strong arms embracing him from behind as they slept spooned together.
41 FOREST
Despite the overhanging trees Zishu could feel the heat of the sun beating down as they slowly made their way along the forest track, and though he pretended to be annoyed he was actually grateful for the cool breeze from Lao Wen's fan.
42 MIRROR
As he gazed in the mirror at Lao Wen's jade hairpin placed so casually into his hair, Zishu knew it was not a simple gift of friendship but one of love and courtship, and he joyfully accept both.
43 SMOKE
Faced with so many Scorpion assassins, Zishu knew he, Lao Wen and Chengling could stand and fight, but he was injured and Chengling was incapable of defending himself so the safest and easiest option was to simply throw a smoke bomb and run.
44 SHINE
Lao Wen said there was a light all around him, lifting a bloodied hand to try to touch it, and Zishu faltered because it was Lao Wen who was the true light, shining through the darkness of his life.
45 BALLOON
He had once felt awed by a sky filled with lanterns sending wishes to the heavens until they began to symbolize death and destruction, but these colorful, giant balloons crossing the lower slopes of the mountain made him feel awe like that child again.
46 VINE
A tangle of vines caught at his robes as he pushed through them to reach the inside of a second abandoned temple, and though he could have cleared them with a few swipes of Baiyi, he left them intact to provide more protection from the Ghosts following him and Chengling.
47 BUTTERFLY
Lao Wen thought Zishu was a hard taskmaster as they watched Chengling practising hard for hours on end but even he felt awed the day it all paid off and Qi filled the boy's wide meridians, like a butterfly unfolding its wings for the first time, just as Zishu hoped.
48 GLOVES
A martial arts practitioner at his level of immortality was able to use his Qi to moderate the temperature of his body very easily, preventing him from becoming too hot or too cold, so gloves were unnecessary, but Zishu pulled them on anyway just to make little Nian Xiang happy.
49 VENOM
It took all of Zishu's strength not to shiver in pleasure at the feel of Wen Kexing's lips upon his skin as he drew out the venom from the Drug Man's bite behind his shoulder.
50 REMAIN
Ye Baiyi said they would have to remain in the cold of the mountain and eat only ice and snow once they became immortal, and that would have been the case if Zishu had survived alone, but with Lao Wen beside him he could enjoy all the richness of life as long as they cultivated together.
Fandom: Word of Honor (TV)
Theme set: Alpha
Rating: PG GEN and SLASH
Warnings: none apply
Zhou Zishu - 50 Sentences
01 SPEAK
When he spoke people tended to listen, perhaps because he did not tend to speak that often, and when he did those who were not listening tended to die.
02 TOUCH
With the nails in his body he was already losing his sense of taste, smell and sight but what he truly feared was the day he would no longer be able to feel the sword in his hand.
03 MEMORY
As he poured a tribute drink across the table his thoughts turned to memories of happier days, of laughing and singing with Beiyuan and Jiuxiao, and he fought to hold back the tears of loss.
04 VANILLA
For someone who had once commanded hundreds of assassins he had led quite a sheltered and celibate life, making him seem very chaste and vanilla in comparison to a hedonist like Wen Kexing.
05 CHOCOLATE
The first time he tasted chocolate he really wasn't sure what to make of it as it was neither sweet nor bitter but as the centuries passed he found himself craving it almost as much as Lao Wen.
06 WAYS AND MEANS
Zishu found Lao Wen confusing as there were many ways to accomplish his revenge, especially when he had the resources of Ghost Valley behind him, and yet he was going about it all wrong.
07 BELIEF
Zishu had wrongly believed in many people over his life, especially his cousin Prince Jin, but he never felt more certain in his belief than when he was standing by Lao Wen's side.
08 LINGER
He had put the nails in his body slowly over time, wanting to escape the darkness he had fallen into, aware he would only linger on for a few years but at least he would die with the sun on his face.
09 LUMINANCE
Nothing was more beautiful to Zishu than the smile on Lao Wen's face and the brilliant sparkle in his eyes, like a summer sun bursting across the sky after years spent in the darkness of winter.
10 ORNAMENT
The mirror was too burnished to show him the pinkness of his cheeks as Lao Wen placed his own jade hairpin into Zishu's hair, but he felt the heat of that pleasured blush to the tips of his toes.
11 COUP DE FOUDRE
He had always refused to believe in love at first sight but years later he had to admit there had been something captivating about Wen Kexing from the moment their eyes first met in Yue.
12 ARCHWAY
When he looked back at the arched window at Mirror Lake Sect, the man dressed in funeral white was gone but Zishu had a strong feeling they would meet again soon.
13 FATE
Fate had torn them apart and taken both of them to dark places but perhaps it was destiny that had Zishu choosing that particular spot to sunbathe on that pleasant afternoon in Yue.
14 PULSE
Wu Xi pressed his fingers against the pulse point, measuring the ebb and flow of Qi in Zishu's broken body, and Zishu could only wait in silence for his verdict.
15 ENVELOPE
A drunken Lao Wen was a happy man who became even more tactile, wrapping his arms around until Zishu was enveloped in his warm embrace, and Zishu could think of no place better to be.
16 COLD
The Six Harmonies method would leave him immortal and with it came a price of living off snow and ice, atop a cold mountain but it was a price he would willingly pay as long as he had Lao Wen to keep his heart warm.
17 NEED
Zishu believed he did not need anyone, abandoning the Window of Heaven for a lonely beggar's life, content to wander until his body gave out, but then he met Lao Wen and the need to live returned.
18 DRUNK
Judging by the grimace on Lao Wen's face the wine was either too cheap or had soured but Zishu could no longer taste it nor feel the effects of drinking too much.
19 MASK
His master had taught him the art of masks and he used it now to hide his true face, aware he needed to disappear before Prince Jin could drag him back into a life he had come to hate.
20 ROSE
As a child he could not wait to get up and start practising his martial arts but now he rarely rose with the dawn, much to Lao Wen's constant amusement.
21 TWO
The two of them made a decent home on the mountain, spending their days reading and teaching new disciples, but the best moments were when they were alone together wrapped in each other's arms.
22 FRESH
Catching the lake fish was easy but having already lost his sense of smell, Zishu could no longer tell if it was cooked or not, and he blamed the fresh fish when Chengling screwed up his eyes in disgust at the bitter taste.
23 BRIBE
There were many ways to extract information including torture, but Zishu knew the best way with Lao Wen was to bribe him with either sweets or kisses.
24 ERROR
As he walked away from Lao Wen he could feel his heart breaking at the mistake he had made, silently wishing he had never let himself believe this man could be his soulmate.
25 APPETITE
Lao Wen's actions proved he knew of Zishu's loss of appetite, brought on by the nails, as one more fat shrimp was carefully placed on a dish before him along with encouraging words to eat.
26 REFRAIN
The one thing his life as an assassin had taught him was to be cautious and refrain from doing anything that would make him stand out but now he had no need to merge into the shadows as Lao Wen always seemed to be standing in the spotlight.
27 FAMILY
Zishu thought he had lost everything, his brother disciples, his home, his reason to live, but that chance meeting in Yue had given him back everything he ever wanted, including a sense of family.
28 GRIEVE
He had lived by the motto, men don't shed tears, they shed blood, yet he could not hold back the tears when he realized Lao Wen was still alive and he was dying.
29 VAPOR
Several times each day Duan Pengju forced him to breathe in the vapor of the muscle relaxant, believing it would make him weak, unaware Zishu had lost all sense of smell some time ago and so could easily cleanse it with his qi.
30 TEA
Lao Wen had gained his revenge and as they celebrated he held up his cup for wine only to get tea, silently wishing he could tell Wu Xi it was already too late to save him as he had removed the nails himself, but he needed this last happy memory more than he needed to be drunk.
31 MEDICINE
He knew the medicine would be bitter and was willing to deceive Lao Wen just to make him take it, but months later he still rubbed his palm in amusement as he recalled having to slap it against Lao Wen's mouth to force him to swallow.
32 MOTH
Watching the moths dancing around the candles he thought he was the moth to Lao Wen's bright flame, unaware he was also the incandescent light to Lao Wen's moth.
33 PERFECT
He once believed a perfect world was where everyone he loved lived and all his enemies died but as he looked across in horror at Lao Wen's white-haired, bowed head he knew a perfect world required just the living presence of this one man.
34 ROPE
Lao Wen's plan was to give Zhao Jing just enough rope to hang himself and Zishu wished he had shared that plan with him despite his injuries as now they had even less time together before he died.
35 WIND
The wind that sent the funeral papers scattering through the temple courtyard was not a natural one and danger was closing in on them but Zishu knew he still needed more time to recover, perhaps more time than they had to spare.
36 CROSSROADS
After handing Chengling over to Zhao Jing, Zishu found himself standing at a crossroads where he could return to his former path as a wandering beggar, but as he turned to leave he thought of Chengling all alone in this cruel world and knew he would be taking a different road.
37 SUMMER
The heat of summer had given way to a warm autumn followed closely by Frost's Descent, and now the New Year loomed ahead of him and with it would come the arrival of Ye Baiyi, hopefully bringing Zishu good news of his friends, Beiyuan and Wu Xi.
38 CANDY
Lao Wen darted from one stall to another, sampling different cakes and sweets, like a small child visiting a market for the first time, and all Zishu could do was watch him in fascination... and hand over his money.
39 PHOTOGRAPH
There was a time when he had not expected to live beyond a few years, drinking himself to death before the nails finished the job, but here he was centuries later, both stunned and pleased by the new contraption that captured a perfect image of his beloved Lao Wen.
40 SPOON
Zishu could measure the growth of his relationship with Lao Wen from the way they went from sleeping far apart to the now familiar feel of strong arms embracing him from behind as they slept spooned together.
41 FOREST
Despite the overhanging trees Zishu could feel the heat of the sun beating down as they slowly made their way along the forest track, and though he pretended to be annoyed he was actually grateful for the cool breeze from Lao Wen's fan.
42 MIRROR
As he gazed in the mirror at Lao Wen's jade hairpin placed so casually into his hair, Zishu knew it was not a simple gift of friendship but one of love and courtship, and he joyfully accept both.
43 SMOKE
Faced with so many Scorpion assassins, Zishu knew he, Lao Wen and Chengling could stand and fight, but he was injured and Chengling was incapable of defending himself so the safest and easiest option was to simply throw a smoke bomb and run.
44 SHINE
Lao Wen said there was a light all around him, lifting a bloodied hand to try to touch it, and Zishu faltered because it was Lao Wen who was the true light, shining through the darkness of his life.
45 BALLOON
He had once felt awed by a sky filled with lanterns sending wishes to the heavens until they began to symbolize death and destruction, but these colorful, giant balloons crossing the lower slopes of the mountain made him feel awe like that child again.
46 VINE
A tangle of vines caught at his robes as he pushed through them to reach the inside of a second abandoned temple, and though he could have cleared them with a few swipes of Baiyi, he left them intact to provide more protection from the Ghosts following him and Chengling.
47 BUTTERFLY
Lao Wen thought Zishu was a hard taskmaster as they watched Chengling practising hard for hours on end but even he felt awed the day it all paid off and Qi filled the boy's wide meridians, like a butterfly unfolding its wings for the first time, just as Zishu hoped.
48 GLOVES
A martial arts practitioner at his level of immortality was able to use his Qi to moderate the temperature of his body very easily, preventing him from becoming too hot or too cold, so gloves were unnecessary, but Zishu pulled them on anyway just to make little Nian Xiang happy.
49 VENOM
It took all of Zishu's strength not to shiver in pleasure at the feel of Wen Kexing's lips upon his skin as he drew out the venom from the Drug Man's bite behind his shoulder.
50 REMAIN
Ye Baiyi said they would have to remain in the cold of the mountain and eat only ice and snow once they became immortal, and that would have been the case if Zishu had survived alone, but with Lao Wen beside him he could enjoy all the richness of life as long as they cultivated together.
TV Tuesday: Not My Usual, But Nice
Nov. 4th, 2025 09:10 amyourlibrarian posting in tv_talk
What do you think about mind-bending, experimental shows? What about eccentric, genius-type characters? Do they get too confusing or condescending, or do they ramp up your curiosity?
Which are examples for "weird done well"?
FIC: forgetting any other tie but this (Word of Honor: Liu Qianqiao/Luo Fumeng) [M]
Nov. 4th, 2025 04:07 pmtrobadora posting in girlgayforgetting any other tie but this (5410 words)
Fandom: 山河令 | Word of Honor (TV 2021)
Rating: Mature
Relationship: Liu Qianqiao/Luo Fumeng
Content Tags: Backstory, Canon Compliant, Getting Together, Ghost Valley, Ghost Valley Politics, Department of the Unfaithful, Worldbuilding, cameos by Wen Kexing and Gu Xiang, and several original Ghost characters
Summary: Something was wrong with Xi Sang Gui, and Liu Qianqiao couldn't simply sit and wait.
Fandom: 山河令 | Word of Honor (TV 2021)
Rating: Mature
Relationship: Liu Qianqiao/Luo Fumeng
Content Tags: Backstory, Canon Compliant, Getting Together, Ghost Valley, Ghost Valley Politics, Department of the Unfaithful, Worldbuilding, cameos by Wen Kexing and Gu Xiang, and several original Ghost characters
Summary: Something was wrong with Xi Sang Gui, and Liu Qianqiao couldn't simply sit and wait.
{fanfic} No One To Blame Except Myself
Nov. 4th, 2025 02:31 pmcyberpunk_pygmalionRating: Mature
Category: N/A
Character / POV: pregame Tenko Chabashira
Tags & Warnings: joining TDR as a metaphor for suicide, mental health issues (implied moral OCD), child neglect, unhappy ending.
Word Count: 500 words
Summary: Chabashira wish she hadn't ruined herself.
( Read more... )
Category: N/A
Character / POV: pregame Tenko Chabashira
Tags & Warnings: joining TDR as a metaphor for suicide, mental health issues (implied moral OCD), child neglect, unhappy ending.
Word Count: 500 words
Summary: Chabashira wish she hadn't ruined herself.
( Read more... )
Mod Post: Off-Topic Tuesday
Nov. 4th, 2025 08:23 amicon_uk posting in scans_dailyIn the comments to these weekly posts (and only these posts), it's your chance to go as off topic as you like.
Talk about non-comics stuff, thread derail, and just generally chat among yourselves.
The intent of these posts is to chat and have some fun and, sure, vent a little as required. Reasoned debate is fine, as always, but if you have to ask if something is going over the line, think carefully before posting please.
Normal board rules about conduct and behaviour still apply, of course.
It's been suggested that, if discussing spoilers for recent media events, it might be advisable to consider using the rot13 method to prevent other members seeing spoilers in passing.
The world situation is the world situation. If you're following the news, you know it as much as I do, if you're not, then there are better sources than scans_daily. But please, no doomscrolling, for your own sake.
Several significant elections are taking place in the US foday. As with all opportuniies to influence local and national events, we strongly encourage you to exercise your democratic rights. Such things are vital, perhaps moreso than ever.
Miraculous Ladybug introduced two new elements. The first was, someone who is celarly destined to become the wealthiest person in Paris; the therapist who various Miraculous Holders visit in their civilian ID's: Max for his (now confirmed) autism, Mylene for her anxiety, Juleka and Alya for their separate family issues, and so on and, in a move guaranteed to pay for at least three kids going through college, Adrien about his daddy issues.
The second was the first planned spin off series, Stellar Force, a combination of Kyuranger, Saint Seiya and Miraculous.
(Incidentally, it may be that the Super Sentai series of annually rebranded, colour-coded, spandex-clad (distantly hears "IT IS NOT SPANDEX!" in Dr K's voice... sorry, deep cut) heroes is coming to an end in early 2026 with the finale of it's 50th team, though it may also be that it is instead rebranding. Details are still unclear on that)
A couple of stories from London's West End;
Paddington: The Musical premiered at the weekend, and the producers finally revealed what their on stage Paddington looks like and he's quite an extraordinary creation. A little person actor wear performs the character on stage, and a second performer offstage provides the voice and puppets the animatronic facial expressions.
And for those attending the Halloween evening performance of Disney's Hercules musical, they got something of a surprise... their two act performance had THREE acts. After the show proper ended, there was a surprise appearance on stage by Susan Egan, the original Meg from the 1997 film, who duetted on "I Won't Say I'm in Love" with the current stage Meg Mae Ann Jorolan, followed by various members of the cast all singing classic villain songs from other Alan Menken scored films
Talk about non-comics stuff, thread derail, and just generally chat among yourselves.
The intent of these posts is to chat and have some fun and, sure, vent a little as required. Reasoned debate is fine, as always, but if you have to ask if something is going over the line, think carefully before posting please.
Normal board rules about conduct and behaviour still apply, of course.
It's been suggested that, if discussing spoilers for recent media events, it might be advisable to consider using the rot13 method to prevent other members seeing spoilers in passing.
The world situation is the world situation. If you're following the news, you know it as much as I do, if you're not, then there are better sources than scans_daily. But please, no doomscrolling, for your own sake.
Several significant elections are taking place in the US foday. As with all opportuniies to influence local and national events, we strongly encourage you to exercise your democratic rights. Such things are vital, perhaps moreso than ever.
Miraculous Ladybug introduced two new elements. The first was, someone who is celarly destined to become the wealthiest person in Paris; the therapist who various Miraculous Holders visit in their civilian ID's: Max for his (now confirmed) autism, Mylene for her anxiety, Juleka and Alya for their separate family issues, and so on and, in a move guaranteed to pay for at least three kids going through college, Adrien about his daddy issues.
The second was the first planned spin off series, Stellar Force, a combination of Kyuranger, Saint Seiya and Miraculous.
(Incidentally, it may be that the Super Sentai series of annually rebranded, colour-coded, spandex-clad (distantly hears "IT IS NOT SPANDEX!" in Dr K's voice... sorry, deep cut) heroes is coming to an end in early 2026 with the finale of it's 50th team, though it may also be that it is instead rebranding. Details are still unclear on that)
A couple of stories from London's West End;
Paddington: The Musical premiered at the weekend, and the producers finally revealed what their on stage Paddington looks like and he's quite an extraordinary creation. A little person actor wear performs the character on stage, and a second performer offstage provides the voice and puppets the animatronic facial expressions.
And for those attending the Halloween evening performance of Disney's Hercules musical, they got something of a surprise... their two act performance had THREE acts. After the show proper ended, there was a surprise appearance on stage by Susan Egan, the original Meg from the 1997 film, who duetted on "I Won't Say I'm in Love" with the current stage Meg Mae Ann Jorolan, followed by various members of the cast all singing classic villain songs from other Alan Menken scored films