![[sticky entry]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/entry/sticky_entry.png){kind=small}
Hi, and welcome to my Dreamwidth journal. For years, I have been primarily posting at LiveJournal, and regularly making backups to this account. From 2017, I'll be primarily posting from this account, and crossposting to LiveJournal.
I'm in the process of adding friends and communities from LiveJournal to Dreamwidth, but it might take a little while.
My LiveJournal will still be around at meteordust.livejournal.com.
All good things
Oct. 30th, 2026 11:39 pm'Rest in the heavens, Captain': Star Trek and X-Men star Patrick Stewart dies aged 86
Picard was always my captain. TNG was my introduction to Star Trek, and imprinted itself on me with its hope and courage and kindness. If you ask me my favourite show, that's still where my first thought goes. And Patrick Stewart's performance was a big part of why it made such an impression on me - all those amazing speeches and stirring lines, delivered with such conviction and humanity. It really did inspire me to be a better person, and I'm not the only one. A pretty good legacy.
"... And the sky's the limit."
Picard was always my captain. TNG was my introduction to Star Trek, and imprinted itself on me with its hope and courage and kindness. If you ask me my favourite show, that's still where my first thought goes. And Patrick Stewart's performance was a big part of why it made such an impression on me - all those amazing speeches and stirring lines, delivered with such conviction and humanity. It really did inspire me to be a better person, and I'm not the only one. A pretty good legacy.
"... And the sky's the limit."
Yuletide letter
Oct. 13th, 2026 01:13 pmDear Yuletide Writer,
Thank you so much for offering to write a story for me! I love all these fandoms, and I'm keen to see what you do in them! I've provided some prompts in case you're looking for inspiration, but I'd also love to see whatever other ideas capture your imagination.
For me, it's about the characters and their interactions. I'm not a stickler about researching canon details, as long as the spirit of the characters and the flavour of their world is there. I want to see adventures that might have been, or missing moments from between scenes, or a slice of their daily lives, or where the future might take them.
LIKES: Some of the things I enjoy in stories are: undying loyalty, personal bravery, risking self to protect others, displaying cool competence, big damn hero moments, special everyday moments, banter, hijinks, confessions exposing emotional vulnerability, conversations loaded with unspoken meaning, tough people showing a soft side, and soft people showing a tough side. Some of my favorite tropes and genres are: amnesia, angst with a happy ending, animal transformation, arranged marriage, bodyswap, cosmic horror, curtainfic, fish out of water, five things fic, getting together, hurt/comfort, marriage of convenience, mystery solving, requited pining, road trips, sex pollen, slice of life, stranded together, and time travel.
DISLIKES: I generally prefer optimistic stories in exchanges, so I'm not keen on anything that is brutally violent or hopelessly bleak. However, I don't mind darkness during the story, as long as there is a glimmer of light at the end. Endings that are bittersweet or ambiguous are also fine.
DO NOT WANT: Noncon, underage, bleak endings, crossovers, setting change AUs like high school, coffee shop, or omegaverse (but canon divergence AUs are fine).
RATING: I am open to gen or ships for these characters. For the latter, I'd enjoy anything ranging from unresolved sexual tension, to getting together, to established relationship. I'm fine with explicit sex, but it's usually not the most important part of the story for me.
STYLE: I'm fine with first, second, or third person. I'm fine with past, present, or future tense. I'm fine with stories of any length, including stories that start in media res or consist of a scene that implies a larger plot.
POV: I'm open to stories from the point of view of a different character from the ones requested, especially if they provide an interesting perspective on the requested characters.
INTERACTIVE FICTION: I like interactive fiction and would welcome it.
AO3: I have gifts enabled and am open to treats.
I've listed more details under each individual request.
I hope this helps. Have fun writing!
Yours sincerely,
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
meteordust
(AO3 name Serenade)
***
( Request 1: Chronicles of Amber - Roger Zelazny )
( Request 2: Foreigner Series - CJ Cherryh )
( Request 3: Fortress Series - CJ Cherryh )
Thank you so much for offering to write a story for me! I love all these fandoms, and I'm keen to see what you do in them! I've provided some prompts in case you're looking for inspiration, but I'd also love to see whatever other ideas capture your imagination.
For me, it's about the characters and their interactions. I'm not a stickler about researching canon details, as long as the spirit of the characters and the flavour of their world is there. I want to see adventures that might have been, or missing moments from between scenes, or a slice of their daily lives, or where the future might take them.
LIKES: Some of the things I enjoy in stories are: undying loyalty, personal bravery, risking self to protect others, displaying cool competence, big damn hero moments, special everyday moments, banter, hijinks, confessions exposing emotional vulnerability, conversations loaded with unspoken meaning, tough people showing a soft side, and soft people showing a tough side. Some of my favorite tropes and genres are: amnesia, angst with a happy ending, animal transformation, arranged marriage, bodyswap, cosmic horror, curtainfic, fish out of water, five things fic, getting together, hurt/comfort, marriage of convenience, mystery solving, requited pining, road trips, sex pollen, slice of life, stranded together, and time travel.
DISLIKES: I generally prefer optimistic stories in exchanges, so I'm not keen on anything that is brutally violent or hopelessly bleak. However, I don't mind darkness during the story, as long as there is a glimmer of light at the end. Endings that are bittersweet or ambiguous are also fine.
DO NOT WANT: Noncon, underage, bleak endings, crossovers, setting change AUs like high school, coffee shop, or omegaverse (but canon divergence AUs are fine).
RATING: I am open to gen or ships for these characters. For the latter, I'd enjoy anything ranging from unresolved sexual tension, to getting together, to established relationship. I'm fine with explicit sex, but it's usually not the most important part of the story for me.
STYLE: I'm fine with first, second, or third person. I'm fine with past, present, or future tense. I'm fine with stories of any length, including stories that start in media res or consist of a scene that implies a larger plot.
POV: I'm open to stories from the point of view of a different character from the ones requested, especially if they provide an interesting perspective on the requested characters.
INTERACTIVE FICTION: I like interactive fiction and would welcome it.
AO3: I have gifts enabled and am open to treats.
I've listed more details under each individual request.
I hope this helps. Have fun writing!
Yours sincerely,
meteordust(AO3 name Serenade)
***
( Request 1: Chronicles of Amber - Roger Zelazny )
( Request 2: Foreigner Series - CJ Cherryh )
( Request 3: Fortress Series - CJ Cherryh )
Rocking on
Sep. 30th, 2026 11:52 pmWatching the final season of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, and all my Bleach feelings have come roaring back to life. I was having nostalgic memories of Rock Musical Bleach - which it turns out they've made more of recently! - and looked up some of my favourite songs again.
"Dark of the Bleeding Moon" - Such a banger. Really captures the vibe.
"Bengara-Koushi" - Gorgeous ballad. So much longing.
"Dark of the Bleeding Moon" - Such a banger. Really captures the vibe.
"Bengara-Koushi" - Gorgeous ballad. So much longing.
Babylon 5 - S3E01 - Matters of Honor
Aug. 26th, 2026 11:31 pmA new season! And a new intro. I thought it would always be by the commander of the station, so it was unexpected but cool that Ivanova got to do the voiceover.
( Spoilery reactions )
( Spoilery reactions )
Id Pro Quo reveals
Aug. 14th, 2026 11:29 pmThe story I wrote for Zabbers was:
Title: Flower, Berry, Leaf, Snow
Fandom: The Perilous Gard - Elizabeth Marie Pope
Relationships: Christopher Heron/Kate Sutton, The Lady/Kate Sutton
Characters: Kate Sutton, Christopher Heron, The Lady
Rating: General
Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply, Complicated Relationships, Post-Canon
Summary: Kate through the seasons, afterward.
Thank you again to marquisguyun for your really cool Book of Boba Fett story, shaping a new world, which is such a great portrayal of him in his new role.
Title: Flower, Berry, Leaf, Snow
Fandom: The Perilous Gard - Elizabeth Marie Pope
Relationships: Christopher Heron/Kate Sutton, The Lady/Kate Sutton
Characters: Kate Sutton, Christopher Heron, The Lady
Rating: General
Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply, Complicated Relationships, Post-Canon
Summary: Kate through the seasons, afterward.
Thank you again to marquisguyun for your really cool Book of Boba Fett story, shaping a new world, which is such a great portrayal of him in his new role.
Id Pro Quo collection opens!
Jul. 31st, 2026 10:33 pmWorks are revealed for Id Pro Quo! And I'm so happy to get a fantastic Book of Boba Fett story!
Title: shaping a new world
Fandom: Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett (TV)
Characters: Boba Fett, Original Male Character(s), Fennec Shand
Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply, POV Outsider, Post-Canon, Teacher, Children
Rating: General
Summary: Boba Fett checks in on a school teacher.
For ages, I've been wanting to see more of Boba Fett trying to be a good leader and dealing with his unexpected new role. And now, here he is tackling the education system on Tatooine (or lack of one). A lovely story with some great original characters and worldbuilding. Thank you so much, dear writer!
181 works in 112 fandoms!
Title: shaping a new world
Fandom: Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett (TV)
Characters: Boba Fett, Original Male Character(s), Fennec Shand
Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply, POV Outsider, Post-Canon, Teacher, Children
Rating: General
Summary: Boba Fett checks in on a school teacher.
For ages, I've been wanting to see more of Boba Fett trying to be a good leader and dealing with his unexpected new role. And now, here he is tackling the education system on Tatooine (or lack of one). A lovely story with some great original characters and worldbuilding. Thank you so much, dear writer!
181 works in 112 fandoms!
Back in the day, they used to have lists of "best episode titles of Babylon 5". This was one of them. Turns out, it's not just a standout title, it's a standout episode too.
( Spoilery reactions )
( Spoilery reactions )
Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time
Jul. 10th, 2026 11:30 pmDespite the potentially confusing name, this is the fourth and final Rebuild of Evangelion movie.
So I finally watched it, two months after seeing the third movie, and probably over ten years after seeing the first and second movies. It's the longest of them, coming in at two and a half hours. Which is pretty long for an animated movie, and on the upper end of my tolerance these days. Did it earn its length? I think it does.
This is not going to be a proper review. Just my random impressions.
( Spoilery musings )
So I finally watched it, two months after seeing the third movie, and probably over ten years after seeing the first and second movies. It's the longest of them, coming in at two and a half hours. Which is pretty long for an animated movie, and on the upper end of my tolerance these days. Did it earn its length? I think it does.
This is not going to be a proper review. Just my random impressions.
( Spoilery musings )
Gutenberg! The Musical!
Jun. 14th, 2026 07:25 pmI'd never heard of it before, but a musical about making a musical? Count me in. (There actually seem to be quite a few musicals with this premise. I guess I'm not the only one who likes the meta of it all?) This production was at the Hayes Theatre. It's basically a two person show, plus one musician on the piano.
Doug and Bud are best friends and musical fans, who have written a show about Johannes Gutenberg. Their dream is to get it onto Broadway, so they're putting on a demo version of it, in the hope a producer will pick it up. Their vision is of spectacular sets and costumes and cast - but for today, it's just them playing all the roles on a bare bones stage, and us using our imagination.
They describe their musical as historical fiction (ie they make stuff up) about Johannes Gutenberg, who is inspired to heroically bring mass literacy to the people, and decides to convert his wine press into a printing press. (A cardboard box labelled "PRINTING PRESS". All the props were cardboard boxes.) His assistant is Helvetica, who is in love with him but pining away silently. His antagonist is an evil Monk, who wants to keep the townsfolk illiterate, so he can control what they are told the Bible says. (Doug and Bud want him to be a nuanced villain, who isn't just evil for no reason. So his backstory is that he met the Devil in a haunted German wood and sold his soul for power.)
Because Doug and Bud play all the many characters between them, they've come up with a way to distinguish them - baseball caps with the names printed on them. (This worked well in a small theatre where you could read the names, but I can imagine it would lose some impact if you couldn't.) Doug and Bud swapped hats, sometimes multiple times within a scene, with deft choreography. And one of the showstopper songs featured a chorus line of hats, strung on a laundry line suspended across the stage. (Doug and Bud also earnestly tell us that although they're playing all the parts now, in the actual show a woman character will be played by a woman: "Because representation matters.")
Along the way, Doug and Bud explain to the audience the structure and beats and tropes of a musical. It was mostly entertaining and funny. Except when they tell us, very seriously, that every musical needs to address an important theme - and theirs is Nazis. So you get a minor background character, Lil Nazi Flowergirl, who pops up a few times to be prejudiced, before getting a verbal smackdown by our hero towards the end. (I know it's supposed to be cringeworthy. But maybe it was less fraught before the rise of fascism again?)
This is the kind of show that lives or dies by its two leads. But it worked. They had great comic timing and great character chemistry. Doug and Bud were played with a lack of self-awareness that was hilarious. But at the same time, they were played with absolute sincerity, and the moments when they were awkward or vulnerable or hurt, felt raw and real. And their genuine bond was very heartwarming - they were each other's hype man and constant cheerleader.
Even though Doug and Bud's musical is kind of terrible, their enthusiasm is inspiring, and their friendship is endearing. And you know what? In these days of AI being shoved down our throats, there's something stirring about humans making bad art with all their heart and soul.
Doug and Bud are best friends and musical fans, who have written a show about Johannes Gutenberg. Their dream is to get it onto Broadway, so they're putting on a demo version of it, in the hope a producer will pick it up. Their vision is of spectacular sets and costumes and cast - but for today, it's just them playing all the roles on a bare bones stage, and us using our imagination.
They describe their musical as historical fiction (ie they make stuff up) about Johannes Gutenberg, who is inspired to heroically bring mass literacy to the people, and decides to convert his wine press into a printing press. (A cardboard box labelled "PRINTING PRESS". All the props were cardboard boxes.) His assistant is Helvetica, who is in love with him but pining away silently. His antagonist is an evil Monk, who wants to keep the townsfolk illiterate, so he can control what they are told the Bible says. (Doug and Bud want him to be a nuanced villain, who isn't just evil for no reason. So his backstory is that he met the Devil in a haunted German wood and sold his soul for power.)
Because Doug and Bud play all the many characters between them, they've come up with a way to distinguish them - baseball caps with the names printed on them. (This worked well in a small theatre where you could read the names, but I can imagine it would lose some impact if you couldn't.) Doug and Bud swapped hats, sometimes multiple times within a scene, with deft choreography. And one of the showstopper songs featured a chorus line of hats, strung on a laundry line suspended across the stage. (Doug and Bud also earnestly tell us that although they're playing all the parts now, in the actual show a woman character will be played by a woman: "Because representation matters.")
Along the way, Doug and Bud explain to the audience the structure and beats and tropes of a musical. It was mostly entertaining and funny. Except when they tell us, very seriously, that every musical needs to address an important theme - and theirs is Nazis. So you get a minor background character, Lil Nazi Flowergirl, who pops up a few times to be prejudiced, before getting a verbal smackdown by our hero towards the end. (I know it's supposed to be cringeworthy. But maybe it was less fraught before the rise of fascism again?)
This is the kind of show that lives or dies by its two leads. But it worked. They had great comic timing and great character chemistry. Doug and Bud were played with a lack of self-awareness that was hilarious. But at the same time, they were played with absolute sincerity, and the moments when they were awkward or vulnerable or hurt, felt raw and real. And their genuine bond was very heartwarming - they were each other's hype man and constant cheerleader.
Even though Doug and Bud's musical is kind of terrible, their enthusiasm is inspiring, and their friendship is endearing. And you know what? In these days of AI being shoved down our throats, there's something stirring about humans making bad art with all their heart and soul.
Babylon 5 - S2E09 - The Coming of Shadows
May. 21st, 2026 11:12 pmEnjoying the season so far, with not much to say except, "Wow, this is so good." But with this episode giving us the title drop for the season, it promised big things - and man, did it deliver.
( Spoilery reactions )
( Spoilery reactions )
Hikago Day
May. 5th, 2026 06:53 pmHONDA:
Waya, d'you mind if I come to your Saturday study group?
My sensei doesn't have a group on Saturdays.
WAYA:
Sure. You can all come.
NASE:
Honda and Komiya are strong players, but I'd just slow you guys down.
I'd hate to do that...
WAYA:
How are you gonna get better thinking like that?
- Chapter 130 of Hikaru no Go
***
Some things I've been watching lately:
* Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo - The third of the Rebuild of Evangelion movies. It's been so many years since I watched the first two, I have practically no memory of what happened. But this movie drops us into middle of the action along with Shinji, who also has no memory of what happened, so I guess it was fine. Anyway, it delivered exactly what I wanted from an Eva movie: dramatic action sequences, emotionally intense confrontations, even more emotionally intense silences, convoluted apocalyptic mythology, Eva Units unleashing their monstrous side, and lots of Kaworu. (There was even "Ode to Joy".) I could have used less of Shinji making bad choices, but I guess if you put a traumatised teenager into a giant robot, you can't be too surprised. I'm still not sure I understand the entire plot, but that's what I expect from Eva too.
* Star Trek: Starfleet Academy - Star Trek is one of the canons of my heart, but I've never been excited about the idea of a Starfleet Academy show. I mean, cadets go to classes? Maybe take exams? I was so wrong. It turns out how you hook me is to set it in the far future - a thousand years from now - when the galaxy is emerging from an era of chaos and destruction. Starfleet is trying to rebuild itself and the Academy is teaching a new generation, who are the hope of the future. I love the mentors who remember the best of how we can be, and the young people trying to discover who they are and what they stand for. It feels so relevant to our world today, which is a torch that Star Trek has always carried. I loved Season 1. I'm excited for Season 2. And I'm gutted Paramount has already decided there will be no Season 3.
Waya, d'you mind if I come to your Saturday study group?
My sensei doesn't have a group on Saturdays.
WAYA:
Sure. You can all come.
NASE:
Honda and Komiya are strong players, but I'd just slow you guys down.
I'd hate to do that...
WAYA:
How are you gonna get better thinking like that?
- Chapter 130 of Hikaru no Go
Some things I've been watching lately:
* Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo - The third of the Rebuild of Evangelion movies. It's been so many years since I watched the first two, I have practically no memory of what happened. But this movie drops us into middle of the action along with Shinji, who also has no memory of what happened, so I guess it was fine. Anyway, it delivered exactly what I wanted from an Eva movie: dramatic action sequences, emotionally intense confrontations, even more emotionally intense silences, convoluted apocalyptic mythology, Eva Units unleashing their monstrous side, and lots of Kaworu. (There was even "Ode to Joy".) I could have used less of Shinji making bad choices, but I guess if you put a traumatised teenager into a giant robot, you can't be too surprised. I'm still not sure I understand the entire plot, but that's what I expect from Eva too.
* Star Trek: Starfleet Academy - Star Trek is one of the canons of my heart, but I've never been excited about the idea of a Starfleet Academy show. I mean, cadets go to classes? Maybe take exams? I was so wrong. It turns out how you hook me is to set it in the far future - a thousand years from now - when the galaxy is emerging from an era of chaos and destruction. Starfleet is trying to rebuild itself and the Academy is teaching a new generation, who are the hope of the future. I love the mentors who remember the best of how we can be, and the young people trying to discover who they are and what they stand for. It feels so relevant to our world today, which is a torch that Star Trek has always carried. I loved Season 1. I'm excited for Season 2. And I'm gutted Paramount has already decided there will be no Season 3.
My Brilliant Career
Apr. 27th, 2026 03:09 pmI always love a good Australian musical. And it's been pretty exciting over the past few years, to see more of them appear on the scene. This one is based on My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin, a classic book by a literary icon. (I walk past her statue regularly!)
The musical premiered in Melbourne in 2024. On the weekend I saw it performed by the Sydney Theatre Company at the Roslyn Packer Theatre.
Previously
Even though I watched the movie and read the book when I was young, I remember very little of the story. Embarrassingly, for all these years, I've had the impression that the book was an autobiography. Because it's about a young woman growing up in 1890s rural Australia and dreaming of becoming a writer. Which is why I was mildly confused, watching the musical, that the main character's name was Sybylla. ("I thought her name was Stella? Because the Stella Prize is named for her? Or maybe it's a nickname?")
But no. It's a novel! (Which actually did attract controversy when published, because some people thought it had thinly veiled references to real people and incidents from her own life.)
Story
Sybylla is fifteen, hating her life of drudgery on a struggling farm in the middle of nowhere, and chafing against her only future being a wife and mother. Her dream is art, music, and writing. She wants to figure out herself and the world. We follow her through the next few years, exploring life beyond the farm, growing up into a young woman, and trying to carve her own path.
I love that Sybylla is dorky, passionate, rebellious, and outspoken. There are lines of dialogue and narrative that I assume are excerpts from the book, but Sybylla herself gets to drop in modern phrases as well.
It was surprisingly funny, but also emotional. It had a great energy to it, and if some moments felt a bit raw and unpolished, that made it feel more real. This is a musical that supports the need to express yourself, to make your voice be heard, even when it seems like the world isn't interested in what people like you have to say. It hit home about the importance of creativity to humans, because it's communicating what we think and what we feel, to someone else somewhere who might connect with it.
Casting
The performance I saw featured understudies, who were all excellent:
* Sybylla (Melanie Bird)
* Gertie/Blanche/Ensemble (Meg McKibbin)
* Harry/Peter/Ensemble (Jack Green)
Miscellaneous
Cast recording - An original cast recording was made in 2020, after a 2019 workshop, but the track listing differs a bit from the final musical.
Miniseries - Apparently Netflix is making the book into a miniseries! To be released in late 2026 or early 2027.
Video
"In the Wrong Key":
The musical premiered in Melbourne in 2024. On the weekend I saw it performed by the Sydney Theatre Company at the Roslyn Packer Theatre.
Previously
Even though I watched the movie and read the book when I was young, I remember very little of the story. Embarrassingly, for all these years, I've had the impression that the book was an autobiography. Because it's about a young woman growing up in 1890s rural Australia and dreaming of becoming a writer. Which is why I was mildly confused, watching the musical, that the main character's name was Sybylla. ("I thought her name was Stella? Because the Stella Prize is named for her? Or maybe it's a nickname?")
But no. It's a novel! (Which actually did attract controversy when published, because some people thought it had thinly veiled references to real people and incidents from her own life.)
Story
Sybylla is fifteen, hating her life of drudgery on a struggling farm in the middle of nowhere, and chafing against her only future being a wife and mother. Her dream is art, music, and writing. She wants to figure out herself and the world. We follow her through the next few years, exploring life beyond the farm, growing up into a young woman, and trying to carve her own path.
I love that Sybylla is dorky, passionate, rebellious, and outspoken. There are lines of dialogue and narrative that I assume are excerpts from the book, but Sybylla herself gets to drop in modern phrases as well.
It was surprisingly funny, but also emotional. It had a great energy to it, and if some moments felt a bit raw and unpolished, that made it feel more real. This is a musical that supports the need to express yourself, to make your voice be heard, even when it seems like the world isn't interested in what people like you have to say. It hit home about the importance of creativity to humans, because it's communicating what we think and what we feel, to someone else somewhere who might connect with it.
Casting
The performance I saw featured understudies, who were all excellent:
* Sybylla (Melanie Bird)
* Gertie/Blanche/Ensemble (Meg McKibbin)
* Harry/Peter/Ensemble (Jack Green)
Miscellaneous
Cast recording - An original cast recording was made in 2020, after a 2019 workshop, but the track listing differs a bit from the final musical.
Miniseries - Apparently Netflix is making the book into a miniseries! To be released in late 2026 or early 2027.
Video
"In the Wrong Key":
Id Pro Quo letter
Apr. 26th, 2026 09:35 pmDear Id Pro Quo Writer,
Thank you so much for offering to write a story for me! I love all these fandoms, and the tropes I've nominated, and I'm really keen to see what you do in them! I've also provided some extra prompts in case you're looking for inspiration, but I'd also love to see whatever other ideas capture your imagination.
For me, it's about the characters and their interactions. I'm not a stickler about researching canon details, as long as the spirit of the characters and the flavour of their world is there. I want to see adventures that might have been, or missing moments from between scenes, or a slice of their daily lives, or where the future might take them.
LIKES: Some of the things I enjoy in stories are: undying loyalty, personal bravery, risking self to protect others, displaying cool competence, big damn hero moments, special everyday moments, banter, hijinks, confessions exposing emotional vulnerability, conversations loaded with unspoken meaning, tough people showing a soft side, and soft people showing a tough side. Some of my favourite tropes and genres are: amnesia, angst with a happy ending, animal transformation, arranged marriage, bodyswap, cosmic horror, curtainfic, fish out of water, five things fic, getting together, hurt/comfort, marriage of convenience, mystery solving, requited pining, road trips, sex pollen, slice of life, stranded together, and time travel.
DISLIKES: I generally prefer optimistic stories in exchanges, so I'm not keen on anything that is brutally violent or hopelessly bleak. However, I don't mind darkness during the story, as long as there is a glimmer of light at the end. Endings that are bittersweet or ambiguous are also fine.
DO NOT WANT: Noncon, underage, bleak endings, crossovers, setting change AUs like high school, coffee shop, or omegaverse (but canon divergence AUs are fine).
RATING: I've requested some gen and some ships in this exchange. For the latter, I'd enjoy anything ranging from unresolved sexual tension, to getting together, to established relationship. I'm fine with explicit sex, but it's usually not the most important part of the story for me.
STYLE: I'm fine with first, second, or third person. I'm fine with past, present, or future tense. I'm fine with stories of any length, including stories that start in media res or consist of a scene that implies a larger plot.
POV: I'm open to stories from the point of view of a different character from the ones requested, especially if they provide an interesting perspective on the requested characters.
INTERACTIVE FICTION: I like interactive fiction and would welcome it.
AO3: I have gifts enabled and am open to treats.
I've listed more details under each individual request.
I hope this helps. Have fun writing!
Yours sincerely,
meteordust
(AO3 name Serenade)
***
( Request 1: Haikyuu!! - fanfic )
( Request 2: Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett (TV) - fanfic )
( Request 3: Tekken (Video Games) - fanfic )
Thank you so much for offering to write a story for me! I love all these fandoms, and the tropes I've nominated, and I'm really keen to see what you do in them! I've also provided some extra prompts in case you're looking for inspiration, but I'd also love to see whatever other ideas capture your imagination.
For me, it's about the characters and their interactions. I'm not a stickler about researching canon details, as long as the spirit of the characters and the flavour of their world is there. I want to see adventures that might have been, or missing moments from between scenes, or a slice of their daily lives, or where the future might take them.
LIKES: Some of the things I enjoy in stories are: undying loyalty, personal bravery, risking self to protect others, displaying cool competence, big damn hero moments, special everyday moments, banter, hijinks, confessions exposing emotional vulnerability, conversations loaded with unspoken meaning, tough people showing a soft side, and soft people showing a tough side. Some of my favourite tropes and genres are: amnesia, angst with a happy ending, animal transformation, arranged marriage, bodyswap, cosmic horror, curtainfic, fish out of water, five things fic, getting together, hurt/comfort, marriage of convenience, mystery solving, requited pining, road trips, sex pollen, slice of life, stranded together, and time travel.
DISLIKES: I generally prefer optimistic stories in exchanges, so I'm not keen on anything that is brutally violent or hopelessly bleak. However, I don't mind darkness during the story, as long as there is a glimmer of light at the end. Endings that are bittersweet or ambiguous are also fine.
DO NOT WANT: Noncon, underage, bleak endings, crossovers, setting change AUs like high school, coffee shop, or omegaverse (but canon divergence AUs are fine).
RATING: I've requested some gen and some ships in this exchange. For the latter, I'd enjoy anything ranging from unresolved sexual tension, to getting together, to established relationship. I'm fine with explicit sex, but it's usually not the most important part of the story for me.
STYLE: I'm fine with first, second, or third person. I'm fine with past, present, or future tense. I'm fine with stories of any length, including stories that start in media res or consist of a scene that implies a larger plot.
POV: I'm open to stories from the point of view of a different character from the ones requested, especially if they provide an interesting perspective on the requested characters.
INTERACTIVE FICTION: I like interactive fiction and would welcome it.
AO3: I have gifts enabled and am open to treats.
I've listed more details under each individual request.
I hope this helps. Have fun writing!
Yours sincerely,
meteordust(AO3 name Serenade)
***
( Request 1: Haikyuu!! - fanfic )
( Request 2: Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett (TV) - fanfic )
( Request 3: Tekken (Video Games) - fanfic )
Julius Caesar
Apr. 24th, 2026 11:50 pmLast month - incidentally on the day before the Ides of March - I watched Julius Caesar.
It was actually the fourth time I've seen it, because it's my favourite Shakespeare play. But each time, it feels less like history and closer to reality, and that's kind of depressing. I went in thinking, maybe this will be the last time I feel up to it?
2011
2018
2021
Anyway, this production was by Bell Shakespeare at the Sydney Opera House.
Casting
Not the first time I've seen Brutus played by a female actor. (The character was genderswapped, rather than just cross-cast.)
I really loved the tender and emotional scenes between her and her wife Portia (who was played by a nonbinary actor, but whose character was not genderswapped). It was great to see same-sex relationship rep! But kind of sad to then realise it's all going to end in tears.
Lucius was also genderswapped.
Octavius was cross-cast but not genderswapped.
Staging
The set was simple and versatile: a courtyard with red walls and a concrete floor, with weeds sprouting from the cracks. Furniture was moved around from scene to scene: tables, couches, shade umbrellas, potted trees.
Costuming
The senators and conspirators wore very sharp white suits. Calphurnia and Portia wore gorgeous flowing white dresses. The ordinary people of Rome wore modern casualwear.
Intermission
Halfway through the play, when the conspirators have casually surrounded Caesar, and right when Casca raises his dagger to stab Caesar in the back, we cut to black. The curtain falls. Very dramatic choice of break!
When we return from intermission, the stage lights go up on a bloody scene. Everyone is frozen in tableau, but in the aftermath. Caesar's dead body on the floor. Bloodstained daggers held in bloodstained hands. And all the white suits, splattered in blood. (I guess that was the reason for that costuming choice!)
Very effective at highlighting the pivotal scene.
Speeches
Sometimes genderswapping characters is just really cool and gives more opportunities to talented performers. But I'm always interested when it also brings a new dimension to the story. When Mark Antony says, "Brutus is an honourable woman", I couldn't help but get vibes of all the times women in politics have been subtly (or blatantly) undercut by male rivals (or colleagues).
During the course of his speech, Mark Antony picked up the mic from its stand, I guess to indicate that this was shifting into deliberate performance. I wondered if he was actually going to do a mic drop at the end, but I guess that would have been a bit too much.
Miscellaneous
A favourite moment, that I don't think I've paid much attention to before: when Caesar tells the soothsayer, "The ides of March are come." And the soothsayer says, "Ay, Caesar; but not gone." Ooooh, burn.
Another favourite moment: the triumvirate are sitting at a table. Mark Antony and Octavius Caesar have their heads bent, working on notes and reports. Lepidus is stirring his cup of tea and clinking the spoon. The other two look up at him slowly. A hilarious way to illustrate the cracks in the alliance.
Thoughts
I used to be Team Antony, ride-or-die loyalty. I thought now I would be Team Brutus, fuck all tyrants. But the aftermath of the assassination, when the conspirators are joyfully telling each other how happy all the people will be at this news, while everyone is still drenched in blood - it feels appallingly illusory, born of horrifying violence.
From the program book:
Maybe I will end up watching it again next time. Will there come a day when it feels more fictional and less relevant? Not so far.
It was actually the fourth time I've seen it, because it's my favourite Shakespeare play. But each time, it feels less like history and closer to reality, and that's kind of depressing. I went in thinking, maybe this will be the last time I feel up to it?
2011
2018
2021
Anyway, this production was by Bell Shakespeare at the Sydney Opera House.
Casting
Not the first time I've seen Brutus played by a female actor. (The character was genderswapped, rather than just cross-cast.)
I really loved the tender and emotional scenes between her and her wife Portia (who was played by a nonbinary actor, but whose character was not genderswapped). It was great to see same-sex relationship rep! But kind of sad to then realise it's all going to end in tears.
Lucius was also genderswapped.
Octavius was cross-cast but not genderswapped.
Staging
The set was simple and versatile: a courtyard with red walls and a concrete floor, with weeds sprouting from the cracks. Furniture was moved around from scene to scene: tables, couches, shade umbrellas, potted trees.
Costuming
The senators and conspirators wore very sharp white suits. Calphurnia and Portia wore gorgeous flowing white dresses. The ordinary people of Rome wore modern casualwear.
Intermission
Halfway through the play, when the conspirators have casually surrounded Caesar, and right when Casca raises his dagger to stab Caesar in the back, we cut to black. The curtain falls. Very dramatic choice of break!
When we return from intermission, the stage lights go up on a bloody scene. Everyone is frozen in tableau, but in the aftermath. Caesar's dead body on the floor. Bloodstained daggers held in bloodstained hands. And all the white suits, splattered in blood. (I guess that was the reason for that costuming choice!)
Very effective at highlighting the pivotal scene.
Speeches
Sometimes genderswapping characters is just really cool and gives more opportunities to talented performers. But I'm always interested when it also brings a new dimension to the story. When Mark Antony says, "Brutus is an honourable woman", I couldn't help but get vibes of all the times women in politics have been subtly (or blatantly) undercut by male rivals (or colleagues).
During the course of his speech, Mark Antony picked up the mic from its stand, I guess to indicate that this was shifting into deliberate performance. I wondered if he was actually going to do a mic drop at the end, but I guess that would have been a bit too much.
Miscellaneous
A favourite moment, that I don't think I've paid much attention to before: when Caesar tells the soothsayer, "The ides of March are come." And the soothsayer says, "Ay, Caesar; but not gone." Ooooh, burn.
Another favourite moment: the triumvirate are sitting at a table. Mark Antony and Octavius Caesar have their heads bent, working on notes and reports. Lepidus is stirring his cup of tea and clinking the spoon. The other two look up at him slowly. A hilarious way to illustrate the cracks in the alliance.
Thoughts
I used to be Team Antony, ride-or-die loyalty. I thought now I would be Team Brutus, fuck all tyrants. But the aftermath of the assassination, when the conspirators are joyfully telling each other how happy all the people will be at this news, while everyone is still drenched in blood - it feels appallingly illusory, born of horrifying violence.
From the program book:
If we do our job, we hope you are conflicted. Shakespeare is a political philosopher who creates a thought experiment from history, and his genius is to be able to lay out the events deliberately and clearly, yet we find no easy answers.
The theatre is a place where we can hold opposing ideas in our heads at the same time. We can appreciate the nobleness of Brutus and her thoughtfulness while lamenting her naive assumption of these qualities in others. I hope we feel some pity, even if we wish her honourable nature did not cloud reality.
We can be appalled by Antony's willingness to incite chaos while understanding his shock and grief at the death of his friend, and his single-minded determination. His willingness to risk it all is thrilling.
But the central question Brutus debates in soliloquy proves elusive: can one commit murder and retain any moral standing? Is there any such thing as an honorable assassination?
Maybe I will end up watching it again next time. Will there come a day when it feels more fictional and less relevant? Not so far.
Just a club
Apr. 5th, 2026 11:18 pmOne of my favourite arcs from Haikyu!! is the Tokyo training camp. Everyone in the Karasuno team is working on different ways to level up their game. Except for Tsukishima, who's always been kind of detached and cynical in his attitude. (We find out why when we get his Traumatic Backstory Reveal.)
But even he starts to wonder, what makes everyone else work so hard, at something that's just a high school extracurricular?
Cue the entrance of two of the Tokyo team captains, Kuroo and Bokuto, who mentor him in different ways - and kick off a character arc that pays off so satisfyingly later, in one of the most awesome moments of the story.
Anyway. It was really cool to see this sequence brought to life in the stage play!
Engeki Haikyuu!! Bokuto and Kuroo teach Tsukishima - feat. Kosaka Ryotaro (Eng subs)
But even he starts to wonder, what makes everyone else work so hard, at something that's just a high school extracurricular?
Cue the entrance of two of the Tokyo team captains, Kuroo and Bokuto, who mentor him in different ways - and kick off a character arc that pays off so satisfyingly later, in one of the most awesome moments of the story.
Anyway. It was really cool to see this sequence brought to life in the stage play!
Engeki Haikyuu!! Bokuto and Kuroo teach Tsukishima - feat. Kosaka Ryotaro (Eng subs)
Hyper Projection Engeki: Haikyu!!
Mar. 28th, 2026 10:36 pmSo when I got into Haikyu!! last year, I read the manga and watched the anime. But I also discovered there was a stage play! Or rather, a series of eleven stage plays that covered pretty much the entire story.
They were performed in Japan from 2015-2021, and have recordings on DVD and Blu-ray. Sadly I don't have a region-free player anymore (why are they so hard to find now?) so I've been browsing video clips online.
I love seeing how things get adapted into different formats. But you might wonder - how do you portray a volleyball match onstage?
Physically - with the use of projection screens, sound effects, and - when you have a dramatic slo-mo sequence - a volleyball on a stick moved like a puppet.
Metaphorically - with dance battles!
So these are stage plays, not musicals, ie nobody sings. But they dance! And do acrobatics. Some of the volleyball matches are like dance battles, and the different teams have their own dance styles. Which is pretty cool.
It's also pretty cool to see live action versions of these characters. The actors do a great job of capturing their essence.
Anyway, the opening sequence below (from the second stage play) gives a good sense of the vibe:
Opening Sequence (Karasuno, Revival!)
They were performed in Japan from 2015-2021, and have recordings on DVD and Blu-ray. Sadly I don't have a region-free player anymore (why are they so hard to find now?) so I've been browsing video clips online.
I love seeing how things get adapted into different formats. But you might wonder - how do you portray a volleyball match onstage?
Physically - with the use of projection screens, sound effects, and - when you have a dramatic slo-mo sequence - a volleyball on a stick moved like a puppet.
Metaphorically - with dance battles!
So these are stage plays, not musicals, ie nobody sings. But they dance! And do acrobatics. Some of the volleyball matches are like dance battles, and the different teams have their own dance styles. Which is pretty cool.
It's also pretty cool to see live action versions of these characters. The actors do a great job of capturing their essence.
Anyway, the opening sequence below (from the second stage play) gives a good sense of the vibe:
Opening Sequence (Karasuno, Revival!)
Zombie! The Musical cast recording
Mar. 16th, 2026 11:09 pmPrevious posts:
* Zombie! The Musical
* Into Her Brains: How Zombie! The Musical Came To Life
The cast recording is out! So excited that everyone in the world can listen to the songs now.
There's also an album booklet available for download, with synopsis, lyrics, and credits. Which is useful because this isn't a sung-through musical, and plot happens between the songs.
* Cast recording links
My favourite songs:
* Meaty Part - The "I Want" song! Three very different women, fighting against typecasting. Wanting the chance to be the hero, the star, or just remembered.
* Heroes and Monsters - Your head says, "Definitely a villain origin song." Your heart says, "But did Magneto have some valid points?" Definitely shows why that argument is so terribly tempting.
* Ensemble Player - Saving the day through the power of friendship! (Or maybe the power of love. I mean, someone willing to sacrifice themselves, and someone else unwilling to let them? Ships have been built on less.)
I also wanted to mention the songs for each zombie encounter, since they're so different:
* Into Your Brains - My least favourite track to listen to. Not because it's bad, but because it's too real. The creator has said that the zombies are psychological, and they target your weaknesses and anxieties. Felicity's worst fear is being objectified.
* Take After Your Old Man - Pub rock vibes! George's worst fear is being a disappointment to his dad. For a song that's slamming him for being who he is, it's remarkably catchy.
* Carol's Last Dance - So lovely, like a music box. Carol's worst fear is that her glory days are over. The imagery in this is gorgeous.
* Insignificant - Retro flashbacks! (I am forced to admit that the nineties are retro now.) Sam's worst fear is being disliked by everyone and ruining everything she has. Even though she is a total sweetheart.
* Zombie! The Musical
* Into Her Brains: How Zombie! The Musical Came To Life
The cast recording is out! So excited that everyone in the world can listen to the songs now.
There's also an album booklet available for download, with synopsis, lyrics, and credits. Which is useful because this isn't a sung-through musical, and plot happens between the songs.
* Cast recording links
My favourite songs:
* Meaty Part - The "I Want" song! Three very different women, fighting against typecasting. Wanting the chance to be the hero, the star, or just remembered.
* Heroes and Monsters - Your head says, "Definitely a villain origin song." Your heart says, "But did Magneto have some valid points?" Definitely shows why that argument is so terribly tempting.
* Ensemble Player - Saving the day through the power of friendship! (Or maybe the power of love. I mean, someone willing to sacrifice themselves, and someone else unwilling to let them? Ships have been built on less.)
I also wanted to mention the songs for each zombie encounter, since they're so different:
* Into Your Brains - My least favourite track to listen to. Not because it's bad, but because it's too real. The creator has said that the zombies are psychological, and they target your weaknesses and anxieties. Felicity's worst fear is being objectified.
* Take After Your Old Man - Pub rock vibes! George's worst fear is being a disappointment to his dad. For a song that's slamming him for being who he is, it's remarkably catchy.
* Carol's Last Dance - So lovely, like a music box. Carol's worst fear is that her glory days are over. The imagery in this is gorgeous.
* Insignificant - Retro flashbacks! (I am forced to admit that the nineties are retro now.) Sam's worst fear is being disliked by everyone and ruining everything she has. Even though she is a total sweetheart.
