foxinthestars

Fanfiction: "Viscountess Eeville and the Spotted Shumils" (Ascendance of a Bookworm)

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:37:02 GMT

Viscountess Eeville and the Spotted Shumils (1005 words) by foxinthestars
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 本好きの下剋上 - 香月美夜 | Honzuki no Gekokujou | Ascendance of a Bookworm Series - Kazuki Miya
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Ferdinand & Rozemyne (Ascendance of a Bookworm)
Characters: Myne (Ascendance of a Bookworm), Ferdinand (Ascendance of a Bookworm)
Additional Tags: One Shot, Humor, Culture Shock, Worldbuilding, References to 101 Dalmatians, Blanket Permission, and in the best and truest tradition of AoaB people sit in a room and discuss things
Summary: An animated movie song lands Rozemyne in Ferdinand's lecture room for more literary culture shock. As usual, everything she knows about storytelling is wrong — including the idea that everything she knows is wrong.

( full text under the cut )

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Honzuki Season 4: Ep 2 isn't any better

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:20:12 GMT

After my gripes last week, I attempted to watch episode 2 of the new Ascendance of a Bookworm anime. I'm five-and-a-half minutes in (including the OP!) and my fears are entirely confirmed.

Y'all killed this beautiful butterfly and pinned it to a board. Congratulations.

( Cut for fannish griping and possible spoilers )

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An Observation Log of Her Fiancé Who Calls Himself a Prodigy

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 22:40:58 GMT

So, following up on the note from my previous post, I went ahead and watched the premiere of "Observation Log of My Fiancee Who Calls Herself a Villainess," and... yeah. That didn't do it for me.

See, for me a major draw of the "villainess" genre --- and reason I keep coming back despite the glut of entries --- is that this is a genre centered on women, typically imperfect women who rise above adversity and are loved even if they're a complete fool or they really like punching people or they're probably on the autism spectrum or whatever not-conventionally-attractive trait they might have.

This premiere, however, is mostly about how the male lead is a flawless prodigy who can do absolutely anything to the point that life is boring to him and how he finds his foolish reincarnated fiancee amusing. It would be like if the male lead of "May I Ask For One Final Thing?" was the viewpoint character and the female lead (who really likes punching people) didn't get to punch him. Add to this a minor plot point made of fatphobia and dieting, and yeah. Sorry, show, you're just not a good fit for my team.

Hopefully Always a Catch will fulfill my "fun villainess anime" quota for the season.

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Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 4 ep 1 first impressions

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 13:46:11 GMT

My most anticipated anime premiere of the season is now live, right over here on Crunchyroll, and, um...

I honestly found it pretty disappointing.

( Cut for some gripes but with a pretty OP )

In other anime news, I did quite enjoy the premiere of Always a Catch. I'm always up for a fun show in or adjacent to the "villainess" genre, and this one hit the spot so far. Our heroine is a ray of sunshine who wears brass knuckles as a hair accessory and I kind of love her already.

The premiere of Agents of the Four Seasons also had me the whole way through as an interesting magic-realist fable sort of thing with an air of mystery, but it came close to being emotionally over-wrought. If it doesn't dial things down, it might wear out its welcome pretty quickly.

"Observation Log of My Fiancee Who Calls Herself a Villainess" is in my to-watch queue, and I'm still waiting for the "Witch Hat Atelier" premiere.

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Fanfiction: "Wanting to Know what you Don't Want to Know" (Ascendance of a Bookworm)

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 21:59:39 GMT

Wanting to Know what you Don’t Want to Know (3896 words) by foxinthestars
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 本好きの下剋上 - 香月美夜 | Honzuki no Gekokujou | Ascendance of a Bookworm Series - Kazuki Miya
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Karstedt & Sylvester (Ascendance of a Bookworm)
Characters: Sylvester (Ascendance of a Bookworm), Karstedt (Ascendance of a Bookworm)
Additional Tags: Sylvester has just been through the wringer and may not be the most reliable narrator atm, Karstedt however is reliable in general, Minor Character Death(s), Past Child Abuse, Animal Death, Veronica was horrible, and now there’s a purge, this gets dark is what I’m saying, but I tried to end it on a hopeful note, takes place during part 5 vol 1, spoilers through the end of part 5, and in the best and truest tradition of AoaB people sit in a room and discuss things, Blanket Permission
Summary: During Ehrenfest’s winter purge, Sylvester is resolved to face the ugly consequences of his decision, and in the process, he finds himself facing ugly truths about his brother’s childhood and his mother’s crimes. Seeing how much had escaped his notice leaves him shaken, but Karstedt is there to support him and remind him of his own better qualities.

( full text under the cut )

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My writing advice opinion

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 11:46:36 GMT

Do not kill your darlings. Be on the lookout for places your darlings don't belong, and move them somewhere more congenial.

(Places they don't belong may include the final draft, and somewhere more congenial might be a private corner of your computer or your mind, but I find this way of looking at it much more helpful.)

I wouldn't be surprised if I've posted something to this effect before, but it would have been years ago, and the "kill your darlings" bit is a long-running pet peeve of mine. I feel like I've seen people literally interpret it as "delete anything you like too much," which to me sounds like a good way to squeeze the life out of your work. Also it seems to reflect a weird underlying "writing is for badasses" kind of attitude that I think is silly.

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I hate summer and it's barely even spring yet

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 21:18:07 GMT

I'm in the US lower midwest, and this is the second time this month that the temperature has spiked into the upper 80s/lower 90s F. It's due to happen again later this week, too. And we need to get our air conditioner worked on.

I asked the internet what the climate is like in Whitehorse, Yukon. It sounded lovely.

I really seriously hate hot weather, to the point that if I felt able to relocate somewhere colder, I would. In the SCA, summer is the big season for outdoor events and wars, but my own policy is "A/C or I'm not going."

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Icon and Fanfic

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 14:14:50 GMT

I just changed my default icon from my old cartoon fox to my SCA coat of arms. The first time I showed up to a meeting of my shire, I said I was there to nerd out about history (hence the book) and do crafts (hence the knot), and that has been holding up well.

Been busy the last couple of days and haven't posted. We got my mom ready and took her to the doctor, which is a big job these days, but we got it done and hopefully the doctor visit will result in some progress.

On the fannish side, for the first time in years my fanfic spigot has opened, and draft Honzuki fics are pouring out. I've got one complete draft one-shot and another that's most of the way there. I don't know how long this will last, and I kind of don't know what to do with them? Like, "post to Ao3" is the obvious thing, but where does one find beta readers these days? Do I need a beta reader that much? Do I need to do canon review (and if so, how many of the canon's three-dozen-plus volumes need reviewing)? What do I want out of posting these fics? It seems like a waste not to, but if I ask myself whether I want comments and kudos the answer seems to be "not that much" (on the other hand, disabling comments is not an appealing notion). Well, these are solvable problems if I calm down and work through them.

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Just a quick check-in today

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 21:17:28 GMT

The first time I said this, it was filtered, so I'll say it again: So far I am enjoying being back! It's early days yet, but I feel like DW addresses a real craving I was having.

No profound new material today; I'm tired.

Yesterday I had a dentist appointment plus my weekly SCA meeting. It was a project night, a new person came, and we had some really nice conversation as we all introduced ourselves (and prompted each other about all the stuff we did) and tried to give some newcomer info. Unfortunately for our post-meeting restaurant trip, it was one of those nights Panera was out of everything; we all wanted warm soup but like everybody else in the county probably already had wanted warm soup, so I ended up resorting to the French Onion. It didn't taste bad, but not good enough to get again, plus it was a gamble; sometimes too much onion doesn't agree with my tummy, but I got away with it this time.

Then today I did my weekly-or-so Walmart pickup and got lunch from the local Senior Center; they were doing corned beef and trimmings for St. Patrick's day. I totally forgot to wear green, tho.

I've been thinking of doing like a read-along here, going through a light novel series I like bit by bit and posting about it. Honzuki (Ascendance of a Bookworm) is the most likely candidate, but if I wanted space for on-first-reading material I could do Weakest Tamer, or I'm also quite fond of Beware of Chicken (which is Canadian not Japanese but still essentially a webnovel-turned-light-novel).

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Bringing Back MST3K (Again [Again])

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 11:40:10 GMT

Ah, it almost slipped my mind, but MST3K is one of my longtime loves, and the MST veterans at Rifftrax are doing a Kickstarter to make a new season. Only 36 hours left as of this writing!

Only four episodes but they've gotten pledges for... (counts on fingers) 102 times as much money as they asked for?

I was a loyal backer of the previous MST3K revival seasons and glad they got made, but they haven't done it for me quite like the classics. I'm guardedly optimistic about this effort coming closer, but it also might just be that I got attached to the show during a moment in my life that has passed and thus nothing will ever hit in quite the same way. But I'm still in.

And (warning: in-jokes ahead) the most recent season ended with several characters going back in time, so if they wanted to make some continuity gesture while bringing back Mike, Kevin!Servo, and Bill!Crow --- well, first off, it's just a show, you should really just relax, but they could always say it was one of them weird numbers where Jonah and/or Emily stepped on a butterfly or something, and then 'cause of that a certain Radio Shack in the Upper Midwest folded slightly sooner than it otherwise would have, and then 'cause of that the Sci-Fi Channel never secured the rights to Diabolik, and now here we are in an alternate timeline.

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(Peeks in) Hello?

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 15:12:22 GMT

So, I've been away from DW for a long time. My last post was, wow, three and a half years ago. But lately I've been feeling like I want to come back.

In the meantime I'd largely moved to Facebook, since that's where I keep up with my RL friends (mostly my SCA shire and kingdom right now), but the atmosphere there is way different of course, and I was getting back in the mood to ramble about fannish things and just ramble in a more DW-esque way generally, so I guess here I am?

Right now I'm obsessing about Ascendance of a Bookworm -- hereinafter "Honzuki" (new anime season countdown, woo!) -- and yet again trying to get back to studying my Japanese. Conveniently, Honzuki's publisher, TO Books, puts their Japanese edition ebooks on American Amazon, including novels, manga, and the novels in a "Junior" edition with furigana (pronunciation glosses) on everything. They also offer the same options with Weakest Tamer and Tearmoon, and I've been enjoying the former for that reason; it lacks Honzuki's "OMG this is the best thing EVER!" valence, but it's fun. I did enjoy the anime of Tearmoon back when, but I don't feel like going back to that one.

There's other stuff going on, not all of which I want to put in a public post, but that seems like enough for now.

Um, hello again?

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Dear Yuletide Writer 2022

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 12:44:54 GMT

It's Yuletide time again! Thank you, kind writer, for volunteering to write a story for me, or for considering writing a treat for me!

I've been doing Yuletide every year since 2011 and it's a precious annual tradition for me. I hope my prompts inspire you and you enjoy Yuletide this year, too!

See under the cut for the things you need to know… ( Includes prompts for Fiber Arts Anthropomorphic, Cadfael Chronicles, Nirvana in Fire, Pui Pui Molcar, The Female Doctor and Rabbit Spirit, and Toshokan Rocket )

And that’s it! Happy writing and a Joyous Yuletide to you!

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Out of Town until late June

Sun, 29 May 2022 10:17:36 GMT

I am going to be out of town (and probably away from DW) for about a month. I'm going out of state to attend my sister's baccalaureate graduation ceremony. And a fiber fest. And she has really good East Asian supermarkets where she lives. Also legal cannabis. I'm excited to see how this goes.

This time I'm going to attempt the multi-state trip by car. I have a bit more trepidation re: seeing how that goes, but I feel reasonably confident.

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Audible recs?

Sun, 21 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMT

So I went and got an Audible subscription.

Anyone have any recommendations?

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Dear Yuletide Writer 2021

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 15:55:49 GMT

It's Yuletide time again! Thank you, kind writer, for volunteering to write a story for me, or for considering writing a treat for me!

I've been doing Yuletide every year since 2011 and it's a precious annual tradition for me. I hope my prompts inspire you and you enjoy Yuletide this year, too!

See under the cut for the things you need to know… ( Includes prompts for Fiber Arts Anthropomorphic, Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War, Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Pui Pui Molcar, and Toshokan Rocket )

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Pillowfort

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 14:16:20 GMT

So I got an invite to Pillowfort and signed up. So far I haven't really grasped it or found a lot of activity, but it seems kind of promising?

Anybody in my dwircle on Pillowfort, or have tips or recs for getting into it?

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(Mutters to Self:)

Sat, 05 Dec 2020 16:17:21 GMT

Okay, finish your Yuletide assignment and you can crochet another hat.

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Have an Anti-Covid Christmas

Sat, 21 Nov 2020 15:27:30 GMT

CN: COVID-19 Pandemic

I had thought it was getting close to time to remind everybody of my non-rapey version of "Baby It's Cold Outside" when another holiday song rewrite struck me.

So here, have a 2020 version of "Holly Jolly Christmas":

Have an Anti-Covid Christmas (2020)

Have an Anti-Covid Christmas!
It’s a different kind of year.
There’ll be Zoom, and lots of room
Between our friends and here.

Have an Anti-Covid Christmas,
And when you must go to town,
Say a friendly word, your face cover’d
To keep the virus down.

Oh, ho, pick up the phone;
Call the ones you miss.
They’d love to hear from you.
Say “We’ll get through this!”

Have an Anti-Covid Christmas,
And in case you didn’t hear:
Oh by golly don’t give anybody Covid
This year!

(Have an Anti-Covid Christmas!
It’s a different kind of year.)

Have an Anti-Covid Christmas,
And buy all your gifts online.
Spread some glee and ship touch-free,
And everyone’s just fine.

Oh, ho, pick up the phone;
Call the ones you miss.
They’d love to hear from you.
Say “We’ll get through this!”

Have an Anti-Covid Christmas,
And in case you didn’t hear:
Oh by golly don’t give anybody Covid
This year!

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Fic: "The Finest Incense" (The Untamed)

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 15:54:03 GMT

For the first time in years, I'm posting a fic that isn't even for Yuletide! After much squeeing and drafting, this is my first actually-posted The Untamed/MDZS fic, too:

The Finest Incense (3434 words) by foxinthestars
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian
Characters: Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, Lán Qǐrén
Additional Tags: Canonical Temporary Character Death, Ghost Wei Wuxian, quiet drama, Angst, Wei Wuxian is an idiot, Lan Qiren is a Terrible Uncle, Lan Wangji is Tragically Adorable, But there is a kiss to make it better
Summary:
After his death, Wei Wuxian is unimpressed by the incense and sacrifices offered to ghosts. That is, until a unique and powerful fragrance raises his curiosity ― and his sense of danger.
Also available at FF.net

Speaking of FF.net, I found I'd been neglecting my account and belatedly uploaded my last two Yuletide fics there, as well, so they're now available on my FF.net page.

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The Legends C-Drama

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 13:34:57 GMT

Well, whatever plans I had for pre-signup Yuletide canon bingeing have pretty much fallen apart, but I'm signed up anyway, so it's all good.

I still have been messing around with watching canons from the tagset and, being in the mood to explore more c-dramas, I have at last hit upon The Legends and am finding it very fun.

It's a xianxia in a typically-undefined historical period (so yeah, more Cultivators Being Dramatic). The super-Extra female lead starts out wide-eyed and kind-hearted, but after being epically betrayed by a Lawful Self-Righteous type, she goes all "screw 'goodness'" and becomes the infamous Demoness whose name strikes terror into all. Just as she's about to claim the Super Demon Sword, she's attacked by her enemies, has the sword snatched before her eyes by a subordinate she thought she could trust, and dies. Years later, some hapless kid with a vendetta of her own accidentally brings the Demoness back from the dead (with some weird side-effects), and they're off to wreak vengeance or possibly bring peace and justice to the world after all.

That's the first six episodes.

What I really like about it is definitely a Mileage May Vary thing and could change as it goes on, but for me this show has the perfectly-balanced sprinkle of schlockiness to make it go down easy without spoiling the fun.

I mean seriously, in one of the male lead's first scenes, some thugs beat him up while he's trying to pet a puppy. Literally! It's so shamelessly transparent that I can't take it too seriously or be too stressed out by it, but it doesn't descend into being painfully or embarrassingly stupid. I'm still like "So I'm supposed to sympathize with this character; okay, sure!" (My only regret is that he didn't keep the dog. Aw.)

After some shows that were good in a really intense and absorbing way (lookin' at you, "The Untamed"), this is just pleasant. Like, the suspension of disbelief feels less like parasailing and more like being on a swingset: safely within reach of the ground, but it's fun to keep flying.

It's nice to find something I can just enjoy binge-watching without constantly pausing it to regulate my stimulation level.

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Dear Yuletide Writer 2020

Sat, 17 Oct 2020 02:01:58 GMT

Hello, Hello! It's Yuletide time again! Thank you, kind writer, for volunteering to write a story for me, or for considering writing a treat for me!

I've been doing Yuletide every year since 2011 --- so this year makes ten! It kind of blows my mind! And kind of let you knows how much I like this exchange. ^_~ I hope my prompts inspire you and you enjoy Yuletide this year, too!

See under the cut for the things you need to know… ( Includes prompts for Mo Dao Zu Shi Q, Merc Storia (Anime), The Prince and the Dressmaker, and Toshokan Rocket )

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Yuletide Tagset Open

Sun, 11 Oct 2020 13:26:26 GMT

Yuletide draws closer and closer -- nominations are done (mine went through without a hitch), and the tagset is now open for viewing. Lots of good stuff this year! (People even squeezed in the animated and chibi-animated versions of MDZS. ::shrug::)

So, now it's time to sift through and figure out what I want to request, what I want to offer, and what I can stuff into my proverbial mouth before sign-ups end (ie, within the next 2 weeks).

I definitely want to finish Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty, and this might be a good chance to catch up on the specifically-nominated Ascendance of a Bookworm anime since I never watched the second season. That might be as much as or more than I can manage, but we'll see how it goes.

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Multi-Fandom Postcard Exchange

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 18:40:11 GMT

It slipped my mind for a bit but the directory for the Multi-Fandom Postcard Exchange is open now. There's a pretty good variety of fandoms represented.

My number is 2501 if you'd like to take a look.

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Ao3 "Mystery Character" tagging? (Answered)

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 15:28:12 GMT

Anyone with Ao3 expertise,

Is there a canonical tag that means "it's a canon character but they're keeping their identity secret at this point in an ongoing fic and the author doesn't want to spoil it yet"? What would you suggest for that?

---Oop, found it! It's "Undisclosed Character(s)." Posting after all in case someone else might want to know.

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Ooh, plotbunny!

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 20:11:28 GMT

So I went and made myself a fanfic-happy The Untamed icon.

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