A little late this year, but as always, it is time to refresh my intro and renew my pinned post for 2026!
I'm still Teri, I'm still writing - and investing more time in some of my other creative hobbies (I'm hoping my cross-stitching will make more appearances, and one of these days I WILL get back into digital art/painting). As for what I write, a lot of fantasy (more often the fae and folklore variety in recent years), a lot of silly short things, a little of everything else. I love including siblings and other family ties, covering guilt and grief, hope, curiosity.
My WIPs page is in desperate need of an update, but it still exists!
And now looking at the year itself: I'm currently in the throes of grad school applications, so I'm anticipating my writing slowing down even further if/when all that kicks off. So currently, I only really have two goals for 2026:
Finish revisions and begin 3rd draft of Beyond Alder Creek (I meant to do this in 2025 and didn't quite get as far as I'd hoped)
Get back into short, silly little blurbs as a way of expression. Rest is important, obviously, and if that's what I need this year, I'll take it, but I remember having a lot of writing jotting down short stories while I was traveling or during breaks back in undergrad and some of my favorite pieces stemmed out of those stolen moments.
As an extra, maybe trying to actually post some of those^ Since this is, yk, a writeblr account first and foremost
And with that, here are a couple more details about my main project that I expect will make the most references/appearances this year:
Beyond Alder Creek | Revising Draft 2 | Tag: #bac
When Winnie’s little brother is stolen by the fae, she finds she has no choice but to risk venturing into their home, the Beyond, to bring him back. But in order to protect herself in this topsy-turvy new world, Winnie deliberately crafts a cautious deal with one of its residents, a golden fae with a grudge against her brother’s kidnapper.
(And just for fun, since I'm hoping writing short fiction again will include adding some more snippets to its collection, another WIP that I'll try to get around to reblogging again and may show up:)
The Trelis Crew | Ongoing
Stories following a magical cornerstore owner named Flo, her non-magic assistant Natalie, and their wacky customers.
I am monolingual and do not have an internal monologue
I am multilingual and have an internal monologue
I am multilingual and do not have an internal monologue
Infinite nuance (please tell me in the notes)
Remaining time: 1 day 16 hours
An internal monologue being defined here as "the voice in your head that your thoughts are thought in." And for the multilingual internal monologue havers - which language do the thoughts appear in?
There is a quality of books (or movies or shows) that I can best describe as “stickiness,” which is separate from being good or even enjoyable: a sticky book is one I just keep thinking about. Sometimes it’s because a book is very good (e.g. The Locked Tomb), and sometimes it’s because a book is very bad (e.g. ACOTAR), but there are also very good and very bad books that are slippery, such that when I’m done reading them they slip from my thoughts like water from a hydrophobic surface.
...Anyways, The Blind Oracle time, gonna check in with the Medwin bros
Who looks the most like [their parents]?
Honestly??? No clue. I intentionally put 0 thought into their parents. They've been out of the picture at least since the boys were 12/14.
Who has been in the weirdest situations?
On the one hand, Madoc grifted as a living and then accidentally became a legitimate Oracle. On the other, I feel like Gareth definitely got into some strange positions growing up. He managed to climb the ladder to a guard for one of the most important offices in the nation, and he didn't get there through traditional avenues. Private security in a kingdom like Fendwyth has to be pretty weird.
Who sleeps the most?
Gareth sleeps more deeply but idk about 'most'. I don't think either of them are getting their mandated 8 hours.
Most stable romantic life?
Gareth wins by default by virtue of having the potential for one. Madoc's a little to Haunted By The Horrors to give any attention to romance.
Worst habit of each one?
Madoc: compulsive liar
Gareth: compulsive truther - nah, but that man is charismatic and well-liked and Knows it and will Use it to his advantage
Who's the most dramatic?
Madoc is more internally dramatic, Gareth is more externally dramatic
Who had a weird phase?
Madoc has always been a little oddball, he was essentially a street performer (re: theater kid), but I could totally see Gareth getting into some weird stuff as like a teen
Best cook in the family?
Neither of them can cook for shit. Madoc canonically cannot handle any level of spice and sees salt as a high luxury and Gareth switched out scrounging for food with jobs that included meals as part of the fare
Best memory together?
Probably when they were both at their most stable - Gareth finding steady work, Madoc doing his thing in the marketplace, having enough to live off of, either rooming together or having their own separate places that aren't an alleyway or unheated shack
Worst memory together?
Spoiler alert: It happens during the story!
Dream trip together?
I don't think either of them dream of travel tbh
Would they rather not being able to shower for a month or have the same clothes for a month?
Madoc: he's done both before, he's choosing to shower
Gareth: he's done both before, he's choosing new clothes
Who's the oldest?
Madoc by about a year and a half/two years
How would they describe each other in three words?
Madoc @ Gareth: charming nuisance. he only needs two.
Gareth @ Madoc: headass loner. he only needs two.
How do they feel about their parents?
I think they both specifically pretend their parents never existed to avoid dealing with that exact question
Who usually has the worst ideas?
Traditionally Gareth, which makes the story even weirder, because he's now the voice of reason as Madoc slips into madness
A GIANT insect is on the wall. Who's taking care of it?
Madoc acts with 0 hesitation or remorse. That thing is dead. Gareth might try to let it out, but he'll kill it if there's no other easy option.
Thanks @akindofmagictoo for tagging me in this! I'm going to go with my dynamic duo Pewitt siblings
Who looks the most like Dad?
Honestly, I think both Winnie and Bran favor their mom. But Winnie has their dad's auburn hair, and I could imagine Bran adopting some of his mannerisms as he gets older
Who looks the most like Mom?
As I said, I think they both look a bit more like their mom - freckles, round faces, dark eyes, snub nose. Bran's hair is still like a dirty-blonde, but I think they just have that classic 'born with lighter hair, darkens as they grow up'
Who has been in the weirdest situations?
I think it's safe to say they're tied for weirdest situations lmao. Winnie might've seen more of the Beyond, but Bran's time with the Warden is pretty wacky
Who sleeps the most?
Probably Winnie? She definitely sleeps in later, anyway
Most stable romantic life?
Within the confines of the story, N/A, but Bran being 9 kinda disqualifies him I think lol
Worst habit of each one?
Winnie: Adolescent Arrogance
Bran: curiosity killed the cat
Who's the most dramatic?
Both? Both.
Who had a weird phase?
Bran's about to go through one if he makes it through this lmaoo
Best cook in the family?
Pretty sure Winnie wins on default here, even without Edwardian gender roles nobody is allowing Bran into the kitchen, that boy would burn the house down
Best memory together?
Winnie canonically has a memory she thinks back to fondly of teaching Bran how to climb a tree, so let's say that!
Worst memory together?
Everything going on in this book
Dream trip together?
After all this, I think they are choosing a staycation
Would they rather not being able to shower for a month or have the same clothes for a month?
Winnie: would rather die....she will be bathing, thank you
Bran: no baths for a month??? sign him up
Who's the oldest?
Winnie by a decade
How would they describe each other in three words?
Bran is still at the age where your parents are more or less perfect, Winnie loves them but clashes with them on occasion and thinks of them as a bit old-fashioned
Who usually has the worst ideas?
Bran's never met a choice where he couldn't find a secret, worse third option
A GIANT insect is on the wall. Who's taking care of it?
Winnie wants to kill it or chase it out, Bran wants to pick it up. They fight each other, the bug crawls under the couch and lives on.
And I'm tagging @teriwrites because now I really wanna do this with the Medwin brothers from The Blind Oracle and nobody can stop me!
nicked an open tag from @dragon-swords-prophecies <3
passing the tag along to @reneesbooks @teriwrites @zmwrites and anyone else who wants to play!
last time i did this i did it for Isi and Sierra, so it's Cassalanter siblings time!! brace for Waterdeep: Dragon Heist spoilers.
Who looks the most like Dad?
it's not Iphigenia, on account of being adopted. i'm gonna say Elzerina because that's fun.
Who looks the most like Mom?
Iphigenia is the spitting image of her birth mother (Selene), but for Lady Cassalanter i think it's probably Osvaldo! (Terenzio and Elzerina are twins, so they probably look like each other)
Who has been in the weirdest situations?
Iphigenia 100%. Iphigenia got murdered, resurrected, and gained warlock powers in the span of one night. she also then dealt with the entire campaign's worth of shenanigans (including but not limited to "be given a haunted house in exchange for finding someone who got kidnapped", "take a fish hostage at gunpoint", "make a beholder helmet for a gnome who makes Iphigenia's love of purple look casual", and "break into a friend's room in the middle of the night").
Who sleeps the most?
i think it's Iphigenia when her nightmares aren't being mean to her. she's responsible about it. otherwise i think it's Terenzio.
Most stable romantic life?
none of them. Iphigenia's had a few crushes but does not have the time or emotional bandwidth to dedicate to a partner right now. Osvaldo at any given time probably had the more recent kiss, but isn't particularly interested in settling down right now. they're all focused on each other.
Worst habit of each one?
Iphigenia - overthinking absolutely everything
Osvaldo - throwing himself into danger for his siblings
Elzerina - saying stuff that is correct, but maybe not polite
Terenzio - i dunno my brain is soup
Who's the most dramatic?
Osvaldo, closely followed by Elzerina. they love being dramatic about minor things. (Osvaldo does downplay serious things, and Iphigenia hates it)
Who had a weird phase?
no idea
Best cook in the family?
none of them lol, they're nobles. maybe Terenzio.
Best memory together?
when the twins were born, Iphigenia has a really clear memory of standing with Osvaldo, holding one twin each, and locking eyes and knowing with utter certainty that both of them would do anything for the twins.
Worst memory together?
i think the conversation Iphigenia eventually has to have with the twins about What Actually Happened When Iphigenia Was Nineteen is... important, but in and of itself incredibly messy. Elzerina is quite upset at not having been told earlier. no one likes to learn that your brother spent three years in Hell and your parents told you he was at boarding school, or that your sister was murdered. by your father who died a few weeks later so you can't even like. process that way. (the twins were nine at the time; Iphigenia made what she thought was the best choice to withhold the details from them). also fun is that Elzerina is ready to storm out before Iphigenia has explained her murder, and so has to call Elzerina back like "i swear i'm not trying to guilt trip you, but you do need to know one more thing. and then you can be as mad at me as you want".
i do think it ultimately made them all closer, but it was a MESSY conversation.
Dream trip together?
the twins have been pretty sheltered, so i'm sure they have lots of places they'd love to go. Iphigenia at the end of the campaign wanted to go anywhere else but Waterdeep, but has slowly settled into staying at the request of her goddess.
Would they rather not being able to shower for a month or have the same clothes for a month?
um. neither, they're nobles. but i'm gonna say the second; they do at least have nice clothes.
Who's the oldest?
Osvaldo, technically; he's 20 by the end of the campaign. Iphigenia (19) has spent more time on the mortal plane though, on account of Osvaldo spending three years in Hell. when we went to find him, his soul looked 17, but his new body is 20.
How would they describe each other in three words?
Iphigenia, about Osvaldo: brave, impulsive, safe
Osvaldo, about Iphigenia: kind, clever, anxious
How do they feel about their parents?
hahaha... haha..... ha. that's a complicated one!
Lord Cassalanter
Iphigenia was murdered by him, and then witness to his death. she does not know how to be angry with him - it's never something she was allowed to feel. so she's scared of him, and she doesn't like him, but getting to anger is hard. she mostly just wishes this could have all been different... and is secretly a little relieved he's gone. previously she respected and admired him, but was also a little scared of him.
if the guy wasn't already dead by the time Osvaldo found out what he did to Iphigenia, Osvaldo would have gone and punched him on the spot. or worse. previously Osvaldo would have found him cold, but dedicated to his family.
no idea about the twins, but probably similar to that last sentence. he wasn't very emotionally available, but worked hard for his family.
Lady Cassalanter
Iphigenia finished the campaign staunchly believing that Lady Cassalanter could, if she tried, be better. she clearly wanted to be saved but didn't think she could be. so Iphigenia is well aware that Lady C did some AWFUL things, but is not ready to give up on her just yet.
Osvaldo holds a grudge about the Hell thing for quite some time, validly. he's angry on his own behalf and on the twins'. he and Iphigenia fight about this sporadically.
the twins, until they find out what happened, visit Lady Cassalanter in prison sporadically. i think they love and miss her (Iphigenia explained she did bad things and that's why she's in there), as she was the more emotionally available of the two parents and spent more time with them. after they find out, Elzerina gets angrier than Terenzio, but both of them pull back.
Irissa and Selene (Iphigenia's bio parents)
Iphigenia adores Irissa; Irissa is a little bit silly (turns up to astral tea parties holding books titled "Parenting Your Adult Child") but she's trying so so hard, and Iphigenia always instinctively feels safe with her. astral tea parties were one of the only places Iphigenia could sleep through the night for a while. a lot of benign things still set off Iphigenia's OCD and anxiety, but not Irissa.
Iphigenia is always SO ready to learn more about Selene. when she found out that the ring that is her arcane focus (it has her name carved inside it and was the only thing that a dying Selene could leave with her baby) belonged to Selene's grandmother, she cried about it for weeks. it's so so valuable to her to know that she is a part of another family as well.
(as a bonus: Osvaldo is absolutely indebted to Irissa for saving Iphigenia. he would do anything she asked him to. he might ALSO think she's kind of scatterbrained, but that doesn't matter.)
Who usually has the worst ideas?
Osvaldo and Elzerina. Iphigenia will confirm this. Terenzio spends some time learning to craft with Pippin's family, and i won't say they're a great influence, but he's more level-headed in general.
A GIANT insect is on the wall. Who's taking care of it?
Osvaldo does not like bugs but will volunteer to kill it if the others don't want to. Iphigenia is actually best suited to do it, though; she grabs it with Mage Hand and yeets it outside. the twins quite like bugs, honestly.
~
QUESTIONS BELOW
Who looks the most like Dad?
Who looks the most like Mom?
Who has been in the weirdest situations?
Who sleeps the most?
Most stable romantic life?
Worst habit of each one?
Who's the most dramatic?
Who had a weird phase?
Best cook in the family?
Best memory together?
Worst memory together?
Dream trip together?
Would they rather not being able to shower for a month or have the same clothes for a month?
Who's the oldest?
How would they describe each other in three words?
How do they feel about their parents?
Who usually has the worst ideas?
A GIANT insect is on the wall. Who's taking care of it?
