#bittersweet reunion

[nixknacks0-0]

Thank you for writing "Bittersweet Reunion"! I enjoyed it immensely and it has definitely found a place on my list of all-time favorite Roudise stories! And thank you for offering to answer readers' questions about it! Here are a couple (hopefully, not too many) I've been wondering about:

This is really basic, and possibly it was mentioned in an earlier chapter and I just don't remember, but what age are Louise and Rudy supposed to be in the story?

I would love to know where you got the idea for the story from or what inspired you to write it? As I mentioned in my comment on the last chapter, to me Louise and Rudy feel like the least likely of the Belcher kid friendships to fall out of each other's lives, so I'm curious what led you to think of a story starting from the premise.

In the second to last chapter, Rudy explains that reason he left town was because he needed to get away from his parents. I know you started the story well before "The Amazing Rudy" aired and I was wondering if that episode- where we see Rudy's mom for the first time and see more of his relationship with his dad- changed your view of his relationship with his parents or led you to change anything about how that part of Chapter 11 was written? (Of course, there's all sorts of things that can happen in parent-child relationships between the ages of 9 and 18 that could explain why older teen Rudy would feel the need to get away from them.)

I loved the way you wrote the older Pesto twins in Chapter 3! I find the Pesto twins to be the hardest characters to imagine aged up versions of (I actually decided not to write a scene with them in it for my Roudise wedding fic when I realized I was still writing them like they were 9). I was wondering how you came up with the ideas you did for them and if you had any additional ideas for them that didn't make it into the story?

Similarly, where are there any ideas for any of the other background characters that you weren't able to work into the story but would like to share? (Feel free to ignore if this will spoil other stories you are working on.)

Thank you for reading it, and I'm so glad you enjoyed it! And don't worry, I'm happy to answer all the questions (⁠ ⁠╹⁠▽⁠╹⁠ ⁠)

1. Louise and Rudy are in their early to mid 30s in this. I really wanted to capture the vibes of people can find love at any age (vs Gene and Tina who in this au find love in college and right after).

I also wanted to emphasize that Louise has a very established life at this point, she's taken over the restaurant, she has friends and weekly hang outs, she isn't necessarily looking for anything romantic to happen, but sometimes it happens anyways.

I just think it was interesting to explore a budding relationship between two people who very much know who they are, as opposed to younger people just figuring out who they are in life.

2. This story actually started with me thinking about how I really wanted Louise to take over the restaurant when she's older, and things kind of grew from there.

Another thing I really wanted to explore is this sort of abandonment issue Louise has. That's not quite the words for it, but I always got the vibe that she cares so strongly for the people in her life and hates when they have to/choose to leave, which ended up being a really interesting dynamic to explore when coupled with her figuring out she's in love.

3. Rudy's parents seemed to me the easiest vehicle for his moving away. We've seen how Sylvester acts (even though he cares, he obviously has his own problems, as illustrated in the House of 1000 Bounces and The Kids Rob a Train), and in earlier episodes Rudy talked about his mother caring very strongly about his safety and "hating fun".

Obviously that seems to change as the seasons go on, and especially with The Amazing Rudy. I did consider changing the story at that point, but why Rudy left was kind of woven throughout the story, and I realized that it's fanfiction. It doesn't have to be 100% accurate to canon, and the story probably wouldn't be 100% accurate even if I did change it.

I did love seeing how much his parents actually care in The Amazing Rudy, and I think it was a really great episode to analyze the inner workings of our favorite asthmatic boy.

4. My portrayal of the Pesto twins is 100% inspired by @tallgirl14, whose work I saw on TikTok. She's got some really great comics of the kids in high school, and she illustrates the twins as these sort of trouble makers because anyone who is friends with Louise for so long has to be a little crafty.

I sincerely recommend you check out her work, her art is so cute and makes me squeel every time.

Once I had the personality, it did take a little work to figure out where they would be and what they'd be up to, but I really liked the idea of them being restaurateurs with Louise, and even having a fake rivalry to draw business. Of course, leaning more into real Italian food than their father, even taking a trip to Italy to reconnect to their mother's heritage. Don't remember if I did write that into chapter two or three, but that's my favorite detail about them for sure (⁠´⁠∩⁠｡⁠•⁠ ⁠ᵕ⁠ ⁠•⁠｡⁠∩⁠`⁠)

5. I did actually do a lot of thinking about Millie's character, even though she is barely in the story. She's definitely a regular at the restaurant, coming in for coffee every morning and afternoon, and she works as a detective for the police.

I'm still a very acab person, but being a detective just fits Millie's personality, and honestly the way she can be a bit obsessive and a little less than moral fits the cop vibe to me. She's also backed off of Louise a little, and the two have managed to foster a reasonable level of friendship, though Louise is still wary to invite her to things because she flat out doesn't trust her.

The other background characters I absolutely adore are Tammy and Jocelyn. I always ship them, and I thought it would be a cute cameo that they show up to trivia night and just have fun drinking and giggling with each other rather than taking the game seriously.

Thank you so much for asking, and I hope this answered all of your questions (⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠✿⁠) I don't think I have any other Roudise on the backburner (⁠´⁠；⁠ω⁠；⁠｀⁠) but if you choose to reas any of my other upcoming stories I hope you enjoy just as much as you did Bittersweet Reunion!

[closingwaters]

PARTIES: @rhythmicmeow @closingwaters

TIMING: Current

SUMMARY: The mysterious caller finally shows his face while Leticia is helping Teagan patrol the lake.

WARNINGS: Mentions of Parental Death and Sibling Death

It had been days since the anonymous call came through onto Teagan’s cell, and she wasn’t any closer to discovering exactly who it was that found her number and decided to give her an ominous message. How was her number found anyway? 

For all intents and purposes, everything she had purchased had been under someone else’s name. The very man Teagan had put into a bind. She wasn’t sure how documentation worked, but she supposed the so-called plan her phone was on could’ve given her away. The man—what was his name again? Didn’t matter. He said he needed a name to put onto the device and Teagan told him the bare minimum so he could get her ready to use her cell phone. 

Fates, her head was pounding. And she hated to admit it, but she missed seeing Arden.

“Looks like another quiet evening.” Teagan sighed, glamour washing over her as she took a seat next to Leticia on the porch steps. “Maybe it’s safe enough for my friend to come back.” She rubbed her face, chest tightening with worry. “But I can’t risk it. Coc oen…!” Huffing harshly, Teagan slapped her face into her hands, grumbling incoherently to herself.

It had been a rotation of days where Leticia would stay downtown doing her usual business, and then other nights she’d be here, held up with Teagan making sure nothing happened. Sitting on the steps of her friend’s home, she touched the tips of her shoes together, gently bouncing them together to try and rid herself of some of the nervous energy that had been building up. Questions lingering in her mind about who it was that might be after Teagan, wondering if the hunter she had faced only a short while prior had figured out her name too. 

But it didn’t really matter, did it? Whoever it was, Teagan was threatened. The who could remain a question right into their grave for all that Leticia cared. She had no intention of finding her friend wounded again. Never again, if she had any say in it. 

“Seems like it,” Leticia murmured, lifting her gaze from her tapping shoes to her friend as Teagan sat down next to her. “When they called, was their number public or was it blocked? Maybe we can trace it back to the source.” Though taking the fight to them was likely a stupid idea, it felt better than sitting on her hands and waiting for them to act. Reaching over, she put a hand on Teagan’s back, wishing she had more answers to give her friend. Wishing she had some real comfort stored up to show, and not a lingering unease of the situation they found themselves in. 

Teagan lifted her head from her hands, exhaustion weighing heavy on her eyes. What did the damn call mean? “The number was public apparently. My, um, friend showed me how to find my call history.” Pulling out her phone, Teagan handed it over to Leticia, already unlocked. “Don’t mind the, erm…other calls. It’s the one that isn’t saved.” The nix took a deep breath, sheepishly scooting away from any possible embarrassment that could be thrown at her. How anyone navigated the complexities of a supposedly established relationship, Teagan didn’t know. 

“Appreciated, annwyl.” She leaned into Leticia’s touch, sighing deeply as she focused on the affection. As far as friends went, Leticia truly was one of the best. Teagan felt blessed and grateful that she didn’t push the woman away, as much as she wanted to in the heat of the moment. Learning to rely on others was hard, but it got easier as the days went by. As her heart felt encased by everyone’s different flavor of warmth. “Don’t know what tracing the call would do, honestly. Not like I can take a holiday from caring for the lake. She needs me and I need her.”

That was a good sign, Leticia thought. It either meant they didn’t understand how technology worked which would make them an easy target to find, or that they weren’t as threatening as they had believed. But she wasn’t quick to wipe away any of those thoughts, it could just be someone really stupid who had every intention of still causing harm. Looking at the call history, Leticia glanced at Teagan, a smirk on her face before she focused again. The reality was, they weren’t that serious. That expectation had been set at the start, and if Teagan was happy, who was Leticia to judge? “I could run it through a background checker, but that might take a while.” And it would cost some money, but she kept that detail to herself. “Have you tried calling them back?” 

“Of course,” she whispered back, pulling Teagan in closer. Keeping her touch gentle. Things between them might not have landed the way that Leticia had initially wanted, but she was happy here. Happy to be useful. Happy to keep Teagan safe. “Yeah, that is a problem isn’t it.” Offering the phone back to her friend, a frown touched her features. She could go after whoever it was alone, but there was a lot of risk involved in that. They could move, the details could be wrong, and the worst case scenario, they would attack as soon as she stepped away from the cabin. “I’m sorry,” she said, defeated. Wanting a simple answer but knowing that simple just wasn’t possible here. “I wish I could do more.” 

Though there was no verbal tease, there was a knowing flair in Leticia’s smirk. She used her own language, and it caused a blush to dust over Teagan’s cheeks. “Wipe that smirk away, annwyl!” There was no heat in her words, further proven by the playful chuckle that accompanied them soon after. “Arden—my friend—she’s already looking into it.” She breathed, scratching her jawline absentmindedly. “Haven’t thought about calling the number back though. Don’t know if that would do much good anyway. When I asked who it was, they muttered something and closed the chat. Not likely they’d answer if I called back.” 

Shrugging, Teagan nuzzled closer, longing for the touch she had grown so used to. Maybe it was time to call the search quits. There had been no sign of prowlers, and Leticia didn’t deserve to be burdened with a nix’s responsibilities. She tried to reassure Teagan that wasn’t the case, but the guilt was still there. It weighed heavy on the fae, and she wanted nothing more than to release Leticia of that. “Why don’t we call it quits for the day?” Gently, Teagan kissed Leticia’s cheek, offering her a warm smile when she pulled away and sat straight.

At least the sunset was beautiful. The two could sit there a little longer, and then part ways until the moon gave chase to the sun and brought a new day. With this in mind, Teagan squeezed Leticia’s knee and looked toward the horizon. “Let’s not keep you here any longer. I’ve bothered you enough as—” A pained and surprised yell interrupted Teagan’s thought, and she quickly stood to scan the area, attempting to locate the source of the sound.

Could this be the anonymous caller? Focus!

“One of my traps—someone set it off.” Teagan’s glamour fell, and she began to march over, readying herself for a fight. Whatever light energy the area had was officially gone. “Stay here and keep yourself safe,” She commanded, voice devoid of personality, fully focused on the intruder. “I can handle this.”

Laughter erupted out of Leticia before she covered the expression on her face with the back of her hand, but the knowing look about Teagan’s newfound relationship still remained. Maybe it wasn’t as serious as Leticia was imagining, but Teagan was happy. And that was all that mattered to her. “I’m sorry - I’m trying.” The name was vaguely familiar to Leticia, but she tucked it away, saving it for a time when she could be nosy without distracting from the task at hand. “Well, I trust she has it handled then. I’ve got a PI friend, but I’m not sure…” He was a hunter, for one. But she had some doubts about how well they’d get along too.

Inhaling deeply, Leticia looked out to the horizon and nodded. “If you’re sure.” No one seemed to be coming, but there was still an air of unease. How long could they do this before both of them gave up and dropped their guard? What if this person was watching now? Waiting for Leticia to leave? She returned the smile, despite her own discomfort. It was hard, hovering on the line of respectful and protective. But at Teagan’s urging, Leticia was standing up when someone yelled. 

Alert, Leticia took a step toward the noise, only stopping when Teagan went past and ordered her to stay put. “I’ll stay back, but I’m not letting you go alone.” In sight, at least, Leticia promised herself. She could give Teagan space, but letting her go out there alone? Her friend sounded different now, though. Like something had snapped into place that Leticia didn’t recognize. 

But whatever worry she might have, Leticia had to bury it. Giving Teagan a wide berth, letting her take the lead, but not letting her be completely isolated in this confrontation. 

A PI friend? That was a question for later, something the fae would take note of. There was danger close by and Teagan needed to act quickly. She nearly broke into a sprint, her friend’s voice stopping her in her tracks. 

A branch snapped. 

Teagan’s neck bristled, her breath hitching at Leticia’s resistance. Of course she would object, they were friends. Furthermore, the nix had requested her presence for a reason. So why would Teagan prevent Leticia from helping when she was there for that very reason? “Okay.” She sighed, “Okay. Stay close, but if it starts to look bad, run. Do you understand? I can’t fail you too.”

Without another word, she broke into a sprint, counting her paces and recalling what traps were where. The sound was only a few ticks away, meaning the man had to have either been startled by being tripped or he got a helping of rocks straight to his face. Regardless, he was walking again, which meant Teagan didn’t have long until—she yelped, adrenaline spiking when someone collided into her, skin feeling like it was buzzing. 

That someone was a man. She wasted no time sinking her claws into him, blood painting her skin as the two rolled onto the ground in a flurry of limbs. “Who are you?!” Teagan yelled, though she hardly cared about the actual answer. The man was going to die regardless.

I can’t fail you too. Leticia wanted to reach out and remind Teagan that she was capable, that they were in this together and things would be fine. But could she look Teagan in the eyes and promise those things? Could she trick herself into believing them long enough for it to not feel like a lie? There was no telling what had run into the traps that had been set. “Run if there is any danger, I hear you,” she agreed, careful not to promise. 

Teagan took off in a sprint and Leticia wasn’t far behind. Though the distance this time wasn’t intentional. Leticia was making careful steps, matching Teagan’s stride and pathway, unsure of where all the traps might be. Her dark eyes were on the ground a few feet in front of her when she heard the collision. And Teagan yelling. Adrenaline hit her like a wall, pushing her forward, her sloppy movements only getting worse as her mind slipped slightly, the balam awareness amplifying the world around her. 

“Teagan,” she called out, not considering that whoever it was she was tangled up with might not know her name. But what was the likelihood it was a random human stumbling across her traps? “Wait, wait,” Leticia looked at the person on the ground, her brows furrowed. “He can’t answer if you kill him first.” She doubted that he’d give up anyone else that might have followed him out here to hunt Teagan, but with a name, at least Leticia could ask around to some of her friends and see if anyone recognized it.

“It doesn’t matter!” Death tolled from Teagan’s fists, the man ringing with every impact. All reason flew like a bird, running straight into a wall and crashing into the ground with no return. It didn’t matter if Teagan was wrong, if the man was no hunter and just a wandering human. She continued to claw at the man, landing punch after punch until her knuckles felt like they were going to burst. The brutality wasn’t lost on Teagan, but she had to focus on taking the stranger down. She felt like she was winning, and by the looks of it, the lake’s inhabitants were going to eat well too. 

“You shouldn’t have—” A startled gasp escaped from the nix’s lungs, a strike landing on her shoulder in the midst of the scuffle. Teagan stopped her assault, looking down to see a knife plunged into her body. Time seemed to slow down then, her mind and body disconnected as the man tugged the knife away and quickly rammed it back where it came from. “You—” Interrupted again, Teagan was kicked away, allowing the intruder to find himself above her. 

“After all these years, you haven’t changed, have you?!” The stranger scoffed, holding Teagan down by her throat. His heart ached as he watched her thrash to free herself, as she abandoned everything she was taught. It was the same as before. She always did get lost in her anger, foresight shortened by the darkness that followed her. He would’ve cried then, seeing that Teagan still hadn’t let go of her pain, but there was no time. She reached out and pulled something to the left of her, sending a battering ram riddled with spikes straight into his back. 

Teagan crawled backwards, standing up slowly as she kept an eye on the man who exclaimed at her as if they had known each other in another life. She panted, stimming her wound as best she could. “What are you talking…about…?” Teagan’s voice trailed away, a tinge of realization tethering itself to it when the moonlight shone on the man’s face. She knew exactly who he was despite features having changed. He was older, yes, but there was no mistaking it. 

“Aeron?”

Every swing caused Leticia to flinch. The idea of letting this man die at her hand had been a simple thought only moments before, but seeing it happen in front of her caused her to pause. Was this what she wanted? Was this what Teagan needed? It didn’t matter, according to Teagan. Diverting her gaze, she put a hand on the top of her head and tried to breathe, every part of her was demanding that she step in and stop her friend from bludgeoning this man to death before giving him a chance to speak.

The two of them were fighting fast and dirty. The instructions had been to run the second things got bad, and when the knife came out, that would have been the time. In the moment, she felt like a thousand miles away. Not on stage in New York where she had been stunned on stage and ended up fleeing her past life, but where her father was when he died. Wondering if this was how the fight had started, if her parents had any warning before the hunter showed up and killed him? Leticia felt as useless here as she did then.

The battering ram slamming into the man’s back was what brought her out of her daze. She dropped to the ground next to Teagan, quickly tearing a piece of her clothing to stop the bleeding before it got worse. Her hands visibly shaking as she moved. “I’m sorry,” Leticia breathed. Looking at the man who she now knew as Aeron. There was familiarity in the tone they took with each other. In the darkness of the night, the balam still had an undistorted view of the man in his entirety. His facial features—if she had been paying attention earlier instead of freaking out, she might have seen it sooner. 

“So, two fae to patch up instead of one?” But she made no move to leave Teagan’s side, waiting for more context before she put herself in a position to get stabbed herself. 

Everything felt so numb and far away, as if Teagan’s body was no longer her own. At the same time though, needles striked every nerve and sent her gasping greedily for air. Like perhaps, just maybe, it would relieve her of whatever tidal wave of pain was incoming. It didn’t. “Leti, I—” Teagan’s breath lodged in her throat, her hands raising to her line of sight. They were bloody and trembling, a mixture of both her blood and Aeron’s. “I didn’t know it would be him. I-I didn’t. I haven’t seen him in fifteen years!” The last two words had an obvious ire to them, teeth sinking into the space between Teagan and her brother. 

“Like I said, honey-gup, you haven’t changed.” Aeron hissed back, struggling to his feet as he yanked away the spiked board still attached to his back. He was far more worse for wear than he anticipated, which really, he hadn’t anticipated anything in the first place. Aeron had to give it to his sister though, if her water was nearby—and it probably was—she had a good setup for intruders. “So, what, you thought I was a hunter, and you set on killing me without even acknowledging how you can sense me?”

Teagan yelled, “No! You’ve got it wrong, Aeron!” She panicked further, begging her mind to not see what he said as true. She wasn’t the same. She was getting better. “You’re the one who put me on edge. Who calls someone, asks for them, and then hangs up?! Who wouldn’t be paranoid?!” Her mismatched hues pierced through Aeron, guilt  filling them as her brother reprimanded her just as he did all those years ago. What spilled out though, was only anger. “Why are you here anyway, huh?” Teagan reached out for Leticia, trembling hand finding its match with her friend’s. Her family couldn’t possibly want her. Not anymore.

“Well…?” Everything grew quiet, Aeron not answering. Teagan wanted to leave, let go of her guilt, or at least hide it somehow. “Fuck this, Aeron.” She spoke in her native tongue, leaning into Leticia dizzily to whisper in her ear. “I want to go. Please.”

They could sense each other? It was a strange little thing about Teagan that Leticia had never known, and now she felt guilty for knowing it too. Like a secret that she wasn’t supposed to know—one that made Teagan look foolish for reacting the way she did, even if Leticia still supported her. It was hard to know who was friendly and who wasn’t most days, could Teagan separate the pull of her family from another fae? There were too many questions that popped in her mind that she refused to voice, allowing the context to slip away. Letting this be filed into a simple mistake.

The two siblings kept arguing and Leticia stood next to Teagan, trying to pretend like she wasn’t hearing all of this—a private conversation that was likely not meant for an audience. But even as she tried to look at the shape of the leaves and memorize the pattern, the heat of the argument picked up and Leticia’s focus was back on them. She took Teagan’s hand and watched Aeron closely, still unsure if this was supposed to be a threat or if her brother just massively sucked at saying hello. 

“Yeah, of course, let’s—” Leticia had only barely started speaking when Aeron took another step, or rather a stumble, toward them. He started falling forward and Leticia instinctively closed the space between them, barely catching him before he fell completely to the ground. He was limp, with blood trickling from the wounds he had sustained, “Shit.” She strained herself, trying to keep from dropping him entirely to the ground. Carefully, she rotated him so that he was face up, allowing her to hold him upright more easily. 

“Teagan, I—I don’t pretend to know what happened between the two of you. But whatever happened? We can’t leave him here.” Leticia hoped that Aeron wasn’t the source of some of Teagan’s nightmares, but leaving him in this state in the brush felt wrong. A hunter could get him, or a wild animal, or anything. 

It didn’t matter why Aeron was there. How his presence stung and made color flush away from his sister’s face. It didn’t even matter that he was the one who gave Teagan the ultimatum to continue her pursuit of vengeance or leave. He was hurt, and it was her fault. “Aeron…!” She surged forward with Leticia, slowly taking him into her arms and wrapping him up protectively. “No, we’re not. I would never.” And it was true. Teagan’s stomach didn’t flip, or twist, or cause any discomfort. Aeron was family, her big brother. It was as Emilio said about his own sibling. They could do anything, and there was no breaking the bond.

“Hey…hey, you’re okay.” Teagan cooed, watching as his true form began to wash over him. She brush his hair from his face and she finally saw the damage she caused. Fates. Maybe she was a monster. What had she become? “Come on, you old tadpole. Open your eyes. Please.” The welsh trembled from Teagan’s mouth, and she rocked back and forth as she pressed Aeron’s head to her chest. His human form was coming back, much to her relief. 

“Would take a lot more to kill me. You still hit like a girl.” Aeron chuckled weakly, eyes heavy and tired. They slowly fell closed again, and he took on his frog form, the telltale sign of going unconscious. He was still breathing, and that’s all that mattered. 

“Let’s get him to the lake. I can carry him.” Carefully, Teagan maneuvered Aeron’s body so that she could drape him over her good shoulder. She slightly winced, the other growing tense from the movement. “Once we’re settled, I’ll explain everything, if that’s what you want. Or you can go if it’s too much. I know it’s too much, but I appreciate everything so far. You don’t have to do more.” With a deep breath, Teagan wobbled to her feet, groaning with the effort. It took a few breaths, but she managed to get Aeron balanced comfortably on her shoulder. Well, as comfortable as she could get him. 

Leticia looked away from Aeron when his glamour stated to fade. It felt… wrong to look at him when she hardly knew him. He was still closed but what he truly looked wasn’t something he had offered willingly. It was damage and blood loss that had pulled it from him. The smell of the blood finally reached her when Teagan pulled her brother into her arms. The blood on her hands made her stomach roll, but she bit down on the nausea. Grounding herself, Leticia stood as Aeron’s glamour reformed over his body. A temporary loss of control, it seemed. 

Breathing easier, Leticia nodded as Teagan took her brother into her arms and lifted him. She took a step toward them, a hand extended to brace Teagan if she slipped, but she quickly dropped her arms, giving them space. This felt like a private moment that she had stepped into unexpectedly. The two siblings needed time to discuss things amongst themselves. Reconnect. If they could.

“You don’t have to do that for my sake,” Leticia interjected. “Explain, I mean. You…” She looked at Aeron and then back to Teagan, a faint smile on her lips. She was curious, of course, how they had gotten so estranged, about why she didn’t recognize her own brother’s voice, or even just a translation of the language they shared—but was that truly her place? This was not her family, Teagan was not her partner. “You already said it’s too much for you,” she added softly. “You don’t need to force yourself to explain to me.” Leticia looked at her hands, the blood was still there. The shake, too. Shoving her hands in her pockets, she trailed behind Teagan, watching each step, ready to provide help if Teagan needed it as they neared the lake. “I’ll head back once he’s situated.” The lake would take care of him, she assumed. And Teagan was also safe. Leticia, on the other hand. Needed a drink. Maybe three. 

Teagan could feel the tension building, could feel the way Leticia’s anxiety began to reach the brim of her capacity. It spilled over, palpable to anyone who was lucky enough to grow close to the Balam. Taking a few steps toward Leticia, Teagan managed to hold Aeron in place with one arm, giving her the opportunity to pull her friend close. 

Their foreheads connected momentarily, an affectionate gesture Teagan used with the people she cared about. It was quick, but it had happened so easily with Leticia. She cared about her, and had she been fae, Teagan would have considered her to be in her Aos Sí. For now, though? Being a friend was just as good. “It’s not forcing if I want to explain, annwyl. Okay?” A kiss to Leticia’s forehead, “Head to the cabin when you’re ready and help yourself to the shower. Borrow any clothes you’d like and take anything in the pantry or fridge. Think I got some drinks in there too.” 

With a final kiss to Leticia’s cheek, Teagan departed for the lake, listening closely to Aeron’s breathing. It was raspy and tired, all thanks to her. There was much to talk about, much to apologize for. None of which would be happening until Aeron was okay. She hoped he would be. As selfish as it was, she needed him to be. Teagan didn’t want to think about what it would feel like to know she hurt her brother past the point of no return, making her just like the very thing she hates. 

[ninjastormhawkkat]

9, 10 and 14 for the current wip ask game

9. "Bittersweet Reunion" one shot and Professor Terror taunting Dr. Two brains in "The Fall of Fair City." Plus my part in "Fair City vs Facility" RP between Steven and Athena. 10. Not counting Discord here, It was Police Commissioner Watson answering a phone call from a mysterious stranger 😈 in my "The Fall of Fair City" fic.

14. Mainly its trying to keep focus, plus transferring my ideas into words. Also Tumblr word limits for posts don't help either. @melodythebunny

[annemarieyeretzian]

fearne asking dorian “wait, what are you doing here? how did you get here?” and dorian telling orym “well, I got your message.” and the look on orym's face

(bonus: the joy on imogen’s face because she knows how much/what this means to orym)

[bakersdaughter21]

Anthony Birch choking up as he narrates the end of his second campaign that spanned over 2 years, with 50+ episodes, carrying a story through 3+ generations, cultivating a following and a community of love and support and silliness, with his four friends and phenomenal players that helped elevate an already amazing story and concept…

just… that last episode. Those tears in his voice. It was like his child grew up before his eyes and is now going off into the world…

[anguishmacgyver]

[veilkeeper]

"which do you prefer, pre or post amnesia durgetash" actually i prefer the haunting image of both side by side as perfect mirrors, because nothing has changed even though everything has. in case you were wondering.

[dailykugisaki]

Day fifty-two | id in alt

She's reasonably pissed about being gnome height.

[iamespecter]

Gasp, me?

writing THREE unrelated stories at the same time? That is absolutely BONKERS, I would NE-

*inhales, then starts screaming at the top of my lungs in pain*

[laughhardrunfastbekindsblog]

My quick fix to cheer myself up after making the terrible mistake of rewatching "Plan 99" -

Not entirely sure it's fully working since I still feel like my heart has been shot through with shrapnel, ripped out, ground to powder and set on fire... But I'm not sobbing anymore so I'll take that as a win!

[wangxianficrecs]

Story of a Dream by Bamboo_Gden

Story of a Dream

by Bamboo_Gden

G, 1k, Wei Wuxian & Jiang Yanli

Summary: She tried to shake away any sad thought, this was supposed to be a merry reunion, after all. A-Xian had always been someone very especial to her. A solace of gentleness and kindness within a house so filled of grudges and hatred. She knew it was the same to him. Blood didn’t tie them, but they were undoubtedly family. Jiang Yanli pays a visit to her A-Xian to catch up with him. Kay's comments: Short and absolutely heart-breaking. A story in which post-canon, Jiang Yanli is given the chance to say goodbye to her A-Xian. It made me really sad, but it was also cathartic. These two should have been given the chance to have a final conversation. Definitely bittersweet though. I'm not really sure why this story is tagged as Yu Ziyuan bashing, because she's mentioned in like one line. Excerpt: “Is that lotus root and pork ribs soup?”, he asked with a hopeful expression. This stopped every unwelcomed thought of hers. His expression reminded her of the one he bore as a child. When he looked at her with shining eyes which believed she could easily hang the moon and the stars. He still looked at her like that. A-Xian had grown up and changed so much. Even so, he was still her dear little brother. A-Xian would never stop being her beloved little brother. “It is. Now that we don’t see each other that frequently I thought you would miss it.” Something flickered in A-Xian’s eyes. He seemed to be troubled about something. Jiang Yanli could see the hesitation and the struggle he was having. In the end, he smiled and said, “Of course I do, shijie, I miss it so much I even tried to replicate it. But it’s very difficult without the recipe.” Jiang Yanli didn’t fail to catch the rueful tone with which he pronounced those words. She thought about commenting on them. Instead, she accepted the offer to enter his room and sat with him on his bed. She looked around, everything was as she remembered. She looked fondly at the image of a couple carved in the headboard.

pov jiang yanli, post-canon, pov outsider on lan wangji/wei wuxian, bittersweet, bittersweet ending, reunions, families of choice, jiang yanli deserves better, sad wei wuxian, goodbyes, good sibling jiang yanli, cooking, comfort food

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for this hard-working author if you like – or think others might like – this story.)

[nixknacks0-0]

Currently working on the last chapters of Bittersweet Reunion and it is crazy to think this story is coming to end.

Remember when I started writing it and said I'd do weekly uploads? Yeah, me either

But regardless it has been a blast writing this and certainly will not be the last thing I write in this universe, and in celebration of it ended I wanted to open up an ask me anything!

If you have any questions about the story, the characters, the universe, what's coming next, what got cut, send me an ask and I'll answer it all!

Thank you so much everyone for your support while I was writing this, it truly means everything that this was so well received and I can't wait for you to read the last few chapters–coming soon and as a double upload (⁠.⁠ ⁠❛⁠ ⁠ᴗ⁠ ⁠❛⁠.⁠)

[brandwhorestarscream]

Masterpost of AUs

As promised, here's the (wip) masterpost of all my AUs. In alphabetical order with a short synopsis, and the tags are all on this post so you can easily search them up :) if there's any I missed, please send them to me so I can get them added! If the last tags aren't alphabetized that means I need to get on my laptop and move them around lmao

Bittersweet Reunion AU

TFA AU wherein the jet twins are Starscream's offspring specifically produced by the autobot government, and their finding out kicks off an entire domino effect storyline

Blitzbee Baby AU

Exactly what it sounds like. TFA Bumblebee gets Blitzwing sparked up and neither of them realize until he enters emergence

Cross Dimensional Shenanigans

- Umbrella tag for anything that involves more than one iteration of transformers interacting with each other

Cross Dimensional Starblitz

- How the CDS started. Focuses solely on TFP Starscream and TFA Blitzwing’s weird friendship

Cryptid Seekers AU

- Everything is the same except seekers are terrifying cryptids. Nuff said

Cybermorphs AU

- An AU in which a group of warframes working off planet accidentally stumble into an ancient, buried xenomorph nests, and come back to Cybertron bearing what becomes the first generation of cybertronian-xenomorph hybrids, aka the Cybermorphs. Features a lot of world building, Cybermorph Queen Megatron, a lot of fun alien biology, and some angsty MegOP among other ships

Cybertronians Are An Invasive Species

- No war AU wherein cybertronians are an invasive pest species that have moved onto earth and cause the most havoc

Cybertronians Are An Invasive Species: The Soap Opera

- Takes place in the invasive species AU, but specifically is about a goofy soap opera created by humans with the bots as the inspiration

De-Extinction AU

TFA, the autobots have finally run out of stored Allspark energy and, seeing as the artificially created population is completely sterile, are now an officially endangered species. Their only chance at salvation lies with the decepticons and their ability to produce "sparklings"... whatever those are 🤭

Hindsight AU

- Aligned continuity. Arcee goes back in time in an attempt to stop the war with the help of Vector Prime, accidentally creates a much worse world. Goes through several crazy timelines, currently on the Self Imposed Exodus.

OS×BB AU

A TFA storyline wherein Omega Supreme wakes much much earlier than canon, becoming truly self-aware and sentient. He and Bumblebee form a connection and Things Happen

Shadows House AU

- Exactly what it sounds like. All of our favorite bots and cons are parasitic fae members of the Shadows Family. Megatronus is plotting to bring it down from the inside. Lots of secrets and spooky stuff

Subnautica AU

- Starscream and Skyfire (and sometimes the other seekers) stranded on the terrifying hell planet, 4546B

Terran Task Force

- An angsty AU that involves GHOST getting their slimy hands on the Emberstone and making legions of their own little terran warriors

The Repopulation Project

- A dystopian future AU wherein the autobots won the war, and in an effort to save their species from extinction, implemented the repopulation project. It warped and twisted over time til the war frames are kept as nothing but livestock to be bought, traded, and harvested. In an attempt to change the horrific conditions of their present society, Optimus gambles by having decepticon high command reborn in the hopes that they'll be able to overturn the huge mess he made

Unicron Reborn AU

- Technically an AU/what-if of the 5th timeline of Hindsight. Unicron is killed and later reborn as a sparkling on Cybertron; Megatron adopts him. Later gives rise to The Spawn

[sacrilegiousoul]

going up to east tn with my grandpa where he grew up to visit his family. they live so close to the smoky mountains it’s beautiful.

[annemarieyeretzian]

matt narrating dorian seeing all of bell’s hells and “you see your friend, fearne,” and “and you see orym.” being the last he narrates,,, thank u for my life mr. dungeon master matthew mercer sir

[independent-fics]

Tell me why I’m imagining some fantasy/ sci fi fic with Eliot Spencer with Thor like hair and lots of braids. And a sword.

I think I need to sleep but also I think I need to take this somewhere.