#(and then. and then this not-dead imogen meets laudna. someone who did die and come back. who was likely bitter and angry like she js)

[antlereed]

just had an insane imogen thought and now i cant sleep:

imogen temult was a girl who trusted and loved and learned freely and with abandon

imogen temult had a mind that opened up and she Drowned in the flood of thoughts that suddenly came pouring in, unable to keep her head above it all before succumbing

and then imogen temult came back bitter and angry, isolating herself from the people who unknowingly killed the young girl she bad been, who had no way of knowing what they had done until they realized the lengths of her fledgling abilities

[your-enby-antihero]

When Raven meets Puppet

Summary

Vax’ildan is just doing his job, the Matron asks only that he collect on the souls of the dead. One day he meets someone eerily familiar.

Warnings

Major Character Death | Laudna’s Backstory | Spoilers for Campaign 1 of Critical Role

also available on ao3

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Vax didn’t expect to tear up when he saw a soul enter the in between life and death that morning. He hadn’t planned on crying until his family started to pass over, and not being sure if they would be happy tears or sad tears. But when he saw the sallow and oddly familiar face of a woman who he had once met before, hanging from the skeleton of the Sun Tree. 

She looked almost lost, if not a bit unsurprised to be where she was. Her willow like body and ghostly pale skin echoed the double Vax had once seen hanging from a tree. Her ears showed visible damage, the golden cuff only hiding the sloppily cut points. 

“Hello?”

A familiar accent called, one that he had heard many times. Walking through the streets of Whitestone as a sweet family greeted him as he exited the Sun Tree. An accent that echoed the one his brother and sister in law spoke proudly with. An accent that slowly would slip into his own twin’s voice.  

“Hello? Delilah? Imogen? Is anyone there?”

In mention of that woman’s name Vax froze but she was gone? He had seen her die? He couldn’t think about that now he had a job to do. Vax let his presence known as he stepped closer to her. He let the bone mask cover his deepening frown. He let the squeezed feeling that occupied his chest disappear as he walked towards her.

Her eyes locked with him and a panic seemed to fill her eyes.

“Wait wait wait! I can’t go yet, she- I- they need me. Just wait please they’re coming for me I swear please just wait,” she was walking further away as she stammered.

Vax let himself pause as he saw a protective blue aura surrounded the tether that connected the soul to the body. He knew what that type of magic did to the physical body, it lengthened the time that resurrection magics worked. He had seen it a few times between his life and current situation. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay I’m not here to hurt you. You’re not done yet,” he said, trying to be as calming as possible. 

His words seemed to reach her, the fear subsided into a more expectant gaze, “Are you here to take me back?”

“I am sorry, they didn’t have enough,” he could feel himself wince at his own words.

Vax could only imagine the absolute fear that swallowed her friends. He remembered that night in the mansion with a cold body and the quiet sobs of his sister in a blanket fort. A steel prosthetic hand that burned in the bag of holding at Grog’s side. He shook himself out of his thoughts and focused on the woman before him.

“You can stay here if you’d like, I promise you won’t be here for long. I can see that they're working on getting you back,” Vax said, trying to push the smile in his voice just a tad more.

She shivered, “yes, yes of course they are. I’ll be back with Imogen in no time, gods I hope she is okay.”

Her expression seemed to darken slightly as she winced, her arms reflexively reaching to tug at her wire-like hair. Vax stepped towards her, giving her enough space to not feel smothered but also close enough to coax her to let go.

“Would you like me to stay for a while, better to not be alone when you're waiting,” he offered.

Her reply was shaky, her hands squeezed together, nails poking at her pale skin. But she accepted and Vax sat her down, taking a seat next to her.

“Now,” he said, pulling the mask free from his face, “tell me about this Imogen.”

[blorbologist]

They said they'd scatter, they said they'd run.

Ashton feels the blade knick and snap and catch, something flakes off them in shards. Part of them. That's a fun party trick.

They'd not describe it as blacking out. It implies a softness to getting hurt, so fucking hurt your brain or your opal or whatever the fuck you have shrieks for it to stop and stops you, too. Knocked out feels a little flimsy too. They'd invent a word for it if they were the nerdy type, and not in so much fucking pain.

So, yeah. Everything stops, for a second, and they said they'd scatter, and is it so bad to expect he'd be left behind? That's how it works. At least he'd know Letters would be alright.

But nope! Too fucking much to expect people to stick to their word and stick to how things work.

He comes to choking on red, not blood his is darker, not the moon that's too big, not the storm - well maybe the storm. Or not - it's Orym, too practiced at this, too good at feeding him the potion, and it curdles on the way down that this is familiar for him, too.

(get left behind; hold the line)

And Ashton tries. Fuck he tries, don't you ever fucking imply he didn't try. Up and down and up and down and he's stuck in his portals he's stuck in time he's here not there but he's both and he's just so tired.

But he knows the rules: shit goes to hell, run. Run and get yourself out and how dare they - how fucking stupid are they to keep trying with him? How fucking stupid is Imogen - Imogen you fucking moron go we're dying so you can go, if you don't fly far and fast we'll die for nothing if no one gets away.

And Orym's dead. He should have kept that potion for himself. Stupid, stupid, who let a body guard martyr himself? Fucker should have been dragged away as soon as he got that look in his eye, he should know heroes die like pigs to people like her.

And Fearne's dead. Fuck, she’s so sensible, she’s so sly, why the fuck did she stay? Just for fun? It's not fun if you die, run with me, we can continue our game. please?

And Laudna might be. They aren't sure, she dances so close to death as part of living. But Imogen wouldn't scream like that if it was good. Thry want to take back everything they fucking said about damage because they've both taken so much.

Ashton will listen. Ashton will run. Maybe because he sticks to the fucking plan, in the hopes they will too and they'll get out and meet up and laugh over this with claps on the back and dramatic retellings and a fuckton of hard alcohol. Maybe because he follows the rules, stubborn stone, obey the continental forces at work of this is how a gang works. Maybe because he's a coward, and he can’t be the one left behind again, because surely when he next goes down they'll leave him.

They aren't sure what their tears are like, as a genasi. Guess they'll find out, now. Against all hope, Ashton fucking prays, prays to something, that he'll cry diamonds.

That'd be useful, huh? Wishful thinking, Ashton knows better.

That's why you always need someone to run - you always need someone to pick up the pieces, somehow. Get shit back together. Tell the story. Never thought it'd be him.

(why couldn't they have just left him behind? that's what they're supposed to do.)