#Laudna wanting Imogen to promise her to move on if she die

[saphira-artandoc]

So uhh

How's everyone holding up?

[paperglader]

whenever someone makes the choice to say things on the tl like “oh, the imodnas are doomed by the narrative” specially since laudna asked Imogen to promise her to move on and be happy if she died… just, how do you all get by and live your normal lives? are you not haunted by the look on Imogen’s face when laudna promised her a quiet life way back when they hadn’t even kissed yet? Just-

Do you see her face??? This is everything she’s ever wanted. Right there. Offered by the woman she loves, and they hadn’t even verbalized it yet, but Laudna’s still promising everything. THEY’RE NOT ALLOWED TO DIE. They have to live in a freaking cottage. In a field. Raise horses and just be.

[mollywall-e]

Sneak Peek at Imogen’s Dream Sequence (yeehaw edition) for the upcoming chapter of Take Me Home

A seemingly endless sea of green grass stretches ahead of them, dotted with sage and other shrubbery. The skies ahead seem clearer, untouched by the sudden summer storm that’s consumed the southern skyline. It seems warm, inviting, and full of promise. It brings a warmth to Imogen’s chest, a lightness to her head. The adrenaline of the fight seems to exit Imogen’s body like an exhale, leaving an unshakeable drowsiness in its stead.

“Let’s find a place to rest,” Imogen mutters, reins falling from her suddenly limp hands. “I’m real tired.”

Imogen’s eyelids flutter, and the world around her dims, and dims. Her vision fades to black. For a moment, there’s only darkness. When her vision finally returns, there’s no sea of grass, or Flora, or Laudna.

There is a storm, though. The entire sky above is consumed by a reddish hue and billowing clouds, illuminated by flashes of lightning. The red tinted light reveals the familiar landscape ahead of her: the field behind her homestead, the quiet stretch of land between her house and Flat Iron Lake. She thinks she’s alone until she hears it. Over the roiling thunder and smattering of rain, a voice calls out to her, seemingly sourceless.

Imogen, run!

Imogen doesn't recognize the voice calling out to her, but she feels like she should. It feels safe and inviting; feelings that are so alien, Imogen almost fears them more than the storm itself.

Almost.

Desperate to squeeze out every ounce of that addicting and foreign comfort, she holds fast amongst the storm, searching for the source of the voice. The lightning strikes flash closer and closer. The resonant cracks of thunder boom in her ears. The winds whip at her hair. Pellets of rain and flecks of airborne dust sting in her eyes. Imogen’s senses are entirely consumed by the raging tempest that threatens to swallow her whole.

Half-convinced she imagined it altogether, but entirely certain she'll die if she stays out in this storm any longer, Imogen does as the voice commanded. She runs.

Her bare feet sink into soil as she makes a break for her house, the reddish mud squelching between her toes. It feels like she's moving in slow motion, like the shelter of her home will always be just out of reach. But with each splattering step forward, the fuzzy details of her homestead begin to crystallize.

The fence surrounding the property is covered in a fresh coat of white paint. Not a single picket is out of place.

The grass is well-maintained and sprinkled with flowers, a stark contrast to the sea of weeds Imogen knows the yard has turned into.

The house stands solid against the surrounding tempest, no crumbling foundation or rotting wood, no broken stairs or shattered windows.

It’s just like the picture on the mantle. It's beautiful. It's safe. It's all Imogen's ever wanted.

She throws open the gate (not only is the latch intact, it doesn't even squeak!) and charges forward. She's clambering up the perfectly stable porch stairs when another sourceless voice reaches her ears.

“Immm…Gennnn”

Her voice is hoarse and muffled, as if spoken from another room, but it feels undeniably real. It’s Laudna. What if she’s lost out in that storm? Clenching the doorknob in her fist, Imogen turns away from the safety of her home to scan the horizon, but she can’t see past her porch railing. The voice, Laudna, calls out once again.

“Gennnn…plll-ease”

As the words reverberate across the clearing, it's like Laudna's voice has started pullin' at the seams of this nightmarish landscape. The world around Imogen falters. The clouds part. The rain stops. The thunder grows quiet. The fields lose their focus, devolving into a blur of greens. Her house loses its structure, more of a brown blob than a building. It's disorienting, it's nauseating. It's gotta be a dream.

“...waaa-ke…UP.”

Definitely a dream, then. That's good. Now, all Imogen's gotta do is figure out how to wake up and she'll be -

Her vision flashes bright blue, blinding her for a moment. When her vision returns, all she can see is a familiar pair of dark eyes staring down at her.

[seasinkarnadine]

Heya! Some Imogen/Laudna prompts, if you're interested. No pressure to do any specific ones ofc.

Dialogue prompts from your list: any one of 15, 16, or 17. Maybe early on when Imogen meets Laudna and she's still being chased from town to town?

Other prompts:

- Imogen loses control of her powers and accidentally hurts Laudna

- Imogen calls Ruidus and takes way too much damage (does Laudna even know about this?)

- Imogen comforting Laudna, freshly retraumatised by her stay in Whitestone

16: "I'd hate to be a burden..." || "It's alright, (Name). I don't mind taking care of you"

- Imogen comforting Laudna, freshly retraumatised by her stay in Whitestone

—-

Laudna is in two places at once.

She is here in the whitestone castle with the Hells, propped up in a bed in a borrowed chamber.

She is here in the whitestone castle with a guard, strapped to a table after a luxurious dinner.

A figure approaches her side of the bed. She flinches. 

“Laudna?” Only Fearne, then.  The man with the knife didn’t know her name.

“I brought you some chicken broth. Pike said you might be hungry, after we brought you back.” That’s right, isn’t it? She’s back. Back again.

The man approaches her with the knife. She can’t move. He grabs the side of her head forcefully. The cold blade bites at her ear. She whimpers. He can’t do it in one stroke and his grip slips on the hot blood that pours from her. There is nothing for her to do but endure it. She imagines instead that she’s having a tooth pulled and it will all be over soon. She counts, to give her mind something else to focus on. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, eight, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, eleven, eleven, thirteen, fourteen, sixteen. 

“Laudna?”

“Hmm?” She blinks and looks over to Fearne. 

“Whatcha thinkin’ about?”

“Fearne, don’t push her.” She’s not sure that Orym meant for her to hear that part.

“She looked a little lost in thought was all…soup, Laudna? Do you need help eating it?” Laudna can’t get her fingertips to touch each other. The cleric, what was her name? Pike? She asked her to but she couldn’t. They wiggle, though, so there’s hope.

“I’ll manage, thank you.” She only spills a little soup in the exchange. Fearne doesn’t even notice.

“Sure you don’t want us to keep you company?” Orym asks in that careful way of his. She offers him her most winning smile. 

“No, no, you all go! Have fun! Explore Whitestone! It’s changed so much. Really, when will we get another opportunity to visit a place like this?” She says we but she means you. She means I can’t stop seeing ghosts. She means I don’t want to ruin this for you, too.

Fearne smiles at her.

“I’ll bring you back some party favors,” she promises.

“You just holler if you need us, alright?” Orym adds.

She nods. 

Then they’re gone and she is alone again.

No, no she’s not. The man’s here, isn’t he?

‘The clothes are wrong.’ That voice…

‘Lady Briarwood,’ Laudna gasps. ‘Lady Briarwood, please, please make him stop…’ and then the scene seems to overlap and she’s not Matilda, she’s Laudna, stuck in a loop.

‘Must we do this again?’ Laudna’s voice overlaps with her younger self. 

‘I’m not doing any of this,’ Delilah states. ‘You’re the one who refuses to move on.’ Then the man slips his knife under her blouse and tears it open. In one world, Laudna panics. She cries. She whimpers. The Lady watches with hungry eyes and Laudna doesn’t fight it. She should have. Maybe she could’ve gotten away. Maybe she could’ve done something. She had magic, after all. No. She lay there and she let them hurt her.

Her warm human skin becomes grey and mottled. The man’s knife slips and cracks her sternum in two–no, it’s Otohan’s blade jutting from her chest–no. It’s in one piece. It’s blackened and twisted but so is the rest of her.

They drag her outside. The rope tightens around her neck. They tie her hands and then they haul her up the tree, pull, pull, pull. She hangs. Her neck isn’t broken, so she watches the world below while she waits to die.

Then Imogen appears at the base of the tree. 

‘Imogen?’ She says. She tries to say. Her voice is cut off by the rope. What is she doing here? No–she has to run. Laudna is already dead. But Imogen, she can still get away. Run, Imogen. Please, run.

Too late. Delilah’s there. She reaches forward and caresses Imogen under her chin. Imogen’s eyes flash a sickly green.

'No,' she begs in her head. 'No, no. Not her. Delilah.' It's useless to beg and she knows it. If anything her fear will only spur Delilah on.

"Sweetheart?" Imogen is leaning over Laudna's bedside. Her eyes are purple, purple, purple. 

“Hmm?” Laudna wrestles her racing heart back to a normal tempo.

“Fearne and Orym said they were gonna…have you been here all day?” Laudna looks to the window and realizes it’s early evening.

“Oh, I…suppose so. Wait, no. Pike came by and had me do a few exercises.” Or was that yesterday? 

Laudna swings her gangly legs over the edge of the bed.

“You had anything to eat?” Imogen asks as she pulls a chair up.

“Yes, yes, Orym and Fearne brought me some soup.” Imogen’s eyes land on the congealed substance sitting on the nightstand. 

“Mmhmm.” Her lips are pressed tightly together.

“How are you? Do any sight seeing? Eat any Tal’Dorei delicacies?” Roaring fireplace, gilded chandeliers, blood on the dining room floor blood on the dining room floor blood on the dining room floor–

‘Mmm she smells delightful. The ones with magic have a certain…zing.’

‘No, dearest, that one’s not for eating.’

‘Shame.’ They kiss. When they separate it’s hard to tell what’s lipstick and what’s blood.

“--talking to Pike, is all. Laud? Are you…”

“I’m listening, sorry–”

“No, no, don’t be sorry. I’m sorry. I meant to come by sooner. Pike said you’re still a few days away from solid foods. And I know that Whitestone is… Um, we’re, we can’t leave just yet. So Pike helped me make that spicy Jamah pepper soup we have back home. In case you’re tired of Tal’Dorei foods.”

“You made me soup?” Laudna finally notices the small container Imogen brought in resting on a tray nearby.

“It’s okay if you don’t like it,” Imogen rushes to say. “I can find you somethin’ else.”

“No, no, I…that’s very thoughtful of you. Thank you.” She grabs the lid. She twists. She twists again. She twists… she twists–

“Can I get that for you?” Imogen asks, apparently noting the futile effort Laudna’s exerting.

“My, um, my fine motor skills, Pike said that because I was dead for a few days–”

“No need to explain.” There’s a tick in Imogen’s jaw muscle. “There ya go. Gettin’ kinda dark, huh? I’ll light a few candles.” 

With Imogen’s back turned, Laudna feels safe enough to pick up the provided spoon. There’s quite a lot of clattering, which Imogen politely ignores. Finally she succeeds, the spoon held like it’s a weapon she’s brandishing. She scoots closer to the night stand where the Pepper Soup rests. She dips the spoon in…and drops it. 

“Balls.” She leans down and manages to scrape it off the floor with two hands. When she comes back up, Imogen is looking at her, biting her lip.

“It’s delicious, thank you. I think I may finish the rest later.” Laudna laughs. Imogen eyes her for a long moment.

“Is it bad? I can getcha somethin’ else…”

“No, no, thank you, you’ve already done so much.” She puts on her most reassuring smile.

“You don’t have to do that with me.”

“Do what, darling?” 

Imogen doesn’t reply. She moves to sit in the chair at Laudna’s bedside once more. She gently takes the spoon off of Laudna’s tray and prestidigitates it clean.

“Gimme your hand,” she instructs. Confused, Laudna complies. Imogen places the spoon between her index and thumb.The muscles in Laudna’s fingers still won’t grip. If Imogen lets go…but she doesn’t. 

“Go on, then,” Imogen says. Laudna shifts in her seat. Her other hand twitches with the desire to pull at her hair. She gives Imogen a look. Then, finally, she dips the spoon into the steaming meal. She lifts it to her mouth. Imogen keeps her gloved hand over Laudna’s, providing support for the entire process.

Maybe it’s because she’s hungry, maybe because she’s missing home, maybe it’s because Imogen made this, but oh, it tastes divine.

“How is it?” Imogen’s voice is suddenly anxious again. “There’s lots of other things, Lady Vex’halia said we’re free to ask the cooks to make us whatever–”

“It’s incredible. You’re incredible. Did you get this recipe from Zhudonna?” Imogen’s face blushes a beautiful pink the candlelight. 

“I know it’s one of your favorites.. I guess I made it right? I mean, Pike helped. You know I’m no good in the kitchen.”

“Better than right.” Laudna grins. “Now, if it’s perfectly alright, I am a little peckish…”

“Oh, yeah, ‘course!” 

With Imogen’s support she eats, and at least for now, the ghosts of Whitestone rest.

[meid4]

i see what you mean and i agree mostly, i just don't know if laudna is gone, that imogen will actually move on ? i would like her too but depending of how it happens, she can maybe snap or even do everything to bring her back. Whatever it takes.

that she only said that she promises to reassure laudna.

Imogen doesn't seem to be on a "dark path" but you never know how someone reacts when they lose someone.

If it happens, i suppose we'll see what Laura thinks is the best reaction.

It is especially with her going to the dawnfather's temple that i thought about how she could be wanting to do EVERYTHING to have laudna by her side no matter what.

with all that, of course i hope laudna won't die XD

Imodna

i maybe did or did not start to tear up when laudna asked imogen to do what is necessary when time's come and imogen just shaking her head, looking away

then she said she promises it but she lied, she will never let laudna go

[greenteaandtattoos]

Hold. The. Phone.

Someone just mentioned to me a theory that Fearne is a hag-in-training, taking after Morri, and my thoughts are racing with the possibilities this opens up. 

I could see Fearne turning on the Hell’s, I do. She’s loyal by nature, true, but she chooses who she puts her full loyalty in, and that’s Orym. Would she betray and leave Orym, who would go through hell and back for each other? Unlikely but consider... 

She’s also chaotic by nature, too, and that chaos may very well overtake that loyalty if given just the right nudge. And what would that be? Well... remember how many of us believe that the coin landed on Laudna, but Fearne chose to revive Orym instead?

If this is the case, and Orym learns of this... he’s going to be pissed. The other Hell’s, especially Imogen, are going to be pissed. But does Fearne actually care about the others? Sure, but not nearly as much as she cares about Orym, and his opinion. 

He confronts her, they fight, words are exchanged, emotions explode, and Fearne is hurt, because why can’t Orym understand why she did it? She had already been left by her parents, why should she lose another of her loved ones? 

She doesn’t take into consideration that Orym, too, has lost loved ones. And the difference between their rage is that Orym’s is fueled by survivor’s guilt, he’s lost his family already, he’d rather die and be with them than see another suffer as he did, while Fearne is fueled by selfishness, loneliness and a feeling of abandonment. She has been lied to her whole life, her purpose as merely a piece in an exchange of business.

It pushes Fearne over the edge. She can’t stand not to be supported by the one person she has given her heart and soul to. She runs. If Orym doesn’t want her, then she doesn’t want him. 

She lets it all loose, her rage, her grief, all concentrated into pure chaotic havoc. It takes the Bell’s some times to get her back to her senses, or at the very least, calm her down enough to talk again.

Because, hey, look! Fresh Cut Grass, Imogen, and Chetney have all had their “sudden violent outburst”, but they still love them. They love her, too, even if they’re upset. Imogen and Fearne are sisters through the light of Ruidus, after all! She of all people understands Fearne’s heartache, just as Orym understands Imogen’s. 

They just need time, but Fearne is wary of time. Time messed up her life. She doesn’t even know if she’s 20 or 200. In that regard, Ashton knows better than anyone what it’s like to have time stolen from you. 

Still, she’s calmer now, after destroying some buildings. She decides she needs some alone time, but promises she’ll come back. She just needs to think. Reflect. The Bell’s agree, promising that they’ll figure out a way to move forward.

Fearne comes back after a while, she seems her normal self. Orym is the first to be suspicious. If Fearne does anything (beyond stealing), it’s cling. Cling to feelings, cling to habits, cling to memories, cling to ambition, cling to people. 

He keeps watch on her through the corner of his eyes. Something’s not right, but he doesn’t want to mention anything yet. He’s still upset, but he doesn’t want to cause more strife between the Hell’s, him, and Fearne. 

And in the dead of night, when everyone is sleeping, Fearne’s face flickers, her furry hindquarters shifting from soft spotted brown to opalescent skin, her ears shrinking and become round, her sea-foam green hair draining of color until it is the color of snow, her wide eyes filling with an ocean of ink. The flowers adorning her body wither and drop to the floor.

A grin crosses her face, but not the mischievous grin the Bell’s are used to. This one is sly. Ashley gets up silently, leaves the room without a word, and in walks a familiar face, just as an equally-familiar face stands where Fearne once did.

[rawimpulses]

thinking about imogen having a nightmare once again and laudna comforting her the way that she always does. thinking about cold cold hands very tenderly wiping away fresh tears and warm cheeks melting into a soft smile. thinking about "you should never have to run into the storm alone" and "we are going to figure this out. i promise. or at least die trying" (thinking about laudna dying and imogen being consumed by so much grief the storm and being all alone)

thinking about imogen falling asleep every night holding onto laudna's hands hoping, praying even, that maybe this time she will see laudna in the dream with her. and it will be wonderful and it will give her the strength to face all her fears. (thinking about imogen dreading closing her eyes and falling asleep fearing that she will dream of laudna being consumed by the storm just like bertrand was) (thinking about the intense relief that she feels when she wakes up and realizes it was yet another quiet night without laudna blessing her dreams. maybe there's still hope. maybe i can still save her.)

thinking about belly laughs and warm eyes filled with love and soft hands holding onto each other as tightly as they can. thinking about shared beds and intertwined bodies and trembling fingers and long late night conversations. thinking about "i don't know what i would do without you" ("come back. come back. please come back.")

thinking about making bright future plans and broken pinky promises. thinking about time and how there's never enough of it with the people that we love. thinking about "oh my god!!! i love this town!!! seriously laudna let's move here after everything!" (thinking about how there's no after everything with laudna. there's just the terrible suffocating aching void in imogen's chest and the piercing pain of never ending grief)

thinking about "it was really bad there for awhile you know when laudna came to town it was the first time i'd really felt any peace for a long time" and "it's the same sort of feeling that i had with laudna the first time i met her. it was there, she was there, but she was almost like at a different pitch than everybody else. it was musical. it wasn't painful like everybody else." and "we are pretty good at being hermits together it's nice" and "imogen and i, we don't really like new people"

thinking about learning to share your soul, your heart, your life with someone and then losing half of you. thinking about discovering the peaceful lullaby of love and then being lost in the stillness of death. thinking about the loss of music and peace and all things good and beautiful.

thinking about walking into the world alone for the first time in two years accompanied only by grief and regret. thinking about the bitter sweet realization that pain IS the price of love and that you've agreed to pay it every time you locked eyes and felt the soft rumble of butterflies in your belly. or every time you shared a laugh together. every time you felt your knees go weak with want. every time you fell asleep holding onto each other.

the grief is never ending but so is the love.

[paperglader]

Thoughts on C3EP77 of CR (I hyperfixate on imodna constantly, but I swear that I talk about the rest of the characters as well)

Delilah fucking briarwood. It has not gone past me that we got to have this great laudna moment on the same ep where they announced the book. WHICH I AM SO FUCKING EXCITED ABOUT.

Imodna will never not be iconic in the middle of a fight. That one moment when laudna was being cornered by the ghosts, and she kept going back and forth between acting like Delilah and pleading for them to understand that she wasn’t the one they were after, to finally Imogen killing two of them, and as they vanished, her gaze was finally visible to laudna as the cloud of smoke dissipated and she told her that it would be alright, only for laudna to lash out once again and unleash her attacks on the rest of them. Chef’s kiss. What a scene.

Imogen calling Delilah Briarwood a bitch will never get old.

Laudna making Imogen promise her to move on and be happy if she died- I can’t. My sweet farm girl was so heartbroken the entire episode. THERE WAS ONE MOMENT TOO, when orym was talking about missing Will every day, and how he would want him to live and be happy, and Imogen was just like 😣. She needs a hug. Someone has to give her a hug

FEARNE FINALLY KNOWS ABOUT IMODNA. The moment that laudna said “she makes me so happy!” I literally fell to my knees.

Fearne’s soft little “you are??” After Orym said that he was so glad that she was there with them broke me into a million pieces. Ashley Johnson you’re an ✨actress✨

Laura deciding to end imodna, not because of the moon, not because of the gods, or Delilah briarwood, but because marisha made a bad vex impression. I respect it.

Imogen still has her yellow scarf. This is very important to me.

Imogen praying for laudna to be alright- Destroyed, heart broken, I’ll never recover + Laura and marisha’s little smiles after the scene, when Laura was wiping off her tears😭 + THE FUCKING RAVEN QUEEN. She better scram the fuck away from the girls, cause I’m not ready for vaxleth 2.0. I’m just like imogen, I refuse.

CALLOWMOORE AT THE CLOCK TOWER. I was giggling, kicking my feet - then by the end of it I was like wtf taliesin, what are you cooking? And then fearne ran away 😭

Terrified of the amount of potions being distributed for the next episode… also, excited.

Ashton. It’s just so funny because Imogen was so hesitant about it all the entire way, but she had the circlet. She wasn’t inside Ashton’s head so he got away with it. Marisha’s innocent “what is happening?” To then being explained Ashton’s plan and saying “you’re gonna die” so incredulous, so sad, and everyone’s face after she said that. My heart started speeding up. Just what the actual fuck. The way he treated fearne… I will not be ok with him for a while because of that. He almost killed himself, he almost killed them all. They just burned a bunch of spells and potions and they’re going to the moon… honestly, I don’t think I’ve been this stressed since laudna’s resurrection

It’s just so… Ashton advocating for down time, so that they could remind themselves that they loved each other before anyone did anything stupid… I EXPECTED SOMETHING BUT I DID NOT EXPECT THIS

Just… Fearne… I understand being an asshole, but I do not understand being an asshole to Fearne. The way that he used their friendship to make her do his bidding, straight up awful.