#The Imodna Bookshop AU

[batwingsandblackcats]

once and formerly haunted

chapter 10: to keep you safe

Read on Ao3

10/? | Chapter word count: 2,636 | Current total word count: 43,954

co-written by @sageobo31

Summary:

Laudna and Imogen are ambushed while walking home late one night, and painful memories resurface.

Notes:

Hellooo all! New chapter comin in hot!

Honestly, we had planned to wait to post this chapter until I had a substantial chunk of chapter 11 written, but since canon Imodna is doing fucking SPLENDIDLY at the moment, we figured an angsty chapter wouldn't be so bad.

That being said, I wanna go over some potential triggers in this chapter, considering up til now it's been 99% fluff--this chapter and chapter 11 are a fairly drastic tone change before we get back to domestic bliss. Maybe take a moment to re-read the tags as well!

This chapter is mostly a fight scene, so there will be violence, imagery/mentions of manual strangulation, imagery/mentions of knives, and depictions of panic attacks.

Now that we've covered the serious stuff, I just need to gush for a second about how long I've been WAITING to write this chapter. Like, over two years you guys. Two years absolutely salivating over the hurt/comfort potential. Initially, chapter 10 and chapter 11 were meant to be one chapter, but once I started writing it, I found that I came to a cliffhanger that was maybe just a little too perfect, so we decided to split it up.

So, thanks so much for reading and keeping up with our little story, and we really hope you all enjoy it! As always, we always read your comments, and I've been working on slowly responding to them--truthfully, the really long gushy ones overwhelm me a little with the good brain chemicals, so those take longer to respond to, but please know that we read ALL of them and appreciate them so so much!

--batwingsandblackcats

[immult]

*high fives about Gregory Alan Isakov and Imodna* there's a reason why he's all over my bookshop au playlist lmao. What's your favorite song of his? I just about fell over when I heard Sweet Heat Lightning, it's a little too perfect

oh man i've always been interested everytime i come across it but now definitely reading it the next time <3 sweet heat lightning has been on repeat for me too, you're so real for that. my favourite is 'that sea, the gambler' :) as for my personal imodna songs, aside from everything else lol, 'suitcase full of sparks' / 'she always takes it black' / 'if i go, i'm goin'' make me black out.

[batwingsandblackcats]

once and formerly haunted

chapter 8: a faire companion

Read on Ao3

8/? | Chapter word count: 5,343 | Current total word count: 37,032

co-written by @sageobo31

Summary:

The Hazel Festival is coming up, and Laudna couldn't be more excited. Imogen finds that she'll willingly follow Laudna into a crowd.

Notes:

Hey hi hello it's been a million years again, life is nuts and this chapter was a bitch. We actually ended up splitting it in half at the last second. We hope everyone's doing well and hope y'all have a nice holiday/winter/winter break/etc!

We also have a full playlist going for this story finally! You can find the playlist here and the tumblr post here here

I would write a longer note but this chapter ate the rest of my brain cells. Hope y'all enjoy it!

—batwingsandblackcats

[batwingsandblackcats]

once and formerly haunted

chapter 9: to help you sleep

Read on Ao3

9/? | Chapter word count: 3,930 | Current total word count: 40,926

co-written by @sageobo31

Summary:

Neither Imogen or Laudna can sleep. And you know what that calls for? Tea.

Notes:

Hellooo all! It's been a hot minute, how's everyone doin? This chapter took a million years to finish for a million reasons, writer's block being one of them. But I finally finished it! It was actually going to be up sooner, but my computer ate the last thousand words and I had to rewrite it. Aaaand we have a neat little bonus over on YouTube--if you've ever wondered what Once and Formerly Haunted sounds like...I have an answer for you. Thanks so much for reading and we hope you enjoy!

—batwingsandblackcats

Psst--this is the lil bonus over on youtube:

[batwingsandblackcats]

Once and Formerly Haunted was an apt name for this place. Deep red mahogany and dark walnut gave the atmosphere of a curiosities shop as Imogen scanned the multitude of wooden bookshelves. Items ranged from spellbooks that lined the shelves next to the storefront window to glass jars that contained what she assumed were spell components. The jars sat higher up on the shelves and sparkled in the setting sunlight. Leather-bound books stacked nearly to the ceiling laid around in neat piles against several of the bookcases that were too packed to allow even a single sheet of parchment. Scroll cases were arranged on the highest of shelves and above the front counter that housed even more oddities within the glass display. Cobwebs clung to the corners but seemed almost decorative and intentional rather than negligent. They looked as if they were delicately spun just to fill the space. Everything appeared lovingly placed by the owner, who Imogen now realized had been the one speaking to her. — Once & Formerly Haunted, Chapter 1: copper kettle confessions

A shorter version of another post.

(I recommend jacking up your screen brightness to see all the details.)

[batwingsandblackcats]

Once and Formerly Haunted was an apt name for this place. Deep red mahogany and dark walnut gave the atmosphere of a curiosities shop as Imogen scanned the multitude of wooden bookshelves. Items ranged from spellbooks that lined the shelves next to the storefront window to glass jars that contained what she assumed were spell components. The jars sat higher up on the shelves and sparkled in the setting sunlight. Leather-bound books stacked nearly to the ceiling laid around in neat piles against several of the bookcases that were too packed to allow even a single sheet of parchment. Scroll cases were arranged on the highest of shelves and above the front counter that housed even more oddities within the glass display. Cobwebs clung to the corners but seemed almost decorative and intentional rather than negligent. They looked as if they were delicately spun just to fill the space. Everything appeared lovingly placed by the owner, who Imogen now realized had been the one speaking to her. — Once & Formerly Haunted, Chapter 1: copper kettle confessions

This painting has consumed every brain cell in my head for the last month, and the room in this painting has been floating around in my head for over two years, since @sageobo31 and I started playing with this AU in summer 2022.

This painting really came about because I wanted to listen to the ambiance of Once & Formerly Haunted. Not the playlist Sage and I put together, but the actual sounds of the space. I wanted to make a music and ambiance track for this little shop, and I wanted to make a youtube channel, but...I didn't know how to paint backgrounds. I didn't think I could paint backgrounds.

But thanks to a few tutorials and one guy's beautiful speedpaint of a similar scene, I stumbled my way (am still stumbling my way) through learning perspective and how to paint backgrounds. And then I made a youtube channel and made that ambient mix.

This painting and the ambient mix is a love letter to this little AU and all of you who have been following along despite our slow updates, and it's also a gift to Sage for playing in this little sandbox with me for so long.

So pour some tea and have a listen if you want to sink into Laudna's little magical bookshop. And if you prefer rain to a clear night, there's a version for that under the cut.

Happy listening, and thanks for stickin' around, y'all 💜🖤

[batwingsandblackcats]

Once & Formerly Haunted: tunes for a bookshop au

Though y'all would maybe be interested in some tunes curated by @sageobo31 and I for our lil bookshop story. We hope ya like it!

Tracklist:

00. a little bookshop | Tapestries and Tomes - Julian Schloming Figures on the wall / Flicker through the hall / Gathering 'cross the curtains / One and all / Tapestries and tomes / lamps upon the stone / radiate into the great unknown

P. I | summer left us beckoning (walk that empty northern hemisphere wide)

01. Imogen arrives on Wildemount | The Amber Road - Critical Role, Omar Fadel 02. Tri-Spires from a distance | Approaching Zadash - Hunter Rogerson 03. the first chill | October - Eric Whitacre, North Texas Wind Symphony 04. wandering Zadash | This Empty Northern Hemisphere - Gregory Alan Isakov Smoke it flies from whisky mouths / Vagabonds walk this suitcase town / Summer left us beckoning / The cottonwoods are all worn out / Night comes fixing on the day / And the universe reigned again / While the wheels roll it all glows a flickering light

P. II | once & formerly haunted

Ch. 1: copper kettle confessions

05. too many people, too many thoughts | Halling efter Per Loof - Frida Johansson, Henrik Oja 06. Once & Formerly Haunted | The Old Favourite - The Gloaming 07. a cup of tea | Tea with the Pansophical - Critical Role, Sterling Maffe

Ch. 2: pastries for a friend

08. wandering thoughts | Dreaming of Relief - Chris and Thomas I hope what you find will calm your mind / I hope you will always find the time you need 09. "Someone expectin' ya?" | Solace - Tow're 10. a new friend | The Hare - The Gloaming

Ch. 3: darling it's cold outside

11. Laudna’s home | Heads of the Valleys Road - Jess Morgan

Ch. 4: to keep you warm

12. shopping in Zadash | Finch In The Pantry - The Arcadian Wild 13. a proposal | The Forest of Frost on The Windshield - Matt Pond PA

Ch. 5: a new home

14. settling in | Roots - The Arcadian Wild Throw me all the seeds you sow / I'll take 'em in and make them grow in your light / Just give it time / So put down your roots / And I'll plant this fallow field of mine with you 15. nightmares | After a Storm - Western Skies Motel

Ch. 6: scars and stories

16. peppers and eggs | In The Kitchen - Hawktail

Ch. 7: cider, shots, and bad decisions

17. stories from Gelvaan | The Universe - Gregory Alan Isakov The universe, she's wounded / She's got bruises on her feet / I sit down like I always did / And tried to calm her down / I send her my warmth and my silence / And all she sends me back is rain, rain / The universe, she's wounded / She's still got infinity ahead of her

Ch. 8: a faire companion

18. Laudna's melody | Bell's Harmonic - Alan Gogoll 19. the hazel festival | The Old Road to Garry - The Gloaming

to be continued...

[batwingsandblackcats]

Trick or Treat!

*drops a reese's and a kit-kat into your bag*

Have a lil snippet of chapter 8 of once & formerly haunted!

Imogen's breath caught as Laudna's thoughts whispered, skimming over her mind. Flashing images of Laudna watching the festivities from a distance, a small bag of baked treats in hand to bring home, to eat and watch the dancing from her window. And, gods, Laudna sounded, looked so excited. so cautiously, hopefully excited that someone, that Imogen might want to go to the festival with her. Might want to experience the revelry with her. So she wouldn't have to wander the bedecked streets alone, a voyeur to everyone else's merriment.

[batwingsandblackcats]

my main question (not abt any specific fic of yours but you can choose one if youd like) is what is your favorite bit of dialogue/interaction between characters? ive been obsessed with how youve done imogen and laudna in the bookstore au and its been a frequent comfort read for me because of how cozy it feels

Aw thanks for stoppin by! That’s so incredibly sweet of you to say, I’m so glad our lil story is a source of comfort for you, that means the world.

Oh jeez, hm, for favorite dialogue….I do like this bit from chapter 7:

Imogen shook her head again, her fingers tensing around the mug. “No, he’s still back in Gelvaan, still workin’ for Faramore, no doubt,” a rueful smile that didn’t reach her eyes tugged at her lips, and she let out a sigh through her nose. “It’s just—he ain’t—he ain’t proud of me.”

It’s funny, Sage and I do all our planning and headcanoning via text and then I copy the texts, drop them into a document, and then go back and arrange them into a proper outline—sometimes the dialogue is pulled straight from our texts where we’re figuring out a scene with little to no changes made.

In terms of interactions, I’m a sucker for tender hurt/comfort and one of them being introspective about the other.

@sageobo31 , you got some favorite things you wanna talk about?

I promise we’re working on chapter 9, got some life stuff going on that’s been making it hard to write for a while. It’s actually almost done, just stuck on a scene towards the end.

Though, I have been obsessively working on a related project…sneak peek under the cut…

…wonder what this could be…?

[batwingsandblackcats]

once and formerly haunted

chapter 7: cider, shots, and bad decisions

Read on Ao3

7/? | Chapter word count: 4,050 | Current total word count: 31,679

co-written by @sageobo31

Summary:

Laudna is determined to do something sweet for Imogen, and maybe gets a little more than she bargained for when the whiskey comes out.

Notes:

Hey hi hello, it's been like six months, whoops. We took a lil break because we both got writer's block and then I started working full time and it took me this long to figure out how to reallocate my braincells to allow for some writing once in a while. But anyways. So here's chapter seven! We hope y'all enjoy!

—batwingsandblackcats

[batwingsandblackcats]

once and formerly haunted

chapter 6: scars and stories

Read on Ao3

6/? | Chapter word count: 4,612 | Current total word count: 27,629

co-written by @sageobo31

Summary:

Imogen settles into her new home, and her and Laudna have a heart-to-heart.

Notes:

Hey hi hello! Hope everyone's doing good.

Apologies for the long wait on this chapter, I had a real hard time getting started on it for whatever reason. neat thing about this chapter in particular is that I'd say about two-thirds of the dialogue comes straight from our text thread nearly word for word, so Sage helped with quite a bit of dialogue this time around.

We hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

—batwingsandblackcats

[batwingsandblackcats]

once and formerly haunted

chapter 4: to keep you warm

Read on Ao3

4/? | Chapter word count: 8,392 | Current total word count: 17,855

co-written by @sageobo31

Summary:

Laudna shows Imogen a few of her favorite shops so she can finally get some seasonally appropriate clothing, and a shitty elf at The Leaky Tap pushes Laudna to ask a question.

Notes:

HELLOOOO *slams a ream's worth of paper onto the table*

Yeah. So. This chapter spun out of control, but what else is new.

That's also why it's been so long without an update lol, I swear I've actually been working on it this whole time. Sage helped me out big time with some word choice on this one as well.

Thank you all so much for the comments, we're so happy you're enjoying this story so far!

—batwingsandblackcats

[batwingsandblackcats]

once and formerly haunted

chapter 5: a new home

Read on Ao3

5/? | Chapter word count: 5,146 | Current total word count: 23,017

co-written by @sageobo31

Summary:

Imogen moves into her new home with Laudna, and learns something new about her friend.

Notes:

You guys.

Oh my god.

This chapter was so fucking bizarrely hard to write and neither of us have a fucking CLUE why. We tag-teamed this chapter more than usual to be able to get it to a point where we were pretty happy with it. Sage wrote the whole first draft which was amazing, and I just went through and more or less smoothed out the wrinkles.

Please take it from us, we're so tired of looking at it.

On another note, @dadrielle over on tumblr bestowed upon us this absolutely GORGEOUS drawing of a scene from this au as part of her "guess the fic" series! Sage and I only weeks ago were marveling over her other pieces and talking about how awesome it would be to maybe one day see our au pop up as fanart like that, and then a couple days later dadrielle crashed into my inbox with that very thing. We can't thank you enough dadrielle!

Anyways, we really hope you all enjoy this chapter, and we hope you're all having a great new year so far! Thank you for reading!

—batwingsandblackcats

[batwingsandblackcats]

I’ve recently started working at an indie bookstore and I have to be so real I can’t fucking wait to start writing bookshop au during my bookshop shifts

[batwingsandblackcats]

When I asked @sageobo31 if we could set the Bookshop AU on Wildemount so Imogen could experience snow, this was NOT WHAT I MEANT

[batwingsandblackcats]

Oh hey Bridge City Sinners, thanks for dropping the perfect song just in time for chapter ten of the bookshop au, SUPER convenient I am DELIGHTED