Work Text:
From the very first moment Laudna enters Imogen’s line of sight, it’s clear they were always meant to meet. They click immediately—Imogen lets Laudna stay with her, hidden away in her room, because she knows Relvin wouldn’t let her stay if he knew. For a few days, they manage to avoid him. They talk all night, every night, as if they’ve known each other for years and not just three days.
On the fourth day, Imogen wakes up panicked from a nightmare, consequently waking up Laudna, sleeping in the single bed with her. She doesn’t want to tell Laudna about it at first, but then Laudna opens up about Delilah Briarwood—the woman who killed her, died and now lives in her mind. She can be terrifying, but most of the time she’s just there. In turn, Imogen tells Laudna she has been tormented with recurring nightmares of a red storm for a while now and she has no idea why, but she’s sure there must be some kind of meaning behind them, she just hasn’t figured it out yet.
The next day, both of them pack up their things and leave Gelvaan.
After travelling together for two, almost three months, Laudna and Imogen have found their comfortable rhythms. Imogen makes sure they always have enough supplies, money and a place to sleep. Laudna makes sure no one bothers them and takes care of Imogen when the constant stream of everyone’s thoughts or the recurring nightmares become too much for her.
When Imogen wakes up in the middle of the night in an unfamiliar tavern again, she immediately finds Laudna’s hand under the covers and holds it. Only half awake, Laudna squeezes Imogen’s hand and fights to open her eyes. The room is dark and she can barely make out anything.
“Another nightmare?” she asks, her voice thick with sleep. The nightmare had been coming almost every day this week, and neither of them has been sleeping a lot. Imogen nods. Laudna pushes the sheets aside and gets out of bed, but Imogen doesn’t let go of her hand.
“Don’t go,” she whispers.
“I’ll be right back darling, I’m getting you water,” Laudna assures her. She walks to the window to open the thin curtains, so the moonlight illuminates the room enough for her to see what she’s doing. As she walks to the small table with their few belongings on it on the other side of the room, she hears a familiar voice in her head.
Oh pet, again? Delilah says, her tone contemptuous. You know you don’t have to serve her, right? She’s a big girl. She can get her own water.
"You go quiet for months and show up only to judge me? Good night to you too!" Laudna replies out loud, her voice hushed.
Imogen hears her and immediately gets up from the bed, crosses the room and hugs Laudna from behind while she’s pouring Imogen her glass of water. She rests her head against Laudna’s back and asks, “Is she talking to you again?”
Laudna nods. In her head, Delilah almost sighs. This is a dangerous relationship, child. Be careful with who you trust. This bond may be strong, but ours will always be stronger. You will lose her one day, but I will always be with you.
Laudna ignores Delilah and instead takes the glass of water before turning around in Imogen’s arms. She looks down at her friend and hands her the glass. “Here, drink up.”
Imogen lets go of Laudna and gratefully takes the glass from her. She takes a few sips before offering the drink to Laudna. “Are you thirsty?”
Laudna shakes her head. “It’s all yours.” Imogen drains the glass and sets it down. Laudna is looking at her, her face white from the moonlight coming in through the window. It reflects in Imogen’s lilac eyes—they almost turn white because of it. Laudna smiles at Imogen before asking, “Alright, do you want to tell me about it?”
On a clear and warm night, Imogen and Laudna are walking through a flower field. The flower heads hang low, their leaves closed. Even at night, their colours are beautiful. Imogen walks through the rows and rows of flowers, careful not to trample them, while Laudna walks right behind her, talking to Pâté. She hears bits and pieces of the one-way conversation and smiles. Laudna is telling Pâté that Imogen has a surprise for them and telling him how excited she is.
Imogen smiles. She dragged Laudna out of bed after she came home late at night and told her she had a surprise. Exactly a year ago today, they met in Gelvaan and Imogen thinks that’s cause for celebration.
“We’re here,” Imogen says. Laudna looks up from Pâté in her hand and sees a light grey blanket spread out in the field. On top of it is some food, a handpicked bouquet of flowers and three small, unlit candles.
“Imogen, this is…”
“It’s too much, isn’t it?” Imogen says. “I thought I went a little overboard, and I did. You’re right.”
Laudna grabs her hand and cups her cheek. “No, don’t freak out darling. This is beautiful. I love it.” Imogen relaxes under Laudna’s touch. “Shall we sit?” Laudna proposes. Imogen nods and sits down cross legged on the blanket.
“I was gonna light the candles, but then it seemed like a fire hazard so I didn’t. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Laudna smiles. Imogen finally seems to relax now that she’s sure Laudna likes the surprise. Pâté is carefully placed in between them, his head tilted upward towards the sky with one of the candles supporting it so it doesn’t fall down. Imogen offers Laudna the snacks and Laudna gratefully accepts.
“I can’t believe it’s been a year,” Imogen says before taking a bite. Just a little over a year ago, she felt alone and thought no one would ever accept her as long as she had her powers. The only place where she could ever find peace was with Flora, and while she loved her horse, it was so incredibly lonely. She never would’ve thought that her whole life could change after meeting a strange but sweet undead woman. She wouldn’t give it up for the world now.
“I’m glad I got to spend the past year with you,” Laudna says. Imogen takes her hand and rests her head on Laudna’s shoulder as she looks up at the stars.
“Me too.”
Oh... you silly little fools, Delilah's voice sounds in Laudna's head. Don't you know this bond is bound to bring your demise?
Don’t, Laudna says.
Can’t you see it? Neither of you can fathom a future without the other.
Well, of course I want her in my future, Lauda shoots back. She’s my friend.
Imogen moves her head from Laudna’s shoulder, getting uncomfortable sitting like that, and instead slides down and rests her head in Laudna’s lap. Unthinkingly, Laudna starts raking her fingers through Imogen’s light purple hair.
Friend? Ha! Careful, dear. Having such foolish thoughts will only bring you pain. Don't lie to yourself. Let's leave before it's too late.
I would never leave her, Laudna hisses, suddenly angry at Delilah for always inserting herself in what would otherwise be the best moments for Laudna.
That’s the problem. Don't say I didn't warn you, Delilah answers.
After that, she goes quiet, but her words keep echoing in the back of Laudna’s head, even when she and Imogen fall asleep in each other’s arms underneath the stars.
Another year passes, and Launda and Imogen find themselves with a new group of friends—no longer just the two of them. They’re all huddled up in a tavern room when Imogen wakes up from another nightmare. She’d tried to walk into the storm, tired of running all those years. She wakes up terrified, taken by cold and darkness.
Fearne sees her and asks, “Did you have a dream?” Imogen is breathing hard, touching her face in disbelief and panic. She doesn’t even notice Fearne. “Are you okay?” Fearne asks.
“I’m not dead,” Imogen whispers, more to herself than anyone else.
Fearne nudges Laudna, trying to wake her up. “Laudna. Laudna, she had a dream.”
Imogen is barely registering any of what’s happening around her. She hears Orym’s voice and then feels Fearne’s hand slipping out of her pocket. That satyr will really take any opportunity to try and steal from anyone, but she’s a good friend. Laudna comes over with a glass of water for Imogen, who immediately starts telling her about her dream.
“I went—I went into the storm,” she says.
“You went in this time?” Imogen shrugs and gives her a half nod. “How was it? What happened?”
“It was terrible, and cold, and there were people there and I don't even know who they were—I couldn't tell who they were. They were… They were looking at me and…” She trails off, fighting back tears and rubbing her temples. She feels scared, and drained.
“Did you feel warm?” Laudna asks. “Did it feel inviting?”
“No, it didn't feel inviting. It felt…” Imogen pauses, trying to find the right words. “Malevolent,” she says eventually.
Laudna grabs a journal and starts writing down what Imogen is saying, starting a dream journal. If they want to figure this out, they’re gonna have to start documenting her dreams.
“What do—What does it mean that I went into it? What does it mean?” Imogen asks, the question directed at no one in particular. She just wants to figure it all out, figure out why she’s been having these dreams and why they started changing.
“That you're strong,” Laudna smiles. “Did you hear your mother?”
“I did. Until I didn't.” Imogen fidgets with her fingers, almost cracking her knuckles and then deciding against it. Laudna is looking back at her from behind the journal and for a while, Imogen forgets they are not the only two people in the room.
“Until you didn't,” Laudna whispers.
“I heard her until I… was in the storm.” She’s still fidgeting and it seems to be calming her a little, though it might also be Laudna’s presence and talking about the dream. The fact that she can share the dream with her feels like a weight off her shoulders, like she doesn’t have to carry this burden alone.
“You couldn't see any discerning features or faces on these figures?” Laudna asks, her pencil resting on the paper of the notebook.
“No, it was too far, too… dreamy.” A nervous laugh escapes Imogen’s mouth.
“When you dream, it's lucid?” Orym asks, and Imogen suddenly realises him and Fearne are there too.
“I am in control of what I am doing, yes,” she says. “I am not in control of the environment, no.”
“Did you feel like… whoever was standing there saw you, too?” Fearne asks.
“Oh, they were looking at me,” Imogen brings out, almost shuddering when she recalls what they looked like. “All of them were.”
“Do you know how many there were?” Laudna asks.
“There was one at first, then three, then five, until eventually there were ten. It was like they were stepping out from each other.” She pauses, trying to formulate exactly what they looked like. “Not like the same person, but like one person with many presences. Like a uniform presence.”
“What if you're dreaming of those… the shadow people, the assassins?” Laudna says.
“What if she's dreaming of these people who were moon touched?” Orym shoots back.
Whatever it is, one thing is clear to Imogen. “We got to get more information.”
“I also think it's smart to um… be on our guard, take watch, even if we're in a hotel room,” Laudna says.
“Yeah,” Imogen nods.
“These people seem to come out from anywhere and I…” Laudna pauses and looks into Imogen’s eyes before continuing. “I would murder everyone around us if anything happened to you.”
“I could help you,” Fearne says.
“A murderous friend?” Laudna smiles, clearly excited. “That sounds fun.”
Child, be careful what you say, Delilah says. She couldn’t have come at a worse time.
Why now? Laudna snaps. Why do you always come when you’re the least wanted. This is not your time.
Look at you... ready to destroy the world just because of a dream. There’s an unsettling pause as Delilah lets her words sink in. And you think yourself better than me. Yet you're willing to risk it all for her.
Shut up.
You don't even know if she loves you, yet you'd kill us all for her sake. This will end in pain, and when it does, remember you brought it on yourself.
Delilah’s presence leaves, but as always, her warning lingers in the back of Laudna’s mind. She keeps taking care of Imogen until she’s sure she’s okay, and then she takes watch. She expects Imogen to go back to sleep and get the rest she clearly needs, but Imogen insists on keeping watch with her. Laudna keeps comforting her, trying to ease her mind with the little routine they’ve been doing for a while now, but she can’t seem to calm herself.
The following days, Imogen can feel Laudna pulling away from her. She gets it, the past days and nights have been intense and Laudna may need some time to herself. She just wished Laudna would’ve said something before suddenly ignoring her for no reason.
When they get back to the Spire by Fire Inn after the heist, Imogen tries to send a message to Laudna. She’s tried this a couple of times over the past few days, but hasn’t gotten a reply.
Are you okay?
Once again, no reply. Laudna won’t even look at her. She seems overtaken by some kind of darkness, more than usual. Usually there’s only the literal darkness that follows her—it ebbs and flows, but it’s always there. But now it seems like she’s been taken by an emotional darkness too. Her usual happy and open self has morphed into a secluded version of Laudna, on her own, not talking to anyone else. It’s the first time Imogen notices that Laudna isn’t only avoiding her, she’s avoiding everyone in the group. Sure, she sits with them and always stays close, but she doesn’t talk to anyone. She’s just in her own world, living in her head.
Laud, I’m worried about you.
No response. Laudna just goes up to the rooms and hides out there for the rest of the evening. By the time Imogen makes her way up to the room, Laudna is asleep, or at least pretending to be. Imogen carefully sweeps Laudna’s hair out of her face, staring into her open eyes.
“I hope you’re okay,” she whispers before slipping into the bed with her.
Isn’t it much better like this? Delilah asks a very much awake Laudna. You're finally listening to me.
Laudna doesn’t dignify it with a response.
Over the next days, Imogen notices that even if Laudna isn’t talking to anyone but Fresh Cut Grass (she so desperately wants to know what she’s telling them and why he’s the only one she still talks to, but she can’t ask either of them), she’s taking bigger risks, doing more for the group.
When they get attacked by a dusttra while on a skyship to Bassuras, Laudna is almost reckless, trying to fight the creature on her own, taking risks she shouldn’t. It pulls her down, off the ship and Laudna almost falls to her death.
“Laudna!” Imogen exclaims, looking at her friend falling deeper and deeper, getting closer to the desert below them. Adrenaline takes over and without thinking about it, Imogen casts Fly on herself and jumps overboard. She has no idea if she can carry Laudna, this might as well end bad for both of them, but she has to try. She can’t lose Laudna.
The free fall is terrifying and for a second, Imogen thinks she and Laudna will both fall to their death and this will all have been for nothing. Somehow the thought of dying together with Laudna doesn’t scare her. Laudna is a few feet below her, and Imogen is forcing herself to fall faster, using all her power to fly down. She extends a hand and sends Laudna a message.
Reach up. Take my hand.
Laudna looks up and sees Imogen reaching out to her. She had no idea she jumped after her. It takes a lot to fight the pressure in the air and extend a hand towards Imogen, but they manage to grab each other. Imogen pulls Laudna up until she can hold onto her with her full body, be sure she won’t drop her.
Imogen manages to fly up to the ship with her, just barely. She and Laudna fall down on the deck, and Imogen briefly passes out, the stress of losing Laudna and the efforts of the spell taking their toll. By the time she knows where she is again, hardly aware of anything that has happened since Laudna fell overboard, the others have taken care of the dusttra—though she has no idea how.
“Where is Laudna?” she asks when she sees Laudna isn’t where she dropped her off as soon as they boarded the ship again.
Ashton looks around. “I swear she was just here. I have no idea.”
Imogen gets up, still a bit woozy from what just happened and goes below the deck to look for Laudna. She finds her in the cabin that they share. She’s sitting on her bed, her back resting against the wall with her knees pulled up to her chest, hugging them. She looks like she’s fighting an inner battle. Her eyes are closed, a few stray, black tears rolling down her cheeks. Imogen watches her from the doorway. Laudna hasn’t noticed her yet, she’s too caught up in her own world.
“Will it ever be enough for you?” Laudna mutters, followed by a sniffle. She wipes her tears away with the back of her hand, and that’s when she notices Imogen. “Oh.”
“Is it Delilah?” Imogen asks. She steps into the room, sits down next to Laudna on the bed and takes her hand. Instead of getting closer like she always does, Laudna scrambles back, pulling her hand away as she tries to get farther away from Imogen. Laud, what’s going on? Imogen asks in her head.
Yes pet, what is going on? Delilah asks, also in Laudna’s head. She can almost hear her grinning. The woman doesn’t even have a physical form anymore, and yet.
Leave me alone, Laudna replies. I’m done with you. Done.
Imogen pulls back, tears welling up in her eyes. What do you mean? What did I do?
Laudna realises that Imogen is in her head and she can hear everything but Delilah. She’s torn—either she takes this opportunity to listen to Delilah, to sever her ties to Imogen and the others. She can leave them once they get to Bassuras and start a new life—the life with the least amount of pain, the one that Delilah has been talking about. On the other hand, she doesn’t want to sever ties with Imogen and the others. She loves her. She loves all of them.
Imogen, no.
But Imogen is already getting up from the bed.
How unfortunate, Delilah says. So incapable of love that you can't even open up to the only person who has loved you unconditionally since you adorned the Sun Tree.
This is all your fault, Laudna replies. If it wasn’t for you, nothing would’ve happened. We would’ve been fine.
Really? Imogen asks. She turns around on her way out of the room. Tears are streaming down her face, her eyes bloodshot and red. She looks angry and hurt. I have done nothing but support you since we met. I thought we were friends. She turns back and crosses the last few feet to the door.
Imogen, Laudna sends as she leaps up, grabbing Imogen’s hand right before she leaves.
It’s fine. I get it. None of it meant anything.
Imogen, no, Laudna says. She sounds desperate, and she is. She never wanted any of this. It’s Delilah. I’m talking to her, not to you. Imogen pulls her arm from Launda’s grasp. Please don’t leave.
They just stand there in the door opening, Laudna trying to catch Imogen’s eye and Imogen looking down, refusing to make eye contact.
I never want you to leave, Laudna says. Please. She takes Imogen’s chin between her thumb and index finger and lifts her head up. Her grip is loose, so Imogen can pull away whenever she wants to, but she doesn’t. She looks back at Laudna as Laudna wipes away her tears. I’m so sorry.
I’ve been so worried about you. Imogen covers Laudna’s hand—still resting on her cheek—with her own and leans into the touch. Why did you stop talking to us? And why did you try to fight the dusttra on your own? We’re a team, Laud. We’re supposed to do these things together.
I know. It was… Delilah was just getting in my head—ironically.
A silence falls between them as Imogen lets the words settle in, finding their meaning under the layers. Even if Laudna doesn’t name it, Imogen knows what she’s getting at. For years, Laudna believed she wasn’t meant to be loved, and Delilah only made those beliefs stronger. She rests her forehead against Laudna’s, her hands resting on her hips, pulling her closer.
They stand like that for what feels like hours. Being this close together, they feel at peace. Laudna listens to Imogen’s quiet breathing, focussing on that instead of Delilah. She may have gone quiet, but Laudna can still feel her presence lingering like a ghost.
Imogen takes Laudna’s hand and squeezes it. We’re okay. We’ll always be okay as long as we have each other.
Laudna nods, and Imogen’s head moves with her own, still leaning against it. Yes. Yes, we will.
I love you. Imogen’s nose bumps against Laudna’s. She smiles and moves her head, rubbing their noses together. Laudna scrunches her nose and smiles back at her.
I love you too.
There’s a beat where neither of them dares to move, but then Imogen leans in and tentatively places her lips on Laudna’s. They’re cold and chapped, not soft. But Laudna’s kiss is soft and gentle and warm, and she doesn’t pull away. Imogen gains confidence and presses down harder, really leaning into the kiss. Laudna’s left hand rests in the nape of Imogen’s neck, the other on her hip. She’s pulling her closer, as close as she possibly can.
When they break apart, Laudna leaves her feeling breathless and lightheaded in the best way possible. She’s wanted this for so long. She didn’t even know it at first, but suddenly it all makes sense. Why Laudna didn’t feel painful, why spending time with her was never draining and why they stuck together these past two years.
“Who would’ve thought Delilah of all people would be the one to make this happen?” Imogen chuckles, smiling up at the woman she has loved from the very first minute.
“Yeah, who would’ve thought indeed,” Laudna smiles back.