#percy derolo | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

conditionaljewel · 9 months

Text

An Aria for Imogen - Chapter 3

(Chapter 1)

(Chapter 2)

Laudna trembled only slightly with the envelope from Whitestone in her hands, an odd feeling washing over her. Although much of her wounds and memories of Whitestone had now been erased or replaced with newer, brighter and happier memories, it was still a strained relationship that Laudna held with her original hometown in Tal’Dorei, and the DeRolo’s in particular. Yes, Pate was technically named after them, but what’s in a name anyway? She was also eternally grateful for the effort that Vex’ahlia and select others had put into helping the rest of her friends and Imogen bring her back,

However, the glaring truth of the matter was that the girls had not been to Whitestone since those days. After setting back off on their mission at the time and trying to do what they could to help stop Ludinus, they never found their way back to Whitestone, and by now it had been some time. Truth be told the girls, Laudna especially, were happy here in Marquet, in the Heartmoor in particular. They had no desire or wanderlust to visit Whitestone, no wish to move there, nothing. This was their home.

On a much deeper level however, at least just in Laudna’s own mind, she long held a suspicion that for as long as Percy was alive, he was always going to have his doubts about her, and about whether Delilah was well and truly gone for good or not. Laudna was afraid Percy would never be able to trust her, feeling as though if she were to move back there permanently she would not be comfortable while he was around, as well-meaning as he may have been. She knew she could trust Vex’ahlia, at least she felt she could, but that wasn’t nearly enough.

Laudna snapped back to reality and turned her focused onto the large sealed envelope. She felt a bit of weight to it as she broke the seals on the back and proceeded to open up the flap, moving lifting and peeling it back to reveal its contents. Inside there were two letter-sized paper-thin envelopes, a smaller paper-thin envelope that didn’t look like it had much in it at all at first glance, and one thicker envelope that seemed to be padded. This one contained most of the aforementioned heft.

She plucked the paper envelopes out first, both letter-sized packets along with the smaller individual packet, and grabbed the topmost of the two presumed letter-holding sleeves. She set the others down at her side and flipped this first one over to reveal writing indicating its’ intended recipient: Ms Aria Temult. Below that was written (care of Imogen and Laudna). Laudna flipped the envelope around to show the others before turning it back over to open it. Inside was a letter on simple parchment, no obvious letterhead or markings on the sheet, but just a simple now scrawled on the inside. A personal, handwritten note, from the hand of Vex’ahlia DeRolo herself.

Laudna skipped the contents of the letter and jumped straight to the by-line at the bottom, and shuddered upon reading it. “Vex’ahlia sent something for Aria,” she declared with surprise as she proceeded back to the top of the letter and began reading.

The letter read:

Dearest Aria, daughter of Laudna and Imogen Temult,

Welcome to the world, darling. As a token of appreciation of your mothers’ places in my life and their place in our world, and now yours, I have enclosed a few pieces of jewelry that I felt were befitting of you and your mothers. May they serve you in your life as they have once served me and my family. I wish you good health and tidings for many years to come, dear Aria. I look forward to meeting you and seeing your mothers whenever you next visit Whitestone, where you three are always welcome.

Hold firm to your mothers, little one; they are without a doubt two women whom I am most proud to know.

Yours in kindness, Vex’ahlia DeRolo

Laudna wiped a tear from her eye as she passed the letter over to Imogen. There were no additional seals or official use of her name, Imogen noted as she looked over the letter with one hand, the other still supporting Aria as she fed. As that was happening, Laudna had opened the envelope that had the weight to it, presuming these to be the jewels that Vex’ahlia had referenced.

Upon spilling open the padded envelope’s contents onto the table before them, they were surprised to see a small assortment of rings, earrings, and necklaces. Each of them were beset with various gems and jewels amongst them. One particular ring stuck out in particular, that caught Laudna and Imogen’s eyes nearly immediately: a Ruby ring comprised of two snakes, not unlike one that was already present in the room.

The girls both flashed a look at one another, before glancing down quickly at Laudna’s left hand, where the Ruby ring Imogen had given her in Bassuras sat proudly on her ring finger. They both lit up with smiles, as Laudna reached down and inspected the ring closely.

“It looks very similar,” Laudna said as she took the Ruby ring off her finger and compared them side by side. “How peculiar. I wonder if there’s something to it,” she said as she replaced her ring back on her finger, while passing the new one off to Imogen. Imogen took it in her hand and looked at it closely for a moment, before handing it off to Dorian as the chain continued.

As they shared that around the circle, Laudna felt there was still something inside the padded envelope, wedged at the very bottom. Pulling it open wide revealed a small velvet sack had been stuffed at the very bottom, prompting Laudna to reach her hand in and pull it free. Dropping the envelope to her lap, she fondled the sack in her hand and pulled on its draw string to loosen the cinch. The sack opened as she held it in her palm and poured its contents out: a tiny stone with runes carved into it, with a piece of parchment attached that read two words: “to Whitestone.”

“There it is,” Laudna heard Orym say as she looked up at him with a confused look on her face. “That one will reach out to the DeRolo’s, just in case.” He smiled as he said this, seemingly trying to extend an olive branch between the two families. “They do care about y’all, Delilah or no. They just wanted to share a token of their gratitude and congratulations regardless.”

Laudna pulled the stone close to her chest as she turned to Imogen, who had taken the new Ruby ring back from Dorian. The stone began to glow a light pulsating blue. Orym continued, “we talked before I came here, they knew I was coming to visit. They just wanted you to know that they would be there if you ever needed them again.” Imogen leaned forward and placed the ring down on the table beside the rest of the jewelry.

Laudna nodded and said “thank you” to Orym, all while still holding the stone in her hand. As this happened, the stone warmed slightly in her palm and the blue glow pulsed one last time. The warmth then dissipated, and it returned back to its dull coloration and temperature; Laudna did not seem to have noticed this.

She set the stone down and picked up the second envelope, the last remained sealed procurement of this delivery from Whitestone. She flipped it over to see the addressed recipients on this, to find another surprise:

To Mrs. Imogen and Mrs. Laudna Temult

Laudna still wasn’t used to seeing her name followed by Imogen’s last name, even though they’d been married for quite a while now. It was something she was always surprised by, and it would never get old to her, she felt. She smiled warmly as she flipped the envelope over and popped the two seals that were present on this particular parcel off.

She slid the paper out of its container and unfolded it, and began to read it:

Mrs’s Imogen and Laudna Temult,

We write to you on equal behalf of the Chamber of Whitestone as well as the group known as Vox Machina to wish you a hearty congratulations on your recent wedding, as well as the birth of your baby daughter, Aria.

In honor of these wonderful events, in celebration of our realm’s continued perseverance as a result of your direct action, and in honor of the new beginnings all across Exandria thanks to you and your companions known as Bell’s Hells, the Chamber of Whitestone and the members of Vox Machina would like impart upon you and your family this gift: an offering of seeds from the Sun Tree.

Please plant these seeds wherever you best believe will serve you and your family in the years to come; we believe you will find that the tree will grow with baby Aria, and hope that it will bring you all many happy memories, and a reminder that you are never too far away from Whitestone, if you would ever like to come back and visit - we all would love to see you again.

Wishing a long and happy marriage to you, Imogen and Laudna, and a beautiful, healthy life to your baby Aria.

All the best,

Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski DeRolo III, Lord of Whitestone Lady Vex'ahlia DeRolo, Baroness of the First House of Whitestone, Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt, Coinmistress of the Council of Tal'Dorei.

Keyleth of the Air Ashari, Voice of the Tempest, Vox Machina Pike Trickfoot, of the Slayer’s Cake, Vox Machina

Laudna finished reading the letter aloud before passing it over to Orym to hold. Imogen stood up, having noticed that Aria had finished feeding and was now dozing silently in her arms, and moved over to the bassinet only to find Pate still laying there from earlier. “Ugh, Pate,” she said as she bumped the bassinet gently to get him to stir. “Go on, get.”

Just as he did, springing to life and jumping up out of the bassinet quietly, Dorian let out a startled yelp. In the midst of all this, they had forgotten that Dorian had yet properly met Pate.

Laudna exclaimed as much loudly, running over to where Pate was as Orym continued to read over the letter. “Pate, come here!” She shouted at him as she snagged him out of the air mid-flight, dragging him over to Dorian. She plunked down on the floor in front of him, shoving Pate clumsily and forcefully in his face. “Look, it’s Dorian! Say hi!”

Pate extended one of his curled rat paws out toward Dorian who took it apprehensively. “‘Ello!” Pate shouted from a few inches away from Dorian’s face, as Laudna let him go so he may float there on his own. Orym looked up to take in this sight now, and said with much delay, “oh yeah, I forgot to warn you the rat is alive now, I’m sorry honey.”

Imogen’s head swirled on a dime at hearing Orym say “honey” to Dorian. She hadn’t ever heard him be affectionate to anyone that openly before, but it was refreshing to see and hear coming from him, especially toward Dorian. She took a moment and smiled to herself, getting the sense that perhaps something more was at stake on this trip than she or Dorian even knew.

Dorian took Pate’s hand in and gave him a greeting, introducing himself in turn. “It’s nice to meet you, Pate.” Dorian was still in a bit of shock and wasn’t quite sure what to say or do. He said as much. “I’m quite taken aback right now, I’m sorry. I— um—”

Laudna retracted Pate a bit from Dorian’s space, giving him the opportunity to relax and acclimate properly. “I had completely forgotten you two hadn’t met, my goodness, that was a bit overenthusiastic of me Dorian, I'm sorry.” She said to Dorian, before turning her eye onto Pate. “Come Pate, we’ll reintroduce you later,” she said as she pet his head comfortingly and got up from the ground. She tossed Pate into the air, and as she said “go do something productive,” he disappeared in a poof.

“Laudna, I am sorry if I—“

Laudna cut Dorian off. “Oh, no need to apologize! It’s quite alright, honest, that’s on me. No harm no foul. He can be a bit much anyway, so its best to try again later,” she said demurely but not untruthfully. Pate could be a bit much, this is true, but he’d only seen Pate as whatever part of Laudna’s psyche that she chose to portray him as, not as he is now. He would surely be in for a real treat.

Imogen, in the midst of all of this, had wandered into the kitchen to check on dinner. She poked her head out into the lounge after just another minute and announced finally done, inviting the others into the dining room to take a seat.

Dinner was served and a warm meal was enjoyed by all four of them. Several rounds of wine were further consumed, which helped Dorian loosen up and relax enough to the point that, with the added help of a proper explanation, he was able to finally meet and have a brief conversation with Pate. They hit it off as well as one would expect, though Dorian still felt a little weird after their talk. Orym reassured him, however, that he’d get used to him. “You kind of have to, anyway,” he reminded Dorian. Dorian nodded in understanding, knowing that it would take him a minute, but that he’d continue to put in the effort. Next time he’d be better prepared.

It was also during this time that Orym finally got to hold baby Aria as he long anticipated. Imogen motioned for him to go sit in the lounge as Pate and Dorian met, while she snuck away and picked up Aria from her sleeping place. Imogen sat down next to Orym on the couch, allowing him to get comfortable for a moment, before handing her over to him. As soon as he had her all to himself, he let out a hearty laugh as the size comparison became quite evident. “She’s gonna be as big as me in about three years, I think,” she said as he smiled down on her.

“Maybe a little sooner,” Imogen replied, now thinking that she very well may be. Orym laughed.

“Hi Aria, I’m your Uncle Orym.” Orym sat there holding her for a few minutes in silence with Imogen beside him, as Aria reached out to him, still only lightly squirming just as she always had. “She’s remarkably calm,” he whispered to Imogen not wanting to jinx it. “Is this normal for her, or did I just get lucky?”

Imogen smiled and chuckled. “A little of both, honestly. She’s been really good, really calm and easy going, just a few hiccups but… no, she’s been wonderful. We’ve both been so lucky.” A tear formed in the corner of her eye, but she brushed it away while Orym wasn’t looking.

Another moment passed. “She is beautiful, Imogen,” he said to her as he looked over and up at her, taking in the comparison and similarities between her and her child, as a warm smile appeared on Imogen’s face. She closed her eyes and nodded, and leaned into his side with a playful bump as a thank-you gesture. She looked across the house and saw Laudna and Dorian still sat at in the dining room conversing with one another, Pate having been sent away at this point. Imogen nudged Orym gently this time, and motioned subtly into the dining room at Dorian. Upon catching her indication, he looked back at her, and then up at the ceiling. Imogen nodded, and opened her telepathic bond to him.

“Are you gonna do it?”

“Tonight, once we’re back at the inn.”

Imogen smiled big and now said out loud, but in a hushed tone, “I’m really happy for you. Let me know how it goes.” She smiled and slunk down in the couch slightly, allowing her to put her arm around Orym more comfortably and give him a side-hug.

“I’ll tell ya tomorrow,” he replied. He leaned back into her as Aria began to coo once more, seemingly also in approval. Both Orym and Imogen laughed at this, which caught Laudna and Dorian’s attention together. They both broke from their discussion, seemingly to be about which cheese would go great with a bottle of Whitestone’s finest wine, and returned to the lounge to rejoin Imogen and Orym for a bit more friendly conversation and an impromptu game of cards.

As the night wore on, Imogen went to put Aria to bed, which caused Dorian alarm as he suddenly remembered that he had not presented them with the gift he had brought for the baby earlier in the night as he had wanted. “I was so startled by Pate that I was completely distracted and forgot, please, forgive me” he said as he reached out to Orym, motioning for the satchel that they had brought with them. After a moment’s hesitation to recognize the request for what it was, Orym grabbed and handed off the satchel to Dorian. “I’ll wait until you’re back to unveil it,” he said as Imogen walked off to the hall and up the stairs.

It wasn’t long before Imogen returned to hear discussion of the Museum that brought the Bells Hells to the Heartmoor in the first place, and what Dorian could expect to see tomorrow when he and Orym go by. “I wonder if he’ll remember you, Orym,” Laudna was heard saying to him as Imogen re-entered the room, prompting the others to wave as she wandered to the couch.

Laudna was sat to one side of the couch at this point, and had her legs curled up next to her, her feet poking out from the bottom of her dress but tucked under a blanket for warmth. Imogen sat down immediately beside her, but not before lifting the blanket and her legs all in one and sliding underneath them, placing them back down on her lap and resting her arm across Laudna’s leg. Laudna reached up and grabbed Imogen’s hand and held it in hers. All the while, Orym and Dorian both sat across from them, already holding one another’s hands as Imogen was settling into her resting spot, as they continued their conversation. Imogen clocked Orym rubbing Dorian’s ring finger, an empty spot where a ring sure would look lovely, she thought to herself.

They finished discussing the Museum when their attention turned back to Dorian’s gift, as the satchel was still sat resting against his thigh. He moved the bag to between him and Orym, so as to not have to let go of Orym’s hand, and reached inside with the free hand. “So, as soon as Orym told me her name was Aria, that night, I had a dream and I knew just what to get her. I really hope you all like it.” He was arm-deep just as Orym had been earlier while he was looking for his own gifts, and in just a split second after that sentence left his lips, he pulled his arm out with a child-sized harp. It was painted off-white in color with prismatic glitter scattered throughout, causing light to sparkle all throughout the room.

He placed it out on the table and spun it in place slowly, now letting go of Orym’s hand so only to provide added care to his touch of this beautiful gift to their musical witchy friends. “I’ve always thought harps were beautiful instruments, and it just resonated with me as soon as I heard her name.” Imogen sat forward and grabbed the harp from the table and took it in close to admire it. The craftsmanship that went into its creation was second to none, and she and Laudna were both in awe of the consideration and work that went into it.

“Dorian, thank you so much,” they both said in equal but different measures, the full breadth of their appreciation unable to be expressed. They were very clearly touched, both of them getting a bit misty-eyed by the gesture, as Imogen passed it over to Laudna to see for herself.

“It’s nothing, I am happy to share this with you all, with her,” as he motioned with his hand up to the ceiling where he presumed she was asleep somewhere upstairs. He sat back into his spot on the couch, his hand falling back to his side only to find Orym’s waiting for it still. He took it back into his hand, as Orym crossed his other hand over his body and grasped onto Dorian’s arm comfortingly, giving him a caring look as he did so.

Laudna continued to inspect and examine the harp herself, she too in awe of its construction and creation, considering it a work of art in itself. She plucked one of the strings, then another, and another, the notes all sounding perfectly in tune as she moved along a bit discordantly. She wasn’t trained, but the sounds made were still beautiful nonetheless.

“I think she’ll love it, and honestly I always wanted to learn myself,” she admitted as she handed it back out to Imogen, who took it in hand and set it back down on the table. “Thank you so much again Dorian, this was very thoughtful.”

Imogen repeated her thanks, and raised her glass of wine to them both. “Thank you both, you’re wonderful friends and we’re very glad to have you in ours and her life. Cheers,” she said, as she paused for the others to grab and raise their glasses. In unison, the others proclaimed “cheers!” And took a swig of their respective drinks.

As the evening wound down and midnight approach, and with plans made for to grab breakfast in the morning in between some of what the boys had otherwise planned while going about their day being tourists in town, the girls offered to send Pate with them on their journey back to their inn. “It’s not that it’s dangerous — it’s really not, we promise — we just didn’t want you to get lost,” Laudna offered them, but Orym reassured them that they knew where they were going, adding that he didn’t mind if they got lost. He gave Laudna a wink, but she didn’t seem to pick up on it.

The time had came for them to leave, and the boys began to gather with their things in the entryway by the base of the staircase. Double checking that they were not forgetting anything, they all hugged and cheek-kissed across the respective couples as the boys hitched up their jackets and left the Temult estate.

As they reached the bottom of the two steps from their door, Dorian reached out and grabbed Orym’s hand. Imogen nudged Laudna’s elbow as it happened, both of them bouncing against one another playfully as they watched the two men walk down the short path to the gate, and out into the cool night air of the streets of the Heartmoor. Laudna and Imogen watched from their door as the silhouettes of their friends walked down the block, offering one last unseen wave as they disappeared from eyeshot around the corner.

Imogen turned out the front porch lantern before closing and locking the door tight, as Laudna headed upstairs ahead of her, going toward the nursery where Aria lay. She poked her head in and seeing that she was still asleep, Laudna waved her fingers in the air and snapped quietly, summoning Pate into place, and quickly grabbing him as he appeared.

“‘El—“ was all he was able to utter out loud before Laudna’s hands snapped around his mouth, muffling him and rendering him silent.

“Sssssh, you can’t do that,” Laudna said in a hushed, stern whisper. “We’ve been over this, you’re to just appear; the baby is sleeping.” Laudna turned her hands around so Pate could now see that Aria was indeed asleep in the crib.

Pate nodded in understanding. Laudna released her grip on his mouth and let him speak. “I‘m sorry,” he pushed out in as hushed of a whisper as his voice would otherwise allow.

“Just watch over her, come get me if she wakes; Imogen and I are going out to the garden for a while,” Laudna said to her little rat-raven as she tossed him lightly back into the air, in the direction of where Aria was resting. He floated with his ribcage wings across the room and perched himself on the corner post of the crib that was nearest the window and settled in comfortably, keeping a close watch. His head turned as he looked over at Laudna, the blank eye sockets with only that light purple flame burning in them blinking in and out as he gave her a nod, “I got her, ma’am,” he said in the same hushed tone, still so loud anyway.

Laudna sighed and waved at Pate a reluctant thank you, hoping against hope that he didn’t just wake Aria. She closed the door, and turned to find Imogen emerging from their bedroom having changed into a long flowing dusty pink night top with thick shoulder straps and a hem that fell down to just above her ankles. She waved Imogen over as Imogen was already walking down the hall towards her, as she lingered by the door for a moment.

Pate’s noise did not seem to stir Aria, as they did not hear any immediate signs of crying while they stood outside Aria’s room. Laudna sighed of relief as Imogen rubbed her on the back and asked what that was about, having heard Pate herself from their bedroom. After Laudna explained what happened, Imogen too let a similar sigh out. “We really gotta talk to him tomorrow,” she said as she made for the staircase.

Laudna whisper-shouted after her as Imogen began to descend the staircase, “I’ll be down in a moment.” Imogen proceeded down the rest of the stairs as Laudna quickly but stealthily made her way down the hall and to their bedroom to change into more comfortable clothing herself.

Meanwhile, Imogen had made it downstairs and headed to the washroom for a moment. She stepped in and splashed another handful of water onto her face. She was feeling so warm and fuzzy from all the wine, not quite drunk but just buzzing, and was excited about the developments between Dorian and Orym that she was trying so hard to keep inside as a surprise for Laudna for tomorrow, but she wasn’t sure she would be able to keep it to herself all night.

By the same token, she was swimming in the ecstasy that was her little family, and all their friends who had now met their child - their collective niece, them her collective aunts and uncles. Imogen couldn’t contain her happiness over the lives that they had cultivated with one another, much like the garden that they had grown in the backyard. The garden, Imogen thought.That’s when Imogen’s attention returned to the envelope from the DeRolo’s.

She splashed another offering of water up against her face, the coolness feeling so refreshing against the warmth that her emotions and the wine were presenting her. Imogen felt great. She dried her face after a moment and then exited the washroom. Navigating back through the kitchen and dining room, Imogen headed into the lounge where the gifts still remain spread out on the table. She shuffled through the various envelopes and letters that were still strewn about the table until she found the seeds, and grabbed them.

Clutching the packet of seeds in one hand, she then reached for the envelope that the jewelry originally had been in. She started to collect all of the pieces gifted to them by Vex’ahlia and collected them up into her palm, all except for one. Imogen left the Ruby ring, the one that looked very similar to the one she presented to Laudna as a symbol of their love, out on the table as she slid everything else back the envelope whence they came.

Placing the envelope back down onto the table, she then turned her attention to the ring. Imogen picked it up and looked it over again up close, admiring the snakes that twirled around one another, coming to a head at the face where they both, mouths open, held the ruby together. Imogen took the ring between her quite nimble and dexterous fingers, toying with it for a moment, and slid it onto her ring finger beside the wedding band Laudna had given her during their marriage ceremony.

Imogen was about to stand and turn when she paused for another second. Instead of proceeding back to the kitchen, she lingered there for a minute, her gaze transfixed on the two letters that accompanied the seeds that she held so firmly in her hand: First, at the letter to her daughter that was signed only by Vex’ahlia, and then to the letter from Vex and Percy, as well as Pike and Keyleth. She eyed the official-looking letter with a weird feeling in the back of her mind, but in this late hour and amidst the buzz of the wine, she was unable to determine what the bug of it all was. She let it go, leaving the letters all where they lie for the morning when she’d clean them up. Mission accomplished, seeds still tucked away in her hand, she walked back through the lounge and dining room to the kitchen.

In the time it took for Imogen to do that, Laudna hastily changed into her own nightgown and emerged out of her bedroom within a matter of minutes. Now wearing a long black slinky gown with elbow-length sleeves, and a patterned boa neckline and hem that barely cleared the floor when she stood up tall, she scurried down the hallway and quickly checked in on Aria once more, only to find she was still sound asleep with Pate perched on the same post as he left her. She smiled and closed the door gently and headed towards the stairs, descending them with grace as she called out to her love. “Oh, Imogen~,” her voice echoed out softly through the hallway as she reached the bottom step and turned around the banister to the landing. Calling out for Imogen once more by name, Laudna skipped down the hallway to the kitchen where she found her having just arrived there not a second prior.

As Laudna entered the room, a look of intrigue still lingered on Imogen’s face from the letter, but she shook it off quickly. Not quickly enough, as Laudna asked “are you alright, darling?”

Imogen gave a quick head shake to play it off and looked up at Laudna with an elated smile. “Oh, I’m just fine, Laud’,” she said with an elongated drawl on her most of words for emphasis as she took a step toward her and slung her arms around her. She may not have been drunk, no, but Imogen was still feeling better than she normally felt when she chose to drink.

She got up on her tiptoes and gave her a kiss. “C’mon, let’s go,” she said as she just as quickly fell back down to her heels and, after grabbing another bottle of wine (and only a bottle of wine) from the counter, headed back out into the garden.

Laudna was about to follow her when she paused and doubled back to the counters and grabbed two more wine-glasses. Much to her chagrin, upon opening the cabinet door where they were stored however, she noticed that the remaining glasses had been placed rim-side down. “Hmm,” Laudna thought to herself bemusedly. She looked and didn’t see any others whose rims weren’t currently on the shelves, and sighed. “I supposed they’ll have to do,” she said with a knowing chuckle as she closed the cabinet door and hustled to catch up with her loving, beautiful, "can-do-no-wrong except this one little thing” wife.

They walked barefoot through grassy maze that surrounded their soil beds, all neatly arranged and housing all of the various plants and crops that they’d been cultivating for several months. They wound through the garden to the top of the hill that separated their homestead from the woods and steadily, carefully quarter-stepped down the hill to a small fire pit that was at the base, just at the forest line.

They collected kindling and branches to start a fire as they trekked down the hill. Upon arrival, they arranged all they had gathered in a manner that would be most efficient for an open fire, and began to bring it to life. While Laudna worked the flint and created the spark, eventually leading into her stoking the flames and getting the fire really burning, Imogen began to rearrange the space surrounding the fire. She pulled a log that they had typically sat on and moved it about a foot back and away from the fire, and instead sat down in front of it, leaning up against it’s bark-hewn exterior.

Laudna got the fire to a place where she was satisfied with its existence and condition, and allowed herself to step back and admire it for a moment. Imogen had just finished pouring them both a fresh glass of wine as Laudna took in her creation, and reached a glass out to her as she walked around examining it from all sides. Laudna took the glass as she passed and continued her inspection, taking a sip as she tossed one final branch underneath the biggest log on the far side opposite of where Imogen sat.

Imogen patted the spot next to her, inviting Laudna to come and sit as she closed in on completing another lap around. “The fire is good enough, darlin’,” she said as Laudna made her approach. Satisfied that her wife was satisfied, Laudna nodded and joined her wife along the old tree trunk. She squat down and planted her butt firmly on the ground, extending her legs and crossing them at her ankles, right over left.

Laudna made herself comfortable, putting her left arm out and over Imogen and pulling her into an embrace at her side. Imogen handed her a glass of wine and then scooted over a few inches to close the gap to her beloved. She crossed her legs at her ankles, left over right, and nudged them into Laudna’s as they rest immediately alongside hers just in front of the warm fire.

To this, Laudna giggled as she responded by tilting her head to the left and giving Imogen a loving, gentle bump much like cats are often wont to do. Imogen breathed hard out of her nose in a sign of amusement. She raised her wine glass to within view of them both and waited for Laudna to bring hers up, before clinking them together. “To our darling Aria,” she said. Laudna smiled and blinked away a heartfelt tear, and each of them took a sip.

They sat there in the quiet stillness that the Heartmoor presented at night. Where once they both would have felt frightened, anxiety, nerves, now they could finally enjoy the peace and quiet of the night around a campfire in the privacy and tranquility of their own home. Their home. With their daughter.

After a short while, the fire still burning bright, Imogen looked up at the house from where they sat. Laudna had her gaze fixed on the fire as Imogen broke the silence with a question, that nagging feeling from the letter finally catching up to her.

“Laud,” she said softly at first, waiting to hear if Laudna would respond before continuing.

Hearing a gentle “hmm” from Laudna, she proceeded. She took Laudna’s left hand into her left hand from overtop, each of their left ring fingers now wearing matching Ruby rings.

“Do you think they were for real? The DeRolos?”

Laudna’s gaze was broken upon hearing the name again this evening. She blinked twice and snapped back into a more grounded state, processing the question once more. “Why do you ask, darling? What does your intuition say?”

Imogen looked down between them where she had tucked the seeds away initially, and grabbed them in her right hand. She pulled them up and placed them on her lap so she and Laudna could both see the packet. She wasn’t having trouble articulating her thoughts, she just wanted to be wrong about them, but she shared it anyway. “I just have a feeling that this wasn’t as sincere as we think. I don’t know. I just don’t trust Percy, not as much as I trust Vex at least.”

Laudna reached out and took the packet into her hand, and examined it closely. She held it up to the light of the fire and counted the seeds that could be seen through the silhouettes created, and saw at least a dozen. Maybe a few more.

“I trust you, darling. If you don’t think we should plant them, we don’t have to.”

“What do you want, Laud?” Imogen asked with a high level of compassion in her voice. She turned to look up at her Lady of Whitestone, who returned her loving gazing for a moment, just looking into one another’s eyes with a passion that burned far brighter than the fire just a few feet away.

Laudna took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second, before opening them back up to Imogen. She crumpled up the packet of seeds and tossed them behind her shoulder. For a moment, Imogen was afraid that they were being tossed in the direction of the fire, her heart skipping a beat, but was relieved when she saw them fly the opposite direction, away from the flames. Imogen wouldn't have questioned it even if Laudna had thrown them in and set them ablaze, but she was glad that she didn’t completely close that door.

“Whitestone isn’t home for me, it hasn’t been for a very long time. I’ve learned that home is what you make of it,” Laudna said as she took Imogen’s right hand into hers, both their hands now intertwined together in this moment. “Home is who you make of it,” she corrected herself, “and you and Aria are my home now.”

Imogen looked up at Laudna and leaned her head in her direction, prompting Laudna to lean forward to meet her lips for a kiss. They lingered in the kiss for a moment, smacking lips once, twice, three times before parting.

“I’m glad Whitestone is in better hands now, but I don’t need to go back there. I don’t want to go back there, at least not right now. Maybe someday.” She squeezed Imogen’s hands, both of them, and added “but I’m happy with our life here.”

“I am too,” Imogen said as she leaned in and kissed Laudna, embracing her cool purple lips onto hers, allowing the electricity to jolt through her just like they were kissing for the first time, for the 9000th time. They each let go of their hold on one another to pick up their glasses of wine. With a clink, they both took another sip as they continued to enjoy the warmth and light of the fire for a little while.

After almost two hours by the fire, and with the fire at its lowest but not out completely, the girls poured a bucket of water over the remnants that lingered, extinguishing it completely. The smoke dissipated quickly with the light breeze that blew through here at the foot of the forest, but they lingered for just a couple of minutes more to ensure that nothing was going to spark a new fire.

“Wouldn’t want to upset Smokey,” Laudna said with a chuckle.

“Who,” Imogen asked as the two each began to help one another to their feet, stumbling and struggling in their efforts.

“Smokey the Bear? You didn’t have him growing up?” Laudna looked at Imogen like she had just grown a second head.

Imogen, for her part, returned the look. “No?”

Laudna laughed and took her pride and joy by the hand as they walked back up the hill. “So, we had this bear called Smokey the Bear — he was really just this Druid named Smo’quay — who would come into town and give the children little PSAs about preventing forest fires, it was a big deal back home in my youth.”

Imogen was so puzzled to hear about this, but let Laudna continue on her explanation as they worked their way to the crest of the hill and back through the garden patches. Imogen couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but still believed every word that Laudna was telling her, validating her by promising her that she would be vigilant about campfires more often moving forward.

Laudna smiled at her loving, adoring wife and kissed her on the cheek as they walked inside the house. Laudna closed and locked the back door behind her and turned out the light in the kitchen as she followed Imogen’s footsteps down the hall. She tiptoed hastily down the hall and rejoined Imogen as she ascended the staircase. Laudna peered around the corner to make sure the fire in the hearth was fully extinguished and all the other lanterns were turned down, and satisfied that they were, made her own way up the steps as well.

She finally rejoined Imogen for good as she was peering into Aria’s room to check on her one last time. Still sound asleep, she took a few creeping steps in and saw Pate asleep just next to her in the crib. Imogen wasn’t sure if she should feel creeped out or comforted by this, but chose to find it endearing that Pate was taking to her so well; she just hoped that Aria would like Pate just as much, and wouldn’t be scared of her. While everything so far seemed to point to things going okay, she never could quite tell with Pate.

Imogen kissed her fingertips and placed them to Aria’s head as she slept, and then silently tiptoed back out of the room. She closed the door behind her, leaving it cracked just the slightest bit, as they jointly walked down the hall to their bedroom.

It was nearly 2 o’clock in the morning as the girls slipped into their own bed and turned the lights out on their evening. The two witches snuggled into their blankets and into each other as they wished one another goodnight, Imogen laying in Laudna’s arms like always. While Laudna fell asleep relatively quickly, Imogen laid away for a few minutes enjoying the embrace, and specifically the odd warmth that Laudna’s body didn’t bring, as she laid so closely beside her. Imogen squeezed the hand of Laudna’s that rested just over her boob as they lay there, and closed her eyes, wondering if it had happened yet.

In her last moments of waking consciousness of the evening, Imogen let her mind open once more. The sounds of Laudna and Aria’s thoughts both slowly permeated into her head. The softest, calmest, quietest melody played as her girls slept peacefully in their little home, and she smiled to herself as she listened to the music for a moment, her heart full and nearly bursting. As Imogen drifted off to sleep, the last thing she felt as she listened to her girls mentally was Laudna pulling her closer in her sleep, and nuzzling Imogen’s neck as she lay behind her.

With that, the girls — along with Pate — all slept quietly through the night, a beautiful evening having come to a close.

—

About a mile across town on the second floor of the Sodden Grange Inn in a little corner room, two men fell asleep holding onto one another comfortingly, with one man sporting a ring on a finger that had previously been absent any adornment or decoration.

A smile was permanently etched onto Orym’s face as he fell asleep in Dorian’s arms, but not before opening his eye one last time to see the ring resting there on Dorian’s finger as his hand lie there on Orym’s side, embracing him as he slept. Orym pat his free hand on top of Dorian’s, whispering “good night honey,” as he closed his eyes.

Orym felt one last feint squeeze of Dorian’s hand on his side, and a whisper in his ear from behind, “I love you.”

—

Somewhere else further away, halfway around the world in a castle on top of a hill in Whitestone to be precise, in a private office connected to a hidden hallway underneath the Castle, a grown man with a head of white hair sat at his desk seeming to be working with one of his creations.

Percy was here in his private chambers working on one of his long-cared-after creations, looking out through the private window hole in his underground bunker as he did so. He had the device in one hand and a rag in the other as he was in the middle of polishing the long barreled weapon, a firearm upon closer glance. As he continued to rub the cloth on one end of the device, he paused when he noticed a glowing green light begin to emanate from a smooth, thin stone sitting off to one side of the desk in a pulsating pattern.

Setting the device down on top of the long narrow box that he had originally been keeping the item in, Percy picked up the stone and sat back in his chair. After he adjusted his glasses as they rest on the bridge of his nose having been slightly askew, he peered out the squat rectangular window that his desk was situated in front of, the only window here in this small underground office. This is where he always sat and worked on his so-called “classified” projects. He gazed out into the mid-morning sky and just stared for a moment. A few birds were flying overhead and there wasn’t a cloud to be seen. It was a perfect day.

He held the stone up to his ear, and heard the words “thank you” come through in a vaguely familiar woman’s voice. He grinned. The glow it had presented changed as he held it in his hand, turning from the greenish tint it featured originally now to a bright blue color. The pulsating pattern continued in this color as Percy held the stone in his hand, but did not say anything.

He continued to sit there and look back up to the sky once more, just observing. Watching. After a beat, Percy sat back up and hunched over the desk once more, placing the stone back down where it first was a moment ago. The blue glow diminished entirely as it came to rest there on the desk.

He picked the device back up from where it laid on top of the closed box, revealing a label on it that read “Bad News.” He looked the device over from atop his wire-frame spectacles, adjusting them on the bridge of his nose once more as he continued his inspection. He turned it over in his hands and took the polishing cloth to the end of the elongated barrel, satisfied that an an itch in the back of his mind was now scratched for the time being.

#critical role #laudna #imogen #southern gothic #imogen x laudna #imodna #imodna fanfic #critical role fanfic #fan fic #fanfic #fan fiction #critical role fan fiction #cr fan fic #imogen temult

20 notes · View notes