Chapter Text
“It’s getting really windy up in ‘ere!“ Pâté’s disembodied voice yelled from above as Laudna removed her thumb from where it was pressed against the side of her finger, letting the slack of the red thread caught between her two spindly fingers loose.
“Whoaaa!” His already tiny rat body becoming even smaller in their view as he rose higher and Laudna lets out a loud cackle, her grin stretching wider and her already bulbous eyes widen to unnatural sizes that would make anyone else feel perturbed.
But beside her, her two witches Imogen and Fearne laughs along with her. Fearne laughing at Pâté’s predicament while Imogen’s eyes are on Laudna, as she too lets out an unrestrained laughter, this slowly died down morphing into a soft fond smile as she kept note of Laudna’s micro-expressions, taking in each and every detail of the woman as if she could disappear at any moment.
When Laudna took notice of Imogen’s staring and returned her smile, Imogen sheepishly broke her gaze and turned her attention back on the view in front. The air atop Zeprah was fresh and clean, and Imogen breathes in the largest breath of air; her body feeling lighter with every exhale.
Imogen leaned back on her hands, palms pressed against the slightly damp grass underneath as she tilts her head up at the clear blue sky. Letting out a contented hum, she closed her eyes, letting the cool breeze wash over her. This was the first time in forever, Imogen felt she could truly breathe.
She knows this peace is temporary. But she’s back with her friends, she’s back with Laudna. And they’re… something more.
And this moment right now?
It’s perfect.
“I mean… It was just for fun. I’m always down to have some fun.” Fearne’s soft, melodic voice cuts through the still silence as she recounted to Laudna what had happened. Imogen didn’t have to open her eyes to know that the fey would be wearing a sly smile at the mention of their escapades.
“Ooooh” Laudna echoes from beside Imogen, Imogen felt a shift beside her as Laudna sat up with interest.
“How was it?”
“Oh it was great! They were both amazing! And he turned into a wolf at one point and oof the things that he can do with his-”
“Alright… please. Enough.” Imogen softly interjected before Fearne could go more into detail. She turned to look at Fearne apologetically, not wanting to come off as rude.
“It’s-it’s just bad enough I had to live through it once. I’d really rather not hear another recap of it.” Imogen explained, and Fearne just shrugs, not seeming to be affronted by it.
“I mean, you could’ve joined us.” She wiggled her brows suggestively.
Imogen almost choked on her own spit. Oh, Fearne was serious.
“You’re young, you’re hot, you’re single. We’re out in scary woods with no one else around… There was nothing stopping you from having just a bit of fun with us.”
Imogen’s eyes darted towards Laudna’s out of reflex before forcing herself back to Fearne, hoping the fey wouldn’t notice. And Fearne seems distracted enough with her own thoughts to notice the way both Imogen and Laudna’s expressions shifted.
If Laudna could blush, Imogen knows she would be beet red by the way her undead woman awkwardly averted her eyes, her unnaturally sharp teeth chewing on her own lips as she started running both hands through her hair, chunks sloughing off by her own ministrations.
A burst of warmth exploded inside Imogen’s chest at seeing Laudna so flustered. She reaches over and plucked a chunk of hair from the front of Laudna’s blouse, dropping it on the grass beside them. Laudna shot her an appreciative look as their eyes meet before Laudna ducks her head down, her face turning purple and Imogen felt her cheeks burning red before immediately turning back towards Fearne who thankfully seems to be distracted enough not to notice.
“With Chetney? No thanks.” Imogen cleared her throat, trying to keep up the conversation with Fearne before either of them blows their cover. But she shifted her body so that her hand would be hidden from Fearne’s view and slowly started inching her palm towards Laudna’s.
“Oh he might be old but he can perform.” Fearne lets out a moan, as Mister, who had been running around, crawled back over Fearne’s shoulder and started playing with the bobbles in her hair.
Imogen can only shake her head in amusement.
“Hey, to each their own. I’m not shamin’ or anythin’, he’s just… not my type.” Imogen shrugs casually while her hand finally reaches the back of Laudna’s palm, the pads of her fingers meeting Laudna’s cold skin. She felt Laudna’s body jolt at the unexpected contact, then relaxed again once she realized it was only Imogen.
Laudna’s hand shifted closer towards Imogen as well.
“Ooh what’s your type then?” Fearne perked up. “I know Dorian was eyeing you as well.”
Keeping eye contact with Fearne, Imogen gently clasps her hand over the back of Laudna’s, her thumb started drawing circles on Laudna’s hand. Laudna’s hand immediately warming up from the heat radiating off of Imogen’s.
“I though Dorian liked Orym?” Imogen's brows pulled into a frown.
“Well yeah.” Fearne cocked her head in assent, then looked down at her hands, deep in thought.
Before perking up again.
“What-what about that librarian? From the excavation site?”
“Hm?”
“With the abs?”
“Oh that Cobalt Soul monk? She looked like she wanted to kill me.”
“I don’t see the problem.” Fearne winked. Imogen couldn’t help but laugh. She felt Laudna’s hand tenses under her, and she grasped her even tighter in reassurance. There’s definitely some things they need to work on, one of them being building up Laudna’s self-worth.
Imogen decided she should put a stop to this line of conversation before Laudna started questioning herself even more.
“Fearne I appreciate what you’re tryin’ to do. But I’m okay. Seriously. I’m perfectly happy with where I'm at right now.” Imogen’s accent coming out even stronger than she intended.
“Boo. You guys are boring.” Fearne pouts. Then turned her doe eyes towards Laudna. A mischievous smile forming on her lips.
“That Prism was really cute.” Fearne started. Imogen’s thumb stilled, before continuing her ministrations once again.
Laudna’s eyes lit up at the mention of her new friend. Completely oblivious to what Fearne was trying to get at.
“She was! You know she’s really coming into her own at the end, when we first met she was just asking for surveys on behalf of the Cobalt Soul. Now she’s really taking the initiative and trying to learn more magic by herself!” Laudna beamed a proud smile as she launched into her tirate about her new friend that she didn’t notice Imogen’s ministrations completely stopped.
“…You know she’s from Shadowfell? And we promised we’d visit once we’ve dealt with all this stuff.”
“Oh Really? And I noticed you two have that whole gothic thing going on as well.” Fearne’s black claws gestures towards Laudna’s clothes.
Imogen’s grip tightened as her expression shifted into something Laudna couldn't understand. Laudna looked at Imogen questioningly but Imogen just shrugged in response, her lips drawn in a tight smile.
“Maybe once we meet up, you two could-” Fearne wiggled her brows.
“Could what?”
It took Laudna a while to catch up even with Fearne shooting her all sorts of suggestive looks.
“Oh oh! What? Oh No.” Laudna’s eyes widened as she immediately turned to look at Imogen, her mouth agape as she finally recognized what that look was.
Oh.
Ohhhh.
“No we’re friends! Just friends! Seriously. I just-I never even thought of her like that.” Laudna says, her brows furrowed at the new revelation. Maybe Prism had been trying to flirt with her.
Did she unknowingly reciprocate?
Oh No...
“For now.” The sly smile still not leaving Fearne’s lips.
“Oh no no no. Like Imogen said, I’m not looking for anything else right now. We’re-we’re in the middle of war with some god-killer and Ludinus and all that red moon shit. I’m-I’m okay.”
Imogen gave Laudna’s hand a reassuring squeeze. Laudna manages to force some of the guilt away under Imogen's touch. Yeah Prism probably realized sooner or later, it's not like she ever stopped talking about Imogen any chance she gets.
“Can I come down now! I’m getting nervous up here! There’s a big hawk circlin' ” Pâté’s voice was barely audible from above and Laudna looked up to see that she had unknowingly released the slack even more and Pâté’s form is a mere dot in the sky.
“Alright Fine. Get back down.” Laudna grumbled good-naturedly, rolled back her thread, and letting him fly back down onto her shoulder.
“Oh wow! That was an adrenaline rush!” Pâté says, shifting on Laudna's shoulder, his ribcage wings settling back into his body with a disturbing creak.
“Oh hey Fearne! Hey Imogennn!” Pâté says, drawing out Imogen’s name, his two hollow sockets staring straight at Imogen. The little dude has no eyes, yet his stare pierces through Imogen like no other, sending a shiver down her spine.
“Alright get back in your house.” Laudna roughly shoves Pâté before the rat can, well… rat on them.
“Okay alright, I get it. I’m gone.” Pate mumbled before disappearing around Laudna’s back and into his new home.
“Seriously the two of you should get back in the saddle. You’re both very attractive women, it’s a shame not to enjoy life’s pleasures to their extent.”
As Fearne goes on another tirate about getting the two of them to start “enjoying life” again, Imogen meets Laudna’s eyes, her lips curling up into a soft smile as Laudna wiggled her brows in response. Imogen winked at her and lets out a soft chuckle, hiding her face behind her shoulder as she leaned closer towards Laudna, their shoulders ghosting one another and Imogen bit her lips.
This… This is perfect.
Imogen felt content.
And free…
All the weight of responsibility non-existent at this singular moment. And she wishes she could bottle up this feeling to remind herself of what she’s fighting for.
For a life with Laudna. Waking up next to her in their little cottage, baking her all the gingersnap cookies that Laudna could ever want, gallioping down the fields with Flora, and hanging out with the chucklefucks whenever they get the chance.
Just a nice, normal, boring life with Laudna by her side…
Oh what a life it’d be…