#but. CRUNCHY. crunchy. anyway happy thursday sorry this is so long

[sparring-spirals]

Hi spar! I just wanted to say I really enjoy your metas and character analysis. You always seem to have a great grasp of the characters and narrative and emotional beats that I find super helpful!

I was wondering what you think Imogen’s mindset might be going forward as Laudna slowly recovers and has to deal with her trauma and Imogen tries to meet her where she’s at and support her. Do you think her conversations with Delilah are weighing on her more now that she’s seen some of the things Delilah put Laudna through (not just her violent death but also how much she took from her in terms of her happier memories of her home etc)? Do you feel like Imogen will internalise this or that it will unwittingly come out as Laudna’s trauma response is further explored?

Firstly- thank you very much! :'''D What a lovely compliment, I really appreciate it :) I'm a real sucker for emotional beats and character dives and narratives that get influenced by these things, and I'm thrilled other people also get mileage out of my metas about these subjects. Secondly, this answer is late, and I'm very sorry. But its here now!

TL;DR: Oh yeah totes. Absolutely. Yes on all fronts. Its gonna be wild. :'D

I think that the entire experience absolutely puts a lot of things into a new light. About Laudna, about her shaded past, about each time she trailed off mid sentence because of Delilah. And I don't think it's that Imogen didn't know about any of it before, or didn't treat it with importance, (although the layers of deflection and misdirection between them didn't help). But it's very, very different to have it laid out like it was. In visuals and ghosts and tangible hurt and misery, in faces to names and at the end of it all- Laudna. Tired, and exhausted, and hopeless, in a cage, saying she doesn't think she can do anything. That the choice is all out of her hands. That maybe it always was.

So I think the big takeaway from this revelation will manifest in details of choice and agency, and Imogen with this deep, shattering understanding of how little of it Laudna has had previously. During the res ritual, saying to her: Make your own choice, please, do what you want, and I will support it. But its your choice. Its yours. She was so emphatic about giving Laudna that, desperately wanting her to be happy, wanting her to choose that happiness.

And that mentality, from Imogen, who has spent years clawing for control, her insides and out upended by bigger forces. From Imogen, who has learned the hard way that her best tool, her strongest one, is a weapon- a mind like a spike, like a hammer, in lightning striking down, lies and consequences doled out without hesitation. From Imogen, who very, very recently, has been reminded that the best way (the only way) to keep her loved ones safe has to do with ripping the storm out of her veins and letting it loose.

(What use are all these powers if not for protecting the people she loves? What are these scars, if not a reminder?)

(Evidence?)

... So to answer your last question- yes, and, honestly, yes. I think Imogen will be invested in advocating for Laudna's happiness and Laudna's choices, and be fighting to not push her into anything she doesn't want. Fighting to not let any of her own wants or needs override Laudna's. And I also think this is going to meld beautifully (Subtext: Uh Oh) with the trigger-happy, protective, self sacrificial "ill gladly do damage to myself to do damage to enemies" things Imogen already has going on.

(So. yes to the internalizing, and then some).

But, as we've already seen in this group of powder-kegged playing-hot-potato-with-therapy individuals, this kind of internalizing is not usually a long term solution, especially under duress (Moon's haunted), especially when someone already has a ton of shit going on (Moon's haunted). So its absolutely going to come out, sooner or later, and we are ripe for Interactions, Situations, and Shenanigans in the meantime. Especially if, Laudna, fresh off of "oh god everyone derailed their lives to fix my issue" tries to focus more on Imogen as a result. Wow what a mess. Hell yeah.

(That said, there are so many other people in the Bells that need* to have 1-1 conversations and resolutions and talks with Laudna, so Imogen might have a bit of breathing room right now for putting all focus and attention on her. So I guess, internalize away, my gal.)

*Need is, technically, MY need, but it still counts. Ashton WILL talk to Laudna soon or i will Combust. F.C.G, Fearne, Chetney, Orym...... Give Me The Conversations, CR. Give them to me.

... cannot wait for the next bit of combat though.

#i have no idea if this is super unreasonably long bc i wrote this piecemeal and am finishing it while multitasking on lunch break #but theres at least 2 more paragraphs that could have gone in here. i got so amped writing out this ask. its gonna be juicy. #critical role #c3e38 #imogen temult #laudna #sorcery pact #character meta #speculation #my meta #imogen meta #spar speaks #ask away! #i esp love this bc it brings back up the fact that imogen and laudna care about each other so much that they actively try to hide things #from each other for the others sake. #and like BH does this as a whole but THESE TWO. man. #anyway theres also a cut section here about laudna dealing with imogen having this new perspective bc i guess i wrote a meta about it alrdy #but. CRUNCHY. crunchy. anyway happy thursday sorry this is so long #thanks for the ask! #and the compliment :'D