#no wonder Imogen loves her so much honestly

[dadrielle]

I can't stop thinking about just how emblematic everything in those conversations of Ashton being "a child" are of how, even at her most beaten down, triggered and traumatized, Laudna is not and will not be what Delilah wants her to be.

For Delilah, "they're still a child" is dismissive, a bit derisive, but doesn't even merit being truly hateful. She doesn't find Ashton worth the attention Laudna is giving them, not when there are such more interesting, important things to pull the attention of an adult. Children are only important when they are useful. She will indulge Laudna on the subject, because Laudna is useful, is her vehicle for action in the world, but she only cares about it in the context of getting Laudna to do what she wants. Calling someone a child is calling them unimportant. (Laudna is a child to her)

But for Laudna, who loves children and who understands intimately what it's like to have the helplessness of child, to be trapped under the authority of someone who will never treat you as a full person, even when they are being ostensibly kind, to be so confused and lost and powerless...a child deserves attention more than anyone else. Of course children lash out. Being a child IS in many ways quite awful because the world is so big around you and you don't know yet how to react to any of it, how to soothe yourself - and if you aren't given the attention, you never learn how. Ashton never learned how. Her instincts - instincts trained into her by manipulation and abuse from inside and the world around her - may say kill him, but she fights them the whole way because her heart is stronger and her heart says that the angriest, most volatile child needs care as much as any other. More, even.

Laudna hears Delilah call Ashton a child and agrees on the word, but they have diametrically opposed understandings of what that means, and diametrically opposed instincts on how to treat a child. Laudna doesn't want to hurt anyone, especially children. She loves children. She loves so much and so selflessly. And Delilah is so very very good at manipulating her but she has tried for 30 years to change the bedrock of Laudna's psyche, the truer thing that drives her beyond the base animal instincts of survival, and it hasn't worked.

#critical role spoilers #critical role #cr meta #laudna #delilah briarwood #g o d I love her so much #she is so GOOD #and like I was so very worried for her at the break but #I keep forgetting and underestimating her #her strength may not look the same as other peoples' #it may be hidden under her traumatized confusion and twitchy fear but #it is there #she is so very strong #her victories aren't huge and showy but they don't need to be #can't be maybe in a war of attrition inside her own head #but after 30 years she is STILL THERE. STILL HERSELF. STILL KIND. #FUCK #I gotta go lie down on the floor about it #no wonder Imogen loves her so much honestly #she knows how hard it is to keep yourself good and kind in the face of a constant onslaught #I know its jokes but like. yeah. she would be a saint to Imogen. #st laudna real not clickbait

[rucksackmentality]

List of the truths shared in Nana Morri's Honesty trial (C3E79):

Imogen: I am genuinely scared to meet my mom again.

Laudna: Deep down inside, both Delilah and I want the shard...Fearne should have it, but I don't know anymore what's my opinion or desires or feelings, or hers.

Imogen: I love Laudna deeply but I'm disgusted at the thought of Delilah looking at us all the time.

Orym: I'm super lonely all the time, especially at night. It doesn’t matter if I'm bunking with one of you guys.

FCG: Sometimes I pity some of you because you have beating hearts and opportunities and you don’t do enough with them...Chetney, you have so much love to give and it doesn't seem like you're interested in anything other than wood! There's people out there who you could love and experiences you could share with someone else, but all you care about is wood!

Orym: I've always kind of laughed it off but I guess I do kind of wonder if Chetney is my dad.

Ashton: I am the reason that the Jiana Hexum robbery went fucking wrong, and the reason why I got thrown out of a fucking window.

Fearne: I feel like we’re very ill-equipped for this job and we're going to fail at saving the world. (Laudna: Honestly that's probably true, I'm right there with you.)

Chetney: While wood may be the superior material to metal, I do fear that, with the dwindling interest in it, that children will find my toys - and thereby myself - obsolete every year I grow older.

FCG: I think it's something buried deep down in my circuitry, but every time I hurt or kill something - it feels really good. It makes me sort of relax a little bit and some of my stress goes away.

Imogen: I know we're supposed to save the gods, but I've tried talking to them my whole life and none of them would ever respond. I think I'm tainted. I dont know if I want to save gods that don't love me.

Laudna: You know we could rip-cord out of [saving the world] at any moment...right? And sometimes I fantasize about it all the time.

Fearne: I sometimes do stuff to you guys while you're sleeping - not weird stuff, I just like to look at you closely...and maybe like, twiddle your hair or braid it. Nothing bad!

Ashton: Whenever it starts to get quiet, I start worrying that one of us - most of us - are going to end up killing another one of us accidentally...I have panicked thinking about when one you kills another one of us.

Orym: I have all the faith in the world in you guys...and I have also spent time thinking of how to neutralize each of you.

FCG: I kinda worry that I put all my eggs in the Changebringer basket and she might betray us all. I had a really weird conversation with her and I think she's just out for herself and she might not really care about me - but what if she does? And I'm saying horrible things?

Imogen: Fearne, I was really disappointed in you for running away from your power. You should take the shard!

Orym: I really miss Dorian, and sometimes I think that's okay, and sometimes I think it isn't.

Ashton: I feel fucking worse that I just fucked up Fearne's life way more than mine and I should've died instead of that happening.

Chetney: I grew up in the Bramblewood outside of Westruun, and when I was a kid, I came back from learning how to make toys and found that my whole family had left. All they left behind were toys. They ran when Errevon the Rimelord was running across the plains, and so I'm kind of afraid of dragons. And I had five siblings - Alabaster, Pepper, Sugarplum, Hermey, and Chad - and I was so mad that they left I never looked for any of them, and now I'm pretty sure they're dead. So I think any family I have is just gonna look for a reason to leave me. That's why I don't get attached to anybody.

#critical role #cr spoilers #c3e79 #cr3

[scythesms]

The sound of innocent bickering from the two youngest Ambroise children echoed throughout the overgrown yard, amusing the attentive ears of Edmund, who maintained a watchful eye over the playful children. Cecily sat beside her father and observed him in thoughtful silence with a gaze both curious and contemplative. 

Though she’d never been one to shy away from expression, Cecily often found her thoughts speaking louder than her words. She possessed a meticulous nature, in which she preferred carefully weaving her words into coherent thoughts before they were vocalized—a trait notably distinct from her unrestrained siblings. Eugene, driven by an impulsive desire to articulate every mean thought, seemed driven by a need to release his critical opinions from his mind as swiftly as they entered. Josiah, on the other hand, remained indifferent to how others perceived him, prioritizing his own understanding above all else—an attribute that irked those around him, particularly his reluctance to repeat or rephrase. Once spoken, his words stood no chance of being altered or corrected—something Elaine had picked up on. “Think before you speak, Elaine,” Cecily said at least twice a day in response to improper sentences like, “When I’m old, I’ll do a bakery and plant pies” and unreasonable questions that follow such as, “Why can’t I plant pies?”.

Similar to improper conversational etiquette, Cecily held a very low tolerance for stuttering and mumbling. It was like chalk grating a pristine slate to her ears. At her young age, she knew she preferred momentary silence in thought as opposed to stutters from faltering lips and vacant minds. And so she sat, dedicating time to piece her thoughts and curiosities together into a narrative that reflected her intentions precisely.

“Father,” she began, “may I ask you something?”

Edmund, attuned to the gravity of her tone, turned his complete attention to his daughter. Carefully, he said, “You can ask me anything.”

"I was thinking about your lady friend," she confessed. "How did you come to know her?"

Though he had anticipated this very question—wondering which one of his eldest children would broach the subject first—he resented it just as much. There’d been a time early on in his reconnection with Imogene where he had considered sitting his children down, offering them insight into her presence in his life, and disclosing his entire history with her. Yet, he had balked at the notion, second guessing the necessity of such a conversation. If she were merely a friend and there were no further intentions, then perhaps there was no need for an "explanation"... or so he had attempted to convince himself.

“I knew her when I was a young boy… just before meeting your mother. Imogene was… a part of my past.” 

He chose his words carefully. Cecily appreciated that, but it wasn’t enough. She pressed, “Did you love her? Imogene?”

Edmund’s shoulders sagged as he released a sigh before admitting honestly, “Yes, I did.”

He always thought discussing his past with Imogene to his children would stump him, and he’d be a sputtering lying fool. Yet, in that moment, he felt no such indulgence. The admission flowed with an unexpected ease—almost relieving.

A thoughtful pause lingered between them before Cecily ventured further, her voice barely above a whisper, "Did you love her more than my mother?"

He stared ahead. “No.” His response was swift and concrete. “Rosalyn—your mother… holds a place in my heart no one can surpass.”

Cecily was relentless. “Do you still love Imogene?”

“No.” It sounded so simple. 

“Could you love her again?”

He returned his attention to his daughter—her wide eyes void of resentment or detest. “Cecily–”

“I don’t think Mother would be upset with you for loving her again. She would want you to be happy.”

Exhaling softly, Edmund carefully watched Cecily—a reflection of her mother in both demeanor and insight. “I am happy,” he expressed while looking at her side profile, her gaze now fixed ahead. “I’m happy. You four make me happy.”

She shrugged. “You could be happier.”

Cecily had no intention of shoving her father into the arms of any woman, but she wasn’t blind. She’d observed their interactions keenly—a bit foolish if she were to admit. She simply couldn’t imagine someone making her stutter and blush the way her father and Imogene did when in each other's presence. She knew she needed to make it clear to her father that if he decided not to pursue a relationship with the woman, it’d be his sole decision and not one influenced by herself and her siblings… (Addressing Eugene's bitterness would be a concern for another time, should it arise).

While she lacked deep perception of her mother, her memories painted a portrait of a woman akin to an angel. Cecily couldn’t imagine her mother being resentful of her father for seeking love after years spent in mourning.

Edmund, who prided himself on believing he possessed a more intimate understanding of Rosalyn than perhaps anyone else in the world, acknowledged that his daughter's insights held truth in more ways than one.

previous ➺ next

#1916 #Ambroise Legacy #1910s #decades challenge #sims historical #sims decades challenge #ts4 historical #ts4 challenge #ts4 decades challenge #black simblr #sims stories #AL #Edmund Ambroise #Cecily Ambroise

[tangent101]

Laudna and the Significance of the Kiss

As much as I loved seeing Imogen finally admit how much she loves Laudna by kissing her, and with Laudna actually reciprocating by Laudna initiate kissing Imogen for their second kiss, one thing that stood out was how happy and bouncy she was after all of that, with her new outfit and all that.

It would be natural to wonder just what helped Laudna start to heal, and I think there were several things. But foremost among this is Laudna needed to confess what she did to Bor'Dor. She had to admit that not only did she finish Bor'Dor off, she opened the door to Delilah in doing so. More... she is tempted not to fix the latter problem and use Delilah in getting stronger to stop Ludinus.

Imogen was instrumental in this. For all the claims that they're unhealthy for each other, that they encourage bad traits in the other, well, that's nonsense. Imogen understood where Laudna was coming from. She stated that they could fight this - both Ruidus and Delilah.

The other thing that did help was for Laudna to get new clothes. She went through a huge change. She embraced a part of herself that she thought she'd put behind her... and was going to use that aspect to try and defeat their foes. Her old outfit likely just reminded her of Bor'Dor and her feelings of guilt.

This is not to discount the impact of learning Imogen loves her! And honestly... there is a small part of Marisha in Laudna, thinking that she's unlovable. She created a character not meant to be romanced! And she found that part of her loved anyway. It's no wonder Marisha tripped over her own chair after Laura Bailey pulled that card out of her deck. To be someone who thinks you can't be loved because of who you are... and to have someone else say "I love you" anyway... it is one of the most devastatingly wonderful feelings in the world.

I would know. I've been there.

So yeah. Laudna is in a better place right now. She is on a path to healing. But it's not just the kiss. It's the acceptance of Laudna even after she admitted the most horrible thing she's ever done... and knowing she is still loved and accepted. That is what has helped Laudna start to heal.

#critical role spoilers #critical role commentary #laudna #imogen x laudna #imodna #imogen temult #critical role

[quietblueriver]

not sure if you're still taking one word prompts... but if you are, then how about "warmth" or "pale" for Imodna?

(P.S. I love your writing style!)

Thank you so, so much!!! And thank you for the prompt. Here’s a short thing for “pale.” 💜 Heads up for some angst.

-

As always, she hears Laudna before she sees her, her thoughts providing a harmony to the song she’s humming happily in the kitchen.

Where’s the sugar? Should set the table. I wonder if Imogen was able to find blueberries…

“I’m home!” She sits her haul from the market on the little wooden bench by the door and bends to unlace her boots. “And I brought blueberries!”

It’s been years at this point, but the delight in Laudna’s thoughts when she hears Imogen come home never fails to make her stomach drop pleasantly with love and, even now, a little bit of disbelief.

Oh, excellent. I’ve missed her. I’ve missed you.

“Welcome home, darling.” A long black and maroon skirt sweeps into her vision as she looks up from her boots, and she follows it up and up, over a flowing black top with sheer sleeves and a green striped dish towel that has been flung a little haphazardly over a delicate shoulder until she reaches her favorite perfectly crooked smile and wide black eyes. “I’ve missed you.”

She’s still got one boot on but she can’t wait, so she stands up and leans into a kiss that Laudna receives with a happy sigh. She’s a little off-balance, and it’s the wobble that breaks their kiss, Laudna laughing at her fondly as she helps her keep herself upright.

“Steady, love.” Imogen kisses her again, because she can’t help it, and Laudna pulls back with a teasing tsk. “Finish with your boots and I’ll have a treat waiting for you in the kitchen.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Laudna swats at her with the towel, too far away to actually catch her, and walks toward the doorway to their little kitchen, Imogen staring after her until she catches herself and sits down again, tugging impatiently at her laces until she’s free.

She hangs her cloak on the rack, the pegs of which are various intricately carved birds in flight. Imogen’s partial to the hawk, Laudna to the raven. It’s a C-POP Industries original that Chetney swore was too imperfect for the market but that Imogen was almost entirely sure was just a gift for Laudna, as it appeared on their doorstep less than a day after she’d exclaimed over it in his store.

She picks up the bag of groceries and makes her way to the kitchen, dropping them on the table before coming to stand behind Laudna at the stove, where she’s laid out a rack of cookies to cool. Wrapping her arms around Laudna and relaxing into the cool press of her body, she says, “Those look good.” She catches chocolate and something else, cinnamon maybe. “Smell good, too.”

Laudna’s hands come to rest on hers and she leans back, Imogen supporting her weight easily. “Mmm. A bit pale, I’m afraid. Should’ve left them a few minutes more but I burned them last time, you remember, and I didn’t want to do that again.”

Imogen blinks. Does she remember? Of course. Of course she does. “I remember them bein’ delicious,” she says. “Think I ate half a dozen before they were even all cool. I’m sure these’ll be just as good.”

“Mmm.” You don’t have the most…discerning palate, dear.

The thought comes with an affectionate squeeze to her forearms, and Imogen laughs. “Hey, now. My palate is plenty discernin’.”

The pat to the back of her hand is absolutely patronizing, and Laudna’s tone matches as she says, “Of course it is. I’m sorry.”

Imogen presses up to kiss her cheek and squeezes her hips before stepping back and around to grab at a cookie. It’s still warm, and the chocolate is almost liquid on her tongue, and it’s so good, darlin’. Honestly. She swallows and offers, before taking another bite and another cookie from the tray, “Even better than last time.”

Laudna’s looking at her fondly, and it’s then that Imogen notices something’s not quite right. There’s a flicker in the corner of the kitchen, a shadow over Laudna’s shoulder, and her hackles are raised, the cookie tossed carelessly back onto the tray, as she says, voice low, “Laud, come stand behind me.”

Laudna stays where she is, eyes crinkling at the edges and the corners of her lips tilting downwards, smile still fond but a little bit sad now, too. Imogen’s stomach clenches, and lightning flickers at her fingertips. Shadows begin to bleed from beneath their table, their chairs, the doorway.

“Laudna. C’mon, baby.” Her tone is anxious now, voice unsteady, and she tries to take a step forward but she can’t. She can’t, and suddenly her heart is thundering, her palms sweating where they’re now frozen before her, ready and entirely unable to cast. “Please. Please.”

There’s ichor dripping from her eyes, slow and steady, and her mouth pulls up at one corner as she says, affectionate but resigned, “You know I can’t, darling.”

“No.” The shadows have swallowed the entry to the living room, slither closer and faster. “No.” She’s crying now, can feel the tears making hot trails down her cheeks.

A voice from above, familiar and cold and terrifying. “Is she your favorite?”

“No. Please. Not again. Please. Please. I’ll do whatever you want. Please, just...”

“Close your eyes, Imogen.” Laudna’s voice is gentle, the same one she uses when Imogen wakes from a nightmare—soothing and soft and loving and Imogen doesn’t close her eyes, can’t close her eyes, can only scream as Laudna’s body is lifted into the air by an invisible force, her chest ripped open by a sword she can’t see but doesn’t need to. She hears Laudna’s cry, haunting, and then laughter, Otohan’s laughter, and all she sees is white.

When she wakes, her cheeks are wet, and her chest is heaving, and she’s cold, so cold. She keeps her eyes closed for as long as she can, unwilling to be back in the world where Laudna isn’t, but it can’t last. She turns and blinks into the dark of the room where she’s sleeping, sees Laudna’s profile, Pate tucked carefully into a nest made of Imogen’s bandana near her far shoulder.

Her fingers reach for the place where she knows the sword went through, hover and retreat, fist into the blanket instead.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” There’s no response. Of course there isn’t. There’s no one there to hear her. She doesn’t mean it any less.

“I’ll fix it, Laudna. I promise. I’ll fix it.” She forces herself to close her eyes again, and when she drifts back into fitful sleep, she swears she can still taste the chocolate.

#imodna #southerngothic #imodna fic #cr prompt fic

[justallihere]

GIRLIE YOU BETTER BE READY TO READ THIS ESSAY!!!!!!

I love how sentient the shadows are in this chapter. Its like they have a mind of their own and I'm here for it. Those shadows are hers now, not Xadens LMAO Mira's eye is going to twitch every time she sees them hanging around her baby sister

so satisfying we got to read how Pierce screamed to death and Xaden needed to relive that memory to keep himself in check

Vi basically kicking Mira out and admitting the room is also his??? I bet X was jumping for joy when he heard that

X is literally ready to shut down/hurt anyone who remotely upsets his wife. He has no fucks to give, doesn't care if it's her bsf, sister, or brother. anyone can be on his shit list and on the flip side, make her happy and he will do whatever that person asks lmao

SO MUCH PHYSICAL TOUCH IM CRYING

The hair conversation had my heart aching, X affirming that its V's body and its okay to be upset about the prospect of it being cut against her will!!!! (wonder if V is getting whiplash from the venin convo and how ppl took away her autonomy bc it's her body, her signet, her choices)

I can't even imagine the bickering that X and Tairn were having and how tired Sgayel must have been listening to these two

Did X's heart break when V thought she wasn't worth it and wouldn't come to save her? Liam really did keep her going and was so confident that X would save HER

She’d misunderstood him once before on this, and he couldn’t let her again

SOBBING!!!! THEY TOUCHED FOREHEADS. Honestly, that can be so much more intimate/impactful than a kiss imo

“Like. . .” He turned his head just enough so that his nose skimmed her cheek. “Everything has shifted since I met you. You are the center of my world—you’re the thing I orbit around. Of course I would come for you. I would do anything for you. You’re everything to me, Vi.”  “Don’t—“ A choked sob got caught in her throat. “Don’t say that.”  “Why? It’s the truth

“I love you, Violet Sorrengail,” he admitted. “I’m in love with you. You can’t get rid of me, in this life or any other. I’ll follow you through them all.” 

In every universe, they are soulmates. I will die on that hill!!! That thing in my chest ACHED when I read this part. I think I've re-read it at least 5 times 😭😭😭😭 He finally said I LOVE YOU TO HER. He didnt and wouldn't allow any room for misunderstanding!!!!! Its all on V now!!! and thats okay!!! X will be patient bc he loves her

Was this the chapter where he kisses her forehead and wipes her tears away 🥺 I love them so much, your honor

HE GOT TO SLIP HIS HAND UNDER HER SHIRT!!!!!! UGH MY HEART I CAN'T WITH THEM

Rhi is so snarky and I love her for it. She might be X's #1 hater (Mira is up there) and I am here for it. I hope we get to see these two bicker

WALK HIM LIKE A DOG SIS, WALK HIM LIKE A DOG

He would do whatever she asked

Xaden is so soft in this chapter and I love you for showing this side of him

He caught her as she buried her face against his shoulder. “Hi, Sloane,” he said gently. 

Everyone loves/fears Vi more than him and X is fully aware and okay with it

“Is that my entry fee?” Xaden asked dryly. “My wife?” 

I feel like everyone is going to be hovering around Vi once she is up and walking around (We all know Xaden is going to LITERALLY be her shadow)

Imogen and the one kitchen lady (forget her name) will be constantly feeding her and fretting that shes gotten too thin and needs to eat.

In summary: FOREHEAD KISSES GALORE, THE CUDDLING, X finally sleeping bc his wife is safe and home?????

you are amazing and i love this fic and you <3

I am always ready for all of your comments let’s do this

Mira has been around Xaden and Violet for two seconds and she’s over it. Like why is he looking at her baby sister that way? Why does Violet like it? Why is she defending him? Make it stop!!

Violet didn’t want anything to do with Pierce’s death, she just wanted to go home, but Xaden enjoyed it for sure

Listen Xaden doesn’t care. Has never cared. Won’t ever care. If anyone upsets Violet, their relationship to her is inconsequential, he won’t let it happen 😭

Xaden is about to learn the hard way that it’s Violet’s body and choice when she starts doing shit he doesn’t want her to do. Start praying for him

Sgaeyl having to intervene between Xaden and Tairn was NOT on her bingo card and yet here she is. Mediating fights between her mate and her rider over some tiny human she won’t even admit she likes

The forehead touch! The forehead kiss! The love confession! Xaden touching her skin directly to ground them both! I’m unwell!

Thank you ily 🩷🩷🩷

#storm in the quiet

[utilitycaster]

Someone needs to fight back by drawing Imogen with sharp angle+narrow frame glasses that sit just on the end of her nose so she looks down through them, and they make her seem distant and haughty about everything.

Ok so anon I know this is you joking (and while personally I'm like let's just not do the glasses*, I agree that angular art styles for Imogen are really good and love to see them), but like...frankly, I'm in a hotel for the night for work and have very little going on so I just want to talk about Imogen! I think she has a somewhat elusive personality, especially compared to Laura's past two characters, both of whom were pretty extroverted and I think the fanon is simply so wildly different from reality that despite her central role she at times feels like an unknown quantity.

Imogen is not sweet and retiring. She's not terribly haughty; but she's definitely a little sharp, even from the start. She's frustrated with the administrator at the Starpoint Academy despite asking for what is essentially a significant favor, and doesn't attempt to hide it - and that's in episode 1. The fanon idea of Imogen didn't even get past the half-hour mark of the first episode of the campaign before zoning out, briefly coming to at the word "headache" because the sickfic fodder alarm went off or something, but Imogen is prickly and possessive of a certain ruthlessness from quite early on. Nor is she the innocent - her first thought to cover up the noise in the hotel room is to grab Dorian and unbutton her shirt. The idea of Laudna being the prickly, worldly one and Imogen the sweet ingenue should have been dead before Bertrand.

I think the best way to describe her though is that she is walled off. There's the figurative but extremely real psychic walls, which she's only recently been able to let down, but in general Imogen just doesn't quite mix into groups. There's always a certain amount of distance that she holds. It's an incredible change from Jester, who was famously the one to bridge gaps, or even Vex, whose post-adventuring career is the most openly political of Vox Machina's. I think Orym's leadership pep talk, while a good thought, fails, because Imogen is comfortable playing the leader in a lie, but ultimately she wants to neither lead nor follow.

Anyway, that's the thing about Imogen: I genuinely do not think she consciously believes herself better than other people, certainly not in an "I'm so awesome" manner; but she does hold herself aloof. She has concrete proof of the terrible thoughts that strangers have and I think does not realize the flaws of her own thought patterns as a result. I don't want to say it's a lack of shame or embarrassment but it certainly feels faintly atrophied. It's like the social contract has been just a bit corrupted. I think I described it before as that she sees hypocrisy as "not honestly saying what you're thinking to your allies" rather than being about a discrepancy of word and action. I also wonder if the fact that Imogen spends so much time in people's heads is tied to the fact that it took her until she was 26 and had no other options in order to leave Gelvaan, despite the fact that she wasn't happy there.

I'm really interested to see how it goes because I don't actually see this as a story that can resolve purely because of the power of love and friendship. I suspect Imogen is just starting to realize these things about herself, and I similarly suspect she doesn't really care for them...but I don't think she knows quite how to stop or change nor does she entirely want to.

I think this sense of being caught between so many things - always being the secret third option - is really well demonstrated with her powers. A pretty consistent theme in Critical Role through both Campaign 2 and 3 is regarding the sources of power and their disconnect from any morality - power simply is, the wielder's choices are what matter. Imogen started out wishing to be rid of her abilities, and she's increasingly moving to embrace them, even as she simultaneously has found out that the source of her powers is likely a literal cosmic horror and her mother is much more than a voice in her dreams. It's fascinating to me that the people she tends to be most honest with are the people with the most unknown pasts, and I feel she's moving towards an era of reinventing herself. Which will put that big question of aloofness at the forefront - it is, to be fair, faster to go alone, and easier to reinvent yourself when the people who knew you before aren't around.

Anyway this is a really long way to say "haughty, not really, but she is all angles, in multiple senses of the word."

*tangent here but: I was scrolling the Imogen tag recently and something I noticed that's very telling is that most art of Imogen in glasses (and to be fair a lot of art generally) isn't described, but when it is, the description also almost always leaves out her glasses. Which really puts the kibosh on the idea this was ever about normalizing glasses or uh, any aids for people with visual impairments, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

#answered #Anonymous #imogen temult #critical role

[sabrinasfadingmoon]

critical role c3 ep86 spoilers

ok look I know I said I might make a side blog but I haven’t decided yet and tonight’s episode made me lose my mind AND NONE OF MY FRIENDS ARE CAUGHT UP

YALL- OH MY GOD! So, I literally just yesterday got to the halfway point of c2 for the first ever time and I cannot tell you the scream and excitement and happiness I felt when Jester did sending! Like- this is my first time watching a c3 episode with actually knowing the characters from past campaigns! Like I love them, don’t get me wrong when Beau and Caleb first showed up I lost my shit same with Keyleth and everyone from c1 (I do have a soft spot for keyleth tho) BUT LIKE JESTER ?!?! MY LOVELY ?!?! and so now I understand how everyone else felt when Caleb and Beau and all of them showed up in c3 for the first time and it was such a wonderful thing to feel.

God tonight’s episode was so good. I really love when they sit and talk more. Like Laudna talking to Delilah was amazing. I have so many questions about that. I’m terrified for Laudna but at the same time I want *more* so much more- It’s the edging into “madness” into that power that makes you want it all. I don’t want her getting hurt, none of us do, but I’m so intrigued with what *could* happen. Hearing Delilah bring up Imogen as-well! Using her and what she means to Laudna like oh my GOD the feelings coursing through my veins right now are insane.

I also half expected when the flare up happened a “best orgasm of my life joke” but maybe that just me—

ANYWAYS

This episode really did have everything. It started out pretty strong (with all the jokes lmao) and continued to be fun. The spooky vibes AND FUCKING BOATY AND ROPEY 😭 like these are the exact reasons why I stay up till 3am for these people.

Honestly I just wanted to scream about Jester. I don’t know if I have anything actually important to say- other then I with it was Thursday ???

#critical role #c3ep86 #bells hells spoilers #bells hells #laudna critical role

[sunsetstarrogue]

I totally understand about being busy ngl I wrote that comment half delirious (sleep deprived) and procrastinating my midterm paper lolllll. Why surround myself with pain and philosophy when I can hyperfixate on Chani and her doomed romance.

I came back to say that I'm so fascinated with your love for Jessica, I have this weird love/hate for her, it's honestly more love but something does kind of rub me the wrong way about how she kind of just re-joins the BG after everything, knowing how they view her daughter. I skimmed the books so I understand theres more, there's always more maybe Alia gave her blessing (I've been reading more Alia fics that kind of give her a more human nature, maybe in the Dune books she had a lot more omniscient perspective).

I'm so curious is you fic going to like bend canon? Like are the twins still coming? Is Chani still fated to die bringing the twins to earth?

On this trajectory I can't really see the twins poofing into existence, although who knows… There are moments of weakness, and even if they don't achieve a complete reconciliation there has to be something still there, it's just buried under a lot of pain and betrayal.

I do wonder if she wishes Paul would have died instead of becoming what he had become. But really when you think about it there wouldn't have been any other option. Even if the whole Atreides on Arrakis didn't happen then eventually Feyd would’ve come into power and would’ve pressed the extinction of the Fremen solely due to bloodlust and glory seeking. Maybe Chani would’ve had a few more years but really there was no other option for Paul when he stepped foot in the desert. Like I understand she can’t have a grasp on space politics being born on Arrakis but I do wonder if Chani has her own regrets. Paul kept confiding in her about his fears if he went south and she was like “just stay true” but in the face of seeing just horrific images and futures, how could you say true, i.e. duck your head in the sand. I wonder if she even knows Paul did everything (even marrying Irulan) he did to prevent her death.

I’m sorry if Im overwhelming you. I'm honestly just curious, there’s so many avenues to explore. I think despite her horror and disgust at what Paul becomes a part of her will always love him, and that's the struggle internally, she can’t reconcile what he’s going to become, but it also seems like no one is on her side. The people she fought so desperately hard with are turning their backs on her because she isn’t a believer. That must be incredibly isolating, and as strong as Chani is, she’s also a girl, about to become a single parent, she constantly has to control herself and her emotions in the face of no allies. I don't blame her if she cracks. Everything is escaping her like sand in her hands. I think in turn that might make her incredibly protective over Abiel. She feels a desperate maternal love to give him freedom and choice, whereas Paul might also love him but needs to use him in his plans, slot him in his place. Whether Paul feels confliction or despair I guess is up to you. (maybe even resentment hohoho, no longer Chani’s #1 man).

ALso i was in my feels, I made a mini playlist for the fic 

Love it Dissipates - Mother Mother

Wiseman - Frank Ocean (Birth scene)

Ghost in the machine - sza

Frank ocean - godspeed ( haha ironic ik, but those moments of her and Abiel) 

I bet on losing dogs - mitski (heavy on this)

Andromeda - weyes blood

Listen before i go - billie eilish 

I love you - billie eillish (the mash up with what was i made for hits harder for the fic)

Good bye - billie eilish 

Just for now - imogen heap 

one more night - stars

Once more to see you - mitski (those moments of weakness)

Call of silence - hiroyuki sawano (her alone with Abiel seeing wondrous sights)

Thank you so much for this anon.

I have only read Dune and not the other books so my love for Lady Jessica is primarily based on the first Dune and the movies lol. In terms of me following canon; I’ll probably be diverting from it quite a bit.

Villeneuve really departed from canon by making Chani into a nonbeliever and then having her leave at the end. Which is great for me because now I can explore Chani and Paul's relationship. There are so many ways I can develop their relationship and I'm so excited to do so.

Great taste with your playlist ❤️

(I'm writing a bit for the next chapter but no guarantees it will be done anytime soon lol)

[pocketgalaxies]

Hey, you’ve might of already answered this and I missed it, apologies for that, but what is your opinion on the whole Yu and Birdie fight? And how Bells Hells reacted to it? I’ve seen some harsh takes,like, harsh ass takes. And I am wondering what yours is. Again, sorry if you have already answered this.

hello! nobody has asked me this so you're all good!

idk what the harsh takes are but i personally thought it was totally in line with the characters as we know them so far, so i have no complaints dkfjskdf like?? idk i think critical role would not be as successful as it is if these people weren't extremely masterful character creators, and as long as things are in-character there's very little for me to complain about

all this to say i feel pretty neutrally positive about it, kind of just "that happened the way it happened!" and looking forward to seeing more extensive fall-out in upcoming eps, honestly not sure if i have much else to say at this point. i don't have any TAKES per se, just really hoping we get some RP-heavy stuff this week to get a better idea of how everyone is Feeling™? but some rambly thoughts about what happened in general:

in general i think the death wish run did a LOT of work to make bells hells trust yu. she repeatedly showed that she was willing to take huge risks to help bells hells succeed, and i think this ultimately played a big part in preventing the party from immediately turning on them once they revealed their true form (especially imogen and orym)

ashley did such a wonderful job walking the line between "you're my mom, i trust you above all else" and "you're a stranger i haven't seen in 90 years." i made a liveblog post about this too but i think it's interesting to see how fearne was p much paralyzed with indecision, but as soon as she got something out of birdie (read: that she is ruidusborn) that explained her behavior as anything other than intentionally hurtful, she was ready to turn on yu, but she needed that answer first.

imogen's prioritization of information-gathering makes a lot of sense considering that she knows better than most how emotions can bias your actions and perceptions, as well as how your feelings may not always be accurate or fair to the situation. imogen explicitly wanted fearne to have a happy reunion with her mother, and she also had some level of persistent suspicion of yu (from jealousy sure but also from the mind shielding), but she used detect thoughts to get all the info she could first, and that ended up defining her course of action

ashton was very very quiet. but mad at yu for sure. not sure what to make of it yet aside from being very very pissed at a traitor

fcg...i'd have to rewatch to rly confirm this but my initial impression was that fcg did a pretty terrible job picking up on the social subtext of everything that was going on DKFJSDF. sam has been v consistent in showing that there is just Something lacking in fcg's social instincts. everything is a little bit too objective, a little bit too black and white

chetney is consistently morally questionable and willing to make deals with the (proverbial) devil. i still feel like i don't understand this man at all so that's all i have to say at this time

i'm getting tired and i think ppl have written much better meta about orym than i have. something something he feels like he failed himself and will and keyleth 6 years ago and he was not willing to let it happen again

i wrote a little about laudna in yesterday's gifset but basically she just made me Sad. the use of bane to de-escalate was really interesting on marisha's part and in general i think laudna is extraordinarily non-confrontational and also was completely panicking. the helpless confused "agh!"s as she presses her hands into her eyes and summons the shadows onto a person that she loves. it made me very sad.

anyway hope this was fun to read i'm not going to proofread it so sorry if it's nonsense but long story short i don't have any particular takes about it at all, let alone harsh ones dkdkfjskdjfs

if you want to read more smarter neutrally positive analyses you can go in my #cr meta tag! there are some posts about yu and birdie in there too since i am too tired to put them here rn lmaooo

#sorry school just started for me so my brain is a little dead #anonymous #ask #answered #critical role #cr3 #nova shh #cr meta #r: bells hells #yu suffiad #birdie calloway

[nightwingshero]

❝  you don’t understand.  i need you safe.  not because i don’t think you can handle yourself but because i can’t focus on anything else if there’s even the smallest possibility you’re in danger.  ❞ -> for wren x leon <3

This prompt was honestly so perfect for them! Thank you so much! I had so much fun writing this and I love them so much.

It was mostly the screaming that made standing there hard, but it didn’t matter, that was secondary. Women and children cried to themselves as I gently pushed their shoulders, urging them along and guiding them to the safe zone as fathers, husbands, and brothers did their best to stay strong. “Nobody panic, just keep moving! We have a safe zone for quarantine set up just over there! Medics will be around to assess you! Food and water will be handed out!” After everything I had seen over the last few years, after everything that happened in Raccoon City, I thought I would be used to it by now, but I didn’t. It wasn’t easier, it never got easier. A woman passed and gripped my hand tightly as I tried to point her in the right direction, but she just sobbed and smiled, thanking me and praying in a language that I didn’t quite understand. All I could do was offer her a reassuring squeeze of her hand in return and gently guide her back to the crowd. “Stay with the crowd, you’re safe now!”

No one replies, I don’t think any of them understand me, but they got the idea enough to go where we needed them. Exhaustion threatened to overcome me, but I forced it down. We had been at this for hours. The outbreak was thankfully limited to a specific area, but that didn’t make it any less heartbreaking to watch, no less traumatic. Some days were harder than others where I was thrown back into my 21-year-old self, frightened and alone, running around a city full of the walking dead. Not entirely alone, I reminded myself, allowing the thought of him comfort me as much as the situation would allow.

I say nothing as Alex appears at my right, standing just behind my shoulder and watching as the last of the stragglers finally stumble into the arms of waiting TerraSave volunteers, all prepared to help those in need. Alex let out a low whistle at the number of people that had been evacuated, but I knew the casualties far outweighed the survivors. They usually did. Eager to shove that thought aside, I finally speak.

“Claire moves fast.”

Alex glanced at me, her dark eyes looking me over carefully. “She doesn’t hesitate to jump to the rescue. It’s one of the reasons I love her. Such a hero. I think she might save us all one day.” I didn’t ignore the way her voice became soft at the mention of her girlfriend, which was so contradictory towards how roughed up she was—grime and blood painting her tan skin too easily.

“Chris?”

“Not sure. Last I heard he was with Jill, but I’m not sure if they’re gonna show up here. Something came up with Imogen.” Another glance from her as I let out a scoff, the redhead immediately making me want to strangle her without her even being present. Sometimes I wondered just how much I could get away with if she ever mysteriously disappeared. “I heard that an agent was sent in. That your boy we should be expecting?”

I tried swallowing, but the arid air seemed to make it impossible. Everything felt so dry even as the sun began to set. It wasn’t that I didn’t know the answer, it was the fact that I knew that answer and it made me even more nervous. I was used to jumping between the Redfields—helping Chris where he needed and offering counseling where Claire wanted to offer it. Alex joked often about how I didn’t know how to stand still, but I was just eager to use every skill I had.

It also made the lonely nights less frequent when he was gone.

“Ah shit, there he is.” Alex called in surprise, her voice taking a lighter tone as her hands rested on her hips. Sure enough, Leon appeared from the crowd with one of the military officers in charge of the security and keeping those things from getting an inch out of the perimeter they had set up. He didn’t look too different than any other time I had seen him, his usual blue shirt with the same damn pants. The leather jacket was a bit new though, not that I exactly minded. Alex sighed. “Does he ever like…change it up? Like, I’m pretty fucking sure he’s had the same damn haircut since I’ve met him. Guess if it works, why fix it?” As if hearing her, Leon’s attention shifted and finally landed on us. The soldier he was talking to said something else, but Leon just nodded without even looking at him before he started walking towards us. Another heavy exhale escaped from Alex. “This is soooo not the double date I had imagined.”

I fight the urge to tell her to fuck off, not when she helped get my mind off things. Alex was a lot of things and dependable was one of them. You could always rely on her to have your back or to joke at the most inappropriate times—sometimes it made me want to hit her, other times it made me want to hug her. As Leon finally came close, his eyes never quite leaving me, I was thankful that Alex stayed. “Leon.”

“Wren.” He breathed out and I almost lost it right then. It had been a while since we had seen each other, one of the longer stints, and it was the constant reminder of the situation—and Alex—that kept the tremble out of my voice and my knees from giving out completely. “I thought you were working with Dr. Spencer.”

“Ainsley is working on something with Rebecca. Carlos volunteered to stay behind—”

Alex snorted. “He practically begged. So whipped—”

“Then we got the call about this.” I finished as I gestured back towards the small town in the middle of nowhere. “We got the call, Chris couldn’t make it out, I guess. Alex and I are here, Claire just got here with TerraSave.”

“Yeah I just saw her.” Leon replied as he looked back, his thumb gesturing over his shoulder. “Seems she’s got her hands a bit full.”

“A bit.” I tried to offer him a smile, but it didn’t quite meet my eyes. This wasn’t the way I wanted us to see each other again. Leon shuffled and crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes glancing at Alex. Taking the hint, she cleared her throat and smiled at me.

“Right, so I think my lovely lady is waiting for me to swoop in and make her life easier by giving her someone she can order around.” She backed away while doing awkward finger guns. “If you need me, radio me.” I gave her a quick nod before turning to Leon.

“They debriefed you.” It wasn’t a question, but he answered anyway.

“They did.” Taking a deep breath, I turn and look back at the town we had just come back from. There were soldiers walking the perimeter, everyone on the lookout just in case. “I have to go in, there’s something I’m ordered to retrieve.”

My head whipped around. “Something here? What?”

“That’s classified—”

“Classified, right.” We finished the sentence at the same time as I nodded. It wasn’t that I was bitter about it, I understood—it wasn’t something I was a stranger to. Glancing towards the town, my heart grew heavy. “Its…just like Raccoon City, huh? Every time we do something good, it’s great. But then…history repeats itself and we’re thrown right back there…” I trailed off with the memories threatening to take over completely. Leon was silent for a moment and as the silence grew tense, I decided to brush it off. “Well…that’s fine. You don’t have to tell me. I’m assuming you’re ready to go?” I barely gave him a chance to nod, I knew him well enough. He didn’t come here totally unprepared. It was a battle to tell him that most of the time, things never went the way we wanted when it came to that. The mission to retrieve Ashley was more than proof of that, but I wasn’t eager to bring that up. “That’s fine. I can grab some ammo and supplies; I’ll go with you. Let me—”

Leon reached out and grabbed my arm gently, stopping me before I could take a full step from him. I frowned as he leaned forward a bit, whispering to me even though it was barely audible with the chaos around us. “No. You should stay here.”

“What?”

“You came here to help Claire, right? Stay and help her.”

I scoffed lightly, almost amused by his words as I gently stepped out of his hold. “I came here to help, period. Now, let me help you.” Leon just shook his head and my brow furrowed. “Why? You know I have your back.”

“I know that.”

“Then what’s the problem? I’m just as good at fighting, Leon. I may not be able to just roundhouse kick someone in the face the way you can, but what I lack in that, I make up in shooting zombies in the face or throwing knives. I’m sure you remember I’m a very good aim with a shotgun.” I argued, throwing in the fond memory of how we met to try and loosen him up, trying to convince him it was fine—I was fine.

He looked away for a moment and shook his head. “I know—Its not about that, Wren.”

“Then what’s it about?” I asked, stepping closer to press him. “C’mon. We’ve worked together before, we do that rather well, if memory serves me right.”

“I said it wasn’t about that—”

“And we’re partners, remember?” I asked, putting up my pinky with a small smile, hoping it hid the hurt or the way my heart was starting to twist in an uncomfortable manner. Leon just looked down at me, his blue eyes full of emotion, and as the seconds passed, I waited but he didn’t lift his pinky. My chest twisted even more as my smile fell, something so small impacted me so greatly as I searched his face, my tightening from the confusion and hurt. “Leon?” This wasn’t what I was expecting. I swallowed as my heart pounded, begging for some sort of answer. I waited for a sarcastic joke, some stupid one liner he’d throw my way that would make me roll my eyes or just tease him right back—flirty and fun banter to keep the dark away. But none of that happened. I clenched my fists tightly as I looked at him fiercely. “Partners. I am coming with you, Leon.”

“No, you’re not. I can’t take you with me, I—just please, stay here. Claire needs the help—”

“You need the help!” I hissed and pointed towards the town. “You need me in there with you. I can fight, Leon. You know I can—”

“Its not about that, Wren.” He repeated earnestly, but I wasn’t having it.

“Then tell me what it’s about Leon, because from where I’m standing, it doesn’t make any fucking sense.”

“You don’t understand.” Leon took a step closer as his voice became full of emotion, his fingers digging into his chest as he continued. “I need you safe. Not because I don’t think you can handle yourself but because I can’t focus on anything else if there’s even the smallest possibility you’re in danger.”

I blinked and stumbled back half a step, not sure exactly how to feel as his words wrapped around my mind and began to truly sink in. Shaking my head in what almost felt like denial, or just not quite understanding the way he seemed to believe, I breathed out in disbelief. “I—Leon, nothing has changed—”

“Everything has changed.” He cut me off as he closed what little distance, I had put between us, and his hands began to cradle my face. “Everything.” I just shook my head more. “Since…fuck, since the beginning. Since we had to fight our way through the city, since…what came after that. Then I thought I lost you, only to run into in that damn village…everything is different.”

“I had your back in all of that.” I insisted, a lump forming in my throat as I gripped his arms tightly, my thumbs rubbing reassuring circles. “We got through all of it fine, we can do this together. We always do.”

“There won’t be a second where I won’t be worried about you, where I could make a mistake because I can’t help but make sure you’re okay.”

“And if you leave me here? How do you think I will feel? Constantly worried, not knowing if you’re getting out alive and wondering if me not going is the very thing that ensures that you don’t?”

Leon jerked back slightly as if he was shocked by the words, but it didn’t last long. “I trust you with my life, but I need you to trust me with it, too. Its…I need you to just sit out on this one.” I go to protest, but he quickly shakes his head as his thumb gently caresses my bottom lip, and I keep silent as he continues. “I just…I know what’s in there, Wren, and I just…need you here.”

“I…I fight all the time, Leon. I work with Chris…” It’s a feeble attempt at this point, we both know it, but he respects it all the same.

“If there’s anyone here that I trust with my life completely, it’s you. Of course it’s you. But fighting in Spain…scared the shit out of me. Just this once, please…just stay.” Leon softly pleaded as he pressed his forehead against mine. “For me.”

The tears were hard to fight when I replied, my voice thick with them. “You better come back, or I’ll kick your ass, Leon Kennedy.” His laugh was more of a sigh of relief as he kissed my forehead.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Pulling away, I glared at him through teary eyes.

“I mean it. If something happens to you, Alex and I are going to drag you out so I can kill you myself.”

“Fair enough.” He offered a slight smile as he raised his pinky. “It’s a promise?” Glaring at him for a few more seconds, I finally wrapped my pinky around his.

“I hate you for this.”

For the first time since he showed his face, he offered his smug smirk, chasing away the heaviness between us. “We both know I’m good at making it up to you. See you soon.” I swallowed the lump in my throat, but my chest continued to ache as he disappeared.

I turned and began to make my way into the quarantine zone, intent on making sure I was so busy that I wouldn’t allow myself to think, and as I spotted and headed towards Alex and Claire, I couldn’t help but mutter to myself. "Just had to fall for the fucking cop.”

#oc: wren blake #leon kennedy #x: my little dark age #the last line was a struggle for me #but honestly i love the idea that wren still gives leon shit #because she still hates cops #but leon also doesn't let her forget she was charmed by the rookie cop on his first day #overall tho its so hard for either of them to watch the other fight alone #but leon is very right in this because they're both focus so much on each other when they fight together #but honestly this is probably a thing that only happens once or twice #because wren can't stand being left behind #and not knowing is far more worse #resident evil 4 #resident evil oc

[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

[emisirrelevant]

THOUGHTS ON THE FINALE OF PRETTY LITTLE LIARS ORIGINAL SIN!!!!

*SPOILERS* if you haven't watched the last few episodes yet you've been warned

*TW/CW- mature/sensitive content in this post

I am literally still processing everything but:

Was I the only one who thought the Liars' plan with the blood drive was actually kind of creative?

Ohhh the principal rejecting Tabby's film had me SEETHING. I should have known from that scene he'd be the one behind it all/pulling the strings.

Going back and rewatching the scene where Chip tries to ask Imogen if she wants to go to his place for Thanksgiving is now very uncomfortable. Thank god she had Tabby and her mom!! And that's on the tabogen agenda.

I honestly thought Shawn was going to be a part of the A stuff or the guy who assaulted Tabby and Imogen but he was not. If we get a season 2 though, I'm keeping an eye on him. No offense Noa- but he lied about the pills/drugs. Like I wonder if he really was telling the truth when he said later that he threw them out.

The club scene!! Iconic, but the rational part of my brain also was like "Yes Faran good suggestion- WAIT THEY'RE MINORS THEY SHOULD NOT BE OUT CLUBBING"

When Kelly(?) "said call me Karen" to Greg- HUHHH?

I knew Crazy Joe wasn't A

It felt too much like a red herring to me- too obvious

The Waters' house did give me AHS Murder House vibes- they really nailed the creepy vibe with the set

Yess finally I’m so glad they got the moms to talk about Angela- also the fact that each mom's situation with Angela paralleled the daughters in the present

Noa saying "I can't handle juggling two addicts in my life" SWEETIE no :(((((

FARAN LETTING HER HAIR DOWN!!

I'm glad Henry told Faran about Kelly kissing him and didn't keep it a secret. Maybe there is one decent man on this show??

Also Ben Cook heyyy good for him getting those roles!

Ash just eating the pizza instead of directly answering Mouse's mom HAHA

Tabby's mom going OFF on Wes like that!!!

Faran going off on Sheriff Beasley!! QUEEN!

We got to see Imogen’s dad, interesting.

**The fact that he mentioned that Imogen’s mom stated in her will for Imogen to live with the Haworthes if anything bad happened though- TABOGEN WAS FATED! 

Honestly the whole Beasley family situation was really sad- and like the fact that there are some families like this in real life- it was really giving me Melanie Martinez Dollhouse vibes for sure.

Oh I see Kelly x Faran as a potential headcanon.

Oh damn. It was Chip. 

The whole scene when Imogen and Tabby confronted Chip though?Wow. Top tier acting from Bailee and Chandler. Powerful.

"This year has made us very, very good liars" ICONIC!

OMG THE FINAL EPISODE THOUGH HHHHHH

So much went DOWN!!

I'm still in shock with A doing that to Davie's body though- Tabby asking if Imogen was okay "Nope. Definitely not"

IMOGEN ADAMS DESERVES THE ENTIRE WORLD!! Fuck A for giving her life long trauma!

Not Angela's brother being named Archie- STOP WITH THE R*VERD*LE REFERENCES

IT WAS THE PRINCIPAL!!!! That was a good twist, I appreciate it.

Omg Kelly's mom stabbing Sheriff Beasley though was another twist I did not see coming.

1000000000+ points for adding a Motley Crue song in there!!

I absolutely LOVED the moment when the rest of the girls immediately stood up when the principal threatened to shoot Imogen and her baby- RIDE OR DIES FOR EACH OTHER YES

**THE FIGHT SCENE WITH IMOGEN AND A!!

MAKING CINEMATIC HISTORY

The camera angles in this show- absolutely DELICIOUS

Tabby being there when Imogen woke up in the hospital GO TABOGEN GO

The scene where everyone was celebrating Christmas together 🥺🥺 (every other ship kissing and then TABOGEN pls SEASON 2 SO WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!)

Also why did I know someone was going to say Die Hard when Tabby asked about favorite Christmas movies and why did it fit Shawn perfectly-

Aww Elodie and Shirley saying they're going to couples therapy GOOD FOR THEM!! (technically they ALL need it lol)

Interesting way to bring back some original PLL with that Aria and Ezra mention.. but when that baby finds out that her parents were in a student teacher relationship-

Overall glad that all those nasty men were EXPOSED. Especially the principal and Sheriff Beasley. Still wondering about Wes though. If there's a season 2 I'm keeping an eye on him too.

So Kelly was Kelly the whole time- I like that there’s a possibility that she stays friends with the Liars in the future- but like what if it’s still Karen? I wanna believe it’s Kelly and that Kelly is good but still.

And finally, Imogen saying she thinks it’s over

But A killed Sheriff Beasley AND came back for Chip-

When I first heard about this show, I was skeptical at first and didn't have many expectations going into it. I never watched the very first Pretty Little Liars series in its entirety, but this spinoff somehow managed to pull me in. Thank you PLLOS Original Sin for everything! What an amazing cast and show. I would definitely recommend this show to others.

SEASON 2, SEASON 2, SEASON 2

#pllos #pll original sin #a pllos review

[non-neutoniangender]

Okay yea, fuck it, watching 34 right now because sleep is for nerds and Matt decided to leave off on something of the world's worst cliffhanger (that's not necessarily true, but it kinda feels like it)

WHY did Matt start this with FCG??? boy am I concerned

Memories of Aeor?!??!?!?????

A MAN YOU FEAR?????? oh no

Chetney?!?!?!

why is he going down the list......

lmao "wayward romances in your youth"

Why are there names......

Also I'm suspicious that this is because Imogen let go, this is the hint that they're all ruidis born, because I think thats the direction this campaign was going to go

Ashton... whooo boy... yea, I think this is probably pointing towards ruidis born (from a storytelling perspective, in world I understand that they would have difficulty just guessing they are all ruidis born yk)

Some kind of ritual....

Beyond the edge of death....... wow

WAIT YEA. the whole cast is there, even the ones who are dead dead....... huh

Not the dinner with the Briarwoods...... :/ God I hate Delilah

Good lord. oopsies. we just disappeared a bunch of dirt and shit

I do really love how invested they get in the game

oops there goes Laudna

"worry not Laudna, death is but a waiting game" oh my god

Knowing what happens lessens the impact for me, in a good way, it really helps with the anxiety, but having them so much with helping the stakes feel real.

I can get safely invested with them being so invested even if I know the result. its nice

"How do I know they're dead" asking the right questions

A revivify cockring omg

When the so many people die that initative starts to go at the normal speed. god thats so morbid

Holy shit Sam. not the exact 10 on the revivify ritual dear GOD

Fearne, the first person to when presented with a Revivify goes "what else" what a Fearne move... I love her, I love Ashley

oh my god not the slight action economy shuffling

rollies to see who lives good Gods

Liam is just depressed.......

It's so heartbreaking to see Fearne work through how to save her friends, and FCG having to work her through who is dead

"Who votes for Orym" noooooooo lmao

Are they actually about to flip a coin for who to rez........?

This has such a different vibe to the Molly death... I can't really put my finger on why? maybe because when molly died there were no healers

Will 😢

Orym's gonna be a wreck after this huh.

But the acting :'(

Marisha silently packing up.... then asking Matt is she should leave 😢😢😢

Oh. Imogen thinks its her fault.

I do like that Matt is calling an early break so the players can go cry in each others arms for a moment.

aaaaaand popsicle stick Laura is waaaay too cheery

good god after all that death they go straight to torture

What a macabre scene, Imogen grieving the death of Laudna as everyone else is torturing information out of Treshi

Grey fluid...... dunamancy.... GOD I hate Ludinus

WAIT jesus did Otohan just cast 4 resonant Echoes?!?!?!?

God its so surreal to hear them talking about consulting Delilah like its not the worst idea ever.

"Imogen, do you think someone needs to take care of Paté and Sashimi?" oh my god Sam you don't need to break my heart again!

I do really love how Fjord seems to have opened up the relationship floodgates for Travis, I like how unabashedly horny he is.

I love when Caleb came out to talk about magic

TWO fragments of possibility?!?!? science has been scienced

not the grog meatlocker of holding!! (honestly...... I've been wondering what all was in that )

He added a FEAT?!?!?!?!

A toolbox lmaoooooo God Sam, never change.

"And not hide money from each other......."

"I saw my parents" "I thought you were an orphan" "I'm going to give you 10 seconds to figure that out" pure gold lmao

Captain Xandis!!!!! I forgot how much I loved them!!!!

The spell definitely headed something off at the pass, good god. Matt you are trying to kill someone!!!!

I love that Travis still counts for Laura's Sending.

And that airship pickup was really one for the highlight reel.

#cr 3 ep 34 #cr3 #cr2 spoilers #critical role

[isagrimorie]

I'm sure this has been discussed before but I wonder if part of the reason why Imogen and Laudna weren't in a romantic relationship together (other than falling into a holding pattern because they were comfortable with what they had and had no reason to ask for more from each other) is because of Laudna's perception of herself as a flawed person and Imogen 'deserving better'.

From the discussion between Laudna and Ashton, Laudna's been trying so hard to give Imogen a better life than she has, and from what we know of Imogen, she's been trying to do the same for Laudna.

The consequence of that is while they are truthful with each other they're not really showing each other who they are, not really. Because they're both striving to be better all the time, which is honestly admirable.

But also, I feel like to truly love someone (in this fictional sense), Imogen and Laudna also need to be truthful with each other.

It's like how I felt with Thirteen and the Fam in series 11, she hid so much of herself that she constantly faced off dangerous opponents by herself because she didn't want to risk showing to her new, shiny friends how much she relished facing off with bad guys. How she loved taunting and goading them, and baring her teeth.

Like, in all honesty, if Yaz and Dan, and the Humans were not around in the New Year episode, that would have been Christmas for Thirteen. Running around and constantly trying to outwit a Dalek and then insulting them? Best present for Thirteen.

And at that point, Yaz knows the Doctor now, her moods, her ups and downs, and even appreciates Thirteen's predatory instinct to goad Daleks.

(God the New Year's episode was peak Thirteen. I am going to miss her so much).

TLDR I felt like Yaz, Ryan, Graham's relationship with Thirteen became better when she stopped projecting that she was this carefree traveler. I felt series 12 was good for their relationships because they got to see the full breadth of emotions from Thirteen. She lets them see how vulnerable she can be, and just like any person she can get cranky, moody, and angry.

Getting back to the point Laudna showed Ashton she's not always the lovable not-dead girl she presents to be. In fact, after her talk with Delilah and after she almost killed FCG, Laudna seems to be showing more and more that she's kind of like Thirteen: Determined to be happy and present a happy front despite a level of deep sadness and tragedy paired with low-grade anger she's trying to put aside, all in an effort to enjoy the second chance she's had in life and always support Imogen.

And Imogen also has some anger issues to work on which I feel the gnarl rock is amplifying.

Maybe this experience will push Laudna (depending on Laudna's state of mind) and Imogen to be more of their true selves.

Also, from watching West Wing and other 'will they won't they' relationships on TV, I know (fictional) people can be stuck in a comfortable holding pattern for a long time because time does pass by very fast. And neither character wants to rock the boat.

Since this is fiction, a metaphorical hand grenade was needed to rock them from their comfortable positions.

Now, Laudna just needs to resurrect. *pokes Vox Machina and Bell's Hells*

#thinky thoughts #laudna #imogen #critical role #critical role spoilers #bells hells

[ascendantmarv]

i definitely should’ve posted this on tobias’s birthday the other day, but i totally forgot about this story until now, so consider this a late birthday present to him

it's a little one-shot about amarinda calling tobias toby :)

“Toby”

It was just after dawn, and two people sat at the table in the dining hall of the castle while Amarinda was down in the kitchen with Cook. Since she had no more princess duties to take care of, she decided she needed something to occupy her time, so she asked Cook if she could be her apprentice. Luckily, Cook was rather fond of Amarinda, so she gladly took her on.

Yesterday, Amarinda perfected her first dish, and this morning, she woke up Tobias and Imogen as early as she deemed acceptable so the two of them would be the first to try it.

Imogen watched from across the table as Tobias yawned and rested his head in his hands. “What, you never get up early?” she asked through a chuckle.

Tobias groaned and dragged his hand down his cheek, from his hair to his chin. Imogen could see very dark bags under his eyes. “I get up earlier than Jaron. Just never earlier than her.” He titled his head toward Amarinda and groaned again, then dropped his head onto the table. Imogen smiled and shifted her gaze to Amarinda, who was walking toward the table, carrying one plate of food in each hand.

She placed one in front of Imogen and used the other to push Tobias out of the way. He slowly lifted his head from the table, and Amarinda replaced it with the food. He stared at it.

“It’s smoked herring!” Amarinda said with a smile. Imogen grabbed her fork and poked around at the fish. “Oh!” Amarinda ran back into the kitchen and came back with two goblets. “Served with wine.”

Tobias grabbed the wine and gulped it down, then slammed it back onto the table. “Hoo!” he said. His eyes were now two times wider than before, but his dark circles were still very apparent. He shook his head around. “There we go.”

Imogen tilted her head at him. “It’s interesting, the difference between you two. Jaron uses wine to fall asleep.”

Tobias trilled his lips and shook his head. “Yeah, most people use it to fall asleep. I just hate the taste, so it wakes me up.” He picked up his fork and dug it into the herring. Amarinda watched in anticipation as he brought it to his mouth and chewed. His eyes narrowed in surprise. “Oh this is delicious,” he said, as he moved for another bite. He placed his free hand on top of Amarinda’s. “Well done, my love.”

She tilted her head and smiled fondly, watching Tobias take bite after bite. Something about it reminded her of when they first fell in love, as they were making their way back to Drylliad together. One of the nights they spent together, they found the tiniest bit of food, and although Tobias let her eat first, he ate his whole portion almost as soon as it touched his fingers.

“This is wonderful, Amarinda, oh my goodness.”

She snapped out of her trance and looked at Imogen, who was covering her mouth as she chewed. “I’m glad you like it! Cook was pleased with it when I made it for her, but I was most nervous to get the opinions of you two.” She let out a sigh and the tension in her shoulders fell away.

Tobias noticed her reaction and looked at her, perplexed. “You were really worried we wouldn’t like it?”

“Toby, you know how much I value your opinion. If you didn’t like it, I honestly doubt I’d make this recipe again,” she laughed.

Tobias froze at “Toby”. Heat immediately rose to his cheeks and he slowly looked across the table at Imogen. She was smiling. She looked as though she knew she shouldn’t be smiling, but was too amused to try to hide it. Tobias contorted his face into an unreadable emotion and let out a loud, exasperated sigh.

“Oh, you’re being dramatic,” Amarinda said, grabbing his empty plate and turning to walk back into the kitchen. As she began walking away, she yelled over her shoulder, “It’s your name!”

Tobias glued his eyes to Amarinda as she left because he was too embarrassed to look anywhere else. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Imogen resume picking at her breakfast, but he remained frozen for a few more moments. When he turned back to her, she changed the topic entirely. “So,” she began, “what dish do you think she’ll make next?”

Tobias cleared his throat and ran his fingers through his hair. “Something with meat, I suppose. She’s a big fan of Cook’s meaty breakfasts, so it’d make sense for her to want to be able to make it herself.” His face felt cooler, and it was most certainly less red now that he knew she wasn’t going to mention his nickname.

“Oh, I’m sure that’ll taste lovely, don’t you think,” she paused, and Tobias watched as the smile melted onto her face again, “Toby?”

The blood rushed back to his cheeks immediately and he dropped his head into his hands and groaned, “Please don’t tell them, oh my god.”

#tobiarinda ft imogen #tobiarinda #the ascendance series #the shadow throne #the captive kingdom #the shattered castle #tst #tck #tsc #it's super short i'm sorry but we all know how much i love one-shots