Ships and Spaghetti [ONE SHOTS]

[Imogen x Laudna] It was night when you died, my firefly.

Title - It was night when you died, my firefly
Word count - 3704 words
Type - SFW

Fandom - Critical Role, Campaign 3
Ship - Imogen x Laudna (not the focus of the story)

Content Warnings - [Major Character Death], Angst/No comfort
Spoilers - Heavy spoilers for Ep33-36

Author's note - So I started watching Critical Role and got past the nightmare that were ep 33-36. But then I listened to "Fourth of July" by Sufjan Stevens and chose to suffer! Basically: an AU where Otohan used poison on Laudna to avoid her coming back and Imogene loses it. Good luck!

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There is silence ringing through Imogene's ears as she searches the rumbles. The minds of her companions shut around her, leaving her alone. Panic sets into her heart as she claws at the bricks and metal spikes that once stood before her. She can't hear Ashton swearing or Fearne crying out to FCG to help with Orym. Her breath almost stops when she sees pale skin peaking between the debris. With a newfound energy, she uncovers Laudna, her face covered in blood. She pulls her body closer onto her lap, cradling her head with her hands.

She's shaking. With a trembling hand, she readjusts Laudna's hair out of her face.

"Laudna ?" Her voice is shaky as it breaks the deafening silence around her. "Laudna come back. Come back, please..." Tears started making her vision blurry, as she grips the pale woman tighter and brings her closer into her embrace. As she remembers, she takes the rock Fearne hid in her pack and laces it in a hurry between Laudna's fingers as a silent prayer to Delilah. She implores any deities that might be listening as she stares up into the skies.

Next to her, she sees Ashton get up, speaking to her? She can't tell. Can't hear. As they get close to her, she's afraid for a moment. No...No one can take Laudna away from her. The earth Genasi seems to say something before they close the distance. She almost gets defensive, but lets them ever so gently pick up Laudna from her arms. They start taking her towards the cluster of their friends gathering around Orym's still form. Imogene stands up on frail legs, following behind them.

She cannot understand why everyone is arguing before her as she stares at the corpse of Laudna. Ashton lays her out next to Orym. There is a pause, an instant as FCG gives the druid something. Fearne flips the coin she was given and looks at its result.

She tenses when the satyr approaches Laudna, and she hopes she might make her come back. But she mutters a couple of words and leaves, taking a step back towards halfling.

Realization settles deep into her stomach, and it hurts.

It takes an infinite minute before Orym's eyes flutter back open. And she's happy to have him back, but the sliver of joy it brings is crushed by darker feelings.

It's almost as if cold hands wrap around her heart. The fear and anger she tried so hard to harness facing Otohan come back, coursing through her veins. She notices Ashton putting down their portable dimension and approaching Laudna and the order she gives is almost a reflex.

"No! You can't put her in there! You'll carry her to Joe's." Her voice is strict as she commands and even Ashton seems surprised. They grab back the strange black fabric and pick the pale woman back into his arms.

Don't worry, thinks Imogene into the place of Laudna's mind, if it was even still there. We'll...We'll get you back. I promise.

~

The skyship ride back felt like it lasted a minute or a thousand years. Each night, Imogen opens the portable dimension and sits down next to Laudna's body. She tells her how pretty the view is, and promises, again and again, that they would get her back. FCG's spell made it look like she was almost just sleeping. She just wished she could see her chest rise, even barely, again. That she'd wake up and crack a terrible joke, or that she'd be able to hug her back.