Work Text:
Imogen Temult could not fall asleep. She was tired, almost exhausted but she couldn’t settle down. She had rolled around, flipped her pillow, even counted some damn sheep and nothing worked. It had been an hour or so since Laudna had fallen asleep next to her, and Imogen had abandoned her hope of sleeping well tonight, instead choosing to watch as Laudna’s chest slowly rose and fell. Laudna’s breaths were long and slow, with a moment of stillness between each motion, a pause longer than what would be typical for someone who wasn’t in whatever state of life Laudna was preserved in. Imogen laid on her side, face to face with Laudna, studying her face as she slept. She could see Laudna’s eyes moving as her thin eyelids fluttered. Imogen could hear the flurry of strings playing in her mind. The tune was quick and vicious. Imogen’s brow furrowed as she listened. It sounded like Laudna was having a bad dream. Imogen didn’t want to pry, most people found her gift invasive while they were awake, and doing it while someone was unconscious was probably worse. But this was Laudna. Laudna had helped Imogen with so many of her nightmares, and with the situation reversed it’s only right Imogen should intervene if she can. Imogen settled in on her pillow and shut her eyes, opening her mind to let in as much of Laudna’s as she could.
When she read people’s thoughts, Imogen would hear them first, and rarely when she had tuned into them and was focusing, she could see things. Usually it was brief, a flash or an outline, blurry and barely distinguishable like she was trying to make something out without her glasses on. Most of the time, her mind was too busy and divided by the people around her to get close enough to see them. But here she and Laudna were alone, and Imogen could see.
It was still blurry at the edges, like she had just woken up and was still rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Even through the haze, she could see the scene was more detailed and grandiose than any vision she’d had before. Imogen stood in a room of white marble, a grand entryway with two staircases wrapping up the walls and meeting in the center to form a balcony that hung over a grand doorway. The large glass doors were too far away to make out what stood behind them, but she heard Laudna’s song, still with a racing tempo and martelé strikes, leaking through them. She did her best to move towards it, but her steps met resistance like she was swimming against the current. She continued pushing forward, finally feeling the pressure cease when she made it to the doors.
She turned the huge golden handle and stepped into the room, her vision finally coming into focus. The room was made of the same bare marble white walls, but inside there were rows and rows of dark wooden chairs. Seated in them were nebulous humanoid figures made of shadow, fuzzy and flickering at the edges. Imogen rubbed her eyes to try and clear the image as she stared down the group. They were holding orchestral instruments, and Imogen scanned the group as they continued their aggressive bow strokes. Her eyes adjusted as they traveled over the group, Imogen stopping when they saw her.
The woman had her back to Imogen, facing the group and waving the baton frantically. Imogen looked between her arms and the players. She was in a long black velvet gown with her hair pulled out of her face and into a tight bun. Imogen couldn’t see her face. Curious, she stepped fully inside and let the door shut behind her.
The woman did not stop, but straightened up, and continued beating with larger movements. Imogen walked towards the group trying to understand what was going on. She stopped about 30 feet away, uneasy in this stranger's presence.
“Who are you?” Imogen asked, speaking loudly as not to be droned out by the double basses.
The woman looked over her shoulder, continuing her four pattern with only the baton, to meet Imogen’s eyes and answer. “I’m sure you are aware of me, girl. I am not your friend, so I must be the other one who lives in here.”
Imogen knew then her instincts to stay back were right. “Delilah Briarwood…” She said, quieter, like she was reminding herself more than answering.
“Very good deduction.” Delilah turned back to the group and brought up her other arm to join in giving the down beat for the group.
Imogen watched the woman quietly for a moment. Her movements were angry, sharp and commanding. She sliced through the air with the baton keeping time. She reached out to her left to signal a group of violins, and Imogen watched to see their reaction. The shadows ignored the cue. Delilah huffed, so quietly that Imogen wouldn’t have noticed if she wasn’t looking so intently. As she looked on, she noticed tiny beads of sweat forming along Delilah’s hairline as the group slowed down, ignoring Delilah's counts.
Imogen was quiet again, observing the scene until she was positive she knew what was going on. She tried her best to sound neutral as she asked, “What are you doing?”
“You must be a simple girl just like she is. Maybe that’s why you get along so well.” Delilah raised one eyebrow and breathed a small laugh. “I’m the conductor. I am leading the group.”
“No, you’re not.” Imogen snapped back quickly. Delilah turned around to meet Imogen’s eyes, glaring down at her from her spot on the podium in front of the orchestra.
“Simple, indeed. I suppose you—”
“Look at them.” Imogen staring right back and matching the fierce look in Delilah’s eyes. “They don’t yield to you. Clearly, you aren’t in charge here. You’re just standing there waving your arms around. Hell, I don’t even think they’re in the same time signature.”
Delilah sucked in a deep breath and glanced back over her shoulder to see the group had continued on without her. The song had continued to slow down and settled into a floating, dreamy piece. Imogen knew she was right. It felt like a waltz.
“Fools. You listen to me!” Delilah barked at the group, the shadows unwavering and continuing their song. “Ugh!” she yelled as she lifted the baton and began beating her desired tempo. The strings continued on, ignoring the markings.
Delilah was shaking. She slammed the baton down on the stand in front of her. She whipped around and quickly stepped off the podium. Her sudden movement scared Imogen and she took a step back, watching as Delilah pivoted from her direction and beelined toward the first chair violin.
“Pathetic.” She said as she approached the shadowed figure. Her arm flew out and snatched the instrument and bow from the entity, and it dissipated into the air.
“I have to do everything myself.” Delilah brought the violin up, resting it between her chin and her shoulder.
She began to play a solo, ignoring the group behind her and aggressively pulling a long down bow, shaking her hand to add vibrato and looking towards Imogen. She started playing her own tune andante, rolling the bow up and down furiously, across two or three strings.
Imogen stood frozen for a second, unsure of what she should do or even could do in this world. She watched Delilah begin to lean into the music, shutting her eyes as the bow skidded across the strings. This wasn’t right. Imogen had to stop it. She was already halfway across the room before she remembered that this woman was incredibly powerful.
Maybe in life. But not here. This place was not her’s. Imogen sped across the room until she was close enough to Delilah that she could reach out and grab the violin from her. Delilah’s eyes jerked open and she recoiled from Imogen.
Imogen had already turned to walk away. She held the violin by the fingerboard in one hand and the bow in the other. Imogen raised the arm with the violin over her head and swung it down, using the momentum to throw the instrument as hard as she could to the ground. It splintered into chunks of wood, the bridge breaking and all the strings sliding apart. She paused for just a moment, her back still to Delilah, and brought the bow down over her knee, snapping the stick in half. She tossed it to the ground and began walking again until she reached the door. She took one last look over her shoulder at Delilah. The woman stood there, completely still and silent, arms at her sides and her face an expressionless mask. The orchestra continued on behind her with their dreamy song of choice.
Imogen threw open the door and slammed it behind her as she left. She stomped out into the foyer she had entered in, stopping beneath a huge crystal chandelier. She was hyperventilating.
“Imogen?”
Imogen turned around to look at the balcony. Launda was gripping the railing and leaning to look down at her. The orchestra swelled from the other room, the notes tensing for a moment at Laudna’s initial confusion at seeing Imogen here, and releasing at the joy Laudna felt seeing her.
“Laudna.” Imogen said, reassured as she finally saw who she was looking for here. She moved towards the staircase to her right and ascended them as quickly as she could. Laudna came to meet Imogen as fast as she could, darting down the staircase to meet her halfway.
When they met in the middle, they collided in an embrace, heaving sighs of relief. The impact of the action woke them both up and they were back in their bed.
It startled them both, but as soon as they were conscious Imogen was pulling Laudna in to hold her, mimicking the motion they had just done in the dream. Imogen held Laudna tightly.
“I’m so sorry.” She whispered in Laudna’s ear. “I met her. Delilah. That woman is so awful. I can’t believe she’s just in there. I’m so sorry, Laud.” Imogen continued to babble apologies as she cried into Laudna’s hair.
Laudna held Imogen and stroked and patted her back. “I heard you. What you did in there was very brave. You stood up to her for me, Imogen, thank you. I am so grateful for you.”
Imogen pulled away and sat up. She brushed Laudna’s hair back and held her face in both hands. Hot tears rolled down Imogen’s face as she looked into Laudna’s eyes.
“We are gonna get her out of there. Okay? We’re gonna fix this.” She leaned into Laudna and rested her forehead against Laudna’s and whispered, “I am gonna shut her up for good. Whatever it takes. I will do it.”
Laudna’s own tears were falling now too, and she brought her hands up to rest over Imogen’s, warming her cold skin. “I love you.” she whispered to Imogen, and tilted her chin up so her lips met Imogen’s.
They fell asleep eventually, holding each other close, and were grateful that the rest of the night was dreamless.