An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Laudna had always felt a particular pain in her legs but was never bothered by it, chalking it up to her existence as a resurrected human being. It was something she hadn’t thought much of - in fact, she’d always had random joints separate and rejoin themselves. However, one morning she wakes with her leg in excruciating pain, and finds she is barely able to move it. With Imogen at her side, Laudna seeks out help and gets some life-changing news.
First chapter of my disabled!Laudna AU story has been posted. This is the first of at least a few planned chapters, which will be posted over the next few weeks as I continue to finish it up. I'd love to hear what you think either here or there so please let me know, and thank you for showing an interest and reading!
Thinking about my disabled mini AU again, and I just think it would be really neat if Laudna had a cane made out of wood from the Sun Tree.
Like in my own little headcanon, I imagine that Chetney makes her a cane using some wood he was allowed to (legally?) obtain from the Sun Tree, and he carved and whittled it so that the cane looked like the Sun Tree’s trunk, and the handle were branches, that would also make it so that when she uses her Form of Dread, the cane becomes part of her. He presents it to her after a battle one evening when he notices she’s limping a lot more than normal and thought maybe it’d help. “I didn’t want to impose but, I couldn’t help but notice you were relying on Imogen a lot to help you walk, so I thought maybe…” She takes it and admires it for what it is, and thanks Chetney for it genuinely. She takes to it hesitantly at first, feeling a hesitation about not wanting to be more visibly different but she does not dispose of or hide it from view. She starts to use it here and there but still clings to Imogen quite more often than normal still.
But then after a few weeks she notices she still isn’t walking right and those pains in her leg aren’t going away, so she starts to use it more and more and falls in love with it. She’s comfortable, she’s walking without pain, and Imogen’s noted that she’s bouncing around their cottage with it like it’s a dance partner now, she’s grown to be so comfortable with it. Not long thereafter, she asks Chetney on one of his visits for just one little adjustment. “Sure, is something wrong, did it break? Oh no, is it too short? Too tall?” And she tells him no, it’s perfect, she just would like one minor, cosmetic addition: a “C-Pop Industries” logo on it, so everyone knows who made her beautiful cane. He sheds a tear in joy and happily engraves his insignia on it.
Then I’m imagining Laudna and Imogen walking around Jrusar going shopping for Zhudanna and themselves (bc even though they now live alone, together, independent of Zhudanna, they still help take care of her as a thanks). Just watching Laudna slinging her cane on her forearm as she and Imogen parse through loaves of bread or bundles of herbs and spices, holding onto Imogen loosely as they stumble-step from booth to booth in the crowds making their purchases where it’s too crowded to step comfortably otherwise.
Then suddenly a little child spies Laudna from a little distance away in the market and is caught staring at her: not because she’s a ghostly pale undead lady holding a pretty purple-haired lady’s hand, but because Laudna is walking with a cane and has a limp just like this little child seems to. So instead of her being afraid, the child “runs” up to Laudna very clumsily with her cane and loudly declares “i like your cane,” as she wave hers at Laudna. And then Laudna would be all cute back and wave hers at the child, “i LOVE yours,” and fuss and make a big deal of it and ask the little girl about it like it was the best cane Laudna ever did see, and the little girl getting absolutely elated and overwhelmed by not feeling so out of place “because she’s not old and she walks like me!”
And then I think about Laudna and Imogen hanging out with Ashton, in their little chronicLu disabled club as the three of them do in secret once a month, and Ashton finally realizes after a long while “wait? That’s from the Sun Tree?!” And then Laudna will Form Of Dread as she holds the cane and tower over him, juuuuust so he could be impressed with how ~cool she looks with it. “That’s fuckin’ awesome.” And they’ll spend the next forty five minutes discussing her cane, his use of his hammer as a walking stick, Imogen’s frequent headaches from the constant buzzing and chatter in her head. Ashton’ll mention having seen someone riding around in an wheelchair that was “also an automaton” in Bassuras — could go way faster than any old wheelchair. “I bet if you did it right you could enter one in the Deathwish, now *that* would be interesting.” And they spent the next forty-five minutes and remaining bottle of wine inventing Murderball for Exandria.
Then Fearne comes over for (girl) dinner one evening. Lots of food and drinks and wine and gossip. Fearne being Fearne, and knowing damn well Laudna needs it, she still tries to swipe the cane anyway because her love language had spread to all of Bells Hells now, and she couldn’t not try. That’s part of the fun. And she nearly gets away with it except that, at the end of the night, perhaps a little too drunk off of Whitestone’s very best wine to offer, she attempts to leave their home by casually just strolling out the door with it under her hand as though it were hers and she walked in with it all along, only to play it off to the girls with a laugh and a “damn” under her breath to Mister. They share a laugh at their doorstep with one last hug, and Laudna says to hear “ask Chet, maybe he’ll make you one.”
Orym visits with Dorian, and of the whole group, they’re the ones who just “seem” the most adjusted when it comes to Laudna in general but certainly to both the girls. Dorian sees her cane for the first time and, being unfamiliar with Whitestone and the history, particularly her history there, he just admires it purely from a craftsmanship and design aspect, essentially complimenting Chet. He calls it “quite a beautiful craft of love for a mobility aid.” He particularly loves the detailing in the bark pattern Chetney had painstakingly added. This makes Laudna smile. Orym, knowing it’s and Laudna’s origins, doubles down on that sentiment and shoots the girls that knowing look with a smile. And then conversations move on, dinner continues.
But then there’s Letters. Poor Letters who just wants to help. He tries to convince Laudna, perhaps a little too aggressively, to get new feet and legs with him, “so we can fix ya! we could ask D or Dancer, maybe Imahara Joe?” But the girls sit them down and explain to him that while Dancer and Joe are unique in their crafts and capabilities, and while Dancer seems happy with her prosthetic, Laudna doesn’t see the need for all that. “I’m quite happy as I am, FCG,” and they explain over some tea and copper bits why some people who are disabled don’t necessarily want or need to be fixed, but it’s okay for those out there who do. Laudna then reassures FCG that she is happy, she doesn’t ~need fixing, and that sometimes people with disabilities and disabled people would just rather have the things they need and the world to be more accessible to get by, rather than any attempts as “fixing” something that they don’t see as broken within themselves.,FCG kind of understands and just says “okay… well, I’ll pray for you.”
I don’t know, disabled!Laudna (and Imogen and Ashton) is/are so important to me and ever since I’ve started to recognize my own disabilities and physical and mental limitations, I’ve just been thinking entirely too much about Laudna using a mobility aid (not even just a cane as presented here) and trying to get myself more confidence to use my cane when I need it rather than continue to suffer.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
>>>Showing Signs of Love<<<
We learn Laudna's gold ear cuffs are more than just beautiful pieces of jewelry as she remembers the early days of her and Imogen's relationship in loosely recounting the trauma she experienced at the hands of the Briarwoods to her and sharing the healing that she's experienced since that time, culminating in an expression of unique love languages between these two sorceresses.
This is the result of my hyperfixation on that Tiktok of the HoH Laudna and Imogen signing out the kiss scene and my brain couldn’t stop obsessing over an AU where Laudna had some form of auditory processing disorder/disability and she and Imogen pick up Sign Language throughout their adventures. Just a little thing thats purely self-serving and for absolutely no one else by myself but feel free to give it a gander if you like and if you do well hey thanks for reading!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Chapter 2 of my disabled!Laudna story is now posted.
Imogen and Laudna visit the Dreamscape Theater for an escape from reality for a little while after the past few hours' developments.
This has become such a joy to write and I'm taking my time with this one wanting to get it just right to my expectations and so here's the next entry into this story that's become a bit cathartic and a bit of a personal exploration of my own, with much more to come.
(Headcanon content; disabled!Laudna, alternate timeline, canon divergent. No beta, we live and die like Bor’Dor on this one. I just needed to bring her to life. This is just one iteration. There will be others. Thanks for indulging.)
It’s early. Or it’s late. They weren’t quite sure. It’s definitely night, that much is certain.
There’s a light rain falling, harder in the treetops but mitigated as it falls here in front of the tiny porch adorning this small cottage. There’s a single lantern lit on the table that’s fixed between two wicker rocking chairs, with the chair on the right closest to the front door occupied by one of the two women who own this home.
As Laudna sits there, she holds a hot cup of coffee between her hands in front of her face. Her feet are propped up on a wooden stool directly in front of her, crossed at the ankle, right over left. She has a leg brace on her left leg, from her thigh down to her ankle, and there is a cane resting against the side of the table to her right.
The door behind her opens, and Imogen emerges holding her own cup of coffee. She closes the door, leaving just a slight crack, and crosses the porch to her own seat adjacent to Laudna. Before she settles into her seat, she reveals two blankets that she had clutched against her chest. She unfolds one and spreads it out, sprawling it over Laudna’s lap and covering her legs and feet. She then duplicates the act as she sat down, kicking her feet up into the stool positioned nearest her chair and covering up with her own blanket.
(Cut for length, rest below!)
Laudna raises her mug in the air in Imogen’s direction, as Imogen returns the kindness. “I love you,” she says into Laudna’s mind, not breaking the auditory experience provided by the rain still slapping the trees and falling through to the garden surrounding their homestead.
“I love you,” Laudna telepathically responds. She blows her a kiss across the small gap between them, and as Imogen mimics receiving it, they each take another sip of their coffee.
A flash of lightning brightens the area, even through the heavy tree tops. One, two, three… and then the bang of thunder overhead.
“This storm is beautiful,” Imogen says aloud.
“It is,” Laudna concurs. After a moment of silence, she offered a question. “Do you know why I like storms so much?”
Imogen turns her sights from the garden over to Laudna, watching as she sips from her mug before responding, “They remind me of you.”
“Oh?”
“Well, I like thunderstorms because they’re mesmerizing, they’re refreshing,” Laudna says as she turns to look at Imogen now. “But they’re also powerful and can be destructive and unpredictable, and loud.“
Laudna takes another sip as Imogen just looks at her, slightly confused. That’s when Laudna adds, “And well, I like you because amongst other things you are also all of those things, in the best of ways.”
Imogen smiled and blushed. “Oh, Laudna,” she started before she was interrupted by another bang of thunder.
Laudna just continues to stare into Imogen’s eyes as she smiles. Imogen tucks a strand of hair behind her ear as she bashfully looks away. They’ve been together for years, dating for half as long, yet Imogen still feels the butterflies like it is the first day, every day. And oh she loves Laudna for it.
“Thank you,” Imogen finally says as she extends her hand out over the table. Laudna reached hers out in reply and grasps onto Imogen’s, holding it for a moment and giving it a compassionate squeeze.
The two continue to sit there as the storm presses on, not letting up. They’ve lost complete track of time, not that it matters to them. They don’t have anywhere to go except bed.
“Is your leg feeling okay,” Imogen asked Laudna after a short while.
Laudna had been struggling for several weeks with a severe injury to her leg that just wouldn’t heal. She finally had gone and seen a doctor in the last few days, and the reason the girls found themselves here at this late hour tonight was because Laudna was still processing the news that the Doctor had provided: her leg was so severely diseased from the attack that only a truly divine spell could potentially cure what caused her disability.
As such, she was still making peace with her new reality, processing all that having a mobility issue and dealing with chronic pain and a physical disability now presents to her. It had only been a few days since the Doctor provided her with the brace and cane she was now using regularly.
“I suppose I’m alright,” Laudna admits. “It was difficult at first; certainly, worrying. But, all considered, there are worse things in life and unlife”
“Oh I know,” Imogen says. “I’m sure it’s scary and overwhelming. Just… are you okay, like, right now? Can I do anything?”
Laudna looks over at Imogen and gives her another warm smile. “Oh, darling. You’ve done plenty for me already. I am okay, honest.”
Laudna gives her a wink as Imogen smiles weakly. She still feels a bit of pity for Laudna, first having dealt with death — twice — and now suddenly having a life changing injury thrust into her, it just wasn’t fair. But that wasn’t for her to question, they simply could only work with the cards they were dealt.
“You would know if I were lying, Imogen.”,
Imogen’s face relaxes as she responds to Laudna in her head, “I know.”
“And if this is permanent, well that’s alright too. I’m alive, aren’t I?” Laudna downs the last of her coffee and places the mug down beside her on the table. “Besides, becoming disabled isn’t the worst thing that could happen to someone.”
Imogen chuckles, recalling another time Laudna referred to something as not being the worst thing that’s ever happened to her.
“You’re right,” Imogen says as she places her mug down next to Laudna’s. She sweeps another strand of her out of her face and behind her ear. “I just want you to be happy, Laud.”
“Oh, but I am happy, Imogen. I have you.”
Imogen beams at hearing this, not expecting it in any capacity, and her heart flutters over a few beats.
The two of them sit there for a little longer listening to the end of the storm as it leaves the area. Drops of rain continue to fall from the treetops as the wind blows by up above, rustling the leaves just as much as the nightlife does as they begin to emerge from their shelters. Hooting from owls and the skittering of raccoons can be heard overhead as the girls just take in the sounds of nature all around them.
“Shall we get some sleep,” Imogen asks Laudna through a powerful yawn. Laudna had been resting in her chair with her eyes closed, popping one open upon hearing Imogen’s question. “I suppose we should.”
Imogen gathers up her blanket in one hand before collecting Laudna’s, bundling them together underneath her arm. As Laudna gathers herself and prepares to get up onto her feet, Imogen reaches a hand out in aid to her. Taking it into her own, Laudna clutches her cane in her right hand, grasping onto the plain dull black wooden handle, and after a count of one, two, three, she rocks herself forward and up into a standing position.
As Laudna gathers her bearings, Imogen collects their mugs from the table and blows the lantern out. Laudna opens and holds the door for Imogen as she walks inside first, heading straight to the kitchen with their empty mugs. Laudna closes and locks the door and waits for Imogen by the stairs. Just as quickly, Imogen emerges from around the corner and gives Laudna a kiss on the cheek, still clutching the blankets.
“Go ahead darlin, I got you if you need me,” Imogen says as she gestured towards the stairs. Laudna carefully took to the stairs, cane first then one foot and then the other, repeating the process one step at a time. Perhaps with time she’ll regain some speed and dexterity, she thinks to herself, but for now she’s focused on this reality and the next step ahead. Literally and figuratively.
It takes a minute or two, but Laudna makes it up the stairs without issue or the need for Imogen to assist her. They both head down the hall toward their bedroom, this time Imogen leading the way and letting Laudna go at her own pace, taking advantage by preparing Laudna’s side of the bed first.
After helping Laudna remove her brace and get comfortable in bed, propping her leg up on a pile of pillows, Imogen turns down the lanterns on each of their nightstands and crawls into bed beside her love. Laudna extends her arm and invites Imogen in to cuddle with her as they fall asleep. Imogen drapes her arm over Laudna, her hand resting on Laudna’s clavicle and neck, as Laudna holds her in one arm while the other rests across her own torso holding Imogen’s arm.
“I love you,” Imogen says out loud this time.
Laudna rubs her arm affectionately, and replies “I love you too.”
Imogen strokes the side of Laudna’s face as she lays there, prompting Laudna to kiss Imogen on the crown of her head. Imogen buries her face in Laudna’s chest.
Rain begins to fall again and hit the window pane from the outside; and as another low rumble of thunder is barely heard overhead, Laudna and Imogen close their eyes and drift off to sleep.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Chapter 3 of About Laudna's Leg is now posted!
Having gotten a good night's rest after such a trying day, Imogen and Laudna head back to the Dreamscape Theater to speak with Stuvan as they had arranged. During their remaining stay in Jrusar, they also encounter another, unexpected individual.
