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It’s been so long since the Hell’s have had a moment to breathe. Mori created a ballroom just for them, well. Fearne was one the one who suggested they have a proper ball, one they could actually enjoy. Mori really only listened to what her favorite had wanted. With some coaxing each of the Hell’s gave Mori a quick description of the dress they wanted.
“Hold still.” Imogen’s tone was verging on frustration. She stood in front of Laudna holding a long make-up brush with a steady hand.
“I’m sorry.” Laudna had her eyes closed doing her best not to fidget. Each time the soft bristles hit her eye lid she had to consciously keep herself from flinching away. It wasn’t working all that well.
“Gods- Launda!” Imogen audibly took a step away letting the undead open her eyes. Laudna stared at Imogen sheepish, shy.
“I’m sorry. It’s just. I’ve never had my makeup done before.” The warlock messed with her hands keeping her gaze down cast, eyes flicking to see Imogen’s face soften then looked away once again.
“Hey.” A delicate scarred hand rested on a cold, sharp jaw holding her gently. “Hey.” Imogen spoke even softer the second time pulling dark eyes to lavender. “Why don’t we try somethin’ else?” She delicately took Laudna’s hand leading her over to a surprisingly comfortable bed considering it was made of foliage and tree bark.
“Imogen I don’t know if I’m all that tired right now…” Laudna let herself be guided to sit, then gingerly pushed to lay on her back. She blushed at Imogen’s light chuckle.
“No sweetheart, I don’t want you fallin’ asleep. I’m just wonderin' if this might help.” Imogen explained in a voice she only really used when they were alone. It was tender and a little deeper than normal. It made Laudna feel like she was the most lucky girl in the world. To have someone as powerful and sweet and loving as Imogen look at her, speak to her like she was the sweetest thing in the world.
“What do…” She trailed off as Imogen straddled over her stomach. Her already wide blackened eyes opened impossibly wider as her girlfriend pulled her hair back tying it in place with her yellow scarf. She tapped her freshly prepared brush against the palate she held, some black powder drifting to the mossy sheets below them. Laudna felt her entire face heat up, which was very hard for her. That heat only grew at Imogen’s coy smile.
“Close your eyes.” Her country accent thickened. It took the undead a few seconds to register Imogen’s words. She heard them. Knew what the meant individually as they sat bouncing around in her head one at a time. “Launda, I can’t finish up if you keep starin’ at me.” A little more sternly her girlfriend couldn’t help the smile on her face.
“I’m-”
“Please stop with all the apologizin’. We’ve done enough that. Tonight we’re gonna get all fancy and dance out hearts out.” The brush lightly grazed her eyelid and she didn’t flinch away. Instead she sank into the mattress underneath her far more content with Imogen’s weight across her waist.
“I can’t wait to see your dress.” Laudna mumbled sighing gently. It was her idea to keep their outfits a secret. She wants to see Imogene’s reaction when she enters the ballroom. She wants to see her face flush, make her heart race like she so easily does to her own slow heart.
“I can’t wait either. We’ve never really had the chance to dress up and enjoy it.” Imogen spoke carefully, probably focusing on the smokey eye she was applying. “Alright, that ‘bout does it then.” Imogen’s weight disappeared and Laudna opened her eyes to the ceiling, not pretty lavender. She shifted her head to see Imogen standing by the vanity. She was putting away brushes and the palate she’d been using smiling at the undead though the mirror.
Launda smiled back sitting up. She didn’t say anything just watching her girlfriend saunter over to the bedroom door. Imogen paused there looking at her like she was waiting for something, or maybe she had something she wanted to say. But the silence between them crept on and then she was gone with a giggle and hurried step.
It took the undead a second to gather her thoughts. All she had to do now was get dressed and invite Orym to do her hair. She pointed in the direction of his room.
“If you’re free I’m ready.” She could hear the anxiety in her own voice.
“Just finishing up with Fearnie.” His gentle voice did little to calm her growing worries.
—
She stood in her looking at herself in a full body mirror. She’d chosen a tight, yet loose silk black dress. The chest was open in a very deep V, it’s waist corseted holding up her breasts to accentuate them. From the bottom of the waist the skirt hugged her hips just enough to keep from truly billowing off of her. On the right the skirt slit all the way to the top of her thigh just under hip, the outer split lined with the same black lace as the corset and chest.
She wasn’t sure if she should wear heels or flats. Imogen was probably going to wear some kind of boot, boots generally have at least a small heel. Would she be at or taller than Laudna’s height? Would it be too awkward if she she was too tall? Oh, but the heels are so beautiful….
They were black, and secure around her otherwise shotty ankles. The toe and heel supports were decorated with golden gemstones in leafy patterns keeping with the nature-y vibe of the ball. They matched the chains dangling off of new golden ear cuffs that sat just right hiding away mutilation. She smiled feeling her chest warm at her reflection. Heels it is then.
Breathing in deep her breath stuttered. This is maybe the most nervous she’s been in her entire life. Instinctually she reached to take her hair then paused not wanting ruin Orym’s work. He’d taken such care, and a very long time, to braid her hair into a crown style. He’d taken two sections from the front pinning in place golden shimmering Daylilies, half of her hair pulled up letting the rest cascade down her shoulders. In all her years she’s never felt prettier. If someone told her she was a proper lady of a proper kingdom she’d believe them.
There was a soft knock at her door pulling her away from the mirror in front of her. “Yes?” She called twisting her fingers together.
“I’ve come to es-cort~ you.” Chetney’s voice croaked and cracked through the door. He broke up his words emphasizing syllables as he sang in his aloof way.
“I’ll be right there.” She fussed with her dress smoothing it. Then adjusted the ear cuffs. Maybe she should ask Orym to check her hair one more time… Just make sure everything was as perfect as it could be.
“Come on Launda. I’m sure you looking beautiful.” Chetney called knocking again softly. The undead looked into the mirror. She clenched and unclenched her hands listening to the knuckles pop. This is as perfect as she will look all night. There’s nothing more she can do. She emptied her lungs sharply turning away from her own reflection.
“Sorry it took so long I was just-”
“Wow!” Chetney’s mouth fell open halting Laudna’s long winded and anxiety ridden explanation. “You look gorgeous.” His eyes scanned up and down her body taking in the sight before him. His cheeks lit up a dull pink color as he cleared his throat grinning wide.
“O-oh! Thank you.” She nearly caved in on herself clasping her hands together tightly. “You look quite dashing as well.” Her eyes wouldn’t meet his, instead landing on the spot between them. He was dressed in a multilayered suit. The bottom a white dress shirt covered by a cerulean vest. On top was a black blazer dressed with blue lace-like roses around the whole of it. He had a black tie he kept fidgeting with, like he couldn’t find the right spot for it to rest. His pants were the same blue as the vest, dress shoes a semi-glossed black.
“Well of course I do. I look good all the time~” He pushed his already slicked hair back wearing a softer smile. “Seriously though, I think Imogen’s gonna to have a heart attack that she sees you.” He winked holding his hand above his head. “Ah-shall we?” He waited for her take his much smaller hand then began to lead the both of them towards the ballroom at the bottom of Ligament Manor.
—
There was soft droning music coming from the closed golden filigree dappled wooden double doors. Golden long swirling vine handles moved of their own accord letting the heavy wood swing open with nary a squeak.
Launda immediately began searching the incredibly large room. It was domed, large trees pressed and molded flush together to create walls, their bright and dark green leaves the ceiling. Foliage and flowers decorated the walls. Soft lights shimmered where some of the flowers rested not lighting more then the space around them. Diluted reds, yellows, blues, and purples spaced evenly throughout the large faux created room.
It was all so lovely. And a little familiar in a way that the undead constantly taking calming breaths. Still her eyes shifted around landing on the small group of her friends standing in a loose circle talking amongst one another.
She saw Ashton dressed in a dull red undershirt and matching tie. Their blazer, pants, and shoes all black. He had his sleeves rolled up, his magma arm complementing the palate in a pleasing way. Letters was beside them. They wore a very dark navy suit coat over a white dress shirt. Their bow tie black and sitting a little loose more in the center of their chest rather than their neck.
Next to him was Orym, his back more to Laudna than the others. He wore a white dress shirt under a black vest covered in dark green leaf-ish filagree, his tie the same as his vest. His pants and shoes a matte black. Fearne caught her eye looking over her shoulder and smiling. She wore a light almost pastel green dress. It had one full shoulder let lead to a full sleeve of transparent green fabric the same color as the dress. The other shoulder was left uncovered and unsleeved. Around the whole top were leaves circling around her chest, her breasts also pushed up and looking amazing as always. Around the middle of the dress was a simple thin ribbon cinching the waist tight to her body. It’s skirt flowed down her similar to the way Laudna’s did. Tighter to her hips but still loose the lower it went, never hinging on the side of billowing. Sewn into the light fabric of the dress were dark lines like climbing vines all the way form the bottom to the top of the dress.
She looked again. Counted again as she approached her friends, all of them now looking at her with mouths agape. Chetney only let go of her hand after they’d joined the circle of their friends. One two three four five. Ashton F.C.G Orym Fearne Chetney.
“Where’s Imogen?” She looked round nervously. There were so many eyes on her. So many intrigued and positive gazes pushed her way. She didn’t know how to deal with all the attention, let alone all positive attention.
“She hasn’t come down yet. Last time I saw her I was finishing her makeup.” Fearne moved into the undead’s space holding her by the shoulders, eyes shifting up and down and back again. “I can keep you company until she does…” She smiled mischievously letting her hands run up and down Laudna’s exposed arms.
“I appreciate it, but I think I’ll just wait. Not that I don’t want to dance with you! I just- I want my first dance to be with her.” The undead flushed hearing the cooing from her friends.
“It’s fine Laudna. I’ll steal you later.” Fearne stepped away chuckling airily. “Besides. I’ve already got a dance saved.” She looked over to Mori who was standing a long table filled with various snacks and cakes and drinks.
“A dance for me?” Her upper head grinned wide.
“Well of course Nana. You know I love to dance with you.” Feanre walked away taking Mori by the hand. Ashton, Letters, and Chetney followed dancing with each other, which was a sight when Ashton lifted Chetney clean off the ground. Laudna thought for sure they’d get a chisel to the eye, but Chetney seemed to actually enjoy being spun around like a carnival ride.
Laudna couldn’t help but stand and stare at closed doors. She began to worry her bottom lip with her teeth. If Imogen wasn’t feeling well or up for dancing she would’ve told her. If staying up in her room was more comfortable she would’ve told her. Right?
“Hey.” Orym spoke from her side. He stood on his tallest tip toes to take the tips of her fingers into his hand. “Let’s sit.” He nodded to a near by circular table, a couple of them scattered around offering reprieve if it was needed. She followed bending near in half so her halfling friend could walk normally.
The instant her hand hit the table she started to drum against the clothed wood. An unsteady and erratic “beat.” It wasn’t really anything. Just anxious dull thudding on thick wood. She couldn’t pull her eyes away from looming gold dappled doors. It was like they were mocking her. Laughing at her for getting her hopes up.
What’s taking her so long? Did Imogen get hurt from wearing heels too high? Did she trip and rip her dress? Was she attacked on the way here? Did she change her mind and didn’t have the heart to tell her girlfriend? Was it because of certain… attendees in her head?
She reached for her hair and stopped instead choosing to dig her nails into the poor furniture under her. She felt a crushing weight sitting where her seldom beating heart lay trying to pound in anguished self doubt.
“If you want I’ll go get her.” Orym spoke pulling her away from her worrying. Guilt bubbled in her stomach.
“You don’t have to you should enjoy this as much as anyone else.” She tried to keep the need, hope out of her eyes. She should’ve known Orym was far more perceptive than her practiced faces.
“I’m not really up for dancing right this second. Gotta wait my turn.” He looked over to Fearne who was grinning ear to ear dancing with her grandmother. “I’ll be right back.” He stood from his chair and darted off leaving Launda to sit alone still beating against the table with her delicate fingers.
—
When the doors opened again Orym found her eye and softly smiled. He entered going straight over to where Fearne was dancing with Chetney, Mori now having fun just watching her grand daughter enjoy herself.
It was like the world stopped around her. The music cut out, the lights brightened and her face fell lax at the absolute beauty standing in the now open door way.
Imogen had her hair pulled up into a ponytail, yellow scarf in a neat bow holding it in place. Where she was expecting to see a dress she saw a white dress shirt, the top two buttons undone letting the growing scars shimmer in the dim light. She wore a pastel lavender vest over the shirt, her sleeves rolled up passed her elbows showing off her red to purple scars. Her pants were the same lavender as her vest and her shoes were slightly heeled and black. She looked so confident strolling into the room finding Laudna before anyone else. She walked right up to the stunned undead and held out her hand, the other in the pocket of her pants casually.
“Sorry it took me so long. I couldn’t decide between this and the dress from the ball with Treshi.” Her southern accent was turned up to one hundred short circuiting all thought in Laudna’s head. What little thought she’d had left anyway.
“U-uh…” The undead tried to force some sort of words out of her finding nothing to be functioning correctly. Sitting on Imogen’s hooded eyes was a very light purple and red eye shadow copying the ombre of the scars on her arms. On top of that was masterfully winged black eyeliner. It’s a good thing Laudna didn’t have to breathe as regularly as everyone else. She hadn’t drawn in air since Imogen made eye contact with her.
“You look stunnin’.” Imogen still held her hand out waiting patiently. Laudna had to shake her head to rattle around her systems sort of like a hard reset. She reached with a dainty spindly hand and took the one offered to her.
“You’re very handsome tonight.” Idly she let herself whisper the words barely loud enough to be heard over the music playing from some unseen source. Imogen chuckled low in her chest and easily pulled Laudna to her feet. The undead was far taller than her girlfriend, her hells adding another three inches to her height. It made her swallow involuntarily a few times. It made her nervous as Imogen lead her to the middle of the dance floor.
“May I have this dance?” Imogen gently bowed to her still holding their hands in the air between them. She glanced up from her lowered position taking Laudna’s knuckles to her lips and kissed them delicately.
“You may have as many as you like.” Laudna curtsied back holding the hand in hers like it was a life line. It is in a way, a life line. It reminded her that she was still alive. That she is her own person despite certain… problems.
“Then get ready to dance all night. We’ve got two years of dancin’ to make up for.” Imogen moved into Launda’s space holding her around the small of her back with one hand, the other still clasped together and held out to the side.
“I will let myself fall from exhaustion before denying you anything you ask of me.” The undead felt her girlfriend begin to step and she followed. She followed Imogen’s silent cues dancing and stepping and spinning when she was lead to. She couldn’t help the gigantic grin on her face as she was pulled in flush front to front with the woman of her dreams, her strong scarred arm around the small of her back keeping her close.
She could feel the stares directed towards her. Then Imogen spun her out keeping their hands together and it felt like the world slowed down. All of their friends were staring. Mori was staring. Fearne’s fey friends were staring. Everyone was staring. Laudna felt her chest tighten. She froze at the apex of the spin.
She heard so many voices. At first it started like a static, just an annoyed drone. Then she picked out individual words, phrases. They are all terrible and awful and made her start to panic as they took on the visage of her friends. She could see that her friends were all smiling to one another enjoying themselves. Yet it looked like they were laughing at her. Jeering. Snarking. Making fun.
There were tears in her eyes feeling Imogen pull on her hand, her cue to spin back into her embrace. She didn’t. She was still, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She took a deep breath blowing out as much as the emotion as she could. She refused to ruin Imogen’s work with her inky tears, refused to let herself ruin this night for the both of them. Her break down can wait. This break down can wait until Imogen’s asleep.
She barely registered the tug on her arm. Barely realized she was spinning until Imogen had her pulled in closer than they’d been all night. Her farm strong arms rested on her bony shoulders, her hands locked in-between her shoulder blades carefully set away form her neck. Dark eyes stared down into Lavender looking up at her gently.
“Breathe baby. You’re with me. It’s our night.” Oh. That’s right. Imogen’s not wearing her circlet. “You’re with me.” The sorceress repeated moving to her tip toes to press her forehead to Laudna’s. It was instantly grounding. The voices in her head disappeared giving room for forgotten romantic slow music.
“You’re such a gentleman.” Laudna eased her girlfriend down from her tip toes holding her jaw in her clammy palm, her other arm laying over her vested shoulder and tangled into her hair at the back of her head. They stared at each other swaying back and forth content in just holding one another.
“Only for you, sugar.” Imogen laid her head on Laudna’s chest sighing heavily. The undead unconsciously did the same feeling all of her anxiousness ebb away. Her empty chest filled with warmth and love. Jeering turned to cheering, her friends all loudly laughing somewhere close by. Terrible words turned to inside jokes and wonderful phrases of praise.
She wants so badly to kiss her. To feel warm, slightly scabbed lips against her own once more. It’d been so long. So many things getting in their way of being unencumbered in one another.
“Imogen.” She gently gave the smallest amount of space between them not really wanting to be too far from Imogen’s grasp. She nearly lost her nerve seeing the way lavender shone in dim ballroom light. “Can I kiss you?” She watched the wave of emotions fly across Imogen’s face. “You don’t have to- I know that you’re…” She trailed off. Disgusted. The word in Imogen’s voice hot her just as hard as it had in the honesty trial. She knew it wasn’t meant for her. She knew that, and yet… “I’m sorry, I shouldn’tve. If you’re not comfortable I understand-”
“I want to kiss you.” Imogen slowed their swaying.
“Are you sure?” Laudna shifted unsure, her eyes downcast to her heels. Their golden gemstones glinted back up at her with each gentle fluctuation side to side. They were no near as pretty as Imogen’s eyes.
“I’m more than sure.” The sorceress pulled lightly on Laudna’s shoulders, her hands sliding down the sides of her body coming to rest onto of her jutting hips. The undead leaned down closing her eyes, excitement bubbling in her chest.
When their lips met it felt like fireworks. It felt so right to be tangled with Imogen like this. Gently swaying back and forth held in her strong embrace kissing her sweetly and welcomingly. When they parted the shared a collective love sick sigh. They giggled as their eyes met, Imogen going back to rest against her cold chest.
Laudna glanced up from the top of Imogen’s head blushing at all the looks on her friends faces. Soft faces like they were watching the most romantic thing they’d seen in their lives. Even Mori had her head in the palm of her hand wistfully sighing from both mouths.
She didn’t mind the staring this time. She’s dressed to the nines holding the most beautiful woman in the world in her arms. What wasn’t there to stare at?