#i had to resist the urge to write a 10k dissertation

[bannedfromtheaters]

"Obviously I care for you an immense deal..."

Now that imodna is sailing more towards a romantic relationship instead of a (queer)platonic one, this sentence has been on my brain since the episode aired.

Because while Laudna said that, you saw everyone around the table hold their breath, because it sounds like the start of a rejection. but it's not. and this is such a beautiful (perhaps unintentional) representation of aromantic and/or asexual love. As in, our love and the way we love and express that love get misinterpreted sometimes.

"Obviously I care for you an immense deal", was not a rejection and that much becomes clear when Laudna continues. But the sentence itself was never "I care for you but not like that". It's a: "I care for you an immense deal, and I'm not even sure how to define that care and love for you. But I do. So, so damn deeply...!"

Of course, Laudna loves Imogen. She has stated so many episodes already. ("It transcends words, our relationship" <- literally doesn't know how to describe her feelings for Imogen, they're that strong!!). But since she hasn't "accessed that part of her brain" in decades, it's going to take some time to get used to certain expressions of love that haven't been on her mind in so long (if ever at all?).

And so far, Laudna does seem open to those expressions! Her stunned but enthusiastic "alright" is a great example of that. Like "Oh. Yeah! I hadn't really thought about kissing you, but now that you mention it? Yes. Sounds lovely! Let's do it."

i don't have a crystal ball or anything but I can totally see a very similar approach to Laudna as we saw with Keyleth (who is canonically demisexual). To me Laudna is definitely somewhere on the aro/ace spectrum who is comfortable being in a (romantic) relationship with her partner. She doesn't mind sharing kisses, if only because it's a way to be close to Imogen, and doesn't shy away from intimacy.

"Obviously I care for you an immense deal..." right after their first kiss. It's like Laudna is saying:

"Love is weird, but loving you is not."