#matilda bradbury

[soaring-trash]

Will you hold me?

Always.

[leafspiritz]

kids saving the world

[mintywolf]

Her unsteady glance about herself doesn’t catch on a blue damask evening gown, but everything is only a blur of unfocused shapes and bright colors. She draws in a stuttering gasp, and then another, as gradually her surroundings begin to resolve themselves into a bewilderingly comfortable living room and the oddest assortment of people she has ever seen. ... They all look worn and bone-weary, but alive with expectant joy. They are all staring at her intently. They are strangers. -- 33 years ago Matilda made a dying pact in the arms of her murderer. Now that pact lies sundered by a lightning strike, and her soul with it. Waking again in the arms of loving strangers who seem to regard her as family, she tries to put together the pieces of the life she can't remember and what she means to the people around her.

Remember Us, a story about memory (and its loss), fake marriage, real marriage, family, home, the passage of time, resurrection, and ears, is now complete!

(I never did manage to finish all the chapter illustrations I had planned to do but here are a few. Maybe more in the future!)

[stacia-honey-art]

Here's a Laudna Sketch I'm working on! I will be finishing this (hopefully in the next couple of days) so stay tuned for that!

[thewhalelord]

Matilda

[southern-gothic-comic]

Page 24

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(Author Notes)

Panel 1: Imogen is asleep, more peacefully now. With her head on the pillow next to her in the narrow bed, Laudna is snuggled up and lying very close, watching her sleeping face. Pâté lies curled on top of the blanket like a pet.

Panel 2: Transition to a dream. The flashback is dimmer this time, the colors more muted, and everything has a slightly shabby cast to it. It’s nighttime. In a small loft bedroom, a tiny “Laudna,” three years old, is being tucked into bed by her weary mother.

“Laudna”: . . . and there was a — there was a scary tree, and . . . and . . .

Mama: It was just a dream, darling. Go back to sleep. “Laudna”: Please I can sleep with you?

Mama: You’re a big girl now. You have to stay in your own bed.

Panel 3: She does not stay in her bed. Clutching a rather misadventured-looking doll, she lingers anxiously outside her parents’ bedroom and peers around the doorway.

“Laudna”: Mama? Papa?

Mama: (groans) What is it, dear?

“Laudna”: I want a drink of water.

Papa: Go back to bed, Matilda.

Matilda: Otay.

Panel 4: She withdraws, putting her fingers in her mouth as she casts a fearful glance up in the direction of her own bedroom.

Panel 5: Instead, she goes outside, pushing open the bottom half of the kitchen door to let herself out.

Panel 6: In the hayloft of the barn, she has made a little blanket fort for herself amid the hay. There’s a lantern, some handmade dolls (some made by her mother, some obviously made by herself), a gourd with a face drawn on it, and a scattering of drawings. By the low light of the lantern she is moodily drawing a picture of the aforementioned scary tree with a black crayon clutched tight in her fist.

[kosalus]

tell me i’m not dreaming alone

get it as a print!

[circus-bagel]

WIP Imodna comic-ish inspired by Fish in a Birdcage!

[yoursghouly]

Illustration of Laudna from Critical Role by Dian Huynh

(Black and White Version)

[astoriacolumnstaircase]

A prompt from @mintywolf and inspired by her depiction of Matilda. Little Matilda is inadvertently spooky, but she's only playing with shadows (and a very patient toad.) I've been trying to do some more postcard sized illustrations.

[acebender]

Thinking thoughts about Imogen and Laudna escaping through backstreets from angry mobs, one of them pining the other to the wall as the people pass by, pretending to be a couple with bated breath until they are safe.

[soaring-trash]

life long friend and the birth of a bad habit

[mintywolf]

I like to think that this was the extent of her driving experience before the Deathwish Run.

Tiny pain-free AU where Imogen and Matilda got to share a childhood. :)

[isagrimorie]

The thing I’ve realized about Laudna is, she’s a naturally friendly person. She likes to talk to people and uplift them in anyway.

She likes taking care of people but her whole life she’s been either the odd ball kid other kids would make fun of, or she was getting mobbed out of any home she could make for herself.

And post-rez her only interaction was with Delilah Briarwood. Like, initially, I think Laudna formerly Matilda Bradbury would be delighted and happy to have someone with her until she realized who it was.

It’s no wonder she latched on to Imogen and Imogen to her. Her connection and relationship to Imogen has only bolstered Laudna’s friendly nature, and she is almost always the first to reach out.

Yes, Laudna and Imogen are each other’s priorities (which is understandable, since they’ve only had each other for 2 years) but contrary to what some fandom thinks… they do care for other people too.

(They care and fuss over other people a lot.)

The myth that Imogen only cares about Laudna and vice versa minimizes so much of who Imogen and Laudna are.

Do they care more about each other? Of course!

In any given relationship, of course a person in a relationship (familial and/or romantic) will be a priority more than anyone else. If someone says otherwise, they’re lying.

Anyway, I love this confirmation that Laudna really is the more extroverted one, and Imogen is the more introverted one.

Laudna can make friends anywhere, she can and has been thrown through various situations and she can make a friend. There is a caveat that she needs to be someone else to vouch for her.

She thrives in a social situation and meeting new people and it’s such a tragedy that it took her 30 years to be in a position to be taken in more positively by other people.

[renatogpadilla]

PLEASE tell me I'm not the only one that caught Laudna's silent "Were not done!" when they were leaving the tree!

That girl wants ANSWERS!!!

[southern-gothic-comic]

Page 28

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(Author Notes)

Panel 1: View from outside an apothecary. Matilda’s parents are conversing with the shopkeeper.

Panel 2: Inside. A dark brown, tapered vial is set down on the counter. We can see the label: Syrup of Laudanum.

Apothecary: Two silver. Guaranteed to curb all manner of fractiousness and mischief.

Panel 3: Matilda’s father is now holding her firmly to keep her from wandering away. She is looking around curiously, reaching up to touch a stuffed basilisk hanging from the ceiling. Her parents exchange guilty, worried glances.

Panel 4: At home. An uncharacteristically still Matilda is sitting on her father’s knees, encircled by his big arms, leaning against him with a placid, woozy expression and sucking on her fingers. Her mother is hovering nearby, holding the tincture bottle and a spoon.

Mama: It won’t be for always. Just until she’s old enough to get this . . . sorcery under control. And until all this nonsense about a lady in the barn is out of her head.

Papa: That’s right, Tillie love.

Imogen’s voice, interrupting: They were druggin’ you?!

Panel 5: Snapping out of her reverie, Laudna looks at her. Imogen, sitting up in the bed, looks angry.

Laudna: Oh! Good morning. I didn’t realize you were listening in.

Imogen: Sorry. I shouldn’t have. I just saw you smilin’ and thought it might have been a nice memory. But . . .

Laudna: They did what they had to do. I can only imagine what a terrible burden I must have been to them. Not just the danger of uncontrolled sorcery in a child but all of my . . . you know. Me. Did you sleep well?

Panel 6: Laudna smiles.

Imogen: That didn’t give ‘em the right to douse your spark like that!

Laudna: It wasn’t all bad. It did give me the most marvelous dreams. I can’t say I really recommend it to you, though.

Imogen: Who was the lady in the barn? Was it Lady D?

Laudna: Hmm. No, not her. That’s a story for another day, I think. Would you like some tea?