#nicholas harkness

[velvet4510]

We all knew Rio was Nicky’s other parent but it’s glorious to see it firmly confirmed and so no hater is able to deny it anymore.

And now we can really bask in just how deep and unique the writing is for that final episode.

From conception, Nicky was half-life, half-death.

Death isn’t supposed to create life. It’s a total paradox that explains why Nicky was meant to be stillborn. How could the child of Death live? Agatha becoming pregnant must’ve turned Rio’s world upside down.

Also Rio doesn’t see death as a tragedy. How could she when it’s her job? When it’s the natural order of things? Before meeting Agatha, it never crossed her mind that death could be seen as bad.

But it’s when she fell for a living human, a mortal, that she finally saw what death means for humans. How much pain and fear and grief it brings.

And suddenly here’s Agatha pleading and pleading for her to NOT do her job, to NOT take their child with her. If she does this, she’ll break Agatha’s heart - the antithesis of her understanding of death. Rio suddenly comprehends that as long as Agatha lives on, there’s no way for the three of them to ever be together as a family. No wonder she chokes back tears.

As for Agatha, she only has the living person’s perspective. How could Rio want THEIR child to die? It’s the antithesis of parental instincts to want or allow your child to die. Death or no Death, surely Rio can see why this would be wrong?

Agatha and Rio are looking at the situation through totally different and incompatible lenses.

So out of love for Agatha alone, Rio lets Nicky’s “life” half take over not just for a few hours or days, but SIX WHOLE YEARS.

Then when Rio can’t stretch the rules any longer and she comes for him, Nicky knows her. He does not fear her, or where they are going. How can he, when she is his mother, when she needs him home?

Then Rio pays the price, as Agatha cuts ties with her and wants nothing to do with her anymore.

I also think this explains why Rio is so determined to kill Agatha herself or to let the Salem Seven do it, during the rest of the show. Again, as Death, she doesn’t see death as bad, or a harm, or a pain. If Agatha dies, then Rio can take her to Nicky and they can finally be a family. But Agatha doesn’t want them to be a family together. She still sees what happened as a loss and betrayal that Nicky would never forgive her for - the opposite of how Rio views it.

Ultimately, Agatha makes herself into a ghost who can’t cross over to where Nicky is, and Rio’s dream of her family being together is shattered.

Truly one of the greatest and most profound tragedies in television history, let alone MCU history.

[haydenthewitch]

Head cannon that Rio can go to the afterlives of the souls she's collected. And most of the time, she doesn't. Too many names, Too many faces, too many people to rember. Should she start to care, it would be too much for her. That is, until she meets Agatha. The first time she sees her, Agatha is standing over a dead coven- and Rio feels herself grow curious. As the bodies pile up, and Rio encounters her over and over, she slowly falls in love, delaying taking souls to their final destination for as long as she can, trailing Agatha. When the finally meet, face to face, Agatha tells her that she knew something was trailing her! in a tone that is so Agatha Rio can't even deny it any longer, she is in love. When Nicky is born, Agatha pleads with her, and she knows that she's going to break Agatha's heart one day.

And then that day comes. And Agatha mourns.

And Rio does something she's never done before; she goes and greets a soul. Nicky's soul. And they bond and laugh together, companions in the afterlife, and Rio makes a point to visit as often as she can. And some centuries she gets busy, in times of great plague and great wars. But she never goes more than a year or two without a visit to Nicky. She Brings news of his mother, when he asks, telling him all about the country's she's seen, and the life she's living. She makes a point to tell him how proud his mother is of him. She tells him some of the truth, saying that his mother spread their song so far and wide that every witch on the globe knows it. She leaves out the part about his mother committing large amounts of murder. She tells him about how his mother thinks of him, all the time. How she still wears a pendant with his hair in it, and she wears it everyday.

Had Agatha gone to the afterlife, Nicky and Rio would be waiting at the edge, to greet her into rest. Of course, she didn't do that. She went back to the living. Rio Knows that Agatha knows how much she hates ghosts. They insult her. If Rio wasn't so sure in Agatha's avoidance of her son, she might think it was just to spite her. She tells Nicky that, anyways. Tells him that Agatha didn't want to come with her to the afterlife because of how betrayed his mother felt when Rio took him. That only makes Nicky angry, though. Because He knows Rio, Knows her like she's his other mother, has forgiven and understood Rio for ages now! Why can't his mother forgive? Why doesn't she want to see him?

And through tears, Rio tells him that he would never understand, because being a mother without her child is like a gaping wound that never heals. Because Being a mother was Agatha's favorite job in life, and she's had many. Because if someone took Nicky from Rio, She would grieve for the rest of eternity. She would never forgive.

[darklinaforever]

Claudia and her two fathers, Louis & Lestat 🤝 Nicholas and his two mothers, Agatha & Rio.

[bloodredivy]

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hellooo, i don’t know who’ll be interested, but this is a little song i wrote after getting confirmation Rio Vidal was indeed the father (we knew). It’s from Rio’s POV as Nicky grew up and the sacrifices she made for Agatha.

(forgive my singing if it’s bad or my guitar playing, i’m entirely self-taught)

One More Year

your eyes mixing with my earth tones

fair skin darkened by the sun’s glow

asleep, i can only talk to him in dreams

i sing, songs never sung to me

it makes his eyes flicker like stars

i wished to be there from the start

but your wrath would bring life just to kill

me for not doing your will

equal parts of you and i

defied my nature, brought forth life

you know i couldn’t let him die

but seeing as the time won’t stop

and you don’t give us space to talk

i know to you i’ll be at fault

and i will take the fall

watch you happy from afar

and when the time nears

i’d love to give you one more year

i’ll try to give you one more year

my laugh, the kindness you were robbed from

a voice like angels and the soft hum

of wind, when i come visit him

with gifts, wanting to wrap around your limbs

it breaks the heart i’ve never owned

that we will never share a home

to be nothing but skin and bone

not Death, a fate i can’t atone

equal parts of you and me

the more he grows, the more you see

our likeliness must make you seethe

but gentle are the hands that hold

a cradle gone, but mine before

i hate you’ll have to let him go

but until then he’s yours

don’t worry i’ll remain obscured

pretend forever’s been assured

and when the time’s here

i’ll try to give you one more year

the flesh is weak

he’s getting sick

see your worry tripling

as you drain another witch

the power doesn’t translate

you’ve tried tirelessly

scheming, killing, stealing

won’t give you what he needs

knew fatality

he wants to end the spree

scared of what it could mean

you make sure he sings

watching you two sleep

his soul calls to me

mother, when do i leave?

after kissing mama’s cheek

to me it was another night

until his body didn’t rise

there’s no leftover time

reaping him, i learned to cry

couldn’t bear the desperate pleas

the ones i could no longer keep

growing flowers ‘round the grave you dig

i despise whoever made me this

and you’ll despise me as long as you live

[ladyorlandodream]

It hurts to know that in the end, Agatha killed the other witches so that Death would be busy recovering bodies and not collecting Nicholas'. The day he didn't want to be part of the game, Death came to get him.

[fluffycakesistainted]

I think that she’s ashamed of everything she’s done. I think she knows Nicky was always on the side of life, and didn’t want to kill witches. And I think she’s ashamed that she couldn’t save him and she couldn’t fix him, and I think she feels she failed him. And then I think she thinks he wouldn’t recognize her now, because she’s killed so much since then.

I personally found that to be an interesting reversal on the trope of a villain trying to resurrect a loved one. I liked the idea that Agatha would know that that’s futile and foolish, and that, in fact, she doesn’t want to see him because of her shame. To me, that’s far more tragic, that she would not yield to Death because she wants to keep her child at arm’s length because she’s afraid he won’t forgive her and won’t love her.

--Jac Schaeffer - Agatha All Along Finale: Showrunner Unpacks the Big Twists (The Wrap)

[squilfmybeloved]

Do you have any headcanons for the Vidal-Harkness family? (Agatha, Rio, Nicky?)

oooh i dont think about them as often as i should 😩 i don't have a lot since my main thing rn is spiderman butttt i do have some!!

- definitely have a black cat! you'd think she would torment señor scratchy but he actually torments her. they're besties tho <3

- go all out for neighborhood holiday decorating challenges.. linda from the school board will NOT beat them again

- family game nights!! uno no mercy goes CRAZY

- i can see the whole family loving true and fictional crime shows! they love to try to guess who the killer is (with rio being death, she's usually right with hers. agatha however is not 😭)

- in this household, there is no "this spouse can cook" or "this spouse will burn the house down." they will both burn the house down. cannot cook to save their LIVES

i'll have to rewatch for more but this is what i've got for now,, thank u for asking!!! im legit such a yapper it's insane

[thatgayb1tchwhosimps4her]

The Coven + Thalia's Relationship w/ Them

Part of this OC...

Not really sure how I was supposed to set this out either, but I like it.

Also, Rio's low-key made me cry, so I might not touch on this AU for a little while (I definitely will, but in case I don't, you have been warned).

~~~

Agatha Harkness:

When they were younger, Thalia drifted more toward Rio, and Nicholas to Agatha, but once he died, and Rio had to take him to the afterlife, they immediately kind of latched onto the other, to like keep each other afloat/keep both Rio's and Nicky's memory alive (no matter how much it hurts), and grieve together.

In a way, once Agatha and Thalia like 'lost their person', they became a lot more understanding of each other, in a way (I can't really think of a way to explain this properly).

Thalia definitely had nightmares about that day, for a long time, and after a good couple weeks of Agatha going back and forth between both their rooms, she let Thalia sleep in her bed (which was also probably a comfort for her, too).

---

Pretty typical mother-daughter relationship, honestly, up until Agatha finds out about the Darkhold, and essentially becomes a loyal sidekick, on her quest to power/a way to get their old life back, instead of the little girl, whoever secretly looked up to Agatha, her entire life.

Which brings us to the WandaVision and Agatha All Along chapter(s), which will be linked on the navigation page (here) when they're done, sooo :)

~~~

Rio Vidal/Death:

Thalia is 100% a mamí's girl, and I will die on this hill.

Literally, Thalia's been waving the "Team Rio" flag, since the day she was born; sporting the same doe-eyes her mother fell in love with, back in Salem.

When she was younger, 9 times out of 10, she would only ever settle for Rio, which confused both mother's for a long time; because how could anyone, especially something as innocent as a baby, find comfort in Death?

---

This pretty much carried on through the first like half of her childhood.

i.e. Thalia's first word being 'mamí', instead of 'mama' like most other babies (including Nicholas).

Thalia giggling at the voices Rio does, while reading bedtime stories to her and Nicky (and low-key Agatha, as well).

Rio teaching/coaching Thalia (and Nicky) on how to use her/their powers (since Agatha would end up accidently absorbing them, and cause Rio physically cannot be that badly injured) etc.

---

Then Nicky dies, and it's very much an incredibly emotional and traumatic time for all of them.

Thalia instinctually goes to Rio, and because she's still young, doesn't understand why "He won't wake up", which completely tore her heart in two (no matter how black it is).

Rio then takes Thalia up to her room, to try and calm her down, while Agatha has time with Nicky, before they have to go.

She reads Thalia her favourite story 3 times over, because Thalia's cannot get enough (and also cause she has a sinking feeling she should make the most of it/I'm just making shit up about clairvoyance at this point).

---

In the end, they settle on snuggling in Thalia's kid-bed, while Rio sings the lullaby version of "The Ballad of the Witches' Road" (which is a memory they both deeply treasure), over and over, until Thalia falls asleep, and Rio very hesitantly has to pull herself away from the girl, with one final kiss to Thalia's temple (just to the left of the scar over the crook of her eyebrow, from one of their many training sessions, when Thalia wacked herself with a tree-branch).

Which again, brings up to the Agatha All Along chapters, that are linked in the bit above :)

~~~

Lilia Calderu:

Lilia's relationship with Thalia would very much be like "the grandmother she (Thalia) never had" (we hate Evanora Harkness, with burning passion, in this house).

When they first meet (in episode 2), Lilia can instantly sense the doubt (of if walking the Witches' Road will actually work), and guilt (that she's been carrying all these years, about not being able to bring back Nicky), radiating off the girl's body.

Very soon after she clocks it, is like- "Alright, that lonely little queer girl is mine; yes, she has two moms already, but I'm willing to back her up if she needs it" (she doesn't, but it's very much appreciated), you know what I mean?

But yeah, that very much radiates throughout the entire show (maybe aside from episode 5, cause there were definitely sides picked during that episode), until episode 7; RIP Queen.

~~~

Jennifer Kale:

Thalia's relationship with Jen is very much the same as Jen's and Agatha's, like they're not really sure if they can trust each other, but it's like an amicable, back-and-forth teasing, type of relationship.

Up until episode 6 (the version of it I'm writing/Thalia's trial), where the remaining members of the coven (lowkey including Agatha + Rio), see a more vulnerable, and kind of broken, side to Thalia (more on that to come).

Then after that, it's very much like "We both lowkey hate each other, but she (works both ways) is actually pretty cool, so we're gonna keep it mellow."

~~~

Alice Wu Gulliver (my girl <3):

Love of my life, Alice Wu Gulliver, was honestly such a breath of fresh-air for Thalia; like the older sister she never had.

'Protection witch' is the name, and protecting Thalia (and lowkey Agatha as well/RIP angel girl) is the game.

Thalia helped her (and Teen, but mostly Alice) pull Mrs Hart out of the mud at the beginning of episode 3, and basically from that point onwards, became best friends.

And then from that point on, Thalia's basically just jumping to Alice's defence a lot, after every little comment.

Especially the "Everything I touch turns to shit" (that part of the episode definitely didn't make me cry), and Thalia goes over to hug her, cause she knows what it's like to feel that way.

Almost always near each other, while walking the road + during trials, as like a "If anything happens to her (again, works both ways), I'll be the first one there, cause even though we've only known each other for a couple hours/days, she's still my bestie".

Bonus; Kojo is definitely Alice's best bud (it's literally fact that he's prone to face licking, when he can sense that people are upset or anxious), and was sat between her, and Thalia, during the last 10/15 minutes of episode 4, as well.

~~~

Teen/Billy Maximoff:

Eps 1-5 their relationship is very much a brother/sisterly bond.

Like yeah, they'll take the piss out of each other a little bit, but will still kill for each other, if someone even looks at the other (Billy or Thalia) the wrong way.

Then his true identity gets revealed (at the end of Agatha's trial/just before Thalia's trial), and gets a little rocky, but ultimately they still look out for each other (I'm just guessing, as the show's not 100% out yet, iykwim).

Like it's still very much a "I knew you/a version of you, a few years ago, and you reminded me of my brother, so we're chill, just as long as you don't try to (kind of) kill my mom again, otherwise I'll slit your throat, and you best believe I'm telling the truth, cause you know who my other mom is."

~~~

Mrs Hart/Sharon Davis:

~~~

Last, but not least; this legend.

Near enough the same thing as Thalia and Lilia's relationship, but more like soft; like instead of witchy banter (calling Lilia kooky, and shit), it's very much like typical grandmother/granddaughter bonding.

i.e. Thalia helping Alice and Teen pull her out of the mud at the beginning of episode 3, as previously mentioned.

Explaining what being a witch is (along with the rest of the group) in episode 3, and shit like that.

She didn't really have much screen-time for me to come up with much else, so RIP Mrs Hart :(

~~~

I'm actually obsessed right now. I haven't slept in the last 24(+1) hours, so if I'm still up, I might start planning out Thalia's trial + Backstory, since I've got some idea as to what it'll be, but it needs some tweaking.

-Harlow