Heyyy may I request Rio x reader who are exes and reunite when Rio shows up at the road? Angst that turns into fluff and obv happy ending? Thank you🥺
- Wherever you go I'll follow
Relationships - Rio Vidal x Reader
Summary - Rio had abadoned you after she had to take Agatha's son. It left you with a simmering anger, but you think you would see her again until she, and in turn you, was summoned to the witches road.
Warnings: Some angst
A/N: All the requests I've gotten make me so happy, so I hope I did this one justice. Hope y'all enjoy.
The first thing you heard when you clawed your way out of the ground was surprised shrieks and yells, followed by an amused, slightly psychotic, but familiar laugh. Dread pooled in your stomach. You tore yourself out of the ground with a gasp and brushed the dirt away from your face. Nearly instantly, your eyes locked with a certain witches. Rio had an insane smile on her face, her lips spread wide as she fiddled with her knife.
"Well look who it is," she cooed, her voice taunting and insufferable.
You were not doing this. With a huff, you spun around and started walking away from them. You had seen at least five other people there, but you really could not deal with Rio. Faintly, you heard her gasp in fake shock, her footsteps trailing after you. It wasn't long before she was walking alongside you, her breath warm in her ear as she breathed down your neck.
You could hear her lick her lips, "I've missed you."
Shoving at her, you curled your lips into a snarl, "Fuck off." All that did was draw a laugh out of her, maniacal and insane.
"Only if you watch," she teased, taking absolute pleasure in the way your cheeks heated and you spluttered, "There's the flustered girl I remember, the one who brought me pretty flowers and greeted me with kisses and kept me warm at night."
You scoffed, crossing your arms and continuing to walk forward. Fire crackled inside of you at her words, the small spark igniting after so long. Heart beating frantically in your chest, you tried to gather your thoughts, even as you heard Rio trailing after you with a huff. In all honestly, you had no idea where this place was, with its dark surroundings, looming trees, and vibrant night sky. What a shitty time to be a familiar. The likely scenario was that Rio was summoned, with a formal incantation, and that meant you you were summoned as well. The curses of being a familiar tied to her.
"Sweetheart," she sang song, "We're on the Road. You can't leave."
That made you stop in your tracks, spinning around to face her with furrowed brows. The Road had always been fake, you both knew that.
"We both know that's fake."
The Road was made up by Agatha, a con she created to steal other witches’ powers. Rio let a sly smile cross her face, tongue poking into the side of her cheek. She took a step closer, so her hands were grazing against yours.
"Apparently not," she whispered, linking her fingers with yours. Every fiber of your being wanted to pull back, but for some reason you let Rio pull you closer, her breath ghosting on your lips. Your eyes fluttered as she licked her lips.
A throat was cleared and the two of you sprang apart, your hands burning as if they were on fire. A warm heat spread through your cheeks as you saw Agatha standing there, an unamused eyebrow raised as she stared at the two of you. The rest of what you assumed was her coven stood behind her, with perplexed faces. You cleared your own throat, taking several steps away from Rio.
"We're supposed to walk this thing?" Rio asked, gesturing at the Road. She took off with a skip in her step, knife twirling in her hand. You watched as Agatha scoffed, her coat swishing as she followed, quickly taking lead with her little...pet following.
You hung in the back, your thoughts swirling with so many emotions. Mainly anger. Angry at Rio for abandoning you. All those years ago, ditching you as if you meant nothing, as if you were just a piece of trash. You were born for her, a being created to serve and stand by her side for eternity, tethered to her until the end. But then she left one day, leaving you standing in your small cottage with a bouquet of flowers in your hand with a longing look in your eyes. Rio never came back after that.
Before that you knew she had something going on with Agatha, and you were fine with that, you had to be. You were just her familiar, it's not like the two of you were really anything. You were just born to serve her however she pleased. That didn't stop the sting when she created a child and then left you. Faintly, you heard the rest of the witches muttering about her in front of you. Rio was always the center of attraction.
The teenager pulled back, walking with you, his steps unsure and his eyes curious. You raised a brow and cleared your throat, urging him to speak.
“How come you were summoned? I thought we only summoned a green witch.” he asked, his fingers fiddling with a leather book he held in his hands.
“True,” you agreed, “Have you heard of familiars?” You watched as Rio skipped closer to Agatha, whose anger was so strong you could feel it from here.
He paused for a moment, biting his lip, before he shook his head, “No.”
“They’re people, or creatures, it really depends on the witch, that are tethered to a witch. In my case, I’m tethered to Rio – she’s basically my owner.” The term made a faint blush paint your cheeks.
“Oh.” He said, his hands still fiddling with his book, “So since she was summoned, you were too?
You sighed, “Unfortunately.”
^____________^
The coven sat around a fire, the flames crackling in your face and their warmth spreading around the small circle, sharing battle wounds and stories. It felt familiar, comforting even as you sat the closet, absorbing the warmth it gave off. Agatha had joined not long after the conversation had started, reporting that Teen would be fine after all. Rio twirled a flower in her hand as she side-eyed Agatha who sat next to her. A pang of jealousy hit you at Agatha's proximity to Rio.
"I have a scar." Rio said suddenly, her gaze focused on the fire.
"No, you don't," Agatha scoffed.
"Yes. I do." Rio insisted, her gaze flickering towards Agatha, "A long time ago, I loved someone," and even though her eyes meant yours, you knew she wasn't talking about you, "and I had to do something I did not want to do. Even though it was my job." She cast a pointed look at Agatha and swallowed thickly, her hands stilling from their fidgeting with the flower, "She is my scar."
You felt jealousy boil in your stomach as Agatha stood, Rio following her. Rio was meant to be yours; you were born for her. The rest of the coven sat awkwardly around the fire, their eyes following Agatha and Rio. The pain cut deep at the sight of them walking off together. Clenching your hands, you sucked in a sharp breath as you watched them disappear around a bend, Rio's hands reaching for Agatha.
I've missed you. Did she really miss you though? Based on her apparent attraction to Agatha, she didn't miss you at all, her heart lied elsewhere. It no longer lied with you and you wondered if it ever did. Rio could have just stuck with you because she was obligated to. You were nothing more than a pawn, a tool to make her job easier. Guiding angered souls, the ones who were so reluctant to go they managed to stay with their body, was your job. It took one more thing off of Rio's plate.
"Do you have any scars Y/N?" Alice asked, dabbing some of Jen's homemade perfume on her wrists.
You thought for a moment, trying to think of one, before a very specific one popped into your mind. It was probably your only one. You rolled the sleeve of your shirt up to your elbow, revealing your forearm to the group, the fire illuminating it. A fading R was carved into your skin. Despite what some might believe, Rio didn't carve it into you, even if she wished she did.
"I was born with it," you said quietly, "A symbol of who I belong to."
Your statement was meant with a stunned silence, the rest unsure of what to say to that. Rolling your sleeve back down, you awkwardly stood, mumbling some excuse about needing to stretch your legs. You walked off in the opposite direction that Agatha and Rio went. The forest provided some sort of comfort, with its dark atmosphere and large trees. You settled beneath one, your back pressing against the harsh bark, and you made a little flame come alive in your hand.
You weren't a fire witch, per say, but you could control fire. Some people say fire as danger, something to be avoided lest you get burned. And you agreed, fire was dangerous and shouldn't be played with. However, if treated right, it could provide warmth, a light in the darkness. Rio had learned how to treat fire like that, but she always played. Rio always played. Her words would be taunting and teasing, making the fire inside you flare up, but other days, she was soft. That's when the fire crackled with content inside.
Playing with the fire, you let it hop from hand to hand, the little ball burning with passion. It was a struggle to keep a small with all the emotions swirling inside of you, but the fear of burning down the forest was stronger. There was a certain comfort to playing with the fire, the warmth on your fingertips. Being away from Rio had dimmed your powers, draining them slowly, but now that you had returned, they were becoming stronger again. That was one thing you had always hated about this gift. It became a curse when you were tethered to someone you hated.
"Playing with fire again I see."
Your head snapped up at the teasing tone, your faint smile being replaced by a scowl. Rio was twirling her flower in one hand, the pink, a vibrant contrast against the dark forest, her other hand settled on the hilt of her knife that was strapped to her thigh. The fire in your hand flared up, the flames licking your face before you put it out with a flick of your wrist. Skipping over, Rio plopped down right next to you, her front facing you. Ever so slowly, Rio slid the flower into your hair, disregarding your flinch and sharp inhale. She smiled happily once it was settled into your hair.
"There's my pretty pet," she whispered, and you searched for the usual teasing tilt in her voice, but there was none. Just pure adoration, which had to be a trick because Rio never adored you. She only used you.
You flinched at the nickname, "I'm not your pet," you spat.
"The mark on your arm says otherwise," The Green Witch rolled her eyes, "You've always been my pet."
The words cut deep inside you, reminding you that you had always belonged to her. Even when she left you. You were meant to be hers, whether you liked it or not - you were tethered to Death for eternity. If you somehow died, Rio would still be able to keep you.
"You left me," you snarled, "I'm not your pet."
Rio blinked harshly, pulling back a little. It was only then that you noticed how close she had gotten.
"I never wanted to leave my love," she said softly, in a tone that was only ever reserved for you, "But duty called and I had no choice."
You scoffed, "What duty? You mean fucking Agatha?"
Rio laughed at your bold statement, throwing her head back with a maniacal cackle. It did nothing to soothe your worries and the growing fire inside you. But it did give you a view of her neck, the one you would bury yourself in after long days, the one you would kiss and bite and love.
"I did fuck her," Rio agreed, "But that's the past. You've always been my favorite, darling. I never wanted to leave you, never."
You flinched away when her hand came close, wrapping around the back of your neck. She pulled you close, her touch rough and soft. Her lips were inches away from yours and you smell her earthly smell.
"I hate you."
Rio smiled, "I know."
She crashed her lips onto yours, she tasted like flowers and the earth. A part of you wanted to pull away, but the feeling of her lips on yours, her hand pulling at your hair, and her tongue entering your mouth, it made the fire in your stomach flare with pleasure. You whimpered softly as her tongue explored your mouth for the first time in centuries.
You pulled away from her, panting ever so slightly, "You can't kiss your way out of this."
"Can't I?" Rio smirked, moving to crash her lips back onto yours.
"No," you pushed her away, "I'm still mad at you."
Rio laughed, throwing her head back before leaning in close, her breath ghosting against your earlobe as she whispered, "Are you?"
When she first kissed you, you thought that was what you had wanted, even if you wanted to pull away, but you know that's not it. You want to be close to her, but not in a sexual way. You wanted to hold her like you used to - for it to be like it used to.
"I want to hold you," you whispered, "I've missed you."
Death's lips pursed, her eyes flickering away before she softly muttered, "Alright."
The two of you shuffled to lay beneath the tree, your arms spooning Rio as she curled into you, her back pressed against your front. You made your entire body warm to contrast the cold of her skin and the air. Rio let out a content hum, burrowing even further into you. You held her tight and pressed a soft kiss on her temple.
"I missed you," you whispered.
"I missed you too," Rio twisted her head and planted a soft kiss on your lips, her touch gentle and sweet.
You let sleep take you away with Deaht wrapped tight in your arms.
summary: To fall in love with both life and death is almost impossible. They contradict each other, they are different sides to the same coin. Agatha once managed the impossible. But time and grief can break almost anything, and this time it breaks what feels like everything.
a/n: there will be more parts to this. I find this dynamic rather interesting and I am definitely going to explore it. Not a lot of warning in this part except for mild swearing. slightly protective Rio.
...
Life and Death go hand in hand.
One can not exist without the other.
It’s a partnership that transcends time itself.
Agatha Harkness does not understand this. She can not, because for the longest time all she has ever known is death.
All she has ever done is take. She takes and takes and takes until there is nothing left to give. Until there is nothing left you can give.
Death will love her. Life will despise her.
That is how it will be for centuries.
…
The witches’ road is a place that does not welcome you. It fights you every step of the way.
It is a graveyard. It takes what it wants without thoughts of sympathy or solace. It digs up fear and trauma like gold. It twists and stretches and tears the desires of witches brave enough to step foot on the road.
You hate it and yet you are summoned.
The dirt between your fingers is a sensation that feels as familiar as holding death's hand. Clawing your way from beneath the earth is not something you're very familiar with.
You're not usually summoned alongside her, this is different.
The echoes of multiple screams ring in your ears as you crawl your way out of a fresh grave, growling through clenched teeth when you finally break the surface.
Your joints and bones pop as you twist and jerk to realign what's been broken. You swear you're going to ring the witch's neck that's summoned you.
You tilt your head and feel a crack in your neck, you grimace before you jerk your head and relief seeps into your muscles.
With a flex of your fingers you adjust your clothes before the colors of the leaves scattered amongst the ground catches your eye.
Just as the realization settles and you finally understand where you are, a hand that brushes against the length of your back is the only thing that seems to ground you. You lean into her touch with a slow forced exhale.
Rio is here, that is the only comfort you feel.
You absolutely hate the witches’ road.
When you finally glance up at the witches who were just screaming bloody murder, you notice her right away.
Her thick brown hair falling against her shoulders, the white button up shirt that complements her dress pants, the locket that’s always with her.
Agatha Harkness and this coven of four have summoned you and Rio to the road.
The rage that heats your blood is a sensation that you will never get used to, it burns like the sun and yet it's all you can feel as you glare daggers at her.
The only thing that stops you from lunging at her is Rio’s quick reaction. The hand that was resting on your back has encircled your waist, she tugs you back against her, resting her chin on your shoulder.
“Easy there tiger.” Her soft chuckle of amusement is not distraction enough from what you want to say.
“What the fuck are you doing Agatha?” Your words are harsh and yet you feel no sympathy when she flinches at your tone.
“Excuse me?” The witch in the pink dress places a hand over her heart like you personally offended her.
“You’re excused.” You pay her no mind, your eyes are only on Agatha. “Now answer the question.”
Agatha says nothing. Her eyes look from you to Rio and back like she can barely believe what she’s seeing. Like she didn’t intend for this to happen.
“Cat got your tongue?” Rio teases, her smile predatory, the hold on your waist a touch possessive.
“How did you—?” This time she points at the two of you.
“We were in the neighborhood.” Rio interrupts her with a casual response. There is no need to explain further, she will know the truth.
“But uhh,” The youngest member of the coven, a teenage boy, lifts his hand up like he’s waiting to voice his question. You frown at the notion, not quite understanding.
“Yes Teen?” The oldest of the group turns to look at the kid who answers once the attention turns to him.
“Why are there two of them?” He gestures between you and Rio, his confusion clear as he then turns to look at Agatha like she has all the answers.
You scoff at the thought, she knows nothing. Not when it comes to you and especially not when it comes to Rio. That was made very clear centuries ago.
Agatha glares at you as if this time you truly have offended her but all you do is glare right back.
The moment of eye contact drags on longer than you thought it would. The witch's pride is a strong thing and you know she hates backing down first but you are not in the mood to give in.
You refuse to give her what she wants.
When fingers dance along the thin fabric that covers your ribs you jerk involuntarily, turn to glare at Rio. She gives you an innocent smile but her eyes burn with something that silently tells you to calm down.
“Doesn't matter.” Agatha's anger is a harsh bite, hiding the vulnerability that comes with seeing the both of you. “We have a green witch. Now let's go.”
The whoosh of her coat is followed by a slow breath that relaxes your shoulders. You can not let your anger get the best of you while here. The road will only take it and twist it until it gets a chance to throw it in your face.
“Being summoned is so much fun isn't it? Just like old times.” Rio teases you, presses a soft kiss to your shoulder in a silent apology.
Before you can turn and properly question her about why you are here a voice calls your attention. “Uhh hello?”
You roll your eyes but turn to glance at the three witches that have lingered after Agatha stormed off.
“Hello.” You merely say in return. You owe these witches nothing more.
“So uh did we summon two green witches?” The witch with red in her hair gestures to the two of you. You feel Rio shake her head from where her face is still pressed into your shoulder, her chuckle is low enough that the others do not hear it.
You find her amusement endearing and annoying.
“To keep things simple, yes.”
The continued looks of confusion merely make you smirk at the unsuspecting women.
With one last brush of fingers over your ribs, one last ghost of a kiss that tickles the skin of your neck, Rio steps away. Her smile is bright, the twinkle in her dark eyes promise nothing but mischief and self entertainment.
“We're supposed to walk this thing right?” She steps around you and points toward the road. When she only gets a few shrugs of consensus she hums in response before leaving you behind with these confused witches.
You shake your head with a soft smile, of course she would find a way to ignore all your questions for even just a little bit longer.
summary: you sleep with one witch without killing her and suddenly your girlfriend has the time to hunt you down. Go figure.
Or, Agatha wants Rio’s attention and now she has it. Quick and dirty style.
tags: top!Rio, brief power!bottom Agatha, they are switches after all, fingering (both receiving), knife play, no blood description, biting, thorny vine restraints, possessive Rio, little shit Agatha
masterlist | ao3
authors note: this is early-ish in their relationship. Before Nicky but when Agatha is already well into her serial killer phase.
“Oh, Agatha~” Rio sings.
Her voice comes from all directions. Running from the original green witch in a centuries old forest isn’t the best idea but Agatha is quite literally out of options.
A branch rustles but there’s a suspicious shadow in its opposite direction. Agatha aims slightly for the left of the branch and finds herself sliding into a ditch. Her muffling spell deadens the sound of snapping twigs and sliding leaves. She resists the urge to cast an illusion over her little dip in the ground. Not only would it not work on Death but it would be a dead give away to her. There’s leaves sticking to her face, roots poking her ribs and something sharp grazing her ankle but she doesn’t risk moving.
Leaves crunching in a steady pattern give away footsteps.
“Agatha~” Rio sings out again, a dark edge to her voice Agatha hasn’t heard in a long time. A warning that she’s toeing the line, and not one of the fun ones they like to draw for each other.
Two steps closer and Agatha can see the edge of Rio’s silhouette. Her hand twitches but she doesn’t take the bait. They’ve been playing this game long enough for her to know better.
Her restraint doesn’t matter. Rio already knows where she is. Shrubs grab at her and propel her into Death’s waiting arms.
“Got you,” Rio says with a cheeky grin before slamming her against a tree. Agatha tries to grapple with her but her breath has been forced out of her. Rio has her pinned within a second. “Someone’s been naughty,” she says.
“Can a girl not spend a night curing her loneliness?”
“You know the rules. That is not how you get my attention.” Rio’s pulls her knife out and pokes into the soft flesh under Agatha’s chin.
“You’re here now, aren’t you?” Agatha says.
“Don’t tell me you’re being the jealous one, Agatha. You can summon me whenever you like,” Rio says as she trails the knife down Agatha’s throat.
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the area’s a little bare of witches at the moment.”
“And yet you still managed to find one to bed,” Rio’s smile edges more towards a snarl.
“A green one too,” Agatha smiles as Rio’s snarl stretches further. “I knew that would get under your skin.”
“Oh, Agatha,” Rio knife digs in, “We both know the only thing under my skin is you.”
“Prove it,” Agatha snarls back. She goes for the knife but Rio digs it in deeper.
“Careful, sweetheart, you know what happens when my claws come out,” she slides her knife lightly along Agatha’s neck. Just enough to make a thin, red cut.
“They’re not out already?” Agatha asks. “Was me fucking another woman not enough?”
Rio growls and throws Agatha to the ground face first. Agatha doesn’t get a chance to push herself back up. Rio jumps on top of her and she narrowly avoids slamming her chin into the ground. She expects at least a few more verbal jabs but Rio’s been pushed past her limit. She forces herself between Agatha’s legs, keeping her down with a hand pressing her head into the dirt, and tears off Agatha’s pants. Half a second later and she’s forcing three fingers into Agatha’s soaked cunt. They moan together.
It only takes three harsh thrusts for Agatha to stop being disappointed that the game is over so quickly. She pushes back onto Rio’s fingers and Rio’s grip tightens in her hair.
“If you’re so desperate then come,” she demands with a snarl.
They’ve only just started yet Rio curls her fingers and Agatha finds herself right on the edge. Rio leans down and sinks her sharp teeth into the vulnerable skin on her neck and Agatha comes with a muffled scream.
Rio removes her teeth and laughs against Agatha’s skin.
“She must’ve been bad if that’s all it took,” she says.
“Who?” Agatha murmurs through her post-orgasm haze. Rio laughs again. She ignores Agatha’s whine as she gently pulls out and turns her over. She settles on Agatha’s hips.
“Who owns you, Agatha?” she murmurs as she runs her wet fingers down Agatha’s throat, enjoying the way Agatha basks in the attention. One corner of Agatha’s mouth twitches up.
“That witch,” she says. Rio’s fingers close around her throat. She doesn’t break eye contact.
“You don’t even remember her name.”
“I never even knew it,” Agatha says with that same teasing smile.
What should cancel out her previous statement makes it burn hotter by the way she says it. Thorny vines shoot out to wrap around her wrists and ankles.
“I could just leave you here,” Rio threatens.
“You won’t,” Agatha says with such certainty it infuriates Rio.
Another vine caresses Agatha’s throat before wrapping around it. She’s right. Rio has gone too long without her to leave her so soon. That doesn’t mean she has to satisfy her.
Rio begins grinding down and Agatha watches her with that same lazy smirk.
“Don’t get too cocky, Agatha. I’m going use you to come and then leave you here wanting.”
“Just like that other green witch did?”
Rio gnashes her teeth together. She resists the urge to sink them into Agatha again. Her anger will create too much force and she’ll break something.
Instead, Rio leans down, never faltering in her rhythm, to breathe the same air as her love. She watches as Agatha drinks in every inch of her expression as she gets closer and closer. That cocky look turns into desire which then turns into pure want as Rio nears the edge. Rio’s eyes flutter close and she leans that little bit closer so her lips brush Agatha’s. Agatha tries to close the gap but the thorns cutting into her skin keep her still. Rio moans into her mouth.
A needy sound leaving her has Agatha squirming but it’s too late. Rio shudders on top of her and comes before Agatha gets a chance to fully enjoy it.
The desperate eyes that greet Rio are almost as sweet as her orgasm. She gently runs her fingers over Agatha’s cheek before gripping her face tightly.
“Don’t ever do that again,” she growls, her eyes creeping towards their other-worldly purple glow.
Or what? Agatha wants to say but Rio’s grip is too tight. The challenge is still clear on her face and Rio’s nails lengthen to dig into her skin.
“You are mine, Agatha Harkness,” Rio hisses. “I can make you wish you were dead as much as I can make you feel alive.”
There’s a much darker note under Rio’s voice than Agatha is used to. Her challenging look turns wary. She doubts this game will ever stop being fun but that doesn’t mean nastier moments can’t sneak through. She doesn’t want Rio to doubt her devotion. That would be more dangerous than anything she’s attempted before.
“I claim you, Rio Vidal, Death, The First Green Witch,” Agatha declares. Rio’s eyes widen a fraction. “You are mine as I am yours, until the end of time.”
The words carry a hint of magic and Rio’s snarl slides off her face.
“I am yours as you are mine,” Rio breathes with the same amount of devotion. A hint of desperation hidden by Rio sealing the vow with a kiss. Soft at first but quickly devolving into their usual hunger.
Rio removes the vine keeping Agatha’s neck pinned, so she doesn’t have to break the kiss as she rises slightly on her knees and slips her fingers back inside of Agatha. Agatha moans into her mouth and Rio swallows it eagerly. She wants to devour her, merge their bodies and bind their souls as one. For now she settles for chasing Agatha across the continent and pulling every lick of pleasure she can from her.
Agatha’s magic snaps the rest of vines holding her down, thorns slicing her as she reaches for Rio. Her hands find the back of Rio’s neck and the bodice of her dress. Rio’s less punishing thrusts allow her room to guide the kiss. Her hand moves from Rio’s bodice to the skirts of her dress and tugs them up until she can get it under. She gives Rio the same treatment she’s receiving and slips three fingers into her heat, quickly matching her rhythm. Fingers curl, thumbs find clits, teeth scrape over skin and tongues dips into mouths. They become one moaning, writhing mess as they both reach their peaks before collapsing into each other.
Panting slightly, Agatha gently moves hair out of Rio’s face. She’s wearing that look that means she wants to consume Agatha but her eyes are flashing violet in the way that means too many bodies are calling. The strain of ignoring it is apparent on her face.
“Go do your job, Death,” Agatha releases her. “But don’t be so long this time, hmm?”
“You won’t leave the next one alive,” Rio says firmly.
“There are other ways to torture you, my love,” Agatha says softly, like it’s a sweet promise. Rio’s eyes flash a deeper purple, no death magic lightening them.
“I shall return soon,” she promises.
Soon to death can be very different to life but Agatha accepts the promise with a kiss.
“Te veo,” Rio whispers against her lips before getting up and fading back into the dark.
Agatha lies there for a along while, getting her breath back.
if i was 26 and had just woken up from a 70 year suicide-induced coma with no one in the present remembering who i am and instead conflating me with the ever changing image of the role i played in ww2 that now serves as american propaganda and 2 weeks ago i was watching guys get half of their faces blown off and a week after that the love of my life fell off of a moving train with me only being able to watch and then i had to like... deal with a billionaire nepo baby war profiteer calling me an old man and saying there's nothing special about me i would have started killing people. but unfortunately it happened to steve rogers. and he has, like, morals. so
Typical marvel gay rep: yeah 🤭 this side character is gay 🥰😜 it will only be mentioned once tho😓😣😅 and this background character has gay parents!! 😱😱😍 but the main character can't be lgbt!!🫤😖 we have to appeal to straight people 🥺🥺 for profit 🥺🥺🥺 you get it 🥰😜
Marvel with Agatha All Along for some reason: this middle aged witch is a LESBIAN and her love interest is the personification of death who is ALSO A LESBIAN and they are BITTER BITTER EXES but are STILL in love and her coven is 90 percent SAPPHICS and the only man on screen is a GAY TEENAGER and
👆yeah let’s give credit where it’s due. Schaeffer as showrunner with the support of Livanos. Taking risks and defending them.
Additionally, the outcome of the WGA and growing criticism about Marvel Disney’s quality of output. For context: They didn’t have showrunners before Agatha All Along. They instead depended on film executives to run their streaming shows, thinking they knew better than the traditional TV model.
It was a mess! No one person was empowered to implement a clear creative vision for a show from the ground up. Scripts kept changing with reshoots or just weren’t done. They shot a chunk of Daredevil before realising it wasn’t working.
Schaeffer and Livanos got leverage to make AAA because Wandavision had been critically and commercially successful — with Schaeffer having been allowed more oversight than her “head writer” position technically would have gotten thanks to Livanos and Olsen — and Schaeffer got full creative control for AAA.
They smartly pitched the show clearly targeted to certain demographics with a specific vision. They kept the budget low by Marvel standards because they didn’t keep changing their scripts and doing reshoots and didn’t need super heavy CGI (and none of the actors involved are big movie stars).
AAA would never have been able to hit the numbers of the movie spin-offs, but it can be a success alone by delivering more than what it cost to make. Nabbing some Emmys or other awards would help too.
Even back then Wandavision was the weird step-child of a show that ended up exceeding expectations. The only credit Disney deserves is accepting the business case of allowing AAA to be even weirder.
hey i have a fucking bone to pick with sapphic fandoms
like, i get it okay. i've been on tumblr since 2011, i was in the trenches during the bury your gays nightmare, i grew up on buffy, i watched the 100, i've been through the furious and devastating queerbaits, and i've watched helplessly as the boom of proper progress with sapphic rep has burned and disappeared with the faults of the industry as it is rn and the resurgence of bury your gays in the form of tv cancellations
i even did a fucking guest lecture for a film & tv university course a couple years ago on all of this
we joke about the fact that queer (specifically sapphic) fans flock to any show with the barest hint of rep in it because we're so starved for it, and we talk about the fact that if nothing else, that proves that there's a market and an audience and it usually creates a huge wave of viewership and attention for the show
but i need to fucking point out: acting as though a show exists for the sole purpose of the sapphic relationship you've started watching it for is fucking detrimental to how you'll perceive the show, how it'll get talked about in fandom spaces and then beyond that (bc the line between fandom spaces and wider online discussion of media is a lot thinner than it was ten years ago) and isn't actually going to do any good for sapphic rep! like, at all! because guess what! unless you're watching a show where the entire storyline revolves around romance, this couple you're watching for ISN'T going to be the centre of the story! it's a part of it! and there's such a weird fucking entitled toxicity to how fans act around brilliant storytelling and worldbuilding and writing and characters throwing tantrums about not getting more screentime for the relationship they like because they don't actually care about any other part of the story. and the thing about people who watch something solely for a ship rather than the wider story it exists in, is that a lot of the time, you'll fundamentally misinterpret the characters and their dynamic because you're not taking any of the wider context of the world and story into account at all.
and yes, of course i'm talking about agatha all along in the immediacy. because we knew a long, long time ago that billy maximoff was gonna be an integral part of this story, long before we knew anything about what the vibe of this show was gonna be, long before anyone even had the tiniest whisper of rio's existence. the same way wandavision was monica rambeau's origin story even though the show was wanda's, we suspected that agatha all along would be billy's/wiccan's origin story even if the show focused on agatha. and you know fucking what. that's good fucking storytelling. this show is smart, it's funny, it's curious, it's campy, it's queer, and it's ensemble. that's always been the point. agatha and rio were a delightfully unexpected part of it that added such delicious tension and phenomenal sapphic rep, but you know what else! the point of that dynamic is to flesh out agatha's character! this show isn't about agatha and rio! it's about agatha and billy, who they are, how their pasts and their magic are connected, their traumas and their power and how the road shapes their futures! rio is a part of exploring agatha's past, and it's phenomenal, but i am so fucking bewildered by the ridiculousness of people's reactions to billy now having a bigger part in the story and there being less focus on agatha and rio. you do know that you write scenes and characters and stories in a way that makes sense right? that because of the nature of this show, even if we don't get more than a handful agatha and rio scenes for the rest of the episodes, they're both still sapphic characters, this is still wonderful sapphic rep, and this show is still very, very queer?
like, it's obviously not fair that we have to beg for scraps to have queer shows to watch. but that doesn't mean that any of us get to do such a fucking disservice to the people who make amazing shows and fight to put sapphic rep in them within the contexts of the stories they're telling by whining that it's not enough. what we're getting with agatha all along, what kathryn han and aubrey plaza and jac schaeffer have said with such grace and nuance and intrigue and depth about agatha and rio's relationship, is so fucking rare! and it's nestled within a story that's got so much other intricate storytelling that makes agatha and rio richer characters when you actually pay some fucking attention and care about who they are outside of their sexual tension!
and i'm saying this because this is an issue i see with So many other shows, where the worth of a show gets boiled down to fandoms wanting content of their ship and nothing else and then poisoning the conversation and reception around what else it is that show is doing with its story. idk get some fucking media literacy, grow up and respect artists and creatives.
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