#and any coven could walk the road

[squydworm]

Something I found interesting personally about the Agatha all along finale is that even though billy created the road, I don’t really feel cheated or like it was fake. Sure, you can argue that the road wasn’t technically “real,” but it was real is all the ways that mattered. Billy created the road, all its tricks and turns and things he couldn’t have ever known. In every way that is important, the coven walked the road.

It didn’t matter how it came to be. What mattered was the experiences on it, and how they shaped those who traveled the path.

[lowkeyerror]

Ours Together pt 2

Agatha Harkness x Rio Vidal x Reader

Word count: 3.6k

Notes: Graphic depictions of violence, could be described as slight gore, more hurt/comfort, fluff, hopeful ending (i think), protective Rio and Agatha

Summary: With the three of you on the same page, walking the road should've been a cake walk. However things take a turn, when you end up with your own trial.

An: Yall asked for a part 2 so you know I had to deliver 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

Part 1 | Masterlist

Waking up in between Rio and Agatha brought a small smile to your face. It’s a luxury that you thought was long forgotten. You were careful to rise without waking them. Your back cracked as you stretched, the ground of the road was not comfortable in the slightest.

“So you’re a familiar?” Lilia speaks, staring cautiously.

The way your eyes cut over to her is soft. It’s softer than you want it to be. You look at the ground and then the sky, deciding not to look at the witch.

“Yep,” a rough sigh comes out with the simple word.

“It typical that familiars have a second form. A pet or a-"

“Do they look like pet owners to you?”

The others begin to stir, before the conversation can go any further. You’re grateful for the interruption. You were not here to dig in to your past. Well, not any more than reigniting your relationship with Rio and Agatha.

“Look alive, witches. Let’s get this show on the road,” Agatha yawns as the words leave her mouth.

Though you’d rather do anything else, you prepare yourself for the journey.

“What’s wrong?” Rio falls into step with you as you begin to walk the road.

“I still don't want to be here,” you admit kicking some of the dirt up with your heel.

Rio takes your hand in hers, “We can leave whenever you want.”

You dismiss the thought with exasperation, “I’m not abandoning Agatha.”

Rio squeezes your hand, “I don’t want to leave her either, but I don’t want you to be burdened by whatever this is.”

“Woah,” Alice’s voice, makes you look away from Rio.

The other witches also stop, most with their mouths agape. The sight before them unfathomable. This was drastic change from the other trial they had come in contact with.

Instead of a house, there was large mansion. The building was purely white with gold accents. The pillars that stood on each side of the building seemed to go all the way.

The color leaves your face staring at the building. You drop to the ground and begin to scramble away from the building. You shake your head vigorously. Your eyes wide in horror, you try to find the breath in your lungs but you struggle.

“No, no, no, no,” you begin to mutter under your breath.

Agatha and Rio are by your side at a moments notice. Agatha’s hands rest on your face and you can feel Rio’s arm wrap around you.

“Breathe baby,” Rio whispers in your ear.

You search Agatha’s face frantically, “Agatha, I can’t… I can’t. I’m not even a witch, I’m not in the coven. Why?”

“It’s not real, sweetheart. We know it’s not real,” she whispers for only you and Rio to hear.

You close your eyes and begin nodding your head. You swallow hard, trying to focus on the feelings of their hands on you.

“I’m guessing this is her trial,” Jen says, breaking the moment between the three of you.

Agatha glares at the witch, “She’s not going in there.”

Teen interrupts, “I don’t think that’s how the road works.”

The scowl on her face only deepens, “Then make it work Teen. She’s not a witch, she’s not in the coven, she shouldn’t have a trial.”

Alice interferes, “Is it possible it’s not her trial? The three of you are close.. could it be Rio’s or Agatha’s.”

“It would be mine, if not hers,” Rio offers up.

Lilia interrupts, “We have to go into this trial.”

“NO!” Your voice didn’t boom when you yelled, instead it cracked in desperation.

The conversation dies there, but not because of your outburst. You feel the energy shift all around you.

“The seven are coming,” Agatha mumbles under her breath.

“Nope,” Jen immediately turns to run into the building.

Lilia goes in after Jen. Alice and Teen hesitate, but they follow the other two women forward.

You can hear the seven getting closer.

“My love, we must move forward,” Agatha tries to hide her panic, but you see through it.

“We will protect you,” Rio helps you to your feet.

You look behind you, the seven quickly approaching. You look at the building once more, before rushing ahead inside.

Agatha looks at Rio, “Take her out if things get too much.”

Rio shakes her head, “We do not know the repercussions of leaving in the middle of a trial.”

“We both know what happens in there Rio. I can’t bare to see it.”

Rio grabs Agatha’s hand as they rush towards the building together, “She is stronger than we give her credit for.”

As they enter the building a bright light almost blinds them. They see the coven members dressed in all white. Most of them having full halos. Agatha looks similar. Rio however is dawning an all black hooded cloak. If it weren’t for your distress, she would’ve laughed.

The clothes felt wrong against your skin. There wasn’t much around. The walls were painted with clouds. The only other thing in the mansion was staircase in the middle of the room. It looked like it led nowhere, but you knew better.

“Where’s the trial? Do we just get to leave?” Teen says focusing on the stairs.

You try to keep your breathing normal, “Just give me a minute. I know what we have to do.”

“What is this place?” Alice looks around.

Lilia’s eyes sparkle, “I think this is Heaven.”

The coven turns their attention to you.

“Are you-”

Agatha interferes, “We’re already in the trial, save your questions to the end.”

Rio adds on, “Or better yet, don't ask any questions.”

“Let’s get this over with,” you wipe your hands on the white pants.

You stand at the bottom of the stairs. Agatha stand on the left and Rio on your right. The link their arms through yours.

“Up we go,” Agatha directs the coven.

When you get to the top, you can see an abyss waiting for you at the bottom. You can’t see the bottom, and you know what you have to do.

“It’s easier if you don’t look,” you turn your back to the abyss.

“Are you seriously just going to-”

Before Jen finishes her question you are leaning back first into the abyss. Your lovers at your side trusting you completely. The rest of the coven is hesitant, but they eventually all jump into the hole.

It's like you’re being pulled down. It feels like it’s never going to stop. When it does, it’s abrupt. You’re expecting flames and heat, but instead there’s only dirt around you.

The space is shaped like a cylinder. There’s a gracious amount of space. The floors and walls were both constructed of dirt. You looked at the ceiling and it too seemed to be dirt. It was like you all were buried alive.

“Take me back upstairs,” Lilia says looking around the dark and dirt filled hole.

“So, Y/n what now?” They turn to you, looking for guidance.

You use your hands to dig into the ground. You pull out a scroll.

“How did you-”

“Where else would it have been?” You snap at the Teen.

Rio peers over your shoulder, “Fly free with your clipped wings or submit to the sin of the earth.”

The dirt begins to rise as Rio finishes reading the paper. You look up again, this time being able to catch a glimpse of the white room where you had come from.

“Taking us down, to go right back up. How clever,” Agatha says.

“So is now the time we ask the questions?”

“Stand back,” you ignore the question, hoping to get this over with quickly.

The group listens to you. With much discomfort you pushed out the muscles on your back. There were a few loud pops and cracks. You bit your tongue to mask the pain. Your wings popped out and everyone in the room gawked.

“They’re-”

“White?” Rio says with confusion.

You wrapped them around your body, surprised to see white wings sprouting from your back.

“Questions later, fly up,” Agatha says and you do as she instructs.

You begin to flap your wings, dirt flying about in the space. You shoot up to the exit in less than 5 seconds. Instead of freedom you find yourself smacking hard against a piece of glass. You pound on it, hoping to break it.

“I can’t break it,” you call back down.

“Then we’re missing something,” Jen calls out.

The dirt begins to rise in the room at a faster pace.

“Start digging, maybe we’ll find something else,” Teen starts digging, the rest follows.

“Shit,” you hear Agatha cry out.

You decide to fly back down. You land close to her. “What is it?”

She pulls a pair of scissors out of the ground. Her palm bleeding from the cut on her hands.

You scramble back again.

“Didn’t it say something about clipped wings?” Alice recalls.

“That’s why they’re white,” Agatha connects the dots.

“Fuck no,” Rio stands in front of you. “I’m not letting you clip her wings.”

“We’re going to die,” Teen argues with the Death.

Agatha shares a look with Rio, “Get her out of here.”

You shake your head, “No, I’m not leaving you here. Give me the scissors.”

“Y/n, you don’t have to do this,” Rio tries to reason with you.

“Just heal the wounds when it’s over,” you say to her softly.

Agatha still has the scissors in hand, “I won’t let you.”

You get close to her. Your hand reaching for the scissors as you lean in. You can see her squeezing them firmly in her grip, deepening the cut in her hand.

“It’s not real,” you whisper to her just like she had done with you outside.

Her grip loosens just enough for you to pull the scissors from her hand. The dirt is piled at the mid thigh level now.

You once again fold your wings over your body. You turn your head to get a good look at your back. Your eyes follow the seam of where your back is lined with your wings.

Your hand shakes as you open the scissors, opting to use them like a letter opener. The nerves are piling up inside you. Your eyes close and you get a glimpse of your past. You see yourself kneeled over in pain with your back covered in blood.

“We’re running out of time,” Lilia says, as the dirt begins to climb higher.

You scream as you cut off your wing in one swift motion. The pain makes you want to fall to your knees , but its impossible with the dirt surrounding you. Tears fall rapidly as blood pours from your back. Snot drips from your nose as you sob at the pain.

You’re in too much pain to notice, but the dirt begins to rise at a slower pace. No one is happy, or joyful as they look at you in agony.

“Fuck,” you mutter as your body shakes violently at the pain.

The scissors had slipped from your hand at the sheer force you made the cut with.

“Rio,” it comes out of your mouth through gritted teeth. She’s close to you, and you know she carries a blade. “I- you have to do the other one.”

Rio’s eyes widen, “ I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Please, my love. I- I can’t die like this. Please, I just got you back, please.”

Your pleading breaks Rio’s heart. This didn’t feel fake, it was real. The wound pouring from your back, the tears in your eyes. The panicked look in Agatha’s face as she watched this unfold. The suffering felt real.

Rio pulls her dagger out, wading through the sand to get right behind you. It was hard, with the sand covering most of her torso. The sand burned as it pressed into your open wound.

Rio’s hard was cool and soft as it touched the bottom of your wing. She felt through the sand to find the seam of the wings. Once she found it she took a deep breath.

“Forgive me, my love,” her cut was much more swift than yours.

You fell forward as the yelled ripped through you throat. It burned your esophagus. You folded forward, Rio’s arms try to hold you from underneath your stomach, not wishing to touch your back.

The wings lay in the dirt beside you. The dirt that had covered everyone started to sink down back into the ground. Once it was all gone, one side of the wall began to open up. Stairs appeared, indicating the trial was over.

Rio is quick to carry you out of the trial and back on to the road. She hopes that bringing you back to the road will erase the injuries. However as she feels the blood coating her clothes, she knows they are here to stay.

She lays you on your stomach and you groan. She straddles the back of your legs. The weight of her is lost on you, all you can feel is the burning from where your wings were supposed to be. You squirm under her when her tongue connects with your back.

She licks the brutal cuts on your back, the taste of your blood clouds her thoughts, but she doesn’t dwell on it. Her own tears gather as she waits for the wounds to heal.

Agatha rushes to her side, “Is she going to be ok?”

Rio holds her breath, but as she sees the wounds slowly closing she nods, “She’s going to be ok.”

Agatha pulls Rio into a chaste kiss, “Are you ok?”

Rio’s forehead rest against Agatha’s, “No, I’m not.”

The rest of the coven watches the scene unfold with intrigue.

“So your familiar is an angel?” Teen can’t help, but ask.

You whine under Rio as you feel a new pain simmer in your back.

“Off,” you mutter, and Rio gets off of you.

You stay laying as you feel a well-known ache spread through your body. You dig your palms into the ground and let out a huff of irritation. In the spots that Rio had just healed, a set of wings popped out.

This time, they were black like tar. It hurt just as much as before. You prop yourself on your knee before standing to your full height. Just like when your voice had echoed, your eyes were purely black.

“I was an angel,” your voice vibrates through the road.

“What happened?” Jen asks, mesmerized by your wings.

Agatha and Rio are seconds away from forbidding the coven from asking questions. You use your wings to bring them into your sides.

“I fell in love. The higher ups, said it was… impure. Which was a falsehood; there had been nothing in my life or after that was as pure as this love. They wanted to have me banished to hell. I was ungrateful, wasting my eternal happiness by fraternizing with… Rio.”

“Why not Agatha?” Alice questions.

You look at Rio, who gives you a nod, “They didn't like my relationship with Agatha much either, if I’m being honest. Rio was different, forbidden because she is Lady Death.”

The coven members all look to Rio, their eyes wide in shock. Rio simply waves her up, wiggling her fingers in response, “Guilty.”

Lilia speaks next, “But if you’re her familiar, why would your relationship be an issue?”

“I wasn’t her familiar then,” you explain. “I became Agatha’s and Rio’s familiar because Rio interfered during my banishment ceremony. These ceremonies were somewhat of a public shaming. My wings had been forcefully yanked out of my back. Brute strength just ripped them right out of my back. They were in the middle of speaking when she appeared. I’ve never seen her so furious, yelling at Life and God and the other angels. She made an offer for my soul.”

Rio clicks her tongue a few times, “No, no I made a threat. They were going to give me your soul or I would take every soul that passed to hell. There would’ve been no more angels. A demon uprising would've been imminent. They didn't really have a choice.”

“Wait, I know this story. An angel who was swayed by darkness due for banishment, but saved by Death itself. You’re the first fallen angel,” Teen speaks enthusiastically.

You chuckle, “Not exactly the first, there’s one before me, but I am the first with this look. The black wings, dark eyes, echoing voice.”

“So what happened after you threatened them?” Jen is extremely invested.

“She took me to Agatha. I was powerless without my wings. They were trying to figure out what to do. When Rio went to heal the wounds they left on me, we didn't expect new wings to sprout, but they did. The power was different, stronger. They helped me navigate it.”

“It took us some time to realize what the agreement meant for her. They did not believe in our relationship, which is why they made her our familiar. It was a punishment,” Agatha adds some more context.

“How is that a punishment?” Teen’s confusion shines through.

“It burns to be away from them. Literally boils my insides,” your wings fold back into your back.

“Ok, kids, question time is over. We’re setting up camp for the night,” Agatha claps her hands together.

You can see them want to protest, but an eyebrow raise from Rio quiets them all. They begin to set up a camp similar to the night before.

“Come with us,” Rio tugs at your arm.

You follow her and Agatha away from the rest of the coven.

When you feel like you’re far enough from the rest. Your shoulders slump and your body trembles, getting the last of the aches out.

The two witches stop both worried for you.

“I’m fine,” you say softly.

Agatha can’t help but pull you into her, “You’re not, neither of you are. I think it’s time you left the road.”

Your head rests on her shoulder. Your lips press a gentle kiss against her neck, “I don't want to spend any time apart. Especially now.”

Rio is careful as she presses her front against your back, wrapping her arms around you. You grab her arms pulling her flush against you. The warmth of the two women, soothes the aches in your body.

“Baby,” Rio tries.

“Just hold me for a few minutes, please,” you beg the both of them.

The both tighten their grip.

“We’re not going anywhere sweetheart,” Agatha kisses the top of your head.

“Not ever,” Rio doubles down.

You breathe them in. Finding comfort in their presence. Agatha’s hand find a place in your hair, rubbing the tension away. You lay your hands over Rio’s keeping them against your skin.

“Aggie what do you need from this place?” You whisper against her skin.

“My purple.”

You raise your head to stare at her, “I can get them to blast you. Then we can all go home, together.”

“I tried that already, sweetheart. They know about my powers,” she admits to you.

“What if there's nothing at the end of this? We don't know what this is?” Rio tries to reason.

Agatha meets Rio’s gaze, “I do know what this is, you know too. We all know that the road isn’t real. Yet, here we are standing on it, going through trials. This magic is familiar to me, the sigil prevents it, but I know who that boy is. He’s just like his mother.”

“We can find another coven,” you suggest.

Agatha lets out a humorless laugh, “My reputation proceeds me, sweetheart. There are no more witches who wish to gather with me. Lilia, I trust her divination. This is the only way.”

“Then we have to stay,” you turn around to look at Rio.

Rio averts her gaze, “We must go after the next trial.”

You steel your gaze, “Why?”

The Green Witch looks to Agatha for help.

“Sweetheart, it’s not safe here. You just had to clip your own wings. Rio has work to do, and she can’t do it in here. Go with her and I will see you when this is over.”

“Agatha, I-"

She kisses you, softly, “I will come back to you. I won’t be going anywhere. It will be us three, I promise.”

“One more trial don’t say goodbye yet,” you say against her lips.

“I’m never going to say goodbye again, ok? It’s just a promise to meet later.”

You look at Rio, “And we’re staying together, right.”

Rio’s hand reach to cup your face. Her eyes are serious when they look into yours, “I’m never leaving you again.”

You press your lips hers, need seeping through your kiss. When you break the kiss, you find yourself between the two women again.

“Let’s get back to the camp, and rest. I’m sure you’re exhausted, sweetheart.”

“Carry me?” You ask.

Agatha rolls her eyes but scoops you up anyway . You hang on to her like a koala causing Rio to laugh.

“You have wings,” Agatha grumbles.

You nuzzle deeper into her, “They’re not as comfortable as your arms.”

“She got you there, my love,” Rio moves in closer to walk shoulder to shoulder with Agatha.

“You’re carrying her next time.”

The three of you share a laugh. A nice moment to end a chaotic couple of hours. The stress of the road ahead not lost on you, just pushed aside for a moment. There had been enough pain for the day. You didn’t want to dwell on the near future, opting instead to think of the moment it was over. When you’d finally get to have Rio and Agatha to yourself.

[marril96]

Reasons

Pairing: Agatha Harkness x reader

Summary: Agatha wants to know why you wanted to go on the Road.

You knew you were in trouble when Agatha left the rest of the coven huddled around a fire and joined you in the forest area, away from prying ears.

You needed some peace and quiet. The trials were emotionally tasking. Risking your life day by day, doing things such as drinking poison and performing a song while fire raged around you…

It was a lot.

But this was your life now.You knew full well what you were signing up for. Agatha had warned you, loud and clear.

The choice to come here was yours, and you would make it all over again if given a chance for what you wanted — what you needed — from the Road wasn't something easily attainable. You'd be damned if you were to give up now.

Some things were worth risking everything for.

"Y/N," Agatha said as she approached you, casual, hands in the pockets of her coat. Like she were on a walk in a park rather than a dangerous and deadly Road.

"Yeah?" You weren't really in the mood to talk, your batteries still low from the latest trial. It didn't help that you didn't feel fully at ease with the others. The kid was fine, but the other witches made you nervous. You didn't trust them. You didn't know them.

The only one you really knew was Agatha. Which was why you just stood there instead of moving away or feigning sleepiness as she walked over, something clearly on her mind. It paid off to have befriended her back in the day. It was by pure chance, an encounter neither one of you expected, but, in hindsight, you were both glad it had happened.

She had earned a listening ear, someone to confide in, who wouldn't judge her no matter what. Someone who would have her back even if the rest of the world were to turn against her.

You had earned a protector in a world that was dangerous for your kind.

"We need to talk," Agatha said. Her tone didn't reveal much; you didn't know what to expect.

You turned to her. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's peachy."

"Is Jen talking shit about you again? My offer to punch her in the face still stands," you said. You'd nearly done so a couple days back, but Agatha had held you back. She could handle Jen, she'd said. Her words had meant nothing to her.

It didn't make hearing lies and slander about your friend feel any better, but if she said she was okay, then that was that. Agatha was centuries old; much older than you. She may have been powerless now, but she could still hold her own. She'd heard worse. She'd lived through worse. Some random witch's petty insults didn't bother her.

Agatha chuckled. "Jen is… Jen. But no, she hasn't said anything."

"Then what's up?"

"I need to ask you something."

"Why do I feel like I'm about to be interrogated?" you said, nervous. You forced a smile. "Are you back in your true crime mode? Are you gonna manhandle me until I confess?"

"That's cute," Agatha said, rolling her eyes, prompting you to laugh.

If you'd known Wanda Maximoff had cast a spell on her, you would have come and gotten her out of it sooner — or tried to, at the very least. That was the thing about friendships that lasted for centuries; a lot of time was spent apart. It wasn't unusual for one of you to disappear for a few years and then pop back into the other's life. You missed her when she was gone, of course you did, but she had her life, and you had yours.

It was only when she'd showed up at your door with Teen in tow that you'd finally found out why she'd gone radio silent for three years. And, much to your disappointment, the witch who'd done it to her was dead, so you couldn't even punch her for it, or call her a bitch to her face.

Such was life.

"What are you doing here?" Agatha asked.

"What do you mean?" you said, taken aback.

"On the Road," she clarified. "Why are you here?"

Because you wanted something you could never have without it. Simple as that. "You asked me to come."

"No, I didn't. I told you I was going. You demanded I take you with me."

Right. You'd hoped that little detail would slip by her. You should've known by now she kept track of everything; her mind was as sharp as her magic.

"I haven't seen you in three years," you said, hoping that would be enough of an explanation. "I wanted to hang out with you. And, like, maybe get some more power along the way."

"Anyone ever tell you you're a shitty liar?"

Yes. She did. Multiple times in the past. Which was why, whenever the two of you needed to swindle someone — for whatever reason — she was the one doing the talking and you just nodded along and smiled.

"You did."

"Yes," Agatha said. "I did. Because you are."

You sighed. "What do you want me to say?"

"The truth."

"There's nothing to say."

There was a lot, actually, but you didn't dare open up that particular can of worms. Once it was said, it could never be taken back. So why say anything at all?

"Oh, is there?" Agatha said sarcastically.

"Don't do that," you said.

She raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

Because you're my friend. Because I don't want to ruin this. "Because I'm asking you not to. That used to mean something."

"It still does." Her voice was soft. Tender. Gone was the sarcasm, the defensive sharpness. It was just her now. Your friend.

"Then why are you asking?"

"Because I want to know."

"Leave it alone." You knew she wouldn't. She never did.

"Y/N," Agatha said, your name but a whisper on her lips.

You sighed. Was she really going to do this now? Why couldn't she just take you at your word and put up with a little white lie? Why did she have to be so damn stubborn?

"Why did you want to come here?" She wasn't demanding. She wasn't prodding. She was just asking.

She knew you couldn't resist her for too long.

The perks of allowing Agatha Harkness to be your close friend. She knew you too well for your own good.

A lump formed in your throat. Heat bit at the back of your neck like a curse about to swallow you whole. Your heart raced, a marathon booming in your chest.

There was a silence, long, drawn out. Then, in your quietest, softest voice, you said, "You know why."

She always did.

She always knew everything.

Secrets weren't secrets for long around Agatha Harkness.

You tried to tell yourself that you were being careful, that your emotions were in check at all times, but the truth was, your poker face was worse than your lying skills. You just pretended you were doing a good job, and Agatha went along with it.

To her credit, she never tried to take advantage. She never made fun of you for it, or played games. The deal was friendship, and that's what she gave you. Nothing more, and nothing less.

"I want to hear it from you."

A tear slid from the corner of your eye. Your cheek burned like a fireplace. Your mouth trembled, holding the words back, wanting to keep them trapped forever. But what would be the point, really? The truth was bound to come out eventually.

The truth had been out for a long time, written all over your face. A big, scarlet letter for all the world to know how you really felt. What you really wanted, but never felt like you could have.

"You." It felt almost freeing to say it out loud, as if a weight had been lifted off your chest, allowing you to breathe in a way you hadn't for years. "I came here because I want you."

Really, what else could you have possibly wanted? You were satisfied with the power you had. You got by. Your life wasn't in danger. There was nothing for you to ask for, that you didn't already have.

Except for one thing you thought — you knew — was unattainable.

Agatha Harkness. One of the most powerful witches you'd ever gotten to know. Rumored to be cruel and ruthless, heartless. A remorseless monster. A serial killer of witches. Your best — and only — friend. The love of your life.

"Go on," you said after a few moments of silence. "Make fun of me."

"Now, why would I do that?" Agatha asked, appalled at the suggestion. Offended for sbe thought you knew her better than that.

Which was exactly why you were so afraid. She hid her feelings expertly. Rather than admit vulnerability, she preferred to go on the offensive. A scorpion stinging with its venom where it hurt the most. She cared about you, and she trusted you, but there was no telling how she would react to something like this out in the open.

You saw how she treated people. You watched her murder witch after witch and discard the bodies as if they were nothing. You watch her climb over others to prop herself up, to rise to the top.

What was to stop her from doing the same to you?

What made you so different?

Why had she never treated you any different than one would a friend? Why had she always had your back, without you even having to ask? Why had she taken lives — many, many lives — to save yours?

Why did she trust you with her story, with memories of her son and the failed romance with Rio?

Why did she feel comfortable to bare her soul to you and let the tears flow freely, a salty river down her face each and every time she revealed a piece of her history?

"I just…" You were nervous. You were scared. You wanted to die.

"You know, honey, you didn't have to be so dramatic about it," Agatha said, perking up. Teasing you like she usually did; a bit mean, but with no real malice behind it. Playful. A cat throwing around a mouse it had caught. "You went on the Road to score a date? Really?"

It wasn't really a date you were after, but her point stood.

You were stupid.

This was a stupid idea, and it had backfired, and now she was going to mock you for it until the day one of you died.

"You do know all you had to do was ask, right?" she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

You snorted. "Yeah, right. Like you'd ever give me the time of day."

Agatha pressed her hands to her hips, elbows sticking out. "Who's to say I wouldn't?"

Now she was definitely taking the piss. "Come on," you said, putting on your fakest smile you knew would never fool her. "You're this amazing, badass, smoking hot witch."

She preened at the compliments. The surefire way to feel heart. She was nothing if not an attention whore.

"You-you're everything." Your everything, and more. So much more. "And I'm a nobody."

"Don't you ever say that," Agatha said in her stern, no nonsense tone. No more Mrs. Nice Girl. All daggers and sharp edges. She grabbed you by the shoulders, fingers digging in, and looked into sour eyes so intently it sent chills down your spine. "Don't you ever think you're a nobody."

"Everyone else thinks that," you said quietly.

It was obvious the others didn't think much of you. You could see it on their faces; the lack of respect, the underestimation. Jen had called you Agatha's pitbull to your face.

That was all you were to them. A pathetic witch whose only purpose was to speak up for Agatha. She may have joked about Teen being her pet, but it was clear to them all that that was your job. Agatha's witch familiar who was hopelessly in love with her and barked — but never bit — at every perceived slight against her.

"Who cares what they think?" Agatha said. "You're an exceptional witch, Y/N. They are nobodies."

"You're only saying that to make me feel better."

"Does that sound like something I'd do?"

No. It did not. She might use those words to manipulate some poor, unfortunate soul, but not you. Never you.

She always said it to you like it was.

"I mean, you do like to manipulate people," you joked. "And you lie better than I do."

Agatha rolled her eyes. "Everyone lies better than you do."

"True." There was no denying that.

She sighed, exasperated. "You really are an idiot."

And then her mouth was on yours, and she was kissing you, and your entire world exploded into fireworks and sparks and electricity, and, for a few short moments, you weren't in a dirty, creepy forest but rather somewhere warm and welcoming, and you never wanted to leave.

Agatha was everything you had imagined, and much, much more. Fire and ice all in one. Sugar and spice and everything nice and cozy and so fucking delicious.

Hers was the taste you never wanted to give up.

She tried to lean her head back, to take a break for breath, but you grabbed her chin and kissed her again, and again, and again. Hunger like you'd never felt before overtook you. Your nerves were on fire, legs weak underneath you, but you held on, forced yourself to remain standing. To remain kissing her for you never knew when you would get another chance.

If you would get another chance.

"Honey, I may be immortal, but I still need to breathe," Agatha said with a chuckle, right against your lips. Playful. Teasing.

Deciding it was enough, you backed away. Your lips were swollen, tingling. The taste of her, all of her, still on them, lingering like a ghost of your past. Forever imprinted on your mouth, a tattoo you hoped would never fade. You never wanted to lose it. Never wanted to forget what it felt like to be kissing her.

"Sorry," you said, blushing, nervous to hell and back.

Agatha looked you in the eye once again with the same fire as earlier. "Never apologize for taking what you want. You're a witch. The world is yours for the taking."

"I don't want the world," you said. "I just want you."

"Done." She said it so casually, as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

You didn't buy it.

You quirked up an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Really."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"You knew I was…" Completely and totally in love with her. "...into you."

"You have a tell," she said simply. She always could read people like an open book.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I wanted you to ask for it."

"But why?"

Agatha sighed. "Y/N, what is it that I've been teaching you since the moment we met?"

"Fuck the rules?"

She nodded. "Fuck the rules."

"To be unapologetically me," you said.

"Because…?" she prompted.

"I'm a witch, and I've got nothing to be ashamed of. If I fuck up, that's fine. Shit happens. There's nothing that can't be fixed with a little bit of magic."

Agatha grinned, brimming with pride. "That's my girl."

That's what you really were now. Her girl.

A part of you wanted to pinch yourself to make sure that this was real. That it wasn't some dream or a hallucination the Road had inflicted on you as part of some fucked up trial.

The other part wanted to wrap her in your arms and never let go.

"Can I kiss you again?" you said, uncertain. Still not used to this new situation you'd gotten yourself into.

"You don't even have to ask," Agatha told you.

So you went for it. You kissed her. Once. Twice. Three times.

An infinite amount of times.

Later on, when it came time to get some shut eye, you kissed her goodnight, and she wrapped her arms around you. A protective cocoon, warm and safe.

And, in the morning, she was the one to wake you with a kiss of her own.

It was only fair.

*****

Tags: @werewolfbarbie @miss-moon-guardian @hermslore @uniquelesbianidiot @natashamaximoff1 @werewolfvpire @alsoknownasmel @swan-queen-is-magic @tardisesandtitans

[multimilfs]

Lilia Calderu x Fem!Reader: In Omnibus Aequitas

Summary: Agatha isn't the only witch with a force of nature trailing after her.

AO3

A/N: oh my god i can't explain how excited i am to post this! so much thought and careful crafting went into this!! actually begging someone to ask for the TED talk on my planning process for this because hooooo boy

this is my first time writing Lilia, so apologies if the characterization is shaky at all!

also to give credit where credit is due, the idea for this Reader was prompted by a post from the brilliant trickofthelights, whom i admire greatly. i'll attach the post here

Tag List: @emiliaisdead @kenzie-floops @nightmare-of-homophobes @thepotatoislost @mckiejames @women-are-so-ethereal @galaxydreamer468 @angeliccss @goldenautomaton @asolitaryrose3 @multifandomfix @ghostsunderstoodmysoul @escapetodreamworld

Warning(s): None

Shadows often linger in the periphery of Lilia’s vision; this she has grown to accept, on the basis that they are gone when she turns to face them. And she is glad of it each time. The twisted shapes and figures of the primordial horrors that linger are not made to be witnessed, even by her eyes.

So when a figure lingers, she turns with the expectation of seeing the silhouette vanish, but she’s not the only one who turns.

It strikes her as odd that Rio should see whatever she does. This thought occurs to her mid-ballad, fire licking at the back of her neck. When she looks, though, the figure does not vanish, but neither is it a horror to behold.

You are as beautiful as she remembers. The memory, coupled with your eyes on her, nearly trips her up. But Lilia holds strong through the rest of Lorna’s ballad—even as the burns on her shoulders ache, even as your eyes dart away and meet the curious gaze belonging to Rio, even, even as you watch her with that unerring devotion she had once craved.

When Alice tilts her head back, singing with the full force of her soul, Lilia’s eyes leave you. She watches the curse burn to ash above Alice.

You’re gone when Lilia glances back.

---

Sharon, human she may have been, was right about one thing—no witch can be expected to traverse the road without rest. So, the coven opts to take turns keeping watch around the little fire they’ve built.

Lilia volunteers for the first watch, restless, feeling the weight of eyes on her still. She should’ve known you wouldn’t stay away long.

Your entrance comes when the rest of the coven has fallen asleep; Jen and Alice on one side of the fire, propped up against the rock they sat upon, Agatha furthest from the fire, back to it, while Rio—if that is her true name—sleeps near enough to lay a hand on her waist. Teen, she assumes, remains in the makeshift bed they made for him.

She sees your shadow at the edge of the clearing, hesitant. Looking over her coven one last time, she stands, and walks to where you wait outside the light.

“What do you want?”

You reach out, a hand on either side of Lilia’s face. She doesn’t shake you off. Yet.

“You’re as beautiful as the day I left.” You murmur.

Lilia’s lip curls, “Are your brutal truths meant to be endearing?”

“No. They’re meant to be nothing more than what they are.”

Against all odds, Lilia has yet to throw off your hold. You run your thumb gently over the curve of her jaw. Everything in you wants to kiss her—has dreamt of it for over a century—but you know it won’t be welcome.

Her curls are frayed and wild around her face in an endearing picture. Mess suits her just as well as refinement; though that could be your bias talking.

“Why are you here?” Lilia asks.

“Because you’re here.” And because your job brought you here, but that’s less romantic.

She seems to sense the omission. Any warmth drains from her expression, her hands removing yours from her person. You miss the closeness immediately.

“A truth and a lie. Which will come next?”

“It wasn’t a lie. I could’ve been anywhere.”

“Then go there. But leave the coven out of this.”

“I have no choice, Lilia.”

Lilia scoffs, “You had a choice when you vanished for a century!”

You close your eyes against the reminder. Hurt flares through you. The ache from years of longing, feeling that veil between you exist so thin, yet being unable to reach through. You hadn’t even been allowed a glimpse.

It was torment. A century should have been easy, but a life without Lilia felt like clawing your way through. If you tell her, will she believe you?

“Please.” You whisper. You’re not sure what you’re asking for.

“Goodnight.”

You hear her walk away, can’t stop yourself from blurting, despite the consequences, “Please, don’t put yourself in harm's way.”

Her jaw is tight, eyes wary. She looks you over as if something about you will give away what you know.

She crosses her arms over her chest. You recognize it as both a way to keep you out and support herself. You ache to be let back in.

“This whole Road is a death wish.”

“Don’t put yourself in more danger than normal.” You say, then, smaller, “I can’t protect you.”

“Are you asking for my sake or your own?”

“Whichever you’ll listen to.”

“Why ask at all?”

You step forward, hands outstretched to take hers, but you stop short, “Because I love you, Lilia.”

The admission makes her flinch. Her eyes water and she swallows hard. For a fleeting moment you see the startling vulnerability behind her eyes—the loneliness you should have quelled—before she locks it away.

“You can’t love.” Lilia sneers, “It would tip the scales too much.”

“That’s not true.” You defend.

“Oh? Then who, in this wretched universe, have you decided to hate?”

You bite your tongue. Lilia takes your silence for its own—incorrect—answer. Bitterness creeps into her smile.

“Goodnight.”

---

“Here to watch the big show?” Rio asks, lagging behind while the others move forward.

“Just doing my job.”

“Really? I’d say things were pretty square when you showed up.”

You eye her, despising her knowing smile, “Why are you here?”

“My job.”

“Hm. And how many bodies have you collected, again?”

Her smile is wide, but her eyes are cold. She’s always despised that the two of you are equals; that she can’t add you to her menagerie of bodies. Just the same, you’ve despised that you can’t write her name down.

Agatha looks back and tilts her head. You know she can’t see you. Like nothing has happened, Rio turns that grin on Agatha, skipping back to her side.

You catch Lilia’s eyes on you and ignore the question in them.

---

Lilia watches. She follows you in her periphery, makes note of where you are at all times. Her eyes always dart to your hands. Every time she finds them empty, she relaxes.

She’s taken watch, again. You read the weariness in her posture.

Against your better judgment, you lay your hands on her shoulders. She doesn’t shrug them off.

“You need rest as much as they do, beloved.” You murmur.

She stiffens at the old endearment, “We’re splitting the time. I’ll manage.”

You run a hand through her hair. The curls are still loose, wild. You untangle a few of them. Squeezing her shoulder, you place a kiss to the top of her head, savoring the closeness.

For a moment, your hand quivers. You still it. Your punishment was endured with grace, you must endure the distance with the same.

“Sleep. I’ll watch over you.”

Lilia scoffs, “Right.”

The weight of her mistrust is like a knife in your chest. You do not endure the pain with grace; you flinch, tears springing unbidden to your eyes. Lilia’s eyes close in regret.

You wonder if your presence is more of a burden than blessing. Had you mistaken her intent all those years ago? Love is not an emotion that’d come to you naturally. Perhaps, in your learning, you misunderstood, and Lilia’s kind heart wouldn’t allow her to break your illusion.

She had loved you once, hadn’t she? You could swear she had.

“You have to know I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“Unless the greater universe calls for it.”

Her tone is honest, but sadness lingers within it. All you want is to see her face.

“If I thought it would do you any favors, I’d throw it all away.” You admit in a whisper.

Lilia turns, then. Her brows are furrowed as her eyes search your own, frantic, swimming with fear. In another time and place, you’d follow the statement with a smirk; but you cannot bring yourself to summon the facade now, not with her.

It isn’t a lie—your admission. If not for the overturning of the world without you, you’d forsake the job on your shoulders. You’d unmake yourself in a moment for her. For the younger witch who sang freely and lamented her gifts. For the wizened witch who eyes you with trepidation, mind rife with your betrayals and shortcomings.

“Where are your lies?” She asks.

“I tell them to myself, so you can have all my truths.”

Lilia smiles then, but it’s bittersweet. A warm hand settles on your cheek. You can’t help it—grace be damned—when you press yourself into the contact. They’re still there—the callouses you remember, rough against your flesh. She still smells of smoke.

There’s a rustling of fabric across the space. Alice shifts, sitting up and rubbing at her eyes. Lilia’s touch is gone from you. You settle next to her as she rests, not brave enough to lay another hand upon her.

---

You watch the knife fall as if time has slowed; absently, you think it might be, Time always did love her cruel jokes. It falls with Teen in the direct path. You feel the pen heavy in your hand, the paper near-weightless and yet the heaviest thing you’ve come to bear.

But then Lilia moves. The one moment you need time to slow for you, it’s returned to normal. Lilia shoves Teen out of the way and takes his place in the dagger’s path.

You fall to your knees, “No!”

Throwing your arms out, you aim a burst of magic for the dagger. Consequences be damned. Alice is faster, though, and moves Lilia from the dagger’s path before your magic can make contact.

Rio’s eyes are heavy on you. She can’t do anything—you didn’t technically break any rules, but the intent is damning enough.

“Now this is going to be fun.” Rio purrs.

You stare at the pen and blank paper you dropped in your haste to save Lilia. Your purpose. How close you’d come to unmaking yourself and yet… yet, a part of you is ambivalent to this. The larger part is freaking out, though.

Everyone’s eyes are on you. You flinch. They shouldn’t be able to see you.

Checking your mental list of active charms, you realize you’ve made an error; in your grief-induced act of heroism, you dropped every single charm on your person and directed the energy toward Lilia. The cat’s out of the bag, it would seem.

Lilia is the first to recover, moving out of Alice’s protective hold, “Do you ever think?”

You bristle, yet to stand from your kneeling position. It gives her an advantage over you this once.

“Well and often.” You defend.

“Well?” She questions, beautiful in her terror and rage, “You call that thinking well? You could’ve been killed!”

“You were in danger, Lilia.”

“And you’re not allowed to interfere.”

Ignoring all the eyes on the two of you, Lilia turns and storms through the exit that opened. You watch the road-conjured costume melt back into her normal visage as she gets further away.

It’s then that you recognize the silence.

All of them are staring at you save for Agatha, who eyes Rio with a mixture of trepidation and understanding. You stand as gracefully as you can manage. Smoothing down your clothes, you try to smile, but the action feels slippery on your features. How long has it been?

“What is it with you witches and beautiful mysteries?” Jen asks, “And where can I get one?”

You flush and fidget. The weight of their attention is so much less pleasant than your beloved’s.

Alice tilts her head, “Who are you?”

Holding out your hand, you speak your name. Rio laughs. You blush, remembering that mortal creatures don’t comprehend the original language, not like the two of you. Lilia once said it sounded like botched latin. The coven exchanges various looks of confusion.

“Lilia just calls me—”

“A pain.” Lilia’s voice cuts in, “A very severe, persistent pain. Are you all coming?”

You’re the first to follow, which prompts no shortage of grumbling. You find yourself grinning.

---

“Well, at least we have extra help on The Road.” Jen shrugs, later.

“She can’t help.” Lilia and Rio say in unison.

The two share a look. You can read the distaste in Lilia’s eyes. She doesn’t seem to think much of Rio, not that you do either—and you actually know her.

“Seemed pretty eager to help you, Lilia.”

“A foolish, misguided mistake on her part.”

You flinch at the statement, staring down at your hands. With the charms gone, you witness their true appearance; one completely dark, as if left to char in ember, the other so pale-white it is near translucent.

The beauty of a mortal body with a mortal heart is a range of emotion you’d have never felt before. Though lately, the gift feels more like a burden. Pain is your ever-present companion these days. Even when you look at your beloved, the love that overtakes you is laced with poison; with the reminder of what you had to do.

You can’t bring yourself to wish away the heart in your chest. But you do wish Lilia would be a bit more gentle with it. You’re hardly in the position to make requests, though.

“I can assist in small ways. Taking a watch at night, tending the fire.”

“No.” Lilia shuts you down. You freeze, “You are to do nothing but observe. Have I made myself clear?”

“Yes, beloved.”

You ignore the look between Alice and Jen.

---

The end of The Road is so near you can practically taste it. It tastes of rot and chaos, but you put that down as a symptom of your disposition. You watch Lilia and the rest of the coven relax, inhaling deeply.

A smile teases at Lilia’s lips.

“What do you smell?” You whisper.

The smile doesn’t vanish as you expect. Rather, it extends to her eyes as she regards you.

“Your perfume.”

You melt. Knees like jelly, you take her hand in your own, and press a kiss to the back of it, ignoring the eyes on the two of you. The Witches Road will give you what you most desire at the end. And before the last trial, it gives the traveler a taste of what their prize is. She can’t reach the end without knowing the truth.

“This body wasn’t mine, did you know that?” You ask. Her expression shifts as she grows a bit more tense in your hold. You hold tighter, “The witch before me had a little over a century left in her when I came. As payment, I had to serve out the rest of her years without the one thing that made it feel like living.”

The words are tumbling from you faster than you can comprehend them. You watch her face, hoping that what you’re stringing together makes enough sense for her to see. Even if it takes some other force whispering the facts into her ear for her to understand, you’ll just be happy that she knows.

Lilia’s the brightest witch you’ve ever known. She’ll figure out what you’re saying, but you just can’t stop; you need to say the words you’ve been dying to say for all these years.

“I never wanted to leave you, beloved.”

There’s no privacy on this cursed road, but you don’t care. If she asked it of you, you’d tell every soul you met how you love her. Lilia Calderu owns your heart, but even more than that, she owns your soul, and you have no desire to take it from her hands—even if she decides to rip it to pieces as repayment.

Let the coven know how you lived a century-long prison sentence to be with her. Let Rio and the greater powers know. You have no shame.

Lilia sneers, “You foolish woman.”

Her hands fist in the front of your shirt and pull your lips to hers. It’s messy; a clash of teeth and lips and noses, a poor imitation of the world-tipping kisses the two of you have found in one another. You’re both horribly out of practice. Never let it be said, however, that passion does not make up for tact. The near-quivering of Lilia’s grip and the force of intent behind her kiss makes up for any clumsiness.

The time on The Road has left her lips chapped, bitter with the remnants of lipstick, and never before have you known something so utterly perfect. You wrap your arms around her waist and pull her close enough that not a breath can exist between you. She sighs against your lips.

A curse of a mortal body is the functions that a higher being like yourself wouldn’t deem necessary; in this case, the need your lungs have for oxygen. Your heart is beating out of your chest and not from desire.

You pull back, panting, forehead resting against Lilia’s.

Breath successfully acquired, you tilt your head and press your lips to Lilia’s cheek, her temple, her forehead—anywhere you can reach, murmuring, reverent, “Lilia. My Lilia.”

“Darling.” She whispers with every kiss, voice hushed with devotion.

A lifetime apart seen to its end. Your fingers still itch with the pent up desire to hold her despite doing so. You were shameless before, but now… Gods help her.

Rio watches the entire display with shameless interest. Her eyebrows are high, a small, curious smile on her lips. Teen had been the first to turn away and busy himself with watching The Road. Somewhere mid-kiss, the remaining three found something more pressing to devote their attention to.

The lack of seeing, however, does not stop Jen from sighing, “When will it be my turn?”

Alice laughs at her side.

---

“Did you know all along?”

Lilia looks up at Agatha’s hushed question. She takes in the messy, haggard, but satisfied look of her fellow witch. She also catches the look Agatha throws your way. You sit across the clearing, Teen at your side, listening with rapt attention as you explain something about the moon.

“I had a suspicion when you mentioned my fortune.” Lilia admits.

A suspicion. A burgeoning hope she hadn’t let herself acknowledge.

“Oh?”

“What is fortune if not a lack of balance?” She shrugs, unable to look away from you, “To change it meant the end of my pain.”

“Enter, your solution.”

“Solution and problem.”

The two share a wry laugh. Lilia’s careful not to ask any pointed questions about Rio, though curiosity does eat away at her. Is anyone better suited to appreciate her experience?

Rio, while polarizing, is beautiful—and seems to have attached herself to Agatha in a way best suited to the witch. There is a beauty in it. Though she admits she’ll always prefer your well-meaning brutality over that which Agatha receives. To each their own.

“The Road seems to play favorites, giving you your prize early.” Agatha muses.

“Having her isn’t the prize,” Lilia corrects, “keeping her is.”

Agatha hums, eyes contemplative.

You’re aware of the eyes on you from across the clearing, but pay it little attention, instead devoting yourself fully to the question Teen has asked you. Gesturing with your hands, you weave similarities between the First Coven and their own. He watches you with a starstruck expression.

Something in your conversation prompts him to tilt his head. He fiddles with the little spellbook attached to his hip. Your musings come to a natural close and he speaks up.

“Can I ask—why Lilia? I mean, she’s great, but I guess I don’t understand.” Teen changes the subject.

You smile.

“Do you know the average person’s response to upsetting the state of the world?” You ask. Teen thinks, then shakes his head, “There isn’t one. It doesn’t matter what they’ve undone in the grand scheme, they’re painfully ignorant of what they’ve done. And what’s worse, most don’t care.”

It’s an old grievance you have with the greater universe. You recognize the necessity of it, but will never deny how it grates on you.

“Lilia… Lilia spent a large part of her life as a harbinger of tragedy. She’d travel through villages and upturn their worlds with a prediction.” You sigh, chest aching with the pain you know she suffered, “But when she did, she always sought to fix it. There were times she leveled the scales so completely that I didn’t have to do a thing. Few had ever considered me in such a way before.”

You look up from your fidgeting hands to Lilia. Her eyes are already on you. The warm, steady weight of her gaze makes you melt.

“And the others, well, none of them were her.”

Teen nods, “That’s sweet. I think.”

You chuckle. In a moment of fondness, you ruffle the curls on his head. He rolls his eyes but allows the contact; how do you tell a force of nature no?

---

You stare back down The Road with the coven. Though the return journey will be without any of the usual hassles, you curse the greater powers for not just providing an exit door. Your feet are killing you.

Lilia looks weary despite having rested. You rub a hand over her back, working out the knots you find with a skilled hand. She sighs.

“Where do we go from here?” She asks.

You raise a brow, “Back to the start of The Road.”

Lilia glares, though it lacks significant heat, “Us, darling.”

Ah.

“Wherever you lead, beloved.”

“That’s a lot of control.”

“Give me a century or so and I’ll start making decisions again.”

Her fingers lace through your own. Lilia stares down the length of The Road she has traversed and conquered, yet the greatest battle lies beyond. The world will never again be the same for her.

You raise her hand to your lips. You press gentle kisses to the knuckles.

“To the return of your glory.” You murmur.

Lilia looks at you for a long moment. Using your hold, she pulls you down, into a short but mind-numbing kiss. You hold tight and sigh, content.

She corrects, “To the return of balance.”

[cabinetofquriosities]

A F***ing Trial

Agatha x Rio x Reader

Warnings: sex pollen-like story and SO. MUCH. SMUT.

Reblog this if you like it 🖤

Agatha and Rio were already awake once you rose from your exhausted slumber.

After barely surviving the last trial that cut your group down to three, you had conked out by the fire. Your entire body was sore and your emotions in a frenzy. The night’s sleep helped your body and mind. You were still sad about your other coven members, but you also didn’t know them before meeting them three days prior.

Agatha, though. You had met her years ago in Westfield. She finally snapped out of the Scarlet Witch’s spell and found you. She had a list provided by another member of the new coven and your name was on it.

You had no clue you had any magic at all until Agatha tested you. Granted, throwing a chair at someone wasn’t the safest way of testing them, but it worked in your case. You flinched and the chair burst into flames, falling to ash as it hit you. You were a fire witch. A protector.

However, you were a fire witch who could only use your powers that one time. After that, it was as if you had a block. Agatha had thrown other things at you as her way of “helping”, though you wondered if she just wanted an excuse for a bit of violence. Nothing. Books and a wooden spoon bounced off of your head.

“Well, we’re just going to have to see what unlocks you,” she said.

The road was brutal and unforgiving, killing one witch per trial. It scared you to know that the next three could do the same to the remaining witches, yourself included.

Rio seemed strangely unaffected by the death surrounding them. Agatha did as well, but seemed a bit more sensitive to it than her ex. You had been a crying mess after the first loss. Now you were just afraid.

You had grown attached to the two other witches. Agatha was captivating. She was intensely ambitious to the point of selfishness, but also contained multitudes. You could see the layers of her emotions peeking through every now and then. She was larger than life and spellbinding. Rio, meanwhile, had more teeth. She was aggressive and passionate. While she seemed detached at times, she had this insatiable desire to live life to the fullest. It was as if she were new to it. Little did you know, she was out of practice when it came to feeling genuine attachment to people and being among the living.

You could tell straight away that the two had a long history. The tension was thick, hanging heavily in the air. The rest of your now deceased coven could feel it too.

When you woke up alone, the two surviving coven members were nowhere to be found. You walked out a bit into the woods, looking for them. You stopped short at the sight of Rio being pinned against a tree by Agatha.

Rio was smirking at the other woman as if to challenge her. Agatha leaned in, biting at Rio’s lips. Her thigh was pressed against her core, grinding against her leather pants. Rio smiled as she craned her head back against the trunk of the tree. Agatha’s hand let her wrist go and slid down her front, dipping beneath her waistband. Rio let out a gasp, earning a smug smile and arched brow from Agatha.

You tried to sneak away, but accidentally stepped on a twig, the snap alerting the couple to your presence. They both looked at you, making the blood in your body rise to your cheeks.

Your fingertips suddenly sparked, the magic you were previously unable to access now activating with arousal. You had always repressed your desires in the past, having been raised in a strict religious family. You had been intimidate with a partner in the past, but it was all very vanilla.

Agatha noticed your hands burning with fire, her mind working to decipher what that could mean about your power.

“I… uh, sorry,” you said, quickly retreating back to the fire, jumping when the flame surged on the burnt out logs.

You could hear Rio laughing mockingly in the distance.

A few minutes later, the pair found you. Rio sat next to you with that same smirk from before while Agatha barely even looked at you. Her eyes fell on the newly lit fire.

“Interesting,” she said, her face illuminated by the glow.

“I’ll say,” Rio said, her hand resting on your knee.

The moment Rio touched you, the fire grew in intensity. Agatha’s eyes widened, looking both alarmed and excited about what this meant.

“I guess we finally found your spark,” Agatha said, giving you a sly smile.

Two small flames jumped out of the fire, catching on the dirt in a way that wasn’t physically possible. A trail ignited, two lines of fire forming and spreading out. Agatha’s fascination turned to worry.

“Alright… enough spark, let’s pull it back…” she said nervously.

“I’m not doing anything!” you said, your heart racing.

The fire formed a path, the flames staying in two controlled lines that led them to a tower in the distance. Rio tilted her head, toying with a flower she bloomed from her hand.

“Well, I guess we know whose trial this is,” she said.

Your heart was in your throat. Your power was still so unpredictable. You had used it once in self defense on a chair and once just moments ago. You watched as the two other women led the way. Agatha turned around, regarding you before speaking.

“You can do this. The road wouldn’t be calling you if you couldn’t. Let’s go.”

She spun back around, dramatically flipping her coat with no regard for the flames. You took a moment to steel yourself before following them.

The path led to a tower made of ice. The walls reflected the moonlight, giving it a glow against the backdrop of the sky. The door had a stained glass portrait of the full moon with fire surrounding it.

You pushed the door open and stepped through, expecting the usual costume change. You looked at Agatha and Rio to see that they were naked. Agatha looked nonplussed while Rio had a wolfish smile. Looking down, you were mortified to see your own naked body with one addition.

“Well, I didn’t know you were packing more than magical heat…” Agatha purred, looking down at the sizable dick that had been bestowed upon you.

“No, I… I don’t have… the road did it!” you said, shocked at your new anatomy.

“Well, the road has wonderful taste,” she replied as you tried covering it with your hands.

“Enough admiring, we should find the challenge,” Rio said, looking you up and down once more before searching your surroundings.

The ceiling was out of your sight, positioned at the very top of the massive tower. There were portraits lining the circular frozen walls. They were lined up like film, carvings of stone with bodies in different positions. The floor was cushioned and covered in silk sheets and decadent pillows.

You walked along the wall, finally distracted enough to examine the room. You touched a wall and felt the cold against your fingertips. You stepped back to the center with Agatha and Rio. Once you were all in the middle of the room, an ice hourglass began to slowly fill with water, the cube on top melting as time passed. A shelf emerged with four icicles attached. A circle of low burning fire surrounded the coven as the timer began.

Something resembling snow fell from the ceiling, breaking into a fog the three of you breathed in. Your heart began to race and you felt a flush burning your cheeks. There was an iron frame that appeared over one of the portraits. It was a carving of two people entangled in the missionary position.

You noticed the other two women struggling to keep their focus. Their pupils dilated and focused on you. You looked down and saw where all of your blood had rushed to.

Agatha looked up at the carving.

“I think we know what your trial is,” Agatha said, her voice a bit raspy, “Little miss purity has to discover a few things.”

You would have been resistant if you had been with anyone else, but the two other women had been present in your dreams since the beginning of the road.

“Wait, what?”

“You heard her, firestarter,” Rio said, stalking up to you.

A thin sheen of sweat covered her body, causing a layer of goosebumps to break out. She looked like she was about to consume you.

“I know you feel it too. That need rushing through you?” she said, leaning in to whisper into your ear.

“The air of arousal,” Agatha said, her body nearly shivering with desire, “That’s what we breathed in. If we don’t satiate it, it can kill you. Are you okay with this?”

Agatha actually seemed to care about how you felt about this, despite the irresistible lust taking her over.

“Yes,” you said eagerly before you could stop yourself, “I wanted it before.”

You turned to Rio, who was standing an inch from you, her hands running along your arms. You pulled her into a kiss, the heat within you passing the point of no return. Rio fell back, pulling you with her. You landed over her, catching yourself with your hands. Seeing her beneath you like this was more intense than you could imagine.

Rio reached between you, her hand wrapping around your cock. Her touch sent a shock through you, the flames of the circle rising a bit. You lowered your hips down as she guided you into her. You both gasped at the sensation. Your eyes squeezed shut at the overwhelming feeling.

“Move,” Rio ordered.

You opened your eyes and locked onto hers. You slowly moved your hips, getting used to the motion. You let out a whine as you began to speed up. Rio rolled her hips with yours, bucking and grinding against you. You didn’t know what else to do but thrust. She reached down again and began playing with her own clit. Her cunt squeezed around you as her mouth fell open into a moan. The flames grew another foot. An icicle fell from the shelf, crashing against the floor. There were three left.

You could hear a cranking sound as the portraits spun around the room, the frame now over a carving of a woman riding a man. Rio sat up, about to top you when Agatha interrupted.

“You already got one,” Agatha said to Rio.

She nearly tackled you to the floor, pinning your wrists on either side of your head. She straddled you, grinding herself along the side of your cock. You squirmed, your breath shaking at the feeling of her wet lips massaging you. She reached down and positioned you before sinking down onto you. She threw her head back, her long hair falling down her back. Her chest was shamelessly pushed out as she moved. Her hips rocked and circled, leaving you without a thought in your mind. You bucked up, drawing a gasp from her. She took you by the wrists and guided them over her breasts. You held onto her as you fucked her, your back arching off of the cushioned floor. You sat up, kissing and sucking at her neck. Her arms encircled you, her hand tangled in your hair as she held you to her throat. You moaned against her skin as she rode you.

“Fuck… fuck, fuck, fuck…” Agatha whispered as she moved faster.

Suddenly, she tensed up, her body freezing her into a vision of pleasure. Her mouth hung open, her eyes squeezing shut. Her slick walls pulsed around you, making you shudder with your own orgasm. Another icicle fell as the fire grew again. You were still terribly hard in a way that was painful.

The whirring of the portraits snapped you from your haze. The one that was picked made your pulse quicken. You could see it had the same effect on your coven members. Rio smiled and Agatha looked you up and down.

Something inside of you took hold. You grabbed Agatha by the waist, flipping her onto her hands and knees. You looked at Rio, saying, “Move.”

Rio didn’t have to be told twice. She sat and opened her legs in front of Agatha. You checked the time, the hourglass half full. Sweat trickled down your face, the magic nearly driving you insane.

You moved to your knees behind Agatha, reaching down and grabbing her by the hair. She let out a shocked moan as you pulled her tresses before slamming into her. You shoved her head down into Rio’s pussy.

Her mouth immediately went to work, drawing hitches and sighs from Rio. You grabbed her by the hip with your free hand and pulled her into each thrust. The sound of moans, the wet sounds of Agatha’s mouth exploring Rio, and your thighs slapping against Agatha’s ass filled the tower. You felt a feral need to make her cum. Your hand went from her hair to her back. You dug your nails in and scratched down over its arch. You could feel the way Agatha reacted to it, knowing then that Agatha had a submissive side.

“Slap her,” Rio growled, “She loves it.”

You reared back, your hand coming down against her ass with a force. Agatha let out a wild cry against Rio’s warmth. She then went back to sucking on Rio’s clit, earning higher and higher moans. You knew she was close and also knew how to help Agatha to catch her up. You reached your arm around her and played with the sensitive bundle of nerves.

“Ah! Fuck, yes!” she cried out, pressing her cheek to Rio’s inner thigh before returning to her.

The two women’s moans rose in pitch until all three of you broke. You fell forward, catching yourself on your hands before crushing Agatha. You could hear the shattering of another icicle as it fell. One left. The flames were several feet high and licking at the walls.

The carvings spun one last time. This one was more confusing than the others. Two women, lying one on top of the other facing the sky. The man was inside of one while the other held her.

“Ah, I see,” Rio said.

She guided Agatha as she laid down. Rio lay under her, her front pressing against her back. They were stacked on one another, waiting for you. You looked at the hourglass and saw how close you were to the end of your time.

You were on your knees when you held Agatha’s hips and thrusted into her. Her head fell back against Rio’s shoulder. You took no time for foreplay. You fucked her with abandon before pulling out of her, earning a violent glare.

You then slid into Rio, fucking her with the same force. She kissed and marked Agatha, her neck one big bruise. Your hands covered her breasts, pinching and tugging at them. She leaned down and kissed Agatha, pouring all of the hidden desire you had been harboring for her into it. You pulled out of Rio and sank back into Agatha, a whimper escaping her lips driving you absolutely insane.

She screamed as her cunt strangled you, her body spasming with her climax. You looked at her wild hair and her blissed out face. You wanted to remember this forever.

You then sank into Rio, pulling an animalistic growl from her that slightly scared you. Your thighs ached as you sped your thrusts, angling to find the part of Rio that made her scream. She shook and shrieked as she came with you following soon after, the pleasure blinding you for a moment.

The fire shot up, reaching the top of the tower as the final icicle fell. The walls melted down, water falling and rolling down to the ground. The carvings fell from the melted walls into the dirt. The hourglass filled and broke before disintegrating into a puddle. The fire that had been emanating from your magic returned to your hands. You looked down and your clothes were back and your member was gone.

“Well,” Agatha said, standing on wobbly legs before dusting herself off, “Good job, team.”

Rio snorted with a laugh, getting up and offering you a hand. You took it and walked with them, now knowing the trip down the road would be much more fun.

Thank you for reading! Reblog this if you liked it 🖤

[infamous-light]

Green With Envy

Agatha Harkness x Familiar! Reader

AO3: Green With Envy

Summary: You served as Agatha’s familiar, bound to her by magic and loyalty. As you journey together down the witches' road, Rio, another witch, begins to take an interest in you, much to Agatha's displeasure.

Word Count: 2.1K

Warnings: Possessive behavior, jealousy, suggestive themes, light dom/sub

The witches' road stretched endlessly before you, a winding, leaf-strewn path bordered by towering trees with gnarled branches that twisted overhead, creating a canopy of shadows.

Agatha walked ahead, her posture tense, shoulders rigid beneath the folds of her deep blue coat. Her gaze was razor-sharp, fixed on the road ahead, though you could sense something simmering beneath the surface. The usual confidence she exuded was strained, her energy taut like a drawn bowstring.

You followed closely behind, careful to stay within reach of her.

The bond between you and Agatha thrummed beneath your skin, a constant, unspoken connection that had always defined your role as her familiar. It wasn’t something you could easily describe; it was beyond words. It linked your soul to hers, a deep and intimate tether that allowed you to sense her energy, her thoughts, her emotions, as if they were your own. And today, they’re complicated – more complicated than usual, because of a certain green witch that had crawled out of Sharon’s grave like a ghost from the past.

Her presence unsettled Agatha, stirring up memories best left buried. You could tell she was trying to maintain her composure, but her agitation rippled through the bond, making your own pulse quicken in response.

Speaking of the green witch – Rio, if you remembered her name correctly – had started to drift closer to you, a little too close for your comfort. Her long strides matched yours, as if she were deliberately trying to invade the space between you and Agatha. Though her demeanor seemed playful, an almost carefree air surrounding her, you couldn’t shake the feeling that something far more calculated lay beneath. It was in the way her eyes, ever watchful, kept wandering toward you, their intensity impossible to ignore. And each time you met her eyes, a slow, sly smile would curl at the corners of her lips. Her interest wasn’t subtle, nor did she try to hide it. It was clear and unapologetic.

You did your best to avoid locking eyes with her, focusing on the other members of the coven or on Agatha’s form just a few steps in front of you, but Rio’s presence clung to you like a shadow.

“Quite the loyal familiar you’ve got there, Agatha.” Rio purred, her voice low and laced with amusement. Her gaze, predatory and assessing, flickered briefly toward Agatha before sliding back to you, lingering in a way that made your skin prickle with unease. “Where did you two meet?”

Agatha’s reaction was subtle but unmistakable. She stiffened ever so slightly beside you, her body becoming tense as though preparing for a confrontation. Her hand brushed against your arm as if she wanted to remind Rio – and perhaps even you – of whom you truly belonged to.

“That’s none of your business.” Agatha replied, her voice cold and cutting. Her dark eyes flashed with a dangerous edge as they fixed on Rio, daring her to test her patience any further.

But Rio only smirked, undeterred by Agatha's icy response.

“So, how’s it been, being Agatha’s... familiar?” Rio’s voice dripped with a smooth, almost silky tone. She leaned in ever so slightly, a smirk playing on her lips as her gaze lingered on you, waiting – no, daring you – to speak. “Must be quite the experience, being bound to her.”

Before you could respond, you felt a sudden shift beside you. Agatha's hand shot out, quick as lightning, gripping your wrist with a firm, almost possessive touch that sent a jolt through your entire body. Her skin was cool against yours but the strength behind her hold burned like a brand, as if she were marking her claim on you.

“Careful, Rio,” Agatha warned, her voice low and steady. “My familiar knows exactly where her loyalties lie, so don’t even try.”

The air between the two witches crackled with barely restrained energy, the tension thick enough to be felt in the pit of your stomach. Rio’s gaze continued to remain locked on yours, as though Agatha's warning was nothing more than an amusing game to her. A challenge waiting to be taken up. Rio’s lips twitched, the beginnings of laughter threatening to spill over, though she held it back just enough to let the tension stretch further. With a dramatic flair, Rio raised her hands, palms outward in a gesture of mock surrender, as if to say she meant no harm, though the smirk on her face told an entirely different story. The theatrical display only seemed to intensify Agatha's fury further before she dropped her hands back to her sides.

“So protective.” Rio’s voice came out in a soft, almost singsong tone.

In response, Agatha's grip tightened. She yanked you closer, pulling you flush against her side. She leaned in, her breath warm against the sensitive skin of your ear.

“I want you to stay away from her, understood?” Agatha murmured, her voice a low, threatening growl. “You belong to me. Don’t you forget that.”

Your heart thudded violently against your ribcage, as if trying to break free from the pressure building inside of you. The heat of both witches' gazes bore into you, and you swallowed hard, the movement painful as your throat clenched tight, dry with apprehension.

“Yes, Mistress.” The words tumbled from your lips, soft and breathless, barely more than a whisper.

Agatha’s lips curled into a smug smirk. “Good.” She cooed, the single word dripping with satisfaction.

Agatha cast a sidelong glance at Rio as she leaned in further, her lips so close to your ear that you could feel the soft brush of them. Just as her teeth were about to nip playfully at your earlobe, the moment was shattered by a loud, deliberate throat-clearing.

Startled, all three of you turned, eyes snapping to Lilia, who stood awkwardly at the edge of the scene. Her expression was as uncomfortable as her interruption. Behind her, the rest of the coven shuffled around nervously, shifting their weight from foot to foot. Their faces were a mix of concern and curiosity, eyes flickering between you, Agatha, and Rio.

“We need to get a move on.” Lilia said, clearly eager to get away from this situation.

Heat crept into your cheeks as you realized the coven had been watching this spectacle unfold. You lowered your gaze, wishing for the road to swallow you up whole, to disappear from this moment.

Agatha let out an exasperated sigh. Without uttering a single word, she tightened her grip around your wrist, her fingers firm and unyielding as she forcefully pulled you along. Rio, meanwhile, merely flipped her dark hair over her shoulder, a knowing smile still playing on her lips. It was as if the interruption hadn’t bothered her in the slightest.

As she trailed behind, you could feel Rio’s gaze lingering on your retreating form.

***

The campfire crackled softly, casting a dim orange glow on the surrounding trees. The night air was crisp, carrying the fresh scent of pine and earth. Around the fire, the others lay in deep slumber, their makeshift beds of leaves and branches scattered in a rough circle.

Agatha made sure that Rio was far from the two of you, positioning herself strategically next to you to keep a watchful eye on the witch’s every move.

The stillness of the night was almost absolute, broken only by the occasional pop of the fire. Its warmth, though faint, was the only barrier against the biting chill that threatened to seep into your bones. Lying on your side, exhaustion clung to your limbs, making your body feel heavier with each passing moment. Yet, just as sleep began to tug at your consciousness, you felt a shift – Agatha stirring beside you.

A second later, the front of her body was pressed firmly against your back. Her breath, warm and steady, caressed the nape of your neck, sending an unexpected shiver down your spine. One of her hands, soft yet deceptively strong, slipped across your abdomen, her fingers splaying out with deliberate ownership. Agatha began tracing slow, languid circles over your shirt, the movement deliberate and enticing, sending waves of heat coursing through your body despite the chilly night air.

“M-Mistress?” You stuttered quietly, the word escaping your lips in a barely audible whisper.

Agatha gently shushed you, her voice low and soothing. Then, she moved, turning you onto your back in one smooth, effortless motion. Her body shifted, and suddenly she was straddling you, her legs pinning you down with a delicious weight. Your pulse raced as she loomed over you, her wild, untamed brown hair cascading around you like a curtain, enclosing you in a world that belonged to the two of you alone. The flickering firelight illuminated her face just enough to highlight the sharp angles of her features – high cheekbones, a defined jawline, and lips that curved with a tantalizing smirk. But it was her eyes that truly captivated you – dark, smoldering, and filled with an almost feral possessiveness – that drew you in with an intensity that made your breath hitch.

Her gaze held a promise, both thrilling and terrifying, as she braced her hands on either side of you, caging you in, making it clear that you were hers and hers alone.

Without warning, Agatha closed the distance between you, her lips crashing against yours with a fierce, unrestrained passion. The kiss was possessive and hungry, like she was trying to devour every ounce of you. The force of it was dizzying, leaving you breathless as her tongue teased and explored, dancing with yours in a rhythm that felt both intoxicating and primal, leaving no part of you untouched.

Agatha’s left hand reached up, her fingers curling around your jaw with a tender yet commanding grip. She turned your face to the side, and you could feel her warm breath ghosting against your skin. As she began to pepper soft kisses along the column of your throat, each gentle press of her lips felt electric, sending waves of arousal pooling between your legs. The sensation intensified with every delicate brush, heightened as Agatha’s teeth grazed your exposed neck, biting down just enough to leave a mark. Your eyelids fluttered closed, surrendering to the waves of pleasure that overcame you, and you let out a soft whimper, the sound barely escaping your lips.

After another firm nip at your pulse point, you opened your eyes once more, blinking against the encroaching haze of desire.

The breath in your throat froze, caught like a deer in the headlights, as you caught sight of Rio gazing at you from across the flickering campfire.

She lay on her side, facing your direction, propped up on one elbow. Her dark hair cascaded over the forest floor like a waterfall of silk. A sly smirk danced across her lips, amusement sparkling in her eyes. Panicked, you instinctively glanced around, worried that the others may be awake as well, but, to your relief, they were sleeping peacefully in their makeshift beds.

“Uh-Mistress, Rio, she’s-” You stammered, a rush of embarrassment flooding your cheeks.

“Let her watch.” Agatha said breathlessly, her voice a sultry whisper that sent goosebumps across your flesh.

Agatha captured your lips once more. Her kiss was a fierce declaration, filled with longing and desire. As her right hand trailed up your ribs, her fingers brushed delicately against your skin, leaving a trail of fire in their wake, causing another spark of arousal to settle low in your gut. Each touch was deliberate, coaxing a deep, instinctual reaction from within you.

“Please…” The word escaped your lips in a breathy whisper, laced with urgency and yearning.

Rio made a low, pleased hum at the sound of your plea. Her eyes were half-lidded, dark with lust and intrigue, as if she were savoring every second of what was unfolding before her. She shifted slightly, leaning back, her posture relaxed yet predatory. One hand rested on her thigh, her long fingers tapping slowly, deliberately, against her leg.

The heat radiating from Agatha’s body felt like molten fire against your skin, leaving you desperate as her hand slid down, resting possessively on your hip, anchoring you in place.

When Agatha finally pulled away, a soft, involuntary gasp escaped your lips, your chest heaving as the cool night air rushed back into your lungs. Yet even as the distance grew, Agatha’s breath remained tantalizingly close, ragged and uneven, mingling with your own. Her gaze never wavered, locked onto yours with a deep, dark hunger swirling in its depths, consuming each one of your thoughts.

“You’re mine,” Agatha growled, her voice lower, huskier, dripping with pure possessiveness. “My pet. No one else will ever have you.”

Your body reacted instinctively as your thighs pressed together in response.

Agatha’s gaze shifted like a blade, cutting sharply toward Rio. Her eyes narrowed into a deadly glare that could have scorched the ground beneath the witch. But Rio, ever unfazed, merely chuckled, her laughter low and teasing. Without a word, she turned back around, her posture relaxed, as if unconcerned with Agatha's jealousy.

This was going to be a long, difficult journey, you realized.

[milfloveer]

Sunflower 🌻

(maybe a series?? Idk you tell me 👀)

Pairing: Lilia Calderu x fem!reader; Agatha Harkness x fem!reader (platonic/ex lovers) {if I proceed to make it a series Rio Vidal x fem!reader (platonic/ex lovers)}

Plot: Agatha came to Lilia for a proposition, but didn't know her once friend (and more) was there too

Warnings: none (??)

A/n: Weeelllll, tell me what you think!! I mean I really want to proceed with this story, but idk really; This one's short tho, but if continued I'll do longer xd

I was attending Lilia's and I garden in the little backyard we had, now watering the beautiful lilies and sunflowers we had growing in there when my ears pick three voices coming from inside.

Furrowing my eyebrows as I don't know two of them I get up and walk in "Lilia dear, who are you-" I start but quickly stop as her face comes into my vision, I freeze under the door frame, my face dropping to an annoyed and angry one "What is she doing here?" I ask my beloved walking to her side as she gives the woman a paper "It is a pleasure to see you too, sunflower." she says "Not a pleasure at all, Agatha." I bite back.

Lilia and the boy who's standing behind Agatha look at us intrigued and curious "Do you know each other, darling?" Lilia asks me and after taking a deep breath I turn to her "Of course we do! Y/n and I were really close." Agatha says with her mischievous glint raising her eyebrows before I can get any words out of my mouth "Oh?" Lilia lets out with her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes darting between us two, I see a little hurt and sadness on her face as she realises what Agatha means and it breaks my heart.

I close my eyes and turn to Agatha "Won't you just shut up? What are you even doing here?!" I ask frustrated and ready to slap her gorgeous face, but Lilia hand wraps around my wrist as she knows I can be dangerous when angry and with her touch I stay grounded "Agatha's searching for a coven to go to the road." Lilia says carefully "What?! You're crazy." and then it hits me, my eyes widen in realisation as I turn abruptly to Lilia "You're not going are you?" I asked and she shakes her head "No, love, I won't." she says tenderly as her hand caress one of my cheeks softly, her eyes drowning me with love.

"Actually." Agatha interrupts us "You're both on the list you gave me... Lilia." she states, mockingly saying Lilia's name in a deeper tone as she shakes the paper in her hand "What?!" Lilia let's out shocked "Guess you're joining us after all." Agatha says laughing and walking away, the boy who was with her approaches us and gives us another paper "Agatha's address, be there by 5 pm." he simply says and then rushes to catch Agatha.

I'm in shock as I try to process what just happened and what this means "Darling, we can't go. She's dangerous and the road... It will kill us!" I say frantically walking from one side to the other of the kitchen "Dear, dear! Hey, listen to me. This could be good for us, you know? We could have our wish come true, my dear." she says softly, placing her hands tenderly on both of my cheeks, my forehead instantly lays against her and I close my eyes "You think it is worth it? I don't- I can't lose you, my love." my bottom lip trembles as I say those words, my heart feels like it's being ripped apart just thinking about that.

Lilia pulls away from me and makes me look at her, my eyes full of tears "Do not worry, my dear. You won't get rid of me that easily." she says with a chuckle making me slightly laugh at her "I'll protect you from everything and everyone, my love. My Lilia." I say kissing her lovingly, tenderly... With all the love I feel for her.

[l-artemisia-del-secolo]

A couple of requests

"And this is our red witch?"

You were yanked out of your ordinary environment. You were yanked out of your house. And where were you teleported exactly?

Crawling out of fire was never a pleasant experience.

"Agatha!…" Fuck, you were getting angry. "Agatha!…" You could feel fireball forming in your palm.

"Hey! Is Harkness the only one who deserves your attention?"

You turned around as quickly as you could. That voice was familiar. That tone was close.

"You have got to be kidding me."

Out of the trees silhouette emerged. not even a second, a fleeting instant - you recognized her immediately.

"You've got something on your shoulder." Shoulder, really Rio? You shrugged, too close to your neck.

"Don't."

Oh, you didn't sound confident, Rio noticed. Rio smirked. Of course she did. Centuries you were apart and she still could read you like an open book.

____

"Did you miss me?"

You almost jumped. You forgot whether it was voice of your nightmares or dreams.

Well, the voice sure was as sultry as you remembered it to be. Not only that. You remembered all too well her obsession with a very specific silhouette, with open skin, with accent on her arms.

Rio knew you were looking at her. You were thinking about her.

You tried to keep your eyes focused on her. But it didn't work. Suddenly you stopped.

"Why are you here?"

You didn't allow Rio to get closer. Golden was your protective halo.

"Because of you." Rio was always straightforward. Even after all these years. "Not that easy to track you down. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the affort with the cover and protective spells. Clearly you were thinking about me, baby. Just not in a way I want it."

___

"I'm fine."

Of course, you were not. Your clothes was wet with your own blood. Shard of glass was bigger than you thought. And sharper, clearly sharper.

"I could…"

"Jen, I'm fine."

You let others move faster, you let them out of your sight. Potions were not good enough in this situation. You couldn't heal yourself, the only other option was… no, it wasn't an option.

You couldn't focus on the road. Pain was too much, tension was too much, moving was too much. Your own body wasfinally betraying you. You groaned.

"I definitely like this sound. But not in this circumstances."

Rio appeared just in time to help you keep the balance.

"I'm fine."

You were not strong enough to fight her hands on you.

"Yeah, I already heard that."

You leaned against Rio's shoulder. You didn't want to owe her anything. You were close, dangerously close.

Not now, not after everything. You were losing yourself on the road. You almost closed your eyes.

It was enough for her to barely wave a hand. Wound disappeared in an instant. You inhaled sharply and immediately pushed Rio away.

"You shouldn't have done that." Your whisper hit her harder than any trial. "It doesn't change anything."

"I know."

___

This coven was the worst thing you could imagine. Lunatics, has beens, humans, teens. But the worst thing - your ex-lover. You forgot at what point fucking death was a good idea.

Of course you were flooded with memories, with emotions, with tingling in your body. Fuck. You hated it here. Road was never even supposed to exist. You were not sure what spell chose you, but sure as hell Rio influenced it.

"We need to move quicker. Do you understand the meaning of this word." Agatha's voice was annoying as ever. You praised gods for living without her disturbance for so many years. Nothing was fine, while Harkness was around.

"Thief." You muttered. "What did you say, dear?" Lilia was close. Semblance of a companion at least. You bond appeared such a long time ago. "Nothing". You caught Rio's glance. Thief would be a too generous word for Death.

___

All the walking, all the fighting, all the arguing. Those witches were everything but the coven. Still rest andfire were universally accepted. Stories of the old glory were never part of your routine. You needed a practice of protections spells, you needed to think.

The last thing you wanted was to be a part of the old memory between women who hated each other. You tried to change path, but everything was too loud, as if the road itself amplified the voices.

"You took him!"

You've never heard Agatha like this. You yourself caused many cries of agony, but this one was different.

"He was never even yours." how did Rio manage to stay calm and distant?

"He was always mine, I created him."

"You cheated. And you know you cannot cheat me."

That was true. You were cursed while trying to do exactly that, while trying to live a life of pretended normalcy.

___

Of course you knew about history between Agatha and Rio. You were jealous at first. Even of the memory of them together.

But Rio managed to calm you down. You met ages after that affair. There was no reason for you not to believe she was yours. After the fight with Agatha something changed. Rio wasn't with you anymore. On her own she was wondering the woods,for brief moments appearing during vital moments.

You knew this Rio once, not for long.

"You're letting Agatha have all the fun." You didn't have to cheer her up. But… you cared. And it was betternot to upset death itself.

"More fun for her, more bodies for me. It always worked that way."

"Even with Nicholas."

Silence was awkward and not welcomed. You sat near her.

"You were the only one who refused this deal."

"And still you stayed."

Painfully soft. Painfully obvious. Painfully full of affection.

"It wasn't enough, was it?"

"It was always too much."

Of course, it was. It was Rio, all about Rio. Even now she wanted to grab you, to possess, to devour. You could practically feel the struggle in her mind. But she chose to be tender.

[mr-ys-phantasma]

🌙 Moon Phases 🌙

Agatha Harkness X Fem!Reader

Plot: You have a past with Agatha, one as old as your ages. Your roads often met, but more than once, she left you behind. Now, once again, your paths cross, but this time; it is intentional.

Taking place around Episode 2 of the series. Might continue it if it gets popular or leave it as a small one-shot. Give it a shot and let me know

You were a rare type of witch, one whose path not many chose to follow; but not you. The very same moon you observed and talked to as a child was the very same source of your power.

The very same moon shapes you as you grow, your moods and natures shifting like the never-ending phases. Both light and darkness resided within your soul, one path sometimes more tempting than the others and vice versa.

It was under that that you learnt to do your first spell, that you practised your Latin, and it was under the same moon that you met her...

Agatha Harkness

Under the full moon had you gathered with her and her coven, to praise the Godess around the fire; bodies void of any clothing as your magic grew wild and free.

After that, you met again and again; sometimes by mere coincidence.

Your ever shifting nature was what had kept others away, keeping you confined to a small neutral space between two covens but never able to truly join any of them. Your complex thoughts that guided your kindness and also led you down dangerous paths became a mystery for Agatha to explore... to study.

The meetings became intentional, the unique aspect of your mind was something she welcomed and encouraged; the very first sparkle between you.

Sometimes your sweet words and smiles seemed to melt whatever ice was threatening to form around her heart; seemed to bring light into days her thoughts were too dark.

And sometimes, your mischievous nature assisted her with crazy plans; noses buried behind stolen scrolls of forbidden magic.

During those moments, sparks always seemed to fly between the two of you. Sometimes, they were small, hiding behind brushing hands and contagious smiles. Other times, those sparks threatened to ignite an immortal fire; fueled by long touches, lustful looks, and forbidden secret kisses.

It never went too far, and it never became something permanent. You learnt to live with it, also unsure if this could ever work out or if it was a momentarily escape from the solitary life chosen for you.

You never judged her decisions but never tried to change her either, even when you could see the dark path she favoured was becoming too much.

You opened your door for her when she first fel like an outcast, and again after, she had taken down her coven. You offered her your house and a change of clothes, a warm tea and a shoulder to rant.

Yet when she told you of her plans, when she asked you to join her... you politely declined. This was not the path you wished to take, and whether she was hurt by your words or not, remained a mystery; true feelings hidden behind sarcastic words and fake smiles.

Eventually your paths parted and the years passed by. However, fate seemed to draw you back to one another like two halves of a whole; supernatural powers trying to keep you together.

It never lasted for long.

Your door was always open and sometimes, those old sparks seemed to reappear but by then, Agatha's mind had been taken by a need for power.

Once again, you did not follow, only watched her walk away from you for yet one more time. More than once, you thought to call her out, say you changed your opinion and join her; or even try to shift her goal... but you never did.

Like the silent moon watching over the earth, you did that... just watch. You became her light when she needed you but never dared to take the next step; your conflicted thoughts and emotions stood in the way.

Somewhere in the future, she stopped showing up, and you wondered if she had settled down at last or someone had taken her down. Both scenarios made your heart ache, and thus, you chose to forget; lock away any memories you had once created.

It worked and you continued your solitary life, never setting for a place too long and never looking at someone the same way you would look at Agatha.

Now, you had a small business right beneath your little apartment. It was not something fancy, simple crystals and tarot cards for those interested. You also offered star and even zodiac readings, being perhaps what truly ade you famous amongst your customers.

The moon always guided you, the stars spoke to you even when placed on a simple imaginary map. The houses dividing the sky exposed their secrets to you; both of past and future.

So it was no wonder all kinds of people walked through your door; some more believers than others but all with the same curiosity about their lives.

Yet you did not expect that one calm day, the bell above the door would ring and a familiar face would step into the shop.

"Hello, Hon" the husky female voice you had almost forgotten reached your ears like the sweetest melody.

Your breath caught in your throat for a moment, before your mask settled back into place. "Agatha" you greeted her back, offering her the courtesy of standing up from the wooden chair you occupied behind an old worn out desk.

Her blue eyes locked onto yours with the same intensity they had all those years, invisible flames dancing behind your irises; threatening to mix and burn everything to the ground.

As you stared into the face you often searched for amongst the stars, that little locked chest at the back of your mind was forced open. The memories you had suppressed all those years flooded your mind, making your heart beat twice as fast as both happiness and pain dominated you.

"It has been too long" Agatha said, her voice acting like a beacon that saved you from drawing in your emotions. "Missed me?"

Her signature smirk was still there, eyes flickering with mischief and tempting pink lips stretching faintly; yours for the taking, if you dared to step closer.

It was then you noticed that someone had one with her. A teenage boy, stood tall behind her; trying to observe some crystals but his eyes often lingered to you.

You didn't know whom this boy was but your mind rushed to scenarios, wondering if he was her son; the product of love with someone other than you. Even if not by blood, Agatha had chosen it; letting him take your place after she got tired of you turning down her offers.

You were not sure and did your best to remain calm, not let anything show and not lose control of yourself. Your mind was both your blessing and your curse, its mood as uncontrollable and unpredictable as the rising tide; controlled by an ethereal power far beyond your reach.

Agatha seemed to understand where your gaze lingered, the teenage boy feeling slightly uncomfortable under the vague expression casted in your eyes.

She rolled her eyes at the drama. "He is my pet, not much of an importance" she explained dryly and then sent a warning glare to the boy, ensuring he would not utter a word.

The situation was delicate, it needed proper handling. If it was up to her, she would have left him in the car, one window barely open for some air but she couldn't.

Well, she could try but the boy was persistent and at that moment; Agatha did not truly think him being there would change something.

Considering how welcoming you always had been over the course of centuries, how considerate you have been of her well-being and how willing you were to help; even when a part of you clearly wanted to stop her.

"What do you want?" You managed to ask, your voice sounding as cold as you wished it to be.

The moon was not yet full, the tide had not fully risen and there was still power to hold everything at bay.

Her timing could not have been better and something told you, that she knew it. Never having forgotten how unique your thoughts were and how they matched the white moon that offered its light when the two of you met in secret.

"I plan to walk down the road, you see. And I am in need of a coven" she said simply, making it hard for you to detect whether she was even slightly affected by your meeting after so long. "Are you in?" She asked next, not giving you much time to debate.

The clock at the wall was ticking in sync with your beating heart as you processed an answer.

Perhaps this one should be different from all the others... just this once.

.

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

[2plottwist]

All Roads Lead to Nan

Summary: After defeating Ketheric Thorm, Tav and her companions have finally made it to Baldur's Gate- her home. With nowhere else safe to camp, Tav leads them to a curious place on the edge of the city- her Nan's house.

Pairing: Established Astarion x Female!Tav relationship

Warnings: none, pure fluff

Characters: The majority of the companions

Word Count: 3.5k

Author: Emma:)

Pic Credit: Made by noctis_no on twitter

Despite the odds, Tav and her companions had managed to slay Ketheric Thorm. With the help of some unlikely allies and a whole slew of Harpers, the shadows were banned from the lands, which meant they could continue their trek towards defeating the Absolute. Towards her home. 

Tav led her companions through the winding streets of Baldur’s Gate, the city buzzing with an energy that felt almost electrifying after days spent on the road. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and the distant clamor of merchants closing up their stalls for the night. The streets were crowded, people pushing past each other as they hurried to their homes, none of them paying any mind to the weary group of adventurers who had just arrived at the city’s gates. 

The sky was darkening, the last rays of sunlight disappearing behind the towering buildings. Tav could feel the exhaustion settling into her bones. It had been weeks since any of them had seen a real bed, and the prospect of finding a safe place to rest within the city seemed bleak. Every tavern they passed was full, every grassy knoll covered with displaced refugees. 

Then, Tav had an idea. An utterly mad idea. She spun around, meeting the eyes of her expectant companions. “Listen, you might all hate me for this, but… I know a safe place where we can camp.”

She led them through the maze of streets, her feet moving with the ease of someone who had walked this certain path a thousand times before. 

Astarion fell into pace next to her, with Karlach and Wyll muttering to each other close behind. “Ah, Baldur’s Gate,” the elf mused, gesturing widely to the street in front of them. “It never changes, does it? Still as… charming and full of questionable characters as ever.”

Tav chuckled, nudging him playfully. “Says the most questionable character of them all.”

Astarion smirked, a glint of mischief in his eyes. “Touché, darling. But truly, I stopped entertaining the idea of finding myself back here, let alone in such esteemed company.” He glanced back at their companions who were taking the city at their own pace. 

Tav smiled. “It is strange, being back here. But, if it eases your mind, at least you’ve a whole slew of revenge-seeking fools ready to slice open the first fanged thing that walks your direction.”

“Ha! I suppose so,” Astarion agreed, though his tone didn’t seem quite as excited. “So, where exactly are you leading us? A tavern with decent beds and proper wine does sound appealing.”

“Don’t get too comfortable with that idea,” Tav teased. “We’re not exactly heading to an inn.”

“Oh?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “Where are you leading us, then? You’re being very mysterious, love.”

Tav hesitated, a smile tugging at her lips. “You’ll see. Just trust me.”

His eyes narrowed playfully, sensing her evasion. “Should I be worried?”

She shook her head, laughing lightly. “No- well, maybe a bit. It’s just… well, you’ll see. She’s a bit of a character, but I think you’ll like her.”

Astarion’s interest was thoroughly captured now, though a hint of apprehension flickered in his gaze. “She? Where are we going? A temple? A coven?” He gasped. “A brothel?”

“She, yes,” Tav confirmed with a knowing smile, refusing to give any more away. “I promise, it’ll be worth it.”

The city grew quieter as they moved away from the bustling heart of Baldur’s Gate, the buildings becoming smaller, more residential. Finally, they reached the edge of the city, where the cobblestones gave way to a dirt path lined with wildflowers. 

There, nestled between a copse of trees, stood a house. It was a modest cottage, its thatched roof and ivy-covered walls giving it a quaint, almost magical appearance. A soft light glowed from within, spilling out onto the garden that surrounded the house, where herbs grew in abundance. 

“This is it,” Tav sighed. She pushed open the wooden gate. “Come on, let’s get inside.”

When they approached the door, Tav hesitated before knocking on it. Her companions could hear commotion from within the house before a woman’s gravelly voice rang out.

“Alduin, I don’t want to buy any more of your damned scrolls,” it shouted. 

Tav groaned. “Nan, it’s me.” 

“Nan?” Astarion whispered incredulously, spinning around to his equally as intrigued companions. “As in your grandmother?”

Before Tav had the chance to reply, the door swung open, revealing an elderly woman with stern eyes, her thin lips curled into a smile. Her silver hair was pulled back into a loose bun, and she wore a simple dress, its pockets bulging with what Tav knew to be all kinds of trinkets. 

“Tavara!” her nan exclaimed, pulling her into a tight embrace. “You look like you’ve been to the Hells and back.” 

“Nan, you have no idea,” Tav replied into her grandma’s shoulder. “Oh! Nan, these are my friends.” She stepped aside, allowing her eight companions to come into view. 

Karlach offered the woman a wave. “Hello there, Nan!” 

Nan snorted. “I don’t suppose you’ve all come to eat my food and fill up my beds, have you?”

Tav offered her an apologetic smile. “Have you?” she repeated, raising an eyebrow. “Shit. Well, come in. You all look like you could use a good meal and a warm bed.”

They didn’t need to be asked twice. The group filed into the cottage, the warmth of the hearth immediately enveloping them. The interior of the house was just as Tav remembered. Family portraits lined the walls, stacks of books crowded every corner, and a long hallway split off into rooms- enough for all of her dad’s brothers and sisters. 

Tav had spent many a day with her Nan. While her father was away on business, she was able to run wild under the watchful eye of her grandmother. Nan kept her entertained with unbelievable stories, mud fights in the garden, and enough baked goods to sate an army. Her nan could be stern, could offer tough love, but she embodied all the good things in the realm. She was kind, she cared. Not many in the city did.

Nan bustled about, her eyes taking in each guest with a discerning glance as she mumbled incoherently about dinner to herself. Karlach was the first to catch her attention. She gave a hearty laugh and said, “Sweet Avernus,  look at you! A real powerhouse, aren’t you? I’m sure you could lift this house off its foundations if you set your mind to it. Are you hungry, dear? I’ll get stew ready.”

Karlach chuckles. “That sounds wonderful, Nan, thank you.”

“And you!” she called out, her eyes landing on Wyll, trailing up his head and focusing on his horns. “The son of Duke Ravengard, aren’t you? Oh, you’re quite the handsome devil.”

He grinned sheepishly. “Uhh, thank you, Nan.”

“Tavara, help me set the table! And please, everyone find a room! No armor at the table- the wood is ancient!” she called from the kitchen. Tav sat her pack down and grumbled to Astarion, “You survive the hells, kill a god, and you still have to set the table.”

Soon, Nan re-emerged from the kitchen, fussing over Tav’s remaining companions. She offered a whetstone to Lae’zel, who nodded her head in respect, and a jar of homemade honey to Halsin. To Shadowheart, she offered a hug, which she hesitantly accepted before melting into the embrace. 

Gale received some sort of dormant arcane artifact that she had found outside the house. “You- you found this in your garden?” Gale asked incredulously, carefully taking the object. “Nan, this could charm half the city.” The woman smirked. “Well, then, you’ll benefit greatly from it.”

She warned the others to do as Jaheira had told them- “You’d do well to listen to your elders,” she stated proudly, eliciting a chuckle from Astarion. 

Noticing him laughing, she turned to the pale elf, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, I see why my Tavara keeps you around. You’re a real sweetie-pie, aren’t you?” she questioned, reaching out and tussling his hair.

“A sweetie-” Astarion stumbled, “I’m not sure wh-”

“She just adores you, dear. She told me so-” she fished around in her pocket before pulling out a sending stone, winking at Astarion.

If he wasn’t undead, blood would’ve rushed to his cheeks.

Soon, the party changed into casual clothes and took their seats around Nan’s massive dining table, which had been half covered in herbs and books before she had them float into the kitchen.

“You know,” she says, looking around at the group, “I’ve been cooking for Tavara’s family for years and never once had a gathering quite as large as this. Not every day I get to serve such an eclectic group. Just.. don’t go complaining about the food. I’d hate to think my stew’s become the stuff of legends for all the wrong reasons.”

Karlach, with a spoonful of stew still in her mouth, said, “I think this is the best food I’ve ever had.”

Nan’s eyes twinkled with pride. “Don’t worry dear. There’s plenty more where that came from.”

They spent their supper sharing stories about their adventures, filling in the gaps for poor Nan, who sat, mouth agape, in between Gale and Halsin.

“So there we were-” Karlach started, taking a large chunk of bread into her mouth, “in the middle of this goblin camp, right? Absolutely surrounded by the ugly little blighters, and Tav here-” she nudged Tav with a broad smile, “-goes right up to the guard and convinces him to let us through without so much as a scratch!”

Nan’s eyebrows shot up. “You did what, now?” She looked at Tav with a mixture of disbelief in pride. “And you lot lived to tell the tale? Goblins aren’t exactly known for their hospitality.”

Astarion leaned back in his chair, smirking. “Oh, my dear Nan, it was hardly a challenge, really.”

“But it wasn’t just goblins,” Karlach continued, tone more serious. “We were in the Hells, Nan. I’m talking about the actual Hells. Escaping that place was… well, it’s a miracle we’re here.”

Nan was silent for a moment, her mouth slightly agape as she absorbed the enormity of the tale the tiefling spun. “I.. I don’t know what to say,” she managed. “You’ve all been through so much… and you, Tavara, led them through all this?”

Tav blushed slightly under her nan’s gaze, but before she could respond, Gale spoke up. “She did more than just lead, Nan. She’s inspired us.”

Nan’s hand flew to her chest, and she leaned back in her chair, smiling. “My sweet girl… I never imagined you’d be facing things like this. And you survived it all.” “With a little help,” Tav said, her voice tinged with affection as she looked around the table at her friends. 

“You’ve always been special, Tav,” Nan said, tears glistening in her eyes. “And I’m proud of the woman you’ve become.”

Tav reached across the table and took Nan’s hands, squeezing them gently. “Oh, I’m the same person, Nan. Just… with a few more stories to tell.”

“Oh, speaking of stories-” Nan began, sitting back in her chair again, “Did you know that when Tavara was 12 she-”

“Nan, please,” Tav groaned, facepalming. 

“Oh, come now, Tavara, this one’s a gem. Now, where was I? Oh yes. Tavara decided that she wanted to improve my little garden,” Nan started, gesticulating wildly. “The little dear was so excited about trying out a new spell she’d just learned. However, instead of a charming array of colorful blooms, we ended up with an entire garden of gigantic, out-of-control flowers that were twice as tall as her father! We spent days cutting them back.”

There was something about the older woman’s presence that soothed Astarion. He noticed how she looked at Tav, the pride and love in her eyes clear as day. It made his chest tighten with something he couldn’t quite name. Was it envy? Longing? Or perhaps just the stark realization that he had never had someone look at him like that, at least not for the last two centuries. 

But then, Nan’s attention shifted to him, and he straightened slightly in his chair, meeting her gaze with a hint of his usual charm. The other companions chattered loudly over themselves, and she leaned forward slightly. “You know, Astarion,” she began, “you’ve got the look of someone who’s seen more than his fair share of trouble.”

For a moment, he felt as though she was peering right into his soul. He offered her a charming smile, but there was a touch of vulnerability in it, something only Nan seemed to notice. 

“Maybe,” he replied with a shrug, trying to deflect with a bit of his usual banter, “but I’d say it’s made me all the more interesting.”

Nan chuckled, a rich, full sound that filled the room. “I’m sure it has, lad, I’m sure it has. But I see something else there too. You’ve got a heart, even if you’ve tried to bury it deep. And a good heart, no matter how bruised, is worth a lot more than you might think.”

Astarion opened his mouth to respond, but Nan wasn’t finished. She smiled kindly at him, a twinkle in her eye. “You’re a handsome one, that’s for sure, but it’s not just your looks that matter. It’s what’s in here,” she tapped her chest, “and I reckon Tavara sees that too. So don’t go doubting yourself, or thinking you’re any less deserving of happiness. You’re part of this family now, whether you like it or not.”

Astarion blinked, genuinely at a loss for words, something that didn’t happen often. He glanced over at Tav, who was enacting something wildly to Jaheira, and smiled. 

Finally, he found his voice. “Thank you, Nan,” he said softly. “That… means more than you know.”

Nan waved a hand dismissively, though her eyes were warm. “Just calling it as I see it, lad. Now, pass me that bread, would you? Can’t let it go to waste.”

The evening was filled with tall tales and even taller pints of cool cider. Nan had seemed to have taken a special liking towards Gale, who was telling her about some sort of erotic book they’d both read.. for some reason. Tav’s companions began to fight sleep from their eyes, but the gentle beckoning of warm beds was too powerful. 

Before they excused themselves for the night, Tav spoke up, offering a final cheer. 

“To my nan’s endless patience… and endless memory.”

The group toasted before heading their separate ways, of course, after Nan offered every one of them a warm embrace. Tav and Astarion were the last to approach.

“You’ll find your room just the way you left it, my little love,” Nan said, placing a gentle kiss on Tav's cheek. “Minus the cat, of course. He keeps my feet warm now.”

“Thank you, Nan. For everything,” Tav said before giving her Nan another hug.

“I should be thanking you, sweetie,” Nan replied. “This night has done more for me than you could imagine.”

She turned to Astarion then, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Goodnight, little star. Do mind the bowl of holy water I keep at the end of the hall.” She placed a quick peck to his cheek, too, and his eyes widened, startled. 

Tav led Astarion up a narrow, creaky staircase to her old room. The walls, once bright pinks and yellows, now had a faded charm to them, but the space was still undeniably hers. The small bed in the corner was neatly made with a quilt Nan had stitched herself, and a bookshelf was cluttered with trinkets and keepsakes she’d collected over the years.

Astarion walked in, taking in the room with a curious eye. He let out a low chuckle as he spotted a small, worn teddy bear perched on the pillow. “Well, well,” he said, picking up the bear and turning it over in his hands. “Who do we have here?”

Tav blushed slightly, but there was a fondness in her voice as she replied. “That’s Sir Goodnight. Nan made him for me when I was little. He’s.. been through a lot with me.”

Astarion gave the bear an exaggerated nod of approval before placing it back on the bed. “Oh, apologies, good sir,” he said dramatically with a flourish. “I did not realize I would be sharing a bed with such an esteemed gentleman tonight.”

Tav chuckled, a bit embarrassed. Astarion moved to another corner of the room, where an old, faded map of Faerun hung on the wall. Multicolored pins stuck out of it. “Look at this,” he said with a soft laugh, tapping the map with a fingertip. “Is this where you planned all your grand adventures?”

“Something like that,” Tav admitted, smiling at the fond memories. “I always wanted to travel, to see everything Faerun had to offer. I never imagined it would turn out like this, though.”

Astarion turned to face her, leaning casually against the wall. “Life has a way of surprising us, doesn’t it?”

She nodded, her gaze dropping to the floor. “It does. But I’m glad for it, even with all the shit we’ve put up with.”

He crossed the room in a few strides and took her hand, lifting it to his lips for a brief kiss. “As am I,” he murmured, his eyes locking with hers. “I never thought I’d find someone like you, someone who makes it all seem… bearable.” He glanced towards Sir Goodnight again. “Sorry, sir. No pun intended.”

Tav felt a warmth spread through her chest at his words. She stood, her hand still in his, and leaned in to press a soft kiss to his lips. It was gentle, a promise of comfort and understanding, the connection they had built over time. Astarion responded in kind, his free hand resting on her waist as he pulled her a little closer.

When they finally broke apart, Astarion smiled down at her, a genuine, affectionate smile that was rare for him. “I’m lucky to have you,” she said, raking a hand through his curls.

He chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that made her heart flutter. “We’re both lucky, darling.”

With that, they climbed into the bed, the blankets soft and warm against the chill of the night. Tav nestled into Astarion’s arms, her head resting on his chest as he held her close. For a moment, they simply lay there in silence, the weight of the day slipping away as the comfort of each other’s presence took over.

As they drifted off to sleep, Astarion’s fingers traced soothing patterns on her back, and he pressed one last kiss to the top of her head. “Sleep well, my love,” he whispered, his voice barely audible in the quiet room. Tav murmured something in reply, already half-asleep, a contented smile on her lips as she let herself relax completely in his embrace.

The next morning, it seemed as if there was a palpable reluctance among her party. Even Lae’zel seemed to hesitate before stepping through the door.

Astarion lingered near the door, giving Tav an amused glance as she gathered her belongings, including some extra things Nan had given them for the day. “I must say, Nan truly outdid herself,” he remarked. “If this is what family gatherings are like, I may be able to get used to this.”

Nan, bustling around the kitchen and making sure everything was in order, caught his comment and chuckled. “Well, I’m glad to hear that, Astarion! You’ll fit right in.” She approached him, giving him a warm pat on the arm before lowering her voice to a conspiratorial tone. “But know this- I’ve got my eye on you, so you better treat my granddaughter right.”

Astarion grinned, a touch of his usual mischief in his expression. “Don’t worry about that, Nan. I’ll do my best to stay out of trouble- though I can’t promise I won’t make a bit of it from time to time.”

They exited the house. When Tav went to push open the gate, her nan’s voice rang out again. “Oh, don’t forget, dear! We’ve got monthly lanceboard coming up in two weeks, and I expect you to be back in time for it. Wrap up your adventure by then, or be prepared for Calimshan rules!” 

Tav laughed, shaking her head as she slung her pack over her shoulder. “I haven’t forgotten, Nan. I’ll make sure to be back in time.”

Tav and Astarion exchanged a glance. “Hells, back to it, then,” Astarion said, his tone light but his eyes reflecting the seriousness of their situation.

Tav nodded, her expression thoughtful. “We’ll finish what we started and be back before we know it. Nan’s right—we’ve got a lot to do.”

The road ahead was still fraught with challenges, but the thought of returning to Nan’s home, of enjoying her hearty laughter and warm embrace once more, gave them a renewed sense of purpose and determination.

And so, with the morning sun casting long shadows behind them, Tav, Astarion, and her chosen family ventured forth, ready to face whatever lay ahead, knowing that no matter where their travels took them, they had a place to rest and one happy Nan to welcome them home.

[timeforaneclipse]

Falling Apart (Lilia Calderu x reader)

Chapter four

Available on AO3

Warnings? - Light smut

 Lilia blinked. How was she off the road? Where even was she? She had a cup of herbal tea by her side. The divination witch brought it to her nose and sniffed it. Scanning her eyes around the room, the curly haired woman stared at the fire. it was a cosy set up. Homely. But far out of her price range and that made her wonder. Suddenly she felt a head nestled against her neck. She jumped and the figure behind her gave a soft throaty chuckle. Lilia turned her head so that she she could see the figures face. Her mouth fell open. It was you. Snuggling against the older witch like it was merely habit. Lilia could smell the perfume coming from you. "It's nearly time... again." You frowned in a purr and wrapped your arms around her. "I'm certain you enjoy it more then I do." You smirked smugly and kissed her neck. Lilia found herself smiling... Enjoying the gentleness of it. 

As Lilia leaned into your light touches, your eyes changed into that gorgeous golden colour that made her swoon. But your didn't turn into slits, in fact they were rather wide. Almost as if you were admiring her in this state. She felt your claw-like fingers dig in to her slightly. "Minnie." You paused, walking around the chair to face the divination witch. You lowered and sat on her legs. Stroking her cheek, Your eyes returned to normal and you softened. Lilia opened her mouth then closed it. You tilted your head. Confused by her hesitance. 

The older witch fixed your glasses and you leaned into her extended touch. Welcoming it. "We can stop. Watch a movie? Cuddle instead?" You started to list off various ways to spend the evening. But you didn't seem disappointed. You seemed happy. Lilia laughed suddenly and kissed your lips. You were silenced. You leaned in and your demeanour changed once more. Almost becoming predatory and Lilia caught herself revelling in it. Your mouth travelled to her neck. Sharp fangs trailed along her pale flesh. Heat pooled in her stomach. Your eyes stayed trained on her face. Looking for any kind of regret or hesitance. Lilia bit her lips shut as her hands pulled her on your thick locks, trying to suppress her moans. Smirking smugly, you bit deep in her her neck. Drawing a little bit of blood. Her fingers tangled in your hair as she let out a weakened yelp of your name. Your rough tongue licked away the sweet red liquid. "I think we can both agree I'm better then a vampire." Lilia smirked at your smug comment and gently guided your chin towards her. She kissed you, slightly desperate. Her fingers weaved their way out of your hair and towards your light purple dress. Unbuttoning it. 

When Lilia reopened her eyes, everything changed. Everyone in the coven was staring at her. Why? What just happened. Her eyes were incredibly glazed over and she blinked in away. She noticed your hands were on her elbows. Holding her upright. Your brows were tight and your eyes were full of concern. When she looked back at the group she noticed the mix of judgemental and pitiful looks. "Lilia?" You whisper her name softly, drawing her attention to you. The older woman didn't bother to mask her confusion. "Are you alright? You stopped walking then... yelped my name? Did something bad happen? Do you remember?" You questioned slowly. Carefully. Trying not to overwhelm the older woman. 

Lilia swallowed and grounded herself. "Pardon?" She asked, beyond confused and Agatha groaned in annoyance. Your head snapped in her direction as you glared daggers at the woman. Agatha waved you off. "I... do not remember." Lilia managed out. It was the truth. She couldn't remember.. it was just blank. And it frustrated her. You gave a tight smile. Telling Lilia is was okay. 

"Okay!? It's not okay! She could have seen something terrible and our only clue is your name!" Jennifer snapped and stormed towards you without thinking. You glare and stand straight ready to defend the older woman behind you. Agatha bit the inside of her cheeks. As much as she hated to admit it. Jennifer had a point. Lilia had yelped your name specifically. What if you were in danger? She glanced a Rio. Eyes almost begging. Rio held her gaze. But didn't react. it was almost chocking. "It's not my fault, dopey here can't remember." She said lowly. Agatha laughed at her comment. 

"Say that again, Kale, and I'll turn you into a mushroom next." You snapped at the potions witch. Jennifer stared wide eyed as you got defensive. "I pity you, Jennifer." Your hiss cut through her. Everyone went quiet. The threat of being turned into mushroom is something that would usually make one laugh. But seeing what you did to those goblins still played in their heads. Lilia also stared wide eyed at your threat. And just like that.. The group continued walking. You let out a breath you didn't realise you were holding. "Come on.." You hummed at the older witch. Walking by your side, The older woman stayed close. Alice joined your huddle and the three of you walked in a line. You could see the next trial in view. You shared a glance with Lilia. But before anyone could continue, Alice walked off. Clearly not wanting to go into that house. "Alice!" You called after her but the younger witch didn't listen. Agatha chased after the young protection witch while you stood like a fool. 

The group followed after Agatha and Alice but the road led back to the next trial... Like magic. You suddenly felt nervous. No escape. Agatha shrugged as she slowly began to walk down the road. You took a deep breath and followed your old mother figure. As you approached the doors of the house. You glanced around as Agatha talked about the moon on the door. "The fire phase." Teen announced and you fiddled with your rings. Alice looked incredibly nervous. You softened and watched the young witch. Agatha opened the door and walked inside. You gave Alice's arm a gentle squeeze before walking inside. You gasped once you looked at your clothes. You were no longer covered in sticky green blood and you felt fresh. You smiled. Feeling clean. You then looked to your clothing. You were wearing fur coat and a flowy dress. Your heels were high. Almost to high to walk in. "Don't eat anything. Don't drink anything. Don't touch anything." Alice ordered. Rio smirked. 

Agatha wasted no time in looking in the mirror. "Check me out!" She grinned as she checked herself up and down in the mirror. You stared for a moment. Lilia did not look like herself. Her hair was cut short and was pitch black. She wore a silver jump suit that hugged her curves with a yellow covering. Her neckline was a low v that showed the slightest bit of cleavage and wore jewellery that looked like diamonds.  You felt your cheeks heat up the more you looked the older witch over. It suited her. She looked beautiful. Lilia noticed you staring and were quick to look away, clearing your throat. 

"I mean, we're an album cover waiting to happen." Teen hummed, impressed. You glanced at the teenager. Cringing at his hair. 

Lilia smiled at the boy. "The road changes for the coven." She figured. Rio grinned like mad woman as she asked what was to happen next. You glanced at the divination witch and watched as her smile fell. "A test." she answered with little emotion. Rio rolled her eyes and looked Lilia up down. Catching your attention. 

Teen quickly raised his hand "Ooh!" He brightened, clearly having an idea in mind while drawing the attention of the coven. "I was just thinking about the invite on the mantel, maybe there is like a riddle or kick off for this one too?" He thought and he wasn't half wrong. It was a decent suggestion. And with that in mind, you walked around looking for any clues. Your brows furrowed as you noticed Lilia staring at the windows... Windows that held images of dark torture done to your kind and any believed to be your kind for centuries. Slowly you approached the older woman as she stopped in front of a certain window and stared at it. Joining her side, you didn't dare speak a single word. Your ear buzzed when the older woman whimpered and looked away from the sight. You watched her, sorrow in your gaze as she wiped away a tear. 

You took in a deep breath. "Life can be cruel." You whispered in an attempt to comfort her. But the older woman didn't respond. Thinking you might have over stepped. You took a step away from Lilia and went to walk away. 

"Don't." You stared at her for a moment but she didn't look at you. You question whether you really heard the words or if it was just your imagination. You approached her and stood close. Without warning, her hand fell into yours. You stilled. Unsure of how to react until you gently gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. You wouldn't leave. You would stay until she asked you to leave. Hopefully that would not be soon because for the first time in a long while, both your mind and hers felt at peace. But peace was short lived as Agatha snapped your name. You rolled your eyes. Sighing, You let go of Lilia's hand. Giving the older woman an apologetic look as you left to find Agatha. 

Lilia watched you go with her lips in a thin tight line. Sparing one last look at the window, Lilia walked off to see if she could find anything of use. Suddenly, she lost her balance and gripped onto the wall. The world felt like it was spinning. Lilia's hands her no longer gripping the wall but flesh. She jumped back in shock. Her eyes widened as she stared at her.. Unusual position. You were laying beneath her, your wrists tied above your head. She noticed the deep scratch marks on her back. Bleeding ever so slowly. Had you done those? "Lilia?" You ask in a curious tone, you eyes full of worry. Lilia swallowed, staring at your bare chest and shoulders. Heat glowing from her cheeks. She run her hands over the dark red marks. You raised and eyebrow. "Admiring your work?" You laughed and teased. Lilia softened and leaned over you, stroking your cheek. Confused by the sudden change in your lover, you leaned in her gentle touch. "Lilia?" You questioned only to be shut up by a deep kiss. You melted. You struggled momentarily against the bindings against your wrists. The urge to touch her overwhelming.

The older witch smirked into your kiss. Enjoying your desperation "Easy, Kitten, you'll hurt yourself." She whispered in your ear then nibbled your neck. A moan escaped your lips. Lilia's eyes remained soft despite what she was doing to you and that had you hooked like a fool. It was dangerous. Lilia marvelled in the fact that there was no Agatha Harkness to take you from her now. There was nothing that evil woman could do about it now to keep you away from her. Her fingers ran down your sides and your back arched up. You had shut your eyes cause the divination witch to pause. "Let me see your eyes, Baby." She urged you to open your eyes. Golden. The colour they would always go when you would have higher level emotions. 

She backed up slightly and made herself comfortable between your legs. You swallowed as her fingers ghost over your thighs as you gasped. So close yet so far from where you had wanted her. A loud slut worthy moan left you when her warm tongue go up your entrance. You hips bucked in your her mouth and she caught your movements quickly. Stilling them. She repeated her licking motion, trying to aim deeper while her fingers teased your clit. You were practically crying her name. "All wet and bothered. So much so that you were forgetting the-" Suddenly the rope snapped. Lilia's eyes widen while you smirked, revealing your large fangs. Cats were often cocky. And you appeared to share the trait. Lilia pulled down on your hair. Exposing your neck. Giving you a look warning in her darkened eyes before kissing you roughly, ignoring your whimpers while her hand messaged your breast.

Suddenly the world was spinning again, she was no longer clutching your marked flesh but a hard cold stone wall. Breathing heavily, the divination witch tried to regain her composure. What... was that. Another vision? But why couldn't she remember? what was important that she would be having so many and not remember? Was she losing her mind? Was everyone right? She took in a deep breath, trying to stop her panting. She straightened and squeezed her eyes shut. There was a trial to complete. She noticed Alice looking at a photo of her mother and approached with a sad smile. Meanwhile, You flicked through some old book that were on the desk. As you did, some speakers went off. You tilted her head and looked up as Rio's voice echoed through the sound waves. "You get your power... and I get my bodies." She spoke seductively. No way in hell. Your nose crinkled. You began to question everything Agatha had planned for you. You glanced at Lilia, Alice and Jennifer. All looking as bewildered as you. 

You glared at the recording room, where Rio and Agatha were. Agatha faked a gasp. "Hey! That's my coven you're talking about!" She shouted. "I'm not that kind of witch anymore!" She ended the speakers. Well, you knew that was a lie. The others rushed forward and demanded an explanation. You frowned and kept your eyes on Agatha as your raised an eyebrow. The older witch faked her shrug. Suddenly there was a shrill scratching nose. Damn your overly sensitive ears. You clutched them as you looked around for the source. You were unable to focus and your head felt incredibly light. You felt your senses bounce around in your body. It was until Agatha was stomping on the record player. You breathed out a sigh of relief but your ears were ringing. 

"We've been cursed." Lilia said serious. Well, Shite. 

--I_I<-)0(->I_I--

Michelle sat by the creak and scrubbed away at the dirty purple skirts Agatha always wore. She ignored the fresh batch of tears running down her cheeks. Huffing annoyed, she thought about little Nickolas scratch. What right had she to mourn? He was Agatha's baby. Not hers. Swallowing thickly she tried to think of other things. Not that sweet little boy whose face was probably being eaten away by the maggots by now. "Michelle." Rio's voice came from behind her. God not her. Anyone but her. Agatha would be furious with her if she dared speak to Rio after what she had done. Rio's brows furrowed when the young woman ignored her. Michelle scrubbed more aggressively. Perhaps if she pretended Rio wasn't there then she's go away. Rio rolled her eyes. "Michelle." She called again before getting no response again. Sighing, Rio took a seat near her.  

Exhausted Michelle took her hands out of the water and rested them on her knees. Rio softened and touched the younger woman's only for her to pull away like Rio had burnt her. It hurt Rio to see both of her witches not wanting her touch. "I'm not supposed to talk to you." The transformation witch sighed, defeated. She then hugged her knees and refused to look Death in the eye. Rio watched at she began to nibble at her nails. A bad habit that she always did when she was nervous. 

"Stop that." She hissed and pulled Michelle's fingers away from her teeth. 

The action also made Michelle accidently look Rio in the eyes. The younger woman held Death's brown gaze. And for the first time, she saw how truly horrible Rio looked. Under her eyes there were bags. Her eyes red from tears. Michelle swallowed as she gently touched Death's cheek. "Why did you do it?" She hissed, tears rolling down her cheeks. Rio's eyes widened and she tried to move away but Michelle had her trapped.

Rio swallowed thickly. "I didn't want to take Nicky." Rio replied looking away, squeezing her eyes shut. 

Michelle scoffed. "I didn't ask if you wanted to, Rio." The younger witch snapped at the original green witch. Her eyes then softened and she released her hold slightly. "I.. just want to understand why? Why give us all this time if you were only going to take it all away!" Michelle exclaimed. Rio stared for a moment, gobsmacked. 

Brown eyes scanned Michelle's face. "It's balance that must be upheld. Death is unavoidable." She began slowly. "Nicky was a still born, Michelle. I gave him as much time as I could without throwing the balance off too much. It was his time since he left Agatha's body." Rio whispered as she thought about the easiest way to explain this to the transformation witch. "Please understand. He was my son too. I never wanted to...." She swallowed.  "I did what I could. I just wish you could both see. I gave Agatha everything. Surely you must see the risk I made for her." Michelle gripped Death's hand tight as she thought about her words. Good god, she was a fool. Slowly Michelle burst into sobs and fell into older woman's body. Why couldn't things just go back to normal. Where it would just be her, Rio, Aggie and Nicky. 

The two sat like that for a short while. Michelle wiped her tears. "You should go before Agatha sees you." The younger woman swallowed. Rio nodded. For now she would leave. Rio spared a kiss on her the forehead. 

--I_I<-)0(->I_I--

Ticking engulfed the air. You glanced nervously over the group. "Does anybody else feel.... Lighter." Lighter? The hell was the younger woman going on about? If anything, you felt heavier. You brows furrowed and your lips became thin as you watched the younger witch roll her shoulders back. You eyed the younger woman then shared a worried glance with Agatha. Then, before you knew it. Without warning, Lilia began to gasp and scream in pain. The hairs on the back of your neck stood up at the sound of the older witch's noises of agony. Without hesitation you quickly went to her side and aided Alice in lowering the screaming woman to the ground.

"IT BURNS!" Lilia cried out. Jennifer screamed at Alice. Ordering her to protect the Divination witch. The smoke coming from Lilia's body made you panic further. You looked to Alice, Eyes pleading. The younger woman bit the inside of her cheeks then grabbed Rio's knife from her hands. Stabbing it into the wooden flooring, Alice began to drag a circle around Lilia while chanting a protection charm in Latin. You watched in horror as Lilia went still once Alice had completed her circle. You knelt to her level and called her name. Lilia groaned as she sat up slightly. Tears in those wise eyes of hers. You gave a gentle worried smile and offered your hands to her. She accepted your gesture, whimpering as you helped her rise to her feel. Staying inside the circle. You ignored Agatha's piercing eyes. 

Teen tried to come up with a solution as Lilia clutched your arms. Her eyes scanning your face. Like she was looking for something. "So breaking a cruse..." He began. "Smudge sticks? A salt bath? What if we locate and reason with the witch that casted the curse?" He hummed his suggestions. Trying to hide his panic. 

Agatha sighed, her defences still up. "Once vengeance is loosened, you can't reel it back in." She explained to the teenager.  "So what do we do?" Teen asked. 

Lilia frowned. "The only way to end a curse is to face it." Lilia turned to look at Alice, you followed her gaze and blinked. Just then, Jennifer also fell as she screamed in utter agony. Your eyes went wide and Lilia's grip on your arm tightened as she watched the scene. Alice was quick to repeat the chant that she did to Lilia to Jennifer. Your nose cringed as you smelt burning flesh. Carving the same protection circle into the floor. Jennifer panted and exclaimed as the burning sensation ended. You breathed heavily and watched it end. Teen was quick to point out the deep horrid scars on Jennifer's shoulders. Lilia tensed and let go of you. "Do I have one too?" She asked worried. 

You raised an eyebrow, utterly confused as you took a step back. Lilia reached for the jumpsuits neckline and pulled it down from the shoulder. You looked her up and down and something clogged in your throat. Her burn was deep. Painful to look at. Lilia looked around everyone's faces. Nervous. Your ears twitched and your eyes flickered from normal to golden. Something was here. Something evil. Your teeth gritted and you tensed. You took a subconscious step back, Feeling in danger. Teen shouted about the backwards record and Alice was quick to check what it was but before she could answer Agatha grabbed her and forced the protection witch to look at her. "It's you, isn't it! You brought it in here, didn't you!?" Agatha growled as she kept herself between Alice and the group, ignoring Teen's protests. 

"I didn't think it was real!" Alice cried, tears welling in her eyes. "I thought it was me! That it's my fault that I can't keep a job, That everything I touch turns to shit." She spoke with a quiver in her voice. You heart swelled the more you listened to Alice's cries. You noticed Jennifer still. Her dark eyes turning soft as Alice spoke. "That I couldn't save her." She breathed deeply then reached to show you all her own scars on her shoulders. Agatha glared at the marks. "I convinced myself that they were birthmarks." You eyed the scars. The scars that matched Lilia's. "Even though she had the same ones." You frown as she referred to her mother. 

Jennifer glared for a moment. "Wait." she frowned, taken aback. "Are we talking about a generational curse?" She asked. 

Lilia was the first to take pity on her. "Oh you poor thing-" But that was short lived and Jennifer interrupted the older woman.

"POOR US!" She spat. "Now we have her family's old ass curse!?" She cried in anger. 

Alice whispered an apology. Her emotions on high. Suddenly, Teen groaned and the wind picked up. Before you knew it the boy was flung in the air, causing you to gasp as he smashed through a recording studio's window. You followed Agatha's lead as she rushed into the studio. You watched wide eyed as the teenager sat up slightly, Alice ran past you and helped him, moving the glass away from him. "Hey." He smiled weakly. "I got attacked by the curse.. does that mean I'm part of the coven?" He hummed with hope in his eyes. "Blessings and burdens alike." Agatha breathed out in relief. She appeared by your side but did nothing more. 

Lilia gave him a strained smile. "Not a lot of blessings with this lot, kid." she hummed and searched the room for your face. You kept looking at the teenager, Unaware of her stare. Agatha noticed though and she did not look overjoyed by the stare. Jennifer shouted. Asking if Teen was okay. Your face tense. She had not left the circle.

Agatha scoffed while leading the group back to the main area. "So what now?" Agatha hissed at the potions witch. "You live in that circle now?" She barked and glared at Jennifer up and down. The potions witch practically nodded along. Rio smirked and leaned into Agatha, asking her what the plan was. Agatha flicked her hair and looked around until her gaze landed on Alice. She was staring at the instruments and suddenly it clicked. "You're right. That's the solution." Agatha pointed out but Alice was quick to disagree. "We have to play Lorna's Ballad." Alice scoffed at her words. "All signs point to a jam session." Agatha shrugged.

Alice looked between you and Lilia. Eyes begging for some sort of help. "What good will it do?" She asked. "The ballad opened the road! We did that. We're here!" She exclaimed, very against singing that song. You sighed and rubbed your forehead. This was giving you a headache. 

"Lorna's version is different though." Teen thought out loud. 

Agatha thought aloud for a moment. Wondering what Lorna wanted from the road. Alice looked confused as the blue eyed woman circled herself. "To save her daughter." Rio hummed as she played with her knife. Making direct eye contact with Agatha. 

Agatha turned to look directly at Alice, her eyes narrowing as she approached the younger woman. "You should have burnt to a crisp years ago but you're still here." The amusement dripped off of her tongue. You frowned. Lovely, Agatha. "Sullen and aimless but alive." You tilted your head as Agatha continued to work out the puzzle. "That's because at any giving moment somewhere, someone is playing that song that you hate so much." Alice's eyes scanned Agatha's face. "Lorna's balled Is a protection spell. It protected you." She hummed. 

Looking around, Lilia's eyes filled with slight hope. "And maybe now it can protect us?" She questioned with a soft eager look. You nodded along with their thought process. It could work. It could protect you all. Agatha panicked as another screech echoed through the air. The curse was angered. You flinched and accidently hissed. Agatha asked who was good at piano then immediately looked at Lilia. Lilia gave a light laugh. "Oh no, no. I studied the zils." She smiled widely. You looked over the older witch as she spoke. Amusement layered in your eyes. "And a little pan flute." Pan flute? You smile gently. Forever intrigued by Lilia's many mysteries. 

Agatha went on to question the group. Getting more and more frustrated with each dismissal until her eyes made an immediate eye contact with you. You swallowed thickly as you avoided eye contact. "I did not waste getting you all those lessons for you to bail on me now, Minerva." She hissed. You glared for a moment. This was fine... "Now pick up an instrument and play!" She snapped. Damn it. Alice had taken her place by the piano, Teen by guitar, Rio on the drums, Jen on bass and Lilia with her zils. You fixed your glasses and tried to relax yourself. "Oooh! Alice." Agatha spoke while fixing the microphone. "Play it right... Play it well and maybe we wont die." You gave Lilia a gentle look, trying to reassure you both. And with that... Alice began to play. 

A few repetitive chords in, Agatha began to yelp in agony. Your eyes widened and you nearly rushed forwards but Lilia grabbed your arm tightly. "Aggie-" You said panicked as she began to burn. Agatha waved you off and you stared gobsmacked as she ordered you all to keep playing. You nearly called her name again but resisted the urge. Agatha began to sing and your brows furrowed in fear as she panted her words.  You began to play while keeping your gaze fixed on the witch that had raised you. 

As the song continued, The curse grew more angered. Biting the inside of your cheeks, you tried to hide your nerves. A yelp went through you as fire scorched up through the walls. "GREAT!? FIRE!" Lilia cried, her fears matching yours. Agatha glared at Alice, commanding her to play like a true witch. As Agatha continued to sing, you kept focus on your instrument. You ears twitched and you gritted your teeth as another shrill screech echoed through the air. Suddenly a smell lurked around the room but the others seemed oblivious to it. You cringed at the smell of metallic blood. What the hell? You scanned each member. Your eyes locked onto Teen's. The boy held your gaze. You tilted your head but didn't immediately notice anything weird. You went back to focus on playing. When you glanced in Lilia's direction, You noticed she had a different percussion instrument and had to blink twice to make sure you won't going mad. 

Alice gasped suddenly and stopped playing. "The curse!" She managed to get out. "I see it. I can see it." She whispered in disbelief as the curse screeched. "I can kill it." She smiled in determination. With those words, Alice began to play and sing once more, raising the song with a key change. Before you knew it, The younger woman's shoulders were on fire. You took a step back in fear. The room suddenly felt ridiculously hot as the fire on Alice's shoulders worsened. Alice finished the song with a perfect belt. The curse suddenly went silent and turned into ash, falling like snow. The ticking ended and everyone let out a sigh of relief. Agatha chuckled, relieved it was gone. The piano then opened, catching you by surprise. "The exit!" She smiled, overjoyed. 

The Teenager smiled but looked deathly pale. "We did it... Yay." He said weakly. Teen's balance wobbled and his eyes rolled back into his head. You were quick to catch the boy before he hit the ground. You looked around his body and noticed the shard of glass. Shit. Your hands immediately went to the wound in a pathetic effort to put pressure of on the wound. The coven began to panic. Agatha most of all. 

Managing to exit the trial, You all made a group effort to carry the teenager over to tree stump and laid him down. Convenient. But you paid little mind to it. You bit the inside of your cheeks as you took the glass shard out of his side. As you did you transfigured into a cloth and held it against the open wound. There was so much blood. You pressed down. Trying to place as much pressure as you could onto the wound. "What else can we do? What else can we do?" Agatha asked in a hurry, Supporting teen's head. 

Lilia fidgeted and tried to offer the blue eyed witch support. "He's young... He's strong." but that was not received well as Agatha wasted no time snapping at the divination witch. Causing the grey haired witch to flinch and retreat momentarily. 

"Don't!" Agatha spat then her gaze fell on Rio. Her tears ran down her cheeks as her eyes softened. Rio tilted her head. seemingly take back by Agatha's vulnerability. "Don't." It was weak.. almost like a beg. "Jen." Agatha sobbed towards the potions witch. "What do you need, Jen? What do you need?" She cried as Jennifer began to debate on the best approach to heal Teen but the potion witch's mind was blank in her shock and panic. "Jen!" Agatha yelled, desperate. Jennifer stammered as she thought. Stammering about water and moonlight. Alice wasted no time in finding something bowl like and finding a puddle for water. Rio watched in interest. "Hurry! Hurry!" Agatha urged. You looked to the older witch and your lips became thin. Once Alice gave Jennifer what she needed, the potion's witch wasted no time as she stood under the moonlight and began to chant in Latin. You could of sworn that Lilia had said something but you had just missed it. Too focused on the situation at hand. Once Jennifer had finished, she swatted your hands and cloth away from the wound and began to rinse it with the water. Teen groaned in agony and Agatha barked at the potions witch. "You're making it worse!" She yelled.

You touched Agatha's arm and the woman stilled, desperate eyes meeting yours. Agatha breathed heavily as she watched Jennifer rinse the wound. You tilted your head as it began to close. Your eyes widened and your smiled, relieved. You glanced at Agatha as she leaned against you. Searching for some sort of comfort. With a wipe of a cloth. The wound was gone. Like it had never even been in the first place. "Look what you did." Lilia said as pride swelled in her eyes as se spoke to Jennifer. Jennifer smile in disbelief.

"We should move him somewhere more comfortable." Jennifer whispered and the group nodded in agreement. 

--I_I<-)0(->I_I--

After collecting more wood for the fire, You re-joined the group in their huddle. Lilia's eyes glistened as she noticed your approach and she patted the spot next to her. Welcoming you to sit by her side. You accepted the gesture but sat on the floor beside her rather then on the rock. Leaning your back against it. Rio watched you like a hawk. Not once had you attempted to speak her. In fact, it was as if you weren't even acknowledging her. You groaned exhausted, still covered in blood. You tried to catch up to the conversation at hand. "I never really just identified as a witch." Jennifer was talking deep in thought. You tilted your head. This was the first time you were seeing the softer side of the Potion's witch and you defiantly preferred it. "I'm an eleventh generation root worker and a midwife." You let a weak smile escape at her words. Lilia's face lit up and she looked almost excited as she took in Jennifer's words. Practically interested when the potion's witch mentioned about being a midwife. 

Alice softened. Looking absolutely bewitched as Jennifer spoke. "How were you bound?" The protection witch asked, intrigued. Her head tilting as she watched Jennifer. 

You shifted, also now very interested about the topic at hand. Jennifer thought for a moment. As if she were debating what to share. "I was invited to the brand new obstetrics association of greater Boston." She sighed as she kept her gentle gaze on Alice. "To share my expertise." You watched with the tiniest of pity as the potion witch frowned. "It was a trap. I still don't know how he did it. Bound me without Magic." Her thoughts ran with her and you could see the wheels turning in her head. She took in a deep breath. "so much for 'do no harm'" She hummed sarcastically. Your smile became thin at her words. 

The protection Witch hugged herself and smiled. Almost as if comforting herself. "When Mom died, I stopped believing everything she ever taught me." Your brows furrowed at her words. Poor thing. "I was so angry." She whispered then shrugged. "Part of me hoped that the road wasn't real. So that I could stay angry." Jennifer watched as Alice went quiet, concern in her eyes. "Because..." Alice trailed off, unable to find a reason. 

Lilia gave a small comforting smile to the younger woman. "Now you know... It was all for you." Alice rocked slightly and smiled weakly. It was a comforting thought. To know that her mother did it all for her. "And that makes you sad..." Lilia continued. "Sad is better then angry." You glance up at the divination witch. Your eyes scanning her face. Alice nodded along to Lilia's words

"Here." Jennifer hummed and gave Alice a bowl... of something. "Put this on your pressure points." Alice looked utterly confused and asked why. "Because it smells nice." She grinned at the protection witch. Alice became slightly flustered and thanked the older witch. Jennifer then looked at your and tilted your head her head. "How come you weren't brunt today?" She asked curiously. To your surprised, Jennifer wasn't rude about her question, simply intrigued.  

Thinking for a moment, you took off your glasses and wiped them down. "Well, I think it would be correct in thinking that I wasn't burnt because I am not apart of the coven." You hummed as you thought about what could be the cause. Lilia's eyes snapped to you. Alice looked confused and questioned why that was. You placed with your claw-like nails. "Transformation witches are... sometimes seen as lesser witches. But that all differs on opinion. The most we are supposed to do is transform into an animal that matches our soul with a few other magical abilities. However, there are others that are given way more gifts. The most well known one being Michelle Smith. My older sister. She always preferred the word Transfiguration instead of transformation. Not that it made a difference." You explained, seriously. Rio tensed slightly at the mention of your older sister.  Jennifer seemed confused and shared a look with Alice and Lilia. "We are seen as guides for a coven but never as a member. I don't know why. It just.... has always been. Perhaps it's because we're sometimes seen as more animal then witch. There has never been a coven that has accepted a transformation witch as proper member." You shrugged and sighed. 

Lilia twisted her rings as you spoke. Her eyes flickered over your form as you finished. "Well," She began slowly. "Then our coven will be the first." She hummed, determined. You stared at the divination witch for a moment. Your eyes were full of admiration. Rio raised an eyebrow and she cleared her throat causing the two of you to stop staring at each other. In an attempt to lighten the air, Lilia changed the subject. "You know, the worst part apart being a witch?" She asked. "All the misconceptions and rumour mongering. That we talk to ghosts." you smirked as the grey hair curly witch complained. "That we've all got an extra nipple." She hissed. You chuckled under your breath. 

Rio straightened and stopped playing with her knife. "You guys don't have extra nipples?" She asked. "I'm covered in nipples." Lilia cringed heavily as the green witch spoke. "You wanna see?" She asked the divination witch. Smirking slightly.

The conversation continued and the fire was glowing bright. The group had moved on to talking about the scars each member had gained over the years. Lilia smiled widely. "Check this out." She hummed proudly and revealed her lower neck. You raised an eyebrow at the sight of the scar. A puncture wound on her neck. "A vampire bite." You felt your chest grow bitter at the sight of the vampire's mark. "Right before I knocked out his other tooth." Alice and Jennifer laughed, Alice had moved spots a little to sit closer to the potions witch. Lilia softened as she went into her thoughts. "You know... we really kind of hated each other at the beginning but now-" The woman stopped. As if she had been paused. Now? You watched her as she zoned out completely. Alice and Jennifer laughed and you couldn't help but join in. When Lilia returned she gave the group the most innocent look of confusion. You grinned. "Huh?"

Jennifer laughed lightly. "Lilia... Where do you go?" She asked. Just then, Agatha returned and Your eyes locked with blue. She looked exhausted with worry. Alice asked how the teenager was. Agatha shrugged saying about him being mouthy. You grinned and leaned  back slightly. "Agatha, why don't you show us your battle scars." Jennifer urged the older witch. 

 Agatha grinned and rolled up her sleeve and revealed her scar on her elbow. "knitting needle to the elbow. Ever heard of the daughters of liberty?" She asked. When the group denied she smirked. "Exactly." You smiled widely. A part of you missed this. Then she pulled up her shirt slightly to reveal a large... canine bite wound. "Coyote." You stilled when the animal left Agatha's mouth. She had said it almost fondly? Rio eyed the scar then immediately looked away. Almost as if she were ashamed. 

"I've got a scar." Rio suddenly said. 

"No, you don't." Agatha said bitterly. 

"Yes, I do." Rio argued back. 

Alice and Jennifer shared a glance. And with that Rio began her story. "A long time ago, I loved someone. And I had to do something I really didn't want to. Even though it was my job." You watched as Rio swallowed. Completely ashamed. Like a kicked puppy. "And it hurt them. She is my scar." She glance over to Agatha. You softened as you watched the two. Agatha left to go stretch her legs and you frowned. Looking between the two. That... was it?  

Rio rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. Chasing after Agatha. But before she could get much further, Lilia grabbed her arm. Her eyes narrowed. "Don't think for a second that I've forgotten what you said in the sound booth." Lilia said seriously. You watched the interaction closely. Your eyes narrowed. Rio scoffed and pulled her arm away, Hissing at the older woman as she did. You hissed back catching the original green witch off guard. She stared for a moment the left. You glared as she did. Lilia looked greatly uncomfortable. 

Silence fell amongst the group. You sighed and began to play with your nails once more. "So... Since you turn into a cat and share the... traits.. does that mean you get a heat?" you coughed at Jennifer's question, despite how innocently she asked. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 What did you think of the new chapter!? Is it good? How are we feeling? What are you theories, darlings! Tell me everything!! I'm always reading the comments and looking for your thoughts and taking them into account and they help a lot with motivation. I honestly cant wait to read them! I wanted to let you all pick your instrument which is why purposely didn't describe it. 

Lot's of love and I hope to see you in the next chapter! 💜

(Remember to continue to thank and praise Patti Lupone in our prayers)

Nova xxx

[ennn]

Agatha and Rio as star-crossed lovers: Why a happy ending for them is unlikely (for now) but it'll be okay (probably?)

Look, I’m obsessed with these two—both their complex characters, their crazy unique dynamic—it’s a ship I actually can’t play favourites with!

BUT I also fully expect these two will fight it out in the finale and they aren’t headed for a happy ending, at least not a happy ending where they walk off happily into the sunset together at the end of this series and we shippers should maybe try to not freak out about it.

Let’s look at what the show is—in my opinion—telling us about these two. Under the cut for spoilers and my heap of meta thoughts–

Agatha’s arc is about her finding her coven, her community

I’ve written a bit more about the show’s and our protagonist's arc here: Basically underneath all that lust for power, Agatha’s deepest desire is to find a coven, a family of witches she can share her trials and blessings with. Agatha loves powerful witchcraft and she wants someone to share it with.

And she did find Rio. These two incredibly lonely women found each other, fell in love, and probably murdered their way through so many people together.

But then Agatha had a child and realised she could be a little bit less selfish for another human being. And then Rio took him away and they separated but i think they ultimately never dealt with what I think is at the heart of their rift now, of Agatha still having that bit of humanity and vulnerability for human connection in her.

Now of course at this point I don’t know what Rio’s deal is exactly. Is she human? Was she human? What happened in her past? What we do know is that Rio has a certain detachment from people, and that she enjoys watching Agatha kill witches.

Right now Agatha's getting a taste of what having a coven can be like. Something she's not had in centuries. Them working together, making magic together. That moment during the campfire where she realised they were laughing with her. The shared experience of riding those broomsticks.

Yes, covens—like any kind of family or community—can be good or bad. They can lift you up or tear you down. Agatha's first coven and mother failed her, we'll see how this one fares (especially after what we saw in episode 5). Will they be enough to bring out more of Agatha's humanity?

The thing is, Agatha is going on a bit of a character development journey and Rio—whose her world hasn't been rocked the same way Agatha's has—isn't.

Now I don't expect Agatha to turn over a new leaf by the end of the series but I expect her to be in a somewhat different place from where she started, and Rio I expect will not be in that same place. At least not by this series' end.

There is a certain tension at the end of episode 4 after Rio brings up the topic of "the boy". And again when Rio watches Agatha leave the cabin in episode 5. I think Rio is recognising that this isn't the Agatha she knew and first fell in love with many years ago, and she's not happy about it.

Agatha's moving in a direction Rio might not be able to follow, and I expect that's where we'll get our conflict down the road.

In a world without logistical limits, it's not impossible for these two to be together given enough time and character development (and hey that's what fic is for) but with 4 episodes remaining I expect we'll at best get more of a bittersweet resolution for them, after both of them finally let loose the anger they have at each other.

A closing of a chapter, I suppose, but not necessarily The End.

Agatha and Rio love each other, but they also bring out the worst in each other

It’s clear that these two have loved and do still have love for each other. That they found a special connection with each other that has maybe even saved one or the both of them before.

But they can also be standing in each other's way.

I'm reminded of these lines from Killing Eve:

I think my monster encourages your monster, right? I think I wanted it too.

Look, Agatha can't have a community if she keeps killing members of that community in the pursuit of power. Yes, with Rio around, it's terribly romantic: the two of them against the world. But what if Agatha actually wants to be a part of that world, even a little?

And as for Rio, now this is just my theory but it's possible Rio is perhaps too focused on the darker aspects of her role, of her power.

As The Green Witch, isn’t she meant to be more than Death?

I've been marvelling at all the details in Rio's nature-themed warrior witch outfit. It's beautiful, a celebration of life. She clearly has a strong connection with plants; there's a cute spider on her jacket; she's shown some ability to heal. Even her Death outfit has vines and roots forming her chest piece — what happened with Rio to make her hone in on spreading violence and death?

It just feels like there's a story there, to have her be The Green Witch as opposed to a more traditional or mainstream manifestation of a Death entity.

It's clear that these two came together and did monstrous things. There's usually reasons for that. Human or not, I suspect Rio has her own pain, one that's warping the balance of nature. Maybe they both need to heal in their own way, apart from each other.

This relationship is important to the show

Whatever happens, it's clear that this relationship is key to Agatha's story and the show. Their relationship, with its soft moments and sharp edges, filled much of the first episode on purpose and I expect it to play a major part in the finale as well – an appropriate bookend – including the fight between them.

You could even say that it's actually a good thing that these two are getting the focus at the show's start and end. It's always been Agatha and Rio: understanding each other, at each other's throats, pushing each other, tearing at each other, wanting but not meeting each other.

The thing about this being a "small stakes" show is that the cause of the fight happening between them can be very personal. A lovers' quarrel. Rio may simply want to kill Agatha for something she did, or in rage or fear of losing her.

On that note though, these two have such a long and complicated – and as Hahn once put it "toxic maybe but loving" – relationship that one big violent messy fight in itself doesn't worry me. I mean, we've all seen episode one.

Maybe sometimes you have to bleed to let the poison out.

This is still a love story.

[laanswife]

White Mustang || Rio Vidal

Rio Vidal x Reader (past!mentioned! Agatha Harkness x Rio Vidal)

Word count: 273

Author's note: This is the first thing I've written for tumblr, so sorry for anything that might be wrong or weird, it was just on my mind and I need to get it out. Other than that, English is not my first language.

Inspired by Lana Del Rey's 'White Mustang' and its many lyrical interpretations.

"White Mustang"

"Why I'm staying?"

When you woke up this morning, you had no idea what you were getting yourself into when the woman and the teenager walked through the door.

You were sitting patiently in a coffee shop when these two strangers approached you. Did they want to form a coven? And with you in it? Good luck trying. There was nothing they could use to convince you.

Everything changed when the woman introduced herself. Agatha Harkness. That name was familiar to you.

Rio's ex. Yeah, that would convince you.

"Your white Mustang"

"You're why I'm staying"

When they summoned the green witch, you were ecstatic. It had been a long time since your last encounter.

"Surprise, my lady."

You just wanted to throw yourself into her arms.

It was so good to see her again.

"The day I saw your white Mustang"

"The day I saw you're why it must end"

The mood between you was flirtatious. There was definitely something. Every moment together on the road. She had protected you when needed, like none of the other witches had been willing to do.

She had been by your side during your ordeal. The very personification of death.

You thought this could be something more.

Until that specific moment.

"She is my scar."

You weren't blind to the glances between them. But this? It was different.

Definitely not wanting to see what would unfold here, you stood up and walked away from the other witches.

How foolish had you been to believe in any possibility of a relationship with death itself?

"Said you're a wild Mustang"

"Said you're a wild mistake"

[helpbutton95]

The Tortured Poets Department

Read on A03. Also this is entirely @lucyllawless 's fault.

The road was winding out in front of them. The dark leaves sticking to the soles of her feet. Agatha hated it here. She hated the darkness, the way it warped around everything, clinging to it like tar. She could hear Billy behind her, following closely as if he was about to miss something. He wasn't. They had lost half the coven. Alice was her fault and Lilia. Lilia had sacrificed herself for them. It made her skin crawl. She could remember the one constant who had saved her. Over and over again. Unconsciously, she brushed her thumb over the underside of her ring. She sighed, pushing her hands into her pockets. She could remember every time Rio had come to her rescue. Every time she had given her that smirk and by the Gods, what was she doing on this stupid road again. 

Jens sniffle made her pause. Turning, she could see the tears tracking down her cheeks.

“Crying isn't going to bring her back,” wow, way to be sympathetic. 

“She wouldn't be dead if this wasn't for you,” Jens anger came through harder than Agatha expected but really Agatha should expect it. Jen was a formidable witch. She always had been. They had once been friends. Kind of. Well, more acquaintances. They had only really crossed paths before once. When Agatha was nine months pregnant and in labour. Typically, Rio, who had gotten her into that situation, was not there to get her out. But now, watching Jens face contort in anguish, it made something stir in Agatha. 

“I know,” Agatha admitted. “I know the seven were my fault and I'm sorry that they took Lilia but we can't dwell on it. We need to get to the next trial so we can get out of this forsaken place.”

Jen had paused in front of her. “You're scared too.”

“Of course I'm scared, Jen.” Agatha revealed. “Alice is dead, Lilia is gone and Rio-”

Agatha bit back her emotions. She wouldn't show the fear of her wife on her face. 

“What about Rio?” Billy asked. 

“Rio's vanished,” Agatha lied. She knew exactly where Rio was. Rio was ferrying bodies to her realm. 

Agatha turned, she wasn't interested in listening to them mourn the losses. 

“Would she come for Lilia?” Billy's innocence made her feel nauseous and she spared a glance as they walked at Jen. 

Agatha couldn't help the words that escaped her lips. “Death comes for us all.”

No one answered. No one made eye contact. Instead they continued walking. One foot in front of another. That was all she could do. All any of them could do until the night grew darker. The air grew colder. Agatha found herself looking around as they came to a large meadow the road widening. 

“We should stop,” her suggestion was met by stern looks as she turned. 

“Why?” Billy's spite spat around her and Agatha pushed away the hurt.

“Because it's late,” Jen answered for her. “And I'd like a break from this road making my calves into tree trunks.”

Billy's scowl back at her made her lift her hand in a half shrug but then they were moving, collecting wood and lighting a fire. Just like they had with the rest of their coven. 

The crackle of the fire was the only sound that filled around them. It made her stomach twist in pain. Agatha wanted to say something, anything to make it better. Instead, she looks down at her hand and twists the dark rock on her hand. Nostalgia itched at her. Memories began to creep into the corners of her mind. A crunch of leaves made her look up at Jen. Jen who stood in front of her. Uncertainty on her face. Dark eyes looked between her and the space beside her. 

With a sigh, Agatha waved her hand and Jen quickly sat. The taller woman watched Billy collect firewood and then begin making a makeshift shelter.

“So,” Agatha shifted uncomfortably. “Do we get smores or-”

“Did you mean it?” Jen snapped. Agatha reeled. Her lip curled ready to attack but then Jens question came softer. “Did you mean to take Alice's power?”

Agatha stuttered before clamping her jaw shut. “No,” her genuine words felt odd on her tongue. Just like when she had told the Teen about the Sigil. She had known deep down. Jen waited and Agatha hated that the priestess was determined for more information. But she gave it. “It was an accident. I-I can't control it. For so long it was second nature and then not having it. I think my powers just reacted.”

“Agatha-”

“I know a 350 year old witch who still doesn't have her shit together,” Agatha’s humourless laugh echoed in her chest. 

“So you didn't mean it?”

“No, Jen, I didn't mean it,” Agatha swallowed the emotion that threatened to clog her throat. “I didn't even know I was doing it until it was too late.”

“And your coven?” Jen prodded deeper. “Rio said your mother wanted you executed?” 

“She wasn't exactly mother of the year material.” Agatha deflected. She looked down at her hands, she didn’t like this. It felt damaging like if she opened up, Jen would see every little imperfection that came with her. Imperfections that she had smothered and hidden over the centuries. 

“I’m sorry,” Jen muttered, her face contorting as the words tasted sour. “About leaving you in that trial. I didn’t know-” 

Agatha shrugged. “All you know is that I killed my coven. Why would you care that they were the ones who started it.” 

“Is that what happened?” Jen prodded and it made Agatha’s skin crawl, she had to get to the end of this godforsaken road and get away from the Spanish Inquisition. 

“I wanted to learn,” Agatha pursed her lips. It was Jen. Jen who she hated but also Jen who had handed her her son in the middle of the worst snowstorm in New England history. “But it was above me to know that.”

Jens brow drew tight but it was Billy who asked, “They were going to kill you for trying to learn the craft?”

Agatha’s tight smile made her look away. “It was above my station,” Agatha repeated her mothers words that fateful night. 

“Covens are protective of their craft,” Jen explained to the boy. “Especially old ones. There's a hierarchy that they respect.”

Jens pointed look makes Agatha lift a shoulder. Honestly, why was it so bad to learn? 

But Billy wasn't stupid, his gaze narrowed on her as she tried to school the memories of her mother finding her with the grimoire. Trying to find out why her magic presented differently. Purple, not blue. 

“You were trying to learn about your power.” 

“And we all know how that worked out,” Agatha drawled, looking back down at her hands. She had been scared after it first happened, to understand why she had murdered her kin but then she wasn't sure it was such a bad thing. They had never understood her, looked down on her. Her own mother had kept her at arms length for most of her life. Rio had been the one to save her. To pick up the pieces and tell her it was all ok, that she had a unique gift, one that could build empires and burn worlds. 

She stared at her palms, now devoid of that power. She turned them over and examined the ring that had sat on her finger for nearly 250 years. The first century with Rio had been fun. They had spent a lot of time enjoying the revolution across the north east. Particularly causing issues with Governors daughters. Agatha had been close a few times, close to getting caught, to being revealed as a witch. But every time Rio popped up just in time. Saving her, being charming to those around them and whisking her away to spend days in each other's company. For the first fifty years, it had been in throws of passion, seeking physical touches to remind each other of what they had found the first time they had met in the forest near Salem. But, like everything, the season changed, things aged and matured like the trees that surrounded her small coven. Her relationship with Rio had changed, it aged, it became something comforting. That’s not to say the passion faded. If anything it got worse. But them, together, it was something Agatha couldn’t put into words. For centuries, she gallivanted around the globe, gaining power like a drug and Rio was there by her side, collecting the dead and then returning to Agatha for their time together. 

Agatha turned her hands back and stared at the dark rock nestled between two silver branches. Agatha remembered the day she got it. 

“You're ring,” Billy's annoying inquisitive voice broke her thoughts. “Was it your mothers?”

Agatha tried not to snort at the look Rio would have given him had she been here. 

“No,” Agatha stated simply and she glanced at Jen who looked down at her own ring. 

“What-what do they do?” Teens brow was drawn tight and Agatha's eye caught Jens. Jen who blushed and looked away. Jen knew exactly what they meant. 

“What does your textbook say?” Agatha nodded to the leather bound book. 

His frown drew deeper and she watched him dig through the little grimoire. 

“Will it even be in there?” Jen asked under her breath. Agatha shrugged, it was worth a shot. The fire crackled as he dug through page after page. As he did, Agatha revelled in the warmth of the fire. The temperature had dropped from autumn in New Jersey to winter. The cloud of their breath spilled around them and she could see Billy tightening his jumper around him. 

Rio was close. 

Only death was this cold. 

“Life ties?” Billy's voice broke her thoughts and she saw Jen smirk. “Wait, this can't be right, it says here that life ties bind your soul to that person so that when you perish. They perish too.”

Agatha waited and watched the way his little brain caught up. 

“You managed to get a soul tie to Death?” Jens judgy voice beat the kid. 

“What can I say I'm irresistible?” Agatha teased. 

“It says that you can't harm each other,” Billy voiced. “but she cut you when she was in your house.”

“Harm as in kill,” Agatha explained. “At least not directly.”

“So if she threw you off a cliff?” Jen proposed. 

“It'd be allowed,” Agatha relented. “On the technicality it was natural.”

“But she threw you off the cliff?” Billy's frown reminded her eerily of Nickys when faced with a difficult quandary. The similar draw of his brows into a deep frown, the way his lips tilted downwards. “She's the cause.”

With a roll of her eyes, she repeated the same response Rio had given her nearly 315 years ago. “The Living Tribunal doesn't tend to look at it that way.” 

Jen opened her mouth with widened eyes clearly ready to go full steam ahead down the track but Billy's questions stopped her. “But stabbing you. Not allowed?”

“Look at you keeping up,” Agatha huffed. She wasn't sure she enjoyed this curiosity but it was better than them asking about her mother. Or Nicky. 

Billy's head dipped back down to his little book and then his head snapped back up. “But it says that your lives are bound to one another. That it's sacred.”

Jens voice broke through next, “Keep up Teen, it's basically a witches marriage.”

His jaw dropped as a blush rose in his cheeks. 

Agatha looked over at Jen, “Spoil sport.”

“He wasn't going to get that we are all on the rainbow scale.” Jen drawled with a huff, smoothing out the dirty wrinkles of her dress. Billy's brows rose impossibly higher into his hairline. 

“You too-”

“Please, you don't live for 150 years and not try something new. No one is that straight,” Jen snapped impatiently. Honestly, she was a terrible teacher. 

“I forgot how good your bedside manner was,” Agatha smirked, looking back down at her ring. 

“You were a bit busy bringing life into the world,” Jen shot back. Agatha’s smirk dropped. Her hand unconsciously went to the locket. Jen watched her, her eyes widening only a fraction as Agatha tore her gaze away. The taller witch didn’t apologise, she never did for her barbs but Agatha could see the regret in her stance. 

“Wait,” Billy asked, oblivious to the tension between the elder witches. “It says that the protection on it is linked as well, that they can always feel where one another is. Is this like some weird soulmate thing?” 

Agatha didn’t respond. She knew the stone was something that only Rio had made. An original stone of the universe. 

“Does Death even have a soul?” Billy whispered, looking between the two. 

“She did,” Agatha muttered. “Once upon a time.” 

“What happened?” God, he was nosy. 

Agatha glanced around at both of her companions and she saw no malice. This is what covens did, they shared with one another and hell, at this rate none of them were making it out alive so what was the point in keeping it all tucked in. It wasn’t going to hurt her. 

“She gave it to me,” Agatha recalled. Her thumb brushed the stone unconsciously, bumping over the sigil within the stone. “You’d be surprised at how many enemies she has.” 

“I mean, she literally ferries the dead,” Jen pondered. “So it’s not really surprising.” 

“No, you don’t get it,” Agatha muttered, her defences rising. “Even she isn’t invulnerable.” 

“But surely she can’t die?” Jen asked. “She’s already dead.” 

Agatha shook her head. “It’s complicated.” 

“So uncomplicate it,” Jen pushed but Agatha was pushing to her feet. She turned to both of them and thought about it for only a moment. 

“No.” Instead, Agatha turned, and walked into the darkness. Her arms curling around herself to keep the heat in. She didn’t want to reveal Rio’s secrets, they were hers to keep. That was the oath they had sworn to one another in the depths of New England, in the home they promised to build together. The home they did build together. The home they destroyed together. 

Agatha looked down at the black stone on her finger, the sigil glimmering in the moonlight. “You really outdid yourself this time.”

“I'd say I learnt from the best but we all know it was the other way around.” 

Agatha didn't turn at the sound of her voice. At the taunting to get a rise out of her. 

“What are you here for?” Agatha asked, looking forward into the darkness. “Me?”

“No,” she could practically hear the pout. “You'll meet your end the natural way.”

“The boy then?” 

“He broke the rules.” 

“He didn't know.” 

Rio's exasperation was clear. “He's not-”

“I know who he is,” Agatha snapped, turning to the dark eyes that watched her closely. She was in her full dark clothing, ready to collect. 

“You're protective of him,” Rio observed, stepping closer. “Why? He turned on you the moment you showed him who you really were?”

“He's just a kid,” Agatha wasn't giving Rio more ammunition. 

“No,” Rio pouted. “That's not it.” She moved purposefully around Agatha each step crunching the frozen leaves beneath them. “He tugs on those human heart strings of yours. The ones you try to pretend aren't there.” Agatha glowered. “You always were soft when it came to children.”

“You know how I feel about that?” She shouldn't have snapped. She should have kept that card closer to her chest. 

Rio smirked. “It’s life, Agatha. The road of life isn't an easy one.”

“You don't get to tell me about that,” Agatha’s emotions reared as her mind went to her son. 

Rio had the decency to look wounded for a second before her face became void. “I'm sorry. I've always been sorry. You know that.”

“It doesn't excuse you taking him,” Agatha tried to swallow back the emotion but the softness crept into Rio's gaze. 

“You know as well as I do that we couldn't control what happened to Nicky.” 

Agatha flinched. It had been so long since his name had been spoken aloud by either of them. Especially in one another's presence.  She had to protect herself to stop this line of questioning. 

“Yes, well, it's the past.” Agatha huffed, pulling her arms tighter around herself. “So what now? You just go kill the boy?” 

“You know that's not how it works,” Rio drawled. “I would have been out of your hair sooner but you're pleading warmed the heart.”

“You don't have a heart.”

Rio smirked, her eyes landing on Agatha’s ring. “Yes, I do. It's yours.”

Agatha curled her hand involuntarily. She shifted her feet on the freezing ground. It was growing colder by the second, she could see her own breath. 

“You’re cold,” Rio’s head tilted. 

“Well you aren’t exactly a ray of sunshine,” Agatha huffed and Rio stepped closer, her hand sliding up her back. It was automatic. The reaction of her body relaxing into the warm touch. 

“I can be exactly how you wanted me to be,” Rio’s breath ghosted across her ear, as scalding arms encircled her. 

But Agatha knew the game the witch played. She had played it so many times before. “So I give in and give you Billy?” 

Rio stiffened. “Honestly,” she pouted. “He’s just one life that broke the rules.” 

“He made a mistake.” 

“Like you did?” 

It was like a slap. 

Rio didn’t flinch, didn’t move as Agatha turned slowly to look at her. Her brow quirked in that perfect arch. 

“Goodbye Rio.” 

Agatha turned, stalking past Death as she made her way back to their small camp. Rio didn’t move. Didn’t utter a word. As soon as she made it back to camp, she curled in front of the warmth of the fire. Jen and Billy both curled up, eyes closed. Agatha subtly checked they were breathing before settling. She didn’t close her eyes, instead she watched the road around them. Knowing that Death clung to the darkness. They would wake and continue on the trial and meet Death at the end. 

[cabinetofquriosities]

A Room for the Night

Agatha x Fem Reader (the old classic of Only One Bed)

Warnings: Smuuuut

“Only one bed? Are you kidding me?” she grumbled, tossing her bag onto the chair at a small table by the window.

You wrung your hair out before walking inside. Agatha had wanted to push through the weather to find the next witch for her coven, but as day turned to night, it became more dangerous. The sheets of rain had blinded you to everything but the neon glow of the motel sign. Several people had taken shelter there, only leaving them with one available room.

“Stop complaining,” you sighed, earning a glare from the witch.

“Well, excuse me for wanting my own bed to rest in before going on the Road. I still don’t understand why you couldn’t have muscled through.”

“And if we crashed? What, would you use your reserves of magic to heal us?” you taunted, causing a spark of anger in Agatha’s eyes at the mention of how powerless she currently was, “You are the one who tied me up in your closet. You are the one who needed help finding witches who won’t run from your background.”

“And YOU were the one who found me for help getting on the road,” she spat back.

You were both locked in a charged stare, holding it before finally sighing, the both of you too exhausted to bicker any more.

After taking a shower, you walked out to the room. Agatha pushed past you, saying, “You better have left me some warm water,” before slamming the door shut.

A part of you bristled at her attitude, almost regretting breaking her out of Wanda’s spell. The woman was centuries old and out of patience. You supposed that your 34 years could hardly compare to her lifespan. Still, almost everything about her rubbed you the wrong way. You needed her, though. If you couldn’t reach the end of the road, you wouldn’t have a chance of getting your sister back. You were doing this all for her.

You put on boxers and a tank top before crawling into bed. Your wet hair dried against the pillowcase. After a bit, you felt the bed dip. Agatha laid down next to you in an oversized T-shirt, not feeling the need to wear anything beneath it. Underwear was always unnecessary to her when it came to pajamas or dresses. A holdover from the older times.

She turned away from you, hogging the blankets for herself. She cuddled up to them as if needing to feel the safety of holding something. You waited for her to drift off before yanking them back to your side so they at least covered you both.

You weren’t sure how much time had passed when you woke up. You felt warmth around you, the comforting rhythm of a heart pressed against your back. You tensed up at the feeling before realizing where you were, still disoriented from your slumber. You realized that Agatha was holding you. One arm draped around you, her hand against your abdomen. Her other absentmindedly played with your hair. You wanted to hate it, to be above wanting such a dangerous and unpleasant woman, but it just made the initial pull you had to her impossible to ignore.

The heavy, slow breathing tipped you off that she was still asleep. Her face was tucked into the crook of your neck. You felt your pulse quicken at the press of her cheek against it. It was as if it alerted her to your presence when it raced. You could feel her stiffen, realizing the position you were both in. You didn’t want her to untangle herself from you. As she was about to move her arm away, you moved her hand over your abdomen again, holding it there. You could feel her freeze before relaxing once again.

The energy had gone from a natural, unconscious comfort to a wary attraction. You were both awake and trying to resolve your feelings with your position.

You felt her nuzzle into your hair, her lips brushing accidentally against your neck. Your breath caught at the intimate touch of them. She thought a moment before turning her face a bit, more directly kissing your pulse point. She could feel the flutter of it against her pout. Her thumb traced patterns over your stomach, finding the sliver of skin between your shirt and your boxers. You lightly dragged your nails along the back of her arm before raking them lightly back down to her hand. You could feel her breath shiver at the gesture, her body pressing more firmly against your own.

She wordlessly kept kissing your neck, feeling her tongue dart out against the sensitive skin. You let out a soft sigh, your foot hooking around the back of her calf, tangling yourself further into her. Her hand moved slowly down, sneaking its way beneath your waistband.

Agatha hadn’t spoken or looked you in the eye. She moved slowly, as if any sudden movements would break the delicate balance between you two. You drew in a sharp breath as her fingers found your sex. They traced your lips before circling your clit. Your hips rocked, searching for friction. She slowed her ministrations, clearly teasing you like the temptress she was.

You let out a soft whine that pulled at something deep within her. She slipped a finger within you, crooking against the most sensitive part of you. Your toes curled as she began to fuck you. One, then two fingers stretching you with each thrust. Every breathy moan seemed to stoke the embers in her chest.

You could feel her latch onto your throat, sucking your pulse point between her teeth. She held your heartbeat in her mouth as she marked you. Your eyes rolled back as the heel of her palm ground against your clit. Your cunt squeezed around her fingers as pleasure washed over you, a cracked moan leaving your lips. She kept moving, stroking and teasing you through your aftershocks.

You both lay there in a moment of peace, both of you breathless. You reached down, pulling her hand out of your shorts. She began to pull back, thinking that you had enough of her, much like most of her previous lovers who would leave immediately after, but you held her close. Lacing your fingers with hers, you pulled her hand up to your lips, pressing them against it. You could feel the burn of her blushing against your neck, her body so unused to affection. You smiled softly, feeling Agatha drift off against you as you both had sweet dreams for the first time in years.

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[isagrimorie]

I don’t know if modern medicine would have stopped Nicky from dying young.

But it could have also given him more time.

Agatha and Nicky, however, did not live in modern times.

They were homeless. And only had the clothes on their backs, and Agatha’s magic to create some analog magic for some conveniences. Or whatever Agatha stole from the witches she killed.

Medicine, probably all from nature. But the cough Nicky had was probably something Modern medicine could have helped with.

Maybe Nicky could have lived until he was a teen.

Alas. Agatha and Nickey lived when they lived.

——-

Agatha is a serial killer. I am so fascinated that Jac Schaeffer didn’t equivocate, yes Agatha has some interesting back story but she was and still is an unrepentant killer.

Her start of darkness was her mother and coven turning on her. This left a deep scar that couldn’t be healed. She doesn’t trust her kind.

Agatha has a long memory for grudges and even though she loved being a witch, she loved magick. She hated her fellow witches. Agatha seems to be on a mission to kill any witch that crossed her path.

And it’s ironic that the witches she was beginning to like, she still ended up killing.

Agatha is a walking and talking Three of Swords.

Any progress that she makes, she becomes her own obstacle.

The longest home Agatha’s ever stayed in was Randall Bohner’s home in Westview. And for 3 of those years she wasn’t even herself.

Anyway, even when Agatha had Nicky they had no home. The Road was literally their home.

But when Nicky asked if they can have some food but Agatha explained she can do a lot of things except create something out of nothing*. She can’t make food for Nicky.

This deepens the context over Agatha’s envy over Wanda’s Chaos magic.

Making Breakfast for Dinner.

And Agatha and Nicky had was a goat she has to slaughter, butcher, and cook.

(*This is where it strengthened— Agatha was not the only one who created Nicky. Rio, perhaps by accident help create Nicholas.)

——-

Agatha really did spend the rest of her life proving her mother right. And the only good thing in her life was Nicky.

From Death, Life.

And then when Nicky died she no longer had a moderating force. She’s like an addict jumping on a nonstop bender.

She added the Darkhold to that blackhole of her life.

And the only thing that made Agatha stop was Wanda parking Agatha in Westview for 3 years.