#blasti arts

[bunpiry]

I want them to appear in trolls 3

[glitterhearth]

been trying out the art thing recently

[thatsnotbuddies]

norwood jesus

halo-less version:

[spotlightstudios]

Hi guys, I'm insane again

(This was originally a full two-page piece of Blasty and Linden, but I had to scrap it for a different 2-page piece using the other side, so I had to improvise 🙏)

[identityquest]

i keep telling myself im gonna draw a big sketch page full of all my skyrim ocs but i only ever draw DMD 😔

[a-lilguy]

A moment of silence for Denki Kaminari, who made the mistake of telling Bakugo that he 'can't spike for shit'.

[dragonfruitsoup]

i am a simple woman who loves those videos of animals and the crimes they've commited

( ex:

and so:

pro hero bakugo who travels for a mission & sends videos from local cat cafe to todoroki/shinso/aizawa/resident cat friend of choice but they're all like this

number 14 pro hero dynamight somehow finally winning over his pr because his official social medias are now all just videos of him, monotone, listing the various crimes of stray dogs and cafe cats.

the nation loses its mind when he goes hiking and some bird follows him around, repeating what he says about the local fauna.

(he totally loses standing with pr after the video of the fox he narrates with what is CLEARLY an impression of that snotty news anchor who talked shit about him three days earlier. y'know, the one with the fox snout...)

todoroki who responds every time with 'you will be hearing from my lawyers over this blatant defamation. they are a perfect angel and have never done anything wrong in their life.' shinso, who just finds the next stray cat or pigeon while on patrol to send a similar video back.

aizawa, in the middle of grading tests or writing reports, begrudgingly endeared and exhausted in equal measure. one hand holding his phone, the other over his face to hide his smile. (his students are losing their minds. was that dynamight's voice?? can't be, right??)

ua graduating class of 2XXX all agree their favorite videos are the ones where bakugo very not-so-subtly pokes fun at the various misdemeanors & shenanigans their year got up to. (class j send the clip of the hamster committing grand larceny every other month in a mass email)

[video of a very fat hamster in a pile of sunflower seeds, happily munching along] [bored bakugo voice] this is gerald. gerald is a hamster, not a gerbil. gerald skipped gym class to commit grand larceny in kyoto when he was seventeen. he was never caught.

[video of a calico cat sunbathing in the window of some corner store] [bored bakugo voice] this is sunspot. sunspot was the only suspect in the arson of an "'abandoned'" factory in musutafu's industrial complex. sunspot was never charged due to lack of evidence.

[video of a very large, very serious looking dog, sitting poised and proud] [bored bakugo voice] this is speedy. obviously named after a pre-quirk comic book hero and no one else. speedy would have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder if not for nepotism.

[bunpiry]

You should call the trio, the Ube-Cheese!

clumped the ocs and whatnot

[7fatweeb]

[misdeliria]

he lets you paint his nails | k. bakugou

> pairing: katsuki bakugou x reader

> word count: 995

> concept: college au (aged-up), established relationship, domesticity, gn reader, canon divergence

> summary: bakugou lets you paint his nails

> warning(s): smoking weed

> author’s note(s): so i'm noticing i prefer college au's because the idea of writing a high school pov is so funky monkey to me. also, this was inspired by art I saw on instagram, but I forgot the artist.

You love spending the day at Bakugou’s place.

When you first started the student-hero routine, you collaborated with Kaminari and Mina on when to schedule your patrols, so you could work with either of them. Unfortunately, Bakugou decided on an opposite schedule to his roommate, so he would only have to cross paths occasionally.

That meant whenever you were working, Bakugou was off. And when you were off, Bakugou was out of the apartment.

This weekend was different, though. He switched patrols with Kirishima, who needed his shift covered, and went home early.

He already knew you would be at his place. He asked you last night over the phone and then confirmed with Kaminari.

When he unlocked the door, the smell of weed knocked him back. He scrunched his nose in irritation, but it quickly died when he caught sight of you stirring something on the stove, swinging your hips to music in your head.

You turned around when he shut the door behind him, and you dropped your spoon. Your eyes were red and glazed over, but he could read the pleasant surprise on your face.

"Katsuki," you breathed, smiling. "You're home."

"It reeks in here." He frowned darkly, dropping his duffle bag and uniform next to the couch.

"You're usually not here to smell it," you confessed whimsically, unbothered. You go up to him and bring him into a tight hug. The type of hug you gave when you were inebriated and wanted to literally melt into him. He slowly eases into it. "You're not going on patrol?"

"I would have if I was assigned an area," he muttered. "Eiji needed me to cover another time for him, so he took this shift."

"Remind me to thank him later," he heard you mumble against him.

Bakugou chuckled softly, petting the back of your head. "You miss me or something?"

"Always, asshole." You pull away from him, but he keeps his arms around you. "You're reckless."

He glares at that. "What did you say?"

"Nothing," you say quickly, pecking his lips. "We're in Kami's room. Mina's here too."

"Goody," Bakugou remarks dryly, allowing you to drag him to Kaminari's room. The smell only got stronger the deeper you went into the apartment.

"Blasty boy is here!" Mina screeched when you showed up in the doorway. Kaminari was in the middle of a bong rip when his eyes met Bakugou's glare, and he choked.

Bakugou felt a brief sense of satisfaction as he watched Kaminari cough until tears ran down his cheeks.

"You're not supposed to be here," Kaminari wheezed out once he could speak.

"Why does the place smell dank?" Bakugou glared darkly.

"We do this every weekend. Chill out," you speak up, taking a spot on the ground next to Mina.

Every weekend? "How have I not smelled it?"

"Because your sense of smell isn't as impressive as you think." Mina giggles at your clap back as she takes the bong next.

"We were gonna smoke and then paint our nails," Mina tells him. Bakugou leans against the doorframe and glances at you, but you're preoccupied with choosing a color. "Can I paint your nails, 'Tsuki?"

"Not a chance, Pinky." He lowered himself next to you, nodded when you showed him your color, and wordlessly asked for his opinion. He looked over the options, a combination of the three of your collections, all scattered on the floor between them.

He picked a basic black and passed it to you, which you took with confusion.

"Can you do mine this color?" He could feel the rush of heat crawling up his neck when Kaminari and Mina began squawking at how soft he was for you.

You silence them with a look, which he's grateful for, and smile warmly.

"Of course. I'll paint yours, then mine." You shifted, facing him, and took his hand into your lap. "Oh, wait. I'm gonna take a rip first." You paused as you reached for the bong, glancing at Bakugou briefly to check for disapproval.

He smiled and gave you a wink, enjoying how your lips pulled back into a wider grin as you grabbed the bong by the neck.

He thought you looked pretty when you handled smoking like an expert. Even though he didn't smoke, he thought it was amusing when his friends got high. And when you got high, you laughed at everything, and Bakugou loved your laugh.

"So, when is the shift you're covering for Eiji?" You ask him after starting on his nails.

"Sometime next week," he mutters, although he probably should let Kaminari know too. "I think it's during one of your shifts."

"Oh, maybe we can pair up then," you smile, keeping your focus on his nail so close to your face that you're nearly cross-eyed. "Can I add some orange? I'll make it look nice."

"Whatever you want," he tells you, makes your chest swell.

It makes his stomach flip when he realizes how dainty your hands are compared to his, and he can feel his cheeks get warm. With his other hand, he brings it against your face and pulls you closer to press a kiss on your forehead.

"What was that for?" You laugh breathlessly. You feel his body shrug across from you.

"Felt like it."

Off to the side, Mina is pretending to show Kaminari a video on her phone, but she's really recording this sweet moment where you're painting Bakugou's nails.

Bakugou loves that you painted his nails. As the week begins and you two return to your everyday routines, Bakugou checks his nails constantly.

He's careful and makes sure the polish doesn't chip off. He checks for hangnails every hour and uses oil on his cuticles.

When he's in class, and it's been a while since he's seen you, he'll start rubbing the side of his index finger against the nail on his thumb. Something about feeling the smooth paint gives him relief.

(im definitely projecting, but i hope you enjoyed)

[bunpiry]

They would get along, plus I love them so much!

[peachsukii]

🎂 happy birthday to the man, the myth, the legend; dynamight, katsuki bakugo. 🧡💥

it might sound sappy, but finding love in writing again is all thanks to this silly little guy. i didn’t pick up a pen to write in almost a decade, keeping all my daydreams locked in my mind. i’ve loved bakugo since i first started watching & reading my hero way back in 2016, easily becoming one of my favorites. he’s relatable in a lot of ways, having been a wild teen full of rage and learning to contain those strong feelings myself - it brought comfort to me. the fandom space was tumultuous and crazy, but i stuck it out and tried to keep in my own lane. at the end of 2023, i started reading fics again. i rediscovered something i loved and didn’t even know i put back on the shelf for so long. the start of 2024, i bit the bullet and started writing again for the first time since filling journals with rambles and collages. finding friends in this space made me feel understood, that this is a form of media that not only brings joy, but offers comfort and healing. something my younger self always ran from because everyone said ‘that’s weird.’ i’m not scared of that now.

i know you’re the fictional man in my head, but that doesn’t change how much you’ve helped me, truly. finding comfort in you is the best thing i’ve done for myself in a long time.

he reignited a spark in me that i didn’t think i possessed anymore. so thank you, katsuki. thank you for giving me that creative fire again. 🔥

love you to the moon and to saturn, blasty. 💜

art by @themetalhiro ✨

[islandtarochips]

Call of Duty OC: Agnes "Blast" Falagi 💥

Commission Art by @sleepyconfusedpotato ⬆️

A crazy Samoan (and Tongan) girl who is OBSESSED with bombs and would explode anything in her path. She is one of the team members that Kanoa had picked for the rescue mission. If you need anyone to make some CRAZY explosives. She'll be the gal to do the job.

UNIVERSE: Modern Warfare/Modern Warfare 2/Modern Warfare 3

General:

💥 Name: Agnes Falagi 💥 Alias(es): 

Agnes

Falagi

Aggie/Aggy

Blast (by Kanoa)

Blasty (by Nigel)

Sergeant Falagi

Sergeant Blast

Sergeant B (By her teammates and close friends)

Little Yapper (by Callie)

💥 Gender: Female 💥 Age: 20 (MW), 23 (MW2), 24 (MW3) 💥 Birthday: February 11th, 1999 💥 Nationality: United State National 💥 Place of Birth: American Samoa 💥 Home: Utulei, American Samoa 💥 Spoken Languages: English, Samoan (Native), Tongan (Conversational), Arabic (Learning) 💥 Sexuality: Heterosexual 💥 Occupation:

Sergeant of the Army

Sergeant of the Warriors Task Force

Demolition Expert

Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Specialist

Appearance:

💥 Eye Color: Brown 💥 Hair Color: Brown 💥 Height: 5’3”/160 cm 💥 Scars: 

Wounds: Stabbing wounds on her right thigh (by one of the enemies during the raiding into the Russian's base in Urzikstan)

Scars: Small scars on her knuckles and palms (cutting herself by accident when making the bombs)

💥 Face Claim: Teilor Grubbs

Favorites:

💥 Color: Black and Red 💥 Food: Manapua and Koko Laisa 💥 Drink: Mountain Dew 💥 Flower: Hibiscus and Teuila 💥 Hairstyle: Messy Bun (when she's off-duty) and Tight Bun (on work duty)

Affiliation:

Warriors Task Force:

- General Alana Kalani

- Captain Kanoa Toa

- First Sergeant Tiala "Shark" Toa

- Dr. Aelan Kalani

- Sergeant Nigel "Squirrel" Harrison

- Tama Nikau

- Special Officer Emma Tabua

Urzikstan Liberation Force:

-Commander Farah Karim

Specters/Team Charlie: ( @deeptrashwitch )

- Captain Alicia “Origin” Marchant

- Lieutenant Luke “Harlem” Michaelis

- Sergeant Jackson “Doc” Blackwell

- Sergeant Edward “Eager” Jackson

- Corporal Noah “Cobalto” Garcia

Mexican Special Forces/Los Vaqueros:

- Colonel Alejandro Vargas

- Sergeant Major Rodolfo Parra

- Special Officer Alyssa Martinez ( @alypink )

Task Force 141:

- Captain John Price

- Lieutenant Simon “Ghost” Riley

- Sergeant John “Soap” MacTavish

- Sergeant Kyle “Gaz” Garrick

- Charlotte “Jade” Le Jardin ( @sleepyconfusedpotato )

- Sergeant Major Hannah “Sparrow” Clayton ( @revnah1406 )

- Sergeant Annabelle “Kit” Pham ( @applbottmjeens and later joined in the Shadow Company)

Para Special Forces: ( @welldonekhushi )

- Captain Arjun

- Sergeant Aditya Tripathi

- Staff Sergeant Yuvraj Chaudhary

Second Commando Regiment: ( @kaitaiga )

- Captain Lachlan Jones

- Sergeant Damien Whitlock

CIA:

- Station Chief Kate Laswell - Officer Alex Keller

Shadow Company:

- Sergeant Annabelle “Kit” Pham ( @applbottmjeens )

Personality:

💥 Myers Briggs Type: ENFP Agnes has always have that bright and cheerful personality! (all because she doesn’t have any TRAUMA) And she’ll always be the one to cheer her friends/team up whenever she sees them feeling down. She loves meeting new people and will be the first one to greet. But don’t let her fool you for behind that sweet smile, there is CHAOS behind it.

💥 Friendly/Welcoming: There’s a reason why the Captain gave Agnes the position of greeting new members. Because of her warm and welcoming attitude! Have that great friendly smile to let everyone know that she means no harm! (...maybe)

💥 Energetic: Most people kept asking of where did Agnes get those energy. Even during training she is STILL going. What is her secret? That’s for HER to know and for YOU to find out. 💥 Creative: Drawing is her hobbies and she enjoys it every moment of it. She usually draws in her small notebook whenever she gets bored. She’s been drawing ever since she was little! If you want her to draw you, she’ll definitely draw it for you. In exchange for any sweets you have!

Negative Traits:

💥 Chaotic (in an exciting way): Agnes has that thing of whenever she feels overly excited she won’t control it. It’s like a child is having a ZOOMIES. If she sees or even feels the excitement that might overwhelm her. She’ll EXPLODE and go crazy. (not literally)

💥 Talkative: She can talk about ANYTHING that peeps her interests. But the problem is that she CAN’T stop TALKING. The only people that remind her to be quiet are mostly her team or close friends. Because she respected their space so she’ll stop. But with everyone else? Good luck to them.

💥 Mischievous: You should know that both her and her buddy Nigel always have that mischievous thoughts in their heads. And when you saw that grin on her face. It means things are about to go DOWN.

Skills and Abilities:

💥 Fighting Style: Hand-to-Hand Combat, Martial Arts and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu 💥 Weapons: M79 Grenade Launcher, M16 and MK14 💥 Distinct Weapon: Diamondback DB9, Flashbang, Grenades, Pipe Bomb and Esee Izula Knife 💥 Special Skills:

Hyperthymesia: She has great memories. With every little detail she sees, she’ll keep it in her head. And will never forget. So don’t expect her to forget those embarrassing moments that she witnessed from you.

Bomb/Demolition Expert: Knows her way of disarming and creating a bomb. And even knows how to destroy things with other materials too besides using the bombs.

Family:

Malohi Falagi (Father, Deceased)

Mele Finau Falagi (Mother, Alive)

Safaia Finau (Aunty, Mele's Sister, Alive)

Pet:

Beauty (Agnes’s cat, Missing)

Trivia:

💥 Agnes is the ONLY child of the family. So she only grew up with some of her cousins and friends who she considered as siblings.

💥 Agnes started to love making bombs when she started to make fireworks with her dad when she was young. 

💥 She got the nickname “Blast” from Captain Kanoa Toa. Showing how much she loves to explode things with the bombs she had and create. So from her first impressions with him she got that name.

💥Agnes also has a thing for sweets. So make sure that you hide it before she steals it from you. And whatever you do…DON’T ask her if you want some. She’ll deny it and give you a warning look. She’ll share with you if she wants to.

💥Her parents had always called her a “Gifted Child” because of her showing about her memories. At a young age, Agnes could remember every single detail that was around her. And they are very impressed and proud.

💥Spoiled. She’s been spoiled by her parents. Always. But her attitude is not being a spoiled brat? Nah. Her parents may spoil her but her heart knows when to be thankful with her parents gifts. And she loved them very much deeply.

💥Agnes had went to jail once in America for making illegal fireworks. She had insisted to her friends that she can make some for their 4th of July celebration. But little did she know that she had created a BIG one. Causing half of the neighborhood on fire.

Backstory:

February 11th, 1999. Agnes had appeared in this world on an island that she had grown up on. With two parents who had loved her until the end. Ever since she had grown up from her home. Her parents had always made sure that she was loved. And would spoil her. Mostly from her dad. Giving her sweets most of the time which her mother scolded him. But Agnes is not like she’s being a brat of NOT getting what she wanted. She appreciates EVERYTHING that her parents give her!

Her family is a bit poor since her parents don't work but only get a little money from their other family who was supporting them. Her father was a pyrotechnician. Creating fireworks is his specialty and his passion. He told her that an old friend of his who came to the island from China had taught him how when he was running a shop. But it got closed down because of the complaint and the disturbance from people who were using it unnecessarily. So they had to close it and the man had to go back to China. Her father still loves to make it so he usually goes off-island to get some material and make it here at home. And one day, he’ll teach HER how to make it. Which Agnes was really excited about.

When Agnes became a Freshman in High School. Her father started to teach her how to create fireworks (somewhere in the safeplace where no one will get hurt or get burned). He also told Agnes that she should take notes since it’ll take a LOT of steps to remember how to make it. But she insists that she doesn’t need it. Her father just shrugged and taught her how to make it. And once the father is done and let Agnes take her turn. He was shocked to see how fast Agnes was doing and saw she had gotten EVERY single step RIGHT. He has no words on how his daughter even remembers EVERYTHING. So he told his wife about it and she was shocked as well. They did a little test on her about her memories and to their surprise she remembers every little detail of it. So they have called her a “Gifted Child”. This was in 2014 when she’s a Freshman after the summer.

In her Junior years, Agnes had been helping her dad with his shop and doing her homework which she didn't mind. She has a lot of energy to do both! So she’s not worried about having trouble sleeping. While helping her dad to close the shop that night. She saw him coughing so badly that it got to the point of him fainting. She quickly called the ambulance as they took him into the hospital. Her mother and her aunt came in rushing to see them. As they all sat down, the doctor had given them sad news that he has cancer. Which it really broke their hearts to hear this. Her mother was devastated at this news while her aunty is comforting her. Agnes also comforts her mother while trying to think of a way to help her family’s shop. But her father, who already knew the news, had insisted Agnes continue to go to school. In 2016 around October.

And when Agnes had become a Senior when School started. She slowly could see that their money was running low. She wanted to help out but what CAN she do? That’s when her prayer was answered when she saw the poster of a SCIENCE FAIR. With some good money that they are going to give out for a 1st place winner! She HAS to participate. So she already told her parents about it and wanted to do the fireworks for her project. Her dad would gladly help her with it. So the two have been working all day and night as Agnes took every single note of detail about making fireworks. And once that day had come for the Science fair. She had presented her project very well to the judge and her parents were there to see her presenting her stuff. She could see the judges were very impressed by her work and how detailing she had said. So they chose her to be the WINNER! Which her parents are very proud of! But it was too soon when Agnes received her reward, she could see her father had collapsed on the floor. One of the teachers had called an ambulance. She was scared and worried that her father’s time had come. This was in 2017 around March.

2 months had passed and her father had already passed away in April after that incident from the Science Fair. Leaving only her, her mother and her aunt. Agnes had stayed strong and positive for her mother as she worked hard in school. As she kept thinking about her father so much, she bumped into someone accidentally. She saw it was one of the judges from the Science fair. Seeing the woman in her army uniform. She smiled down at Agnes and told her that she would love to talk with her about the project she did. She doesn’t mind and tells her everything she knows about the fireworks. And then the soldier had given her a pamphlet about joining the army. Agnes read it through before she saw the title that says something about bombs and demolition. THAT had gotten her attention. The woman smiled at her and told her everything about being a bomb and demolition expert. They’ll even pay her high price as long as she serves in the military which Agnes was desperate for. The woman had given her before the summer started since she’s leaving on the day AFTER the graduation. So Agnes quickly ran back home and told her mother about it because she thinks it’s a GREAT opportunity to help with the financial problems that they’re struggling with. But her mother disagreed right there. She already lost her husband. She can’t lose her ONLY daughter as well. The Aunt also agreed with the mother but she’s also on Agnes’s side too. For they are struggling with money and most of their family are off-island. So the mother hesitantly agreed with this. Until the day of the graduation, Agnes had already talked to the woman before that day and she’s ready to go on the next day to join the army. This was somewhere in June in 2017 still and she was 18-years-old when she joined in.

Agnes has been serving in the army for only 2 months and had impressed her higher officers by her skills. Knowing every detail about disarming the bomb and how fast she disarms it. She’s also very creative on how to MAKE a bomb out of scratch. Planning which one fits best to demolish the size of any building. So they have put her in Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Specialist. And she LOVES it there.

Until 1 month later, Agnes had gotten called over to join a mission that needed a demolition expert. And that’s when she met Captain Kanoa Toa. Explaining to her of doing a rescue mission and they needed someone who can make bombs to take down the WHOLE place with the cartels. After they get everyone and find someone that they are looking for. She gladly took this and helped him to take those cartels down once and for all!

After another month later, they have already made a move into the area while Agnes is doing her handy work of placing those bombs in the building. And once she heard the Captain tell her to pull the trigger. That’s when she pressed the button and exploded the WHOLE place down. She really enjoys the view though.

And then a few months later after that tough mission, she had received an invite from the Captain asking if she would like to join his Task Force. She gladly took it and was introduced to his sister. The Second-in-Command of the Warriors Task Force. That’s the name that her Captain had brought up. The one who he was looking for during that mission. So she had joined as being the WTF’s most fearsome and chaotic bomb maker in the TEAM!

Mood Board

More of Agnes Falagi post

[red-riot-gives-you-wings]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLASTY BBY🧡🧡🧡🧡💥💥💥

I will eventually have a drawing to post but I have been so busy I have not had free time in over three months. I’m planning a cute little art piece that’ll hopefully be posted soon.

[spotlightstudios]

Prof Linden my beloved <3

[rita-repulsa-ke]

The Accusation

"Watch me," she says, arms spread wide, hands raised to the sky. "Witness me. In time, I'll master magic that will make even you fear me."

Then she turns on her heel to make a stately retreat, less hurried than her last one, and takes one step before she collapses face-first in the dirt.

Agatha and Rio, post-breakup. A bit of fighting, but also a moment of respite. Also some Agatha angst.

The first time someone throws the accusation in her face, it takes her by surprise.

She’s standing in a circle of witches, and it seems her reputation has proceeded her, because they hurl all sorts of accusations at her, all the familiar ones.

“Witch killer!”

“Kin-slayer!”

“Covenless witch!”

“Who, me?” she says, eyes wide with innocence. “Truly, sisters, I have never heard such foul charges! I am innocent! I have done none of these terrible things you would accuse me of!” And then, because why not, “What proof have you?”

“You killed my sister,” a young witch snaps.

“Oh. Did I?” Agatha purses her lips, pretends to think. “You know, now that you mention it, I do see a family resemblance. She was really annoying too.”

A nearby tree giggles in a way she suspects only she can hear. She chooses to ignore it. She isn't doing this for the amusement of trees or whatever supernatural entities might be lurking in them.

Of course, she doesn’t need to be doing this at all. She is the owner of the Darkhold, a witch whose mastery of the Cthonic arts surpasses any living magic user (she’s made sure of that). She could kill everyone here with a flick of her fingers.

But the old way is simply more fun.

One of the witches points a shaky finger in her direction. “She values nothing! She killed her mother!" She most certainly did.

Another points, accuses, the same old routine, when will they get to the blasti— "She traded her own son for the Book of the Damned!”

What.

She what.

Agatha isn’t even aware of what happens next. There are bodies, charred, burnt corpses, in front of her and she’s—

She’s laughing. She’s got her head thrown back and a terrible cackle is squeezing its way out of her throat, a laugh a little too similar to a scream.

“Agatha."

Death is many places. Right now, those places include being mere inches away from her.

Agatha has many uses for the Darkhold, many plans for it, all that terrible dark power, but here is a simple one.

It is enough power to do more than tickle Death.

What comes from her fingertips is a screaming, wild storm of unnatural purple energy, anathema to green magic. Nature withers. Trees fall to ash, flowers to rot.

And Rio bleeds.

Not much, but a trickle, down one cheek, red when it always seems like it should be black or green, a lie of humanity found nowhere else.

Death crosses her arms over her chest, looking at Agatha with wide, hurt eyes, and there is something awful, truly awful, in that gaze.

Sympathy. Pity.

“I’m sorry,” Rio says, and Agatha does the mature thing.

She runs away. She blasts off into the sky, a column of purple, leaving Death watching her go until she is entirely out of sight.

The second time, she’s more prepared.

“Nonsense,” she cackles melodramatically. “Surely even I would not do anything so terrible!”

No one believes her, of course. It makes it even easier to kill them.

She stands in a field of the dead, looks at the empty husks of powerless bodies and for a moment she doesn’t remember what it’s all for. Why she’s doing any of this.

Between one thought and the next, there is her stalker, Death herself, beautiful as a mushroom cloud. “You don’t have to let them believe that about you.”

"But I want to," she says. There is power in it, the image they all have of her as callow, heartless, unfeeling. She wishes it were true.

And then she remembers what all the power is really for.

She gives Rio a wolfish smile, one that holds terrible promise. “I’ll do it, you know.”

“Agatha, don’t.” The other woman shifts, dangerous, hip cocked, brown eyes gone hard. “Don’t even threaten it.”

“The secret is in here.” She summons the book to her, turns pages dense with information that cannot be simply read, they must be digested, studied, contemplated. There are great mysteries in the Darkhold, if the reader can resist going mad.

Well, uselessly mad.

“I’ll tear apart the veil between life and death. I will have my time. I will have what you took from me.”

“Do you think that’s what Nicky would want?”

She’s getting better. This time the terrible magic she summons peels away strips of flesh, leaves flat, white bone behind.

Rio only huffs with annoyance. “Agatha, that book will destroy you, it’s destroyed anyone who has ever dared to wield it.”

“Since when am I just anyone?”

They both freeze for a moment. There is an old interaction here, a memory of a better time. Rio smiles, unbidden. “You are not. There is no one like you, Agatha Har—“

Agatha overcommits. Not in power, but in knowledge. Her lips form an incantation she has only just begun to study, words of power spilling from her, heedless of the cost.

“Ags, no! Not that one!”

She speaks the words and for a moment, she has it! She can see—everything.

Everything.

Everything that ever was, ever will be, pouring into her like she were a clay vessel, the pressure building, ready to burst.

“Creare ordinem. Creare ordinem. Expellere quod non sit. Expellere quod non sit.”

It’s so strange to hear Rio do proper, ordinary ritual magic that it takes her a moment to place the voice. “No,” she snarls. “No, I almost had it!”

“Agatha, beloved, you did not ‘almost have it’.” The raw fury in Rio’s voice shocks her into momentary silence. “You almost tore yourself apart. Unmade yourself completely.”

It takes Agatha a moment to comprehend that, and then she manages a weak laugh. “Ooooh.” She clambers shakily to her feet, meeting Death’s eyes. Chucks her under the chin in a way no one else, living or dead, would dare. ”That’s it, hmm? You’d finally have lost me for good.”

Rio catches her wrist and her gaze, and for a moment, holds her pinned in place. “You would have ceased to exist. So, yes, I would have lost you. Are you so desperate to be rid of me that you’d prefer nonexistence?”

“Depends on the day,” Agatha answers, too honest.

Rio’s gaze gentles in a way she despises. “With time, the grief will lessen.”

That is not the right thing to say at all.

Agatha jerks away and tries to cast something, becomes aware of her own exhaustion and staggers, suffers the humiliation of Rio catching her by the shoulders and steadying her. “I will do it! Give me time. I’ll bring him back to me,” she declares instead, bravado all that’s left to her.

“You know I can’t allow that.”

When she wants to, Agatha Harkness can also smile like the end of the world. She throws her arms around Rio's neck, looks into Death's eyes. "Try and stop me."

“Don’t make me,” Rio whispers, endless, immortal gaze fixed solely on Agatha.

Agatha's laugh is sharp, mocking. "Who could? Who could make Death do anything? Certainly not me." She releases Rio, knowing that is always the cruelest thing she can do. "Watch me," she says, arms spread wide, hands raised to the sky. "Witness me. In time, I'll master magic that will make even you fear me."

Then she turns on her heel to make a stately retreat, less hurried than her last one, and takes one step before she collapses face-first in the dirt. She tries to summon her power, but her purple is only a faint flicker across her fingers. She couldn't fly her way out of this one if she wanted to.

"…Very scary," Rio says, crouching next to her, clearly on the verge of breaking into giggles. "Ags, I think you overdid it."

Agatha huddles for a moment, knees pulled to chest. She feels tired. She feels every one of her several hundred years, fighting with Death, stealing and mastering dark magic, missing a boy who took her heart with him when he died. "…So what now? Going to stab me today?" she asks Rio. That is a thing Death does sometimes, stabbing. She can't kill Agatha, it isn't her time, but she can make Agatha bleed.

Rio hesitates, then shakes her head. "I was thinking I could make a campfire and make you some tea?"

"Ew," Agatha says. "We're mortal enemies, remember?"

Rio's gaze goes harder. Her smile goes wider, and a flicker of a skull appears beneath full lips. "Do you want me to stab you?"

Agatha reconsiders. "Well. If you were going to have some tea, I might join you for a cup?"

"You sure?" Rio asks. "Because if you'd rather—" The flat of the knife taps Agatha on the cheek with some force, making her flinch back. It occurs to her suddenly that Rio is being very, very nice about this, she hasn't been able to touch Agatha since she acquired the Darkhold, hasn't been able to cut or stab or truly wound her once. And now Agatha is vulnerable.

Perhaps now is not the time to try Death's patience.

"…I'd really like some tea," Agatha confesses, worrying her lower lip between her teeth and looking up at Rio from under her lashes. "Please?"

"Theeeeere's my girl. I was wondering when the manipulation and charm were going to come out," Rio kisses her on the top of the head, which makes her flinch back, but then she does start a fire and she does grow tea plants right there, something Agatha secretly never tires of watching. She plucks fresh leaves and make them both cups of tea that taste so familiar Agatha fights briefly against tears.

Just the exhaustion, no doubt. "Make me another cup," she says when the first is done, imperious, demanding, but she does see Rio's smile.

Maybe it's also the exhaustion, but she doesn't hate that either.

She summons the Darkhold to her. "You're too tired," Rio scolds.

"I can study, anyway," Agatha murmurs, and this, too, has the ring of old familiarity, Agatha with her nose in some tome or other, Rio reminding her that she needs to attend to simple human needs like eating or sleeping.

Ironic, a being with none of those needs being the one who always remembered them. But then, Rio had always been surprisingly attentive to Agatha. Obsessively, even.

"Yes, beloved, study the book famous for driving people mad while you're exhausted and drained. That won't have any negative consequences."

"Weak people," Agatha murmurs. Then, "Stop calling me that."

"No," Rio says, meeting her eyes, another of those skeletal smiles crossing her face. "Never. I love you, Agatha Harkness. I adore you."

"Not enough," Agatha says and sees Rio go rigid, eyes wide. She braces for attack, expects a knife or a vine, perhaps a blast of power she can't absorb.

Instead Rio simply pops out of existence, like a soap bubble sustaining too much pressure.

"…Good riddance," Agatha murmurs after a moment and dismisses the book, banking the fire and curling into a ball to try to sleep. It's been years since she slept rough like this, but she's simply too exhausted to go any farther.

It surprises her how well she sleeps. It shocks her even more to wake lying on a bed of thick, springy moss, a blanket of woven grass covering her. She fingers the blanket for a moment, then shoves it aside. "I don't need your help," she tells the air, though she summons her power before she does, makes sure her reserves are replenished enough that she could fight Death if she needed to. "After all," she continues, her face lit with a savage, world-devouring smile. "I'm Agatha Harkness, the evil witch who traded her the son for the Book of the Damned."

Want more cute witch fiction? Go read a tentative peace or death's hand in mine