#can't believe Aubrey plaza is getting me to write again

[cuinaminute229]

I am so definitely working on a Rio x reader fic because I can't get her out of my head

[isagrimorie]

This THR interview with showrunner Jac Schaeffer is really good!

Some quotes from the interview:

"When you're lucky enough to have a project be a hit [WandaVision] and you then have some capital, the question becomes: how are you going to spend your capital? And one of the answers to that question was parlaying it into a return to directing," Schaeffer tells The Hollywood Reporter of directing multiple episodes this season. "There's nothing like it. Writing something and being the one to execute it and then additionally seeing it through post, it's the ultimate."

So the reason we're getting this material on Agatha All Along is because Jac Schaeffer earned the capital, the cachet after making WandaVision into a runaway hit. Even though Disney-Marvel refused to give her the rightful title of 'Showrunner' at that time.

She's using this capital to tell the story she wants to tell.

How did we get as much textually, onscreen Agatha/Rio as we're getting?

Because WandaVision was a runaway hit, the first of its kind on Disney+ streaming and because of that cachet Jac and Mary Livanos (EP) now have the capital to spend it on pushing the story they want to tell and includes Agatha and Rio's very complicated romantic relationship.

On Agatha and Rio

Jac Schaeffer: "I just think it's about the dynamic between Agatha and Rio. At this point in the story, it's impossible for them to find each other, and that's the real question," Schaeffer says. "Obviously, they have so much chemistry and they have so much heat, so what's the problem? That's really what that scene points to."

---

Q: Rio dropped the reveal about Teen in the midst of Agatha trying to kiss her. Why did Rio decide to ruin that tender moment between them and hurt Agatha even more?

Again, it is hard to really talk about this because there's so much yet to unfold, but I appreciate the question very, very much, and I would like to try to answer it as best I can. I would just say that Rio's interest in Agatha has a lot of depth to it. When we first see them together as their true selves in that fight at the end of 101, it's all fun and games. It's hair pulling and scratching and knives and sexiness, but there's real pain and real yearning.

Q: Was Aubrey Plaza doing double duty based on her absence between one and four?

Well, it's rarely just a practical thing. In the writers' room, we knew that Rio would be so special, and we were trying to titrate how combustible we wanted their interactions to be. So we knew we couldn't have them together all the time because it's not a rom-com. It's not about two people with cute conflict who then fall into bed with each other. So we always knew that Rio wouldn't be around all of the time, and I believe the construction of the episodes predated Aubrey's availability. But, yes, we did not have her entirely in the way that would've made things easier. Still, I would say those decisions were more about story.

There's a lot of "justice for Sharon," but there's also a lot of "where's Rio?" And part of our job is holding back. You can't give everybody everything they want all the time. You need a little pain and a little frustration in your watch to keep you going.

(Emphasis mine.)

The ol' slowburn, the ye ol' yearning. You gotta keep them hungry, to keep them on the hook.

That good ol' TV standard.

[cuinaminute229]

What can I say when I write fluff it's gonna be super fluffy! To be fair the ending I had originally would have been a cliffhanger but after watching the finale I decided that it had to only be fluffy.

I loved writing for Rio, like omg I need to write more for her! I still can't believe all it took was seeing Aubrey plaza playing a witch to get me writing again. I definitely plan on more fluff for Rio cause she deserves all the happiness in the world.

I would definitely not complain if you reminded me of this fic when I say I'm allergic to fluff. I'll probably need it to remember that there's more than just angst LOL

We are more than strangers

pairing: Rio x reader

a/n: Rio has done nothing wrong ever and deserves the world

...

The soft voices of the group pulls you into a sort of trance. They’re talking about history, about their personal history. 

You grimace at the thought, sharing history is easier done than said in your opinion. You don’t know someone until you know them. Until you would die for them.

Ironically or not, you can’t die.

The embers of the makeshift camp fire flickers at your feet from where you’re stretched out on the ground. You can feel the uncertainty in the group, the false sense of safety as the conversation continues. 

You’re still reeling from the trial. Thoughts lingering on fire and heat and burning flesh. The sight of dripping blood, the smell of it still makes your stomach lurch. The boy, Teen was lucky in a way you do not understand. To have someone like Agatha pleading, begging death herself to spare a simple kid perplexed you. 

Agatha Harkness does not beg, she does not cry and yet this teenager has left her vulnerable in a way that can only make you wonder.

You feel like you’re going to get a headache if you keep thinking about it.

With a soft exhale you lean your head back against the log you're sitting against. Glancing up at the sky you can't help but notice, once again, that it's different then what you're used to. 

There's been no shift, nothing except the moon.

The night sky is the same as when Agatha rushed you down the door of the witches road.

It unsettles you, makes your skin itch. 

The whisper of an urge lingers in the back of your mind constantly down here. The road is going to dig up your worst fear and shove it down your throat. You're not ready for it, you don't want it.

And yet here you are, following Agatha down the witches road like a lost puppy.

When you feel a soft nudge against your ankle, you frown and turn to glance down at the foot that's touching you.

The grimace on your face is involuntary, not in disgust but rather annoyance. Rio knows you don't like people touching you so casually, she knows only she can get away with it. And she knows exactly how to push your buttons.

“Hey,” Her whisper feels like a breeze that tickles your ears but you don't look at her, you're too focused on where she's touching you, why she's touching you.

You scrunch your nose, swallow down the urge to growl at her, the urge to kick her away. You feel too raw for this, too exhausted.

“The sky is different.” You say, tilting your head in her direction, a subtle compromise on your part.

Rio hums in response and you see her shift closer, feel her move to rest her knee against your thigh, her foot tucked underneath her now. “It's the road, it’s meant to disorient.” 

“Oh,” You frown at her explanation and finally you look at her, you're surprised she's not smiling. Her expression is almost tender, curious. If you knew better you'd say she looked slightly worried.

You see her chew her bottom lip, midnight eyes glance down at the flower she's been twirling in her hand, she's hesitating. 

The flickering of the fire dances across her skin, it makes her look hauntingly beautiful but you don't like how her beauty bleeds with uncertainty. 

With a subtle shift that's more reflex than thought, you turn in her direction so your entire body pays attention to her.

Rio raises an eyebrow at your choice, halts the twirling of her flower as she glances at you. When you only raise an eyebrow in return she smirks, the unsaid invitation now known.

Without a word she scoots closer, leaning into your space. The white flower she's been holding tickles your ear as she gently pushes it into your hair. 

Rio's expression is soft, earnest in a way only your memories know. She brushes her thumb over your cheek, her touch makes you weak, vulnerable in a way you've almost forgotten. 

You've missed this, God you've missed this.

“Where did you go?” Rio's question is barely a whisper, barely a concern and yet you squeeze your eyes shut when your eyes sting with emotions that make your very soul ache.

“I'm here.” You say, ignoring how your voice breaks under the two simple words. 

You're here. You never left. 

With a slow agonizing inhale you try to push away the vulnerability of this moment.

As you hold your breath, you go through the motions. You feel the leaves of the road, feel them crumble as you grab a handful. You can hear the soft crackling of burning wood, the low voices of the group as they continue to talk among themselves. 

With a slump of your shoulders you exhale, forcing your muscles to relax as you focus on what's next. The smell of damp wood and aged berries surrounds you, Rio. 

You breathe her in like she's your favorite candle, like you want to drown in her.

The feel of her thumb brushing over your eyebrow grounds you in the moment, in her embrace that a single touch can cause.

You blink open your eyes with just a fraction of clarity. There she is, right where she was when you closed your eyes.  

The relief is a rush you weren't expecting, you knew she was there and yet Rio's eyes are like the sky on a moonless night, dark and all consuming as if with just a glance she can see past the history of your soul. 

It's unsettling in the best way possible.

“I’m just tired.” You say the excuse because it's easy, it's comfortable. Because you know the truth won't fit into words.

Being here, on the road with Agatha, with these witches that can not fathom how much they will lose from this, it's exhausting. 

But none of it compares to Rio, just her very presence causes the yearning in your bones to ache.

You've missed her, more than the oxygen you breathe.

Rio frowns as she looks at you, runs her fingers down the column of your neck to trace along your collarbone.

When she hooks a finger around the chain of your necklace you wonder if she's going to break it but her eyes turn thoughtful as she glances down at the small pendant. The pinch of her brow tells you this is the first time she's noticed it since she joined the group.

“You still have it.” She's so close you can almost feel her words brush against your neck, almost hear the relief in her voice.

“Are you so surprised?” The necklace was a gift, a promise that surpasses every doubt and denial that you’ve faced in your long life.

When she glances at you the vulnerability in her eyes almost takes your breath away. She nods after a second of hesitation, averts her eyes to look at the pendant again like she can't believe what she sees.

“I could never...” Your voice is barely a whisper, barely a confession because you can't bring yourself to say the words that are etched into your rib cage.

The way your hand reaches for her is like muscle memory. Her skin is warm, alive under your touch as you dig your fingers into her waist.

Rio runs the pad of her thumb over the engraving on the pendant before looking at you again. “I know.”

You always loved how her eyes can hold such emotions, how they give away her every thought when she looks at you.

For a being as old as time itself Rio was exceptionally easy to read.

“I know you.” Rio explains as she finally lets the necklace fall, as she leans back just a bit to give you space to breathe.

When she lays a hand on your chest, palm flat against the open space of your shirt collar, you wonder if she can feel every beat of your heart. You wonder if she wants to rip it out and cradle it in her hands as if to remind you who you belong to. 

“I know every part of you.” She speaks softly, finger tapping lightly against the dip of your neck. The weight of her touch almost makes you lightheaded. 

You fist a handful of leaves from where your other hand is rooted to the ground. The words you want to say feel like barbed wire just waiting to make you bleed. 

The breath that leaves you instead makes it feel like your lungs collapse. You lick your lips, glance away from those eyes you love so much just to be able to breathe again. 

Her touch is a warmth you haven't felt a lifetime. It feels like home.

“The next,” You shake your head, try to chase away the weight on your shoulders, “It's mine, it's mine.” 

You don't have to explain. The colors of the road is all the truth you need, the scattered leaves that lead to the next trial are a color that you hold dear.

The pattern was easy to decipher, each color matching the witch's power.

The next trial is yours. 

“I know.” 

She taps a rhythm against your collarbone, grounding you in the moment. 

“What did I tell you, the night we met?”

You frown at her question but you search your memories for that first night. 

The night you died.

“You called me a pathetic bastard.” You chuckle at the memory. She found you bleeding and broken after an attack that decimated your village.

A pack of wolves. 

You thought they were normal, how wrong you were.

“What else?” She gently nudges you along, leaning close enough that all you can focus on is her, nothing else matters. 

“Dying was the easy part,” You feel her fingers spread out, inching closer to your neck. “Living with this gift ,” You growl the word out as if it tastes like rage, “will be the struggle.”

Almost a century has passed since that night and you’ve survived enough full moons that you’ve lost count. 

The scars on your body hold the history you’ve lived through, the rage and anguish you’ve had to process. 

To be hunted on all sides is not something you’d wish on anybody.

To be more monster than witch, to be woven so tightly with death and torment that it’s seeped into the very core of who you are. 

To be able to hold death's hand and walk into the next day.

You are rare. You are a beauty in Rio’s eyes.

“You are still here.” Rio reminds you, her voice gentle.

“The road will not destroy you, you will not let it.” Her voice bleeds with certainty, her dark eyes hold you hostage as she speaks a truth you do not fully understand.

A strong laugh causes your attention to snap, your eyes on the protection witch within half a second, Alice. She’s laughing at something you did not hear, she looks so carefree and alive and oh god are they going to hate you once they know your secret? Once they understand who you really are. 

“Look at me,” Rio’s touch shifts, possessive, gentle, just a tad bit controlling. She cups your face in her hands, tilts her head so the curtain of her hair hides everything else. “Those witches do not know you like I do, once they see a monster that is all they can see. They do not matter.” 

The truth to her words feels like a knife to the neck, you are the monster that mothers tell their children about, you are the wolf that stalks the night.

You have never been just a witch.

And you know they will never see past it, no one ever has. Not even Agatha. No one but Rio. For death has been your lifeline since the night you died. 

“I’ve missed you.” The words spill out like the blood of a fresh cut wound. You dig your nails into the soft skin of her waist, your grip beyond desperate. It’s almost pathetic. 

Rio tilts her head and brushes a thumb under your eye, a small soothing noise in the back of her throat. 

It takes only a heartbeat for Rio to close the distance, for her to close her eyes as she presses her forehead against yours. The next breath tickles your lips and you fight with everything you have not to lean in just the last bit, steal a kiss that will leave you breathless.

Rio's soft chuckle makes you dizzy with a yearning that's almost impossible to ignore. A hand goes back to your chest, a subtle display of her power over you. 

You can not kiss her unless she wants you to.

The knowledge that you are not alone is fading into the background faster than you can breathe, you don't care about those witches anymore. Not when she’s so close, when her touch reminds you of countless nights and quest mornings. 

You know without a doubt that you could never stop loving her. 

“I love you too.” Rio whispers in response as if she can read your thoughts, she leans close enough the words ghost over your lips. You need to reach the end of this god forsaken road, you need this little field trip to be over. 

“You owe me a drink after all this.” The words are a breathless desire that you will make true. Nothing will keep you away from her. 

“Make it to the end and I will give you whatever you want.”