A Tangle of Magic and Fate

the roommates

Agatha Harkness was no stranger to solitude. Having lived alone for years, she'd come to appreciate the silence that came with solitude. Yet, when she decided to take on a roommate to help with the rent in her apartment in New York, she had no idea that it would change her life in ways she couldn't predict.

Her new roommate, Rio, was a far cry from the silent, introspective types Agatha usually gravitated toward. Rio was a force of nature—bright, loud, and impossible to ignore. Where Agatha had a penchant for dark clothing and sharp words, Rio embraced colors with an energy that filled every room she entered. Even the way she carried herself was a kind of magic. The kind of magic Agatha had learned to be cautious of.

But Rio was more than just her eccentricities. Beneath the colorful exterior, Agatha knew there was something deeper—a quiet wisdom, a trace of sorrow, and perhaps... a touch of power. It intrigued her.

It was Rio who had found the place. Agatha had been looking for a change of scenery and a bit more space for her growing collection of mystical artifacts, but she had no intention of dealing with a roommate. Yet, when Rio showed up on her doorstep, she somehow knew that the universe had already made up its mind.

The first few weeks were an adjustment, as it always is with new living situations. Rio liked to sing in the shower, often terribly off-key, and Agatha found herself rolling her eyes more than once as the sound of Rio's loud, cheerful voice filled the air.

But there was a warmth to it, a kind of chaotic joy that Agatha hadn't realized she missed. And, slowly, without quite realizing it, Agatha found herself drawn to Rio. At first, she told herself it was merely a curiosity, a fascination with someone so unlike herself. But over time, that curiosity began to deepen.

It wasn't romantic—Agatha was fairly certain of that. She had never been one to indulge in such things. She had known love before, in her own time, but that had been an era where magic and hearts intertwined in ways both beautiful and tragic. Now, love seemed more like an ancient relic, something that had no place in her carefully ordered life.

Still, there were moments—small moments—that made Agatha pause.

It was late one evening when the first of those moments happened.

Agatha had been sitting at the kitchen table, a cup of herbal tea in hand, reading through her book . The room was dimly lit, a soft orange glow from the firelight flickering across the walls. Rio had been quiet for a while, which was unusual. Normally, she was always in motion, moving from one task to another, her energy as relentless as the ocean tide.

Agatha was about to turn the page when she heard the sound of soft footsteps approaching. Rio entered the room, looking a little hesitant, almost shy—something Agatha had never seen before.

"Hey," Rio said, her voice softer than usual. "You doing okay?"

Agatha looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

Rio shrugged, her eyes searching Agatha's face. "I don't know. You've been... quiet, lately. Like, quieter than usual."

Agatha felt a strange pang in her chest at the observation. "I've been busy."

"Right," Rio said, her voice light. "Just making sure. You've got this whole... mysterious aura going on, and sometimes, I wonder if you're just hiding in plain sight."

Agatha smirked, setting down her tea. "I'm not hiding. I'm just focused."

Rio leaned against the counter, her eyes never leaving Agatha. "Mhm. I get it. You're like a cat—independent, doing your own thing. But even cats need attention sometimes."

"Do they?" Agatha tilted her head, a playful smile tugging at her lips.

Rio's eyes sparkled. "Oh, absolutely. I've seen plenty of cats go full-on emotional support when the mood strikes. You're no different."

Agatha chuckled lightly, but there was something about the way Rio was looking at her—something warm, inviting, and... vulnerable. She wasn't used to this kind of attention, the kind that felt like it reached beneath the surface.

"I'm not a cat," Agatha replied, her voice more serious now.

"I didn't say you were." Rio gave a little shrug, but her gaze lingered for a moment longer than necessary. "But if you were, I think I'd be the one feeding you tuna."

That made Agatha laugh outright. Rio's humor was contagious in a way Agatha couldn't quite explain, and before she knew it, she felt something loosen inside her—something she hadn't realized had been tightly wound for so long.

Over the next few months, things between Agatha and Rio began to shift in subtle ways. It was impossible to ignore the growing closeness, despite Agatha's best efforts. Rio would stay up late, watching movies or talking about anything and everything, while Agatha read her ancient texts, occasionally offering advice or insight.
Their conversations often wandered into strange territories, discussing everything from the nature of time to Rio's childhood in Puerto Rico. Agatha found herself surprisingly fascinated by Rio's stories, even if they weren't always the most relevant to her own arcane knowledge.

It was the small things that Agatha noticed the most. The way Rio would absentmindedly hum to herself when she was in a good mood, or how her smile would light up the room whenever she shared a funny story. Rio had this magnetic energy, one that made it impossible to stay indifferent.

But it was also in the quiet moments, the ones Agatha never expected, where the connection between them truly began to deepen. Agatha had been working late one night in her office when Rio came into the room with a cup of tea for her.

"Thought you could use this," Rio said, setting it down beside Agatha. "It's chamomile. Helps with focus."

"Thank you," Agatha replied, her voice a little softer than usual. She reached for the cup, their fingers brushing for the briefest of moments. It was a simple touch, but it sent a shock of something she couldn't quite place through her body.

Rio met her gaze, her eyes lingering for a moment, as though she was considering something. "You ever wonder if some people are just... meant to cross paths? Like, everything's set in motion even before we realize it?"

Agatha swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. "I think everything happens for a reason," she said, her voice more distant than she meant it to be.
Rio smiled, but there was something knowing in her expression. "I agree," she said softly, before walking away, leaving Agatha to process the strange weight of the conversation.