Capture Me

After being a screenwriter for over 8 years, Rio had never expected that one of her films would finally receive a larger budget, being produced by a large company with such hope for it to be a success. Most of the films she wrote had been smaller, received negative reviews, and the writing was deemed mediocre. She blamed it on the companies and others she worked with for not letting her write most of her ideas, but at the end of the day, most backlash was directed towards her. 

So when she pitched a psychological horror film to a few different studios, and one promised a budget of about $45 million, including the marketing, she was thrilled, especially upon figuring out that the average budget for horror movies was typically a couple million less. If this film was a success, her name would be well known, she could even be praised for her writing by a large audience! The best thing that could happen, in her eyes, was to get hired to write more movies. 

It was also a pleasant surprise to learn that there would be famous actors and actresses in this film as well since none of her other films had any big names to it. Luckily, the casting directors casted people who could act, and didn’t cast them for the sake of having well-known people in it.  As usual, she had met with everyone acting in the film briefly before they started filming, which was nerve-wracking .But she never saw them, Rio didn’t go on set as it wasn’t necessary. Albeit, there were a few occasions where she had been asked to come over for dialogue revisions.

Once, after she was called in, she was leaving the set, which at the moment was a fake police station. She saw one of the actresses outside near the parking lot on a call.

She recognized who it was almost immediately, Agatha Harkness. She was the co-lead in the movie, a forensics investigator trying to figure out who caused a string of deaths in the town the characters live in, before realizing that it was our ‘protagonist’ all along.

They had talked once before, but never saw each other afterwards, which wasn’t the case with most of the others in the cast. She felt like starting up a conversation with her again, but whoever she was calling was clearly giving her stress, and she thought it would be best to not bother her.

She could hear Agatha’s end of the conversation as she walked closer.

“..yes, I know.” She said, looking over to see Rio and making a weak attempt to lower her voice, “No, I can’t do that, I don’t have the time for it.” 

Rio could hear someone yelling over the other line.

“I don’t have time, I’ll be busy filming a movie for the next few months!” She exclaimed, and when the other person began talking she yelled, “Oh fuck off!” Before hanging up. She looked over at Rio, who had already passed by her.

“Hey!” She called out to her, so Rio turned around and stopped, “Did they call you in to revise dialogue or something?” 

Agatha began walking towards her, her hands were now buried in the pockets of her purple pants, waiting for her to answer. She held a small smile on her face.

“Yeah,” She said, “How's filming been?”

Agatha shrugged, “It’s..okay, some of the people can be a bit bitchy, but that's nothing new.”

Rio nodded, and for a moment there was a bit of awkward silence. In those few moments, Rio found herself admiring Agatha. Of course when she first met her, she immediately realized how gorgeous she was, but now, she was seeing it more clearly. 

“You look good,” Rio said, “I like the bun,” Agatha’s hair bun was a bit messy, but to Rio, it just looked better that way. 

“Oh, honey, I know,” Agatha replied, “But thank you,”

Rio chuckled, trying to ignore the pet name before remembering the conversation Agatha was having when she walked by.

“Who were you on the phone with?” She asked, and Agatha’s smile was wiped off her face.

“Oh it’s..” She looked away, “It’s no one important.” She almost sounded offended that Rio was asking. The writer nodded nervously, assuming Agatha probably wouldn’t want to talk about something clearly stressful with a woman she barely knows.

“Alright,” She said, “I’ll just..be on my way, have some errands to run and stuff,” Rio wasn’t mad at Agatha, but she didn’t know how to continue their conversation after this encounter. While she was walking off, Agatha called out to her.

“Hey! This movie that you’ve written..it's..really good,” She yelled to the parking lot, “I think it’s leagues better than the others you’ve written!”

Rio felt a smile tugging at her lips, “Thank you!” She said before getting into her car and driving away. 

She was surprised, flattered, and embarrassed that Agatha had watched a few of the movies Rio wrote. Usually, she wouldn’t care, but the fact that Agatha did made her feel self-conscious about her work.

Obviously Rio knew why she felt this way with Agatha specifically, she was interested in her. She didn’t want to ask her out, not knowing if she was queer or not, and they didn’t know each

other well enough. To Rio, it didn't feel right asking someone out without getting to know them better. 

It was a good thing this definitely wouldn’t be the last time they spoke to each other.

-

Over the course of filming, Rio was called in a couple more times. She hadn’t expected the need to be brought on set nearly as much as she was, but she wasn’t opposed to it. On occasions, she would stay later to talk to others working on the film, and a majority of those times, she was with Agatha.

She always had to seek her out. Whenever she bumped into her, Agatha never said much, normally just a small ‘Hey’ and maybe a couple more words, but she walked off. Normally, Rio would be the one to start their conversations.

She would’ve thought Agatha disliked her, but seeing how Agatha interacted with others who ticked her off, Rio assumed she would’ve been told to fuck off at this point. 

Agatha had just returned from getting coffee from a nearby shop. Surprisingly, she had asked Rio if she would want any, but she insisted that it wasn’t necessary, and that she was more of a tea person anyways. 

“So, do you have any pets?” Rio asked. Agatha, who was in the middle of drinking from her coffee cup, nodded. 

“Oh, I have a rabbit,” She said, pulling out her phone, “Excuse the fact that im shit at taking photos.” She had a photo album titled ‘Scratchy’, and inside was a plethora of rabbit pictures. She began showing Rio photos of him throughout the years, and Rio couldn’t help but feel her heart swell with affection, for both the rabbit and for Agatha.

“Aw, he’s cute. His name’s Scratchy?” She asked. 

“Yeah, he’s a Holland Lop. I got him about 2 years ago.” Agatha answered, “I ask my neighbor to watch him when i'm working,”

“Awesome, maybe I can come by and meet him some day, hm?”

Not something Rio had expected to say, but she was eager to spend more time with Agatha, and meeting an adorable rabbit at the same time would only make that experience better.

“Sure,” Agatha said hesitantly, “I don’t see why not,”

-

They hadn’t planned when Rio would come over, nor did they have each others phone numbers to plan it, but they were both sure that they’d figure it out next time they met again. They weren’t certain when that would be, but they knew that the chances of them never seeing each other again were slim.

When the director, Howard, announced that he was throwing a party for the film premiere, Rio felt excitement rushing through her veins. She knew she’d get to talk to Agatha again, and that was the main reason she felt like attending. Rio wasn’t normally the social type, especially when it came to parties, but she’d make an exception for Agatha and the rest of the cast.

It didn’t take her long to get ready. She put on a white flannel and dress pants, then applied some light lipstick and dark eyeshadow. It was cold outside, and she considered putting on a jacket, but in the end she decided she didn’t mind, even when she was shivering as soon as she stepped out the door.

She went to pick up her plus one, Lilia, someone who changed her life. During Rio’s childhood, her parents were neglectful. She always felt something was off about the way they treated her, but she didn’t completely realize that it was neglect until she was 25. Rio was helping direct and work on sets for a play at a community theater, with Lilia being the main director. She told Lilia about the events of her childhood, which, at the time, she thought was completely normal. Lilia had to convince her otherwise.

It took some time to realize what happened to her wasn’t normal, and Lilia was there for her through all her ups and downs. Rio had yet to talk to her parents about this, as she didn’t know how to approach it, but Lilia assured her that she didn’t have to. It only felt right to Rio that she was the one to come with her. 

The venue wasn’t too large, thank god. Most people that were invited had shown up, not many brought someone with them. Howard had invited some of his relatives too, who Lilia and Rio greeted at the beginning of the party. The two of them walked over to a table and put their purses down.

“Shall we get some food?” Lilia asked. Rio shook her head.

“You can go if you’d like, I’m going to go see if Agatha’s here,”

“Oh, that friend you were talking about? I’ve seen some stuff she’s in, I’d like to meet her later.” She told her, “No need to wait for me,” And then she walked off.

Instead of just walking around and searching for her, Rio decided it would be best to ask if anyone had seen her, and maybe she’d run into her in the process.

It didn’t take long for her to find Wanda, another actress who played a side character in the movie. She knew from previous conversations that Agatha and Wanda were friends, in fact, Wanda was the only other person that Agatha was able to get along with in the cast, and even then Agatha would tend to argue with her on occasions. 

“Oh, hey Rio!” Wanda greeted her enthusiastically when she saw her, “Nice seeing you here!”

She was holding a glass of tequila in her hand, which she quickly took a sip out of.

“Thanks, you too.” She said awkwardly, “Quick question, do you know where Agatha is?”

Wanda shrugged,  “She told me she’d be late, but that was two days ago.”

“Did she..say why?” 

“Well, no actually. I’m sorry,”

“It’s alright,” Rio said awkwardly, deciding to continue the conversation, “Did you come with a plus one?” 

“Unfortunately no. I was supposed to bring my husband, Vision.” She stated, “But stuff came up for him. It’s alright though. You?”

“I brought a friend, well, I think I’d actually consider her to be more like family at this point, her name's Lilia.” 

“That’s sweet,”

The two spent a few more minutes talking, before Agatha showed up.

“Wanda, Rio.” She said, “I see you two are..getting along.”

Rio didn’t understand why Agatha sounded slightly pissed off at this, she considered asking why until she saw what she was wearing, which completely distracted her.

It was a dark purple dress that went just past her knees, and god, did Agatha look good in it. She tried not to get distracted again and quickly snapped out of whatever trance she was in. 

“Agatha, you finally made it,” Wanda said.

“Yeah, it’s just traffic,” An obvious lie, one Rio probably would’ve believed if she didn’t talk to Wanda, but neither of them wanted to pester her for answers. 

Rio wanted to wonder why Agatha was lying, but she pushed those thoughts aside so they could have a conversation.

“So, Agatha,” Rio began, “Did you enjoy playing the role of Evelyn?”

“It was a good experience,” Agatha chuckled, “Y’know, would’ve been better if the rest of the cast wasn’t always breathing down my neck,”

All three of them laughed, reminding Rio that Wanda was still with them. 

Before either of them were able to respond to Agatha’s snarky comment, a producer walked up to Agatha and averted her away from them, she said a soft, “I’ll catch up with you two later,” before walking off to converse elsewhere.

Rio’s chest ached, wishing Agatha could have talked a little longer. She knew that they’d probably get back to it eventually, but every time they started talking, Rio never wanted it to stop. 

For now, she would just admire her from afar and try not to make it obvious that she was staring. It’s not like Agatha would notice, she wasn’t facing her. The other side of her dress had an opening which exposed a good portion of her back, which, Rio would admit, was attractive. 

“Rio, the food they have here is phenomenal. You really need to get in line before it gets too long.” 

Rio snapped out of whatever trance she was in to see Lilia standing beside her, plate in hand. 

“Oh. Lilia, I didn’t see you there,” She mumbled awkwardly, turning her head to Wanda, who was already holding a confused looo on her face. Lilia grabbed her arm, gently dragging Rio away from Wanda without warning.

As soon as she stopped in her tracks, Lilia began questioning her.

“What is up with you today?”

Rio tilted her head in confusion, “What do you mean?”

“Oh please, you were staring at Agatha like she’d disappear if you looked away even for a second!” Lilia pointed out playfully.

Rio’s felt her face heat up out of embarrassment, “Okay. So what if I was?”

Lilia scoffed, “You’re acting like I'm saying it’s a bad thing! I’m just pointing out the obvious.”

“Is it really that noticeable?”

“Well, maybe not to others. But I know you well,”

Rio sighed and looked down at the ground, Lilia did know her better than anyone, maybe even better than she knew herself.

"Are you going to ask her out?" Lilia asked.

"I'm not sure yet, I think I ought to get to know her better before,"

Her mind shifted back to something Agatha said earlier; being stuck in traffic. Why was she lying about the reason she was late? 

Lilia, sensing her worry, decided that she might need a distraction, “Do you want to go and get some-”

“I’m not hungry,”

“Well then, let’s sit down, shall we?”

The entire time they were sitting, Rio was zoned out. A few people came up to her, and she answered whenever they spoke, but she was barely thinking when she did it. 

The only thing that was on her mind was Agatha. Why would she lie about something like this? Did she forget that she had told Wanda before? 

You’re overreacting, she told herself, She doesn't have to tell you everything.

She waited for Agatha to walk up to her again, but that time didn't come. 

“I’ll be right back,” Rio said to Lilia, excusing herself to go to the bathroom. She didn’t actually need to go, but she needed a place to decompress. As soon as she walked in, she saw Agatha leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette. She seemed almost startled when she first saw someone enter, but upon realizing it was Rio, she seemed calmer.

“Hey,” She mumbled, taking her cigarette out of her mouth and blowing smoke. She waved her hand to avert the smoke away from the detectors.

Rio put her hands in her pockets and walked towards her, “Hm, you know you’re usually not supposed to do that,” She teased.

Agatha scoffed, “I’m not usually one to follow the rules. Do you mind opening that window for me?” 

She chuckled as she lifted it up, letting the air in.

“Thanks,” 

When Rio turned back to look at Agatha, she noticed her expression had changed drastically. She looked tired.

“You alright?” Rio asked, although not expecting a truthful answer out of her.

Agatha sighed, “I’ve been better,” 

“You wanna talk about it?”

“Hell no.” She put the cig back in her mouth and sighed, “I’d prefer if you distracted me. And before you ask, no, I did not bring anyone.”

Rio nodded and began speaking again, changing the subject to something she planned on asking earlier.

“How’s Scratchy?” 

“Oh, he's the same as always. Good,” 

“Would I still be able to come over and meet him some time?” Rio asked, her face holding a soft smile.

“Oh,” Agatha had seemed like she forgotten that she’d offered it, “Sure,”

Rio took her phone out of her pocket, “We should..probably exchange numbers for this.”

“Right.”

They quickly exchanged numbers before Agatha dropped her cigarette on the ground, making no efforts to put it out, so Rio did it for her.

“I should..probably get back now,” She said, “I don’t want to deal with assholes asking where I’ve been,”

Rio nodded, “Alright, well I’ll get going to, I was just in here because I needed a break,”

She wanted to tell her why she needed a break, that she had been overthinking the way Agatha felt about her, but there was no way in hell that she would do that right now.

Agatha walked towards the door, and Rio asked her if she wanted her to throw her cigarette out, to which she responded.

“No. Just let it sit there,” 

Rio threw it out before she left anyways.