elizacinnamon

[elizacinnamon]

Hi. I read your fanfic (I suffer from speed reading) and it turned out to be emotional. when I read your fanfics, where barchie are already adults with grown up children, it brings me joy but also longing associated with their aging. I do not argue that for me their favorite age is 25-30 years old, (less often their school versions). But still, your fanfic is great. I hope one day you will return to their younger versions (not in the 50's).

I agree writing about their 25 - 30 years is my favorite, too! I would love to return to that time but simply write/publish based on how I feel. I have recently really enjoyed thinking through their grown children and their various stages of life after spending so much time writing in this particular fic-verse. I’ve been nostalgic over the holidays, thinking of my own family, which inspired some of the emotions in this fic.

Thanks for reading!

[elizacinnamon]

for auld lang syne, my dear | a non-linear Christmas one-shot about Betty and Archie, and their children, over the holidays during years of joy and change.

[elizacinnamon]

A 5x19 fic / expansion on the story is something that I think about a lot:

- Obviously them drinking at the WW for a couple drinks just debriefing about life / Betty’s grieving after Polly.

- Archie somehow convincing her to go to the FBI office for “No real reason”…. But for the surprise party…

- After the surprise party he would have definitely stayed to clean up where again more conversation happened / whats going on happen

- The flirting that happens in scenes we didn’t see… with the subtle glances

- Her coming over before the meeting and the arms around her chair trying not to be awkward during those meeting with JV.

- The hangout that we DIDN’T SEE but the tension was high no doubt..

- what comes after the whole sign scene with the giggles etc…

- of course the moments before we cut to see them giggling before the ask…

SO many things to think about… as we needed more!! Even though we got like 5 barchie scenes in that episode hehehe

This ask got lost in my inbox but so many great things here!

I love the idea of the before/after of the party. The way Archie suddenly got flirty when Betty mentioned staying in Riverdale and then them getting another drink. Them getting slightly tipsy and already a tiny bit handsy on the way to the surprise party. Because they’re best friends. Archie leans over and opens the door and just so happens to brush her waist. And then when he “covers her eyes” for the reveal. They would be so giggly!

Also the idea of them crossing paths over and over during the evening, giddy and happy. They would both be freaking out in a “am I flirting or is this my best friend?” kind of way.

Another great thing you mentioned is the fact when they “hung out later tonight” was a different night than their pizza night considering Archie didn’t build that Riverdale sign in a day. I like to think a week (if not two) passed during that initial hang and their pizza one. Though short, they had a flirty little are-we-dating stage before Archie asks her out the night of the pizza/bomb!

Maybe I’ll write that fic one of these days!

[elizacinnamon]

Varchies and Bugheads think that if someone brings up the truth about their ships that it’s an attack. It’s the truth. It’s funny they’re talking about how it’s “not true” that Varchie didn’t have pictures but can’t admit truths that Archie was in love with Betty. To this day they can’t tell the truth of Varchie and ultimately Betty did win over Veronica. That’s what the Pilot set up. Anyone with eyes sees how those stories end up. The Veronica type doesn’t win. People generally don’t root for that.

I didn’t go searching but a few tweets popped up on my FYP talking about my tweet haha. And I think “miserable/harassing/attack” all caught my eye when I didn’t even speak on the ship just stayed a fact which they further proved with more evidence. I wasn’t even speaking on BA over VA, which I don’t feel the need to. Because I sleep well at night knowing BA ended the way it did over VA.

I will say I don’t love the idea that “the Veronica type doesn’t win.” While I understand her “role” in the love triangle doesn’t typically win, I have emphasized time after time the show should’ve let her have a million non-Archie related wins but ultimately failed her. I always rooted for Veronica to shine on the show but she was never gonna achieve that with Archie!

[elizacinnamon]

was interested in your j*ghead misogyny analysis, but understand if you'd rather avoid the fandom nonsense on that one :) I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on veggie? in any case, thanks so much for the thread, it was really interesting and provided aspects I hadn't thought of!

Thanks for reading! I don’t know if I’m strong enough to post that thread but gosh, I could go crazy! But if you rewatch the series and pay attention to how Jughead treats men, as opposed to women (including Betty), it speaks for itself.

Veggie I love, especially in Season 3. Reggie is the only person who really called V out on her bullshit and she ultimately needed someone who challenged her rather than hold her back. She also blossomed with someone she could talk business with and fit into her world! I personally like to think she ended up with a French millionaire or something but Veggie is my favorite canon V ship!

[elizacinnamon]

The locket didn’t prove their point either because those were separate pictures of KJ and Cami. They weren’t taken as pictures of Varchie together. That’s what they don’t seem to get, the point is when shows make an effort to take intentional pictures of ships together to place in the background of the set. They only really did this for Barchie in Season 1 because they wanted to set the scene that it was Betty and Archie who were the closest.

As far as Betty being cropped out of the homecoming dance photo (and it wasn’t Archie who cropped her out, it was Veronica who gave him the pic), it goes to show that they didn’t want to make the effort to do anything for Varchie. They took the easy way out and used pictures that were originally taken to show the love triangle of Riverdale. The love triangle Varchies denied from the start.

They unfortunately took my tweet as an attack when I was simply stating what the show did in constant to the trending tweet I replied to. I didn’t even mention Barchie in the first tweet, though they do have several photoshoot from Season One funnily enough. I will never fully defend the Riverdale writers, and crew, because they were lazy and lame most of the time but they did set Barchie up as iconic and that remained until the end.

Them saying it looked bad on Barchie for the pic to be cropped is hilarious, too, because it isn’t a reflection of VA “cropping” out Betty. It’s more of a reflection of how she was a part of the dynamic all along and that would come back to haunt/affect them. You can never get away from the sound of a woman who loves you!

As for the locket, that argument is just dumb because it isn’t even a photo of them together and definitely not pictures taken for that reason. Humored me, though.

[elizacinnamon]

i don’t believe the answer is not to engage with those other fandoms. that’s what they want, to shut barchies up so they can overtake the conversation and continue to spread their lies. they’re able to do that because they have backup from mutuals in their fandom. barchies need to be more supportive of each other and back each other up because what barchies have is facts on their side.

Ha, you know I want to engage but also have to protect my peace. As much as I, or anyone, may try to speak truth, they simply don’t get it. Still shipping *that* ship after seven seasons is a choice and tells me they’re not a crowd I wanna engage too much with. Not to mention C*le fans. Big yikes!

But if anyone wants to fight for me, be on my side, I love you!

[elizacinnamon]

Varchies thinking they can go toe to toe with Barchies on the topic of set pictures is an epic amount of delusion. Those two pictures (one of which was an actor promotional photoshoot and the other from the pilot with Betty) that Varchie stan posted has me dying. I’ve never seen shippers who lost so much talk so much but that’s what happens when the Riverdale fandom supports them and never tells them they’re wrong. Pictures are the least of their problems when Archie cheated on Veronica with Betty. Lied to her throughout the relationship. Ignored Veronica as an adult. Asked Veronica for a ring for Betty. Proposed to Betty. Told Veronica they’re a horrible match. Told Betty it was always them. Kissed Betty. Only talked to Betty at Pops in death. Varchie stans talking to Barchies after all that is the definition of crazy. It’s as if they never got past the Pilot and believe because Archie kissed Veronica in that closet they have bragging rights forever. LMAO.

The first funny part is VA’s trying to go after my picture comment with their receipts. They say it’s a win that Betty is cropped out yet the show never took time to take a picture without her. And correcting me by saying a photo is not a screenshot but a promo photoshoot is not any better. Not to mention VA don’t even look like they like each other in that photo. Then they loveeee to bring up that locket but it personally reminds me of a time when Veronica/her dad were actively ruining Archie’s life. Not to mention the fact the locket is given in an episode where Archie kisses Betty.

When it comes to comparing the ships in general (not just photos), I can’t even begin. It’s laughable, actually. Ship VA all you want but the fact they try to compare it to BA, and actually think they won, is truly wackadoodle.

[elizacinnamon]

I've found that it's best not to engage with that other side of the fandom... Speaking from experience 🥲

Oh I know better. Def a lapse of my better judgement. Their ability to take my basic explanation as an attack is not surprising but also baffling. Staying in my own little corner as we all should.

[elizacinnamon]

really enjoyed your s7 thread! might you have any other analysis threads you're looking to do?

I haven't got any in mind at the moment! I kind of rushed the end of the Season 7 bc I wasn't sure anyone was interested beside myself to be honest. Anything you'd like to see lol?

[elizacinnamon]

Hi are you still writing your social media AU?

Yes, I still want to but truthfully haven’t been as inspired for it as other projects! But I hope I will get inspiration and get it rolling soon!

[elizacinnamon]

You know what the funniest thing about the barchie relationship is? they each think they're broken people, when in reality both Archie and Betty see the light in each other.

That’s exactly the beauty of them! 💕 or dare I say, endgame?

[elizacinnamon]

hi not sure if this is an area you want to delve into, but am curious about your analysis of betty and jughead not working. Is that bc of how the archie comics story is set up (archie/betty/veronica) or is the two characters that don't work together? anyway, just curious and totally get if you're not interested in answering as it is not really related to barchie, just intrigued by the literary analysis of it all :) thanks!

I am happy to delve into these type of questions as long as the discourse remains friendly and respectful!

For me, the failure of Bughead is more complex than VA. As I have previously said, I do think BH was a stronger ship overall and their break up is more complicated than VA—V and Archie’s New York or Riverdale debate (and what those places symbolize) is why their relationship ultimately never would’ve worked longterm.

When it comes to BH, however, I think it boils down to two things. The first is the fact Archie was always eventually going to fall in love with Betty. Jughead says this in 1x2 (in the outro when he mentions he was never *really* in the love triangle) and again in his famous weirdo speech. Betty doesn’t answer him at the time but I do think she genuinely fell in love with Jughead and thought he was it for her for a while. But all along, Jughead was the one who always knew Betty and Archie inevitably would get together.

BH do work for a while because of their shared interests and have some solid, sweet moments. But when Betty tells Jughead she needs to tell him something in 5x03, he doesn’t put up a fight. He says “oh no” even before she confesses. Because he knows. He’s always known. That scene of them having sex afterwards is often criticized by Barchie’s but I think it’s quite interesting. They don’t talk, he doesn’t accept her apology. But it’s over. And as the rest of the episode shows, they slowly grow apart afterwards. One of the reasons Jughead doesn’t fight Archie on it because he’s always known this would happen. He knows it was a ticking time bomb (as he mentions in the cabin episode).

This is also why Jughead likely sees the fake Barchie at Pop’s one year later.

The second reason (Jughead fans, don’t come for me!) is that Jughead creates this enigma/character of Betty and fails to see her completely. To him, she’s the girl next door. The daughter of the black hood. The character in all his stories. The Juliet to his Romeo. And when *that Betty* fails him (doesn’t show up to his book signing), he takes it all out on her (also him blaming her not Archie is a red flag but that’s another post). In particular, he calls her fake (among other things). Since he believes in the character of Betty in his mind (who apologizes for kissing Archie and saves his life in his hallucinations), this Betty is indeed fake. But that’s not who the real Betty is. And the real Betty doesn’t need more mysteries or visits to Dr. Curdle. She’s ready for light and home. And in turn, Jughead needs someone who accepts his nerdiness and loves him (and only home) unconditionally. And he finds that in Tabitha.

[elizacinnamon]

Barchie got everything Bugheads and Varchies wanted. That’s why they attack the ship and the fans. You’re right that they’re mad about Cole and Lili never speaking and take their frustrations out on Barchies. Varchies use KJ and Cami to say they’re better friends than KJ and Lili to feel better. They all get mad when they see KJ and Lili interact 😂 Bugheads and Varchies are just sad to watch!

I obviously always prefer to separate actors from fictional characters but BH is a case where the ship only had chemistry because the actors dating (in any other world, Betty and Jughead would’ve never worked) and then absolutely died when the actors broke up. Tragic on both ends.

KJ seems like the kind of guy who is friends with everyone so I love seeing him hang with both Cami and Lili. Him hanging with Cami doesn’t prove anything for VA and the same goes for Lili. Do I smile if I see them interact as a Barchie? Of course! And I’m sure VAs feel the same. But nobody “wins.”

Butttt if you did want to take actor opinion and bias into account, KJ is clearly a Barchie. And I do love that for us.

[elizacinnamon]

Everyone else watches the show through a delusional lens, if we’re being honest, and so much of the fandom has this vendetta against Barchie. Riverdale didn’t end in Season 3. Yet Bugheads and Varchies act as if they don’t have to take anything after that season into account for any relationship or character. Then you have Chonis who think that Choni was the only love story because Choni got that happily ever after endgame. It’s hard to find anyone who analyzes Riverdale without having a large bias against Barchie.

I agree and I also think my thesis still stands if Riverdale ended after the high school seasons. The pilot alone sets up Barchie endgame.

If I do view the show through a BHVA-positive lens (and I’ve tried just to see), I have to say BH is a stronger ship overall (but was never likable to me bc I hate JH). VA is an absolute shit show and I truly don’t get it. I’ve tried to get it. And I can’t. But more power to VA’s bc they must’ve been fighting for the lives as the show aired.

As for Choni, I have mixed feelings because I love them! Definitely my second favorite ship. But Chonis themselves should acknowledge it doesn’t make sense for them to be the only endgame in a show about Archie comics. The pilot should’ve come full circle for Betty/Archie, too. And I would also be angry as a Choni that the show never allowed them to reunite as adults in present day. Big sigh.

[elizacinnamon]

Is it possible to write a piece on the season 5 finale? I love the fact Barchie got together finally but it was so sudden! Did they talk about everything beforehand that we didn't see? It would be nice to read the in-between pieces

Would love to write a drabble on Season 5 Barchie! I like to think the events of that episode happened over a longer period of time than one or two days so would love to write the filler. I mean they def got drunk after Betty’s surprise party, right? And flirted when the core four were working on plans for the city? And Betty was definitely texting Kevin about wtf was going on when Archie asked what she was doing later that night. Let me think on it!

[elizacinnamon]

Please could you continue your 6.10 fix to the end of the episode

Sorry for the delay in this love, I have draft and will get it to it eventually 💕