#And the bad parts of Morgan and Veronica are starting to show in them

[evaiskindaweird]

how it feels having your ex friends reincarnate into a couple of people your friends with now (your getting ignored on one hand and treated like bullshit and invalidated whenever you have a mind of your own and aren't a mind slave agreeing with them and apologizing for something when you haven't done anything wrong on the other)

[artificialqueens]

Galactica, Chapter 65 (Group Fic) - TheDane/Veronica

A/N: Chapter 65 seems like a good time to tell you that there’s nothing we love more than talking to you guys about this story! We are both on tumblr (@theartificialdane and @veronicasanders) and we’d love to hear from you!! We also have other Galactica content there under the “galactica” and “galactica wardrobe” tags. XOXO!! Click here if you’re looking for previous chapters (or here if you’d rather read on AO3). 💫

Last Chapter: Bianca threw a wrench in the annual holiday party when she brought Courtney as her date, and Katya tried to (not) deal with her surprise pregnancy.

This Chapter: Miss Fame and the team work on the final lineup for the spring runway, and Katya figures some things out.

***

It was Violet’s luck that she was a light sleeper, the first note of her alarm barely ringing before she had grabbed her phone from under her pillow and turned it off.

There really wasn't a need for Violet to wake up at 6, for her to start her day so early since she couldn’t go to the gym because of her ankle, but habits were hard to break, and she liked how quiet the world was in the morning, how it felt like she was the only one awake.

She wasn’t hungover, had barely had a drink because of her crutches, but she had a feeling all of her coworkers would be wearing sunglasses and asking each other to shut up, the Friday after the Christmas party always an experience.

Sutan’s bedroom was dark, his curtains swallowing the ever present lights of Harlem, the man asleep next to her, his head resting on his pillow.

It took everything in Violet not to reach out and run her fingers through his hair.

She had been so annoyed with him last night, so uncomfortable in the beautiful red dress she had bought with his money, the simmering anger not leaving her until she had felt Sutan’s clever fingers undo the zipper on her back, skin against skin finally freeing her from the smoldering fire.

“Stop staring at me.” Violet froze, Sutan’s voice deep with sleep.

“I’m not.���

“Oh?” Sutan cracked an eye open, a smile playing on his lips as he reached out, grabbing her hip on top of her blanket. “Could have fooled me.”

“Well,” Violet smiled back, allowing him to pull her in, “Maybe I was. A little bit.”

***

As her alarm sounded, Courtney groaned, burying her head into Bianca’s neck. Bianca laughed, reaching over to hit snooze, giving them a few more precious minutes in bed before Courtney had to get up.

Bianca had never been much of a morning person, but she’d discovered that, in many ways, this was her favorite part of the day. When the world was dark and still, and they were curled together under the covers, naked and warm. She trailed her fingers up and down Courtney’s back, pressed a kiss to her temple.

“You okay, sunshine?” Bianca asked.

“Mmmhmm...I just don’t want to go to work.”

Bianca smiled, one hand settling into the curve of Courtney’s waist, enjoying the way they fit so perfectly together.

“Then don’t,” she stated, warming up to the idea of taking a day off, just the two of them. “Call in sick.”

“I wish,” Courtney scoffed, a deep sigh leaving her. “But I can’t, so…”

“Why not?”

“The day after a party? Everyone will think I have some crazy hangover.”

“Yeah, so?” Bianca laughed.

“Plus, I’m pretty sure Miss Fame is less than pleased with me right now. I don’t want to give her any reason to be annoyed. And there’s a big meeting to decide on the spring runway, and I have to-”

“Alright, alright...forget I suggested it,” Bianca said, holding up her hands in surrender. “I just really liked the idea of spending all day in bed with you.”

Courtney raised herself up on her elbow, gazing down at Bianca with a dreamy smile on her face.

“Maybe, um...can we do that tomorrow?”

“You’re on, angel,” Bianca said, reaching up to run her fingers through her hair.

“And...we still have about seven minutes before the alarm goes off again.” Courtney brushed her lips against Bianca’s neck, murmuring, “You wanna go back to sleep, or…?”

“Hmmm...” Bianca cocked her head, pretending to think. “I may have some other ideas…”

Courtney let out a delighted squeal as Bianca flipped her onto her back with a wicked grin.

***

Maxwell groaned as a loud clatter sounded through the design floor.

“Sorry!” Kiara whisper-shouted, quickly picking up the pair of scissors she had dropped. Trixie had gone to the department head meeting about 20 minutes ago, which meant that everyone had given up the pretense that they were working. Alexis had gone straight for the couch to take a nap as soon as the door had closed behind him, April still nursing a terrible-looking green smoothie at her desk. “Sorry everyone!”

“Don’t even think about it girl!” Bob smiled, his phone pressed between his shoulder and his ear, and Maxwell groaned again, sliding down so he could rest his head on his arms, Bob chatting away.

He loved his boyfriend, he really did, but there were few things more annoying than when Bob had managed to get into any tabloid, the perceived fame of it always going directly to his head. And of course, it was made even worse by his friends and family back home in Georgia playing right into it, acting as if it meant anything at all.

“Listen, I didn’t ask to be born fabulous, but it’s my cross to bear, and I’m-” Bob laughed, adding, “Exactly!”

“He’s really getting into it, huh?” Maxwell looked up to see Violet standing next to his desk, looking over at Bob, Jovan at her side holding three cups of coffee.

“Here,” Jovan smiled, giving one of them to Maxwell, the scent filling his nose.

“Oh god I love you,” Maxwell grinned, taking the liquid magic. It was probably not healthy to be on his third cup already, but he didn’t care.

“Love you too boo,” Jovan grinned, taking a seat on the edge of his desk, Violet doing the same, balancing her crutch so she could take her own cup. They didn’t talk, and Maxwell loved that, Violet fitting so nicely into their little boys club that he barely even thought about the fact that she was a girl and straight most days.

***

“Pearl! Pay attention!”

Pearl snapped out of it, the wheels of her chair squeaking as she moved, her eyes wide open at the commanding tone in Fame’s voice.

“Sorry!” Pearl sat up straight, Bendela hiding a snicker behind a sketchbook, her brown eyes clearly filled with delight over Pearl getting reprimanded.

“God,” Fame rolled her eyes, her hand on her hip, her outfit of the day a white cropped cashmere sweater and white linen high waisted pants, her blonde hair in a high delicate updo, a golden belt snug around her waist. “Did anyone come to work today?”

If they had been alone, Pearl would have opened her mouth to point out that she was the one who always arranged for the Christmas party to be on a Thursday, but they weren’t, so Pearl kept her mouth shut.

“Fame,” Raja’s voice was warm, and it apparently functioned just as intended, her tone a soothing balm on whatever had Fame into such a tizzy. “We’re almost done.”

If Pearl had to make an educated guess, she’d say it was probably the whole Courtney and Bianca thing, though it could be anything from her breakfast grapefruit not being ripe to morning traffic to a photographer catching a bad angle of her last night.

“You’re right,” Fame sat back down, sliding her chair over to Trixie. “So, fourth look. What do you have?”

“I was thinking about these pants?” Trixie held out a sketch, and Pearl folded her hands over her stomach, watching her best friend do his job exceptionally well.

Fame tapped her fingers against the table, french tips hitting the wood and Pearl made a mental note to see if she could sneak in a visit to Fame’s office, providing their boss with an orgasm before lunch a great Christmas gift to everyone in the company.

***

V-List Alert: BDR’s Latest Blonde Bombshell

[Pictured: A large photo of Bianca and Courtney kissing on the red carpet, along with a few smaller shots of them looking giggly and affectionate. And lastly, a grainy, low-res photo of them on the street after the event, kissing while a driver is opening the car door.]

Well, well, well…

Okay, so to begin with, let’s all admit that BDR showing up on a red carpet with some sweet young thing is nothing new. In fact, it would be strange if she didn’t. But the shameless PDA last night at Galactica’s annual Christmas party—both on and off the carpet—had us wondering...who the hell is the new paramour?

We did a bit of digging and strap in kids, cause it gets juicy…

Turns out that this little darling is named Courtney Jenek. Sound familiar? No? Yeah it shouldn’t. But she happens to have two very interesting connections to BDR: 1, apparently she’s friends with B’s baby sister, princess of the underground punk scene Adore Delano. And 2, even more hilariously, Lil Courtney here is the Executive Assistant to none other than Miss Fame of Galactica.

Wonder what the illustrious and brand-conscious Miss Fame thinks of her bestie using her staff in what appears to be an extremely filthy unprofessional way? And how’s it all gonna play out?

We can’t wait to watch this drama unfold…

***

As Courtney slipped on her coat and grabbed her bag to head downstairs for yet another coffee run, she glanced at her personal phone, laughing to herself when she saw the 17 missed calls from Morgan. She scrolled through the text messages in the elevator.

MORGAN: COURTNEYYYYYYYY!!!

MORGAN: OMG PICK UP

MORGAN: WERE YOU PLANNING TO TELL US YOU’RE FUCKING BIANCA DEL RIO?????

TYRA: She’s WHAT

ADORE: You guys didn’t know? ;)

TATIANNA: Yawn, old news :p

MORGAN: BITCH

MORGAN: COURTNEY I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU DON’T PICK UP

MORGAN: COURTNEYCOURTNEYCOURTNEYCOURTNEYCOURTNEY

Courtney called her back, laughing some more when she picked up even before the first ring.

“You know I’m working, right?”

“I am going to murder you,” Morgan announced.

“Wow Morgan. A hate crime? I really thought more highly of you,” Courtney replied with a giggle.

“Omigod, shut up! How could you not have told me already?!”

“Well...I don’t know, I wasn’t sure what it was at first-” she said.

“It’s still fucking major!” Morgan laughed. “I guess it makes sense, though. God, you always chose the worst men.”

Courtney chuckled, nodding as she exited the elevator and headed for the coffee shop.

“So what did your parents say?”

“Uhhh...I haven’t exactly told them yet.”

“Courtney!”

“What? It’s not gonna be dramatic or anything, you know my brother’s gay.”

“Omigod, Court, you absolute idiot. You have to-”

“One sec.” Courtney lowered her phone to give the orders for the meeting, then went back to the phone. “Sorry, I’m on a coffee run.”

“Yeah, I heard. Listen, Courtney, you have to tell them! Do you really want them to find out that you’re dating a woman who’s almost twice your age from a fucking tabloid?”

“I don’t think my parents subscribe to American fashion blogs.”

“Did you even read the link I sent you?! Someone’s gonna send it to them, trust me.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll tell them,” Courtney told her with an eye roll. She really didn’t see the big deal though; telling her parents was the last thing on her list of worries at the moment.

“Also…” Morgan’s voice lowered, taking on a sing-song, teasing tone now that the business was out of the way, “When are we hanging out? ‘Cause you know I absolutely need all the sordid details.”

“Soon, I promise.”

“Tomorrow night?”

“I’m kind of busy tomorrow,” Courtney admitted.

“Busy getting railed, you mean?”

“Maybe…”

“Ha, you slag.”

***

Maybe she was avoiding going home. That was certainly possible. But on Friday, Katya just seemed to keep finding things to do to prepare for the next week of school. It would be their last week before winter break, so she knew that any kind of serious learning would be difficult. Rather than spend her time fighting with the kids to focus when they just weren’t capable of it, she planned as many fun projects as possible, and though a lot of them were old hat for her by now, the prep work never seemed to end.

Which is why, when Jasmine, the woman who ran the afterschool program, came to her door at almost 6:45, she was still there.

“Hey, I’m sorry to bother you…”

“It’s no bother, come on in,” Katya said, a big smile on her face, especially when she saw that Jasmine had Grace with her--one of Katya’s favorite students.

“You know we close at 6, and Grace’s mom is running late today,” Jasmine said. Her tone of voice was light and cheerful, but her eyes told Katya a different story--that this wasn’t the first time it had happened, and that she was likely furious. “I gotta get home, and Dani’s out with the flu, so...do you mind keeping her here until Leslie shows up? It should be soon, she texted me ten minutes ago that she’s on the way.”

“No problem. We’ll have a great time, won’t we Grace?”

The little girl nodded, skipping into the classroom happily.

“You’re a lifesaver,” Jasmine said. “Thank you!”

Katya turned to Grace, who had dumped her jacket and backpack on the rug and was already prowling around the book bins, likely looking for her favorite Junie B. Jones stories. Soon, the two of them were settled into bean bag chairs in the comfy zone, Katya reading a few chapters out loud to her before realizing that she was probably hungry and suggesting a snack. Grace was just finishing her juice box and goldfish crackers when her young mother, Leslie, came rushing inside, harried and out of breath, apologizing profusely.

“Mama!” Grace jumped up from her seat at the little table, knocking the chair over in her excitement to leap into her mom’s arms. She hugged her tightly, face buried in her neck, and Katya could see some of the tension in Leslie’s face melt away.

Katya stood up from her own seat, picking up the book they’d been reading.

“I’m gonna put this book in Grace’s backpack so that you can finish it together this weekend,” she said, and Leslie shot her a look of pure gratitude, nodding.

“Grace, can you say thank you to Mrs. Zamo?”

“Thank you Mrs. Zamo!” she echoed cheerfully, taking the backpack and her jacket as Leslie dropped a kiss to the top of her head.

“Honey, can you go wait for me on the bench for a minute?” she asked, tugging gently on one of her pigtails.

“Okay!”

As Grace skipped into the hallway to wait, Leslie turned to Katya, tears filling her eyes.

“I’m really so sorry about being late, I-”

“It’s okay,” Katya said, head tilted sympathetically. “I get it, things happen.”

“It’s been happening all week. I got this new job, and the hours are so tough and the commute is shit, but it’s an extra two dollars an hour and I can’t say no to that. But I just feel like...I feel like I can’t do anything right.”

“I understand,” Katya nodded, putting a hand on her arm. The truth was, though, she didn’t understand. Not really. She’d never been in a position where an extra two dollars an hour would make such a big difference in her life--not even when her dad cut her off. She’d always had money, and by the time her trust fund was depleted, she was living with Trixie, whose generous salary more than covered what they needed, her meager teacher’s salary mostly paying for fun extras, keeping them entertained and living their best lives, or just going in the bank.

She knew she was lucky, but until that moment, seeing the pain in Leslie’s eyes, the fear that she was failing at life and failing her child, maybe she didn’t understand just how lucky.

“I was sitting on the bus thinking about her waiting and waiting, wondering where I was.”

“Can I tell you something?” she asked softly. “Grace didn’t care that you were late, she was just happy to see you when you got here, because it’s really obvious what a good mom you are.”

“Sometimes I feel like the worst mom ever,” Leslie admitted, tears spilling down her cheeks.

“No way. Grace is an amazing kid. She’s smart and kind and enthusiastic--and it’s totally okay if you need some more help. That’s what all of us are here for. I can talk to Jasmine about maybe extending the hours next week, until you can get your schedule sorted. Or maybe Grace can go home with Joey’s mom...don’t you all live in the same building?”

Leslie nodded, a deep sigh leaving her. “Thanks, that’s a good idea. I...I’ll figure it out.”

“Okay. Just remember that you’re not in this alone, you know?” Katya handed over a box of tissues from her desk.

“Yeah. Thanks. Sorry, I-” Leslie wiped her eyes.

“Don’t be sorry,” Katya said, giving her a warm hug.

***

“Oh god!” Gigi groaned, pushing the door to the modeling apartment open, her shoulders aching, her fingertips numb. “Finally!” She dumped her bags down in the hallway, slumping against the wall.

She had been around the town with Sutan all day, shopping for what he called a model wardrobe, Gigi trying on several pairs of heels and flats, her new backpack and purse stuffed with a newly printed book and her brand new phone, their last stop of the day Gigi’s new gym that was just around the corner.

“Gigi?” Bimini popped her head out of the kitchen door, the golden rim around her eyes and her crimped hair clear indicators that meant she had been shooting, Bimini rarely bothering with removing hair and makeup on set. “Welcome home sweetie! How did it go?”

“I’m exhausted!” Gigi pushed out from the wall and kicked her sneakers off. “Who knew shopping could be that hard?”

Gigi heard Symone giggle, her friend sitting at the table and painting her nails, the apartment's newest arrival chopping vegetables for whatever vegan crock pot Bimini was cooking for everyone. They had someone new arrive every couple of days, most girls only staying for a night or two in the bunk beds in what Naomi had dubbed the summer camp room before they were shipped off again if they didn’t interest any of the agents.

“I told you, didn’t I?”

“I know,” Gigi groaned, dumping down in a chair to rest her aching feet, “but I thought you were kidding.” Symone had gone on the trip two weeks ago, her Instagram exploding with content now that she had a brand new phone to post with.

“Did he give you the drink speech too?”

She had eaten lunch with Sutan at an awkwardly fancy restaurant, three sets of cutlery surrounding her plate, her manager going through each set as well as her wine glasses, explaining it to her. Gigi’s mom had always insisted on good manners, but it hadn’t been anything like that.

“The ‘never leave your drink unattended’ one, I mean.”

“Mmh,” Gigi nodded. “The whole entire speech.”

She hoped it’d be unnecessary, but Sutan had run her through what he called the basic safety procedures like putting a hand or a napkin over her glass when she wasn’t paying attention, her manager drilling it into her skull that she shouldn’t accept poured drinks or opened bottles from strangers in clubs unless she saw the bartender prepare it.

“Is he seriously doing all that?” Naomi raised an eyebrow. “So far, all my agent has told me is that if I showed up in any tabloid looking messy, he’d drop my ass.”

Suddenly, Sutan’s mothering didn’t feel as smothering, the attention and assistance the man had poured over her nothing compared to the terrifying thought of being left basically on her own like Naomi.

***

At first, Katya wasn’t sure why she stopped at Macy’s on the way home. Especially now, on a Friday night during the holiday season, when the sales clerks were at their most frazzled.

She wandered around, unable to get Grace and Leslie out of her mind...and in particular, the look of pure joy on Grace’s face when her mother appeared in the doorway. Leslie was a single mom, and by the look of her, she was pretty young, but she had managed to raise an exceptional kid who was sure how much she was loved.

Why was Katya so afraid of having a baby? It was like she’d told Leslie--she wouldn’t be doing it alone. Not by a long shot. No, she was fortunate to have the most wonderful man in the universe by her side. And lord knew, Trixie would make up for any maternal instincts she may lack herself. And plenty of people, people much less capable and loving than her, had babies every day.

She stopped, looking around, realizing that she’d found herself in the baby department. Specifically, in front of a shelf full of tiny little infant shoes. She smiled to herself, knowing exactly what she needed.

When she arrived home, she was thrilled to see that Trixie had prepared dinner, heating up some leftover chicken and mashed potatoes and throwing together a salad--exactly what she was in the mood for.

She smiled when she saw him, announcing, “I brought you a present.”

Trixie’s face lit up, and for a split second she could imagine that exact same expression of joy on a tiny child, the thought making her insides warm as she handed him the little bag.

He looked inside, where the two tiny pink moccasin slippers sat in their plastic box, his head then snapping up to look at her with an expression of amazement.

“Kat, are you-” His eyes were bright with tears, hopeful but still a bit tentative.

She shrugged slightly, self-consciously, afraid to say what she’s been thinking out loud, but Trixie seemed to know anyway.

He rushed forward and swept her up into the biggest, tightest hug she’d ever had, repeating over and over how wonderful she was going to be. She took his face in her hands, kissing his tear-stained cheeks, finally sure that as a team, they could do it.

[arsenicpanda]

Riverdale for the ask meme!

Ok, the Top Five Favorite Characters meme, coming right up!  You know, this is getting increasingly hard to answer because I’m bad at ranking things, although the top two remain consistent.  Still, let’s jam!

5. Gladys Jones: I love Gladys.  I never thought I would at first because she makes such a bad impression in season 1 and then the complete absence of her when Jughead almost dies left a bad taste in my mouth.  I thought it would be impossible for Riverdale to make me like her, but damn is she charming.  And the second she was like, “Ok, Penny, you cut out my kid’s eye, which means it’s Vengeance O’Clock, get ready,” in a way that was such a great parallel to Jughead’s scene with Penny in 2x09, she just completely won me over.  Of the shady parents, she is definitely my favorite as someone who is clearly Trying at this parenting thing but also failing miserably on like every level.  Also, Jughead is so, so clearly his mother’s son, and I just love their similarities in mentalities and the way they go about things.  And she’s also such a delight to watch, just played absolutely perfectly.  The way she’s such a bad mother but also clearly loves her kids and will fight tooth and nail for them is just so goddamn interesting, she absolutely fascinates me.  Please bring her back in season 5, I want more Gladys.

4. Toni Topaz: Ok, so this is kind of cheating because I’m more talking about Toni as we knew her in season 2 and a little 3a, y’know before she became just a side character to Cheryl, and just as a concept.  Which isn’t fair in terms of ranking, but damn if Toni isn’t interesting in concept.  Her clear and easy bond with Jughead is so interesting because neither of them seem like the type to make friends easily, and yet they were both like, “Ah, someone like me.”  Toni is great as a character who doesn’t take shit from anyone, even her friends (excepting Cheryl, which does and does not work for me depending on the scene), and watching her with Jughead, a character who is also done with everyone’s shit (excepting Betty) but also so full of it himself and indulged by most of his friends (I say that with love), is so fun.  Like, I really wanted to see more of that and more of her friendship with Sweet Pea and Fangs, just more found family, please.  And she wanted to do well in school and get out of Riverdale and I would like more of that!  And also I would love to watch her get to know Betty, just watch this person who clearly hates people wearing masks of any kind get to know this person who is so used to using her masks would be so interesting.  And her brief friendship with Veronica!  I would like to know about that as well.  Vanessa Morgan also just brings a great attitude to Toni that is so entertaining to watch.  So yes, I love Toni, she entertains me greatly when she’s actually allowed to, and I would like more of watching her interact with prominent characters other than Cheryl again.

3. Donna Sweett: My vengeance quest queen, how I love her.  Donna is so conniving and clever and cutthroat, and she’s just amazing.  She has a Mission and a Plan, and it is a very long, very complicated plan (one might even say overly complicated), and I loved watching it.  God, watching her interact with Bret was the best, the way she just shut his shit down and commanded absolutely everything was a delight.  And her position as Betty’s nemesis was the greatest, like what any amazing foe for Betty, just two women on clear missions and elaborate vengeance quests.  And she got away!  I’m so glad she got away, even if she didn’t get everything she wanted.  Please bring her back with another elaborate scheme or as an unexpected and untrustworthy ally, I miss her.

2. Betty Cooper: Best girl, hands down.  Betty is the kind of ruthless, intense lady with a heart of gold and a sweet smile that I’ve been waiting for.  She seems so nice--and is nice, although not as much as she is polite--but has such great hidden depths.  I love watching her journey from someone who is trying so hard to fit into a box to someone who is like, “Yeah, this is who I am,” excepting her worries about her Darkness, although I really want to see her accept that part of herself.  I mean, she accepts that she’s ruthless in her methods socially, but she gets skittish when she gets tempted toward violence, and I find that such an interesting, fine line.  I suppose it’s more a matter of control though; when she gets angry in a fiery, violent way, she gets out of hand, as opposed to her cold fury, which she has complete control over.  Betty has serious anger issues, especially in the beginning when she seems unable to accept that she can get angry, and I love watching her learn to embrace her anger in a way she can control.  Is she still the sweetest to the people she cares about?  Absolutely yes.  Would she completely ruin the lives of anyone who went after those people, especially Jughead?  Also absolutely yes.  Which is so interesting to see in a female character who isn’t also a villain.  Like, she is effectively our real protagonist, occasionally sharing that title with Jughead (I know the show seems to want the protagonist to be Archie, but like...the main plot always goes to Betty, Jughead, or both, and when Betty’s plot is more to the side, it’s given a lot of weight).  Betty is interesting and different, and oh, how I love interesting and different.  I’m so glad she gets as much screentime as she does, although I wish that came with less suffering.

1. Jughead Jones: Best boy, no questions asked.  I love this loner weirdo outsider who just desperately, desperately wants a family, and watching him accept that part of himself has been very interesting for me.  Jughead cares about things very deeply, although he’s also picky about what those things are, and I just love watching him care, whether it’s about people, his community, or Truth in the broader sense.  And once he sets his eyes on something, he, like Betty, is like a dog with a bone, just completely relentless, and I find that so endearing.  Just look at him try to save the Southside and Riverdale!  Watch him try and help Betty find her sister!  See him try to succeed at Stonewall and reclaim his family legacy!  Observe as he tries to solve this great mystery of the Gargoyle King and G&G and all those Shenanigans!  He’s great, I love him.  Jughead is a delight because he has an outer layer of grumpity grump, and then an inner layer of sweetheart, with an undercurrent of crazy person.  I don’t know if I would call Jughead a good person, but he certainly is a caring person.  Also, he’s just absolutely insufferable in the best way, I love him.  I’m so glad that he, like Betty, gets so much focus, although I’m not psyched about the complete downturn in fortune that’s coming with season 5.  Like, he started the show with absolutely nothing--homeless, on the outs with his best friend, his dad drunk, his mom and sister gone, just alone--and now he has come so far--he has a home he shares with the love of his life, he has multiple friends, his sister is home, his dad seems to be on the wagon (I think?  It’s unclear, I think they often forget FP is an alcoholic), he knows his mom loves him even if she has to be on the run or something, and he even has a future outside of Riverdale.  And he’s about to lose a chunk of that and also seem to be in a pretty sorry state, and like...that is a bummer, my friends.  I just want good things for him, y’know?  Still, I assume he’ll start to rebuild his life, but like...it’s gonna be rough to watch him start from the bottom again.  But yeah, I love him and his complexity and also his relationship with Betty and his family and the Serpents and just--I just love him, he’s my third all-time favorite character.

[blazerina]

You (Matt x MC - some Seth)

[Summary: When Seth makes another appearance, jealousy – the green-eyed monster – rears its ugly head in the middle of Matt and Veronica’s new relationship. Can they talk it out? And what does this mean for their future together? Shout out to @thesupernaturaldoctorat221b for pressing me to write more about how Matt and Veronica deal with the whole jealousy thing.]

[Word Count: 2505]

Veronica placed one foot, then the other, into her heels and adjusted the straps of her dress. Glancing in the mirror, one more time, she put a final layer of gloss on her lips, then pressed them together to distribute the light tint evenly.  Slowly, she stepped away from the mirror in her bathroom and went to check her reflection in the full-length mirror on the inside of her closet door.  

Self-consciously she smoothed her hands over the tight material of her black and gold dress. The dress was covered in gold geometric sequin designs.  The sleeves were short and almost capped, with an open back.  She questioned whether it was too tight for her frame, or not long enough for her tall legs.  A part of her wanted to call Matt immediately and tell him something, anything, to get her out of meeting him tonight.  She could tell him she’s sick; or that she has food poisoning…

A knock on the front door quickly put a stop to these thoughts as she glanced at the clock on her bedroom wall to check the time.  Confused, she wrinkled her brow and went to the front door.  Before opening it, she skimmed the area of her living room and kitchen, making sure everything was picked up and looking semi-decent.  There was only so much she could do to make this tiny, old, junky apartment look nice. Taking a deep breath inward, she opened the door and put on her best smile.

“You’re a little early but guess what! I’m re-“ She stopped in her tracks realizing it wasn’t Matt.

“Whoa. I-O-WA.”

Seth couldn’t cover up the fact that he scanned her from top to bottom.  Veronica looked amazing. Her hair. That dress.  Those legs. He knew he had been attracted to her before, when she was in plain Jane clothes, but seeing her all dolled up like this made his breath catch and his throat itch.  

“Oh come on.” Veronica rolled her eyes, and tried to keep the color from rising to her cheeks. “It’s nothing. This is nothing.”

She scratched at her arm, absentmindedly, looking at the floor. Both of them stood in uncomfortable silence in the doorway of her apartment.

“I…uh...” Seth stammered, finally making eye contact with her.  “…wanted to see if you had plans tonight. I haven’t seen you in a while and wondered if you were up for a cold one and some roof time.”

The end of his sentence hung out in the air for what felt like an eternity.  Veronica was a little confused. Seth was usually so jovial, so happy-go-lucky, so laid back…but something was different this time.  He was serious. His eyes seemed to be staring into Veronica’s soul, or looking right through her, one of the two.

“I wish I could.” She politely replied.  “Matt is coming to pick me up soon and we are going out tonight, but maybe tomorrow?”

Seth’s face grew concerned. “Do I hear water running?”

He craned his head towards her apartment.  

“I’m not trying to get into your business, but that’s the sink, right?”

Veronica nodded.  “You can come in.  It’s the stupid faucet. It’s been dripping for days and maintenance hasn’t been able to come take a look at it yet. I’ve called about it several times, but they obviously don’t care. Not that I’m surprised…”

She shrugged and pointed towards the sink as she closed the door behind Seth. 

“That’s more than a drip.” He snickered upon entering the apartment. “That’s a straight up leak. I could hear it in the hallway!”

He studied the faucet for a few minutes and then slammed his hands playfully down onto the counter.

“I can fix this. Let me grab my tools and I’ll be right back.” He walked toward the door, and left it open as Veronica called out to him.

“Oh, Seth, you really don’t have to.” She wrung her hands, getting nervous.  

Matt would be here any minute and she felt like she needed a little time alone to prepare herself. But, this was Seth. Her good friend, steady companion, Seth.  Maybe it would do her some good to not think about her date and focus on something else for the next few minutes.

Within seconds, Seth was back in her apartment, working on the sink.  Veronica hopped up on the counter to watch him work. They made idle chit chat about the projects they had been working on.  Veronica told him all about her botched first day on the set of Tender Nothings, and the crazy retreat that Markus made them participate in.

“Joshua Tree is nice though.” Seth said, using a wrench to twist off the base of the faucet where it connected to the sink.

“Have you been?” Veronica asked him, swinging her legs from side to side, as they dangled over the edge of the counter.

“No.” Seth laughed.  

Veronica laughed with him, just as a shot of water went astray and aimed at the door.  Matt showed up right about the same time, but was able to dodge the stream effectively. He smiled seeing Veronica all dressed up, but swiftly changed his tune upon seeing Seth again.

The last time he had seen her neighbor, he had created a little rift between him and Veronica. Not wanting their night to start on a bad note, he worked hard to keep his cool and remain composed.  After all, he was the one Veronica was going out with tonight.  He had the upper hand.

Instantly, Veronica hopped off the counter and pulled down her dress. She was barefoot and cursed herself mentally for not being more prepared or ready for Matt to arrive. She didn’t feel ready enough. Her hair didn’t go with her dress, she should have worn the green one, her make up was too natural –

her head swirled and she soon found herself in Matt’s arms as he brought her to him and kissed her on the cheek.

“Hey, beautiful.” He said with a smile.

“Hi.” She whispered, looking up at him from beneath her lashes.  

She didn’t care that she was blushing in his presence. There was something about him that was so natural, so secure, so sturdy and strong, she lost track of everything when she was with him; every insecurity, every worry, vanished. She wanted him to know how she felt about him.  

“Sorry about that.” Seth chuckled, wiping off his hands with a towel.  “We’ve got some rogue spray going on over here.” He motioned to the faucet that was still dripping, but not as bad as it was before.

“Thanks for your help, Seth. We should probably be going…” Veronica sighed, running a hand through her hair and then regretting it. She had spent hours taming her curls and hoped that simple act hadn’t just undone her work.

“Let me just grab my heels.” She laughed nervously as she bent down to pick them up off the floor of the kitchen. She had kicked them off when she jumped up on the counter and they were laying askew.

As she leaned over to slip her feet into the tall shoes, both Seth and Matt were staring at her. Her perfectly pedicured feet, her long tan legs, their eyes travelled the length of her body from the short hemline of her dress to the curve of her hips, the indention of her waist, the bend of her breasts, her gently protruding collarbone along with the plumpness of her full lips, her hazel eyes and her curly blonde hair.  That was her. There she was. Veronica Jean Morgan.

Both men knew the other was looking her up and down.  They exchanged a quick glance at the competition, when the other wasn’t looking.

“I’ll uh, stay here and finish this.  That way you won’t have to deal with it tomorrow.  You guys have fun!” Seth waved with the wrench and went back to working on the sink, putting his head down, not wanting to watch her leave with him.

“Thank you, Seth. I really appreciate it! See you tomorrow!”  Veronica called out to him as they left her apartment.

Matt had only said two words while inside, but his heart was racing.  He wanted to tell Seth to back off. He wanted to make it known to him that Veronica was his.  Who did this guy think he was? Just walking into her apartment? Hanging out even after she had left? Fixing her sink?

“Sorry about that.” Veronica slid her hand into his and leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked down the stairs and out to Matt’s car.

“You look handsome.” She smiled up at him.

“You look…amazing.” He kissed her quickly and then opened the car door for her.

For their date, Matt had gotten them a private table at an upscale Italian restaurant in town, and then the two of them were driving out to the country for a showing of a classic movie at a drive-in theater.  

For some reason, throughout the evening, Veronica seemed a little tired and Matt seemed distracted. After they arrived at the drive-in, and secured their parking spot, Veronica cuddled into Matt’s side and closed her eyes, already feeling as though she could drift off to sleep.

Matt stared out the window, his chin resting in his hand as he searched for the right way to bring up her relationship with Seth.  He rubbed his chin and bit the inside of his cheek before spitting it out the only way he knew how.

“Seth likes you. You know that, right?”

Veronica’s eyes shot open. She didn’t answer right away but slowly sat up in the passenger seat and looked at Matt with surprise and correction.

“No, he doesn’t.” She shook her head.  “I think it’s cute that you are sooooo jealous of him, though.”

She raised an eyebrow and smirked at him, reaching for his tie and pulling him closer to her.

“Veronica. I’m serious.” Matt responded, pulling away from her a little bit.

“You’re right.  I’m jealous.” He answered, returning his gaze out the driver-side window.  “…but I think I have a right to be.”

Veronica sighed heavily. “He’s just a friend, Matt. I promise. We’ve never so much as kissed!” She defended.

“Doesn’t matter. I see the way he looks at you.” Matt explained, turning to face her.

“What does that even mean?!”

“He looks at you the way I look at you, Veronica. Do you really not see it? You still don’t get it, do you?”

Matt had never really been this serious with Veronica before.  She knew not to press him. The tension in his Toyota was increasing with every breath. She didn’t want to make him mad, but wouldn’t back down from being honest with him and with herself.

“I also see the way he looks at me. Like I’m the enemy.  He’s just as jealous of me as I am of him.”

He sighed, closed his eyes tight and appeared to be searching his mind hard for the right words and phrases to explain all of this to her.

“You’re the good girl. The sweet girl. The girl from the Midwest who just showed up on everyone’s doorstep and wowed them through and through, Veronica.  You’re still pure and unjaded by this crazy place. You’re honest. Sincere. Kind.  The complete opposite of 90% of the people in this town.  And those are just some of the many reasons why you’re so insanely attractive.”

His eyes sparkled as he opened them again and found her staring back at him.  She seemed so small, so fragile, sitting silently in the passenger seat, hanging on Matt’s every word.  Veronica was holding her breath and reached across the console to grab Matt’s hand, hoping she could keep her eyes from filling with tears.

“The qualities you possess are not ones you find every day.  Top that all off with your smokin’ hot body, your wicked sense of humor, your natural talent and…well…damn…” He grinned. “What are us guys supposed to do?”

Relieved she lifted her hand to Matt’s cheek and pulled him in for a gentle kiss, resting her forehead against his and keeping her eyes closed. Her hand was across his jawline, her fingertips in his hair. She wanted to memorize this moment.  He really wanted her.  The real her. All of her.  And she wanted him.

“That’s not some line from a movie?” She asked, opening her eyes and looking at him for a brief second.

Matt shook his head.

“Seth is great.” She sighed. “He’s really been there for me and helped me through my transition to LA. I couldn’t have made it without him.”

Matt pulled away from her a little bit, concern covering his face once again.

Slowly, using one foot and then the other, Veronica kicked off her heels on the floor of the passenger side of the car.  She turned to face Matt and kissed him, softly biting his lower lip and bringing his face to hers with both of her hands.

Using the flexibility that she learned in dance class all her life, she promptly extended her leg over Matt’s lap and hoisted herself on top of him. Her short skirt had now hiked up even higher along her thigh as she pressed her hips as close as possible to his. She giggled to herself thinking about the special bra and panties she bought just for this dress, this date, tonight.

Leaning into him and pushing her chest tightly against his, she again reached for his tie and pulled him by the neck, to her lips again.  Running her tongue over them and then using it to press them open, she tasted him and knew without a doubt she wanted more.

“But he’s not you.” She whispered breathlessly into his ear, running her fingernails slowly along the back and then the side of Matt’s neck.

“It’s as simple as that.”

Matt smiled against her lips as she went in for another kiss.

“I’m not sure I believe you…” He questioned, whispering in her ear now.

“I think I need some more convincing.”

She laughed a throaty, sexy, deep laugh that conveyed how natural she felt around him and how easy it was for her to be herself in his presence.  

He ran his hands along her legs from her ankles to her hips and adjusted her more tightly to his lap.

“Well you’re in luck. I was told just a few days ago in an audition that I needed to work on being more believable.  You can help me practice.”

Matt wrapped his arms around her small frame and flattened his body against hers, inhaling her with every breath and working hard to imprint every feeling of her into his mind. He had never wanted anyone this much.  He held onto her as tight as he could, hoping that she knew he was never planning to let her go.

[ask-the-riot-raidersarchive]

@marjorineaskblog and @friendly-neighborhood-new-kid since idk how to do mobile stuff

Johanna Rosella Johanna Fredricks moved to South Park when she was 7 years old and made friends the day they arrived, she’d gotten permission to go play as long as she took the Walkie Talkie which would reach all over the little town. She’d meet Bradley Rosella and he’d become her childhood best friend and her eventual High School sweetheart, they’d have two children before he’s killed by a drunk driver while running to the store for milk. Spencer Morgan A young Italian man  that moved to South Park shortly before the events of TFBW, he eventually meets and falls head over heels for Johanna. They date for a year then get married, they have a son named Johnny when Alfred’s 10. Alfred Rosella The oldest of Johanna and Bradley Rosella Alfred has Torrette’s that make his neck perodically jerk to one side or the other and he has to rotate his wrists, he’s got a pretty bad stutter but no-one knows why it sure doesn’t stop him. He was 5 when his father died and he is very protective of his baby brother because he’s the man of the house now, Alfred is a very shy kid but will be out going once he gets used to kids. He’s in the same classes as Kenny but sits in the back most of the time, he often wears a Black puffy winter coat and will retreat inside it if someone pushes him too far. Lucas Rosella Lucas is Alfred’s baby brother and practically his shadow, he’s got trouble with letting people get close because he thinks he’s a curse. Lucas was 3 when his father Bradley died, he’d been whining that he wanted Milk for his cereal and his dad left to get it for him and a drunk driver killed him. He’s in the same class as Ike Broflovski, he’s a little too trusting so Alfred often protects him. Jade Pines Twin sister of Marion Pines Jade is exactly like her brother to the point where if their hair matched lengths they’d be impossible to tell apart, she’s exceptionally close to her twin and they claim they can read each others minds. She’s pretty girly prefering skirts and dresses, she isn’t afraid to get down and dirty when it comes to her brother who’s a tad frailer than her. Jade is Genderfluid (pronouns change with whoever is in control) Jaden is her boy side (he was their s.o.t princes) and Misty is her hero (TFBW hero Misstery) Marion Pines Twin brother to Jade(n) Pines Marion is a massive nerd and a mysterious person around children that don’t know him, he’s a bit of a frail child. When the twins were born Marion’s umbilical chord was around his neck twice, he was born by an emergency C-section and he was Blue in the face. He’s exceptionally close with his sister obviously, Jade’s pretty much his protector. Marion is Genderfluid (Pronouns depend on whoever is in control) Marie is his girly princess side (he was their s.o.t princess) and Mario is his hero side (TFBW hero Mr. A)

Molly Rogers Molly loves musicals and some sports, she’s the only child of Jason and Veronica Rogers. Molly is playful and very athletic for her age, she jogs everywhere rather than riding her big wheel and loves to play tag and the Japanese game called Kankeri. Amanda Jones The only child of Eliot and Olivia Jones Amanda is quite a little tomboy, after she got gum in her hair she was too scared to tell her parents and simply chopped it off herself. Due to the way she dresses and looks boy tend to not realize she’s a girl and some even forget it, she loves things like skate boarding and basket ball. Samuel Williams Samuel (Sammy) Williams is a soft spoken only child, his parents Sally and Dean run a cafe connected to a bakery (Sally runs the cafe and Dean runs the bakery) and Sammy always has coffee and baked goods in his lunch. He’s a musical buff and lives to sing, Sammy successfully got his friends into musicals over the years. By College they’re all engaged or married and the four are in the drama club, Sammy succeeds in convincing everyone to audition for Hamilton and his friends and they get the parts making the play feel Authentic to them due to their long life of friendship. Lafayette Alexandre A french student that recently transferred (he showed up just before the movie if I were to use the movie as some point in the timeline), he was instantly accepted into Alfred’s slowly growing click where he met many sweet kids. He’d slowly get close to Samuel Williams and they’d start dating in their freshman year of high school, before high school Lafayette used to jokingly flirt with his gay friends only if they said it was okay for him to tease them. During high school he’d work at the cafe with Sammy, he’d jokingly ask Sammy how he’d feel about wearing a dress if they got married only to learn the little American already planned to. Alexis (Alex) Alexis is the only girl in a family with 3 sets of twin boys that came before her, Alexis is still fairly girly despite living with nothing but boys aside from her mom. The upside of growing up with 6 big brothers is Alex can hold her own, she once beat down a boy that she was half the size of because he kept pulling her hair. She’s dating Clay Calloway and they eventully open a camping goods store after graduating high school, she’s a very sweet girl. Clayton (Clay) Calloway (no relation to the singer Cab Calloway) A bit mature for his age Clay is the only child of Clayton senior and his wife Imelda, he’s the kind of guy that looks like he’d eat you but is actually nursing sick and hurt animals back to good heath before releasing them. He’s Alex’s boyfriend and they eventually open a camp store in the town after high school, they still wear their hero gear into adulthood and watch over the city with the Riot Raiders aka the rest of their friend circle. Maria Darling Maria Darling (Born Markus Eric Darling) is a soft spoken recently only child, she had a twin brother whose eyes mirrored hers (hers are Blue (right) Brown (Left)) and Johnny’s were the opposite. Johnny was hit by a car in NYC during their family’s Summer Vacation to the city, he died on impact and is buried in South Park. After losing ‘his’ brother Markus came out as trans and started going by Maria and dressing in girly clothes, she’d go on to grow out her hair and stop wearing contacts to hide her eyes. Maria’s parents run a plant nursery, well her mom runs it her dad owns it but prefers to be the Pre-school teacher at South Park Elementary. She’s a musical buff and lives to sing and dance, Sammy successfully got her and their friends into musicals over the years. By College they’re all engaged or married and the entire crew is in the drama club, Sammy succeeds in convincing everyone to audition for Hamilton and his friends and they get the parts making the play feel Authentic to them due to their long life of friendship. Maria played Angelica Schyler, she’s single and swings both ways. By HS she’s wearing bras and filling them with bra padding, she transitions in her third year.Maria Darling is a soft spoken recently only child, she had a twin brother whose eyes mirrored hers (hers are Blue (right) Brown (Left)) and Johnny’s were the opposite. Johnny was hit by a car in NYC during their family’s Summer Vacation to the city, he died on impact and is buried in South Park. Maria’s parents run a plant nursery, well her mom runs it her dad owns it but prefers to be the Pre-school teacher at South Park Elementary. She’s a musical buff and lives to sing and dance, Sammy successfully got her and their friends into musicals over the years. By College they’re all engaged or married and the entire crew is in the drama club, Sammy succeeds in convincing everyone to audition for Hamilton and his friends and they get the parts making the play feel Authentic to them due to their long life of friendship. Maria played Angelica Schyler, she’s single and swings both ways.

Veronica Skyler Veronica’s parents were Polish immigrants who were flown to South Park with temporary visas for a family funeral and Amanda who didn’t know she was pregnant due to being on the heavy side delivered their daughter a week after being there and Veronica is her parents anchor baby, her parents used her Birthright citizenship to become legal US citizens living with Amandas’s relatives in until Aaron gets the proper educations and a job so they can have their own house. They eventually have two other daughters, Alicia and Kelly. Hair: Red (Like Kyle’s), when it’s tied in a ponytail it resembles (askthefreedompals) Kyle when he ties it to sleep, when it’s untied it looks exactly like Kyle’s little Jew fro Alicia Skyler The middle child of Amanda and Aaron Skyler Alicia was nearly kidnapped as a baby by three crooks that had been robbing the house, her crying had woken her 5 year old sister Veronica who used some of her gadgets to save her. Hair: Red (Like Kyle’s) she wears it in pigtails (Imagine Nichole with Red hair) Kelly Skyler The youngest of Amanda and Aaron Skyler Kelly is in Ike’s class at South Park Elementary, she believes in Aliens and loves Superheroes. She usually spends her free time with Alicia when her sister isn’t out with her friends. Hair: Red (Like Kyle’s), always in a little ponytail

Kent Parker Nothing is known about Kent Parker (Born Kendra Parker) aside from the fact his parents were terrible, no-one knows who his parents are since they changed their names everytime they moved. His parents were drug abusing alchoholics and tried to sell their daughter to a dealer for drugs, the baby ent up in the South Park orphanage because the dealer was an undercover cop. Kendra Parker would become a selective mute rarely speaking unless she honestly trusted the person, she’d come out as transgender at 6-years-old and chop her long brown hair at school in art class then writing ‘my name is Kent now, I’m a boy’ on the little chalk board he carried around. Bitten by the Scarab of R'lyeh after accidentally being transfered there with the coon friends during the hindsight incident turned 8 year old Kent Parker into the Netherborn superhero the Netherbug, an insectlike hero with the inability to stay dead and the ability to fly. Clyde Donovan gives him his suit, claiming it’d been a prototype suit he didn’t want.

[wits-writing]

Riverdale Reviews: Season 2 Ep 3 “The Watcher in the Woods”

[My other Riverdale Reviews here]

Archie starts a vigilante group and that’s all you need to know about how crazy Riverdale is getting.

…

…

Ok, I’ll tell you more.

[Full review under the cut]

Maybe one of these reviews I’ll be able to talk about an episode without going into stuff I had a problem with previously that they end up fixing the very next episode, but it’s not this one. (Though the fact that the problems I have with these episodes aren’t lingering is a major step up from season 1.) Midge and Moose were not killed at the end of last episode like I assumed. My own critiques of how weird it would be to cast a major Archie Comics character, introduce her, then kill her off probably should’ve helped me guess that cliffhanger was a fakeout. The couple don’t play a large role in this episode except to further establish the threat posed by the now name serial killer stalking Riverdale, the Black Hood.

We get a glimpse into the Black Hood’s motives this week since he spells them out in an open letter to Alice and Hal Cooper that he wants published in their newspaper. He’s looking to “cleanse” Riverdale of its sinners; going after Fred for his brief relationship with Hermione, Grundy for being a sexual predator and Midge and Moose for their drug use and premarital sex. This motivation is write out of an airport novel detective thriller, meaning it’s a perfect fit with the tone of Riverdale. This public reveal of the villain that’s been stalking their streets ends up being the point most of the plots this episode spinoff from how the characters react to it. Starting with the character who finds Midge and Moose right after their encounter with the Hood, Kevin Keller.

One thing I was often disappointed with in season one of Riverdale was how Casey Cott as Kevin didn’t get much story or screen time that was truly his own. Even his relationship with the Southside Serpent Joaquin was had more to do with the overarching mystery of the show than with Kevin himself. However, in the pattern of season two finding ways to fix problems I had with season one, Kevin’s story this week is fully his, even if it’s also about his friendship with Betty. The reason Kevin is the one to find the couple right after Moose is shot protecting Midge is because he was jogging the trails of the woods looking for guys to hook up with. That wouldn’t be the best idea under normal circumstances and with the Black Hood on the loose, Betty warns him to stop before something terrible happens. A lot of this story consists of Kevin talking to other characters about what he’s doing and why he’s doing it. He has a conversation with Moose, the first time the show has built on their hookup in the woods in any meaningful way since it happened, and Moose is probably the most understanding of anyone he talks to about it. Moose understand that it’s hard for guys “like them” (i.e. not-straight) to find any sort of happiness in a town like Riverdale and that if Kevin can find with someone in the woods what he has with Midge, even for a moment, he should go after it.

On the other hand, there’s Betty and her worries about the possible danger for him. Egged on by an eavesdropping Cheryl Blossom, Betty keeps warning him against these hookups. She wants her friends safe while the Black Hood is still out there and that’s the only lens she can view what Kevin is doing through. After she (with Cheryl in tow) confronts him in the woods on his way to hookup, Kevin lets loose on her exactly why he keeps doing this despite the danger. He doesn’t feel he has many options in Riverdale to start with and seeing his friends go through all their relationships make him feel like he’s missing out. The friends part on bad terms, but Betty’s words still stick with Kevin the next time he goes out into the woods and finds himself unable to go along with hookups as the opportunities present themselves. This story ends with Kevin talking to his dad about how alone he feels and his dad telling him that they can start talking about that stuff more often.

Another character dealing with being in the path of danger this week is Jughead as he starts his life at Southside High, a place where the gangs of Riverdale operate openly. The Serpents at the school, including Toni Topaz (Vanessa Morgan), offer him a space in their circle plus protection from rival gangs that might want the credit for taking out FP Jones’s son, but Jug is determined to remain a loner. Southside High is presented as a rundown place with outdated teaching equipment, graffitied walls and open drug use, namely the drug “jingle jangle” that’s been making its way through the town recently (it’s also what Reggie was dealing last week to Midge.) When Jughead decides to bring back Southside’s school paper, the Red and Black, the drugs moving through the school are the first story he chooses to cover. After he finds out that the gang known as The Ghoulies are behind the distribution, he gets beaten in the halls after school by their members when he plans to write about it. Toni helps him keep this from Betty, as she tells him that the Serpents will have his back. Since he has no other options left, Jughead lets himself be part of the Serpents at the school if it’s the only way he’ll be safe.

Archie’s also seeking strength in numbers this week as he decides to be more proactive in his efforts to protect the people closest to him from the threat the Black Hood represents. This decision takes the form of the Red Circle (a reference to Archie Comics’ old line of superhero books), a group of Riverdale High students dedicated to at least protecting their friends and family connected to the school. The sequence where him and the others in the Red Circle spread fliers about their intents and existence is set against the audio of Sheriff Keller reading the letter the Black Hood sent the Coopers spelling out his motives and it’s the best executed sequence in the episode. Another of Archie’s concerns this week is Veronica’s efforts to get him to have dinner at her house with Hiram, as a test to see if Hiram can “just be a dad” with no alternate motive.

But if that was her goal, it’s almost immediately undermined by Hiram’s own actions this episode. He’s the one who first plants the seeds of the idea that becomes the Red Circle in Archie’s head. Hermione warns Veronica against her efforts to get close to her father again this week, but Veronica tells her that if she thinks Hiram is dangerous she should say it in those words. When she doesn’t, Veronica moves forwards with her plans to have Archie over for dinner. Meanwhile Hiram warns Hermione against speaking ill of him to their daughter again.

On Archie’s first patrol night with Reggie, we get a sense of how he really intends the Red Circle to run as he treats the “no weapon, no violence” rule he established early in the episode loosely, bringing his baseball bat with him. When they get a call from Ethel about a creepy van following her on the side of the road they’re able to spring into action and find her, with the van driving away as they arrive. This encounter is something Hiram brings up to Archie after the dinner, talking about how he admires what Archie is willing to do but that he needs to start using the Hood’s own terror tactics against him if he wants to make a real difference. But he also warns Archie against ever sneaking into Veronica’s room at night or hurting her in any way. Taking these words to heart, Archie makes a viral video with the members of the Red Circle in red hoods where he tells the Black Hood that they will hunt him down. And the closing shot of the episode is Hiram watching the video in his study, clearly pleased at the outcome of their conversation.

“The Watcher in the Woods” accomplishes a lot by being the episode where the characters become more aware of what they’re really dealing with this season. Archie founding a vigilante group is the clearest example of this, but there’s also how it effects the relationships between characters like with Kevin and Betty. Jughead had to accept that he has to be part of the Serpents, if only as a matter of survival in his new environment. Veronica does finally manage to build a new connection to her parents as she gets Hiram to agree to let her be a more active part of Lodge Industries. The way things are heating up is building to something and if Riverdale season 2 manages to stick the landing, it could be something truly spectacular. Though that’s still far off, for now we’ll see what happens as the show moves forward next episode in “The Town that Dreaded Sundown.”

[chasing-musicals]

Riverdale’s Renditions of Musicals

Okay, so I know S3 of Riverdale has been out for a while now. But I’ve struggled finding motivation to continue watching it. Largely because of how much it’s gone off the rails. But Heathers was a better musical episode than Carrie and largely because the cast clearly had vocal training (but equally, the entire episode of Heathers sounded extremely auto-tuned and auto-fixed).

Let’s look at s2, episode 18, chapter 31: A Night to Remember.

Let’s be honest here; the cast didn’t sound quite right, but they also didn’t sound exactly bad.  

Lili Reinhart (Betty) opened the first number, In, and honestly, she didn’t sound too bad. But she sounded so much different in this episode than she does when she’s singing raw, but mostly with In, I found.

Camila Mendes (Veronica) sounded slightly auto-tuned, if I’m honest. The argument for this is that the notes she was singing were smooth in transition and there was little, if any, sound of strain where there should have been on the repeated “worry” where it goes up in note. It was incredibly smoothed out. Just take “Saturday night” as the prime example - the twang shouldn’t have been there on “night”. However, she does have a lovely raw voice, which many wouldn’t know unless they search for her singing outside of Riverdale.

Madelaine Petsch (Cheryl) did not sound like herself at all. She was surprisingly monotonous, especially given that she truly can sing. Although, it does (semi) work in the song. But there were instances of severe auto-tuning – “when will I belong” – and the “belong” sounded extremely off in the note drop, and should not have been up-down as it was. “Damn”, in the context in the song, is mean to be full of emotion (and louder with more power, but eh, that would’ve sounded off with the tone Madelaine was singing), but seems flat – and it’s her face and eyes that are giving the emotion.

Vanessa Morgan (Toni) was very off in her first line (“what if I do snap”) and the auto-tuning was there rather heavily. It was noticeable most with “what if” and if you listen closely, you hear the off-key to her voice. However, after the first line she sings, she begins to sound more natural, even if there is a lot of smoothing of the voice.

KJ Apa (Archie) began the second verse, and honestly, he did not sound right at all. It’s not his vocal range – it’s far, far too low and makes him sound like he can’t sing when he really can – evident in how even in an octave too low for him, he still manages to hit the right notes.

Shannon Purser (Ethyl) not much was off really with her. “I go crazy. Nobody cares what it does to me”. “Nobody” and “does” were not right. There was a sharp that shouldn’t have been there in both, but other than that, she sounded fine – and wasn’t auto-tuned as much as the others. The only other time she seemed to go off-key in In, was when the overlap began, and “In” sounded far too sharp (about 2:48 in the episode on Netflix).

Casey Cott (Kevin) – well, there’s nothing to say about him really because he really can sing and it’s evident in his strong “I go crazy” following Shannon’s line. Yes, he might have sounded off slightly at the end of “crazy” but that was him raw, and him taking a fast breath for “I would go out of my mind”.

Next came the number, Carrie, in which Madelaine featured. Now, while she can sing, this was not her pitch, I don’t believe. “That’s not my name” was off, but that was due to a slight too-heavy fixture of auto-tuning on “name”. That was very much the only off-part honestly, as it was very much her being raw. You can hear soft growls of pure power on a number of words; “I am the sound” the “I” contains the power, “Oh, my someday” the “oh” contains the power. And then was that belt at the end, controlled but oh-so-powerful.

On to the next number; Do Me a Favor. Again, I’ll cover each in order of singing. We begin, once again, with darling Lili. Playing Sue in the musical, she sits quite comfortably with this vocal range (it’s far more her natural tone) but it can’t be denied that she does sound off, but that’s largely because she’s more nasally, which is what head-voice can be fore some people. And then she slips down out of head and more to chest, and sounds clearer. For someone who doesn’t sing often and hasn’t had much vocal training professionally, she is someone who has great vocal control.

Next came Camila, and woooo her belt was there. In comparison to In, she sounded waaaaaaaay more natural, and in control, even with the high, almost strained, “if she plays with fire, she’s gonna get burned”. The music to this song helps too, suiting her vocal range as powerful whereas Lili is far softer in vocal range. The only note that seemingly was off was “make her good and sorry that she ever crossed me” but even that was the music making it sound off on the “make”.

When Lili and Camila began their duet of “I can even up this debt”, that was when Lili sounded off, her pitching too high on “debt” but that was really about it. These two have voices that meld together quite nicely.

This song seemed much better for all of them, if KJ is anything to go off. Unlike In, where it was too low an octave, this was a low note but in his octave, with his voice melding with Jordan Calloway’s (Chuck).

All in all, Do Me a Favor is very raw, sounding much as it would on stage anywhere.

Now for Unsuspecting Hearts. We all know Ashleigh Murray (Josie) can sing, so I won’t dwell on her. Madelaine. Oh, dear, oh dear. What happened there? “That’s how it starts. Two unsuspecting”. Ouch. That did not sound right at all. And yet, she seemed okay for the rest of the song.

Righto, time for The World According to Chris. Though it may seem it, Camila has a raw voice for this, even if “fellow man” doesn’t sound right (it’s nasally, not off note or key). Now, “daddy” is definitely not right. She messed up the note but not drastically – she just went down and it just sounded odd. But honestly, you can hear each intake of breath, and you can just hear the rawness of her voice on “you’d probably think it’s bizarre. But that’s the way things are” – and it’s honestly just so nice! And then we have “better to punch than get punched! Better to burn than get burned – learn that and you’re gonna go far” which honestly is way too high (but still not auto-tuned, yay!) but then she drops back down to the right key.

Time for the heart-wrencher; You Shine. For KJ’s voice, the song is the right pitch, and it definitely shows. What may seem off in “If you could see” is him literally breaking into the song. With Lili, she finally gets to do a belt in her soft, “angelic” (to quote Madelaine) voice, and boy does it sound good. And while she sounds more enthusiastic than Camilla in their duet, it works to create a contrast and to harmonize their voices.

Stay Here Instead is a tricky one to analyse, and mostly because Mädchen Amick (Alice C.) hasn’t had much vocal training, despite marrying a singer-songwriter and growing up playing many instruments. But honestly, she did well. Yes, some note may have sounded off, or forced, but that’s because she went in extremely raw.

A Night We’ll Never Forget is the very title of the episode, and the song that takes place as being very much like High School Musical’s Night to Remember, being backstage as the cast of the show prepare to perform. It’s harder to pick apart as they all sing together, and it’s hard to figure out if the music is covering or not. The best part is that you can hear Casey over everyone else, which is nice. Jordan, however, seemed to stand out as being not quite as on note. Shannon also sounded as though she was being autotuned, but that might have been the music. Vanessa was raw, as was Lili, KJ, Camila and Madelaine. As a company, the cast really worked this particular number.

Evening Prayers was where everything went stir-crazy for the show, with the character Midge turning up dead (spoiler, she was murdered by our favorite, Chic). Mädchen doesn’t miss a note, and the music had been changed to work with her vocal range, and as such it works to her advantage.

I loved the references they make in the episode, however, around the notorious note, in which reference to Phantom is made rather bluntly.

 Now, let’s look at s3, episode 16, chapter 51: Big Fun.

There was a lot of unnecessary auto-tuning in this one, let me tell you. And waaaaaaaaay to many WHIP sound effects that weren’t needed.

Casey was okay, really, and that definitely falls back to how he’s also a singer. Maybe he hasn’t performed on Broadway, but he’s performed at 54Below. He opened up with Beautiful, and let’s be honest, while the choreography sucked ass, it doesn’t reflect the singers at all. While he was nasally, Casey was also raw, which is important to note given how most of the cast weren’t. The only line I seemed to notice that was off, was “I pray, I pray”, where the second “I pray” sounded more like “a pray”, but it’s mostly down to the vowels sounding very similar.

I don’t have much to pick apart with Camila really. Sure, “things will get better, soon as my letter, comes from Havard, Duke or Brown” sounds spoken, but it’s hard to jump straight into singing when even the beat is slow. Besides, even in the OBCR this line is sung in very much the same way as Camila has. And hey, you actually hear the breathiness in her voice and each intake of breath she takes. That’s a win. She’s done really well in matching Barrett Wilbert Weed’s (OBCR Veronica Sawyr) take on the song.

Now, I have no idea what they did to KJ or Ashliegh because neither one of them sounded right or like themselves. KJ can sing, so I don’t know why he was autotuned so much in this. It’s painful to listen to. When he starts, the “And I know, I know, I know” don’t sound too bad, but “life can be beautiful” went off, especially the “beautiful”. It was from there that he stopped sounding so much like KJ and started sounding more auto-tuned.

I won’t lie – I fucking love Ashliegh’s voice, but in this episode, she was not done justice. You can hear the auto-tune, and it grated on my ears especially with “kind once more” where “more” skips down. All in all, she really didn’t sound like herself, at all.

Onto Lili. Her voice is beautiful, but again, AUTO-TUNE?! She honestly doesn’t sound right when she starts singing in Beautiful. The first “I know” was almost too powerful, and sounded slightly off-key, but also fixed. It’s bad enough that there’s the echo behind the words, but to be so loud? Nah. Not right. But other than that particular line, she doesn’t sound dreadfully off. It was pointed out by a close friend that, to her, Lili sounded much like she did when singing In during season 2, which as I’ve pointed out, was auto-tune heavy for the entire cast. At least there was less of the auto-tuning here, as after “I know, I know” you start to hear her taking breaths again.

Cole Sprouse. Is there really anything to say for Beautiful other than how he decided to take “just not today” and do it Blues style? But hey, at least it wasn’t auto-tuned or in the wrong pitch for him.

Then came the long baritone from Casey, which ran under the cast in the classroom. Ashleigh sounded okay, but Charles Melton (Reggie) sounded waaay too monotonous, KJ sounded better than earlier in the song but still not quite right, Jordan Connor (Sweet Pea) and Drew Ray Tanner (Fangs) sounded surprisingly perfect together, and then the cast together sounds much better.

And then we have Lili, Camila and Madelaine, who sounded shockingly auto-tuned and off key. Madelaine, whose solo in Beautiful began with “you know, you know, you know” sounded hollow, with no emotion behind it. But following that, she sounds like her, emotion and all. “Let’s make her beautiful”, sung in round by Lili and Camila didn’t sound quite right, but only on the part of Camila being monotonous and Lili being slightly too high, I feel, sounding airy.

Charles seemed to redeem himself for his monotonous “why do I act like such a creep” in the classroom scene with “out of my way, geek” in the hall where he pushes Drew, who in his line of “I don’t want trouble” sounded wrong as it sounded overly whimpy, but was definitely raw. Charles then seemed to loose his will to sing as “you’re gonna die at 3pm” sounded lacklustre towards “3pm”. Madelaine sounded perfectly fine when she sang “don’t you dare touch me, get away pervert”, leading to Jordan’s short solo - “what did I ever do to them” - which sounded just perfect.

And then there is that iconic moment of Casey leading them all into the theatre, in what can only be described as his GLEE moment. He sounded fine, Lili and Camila’s duet sounded ... good? To a degree, anyway. Madelaine was on key with her 3 lines. And there is no escaping just how controlled Casey was with his belts of “it might be beautiful” and the final line of “it’s a beautiful frickin’ day”.

Let’s talk about Candy Store. Soooooooo much auto-tuning it was unreal. It wasn’t too bad to begin with – sure they cut out half of the lines in the episode, but oh well (the cast recording on Spotify has the entire thing, with altered lyrics). There isn’t much to pick out about Madelaine’s singing really, until after the first attempt at harmonizing (it wasn’t bad, lodes of people have said it is, but honestly, I’ve heard way worse). My biggest issue? The lyric change from “if you lack the balls, you can go play dolls, let your mommy fix you a snack” to “if you lack the deuce, go play duck duck goose, let your mommy fix you ice-cream”. I understand the change from “balls”, and in short from “dolls”, but snack? There really was no purpose for that line change. Of course, there is the question of copyright, and the fact that the show is technically pg13 (not that you’d ever know it) which explained the lyric change of “prove you’re not a pussy anymore” to “prove you’re not a doorknob anymore” (yes, doorknob really is the new lyric in Riverdale), but even so… And then there were the cut-offs at the end of “you can join the team”…“you can live the dream” that literally made me so annoyed because it sounded so unnatural.

Vanessa I feel sorry for. Truly, I do. She did not get to showcase the amazing voice she has, and was heavily auto-tuned. “Whoa, whoa, whoa” sounded of pitch and key, and the edited cut from the recording was done extremely badly. And then the out of time, and off key “step into my candy store” at the end of her verse/chorus was waaaaaaaay too clear. I don’t know how or why the recording team allowed this particular one to be the final version. Sadly, she also fell on the note of “anymore” which caused a fail in build up. And then “or you can bitch and moan”…“or you can die alone” both sounded so much nicer than the rest of what she sang (let’s not talk about the whip noises).

When they had the duet and harmonized they sounded so good (ignoring the weird af choreo) and even when they dropped an octave for “end up like her” it worked so much better than people give them credit. Yes, true, this line is meant to be high, but honestly, going low worked better for Madelaine and Vanessa because they would’ve struggled to hit the note. Besides, it wasn’t as though the low take came out of nowhere, either, as Heather Duke (an alto role: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oYAfnOY71Q) does the same in the harmonizing of the three Heathers, with Heather McNamara being the soprano role (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubBAlBGfEP4) and Heather Chandler being the mezzo-soprano role (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StEi0AOfH_Y). When they went into Heather Chandler’s long “stooore”, the high belt was honestly too much for either one of them to hit, but it can’t be denied that Madelaine gave it a good shot (even if that off-key shriek shouldn’t be there at all) and so did Vanessa on the overlapping “whoa” she belted. You can hear auto-tuning, that has to be said. But it has to be said that Madelaine’s voice suites alto more so than mezzo-soprano. Just be glad they didn’t go for the F5 “store” at the very end.

Now for the kicker. Big Fun, the very song the episode is titled after. All I can say without wanting to DIE is that only Casey can actually sing in this, and he only has a few short lines – he literally made the song tolerable and he even gave an almost belt on “I feel like Bono at Live-Aid”. Zoé De Grand Maison (Evelyn) can’t sing I don’t think (if she can, I’m sorry, but there is no other evidence of her singing without auto-tune that I can find), but I won’t deny that “I’m not alone, I’m not afraid” sounded OK. The harmonies that were supposed to be there weren’t, and they completely fucked up the notes on “Big fun! Big fun!” (look closely and you can see that Casey doesn’t even try on it because clearly he expected them to hit the note and they missed it, but you can hear KJ trying), Charles honestly just sounded bad. Camila, well, auto-tune was there to smooth her voice over, but at least they tried to make it sound real – but also, it wasn’t even the right character part she was singing, she was mean to be playing a Heather not Veronica Sawyr. I’m sorry, but Ashleigh’s “I’m actually having” sounded fake as all hell, and not like her at all. Jordan’s “you need a jello shot” to Drew wasn’t so bad either, I guess, as it was a musical yell. “Dang, dang” wasn’t too bad… It wasn’t good, but it was awful. I don’t know why it sounded so bad, honestly, but I’d wager that it’s because only Casey got away with his raw voice, but also because it wasn’t the right song for most of the cast.

Dead Girl Walking. How they managed to fuck this one up, I don’t want to even go into. For one, Vanessa is not a Mezzo-Soprano, so it was certainly not the right key for her (any song can be the right one in the right key). It started out okay, in all honesty, but I would’ve preferred Vanessa getting in more of those sexy-ass growls in the words because some of the words fell flat without it where the growl would’ve added much-needed emotion. It was the wrong note-change on “freaky” and I didn’t like the chest-to-head on “I’m a dead girl walking”, as there was no slide into it, just a drop. And then it just went down-hill. Until Madelaine entered, and sounded raw with “and you know, you know, you know. It’s ‘cause you’re beautiful. You say you’re numb inside, I can’t agree.” I really loved how Vanessa also sounded rather raw in her following, “so the word’s unfair, keep it locked out there” but then autotuned on “in here it’s beautiful” where “beautiful” was really messed up and all over the place.

Our Love is God is truly one of the most beautiful songs of Heathers, and I have to say, it was done justice here (by Casey and Drew, not Zoé). I stand by my statement of Zoé not being a singer, even while she sounded not overly autotuned, it was still there – honestly though, she sounded more natural here than in Big Fun, and I can’t say that I found such an issue with her voice here when I listened without headphones. The harmonizing of Zoe, Casey and Drew was beautiful, and I won’t even try to deny that, but nothing beats Drew and Casey soloing and harmonizing together. Both Casey and Drew were raw, and you can hear it in Drew’s voice, particularly from the unedited crack on “trade”. I won’t lie – the belt both he and Casey performed sent chills down my spine because they’re so perfect! And then they sang together on the same note and it was perfect.

Fight For Me just didn’t work. Yes, both KJ and Ashleigh sounded better than they have in other songs this episode, but still, there was a lot of off notes that make me cringe, and nothing about this song worked in context of setting (sure it was in a boxing ring but that was it) or their characters. For KJ’s vocal range, this song wasn’t the right choice. For one, he’s from New Zealand, and has to emphasize the US accent even more when singing – why, I don’t know, because it ruined his singing – making it harder when singing too low, as evidenced in the slightly off-word “proud”. Literally my only problem with KJ in Fight For Me is that his US accent is over-pronounced. I can say that “if we’re still alive, I would fight for you” sounds fine, it sounds more natural for both KJ and Ashleigh. She doesn’t get off scott-free here, though. She still didn’t sound like herself or like she has in episodes previous, which was the stinker because she would’ve nailed this song without any auto-tuning. The final note on “fight for me” at the end was waaaaaaaaay off, and I feel sorry for KJ who was very clearly auto-tuned for a ‘perfect’ note to match Ashleigh’s.

Time for Seventeen, the song that was set perfectly. Lili started off fine with “let’s be normal, see bad movies, sneak a beer” but then came the auto-tuning on “and watch TV”, but it went back to sounding more raw on “we’ll bake brownies” and from there she sounded more normal – even when she went breathy and heady. Lili has a naturally soft and higher voice, which is why her head voice sounded fine (she was in her head voice from “a life with me? Can’t we be seventeen” to the end of her verse. But then was the wince and cringe inducing final note on “you’re the one I choose” where Lili was so obviously auto-tuned (and possibly Cole, so that the note’s matched better, but either way the attempted harmony didn’t work).

So, the popular opinion on Cole in Seventeen is that he can’t sing, or that he’s heavily auto-tuned. But guess what, he isn’t. That’s why he sounds bad when he starts to sing. But the only reason he sounds bad, and not like he did in Beautiful where he sounded very Blues, was because this song, up until the chorus, is not his key, and thus he isn’t singing in the right octave for his vocal range. And I want to share this, because to me, on “you’re right, that really blows” sounded rather like there was an Irish lilt in there. What do you guys think? But then, in the echoed “my eyes” by Madelaine and Cole, you hear him (and his harmony with Madelaine actually sounds really nice). Then you get to the chorus, of “can’t we be seventeen? That all I want to do” and you hear that motherfucking higher belt with him obviously straining on set where they don’t need to be singing and yet he is. No, that isn’t auto-tuned, that is Cole, singing in his key, in his range – either that or it was Casey, but you’d be able to tell if it was, and if it was auto-tuned.

Vanessa is actually singing without auto-tune and it made me so fucking happy because you get to hear how she alters the note to fit her vocal range by bringing the high notes down on “if you could let me in, I could be good with you”, which made it easier for Madelaine to harmonize (because only Madelaine and Vanessa are singing this part).

Next up, Lifeboat, which stood as Camila’s solo. Fortunately, there really isn’t much to say. The song was in her key, and suited her voice, but there was a minor issue around how there wasn’t so much emotion in the song as there maybe should have been, as this is a powerful song in the musical. In the Cast Recording for this episode, she does the entire song, which works better, but still didn’t convey any emotions Veronica was feeling at that given moment in the scene. At least there wasn’t a lot, if any, auto-tuning.

Seventeen Reprise was a shocker. Casey and Cole weren’t auto-tuned, and it certainly showed, but the others? It’s easiest to talk about Ashliegh, as she was way off, but she has been the entire episode, and KJ and Vanessa who were also off here. The harmonies sounded auto-tuned (thankfully you can still hear Camila and Vanessa’s lower tones among the higher voices) and towards the end, only Cole and Casey can really be heard over the tuning. This was definitely the worst song of what the cast sang.

The links I included are links to three different videos that cover the vocals for each of the Heathers. The rights for these videos go to the AMAZING YouTube singer, Katherine Ryan.

[bookishandbionic-blog]

Current Project: Moxley’s Playlist, excerpt 1

"What do I have to be afraid of? What did I have to lose? Everything."

Prologue

Moxley

Journal Entry: September  23, 2016

For the record this blows, but Dr. Grey thinks writing this stuff out will help. What does getting it out do? What does crying or screaming do? I’ll tell you what it does, nothing. It does jack squat. I don’t want to get it out; I want to get out! So, I guess if that means that I have to suck it up and write to get away then I will. I’m just making sure that whoever reads this knows I hated doing it. I hate going over it. I hate this stupid journal as much as I hate needles, even as much as I hate the dark. That’s saying something because darkness is what I hate the most. Darkness is what I remember the best.

She was out of money again, her and Georgie, that pot-bellied loser. So, of course, I had to foot the bill. Again. Her dealer, Davey, was over at the house with another guy I hadn’t seen before. I remember her not being so willing to hand me over this time when Davey started to put the needle in my neck. My guess is that she was dumb enough to think she could get his top shelf Skag by charging for the other guy too instead of the Tar he threw her way when she couldn’t pay up. She started to yell at him about it, this “wasn’t fair”, I shouldn’t be getting better stuff than her. Idiot. Then he started to yell back, I can’t remember what he said but she tried to rush him. It was the one solid she’d ever done me in my entire life. That was when I ran for it. It didn’t hurt but I could feel blood from where the needle had been yanked out, the Skag was starting to make me feel hazy and I was so sleepy. I couldn’t make it to the door, but I could get to the closet.

My closet was normally supposed to be my punishment, but it looked like Heaven right then. I could see the glow of Georgie’s phone sliding my way. The struggle just seemed to get louder and uglier the more I tried to crawl for my closet. I might have been floating, but I had enough of myself left to know as I felt the closet slam shut behind me that this was going to end badly, but I had at least gotten the phone. Maybe it was the drugs, but for the first time I did what I wasn’t supposed to do, I snitched. I called 911.The last thing I remember is telling the guy on the other end to help me. That was when I blacked out, balled up in the closet, the darkness came.

They say you see a bright white light when you die, it’s true I did. I also saw some blue flashing ones too. No, I didn’t see the face of God, but he did get an honorable mention. In fact, it was the last thing I heard before I blacked out again.

“Oh my God…”

Anywho, when I woke up the nurse said I had an overdose and they kept me out to let me detox, she was nice, I liked her. The next day Veronica came with Ms. Sandy and Dr. Grey, they broke the news that she was dead. Her and Georgie both, Davey knocked them off right before the cops put him down. What should I feel, because right now I’ve got nothing? I feel like she got what was coming to her, all three of them did. Is that bad?

All of the kids in my group have some nice fuzzy moment with their mom or dad; they had something that gave them hope. I didn’t have that with her, the truth is that she had no love for me and I didn’t have any for her. Hell, I still don’t. She never hid what she thought of me, the worst choice she’d ever made. One time she even said she should have thrown me in the dumpster when she had the chance. If there was some problem in her life she always found a way to blame me. Did the electricity get cut off because she spent the money on booze or Skag? My fault, kids are just so damn expensive. My father was her favorite subject when it came to things that I did wrong. Somehow when she had a bad ride or things were rough he came up. He was gone because of me. She loved him and he left so I owed her, and I paid. I paid and paid.

The next week, they shipped me off to Saint Monica’s; it’s not a bad place. It’s weird to be in a place where everyone is nice, but the truth is I’d rather be left alone. I’m not a fan of people, but some of the kids in my group are cool. I guess I was getting used to it here until Sandy paid me a visit yesterday during group; it was a nice treat to get away. We normally didn’t get a visit from her unless it was something major though so part of me was freaked out, and sure enough she dropped the bomb.

“Moxley, honey, we’ve found your father. He’ll be coming in about a week or so, you’ll be going home to live with him.”

It wasn’t just a bomb it was a super atomic nuclear warhead of doom, my father? This had to be some really messed up joke, no way, but she showed me the papers. This was real and he was coming. Sandy went into this big speech about it “being scary” and “big changes”, but I don’t think she realized that I had nothing to be afraid of. It’s hard to be afraid when I have nothing to lose

Well, that was what I was thinking last week. I wasn’t sitting here staring at an old picture of him and waiting for him to show up, if he even shows up. What do I have to be afraid of? What did I have to lose? Everything.

"I found out that for once Misty had been telling the truth. I had a daughter."

Chapter 1:

Dritan

I sat in the parking lot of Saint Monica’s Safe Haven for Children, it looked just like the pictures I had seen online. A big brick main building with a cobblestone walkway and perfectly trimmed bushes with matching red brick and iron fences surrounding the place, a lot of land, it was a good place for kids. I was glad she could come here instead of going straight into the system.  I still couldn’t believe I was sitting here staring at it, or even the reason I was here. It seemed like days instead of weeks ago that I had been in San Juan celebrating my latest win in the cage. It was one more step towards the highest achievement a guy in the biggest company in my line of work could attain. It was the brass ring we all chased. I was sitting in the hotel room waiting for my girlfriend, Camden, to finish getting ready to go out when I actually hauled off and checked my now full Voicemail inbox. It would be a choice that shifted the course of my entire night.

“Mr. Clay, this is Veronica Howard with Pennsylvania Social Services. If you could please return this call at your earliest convenience, my number is 215-852-5719. Thank you.”

Yea, Pennsylvania fucking Social Services, I could only imagine what Veronica Howard had to tell me. Little did I know, no form of preparation could possibly get me ready for what I found out? It all started eight years ago with Misty Michaels, she was one in a long line of crazy exes. Turns out, after we split she got a little surprise in the form of a baby girl and my name just happened to end up on the birth certificate. She wasn’t even woman enough to come tell me she was knocked up. When Veronica first told me, my reaction was to laugh. Like hell this kid was mine! In fact, I was so sure; the state even obliged me with a paternity test.

After my mouth had been swabbed with plenty of files and pictures thrown my way, I found out that for once Misty had been telling the truth. I had a daughter; I could try to ignore the fact that the little girl in the pictures was my spitting image with bright blue eyes and thick sandy hair.  In fact, there was a voice in the back of my head that still wanted to deny it, saying these things meant nothing. I couldn’t ignore that test though, it was right there in black and white. This little girl, Moxley Grace, was my own flesh and blood.

That was when Social Services gave me my options: I could sign away my parental rights, making her a ward of the state and head home kid free or I could take custody of her. It was how I ended up in a concrete colored office with a foam cup of stale coffee and two file folders in front of me. Each one held an option, the paperwork that would make each choice official. Veronica and an advocate named Sandra Morgan from the center that had temporary custody of Moxley sat across from me. I took a sip of the crappy coffee, trying to ignore the awkwardness as I stared at each file. However, Sandra wasn’t having it and slid me a third folder.

“Mr. Clay, this is Moxley’s file.” Sandra explained with a soft smile

I was beginning to tense up in frustration, I’d seen so many files over the last few days, I was sick of it! I’d already seen her picture; I know she’s mine, moving on!

“She truly is an astounding little girl,” She continued pushing the file closer to me “While speech is a constant struggle, non-verbal tests show that she is in the top ninety-seventh percentile for children her age. She shows a mental age of eleven with reading and math scores that are off the charts. Moxley is by definition gifted, possibly beyond.”

“Gifted,” I answered with a snort “You sure she’s my kid?”

This got me an irritated noise from Sandra.

“Mr. Clay,” She said in a tone that seemed like it was holding a forced calm “In twenty-three years, I have seen many different forms of abuse. However, what this little girl has suffered is on a level of brutality that I can’t even begin to put into words. This is not a time to joke.”

“Abuse?” I choked the word out as best I could, unable to look at the two women. No one said a damn thing about abuse!

“Sandra, please.” Veronica interjected “This is already a lot for him to take in already.”

Sandra, once again, wasn’t having it.

“Yes, Saint Monica’s is a shelter and rehabilitation center for children who suffered domestic and sexual abuse. That file contains everything that has lead Moxley there, what we know about her, and how she is being treated for what she has suffered.” Sandra clarified with knitted brows “were you made aware of anything about her, anything at all?”

“No,” I answered, pinching the bridge of my nose. I could feel my heart pounding in my ears, it was like one of those movie scenes where time slows and everything moves to the sound of a heartbeat.

“Mr. Clay, I’m about to say what we are not supposed to say,” Sandra hissed placing her palms flat on the table and narrowing her eyes at me “I’ve seen so many cases like this one come through our center, through this system. Fathers and relatives like you that walk into this office knowing absolutely nothing about who the child or children in question are or what they have been through and stare at this paperwork as if it means something. I suggest you read that file, and while you are at it think like a parent. You need to be a parent to her even if it is just this once because as much as this may inconvenience your life; her life is depending on you.”

I knew grown men that didn’t have the balls to talk to me like that, Mama Bear had guts. I had to respect it.

“Drita…” I trailed off, opening the file “My name is Dritan…”

The file started with the basics:

Moxley Grace Michaels, Age: 7, Date of Birth: July 29, 2009

It started with a lot of test scores, most of which I couldn’t understand. From what it said though, Sandra was right she was pretty amazing. She looked a little healthier in the picture attached to the folder than the other ones I had seen, her lips were turned up in a small smile. I ran my thumb over the little wallet sized photo, she had my dimples. She showed solitary behavior and seemed to prefer outdoor activities and animals. I was the same way, maybe I could teach her to fish. She ate books up and loved crafts; she was a good student too. My guts clenched when I saw that she didn’t speak, “undetermined if related to trauma or social anxiety”.  She was in group counseling for Post Traumatic Stress, but “practices a variety of non-verbal cues in order to actively participate in group discussion”.

The file went further into detail about her life with Misty, it was information gathered over time. She had been picked up for prostitution a couple of times, and was supposedly shacked up with her boyfriend, still turning tricks and chasing the dragon with Moxley in the house. I squeezed my eyes shut, rubbing my eyes as I read on. Every word was like history repeating itself until I saw what came next.

If I thought that reading what had become of Trina had been bad, the next part of the file should have come with a damn warning label. It was what they found when they brought her in, I’m a grown man and I nearly puked right there in the office. Every word popping off the page at me was turning my insides into pulp as my eyes moved down the page.

“Patient treated for Heroin overdose upon admission…”

“Dark upraised scars along veins located on arms and neck, as well as fresh upraised points in various stages of healing…”

“Scar tissue due to severe vaginal and rectal tearing…”

I could only make it through a few more lines before I nearly lost my shit. I must have scared both the women when my palm hit the table, slamming the file shut because both of them were staring at me with wide eyes. Call it paternal instinct or whatever you will, but without thinking I slid the file holding the unsigned parental rights papers to Veronica and placed the second file on top of what I had just read. Swallowing hard I fought for the words.

“So where do we go from here?” I rasped thickly.

“Well Dritan, we’ll walk you through the steps.” Sandra said with a reverent nod.

In that moment, I had no idea how, but I was going to do right by her. The question was, how in the hell was I going to pull it off?

It was the same question I was asking myself as I walked up the cobblestone sidewalk. I was silently thanking whatever deity that would still listen to my prayers for Camden and my best friend Joe, those two had been with me through the phone calls, paperwork, and constant arrangements with tutors and counselors. They offered to come with me, but this was something I had to do on my own. Joe even gave me the new dad crash course before I left; it was how I ended up bringing her a stuffed rabbit. I adjusted the pink ribbon one more time before I entered the main office. I hoped Joe’s firm belief that deep down all little girls loved stuffed animals was true and she wouldn’t think I was lame right off the bat. Not long after I made it to the reception desk I was met by Veronica, Sandra, and a small older woman who was introduced as Dr. Grey. We had spoken a lot over the phone for the last few weeks; she had referred me to a counselor with a group session and helped me enroll Moxley into a gifted kid’s homeschooling program. I figured we could enroll her in school soon, but home might be better for now. Dr. Grey said so long as we can keep structure on the road, she could even travel with me.

I tried to keep Camden and Joe’s words of support in my head as I moved through the brightly colored halls. While Dr. Grey and I went over Moxley’s treatment and schedules one last time. I tried to keep focused on how Dr. Grey had complimented what I had done instead of my nerves, but Sandra pulled me out of it quick, fast, and in a hurry.

“Are you ready, Jon?” Sandra asked gently as we stood in front of a large window that looked in on what looked like an art covered play area.

“As I’ll ever be,” I croaked drumming my fingers up against the belly of her rabbit and shifting my weight back and forth on my boots.

With a small nod of understanding and a small smile Sandra and Veronica entered the room. I looked in and it didn’t take me long to spot her she was the little girl in the corner, flipping through a book with a pair of ancient looking headphones placed firmly over her ears. She had a ponytail at the nape of her neck, and in a moment I knew I was right. Her head popped up slowly when she felt the vibration of Sandra tapping the table she was sitting at. With a short nod she pulled off her headphones, picked up a beyond banged up looking backpack, and stood. She looked so small in a charcoal colored sweatshirt that swallowed her up and a baggy pair of jeans that looked like they had fit her at one point or another; she looked like her shoes had seen better days too. I felt my heart drop from my throat to my stomach as the two older women lead her outside and guided her in front of me.

“Moxley, honey, there is someone I’d like you to meet” Sandra began as she moved to stand beside her “This is the man I told you about, this is Dritan, your father.”

That was when she looked up at me; her bright blue eyes were blank. They weren’t cold, but guarded. Her little hands were fisted and her jaw clenched, like she was ready to run at any given moment. I knew that was my cue to at least try, so I got down on her level like Dr. Grey instructed me to. “Its okay, Squirt. I’m scared too, scared shitless.”

“Uh, hey Moxley, it’s nice to meet you,” I greeted with a deep breathe.

She lifted her chin, lightly pursed her lips, and gave me a firm nod. She had the most expressive little face; it was like I could see the little thought bubble above her head saying “Likewise,”

I swallowed hard and extended the rabbit to her “I ,uh, I got this for you. I wasn’t sure if you liked rabbits or not, but I hope you like it.” I’m so lame…

I tried to ignore the background noise coming from the women and caught myself holding my breath when she took the rabbit with shaking hands. Finally, I deflated when she held the rabbit to her chest and gave me a small smile, showing me her dimples. Somewhere in the distance, I could hear Joe saying “I told you so”. The first round was on me when I got home, I could feel it. Like an ass, I was so wrapped up in the fact that I scored points with a stuffed animal that I forgot what Dr. Grey had told me. Moxley wasn’t a fan of touching, but extended my fist to her anyways. Her brows began to knit together as she stared at it for second and locked eyes with me once again. I could see her little thought bubble coming back to say “Are you serious?” She surprised me though when she took a deep breath, covered her fist with her sweatshirt, and touched her knuckles to mine. With a deep exhale, she gave me a firm nod and looked back at Sandra with eyebrows raised expectantly.

“I’ll take it you’re ready then, Moxley?” Sandra asked with a soft smile to which Moxley answered with a thumb up and a couple of soft nods “Well then, I think it’s time we got you on your way…”

Leaving Saint Monica’s consisted of about fifteen minutes of good-byes and discharge paperwork. Considering the last few weeks it was almost a relief to know that her birth certificate now read Moxley Grace Good. There was no more bureaucracy or social workers, but more importantly there was nothing tying her to them anymore. We were both free.

Finally, we were sitting in the Jeep. Her backpack was sitting in the passenger seat next to the slim accordion file folder holding the paperwork that marked a fresh start. I looked over at Moxley sitting shotgun, it wasn’t nearly as awkward as I thought it would be but I could tell she was nervous again. She was looking straight ahead, her rabbit was clenched in her little fists, and sitting ramrod straight. This didn’t surprise me, Dr. Grey had already warned me. It was just her and me now; I tapped the wheel with my thumb and forefinger and took a deep breath. What the hell do I do now?

“Hey, Moxley” I began shifting my weight to face her, after a moment she followed suit “So, I was thinking we could grab some food.”

She looked cautious; I couldn’t say I blamed her. She pulled her rabbit close, staring at me with her wide guarded eyes. I’d been fighting long enough to pick up that she had shifted herself in a way that would allow her to start kicking me in the face if I tried something. I felt pride mix with my rage, in spite of it all she was a scrapper. Even what I had seen in those files hadn’t killed the fight inside of her, her spirit. This little spark helped guide me, Dr. Grey said to give choices and options, okay.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m starved.” I said lamely trying again, keeping my hands on the wheel. “Are you hungry too? We could get a sandwhich or pizza.”

If she was anything like me, this would be a no-brainer. She held her rabbit a little tighter and pursed her lips before giving me a few small but firm nods.

“Does a cheeseburger sound good?” I asked giving her a small smile; this earned me a smile in return and a few more confident nods.

“Good, I know a little place in the city. You’re in for a big treat.” I chuckled as I hit the ignition. We were finally on our way, because nothing broke the ice better than bonding over food. Progress right?

[marshmallow-the-vampire-slayer]

Buffyverse Meme

I was tagged by @justanothercinemaniac thanks!

Top 15 Characters (In No Particular Order)

Buffy Summres

Faith Lehane

Spike

Rupert Giles

Wesley Wyndam Pryce

Doyle

Andrew Wells

Illyria

Lorne

Cordelia Chase

Lilah Morgan

Tara Maclay

Oz

Winifred Burkle

Jenny Calendar

 Favorite Minor Characters

ETHAN RAYNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gwen Raiden

Harmony Kendall

Clem

Cassie Newton

Chao-Ahn

Larry Blisdell

Kendra Young

Olaf the Troll

Ranking of Favorite Seasons of Each Show

ATS: 3, 5, 2, 1, 4

BTVS: 3, 6, 5, 2, 4, 1, 7 (….today)

Top Ten Episodes of Both Shows

BTVS 

Once More With Feeling

The Body

The Gift

Restless

Passion

Hush

Tabula Rasa

Graduation Day Part 1 and Part 2

Becoming Part 1 and Part 2

Fool for Love

ATS

Not Fade Away

Smile Time

Spin the Bottle

Waiting in the Wings

A Hole in the World

Five by Five

Hero

You’re Welcome

I Will Remember You

Sleep Tight

Least Favorite Main Character

Connor on ATS, by far.

Top Ten Ships

This is kind of difficult because I don’t multiship. I usually have one pairing that I ship hardcore, and then a couple of ships that I’m interested in, but I’m not really invested in them, you know? 

Buffy / Spike

Buffy / Faith

Wesley / Fred

Wesley / Illyria

Giles / Jenny

Do You Write Fanfic?

No.

What Fanfic Do You Read?

None.

When Did You Start Watching

1998 Buffy – 2013/4 Angel (I’d seen random episodes but I’d never watched the whole show from start to finish.)

Show Recommendations to Buffyverse Fans?

Veronica Mars, iZombie, The 100.

Do You Own/Collect Anything From The Show?

Unfortunately, no. I wish I could collect stuff, though.

How Many Times Have You Watched Either Show All The Way Through?

Buffy, about a dozen? ATS only once.

5 Unpopular Opinions

These are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

BTVS season 4 is not bad.

Angel was boring in BTVS.

There were actual rapes/rapists in the show that are not acknowledged as such by the fandom as a whole, and instead we tend to focus too much on the attempted rape scene in Seeing Red.

Xander made a good decision not to marry Anya (good decision, bad timing.)

Dawn is NOT annoying, she’s just a teenager.

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1150

Monday, February 6, 2017

 What a great Super Bowl 51 last night. The New England Patriots deserved to win that one. I was cheering for the Atlanta Falcons but they just couldn't sustain their amazing first half efforts and lost. Such is sports.

 Bullseye #1 - Ed Brisson (writer) Guillermo Sanna (art) Miroslav Mrva (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). He's back from the dead and back on the racks in his very own book that's heavy on the bloodshed. What else would you expect for a comic book about a psychopathic killer for hire? Bullseye kills for fun, unlike the Punisher, so that's a bit of a turn off. In part 1 of "The Columbian Connection" Bullseye is hired to retrieve a mob boss's son from a sadistic Columbian drug lord. He is also being chased by an F.B.I. agent seeking revenge for Bullseye killing her husband. These characters may not have any redeeming qualities but Ed's writing is solid and Guillermo's art is nice so I'll keep reading until the mindless mayhem and blood flow gets to be too much. There's a back up story in this giant sized issue by Marv Wolfman (writer) Alec Morgan (art) Frank Martin (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters) that shows just how tough Bullseye is. This book is targeted (har) for fans of the Punisher.

 Batman #16 - Tom King (writer) David Finch (art) Jordie Bellaire (colours) John Workman (letters). "I Am Bane" starts here. This new story is a direct consequence of the mission to bring back the Psycho Pirate to cure Gotham Girl. Bane wants the Pirate back and he's going to Gotham City to get him. The first few pages where Bronze Tiger ambushes Batman were a little confusing but it goes to explain why the Psycho Pirate is so important to the story. Bruce tries to keep his loved ones safe from Bane but Damian, Dick and Jason are too stubborn to listen. This sequel to "I Am Suicide" had me hooked with the last page.

 Paper Girls #11 - Brian K. Vaughn (writer) Cliff Chiang (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) Jared K. Fletcher (letters). I am so happy that this book is back from its four month break. We catch up with the girls somewhere lost in time but we can't tell if it's the distant past or the future. I've said time and again that I'm not a fan of time travel stories but I have grown to care about these girls and want to see what happens to them.

 Star Wars: Darth Maul #1 - Cullen Bunn (writer) Luke Ross (art) Nolan Woodward (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Whoever created the look for this villain deserved an Academy Award for make-up. Most fans would say that Darth Vader is the best Star Wars villain but Maul makes Vader look like a weenie in my opinion. Maul has a hate on for Jedis that Cullen exposes to great effect. Looks like I'm going to hang out at the Maul for a while.

 Vampirella #0 - Paul Cornell (writer) Jimmy Broxton (art & colours) Travis Lanham (letters). Vampi's back on the racks but this new effort was lacking in anything interesting to make me want to keep reading. First off; Vampirella is barely in it. Then there's her waking up with amnesia to provide a clean slate for new adventures but you don't know enough about her to care what happens next. I've been a fan since the Warren Magazine days and I have been disappointed with the latest attempts at bringing her back. It's a good thing this issue only cost two bits US.

 Karnak #6 - Warren Ellis (writer) Rolland Boschi (art) Dan Brown (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). This finale sees Karnak complete his mission for S.H.I.E.L.D. leaving the bad guy in a sorry state. I didn't get the part about what Karnak wanted for payment so maybe I missed something over the course of this 6-issue mini that took 16 months to complete. What kept me hanging on was that I really liked how Warren portrayed this Inhuman. I hope his new Wildstorm book doesn't drag on like this.

 Superman #16 - Peter J. Tomasi & Patrick Gleason (writer) Tony S. Daniel & Clay Mann (pencils) Sandu Florea & Seth Mann (inks) Dinei Ribeiro (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). We find out why the bad guy Prophesy is draining powers from all the Supermen and women in the conclusion of "Multiplicity". He needs all that power to save his universe from doom. I really hope they don't bring Doomsday back. So now that the Multiverse has been saved again let's see what the next threat is.

 Hawkeye #3 - Kelly Thompson (writer) Leonardo Romero (art) Jordie Bellaire (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). I loved the TV show Veronica Mars and this comic book reminds me of that show. I think it's how Kelly uses Kate to narrate what's going on. This is fun light reading with just a hint of menace.

 Moon Knight #11 - Jeff Lemire (writer) Greg Smallwood (art) Jordie Bellaire (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Okay, part 2 of "Death and Birth" has a lot of jumping around that seems confusing at first but I'm sure it'll all make sense eventually. We are getting a lot of insights into Marc's alternate identities so I am going to trust in Jeff and keep reading.

 Champions #5 - Mark Waid (writer) Humberto Ramos (pencils) Victor Olazaba (inks) Edgar Delgado (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). The teen team tackles racism. I'm glad this didn't just deteriorate into the kids beating up skinheads and white supremacists. They tried hard to do the right thing. Does Mark write Gwenpool too? I would read that book if he did based on her appearance in this issue. I just might check out her own book now.

 Monsters Unleashed #2 - Cullen Bunn (writer) Greg Land (pencils) Jay Leisten (inks) David Curiel (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). It's wall to wall super heroes fighting giant monsters from  space. Meanwhile, Elsa Bloodstone thinks she has found who is causing all this destruction and Moon Girl thinks she knows why. I think Marvel is using this stunt as a way to undo all the animosity created by Civil War II and Inhumans vs. X-Men.

 Nova #3 - Jeff Loveness & Ramon Perez (writers) Ramon Perez (art) Ian Herring (colours) Comicraft's Albert Deschesne (letters). Hold onto your helmets folks this one's pretty intense.

 Unstoppable Wasp #2 - Jeremy Whitley (writer) Elsa Charretier (art) Megan Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). I like Nadia and this is a good way to find out more about the other female heroes in the Marvel U that I don't follow. Taina Miranda is totally new to me and I don't read Devil Dinosaur and Moon Girl's comic book. Plus, I think the art is really good.