#Could make a whole one on Kevin and Betty too

[thatiranianphantom]

On Ch*ni And How This Version is NOT An Ode To LGBT Representation.

Oh, folks. We've hit that time. We've hit the time where I have to say something aloud, aware as I am that it's RD and criticizing it for being tone deaf and offensive is somewhat pointless.

I have edited the name so that this hopefully doesn't show up in the tag, trying to respect keeping that tag a positive place here. But I gotta say something. And for once, it's not on Madelaine and Vanessa, it's on the writers.

The way that they are portraying Ch*ni is anything but positive LGBT representation.

It's been canonically established that Toni and Cheryl do not know each other in the 50s' verse. Like Toni had never spoken to Cheryl before 701.

And yet somehow, Toni has decided that she knows Cheryl, a stranger's, sexuality. Not only did she decide that, she has decided Cheryl needs to be open about that and come out. Here's a few issues with that, in the form of some lists.

Here are things Cheryl has never done in this verse, up to the end of the current episode:

Confided in Toni that she was struggling with her sexuality

Asked Toni for her advice

Asked Toni what sexuality she'd identify Cheryl with

Requested Toni help her come out

Sought Toni's opinion on her life and her relationships

Told Toni that she was a lesbian.

Here are the things Cheryl did do:

Told Toni more than once that she did not know the inner details of Cheryl's life and explicitly said Toni should stop acting like she knew Cheryl

Made it very clear that she was uncomfortable with Toni's advances.

Show us, the audience, that her family is abusive and unsafe.

And yet, Toni feels it is her personal responsibility to remove Cheryl from the closet, and "play the long game", implying she plans on being with Cheryl once Cheryl has come out. This is....not good. Disclosure of one's sexuality is an incredibly personal process, and one that can only be done by the person themselves. As a bisexual person, I would be incredibly not okay with someone outlining the steps they feel I should take in my own sexuality. That's to say nothing of the fact that it may actually be unsafe for Cheryl to come out.

In the last episode, Toni stated "I was you." She indeed was not, given the fact that she and Cheryl have had maybe three conversations and again, Cheryl has never expressed to Toni that she is requesting her help to come out. The 704 content was, at best, none of Toni's business. Nor was it her place to overtly make Cheryl uncomfortable with her advances. And I am super not okay with the last CH scene given how Toni had been acting thus far, and the show portraying it as empowering or feminist.

The thing is, while I don't think the show has ever been good about LGBT representation, their s2 plot wasn't like this. It never felt like Toni was trying to pressure Cheryl into anything. You could say a lot of things about them as a couple but it didn't feel like Toni decided Cheryl's sexuality and took on the role of the sexuality police.

Anyway. Let me know y'all's opinion. Looking forward to anons calling me a homophobe. Or a racist. Or oftentimes, both!

[wallbeatjournal]

Have you ever noticed there are loads of surface level plot similarities between the pilots of riverdale and dawsons creek. Also mr honey is the actor who played jack and greg berlanti worked on both projects. Just a topic i used to like to think about a lot….

yes yes yes omg yes!! sibling shows!! and this is intentional for sure, i was looking at articles about riverdale from pre-series (circa 2015-16) yesterday to cite the perks of being a wallflower movie as a core inspiration for s1 and roberto mentioned dawson's creek regularly, too. actually way before the twin peaks pastiche started getting promoted, dawson's and perks were coming up.

it's really really wonderfully apparent if you're into the gay-auteur genre of teen dramas or the intersection between teen dramas and gay horror media. dawson's creek ran so riverdale could soar (lean in even harder on genre-archetype-and-trope-as-social-construct, not be hung up by don't-ask-don't-tell era tv writing restrictions...except by choice for queerbaiting fun and spite). and even failing to soar, dawson's creek season 2 might remain a perfect season of television for me.

(note for the readers who aren't operating in the 5th dimension like me and anon, yet: kevin williamson made our favorite genre-aware homoerotic slasher movie, scream, and dawson's creek both, and the only functional difference between them is what genre conventions he was allowed to play with to make it. in scream he got to have his repressed closet cases do murder. in dawson's creek, dawson must pick up the camera and make his friends into Characters, instead.)

dawson's creek and riverdale are suuuuch spiritually similar shows, at least the parts of DC that williamson was involved with - so for sure seasons 1-2, and then his comeback many seasons later for the finale (which i think the riverdale finale also riffed on heavily. mwah). you've got:

the original controversial "teenagers don't fucking talk like this omg cringe" ft. heightened theatrical hyperstylized dialogue full of movie references

comphet camp. no character is truly coherent unless you pepper in the fact that they're lgbt and repressing it as hard as they can. barchie, meet dawson/joey. it sucks here sooo bad but it's certainly in the social script and legacy expectations. might try to make it last a lifetime!

meta plot about the whole show possibly being the creation of the most repressed and judgmental (and asexual) control freak main character. plus many in-universe metaplots where said character makes autobiographical work romanticizing/projecting all over his friends

titular location (riverdale, the creek) is both a story setting AND a narrative mousetrap that the characters are trapped in.

there are tons of direct DC<>rvd plot and character riffs and web-weaves. like anon mentioned, principal honey really does play like a later-in-life continuation of kerr smith's role as jack in dawson's creek, with dawson creek jack's values and beliefs. most of the s1 rvd characters make more sense in the context of dawson's creek archetypes, too (especially jughead, veronica, kevin imo). many plots seem yanked off a teen drama tropes bingo card that dawson's creek filled out for them (complimentary!!!!).

they also both just have a really similar character writing approach to their campy genre pulp. the shows are very arch and into their coding games and doublespeak, the text is a fluid thing never taken too seriously or held too dearly. but the characters are nearly always treated earnestly and with love, we're allowed to grow so fond of them as an audience bc the narrative is one of love (sometimes an oppressive love full of meta-projections from its unreliable narrator-creator, but LOVE!!). it's a priority that while the weird tropey shit is happening, we still really are allowed to care about how it feels to be archie or pacey or jen or betty, and the emotional repercussions of any weird tropey happenings are carried through fairly consistently*. dawson is THE WORST. but he's beloved. he's vivid. he's coherent. his feelings are wrong but they're real and we do care. we do!! we must!!

anyway. you made me go back and look at posts from when i went back and rewatched dawson's creek in 2022. here's an assortment of random hot takes and fawning fond adorationisms, if you even care. look at my closeted friends from the creek. they're stuck like this!

PS: i made a list one time of the 6 essential dawson's creek episodes (i would add the 2-part whole series finale to this list in retrospect, so 8 episodes total) that one could watch out-of-context to open their <understanding gay-auteur camp teen drama comphet-lamenting queer-coding tropes and conventions> third eye. it's here on my personal blog! most recommend the daddy/mommy issues fishing trip ep (parent<>child dynamics and gender...riveressentials) and the gay two-parter (principal honey!!).

PPS: @kevin-keller-artistic-director used to post about rvd and dawson's creek semi regularly and probably would have great thoughts about this topic beyond what i just dredged up <3 also interested if anyone else wants to riff on the topic of riverdale as a successor/sibling to dawson's creek 👀

*pacey's CSA plot (DEROGATORY) a notable exception to this. but that's because dawson's creek isn't trying to depict abuse, it's trying to do a queer closet metaphor, where "being in high school but dating an adult woman" is the same as "having a same-sex relationship with a peer" in terms of secrecy and shame and social impact...just NO thought to power dynamics or trauma AT ALL. it's basically the kevin/moose plot from riverdale and pacey is impacted by it like kevin is. gross!!!!

[mean-vampyre]

Riverdale’s gay gene

Okay so, the riverdale gay gene theory goes something like this: just like the serial killer gene, sexuality is inherited in the riverdale universe, mainly from parents to children, but in some cases (like cheryl and toni) from the most prominent ancestor featured in the show so far (season 6). How does it work? idk, it’s riverdale but my theory is that 1bi/gay parent = 1bi child, and 2bi parents = 1gay or 1bi children.

The Cooper-Smith family: in season 6 Betty is confirmed bisexual and that implies that one of her prominent ancestors is gay, which could point to Bitsy Smith from 06x05. HOWEVER the storyline of Abigail-Poppy-Cheryl being immortal is not within the continuity of season 6, and Bitsy and Betty are not related (also confirmed by Madelaine Petsch). Therefore Betty gets her bisexuality from either her father or her mother, but most likely her mother Alice since she is also the one who gave the serial killer gene to her and Charles, who has the gay gene too. 

The Smith-Jones family: Charles gets either his gay gene from Alice or FP, but (see above) most likely is from Alice or both of them if we go by the theory that 2bi parents are needed to produce 1gay child.

The Jones family: by the 2bi=1gay formula theory, FP is bi (unconfirmed), which makes Jughead bi. Nevertheless, he would remain bi even if we don’t go with the gay formula and FP is not bi, since Gladys aka jugmom is most likely bi because if riverdale writers love something it is metatextuality and references to other media, and what is gina gershon (jugmom) known for? Bound (1996), where she plays a lesbian icon. By metatextuality rules Jugmom is, then, bisexual (also have you seen her? leather jacket and string choker? she is definitely fucking women).

The Andrews family: Mary is a bisexual icon that got straight and gay divorced, that makes Archie bisexual (+all the times he has kissed men??? and all that stuff that he has said that is straight out of the 2003 atlanta-based play archie's weird fantasy?? my boy is bisexual).

The Topaz-Fogarty family: now this confirmed the gay gene theory, since both Toni and Fangs are bisexuals who have a child, baby Anthony, who is confirmed queer (undisclosed whether he is gay or bisexual). And going back in time, Tony’s only on-screen relevant relative is Thomasina, who is also confirmed bisexual (or perhaps lesbian, it is never stated), creating a direct line of the gay gene inheritance from Thomasina to Baby Anthony.

The Blossom family: it’s not confirmed that queen of serving cunt and evil Penelope is queer, although it was implied, BUT it could also be Abigail, Cheryl’s most direct ancestor (aside from Nana Blossom), the one who gave her the witch gene and the lesbian gene.

The Keller family: is Tom bi? perhaps anything is possible in Riverdale, but most likely the evidence points to either his unnamed mom who never even lives with them (like Mary did with Archie’s dad, before she got a divorce to marry a woman). But it’s also possible that gay kevin is just spontaneously gay, which would explain the fact that his whole personality is being gay.

The Mason family: Marcus (Moose’s dad) is most likely gay, but got therapy conversion at the sister’s of quiet mercy, but he could be bisexual and only they only scared away the gay part, and passed on the gene to Moose, who is bisexual.

In conclusion, only in riverdale you get the serial killer gene and the gay gene.

[opheliaintherushes]

I told myself I was done tormenting my kind and non-Riverdale-watching mutuals, and besides, I am too old and weathered for this fandom anyway, but really, the final, final thoughts on this finale and season as a whole:

First, and separately, does anything that happened after the characters got their memories back make sense? What was the point of it? They seemed completely unaffected by anything and happy to roleplay 50s teens. Were they even teens? Were they twenty-somethings sticking around high school like the vampires from Twilight for no explicable reason? Also, I'm sorry if you want to play the sentimental card, but if I was one of a handful of people who had traveled back in time and was stuck living in the past for 60 years or what have you, I would not lose contact with the others who also had. You would go insane! What did Archie tell his Modesto wife and child? Was Veronica picking up options on scripts she already knew would win Oscars? Did Jughead and Betty rewrite old issues of Mad and Ms. they might have read in the past? And is Gloria Steinem okay??? Also Betty and Jughead should remember they kind of hated each other in the future after the cheating and the voicemail, and Veronica should be so jealous of Betty for getting Archie, and Jughead should be so jealous of Archie for getting Betty, and my brain is hurting -

Almost more irritating were a) this idea that Archies are fundamentally stuck in the 50s (I owned the decade collections as a kid and the 60s and 70s were by far my favorites - very groovy), and b) the presumption that they did anything to address, expose, and or/fix actual problems of the 50s. Let us recap:

The school is already desegregated and this is never, ever discussed. The Black students are allowed to compete in beauty pageants, form their own literary club, dance on an integrated TV show, and join cheerleader squads, and this all happens with zero fight from the villains of the season. Fake Ray Bradbury and Fake Ray Bradbury's sweet but stupid wife think they could have settled in the south as a married couple in the forties. But? This is Riverdale, you say? They fixed everything? Sorry, you don't get to use Emmett Till to open the season and then eat your cake too.

Homophobia seemed to be the writers focus this season - except that every other episode someone would threaten Cheryl or Kevin, and then the next episode it would be an open secret at school with zero repercussions. Also, of course only the bad guys are homophobic (sorry Evelyn); our heroes are as forward thinking as they come. Hell, even Buffy had a moment to be wigged out by Willow and this was 1999! Anyway, look up what Lou Reed's parents did to him ('don't you know they're gonna kill your sons')

Let us not even discuss Reggie, who conquers racism through the power of athletics. Look up Richie Allen. Heck, watch the actual School Ties. It doesn't work out so well for David Greene in the end.

And then there's Fangs and Midge: first, rock and roll was seen as a huge menace, Fangs should've been on the school's hit list. Second, the writers obviously never read up on rock and rollers (who were generally older) and teen girls if they thought that was a good storyline. Third, they definitely never read any memoirs written by women in the 1950s, which all feature back alley abortions, slimy lovers, and shady doctors. (We don't even have time to get into Betty's idea of feminism being about sex all the time, everywhere, and becoming a burlesque dancer rather than, like, equal pay. Who knows, maybe she could have been the one harping on non-stop about the Beats and seen the cold face of her future there).

They didn't change anything. EC (sorry, Pep Comics) shut down. The Comics Code Authority won. So apparently all those artists who never worked again were just fine, right Tabitha?

[chonidale]

I don’t go here per se, but I stumbled across some gifs of 50s Choni. Looked up some clips on YT, etc. A self-assured bisexual and a complete disaster lesbian falling in love in a 50s hyper reality is exactly my thing —and then fic scenes started falling out of my head. I figured if I was going to write this thing, I’d watch from the beginning because proper characterization is important to me, which *shrug* is apparently not the case with the show runner?! They gave Cheryl growth only to snatch it away two episodes later for a throwaway plot (multiple times, multiple seasons), or like that one season where Toni was glorified set dressing. I could go on (like all the negative queer tropes) but I know I’m not saying anything new. Clearly Vanessa and Madelaine’s performances did all the heavy lifting. My question though is has someone put together character descriptions for either of them (but especially Toni)? Or maybe there’s a solid fic you would recommend?

i mean, giving characters growth and taking it away or trapping them in an endless cycle of the same shit and issues was literally the show's bread and butter. how many times did veronica and archie have the exact same story making the exact same mistake? kevin and reggie too. the show always prioritized plot over characterization, and it was very annoying when they'd do that with cheryl especially, but it's not like growth and progress doesn't realistically involve mistakes and backwards steps sometimes, and it's not like they didn't finally let that go and allow cheryl to have nothing but growth and positive development in the last two seasons. i think overall, cheryl has the strongest character arc and development over the course of the series, next to maybe betty. toni, well. there's no point ranting about how much they failed her, everyone has heard it all before. i think you're massively underselling choni's story though by saying it was all madelaine and vanessa. they cared more about choni than the writers for sure and did so much for us, and there was a lot of missed potential and opportunities, but i certainly don't agree that there was nothing good about their canon story since i think that looking over the whole show, they have the strongest love story. certainly the most satisfying, imo.

as for meta you can read about the characters, i'm not sure that was really something the fandom was big on. from what i've read and know about their archieverse wiki pages, it's trash and full of misinformation and horrible interpretations of canon, so i really wouldn't recommend going there for research :/ but for fic recs, are you looking for fics that explore head spaces and motivations and characterization, as in expanding on what canon did a bad job covering (like post s6 fics explaining wtf toni was thinking in s6) or are you looking for fics that are more about fleshing out and exploring canon backstory and world building and shit (like companion pieces full of missing scenes from s2-4)? because there are a LOT of those missing scene/canon compliment fics for s2/3, while s5/6 has more fics that try to attempt to make sense of canon events. if any of that made sense. but i have a fic rec page that's split up into sections and have a bit of rambling thoughts that might be helpful in finding the kind you're looking for?

[yanagrebenyuk]

If riverdale ends with everyone ending up in a new version of the town where they’ve succeeded in “bending towards justice”, erasing everything from the previous seasons so they can all live happily in new!Riverdale, would that be a satisfying ending for you? It certainly won’t for me, but unfortunately that seems to be the direction we’re headed… and I don’t like it :/ invalidating the first 6 seasons of your show makes the entire show pointless.

This whole season lowkey feels like a waste so far - there’s no plot progression! All we’re doing is slogging through things we as the audience already know (I don’t need to see why Varchie doesn’t work for the 80 billionth time, or watch Kevin struggle to come out when he’s always been out and proud, or watch Cheryl torture herself by being with Archie when we all know she’s a lesbian). Why bother investing in these new relationships like Kevin & Clay, Jeronica, or Cheryl & Toni if none of this is going to matter… unless it is going to matter beyond the 50’s, in which case the previous 6 seasons get thrown out the window and we disregard everything these characters have gone through, their lives and families, and all of their development. Making the last season of your show an AU is just a godawful choice. It’s fun for maybe an episode or two, but it certainly shouldn’t be more than half the season! We’re only 3 episodes in and it’s already tired, laughably irrelevant, and blatantly mocking fans and the relationships we’ve all come to love.

I like the idea of the characters in the '50s (most of them at least) not being weighed down by the pain and the trauma of the last six seasons. But you are right, that works when it is something like Rivervale for a few episodes. It doesn't hit the same way in the final season — especially when it looks like most of it will be set in the '50s.

The only way I feel like it won't fall flat for me is if they return to the present day with their memories. Specifically, though, I think they would need to regain their memories in the '50s and spend a good chunk of time in the know before they get to the present vs too much time as these new versions of themselves.

I think in an ideal world this '50s storyline could be compelling if it shapes the characters we already spent so much time with. Like if Betty and Archie still find their way back to one another proving that they are meant to be in any universe. Or Cheryl and Toni getting their happily ever after which helps them get back together in the present without all the big obstacles still at play.

Long story short, I do agree with all of your points. We have only seen 3 episodes out of 20 but it feels too ambitious for a season that needs to wrap things up. The only thing from the '50s that we actually need (in my opinion) is Clay. Take him and leave everything else.

[arotechno]

Jughead (2015), Issues 9-11: Discussion and Commentary

This brings us to the first arc written by Ryan North, who saw that the aroace Jughead train had left the station and simply could not resist tagging along for the ride. If you’ve followed anything about Jughead as a character at all, then you’ve probably seen many screenshots from these three issues before. It’s the Sabrina arc (that’s right, as in the teenage witch)!

I have a lot of analysis at the end of this one, so buckle up!

The gang ends up at Pop’s, as usual, where Jughead meets the shop’s new mascot, a talking burger lady. Jughead is, unsurprisingly, thrown off his game by this. After all, burgers are his one true love, but girls? He doesn’t really have an interest in them. It’s a confusing moment for him, and when his friends witness this, well… they assume he’s got a crush on her.

This is an iconic page in the “aro Jughead” canon. Here we have Betty trying really hard to be a good friend and doing what in her mind is the best for him, trying to help him through what she and the others perceive as his first crush. Jughead, meanwhile, is diving headfirst into a spiral of confusion (and later, discomfort) at the idea of having any sort of interest in another person.

I want to give my utmost respect to Ryan North for explicitly having Jughead say that he doesn’t get crushes. It’s not the only time that North does this during this arc, and I think it makes all the difference between making this awkward and relatable rather than making it seem like Jughead is being stripped of or “cured” of being aro.

Betty pushes Jughead to talk to Sabrina (the burger lady—it’s Sabrina), and after a while of running into each other day in and day out as Jughead frequents Pop’s on a regular basis, they strike up a friendship. Jughead has gotten what he wanted—to be friends with the cool burger lady—and he seems genuinely satisfied.

…But unfortunately, things do not go as planned for Jughead. The next time they see each other, Sabrina asks Jughead out. And Jughead, in true stereotypical oblivious aro fashion, agrees, without realizing until it is much, much too late that what he has just agreed to is a date. Like, a real date.

If you think about it, Jughead has probably never been asked on a real date before. And this is something I ABSOLUTELY would have done (and may still do today, if I’m completely honest with myself) as a teenager. Jughead’s immediate regret is so palpable here, and so relatable to me as an aromantic.

In his panic, Jughead turns to his friends for help. They are… not helpful. They’re trying to be helpful, sure, but whereas Jughead doesn’t really seem to want to go through with this at all, his friends are more set on giving him romantic advice (with varying degrees of usefulness). Jughead really has to go out of his way to defend himself and insists on multiple occasions that he thinks the girl in the burger costume is cool and interesting, but that he doesn’t like-like her, he doesn’t even really know her!

Unfortunately for Jughead, he ends up going on the date. And who does he call for help? His only other openly queer friend (I say openly because let’s be real with ourselves, none of those kids are cishet), Kevin Keller.

And okay, this scene with Kevin is genuinely kind of funny. You get the impression that Kevin has had a lot of practice dealing with straight bullshit, and that he’s more than a little disappointed that Jughead’s “big emergency” turned out to be something this totally mundane and not worth his time.

Ultimately, Kevin is also super not helpful, even after Jughead steals his phone in an attempt to get him to come to the table and diffuse the awkward situation Jughead has found himself in. So Jughead resorts to what I can only assume is plan Z, which is to call Archie for backup.

Only semi-related, I really love the way Ryan North writes conversations between these two. It just feels really genuine and believable. And anyway, I don’t know what Jughead was expecting, but resident himbo Archie Andrews is of no help to him, and only ends up making things a hell of a lot worse.

This leads to Sabrina rushing off to the bathroom and casting multiple spells to try to get Jughead to at least play along, if not outright fall in love with her, all of which fail spectacularly and only end up making her far angrier with him. I don’t blame her for being upset—the date was a total disaster, and right at the moment Jughead was about to be honest with her, Archie showed up and made things worse. Sabrina storms out, and vows that she’ll get revenge on Jughead for this, somehow.

All of Sabrina’s subsequent spells on Jughead also backfire. She tries to make him fail his classes, and he passes with flying colors; she tries to make him spend the whole day with resident asshole Reggie, but he ends up befriending him against all odds. She even ends up unleashing a giant eldritch horror by accident, and—well, that’s not important.

In the end, Jughead decides to make things right. He never meant to hurt Sabrina, and she seems to be in a tough spot, having just moved to town, so he brings her some food as a peace offering and explains what really happened. And Sabrina is… surprisingly receptive, in fact more receptive than Jughead’s friends were when he came to them for help, despite the fact that this is something they should already understand about him. Being upset with Jughead wasn’t doing her any favors, so Sabrina already seems to be at peace with what happened and is more than willing to forgive him and be his friend despite all that transpired between them.

This is a really great scene. There’s a nuance to it—the way Jughead acted on their date was unfair, both to Sabrina and to himself. He needed to be honest from the beginning, but instead, he just kept trying to escape. At the same time, Sabrina gets it, and it wasn’t very cool of her to try to use magic to get what she wanted, either (not that Jughead knows she did that).

Jughead helps Sabrina re-enroll in her old school and quit her job at Pop’s to move back in with her aunts, so that she can live out the rest of her teenage years the way she’s supposed to. Afterwards, Sabrina and Jughead both seem really happy, and thus volume two ends on a positive, quiet note.

I really like this arc, for the reasons I’ve already stated and more. It’s funny and awkward and endearing (I say that a lot about this series, don’t I?), and it portrays a realistic and relatable aromantic problem without it being aboutaromanticism. It’s more about Jughead being honest about his feelings and making a new friend than about Jughead being aro, even though that contextualizes the situation. A great deal of the series is about that—Jughead being honest with himself and others. In the first arc, it’s Jughead shaking off a persona of apathy. In the second, it’s Jughead being honest with Archie about their friendship and the way Archie’s behavior has been making him feel. Here, it’s about Jughead being honest about who he is at his core, and accepting it about himself—and Sabrina accepts it, too, no questions asked. Even if he never says “I’m aromantic,” the sentiment is there plain as day, and it’s a refreshing beat for the story to land on.

That said, I do have a bone to pick with this arc. There’s a line in the sand here between Zdarsky and North. In the last arc, we saw Zdarsky portray that really subtle but meaningful interaction between Archie and Jughead, in which Archie seems not only keenly aware of Jughead being aromantic—even without the word—but also tacitly supportive of him, such that he knows immediately when he’s crossed a line. Here, we see Ryan North take a bit of a step back from that, such that Archie may be aware of Jughead’s orientation but seems way too quick to assume all that’s changed the moment there’s even a sliver of possibility that Jughead has a crush. That’s the reality of having different writers stepping in to interpret the same characters in loosely connected stories like this, but it still bothers me. I prefer Zdarsky’s style of storytelling in general, but in particular I also prefer his portrayal of Archie, as much as Ryan North’s on-the-nose aro moments and undying love for Reggie make me very happy. As a whole, nobody ever stops to ask Jughead what he wants, they only tell him what they think Sabrina wants. Jughead says so himself:

I suppose one could make the argument that Jughead’s friends, or even Jughead himself, are only really aware of the asexual bit (if at all—for all we know Veronica and Reggie have no idea, for example) and that’s why they don’t only never mention aromanticism but also sometimes seem ignorant of it. It’s possible that the aro side of Jughead’s orientation is still something he doesn’t have the words for, despite it being a truth he knows about himself, and in fact I think that would have been an interesting angle to take, had this series continued beyond 15 issues. But what I have an issue with isn’t so much the fact that Jughead’s friends are unhelpful (because let’s be real, sadly a lot of us have been there), but the fact that never are they asked to apologize for pushing him to do something he so clearly didn’t want to do. Whether he or they know he’s aromantic or not, he was clearly uncomfortable with the idea of going on this date—and not just due to a lack of experience. I would have liked it had Archie, or Betty, or Kevin apologized, or even once asked him what he really wanted. Betty comes the closest, by talking it out with him in the first place, but even she still earnestly pushes him to go through with the date anyway.

Anyway, there are two arcs left for me to discuss, and frankly I’m not as enthused by either of them as I was for these past three, for a variety of reasons. The Ryan North train continues for one more arc, and then it’s on to Mark Waid and Ian Flynn’s big finish. Those two updates might come a little slower. Until then, I was going to include a compilation of Jughead looking uncomfortable, but I've only got one image slot left thanks to tumblr, so instead I leave you with this:

Same, Jughead. Huge same.

[lonelier-version-of-you]

Overall I liked this week’s episode. It wasn’t quite as strong as last week’s, but that may just be because I don’t like what they’ve been doing with Sah’s storyline. I really enjoyed everything else.

The Dylan stuff was absolutely fantastic. I love it and I love William Beck’s acting. And I am really, really glad the show is finally addressing Dylan’s mental health, because he’s been blatantly unwell for nearly 2 years at this point (going right back to when he was looking at houses for him and Faith in February 2021, a move I’m still baffled that people thought was romantic), and I was really worried it would just be swept under the rug, but no, it’s just been building up really slowly. Look, not that I want to sound happy that Dylan is ill, but I’d rather have him be ill and the show address it than have him be ill and the show not address it, so... yeah.

I also just love that the show is currently in a place where people on Twitter are whining that it’s “too political” every week. Mate, if you don’t want politics, fuck off and stop watching Casualty.

I expected after Dylan’s whole “I can’t fix the NHS but I can fix things here” speech a few weeks back that the show was going to quickly deconstruct that idea and show that Dylan actually has very little power in the grand scheme of everything, and I was right. His speech tonight calling back to that moment was WONDERFUL. I’m definitely gonna gif it. Probably won’t gif it right away, because tomorrow is Johnrik Day (AKA the “One Man And His God” anniversary) and I’ll be focusing on that (might make a little gifset of them, we’ll see), but I’ll gif it at some point.

Also, I said this already, but I find it both annoying and funny how they’re going out of their way to avoid acknowledging that Henrik left the hospital, while also not outright retconning the fact that he left the hospital. Hence, we’re getting all these mentions of the chairman and stuff thrown around, but nothing about the CEO. I’m begging you, Casualty, please just confirm that Henrik left. You don’t even have to tell us the actual name of the new CEO if you really can’t be bothered. Just give us a line that starts with “since Mr. Hanssen left...”, or have someone go “I’m gonna talk to the CEO about this and see what she thinks” to confirm it’s not Henrik anymore.

Anyway, diverting back from that tangent onto the topic of Dylan and his storyline, I loved Betty. I thought she was just lovely.

Paul was worried that what he said about Dylan could get him in trouble - let’s hope it does, because I want him to just leave already. Why is he still on the show? Having him punch Dylan, however unintentionally, just makes me hate him more.

I also hate Marcus, but he’s clearly a short-term character we’re meant to hate. Whereas Paul’s been here over a year and there’s still nothing likeable about him.

I liked all the patient storylines tonight. I especially liked the guy who had been taking his girlfriend’s contraceptive pills because he thought that would make extra sure she didn’t get pregnant. That was so cute. Silly, but cute.

The Sah stuff... the stuff with them being kidnapped was better than I expected, but I really didn’t like the stuff with their family. The kidnapping stuff reminded me of when Henrik was kidnapped just as much as I thought it would. His responses were not dissimilar. If I had a nickel for every time an autistic-coded queer Holbyverse medic got held hostage, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it’s happened twice.

As for the family stuff, I am glad Kevin survived the episode. I really expected him not to, so I was relieved that he did. But other than that... I am just so tired of storylines where trans people are expected to “make things up” and “reconcile” with their bigoted family members, even if in this case there were admittedly extenuating circumstances (which you can’t say for the similar storyline on Holby with Louis). Especially in this case, because Sah’s mother isn’t just bigoted, she left them alone when they were only a teenager and they needed her. Sorry, but she’s a terrible person. Sah has no obligation to forgive her.

Also, what the fuck was up with them having Jan misgender Sah? Jan has no reason to misgender Sah. She’s never ever had to call them by she/her, because she met them long after their coming out. They’ve been using they/them for as long as she’s known them. (I know some people just tend to mix words up, which could lead to unintentionally misgendering someone even if you’ve always known them by their current pronouns, but we’ve seen no sign of Jan being like that before from what I remember.) Add to that the fact that Jan is literally queer herself, and just... she should know better. Having her misgender Sah is not a good look.

Loved Sah’s new haircut, though, I’ve gotta say that.

There was very little Faith tonight, which pleased me. Honestly, I could almost forget she was in the episode. Hopefully she’s leaving and they’re phasing her out now to make sure no one will miss her - I can dream.

There was, however, not enough Stevie. I wanted more Stevie.

Anyway, there’s no episode next week, because of Strictly IIRC. So... next review whenever the next episode airs, lol.

[alaffy]

Riverdale 6x3 - Mr. Cypher

So, is this the whole good vs. evil Roberto mentioned? Because right now it seems like it's Tabitha and Pops vs. everyone else. Except they also sacrificed Archie, so.... Also, I wonder if Glen being married is only a Rivervale thing? Because, and I could be wrong, I'm pretty sure Glen asked Betty if she wanted to go to his place in 5x04 and the fact they were kissing in the office....seems a little too open for an affair. I guess we'll find out if he comes back when we get back to Riverdale.

So, I actually am disappointed in this episode for a couple of reasons. Number one, I think the whole thing would have worked better with Mr. Cypher if they had gotten the actor who played Lucifer on Sabrina. That man had a strangely good balance between menacing and camp. The other reason, and granted this is Rivervale and therefore things are different, the whole good vs. evil thing was done so much better in Sabrina. In Sabrina there are three realms: the mortal; the infernal; and the celestial. And there's good and bad in all of it. I think one of my favorite parts of the series was when they had Angels come to town. One of the mortals said they thought Angels were supposed to be good, to which one of the Church of Nights asks if they've actually read The Bible. But, again, this is Rivervale where everything feels more of a caricature of itself, so maybe this will play out better in Riverdale (if the Devil comes to Riverdale).

Anyway, in tonight's episode everyone sells their soul to the Devil. Well, most and mostly for selfish reasons. The one exception is the best man in the world, Pop Tate. He did sell his soul, but only to save his father. Also, Pops being the soul of Riverdale is, well it's never been quite on the nose like this, but it's basically has been implied as such during the show so, I'll allow it.

Kevin sells his soul for fame. None of us are surprised.

Reggie ends up selling Veronica's soul because his own wasn't worth much to the devil (ouch.) Veronica thinks Reggie did sell his own soul and uses this as a way to get rid of Nick (I mean, it's clear he was heading there anyway, might as well hurry it along). Then, she finds out it's her soul that's sold. And she figures out a way of keeping her soul by giving the devil other souls, starting with Reggie. Not too surprised that Reggie is one that died tonight. Not too surprised by this storyline either.

The version of Jughead in this episode is so stupid that even the Narrator Jughead basically freezes the story to make it clear to the audience that Narrator Jughead finds him insufferable. Anyway, Jughead's all "I'm not selling my soul to the devil," but then immediately gets into a deal with Mr. Cypher that totally ends with him selling his soul. Although, I did like the dark and stormy night bit.

As for Betty, she's the whore of Babylon? Here's the thing, the Devil wants her to pledge her allegiance to him, but Betty didn't sign any sort of contract. She did kill Glen (and hide his body), but that was only because she was tricked by the Devil into doing so. So, it's not like with Jughead and Veronica who are clearly have chosen to side with the devil. She's, at the moment, closer to the dark then the light, but maybe that will change in the last two episodes? I mean, they're clearly dealing with Betty's issues with her "darkness" but with higher stakes.

Again, I feel like that in Rivervale we are dealing with caricatures of the actual people of Riverdale. Like everyone is going to extremes that I feel that even those in Riverdale would probably back out of. I do wonder if they're going to introduce Lucifer into Riverdale.

And if they do, can it please, pleeeese be the same person who played Lucifer in Sabrina, not this Mr. Cypher?

[perfectlywrongformend3s]

Forced Break-up- (Jughead Jones x reader) Archie Andrews x reader

Requested: @coolstuffrulesbrohi could u make an archie x reader where she and jug break up because betty tells the reader to do so. y/n acts cool but once she's at Archie's she cries and he tells her he'll be there and they kiss and sleep together . with a jealous but sad jughead at the end and dominating betty. fluff and angst please.

word count: 3,038

Warnings: Dominated characters, lots of fluff and angst, a little bit of smut.

A/n: I don't write smut but I can go into a little bit of detail and then you can imagine what happens.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your POV

It was a beautiful spring day in Riverdale and I was sitting at Pop's with Jughead across from me. I was watching the outside world through the window when I felt eyes on me, I turned around to see the eyes belonged to the beanie crowned boy sitting crossed from me. I rolled my eyes since he had this stupid smirk on his face.

" What's with the smirk Jug?" I questioned

" Oh nothing." He said

I leaned closer to him, which was hard to do to the table in the middle of us and said " I don't believe that one bit."

He let out a chuckle. " Aww darling, you'll know eventually."

I lied back into the seat and made a pout face while looking away from Jug. I could hear him letting out a laugh.

" Y/n/n come on. I was messing with you." He said

I tried to hold back my smile but it broke out when he said...

" I can see you smiling Y/n/n"

I looked at him and then got out of my side of the booth and walked over to his side. He was watching my every move. Once I was on his side I smiled and placed my hands on the side of his face and gave him a long passionate kiss. I felt him smile and he pulled me a little closer so our upper half were touching.

Jughead's POV

I pulled away from her soft pink lips and leaned my forehead against hers. I gave her a small smile before pulling away from her and going back to my computer. I felt her lie her head on my shoulder, so I looked over and saw her pretty y/e/c eyes staring back at mine. I gave her forehead a quick peck and then looked back at my story.

'Time Jump'

Its been about a couple hours since we both sat in our booth at Pops when I heard soft snores coming from the girl resting on my shoulder. I looked down and smiled at her relaxing face. I carefully closed my laptop and put it in my bag. I then shook her awake so we could make our way back to her house.

" Y/n/n, time to get up angel." I whispered while shaking her.

I heard her let out a little groan, but I saw her eyes open. She gave me a tiny small and started stretching.

" Ready to head home?" I questioned

She nodded her head and got up from her spot. I got up after her and swung my bag over my shoulder. We both headed out of Pops and made our way to her house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your POV

I was making my way to school when I heard someone run up to catch up to me. I slowed down and turned to find Betty. I gave her a confused face and said...

" Hi?"

She came to a stop and then we both continued walking together.

" Hi Y/n/n." She said

I gave her an awkward smile. I was about to say something but Betty beat me to it.

" I just want to tell you to leave Jughead alone."

I looked at her, " Why would I do that when he's my boyfriend?" I asked her confused

She gave me a look but told me " Because he and I kissed right in my bedroom this morning."

I gulped and felt tears well up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I just turned back to looking at my feet and making it to school.

Archie's POV

I was standing by my locker looking through my music sheets when I heard someone walking up to me. I placed up then back down, but I saw a familiar pair of shoes in front of me. I looked up to find my best friend Y/n/n looking like she could cry. I closed my book and put my things on the floor next to me and wrapped my arms around her.

" What's wrong?" I whispered to her

" He..he kissed the one person I was worried he would kiss." She said

I sighed and just hugged her a little more tighter than I was before. I saw him walking down the hall looking for someone, which I could amuse Y/n/n. I whispered in her ear...

" Hey, let's go walk to class ok."

I felt her nod her head so I guided her to class.

Jughead's POV

I was walking down the hall to find Y/n/n because we normally meet up at our spot that we have outside of the school, but she was nowhere to be seen. My eyes scanned the halls of students until my eyes met with Archie's. I gave a closer look and found Y/n wrapped in his arms. I was confused on why they were being so touchy with each other, but shrugged it off. I started making my way over to them, when Archie pulled her away. Before I could make my way after them I felt Betty wrap her arm around my arm.

" Hey Juggie." she said

I looked at her and smiled, " Hi Betty."

" What's wrong Jug?" she questioned

" Nothing, it's just Archie and Y/n are being weird."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. I gave her a confused look and dropped her arm from mine.

" What Betts, I can't be concerned about my girlfriend and best friend."

She rolled her eyes again. " You don't know?" she stated

Before I could answer the bell rang to get to class. She then gave me a smirk before walking to her class.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your POV

After class I started walking to the lunch table my friends and I sat at. When I got there I saw Kevin, Archie and Veronica. I smiled at the three of them before taking the seat on the end of Archie and Veronica's bench.

" Hey Y/n." Kevin said

I smiled and waved at him. I turned to find Veronica looking at me from over Archie.

" Yes V." I asked

" I just want to make sure you were okay. I heard you had a ruff morning."

I let out a sigh before giving her a reassuring smile. She gave me a small smile back. The three of us were just chatting while eating when Jug and Betty came over to the table. I looked down at my food and started messing with it.

What I didn't know was two out of the three friends I was sitting with were giving each other confused glances since they didn't know why I am being quite all of a sudden.

" Hey guys can we sit with you?" Betty asked

I heard the other ones say their answers and then I felt someone tap my shoulder.

" Y/n/n can we sit with you." Betty questioned

I just gave her a soft nod. They both took a seat on the other side where Kevin sat. I heard all of them talking until I felt their eyes turn to me, I looked up to see them all looking at me.

" What?" I questioned

" Do you agree?" Betty asked

I gave her a confused looked.

She sighed " Do you agree that Jug and I would be a cute couple."

Everyone then turned to Betty, I felt the tears coming back so I got up and headed to the school bathroom. When I was walking I didn't care about the tears at this point.

Archie's POV

"Betty what the hell is that about." I whispered shouted at her

She shrugged " What do you mean Arch?"

I looked at Kevin and Veronica before looking back at my best friends.

" Betty how could you kiss Jughead, and then have the audacity to tell Y/n/n this morning while walking to school? You know she came right to me and cried about it." I stated

I heard Veronica and Kevin gasp.

" Betts? Is that true." V asked

Betty looked down and then backed up to nod her head. V sighed and stood up dragging Kevin along.

" We're going to see if she is okay." She said

I gave her a small smile and nodded. Once she and Kevin were gone I looked to Jug.

" How could you let this happen? I thought you were in love with her."

Jug gave me a guilt look before opening his mouth. " I am sorry Arch but I lost feeling for her, but I didn't know how to tell her. I just pretended to be with her still."

" So how long have you guys been together." I questioned both of them.

" About a whole week." Betty told me with a smile

I rolled my eyes. " Betty you do know that you hurt such a sweet and loving girl."

It was her time to roll her eyes at me. " Oh Archie don't be jealous now. You could always date her now, I know how you were in love with her when Jug was dating her."

Jughead gave me a confused look. " Dude if you liked her, why didn't you tell me."

I shrugged my shoulders which made him sigh. I was starting to pack my things so I could head back to the school building to finish the day.

" Before we head in our directions. I want the both of you to apologize to her for me."

I got nods from the both of them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was about to held up to my door when I saw Y/n/n sitting on my porch with a new set of tears streaming down her face. I started walking up to her when she looked up and I could see her puffy eyes and her red face.

" Come over here." I whispered to her while holding my arms out for her.

Your POV

I walked into his arms while still crying. I felt him wrap his arms around me and then felt him rub up and down my back to calm me down.

When I was calm enough he let go and he grabbed my hand and led me into his house.

" Dad I'm home and I brought Y/n over." He shouted

I heard footsteps coming from the kitchen. I saw Fred standing there so I let go of Archie's hand and walked up to Fred. He pulled me into a hug almost instantly. I pulled away from the hug and went to stand by Archie again.

" Dad we're going to head to my room to hang."

" Okay guys, I need to head back to work but I should be back before it gets too late." Fred said

We both nodded and walked up the stairs to head to his room. Once we got to his room I immediately went to lie on his bed. I heard a chuckle coming from the doorway. I turned to give him a confused look.

" Y/n/n, what is it with every time you come in my room you always go to my bed." He questioned

" Because your bed is comfortable." I quietly said

" What, I can't hear you?" He said playfully

I turned around so I was sitting up and saw how closer he got, so I let out a little giggle.

" What are you doing?"

" Nothing you need to know." he said back

" Archie." I stated

He climbed on the bed and lied next to me so I made my way where my legs went over his side. I was now straddling his upper body. Archie then placed his hands on my hips. I leaned closer to him. I bit my lip.

" Hi." I whispered

He let out a chuckle.

Archie's POV

I looked at her lips then back at her gorgeous y/e/c eyes. I wanted to kiss her so bad but I didn't think I could stop when we started something. I felt her start to move around closer to the start of my pants. I then grabbed her to stop her movement. She then looked up at me and gave me a look. I sighed before saying...

" Y/n/n, I want to believe me I do, but we can't."

" Why?" she said quietly that I could barely hear her

I sat up which made her sit up. I looked her right in the eyes and I could see the broken girl that I found on my porch. She placed her arms around my neck and I then felt her hands play with the end of my hair. I let out a low groan before stopping her.

" I know you want to forget what happened with Betty and Jughead, but this is not the right way. I feel like I am taking advantage of you."

She looked down then back up at me. " But Arch, I want to do it with you right here right now. I am giving you my blessing to do anything you want to do."

I then pulled her closer to me so that our lips were just inches apart. I gave her a look with my eyes asking her for permission. She gave me a nod. I closed the gap between us and we started making out with each other.

Your POV

I wrapped my arms around his neck and played with the ends of his hair. I then deepened the kiss even more. He was the first to pull away so we could catch our breaths. I gave him a look which made him let out a low chuckle. I felt him grip me a little tighter and all of a sudden I felt his soft mattress.

“ Are you sure you want to do this?” He questioned me again

I looked at him with so much lust in my eyes. “ I do Archie. Please I need you so much right now.”

After I said that he immediately started to attack my neck while I let out a soft moan. I felt him play with the hem of my shirt. He then looked up and made sure it was ok which I gave him a nod. I sat up and pulled it over my head before pulling his shirt off. We both then took off our bottoms. Archie gave me one last look before we ended up having a long night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up to the feeling of arms wrapped around my waist. I looked down to find that they belong to Archie. I started thinking of the night before and smiled.

“ Hey.” I heard Archie’s morning voice say

“ Hi.” I whispered

I turned over in his arms and felt him pull me closer to him. I sighed at the nice feeling.

“ You ready to head to school.” he said

I let out a groan of annoyance. He let out a chuckle.

We both got out of his bed to get dressed. I just got dressed back into my clothes from yesterday since I didn't have any over here. Archie turned around and throw me one of his shirts. I gave him a confused look.

“ Put that one on. I know you wouldn't want to wear the same outfit.” he stated

I gave him a generous smile. I quickly changed my shirt to his before making my way downstairs to eat something quick.

“ Oh, Y/n/n I didn't know you slept over.” Fred said

I let out an awkward laugh. “ I accidentally fell asleep.”

He nodded at me and started heading off to the door to head to work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Archie and I finally made it to the school and headed our separate ways. Once I made it to my locker I saw Jughead standing there. I sighed before saying...

“ Can I help you with something Jug.”

He turned to face me and gave me a questioned look “ What are you and Archie up to?”

I looked at him and said “ Why do you need to know? Are you jealous?”

It was his turn to give me a face. He let out a fake laugh “ What no.”

I rolled my eyes. “ Yea right. Have fun with Betty, you're going to need it.”

Before I could start walking he grabbed my wrist. “ Come on Y/n/n. I don’t like her like that.”

I scoffed and ripped my arm out of his grasp. “ Then why did you kiss her. She told me you kissed her in her room.”

Jug looked down which made me let out another scoff, “ That's what I thought.”

Jughead’s POV

I watched her walk away from me. I saw her figure getting smaller and smaller until she was fully gone out of my sight. I then felt Betty wrap her arm around me.

“ Hey babe.”

I looked at her and then just walked my way to class with her most likely following me like she normally does now these days.

All I could think about was losing the one girl that I really liked for one of my silly crushes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Third Person POV

2 months later

Archie and Y/n have been dating since the end of last summer and have been the happiest ever since. Jughead finally manned up and forgot what he did to his first love and officially started dating Betty. Veronica eventually found someone she loved and the five friends have had so much fun together ever since.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/n- I just want to say I am giving no hate to Betty, I am in love with her in the show so just summing that up. But enjoy and comment, vote/like, and feel free to request more.

[all-of-the-imagines-for-eve]

Misunderstanding ~ J.J. (part 2)

A/n: Might do something similar to do this with a different take, or a different character... we will see.

Word Count: 5000+

MASTERLIST

Jughead and Y/n got suddenly very flirty. They'd already crossed the line, making it impossible for a friendship between them. Neither of them saw the need to pretend they didn't both know it. They would get into the most ridiculous arguments, smiling and teasing each other the whole way through. Random, lasting touches. Long held eye contact. More smiling and hovering and hanging out together. Blunt, obvious flirts and pick up lines and winks and giggles.

The chemistry that so suddenly started developing between the two did not go unnoticed by the rest of the gang. Kevin went out of his way to hang out with Y/n in order to see what she was all about. Veronica and Betty talked to Y/n about anything, anytime, anywhere. They would just plop down next to her and talk about whatever popped in their head, no matter how stupid. Archie even made an effort, asking her about music once they found out she could play piano. The two would have jam sessions together.

Very slowly, then suddenly all at once, Y/n entered Jughead’s friend group. This worried him, because it seemed his friends were getting attached to her. He didn’t say anything about it though, not yet. If he was being honest with himself - which he wasn’t - he liked it. He liked her presence. Her laughter. Her jokes. He liked how she always sat next to him and how she would have to press up against him when they went to Pop’s because the booth was too small but Veronica was determined to make them all fit. He liked her sarcastic comments and her thinking that was so like his. He liked that the more she was around him, the more he learned. The more he learned about her, the more he liked. And he discovered something odd.

Reasonless hate cannot reside where there is understanding, and so his hate started to melt away, and he stopped understanding why he’d hated her in the first place. The way she made you feel when you were younger scared the shit out of you, his subconscious would try to remind him. He made a habit of ignoring his subconscious.

It was easy when he could focus on how their arguments were the cutest little flirt fests. Y/n was very good at getting answers, but being careful about it. She could dig deep but not put herself in danger, and Jughead and the gang had yet to learn her ways. One night while Betty decided to go undercover, Y/n was against it. Jughead, the one who had the idea, had gotten into yet another flirgument (a flirting argument, as Veronica had explained to the others). Archie, Betty, Kevin, and Veronica sat back and watched, sharing knowing smirks.

These two…

“Let’s NOT listen to the one who has the most experience,” Y/n was saying sarcastically, her hands on her hips and her feet shoulder length apart, her body blocking the door so Jug couldn’t leave through it. “That’ll go well!” She’d told them her father had been a detective, so she really did have far more experience in both doing and observing than the others did - combined.

That didn’t stop Jug from ignoring her. “Oh sorry,” Jughead responded, even more thickly sarcastic. “Did you expect me to listen to you?” He smiled though, his arms crossed over his chest.

“It’s like I didn’t train for years to be the best,” she scoffed.

“Well, I guess you better keep training, Princess.” Jughead smirked as her eyes slit. She frowned, but they all still knew she wasn’t really mad.

“Whatever, Jughead,” she scoffed, moving away from the doorway to grab her backpack and leave. “Be careful, Betts. I have to go.” She offered a small smile and an even smaller wave then left the room, shaking her head and smiling, highly humored. Jughead smiled, leaning against the wall, his eyes lingering on the door as it closed and she rounded the corner, disappearing from sight.

Archie coughed and Jug looked over. Everyone was smiling at him, and he was immediately on guard. “What?” He asked, defensive.

Everyone shook their heads as if to say nothing, but their facial expression gave them away far too quickly for him to believe that. “I have to go, too,” Betty said. She looked at Veronica as the red-lipped girl joined her side, their fingers intertwining. “Veronica and I have things to get to.”

“That’s so gay,” Kevin commented, as if he was extremely happy about being able to say it. (He was.)

The two girls laughed and exited, Archie stepping up next to grab his bag then leave. “Gotta go work on some songs,” he threw behind his shoulder before he too slipped out the way the three girls had gone. Kevin left too, leaving Jug alone. He sighed, picked up his bag, and decided to go to Pop’s to type up more of the case that they’d found out.

The gang would all meet up later tonight to get Betty ready, then Archie would drive her to the bar, where she would go in. Alone. Archie would be just outside, ready to jump in and help, and everybody else would be at Archie’s house, trying to not freak out as they killed time until Betty and Archie were back and safe. Jughead doubted the stay at home would be successful in keeping their minds distracted and anxieties cooled, though, as Veronica was Betty’s girlfriend and Y/n was a complete worry wart. With the two girls being the most commanding of the group's energy, it was pretty much guaranteed to go wrong.

Despite all of that, Jughead found himself excited for tonight. Not excited that Betty would be putting her neck on the line, but that he would get to spend the whole night with Y/n. They would get to watch movies and cuddle and no one would notice because they would pick a good movie and it would be dark. She could lay across from him, his arm wrapped around her, their legs tangled up, while Kevin and Veronica either chatted or got lost in the movie in order to distract themselves from Betty’s danger.

Time passed slowly as he tried to ignore his guilt, knowing that he should have been focused on how worried he was about Betty like everyone else. It didn't help that he was so busy trying not to focus on why he was so excited that he didn't have many thoughts about what was going to be happening outside of Archie's house.

Eventually the meet up time came and Jughead was first to show up at Archie’s. He stood in the room, trying to go through the plan again. They would all be spending the night over here, which Mr. Andrews was okay with. Should he shower? Should he freshen up in some way? Should he change his clothes? Should he be acting like this was a date and be worrying about this stupid stuff while Betty was going out into a very dangerous situation? He rubbed his face in frustration, feeling weird.

Deciding to just relax and take a shower, he found himself soon clean and went back into the room to grab an outfit to pull on. As Archie was downstairs setting up for tonight, he was caught off guard to see there was someone else in the room. Jughead stood with hair wet and messy, wearing nothing but a towel secured tightly around his waist, as none other than Y/n turn around to greet him. Both of them froze.

“Greetings,” she managed to get out passed the lump in her throat. Her eyes shamelessly scanned his exposed torso and ran over his hair, across his face and shocked expression. When she realized what she’d done, she frowned and blushed, looking away. “Sorry for coming in, I didn’t realize - Archie said you were up here and I - I’m sorry I’ll just leave.” She moved towards the door but Jug reached out, snagging her wrist. The action had become a habit between them as she so often tried to flee and he would stop her each time.

“Don’t worry,” he told her, trying to ease the awkwardness and realizing he was simply making it worse. “I didn’t tell Archie, it’s my fault, please-” She looked at him, and they both froze again. They were so close together… “Please don’t, uh… Be mad.” He swallowed hard and her eyes were drawn to his adam’s apple as it moved. His hand slid around her waist, pulling her closer, and Y/n’s chest touched his, her hand flattening against the bare skin next to her shirt. She gasped as his eyebrows crinkled, as if confused by his own actions. “S-sorry,” he whispered ever so softly. He hadn't been sure why he did it, but he could say confidently that he wasn't sorry.

Y/n managed a shy smirk, her eyes locking on his as she spoke. “Sorry doesn’t sweeten my tea,” she responded.

His eyes light up, searching hers as his lips tugged into a dreamy smile. “God help me,” he whispered.

“Is the infamous Jughead Jones asking God for help? I mean, asking help in general, but, God?”

Jughead chuckled. “Only he can help me at this point,” The boy sighed, his eyes still admiring her features as his gaze fell across her face, that soft dopey smile still on his lips.

“You look so lovey-dovey, Jones. What happened to the depressed emo boy that pouts in the corner at Pop’s and rants poetically about all the worst parts of existing?” Y/n joked, trying not to fall under the spell that Jughead had long since succumbed to.

“Just tell me you don’t love me anymore,” Jughead responded, playing offended.

Y/n rolled her eyes, but her smile was huge and goofy. “I can’t tell you that,” she admits, smiling faintly. A dusty pink blush tickled her skin, and it made her look like she was glowing.

“You look so lovey-dovey, Y/n,” Jughead teases. “What happened to the loner girl who glares at me and has no emotion?” He meant it as a joke but it seemed to hit a nerve. Y/n was immediately out of the moment, pushing him away and walking to the door. Jughead’s smile drops and he watches her before grabbing her arm again. “Y/n what-”

“We can’t hang out anymore,” Y/n interrupts, snapping. Jughead let’s go of her wrist in shock, stepping back. “I don’t like you, Jughead Jones. Not even as a friend. We have never gotten along and we never will. Tell Betty that I’m sorry I let myself get too into the group. Don’t worry. Everything will be back to normal soon. I’m sorry I messed everything up.” She left the room, pulling the door closed sharply behind her. Jughead was left opening and closing his mouth like a fish, desperately searching for a response. Finally he snapped out of it, rushing to get dressed and then running downstairs.

“Where did Y/n go?” He asked Archie, who stood next to Veronica and Kevin, all who looked as surprised as Jughead felt. Y/n had obviously blown them off, too. Veronica pointed silently at the door, which was still cracked. It seemed Y/n had rushed to leave and not made sure it was closed all the way. Jughead shot past it, running into the streets and looking everywhere for any trace of her.

Just then he realized he didn’t know where she lived. Not where she was supposed to live. What if she went somewhere other than the train car, knowing he would know to look for her there? He didn’t know if she had a car, never mind what it looked like. Weirdly, he realized he couldn’t remember Y/n being anywhere outside of school - except when she was at Pop’s or that one day he had followed her home. Would she go there now? No way. She was too smart for that. He would look there, and she knew that. He didn’t even bother to consider that as an option.

He felt his heart drop, sinking into his toes. It didn't surprise him as much as he would have liked.

The night had gone all wrong. Betty was in danger. Y/n had pushed them all away. Jug didn’t know where she was, or even where to start looking. Above all, in all the chaos of things he had realized that night, Jughead came to a conclusion that both scared and thrilled him. He had a crush on Y/n. A very big, completely undeniable, crush. He'd really known the whole time but now he could admit it, just in time for her to disappear.

Was it too late to make a comeback? I mean, Y/n was still hiding something. That had been the reason he'd started all of this, right? He wasn’t supposed to fall for her, but he had. Now the idea of going back to the mutual hateful relationship they’d had before broke his heart and he still didn't know what was going on with her. What she had refused to tell them, even after all this time and how close they had gotten.

He looked back and forth again, running his hands through his hair.

How would he get himself out of this one?

-

Y/n didn’t break her promise to Jug or the others. Jughead found out later that she’d hastily promised to stay out of all their lives in the future, apologizing just as she had to him before for intertwining herself in their lives at all. Jughead had gone over what happened between him and Y/n again and again with the whole group, as well as running through it himself, and none of them could understand why she had been so upset about his comment. Jug and her had insulted each other plenty of times, especially recently. It had been all joking in recent times and never before had she been affected by anything he said. Something about her being emotionless hit her like nothing else anyone ever told her had. She was hiding something major, and Jughead was determined to find out what. Because he cared about her, this time, not for any other reason. He had admitted it to the others and everyone was so happy for him, wishing him luck.

When Monday came around, Jughead looked for Y/n everywhere, but it wasn’t until he found her makeshift red room at the end of the day after school that he had any luck. The red light was on and when he opened the door, the clanking of something falling over and someone inside being startled by the door opening gave her away. “Who’s there?” A female voice demanded. Jug smiled. It was her.

He walked into the room, just for his eyes to go wide. There stood Y/n, eyes puffy and face blotchy. Her face looked red too, but that might have been the light. Considering she’d most definitely been crying, it might have just been her actual face. The thing that really shocked him though were the pictures hanging up. They were of the gang. Betty, a smile on her face. Veronica, raging through the hall like the storm she was. Kevin, talking to Joaquin and smiling shyly. Archie, guitar in hand. Jughead was the majority of the pictures. Him writing. Him arguing with someone. Him walking through the hall, looking stressed. A small smile on his lips as he sat in Pop’s. Little moments. Big moments. Jughead was everywhere. “J-Jughead?” Y/n stuttered. She looked at the pictures. “I tried to hide them but they’re not dry and you’ve already seen them so… oh well.”

“What is this?” Jughead asked. He found himself less angry and more curious.

“I followed you guys around for a while,” Y/n admitted sheepishly. “I found an old camera with old film, back when I needed information that I suspected you weren’t giving me. It was before Betty and I started working together. It’s creepy, I know. I’m sorry.” She shrugged, seeming to be sincere but low on energy.

Jughead offered a teasing smile. “Not creepy. It’s... almost cute.”

“How so?” Y/n snapped, her sass instantly back.

Jughead felt accomplished. “Your crush on me. Take a picture and it lasts longer, right?” He chuckled. Y/n's eyes went wide, and he dared to guess she was blushing badly - the lighting in the room hid any chance he had to confirm if that was correct or not though.

“I don’t like you,” she argued passionately. “You’re annoying and - not my type. Seriously. In your dreams, though.” She crossed her arms.

Jug leaned against the doorframe, chuckling. “Don’t be ashamed, Y/n. It’s okay.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head but he sighed, dropping the flirting and teasing. He approached her, placing one of each of his hands on each of her shoulders. “I need to say something, because if I might actually go crazy and I can’t do that.”

“What’s so important, Jug?” Y/n asked with a voice half timid and half tired.

Jughead pursed his lips, tilting his head. “Do you ever feel-”

He didn’t even get to finish. “Can’t relate,” Y/n sarcastically interrupted, crossing her arms again and throwing her hip out to communicate her sassy attitude. “I don’t have feelings.”

“Y/n, you know I didn’t mean that." His voice came out stern. How could she have ever doubted that?

“You still said it,” Y/n grumbled stubbornly, looking away. There was something behind the way she leaned away from him and tried to avoid this touch that made him think it might have been more than that.

His sigh was so heavy and tired and almost painful as he hooked his finger under her chin to guide her eyes back to meet his, that she didn’t resist. He was hurting. Why he was went over her head. He was quiet for a while, his eyes locked on hers, and she melted under his gaze. “The truth is… I love you,” he whispered. “I-I’m pretty sure. I don’t know, maybe it’s puppy love. Maybe it’s a lost cause because we’re in high school and I’m a mess because I’m saying all of this, but I do. You’re one of the most important people in my life. You’ve become a part of me and losing you now..." He shook his head. "Please don’t push me away, Y/n. What happened  the other night? What went through that pretty little mind of yours?”

Y/n looked scared. No, terrified. As if she was expecting Jug to yell “GOTCHA!” any second. But he didn’t and after a beat, she broke. “Did you know that when I was younger, my mom was in the military?" Jughead shook his head slowly, letting her step away from him this time. If she needed space he could respect that. "My parents were always busy, and even when they weren’t they didn’t have time for me. Time to raise a daughter. They never really taught me how to control my emotions - which was big for them. The soldier and the detective. They used to say: No emotions, no weakness. My mom was often gone, so it was my dad who really had to drive it home. And he never could… until you. He was glad when I met you."

That didn't make Jughead feel great, but when she stopped he knew that he needed to know what she'd meant. "Why?"

She looked guilty as she continued. "Well I was a really soft kid. I wandered around without getting lost and would come back with stories of how beautiful the world was. I met this boy who was kind to me and made me giddy and red in the face and it made me fumble and I got awkward and gushy and loud and warm..."

Jughead felt his chest constrict. "And then I completely turned on you."

Y/n only nodded. "It was easier to get me to listen after that. Under his guidance, I learned how to be cold and pull away from people and keep a distance. I became hard, but also strong. Self reliant. At first..." She gave a sigh that seemed to shake in the air with the weight of her emotions. "Then he got sick, and depending on myself became a need instead of a luxury. He never taught me how to handle emotions, or act with them, just how to lock them up. That was okay with simple emotions, but they got more complex and you got meaner and I didn't have anyone to hide behind anymore. On top of that, I was suddenly adrift. My dad had passed away and it ruined my mom. She wasn’t just cold - she had become distant. Like a ghost. Or a machine. All she did was travel as far as she could get to not think about her lost husband. When I ran away there wasn’t even a single poster or police who knew my name. The only difference was that she stopped paying rent. I couldn’t even go home. I only had time to get everything out, tuck it away until I had somewhere real to put it. I was hopping from place to place, random spots, until I could get something together. Eventually I found the train car and it worked."

“Why didn’t you ever… tell anyone? Didn’t the school notice?” Jug asked, suddenly horrified at the idea that Y/n had so seamlessly disappeared and no one had noticed. Not even him.

Y/n shrugged. "My grades were good enough that I passed, but average enough that no teacher felt the need to brag about me. My house phone like was dead so they couldn’t call the house, and they never really had to. I didn’t miss school, and they knew my dad had passed away and that my mom was busy with the military. I told them my aunt had moved in but that she was a recluse and agoraphobic and they just let it slide. No one gets paid to care about kids in this town, especially not with the insanity of Jason Blossom’s death being the only thing anyone cares about. He was popular and his death was dramatic. I’m good at fading into the background. Who would care about the unfeeling ghost in the corner?” She scoffed. “The only time anyone took notice of me was when you were ripping me apart - and even then it was only ever to laugh.”

Jughead flinched. “I knew Riverdale was bad, but-“ but he couldn’t finish that thought. After all, Riverdale wasn’t the problem this time. It was him.

Y/n shrugged. “It gave me drive. Something to focus on. Hating you became my reason to pull myself together. I finally went to therapy - group thing at the local church. Undid a lot of what my parents had instilled in me and what their loss took from me. Now I have my own place and something interesting to fill my time with and I’ve… move on.”

“Grown up,” Jughead voiced, thinking about how sad she had sounded in Archie’s car with him during the stakeout. She’d had so much on her shoulders… she still did. And after all his torment and all she’d went through, of course hearing someone call her emotionless hurt like it had. Especially when it didn’t just come from any person - it had come from him. The look Jughead gave her was heartbreaking. "Y/n I'm... I'm so sorry."

Y/n just shook her head. "But that's not even the real problem, because it was for the best. The problem is that hearing you say that... what they used to say... it reminded me that this is stupid. That I let years of torment go because secretly I am still that lost little girl who wants to depend on someone to carry her. That you can't be that person, because what you say actually hurts and I never admit it because I want to please you too much. There's baggage and there's mess and-"

"And I love you," Jughead whispered.

Y/n closed her eyes. "Tell me that you didn't suddenly flip the script after all these years because you wanted something. I've been thinking about it these last few days. Betty asked me that day, and then the next week you were suddenly all distant and then you were polite. Enough time that I didn't put it together, but... I mean it came out of nowhere. And that' the only thing I can even imagine would make you put aside everything between us."

She wasn't wrong, and he wasn't going to lie. "Okay it did start out like that," he admitted. Before she could go off again, he rushed to explain. "But I didn't flirt with you or like you to get information. It was supposed to just be a cordial things. We weren't even supposed to be friends, let alone anything more than that. I know we'd have a lot to work through and if you need time I get it, but you're more than what your parents did and you're more to this friend group than just what you are to me. At least... don't leave the others for my sake."

"And sit across from you as you look at me with the most love sick eyes I have ever seen a teenage boy have for one person?" She shook her head. "Jughead we can't be friends and you know it same as I do."

"So that's it?" His arms dropped limply to his sides. "Years of being at each others' throats and months of falling in love, and now we're just gonna stop there and pretend not to notice the other in the hall or in class? Just, cold shoulder? Nothing? I don't even get to argue with you anymore or hear all your ideas or how you make sense of all the things I've been trying to say for years but never communicated quite right? It stops at absolutely nothing but memories and regrets and giving up?"

Instead of answering she just stared at him, her eyes falling across each and every feature he had to offer for her to see. The quiet got heavy and lasted too long but neither of them made a move to break it. Instead, they just looked at each other. Went through the timelines in their heads, trying to see where it might have gone differently.

And it all started at Jughead not being such an idiot.

Well, if it began with Jughead being an idiot, hopefully it could restart that way too. He surged forward, hands holding her face as he smashed his lips down onto hers. He had seen the hesitation in her eyes, and it had been all he needed. She didn't even try to fight it; she just kissed him back. It was a burst of feelings, swirling through her stomach and chest and into their veins. They clung to each other, surprised at the need that was there.

When they broke apart, it was slow and hesitant. They didn't give each other much room, just enough to breathe. When she spoke, he could feel it against his lips. "This isn't fair."

"I know," Jughead responded, his voice tight. "I'm sorry. I just thought... maybe if I couldn't tell you I could show you." Y/n sighed, leaning her forehead against his. "I know it's complicated," he admitted. "I'm not asking for you to erase or forget anything. Just maybe... try? I just want to see if we can get to somewhere new. Because we've been taking peeks at it, and I know there is so much we'd have to work through but just... just try. With me. Please."

Y/n sighed again. "Why did you turn on me all those years ago?" If he could admit it...

"Because I was terrified of the way you made me feel," Jughead answered without hesitating. "Because I liked you too, and life is weird and complicated and I was... am. I am stubborn. And instead of ever questioning it, I just pushed you away as hard as I could and made up this version of you in my head to justify it and I was wrong and I'm so sorry."

Maybe people could change.

Y/n leaned away. "I'm willing to try," she said slowly. "But you have to be willing to take things at my pace, and there has to be a lot of communication. And no more insults or anything like that. I want something different. Something better. Something good."

Jughead nodded eagerly. "We can take it one day at a time."

"We'll take it one day at a time," Y/n agreed. "If you're sure."

"Positive," Jughead rushed.

She almost smiled. "There are so many girls at this school... probably easier."

"Less worth it." He looked at her and she couldn't help but blush, just a little. Jughead looked at the door. "Everyone's sort of waiting to know what's going on. Told them I'd come back with news." He began stepping backward, away from the room, nodding for her to follow. So she did, and when he turned and began to lead, she watched his empty hand swing at his side only a moment before deciding to take it. They exchanged soft smiles.

Then they all met up at Archie's like they had a few days prior to wait for Betty. The atmosphere was a bit awkward before Y/n slowly explained why she had run out and where things were settled now. With a lot less detail than she'd given Jughead - just enough that they got the gist. It got a lot easier when Veronica began to make friendly jabs at Jughead for being an idiot. When they were done talking, only one question remained.

"Where have you been?" Archie asked. "We looked everywhere for you. Went to school records. We looked up where you lived and..." He got quiet. "I'm sorry if you didn't want us to know."

Y/n shook her head. "No it's okay. I actually found someone willing to give me a room." She said that very slowly, making everyone raise an eyebrow.

"Who?" Betty pushed a little, concern dripping from her words.

That seemed to make Y/n hesitate. "Remember when you asked me if I knew anything about Jason's murder, Betty? Before..." Her eyes drifted to Jughead and Betty nodded. "Well I did. And I looked into it, and the person that I suspected... well it turned out to be a different story. I had his back on something and in exchange he gave me a place to stay when he found out that-" she cut off, her eyes almost wandering to Jughead again before jerking away.

Jughead knew immediately what was up. "Please tell me you're not staying with my dad." His voice was tight and low. From the way Y/n wouldn't look at him, he didn't have to wait for an actual answer. “Y/n, you can’t stay with him.”

“Why not?” She demanded immediately.

Betty's eyes widened. “Jug lives with Archie for a reason. He doesn’t feel safe there. For you to live there would be a bad idea, especially if - well I mean-” She looked at Jughead.

"He's a Serpent," Archie reminded uselessly. "The head of the Serpents."

"And there's more to him than you realize," Y/n almost groaned, running her hands through her hair.

"What don't we know?" Jughead demanded, his voice protective instead of harsh.

Y/n pursed her lips, leaning back into the couch she sat on. "I... can't tell you." Everyone's mouth opened to argue but she spoke over them. "I promised I wouldn't. At this point it doesn't matter, I know what I'm doing and who I'm dealing with." She looked at Jughead. "I should have told you in better circumstances. I didn't even think before I said it. Just... I can explain later, okay?"

"Can you?" Jughead asked. Y/n sat for a second, mouth moving like a fish as she tried to come up with some kind of response. Jughead scoffed. "That's what I thought." She leaned away from him at his harsh tone, her eyes taking in those around her. Each of her newly formed friends looked at her with expression that matched Jug's almost perfectly.

She stood. "Fine. I'm sorry I made something work instead of being homeless. I'll be out soon, just for you Juggy." Then she turned away and stormed off. No one followed her, their faces newly formed into looks of regret. They hadn't thought about it like that.

Too late to go back now.

[iconic-ponytail]

there's always money in the banana stand

riverdale promptathon week 3: yellow + business

Even as the sun sets, even as the breeze blows, the hell furnace of July in Riverdale burns on. It’s triply as sweltering inside the tiny booth running three freezers, offloading heat to sustain the frozen merchandise inside. “How can it be so hot in there when we are supposed to be selling frozen bananas?” JB complains, at least twice a week.

She’s twelve. Complaint is her new first language. She complains about being left in Riverdale while Gladys went back to Toledo. She complains about living in a trailer park that usually does not have warm water. She complains about their father being imprisoned for covering up a gruesome murder. But most of all, she complains about working in the banana stand.

Child labor laws aside, Jughead can’t blame her for that one. He hates the damn banana stand, but it’s their best shot.

Gladys’ monthly check covers rent and utilities for the trailer. Everything else is on him, now. The idiot eighteen year old who decided to petition the court to be his sister’s legal guardian. Well, and his idiot mom who signed off on it. So he needs money, and the Jones family has never been particularly flush with cash, just trampled over by FP’s failed “business opportunities.”

Enter: the banana stand.

It’s not the fastest revenue stream, Jughead finds. But it’s got potential.

Initially, Dilton doesn’t let him sell during the Twilight Drive-In’s concession stand hours. Before or after the movie, sure, but no overlap. “I’m not worried about competition, Jones. It’s just too humiliating for me to watch you sweat through that horrible yellow polo you call ‘branding.’”

But when customers asked him more than twice a night when the banana stand would be open, Dilton caved.

It’s not like being open during the screening hours is a whole lot more preferable. He only just transferred from Southside to Riverdale High last spring; now he’s the rising senior who hands out phallic symbols from inside a giant phallic symbol. Not exactly a boon to his popularity.

Still, recently the money is enough to pay the internet bill and keep JB fed for dinner when she can’t go to the summer breakfast and lunch program at the local park district. It’s still not enough for him to eat particularly well, and the smell of hot dogs and slurp of his classmates’ slushies makes the heat feel like a minor inconvenience.

He eyes the tip jar, willing himself to wait on rampaging the concession stand until the beginning of the film roar dies down. It’s a double feature tonight, which means maybe he can score enough cash to cover those damn college application fees his counselor will start hounding him about week one of school.

Then he sees her—Betty Cooper. She’s laughing, watching Archie Andrews try to catch popcorn in his mouth, tossed by his paramour, Veronica Lodge. She pauses to sip from her slushie straw, her lips—which he’s watched argue against homophobic and racist comments in their advanced lit class, or pressed to the cheek of her other best friend, Kevin Keller. Which he’s imagined, doing slightly less savory things, though the mere thought of said imagining has his heart pounding wildly.

(Jughead’s been eating way too many fucking bananas. Someone needs to check his potassium levels.)

His absolutely pathetic gaze, once available three times a day in their shared classes where Jughead has still not managed to exert any confidence whatsoever regarding speech, eye contact, or general acknowledgement of Betty Cooper’s existence other than whatever drooling may or may not be happening, all of which he finds he has no control over… is all interrupted by the absolute polar opposite of Betty Cooper. Hiram Lodge zooms up to the banana stand on his segway, angling to a stop just before taking out the stand’s foundation.

“Still getting a hang of that, Mayor Lodge?”

Hiram grimaces. “Just checking that you’ve renewed your business permit, Jones.”

They do this once a week. It’s still the same permit.

“You know,” Hiram starts as Jughead rustles for the paperwork to make him go the fuck away, “I could find you an arrangement with a better banana supplier. For a discount. If you’re interested.”

Jughead rolls his eyes. “I’m not interested in your GMO, black market bananas, Hiram.”

Hiram gives him a pointed look. Jughead rolls his eyes even harder. “Mayor Lodge.” He proffers the papers, Hiram waves them away. “I’ll take one chocolate peanut butter dip. With peanuts.”

Jughead kisses his teeth. “That will be $3.50.”

Hiram’s whole face goes serpentine. “Not between business partners, Jones. Put it on my tab.”

Jughead grits his teeth, handing the finished banana so aggressively he hopes that the chocolate splatters and stains Hiram’s $500 tie. It is only slightly worth it to watch Hiram struggle with navigating the segway one-handed, frozen banana in the other.

He muffles a chuckle before realizing he’s used the dead end of the chopped peanut topping, and exits the stand to update the order board hanging on the outside. It’s mostly an excuse to feel a ten degree drop in temperature, a sweet relief he might be able to extend by grabbing a hot dog before the intermission rush.

He’s crossing off peanuts from the topping list and spinning around when he hears a shriek and a sudden, cold slosh across his chest. The yellow polo drips with artificial blue slushie, but Jughead swallows his fucking hell when he sees that the shriek, gaping stare of horror, and stumble in question all belong to his very own blonde kryptonite.

“Oh my god. Oh my GOD, jesus, shit, I’m so sorry!”

Jughead is frozen while Betty grabs about half his napkin dispenser and starts pawing at his shirt in a vain attempt to right the giant sticky blue mess all over his chest.

Finally, Jughead swallows the golf ball in his throat and chokes out. “Honestly, it’s fine. That stand is a sauna. I needed that.”

Betty stops, both her blotting and her stream of apologizing (which includes a fair bit of cursing, and he is a little revolted with himself by how much this turns him on).

“It’s going to get very sticky, soon. Maybe I should buy a bottle of cold water?”

Jughead can’t help himself. “Oh, impromptu yellow t-shirt contest?”

Betty grins.

I did that.

“Do you have any employees who could bring you another shirt?”

Jughead shakes his head. “Just my sister. She’s playing video games at home. There’s no earthly way she’ll bring me a spare.”

Betty cocks her head. “I had a feeling you were more than the silent back row kind of guy.”

The fact that Betty Cooper has, at any point, considered what kind of guy he is triggers full-on nervous blathering. “I’m usually very tired at school. I have this little sister—but I’m kind of um, her guardian. So I’m doing this stupid banana stand thing because it’s like one of the three assets to our entire family name I guess? Anyway, it’s hard to engage with Haggly’s basic discussion questions at eight in the morning when you spent the whole night dreaming about wholesale banana margins.”

He’s essentially vomiting words, but Betty is still smiling.

“Anyway, I should crawl back into my fruit-shaped purgatory and let you go back to your friends.”

She’s biting her lip, hedging. “Honestly, they’re probably using the alone time to make out in the car, and I’d rather let them get all their sexual tension out so that I don’t have to feel it radiating off of them for the whole second half of the double feature.”

Jughead laughs and tamps down the impulse to offer her a frozen banana, because he cannot possibly say something like that without making it sound sexual.

“What are frozen banana profit margins like, anyway?” Betty asks, either genuinely interested or legitimately flirting with him. Jughead finds both potentials baffling.

Jughead hesitates, then ducks inside the stand, pulling out his spiral bound notebook. “I’m still kind of figuring it out. All my records are in here.”

Betty sidles up to the stand, taking up the whole window. They’re both leaning over the scribbled line items on college ruled paper; he can smell her shampoo. She takes the notebook, scanning thoroughly.

“Do you have a pencil?”

He hands her one and observes her going to work, writing out some algebraic formula and calculating quickly in her head. There is a calculator within his reach, but he thinks handing it to her might come off as an insult. (Jughead wouldn’t know; he assumes Betty is in an advanced math class. Jughead is not.)

After a few minutes of watching her devoted focus, thinking about her hands touching his pencil, thinking about her hands wrapped around his hand, or his—

“I don’t know how to tell this to you, Jug.”

The shortening of his name stops his heart for a jolt, and his response is embarrassingly delayed. “What is it?”

Betty winces but smiles through it, a combination she’s surely learned to use when delivering bad news. It’s well earned, it really does soften the blow.

“There’s no money in the banana stand. At least, not with these margins.”

Jughead finds himself less than devastated by this news, mostly because it makes a hell of a lot of sense. The messenger doesn’t hurt, either.

“But,” she interrupts. “I don’t know if you’ve nailed down your course load for senior year. But I’m taking AP Econ? This could be, um, a good project. Like, if you want to take the class. Or even if you don’t. Not that you’re like a project or… whatever. I’m just saying we could figure it out. Make lemonade out of… bananas.”

Betty Cooper is extremely cute when she stammers.

Jughead doesn’t know what to do, so he gives her an easy out. “I can’t like, hire you, if that wasn’t obvious by the whole… deficit spending or whatever the whole negative circled number at the bottom of the page really means.”

She flushes. “No, that would be highway robbery. I just thought there might be an… opportunity. For um, us. I mean, for you and I. I mean—” she clears her throat, as if it’s closing up. “An academic opportunity. Or, in your case, professional. Well, a betterment of your livelihood. Okay, um, shit, just… I should go!”

She turns away, her face the deepest scarlet he’s ever seen.

“Betty, wait.”

She pivots back, eyes down at the ground.

“How about I buy you a new slushie and you come back into the booth. Tell me everything I’m doing wrong for the rest of the night.”

Betty looks up, biting the corner of her smile. “Sounds like a deal.”

They shake on it.

[wallbeatjournal]

if you had to base a new riverdale season off three movies, which would you choose and why? they could be tonal choices or you can pluck entire elements of the movies and work them in.

ok i broke the rules bc i didn't stick to movies, i went novels and pop culture with it too. and i also kind of embroidered a few references together around each main riff in a way that i think COULD be riverdalian, but these are my 3 selections:

jt leroy (2018). trashy iffy-hot-take kristen stewart/laura dern movie about a very 2000s literary scandal/internet drama run Too Far into irl drama that i think riverdale would know better what to do with. two ideas (this is a jughead plot btw):

put jughead in the dissociated trauma-projecting controlling persona-having laura albert/jt leroy role and rope veronica and reggie and their monetary-business motivations into the scam angle. monica posh savannah knoop stuff and rattling veronica and jughead around in a jar together intensely in a campy way

or step lightly outside the bounds of this script into the real livejournal and myspace based drama of it all and jughead's sometimes-characterization as a guy who needs help unpacking metaphor even though he's swimming in it. make him into one of the many emo band boys (ryan ross?? ryan ross????) who related so so so so sosososo much to the writing of jeremiah terminator and then had a whole crisis when j.t. was unmasked as a middle-aged woman with a metaphorical literary persona.

permissible bonus web-weaves: james frey a million little pieces and oprah, augusten burroughs and running with scissors. we're doing the 2000s obsession with author authenticity is-this-really-autobiographical-if-it's-not-literally-true-or-are-you-shaming-your-family-for-NOTHING questions and scandals. but we're especially doing the emo community freaking the fuck out about blorbo from their novels doing a catfish online to extend the persona just that much further.

the avril lavigne replacement conspiracy theory (linking the wiki even though what i'm REALLY thinking of here is this moving pandemic essay alexander chee my beloved posted that i can't locate now, riffing on themes of feeling like a ghost inhabiting your own life after a major trauma). they can work in some other famous body double / replacement and assassination conspiracies (paul is dead, jfk) too but avril is the main reference and this is a betty plot.

pull in some actual alexander chee images and motifs too maybe, his novels about csa grooming trauma and having complicated feelings about your intimate abusers via like grandiose opera/paris siege metaphors (the queen of the night) and fox demons (edinburgh) betty would eat, i fear, even if they're a step off her normal serial killer media mix. dark betty has the range <3

stephen king's the long walk / suzanne collins' the hunger games / battle royale / state-sponsored brutal murderous game show authority abuse dystopia media homage in general!! especially when it's homoerotic and full of ptsd and institutional abuse, because clearly this is a plot primarily for archie and the lads. imo the long walk ("how bad do you have to hate yourself to join the military" but it's game show horror) and the hunger games ("child stardom is traumatic institutional abuse especially in the era of social media and society simply pretends not to see it" but make it a ya game show adventure) should be the main references, but we could work the academic/art-competition angle of battle royale for kevin. as a treat. ok yeah and maybe work in that arnold schwarzenneger movie the running man too while we're here picking up interwoven motifs at the store. why not!

[where-theres-smoak-2]

Riverdale 4x17 Rewatch

So it’s been two years since the Hedwig musical episode of season 4 so I decided to rewatch the episode and it made me kind of nostalgic. I know alot of people hate the musical episodes but I actually really enjoyed 4x17. I liked the music for once and its the one musical episode where I have gone back and listened to the songs repeatedly over the last two years, I loved the attention that was given to Kevin and that Casey was given the opportunity to shine, and being a barchie shipper I loved all the barchie content we got too. There were just so many fun scenes in this episode. Some of my favourite moments were:

Kevin’s speech to Mr Honey the line ‘we are relentlessly slammed by crisis after crisis, and we take it and we are numb, yes, but also screaming on the inside.’ I remember this line hitting hard when I first watched it but it hits even harder now with the global situation at the moment and everything that’s happened over the last two years. 

I also loved his performance of Tear Me Down. His costume was amazing, I loved the look on Mrs Bell face when he was making the announcement over the tannoy, Cheryl blowing a kiss to Toni, Kevin kissing Archie, Kevin’s mike drop at the end, I just loved the energy of the whole thing. 

The sleepover and the wig in a box scenes were also great, I wish we got more scenes like it, where we see an assemble of the characters and see them actually acting like friends and comforting each other. I always enjoy the scenes that bring all or alot of the characters together. 

Okay the Sugar Daddy song did have a questionable topic and lyrics for a teenage girl to be performing and was not the best choice for Cheryl to use when trying to make a point to Mr Honey, but I can’t lie that choni did have some cute moments in that performance and the song is kind of catchy.

I also loved the scene where the whole school dressed up as Hedwig to support Kevin and confront Mr Honey. I mean damn did reggie in particular look good in that get up, I do wonder where the students got so many matching costumes and wigs though? 

The scene in the garage where Archie is talking to Betty about his dad also made me really emotional. Especially when he flashed back to that moment in season 1 where he got stage fright but seeing his dad gave him the courage to perform. I miss Fred and Luke Perry. 

The performance of Origin of Love was one of, if not my favourite performance in the episode, I love the longer studio release of it even more. The core four’s voices work together really well and think they all did a great job with the song. I also loved the barchie moments in this scene. I do think they were wrong for cheating, obviously, but also I can’t deny the scene was really well written and as someone who loved Barchie from the pilot episode I loved this scene and had been waiting for it for a long long time. The build up to the kiss was incredible with all the flashbacks to season 1 barchie and their kiss in season 2, it really built that nostalgia first and then you get the kiss and I remember when I first watched it I could hardly believe it had actually happened, I just kind of sat there in a bit of a daze staring open mouthed at the screen. 

That being said one clever thing the writers did was showing those conflicted emotions the characters feel right after. I mean the very next scene is where Betty and Jughead and Archie and Veronica are talking and making up after their fights and it really pulls you down from that high. I remember feeling very elated in the moment when Barchie kissed but then feeling really terrible and conflicted for both Jughead and Veronica because whilst I might not ship those ships I still care about Jughead and Veronica as characters and didn’t want to see them hurt, so it was a very conflicting feeling and I think it kind of puts you in the characters shoes because Betty and Archie I think were also feeling very much that way. There is alot of angst in those scenes but I happen to really enjoy angsty scenes, just as much as cutesy scenes. 

Whilst my favourite song to listen to is origin of love I will admit my favourite one to watch is Wicked Little Town Reprise. It’s my favourite scene in the whole episode and one of my favourite barchie moments. There’s just so much to it, there’s the regret from the pilot and from the cheating, there’s the longing, there are little glimmers of nostalgic happiness. There is just something so painful but also so romantic about the scene. I loved that they were both dressed in the same outfits from the pilot and the flashback to them dancing together. It was like they just wanted to travel back in time for a moment and play it out differently. The scene just looked so pretty too with the lights spinning around them and the LOVE sign in the background. 

The last performance, Midnight Radio, was an interesting one. As I said before I love scenes where the whole cast are there. The whole scene had this sense of unity where the whole town has come together and they are all joining in with the song. I loved the little choni moments in there and the serpents and Reggie getting a shout out. But there was also an underlying theme of divide too, within the core four. They are singing this song about coming together and you can see Betty and Archie throwing longing looks at each other and there are times where they are tense or uncomfortable and Jughead and Veronica have no idea and actually seem happy and relaxed which is a complete contrast to Betty and Archie. So its this interesting but weird contradiction going on, the conflicting themes of unity and coming together within the town as a whole but also the divide and the falling apart of the core four. It just made the scene a really interesting watch for me. But on a side note I did think them taking the performance to the roof was a bit odd. Was that suppose to be a call back to when Josie and the Pussycats performed Milkshake on the roof? 

Anyway, I can understand why some people didn’t enjoy the episode, if you don’t like musicals or the music in the episode or you don’t ship barchie, or Kevin isn’t your favourite character, I can understand it not being a favourite. But I actually really enjoyed this episode, I still enjoyed it rewatching it two years later. It’s kind of fun to go back and see how much the characters and relationship dynamics have changed, it did make me miss choni even more though I hope they come back soon. Also I did enjoy the music alot more in this one I don’t know if its because its a different style of music and it suits the actors more? So yeah after a rewatch I have concluded this episode is still my favourite musical episode so far. I wonder if the next one will top it or not? I’ve heard they are doing American Psycho and I’ll be honest I know very little about that musical, I think it has something to do with a serial killer?

[amazingphanisnotonfire-imagines]

song lyric prompts!

Hey! You guys know what to do! In celebration of requests opening soon, and to get me back into the flow of writing, I thought I’d do a month of lyric prompts, ending august 4th! 

So, send a number (or a few) and a person and I’ll see what I can come up with! ✨✨

Thank you for sticking with me and I am so excited to start writing for you all again. 🥰

Prompts: 

1: every time she mentions your name, she says it like a prayer (more like you: orla gartland)

2: you show up at my home, all alone with a shovel and a rose (maniac: conan gray)

3: anything you say can and will be held against you, so only say my name (just one yesterday: fall out boy)

4: i wanna sleep next to you but that's all i wanna do right now (talk me down: troye sivan)

5: i fall in love just a little bit everyday with someone new (someone new: hozier)

6: now the day bleeds into nightfall and you’re not here to get me through it all (someone you loved: lewis capaldi)

7: i always fall from your window to the pitch black streets (the kids aren’t alright: fall out boy)

8: i'm shaving with your toothpaste and trying to vacuum from the ceiling (give me a try: the wombats)

9: there'll be happiness after you, but there was happiness because of you (happiness: taylor swift)

10: cause even when she's next to me, we could not be more far apart (she: dodie)

11: things will change they always do, but my heart will stay open for you (stay open: maya hawke)

12: i know you were way too bright for me (golden: harry styles)

13: the boy you loved in spring, the way she looks at him (the key to life on earth: declan mckenna) 

14: could not care less if you love me (special girl: dodie)

15: you fell asleep in my car i drove the whole time (tear in my heart: twenty one pilots)

16: if you dance with me, darling, if you take me home. will we talk in the morning? (will we talk?: sam fender)

17: you knew it still hurts underneath my scars from when they pulled me apart (hoax: taylor swift)

18: all the people over there, they don't seem to have a care, i'm so fucking self-aware, it's exhausting (pretending: orla gartland)

19: you know the galaxies of my heart (space girl: frances forever)

20: i'm just a part of someone else's dream (cool people: alfie indra)

21: tell me that I'm alright, that i ain't gonna die (hard times: paramore)

22: you started a band, that was cool for awhile but it turned pretty bland (forest whitaker: bad books)

23: don't you know I'm no good for you? (when the party’s over: billie eilish)

24: all the silver tongued suits and cartoons that rule my world (hypersonic missiles: sam fender)

25: 'cause babe, what's yours is mine, all your drama and your trauma (zombie!: orla gartland) 

26: with so much left to do, you’ll be missing out and we’ll be missing you (missing you: all time low)

27: but if i just showed up at your party. would you have me? would you want me? (betty: taylor swift)

28: and i've cleaned enough houses to know how to cover up a scene (no body, no crime: taylor swift) 

29: the millisecond that you're away i get the loneliest feeling (give me a try: the wombats)

30: open up your eyes, shut your mouth and see (only angel: harry styles)

31: ‘cause i found a girl, who's in love with a girl, she said that she tried, but she's not into guys (i found a girl: the vamps)

32: i saw a shooting star and thought of you (all of the stars: ed sheeran)

33: but i've found my sweet escape when I'm alone with you (disconnected: 5sos)

34: late december with my heart in my chest and the clouds of my breath (roman holiday: halsey)

35: how could i have been so foolish to let you leave (lover come back: city and colour)

36: only fools fall for you (fools: troye sivan)

37: i'm the only one that has made you fall in love (the king: conan gray)

38: now which do you prefer? to be alone, to be in love or to just be worth it? i think you're worth it (strawberry sunscreen: lostboycrow)

39: it's you, you're the one that makes me feel right (me & you together song: the 1975)

40: you don't have to be scared, babe. you don't need a plan of what you wanna do (listen to the man: george ezra)

41: you won't ever be alone, wait for me to come home (photograph: ed sheeran)

42: have i known you 20 seconds or 20 years? (lover: taylor swift)

43: looked like how i feel 'bout your lips (space girl: frances forever)

44: give me a minute to hold my girl (hold my girl: george ezra)

45: i know i'm the one you want to forget (miss missing you: fall out boy)

46: the darkest night never felt so bright with you by my side (outer space/carry on: 5sos)

47: just let me cry a little bit longer (rose-coloured boy: paramore)

48: you felt it once before i know you did (backseat serenade: all time low)

49: don’t you know that you are golden (golden: the vamps)

50: and i might never be the one who brings you flowers but i can be the one tonight (perfect: one direction)

People I write for:

Stranger Things:

- Steve

- Robin

- Nancy

- Jonathan

Riverdale:

- Sweet Pea

- Fangs

- Toni

- Cheryl

- Veronica

- Reggie

- Josie

- Kevin

- Archie

- Betty

- Jughead

- FP

- Jason

The End of The F***ing World:

- James

- Alyssa

5sos:

- Calum

- Luke

- Ashton

- Michael

Sex Education:

- Otis

- Eric

- Maeve

- Adam

- Jackson

- Aimee

- Lily

- Orla

Killing Eve: 

- Villanelle 

- Eve 

Prodigal Son: 

- Malcolm 

- Dani 

- Ainsley 

- JT 

- Jessica 

- Dr Edrisa 

- Dr Martin 

- Gil

WandaVision: 

- Wanda 

- Vision 

- Darcy 

- Jimmy 

- Monica 

And if you have any suggestions of who I could write for, send them in! 

support my writing! if you want! 

[likemereckless]

Did you watch the musical? What did you think? Also, how is your writing going? I love your stories more than anything!

Hey there lovely anon,

I did watch actually, mostly to see the performances by Lili and Mädchen. I really enjoyed the musical, honestly. Lili’s voice was beautiful and I think it was nice to see a mostly focused storyline around a large issue. We complain a lot that things get glossed over so it was nice to see the way their grief unfolded. Nit everyone sings like Broadway of course, but I like that. Makes it a bit real for me and I didn’t mind.

I could have, obviously, done without Jabitha. I love Tabitha actually, and I’m so glad they added her character, but I still believe Bughead is endgame. The way Kevin looked when they touched, the way Jughead looked at Betty while tabitha looked at him during the funeral. I think it’s being set up where in the end Tabitha knows he still always going to love Betty. I think Jug truly does like Tabitha, but as we’ve seen his heart is always going to go back to Betty. I do hope we find a solid, strong, storyline for Tabitha also next season,m. She helped Betty and Jug a lot here but I want to see something for her (especially if Pop’s is no more).

And Betty and Archie? Archie is always going to be looking for what else. He can’t help it. I have posted numerous times that I thought Veronica and Archie wouldn’t work because she was too ambitious for Riverdale and I wasn’t surprised by what unfolded last night and I don’t disagree with it. He didn’t even seem surprised or truly that upset. Betty is still in a bad place. Her career is up in the air, her family is in ruins, she’s suffering from PTSD, and Archie is familiar. She will try to seek comfort there but we know ultimately, it won’t work, even if she tries to be the perfect Riverdale girl for her mother right now- it’s just not her.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. I’m sure people will disagree and they have a right to. As for my writing, I’m sorry- I haven’t started the next chapter of Assault & Buttery because I’m working on a Halloween one-shot. It’s a spooky, suspenseful tale involving the whole gang (mostly) that takes place in Ireland and I’m SO excited about it!

Hearing you love my stories makes my day! Take care anon!