#Veronica is a menace in the best way

[the-insomniac-emporium]

Rambling about OCs pt 1: Archangel (Ft. Agent because their lore is intertwined)

Okay so @zeleneagle asked me about Angel and that is all the prompting I need to ramble about my girl. This might be a lil messy because talking about Angel requires talking about Agent, and also I'm EXCITED

These two are some of my oldest OCs that still occupy my mind, having existed since probably around 2014 or 2015. They both started from me designing characters using Saints Row 4 (something I did a lot those days) before eventually becoming their own thing, getting a rough outline for a novel, as well as a supporting cast (Karlvan, Veronica, and Neiv'Dar).

I'ma put most of this under the cut, but first I'll give a short answer to the question you asked: Is Archangel an actual angel? Nope! Similar to Agent, she's actually a genetically modified/engineered human, primarily made to be used as a soldier. Her real birth name is Angelica (last name TBD), but she hates it, and decided to give herself the title of Archangel. She sees herself as the pinnacle of the program she was part of, something divine and more than human (or, well, she does at the start of her story).

Now let's dive into some context on that super soldier program...

Agent's program came first. It was performed by a research team in what used to be the US, primarily with the intent to simply explore the possibilities of toying with genetics. Considering my age when I started working on this story, I can only assume none of the science even remotely makes sense. Essentially, the team took specific, "desirable" DNA sequences from different people, combining them to make new humans that excel at specific things (namely athleticism). Naturally, they wanted more funding, and made some shady deals with military officials to get it, meaning that they shifted the focus to making future soldiers.

Except in this alternate world, people actually decided that hey, maybe what we're doing isn't ethical? Messing around with genes was met with controversy, which only worsened when word got out that the tech was being used to make soldiers. The program got shut down, and the research was supposed to be destroyed. Or, well, at least parts of it. Anything that could help someone else replicate their results.

Said results being a small gaggle of teenagers, the one and only successful generation produced by the program. Each of them chronologically only being a few years old, aged up as part of the program, being intelligent but lacking social experiences. Of them, Agent was considered the prime specimen, considered somewhat of a potential threat, although all of them were placed in foster homes where they could be observed closely.

Fast forward a couple years, Agent is aging slowly for unknown reasons, but the real excitement is happening across the pond. Turns out that research wasn't completely destroyed- enough of it was saved that someone could recreate the experiments, they'd just be starting a little behind where the Not-US left off. That's exactly what happens, when the Not-UK ends up getting hold of the research. They start their own program, going a bit slower, keeping it under wraps as much as possible.

Eventually they manage to create their own modified humans, but these age at a normal rate, and the director of the program decides to use the technology to have a daughter... aka Angelica. Kinda fucked up that she decided her kid should be a super soldier, right?... Anyway, fast forward twenty-something years or so.

Agent, who never got a name of their own and never really cared about it, lives in a big apartment across from a med student (Karlvan). They're still somewhat under watch, but now work for the government, doing dangerous shit with their handler (Neiv'Dar) and occasionally the handler's international partner (Veronica). Intel comes in that trouble is brewing in the Not-UK, and Agent is told to be on alert.

Across the pond, Angelica has reached what seems to be her full potential, a capable fighter and ruthless killer... with zero ideas of how normal people socialize. She's already got a tense relationship with her mother, but things get worse when test results make it clear that her performance is still sub-par to Agent (the only known survivor of the Not-US's original program). Well. She fucking hates that. Against her mother's orders, Angelica escapes to the Not-US, shortens her name to just Angel, and starts stalking Agent.

What starts as a mix of hatred and jealousy fueled obsession turns into genuine interest, attraction, and a sense of immense kinship. Angel stops being careful with her stalking. She breaks into Agent's apartment, intentionally leaving evidence, waiting to see what happens. That progresses to leaving notes, then gifts, and she gets enamored with the way that Agent simply does not care. Eventually she reveals herself, albeit not who she really is, and it turns out that the intrigue was very much mutual (aka they fuck).

Angel thinks that Agent needs to let loose, that they're tough enough to do whatever they want, and encourages them to break from the agency they work with; or, better yet, to come back to the Not-UK with her. When they refuse, Angel throws a fit, making promises that they'll see her reasoning soon enough, and leaves. She comes back to her "home", where her mother (the program director) is about ready to kick her from her promised position as squad leader.

Well, she fucking hates that, too. So she overthrows her mother, declares herself Archangel, takes charge of her fellow super-soldiers, and decides it's time to cause chaos.

There's more to the story, with her ending up back in the Not-US and more details about her relationship with Agent, but my hands are a little tired from typing and this seems like a good spot to leave it for now.

[grifonecoronato]

Mae-ho Aniseya: Film Noir Protagonist

(Spoilers for The Acolyte)

As I've said in another post, Mae and Osha are binary opposites in their personalities and motivations.

Mae has a kind of "first child syndrome": a desire to exhibit perfection in the eyes of her mothers, so that they can shower her with praise. She loves being in her community of witches, learning and using the Thread, and indulging in the daily activities of life on Brendok.

She thrives when she is surrounded by her people, but Osha doesn't want the same things, which is something that confuses Mae deeply.

In this scene from Episode 3: Destiny, the two sisters as children talk about what they want:

MAE: "It isn't fair. I share everything with you, and you hide things from me or run off alone." OSHA: "I want to have my own things." MAE: "Why?" OSHA: "Because I don't want to do everything together all the time." MAE: "But why?" OSHA: "Because we're not the same." [...] OSHA: "Don't you wonder what else could be out there? Besides Brendok?" MAE: "No. Everything I need is here."

For Osha, her arc in The Acolyte has all the trappings of a dark romance. But from Mae's perspective, she's the heroine of her own Film Noir.

Film Noir Themes in The Acolyte

Beyond its aesthetics, Film Noir has three (3) major thematic characteristics with regard to its protagonists:

Its protagonist has an idyllic past where they were happy and life was good;

Their idyllic past is ripped away from them, often violently, in a single moment that they relive again and again in the present;

The inciting incident is an opportunity to reclaim their idyllic past, or if that's impossible, to get justice for what was lost... because to do nothing is to be haunted by it forever.

For example, we can look at the seasonal arc of Veronica Mars (2004): she's a happy high schooler and best friends with Lily Kane, then Lily is murdered and Veronica is ostracised from her former friends, and now she is seeking opportunities to solve her friend's murder, while being haunted by the memories of her.

Or consider the video game Max Payne (1998): he's a cop with a happy wife and daughter, then his wife and daughter are murdered by drug addicts high on Compound V, now he joins the DEA in an effort to find and destroy the source of Compound V, and finally stop feeling haunted by the memories of his family.

Mae's story is very similar: she was a happy kid living with a family and community that gave her everything she wanted, then the Jedi came and massacred everyone she loved, and now she's joined up with a powerful ally who will teach her to get bloody justice.

Mae's Fatal Flaw

Mae's biggest problem is that she's impulsive and frequently enters situations without a clear plan. However, this bullheadedness shows that she trusts herself to get out of any situation she finds herself in.

(Qimir once said to Osha "you should learn to trust yourself", but I doubt this is a lesson he had to teach Mae.)

Detractors often say that Mae's motivations don't make sense, or that she's "flip flopping" all the time. But this criticism -- like most criticisms from the fandom menace -- is unfair. Mae's motivations are very clear, and her shifting tactics are done as a response to new information that comes her way.

In Episodes 1 and 2, her goal is two-fold:

Hunt down the four guilty Jedi

Keep The Stranger satisfied in her progress as his apprentice

But in Episode 4 and 5, after she learns that her sister lives, her goal changes to "reunite with Osha." But when Osha refuses to listen to her, Mae's slightly modifies her goal, to "find a way to de-program Osha from her Jedi brainwashing, by exposing Sol."

Viewers that understand what drives Mae see that not flaky; she's adaptive.

The Fatal Lesson of Film Noir

The thing about Film Noir protagonists is that most of the time (not always, but most of the time), their quest for reclaiming their idyllic past is a fool's errand: they either sacrifice a big part of themselves in the attempt, or they learn to heal form the past, let go, and move on.

Mae opts for the former. When she finally succeeds in revealing that Sol has been lying for sixteen years, Osha murders him. Afterward, Osha bargains for Mae's life, which the Stranger accepts but only if he be permitted to erase her memories.

So Mae recaptures her idyllic past by being able to reconnect with her sister... only to lose her sense of self in the process. The quest consumed her.

But was it worth it?

[hallowedbe]

a gust of wind makes you pull your jacket closed; notes of earth, raw as the day it was made, morning dew, marlboro menthols, and bergamot fill your nose. you think you hear rebel girl by bikini kill playing in another room. ah — it must be reina.

BASICS:

full name: reina julieta carillo nickname(s): rei, rein age: twenty-five  gender: demi-woman pronouns: she/they sexuality: does not give a fuck (unlabeled queer) date & place of birth: april 26 in bearhold, wa occupation: park ranger + bassist in mrs. andrist + town menace traits: rebellious, hot-headed, tempestuous, malevolent, chaotic neutral at best, avoidant, cowardly, angry, witty faceclaim: lizeth selene piercings: a myriad of ear piercings, a belly button piercing, a nose ring, more to come tattoos: all the cool ass ones lizeth has + various stick n pokes  similar to: ahsoka tano, jinx, johanna mason, janis ian, veronica sawyer, nancy downs, natalie scatorccio,

BULLET POINTS:

* warning for grandparent death & mentions of drugs + alcohol

BULLET POINTS:

– born the youngest child to one of the oldest families in bearhold. the carrillo's have been there for generations, driven out of their previous lands their ancestors protected, concentrated in mexico and parts of california before; eventually they were driven even farther north by constant hunting, settling in bearhold.  – growing up she was never unloved. still, she was rebellious – in reina's eyes, they could never live up to what their parents wanted, and could never be what their brothers were. the carillo fam is highly influenced by mexican values (often traditional ones), & from a very early age reina didn't align with those values .– while she knows her family loves her, reina often feels stifled by them. an abudance of protection & rules meant reina rebelling in turn, and growing up, tensions were always high in the carrillo household. reina found immense comfort in their grandparents, particularly their grandfather. a nearly hundred year old man with a lot of love to give and a fondness for her rebellious nature, he was her rock for a very long time, and the person who helped her through her first shift & the time after(he is who gave her her gold bracelet). –he died at one hundred and two years old, and it was the worst day of reina's life. she screamed and cried and destroyed her entire room. they shifted, then, and ran, right into the forest  – it made a bad night even worse. they weren't found for two days, and that was the longest reina had ever stayed in her bear form. they contemplated staying like that, but knew that isn't what their grandfather would have wanted.  – has three siblings (please please ple– wc imminent), two brothers and one sister. known to wrestle with them in both their human and bear forms.   – generally the most rebellious of the carrillo family, in part because she's so young. shunning their traditional values and paving her own way wasn't easy, but reina's family still loves her, and they know that. it's just hard to remember sometimes. 

– moving out helped. they now live in an apartment and don't have to have screaming matches every day with their family. patrolling the forests with them is easier, and she can avoid everyone quite easily.  – *points and laughs* stoner. probably has a case of mild alcoholism. escapism and such yk ... like ooooh u wanna be loved so bad ur escaping into that glass and that cig and that joint and that -- soooo bad rn ... – erm. kinda mean sometimes . very judgmental . really funny though, pretty witty and will always have a good comeback . also decently easy to get along with (somehow), can always be found in a 7/11 at like 4 am.   – in spite of her insanity she loves nature so much. it's where they feel most at peace, and protecting bearhold's forests is something they take very seriously (typically in the form of scaring the shit out of teenagers trying to party and litter). – currently runs a tiktok account where she documents her life being a park ranger + seeing the forests. has nearly 1 million followers and people wonder how she gets such up close content with the bears. jokes on you assholes they are one – is also currently the bassist for a riot grrrl punk band called mrs. andrist (future wc look out !). very passionate about punk n being evil also - will flirt with most people (milfs watch out ...), if only to be a little shit. they r not sorry

[purple-scrunchie]

Heathers Headcanons that live Rent-Free in my Head (Pt. 2)

Veronica:

Her birthday is October 29th (Winona Ryder's)

Ambidextrous

Has always been a huge nerd

Before Duke got her into classics, she liked sci-fi stuff like Ender's Game and Dune

Made Duke watch Spaceballs with her at some point (Their friendship has so much untaped potential-)

puts the milk before her cereal (This has made Chandler and Duke cry before)

Has a very noisy brain that refuses to shut up (iykyk), she turns to journaling to organize her thoughts and make sense of things

Often gets lost in her thoughts and forgets to pay attention to her surroundings

Has been known to pace around scribbling furiously in her journal for hours on end

Loves to pick up random things on the ground and keep them (She and Mac exchange shiny things, it's their friendship langauge)

Decent driver, if a little inattentive

Chandler:

Birthday is June 19 (Kim walker's)

Always wanted an older brother (someone who she could look up to & would protect her)

Cheats so hard at boardgames and card games

But never at croquet

So. Many. Freckles. Hides them with an inordinate amount of concealer (ik almost the entire fandom hcs this but I had to hop on the bandwagon too)

Refuses to go anywhere without a clear expectation of the situation

Or her planner and 12 color-coded pens

One time Heather and Heather threw her a surprise party for her birthday and she started sobbing because she thought it was an ambush

World's shittiest sense of smell (that's why she drank the drain cleaner, also she applies absurd amounts of perfume to compensate)

This also kinda affects her sense of taste. That's why she only likes BQ corn nuts, they have a flavor to her

Really likes flowers. She can't smell them well, but she thinks they're gorgeous. All her favorite perfumes are flower scents.

The one she uses most is lavender

Best driver of all the Heathers, which is saying something. This girl is a menace to the road. She goes like 90 in a 50mph zone and loves to run stopsigns/red lights

But she doesn't have road rage, it's honestly a little scary

Duke:

Birthday is April 12 (Shannon Doherty's)

Her favorite book is Catcher in the Rye (and Moby Dick ofc)

Veronica got her into scifi movies

Starwars and Spaceballs are now her guilty pleasure

She was named after some dead great-grandma she never met

her parents named her siblings Hunter and Hannah because they thought "ohho funny matching name children"

Only chews mint gum

doesn't go through as much as Mac, but will put like 2-3 pieces in her mouth at a time

Hums under her breath whenever she does little tasks like washing the dishes/doing her homework

When Gatsby hisses at her, she will hiss right back

Is much smilier around her cat than people

Worse driver than Chandler. Instead of running stop signs/red lights at 80MPH and nearly running people over, Duke swerves like crazy and flips people off through the window (To her the highway is a jigsaw puzzle)

Has somehow never gotten in an accident

She has horrendous road rage

McNamara:

Her birthday is December 3rd (Lisanne Falk's)

LOVE LOVE LOVES Madonna, her favorite song is "like a prayer"

Animal lover and devout vegetarian

also puts the milk before the cereal (this upsets Duke and Chandler less since they're so used to it)

way more observant than people give her credit for

Tries so hard, but just can't keep secrets

Hates lying. One of the only things she gets really mad about is when people lie to her

Has a million jingly key chains

Duke calls her "Macpie" because she loves to collect shiny things

Bonus points if it's shiny AND makes a noise (yes she is obsesed with those tiny jinglebells)

Loves to carry her friends with her cheerleader arms

Can jump freaky high

Coffee quite literally puts this girl to sleep

The worst driver of all the Heathers. She likes to think of road laws as 'guidelines'

JD:

Birthday is October 13th (Firday the 13th in his birth year)

Secretly a Canadian (French-Canadian specifically)

Speaks a little bit of French

He and Chandler argue in French all the time. It's how he brushes up on his conversational skills

Is even more of a cheater than Chandler

Favorite book is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

His favorite Heather is Duke. He likes to talk books with her and respects her sharp sense of humor.

Plays the saxophone (this is technically canon but specifically alto sax in my head), his favorite genres are jazz and blues

We all know he'd listen to modern day emo music without an ounce of shame

And call the stoner kids posers

Compulsively sharpens the few pencils he doesn't lose. Like he writes two or three sentences and then makes it POINTY again

Can't choose between cherry slushies and coke slushies, so he mixes both and goes Cherry Coke

In my AUs where he dies, JD's grave is right next to his mom's

One of the safest drivers you'll ever meet, but likes to go fast on his motorcycle. He thinks he's such a bad boy for going 5 over the speed limit lol

[razorblade180]

Nick:With integrity and determination, anything is possible! Just like my mom and dad!

Jaune:I have to tell him.

Weiss:Don’t you dare! He has a good mindset.

Jaune:That won’t change. It’s not like we don’t. He’s a smart kid.

Weiss:Let’s give a few more years.

Veronica:Nick, what are you talking about?

Nick:I’m hyping myself up about relationships. They aren’t the end all be all of the world. I just have to remain composed and remember to not show the best of myself, like my parents.

Veronica:…

Veronica:You do know your mom cheated on my uncle Neptune with your dad, right?

Nick:….*turns head*

Weiss and Jaune:….

Veronica:*sweating* Was that a secret? There’s no way that was, right?

Summer:I knew!

Weiss:What!?

Summer:You stuttered that one time I brought up the picture of you and him when I asked what happened. You didn’t look angry, just uncomfortably embarrassed.

Nick:I need answers.

Weiss:It’s a long story.

Jaune:It really isn’t. We dated, broke up, and then your mother dated him. I was sad, but then my mom looked at me said “Why are you crying? Your father had a girlfriend when we met, but I clearly loved him more than her.”

Everyone:…

Summer:Good for grandma.

Weiss:For the record, I owned my mistake and told Neptune before breaking up with him. *crosses arms* Not exactly my finest moment but it’s lead to here and I wouldn’t change my life for anything.

Veronica:Yeah it’s not like he’s bitter. Dude is married. The story does give a new meaning to “I didn’t hear a bell” Hehe.

Weiss:Kids, be better.

Jaune:Or not.

Weiss:Jaune!

Jaune:What? I’m not saying be a menace or anything, but if deep down inside you truly know you’re watching your future leave, then don’t stand there without doing anything. Especially when they still love you back. *pulls her close*

Weiss:*flustered* Dating right now should be the least of your worries anyways! Veronica, don’t go repeating this advice to your parents.

Veronica:*shrugs* I don’t think they can judge. Ma literally killed a man to get her wife.

Weiss:That’s…yeah. Why are we all so messy at this? Everyone, just be like Oscar and Penny! Say cute things and have cute dates!

[twistedtummies2]

Year of the Bat - Number 22

Welcome to Year of the Bat! In honor of Kevin Conroy, Arleen Sorkin, and Richard Moll, I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series” throughout this January. TODAY’S EPISODE QUOTE: ���All I wanted from you, dearie, was a little friendship! That would have cost you nothing!” Number 22 is…Birds of a Feather.

Much like Catwoman, the Penguin was a villain who was slightly shortchanged in the Animated Series, some would argue. Which is ironic because, in my opinion, the Animated Series gave us probably the best and most definitive take on the character there’s ever been. Why? Well, as I’ve said in the past, it’s because I feel the Penguin in this show sort of had a little something for everyone: in the first three seasons, he was depicted with a design inspired by the Danny DeVito version from “Batman: Returns,” due to a studio mandate by Warner Bros. His personality and methodology, however, was what you might call “Classic Penguin,” with him acting as an eccentric (but not deranged) gentleman thief. In the fourth season, things changed: now the Penguin had a more “Classic” design, making him appear more human and less grotesque, but his role as a gangster operating out of the Iceberg Lounge was more in line with the “Modern Penguin” most people are more familiar with today. So, no matter how you preferred your Pengy – more classic, more modern, more human, more monstrous – you kind of had your whole cake and could eat it, too. Despite this, most of Penguin’s appearances essentially just used him as the villain of the week, so to speak. He was never really the focal character, just a supporting rogue, or the chosen antagonist. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it did make him feel a little less interesting when compared to a lot of other villains in the series. One grand and glorious exception to this rule, however, has stood out over time: a somewhat more obscure episode entitled “Birds of a Feather.”

The plot is a classic “Villain Reform Episode,” as the Penguin vows to go straight…and actually means it! He genuinely wants to turn over a new leaf and start a new life. Unfortunately, he finds this to be more difficult than he expected…and his endeavors are only made more problematic by the introduction of a young lady named Veronica Vreeland. Veronica is a good friend of Bruce Wayne’s, and became a recurring character in the series; she’s a rich and somewhat spoiled socialite, whose privileged existence does lead to conflict…but her heart is usually in the right place, all the same. (Think of her as SORT OF like Charlotte from “Princess and the Frog,” from you Disney fans…just…way less hyperactive.) In this episode, Veronica – under some peer pressure from other wealthy friends of hers – begins to form a bond with Penguin, under the pretense of eventually inviting him to a big party she’s hosting.

Veronica is not doing this out of the goodness of her heart. The intention is that Oswald will be “part of the entertainment,” able to embarrass everybody that Veronica doesn’t like, and amuse everyone else. He’s essentially being treated as a clown, and he doesn’t even know it. All the while, Penguin starts to form romantic feelings for the young woman…and Veronica’s conscience starts to get the better of her, as she starts to form an affectionate attachment towards Penguin, as well. Of course, this being Gotham City, this can only lead to anything EXCEPT a happy ending. What’s great about the episode is the duality of its twin leads, and the way they get along. Penguin puts on the airs of an overblown aristocrat, but he’s not treated as a member of the social elite at all. He lives in squalor and is seen as a laughingstock at best, and a menace to society at worst. You truly feel bad for Penguin, because of the way he’s being treated, and because he is so totally sincere in both his desire to change and his hopes to befriend Veronica, or even gain her love. As for Veronica, while what she’s doing is horrible, not only does she see the error of her ways, but you’re given the impression that she’s really doing this to try and be “hip with the cool kids,” more than any innate malicious desire on her own part. Both are flawed people, but both are also not totally wicked in this story; the problem is simply that their desires clash, and by the time either could pull out and save face, it’s far too late. While Penguin was a great villain and had many fine antagonistic roles, it’s this episode that really cemented what a good character he truly was, and it remains something of a cult classic story for the series. It’s not as renowned as tales like “Heart of Ice” or “Mad Love,” but it’s definitely got a lot of fans, and I am certainly among them. Again, this is another episode where I feel bad for placing it so low, but hopefully the ones to come will not disappoint.

Tomorrow we move on to Number 21! Hint: “I’m a civic-minded citizen, with a lot of time on his hands!”

[getinthefuckingcarkitten]

One day i'll make a character sheets for my PCs but for now lemme just copy paste some shit bc i've saved too much in my drafts and i want to clean it up a bit. So some info about my PCs below more or less organized, probably more on the less side.

THE MENACE

Foxglove (true name [REDACTED]), my actual meowmeow wasn't 100% raised in the orphanage. She was sent there when her mom died at 10. She spent weeks being weird and standoffish and basically just picking fights if anyone tried to get close to her.

One of the few people she never hit was Robin, because Robin was always nice about her personal space. They are friendly and cordial to each other to this day despite everything, but Foxglove doesn't really spend a lot of time with Robin/will not save her ass from Bailey.

Because she was only taken in as an older child, she doesn't respect Bailey half as much as she should.

Her first crush was Winter and her first official girlfriend was Whitney. She was part of Whitney's clique and generally a delinquent and a bully, which made her reputation with teachers quite awful, which pained her a bit since Winter now sees her as a talented troublemaker at best.

Other school LIs like Sydney (when Pure, at least. Corrupt is... a bit different.) and Kylar avoid her like the plague. Kylar has had an embarrassing crush on her that she was mocked relentlessly for and made the poor weeb into Whitney's target for months.

Had a really bad relationship with an unnamed older woman when she was younger that really finished fucking up the fuck up.

Met Avery while dancing at a party, by the way, and not in the usual ways because. Um. Because i wanna. Avery pulled her away from some lecherous partygoers and done fucked up both of their lives forever.

She is legiterally obsessed with Avery and molding herself into a perfect companion for her. This has made her a better student to impress her but estranged her from all of her friends :( She is also way more polite now, though her charisma is natural and she didn't have to work on that as much. This change has pleased Winter! :) She's also a delight to have in parties or in gatherings in general.

She is both a mean sadist and a freaky masochist. As much as she likes bullying the weak, she has this whole thing where she's sure she should be punished and just needs someone to do it for her because she realizes she's too self absorbed to do it herself.

Though she lets Avery push her around and only playfully banters in response, she often has complete meltdowns where she starts telling Avery exactly how much she sucks and how she's never going to be loved and how they will go to hell together hand in unlovable hand. Idk which one of them is crazier for staying together at this point.

She has been a fox since a looooong time. She messes with occult stuff quite oftenly, and as a fun fact has been a suspect in a disappearance case (but police is still useless in this town lol).

Local School Prince

Ronnie (Veronica), my main and most played with PC on the other hand was 100% raised in the orphanage. As a kid she was always protecting the smaller kids from bullies, which included Robin, who is now still her best friend/pseudogirlfriend.

She has an honest to God savior complex. Her life isn't complete if she's not servicing the weak and vulnerable... Especially weak and vulnerable girls. This has somehow made her into a massive player.

Like, it's not like she wants to play with girls' feelings. It's just that she gives them so much love and attention and protection that they fall for her and then what should she do? NOT kiss them? You're being unreasonable :(

She's very oftenly mistaken as a boy. The first time she cut her hair she was made fun of at the orphanage so Robin cut her own hair too. They both have worn it short since and Robin seems to be picking up on way more than just her haircut.

Despite that, for a long time her behavior made Robin think that she should act more ladylike to have Ronnie's attention. This isn't true at all, by the way, and Ronnie thinks Robin never looked hotter when she starts dressing masculine too.

Despite all of that, will likely never admit the romantic nature of her and Robin's relationship. She thinks of Robin as family despite the fact that they're oftenly crossing lines, because she doesn't want to ever lose Robin as a friend since they have both been there for each other's worst moments. Kylar would love to have half as much codependency as they have tbh.

She's dating Kylar officially. It honestly just started with her kissing the poor girl to make her stop getting mocked at a class get-together Kylar was about to run away from in tears, and Kylar remembered this forever but Ronnie forgot about it until she saw Kylar getting bullied again. She has since made it her mission to protect her and maybe raise her reputation a bit if she can convince Kylar to act less like a soaked cat. Maybe brush her hair before coming to school. She desperately wants Kylar to stand on her own legs, but while she can't, Ronnie will gladly support her.

On the point above. She is a bit too proud of Kylar attacking people, honestly. And slowly she's been thinking Kylar is much cooler all of a sudden... It's a strange feeling, and she's not too sure what to make of it. But her drawings and her cringe anime have started to worm their way into Ronnie's heart for real.

Btw she does NOT realize how deranged Kylar is. Has no idea. She doesn't know about the sex doll (which may have had a dick at some point before Kylar realized something very important). She thinks Kylar is just kind of weird but does NOTTT grasp how insane she is.

With Sydney, she had a more distant relationship, but what were jokes to fluster the religious girl became friendly chats and then Ronnie walking her to the temple and helping out with her mom's shop and more and more conversations about sexuality and suddenly Sydney was dying her hair black and showing up to school in pants instead of her long skirt.

(Btw, i think it's be funnier/more in character if i pretend they dyed Syd's hair in a school bathroom after school hours in an event that was a battle between them, the mirror and God.)

Would apologize to Sirris for butchifying her daughter but a. She's not sorry and B. Sirris seems to think it's kinda cool actually

Whitney was probably the hardest relationship to have. They used to beat the shit out of each other, especially when Whitney picked on Robin, Kylar or Syd, but one day Whitney's jokes went a bit too far. Ronnie saved her from the consequences of her own actions but that didn't mean they were friends.

But her and Whitney started to become closer when she found out "Foxglove" (Ronnie thinks that name is cringe. Her real name [Redacted] is much cooler, but Foxglove is a weirdo anyway) had ditched her for Avery. Maybe it was the sympathy of yet another poor soul getting sucked into Avery's bullshit but she started to go softer on Whitney and then suddenly they were fucking because Ronnie is a gay whore‼️

Anyway. Yeah. Avery. Ronnie had dated Avery briefly and it ended horribly. She was just trying to make Avery feel better since she sensed some loneliness in her but she soon learned that misery loves company and that Avery was legitimately too much to deal with. She tried to first make Ronnie into something she wasn't, trying to force her either into a boyfriend role or making her act girlier, and neither pleased Ronnie. Then the fights started because Avery wouldn't accept a "no" and Ronnie wouldn't take shit then Avery started to get physically violent and then they threw hands at a pub and that unfortunately didn't ruin Avery's reputation as much as Ronnie would have hoped.

I think she only really understood what type of evil Avery was when she saw her pick up another orphan girl (not Foxglove, that one she managed to warn).

Her relationship w Foxglove is tense at best. After finding out about some shit however, she keeps her distance and wishes Robin would stop being so nice to her before it bites her in the ass.

Honestly just a puppy fr

Bane is probably the PC i draw/talk about the least because i've only now thought of a name for her LMAO. She's based on one of my first PCs ever who i've made a new save for recently. I have less info on her bc i'm slowly working thru her save.

She used to be a normal, if a little cowardly girl until she got lost in the forest. When Eden found her, she was more wolf than person, but honestly good enough (Eden's standards are low.)

Had honest to God almost forgotten how to speak human words until Eden spoke to her more or less regularly. Eden was surprised she could talk at all after only hearing her bark, growl or yap for a long while.

She has slowly become less of a savage wolf and more of a dog and then somewhat human again.

After spending like, three years or so living with Eden, she has decided to go back to school. Still learning to not solve conflicts through dominance checks and vicious bites, but she's making progress :)

[justtluffythings]

HOME: Book 7 - CHAPTER NINE

MASTERLIST

Veronica sighed as she slowly and quietly got out of bed, careful not to wake Ginny. She had been tossing and turning all night and hadn’t gotten a lick of sleep. This was their last day at the Burrow before flying to Romania, and Veronica had been dreading it. Her anxiety kept her up at night, and she had been relying heavily on coffee and tea to keep her awake during the day.

Coming to the conclusion that she wouldn’t be able to fall asleep for the third night in a row, she slowly left the room and made her way down to the kitchen, where the first thing she noticed was the teapot on the counter with still-warm tea inside. Furrowing her eyebrows, she didn’t have time to think before she heard someone clear their throat behind her. Jumping, she spun around and saw Arthur sitting at the dinner table with a cup of tea in his hands.

“Merlin, Arthur, you scared me.”

Mr. Weasley chuckled. “Sorry, Veronica! You can’t sleep either?”

Veronica shook her head as she grabbed a glass from the cupboard and poured herself some tea. Making her way over, she sat across from him, and they sat in a comfortable silence, drinking their tea and watching the sunrise from the window above the sink. After a while, the conversation began to flow easily, and Veronica couldn’t help but smile. That was what she loved about Arthur. She always felt comfortable with him, both in silence and in conversation. They never felt like they needed to fill the silence, so when they did talk, it was never forced. It was always easy to talk to him, and she imagined this was how it was meant to feel talking to a father. She was glad she got the chance to experience it, even if he wasn’t actually her dad.

“What were you like as a child? I bet you were such a good kid,” Arthur grinned. “Unlike any of my little rascals.”

Veronica’s eyes disappeared as she laughed. “Oh, I was definitely better than your kids. For the most part,” Veronica smirked. “To be fair, I was a menace when it came to showering though. Because of my fear of water. I never wanted to shower or take baths.” Especially when I was home alone with my parents, she thought. “It was bad. It got to the point where my grandparents had to force me to shower, and they would sit in the bathroom with me until I did. And I would only ever take baths because I was always afraid of falling, hitting my head and drowning.” Veronica shook her head. “It makes no sense now that I think about it, but as a kid, I was convinced this would happen if I showered. But baths weren’t much better for me. The tub could only be filled with an inch of water, and I absolutely HAD to have my little rubber ducky with me because I didn’t feel safe without it.” Veronica chuckled. “I actually still have it.”

Arthur laughed as he thought about little Veronica putting up a fight every time she had to bathe, but his eyebrows furrowed at the mention of a duck being brought into the bath with her. “A rubber ducky?”

Veronica nodded. “Yeah, my little rubber duck.”

“Ah, I see.” Arthur paused for a moment as he contemplated her response. It hadn’t done anything to clarify what she had meant. “And what is a ‘rubber duck’?”

Veronica’s jaw dropped as she stared at him. “Really? There aren’t any rubber ducks in the Wizarding World?” Veronica shrugged. “Well, see for yourself.” Holding out her palm, she silently conjured up her rubber duck and handed it to him.

Arthur examined it closely, turning it around in his hands and squeezing it, jumping at the sound. “Very interesting… and what is its function?”

Veronica chuckled. She loved showing him new things about the muggle world and seeing his mind race with all the possibilities. “Well, it doesn’t really–”

Before Veronica could explain, Charlie came bounding into the kitchen, out of breath. “Veronica! I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” Turning to his father, he smiled. “Morning dad. I’m going to steal my best friend now.” Without another word, Charlie pulled her up from her chair and towards the stairs.

All she could manage was a quick “sorry, Arthur!” over her shoulder before the pair disappeared.

Mr. Weasley chuckled at his son’s antics, but couldn’t help but be disappointed that he didn’t get an answer to his question. What was the function of a rubber duck?

[thetoxicgamer]

Resident Evil’s original Wesker finally returns for new RE documentary

After 27 years, the voice of the recognisable, sunglasses-wearing antagonist from the first Resident Evil video game, Pablo Kuntz, is finally making a comeback. In a new Resident Evil documentary, Kuntz, who created the character that later appeared in Code Veronica, Resident Evil 4 Remake, and Dead by Daylight, will serve as the narrator and trace the development and eventual demise of a tie-in RE movie that was first envisioned by veteran zombie master George A. Romero. The return of the original Wesker is giving fans of Resident Evil and Capcom another wave of nostalgia after we already saw the original Chris Redfield make a comeback in horror titles. It’s hard to pick a favorite line. Maybe “wow, what a mansion!” Or perhaps “I’m sorry for my lack of manners, but I’m not used to escorting men.” Either way, the original Resident Evil Wesker remains a highlight of the entire survival game series, oozing smarm, sleaze, and cheap menace as you stumble across him throughout the Spencer estate. And now he’s back. George A. Romero’s Resident Evil is an upcoming documentary film about how the famed Night, Dawn, and Day of the Dead director planned to create a tie-in movie for Capcom’s landmark horror series, and Pablo Kuntz, who voiced Wesker long before D.C. Douglas or DBD’s Connor Fogarty, is on board as the narrator. https://twitter.com/BioDeclassified/status/1681080895254528001 Kuntz recorded the lines for Wesker when he was 24 years old and traveling in Japan. In the live-action cutscenes, the treacherous STARS leader was played by Eric Pirius, with Kuntz’s dialogue dubbed over the top. As for the documentary itself, though it doesn’t currently have a release date, it will feature archive and previously unseen footage, detailing George A. Romero’s script for a Resident Evil film which was ultimately rejected by Capcom in 1998. And Wesker isn’t the only member of the original Resident Evil cast returning to the world of gaming. Charlie Kraslavsky, the face of the first ever Chris Redfield, will appear in the upcoming Daymare 1994, itself an homage to classic RE. All this talk of classics and the ‘90s has us in the mood for some of the best old games. You might also want to try some of the greatest zombie games to ever shuffle their way to PC. Read the full article

[fantomcomics]

What’s Out This Week? 2/15

Merry Football Con to all who celebrate!

Above Snakes TP -  Sean Lewis & Hayden Sherman

A supernatural Western about DIRT, a man out to avenge his wife's death with nothing but a bloodthirsty vulture to guide his way. What happens when the story of Dirt's pain gets stolen by others and the world he thought he understood turns upside down? Featuring the incredible work of the team behind THUMBS and THE FEW, this thrilling new series is best described as Deadwood meets The Sandman.

The Adventures Of The Galactic Wrestling Federation #1 -  Bob Howard, Max Wolfman & Bill Imbrogna

The action-packed journey of The Red Menace, a young Galactic Wrestler who is determined at all costs to restore his father, his legacy, and the family they once had. Filled with monsters, mayhem, and sweet wrestling moves!

Break Of Dawn GN -  Tetsuya Imai

The coming-of-age manga that inspired the anime film from the acclaimed screenwriter Dai Sato (Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex)! It's the year 2038, but more importantly, it's summer. A little boy named Yuma is obsessed with the impending return of the Arville Comet. Then, one day, he sneaks onto the roof of an apartment building and finds something even more amazing-something not from this world. Now Yuma and his friends, and his hovering autopet Nanako, must work together to uncover a secret that's slumbered in the Earth for years, as dawn breaks over a new era for him and for humanity!

Chilling Adventures: Betty The Final Girl One-Shot -  Micol Ostow & Laura Braga

Veronica has invited Betty to her luxurious mountaintop chalet for a cozy weekend of skiing. But their girls weekend is interrupted when Archie shows up and whisks Veronica off on their own snowy romantic adventure. What could go wrong at a fancy remote cabin in the mountains all by herself? Betty's mind races and she can't tell fact from fiction as she suddenly realizes she might not be so alone. Is Betty believing too much in the horror movies she's watched, or is someone (or something) really out to get her? Find out in this BRAND NEW horror anthology one-shot that's equal parts Scream and When a Stranger Calls.

Confessions Of A Shy Baker GN Vol 1 -  Masamoi Ito

Toshimitsu Yamamura, who runs a real estate business, and Genta Tsubakisaka, a caregiver, live together contentedly. In his spare time, Toshimitsu loves baking and making candies, and coincidentally, Gonta loves eating them! While their day to day lives might be full of difficulties and stresses, the time they spend together at their home café is a sweet treat.

Foulness In The Walls One-Shot -  Cullen Bunn, Rodrigo Zayas & Sami Kivela

After a tragic loss, George hopes to rebuild his life. He moves to a new house. He gets a new job. He starts dating the girl of his dreams. Sometimes, though, guilt can be as malevolent as an evil spirit. Sometimes, ghosts follow you. Something is rotting in the walls of George's new house. Something hungry. 

Gap Papa: Daddy At Work & At Home GN Vol 1 -  Utakata

This charming, full-color manga about a devoted family man began as a popular webcomic! His colleagues at work see him as handsome, cool, and distant... but the moment he's back home, this frosty-looking salaryman shows his true colors as a doting father and husband. Playing silly games with his young daughter, showering kisses on his beloved wife-what a gap between his appearance and behavior! This sweet, full-color manga about a wholesome family is sure to warm your heart.

The Girl That Can’t Get A Girlfriend GN -  Mieri Hiranishi

Mieri is an awkward, nerdy college student with no dating experience, and her previous crushes on fellow butch women have all ended in disaster. That all changes when she meets Ash and has her feelings returned for the first time-but when first love turns to first heartbreak, Mieri will do everything possible to win Ash back. Based on true events, this is a hilarious and heart-wrenching story about love, loneliness, and the true meaning of finding one's own happy ending.

I Am John Lewis YR HC -  Brad Meltzer & Chris Eliopoulos

This book spotlights John Lewis, known for his role in the Civil Rights Movement, having helped organize the March on Washington and the Selma Voting Rights March, and for his lifelong dedication to public service as a member of the House of Representatives. John Lewis was never afraid to get in good trouble. This virtue this person embodies: John Lewis's resolve to fight for a better world is celebrated in this title.

Just Friends GN -  Ana Oncina

While Erika was reluctant to go to the teen summer camp her mother insisted on sending her to, little did she know she'd meet Emi. Now both women are in their 30s, and reminisce about where life has taken them both. Missed opportunities, talks about what could have been, and about what a special bond they have with one another. A story about friendship, about two women discovering themselves, and then growing up.

The Last Barbarians #1 -  Brian Haberlin & Geirrod Van Dyke 

To be Classless is a whole new low... You'd think in a fantastic world full of giants, magic, and flying fish, it would be a world of possibility. But you'd be dead wrong here! Sylv is a jack of all trades; she can fight with the best of them, pick most pockets, and even cast a third-level spell or two. It's too bad for her that if you aren't a member of a guild, you are persona non grata: completely outcast from adventuring. That might be fine, except she has her disabled seven-foot-tall brother to take care of. If she can't find a job to support them both, they'll be dead in a ditch in a matter of weeks. So now her only hope is a quest from a sketchy cleric who promises only a true hero can save the day. Sylv has a lot of skills...and she'll need them all to survive this hero's journey!

Marmalade Boy Collected Edition GN Vol 1 -  Wataru Yoshizumi

A newly translated edition of the shojo manga classic, which inspired the beloved anime! Miki's life was pretty ordinary until the day her parents told her they were swapping spouses with another couple! Thanks to this unconventional arrangement, Miki not only gains two new step-parents, but a hot new step-brother, Yuu! At first Miki writes Yuu off as a total jerk, but as the two spend time together, Miki starts to fall for him. Can Miki sort out her complicated feelings for her Yuu?

Masters Of The Universe: Masterverse #1 (of 4) - Tim Seeley, Eddie Nunez & Sergio Aragones 

In the depths of Castle Grayskull, the Sorceress and Zodac debate the value of He-Man. To save the life of her champion, the Sorceress must take the Cosmic Enforcer on a tour of the multiverse! First, a tour across a world where a dim, barbaric He-Man bumbles through a world of annoying warrior goddesses and bored demons as he's pursued by a hungry green tiger in a tale drawn by the legendary Sergio Aragonés! Then, a stop in an Eternia where the power of Grayskull summons an entirely different warrior in a horrific ghost story illustrated by Kelley Jones! Written by MOTU alumni Tim Seeley (Injustice vs. Masters of the Universe, Masters of the Multiverse) with a framing story by Eddie Nunez, this is an anthology series not to be missed!

Rockstar & Soft Boy Go To Space! One-Shot - Sina Grace

The dirtiest, flirtiest BFFs in comics are back, and holy moly are they in dire straits! After getting brutally rebuffed by the most influential dudes in Lost Angeles, Rockstar and Softboy pack their bags and GO TO SPACE. Acclaimed creator SINA GRACE revisits the 2022 fan-favorite comic for more hijinx than ever before! How, a world away from the world, can these two get into more trouble and learn more about their exquisite friendship!? Only one way to find out!

Scurry TP -  Mac Smith Enter a world where humanity is gone and only animals have survived. Wix, a brave scout from a colony of house mice, must embark on a perilous journey into parts unknown, where he'll face dangerous threats, fantastic new creatures-and a destiny he never expected. 

Spa HC - Erik Svetoft

This nightmarish debut, a biting critique of consumer society and the "wellness" industry, recalls the films of David Lynch and Lars Von Trier and the horror manga of Junji Ito. Somewhere in northern Europe, a five-star spa and conference hotel caters to anyone who can afford it. But, at every turn, where luxuriance should reign, things are amiss. A demanding VIP client disappears without a trace. A business seminar is cut short. A young official gets lost looking for his room. A socially outcast masseuse struggles to find acceptance. Two lovers struggle to escape the horror of everyday life - which includes horrific apparitions routinely haunting them. An egocentric manager doubts himself. Abused employees accept their sad fate. Curious inspectors come to settle their accounts. Meanwhile, mysterious moisture damage is spreading. Amidst the extravagant decor, black and viscous liquid flows slowly in the labyrinthine alleys of the resort and trickles down the walls. Hot and humid, the dampness is suffocating. Mold sets in and with it skin diseases, hallucinations, ghosts, malevolent spirits, hybrid creatures, and other monsters both dead and alive. Spa is a horrific graphic novel debut marked by grotesque and whimsical humor.

Torrent #1 -  Marc Guggenheim, Justin Greenwood & Rico Renzi

From MARC GUGGENHEIM (Arrow, X-Men Gold, Star Wars: Revelations) and JUSTIN GREENWOOD (THE OLD GUARD: TALES THROUGH TIME, Future State: Gotham), the team who brought you the critically acclaimed series Resurrection, comes a brand-new superhero universe. Michelle Metcalf is the world's most happy-go-lucky hero, CRACKERJACK, until tragedy forces her to cross the line from hero to vigilante.

Whatcha snagging this week, Fantom Fam?

[raymondebidochonlifechoices]

To summarise:

Of all the things hearing loss might affect, writing should not be one. And yet … 

ASL teacher Daniel gives Jughead some pencils and invites him to write down his thoughts. Jughead, who has always used a keyboard to write, predictably doesn’t know what to do with the pencils.

Barchie share a morning beer and make out. This makes sense: I, too, would have to get drunk in order to make out with Archie.

Betty includes Jughead among those hurt by the explosion. Archie hastens to list his best friend after his recently acquired dog.

Nana Roseanna, who used to pick orphan children to groom as her son’s brides, while disposing of her husband’s illegal spawn in the woods, dispersed Cheryl’s soul to the aether, so that Abigail may restore the Blossoms to their former glory. Nana Roseanna did not marry into a wealthy colonialist family for them not to be on top of things.

Archie asks Jughead about the explosion. He communicates by writing down his questions on pieces of paper. I don’t know what is less believable: the fact that Archie actually visited Jughead or that he knows how to write.

Since Kevin agreed to stay at Riverdale to take care of Baby Anthony, he decides to take up his dad’s offer to become a deputy, a post most compatible with babysitting. His degree in the performing arts will make him the most educated member of the sheriff’s staff in the last decade.

Archie munches on some cool ranch doritos in honour of the late Hiram Lodge. Good night, sweet prince.

Agent Lin calls Betty to inform her about Glen’s disappearance. And also, to remind her that she’s supposed to be working at the FBI office instead of doing construction at Archie’s house.

Abuelita Luna introduces Veronica to her godson Heraldo, who takes care of her, since her son, her daughter-in-law and her two granddaughters can’t be bothered.

Who would deliver Hiram’s eulogy better than Veronica, asks the same abuelita who had witnessed firsthand the father-daughter cutthroat antagonism over rum.

Jughead tells Tabitha that he can’t write without listening to music. Is the reason behind Jughead’s s5 writer’s block finally revealed? Did those New York rats eat his earphones?

Betty complains of a headache. Agent Lin suggests it might be a migraine. “I’ve never had migraines before”, replies Betty. Well, you didn’t use to drink beer for breakfast either, girl ...

In order to help apprehend TBK, Betty distributes forensic drawings. Of a man’s head. In a trash bag. You know, to better identify the suspect.

The 4 male FBI agents dismissed by Betty in the previous episode are back. Consistency, thy name is not Riverdale.

Cheryl’s way of speaking has been so cuckoo bananas that nobody realises a 100+ year-old ghost is inhabiting her body. For realsies?

Kevin embraces the fact that he’s an extra in this show: he accepts Hermione’s invitation to breakfast for a Real Housewives of New York episode.

It’s Veronica’s turn to feature in Riverdale’s Very Special Edition of: An Offspring Apologises To Their Lousy Parent.

TBK visits Betty in the FBI Office to give her Glen’s hand.

Archie proclaims the house is structurally sound. Therefore, less than 20 mins later he falls through the landing.

Purportedly, palladium makes Archie less dense. If only …

Barchie share a nightcap and talk. A pattern slowly emerges.

Everyone except abuelita knows about Veronica hiring a hitman to kill her father. No one except abuelita cares. 

TBK turns out to be a new member of Archie’s construction crew: his name is Dennis and, yes, he’s obviously a menace.

“You’re the only one from the gang that came to Hiram’s funeral”, says Veronica to Reggie. “I’m sure everyone else was busy.” Everyone else was targeted by daddykins, Veronica.

Bingo learns from Archie that he can make his bones by killing a serial killer. The things Bingo does for a lamb flap ...

TBK falls from the attic window and runs away, s3Jughead-style. Only poor Ben Button fell from a window and died. Such bad luck.

FBI Agent Cooper’s solution to keep TBK from murdering her friends/co-workers is to lead him out of Riverdale, so that he can murder people elsewhere. Charles would be so proud! 

“I always wanted to be a good father to you” says the man who tried to kill his daughter’s  boyfriend, who forced her into moving out from her house and sleeping at the Diner, and who tried to sabotage her college interview. Veronica plays a second round of Riverdale’s Very Special Edition of: An Offspring Apologises To Grieves Over Their Lousy Parent.

We are, however, treated to a Hiram-centric montage culminating in Marc Consuelos’ backside in his tight, tight jeans. All is forgiven.

I do not agree that writing comic books is for those who fail to write novels, but taking RAS’ career into consideration, I’m willing to make an exception.

Jughead who -as a writer- used to imagine what people talked about, can now actually hear their thoughts. The opportunities! The things he might be privy to!!! 

He learns that Tabitha is wondering if she left the oven on at Pop’s.

Toffee is sharing a beer with Bingo, trying to explain to him what he did wrong.

Bottoms up, everybody!

[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?

[ojcobsessed]

TVLINE | Surface is such a captivating mystery full of juicy twists and turns. What was it about the project or character that immediately pulled you in? OLIVER JACKSON-COHEN | I guess it was the script. I don’t think I’ve read anything that was so compelling and such a page-turner to read. It started with that, but there were so many factors. There was Sam Miller, who was our main director and did most of I May Destroy You (which I thought was the greatest show of 2020). It’s him and Gugu [Mbatha-Raw] and [production company] Hello Sunshine — I think they’re incredible producers over there. It was a combination of all of it.

Ultimately, I loved the idea. I think it was such a brilliant concept to have your lead character not know anything about herself and all of these people around her holding all of these secrets. I think that’s such an interesting premise. So with James, there was so much to get into of how much he’s withholding and when we choose for him to share what he’s holding back. If he ever tells the truth, what is he protecting? What is he hiding? There are so many different and exciting layers in there, I just really wanted to be a part of it.

TVLINE | At the start of the series, how would you describe the marriage between Sophie and James? To the outside, it’s this sort of picture-perfect life that they live. They have this incredible house, this money, they have all of the outwardly material stuff that anyone could aspire to. But there’s something fragmented within their relationship. James is so busy using all of his energy to cover up and sort of paste over it. I think [creator] Veronica [West] does that very, very well. She writes the intricacies of secrets that are withheld within relationships and why they’re withheld. There’s something incredibly broken — I guess that’s probably the best word for it — about their relationship.

TVLINE | You mentioned Gugu. How was it working with her, and how did you two navigate the rollercoaster of emotions these characters go through? There was a period of time in August, I think it was about six weeks, where every single day we were going into work and it was like ripping our hearts open. Then you go home, get up the next day and do the same thing over and over. Gugu’s incredible. Gugu and I met probably about 15 years ago. I think it was her first job and my first TV job. So we had sort of known each other and seen each other over the years. We’d already had a friendship from before so I think that always helps jumping in and trying to build relationships and trust and all of that stuff.

TVLINE | For so much of the series, it’s unclear whether James can be trusted. What went into playing up that back-and-forth between a hard-edged guy with loads of secrets and a heartbroken husband that we simultaneously want to sympathize with? You know what? I don’t think I did. I actually think all of that comes down to an edit. [Laughs] If someone puts a coat over someone’s shoulders, that can seem like an act of kindness, but it can also seem like possessiveness. It never felt right in the show to play up any part that was inauthentic. We didn’t want to push things, that felt like a cheap trick. What we wanted to achieve was that people would watch the season and then go back to the beginning and watch it again and see how it was all so clear from the get-go. So at times, I think there’s credible power in withholding information, and regardless of what the intention is, that can be interpreted so many different ways, so we would play with that. What is it that happened that day? What is it that is said that then triggered something that can be a painful memory that then registers as menacing behavior? So it was all about trying to paint the colors in where we needed them.

TVLINE | Did you draw from any other mysteries or psychological thrillers when crafting this character? I don’t know necessarily if I had any in mind. I’m always a bit wary of trying to take inspiration from work that’s already been done. I think it felt very important to just deal with the task that was Surface. But there was a documentary called Tell Me Who I Am on Netflix. I don’t know if you’ve seen it, but it’s a harrowing film about twin brothers who had a horrific childhood, grew up, and then one of the brothers had a motorcycle accident and lost his memory. So the other brother filled him in but told him only the good bits and left out all of the bad bits that happened to them. It’s such an interesting documentary because it follows the cost of holding on to that secret and having to bear the brunt of that in order to protect someone else. That felt incredibly apt for our show. I watched that and that sparked a bunch of stuff in terms of the approach to James and Surface.

TVLINE | I haven’t seen it, but I’ll check that out. It’s horrific, though, be careful!

TVLINE | What does this series say about trust in relationships? So much! I’m not married, but friends I know that are married and have been together for a long time, you start to realize there are things that are not necessarily said to one another, that are withheld. Secrets exist. And the bigger the secrets, the bigger the gap between the two people in the relationship. I think the show deals with that in a very human way where. It’s very interesting for Gugu, playing a character who basically wakes up in a world surrounded by people she’s been told she should trust but she can’t. She has to go out and make her own decisions about it.

TVLINE | James is such a loaded character. How are viewers going to perceive him after everything’s said and done? I think stuff like this is very interesting. I did a show about two years ago for Netflix where I played the quote-unquote villain [The Haunting of Bly Manor], and it was very interesting to see how an audience responded to that character because he was an absolute piece of s–t. But it’s boring watching someone be the villain. I’m interested in the gray area in between that. If I’m honest, I’m quite scared to see how people respond [to James], because I do think… I’m sure there’ll be certain people who have sympathy for him, but again, it lives in this gray area where, without spoiling too much, it can be perceived in so many different ways, so I don’t know! Why don’t you call me back in September and I’ll let you know!

TVLINE | I’m sure Twitter and Reddit will have a field day with this guy. I’ll be throwing my phone in the ocean by then. [Laughs]

TVLINE | Without spoiling anything, can you give readers a tease for what’s in store for them? Oh my God! It’s just doesn’t go where you think it’s going to. Episodes 7 and 8 are like a whole day at Six Flags. It’s so insane what goes on in those episodes. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on it, it then flips the tables on itself. It’s quite a stressful and delicious experience!

[kuekyuuq]

I have to ask...

Where do the anti-supercorp people get the idea from that Lena Luthor is xenophobic?

Are we watching the same show?

I can see how one does not like Lena.

I can see how some of Lena's actions can be considered irredeemable.

I can see that her family was/is xenophobic.

I can agree she made some horrible mistakes in judgement.

Canon told us:

Lena was fired by Lex from LuthorCorp because he thought her naive about her pro-alien stance. The same brother who analysed Lena since she was four. 

Lena was horrified when Lex tied her to a chair and made her watch his attempt to kill Superman by turning the sun red

Lena came to National City in hopes to work with Supergirl (an alien)

Lena actively re-branded LutherCorp to LCorp to get rid of the anti-alien stuff and everything else people connected with the Luthor name

Yes, Lena created an alien-detector, but her intention was one out of ignorance (of the backlash this could cause), not of hate - when Kara much later explains the potential bad the item could cause, Lena is very much listening

Lena helps Kara on several occasions, using her intel and providing it to Kara, so Kara can investigate and write articles to dismantle anti-alien organisations (e.g. Veronica Sinclair's fight club, Cadmus)

Lena helps Supergirl on several occasions, using her intel and providing it to Supergirl, so Supergirl can dismantle anti-alien organisations

Lena actively seeks to dismantle Cadmus - the anti-alien group - even before Lena started suspecting Lillian to be involved

Lena schemes against Lillian to use Medusa to kill all aliens on Earth

Lena testified both against her alien-hating mother and brother

As soon Lillian told Lena about Lex' former facilities, she starts looking into them - they are well hidden, so it does take her a while (and by this date in the show, she may still not have unearthed all of them) - and dismantles many of them / continues to give Kara/Supergirl information about them (e.g. when Kara asks Lena for tech to find missing aliens, Lena offers to look into L-Corp (= former LutherCorp) database to search for anything useful for that particular cause

Lena encourages Kara strongly to find a way to warn all aliens about the alien registration manifest being leaked - she inspired Kara to "blob"

When Lillian finds out Lena is pro-alien and helping find the abducted aliens, she has her goons try to scare her off ("nothing permanent" - the goons accidentally threw Lena off her balcony...) - even her own family sees how non-xenophobic Lena is

Lena sacrifices Jack (her former boyfriend and still potential romantically involved one) to save Supergirl (the alien) - and (rightfully) blames the human woman, who controlled Jack, for it

When Lena suspects and confirms Rhea to be an alien, she cuts ties with her - because Rhea lied to her, not because she's an alien

Lena starts working with Rhea (confirmed alien) again - to help aliens who "weren't as lucky" as Rhea's people and to further and better Earth technologies; reduce environmental damages by infrastructure / good transports / traffic.... only to be betrayed by Rhea.

Lena learns Mon-El, Kara's boyfriend, was Daxamite and has zero issues about it

Lena has no issue with Sam being half-alien, but with the Reign-half being a huge menace to Earth, so tries to stop her and save Sam

The DEO kept Kryptonite in case any of the Supers went rogue - like Batman and Oliver Queen kept theirs - Lena kept and created Kryptonite and Harun-El to ...cure cancer; to fight against sicknesses, to use as a clean energy-source, to... do good things

...yes, she lied about it. But, her not-so-wrong reasoning was "if I tell, they will take it away. If they take it away, I won't be able to do good with it."

Lena rather had Supergirl drop her than chemicals that could have harmed thousands (human and alien)

Lena becomes quick allies and friends with Brainy (admitably, in many ways he's more AI than alien...) and befriends Nia later on, too

What else does Lena do with her stash of Kryptonite and the knowledge she gained from it? When Mercy & Otis Graves irradiate Earth's atmosphere with Kryptonite, Lena already has created an anti-Kryptonite suit for Supergirl and the fact it’s already at hand saves Supergirl’s life!

That's only up to season four... 

Yes, Lena did shitty stuff in season five. Arguably, for the right reasons, but ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions’...  But were any of those things xenophobic?

The problem she has with Kara in season five is NOT because she’s an alien - but because she felt betrayed, personally. Rightfully so? Eeeeeeeh.... while it surely must have hurt to learn your best friend lied to you and played two personalities, at times taking advantage of it, too - which, let’s be honest, Kara did - Kara did have her reasons (initially), it IS selfish for Lena to assume the worst and take the fact itself so personally.  But, everybody lives in their own world, I am sure - dear few readers, who took it upon yourselves to read this monster of a post - we can agree, that we all judge the world and others based on our own perceived reality, based on our own experiences, emotions and circumstance, whether we try to be better than that or not...  I’d even make the argument, Lena is more upset with her intimate friend “Kara” (whom she shared her most intimate thoughts and feelings with) having lied to her, than with “Supergirl” taking advantage of her. Being played, Lena can deal with, but trusting and seeing that trust shattered... low blow. Please, correct me if I’m wrong, but to my knowledge, the only time Lena uses Kara being an alien against her, is when she uses and reworks the Fortress of Solitude's already existing settings to trap Kara in there for long enough for herself to get a head-start on getting Myriad to work (how else was she supposed to achieve that?).  Myriad, which she wanted to use to STOP hate, including racism (xeno-cism?). Brainwashing everyone is most certainly a veeeeeeery misguided approach, but the premise of ending all hate and the resulting pain is very much like the notion of "praying for world peace" - just that Lena got sick of praying and decided to actually go ahead and do something about it ((again: notion good; (attempted) execution horrifying)).

Even Lena trapping Malefic was to that very end. She trapped Eve (human) as well on that line of thought. At the least, she offered Malefic a deal to his liking as payment...? Eve on the other hand.... 

If anything, Lena is people-phobic. She has a hard time trusting anyone, remains suspicious to a fault. ...she did effectively kill Eve on Earth-38, though, by over-writing her with Hope.

Kara forgave her aunt, who came just as close, wanting to use Myriad for very similar purposes - and then forgave Lena, eventually, just as much. The difference being, Astra died. We never got to see if Astra would have actually stopped her plan, convinced Non, and/or would have aimed / worked hard to redeem herself...

In the same episode, where Lena's attempts with Myriad failed (and Hope took the fall) Malefic, who had tried to murder multiple people as part of his revenge against his brother (and had targeted Kelly for a while, too) was set free by J'onn and sent to Mars to do good there.

The whole of National City forgave Supergirl (and her potential for going bad and for her causing actual destruction) only a week after the redK incident...

All that said:

1) Lena lied to Kara and played her. Sure, Lena felt betrayed and from her point of view, with her set of experiences and her own preexisting many traumas and (very bad) coping mechanisms, it was... well, understandable... or at least traceable. But, forgivable? That's ultimately up for her victim (Kara) to decide. And, apparently, she does forgive her. Not easily. But she does; understands both sides, evaluates, listens to others, observes the remorse, and makes her own decision / judgement... which is (initially, tentative) forgiveness.

2) The show is REALLY BAD at dealing with characters' actions’ or events' consequences. Period. There is no real consistency, 'cept that things don't have real repercussions. That is how the writers decided to write the show from season one on. If the writers think Kara forgives Lena and show it, then that's that.

3) Every time I read the notion that Lena was/is xenophobic, I can't help but wonder if anyone who claims such even watched the show.

4) Lena is not her brother. She's flawed. She makes mistakes. But for once, Lena and her character are suffering the consequences. That may not enough for the liking of Lena Luthor haters, or anti-Supercorp taggers, but it is what it is - and it is much more than most any actual bad guy had to suffer through. Bad guys with evil intentions, (mass) murderers, people (alien and human) that rationally caused lasting harm and/or trauma to their victims.

5) Lena is not xenophobic.

Kue out.

[straightlikewetspaghetti]

Rancho Love

Pairings:

Main: Poppy x MC (Bea Hughes)

Secondary: Chloe x Veronica, Zoey x ??

Warnings: none

Love is a strong feeling, a bond, an interpersonal relationship that is difficult to clearly define and explain.

Hate is sometimes contrasted with love and described as an agonizing feeling, resulting from pain associated with feelings of hurt, revenge, hostility and deception.

It’s funny how thin line separates these two feelings...

At the beginning of the vacations, Bea went to her grandmother's ranch to prepare it for the arrival of unexpected guests. Today was the day of their arrival and the brunette sat on the porch, nervously shaking her leg.

It wasn't long before a black SUV belonging to her best friend pulled onto her property. In a flash, Zoey jumped out of it and locked Bea in a firm hug, even though it hadn't been that long since they last met.

Out of the corner of her eye, the brunette noticed Veronica and Chloe standing behind the black-haired girl. Bea and Veronica exchanged knowing glances, sparing each other unnecessary closeness, unlike Chloe, who had been acting like an overexcited puppy ever since she and Veronica got together. The blonde threw herself at Bea with a squeal and hugged her with a strength she would never have suspected. Despite the odds, it was a pleasant feeling.

When she released herself from the hug, she knew someone was missing. She glanced at Zoey, who only sighed. Bea took note of the dark circles under her eyes and obvious fatigue that was showing on her friend's face, which could mean that the princess had given her quite a hard time during the trip. "And what is the name of this little cutie." Chloe dropped to her knees and began exaggeratedly petting the overjoyed dog that magically appeared next to the brunette.

"Drake."

"Like the rapper?" the puzzled blonde asked.

"Never change, Chlo" Veronica laughed placing a soft kiss on Chloe's head.

"No, like a dragon, because his breath is murderous." the brunette playfully snapped her mouth and put emphasis on the last word as if she were talking to a small child.

The girls laughed and all the tension that was hiding inside Bea dissipated like a bad weather. She had forgotten that without Poppy, Chloe and Veronica were actually very bearable.

"How can you expect me to function under such conditions?" speaking of the devil, a clear high-pitched squeak pierced the silence of the ranch, causing even nearby grazing Sheridan to lay his ears down. Bea's head twitched involuntarily, a tic she had developed at the sound of that particular tone of voice. "Zoey! Come here!"

The girl looked pleadingly at Bea and mouthed silently "Help me." The brunette smiled in understanding and headed towards the car Poppy was standing by. Bea approached quietly, causing the preoccupied blonde to not even notice her. She took advantage of the peaceful moment to take a closer look at her.

Poppy was rummaging through the trunk, probably looking for something. Bea couldn't help but notice the way the girl's jeans perfectly framed her well-defined curves. In an instant, memories of that one night when Poppy had proved to her that she had to dominate on every level, began to flow into her head.

The girl standing before her was the picture of perfection. Her silky blonde hair was tied up in a heavy knot, revealing a slender neck that Bea loved to tease. Her entire outfit perfectly exemplified her sense of style and elegance, which she always groomed to a fault. Against the landscape of the countryside she stood out like a sore thumb.

"Do you want to go to the bathroom or do you always have such an idiotic expression on your face?" the malicious comment from Poppy snapped her out of her reverie and worked on her like a bucket of cold water.

"It's good to see you too Pops." she said in a calm voice, as if she hadn't literally fantasized about the girl standing in front of her a moment ago.

Poppy turned her head towards her and smiled flirtatiously, though Bea knew that smile hid disdain and annoyance. "I didn't feel the need to lie." she shrugged and went back to her previous activity.

Bea laughed under her breath and nodded. The audacity of this girl will be the death of her. "How can I help you?"

"You finally offered? What a wonderful woman you are!" Poppy sneered, placing an amount of baggage in Bea's hands that nearly knocked the brunette to the ground. "Jesus Christ Poppy, you came here for a month, not a lifetime!" Bea's voice was barely audible over the amount of suitcases crushing her person. Trying to take in the situation, her muscles tensed visibly and out of the corner of her eye she noticed a familiar glint in the blonde's eye. Poppy giggled innocently, but her gaze was wary and sharp. She scrutinized Bea from head to toe and a mischievous smile appeared on her face. "You wouldn't handle me, Farmsville." "Is that a challenge?" Bea stood sideways and tensed as much as possible to dominate the blonde with her stature. A shiver of indefinable fascination ran through her veins at the thought of competition.

Poppy just rolled her eyes, but as she walked away, she ran her fingertips gently, almost imperceptibly, over the brunette's shoulder, which, along with the amount of baggage, made Bea's legs buckle more and more. With an idiotic grin on her face, the brunette watched Poppy's hips move mesmerizingly. In any normal situation she would have thrown her luggage and pounced on the blonde like a predator, but somewhere in the back of her mind she remembered that the girl was a first class manipulator. Only around Poppy did Bea feel that showing any emotion besides lust was a weakness. Their game of hot’n’cold had gone on for so long that Bea's feelings were lost as she herself was. And even after so long of their physical closeness, they hated each other to the marrow of their bones. Poppy Min Sinclair was one big game Bea felt she was losing. After less than an hour, each of the girls was put in their own rooms and once again they all met on the porch to come up with some common activity, much to Poppy's displeasure. "Howdy ladies! You are a blessing to the sore eyes of a man." Their conversation was interrupted by a low male voice and the clatter of hooves. They all fell silent and looked at the intruder, who was watching them from the back of his powerful steed with an all too friendly smile. Bea was the only one who reciprocated the smile and ran up to him with Drake faithfully at her side.

"Alex you corny chum! I didn't even know you were around." excited Bea waited patiently until the boy slid off his horse and embraced her tightly and a little too long, which didn't escape the girls attention, especially the peculiar blonde. The brunette pulled away from her friend and looked at the slightly amused girls "Ah, but where my manners are!"

"They don't exist." muttered the bored blonde, eyeing her manicure carefully, not even lifting her eyes to the brunette

Bea just rolled her eyes, but didn't let Poppy's grumpiness ruin the moment for her. "Girls, this is Alex, Alex this is Zoey, Veronica, Chloe and Satan, I mean..." she took a dramatic pause to make sure the blonde was paying attention. "Poppy." "The best thing for last." Poppy's voice was low, much lower than her typical squeak.

Bea sensed what was going on and stood between Alex and the blonde, creating a safe space. She looked at Poppy with a scolding look, but the corners of the girl's mouth were only twisted in a minimal mischievous grin that no one else noticed. "Keep it in your pants, Sinclair." Zoey spoke up with disdain as she observed the blonde's pathetic behavior. Alex, hearing this, laughed sincerely and then smiled coquettishly at Zoey. When she looked at him, he squatted closer to her, causing an outline of a blush to appear on her cheeks. She returned the smile. “Can we like, not fight for a sec?” Chloe shy and concerned voice broke through the tension. Veronica stood behind her, proudly holding her around the waist and measuring Poppy with a cautious, almost warning look. Poppy rolled her eyes and scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest, but remained silent. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chloe smiling in her direction and even her emotionless facade couldn't ignore the smaller blonde puppy eyes. She felt weird, fuzzy feeling inside. "What brings you here pal?" Bea finally spoke up when the situation had calmed down somewhat and nobody was threatening to jump down each other throats. The boy tore his gaze away from a still blushing Zoey and looked at the brunette as if he had only now discovered that he had actually come to her with a reason. "Yeah, right..." he laughed nervously scratching the back of his neck and reluctantly stepping away from the black-haired girl. "Judy asked me to bring Spot." he pointed to a black and white mare that was nibbling the grass, looking with interest at Sheridan, who was grazing nearby.

"Even nana knew you were here and she didn't tell me?" Bea didn't hide her surprise at Alex's words.

"What a wonderful friend you are." sneered the blonde under her breath.

Alex chuckled, but stopped immediately when Bea flashed him a menacing stare. "Look, I wanted to use the element of surprise." "Of course." the brunette sighed. "While you're here, why don't we give the girls a tour of the ranch?" Bea looked smugly in Zoey's direction and Alex immediately caught what she meant.

"There's no way my foot is going to get anywhere near these... Stinky animals." Poppy wrinkled her nose with visible disgust on her face.

"I'm pretty sure they don't want it as much as you do." Zoey retorted, earning a nudge in the shoulder from Chloe. "All right..." Bea pushed Alex, Zoey, Chloe and Veronica towards the stables. "Go on now, and we'll join you in a moment."

It couldn't be without a mischievous smirk from the boy, but he didn't say a thing. Obediently he began to head towards the stables with the rest of them, Zoey noticeably walking closest to him. Bea lifted her eyes up and counted down to ten in her head to calm herself down. If it wasn't for Poppy's parents' pleading, she would never have agreed to her coming here, but somewhere deep down she hoped the blonde wouldn't be so problematic. She began to wonder for whom this was the bigger punishment.

She turned on her heel to say something to Poppy, but her voice froze in her throat when she saw, one of the most adorable scenes of her life: Poppy was kneeling beside Drake and vigorously scratching his stomach. Her voice was soft and gentle as she whispered sweet nothings to him.

Despite herself, the brunette smiled softly, remembering that even such a cold person had a weakness for dogs.

"I should charge you for looking." Poppy didn't look away from Drake, but Bea saw the gentle smile dedicated to her and not the dog. "I like this side of you." she began, slowly walking toward her. "The gentle and happy one. Why are you forcefully trying to make our lives difficult?"

Poppy's hand hovered over Drake's stomach and there was a heavy silence. Bea gulped nervously, expecting an outburst from the blonde that never came. Instead, Poppy rose from her knees and looked blankly in her direction. "There is no such a thing." her voice sounded incredibly flat, which was much more threatening than her typical screech. "I didn't ask to be here." she put her arms around her waist and turned dramatically to her side. For the first time Bea saw the real Poppy, the one she tries to hide under her harsh persona. She looked extremely lost and hurt, but the brunette couldn't be sure without knowing what was hiding in her head. And for the first time Bea wanted to know what the girl standing in front of her was thinking and feeling. And it was terrifying.

"You wouldn't have to be here if you weren't trying to act like a brat." it wasn't the most pleasant thing she could answer, but it didn't miss the truth.

"Trying?" Poppy looked at her with rising curiosity. "By what do you assume that I'm trying and I'm not like that?" she asked without waiting for an answer. "Since when do you know anything about me, other than the size of my underwear?" As much as she hated to admit it, Poppy had a point. She couldn't be sure which one was the real one, but she tried to go on. "Because you sound like a coward. And I know..."

"You know nothing about me." she snapped, unable to listen to the cruel truth.

"And I know..." Bea continued ignoring her and coming face to face with the blonde, who now seemed much, much smaller and dimmer. "That somewhere deep down, there is a real Poppy that I could..." fall for. The brunette didn't finish that sentence, again settling an awkward silence between them.

Poppy looked straight into her eyes, probably searching for something there. After a moment, she lowered her gaze and trembled. She sighed quietly and carefully grasped the brunette's hand. "Focus on the me you see there..." she pressed it to her chest, where her heart was pounding like a herd of galloping horses. "Because she's focusing on you too." Before she could answer anything, Alex's voice rang out: "Are you slowpokes gonna finally come here?"

"We're coming!" replied Bea, tilting her head toward him but not taking her eyes off the blonde. She felt Poppy withdraw her hand from her in a flash and put her typical look of annoyance on her face.

"You don't have to miss me like that!" The blonde almost purred those words and walked towards the stables, leaving an even more confused Bea alone.

[riverdale-retread]

Riverdale S6 E3 (Rivervale: Mr Cypher)

Such a fun episode - two musical numbers! An inexplicably British Satan! Lovely visual flourishes (Satan screams menace at Pop Tate, who screams in agony from the ensuing heart attack!).  I loved every bit of it, and here we go with the analysis.

Read Before You Sign

If I’d met this story in the wilds of A03 I would’ve wondered if this was written by someone who was a law student or a paralegal or something.  Massive momentous things are happening in this story (Satan comes to town and wants to decimate the Diner!  There’s an implied cameo by the Virgin Mary, because Riverdale is the most Catholic show - more than Midnight Mass by a lot), and yet a huge amount of time is expended on the technicalities of contract formation.  

By the way - God doesn’t really do ‘contracts’ per se in popular culture.  And indeed in um, actual canon (religious),  the Catholic God issues commandments - do this, don’t do that - with no explanatory notes.  Then when you fuck up he will bring the hammer down.  So if I were to beat the metaphor to death, I would say God issues the Terms of Warranty for the product that is life/ existence on the mortal plane. When you buy a thing that warranty comes with and it’s not really negotiable.  In contrast, Satan/Lucifer of Rivervale is really very fastidious about obtaining formal agreement and collecting signatures (but not actual true agreement - because he’s Satan, I guess?).  Compare and contrast to say, Ursula Sea Witch from Little Mermaid who actually tells you exactly what the contract terms are, and doesn’t have people sign things ‘on accident’ or whatever. 

The binding nature of these accidental, unknowing contract signings on people like Reggie and Veronica, though, made me think of a really old Southpark episode (The Human CentiPad, 2011) , which is described thusly on the wiki:  In the episode, Kyle is kidnapped after agreeing to an iTunes user agreement, and forced to become part of a "revolutionary new product" that is about to be launched by Apple.   There’s a segment in this where everyone yells at Kyle for not reading the actual agreement before clicking through, and it turns out he just signed over his bodily rights to Apple. 

Narrator Jughead, having signed at least a couple apartment leases, and at least one book contract, wants to inform all his readers about the VITAL IMPORTANCE of reading all agreements and invoices for which one has to provide a signature.   This Rivervale Episode is like a PBS after-school special about Read Before You Sign.  Thanks, Narrator Jughead!  Unfortunately, the messaging gets a bit muddled, because the rules on establishing a valid contract with Satan fluctuate wildly.

AU Jughead, because he’s the narrator’s avatar, gets the best treatment by Satan. Jughead is the only one who actually summons Satan to himself.  He is offered an actually interesting dilemma (be a permanently blocked one superhit wonder or be Kafka/Dickinson?), he is the only one who gets to make snide commentary about the Devil’s methodologies (“Who knew the Devil was so literal?”) and his own fate (“Jughead Jones is damned for all time”). Jughead actually gets given a takesies backsies with Satan which was not apparently offered to anyone else. 

Tabitha and Terence Tate, because they are the proprietors of the Most Important Place On Earth and are also morally perfect, are also given this due respect - they get to negotiate the terms, and a chance to voluntarily, knowingly sign the agreement.  Kevin also gets a chance to sample the actual ‘good’ parts of a deal with the devil, and is presented with an ornately lettered, not-overly long contract to look over, but it’s not because the narrator or narrative respect Kevin. Just the opposite -it’s a device to show how venal Kevin is (pls read on).

Everyone else though gets all kinds of uneven treatment but these variations would apparently be binding - Alice who almost signs without knowing, and Reggie and Veronica who sign without knowing, and Betty who doesn’t sign anything at all would all end up with binding agreements.

It’s OK. Jughead didn’t go to law school, and he didn’t read his writing contract before he signed it.

2. Jughead On a Writerly Rampage In His Role as Narrator

The other thing that leaped out at me is that  even though Narrator Jughead Jones privileges himself first and foremost throughout,  this ‘chapter’ delves into the main vanity for many who appear, and NONE of these portrayals are flattering to the subject. If this is a glimpse of Jughead in writer mode, the furious reactions from Toni, Fangs AND SWEET PEA (JUSTICE FOR!) for his published book in canon are completely understandable.

-First up, Veggie.  According to Narrator Jughead, Reggie and Veronica are, together and separately, incapable of love. Full stop.  Reggie says I Love You to Veronica, which later is revealed to be immediately after promising her soul to Satan without informing her.  This is interesting because in the immediately preceding chapter of this AU Fic,  Tabitha said I Love You to Jughead immediately after destroying his writing instrument and trying to kill him with a hammer.  I am not sure why Narrator Jughead hates Veronica so much because it’s not exactly motivated by what’s gone on in canon.  In the devastating aftermath of the Barchie kiss betrayal, for example, Veronica behaved in a positively saintly way (same as Jughead) to give Archie a nice send off.  She funds Archie’s endeavors. Because she cheated on her hateful & hated husband? Because she killed him?  (But Jughead would’ve despised Chad, had they talked, and Veronica killed Chad in self defense.) So why this harshness towards Veronica?  The only respectful nod she gets is in comparison to Reggie - HER soul is worth something but Reggie’s is not (oof). Now Reggie, at least Reggie 1.0 was someone who actively bullied Jughead. But then with Reggie 2.0 they worked together during Jughead’s Serpent King days and their paths really don’t cross.  Is it because they are both financially solvent whereas Jughead had a severe failure to launch into some semblance of adult stability?  This is very small minded of Narrator Jughead, honestly.  Is it because they’re opening a casino (where rich people go to play with money) and he’s just too poor to even pay rent?   That look of grim hatred that Narrator Jughead has  Reggiegive Veronica before literally walking into hell was HARSH.

-Second to get a scalping is Betty.  Betty is always up for things when it’s her and her alone that can fix whatever it is.  She is  apparently the world’s vainest woman and has never gotten over being the valedictorian (=most special girl) of her small town high school. It never occurs to Betty to question how or why it is that she is the most important person in the whole of law enforcement to TBK.  She just accepts it as the burden of being her special magical self.   She’s also highly incompetent and monstrously self centered.  Instead of unmasking the masked killer, confirming his identity and thereby possibly solving some unsolved murders, even, she personally asks him a personal question solely applicable to her own, personal self.  Having killed Glenn, she just buries his body under her floorboards, and does not give a shit about the pain that his disappearance may cause his family. 

-Kevin gets burned so bad in this chapter.  Kevin’s fantasy is to have an absolutely subservient boyfriend in Fangs, whose career and livelihood depends entirely on Kevin, and is moreover constantly sexually available as a matter of right. What the hell Kevin? (And also what the hell Narrator Jughead?)  And Fangs only exists to be an adjunct with absolutely no identity of his own, much like he was in canon (adjunct first to Sweet Pea, then partially to Jughead, then to Kevin, then Toni).

-Jughead isn’t given much more mercy though, than Kevin. He essentially has no identity outside of his calling. “I’m NOTHING if I’m not a writer” is such a terrible thing to say about yourself.  And he has all the fantasies - the agent that begs to represent him, calls from Reuters, the Pulitzer!   Then the narrative damns him to a productive obscurity forever, and this made me laugh because isn’t that what all of us who have fanfic or  pieces of writing on A03 or Wattpad or Tumblr have chosen? 

3. Jughead Doesn’t Know Catholicism so Neither Does Veronica or Tabitha 

Jughead just has no idea how anything works in Catholicism, and possibly all religion.  Veronica says, speaking of actual Lucifer, that Reggie sold her down the River Styx. No. She would not say that, at all.  Catholic girls do not skip references in this way.   By the same token, Veronica, who went through Catholic confirmation, is utterly unafraid of a deal with Satan.  Nor does she feel any qualms about becoming a serial killer and Satan’s right hand woman.  Excuse me?

Tabitha is apparently Catholic. She gets visited by an archangel who says God approves of what she’s doing, which is highly Catholic. I feel like in Protestantism, God would say something directly to the important human. Catholics have and want layers between us and the Almighty.   The archangel moreover hands her the tears of the Virgin Mary collected at the Crucifixion in an ornate bottle -another Catholic touch. Except Tabitha works that holy fluid into food, for one, and then sprays it on the door frame of Pop’s which - hahaha! Uhh That is not how you use Holy Water, you know?  But if we take it as a given that Tabitha is Catholic, what she has in common with Veronica is that she’s not afraid of Satan either, and gives her boyfriend Jughead express permission to go talk to Satan!

Betty isn’t Catholic but she knows about the Whore of Babylon which by the way never came up in the Catholicism in which I was raised. We really did not dwell on the Book of Revelation. That’s another very Protestant obsession.

The whole theology of the Diner is considerably muddled too.  Great Grandpa Tate sold his soul to have a successful diner, but then Pop Tate took over that contract, and at the point when the perfect and beautiful Tabitha was about to take on that burden, God intervened to release them all from this contract with Satan. Okay fine, but then doesn’t that mean that the success of the Diner, and the haven that the Diner provided all the lost souls who worked there (Hermione, FP, Jughead, Veronica) were in fact under the protective wing of… Lucifer?

4. In service of Narrative

Narrator Jughead is killing off men at an alarming rate.  Archie first.  Then, Nick St. Clair,  Reggie, and Glenn.  Some of these were deadweight (Glenn!) and others were done wrong (Reggie!).  Oh and apparently in the rigid, retrograde morality of Rivervale, gambling is bad, just like divorce is bad and drugs are always absolutely bad.