#still mainly bughead and other stuff

[artisticsarcasm]

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[go-ldy]

Riverdale 5x03

Man, I found this episode hard. There were some poignant moments, but there were also a lot of moments that were frustrating as hell. My emotions are mixed. But mainly sad. Hold me.

It really says a lot about this show that despite setting aside a whole episode dedicated mostly to character building and relationships rather than plot, it still felt like the show bit off more than it could chew. So much felt rushed including Bughead’s breakup.

anyway, the positives first:

Varchie were beautiful in this episode, and I am so happy for my Varchie mutuals for the care put into developing them and giving them this kind of send off (esp. considering the mess of 4x17 and 4x18). I loved how Archie’s flashback of his life over the last three years was just 90% about Veronica and how much she means to him. It especially contrasts to the BA “flashbacks” from 4x17 l o l. 

Archie spontaneously deciding to join the army and shipping out on an actual bus 24 hours later was so Archie and so Riverdale.  “Archie, there’s a war going on!” made me laugh out loud, IDK. 

Veronica, Betty, and Jughead chasing Archie down in the jalopy to say goodbye was a sheer delight.

Betty Cooper: FBI trainee, default law enforcement officer, yearbook editor, serial killer genes, daughter of the black hood, sister of notorious killer Charles Smith - ALSO class Valedictorian! (Can u still be class Valedictorian if you were once suspended for cheating on a Quiz Show? Riverdale High says ‘yes.’) Good for u, B. Coop.

yessssss at Hiram Lodge being forced to put Sheriff Keller back into a job to arrest those kids hiding out at Archie’s boxing studio (and Archie didn’t notice that these youth were squatting there for months ?????? lmao). I KNEW RIVERDALE DID NOT HAVE A SHERIFF THESE LAST FEW EPISODES. Truly the lawless hellhole we have come to know and love.

Jughead staying in the Andrews’ home while it was put on the market to be sold was hilarious to me. I know it was supposed to be sad - and it was - but ALSO, can you imagine perspective buyers coming into the house only to find that there is a homeless person camping out in there without furniture or electricity or heat? “Why is there a rolled up sleeping bag in the corner?” “Is that a typewriter on the floor?” “Did I just step into an old can of soup?” JUGHEAD, MAN. They probably had to turn off the electricity and heat to save money because he was single-handedly keeping the house from selling.

It was very sad that Jughead was the only one who showed up at Pop’s a year later (and then sees a blonde girl come in and immediately his eyes light up because Betty before the disappointment o m g, murder me), but also a surprisingly relatable moment? I barely remember my own high school graduation, but I do remember that my high school friends felt like everything to me at the time, and I have since fallen out of touch with, uh, all of them. Life happens.

The stuff that was meh:

In theory, I am not opposed to the idea that Jellybean became the auteur/voyeur because she felt neglected and wanted attention, but it still feels like Jellybean is only about 25% of a character. Like, we heard a lot of other people (mostly FP and Jughead) tell us about JB’s motivations, but did JB have a single speaking line in this episode where she actually got to express to anyone what she was thinking and feeling? ugh. 

I don’t care about Falice, but ????? @ FP’s solution to fix JB. So... taking her back... to her drug dealing mother who did not even show up for her own son’s funeral.... is better than a child therapist? Fine. 

Nobody seemed to have any lingering reactions or trauma to Charles being a serial killer?? Like what. Is he even in jail? Or did Betty just let him go? This is actually quite inconvenient for me from a fic-writing perspective. Nobody is a better deux ex machina when Betty or Jughead need something in fic - just call their brother Charles who works for the FBI! I guess that’s done now.

I did feel for Alice, and Alice is not a character I usually feel for because she is the worst. But her husband and eldest son ended up being serial killers, Polly is in an insane asylum, the twins have disappeared from planet earth, and now FP is leaving her. Damn. That is a lot.

So did Choni breakup? It literally happened so fast with so little emotional fallout. Whatever, I don’t care about Choni.

The Beronica and Jarchie scenes were so rushed and forced. I just don’t get this storyline, y’all. What was the point of doing what they did with Betty and Archie in 4x17 and 4x18? Was it simply to break up our two main couples? Veronica and Jughead should have each had the time and space to be angry with their BFFs over what happened (because as crazy as this town is, it is still a massive betrayal) but instead they were both like: “NAH IT’S COOL SHIT HAPPENS LET’S HUG IT OUT.” It didn’t feel earned. I feel like RAS & Co. wanted the immediate drama of the ~kiss but also wanted to have this touching, Core 4 friendship moment before scattering them. What was the point. (I KNOW, I KNOW, ‘IT’S RIVERDALE’ but these characters matter to me ok and I want to understand where they are coming from.)

Bughead

This episode was... very hard. There were some cute moments, but the breakup felt so rushed and... empty? For the most part, we still have no idea where Betty’s head has been since 4x18. Presumably, she has been wracked by guilt, but terrified of telling Jughead the truth in case she ended up losing him (which, it turned out, was exactly what happened).

The scene in their bedroom where she tells him and they kiss desperately was a beautiful scene and the acting from both was oof. But I feel cheated that we did not actually get to see them talk about “us” as Jughead suggested. So did that conversation happen or not? And then to be told in a voiceover and montage that they grew apart in the space of about 45 seconds.... it was all very empty, and painful. I just.... :( :( :( 

I guess we are supposed to assume that Betty and Archie’s kiss created this chasm between them that they were unable to talk about or address head on. But it was so rushed, very “tell not show.”

anyway, this stupid show has made me sad. I AM SAD. My heart is :( @ the unspoken hurt between them that they won’t talk about for seven years. And this show is never going to address the hurt between them in a realistic or satisfying way because it is Riverdale. Usually I would immediately reach to fic to get out my feelings, but in this case, I feel more like hiding in my zombie AU then dealing with how sad this all is lol. Is that insane? That’s what Riverdale does to us. I take heart in the fact that I am not alone in my madness.

[thetaoofbetty]

what's the sad thing about all this? it's the fact that in season 1 polly and betty seemed to care about each other a lot before alice sent her daughter to the soqm. betty lost her sister way before s5, we pratically saw polly disappear slowly from betty life. she might be the one who's surrounded by a lot of people but right now she's the most lonely, the rest of the core 4 at least talked a bit to someone, even cheryl tried to with minerva, betty still keeps everything inside. she lost a father, a sister, her boyfriend (people think she's happy that she kissed that red-head, literally so happy that when he said he still have feelings for v, she was like dude who told you i wanted something more with you) her bestfriend (i miss beronica pls), her brother i guess (charles memeber of the bughead funclub, comeback) and now she has to take care of a mother in pain and her nephew and niece. this is so sad, i really don't want polly to die :( how much pain betty can stand until she snaps??

i feel like polly disappeared from the start tbh. 

she was already at the sister’s in s1 then she went off to the farm? they didn’t even know she’d had the twins, right? really should have gotten some naming advice there, pollykins. 

betty doesn’t really talk to anyone who isn’t jughead, let’s be real (and sometimes cheryl, it’s sort of an interesting thing where they stick cheryl in there nowadays but they should either make them friendlier or use the family connection so it seems less odd. kevin this season sometimes too which makes me think there’s a reason for it later on but we’ll see). betty is very closed off and with good reason to be? what did talking get her growing up? nothing. archie is shown in the very start of s1, ep 1 to not pay attention to a word she’s saying so it probably just reinforced the idea that no one cared what she had to say. 

i find jughead very interesting in contrast to betty, where he’s not as closed off as she is but gives the impression that he is. he’s also written in a very femgaze manner when it comes to her. he doesn’t just hear her, he sees her. that’s very important in how they write bughead and it’s very important to the way betty interacts with him. she’s not scared to talk to him because he’s a: not judging her and b: she knows he’s listening to what she’s saying. 

(i have many thoughts about the writing and why this is both a good and bad thing when it comes to betty’s character: mainly, again, things becoming about jughead’s reaction to betty’s trauma vs remembering that it’s betty’s trauma that the scene is about) 

but yes, i don’t know how much more she can take in the context of what’s going on with her. the serial killer, her missing sister, her likely dead sister. her mom, her lack of a support system, her repressed issues, etc. it’s a lot and i have a feeling it’s probably not all going to come out until the musical. maybe before a little? the musical seems like it’s definitely already being considered within the cooper storyline so i think we’ll see a lot of stuff looking back once the season is over. 

i do think, in the end, someone will be there for her. and we all know who that’s going to be.😭

[userlaylivia]

I want my followers to know that even though I have realized I still ship b*archie, my otps are 100000% bughead and varchie and that'll NEVER change!! I'm rewatching the show right now and that's even more clear to me! I ship all three and I'm tired of having to explain why lol not on here but other places, I'm allowed to ship all three, it's actually a compliment to the show that I feel so much chemistry between all three lol it's like one tree hill when I started liking Leyton I couldn't even use an icon of them or brucas (my otp!!!) on this message board I've been apart of since 2008 without someone saying something I'm not doing that again so let me be clear - my otps are bughead and varchie but I also ship barchie so I'll be reblogging stuff of all three but mainly bh&va! end of the story!!

[arsenicpanda]

Trying to distract you from the elephants and hippopotami (hippopotamuses?) living above you: If you could write S5, what are the major highlights you’d focus on?

An excellent question!  So, I’m going to pick some of the speculation/leaks we have and toss the others and kind of guess/go from there.  Also, this gets long, like 1.9k words long, so be ready.

- Main Mystery: After the success of Jughead’s novel and the reunited Josie and the Pussycats, Riverdale has become something of a novelty, part curiosity, part tourist trap.  But, this season, tourists and Riverdale residents are starting to go missing.  Some come back, some don’t, and those who do come back have wild stories to tell about, idk, Mothman or something, we’ll run with that leak.  But they also have a weird drug in their system.  At least one of the people who disappeared was a government person with top secret knowledge.  Idk exactly what’s happening, but Penny Peabody and perhaps Penelope will be involved.  Maybe they’re using people as lab rats?  Idk, it’s unclear.  Everyone will have a piece of the mystery, even if Betty and Jughead are the ones to put it all together.

- Archie: Archie is, in fact coming home from the army, but instead of Not-Boyfriend #3, he’s coming home with Reggie, who also joined the army.  Reggie’s dad is dead and has left him the car dealership, while Archie wants to Do Something For The Community In Honor Of His Dad again (also, everyone knows he’d be a shitty car salesman).  Maybe we keep the firefighter thing though, idk.  What’s important is that he and Reggie are living together in the Andrews house and, yes, we will get Archie’s gay awakening that we all deserve.  This is 100% a ship we will explore starting somewhere in 5a.  Archie is concerned about the disappearances and knows people being affected by it, same for Reggie.

- Veronica: Veronica went to business school and did business stuff with something new while being distantly involved in Le Bonne Nuit (Pop’s, however, she mainly handed back to Pop, although she does still do something accounting shit for it or something).  However, she also started doing some shady shit (not sure what, I know jack all about this, I’d delegate this decision) and almost lost her business/went to jail/got sued/etc.  Now she’s back in Riverdale to try to return to her roots with Le Bonne Nuit and being a Legitimate Business Woman.  She married a dude who is reminiscent of her mother, kind of a business partner but also a Lady Macbeth type.  The marriage is shaky at best because Veronica kind of forced herself into it, thinking that dating a non-himbo might make her happy after Archie (spoiler: it hasn’t).  They will have their own apartment in the Pembrooke, and, yes, Veronica will have an office somewhere with the rediscovered painting of herself behind the desk ala Hiram because I deserve to see it.  She’ll probably take it down at some point, but it will definitely be up for a while.  She’ll have a rival business person (Elio?) who is both somehow involved in the disappearances, and Veronica’s husband will be revealed to have been working with him at some point.

- Veronica/Archie/Reggie: This is our endgame pairing because I deserve it.  Veronica will get close to her himbos again, with Archie bringing out her better nature and Reggie bringing out her better business angles.  Veronica gets brought into the Archie/Reggie relationship in 5b slowly, might all get together only toward or at the very end of the season.  I’d work out specifics later though.

Now, I’m of two minds about Betty and Jughead.  I could break them up like the show will or I could keep them together because I do what I want.  I’m going to present both cases:

Scenario 1: They stay together

- Betty: Betty is an FBI agent, but she’s also chafing at the restrictions placed on her.  She keeps getting in trouble for going about things in a shady way (like, say, ignoring the need for a warrant), and she’s getting frustrated by all the red tape.  Currently, she’s being sent to Riverdale because of all the disappearances (particularly the government person) and because, well, she’s from there, she knows it.  She has a partner who she doesn’t get along with.  She and Jughead made it through long distance at college and post-grad, and they live together...idk, somewhere.  She will somehow reconcile with Veronica, unclear how.  May or may not quit the FBI to be a PI with Jughead at the end of the season.  Definitely fucks up Penny’s shit at one point.

- Jughead: Jughead is a published author and a PI who Betty sometimes uses as a way around red tape and advocates as a consultant; they both love this.  His first novel about Riverdale secured Riverdale’s place as That Weird Murder Town Where Shit Goes Down and turned it into a tourist trap; he hates this.  He’s on his...idk, third novel, with his second having done less well than his first.  He’s having trouble writing, so he goes back to Riverdale with Betty, hoping that returning to the town that first fueled his writing will help him with his writer’s block.  Jughead gets sucked into the spooky part of the mystery, going off on wild tangents while Betty pursues legitimate avenues. 100% does not have a drinking problem.

Scenario 2: Betty and Jughead break up (either post 4x17 reveal or due to long distance troubles)

- Betty: A lot is the same here.  She’s an FBI agent chafing at the restrictions placed on her and frustrated by red tape; she gets in trouble a lot for going about things shadily in her usual way.  She’s being sent to Riverdale as a Riverdale expert to investigate the disappearances in general but, more specifically, that government person who went to Riverdale on vacation.  (There may or may not be a more suspicious reason for the government person’s visit.)  She is either a single career woman with a partner she doesn’t get along with or she is having an affair with her partner that is falling apart.  While in Riverdale, she’s staying either in an apartment, a motel, or her house, depending.  She will somehow reconcile with Veronica, unclear how.  May or may not quit the FBI to be a PI at the end of the season.  Again, definitely fucks up Penny’s shit at one point.

- Jughead: Jughead is still a novelist upset about the effect his breakout novel had on Riverdale.  He is also an investigative journalist who’s been sent to Riverdale to investigate this shit OR a PI who can afford to take a vacation in Riverdale, and he’s happy to do it because it might help him with his writer’s block.  He has a live-in girlfriend back wherever he lives, and their already dying relationship is going to break with the added long distance difficulties.  He’s going to go after the weirder aspects of the disappearances because he thinks that’s where Riverdale’s answers always are.  While in Riverdale, he’s staying with Cheryl and Toni.  He will definitely reunite with the Serpents, and probably have some friendship moments with Archie as well. 100% does not have a drinking problem.

- Bughead: They will keep ending up at the same places while investigating and slowly slip back into their old routine and habits.  They’ll have a murderboard in the bunker where they meet up away from the eyes of the FBI (Cheryl and Toni draw the line at murderboards in their house), and there will be a lot of pining and sexual tension.  They will have at least one heartfelt conversation about why things didn’t work out, one instance where they have to make out to try and seem harmless after being discovered somewhere they shouldn’t be, and one heated encounter (maybe sex, maybe just making out) after being in a lot of danger.  If Betty is dating her partner, he’s revealed to be a shady fucker after she breaks up with him like three episodes in.  Jughead and his girlfriend have a conversation over the phone where they’re both tryin to break up with the other; it’s quite comical.  Betty and Jughead are reunited by the end of 5a (episode nine at the latest) and spend the rest of the season rebuilding their relationship.  The season may or may not end with Jughead proposing, possibly with a ring he bought for Betty previously but never had the heart to get rid of after the break up, possibly impulsively with one of the rings he always wears, possibly just with a new ring.

- Kevin and Fangs:  Kevin is a drama teacher at Riverdale High, and Fangs does...idk, something, maybe he’s also a teacher, maybe he’s a /bein some field who can work from anywhere, maybe something else.  They live together, a little off/on, but in a way that suits them and always ends in on.  Kevin is concerned about some of his students who’ve gone missing.  Fangs is either in the same position as Kevin or he has an employer who’s being shady.

- Cheryl and Toni: Cheryl and Toni both went to Highsmith College.  Cheryl runs the Blossom maple business well and maybe something else, and Toni is a successful photographer.  As for the twins, Polly recovered and is now raising them somewhere other than this helltown.  They’re back in town for Cheryl’s business purposes, although they mainly live...idk, somewhere else.  Either other Blossoms are secretly pulling some shit, Penelope has resurfaced, or Cheryl has a business partner who’s doing something shady.  Toni sees some shit while taking photographs of Riverdale.  Toni should get a storyline/be involved in the main plot, but I’m not sure what.  Maybe she’ll investigate with Betty and Jughead sometimes?  She definitely has a lot of interactions with Jughead, Fangs, and Sweet Pea though.

- Sweet Pea: Apparently is here?  Maybe lives with Kevin and Fangs?  Works...idk, somewhere?  Possibly went to community college, maybe works at the hospital as a doctor or nurse or lab tech or something?  Maybe is the sheriff?  Unclear, but has seen some shit one way or the other.  I know he’s not a series regular, but we bothered to bring him back apparently, he has to do something.

- Southside Serpents: Might not even be around?  Maybe they disbanded at some point?  Maybe there’s a new version of them that’s being shady?  Maybe we don’t mention them at all?  Unclear.- Alice:  Is still here, apparently, living in Gladys’s house.  No longer with FP, who has gone...idk, somewhere, maybe lives with Gladys?  Alternately, Gladys comes back to live in her house and sparks fly between her and Alice.  Probably is being nosy.

- Hiram and Hermione: Doing some shady shit, undoubtedly, may or may not be shady shit related to the plot, possible red herrings.  It’s kind of one last hurrah for Hiram because we’re finishing up Veronica’s parallels with him this season.  We might get Hiram v Betty at last, though, but then that might be best saved for season 6.  Definitely a mirror for Veronica’s relationship though.

And I think that’s everyone?  I wrote out Tabitha because we know nothing about her so I have no idea what to do with her.  I didn’t break up choni because it really isn’t worth the hassle of breaking up and then getting back together three relationships.  I have no idea what the musical episode would be.  And I didn’t bother to hash out the plot because I’m not crazy enough to lay out a proper Riverdale plot, but I assure you a bunch of crazy shit goes down and at least one 90s teen/college icon shows up.

[she1smyscar]

Reasons Why I Don’t Like Barchie

Let me start off by saying that I don't really have a ship for any of the teens really. There are some that I like more than others and there are a couple that are 100% my NOTPs (Barchie being one of them), but I'm not a Bughead stan, a Varchie stan, a Beronica stan, a Choni stan, etc. I mainly focus on the plot and the parents. Ships aren't my main focus most of the time. But I haven't been able to watch this season since Barchie got so much bigger and I'll tell you why.

When I started to watch Riverdale, I was 100% in Betty's shoes. I had a big crush on my best friend and I thought that eventually we'd end up together and when I thought he liked me back, I got rejected just like Betty and was expected to continue to move on as best friends as if nothing happened. But just like Betty, it was too hard and too painful. That happened to me irl only about a few weeks before I watched it happen on Riverdale and I went through that heartbreak all over again. I've seen shippers praising the exact scene where Archie broke Betty's heart after the dance. I don't understand why you could praise a scene where he HURT her. It would be the same vice versa....if she had broken his heart. Either way, it's not romantic at all. She went into her room and probably cried that night. Something I know well about feeling unwanted.

I know several people blame Grundy for that, but that doesn't make any sense. Here's why. Archie never looked at Betty the way he looked at Veronica THE SECOND, she showed up in Pop's her first night in Riverdale. Right there is a clear sign that he wasn't interested in Betty. He proposed to her when they were younger, yes. But they grew up, still really close to each other, and he never asked her out. Meaning he either didn't see her the way he saw Veronica that first day, or he really did just want to stay friends with Betty. Back to Grundy. People say that Archie felt drawn to Grundy so he rejected Betty. But if it were because of Grundy, why, only two episodes after Grundy leaves, did Archie go straight for VALERIE and NOT Betty? Grundy left in Season 1, Episode 4. Which means Archie could have gotten with Betty (if she really was his first choice) in Season 1, Episode 5. I know, I know. It was too soon, right? Hm? Then why did Archie get with Valerie in Season 1, Episode 6? That's not even that much longer after Grundy left. So when people say that Archie has loved Betty this whole time, it doesn't feel true to me, because if she really was his first choice, he would've gone right to her once Grundy was gone, but nope. He chose Valerie first. Also...he kissed Veronica in Episode 1, which shows that Grundy was definitely not stopping him from kissing other girls. They both KNEW Betty liked him yet they kissed anyway even though they WERE just gonna stand in the closet and not do anything till time was up, but they kissed anyway because they were attracted to each other. If Archie was attracted to Betty from the get-go, he wouldn't have held back from kissing her the moment he knew she liked him. He liked Veronica that way, not Betty. So I'm debunking the Grundy theory.

Another thing that bothers me is when people call Jughead "Betty's rebound" off of Archie. Hm...if that was true, I doubt she would've stayed with her "rebound" as long as 4 years. Especially since Betty and Archie have both been single at the same time yet she still chose Jughead over him. She fell for Jug after he finally gave her back the stuff she's been waiting for from Archie. So Jughead was and is not a rebound. If anything, Veronica was ARCHIE's rebound. But not from Betty. FROM VALERIE. He got drunk af at Jughead's birthday party because it was right after Val left him for being a terrible boyfriend (which he clearly is) and after Val threw her drink in his face, he got more drunk and then Veronica kissed him and he was like "Oh, sure. I'll sleep with you since you kissed me and I'm upset and Val left me."

Back to Archie being a terrible boyfriend (aside from when he was with Josie). With Val...he ignored her and only gave her attention when he was gaining something with his music. Then Cheryl's family gave him an opportunity to go to a good music school, so boom, he ignored Val's wish not to be Cheryl's date to her family Maple Gathering. Dumb move. No wonder Val told him she was done. Then...with Veronica, he kissed Betty. But then Betty was not interested (Hmmm, because she loves her “”rebound”” Jughead so much). And then Veronica told Archie to stay away from Hiram and what did Archie do? Completely ignored her and got stuck in some big mob mess and illegal shit. Then he broke up with her over the phone when she was trying to support him. So she got with Reggie who treated her so well (yes, they had problems too) but he was so whipped for her, let's be real. He did everything she wanted and he would've done anything for her. Then they had their issues and broke up but they were about to get back together, LITERALLY, just as Archie showed up and was all "I love you. Come back to me" and Veronica was obviously still not over him, so poor Reggie had no chance and then Veronica got back with Archie who she should not have gotten back with. She was amazing to him (all of his friends were) when his father passed away. But VERONICA talked him out of saying that his father would be ashamed of him and she made him see otherwise and told him that Fred would be proud of him. That's a GOOD girlfriend. Meanwhile, Archie still has eyes for other girls (Betty now apparently). But anyway. I'm just saying that Betty AND Veronica both deserve a better guy than Archie Andrews.

I just don't see why any girl on this show would be shipped with him. Remember when Veronica decided to kiss Jughead to even the playing field after they told Jug about Barchie kissing? Archie looked pissed. Like wtf? You kissed Betty when you were STILL WITH VERONICA. At least Betty and Jughead were over at the time. I don't believe Archie had a right to look so mad about Jeronica's little fun/platonic kiss when what he did was behind Veronica's back and while they were still together. Her and Jug "getting even" was right there in front of the other two and playful. Nothing to be angry or possessive about Archie. Jeez.

The only time he was an outstanding boyfriend was with Josie and that was the only time I was actually EXCITED to watch Archie scenes. They were great together and they both EQUALLY supported each other and helped each other through things. Not to say that Archie doesn't have good qualities, because he does. He's been trying to clean up Riverdale and he helped Veronica figure out how to get Hiram to fight through his sickness. But I just really can't see him with Betty after everything they've been through without each other. They barely talk anyway till now when they're FAKING being together.

Bonus: There are people who talk about how Archie and Betty doing investigations together are better than Betty and Jughead. But the only time Betty and Archie did an investigation together was to figure out who the Black Hood was and they ended up unmasking the wrong person. Their janitor, who was actually innocent. So clearly, Betty and Jughead are a better team. Not to mention, Archie can really be one of the biggest dumbasses in Riverdale.

THE COMICS: Yes. I know they are canon in the comics. But we well know that the comics and the show are VERY different (Did you know that Penny Peabody and Fangs Fogarty are supposed to be endgame like they are in the comics??? But Riverdale made Penny a 30 year old and Fangs a 16 year old, so that became a "NO" right away. Hence...the difference between the show and the comics). Also....there are comics where Betty kisses Archie behind Veronica's back when Varchie were together and she kissed him without his consent in the dark when he thought he was kissing Veronica (A BIG "NO"). So the comics aren't really a good template to follow. Especially since nowadays, I really don't see chemistry between Lili and KJ. Their fake kiss in the music room (I've seen it on Twitter, because I still haven't seen 4x16) was so awkward and weird to watch. It was so bad. Idk. I can't get behind it.

THE FORBIDDEN LOVE: I don’t understand why people call them forbidden, when they’re both Northsiders who grew up next door to each other and they were never forbidden from being friends. They’re not a forbidden love. Bughead was at first because he was from the Southside and Alice didn’t want Betty to be around Jug or Serpents. But Barchie is definitely not forbidden love. If it is now, then it’s because they would both be cheating and that is disgusting.

Anyway, I haven't been able to watch the season since 4x15, because all of this fake Barchie nonsense legit makes me ACTUALLY sick to my stomach. Cheating really is not okay at all and them pretending that Archie cheated on Veronica and that Betty would get another boyfriend SO FAST after she was framed for MURDERING HER OWN really does not sit well with me or my stomach. The writers are NOT doing this right. If they wanted Barchie to be together....the best way to have done that would have been through them ACTUALLY breaking up with their s/o and then becoming close friends again AND THEN moving around to that romance. But this fake dating and fake cheating stuff is disgusting and I don't think I'm gonna continue season 4 if they become canon that way. Just no.

[rinaaroses]

I am still a bit disconcerted over the ratings like it was at 500k viewers? could it mean it was because the show took a long break and not everyone knew it was coming back this week? I am really worried that this will affect barchie and the idea of them being together, it infuriates people. so what are the chances the writers will decide to stop and put an end to barchie and focus on mainly bughead again since they’re the most popular ship on the show? (1/5)

But those viewers only show a small portion right on one platform right? like they perhaps only recorded the data from the cw and not anywhere else such as netflix which brings in the shows more views massively. I also seen a lot of people who don’t watch the show anymore saying they will watch it again but it didn’t really make much of a difference unless they have only been notified about barchie recently. (2/5)

Its just because of how ridiculously bughead popular are it makes me want to give up on hope on barchie entirely and their future, if the majority watches the show just for bughead, what chance does barchie have? (3/5)

Bughead and varchie stans has been making fun of how low the viewership is and it just ticks me off stressfully. I have also seen people theorising Betty and Archie affair will end in the next episode putting an end to their romance for good, and that makes me angry. They have SO much potential but it’s the other fans that doesn’t want it to happen and it’s probably going to stop the writers to explore the relationship further now :/ (4/5)

I’m sorry for the rant and being annoying but I needed to get this off my chest and I really wanted to know somebody else’s opinion on this entire situation and if barchie ends next episode it is truly unacceptable that the writers chose to start something and end it so soon it is truly evil they baited their fans like this. . (5/5)

___________________

i really dont think we should be worrying about ratings having to do anything with barchie right now. i know i keep saying this but they knew barchie was going to piss people off and they still did it.  ras received a ton of backlash this summer when he said wanted to do barchie and that was before they even filmed any of their stuff and they still did it. i think after how badly behaved the bh and varchie shippers acted towards the writers will make them not want to give them their own way and put the couples together even if that was going to be what brought the ratings up. even if the ratings are low a lot of people are still talking about the show and making it trend and thats all because of barchie. if they thought people didn’t care anymore maybe they would cancel the show for ratings but the fact its still getting talked about is good! i bet theres still a ton of people who haven’t gotten around to watching yet because they didn’t know when it was coming back so i really wouldn’t worry about ratings on an episode that aired a month after the previous one. try to be positive about it and if it turns out we dont get barchie we just stop watching 

[tea-and-cardigans]

8,9,27 Happy Valentines 💕💕

Thanks so much @darkbughead for the ask and sorry it took me so long to get to it.

8. Your oldest ship; the one you’ve shipped for the longest time?

My first ‘ship’ was Max/Alec from Dark Angel and I admit every so often I will still go onto fanfic net and read some stories just to get a little fix. Sadly it was never Canon 😣

9. What ship represents the kind of relationship you’d love to have?

Would it be too cliche to say Bughead? Not all aspects of course, mainly season 2a but season one and that season 2 finale and now as they start to communicate more. I think that level of support and open communication but also the ability to have your own stuff going on and joke with each other is what I think is really love. 💙💙

27. Name a ship that deserved better in the end.

Hmmmm a toughie, I guess I would have liked to see what a Bamon relationship on screen would have looked like. And to not even have it explored has always been disappointing.

[aresaphrodites]

Wicked Games: A Bughead Fanfic. Chapter One.

Summary: 

She’s the world’s most famous supermodel. This comes with a stalker who proves to be more dangerous than she ever imagined and a 24-hour bodyguard who’s as serious as he is handsome. In a world where she no longer feels safe, Betty Cooper fights to get her life back and discovers all the things she had been missing along the way.

To B.C. I Still Love You is ending soon so I thought up this little gem. I hope ya’ll like it. :)

Here’s the story on my AO3.

You’ve heard those stories about celebrities who have been killed by their crazy stalker fans. It’s pretty rare, but it does happen. There are always going to be fans who tend to get a little too obsessive, a little too attached. Sometimes it’s fine. Sometimes this just means that they write you letters every single day or send you packages with used condoms or something just as equally disgusting. It wasn’t exactly an ideal situation, but it was to be expected when you were famous. It was something you were made aware of beforehand.

Betty Cooper’s situation started with a letter.

She was used to getting a lot of fan mail. It was the entire reason that she opened up a P.O. box. Being a widely sought after model would do things for your popularity, believe it or not. She never expected that she’d end up on a shitty informercial, so the fact that she was on the cover of fashion magazines like Vogue, Cosmo, Glamour, and Elle was kind of insane to her. Insane but very welcomed.

She was used to the letters that she’d get in the mail about how much she was adored, if she could please follow a fan on Twitter, if she could check out someone’s Instagram page. She was used to people writing her and telling her about how she gave them the confidence to go out and do what they loved, how she saved them. Those were the things that she loved. She loved knowing that she could help people out in the world. She wasn’t exactly sure what she did to help them out exactly, but she wasn’t complaining. If she helped people reach their goals then she was happy.

It wasn’t all nice, though. She’d also get quite a bit of hate mail. Her manager was good about tossing it out before she could read it, but sometimes a few snuck by and every time it was just as hard to read as the first time. Letters screaming at her for posing naked on magazine covers (even though she always covered herself), calling her a whore and slut and every other imaginable name possible. Telling her to find God and ask him for forgiveness for her sinful acts. She didn’t understand those people. She wasn’t doing anything wrong. It was her job, her passion. She tried to ignore their words, but you can only get called a “gold digging home wrecker” so many times before it started to mess with your head. She knew it was dumb. She didn’t understand how she was a gold digger. She had her own money and plenty of it. She also wasn’t a home wrecker, she hadn’t even seriously dated anyone since she started modeling and definitely not anyone who was married, but she guessed it didn’t matter. People would think what they liked to think.

Then the other letters started coming in.

The first one was right after she started casually dating NFL football star Reggie Mantle. It wasn’t anything serious at all, hardly even a relationship. They’d mainly been on a few dates for publicity because their managers said they were an attractive couple. Betty went along with it. Reggie was a nice guy, funny, and really good at keeping up a conversation. It also definitely helped that he was super handsome. But that’s all it was, just casual dating. They never even kissed.

That didn’t matter though.

Some paparazzi got a picture of them walking around Beverly Hills while eating ice-cream. It was an innocent picture, nothing romantic about it at all except for the headline that was printed all over every news tablet that mattered.

NFL HEARTTHROB REGGIE MANTLE STEPS OUT WITH MODEL GIRLFRIEND BETTY COOPER.

She could never really get over how the media was able to twist things so quickly, but she didn’t make a fuss about it. She knew this would likely happen when she agreed to the date. It was business.

Her manager dropped off her mail to her on a Thursday morning.

She didn’t actually open any of it until that Saturday night. She’d been swamped with shoots and she was looking forward to having a glass of wine and reading through her mail. Sometimes she wished she had just thrown it all away.

The first few letters were the basic fan appreciation stuff and she smiled at the sweetness in them. She smiled as a girl wrote to her about her week and how her crush had asked her out. She laughed at a story that a guy told her about a first date gone wrong. This was a way that she loved to connect with her fans. It was refreshing.

Throughout all of the mail, one stuck out like a sore thumb.

It was a black envelope. She’d never seen a black envelope before and she was immediately interested in its contents. It looked like every other envelope in her lap, but for some reason something felt really sinister about it.

Now she wishes she never opened it.

Inside of it was a cut out of a magazine cover that had her and Reggie on it. Someone had crossed out Reggie’s face with what she had assumed was a dull reddish marker. However as she looked closer she realized it wasn’t marker at all.

It was blood.

“Oh, my god,” she gasped, dropping the letter immediately.

With shaky hands she called her manager and begged her to come over immediately.

They spent the new few days trying to find out who had sent her the letter but it was no use. There was no return address.

She didn’t understand why she was so bothered by the whole thing. She was sure that it had to have been something that celebrities went through. She knew that fans could get possessive of their idols, but this just felt different. It felt wrong and really fucked up.

When there was nothing left to examine and no further leads on who could have sent it to her, her team was forced to let the whole thing go. Luckily things ended up dying down. For a while at least.

The next time, it was after a rather seductive photoshoot with another male model. She posed with male models quite often, it was part of her job and it didn’t bother her. They were usually guys that she met on the very day of the photoshoot and then she never talked to them again.

The package was dropped off on the front steps of her apartment in Los Angeles. The only time a package was ever delivered to her doorstep was when it was a personal one from family members or close friends. The doorman knew this and so she thought nothing of it.

She went into her apartment and placed the package on top of the island in her kitchen. She opened the package and pulled out the first thing she saw, which was a letter. It didn’t say anything on it except for a quote from the Bible.

Deuteronomy 22:22: “If a man is found lying with a married woman, then both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman…”

The quote sent chills down her spine. She didn’t understand it at all. Who was married? Was this even meant for her? And who the hell would send this to her that was a close friend or family member?

She reached into the package again and her hand enclosed over a hard, cold handle. With a shaky breath, and a racing heart, she pulled the object out and immediately started to scream.

In her hands was a knife, but that wasn’t the worst part. The blade was covered in dried blood. She threw the knife to the ground, knowing somehow that this was sent by the same person who had sent her the picture of her and Reggie.

Thirty minutes later, her manager was yelling at the front desk worker for not knowing how someone could sneak past him without his knowing. The police were trying to find any surveillance of who could have dropped off the package, but whoever it was, they were good. They knew where not to step in order to avoid cameras. It made her wonder just how often they frequented her building. The blood ended up being identified as an animal’s and she didn’t know if the thought was comforting or even more frightening.

“We will find out who’s behind this, Miss Cooper,” one of the officer’s told her.

“What if you don’t?” She whispered back from where she sat curled up on her recliner in the living room. She didn’t feel safe anymore. Her apartment was an open space, full of ceiling-to-floor windows. The blinds were closed on all of them now, but she wondered just how many times this person had looked through her windows and seen into her apartment; had seen her changing, doing the dishes, cleaning. Had they known her daily routines?

“We will. I promise.”

It’s an empty promise and that night she dreams of knives and hooded figures.

The third and more recent time it happens is the most random.

Nothing provokes it this time, at least nothing that she’s aware of. She’s been taking a bit of time off, but she knows she can’t do that forever. She needs to get back out there soon. She’s spent the few weeks off of time with her best friend and Academy Award winner, Veronica Lodge. She doesn’t feel safe at her own place anymore and Veronica offers to let her stay at her house for as long as she needs.

It happens when Veronica’s at dinner with her boyfriend.

Betty is doing laps in the large indoor swimming pool. Swimming calms her and eases her nerves that never seem to go away these days. She’s all by herself, but she doesn’t worry. Veronica lives in a gated community and it makes her feel safe.

The doorbell rings, loud throughout the entire house, and Betty jumps up in surprise. She feels panicked for a moment before she remembers where she is. Veronica always has random people showing up to her house. It’s probably just her agent or one of her friends, so Betty doesn’t think much of it whenever she gets out of the pool and covers herself in her robe before making her way to the front door.

She’s both uneasy and wary when she opens the door and sees that no one’s there. She heard the doorbell ring, she knows she did. She looks around, but it isn’t until she looks down that she sees a small rectangular box on the doormat. She picks it up and gulps as she sees that it’s her name written across the box.

She considers chucking it in the garbage, but remembers where she is. There’s no way her creepy stalker was able to figure out where she’s been staying or where Veronica lives.

She closes the door and locks it before going to sit in front of Veronica’s fireplace. She opens the box and this time, when she sees the contents inside of it, she doesn’t scream.

It’s full of pictures of her. Not just any kind of pictures though; it’s full of pictures of herself that she’s never seen before.

Pictures of her walking around Los Angeles by herself and with friends. Pictures of her inside of her apartment building that were clearly taken from outside. Pictures of her showing up to Veronica’s house. Pictures of her from a year ago when she had just gotten her haircut for a shoot. Pictures of her naked in her bedroom. They were all pictures of her that no person should have had.

She isn’t aware that she’s silently crying until a tear falls onto the picture of herself that she’s holding.

There’s a small card at the bottom of the box and she pulls it out.

No matter where you go, I’m always right there with you. I hope you enjoyed your swim. xx

Veronica comes home from her date to cop cars outside of her house. Her and her longtime boyfriend, Archie Andrews, rush inside; both scared of what they might find.

“What the hell is going on?” She shouts, unnerved.

“Miss Lodge, do you have anywhere safe you can go?” A cop asks her, trying to calm her down.

“Excuse me?” She bites. “What are you doing in my house?”

“Ronnie,” Archie says as he taps her shoulder and points to the right.

There, in the corner of the room, is Betty standing pale as if she’d just seen death itself. Her eyes are blank and it looks as if she’s staring right through the wall.

“Betty?” Veronica asks as she goes up to her best friend. “What happened?”

“Miss Lodge,” another police officer asks her, “have you seen anyone suspicious around lately? Maybe someone who you’ve never seen before that you’ve suddenly noticed? A person who you seem to see everywhere you go now?”

“What? No. No, why?”

Betty lifts up her hand and hands Veronica whatever it was that she had been holding.

It’s a photo. It’s a photo of Veronica and Archie alone at dinner tonight.

“What the hell is this?” She asks, voice shaky.

“Turn it around,” Betty whispers.

There, written on the back of the picture, are two sentences. It’s just two sentences but it’s enough to make Veronica’s entire body go cold.

It’d be so easy for me to get to you, lonely one. Sleep well.

[miraclejin1204]

Tag game

I was tagged by the super fabulous and lovely @juggiexbets @itstenafterfour @eedaasif @mionetrash

Rules: Tag 9 followers you want to get to know better. 

Name: Ananya

Star Sign: Sagittarius

Average hours of sleep:  5

Lucky number: 5

Last thing I googled:  Louis Brealey (because for some odd reason I am reading Sherlock/Molly fanfics and I forgot what she looked like)

Favourite Fictional character:  Jughead Jones at the moment. 

What are you wearing right now: A pink , floral maxi dress

When did you start this blog: March 2017

Number of followers: 1,318 Holy shit! Thank you so much, guys. I’m speechless!

What do I post: Mainly Bughead & Sprousehart , occasionally other stuff. 

Do I get a lot of asks: Generally don’t but I do tend to get a fair number during significant Bughead/Sprousehart events. I apologise for having fallen behind on answering my asks :( I’ll try my best to answer those which are still relevant.

Why did I choose this url:  Quirkyanya was a stupid internet nickname which I gave myself over a decade ago and has stuck ever since. Although, my blog is fairly recent, I had opened this tumblr account 3-4 years ago and used this name as a default because I couldn’t think of anything else and it has remained so. I am meh about it but too lazy to change my url.

I tag @gogenevieveart @it-happened-one-starry-night @itsallaboutmagic @just-my-onion @onceuponamirror @gingerheel @starlitsummersky @dorothytv10 @thewomaninthepictureisme

[fyeahbvghead]

Hi! I'm sorry you're having a down day. It sucks when we have these happy, grand plans and then get some major disappointment. I've been there, too. As for Qs: were you familiar with the Archie comics before the show started? What drew you, personally, to Bughead? What other stuff interests you? Hope you feel better!

It does, ‘cause I was very happy and excited since it would have most likely been our last vacation together, but I’m still going! 

I was not familiar, mainly because the Archie Comics are NOT a big in France, in fact before Riverdale I only heard about Archie and co in tv shows (Stitchers, The Simpsons, ...). However, as soon as I read an article mid november about a new cw show, I tried to read the new comics (now I’m ready the older ones). 

What drew me to Bughead is first of all, the relationship between my parents. They’re a lot like Bughead, in a way that they are so different in the outside that it seems nearly impossible that they’ve been married for more than 20 years now. My father doesn’t speak or show his emotions, is very logical, and he needs fact. My mother wears her heart on her sleeves, is controlled by emotions. However, they have a background that is nearly the same and they bot grew to be very different people but still understand each other. 

What drew me to them is also that healthy relationship that I’ve NEVER seen in any tv show, and I’ve seen a lot of shows. It’s so different, doesn’t follow the pattern of other relationship, is unique in a good way. It shows to younger people what a healthy relationship should look like, and I TOTALLY dig that. 

 I’m interested in reading, writing (I mostly keep it to myself, I made the mistake to let people read once and some laughed at me, not because it was bad, but you know, writing is not the most popular hobby in the world). I’ve been playing piano for almost ten years now, and I really like to play when I’m feeling down. Running to, every two days, I just feel good and free.

Thank you sweetie.

[userlaylivia]

I want my followers to know that even though I have realized I still ship b*archie, my otps are 100000% bughead and varchie and that'll NEVER change!! I'm rewatching the show right now and that's even more clear to me! I ship all three and I'm tired of having to explain why lol not on here but other places, I'm allowed to ship all three, it's actually a compliment to the show that I feel so much chemistry between all three lol it's like one tree hill when I started liking Leyton I couldn't even use an icon of them or brucas (my otp!!!) on this message board I've been apart of since 2008 without someone saying something I'm not doing that again so let me be clear - my otps are bughead and varchie but I also ship barchie so I'll be reblogging stuff of all three but mainly bh&va! end of the story!!

[arsenicpanda]

Toni Topaz

002 | Give me a character & I will tell you

How I feel about this character: Oh, I love Toni, she’s great. I must admit, I mainly love season 2A to early 2B Toni, the Toni from before she becomes an accessory to Cheryl. She’s got spunk! She’s got attitude! She’s clever! She’s done with everyone’s shit but her own! She’s so great, I love her. Her general snark is so great, and she’s such a grounded character with a realistic view of the world. Like, she really has a good grasp on the reality of situations, from the Northside’s view of the Southside to the flaws in the Serpents to the whitewashing of history to Cheryl being in the closet to Cheryl using that doll to try and get Toni to let Jason’s corpse back in the house, Toni has a good eye for seeing through bullshit to the heart of things. She clearly doesn’t like people who pretend to be something they aren’t or who wear masks like Betty (I love Betty, but she does wear a mask, which is something I love about her, but it’s also clearly something Toni isn’t a fan of), but she quickly bonds with people who are unabashedly themselves like Jughead, Cheryl, and Veronica, and I find that really interesting. Also, she seems like she’s attracted to crazy people like Jughead and Cheryl. Like, remember that time when Cheryl was all discouraged and like “I’m not the girl who burned down Thornhill and cut off my mother’s oxygen anymore” and Toni, instead of going “No, you’re a better, saner person” or something similar, was like “Yes, you still are that girl”. Like, wtf, that is a weird answer, but I love that it was her first response. And she clearly wants out of Riverdale, it was so great when she was enthusiastic about getting to go to a school with actual functioning facilities, and I’m so glad she’ll be going to college, even if she’ll wind up back in Riverdale for whatever reason. Also, she’s 100% down with vengeance and extreme measures to keep people away, from Penny to Nick, and I love that. She has that I-will-do-anything-for-my-loved-ones attitude that is so Riverdale, and I love it. Also, her role in the tickle porn plot was hilarious. Super weird because, y’know, tickle porn, but also super funny. And I really miss her relationship with the Serpents, that was great. I want to know how and why she changed her mind about wanting a position of authority in the Serpents (because she never seemed interested in that in season 2). And I want to see her do photography again and have friends outside of Cheryl. And I want to know more about Toni and her life before Riverdale and how she came to Riverdale, joined the Serpents, lived with her uncle who kept kicking her out instead of her grandfather, and just became herself. I want to see her interact with the plot of the season and have her own storyline because she deserves it.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Cheryl and Veronica, mainly, both individually and together, but in a universe where Riverdale never did the whole bughead thing for whatever reason, I probably would have been really into her with Jughead. And if I was able to do OT3s with bughead, I would be interested in her with Betty and Jughead with a fun enemies-to-lovers plot between her and Betty.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Jughead and the Serpents, 100%. I love how she and Jughead just took to each other immediately because they could both spot a kindred spirit. Like, they’re both so prickly, but they just connected and it was great. Jughead recruiting her for the paper was the best, and I loved how they bonded over their love of true crime and interest in serial killers. And I really loved her attitude while guiding Jughead through things, her “it’d be nice if you joined us, but you need to know what you’re getting into” and the way they just click. She went from his guide to essentially his right hand and then 3x09 happened and everything fell apart, to which I say boooo. Also, they clearly have similar taste in women (smart, intense scary ladies who are varying levels of crazy) but also dislike each other’s girlfriend, and I just think that’s the funniest thing ever. Toni and Jughead were close, but she never put up with his bullshit, and I think that’s the best. I was so excited when we saw them standing together in 4x02, like yes, they’re friends again! I didn’t get to see them reconnect and I don’t get to see them interact after that, but they’re friends again! Also, the way Jughead reacted to Toni getting pissed at Cheryl in 2x10 was the best, just “Oh god, she’s angry, shit’s about to go down and I won’t be able to do anything to stop it” was amazing, it’s clear they really know each other. He even showed her his writing and also told her about the typewriter Betty gave him! And the way she teased him about it was just the best. They’re both so judgy and done with other people’s shit and full of righteous anger and smart, and I just love seeing them together, they make for a great duo. Also, I love that the Serpents in general were her family, and that they all played a tabletop game together because that is just hilarious.

My unpopular opinion about this character: I think the 3x09 fiasco was both their faults. Like, Toni shouldn’t have broken the rules, but Jughead also should have talked to them in private about it first like he did with Fangs. I don’t know if the rest of this is unpopular, but I think splitting Toni off from the Serpents was the dumbest choice they could have made for her because it severed her connection to one of the main characters and by association the main plot and left her only with Cheryl and her side plots. It just kneecapped her opportunities for screentime and I hate it. Another unpopular opinion is that the breakout bughead OT3 should have been with her, not Sweet Pea. She has better chemistry with Jughead and already has an adversarial relationship with Betty that’s prime enemies-to-lovers and has an easy set up to get the three of them together (working on the Blue and Gold after the merger with Southside High), and I think it’s bullshit that that ship isn’t more popular.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: Oh god, so many things! I wish she had joined the Blue and Gold with Betty and Jughead, I think they would have made a great team and it would have given her more opportunities to shine. Like, Betty and Jughead could still have their private investigation moments, but they’d also have team ups with Toni. I would have loved to see her interact with Betty more and have them actually become friends. Oh, and I would have loved to see Jughead act as Toni’s guide to the Northside the way she was his guide in the Southside. And I wish that we had seen Jughead try to help Toni or take her in when she broke up with Cheryl. Just a “I know our friendship is on the rocks, but you need help, so I’m here to help because I still see you as a friend” moment. Surely the Cooper-Jones house has a guest room? Like, there’s no way a house of that size doesn’t have a guest room. And obviously I’d love to see Jughead talk to Toni after he finds out about the B/A kiss, I’m writing a whole fic about it. And I wish that her relationship with Cheryl had had a slower burn. I know that Riverdale likes to do things fast and that it can do things fast because they did most of the leg work for bughead in two episodes and it worked, so I wish they had added another episode to the choni build up, an episode where we got a chunk of them, or maybe they could have played the longer game like they did with varchie in season 1. Oh, and I would have loved to see Toni, Cheryl, Jughead, and Betty hanging out while talking Serpent stuff and babysitting the twins; it would have been the cutest thing. And also I just want her to have a role in the plot and her own storyline and to stop being Cheryl’s accessory.

My OTP: I don’t think I have one? The show kind of dropped the ball with choni in season 4 and soured me on it, which is a bummer because it’s great in concept. I guess my favorite ship with her is Cheryl/Toni/Veronica (I do not remember the ship name) because that is prime smart, scary lady, but I’m not super committed to it. I do know that in another universe it would be jopaz though, dual Serpent royalty, baby.

My crossover ship: None, I don’t really do crossover ships. Another smart, scary lady though, probably, if I did.

A headcanon fact: She and Jughead have had multiple conversations about photography and their dream cameras and their approaches to photography. After they reconnected between season 3 and season 4, they also talk about the best way to photograph their girlfriends. Also, Toni has reconnected with Sweet Pea and Fangs, and the four of them hang out sometimes because FRIENDSHIP. Also, while Toni might not major in photography in college, she will at least minor in it. Oh, and she has like a billion pictures of Cheryl but also nature and the Serpents and the Pretty Poisons.

[arsenicpanda]

A,K, U for the ship meme!

Sorry for the delay, U required some thought and I wanted to give it the proper amount it deserved.

A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, threesomes, etc. are allowed.

Oh god, how much time do we have?  The top three stand firm: Lelouch/Shirley (Code Geass), Izaya/Namie (Durarara!!), and Betty/Jughead (Riverdale).  Tragically, there is very, very little new content for the first two.  But I'm also on a Neal/Emma (Once Upon a Time) and a Cassandra/Older!Varian (Tangled the Series) kick, both of which are also low on new content.  Oh, and I'm really digging Teen Serpent Friendship right now, which doesn't have much in the way of fic either, thus my having to write it.  And I'm always looking for more one-sided Koizumi/Haruhi, but again, no new content.  Basically, I continue to live off of bughead.

K - What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc?

Answered here. But this post is late, so you get a second one.

Honestly?  I love how Betty has changed over the course of Riverdale.  She’s gone from this girl trying to fit into a mold that she just doesn’t fit into to someone who doggedy pursues truth and justice (or her versions of them) at all costs and embraces her ability to be ruthless (although not violently so) if it protects/gets vengeance for someone she cares about.  She’s gone from someone pining after an idea of a person who she honestly has little in common with to someone in a committed relationship with a person with similar interests and equally as intense and crazy and smart and devoted as she is.  And it has happened slowly over the seasons, we’ve crept closer and closer to where we are now, from “oh, Archie, your bad music!” to “Jughead, I love your story where we’re both psycho murderers, A++”, and I just really love it?  But I love Betty at all the places in her story because they are all so interesting.  Is it purposeful development?  Almost certainly not!  But Riverdale stumbles into some truly good stuff sometimes, and I think this is one of them.

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

Let's see, I've talked about my top three (Shirley, Koizumi, Jughead) a lot, so let's go to some other favorites.

Betty Cooper (Riverdale): Jughead might be my overall favorite Riverdale character, but Betty is Best Girl, so she counts too.  I discussed her some up above, but guess what, can’t stop, won’t stop, I love her too much.  There’s a really interesting mentality Betty has, where she believes she is doing what is right but in a way that is very “the ends justify the means”; however, it is clear that, were you to ask her “do the ends justify the means?” she would probably say “no”, maybe “it depends”.  She thinks she is in the right, but she has done some fucked up shit and has no qualms about doing so, albeit not violently.  Betty draws the line at physical violence because that version of herself scares her (interestingly enough, she does not have that same line with her friends, she seems find with, say, Jughead’s violence), but blackmail and manipulation and vague intimidation of “I will take you down and destroy you” are A-OK in her book, even if she doesn’t realize she thinks so.  And it is so interesting to see this girl who still is, to a certain extent, the girl nextdoor, a sweet heart, be so, so ruthless and also crazy.  But all of this intensity and shady behavior has never been used for just her benefit; it is always, always  in service of helping, protecting, or getting vengeance for someone she cares about.  Also, you would expect a girl like Betty to be about helping society, but no, she is very much a “help people I care about, bonus points if it helps the greater good, but mainly does it affect someone I care about” person.  And that’s interesting!  Betty is very interesting, and I love her for it.

Tsubaki Yayoi (BlazBlue): Tsubaki is initially introduced as a seemingly kind of love interest/motivation for Jin/Hakumen (aka AU future!Jin because BlazBlue is very complicated and werid), but then she actually has connections to other important characters, namely her best friends, and then she gets, like, an actual character arc, and it’s so great?  Her story kind of subverts the story of the fridged woman since she died in the AU past in a way that strongly motivated Hakumen but now she is active in her own story, but I don’t think it’s on purpose at all, which just makes it more interesting.  Tsubaki goes on a journey from “the institution I work for is Just and Right” to finding her own sense of justice and what is right, and I love that whole journey.  But also she is so soft for her friends and Jin?  She loves them all so much.  And her romance with Jin/mentor relationship with Hakumen (who she doesn’t know is AU future!Jin and in love with her) just don’t define her; she actively fights them in order to protect her friends, and that is so, so great.  Also, she’s out of her goddamn mind, and I love her for it.

Yuffie Kisaragi (Final Fantasy VII): This is absolutely cheating because Yuffie isn’t even my favorite female character in this game, but honestly I have such trouble picking favorites from FFVII that I’m counting it anyway, you can’t stop me.  Yuffie is great because she seems like this kind of stereotypical bratty thief character at first, but then it’s like no, she is from a conquered country that has become a tourist trap and she wants to restore it to its former glory, and getting super powerful materia is part of that in her mind, and if she has to steal it, so be it.  And that is so interesting!  You see her on her way to becoming the future leader of her country, and it’s so, so great.  Also, her reaction to Aerith’s death is one of my favorites, just the way she cries on Cloud and it is so, so heartbreaking.  Also!  Even though she has complex reasons for why she does what she does, she still has that upbeat, bratty personality and says shit like “Ok, boring story #1″ to Vincent’s tragic backstory.  Like, she’s great, I love her.

[aresaphrodites]

19 and 26 - Salty Meme. ❤

19. What is the one thing you hate most about your fandom? (Asking the tough ones here, aren’t you? 😂)

Honestly I don’t hate a single thing about the Bughead fandom! I really think we’re all so kind and amazing and supportive of each other’s work and it’s beautiful. Now the Riverdale fandom on the other hand… I wanna fight some of you guys, LMAO. Not any of my mutuals (or anyone who’s following me probably). But like people that have their weird ass conspiracies about certain actors on the show and stuff like ??? huh. I don’t wanna say anything ‘cause I don’t wanna get attacked, but I’m pretty sure you guys can guess here, lol. People who don’t know how to stay in their own damn lane and tag invade are annoying as shit, I’ll say that right now. People who have to shove their thoughts on ships and characters (like making jughead a/sexual omfg) need to kindly stop. Most of ya’ll? Angels. The rest of ya’ll? DEMONS. I still…. love…. you guys. *backs away slowly, holding hands up*

26. Most shippable character? 

Cheryl! I can ship her with nearly anyone tbh because I mainly just want her to have some damn HAPPINESS in her life already. Season two, here’s looking at you. 

Ask me some salty questions!