#the thing about riverdale is that all of its best references are a few layers deep. that's the magic

[wallbeatjournal]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[badass-queen-of-puns]

What Disney Princess Are You? Part 4 (Reggie Fic-One Shot)

Summary: It wasn’t everyday you see Reggie Mantle bothered by one message he receives on his phone at school one day, especially about a certain girl nonetheless. Though as he tried to keep himself together of the situation, a sudden curiousness of words from the core four may have solved his problem, or was it just the company itself from these so-called misfits he needed as well to find the answer himself?

Word Count: 2162

Notes: Unfamiliar characters mentioned or presented are part of my own Riverdale au (more detail into them in the future), specifically the Reggie-verse.

Chapters: 5

Warnings: Reggie being a less than usual jerk.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

“What about you, Ponytail?”  Reggie gestures his head towards the girl with the seemingly perfect ponytail.

Betty blinks for a moment. “Me?”  Surprised by the sudden ask, she answers him, slightly making eye contact in his direction “Cinderella. I always wondered what glass shoes would feel like.”  She says, admittingly.

“Uncomfortable, I think. I’ll take designer shoes thank you very much. Comfortable yet sensible.”  Veronica admits about her own fashion sense, flipping her hair back behind her shoulder.

Crossing her arms, Toni says “I say she gives off this Rapunzel vibe. She totally looks like she could be carrying a pan with her at all times to hit someone with a vicious look in her eye.”

“Or that ponytail of hers could just knock the crap out of people every time she turned her head.”  Reggie suggests, motioning his head as if he had a head full of hair flipping in the wind. Veronica releases a hint of laughter at his actions. Toni stares at him, entertained as a speck of smile rose from her lips, though disappearing before anyone else could notice. Unbeknownst to her, Reggie does.

Archie’s lips start moving on its own, “Now that I think about it–”  

“Don’t.” Jughead abruptly interrupts him as he covers Archie’s mouth much to his surprise. “You’ll know what will happen if you say more than you’re supposed to.”

They both turn their eyes to Betty, who was already giving them, particularly Archie the stare of death. To his eyes, that meant her saying, ‘Choose Your Next Words Carefully Archibald Andrews’. Archie’s mouth instantly closes shut after hearing his words, Jughead’s palm releases from Archie’s lips as he did. Reggie rolls his eyes in response to the idiotic duo that could completely be afraid of one chick. As if he would let that happen, no girl could hold him down to act so dumb like those two were doing as he thought to himself.

“We already confirmed Archie is Ariel, no doubt. He already passed the look in the wardrobe department.”  Veronica mentions, moving her head to Jughead, who was back at typing away on his laptop.

“What do you mean?”  Reggie notices Veronica’s attention being swayed towards Jughead, who everyone else noticed as well looking right at him. Jughead feels the amount of eyes laying rest around him that it brought his head up, locking eyes with everyone around him. Before he could say something else, Reggie’s face plastered with confusion, his answer came through with the sight of something he did not think he would see.

“It’s this.” Jughead replies back without making eye contact.

Turning his laptop to show Reggie the thing that he has been wondering about this whole time, which had these guys laughing about before his presence was made clear. His eyes widen as he sees the laptop screen pop up with a really well layered as Reggie would unwilling want to admit, photoshopped version of Archie in the body of Ariel from the popular Disney movie, The Little Mermaid in her mermaid form, or should he say HIS mermaid form. Complete with tail and seashell bra included. He had to blink twice to realize what he was looking at; the first time to know what he was looking straight at was right, and the second time to know that he did. With his mouth slightly agape at a sight, it was definitely a sight he would not be able to get out of his mind easily, but it happen to be a surprisingly a good look for Andrews, chuckling at the thought.

“Total mermaid, ain’t he? Only Andrews could pull off a look like that. That clam bra does it justice, I’d say.” Reggie responds at the image in front of him, Reggie tried to remembered where he saw that scene from, realizing a few moments later that it was the position of the scene where Ariel ended her song of ‘Part of Your World’, looking over to Prince Eric who was washed on the shore after she saved him.

He starts laughing at the realization as one thought did not cross his mind. That particular thought was not noticing how loose he was letting himself be around these guys that he could vaguely refer to as his classmates, let alone friends and yet it wasn’t that often he would completely let his guard down in front of others. Only a particular few could do that.

As he continues laughing, Jughead gives off a smirk at the sudden appreciation from the guy who would usually be the one start something that didn’t need to begin. Smiles erupted from around the room for a moment as the conversation continued with the next predetermined role of animation.

“I think V would be more of Snow White. But then again, she could easily be Jasmine.”  Betty suggests, tapping her finger on her cheek in thought as she gives Veronica a grin across the room.

“Aww, thanks B.” Veronica winks back at her; her eyes lighting up with a thought. “Ooo I’d love to have a tiger to guard me. Plus, it would be interesting to see Archie-kins ride a flying carpet.”  Her chin resting on Archie’s shoulder, Archie grins back at her touch.

“Andrews is more like the Abu if you ask me. All this talking, but nobody knows what he’s talking about.”  Reggie remarks, reaching for a piece of pizza when no one is paying attention. Having to dig through the first couple of empty boxes that the gang, mostly Jughead, devoured in a flash.

Archie just laughs at his comment, even Jughead huffing a response of amusement as his words. Toni shakes her head a bit at his words, but responsive enough to show smile herself at his words. 

“Why haven’t we said anything about Jughead yet?”  Veronica realizes as she looks back to him, then to someone else “And you too Toni?”

“Belle. I’m Belle. You can’t deny the similarities.”  Jughead answers as quickly as his hands were moving on the keyboard of his laptop.

“Of course, he would be the bookworm.”  Reggie chuckles.

“Makes sense.” Toni agreed with him, for once. “I personally would be more of a Pocahontas type of gal, got my tribe to back me up like my Serpent family, but still following my own roots, and got my own Grandmother Willow to give me some badass advice.”

“I can see that.” Reggie responds, checking her out as if he was imagining what she would like in that particular princess’s attire. Toni rolls eyes again in response, unfazed but use to his gaze already.

“All this talk about everyone being someone, and you all haven’t gotten to the best one.”  Reggie’s fingers point to one direction. “Me.”

“Okay Reggie, since you’re so willing to announce your royal status.” Veronica says to him. 

“Oh let me guess, how about sleeping beauty? Cause you seem to be good at that.” Toni claims, a hint of a smirk appearing on her face.

Betty nudges her neck back as she asks, “Which one? The sleeping or the beauty part?”  

“How about both?  He acts like a beauty even though he sleeps a lot.”  Veronica suggest, but then corrects herself “I mean around.”  Reggie gives off a smirk at her definition of his version of ‘sleeping beauty’, but he did not take it to heart or anything below that underneath tight clothing he wore that he called an outfit.

“Thanks for the compliment, but that chick is for virgins. Too innocent for my taste. Nah I’d be Mulan.”  Reggie answers, using his thumb to point himself, confidently.

“Why because you’re Asian?” Jughead’s mouth rose peculiarly at what his answer would be.

“No and yes. Not because she’s a representation of asian culture and independence or that I would definitely could pull of those outfits she wears, but she makes me think of how much I can kick ass without being judged by gender. Plus, I wouldn’t mind having a dragon as my sidekick compared to other miniature creatures that other princesses have. Plus, that cricket isn’t too bad either.”

“Isn’t he a lizard?”  A voice comes out from behind the ever-growing band of Riverdale’s most known students. Curiously, they all turn their heads to see two tall, laidback guys with smiles that expressed a self-satisfaction in what they were just hearing. Sweet Pea and Fangs. They were wearing their infamous Southside Serpent jackets, which were usually banned from wearing on school grounds, but Jughead was able to make a committing argument for them to be able to at least be worn after school. Both of them were each leaned against the rims of the door that showed their relaxed yet intrigued stature of the audience that was looking in their direction.

“No, he’s a dragon. Didn’t you see him blow fire in the movie? Mushu is a beast. Next to her Grandma.”  Reggie continues saying as he eyes turned to focus on them. He paused as he realized who he was replying back to all of a sudden. He gives a silent nod to the two, acknowledging their presence in front of him. Even with his lack of interaction he would occassionally get from the core four, he usually tried to keep his distance from the Serpents, though lately he has been slowly been having a mutual presence around Sweet Pea as well as Fangs who he has been at times becoming a team player and constant competitor with those two whenever it came to playing sports during PE practice. He watches as those two made their way closer to the group that were discussing more than just mere guessing games.

“How many disney princess are there again?”  Archie wonders, cocking his head to the side, looking at Veronica as he asks. Though he didn’t have to wait long for an answer to his question as it became clear in an instant as he tossed a few pieces of skittles into his mouth that he reached for from the messy food-plastered table. A unexpected voice spoke.

“Eleven, officially. Not counting Moana who is about to join soon or Anna or Elsa since I guess they don’t count them in the line-up. Since you know Elsa was actually crowned queen in the movie and Anna…well I don’t know bout that. Popularity issues I guess.”  Reggie’s words coming off as a deer in the headlights to everyone around him as he chews some more of his pizza off from his lips that seemed to be craving the moment he saw Toni appearing with them. He positions himself comfortably on the arm rest of the couch that Archie and Veronica were sitting at the whole time. Unaware of his informational words of the princess lineage, he stares back at everyone confused.

“Wow, Reg. I didn’t take you for a disney fanatic.”  Archie voices with surprise.

“I’m not..I just know stuff…You know television.”  Reggie mutters, shrugging his shoulders, trying to diminish the insinuation of his sudden spoken knowledge of famed childhood films.

“Right…. And you just happen to have the whole Disney Channel on your tv?”  Veronica raises her eyebrow, curiously.

“Now that I think about it. You’re like a walking Disney encyclopedia. You sure been giving hints of that so-called genius you’re always bragging about. This is probably it. Am I right?” Jughead compliments surprisingly in his own way, a smile peering from his lips. “Maybe I should mention to Mr. Weatherbee to issue a Disney Day in the school paper that way we can vote you to be in charge since you know so much.”

“I would love to see that. I’ll gladly vote for once. I’ll even nominate him.” Sweet Pea declares, standing up for a moment as he raises his arm in declaration to those words.

“Me too. I don’t mind dressing up. Beats wearing those school uniforms every day.”  Fangs comments as he went along with what Sweet Pea was saying, interested in their possible event as him and Sweet Pea high-five each other grinning like elementary school kids at recess.

“Don’t you dare.”  Reggie responds back yet his voice sounding laid-back than he would expect it to be. He knew that those two were messing around at the notion of his preview of unhidden disney knowledge that he could not admit he got from a certain someone. A little someone.  

Though that secret would stay just that…deep down in an area of himself like a jack-in-the-box that he would be labeled as ‘Mantle Mysteries’ only spinning to be released, but never to be opened. Unless someone were lucky enough to figure out the trick to doing just that, but that will be the day he thought to himself.

Suddenly without notice, he feels a vibration near his stomach. The one thing that he was keeping his mind off popped back up without warning and he reaches for the device inside his jacket pocket that gave him more anxiety than a championship game in the fall. Tapping his phone that he held out in his hand, the screen appeared with bold, clear words yet again.

She’s here. You better have fixed IT.

PART 4 finally complete only one more to go! To all who are reading it, thank you so much. I’m glad to finally be finishing up soon and all your questions that you may have about this mysterious ‘she’ will soon be revealed. stay tuned!