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rythmicjea · 13 hours

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20 Questions (plus a bonus) for Fic Authors

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

2. What is your AO3 wordcount?

222,958

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently: Riverdale (and I have an ongoing Zack & Cody fic) Past: Doctor Who, The Magicians, and Star Wars

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Haven't broken 100 kudos on a fic yet but I'm close!

I. My Dearest Korkie with 91

II. 6-2-4-8-4-6-3 with 75

III. Plums and Mugs with 70

IV. Casualty with 69

V. Kindness in Lies with 54

5. Do you respond to comments?

Every. Single. One. I love them. Fuck me up with questions about what you've just read. If it's not spoiler-y then I'm happy to explain. Hell, even if it might be a tad spoiler-y I still will lol.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oof... that would probably be a tie between We Had Fun (the main character just straight up kills people) or We Belong Together (where it seems like the couple doesn't actually end up together, but I promise they do!).

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I love making people cry. I used to say "if you're not crying, I didn't do my job". But um... do WIPs count if I already know how they are going to end? lol

I'm going to say for finished I Only Have Eyes For You (This will make you cry) and The Magician Queen (this is a classic Holiday Hallmark Happy Ending) For WIP (that is actually finished I'm just not posting all at once) The Suite Adult Life

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not yet. I welcome thoughtful critiques though!

9. Do you write smut? If so, which kind?

LMAO. By looking at my repertoire you would think the answer is "no". However, I literally wrote a collection of short stories just to write smut. It ended up more tame than expected and very romantic. BUT I do have some pretty explicit scenes in some stories.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest crossover you’ve ever written?

No. I've just not been inspired and I tend to stay away from reeding crossovers.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think so!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No :(

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, but I've tried to get people to write with me.

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

OMG that's like asking who my favorite child is? I mean that's just so unfair- it's Jeronica. Jughead/Veronica is my heart and soul. 80 years of sexual tension just can't be beat lol.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I hate to say it but... I don't have any. I think Not Another Riverdale Love Story (nicknamed Narwals) is the closest. But I know how it's going to end and I just posted chapter 7 and am currently working on chapter 10. OO! I know, it's pure porn. Just pr0n all day long. Rockin Around The Christmas Tree. I have two out of the four chapters posted. I have the last chapter 75% of the way finished. I just have to write smut for one pairing and then it'll be finished.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Existing dialogue and minute details. I like to use and reimagine current dialogue of the shows into my stories. And I drop blink and you miss them hints throughout.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Smut. I've gotten a lot of compliments but I still think I suck at it lol.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I'm pretty good at French but I love writing dialogue in another language. I don't write whole scenes in it. But I have two characters that know passible Japanese so I dropped some in a chapter. But I make sure to translate in the ending A/N.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Sailor Moon!! All the way back when NO ONE knew what fanfiction was.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Oh goodness... I love them all for different reasons. I think if I were to do this as Word Association it would be My Dearest Korkie. It's G-rated and less than 400 words but packs a punch! I think it really proves that a G-rated short short story can be just as good as a 300k+ multi-chapter E rated fic.

Bonus Question

21. What story of yours do you think needs more love?

The Suite Adult Life - I wrote this without knowing the show existed until I was suggested clips on YouTube. I never watched the clips, I just did one google search, read one synopsis, and one relationship timeline. Then out popped 100k+ words... I'm still kind of baffled by it lol.

Tagging- anyone else who wants to participate!

#ao3 #writing #ao3 fanfic #writers #riverdale #jeronica #vughead #Star Wars #reylo #obitine #the suite adult life #the suite life on deck #the suite life of zack and cody #cody x bailey #The Magicians #Doctor Who #the doctor and rose

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rythmicjea · 22 hours

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No, but it does autocorrect it to Jughead.

does YOUR phone autocorrect ‘j’ to ‘jarchie’? if not watch the real lives of RIVERDALE

#riverdale #jughead jones

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rythmicjea · 23 hours

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Literally Narwals 😂🤣😂

(Not Another Riverdale Love Story on AO3)

#writing #creative writing #my writing #Writing memes #narwals #Not Another Riverdale Love Story #jeronica seedling

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rythmicjea · 2 days

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On the last day of summer vacation... The Writer and His Muse

Full disclosure, I wrote another version of this last night. It was... factually correct. But it just wasn't good. So I saved it and took a few steps away and realized what I was supposed to be writing. I apologize now this is going to be long.

When I came up with the idea to write this series, I wasn't sure of the structure. If I'm honest, I still don't know lol. And after being called the "Riverdale Analysis Auteur" (thank you @storkmuffin ❤️), I promise to do the utmost to put forth only my best for you. There isn't going to be an uploading schedule so follow the tag "Code Word Jeronica" to see when I post.

My intention with this is to show that from the pilot there has always been the opportunity for Jeronica. I know what you're saying "there's an opportunity for ALL pairings."

And, yes, while you are correct. There were some possibilities that were more feasible than others (Sorry Jarchies!). For the skeptics out there, the showrunners did chemistry tests with so many pairings. Cole even admitted that he did one with Cami and he was open to a Jughead/Veronica relationship "It's the CW, anything can happen"! Coding isn't always intentional or needs to be taken seriously. And that's okay. As a writer myself, I understand the "side character curse" all too well.

With all of that being said, I will only be focusing on the evidence we get in the show itself. I may reference the comics sporadically (like how Jughead and Veronica have been paired up/dated several times in the comics, throughout the comic's history. Below is a picture from Pep #154 in 1962!) but I'll never reference anything outside of the source material as evidence.

The Writer and His Muse

It's established from the pilot that Jughead is a writer, an aspiring novelist. All writers need a muse. Something that inspires them to put pen to paper. In Greek Mythology, Muse was a Greek Goddess who gave inspiration to all. Often, a muse is referred to as a beautiful woman but it can be anything. The show Riverdale is the muse for fanfiction writers who write in the universe. Jughead has several muses throughout the show. He goes through various tribulations with his writing. We see him suffer with writer's block, make a deal with the devil (both Jugheads in Rivervale), and we know that the story that put him on the map was a telling of him and his friends.

In the overall show we know of five big stories that Jughead writes. Jason Blossom's murder, The Red Dahlia, Killing Mr. Honey, The Outcasts, and Bend. Towards. Justice. All follow a pretty basic plotline. Something happens, a group of teens have to investigate, there's a surprise twist, and then a resolution.

But, through all of these he has one muse that is constant. Would you believe me if I told you it was our fair Veronica? Because it is. Before you ask "What about Betty?", let me ask you the same. What about her? She is a character in his stories. Sometimes she's the main character. But being the main character and being a muse are two very different things. Veronica's presence in his stories symbolize different major elements to a story. More than any other Riverdale character.

Throughout the series we see Jughead struggle with his writing. His father tells him to keep writing as a way to get out of Riverdale and not get caught up with the Serpents. We see him have profound writer's block, plagiarize another author, change the way he writes due to his disability, and physically lose his ability to write. His writer's block, and the complications with it, start in season 5 and aren't resolved until season 6.

Here's an unexpected bonus from helping Veronica...

...I started writing again.

She is, and has always been, his muse. This is the first time he acknowledges it, but the clues have been there since day one.

Jason Blossom's Murder

The first story begins with the pilot's very first scene. It also introduces the audience to a concept called "The Center of a Story". The center of a story is just how it sounds. It is the element that brings everyone together. However, while this can be the main character and what that character goes through, it can simply be a person or place that has very little interaction at all with the main story. In a murder mystery, which Season 1 is, the center of a story can be the murder victim. In telling that story we can either have flashbacks of the person's life up until they are killed; or, they are simply the reason why everyone comes together (and not even just to find out why. Sometimes the why isn't necessary).

Jason Blossom is the center of the story. It's all about finding out who killed him. But the muse of the story? The hook? The character's entrance that actually connects everyone together? That's Veronica. "On the last day of summer vacation, a new mystery rolled into town." Jason's murder is the B-plot of the season. It might have kicked everything off, and the action might be connected to him, but it's not the entire reason why Jughead is writing this book. In fact, the opening soliloquy says:

Our story is about a town, a small town, and the people who live in the town. From a distance it presents itself like so many other small towns all over the world. Safe, decent, innocent. Get closer though? And you start seeing the shadows underneath. The name of our town is Riverdale.

The story was never about Jason Blossom.

The Red Dahlia

I'm not going to touch on this much, because I have a whole post planned just about this episode. But, I want to point out that out of all of the stories we see him write, this is the only story that focuses solely on one character. It's completely about Veronica. She, like Jason, is the catalyst. The difference is that, unlike Jason, she plays a major role.

Killing Mr. Honey

In his last story to submit to the University of Iowa, it's about how seven teenagers try to get rid of their unethical and overbearing principal. We have known up to this point that Jughead loves horror. He likes to write "Lovecraftian" style stories. The difference between the two are HPL rejected morality. He considered himself a "Morality Atheist". Jughead, on the other hand, loves morality tales. (In 1955 there's a whole episode about it.) This is most evident in this telling. Each character represents an architype. Veronica, arguably, is the most important architype. She represents morality. She's the only one who really challenges what they are doing. Specifically, Jughead. At face value someone can go "Well, Jughead and Veronica aren't friends so it makes sense". First off, no, they very much are friends. But, second, if they weren't, why put her in such a place of honor. In actuality, given his character in the show (and the comics), Archie should be the moral compass of the story.

The Outcasts

The Outcasts is really the only story that we have very little knowledge of. I freely admit that for evidence, it's the weakest of the five. It presents coded details for the audience to infer their meaning. Jughead is the Viper Leader, the Serpents are the Vipers, but is Betty The Homecoming Queen? Most likely. The co-ed he takes home tells him that he wrote a "very sexy book" in regards to the Viper Leader and the Homecoming Queen. However, in his drunken voicemail, he lambasts Betty. One line in particular stands out "You're a cold, fake, duplicitous bitch. And once people read my book, everyone's going to see that". Now, we don't know what is in the book (Kind of wish they'd released it) and it could end with the Homecoming Queen cheating on the Viper Leader with the Football Captain (I'm inferring that that would be Archie's character). Or, they could have lived happily ever after. Or... using the ambiguity to stretch the possibility... the Homecoming Queen could have been Veronica.

Why? Well, there's a reason why the Enemies to Lovers trope is so popular. What better way to get back at your ex for cheating but to immortalize their best friend (who was also cheated on by your best friend) as the true-love-fairy-tale-princess of your wildly popular NYT best seller?

Bend. Towards. Justice.

The last story we see Jughead write is when they've been taken back to 1955. 7x01 is very reminiscent of the pilot. But, for Jughead and his writing, it's always been in the details. Season 7 is my favorite season, and trust me, I have a lot to say about what happens. So, I'll keep this brief. Even when he describes Tabitha it's very factual. There's no emotion. He lists who she is and the reason why she might know what's going on. Please don't take this to mean that at this point he isn't still in love with her, because he very much is. When he sees her, he doesn't know the 1955 version isn't his girlfriend. He keeps all of his emotions bottled up until he can figure out a plan. And to spare her from any craziness because her memories also might be gone. Up until this point, everyone's description is "This person is here, and this is who they are". Including himself.

For starters I live in an abandoned train car with Hot Dog which... actually tracks... Betty and Kevin aren't merely friends, they're dating. Cheryl's twin brother is alive, but he's not Jason, he's Julian. No sign of a Reggie yet. But Archie exists and he's pretty much a teen Charles Atlas... I've been waiting to reconnect with the one person who might shed some light on our predicament because she was both Chronokenetic and the town's guardian angel. My girlfriend, Tabitha Tate.

He mentions that all of this information is "overwhelming, heartbreaking". But he doesn't say why because there are many reasons why. His best friends don't remember anything. Do they even really know him? With one one question he realizes that the person he loves doesn't love him back. But he breaks this way of introducing the "characters" when he introduces Veronica. It's all emotion. There's even a sexy jazz trumpet riff announcing her.

"Damn..." His thoughts whispered to him breathlessly. "Even in 1955, Veronica Lodge still knew how to make an entrance." He goes from boredom to attention. He straightens his shoulders, he sits up to see her better, and he doesn't blink. Like everyone else, and very unlike him, his whole attention is on her.

THE PILOT

Now that we've gone through the five major stories we know he writes, let's go back to the end to see the beginning. The last episode of the entire series ends with a typewriter. All of the stories mentioned above are stories written within the main one. Riverdale itself is a story (possibly Archie Comics fanfiction) written by Jughead.

The pilot itself, as all TV shows, has a narrative woven throughout. There's characters, conflict, plot, etc. Though the episode opens with Jason's murder the pilot was never about that. Hell, Jughead is barely featured in it. We see him two significant times. The first time is two minutes in, where he's drinking his coffee writing his story. And he says the classic line, "We were still talking about the Fourth of July tragedy on the last day of summer vacation, when a new mystery rolled into town." We are introduced to Veronica Lodge, by Jughead, right after we're introduced to him. At this point he's only named Cheryl and Jason Blossom as that is the impetus for this show/season. "There needs to be a dead body".

The pilot is about Veronica. She moves to Riverdale, she meets Archie and Betty, she mentions Our Town, and her desire for Archie is established. Compared to Veronica, it takes 8 minutes to mention Jason again and 10 minutes to bring him back into the plot. Then nothing significant happens with him until the very end of the episode! But even after that brief interlude it's only 5 minutes later Veronica is given her first conflict. And by the halfway point, she's thoroughly decimated said conflict.

So, Miss Auteur, why are you bringing this up?

Because Riverdale was supposed to be about Archie. But by the end of the first half of the first episode Veronica is the only character to have a full plot arc and even an epilogue! More importantly, she is immediately woven into the fabric of the town. Even though the Varchie romance is introduced we must remember how the episode is being framed.

If you compare the narration to the writing on Jughead's laptop, it doesn't match up. Cole Sprouse might have read everything on said laptop and it was shortened for time. But, I wouldn't read too much into the discrepancies. I mean, the previous two pages are exact copies of each other lol. And while there might not be numbered pages it's at least four and I'm baffled about what he could have written prior to the opening lines. Also, as a writer, there are the things we think we're going to write and the things we actually do write (For example, I wrote a 16 chapter 100k+ Zack and Cody fanfic, and I didn't know the show existed! The Suite Adult Life). Our thoughts vs our words carry weight to a story. An argument can be made that either position is the most important. Is it better to write out that which we keep so closely guarded so it may live on in infamy? Or are the most profound thoughts those we keep closest to our chests?

Though one little line stands out when I do read it...

"See, the Blossoms had their tendrils wrapped around the entire town - no one wanted to make enemies of them."

Who is the person not wrapped up in their tendrils? And who immediately made an enemy of Cheryl Blossom?

Bisous, Bisous... Votre Auteur.

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rythmicjea · 2 days

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The Suite Adult Life - Thanksgiving

First off, I would like to thank the very talented @freddieslater for the awesome mood board he made for this story. This story being born from chaos is absolutely true. Just look at this! Isn't Cody just the absolute douchest? And Zack is just P-I-M-P!

In this chapter, we're introduced to the person London has become. Yes, she is a pediatric surgeon. Yes, I know that she was almost too stupid to function in the show. However, surprisingly, you don't have to be smart to be a doctor. You just have to know what you're doing. And London always had a high aptitude for the things she liked. From fashion to just understanding people when even they didn't know themselves! To word in peds you have to be able to separate the child from the illness. And they aren't mini adults. London has always been able to see past what was right in front of her. She did the most courageous thing and walk away from everything she knew to pursue the life she wanted. And she's just... amazing for that.

That was when he threw out a quick but brazen wink. Her laugh was full of heart and the blush that appeared on her cheeks meant that the flirt landed how he wanted. Was he really flirting with London Tipton? Maybe he was still a little punch drunk from the night before.

“Well, Mr. Martin, you are good to go.” London finished wrapping his hand and he stood up from the edge of the desk he was currently perched on and wiggled his fingers for good measure. She ripped a script from its pad detailing the dosage of ibuprofen he should take for the pain.

Cody stopped at the door leaving it closed. “What are you doing tonight, Dr. Tipton?” he asked innocently enough.

“Nothing,” she smiled. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, I was thinking I would make you some dinner as a thank you.” He leaned down closer to her short height. It was a welcomed surprise that she wore crocs instead of some expensive stilettos. “I make a great carbonara.”

“And let me guess, you picked up the recipe in Italy?” She countered, his well traveled life not impressing her much.

“As a matter of fact I did! The secret is to use guanciale instead of bacon.” the air sparked between them. A silent game of chicken. Who would hold out the longest? Cody watched as her tongue darted out to lick her lips. He raised an eyebrow, hoping to nudge her decision in his favor.

London’s stomach fluttered and she wondered if he could see it in her eyes. When did the nerdy perfectionist learn how to be so smooth? “Are you asking me out on a date, Cody Martin?” Her voice came out a bit deeper and a little more wanton than she was aiming for. But there was something about his dark hair highlighting the blue of his eyes that made her want to fall into him.

#the suite adult life #the suite life on deck #the suite life of zack and cody #cody martin #cody x bailey #bailey pickett #bailey x cody #zack is not straight #zack martin #london tipton #She's so amazing she's the best part of this #ao3 #ao3 fanfic #writing #fan fiction #fanfiction

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rythmicjea · 2 days

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Thank you @anarcha-queer-art and everyone who got me to 50 reblogs! And on a fanfic I'm writing no less!

Not Another Riverdale Love Story - 7

Spotted: Another chapter where you have to pay attention to the details! Can A and J come to an understanding about J's past? Is Queen V up to take on the political power that her mother wields? Why, dear Daddikins is just waiting in the wings for his cue to enter stage right. And speaking of our Madam Mayor... What is she doing with the Sherriff?

This is my homage to Gossip Girl! There's not much to say about it without giving too much away. So I'll leave you with this dear readers...

“I just loved your spin piece in the paper,” Jughead shot a murderous glare at his feminine brunette counterpart as the four friends sat down to lunch.

Veronica pressed her fingers to her temple, feeling the headache that had been brewing all morning starting to grow in strength. “Can we not, Jughead?”

“You know,” he started, ignoring her words, “it’s one thing to write about the students of our school; but, it’s a completely other thing when you start pulling in people from the town.” He shook his head in disgust. He thought she understood what was going on in his life. He didn’t open up to people readily but he did with her and now he was beginning to think it was a colossal mistake.

Veronica was on the verge of tears. Her mother had manipulated her… again and she fell right into her mother’s trap. She knew what she was writing was wrong but with everything going on with her father she let her mother convince her that putting the spotlight on someone else was the best option. She didn’t know how to own up to her mistake. To admit that she was weak wasn’t in her vocabulary. So, she did what she did best, turn it back onto the other person. “No one cares.”

“I do!” He retorted.

Bisous, Bisous... Rumor.

#50 reblogs #tumblr milestone #thank you #Jeronica Nation #riverdale #jughead jones #veronica lodge #jeronica #vughead

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rythmicjea · 2 days

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I just noticed that, even though he's "completely healed" his hand is still stitched on and he never took out the earring!

They take turns being reanimated zombies!!!!! I love that for them! And he's wearing a wedding ring and dressed her (in both senses of the word) with such care! Oh I'm so happy :D

#I love this scene so much #It's the details for me #He's reading Percy Shelly's poems to her #The wedding ring #WHO PAINTED HER NAILS?!#The suspenders are a love note to Zelda's father #lisa frankenstein #lisa swallows #cole sprouse #kathryn newton #lisa frankenstein spoilers #the creature

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rythmicjea · 3 days

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Not Another Riverdale Love Story - 7

This is my homage to Gossip Girl! There's not much to say about it without giving too much away. So I'll leave you with this dear readers...

“I just loved your spin piece in the paper,” Jughead shot a murderous glare at his feminine brunette counterpart as the four friends sat down to lunch.

Veronica pressed her fingers to her temple, feeling the headache that had been brewing all morning starting to grow in strength. “Can we not, Jughead?”

“I do!” He retorted.

Bisous, Bisous... Rumor.

#riverdale #jughead jones #veronica lodge #jeronica #vughead #ao3 #writing #writers #ao3 fanfic #archie andrews #betty cooper #Bughead?#Barchie?#fp jones #hermione lodge #Gossip Girl #Homage #narwals

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rythmicjea · 3 days

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Okay I'm pissed I missed Obitine week this year. But other then that, can we talk about this scene? At Obi-Wan's Funeral Satine is the ONLY ONE openly weeping. She literally thinks her true love is gone. There is no more risk of anyone finding out their secret and all of the consequences are still there. She leads 2700 star systems to be independent of the war. If it's found out that she had a love affair with a Jedi? Not only would Mandalore turn on her but the systems she's protecting would become free game for the Republic and the Trade Federation.

Everyone in that room holds incredible influence over the entire galaxy. And no one says a word. No one brings it up. Everyone let's her grieve. She is in the most volatile position out of everyone and they all give her space. And at the same time no one offers support. They can't. If they do there could be real and actionable consequences.

Satine grieving like the widow she is (and practically announcing she is one), is both the riskiest and strongest thing she could do in that moment. This is why I will always take a knee for this woman.

Day 3 of #satineweek2024 - Tears

Satine during Obi-Wan's fake funeral where she has a moment alone with 'him' and can't help but cry🥺 (no I still haven't forgiven the writers for hurting her like that >:c )

#satine kryze #satine week 2024 #satineweek2024 #star wars #obi wan kenobi #obitine #the clone wars #obi wan x satine #bo katan kryze #duchess satine #duchess of mandalore #duchess kryze #duchess satine kryze #star wars the clone wars #tcw #star wars tcw

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rythmicjea · 3 days

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This was my movie growing up. Everyone asked if Ariel was my princess because of my red hair. But I could never give a straight answer about why Cinderella was my princess and why I related to her so much. It took me until I was an ADULT to realize just how much I'd been abused by my grandmother. I related to Cinderella because I was a victim of abuse. My sister was the golden child. All of my grandmother's abuse was framed as if I rebelled then I would be the bad guy. She was always right and I was always wrong.

I literally never wanted a cat because Lady Tremaine had one. THE CAT'S NAME WAS LUCIFER! (I have cats and I love them.)

After watching Cinderella (the original animated movie, which was my favorite as a child), it strikes me how it solves many common problems people have with this fairy tale. Like:

Why did they try to identify the mystery girl using her shoe size? Because the bullheaded king's only clue to her identity was the shoe the Grand Duke picked up off the steps.

Why didn't the prince recognize her by her face? Because his father wouldn't involve him in the process at all, and wasn't the one going around trying to find her.

Why did the prince want to marry a lady he only met that night? Because his father was going to force him to marry someone, and he genuinely liked this woman.

Why did Cinderella want to marry a man she only met that night? Because marriage was her best and most secure way to freedom. Fucked up, but you can't say it's unrealistic for the setting of a fairy tale. She also genuinely liked him.

If they're using the slipper to find her, wouldn't it be more sensible to search for the person with the other slipper? Yes. The King is purposefully nonsensical and the Duke is purposefully terrified enough of him to carry out his orders to the letter. Furthermore, they end up doing that in the end anyway, because the Duke's glass slipper is shattered, and Cinderella brings out the one she has to prove her identity.

Why didn't the stepmother and stepsisters recognize Cinderella at the ball? Because they were dancing too far away, and then left the party to dance in private, which was possible because the King wanted very badly for his son to hit it off with someone and tried to arrange the best conditions for that to happen.

Why didn't Cinderella save herself? Because in real life, abuse victims should not have to shoulder that responsibility, and usually can't. In real life, you need and deserve an external support system. Asking for help, in this kind of situation, is very important. She is saved by others because she is loved. Because she is not alone. Because she has friends who love her, and want her to be happy and safe and free. Because in real life, people who want to help someone who is suffering are like the mice. We can't pull out miracle solutions, but we can provide companionship and if we're in the right place at the right time, we can help the person find a better life.

Why didn't the fairy godmother save Cinderella from her abusive household, or try to help her sooner? Because she's magic, and magic can't solve your problems. Quote: "Like all dreams, well, I'm afraid it can't last forever." This (and Cinderella's dream of going to the ball) is a metaphor for pleasurable things in bad circumstances. An ice cream won't get rid of your depression, but it will provide you with momentary happiness to bolster you, as well as the reminder that happiness in general is still possible for you. Cinderella doesn't want to go to the ball so she can get away from her stepmother and stepsisters, or so she can meet someone to marry and leave with. She wants to go to the ball to remind herself that she can still have things she wants. That her desires matter. This is important because the movie does a very good job of illustrating Lady Tremaine's subtle abuse tactics, all of which invisibly press the message that Cinderella doesn't matter. While going to the ball and fulfilling her dreams may not be a victory in the material sense, it is still a victory against Lady Tremaine's efforts.

Why is Cinderella's choice to be kind and obedient framed as a good thing, when you are not obligated to be kind to your abuser? This one walks a very fine line, but I think the movie still makes it make sense. Lady Tremaine never acknowledges her cruelty. She always frames her punishments of Cinderella as Cinderella's fault. Cinderella is interrupting, Cinderella is shirking her duties, Cinderella is playing vicious practical jokes. Cinderella is still a member of the family, of course she can go to the ball, provided she meet these impossible conditions. Lady Tremaine's tactics are designed to make Cinderella feel like she must always be in the wrong and her stepmother must always be in the right. If Cinderella calls her stepmother out on her cruelty, or attempts to fight back, Lady Tremaine can frame that as Cinderella being ungrateful, cruel, broken, evil, etc. If Cinderella responds to her stepmother's cruelty defiantly (in the way she's justified to), she's not taking control out of Lady Tremaine's hands. Disobedience can be spun back into her stepmother's control. She wants Cinderella to be angry and sad and show how much she's hurting. So since Cinderella is adapting to her situation, she chooses to be kind. Not only because she naturally wants to be and it's part of her personality, but because it is a form of defiance in its own way, and it allows her to keep a reminder of her agency and value. Her choice to be kind is her chance to keep her own narrative alive: she is not obeying because her stepmother wants her to and she has to do what her stepmother does, but because she wants to. It's a small distinction, but one that makes all the difference in terms of keeping her hope and identity. (Fuck, I wrote a whole paragraph about how this doesn't mean you can't be angry at people who hurt you or that you need to be kind to deserve help, and then deleted it by accident. Uh. Try again.) Expressing anger and pain is an important part of regaining autonomy and healing. Although it is commendable to be kind while you are suffering, it is NOT required for you to get help or be worthy of help. If Cinderella's recovery was explored beyond "happily ever after" she would need to let herself be angry and sad to heal. Cinderella is not only kind because it comes naturally to her, but because it's her defense against the abuse she's suffering. Everyone's story and experiences are different, and one does not invalidate the other.

Bonus round for answers that aren't part of the movie:

Why didn't Cinderella run away? Where would she go? Genuinely, in hundreds-of-years-ago France, where would she go if she snuck out of the window with a change of clothes? With her step-family, she's miserable and abused, but she's fed, clothed, and in no danger of dying or being taken advantage of by anyone other than her stepmother and stepsisters. Even if she escapes and manages to find financial security, her stepmother might be able to find her and get her back.

Why didn't Cinderella burn the house down with them inside it/slit their throats in the night/poison their food/etc.? Because that's a revenge fantasy, and this story is a fantasy about being saved. There's nothing wrong with making Cinderella into a revenge fantasy. That's perfectly fine, as long as you acknowledge that the other type of fantasy is also a valid interpretation. (I mean, the original fairy tale features the stepsisters getting their feet mutilated and all three of them getting their eyes pecked out, so go for it.)

Why isn't Cinderella more proactive in general? Because she's a child who has been abused for the back half of her life, who has had to be focused on survival because. you know. she's an abused kid.

How did she dance in glass slippers? Gotta agree with you there man, that's weird.

#fun fact #Lucifer means “light bringer”#and is a name given to Jesus #but in the 50s it was only synonymous with Satan #Lady Tremaine was a wonderful villain #I too lay in bed stroking my cat like I'm a wealthy widow #Cinderella #lady tremaine #Lucifer the cat

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rythmicjea · 3 days

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enough reclaiming slurs, I think in 2023 we should reclaim nascar. they banned the confederate flag on all properties & their stance on lgbtq+ isn’t just performative bc in 2013 they fined a driver 10k for using a homophobic slur, condemned indiana in a statement for an anti lgbt law, and partnered w carolina’s lgbt+ chamber of conference in 2022. nascar was founded by anti-cop moonshiners/bootleggers who drove suped-up fords to out-run the police. #yaaascar

#raise hell praise dale yeeeeee #nascar #NASCAR loves the gays #here's the thing this still happens in the backwoods #wait until you find out the reason why we're called “rednecks”

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rythmicjea · 4 days

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Archie's Dream 5x04

Should I be finishing up my chapter for Narwals? Yes. Am I? No. Instead, I can't get Archie's dream out of my head. Season 5 is considered to be "the worst" season. That's because the majority of people don't understand it. There are so many layers to this season. It's like a 14 hour long episode of the X-Files. If you take episodes 1-3 to really be the end of season 4 (and we all should) it's the shortest season out of all of them.

The show needed to get everyone back together in Riverdale. That's how shows like this work. The impetus is Archie's dream. On the surface it's a warning that Riverdale is in trouble. The soul of Riverdale is on the verge of collapse. And yes, that is true. Get closer though, and you start to see the shadows underneath.

The dream opens in the boys locker room of Riverdale High. Archie Andrews is giving his team a pep talk before the game. His voice is darker, deeper, it's that of a drill sergeant. He prepares them saying it's not going to be easy. That they have never faced anything like it but they cannot be afraid. He barks, "Do you know why?" And they answer "Because we're Bulldogs!"

The camera lingers on Reggie. Why Reggie? Here's the thing most people don't recognize about Mantle the Magnificent. He may not like you, but if you go to Riverdale, you're a Bulldog. And he will defend any Bulldog for any reason. That's why he's so offended and incensed that Jughead wears his Serpent's jacket. Because to him, Jughead is spitting in Riverdale's face. Jughead is one of Riverdale's sons and that should mean more.

We see the General tell them that their mission is to save their fallen brother. The next shot is of a football field as No Man's Land (the stretch of land between two trenches in war). There are football players in the background running plays. There are bombs going off and artillery fire whizzing by. I am an avid football fan. I grew up on Ohio State football. A football game is often referred to as a "battle". You'll hear phrases like "Battle on the Grid Iron". Each game is life or death for the players and the fans. But this is more than just a football game. This is actual life or death.

Reggie goes down. Shot in the chest from enemy fire. This is representative of how Reggie is on the "wrong" side in the season. He's aligned himself with Hiram. He doesn't care for the town and the school that he once loved so deeply.

Archie is then flown into the air by a bomb. He doesn't want to go further. He doesn't think he can. You would think that he would look at his target. Instead, he sees Cheryl. She's in her Vixens uniform. And while you can hear the squad cheering, Cheryl isn't speaking. She smiles at him, with tears in her eyes, nodding at him to go forward. Why is she here? They weren't particularly close. Why would she care about his mission? Because Cheryl has lost a brother. She knows that pain of not being able to help and the guilt that comes with surviving. She can't let Archie go through that.

Then we see the fallen soldier. We don't know his identity until Archie gets to him. It's Jughead. A chest wound pouring out blood. His heart was broken by his first love and his best friend. Jughead only says one line and it is "I just need a little help". We come to learn in the season that Jughead has become an alcoholic. His line is one that many addicts say. It's so simple to believe that with just a little help they can overcome their affliction. A lot of times it's said to get a fix. Just a tiny one to help get through the withdrawal.

On the sidelines is everyone who loves Jughead. The Serpents, Betty, Veronica, and Pop. They're all cheering for Archie to do what needs to be done. And at the last moment we see Hiram standing with a gun pointed at Archie. In the first four seasons it was always about Archie vs Hiram. But everyone forgets that the actual thorn in Hiram's side was Jughead. It's Jughead that exposes him. It's Jughead that picks up the pieces of his parental duties for Veronica. It's Jughead who is willing to risk everything to see Hiram exposed for all of his corruption and evil deeds. And Hiram knows it. But Hiram can't do anything to Jughead without exposing himself. That's why he willingly lets Jughead take himself to the slaughter against the ghoulies. Hiram was behind riot night. And that gunshot wound in Jughead's chest? Who's to say it wasn't Hiram who pulled the trigger?

Archie's dream tells the story of season 5. There's many reasons for him to come home. He declares that Riverdale is "dying" and they need to save it. But it's not Riverdale that he has to save, it's Jughead. He hasn't spoken to Jughead in seven years. When he calls his three friends, Betty and Veronica drop what they are doing immediately to answer. Jughead is the only one who hesitates. We never see him answer. Jughead is the most reluctant to stay.

NO ONE on the show knows how to handle an addiction. Not even Jughead. He knows how to take care of his father but it was never his responsibility to save his father. And FP? FP gets sober cold turkey. He falls off the wagon at his retirement party. He is magically able to handle alcohol responsibly. That's not how addiction works.

Archie offers Jughead a place to stay and a teaching position at the school. Archie lets him go when he needs to go back to New York without any questions asked. Archie is the subliminal support system that was taken from Jughead at the end of high school. He doesn't know what to do exactly (and he has his own issues - PTSD) but he can do the passive things to help his brother.

After seven years of silence, Archie has a dream that tells him his best friend and brother is in danger and he's the only one who can help. And if that's being an invitation back to a safe place and a warm bed then he does it without hesitation. To many Archie IS Riverdale. He is the heart of the town. But, Jughead put Riverdale on the map. Jughead is the town's conscience. To Archie, Jughead is Riverdale.

#that's it #I'm officially now the Riverdale Analysis Auteur #Storkmuffin said so!

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rythmicjea · 4 days

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OMG I love it so much!!! Cody's swagger and shit eating grin, Zack just being P-I-M-P, the groundedness of London, AND THE BABIES!!

This is going to be featured on the second chapter. Thank you SSOOOO MUCH! *Literally doing tippy taps*

The Suite Adult Life by @rythmicjea

Told over a year, and set a decade after a heart-wrenching breakup between Cody and Bailey, they must confront buried secrets and unspoken truths and decide to rekindle their lost love or let it go forever.

#the suite life of zack and cody #suite life of zack and cody #suite life on deck #the suite adult life #ao3fic #ao3 fanfiction #ao3 fanfic #ao3 writer #OMG you did SO good!#i can't thank you enough #tippy taps #cody martin #bailey pickett #zack martin #london tipton #cody x bailey #bailey x cody #I can't stop smiling #freddieslater

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rythmicjea · 5 days

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Taylor Swift songs are the result of "Fuck around and find out".

ts writes songs for people who want to be nice people, who know how to behave well, but at heart are spiteful and petty because they're trying to be so nice all the time. she's the sound of feminine resentment. her songs often contain concentrated vitriol expressed in a tiny little whispery voice. i really love her for it.

#fafo #taylor swift

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rythmicjea · 5 days

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Archie's Dream 5x04

#riverdale #jughead jones #archie andrews #cheryl blossom #jarchie #Not a Jarchie post but celebrating this friendship #long post #very long post #long reads #character analysis #media analysis

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rythmicjea · 7 days

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TTPD meets Code Word: Jeronica

I would like to say that I am not a Swifty. Up until last night, I had never listed to an album of hers in its entirety. I didn't expect this to be my first entry of this series, but here we are!

Before I go any further, this is my disclaimer: Do I think Taylor wrote this song about them? No. Do I think that she's a fan of the show? It's a possibility. Do I think that many of her songs can be used to describe many of the ships in Riverdale? Absolutely.

Now, I saw that the Barchies were laying dibs on "Peter" and I thought "Yeah, okay. Why not?" But I really didn't get it. Then I listened to the title track and I was like "I'm in trouble..."

This is my break down of The Tortured Poets Department as it pertains to our little tortured geniuses.

You left your typewriter at my apartment Straight from the tortured poets department

Right off the bat. Seriously? Who DIDN'T think of Jughead when she mentioned a typewriter?

I think some things I never say Like, "Who uses typewriters anyway?"

Who is more critical of Jughead than Veronica?

But you're in self-sabotage mode Throwing spikes down on the road

THIS LINE. They are both self-saboteurs. The fandom collectively groans when Veronica tells her father her plan and then is all Pikachu face when he thwarts her. No one is exactly sure why she does this, except for poor writing. She's supposed to be just as smart as Jughead (who is canonically the smartest out of all of them). At times she is smarter. I think Mrs. Burble is right. It's obsession. Veronica is a Daddy's Girl. All she wants is his love and approval. She wants him in her life. She even marries a man who is exactly like her father. She actively sabotages her marriage as well. Not because she's still in love with Archie but she needs a way out and she knows how dangerous Chad can be.

As for Jughead, he is barely treading water in high school, but once he leaves Riverdale? He quits college to be a fulltime writer. We're not even really sure if he finished his freshman year or not. But he does become successful. He gets a bit of fame. And he can't handle it. He has no support system. For as much as he proclaimed he was a loner, he can't handle life on his own. His S5 arc is parallel to his fathers. He's an alcoholic, he dabbles in drugs, he is homeless again. And he does these destructive things in the name of "his art" which we all know is bullshit.

Who else decodes you? And who's gonna hold you like me? And who's gonna know you, if not me?

Neither have a great support system. Veronica is far more secure than Jughead. But, instinctively, no one knows Veronica or Jughead individually, like they do. In the pilot Veronica makes a Capote reference and neither Archie or Betty gets it. Then Jughead makes the same reference the following episode and all Betty knows is what can be gleaned from the first paragraph of a Wikipedia entry. Veronica is the first to call him "Holden Caufield". Again, a reference no one but Jughead gets. They understand each other on a level that no one else does, because they're meant to. They are the "counterparts to Archie and Betty". They are two sides of the same coin.

You're not Dylan Thomas... This ain't the Chelsea Hotel...

The only person who can laugh at Jughead is Veronica. That's pretty self-explanatory. But can we address the accidental meta joke? Thomas is Dylan Sprouse's middle name. So it's like "You're right! I'm not Dylan Thomas. That would be my identical twin brother" lol. Also, the Chelsea Hotel, in NYC is in between Alphabet City and the UWS/UES. Take that how you like.

You smokеd, then ate seven bars of chocolate...

Really? This has to be explained?

Like a tattooed golden retriever...

I heard this line and immediately thought of Archie. Archie has one tattoo and it's a Serpent one. Who is the leader of the Serpents? In S1-6 Jughead is the "Black Cat" to Archie's "Golden Retriever". But in S7, Jughead is very much the Golden Retriever to Veronica's Black Cat. Is he dower and a loner? Yes. But he will literally do anything and everything to help Veronica (really anyone!). From their connection at the Make Out Party, whenever he looks at her, his eyes are filled with hearts. As proven when they walk into school together in S7, he lets everyone's reactions withdraw into himself. He starts thinking this was all a mistake. Why would someone like Veronica ever want to be with someone like him? Without a word and only a smile, he's once again consumed by her.

Everyone we know understands why it's meant to be 'Cause we're crazy So tell me, who else is gonna know me?

This song is really from Veronica's perspective. It illustrates how she sees Jughead. When push comes to shove, they have each other. They speak each other's language. They are both incredibly fucked up by their families and the hands they've dealt. The only difference is their economic status. Just because you have money doesn't mean you aren't being abused by your parents. Just because you're poor doesn't mean you don't have a voice.

Hiram never saves his daughter. When she comes to him saying that her husband is abusive and a stalker, her father tells her to "figure it out on her own". Why? Because when he was being reckless and purposely putting his life in danger when she was a teenager she refused to help him. When Hiram refuses to do his job as a father, it's Jughead that picks up the pieces. He gets the Glamourge egg back, he gets the Serpents to protect her, and he's the one who tells her about Pop's. And even though Hermione threatens to destroy him, if he tells her secret ("mutual destruction"), he risks everything to tell Veronica the truth.

Betty and Archie never do that for Veronica. On the surface it comes off as them sniping and one-upping the other. But, when you just peel the top layer off, you realize that its because they know they can trust each other in a way they can't trust their other friends.

Who's gonna hold you? Gonna know you? Gonna troll you? Who else decodes you?

No-Fucking-Body...

#Code Word Jeronica #jughead #jughead jones #veronica lodge #riverdale #jeronica #vughead #taylor swift #ttpd #the tortured poets department

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