Fascinating the way he catalogues their scars and hurts from sex – I love how you mention these “parts” inside both of them – like Betty has extreme control and violence and Jughead extreme obsession? One of the things I loved most about the first season of Riverdale was this sort of simmering beneath the surface temper in both Betty and Jughead. They both felt like ticking time bombs. It was very well acted on both their parts, and it was something I wanted to explore especially in this chapter in both timelines. They’re always trying to keep it in check for each other, for their image, or fear of becoming like their fathers.
I loved Jughead’s altercation with Chuck and how despite his fight with Betty, he still is SUPER JEALOUS and wants to come to her rescue and resents her at the same time? What a deliciously potent mix of angst, love it. So well written! Besides the obvious logical fallacies with the birthday episode, it will remain one of my favorites as far as Bughead relationship development and the aforementioned anger issues.
I feel like Betty gets off on losing control and Jughead gets off on having it? Yep, yep, yep.
I love how Jughead is at the tree, stroking his little carving and how he knows that Betty is being harassed by Alice, has no privacy and yet Exactly, he is a mass of contradictions, but it is also because he doesn’t really think he counts. His sense of self-worth is that low.
I’m so glad you like the music because I’ve felt it’s been my own private self-wank writing this story. It’s really only been for me, honestly, since it never seemed like anyone cared about it, which is fine. It helps orient me when I go back and reread it. Space Song by Beach House and the paralleled (David Bowie I Love You) Since I Was Six are in the top five songs for this entire fic. All the lyrics are indicative of what’s going on between these two. These and Present Tense by Radiohead with a few others. Much of them are meta references to the entire story, and some of them contain foreshadowing, but not in an explicit sense.
// Kevin chimes in, “It’s a thing, your bend-to-my-will-and-little-mermaid-eyes face, cute but devious.”// YES THE MERMAIDS GET ME EVERYTIME (wtf is wrong with me???) hahahha don’t answer that This was the first mention of the Little Mermaid eyes, and it can mostly be attributed to the Community episode where Jeff tells Annie disappointing her is like strangling the Little Mermaid with a bike chain, and I was like, Betty totally has those eyes.
Much love and thanks for reading and dropping a comment 😊
OMFG I FORGOT ABOUT THAT JEFF AND ANNIE COMMENT! I think I just associate mermaids with you now, every since I read one of your kink week fics and now whenever I see mermaids mentioned I do a Mexican wave.
I think your observation of Betty and Jughead being ticking time bombs is so right and I often wonder this about people in general. We are all animals and our social norms provide a veneer of civility - the rules of the dance if you will - and is everyone out there subsisting, their lizard brain just moments from taking over? For these two it's self destructive tendencies - Betty with her pain needed to control the out-of-control, Jughead with his feelings of worthlessness which leads him to weird brands of narcissistic behaviour (covetousness and "deservedness"). He feels like he doesn't count and so he has to "make his mark" in ways that make him feel tethered. I love their anger; I bask in it.
//obvious logical fallacies with the birthday episode// lolcry
I love this and I'm just so floored by your replies - thank you - you're so wonderful and I love you <3
Comment on the devil's daughter
meditationonbaaal on Chapter 2 Wed 17 Feb 2021 01:16PM UTC
Comment Actions
Lucivar on Chapter 2 Tue 23 Feb 2021 12:55AM UTC
Comment Actions
meditationonbaaal on Chapter 2 Sat 11 Sep 2021 02:54PM UTC
Comment Actions