𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐍 / 𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 *

Politics played an important role in Riverdale, but that was a lesson that worked even in the magical realm. Ambrose’s coven was up to something, and he realized that the master plan was going to do more harm than good. He realized that infiltrating and mind games were important, but not at the cost of so many lives without their being some ulterior motive. 

Archie Andrews was a thorn in the Lodge’s side, mostly Hiram Lodge. This red haired boy was an ally that Ambrose knew he’d need, which is why he planned on being goody goody. This meeting was off the grid. Ambrose used a teleportation spell to arrive at the side of the building. Charming mortals was never an issue, and the wave of his hand was all he needed to convince them he was another bloke in this establishment.

He found out the correct visitation room, decked out in a nice suit jacket, pants, and purple retro tie. The boy looked miserable, and Ambrose already had a bag so he could do magic without Archie knowing and seeing. When he walked in, he chuckled. “Hello, Archibald Andrews.” He pulled up a seat, getting a feel for the room. “This place is quite damp, isn’t it?” Ambrose saw the look of confusion on the males face. “You have no idea who I am, and I know that due to external circumstances you more than likely don’t trust me. I’m Ambrose. My last name doesn’t matter, but I work for Mayor Lodge.” 

Ambrose chuckled, as the male probably didn’t have much trust in the family name. “No need to worry, this meeting is completely off the books.” He reached into his bag, pulling out a bag of four cheese burgers, 2 large orders of fries, and a large drink that was in a water bottle that had a skull across it.” “I brought a peace offering. I just need you to realize that I’m an ally. I’m well aware of your innocence and know my employer is literally in bed with Hiram Lodge.”

Ambrose got bored of sitting down and walked across the room. “I don’t celebrate Christmas, but Merry Christmas.” He leaned against the nearest wall. “I can bring you whatever you want in here at no expense to you, Archibald. I just need you to see me as an ally for the incoming storm that I want to prevent. There’s more forces than you know, Archibald. You seem to be the golden boy of this town, and you’re someone I need a my side.” Ambrose smiled, putting his arms into a fold. “Now, what are your questions. Be careful on what you ask as we are quite short on time.”

          when  called  in  for  visitors  ,  archie  expects  what  he  always  gets  ---  BETTY  COOPER  ,  with  overwhelming  love  and  a  temporary  escape  from  the  darker  places  he’s  grown  accustomed  to  .  his  FATHER  ,  bearing  news  from  home  ,  from  sports  ,  and  a  comfort  he’ll  never  get  used  to  being  without  .  his  best  friend  ,  JUGHEAD  JONES  ,  providing  an  unspoken  support  system  through  jokes  and  empathy  .  even  with  the  occasional  veronica  lodge  ,  cheryl  blossom  ,  and  reggie  mantle  ,  archie  still  could  never  have  foreseen  this  happening  .  especially  not  on  a  day  like  today  .  (  though  ---  merry  christmas  to  him  ?  )

          he’ll  begin  to  reckon  ---  perhaps  that  makes  him  as  dumb  as  everyone  thinks  he  is  ---  perhaps  he  should  have  known  that  ,  even  in  JAIL  ,  he  couldn’t  stay  safe  from  hiram’s  wrath  .  and  he’s  starting  to  think  that  ,  maybe  after  all  ,  he  never  will  be  .  hiram’ll  always  be  there  ,  looming  in  the  audience  of  those  watching  the  boy  crumble  ,  or  one  step  ahead  of  every  move  he  ever  makes  .  (  PARANOID  ?  yes  !  irrational  ?  not  in  the  slightest  .  )

          ❛❛    dude  ,  seriously  ??    ❜❜    eyes  will  flicker  between  the  man  and  the  pile  of  food  laid  in  front  of  him  .  though  it’s  TEMPTING  (  ---  he  hasn’t  had  pop’s  in  months  .  can  you  really  blame  him  ?  )  ,  he’s  pondered  long  enough  not  to  fall  victim  to  hiram  lodge’s  schemes  .    ❛❛    you  come  here  on  CHRISTMAS  DAY  ,  telling  me  you  work  for  hiram  lodge’s  wife  ,  and  you  expect  me  to  trust  you  ?  NO  WAY  .  there’s  no  shot  .    ❜❜    he’ll  shake  his  head  harshly  ,  eyes  shut  tight  at  the  mere  prospect  of  things  .

       of course  ,   she’s going to visit him in jail  .   there hasn’t been one  SINGLE  christmas day where she hasn’t seen her best friend    (  the boy next door  ,   her first love  ,   first best friend  )  .   it’s archie andrews himself  ;   and betty cooper  WILL BE DAMNED  if she doesn’t spend time with him on christmas day  .   it hasn’t been that way since  before  they met  ,   and it will most certainly not be that way  ,   ever  -  if she has anything to say about it  .  

        she comes in as a blonde flurry  ;   her cheeks rosy red from the harsh winds of the outside world    (  hopefully  ,   he doesn’t have to experience  that  part of winter  ,   at the very least  )  ,   dressed in a warm baby blue dress   (  to call out to her eyes  )   and her hair is  NOT  in a ponytail  ,   it instead is in waves  .   and betty cooper  looks  as if she hasn’t  NOT  slept in weeks  ,   if all just to see her best friend  .  

          a bright smile is on her face  ;   her life is perhaps not perfect  ,   but he doesn’t need to know that  .   she’s just happy to see him  .    “  hi !  ”   voice is breathless as she sits down  ,   pretty smile staying pretty perfect as she lays eyes on him  .   he looks a little tattered for wear  ,   but he’s okay  .   girl grabs his hands  .  

          “   apparently the guard owes my mom a favor  ,   so  –  ”    she squeezes his hands  ,   heart beating loud enough that she’s sure he can hear it  .   they can touch  ;   it’s unspoken  ,   despite people not being in the room  .    “   merry christmas  ,   arch  .  ”  

          though  archie’s  world  seems  to  be  spinning  at  ten  fold  ,  in  walks  ELIZABETH  COOPER  ,  and  suddenly  ---  it’s  halted  .  every  emotion  ,  every  negative  thought  that’s  flushed  over  him  since  the  morning  ,  is  no  longer  relevant  .  there’s  just  this  ,  the  smile  on  her  face  ,  the  blue  of  her  eyes  ...  and  it’s  MAGIC  .

          ❛❛    god  ,  it’s  so  good  to  see  you  ,    ❜❜    more  so  than  she  even  knows  .  outside  of  this  ,  in  their  neighboring  windows  ,  she  KNOWS  when  things  are  up  .  she’ll  never  let  him  venture  to  the  darker  corners  of  his  mind  without  her  own  intervening  ...  but  when  he’s  here  ?  she’s  not  there  to  catch  him  .  yet  ...  she  takes  his  hands  ,  and  even  though  he’s  grown  so  used  to  calloused  touch  ,  it’s  like  they  never  parted  in  the  first  place  .

DECEMBER  25TH  ---  in  the  velvety  haze  of  his  eyes  flickering  open  ,  he  can  almost  forget  the  calendar  holiday  .  visions  he’s  forged  of  this  year’s  season  are  non  existent  ---  the  annual  andrews  cut  christmas  tree  in  the  corner  of  his  living  room  ;  the  crinkled  corners  of  his  father’s  smile  as  they  hang  lights  and  bake  cookies  .  a haze  that  barely  lasts  ,  diminishing  as  dull  hues  are  met  with  even  duller  walls  ,  the  dampened  reality  of  his  new  home  setting  in  .

ARCHIE  ANDREWS  COULD  LAUGH  .  he  could  laugh  ,  and  laugh  ,  until  perhaps  he’d  find  that  ,  somewhere  ,  this  was  all  a  tragic  joke  .  that  he’d  blink  again  ,  awakening  to  find  postered  walls  ,  an  open  window  to  betty  cooper’s  honeyed  locks  and  ocean  eyes  ;  his  father’s  voice  calling  to  him  ,  and  vegas’  paws  clattering  on  hardwood  floors  ...  it’s  like  a  distant  melody  ,  and  no  matter  how  many  times  people  visit  ,  it  never  equates  to  moments  he  never  knew  he  had  to  cherish  .

ARCHIE  ANDREWS  COULD  CRY  ---  he  could  let  his  woes  weigh  him  and  chain  him  to  his  mattress  .  but  he  won’t  do  this  .  he  CAN’T  .  he’ll  show  up  to  visiting  hours  ,  he’ll  participate  in  a  session  that’s  become  mundane  ---  because  if  he  doesn’t  have  this  ,  he  doesn’t  have  anything  .

betty: is this archie

betty: how do you have phone in jail !?

betty: 😲

Cheryl: You are cordially invited to my (now) annual Secret Santa! If you think this message was sent to you by accident, chances are you are absolutely correct, but for those of you who wish to participate in the wondrous event that is gift giving this season, please let me know so my dearest Nana Rose and I can sort out pairs. (Note: I will not be taking suggestions for pairs, you get who you’re given.) There’s a measly $50 spending limit since I know a lot of you are closer to borderline poverty than others.

Cheryl: Have your gifts ready by the 23rd! I know it's not long, but it's not like we have a lot of stores to choose from. Buy someone a book or something because God knows you lot could use the extra reading.

Cheryl: Oh! And before I forget, please let me know what you like so I can help out your Secret Santa a little bit. ;)

Cheryl: 𝑀𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑦 𝐶𝘩𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑚𝑎𝑠, 𝐶𝘩𝑢𝑚𝑠!

          it’s not the image he expects  ,  no  .  ---  there’s  striking red locks  ,  tenfold more vibrant than his own  ,  &  a demeanor that overcasts the rest of the room  .  it’s an image of someone who evidently does  NOT  belong in a place like this  ,  &  so archie andrews  ?  his brows will knit in confusion  ,   “   cheryl  ?   ”   (  pardon the expression  !  )   “   ---  don’t get me wrong  ,  i’m happy to see you  ,  but  ...  what’s up  ?  is everything alright back at home  ?   ”   (   damn  ,  archie  !  can’t she just be visiting because she wants to see you  ?  )

          another day  ,  more  VISITING HOURS  .  it’s all he looks forward to  ,  anymore  ,  and yet  ...  there’s a sense of melancholia in the air  ,  today  .  wishing it wasn’t momentary  ,  wishing it wasn’t under lock and key  .  it’s interaction  ,  sure  ,  but it’s not the  SAME  .           still  .  he has to take what he can get  .  so  ,  when he’s met with the blonde  ,  he’ll plaster on his best expression  ,  ready to do whatever he can to make sure he doesn’t upset her  .  “  hey  .  before you say anything  ,  i gotta tell you  ---  they gave us food today  ,  and you have nothing to worry about  .  ”           WORRYING  .  it’ll driver her crazy  ,  he thinks  ,  and for what  ?  for him  ?  she doesn’t need this  ,  but  ,  much like another blonde he knows all too well  ,  marina is  STUBBORN  .  he’ll have to drive his point further  ,  if he wants it to reach her  .   “   ---  seriously  .  i don’t want you to worry  ...  you have enough to deal with  ,  without throwing me into the mix  .  i’m not worth it  ,  mari  .   ”

          he has to think about a lot  ,  while he’s here  .  every looming  FEAR  ,  every meek  ANXIETY  ,  PARANOIA  that wears down even the tough  ,  cinder block walls of his cell  .  but it’s not just this  .  there are certain degrees of solace  .  like  ...  when he’s thinking about  betty  ,  or jughead  .  his dad  .  no matter what’s done to break him down  ---  he will not forget that they’re out there  ,  somewhere  ,  doing  something  to get him out  .  that simple notion is enough to allow himself the cooling clarity of what’s meant to be a good night’s rest  .           EXCEPT  ...  it never comes  .  not tonight  .  instead  ,  there’s  NIGHTMARES  .  the idea that he’s going to  rot  here  ,  and he’s going to  deserve  it  .  for all the things he could’ve done  ,  but never did  ,  and everything in between  .  it’s irrational  .  it’s unruly  .  but nobody’s here to talk him down  ,  and that’s enough to send him into a spiral  .           he doesn’t  TRULY SLEEP  that night  ,  and so it’s really no surprise to find dark eyes weighted the next morning  ---  his gaze out of focus  ,  and his demeanor unenthused  .  lifeless  .  he’ll perk up at the announcement of visitor’s hours  ,  however  ,  and at the face of his  best friend  when he enters the room .  taking a seat  ,  he’ll feel the urge to take her hands  ,  to hug her  ,  to bask in the  COMFORT  she offers from presence alone  .           he’ll settle with the smile he’s able to conjure up  (  if you can really call it that  )  ,  voice kept low as he greets her  ,  “  betty cooper  ---  what took you so long  ?  ”

        º◦·✧·◦º  ┊  kj apa,  he /  him  &  cismale  ┊  damn,  look  at  archibald  andrews  this  year !  i  heard  he’s  seventeen and  has  lived  on  the  northside  for  seventeen  years.  also,  his  favorite  milkshake  flavor  is  black  &  white  with  whipped  cream,  chocolate  chips  &  two  straws,  just  in  case  you  wanna  get  in  with  him.  a  free  dessert  goes  a  long  way !