I decided to do a bonus post - an essay about the value and expected life of the monthly (floppy) comic book.

A bit late, but I've reviewed "The Road Worrier", the lead story in Your Pal Archie #1.

Quote from: PTF on July 24, 2017, 02:15:17 AM
"Toni Topaz is a character who was added on a little more recently in the comic books and she's always been very, very vivacious, exciting and a bit of a disrupter."

Yeah in all of two stories and the gazillion covers she was on that didn't include her in a single panel.

She sometimes appears in panels in an I'm-here-too capacity - though those might or might not be stories in which she's included on the cover. But, yeah, my point is she makes a ton of pointless cameo appearances - as if someone at Archie Comics was yelling "Don't you dare let the readers forget her!"

Seriously, though, how many actual Toni Topaz stories have there been?

Chapter 08, "The Great Rite" (occurring in April), is now up.

I didn't have time to post the notice last week, but I reviewed "The New Archies" segment, "Hamburger Helpers".

This week, I reviewed "The New Archies" segment, "Goodby Ms. Grundy".

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on July 09, 2017, 12:52:03 AM
And yet Archie Comics still manages to hoodwink people into spending $3.99 for a comic book with 20 pages of story (that's 20 cents a page, in case nobody's doing the math).

I used to pay less than that when buying the floppies at TFAW, but then there was the shipping on top of that. I'd end up paying around $7 for a floppy issue. After November, I just quit buying comics.

Chapter 07, "You Can Be Ostara" (occurring in March), is now up. Erotic. NSFW.

A bit late, but I'm reviewing "The New Archies" segment, "Stealing the Show".

Sabrina's Secret Life
"Lightning in the Dark"
Written By
Mark Moore
Author's note: Welcome to my fanfic. I had recently watched "Sabrina's Secret Life" on Netflix and fell in love with the series, so I decided to write a fanfic about what happens after the final episode, "Midsummer's Nightmare".
For those of you that are unfamiliar with this particular incarnation of Sabrina, here's an explanation. "Sabrina's Secret Life" is the third and final installment in a loose animated continuity of Sabrina the Teenage Witch. The first was the 65-episode "Sabrina: The Animated Series" (1999-2000). The second was a TV movie called "Sabrina: Friends Forever" (2002). The third was the 26-episode "Sabrina's Secret Life" (2003-2004). Despite supposedly all taking place in the same continuity (they have the same character designs), the continuity between these three incarnations is pretty bad. Characters disappear without explanation and are replaced by new characters (also without explanation).
In "Sabrina's Secret Life", Sabrina is 13 years old and a high school freshman. After her regular school day, she attends a witches' school, which is accessed through a door in the basement of Greendale High School. This school consists of one classroom and is taught by some of her regular school teachers (who are secretly witches). Her sole classmate is Cassandra, the niece of Enchantra, the Queen of the Witches. Cassandra starts out as Sabrina's enemy. Over the course of the series, she becomes Sabrina's frenemy. Finally, in the series finale, the two of them become friends. Sabrina's requisite best friend in this incarnation is a girl named Maritza. Cassandra, the resident popular girl, has the requisite two friends: Tiffany and Margo. That's really about all that you need to know.
Oh, yeah, I guess maybe watch the series finale before you read this fic. Otherwise, the gist is Sabrina and Cassandra have to work together to put on the school's production of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (with Sabrina as the director and Cassandra as Titania opposite Harvey's Oberon). Meanwhile, Puck (who's actually real) gets himself cast in the play, causing trouble. In the end, Sabrina and Cassandra come together and defeat Puck through the power of true friendship.
The childhood incident that Sabrina refers to can be seen in a 2000 comic story called "A Midsummer's Magic" in Cheryl Blossom #34 (available digitally). The song lyrics were written by Marty Wilde and Ricky Wilde and are copyright © 1981 by RAK Records.
Times written: Saturday, January 7, 2017, 8:04 PM - 8:45 PM; Saturday, January 28, 2017, 7:30 PM - 8:59 PM; Monday, April 17, 2017, 7:55 PM (EDT) - 9:46 PM; Thursday, May 4, 2017, 5:53 PM - 6:30 PM, 6:59 PM - 8:36 PM; Friday, May 5, 2017, 6:17 PM - 6:30 PM, 8:59 PM - 9:20 PM; Saturday, May 6, 2017, 6:13 PM - 6:30 PM, 8:33 PM - 10:03 PM; Sunday, May 7, 2017, 7:18 PM - 8:48 PM; Monday, May 8, 2017, 9:45 PM - 9:58 PM; Saturday, May 13, 2017, 9:26 PM - 10:00 PM; Sunday, May 14, 2017, 9:21 PM - 9:41 PM; Monday, May 15, 2017, 7:05 PM - 9:45 PM; Thursday, June 1, 2017, 7:26 PM - 8:54 PM; Sunday, June 4, 2017, 7:42 PM - 8:35 PM; Friday, June 9, 2017, 8:15 PM - 8:56 PM; Saturday, June 24, 2017, 8:59 PM - 10:07 PM; Sunday, July 2, 2017, 7:38 PM - 8:11 PM; Monday, July 3, 2017, 1:25 PM - 2:29 PM, 2:51 PM - 3:41 PM, 3:57 PM - 5:16 PM
The following story is copyright © 2017 by Mark Moore.
S+C
Sabrina Spellman sat in witches' school, listening to Ms. Magrooney drone on about the proper way to do some kind of spell. She looked over at Cassandra, her best friend, who had seemingly zoned out.
Finally, Sabrina let out an involuntary yawn.
"Sabrina!"
Sabrina snapped to attention. "Yes, Ms. Magrooney?"
"Can you repeat what I just said?"
Sabrina thought for a moment. "No."
Ms. Magrooney looked at Cassandra. "What about you, Cassandra?"
Cassandra didn't react.
"Cassandra!"
Cassandra snapped to attention. "Huh?!"
"Have neither of you been paying attention?!"
Sabrina and Cassandra looked at each other and shrugged.
Ms. Magrooney sighed. "This will be on your final exam. You do want to pass, don't you?"
Sabrina and Cassandra sighed. "Yes, Ms. Magrooney."
"Well, I guess that's enough for today. There's one more thing that I want to discuss with you. Your production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' was so popular that the school wants you to do an encore performance next Thursday evening."
The girls looked at each other.
Sabrina smiled. "I'm game."
Cassandra smiled. "Me too."
"Great. Discuss it with Harvey and the others and report back to me. Have a good weekend."
Sabrina and Cassandra stood up and picked up their magic books.
Sabrina smiled. "Let's stop by Harvey's and talk with him about it."
Cassandra smiled. "Okay."
S+C
Sabrina and Cassandra walked up to Harvey's front door.
Sabrina rang the doorbell.
Soon, the door opened. Harvey was standing there.
Harvey smiled. "Hey, Brina. Hey, Cassandra."
Sabrina smiled. "Hi, Harvey. Ms. Magrooney wants us to put on an encore presentation of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. You up to it?"
Harvey grinned. "Sure! When do you wanna start the rehearsals?"
Sabrina and Cassandra briefly looked at each other, and then they looked back at Harvey.
Cassandra smiled. "Give us a while to work out some of the kinks on the production side."
"Okay, let me know when you're ready."
Cassandra gave him a thumbs-up. "Will do."
Harvey closed the door.
Cassandra looked at Sabrina. "Wanna come by my place and help me practice my lines?"
"Actually, I need to get home. My aunts wanna speak to me about something. But you're welcome to come over."
"Okay, cool."
S+C
Sabrina walked into the living room. Cassandra followed and closed the door behind her.
"Aunt Hilda! Aunt Zelda!" Sabrina called.
"In the kitchen!" Hilda called.
The two girls walked into the kitchen.
The aunts were just finishing setting the table for dinner.
Zelda smiled. "Hi, Cassandra."
Cassandra smiled. "Hi."
Sabrina smiled. "Cassandra came over to practice her lines for the school play. Ms. Magrooney asked us to do an encore performance."
Hilda smiled. "That's great."
Zelda walked over to a cabinet. "I'll set an extra plate for dinner."
"What do you wanna talk to me about?" Sabrina asked.
Hilda brought the food over and put it on the plates. "We're attending a magic symposium in the Netherworld. There's a pre-conference mixer tonight. We wanted to let you know you'll be on your own until tomorrow evening."
"Okay."
"Call us if you need anything."
"I will." Sabrina smiled as she thought of an idea. "Hey, since it's the weekend, maybe Cassandra can stay over."
Hilda and Zelda looked at each other briefly and then looked back at the girls.
"Can we trust the two of you to stay out of trouble?" Zelda asked.
Cassandra smiled. "Of course."
Sabrina smiled. "No trouble at all."
Hilda shrugged. "I suppose it's okay."
Sabrina raised a fist triumphantly in the air. "Woo-hoo!"
S+C
The ladies walked into the living room after dinner. Hilda and Zelda magically floated their suitcases down the stairs.
Zelda smiled. "I'm glad that the two of you are getting along."
Hilda smiled. "Yeah. It's nice to not hear Sabrina complaining about Cassandra."
Cassandra looked at Sabrina and frowned.
Sabrina chuckled nervously. "It's all in the past."
"Okay, we're off." Zelda opened the portal to the Netherworld. "If you need something, just ask Salem."
Sabrina frowned and folded her arms over her chest. "Salem's a cat. What's he gonna do?"
Zelda chuckled. "Details."
She walked through the portal, and Hilda followed her. The portal closed.
Sabrina looked at Cassandra. "Do you want anything to drink?"
Cassandra smiled. "Sure. Got any energy drinks?"
Sabrina smiled. "Coming right up. Then we can head up to my room and rehearse the play."
S+C
"Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania."
"What, jealous Oberon!" Cassandra exclaimed. "Fairies, skip hence: I have forsworn his bed and company."
"Tarry, rash wanton: am not I thy lord?" Sabrina asked.
"Then I must be thy lady..." Cassandra sighed. "Sorry, I'm just not feeling it. Can we take a break?"
"Sure." Sabrina went and sat on the floor, leaning against her bed. She set her book on the floor.
Cassandra went over and sat to her left. She set her book on the floor. "I don't know what's wrong."
Each girl picked up a can of Rockstar, opened it, and took a swig.
Salem walked into the room. "Girls, I'm off. There's an awesome cat food tasting in the Netherworld, and I intend to sample everything. You may need to come and get me tomorrow. I doubt I'll be able to walk."
"You're leaving?" Sabrina asked, surprised. "You were supposed to be our go-to guy tonight."
"You're complaining about a lack of supervision?" Cassandra asked incredulously. "This is what teenagers live for."
"Anyway, toodles." Salem hopped onto the windowsill and then outside.
Cassandra sighed.
"Is something wrong?" Sabrina asked.
"I don't know. Maybe. I'm not connecting to the material."
Sabrina gulped down the rest of her drink, crushed her can, and dropped it on the floor. "Maybe we oughta unwind for an hour or two and pick this back up later."
"What do you suggest?" Cassandra asked.
Sabrina smiled. "We've got a supreme pizza in the freezer."
Cassandra smiled. "Perfect!"
S+C
While Sabrina was getting the pizza out of the oven, Cassandra was looking through the cabinets.
"What are you looking for?" Sabrina asked.
"Where do your aunts keep their booze?" Cassandra asked.
Sabrina was surprised. "What? I wouldn't know."
Cassandra looked at Sabrina. "Seriously? You've never had the idea to sneak a drink when you've had the house to yourself? We have the house to ourselves for the entire night. This is a golden opportunity. We can be total bitches, pig out, get drunk, and end up shit-faced and passed out on your bedroom floor." Cassandra smiled to herself and sighed. "Good times."
Sabrina set the pizza on the stove top and helped Cassandra search. She came across a locked cabinet.
Cassandra walked over to her. "Allow me." She waved her finger, magically unlocking the cabinet. She opened it, looked inside, and grinned. "Jackpot!"
Sabrina looked inside. "Okay, what's your pleasure, wine or vodka?"
"Yes." Cassandra took out one bottle of each. "You cut up the pizza. I'll get some glasses and make us some screwdrivers."
S+C
Sabrina carried the pizza up to her bedroom, and Cassandra carried a tray holding four glasses of screwdrivers and the bottle of wine.
After they entered Sabrina's bedroom, Cassandra closed the door. The two girls sat on the floor by Sabrina's bed and set the food and drinks down.
Cassandra sniffed the pizza and smiled. "This smells really good."
Sabrina smiled. She had taken a supreme pizza and added extra cheese, extra sausage, extra pepperoni, extra olives, bologna, salami, bacon, and garlic sauce to it. It filled her with a certain amount of pride.
Cassandra picked up a slice, bit off the end, chewed, and swallowed. She licked her lips. "Mmmm, supremely decadent. You make a wicked-cool pizza, Bri."
"Thanks." Sabrina picked up a slice and started eating it.
Cassandra picked up one of the glasses. "To friendship."
Sabrina picked up another glass. "To friendship."
"Cheers."
They clinked their glasses together and then sipped their drinks. Sabrina made a disgusted face.
Cassandra laughed. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it."
Sabrina quickly ate a bit more pizza. "Why'd we ever fight anyway?"
"I dunno. I guess I just had my prejudices." Cassandra sipped more of her screwdriver. "If I haven't said it enough yet, I'm sorry...about everything."
Sabrina smiled. "Water under the bridge."
Cassandra smiled. The two girls slowly sipped their drinks and ate their pizza for a while.
The telephone rang.
Sabrina stood up, picked up the handset, and answered the call. "Hello?"
"Hey, Sabrina, it's me."
Sabrina sat back on the floor, next to Cassandra. "Hey, Maritza."
"Hey, I was wondering if you'd like to come over and hang out."
"Ooh, sorry, I've got Cassandra over. She's spending the night."
"Cassandra?" Maritza asked, surprised.
"Yeah. What's the big deal? She's my friend too."
"Since when?"
"Since...recently, okay?"
"Okay, fine, forget it. I'll see you at school. Bye."
"Bye." Sabrina ended the call and dropped the handset on the floor.
"What was that about?" Cassandra asked.
"Maritza invited me over." Sabrina picked up a second glass of screwdriver. "She didn't seem happy that I declined."
Cassandra put her left arm around Sabrina and hugged her. Sabrina rested her head on Cassandra's shoulder. They just sat like that for a while.
Cassandra gulped down her screwdriver, set down her glass, and stood up. She nearly fell over and had to hold onto her bed to steady herself.
"Are you okay?" Sabrina asked.
"Yeah. Let's do the scene again."
Sabrina finished her second screwdriver, set down her glass, picked up both books, and stood up. She offered Cassandra's book to her. "Pick up where you left off."
Cassandra opened her book and flipped through it until she found the right spot. She hesitated.
"What's wrong?" Sabrina asked.
"I dunno. I'm still not feeling it."
Sabrina closed her book and dropped it on the floor. Then she took Cassandra's book from her and did the same. She took hold of Cassandra's hands. "You know the lines. Just speak to me."
Cassandra stared into Sabrina's eyes. "Then I must be thy lady. And thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move me on the first view to say, to swear, I love thee..." She leaned forward and kissed Sabrina on the lips.
Sabrina was surprised but didn't react. She let Cassandra finish the kiss on her own. Cassandra finally finished the kiss but remained very close to Sabrina. She searched Sabrina's face for a reaction.
Sabrina smiled in amusement. "I think you garbled your lines from separate scenes."
Cassandra laughed. "It was intentional."
"Has this been...what's been on your mind?" Sabrina asked.
"I guess so."
"We should probably talk about it."
Cassandra nodded. "Are you angry?"
Sabrina shook her head. "No." She paused for a moment. "Talk to me. Tell me how you feel."
"I feel like I love you. I feel like you're the one person that I can talk to about truly anything. I feel so happy when I'm around you. I feel like you're my everything."
"Are you sure that's not the booze talking?" Sabrina asked.
"I'm sure, and I think you feel the same way."
"Oh?"
"We're still holding hands."
Sabrina chuckled. "Yeah, we are."
Cassandra gave Sabrina a loopy smile. "Baby, it's all I know...that you're half of the flesh and blood that makes me whole. I need you so..."
"Cass, you've got a beautiful singing voice."
"Really? Thanks. We should totally form a band."
"Exsqueeze me?" Sabrina asked in surprise. "Now I know you're letting the booze talk."
"We both have nice voices. If we can learn to play some instruments, we can kick some serious ass in the local music scene."
"Okay, but let's get this play right first."
"What's your rush? We've got all night." Cassandra kissed Sabrina on the lips.
S+C
"So then I was like 'Ooh, Brad and Jen are so cute together!' And Maritza was like 'Nuh-uh!' And I was like 'Uh-huh'!" Sabrina gulped down some wine directly from the bottle.
Cassandra took the nearly empty bottle of wine away from Sabrina. "Okay, you've had enough."
"Spoil sport!" Sabrina stuck out her tongue.
Cassandra drank the last of the wine and dropped the bottle on the floor. "Anyway, it won't last."
"You never know."
"Actually, I do. They divorce early next year. Then Brad gets together with Angie. They break up not long after they finally get married, ironically."
"How do you know all of this?" Sabrina asked.
"A time-shifting spell. It allows me to observe events in the past and future. I know the death of every celebrity within the next thirteen years."
Sabrina stared at her for a moment, unsure what to make of the information. "That's really creepy."
Cassandra shrugged. "Anyway, I think we've got the play worked out. Agreed?"
"Sure."
"Okay, on to the band."
"Tomorrow. We currently can't strings two sentences together or sing a wing-a-ding-ding, whee!"
Cassandra stared at her. "O...kaaay. We should shower and get to bed, I guess."
Sabrina smiled impishly. "Stand up."
Cassandra stared at her in confusion and then stood up. She felt dizzy and uncoordinated and fell to the floor. "Whafuckhappenedhuh?"
Sabrina laughed. "You're drunk. That's what happened that's what happened that's what totally happened I have spoken!"
Cassandra, holding onto Sabrina's bed for support, stood up slowly. Sabrina did the same and pulled down the covers.
The girls climbed onto the bed. Cassandra took off her pants and shirt and dropped them on the floor.
Sabrina stared at Cassandra. "Wow."
Cassandra smiled. "Like what you see?"
Sabrina smiled. "Definitely." She took off her pants and shirt and dropped them on the floor.
Cassandra tackled Sabrina. Sabrina's head hit the pillow. Cassandra passionately kissed Sabrina on the lips, audibly moaning, shoved her tongue into Sabrina's mouth, and groped her. Sabrina was surprised - and yet not - by Cassandra's forwardness and enthusiasm and started feeling up her new love.
Suddenly, there was a flash of lightning outside the window, followed by a crash of thunder. The girls were frightened, and Cassandra broke the kiss.
Sabrina smiled. "Wow, that was amazing. I felt the Earth move."
Cassandra smiled. "Oh, no, you haven't, honey, but you will soon enough."
Sabrina grinned. There was another flash of lightning and another crash of thunder. The light in Sabrina's bedroom suddenly went out.
"We've lost power!" Sabrina exclaimed.
"Well, that's unacceptable. We've gotta be able to see each other." Cassandra felt around for her wand and picked it up. "Illuminate!"
A brilliant white light flowed from Cassandra's wand, filling the room. Cassandra looked at the wand in her hand, and then she looked down at the last bit of clothing that Sabrina was wearing - her underwear - and smiled mischievously. Sabrina grinned in delight.
S+C
Sabrina woke up and opened her eyes. Sunlight was shining in her eyes through the window. She turned and looked at Cassandra, sleeping peacefully next to her, and smiled, remembering their lovemaking from the previous night. Sabrina kissed Cassandra on the lips.
Cassandra woke up and opened her eyes. She and Sabrina hugged each other and tenderly kissed for a while, simply enjoying each other in the quiet solitude of the morning.
Finally, reluctantly, Sabrina finished the kiss and smiled. "Good morning."
Cassandra smiled. "Understatement of the year."
"Let's take a shower and clean up this mess, and then I'll make us breakfast."
Cassandra sighed. "Okay, but I'd rather stay in bed all day."
The two girls got out of bed and stretched.
Suddenly, a portal opened, and Salem came out. The portal closed. Salem collapsed on the floor and groaned.
Sabrina panicked and folded her arms over her breasts. "Salem!" She chuckled nervously. "How's my second-favorite pussy?"
Salem looked around. "Why are there pizza crumbs and an empty wine bottle in your room?"
"Um, well, we had a long evening of work, so you really can't blame us for wanting to relax and unwind. You won't tell my aunts, will you?"
"Nah. Hell, I've drunk more booze in one night." Salem looked up at the girls and eyed them suspiciously. "Am I suffering from food poisoning, or are the two of you naked?"
Cassandra smiled, not even attempting to hide it. "We're naked."
"Why?" Salem asked.
Sabrina searched for an explanation. "Well, y'see, last night, there was a really bad thunderstorm, and we got scared and couldn't sleep, so Cassandra decided it would be a good idea to take off our clothes and..." She stopped, trying to decide how to phrase it.
Cassandra smiled. "Fuck each other."
Sabrina looked at Cassandra in surprised annoyance. Cassandra shrugged.
Sabrina looked at Salem, nervous. "You won't tell, will you?"
"What's it worth to you?" Salem asked.
"I'll buy you a bunch of cat treats."
Salem felt nauseous. "Please, I'm on the verge of being sick as it is."
Cassandra held up her wand. "I could zap you to the familiar clinic in the Netherworld, and we could call it even."
Salem felt like he was about to throw up. "Deal."
Cassandra waved her wand, and Salem disappeared in a flash of light.
Sabrina smiled. "Thanks."
Cassandra smiled. "No problem."
S+C
After taking a somewhat lengthy shower, Sabrina and Cassandra cleaned up the mess and came downstairs. While Cassandra disposed of the trash and washed the dishes, Sabrina made pancakes for breakfast.
When they were ready, Sabrina served them, and she and Cassandra sat next to each other at the kitchen table and started eating.
Sabrina cut a piece of her stack off and held up her fork, smiling. "Pancakes, the official breakfast of witches!"
Cassandra stared at her for a moment and then squirted maple syrup on her own stack of pancakes. "You're weird."
Sabrina ate her pancakes with pride. "Yummy!"
Cassandra offered the bottle to her. "Want some syrup?"
Sabrina took the bottle. "Yeah, thanks." She squirted maple syrup on her stack of pancakes and then looked at the label on the bottle. "Blossom Maple Farms. Y'know, I met this one girl at camp a few years ago, Cheryl Blossom. She bragged about how she was an heir to a 'maple syrup empire'. I laughed it off at the time, but I think I recall she said she was from..." Sabrina checked the back of the bottle and nodded. "...Riverdale."
"Maple syrup empire, okaaay." Cassandra thought for a moment and then smiled wickedly. "After breakfast, wanna give each other a sticky maple?"
Sabrina was confused. "What the hell is a sticky maple?"
S+C
After a second shower, Sabrina and Cassandra entered Sabrina's bedroom and sat on her bed. They hugged each other and started making out.
Cassandra suddenly broke the kiss. "Hey, do you wanna discuss the band now?"
Sabrina shrugged. "Okay. Can you play anything?"
"I'd learned to play the piano in music class in elementary school, and I've stuck with it. It's probably transferable to a keyboard. You?"
"I'd played around with an acoustic guitar in music class. I never got particularly good at it."
"Well, these are things that we can work on. Do you wanna go out and look for some instruments?"
Sabrina smiled slyly. "We'd have to put on clothes."
Cassandra smiled. "A small sacrifice."
"Okay, let's do it."
S+C
Sabrina sighed. "The prices in that music store were too expensive."
She and Cassandra were walking back to Sabrina's house.
"Not for me, but I understand your situation."
Sabrina frowned.
Cassandra sighed. "I just didn't see anything that I liked."
They walked in silence for a moment.
"So...got any ideas for other band members?" Cassandra asked.
"Huh?" Sabrina asked, surprised. "You want more members?"
"It makes sense. A band can't have just two members."
"Eurythmics."
Cassandra thought about it. "Still, they had other musicians with them."
Sabrina shrugged. "I'll ask Maritza."
They came to Harvey's house and noticed his family was having a yard sale. They stopped to look around.
Harvey walked over to them and smiled. "Hey, Cassandra. Hey, Brina. My parents decided to clear out the attic and garage. We've got some cool stuff here."
"You wouldn't happen to have an electric guitar, would you?" Sabrina asked.
"Actually, my dad is selling his '84 Gibson Les Paul Studio. It's in pretty good shape."
"May I see it?" Sabrina asked.
"Sure." Harvey went to get it.
"Seriously?" Cassandra asked.
Sabrina smiled. "It makes sense. I can't afford a new guitar, you don't see a new keyboard that you like, and we're a beginner band. We should have shitty instruments."
Cassandra thought about it. "I guess you're right."
Harvey came back, holding a guitar case. He set it on the table and opened it.
Sabrina looked at the guitar. "How much?"
"$800."
Sabrina frowned. "Harvey! That does not help me!"
"Bri, may I?" Cassandra asked.
"Sure."
Cassandra studied the guitar. "I notice some nicks and dents." She looked up at Harvey and frowned. "What do you take us for?"
"Hey, my dad set the price!"
"Then get him over here. We need to negotiate. Also, while we're at it, I'm looking for a keyboard."
"Dad's got an '84 Roland SH-101."
"Good. We also need an amplifier."
"Got one."
"Splendid. Also, do you wanna be in our band?"
Harvey stared at her in surprise.
S+C
Sabrina, Cassandra, and Harvey set up their gear in Sabrina's garage. Sabrina tuned her guitar - with assistance from Harvey. Cassandra played with her keyboard, which came with a strap, so she wore it as a keytar. Harvey banged on his drums.
"Okay, okay, hang on. We need a plan. What kind of band do we wanna be?"
Sabrina and Harvey stared at Cassandra blankly, unsure how to respond.
"What type of music do we wanna play?" Cassandra clarified.
"Retro?" Sabrina finally suggested. "Like, '80s, maybe?"
Harvey smiled. "Sounds good."
Cassandra smiled. "Yeah, I like that too. Okay, what kind of image do we wanna project?"
Sabrina thought about that briefly. "Uh, how about just cool, confident girls?"
Cassandra grinned. "I like it! Simple, yet powerful. Okay, what song should we practice first?"
"Uh, well, first, I'm gonna get on the Internet and print out some music sheets and lyrics. Be right back."
S+C
Sabrina walked back into the garage with a stack of sheets and three cans of Rockstar. She sat down and handed one can each to Cassandra and Harvey. Then she passed out the sheets.
Sabrina smiled. "I think you're gonna like the selections."
Cassandra looked at the sheets and smiled. "Nice. Okay, let's try one."
Suddenly, Maritza walked into the driveway. "Hey, Sabrina." She noticed Cassandra and Harvey and lost her smile. "Oh." She walked into the garage. "I didn't know you had anyone over."
"Yeah, Cassandra's spending the day. She had the idea of starting a band and then brought Harvey on board, and...here we are."
"Yeah,...here you are."
"Did you need something?" Sabrina asked.
Maritza frowned. "I wanted to see if you wanted to hang out, but I guess you're busy."
"Sorry."
"Y'know, it would have been nice if you'd asked me if I wanted to be in your band."
"We really don't need a fourth member."
Maritza nearly lost it.
Sabrina could sense that and got a bit afraid. "I mean I didn't even think we needed a third until Cassandra brought it up. I meant to ask you, but Cassandra asked Harvey when we bought our instruments at his family's yard sale, and he agreed, so...that was that."
"Got it. See you at school tomorrow." Maritza turned and walked away.
Sabrina sighed but didn't say anything. She just watched Maritza go.
Cassandra put a hand on Sabrina's shoulder. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Okay, let's practice a song." Sabrina flipped through the sheets and then started playing the opening chords of a song. "One way..."
S+C
Throughout the following school week, Sabrina and Cassandra sat together in class and at lunch. This had an alienating effect on Maritza, Tiffany, and Margo.
On Thursday afternoon, Sabrina, Harvey, and Cassandra put on a spectacular performance of "A Midsummer Night's Dream". They took bows as the audience cheered and applauded. They waved to the audience.
"Thank you!" Cassandra exclaimed. "We have an announcement to make!"
The audience quieted down.
"We invite all of you to come to the debut concert of our new band, Lightning in the Dark!" Cassandra announced.
Sabrina smiled. "The concert will be held tomorrow, after school, right here!"
Harvey grinned and pointed at the audience. "So be there or be square!"
Sabrina and Cassandra grimaced. They and Harvey took a final bow and then walked backstage.
Ms. Magrooney smiled. "That was a great production, girls! Well done!"
Sabrina smiled. "Thanks."
Cassandra smiled. "Yeah, thanks."
Ms. Magrooney walked away.
Maritza came backstage and met up with them. She grinned. "That was totally bitchin'!"
"Bitchin'?" Cassandra asked. "What is this, the '80s?"
"It's still in use. I checked."
"Right, okay." Cassandra turned to face Sabrina and smiled. "See ya tomorrow."
Sabrina nodded. Cassandra puckered her lips. Sabrina felt nervous and abruptly left. Cassandra frowned.
S+C
Sabrina was lying on her bed, watching a DVD on her computer. Her phone rang.
She reached for her handset and answered the call. "Hello?"
"Hey. We need to talk." It was Cassandra. She didn't sound happy.
Sabrina was concerned. She pressed the Mute button on her remote control. "What about?"
"About what happened backstage today."
"Oh. Come over."
There was a flash of light, and Cassandra stood before Sabrina. Sabrina ended the call and put the handset back in its cradle. She sat up straight. Cassandra sat to her right on the bed.
"Cass, I didn't mean to hurt you. You just kinda...put me in an awkward position."
Cassandra folded her arms over her chest. "Oh?"
"Well, I haven't let anyone know we're together yet. Not my aunts. Not the kids at school."
Cassandra took Sabrina's hands in her own hands. "Bri, things would probably go a lot better for us if we were honest."
"I'm scared. How will they react? What if our relationship doesn't survive?"
Cassandra let go of Sabrina's hands and picked up her wand. "Let's find out."
"The time-shifting spell?" Sabrina asked. "Are you sure about using it?"
Cassandra smiled. "We shouldn't be afraid of what we'll find. Trust me."
"Okay."
Cassandra held up her wand and waved. "Show, for us to see, if things will be hunky-dory between Bri and me!"
There was a flash of light, and then they found themselves sitting on the grass in Sabrina's backyard. Sitting among them were Hilda, Zelda, Salem, Maritza, Harvey, Tiffany, and Margo. Standing under an oak tree was Enchantra, queen of the witches and Cassandra's aunt. It was nighttime, and the full moon had risen. Tiki torches provided additional lighting.
Then Sabrina and Cassandra saw themselves, a few years older, walking past the invited guests and toward the tree. The two of them were naked and holding hands.
They arrived at the tree and faced each other. They joined hands.
Enchantra smiled. "We have gathered here today to join two very special people in marriage: Sabrina and Cassandra. You may now recite your vows."
"Four years ago, I could barely tolerate you. But then something wonderful happened, and the radiant light of this shining star came upon me." Sabrina smiled. "I, Sabrina, take you, Cassandra, to be my lawfully wedded wife, in perfect love and perfect trust, from this day forward and for the rest of my life. So mote it be."
"'Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.' If you had told me, seven years ago, that we would get married, I would have laughed." Cassandra smiled. "How quickly things changed, my beautiful director. I, Cassandra, take you, Sabrina, to be my lawfully wedded wife, in perfect love and perfect trust, from this day forward and for the rest of my life. So mote it be."
Enchantra smiled. "By the authority invested in me, I declare the two of you to be married."
Sabrina and Cassandra kissed each other on the lips. The guests cheered and applauded.
Sabrina smiled as she watched her own wedding occur.
Cassandra was smiling as well. She looked over at Sabrina. "Convinced?"
"Uh-huh."
Cassandra waved her wand. There was a flash of light, and they found themselves sitting on Sabrina's bed again.
"I'm sorry that I was so insecure."
Cassandra smiled. "Don't worry about it."
"I'd like to let everyone know we're together, but I'm not sure how."
Cassandra thought for a moment and then smiled. "I have an idea."
S+C
On Friday afternoon, students, faculty, and guests packed the auditorium.
Sabrina, Cassandra, and Harvey were waiting backstage.
"I'm kind of nervous."
Cassandra put an arm around Sabrina and hugged her. "It's okay, sweetie, I'll be right by your side."
Harvey smiled. "Me too. Well, a bit behind you, but...y'know."
Sabrina smiled at Cassandra. "Thanks."
Cassandra smiled. "Let's get out there and put on a hell of a show."
The three of them walked out on the stage. The audience cheered and applauded. Sabrina picked up her guitar. Cassandra picked up her keytar. Harvey sat behind his drum set and picked up his sticks. They turned on their microphones. Cassandra turned on the amplifier.
"Hello, Greendale!" Cassandra exclaimed. "Welcome to our debut concert! Let's rock!" She looked at Sabrina.
Sabrina nodded. The three of them started playing.
Sabrina looked out at the audience. "Looking out a dirty old window. Down below, the cars in the city go rushing by. I sit here alone, and I wonder why. Friday night, and everyone's moving. I can feel the heat, but it's soothing, heading down. I search for the beat in this dirty town."
Cassandra grinned. "Downtown, the young ones are going. Downtown, the young ones are growing."
Sabrina and Cassandra moved closer together. "We're the kids in America. Whoa-oa! We're the kids in America. Whoa-oa! Everybody live for the music-go-round!"
Cassandra started playfully touching Sabrina. "Bright lights, the music gets faster. Look, girl, don't check on your watch, not another glance."
Sabrina smiled. "I'm not leaving now, honey, not a chance."
In the audience, Maritza stared at them in shock. Hilda and Zelda were also surprised.
"Hot shot, give me no problems. Much later, baby, you'll be saying never mind." Cassandra playfully pushed Sabrina away.
"You know life is cruel. Life is never kind."
Sabrina and Cassandra came back together. "Kind hearts, don't make a new story. Kind hearts, don't grab any glory. We're the kids in America. Whoa-oa! We're the kids in America. Whoa-oa! Everybody live for the music-go-round!"
Maritza frowned, her initial shock turning to anger. Hilda and Zelda, by contrast, were getting into the performance.
Cassandra snuggled up close to Sabrina. "Come closer, honey, that's better. Got to get a brand new experience, feeling right. Oh, don't try to stop, baby, hold me tight."
Sabrina was really enjoying herself. "Outside, a new day is dawning. Outside, suburbia's sprawling everywhere. I don't want to go, baby."
"New York to east California, there's a new wave coming, I warn ya. We're the kids in America. Whoa-oa! We're the kids in America. Whoa-oa! Everybody lives for the music-go-round!"
The band finished the song, Sabrina and Cassandra kissed each other on the lips, and most of the audience cheered and applauded - all except one girl, Maritza, who had walked out.
S+C
After the concert was over, they packed up their gear in Harvey's father's van.
"So...what was all of that about...on stage?" Harvey asked.
"Huh?" Sabrina asked, feigning innocence.
"You know what I'm talking about. The two of you were flirting like crazy."
Sabrina shrugged. "Well,...we're together."
Harvey was disappointed. "Oh. I see."
Cassandra closed the back door of the van and looked at Harvey. "It's not you, Harvey. It's just...something that happened."
"We can still be friends, right?" Sabrina asked.
Harvey managed a small smile. "Yeah, sure."
Sabrina smiled, but then she looked over and saw Maritza walking toward her parents' car, and she grew concerned. She walked over to Maritza.
"Did you like our show?" Sabrina asked.
Maritza faced her angrily. "What the hell was that?!"
"Is there a problem?" Sabrina asked.
"It's no wonder that you've been spending so much time with Cassandra recently!" Maritza cried. "Are you...seeing her?"
Sabrina stared at Maritza's anguished face for a moment, trying to decide what to say. "We're in love."
Maritza reacted as if Sabrina had shot her.
"And we plan to get married someday."
Maritza opened her mouth to try to yell at Sabrina, but she was too shocked to say anything. Sabrina sat on the back bumper of Maritza's parents' car and motioned for her to do the same. Maritza sat to Sabrina's right.
"It's something that just happened. We became best friends, and then we became more than that. You and I will never stop being friends, but Cassandra is my everything. I love her more than words can say. I don't want you to feel jealous or angry, because I want you in my life as well."
"Will we still hang out and do all of the things that we used to do?" Maritza asked.
"Of course! Maybe not as often, but we will."
"Okay. I'm sorry that I was jealous."
Sabrina smiled. "It's okay."
The two of them hugged.
Maritza looked into the distance and saw Cassandra standing by the van and watching them. She was smiling.
Maritza released Sabrina and smiled. "I think your future wife overheard you. Go get her."
Sabrina released Maritza, stood up, and walked over to Cassandra. "You heard?"
"I did." Cassandra hugged Sabrina and kissed her passionately on the lips, soon shoving her tongue into Sabrina's mouth.
Soon, they heard the sound of Zelda clearing her throat. Cassandra broke the kiss and released Sabrina. The two of them faced the aunts.
Hilda smiled in amusement. "So..."
"Who wants to start the explanation?" Zelda asked.
"Um, the two of us can explain...over dinner?" Sabrina suggested.
Zelda shrugged and nodded.
Sabrina faced Harvey and waved. "See ya, Harvey."
Cassandra faced Harvey and waved. "Just bring our gear by Bri's place tomorrow."
Harvey waved. "Will do."
S+C
Sabrina and Cassandra sat next to each other at the kitchen table. The aunts sat opposite them. They were eating a home-cooked meal of steak, mashed potatoes, and gravy.
Cassandra smiled. "This is delicious."
Zelda stared at her. "Thanks. Start talking."
Cassandra shrugged. "Not much to say."
"Think of something."
"Really, there's not much to say." Sabrina set down her utensils and put her right arm around Cassandra, hugging her. "We've fallen in love with each other."
"Is it serious?" Hilda asked.
Sabrina smiled. "Very."
Zelda arched an eyebrow. "Explain."
Cassandra smiled and set down her utensils. "We used a time-shifting spell to look into our own future." She put her right hand on Sabrina's right hand. "We get married on July 24, 2011."
The aunts were surprised but didn't say anything for a long time. Sabrina and Cassandra stared at them.
Zelda finally smiled. "Welcome to the family, Cassandra."
Sabrina and Cassandra grinned, and then they kissed each other on the lips.
S+C
On Monday morning, Cassandra picked Sabrina up in her limousine, and the two of them rode to school together.
They held hands while walking around on campus, and they sat together during classes. Tiffany and Margo took exception to this, continuing to grow jealous.
At lunch, Sabrina and Cassandra sat together at a picnic table outside. Maritza sat across from Sabrina, and Harvey sat across from Cassandra.
Tiffany and Margo walked by with their trays. They briefly glanced at Cassandra and Sabrina and then averted eye contact.
"Tiff! Margo!" Cassandra called.
They stopped and looked at her, frowning.
Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Pu-leaze, jealousy does not become you. Sit with us."
Tiffany and Margo looked at each other, and then they looked back at Cassandra.
"Are we still your friends?" Tiffany asked.
"Because we were under the impression that we weren't."
"Just because Sabrina's my bestie doesn't mean I don't wanna hang out with you."
Sabrina smiled. "Yeah, c'mon, let's get to know each other."
Tiffany sat next to Cassandra, and Margo sat next to Harvey.
Harvey smiled. "It's great that we can all get along."
Maritza smiled. "Amazing, isn't it?"
Sabrina smiled slyly at Cassandra. "Yeah, who would have thought?"
Cassandra returned the smile. "Amazing how things work out."
The End

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on July 02, 2017, 12:55:55 PM
Does it not work ALL the time, or only SOME of the time?

If it's only some of the time, maybe try some different things like rebooting, closing excess tabs, or even trying another browser. Might be something on your system hogging your own computer's memory.

*shrug* Just tried it. It works now.

I'm sorry that this is late. This week, I have another special treat for you: a review of the 1978 variety special!

For the past few days, when I try posting in the Shoutbox, the little icon spins endlessly, but my message never appears.

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on June 22, 2017, 01:31:47 PM
Additional layers of confusion are merely added by the fact that all the New Riverdale titles seem to look like they belong to the same universe, and vague cross-references have appeared here and there, along with some commonalities. Yet there is nothing distinctly pointing to the titles NOT being in the same universe, either. It's only when the stories are closely examined that we can discover that things just don't line up between them, but it's subtle and non-obvious unless you dig deeper.

I just read #2 and was surprised to see Cheryl there. I guess, if it's supposed to take place in the same universe as the "Archie" title, it occurs only after Veronica's return to Riverdale. It occurs in autumn of 2016, so I guess it's supposed to be the following school year, placing those Veronica-in-Switzerland issues in the 2015-2016 school year.

But Cheryl is working for Veronica (washing cars) and calling her "coach". I can't imagine the Cheryl of the "Archie" title (or any version of Cheryl, actually) doing that.

I just read #2, and I have a few questions:

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on June 22, 2017, 03:47:23 AM
It did feel as though the conclusion to Hughes' B&V arc was rewritten on the fly -- as if to specifically address criticisms of the earlier issues in the series. Specifically: Betty swearing

When, exactly, did Betty swear in either of the first two issues?

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on June 22, 2017, 03:47:23 AM
Veronica's "ultrabitch" attitude

Why would this even be criticized? Veronica has often been an "ultrabitch" through the decades.

Quote from: irishmoxie on June 26, 2017, 09:11:05 AM

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on June 25, 2017, 02:23:08 PM
Templeton did a really nice job with the inking. Gives it a slightly different look.

I hate Betty's hair. Makes her less attractive.

That's how she wears her hair on the show.

It works on the show. It doesn't really work here.