There was obviously not a second of hesitation when Sweet pea found the girl opening her arms and running to him. In Riverdale his reputation was being the emotionless and hard headed boy but he had never been this way with Toni. As his best friend she has seen the side of him no one else got to. Until now that his excitement to see her again was just too overwhelming. He bent down and wrapped his arms as tightly around her as he possibly could, spinning her around in the isle ignoring the eyes as the to reunited.
âIâm here, Tiny. I honestly thought Iâd be fucking stuck here, alone.â He knew heâd seen other familiar Riverdale faces but this was different. Toni was more than a familiar face. She was home to him. Setting the girl down he only pulled away only enough to talk to her.
âI saw that pink hair of yours and thought I was imagining things.â He said with a hidden smile. âHow long⌠have you been here?â God he didnât want to find out sheâs been alone here for long. Heâd been able to get by but Sweet pea didnât like not having control, he didnât like not having his Serpents; but above all he just hated that he didnât know what was going on.
Things still werenât great. Everything but this was wrong. No matter how messy and complicated things had gotten in Riverdale, she could count on Sweet Pea being there for her. Loyalty went beyond the Serpents for them. His arms tight around her was immediate relief of comfort. âYouâre not alone, Pea.â Her hands slipped from around him to gently brush the hair off his face. Eyes scanning over his face with desperation and relief. He was okay. He was here and he was okay.
âNot long,â she reassured. âA couple days.â It was a guess. It sure felt like longer being all by herself, but she had to keep herself grounded. âWhat about you?â There had been a divide back home. She couldnât remember the last time she saw Sweet Pea and had no way of knowing if that was right before here or if he showed up the same time she did.
âIs anyone else here?â It was a shot in the dark but it was a question she needed at ask. How many people could really stay hidden in such a small town. âYou know, anyone from Riverdale.â Toni desperatley wanted to ask about Cheryl. However, she knew that wasnât the best foot to lead with when it came to Sweets. âYouâre the first familiar face Iâve seen.â
Ethel liked working late at the theater, usually, especially when she got to run the projector. It allowed her peace and quiet, to play films that she couldnât play during the day. Â Tonight, however, was an exception. Sheâd had to play hostess to a late night premiere: Under the Cherry Moon. The theater was empty as could be, save for a small cluster of Prince fangirls and an overeager couple down in front. She couldnât blame people for not showing up, the film wasnât good, but she was unbelievably bored.
When the door opened on her little projection booth, she turned and prepared to talk to her boss about the bad ticket sales. She relaxed, though, upon seeing who it really was. âYouâre not supposed to be up here, yâknow.â she teased, grinning a little.
Toni had no interest in the movie. Lucky for her, it seemed everyone else felt the same. The place was practically deserted. Everyone seemed to have better things to focus on than her. Originally, she thought she was going to have to sneak her way in but things seemed deserted enough. Finally a break since waking up here confused and alone.
An old friend from Riverdale told her about his time spent crashing in the drive inâs projection booth. It had been long shut down by the time she heard. She never used it. However, Toni needed somewhere to stay. The one in this town wasnât closed down. In Toniâs mind, there was no need to sneak around now that she was away from the crowds. A figure present in the room caused Toniâs body to recoil. âI didnât know anyone was in here,â she explained, as if that made anything better.
     â  â-  in  my  defense  ,  this  cat  has  a  mind  of  his  own  .  â   cue  her  going  on  her  toes  ,  picking  him  up  from  the  otherâs  lap  /  shoe   ,  a  small  glare  in  her  eye  at  the  cat  .   â  sorry about salem  ,  again  .  i  really  ought  to  start  closing  the  windows  of  my  apartment  ,  hmm  ?   â   she  jokes  to  the  best  of  her  ability  ,  with t he  SQUIRMING  black  cat  in  her  arms  .
âdonât worry about it,â toni dismissed with a shrug. âsalem, huh? itâs nice to meet you.â words directed at the cat trying to pry itself from a womanâs grip until her eyes finally raised to meet with the stranger. âi like the name, it suits him. iâm toni. iâd offer to shake a hand or paw but youâve got them full and salem seems a little more focused on that desperate wiggle to freedom.â
 The public library was about the only place where a free computer was available to the public. But there were only 15, and they were in constant use from open to close, mostly by students who had to do schoolwork or adults trying to get away from their house. On the weekends and after school, there were kids trying to play the few games that there were on the computers. There were the kids who came in with the older siblings and watched whatever movie Diamond put in the VCR or they would read the childrenâs books in the kiddy corner. There were the people who came in to return their overdue books and reluctantly pay whatever fee was being charged to them. And there were the people that were raging over someone using the computers for too long, or the VCR glitching out, or not being able to find a book they wanted, or even worse: the computer wasnât working. Like this guy right in front of her.
  âTheyâve been on that damn thing for almost an hour!â They shouted. Diamond could feel herself getting upset, wanting to punch this guy right in the nose and hopefully break it. But she had to keep this job, for it was her home literally. All she could do was sigh and nod. âIâm sorry about that sir, I will check the activity log on the computer and if it exceeds the accepted amount, I will force them to get off. Now please step to the side while I assist the other people behind you.â Reluctantly, they did but looked like they were ready to yell again. Diamond plastered a small smile on her face, although it was fake and forced. âHello. What can I help you with today?â
Toni had little patience for people like the man currently yelling at the poor lady at the desk. Even though she was content browsing the books by herself for a while longer, she couldnât just let him treat her that way. When she made her way over her intention was to give him a piece of her mind. Put him in his place. Toni wasnât on shift, after all. She didnât have to force a smile like the girl he was harassing. Who cares if people saw her as rough around the edges? It held some truth to it.
A better plan was laid out in front of Toni when the woman serving him excused herself to see other customers. Rather than causing a scene, Toni flashed her a smile. âI was looking at some books over there.â A vague gesture to a part of the library she hadnât been to yet as she played dumb. âBut I couldnât find the one I was looking for and the whole organization system is confusing. Could I grab you to help?â If she got her away from the other customer for even a moment, she could at least ask if there was anything she could help with. âWonât be too long, promise.â This time directed at the man she was sure wouldnât be happy about being left. Serves him right.
   maggie stood behind the counter at radioshack, leaning her head in her hand. it had been a slow day and she was dying of boredom though thankfully her shift was almost over. she stared at the clock on the wall, counting down the minutes until she was released. a smile grew on her face as the clock chimed and she turned to go clock out when she heard the bell on the door sound. mentally groaning to herself she turned back around and put on the nicest yet also fakest smile she could muster, âwelcome to radioshack, americaâs technology store, how may i help you?â she said through her teeth.
toni had no reason to be there. not a legitimate one, at least. there was no way of knowing how long hawkins was going to be her home. about time she learnt her way around. try and find some kind of answers about what actually happened to bring her here. radioshack just happened to be the next place she wandered into. âamericaâs technology store, huh? thatâs quite the title you guys got for yourselves.â a smirk on glossed lips as toni looked over her shoulder to the other girl. âcan i ask for non-radio help or is that a breach of some contract? iâm new here,â toni explained with a shrug. âany place recommendations? or even some places to avoid at all costs if youâre a pessimist.â
 It had been the one place in town since he showed up where he had felt a link to his real home. It was the ghost to Popâs and even though he could never tell what exactly drew him to the small restaurant he just felt calm there.Â
âHoly shi-.â He said looking into the window only to spot a pink haired gem in the window. Was he seeing things? Pea couldnât even tell but he still went sprinting toward the building and panting as he slammed through the front doors to be reunited by his closest friend, despite all the drama from Riverdale where he couldnât even remember the last time Toni and him had been able to hang out. He needed her familiarity. Just to be with someone who he had always felt the most comfortable around.
   âToni!âÂ
Toni was usually good at adjusting to change. Majority of her life was spent couch surfing and adjusting to things coming or going from her life. A completely new town without even being told she was moving? It had her shaken. Especially without any familiar face in town. She was dragged to the closest thing to familiarity she could find. A diner that she could compare to Popâs if she really tried. Perhaps it was the fact she didnât know people personally here or the fuzzy feeling didnât come with happy memories, but everything felt colder. It wasnât home but she could pretend.
The sudden burst through the door was the closest thing to Riverdale sheâd seen since finding herself in Hawkins. The commotion caught her attention, her eyes falling on the source. If she had been here longer, Toni would have accused the homesickness of getting to her. When he called out for her, she couldnât tell herself that wasnât Sweet Pea. She didnât want to.
She abruptly got up from where she was sat. The milkshake and fries were long forgotten in favour of running to meet the boy. âPea!â His enthusiasm was matched without even trying. Toni genuinely was that excited to see him again. She didnât know if she would before. As soon as he was close enough, Toni was reaching for him. âYouâre here.â Throwing her arms around him was pretty much tackling him but she didnât care to slow down or soften her grip. That could all happen once the emotions and shock wore off. For now, she held him tight as if heâd disappear if she let go.
âďž*ăťďžâvanessa morgan, she/her + 21, cis femaleââ isnât ÂŤ antoinette âtoniâ topaz Âť totally tubular looking? they seriously remind me of a character from ÂŤ riverdale Âť. i started seeing them at ÂŤ sattler quarry Âť a few ÂŤ days Âť ago, humming to the tune of ÂŤ bad reputation + joan jett Âť when they think no oneâs looking. also, theyâre like totally known as the ÂŤ serpentine Âť of town, so iâd keep my eye on them. seriously. â (harley, 19, she/her, gmt+8)Â
how much does a polar bear weigh? enough to break the ice.
to kick things off, hello!! iâm harley and iâm so excited to bring you the one and only toni topaz. iâm a mess and this will be too so buckle up and get ready for all my nonsense. â¤
TONI TOPAZ:
PERSONALITY
â˝ Toni is the definition of âget you a girl that can do bothâ. As a member of the Southside gang scene, sheâs got a tough side to her. In comparison to some of the others, Toniâs quite even-tempered. However, she will still always stand up for what she believes is right. She wants to keep the peace, but sheâd never throw away her integrity for it.
â˝ She is extremely loyal. It doesnât take long for her to attach to someone and make a solid bond. (see: Jughead Jones) Sometimes it ends up burning her when she canât/wonât walk away from situations and people she clearly should.
â˝ Compassion, empathy and love are all important qualities to Toni. She wears her heart on her sleeve, even if that sleeve happens to be a leather jacket. When being pushed away, Toni reacts by trying to break down walls. She doesnât believe anyone deserves to suffer alone. Her loyalty and stubbornness only adds to her desire to slip through defences.
â˝ She is fiercely protective over those she holds close to her heart. Mess with her friends and youâll have to deal with her. Standing up for those she cares about will often override her even-temper and pull out her more reckless and impulsive side.
â˝ Toniâs sense of humour is very witty and sarcastic.
â˝ Photography. Toni loves her camera. Itâs a way to save happy moments and cement people in her life at a certain time. Even if they end up leaving, she enjoys having mementoes to remember them by afterwards. (is she also the type to keep movie tickets and stuff like that? you bet. girl could totally kill the scrapbooking game if she wanted to)
BACKGROUND
â Born and raised on the Southside, as well as having a long family history of Serpents.
â Thomas Topaz, her grandfather, is from her dadâs side of the family. Just like her uncle.
â Her parents met as Serpents. Her dad carried on the family tradition of joining young and her mom had just moved to Riverdale on her own. She took up residence on the Southside because it was all she could afford. A neighbor took her under their wing and introduced her to the Serpents. They were still in the gang when they had Toni.
â tw death mention. Both gave their lives for the Serpents (i have no idea about the specifics of it all but  ¯\_(ă)_/ÂŻ) Her uncle left after that.
â Toni saw joining the Serpents as the perfect opportunity to honor her parents. She never asked her uncle, she just came home with her jacket thinking he would be proud and she doesnât understand why he locks her out for the first time.
â Their relationship carried on like this. Theyâd disagree on many things and he would lock her out whenever he felt like it. Sometimes only for a day, sometimes longer. Toni just adjusted and took it as a part of life. She had enough friends willing to give her a roof over her head for the night when she needed it.
â While it may be a better idea for her to move out and stay somewhere more stable, Toni doesnât want to officially give up on her uncle. Besides her grandfather, heâs the only living relative she knows. Her motherâs side of the family never reached out for their daughter or granddaughter. She knows heâs scummy. His homophobia and hostility to the Serpents invalidates two huge things of his niece. Out of fear about losing the last of her blood relatives, she tries to make excuses and justify him to herself/her fellow Serpents. She keeps trying the lock in hopes heâll leave it open for her.
BEFORE HAWKINS:
â Everything Toni self-identified with has changed. She never tries to dismiss her roots in the South but she moved into Thistlehouse with Cheryl not long before being moved to Hawkins.Â
â More upsetting, the loss of the Serpents. Toni now leads a girl gang called the Pretty Poisons. Started by Cheryl. The sense of community is nice and Toni will always support female empowerment, but itâs not the same as the Serpents had been for her.
â That desire for family and community is what Edgar used to fully draw Toni into The Farm instead if staying on the outside to spy for Betty and keep Cheryl out of trouble.
IN HAWKINS:
âś To randomly wake up in other town, there has to be something sinister going on. Toni learnt from Riverdale to never trust the small and innocent look of a town.
âś Toni is desperatley searching for the people she used to know back in Riverdale. Any chance of making loose ends meet and getting answers is appealing to her. She also doesnât want to feel like sheâs alone.
âś Though there was a divide in Riverdale, Toni believes uniting is their best course of action. Especially with the two gangs. In unity, there is strength. The words had been drilled into her head and sheâs hoping theyâre still right.
âśÂ Sheâs suspiious of the town, but she knows better than to take it out on the residents. Having a new influx of people showing up out of nowhere all at once would be distessing. If anyone knows their way around town and the way things usually worked around here, it was a local.
iâm missing things but itâs getting late and iâm getting tired which means my brain is shutting down. feel free to message me here or harley#6704 on discord!! or like this and iâll come to you when i wake up!!
