McTopaz

McTopaz is the femslash ship between Josie and Toni from the Riverdale fandom.

Canon
When Toni, along with the other Southside students, transfers to Riverdale High, she and Josie are introduced in the student lounge, where Josie mentions she used to be 'of Josie & the Pussycats'. The girls don't directly interact and the meeting is abruptly interrupted by a furious Principal Weatherbee, who accuses the Serpents of vandalism, upon which everyone rushes into the hall. Josie attends Pickens Day and is horrified to see Veronica fronting the Pussycats, following Josie's falling out with Val and Melody. Toni, along with the Serpents, interrupts the performance to protest Pickens Day, telling the story of the indigenous Uktena as Josie watches. Though not together, Toni and Josie both attend the same screening of 'Love, Simon' at The Bijou. Toni auditions for and becomes part of the River Vixens, where the girls spend more time together. Josie and Toni are both invited to a sleepover at Thistlehouse. Veronica suggests the girls make prank calls, asking if someone has a burner phone. Toni pulls one out to everyone's surprise, reminding them she's in a gang, to which Josie smiles and acknowledges Toni's coolness. Josie and Toni sit next to each other, laughing, as Betty and Cheryl prank call each other's enemies.

Toni seeks out Josie and Veronica when Cheryl goes missing, and Josie says she's in, even if they have to storm Thistlehouse, to which Toni cocks an eyebrow and smiles in recognition. Penelope Blossom reveals that Cheryl was the one who gaslighted Josie and sent her threats. Josie storms out with Toni and Veronica following her, and she stops and tells them what happened. Toni looks at her empathetically as Josie understandably says she's done trying to find Cheryl. Josie and Toni are both part of the cast for the school musical 'Carrie', where the two are semi-pitted against one another in the narrative, as Josie is angry with and dismissive of Cheryl after what Cheryl did, while Toni apparently is romantically interested in Cheryl and therefore briefly displays irritation at Josie's attitude. Josie and Toni don't directly interact for the rest of their sophomore year, although Toni attends the assembly for the swearing in of Archie as student body president, where Josie performs the national anthem.

Juniors
Josie and Toni don't really hang out or interact all that much, although they are present at a lot of the same things, like the back-to-school pool party. When Veronica opens her speakeasy, Josie is the resident musical act and performs on opening night, which Toni attends. Mayor Hermione Lodge comes to class telling the students not to play Gryphons & Gargoyles. Toni starts playing with Jughead and the Serpents not long after. Following all of the teens working together to save Archie from juvie, Josie reluctantly agrees to start playing the game too. When Hiram Lodge has all of Riverdale put under quarantine following the seizures, which both Josie and Toni have suffered prior to this, everyone spends most of their time the only place where they can let loose — at La Bonne Nuit, where Josie performs with Toni in the audience. Josie and Toni both participate in the school musical, where Toni exchanges looks as people's personal laundry is suddenly aired, including Josie's unwittingly, by Sweet Pea. Josie cuts their junior year short in Spring, when she leaves Riverdale and goes on tour with her Dad to explore her music. Josie does return briefly in July for the funeral of Fred Andrews, to support Archie. She and Toni both attend a July 4 celebration in Archie's backyard where they all light sparklers and watch fireworks.

Fanon
McTopaz is a rarepair in the fandom, but there are some who recognise the potential of this pairing as both girls are cool, smart, driven and don't take crap from anyone. However, with Josie's departure from Riverdale, she and Toni have only had few interactions. Although they were not effusively pitted against each other as they had no one-on-one interactions in the musical, fans were still livid at the idea of not only two black women being pitted against each other, but done so over a white woman who had been verbally harassing one and gaslit and stalked the other.

On AO3, McTopaz is the ninth most written ship for Josie.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

TUMBLR

TWITTER