#I have some thoughts about how Island Gwen's colder personality traits diminished in later seasons. She was kind of a bitch!! /pos

[total-drama-brainrot]

So the general gist of this idea was just having Heather and Gwen plan out their rivalry in the first episode off-camera. Or, well, not exactly off camera but during the downtime between their introductions and the first challenge, when footage wasn't likely to be used in the in-universe show (since it's established in canon that the island is littered with cameras at every angle, so being off-camera is impossible). Because they pin each other down as Threats at first glance.

Granted, the two of them would be a little more conscientious of the fact that they're commodifying themselves for the sake of reality TV in this scenario, so the plan would be for Heather to lean into her pre-determined role of main antagonist - you can't convince me that Heather's blatant antagonism and plot armour wasn't a result of her being scripted to be a source of conflict in-universe - by harassing the "protagonist"; Gwen's a broody alternative girl in the 2000s, where influences like Teen Titan's Raven and Clone High's Joan and Daria's… Daria have rewritten the pop culture zeitgeist into adoring Gwen's exact genre of person. Of course she's going to be a major draw of the show and pseudo-protagonist, and of course both she and Heather are going to capitalise on that.

And the two of them get to know their genuine selves as they spend time together finalising their ruse, both in the context of actively annoying the shit out of each other on camera, and their late night outlining sessions for the next challenge's "script" in their shared cabin. Which is a loose plan for how they're going to act and keep their… I don't want to use the term "alliance" here, but it's the most apt description I can think of. It's a meta-alliance in the context of them playing above the game of Total Drama The Competition and into the metagame of Total Drama The Show, if that makes any sense.

It's like that one TikTok about being in cahoots with someone; Heather initially just clocks Gwen as a means to an end, a particularly useful pawn in the game of Total Drama Chess. In turn, Gwen recognises that associating herself with Heather, especially as a vocal force against her, would keep her relevant to the show. A secret deal to start a performative rivalry with each other is just a smart play.

Their deal is transactional, since they intend to use each other to guarantee longevity into the late stages of the competition. Until the feelings start to hit, and their business practice evolves into the two of them harbouring sappy crushes on each other whilst hopelessly maintaining their performative rivalry and metagame act. And, of course, believing that the other still sees their plan as purely tactical and removed from anything resembling emotion; consequently believing that their feelings would be at best dismissed and at worst rebuffed and mocked.

Maybe add into this Gwen's budding relationship with Trent, and her conflicting feelings for a Genuinely Nice Guy duking it out with her infatuation with The Meanest Most Ruthless Person She's Ever Met (/aff), and Heather's own jealousy towards Trent's monopoly on Gwen's time manifesting itself into her sabotaging their relationship.

You could make it a doomed relationship via Gwen realising she values her own morals and the genuity of the people around her over winning the competition, and exposing her and Heather's deal under duress from a guilty conscience. Leading to their pretend animosity becoming real mutual dislike - Gwen because she let herself Be A Bad Person under Heather's influence, and Heather because Gwen threw her under the bus for social brownie points.

Or they could both carry on their public rivalry through canon whilst being secret behind-the-scenes girlfriends who have a healthy relationship full of good communication and trust when they aren't pretending to hate each other to the public eye. Where said rivalry keeps them socially relevant outside of Total Drama, thus achieving their shared goal of being famous.

Just thought up a really good basis for a Gweather fic, but it's almost 7am and really need to get some sleep.

Making a note here for future me: Make an outline for this idea. You know the one.