Fanfic / Unbreakable Red Silken Thread

Unbreakable Red Silken Thread Cover Picture

Unbreakable Red Silken Thread is a Total Drama story made by Rufus T. Serenity.

Fate, destiny, chance, and luck. Four of the most powerful forces in existence, and all of them have had it out for Cody Emmett Jameson Anderson, Heather Wilson, and Gwen Fahlenbock since the days they were born. Fortunately, those same four forces have got it in for each other as well. Rated M for sex and other mature, darkly realistic subject matters.

The story is ongoing. Also has a Character sheet.

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The story provides examples of:

Tropes A-B

• A-Cup Angst: While far from flat chested, Heather is somewhat self-conscious about her boob size. Her friendships with Lindsay and Jasmine don't exactly help with this, though it becomes even more apparent after Gwen shows up with some rather generous "development" since they last spoke.
• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: Cody, Heather, Gwen and Sammy.
  • In canon, Cody was a rich kid that grew up in the suburbs and went to private school. It was implied his parents neglected him when it was mentioned they forgot his birthday. But in this story, he went to private school, and was a victim of bullying. More importantly, the implied neglect of his parents is outright stated.
  • In canon, it was implied Heather had a strained relationship with her parents, with them implying they disliked having her around, though Heather mentioned she was the closest to her mother. In this story, Heather’s parents, in particular her mother, have cast a long shadow over their daughter that at least partially shows how she became the bratty Queen Bee from Total Drama’s first season.
  • Gwen's life went pretty much down the pooper after the events of Total Drama World Tour. Her relationship with Duncan caused a rift to develop between her and her family, which resulted in her mother kicking her out of her house when she turned 18. This was fueled in part by Gwen trying to avoid her mistake with Trent and ditching a great guy too soon because of a few rough edges. But as a result, she's entered an abusive relationship where she has little to no personal autonomy, at least partially by choice. The relationship has weakened Gwen's more noble features, while adding to her preexisting negative ones. Then there's the fact her stepfather was a pediphile that filmed her private moments and has made her think All Men Are Perverts.
  • In canon, Sammy had suffered implied years of abuse from her sister, but in the show, she was quick to stand up to Amy. In this story, all the abuse mostly destroyed her self-esteem. Though Jasmine seems to be helping her slowly recover from that.
• Adaptational Backstory Change:
  • Jasmine and Sammy did not meet until the season they debuted in. In this story, they had been pen pals ever since the second grade.
  • Also, Dawn and Zoey in this story have been friends since their childhoods, unlike in cannon where they both debuted and met each other for the first time in the same season.
• Adaptational Jerkass: Dakota is only mentioned as a rival of Heather’s who claimed her spot at the top of their high school’s pecking order after Total Drama flushed Heather’s popularity down the toilet. Despite not actually appearing in-person, whenever she’s mentioned none of her canon counterpart’s hidden depth and compassionate side are present.
• Adaptational Sexuality:
  • Jasmine and Sammy are lesbians in a relationship.
  • Heather is bisexual and openly comfortable with it.
  • Lindsay is a situational case, not truly bisexual as much as she enjoys having sex with those she loves regardless of gender.
  • Tyler is bisexual, and although he is in a relationship with Lindsay, he is also attracted to Cody.
• Adaptational Villainy: In the show Heather was said to have a very close relationship with her mother, here she's an Abusive Parent.
• Adaptational Wimp: Sammy, in canon, while starting out as an Extreme Doormat to her sister, was quick to stand up to her. Here she's worse, with even bigger issues; justified in this story, as Amy had more years to destroy Sammy's self-esteem.
• Adapted Out: Played With. The authors have made it clear that Heather is an only child in this setting, however they have also said her siblings may appear later on. Given her parents' established history, the implications are pretty straightforward.
• Adaptation Relationship Overhaul:
  • In World Tour, Cody and Heather formed a small friendship, while here, it lead to a relationship.
  • In canon Duncan and Gwen broke apart because it's implied the spark between them died, with them lacking chemistry and affection at the start of All-Stars and finally breaking up. Here, their relationship has continued, and has become highly destructive, toxic, and abusive.
  • Jasmine and Sammy were friends much earlier in their lives, and that friendship lead to a secret relationship.
  • In canon Dawn and Zoey were acquaintances. And while Zoey didn't heavily dislike Dawn she did consider her creepy. In this story they are roommates and have been close friends since childhood.
• The Alleged Car: Played With Cody owns an original 1983 DeLorean DMC-12 with factory original specs and parts. For himself it is the definition of a Cool Car, but ask anyone else, especially Heather, and it's junk; however, even she admits that it has some advantages; specifically, that it's built like a tank, so it protects the passengers from both crashing and extreme weather conditions.
• All Men Are Perverts: Gwen's mentality, due to her Dark and Troubled Past. One of the reasons she's so tolerant of Duncan is that, according to her, at least he admits he's a pervert.
• All of the Other Reindeer: Cody had been ignored ever since high school started. Heather soon joined him in isolation after knowledge of their relationship went public.
• All Take and No Give: Duncan’s relationship with Gwen has an unsettling amount of this. In all of their scenes together, Gwen is always helping Duncan out, while he hasn’t helped her out once.
• All There in the Manual: Several things, such as names of minor characters and extra info about canon characters are only mentioned on the fan art page linked below.
• All Women Are Lustful: Heather, though there are more examples of her lusting after other women as opposed to men, despite being in a relationship with one. Jasmine and Jo have also proven this to be played straight with their respective lovers.
• Alpha Bitch:
  • At the start of the story, this was basically Heather in a nutshell, though thanks to her relationship with Cody she has mellowed out a great deal over the years. However she still has her moments, and won't hesitate to go full "Bitch Mode", as Sugar learned first hand.
  • Heather's mother, who is so bad that she makes her daughter seem like a saint in comparison.
  • Although not shown in person, Dakota Milton seems to be this too once she took Heather's spot as queen bee at their high school based on what Heather said about her. It only got worse after high school.
• Alternate Universe Fic: In this story, Total Drama ended after the third season. Cody and Heather go to the same high school. After a few months they start a relationship. When they graduated from high school, they go to college where they meet people who debuted in Total Drama: Revenge Of The Island and Total Drama Pahkitew Island in canon, as well as Kitty and Emma from Total Drama Presents: The Ridonculous Race showing up later .
• Always Someone Better: Heather is an expert manipulator, but Scarlett takes it up to eleven, being smarter than Heather and much better at hiding her true intentions and emotions.
• Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: Jasmine's parents, as well as her family at large, to the point that her reaction to them meeting her friends is described as "honest-to-god-fright".
• Amazon Brigade: Upon meeting Jasmine's family, Heather's first instinct is that she's stumbled into a home of giants. The fact that Jasmine's youngest sister is the same height as her, and hasn't even hit puberty yet, only reinforced this notion.
• Amazon Chaser: Heather and Cody both have admitted on several occasions that they are attracted to Jasmine, though not for the same reason. By default Cody was this before his growth spurt because of how short and scrawny he was during the show's run in relation to almost all of the female contestants.
• Anti-Hero: Though greatly reformed compared to her in Total Drama, Heather still has many flaws that she acknowledges and must deal with.
• Apologetic Attacker: After giving Sammy a big scare, the blonde accidentally knocks Gwen out in self-defense. Sammy feels so guilty over this that she attends to Gwen while she's unconscious, and once Gwen wakes up, Sammy apologizes profusely, and then offers to make her breakfast.
• Apologises a Lot: As said above, once Gwen wakes up, Sammy can't stop apologizing over knocking her out. She does it so much that Gwen even thinks that her name should be 'Sorry'.
• The Baby Trap: The reason Heather's parents got married. See Honey Trap.
• Bad Guys Do the Dirty Work: The reason Heather is helping Gwen instead of Dawn or Jo. The latter is limited because of how the law works when it comes to using her authority in cases of domestic abuse while the former is constrained by her morals and ethics.
• Batman Gambit: Both Heather and Scarlett thrive off of these. Heather is very quickly able to get a solid read on most people with who she interacts in the time of a single conversation. And she often uses that to her advantage when their talents would benefit her most. But Scarlett's skill at these makes Heather look like an amateur at best. For example, after meeting Heather one time the night before, Scarlett can chart out the general script of a conversation between her and Heather when the latter shows up at her door with no warning the next morning. And not just chart it out but also play on Heather's flaws to ensure that she gets double what Heather would prefer to pay for dance lessons. Before Heather even brought up money, she knew it would involve money.
• Battle in the Center of the Mind: Chapter 12 provides an almost literal case where Heather is forced to contend with her old former self in the guise of her mother. To say she had a negative impact on Heather would be an understatement.
• Beneath the Mask: Scarlett appears like an Emotionless Girl in public, but, at her job, she's a very passionate, seductive dancer, and, in private, she is shown to be as crazy as Izzy.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Sammy is an Extreme Doormat Nice Girl, but, thanks to Heather's coaching, she's learning to stand up for herself. As she still doesn't know how to fully control her emotions, whenever she actually shows her anger, she's downright terrifying.
• Big Brother Mentor: Cody is shaping up to be one of these in relation to Cameron, whom he has admitted reminds him of himself when he was younger. Slightly played with in that they are the same age, Cody just happens to be more mature and experienced in life on account of Cameron having been a bubble boy for most of his life.
• Big Eater: Shawn mentions in Chapter 26 that he would eat a large pizza on his own if Cody and Cameron took longer than planned during Cam's driving lessons.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Zigzagged In public Scarlett is a quiet girl, but at her job she let her jerkass side show.
• Blackmail: Heather's mother blackmailed her father into marrying her. Later Heather blackmailed Gwen into living with her and Cody.
• Bland-Name Product: MyFace is a substitute for both Facebook and MySpace.
  • "Frontline Warfair: Duty Of Metal Honor Calls" is this for Medal of Honor and Call of Duty, and also contains many reffrances to other video game franchises within it as well.
• Break the Haughty:
  • The reason Heather and Cody become friends in the first place is when a photo showing Heather flashing the camera from TDI gets spread around the school.
  • Also BRUTALLY invoked when Heather tears down Sugar in chapter 13.
• Broken Bird: Heather, though she disguises it very well most of the time. Her mother really did a number on her over the years and her father didn't exactly help the situation even if he wasn't directly abusive towards her.
• Broken Pedestal: As of chapter 25, Cody is beginning to see Gwen's flaws and realize that she was not a great friend to him at all if they ever were friends in the first place.
• Brutal Honesty: Noah doesn't hold back when telling Cody of all the instances that prove that Gwen would never love him back, and that Cody has an extremely idealized image of her. Partially subverted because Noah held back for a very long time to spare Cody's feelings, and only told him because of the story's events.
• Buxom Beauty Standard: Heather is of the opinion that larger breasts are ideal, both in regards to herself as well as those she pursues. Given that her first experience with the same sex was with Lindsay of all people it's easy to see why.

Tropes C-D

• Cerebus Retcon: In chapter 25, Noah points out all the moments Gwen was ungrateful to Cody and treated him with disdain during Total Drama's first three seasons, the only ones that happened in this story's timeline. In particular, Cody thinks of the Amazon Challenge, when Gwen wouldn't take his EpiPen as seriously as she should have. She had treated it like holding the shot of adrenaline would give her skin cancer. True, Cody had come on kind of strong in his efforts to convince her, but that didn't change the fact she didn't seem to appreciate that she held his life in her hands. And then there was the whole business with Sierra!
• Character Development:
  • Heather: Perhaps the one to have changed the most while at the same time the least. She's still snarky, back biting, underhanded and dominating, having little to no trouble manipulating others to her whim and will lead people around by the nose without them even realizing it. The difference is WHY, as she actively tries to help others with these methods, though it is limited to friends or those she finds herself attracted to. This is extended to those who are friends with Cody or who have helped either of them in some way. Heather has mellowed out a great deal and is quite friendly thanks to her relationship with Cody, to the point she goes out of her way to help her friends if able.
  • Cody: Like Heather, he has calmed down and mellowed out quite a bit, no longer a skirt chaser though he is still something of a ladies man. Aside from his physical development courtesy of Heather, the biggest change has been in how he views himself. No longer lacking self confidence or self esteem, his already friendly nature has also grown to the point he actually prefers spending time with people rather than games... unless it's gaming with other people, namely his friends. Additionally while not confrontational, he has grown a spine, and has no trouble standing up for himself or those he cares about. He's still impulsive and easily bored, though to a lesser degree.
  • Gwen: Inverted — while still the same for the most part, Gwen has lost her strong independent streak due to her less than healthy relationship with Duncan. Even less outgoing and social than she was during TDI, she's also lost the majority of her conscience, or at the very least tends to ignore it now. For the most part her life revolves around Duncan and their relationship, with everything else seen as a distraction or a hindrance if not a problem to be removed.
• Chivalrous Pervert: Basically defines Cody's character. He's not above taking advantage of opportunities when they present themselves but only to a limit. As was the case with Jasmine and Sammy's first time having sex when he shot down Heather's one sided bargain to give them a place where they could have some privacy.
• Closet Geek: Thanks to several years of dating Cody, Heather will on occasion slip a movie or even video game reference. While not exactly ashamed of it, she does find it irritating at times.
• The Conscience: Arguably Cody's greatest impact on Heather and the reason their relationship has become so strong is his ability to steer her more negative personality traits when they get the better of her.
• Crazy-Prepared: Shawn, the zombie survivalist. Not only does he wear a (possibly bullet proof) coat at all times, it's loaded with almost anything you could think of in it's many pockets. He also has a number of watches with different alarms to warn him what time it is, and has even installed an ELECTRIFIED BOMB PROOF DOOR TO HIS ROOM IN HIS DORM.
• Create Your Own Villain: A minor example, but Ella is indirectly the reason for Sugar's attitude, having accidentally entered and winning a beauty pageant she thought was a singing contest. Deconstruction and Discussed by Cody however, according to him "No one turns into that big of a bitch overnight". Given just who his girlfriend is and some of TD's other contestants, he does have some experience in this.
• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Duncan, of all people, shows this on occasion very subtly, especially when it comes to his relationship with Gwen. The fact that he was at one time on par with Heather during TDI at manipulating and instigating all manner of mischief and misery makes it less of a surprise and more a case of played straight.
• Cuteness Proximity: Sammy tends to have this affect on people, to the point even Heather is "weakened" by her presence. Notably, she is one of three girls along with Dawn and Jo Cody hasn't shown a hint of perv towards at any point. Also, she is the first person Gwen has meaningful interactions with aside from Duncan who actually challenges her previous way of thinking and worldview.
• Dark and Troubled Past: First Heather finds out she was an 'oops baby' that her mother used to blackmail her father into marrying her. That is on top of the emotional and mental abuse her mother heaped on her due to blaming her mere EXISTENCE ruining her career. Gwen has spent the last several years in an extremely abusive relationship with Duncan, which has resulted in quite a bit of problems with herself and her family, including her mother kicking her out of their house once she became an adult; it's also revealed that her father abandoned his family when she was still a child, her mother's second boyfriend (and Gwen's brother's father) ran away too, and her mother's third boyfriend was a pedophile who secretly filmed Gwen's private moments. Sammy spent a LIFE TIME suffering at the hands of her demented sister Amy before Jasmine finally got the push she needed to save her from the situation. Even Cody didn't exactly have a happy home life, though lacking abuse he did grow up fairly neglected.
• Darker and Edgier: Those only familiar with the lighthearted parody of reality television might find this story’s frank, nondramatic portrayal of abusive relationships, the effect of living in a less than ideal household, and the strained relations between many of the central characters and their parents a little jarring.
• Dark Fic: This story is one that can be enjoyed by people who are fans of Total Drama but also want something a little darker without the forced nature of many fics that fit that general description. Despite some pretty dark elements at play, this story doesn’t go for over-the-top drama, an edge-lord mentality, or grimness for grimness’ sake.
• Defrosting Ice Queen: The first four chapters show how Cody is able to do this with Heather over the course of several years, with the fifth chapter showing the final result. To say the change is noticeable would be an understatement.
• Domestic Abuser:
  • Duncan, who is abusive, controlling, manipulative, and demanding, with just enough intelligence, guile, and charm to pull it off for years. Though its unclear if he was always as bad as he is in the present, a flashback scene early on between Duncan and Gwen shortly after the end of World Tour shows at least the potential for such a mentality.
  • Amy abused her twin sister Sammy for several years at home and while out on vacation, while always making sure she never got caught.
• Door Stopper: The story is 434,209 words long, with 33 chapters. And according to the author, the story may in fact become the longest Total Drama fanfiction on the website.
• Dope Slap: Emma does this whenever Kitty starts Saying Too Much.
• Double Standard: Heather rejected having a three-way with Tyler and Lindsay because she knew Cody would dislike sharing Heather with Tyler even those she is okay with sharing Cody with other girls. To Cody's credit, even though he is uncomfortable sharing Heather with another guy, he acknowledges how unfair that is and was willing to let Heather sleep with another guy, only for Heather to assure him she does not need any guy other than him.
• Drinking Game: Heather organizes a round of Never Have I Ever at Jasmine and Sammy's dorm warming party in Chapter 33.
• Dysfunctional Family: Heather and Sammy's, to a T. Also, Gwen and Cody's, to a lesser extent.

Tropes E-H

• Emotionless Girl: Scarlett; again, it's all a facade.
• Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: When Heather is taking out her frustrations, anger, and pain on Cody after learning the truth about her parents' marriage, the only thing she is able to notice is how he isn't reacting the way her parents and previous boyfriends have in the past.
• Extreme Doormat: Gwen and Sammy, to Duncan and Amy, respectively.
• Face/Heel Double-Turn: Heather and Gwen. The two characters were rivals during Total Drama, especially in Total Drama Island. Heather was the typical Queen Bee bully while Gwen was the most emotionally compelling force opposing her. By the time they meet up years later in college, the roles have almost reversed; while not a bully, Gwen has for sure become the more antagonistic of the two while Heather has obtained greater emotional depth.
• Face–Heel Turn: Gwen isn't the shy reserved Goth girl she once was after her relationship with Duncan.
• Fan Art: One of the reviewers, CMR Rosa, not only commissioned a cover picture, but a whole gallery folder for character pictures from this story here.
• Flashback: These are used at cirtain points to show the good developments in Heather and Cody's relationship from past to present, while one is also used to show some possible foreshadowing of what Gwen and Duncan's relationship would eventually become. In addition, chapter 33 is entirely a flashback to Sammy and Jasmine's dorm warming party told by the former to Gwen.
• Florence Nightingale Effect: Mentioned word-by-word by Emma, referring to Kitty's tendency for falling for helpless, needful boys when she gets an instant liking for Cameron.
• Foil: Cody and Heather's relationship is compared to Duncan and Gwen's.
• Forgotten First Meeting: As revealed on Chapter One, Cody has known Heather for several years already, before they first entered the Total Drama show; Heather finds out that they go to the same school, and even share some classes, but due to their different cliques, Heather never paid him any attention.
• Freudian Excuse
  • Heather's actions, especially during TDI, cemented her as a manipulative, scheming and conniving bitch that has little regard for the well-being of others. Chapter 4 makes it quite clear this is due to her parents treating everyone, including each other, exactly the same if not worse.
  • Chapter 31 revealed that the reason Gwen believes All Men Are Perverts is because when she was going through puberty during high school, she got unwanted attention from guys. Suffering from frequent harassment, she tried to keep herself covered with sweaters and eventually attempting to fight back when neither of those things worked. It only encouraged the guys to harass her harder. She eventually just gave up and stopped caring altogether and became an antisocial goth. Her mother had three failed relationships with Gwen's father, abandoning her mother when she revealed she was pregnant with Gwen. Her brother, Patrick's father, was the same as Gwen's father. He, too, ran off when Gwen's mother got pregnant the second time. The third guy, Derek, seemed to be perfect, an old friend of her mother's from back when she had been in school, and they'd reconnected while she'd been hunting for a new job. He was smart, handsome, ran his own business, spent time with Gwen and her brother Patrick and, of course, showered their mother with gifts and affection. Then, a few months after the marriage and moving in without a hint of trouble by accident, Patrick tripped and dumped his entire milk-filled bowl of cereal on Gwen's report she had to do for school that morning. Gwen wouldn't have needed to reprint it. So she quickly borrowed Derek's laptop and, to her horror, discovered pictures of her naked, making sure her brother caught the bus before calling her mother. The two of them then called the police. Derek was the final incident that convinced Gwen all men were perverts.
    • It was implied and later confirmed that the real reason Gwen never gave Cody a chance and the reason their friendship failed was that Gwen was projecting her negative feelings she had towards her stepfather onto Cody because of a few similarities they shared. In chapter 17, Gwen believed that Heather was manipulating Cody, sleeping with him to control both him and his money. As Gwen wondered if maybe their lives would not have gotten so bad if she gave Cody a chance, she suddenly got angry at the idea, picturing Cody into her head; he slowly morphed into an older man that was somewhat similar although slightly different. Her angry thoughts that Cody can go to Hell! He looks and acts too much like…him…and I'll be damned if I'm going to make the same mistake my mother did!' With the revelation in chapter 31 that Gwen's mother, after two failed relationships, married Derek, who at first seemed to be nice and then turned out to be a pedophile, similar to Cody originally being someone Gwen thought to be nice, only to be revealed in World Tour that he took a picture of Gwen while she was sleeping. It is also shown that Derek has the same type of smile as Cody. Obviously, the "him" Gwen mentioned in chapter 17 was Derek and his similarity to Cody caused Gwen to distrust the geek.
• Friend to All Living Things: Jasmine and Sammy as seen when either happens to be around while Chikktika and Boo are doing anything other than eating or sleeping.
• Genius Ditz: Lindsay, despite still being mostly the same lovable ditz, has become a surprisingly good business woman. Justified as she puts honest effort in her online classes, and she focuses on the fashion industry, an area she enjoys and knows quite well.
• Genki Girl: Eventually becomes Zoey's defining trait out of the group. Always cheerful and upbeat, she also happens to be a former fan of the Total Drama series.
• The Ghost: Dakota, Sam, Trent, Justin, Owen, Ella, Beth, Sierra, Lashawna, Nikki and Amy are mentioned but none have physically appeared in the story.
• Give Geeks a Chance: Heather, the girl whose tag on Total Drama Island was 'The Queen Bee' decides to date the guy whose tag on the show was 'The Geek'. Dakota and Sam fit this as well.
• Gold Digger: Heather's mother is this played straight, and people sometimes mistake Heather for this until they find out she's actually the one with more money.
• Good Angel, Bad Angel: Played With. With Gwen and Cody. While CodyX might be more impolite than Cody4, they both want the same thing for Cody. Similarly with Gwen, GwenC might be nicer than GwenD, but they both want to get Gwen back to Duncan.
• Hartman Hips: Several characters have commented on Zoey's rather appreciatively.
• Heart Is an Awesome Power: According to Dawn, Cody's presence has this effect on people, either bringing out the best in them or at minimum comforting those he is around. His outgoing and social nature factor into this along with his general good nature.
• Heel–Face Turn: The first arc of the story could be summarized as this for Heather, showing her evolution as a person over the course of several years thanks to first her friendship, then later relationship with Cody.
• Hidden Depths:
  • Cody and Heather, all the way. While Heather oftentimes appears to be the more dominate of the two, Cody has made it pretty clear on a few occasions that this is by choice, his choice to be exact, and he has no problem standing up to her or calling her out. Heather likewise has proven to be surprisingly empathetic towards others, especially those in situations or circumstances they have no control over, something she is quite familiar with.
  • Lindsay's immense knowledge of business also qualifies. She also shows great determination, willing to succeed by her own means and only asking for help if truly necessary.
• Honey Trap: How Heather's parents ended up getting married, or rather how her father ended up getting roped into marrying her shrew of a mother.

Tropes I-N

• I Have No Son!: Gwen's mother disowns her and kicks her out of her house because of her insistence of staying with Duncan.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Cody, after Heather asked him why he wants to help Gwen. He admitted he just wants her to be happy, in spite of him acknowledging his previous feelings for her were not what he once thought they were or the fact she was not a great friend to him. Heather also admits the same thing, she just wants Gwen to be happy for once.
• In Love with Your Carnage: When Jasmine's temper flares up Heather's reaction is equal parts fear and arousal.
• Insecure Love Interest: Cody was this to Heather for what is implied to be years. However, he has grown out of it, though ironically Heather has shades of this from time to time. Jasmine and Sammy both have this towards each other, Jasmine for not taking action to help sooner while Sammy has this more out of habit due to her background.
• It's All About Me: Heather has somewhat reformed, but is still very self-centered. In chapter 12, she flat out admits that if it was possible to leave the world for a perfect paradise with her few loved ones while letting the rest of the world burn she would do it without hesitation. She might be willing to leave the rest of us behind, but at least she does have some loved ones now.
• It's All My Fault: A consistent and rather troubling side effect of Gwen's relationship with Duncan is the development of this. Due to the nature of their relationship it's not exactly surprising.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Jo wields her authority as the dorm's Resident Assistant like a battleaxe, but takes her position seriously and doesn't turn a blind eye if something seems wrong. She'll more often than not help where she can, albeit indirectly.
• Kirk Summation: In chapter 10, Heather perfectly summarizes Sammy's situation after hearing her story from Jasmine.
• Leg Focus: While lacking in the bust department, Heather knows she has nice legs and works it to the fullest. Jasmine is another case, her preference for shorts and towering height highlighting this even further much to several of the cast's delight.
• Lighter and Softer: The 32nd and 33rd chapters in contrast with the rather heavy 31st.
• Loving a Shadow: Cody realizes his feelings for Gwen were this after a talk with Noah.
• Manipulative Bitch:
  • Heather, though a rare positive case, she readily admits to manipulating people though does try to do so in ways that help others. Her old self does still rear up from time to time however was the case with Jasmine and Sammy.
  • Scarlett is able to manipulate Heather with relative ease.
• Marshmallow Hell: Zoey gave both Cody and Heather a face full of cleavage for Heather’s birthday.
• Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game: Cody plays regularly with Noah, Izzy, Harold and DJ. It's also mentioned that Heather joins occasionally. In chapter 26, Kitty and Emma are introduced not just as players but as very successful streamers.
• Mating Dance: Scarlett works as an exotic dancer, and, while she's not exceptionally attractive (even if still considered a pretty woman), her dancing is extremely good. Heather even asks her for dancing lessons.
• Meaningful Name:
  • This story's title has two layers of meaning. The first, and more obvious, is that it recalls the idea of the Red Thread of Fate from various Asian cultures. But there is also a second, subtler meaning behind it, though it's only possible to pick up on or notice if one figures out the story's shorthand is 'URST' otherwise known as 'Unresolved Sexual Tension'. While it isn't obvious early on, in later chapters it becomes much less subtle.
  • Cody is a name of English origin that comes from an Irish/Gaelic surname meaning “Helpful.” It is rather fitting for a guy who helped his crush, Gwen, hook up with Trent back during TDI despite his feelings for her. He continued to live up to his name’s meaning as he got older and matured. Over several years, he helped Heather struggle against the hardships of her dysfunctional family and her less-than-ideal situation at the start of the story. But it's not just his girlfriend he’s helpful to. He helped Jasmine and Sammy have their first time together, being alone despite Heather’s desire to watch. He has been assisting Cameron with not just his driving lessons but also gaining the experience and development that his early life in a bubble had denied him. Oh, and when he found out that Gwen was in an abusive relationship with Duncan, the first thing he did was try to storm out to beat Duncan up. In other words, to help Gwen. Despite her giving him the cold shoulder and ignoring him for years.
• Muscles Are Meaningless: Jasmine has a very feminine (though fit) body. And yet she has the most impressive physical feat seen so far when in her introductory scene she effortlessly drives her foot (through a street with a single stomp without even seeming to be trying to. This and other smaller examples suggest that she has more power in her "girly" muscles than characters with more defined muscles like Duncan or Brick.
• My Girl Is a Slut: An unusual case when it comes to Heather and Cody. The nature of their relationship would lead most to thinking this is the case, when it's actually subverted. Heather herself is actually ashamed of her sexual history though masks it well, Cody on the other hand focuses less on the fact that she has history and more on the fact that she chose him despite it.
• My Significance Sense Is Tingling: A trait shared by a number of characters, though none more so than Dawn. While Heather and Cody both have this to an extent thanks to a lifetime of fight up the food chain or from being bullied, Dawn's extends beyond the supernatural.
• Named by the Adaptation: The characters that appear without last names in canon are given the last names of the people who provided their voices for the canon series. These include:
  • Heather's last name is Wilson, named after her voice actress Rachel Wilson.
  • Gwen's last name is Fahlenbock, named after her voice actress Megan Fahlenbock.
  • Lindsay, along with her older sister Paula have the last name Mills, named after Lindsay's voice actress Stephanie Anne Mills.
  • Duncan's last name is Nelson, named after his voice actor Drew Nelson.
  • Sierra's last name is Obonsawin, named after her voice actress Annick Obonsawin, although as of now she is The Ghost, as although she has been mentioned a few times, she has yet to appear, although her last name is mentioned.
  • Jo's last name is Elliot, named after her voice actress Laurie Elliot.
  • Zoey's last name is Mamabolo, named after her voice actress Barbara Mamabolo.
  • Dawn's last name is Medrek, named after her voice actress Caitlynne Medrek.
  • Shawn's last name is Bennett, named after his voice actor Zachary Bennett.
  • Jasmine's last name is Bergin, named after her voice actress Katie Bergin.
  • Scarlett's last name is Friday, named after her voice actress Kristi Friday.
  • Both Amy and Sammy's last name is McAuley, named after the voice actress for both of them, Bryn McAuley.
  • Ella's last name is Muse, named after her voice actress Sunday Muse. Similar to Sierra above, she is only mentioned, and never appears in person, although her full name is mentioned.
  • Sky's last name is Podemski, named after her voice actress Sarah Podemski.
  • Sugar's last name is Wilson, named after her voice actress Rochelle Wilson, not to be confused with the similarly named Rachel Wilson. Lampshaded by Jo, as she mentions to Heather that she thought the two of them were related at first.
• Never My Fault: Duncan's defining trait. It seems he has no end of excuses or reasons to give for why he is doing whatever he wants whenever he wants regardless of the consequences.
• Nice Guy: Cody, obviously, but he's far from alone. Brick hasn't had much screen time yet but comes across as this, same with Shawn and Cameron.
• Nightmare Sequence: Gwen and Heather both have these. Heather in chapter 12 when she faces off against her mother who stands in as a version of her old self on a chessboard. Gwen's nightmares are reacurring, and while slightly different each time, seem to always involve wolves that Gwen herself is unable to get away from who seem to want to attack her.
• No Challenge Equals No Satisfaction: Heather admits that she actually enjoyed facing Gwen in the show, the goth being the very first peer she couldn't intimidate or manipulate. Heather even tells Cody that, while she and Gwen never liked each other, Heather always liked Gwen being in the show, finally having a Worthy Opponent.
• Noodle Incident: SOMETHING happened the year before Cody and Heather started attending that gave Jo her rodent phobia. What, however, remains a mystery.
• No-Sell: Heather tried to seduce or bribe Scarlett into teaching her to dance like she does. Neither option worked, at least not until Heather agreed to pay double what she wanted to for each lesson.

Tropes O-Y

• Obligatory Joke: Cody drives a DeLorean, so of course there's an obligatory Back to the Future reference thrown in.
• Official Couple:
  • Heather and Cody become this after a few chapters.
  • Lindsay and Tyler are still the same as they were back during Total Drama.
  • Jo and Brick.
  • Jasmine and Sammy.
  • Noah and Emma.
  • Dakota and Sam.
• One of the Boys: When trying to help Cameron with his extreme shyness around girls, Cody points out that he has no problems with Jo, only for Cameron to counter by pointing out Jo is more of a guy than her boyfriend half the time.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business:
  • Zoey, one of the nicest girls you could meet, got annoyed and irritable when she had to take Cody and Heather to Scarlett for a private dance. This is the first time Zoey has been shown to dislike anybody, and is the first clue as to Scarlett’s true nature.
  • Both Izzy and Noah get completely serious and caring, respectively, when Cody tells them of his current problems with Gwen and Heather, and requires some honest, nice advice.
• Opposites Attract: Cody and Heather. Though it takes years for the attraction to form, it does eventually occur. Jasmine and Sammy also fit this as well to a lesser extent, and Dakota and Sam fit this similarly to Cody and Heather.
• Original Character: There are some, although they usually have bbrief appearances.
• Parental Issues: Nearly every character has issues with their parents in this story:
  • Cody's parents weren't around for most of his life due to their high-profile careers, but did try to make time for him and were there when he needed them most.
  • Heather's parents had a relationship built around blackmail and bitter contempt, which resulted in the Queen Bee having little to no nice things to say about either of them.
  • Gwen's mother being unable to accept Duncan resulted in a falling out between them, which culminated in Gwen being kicked out of her home. Then there's the fact Gwen's stepfather was a pedophile that secretly filmed her private moments.
  • Sammy's parents were unable to help her against Amy, due to their busy work Schedules and the fact Amy would lie and make sure Sammy was blamed for the things she'd done to her.
  • The only main character that doesn't have parental issues in the same way is Jasmine, since her family is very loving. However, the uncertainty of how they would react to knowing that their daughter is a lesbian with a girlfriend has caused some issues for her.
  • Also, on the supporting character end, there's Cameron, whose mother was the only friend he had for many years.
• Parental Neglect:
  • Both Heather and Sammy's parents are guilty of this.
  • Cody's are as well but not to the same degree, coming off as more along the lines of innocently insensitive most of the time. They might have forgotten his birthday, but when he ended up in the ICU they dropped everything and were there at his side.
• The Pig-Pen: Duncan and Gwen's living place; while Gwen tries to clean it up, Duncan doesn't move a finger to help, and, combined with Gwen's other obligations, she has no time left to clean it regularly.
• Porn Stash: Before dating Heather, and for a good time afterwards, Cody kept a very sizable collection of porn magazines and movies. After Heather found out, she made him get rid of most of the collection, still allowing Cody to keep some selected issues and films.
• Properly Paranoid: In chapter 17, Gwen is wary of and ultimately refuses to use the shower in Cody and Heather's dorm. The fact that one has a reputation as a pervert while the other is blackmailing her, her concerns are warranted, especially since Cody is a known tech geek. Ultimately subverted however as there are no hidden cameras in the dorm.
• Race Lift: Sky goes from being of First Nations descent in canon to Asian in the story.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gwen delivers a blistering variant to Heather in chapter 21. Though misguided, it makes clear she is only playing Heather's game because she believes she has no other choice, NOT because she is intimidated by her in the least. Heather likewise gives her own in return, calling Gwen out for blaming everything on her despite the vast majority of her problems being self inflicted.
• Reformed, but Rejected: A very realistic and believable case when Gwen crosses paths with Heather again after several years. While she has changed, Gwen wasn't around to see it, and given just how bad things were between them last time they saw each other it's hard to blame Gwen for being so suspicious and disbelieving. Even more so considering the fact that the second time they cross paths Heather is blackmailing her.
• Related in the Adaptation: Scarlett is Izzy's cousin.
• Shout-Out: There are several shout outs to other franchises in some chapters, all numbered and explained at the end of said chapters.
• Stalker without a Crush: Amy to Sammy. She even found out where her dorm at college was just so she could torment her more. Sammy was only able to escape by hiding out in Heather and Cody's dorm.
• Statuesque Stunner: Jasmine is the tallest character in the story at 6 feat, and is the only character aside from themselves or Lindsay that Heather and Cody most frequently lust over.
• Stealth Hi/Bye: A trademark of Dawn, as per canon, to the point more than one character has stated it was like she was never there to begin with when they blinked.
• Super-Strength: Jasmine's strength from canon is used here. For reference, she was able to casually knock over a tree while having a conversation and act like it was nothing on Total Drama. Cody even said she could be some sort of superhero.
• There Are No Therapists: Jasmine, Sammy and Cameron have some serious issues; the girls because of Sammy being bullied by her sister for years, and Jasmine feeling impotent to help her; and Cameron because of his many years of social isolation. Instead of getting professional help, the girls are helped by Heather while Cody acts as a Big Brother Mentor to Cameron; fortunately, Heather and Cody's personalities and life experiences make them very good at this, effectively helping the girls and Cameron with their problems.
• Three-Way Sex: Ever since Heather fully embraced her bisexuality, she and Cody have been having threesomes with other ladies. These apparently started late in high school and continued into college. They are common enough to have made the couple minor celebrities on campus, with most characters knowing about them. They even have a series of rules in place. Cody doesn’t ask for threesomes or pick the girls. In exchange, Heather doesn’t go off on her own after girls, talks with Cody about her choices beforehand, and doesn’t try to manipulate girls into their bed.
  • Lindsay and Tyler partake in this as well, although only on special occasions such as hollidays and birthdays.
• Took a Level in Badass: Cody has bulked up considerably over the years.
• Took a Level in Jerkass:
  • Duncan: He’s gone from the self-styled bad boy with a hidden code of honor and a nice core in the Total Drama series to a manipulative bastard who beats and uses his girlfriend of several years to help him with his classwork, do all the chores for their dorm, and sexually satisfy him at least a few times a day whether she wants to or not.
  • Gwen: She’s gone from a smart, independent Goth who was a caring person with hidden depth beneath her snarky façade to a battered housewife whose life revolves around Duncan and who reacts with contempt and bitterness towards anyone else.
• Took a Level in Kindness: Heather, often despite her own internal protests against it.
• Toxic Friend Influence:
  • Duncan to Gwen.
  • Also Jessica, along with the majority of Heather's old friends from school, proved to be this for her.
• Trickster Mentor: Heather, through the use of Cody's perverted nature not only managed to get him to spend time outside and away from gaming, but to actually ENJOY exercising and WANT to get himself into better shape. This continues with her lessons for Jasmine, working her up and riling her temper to life so she wouldn't suppress it all the time while also getting her more comfortable with sexual contact. This in turn is exceeded by the way she has been working over Gwen to break her up with Duncan, which basically boiled down to doing absolutely nothing while Gwen tries to figure out what she is up to.
• True Companions: Cody and Heather, also Jasmine and Sammy, Brick and Jo, Dawn and Zoey and Cameron and Shawn. Be it couples or just roommates it's easy to tell just how strong the bonds of friendship between these characters are. Cody and Noah as well, Kitty even calls Noah Cody's best friend. Same with Heather and Lindsay.
• True Love Is a Kink: Heather and Cody's love life in a nutshell.
• Twin Threesome Fantasy: While not actually related, it was mentioned in chapter 26 that Heather and Nikki put on a 'twin act' for Cody, complete with purple bedlah outfits.
• Villain Respect
  • Despite Heather's hatred for Gwen, she had always respected that she was able to beat her with honesty, determination, and not giving a fuck what other people thought. And not go to her level, using underhanded tricks, deception and backstabbing.
  • Averted with Alejandro, Duncan and Leshawna. With Alejandro and Duncan, it was the fact they used the same tactics as her. For Leshawna, Heather admited she earned some respect, but she ultimately fell short and lost it because she was too easily cowed into submission by the desires of her team. Heather also admits she was still bitter at her for forgetting about the truce they made during Action when World Tour started up.
• Violently Protective Girlfriend: Heather to Cody, as she was even about to confront Jasmine when she insulted Cody in chapter 11. Also Jasmine to Sammy, it was mentioned that she waterboarded Amy with a toilet when she was being particularly mean to Sammy.
• What Does He See in Her?: After getting to know how much Cody has changed over the years, Gwen points out that he could do much better than Heather. As much as Heather hates to admit it (even to herself), she acknowledges that Gwen has a point and that Cody would have no problem finding himself a much nicer and still attractive new girlfriend; this actually has a positive effect on Heather, as it encourages her to be an even better girlfriend to him.
• When She Smiles: Heather, who typically smirks or grins when in a good mood rarely if ever truly smiles. The few times she does are noticed by whoever happens to see it. The same is true with her laugh, which is usually described as a 'harsh barking' opposed to her genuine laughter that has been compared to "soft bells ringing". Sammy also plays this straight due to how shy she is, with the rare occasions she truly smiles standing out.
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Jo hates rodents of all types, to an almost comical degree, apparently the result of a plague-level Noodle Incident.
• Worthy Opponent: Heather considered Gwen to be this in all the Total Drama seasons, the Queen Bee admiring how Gwen always got so far in the game with Brutal Honesty, determination and not caring about other people's opinion. One of the reasons Heather is helping Gwen is precisely because she hates to see Gwen reduced to being an Extreme Doormat for Duncan, and wants her old rival back.
• Xanatos Gambit: Defines Heather to a T and is one of the main reasons people tend to end up in her debt one way or another. Between high school clique politics and a lifetime of dealing with her mother she is a master of this.
• Xanatos Speed Chess: A surprising inversion when it comes to Heather, she is quick to take advantage of anything that comes her way, though often times the results backfire in her face, sometimes quite literally.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: The reason Cody and Heather are nearly inseparable? Starting on the final challenge of TDWT, then spending nearly a year just being there for her as a friend after the photo scandal ruined her reputation doing this.