#there's also songs that are diegetic in the world or ones i headcanon as being diegetic which confuses everything more lmao

[twiggyrogue]

Crazy Ex Girlfriend reading that no one has asked for but I've been thinking about it! but it's about whats up with the songs that Rebecca isn't present for (and some solos that she is but that just makes it confusing)! Because there's a lot of different interpretations of it, and I want to just put out mine

For me, the songs that Rebecca isn't there for aren't in her head, they are in the singers' minds. In the world of the show, especially with songs like "Hey West Covina," "Thought Bubbles," "I Go to the Zoo," (and plenty more), Rebecca absolutely doesn't know the inner thoughts being shared in those numbers. We know she is still projecting onto them from other songs from around those times- "Settle for Me", "Ping Pong Girl", "Strip Away My Conscious" (the first two are putting words in other character's mouths, the third spells out her impression of him pretty clear.) Rebecca doesn't know their struggles, that's why they are singing them to us, the viewers!

They're singing because it's the language that the show, "Crazy Ex Girlfriend" uses to share large emotions and inner thoughts. Yes, it's also the diegetic way Rebecca sees the world, but since her POV is the primary view the show, that's how the viewpoint remains. Despite this, even though Becks is the main character, CXG still goes out of its way to develop and explore character when they are outside of her, to show that none of them are exactly perfect narrators.

I think saying that Rebecca is the one choreographing their personal vignettes- retroactively, after she learns about them- weakens them and puts too many filters over the ideas in the songs. Because then it makes every song actually about what she thinks someone's breakthrough is about. Lets be real, she never had and will never have enough thoughts about George to formulate "George's Turn."

If this was a much more experimental show- which, it already is, but even moreso than normal- everyone would have their own interpretations of their psyche, like Nathaniel's romcom episode. Like, say for "Trapped in a Car" maybe Rebecca is singing in her head, but Paula is imagining a really shitty filler part in a romance novel where the side character she does not care about has way too many lines. They'd be saying the same thing in different mediums, but in the show, they just converge into one song.

CXG is musical comedy, written by comedic musicians and sold with the idea that each episode has a song. And as a medium, musicals are fundamentally fantastic at doing this introspective character work! The changing of genres for certain characters is already an insight on how to read them, which makes it a joy to analyze. It's a format that really, really works for a show that wants viewers to empathize with everybody in the cast. The show needs to use "Rebecca's worldview" on other characters because that's the kind of show it is!

imo it's such a neat move that the writers decided to explore how the introspective and emotional medium of musicals could work as a coping mechanism and I love it! But, if anything, making the main character literally have vivid mental music numbers does confuse the use of them in any other place when they're played more narratively straight lol

[incorrect-encanto-quotes]

I kinda have this headcanon where the songs in the movie are diegetic (which means they happen in universe) and they're visions of strong emotions often buried so deep under the surface that the person has to sing to express them. Also, only people that the singer trusts can hear/see the visions, for example only Mirabel could hear Luisa singing Surface Pressure. However, Dolores is able to hear the songs too, seen as she hears literally everything, and as such can be unusually understanding of her family's problems, though she doesn't tell them because she knows they'd be embarrassed to hear that she knows about their internal struggles.

These song vision things would come with being a Madrigal, and even Mirabel, who doesn't have a gift, can still make them, but she rarely ever does because she doesn't let herself think about her doubts or her insecurities, so all the other family members don't know she can do it as well. Hell, not even SHE probably knows, not until Waiting on a Miracle, where she finally gives herself this moment to acknowledge that she's not fine. These are emotions that she doesn't want anyone to hear or to know, and so she sings it alone, the world around her frozen and the song condensed into a few milliseconds.

Th Family Madrigal is probably not one of these musical visions, I think it's just a normal song that Mirabel composed for the heck of it.

(Also sorry for the long ask, I just thought you'd be interested in this idea)

I like it

[jancys-blue-bayou]

Come on now, how am I supposed to not want every single number on that list for jancy??? Except for the appearance one I guess unless we're talking uh 👀👀👀 things that are less... apparent. (Sorry I'm terrible)

 Holiday headcanon

Answered!

2. Cooking headcanon

Jonathan “Breakfast Boy” Byers is the better cook, having cooked for his family for years. I go a little bit back and forth on Nancy, I don’t think cooking would be something she’s particularly into, her mom is always in the kitchen and maybe she might’ve had a phase when she was little where she liked to help out in the kitchen but think she outgrew that and so isn’t used to cook much at home, though she’s not an idiot of course and knows her way around a kitchen she’s not a spectacular cook. She might like baking more? Since that’s a bit more precise and exact “science”, you can follow a recipe exactly while cooking you generally wing it more, and I can see Nancy liking to do things like that, exact and precise. I think Jonathan likes cooking more than Nancy does and therefore is the one to cook more often, but also Nancy enjoys cooking with Jonathan more than on her own.

3. Sleeping headcanon

Jonathan Byers is the comfiest pillow in the world. That’s what Nancy firmly believes, I believe. We see in s1 Jonathan turn onto his side/tummy when sleeping. My hc for their sleeping position together is not set in stone, I lean towards Jonathan sleeping on his back but kind of turned towards his side and Nancy sleeping with her head tucked into the crook of his neck or on his chest, her arm slung across him holding him and his wrapped around her, I like them nestled close like that, at least in times of comfort. Can also see them both like sleeping on their side, heads turned to each other and like as close together as they can be without actually being on top of one another, and limbs all entangled. Can also see them spooning.

4. Driving headcanon

Jury’s still out on whether Nancy has her license or not. I hc that she does but that she prefers letting Jonathan drive, she feels completely safe with him at the wheel and he’s had more driving experience while she’s a bit unsure perhaps. Kind of feel like driver’s ed could’ve been a thing Nancy struggled with, which I kind of like? Like with her straight A’s in school and studious smart mind can kind of see her having a weak spot like that, and her problem not being to learn traffic rules or anything like that but rather speeding and being to antsy a driver. I hc like with cooking that this is a thing where it’s something they both can do but Jonathan is a bit better at it and also likes to do it more than Nancy does and so she’s happy to let him take the wheel.

5. Bathing/showering headcanon

Answered!

6. Hugging headcanon

Answered! (Mostly for Nancy but Jonathan is just the same, they’re huggy huggy huggy).

7. Kissing headcanon

Headcanon: They’re really really good at it okay? For real though that amazing passionate hungry kiss/makeout/pinnacle of human achievement aside it’s uh…. real nice. They kiss a lot. A lot a lot a lot. Jonathan just finds it really hard not to kiss those lips I mean look at them. And Nancy finds that Jonathan is a natural and is just shook by him kissing her like that I mean jesus christ. Kiss time they see each other in the morning and Nancy will just keep leaving him with little kisses throughout the day. Quick pecks and cheek kisses at school as they’re not super big on serious PDA. Oh and darkroom kisses! You better believe they make out in there all the time. And to Nancy’s pleasure it’s often Jonathan initiating it then.

8. Sex headcanon

Answered!

9. General physical contact headcanon

They’re ALWAYS touching okay. If not kissing or hugging just holding hands or arms around the other or cuddled together on a couch or Nancy plopping herself down in his lap. Look at how even before they got together they always stood like needlessly close together for no real reason at times lmao like all that was missing was the final step of physically touching. Also just feeling Nancy’s hand on him is huge for Jonathan. Her caressing his hand after wrapping his palm in s1. And even more so her comforting, strengthening hand on his shoulder as he’s apologizing to Will’s unconscious body in s2, it’s monumental okay. She can always strengthen him just by putting her hand on him.

10. Physical appearance headcanon

Ahem. He’s got large hands okay. Make of that what you will. That’s all I’ll say about that.

11. Wardrobe headcanon

Kind of moot to answer given we’ve seen both their fall/winter wardrobes and in bts pics of s3 filming their summer wardrobes so not much headcanoning left to do here but I’ll say I am in love with it all okay. I rock a strong sweater game myself if I may say so, so much respect to the Sweater King and Queen of Hawkins. Also Nancy looks amazing in her summerdresses. And I’m glad the bts pics of s3 seem to confirm one headcanon I have: Jonathan Byers does not wear shorts.

12. Jewelry headcanon

Another kind of moot to answer (guess these are more aimed for literary characters) we know of Nancy’s ballet necklace and Jonathan not wearing any. Like I wrote into my Christmas fic I can see Nancy getting Jonathan some cool slightly unusual necklace that’s very much him, like something music related. And thinking he looks super cool in it (like Charlie who wears necklaces very well).

13. Nickname headcanon

Always always always the Thumper headcanon started by the eponymous @iamthethumperanon here and used by me in uh, many fics but for instance here. Otherwise there’s always Nance. I don’t like Jon, he doesn’t feel like a Jon he feels like a Jonathan. And lmao I’m still very pleased with the phone nicknames I gave them in the modern AU sexting fic I did, Nancypants and Jon-Jon aka Thumper. I like him calling her Nancypants sometimes lol and she always lightly smacking him on the arm when he does.

14. Dancing headcanon

Jonathan’s not a dancer. But he’s also not one to say no to Nancy Wheeler. Still mourn we didn’t get more than the iconic look at the Snow Ball come on Nancy could dance with Dustin for one or a few songs but then we needed Jonathan sliding up with “Mind if I cut in?”. Hell I hc that they danced on their own afterwards instead. If Nancy puts on some music in private and beckons for his hand he’s never one to turn her down

15. Singing headcanon

Answered!

16. Anger headcanon

At each other? No. Apart from the fight in the woods and getting huffy over their pent up feelings in the motel room they’re sweetie pies to each other all the time. They have playful banter but it’s not meanspirited in the slightest. I think what would infuriate Nancy the most about Jonathan would be if he kept putting himself and his own needs last, always prioritizing taking care of others above himself. But she wouldn’t get angry at him for it because it’s not something to have anger about, but she’d try to make him see it’s okay to think about himself too. Sure they’d have a fight eventually like all couples but they don’t walk around are meanspirited and angry at each other all the time. And on the other side of the coin, quickest way to poke Nancy or Jonathan’s berserk button is of course to endanger the ones they love. Jonathan beats the shit out of Steve in the alley because of what Steve spews out about Will and Joyce, but with where his and Nancy’s relationship is now, insulting Nancy like that would provoke the same reaction.

17. Soft spot headcanon

Not sure what this one means but uh… Jonathan has a soft spot for everything Nancy does and vice versa? Idk.

18. Favorite possession headcanon

Answered for Nancy here! For Jonathan it’s the camera Nancy gives him in s1.

19. Favorite photograph headcanon

Oh boy. Probably as of yet untaken in canon. Think Jonathan’s favorite photo would definitely be one he takes of Nancy sometime, or one of Nancy together with Will and Joyce.

20. Relationship with/thoughts on _____ headcanon

Music. They overlap more than some might think. We’ve gotten a lot in canon on Jonathan’s music taste (The Clash, Bowie, Joy Division, Television, Talking Heads, The Smiths) gives a pretty clear picture. For Nancy we have the Blondie thing on her wall and Africa by Toto playing in her room in s1 (as I recall it was diegetic music at least? Right?). I hc that Nancy listens to pop, would love Madonna for instance, but also likes new wave and stuff like it and I think Jonathan with his tastes would like new wave too so they’d meet there and I hc Nancy liking Bowie too. She broadens her tastes a little through Jonathan (what did they listen to in the car on the way to Murray?) and she likewise influences him, getting him to open up a bit more to some more poppier stuff (at first tolerating it in his car then discreetly bopping along and finally admitting he likes some of it). And ofc she loves to tease him like she did in the hallway scene and Sassy Boy Byers teases her right back.