"You say things and people listen. I'm not like that"

"Mr. Anderson thinks that everything inside of him is worthless and embarrassing. Isn't that right, Todd? And that's your worse fear."

I love Todd's arc and his character. It can be extremely difficult for some to find their voice and believe that said voice is worth sharing.

It also seems as though Todd grew up in his brother's shadow. Being told by his parents and teachers, it's not Todd's voice they want. They wants Jeff's. This would only add to the difficulty of speaking up, especially for himself.

Then came Neil, Mr. Keating, and the dead poets.

One thing I always appreciated with this film is that Todd doesn't have this one moment of breaking out of his shell and then he's suddenly confident and outspoken.

It's takes time and support. Neil and Mr. Keating are frequently coaxing Todd out of his shell.

For example the scene of Neil convincing Todd to go to the dps meeting, the "No" scene in the dorm between Todd and Neil, Neil getting Todd to yell the lines at the dock, Mr. Keating clocked Todd and inner thoughts and feelings immediately and actively showed how much he believed in Todd, they both challenged Todd more than once.

Then the dead poets society is a group of people who are all incredibly supportive of one another. They are friends who root for you , they celebrate your wins, they sit with you and listen when it gets bad. For Todd specifically I think this helped a lot with making him feel comfortable and willing to slowly open up to them. Their reaction to Todd's poem he makes up on the spot and in a deleted scene Todd reads aloud an original poem for the poets and I loved to see their reaction when it's finished. They are all so supportive and clearly proud of Todd, standing and cheering for him.

All this to say I love to see how this slowly builds throughout the film.

Domestic Anderperry headcanons

As requested by @aj-scott725 - thanks AJ! :] These are all kind of nebulously post-canon.

- When Todd gets into a new poem/body of work, he doesn't tend to gush about it; instead he gets into a dreamy state for a few days and leaves books lying around with pen scribbles all over the pages. Neil gets into the habit of collecting them so he doesn't lose track of them, putting them on their bedside table, and making a note of them so he can read them too

- Neil gets it into his head to learn how to swing dance one summer, and they spend a couple of weeks twirling each other around the living room. It doesn't go awfully well (Todd has two left feet and almost cracks his head open by falling over the sofa), but they're not half bad at it either. Sometimes their downstairs neighbour Mrs. Springer will play Rachmaninoff on the piano and they'll leave the windows open so the music gets in and dance around and around the room

- Todd falls asleep in a couple of minutes every time he gets on any type of transportation without fail. The first time it happens in a taxi they're still young and afraid and when the driver glances for half a second too long at them in the rearview mirror, at Todd's head on Neil's shoulder and the way Neil curves around him unconsciously, Neil stiffens and glares. But by the time the taxi arrives he and the driver have spent ten minutes talking quietly about their boyfriends to each other (the driver is "practically engaged, can you believe it" to a journalist named Martin in Syracuse, and he reminds him "just of your guy, they're exactly like each other, the wheels start going and they're out like lights"). They shake hands as he gently ushers a half-awake Todd out of the taxi and he never sees that driver again, but the memory remains a small golden jewel in Neil's mind

- Neil is unequivocally on washing up duty, because Todd can't stand feeling wet food in the sink. To make up for it he cleans the bathroom, although this also because it helps him think - not uncommon for Neil to come home from rehearsal to find him with their giant flowery cleaning gloves on scrubbing at the toilet bowl, dictating poems to a voice recorder. He proposes Todd dedicate his first poetry collection "to my darling husband and the porcelain god" and gets kicked out of the bedroom for a night for his troubles

- The apartment's heating is kind of shitty (read: the landlord refuses to fix it) so they sleep with three blankets all piled up on top of each other. Neil, who runs cold, isn't too concerned about the whole thing. Todd pretends to complain about it but secretly he loves the comforting pressure (God, have weighted blankets been invented yet? Can we get him one?) and sleeps with the blankets pulled to his chin and his face pressed into the crook of Neil's neck for maximum coverage. This also works in the mornings because he doesn't like the sun's glare, so Neil will often sleepily put a hand over his eyes before he wakes up so it doesn't bother him

I never thought I’d understand the idea the dead poets listen to Abba but I have an assignment due and Abba works so well to keep me concentrating. Just imagine they having to write an essay about Shakespeare and Abba in the background, when they need a break they just stop and jam to Abba then get back to work!

this is my first ever edit to it's not great, but i needed to edit them to this song. it's very simple and the timing might be a little off, oh well.

— here’s a knarlie edit bc i don’t see enough of them and i mean… i’m still struggling with the timing but its ok.

I’ve never seen anyone talk about Meeks in this outfit, yet half the dark academia folks dress exactly like this:

He only wears this once, we were robbed of more outfit inspo.

“Todd” & “Knox” from DEAD POETS SOCIETY are now PhDs in THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT.

Down Bad is such an anderperry song c'mon.

Imagine Neil staring at Todd at midnight whispering to himself "Fuck it if I can't have him"

Like yes?

It's giving ✨teenage petulance✨ ( comes out🏳️‍🌈 teenage petulance )

"I might just die, it would make no difference"

"Down bad waking in blood" - except Neil never woke up.

Looking at the sky, come back pick me up

"I might not just get up"

"How dare do you think it was romantic, leaving me safe and stranded"

"For a moment, I knew cosmic love"

"For a moment, I was heaven-struck"

"Fuck it I was in love"

Tell me HOW this doesn't give "Fuck it if I can't have him"

" You even been to a gay wedding?"

Me - oh yeah

The wedding in question-

Dead poets as specific A-Level courses-

Neil- THEATRE AND PERFORMING ARTS! probably needed to convince Mr Perry to let him as long as he did Biology alongside it and sociology to defend the gvays. OR, he would go to the performing arts club or perform in the plays and beg his teachers not to tell his father. He stopped talking to his parents and applied to London's academy

Todd- ENGLISH LITERATURE (would hate english language, but that's just me projecting lmao) alongside textiles and would crotchet a final piece and maybe philosophy because im projecting again I JUST CAN'T STOP PROJECTING MYSELF ONTO HIM

Charlie- PHYSCIAL EDUCATION because he reminds me too much of the people in my sixth form who did physcial education, politics and criminology (but would go to smokers and hit his peach vape and sell them to everyone)

Pitts- He would do cooking and bring treats that he baked and shared it with everyone. Pitts would also english language because he got 1 grade 9 (or A*) in GCSE'S and art because he is intelligent but in a creative and artisitic way!

Knox- Knox would get an apprentenship at his local law firm and fall in love with every woman that comes in OR would work at a grocery store and have his Joe from YOU moment

Cameron- LAW, POLITICS AND SOCIOLOGY. He would try to defend right wing ideologies and be best friends with the teacher, probably stinks up the entire room! Yes, I would get annoyed with him and prove him wrong.

Dun! Dun! DUNNN! THE HELL–TON HASH!!!

currently thinking about this parallel

Rehearsing - Todd Anderson / Neil Perry

Description: It's raining, Todd is almost falling asleep, and Neil is reading his lines for his next play for the millionth time. [Fluff, 600 words]

It's canon that Todd helps Neil with practicing for his plays, so I wanted to write one these times in a warm/soft vibe. Wrote this one purely for comfort. Might write more fics like this. Just small moments of their lifes y'know. Feel free to make requests if you have any idea. Anyway, hope you enjoy it <3

— i’ve got fanfic brainrot, so please don’t judge me. i still struggle a lot with timing but i’ll post it anyway cuz i think it’s kinda cute.

— another knarlie edit cuz i’m about to reread imagine being loved by me. also happy tortured poets release day, i’m hoping to see a lot of ts edits soon. idk if the storyline makes sense but it was giving folklore love cone in my head.

Todd Anderson, written from the perspective of Neil Perry.

In the contemplative hour when the world slips into the embrace of shadows, I find Todd Anderson’s presence akin to a beacon amidst the abyss of uncertainty. His quietude speaks to me in profound ways, invoking a sense of camaraderie that transcends the limitations of spoken words. The weight of our shared uncertainties, the burden of existence, hangs between us, creating an unspoken understanding that roots itself in the depths of our souls. In the quiet moments of our companionship, I find solace in the knowledge that I am not alone in navigating the labyrinth of existential questioning. It is within this shared silence that our connection transcends the tangible, existing as an ethereal bond that anchors us to the frail yet beautiful fabric of our mortal selves.

From the first moment I laid eyes on Todd Anderson, I sensed an enigmatic force shrouding his presence. The quiet intensity that emanates from every fiber of his being speaks to a depth of understanding that sets him apart. It's as if he carries the weight of a thousand untold stories within him, each one etched into his delicate frame. His introverted nature seemed to effortlessly weave an intricate tapestry of mystery and enigma, leaving me breathless in the wake of his unspoken words. This magnetic aura he exudes doesn't demand attention, yet it surrounds him like an unyielding cloak of wisdom waiting to be unfurled.

What games would the dead poets play

Meeks would be the kind of person to play sims city and create his own city.

While Todd would play stardew valley.

Neil plays animal crossings.

Charlie plays music rhythm games or guitar hero.

Pitts would play sims, I get the feeling he would make his friends in sims and make anderperry a couple with a cat.

Cameron would play solitaire

Knox would play dating simulators.