Marina 🇱🇹

General Headcanons

Anya Alexis Musume

Born on June 28th, 1989; She was 34 years old during the events of Mouthwashing

Hungarian/Japanese (Hungarian father, Japanese mother) 🇭🇺🇯🇵

Born and raised in Hungary, moved to the USA for studies

Older sister to two younger brothers

Cancer Sun, Pisces Moon, Virgo Rising

She's an INFJ (Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging)

Catholic, mixed with some extra beliefs

Loosely identifies as a lesbian

173 cm tall (5'8" tall)

Her love language is Acts of Service

Nearsighted and wears glasses but often forgets them or avoids wearing them unless absolutely necessary

Used to smoke but quit

Has a lot on her mind, always

Encouraging and reassuring to those around her

Playful, witty, and teasing, but gets nervous and stutters when flustered

Speaks with deep but indirect meanings

Light, careful, and melodical in the way she talks

Tends to notice small details and changes about people

Never wears shoes inside; A habit from her Hungarian upbringing

Her favourite colours are dusky blue, muted lavender, soft teal and warm gray but says blue to keep it simple

Enjoys listening to calming melancholic music; Soft emo, love songs, lo-fi beats for studying, metal for jogging

Wears band shirts in hopes for people to ask her to name five songs; Desperately wants to talk about music and flex her knowledge

Loves to tease people

Great with kids

Paints her nails to stop from biting them

Has a nervous tic of biting her nails, lips, hair, jacket cuffs, etc.

Drives aggressively but has never had an accident; Heavy horn usage, tailgating, frequent speeding, check engine light always on and no clue where her registration is

Would be too shy to sing in front of most people but would let loose in private karaoke nights with very close friends

Rowdy when drunk; More karaoke, more bluntness, then eventually throwing up and pouting in the designated driver’s backseat

Would absolutely go crazy in a rage room

"I have to believe our worst moments don't make us monsters, Jim."

Before Mouthwashing

1989-1991

Born to parents - József Nagy (Hungarian, born 1968) and Sumiko Musume (Japanese, born 1969)

Her parents weren’t married but were in a committed relationship when she was born

József and Sumiko were young parents (early 20s); Trying their best while still being playful themselves

Spent most of her childhood with Sumiko due to her not having the confidence in her Hungarian skills to work jobs

Loved exploring new things; Even small things like different-coloured flowers or how shadows change throughout the day

Enjoyed pretend play, like house or hospital

A little shy around new people, often hid behind József or Sumiko

Got emotional easily but usually stayed stubborn

Loved small comforting routines

Enjoyed puzzles and matching games; Liked figuring out how things fit together

1992

Started going to Kindergarten; She was 3 years old

She began developing her Hungarian speaking and writing skills in Kindergarten

She was very quiet and shy, so she didn't make many friends

Sumiko always took her to Kindergarten and usually picked her up, but sometimes József’s parents did instead

Since Sumiko was mostly at home with her, she’d follow her around like a little shadow

Wanted to make her parents proud and always tried to be “good” and helpful

1993-1994

Sumiko passed away from health complications in 1993, but Anya only found out 3 years later

1995-1996

Started going to Primary School in 1995; She was 6 years old

She liked the other kids but was shy about making the first move; If someone talked to her first, she’d warm up quickly

Once made a friend, who she clung to at all times; Spending recess together, sitting next to each other, hanging out during and after school, etc.

Had a hard time saying no; If her friend asked her to do something, even if she didn’t want to, she struggled to say no because she didn’t want to upset them

Hungarian was her main language, but she remembered some Japanese words; She might not have been fluent, but she remembered simple words or phrases her mom used to say

Kept small objects as “treasures” like a cool-looking rock, an old button or a dried flower; She collected small things that made her feel safe

Sitting in comfortable silence with her dad or grandparents was one of her favorite things

Took way too long on assignments; Not because she didn’t know the answers, but because she double-checked everything before handing it in

She rarely actively tried to befriend people, but other kids who liked her quiet and thoughtful nature naturally stuck around

Her friend did most of the talking; She liked being around someone more outgoing who could handle social stuff for her

Birthday parties used to overwhelm her, but over time, the idea slowly grew on her

Spent a lot of time at her grandparents’ house

Big events with lots of relatives made her nervous, she preferred sitting with just her dad and grandparents

Could spend hours looking at the sky; She just liked watching clouds, stars, sunsets, etc.

Started her habit of biting her nails, lips, hair, jacket cuffs, etc.

Liked having a small “safe spot” at school; Whether it was a certain seat, a corner of the library, or a quiet hallway, she always had a favorite place to retreat to

Kept her schoolbag super organized

Some kids wanted to be doctors because of books or shows, Anya wanted to be one because her mother never came home from the hospital

She didn't talk about her mom much but she asked about hospitals, how bodies work, why people don’t get better; Quiet questions with loud intentions

1997

József started seeing a woman named Anikó (Hungarian, born 1976); Anya was 8 years old

József began seeing Anikó casually; He didn't tell Anya right away, but she noticed subtle changes like him humming again and starting to shave more regularly

He introduced Anikó as “a friend” but Anya immediately understood it was more than that

Their first meeting was quiet; She clung to a stuffed toy and said little, but she took everything in like Anikó’s perfume, the shape of her earrings, the color of her shoes, etc.

Later, she jotted down bullet points in her journal - “Ő magas. Piros sál. Apa ma mosolygott.”

1998

József and Anikó started dating; Anya was 9 years old

Anikó became a regular part of weekends and holidays

She warmed up slowly; Started tolerating shared activities like board games or movie nights

She didn’t show affection publicly, but privately, she pasted a photo of them together in her journal

She hit a growth spurt early and the other kids teased her for being taller than most boys in her class; She hunched her shoulders a lot to “shrink”

She became self-conscious about her body; She tugged her sleeves over her hands and preferred baggy sweaters

She started chewing on pen caps and hoodie strings as her nail-biting tic got worse

1999

Her first period came at school, she hid in the bathroom for almost an hour until a kind teacher noticed; Later, she secretly noted the date in her journal like a scientific observation

2000-2001

József proposed to Anikó in 2000; Anya was 11 years old

She found the ring box in a drawer before József proposed but didn't tell anyone

After the announcement, she said her quiet congratulations, then withdrew emotionally for a while

Skipped the dress fitting, said she had a stomachache

Anikó didn't take it personally; Instead, left a soft blue fabric dress on Anya’s desk, no note, no expectations

József and Anikó got married later that same year

Anikó took József's last name, becoming Anikó Nagy

Ceremony was small and quiet, she wore the blue dress; Didn't cry, but her stomach was in knots

Stood beside Anikó for one photo without being asked; Later realized it felt… right

After the ceremony, József whispered to her - “Még mindig az én kislányom vagy. Mindig.”; That moment stayed with her for years

Began to believe there’s room in her family for more than just the past

2002

József and Anikó announce their pregnancy to Anya; She was 13 years old

Her mouth formed into a small “o” but nodded politely, said nothing and then slipped away

That night, she went to her room and reread her favorite section on fetal development from the children's medical book she got the year before

She noticed how József hummed more often and how Anikó’s hands always rested protectively on her belly

She didn't feel jealous, not exactly; Just… uncertain, like the ground shifted a little under her feet

She discovered a local record shop and lingered at the “Rock/Alternative” section, pretending to browse while actually eavesdropping on older teens’ recommendations

Anikó gave birth to two baby boys later that same year, naming them Ádám and Márk

She visited the hospital with József; Everything was loud and bright, and unfamiliar

When she finally saw them, red-faced and tiny, it didn't feel real; She stood beside Anikó’s hospital bed like a ghost

József let her hold Márk first, she was stiff and scared at first but didn't hand him back right away

When he curled his fingers around hers, it felt like her world was changed; Later, in the hospital bathroom, she cried quietly, not sure why

The home that once held three people, strained to hold five

She shared a room with the twins and every inch was filled with toys, laundry baskets, and baby-proofing foam

József told Anya that they'll move houses in the upcoming Summer; She didn't want to leave her childhood home but she didn't protest since she knew it was necessary

She started spending more time at her grandparents’ house again, not out of resentment but because it was quieter and familiar

She taught herself the Latin names for body systems and sketched bones in her notebooks

She spent her nights flipping through borrowed anatomy books and sketching diagrams like sacred symbols

She started volunteering to help teachers after class, mostly in science-related activities

She still kept to herself but she watched everything and everyone; She knew who was lonely, who was angry, who hid their sadness behind jokes, etc.

Anya and her best friend graduated Primary School together

She received her certificate of completion with a small smile and straight posture, gripping it like it was a promise

József, his parents, Anikó and the twins came to congratulate her and gifted her many flowers

Anya and her best friend hugged a little too tight and promised to stay in-contact with each other before separating

She tried to believe that things won’t change, but in her chest, she already felt the ache of distance

The family moved into a bigger home; A modest two-story house on a quieter street

She got her own room again, that was bigger than before

She spent the first night rearranging her books until 2 AM

The house smelled different - new paint, wood, laundry detergent she didn't recognize but slowly, she began to call it “home” out loud

2003-2007

Started going to Secondary School in 2003; She was 14 years old

She got lost the first day and hid in the bathroom for 20 minutes; But she found her rhythm

She found a quiet hallway corner to sit during breaks and sometimes other quiet kids joined her

She cried at a documentary in school and was mocked for it; That night, she ripped a page out of her journal

Her sense of humor still surfaced with the right people but in class, she was all business; Some classmates admired her, others found her intimidating

She heard whispers about her being a “know-it-all” but pretended not to care

She began to watch medical documentaries and saving up for books

She made some new friends but still stayed in-touch with her best friend

At home, the twins began to mimic her by repeating words like “neuron” and “bacteria” even though they had no idea what they meant; She also let them scribble in her margins and pretended to be annoyed

She began to live internally, journaling and rereading textbooks under her blanket with a flashlight

She became more competitive, especially when playing games such as board games, quizzes, debates, etc.; A classmate once called her “ice-cold” after a heated chess match and she didn’t correct them

She started noticing things like a classmate skipping meals, another showing signs of depression, etc.; She didn't always know what to do but she began to care in a deeper way

She started reading about psychology in addition to biology

She won small science competitions and earning teacher recommendations

She visited the school nurse more often, not because she was feeling unwell but because she wanted to know how to help; She learnt how to clean minor wounds, take a pulse and spot signs of fainting or panic attacks

Had her first experience with burnout

She got headaches, skipped meals, ran laps in the cold to clear her thoughts

She began reading not just medical journals but psychology books, trying to understand herself through science

She volunteered at a local clinic on weekends, helping file documents and occasionally sitting in on consultations; She absorbed everything

She ate lunch with one of the teachers sometimes - a biology teacher who let her borrow medical journals

She tutored other students who struggled in biology

Her eyesight began to noticeably worsen; Years of squinting at fine print in low light, late-night study sessions and never quite resting her eyes have led to nearsightedness

She found herself drawn to certain girls; The way they laugh, the way they carry themselves - in a way she couldn't dismiss as platonic

There was one classmate in particular who made her stomach flutter in a way no boy had before but she didn't tell anyone, not even her friends

When puberty hit, she struggled with acne and oily skin which made her more withdrawn; She covered her face with her hair

She started filling the margins of her school notebooks with messy song lyrics, broken hearts and anatomical doodles

She wore mostly dark hoodies and loose jeans, and layered bracelets to fidget with in class

She begged József for a black hoodie with thumbholes, he rolled his eyes but bought it anyway; She wore it so much the sleeves frayed

She once cut her own bangs in the bathroom with sewing scissors and regretted it immediately but pretended it was intentional

On her 16th birthday morning, she found a black Bombay kitten curled up in a basket at the foot of her bed with a note tucked under its paw - “Ő mind a tiéd. Szerelem Anikó.”; She named her Kira, a nod to her Japanese roots

Since then, she slowly began to see Anikó not just as her father’s wife but as a mother figure

She was fully “emo adjacent”; Painting her nails black, wearing thrifted band shirts under her school uniform cardigan, etc.

She cut out magazine clippings of bands and taped them to the inside of her wardrobe door, it was her private “emo wall”

She carried around a cheap MP3 player filled with sad songs, switching between angsty English lyrics and softer Japanese ballads her mom once loved; She was particularly a big fan of Imogen Heap

At 17, she dyed a single streak of her hair with drugstore blue dye; When the color faded to a washed out green, she told classmates it was on purpose

Crushes on girls became more obvious, she once found herself staring too long at a classmate’s smile and immediately buried her face in a textbook

Began posting anonymously on small online forums, writing vague poetic posts about loneliness and hospital waiting rooms

2008-2010

Graduated Secondary School in 2008; She was 19 years old

József, his parents, Anikó and the twins came to congratulate her once again

During the ceremony, she carried a farewell bouquet filled with notes, flowers and charms from classmates, and teachers; The twins snuck a crumpled drawing of them all holding hands into it

As she walked the halls one last time, she felt a strange mix of peace and grief; It was the first time in a while she allowed herself to feel proud

József held her close afterward, telling her how proud Sumiko would’ve been while Anikó took a ton of pictures and gifted her a silver bracelet that had once belonged to her own mother

She kept all her graduation mementos like ribbons, notes and photos in a shoebox tucked deep in her closet; She never threw it out

She got her driver's license after two attempts; She passed the second test with shaky hands and a speeding warning

Celebrated passing with greasy fast food, loud music and aggressive but strangely effective driving around alone just to feel free

She applied to med school for the first time and got... rejected

She was gutted, she tried not to let it show but it shook her confidence in a way nothing else had

That night, she stole one of József’s old packs and started smoking in secret

She didn't become a chain-smoker but it became a ritual; When the stress became unbearable, when she felt like she has failed, when she needed to feel like she was in control of something

She tried to apply again, convincing herself the first time was just bad luck but she got rejected again

Her eye-sight worsened from all the late nights studying under bad lighting and long screen hours

Another year, another rejection; She barely registered it at first, just shut the laptop and went to sleep

She began to think that maybe Hungary wasn't where she was meant to grow

The thought of the USA crept in, not as a dream, but as a possible reality; She started researching about American med schools + nursing schools and reading about available homestays

One last try and it was another rejection; It didn't surprise her anymore but it still hurt

She sat down with József and Anikó and told them her plan to apply to nursing programs in the USA; She thought that if med schools wouldn't accept her that maybe nursing schools would, she wasn't too confident anymore after 4 rejections

They were surprised but supportive; József helped her with documents and research, and Anikó double-checked her forms and taught her how to track packages internationally

She searched for homestay families on forums and websites; Eventually, connecting with a young woman close to her age, who seemed kind and open

She began practicing English at night; Labeling everything in her room, reading aloud to herself and even writing her grocery lists in English

2011

By 2011, she had saved up enough for her plane ticket and the application fees for the nursing schools; The money came from years of tutoring younger students, translating documents, babysitting the twins and her part-time jobs

Her suitcase sat open for days, half-packed; Every item was debated, clothes had to double up in use and mementos had to be flat and light

She said goodbye to Kira the day before the flight and held her close for longer than the cat preferred

József, Anikó, the twins and even József’s parents came to the airport to say their goodbyes; Her best friend was there too, arms tight around a farewell gift with a tiny photo album filled with inside jokes, old polaroids and one movie ticket from their first girls’ night out

It was a tearful goodbye

József tried not to cry but his hug was long and silent

Anikó gave her a hand-packed lunch and a packet of tissues, and their hug was quietly emotional, no words needed

The twins clung to her legs, not fully understanding why she was leaving

Her grandparents gave her a small silver cross necklace and whispered a soft blessing

Her last Hungarian cigarette was smoked in the airport bathroom and she cried through it

The flight took 13 hours, broken only by restless naps and airline meals

Once she finally arrived in the USA, she was jetlagged, overwhelmed and running on sheer adrenaline

She tightly clutched her carry-on, filled with important documents, her phone at 2% battery and everything that her family and best friend gifted her before her leave

At the arrival gate, she spotted her homestay roommate holding a sign with her name on it

The woman gave her a welcoming hug and cracked a joke about airport coffee being the first test of American survival

She mumbled a shy "Hello" and followed her, grateful that her English practice was already paying off

The apartment was small, cozy and cluttered with plants, candles, and books; It smelled faintly of incense and fresh laundry

Her roommate made her tea, let her shower first and told her to take any shelf in the fridge except the bottom one

She became homesick almost instantly

Once she settled in her new room, she messaged her family (József and his parents) and her best friend; She already missed them and mostly, Kira

Almost without realizing it, she started doing small acts of service for her roommate like cleaning dishes, refilling the kettle, folding blankets, etc.; It was as her quiet way of saying thank you

She was still getting used to driving on the opposite side of the road, so she avoided it entirely at first and stuck to walking or taking rides from her roommate

She started a small photo diary on her phone, snapping one picture a day to remind herself that she was really doing this

She applied to nursing school for the first time in the USA and was... rejected once again

She stepped out onto the narrow balcony of the apartment and lit a cigarette from an old pack she smuggled over from Hungary

She didn’t expect her roommate to open the sliding door, ten minutes later, and catch her in the act

“If you wanna be a nurse or a doctor, you probably shouldn’t make friends with lung cancer.”, that's all she said and Anya knew she was right; She didn’t finish the cigarette after that

After quitting smoking, she really struggled to manage her stress in healthy ways

Her hands itched for something to do when her mind spiraled, she chewed gum obsessively, went through packs of sunflower seeds, snapped hair ties on her wrist but nothing really worked

She tried to distract herself by re-organizing drawers, scrubbing the apartment, memorizing pointless facts, etc.; Her roommate once found her alphabetizing spices at 2AM

Cleaning became her new form of self-soothing, she deep-cleaned the bathroom to avoid crying, wiped down the kitchen counters when rejection emails hit and so on

It wasn’t the most graceful transition but it kept her from smoking again and she quietly counted every week she stayed clean as a quiet win

The second rejection didn’t sting as much

She started babysitting for a family down the street, tutoring ESL students online, helping an elderly neighbor with groceries, etc. None of it paid much, but it kept her going; The parents said she was sweet with the kids and the neighbor knit her a scarf

2012-2015

She celebrated her first Fourth of July in 2012; She was 23 years old

The noise and fireworks overwhelmed her but her roommate handed her a sparkler to at least experience it once; She waved it once for a photo, then sat inside with headphones on

The third rejection… she didn’t even cry, just closed her laptop and stared at the ceiling

But America was big, bigger than Hungary; There were still more schools, still more chances

She picked up a local volunteer shift; Assisting at a community health fair, handing out water bottles and checking people in

She updated her wardrobe from secondhand stores; Mixing her style when she was living in Hungary with her new life in the USA

After the fourth rejection, she realized that her bank account quietly fell into single digits; She tried tutoring and babysitting more but it wasn’t enough

She knew that she had to find a job, something that would give her enough money to continue trying to get into nursing schools

She came across PONY EXPRESS and even though it sounded sketchy with too-good-to-be-true pay, they offered basic medical training and they were always hiring

She applied and her acceptance came fast, too fast, but she was happy either way

2016-2017

Joined PONY EXPRESS on March 8th, 2016; She was 26 years old

She was surprised to be asked to sign a liability waiver; She had never done anything like this before

For emergency contact, she wrote down her roommate's number since her family was back in Hungary

When she started her training, she contacted her family to tell them about her new job and how she won't be able to message and/or call them during her work; It took awhile for her family to understand but nevertheless, they told her that they're proud of her and will continue to support her

She also informed her roommate about it to which, she responded sceptically but knew it wasn't her business to tell Anya what to do with her life, so she stayed quiet

She had her first PONY EXPRESS haul on August 26th, 2016; She was 27 years old

There, she met Captain Curly, Jimmy and Swansea for the first time

She was reserved at first; Hanging out in medbay and keeping to herself in her books

Her room was small but tidy with the women’s bathroom being all hers for the whole haul

Despite her standoffishness, the crew warmed up to her after she patched Swansea’s arm after an accident with the supply lift; That moment also made her open up a little more

During the haul, she found an old radio playing Swansea’s playlist and planned to bring her own music mix for the next trip

She studied medical textbooks when she had nothing to do or was on her break

She became the person the crew all went to when something hurt, physically or otherwise

2018

Her first PONY EXPRESS haul ended on September 29th, 2018; She was 29 years old

The moment she stepped outside the ship, the fresh air hit her instantly and it made her realize how much she missed it

Tulpar's Takeoff (+ Before the Crash)

I put these two in the same category since the Tulpar's takeoff section is pretty short by itself.

PONY EXPRESS prepared the delivery for 2 to 3 months, from May to July, 2023. Early August, PONY EXPRESS adds Daisuke to the Tulpar crew, just a few days before the takeoff which was on August 7th, 2023.

Lime Juice's Mouthwashing In-Betweens is an amazing animation series that is a part of my headcanons. I definitely recommend watching it! Click the link below to check it out:

I'll only mention the significant dates.

7 days before the crash - January 17th, 2024. PONY EXPRESS informs Curly that the company would be going bankrupt. 6 days before the crash - January 18th, 2024. Tulpar crew celebrates Curly's "birthday", then finds out about the company shutting down. This one is a headcanon of mine, 5 days before the crash - January 19th, 2024. Anya gets r*ped by Jimmy. 1 day before the crash - January 23rd, 2024. Anya tells Curly that she's pregnant. 0 days before the crash - January 24th, 2024. Anya tells Jimmy that she's pregnant, then he crashes the ship. The Tulpar only reached 147 days of their destination before getting stranded.

After the Crash

2 months after the crash - March 23rd, 2024. Tulpar crew gets in the cargo hold and finds out that they were delivering mouthwash. 3 months after the crash - April 22nd, 2024. Anya tells Swansea about the r*pe. 5 months after the crash - June 21st, 2024. Anya locks herself in medbay with Curly still inside, then overd*ses on the remaining supply of painkillers. Meanwhile, Jimmy convinces Daisuke to climb inside the vent, making him sustain several severe cuts and burns all over his body before getting killed with a utility axe to the face by Swansea. After that, Jimmy gets chased by Swansea, it ending with Swansea getting shot by Jimmy in the eye and in the head, killing him. Then, Jimmy gathers the bodies to sit at the table to celebrate his "birthday". And lastly, he puts Curly in a cryostasis pod before shooting himself. This all happened in about 9 hours.

PONY EXPRESS' Headquarters

In the dialogue, Anya wonders how long it would take for headquarters to notice that they're missing, so I calculated that too and added some extra things!

The Tulpar and its crew were supposed to arrive back on Earth, on September 9th, 2025. After a week without the Tulpar nor the crew coming back, headquarters announce both the ship and its crew missing on September 16th, 2025. Headquarters, on the brink of bankruptcy, avoids sending a rescue ship unless it's to save Curly or because they accepted the large sum of money Daisuke's parents would offer to bring their son back. The rescue ship could've been sent out as early as October 7th, 2025 but due to PONY EXPRESS being a horrible company, the rescue ship would've been sent out on January 20th, 2026.

Now, whether or not the rescue ship would be sent out or be able to find the Tulpar won't be discussed here as I have not really thought about it as much. My main goal for this blog was to share my takes on the timeline, after all!

And that's all!

I'm not too confident with my timeline and calculations, so it would be much appreciated if y'all comment down below your thoughts! I have many more headcanons for Mouthwashing to share but that'll come later... or never. Depends if this post will be received well or not.