#i grew up in a small conservative town

[neverallnorman]

Are there any places in Fairville that Norman likes to hang around? What do people think of him before he's arrested? What do they think of him after?

This ask is from… seven years ago. But I’m gonna answer it anyways!

Before his mother met Joe Considine, Norman spent most of his time either at school or the library. He’s always loved to read and likes to learn just for the sake of learning. The librarians probably knew him by name and set aside books that they thought he would enjoy – almost always nonfiction, often history or philosophy. Norma didn’t mind so long as he was home before dark. Given that Fairvale is about 15 miles away from his house, he would have had to rely on the bus system, and if you’ve ever lived in a small, conservative town, you know how shitty public transportation is there. That alone made it nigh impossible to spend too long in Fairvale proper.

He also spent a lot of time at church. And hated it.

When Norma met Joe, she put her heart and soul into building and running that motel. This meant Norman spent less time at school and church and more time helping her run the place, usually just by doing odd little chores here and there. By the time the highway moved, driving all of the traffic away from the motel and leaving the business barren, Norman had already faded from most public consciousness.

A few people here and there still knew him. Fairvale is an extremely small town where everybody knows everybody else’s business. Grocers, plumbers, electricians thought of Norman fondly. When news broke that Norma and her boyfriend had died, Norman actually lived with Al Chambers and his wife for a short time; he was only 15 and couldn’t live independently just yet, especially not after such a horrific, tragic event. They adored him and treated him as well as they would their own child.

Norman began to run the motel entirely on his own. No one whispered about all of the missing girls, because they weren’t Fairvale natives; they were wayward girls who became lost along the highways, took a wrong turn, and had the misfortune to wind up in the lobby of the Bates Motel. No one in Fairvale knew them and so nobody thought to question what Norman might be doing up there all alone. Someone in town might think about him briefly. The librarian, maybe, when seeing a book on the history of the Incas; the plumber when he has a client offering him bottled water after a difficult job; a retired schoolteacher recalling a student with anxious eyes and a stutter whose name she can’t quite place.

Or they think about him when someone mentions that awful thing that happened five, eight, ten years ago. A murder-suicide in Fairvale? Unheard of. That poor boy, living like a hermit out in the middle of nowhere.

In 1959, Marion Crane goes missing. $40,000 is swallowed up by the swamp. Norman Bates is caught red-handed and charged with the murder of not just Marion, but six other people. The swamp behind the house is dragged, cars pulled from the muck. There’s more than just the seven. Girls from Las Vegas, Colorado, Arizona, San Diego. All blonde. All eerily similar looking.

Say, wasn’t Norma Bates a blonde? Surely you don’t think—?

People in Fairvale try not to talk about it, or when they do, it’s in hushed whispers behind gossipy hands. Suddenly everyone remembers Norman Bates. He bought groceries in town two weeks before he was arrested, didn’t he? They remember him as a little boy they knew from school. As the motel manager who helped their elderly grandmother carry her luggage to cabin seven. That nice man who…

Did all of those horrible things. Those poor girls. And the way he was caught in his mother’s clothing – and he kept Norma’s body up there, too, did you hear? The papers say he tried to taxidermy her. Kept her corpse in the bed, had conversations with it. They drive past the sign for the Bates Motel and their mind immediately goes to the headlines. They know exactly where they were when they heard the news. Seven Bodies Found at Roadside Motel. Later: Motel Killer Dubbed Fairvale Psycho, Found Unfit to Stand Trial.

Books are published about the case and its impact on small, sleepy Fairvale. The murders are described in horrific, graphic detail. TV specials play on late night cable that do the same, now with shots of the abandoned motel sign, the windows of the establishment boarded up.

Tourists purposely make a stop to see where it all happened. Finally the motel has people clambering to make a reservation, ten months after its doors shut to the public.

Everything becomes about the murders. For a time.

Eventually, interest fades, the way interest fades with everything. Norman soon is mentioned only as a passing factoid, mentioned alongside names like Ed Kemper or Henry Lee Lucas, notable only to those with the morbid curiosity to go digging.

[all-that-jazz-93]

Okay confession time I guess, but...I like Frank.

I know we're not supposed to like him. I know he represents everything reprehensible about the war and America and blind fervid patriotism. I know at worst we're supposed to hate him, and at best we're supposed to feel sorry for him (and I do), but like...I actually like him?

I can't help it. He's just so deeply vulnerable and broken and lonely and I just...

I want to help him. I want to fix him. I want to take him by the hand and gently show him that he doesn't have to be this way, that his parents are never going to love him no matter how much he tries to parrot the toxic ideals they drilled into him, and he would be so much better off just leaving all of that behind and following his own path.

Frank Burns had so much potential, and I'm sad we never got to see it realized.

[gojous-adderall]

About Noé's latest neurodivergent adventures (chapter 61.5 and 62)

(things I found relatable)

1. PUTTING UR HAND UP BC U CANT FIGURE OUT WHEN TO SPEAK. EVERYONE THINKS UR WEIRD FOR IT BUT ITS POLITE AND LIFE IS FUCKING HARD

2. Struggling to follow conversation, and seeing clearer ways of communication that no one else can and getting frustrated that the neurotypicals are so obviously communicating poorly

3. Vanitas designated translator

4. Being quite blind to politics (when it comes to discrimination against himself as a vampire [and his PRIVILEGES as a vampire] and in this case against others like dhams) bc he works individual by individual instead of by social categories

5. Last of all it hurts to see the other characters calling him ignorant and an idiot all the time bc Ive been there. He's booksmart, he's intelligent, just not socially, but here is everyone writing him off as dumb just bc he's different.

Its not like he's ignorant on purpose. Of course it's important to know this shit he's learning now, and it can be done, but it's a lot harder when ur autistic and, as Vanitas said, when u grow up so isolated. Learning is a neverending process and Noé is very clearly learning and just bc he works differently like putting his hand up to speak or interpreting the world differently doesn't mean he's stupid

[irradiatedpiratebooty]

a couple of trans merfolk for yall :)

[nat-20s]

Being weird with ur gender is 100% contagious btw in a very cool and fun way. Turns out that when you live ur best "you can do whatever you want forever" life in general it's contagious. This is why being a weird little freak is also contagious I always loved hanging out with sorority girls bc something about my personality made it so I was the one that they felt completely comfortable being like "my secret shame is that I can do a REALLY fucking good Billy Crystal impersonation and I have to suppress it so that I'm not in Billy Crystal mode constantly" I'd just be like "ok girl well let's hear it!" And it was pretty solid

[grcywvren]

idk about you guys but I would leave if only I could find a reason

[highlifeboat]

Mia: What's yours?

Zoe: Well... One day I told my mom and dad "I like girls". They only response was " Who doesn't?".

Mia: Oh.

Zoe: Yeah... My mom later realized, that she was probably supposed to say more than that and we had a nice chat. But after that we pretty much never brought it up again.

I'm a believer of the idea that Jack would be like "Okay." and never bring it up again. Like man is more worried about Lucas being a shut in than who his daughter wants to date.

Marguerite would wanna talk about it only because I don't think she'd understand what being bi or gay is. She might be a little weird about it but would ultimately be like "Well as long as you're happy I suppose." and then they never talk about it again.

Lucas def called Zoe slurs, though.

Meanwhile Mia's like "My mom made me pray for my soul and they never called me the right things. But my dad was supportive of the bi thing as long as I never brought it up, so I guess that's kind of a win?"

[pointandshooter]

Nachusa Grasslands

photo: David Castenson

Nachusa Grasslands is a 4100 acre (16.6 sq km) area of restored prairie grassland in Ogle and Lee counties of Illinois. The grasslands are managed by the Nature Conservancy, a non-profit group that purchases land for conservation. The area has grown from the initial purchase of 400 acres in 1985 to its present size. Ten years ago, bison were introduced to the preserve. The heard size is maintained at about 100 bison.

I grew up in a small town in Ogle county and would read about the vast plains of tall prairie grass that greeted settlers as they pushed westward. Now people can see for themselves what the land must have looked like, hundreads of years ago, before farming transformed the land.

You can read more about the site here: https://www.nachusagrasslands.org

[coral-skeleton]

Help me afford top surgery

Hi y'all, for those who don't know me, I'm a disbled, neurodivergent, trans man living in Cape Town, South Africa. I'm also a gradstudent in Astronomy currently finishing up my MSc, an artist and a poet.

In South Africa we don't really have many options to pursue transition, our private medical aids and insurance don't cover any of it, not even hospital costs as they classify gender affirming care as a cosmetic process instead of the life saving medical care we all know it is. Going through the public health sector is also not really an option as the waitlist is over 26 years long due to our national government again sees gender affirming care as purely cosmetic and only gives one spot for any gender affirming surgery per year.

In South Africa there's also still alot of stigma around being trans and trans people face violence and discrimination on a daily basis, so in addition to the usual benefits of getting top surgery, it will also greatly improve my safety

This is however very expensive, being a student I am on a very tight budget, living paycheck to paycheck already, trying to save up for a procedure that vosts nearly my entire yearly income is next to impossible, I also can't turn to my family in this instance as they are extremely transphobic

So the only option I have left is to try and crowdfund it. As I am South African I unfortunately can't use go fund me, so I'm using the south african croudfunding service, backabuddy, it does accept paypall and I-Pay

Any and all help will be greatly appreciated

So far I have raised:

R11 111.00/R120 000.00

$590.13/$6 374.00

(usd for convenience, conversion rate on 6 march 2024, $1 = R18.83)

[northsoulss]

the media thinking reader is in a relationship w some popular male footballer but she's actually with elisa and they soft (or hard) launch their relationship 🤭🤭

mon amour - elisa de almeida

(a/n : here it is! hopefully this is what you had in mind lol. this is quite a long one. writing this hit home, so i quite like how it turned out! thanks for the request xoxo)

growing up in a relatively conservative town, you never had the chance to express your identity as a queer individual. it was a constant internal battle, thinking something was wrong with you for liking someone of the same gender. things became more complicated when you began liking football, it being seen as more of a boy-ish sport.

thankfully, your hometown had a small women’s youth football club, and you begged your parents to allow you to sign on, which they begrudgingly accepted. hoping to meet other queer women, you went into football hopeful, but your ideas were quickly shut down when you realised a lot of them were straight. you continuously struggled with your sexuality as you grew up, fear taking over whenever you had the opportunity to come out. so you never did, remaining closeted for all your teenage years.

as you began to advance and become better at football, you wanted to make it a career, to do it professionally. eventually when you signed with psg a year ago, it was undoubtedly the best decision of your life. after moving to france, you finally got to experience a proper queer community with supportive people. you still made no move to come out, for you realised that there was no need to put it out there; to let everyone know that you were queer. so long as you were contented with what you identified as, nothing else really mattered. or so you thought.

over time as you became more popular and well known, you began to see that there are many upsides and downsides to being a public figure. on one hand, you have formed close bonds with other footballers of both genders and experienced nothing like you could have ever imagined. on the other hand, every time you posted something vaguely couple-ly with one of your friends, especially the guys, your fans would go nuts.

“is she dating him?”, “i knew they were together!” were the very common comments you would get when posting pictures with you and another footballer, who happened to be one of your very good guy friends, _(insert male name)_ , whom you hung out with quite often. you decided that one day you were sick of the comments, and posted something for pride, saying that you were proud to be a queer woman. lo and behold, that did not stop the comments.

lady luck must have been on your side for your team has been nothing but incredibly supportive of you coming out. at the same time, one of your teammates took this chance to snag you, and surprise, surprise. you fell head over heels for the woman and have been dating ever since.

you have decided to lay low for the first few months, trying your hardest not to post anything that would make the fans suspicious. however, one day you decided had enough of the speculations.

it was a lazy saturday, you and elisa were out at a quaint neighbourhood cafe having brunch, just enjoying the warm summer weather. it had been a few days after your 6 month anniversary, and you just couldn’t get enough of her. so, as sneakily as you could, you snapped a picture of her looking off into the distance, watching the kids at the playground goofing around with a small smile. too bad your phone wasn’t silenced, so a loud shutter sound was made and caused elisa to whip her head around.

she locks eyes with you, and you must have had the guiltiest expression on your face, because she immediately broke out in laughter. “what are you doing baby?” she laughs harder as your face reddens, her taking your hand in hers and rubbing small circles with her thumb.

“you just looked really good okay!” you defend yourself defiantly, showing her the photo that you took. she gives you a knowing look, before turning away to continue looking at the scenery around, a small smirk on her lips. there was a comfortable silence amongst you two, but your mind started to wonder. for a while now, you’ve been meaning to ask elisa about announcing your relationship. you were sick and tired on hiding things and being so secretive, but you were scared. you enjoy the privacy, the intimate looks given to each other across the room, the subtle electrifying touches on the pitch when you’re standing next to each other. you just don’t want to ruin things-

“what’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” elisa breaks you out of your thoughts, head tilted slightly to take a look at you. you were oddly silent for a while, and when elisa turned back around to see what you were doing, you were just staring into space, a dazed look on your face.

you swallow dryly, taking a deep breath. “i think i want to announce our relationship.” you say quickly, averting eye contact with her. you felt her hand tighten around yours, interlocking your fingers with hers. you look up at her timidly from your lap, and you see lines of worry etched onto her face. her brows furrowed slightly, her mouth in a taunt line.

“are you sure about this?” she questions, concern clear as day in her voice. she knew about your past, and you were the one who was more worried about the relationship compared to her. now that you were bringing this up, she had every right to be concerned.

“well, i’m just sick of people thinking i’m dating that meathead. i’m not. i’m dating you. you’re the one i love.” the moment the last sentence left your mouth, elisa swore her heart skipped a beat.

“a-are you very sure? there’s no going back after you announce this you know?” she looks into your eyes, searching for any signs of uncertainty or hesitation, but all she saw was determination.

“i’m sure, baby.” you smile at her, pressing a chaste kiss against the back of her hand. at that moment, elisa was so proud of you. you have come so far, and she knew how big of a step this was for you — to publicly announce that you were in a relationship with another woman.

“i’m proud of you, mon amour.” she wore a warm smile, eyes crinkled, the midday sunlight hitting her facial features just right. you pick up your phone to snap a picture, and this time you did not shy away from her, even asking her to give you her best smile.

before you left the cafe, you quickly posted it, tagging her and titling the caption as “the love of my life, @/elisadealmeida5. mon amour.🤍” of course, the fans were not impressed, but you didn’t care, for you were finally proud to be loud about your identity and your relationship, and the press and media are not going to get in the way of that.

later that night, as you lay in bed with your head on her chest, you get a phone call from your good guy friend. elisa raises a brow at you, and you shrug, picking it up and putting him on speaker.

“yo what’s up! you’re on speaker by the way.”

“you just had to do a hard launch huh?” he cuts to the chase, tone teasing, but proud. you groan, your hand coming up to cover your face.

“ugh c’mon! they were shipping me with you out of all people!” you tease back, looking at elisa who was staring at you, admiration in her eyes. you give her a soft smile, pressing a small kiss on her cheek.

“yeah, yeah, i know. proud of you, short stack. tell elisa i said hi!” and with that, he hung up. not long after, you received an instagram notification where he replied to your post. “i told you so.. what a man child.” you read his comment and smile knowingly, and put your phone away, turning around to face elisa again when she grabs your face and kisses you hard. you gasp into the kiss, melting into her lips. when she pulls away, she leans her forehead against yours, you panting slightly.

“i’ll say this again and again, and i know you’ll grow tired of it, but i’m so proud of you, mon amour, don’t forget that.” she finishes her sentence with another passionate kiss to your lips, smiling into the kiss.

[skelebellie]

wanted to practice dancing poses, and who else who be better than two traumatized mixed kids.

! the alastor x reader tag on these posts refer to platonic/qp relationships only !

transcript:

a1) I didnt know the Radio Demon Could pick up a knew dance.

a2) Well, it was a little hard with your horrid teaching.

——

b1) Now dear- THIS is how you dance. You look better with a smile!

b2) Oh- *HIC* - this is kind of fun!

more info on these two goofy guys friendship below

cecil and alastor did not start on good footing. being the one and only employed sinner not under alastor means that alastor had no control over cecil other than fear. and unfortunately for alastor, cecil is only afraid of butterflies. so, the two squabbled quite a bit at the begging. however, cecil did enjoy the gruesome and disturbing, one of the few things alastor and cecil could bond about. especially since cecil gave a vibe similair to nifty. a sinner who’s disturbing nature didnt exactly match their personality.

give or take enough drunken nights, the two end up bonding over their love of dancing. cecil grew up in a small conservative town in southern texas, just along the border. despite being raised catholic, their grandparents kept their culture alive and taught them about jarabe tapatío dancing as an art form. alone, they would dance as their sole form of entertainment (other than monitored books). since alastor is from the roaring 20’s, an age of jazz, I thought it would be fitting for him to enjoy Lindy Hop. the two keep their distance (luckily, jarabe doesn’t need much contact), and alastor finally gets to see a side of cecil that isn’t annoyed or unbothered.

[renranram]

anything friends to lovers with schlatt makes me weak in the knees and I just know u could do that justice 💘

Titibo-Tibo

sfw

basically tomboy user falls in love with schlatt and started to act feminine ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

a/n: special points if ur filo lolsies

Ever since elementary grade, they're already noticing, My gestures that are unlady-like 'coz Instead of dolls, my toys were trading cards and marbles Then I always jam with gangster-like boys in our place

you never really grew up being feminine, raised by your single father you genuinely liked acting boyish, preferring to play with boys instead of girls, buying toys that are mostly considered as ‘masculine’

growing up in a small town in texas, your town liked being close with eachother, having karaoke sessions every weekends and you'd always be there, jamming along with people, mostly older men who treated you like they're your buddy

it was very obvious, just by your actions, the ladies in your town were a bit concerned on how you'll grow up, due to them being conservative, but to you, it didn't matter, after all, you still are a kid

When I entered high school I was friends with bi's--curious girls Who also like girls Instead of makeup kit, I bring my guitar Then I always wore long-sleeved T-shirt and faded pants

years pass by, you finally enter highschool, you got along with bisexual people, you were very curious with your sexuality, having to go along with them, you chase beautiful girls, your guitar in hand, serenading them

you preferred dressing up in a masculine manner, attracting similar girls who's curious with their sexuality too

you strum your guitar as you lean back on the bench as suddenly, claire, the girl who had one big obvious crush on you, approaches you, face flustered, eyes avoiding you

“ hey sweetie, “ you greet her, “ you alright? “ you ask as claire, in an embarrassed manner, hands you a love letter, running off before you can even read it as your friends ‘ oooh’ed ‘ just to tease you

in a way, you were a chicks girl, managing to snag girls around your school campus,

But when I met you My taste changed I learned to have my hair rebonded Shape my eyebrows at least once a month I don't know what it is that you have that Had me soften suddenly Who would have thought it will be a man Who'll capture a wild lil old me

9th grade, that's when you first met schlatt, just having to move to texas with his family, the guy was a hot shot, he was funny yet blunt, nice to everyone and well, surprisingly, a gentleman

he didn't treat you like what your other male classmates did, he didn't treat you like you were one of the boys, he treated you like a gentleman, it felt new, “ you tired? “ schlatt asks, panting as he chuckle

“ a little, yeah “ you respond, carrying the basketball in your arm, “ let's rest then “ he smiles at you, fuck, you swore you heard your heart skipped a beat

schlatt made you feel different, made you feel new, he made you feel feminine, “... so.. uhm.. what's your type in girls? “ you ask, as he offers you a bottle of water, giving a small nod as a form of gratitude

“ my type?, i dont really have a type, i mean, if she's the right one for you, then she is “ he shrugs, drinking the cold water as you two sat side by side on the bench

“ … yo.. uh.. can i ask for some advice? “ you mumble, putting your hair up, “ sure, shoot your shot “ schlatt replies, “ so there's this uhm…girl.. and she's a friend of mine.. and uh.. she met this guy.. and she's like super masculine but ever since.. you know, she met this guy she wanted to.. uhm act.. feminine and vulnerable and shit “ you mutter, describing your self as schlatt chuckles

“ that's fucking cute, “ schlatt chuckles, as a faint blush appears on your cheek, “ well, it depends ion her really, but if she feels very comfortable around him, maybe they should try stuffs out “ he added

before glancing at you, “ does the guy know how she feels? “ he asks, “ n..n-no “ he chuckle, his hand fixing your messy hair, “ he must be blind then “

you wanted to scream at that moment, ever since that time, you didn't even notice it yourself but you started acting.. calm and surprisingly lady-like, the same exact opposite on what you were as a kid, it felt weird yet.. relieving at the same time

you started being aware on your appearance, you've gotten a rebond, you try wearing makeup for the first time, shaping your eyebrows, wearing something else than pants, it felt great hearing him compliment you, it feels like you wanted to change for him

Even if I am boyish My heart still beats for you Just one kiss from you, and you've got me hooked And the woman in me is awakened Just like a blooming flower Because you care for it with water and sufficient Light of your everyday love That makes my life sweet

the day of schlatt’s basketball tournament, he played in a team for your school, you fixed your hair as you look up at him, smiling, pumped, “ are you nervous? “ you ask as schlatt chuckles

“ being nervous are for pussies, im a sigma male “ he jokes as you roll your eyes, chuckling

“ goodluck jay, “ you mutter, patting his back as he faces you, “ im gonna win this for you “ he states, his eyes glaring at you with admiration, your face flushed pink

“ can i ask you for a favor? “ schlatt smiles, holding on the ball, as you nod, looking up, “ if i win, can i kiss you and start courting you? “

you could die in this moment as you blink in surprise, “ h-huh? what? “ you stutter as schlatt chuckles, cupping your face, “ can i kiss you and start courting you if i win this game? “

you slowly nod, biting your lip as you look away, flustered whilst schlatt jumps in victory, “ i gotta win this game then “ he pats your hair as the bell rings, indicating the game's about to start

and oh man, did he keep his word, their team overcome the other team up in a storm, you cheered loudly for him, clapping and screaming whenever he scores

the guy got mvp for fucks sake, “ i kept my promise, i won, can i kiss you now? “ he approaches you with that stupid charming smile of his, holding the trophy as your friends and some kids at your campus looks at you two

you pause before nodding as schlatt didn't hesitate as he pulls you in his arms, kissing you, gently lifting you up in the ground as you squeal, “ fuck, it feels like i won you instead “ schlatt smiles

When we went to college Was just when I gave you my sweet "yes" That you've worked for 10 months Instead of chocolates and typical moves You captured me with your poems and your corny songs

it was now your last year of being an art student, you couldn't believe that the guy you met in 9th grade and your relationship with him would last this far but it did

schlatt dropped off college due to youtube, preferring to earn his money there instead and he was doing absolutely great, you were his biggest supporter of course

you enter your shared apartment as you yawn, tired, “ jayy? “ you call out his name as he replies, “ im in the bedroom toots “

you smile warmly as you open your bedroom's door, tackling him with a hug as he groans out chuckling, patting your back, “ tired? “ he asks as you nod, “ very “ you glance at his computer, “ you're editing for a video? “ he nods

“ yep, “ he replies, “ but.. im also streaming “ he states as you gasp, “ oh shit im sorry for interrupting “ you get off him as he chuckles, “ toots, it's fine don't worry “ he reassures you before switching tabs seeing chat greeting you

“ i actually wanted you to come here “ he mutters, glancing at the camera for a ‘ wish me good luck ‘ look as he gets off his gaming chair, kneeling, as he pulls out a small box, “ y/n, i love you so much, it's fucking fascinating how far we lasted, but i just… i just wish we can be something more than just girlfriend and boyfriend, so uhm, “ he clears his throat, opening the small box revealing a diamond ring

“ will you- “ he didn't even get to finish his sentence as you sobs onto his arms, nodding profusely, his chat speeds up, spamming him with congratulations, ggs, and o7

“ i love you so much oh my god “ you sob, not caring how miserable you look as schlatt started to rain kisses all over your face, “ no toots, fuck i love you so fucking much, thank- thank you so fucking much “ he chuckle hugging you tightly as he gently helps you wear the ring that perfectly fit your finger

“ i dont wanna ruin the mood but did you got my finger measured? “ you mumble, sobbing in between as schlatt bursts out laughing

That's why when I met you I already knew that miracles are true I learned to wear heels and frequented Wearing red dress But you didn't wish me to Change completely just to prove That there is no hard bread to a hot coffee Of your love

ever since you became fiancés, you can't help but remember your highschool and elementary days, you loved schlatt, the man treated you like a fucking princess, the vast difference on how you acted cringed you sometimes but you treasure those moments

if it weren't for those it wouldn't lead up to this

[official-darkforest]

i am SOOO unbelievably thrilled by your anthro au omg. do you have fashion ideas for the characters? like their favorite outfits, fabrics, etc? imo one of the best parts of anthro characters is deciding how they'd express themselves through their clothing :]

I HAVE A FEW ALREADY!!!! i dont have many specifics because theres so many characters ahd i havent drawn them all yet LOL but i'll share the ones i do have at least SOMETHING for

im also trying to keep these reasonable for the time period and location, as in my au the clan cats are mostly rural and in small towns set (mostly) before the 2000s so most may dress more modest and conservative (especially if theyre older and very religious)

squirrelflight - the best i can describe her sense of fashion is that it ranged from tomboy as a younger girl and is currently closer to a working class butch. im not sure if masc would be a more appropriate term since i dont hc her as a lesbian (shes bi) but she dresses "like a man" and owns a lot of jeans, slacks, and button-up shirts of all kinds of fabrics and patterns. she also enjoys bright colors as well, but as she got older her fashuon sense got a little more sensible and less "loud" like it was in the 60s and 70s. she also has glasses like her daddy once shes like 35 or so. she and firestar dressed very similarly, and a lot of her shirts and neckties are things she stole from his closet

feathertail - very feminine. hippie adjacent, lots of loose and flowing garments and jingly pieces. breatheable clothes and open toed shoes. her favorite swimsuit had some little frilly bits on it i think. often combines neutral earthy tones with blues and whites

crowfeather - lots of handmedowns from his father. clothes you can do farmwork in like jeans, overalls, hardy flannel/denim shirts and boots. never grew out of this and still dresses this way and he likes it

jayfeather - he looks like a modernized (as far as the 80s goes) version of his father - same hairstyle snd way of dress. he isnt too formal but does have some more preppiness to his clothing style (polo shirts and sweaters). he avoids full button downs since buttoning them himself jjust gets frustrating since he cant match them up every time. new wave band shirts. he also wears orange tinted glasses to protect his eyes (in this au i wrote that hes able to perceive shadows and light pretty okay, but not much else beyond that) And Kinda As A Fashion Statement cuz it goes well with his facial structure and hairstyle i think

lionblaze - hes like if the stereotypical jock and stereotypical 80s rock+metal enthusiast had a baby. muscle tees and bandanas, ripped jeans, those absurdly short shorts, crop tops, etc. he's a drummer i think if that matters LOL

ivypool - punk, also sorta like joan jett to an extent. very homemade, tho sometimes she gets lazy and doesnt really commit to the outfits all the way (but definitely has the mindset, dint get me wrong). one of those girls with a chest small enough to go braless 99% of the time; wears a lot of tank tops and sleeveless shirts LOL

bone/brick/scourge - just google "the outsiders movie" or "greaser" and you'll get the idea. tho i imagine these three in particular also have some kind of bare minimum formalwear scraped together from their escapades. theyre kinda like the jetts/sharks from west side story if that helps at all

daisy - she combines flowing, pretty dresses with a sunhat and work boots. she also teaches horseback riding and owns a few (its a business she runs w smokey and floss. i think its be funny if they were polyam ITS MY AU I CAN CHANGE WHAT I WANT) and she has horseback-appropriate clothing as well

poppyfrost - THEE preppy girl of the 80s. big hair, perm and all. dresses with pastel colors. her sisters cinderheart and honeyfern are pretty similar, tho i imagine honeyfern is a little more sporty and cinderheart takes inspiration from madonna once shes trying to court lionblaze

hazeltail - long haired country girl butch. enough said

spottedleaf snd cinderpelt are nuns lol

[madwheelerz]

Y'know, I actually don't think Mike is completely clueless about his feelings for Will because from a writing standpoint, trying to speedrun a gay realization for a boy who grew up in a small town and a conservative household, get him together with the boy, get him through his acceptance arc all while trying to balance a supernatural storyline does not sound like something that can be opened and closed in 8 episodes.

Also, they've had 34 other episodes.

[saltburn-brain-rot]

I haven’t seen much talk about this piece of context yet so I’m just gonna put it out there. This is just brain rot drabble so take it with a grain of salt. I’m not an expert nor am I very familiar with British culture, but I am a gay person that grew up in the late 90s/early 00s in small town USA.

And sociopathic tendencies aside, I can relate a lot to Oliver, as well as Felix, when viewing them through the queer lens. That scene at the party early on at Oxford, sitting so close together in their own world. The small touches. The lingering looks. The tension feels too much to handle. Any formerly closeted queer person that had an intense crush on their best friend growing up probably can relate. You want to tell yourself they feel the same way, that you should just go for it—but you can’t trust yourself, and you certainly can’t make a move in a crowded room of people. It wouldn’t feel safe.

The feeling is too much, so Oliver redirects Felix’s attention to India and Annabel. The “safe” choices. But then when Felix does choose one of them, it hurts. He watches from the window, and later in the final flashback we see he was crying. He believes the truth and depth of his love is only meant for the shadows.

Farleigh has the freedom to be a confident pansexual because he has grown up in New York City with a bustling queer scene. Again I’m not very familiar with British culture, but I can imagine Oxford in 2006/2007 is more in line with the feeling of a small conservative town than the West Village in the early 2000s. Felix seems to accept Farleigh’s queerness, nonchalantly mentioning him sucking off the teachers, but he can’t understand his own feelings for Oliver. He can have any girl he wants and he does, but he doesn’t seem to actually feel anything for them. I used to do the same thing, trying to fool myself into feeling something for the opposite gender.

And the first time I admitted my feelings for someone of my same gender, confessed, and then was rejected? I shoved myself in the closet in shame so hard I convinced myself it was never true and it was all just a silly phase. Like Oliver.

Oliver loves Felix. Of course he does. And Felix loves Oliver. But in the moment neither of them can admit it, at least not truly and all that comes with it. They’re young and dumb and don’t fully understand their own feelings or motivations in a world where they’ve been raised to reject their queerness and strive for the status quo.

But maybe (definitely) I’m projecting.

I’m happy for the younger generations today that can be themselves at an earlier age. It’s only one small aspect of the movie to me, but seeing Saltburn and feeling the yearning and shy coming of age and coming into your queerness, and then how denying yourself can make it all go wrong, hit so close to home.

[mutopians]

I teach middle school science. My students have all recently been assigned a research project in their English classes where they choose an issue, research it, and then make an argument for one side of the other. As a science teacher, I was ecstatic. We try our best to encourage our students to think critically about the world outside of the classroom, and this was the perfect opportunity to do it!

But then I heard some of my students say they're researching "sports and transgender athletes".

I'm an adult. My students aren't even teenagers yet. But as a young adult who has been doing a very good job at coming off as a feminine cishet teacher with just a sprinkling of androgny, I suddenly felt so young. So small.

I know my town. I know our statistics. We're a small red farm town. Our GSA only started up this year in the middle school, and the one thing that they've really done so far is make safe space posters that were discretely handed out to teachers. There's a reason that I haven't come out as even being not het.

So, as a secretly nonbinary adult, when I hear my students speak with distaste, confusion, or a lack of empathy about trans people, I know they don't know any better. I know that my students grew up in probably conservative houses, ones where they probably don't know any trans family members or friends.

But, statistically, there's students out there that are trans in my school, and either haven't realized it or have and are keeping it under the radar. I don't think there's necessarily anything wrong with teaching kids to research topics like this, and I hope they learn to care more about trans people as a result.

But I still can't help but feel horrible for those trans kids who don't know what I do.