Dirty South lore

The thing is, Lucky also did a good bit of LSD in the 70s, which is also when he swears he was abducted, so a lot of folks besides Buck and Rufus believe that Lucky maaay have just gotten picked up by some weirdos in a van and sodomized while he was on drugs. He wasn't, though!

Crowe MIGHT even come back for more some time...

There's a few other bars in town, of course, that tend to have varying types of local music. i think a lot of it is rock, country and metal. Havent thought of those yet!

Moonpie's FIRST time was Nico, though, and he topped him.  I think Moonpie DID want to sleep with men, but he never imagined himself a bottom. But, when the men you wanna bang only wanna top...you make sacrifices.

I don’t think so. I don’t think he has any interest in intimacy. I think at MOST he’d be down to jerk off in the same room as someone but he wouldn’t want any contact. I think Lyle has tried many MANY times to get him to do something, ANYTHING really, but the most Alister will do is sit next to him and watch porn together. Even then, if Lyle makes any moves, Alister gets up. He’s definitely not one to be swayed.

Jaws, one of Duke's biker buddies. The pair are two of the members of the Southern Cross Knights, a rough and rowdy biker gang that has a sect in Lavender County, where Dirty South takes place. The SCK are known for their criminal activity and for being aggressively territorial. If you're a member of the SCK, you're willing to hurt someone for your club, and Jaws has done that many many times. Jaws got his nickname from a particularly bad fight, where he got his scars. It's definitely a real "you should see the other guy" story, though. He might have his arms all fucked up now, but the other guy's probably never gonna get in a fight with a full-blooded badger ever again. Also his hat being his species name is a thing that some mammals do in my world, where they take a lot of pride in their species. Wearing your latin name is controversial and kinda problematic but some people do it anyway. Jaws is not one to avoid offending others, though.

Colt, the owner of one of the local dives, senior bartender at the Roadstain, colloquially known as "Colt's Place" even though he did probably name the bar something different entirely. This is the main venue where The Varmints play, but it's also a bar known for it's welcome atmosphere for ferals, who are not always welcome in other establishments.

Lyle (the crux) works from home. It's evident in every part of his personality. He works from home, and he largely stays at home. Does he own actual pants? Uncertain. You always see him in pajama pants. He comes out to check the mail and goes back inside, and that's about it. His job involves technical stuff behind the scenes, stuff that involves little correspondence, no sort of meetings where he has to dress nice. As a result, outside of his work, he spends his time inside, online, gaming, or scrolling the internet. Lyle is prone to longwinded episodes of talking, rambling about anime or swords or some other dweeby shit he knows too much about. He's the type of guy that talks AT you more than talks WITH you, leaving you very little room to converse with him. Perhaps that's why he can't score a lay. He can, however, tell you 30+ minutes of uninterrupted fact about an anime you've never heard of, all while sniffling regularly. He has terrible allergies. He games A LOT. A whole lot. When he's not gaming, when he's not crawling the web for content, he's probably looking at porn. He's a man of simple pleasures, and those simple pleasures include MMOs and tentacle hentai. He's never been laid, and it shows in every aspect of his social personality, but god would he love to be. Comfortably bisexual, total top, all he really wants is someone to get him off. Enter Alister, the sergal, his online friend and roleplay buddy who he moved in with him from out west. Alister ALSO has a tech job, and ALSO loves video games and porn. These two had quite a spicy friendship on the internet, and Lyle hoped that moving him in would result in, yaknow, hole whenever he wanted it. ON THE CONTRARY, it seems, Alister turns out to not only also be a virgin, but is "asexual offline". He loves jacking off, he loves roleplay, he loves porn, and he has no desire to be touched outside of that. Does this harm their friendship? Only marginally. Alister, the quieter of the two, enjoys obscure animes that have never had official subs, he enjoys bullet hell video game soundtracks, and he enjoys his job coding from home. Alister SEEMS to have some sort of autism? He has a physical tic in which his hands are almost always drawn up like a t-rex with a frequent hand clenching tic that gets worse socially. He has IBS. He has a sweating problem. Outside of all that? The two both are paid well, and they live in a singlewide trailer in the rural south. Life couldn't get much better. Unless Lyle could get laid, THAT would make it better.

I've been designing some neighbors as "background characters" for the Dirty South trailer park, and these two ended up feeling more like side characters than just background characters! Cassidy and Melanie are in their 20s, both unemployed. I can't decide yet if they live on their own in the park on some sort of unemployment/disability or if they perhaps live with a single grandparent they help take care of, but they're unemployed. They're good people, though, and they're always around. They're the type of folks where you could knock on their door needing a ride to the emergency vet at 3 AM cause your cat's sick and one of them's already on his way to start the car while the other's finding blankets. Real "drop of a hat" type of kindness, no expectation for favors or payment or anything like that. That, and they've always got halfway decent dirt weed on them. Where do they get it? Where do they get the money for it? Both unknown. But they've got it, and they're always down to smoke you out if you're a good friend. They also are members of Adel's band, Horndog! Cassidy plays harmonica and some other background instruments, and Lanie is backup vocals.

Continuing on the train of designing Dirty South neighbors and townsfolk, we've got two more folks that live in the trailer park, Edmund (81) and his great-grandson, Hunter (14). Ed and Hunter live with Ed's granddaughter, Susanna (who I didn't draw because she became canon after i finished this pic, whoops). Ed requires quite a bit of care, which Susanna helps out with during the day, but it becomes Hunter's responsibility in the evening. His mom works evenings when Hunter's home, so someone is always home with Ed. Their family has had a rocky history together, and Ed and Susan maintained the closest relationship as people started cutting ties with one another so, when Ed got sick, Susan was the one that stepped up to care for him, and she moved him into her home in the park. She, being a single mother, had to offload some of that responsibility onto Hunter, who also feels fondly about Ed. Because of that, even though it is a lot of work caring for him, Hunter really doesn't mind it. It can be a lot of work, but it's a responsibility he's accepted happily. Edmund is a quiet man, but he's retained his wits in his old age. He can still hold a conversation, and he loves to talk about books, and stories from when he was young. I imagine he was some sort of professor in his younger years, and thus was a very studied and knowledgeable man. He can still recall a lot from those days and, though he's prone to losing his thoughts in the middle of his sentences sometimes, he loves to talk. Reading has kept him sharp. Outside of reading, he likes his soap operas, and he loves game shows. He also loves to be wheeled around the park, and people tend to greet him and Susanna/Hunter when they take him around. He also loves a good nap. Despite his health issues from his age, he's remained happy. Hunter is a bit awkward. He's a good kid, and he's fairly level headed, but he's not very well socialized. His teenage years have involved him needing to come home and stay home to help care for Ed, so he doesn't really ever go anywhere. He doesn't go to friends' houses, he doesn't stay after school. He can have friends over, but he doesn't often do that. As a result, when Ed's asleep, he tends to either play on the computer or watch TV. He probably has a fair bit of online friends, and I can see him having forums or fandoms he's involved with. His social cues and skills, as a result, are stunted. He's not a good conversation, but he's a good listener, and he's fairly intelligent himself, learning from Edmund and sometimes picking up books himself. I imagine he has lofty aspirations one day, and he likes to discuss them with Edmund, who probably encourages him. Despite his intelligence, I imagine he's insecure, and craves a sense of connection outside of his mom and great-grandpa that notices him.

Elias Pleione Tucker, a confederate soldier in the Virginia infantry, and male partner to one of Nico's ancestors. Though the two were very private about it during their time in the war, later discovered letters and photos would show that the two had a very intimate relationship together and were deeply in love. Elias was a charismatic man, highly sociable and seemingly liked by a good bit of his company, though letters seemed to imply he'd had relations with very few of them, and only one of them once settling down with Nico's ancestor (currently unnamed). It seemed the two hit it off fairly early into the war and seemed to only grow closer as time went on, staying close together. According to letters, it was obvious from the outside what was going on, and during the time when Elias was away with injury, Nico's ancestor seemed notably "off". Nico's ancestor was tragically captured in a particularly devastating battle, and after that there is little known about Elias, as he had no wife prior to the war and never seemed to marry afterward. Communication between the two is lost in late 1864.

Atlas Greene Iredell, one of Nico's fifth-great-grandfathers and a captain in the confederate army. Atlas enlisted early into the war, and remained for most of it. He rose through the ranks quickly, achieving the title of captain in 1863 and carrying it for a year before tragically being captured in 1864. Atlas was married when he enlisted, having one son, confident he would return home to his family. He was placed in the 37th NC infantry, having come from Ashe NC. He was a devout father and christian, having joined the war in hopes of helping bring peace back to his town and to be able to quietly raise his family as he pleased. Before the war, he was a farmer, not of good financial status but hardworking and faithful to his land and his family. Perhaps it was that dedication that lead him to rise to status of captain in the army. Atlas was known for being unusually positive and high-spirited, even in hard times. During the war, Atlas would meet a man by the name of Elias Tucker, an eccentric fellow with a positive reputation in his company as well. The two would quickly become friends and their friendship would deepen quickly. Though everyone knew Atlas to be a married man, it seemed his wartime loneliness mixed with his friendship with Elias had swayed him to an...alternative persuasion, and the two were quick to move from casual conversation to sharing tents together. After only a short few months, the pair was inseparable, and seemed to motivate eachother in and out of combat. It was obvious to everyone from the outside that they were deeply in love, and that the relationship was far more tender than just relieving the urges of men. Elias would suffer a severe injury to his face somewhere in 1863, and during that time Atlas was noticeably off. His commanding suffered, and he was almost demoted in ranks from his visible difficulty handling not having his partner by his side. Eventually, Elias would return, and Atlas would regain his vigor. Their company would succeed in many battles, though, so with Atlas as one of their successful leaders few had a problem with his relationship with Elias. That was, until somewhere in late 1864, when a particularly nasty battle in northern Virginia would lead to Atlas being captured. He was taken prisoner and never to be seen again. No one at home ever heard from Atlas, neither did Elias, and it is presumed that he died of conditions related to his imprisonment. Elias would survive the war but would disappear after signing his oath of honor. He had no family or friends to remember him, and his lover was certainly dead. Meanwhile, Atlas' wife and son were left to continue the farm without him. His wife would grieve him for a long time, but would eventually re-marry, and her husband and son would help tend the farm. Eventually, her son would marry as well, having numerous children, and they were told stories of Atlas and his faith and bravery.

This is Erich. He started as a far-off post-war era southerner for an RP i was doing, but he ended up being Nico's "first" ancestor. I haven't revisited him yet. I'm still working on this era of his family, as i've flip flopped on when the war was, how many generations back it was, so admittedly this is still a bit undecided!

Charles Allum Iredell, commonly known as "Pastor Charlie", father to Taranis, and one of Nico's 3rd-great-grandfathers. Charles lives with his wife and children in the western Virginia area, somewhere in the Montgomery or Wythe area, south of the recently formed West Virginia. A farmer and a preacher, as well a devout "fire and brimstone" type of Baptist, Charles was a no-nonsense man with very little patience for misbehaving. They had numerous children, who were all raised with a tremendous amount of love but zero lenience. The boys were hard-working on the farm with their father, and the girls were hard-working in the house with their mother, and Charles saw to it that everyone was in the right place at the right time, and in the front row of church come Sunday morning. In his spare time, he would sometimes find himself street preaching in town, passionate about what he saw as the rising sinfulness of a modernizing south. Charles was strongly against the growing denominations of Christianity, and felt that the religious shakiness of the post-war south was why their land and people were suffering. He was also strongly against alcohol indulgence, as well as homosexuality and species mixing*. Ironically, one of Charles' sons (Taranis) would marry a hybrid in his lifetime, which softened his stance on interspecies relationships substantially. Despite his rigid demeanor and stoicism, Charles was remembered fondly by his children, though albeit with a bit of complaints about his corporal punishment. They were all too familiar with the feeling of "having to grab your own switch" when they'd done wrong, but they all still spoke of him with much love. They all had a different story for where he'd gotten the scar on his face, though. Many of them did revolve around slipping on ice during a particularly cold winter, and they remarked how, after it had healed, he struggled to tell the story without laughing himself at how comical a situation it was. (fear of interspecies relationships began well before the 1600s, when it was uncommon for different species to live in colonies together. This belief would decline over the proceeding centuries as population growths began making it inevitable that species would live close together, if not in the same colonies. The opposition declined further in the mid-to-late 1800s as struggles such as the war and post-war reconstruction occupied not only the minds of southerners, who were focused on rebuilding and recovering, but the minds of northerners as well, who were experiencing a surge in industrialization and population growth. However, even before the war, it was a political talking point, and became one moreso after the war, and eventually some staunch religious types would deduce that it was perhaps a spiritual concern as well. This declines much over the 1900s and, while species stigmas still exist in modern day, they are rarely politicized outside of fringe groups.)

Jane Boone Samhach, wife to Azel, mother to Martha. Jane had melanism! Which, as a farmer, fared well for her as she was less sensitive to the sun. She loved to help outside, much to Azel’s protest who felt bad his wife was outside working. Jane didn't mind, though, and was happy to help on the farm wherever she could when she wasn't busy taking care of their 10+ children.

Azel Franklin Blath, father to Martha, husband to Jane, one of Nico’s 3rd-great-grandfathers and a full-blooded raccoon. Azel and his wife lived in West Virginia, a few decades after the state had officially split during the war. They had numerous children together, records showing somewhere between 10-12, and because of the state's overall neutrality during the war, the environment there was still rich and comfortable. As a result, the family thrived in their area for the time being. Though the main source of financial growth in the area was coal, Azel did not feel he was build for a mining job, and did his best at maintaining his farm. His wife, of course, approved of this as the mining jobs had a high mortality rate at the time. Azel was a relatively simple man of high spirits. He married his wife (a full-blooded fox) at a time when interspecies relationships were exceptionally rare, and reproduction even moreso. However, Azel and his family largely kept to themselves, as most of their farming was done for self-sustaining and business at local markets. Their children, though hybrids, fared relatively well in the local school. It is uncertain how their relationship would've fared in a more public eye, but they reportedly had an overall comfortable life together. Azel enjoyed reading scripture and he and his family would have services together on sunday, where they would read together and play music afterward. Though by no means a professional, word has it he could play a mean fiddle. Here he’s seen being confused as to why his photograph is being taken after a long day of farming.

Martha Viola Blath, wife to Taranis, mother to Reta Mae, daughter to Azel. The two had seven children together while Taranis was alive. She was a firm but loving mother, and after Taranis died she never re-married but did move the family south, out of the company town and to Monroe, WV. It was speculated that Martha was a hybrid, raccoon and fox, which was uncommon at the time. Though hybrids weren't treated particularly bad, marrying them was discouraged, reproducing with them even more so. This made her and Taranis' relationship all the more unusual.