#god i wanna kill both of em but norma needs a step back to go two steps forward

[psi-spectacular]

I'm interested in learning about Lizzie and Norma's parents, especially their father.

AHA OK YOU'VE TRIGGERED MY UNSKIPPABLE CUTSCENE

I have a LOT of headcanons about these two, but since you asked, I'll start with their dad.

Jackson is very much a butterscotch when it comes to raising his kids. He's more focused on his own work and selfish interests to focus on his family. He uses a lot of weaponized incompetence to get out of doing stuff and letting his wife and the housekeeper (he may or may not be sleeping with) handle everything from the kids to the house. Hes the dad to sit and watch TV while his wife struggles with the kids, Like those shitty lazy dads who feels child care is exclusively a women's job and "ooooh I'm SOOO tired from work. I don't have the energy to help with the kidsss." He does dislike that Norma transitioned, mostly because he's now the only man in a house full of girls and openly complains about it.

Naomi, Their mother, is the mayor of their town for her second term onward. She regrets getting pregnant and having kids, but still held both of them to a very high standard when they were young. She used to pit Lizzie and Norma against each other for her love, but Lizzie started going against her. Eventually she stopped punishing lizzie for her rebellion and just pretends shes not apart of the family (essentially soft disownment, she lives there but isnt invited to dinners until she starts acting normal), and now Norma is her "favorite child", but that just means shes further in the spotlight and her parents don't have anyone else to take their wrath out on. Naomi is transphobic but not like. super outwardly. She seems progressive letting her daughter transition and all that but she insisted norma choose a name really close to her deadname (and still deadnames her) and outwardly (at home) says she wishes Norma would cut her hair more often and wear more "formal" clothes (read: dress shirts and slacks) A lot of her outward, public opinions are mostly whatever she feels is most beneficial to her polls. Norma and Lizzie's parents hate each other and openly argue but refuse to divorce because codependance, appearances, and other factors.

All this just leads to Norma lashing out, putting up walls and manipulating others into being her friend because she thinks thats how it should happen. But at this point, her emotional door is starting to come off its hinges and Lizzie is her only lifeline. Because she gets the brunt of everything for the crime of "having high expectations placed on her" she internalizes that as her not being "good" and shes getting punished because shes not as good as lizzie on a fundamental level.

lizzies gotten really perceptive over the years. despite being the black sheep once she stopped caring ab her parents her mental health got a lot better. norma on the other hand is being put through the hydraulic press, so lizzie winds up being super perceptive when somethings off ab her sister