#but lydia exists

[conquerthenight]

This concept won’t leave my brain so here’s my full list of songs and scenes in Rebecca that I’d put Lydia in if she were canon. I’m going to refer to these songs with the titles and lyrics from my fan translation.

Last Night I Dreamt of Manderley

This song has virtually no changes. Lydia will be part of the shadow ensemble and cross the stage from the opposite wing as Mrs. Danvers when Ich sings “I could feel her ghost…rose to do what’s right”. While Danny gives Ich a menacing glare on Ich’s right side, Lydia will end up on Ich’s left and look up at her as if she’s pleading. The rest of the shadows will circle in on Ich with Lydia and Danny off the side at the edge of the huddle, but on opposite sides as if they’re leading the charge. Lydia, Danny, and the shadows will disperse as Ich sings “I was only 21…in Monte Carlo”

The Second Mrs. de Winter

This would be where Lydia makes her first true entrance into the plot. I purposefully left her out of Monte Carlo to emphasize the distance between her and Maxim, but Maxim will mention her briefly after Ich tells him her parents are dead by inserting a line (“I have a sister, a daughter, and an ancient grandmother, but none of them make for companionship”) that’s mostly taken directly from the novel. She would enter with Danny by following her down the stairs. Danny’s big entrance bit will be split with Lydia. Lydia would sing a few lines after Danny sings “For me no one will e’re replace the only Mrs. de Winter”about her nerves about what Ich will be like and/or her hope that Maxim finding love again will make him less distant to her (“My mother’s lying in the crypt. Another comes to Manderley. But will he come back finally changed ever?”). She’ll then stand against the bottom of the stairs because she doesn’t want to get in everyone’s way. The rest of the song would proceed as written with Frank and Danny, the newlyweds entrance, etc. with the exception of a quick introduction by Maxim between Lydia and Ich. Lydia would follow Ich, Danny, and Clarice up the stairs, but she would stop at the middle flight and sing the last verse with the staff (“What a surprise, she’s quite shy…how she fares as the second Mrs. de Winter”) and exit as the ensemble sings “We’ll have to take her as she is…second Mrs. de Winter”

She’s Still Here With Me

I explained the bare concept of this one in the post I linked above, but here is how I would stage it. As stated in the aforementioned post, this will be a duet between Danny and Lydia. The stage would be split between the morning room on stage right, and another seperate room on stage left. One of Lydia’s hobbies is playing the piano, so I would incorporate that into the song. She would play the beginning intro. The keys would face away from the audience so the hypothetical child actor wouldn’t need to actually know how to play and could just fake it, similarly to how the Phantom fake plays the Don Juan melody before “I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt It”. She would then step away into a spotlight to sing her verse because she’s distracted and frustrated by her inability to concentrate. While Danny sings the bridge, she would slump against the piano as the spotlight fades away. During the bridge, the set will change to the full on morning room with the lights fully on Danny, giving Lydia time to quickly exit and then reenter through the door to the morning room. Lydia and Danny will come together during the final chorus, standing on either side of the orchid pot and looking away from each other. After the final line, they’ll look at each other, Danny will sigh like Pia did in the Stuttgart production.

The Morning Room

Lydia prepares to exit, but as she does so, Ich enters as normal. Both are startled by the unexpected sight of the other. Danny notices this and tells Lydia to stay solely because she thinks Ich will be uncomfortable with Lydia being there while she makes a show of showing off all Rebecca’s things. Ich shoots Lydia a few confused looks as Danny predicted, and Lydia, believing Danny is just showing Ich the ropes, tells her to “go along with it” and that “Danny is just sentimental”. Remember to keep in mind we aren’t aware of Rebecca’s true nature until much later, so Lydia will constantly be tiptoeing around any mention or hint of past abuse and how she feels about everyone else’s opinions about Rebecca until after Maxim’s confession. Anyways, Danny says the line about how Ich “would like to write your correspondence now” and tells Lydia to follow. Lydia does this, but she pauses for a moment to glance back at Ich as if to wish her luck. She sees the cupid get broken and runs offstage to greet Beatrice and Giles. This exchange still happens offstage and is mostly the same as written, except when Bea asks where her new sister in law is, Lydia is the one to tell her aunt and uncle that she’s in the morning room.

Do You Love Me/I’m So Sorry

Ich and Maxim will be playing chess in the library. Off the side Lydia will be reading a book. When Maxim says “Blast, I underestimated you”, Lydia will look over at them and make a joking comment about how “someone finally beat him”, making Ich laugh and tease Maxim by asking “What do I get for winning?” Lydia doesn’t actually sing during the song, but just sits there listening intently to the conversation between her father and stepmother. Ich brings up the costume ball and that she thinks it would be a good idea to host it. Lydia chimes in agreeing with Ich and says she hopes Maxim will actually dress up this year. Again, we’ll insert a line from the novel but with a slight change (“You know I never dress up, it’s the one perk I insist on”). Danny enters and they talk about the cupid. Ich and Lydia share a knowing look, with Ich making some sort of gesture to imply she doesn’t want Lydia to say anything. Ich confesses to breaking the cupid and Lydia insists it was an accident because she doesn’t want Danny to be mad. Maxim is annoyed by this and tells Lydia to leave because “the adults are talking”. “I’m So Sorry” is the same as written.

Help Me Face The Night

As with “She’s Still Here With Me” the concept and additional lyrics were explained in the post I linked. Instead of Ich being in her bedroom, she’ll be on the staircase during this song and sing her verse. Maxim won’t leave the stage at all and will remain in the library pacing while the set slowly changes around him. The lights will dim on his part of the stage and when they come up on him again he’ll be leaning against the chair Lydia was sitting in in the previous scene. During his verse he’ll sit down and remain sitting for the rest of the song. Lydia will be in her bedroom, replacing Ich’s original blocking. The key will change to add an additional verse for her. The three of them will all sing the final chorus together. Ich and Maxim sing mostly in unison until the last line (with an opt up for Maxim on “Can you find me a future?”, specifically on the word future because my friend did that in our version and it’s chef’s kiss). Lydia will harmonize with them to show how she feels separated, but will sometimes end up on the same note as either Ich or Maxim because at her core she wants the same thing as they do, but in a familial sense instead of a romantic one. If anyone wants to hear how Lydia’s harmony would sound, click on this link.

Rebecca’s Room (before Rebecca I)

Lydia and Ich will enter Rebecca’s room together because they both heard Favell and Danny arguing during “She Was Attractive”. Lydia enters first on the grounds that she knows who’s in the room with Danny and Ich is nervous. Favell doesn’t notice Ich at first. He looks at Lydia, chuckles, and says “Oh, it’s just you” and right after that, he notices Ich. Danny introduces Ich and Favell. He asks Ich and Lydia not to tell Maxim he was at Manderley. Lydia offers to lead him out because she doesn’t want to be in her dead mother’s room any longer than necessary. Thus, she does not hear Danny’s suggestion that Ich dress up as Caroline de Winter.

She’s Gone

The first part of the song is the same, Ben is alone on stage. There’s some offstage dialogue between Lydia and Ich (Ich: “Where does that lead to?” Lydia: “The beach, but we shouldn’t go there” Ich: “Why not?”) and she goes down the boathouse stairs before Lydia can answer. Lydia hesitantly follows behind her. Ben sees them, he knows Lydia and they are friendly with each other. He asks Lydia who “the strange woman” is. Lydia introduces Ich as her stepmother and deliberately pauses before going to tell Ben Ich’s first name, but Ich cuts in during the pause with her “Hello, I’m Mrs. de Winter” line which will create a nice little fake out for the audience. Haha, you thought you’d get a name reveal 😈. The dialogue is mostly the same as written, with Lydia inserting a line here and there (ex. Ich asks if Ben lives in the boathouse and Ben tells Ich that no one’s allowed in there. Ich says it looks nice to which Lydia reiterates that no one’s allowed in there). Every time Ben mentions Rebecca, Lydia looks visibly upset. Ich assumes that this is just because Lydia feels bad that Ben’s afraid of being put into an asylum and that she misses Rebecca and doesn’t want to be reminded of how she died. The song ends and Maxim calls out from offstage.

“You’re Scaring Me” (before Please, My God)

Ich stays where she is but Lydia immediately runs up the stairs so Maxim doesn’t see that she was near the boathouse. She makes it about halfway but stops because Maxim appears right in front of her. He asks what they were doing at the beach. Lydia tries to explain but can’t get the words out because she knows her father is pissed. Ich takes the hint and says that Lydia was just showing her around. Maxim asks if they went into the boathouse. Ich and Lydia both insist they didn’t. Maxim glares at Lydia and yells at her (“You know I hate that damned boathouse. Why did you bring her here? Go back to the house!”). Maxim allows Lydia to pass him and she hurries up the stairs. Maxim goes up to Ich as she asks about the buoy. He then yells at her and gets in her face. “Please, My God” is completely the same as written.

Before Rebecca (Act 1 Finale)

Lydia sneaks into the ballroom unnoticed by the guests during the play out of “I’m an American Woman”. Frith announces Ich’s entrance. Ich comes down the stairs in the Caroline de Winter costume. Lydia is the first to see Ich’s costume and screams. This alerts Maxim and he looks over at Lydia. Lydia gestures to Ich and Maxim looks up at his wife. He drops his champagne glass and it shatters as he sees the costume. Beatrice, Giles, Mrs. Van Hopper, and all the other guests then notice what’s wrong. Beatrice whispers inaudibly to Giles. Giles ushers a traumatized Lydia offstage as it’s revealed that Rebecca wore the same costume last year.

She’s Gone (Reprise I)

Prior to this scene, Lydia was woken up by the rockets during “Just One Step”. She sings this song in unison with Ben from offstage, her vocals will either have been prerecorded or she’ll just be standing in the wings with her microphone on. She will not be present during “You Still Love Her” or “Why Do I Still See That Smile” as I want to keep it so that Ich is the only one who knows Maxim killed Rebecca.

Why Do I See That Smile

As mentioned above, Lydia isn’t present in this song. However she will be mentioned in it. During the part where Maxim recalls Rebecca’s “pregnancy” reveal, he’ll quote Rebecca, but instead of “Who would know it wasn’t yours? It would be mine of course and when you’re gone, Manderley will be his” she’ll have said “I’ll give you a true heir…will be his”. The line about how Maxim “will always be a fool” will include Lydia (“You’ll both stay as you are. The perfect little fools”). The rest of the song is the same as written. The dialogue after with Maxim and Ich will include additional lines (“I already failed Lydia. I couldn’t watch her put another one through all that. It’s over, Rebecca has won”).

Free Now

I know that this song was only added in for London, but I felt it would make sense for it to be here with Lydia as a character. The scene would be set back in the house. Before the song, Ich and Lydia will have a brief conversation where Ich tells Lydia that she knows what Rebecca was really like, but she will not mention that Maxim killed her. The song will start with Ich singing the first verse and chorus as written. Lydia will sing the next verse with only one change (instead of “He did not love Rebecca. He never loved Rebecca” she’ll sing “She knows now of Rebecca! I won’t hide from Rebecca!”). Ich sings “I will fight for him, making all things right for him”. Instead of what’s written, Lydia sings “I won’t let the shadows silence me. Reach out and speak again. It’s time they see.” Ich sings “Because I’m free now. Free to be with him” Lydia sings “No more me now. It will be us, it will be we”. They both sing the last line (“We’re together, we’re free”) and embrace.

They Left At Eight

Unchanged apart from Lydia is listening on the stairs with the staff and sings with the ensemble.

The Revelation (This Was All Just A Game)

Lydia enters the library while Maxim is talking to Ich on the phone. Frank asks what Dr. Baker said. Maxim asks Lydia to come over to them because he wants her to know what’s up too. The song is the same as written. Maxim reveals Rebecca was dying from cancer, and instead of Frank saying that this explains her suicide, Lydia asks if that means her mother killed herself. Maxim says “Yes, she wanted to end her life” aloud, but mutters “…and destroy mine” under his breath.

I Hear Your Voice (Rebecca Final Reprise)

Lydia passes Danny on the stairs. This is another duet between them. Lydia sings “I hear your voice…words you said”. Danny sings “Our lives were one…betrayed me”. Lydia goes up the stairs while singing the word “Rebecca” with the ensemble. She is offstage for the rest of the song and thus doesn’t know Danny plans to commit arson.

Conquer The Night

I was heavily debating whether to put Lydia in this song because it’s the love duet between Ich and Maxim, but ultimately I decided to do throw her in because I didn’t want her at Manderley during the fire. She enters with Maxim and they wait for Ich at the train station. She and Maxim are awkward with each other because they haven’t been alone post confession and don’t know how to interact now that everything’s out in the open. Lydia sees Ich and calls out to her. The three of them hug. Maxim looks at Ich and tells her she was so strong. Instead of Ich saying “It’s finally over”, Lydia says that line. Maxim doesn’t say that Rebecca “wanted to make me a murder and almost succeeded” because Lydia doesn’t know that a murder even happened. Instead he affirms that it’s over but he can’t get Rebecca’s smile out of his head. Ich says “She can’t harm us anymore” and the song begins. The format of the song is in the linked post. Since they’re unified now, Lydia won’t have a separate harmony with the exception of in the final line (“You’ve shown me what love can do”) because I like the chord it makes.

Manderley’s On Fire

The ensemble part at the beginning is the same as written. Lydia runs on stage with Ich and Maxim. Frank sings his part. Lydia sings the ensemble part that underscores Frank. Frank and Ich run off and one of them motions for Lydia to go with them. Lydia does, but stops as soon as Maxim starts singing (“The house I loved…burning lost for good”). Lydia sings “But with the house…haunts me, haunts me”. She and Maxim meet in the middle of the stage to sing the last part (“Oh my god…there’s no escape”). Just for some added angst, they stay for just a second longer than as written. The debris starts to fall and Maxim pushes Lydia offstage and out of the way before running off himself.

Last Night I Dreamt Of Manderley (Reprise)

Unchanged until the very end of the song. Instead of just Maxim being revealed after the ensemble disperses, Lydia is there too, but she’s older now because the epilogue will be set 5-8 years into the future. The actress playing Clarice will double as the older Lydia. Lydia places Ich’s hand in Maxim’s similarly to the scene in Disney’s Hunchback where Quasimodo does the same thing with Esmeralda and Phoebus. It’s her way of reaffirming that she accepts their relationship and more importantly has moved past Rebecca’s shadow. Ich and Maxim kiss as usual, then the three de Winters take hands and face away from the audience. They take a few steps upstage because “walking to the future cliché” is cute and the curtain closes.

Bonus: During the curtain call, Lydia will bow after Favell and before Danny

[freakwiththeknifecollection]

Plot holes dropped threads yeah yeah we've all seen em, you know what haunts me? The layout of Harvelle's Roadhouse. It defies the laws of physics. It appears to be longer on the inside than the outside, but that's not even the biggest thing. We've seen Ash has a room in the back, BUT WHERE DO ELLEN AND JO SLEEP? We collectively as a fandom have decided the Roadhouse has an upstairs in fic because it just makes sense BUT IT DOESN'T EXIST IN CANON. AND Ellen says she has "a couple cabins out back" WHERE????????

[creepy-old-memes]

oh my god you don’t like babes??!?!?😟😳🙀 no waaaay!!!!!🙅‍♀️😵❌ what a unique and interesting opinion!!!!🤔🤨 👏 ive never heard that before!!!! !! 🤌😸😯 so glad you told me so i can stop 🛑 ✋ 🚔 i was definitely only shipping it for internet approval 🫶🤝👊 now that i know it’s unpopular i can repent and change my ways 🙏🤞👼

[sapphosclown]

i was going down but i was doing it with you

favorite crime by olivia rodrigo

[emrlden]

mista juice and lid teehee

[autocorrection]

prepare for trouble, and make it [quadruple!]

[feelingtheaster99]

I finally finished the end of the last season of Teen Wolf this week, and I almost wish I didn’t because I think the Season 6A plot would’ve been a better ending

[just-an-enby-lemon]

I'm still early on so their relationship could strain but I'm loving the idea of Zolf trying to sort of be a dad figure to Sasha and failing because he simply can't reach her versus Cel sort off just going "Eh I think he is my favorite" and basically adopting Zolf as a sort of dad.

[melien]

[novasillies]

no bcz wtf is wrong w the teen wolf timeline. none of them have actual ages and if they mention their age in the show it either contradicts something that happened before or will be disproven later on and I ????? it is NOT that hard to plan something like this out, jeffrey.

like Derek didn't even have a canon age yet in the pilot, and it was meant to be after winter break, right (even tho they retconned that in s5, which I will IGNORE)??? so scott is sixteen and stiles is fifteen (according to the multiple DIFFERENT birth dates jeff gave him in april and june), then lydia has her birthday in season 2 and they are STILL SOPHOMORES so she is turning SIXTEEN. IN MARCH. RIGHT??? RIGHTT?????

SO HOW. IN SEASON 5. SET IN THEIR SENIOR YEAR. IS SHE EIGHTEEN BEFORE WINTER EVEN STARTS??????? also for some reason the ghost riders come when they're doing yearbook photos but it's like autumn?? and yet it's after the several months that season 5 took????? and they use her being eighteen to excuse her and parrish but she's NOT. shes seventeen. and that man is an army veteran and an established sheriff's deputy, he is OLD. also they had her graduate early to make it even less weird but then she just?? kept going to high school??? through season 6???????

also also i could excuse jeff not knowing the timeline entirely in the first episode but come on. how do you not even know how long ago the main source of conflict for the season (the hale fire) happened??? fym 'like ten years ago' AND 'he's only a few years older than us' and then he was a senior when it happened?? or a junior??? 'ten years ago'????? give me strength

also, jeffrey, where the fuck did eli come from! riddle me that!! you too, tyler & tyler, explain yourselves.

(also also jackson whittemore was fifteen the entire time he was in the show (save for his return for the finale). he was a literal baby. before liam showed up, he was the youngest character in the entire thing. WHY WERE THEY ALL SO SEXUALISED?? AND PLAYED BY PEOPLE IN THEIR MID-TWENTIES (except for stiles ik ik ik))

it was WEIRD to have sixteen-year-old lydia having that much rebound sex pre-s3, it was WEIRD to pair her up with a fully grown man and LIE ABOUT HER BEING AN ADULT, it was WEIRD to have her be naked that much AT FIFTEEN, it was weird to have a joke about stiles getting preyed on by drag queens ALSO at fifteen, and it was stupid to not have a canon timeline even to its barest bones before the show started.

jeff davis is a nonce and he is dumb and I want to hit him

[apllsauc]

happy halloween from your local theatre nerd besties

[creepy-old-memes]

im just gonna say it: the people drawing the most detailed, fetishizing, and sexual art who turn right around to holler “babes shippers dni!!” will never not blow my mind with hypocrisy

like okay suddenly we’re really caring devoutly about morality and what’s okay regarding fiction and characters 🥴

[breadedsinner]

Hawke doggy headcanons just because.

*

Hawke: Judith (Warrior, Templar Spec, Blue, Romances Sebastian)

Mabari: Gallant

How they met: Gallant was one of the pups being trained at a kennel in the town the Hawke family lived in, before Lothering. Judy and her siblings would sometimes go to look at them, unknowingly imprinting on one of them. On more than one occasion, she had to return him to the kennel after running off. When the family needed to flee, she had accidentally left behind her wooden sword. Hot on their trail was Gallant, sword in mouth.

Personality: Gallant takes the role of Family Guardian very seriously. Despite imprinting on Judith, he was very playful with the twins and would follow them around town, especially when she had gone to enlist in the King's Army. In Kirkwall, his ears would perk and he would sit firm at the doorway, as if to say, "State your business".

He became a little softer as years went on, becoming more attentive to Judith as she grieved her mother. He would lick her hand and put his head on her lap when she experiences nightmares, knowing something was wrong, not knowing what else to do.

Does the Dog Like the LI: Much like his partner, Gallant tends to keep people at a distance until they prove themselves. Sebastian was able to pass effectively and quickly; Gallant seemed to understand and accept the proper respect he was giving with his bowing. It also helps that he had treats for him in one of his belt pouches.

*

Hawke: Lydia (Mage, Force Mage Spec, Red, Romances Isabela)

Mabari: Gambit

How They Met: Malcolm had brought her home, a sickly runt of the littler. Whoever originally owned her said he could keep her, assuming she survived. Malcolm, a master healer with his two apprentices, had her up and spry by the next day. Lydia was never an animal person, and was happy to have it be the companions of her siblings. But the pup always seemed to want to play and fall asleep next to her.

Personality: Gambit is surprisingly gentle and curious. Lydia had quickly put her to work when in Lothering, making her deliver potions and remedies to her neighbors. But she took to instructions and training very well, and this is a practice they would expand upon in Kirkwall.

Despite being a breed of war hound, Gambit does not seem to like fighting, perfectly content to follow around Lydia and company and smell new things. That Lydia was able to find anything of value in her travels is largely because of her. Not to say she can’t fight, though; she will still readily tear through some ankles if Lydia is in immediate danger.

Does the Dog Like the LI: Gambit likes everyone, but Isabela did not like her, assuming she was just a big slobbery, leg-humping beast. But no one can resist those eyes for long… she’s still not allowed on the bed anymore, though.

*

Hawke: Faye (Rogue, Shadow Spec, Purple, Romances Merrill)

Mabari: Ghost

How They Met: Faye supported the family by hunting. One day she traveled into the nearby forest and heard a whining sound. Eventually, she found a lone pup; it mostly looked like a mabari, but Faye suspected he might be part wolf. How such a union happened, she didn’t know, but the pup was defensive, growling. “Oh, sorry, didn’t realize you’d claimed this spot,”.

She would return to that spot and found that same dog there, but maintained a respectful distance. She would look for others, but found none. Sometimes she would talk, half to the dog, half to herself, knowing no answer would come. In time, she proved to the dog that she was no threat, and was willing to share her quarry.

Personality: Ghost is skiddish and slow to trust. He came to enjoy Lothering over time, but there were a lot more open spaces. He was never all that happy in Kirkwall, and insisted on coming along with Faye and company whenever they went out. As a show of trust, Ghost still likes to bring Faye whatever he manages to find, sometimes useful, sometimes not so much. Sometimes if they’re by the Wounded Coast or Sundermount, Ghost will wander out by himself, but Faye trusts he can always find his way back home.

Does the Dog Like the LI: Ghost never really liked anyone besides Faye, and is wary of strangers, but civil. Merrill was no exception, but she was persistent and gentle. If nothing else, Ghost began to see that Faye liked Merrill, and that was good enough for him.

[ladyshivs]

Lydia begins designing lingerie as a cover story as to how she’s making so much money when asked by Ricardo and others. She brands it as her villain name, which she uses to sort of shrug off the implication that it’s got a connection to the villainess herself by offering brand deals with other villains. Spiky Psychopathor Cod Pieces are totally in for 2021.

And it quickly becomes a mission for her to create bespoke items that compliment her clients body types, of all types.

A key point for her has come through unintentionally in the La Bruja line, in that she’s designing these clothes and lingerie with the express intention of helping other people feel comfortable and confident in their bodies, something that she cannot give to herself, no matter how hard she tries

[autismlookslikeme]

Scars - Stiles Stilinski

Five times someone noticed Stiles’ scars and one time he noticed someone else’s.

Warnings! Lots of mentions of injuries, none are very graphic though. Brief mentions of abuse, kinda alluded to more than anything else.

Also definitely kind of a long one just fyi.

———

1. John

John stopped as he walked past Stiles’s door, just to say good morning. He paused, stayed silent. Stiles stood back to the door, changing his shirt. Just before he pulled his clean shirt over his head John caught sight of the scars on his back. On his right shoulder, a large and vaguely circular scar, with dozens of individual marks, circles within circles. On the opposite shoulder faded red lines cross crossed from his neck down past his shoulder blade. Smaller, far more faded scars littered his lower back. Sadness wound tight around John’s heart. How many more scars was Stiles hiding? When had his little boy become a battle hardened, scar covered soldier?

“Dad!” Stiles jumped when he turned and caught John staring. “What are-” but John just stepped into the room and pulled him into a tight hug. Then held him tighter still. Stiles was stunned for a few seconds before wrapping his arms around John and holding him just as tight.

“I’m sorry.” John said. But . . . sorry? Sorry for what? Sorry that Stiles youth had been taken from him? Sorry his innocence had been stolen? Sorry he had been forced to stagger beneath the weight of knowledge he shouldn’t have to carry? Sorry he’d had to grow up faster than he should have? Sorry. Sorry he couldn’t protect him from the dangers of the world around them.

“Sorry?” Stiles asked. “Sorry for what?” John just held him closer, one hand on the back of Stiles’ head. “Dad? Is everything ok?” But rather than stumble through an apology he knew Stiles would claim wasn’t necessary and never accept he said something else long over due.

“I love you.”

“I love you too. Are you sure everything is alright?” John huffed a laugh and let Stiles go.

“Yeah. Yep, everything’s fine.” he nodded, “I just, needed you to know that.” He gave Stiles a pat on the shoulder and a smile. Stiles gave him a skeptical gaze in return.

“Ooooookay then.” And with that Stiles stepped around him and disappeared down the stairs.

“I’m sorry you were forced to be your own protector because I wasn’t there.” John whispered to himself before following Stiles down to the kitchen.

———

2. Lydia

She watched Stiles push the sleeves of his flannel up his elbows while he talked to Derek and Scott and for the first time took notices of the scars cross crossing up his arms. Most were extremely faded, but they were there nonetheless. It made her conscious of her own scars, both physical and mental. She brushed her fingers across the ghost of a bruise around her neck.

With so many physical scars she knew he must have just as many, if not more, mental ones. She wanted so badly to ask how many more he had. To know his scars better than he did, but at the same time if she wasn’t ready to divulge that information how could she expect someone else to do so?

When he sat down beside her she casually looped her arm through his and brushed her fingers across the scars on the inside of his arm. Hoping he knew everything she couldn’t say in front of so many others. Hoping he knew that his scars marked him as survivor and nothing less.

———

3. Scott

Scott stood in the shallow end of the pool waiting for the others to join him. He grinned as he watched Mason grab Corey around the waist and throw him in before jumping in after him. He saw the look in Malia’s eyes and smelled the excitement wafting off her as she approached Lydia and grinned before giving her a shove into the pool. Lydia came up sputtering, glaring daggers at Malia, who only laughed in response.

“Stiles! You coming in?” Scott smacked the water, splashing it up the side of the pool and over the edge. Stiles was in his trunks, but still had his shirt on and didn’t seem too keen on taking it off.

“Nah. Not right now.” Scott frowned. He put his hands on the edge of the pool and went to hoist himself out, but stopped when he caught sight of the scar running diagonally up the back of Stiles right leg. It took him back to a different summer. A summer so many years ago that it felt like another lifetime.

The summer Stiles learned to ride a bike was the same summer Scott learned to roller skate. They went through a lot of bandaids that summer and left a lot of blood on the pavement between their houses. There were many crashes and an embarrassing amount of tears looking back. But one crash in particular came to Scott’s mind when he saw Stiles newer scar.

They’d crashed into each other and went down hard. Stiles drove a rock into his knee. Scott remembered the blood and he remembered calmly helping Stiles into the house where he found the first aid kit, pulled the rock out of Stiles knee, cleaned up the wound and bandaged him up. When it eventually scabbed over Stiles had a hard time resisting the urge to pick at it when he wore shorts. Which led to it scarring. And even now that same scar sat across his kneecap, looking so much smaller than Scott remembered.

It made Scott conscious of how much had changed. It made him conscious also, of the fact that while Stiles body held the proof that he was a fighter, a survivor, Scott’s own body no longer did. And while he knew it was kind of a ridiculous thing to be sad about, that didn’t change the fact that he was jealous of Stiles for bearing the marks of hard fought battles.

———

4. Malia

Malia let her eyes wander the expanse of Stiles’s chest and stomach. Pale, freckled skin marked with faded scars. She ran her fingers across his scars and felt him shiver. It had taken a lot of coaxing to get Stiles to take his shirt off. But taking off her own had done the trick. What puzzled her most was his reasoning. Embarrassment was kind of a foreign concept to Malia.

“I don’t think your scars are ugly.” She said after tracing them for several seconds. “It makes you seem so. . .so human.” She watched her own claw nick her wrist and heal instantly.

“I think that’s why I hate them.” Stiles confessed. “They’re a constant reminder that I’m weaker than you. Just a fragile human.”

“Well, you are.” Malia said, brows furrowing. “But you remind the rest of us what’s at stake. Or at least, you remind me. I think I need the reminder that some things take time to heal and even when they do you can’t forget they happened.” She really traced his scars again. “Do you have any others?” Stiles laughed and pulled her down into a kiss before rolling them over so he straddle her.

“You should explore and find out.” Malia would happily spend hours mapping out Stiles scars. And although she would never admit it, she would often compare Scott’s blank canvas to Stiles’ colorful portrait of scars.

———

5. Derek

“Is it-” Derek started, then seemed to think better of it. They were sitting together on the couch in Derek’s loft. Despite having started out at opposite ends Stiles was now almost plastered to Derek’s side.

“Is what?” Stiles asked, throwing his legs over Derek’s.

“Never mind.”

“C’mon big guy, tell me what’s on your mind.” Derek raised his eyebrows.

“Big guy?”

“It felt like a ‘big guy’ moment. Now stop stalling.” Derek sighed and looked at the ceiling like, ‘why me?’ before meeting Stiles eyes again. His ears were turning pink.

“Is it strange to look down and see a permanent reminder of the pain someone else caused you?” He spoke softly, as if afraid of offending Stiles.

“What d’you mean?” Stiles shifted to see him better. Derek gently grabbed Stiles’s arm and pushed his sleeve up.

“To see this scar and know exactly who hurt you and when. Isn’t that kind of strange?” Stiles pondered it for a few seconds.

“Strange isn’t the right word.” He finally said, laying his head against the back of the couch and staring at the ceiling. “Sometimes I wish I didn’t have them, that I didn’t have to be reminded of all the times I almost died or the times I hurt someone else, but at the end of day a lot of them aren’t symbols of weakness. But strength, y’know? Like I made it through something awful and maybe I still carry the marks from it, but all they are now is proof that I’m stronger than I think.”

“What about the others?” Derek asked, taking Stiles’s hand in his own. Stiles closed his eyes.

“Some are reminders that I’m more of a monster than any supernatural creature I’ve ever met.” Derek frowned.

“You’re not a monster.”

“D’you have any idea-” Stiles’s voice cracked, “any idea, what it feels like to be disgusted by your own body?” The sorrow and guilt rolling off of Stiles was almost overwhelming Derek.

“More than you could ever imagine.” Stiles shifted and turned his back to Derek. He lifted his shirt to show the scar from the bite from the lamprey on Donovan’s hand.

“I will never be free of the knowledge that I chose to kill someone, Derek! And I have to live with that choice for the rest of my life!” Tears slid down Stiles cheek and he was quick to brush them away.

“Stiles, killing in self defense isn’t the same thing as murder.” Stiles let his shirt fall back down, but didn’t turn to look at Derek again. Derek gently grabbed his wrist.

“The days it’s hardest to believe that are the days I’m glad I have my other scars.” Stiles whispered. He finally shifted around to face Derek again, eyes rimmed with red. He lifted the front of his shirt to show a large vertical scar almost in the center of his chest. “I cheated death. More than once. And I never want to forget the weight what it really means to be alive. Or they weight of what it means to take a life, no matter what they may have done.” He let his shirt drop again and ground the heals of his hands into his eyes.

“I’ve heard that scars tell a story. Since I don’t scar I wasn’t sure how true that was,” Derek started. “And I’ve never wanted scars of my own, but anyone can tell you’re a fighter. A survivor.” He pulled Stiles back to his side. “Some ghosts haunt you forever. Even if they lose their voice, you’ll spend the rest of your life seeing them out of the corner of your eye. But I promise,” Derek pressed a kiss to Stiles’s temple and felt him relax against him, “you’re not the only who’s haunted.”

———

+1. Stiles

“Why can’t you just fucking do what you’re told?!” Scott spat. For the shortest of seconds Stiles saw Derek’s expression change. But as quick as it appeared it was gone again. However distress continued to swim in Derek’s eyes as Scott berated him.

“Knock it off!” Stiles finally yelled. Scott turned to him, eyes flashing red for a second. Stiles stood his ground, fist clenched, brows raised. “Fuck off with your alpha bullshit!” Derek took an almost imperceptible step away from Scott. Stiles liked to consider himself an observant person. Most of time. Research was his thing after all. But he’s not sure how he missed this.

Malia stepped up behind Derek and rested her hand on his shoulder. He flinched and pulled away from her. Stiles didn’t have a werewolf’s ability to hear heartbeats or smell chemosignals, but he could tell Derek was anxious and distraught. Derek closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Stiles snapped.

“Everybody out! Now!” Everyone looked taken aback by Stiles second outburst and such a small amount of time. “Get out!” He yelled again. Hesitantly everyone headed for the door of the loft. Scott was the last to go, he growled and kept his red eyes on Stiles. “You too. Out!” Still looking annoyed Scott left, slamming the door behind him. Stiles glared at the door for several seconds before turning back to Derek. Derek was facing away from him, bent over the table, hands clutching the edge of it so tight his knuckles were white.

“Derek?” Stiles asked; stepping up behind him and tentatively rested his hand on Derek’s shoulder. Stiles knew, of course, that werewolves don’t scar, but he met Derek’s electric blue eyes and in a moment of stunning clarity realized that maybe Derek was just as scarred as he was, his just weren’t visible to the naked eye. Tears collected in Derek’s eyes.

“Don’t touch me.” He whispered, voice so soft Stiles didn’t hear him.

“What?”

“Don’t touch me.” Derek said louder. Stiles pulled his hand back like he’d been burned. Stiles felt so stupid. Who had done this to him? Derek’s fists clenched and unclenched. His eyes flickered from they’re natural color to electric blue and back again. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw.

“Der-” Stiles cut himself off as Derek roared and shoved everything off the table. He grabbed the edge of the table again, sinking his claws into it, and his shoulders started to shake.

“It’s been eleven years, Stiles. Eleven! And I still hear her telling me I’m not enough and I need to do better.” Derek said, “I can still feel her hands on me, feel her tongue on me.” He choked back a sob. “I just want to be rid of her! Why-” his voice cracked, “why can’t I get rid of her?”

“I wish I could tell you.” Stiles thought about his own ghosts. Allison. Aiden. Donovan. The countless people that died while he was possessed by the nogitsune. How many did Derek have? How many that he’d never let anyone see before? “What I can tell you is that you don’t need to be embarrassed or ashamed of your scars.” Stiles stepped a little closer. “And I’m sorry that no one’s taken the time to get to know your scars and your ghosts. But if you’ll let me I want to take the time and learn them, until I know them better than you do.” He rested his hand on the table beside Derek’s. Derek turned and grabbed Stiles, pulling him into the tightest hug he’d ever had. He pressed his face into the crook of Stiles neck and cried. Stiles wrapped one arm around Derek’s waist as best he could and wound the fingers of his other hands through Derek’s hair. And then he said something he wasn’t sure Derek had ever heard before. He made a promise he would keep until his dying breath. “As long as I’m around you never have to fight your demons alone.”

[fiction-justanotherstateofmind]

Teen Wolf meets How to get away with murder

I just finished season 2 of How to get away with murder. I'm in love. It has some of my favorite things: found family and blind loyalty.

Idk how I ended up here, I finished the last episode and the next thing I know I was looking for the correspondence between the characters of HTGAWM and those of Teen Wolf. So here I am.

N.B.: it's not always a canon equivalence. Sometimes it's just my favorite headcanon dynamic.

Annalise: Stiles

Frank: Peter; Boyd; (Malia)

Bonnie: Lydia

Nate: Derek

Wes: Scott

Laurel: Allison

Connor: Jackson

Oliver: Danny

Asher: Erica

Michaela: Isaac

Now I'm gonna explain why.

Stiles is the mastermind behind the pack plans, has a different moral compass than the norm and would definitely kill, lie and harm to protect the ones he loves, and -if that was the case- he would feel no remorse. In other words, Annalise. He also has a soft spot for Scott (and Annalise for Wes) and often finds himself making up for the mistakes his friend made in good faith. Furthermore, BAMF Stiles.

Frank is the muscle of the group and so are Peter and Boyd. Both are the kind of people who don't ask questions and would have no problem killing for a person they trust. Frank, like Peter, would sometimes be prone to violence right away and needs to be restrained. Plus Peter would love Frank's sense of style. (We could put Malia here as well, even if I don't feel exactly the same about her).

Bonnie is Annalise's right hand man. She's similar to Annalise: not enough but she understands her better than the others. I live for Lydia as Stiles' best friend. They are also both very stylish.

Nate is Annalise's lover, has a strong personality and doesn't trust very easily. He's also more than "the muscle" but less than "the brain" of the group. Annalise trusts him enough to let him act on his own, but still always goes out of her way to protect him. I love when Stiles is so protective of Derek (sterek of course).

Wes and Scott. Do i really have to explain it? I switch from like to dislike every 10 minutes when both of them are on screen. Great loyalty which, however, is undermined by a moral compass different from that of the group. They always see the good in others and this sometimes leads to problems.

Laurel is the one with the coldest mind of all the young adults. She is able to remain lucid even in stressful situations and is the one most inclined to lead (excluding Annalise). She has a darker mind than she appears to be and has no problem killing if necessary. She also has a dangerous family behind her. Allison is canonically all of these things too.

Connor is the suspicious one, the only one who maintains real contact with the "outside world" and who is not entirely devoted to the cause. When necessary, he plays his part and participates actively, even if he apparently tends to freak out. He also always makes piqued comments and is not ashamed to use his body to get what he wants or needs. Jackson fits perfectly the role.

Oliver is Danny in so many ways: sweet, gets involved with others but underneath he's eager for adventure, computer technician and hacker, canonically gay.

Asher is the perfet mix between an himbo and a very intelligent person. He's loyal and actually caring, even if it might not seem like it at first. He also makes sex jokes and somehow won the heart of a reserved person (lots of grumpy/sunshine dynamics). Erica is very similar to him (in this house we believe in the canonicity of Erica/Boyd).

Michaela is the one with family problems. She has trouble trusting and sometimes ends up trusting just because she's tired of always looking over her shoulder. However, if you show her that she can trust you and that you will protect her, she's very loyal. She likes to be independent, but in times of need she needs the guidance of someone she deems more capable. The same goes for Isaac.

Let me know what you think but NO SPOILER: I haven't seen season 3 yet.