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I'm 147 pounds of pale skin and fragile bones. Sarcasm is my only defense! |
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— Himself |
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"Stiles" Stilinski is a student at Beacon Hills College and the son of the Beacon County sheriff. While highly intelligent, he is perhaps better known for his being socially offbeat and excitable, largely attributed to his ADHD. What few realize is that he's also a budding expert on the occult and a naturally gifted investigator, always drawing connections between all that he learns. Paranoid? You're only paranoid if you're wrong.
Most recently, he's begun learning to explore his natural spark of magic and training to become the pack's emissary.
Personality
Well, the classic Myers Briggs personality breakdown is, let's be honest, an arbitrary and fundamentally synthetic way of classifying personality types. That said, it's also convenient, which makes it perfect for this kind of task. Call it an exercise in approximated character persona taxonomy. Or something. Basically, envision this as a bulletin board covered in scraps of possibility, interwoven with red ribbons of "could be" until it all resolves into a big picture.
When it comes to the Introvert/Extravert spectrum, Stiles is a borderline case. While he can certainly be talkative and outgoing and does well in a fast-paced environment, he also tends to live in his head quite a lot and is frequently as comfortable playing the observer rather than being the center of attention. (He tends to draw attention without really thinking about it more than because he wants to be noticed.) These elements come into balance when Stiles is with those among whom he feels respected and accepted, allowing him to express himself with greater confidence. While there is no clear distinction here, Stiles could perhaps be called in extraverted introvert, he is still perhaps most accurately called an Introvert of some kind.
Background
My Best Friend, the Werewolf
Stiles was always a quirky kid. He was normal enough in his way, dealing with somewhat typical minor childhood behavioral issues. He had a loving mother and father. He had a pet boa constrictor. He suffered from occasional bouts of sleepwalking and probably had more attitude than was strictly healthy for a skinny geek boy. He was always very intelligent, though a tendency to daydream and ADHD caused him to struggle with staying engaged at school. His best friend was Scott McCall, a classmate and frequent collaborator in all manner of boyhood mischief.
Then, as Stiles' 'tween years approached, his mother, Claudia Stilinski, became seriously ill. Eventually diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, she was hospitalized and gradually lost herself to the illness. Stiles was with her when she died. Not long after, he began to develop anxiety problems and panic attacks. He and his father became very close as the result of working through her loss, and though Mr. Stilinski always did his best for his son, Stiles developed a strong protective streak toward his father, who had a demanding job as the Beacon County Sheriff.
Time passed, and life went on. Stiles went to high school. He stayed close to his best friend, Scott, and they both began to play on the school lacrosse team, both enjoying the game and trying to find a social niche. Stiles dealt with normal teenage issues like unrequited love, dealing with school, trying to get along with his dad. He passed milestones, like getting an old jeep as his first car. Then, when Stiles was sixteen, he and Scott investigated the site of an animal attack in the forest, and Scott was bitten. In the ensuing days, it was Stiles who worked it out.
His best friend had become a werewolf.
Investigation and the Full Moon
Thus began the investigation into who had done it. Who was killing innocent people? Who had turned Scott? Stiles obsessively investigated, and for a time the evidence--including the body of a female werewolf at Hale House--seemed to point to Derek Hale as the prime suspect. Through this, he worked hard at supporting Scott, who of course was dealing with all the issues of transformation, even when Scott lose control and nearly attacked him, which would certainly have been lethal for Stiles. Still, they stuck together, and eventually Stiles even had to take care of Derek, another werewolf, after Derek was attacked by hunters. Through a variety of trials and circumstances, including stealing the phone of a girl he had a crush on and tagging along with his dad to crime scenes, Stiles manages to put together more of the mysterious "alpha puzzle."
Stiles' and Scott's friendship is tested when Scott fails to save Sheriff Stilinski from being hit by a car, and for a time Stiles refuses to talk to him--but when it's clear that Derek's methods of teaching Scott to control his powers aren't working, Stiles takes on the job. In the end, he manages to work out his anger by pelting Scott with lacrosse balls while also helping Scott learn to keep his rage in check and avoid involuntary shifting. Stiles also works out that the girl Scott's interested in seems to calm his rage, and he realizes that she's helping him. Feeling more in control of things, Scott and Stiles try to lure out the alpha in various ways, including having Scot howl over the school PA system. This ends only in further frustration and more close calls, forcing Stiles to continue lying to his father about what's really going on in the town.
Later, Stiles tries to get Scott drunk to help him cope with things-- including relationship trouble--only to discover that Scott can't seem to get drunk. Stiles, on the other hand, gets completely wasted. Things continue to be difficult, and though Scott (as the full moon approaches) makes out with the girl Stiles has long crushed on, Stiles still helps Scott work through his rages and even chains him up on the full moon to try to keep him from losing control, though not without yelling at him for the make-out betrayal. When Scott gets loose and another body turns up, tensions only run higher than ever. Despite finally getting a chance to play lacrosse instead of bench-warming, which makes his dad proud, Stiles finds himself more worried about trying to protect Derek from being wrongly arrested for murder and keeping Scott from losing it.
In the end, Stiles misses the game to help Derek, who isn't especially grateful--but at least when the actual alpha, Peter, comes along, Derek protects him.
The Winter Formal and You're Not Gay
Things never quite calm down, but they survive long enough to attend the Winter Formal. Stiles even gets to go with Lydia, the girl he's liked for so long, but it turns out she's only doing it as a favor to her friend, Allison, who has been dating Scott. Still, Stiles confesses his feelings, and Lydia is charmed enough to dance with him, but she clearly continues to obsess over asshole jock, Jackson, all the while. When Peter shows up to attack Lydia, Stiles intercedes to beg for her life, and Peter doesn't hesitate to play head-games with Stiles, offering him "the bite" so he can become a powerful werewolf and not have to live in Scott's shadow. Stiles resists, barely, and Lydia ends up in the hospital, but safe. Stiles works out that everything happening is tied to Allison's family, the Argents--werewolf hunters.
It turns out that Allison's aunt Kate burned the Hale family alive in their home, leading Peter Hale to plot revenge, and by the time they all track Peter down, he does apparently kill Kate, slashing her throat with his claws. Stiles and Jackson have teamed up to help, though, and use molotov cocktails to help Scott finally (it seems) take Peter down, setting him on fire and burning him alive.
Things seem to calm down for a time, as Stiles focuses on helping Lydia with her recovery and even gets to double-date with her, Scott, and Allison. Lydia continues to be haunted by strange visions, though, and things don't go well. Then, as if werewolf hunters and Lydia's bizarre visions were not enough, a new monster--a reptile shifter called a kanima--turns up. All the while, the hostilities between the werewolves and the Argents, the family of werewolf hunters, escalate as Derek begins creating his own pack of followers. This leads to no end of trials, from serious danger to hilarious hijinks, including Stiles' and Scott's first experience at a gay club, The Jungle, where Stiles finally learns that he does seem to be attractive to gay guys--if the drag queens at the club were any indication. Caught at the club by his dad, Stiles tries to cover by faking coming out as gay--which the Sheriff doesn't believe for a second. (The reasons he gives for doubting it seem to be based mostly in stereotypes, but little is really said on the matter.)
The Kanima and the Alpha Pack
The group figures out that the kanima is their classmate Jackson, who thwarts their attempts at stopping him by actually having his wealthy father file a restraining order against the two of them, which only makes things increasingly difficult with Stiles' father, the sheriff, even putting his job in jeopardy. Through further investigation, eventually it comes to light that their classmate, Matt, is controlling Jackson's kanima form, and Stiles and Scott remain caught between werewolves, the Argents, and the kanima. Things seem to be looking up when Stiles finally gets to play in a lacrosse game and performs well, only to be kidnapped off of the field by the Argents.
Stiles is beaten up badly by Gerard, who is leading the Argents, and then released. Stiles lies to his dad to keep the sheriff from being further involved in matters, and he tries to keep Lydia from going after Jackson, who she has fallen for, but in the end she is able to talk him down. With Matt having been killed by Gerard, the immediate threat seems dealt with--though learning of
SKILLS
ACADEMICS: Competent - Stiles is a fair student, though he's much better at academics for his own reasons than he is at school. He's got a good general working knowledge of most academic subjects, and he's managed to develop quite strong research skills as well.
ALCHEMY: Novice - Stiles has begun learning to brew potions and create similar preparations. By combining various reagents, herbs, and other ingredients according to mystic recipes and using magical practices, he is able to produce magic in a bottle, salve, or other such preparations. At present, Stiles is very limited in his ability. He is practically limited to following or adapting fairly simple recipes, though he is quick to learn and clever in how he adapts them.
ATHLETICS: Competent - Stiles is a practiced athlete, and though it turns out that lacrosse is not something he's particularly gifted at, he's still generally athletic and in good shape. If nothing else, he's become quite good at running and scrambling over fences when he needs to, to say nothing of ducking and dodging out of the way of danger.
FIGHTING: Novice - Stiles is not particularly inclined toward physical violence, having spent most of his life as a geek who was more likely to read about trouble than actually find it. He's learned enough to get by, and he swings a pretty mean bat, but even he would admit that he's no Batman when it comes to combat skills.
INVESTIGATION: Competent - Stiles is quite the gifted investigator, though at this point he relies mostly on his naturally keen intellect and observation skills (when he focuses enough to apply them) and strong research skills. As yet, he lacks the refinement of true expertise, but he has the ability and the instincts of quite the detective.
LORE: Novice - While Stiles has only begun to learn about the world of the supernatural, he's already begun to acquire a real understanding of unusual creatures, druidic herbalism, and even a few rituals. However, he continues to work on improving in this area.
OCCULTISM: Novice - The occult craft includes herbalism, spellcraft, research, the preparation and performance of rituals, awareness of the supernatural world, and more. Stiles has only begun to learn these things, a first glimpse of the properties of reagents and their role in magic, exposure to a few spells and how to use them, and developing the ability to perform research and to seek out information he doesn't already have. With help from various texts and resources, he may be able to recognize, analyze, and perhaps counter spells, and with sufficient work may even be able to come up with original spells or alter existing ones. At present, he is limited to highly ritualistic spells that must be prepared in advance.
SOCIAL: Novice - Stiles is not what one would call a social arbiter. His personal brand of snark has its uses, but it tends to only carry him so far in social situations. That said, he does tend to somehow get by on wit alone much of the time. And when he does manage to put aside the attitude, he can be unexpectedly effective just by speaking honestly.
ABILITIES
ALPHA MATE BOND - Initially completed by accident, Stiles has a mate bond with Derek Hale. This conveys him certain mystical strength, which manifests as separately detailed powers, but it also allows him to lend his magical strength to Derek, an alpha werewolf, but this strength can also extend to the pack as a whole. When Stiles fights with the pack, his bond with Derek enables him to lend them subtle increases in their abilities. This enables him to help his pack fight with greater strength, endurance, and ferocity, but with a powerful enough source to draw upon, he might be able to serve as a conduit to even greater strength for the pack. Notably, he can keep none of this power for himself, only pass it on to the pack.
In practical terms, this activates and, as appropriate, enhances his packmates' Power of the Pack advantage. When Stiles fights alongside the pack, their advantage from this is increased. With a bit of ritual preparation, he can ensure that they gain greater benefits, with their physical abilities increasing from Enhanced to Enhanced+. Under the proper circumstances, such as a full moon or other mystically significant conditions, he may be able to boost them all the way from Enhanced to Supernatural level.
SPARK - It has been confirmed that Stiles carries a within him the spark of magic. Thanks to help from Cordelia Goode, Stiles has begun to study magic and train this ability, which remains fairly subtle in power, overall, but he's begun to cultivate a bit of subtle spellcasting talent and a certain gift for enchantment. He's even participated in few a major magical rituals. It s now clear that this has not been a fluke, and Stiles has a powerful potential for magic. For now, that power has only begun to manifest, and it's uncertain how it might yet develop in the future.
ENCHANTMENT: Basic-level Magic - Stiles has begun to develop a talent for imbuing objects or substances with enchantments, which are generally placed through careful ritual preparation, often partly using alchemical processes. These enchantments tend to be lingering or delayed effects, such as wards or spells set to activate when a specific object is activated. The specific effects depend entirely on the spells used. Generally, he uses it to create objects that operate similarly to technology.
SPELLCRAFT: Basic-level Magic - Born with a talent for magic, Stiles could accomplish quite a variety of effects through spellcraft. These range from conjuring, enchantment, transformation, warding, or illusion to the summoning or banishment of spirits or creatures, to a variety of other effects. For thematic, role-play, and plot purposes their abilities are nearly endless so long as they have the right spell available. For practical purposes, however, his talents are quite limited at this point, and he can only manage Basic effects with careful ritual focus. He is no spell-slinger. For the most part, he is limited to what he can accomplish with advanced preparation or what is allowed by his other powers and skills.
REGENERATION: Enhanced-level Power - Practitioners of magic often develop specialized powers. In Stiles' case, his power has manifested as a reflection of the healing factor common to werewolves in the pack. This power grants him physical regeneration similar to a werewolf, such that minor wounds heal almost instantly, and even severe wounds heal within a few hours to a few days, usually "off screen." He is highly resistant to illness and generally does not get sick and recovers very quickly, and his aging is vastly reduced, similarly to that of a werewolf.
ADVANTAGES
ALLIES - Stiles has a very small family--it's just him and his dad--but they care greatly for one another, and Sheriff Stilinski has repeatedly shown that he'd do anything for his son. Similarly, Stiles would do anything for his Dad. If pressed, Stiles might also admit that he considers Scott McCall family, something like the brother he never had--maybe closer. Certainly, Scott is his best friend. Though he is only human, Stiles occupies a central position in the joint Beacon Hills Pack, not only as someone close to both Scott and Derek, not to mention the other pack members. Stiles also serves as the pack's (as yet in training) mystic emissary, as well as being one of the sharpest minds in the group, so he has a secure place in their ranks, and he can rely on them for support at even the darkest of times.
CODEX - The Codex is what Stiles calls his growing collection of occult and mystic lore. Rather than keep a physical library, though he does own a growing number of books on the subject, Stiles has painstakingly digitized an ever-increasing library of sources. Now, every time he gains new data, he scans it in and uploads it to the cloud, where The Codex is stored. This allows him to quickly search and reference his library of occult information, just by using a computer, or even via his phone.
INTELLIGENCE - Born with a naturally strong intellect, Stiles has a keen, observant mind that is naturally inclined to see connections between various pieces of information and to make particularly effective leaps in logic. While he is quite smart via traditional and academic measure, he is most inclined toward abductive reasoning: logical inference based on observation and theory.
PROTECTIVE GEAR: Enhanced - One of the many potions Stiles has worked up is a fabric treatment that gives clothing the ability to resist various sorts of damage. The clothing becomes resistant to most forms of damage, including elemental effects, electricity, extremes of temperature, blunt impacts, and damage such as stabbing, slashing, piercing (as in the case of claws, swords, or bullets) at the Enhanced level. This is not the same as having personal toughness of this level, but it does give him a good way to survive damage that would otherwise injure or cripple him. Usually, this clothing includes a basic hoodie, jeans, gloves, and shoes.
SUPPORT GEAR: Enhanced - Super Specs: Using a bit of enchantment, Stiles has ensorceled a pair of polarized sports goggles with simple Enhanced-level visual senses, including night vision and limited telescopic and microscopic properties. They also protect against visual overstimulation, such as sudden flashes.
Long-Range Mic: Stiles has a long-range directional microphone. Its high-gain antenna features a 100m range, granting him hearing at the Enhanced level, such as to allow him to eavesdrop on a conversation or to hear very quiet ambient sounds. It won't over-amplify normal or loud sounds, but loud noises will drown quieter sounds and render the mic ineffective.
Earplugs: These ear plugs are enchanted to only dampen sound that would otherwise overwhelm the senses, up to Enhanced level, while doing nothing to muffle normal sounds. Unfortunately, using them does tend to dampen Enhanced hearing down to Basic levels.
Hermetic Sneakers: This pair of athletic shoes has been treated with the same protective spray as his other clothing, but it also carries a pair of other enchantments. The first of these is a "springheel jackboot" effect, allowing him to bounce and jump with impressive skill, though not quite so well as a werewolf. The second is a variation on the "seven league boots" effect, allowing him to use the "heely" wheels in the shoes to move at up to Basic speeds on appropriately smooths surfaces, though he has to be careful since they do not grant him any kind of enhanced reflexes.
Rain Coat: It's not a cape! This classic yellow rain slicker has been treated with the same protective spray as his other clothing, but it also carries a secondary enchantment. Not only does it grant him an extra layer of padding and protection, but it has a mild version of a "feather fall" effect, allowing him to glide gently to the ground from high places while wearing it. Plus, it keeps the rain off.
Ski Mask: Stiles also frequently carries a full ski mask that covers all of his head except his eyes. It's coated with the same potions as his other protective clothing, though it also allows him to filter out gas or toxins at the Enhanced level. It also functions as a rebreather, granting him an air supply of up to fifteen minutes when oxygen is scarce.
TECHNOLOGY - From a few wireless cameras, an Apple Watch style wrist computer, a couple of drones, and an impressive home computer setup, a laptop, and a couple of tablets, Stiles has (mostly thanks to financial support from Derek Hale) assembled a collection of reasonably common, legally available, non-lethal technology, which he often carries or utilizes along with his other gear.
THE JEEP - Stiles owns a blue and black 1980 Jeep CJ-5, a solid old beast that seems to always take a pounding and yet keeps chugging along. As Stiles is not particularly trained as a mechanic, he has largely figured out how to take care of the car on his own--which means that parts of the engine are literally held together by duct tape. But, as he tells himself, even the Millennium Falcon looked like a piece of junk. She'll hold together.
UTILITY BELT - Well, what else was he going to call it? The utility belt is just what it sounds like. It's a sturdy belt with multiple clips and pouches, able to carry most of his other equipment. It has also been treated with the same potion as his protective clothing, making it just as resistant to damage.
Pellets: These small pellets, designed to rupture upon a sharp impact, are generally kept safely within protected pouches on the utility belt. These can carry all the same sorts of potions as the spray bottles, though they are more likely to contain compounds such as scent-dampening agents (Enhanced), smoke screens (Enhanced), a mountain ash variant of tear gas (Basic), fire-suppression foam (Basic), flash-bangs (Basic), small explosives (Basic), or similar.
Spray Potions: Stiles may carry a variety of small spray potions, with effects ranging from simple sedatives, adhesives, or compounds designed to reveal infrared beams, to the more complex. Such advanced potions must be prepared especially in advance, allowing for effects such as revealing trace residue of a passing creature, neutralizing the presence of substances such as wolfsbane or mountain ash, or serving as the antidotes to various toxins.
Tracers: By spraying, dusting, or splashing a target with one of these specially brewed potions, Stiles can use an enchanted compass to track the target. This allows active tracking at a distance of up to ten miles, though a general location can be determined via a scrying spell at greater distances. The compound does not easily wash off, but determined scrubbing, running an object through the laundry, or various cleansing rituals may suffice. The signal can be blocked via standard mystic wards or similar means.
Investigation Kit: This is just a collection of bags, vials, tweezers, and other basic tools for gathering specimens or evidence. There's even equipment for taking fingerprints and other basic forensic information, just in case that ever becomes important.. and possibly because Stiles has read too many comics and detective stories.
Miscellaneous: Stiles often carries a small first aid kit, equipped with the means to treat a wolfsbane-infused injury and various simple healing salves and potions; a small kit with a multi-tool, wire cutters and strippers, lock picks, screwdrivers, wrench tips, chisels, and similar small tools; and two pairs of handcuffs that have been imbued with the essence of mountain ash.
WEAPONS: Enhanced - Power Bat: This is a steel baseball bat. Stiles has carefully enchanted it to not only make it more durable, up to Enhanced+ level, but also to enhance its kinetic impact, allowing it to hit with Enhanced-level blunt impacts.
Caltrops: These are weighted clusters of spikes, designed to pop tires or stick through the soles of shoes, doing Basic-level damage. They are often treated with some simple alchemical compound, whether it be mountain ash or something a bit more exotic. For anything beyond simple, basic potions (as detailed elsewhere in his advantages) he must specially prepare it in advance (and it may require special permission from staff, depending on what it is).
WEAKNESSES
ADHD - Stiles suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, frequently needing to take Adderall to help him focus. This has led to Stiles somewhat under-performing in school despite his natural intelligence, and it also seems linked to the anxiety issues and panic attacks he has periodically suffered ever since the death of his mother, when he was younger.
AWKWARD - While Stiles is a geek, fond of comic books and assorted movies across various fandoms, and he can be a bit of a nerd at times when he finds a subject he really cares about, he is also what one might term a bit of a dork: partly due to his ADHD and other issues, and partly due to being a bit of a mischievous clown at heart, Stiles just tends to be socially awkward a lot of the time. Oddly, he seems almost more at home in the world of supernatural weirdness and bizarre mysteries to solve.
LOYALTY - Stiles is fiercely loyal to his friends and family, and he would do anything--including quite readily putting himself in danger--to protect them. This frequently manifests with him trying to protect his father, a grown man and capable law enforcement officer, from danger and unhappiness. While it may not always show, Stiles is fundamentally very self-sacrificing for those he loves.
