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English
Series:
Part 6 of Season One Alternates
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Favorites of Esther
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Published:
2013-09-23
Words:
735
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1/1
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34
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1,416
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I'm Only Getting Started (I'm Not Okay)

Summary:

“Don’t you understand, yet?” Peter says. “I’m not the bad guy here.”

Notes:

I wrote a thing. I WROTE A THING. After getting sucked into Tumblr for quite a bit, I finally sat down and wrote something.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

“So you’re not gonna kill me?” If Stiles were a normal teenager, he would regret the question the second it escapes his mouth. Of all the stupid things he could have done, drawing the attention of a psychopath that is about to leave Stiles alone and alive surely ranks pretty high on the ‘idiot’ listing. The thing is, Stiles is not a normal teenager, and so he does not regret the question. He wants Peter’s attention.

Peter freezes for a brief moment before turning around, face twisted in something resembling pained exasperation. Stiles is familiar with that expression – his dad wears it more often than not – but he is not fooled by it. Peter’s eyes give him away. Peter’s stare is too curious, too intent, and too monstrously gleeful for Stiles to believe in any way that this is not in some way pre-scripted, that Peter thinks he understands him to such a degree that nothing Stiles does or says will be a surprise.

“Don’t you understand, yet?” Peter says. “I’m not the bad guy here.”

Stiles raises an eyebrow, thinks about giving the obvious answer - giant monsters with red eyes and fangs are always the bad guys – and decides against it. See, the thing about Stiles is he is smart, too. He is in no way oblivious; he keeps his eyes and ears open, and he is an old hand at thinking outside the box. He does his research, covers his bases, and figures things out.

He thinks.

A lot.

Peter, Stiles is coming to understand, is something of a tactical genius, someone who did not like to play chess because there is no challenge in it, not like there is when one plays with people. Unlike chess pieces, people are not bound to rules of movement or rationality. People are fluid, changeable, and often insane or emotionally driven. Playing with people, Stiles privately thought, is often like playing chess with a board full of Queens. And Peter has had a lot of practice playing this game, and he is clearly playing the long-term game right now. The short-term goal is vengeance, but after? What comes after? Stiles thinks he knows. After all, Peter and Stiles are not at all that different from each other, even if Peter is not quite aware of that just yet.

Revenge is not going to be enough; it will never be enough. Peter is not going to stop killing once Kate bites the big one. That vendetta will spread first to Chris and Victoria and Allison, and then to any other who dares bear the name Argent. From there…? Well. There is a whole world full of people who are alive and well and happy while Peter’s family is naught but ash and remembered screams. Peter needs a pack, because he is right in that a pack will make him stronger, more capable of dealing with threats as they come. He also needs a pack to help rebuild, because there is no greater revenge than living and living well. More importantly, if Stiles remembers his lore right, Peter will need a mate, an equal to act as both anchor and foil, someone equal but opposite. 

And thus, here they are, and here Peter is. Stiles can see the way this will play out if he cooperates with Peter’s machinations: some banter, a bit of seduction, followed by an offer made all the more tempting for everything Peter will not say. It is an intricate game Peter is playing, but….

Stiles would be more impressed if it were not for the fact that the person Peter is trying to play technically does not exist. ‘Stiles’ is nothing more than a reflection, a misdirection to keep others from understanding just how broken he really is inside. So instead of giving Peter the obvious answer, the answer a self-absorbed teenager would give, he does the opposite. He drops all his masks and pretenses, sheds his false skin, and peels off Stiles.

Peter cocks his head, face so exquisitely blank, but his eyes …his eyes are burning alpha-red. Peter is smart. Peter is observant. Peter is more than capable of adapting to new challenges as they arise. That is part of being able to play the game; only rank amateurs are incapable of rolling with things. And Peter is no amateur.

Peter smiles, slow and mischievous.

Genim smiles in return. “Aren't you?”

Notes:

Alright, a bit about the differences and similarities between psychopaths and sociopaths, and what it means for our boys in this verse.

Psychopathy and sociopathy are both anti-social personality disorders, and without treatment, they both result in extremely violent acts. Though psychiatrists often consider and treat sociopaths and psychopaths as the same, criminologists treat them as different because of the difference in their outward behavior. While both these disorders are the result of an interaction between genetic predispositions and environmental factors, psychopathy leans towards the hereditary whereas sociopathy tends towards the environmental.

Psychopaths are highly predisposed towards violence, while in Sociopaths, the predisposition is highly varied and depends on the individual and the circumstances. Psychopaths tend to be more impulsive, whereas - again, Sociopaths are varied. Psychopaths are more erratic in their behaviors - prone to mood swings and dangerous tantrums - whereas Sociopaths are more controlled.

Socially, Psychopaths often live at the fringes of society. They often tend to be extremely disorganized and are unable to maintain normal relationships with family, friends or co-workers. Unlike Psychopaths, Sociopaths can be almost obsessively organized and are normal in their social relationships, often forming symbiotic or parasitic relations. A Sociopath would likely live an outwardly normal life and appear to blend in well with society; they may even be charming.

Psychopaths often find it hard to maintain a steady job and home, whereas Sociopaths often have successful careers and try and try to make others like and trust them. This is because they understand human social emotions quite well but are unable to experience them to the extent that others do. This allows them to be master manipulators of human emotions.

On the criminality side, Psychopaths are more likely to leave behind clues and a followable trail. They are also more likely to impulsively decide to kill someone, and take many risks that stand to get them caught. A Psychopath usually has a history of violent outbursts. Sociopaths are usually as controlled in their crimes as they are in their other behaviors. They plan, they take their time, they stack the odds in their favor and ensure that they have done everything in their power to prevent getting caught. Most people have no clue another person is a Sociopath until they're caught. Sociopaths have no conscience, and will twist anything they can to get what they want, and they often to use the legal system to do it.

That being said, I definitely believe that Stiles Stilinski is - canonically - a budding Sociopath. Aside from the mannerisms which can be largely attributed to his ADHD - twitchiness, hyperactivity, hyper focus or lack of focus, etc. - if you pay close attention, the things he does and the way he does them are not the actions of a well-adjusted mind, and fit the definition of sociopathic behavior almost to a t.

Peter, on the other hand, while displaying some characteristics of sociopathy - mostly in the direction of his higher-than-average intelligence and clear ability to charm - is a little too erratic and prone to violence in season 1 to be anything other than a psychopath. His various murders are gruesome but sloppy, leaving a trail that even the Sheriff - who knows nothing about werewolves or hunters - can follow with ease. His only saving grace is that he is supposed to be in a coma, so no one suspects him.

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