( PLAYER ★ INFORMATION )

NAME: Arc
AGE: 26
CONTACT: silverchaos @ plurk; tachiharae @ gmail; seiryuu @ dw; PM any journals
CURRENT CHARACTERS & LATEST AC: N/A

RESERVATION LINK; table for one, please

( CHARACTER ★ INFORMATION )

DOES THIS CHARACTER MEET SKELETAL BASICS?
NAME & AGE: Jackson Whittemore, ~16
CANON & CANON POINT: Teen Wolf, during the timeskip between 2x12 and 3x01.
CANON INFORMATION: This should be a sufficient summary of the character as he relates to the world around him. I'd be happy to provide more information if necessary, aside from the quick summary below.

The long and short of it is: Jackson is a top-tier high school athlete who, suspicious of TW's main character's newfound amazing talent, discovers the world of the supernatural and decides the only solution is to become a werewolf too. It backfires completely. He temporarily becomes a mind-controlled, murderous, shapeshifting lizard-beast, but somehow survives long enough to somewhat redeem himself/get set on a more positive narrative path, after which the show drops the ball and he's never seen again.

PERSONALITY:

When we first meet Jackson, he is the living embodiment of a stereotype many people love to hate: the asshole jock, watching everyone else smugly from the top of the high school food chain.

He's cocky, aggressive, overtly masculine, lords his privilege over others, and is quick to anger. When asked about Jackson's attitude on a scale of 1 to 10 (where 10 is murder), the answer from his best friend is that (towards him, on a good day) he averages a 4. For the record, Danny is probably his only real friend: the only one who can talk back to him and tell him he's not taking any of his shit.

Otherwise, Jackson lives in a self-obsessed bubble, generally refusing to take action to help others unless directly confronted. Passing by a homeless man on his way into school, he offers some spare change and advice -- "Here's a dollar, go die in another parking lot" -- before calling security.

He knows a neighbor and classmate's father is physically abusive and says nothing about it until directly questioned by the police. It's been going on for years, and the only thing he'd done until that point was call them "freaks" as he overheard the domestic disturbance. (Meanwhile, he's taking out the trash: an entire bag full of tissues with the black blood/goop his own body has been leaking from its rejection of a werewolf bite. He clearly thinks nothing of the hypocrisy.)

When he's called out about his lack of empathy by the sheriff, he does seem phased for a moment - but only a moment.

This is probably because he really can't handle his own faults. When the main gang kidnaps him and he overhears them say that he's all alone and brought all of this misfortune on himself, he doesn't re-examine his life and his choices, but opts to file a restraining order instead. Anger, violence and superior posturing are the only ways he knows to deal with those pesky things called emotions.

Generally, people aren't on Jackson's radar unless he perceives them as a threat... and boy, does Scott fit that description. Jackson's not being a whiny little kid who never learned to share -- he sees our main character's promotion to co-captain as his own demotion. In his mind, it's an admission, plain as day, that he isn't fit to be #1 anymore.

On the surface it appears he simply can't stand the competition. And he is ruthless about it. Emotional manipulation and blackmail are his go-to plans. He gets close to Allison, Scott's girlfriend who is so conveniently from a family of werewolf-hunters, with the intent to either seduce her away or turn her against him.

He even dumps his queen-bee girlfriend Lydia, calling her "the deadest" of the dead weight in his life and shows no visible signs of guilt. He'll do literally anything to have an advantage or come out on top. (This isn't to say he's always good at it. He's very often successfully threatened into submission by others' displays of violence: acquiescing to protect Allison during the formal when Scott pulls out the werewolf claws, answering questions from hunters pointing guns in his face...)

Because Jackson Whittemore is as insecure as anyone else, hell if he'll ever admit it. The Whittemores canonically speculate that he's hardest on himself, and all of his unrealistic expectations stem from the need to please the parents he'll never be able to meet. What isn't up for debate in this somewhat-questionable/oddly-biased-against-adoption scenario is how touchy the subject of birthright and family are for Jackson.

Identity crisis is so very central to his character, as his hallucination of faceless birth parents (and in turn, himself without a face) in 2x09 proves. What if the guy he would have been is too incongruous with the self that he's built up? It's a lot for a kid to wonder, and also no wonder it upsets him to the degree it does.

Interacting with Matt, who ultimately is revealed to be the kanima's master, continually serves to highlight how he sees his "bought" position, the title and respect he has to keep earning. Jackson wants to borrow his camera to record the moment of his transformation, hyping it up as a great historical moment in his life, but looks directly threatened when asked if he, not his parents, have the money. He's on the defensive against Matt every time after that, trying to get the upper hand by mocking his potential crush on Allison, being short with him, and not giving a single damn about throwing the camera across the room when it reveals...

"Nothing. Nothing happened."

He is livid at the slight against him by the universe, wildly accusing Lydia of passing on immunity, desperate enough for answers that he asks Danny to check the footage again to see if it had been tampered with. After all his hard work manipulating others and getting thrown in harm's way, doesn't he deserve something?

That isn't quite fair to say. It's not that Jackson isn't willing to actually work hard. His parents and teachers all say that he pushes himself, and probably harder than he should. The problem is, while he's top dog around your average high schooler, humans are at the bottom of the supernatural food chain. We see more than once that he returns to school after hours (late night, in the dark) to practice lacrosse or lift weights, as if somehow he could possibly overcome the limits of being ordinary. He's holding himself up to a standard he can never achieve on his own and still finds himself inadequate. And it pisses him off.

Quid pro quo is his status quo. While he helps get Lydia to a hospital after she's bitten, he also believes her expression of gratitude to be a ploy to get back together with him.

He really, truly believes he deserves what he wants, no matter the cost. Ultimately, this changes! It's an uphill struggle, sure, but It Gets Better.

By being willing to die to avoid hurting anyone else (a quick scene, a nod of acceptance as he's being taken down with a final blow), and by realizing that he was actually loved, his little lizard heart shrinks five sizes that day, causing him to resurrect into the werewolf he should have been. It reflects an acceptance of himself and a more solid sense of identity, something which he'd clearly lacked and that had motivated his selfish actions in the past.

While we may never get another glimpse of his character on screen, what will always remain true is this: Jackson is infinitely more complex than he appears on the surface. And he is easily manipulated into watching The Notebook.

COURT ALLIANCE & REASONING: Unseelie. "Glamour is free" would really resonate with the character who is all about acquiring power for his own gain, to be used selfishly and for petty reasons. (He initially wants to become a werewolf because Scott "cheated" to get better at lacrosse by getting bitten, and if that's not the most petty reason in the world, I don't know what is.)

While becoming a werewolf as his endgame signals that he's beginning to find an identity cemented in love, that doesn't change his fundamental personality. "Love conquers all" may be a vote for Seelie, but he doesn't realize that until it's almost too late. He's combative. He doesn't want to accept being part of Derek's pack at the beginning of the season and there's no guarantee he'd be gung-ho about anything other than continuing to find himself. He won't change overnight.

"Never forgive a debt" is something that Jackson outright twists to his own needs, leveraging that he helped kill Peter as a reason Derek ought to give him the bite. He believes he deserves things, because he works hard for what he wants, even if he's done it underhandedly. It's a lot closer to "Honor is a lie."

~~Ending up Seelie would hardly be a worst-case scenario, though! Please feel free to sort him there if you prefer.~~

ABILITIES: Jackson is, up until season two, a normal human with a good deal of intelligence, athleticism and charisma, but he is still just a squishy bag of meat just like anyone else. He is overconfident even in the face of certain danger -- cocky to a fault, believing himself infallible, too obsessive to achieve his goals to accept his own weaknesses and limitations. (This leads to several awkward moments of finding himself in way, way over his head.) Because he does find fault in himself, he is driven and desperate, an overachiever of the highest caliber.

As a werewolf, his abilities are canonically outlined, but their specific parameters are somewhat speculative. Canon throws him on a plane between seasons two and three, with only a throwaway remark about how he's able to control himself on full moons to make the audience feel like something happened during the IC timeskip.

- In terms of pack hierarchy, an Omega is a wolf without a pack. Without an Alpha around, he's got no supernatural "boss", nobody to be drawn to, although he should theoretically have a connection to Derek (the one who bit him). If he joins a pack -- as defined by "close group of friends", including both humans and other supernatural creatures -- he'd be considered a Beta.

- As an Omega or Beta, he does not have the ability to turn anyone with a bite; without any Alphas from his canon, there is no way for him to become one and thus gain the ability.

- He should have the "average" amount of enhanced strength, speed, and healing. He's already athletic, so he should have no problems harnessing and honing the his power to its upper limit. He will not heal as quickly if given a wound by an Alpha or, presumably by extension, a cross-canon character with an equivalent level of supernatural power. (...So basically anybody.)

- With enhanced senses brings the ability to hear a person's heartbeat and use it as a lie detector, and to sniff out pheromones, illness, and a variety of emotions. This comes naturally, although it can be honed to be used more effectively.

- There's also the unusual ability to remove pain from others by taking it into oneself. One can't be entirely sure he's learned how, but he can certainly be taught.

- Like all werewolves, he has the ability to transfer memories by digging his claws into the intended recipient. Memory transfers have happened by accident, but it usually requires a lack of self control, as demonstrated with Derek in season one (which implies that it's possible for a Beta/potentially for an Omega).

- While susceptible to turning on the full moon (a half-human, half-beast sort of form), focusing on an "anchor" will keep him grounded and sane: it's implied that his feelings for Lydia will be his anchor, considering how love essentially revived him. Whether he's able to recognize this in time is, of course, up in the air. (Season 3 blows off how he learned self-control by simply stating that he had.)

- He is weak to wolfsbane. If it enters his bloodstream, the death clock will start ticking. (Oddly enough, the cure seems to be the hair of the dog that bit him: wolfsbane that came from the same stock, judging from Derek's wolfsbane poisoning in "Magic Bullet."

- He is also weak to mountain ash. It causes a "you shall not pass" effect, acting as a barrier for reasons that haven't been explained. Because it is literally werewolf repellent, it is even worse than wolfsbane if ingested. It causes a gross perpetual injuring/healing effect and nobody wants to go there. Ever.

- Electricity is also bad news.

INVENTORY:
One modern-day earth outfit (fashionable down to the very socks), one cell phone, car keys.

( WRITING ★ SAMPLES )

NETWORK SAMPLE: TDM thread, locket version!
LOG SAMPLE:

The first thing Jackson does is head to the Bailey to go for a run and clear his head. The second thing he does is fall to his knees, choking on the scent of its poisonous plants. It's too much too quickly; his body is still easily overwhelmed by the drawbacks of his newfound powers.

Caer Scima provides Jackson him ample fuel for his nightmares. So long as he presents his bold, angry exterior, the things that creep around in the dark leave him alone. Should he slip up and look the wrong way, the shadows of the past month weigh heavy on his mind and his heart. It feels like penance for all he did as the kanima, eager as he is (and as others might be) to say none of that was his fault.

He could have fought harder. He could have resisted more. Instead, he'd become nothing more than a tool -- and damned if he'd become one again.

Slumped against a willow tree, he turns the locket over and over in his hands. He won't stoop to begging for help. He can beat this on his own. He has power now, he reminds himself. His jaw clenches. There's a gleam in his eyes that any Unseelie would recognize as the lust to become something greater.

Now begins the new chapter of his life; now begins the real moment for this history books. Now, the new Jackson Whittemore will take the stage, reclaim his pride, and get the hell back home.