i would love to hear about origins 👀👀
I don't think it needs a cut, but there is some frank discussion of abortion and suicide ahead if those are not your thing.
Origins is my Teen Wolf fic that focuses on the mothers of Beacon Hills. I explore Corrinne, Talia, Mrs. Finch, Melissa, Claudia, Victoria, Noshiko and Natalie and attempt to wrestle with their thoughts and feelings related to their children.
Corrinne's is one of my favorites because I've always just wondered what would have been the catalyst for Talia taking Corrinne and Peter's memories of Malia away. And Malia being an unwanted pregnancy and Corrinne wanting, but being unable to safely have an abortion due to the whole super healing thing, made a lot of sense. While Corrinne is a villain, that doesn't mean she shouldn't get the benefit of nuance, and I also feel like the main thing the show villainizes her for is not wanting a child (losing her power to Malia). Let her be a villain for other reasons (the conflict with Braeden, tell me more about this show), but not because she didn't want a child.
Talia's is devastating, of course. And I waffled about her section before finally deciding on the fire as the most emotionally impactful. The idea of her considering her death worth it so long as her children live on hurts, but fits.
Mrs. Finch is another fascinating character. Like, I'm sure that the her being an alpha in 6b thing was a retcon. BUT it's so much more fun to think of ways and whys. And her killing another alpha to protect Quinn? Loved that, and to me, the violence of that situation could help explain why she isn't like an alpha of a pack. She has the power but doesn't want it, yknow? And knowing what happens to Quinn just makes that section doubly painful. And ofc I had to sneak in my Mrs. Finch and Scott agenda. Forever fascinated by their relationship. Also, it is SO rude that the show never gave her a first name.
Then we have Claudia. And I really want to capture the utterly devastating way she must have viewed the son she thought was possessed as a symptom of her illness. And the thoughts about Noah believing her was a little nod to that line Stiles uses. Next is Melissa. I could write 10,000 words on Melissa and Scott. Melissa, a single mother who was in an abusive relationship, watched alcohol transform her husband into someone recognizable, and now the supernatural is doing the same thing to her son? She's alone and scared and has no idea what to do and I wanted to convey that while hinting at a chance for something better between them.
And then Victoria. Who is also a villain. But also still deserving of nuance. And my heart LITERALLY breaks every time Victoria is trying to say goodbye and Allison just wants to have some semblance of a normal life. It's a brutal moment and it was interesting to explore it from Victoria's point of view. Victoria knows she's about to kill herself, but still wants what's best for her daughter.
Noshiko is also so interesting. First of all, I definitely head canon that Kira is her only child. And she's so fiercely protective and proud of her. I really wish we'd gotten more of Kira and Noshiko in s6- that's an entire rant ofc, but what do see is so fun. This is a very small scene but I felt like it just really got across what I wanted. And then Natalie. Natalie is scared, confused, watched her mother-in-law "commit suicide" in Eichen and is now watching her daughter fall into the same trap. She's been watching Lydia have these visions, have these nightmares. I also really enjoy thinking about Lydia having her banshee powers as a kid, but learning to suppress them until Peter makes it impossible, and wanted to explore that, too.
It was fun to spend a lot of time thinking about these women and how their lives interwined with their children, and I thought the fic turned out great and really does showcase the above potentially excessive amount of thought that went into it! Thank you for asking!
