#packsbeforesnacks

[walker-journal]

Dutiful Sons (Adam +Winn)

Summary: After Winn confesses his past murders, Adam feels that the Code allows him only one option. 

Location: Main Street Arena

Content Warning: Gun Use 

Adam had first learned the proper preparation of silver bullets from his mother Leah. Due to its lower density, silver munitions have less overall power than the simpler lead bullet. Likewise silver’s hardness makes it far more resistant to the rifling within a gun barrel, resulting in bullets that are slower and less accurate then standard. This combined with the price of silver and the intense heat required to melt them down for molding made silver bullets a bitch and a half to utilize efficiently without proper training.

Of course, those silver bullets hadn’t been meant for Werewolves. Leah had shown her children how to weaponize silver in order to combat the neverending threat of ghouls and alghouls in the Negev desert. When taking up firing positions with his siblings at chokepoints in lonely wasteland canyons, Adam couldn’t have ever imagined that one day he’d be gunning down friends instead of rabid corpse eaters.

It might seem weird to think holding a position against ravenous packs of alghouls as ‘blissful’, but at least then Adam’s perception of the world was crystal clear.

Perhaps going through garage sales and thrifts stores to pick up cheap silver heirlooms to melt down for bullets was emblematic of what it meant to be a Hunter. Just more sacrifices in a war without end.

So there Adam was, crouched with a rifle just outside a blindspot in the Main Street Arena’s security cameras, prepared to destroy another beautiful thing for the long war.

--

When Adrien Harlow had asked Winn for extra practice, Winn had been… hesitant. It wasn’t only the full moon energizing his blood, makin’ him more aggressive than usual, wakin’ him up from the cobwebs and sleep of the past month. No, Winn knew that there was a target on his back, and the idea of puttin’ anyone else at risk for his past… It made him sick to his stomach. But Adam wouldn’t… Winn knew that Adam wouldn’t even think about hurtin’ a human, not for one werewolf.

Not for one friend.

If Winn could just talk to Adam, he could fix things. Adam wasn’t a bad man. Winn wasn’t a bad werewolf. There were shades of gray and, as much as Winn didn’t regret the decisions he had made, not anymore, he knew he wouldn’t make those decisions again. There was a long chain, and it connected Adam and Winn to death. But it didn’t have to. All they had to do was try.

But what if Adam didn’t want to talk? Winn’d turned the problem over in his head. There was running. Winn could do it. It was like breathin’ — so damn easy, so instinctual, that Winn had almost packed a bag. But he’d made promises, and he intended to keep them. No more running. Not from his past, not from himself.

Winn hadn’t been able to tell Noah. There was so much unsaid between them, that it had been easier to say nothin’ at all. His mouth could be put to better uses. He’d woken up, after, to the nearly full moon casting shadow over Noah’s sleeping form. And he’d thought, This is it. This is where I’m supposed to be. There were other things he hadn’t been able to tell Noah. Feelings that scared him with their intensity, feelings that it felt wrong, somehow, to say in the heat of the moment, or even in the afterglow. But there was no question for him now.

The air was cooling, the wind was changing. Winn could change with it. He would change with it. There were people here now, for him. Friends, family, pack. He had so much left to do.

“Hey, baby,” Winn said into his phone, locking up the Arena behind him. He’d sent Adrien on ahead, wanting him to get home before the sun was down. White Crest wasn’t safe. Noah’s phone had gone to voicemail. “Figure you’re sleepin’ off the moon, but I’m gonna hit my dad’s real quick to grab Denny and then head over to you and Kea. If you wake up, text me what you want to eat. Otherwise, you’re gettin’ pizza again. ‘S like a hangover: Carbs’ll make you feel better.” He laughed, gentle, and then, before he could stop it: “I love you.” A pause, a cough. “See you soon.”

If he could get home quickly enough, he could make sure the first time Noah heard him say that wasn’t over voicemail.

--

When in kneeling position with a rifle, you’ll often notice that the scope’s reticle bounces with your heartbeat. Controlling breathing was a critical part of marksmanship, but you also want to fire between heartbeats, specifically the downbeat of the heart when you’ll be most accurate. Adam had been trained by sheer repetition of the years to screen out both fear and eagerness while aiming. He’d been taught a mantra that personal feelings had no place in a Hunter’s duty.

Hatred, revenge, and cruel sport were all impure emotions that tainted a Hunter’s purpose. There was only a duty to protect humanity by whatever means necessary, the act of taking life just one more mission to fulfill.

But even though he’d confirmed that Winn Woods was a threat to humanity, with a confession no less, Adam’s heart was racing. There should be no feeling or uncertainty now. The Code and Adam’s duty were clear beyond the faintest shadow of a doubt. This wasn’t about what Adam wanted anymore. It was out of his hands now.

But the scope’s reticle was bouncing across Winn’s distant face anyway, as if to mock the dissonance of Adam’s body, heart, and mind. If he was so sure, why was he shaking? Why was his heart beating so fast? Why did some part of Adam still wish that Winn hadn’t confessed to him, allowing him some excuse of plausible deniability?

It would be so easy just to walk away. Who would know? Why uphold a Code he’d already broken? Why kill and die for those who’d never forgive Adam if they knew the truth?

Adam’s finger eased off the trigger for a moment as the urge to walk away from everything caused his eyes to grow hot and wet. Winn’s face blurred in the scope.

But this wasn’t about what Adam wanted.

Adam blinked the tears away, there was a silence between heartbeats, and a shot rang out.

[noah-kalani]

packsbeforesnacks replied to your post “[pm] Hey.”

[pm] So, should we talk about... I mean, um. How are you?

[pm] Oh uh yea. I mean. ..... dear lord why are we so awkward? lol

I’m good, just chilling and stuff. How are you?

[laylacooke]

Phone Call || Layla & ???

TIMING: The morning of May 29th at Ulf’s trailer after this text is sent to Winn. PARTIES: @laylacooke & ??? SUMMARY: Layla gets a strange phone call from a very unexpected person. SOUNDTRACK: [x]

The phone call comes in after Layla’s most recent text. It is from Winn’s old number.

Not expecting to hear Winn’s ringtone, Layla jumped slightly. However, realizing that it wouldn’t last forever, she snatched up the phone, sitting nearby, and answered it.

Layla: H-Hello… Winn… 

???: [a woman’s voice, a subtle accent, a voice like honey, the shuffling of papers, the woman seems a little distracted] Hello… Layla, is it? D’you have a last name, Layla, or am I supposed to believe it’s some combination of “guitar,” “wolf,” and “heart?”

Layla: [what she heard in return was not Winn.] Uh, you’re not Winn, but yeah...Yes. Yes, Ma’am. Cooke. Layla Cooke. [a small smile slipped over her face when she heard the woman read the emojis from how Winn had saved her name in his phone.]

???: [the closing of a book is heard in the background, a sigh] Okay. Layla Cooke. You sound young, darlin’. How do you know… [a pause, longer than, perhaps, is necessary] Mr. Woods.

Layla: [her face fell at the response. was she in trouble? was Winn in trouble? had Ariana gotten a phone call too?] Yes, ma’am, I’ll be nineteen next month. [this woman was intimidating, even over the phone.] H-He was teaching me how to play the guitar, and helping me learn how to cope with some things that have happened in my life… Is he okay?

???: [a cough… or is it a scoff?] So young. You really shouldn’t be hangin’ around older men, Layla Cooke. What would your parents say? [typing] Your area code… 615. That’s… Nashville, correct? 

Layla: [if this woman could have seen Layla’s face right now, she’d get the perfect image of a scolded puppy.] I didn’t know Winn was that much older? [at the mention of Layla’s parents, she felt her breath hitch in her throat. and when she mentioned Nashville, tears began to form in her eyes. getting up from the couch, Layla went outside for more privacy in case anyone were to come home.] Can I ask why you’re calling, ma’am? I don’t want any trouble; I’m just concerned about Winn.

???: [icily] It seems as though you don’t know him very well at all, darlin’, if you don’t even know his age. Winn Woods, born Winn Zhou in Arlington Pediatric Center. He just turned 27 years old, in March. And I’m concerned as well, Layla Cooke. [smoothly, but dispassionately and briskly, she doesn’t have the time to linger, her interest in Layla is waning and it’s clear in her voice] He was here, I’m told, just a few days ago. But he seems to have run off, again. He took someo— [a cough, a correction] Sorry, darlin’, it’s this all darn pollen. He took something very important from me.

Layla: [how had the young wolf gotten caught up in all these shenanigans, and why did this woman, who knew so much about him—] Wait are you… are you Winn’s mother? [her face shifted into confusion.] Look, I don’t know where he is or where he’s going. I just want him to come back. But if you think I can help find him somehow, and the thing you’re looking for, then tell me what to do, and I’ll do it. [she wasn’t entirely sure how she could help, but she was willing to put her best paw forward, even if that meant some not so fun situations… yet again.]

???: [silence, for a moment, then] You’re a smart girl, Layla Cooke. Smarter than my son deserves to surround himself with. [more typing, kindness seeping back into the woman’s voice] My name is Elaine. Can you keep a secret, Layla?

Layla: [she could hear the woman’s demeanor change, and while she was still a little freaked out, it seemed to ease her tension some, especially since the idea of her parents had gone back out of the picture.] It’s nice to meet you, Elaine. [or was it?] Yes, ma’am. [oh lawd. what kinda secret was coming?]

Elaine: All you have to do, Layla, is not mention this conversation to my son. I would hate to cause him any unnecessary worry, and I’m sure he didn’t mean to take what he did. It was probably… [another pause] an accident. [laughter, colorful and kind] He always was a bit scatter-brained, even when he was on my knee. Bless his heart.

Layla: [okay, this lady didn’t seem so bad.] I can do that. I don’t want to cause any problems for anybody. I feel like I already do that enough… [she probably shouldn’t have said that last part.] Wait, so does that mean he’s coming back home then? That he didn’t leave for good? [this might have been the best phone call she had received, if it meant what she thought it had meant. she waited for an answer.]

Elaine: Oh, I would assume so. But… best to keep that to yourself, Layla. Wouldn’t want to disappoint anybody, just in case, and, besides… How would you know? [you can almost hear the wink through the phone] Oh, one more thing, darlin’. [a pause, then, kindly] I’ll call you soon. To check up. It sounds like… well, it sounds like you could use a mother’s advice. And I’d hate to see such a bright girl feel like she’s the one causin’ problems. I doubt that very much.

Layla: [he was coming home. Winn was coming home. her mood shifted and a smile came over her face.] Got it. I won’t say anything. [a cold chill ran over her spine when Elaine had mentioned being motherly. Layla’s experience with parental figures had never been good, but Elaine wasn’t her own mother, and the things that happened with her parents could never happen with someone she had only just met. at least that’s what she was telling herself to shake off the feeling she got.] Thanks. If you’re anything like Winn, I know you’ve probably got a good heart. [her smile saddened thinking about her own personal situation and how she had wished she had a good relationship with her own mother.]

Elaine: Thank you. Have a lovely day, Layla. [a smile through the phone, and then Elaine is gone]

Before Layla could say anything, the mysterious lady on the other side of the phone was gone. While her instincts continued to scream ‘you’re an idiot’, Layla was just happy to know that Winn was safe and would be coming home soon. However, she was still going to give him that swift punch in the face for breaking her heart. It was the least she could do to show she cared.

[3starsquinn]

[pm] Had you ever met a werewolf, uh, before me? Like, had a conversation with one?

[pm] Ummm No? Besides that werewolf that my sister killed...

Wait.... actually - I mean, I guess yes? I think. Just randomly once right before my birthday a few years ago.

[kadavernagh]

[pm] Can I ask a medical question?

[pm] Yes. Did you murder agent Ster

[cryxmercy]

packsbeforesnacks replied to your post “[pm] Caaan we move that refresher lesson up? Seems I have a date with...”

[pm] We're— We were friends. I'm not killin' him, if I can help it. As soon as possible.

{pm} Damn. That’s rough. Alright. No killing. I’m free tomorrow night. 

@packsbeforesnacks

[theskyeandsea]

packsbeforesnacks replied to your post “[pm] So... Yeah. Werewolf. Awoo.”

[pm] Sorry for dipping. Didn’t know how you’d react. And, like, hockey.

[PM] It’s okay. I don’t mind. Hockey’s nice, I guess.

[big-bad-ulf]

[pm] So, I'm dyin'. Little bit. Probably can fix it. Might not be able to. Noah knows. I'm prolly gonna tell Miles. Haven't... totally decided on if I want to burden the girls + Luke with it.

[pm] Dying? If you’re that badly injured, you should make getting to a hospital a priority, not messaging me. 

[danetobelieve]

[pm] So... Do you, like... know? Like, know-know.

[pm] I don’t know what you’re talking about if that’s what you mean.

[walker-journal]

packsbeforesnacks [pm] Dad is drivin' me crazy, but what else is new? Were you alone on the Hunt? Must've been a big fucker to wind you.

[pm] 

How is your dad driving you crazy?

No, I’m usually with a squad out in the sticks. And kinna, just a routine giant spider hunt that went sideways. 

[noah-kalani]

The Moon and His Star || Noah Solo

Summary: Noah gets the News  Location: The Kalani Townhouse Content Warning: Death Mention, Grief

~~~~~

“When?' said the moon to the stars in the sky Soon' said the wind that followed them all

Who?' said the cloud that started to cry Me' said the rider as dry as a bone

How?' said the sun that melted the ground and 'Why?' said the river that refused to run

and 'Where?' said the thunder without a sound Here' said the rider and took up his gun

No' said the stars to the moon in the sky No' said the trees that started to moan No' said the dust that blunted its eyes Yes' said the rider as white as a bone No' said the moon that rose from his sleep No' said the cry of the dying sun

No' said the planet as it started to weep Yes' said the rider and laid down his gun”

Noah woke slowly from his nap that early evening, the buzzing of his phone finally jarring him awake. Blinking he grabbed for the device barely registering that the air around him was off in a stale way that was strange but also somehow familiar? Noah couldn’t put his finger on it.

In hindsight he should have known. He should have known that answering that unknown number was only going to wake him from this dream he was residing in and propel him straight into a nightmare. 

But now it didn’t matter. 

Because now there was only the before and the after that comes with death. There was now just the planning of yet another funeral he’d have to attend, for a person that meant more to him than anything else. 

But then again, maybe it was a godsend it was Noah. Someone who was so familiar with grief and all it had to offer, sitting there in it like it was like a second home. Someone who could weather this just like he had before 

But then again maybe he was just going to listen to that final voice mail over and over as he made plans he should have made a long time ago. Because now the possibilities were endless. There was only one thing that was finite.

[seizethecarpe]

packsbeforesnacks replied to your post “What's the best part about White Crest?”

Mmm, hard one to say, bro. But... [d: definitely not the weekly apocalypse] the people, I think.

Oh yeah? When people say that, it usually means one of two things. Either the people here are decent folk, or the people are so strange it’s entertainin’. 

@packsbeforesnacks

[3starsquinn]

What in gay hell?

Don’t be homophobic, Winn. That’s just a myth that my catholic parents told me growing up. 

Where the heck have you been??? Have you heard about the wedding?

[laylacooke]

Better Together || Winn & Layla

timing: tuesday (6/2) midday parties: @packsbeforesnacks & @laylacooke summary: winn and layla have a talk about why he disappeared.

The sun was hanging heavy in the sky and was getting close to dipping below the horizon, but Layla needed to see Winn. She needed to apologize, but she also needed him to know, in person, just how much he had hurt her. As she entered Tower Comics & Music, she made her way to the back of the store where music rooms were. Knocking softly, Layla opened the door finding the room empty. Taking her seat, guitar still back at the trailer, she waited patiently for Winn to finally show his face.

What Layla didn’t know, what may have helped during the previous week’s debacle, was that Winn had reserved their room on a semi-permanent basis. It helped that the room ran cold and Winn didn’t really mind the chill that other customers steered away from. The cashier gave him a short nod as he wandered in, and then nudged his head towards the back. Dang it, Winn had wanted to get here before Layla. He knocked on the door, a short rap, before opening it up and sitting in his usual seat. Winn noticed Layla hadn’t brought her guitar, but he’d been counting on that. No lessons until they cleared the air.

“So…” Winn started, “Has anyone given you the lowdown on how this was all a big misunderstandin’ yet?”

Hearing the door open, Layla looked up from where she sat. She had wondered if he would show up, so when he did, a surge of emotions washed over her. It was the first time she had seen him since he had up and disappeared. The urge to punch him was there, but she restrained herself, and instead let out a heavy sigh, “Uh, no, because I’m baby wolf. Baby wolf is usually the last to know things. But at least Blanche had the common courtesy to tell me you were back in town. Oh, and that you owe me dinner.” She crossed her arms, expression hard. She wanted an explanation. She was owed an explanation, and dammit she was going to get it.

“Uh, doy, I offered you dinner, so I’m gonna getcha dinner, Baby Wolf.” He rolled his eyes, jokingly. “And I’m sorry, I figured with everything goin’ on that night, especially since I asked who howled, that y’all would assume I was back in town. Given that everyone has told me to talk to them once I was ‘back,’ I’m gonna take it as a firm ‘Nah.’ I’m, uh…” Layla had probably heard by now, right? “I’m sorry, about Celeste. Don’t know how close y’all were, but that’s a tough break.” Winn crossed his legs under him, probably looking a bit goofy in the chair, but unable to sit still for the life of him. “So, it’s a stupid story. Really stupid. ‘Cause, I promise, it was just a misunderstandin’, on the whole. But I’ll start with this: I don’t break my promises, not if I can help it. I thought Blanche would remember, but I was always coming back. Always.” He paused, knowing what reaction that had provoked out of Noah, waiting for a swift punch to the face.

“It better be good.” That was more so under her breath and in a pouty tone than anything. Layla had also found the time to cross her arms, showing Winn she wasn’t in the mood for games. “I must have missed that part. It was a long night…” She looked away from him for a second; her eyes falling and her breath hitching. It still hurt thinking about Celeste. No, she hadn’t known her that long, but they had gotten close in a short amount of time. Clearing her throat and looking back up to Winn, she spoke, “Yeah, uh, thanks.” Pushing the grief out of her mind as best she could, the softness to her features turned hard again, “Really? Explain, you poor man’s version of Derek Hale.” The young wolf’s voice was cold as she waited for an explanation from him. While she wasn’t focused on punching him now, there was a strong possibility it would come later.

I could hear that, Winn thought. He kept his mouth shut, though. Layla deserved to be angry at him for what she thought had happened. “No problem. I understand that night must’ve sucked. We can… table it. Table that.” Layla didn’t look ready to talk about it, really, her features flickering to sad and soft for a moment before she turned her anger back to Winn. That cold voice reminded him a little of his mother, regrettably. “Well, I don’t have a clue who Derek Hale is, but I’m not a poor man’s version of anything, Baby Wolf.” He sighed, and then launched into an explanation. He hadn’t quite gotten the hang of reciting it, yet, but he was more animated in his portrayal to Layla. Winn really wanted it to come across that this was dumb, he thought it was dumb, and he was more than willing to win Layla’s trust back the old-fashioned way. “... And, well, that’s it. Uh, well, my explanation for leavin’ anyway. Some other stuff, but I figure it can wait, ‘cause we really haven’t known each other that long.” He grumbled, knowing that it had cheered Blanche up. “I used to be named Winthrop Linton Zhou, if you ever find reason to get mad at me again. You’re in a small pool of folks who get to use it. Guard it with your life.”

As he began to explain what had happened and the way that things went down, Layla’s hard glare started to soften. Even her arms, that were once tightly crossed over her chest, had loosened up a bit giving way to her showing him a little grace. “Why couldn’t you just tell me sooner? It’s not like we live in a time of letters and telegrams. Yes, I’ve seen Titanic. I know what a telegram is. And if you’re as rich as you say you are, which b.t dubs, didn’t cash that check yet, then why didn’t you just buy a new phone or use a payphone or hell, even borrow one?” She still couldn’t figure out why he had just disappeared, but then she stopped herself. She had done the exact same thing to Frankie. Ghosted her hardcore, only to reach out nearly a year later. By then, she looked defeated and ashamed of the way she had treated Winn. Not able to look him in the eyes, she apologized quietly, “I’m...uh...sorry for getting mad at you, when I pretty much did the same thing to Frankie and everyone back in Tennessee.” She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and slumped over. Not even hearing his full name could bring a smile out of her, but it was nice knowing he had offered it up for future use.

“Like I said,” Winn started, “I figured that Blanche would tell y’all where I was. I…” He sighed, leaning back in his chair in exactly the way all his teachers had advised him not to. “Last time my phone was seriously out of commission, only person I really had up here was B. I’m not… I’ve been alone, more or less, for the last five years. It’s takin’ some time for me to get… used to the idea that folks might be worried about me. I know that sounds stupid, but… I don’t know. Even before I knew y’all, when it was only B, maybe a couple others, I didn’t…” He wasn’t quite sure how to explain this in a way that didn’t make him seem like a massive asshole. “Sounds awful, but I was sure no one would miss me if I was gone. Not full It’s a Wonderful Life, I never should have been born, but, like, I think we — I — underestimate how important we are to other people. But we do what we think we have to do. You left Tennessee, I left Virginia, back when. Lucas jokes ‘bout wolves runnin’ away, but I get it. I don’t want other folks to get caught up in my bullshit. And when they do, I want to give them every chance to leave, to get out of it, to make it easy for them. I’m tryin’ to be better about that.” He let the chair fall back forward, settling against the ground. “Layla, you’re allowed to be angry. Feel what you feel, Baby Wolf. You’re allowed to be angry as hell, sad as anything. Just don’t forget that you’re allowed to feel happy, too. You’re allowed to laugh, and love, and your past doesn’t define you. Not forever. I’m not sayin’ it’ll be easy to get past, that’d be hypocritical. But I am sayin’ that… You deserve to, I don’t know, get to be a person.” 

Layla listened to Winn as he explained things. The way he felt. Why he did what he did. And honestly, it had been very similar to her story. She had left Tennessee, because her parents didn’t want her around any longer, which had been apparent in their endgame goals. She was afraid of the beast she had become and what would happen to the one person who cared most for her in her life. And it felt like she had nothing left to live for. So when she had given her heart to Winn, and he left, it had her questioning things all over again as to whether or not staying was the best option for anybody, “I’ll be totes honest and say I don’t know what you’re referencing, but I do get everything else you’re saying, because well that’s me...in a nutshell. And it’s just one problem after another, and when you left it really hurt, because I feel like I can talk to you, and tell you things that I don’t dare tell anyone else, including Frankie.” She looked down ashamed for the way she had treated him. He hadn’t meant no intentional harm, just like she hadn’t but life has a funny way of twisting things around, when you just don’t communicate, and that was a hard lesson she was still learning.

[kadavernagh]

Yo, Doc, where's a good pharmacy? Considerin', uh, can't go to CVS. (It's Winn Woods, btw.)

Oh! Wimbly Woobly! I... wait, what. That isn’t right. Phone, did you seriously just type Wimbly Woobly? His name is Wimbly Woobly, not -- you know, this really might be the worst week of my life.

Right. The CVS. There’s one over in the Outskirts, I think. Sorry I can’t be more help at the moment, Wimbly.

[cryxmercy]

packsbeforesnacks replied to your post “[pm] Think my form's a little rusty. Got a spot to re-teach an old...”

[pm] ‘S like all my lost sleep from the past few years is chasin’ me down. No nightmares, so... Small mercies. (Puns! I can still do puns!)

{pm} You must need it then. You had a rough go. But I’m happy for you. No nightmares is definitely a good thing. What’s it like? To not dream? (And I still laughed at that one lol) 

We can meet up whenever you want. 

@packsbeforesnacks