#origins story

[mocha-roses]

team secret origins comic covers comic soon

[adder24]

Tales from the Reapers Scythe - Inner Turmoil 

Part 1|Part 2|Part 3|Part 4|Part 5|Part 6|Part 7 |Part 8

Summary: Now aware that the banished have a strong opposition to Adder, Lee has to do everything in his power to make sure their paths don't cross but at the same time, Lee is very much aware that his time as reaper is on the line. The Norns have seemingly spoken.

Tagging @nuggsmum​ @untilthe12ofnever​ @the-boneyard-rider​ @littletime67​ @bonnie131313​ @scnewztown​ @bliphany​ @imelopsittacus​ @sunrise68​ @stingalingaling​ @mother-of-a-murder​ @izhunny​ @littlefreya​ @nuggsmumreads​ @myfriendtheurbanlegend​ @reeselivesforeverinmyheart​​ @hellostickerdoodle @scribbledoodles @traveler-of-realms

The seekers. As stated before, these are the thorns in the reaper's side. They search and create potential feasting spots for the Banished, making them look like fluke accidents or natural disasters in order to throw their foes off the scent a little, while they buy a small window of time to fill their boots and gorge on souls.

You'd think that something created by the Banished wouldn't be picked up by the reapers but trust me it does. 

You've heard of the Norns, right?

Well in case you haven't, the Norns are 3 deities in Norse mythology who personify the past, present and future. They shape the course of all human destinies and are usually depicted as being three women. Are they witches? No. Are they Goddesses? Technically no. Are they the same as what is depicted in Norse mythology? Nope.The Norns are those who get premonitions, they dream of events happening months before they do, sometimes even years. As with reapers, there are more than three Norns, in fact there are thousands of them, each one able to see an event happen, be it major or minor. 

So, how do the reapers know? Let's say gods send notes by crow. I’m not joking, crows visit reapers with notes. They are notes written by those who possess the ability to see the future and since crows over see everything, it makes some sort of sense. Now it works  like this: Norn has a premonition, they are then visited by a crow who gets ants in its feathery pants and pesters for a note, it’ll prompt by chucking a pen and hopping around some paper. The norn writes the dream down and hands it to the crow, who then delivers it to a reaper. Yes it’s old fashioned but oddly enough it’s more discreet and a heck of alot more safer. The reapers will never know who the norns are until their paths naturally cross. It’s a good thing in hindsight, makes it harder for The Banished to pinpoint them and exploit them.

A big event is assessed by how many of the norns have the same dream and pass on the same or similar note to the reapers. So things like wars, death of a monarch, assassinations of presidents, terrorism, all the things that would make world news, The reapers would have been given a headstart and the Banished HATED the fact they always knew before them. So the seekers would try to create their own problems, hoping that the Norns wouldn’t see or that the reapers wouldn’t see it as being an issue, but they were wrong. Even small events were investigated by a small team of reapers, so obviously when there was a small window of opportunity, the seekers were going to take it.

They tried it on the regular and every time they ended up getting left frustrated by the reapers. The most damage they created, probably made the local papers or appeared on the local news but lately, things were starting to go awry, they were starting to have a bigger impact on things and it started with the blackouts in New York. From that point on there were air accidents that resulted in huge numbers of loss of life,  a few so-called natural disasters, one of which was a dam that collapsed and a few terrorist attacks scattered across the globe. These were things the reapers could cope with but Lee couldn’t help but shake the feeling that it was leading up to something more.

His reason behind this, a nuclear power plant in Ukraine. It was built in 1977, after the blackouts in New York, September to be precise and since its official opening a year later, the Norns have been picking up on little hiccups associated with it. Minor hiccups to start with,  nothing life threatening to be concerned about but they were frequent and seemed to happen around the vulnerable spots, like the reactors or the cooling systems designed to help with the smooth delivery of power.

Most reapers brushed these off as Red flags, muttering that it was because the build was rushed and it was nothing unusual for the region, but Lee couldn't shake the feeling there was something more sinister going on, a theory he shared with Felix and Puma and oddly enough, they too thought the same. September 1982 was the first big sign they got that something was amiss, a partial meltdown occurred in reactor number one, the cause being a faulty cooling valve that failed to open, it resulted in a Uranium tank overheating and rupturing, leaking all kinds of toxins into the atmosphere. Of course it was kept secret so as not to unsettle the public but it didn’t stop reapers within the local area checking things out and what they found was unsettling.

Signs that small pockets of the banished were within the surrounding areas,  discarded bodies that had the souls sucked from them, bodies of workers that work at the power plant and were either making their way to work or in the middle of a shift. The Banished were systematically reducing the workforce to make accidents and mishaps a regular occurrence within the plant, planting the seed of fear into the hearts of the locals, even if the accidents and the hiccups were being covered up by the government.

Surveillance was needed and discussions with the reapers within the area were had. Groups of 4 reapers would take shifts, observing the area at different times of the day. During the day, the reapers noticed that the banished stayed away, kept themselves hidden and waited for the dark, knowing that was the time they worked best within. The reapers that were on during that time were obviously busy firefighting, trying to spare the victims that the Banished picked out, ninety percent of them worked for the power plant.

Yet during the day, one group of reapers noticed something a little obscure, something they saw every day. A man, over six feet tall, black hair, one side of the head shaved with the other side long and combed to one side. He was lean, always wearing sunglasses and a red silk suit. He walked around the area every day, no matter the weather. Just casually walking around and following a few of the workers to and from the plant. He stuck out like a sore thumb.

So naturally the next step was to see what he was up to, what people he was monitoring and if those were the ones that wound up being a snack for the banished. The reapers kept out of sight, making sure they were not spotted by this strange man but most of them got a strange sense about him, the feeling he knew they were there, the feeling that this man was someone or something to be concerned about, his sudden appearance made their blood turn cold, sent a shiver down their spine. They described it as him having alpha energy but what he was, they didn’t know, until one night they noticed something, something that unsettled them, something they heard happen before.

It was information that was relayed back to Lee and when pressed on the matter, his answer was to not engage In combat with this person as he sensed they were dangerous for small groups of reapers to encounter. Deep down he sensed he knew this person and he was doing everything and anything to avoid a combative situation with them.

This observation went on for over a year before Felix felt confident enough to touch on the subject. He waited to send Adder away on an errand to get parts for the charger before asking the question that was on everyone's lips.

"Why not take this man down?"

Lee was cooking dinner at that point, cutting up chicken with a cleaver before the question halted him mid cut.

"Because this man, I believe, is the man to dread. The man that didn't flinch when Adder lost control and went for him" Lee replied as he slowly looked at Felix

“Worse than Polar?” Felix asked carefully

“I can’t say…..but the potential is there. Felix we can’t let Adder cross this man's path, Adder sees him and there is no telling what the beast within him will do” Lee replied  before he returned to preparing the chicken.

“I hate to say this Lee… But by the sounds of what I am hearing, the beast might be the only thing to stop them” Felix suggested, knowing the mere thought would cause Lee to pause.

“That is not a risk I am willing to take,” Lee answered firmly before continuing to prepare the meal “I’m not losing him like I lost Polar, their paths must never cross. Is that clear?”

“Clear as a bell” Felix replied 

Lee nodded his head as he put the now diced chicken into a bowl, seasoning it with an array of spices before covering it with some paper towels and putting it to one side. He took a breath and looked over to the charger. The wreck now starting to come together, now starting to look like the machine Lee fell in love with. The chassis had been completely restored, the panels were new, made by hand by Felix and Adder and they were waiting to go on, new Tyres and wheels sat in the corner waiting for their moment, all its guts had been stripped and replaced accordingly and the engine, the one that had been seized by the sale water, was unseized and ready to be tried. It had taken them a few years to get to this point but all the hard work was well worth it.

“I asked Adder to order some material for the seats and headliner. He wants leather seats and the headliner to be black Suede. I thought it was strange but he thinks it will look smart” Felix said, noticing the smile on Lee’s lips “His patience has got better”

“That’s good, means he will have a little more control over the monster within him, exactly why I wanted him working on it” Lee admitted.

Yet Felix could sense something was off with Lee, he seemed a little more quieter than usual. It could have been down to the Banished pushing the reapers and testing them, or the fact there was now a new threat. They were all feeling it in that sense but usually Lee could breeze through these tough moments, finding positives somewhere and focusing on finding ways to help, yet this time, Lee seemed distant, distracted even.

“Everything okay old friend?” Felix asked carefully, looking around for Adder “He’s not back yet if you wish to speak on a personal level”

Lee took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly as he gathered up the things he used and placed them near the sink, ready for cleaning.

“I received a message from a Norn, this Norn is able to see far into the future and they have a good track record as well. In this message they state that there is an explosion, three years from now.” Lee begins as he fills the sink with warm soapy water, “They state the explosion is catastrophic, so to me that points to the power plant we have been studying, it makes sense…but they also stated that New reapers are born from this event and old ones will be lost”

“Did they say who?” Felix asked

“No….but I have a feeling in the pit of my stomach that it will be one of us, so I have begun preparations in case.  Started writing a manual on what to do if Adder’s monster escapes, how to calm him, how to snap him out of it and how to handle him. If it's me, you must promise me to look after him." Lee asked Felix softly.

"I promise Lee but let's hope it never comes to that," Felix replied.

It was then that the door to the warehouse swung open. Both Felix and Lee turned to the noise and saw Adder walking through the door, dragging a roll of material behind him.

"Where the hell did you get that?!" Felix asked

 "It was in the street!  A roll of the headliner material I need" Adder replied confidently, a look that was met with furrowed brows and disapproving tuts. "...What?"

"You don't steal from the street" Felix warned

"No, If you're gonna steal, steal it from the lorry, not so obvious when it goes missing" Lee replied with a smirk on his lips "Don't make a habit from it, pay them back in some way."

"I offered to help tidy their warehouse," Adder responded.

"It's a start, you may have to do more once you steal the leather we need. Come on, let's get a start on the headliner." Felix stated as made his way to the charger.

Sure, three years was a long time, some say it was enough time to change the future and avoid the situation at hand but this is not scrooge and the ghost of Christmas future, this was real and this was something that was set, a permanent marker in history, which meant that no matter what the reapers do from this point,  the event was going to happen regardless. The best they could do was prepare for what was to come, gather in numbers, try and restrict the movements of the banished within the area and prepare for if they are the ones to fall that day. It was a bleak way of looking at things but for their time as a reaper to be preserved, they would need to leave remnants of themselves  behind.

Lee began writing his handbook on Adder for the next reaper, hoping that whoever it will be, will be like himself. Patient, caring and nurturing. Felix would be the ideal fit for that reaper, he worked closely with Adder, knew how to get the best out of him and was helping him with keeping the beast under control. It made Lee smile to see his Minari trusting another, in fact he had grown a lot in thirty eight years. A long time for a mere mortal. Yet Lee still felt Adder had not quite reached his peak and he feared he would never see him reach it.

He took a reassuring breath before going back to cooking, pushing the news to the back of his mind, there was still time left to enjoy what he had, still time to teach Adder all he knew before then.

The evening came and graced them with warmth and a glorious sunset over the harbour. Adder Lee and Felix all sat outside on the hand crafted bench that Lee had made, and watched as the boats went up and down the Hudson and the city came to life once more. They sat in brief content silence before it was disrupted by Puma fading in before them.

"Puma? Not like you to show up here" Lee said surprised 

"Never had to before now. Jasper needs to speak to you and Adder" Puma replied

“Interesting, never had the hunters reach out to us reapers before. Something must have spooked them” 

“Could say that again, Hunters in Ukraine have had a run in with the Banished. They can weather most attacks but this one has spooked them, unsettled them even and I think it has something to do with that strange man our reapers keep seeing”

“Urgent then. Adder grab your scythe and be prepared, got a feeling your inner darkness is not going to like this” Lee warned

Those were not the words Adder needed to hear but considering the history between him and Jasper, it made sense to be prepared for if his beast wanted to emerge for a rematch, even if relations between the two parties were no longer at a hostile level.

You’re probably wondering what happened there. Well since that night in nineteen seventy seven, when Puma told the hunters where to find the Banished if they needed proof and they found them, they have since had a change of heart. Jasper apologised to Lee, called off the open season on reapers and began collaborating with them, letting them know of any activity with the Banished and if they were starting to encroach on their hunting grounds or if they were targeting more than just mere mortals.

Adder however was not very forgiving of Jasper, he still held a grudge after the way he was attacked by Jasper and his men and he still had the scar as a reminder. A conversation with the man would be testing, no matter how urgent or bad it was. 

"He should be punished" Came the inner voice in Adder's head. 

"Shut up" Adder growled as he grabbed his scythe, hoping Lee won't hear.

"Revenge" It growled

"I said shut up!" Adder snapped.

The raised voice caught Lee's attention, he looked over at Adder and could see the tension on his face, the inner turmoil as he battled to silence the beast within, who was undoubtedly gunning for Jasper. Lee took a chance and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze to distract him as well as gain his attention. Adder quickly turned his head to Lee, surprised to see the man beside him.

"I'll try and keep it brief Minari" Lee said calmly "If you feel the beast stirring get out of there, we need to keep the hunters on our side"

"I know…I just don't like fighting with myself Lee and lately he keeps talking, it's like he knows something is going on." Adder confessed 

"Or he's baying for attention, neither of them are a good thing, so let's just hope he's bored. Shall we go and see what the urgency is?" Lee asked.

"Yeah…let's get this done" Adder replied

"Bury them" The voice growled

Adder chose to ignore it, hoping that Lee was right, it was starved of attention and this was its way of lashing out and getting what it craved. He furrowed his brow and listened to Lee, the man telling him where they were to meet Jasper. They made sure they had all their equipment before fading to the location, Bethesda fountain.

The sun was beginning to set on a warm September evening, people were making their way home and the hunters were sitting on the edge of the fountain, Jasper reading a paper, hardly looking up when Lee and Adder appeared.

“Nice of you to show up” Jasper gruffed as he closed his paper and folded it.

"What happened to the hunters in Ukraine?" Lee asked, making sure to get to the point.

"Not what happened to them, more like what they saw. There was a shipment near that Nuclear plant you're worried about. Guessing it was taking away nuclear waste as there were lots of people in hazard suits. Everything ran smooth till that man showed up. The one In the red suit. He single handedly killed all the personnel in that port." Jasper replied "Sounds familiar?"

"You mean the incident here?" Lee replied "Yeah It sounds exact"

Adder looked confused, he hadn't heard of this man before, nor was he aware of a similar incident that happened before. Lee was hiding things from him and it was making the beast within pace in frustration.

"You mean to say this has happened before and I wasn't told?" Adder retorted, the annoyance in his voice catching Jasper's attention.

"We haven't told you for fear of what it would unleash" Lee responded 

"In other words, Lee didn't want his hot headed buck to wade in and make things worse for us all" Jasper interjected as he stood from his seat "Something we are trying to do with the young Woodman you spared. He keeps getting into scuffles at school, he's a good kid but hot headed, runs his mouth a little too much and gets sucker punched or put into detention."

Adder paused, the mention of the young boy seemingly calming his anger, as well as causing the beast to pause in thought. He had been meaning to check in on him, make sure he was safe and staying out of trouble but he had been kept busy by the car, the banished and the never ending quest of keeping the balance stable.

"Does he remember us?" Adder asked Jasper, hoping the answer would be yes.

"Remember you? Once he got over the trauma of that night, he wouldn't shut up about you. He drew pictures of you, wrote stories about you and at Christmas he put extra mince pies out in the hopes you'd be helping Santa Claus. He believed you to be guardians but as he's got older he's kinda drifted away…you never showed after." Jasper replied "Anyway enough about Daniel, it sounds like Polar is setting up a base over there, they are drawn to the fact it's a Nuclear plant but why we don't know"

"I've got a hunch…the problem is we need to clear them out and we don't know how big that hive is or where it is." Lee said calmly

"And they have that psychopath," Jasper Iterated.

"Maybe that psychopath can lead us to the hive. We can follow him, our reapers and your hunters can collaborate and follow him, have them positioned strategically to clock him and pinpoint where he's going. They usually like hiding underground so maybe we can locate some potential places, scout them out for clues or indicators that they are there." Lee suggested

"Sounds like a plan Lee but I can't afford to lose anymore hunters, we still haven't fully recovered from losing an entire family bar one so I will need you to provide protection…have some of your boys with mine, so if things Get heated they can get them out." Jasper replied

"I'll have them discussions, see if I can get the ball rolling, just make sure your men are ready and prepared. You know these monsters are ruthless and savages" Lee warned.

"Fair enough, you got forty eight hours Lee, I want to end this before it's given a chance to cause us both problems" Jasper ordered as he instructed the hunters to get to their feet "I'll tell Daniel you said hi."

Lee nodded and looked over at Adder, noticing the man seems to have gone off into his own world, distant from what is happening around him. 

"Adder, let's head back" Lee said softly, seemingly snapping Adder back to reality.

"Yeah. Sure." Adder replied, his mind still elsewhere.

Lee nodded his thanks to Jasper and faded out, appearing again at the warehouse. He hoped Adder had followed him back but when he turned to talk to him, the man wasn't there. Seemingly going off on his own but where Lee didn't know, in fact he feared that his young apprentice had decided to head to the Ukraine to deal with the issue himself. However something within him assured him that wasn't the case. So the man made a mental note to wait until he was summoned and hoped his gut was right about Adder.

What he didn't know was that Adder had decided to make a detour, showing up at Jasper's home in Brooklyn Heights, standing at the entrance of the 3 story terraced home, debating if he should climb the steps to ring the bell. It had been six years since he had last seen Daniel and by the sounds of things, he was turning into a rebel, defying Jasper, getting into trouble and fighting authority. He sounded lost and Adder blamed himself.

As Adder took a breath and plucked up the courage to climb the stairs, he heard the front door get thrown open, raised voices that were swiftly followed by the door being slammed. In front of him was Daniel, who had sat himself down on the top step, sniffling and wiping away tears.

"Daniel?" Adder asked softly.

His voice caught the young boy's attention and he slowly lifted his head to look at him. His eyes widened with surprise, recognising the man before him.

"It's you!" He whispered in shock.

"It's me…sorry I haven't been around" Adder said apologetically "It's been a bit hectic but Jasper keeps me informed"

"You're not going to take her are you?!" Daniel asked, alarmed.

"Take who?" Adder asked, confused.

"Sarah…she's my sister…she took my action man and I wished her dead." Daniel explained nervously "I didn't mean it"

Adder sighed a little and then climbed up the stairs, sitting beside Daniel. He felt for the boy, knowing it must still be hard for him to settle into a new family and find his way in life.

"I'm not here to take her, no, but you must never wish for someone to be dead, because one day they will die and you will regret your words" Adder explained calmly.

"So what do I do?" Daniel asked

"Tell your parents or try and talk to her but never wish her dead and NEVER hit her. Hitting solves nothing and hitting a girl is really bad. Hoping Jasper at least taught you that."

Daniel quietly nodded his head before looking up at Adder, studying him, staring at him in awe as many questions swirled around his head.

"Did my family make it to heaven?" He asked finally, tears beginning to form.

Adder looked over at him, knowing the boy was seeking comfort and reassurance. He could sense that despite him being a part of Jasper's family, Daniel was lost, unsure of his steps in the world.

"There are many variations of what is called Heaven" Adder began "Your family would have gone to Valhalla, it's a viking heaven where warriors who die in battle, are accepted into Odin's eternal army and reside in the halls of Valhalla, they are treated like gods, fed and watered and surrounded by those they fought beside" 

Daniel wiped the tears from his eyes, a small smile on his lips as his curiosity piqued. He began asking Adder about the Viking heaven, what Valhalla looked like, the foods they ate, if animals who died in battle were there and, strangely, if they had a bedtime. He was delighted when Adder told them that bedtimes didn't exist in Valhalla.

They sat for half an hour talking and watching the world pass them by before Adder encouraged Daniel to go back inside.

"Think you'll be okay now?" Adder asked him softly

"I'll try…can you send messages to Valhalla?" He asked curiously

"I can. Do you have one?" Adder asked him.

"Yes! Can you tell my family that I miss them and that I wish they were still here" Daniel replied sadly.

"I will…but Daniel, they are still here, you carry them with you every day, in your heart and your mind. Why don't you tell them yourself?" Adder asked him softly.

"I don't know how" Daniel said softly 

"Okay let me show you," Adder replied.

Adder got Daniel to look up to the stars, he pointed out some constellations to the young boy and asked him to choose his favourite. Daniel picked out the constellation that looked like a saucepan because it reminded him of his mother boiling up Milk to help him sleep.

"If you talk to that constellation, your family will be able to hear you. It's like a portal to Valhalla, something they won't teach you at school" Adder said playfully.

Daniel smiled and then unexpectedly threw his arms around Adder's waist and cuddled him tightly.

"Thank you," He whispered.

"Anytime" Adder replied as he tentatively wrapped an arm around him "Go…get inside before you catch a cold"

Daniel eventually let him go and made his way back into the house, leaving Adder to stand there momentarily before he faded out, making his way back to the warehouse.

Lee was writing up notes for his handbook when he heard Adder walking around in the warehouse, picking up tools around the car and putting them away. Lee lifted his head, closed the book and walked towards the door of the living quarters.

"You are back then?" He asks, catching sight of him shuffling around "Are you okay?"

"I'll be okay. If anything happened to you…what will become of me? Will someone carry on your teachings or will I be left to figure things out and feel lost, like Daniel?" Adder asked

"Guessing you went and saw the boy then?" Lee asked

Adder nodded his head as he started to make his way over to Lee.

"Felt guilty that I hadn't checked in on him and when he asked about his family…it made me think. You're the only family I have, Lee, I don't want to be lost, lost will be dangerous."

“You won’t be lost Minari, I will make sure of that. There is some pizza in the oven if you are hungry, it’s still hot and fresh” Lee replied as he ushered Adder into the living area, watching his reaction when the smell of Pizza, struck him.

As Adder loaded his plate, Lee went back to his book and closed it but he couldn’t help but shake the feeling that his time served as a reaper was starting to draw near. His fate was seemingly sealed by the norns and he knew he had to make use of the time that was left, he just hoped that whatever was to happen to him, he would die heroically and that Adder would flourish under the watchful eyes of Felix.

He hoped.

[ghostdragoncookiept2]

What is a legacy, if not simply the tainted memories left behind?

[puppyeared]

filipina miku!! my mom helped me with her outfit ^_^

[roseworth]

i think theres this idea in the general public that the "best" fanfic gets turned into real books like 50 shades of grey. but the truth is that the best fanfic can never be published as an actual book because its intricately woven into the canon material so its inseparable even if you change the names

[aesethewitch]

When I was a kid, we moved into a house that had a huge lilac tree out front. It was mostly rotten, and it needed to be taken down before it fell. It took a while, but eventually, it was gone.

Mostly. A couple years later, little lilac babies popped out of the ground in its place. My mom was determined to get rid of them, because she'd planted a beautiful flower garden there, and the lilac trees would overshadow and kill the whole garden. I insisted on saving at least a few saplings. She said fine, but I had to dig them out and put them in pots myself.

So, I did. I spent days digging little lilac bushes out of the ground and putting them into pots. Some couldn't be saved, but some could. When all was said and done, I had five brand-new lilac saplings. Seven or eight years old, and it was my absolute pride and joy.

Three died due to sun scorching, severe drought that no amount of watering could save, and perhaps just being moved from their place in the ground. But two survived, and I was awfully proud of them! I'd go out and talk to them every single day. I watered them by hand and made sure they were fertilized properly. I learned all about their favored environments, and I was determined to make sure they lived.

One of my mom's friends saw what I was doing with the lilacs. She asked if she could have one to put in her backyard, and I agreed on the condition that she take very, very good care of it.

It's now fucking enormous. I'm talking ten feet tall and bursting with beautiful purple flowers every spring. My mom still gets updates each year as they start to bloom, which she forwards to me. And all I can think is, "That's my friend! Thriving some twenty years on, there it is."

The other tree nearly died, too. It lived in a pot for far, far too long. I wanted to plant it somewhere in my parents' yard, but my mom was reluctant. Eventually, we agreed to put it in the far back garden. It grew okay for many years, despite the shade, but in all these years, it's never bloomed.

Last year, the massive tree casting massive shadows over the lilac and the garden cracked in half and fell. It tumbled into the garden, crushing part of the nearby shed and destroying a few plants beneath it.

It missed my lilac by inches.

The clean-up is long done. The rest of the tree has been cut down, and my lilac has full sunlight for the first time in fifteen years. It won't bloom this year, I know. But it's got new shoots up. It's taller than ever. I spent half an hour a few weeks ago praising it for surviving all this time, dreaming about its future and telling it how I believe it'll become the tall beauty it's always been meant to be.

I think next year, I'll see flowers.

[noodles-and-tea]

PART 1 / PART 2 / PART 3 / PART 4

[canonkiller]

god I fuckign love ocs. my characters. my friend's characters. the characters of mutuals ive never spoken to. the characters of artists ive followed and maybe spoken to a little more. the characters of complete strangers I see in passing and think "aw that's cool". if you have ten fans I am one if you have one fan it is me etc etc. I love you

[lumendelmari]

Above: Art Credit: /u/elella on Reddit

Below: a quick Midjourney render I made. Not perfect but pretty creepy.

The Gol'Goroth's stat block, borrowed from 'Nerzugal's Dungeon Master Toolkit'.

This character is from “Zelyra Erenaeth: Origins,” the prequel to “The Grey Warriors,” a retelling of a completed Out of the Abyss (Dungeons and Dragons) campaign.

You can read both stories here:

[adder24]

The Catalyst

Part 1|Part 2|Part 3|Part 4|Part 5|Part 6|Part 7

Summary: Now let's not beat about the bush here. You'd be right in thinking that after being attacked by his  own scythe, treated and bandaged up, that our boy Adder would be back kicking ass in a day. 

Unfortunately that's not quite how it goes. 

This is available on Wattpad so if you are a member or have an account, please, I encourage you to leave a comment :) Tales from the reapers scythe Wattpad link

Tagging mutuals but please do tag on, reblog, comment, whatever you need to do :) Story beneath the cut.

@nuggsmum​ @untilthe12ofnever​ @the-boneyard-rider​ @littletime67​ @bonnie131313​ @scnewztown​ @bliphany​ @wholesome-dragon-lady​ @plinkitee​ @imnotrevealingmyname​ @imelopsittacus​ @sunrise68​ @stingalingaling​ @mother-of-a-murder​ @izhunny​ @littlefreya​ @nuggsmumreads​ @myfriendtheurbanlegend​ @reeselivesforeverinmyheart​​ @frenchfrostpudding​ @hellostickerdoodle

Please do let me know if you want in on this madness

Now let's not beat about the bush here. You'd be right in thinking that after being attacked by his  own scythe, treated and bandaged up, that our boy Adder would be back kicking ass in a day. 

Unfortunately that's not quite how it goes. 

The wound gets treated, yes but for everything to return to normal, the powers and the healing, it would take a reaper two weeks to fully recover from the ordeal. That meant Adder had two weeks of down time. Now he could relax, take walks and embrace nature but that wasn't his thing and of course, Lee had to teach him patience and to learn to keep a level head. So what better way than to get him to work on the rotting Dodge Charger that sat in the vast empty warehouse space, looking sorry for itself.

He woke Adder up early and handed him a full plate of breakfast to get him going. Adder was still in a state of confusion by the time the plate was put in his hands but he wasn't going to complain about food being handed to him, which he scarfed down within minutes before going to freshen himself up for the day. He was careful when cleaning around the still healing wound, changing the dressings and making sure nothing was irritated.. 

Once he was ready for the day to begin, Lee walked him over to the charger and gently patted his shoulder. 

"She's all yours" Lee said happily 

"Okay but where do we even start with this? She has so much work to be done that it's impossible to know where to start" Adder replied 

"I know, that's why I asked Felix. He said start on taking out the interior, which is the seats and the upholstery. Hopefully once you manage to do that he should be free to help" Lee said happily.

"Felix? Who is Felix?" Adder asked

"An honorary Greek Reaper who makes some amazing food. You're in for a treat" Lee responded as he handed Adder a wrench. "Have fun Minari"

Adder, naturally wanted to protest, Lee however didn't give him that chance, before words could even form in his mouth, Lee had faded out leaving Adder alone with the wreck of a once glorious machine. However at least he had somewhere to start when it came to bringing it back to life. So he got to work, grabbing the tools he thought he needed for the job and opening the passenger side door, which fell off its hinges.

"Well that's a good start" He muttered to himself as he stepped into the passenger side and began to feel around the foot well, looking for the bolts that keep the seat attached to the car.

There was no denying it was going to be fiddly, especially with the way they were mounted. Nonetheless, Adder was determined, he found a way In and the annoying process of trying to unscrew the rusted and salt water soaked bolts, began. 

It wasn't simple, it wasn't straightforward and the bolts weren't moving for no one. Adder spent two hours cussing, bargaining and threatening the bolts in question but they weren’t showing signs of movement and Adder was forced to rethink his approach, which also meant a much needed tea break. 

During the time it took Adder to make the tea and wait for it to brew, someone appeared in the warehouse, someone he had never seen before. Same height yet skinny, Olive skinned, brown eyes and a chiselled jawline. He also had short grey hair that was combed neatly to one side and was wearing a grey turtleneck with a long black blazer and jeans. He was holding a gym bag, standing next to the car and stroking his greying goatee as he inspected it.

“Panaya mou, Lee was not kidding” He muttered

“Who the bloody hell are you?!” Adder shouted, grasping a saucepan tightly in his hand.

The man turned to look at Adder and gave him a beaming smile.

“You must be Adder! My name is Felix, Lee speaks fondly of you.” He said happily as he put his hand out, ready to be shook.

Adder gingerly took his hand and gave it a firm shake, looking the man dead In the eyes, trying to read him.

"You're wary. I know but I don't make judgements based on rumours and fables. So where are we with this sad car?" Felix asked

"Still trying to get the seats out. Bolts ain't moving for shit" Adder replied 

"They won't, they're seized and they need a little persuasion." Felix said happily "Let me change into my overalls and I'll show you a few tricks to get them off"

Unlike Puma, Felix seemed humble, genuine and down to earth. He was calm, patient and generally pleasant towards Adder but the moment he slipped the overalls on and began working on the car, he seemed to change into a completely different person. While Adder made the tea, he could hear what could only be described as Greek cursing, the word Malaka was used quite a bit and was aimed directly at whatever thing he was working on. By the time Adder had made the tea and brought it over to Felix, he noted the man wearing a welding mask and holding a blowtorch.

“I see Lee has trained you in the art of tea making” Felix said happily as he lifted up his welding mask

“What is Malaka?” Adder then asked curiously, as he handed Felix his cup.

“...Oh you heard?”

“Well…kinda hard not to when it’s been shouted from halfway down the warehouse” Adder replied “I can only think it means something awful judging by the way it was said”

“It means Asshole” Felix replied Nonchalantly

"Fitting" Adder agreed as he took a sip from his own cup.

"Indeed. So let me show you what we're going to do with this blow torch and those bolts.”

Now if you have some kind of mechanical know-how, you’d know that using the blow torch on seized bolts is seen as no longer being polite. It is seen as a way of saying “I am no longer asking” And after spending hours negotiating and trying to be polite, Felix was no longer in a bargaining mood with some bolts.

He showed Adder what to do. Hold the flame to them for thirty seconds and then use a wrench to work on the bolts. It took a few goes and a few more cuss words before they finally gave up fighting against the man. Suddenly the two hour job became a ten minute job and the seats were finally freed from their salty locks. Once they were out, Felix and Adder began to strip the interior, removing the sagging headliner first and tossing it outside the car before moving onto things like the visors, door trims and carpet. 

By the time Lee had returned, he was welcomed with a pile of discarded, green smelling fabric and a car almost stripped down to the chassis, minus a few panels that were considered to be in a reasonable state.

“Where did the car go?” Lee asked with a tiny smile

“Oh it’s still here” Felix replied as he emerged from under the car, covered in grease and oil “Just a little undressed is all”

“And my Minari?” Lee asked

“You’re what now?” Felix replied confused

“He means me!” Adder piped up as he walked out of the kitchen, wiping his hands with an old rag. “Minari means apprentice”

“Oh! Has he taught you how to curse in Japanese as well?” Felix asked

“No need to, he learnt what he needed when he was being tortured” Lee replied nonchalantly

“Torture can do that to a man” Felix replied casually as he started to pack away his tools “But give them the right environment and that darkness can turn into growth and that rage can be put to use. He showed incredible focus today and determination. Harness that power right and you will get a terrific leader out of him”

Lee nodded in agreement before chuckling at the look Adder was giving them both.

“Did I just walk into a philosophers guild?” Adder asked

Both men just looked at Adder and smiled because unbeknown to Adder, Lee and Felix go back some way, both of them roughly became Reapers at the same time and have seen more than their fair share of human history, both good and bad. So when they had a deep thought that they needed to share, it was always worth taking a seat and listening to what they had to say. Both men were wise, full of wisdom and tall stories. Adder could happily sit there for hours and listen to the stories they share.

And share they did, well into the early hours of the morning as the coffee and tea flowed around and the stories kept coming in their droves. Adder listened, hanging onto every word until his body could no longer manage to stay awake. He found himself getting comfortable on the floor and in no time, he was fast asleep, curled up on some discarded boxes, holding himself. It was something Lee picked up on, almost instantenously. 

“Looks like my Minari has tired himself out” Lee said softly as he put down his empty cup

“Well he did work hard today, was very determined to get that car stripped down” Felix replied, watching Lee carefully approach Adder “Do you worry he will become like Polar? I mean that beast-”

“That beast within is under control.” Lee interrupted, giving Felix a stern look “He will be nothing like Polar, in fact he will be the complete opposite. I will teach him and train him to be one of the best, despite everyone having their doubts”

Felix couldn't agree more with him, he had confidence in Lee and knew the man would keep the beast within on some form of leash. He wasn't concerned but he understood the concerns of the others and this latest incident involving the hunters and putting out an open season on the reapers, certainly didn't help Adder's cause for having confidence in him, something Lee knew but chose to ignore.

"That darkness is what the Banished want Lee. You know that and you know this is their latest tactic to try and turn him to their side" Felix warned.

"Then you will know I will do everything I can to protect him. I made a mistake with Polar, I'm not going to make the same mistake with Adder. Have faith Felix…he will come through and prove his doubters wrong" Lee replied.

Felix believed him, Felix chose to have faith in Lee but what none of them knew was what the Banished had up their sleeve. Open season from the hunters was just the start of what twisted plan they had formulated together. A mere distraction to cause doubt and concern amongst the reaper ranks, to question the actions of Lee and to judge the one he chose to train as his own, while they, The Banished worked on their own monster, one they knew would antagonise and rile the beast within, one they sensed would be the tipping point.

So let's go back, go back to when Adder became Reaper, when Lee helped him to escape the hell that was a Kempeitai holding facility created for those they deemed different. Adder was being tortured by a man known merely as Red Dragon, a man who mocked him, a man who pushed all the buttons to get Adder to snap.

Had Lee not stepped in when he did, the man known as Red Dragon would have either had his head torn off or he would have been crushed to death but as it was, he escaped with his life and made it his mission to find Adder again and kill "The Demon." He went as far as getting the papers in Japan to write his story about the encounter, to inform people that if they found him alive, to bring it to him. The reward was the equivalent to half a million dollars in Japanese Yen. His search went on for three decades before someone, or should I say something contacted him. 

Titan had heard of his search, heard his story of how he wanted the Demon dead, how he wanted to study the creature, figure out what made him tick and to use its DNA to create his own breed of warrior. Titan of course, knew who he spoke of and between them, they created an elaborate plan to give him what he wanted but it meant Red Dragon would have to die and a Reaper would need to lose their life. They pulled it off and now the Red Dragon was under the control of the Banished, led by Titan, under the orders of Polar who wanted a warrior to equal, if not better, Adder. It was no secret that Polar had a burning desire to flatten his former master and what better way than to turn his prized asset against him.

Their project was already in its second year and already the Red Dragon was showing glimpses of what type of warrior he was becoming. A fast, strong and ruthless killer. Polar put him through his paces, sent him on a few test raids, striking military bases and a few small hunter groups. Recently he had taken out a small hunter group on the subway, leading a few of the starved and utilising their potential so they could eat.

He was quickly becoming a force and Polar enjoyed watching him grow, yet he wasn’t ready to unleash him onto the world just yet, he needed to put him through his paces, needed to make sure that he was a solid match for Adder and the beast within. So to test him, Polar would spar him and sometimes make him fight the starved, knowing full well that the starved were expendable yet dangerous to fight. Each fight would increase in difficulty, each time Polar sparred with him he would include titan and two, maybe three other banished members. Each time he fought the starved, Polar increased the amount in the group, pushing Red Dragon to his limits.

So while Adder recovered and worked on the car, Polar was secretly mobilising his new weapon, stealthily causing a stir among the reapers, just enough to get them to question and point the finger of blame over towards Lee and Adder, blaming Adder’s appearance on the recent events that have unfolded, distracting them while he got to work on slowly unravelling the balance. A long, twisted plan that would eventually pay off for The Banished.

Polar was overseeing another fight with Red Dragon and a large group of the starved when Titan strode in and stood beside him, a smile on his face as he watched Red Dragon easily tear the starved apart.

“They are becoming merely a snack to him” Titan said calmly

“Mmm, they will keep his hunger sated for now” Polar replied, transfixed on the Red Dragon’s movement “How about the Reaper? Rumour has it, the hunters done a number on him.”

“Dumb bastard thought he could clear the reaper name by being brazen, all it did was piss them off some more and they ended up using his scythe against him… He almost died but Lee got there in time” Titan replied as he studied his hands “Not a problem though, just another part of the plan”

“What I like to hear” Polar replied with a twisted smile on his lips “Tribes across the water have been in touch, It’s looking like we can take it up a few notches in September, tribes are already making their way into position. It’s going to be a long game of chess my friend but one that will be worthwhile” 

Titan nodded, watching the Red Dragon finish off the last of the starved, all that remained were piles of ash scattered around him and smeared on his face, a sickening form of war paint to accompany the sadistic smile on his face.

“Think we will need to up the numbers again” Polar called out, catching the attention of the Red Dragon “You’re making it look too easy”

“They are too easy, I need a challenge Master, Let me try him, let me taunt him and be his waking nightmare” Red dragon replied as he pushed his hair back from his eyes.

“In due time, I’m sure Titan has something to keep you occupied until then” Polar replied

“Oh always, feeling like a dock drop tonight” Titan replied with a smirk

A dock drop is when The Banished pounce on dock workers when a shipment comes in. There are many crates and nooks in which they can hide in, pounce and feed. They take enough to quench their hunger and do enough to not only put the workers on edge but the reapers too. 

Dock drops were fairly easy, hardly ever a challenge but Red Dragon made it a challenge. He would do time runs, see how many souls he could take in a set amount of time, he would also see how quickly he could take people down, exposing himself in a wide open space and seeing how fast he could take them down before an alarm was raised.

He grew bored of easy pickings, always wanting to push himself or go beyond expectation and as impressive as it was, there were those who objected to his recklessness. Titan knew to leave it to them to argue amongst themselves and often that argumentation would end in those opposed, being slain by Red Dragon.

This particular dock drop was no exception, the others were cautious in selecting their meals and Red Dragon just walked on in without hesitation, drawing attention to himself to get the adrenaline running before doing what he does best. There was one problem though, one of the dock workers found the alarm button. Unwanted attention was being drawn to him and the other banished. They were high tailing it out of there, leaving Dragon to manage his own mess, not realising that this was exactly what he wanted. A challenge and a platform to announce himself, wanting the attention of the reapers so he could begin luring Adder out, despite Polar thinking it was too soon into his progression.Titan should have pulled him out before things got worse but he wanted to see how it would play out and if Dragon was the monster they needed him to be.

Within seconds of the alarm going off, Dragon was surrounded by dock security, armed with guns, spotlights pointed at him while someone with a tannoy shouted at him, ordering him to give himself up. Titan wasn’t close enough to see his face but he sensed Dragon was smirking at them and he knew Polar’s prodigy would lure them into a false sense of security.

Dragon slowly placed his hands behind his head and got down on his knees, faking compliance, luring them into his trap. It was a trick Titan taught him but Dragon was taking it up another level. He waited for the circle of armed guards to come in closer before he struck and when he struck it was ruthless, clinical and precise. The first guard that tried to restrain him, had his eyes gouged out and his gun turned on him, Dragon not hesitating to put him out of his misery before tossing the gun aside, encouraging them to try him.

Unsurprisingly they were hesitant, backing off from him and unnerved by the way he quickly disposed of one of their comrades while he stood there smirking, his hands dripping with blood while he seeked out his next target, identifying the weak link and deciding to leave them till last rather than take them out first. He had already taken down what he presumed to be the strongest and he hungered for more. He looked into each and everyone of their eyes, studied them, analysed them and unnerved them before he heard a faint click from behind him. He turned around quickly and smirked at the man glaring at him, finger on the trigger, ready to unload a magazine into him.

“You’re a brave one” Dragon hissed

Before the man knew it, Dragon was on him, hand wrapped tightly around his throat, crushing the life out of him, slowly consuming his soul before tossing his lifeless body to the ground. He wasn’t hanging around for his next target and moved onto the next one, ending them swiftly as he removed the blade he had tucked in his boot and slashed the man’s throat, leaving them to choke and drown in their own blood. The next one, he turned the gun on them and coldly put a bullet between their eyes. There was no fear, no hesitation or mercy shown from Dragon and in no time, he had made light work of the men sent to take him down. Only one still stood, the weak link, whom Dragon calmly approached, an easy smile on his lips.

“It would be too easy to end you” He said calmly, smirking at the way the man shook at the sight of him, relieving himself in fear as Dragon stood before him “Instead, I’ll let you suffer with the nightmares that will follow, reliving every moment you stood and done nothing to save them. I think for a coward like you, that would be more fitting”

He gently patted the man’s shoulder and calmly walked away from him. The alarms within the dock were still sounding but it didn’t put him off his stride, he shoved his blood soaked hands into his pockets and walked out the dock nonchalantly, smirking when he saw the police rolling up, screaming through the entrance and not even batting an eyelid at the man calmly walking away from the scene of the crime.

What he left behind was a horrific sight, a large pool of blood covered the floor, bodies discarded, most were intact but some were missing eyes, some had their skulls blown apart and there was one man, left alive and muttering nonsense, speaking of a man with white eyes and insane strength tearing through his team. Yet from what the police could see, he was the one holding the gun, he was the threat and the man to be put into cuffs. A well played move by Dragon, one that would surely get the attention of his foes.

Titan of course, had watched the slaughter from a distance. Needless to say he was impressed with the way Dragon had handled himself but he knew the others would see it another way, more reckless than innovative. He was prepared for the onslaught of criticism and scaving comments that would soon follow and his response would be to direct their concerns to Polar, who he knew would back Dragon.

He made his way back to the abandoned Worth street station and walked to the platform where Polar sat on his throne, watching the empty tunnel in anticipation for a train to go by.

“I heard someone made quite the entrance” Polar said calmly, not even turning his head to look at Titan.

“Ay… He decided to push his boundaries.” Titan replied as he thought it best to remain in the shadows.

“Dock drops aren’t supposed to be that chaotic, they were designed to allow those who chose to go along, to feast in peace” Polar replied as he rose from his throne “Did he grow bored?”

“I would say he fancied himself a challenge, yes” Titan replied

“The others returned complaining of being forced to ditch their meal, some spoke of their concern for Dragon, claiming he is wild, reckless and possibly insane” Polar mentioned as he turned his head towards Titan “But you already knew that”

“Sir-”

“You owe them a meal, Titan, however this little escapade has shown to me that Dragon is more than ready for more than Dock drops and easy pickings, he craves carnage and chaos so we up his level. I’ll put him with the seekers” Polar replied

The seekers. They are the Banished that purposefully cause problems and disguise them as freak accidents. The blackout in New York was caused by them, an incident created in order to allow the Banished to devour souls and cause a shake up, while under the guise of it being a freak incident and whilst that incident occurs, the seekers get their fill as well. They get the best of both worlds and there is never a dull moment, something that Dragon would prefer, than be bored out of his skull with easy missions.

“The more opportunities we can create, the more we disrupt the reapers and what better way than to use someone with a nose for chaos, to our advantage. Spice this war up a little” Polar replied as he stretched his limbs and cracked his neck. “And that apprentice of Lee is the final piece of the puzzle. The key to their demise and it will be oh so sweet to watch”

So, as you can see, Polar upped the stakes, setting his weapon loose on the world early and relishing the carnage he created along the way, which meant that things were about to get even worse for the reapers and the screw being turned even more on Adder, exactly what Polar wanted in order for the balance to tilt in their favour

But this war isn’t one Polar wanted to be done quickly, this war was one that would take time and precision. There were strategic points that Polar would hit over time and there were those he would hit hard and fast, staying unpredictable and keeping his enemies on edge. It was all part of the endgame he had in mind, a slow steady build up to the collapse of the reapers and the balance and the start of his domination.

The cold, lifeless bodies that lay on the floor of the docks acted as a warning, a warning of things to come as more souls became lost. Police and fire crews, trying desperately to figure out what had happened but all they had was a gibbering wreck telling them about a man with white eyes, a man possessed by a demon of some description, that made light work of his comrades. A description was given but they deemed the man clinically insane, suffering with potential schizophrenia and needing to be put into a high security asylum.

All of this was being overseen, by reapers who heard the alarms coming from the docks but were too late to save anyone, reapers who were not used to seeing this level of carnage in their area and as expected it caused panic among them. They had no choice but to seek out advice from someone they deemed as being experienced enough to handle the situation and they chose Lee. Thankfully Adder was put to bed when the news was broken to Lee and Felix.

Both of them sat quietly as they processed the news that had been given to them.They had raised it another level, they were becoming more bold and brazen with their actions but Lee couldn’t stop thinking about who they described and who he knew that matched that description.

“It can’t be, the last I saw of him, he was nearly crushed by the beast within” Lee uttered in disbelief.

“Who would that be Lee?” Felix asked gently

“If It’s who I think it is, we are entering a new dangerous phase of this never ending battle between us and The banished.” Lee warned “He’s found a way to lure out Adder’s dark side”

“Lee, who is it?” Felix asked again

“It was the man who found him before us, who put him through hell and helped birth the beast. He called himself Red Dragon” Lee replied, holding Felix’s gaze “He was the only one brave enough, to laugh in his face and put a bullet between his eyes and he wasn’t phased by the beast. He wasn’t even a part of the Banished...he was human at that point and he showed no fear in front of Adder and the beast.”

“...Oh no” Felix replied quietly

“There is no telling what he can do and there is no telling how Adder will react either. Polar has raised the stakes and we need to hope their paths never cross.”

[and-corn]

nothing like a good stretch for the first time in centuries

(Part 2 of this comic!)

[nyctosaurid]

don bluth films occupy a weird space because he's both inarguably an auteur who directs very strange, earnest, often "ugly" films but also a guy who near exclusively made movies for 8 year olds in the home video era. so basically everything he's ever done is a grimy, dreamy rumination on death and spirituality and has a direct to video sequel called something like secret of nimh 2: mrs. brisby's holiday adventure

[elexuscal]

Danny Phantom, The Show:

geeky kid gets super powers from his parents' weird inventions! now he has to fight a rogue gallery of ghosts... but uh-oh! he still has to keep his grades up, deal with his embarrassing parents, and navigate girl troubles! rap theme song!

Danny Phantom, the Fandom, After 19 Years of Fermentation:

a child dies. but not quite. the inherent tension between life and death. the obsession of the dead for faded remnants of the living. warped green shadows on the walls of a dark laboratory. having to hide your true nature from those who should be your greatest allies. the fear of the monster you could become if you let yourself. being a ghost as a metaphor for the trans experience. a cold breath on the back of your neck in the dead of the night. rap theme song!

[curatorotl]

I think one of the weirdest side effects of being a writer is that while I'm reading, I'll just start subconsciously editing the book. Like, if a sentence sounds odd or off to me, I'll fix it in my head and continue reading as if that were how it was written.

Does anybody else do this?