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skvatnavle · 2 years

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Werewolf Matt Murdock x reader

Warnings: SMUT! 18+. Oral (m and female receiving), pining, Peter being a cocky, flirty shit, sexual innuendoes, unprotected sex, voyeurism, masturbating (m). If I missed something, please let me know.

Notes: This is part of the Moon in May challenge (two days late) and the inspo for this week was mark and pack. The title was decided before I finished this, but I'm keeping it, even if it may not make sense until next chapter 😆

Uh, and in this chapter we introduce Matt's Alpha. Peter Hale from Teen Wolf (I took some liberties with his timeline/story, so sue me 😆)

The absolutely beautiful header was made by @loverhymeswith and thank you to @a-bang-for-your-bucky for thirsting over Peter with me and @mindidjarin for listening to my ramblings, all your encouragement and beta read ❤️

Words: 3.8K

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As you wipe the steam of the bathroom mirror, you tilt your head to the side, inspecting your neck thoroughly. The bruises are getting lighter in colour and as they fade away slowly, so does the memories of that night. No, that wasn’t really true. You’d always remember what Matt did that night, but not for the same reason he would never forget.

He still couldn’t let go of the guilt of hurting you, although you had tried to explain that you had actually liked it. Hell, you had loved it and even told Matt you’d gladly do it again. You weren’t a believer and would certainly not go to heaven even if you were, so why not keep being a little depraved and have some fun?

Still, you were a little worried about some of the bruises he left on you. Not knowing anything about werewolves besides what you’ve read in novels and Matt being as green as he was, neither of you knew if the scratches would affect you.

The water stops and soon a pair of strong arms wrap around you and Matt places a soft kiss on your neck, before facing the mirror.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“Just… Inspecting my neck again. You’re sure you didn’t bite me?”

You had no problem with Matt being a werewolf, you just weren’t sure you were ready to join the pack. Matt laughs softly, tightening his grip on you as he plants another kiss on your neck.

“Can you hear my heartbeat?”

“That’s an unfair question, Murdock. You told me you could do that before the bite, so how can we know that’s a wolf thing?”

Matt laughs, a sound that never fails to make your heart flutter as he turns you around so you face each other. Wrapping your arms around him, one hand finds the nape of his neck, playing softly with his hair.

“Trust me, it’s a wolf thing.” Giving you a sweet kiss, his face turns a little more serious. “Listen Honey, I never broke the skin. I was just… making sure you stayed still.”

His voice drops an octave and it instantly makes you ache. It was no secret that Matt could make you a shivering mess in seconds using only that smooth voice of his.

Leaning in closer, he captures your lips, kissing you deeply as he pushes you against the sink.

Already a shivering mess, you are baffled at the power Matt holds over you. He has barely touched you yet, but his kisses always make your body come alive. With ragged breath, you barely manage to speak.

“Do… Do you have time before you need to be in court?”

“I always have time for you, sweetheart.”

His soft smile turns into a cocky smirk. You know he loves the effect he has on you, but two can play this game. Time to wash that smirk off his face. Slowly dropping to your knees, his cocky expression disappears, replaced by anticipation as he licks his lips. He may be in control most of the time, making you whimper by the faintest touch, but you knew of a way to leave him a whimpering mess too.

You place a quick kiss on his stomach, just above the towel. Peppering kisses over the warm smooth skin, a breathy moan escapes Matt as his hand comes to rest on your head, running his fingers through your hair.

Your fingers softly dig into the soft skin of his sides. A soft rumble from Matt slowly turns into a moan, as you lick across his V-line. Untying the towel, you let it drop to his feet. Already semi hard, you take a soft hold of Matt’s cock and stroke him gently as you plant a kiss to the head of his cock. You flick your tongue over the tip of his cock before you take him into your mouth. Matt’s breath hitches, one hand flying to the sink, gripping it hard as he braces himself.

You keep stroking him as your mouth works up and down his length, sucking slowly with your big eyes looking up at him.

“Christ, you’re so good to me, sweetheart,” he says, and you flush at his praise, going straight to your core. Matt grips your hair tighter, holding you in place and it sends a rush of heat down your spine. It makes you swallow convulsively around his cock, making Matt groan in pleasure.

“Good girl. You’re such a good girl” he says, breathless with pleasure. He bucks into you as you suck harder, taking him as deep as you can. Letting go, he pushes into your mouth, going deeper with each thrust until your nose is nuzzled into his pubic hair.

With a loud groan, Matt’s pace falters as he comes down your throat. His grip loosens and you let go of him with a smile, as you reluctantly stand up. For Matt, you would gladly spend all day on your knees.

Matt gently let his fingers dance along your jaw, his thumb gracing over your bottom lip. He pulls you into a kiss and as you pull apart, Matt once again lets his thumb play over your lips as his eyes darken. Knowing the look, you step closer, your fingers dancing over the smooth skin of his chest.

“Tell me what you’re thinking”

“How perfect your lips are.” he says, his voice already thick with lust as he moves closer with a low rumble in his chest. “The wolf wants his turn, too.”

Later, as he is back to his usual nightly routine, Matt sits on the corner of a building, looking out over the city. The night is quiet and for the first time in a long time, Matt relaxes. The last few months had been a struggle to say the least. The guilt was still nagging him daily, but having you made it easier for him to come to terms with what he was. What he would be from now on.

Slowly accepting this life, he began to appreciate his new powers. Sure, some of them are very similar to before, just even more enhanced. But one thing he loved was his new sight. The impeccable werewolf vision almost made him able to see, so he often caught himself staring. Over the city, out the window, at you. Still blurry and not at all what anyone would call 20/20 vision, but it was a welcomed change.

“Quite the spot you’ve chosen to hang out.” Surprised, Matt turns to find a man standing behind him, leaning against the door to the roof. How did he get here without Matt hearing him? No one had ever snuck up on him, not even before the bite.

“A tad bit dramatic for my taste, but the view is stunning.” He smirks as he pushes off the wall and slowly makes his way closer to Matt. In a second Matt is on his feet, assessing the stranger. His scent is confusing, his heartbeat too steady. Human, but not human at all.

“Who are you?”

Letting out a small laugh, the stranger steps all the way out to the edge of the roof, looking out over the city.

“Can’t you tell?”

The voice is calm and playful with a certain authority to it. Matt can feel the strangers’ eyes on him, studying him while he waits for the answer. Matt tries his hardest to study the man in front of him. Every little smell, trying to see if anything rings a bell. The sound of his voice so foreign, yet so familiar somehow.

The man trips a little impatiently, looking a little bored before he sits down on the ledge. He reeks of anger and annoyance, as he sucks his teeth, a heavy sigh falling from him.

“Honestly, I’m a little disappointed. By now you should have picked up on certain things. But you really don’t know anything, do you?”

The stranger is playing with him, obviously holding back information that Matt needs. Every fibre in his body wants to just shift and tear the man apart. Gritting his teeth, he turns to face him, fighting hard to remain calm.

“I’ve been busy.”

“Ah yes. Devoted lawyer by day, ripping bodies apart by night. I especially love the whole'' he gestures towards Matt’s suit and mask “vigilante act, too. You really are a busy man, Matt Murdock.”

Snarling with gritted teeth, Matt steps closer, a low growl slowly forming in his chest.

“Who are you?”

“The name’s Peter Hale… and I’m the guy that bit you.”

Without turning away from your book, you greet Matt as he comes back home. But a second set of footsteps make you look towards the door.

“My my my, what do we have here?”

The man walks towards you, a smirk painted on his face as his eyes study you. Something about the way he moves makes you a little uneasy. He moves elegantly, his movements fluent like an animal. His gaze is intense, eyes staring straight into yours.

“Matt, who is this?”

Lacking any sense of personal space, he stops a mere inch from your face as if he’s testing you. If you’ll shy away from him. A charming smile adorns his face as his sky blue eyes take you in.

“Peter Hale. I’m his alpha.”

Breaking into a smile, you can feel the excitement bubble up. Always been a huge fan of werewolves in books and movies, you had been quite excited when you found out they were real. So every bit of new information always makes you thrilled.

“What? Really? So that part of the stories are true?”

He turns to Matt, shooting him a proud smile.

“At least someone here has been doing their summer reading.”

Turning back to you, his hand gently runs down the side of your face, caressing your cheek. A soft smirk forming as his fingers trace your jawline. And as much as you try to ignore it, his touch sends shivers down your spine.

“Aren’t you a pretty one. I see why Matty here is so fond of you.”

In mere seconds, Matt is at your side, pushing Peter away from you. Barring his teeth, Matt growls at him.

“That’s enough! If you touch her-“

“If I may interrupt this feeble attempt of a threat, let me just remind you that I’m your alpha. I’m stronger than you. If I want to, I can make you beg like a little puppy in seconds.”

His voice is barely raised, but the way he stares at Matt, makes him shy away and look to the floor. Peter turns back to you before he removes his hand before leaning in closer, inhaling your scent deeply. For a second his eyes flash red as he smirks.

“And she isn’t yours, you know… Not yet.”

Confusion washes over both you and Matt. While you may not know everything there was to know about this new life, you thought that Matt had already claimed you in every way he possibly could. He certainly already owned your heart and you his. you already knew you wanted to be his forever.

“What? But… we’ve-”

“Mated while you were a wolf? Yeah, I could smell that” he shoots Matt a quick glance, before turning his attention back to you, smiling as he tucks a strain of hair behind your ear, “And look at you being all kinds of freaky.”

His look a mix of fascination and interest, he lets his hand fall to his sides, as he turns to Matt.

“You can’t claim her fully until you bite her mating gland… Which only werewolves have.”

He is silent for a while as both you and Matt take in the new information. You thought he’d already marked you as his. But knowing you had to turn, was… quite frightening. You’ve seen what it had done to Matt, so you feared what it would do to you.

Looking at Matt, you can see the inner turmoil. Without asking, you already know what he’s thinking. He can’t condemn you to that life, when there’s still so much you don’t know. He’s still so green, so how can he guide you?

Peter puts a comforting hand on Matt, seeming softer than before. He might put up this façade of indifference and arrogance, but you sense that’s not the whole truth.

”There is so much you still need to know… So much I could teach you” he turns to you, his eyes burning into yours. “Both of you”.

Okay, you take that back. He might be sweet, but he was still pushing your buttons. The tone of his voice is clear, so you look away, hoping he doesn’t see you blush. You know it’s foolish to try to hide it when you know your pulse is giving you away. You hate what is happening, but there is something about Peter. Maybe it’s the alpha in him that makes you weak. Luckily, Matt’s phone rings and breaks the tension.

“Foggy this isn’t the best-”

As he listens to what Foggy has to say, you do your best to step away from Peter, getting some distance between you. He only smiles softly, his eyes not leaving you for a second. While you don’t want to, you had to admit he was handsome.

“I have to go. There’s been a development in the case. A key witness just stepped forward, I-“

He looks to Peter, taking a step forward, his eyes burning into his alpha. You’ve never seen this side of Matt before.

“Don’t touch her.”

“Hey, she’s your mate and I’m a man of… Well, I can’t say I’m a man of honour, but I can promise not to touch her, and I almost never break a promise.”

Matt takes a step forward with his fists clenched, ready to punch the smirk of Peter's face, but is stopped by a gentle hand on his chest. You give him a soft kiss to his jaw.

“Go, Matt. I’ll be fine.”

Matt turns to you, nuzzling into your neck, his nose nudging gently at your jaw. His arms wrap around you, at the same time protective and territorial, as he looks in Peter’s direction.

“But what if he-”

“Hey, I’m used to wrestling with a werewolf. You’ve taught me some moves. I’ll be okay.”

Giving him another reassuring kiss, Matt pulls you closer, deepening the kiss. In any other situation, you’d welcome his kisses, but you knew this was only for Peter’s benefit. To show who you belong to. As he pulls away from you, he rubs his scent off on you, as if to mark you before leaving. You break away from him and gently push him out the door. This was silly and you were quite sure you could hold your own against Peter… Well, you certainly hoped so.

An hour later, scribbling away in your notebook, you’ve already attained invaluable information as Peter tells you everything he knows about being a werewolf. And that is a lot. Hundreds of years of lore turned into notes, you’re almost screaming internally of joy.

Peter had agreed to stay a few days, so he could help both you and Matt learn as much as possible. He had admitted his end game was for you both to join his pack, so he promised to teach you as much as he could, making it easier for you to make a decision in the end.

While he was still a bit too cocky and inappropriate, you had to admit he was charming and smart. The vast expanse of his knowledge was incredible, and he really was sweet, when he dialled down the flirting. Looking up, you catch Peter looking at you, his gaze almost soft. Putting the pen down, you close the notebook and turn to him.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

“Why? Worried you won’t be able to control yourself much longer?”

Lost for words, you just huff as you push off the couch, needing some distance between yourself and Peter. But he follows, helping himself to a drink while you pour yourself some wine. You needed something to calm your nerves until Matt would come home, which hopefully would be soon. Peter made you nervous. Only problem was, you couldn’t decide if it was in a good or a bad way.

A light chuckle pulls your attention back to Peter. As he takes a sip of his drink, he makes sure to licks his lips after, drawing your attention right to them. You knew what game he was playing and you had to admit it was working.

Besides Matt, you’ve never felt this wanted by anyone. Sure, it was probably just to tease Matt, a way for Peter to assert his dominance as alpha, but even if it was a game, it made you flustered. The heat of his gaze was enough to send shivers through your body and straight to your core.

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As he reaches out for the door handle, Matt stops. Your heart is beating rapidly, your breath slightly hitched. Your scent fills the air, overpowering everything else. He can smell how wet you are, how the pheromones are pouring out of you. The scent of your arousal envelopes him, making his cock twitch.

For a second, he doesn’t even care what Peter has done to make you feel this way. The only thing on his mind is to fuck you senseless in front of him, showing him who you really belong to. Matt has never been one to share, but the thrill of Peter watching makes his cock even harder.

Walking in, he finds you pinned against the counter in the kitchen, Peter staring into your eyes. Without taking his eyes off of you, Peter smirks.

“Welcome home, Matt.”

Throwing his jacket on the rack, Matt walks over to the kitchen, studying the two of you. He already knew you’d both be riled up, but to his surprise he finds Peter’s heart racing. His palms are sweaty, his breath slightly strained and his jaw clenched. He’s nervous.

Smirking, Matt takes your hand and pulls you in for a heated kiss. He can smell the jealousy wash over Peter, as he kisses you deeper, his tongue playing against yours. His cock is painfully hard now, rubbing against your core, pulling soft moans from you. He knows it’s childish, but Matt feels the need to show off. Need Peter to know you’re his.

Shooting Peter a glance, Matt barely breaks away from your lips long enough to speak.

“See you in the morning”

As he walked in, he could smell the fresh linen by the couch, already knowing you’d asked Peter to stay. And right now, given the situation, it actually made him harder, knowing Peter would be on the couch, while he fucked you in the next room.

As he pulls you towards the bedroom, Peter groans in the background, but Matt couldn’t care less. Kicking the door closed, he quickly undresses you before throwing you down on the bed. The animal in him wants to just turn you around and take you, but he’s not like that. Besides, he can’t deny how much he wants Peter to hear how good he can make you feel.

Great. Just great. After making the couch, his less than desirable bed for the evening, Peter slumps down on to the sounds of your moans in the room next door. He wasn’t jealous, he really wasn’t. Okay, maybe a little. When did women choose to mate with a beta when there was an alpha around? And a pretty good looking alpha, if he had to say so himself.

Your scent still lingers in the living room, filling his senses. Another moan fills the air, taunting him. He knows Matt is putting on a show, so instead of trying to ignore it, he might as well enjoy it. Leaning back against the couch, he closes his eyes as he focuses all his senses on you.

You whimper as Matt licks up your slit, the scent of your juices almost too much to bear. As Matt sucks on your clit, Peter can’t help but unbutton his jeans, pulling out his already hard cock. When Matt’s fingers push into you, the wet sounds echo in Peter’s head. Spitting in his hand, he can almost imagine being sheathed in your wet heat.

As you come undone on Matt’s tongue, Peter grips his cock harder, mimicking the way you clench down on Matt’s fingers. When he pulls out of you, Matt sucks his fingers clean. The thought of doing the same, makes Peter’s mouth water.

Matt pushes into you and as you moan his name, Peter imagines you moaning his instead. Setting a brutal pace, keen on claiming you, to mark you with his cum, Matt growls into your neck. Unexpectedly, Peter’s cock twitches at Matt’s growl. Well, that was definitely a surprise.

Suddenly, it’s not just you Peter focused on. It’s both of you. Your soft moans mixed with Matt’s whimpers, his soft praises. The sweet scent of your cunt mixed with the small beads of sweat on Matt. Spitting into his hand once more, Peter matches the pace of his hand with Matt’s thrusts.

Not even afraid they’ll hear him, Peter groans as he feels the knot in his stomach tighten. He is so close, the sounds and scents almost pushing him over the edge.

Matt is trying so hard to focus on you, but it’s hard when he can hear Peter groaning next door. The scent of him and the sounds he makes, should not affect Matt so hard. But it does. As another groan sound from the living room, Matt looks to you. Your head is turned towards the door, listening for Peter, your pussy clenching down on him by the sound of Peter’s smooth voice.

“You know Peter is listening, don’t you? Is that why you’re moaning so loudly, sweetheart?”

You whimper at his words, the most exquisite sound in the world.

“You want him, huh? You wanna be fucked by an alpha?”

You clench down hard around him, as you scream out your orgasm. A soft yes leaves your lips, as Matt continues to thrust into you. You want Peter. It should bother him, but images of you and Peter suddenly flood his mind. How you would writhe beneath Peter, pinned down as he takes you hard. Burying himself to the hilt, he comes with a huge growl, filling you to the brim with him cum.

As you both come down from your highs, Matt can hear Peter panting in the living room, the smell of his cum hanging in the air. The scent mixed with yours, is already enough to make him hard again. Frustrated, he groans as he pulls out of you and walks to the bathroom. The next few days were gonna be hard.

Thank you so much for reading <3

Tagging: @clydesducktape @absurdthirst @fictionalnerdery @lucy-sky @a-reader-and-a-writer @e-dubbc11 @freshabogados @lcvenderblues @moonlarking

#the moon in may writing challenge #matt murdock x reader #peter hale x reader #matt murdock fanfiction #peter hale fanfiction #beast within #werewolf matt murdock #teen wolf au #daredevil werewolf au

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adder24 · 2 years

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Tales from the Reapers Scythe -Part 2 The beast within

Part 1|

Rating: 15+ Because cussing and gore Authors notes: This is some original fiction that I have wrote and been developing for 20+ years. Welcome to the world of reapers Description: What is life like for a reaper? It’s certainly not like the life we are led to believe, a being that helps you on your journey when you pass. No it is far more than that. There is a balance to keep, creatures to keep at bay and enemies hell bent on making a reapers life even more difficult. We join Adder after being shot in the head by his captors and discovering something dark roaming within the depths of his mind 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

The darkness is where the monsters of your mind like to lurk, they can hide in it, they can plot and whisper nothing but toxicity into your ear, trying to find that sweet spot, the button that makes you snap into an uncontrollable rage, unleashes the inner beast within. It is the fuel they need to survive and thrive off. Combine that with the deafening silence and you have the perfect recipe for an untamable beast, one that sends your sanity back to the darkness while it goes on a devastating rampage. It puts you in there, to make you believe you have passed out, that you are safe but the fact or the truth of the matter is that a Primal rage has taken over in order to protect you. Now put that beast into a reaper, a newly formed reaper still trying to figure out what they are and you have the perfect storm.

The Red dragon witnessed this devastating combination with his own two eyes and for the experiment, it took a total of five minutes for Adder to recover from a bullet to the head and to also fully recover from paralysis from the waist down. They made the mistake of releasing him from his binds when they thought he was dead but they were wrong and the last thing they heard was a deep guttural growl that was on par with a demonic beast rising up from the depths of hell, the man’s eyes were black with the burning red iris around the pupil and blood dripping down his face to complete the nightmare look.

Of course, The Captain ordered his men to restrain Adder and put him back in the cuffs but the man in front of them wasn’t Adder, it was a beast and it wasn’t stopping. The men tried to restrain him but Adder was swift in disposing them, one man met his fate by being hurled to the ground and having his chest stomped on, Adder applying so much force that he managed to crush the man’s rib cage, the shattered ribs impaling his heart and puncturing his lungs, causing him to suffocate and bleed out of the mouth. The second guard had a more grisly death at the hands of Adder, he had the audacity to shoot Adder again and for his stupidity, Adder ripped his shooting arm off his body and then used it to beat the man to death but his blood lust wasn’t quenched, he had his sights firmly set on the Red Dragon and when he saw the man scrabbling to get away, pushed up against the door, a sickening smile spread across Adder’s lips.

Adder must have taken two steps towards the Captain before he was stopped suddenly, he felt he had been pushed back and when he regained composure he found himself in another room entirely. Adder is furious, he wanted to pay the Captain back ten fold for all the things he had put him through. He clenched his fists and went to leave the room but a sound stopped him, one that caught his attention. He quickly spun on his heels and saw someone run through the shadows and before he even had time to react, the person had managed to hit his ears hard, causing Adder to become disorientated and deafened by an ever increasing ringing in the ears. It was enough to snap him out of the blinding rage.

He shook his head in order to shake off the ringing and the disorientation before he slowly got to his feet, confused by his surroundings, this wasn’t his room, nor was it the torture room or the Solitary confinement room. This room was poorly lit, cold and had a stench of rotting flesh in the air.

“The fuck am I?” Adder groaned

“You don’t want to know” Came a familiar voice

Adder jumped out of his skin before noticing Lee emerge from the shadows, not dressed in his usual nursing attire. No he was dressed in a long black woolen jacket with lapels and a silk red inner lining, a crisp white shirt with a black collar and black slacks that he tucked into his long black boots.

“... You’re not really a nurse are you?” Adder asks as he rubbed his temples

“Yes and no… We need to get out of here Adder. As quickly as possible” Lee responded

“... Why? What happened?”

“You don’t know?”

“No...I just woke up in this place...I don’t know what happened… Tell me, please”

“You remember us talking about Adders and how they strike when they have no choice but to defend themselves?”

“......Yeah….”

“You struck...you struck hard and now you have all of the Kempeitai hunting you down. I need to get you out of here”

“I get the impression that’s not easy considering I am in some kind of secure military location ...I think… I just know there was a lot of soldiers walking about” Adder responded

“And you’d be right… This is a secure Military prison, where they use particular individuals or prisoners of war who refuse to break, as experiments. Science experiments. To them you were a gold mine of opportunity, the perfect test subject. Not only were you clearly not Japanese but you were also… strange. The farmers who brought you here, they found you walking away from the epicentre of an atomic bomb. You were nothing but charred flesh and bone and yet somehow, within two weeks of being found, you had recovered, fully recovered from all injuries you sustained, except the amnesia. You have red eyes, you are able to hear screaming when no one else can and you are able to tell when someone is dying, on top of that you have exceptional speed and strength and the ability to not die. They think the bomb made you superhuman but it wasn’t the bomb that made you how you are”

“Well if it wasn’t the bomb then this is all eerily coincidental”

“You should have died but you were fortunate enough to have the scythe passed onto you”

“... What?”

“I’ll explain later. We need to go, I can sense they are closing in on us. Grab my hand” Lee orders as he holds his hand out to Adder

“Where are we gonna go? There’s only one way in and one way out. They’ll catch us for sure!”

“There’s more than one way out. Trust me. Grab my hand Adder!”

Adder knew that he didn’t have much of a choice in the matter, stay and face more experiments designed to inflict pain or hold hands with Lee and hope he manages to find a way out of the hell that was the Kempeitai prison. He grabs Lee's hand and looks at him dead in the eyes.

“If you’re wrong Lee, so help me”

“What will you do? Kill me?” Lee replies with a smirk

Before Adder could answer, he felt a sharp tug on his arm and was plunged into darkness once more, briefly before they emerged again in what seemed to be a park during the afternoon, busy with people going about their everyday business, women, children, businessmen, soldiers and sailors. Adder was stunned and confused as to how Lee managed to move them from a dark dingy room with the stench of rotting flesh, to a park with a lot of open space and fresh air. He let go of Lee’s hand and frantically started looking around, taking note of the people and the surrounding area and quickly realising he was no longer in Japan.

“Alright Lee where the hell are we?” Adder asks, completely confused

“New York” Lee replied calmly

“New York?! America?! We were in Japan and now...now suddenly we are in America?! Either you’re some kind of wizard or this is a really fucked up joke!”

“It’s neither” Lee replies as he looks around anxiously, noting some soldiers starting to move in on their current location “But we need to move”

“I thought we were safe!”

“You are, I’m not”

“Lee-”

Without hesitation Lee grabs him by the shoulders and the same thing happens, there is a sharp tug, followed by darkness and then an emergence into some kind of abandoned warehouse made into a liveable space.

“Welcome to my home” Lee says calmly

Adder took a moment to take in his new surroundings, a vast warehouse that seemed to have been abandoned for some time, it had been gutted, stripped back to the bare minimum and left to rot. It's glory days were long gone, the paint on the walls was starting to flake away, windows were smashed and the roof leaked. A vast project for one man, yet somehow Lee seemed to be managing fine with the mammoth task at hand.

He had created a small living space within the vast warehouse, roughly 60 foot by 40 feet and was adorned with a lot of Japanese decorations and artwork, just to make it a little more homely for the man. He even had a samurai suit displayed proudly near the entrance of his living area

A lot of the furniture within his living space appeared to be hand crafted, made from a range of discarded materials, they might not appear attractive to some people but they did the jobs they were made for, providing the man comfort or supplying him with rest after a hard day. Light came in the form of traditional Japanese lanterns that were attached to some thick rope, held aloft around the living space by traditional hand made Shoji sliding doors that doubled up as a means to keeping heat in the small living space, heat that came in the form of a crude firepit that was also used to cook on. To top it all off, Lee had put a roof over the entire space which made the small home seem more cosy and complete.

“Are we safe now?” Adder asks

“Yes. Are you hungry? I’m going to be cooking a Katsun curry if you fancy it”

“I’ve been through hell, shot twice, once in the back and once in the head, pulled out of one country and into another, Literally. I don’t know what’s going on, I am convinced you are a wizard who can...move us from place to place in the blink of an eye and you’re offering me food in this home within a warehouse and acting like this is normal” Adder rambles, his breathing more rapid as he struggles with his panic. “What the hell is going on Lee?!”

“Cooking helps calm my soul when I am stressed or panicked. You’re distracting your mind from what is causing your inner turmoil, focusing on getting the ingredients right, prepared and cooked exactly to your preference and when you’re like this, it makes it easier to explain the situation at hand. Come cook with me and I’ll explain everything as best as I can” Lee replied softly as he gathers his ingredients “And teach you to cook at the same time”

Adder takes a few deep breaths to try and calm his anxiety and then helps Lee with cooking the meal and true to his word, Lee did indeed explain things to Adder.

You see, becoming a reaper is sheer potluck. It’s not like getting into the promised land of the afterlife through good behaviour or getting promoted at work, if that was the case then all mass murderers would make exceptional reapers. Terrifying thought that. Anyway, how it works is like this: when a Reaper dies or is dying, the last soul they come to collect will become the new reaper and will take their place. Simple. Well that part anyway, the rest of it is a bit… well complicated.

Firstly the selected new reaper will lose every single memory of their previous normal human life. They won’t know their names, their parents, their home, their dog's name or what colour underpants they put on that day. It’s tragic but it’s for good reason, makes their transition a little easier.

Then they are exposed to all the amazing things a reaper can do and feel with their heightened senses and obnoxious skills. The screaming souls is the worst thing that occurs because a new Reaper isn’t exactly given a scythe straight away, they need training and they need to understand their new life. Let’s be honest when a baby is born, they don’t exactly get up the next day and run a marathon, they have to learn to walk before they can run, which quite frankly is an amusing thing to watch, toddlers trying to run. So naturally an experienced reaper is assigned to the baby reaper to help them walk.

Now. This is where it can get complicated, there are two basic simple rules that must be followed at all times, Number one being to not attack or kill your fellow man with your scythe and number two is to not go against the natural order. Meaning, if say Tom in the bar is winding you up, hitting on your lover and being an all round prick, you can’t just go and take his soul because they have acted like a prick to you, that’s a no no...a BIG no no. A new reaper, however, has a free pass so to speak, so basically those soldiers Adder murdered is null and void because he didn’t know he was a reaper. It’s basically like saying “Sorry, it's my first day” In a new job BUT that is literally the only time you can get away with it, plus those soldiers were kind of asking for it. If you kill in self defence, well that’s a grey area, you know your role, you know you take a life and it is a power that shouldn’t be abused, you may not have a choice in the matter but it is still punishable by those above the reapers pay grade and sometimes them punishments can vary from temporarily being stripped of your abilities to ending your time as a reaper... aka the death penalty.

Next is that neat trick Lee does to move from Nagasaki to New York in the blink of the eye. That is called fading, the ability to essentially teleport from one place to another quickly. It’s one trick that needs a lot of training because it takes a lot of focus and energy to do it. Without that focus, a reaper could find themselves in the next door neighbours bathroom and cause unnecessary panic. It is mainly the new reapers that end up doing this A LOT but the only way to get better is to keep trying. Also when a reaper does fade successfully, they usually leave a trail of black smoke behind them. It's like a calling card to say they have been.

The red eyes? Ah yes them blessed red eyes. The only thing the fables got right! Why do reapers have them? Well some people seem to connect the red eyes to the pits of hell and I can’t begin to tell you how very wrong they are. They do serve a purpose, there is a reason for them being red, well two reasons to be fair.

The first reason isn’t exactly as exciting as you may think it is, the red eyes are not actually red, it’s due to having no pigment in the iris of the eye, what makes it red is the blood vessels within the eye. This is usually associated with Albinism. So unless you were an albino previously, this doesn’t really explain much. However one of the things a reaper can do when they are in “Reaping mode” (Which is a thing) is to be able to pick up on the body heat of the soul they are to gather. That sounds pointless considering what we do but no, we have to be sure that the person is actually dead before we take the soul. If we have pigment in the iris, it kinda hampers the ability, as it affects the absorption of infrared rays needed to be able to do this trick.

Reason one explained, next is reason two. When Adder was in rampage mode, the whites of his eyes went Black and the red of his eyes glowed. This is what is known as the last stand, used when a Reaper is in a dangerous situation and has no other options left. The eyes burn bright red, the whites of the eyes go black and it is believed that if you stare at a reaper in this state, you won’t just hear the screams of the souls suffering, but you will be left traumatised and forever haunted by the image of Death and his burning red eyes.

That’s probably the reason why people think the red eyes symbolise the depths of hell.

Now we have those bits explained, it's time to go back to Adder and Lee. Between them, they were able to make a traditional Katsune curry using some fresh chicken that Lee had bought that day and true to his word, as they cooked Lee explained what Adder had become and what his new life entailed. Of course it was a bit of a shock, discovering you in some way died and became the creature that every man, woman and child feared the most. Of course Adder panicked, they all panic when it is broken to them for the first time but Lee had a way of calming them down and explaining it in a way that normalises it, mentioning that without reapers the world wouldn’t be able to function in the way that it does, that without the reaping of souls, new life can’t develop and grow and essentially the world would not be able to progress.

The explanation helped Adder to adjust to the news but he still had a lot of questions and he was still in some state of shock. He’s dead and yet he’s alive, he had a life that he can no longer remember and the start of his new life was met with torture, misery and confusion but he did at least feel that he was in safe hands with Lee. The man made him feel welcome, he treated him like a friend and made him feel equal to him.

“...Prove it” Adder finally says as he finishes his meal

“Prove what?” Lee asks

“Prove you're a reaper” Adder responds “Do something a reaper would do, reap a soul or...I dunno do something that proves you’re a reaper and that I am one as well.”

Lee looks at him and then nods his head, as if he was prepared for this kind of request. He had seen it before, those who were fortunate enough to become a reaper, needing concrete evidence that this was not a joke set up by their peers.

“Okay…The samurai suit at the entrance is holding a sword and a Jo staff. The sword is my scythe and I’ll prove it to you. You might want to move back a bit” Lee says with a smile.

Adder gives him a confused look but does as he is told and moves back from Lee, watching as the man nonchalantly holds out his arm, his hand positioned to catch something. He looks over at the suit of armour and smiles as the sword held in the suit's hand begins to shake itself loose and then flies over with the glove still attached. As it hurtles towards Lee, the man casually grabs the handle and pulls it from its intricately painted sheath, the sword quickly transforming before him into a Scythe, the snath of the scythe a deep cherry red in colour with detailed japanese dragons carved into the wood. There is Japanese Kenji carved into the wood, just below the attachment ring that holds the blade onto the snath. The blade itself is held on with some beautifully crafted metal work, a dragon's claw holding the actual blade, the metal glinting in the light and projecting the menacing shadow of the scythe.

Adder steps back in shock as Lee stands and holds the scythe against himself, chuckling a little at Adder’s reaction.

“You asked for proof” He says calmly

“... I didn’t expect that” Adder replies as he takes a deep breath

“No one does but isn't that the point? We can’t exactly walk the streets with our scythes on full show, it would cause mass panic.”

“So would walking around with a Samurai sword!”

“Yes and no. I am permitted to carry the sword due to my training, I have the appropriate paperwork to protect me but you’re right, it would be suspicious wouldn’t it?” Lee replies with a smile.

The scythe then quickly changed into a normal walking cane with a golden japanese dragon wrapped around its entire length.

“In a way the scythe is like a chameleon” Lee explains “It remains hidden until it is needed and since we don’t stop being reapers, it’s essential we have them with us at all costs and to hand should we need them to protect us. Most reapers opt for the walking stick because no one really questions it, although I have seen some reapers transform their scythes into violin cases, cue cases and even baseball bats. Whatever you can get away with to blend in” Lee says calmly as he puts the Scythe and the glove back on the suit, he then carefully removes the jo staff from the back of the suit.

“This one is yours” He says, holding it out to him “It will turn into its natural form the moment you take it from me”

“What will it look like?” Adder asks

“Why don’t you find out?” Lee responded

Adder gently took the Jo staff from Lee and watched as it transformed slowly into a Scythe. In comparison to Lee’s it was bland, a standard scythe with black stained wood and a clean sharpened blade. There was no originality, nothing that stood out or made it his own. In essence it was a blank canvas.

“Looks...just like a scythe…” Adder says with a bit of disappointment

“Look at it like a blank canvas that will tell your story. Mine was the same as yours, blank and boring but as time progressed, I customised it to suit me. The first thing I did was carved the kanji symbols for Dragon and guardian spirit. When I was born a reaper, the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was a dragon on a flag, fluttering over my head. It gave me some kind of comfort and it still does. Then over time I added more. The carved dragons were next, each one celebrating a victory during my time as a Reaper, some small and some big and then...came the dragon claw… The bit that sets my scythe apart from the rest. It symbolised my position within my clan, I was the leader, head of the Dragon clan. They called me Mizuchi, a dragon of the river and water deity...when we battled we moved like the river rapids, fast, fierce and with one motion and when we were retrieving souls, we were gentle, calm and compassionate.”

“...So where are the other members of your clan?” Adder asks carefully

“...Gone. Some were taken in battle and some were taken by the master of time… when you were born, The last of my clan alerted me to you...because you was his last soul before he was taken...His name was Jin and he told me that only the strong would be worth his scythe”

“......And this is his Scythe?” Adder asks, glancing at the blade glinting in the light “Cause if it is, he liked to keep things simple”

Lee chuckled and shook his head “No It was his scythe but it’s now yours...like I said, a blank canvas.”

Lee gently patted his shoulder as he stood up from the hand made couch and made his way over to the small kitchen area, he placed the bowls into an old metal bucket filled with water and then went back into the living area where he gathered up some blankets and pillows and placed them down on the floor neatly.

“This is your bed, trust me it's a lot more comfortable than those ones in the prisoner of war camp, plus it's good for your back."

“But I don’t have a bad back” Adder protests

“Good, this will help maintain your strong back” Lee responds as he unfurls the blankets and places them down neatly on the floor which resembles the traditional japanese tatami flooring. “Our flooring is much different to the floors you and your people are accustomed to, try it, you’ll be surprised” Lee offers

The man smiled softly at him and proceeded to then make his own bed as Adder threw back the covers and got himself acquainted with the floor, which was surprisingly a lot more comfortable than he was used to. He pulled the covers over himself and stared up at the makeshift ceiling. Everything seemed normal for a time, he could hear the waves outside lap gently against the Dock, he could hear Lee get himself comfortable and the occasional ship going past but nothing too unsettling.

Unfortunately, death will never cease and in next to no time Adder could hear the screams and cries of souls begging for release, begging not to go, to be given a second chance, pleading for more time. It never stopped,it was relentless, deafening and unsettling. He covered his ears up, hoping to block them out but it didn’t work and the incessant noise drove him out of his bed.

He then ran towards the water and dived in. The screams became muffled by the water, giving him a little bit of respite from the intensity but they still persisted, still called out to him which resulted in Adder thrashing about in the water, sinking further and further to the bottom, panicking and running out of air. The darkness had started to creep in and he could hear his heart thumping hard in his ears. The world was slowly slipping away but just as he was on the brink of blacking out, a pair of arms grabbed him and hauled him out of the water. As soon as Adder sensed he was on the ground, he rolled to the side and coughed up a load of water. He was alive but the screams had returned and Adder now began punching himself in the head, over and over again.

“Stop…..Adder stop!” Came Lee’s voice as he grabbed his wrists “You’re hearing the souls because you don’t know how to filter them out, It happens to every reaper, every single one of us and it’s horrible...I know, but we’re gonna work on this starting now”

Adder looks at him as he pants, battling against fatigue and anxiety, looking at Lee for guidance, hoping he can make the screams fade away.

"Focus on the waves, listen to the water crashing against rocks, you have sensitive hearing so it shouldn't be too hard to listen for." Lee says calmly "Breath with the waves and let the ocean ease your mind”

It was easier said than done, the screams seemed to block out any other sound and Adder had to focus really hard in order to hear the gentle lapping of waves but once he had locked onto the sound, all other sounds around him faded into the background. His breathing eased and the tenseness in his body leasened.

“There we go….there we go…” Lee says as he watches Adder calm down “That’s the first step”

“What’s the second?” Adder asks, remaining focused on the water beside them

“We will get to that step when we come to it. For now let’s focus on the basics and let's try and sleep shall we?”

“Your clan… You said Reapers pass on their scythes when they die… So, how come you don’t have a new clan Lee? Why am I the only one?”

Lee hung his head and took a deep breath before looking up at Adder. “All in good time” he said sadly before getting to his feet “We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. You need rest”

Adder watched as Lee made his way back inside the warehouse, his head dropped, his back hunched and his shoulders slack. He was hiding the truth about his clan from Adder, a truth that still pierces his heart and refuses to heal. A truth that is laced with darkness and is being shielded away from Adder in order to protect him and it didn’t take a genius to figure it out.

As Lee disappeared from sight, Adder slowly gathered himself and got back onto his feet. He looked over at the harbour longingly and then turned to face the warehouse. If he is to train alongside Lee, he will need to trust him and find out the truth of his clan.

#Tales from the reapers scythe #Scythe #Adder #Original Character #Original fiction #Fiction #Story #Reapers #Reaper #wattpad #monster #beast within #beast #beast mode

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