#meet the reaper

[broiderie]

Lost Princessa: Meet the Reaper 26

Well don't kill me. Here's part 26. It's a bit of lead up.

Personal note - I'm now on some serious heart medication due to reoccurring heart issues, so I'm a little foggy. Things may be a bit slower than they used to be even though I hoped to stick to my previous posting of about a chapter a week. That's not working out very well. It's taking me longer to get my ideas on paper and then even longer to get them typed. Please be patient with me.

Warnings: cursing (maybe), show level casual illegal activity, Angel being a menace.

Also - don't steal my shit. This is the only place this is posted.

Taza, Hank, Megan and Rex quickly joined the rest of the club inside. “Morning, Poquito, Hank, Taza. You look like you’re going somewhere important,” Bishop greeted them as he claimed a morning hug from Megan. “What’s the plan today?”

Hank smiled ruefully. “Ask la princessa. She’s the one that’s insistent about it.”

Megan, who had moved on to giving Marcus his morning greeting, shot him a look over her good shoulder.

“Really now, Bebita? What’s he mean?” Marcus asked, looking down at her as he hugged her close. 

Megan sighed. “We’re going to see the doctor in Santa Madre for an x-ray. I want this sling off so I can have my life back.”

Creeper frowned from the bar stool where he was perched. “Didn’t the rez doctor say no?”

Megan grimaced. “He said not quite, but that was with the plaster cast. The soft cast and the immobilizing sling mean it’s been resting more than it had been. Some progress has to have been made.”

Bishop nodded and sat down at one of the tables with a cup of coffee. “How’s the pain?”

“Honestly - so much better. I haven’t had so much as an aspirin and it just feels achey and stiff,” she assured him.

“How achey?” Bishop asked again.

“More than a post workout ache but less than a set dislocated shoulder ache. I honestly think I’d be fine without the sling for the most part. I can always put it back on if it hurts.” She shrugged her good shoulder.

There was a collective wince from the elders at her description.

“What the hell, Shorty. How’d you know what a dislocated shoulder feels like, huh?” Angel asked, giving her a skeptical look.

“Angel - I rode in rodeos. Not a rider I know who hasn’t dislocated at least one shoulder once. In my event - that was the price of a mistake,” she smiled. “And a small price to pay rather than a broken leg or back.”

“Shit, Ma. And you did that shit for fun?” Coco added, puffing on his cigarette. 

“Well, the money was nice too.”

“Holy shit. No wonder you didn’t freak out about the pain.” Coco ashed the cigarette in his hand. “Y’all need someone to ride along?”

“Nah. Thanks, Coco. We’re good, I think. Just a quick run for an x-ray,” Hank assured him as he settled into a chair across the table from Taza.

“Besides- like Creep said - the rez doc didn’t think she was healed enough yet. Good possibility it’s still too early but la princessa is impatient,” Taza said with a grin in Megan’s direction. SHe stuck her tongue out at him.

“Well, we have Angel and EZ doing the Adelita meet today. They’re going South anyway. Might as well go along with you so they don’t have to walk from the desert,” Bishop said. He turned to look at EZ where he was polishing glasses. “Prospect, you better do your memory shit. Poquito could only arrange for the two of you. We’ll hold Templo tonight so everyone gets read in at once.”

EZ nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

“And don’t fuck it up,” Hank added.

Taza agreed. “You two fuck up  this gun deal… Neither of you can afford it. The club can’t afford it.”

Both brothers nodded solemnly. 

It wasn’t even an hour laters that they met at the dress warehouse hatch. By now they had this to a science. EZ carried Rex. The ladder was difficult for Megan on handed, so Hank went first so he could catch her if she slipped. Taza stayed at the top guiding her down as far as he could maintain his balance. 

The tunnel itself wasn’t too bad. The terrain was a bit rough, but nothing Megan couldn’t handle with the help of the lights and either Taza or Hank’s guiding hand on her good arm. 

THe hatch on the other end, however, was the bane of her existence. The ladder was built for much taller men so the rungs were further apart and roughly built. They weren’t evenly spaced either. When they reached it Megan sighed. She had slipped every time at this end.

“What’s wrong, Princessa?” EZ asked. “Need a break?” He handed her a bottle of water from the backpack he was carrying. 

Megan shot him a rueful smile and sipped it. “More like an elevator. I hate this ladder.”

Taza grimaced. “We’ll get a new one soon, Chica. Just gotta deal until then.”

Angel eyed the ladder. “Bet me and the boyscout could get you up it easier.”

Hank frowned a bit and tugged Megan to rest against his chest a moment. “What do you mean, Angel?”

“We got Creep up it pretty easy when he needed the doc. Megan’s a lot smaller.” Angel shrugged. “Same way we used to get shit into the attic for Pops.”

EZ broke into a wide grin. “You might be right.”

Taza shrugged a bit as he glanced at Megan. “What do you say, Chica? Want to let them try it?”

Megan eyed the hated ladder, before turning to eye the brothers. “Promise not to drop me?”

Angel gave a sardonic laugh. “And risk getting shot? We won’t drop you, Shorty.”

“Alright then. How’re we doing this?” she asked.

Angel grinned. “Taza, you and EZ go first. Once you’re up, EZ lays on the floor to lift la princessa with Taza to anchor him. Megan gets on my shoulder an’ EZ pulls her out. Simple. Reyes Brothers Elevator.”

Hank chuckled and shook his head, amazed at the simplicity of it. “I’ll help steady you, mi amore. This way you don’t risk falling like yesterday.” The day before, Megan had been lucky Hank was behind her for the ladder. He’d had to catch her twice.

Just like Angel outlined, Taza and EZ went first with EZ carrying Rex. Taza paid the toll while the prospect laid down and hung his top half through the hatch. Taza anchored his legs as Hank helped Angel get Megan onto his shoulders and steadied her as he stood. Then EZ locked his arm and pulled Megan up until Taza could help her out of the hatch. In the end, EZ was breathing a little heavy, but the near disaster of the day before had been averted. Angel and Hank then climbed up to join them. 

“Thanks Angel and EZ. That was much easier on my end,” Megan said, smiling at the brothers. 

Angel gave a slightly cocky grin. “Anything for la princessa de los Mayas, right Prospect?”

EZ laughed a little and straightened his kutte. “Right.”

Once they reached the town, Angel and EZ dropped them off at the storefront where the doctor kept an office upstairs and headed out to the coordinates Luisa had sent to the burner phone in Angel’s pocket. 

“Alright, Chica. Let’s go get this x-ray and find out how you’re doing. After, we can go find something to do until Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum get back,” Taza said with a grin.

Hank led the way up the narrow stairs and paused at the top to smile back at Megan. “You ready, mi amore?”

Megan smiled a little nervously. “You’ll stay with me?”

“Of course, Princessa.” He chuckled a little. “We’d have to anyway - Doc doesn’t speak English.”

Inside, Taza spoke with a man quietly in Spanish as Megan leaned into Hank’s side. The conversation wasn’t very long before the man smiled at Megan and waved her forward. 

Megan turned to look at Taza. 

“He just wants to take the sling off and feel for the break before he x-rays you, Chica,” Taza assured her. 

Hank guided her forward and worked the sling straps on her back to release them. Once the sling was off, he sat her on the narrow wooden table while holding her good hand.

The doctor approached with his hands held calmingly out in front of him. He gently pressed along her collarbone. He looked at Hank and asked something. 

“Mi reina, he wants to know if it hurts when he touches it,” Hank translated. 

“No. It’s a little achey, but that’s just the stiffness I think,” Megan said. 

The doctor nodded as Taza translated what was said. He gestured for Hank to step away from Megan and rolled a camera looking machine in front of her before holding a metal panel behind her shoulder. Megan fought the urge to giggle as she realized that the x-ray machine was a portable vet tool. 

The doctor took the shots that he needed before indicating that he’d be back in a moment. 

As soon as he was out of the room, Megan lost the battle with her giggles. Both men grinned at her. 

“What’s so funny, Chica?” Taza asked, amused at her reaction to this doctor. He had expected nerves or even some defiance like he’d seen the other times doctors had looked at her. 

“Papa, he’s not a doctor, is he? He’s a vet,” Megan bit her lip to stifle her laugh.

Hank burst out laughing while Taza stared at her for a moment before joining in. 

“How’d you know, Princessa?” Hank asked as he moved to support her still splinted arm through her laughing fit.

“The x-ray machine gave it away. And he wasn’t exactly concerned that he couldn’t talk to me directly. Plus - he came at me like I was going to cow kick him if he surprised me.”

Taza laughed again. “You’re right. He’s a farm vet. We didn’t want to scare you with him not being a ‘real’ doctor, so we just didn’t say anything.”

Megan smiled mischievously. “Well - for future reference - I’d much rather the vet than the hospital any day.”

An hour or so later they were walking down the narrow steps to the street level again with Megan’s sling tucked into a bag. The doctor had given the go ahead to remove the sling as long as she wasn’t using her arm too much and there wasn’t a lot of pain. He’s also provided Hank with a refill of the ibuprofen - just in case.

Once on the street, they decided to head to a small restaurant down the street to wait for the Reyes brothers and have lunch. 

Taza ordered for them at the counter while Hank and Megan found a table in a spot where they could see the door. Megan kept rolling her right shoulder until Hank gently rubbed his hand down her spine and across her shoulders. “Are you alright, mi reina?” he asked her as he did it. 

Megan gave a soft groan of relief as Hank rubbed. Hank chuckled at the noise as she answered. “I’m fine. Just stiff.” She paused, arching her back into his rubbing hand. “That feels so good.”

Hank laughed again and scooted his chair back from the table. “Come ‘ere, Princessa. Let me help.” He tugged her to sit in his lap facing him and leaned her forward against his chest so he could gently rub the knots from her back that the sling caused. 

Megan melted against him as the firm pressure released her muscles even through her kutte and holster. 

Hank grinned as Taza came to the table with two trays of food and drinks. His smile assured Taza that nothing was seriously wrong. 

Taza placed the trays on the table and took his seat across from her. “Everything alright?” he asked quietly. 

Megan nodded from where her face was buried in between Hank’s neck and shoulder but made  no move to get up. She let out another quiet moan that only Hank could hear as he hit a particularly nice spot. 

Hank chuckled again and tried not to think about it too much. He liked that noise. He met Taza’s eyes. “Yeah. She’s just stiff and her back muscles are in knots from the sling. 

Taza laughed a little. “So that’s why she’s practically purring.” 

Hank grinned. He tilted his chin to kiss Megan’s hair. “Your papa brought lunch. You ready to eat?” he asked her. 

Megan whined a little, but nodded before lifting her head. Hank helped her to settle back into her chair with a laugh. “A hot shower when we get home will help, mi amore.”f

As they ate, they made plans for the rest of the day. They had Templo when they got back to discuss the deal with the L.O. but after that no plans had been made. 

“Well, your tíos and I need to meet after Templo to do some book work, so I’ll be tied up for the night. What are your plans, Chica?” Taza asked as he discreetly added more rice to Megan’s plate while she was distracted. 

“Don’t know. I need to let Riz know to put me back on the schedule since the sling is off, but I also know that he’s already got this week’s schedule posted. I looked this morning,” Megan said as she ate the taco she'd fixed from the communal plates Taza had ordered them. “Will you be in meetings too, Hank?”

Hank sipped his soda and shook his head. “Nah. All my book stuff is done for the next two weeks.” He leaned back in his chair and slid his arm along the back of Megan’s. “Now that your sling’s off - would you want to do something tonight?”

Megan’s eyes sparkled. “Like a date?”

Hank laughed. “Yes. Like an actual date, mi princessa. Nothing too fancy, but a date.”

Megan bounced a little in her chair. “Yes!”

Taza grinned at her enthusiasm. “There we go. I’ll be home late too, so don’t wait up for me.”

“Would you keep Rex for the night?” Hank asked, petting the big dog’s ears under the table. “I thought we might take the bike.”

Megan lit up further “Really?”

“If your papa doesn’t mind.”

Megan turned to him with her big, brown eyes pleading.

“Yes. I’ll keep the pooch - if you promise to stay with Hank, Chica. I like you having him as an extra line of defense when you’re out, so you have to promise not to do anything stupid,” Taza stipulated. 

“I promise, Papa.”

“Alright then. You two will have date night while the pooch and I work late.”

Hank’s burner beeped from his kutte pocket. He pulled it out and checked it without removing his arm from Megan’s chair. “Angel and the Prospect are back in town.”

“Perfect timing. Let’s go home.”

They met the brothers back where they’d split up. Angel quickly abandoned the driver's seat to Taza and Megan got shotgun with Hank behind her. 

At the hatch, this time Taza went first followed by Megan. It was much easier without the sling. She managed to slip once, but caught herself. Once they were at the bottom, EZ frowned at the ladder. “That thing really does need fixed. La Princessa shouldn’t have to struggle with it every time. Especially since she’s going to be dealing with this trip a lot as the armorer,” he said.

“Glad you volunteer, Prospect,” Hank agreed. “You can start on it tomorrow.”

Megan giggled a little as she caught her breath in the close confines of the tunnel but petting Rex.

“You good, Shorty? Didn’t bust nothin’ when you slipped, did ya?” Angel asked.

Megan stuck her tongue out at him. “I’m fine. Just missed a rung.”

“Alright. Just checkin’. No harm in that,” Angel grinned a bit. “Hey Boyscout - maybe you need to use that big brain of yours to figure out a lift, huh? That way la princessa doesn’t break a nail.”

Megan smacked Angel in the chest with the back of her good hand and laughed. “You suck, Angel.”

“That’s why the women love me.”

Megan wrinkled her nose. “Eeewwww. TMI.”

Angel cracked up. “You asked for it.”

Taza shook his head with an exasperated chuckle and shoved Angel forward along the tunnel. “Get going before you scar my daughter for life.”

They made their way back to the Northern hatch where they all climbed out into the dress warehouse with EZ helping to lift Rex through the door. They were all a little dusty, but none the worse for wear.

Back at the clubhouse, Megan proudly walked in without her sling to find Bishop and Marcus relaxing at a table with a few beers.

“Well look at you, Poquito. Doctor freed you?” Bishop asked, standing to claim a hug.

Megan stepped into his embrace with a smile. “Still gotta wear the soft cast and be easy with it, but he cleared me to lose the sling.”

“Good. That’ll make dance lessons easier,” Marcus said as he got his own hug,

“Among other things,” Megan agreed. 

“Is everyone here?” Hank asked.

“Waiting on Riz. He went to help Vickie with something,” Bishop said, taking his seat back.

Taza and Hank joined them as Angel split off to the bar where Coco and Gilly were waiting. EZ went to fetch drinks automatically as Hank pulled Megan onto his knee. 

“He needs to hurry up. La Princessa and her caballero have a date tonight,” Taza said, accepting the beer from EZ.

Marcus grinned. “Finally going to take Poquito somewhere, Tranq?”

Hank grinned. “That’s the plan if nothing fucking it up this time.”

Bishop looked over his shoulder at where Angel was sipping on his own beer. “We’ll be fine for one night, brother. Take Poquito out tonight. If shit hits the fan - it can wait until tomorrow for you.” He grinned. “Now, that being said - you have planning to do. So get to it. Poquito - did the doctor say when the soft cast can come off?”

Hank chuckled and pressed a kiss to the place where Megan’s neck met her shoulder before sliding out from in under her. He watched as Megan settled into his seat and got distracted by her tío’s question before slipping out to the front porch. 

Megan smiled at Bishop. “Tío, why’re you asking me? You know very well the doctor doesn’t speak English.”

Bishop laughed and nodded. “You’re right. You’re right. So what did your papa tell you he said?”

“Still another three weeks or so - as long as I don’t do anything stupid. I kind of think Papa added that part on though,” Megan teased.

Taza laughed. “I paraphrased. That’s all Chica.”

They chatted amicably for a bit before Angel came over to ask to speak to Bishop and Taza alone for a minute in Templo. That left Megan with Marcus.

“Have you heard anything from Tía Diana and Tessa?” Megan asked. “I haven’t heard much since they left.”

Marcus sat forward at the table to smile at her. He leaned his forearms there and smiled. “Yeah. I heard from them at about lunch time. They’re probably still on the road though. Tessa doesn’t have much patience for car rides, so Diana will stop often to let her stretch.” He fiddled with his beer bottle a bit. “I talked to your tía about the move. She agrees that it’s probably best for everyone if I pause my patch for a bit.”

Megan reached across the table to squeeze his fingers. “And you? What do you think?”

He squeezed back before meeting her eyes. “I think she’s right. It makes the most sense, Bebita.”

“Then why the hesitation?” she asked quietly.

“I don’t know who I am without this kutte, Poquito. I’ve been wearing it so long it’s practically my skin at this point.” He sighed. “I’m struggling with letting go.”

“I understand. It’s like leaving rodeo was for me.” She fiddled with his signet ring, “But Tío, you aren’t leaving for good. It’s just like recon.”

He chuckled. “You’re right. We’ll make the call at the Templo after this one. I want to be sure the gun deal is solid first. Besides - this way nothing is on Hank’s mind tonight except you. Finally getting a real date night, huh? You gonna let him show out?”

Megan laughed and sat back. “You mean I could stop him?”

“Good point.”

Bishop and Taza returned with very serious faces. Megan sat up straight in alarm. “Papa? Everything alright?”

“Sí, Chica. Angel just had some information for us.” He pressed a reassuring kiss to the top of her head before resuming his seat. “Your tío is going to take care of it before Templo.”

Bishop nodded and gathered Gilly and Creeper before riding out. 

“Anything I need to know, Hermano?” Marcus asked.

Taza shook his head. “Nah. Charter issue.”

Marcus nodded. 

When Bishop and the others returned, Bishop’s face was like a thundercloud and Riz was with them. Hank followed them in from the front porch too. Bishop didn’t even have to say anything. He just grabbed the whiskey bottle and a glass and headed for Templo. Everyone followed.

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[skxrbrand]

"Some daemons think they can outsmart me. Perhaps....Perhaps."

" I've yet to meet one that can outsmart my axe."

[dreemurr-skelememer]

I see, that Gin getting anyone to ship with lmao.

I wanna see Gin/Reaper cus... I dunno, that's interesting??? I didnt see at once, but, i do not pressure you. 👀

isnt it depressing to always be meeting the god of death

[wrexwas]

Blackwatch Reyes & Strike Commander Morrison on Watchpoint: Gibraltar (Evening)

[mostofthingsmostofthetime]

My thoughts on The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movie

I don’t know if I liked it as much as the original films (maybe Mockingjay 1 & 2 as they are pretty emotionally draining), but I still enjoyed it.

I think where it fell a little flat for me is 1. The beginning was a bit slow (tbh I only really started getting interested when Lucy Gray stuck that snake down that girl’s dress & even then I enjoyed the story more when the setting changed from the Capitol to the district) 2. I knew Snow would survive 3. I’d already been spoiled online for a lot of stuff that happens & 4. while I know the director did his best to make Snow as “likeable” as he could for as long as possible, even before he started getting “a little too comfortable” with killing & snitching I didn’t find him as sympathetic as Katniss or Peeta (but that is probably again down to the fact that I know what he goes onto do & there’s no real way around that), this made engaging with him difficult for me.

The world is fascinating. Getting to see all the new locations we never had access to before as well as old locations now in a totally different light (for example district 12 which, while still clearly suffering, seemed like such a bustling industrial town compared to how it is in Katniss’s time). It might have a much more retro aesthetic but there's also just a more vibrant, natural, wild & lawless atmosphere to this movie compared to the others in the franchise. The whole scope of the film just felt more cinematic then I remember the others being yet also weirdly intimate. Maybe because it was one contained story & we knew the main character’s fate from the start. I also loved the title cards signifying the start of each section of the story like from the books & wished they'd done something similar for the other films. It just added a certain flair to the whole thing. Almost gave it the vibe of a tragic play.

The costuming was great. The bright red of the academy uniforms.  Flickerman’s snazzy suits. Snow’s dapper black & white outfit. Both peace keeper uniforms (despite one of them giving very ‘1930’s Germany’ vibes) looked great. Grandma might have been a bigot, but at least she was well dressed. Everything Dr Gaul wore (except the top that looked like a used tampon, lol) was exquisite. The main ladies of fashion, Tigris & Lucy Gray slayed. Our Future Capitol stylist looked like some regal yet exotic bird & Miss Survivor was giving Bohemian, country girl realness the entire time she was on screen. Even the extras were serving (like that random couple Snow walked past on his way to the reaping ceremony).

The music was amazing. Every song that played was fantastic (shout out to Olivia for her end credit contribution). The lyrics & instrumentation were beautiful & my god does Rachel Zegler have pipes! Anyone who says the singing scenes are cringy is just stupid like I’m sorry you can’t appreciate art. Also, the words ‘ballad’ & ‘songbirds’ are literally in the title. Plus, Lucy Gray is from the poorest district, so what exactly do those people want her to do in her free time? She can’t exactly hop on an X-box for a few hours. Not too mention that (as the offspring of someone who’s musically inclined) I can tell you, it’s completely realistic for a musician to use their craft to help them deal with trauma & Lucy Gray clearly had more than her fair share of that.

The Grandma'am helped to paint a sadly very realistic background for Snow. As who among us hasn’t met at least one delusional old person who thinks that their/their group’s suffering (regardless of the severity of it or the reason behind their former/newer status in society) means that no one else are deserving of even the tiniest shred of humanity & there are some people who are unlucky enough to not only be related to these people but be raised by them.

Hunter schafer as Tigris is clearly the superior Snow when it comes to things like empathy & overall mental stability but I do kind of wish they’d been more for her to do. Credit where credit is due though her & Tom did actually look like they could be related & I did buy their familial bond (which makes her appearance in Mockingjay so much sadder in hindsight).

Peter Dinklage as Casca Highbottom was a bit of a mix for me just due to his purpose as a character & the limit of film as a form of media. Like sure the audience know that Snow’s going to become an irredeemable monster in the end but without a window into his mind it really does just seem like the Dean is just out to get him & even when we find out why it seems kind of unfair. Like sure his dad sucked but haven’t the Games shown that blaming children for violence caused by others is unjust (& like ok he hates Coriolanus & probably the grandma but Tigris hadn’t done anything to deserve living in poverty, as she can’t control who she’s related to)? Plus, it felt like he could have at least tried taking Snow under his wing at some point to try to hinder Dr Gual’s influence. Saying all of that, though, Peter Dinklage is great at playing an addict with depression & the idea that some drunken rambling could lead to such long-lasting suffering is terrifying. Also its pretty realistic that living with that kind of guilt & in such a cruel environment for that long would make most people jaded & bitter, even if they did have good intentions.

Omg we finally get a Mayor family on screen & they’re assholes! Madge would be so disappointed 😭. It was interesting to see how harsh & overall “boot licky” the mayor & his family seemed compared to decades later, which makes sense as the war wasn’t that long ago for them so the dad probably felt more incentive to align himself with the Capitol as well as not feeling very connected to the district people as 12’s decline probably didn’t fully set in until they really started running low on coal & Snow became president (oh I just know he wanted to blow that district off the map 😆). I also wouldn’t put it past Billy to come up with some sob story of how he really does love Mayfair but wicked Lucy Gray is somehow preventing them from being together. Still no excuse to try to send her to her death twice in one week, though. Definitely not a girl’s girl.

Ok, so a liar. Cheat. Drunk & someone who hits women. Is there anything good about Billy Taupe? Also, trying to get your ex back, while your current girlfriend is literally standing right next to you? Dude, have some god damn back bone! You made a choice, now stick to it. Also, fumbling Lucy Gray, for a girl like that? What’s it like having no brains or taste? Well, too bad, coz you’re stuck with her forever now, lol.

Viola Davies, the actress that you are. What else is there to say? Dr Gaul is almost comic book levels of insane. Like she is how the Right see women in STEM, on crack! I don’t know what she did to get into character, but whatever it was, it worked.

Jason Schwartzman as Lucretius Flickerman is a very interesting addition to the story despite playing such a small & seemingly insignificant role. He is strange in how unthreatening he is while also extremely blasé about the abhorrent violence he witnesses that it’s as funny as it is disturbing. Making him come across as  more human yet harsher than his son, who at least pretends to care about the tributes (in a very Capitol way, obviously but still). There’s also a polish & confidence to Tucci’s performance that I think Schwartzman did a great job of avoiding copying (despite knowing what audiences were probably expecting) because not only are their characters in entirely different stages of their careers but the whole ethos of the Hunger Games is different in Snow’s youth than it is in Katniss’s. Caesar is a well established presenter & during his time, the games have always been a success (minus the year with the tundra) that the entire Capitol is invested in & seemingly in support of. On the other hand Lucretius had the unique task of not only coming into a job like this with zero experience (I mean imagine going from announcing the weather to presenting the fucking hunger games) but also there were no vibes to try to emulate let alone guidelines to follow because he truly was the first person to do this. On top of that, the "event" his presenting has been panned for years as both boring & unethical. Schwartzman brought a slightly awkward, experimental, yet try hard vibe (like a comedian who's desperate to get a laugh) that I think worked wonderfully for the character.

Tom Blyth's performance was great & he was visually perfect for a young Snow (the power of a good wig! Who knew lol). Even having the cool, analytical stare of Donald Sutherland, down pat. While his appearance was very Eminem during his peacekeeping days, his realisation in the cabin and subsequent breakdown in the woods were crazy. There was so much tension between him & Rachel in that scene that for a second, it literally felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. I could almost hear the record scratch for both of them, & all that building paranoia finally coming to a sudden crescendo in the way that it did? Pure cinema!

Josh Rivera, as Sejanus, was honestly a mix for me. Obviously, I agree with his morals, but his way of going about it did seem a little dumb. However I do think it’s pretty realistic that a teenager, especially a rich one, would be rather naive. Also I’ve heard that he’s smarter in the book & I think at times my frustration with him is more just down to the fact that I’m seeing him from Snow’s point of view. Meaning scenes that would be portrayed as noble in any other film instead come across as almost painfully inconvenient because the focus is always on how they affect Snow rather than the actual victims of the situation. Lastly, sorry, Snowjanus shippers, I just don’t see it (especially on Snow’s end), but whatever floats your boat.

Rachel Zegler played Lucy Gray with the perfect mix of natural charm & emotional vulnerability with clear pride in her culture & a refusal to let the world around her change who she is. Yet there was also an air of mystery & a subtle resilience to her that makes her potentially surviving out in the woods for years without being detected actually believable (though I don’t buy the theory that she went on to become president Coin). Definitely the highlight of the movie for me.

PS. I'd love to know what you think of my review in the comments/tags & am open to criticism (as long as it's respectful) just remember that I'm only talking about the movie so please don't reference anything spersific to the book.

[boxofwaspss]

them.....

[cosmic-forests]

Thirteen: *brings MC food and is nice to them.*

Me, immediately:

[elizabethrobertajones]

Zero had been right; she'd found Dzemael Darkhold on a map without even knowing what she pointed at, and truth was finally something Frog could hunt for.

No more being haunted by who the avatar was bound to her, bound to this stone or her scythe or her very soul. No more brief glimpses in the heat of combat of the world from the reaper's eyes. The whisper of a name long-forgotten until she'd burst into the glorious light of Etheirys to fight alongside Frog.

No more guilt after meeting Zero and learning the truth of Zenos' avatar. Of feeling the first clench in her stomach to think that voidsent were no more monsters than the Light-poisoned people she'd cried for on the First. Drusilla said it was consensual, the voidsent certainly hungered for exactly what Frog put her to work doing. She'd felt that hunger, but also the excitement, the glee that her avatar burst with as she clawed out of the void and along the blade of Frog's scythe. But Frog had living weapons aplenty. This was a person.

The summoning could only be brief, long enough to assuage her soul, and make contact but it was a perfect summoning. No vessel, no statue. Not with Frog's soul and her connection to the avatar. The words of the spell Y'shtola had crafted. The aether Frog would freely offer to make this contact.

Her heart felt heavy that Zero had left, that she wouldn't be here to see the end result of their hard work. A tiny hope flared that perhaps she could use this time to guide her avatar to Zero's side. Send a message. Perhaps do this summoning again when she had strength to spare.

But only if the avatar wanted to run messages between shattered shards, because she was a person.

Frog forced herself to concentrate, clear her mind, and ready herself.

As she spoke the words, she felt the drifting tendrils of void magic that had made this cave so uninhabitable, had resisted an attempt to wall them up and still to this day spawned demons that repelled attempts to tame the depths. The darkness twisted, slithered up from the chasms, and burned and burned, pulling at her core, winding out the aether to feed the small rift. To reach deep into the void, and tug at something.

Darkness overwhelmed the cavern, and a thunderclap echoed through the tunnels, rolling on and on in a dazing reverberation. The dark aether flooded around her and Frog steeled herself not to cringe back, to know she was ready to slay any horror that came ravening out in the seconds she so foolishly smashed walls that had only been as sturdy as the Dzemael stonemason's brickwork between Source and Thirteenth.

A presence joined her.

"FROG? Is that YOU? Why aren't we FIGHTING?" squeaked a voice at her knee, as the portal spluttered, its harvest complete.

"Franci?! Is that you?"

"You got a PROBLEM with that?"

"I - I expected..." She trailed off, and decided not to say what she had expected. She'd given Ardbert enough grief for being waist height after all. "Why are you dressed like a farmer?"

"I WAS a farmer. Oh! I didn't know I was a farmer until I said that. HEY I remember who I aM. WOW. What did you DO?"

"... You're also a lot louder than I expected. Uh. Let's sit down and talk, Franci."

"I have a NAME. WOOOW."

(this post is titled: In Which Frog Discovers Her Very Loud Annoying Shard)

[0reapers-blog0]

[1], [x]

The first meeting - panel 2.

[broiderie]

Lost Princessa: Meet the Reaper 28

Alright. It's a doozy. I'm talking like twice or three times the length of most of my chapters, but y'all voted for it. Here it is.

Do not steal my shit. This is the only place this is posted and there's a damn good reason for it. People have been waiting a long time for this chapter.

WARNINGS: cussing, 18+ only, unprotected sex (do as I say, not as I write), oral sex (f receiving), etc. It's fluffy porn for the last 2K+ words, okay?

Also - the first time I've EVER published something like this so be gentle. Better yet - be specific if you like it because I probably won't have the guts to write more like it if you aren't.

In Santo Padre proper, Hank parked the bike outside the best restaurant in town. He locked down their helmets and offered Megan his arm as he escorted her to the hostess stand.

“Good evening. Do you have a reservation?” the young lady asked.

“Should be under Loza,” Hank said, squeezing Megan’s hand gently.

“Yes sir. We have your table all ready for you. Please follow me.” She led them inside where they checked their jackets and then took them to a table that was fairly private. “Your server will be with you shortly. Enjoy your meal.”

Hank pulled Megan’s chair out for her and guided it in before taking his own seat.

Megan looked around with wide eyes. “Holy shit, Hank. I don’t know how to act in something as upscale as this.”

Hank laughed a little. “You’re doing fine, mi reina. Relax. It’s not as stuffy as it seems. I bring Mama here for special occasions. I promise, you’ll be just fine.” He leaned forward and took her good hand in his. “Besides - you don’t have to be anything except yourself. We don’t even have to order here. They just serve us the meal prepared for the evening. No decisions. No menus. Just us and dinner.” He couldn’t resist kissing her knuckles again as he watched her settle at his touch.

A waiter appeared at his elbow inquiring as to what they’d like to drink. Megan ordered water and Hank did as well. “We won’t be needing the wine list either,” Hank told him with a smile for Megan.

The bread and salad came out soon after they’d both gotten their drinks. As they ate, they talked softly about anything that came to mind. By the time the main course arrived, Megan was as relaxed in public as she could be. 

Hank was in the middle of telling Megan a story about when he was a young man in the military when their waiter appeared again to refill their water glasses. “Pardon me, but Mr. Galindo sends his regards and would like to buy your table a round of drinks,” he informed them.

Megan stiffened and looked around before clocking Miguel Galindo at a solitary table on the balcony. His head of security - the mercenary with the braids - stood near him. He raised a whiskey glass to acknowledge her look. 

Hank nodded. “You can tell Mr. Galindo that we appreciate his offer, but we’re not drinking tonight. Thank you,” he said levelly. 

“Very well sir,” the waiter said before leaving them to eat in peace. 

“What the hell does he think he’s doing? Megan fumed quietly. “There’s no way he thought that would be well received.”

Hank reached across the table to clasp her hand again to steady her. “Easy, mi princessa. THe more he sees it bothers us, the more outrageous he’ll get. Just ignore him.” He gently rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. “Deep breath. Don’t let him get to you.” 

Megan took a deep breath and squeezed his fingers before she started eating the steak and vegetables that was their main course.

Once the main course was finished, the waiter appeared again to clear their plates. “Would you like dessert?”

Hank grinned. “What is it tonight?”

“Triple chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream.”

Hank looked at Megan with a smile. “What do you think, mi amore?”

Megan cracked a smile and bit her bottom lip.

“I do believe that’s a yes. We’ll take one,” Hank laughed. 

While they were waiting on their dessert, Hank reached for her hands again. “Still up for dancing after this, mi reina?”

“Of course. You promised to teach me how to really dance.” She grinned. “Tío Marcus has taught me some of the formal stuff, but Coco swears I look like a stiff.”

Hank laughed. “Alright. There’s a little dance club down the street-”

“Excuse me. I hate to interrupt -”

Hank sighed and looked up to find Miguel standing by their table adjusting his cufflinks.

He watched Megan sink a bit in her chair. “Mr. Galindo. What can we do for you?” He reached to guide Megan around the table to bring her closer to him.

“I didn’t want to interrupt, but I couldn’t help but notice that your sling is off, Ms. Morales. Is that wise?” Miguel asked. 

Megan looked to Hank in a panic without saying anything, so he pulled her around to sit on his knee. “Megan was cleared by a doctor earlier today. We’re actually celebrating that tonight. Was there something you needed?” Hank asked, gently rubbing the small of her back over the low back of her dress.

Miguel raised his eyebrows. “Ms. Morales - your voice has changed. I was under the impression that you were an officer in the M.C. Surely you can answer for yourself.”

Megan rested against Hank and took a deep breath. “Mr. Galindo, I am the Armorer of this charter, however, I’m not a voting member. I also don’t speak for the club on anything. Hank or another member will always be the one to speak instead of myself. That’s just how the structure of our organization works.”

Galindo smirked. “Ah, but we weren’t discussing business, Ms. Morales. We were discussion your personal safety. Perhaps you would do better with my organization watching out for you.”

“Either way, Mr. Galindo, my caballero or my father or godfathers will always speak for me first. They will always protect my interests,” Megan stated confidently. Hank nodded and placed a kiss to the side of her head.

“Surely you don’t see me as a threat, Ms. Morales. I’m a friend of your godfather. I’d like to be a friend to you.” He cut his eyes at Hank. “What’s preventing this relationship from becoming a friendship?”

Hank rubbed his hand up and down Megan’s bare back again and smiled. “Mr. Galindo, Megan can befriend whomever she likes. However, she also is still recovering from the abuse she suffered at the hands of people in a position of power over her. Because of that, she doesn’t feel comfortable discussing things with people that she doesn’t know. That’s where her club comes in. That’s where her family comes in.”

Megan settled against Hank’s chest and leaned her head against his shoulder as he continued to soothe her with his touch.

Miguel nodded and seated himself in Megan’s abandoned chair. “So, how can I gain your trust Ms. Morales? My business runs on trust. I don’t like not having yours.”

Megan sat up again, but continued to lean into Hank for courage. “Mr. Galindo, trust takes time to build. You have to give me time to get to know you and your organization. Time to see that you’re trustworthy.”

“Time? You need time?” Miguel ran his pointer finger over his top lip. “I can give you time, Cariño. On one condition…”

“What is your condition, Mr. Galindo?” Megan asked, lacing the fingers of her good hand through Hank’s where his hand rested on her hip.

“You allow me to attempt to earn that trust from you.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Simply… allow me to be… friendly. Accept my gifts. Allow me to speak to you freely on the street without someone to hide behind.” He flashed her a charming smile.

“Mr. Galindo - it’s a free country. You can speak to anyone you’d like. Megan will speak with whomever she pleases. She can accept gifts from anyone - but you cannot require that of her if she is uncomfortable with you. You cannot intimidate mi princessa into trusting you.” Hank squeezed Megan’s waist comfortingly. “No one will ever force la princessa de los Mayas y mi reina to do something against her will again as long as any members of the Mayans M.C. survive. NOw - if you will excuse us - you’re interrupting our celebration. If you’d like to arrange a meeting to discuss la princessa, I suggest you go through proper channels.” Hank’s voice was smooth and calm the entire time he spoke to Galindo, but Megan could feel the tension in his body beneath hers.

Miguel nodded decisively and smirked at Hank’s protective speech. “Very well. Perhaps I will go through the proper channels then. See if I can’t get her as liaison.” He stood and straightened his suit jacket. “Until then, it was wonderful to see you looking so… well, Ms. Morales.” He paused to run his eyes over Megan where she sat. “Enjoy your… celebration.” He gave a mocking not to them and swept out of the restaurant. 

As soon as he was out of sight, Megan wilted into Hank as he cuddled her close. He could feel her trembling as she fought to keep her breathing even. “Easy, mi amore. You did beautifully.” He pressed kisses to her hair and used both hands to stroke her back and arms. “Shh. You’re alright. I’ve got you. He’s gone.”

Megan focused on her breathing as it seemed like a bubble of tension in the restaurant popped, releasing a wave of chatter from the other diners. She got herself under control and quickly sat up to give Hank a weak smile.

Hank cupped her cheek in his massive palm and soothed over her cheekbone with his thumb. “There’s my girl.” He pressed a soft kiss to her lip and smiled.

Their waiter reappeared with fresh water and their dessert. “Here you are sir, miss. Can I get you anything else? We appreciate how calmly you took your dinner being interrupted by another guest. My manager would like you to know that tonight’s meal is on the house as a thank you for your patience and kindness.”

Hank smiled at the much smaller man. “Thank your manager for us. I think mi reina would appreciate a cup of tea if you have time.” He smoothed some hair that had escaped her braids out of her face softly as he rocked her.

“Of course. I’ll be right back with that, sir.” The waiter hurried off.

Megan took one more deep breath in through her nose and out through her mouth before she smiled at Hank. “Sorry. I froze.”

He kissed her forehead before pulling the dessert close and offering her one of the spoons. “You did just fine, Princessa. Let’s finish dinner and see if you still feel like going dancing afterwards.”

After finishing their dessert and a cup of tea for Megan, Hank guided her back out of the restaurant. He gently helped her into her leather jacket and took her back to his bike.

“Alright, mi amore. Still feel like dancing tonight? I’ll understand if you don’t,” he assured her.

Megan smiled up at him. “I don’t want him to succeed at spoiling our date night. I’d love to go dancing with you.”

Hank lit up. “In that case - let’s leave the bike here. There’s not much parking over by where I want to take you. Do you mind walking?”

“I don’t mind at all. It’s a beautiful night.”

Hank guided her to the inside of the sidewalk and took her good hand as they walked down the street. It wasn’t very far at all and Megan grinned when she could hear the music. “Ready to go dancing for the first time, mi princessa?” Hank asked, pressing a kiss to her knuckles and lingering teasingly.

“Ready.” She smiled up at him, giggling when he guided her into a spin right there on the street. 

They rounded the corner and entered a plaza that was lit with strings of lights. The club door was just a few yards away when Megan froze. Hank stopped and turned to check on her with a frown. “Mi amore? What’s wrong?”

Megan pointed to the door where a man with familiar braids stood talking to the bouncer. 

“Fuck. Asshole. He delayed us on purpose because he was sending his errand boy ahead,” Hank growled. “Either he’s waiting inside to ambush us again, or he’s paid off the doorman to keep us from getting in.”

Megan sighed and pressed her face into Hank’s bicep. “I really don’t want to deal with him again. He makes me anxious.”

Hank pulled her close and let her tuck herself into his broad chest before he wrapped his arms around her tightly. “Then we won’t, mi reina. We can dance another night. We can go home or even back to the clubhouse with your papa and tíos. If you want, we can call the guys and have them bring the girls from Vickie’s - make our own dance club at the clubhouse…” He kissed her hair gently and rocked back and forth to settle her.

Nestor caught sight of them and smiled before patting the bouncer on the shoulder. 

Hank struggled not to lose his temper and go a few rounds with the cartel security. He focused on Megan in his arms and got angrier when he heard her sniff back tears. “Oh Princessa. Don’t cry. Don’t let that bastard steal our night.” He loosened his hold until he could tilt her face up to his and kiss her gently right there on the street corner. “Say the word, mi amore, and the club will arrive in force to go in with us if you want to dance in there tonight. You won’t have to deal with him. We’ll shield you.” He wiped the lone tear that slid down her cheek gently.

“No. Let’s just go home.” She shook her head. “No use in getting into fights with the fucking cartel over it.” Her eyes pleaded with Hank to let it go. “Let’s just ignore him and go home.”

He searched her face for a minute. “Alright, mi reina. Alright.” He turned her around and headed back towards the bike. 

Once they were back at the bike, Megan sighed. She looked so upset still, and Hank couldn’t stand it. He kissed both sets of knuckles and then her lips before he smiled down at her. “Well - at least I won’t have to shoot anyone for hitting on my gorgeous girl tonight. You really are so beautiful I’d probably have had to fight to keep you to myself in there.”

That got a watery chuckle from her as he leaned down to press a deep kiss to her lips. He pressed her close to his body and smiled as she fought to catch her breath after they broke apart. 

His personal phone chimed from his suit jacket pocket which gave him an idea. He pulled it out and started typing furiously. It dinged again - multiple times in a row - alerting her to the amount of responses he was getting. By the time the dinging stopped, he was grinning ear to ear.

“Alright, Princessa. Plan B. Let’s run to the grocery store for some extra ice cream and head home. The night’s not over yet.”

Hank encouraged her to take her time choosing snacks at the store. They got ice cream and topping for it as well as candy of all sorts. 

“What are we doing?” Megan giggled as Hank reached for a giant bag of M&Ms. 

“It’s a surprise, Princessa. The rich bastard can’t ruin this plan.” He grinned down at the loaded handbasket. “Anything else you want, mi amore?”

“I don’t think so. There’s so much.”

“Gotta have options.” His phone chirped again and he checked it. Whatever was on his screen made him smile in satisfaction. “Let’s head home.”

Back on the bike, Hank felt Megan relax into his back as soon as the wind hit her. When they stopped at a stoplight, he reached back to rest his hand on her bare thigh, stoking the soft skin that he couldn’t feel through his leather riding gloves.

At the ranch, Megan saw that the lights had been turned on inside, but there were no bikes or van parked outside. Once Hank cut the bike’s engin, Megan asked, “Who’s here?” as she removed her helmet.

“No one anymore. I had the Prospect come set some things up for us and then leave the lights on.” He smiled as he guided her off the bike first before dismounting along with her.

“Did you tell Papa what happened?” she asked quietly.

He shook his head. “Not yet, Princessa. We can tell him tomorrow morning so that he and Bishop can handle it. It’s not going to blow up our night.” He pulled her close and leaned down to kiss her gently. “Let’s go inside.”

Inside the ranch house, everything looked normal in the entrance and the living room, so Megan was a little puzzled. Hank helped her remove her leather jacket and hung it with his before leading her into the kitchen to put away the ice cream. That’s when she noticed it.

Hank had asked EZ to clear the patio of everything except the love seat to the side and the brick fire pit. String edison lights were hung from the rafters holding the roof and a fire had been laid, but wasn’t yet lit. One of the stereo systems from the clubhouse had been hung as well and the projector and screen from their movie date were back in place playing Latin dance music and showing video of some kind of festival where dancing happened in the plaza. 

She went to the patio doors and smiled brightly at the set up. After putting the ice cream in the freezer, Hank joined her at the doors, wrapping his arms around her from behind and swaying gently. “Now we can dance as much as we want and no one can interrupt us,” he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to her left temple. “And if you get tired, we have all the snacks for a movie instead.”

“This is amazing. You didn’t have to do this -” she said, leaning back into his embrace.

“Mi reina, you were disappointed that Galindo was able to pull strings like he did tonight. I promised you dinner and dancing - so that’s exactly what you’re gonna get.” He smiled and caught her left hand in his right and spun her gently all the way around. “Ready for that dance?”

Megan popped up on her toes and kissed him. “Any time.”

Hank led her out onto the patio and lit the fire pit quickly before finding the remote that controlled the music and sliding it into his jacket pocket. He changed the song to the one they’d first danced to in Mama’s backyard before offering Megan his hand in the most over the top gallant fashion he could manage. “May I have this dance?”

Megan laughed, throwing her head back until she calmed enough to take his offered hand. “Of course, good sir.”

Hank drew her close and into frame for a proper dance before taking the lead. He could definitely tell the difference this time. Megan never looked away from his face to check her feet. She just trusted his lead. 

She smiled up at him as he spun her gently before catching her and lowering her into a dip. “You ready for the next step, Princessa?”

“What’s next?”

He chuckled. “Time to move. Just follow my lead.”

When the song changed, he started dancing her around the patio. It took a few minutes, but she found her footing in the movement. She glanced down to see that she was keeping beat and laughed.

Hank released her hand to guide her chin back up to meet his eyes. “Eyes on me, mi reina. You’re doing just fine.” He watched as she bit her bottom lip before meeting his gaze again. “There’s my girl.”

Megan felt heat spread through her veins and thought it must be visible on her face. The hand that Hank had on her waist slipped back to stroke the skin that was at the small of her back as she moved a little closer to him. “Hank?”

“Sí, mi princessa?”

“Kiss me?”

He smirked a bit before leaning down to press a soft kiss to her lips as the song swapped again. A much slower song started and he guided both of her hands up to the back of his neck asw he pulled her closer still.

Megan pouted up at him, making him laugh. “What’s wrong, mi amore?”

“That doesn’t count as a kiss.” 

He pressed his forehead against hers with a cheeky smile. “Oh really? What kind of kiss were you looking for?”

“This kind.” Megan pressed herself up to kiss Hank deeply as her hands slid into his haid to pull him closer. 

Hank couldn’t resist and pressed her completely against him with one hand stroking the bare back exposed by the dress that had been teasing him for hours as the other slid up to support Megan's head and neck. He let her lead the kiss as much as he could before she let out a tiny sound of pleasure that broke his carefully held control.

He gentled the kiss only enough to allow her to breathe before he backed them up to the loveseat. When he felt it at his back, he sat - pulling her to straddle his lap. For the first time, he felt like he could safely enjoy her being on top of him. He reveled in it. 

Megan settled into the comfort of his wide lap with a smile. Even with the brace still on her right wrist, this was the most Hank had allowed her to do in a while. Her hands went back to his soft hair as she kissed him again. 

Hank’s hands stroked the skin of her back and shoulders before one slid down her body to her bare thigh where her skirt had ridden up. He traced the bike shorts she was wearing before sliding his hand around to cup her ass through them and pull her hips tighter to his as he guided kisses across her jaw until he could nip her ear gently. “See, mi reina. Dancing at home has it’s advantages.”

Megan let out a breathy giggle as he rocked her hips into his. 

He smiled against her skin before exploring further down her neck with his kisses.

Megan allowed her head to fall back as he brushed his lips along the cleavage the neckline of her dress exposed and let out a small whine when he stopped. 

He chuckled as her trance was broken and she pouted at him again. He gently kissed her once more while rocking his hips up into hers. “Is this what you want, Megan?” he asked quietly. “Is it? You know you are the one calling the shots, right?” He cupped her neck with one hand and her hip with the other and waited until she met his eyes. Megan’s pupils were dilated so far that he could barely see the deep brown color that he had come to love so very much. “This is your choice.”

She smiled at him in such a way as to make his breath catch in his throat. “I know, Hank. You are always my choice.” She wrapped her arms tighter around his shoulders and rocked her hips against the hard ridge in his suit pants. “I want you. All of you…”

He buried his face in her good shoulder as he pressed kisses to her skin. Once he’d calmed down enough, he smiled up at her. “Then we should take this behind locked doors.” He paused to press a kiss to her lips. “Go inside, mi reina. I’m going to put out the fire and cover the electronics and then I’ll meet you in our room.”

Megan searched his face for a moment before smiling down at him. “Alright.” She slid off his lap with the help of his guiding hands and shivered a bit when he sat forward on the love seat to kiss her stomach through her dress.

Once he was standing, he released her hand with a kiss and patted her ass to send her on her way inside. As she crossed the threshold of the patio doors, he started shutting everything down for the night. As he turned off the music, he realized that the speaker system was the outdoor ones - but they looked newer than the ones at the clubhouse. And the projector had been mounted to the rafters this time as well.

He went around the corner of the house to get the bucket of sand that Taza kept for putting out the fire pit and saw brand new boxes for the electronics broken down and ready to be burned. He laughed and shook his head. The Prospect must have told Taza what he’d been asked to do and Taza sent him shopping. Probably with Creep along to choose the right things to create a more permanent outdoor theater for the house. He shot a text off to Taza to thank him for making this easy for him, then grabbed the bucket and went to smother the fire. 

Before he went back inside to unplug the lights, his phone dinged with a reply and he checked it. “Anything for her, Hermano. She alright? Why the change of plans?” it read.

Hank paused and responded - “She’s fine. I’ll explain in the morning.”

An immediate reply came through saying “Good. See you in the morning.”

Hank locked his phone as he shut and locked the patio doors. Once he’d unplugged the patio lights, he plugged his phone in next to Megan’s on the kitchen counter and turned to the hallway to meet her.

In the bedroom, Megan had taken the time to remove her makeup and wash her face. She sat at her vanity unpinning her braids as he walked in and leaned in the doorway. She was humming contentedly and he waited for her to notice him before joining her in the bedroom.

Megan’s eyes met his in the mirror and she smiled. “Thought I’d go ahead and wash my face.” She let her warrior braids fall to brush her tattooed back.

“Need some help, Princessa?” he asked, pushing off the doorframe and closing the door behind him and locking it. 

She smiled up at him as he joined her at her vanity. “Of course.”

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Want your jewelry off?”

“Yes please. And my hair down.”

He smiled again and removed her necklaces, placing kisses beneath each clasp before undoing them. He helped to remove her earrings carefully as well before replacing her cord and silver necklace from Taza. He felt her shoulders relax as soon as it was back in its place around her throat. Lastly, he removed her new pearl bracelet and put it away in her jewelry box.

He reached for the small scissors that Taza had shown him to use to cut the bands on her smaller braids. He carefully snipped each band and threw them away before he started to unravel Megan’s hair. He watched her face relax as the tension from her heavy hair released. Once it was all unraveled, he gently massaged her scalp and watched her eyes close in bliss. Once he’d worked over her scalp well, he picked up the brush she used to detangle it and brushed it out so that it laid to her waist over her dress. “Better, mi amore?” he asked, smoothing her silky hair.

She opened her eyes to meet his with a smile. “Yes. Thank you.”

“You are so beautiful, Megan.” He bruised her hair aside to kiss her bare shoulder. 

She smiled and tilted her head to give him more access to her neck as she watched him in the mirror.

Hank took advantage of the exposed skin and pressed kisses up her neck until he reached her ear. “Alright, Princessa. You’re sure?” he whispered.

“I’m sure, Hank.”

He kissed her temple before shedding his suit jacket and the button up so he was just standing there in his slacks and a white wife-beater tank with his tattoos on display in the dim lighting of the lamps. He offered Megan his hand to help her stand and when she took it, he guided her close to him. Once she was pressed to his front, he used one massive hand to tilt her chin up so he could look down into her eyes. “You tell me to stop at any time, mi reina. Anytime.” He stroked a gentle thumb across her bottom lip. “Promise me?”

Megan’s wide trusting eyes stared up at him and she blinked. “I promise.”

“Good girl.” He pulled her closer against his chest and kissed her deeply, stroking his hands over her still clothed body.

Megan’s hands explored his chest and sides as she let out the tiniest little whimper. When he paused, she whined and reached to pull his head back down to kiss him again. She ran her good hand through his ruffled hair and stood on her bare toes to reach him better.

Hank cupped her hips over her dress and lifted her until she wrapped her legs around his waist without stopping the kiss. He finally broke it to laugh a little because she was giggling. He walked them to the bed and laid her across it before peppering kisses across her face and neck.

She grinned up at him as he paused to catch his breath.

He reached to cup her face again. “I love when you smile at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you’re the happiest woman in the world and I did something to make you that way.” He pressed another kiss to her lips before deepening it. He slid his hand to her knee where it rested against his side and eased his touch up her leg beneath the skirt of that deep red dress. He was expecting to encounter the bike shorts again, but instead found only the smooth skin of her thigh. He buried his face in the crook of her neck with a moan. “Makeup wasn’t all you took off, mi amore, was it?”

Megan ran her casted hand gently down his back over his wife beater and stroked the back of his neck with gentle fingers. “Don’t need shorts if I’m not on the bike…”

He made another strangled sound as his hand encountered lace which made her giggle again. “You alright, Hank?” she asked.

He kept his face buried in her skin and nodded. “Gimme a minute.”

Megan relaxed beneath him where he laid on top of her, supporting his weight  on the arm by her head. She marveled at how he was rock steady above her as she traced the muscles of his back.

“Princessa, that’s not helping. I’m trying real hard not to embarrass myself right now.” He picked his head up with a smile before rocking his hips gently against her.

Megan reached to stroke the line of his jaw with her good hand. “I won’t break, Hank. The sling is fully off and all that’s left is the soft cast. You won’t hurt me.”

He kissed her inner wrist and nodded. “I know, but you were so hurt for so long, mi reina. I don’t want that for you again. Especially because I lost control.” He slid to the side a little to rest on the bed beside her as he pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Besides - I know that this -” he gestured between the two of them. “This isn’t something that’s been your choice in a long time. I don’t want to be like him.”

Megan smiled and moved to snuggle closer to his body heat. “You aren’t him though. You’ll never be him. I’m not afraid of you and never have been.” She made solid eye contact with him. “I love you.”

Hank took a moment to scan her eyes for any hesitation, but found none so he drew her into a deep and loving kiss while guiding her hands back to his chest. 

Megan could feel that he was still hesitant to push her, so she tugged at the white tank top he was still wearing before whispering - “Off.”

When Hank sat up to remove it, Megan reached to undo the side zipper on her dress. He never took his eyes off of her as she shed it carefully - revealing the white lace panties he had only felt during their make out session. Her chest was completely bare since she’d shed the sticky bra at the same time as the bike shorts. She watched his jaw tighten before reaching for him to unfasten his slacks.

As her fingers fumbled with the zipper, Hank’s hands explored the now familiar skin of her torso.  He stroked her skin gently while surging forward to kiss her again with more heat in it. 

As soon as the zipper released, Megan stroked the hard ridge of his cock through the cotton of his boxer briefs causing him to moan softly. He broke the kiss to slide out of his slacks and sit firmly against the headboard before offering her his hand in invitation.

She didn’t hesitate. She took the offered hand and moved to straddle him, sitting firmly over that pronounced ridge in his underwear and shivering in pleasure at the feeling.

The heat that he could feel through the two thin layers of cotton was overwhelming. He cupped the back of her neck to pull her into his kisses before trailing more over them over the soft skin of her neck and shoulder. When his kisses hit that soft spot, right below her ear, Megan couldn’t resist a small moan of satisfaction as she rocked gently in his lap giving her body some of the stimulation it craved. 

With his left hand, Hank moved to cup a bare breast, gently thumbing and rolling the hard nipple as he diligently nibbled sweet spots on her neck and ears. His other hand slipped down to stroke teasingly along the top band of her panties.

Her hands alternated holding his head close to where she so desperately wanted it and stroking the muscles of his arms and abs.

When he pulled back a bit to catch his breath, Megan didn’t give him a chance for his brain to re engage and start overthinking again. Instead, she returned the favor, exploring his tattooed skin with wet kisses and nibbles. She traced the now familiar ink of his chest with her lips before nuzzling the nautical star just beneath his clavicle.

Hank reached to pull her higher on his body so he could catch her breast with his lips. She arched to offer him full access which he took advantage of - tracing around her sensitive breast with his tongue before catching a nipple to suckle - enjoying the soft noises of pleasure she let out. His fingers slipped under the final lace covering her to tease her cleft, causing her to buck into his touch with a whine. He chuckled and swapped breasts as her hand clutched at his broad shoulders for support.

It didn’t take much encouragement for him to part her folds to find her clit. As he stroked the first circle over it, Megan’s breath caught in her throat and he noticed her arms shaking trying to support her weight against him. Her cast rubbed his skin as she shifted.

He nuzzled her breasts. “Easy, mi amore. Don’t hurt yourself.” He kissed up her body to catch her lips in a deep kiss before muttering “Let me help…” against her lips.

He quickly wrapped his free arm around her back to hold her against him. Without ever losing rhythm, he flipped their positions and laid her back against the bed beneath him again. 

As soon as he settled her into the covers, he paused to look at her. Her dark hair sprawled across the blankets they had chosen together. Her lips swollen from his kisses. Her breasts rising rapidly as she enjoyed his touch. That’s when it clicked for him. She really meant it. He was her choice - and he’d be damned if he didn’t worship her the way she deserved. 

Megan whined as his fingers left her slit.

“Shh,” he hushed her gently, leaning to kiss her softly on the forehead. “Patience, Princessa.” He hooked his fingers into the sides of her panties before guiding them down her legs as his lips trailed kisses down her small body.

Once she was completely bare beneath him, he pecked kisses up her skin again until he could kiss her lips. “You are so beautiful,” he whispered before resuming laying on his side over her to enjoy her kisses again.

When she was so involved in kissing him that she tried to roll over to press into his body, he gently pressed her back onto her back before trailing his hands along her skin again and teasing her entrance with a single finger as she whined. 

“Hank, please - don’t tease me -”

He smiled down at her. “Never.” He eased a finger into her tight tunnel and she arched off the bed as his thumb found her clit again. She was so wet she was practically dripping, so he pulled out and added another finger, catching her cry of pleasure with a kiss. He eased into a rhythm with his fingers and thumb - watching her build quickly for him.

“There she is. Gonna cum for me, Preciosa?” On his next press inside her, he hooked his fingers up to rub along her top wall. He knew he’d found it when Megan cried out and her hands scrambled for purchase against his chest making him chuckle a little. He shifted his weight to catch her hands in one of his before gently, and with a mind for her brace, trapping them against him. “Come on, Princessa,” he whispered, watching her body language. 

On the next thrust of his fingers, her eyes popped open to meet his and her mouth opened on a silent scream as her entire body tensed and she came for him.

Hank eased her through it as he watched her body spasm before relaxing into him panting for breath. He slowed his hand and released her arms to hook a finger under her chin an guide her into a deep and gentle kiss. 

He tried to ease his fingers out of her without triggering too much oversensitivity, but she still twitched and whimpered. He hushed her gently and gathered her to his chest to let her breathing regulate. 

Once she was breathing regularly again, he eased back to grin down at her a bit cockily. “Alright there, Princessa?”

Megan giggled. “Mmmhmm.”

“Good. Do you want more or do you want to stop?” he asked, smoothing her hair down her back as they lay on their sides still pressed closely together.

She tilted her chin so she could look him in the eyes. “I really want all of you…”

He smiled and moved to kiss her again. “Then you’ll get it, mi reina.” He nudged her back onto her back before reaching to tease her entrance again. “That’s my girl. Oh Princessa, you’re so wet…” He eased his fingers back inside her as she arched for him. He started slow and gentle to be sure that her oversensitivity had passed before brushing sucking kisses down her throat - focusing on a spot between her neck and left shoulder to leave a light mark beneath where the collar of a t-shirt would cover.

When her soft whimpers turned to a whine, he eased further down to kiss and tease her breasts. She arched as he stroked that spot inside her again and he sucked a nipple hard making her cry out. “That’s it- Good girl-” he breathed into her skin as he kissed further down.  “Let me taste you, mi amore…” He nuzzled further down, guiding her good hand to his hair before he pressed a kiss to her hip. “Just a taste - then you can cum for me again…”

Megan whined and tugged his hair. “Hank - want you-”

He kissed her hip again, nibbling another mark into her skin. “You’ll have me - but I really want to taste you. Let me?” He looked up at her to meet her eyes - blown wide with the pleasure his fingers were giving her.

She met his eyes and bit down hard on her lip before nodding. 

Hank immediately moved to swipe his tongue through her dripping slit. Broad flat licks from his pumping fingers to her clit before circling that sensitive bundle with his tongue.

Megan’s fingers tightened and clutched his hair as she cried out a writhed. When he sucked gently at her clit and crooked his fingers again, she screamed and came for him again.

This time, Hank didn’t let her come down fully. He eased up a little, but kept up the stimulation as he shed his briefs. Just as she suddenly started spasming again, he slid his fingers out and moved to sink his cock inside her. 

Megan screamed again in pleasure as Hank sank halfway inside on his first thrust. Her hands moved to clutch at his back as his face buried in her good shoulder with a groan and a string of broken Spanish.

He eased back and thrust back in with a gentle roll of his hips until he was fully seated inside of her. He peppered her skin with kisses as he gave her time to adjust. When she finally relaxed beneath him, he propped himself on his elbows so he could look down into her face. “You okay, mi reina?” he panted, struggling to be still.

She nodded and tried to lift her hips - “So good. Hank - move please-” she begged through harsh breaths.

He started gentle but felt her shifting to take him deeper and adjusted his strokes until she was crying out again and digging her nails into his tattooed back. 

He moaned as he felt her tightening down on him. “Good girl - gonna cum soon. Need you close-” He shifted to put more power behind his thrust and snaked a hand between them to thumb her clit again. 

“Hank!”

“You close, mi amore? Gonna cum on my cock like mi reina deserves?”

She nodded frantically and tried to bite off her scream as she exploded, triggering his own release. He thrust through both of their highs before easing off until he practically collapsed on top of her. After a few breaths, he pulled her close and rolled them so she was on top as she shuddered through the aftershocks. As she relaxed, he eased out of her causing her to whimper.

“Shh. Easy, mi princessa. Rest.” He pressed kisses to her tangled hair and stroked her skin soothingly. “You are so perfect. So perfect.” He looked down as both of their breaths evened out to see her eyes closed and a content little smile on her lips. “Rest a minute - then we’ll get you cleaned up.”

After letting her relax in his arms, he gently eased out from under her - soothing sounds escaping him as she whined at him moving. He scooped her up and went in to start the shower for both of them. He helped to clean her up and combed through her hair to remove the worst of the tangles. Then he snuggled her dozing body against his beneath their blankets and drifted off to sleep with his nose burning in the crown of her head and her right back where she belonged to sleep - practically on top of him.

Taglist:

@jemmakates

@msjava1972

@drabbles-mc

@delightfulheroshoeflap

@iamthegraham

@oureternalbond

@camelia35

@anaeve

@tallrock35

@keyweegirlie

[jevilowo]

Someone needs to make an au where Jane dies in russian roulette instead of Fritz. I mean I'm mainly thinking this bc I want his and Tavish's ghosts to haunt the shit out of Smoker. But I'm sure the IMPLICATIONS imply other interesting things that could come from such a turn of events.

[simsandgiggles]

Pancakes TV™: Season 4 Cast

[aller-geez]

Getting to know: Zeroh Osiris

199 // he/him // pansexual // Undead (Reaper)

Full name: Zeroh Osiris

Nickname: 0, Oh

Date Of Birth:

Big Three: Scorpio 🌞, Scorpio 🌙, Cancer ↗️

Physical Appearance —

Age: 199 years old (died at 27 years old)

Eye Color: White/Pale blue w/ grey rings

Hair Color: Black & White

Weight: 157 lbs

Height: 6’7

Race: Undead, Reborn as a Reaper

Distinguishing Marks or Characteristics: A black “mask” type tattoo around his eyes, three straight lines between his bottom lip and chin, both eyes have a vertical line from his hairline to his eyelids, both hands are pitch black (blighted) and dark bruise-like marks fade up to his shoulders. Usually wears leather gloves to cover his hands. His throat, shoulders and the joints in his arms and legs all have dark scars (think where jointed dolls have their joints), three ring clacker in his septum, plus various other facial piercings

Personality —

Greatest Strength: His empathy. He loves animals and goes out of his way to make others feel accepted.

Greatest Weakness: His empathy. Often times he absorbs too much of everyone else’s moods and energy and will fall into a depression.

Soft Spot: Onyx

Mannerisms: horrible about making ill-timed, corny jokes whenever there’s tension around. One of those people who greatly overshares and trauma dumps without realizing. Because he’s a reaper and sees death constantly, he’s completely desensitized towards it, often resulting in comments/work stories that make others uncomfortable.

Miscellaneous Trivia —

Always has what appears to be the spirit of a Raven that flies around him or sits on his head/shoulder. She can dematerialize to be invisible, although she can be heard through the veil. actually a spirit who’s wandered earth, lost for so long their soul had deteriorated substantially and they are only able to materialize a small portion of their original form, unable to pass through the realms to reach thier afterlife. They choose to take the form of a semi translucent raven and has been with Zeroh for as long as he’s been a reaper.

He died at the age of 27 by drowning, and even as an immortal he still tends to get anxiety around bodies of water.

Because it’s crafted by shadoweavers*, his scythe can be transferred through the veil whenever it’s not in use, making it disappear, and can be retrieved again from anywhere whenever it’s needed.

* Kriia’s clan crafted his scythe, where he met and became close friends with her, Blythe and Freya.

Sneeze Content —

ALLERGIES

Dogs

Almost anything small and fuzzy like Rabbits, Mice, Ferrets, etc.

Photic (traveling thru the veil as means of transportation/teleportation triggers a few photic sneezes as he rematerializes from the light it generates)

How severe are they?

Extreme. Even though he’s allergic, whenever called to a soul in need of escort and it happens to be an animal he’s allergic to, he still will treat it as he does the rest, often times holding the animal to his chest as he walks to their destination.

Do they get sick often?

Doesn’t typically get sick because of his lack of a beating heart, therefore a nonexistent immune system, although it’s not impossible.

How bad is it usually?

Although it only ever lasts a day at most, it’s almost always severe, and when it’s at its worst, his skin can leak black ooze, and passing through the veil isn’t possible until his health is restored.

Do they stifle?

Sometimes, but it isn’t a regular occurrence.

How loud are their sneezes?

Usually they’re more harsh sounding than loud sneezes if they’re from his allergies, but sneezes from an illness can become extremely loud, often causing Amara to hide in the veil to protect herself.

What do they sneeze into?

Often his hands. If he’s wearing his cloak, he sometimes uses fabric of the sleeves and/or collar.

How often do they sneeze?

Often. With the number of reapers dwindling and Alistar’s laziness quickly increasing, his case load is extremely full. There’s only 3 reapers in a 100 mile radius, meaning he often came in contact with animals he’s allergic to, as well as teleporting home which also causes him to sneeze.

How many times do they sneeze in a fit?

2-3 in a fit is pretty typical, although sometimes he’ll get stuck in a drawn out fit of 6-10 over a 10 minute span.

Do they have build-ups or are they sudden?

Drawn out fits can have build ups, otherwise they’re pretty sudden.

Do they sneeze in public?

He doesn’t like a ton of attention, but he’s very unskilled at holding back so he just accepts it. Gotta do what’cha gotta do, right?

Often he’s even sneezing every few sentences throughout the entire walk to heaven with animals that trigger his allergies.

Some examples of their sneezes?

Hh’EHTSSChh’uu!

Hh’TSCHHh’iiew!

Huh’TSSCH’uuh!

Hhh’AHTCHh’iew!

hh— huh’AHTSSCHHh’iew!

Backstory —

‪In life, he was a seasoned thief/con artist that scammed and cheated his way through life, selfishly screwing over anyone he could for a quick buck. After a few years, he’d ruined more lives than he could keep track of, although he didn’t care to. After a freak accident that prematurely ended his life, his soul was condemned to the underworld for his actions on earth. There, he begged Lucifer for his forgiveness and to be spared from eternal torture, to which the devil had two conditions: 1. His hands were blighted, and anyone to touch his bare hands would die instantly, and 2., Because of the Anti-Christ’s laziness, more Reapers were needed to be sent out to retrieve souls for him. Zeroh agreed, and he became a reaper, an entity that is permitted between all three realms, in charge of collecting the souls of any living creature on earth and escorting them to their designated afterlife. He wears leather gloves to avoid touching anyone accidentally After his rebirth as a Reaper, Zeroh fell in love with a human man and was in a 15 year relationship with him. One night, he fell asleep without his gloves, and when he rolled over to spoon with him in his sleep, his blighted hands touched his skin and he was killed instantly. It greatly effects him still, making it second nature to keep other people at an arms length, especially romantically. His lover’s soul was stranded for a few hours until he finally woke up, and when Zeroh discovered what had happened, he sobbed for a few minutes before having to walk hand in hand for the very last time with his boyfriend up to heaven, somewhere Zeroh would probably never get to go. It made him swear off relationships as to avoid prematurely ending a life, and saving himself the heartbreak of losing another person. He used to be someone selfish and apathetic towards the world around him but becoming a reaper and being the last conversation many souls ever had was sobering and reformed him. ‬

He is always accompanied by a raven spirit that he dubbed Amara, meaning “Blessed without end or demise.” While they appear as a crow, they are actually a spirit who’s wandered earth, lost for so long their soul had deteriorated substantially and they are only able to materialize a small portion of their original form, unable to pass through the realms to reach thier afterlife. They choose to take the form of a semi translucent raven and has been with Zeroh for as long as he’s been a reaper.

Reference Sheet —

(Coming soon~)

[wrexwas]

Blackwatch Reyes on Watchpoint: Gibraltar (Evening)

[izayoichan]

Jael: Oi! Nat: What are you doing here again? Jael: I love wedding crashing. Meet my plus one. Chris: Why did you bring a plus one?! Jael: Kieran didn't tell you. Ah, here's to Kieran leaving it to me to bring the news. This is Salai, greet them Sal, don't be shy. Salai: -overwhelmed- Jael: He's a little green around the edges.  Salai: Hi... Chris:... hi. Why is he here? Jael: he's your new partner in reaping. Your protegee, student if you will. Come on Salai, meet your new teacher. -pushes Salai-

Chris just shakes his head slightly, typical Jael, and with Kieran still out of the “loop” this did not surprise him.

Salai: -bows- Pleasure to meet you. Chirs: Likewise. -his eyes focus on Jael- My family reaper is for me to train? Jael: Oh.. keen senses in this one! Nat: Well duh, he is third in line after all. Chris: Well you will have to keep an eye on your plus one, I have some wedding things to do. Nat: I’ll keep an eye on both. Salai:... Huh. I don’t think you’re supposed to do that! -fretting- Jael: -trying to steal some of the flower arrangements- Sush, you. I’m working! Nat: Oi! I’m sure if you ask they’ll give you some! And are you really sure this will work.. I mean? I think he’s broken! -points to Salai fretting over the fact some kids are staring at him- Jael: He’s fine! Just overwhelmed. He just last week getting used to the interplanetary travel thing. Poor thing thought we only collected spirits on one planet! And today I just pushed him into a wormhole and showed him a whole new world -singing- Universe. Soo. Cake?

Beginning - Previous - Next

[feluka]

‘When one who truly appreciates the symbolism and meaning sings a verse, it draws a map to hidden wisdom.’