#bash x aaliyah

[booasaur]

Special Ops: Lioness - 1x01 || 1x05

[sl8yter]

Apparently - Mühl Pt2. to Get It Together

Nika realizes her mistake at the last minute and opens up only to realize she was wrong.

Nika Muhl x Fem Reader

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“Wow twin you’re an asshole” Paiges vocalizes in a brash tone

Nika had come to her friend’s dorm seeking advice on how to proceed after the fallout of her and her girlfriend’s fallout. She had found Paige, KK, and some other teammates hanging out after hours building legos and stuffing their faces with food.

“I dont know what to do. I really do love her I just dont know how to tell her. Nahiem is just a friend she doesnt understand that. She never does.” Nika nervously states as she paces around the table in the middle of the main area as her teammates brain storm solutions for her as they lounge on the couch.

“Okay well first of all stop doing that” KK speaks up

“Doing what?”

“The way you say that she doesn’t understand seems so bashing. Like girl, of course shes gonna kick you out after you talk to her like that. So don’t act surprised” KK’s lack of goofiness acts as a reality check to Nika. Her pacing ends abruptly as she stops to look up and cover her face as an attempt to stop her tears from flowing.

“I could text her to meet up and then Nika could like surprise her with flowers and stuff” Paige says zoning back into the conversation with her faulty solution

“Flowers isnt gonna fix the fact that (yn)s been feeling ignored and how she most likely thinks you’ve been cheating on her. But we can use the first part of Paiges plan. Did you atleast try and text her before you left?” Inês states promptly looking at Nika whos cheeks were wet as she sat down on the couch in between KK and Paige.

“No I came straight here.”

“Oof not good.” Aaliyah butts in

“Why. Please dont make me cry anymore” The Croatian girl says her voice breaking softly towards the end.

“Well if I was her and I already was thinking it. I would personally think that you went to Nahiems. Thats just me though. Maybe (yn) doesn’t jump to conclusions as fast so don’t sweat it.”

“Girl boo, shes already crying about it what do you mean dont sweat it.” KK frankly puts her thoughts out as she wraps an arm around Nikas shoulder, a flimsy attempt to try and comfort the crying girl who’s heart broke a little more with KKs retort.

“I can post to my story and Nika can be in the backround looking all sad.” Paige tries to help

The group looks to Nika who had a contemplating look on her face which contrasted with the pink hue around her eyes and water marks down her cheeks. Her silence deafens the room before she shakes her head up and down.

As Paige takes and post the photo to her instagram story, Nika and the rest of her teamates come up with a plan to try and get (yn) to meet up with Nika in order for them to talk it out. It only takes 20 minutes before (yn) viewed the blondes story and it only took a second for the same blonde to text (yn) to meet up with her at the park 10 minutes away saying it was an emergency.

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"Paige" I whisper yelled as I walked through out the empty park. Paige had only texted me a cryptic message telling me it was an emergency and to meet her at the park near the dorms.

"Paige come out it's to cold for this." I yelled only slightly louder before a hand had grasped my shoulder causing me to release a yelp and break my neck to look behind me. Only to find the last face I wanted to lay my eyes upon.

"Nika what the fuck are you doing? I thought you were gonna kidnap me. Where's Paige?" I asked, scolding Nika for the scare.

"I couldn't wait until tommorrow to see you. She only texted you so I could meet up with you. Listen to me I-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there before you try to say things I've heard from you a thousand times. I'm tired of us having the same conversations over and over again. It never goes anywhere Nika. Now like I said before go and get some sleep so we can both talk about this with a clear head." I state, exasperated at her mood of just now wanting to talk about things when she had so long to do so.

"Listen to me please bebo you can break up with me, yell at me, or call me every dirty word you know just please let me talk to you. You don't even have to face me. Just hear me." Her voice breaks between most words causing her accent to slip. The begging insanely out of character from the confident girl you usually knew.

"Okay. Just tell me what it is. Tell me why you've been such a dickhead to me." I tell her as I walk to a nearby swing to sit. She quietly trails behind me until I hear the clanking of the metal on the swing adjacent to mine. I refrain from looking over to her as I can feel the intensity of her gaze on my features. If I look, I know I'll cry but I have to let her know in someway that I'm going to stand my ground this time. No matter how much it hurts the both of us.

“Im so so sorry bebo. I never meant to hurt you. I never meant for any of this to happen. When we first started dating I seen how amazing you are and how you were so happy all the time and how you always light up a room. Graduating and the draft has been driving me crazy since the start of the year. I felt so pressured to perform my best that I started doubting myself and I started to think that you were too good for me and-“ Her voice breaking as she stops for a moment to catch her breath. She stops looking at me to look at the sights in front of us, her shame showing in her body language

“That I thought I was gonna be a burden to you. Nahiem would help me. We would just go drive around and drink and do all this dumb stuff. It took the edge off and now I see how bad it was. How it lead me to start acting like you weren’t there. I use to think that my biggest fear was not achieving my dreams after I worked so hard for it, for everything. But in truth my biggest fear is achieving all my dreams and you not being there beside me. You’re so selfless that you constantly put up with me no matter how I treated you. I need to treat you better. I want to treat you better. I know I dont show it a lot but i love you more than anything, more than anyone. You believe in me bebo and I love you for it.” She finishes her voice shaky and her eyes somehow pinker than they were before.

“Of course I believe in you. Youre Nika Mühl. My girlfriend and future WNBA star. Youre so much more than you see Nika. Youre the reason I love to love.” I answer, not realizing I was crying as well until a tear drop fell from off my face.

Nika is silent as she wipes her face and quietly clears her throat before looking at me once again.

“You don’t hate me?” Her tender voice somehow making me forgive her within four words.

“I could never hate you. I love you.”

“I love you more” She says before suddenly standing from her seat and lunging at me causing us both to fall into the mulch below us. Her hands hold my waist as my arms wrap around her neck.

“Im so sorry.” Her soft voice fills my ears as the smell of her shampoo invades my brain.

“I forgive you.” Whispering back to the girl on top of me.

“Can I take you to the dorms?” She asks louder this time as she retracts to put her hands on either side of my head to hover above me.

“Only if you stay the night.”

To my response she quickly leans down to capture my lips. I can feel her slightly whimper at the contact. My hands quickly get lost in her hair as she lowers herself to lay between my legs as she continues to assault my lips slightly opening her mouth to encourage me to go farther. I can feel her heart pounding as her chest is flush against mine.

I gently push her off me as I go to sit up, suddenly remembering that it was 2 AM and we were in a public park.

“Take me home and then I’ll see if I want you to go further.” I tell Nika as shes on her knees infront of me, rubbing the sides of my thighs with her large hands.

To my statement Nika swiftly picks me up wedding style and starts jogging to my dorm building. Her antics make me laugh with mirth as I see her small smile, her eyes glancing at me as we lock eye contact for a second that I wish could have lasted forever. Her strength and her athleticism made me thank her coach as it was only helping me in forgiving her completely.

I kiss her cheek softly as she continues her jog.

“I love you so much Nika. I want you to come to me first whenever you have doubts or whenever you start thinking things like that ever again. I love you, I care for you, and I want you to be happy. You mean everything to me.”

She stops jogging for a second to put me down as she grips my waist with speed to pull me into a kiss. Far more passionate than any weve had before. My hands wrapped around her face holding her as if she were glass. Her hands explore my waist, rubbing and squeezing slightly. I caress her jaw moving one hand farther back to play with her hair at the base of her neck.

We both pull back to rest our foreheads against another, our mouths agape catching oxygen as our exhales mix. The lack of space between us was tantalizing as it was obvious both of us wanted more. The only thing stopping us,being our lung capacity and the open space.

“I dont think I can wait much longer for you” Nika admits her eyes dark with a familiar cloud of lust. The breathiness in her voice causing a feeling that Nika was all too well associated with inside my body.

“Then lets hurry up.” I say tauntingly as I knew she was gonna be the one running us both back to bed. I knew she could do it, she knew I could match her pace and run along side her, but we both knew how much hotter it would be if she did all the work and how much better it would be in bed.

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Changed my mind, tried writing a smut for this but then I was like rereading it and ts was so toxic. Oh em gee. Like on a deep level if yall like ts great for you I just cant post something like it n be okay with myself after 😭😭🙏

REQUEST SOME THINGS YALL. DONT BE SCARY!!

[berryhobii]

Hi!! I'm so happy you are back queen! I hope you are healthy and happy!

Since you accept requests, could you do husband!namjoon x a black reader where she has gained some happy weight and she is feeling herself (and so is he 😉)

Thanks so much for your request and kind words! I was actually a little stumped writing this. I wrote multiple ideas but they all sounded a little weird. I hope I did it justice though! This kind of turned into just a fluffy, intimate thing with sweet husband Namjoon. Please let me know if you don’t like it🩵🩵

~

Namjoon softly closed the door behind him, letting out a groan as he sat down on the little stool by the door. It was your idea after seeing how much Namjoon struggled to take off his shoes when he came home. There was just so much of him and it actually surprised you how bad he was at moving his body sometimes. When you met him, he was so poised and put together. You’d never think he was that clumsy until he almost tipped the table over on your first date. You could still remember how bashful and shy he looked as he tried to pick up all of the utensils he dropped, apologies falling from his lips. Your laugh was bright as you crouched down to help him and capturing his heart with a few words.

“Who put that table there, huh? Do you think they’ll give us free refills if we threaten to sue for improper placement of their property?”

Unlike most people he’s encountered, you never gave him a hard time about his bad equilibrium and tendency to break things. You’d just give him a kiss and help him figure out a way to prevent it from happening again. He knew his faults and even he thought they were funny but you never made him feel bad about it. You just dusted him off and made him a snack. You were just so amazing and nurturing. He loved you so much.

His friends tried to force him out of the studio hours ago but he was too absorbed in finishing his work that he just couldn’t leave. Meaningless, he knew, since he still didn’t complete the track once 1AM rolled around. What was the point? But his stubbornness and need for perfection wouldn’t allow him to turn off his computer. Not until he could barely keep his eyes open anymore.

He opened the fridge, looking around to find a set of Tupperware containers that were placed right at the front. A smile graced his features as he pulled out the containers of pasta and steak with vegetables. While he was smiling, a feeling of guilt filled his heart as he warmed up the food. He knew the person that cooked it was probably sleeping, not able to wait up for him any longer.

He honestly felt horrible knowing this was yet another night you had fallen asleep without him by your side. You already knew of his career as a producer when you met him. You knew there would be moment where you two wouldn’t be together because of his deadlines. Really, you understood. He had a lot of pressure on his shoulders—producing for idol groups, dramas, even kids shows. Effort was what you were looking for and he certainly put that in; fancy dates, effective communication, intimacy. Namjoon gave you all of that. He was the best thing that could have happened to you and vice versa.

He almost wished he didn’t have such a demanding job so that he could spend more time with you. He loved what he did but he loved you more. He needed to get it together.

He tried not to make too much noise as he heated up his food, failing when he slammed the microwave too hard and then almost tore the dishwasher drawer off trying to pull it out.

“Angel?”

He turned around to see you standing there, his heart clenching at the beautiful sight. Your hair tied up in a scarf, eyes closed as you rubbed the drowsiness away. You wore one of his shirts, the familiar faded picture of Aaliyah on the front . No pants, of course. You hated sleeping in pants because they made your legs feel restricted. Namjoon could almost see a peek of your light blue underwear. Goodness, was now the time to get a boner?

“Baby. Did I wake you?”

You yawned and shook your head. “No. I couldn’t really sleep. I just noticed the light was on.”

He hummed, not really knowing what to say. You approached him, wrapping your arms around his body to snuggle into his chest. His hands went to your waist, squeezing at the plush softness. He has been noticing you’ve been getting just the tiniest bit thicker lately. Of course, he loved you regardless but there’s just something about the recent change that just made his heart swell.

“Sorry. I’ll join you in bed soon.”

You rubbed your cheek on his collarbone, his heart fluttering at the little kisses you placed there as well. “It’s fine, angel. I’ll stay with you.”

And you did, sitting on his lap as he ate, his chewing and breathing lulling you almost back to sleep.

At the sound of him placing his utensils down, you perked up, sliding off his lap to let him put his dishes in the sink. He pouted a little at the lack of your warmth and weight sitting on his lap but he figured you two would be in bed soon. He’d have you wrapped up in his arms.

After he rinsed out his dish, he turned back around to face you, smiling endearingly at how you swayed slightly on your feet.

“Come on baby. Let’s get to bed.” He crouched down a little bit to grab the back of your thighs, picking you up. Your legs wrapped around his waist, arms going around his neck and your head on his shoulder. He patted you twice on the bottom before carrying you to your shared bedroom.

He laid you down on your side of the bed and then tried to stand but your arms held onto him, a whine coming from you.

He breathed out a little laugh. “Let me go shower, baby. I’ll be right back.”

You sighed but relented. While you loved your husband and wanted to cuddle him right now, you hated outside clothes on the furniture even more. Releasing him, he gave you a peck on your forehead before standing to his feet. A little part of him wanted to forgo a shower to dive between your thick thighs. You were laid out so prettily for him, practically begging for his affection. Damn, he missed you.

Ignoring the stirring in his pants, he went to take a shower. Extra cold to ease some of the tension.

Entering the bedroom again, he found you dozing off. Your shirt had fully ridden up your body, showing your soft tummy and the blue cotton underwear you wore. The waistband slightly dug into your love handles and the pudge of your tummy. You’ve definitely filled out over the past couple of years. Happy weight, you called it when he commented on how your thighs and ass looked amazing in a pair of jeans you wore some days ago. It actually made him feel really good that you were so settled and secure in your relationship. Like he was doing something right.

Sensing him approaching, you cracked open your eyes, holding out your arms to allow him into your embrace. He smiled, climbing into bed and taking his place on your chest. Sighing in content, he snuggled into your soft breasts, finally feeling his body relax fully.

Your fingers rubbed at his upper back, traveling up the nape of his neck to scratch at his hair.

“Sorry I’ve been coming home late.”

“It’s okay. I just know you’ll create a wonderful OST for that drama. I better cry everytime I hear it.”

He chuckled. “You cried at that song I made for a children’s cartoon.”

You shrugged one shoulder, scratching at that magic spot that made him let out a little grunt. “I was proud of you. I always am.”

Those words almost made him cry. All he wanted was to make you proud, to be someone you could rely on. And he knew he was failing a little at being an active husband but that would change. He’d do anything for you, anything for your happiness.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, angel.”

His head lifted off your chest to look into your sleepy eyes, a little smile gracing your face that he reciprocated, his dimple popping in his cheek. You poked it and then booped him on the nose.

“Now, I’ve been feeling your hard on on my leg for a little while. Why don’t you do something about it?”

That was all the signal he needed.

Namjoon sighed as he buried his face further into your breasts, an overwhelming need to suck on the dusty brown nipples washing over him. “Thank god. I’ve been hard since you walked into the kitchen.”

“Mmm, well make love to me, angel.”

“I’ll take care of you, baby.” He lifted up, pulling your shirt up and bringing it to your mouth. You opened her mouth to bite down on the fabric. “Good girl.” You whined at the praise, arousal immediately soaking your already wet panties.

Namjoon sat up on his knees, hungry eyes taking in the beauty that was you. Gripping your panties, he pulled them down your legs, thighs opening to invite him in. It feels like ages since he’s seen your pussy; neatly trimmed and puffy, already glistening with arousal.

“You haven’t been touching this, have you?” You shook your head, flinching when his fingers lightly tapped your clit. He hummed and smiled. “Good. Because only I can touch this, isn’t that right?” He moved to remove the shirt from your teeth, a low moan coming from you.

“Yes, angel. Only you.”

Good. His fingers pressed a little harder to your clit, a sigh falling from your lips. Adjusting himself so that he was laying on his stomach between your legs, his mouth ghosted over your slick cunt, tongue darting out to lick a stripe up your pussy. He moaned at the taste, so familiar, so delicious, so you.

“You taste so good, baby.” He dove in, slurping up all the wetness you’d give him. You moaned as he sucked harshly on your clit, pleasure sparking up your back. Your thighs tried to shut but his shoulders held them open, your hands buried in the pillow behind your head.

“Ah! Angel, more.” You begged.

Two fingers buried themselves to the knuckle, a gasp leaving you throat. He adjusted himself so he could comfortably finger your, mouth still sucking and licking on your clit. The tip of his tongue flicked all over the swollen nub, your back arching and toes curling at the assault. One of your hands came down to bury in his hair, hips bucking into his mouth and pleasure igniting every nerve in your body.

“Angel….I’m gonna cum…” you breathed out, lungs struggling to pull in oxygen.

He smirked against your core, pulling back slightly to look up at your face; your eyes were closed, lip pulled between you teeth as you humped his face to bring yourself closer to orgasm. You were positively gorgeous. Next to your smiling face, the face you made when you were raptured by pleasure was his favorite look on you.

His fingers crooked harder against that spot inside of you. “Cum, baby. All over my tongue.”

That was all it took before black spots clouded your vision, orgasm washing your body. The feeling settling in your bones as your husband continued to lap at your clit to guide you through.

Once your orgasm slowly ebbed away, vision clearing and chest heaving, your eyes met your husband’s. He was wiping your arousal from his mouth, hand glistening with your juices. Dropping your mouth, you stuck your tongue out lewdly.

Namjoon groaned. “Fuck. You’re such a good girl.” He stuck his fingers in your mouth, your tongue and mouth sucking your juices off them. He pressed slightly on your tongue, loving how pliant and submissive you looked.

Pulling his fingers from your mouth, he moved to grab the back of his shirt, pulling it over his head and revealing his toned form to your starving eyes. You reached out to lightly trail the tips of your stiletto nails up up and abs. Totally yummy.

You motioned towards him with a beckoning finger, lip pulled between your teeth. “Come on, angel. Fuck me back to sleep.”

He could already put together the words of his resignation letter because he would happily quit his job to dick you down every day.

He pulled his boxers off, cock slapping against his abdomen. You bit your lip at the sight; his cock was long and thick, mushroom tip shiny with precum. You wanted it down your throat but that could wait until the morning.

Flipping over your belly, you took a pillow to place it under your hips to keep your ass lifted and yourself comfortable. You arched a little, poking your ass out and the sight was enough to make him feel like cumming already.

Both of his hands smoothed over your ass, slapping the fat and watching it ripple. “I love you so much.”

You hummed, turning your head to look behind you, sending your husband a smile. You loved him too. With everything you had.

“I love you too. Now, fuck me please. Chop chop.”

He playfully rolled his eyes but obeyed. He was tired of holding out anyway. Grabbing his cock with one hand and pumping hand, his other pushing one of your ass cheeks up to get a better view of your clenching hole.

He slowly pushed inside of your warm cunt, biting his lip hard enough to bleed at the wetness. You lightly moaned as he stretched your walls. It’s been a while since you two have been able to have soft sex like this. Quickies in the shower and impromptu head had been your go to lately. It was nice to be able to have these sweet moments of intimacy with him though.

His hips met your ass, letting out a shaky breath. What the hell…..? Has it really been that long? Your pussy felt absolutely heavenly. He was ready to blow his load already. He prided himself on his ability to satisfy you. Over the years, he’s gotten to know your body, able to get to you to where you needed to be in record time. He’s never let you walk off without at least 2 orgasms.

But with the way you were clenching around him, he was starting to think that streak was about to be broken.

Good thing you were just as desperate as him.

“Go angel, I’m already close.”

Puffing out a breath of air, he began moving his hips back and forth, making sure to press his entire length into your walls. This position allowed him to reach deep inside of you, his tip rubbing right up against your sweet spot.

“Ah fuck, you feel so good baby.”

“Mmmmm….you’re so deep.” You sighed, relaxing as gentle pleasure cascaded across your body. Everything just felt heightened, weightless, and so intimate.

Namjoon’s hips sped up just a little, eyes focused on how your ass and love handles jiggled with each push. He couldn’t help but deliver a sharp slap to one of your cheeks, your hips jumping at the small sting of pain.

“I’m cumming, angel.”

He leaned down to place a kiss to your shoulder. Your head turned to capture his lips, sighing in content. “Go ahead.”

This orgasm was tender. It settled in your muscles and vibrated all the way to your toes.

Your pulsing walls also brought him to his release, his hips pressing all the way into you, cum filling you.

Namjoon inhaled and exhaled a deep breath before slowly pulling out of you.

You stretched your body, groaning as tiredness seeped into your bones.

“I’m sleepy.” You yawned. Namjoon smiled down at you, rubbing his cheek against your shoulder and inhaling your soap and lotion.

“Me too. Let’s get you cleaned up first though.” He climbed off the bed, grabbing his boxers to put them back on.

You rolled over on your side, throwing your arm up. “Carry me.”

After getting cleaned up and situated back in bed, you were inches away from slipping into dreamland. Warm, snuggled up to your husband and a post orgasmic haze settled over you, you were about to sleep harder than you did after Thanksgiving.

His hand rubbed on your ass, not sexually but in a soothing and tactile way. “Baby?” He called. He was also tired but he wanted to ask you something. All he got from you was a hum that let him know you were listening. “I love you.”

You lightly kissed his chest, rubbing a hand up his belly. “Love you too. Now sleep. You’ll need it for tomorrow.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Why? What’s tomorrow?” Had he forgotten something? It wasn’t your anniversary…..was it? No. Were his parents visiting? Now he was overthinking.

“You’re not going to work.”

“I’m not?”

“Nope. We’re going to have sex on every surface of this apartment. I need you well rested. Good night.”

Oh. Oh. OH.

Yeah, screw that job. He could take some vacation time.

[xreynadel]

TASK #14

MERROCK WRAPPED

TOP FIVE MUSIC ARTISTS

one. Lil Kim

two. Rihanna

three. Foxy Brown

four. Lana Del Rey

five. Etta James

TOP FIVE SONGS

one. Bitch Better Have My Money by Rihanna

two. Try Again by Aaliyah

three. Jump Off by Lil Kim

four. Say Yes to Heaven by Lana Del Rey

five. You Aint a Killer by Big Pun

TOP MOVIES SEEN IN THEATERS

one. Joy Ride

two. The Iron Claw

three. Barbie

four. Creed III

five. Fast X

TELEVISION SHOWS BINGE WATCHED (old or new!)

one. Succession

two. One Tree Hill

three. Gilmore Girls

four. The OC

five. Friends

TOP EVENTS ATTENDED IN TOWN (event tag!)

one. Cruise-In

two. Beach Bash

three. Halloween Masquerade

four. Crystal Gala

five. Enchanted Forest Gala

FIVE FAVORITE THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN 2023 (personal, or in the world!)

one. Successfully hosting Christmas with both her family and the Bardales family in attendance without crying

two. Celebrating a year with Honey in her life

three. Developing the first real friendships with other girls she has had in her life

four. Completing work on the pool at her house

five. Finally getting the furniture pieces for the house she’s been meaning to get for years thanks Cage!

[murfpersonalblog]

^^^THIS.

Back in 2020 I summed up my thoughts about the IWTV movie:

I CANNOT stand it when some people--(often Loumand shippers, deluded Lestat x Jesse shippers back in the QotD days (those were dark times!), and most recently this out of pocket wave of Lestat x Rowan Mayfair shippers get thee from me Satan)--try to make it seem that Lestat and Louis were never in a relationship, or they're not endgame, or they hate each other, or they were just straight platonic frenemy roommates, like wtf???? The film shows you clear as day that they were raising Claudia as a couple, but because it's the 1990s with Tom & Brad (rolls eyes, vomits), ofc it's all subtext. I can't.

My biggest issue has always been with the IWTV book. I HATED it. I still do. In fact, I hate the book more NOW than I did back then. XD IMO it's one of AR's worst books, and Louis is one of her least interesting characters. So all of this, on top of the racist & vaguely pedophilic undertones in both the book & film have made me cling to the tv show like a life raft, a breath of fresh air, an oasis in the desert, wind beneath my wi--okay okay, lol. XD

And as for Queen of the Damned, FACTS! For different reasons, it was iconic too! To date the QotD movie is the ONLY rockstar!Lestat on film---and violinist!Lestat--and he was good y'all! 😭 People need to start putting respect on QotD's name (not too much though, it's still only like a 7.5/10 at best LOL). They were in their The Crow bag, and the soundtrack--I NEED to see SamStat remix Forsaken before I die I'm WAITING--and the whole nu metal vibe & aesthetic was just *chef's kiss.* 🖤

And really, the worst part about Lestat in QotD was his hair color, I've said it over & over--same with Marius, like who tf are these people???

They gave Lestat the slightest blonde tips, but ugh. Otherwise Stuart Townsend served, leave me alone.

Ofc Aaliyah's Akasha was PERFECTION and Maharet was excellent. (It's just such a shame they left out the goat Mekare.) Sadly, this movie was made strictly for the straights (Louis who?) and even when I saw it in theatres I was BIG MAD for Louis' sake, as the QotD film/fandom completely soured me on Jesse; I'd take Nicki 1000 times over her.

So yeah, as a person who grew up on both the books & films, I don't like seeing new fans bash the OGs for the wrong reasons, even though I agree that AMC's version is the best & my favorite adaptation thus far. Just take them for what they are, as their own independent entities at the times they were made, from the 70s (book) to 90s (film) to Y2K (QotD). Just because the 2022-present tv show is doing the absolute most doesn't negate the fact that the older versions walked so AMC's IWTV could run in the vampire Olympics.

I dunno, but having grown up in the 90s/00s with the ‘94 film.. it is admittedly very frustrating seeing new fans constantly trash talking something that was so foundational for queer people my age.

Like, no, it’s obviously not as gay as iwtv22, but it is still very very extremely very queer coded. And that coding is all we had for a long time. Like Lestat’s first, levitating bite with Louis? Lestat and the Fop? Louis’s heavy-breathing farewell to Armand? Louis and Lestat’s reunion? These moments meant so much to me growing up, before I ever even knew there were books. And then later reading those explicitly queer moments as I grew older?? It only further cemented the importance of the coded sexuality and how it allowed me to love this very queer thing without having to unpack its queerness with my family.

I just think there’s a lack of consideration for the era where queerness in media was something that had to be kept secret, and using that against the film as some sort of “gotcha” isn’t the move you think it is.

And, yes, Tom and Brad suck as people. We don’t have to debate that, I agree wholeheartedly. But this constant dumping on older fans for.. cherishing an old thing that meant a lot to them for extremely specific reasons? That really sucks.

(the gatekeepy older fans can rot though)

Like let’s be 100% real here: every adaptation of these books is deeply flawed because the books themselves are deeply flawed. Not just structurally, they have serious problems regarding race, sexuality, women, children… Anne did not create a perfect foundation to work with, and she herself was an extremely flawed and often problematic person. And no matter how much you want to imagine that the tv show is divorced from all that.. it never will be. And that’s not your responsibility or mine to contend with any of it. It is a piece of media. It has no bearing on you as an individual.

I guess what I’m saying is that this series is nearing its 50th (!!!) birthday, and we as fans are very fortunate to have not only this incredible television series, but two iconic films (yes, QotD is iconic but in like.. an ironic, highly camp way), a musical of.. dubious but magical quality, and not one or two, but SIX stunning comic adaptations.. I just think it’s time to stop pitting the show against the movie when it’s all part of this massive, deeply flawed yet incredibly beautiful, wonderfully queer body of work.

[firexfate]

masterlist

note: it is about damn time I created something like this because it will be way too difficult to find the chapters, since they are scattered all over the place. it’s a little short, but will be consistently updated! -xx alisa 

reign - the black sparrow

♔ main characters ♔

♔ prologue ♔

♔ one ~  the french court ♔

♔ two ~ just friends ♔

♔ three ~ a new alliance ♔

♔ four ~ falling for the dauphin ♔

♔ five ~ olivia d’amencourt’s return ♔

♔ six ~ count vincent’s plot ♔

♔ seven ~  the future queen of france ♔

♔ eight ~ prince tomás’s downfall ♔

♔ nine ~ strange occurrences ♔

**most special thanks to my darling @fictionalfangirls who taught me how to make a masterlist because I'm an idiot XD**

[sureokaybye]

For the ask meme (hold onto your hat, it's a lot) - 2, 3, 4, 12, 17, 21, 25, 33, 39, 42, 44, 46, 73, 126, 129, 137 and 150

lkooh okay lets go

2: im not outgoing, but i wouldnt say im shy...to me shy seems bashful, i prefer introverted

3: im looking forward to seeing my two best friends @confused-bowie and our other friend V.

4: oof um,,,,kinda?? i’ll care about you and help you the best i can but i’m also a bitch sooo,,,yea

12: Lights On by HER, Sunflower by Post Malone, Four Page Letter by Aaliyah, Date my Ex by Al-X the Great, Romeo and Juliet by Hobo Johnson

17: i do, the likelyhood of us being the only form of life in the entire universe is so slim, even if that life is bacteria. i hope the aliens meet us soon, it must be lonely

21: yikes, i pick at my skin a lot, and like i dont mean to it just happens, i get stressed one min and then the next im bleeding??

25: chest.

33: lucis n (oh shit i fucked up)

39: ya boy only shops at 2 stores. Savers and Hot Topic

42: it could mean a lot of things, i could be zoning out/daydreaming, sad, really pissed, or just watching the people around me and noticing any quirks that they might have (for example, i noticed my english teacher ALWAYS uses both hands to push her hair out of her face)

44: outer space! like i said, i dont want aliens to be lonely and im done with making friends with humans, we’re wack

46: im so paranoid about annoying people, im constantly fucking worrying about whether or not im being annoying

73: no, when i was little i only slept with one because i have asthma and my doctor said the toys would collect dust on them and make my lungs so blep

126: i just made a new playlist and my friend ernesto let me borrow his book and i re-wrote an old poem so nope!

129: im an aries, a double aries actually, star and moon!

137: i am 5 foot 2 and a half. 

150: “ Okaran called (fig 6) when they fall three Obinu (coconut) inverted...” from a book called Afro Cuban Tradition: The three principles of Santeria

btw i just wan to thank you for sending me this it made me very very happy!!

[firexfate]

the black sparrow || reign

♔ nine ~ strange occurances ♔

“You have been found guilty of treason, Count Sokolov for conspiring against the crown. How do you plead?” One of the Tsar’s advisors was reading out a document, before looking at the man before them, chained and held back by a few guards. Alisa felt her heart clench at the sight of the man, who was bleeding profusely on the floor. He was bruised and was twitching and grunting in pain. Anyone could tell that this man has been in the torture chambers, which is what the Tsar ordered before having him executed. The man said nothing, unable to utter a coherent sentence with him suffering. 

“His silence speaks for all of us.” The Tsar’s voice thundered throughout the hall. “He shall be condemned to death.” The guards holding him bowed low, proceeding to drag the man out of the room. 

“Wait,” Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich turned around to his daughter, a cold smile unfurling over his face, “Come, Alisochka.” Alisa swallowed, as she picked up the skirts of her dress and walked towards her father, curtsying low before him. Her whole body began to tremble. Ivan took out his sword and beckoned her forward. 

“My father gave this to me around your age. I was twelve,” He smiled faintly at the memory, “He told me to use this in the direst circumstances. This is fairly dire, wouldn't you agree? A treasonous act as this should not go unpunished. Am I wrong?” His voice became deadly as it dropped to a whisper. Alisa swallowed hard, frightened, before shaking her head.

“N-No, sire.” Ivan nodded. 

“I am glad you see reason.” He handed the sword to her. “Kill him.” The whole hall went dead silent. No one gasped. Everyone knew better than to defy the mad Tsar. Alisa drew in a shaking breath, as she took the sword fingering it. She was terrified. She never killed anyone in her life before. How could her father be so cruel and ordering her to kill him? As if reading her thoughts, Ivan leaned forward close to his daughter, a hand on her shoulder. Alisa bit her lip as he did so; he was squeezing her shoulder blade so tight, it was painful. 

“He is a traitor to the Almighty Empire. A threat to my rule. You will be the next Tsaritsa of Russia, Alisa. You want to be a good Queen now, do you?” His tone turned darker with every word. His eyes were almost black. Alisa nodded, her whole form shaking. 

“Y-Yes, sire.” 

“Then, get rid of this scum and let him bleed to death on the floor as a reminder to anyone who dares try to do something of this nature.” Alisa took the sword in her hands, clutching the hilt of the sword, as she walked up to the men. She prepared to strike him, pausing for a moment, turning to look at her father. The familiar prickling, burning sensation of tears. Ivan relaxed in his seat nodding once. 

“You know what to do. Don’t disappoint me.” Alisa knew all too well what that meant. If she did not do as he asked, he would abuse her, beat her until she had a bruise and bled, as punishment. She turned around to face the man, shutting her eyes once. 

“Please God, forgive me.” She stabbed the man fatally in the stomach, a bloodcurdling scream of agony breaking through her lips. 

Alisa shot up from her bed, gasping for breath. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, rocking herself back and forth, burying her face in between her legs, trying to breathe. Every single time, the dreams of her father and her life in the Russian Court plagued her. Every nightmare was worse than the ones she had before. She wished they would go away, but they did not. Alisa raised her head up, taking a gulp of air, as she tried to calm herself. The sun was just about to rise, and the sky seemed to be clear. Outside, a few birds were chirping their usual wake-up call. Alisa managed to drag herself out of bed and slip out of her chambers. She did not know exactly where she was going, her mind was in a complete daze as she walked. But somehow, her body knew exactly where she wanted to be at the moment, as she paused in front of Francis’s room. She knocked on the door shakily. 

“Enter.” Francis’s voice was inviting and very much awake. Alisa opened the door and walked inside. She let out a breath of relief as she saw him; she departed to her chambers early that night and did not even encounter him after his triumph over Tomás. She approached him slowly with a slight smile. 

“They told me you came back without a scratch last night. Are you alright?” Francis smiled warmly. 

“Thanks to you. You saved Miguel from a terrible fate. Mary told me everything that has happened when you left for your room.” 

“And you saved Mary’s life, by killing Tomás.” Alisa reminded him quietly. 

“It was a teamed effort, and I am glad it was,” Francis told her, “The two of us accomplished a good thing together, and I want more of that in the future when we rule side by side as King and Queen, working together.” The young Tsaritsa nodded once, before looking down. Francis managed to catch her bottom lip quivering violently. “Alisa?” He pressed his hands on her arms to get her attention and realized just how much she was shaking. “What’s wrong?” He gently tilted her chin up, watching her closely. Alisa swallowed a lump down her throat. 

“It’s a nightmare.” She barely whispered the words. “I have them every night. They won’t stop, Francis. They just won’t stop.” Francis cupped her face in his hands, stroking his cheek, his face overcome with worry. 

“It’s gone,” He murmured, “The nightmare that you had is gone.” Alisa shook her head slightly, tears that she has been holding back beginning to fall. 

“They happen every single time I close my eyes, it’s all I see,” Her voice began to crack, “I am back there, in Moscow again.” Francis was appalled at the way she spoke. He never has seen her like this, so broken, so helpless. She always spoke with a fondness about her room, he never imagined that it would be the place of her nightmares. It broke his heart and angered him, knowing that she was hurt so much like this. She did not deserve any of this. 

“Idi ko mne.” (Come here). He spoke in her native tongue, pulling her close. He sank his hand in her dark strands, wrapping his strong arm around her waist. Alisa clutched onto him, her body pressed against him, seeking his warmth. She tried to fight it, but a loud sob rippled through her, and she hid her face in Francis’s shoulder. He began rocking her from side to side gently. “My God,” He whispered, tightening his grip upon her, “What did the Russian Court do to you?” Even when Alisa managed to retain control over herself, she could not pull away from him. Francis pressed soothing kisses on the top of her head. “I will never let anyone hurt you ever again. I will protect you with my life.” Alisa looked up at him, letting a small smile cross her lips. 

“I-I know. I feel safe with you.” She reached her hand to touch his cheek. “You are the only good thing that happened to me.” Francis kissed her palm multiple times lovingly. 

“I love you.” He told her softly, pulling away, simply taking her hand and guiding her to the bed. 

“What are you doing?” Alisa asked, but obliged, getting into the bed. Francis laid down beside her, tucking her in, pulling her close, so her back was pressed against his chest. 

“You need some more sleep. I will fight off bad dreams for you.” Alisa let out a shaky breath. 

“I don’t want to see---” Francis stroked her hair, his lips pressed near her ear. 

“Shhh.” He murmured quietly, kissing her lobe. “Don’t worry.” He let a small smile rest on his face in spite of the situation. “Just think in two days time, we will be married.” Alisa’s eyes widened and she turned to face him, with a soft gasp. 

“Two days?” She repeated in shock. Francis chuckled with a nod. 

“No one told me it was in two days!” She stressed. 

“Mother wanted to, but I wanted to be the one to tell you. You are going to be my wife.” Francis’s arms wrapped around her again, rubbing her shoulder. “And we will have two whole months to ourselves.” Alisa smiled serenely at that. 

“I want to take you to Kyiv. It is such a beautiful city in Poland. We own a palace there.” 

“And I would love to do that, as well. Now, that I am a Russian speaker.” He grinned a little, causing her to giggle. He sighed. “I will take you to Paris. And we will spend our days in the Louvre palace.” 

“Will we dance in the night?” Alisa whispered, beginning to feel a little drowsy as she rested her head against his warm chest. 

“Of course, my love. Get some sleep now and dream of Paris, just you and I.” Alisa smiled as she closed her eyes again, letting the darkness take over her. For the first time, her horrors were replaced with good dreams, of her and Francis dancing under the stars in the Louvre Palace. 

♖♖♖

The following two days were the craziest ones, Alisa ever imagined. Granted the wedding planning was done for her, by King Henry and Queen Catherine, but there was still quite a lot of work to be done. Alisa and Francis could not see each other until the evening while they were preparing for the wedding. It was a sign of bad luck to see the groom before the wedding. Of course, Francis argued that he did not believe in such superstition, but Catherine disregarded his comments and sent him away. She fussed over Alisa, as did Katya, Natasha, and the other servants, making sure everything was perfect. The only problem was that Aaliyah was nowhere to be found. She was missing for a few days, and Alisa grew increasingly worried. However, this happened before; Aaliyah would disappear for a few days but return. This happened in Moscow, as well as France. Still, Alisa could not help but feel worried, but she tried to push the thought to the side. It was hours before the wedding, after all, and everything was going to be perfect. 

As Alisa’s new corset was being tied around her waist, (where she tried not to yelp in pain) the door swung open and a very flustered Aaliyah burst in. Everyone turned to look at her, a little startled. Catherine was not the least bit amused. 

“Good heavens, Lady Aaliyah, where have you been? Do you realize that it is nearly time for Alisa and Francis to be wed?” She demanded. Aaliyah barely heard what she said. Her eyes fell upon Alisa, as she rushed over to her. Her face was a mess, her eyes had dark-circles in them. She looked dreadful. 

“Alisa, I need your help.” She whispered urgently. Alisa’s eyes locked on hers strangely. 

“What happened?” She asked calmly, lifting a hand, causing Katya to stop fixing the corset and listen to her distraught friend. 

“It’s Bash... I can’t find him anywhere. The guards told me that he was not in the castle, and I left to find him. I looked in the village, beyond the castle walls. I can’t find him.” She whispered frantically. Alisa’s eyes filled with concern. 

“Bash will be back. I am sure of it. It’s not the first time he left. He has always gone to the Bloodwood, left for an adventure.” She told Aaliyah assuringly, who shook her head at that. 

“No, you don’t understand. He is gone, and I am worried for good,” She walked up closer to Alisa, dropping onto her knees before her, “He left with Mary, and it has been days since he had returned. Since they both have. Please, I am begging you, please help me.” She was close to tears. Alisa did not say anything for a moment, before turning to Natasha. 

“Untie me and hand me my dress.” Everyone looked at one another, before turning to the Tsaritsa in shock. 

“Alisa, we don’t have time, we have to get you ready---” Katya began exasperatedly. 

“For the wedding, I know.” Alisa interrupted, already heading towards her wardrobe and changing. “But this is far more important. If Bash is with Mary, I have to find them both and demand an answer. Why would the two of them escape France together?” She came out, fully dressed in her usual garments. “Besides, I fear that if we do not find the two of them soon, this will prove to be problematic. I have to find Francis.” She turned to Aaliyah. “Tell him to meet me in the garden.” Aaliyah nodded, murmuring her gratitude under her breath, as she rushed out of the room. 

“You can’t!” Catherine sputtered, shaking her head at the young Queen, walking towards her. “My dear, your wedding is in three hours, seeing him now will prove to bring bad tidings in the future.” Alisa sighed deeply. 

“I must. He knows Bash better than anyone. He would be the only one to find him. I am afraid the wedding will have to be postponed until we sort this out. And Henry will agree to this. He loves Bash more than his other sons.” Alisa smiled a little, before walking out of the room after Aaliyah. She rushed downstairs, heading outside. Within no time at all, she saw Francis and Aaliyah heading to meet her. 

“I have just heard what happened.” He took Alisa’s hand as he entered. “Bash and Mary are gone, and nobody saw them.” Alisa nodded. 

“I know this seems absolutely ridiculous, but I worry for Bash. Mary is absolutely unpredictable, and no matter, how many times we tell ourselves that she has changed, I just have a bad feeling about her, and I don’t trust her.” Alisa confessed. Francis sighed. 

“I suppose we should find them, and once we are certain that everything is perfectly fine, we can continue on with our wedding.” Francis decided, before turning to Aaliyah. “Ask one of the guards to prepare my horse.” 

“And mine as well,” Aaliyah nodded and rushed out, as Alisa met Francis’s surprised face, “Don’t look so shocked. If you are going to find them, then, I will come with you. Bash is not just your brother. He is the man that Aaliyah loves, and by God’s name, I will give him a piece of my mind.” 

♖♖♖

The two had ridden for a long while without stopping for a break. Every moment that passed, Francis was getting more and more concerned. He had no idea what was Mary’s plan in all this, and he was getting frustrated. Alisa, in the meantime, could not help but wonder why would Bash agree to her demands. Was he so besotted with her that he felt the urge to run away? Bash was in love with Aaliyah, Alisa was sure of it. Even if he showed a very poor job at showing it, the Tsaritsa had faith in him. 

“We are running out of time.” Francis quietly spoke, breaking away her thoughts. “I am starting to think that the two are not even in France anymore.” Alisa frowned softly. 

“Bash is a traveler, but why would he go with Mary? This day just keeps getting more and more uncanny.” Alisa murmured slightly to herself. She sighed, smiling ever so slightly, “To think we escaped our very own wedding for this. It’s not even bringing us anywhere.” Francis chuckled. 

“True,” He murmured before he gazed around the woods, “Let us try going to the neighboring village. Perhaps, they have taken refuge there.” Alisa sighed and nodded. 

“If nothing, we shall go back home.” She conceded, before picking up the reins of her horse. A small and mischievous smile broke through her lips. “I’ll race you.” Before Francis had a chance to respond, she squeezed her horse gently, kicking her lightly, before breaking off into an easy canter. Francis gazed at her for a moment, before smiling widely and going after her. Alisa closed her eyes, beginning to laugh breathlessly as she raced against him. The young Russian woman had a wild and free spirit swirling around her, and she loved the thrill that she was feeling. For a brief moment, the two forgot the whole world, their troubles, French Court, Mary, everything, as they galloped. Once they have reached the village, Alisa opened her eyes, her laugh fusing with Francis’s. The two paused their horses to catch their breath. “Amazing.” Alisa managed to breath out. Francis moved his horse slightly, so he would be closer to her. Holding his reins with one hand, he let his knuckles graze down his fiance’s cheek. 

“You never cease to enchant me, Alisa.” He murmured. Alisa watched him, beginning to smile softly, closing her eyes at his touch and catching his hand on the side of her face, kissing it. 

“I’m so glad I chose to come to French Court.” She whispered. Francis smiled at her gently. 

“Best idea you have ever had.” He consented with a little laugh. They moved to go deeper into the village, before they heard footsteps. Francis’s hand instinctively went on his sword, as Alisa very visibly tensed. They both relaxed as they saw it was Aaliyah, rushing towards them. She was flushed and anxious. 

“The guards found Mary and Bash,” She bit her lip, “They were together in an abandoned house. King Henry had Bash thrown in prison, while he is about to question Mary. You need to come and witness this.” Alisa looked over at Francis, who felt his jaw tighten. He knew whatever would go down would not end well. Alisa could not stand watching the conflicting pain in his eyes, and she reached her hand to touch his. 

“Francis,” He looked up at her, “It will be alright. I will be standing by your side. We will be together, no matter what Mary decides to throw at us.” Francis nodded quietly, his worries numbed slightly, and he squeezed his hand before pulling back. 

“Lead the way, Aaliyah.” He ordered her quietly. Aaliyah nodded firmly, turning her head and kicking her horse. Francis and Alisa galloped after her, all the while wondering what was going to happen. Alisa was right; today was certainly a day of strange occurrences.

A/N: hello, hello, hello, my lovelies! i am so sorry this is all very late, ugh. but i am inspired very much to continue this. and lots of shit is going to go down, very fair warning. i will be working on the next chapter, it will just take a bit until i post again. i love you all, thank you for reading! ❤️😘

[firexfate]

the black sparrow || reign

♔ eight ~ prince tomás’s downfall ♔

Thwack! Alisa watched with pride as Francis sent an arrow flying as he released it, hitting the center of the target. There was assorted clapping coming from the spectators who watched Francis against Tomás, who also was rather good at archery. It was a couple of days after the two engagements were announced. During this time, the members of the French Court were thrown in a whirlpool of events, Bash was attacked by some soldiers, everyone suspecting that it was the English. Tomás was fighting to win Mary’s affection, and Queen Catherine was organizing the wedding of her son and her future daughter in law. It was hectic, to say the least. 

Francis turned to look at his new fiancé, smiling at her warmly. She sent him one back, seated in the middle, between Mary and Aaliyah. Mary caught Francis’s look, before turning to eye the Tsaritsa.

“You two are quite smitten in public.” She observed. Alisa turned to her but softened once seeing Mary’s ever so slight smile. 

“You are not angry.” She shifted ever so slightly in her seat, to look at her fully. 

“You are saving my country, by introducing me to Tomás. I owe you quite a lot, and I hope you and Francis are happy.” Mary watched as Tomás hit his shot perfectly. Everyone cheered and clapped for him. 

“That is kind of you, Mary, and there is no need to thank me. I believe peace is the perfect solution, despite all of the problems that we face.” Alisa informed her, as she watched Francis make a shot. He missed the bullseye, but she still clapped for him, supporting him. 

“Looks like Tomás is winning,” Aaliyah commented from Alisa’s other side. Her tone sounded very curt and bitter. 

“You don’t seem to like him,” Alisa caught on fairly quickly, knowing Aaliyah better than anyone. 

“I just don’t trust him. Scotland needed help, and he just happens to show up? It seems all too good to be true. Alisa, I am telling you. There is something wrong with that man.” 

“I trust your judgment.” Alisa interrupted her frantic assertions, looking over at her once. “But we must jump to conclusions. Let us see what kind of man Tomás is. If you must investigate it, then do so quietly.” Aaliyah nodded quietly. 

“What of Bash?” The Tsaritsa asked her gently. “Is he feeling better?” 

“I suppose, or so Nostradamus says. We spoke about what happened between us,” Aaliyah responded softly, looking down at his hands, “He told me that he was infatuated with Mary, but now, he cannot have her.” Alisa frowned sympathetically. 

“What is going to happen to the two of you?” 

“I don’t know,” Aaliyah admitted, “I told him that I needed to think about it. I have not decided anything as of yet.” Everyone broke off into another cheer again, as Tomás won the archery competition. A servant brought forth a pink rose, which Tomás took, heading over to Mary. 

“Mary, Queen of Scots, would you do me the honor of accepting my favor?” There was a stilled silence from everyone as they watched the couple. Mary smiled at her new fiancé warmly, as she took the flower from him. 

“Thank you, Tomás.” Alisa in the meantime stood up and approached Francis, who was handing back his bow and arrows to the servant. 

“You did well.” She complimented him. “Just missed by one point.” 

“Missed being that keyword.” Francis chuckled softly, coming over to her, pressing a kiss on her lips softly. “It doesn’t matter. I didn’t care for winning. None of that matters anymore.” Alisa smiled ever so slightly. 

“Why?” 

“Because I have you now,” Francis told her, gently taking her hand, leading her out of the field and back towards the castle, “I cannot wait until we are married which, according to both of my parents, is quite soon.” 

“And one day, you and I will rule Russia and France together.” Alisa mused as Francis wrapped his arm around her instead. 

“It is good how it all worked out, isn’t it?” The two were walking down the halls. “Mary is about to marry the Prince of Portugal, France is no longer bound by the alliance with Scotland.” 

“Speaking of which,” Alisa looked up at him, “Aaliyah brought something to my attention, and I am worried that she may be right. She doesn’t trust Tomás. She thinks that something off about him.” Francis raised his eyebrows. 

“Off? Alisa, he has been nothing but polite and courteous at court, and he seems to be very taken by Mary. There is nothing wrong with him.” 

“Francis just think about it,” She pressed, moving to stand in front of him, “Mary needed troops, and Tomás just happened to show up, with 8 companies of men. And the whole thing with Bash troubles me deeply, he knows his way around the Bloodwood Forest and all of the dangers that dwell there. What are the chances of him getting attacked and unable to defend himself?” Francis pondered this for a moment. 

“Now that you mention it, I have to admit that this all very fishy. I have been swarmed at court that I did not notice any of this,” Francis smiled at her softly, taking her hand gently, “I promise that I will look into it.” 

“Please do, if Tomás is not the man that we all think he is, I feel responsible. I was the one who urged Mary to form an alliance with him. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.” Francis pulled her close, kissing her softly. Alisa melted into the kiss, her worries fading away for just a moment. 

“Always so caring,” Francis whispered, brushing his thumb against her cheekbone, causing her heart to accelerate, “I love you, my darling.” Alisa felt her heart flutter, as she smiled at him. 

“Ya tebya lyublyu.” 

♖♖♖

Francis proceeded to investigate Tomás fully, as did Aaliyah, though the two did quietly without attracting attention. Mary was to leave for Portugal within a week. It was not a sufficient amount of time, but then again, what other choice did they have? Alisa too watched Tomás. So far, they were unsuccessful - Tomás seemed to be decent. It wasn’t until a few days later did anything seemed to change. Alisa was busy writing a letter to Dimitri when she heard a knock coming from her door. 

“Enter.” She did not look up, as Mary shakily entered the room. 

“Alisa?” The tentative voice caused Alisa to look up in her shock. Mary was standing less than a few feet away from her, trembling from head to toe. She looked terrified. Alisa rose from her seat, crossing over to her. 

“Bozhe moy,” (My God) Alisa put an arm around the Scottish Queen, escorting her to the couch, sinking beside her, “What happened to you?” 

“I don’t know who else to go to. I can’t find Francis, Bash is injured, you are my last hope.” Mary began speaking faster, her voice bubbling with panic. “Tomás is not at all what I anticipated him to be. He is a fraud. He just told me that if I fail to disobey him, he will use a whipping---” 

“Hold on, slow down,” Alisa ordered, before standing up and taking some brandy and pouring it in a goblet, handing it to Mary to calm her nerves, “Drink.” Mary did as she was told, sipping the liquid, letting it calm her. “Now, tell me what happened.” 

“Tomás has a whipping boy, his name is Miguel. He said he would use him if I do not provide him with an heir, never contradict him, and be a dutiful wife. He frightens me with his words, Alisa. There is something cold and dark in his eyes.” Alisa sighed heavily. 

“This is my fault. I pushed you to marry Tomás.” Mary shook her head numbly. 

“You were only trying to help, and I needed this alliance for Scotland.” She looked down. Alisa took her hand, pitying the young woman. 

“I will not damn you like this, Mary. We have to get you out of this alliance.” She decided firmly. “No, wonder what the cost.” 

“But how?” Mary asked helplessly. 

“We must exploit Tomás, but we need evidence to do so. Do you know anything else that could possibly help us? A witness, perhaps?” Mary shook her head. Alisa pursed her lips, standing up and pacing around. 

“How did King Henry relieve you of the alliance to France?” She looked at her suddenly. Mary paused for a moment before her eyes lit up. 

“There was a woman. A prostitute, I think. King Henry wanted me to sign her statement, to confirm that it was true.” Alisa’s eyes widened, as she paused looking at her. 

“Statement?” 

“King Henry thinks that an English spy has snuck into French Court and attacked Bash. He will execute him tonight during the feast. The prostitute described that spy, and I signed her statement. That granted me permission to be engaged to Tomás.” Mary explained quickly. Alisa pressed her hand to her lips. 

“Could it be possible,” She began slowly, “That this statement is false?” Mary fell silent. 

“How will be able to prove that?” She asked the Tsaritsa quietly. 

“Maybe, the man you have is not a spy at all,” Alisa muttered as she heard another knock through the door and Aaliyah came in. 

“I was right.” She proclaimed unceremoniously. “He was a two-faced bastard. I just saw the boy that follows him around having a black eye and now a bloody nose.” Alisa let a growl of anger escape her throat. 

“We have to move quickly. Mary, is there something, anything that can prove this prostitute words wrong? I seriously doubt that this so-called English spy decided to attack Bash.” 

“Well, there is,” Aaliyah surprised everyone, by uttering the words, “The royal seal of England.” Mary jumped up at that. 

“I will ask the prostitute again. We might just have a chance, and I will be rid of that man for good.” Alisa nodded, before turning to Aaliyah. 

“We must find Francis and inform him of all of this.”

“And Bash,” Aaliyah and Alisa headed towards the throne room, which was being decorated for the feast, skimming around the place. Bash and Francis were not there. Aaliyah let out a huff, as she led the Tsaritsa outside, past the gardens. Bash and Francis were standing there discussing something near the Bloodwood Forest. Aaliyah and Alisa exchanged a look, before rushing over there. 

“Aaliyah,” Bash moved forward to her, his eyes alarmed, “What are you doing here?” 

“I could be asking you the same question,” Aaliyah told him in an affronted tone. 

“Now is not the time for disagreements,” Francis scolded the two of them lightly before turning to his fiancé, “You were right, my love, right about everything. Tomás is a horrible man with grave ambitions. He must be stopped.” 

“He will pay, and no one will get harmed,” Alisa responded, “We may have a way to prove everything Tomás has said is a lie. We just need a bit of time.”  

“We may not have time.” Bash stressed. “Tomás could be there hurting Mary right now, and we are standing around helpless.” Aaliyah stared at him coldly. 

“You seem to care an awful lot for her.” She remarked. 

“Because she is my friend!” Bash told her exasperatedly. Alisa sighed heavily, at their argument. 

“Enough of this, tonight is the feast. We will go and pretend we know nothing, and if Tomás tries to harm Mary,” Alisa let out a dark chuckle, something that startled the other three; they have never seen her like this before, “Well, he will face my wrath, and that is not exactly a very pleasant experience.” She turned, picking up the skirts of her dress, beginning to head home. Francis accompanied her, his hand on the small of her back. He looked at her, getting increasingly worried when she did not meet his eye. 

“Alisa,” He called out softly, “Is there something wrong?” She looked up at him slowly. Her eyes were expressionless. 

“Should there be?” 

“I have never seen you speak so passionately about something, protecting someone that you do not exactly like.” Alisa did not answer at first before she came to a halt when she was near her chambers. She turned around to him. 

“I will not let anyone suffer because of me. I want to be a good person, a good Queen, a good future wife to you. Someone who you could trust and be honored to rule besides.” She said quietly. Francis walked over to her, smiling softly, as he took her face in his hands. 

“But you have proven that to me, time and time again. You are selfless, you are helping Mary, and that is what I truly love about you. You are not afraid to take risks and stand up for what is right. You do not need to prove anything to me. You are what I want.” He pressed his lips on her forehead. “I will see you at the feast?” 

“Of course,” Alisa smiled ever so slightly, as he pulled back and walked off to his chambers to get ready. She sighed heavily, once she got into her room. She may have proven herself a good person, a good Queen to him, but has she done so to herself? She did not have to wait long to answer that. If Tomás will be exposed and Mary freed, then, she and everyone else would be able to breathe much easier. 

♖♖♖

The party was a splendid affair. Queen Catherine had insisted that it would be a costume theme, and so it was. Everyone was dressed in the finest garments as they were dancing, drinking wine, and laughing in the throne room. In the center of it all, King Henry placed the so-called spy in the center of the room, where he would be executed in the evening. Alisa did not truly fancy the idea, after noticing what had happened when she walked in the room. She was dressed in a fine gown of her own, a light pink one, her hair draping down over her shoulders. Her eyes skimmed around the room and saw Mary standing in the center of it, rubbing her arms, her face distraught. Her eyes filled with relief as the Tsaritsa approached her. 

“Come, have a drink with me,” Alisa spoke with a smile, gently guiding her to the corner of the room so nobody would find anything suspicious. She locked her gaze upon the Scottish Queen, worriedly skimming her eyes, “What happened?” 

“You were right. This spy has not attacked Bash because of the English seal. HIs was red, while the real English seal is silver.” Alisa pursed her lips, nodding softly. 

“And you have spoken to the prostitute?” 

“Francis and Bash, they are taking care of it. They just left.” Alisa’s lips tightened with worry, but she let out a sigh of assent. 

“Let’s hope that they find what we need.” She took two goblets from a tray going around and handing one of them to Mary. Mary sipped quietly, watching the Tsaritsa, who remained a calm composure. 

“I never thought that we can go on friendly terms, despite our differences.” She admitted quietly. “I am still not satisfied with how things went for me.” 

“Neither did I.” Alisa chuckled. “I used to believe that our feud was eternal.” 

“While I may still be a bit angry that Francis chose you and decided to throw our alliance away that was meant to protect my country, I respect you.” Alisa raised her eyebrows. 

“Is that a compliment?” Mary hid a small smile. 

“Well, I owe it to you. You are a good person and a powerful Queen. France is going to be quite lucky when you become its sovereign.” Alisa let a genuine smile unfurl on her lips this time. 

“You really think so?” 

“You were kind to Olivia when I was blinded by jealousy, you managed to win over both Henry and Catherine, you captured Francis’s heart through kindness, and you are saving my life right now. I’d say you are more than decent.” Mary drained her goblet. The two fell silent for a moment, Alisa digesting her words. Its as if her burdens were lifted ever slightly. Growing up in the Russian Court, her heart hardened itself against everything and everyone. It was a miracle how she managed to maintain her kind personality and open up to Francis like she did. 

“Thank you.” Alisa’s voice was barely a whisper. She cleared her throat, wiping her face free of emotion so Mary could not see. “I appreciate you telling me these things.” She paused, taking another sip of wine, “Perhaps, it is time that we try and be friendly towards one another, instead of biting each other’s backs like wild dogs.” Mary let out a quiet laugh. 

“Perhaps. I will need some time to think about it. I will still need to get used to the fact that I will need a new alliance and that France chose you. Maybe with time.” Alisa nodded falling silent again. Suddenly, she overheard someone running towards the two of them. Her eyes caught Lady Lola’s who was in a white gown, practically breathless, her eyes swimming with anxiety. 

“Lola, what is it?” Mary asked, startled, as she looked up at her friend. 

“Francis and Bash just left for the woods. They are going to kill Tomás because they saw him dragging the young boy, Miguel.” Alisa felt her chest squeeze in fear. 

“He is going to kill Miguel, who could be our only chance to convince Henry not to execute that man.” Alisa nodded, her mind determined. “I will go and help Francis do that.” 

“You can’t. It’s too dangerous!” Mary moved forwards trying to grab Alisa’s arm to stop her. Alisa looked at her sharply. 

“If I do not do something, innocent lives will be lost, and I will not let that happen.” She informed her, before she swept out of the room, heading to her own chambers quickly. Once inside, she rummaged through her drawers and pulled out a knife, just in case. She changed into a more comfortable dress, before heading outside. She reached the stables, saddling one of the horses there. Once finished, she galloped away towards the woods. The Bloodwood forest was not as dark as she suspected as it was mostly light out, so she did not have any problems. Soon enough, she heard voices familiar to her. Quietly, she tightened the reins, walking closer, spotting Francis, Bash, and Tomás arguing. Sliding off the horse, she tied him to a tree, before moving closer towards the trio. 

“I will not let you have Mary because I know she will be mistreated, just like Miguel.” Francis was saying, subtly setting an arrow on his bow, aiming it directly at Tomás’s heart. 

“She is my property now, not yours. You have a fiancé of your own, so don’t concern yourself with matters that do not involve you.” Tomás hissed. 

“Scotland may not be our current ally, but Mary is our friend, and we will do anything in our power to protect her from royal arses like you.” Bash argued, moving to stand up straighter, despite the still unhealed wound from his shoulder. 

Alisa’s dark eyes fell to the ground, as she overhead someone grunting in pain. It was from Miguel. She crept forward, still concealed by the bushes and the trees, touching his shoulder. He blinked a few times from his semi-coherent state. 

“Tsaritsa?!” He looked surprised and was about to ask more before Alisa hushed him. 

“We need to get you out of here.” She looked up, seeing that the men were still arguing before they began to fight. Alisa moved closer to Miguel, eyeing the arrow. 

“Don’t scream.” She warned as she moved to pull it out. Miguel let out another grunt of pain, his voice high pitched. She grabbed his arm, pulling him up to his feet and whispering, “Run.” The two took off for their lives. They were not running far as Miguel was limping heavily and he was leaning against Alisa’s arm. They could hearTomás yelling and screaming. 

“DUCK!” Alisa shouted to Miguel as another arrow flew past their heads. Alisa grabbed his arm pulling him to the side, as another arrow flew past them. The clashing of swords was heard a few moments later. She helped Miguel get on the horse with a groan of pain, before moving to sit behind him. She kicked the horse, beginning to gallop away. As she turned around, she could see Francis’s face, mirroring her own, a look of both terror and fear. Alisa turned around, as she rode back to the castle. She handed her horse to one of the guards, before helping Miguel into the castle. 

“Obrigado.” (Thank you.) Miguel managed to get out in Portuguese through the pain, as the two walked inside. “You saved my life, Your Grace. I do not know how to ever repay you.” 

“Tell the king everything about Tomás, and we will be able to call it even,” Alisa told him quietly. Miguel nodded and leaned against her as she pulled him into the throne room, where Mary and her ladies awaited her return. They all breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone fell silent, only a few murmured whispers filling the rooms. King Henry rose from his seat, as Catherine watched the Tsaritsa closely from the side. 

“Alisa, what is the meaning of this? Who is this wretched man? What on Earth happened to him?” Alisa closed her eyes at the many questions thrown at her. 

“I bring him before you, Your Majesty because the man who you are about to execute you is not the man you were looking for.” She spoke. Many gasps echoed throughout the whole. Henry raised his eyebrows, before nodding. 

“I see. Please, continue.” Alisa turned to Miguel. 

“Are you ready?” She asked in a softer tone. He nodded. 

“Sim, Your Majesty.” Alisa gestured to the king, stepping back and watching Miguel tell the whole story. She let out a deep breath. She saved his life, Mary’s, and exploited a cruel man - this all counted for something, didn’t it? Alisa let a small smile graze her lips in spite of the situation. She knew one thing for certain now; there was good in her. Always has been. 

A/N: This took a very long time to write, I should have been done with this by now. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, let me know what you think! I kind of went off the storyline and skipped some scenes because that would make it way too long. See you in the next chapter!