#arthur and john have a reputation of their own because of this

[normalbrothers]

how did he pull this off when The Family was doing criminal and illegal stuff since before he was born 🤔

[heavencanbeaprisontoo]

Imagine Being Arthur Shelby’s Twin

Platonic!Arthur Shelby x Shelby!Reader

Warnings: Angst, fluff, mentions of past childhood neglect, period-typical sexism. The image below is just to visualize what a twin for Arthur could look like. Very, very vague implication of Darby Sabini and Luca Changretta x Shelby!Reader.

“I’m not crying, you’re crying!”

The two of you are very sensitive, always have been. Aunt Polly likes to mention that you and Arthur used to cry at the exact same time as babies. As young children, if one of you got hurt, the other would start crying. This remained mostly the same even into adulthood. Though, you are definitely the more stable twin. 

Arthur would go to you when he needed comfort. You and your twin would draw horses together under candlelight by copying them out of books as children. It was you who first told him that he could be an artist. Arthur laughed you off back then.

Although Arthur bends the knee to Tommy, you are not nearly as submissive as him. Tommy and the others look to you as an equal to Polly. Their elder sister who stepped in when mother wasn’t feeling quite right. 

As the oldest Shelby daughter, you had a hand in raising most of your siblings. Arthur got to run about Small Heath cracking skulls while you stayed back to change nappies and read bedtime stories. Compared to the other Shelby children, you didn’t have much of a childhood at all really.

You had a reputation of being the family tattletale. When your brothers acted up, you acted like a second mother. Always chasing after the little ones and setting them straight. Aged beyond your years because you had to be. Not because you wanted to. 

By the time you were sixteen, you were working three jobs. You were a laundress, a clerk at a drug store, and waking up early to help out at a bakery. The last job worked best for you as you had a talent for baking.

Arthur was such a dreamer before the war. He didn’t have a real plan for his life, only fantasies. You weren’t anything like that. Always looking ahead, mapping out your path, it felt like Arthur didn’t take life seriously. Didn’t take you seriously. 

Before the war, Arthur didn’t fully understand that about you. It was all “women’s work,” and you seemed happy enough. It didn’t occur to him that you might have had dreams of your own. 

You were too strict, too obedient, too boring. It led to many, many fights. Mainly, you and Arthur would disagree about how he was living his life. The fastest way to get Arthur mad was to accuse him of being a bad influence. His face would go red, and he would stomp off, he never had a good counterargument for you.

Just before the war, you got into a terrible argument. You and Arthur can’t even remember what started it. It ended poorly. Both of you said things that you couldn’t take back. When he left to serve, all you could think about was how the last thing you said to him might be his last memory of you. 

The war changed Arthur in a terrible way, but it also changed your relationship for the better. You became more understanding of each other and valued the time spent more. 

Arthur made up with you not long after he came home. By that time, you were married and had fixed yourself up a quaint little home. You didn’t know that the boys were back yet. John and Tommy had gone straight to Watery Lane, Arthur went straight to you. His face was sallow, and he cried like a baby into your apron as he fell to his knees and begged you to forgive him. You started sobbing right along with him and told him that there wasn’t any way you could forsake your twin. This started a long tradition of Arthur dropping by unexpectedly to have a slice of peace.

Even if you marry and have children, Arthur is sure to pop in unannounced for any number of reasons. Your home is warm and quiet, his head is sick and loud. You understand this about your brother and do what you can to soothe him. Oftentimes, just you mentioning that one of Arthur’s nieces of nephews are nearby is enough to get him to calm down. 

Nobody is ever allowed to call Arthur “crazy,” in your presence. In your words he is, “psychically and emotionally distressed.”

Your husband had better be tolerant of Arthur, because you are not going to budge on letting him stay over. Arthur has a permanent open seat at your dinner table and a guest room just for him. Unless you can see he’s been using. That is where you draw the line. 

If you aren't married, expect Arthur to be simultaneously invested in finding you a good man while also hating anyone you date. He wants you to be happy so, so, so badly. It's just hard for him to trust people with you.

You also have a tendency to attract troublesome men. Like Darby Sabini, for instance. Or one Luca Changretta. There's just something about a motherly woman who bakes that gets these men going.

When you found out that Tommy had dumped Arthur’s medication, you gave Tommy a black eye while still dressed in your Sunday best. Everyone seems so alright with Arthur being used except for you. It has caused a rift between you and your other siblings. You try to encourage Arthur to take a step back from the Peaky Blinders, but it never stays. 

Arthur is more than a bit envious of the life you have. You’re married with children, living in domestic bliss. He’s expressed to you many times that he feels that he’s too old, ugly and mad in the head to be loved. All you can do to get him to smile is say “My twin can be old, and he can even be a bit wild, but he can’t be ugly. We look too much alike for that to be true.”

Any time you need his help, Arthur is there. He has you on the highest pedestal he can muster. Arthur hates to disappoint you and fears losing all the progress you’ve made in mending things. If he was ever to cause harm to you, even by accident, it would devastate him.

Now that you’re both grown and can see your childhood with clarity, Arthur holds a lot of guilt. He can see how you didn’t get to have fun like the rest of them and the toll that took on you. To try to make it up to you, Arthur likes to take you and your children to all sorts of things. The circus, the zoo, the funfair, anything bright and exciting. You both insist it’s for the kids… but then you’re both stuffing your faces with fairy floss and craning your necks to look at the tigers. 

All in all, you do what you can to look after your twin. 

[cowboyfromh3ll]

Red Dead Redemption 2 College AU !

I'm ignoring reqs for a bit to indulge in my own thoughts and ideas and write some hcs for my college au on what i think their majors/lives as students/professors would be like, ahem... Long post ahead. Also this isn't too well thought out as of now, just wrote down some fun thoughts. Plz tell me your own headcannons

Arthur Morgan - Fine Arts

THE MOST UNEXPECTED MAJOR FOR A GUY LIKE HIM. He's the guy who's seen around campus wearing leather jackets, riding his motorcycle, brooding over a cup of coffee while he stares off aimlessly into the sky. So imagine him walking into your visual arts class with some of the most beautiful drawings you've ever seen. Has his own apartment near campus and his roommate is Charles. Entire place is littered with sketches and art supplies and billions of projects. His hands are constantly stained with charcoal. Takes his major VERY seriously, he don't play about his drawings and paintings. Works at a college bar and constantly comes home with a new story. Frequently visits John and the others after joining the frat, especially when they have parties. Never misses out on those. Became friends with Lenny through these parties.

John Marston - Civil Engineering

Probably one of the most miserable engineering majors you'll ever see. And that's only because he doesn't stress out over his work and procrastinates like he hasn't a care in the world; seemingly forgets he's in college. That is until the deadline is 11:59 PM that night and he has to cram two weeks worth of assignments into one night. Complains about heart palpitations when the area surrounding his desk is littered with energy cans. Joined a fraternity as soon as possible and lives in the housing. Party animal, drinks on weekdays with Sean and Javier. Throws absolute ragers on the weekends. Is the guy to yell "IF YOU'RE NOT PART OF THIS FRAT, THEN GET THE FUCK OUT" before turning to you and asking if you had fun. Has missed his 9 AM several times because he either slept in or is hung over. Was probably community dick for a while. Works at McDonald's part time, people genuinely don't know how he handles the stress. 60% of his paycheck goes to liquor/alcohol.

Javier Escuella - Music Theory

PASSIONATE about his major. HE DON'T PLAY ABOUT HIS MUSIC. But I can totally see him as the type of dude to sit around on the campus lawn with a guitar as a group of girls surrounds him and listens to him play. Is in the frat with John and lives in it as well. Also plays his guitar at parties with girls surrounding him, starkly contrasting the EDM and house music in the background. Shows up to class regardless of hangovers, he is very serious about his education. As serious as he is about partying. Shows up to class fitted every single time. Probably has outfit changes between classes. Type of guy to have his fits laid out next to his bed. He does the most. Was also probably community dick. Works as a cook at a restaurant, constantly flirts with you there. Gets all giddy in the kitchen with his coworkers when he manages to make you giggle.

Charles Smith - Anthropology

It's him and his laptop against the world. He's super neat, everything in one place. Any papers he gets are all neatly kept away and categorized per class. Is hard at work on writing an ethnography and is frequently out and about for observations. If he's not out then he's at home working on assignments. Also a frat member but like I said, rooms with Arthur. Has gained the quiet serious type reputation in class but once you start talking to him discover he's very friendly and nice. Probably works on campus as a student ambassador. Is very involved with school and activities; runs an enviornmental sciences club. Dedicates several hours a night to studying/working on assignments. Amazing student all around. The way he has his life together is enviable.

Kieran Duffy - Equine Studies

LITERALLY PERFECT MAJOR FOR HIM. Literally the happiest student around, his classroom is the stables. Works at the stables as well. Just spends 99% of his time at the stables so catching him outside of there is nearly impossible. Gossips to the horses and tells them about his day. I feel like he'd fall behind in his other studies though because he'd be way too focused on the horses. Typical, struggling student. Joined a frat out of pressure, got the WORST of the hazing. I don't even want to begin to imagine what the rituals were like. Probably gets black out drunk at frat parties, ends up on the front lawn and wakes up half naked every weekend somehow.

Sean Macguire - Business Administration

He's just insufferable like that. Whenever people shit on his major he just finds a thousand bullshit reasons as to why his major is better and more lucrative. Complains to John how hard his homework is and when John asks to see his screen it's addition with pictures. Probably went to college to party and realized "oh shit I actually gotta do school". Googled the highest paying and easiest majors and chose it like that. Puts more thought into what beer he's going to buy at the liquor store than his studies. Hotboxes his car 24/7. His room REEKS of weed and so does he. Attempts to disguise it with ax body spray. Will always ask you if you want to wake and bake; regardless of if you do or don't accept he's showing up to class high and with sunglasses. Goes nonverbal when he greens out. Works at McDonald's with John, is constantly late and is warned he might get fired but never does. Just fucks around in the back. I can imagine he and Karen are constantly on and off but when they're off he brings a new girl home to the frat every night.

Lenny Summers - Literature Major

Joined the frat because he thought he'd make good connections (LOUD INCORRECT BUZZER). One of the youngest pledges, went easier on him with the hazing. He's incredibly focused on his studies. You'd be surprised to find out he's a party animal as well because he's constantly reading a book in his free time. Definitely joined a book club with Mary-Beth and is taking Dutch's English class. Works on campus as well as the library; prides himself on his work and education. I believe he'd dorm because there's no way he's living in that filthy frat. Super organized dorm. Became really good friends with Arthur during one of the parties, also became close with Sean. Frequently gets driven around by Sean and gets second hand high from being in his car.

Bill Williamson - Army

Out of everyone he went to the army instead of college. But he definitely still hangs with the frat when he can simply because he's friends with a few of them. Frequently buys them liquor and supplies it to the younger members. Asks them how their classes are going and ends up falling into a rabbit hole where he's learning about infrastructure planning or astrophysics and tries his hand at doing their homework for them. It goes terribly. Drives a beat up pickup truck and you can hear that mf coming down the road 3 blocks away. Subtly tries (and fails) at flirting with some of the frat members.

Micah Bell - Criminal Law Major

Insufferable. Need I say more. Very money centric. Definitely thinks he's better than you because he's a law student. Kisses the professors’ ass all the time. Joins study groups and acts as if he's the smartest one there, tries to lead conversations, and views it as a challenge if anyone says differently than him during said discussions. He probably has an internship at a firm. Oh my god I can just imagine how sleazy he is. Also part of the frat and several of the members do not like him. Harasses the girls that show up. I can see him cutting off people during class or talking over them. Type of guy to say "not to be devil's advocate, but..."

Pearson - Culinary Degree

Came back to school to get his culinary degree. Mostly keeps to himself but has become acquainted with a few people and is actually decent friends with some. Pretty serious about his studies but is also chill, you can just tell he's extremely passionate about what he does. Excuses himself from hangouts by saying "sorry I got a pie due at 3." Loves it when he's able to sell some of his products back to students/general public and see how people react. Dreams of opening his own restaurant so he takes the accounting/marketing aspects of his degree very seriously.

Abigail Roberts - Education Major

I CAN JUST SEE IT YK. I can totally see her being a teacher, and she's super hardworking. I feel like her schedule is jam packed so she hardly ever has time for fun. Studies, does homework, student teaching, and takes care of herself and her son. So yeah imagine how busy she is all the time. Occasionally leaves Jack with his grandparents for a night of fun but that is few and far in between. Joined a sorority for support but wouldn't live in the house. Lives in the same complex as Arthur and they get along, sometimes he offers to babysit Jack. Drops off food for her when she's real busy with her studies. NEVER late to class. And besides handling ALL THIS, she'd work as a waitress at a restaurant by campus. Talk about hard working.

Sadie Adler - Agricultural Sciences

Definitely moved to live on campus from a rural town to pursue her degree. Joined the sorority early on but dorms. Suffered a breakup and found solace in the community the girls provided. Works at a local supermarket and volunteers at a community garden nearby. Her dorm is full of potted plants. Became really good friends with Arthur through Abigail, who has her over at times. I feel like she'd be asked on dates frequently but she always turns em down because she's still struggling to accept her breakup. I'm not making it a death because this AU isn't that BRUTAL. Argues with the boys often. Pearson frequents the supermarket she works at and she always makes a comment on the strange ingredients he buys. Thus leading to a weird tense air between them that they never directly address. Enjoys her coursework and never falls behind. She's on top of that shit. Also very outspoken in class.

Karen Jones - Biological Sciences

PREMED BABYYYY. On the path to becoming a nurse. She procrastinates a lot, is often late to class, BEGS her professors for extensions. Truth is she's a party girl and she will NEVER give up that party life. Constantly at several different frat parties, gets black out drunk on Saturdays, and on Sundays she's studying for her bio exam on Monday. Complains to her sorority sisters about boys, particularly Sean, to the point where they all HATE any man she gets involved with. And the next time they see Sean in public they're all glaring DAGGERS at him. Parties aside she does her work even if she puts it off... Her grades are decent, definitely passing, but everyone tells her she's gonna need to do better if she wants to go to med school. I can see her working at a retail store like Walgreens. Most miserable cashier you'll ever see. Probably lets you walk out with your items for free if she's particularly pissed off at work that day.

Tilly Jackson - Physics Major

SHE IS A SMART GIRL. One of the most hardworking on this list. Her grades are top notch and she don't play about studying. I can see her offering tutoring for math and even getting paid for it. She is not one to be underestimated when it comes to her academic abilities. Occasionally parties (aka gets dragged along by Karen) and enjoys herself, but I can't see her being a major party animal. Offers Karen lots of advice as well as helping the girls with math assignments when they need it. Joins study groups as well as math clubs. Works at a cafe on campus where Mary-Beth and Lenny visit her occasionally. Generally well organized. Has her shit together.

Mary-Beth Gaskill - Literature Major

ALWAYS has her nose in a book. Becomes extremely engaged in class discussions and has probably read every single book required for the semester already. Works at a bookstore and frequents the campus library. Is on the chiller side of partying but still accompanies the girls. She's very reserved but can be quite friendly. Writes fanfiction in the back of class while her professors think she's just passionately writing a report. Always gets extensions from Dutch, always. Even when she doesn't need em. I can see her reading a lot of philosophy books. Also an Otessa Moshfegh fan. Colleen Hoover is her guilty pleasure. Runs a blog about the books she reads. I can also imagine her being part of the school paper. Real close with Lenny as well, often hangs out with him at the cafe Tilly works at.

Molly O'Shea - Cosmetology

Shows up to her 8 AM with a BEAT face. Full face of makeup, decked head to toe in designer: designer purse where she keeps her macbook, designer shoes, outfit, accessories, etc. Probably wears brands you've never even heard of. Has a crush on Dutch, only reason she has perfect attendance in his class. Has a grudge towards Mary-Beth. Dorms for sure, even though she'd be able to afford housing nearby. The only times she's at the dorm is in the morning getting ready for class or at night to sleep. Hardly talks to her roommate either, not even a hey. Gained the stuck up rich girl reputation from her peers. Seen at cafes in between classes and is always alone. Is out of town and has been struggling to make friends. Lots of guys ask her out on dates and she only accepts when she's bored and wants a free meal. WILL make y'all go to a steakhouse, WILL order the most expensive thing on the menu.

Dutch Van Der Linde - English/Philosophy Professor

This guy definitely speaks about philosophy with a PASSION. His class is very engaging, though I do believe he'd play favorites with a few female students... This goes for both classes. Constant open ended discussions. Type of professor to ask you "but what do the blue curtains mean...?" Hardass with assignments unless you're one of those favored female students. No late assignments with him ever. You either turn it in at the deadline or you don't ever. I feel like he'd forget to take attendance frequently despite being a hardass about that too. Probably the type of professor that tries to integrate himself with the student body and try to fit in. Mildly successful.

Hosea Matthews - Theatre Professor

THE SWEETEST, KINDEST, MOST COMPASSIONATE PROFESSOR. ALWAYS excuses late assignments and very lenient, will not deduce points. His class is very fun and engaging as well! Does what Dutch tries to do and makes genuine connections with his students while keeping it professional. Tells his students they can always talk to him and come for advice. Frequently has lunch with Dutch and Susan and talks up just how great his classes are. Frequents the library and local bookstores; also goes to the cafe Tilly works at. I also feel like a lot of his relationships would have a fatherly air around them, like he's a second dad for a few of the students (we know who...).

Leopold Strauss - Business Professor

YOU CANNOT TELL ME HE WOULDN'T UGH. Probably a super boring class I'm not gonna lie. His accent would probably make it hard for some students to understand what he's saying, not to mention he probably speaks super softly and not loud enough for everyone to hear. He should've retired by now but he refuses to. There is no syllabus week with him, you got homework on the first day. But it's probably not even hard c'mon. Sean is probably the most lively thing about his class, but he's definitely falling asleep in there frequently. Always late to his own class, doesn't even say why, just gets into lecturing. NEVER seen without a cup of coffee. Sometimes there will be long moments of silence between lectures as he tries to figure out the technology. Falls asleep in his car after class.

Orville Swanson - Theology Professor

Also a super chill professor. He's probably super open to his classes about his struggles. He's able to facilitate well structured discussions and keep things civilized amongst his students. I feel like it could get boring because it's mostly lectures and slide shows but he'd still find a way to keep his students engaged, especially on discussions. I feel like he'd also be lenient about assignments, but his assignments would be rather large. Back to back papers. Type of professor to say hi to you in the halls or outside of campus and ask about your day. 10/10 guy.

Uncle - Biology Professor

How is he still working here. HOW hasn't he retired. WHY hasn't he retired. SOMEONE PLEASE make him retire. There are pros and cons. You will learn NOTHING in his class, so if you're unfortunate enough to land his class you better drop that shit as soon as possible. If you for some reason stay, you must be some sort of masochist. Probably has the best stories. As soon as you think he's about to start lecturing he goes on a tangent about a story that happened to him the other day. He has weekly tests and you might as well teach yourself the material because his ass definitely isn't doing it. Also has plenty of labs so he can leave you all to your own devices amongst each other while he sits at his desk and does who knows what. You can probably find him sleeping in a student lounge at any time of the day. Also the frat guys have definitely run into him at the liquor store.

Susan Grimshaw - History Professor/Sorority Mother

She's hard on you but only because she cares. Isn't very lenient when it comes to assignments but she's involved with her students. If she sees you struggling she'll pull you aside and ask what's up and figure out a plan to help you out in her class. Likes to remind her students she isn't their mommy but has a very motherly air surrounding her. And she is VERY on top of her girls. As a sorority mother, she makes sure they eat well, stay on top of studies, and deals with parents. Encourages the girls to keep up the general cleanliness of the house and tells them to work as a unit. Extremely proud of each of them.

[irenethewoman]

Mrs. Shelby - Chapter 7 - Ada

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@ell0ra-br3kk3

In June 1919, Birmingham,

Last night, at the end of the street by the bonfire, Thomas and I confessed our secret underground love. But because Thomas and I both had beds that were too small and narrow, we haven't moved in together yet. Thanks to these "hard" conditions, I still get a few good night's sleep occasionally. Nights are disturbed by Tommy, and during the day, he's always calculating…

"Can't you give me a break? I want to live to be a hundred!" Tommy never paid attention to my irritable remarks and continued on his own path.

"What have you been doing all day?"

Polly looked up from the newspaper and glanced at Ada. I yawned behind another newspaper, trying to hide my fatigue. It's all Thomas's fault; I'm so tired…

"Get up!"

Polly suddenly ordered Ada to stand up, waking me from my drowsiness. I looked at Polly circling Ada.

"How long has it been since your last period?"

I continued to listen to their conversation in confusion, and it took me a while to react—Ada was pregnant!

Oh my God! If Tommy finds out, it's going to be a disaster! I can already foresee a "world war" about to erupt in our home. What a troublesome autumn…

I bit my lip, weighing my options, and decided to temporarily stand by Ada's side.

That night, I changed into old clothes that wouldn't make me easily recognizable and followed Polly and Ada to the underground clinic.

Ada must really love that man. Even though she stubbornly tried to hide her fear and unease with smoking and tough talk, she refused to consider an abortion, even though the man had left. She still believed he would come back…

Did she really trust him? Or was she unwilling to admit her inner fears and misjudgments?

I had told Tommy at Martha's funeral that I was worried our fate would be like Martha's. It seems I didn't think far enough. Maybe I too could become pregnant before marriage and then be abandoned by Tommy…

I looked at the people walking in the smoky streets, their heads down, and suddenly felt a bitter sensation in my eyes, but not a single tear.

In my upbringing, women were supposed to remain chaste until their wedding night, then spend their lives as wives and mothers, with activities like playing the piano or riding horses serving as mere embellishments to married life. But when I came to Birmingham, I had to rebuild all those rules in order to survive. I loved Tommy, just as Ada loved the father of her child, so I willingly went to bed with him.

But at this moment, I was truly afraid. More afraid than when I worried about Polly kicking me out when I was still underage and wanted by the law.

I didn't know how I would go on if my beloved abandoned me after I became pregnant. Since accompanying Ada to the clinic, I had once again fallen into a state of mental confusion. Although the thing I was afraid of was still a thousand miles away—after the doctor examined me at Polly's strong insistence that day, he said I was healthy but not pregnant—ever since that day, Tommy had been busy and hadn't come to see me at night…

My rationality told me that none of this mattered, that it was all just a coincidence. But I couldn't control my fear.

Tommy was still busy manipulating the gambling games, Polly was worried about Ada, and easygoing Arthur and John were either maintaining their reputation or living a life of debauchery. No one noticed that something was wrong with me.

It was the beginning of the month again, and I had to go to the Garrison pub to check the accounts and help out.

"You don't look well," the blonde Grace seemed to want to strike up a conversation with me, or maybe she was concerned about me, but I didn't have the mood to pay attention to her attentions.

I tried to focus my attention on the ledger, scribbling and drawing in the notebook, but my mind wandered, and I just stared blankly at the floating dust by the door.

When I finally snapped out of it, the barmaid was talking to Tommy by the side door. She was holding a metal bucket—her little tricks were so obvious.

I propped up my chin and watched Tommy from a distance, standing behind the bar.

He seemed to be in a good mood… But my mood got worse.

In the end, Tommy noticed that I had been hiding behind the bar all along.

"Have you finished the accounts?" He looked at me with a raised eyebrow, probably tired of me only talking about work…

"Not yet." I forced out a smile that was probably uglier than crying because I saw Tommy frown.

"Are you okay?" He walked toward me, but

I quickly retreated.

"It's none of your business! It's been so long since we've spent time together, and you're always busy with your business!" I said, my voice trembling with sadness and anger.

Tommy frowned, walked over to the bar, and called for a whiskey. Then, he raised his hand to signal for my drink. Grace immediately brought me a glass of whiskey, but I just knocked it over onto the counter.

[divinekangaroo]

i might be super late to the party but i was lurking in he tags and: i would LOVE some more explanation/in depth study of what was going on with Tommy and Finn, especially in the last season. I am still, not confused per es, but just wondering alot about some of the choices

This is so interesting, isn't it, particularly when you look at it comparing what 30yo Tommy says to 11yo Finn in S1 versus what 43yo Tommy says to 25yo Finn in S6.

I will warn this isn't coherent in ANY WAY as my infant is being grumpy, but here's a lump of things which struck me as worthy of indepth consideration:

-S1 Tommy telling Finn "don't be me" versus S6 where Tommy basically forces Finn to break his promise to his wife and drink, a mimicry of all the things Tommy has done (go abstinent, fall off the wagon, break promises to his wives).

-Finn being present at all the various violences the Shelby brothers commit, including as a child picking out his own machete (!!!) for one of the mob battles (think it was Epsom?); doing this well enough that he had a reputation -- Songbird Lady in S5 knew enough about the Shelbys to name her new Songbirds 'Tommy, Arthur and Finn'.

-Accidentally or deliberately, Tommy having set up Finn to develop Tommy's vices - cigarettes, drinking, drugs, whoring - pretty much all by the time Finn turned 16. But S5 Tommy nevertheless being very opposed to Finn developing Tommy's vice for violence and risk-tasking, albeit framed as 'we're too high in criminal hierarchy to do grunt work now' not 'you of all of us never have to risk yourself'

-Finn being involved in and integrated into all their illegal business but as a sort of free labour, gopher ('go for'/fetch like an apprentice, or a squire to a knight) - manning the door, bringing around the car, etc

-Finn seeming to hero-worship Tommy, but actually having a brotherly emotional relationship with Arthur. Tommy to emulate, Arthur to actually be a brother.

-Finn and Arthur being the only ones willing to entertain a conversation with their father on his return - Finn trusted Arthur not Tommy, Finn had no father figure, and Tommy did not fill this father figure space or Finn never would have gone with Arthur.

- Tommy brokering Arthur, John and Polly's marriages, and endorsing Ada's partnerships before the family accept them (and Tommy doing what he likes with his own marriages). Then, this way S6 Finn asks Tommy about marrying a girl 'who likes the life' and Tommy telling him no, 'find a girl who doesn't like the life'. And then Finn marries Mary with Tommy's endorsement to the family, and Mary tells Finn not to drink until after 6pm. I did wonder if Mary was the first girl, or was Mary a different girl that Tommy found/endorsed? Because Mary doesn't seem like a girl who likes the life if she's setting limitations on drinking time?

- Finn was effectively raised by Polly. The Shelby mother and father were gone by the time he was 1. Arthur and Tommy (and John) were gone to war by the time Finn was 5, and only returned at when he was 10. Finn had no father figure, ever.

---

So there's this odd push-pull where Finn is clearly one of the Bad Shelby Brothers, because at that time, having him integrated and present in their business was likely the best and easiest way to signify he was protected as well as keep an eye on him. They also used him very much like a squire to their knights, doing the labour and supportive chores and shitty jobs in order to learn the higher level jobs. But then those many conflicted occurances where it seems that Tommy wishes Finn wasn't so involved? Tommy wishes in many ways Finn was less invested in the business so Finn could be released from it? But maybe he doesn't, because Tommy in multiple circumstances challenges Finn with presentation of a vice and Finn always, always indulges -- even if that time, Tommy said don't rather than do?

---

Then we have this interesting symbolic thing happening in S6 between Duke and Finn and Tommy, all revolving around watches.

Duke steals Arthur's watch -- 'I can tell the time' - and in S5, Michael's supposed takeover piece has this strong sense of time -- time for the next generation to step up and time for old men like Tommy to step off the stage and Michael fully brings Finn into it (with Finn's consent/support, or unexpectedly??) and the camera focuses on Finn. So, linked to Michael's failed takeover via the motif of time, Duke can also tell it's time for the next generation, demonstrated by getting one over on ol' Arthur?

Then, Duke only believes Tommy is his father after Tommy explains about Duke's mum's watch that actually, Tommy stole in his youth; and Tommy's brought Duke into the fold so preciptiously because Tommy's (due to terminal diagnosis) running out of time to tidy up his family's loose ends and has to do this now. But also, Duke is symbolically returning time to Tommy that Tommy otherwise wouldn't have by bringing back Tommy's decades-old stolen watch?

Then Tommy has that explosion at Finn about drinking when he wants to and uses Finn's watch to make his point: that says Shelby and you're a Shelby so you tell the watch what time it is. Behind all that is this sense that I bet Tommy wishes he could control time, too, because he'd love to wind it back right now that his time is running out, but also, Finn is a young Shelby and could determine it's time for himself to step up if he simply stopped doing what Tommy kept telling him to do?

In a world where Tommy wasn't running out of time and/or Duke didn't appear, I imagine Finn may have been brought to one side for a quiet chat about Billy Grade and his role in Polly's death. I imagine Finn would have been absolutely destroyed that his sole true caretaker figure was dead because of his loose tongue. I imagine he would have killed Billy, or at least supported Billy being executed. But in this world, Tommy is dying and running out of time, and Tommy is delegating many of his painful tasks to others to do because he can't do everything right now, and why not test both Duke and Finn? Test this next generation as to their readiness to take his place? And who's left in the next generation but for Finn and Duke given Michael's proven himself unsuitable and Charlie is far too young? (I'm sure Uncle Charlie probably had some secret remit to re-home Duke if Duke failed in that scenario too)

---

And I also find it a super interesting parallel that Tommy forces Finn to demonstrate Shelby family loyalty by shooting his best friend, an act Tommy himself did with shooting Alfie for Alfie's betrayal that nearly killed Arthur. In this instance Arthur only almost died so Alfie only almost died - whereas Billy had to really fully die.

---

I mean, none of this gets to a satisfactory conclusion, it's just a bunch of conflicted threads/thoughts. I feel Tommy was vaguely treating Finn like a squire in a faint anticipation of one having Finn step up and take over the business from him, there's a near 20-year age gap between them, but Tommy was always conflicted by this because 1) he didn't really want his littlest brother to have to do the same shit he did, and 2) Finn was not leadership material, smart or cunning in any way, he was really just a consumer of the Shelby proceeds and always obeyed and never really acted to assert himself in the hierarchy. This faintest possibility of Finn taking over was then derailed heavily by Michael who was smart so Tommy dropped those vague unformed thoughts about Finn, but after Tommy knew Michael would be out of the picture in some way in S4 when suspicions start to rise? Finn starts to show up again in Tommy's arc in a very different way, and is put under various levels of pressure, right up to this S6 contrived scenario between Finn and Duke.

I get a sense that over time, Tommy challenged Finn repeatedly with situations of vice, corruption, conflict, difficulty, in the hope Finn would demonstrate enough strength to push back against Tommy instead of performing the vice. But Finn never did, and even when he fucked up, it was a silly mistake not worthy of any respect, not even in the way Michael is worthy of the respect of being killed; and so he is always framed in Tommy's mind as the weak one. There's a clannish behaviour (where clans are about constantly fluid status, not granted/earned and static rank) where you only get status if you behave in a way that already is of that status. Finn never, ever did this. Tommy then contrives a situation of extreme pressure as a last ditch effort to see if Finn will stop being that squire, weak one, or will he finally act according to the status he should be able to claim.

It's also this working class thing of dumping shit and abuse on your sons until your sons are strong enough to force you to stop. Finn's not a son, but that mentality...

---

I'm sorry this is so rambly, one of those fun things that it takes more time to be brief and succinct than just word-vomit on a screen XD Post S6, I have only two fic concepts in my to-write list, and one of them is 100% about Finn, trying to reconcile all of the above. I think Finn's actor did an amazing job of packing so much pain into that final scene it'd be a disappointment if any eventual movie doesn't give him a heavy arc.

[pacifymebby]

t r o u b l e // chapter one

A Peaky Blinders Balletcore Modern AU

Chapter list

John

"Fuck!" Tommy was pacing, he'd have thrown the glass in his hand at me if I'd have pointed it out but he was, he was pacing. From his desk in the center of the room at which he'd taken our cousins call, to the window where the early morning slow rising sun burn orange like the tip of his cigarette.

The news from London had been bad. Someone had hit our main distillery, made an attempt on Arthur, stabbed Michael and beaten him half to death. They'd made no subtle job of sending us a message and now Tommy was fucking pacing.

I was thinking of our sisters, all three of them in London at that very moment, minding their own business, living a life as untainted by their brothers underhand dealings and fucking awful reputations as was possible.

Any minute now they were in for a nasty shock. At least thats what I thought as Tommy picked his phone up off the desk and called our brother.

"Come on Arthur fucking hell.." his words were punctuated by his gritted teeth, his jaw sharp, grinding as he spoke into the phone that was ringing out with no answer. "You call him..." he snapped his fingers at me, "get him on that lass he's been fuckin..." he added pausing as if trying to remember her name though we both knew she was one in a long line of hopeless cases. He pinched the bridge of his nose and turned away from me leaving me to try and do as he'd said.

"Jesus fuckin hell Arthur pick up your god damn phone!"

I didn't have the lass's number, no surprises there so as my brother drove himself mad trying to phone Arthur, I opened Instagram and tried searching for her there. It didn't take a lot because she'd been tagging our brother in every single post she'd made since they started seeing one another.

"Bit fuckin needy aint ye," I smirked to myself as I took her number straight from her profile and phoned her.

When she answered I struggled to hold in a laugh. Not one of my sisters would have answered the call from an unknown number at this time in the morning, or ever in fact, all of them far too clever.

"Listen uh..." i pulled my phone away from my ear to check her name again, "Taliah... Am lookin for Arthur, is me brother with you?" I asked not expecting the gasp nor the enthusiasm with which my blunt request was recieved.

"Oh my god which one are you? Tommy, John or Finn? No wait let me guess you sound like..."

"John," I said cutting her off, "is he there with you? Tell him Tommy needs him now alright..." I was blunt, it wasn't exactly the most congenial tone but I felt my brothers frustration from across the room and understood where it stemmed from. Panic.

Something very bad was happening to our family and the fact that we didn't know what it was or who was doing it made it all so much more dangerous. It meant it could hit any of us. Even our sisters who were innocent and, for the most part, completely detatched from us.

"John boy?" Arthurs voice was gruff as though thick with sleep but I knew it wasn't sleep he'd been in the middle of when we'd disturbed him.

"Arthur bout fuckin time brother..." I started, tossing my phone to Tommy with a small smirk when my brother snapped his fingers again and held his hand out. He was impatient but I could hardly blame him.

See Arthur, Michael... They could protect themselves, they were armed, they could fight... Ada would be armed for certain, Ada would think she could fight, but the twins would be completely overwhelmed. They wouldn't be strapped, wouldn't be able to fight... So Tommy's impatience my impatience too.

"Arthur I need you to get yourself down to Ada's and bring her here alright, I'm calling the whole family home, we're closing ranks until we know exactly who called a hit on Michael..." I listened to him talking quickly and calmly, he was so certain now that he had Arthur on the line and even when Arthur tried to protest, stating the obvious... That Ada wouldn't come wihout a fight, he remained the same, level tone, certain,"I don't give a fuck if she knocks all your fuckin teeth out brother just bring her and the kid back here and if she tries to argue you tell her its for her own fuckin good and you tell her when have i ever lied to her about life or death alright... "

Calm and certain was more than i could have done in that moment.

"Alright, alright," sighed Arthur down the phone, "but what about the twins Tommy... I can handle Ada alright but I'm not going to that fucking school..."

I laughed at that, realising my mistake only when Tommy raised his brow at me, replying to Arthur in the same breath.

"Johns gonna get the twins."

"What?" I asked flatly. Down the phone i heard our brother laughing, his hands clapping together as he grinned and revelled in my misfortune.

"You heard me John boy," said Tommy, the corner of his mouth tugged into a little smirk, "Londons a long drive brother, you don't have time to pack a bag, not that you need one, you drive down pick em up and drive straight back, i mean it, closing ranks..."

"Whyve I got to go?" I swallowed down uncomfortably as a pathetic kind of panic stirred in me. Somehow Arthur had landed the easier job.

"Cause out of all of us lot, you're their favourite," he shrugged as if it were that simple. As if he wasn't asking me to do something I genuinely believed might end up getting me killed.

Our little sisters see, carried the same stubborn streak the rest of us had. Just because they'd tried to distance themselves from the family name didn't mean they weren't still family. Didn't mean they didn't have the shelby temper running through their veins.

"Aye if it were only one of them I might stand a fuckin chance... Fen y'know, she might but..."

"You'll pick both Sonya and Sylvie up tonight... If they argue with you it doesn't matter because they don't have a choice... And you can tell em that from me eh? If it eases your conscience," the wink he shot me at the end of that sentance did little to draw a smile from me, "take Isaiah with you if you like, Sonya's always been soft on him..."

I let out a long groan, head in hands as I fell back against the window ledge, leaning into the curtains as I swore and thought of my two baby sisters. They'd been terrors since the day they were born, but they'd been easier to handle before they'd learnt how to talk. How to walk and run around causing trouble the rest of us had to clean up. Before they'd learnt their talents and torn away, pursued their own glowing horizons and slowly but surely begun to bury their ties to the Shelbys.

They were both prima ballerinas now, training with the royal ballet, both of them household names among households who were into that sort of thing. Where our eldest sister Ada had pursued politics and teaching, a real community woman, the twins had drawn fame from their talent and, from their beauty. It was better for their careers to distance themselves from the family business and so theyd taken Aunt Pols surname and then they'd stopped coming home, the two of them choosing boarding school and the ballet over Small Heath and a hug from their big brothers.

If there was one thing I was really and truly certain of in that moment it was this. That no matter whether I was the favourite brother or not, if I barged into their life demanding they return home and abandon the lives they'd built for themselves, I was going to get more than just a sock in the mouth.

"Fuckin hell tommy you do realise they won't come back without a good fuckin reason..." I started but before I could really make my point he was chucking my phone back at me hard and making a point of his own.

"How fucking good a reason do you need John? Someone tried to kill our brother today, and they nearly fuckin killed Michael! We don't know who they are and we don't know what they want or how fuckin far they're willing to go to get what they fuckin want.. So i want the whole family back home where I can see them yeah? Not just for their safety but for the good of the family! For the good of the fucking family alright!"

He'd dropped his voice, his jaw clenched tight, his finger pointing accusatory and shaking towards me, the vein in his forhead pulsing with his rising temper. For a second I was quiet. I wanted to tell him it wasn't me needed convincing. That I understood the situation perfectly well, that I wanted the same as him. To keep them all safe.

"Alright..." I said nodding my head, "but its not me I've got to convince..."

next chapter

[nightingaelic]

YOOO I didn’t know you had fallout ocs tell me abt them. Who are their companions what’re their roles etc

Ah, what the hell.

My Lone Wanderer is Paladin Elizabeth Titus, who spent her early 20s trying to help the Capital Wasteland by completing her father's dream of Project Purity and bringing the might of the Brotherhood of Steel to those who most need it. She's been romantically connected to Amata Almodovar, Sarah Lyons, and Point Lookout's Nadine, and she's on good terms with Butch DeLoria, Star Paladin Cross, Fawkes, and a liberated Clover. Post-game, she has become estranged from the Brotherhood of Steel, and she's now doing work with the Abolitionists and Reilly's Rangers despite her activities being a topic of much speculation throughout the Capital Wasteland. She is a field medic and a pilot, she wields heavy weaponry with finesse, and she tends to keep everyone at arm's length in the belief that her own reputation will eventually harm them.

My Sole Survivor is Murphy Olson Kelly, thawed pre-war lawyer who made her way through the Railroad and the Brotherhood before finally settling with the Minutemen to find her son, then bring down the Institute. She's been romantically connected to Mayor John Hancock, Elder Arthur Maxson, and Robert Joseph MacCready, and she considers the rest of the companions close friends. She is a darling of the Commonwealth and is on good terms with nearly everyone besides the Institute, fundamentalist Brotherhood members, and skeptical Railroad agents. She relies on her charisma, persuasiveness, and twin plasma pistols to get by, and she is chock-full of survivor's guilt that sometimes manifests as psyker abilities, but more often results in her getting involved in every problem she finds.

My Courier Six is Fox, a desert enigma who seized New Vegas and the Hoover Dam as her own in an attempt to crush the Legion and fend off the New California Republic. She's been romantically connected to Benny Gecko, Rose of Sharon Cassidy, Red Lucy, The King, Ulysses, Beatrix Russell, and Craig Boone, and she is on good-to-mixed terms with the companions not because of her perceived reputation as a heartbreaker, but because of her inability to stand still and commit. She is generally liked, if a little feared, by the Mojave Wasteland, and she is considered a threat by Caesar's Legion and the NCR, albeit one that will eventually move on in the pursuit of something new. Fox follows whatever trail she is inclined to at the moment, and she wards off most dangers with shotgun blasts. It's unknown whether she still has her memories from before Goodsprings.

My Vault 76 Dweller is Dolores, the daughter of a wartime photographer and a veterinarian who took up residence in the Savage Divide in an abandoned train station that she turned into a home and renowned moonshine distillery. She's connected primarily to Foundation, but she's on good terms with the Crater, the Blue Ridge Caravan Company, and the Responders because everyone in Appalachia loves liquor. Her weapon of choice is a railway rifle.

My other Vault 76 Dweller is Rosalyn, whose last act before the bombs fell was making sure her mob-connected husband didn't make it to the vault in time. She spent some time with Rose and the raiders of the Crater, but recently became fascinated with the ill-fated Order of Mysteries and has been trying to restart the group. She primarily uses the Voice of Set and the Blade of Bastet in combat, but she does occasionally bust out the silver submachine gun of the Mistress's paramour.

With the exception of Rosalyn, my OCs have all made it onto my Archive of Our Own account in some form. Murphy and Elizabeth cross paths in my long-running post-game Fallout 4 series; Fox appeared in a one-off prompt fic that explores her relationship with Boone; and Dolores underwent a name change for some explicit encounters in Appalachia.

[racefortheironthrone]

Since you’re talking about US presidents today, how much of John F Kennedy’s reputation is earned and how much is people projecting their own fantasies of what he might have been had he not been assassinated?

Man, ask an easy one, why don't you?

It's a hard thing to disentangle, because the mythmaking includes a lot of the people who were observers and direct participants - kind of difficult to make assessments of the Kennedy presidency when people like Ted Sorensen or Arthur Schlesinger Jr. can't fully be relied upon. At the same time, I think a lot of the backlash against the mythmaking is motivated by those people's disillusionment with the U.S government and the adoption of a certain style of radical politics in the wake of the 60s and 70s.

Within the historical discipline, I come down somewhere in the middle between the Kennedy apologists and the Kennedy revisionists. On the one hand, I think JFK was actually a lot more interested and engaged in liberal domestic policy than he's given credit for, and he was going to get some major bills passed through Congress in his first term - if not as many as LBJ ended up pushing through on the back of public grief over Kennedy's death. Here, I base my thinking on research I've done into what I call the "new liberal agenda" of the 1950s, where Senator Kennedy turns out to be way more engaged on topics like the minimum wage and health care and Social Security and Federal aid to education than he's often portrayed as.

On the other hand, while I think JFK probably wanted to keep Vietnam a low-level counterinsurgency rather than escalating the conflict, he was still a Cold Warrior and NSAM-263 does not reflect what we might call a McGovernite approach to the Vietnam conflict, let alone Cold War adventurism overseas more broadly. Then again, I'm not a foreign policy expert, and beyond some of the broad strokes I don't have a deep analytical insight into how to assess JFK relative to Eisenhower/Dulles before him and LBJ after him.

[hildred-rex]

this pinned post is permanent now too...

Alright, the temporary blog image has grown on me. It's a cropped square from page 31 of A Collection of Emblemes, Ancient and Moderne (1635) by George Wither.

The header image is Monhegan, Maine (1922) by Nicholas Roerich. Everyone should go look at more Roerich artwork immediately; his are some of the most consistently beautiful paintings I've ever seen.

Anyway...

I'm:

Cinnamon or Hildred by name, accurately referred to with any pronoun set other than he/it.

@/voidblue on pronouns.page.

Generally, my thematic color is blue and not yellow, but it doesn't make sense for Hildred Castaigne to be blue. In fact, I think he'd be somewhat offended. This makes making this account look like me... somewhat difficult. (Update: I've given up entirely. This is Hildred's blog theme now. The Imperial Dynasty of America was secretly the Imperial Dynasty of Tumblr User @hildred-rex's Blog Theme.)

Under the readmore: a list of fandoms I partake in, more detail on my exploits in gothic literature, a noncomprehensive list of other things I've enjoyed, and a "last updated."

Fandoms:

gothic literature (predominantly horror) in general; this gets its own list lower down!

The League of Extraordinary Gentlefolk.

Arthur Machen (have not read everything yet!)

Dracula by Bram Stoker.

The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers.

The Parties are for Losers series by Ferry. (I don't want to give them a random notification for no reason, but they're nopanamaman on tumblr.)

The rest of Ferry's songs are also very good!

currently reading Homestuck due to a D&D campaign (I promise this makes sense in context)

[more when I remember them]

I decided a few years ago that Lovecraft was seminal to the cosmic horror genre and that therefore I should read all the fiction he ever wrote; to my recollection I've read everything listed on Wikisource except "The Street" and "The Rats in the Walls," provided it's extant. (Not sure this counts as a fandom?)

I'll have to come back and add a "music I enjoy" section later.

More on Gothic Literature:

(Listed = I've read it; bolded = I can probably do analysis of its characters; italicized = I don't remember it well; underlined = I really want to reread this and will when I have the time. Small is notes and commentary.)

This is only what I've dredged up from my brain at the moment and I have probably read more; this'll be updated as I read and/or think of stuff.

Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker. (Curiously, I've never actually done Dracula Daily.)

The King in Yellow (1895) by Robert W. Chambers. (Bolding only goes for the weird stories, including "The Demoiselle d'Ys," and is strongest for "The Repairer of Reputations." I've found myself unable to get through a few of the romances & cannot make heads nor tails of "The Prophet's Paradise" except that it feels like someone accidentally published his sheet of idea-collection paper. Admittedly, because of that it makes a pretty good transition between the weird stories and the rest.)

The Three Impostors (1895) by Arthur Machen. (I utterly adore this book.)

Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) by Robert Louis Stevenson. (I really loved reading this one, but was very sad by the end. I had Opinions on most of the characters and will again when I reread.)

The Great God Pan (1890) by Arthur Machen.

The Inmost Light (1890) by the same author. (Hello Dyson!)

The Vampyre (1819) by John William Polidori.

The Shining Pyramid (1923) by Arthur Machen. (I didn't like this one when I last read it; Dyson felt off.)

The White People by Arthur Machen (has the most cursed name of anything ever).

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1831, not yet 1818) by Mary Shelley.

The Red Hand (1895) by Arthur Machen.

[Am currently reading more Machen.]

Miscellaneous Things Enjoyed:

This time in alphabetical order.

The Anatomy of Tobacco by Arthur Machen. I feel I must clarify that it's a comedic work that I'd estimate to be of novella length. Reader beware, this book contains random untranslated and even untransliterated faux-Ancient Greek.

At the Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft.

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H. P. Lovecraft. It feels like reading a textbook with a central plot besides the advancement of history (and with a nicer writing style). Content warning for racism and off-handed mentions of the colonial American slave trade.

Fourteen by Peter Clines. This book gets in one's head and doesn't leave.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and its ensuing series, by Douglas Adams.

Last updated 2024-03-31, YYYY-MM-DD. Created sometime in late-ish November 2023. Edited 2023-12-07. Backdated to Louis Castaigne's birthday in a year that would make him 42 years old at the founding of this blog.

[cap-sweet-and-salty-sadness]

Masterlist of my spooky/horror fics 👻

*All fandoms included*

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Stucky - Steve/Bucky

From the Pain I Have Been Frozen Into (I Beg to Be Free)

“You’re awake,” the man smiles, approaches to perch himself on the chair beside the bed. “Do you remember me?” "You’re the one who saved me.” “I am. It’s a miracle I’ve found you.” -- On the run from Hydra, James gets in a car accident during a snowstorm. He's saved by a gentle and caring man who lives in a cabin in the middle of the woods. Why does he instantly trusts him, and why does he keep dreaming of a door in the basement that isn't there?

Thou Shall Call Forth Sothoth

“Ma, I know you’re a witch,” Bucky told his mother a few nights later, under the comfort of the wood cracking in the fireplace and the slow, calm lull outside, the half-moon barely shining through the thick clouds over the neighbour’s house. His mother laughed, took his hand. “I’m not a witch, you silly boy. I’m a priestess.” Bucky frowned. He wasn’t a regular church-goer, but he knew there was no such thing as Catholic priestesses. “Priestess of what?” She fetched the same leather-bound book he found before, all those years ago. “Let me show you.”

Sounds Echo the Absurd

17th century. Steve Rogers goes to the New World with a group of Europeens in the hopes of a new, better life. They settle on the edge of a forest, in what would become Massachusetts. He quickly finds his place as a carpenter, and he may or may not have been staring at the Barnes' son a few too many times. But as months pass, spirits and demons from the forest start to emerge. Steve can feel their eyes on him, can hear them skitter in his house at night. What if leaving offerings for them come to not be enough anymore? What if they want more?

Stony - Steve/Tony

the finger down your spine

The man, with his large brown eyes and beautiful features and small smirk, had a dangerous edge to him. No, not a man, a vampire. His long hair was loose, and he wore a perfectly fit three-piece suit. He was stunning, and it was almost irrelevant to mention that Steve was, indeed, stunned. The stranger’s smile only grew as he dragged his gaze down Steve’s body and brought it back to his flustered face. “Well, aren’t you lovely, lonely soldier.”

Winteriron - Tony/Bucky

crawl inside 

Tony wakes up three years after being part of the rescue team for the USG Icarus, the most notorious planet-cracker classed spaceship, and from which he’s the only survivor. He doesn’t remember what happened during that time, or understand why he’s kept in a straightjacket on the Sprawl, the station on Saturn’s biggest moon. What Tony knows is that the Church of Hydra, responsible for the first necromorph outbreak, is redoing the same thing, and that he’s once again stuck in the middle of it. (Dead Space AU)

Red Dead Redemption 2

Morston - Arthur/John

I buried you in the snow

He'd seen all sorts of things during his travels: unexplained flying objects in the middle of the night, robots murdering their masters, a human-made monster, a serial killer convinced he was a vampire, ghosts haunting the swamps and Roanoke Ridge, and the list went on. An encounter with a werewolf wasn’t too far fetched in the greater scheme of things. When he woke up the next day, he wondered if he hadn't just dreamed the whole thing, but the pair of jeans discarded on the floor was still damp and there was a messy drawing of the beast in his journal, along with the simple description: "I saved a werewolf from drowning. He owns me a lasso."

The Witcher

Geraskier - Geralt/Jaskier

The Reanimator of Rosemerrow

“This inn has an interesting reputation. Its owners are usually quick to resale it.” “Because of her decaying state? She just needs some remodel, soon she’ll be back up and about.” He stepped sideway to pat the half-destroyed wall and take a deep breath, away from Geralt’s unfair attractiveness. “Partially, but there’s also been paranormal rumours. Apparitions, misplaced objects, footsteps.” “And you believe in them? I always assumed you were the skeptical cartesian type.” Geralt wasn’t facing him, but he heard him chuckle darkly. “There are things you can’t escape from.” “Indeed,” Jaskier breathed out, thinking of what’d he seen when he was alone in the inn, the heavy presences and the few cases of being touched by a being that he had the unfortunate ability to see. “I’m, uh, familiar with unusual events.” – In 1819, Jaskier accidentally buys an old abandoned inn in the middle of nowhere, England. Haunted, as if this mountain of dust and debris wasn’t already enough of a problem. At least he has a handsome carpenter to help him renovate it.

Sleepy Hollow

Geralt hummed and nuzzled the crook of Jaskier’s neck without thinking. It was foreign to him, being held this gently. Only Ciri gave him hugs nowadays, but this one felt different. Geralt felt understood, precious. “What happened, with the Horseman? How did he hurt you?” “Freed himself and stabbed me when I was about to throw him back through the portal.” He frowned. A wound like this wouldn’t have killed him, but Doctor Lancaster had been right when he said even his metabolism wasn’t this fast. “You used your chaos to save me.” “I did.” “Why?” Jaskier gently cupped the back of his head, his thumb stroking the shell of his ear. “Though I cannot cure the world, I would make you live healthy and happy in it.”

Dragon Age

Cullrian - Cullen/Dorian

You run my life right outta my soul

That was the danger of infiltrating enemies’ sects, and why Cullen preferred to suck information out of lower ranks; easier to make them talk, easier to get rid of. AKA the Vampire The Masquerade AU nobody asked for.

splinters of my soul

“I only see glimpses and pieces. I know the color of your underwear too.” “It’s not necessary.” “Green with a red design, it was a gift from… Mia.” He hid his smirk in his mug, having an image of Cullen in the mirror this morning wearing nothing but that underwear. A wonderful sight. “Cassandra forgot to mention your-“ “Charms? Good looks?” “I was about to say elocution, but that too.” --- Dorian is a medium and psychic owning a small shop in Montreal, Canada. He's content with his life until the Police requests his help for a missing boy and he meets Commander Rutherford.

Ghost in the Cell

Dorian is invited to investigate an haunted prison with a paranormal investigator crew, and he brings Cullen along for some ghost adventures.

Blood Red Setting Sun

This wasn’t Dorian anymore, not the Dorian who would make fun of Felix when he’d become flustered and tongue-tied when trying to talk to a girl, who introduced him to the delicacies of wine and with whom he discussed for hours about books no one else took interest into. He couldn’t believe it, to use such radical mean for such a pitiful reason. Halward Pavus didn't use blood magic on his son, he turned him Tranquil.

[elizabethshelby]

On my long opinion-I will list why Lizzie Stark(Shelby) is the most important character on the show.

English isn’t my first language, sorry if i misspell things.

I I also had my own opinions as well as others (through private message) help me make this..lol

I don’t care who you like tommy with. Or think Lizzie isn’t right for tommy idc but she is involved in multiple story lines

~~~~~~~~~

Starting off with there would be no show without her. She’s a integral part of each season(subtracting Tommylizzie and their feelings) i don’t care if no one likes her but these are facts.

Starting off with the obvious:

•Tommy wouldn’t have the army he has

S1:Ep1-When we first hear of Lizzie, she’s engaged to Tommy’s younger brother John. They all clown him for her nightclub hostess/ part time working girl. John made it very clear no one should talk about her in a negative way. Then we learn about Tommy and her history. Meaning Lizzie specifically withheld that information (sleeping with both brothers) from John and Tommy.

S1:Ep4-Tommy ended that marriage because he needed for another one of his plans. Aka he’s a pawn. He ended his engagement to Lizzie and made a full on pact with the Lee's and married him off to Esme because he needed the man power of the Lee’s and didn’t need to fight 2 wars with different people. Join up with one and become family.

The lee’s and surrounding cousins help Tommy throughout the series based off the marriage between Esme and John. Without their union Tommy wouldn’t have his army.

•Tommy needed someone that was a constant to run his business

Ok in season 2/3/4 it was very clear the “women or wives” were running the betting shop. Esme helped out right after she got married to John. Polly was always in charge of it but like most families they had their fights. Ada didn’t want anything todo with them in the beginning, Polly and Tommy would argue and she would leave. (That’s why Lizzie would count money in her absence and knows the combination) not even esme was trusting(that’s why John got mad)

S3:Ep4-When the women did their walk out, he kept looking at Lizzie. With his eyes said: “I trusted you, you knew better than this, I expect walking out from pol but not you.” When tommy raised his voice a little more Lizzie got the hint and went right back into loyal mode and got esme out of there to not continue to get loud with Tommy.

•War with the Italians that spanned over 2-3 season

Then the Italian war. Tommy didn’t need to pick a fight with them but he did it because he was still small time. Billy was a big fish and that earned him a reputation but he had a good treaty with the changettas but Tommy is power hungry and wants more.

S2:Ep1-Then just by chance Lizzie is dating Angel Changetta!! He told Michael it wasn’t right for a peaky blinder walking with an Italian(he wasn’t approved by tommy but really would anyone?) they had a treaty why would that cause an issue? If anything it solidified their treaty. Why before Tommy’s wedding day when it should be abt him and Grace he’s worried about business (Italian and later on WEdding day-Russian)

Then knowing that they blew up his bars. S3:Ep2-He sent his 2 crazy brothers to talk with angels dad.

Arthur had a reputation for being crazy(killing a kid) and John used to have feelings for Lizzie- to address it. While John was disrespectful, Arthur knew it wasn’t right/ fair and told him to stop but he didn’t.

He went even further and congratulated John and wanted to take everything from them. Disregarding Pol and Arthur.

John with the indirect okay from Tommy, cut angels eyes out and told him to Stay Away From Lizzie,By Order Of The Peaky Fucking Blinders. Which no order is complete without Tommy’s knowledge or Okay. (He always overrules people if need be)The order came from Tommy just like it was his order to blow up and take his bars.

Becuase of Tommy’s order and John rashness with the cutting of Angel the changettas took revenge in killing Grace “for Angel”. Shelby’s took revenge back by killing Angel.

Season 4 opens up and him and his family are estranged. The only constant in his life and person managing- not only being his secretary, unofficial treasurer, and his only friend. [Lizzie]

“You can’t go on another year like this, do it for Charlie, me and Michael decided it’s time.”

Both Michael and Lizzie were technically born outsiders but were an integral part in both business and home life;they wanted to merge the family again.

Because of the brothers' action in s2 and s3 Luca came to collect or take revenge.

Killed John for their father and now wants even more revenge. Their vendetta spanning over a whole season.

In a different reality Luca and Lizzie would be in laws.

In season 5 and 6

In all the people in the world, in all the people that she might’ve slept with, one person she slept with was an up and coming member of parliament that wants to form a new party and have Tommy as his partner???

This is now 3 cases of Lizzie sleeping with someone that is an important part or connects with Tommy. for lack of a better word a “triangle” (ie diana saying Lizzie was part of a triangle) this is multiple storylines not all but a majority of them spanning over different seasons.

Lizzie

Mosley/John/Changretta’s Tommy

My own personal opinion is Mosley only was ever interested in tommy because of his wife’s earlier life. (And their possible connection) How/Why he married her. Mosley obviously has an obsession with Lizzie,it has been shown over multiple scenes.

“If we have met before, your wife and I could even renew our acquaintance. As am invited to stay the night,yes.

It was a bottle of champagne and an evening well spent.

They always come’cum’

Indirectly a response to Lizzie’s previous comment of “you went to sleep prematurely and it was an evening wasted.”

[kissing Lizzie’s hand for no apparent reason]

Now, forgive me I’m going to borrow your husband.

The ballerinas and I were wondering if perhaps you might want to join us”

~~~~~~~~~

In no way does this mean I hate the other characters. Or the other women tommy married or had relationships with.

I seen a lot of post how there is no point to her. But lizzie is the best character development on the show. She grew with the show, she grew as a character, she had her own thoughts and opinions and wasn’t afraid to voice them. She was struggling to for money, unlucky twice in love, S1 Lizzie is a different then S6 Lizzie and I think we should appreciate that regardless if you like her or not.

If you have any more to add, comment or reblog feel free todo so. Any hate, I will block you and delete.

I might seem, I am biased but i love Lizzie as a character and I think she’s deserves more recognition

[nadja-antipaxos]

FAN FICTION MASTERLIST

OC MASTERLIST

JOIN THE TAGLIST!

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18+ only (to be safe)

+ = Work in Progress

[C] = Completed

❤️‍🔥 flaming heart emoji  =  Smut

🩸 blood drop = Canon Typical Violence (never explicit)

❤️‍🩹 bandaged heart = Mentions darker themes (never explicit)

E means rated explicit so minors DO NOT INTERACT ( DNI )

**All my fics are listed on AO3 including fandoms not listed here such as Barry (HBO) and Veep. **

DEFENDING JACOB

Log kya kahenge (Andy Barber/Desi!OFC) - EXPLICIT

Summary: On the worst night of his life, Andy Barber meets Dr. Rashana Rao. A year later they meet again and he asks her out. The odds are against them with her parents' wish for an arranged marriage and his own feelings about his past. (Oneshot) [C] ❤️‍🔥 AO3 || TUMBLR

GIFTED

Don’t Let Me Down (Frank Adler/OFC) - EXPLICIT

Summary: Mary befriends a literature professor at the university who catches Frank's eye, Samantha Harris. She teases him and Frank falls hard when he least expects it. (Oneshot) [C] ❤️‍🔥 AO3 || TUMBLR

GHOSTBUSTERS

All My Pictures of You (Egon Spengler/OFC) - TEEN

Summary: After the destruction of Gozer, Callie Spengler decides to read her parents' journals to understand their doomed romance in their own words. (Oneshot) [C] AO3 || TUMBLR

MARVEL

AVENGERS

but it's golden, like daylight (Steve Rogers/OFC) - EXPLICIT

Summary: After protecting her from the Mandarin’s men, Steve Rogers becomes friends with benefits with Tony's little sister, Nicolette Stark. What was supposed to be a little fun becomes much more than what they originally bargained for. Post 2012 The Avengers through Endgame. (Multi-chapter)+ ❤️‍🔥 🩸 AO3 || TUMBLR

MOON KNIGHT

the eye of the moon (Moon Boys System x Layla x Desi!OFC)

Summary: Ash Rajul serves the goddess Sekhmet as her avatar working to keep the most vulnerable safe. 3 years ago, she had a falling out with Khonshu’s former avatar, Arthur Harrow, and seeks to keep the world safe from his vengeance. Marc Spector doesn’t trust her, Steven Grant is enamored with her, and Layla El-Faouly is her former lover who wants her help. They better figure it out because somebody’s gotta save the world.(Multi-chapter) [C] ❤️‍🔥 🩸 ❤️‍🩹 AO3 || TUMBLR

MULTI-FANDOM PROMPTS

FALL 2022 PROMPTS

STAR WARS

Gold Eyes (Din Djarin/OFC) - EXPLICIT

Summary: Din’s ongoing rivalry with his least favorite bounty hunter becomes something else once the kid enters the picture.(Oneshot) [C] ❤️‍🔥 AO3 || TUMBLR

STRIPES

Rebel Rebel (Russell Ziskey/OFC) - EXPLICIT

Summary: Before he enlists, Russell Ziskey has an amazing one-night stand and wakes up alone. To his surprise, 18 months later, she interviews him and John about their rescue and doesn't seem to remember him at all. (Oneshot) [C] ❤️‍🔥 AO3 || TUMBLR

SUCCESSION

Can’t Make You Happier Now (Kendall Roy/Desi!OFC) - EXPLICIT

Summary: Nearly twenty years ago, Kendall Roy made Nisha Asuri a promise to rule the world with her. The son of a media mogul and the sister of two tech wunderkinds. The most formidable power couple New York has ever seen. That was the deal. So, she did her part. Built her reputation as a ruthless corporate lawyer. Had his children. Stayed with him through the highest highs and lowest lows. She deserves to win not realizing that nothing goes as planned when your partner is Kendall Roy. (Multi-chapter) [C] ❤️‍🔥  ❤️‍🩹 AO3 || TUMBLR

TED LASSO

under the mistletoe  (Ted Lasso/OFC) - MATURE

Summary: Ted develops a crush on one of Rebecca's famous friends, so Rebecca invites her to a Christmas party. (Oneshot) [C] AO3 || TUMBLR

mirrorball  (Ted Lasso/Desi!OFC) - EXPLICIT

Summary: Ted develops a budding friendship with a single mom who happens to be a popular romance author, Priyala Kumari.  Her eldest barely knows who he is while her youngest is a Richmond super fan and the most aggressive player on Phoebe's team.  Priyala knows even less than he does about football, loves tea (chai), and has the sweetest laugh he's ever heard. She likes Ted just as much but wants to support him as his friend. Until they get matched on bantr. (Multi-chapter) [C] ❤️‍🔥 AO3 || TUMBLR

[grimoireoffolkloreandfairytales]

Fictional character ask: Guenevere

Favorite thing about them:

 So, thing with Arthuriana is, it is so old and varied and weird that there is simply no way to describe character properly. It is in  a  way worse than comics or greek mythology. So thing that is attractive about Guinevere there to me, who has been portrayed as everything from impeccable High Queen over unfaithful decadent seductress to poor young girl used by forces beyond her control,  is that in a way that through her you can see what is author’s opinion on women, or at least, what theme author is trying to cast light to about feminity and misogny, two topics that tend to be firmly tied up with Guinevere’s character

On character building level, I like it when Guinevere is clever, resourceful, pragmatic and competent queen, while also dealing with demands of her role, the near-saintly perfection and benevolence that is expected of woman in her position. Ways she finds means to use her reputation and position to exert subtle power, but also how she is exhausted by being put on pedestal and always judged. 

2. Least favorite thing about them:

I think that same thing that is favourite about Guinevere to me, is also somehow least favourite? Often it seems as if she isn’t allowed to be character in her own right, but more, a symbol for what author thinks ‘’good woman’’ should be, and it can get tiring.

From character perspective, I don’t like Guinevere who is passive and sentimental, but neither do I like Guinevere who is lascivious seductress.

3. Three things i have in common with them:

Hahaha very few things I think but let us try: I like Camelot, I am often confused by some of it’s resident’s goals, and I am sad that it fell (even if it had to)

4 . Three things i don’t have in common with them:

Many things haha but, I am not medieval woman, I am not royalty, I am not in complicated marriage

5. Favorite line:

Again, too much material to choose, and in much of stories there is no dialogue only narration of events

6. brOTP:

Developing bit of fondness for friendship with Dagonet and Dinadan, kay, and Igraine

7. OTP: 

Her and Arthur

8. nOTP:

Her and Maleagant, her and Mordred

9. Random Headcanon:

In several stories she is mentioned to be good at chess and similar games. Thus I headcanon that she is pretty intelligent and has good sense of strategy and ability to predict  and adapt well- but also her worldview is bit rigid, both due to her experiences and morals, and she can be thrown off when somebody does something completely weird

10. Unpopular Opinion:

I find endless adaptations of her adultery pretty boring and I am okay if it gets removed from retelling

11. Song i associate with them:

None I admit I am bad with music

12. Favorite picture of them:

Putting this under readmore because booy do I like visuals haha

Guinevere by Henry Justice Ford

Lancelot and Guinevere by Herbert James Draper

The Accolade by Edmund Blair Leighton

Queen Guinevere’s Maying by John Collier

Guinevere and her ladies in waiting in Golden Days by  Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale

Lady Guinevere by Howard Pyle

Guinevere the ‘’White Lioness’’ by  Andrea Süli

Guenever by Gi Avila

Guenevere by Oriana Menendenz

Guinevere by Marco Wulfr

Queen Guenever by Elizabeth  Peiró

Guinevere by Tate S

[solitaria-fantasma]

Guess who! But question, what if Gawain showed himself to his family before Arthur met Vivi and Lewis and joined the justice league early? Just a thought I had.

((*slams open the door hard enough to break it off its hinges* A chance to talk about the Super Ghost AU????))

Picture: Gawain never tried to hide from Arthur, but because he didn't spent ten years trapped in a ley line-covering forest, he didn't have enough power to reveal himself to their parents. Arthur could see him only because kids can just Do That at a young age, and because Tempo is itself a town steeped in supernatural things, Gawain still slowly absorbs power from the area for some twenty years.

By the time he's even strong enough to interact with the world beyond pulling a few books off the shelf when Arthur can't reach/turning off the lights when his parents forget, Gawain has watched his parents grieve by neglecting their surviving child, and slowly lost interest in appearing to them. Instead, he made sure to counter every dismissal Arthur got from their mother or insult from their father with something positive.

When Tom and Elaine inevitably decided to abruptly move out of Tempo, Arthur was already living with his uncle Lance, and while he was sad, the loss didn't hurt him as much as it did in the main timeline.

In this timeline, Lewis and Vivi would know about Gawain from the get-go (or at least as soon as Arthur worked up the courage to introduce them to his semi-secret ghost brother. By this time, Gawain has revealed himself to Lance, as well, and when Arthur gets the idea to build a robot body for Gawain to inhabit (with Vivi volunteering to help place Gawain's spirit inside it, though they kept this from Lance), it becomes a fun little family project that spans several years. The design goes from simplistic to sci-fi to hyper-realistic and back to sci-fi, and finally settles on what will become recognizable as the superhero 'Gawain'.

And speaking of League stuff, Gawain would still join the League and participate in its founding during the Imperium invasion, but rather than being an unknown hero coming out of nowhere, he's an established name with an existing reputation, having been operating in the Tempo/Sigil City area for only a little less time than Superman in Metropolis. He's a lot more confident in his 'resident supernatural expert' role on the team, and has a lot more adventures with other heroes such as Zatana, Dr. Fate, Etrigan, and John Constantine under his belt.

In this timeline, the Knights would also become active a lot earlier, as Arthur, Vivi and Lewis convince him to reach out to his old friends (even just for closure), and they all make the same decision to not let their friend save the world on his own.

[jasonblaze72]

Who Kills Sherlock Holmes In Real Life?

Arthur Conan Doyle invented the completely fictitious Sherlock Holmes in 1887. He is an advisory detective from England and resides in London at 221b Queen Street. The Scottish author Arthur Conan Doyle invented the completely fictitious detective Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock Holmes, the forerunner of the modern ringleader detective, made his debut in Beeton’s Christmas Annual, an 1887 publication of Conan Doyle’s A Research in Scarlet. He hunted down lawbreakers all through Victorian and Edwardian London, the south of England, and continental Europe as the first and only “consultancy services detective” in history. Sherlock Holmes made a unique impression on the public’s fiction and has remained the most enduring figure in the detective novel. Sherlock’s Autobiographies and Memories At first, Arthur Conan Doyle named the detective Sherrinford Holmes and the biographer Ormond Sacker. But he changed his mind and renamed them, Sherlock Holmes and John H. Watson. All sentiments, and that one especially, were offensive to his cold, straightforward, but admirably level mind. He was, I accept it, the most excellent reasoning and the following machine that the world has noticed, but, as a fanatic, he would have positioned himself in a false situation. He believed that attachment is an emotional thing, and whatever is passionate is objected to his accurate, cold logic, which he identified above all something. He could examine a client as objectively as a scientist would examine a specimen. He had a Saturnian appearance at times. His manner was not effusive. While his emotions were dulled by long periods of overstimulation, his intellectual perceptions were extremely active. Sherlock is a novel-based crime drama series  Sherlock Holmes is the most well-known fictional investigator personality in the entire world. He has been the inspiration behind many writers’ attempts to create their own fictional detectives. The British writer named Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, who is known as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, was formed by the wise and intelligent Sherlock Holmes. He started working on his book in 1886, but it eventually got published in 1887. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has written a total of four novels and 56 short stories about Sherlock Holmes. He is also Sherlock’s friend and biographer. He also helps Sherlock with his investigations. Why was Sherlock considered unique for a common man? Although Holmes has a reputation for being a very emotionless and impersonal person, he can get quite excited when conducting an investigation. Additionally, he yearns for some acknowledgment of his divine abilities. To impress everyone, he always tries to keep his techniques and supporting materials a mystery until the end. Without a doubt, his investigative abilities have resulted in the arrest of numerous criminals. As a result, he now has a large following. There are also a lot of enemies. Professor Moriarty, also known as Moriarty, is one of them. He most likely complements Holmes’ impressive abilities the best. And he is the cause of Holmes’ demise. No doubt how much fans have praised Sherlock’s novel, as well as the drama and the intelligence of Sherlock’s way of solving cases, has made fans always want to read and watch more of it. Who kills Sherlock Holmes in real life? Sherlock Holmes is a nonfictional character who is killed by the author's scriptwriting. Author Conan Doyle decided to remove Sherlock from the final episode by writing a script where he has written that Sherlock is killed in the final episode. Conan in the story put an imaginary professor named Moriarty who was defeated by Sherlock and decided to take revenge on him by killing him. The author decided to kill Sherlock because he no more wanted to share his literature with the channel anymore. Well, after the murder of Sherlock it made fans disappointed and wanted him back on television. After a fan reaction and sadness over it writer decided to rebirth the lead character. In his novel the hound of the Baskervilles, he reintroduced Sherlock with a new twist of investigations and detective skills, which makes it more interesting to watch.  Read the full article

[noforkingclue]

Bound By Blood (Dark!Vampire!Tommy x reader)

Summary: You never expected that working for the Shelby’s would be easy. However, you never expected you would gain the interest of Tommy, let alone what would happen next.

Warnings: dark fic, violence, vampires, dark!Tommy

Author’s Note: This is for @retromafia Supernatural Celebration! I definitely do have a weakness for dark fics and I hope you guys enjoy :D

Peaky Blinders tag list: @stylesofloki

Thomas Shelby tag list: @alreadybroken-ts​, @darlingdevil​, @lyrxbz

Everything tag list: @greenrevolutionary​, @imjustassaneasyou​, @spngingerbread21​, @layazul​, @lov3vivian​

It all started because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

You were Polly’s secretary. Polly’s weak, vulnerable but brilliant secretary. She had always made sure to keep a close eye on you and never left you on your own. At first you never really understood her protectiveness. The Shelby boys had been nothing but respectful towards you and you enjoyed your job. Well, most of the time. In the beginning they could be a bit rough. Arthur wrapping his arm around your shoulders and pulling you against him when he was happy. John, yanking you against him when you were walking through a dangerous part of the city (which according to him were most parts). Finn pulling you up to dance if he had one too many, only to be stopped by one of his brothers. The only one who hardly ever touched you was Tommy, not that you were complaining. You found him the most intimidating out of the brothers.

You knew about their reputation, you couldn’t live in Birmingham without, but towards you they were for the most part, the perfect gentlemen.

Well, until tonight.

You pressed your head against Tommy’s chest as he wrapped his arms tightly around you. One arm was around your waist while the other was against the back of your head. You felt the tears prick at your eyes and you flinched at the horrific sounds coming from the other end of the alley. You closed your eyes tightly at the sound of ripping flesh and the heavy thud of a limb being thrown against a wall.

“It’s ok,” said Tommy as he stroked your head, “It’s ok. You’re safe now. We’ve just got to teach them a lesson.”

“A lesson?”

“Hmm,” Tommy rest his cheek against yours, “What’ll happen to people if they try and take what is ours.”

“Oh.” you voice wavered slightly

Despite the situation you relaxed into Tommy’s embrace. He was so powerful and strong and yet with you, so gentle. You didn’t have anything to fear from him. It was only when your back had hit the wall that you realised that Tommy had caged you in. Your breath hitched and you could feel your heartbeat pick up again. You were cornered by one of the most powerful vampires in the country and there was nothing you could do about it if you tried to get away.

“Relax,” you jumped when you felt Tommy’s lip brush against your ear, “Remember what I said.”

“I want to go home.”

“You don’t want to go out there. Let Arthur deal with them.”

“Tommy-“

A finger tilted your head up so you were forced to look into his eyes. No one had eyes like Thomas Shelby, not even members of his own family. A beautiful bright blue that sucked you in and made it impossible to look away. The horrific sounds of people getting ripped apart seemed to melt away under his gaze and you found yourself finally relaxing against him. Tommy smiled at you and you could see his fangs glinting but you weren’t afraid. Tommy wasn’t going to hurt you. Tommy would never hurt you, he cared about you too much to ever lay a hand on you.

“What did I say?” Tommy asked quietly

“That I’m safe.”

“Good girl,” Tommy stroked your cheek and leant closer, “You’re a captivating human.”

“Thank you.”

“So innocent and soft,” he squeezed you slightly, “At first I didn’t understand why you wanted to work for us, but now I do. You were drawn here because of me. You wanted to be near me despite the danger. This isn’t the life for a human, y’know.”

“I know.”

“But now I understand,” he pressed a soft kiss against the pulse point in your neck, “This has made everything so much clearer. You’re meant to be mine.”

“I’m glad.”

You remained slumped in Tommy’s arms, eyes half open, as he grazed his teeth against your neck. Razor sharp fangs glided over your soft skin, a thinly veiled clue about his intentions. You let out a soft moan as he barely pressed his fangs against you, vaguely aware of the thin trickle of blood moving down your neck. Tommy pressed an open mouthed kiss against you, moaning softly at the taste of-

“What the fuck do you think you are doing?”

You let out a groan of protest as the solid body pining you to the wall was suddenly ripped away. You stumbled as you tried to steady yourself, wincing as you felt the oncoming headache. Polly glared at Tommy as she stepped over to you, wrapping a protective arm around your shoulders. Tommy just returned her glare with a steely one of his own. You felt like you had just been forcibly awakened from a blissful dream.

“What’s going on?” you muttered weakly

“I should’ve fucking known this was going to happen,” she hissed, “I leave you alone one fucking time and you almost fucking bite her.”

You hand moved up to your neck. When you drew it away your fingers were red. Polly inhaled sharply and her grip tightened on your shoulder.

“Come on love,” she said, “Let’s get you home.”

You nodded absentmindedly and as you looked up you locked eyes with Tommy. His bright blue eyes had gone almost black. For a moment you stopped breathing as you seemed to get sucked into his gaze. You had never seen a hunger like that before. You didn’t know if he wanted to fuck you against the wall or drain you completely. You took half a step towards him, not noticing the way his lips (still stained faintly with your blood) twitched as you did. Polly dug her nails into your shoulder which immediately broke the spell and she continued to drag you away. As the two of you reached the end of the alley Polly slapped her hand over your eyes.

“You don’t want to see this,” she muttered quietly

You grimaced as your shoes splashed against a liquid and sickening metallic smell of blood filled your nostrils.

“Pol-“

You heard Arthur say as he made to take half a step towards you. Polly froze and held up her free hand.

“Not now Arthur,” she warned, “We’ll discuss this when y/n’s at home. And trust me,” she called over her shoulder, “We have a lot to talk about.”

 *

 You knew that your relationship with the Shelby’s was forever changed after that night. Polly had become even more protective since that night to the point where she wanted you to work from her home. Whenever you went into Shelby Company Limited you always felt Tommy’s gaze on you but Polly never left you alone with the boys again. He always seized any attempt to touch you, to press his body close against yours on the rare occasions that Polly wasn’t next to you. You feared that if you looked into his eyes again you’d never be able to look away.

Which was why you made the decision to leave. It wasn’t an easy decision by any means. Work was good, as was the pay, but Polly was a kind and understand boss. She had advised you not to say anything about you leaving until you were prepared. You were still confused by this but did what she said anyway. It was only on the night before you were going to leave that you finally understood why.

“Did you really think that you could just leave me?” Tommy said

The last thing you had been expecting was for Tommy to bust through your bedroom door. In a flash he had you pinned against your bed and you had only just managed to shut your eyes in time. His hand curled around your throat and gave it a warning squeeze as he straddled you. He grabbed both of your wrists in one hand and pinned them above your head. You were well and truly trapped.

“I own this fucking city,” he continued, his voice cold with rage, “Did you really think I wouldn’t know about you leaving me?”

“Please,” you said weakly, “Please stop. I don’t want this. Just let me go.”

Tommy stilled on top of you. You could still feel his weight on top of you and you swallowed thickly as he leant his head down. His lips brushed teasingly along your jawline before his fangs grazed against your jugular.

“It’s been centuries since I felt like this,” he said, “I’m not letting you go that easily.”

You let out a cry as Tommy finally sunk in fangs into your neck. You tried to shake him off but his hand quickly moved to hold you in place. You hated it. The pain you were expecting but not what came after. The warm that spread throughout your veins and pooled at the pit of your stomach. You bit your lip as you tried to prevent the moans from slipping out but it was useless. Tommy broke away from your neck and hovered above you. You jumped when you felt your blood drip onto you face. Tommy leant down and licked it off, not caring as you tried to cringe away.

“See how good I can make you feel,” he said quietly, “Just open your eyes, love. I can make you feel like this every day. It’ll be more painful for you if you don’t.”

You wanted to give in. To surrender yourself to his honeyed voice. You could have it all. You’d be with the most powerful man in Birmingham, fuck, probably even the country. You’d want for nothing, just wave your hand and your desire would appear. But was it worth giving up your life for? You writhed under his hands as the pleasure coursed through your body. You could feel Tommy smirk against your skin as he moved back down to your neck.

He moaned as he lapped at the blood trickling out from the puncture wounds in your neck. You had never heard anything so erotic. You tilted your head to the side, unintentionally giving Tommy better access to your neck. Immediately he let go of your hands and held your head in place. He was drinking for you like a dying man. When he pulled away you felt weak. The sheets under you were becoming saturated with your blood. Each breath felt like a marathon and was becoming raspier with each passing second.

“You won’t last long,” Tommy said from above you, “But I can help.”

You shook you head weakly. Tommy always got what he wanted, you weren’t about to let him take anymore.

“You need this. I’m not about to lose you after everything I’ve done to get you.”

You heard him bite into his wrist but when you tried to move your head Tommy held it firmly in place. He pressed his wrist against your mouth but you firmly closed it. You weren’t about to give in that easily. You’d rather die of the blood loss then become tied to him for the rest of eternity. Tommy clicked his tongue in disapproval.

“Something I’ve always hated about you humans,” he said casually, “Is how fucking weak you are.”

You let out a muffled gasp as Tommy removed his wrist and pinched your nose. You writhed under him as your air supply was cut off. You already weak body couldn’t cope with that and you barely lasted any time before you were forced to gasp for air. Immediately Tommy pressed his wrist against your mouth and let go of your nose.

At first you didn’t notice anything. Time slowed down and you remained frozen in place. Then it hit you, the sharp pain. It was as so your blood was being replaced with acid. You let out a shriek of pain but it was muffled by Tommy’s wrist.

“It’s alright,” he said as he stoked your hair, “It’s alright. It’ll get easier.”

He pressed a kiss against your forehead and you closed your eyes, tears spilling free. You didn’t want this. You wanted a normal life, with a decent job and marrying a nice man. You didn’t want to become like the Shelby’s. That’s not why you took that job.

Your eyes opened a crack and you found yourself looking up into Tommy’s bright blue ones. As you opened your eyes fully Tommy closed his. He pressed his forehead against yours and said quietly,

“You never should’ve tried to leave.”

Was what you heard before you were sucked into a cold, inky darkness.

 *

 The first thing you noticed when you opened your eyes was just how clear and sharp everything looked. You blinked several times before raising a hand slowly to your face. No, you weren’t wearing glasses. You sat up in your bed and you were just about to swing your legs off of the bed you heard voices from beneath you.

“You did what?”

It was Polly. She moved around the room and you froze in place. You could tell from her voice that she was pissed.

“She was innocent in all of this,” Polly hissed, “She has her whole life ahead of her and you took that away.”

“I didn’t.”

Tommy sounded as cold as ever.

“I gave her a new life,” He said, “You didn’t have a right to keep her from me.”

“A new life?” Polly let out a bark of laughter, “This isn’t a fucking life Tommy. Why the fuck do you think I tried to keep her away from you?”

“You shouldn’t have done that.”

“I was protecting her.”

“Then why let her take that job.”

“I never should’ve,” you could hear the regret in Polly’s voice, “I should’ve kept her as far away from you as possible.”

“You don’t have the right to keep what is mine away from me!” Tommy shouted

You heard the sound of a chair clattering to the floor. You let out a whimper and crawled back into bed. As your arm passed through a beam of sunlight you let out a cry of pain. A still silence came from below and before you knew it Tommy and Polly were before in your room. You looked at them in terror and you asked,

“What have you done to me?”

“Easy now,” Tommy was by your side in a flash, “It’ll be ok.”

“Tommy,” you backed away slightly, “What have you done to me?”

Tommy gently took your arm and inspected the wound. Your skin had blistered from the sunlight and deep down you knew what he had done. You could hear the sounds of people talking outside. Hear and smell food cooking from neighbouring households. The sound of children laughing and playing in the streets. What was worse though, and chilled you to the bone, was the sound of blood pumping through people veins. The heartbeats of everyone in the building. The urge to run to the nearest human and rip their throat out and drink their blood. Warm, fresh human blood. Yes, that was what you needed. That would quench the first that was building in you.

“Tommy-“

“I know.”

Tommy wrapped his arms around you just in time. You struggled to break free but Tommy was older than you. He had more experience and was more powerful. Despite your new strength you felt as weak as a kitten in his arms. You clawed at him with sharp nails, watching in horror as his cuts healed before your eyes. The fact that he had just fed from you was still evident.

“You ruined her.” Said Polly as she watched helplessly at the way you clung to him

“No,” Tommy pressed a kiss against your temple, “I didn’t. I did what I had to, to keep her with me. If she had left I would’ve killed everyone that stood between us. It’s better this way. Now I have you,” he pressed a kiss against the side of your head, “I’m never going to let anyone,” he looked over at Polly and continued, “Separate us again. Just do what I say and I’ll give you the fucking world. You’re safe with me.”