#for fic reasons but also just. on general cos they're so important to me

[extra-somethin-somethin]

i need to explore kuwabara and kurama's friendship more like. I'm pretty sure kurama was the only one kuwabara was seeing towards the end of the series cos hiei and yusuke were still in makai iirc? so they were hanging 😭

#for fic reasons but also just. on general cos they're so important to me #there's a yt vid about their relationship so im gonna watch that lol #im also rewatching the show to look at their dynamic more closely #kuwabara and hiei as well cos well. you know #i was just watching the episode where luwa was about to kill himself (the first time lmao) in the dark tournament #and he was sending his last like. messages to his friends i was like 🥲 #hiei you're kinda the worst and your mean to me but. i know you're a good guy under that #he called kurama the most caring person like bye. help meeee #he even had smth to say to genkai when he didn't even Know it was her 😭 #''and urameshi. well...'' 😵‍💫🔫 #nico already knows i was thinking about this shit but it's like #kuwa has so much love and belief in his friends and teammates i just like #what do you do in the face of all that trust man 😭 #wtv wtv

[glasshcvse]

I always thought Stupid Cupid would be on the same level as Red Velvet in terms of popularity! In your opinion which real group would you assign for your fic groups in those terms?

AINE ! ⠀ › ⠀ SAYS. omg you're being too nice anon!! i think red velvet is wayyy up the scale when looking at stupid cupid's popularity– took me a hot second to cook something up, but under the cut, you'll find all of my important groups / ocs ( including both npc & under co. groups! ) and their popularity based on irl kpop groups!

first, we have lilypad, aka the saviours of glasshouse! i'd definitely say that they're on par with kara! they've been releasing bops from the getgo, and have been doing so until their unfortunate ( or fortunate in this case ) disbandment, so kara would be the best group to mention in this case, especially when back in 2009, glasshouse only had crumbs and a handful of trainees to go with.

next on the list is raevil, aka the dead women walking! raevil = twice, and you can't prove me wrong!! the fact that each member comes from a different country just goes well with the public ( international more than domestic, bc we all know how knetz are about these types of things ), and they for sure know how to charm people to at least listen to their songs occasionally. their popularity grew as time passed, so raevil being on the same scale as twice right now would be a plausible answer!

sorry to disappoint you, anon, but stupid cupid's popularity goes lower than red velvet's– i'd say ive or kepler would be more of an appropriate answer, especially because everyone can clearly see the favouritism in stcp ( looking at tomie ). it's a good thing that their discography is full of mostly cute songs, otherwise, i don't think stupid cupid would've been supported this much if it their concept was anything else... i imagine them being compared to lilypad a lot if they had a different concept, and they'd kind of flop. yeah, their fandom is definitely smaller compared to raevil's, but they have some crazy ass fans out there ( think orbits during that twitter era )–

at the beginning of their career, i surely saw paradox invasion go hand in hand with stray kids based on popularity, especially because prdx had a different concept from any other artists from the company, were their first bg and they were promoted a lot during their pre-debut era by stupid cupid. however, after the whole scandal happened with one of the members and they went on a hiatus for a year, the hype kind of died down, so now i'd say they're kinda like monsta x / the boyz!

hero is 4th generation's taemin! of course, his popularity slowly grew as he went through a shitty survival show, but once he actually debuted as a soloist, the fandom significantly grew, and it's still growing as time goes by. there's a reason why he's called an all-round and ace of kpop! although, if you asked him, he'd deny being that popular, but the receipts don't lie, nor do his album sales that get sold out after every comeback!

and last but definitely not least, we have crystyle! && just like everyone expected, i imagine them to have the same popularity as got the beat! they also have some similarities; as they're both project groups with members from different groups ( or are soloists ), so saying they have the same popularity as got would be true. not only that, but each member has their own fandom that just combined in the end to support the girls as a group!

and that's it ( for now )! come back later if there are any updates to this~

#⸻⸻ ⠀・。⠀▸ ﹕ GLASSHOUSE ⠀ › ⠀ ASKS. #anon <3 #this was very fun to do anon ty for this ask <33

[dontbotherwiththepronunciation]

Something I'm curious about today: what were the proportions like in answers to the "do you relate to Theon" question? This doesn't have to be a long articulate answer with comparisons if you don't want to, I would love even to just know how many people answered yes or no, I'm very interested in how that plays out with liking and relating being basically thought of as sinonims in fandom these days

Ah! Just checked because in all honesty, I don't think I paid a lot of attention to the fractions on that question.

Problem here is that since this wasn't a question with options, but instead one where everyone wrote what they felt, some of the answers were less clear. Ex. some people said that they don't relate to Theon specifically, but to some of the themes/situations he goes through.

The rough statistic:

There wasn't much to be remarked upon, not many surprising things; out of the third culture kids everyone related to him (and so did the other types of immigrants who answered the survey), the fraction between most-liked hips and feelings of kinship were proportionate and didn't show any preferences, and out of those who would be content with endgames that allow him to stay in the North many of the votes came from those who didn't relate to him.

Still! I found it interesting how there was a small fraction of voters (from both sides) that admitted they not only related to him, but also self-inserted (is that the correct tense???) to whoever they shipped him with. This happened nine times (that I could count, but perhaps I slipped or misunderstood something); four theonsas, three Greysnows, one throbb, and another special case in which the person chose throbb as their preferred ship but explained in length how they also ship theonsa and self insert on Sansa.

I like Theon and Robb best overall, but Sansa is my fave both for self insert reasons and general thematic interest, so I love theonbaby girl. sa too (in a doomed fairytale way). In Throbb I like darker fics, hurt comfort, betrayal etc, usually interspersed with flashbacks to when they were happy and in love. Plausible deniability level Canon compliance is important to me. I like fics where Robb is already dead. If they're happy, I want it to be pre-ACOK, I'm not too into fix it first for them. I'm happy for them to be each other's first and only, or in a secretive open relationship, or just mutual pining, I can run the gamut. Theon and Sansa for me is much more about AUs, Canon divergence, and fix it fics. I'd rather they be happy. Sansa is never also a victim of Ramsay for me, no show compliance ever, she has her own shit with Joffrey and Littlefinger and Co. I like expanding on the idea that Theon had thought Ned might marry him to Sansa one day. I like badboy, player, misogynist theon because I see myself in Sansa and I like to play with modern AUs where she thinks that's the kind of man she likes, and they both become better people organically before really getting together. I also like AUs where theon is still a bad boy player but he was never that bad/has a heart of gold or whatever, because that's just fun/fluffy. OH I also like fics where theon is bi for Robb and Sansa! Robb can die and then theon can fall for Sansa.

Weirdly enough this only applied to ships.

Also on a more personal note, not gonna lie, the four/five theonsas who identify with/self-insert/kin Sansa were really fascinating to me because of

the hateful argument used against Sansan, Sanrion, Sansa/[insert older man] shippers regarding them not really loving Sansa and just self-inserting on her.

the memories of how the "You are just self-inserting" argument was also sometimes used against theyne shippers but out of the theynes who responded here no one seemed to identify with Jeyne. Anyway, mildly curious things to think about.

#hell-heron #speaking #theon survey #theon greyjoy #asoiaf

[coldflasher]

17, 18, and 29 for the ao3 asks, please! 🧡

17. Your favorite character to write this year?

You know, I think it might actually have been Joe? I've not written much Joe POV but it's always so fun to do, particularly in scenes with Len, cos Joe is always so done and ready to fight at all times lmao. I have a half-written one shot I really wanna finish where Joe finds out about coldwestallen and almost has a heart attack and it was SO fun to write, I'm cackling just thinking about it

18. The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

i feel like the obvious answer is len. i've seen a lot of people saying that and for good reason, he's so difficult to get right. particularly when it comes to dialogue. i loooove writing dialogue, it's my fave, but when i'm editing i find myself revisiting so much of his dialogue and deleting, tweaking, rewriting, SO much of it ends up on the proverbial cutting-room floor because when it comes to len, i take the old edict "he would not fucking say that" so seriously. it's always in my mind. but the problem with len is that there's so MUCH he would not fucking say. and it makes it very difficult when there are things i NEED him to say for the plot but it just doesn't ring as authentic.

there's this post that i saw once that talks about the ways people say things without saying them, specifically when it comes to expressing love. like they say "fasten your seatbelt" or "text me when you get home safe", but what they're actually saying is "i love you, i care about you", and that's the balance i'm basically always trying to strike with len. it's like, how can i have him say things without saying it. so i spend a LOT of time agonizing over that

that being said i think the character who's challenged me the most this year has actually been iris. because i've been reading and thinking a little more critically about like. fandom racism. and how characters of colour, but especially Black characters, are treated by fandoms and by the narrative, and so i've been trying to be a lot more intentional about how i write iris and particularly how i'm describing her, and not wanting to perpetuate harm in my portrayal and potentially create an unsafe space for Black folks in fandom, and also thinking about what candice patton herself has said about the fact that iris was never really written as Black, especially in the early seasons. like. this is a white character who they happened to cast a Black woman to play. so that's also something that's been going around in my head, like her race is important and would affect her whole perspective and worldview, and so i don't want to forget that, but then i don't want to overstep and write things that are outside my lane... there have been times where i've really got in my head about it, which is good, i think i'd rather be thinking too hard about it than being careless in my approach, but it's defo been at the forefront of my mind as she takes a bigger role in the fics i'm writing, especially as i have a few iris-centric longfic ideas that i'd LOVE to work on in future but that's defo something i'll have to be even more aware of if i do that, so yeah.

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

You know, frustratingly I think my fave thing I've written this year is something I can't share because it's a huuuuge DNDB spoiler 😭 so I'll settle for sharing a steamy lil snippet from the westallen "don't worry, darling" AU i mentioned because it's a super romantic scene and i loooove it

it hasn't been edited so still kinda rough around the edges but im obsessed with like. its general essence!

Turning towards him, she stood on her toes to reach more easily and Barry tightened his arm around her waist, grabbed her thigh with the other and hoisted her up onto the chest of drawers in front of the window, knocking over a lamp which thunked to the floor and sent all the light in the room crazy, filling it with weird shadows and changing the angles of their faces. Barry pressed her against the window pane and Iris jumped, making a startled little sound at the coldness of the glass that caused her to arch into him even more, wrapping her legs around his waist for leverage. He leaned hungrily into her, bracing one palm against the window, and before long the glass had fogged around his palm and haloed around her like a pale aura, the moonlight outside smudging her edges while they kissed and kissed like they’d never stop.

Thank you!

#ao3 ask game #answered

[primojade]

𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐎

Hello, dreamerーthis is a place where thousands of stories were born, yet none are forgotten ! My name is Jade, and i'm a wandering auteur and artist! in any case, its a pleasure to meet you :>

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

rules | masterlist | carrd | moots and anons

𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐄

Requests and brainrots (including interactions): OPEN

all follows and reblogs are from my main: @araranas

currently listening to: 🎶 go the distance, cover by samantha barks 🎶

currently reading: the da vinci code by dan brown

currently craving: takoyaki 🐙

saving and farming/pulling for: focalors and neuvillette (eu), c2 wanderer (na), kokomi (asia)

𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐉𝐀𝐃𝐄: 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

Some important things to consider before following and interacting:

Gender is an important and sensitive topic for me, so please do be mindful that my pronouns are they/them, and I am agender/nonbinary ace.

I am a suffering university student (with a pursuing degree in business management!) so updates may be sporadic.

I'm also 21 years old, an adult, so if that bothers you, you may choose not to interact with me at all :> though this blog will remain, and will always be, sfw. Some of my works may contain suggestive themes, but nothing that borders n.sfw and dark content so minors are free to browse around here safely!

I can generally speak in four languages so feel free to message me via themーFilipino, English (my second language), Italian (my childhood lingua) and Japanese (a minor subject of mine). Though I can speak and understand Italian, my skills are now rusty and I'm not confident with it 💦 so if you don't want to suffer from my almost non-existent Italian, better talk to me in English xD

𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐉𝐀𝐃𝐄: 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐆 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐒

#jaded momentsー! for personal writings and art.

#jaded musingsー! for important blog links and announcements.

#just jadeー! for idle musings, ramblings, spams, screeching, simping...

#jaded verses—! for brainrots too short to be a proper fic. Or maybe leftover ideas that I have no plans of turning into a fic.

#letters for jadeー! for answers to possible asks.

#jaded oathー! for fic/blog/art recs and personal favourites.

#jade simps for albedo/tighnari—! bc I know I wouldn't be able to help myself not to 💀

#jade clowning moments - for my crack-ish, idiotic misadventures in the real world🤡

#jade rated not pg—! smut and nsf-w stuff. Please block this minors or those uncomfy for ur own safety!

#jade reruns—! for my personal reblogs of writings and art.

#dear comrade: (name)—! interactions with lovely moots

#tw: (trigger name) , #genshin spoilers

𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐉𝐀𝐃𝐄: 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

I love a certain fictional alchemist and a botanist a normal amount :3

I'm AR60 on Europe server, AR59 on Asia server and AR58 on America server, but I'm afraid I'm not currently open to co-op rn since I have a very...personal reasons as to why heh. I won't be able to give you my UID in public as well (unless ur a moot! If so, feel free to ask me!) because my family plays Genshin with me and they certainly know what's my account 😂 I'd rather not have them know I write fanfics afー

I main Albedo (he's C4 now! and planning to c6 him soon!), but I usually switch to my C6 Diluc 💀. My team mostly consists/rotates between Xiao, Tighnari, Ayato, Kazuha, Hu Tao, Venti, Raiden and Zhongli. Not so proud of their builds though and I'm dumb when it comes to meta stuff so I won't be able to help you much if you ask me xD

Not so fun fact: I benched my Ayaka and C2 Keqing because they're poorly built 💦 did I mention that the rascal ginger dude didn't come home to me in ALL of his banners? 🙂

Pulling for wanderer cons!!

#jaded musings—! #navigation !

[charmmycolour]

Hallo chrammy Colours (sorry if I got your name wrong) i have a question,

I recently got into your fanficana normal life. And because some of the chapters were postet for from another this made me wonder:

How do you keep track of your story? Do you right every chapter out in concept before you start writing? And did it ever happen to you, that you got an idea while writing a chapter, which you really liked and wanted to implement into the story? Would you change future, already planned chapters for it (under the condition it's not a massive plot change).

I was wondering bc your 12th chapter was my favorite one despite being posted later then the others. There's no shift in writing style either so I'm just curious. How do you manage that?

I'm looking forward to an answer.

greetings from Québec's Sweethearts.

I hope you have a great day.

My my this is such an interesting question. Thank you!

About my writing process, I have my own steps system (note this doesn't apply to fics I co-wrote with other authors, where I use a different one, only those I wrote entirely myself). For me writing a fic usually goes like this:

Idea: I have an idea for a concept I find interesting or a scene that would be cool to do. Sometimes these ideas don't tie to anything, they're just small fun scenarios I make up for fun, but if I like them a lot, I will develop them into the next step.

Outline: Now I have a core concept or situation I want to write, so it's time to decide how the rest plays out. I think of a beginning, an ending, and a general line of events that happen in the middle. It's a written draft and not set in stone, but has the general feeling (romance, comedy, angst, etc.)

First Draft: I will start writing whatever scenes I'm more excited to do. I usually work on the first chapter too so it's easier to set the tone later. The big events should be set in the draft, mostly, but can still change if needed; all the small things can wait. If I don't know how to write a part I jump to another.

Second Draft: Now we have a bunch of little stories! It's time to tie them together with the boring parts. It's not as exciting to go over exposition, or have the characters move around, but it's necessary. It's also the step where I make sure everthing is coherent and it's not contradicting other parts of the story.

Usually at this point is when I will clean the first chapter and start posting. I usually haven't finished the fic when the first chapter is up, but roughly half of it if not more will be written or planned. Note the first chapter will first go through step 6 and 7 first.

Final Draft: I rewrite everything correctly, polish the details, cut the filler and in general focus on making the flow dynamic and interesting. At this point it's possible I had a better idea for a future scene and I change it, but once something is published that detail is FINAL and will stay until the end.

Beta: I ask someone (usually my boyfriend) to revise and correct the chapter, fix the grammar and tell me if something is confusing or they have noticed a mistake in the timeline. This is important because I'm NOT English so I make a lot of mistakes lol

When I posted chapter 1 of ANL, up to chapter 9 I think? Were already in first draft at the very least. Some scenes from the ending had been the first I wrote, but as I developed the story and had new ideas, they have been heavily altered from the first idea.

Currently ANL is written to second draft completely, and the only reason I'm not faster uploading is because I'm lazy making the proper rewrites and drawing the illustrations that come with it (sorry!). The ending of the story went through several changes but I think I'm happy with the current one - nonetheless I never discard the idea of implementing changes if needed.

To keep the tone and writing consistent, I read the chapters together with the prior one (from the same character) together to make sure the narration flows the same way. Even if I learned a way to do it better, I try not to make it too different - I think keeping the flow is more important.

Often I will go back and correct things on prior chapters, but only grammar or oddly-written sentences, never events.

I hope this answers all your questions! Please don't hesitate to send more if you have them, and a big big thank you for reading my story! It makes me so very happy.

Have a wonderful day!

[queenofkings1212]

Moving On

Disclaimer:

Anything I write will probably never follow the events of the actual show. The events do show up in my fics, but never in the order they're shown on the show. It may be confusing.

Warning: Descriptive death; Long

Fem!Reader x Tommy Shelby; Fem!Reader x Arthur Shelby

Words: 5.5k

Summary: YN knows her once beloved has fallen for another, but not once has she left his side.

-I SUCK at summaries, and writing in general.-

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The family watched as Y/N broke down silently. She didn’t cry out, scream, or thrash at him. It was the slight slouch in her posture, and the tears brimming her eyes, willing to fall any second now.

Tommy watched her break silently. His heart shattered for her. He knew her words were true. He had fallen out of love with her, and he didn’t even notice it. Still, he denied it. He couldn’t handle being the reason for her tears, so he looked down at her hands.

“I love you, Y/n/N.” He whispered, not having the strength to speak any louder.

A bittersweet smile presented itself on her face. “Baby, look at me.” She walked towards him, lifting his chin so his eyes could meet hers. “I know you love me, but I also know that you are not in love with me. It’s her.”

He stared into her eyes as her words wavered through her lips. His heart physically hurt when her voice broke acknowledging the other woman. While he never was unfaithful, there was another one. That’s when he decided that he hated her. Y/N. Hated that she put everyone's happiness above her own. Hated that even though he had hurt her, she was reassuring him. He hated himself for hurting her. For breaking his promise.

“Tommy,” she moved her hands from his face to hold his hands, squeezing them. And oh how his tears fell. A silent I love you and I forgive you. His shoulders shook, as he seemingly broke down. She wrapped her arms around him, swaying lightly.

Her tears had long been falling, never seeming to end. She desperately loves the man in her arms, but she wished for his happiness above anything else, even her own. It broke her heart to know that his happiness wasn’t with her, but she couldn’t blame him. The heart wants what it wants.

“I’m sorry, Y/n/N.” He whispered, arms wrapped around her, holding her for what he knows is the last time.

“Don’t be, love.” She whispered back, fingers tracing the small scars on his hands. Tears seemed to dry up as they sat in their office, holding each other, just for tonight. Their last night. She looked up and softly kissed the soft smile on his lips. They tightly held each other in silence, Tommy breaking it every once in a while to apologize. They didn’t speak any other words, or break their embrace, not even to ignite the dying fire. Much like their love. It once burned brightly, but they were so busy with the business that they didn’t work on keeping it alive. In pursuit of their happiness, they had fallen apart. One just seemed to find another flame faster.

Despite the heartache every day, she was still there. She had built the business along with the brothers, so it was hers just as much as it was theirs. She witnessed Tommy fall hard for Grace and comforted him when they had found out the truth. Y/N celebrated each win and grieved each loss with the Shelby family. With her help, Shelby Co. Ltd. finally got their first legal race pitch and drank like a true Shelby for the celebration.

For every high, low, and middle moments, Y/N stood by Tommy and his family. They knew how important she was to the company, and no one thought differently when she and Tommy separated. She was still included in the family meetings, desk right next to Tommy’s, and everything went on the same.

Little by little, everything was getting easier. Little by little she was letting him go.

They had returned to being friends, which they were both glad they were able to do.

She knew about the letters and the phone calls from Grace. Of course she did. Tommy told her everything. He asked her advice and sought her wisdom, even if she was just as clueless as him when it came to stuff like this. Besides Tommy, she didn’t know any other man in that way.

Despite all that, she gave advice she thought was right. She had tried to convince him to not meet up with her, that nothing good would come of it, but he wouldn’t listen.

“I know you don’t like her because of what happened between us-”

“Oh, shut the fook up Thomas. I don’t like her because she put our business back months, if not years, and took Danny Whizbang from us. I am telling you not to go, because for fucks sake Thomas, she has a fucking husband.”

He regretted his words. He knew he was being irrational, but Grace has him on edge. He also knew that Y/N was right, but he decided to ignore it and met up with the blonde Irish anyways.

When he had figured out her intentions, it was too late. She was back on the ship to America, and he was left hurting. Again.

His feet led him to the one place he knew he could find some kind of peace. Before his mind could register it, he stood in front of Y/N’s place. She rolled her eyes as she took in his state. And again, she comforted the fool of a man.

She thought she would feel some kind of pain when Tommy announced that he was to marry Grace, who is pregnant with his child, but she was happy. She still didn’t take a liking to Grace, and would talk him out of it if she knew that there would be little possibility of succeeding. But, she hadn’t seen Tommy smile this much, and although his now fiancé was the reason why he was depressed, she was grateful to see him happy.

Seconds turned to minutes and hours turned to seconds. She had seen the silver flash of a gun and without thinking she had pushed Tommy and Grace out of the way. Words of protest were cut short by the BANG! BANG! that resounded in the room. Chaos had erupted, people screaming and running amuck, but Tommy had stood staring at his past lover, legs not willing to move. Even as he begged for his legs to move, they were set in stone. Her breathing shallow, eyes wide, and that damn faint smile on her lips. Whether she was smiling because she had saved them or her life was seemingly coming to an end, no one knew.

She had tried taking a step, but her knees failed her. Everything was blurry, but she could faintly feel the arms around her. Looking up, she could barely make out who was comforting her. Screaming her name, pleading for her to stay awake. Arthur.

Months had gone by and she had decided to visit John and Esme for a week to get away from Tommy. He had been a nuisance since she’d taken the bullet for him and his wife. It had gotten too much. Also, away from Changretta. She didn’t know who he’d hit next. The family had all but scattered because of Tommy and his hunger for power. For more. She couldn’t keep them all safe when--

It all happened so fast. One moment she was sitting near the small body of water, thinking and calculating, the next she was on her horse racing as fast as her trusted stud could run. John. The name was stuck in her head. How could I be so stupid? It’s so fucking obvious. That was Changretta’s move, and she thanked God above for letting her be here at this moment in time.

By chance, or by a bloody miracle she was where she was needed to most.

She readied the Tommy machine gun she kept on her horse, as she heard shots, nearing John and Esme’s home. Coming up from behind, seeking shelter for her own safety was the last thing on her mind. She ran to drag John behind a cart, yelling for Michael to pull Esme down.

“On the count of three, you pull her inside and wait for my signal to come back out to get John!” Y/N yelled over the gunshots. Michael only nodded before wrapping his arms around Esme’s shoulder. He knew to trust Y/N. He’s been in enough trouble to know that she’s to be trusted as much as any Shelby man.

It had all happened so fast. She stood, aiming the gun towards Changretta’s men, pulling the trigger and seeing the men take place behind hay bales and carts. She wasn’t really aiming. Just spraying in their general direction to make sure they stayed hidden until Esme, John, and Michael were back in the house.

She shouted directions for Esme and Michael to tend to John’s wound while she reloaded her gun and readied herself to defend the wounded man and his family.

----

Y/N woke to attempted hushed talking and groaned. She made her way down the stairs and was greeted by a sad smile from Esme. The latter knew Y/N needed rest, especially after yesterday's events.

She returned a smile that eased Esme’s worries. “He’s alright?” A chuckle from Esme was all she needed to know that he was ok. More than ok if he could be up this early in the morning.

“What does a woman have to do to get a moment of peaceful sleep?” She asked, not raising her voice to get attention. She didn’t need to, for they all quieted at the sight of her entrance. “Five bloody hours is all I asked.” She sighed and leaned against the wall, Arthur coming over to greet her with apologies and a soft kiss on the cheek.

Furrowed brows and confused faces littered the room as Arthur stood by Y/N. The former was always kind to the latter. Playful banter was as rude as Arthur got with her, but physical affection was never seen between the two, so it came as a shock.

Y/N broke the silence. “What’s so important that you couldn’t wait for his wound to stop bleeding and wake his poor wife?”

“They retaliated against John because of the men he killed.” spoke Tommy.

“I know.”

“So now the question is who’s next?” John asked, pulling Esme on his lap, careful to avoid his injuries.

“Me.” Y/N replied again, folding her arms. It was quite obvious really. She had helped John off Changretta’s men, and he had gone after John. Now that he failed, he was going after the woman who had killed a couple dozen of his men.

The shareholders and Pol quickly got to start scheming possible plans Changretta might have to get to Y/N. The Shelby’s also knew better than to suggest she run and hide for the sake of safety. Y/N wasn’t one to run with her tail tucked between her legs. She wouldn’t go out of her way to confront the American, but if the chance was provided, she’d take him on. Ah, fuck that. The moment she knew she was able to, she’d kill him, confronted or not.

“Or me.” A pregnant pause full of confusion followed Grace’s words. “It’s obvious. He wants to get at Tommy, and he can’t get him, so he’d go after who Tommy loves most.”

No one liked it, but it made sense.

“Then you are to be within the confinements of the Arrow House until we sort this out.” Her husband replied.

“Y/N-”

“She can take care of herself.” Arthur interrupted.

“And I can’t?”

“A spy and a killer are two different things, Grace.” Arthur continued. “You were taught to listen, to seduce, to sing, and how to spread your legs. For fucksake you cried after killing one man, and was a lousy shot when Tommy needed you in the bar years ago. You haven’t picked up a firearm since then, and haven’t had to lift a finger for anything other than ordering the maids or to please me brother.”

It seems that Y/N wasn’t the only one who hasn’t forgiven Grace.

“Mind how you speak to me wife, Arthur.”

“He’s right, Tommy. Shouldn’t have said it so harshly,” Y/N sent a playful glare to Arthur. “But, he is right. If it’s her, she is going to be a liability to everyone if she leaves the house.”

And just like that, Thomas’ efforts were spent on protecting his wife. The possibility of Y/N being the possible target all but forgotten. Y/N should’ve hated that they disregarded her safety, but she was grateful. She hated the thought of her family worrying about her.

The subtle touch of a rough calloused ring finger around her own distracted her from her thoughts. She looked at Arthur and smiled, curling her finger around his and giving it a light squeeze. Ever since she was shot at the gala, she and Arthur had gotten close. Lingering touches, longing stares, intimate embraces, dinner at fancy restaurants for just the two of them. They didn’t know what they were. Toeing the lines between friendship and lovers, neither dared crossed it. Whatever it was, they unconsciously kept it a secret.

Weeks had passed and not a peep from Changretta or his men. The Shelby’s weren’t stupid. They hadn’t climbed this far up the ladder if they were. Not once had they let their guard down for Grace, but they had unknowingly neglected the other.

Y/N stood by the fire gripping her glass. Everyone was frantically looking for Tommy’s offspring. She could feel Tommy and Grace’s hatred rolling off them as they looked at her. In the midst of grief, they forgot how Y/N was. Instead of running around like a chicken without its head, she preferred to be in silence and think. Staring at nothing and everything, she’s thinking back to the people around the family to see if anyone seemed off. Or if a face from the past slithered it’s way without being recognized.

Her eyes snapped up from the fire to the mantle inches from her face. She turned sharply, running towards the crowd outside. The whole Shelby clan followed and watched as her eyes combed the crowd, seemingly looking for someone. Again, they followed as she ran to a lanky, tall man with a camera.

“You!”

The crowd parted as she ran towards the man, who looked scared shitless. He didn’t know what he had done to deserve an angry Peaky Blinder running his way.

“You took pictures of the gala from outside.” It wasn’t a question, but he answered with a nod. Too scared to speak.

“How long will it take for them to develop?”

He stammered and stuttered an answer. He knew she wasn’t happy with his answer with the look he was gifted with.

Y/N had set up a makeshift darkroom and set up for the photographer to develop his photos.

She hadn’t answered any questions that were thrown her way by the missing kids' parents. She didn’t want to get their hopes up in case this failed.

Again, she felt a rough finger curl around her ring finger. She looked up, to see Arthur giving her a soft smile. She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by the photographer letting her know the photos were done.

She hurriedly looked through the photos, discarding the ones she knew wouldn’t hold the information she seeked. Y/N’s hand was half way discarding a photo when something caught her eye. Barely there, a small child almost camouflaged in an older man's jacket. An older man. A priest. A Father. Father Hughes.

She looked at Arthur, the only person she allowed in the room, and he nodded. Even without speaking he knew what she was asking.

The Shelby’s were growing impatient. The pair had been in there for what seemed like hours, before Tommy broke down the door, the rest of them following in to see the photographer knocked out on the ground. Y/N and Arthur are nowhere to be found.

Y/N and her most trusted friend walked through the church. They saw Father Hughes lighting the candles, head turning to see the intruders. A lesser person would’ve missed the slight way his eyes widened, or his shallow breaths.

“Mr. Shelby, Ms. Y/L/N. Is poor Charlie found?” He had the audacity to ask as if he didn’t have Charlie stashed away in the building.

Slap!

The religious man's face widened as it was whipped to the side. He held his cheek, eyes wide as he turned to stare at the woman.

“How dare you-”

Slap!

He stumbled back, tripping over the two step stair that led to the altar. He wasn’t given a chance as Y/N pounced on him. She looked up at the Cross for a moment. She would’ve asked for forgiveness, but she knew that what she’s done in this life has solidified a spot for her in hell. Turning her gaze back to the Father, she held his collar and lifted his head off the ground.

“Where’s the boy?”

“I don’t kn-”

He wasn’t ever going to finish a sentence. His mouth now bleeding as he spit out a few teeth. The anger and fire in the woman's eyes were enough for him to give up. He relented and pointed towards the hall and whispered a number. She looked over her shoulder at Arthur and nodded. He ran towards the hall, fully trusting Y/N to take care of the Father.

The rest of the Shelby family and men from the Peaky Blinders rushed into the chapel, guns raised ready to shoot. They filed in and searched the benches, only stopping at the sight of Y/N. She sat on the stairs, elbows on her knees, as she stared at her hands. Blood splattered her face, painted her clothes, and stained her hands.

She heard them approach, but she knew they were looking, staring, at her and the mass that occupied the space behind her.

Y/N sighed and stood to walk towards the hall she knew Arthur and Charlie were in. Those with weak stomachs couldn’t stand the sight. There wasn’t much of the Father’s head left. She had landed punch after punch breaking his nose, dislodging all but two of his teeth, and caved his skull.

She had stood to look at the hall, when she had caught a glimpse of a picture of Charlie sliding from the Father’s robes. She picked up the photo and the words of the dead Father seemed to sink in further. A hard, calculated kick connected with his head, and she could feel his cervical break. Out of breath from the beating and anger, she sat where they found her.

“He was a sick bastard.” Was her explanation for committing such a sin in the church.

Y/N leaned on the desk as she heard the reunion of Charlie and his family. She sipped her whiskey when she heard the door open. The arms around her waist put her mind at ease. Arthur moved her long hair to the side as he peppered kisses along her neck. She continued to sip on the whiskey, attempting to hide a smile behind the glass.

A genuine smile lived on her lips and Arthur's hands tightened around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder. They didn’t speak a single word, only basking in the others' presence. The warmth in their chests had confirmed what they’ve been feeling for months.

They stood like that for awhile. Y/N staring at the fire, Arthur staring at her.

Arthur’s hands seemed to tighten around Y/N. He was deep in thought. Insecurities had plagued his mind ever since he’s known YN returned his feelings. Why me? I’m old. I have problems in me head. And I shouldn’t. She’s me brothers first love.

“Because you’re you, Arthur.” YN spoke. Through the window she had seen the way his brows clinch, a confused expression upon his face, and felt his arms tighten every so often.

She turned around in his arms, fingers interlocked behind his neck. “I love you because you’re you, Arthur.”

There it was. The L word. It seemed to solidify their unspoken relationship.

Arthur smiled as he lowered his head to kiss his awaiting love. He has never felt so content. YN has seen him beat, shoot, and murder people, but she still loves him. Arthur understood though, because he has seen her do those very things, and more, and he still finds peace and good in her.

Tommy stood on the other side of the glass door as he witnessed his brother hold YN as they giggled like teenagers in love, stealing kisses from the other. He had set out to find the duo who returned his son and give their gratitude, but found this instead. He wanted to be happy. The two people he’s made miserable had found love and happiness in each other, but he was sad. Tommy knew it was selfish. He couldn’t possibly have YN after everything he’s done to her, and he has Grace and Charlie now. So, why is he angry at Arthur for holding her? For making her laugh? To seemingly make her forget what she had done to Father Hughes only two hours ago?

Thomas Shelby was a selfish bastard. He was content with Grace, but he wanted YN as well. He didn’t know he still did after all these years. She was just always there. Even when he had left Yn for Grace, she still showed up to work the next day. YN hadn’t taken up a serious relationship since Tommy, and he secretly was happy about that. He couldn’t stomach the thought of someone else making love to her. He wasn’t stupid. She’s taken a few lovers, but only for the physical aspect of it. He was happy that she was still around. That she still stuck by him, but now she’s found someone else. His own brother.

He didn’t know until she had taken the bullet meant for him. When she was knocking on death's door, and he was begging God to take him instead of her. Please take me. Take me. I can’t live without her. I love her. Please.

He knew he shouldn’t be feeling this way. He was the one that gave her up all those years ago. He was the one that kept running back to Grace when YN was sitting not ten feet from his desk every day. He’s the one who stopped loving her, so why can’t he seem to let her go?

The couple stepped back into the foyer where the rest of the Shelby’s currently sat, clearly in their own world. The usual boisterous family had gone silent at the sight of the two. YN’s hand in Arthur, both looking content. A soft smile displayed on both their lips.

“Oi, what the fook is going on?” John asked with a smile on his face, breaking the silence. He had seen the longing glances and lingering touches.

YN looked from Arthur, finally noticing the family was staring at them. Her eyes scanned the room to get a sense of what John was talking about, until she found everyone's gaze on them. It only just registered that her hands were still enveloped by Arthur’s, who was just as slow to the conclusion as she was.

She lifted her arm to pull away from Arthur. She wasn’t ready for the family to know. She wasn’t ready for the bombardment of questions and wasn’t sure if Arthur was ready. But, oh, how ready Arthur was. A slight grip had kept her arms in his, as he brought the back of her hand to his lips. With a smile, he placed a gentle kiss to the hand that had murdered a life hours before.

The Shelby’s, to say the least, were dumbfounded.

“YN has decided to accept me as her man, and her as my girl.” Arthur spoke, eyes trained on YN. He was a little concerned that he had moved faster than she wanted, but it all washed away when she squeezed his hand and smiled at him.

“Well, it’s about bloody time, don’t you think?” Said a smiling Polly, currently walking towards the couple. She knew. She’s Polly for goodness sake. Just like John, who now has taken to threatening Arthur about keeping YN safe and happy, Polly had seen the love brewing between the two. But, she was over the moon for Arthur. She had seen this boy fall in love with YN even before the war, and stayed in love during and after the war. Many thought he only took to whores because no woman wants a madman, and while that was true to an extent, he never entered a committed relationship because he knew it wouldn’t be fair because he’s still in love with his brother's ex lover.

YN chuckled and hugged Polly, moving onto the next to hug the rest of the female Shelby’s. The impromptu family gathering had continued on, this time with jabs at the new couple. When’s the wedding? You better name your first child after me. Two months before YN’s pregnancy. Arthur and YN laughed. YN snuggled up to Arthur, her right hand intertwining with Arthurs left that was hung on her shoulder.

Tommy watched as the family accepted the new couple. The selfish part of him despised them for accepting it so quickly. Wasn’t there an unwritten code between brothers to not date the other's ex lover? He hated the feeling in him every time Arthur bent his head to kiss YN’s forehead, or when YN would look up and place a gentle kiss on his brother's jaw line. He especially hated the look in their eyes. Love. It was the only word to describe it. He hadn’t seen that look in Arthur's eyes, ever, and YN since she helped him get over Grace the first time.

The family had left to their respective rooms, not ready to part quite yet. YN and Arthur sat on the main staircase, YN one step lower than Arthur and sat between his legs. The oldest Shelby leaned forward, arms loosely wrapped around his girl's shoulders, his chin rested on top of her head. The couple don’t remember how or why they currently sat on the stairs, but they wouldn’t trade it for the bed or the leather couches that littered the various rooms of the Arrow House.

YN and Arthur seemed to love the silence when they’re together. Even now they sat in silence, just happy to be together.

“Well, if it isn’t the lovebirds.”

Arthur rolled his eyes and YN chuckled as John sat next to Arthur. The newcomer rolled a toothpick, nudging Arthur with a smirk playing on his lips. YN turned her head to smile at John. Reaching over, she grabbed his hand and gently squeezed, something that brought a smile to both the brothers face, and retracted her hand, now leaning back on Arthur, intertwining their fingers.

“I know you both know what’s coming.”

YN and Arthur nodded, ready to answer the questions. They knew it was only time, rejecting the questions at the gathering earlier.

With a sigh, the couple nodded.

“When?”

“For me, after I was shot at the gala.”

“When YN punched that neighbor for pickin’ on Ada.”

John laughed as YN stilled. That was years ago. Seven year old YN had landed a nasty right hook to the neighbors son after he was seen pushing Ada. YN was seven and Arthur was ten. Seven and ten! They are grown adults now.

YN turned her head to look up at Arthur, who had found the bottom of the stairs very interesting. She got up and Arthur knew this was it. This is how he was going to lose her. For what it’s worth--

His thoughts were brought to an end when YN placed her lips on his, hands cupping his face. His shock didn’t last long as his hands gripped her waist and brought her closer. John's gagging had interrupted their kiss. She pulled away, but stayed in his arms. Still close enough to feel his breath on her face. A sad smile plastered on her face, as if telling him she was sorry for taking so long to return his feelings.

“It’s alright love. I have you now, and that's all that matters. All I need.”

Another quick peck, she hugged her man tight.

“I love you so much, Arthur. So much.” she whispered softly in his ear.

“Ahem.”

Now it was YN who rolled her eyes and Arthur who chuckled.

“I get it, but don’t fookin’ eat each other alive in front of me, yeah?”

YN chuckled as she settled into her previous spot, leaning onto Arthur.

“Do you two think that marriage is in the plans?”

The new couple looked at John, surprised that such questions were being asked by him. They had thought that his questions would mainly consist of their sex life.

“Yes.” Arthur answered with the most conviction John or YN had ever heard from him.

“Kids?”

Arthur squeezed YN’s hand to ask if this is what she wanted. When she kissed his ring finger, he answered with another definite “Yes.”

“Alright, now for the important questions. How’s the sex life?” John asked with a smug grin on his lips.

The pair scoffed and Arthur reached over to hit his brother.

At their silence, John’s smirk fell. “You two haven’t..?”

Arthur and YN shook their heads. Hell, they only made it official tonight. Between the gathering and good night hugs, there wasn’t any time for such activities. Not that Arthur wanted it. He wanted his first time with the love of his life under his roof, and to do as they pleased without getting interrupted by his siblings.

John’s questions continued and the pair answered truthfully, not having a reason to tell anything but. They were soon joined by Esme, Ada, and Polly, who also took a seat near the trio on the stairs.

Stories between the adults were being traded, loving touches were exchanged between YN and Arthur. Laughter filled the stairs and the adjoining rooms as Ada recalled stories of YN being a nuisance to her teachers and instructors.

Tommy sat in his office, faintly hearing the laughter of his family. Standing up, he walked towards the noise.

He found the adults sitting on the stairs laughing, without a single drop of alcohol or cigarette in sight. He saw the looks exchanged between the two lovers, but the feeling he felt earlier that day had been replaced with one of love and acceptance. He had time to think about it. That and the words of Polly. She had seen his look during the announcement, more like discovering, of YN and Arthur’s relationship.

“You don’t love her, Tommy. Not like that. You just fear that she’ll leave your side. I mean, hell! As a friend, as a lover, and as a friend again, she was always there. I know you Thomas. You love that girl, but not in the way Arthur loves her. Not in the way you used to love her. Let them be happy. Heaven knows they deserve it after all the shit they’ve been through.”

“Is this where family meetings are going to take place now, eh?” He made his presence known. A smile had graced his lips, one that no one’s seen in months. For once, everything felt like it was going to be ok.

Tommy chuckled as he walked towards the family, sitting next to Arthur, who in turn gave him an uneasy smile. He smiled reassuringly at his brother, who’s body seemed to relax.

Make no mistake. He wanted Tommy’s compliance, not needing it. He was going to continue to court and make a life with YN whether or not Tommy agreed, but life would be so much easier if he had. And he was grateful that Tommy understood. Internal conflict between the family would do no one good, but he was willing to bear any weight if it meant keeping YN with him.

“Where’s Grace?” YN asked. After seeing the blonde panic-stricken, the unforgiving part of YN’s heart started to let up.

“She can’t bear to be away from Charlie right now.”

The group nodded.

“I never did get to say thank you, to the both of you.” Tommy started, only to be cut off by the couple.

“For what?” Arthur asked.

“Charlie is my nephew, Tommy. He’s family, and family doesn't need thanks after doing their duties.” YN elaborated on Arthurs thoughts.

With that, the group of Shelby’s had gone back to reminiscing on old, simpler times. Man do they miss the days where Billy Kimber was their toughest opponent, but they wouldn’t trade what they have, and who they have in their lives, for anything else.

The uphill battle is far from over, and it may never be, but it was times like this where their bonds were strengthened; they knew that no matter how bad it got, they’d always have each other. That if by chance they fell, they’d regroup and restart, like they’ve always done, because when it’s the Shelby’s against the world, the world never seemed to win.

#tommy shelby x reader #arthur shelby x reader #peaky blinder fanfic #shelby family x reader #tommy shelby x grace #john shelby #esme shelby #tommy shelby fanfic #peaky blinders #peaky blinders x reader #arthur shelby #thomas shelby #just horrible

[ipreferfiction]

Interview with a Fic Writer

i was tagged by Lee My Beloved (@revanchxst), this looks like a ton of fun!

1) how many works do you have on AO3?

19 total

2) what's your total AO3 word count?

277,051. It's not a ton, esp not compared to others, but it'll increase a lot over my next couple of series.

3) what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

in order: The Bond Between, oneshot, tcw, gen (ahsoka & obi-wan)

we'll hold each other soon (in the darkest of rooms), oneshot, kotor, cassus fett/mandalore the ultimate. important caveat - this fic got hit with that kudos bot right after it was posted, so though it's listed as my second highest fic, i have no way to gauge its real kudos count

Dragon's Rise, wip, asoiaf, jon snow/daenerys targaryen

Wasteland, oneshot, tcw/ot, gen (obi-wan & anakin)

How Far We've Come, oneshot, lockwood & co, gen - focused on quill kipps

4) do you respond to comments? why or why not?

i try to, yes! i've fallen a little behind for general chaotic life reasons, but assuming the comment isn't an outright hate comment, i will try to respond as much as possible.

5) what's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

i never actually got around to writing it, and i unpublished it a couple months ago because i knew i'd never finish it, but it was a lockwood & co. backstory fic for kipps. and it essentially ended with all of his friends and the girl he loved dying in various ways to ghosts; the final scene was him standing over the girl's grave.

6) what's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

uhhhhh i don't actually tend to write fics with happy endings? at least the traditional flavor of them. ultimately, it'll end up being start a war, but that is still in its very early stages, and to get a happy ending, it's got a lot of trauma for everyone to get through first.

7) do you write crossovers?

i... used to, with my own ocs, and sometimes i still write them in my head because it's fun to make my horrible ocs from different works meet each other. but in terms of actual writing i'd post, no, though i do love fusions; my biggest project to date is a swtor/kotor/hp fusion, and i have a swtor/mass effect fusion floating around with @revanchxst

8) have you ever received hate on a fic?

yes. usually i laugh because it never manages to be coherently thought-out, but occasionally it's just... someone being rude. then i just tend to move on.

9) do you write smut? if so, what kind?

oh god. fuck. yes, and it is almost universally intensely Loyalty Kink. there is always a Dynamic there, and for a weird amount of them there's an incredibly strong dom/sub dynamic, for others it's a loyalty kink. in one case it is. weird loyalty, an intense amount of dissociation, horrible decisions, blood magic, a mental bond, ill-advised ritual knives, and more dissociation. also internalized homophobia and weird amounts of dysphoria, for a cis character. and active withdrawal from what is essentially a magic addiction. i don't know how it fits in one doc either.

10) have you ever had a fic stolen?

nope!

11) have you ever had a fic translated?

not that i know of, no

12) have you ever co-written a fic before?

yes! several, actually, with @revanchxst, and we've got several in the works too.

13) what's your all time favorite ship?

oh god i can't pick one. frankly Scourge/Jedi Knight ends up being one of my absolute favorites for the angst potential, the loyalty, all of it. Exar Kun/Ulic Qel-Droma has given me terminal brainrot and they're never going to leave. Revalek is an old classic, they're so awful and i adore them. i am also immensely, immensely fond of Theon/Robb from asoiaf for incredibly horribly crunchy loyalty reasons. also the i should have been with him. where was i? i should have died with him kills me Every God Damned Time.

14) what's a WIP that you want to finish, but don't think you ever will?

anything from a fandom i'm no longer really part of tbh, which includes my lockwood & co stuff.

15) what are your writing strengths?

i like to think i'm good at putting a lot of emotion into darker stuff, and frankly i'm very fond of how i write Force/magic/whatever visions and powers. it's always been a favorite of mine.

16) what are your writing weaknesses?

dialogue. i hate dialogue so much. if it's not a big dramatic speech, it's awful. i hate having to write characters' reactions and movements in, and the whole thing always feels stiff and awful.

17) what are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

it depends! i think that if you're doing more than a phrase or something that's very significant for some. idk, ritual or ceremony or something then it's better to simply indicate via italics or something else that the dialogue isn't in english (or whatever language the fic is in, but i write in english). but i love seeing bits of other languages thrown in there, be they real or conlangs, and i think a lot of readers also like little things like that, as long as they have an easy way to translate it!

18) what was the first fandom you wrote for?

uhhhh honestly i think it was Sherlock? that was certainly the first real fic i posted that i remember. naturally, it was about my oc, Sherlock's secret younger sister. i was like... 12

19) what's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet, but want to?

frankly, if i have any ideas, they get at least partially written immediately. so in my docs i basically have all the stuff i currently want to write for. however, i want to write more cassus/mandalore the ultimate and exar/ulic.

20) what's your favorite fic you've written?

start a war, without hesitation. i am in love with this fic and the characters, and the entire series is going to be incredibly fun to write. the hp au is a very, very close second, especially any parts with my favorite horrible rat bastard (not that many, but i love him).

and i will tag. hm. @sith-shenanigans when you have brain, @comradevo, @tarrevizsla, and anyone else who wants to do this

#things i have been tagged in