Hiya! You can call me Dahlia, I go by she/her and I'm 27, dyslexic and undiagnosed neurodivergent, possibly on the autistic spectrum. I love to draw and would like to write, I’ll probably be showing mainly fan art and fanfics. Posting will be slow and probably random, but I hope everyone will like what I show💜 currently I don't take requests or commissions, but I will answer questions for my oc's now.
A masterlist for my Thomas Shelby X OC from Peaky Blinders fanfiction.
Disclaimer: Obviously I do not own anything to do with peaky blinders, this is just written for self expression and fun. I only own a few oc's.
Trigger warnings: blood, violence, trauma, killing, kidnapping, human trafficking, substance withdrawal, unwanted pregnancy, abortion, suicidal thoughts, discussions on abuse, assault, discussions on rape, discussions on sexual abuse. (Also I’m using Google translate for different languages, so I apologize for that😅 also I apologize if I offended with any sensitive topics, I’m gonna try to be as respectful as possible.)
There will be no dark romance, manipulation, abuse or infidelity between the main couple.
Also if you prefer Wattpad, I have an account on Wattpad where you can read this, same username
Description: 1921, just as it seemed all started to calm down, a young woman on the run with a lost past crashed into the Shelby family's lives, especially Thomas Shelby.
Ch1 <- Previous chapter
Disclaimer: Obviously I do not own anything to do with peaky blinders, this is just written for self expression and fun. I only own a few oc's.
Trigger warnings: blood, mentions of murder, trauma, mentions of kidnapping, mentions of physical abuse, mentions of sexual abuse, mentions of sexual assault/rape, human trafficking.
Chapter word count: 3075
Fanfic description: 1921, just as it seemed all started to calm down, a young woman on the run with a lost past crashed into the Shelby family's lives, especially Thomas Shelby.
-
Polly could barely sleep that night, not with what weighed on her mind.
First, there was the girl. How could she sleep when a girl covered in bruises and flinched at every shadow looked like she was ready to give up and never wake up. She looked like the fight was beaten out of her. Polly couldn't help but have a need to check if the poor girl was still breathing.
Then there was the bruises, the blood, what they meant. Polly kept her gun close, wondering if whatever monsters out there would come, bust down the door, and snatch that girl back into the shadows where she doubted she'd escaped or survive a second time.
Then finally there was her nephew, Thomas Shelby. What was she supposed to say to him? Oh yes, she let a stranger that left a trail of blood into the house, now what would you like with your tea this morning?
Oh she could practically hear him now, 'aunt Polly is going soft', god it made her want to throttle him.
But despite how cold and harsh his judgment could be, some small part of her couldn't help but agree with him. Because deep down seeing that poor girl hit an old sore wound.
She'd never admit it, but lately she's been having dreams about her daughter, and she just couldn't stop thinking about it, about her. What if it had been her girl begging for help? The thought of someone turning her away just to avoid trouble both clawed at her heart and boiled her blood.
God she missed her children, she missed Ada.
For a house that felt too full, it began to feel hollow, filling those empty voids with ghosts. Ada was gone and starting her own family, the boys were becoming more involved in the business, hell even Finn was going off on his own nowadays. And her children... that loss had been feeling heavier lately.
Nothing was the same anymore, and she doubted it ever will be. So where did that leave her?
Polly shoved that thought away as she got herself ready for the day. Once she was done, she checked on the girl in Ada's room. Thankfully the girl had been dead asleep this whole time.
But how still she was, it was rather concerning. She could barely tell she was breathing. Without thinking, while she was checking on the girl, she brushed aside few strands from her face.
But then Polly pulled away and shook her head with a sigh. God she really has gone bloody soft.
Later when the morning truly started, the world becoming alive again. Polly mentally prepared herself for the oncoming headache and grabbed a bottle of whiskey, marching her way to where she knew her nephew would be. His office.
She walked in with all the confidence she had, her chin lifted in defiance like she dared the world to try to push her.
Thomas was hunched over his desk, looking over paperwork with a cigarette in his hand. He didn't even look up when she stood in front of his desk and practically feel the dark sharp eyes stare into him. She always had a way of seeing more than he was comfortable with.
He finally looked up when Polly set down the bottle of whiskey with a thud, getting his attention as he raised a brow at her. "Bit early for a drink." He said, beginning to get a bad feeling about this.
Polly went ahead and poured them two glasses and took a seat. "Well, not this morning." She said tiredly, already feeling the weight of what this day would bring.
Thomas had a mask of indifference, but reality was he was bracing for whatever storm his aunt Polly had brought to his desk. "Did something happen that I should know?" He asked, leaning back in his seat, looking at her expectingly and took a drag of his cigarette.
Polly let out a heavy reluctant sigh. "Alright... last night I had another dream, about... her." She nearly winced at the ache in brought, like a phantom pain in her heart. She took a sip of her drink to distract herself, embracing the burn in her throat. "I just needed to clear my head after that, so I went for a walk."
Thomas tensed up at thought of his aunt alone at night. "Pol-" he started sternly, but Polly cut him off.
"I'm fine, I brought my gun and nothing happened to me." She huffed as she rolled her eyes. She wasn't an idiot and she wasn't helpless. Besides she was not in the mood to get a lecture about that, not when she knew he was about to get upset about something worse.
"Then what happened you aren't telling me?" Thomas said with less patience, still not happy at the thought of his aunt alone on the streets at night. That was reckless, dangerous. But he held off on the lecture, wanting to get to the root of whatever was going on. What could have possibly happened last night that would weigh on his aunt this much?
Polly hesitated. Here goes nothing. "... I must have been stuck in my head, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, and next thing I knew-" She braced herself. "a girl crashed into my arms."
Thomas stiffened at this, his back straightening. "Pol-" he said with an edge to his voice, Polly ignored it, cutting him off again, rushing to get the words out now. "She was hurt and covered in blood, begging for help. I don't think she knows much English-"
"Polly!" Thomas raised his voice, making her go silent long enough so he can finally get a word in. "Why are you telling me this?" He questioned firmly, secretly dreading the answer. Because there was a reason why she needed to tell him, a reason why she was hesitating, and that reason would have an effect on everything.
The older woman looked away. "... She’s staying in Ada's room." She reluctantly muttered out.
Thomas stared at her, struggling to process what she just said, but eventually shook his head and hanged it. "Fucking hell Pol." He muttered under his breath, now taking a swig of his drink.
Polly winced, but she was determined to stand firm on this, to not budge. Everyone knew there was no one more stubborn than Polly Gray. "I know Tom, believe me I know, but-"
"Do you? You just said the girl was running while covered in blood. Was it even her blood?" He interrupted his aunt, needing to know how bad the damage they were dealing with was. It might sound cruel, but god he hoped it was the girl's blood, it would make it at least a little simpler.
Polly sighed and tiredly rubbed her eyes in hopes it would lessen her growing headache, it didn't. "No." She said and quickly continued before he could get a say. "But you and I know it doesn't mean whatever happened wasn't justified." Her and Thomas knew all too well how it could be justified. Women beaten, raped, killed for no reason except the fact she was a woman.
All it would take is to stumble too close into dark enough shadows in this city for the worst things to happen.
Polly knew because any woman would know, but Thomas... he knew because he had to watch. He could still see the bruises, still hear his mother crying.
Thomas took a deeper gulp of his drink in hopes of easing the tension in his gut and wave of nausea that hit him. "It also means she's gonna bring trouble with her." He grunted out, dragging the words out of himself. No matter how much he hated it, he had to be smart, to think about this family first.
Polly scoffed. "I doubt it's worse trouble than you bring." She practically bit out, bitterness bleeding out into her voice.
She never truly let go of what happened with the guns and everything that happened following after, and Thomas knew that.
Yes his plan worked, and Polly felt sympathetic for Thomas for the hurt and sacrifices he went through. But the betrayal of being left in the dark still stung. It was like he treated them all as incompetent, a fucking liability.
Thomas ignored the jab, unwilling to let the conversation get derailed by the past now. If Polly wanted to air out grievances, she would have to do it later. "Do you even know her name?" He questioned. He needed more information, needed to know what he was dealing with, to know it wasn't another- he cut off the thought, but he still felt his gut twist.
His aunt winced. "No, she-" She tried to explain, but Thomas sighed, shook his head and drank his whiskey again.
The older woman huffed in annoyance, getting fed up with her nephew's attitude and lack of faith in her judgment. God she missed when he trusted her, when he looked to her for guidance. Fuck France for taking that and more. "She can barely speak, and I think she doesn't speak much English." She started again, glaring at her nephew as if daring him to interrupt her again or give her any more attitude. "I think she mainly speaks Russian."
She then hesitated, but it had to be said. "Tommy, she has bruises where no woman should have bruises." She softly said, the words carrying a heavy weight to them and what they meant.
Thomas stiffened at her words, memories of his mother crying and the bruises she would try to hide flashing by again, a piece of her dying every day as her eyes went more hollow. But he pushed past those disturbing thoughts. "Look Pol, I know you miss Ada, and I'm sure it opens up old wounds with your-" He tried to reason, but immediately realized his mistake when he saw how her dark eyes became dangerously sharp, sharper than blades.
"Don't." Polly growled, glaring at her nephew as her blood boiled at those old wounds being poked at. There are things she could take with a stone cold face or fierce stubbornness, but not this, never this. "Don't you dare." Her voice cold, but he could see the furious flames just beneath it.
Thomas sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling his own headache coming on. Yeah, he should have saw that coming. "We don't keep strays." He said, trying again, nearly letting out a groan in his voice.
Polly scoffed as she crossed her arms, looking at him unimpressed. "Could have fooled me with how this was all built." She said with bite to her words, still angry but trying to keep control.
Thomas shook his head. "That's business. We give them something, they give us something. What does some girl on the run give us, eh? Trouble, that's what." It might be kind to help, but that help could lead to someone getting a bullet in them, and unfortunately they knew that from personal experience. Who knows where that blood trail the girl left came from. "I'd think you'd agree, after..." Thomas tensed up as he cut himself off. That was the closest he had come to saying her name.
Polly had the audacity to roll her eyes. Of course, Grace fucking Burgess, somehow still a thorn in her side. She was getting really sick of that damn woman haunting her nephew with those perfect golden curls and long lashes. "That's different, and you know that." She said with certainty.
Thomas raised a brow, unconvinced. "do I?"
Polly stood and put her hands on his desk, leaning forward with steel in her dark gaze. If he was gonna be blind, then she would be blunt. "That woman waltzed into our lives like she owned the place, expecting everything asked by just giving a pretty smile." That fact infuriated her. She got everything so damn easy, just sing a pretty song and suddenly everyone was eating out of her hand.
That woman nearly cost them everything, and Polly would never forget that.
But comparing a beaten girl who barely spoke, to the blonde who charmed her way in, it was ridiculous.
"But that girl? She could barely stand, barely speak. She flinched like every touch would shatter her." The fear in that girl's eyes, the pure desperation, that couldn't be faked.
Polly then gave a bitter smile. "France might have broke you, and maybe that damn woman broke what was left. But I refuse to believe it'd be that easy to walk away if it was you who that poor girl fell into your arms. trembling, covered in bruises, crying for help." It couldn't be that easy, it just couldn't, not even with her nephew.
Something in him might have died in France, but she refused to believe he changed so much, that the young man she knew who wouldn't have turned away a scared and hurt girl so easily. The boy who loved fiercely. Some broken remnants had to be still in there.
But all he did was give a cold stare. She might have hit a sore spot, but he wasn't willing to show it. And she could see it was still not reaching him, still not convincing enough to get past those walls of cold stone he's surrounded himself with. Fine, then it's time to play dirty.
Polly grabs her nephew by the wrist firmly and drags him to his feet. "Come with me." She ordered, leaving no room for argument, although he did try. Complaining and dragging his feet as she marched him out of his office and the betting shop and into the main house, all the way up the stairs to Ada's room.
Thomas knew he could yank himself free from her hold and get back to his paperwork, but he knew that look in her eyes. If he tried to truly fight her, she might claw his eyes out.
Once they made it to the door, she finally let go as she stubbornly crossed her arms and glared at him. "Shut up and look." She ordered again.
He let out a long and heavy sigh, once again seriously considering just leaving, but he was tired of fighting. If looking at the damn girl was gonna get his aunt off his ass, then fine, he'll get this over with and look.
When he opened the door, for a second he thought maybe they had gone to the wrong room. But he immediately recognized it as his sister's room. For a moment the sight of it, how empty it was, it made something inside him ache. It felt wrong for it to be so empty, a hollow hole in the Shelby family.
But he suddenly realized with a slight jolt that his sister's room wasn't as empty as it seemed. On the bed, there was a small lump under the blankets, a mess of matted hair peeking out.
He couldn't see much from how she cocooned herself into the blankets, but he could see enough. She looked pale, small, frail. She was curled up into a ball so tight, like even in her sleep she was bracing for something to come snatch her away and hurt her.
Polly stepped closer to his side, looking at the view of the girl along with him, her eyes softening at the sight of her. "I know what we might risk letting strangers in again." All it took was one stranger they went soft over, and not only did it nearly ruin their business, it nearly tore their family apart.
She understood what Thomas was afraid of, that this could repeat history, but this time it would be their doom.
But she just couldn't ignore this nagging feeling with this girl.
Polly looked to her nephew. "But you once asked this family to take a risk. The guns, the Lee family, Billie Kimber and the inspector. To trust you blindly through it all. But now I'm asking you to trust me." She listed out, and Thomas tensed up at the reminder. The grenade from the Lee family, the attack from Billy Kimber, the inspector hunting them down, and it all started with those guns.
He always told himself it was worth it, that it was for everyone's best interests, that he had everything under control. But on nights when the shovels are especially loud, he wonders what if something had gone wrong.
Polly let out a sigh. "I know it doesn't make sense, but something deep in my bones says we can't let her go just to fade away... I can't allow it." She said, unwilling to budge on this.
And it finally sunk in for Thomas of this fact, Polly was not going to change her mind.
Thomas wanted to argue, to dig his heels in and show his aunt he can be just as stubborn as she was... but Thomas hated to admit Polly was rarely wrong. "Then she's yours"
He turned to Polly, ice blue eyes glaring. But she didn't flinch, she never did. "you want to keep strays now? Your responsibility, your problem. Whatever happens, it's on you." It wasn't a warning or a threat, it was a promise. "She's yours." He said, no more room for argument.
Polly looked back at the sleeping girl, how fragile she looked. She felt something inside her shift. "She's mine." She softly said, the words having weight, like something had been sealed like a promise of her own.
Thomas nods, silently signaling the issue was settled for now. He then looked back to the girl one last time. "I will still want to speak to her. Tell me when she's awake." He said. There was still too many's questions than he was comfortable with, and he needed to fix that soon. So he began to march away, intending to solve this problem of lack of information.
Polly looked to her nephew with a raised brow. She knew that look, that was the look he'd have when he was determined to get what he wanted. "Where are you going?" She questioned.
He stopped, but didn't look back. "Gonna get us a translator and a doctor." He said briefly, impatient to get moving, to regain a sense of control. Because for all he knew, they were on a ticking timer, counting down to whatever could follow this mystery girl from whatever hell she came from.
His aunt gave him a stern look. "Only women Tom." She said firmly, not willing to budge on it. Last thing this poor girl needed was another man getting his grubby hands on her.
Thomas let out a sigh, practically defeated. God this was going to be a long day. "Fine, only women."
Disclaimer: Obviously I do not own anything to do with peaky blinders, this is just written for self expression and fun. I only own a few oc’s.
Trigger warnings: blood, reference to murder, trauma, reference to kidnapping, mentions of physical abuse, mentions of sexual abuse, mentions of sexual assault/rape, human trafficking. (Also I’m using Google translate for different languages, so I apologize for that😅)
chapter word count: 2893
Fanfic description: 1921, just as it seemed all started to calm down, a young woman on the run with a lost past crashed into the Shelby family's lives, especially Thomas Shelby.
Authors note.
(Hiya! Welcome to my fic!
Before I explain my plans for this fic, just wanted to throw out there the face claim for my OC is Rose Leslie. Also if you prefer Wattpad, I have an account on Wattpad where you can read this, same username.
First, keep in mind of a few things about me, I'm dyslexic, but I will try my best to avoid spelling mistakes. And another thing, I intend to be fairly loose with the canon story so I have breathing room to write. Another thing, I intend to be fairly loose with the canon story so I have breathing room to write. We will still get the Russian and Italian mafia arcs, but they will have a few changes with them. And I'm not a historian or any kind of expert, so if I slip up on accuracy, I apologize, but I'm writing for fun, and I just hope you guys will find some enjoyment from this.
Second I felt I should offer a deeper description on what you guys are getting into. There will be NO infidelity with the main couple, I don't like it and will never begin to like it. I prefer the relationship drama be the relationship growth, rather than it's destruction or toxicity. The closest we will get to cheating is a temporary love triangle. Next is I don’t know if this will be considered a slow burn or not, I don’t think it’s slow but I wouldn’t call it fast, so we’ll see I guess. Oh, and this is definitely NOT a dark romance, no stalking, no abuse, no non con and no manipulation with the main couple. I know it sounds like that might be unrealistic for Thomas Shelby who has a LOT of issues, but one, it's a fanfic, I don't necessarily have to be totally canon with it. Two, I like giving myself the challenge of writing a healthy relationship in a setting where that would be very difficult to accomplish. But those things can happen outside the main couple.
Third, it is not decided how steamy this fic will get. I want to do spice, I just don't know how spicy I am willing to go. So we will see.
And finally fourth, immortal man, if I manage to finish this fic, I will make a sequel for immortal man. But that will be going a much more original au route, kinda going by the idea if the movie had been a show instead.
Now anyway, on to the fic!)
-
Run.
A mantra she repeated to herself over and over in her mind, despite the agony that her adrenaline and pure panic fought through in her body.
Run fast, run far, doesn’t matter where, just run. Because she knew in her bones stopping meant a fate worse than death.
Those men, their eyes, their hands. The dark, cold walls. The mind numbing pain that tore through her.
So she ran.
The world blurred past her, not even processing where she was, having no idea what was in front of her. All she knew, all she cared about, was anywhere was better than what was behind her.
She didn’t think about the way the chill in the night air bit at her skin in her thin and torn clothes. She didn’t think about the way her heart pounded so hard it was hurting her already aching and beaten bones. She didn’t think about the blood that covered her, that stained her. She didn’t think about how tears blurred her vision. And she didn’t think about how dark it was outside, how harsh the ground was on her bare feet, how the air smelled like smoke and mud.
All that mattered was to run.
But no one can run forever.
Because next thing she knew as she made a sharp turn on a corner, she crashed into another body.
“Bloody hell!” The figure cried out as they both fell to ground. The girl was trying desperately to scramble back onto her feet, ignoring the pain of impact, terrified she had somehow ran into the monsters that chased her. But despite her efforts, her legs refused to cooperate, causing her to fall back on her hands and knees with a quiet whimper. “Watch where you’re fucking going-“ The figure cut themself off when the girl’s head snapped up in fear, her blue terrified tearful eyes locking onto sharp dark eyes. Suddenly, the girl realized who she was looking at was a woman, a woman that thankfully looked completely unfamiliar.
It was someone from outside, someone who probably wasn’t with her captors. Someone who could maybe help her. The woman stared at her wide eyed in shock at seeing a girl in this condition.
Desperation clawed at the girl’s every nerve. “Помоги мне.” She gasped out pleadingly, the words scraping out of her sore throat, mumbling the words over and over again as tears fell. When the woman continued to stare at her in stunned shock, she realized she didn’t understand her. And without thinking she spoke again. “H-Help me.” She sobbed out, her accent sounding especially heavy from the strain of her overwhelming emotions that threatened to choke her.
She knew she was begging to a stranger, someone who had no reason to care, someone who has no reason to help, someone who could be anything. Cruel, kind, manipulative, compassionate, the list goes on. She could be turned away or led somewhere far worse.
But she couldn’t bring herself to care. Not when that living nightmare was still fresh in her mind, waiting just behind, her skin crawling at the thought of those hands on her again. Not when she couldn’t seem to get her suddenly weak legs to move. Not when hope felt like was slipping through her fingers like ashes.
No, she couldn’t care less.
“Пожалуйста-“ She started to sob out in the foreign language, the word naturally flowing out, but caught herself, remembering the woman didn’t seem to understand those words. She found herself struggling to remember what the right word was for English, the languages blurring together in her mind. It was always difficult to find the right words, and with how little she spoke, she didn’t get much practice in it. But eventually she managed to grasp onto one word, a word she could remember using before, back when she was still begging for mercy. “P-Please.” She whimpered out.
The woman flinched at the plea, finally dragging her out of her state of shock. For a moment she hesitated, unsure what to do. But as she looked at the girl, covered in blood and bruises, nearly naked in her torn up chemise, trembling and sobbing on her knees. It was obvious this girl was one step away from oblivion, running from something that might have followed.
The dark eyed woman would like to say she wasn’t soft. She knew better than most people how cruel the world was, how charity rarely did any good, how softness led to deep wounds. She already had enough to worry about, enough lives to care for. She had no time for strays, especially if bigger predators was gonna follow her home.
But… it would be a lie to say she didn’t have a habit of collecting strays.
Maybe she was a bleeding heart like her nephew accused her of, but how could she feel nothing? This poor girl was so young, younger than her niece, and maybe a little older than her own children would be now, yet she was already so broken. Like the world had chewed her up and spat her out. There was visible bruises on her arms, her thighs, god she felt sick of the thought what that meant. A girl her age shouldn’t have to remind her of broken soldiers who seen the darkest of horrors, how she cried and trembled.
So maybe it was her maternal bleeding heart, or fate demanding it, but something deep in her bones was drawn to this fragile soul. How could she turn away?
Besides, if women couldn’t look after helpless girls, who would? Certainly not men.
So she took hold of the girl and dragged her onto her feet. “Get up, I’ve got you, get up.” She huffed out in exertion, struggling to keep the girl standing. Eventually she managed to get a bruised and bloodied arm around her shoulder, and securely wrapped an arm onto the fragile waist, causing the girl to flinch and quietly whimper in pain at every pressure and movement. But she couldn’t afford to stop now, not when it was obvious this girl was being chased by someone, someone far too dangerous to face alone.
“Come on, move! Keep moving, I can’t carry ya!” The woman practically growled, and despite struggling to process and understand the words, it made the girl jolt at the commanding tone. Her body understanding before her mind did as her legs finally coming to life, although barely. All the strength she had left going into every step she took, everything else shutting down as the world blurred into nothingness around her.
The girl couldn’t be sure how much time had passed, or where she was being taken. Her mind only caught up with her body when she found they were standing in front of a door. She didn’t get a chance to further take in her surroundings before the woman that held her up was opening the door and pulling her in.
The only details the girl’s unstable mind could process with her new surroundings, it was indoors now and it was still dark. She hadn’t realized until now how much she hated the dark. Yes, it technically wasn’t as dark as outside, some lamps still on to welcome her mysterious savior home. But still, too dark, too much like the dark walls that trapped her, the shadows creeping in and across her skin like those hands that only ever hurt-
Her spiraling thoughts were cut off when she was led into a room that felt… warm. Her eyes immediately locked onto glowing embers. Her fractured mind scrambled for the right word for what she was looking at.
…f-fire… fireplace? Right, a fireplace.
It was warm, it was bright, and most importantly it was nothing like the dark walls that haunted her. Those were the only details that mattered to her, and in that moment it was the most comforting and beautiful thing she’s seen.
The girl didn’t bother to look anywhere else as the woman sat her down in a cushioned chair, except those precious glowing embers. Is this what it was like to look at stars? She couldn’t really remember stars… well… she couldn’t remember much of anything before she had been taken and caged. Trying to dig beyond that always felt like she risked falling into an abyss.
Fortunately before she risked facing that abyss again, she was pulled away by the feeling of a soft blanket around her. “There we go, let’s get you warmed up.” The woman said more softly than she’s ever remembered hearing someone speak. Even the woman’s dark eyes seemed less sharp than before. The woman than turned to the fireplace and began trying to get a strong fire started again, putting some wood and old paper on it.
The girl watched, nearly mesmerized by the growing flames. She thought the embers were beautiful, but the gold light that danced like silk was just magical.
“I’ll get some things to clean you up, just stay right there.” The woman said as she rushed off, but the girl didn’t even process it, too focused on these new, but familiar sensations. Gripping the soft blanket like it was a life line, like it was armor. She slid off her seat onto the floor, ignoring the sting of movement now that the adrenaline rush had passed.
She moved closer to the fireplace, taking in its warmth and staring at the dancing flames. She couldn’t remember when the last time she felt softness like this blanket, or warmth like these flames. But she knew she must have felt this before, this comfort and safety. It’s just those countless days that blurred together of cold dark walls and creeping hands overshadowed everything in her mind, making that void in her mind that much more all consuming.
So maybe it was strange to hold so much value in flames, but honestly she just couldn’t care.
“Alright, let’s see what’s under all that muck.” The woman said on her return, carrying a few things in her arms. She didn’t really question or acknowledge the new seating on the floor, and simply joined her there. But the girl had barely processed the woman’s presence, let alone her words. So when she tried to touch her, the girl flinched away, looking at her savior with anxious confusion.
The woman looked back at her with her own confusion for a short moment. Was the girl so traumatized she couldn’t handle touch? But then she remembered how the fragile girl had first instinctively spoken in a foreign language, and spoke English in a heavy accent and stuttered over it.
English might not be her first language. But she had seen her speak a few words in English, so maybe she knew a little. “I’m helping.” She said slowly, repeating the phrase a few times in hopes of helping the girl understand. The woman then took hold some of the things she brought in, rags and a bowel filled with warm water. “I’ll clean you.” She gently says as she holds up the damp rag, gesturing to it and repeating the phrase.
The girl stared blankly at first, looking back and between the woman and the rag. Eventually recognition entered her eyes, connecting the dots from seeing the rag. But immediately hesitation replaced any understanding she had, irrational paranoid fear kicked in. How many times has she given into false hope? Cruel lies dressed as kindness. But as she looked into those dark brown eyes that somehow reminded her of blades, in this moment she only saw patience. It wasn’t exactly warm, or kind, but it was grounded. It now reminded her of an immovable mountain. And right now the girl needed that more than anything else.
Well, what did she have to lose? The girl gave a hesitant nod, tensing up as if she bracing for something to strike. But the woman just gave a patient smile, and gently took hold of her hands, ignoring the flinching and trembling from the contact as she cleaned the blood from her hands.
“Is this your blood?” The woman questioned in that surprisingly soft voice, like a mother speaking to a scared child. Once again she got a blank stare. “Blood,” she held up the girl’s red stained hand and the now bloodied rag. “Yours?” She pointed at the girl as she questioned again. The girl took a moment or two, but recognition entered her eyes again. But any life left in her eyes died, staring off into nothing, her mind beginning to be consumed by the creeping shadows.
The woman squeezed her hands and the girl blink back into the moment. She hesitated, but then slumped in defeat and shook her head. Although there was fear, there was no regret or guilt from that confession, only fear of punishment.
Her savior didn’t say anything, didn’t even react, just gravely nodded in acknowledgment. Silently she cleaned away the blood with soothingly warm water. The silence was surprisingly comforting, no weight or tension behind it.
Once she was done with her hands, she moved on to her face. “I’m Polly.” She said as she caught those tired deep blue eyes. She then gestured to herself. “Polly.” She repeated. The girl stared for a moment or two, but eventually nodded. “Polly.” The girl whispered out, her voice scratchy and strained, but Polly still faintly smiled at it and nodded.
After Polly was done cleaning, she did what she could at the moment to help. Disinfecting and bandaging cuts that she was allowed to reach, getting her to drink some water, nibble on some bread. But she found she had to hold off when she saw the girl begin nodding off.
So with a heavy sigh, Polly started making the rather exhausting effort of practically dragging the nearly limp girl up stairs.
Eventually Polly managed to carry the dead weight of the fragile girl to her niece’s old room, pretty much out of breath at that point.
Entering the room still felt strange for Polly. It had been a room filled with life, a chaotic mess of clothes, jewelry and makeup. She nearly expected to find her niece dead asleep in bed and yell at her to get off her lazy ass and clean it up, leading to the usual screaming match. But instead it was far too clean, far too empty. A hollow hole.
Only things left were from her niece’s girlhood she left behind. Old dresses, shoes and blankets neatly tucked away. Dolls, ribbons and little trinkets on display. All things no one in this house had use for, but Polly just didn’t have the heart to get rid of.
There was a chill in the air as they stepped in, causing the girl in her arms to shiver and cling tightly to the blanket still wrapped around her. She then helped her into the bed. “I know it’s cold, it’s been awhile since someone stayed in here. But we’ll do what we can to make this warm and comfortable for you.” She said, more out of habit than actually trying to communicate with the foreign girl.
Polly went about sorting things out that she could in the room for tonight. Tidying up, clearing out dust, getting extra blankets and gathering old handy down spare clothes for later. But by the time she focused back on the girl, she noticed she hadn’t moved an inch. Her body was too still, like she was still bracing for something. Polly let out a sigh, and carefully sat down next to the girl. “Okay girl, time to rest, come on.” She said softly, nearly motherly, gently nudging the girl to lay down and rest her head on her lap.
The girl was reluctant at first, but weighted exhaustion in her bones was too much to fight off. As she laid her head down, she was surprised how… warm, comforting, safe it felt. The feeling grew as Polly gently ran her fingers through her tangled hair, slowly undoing the knots. With her other hand she rubbed soothing circles on her back, and hummed something that sounded like a lullaby. She practically melted, but tears also welled up in her eyes.
Was this what it was like? For the women she held as they wept in her arms, how they fell asleep as they rested their heads on her own lap as she comforted them? Did she make them feel like this? She hoped so, because this feeling was more comforting, more peaceful than she had ever imagined. And in a room so dark, cold and filled with pain and tears, peace and comfort meant the world.
And yet, the girl didn’t have a memory of being held like this, experiencing this kind of touch. She had been stuck in those dark walls the longest, so she had learned to hold herself together long enough to be an anchor for the women that came and went. Some older, some younger, some that spoke languages she couldn’t understand. But it didn’t matter, someone needed to hold them, so she did. But… no one ever stayed long enough, strong enough to hold her in return when the days got dark, when the cuts and bruises stung deeper than words could describe.
But yet despite having no memories of being held, being comforted… it was still familiar. Did she once have someone who held her with such care? She wasn’t sure, all she knew, she deeply craved it.
And with that thought, she found herself drift away more softly than she ever had before when she was stuck behind those walls.
Hiya! Here’s more art for Thomas Shelby x OC. This oc is Anya, she is from a fanfic I’m attempting to write, and this is inspired from a potential scene for it. Anya lives with the Shelby family and when she comes across a stray cat, she does her best to convince Thomas to keep her, even using puppy dog eyes🥺😂
Anyway, I hope you guys like it!❤️ also if you have questions about the fic or my oc let me know and I’ll do my best to answer.
This is so cute! And such a beautiful calico cat, what's her name? I hope to read your fanfic and learn more about Anya. Will you do headcanons? :)
P.S.: I see that little smile on Tommy's face in the art :3
Thank you! I’m so glad you like it! So far her name is Mila, it means “Dear” or “Beloved”. And yes I will do headcanons, whatever pops into my mind that I feel like talking about or from what anyone asks about my oc and the fanfic, so feel free to ask questions🥰
And lol I’m glad you spotted that detail😂 yeah Thomas secretly finds it all (*cough* Anya *cough*) cute. But I’ll admit I just wanted to draw the man at least a little happy, he deserves to be happy in some universe😭
Hiya! Here’s more art for Thomas Shelby x OC. This oc is Anya, she is from a fanfic I’m attempting to write, and this is inspired from a potential scene for it. Anya lives with the Shelby family and when she comes across a stray cat, she does her best to convince Thomas to keep her, even using puppy dog eyes🥺😂
Anyway, I hope you guys like it!❤️ also if you have questions about the fic or my oc let me know and I’ll do my best to answer.
So crazy thing that’s happened is for the first time, I’ve written multiple chapters for a fanfic, a Peaky Blinders Thomas X OC fanfic of all things. Usually I struggle to put stories into words, which I blame my dyslexia. But recently I just had a surprisingly continuous flow of writing creativity.
I’m not yet ready to post the chapters yet, but hopefully it will be the near future. I can’t promise anything, there is always a chance I chicken out or lose inspiration and motivation.
But for now, here’s cover art I drew for my fanfic, called “Anya”, I hope you guys like it! It has Thomas, my OC, Polly and Grace.
Anyway, as for the story, this is a romance between Thomas Shelby and my OC, set sometime between season 1 and 2. It’s about a young woman with a lost past, stumbling into the Shelby family’s lives.
So lately I’ve had an an obsession/addiction with a certain character, Thomas Shelby from Peaky Blinders. I can barely explain why that is, I just got it REALLY bad for the man, he’s living rent free in my head🫠
But a struggle of mine is finding good fanfics for shipping Thomas. Honestly it’s difficult to find Thomas Shelby fics that satisfies my craving.
Like there’s a weird amount of infidelity, like Thomas just straight sleeps with another woman behind his love interests back. Yes he’s complex and has issues, but I don’t think cheating adds to the story or says much about his character, besides it’s just not something I can get past.
But anyway, thanks to my Tommy obsession I've discovered what I consider some of the best fanfics, and I felt I should help provide others who struggle to find those fics like I once did, and show support for those writers. They deserve all the love honestly, I have so much respect for them and hope to write like them. (Fun fact, I have a few Thomas Shelby x OC fanfic ideas of my own, but I don’t know if I’ll ever get around to writing them or have the courage to post😅)
So here’s a fic recommendation list. (Btw all/most of these fics are ongoing.)
-“Shvibzik” by paigeee_aaa from AO3: can’t go into too much details about this fic because it would be spoilers, all I’ll say it’s about a girl with a traumatic past falling in love with Tommy, and him falling just as hard for her. Its historical details are impressive and its writing is passionate. It amazed me on how many times it had lines that blew me away.
-“Speechless” by Nukyster from AO3: honestly this one is, in my opinion, the most realistic and creative fics I’ve read for this fandom. It’s an AU about a mute Tommy Shelby navigating his world with the help of his translator, who he eventually falls in love with. I’m not sure if it’s discontinued or on hiatus, but it’s got around 60 chapters and I still highly recommend it.
-“Cross Stitch” by Peachikeenxxx from AO3: this fic is still kinda new, not at the halfway mark yet, but it’s going pretty good so far and is very consistent with its updates. It’s a time travel/outlander themed fic, and it’s very well written and holds a lot of potential. Which is great because I love time travel fics. Honestly I hope to write one for this fandom myself someday, just don’t have a solid idea for it.
-“Mercy” by sweetea_101 from Wattpad. Very well written and very emotionally heavy. It also has a very interesting take on Tommy’s character, going into the layers of him. Don’t know how I’d describe the story, best I can say it’s about a Tommy x OC that has opposites attract and set during season 4 I believe.
-“Army dreamers” by daughterOfthewitch from Tumblr. A Tommy Shelby x reader fic series. Very good series, basically about Tommy having a dream during the war that shows him meeting the love of his life, and eventually the dream comes true, and he falls in love with a florist. It set loosely following the events of the series from season 1 and onwards. I’ve reblogged the masterlist, so should be on my blog, if I understand how reblogging works anyway.
❝ army dreamers ❞ Historical Romance • Drama • Slow Burn • Family Saga • Crime Fiction
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
PREMISE
You and Thomas are engaged at last, stepping into a future built on promises, hope, and hard-won love.
As the Peaky Blinders expand beyond Birmingham and into London, Thomas finds himself chasing opportunities that could secure the family's future, or destroy it entirely.
At the same time, tensions within the Shelby family continue to rise. Old wounds refuse to heal, loyalties are tested, and the growing business places increasing strain on those closest to him.
For the first time, Thomas Shelby dares to imagine a future. The question is whether that future can survive the ambitions, secrets, and sacrifices required to reach it.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
series 2
↳ 2.1 – keep an eye on him
↳ 2.2 – the chosen one, london and a wedding plan
↳ 2.3 – sweet talk for the misses
↳ 2.4 – some things can change
↳ 2.5 – a train ride
↳ 2.6 – the peaky boys on holiday
↳ 2.7 – needing you
↳ 2.8 – wanted. secretary for an expanding business
↳ 2.9 – I am a horse.
↳ 2.10 – Me and Tommy
↳ 2.11 – Lavender soap and careless mistakes
↳ 2.12 – Burning pile
↳ 2.13 – Tokyo
↳ 2.14 – Like him
↳ 2.15 – Fucking complicated
↳ 2.16 – lost your mind
↳ 2.17 – in two days
↳ 2.18 – the shelby edge
↳ 2.19 – silver charm
↳ 2.20 – good news and a new face
↳ 2.21 – paperwork
↳ 2.22 – family
↳ 2.23 – i'll make sure of that
↳ 2.24 – purpose
↳ 2.25 – life and death
↳ 2.26 – one last time
↳ 2.27 – where the fuck were you?
↳ 2.28 – love that costs
↳ 2.29 – in the bleak midwinter
↳ 2.30 – finding my way back to you
↳ to be continued
❝ army dreamers ❞ Historical Romance • Drama • Slow Burn • Family Saga • Crime Fiction
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
series 1 – one shots
↳ drunk and tired
↳ love and pride ( part 1 – part 2 – part 3 )
↳ filthy, disgusting, so ugly ( part 1 – part 2 – part 3 )
↳ he loves me, he loves me not
↳ look after her on the days I can't
↳ many arrangements
↳ the image of you
Highly recommend them❤️ technically they can be stand alone fic, but I personally enjoyed them more reading them in order and having context. (Btw my favorite is “he loves me, he loves me not”😍)
❝ army dreamers ❞
Historical Romance • Drama • Slow Burn • Family Saga • Crime Fiction
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
PREMISE
The war is over, but for Thomas Shelby, peace remains an impossible dream. Haunted by the trenches and consumed by ambition, he has dedicated himself to building the Shelby empire, convinced that men like him are not meant for ordinary happiness.
Then he meets you.
To Thomas, you are something unfamiliar–soft, steady, and kind. A glimpse of a life he no longer believes he can have.
To you, he is everything your world is not. Chaotic. Thrilling. Alive.
What begins as curiosity soon becomes something far more dangerous. As the Peaky Blinders rise through Birmingham's criminal underworld, you find yourself drawn deeper into Thomas's world of secrets, violence, and ambition. With every step closer to him, the further you drift from the life you once knew.
And loving Thomas Shelby has never been without consequences.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
series 1
↳ 1.1 – forget-me-nots
↳ 1.2 – tea and biscuits
↳ 1.3 – whiskey after work
↳ 1.4 – crack it
↳ 1.5 – nightmares and daydreams
↳ 1.6 – watch your step
↳ 1.7 – where the bloody fuck is thomas shelby?
↳ 1.8 – violence and feelings
↳ 1.9 – race day
↳ 1.10 – another night
↳ 1.11 – bloody flowers
↳ 1.12 – a copper
↳ 1.13 – a call for Thomas Shelby
↳ 1.14 – too many criminals not enough coppers
↳ 1.15 – the mud
↳ 1.16 – wildflowers
↳ 1.17 – porcelain dalmatian
↳ 1.18 – a woman alone
↳ 1.19 – confession
↳ 1.20 – old times
↳ 1.21 – I love you
↳ 1.22 – unfortunate visitor
↳ 1.23 – good women go to heaven
↳ 1.24 – red
↳ 1.25 – a deal
↳ 1.26 – die your daughter
↳ 1.27 – shut up
↳ 1.28 – a dance
↳ 1.29 – love that costs
↳ 1.30 – family business
↳ epilogue
I have never reblogged before, so I’m not entirely sure how it works, but from what I gathered it’s a way for bloggers to support each other and help spread the word about them. And honestly this fanfic writer doesn’t have NEARLY enough attention as they should for the quality of writing they do.
Unfortunately my blog is very small so I don’t think it will give much more attention, but it’s the thought that counts❤️
Anyway, this is a Thomas Shelby x Reader fanfic, I highly recommend it. It’s very in character and has a lot of depth. And it gets better and better as you read, please give it a chance and show this writer the love they deserve🥰
recently watched the movie “K-pop Demon hunters” and honestly I’ve fallen in love with it😍 really beautiful and catchy music, gorgeous animation, and a very well written story that has so much potential for a sequel. If you love stuff like powerpuff girls, totally spies and demon slayer, than you’ll love this, it feels kinda like a mixture of them. Please check it out so we can hopefully get a sequel😭❤️ anyway, because I loved the character designs, I decided to draw the character Rumi in her demon markings and surrounded by the honmoon. I’m usually very skittish when it comes to coloring in pencil and pen, but I felt like challenging myself this time. I feel very proud of how it came out🥰 anyway hope everyone likes it!
Hiya! So recently a sequel to my favorite interactive fiction game, “Arcadie second born” came out with its sequel demo on steam, “Arcadie cold lands”, made by @sofia-d-asb. If you like interactive fiction games, please check it out on steam, I highly recommend it❤️
anyway, I recently replayed the first game and played the sequel demo, and it inspired me to draw sorta my experience with the demo for the sequel. Lol basically my poor Mc has been finding herself caught in the middle with her sworn enemy/ally ‘Stan’ and the love of her life ‘Will’ during this demo, thanks to her goals to achieve peace for her kingdom. It’s all very messy and she’s not okay with it😅😂
anyway, hope people like the drawing and enjoys the game like I do!
A headcanon I have for my oc and Vash in Trigun stamped, is that Lucy would probably geek out over Vash’s arm thanks to her knowledge in engineering. I imagine since Vash gets maintenance by Brad over that hundred and fifty years, the arm would probably be considered more advanced than what Lucy had seen from her time on earth.
Now of course after Lucy would get passed her excitement and curiosity, she would start to feel sad at the thought of Vash losing his arm, knowing he most likely went through something traumatic. But in 98 version, because you can’t tell on a first glance that he has a prosthetic arm, her reaction is a bit different. She suspects he has a prosthetic arm after noticing how solid it is and how it lacks warmth, but she still hopes she’s wrong. So when she finds out, it’s more of a gut punch. But once she processes it, she carefully and gently asks if she could have a closer look at it.
On a lighter note, back to the stampede version, there’s also an irony to how Lucy reacts to ‘lost’ tech. Even though Lucy came from an advanced era, she will sometimes sound or even act like she’s older, often referring to lost tech ‘new’, or making earth references they wouldn’t understand. Vash is the only one who gets everything she talks about, so they often sound like a literal old married couple. Roberto and Nicholas can’t help themselves and tease, sometimes calling her an ‘old lady’ or ‘grandma’.
Fun fact, after Vash reveals his age and everyone does the math, Nicholas teases Vash by saying he has a thing for older women (Vash 150 years old, Lucy roughly 300 years old thanks to cryogenic sleep). It earns Nick a wack to the head by Meryl.
more Trigun fanart! And once again with my oc Lucy! And honestly I’m so proud of it🥰 for a long time I struggled with poses, especially action packed ones and ones that require two characters interacting with each other. But I wanted to challenge myself and see if could do it, and I like to think I made a lot of improvements.
Anyways, for what inspired me. I always imagine when it’s time to run, Vash had at first tried to take Lucy by the hand and have her run alongside him. But unfortunately Lucy isn’t as fast as he is, thanks to him being so tall and her spending years trapped inside a buried ship, she just can’t keep up. So Vash just started getting the habit of picking her up and sprinting. He feels a little bad for man handling her, but it’s made it a lot easier on the both of them. Plus, secretly he does like the chance of getting to hold her in his arms, so sweeping her off her feet becomes pretty common overtime😂❤️
So… I got a new hyper fixation, and it’s Trigun, and so of course I made an oc for it😅 honestly definitely one of the better hyper fixations I’ve had, especially since Trigun is in my top 5 favorite anime and I’ve been meaning to read the manga and rewatch the first anime. But as you can probably tell, I have Trigun Stamped to thank for my new obsession. I finally got around to watching all of season 1 and now not only am I deeply craving for season 2, but I’m fascinated by the world and characters and also very inspired, which led to my oc.
introducing, Lucy Lawrence❤️
I’ve always wanted to make a Trigun oc, but I just could never think of anything, especially since I struggle to understand what was going on in the first anime when I watched it for the first time in my pre teens to early teens. But stamped was a lot easier to wrap my head around it, and suddenly I had a clear vision for a design. Fun fact, you guys have no idea how long it took for me to pick a name. But I eventually took inspiration for the naming style Meryl and Roberto had, you know, Robert/Roberto De Niro and Meryl Stryfe/Streep. So I went with Lucy Lawless, but instead Lucy Lawrence.
So anyway, about Lucy. She is the daughter of some of the most brilliant scientists and plant engineers on earth. Lucy had grown up on earth, but when she turned 18, her and her family left on project seed. But unfortunately, during the tragic and disastrous fall, Lucy’s ship broke in half and the half she was on disappeared without a trace. Everyone assumed it must have burned up in the atmosphere or was left out in space, but it turned out it had actually been buried under the sand in the middle of nowhere. Nearly 150 years later after the fall, Lucy wakes up from cryogenic sleep, and was trapped inside the ship for roughly 3 or 5 years. But one day not only was she discovered by people who were attempting to find and dig up the ship and harvest it for parts, but she was also discovered by Vash and his friends. After managing to rescue her, Vash offers to escort Lucy to a new ‘home’(ship 3) where she could feel like she belonged in. But on the journey to July, Lucy and Vash become much more closer than ether of them expected.
Because Lucy had access to lost tech straight from earth, she has a few gadgets she carries around. For starters, a little drone in the shape of an origami bird that could fit in palm of your hands named Dove. Dove was a fun project Lucy and her father worked on together. Anyway the glasses is a way for Lucy to look through the eyes of Dove. And the brooch attached to her jacket is both and a handheld controller and latch to safely hold Dove when shut down.
Anyway Lucy’s parents, Kathrine and James Lawrence, worked close with plants, especially Kathrine. Because of this, it led to an incident that caused a slight mutation. On paper there is nothing different about Lucy, the only difference is she is impressively healthy. But that changes after the fall, which somehow activates something in her, causing her to develop abilities such as empathic powers and slight telepathy. Mainly she starts off sensing things.
The locket was the last gift she had gotten on earth, a farewell gift by her grandparents since they’d be left behind.
And finally as you already see, Vash is her love interest.
Hopefully if I do more art or even fanfiction, I’ll explain more about her. But if you are curious about her, please feel free to ask☺️
another Frieren drawing. I was in the mood to draw a pose, and I know it isn’t anything very complicated, but this was for fun and I love scenes where Frieren flys, so I wanted to give it a try🥰 hope people like it❤️
Fanart of the anime Frieren. It’s honestly become a top favorite anime for me, the art style and animation is gorgeous, the story is a good balance of wholesome and exciting, and the characters and world building is so good. Normally it’s difficult for me to get into traditional fantasy animes, but this really took advantage of the ideas of immortality. And I love how they explore humility, like it’s become a joke for me where it feels like a superpower😂 If the character shows any arrogance, I immediately believe they are gonna lose that fight BADLY. But if both characters respect each other’s power and underestimates themselves, then I know it’s gonna be a even fight.
anyway, if anyone has not seen the show yet, please do it, it’s very good❤️
