#zablife

[peakyscillian]

The Princess And The Gun

My take on the fairytale Princess & the pea for Lee's (@zablife) fairytale AU Challenge.

Polly is up to some mischief because there's a girl claiming to be the Princess of a Gangster & John could be her Prince Charming. Using my modern!John couple, but this is loosely set in canon PB era. Imogen is my own creation, she's been popping up here & there with her lover boy John. This time she's taking on a fairytale.

No major warnings: mention of guns, swearing, usual PB antics, Minors DNI

Imogen has so far tormented John here & been surprised by John on NYE here.

Masterlist | divider by @/cursed-carmine

The Princess & The Gun

Imogen cursed as the heavens opened, sending down sheets of rain as she hurried through the cobbled streets, the storm having followed her all the way from Aston. Threatening to break at any moment.

She was soaked when she pushed into the rowdy pub, the room falling silent as she stumbled through. Hair sticking to her face, her clothes soaked right to her skin. 

All eyes on her as she squelched to the bar, “a hot tea” she muttered “please” she added as she pushed money across to the bar tender. 

“What do we have here, eh?” The voice came from behind her. She whipped round eyes blazing “My father is the King of Aston he will cut you if you touch me” she seethed, arms across her chest.

The man whistled, smirking at his friends “got ourselves a lively little princess here” he joked, Imogen held his stare, her eyes burning into him.

“Leave her alone boys” the woman's voice spread the huddle of men as she walked through. “Fuck off, shoo” she batted her hand at them, “look at you all wet” she tutted, shrugging off the velvet cape she had on, draping it over Imogen's shoulders.

The musky perfume, smoke and city smog scent filled her nostrils, the warmth of the material kept her shivers at bay. The woman ushered her into the corner room. 

“Harry bring a pot of hot tea” the older lady ordered, Imogen followed her through. The air was thick with cigarette smoke “takes a brave woman to walk into a pub alone” 

Imogen shrugged, “I had nothing to lose” she explained. The older woman eyed her up and down “I'm Polly” she held out her hand, Imogen took it “Imogen” she replied

Polly poured her a cup of steaming tea, “I heard you mention your father is the King of Aston?” She raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. Imogen nodded “Bobby Phillips” she confirmed, Polly smiled. 

“Well I never knew Bobby had a daughter” Polly fixed her with a look “he doesn't let me out much, which has led me here” she shivered, her wet clothes had started to stick to her. 

Polly nodded as the doors opened, Imogen looked up as three men in smart suits entered.

She knew who the Shelby brothers were, the reason she was here was because of John Shelby. Fresh from a stint in prison because of that letterbox bomb everyone got up in arms about, he was a single guy and if rumours were true he wanted a wife.

“Who's this Pol?” Tommy asked, Polly looked up at him over her cup “Tommy this is a real Princess” she grinned, “Princess Imogen Phillips of Aston” she carried on.

The three men gave each other a look “Phillips, Bobby Phillips?” He asked, pulling his cigarette from between his lips. 

John had kept his gaze on her the longest, he was sure when she wasn't drenched from the rain she would be all Hollywood glamour like in the movies at the picture house.

“Yes” Imogen answered, “Bobby doesn't have a daughter” Tommy scoffed, Imogen rolled her eyes “I wouldn't say I'm kin of Bobby Phillips if I wasn't, who would choose to be related to that cunt of a man?” She folded her arms across her chest. 

John smirked “Got the mouth of a Phillips” 

“Our John would like himself a Princess” Arthur nudged Tommy. “John would like a lot of things” Polly hummed “I'm right here” John tutted, giving her a cheeky grin.

Tommy ignored him pointing his finger in Polly's direction “Yes but our John and this Princess of Aston would link the Shelby's and the Phillips which could help with the tracks” Tommy thought out loud.

Polly rolled her eyes “come love let's get you into some dry clothes” she stood up holding out her hand for Imogen. “I can walk her home” John offered.

“You'll do no such thing” Polly replied over her shoulder, Imogen fell into step beside Polly as they left the pub, the rain had almost died down. 

“John is very handsome” She stated, Polly cast her a sideways glance “Very, but he doesn't know how to behave” Polly laughed.

“I'm sure I could tame him” Imogen shrugged, smirking Polly let her into the house “Not sure you're cut out for this life” 

Imogen touched her arm to stop her in the hall “I've grown up in this kind of life, I can handle myself. I'm not scared of a gun” she locked eyes with Polly. 

Polly nodded “I'll introduce you properly in the morning” she carried on through the hall up the stairs “Come, you can stay here”

Imogen dressed in dry clothes, thick woolen socks on her feet as she padded back into the room Polly had made up for her, the candle light on the bedside casting a warm glow through the room. 

“We have two mattresses on this bed, it's a bit old and uncomfortable otherwise” Polly smiled, handing her a steaming cup of tea. Imogen nodded, taking the tea with thanks. 

Then she was left alone to get some rest.

-

“I'm telling you she's not related to Bobby Phillips” Tommy argued with Polly in the betting shop the next morning. “Well she wants to be properly introduced to John” Polly stated

Tommy sighed “John will be too much for her” he replied, signing some betting slips

“We’ll see” Polly shrugged, heading for the doors back into the kitchen. 

Imogen sat at the table, bleary eyed and messed up curls “you're awake” Polly smiled, Imogen stifled a yawn “just about” she hummed.

“Sleep well?” Polly asked, Imogen shook her head “not really, those mattresses were a nightmare” she pulled a face “then this morning I realised why” 

Polly turned to her “oh?” 

Imogen smirked, pulling something from the waistband of her skirt “this was between the mattresses” she slid the gun across the table. 

“I wonder how that ended up there” Polly sighed, picking it up and placing it in the kitchen drawer “I told you last night I can handle a gun” Imogen spoke softly.

The door opened bringing with it a gust of cold air “Pol, any food I'm starving?” Imogen felt the goosebumps rise across her body at his voice.

Eyes dragging over him, as he chatted to Polly. “John this is Imogen” Polly gestured to her at the table. “Oh the real Princess?” John smiled as he turned to her.

With one look at her John knew she had to be his, a lonely bachelor with the opportunity to wed such a beautiful woman. And so, in June 1920 John took Princess Imogen of Aston to be his wife, because only a real Princess of a Gangster would be able to sleep that close to a gun without fear.

The gun they displayed on the mantle in their home, the gun that had found John, the woman who would calm him, slow him down and love him fiercely.  Rumours has it John gifted Imogen with her own gun on their wedding night, because he'd witnessed her use a gun without fear in her eyes. 

Lee @zablife I had so much fun doing this 🤭 I also made a moodboard 'If she could handle a gun she could definitely handle John Shelby.'

If you liked or loved this please let me know in the normal way!

Tagging some John girls who might want to read this! @murderousginger @darklydeliciousdesires @theshelbyclan @duckybird101 @thousandfourhundreddays

[sansaorgana]

Hi Lily!! It’s been awhile, how are you? I just saw your new Benny fic and ran to request another bc I love your writing so much 💞 What are your thoughts about soft!Benny coaxing a nervous reader onto his bike for the first time? Can you imagine those mesmerizing baby blues hovering over you as his deep, soothing voice promises, “I won’t let anything happen to you, baby girl.”

hello, Lee! 💚 it feels nice to see you again 🥺💐 this fic is so Lana Del Rey that I should get sued by her tbh 🙈😭

I had to close my requests for now because I got so many 🙏🏻

“I won’t let anything happen to you, baby girl,” Benny looked deep into your eyes as he leaned in, trying to convince you to hop on his bike after you had left the pub with all the other guys.

You bit on your lower lip and giggled nervously. You had been curious about the bikes for a while now – especially after starting to date a biker. Not any biker but Benny Cross himself on top of that. But still, you were nervous. There were so many accidents, you heard about them every day. And you knew the way Benny was driving – it was careless. You were already worried enough about him.

Whenever he was visiting you, you would play that song by The Shangri-Las “The Leader of The Pack” and he would sigh and roll his eyes.

“Promise me I won’t ever have to cry on this song, Benny,” you would always say and he would stop all the playful expressions.

Because Benny couldn’t promise. He had even mentioned once – drunk on beer – that he would want to die on the road. To die like he was living. You had been sitting in his arms by the bonfire but you had to stand up and walk away after hearing that; to hide in Kathy’s car and cry a little.

You would always go to the meetings in someone’s car. You knew it was a little ridiculous considering the fact you were dating a biker but…

“I promised my ma that I would never ride that beast,” you batted your eyelashes at him. “She let me go out with you on that condition,” you reminded him.

“Baby,” Benny put his hands on your shoulders to move you away slightly from the road at the sight of other gang members hopping on their bikes to drive away. “I’m gonna be slow and careful, come on. I won’t even go past the speed limit with you in the back, I promise,” he put his right hand on his chest where his heart was. “You’re my pretty lil’ dollie, I won’t anything bad happen to you.”

“Why do you care so much about it, Benny?” You bit on your lower lip and looked into his eyes, trying to understand.

“It’s somethin’ I love. Somethin’ I’m excited about. I want you to try at least once. Want you to know what I’m talkin’ about and… Yeah, it’s a nice feelin’. Want you to experience it, okay?” He booped you on the nose. “Please, one time. I would never break the law with you in the back.”

“Well, if so… Then I should be always riding with you, don’t you think?” You teased with a wink and took a deep breath in. “Okay, fine.”

“No, no, don’t fine me, baby. You gotta want it, I don’t want to force you,” Benny shook his head and fixed one of the rings on his fingers nervously.

“I want it, Benny. I mean it. I’ve been curious for some time, I’m just…” You took a deep breath in. “I’m a chicken.”

Benny chuckled at that.

“Yeah, you are,” he nodded and hopped onto his bike before looking back with a daring look on his face and an eyebrow raised.

“What?!” You gasped. “You were supposed to deny it!”

“Well, I didn’t,” he shrugged. “You comin’ or what?”

You laughed at him and rolled your eyes before clumsily getting behind him. He moved forward to give you more space and when you felt like you were comfortable enough, he reached to the back and grabbed your hands to wrap them around his torso.

“Pat me on the chest if you want me to stop,” he told you. “I’m starting the engine now,” he warned and you nodded before swallowing a lump in your throat. You liked that he was talking you through it, it was making everything easier.

The act of starting the engine was pretty aggressive. He kicked his boot and jumped as the motorbike roared like a lion and you felt fresh sweat droplets forming on your back. So, that was it. You would ride a motorbike now.

When he started driving, at first you got a little dizzy and felt as if you were about to fall down. You clung to him with all your force and felt him chuckle as you moved as close as possible and leaned your cheek on his back and closed your eyes, too scared to open them.

“Keep your eyes open, baby!” You heard his voice and you sighed. You hated how well he knew you already. So, you forced yourself to flutter your eyelids open as your fingers dug even further into his jean vest.

It was a warm summer evening and the sun was slowly setting in pink and orange hues. Benny was driving you out of town and into the cornfields, into the infinite open road where the horizon seemed to be a beautiful and an unreachable dream.

You gasped at the sight and moved your face away from his back to let the warm breeze tickle your skin as you kept looking around in awe. You suddenly understood everything. Everything.

You had been asking Benny many times before to explain to you what was that about the road that he loved so much but he never knew how to put it into words. Now you understood that there were no words to describe that feeling. It felt unearthly – the freedom, the sudden lightness of being. The infinite amount of possibilities to just keep driving and getting lost, starting a new life in a different state or crashing against the truck. Yeah, you even understood now what he meant when he had said he would want to die on the road. You understood even that.

Riding the motorbike made you feel invincible. You were immortal, you were one with the road, with the American land, with the pink and orange skies, with the badlands and with the desert. With the cornfields and The Grand Canyon. You loosened your grip on Benny’s vest once you began to feel more comfortable and steady but you leaned in again to let your lips brush the sensitive skin behind his ear. Your hot breath over him as you kissed his pulse point before whispering the words you had never expected you to say:

“Faster, Benny. Go faster,” you pleaded and leaned back again.

You felt his hesitation for a moment but then the engine roared again and you smiled at the feeling of him speeding up. It was a real beast that Harley. It was big and shiny and heavy. A prince of the road, you thought, with only good ol’ Cadillac earning the name of The King.

Benny was going faster and faster as the sun was setting and you couldn’t help the feeling you wanted to crash with him. Maybe not now but one day – two young lovers tied forever in the act of tragic death. Like in the movies. Perhaps the movies had messed too much with your head. And in this moment you actually loved America. And everything it was standing for.

You pouted when Benny turned around to take you back to town. You didn’t want him to. You wanted him to keep driving and take you to the motel and in the morning to keep driving further, to start a new life somewhere or keep the life on the road. Together. Like a modern day Bonnie and Clyde or Jack Kerouac.

He slowed down again once you were back in town and he took you right home. When he parked the bike in front of your house, it felt like you had just awakened from a dream.

Holding onto his waist, you clumsily hopped off the motorbike and took a step ahead to be able to face him.

“And?” He asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Oh, Benny…” You didn’t know where to start. You suddenly remembered all the thoughts you had on the back of his bike but now you were ashamed of them. It was like having sex – after the high was gone, you no longer liked the obscene things that were turning you on while it lasted.

“What? Thought you liked it,” Benny sighed.

“I did! Too much, perhaps,” you explained as your cheeks heated up and you bit on your lower lip. “I don’t think it’s good for me, though. I don’t think I should keep riding. It’s messing with my head,” you confessed and Benny chuckled at you.

“But now you understand?” He asked with hope in his voice.

“I do,” you nodded with all seriousness. “Everything.”

“Good,” he nodded back. “Goodnight kiss for Benny?”

“Goodnight kiss for Benny,” you nodded with a chuckle and leaned in to cup his face and join your lips together with a smile. “Be careful,” you whispered and watched him drive away.

But on your way from the driveway to the front door of your house, you had a feeling, somewhere deep inside, that it had not been the last time you were on that goddamn Harley.

MASTERLIST || BENNY MASTERLIST

[violaobanion]

MARIE ANTOINETTE and her ladies-in-waiting at The Queen’s Hamlet

requested by @zablife

[teenwolf-theoriginals]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💗

Use whatever definition you’d like for what you choose! Fics you like best, think are underrated, enjoy talking about the most, etc.

aw, thank you for thinking of me!

oooh, this is going to be tough ahaha. alright, my favourite five fics are:

lady love, steve harrington.

table 7, carmy berzatto.

my girl, billy hargrove x reader x steve henderson.

slow things down, derek morgan.

desire, tommy shelby.

there was another tommy shelby one i liked, but i can't find it at the moment.

[springsteens]

How was your trip to London??

omg Lee, you're so sweet for asking! 😊

it was amazing, really! I came back with a hurt foot (from walking so much and it stopped hurting after two days) and a huuuge bruise on my arse from the tube (I'm clumsy). and two days later I got a sore throat (AC on the plane is to be blamed, most likely) so I'm on a sick leave now! 😂

no one stole my phone or anything and I walked around with my phone on display to look at the maps and take pics and now I'm seeing Instagram reels about how they steal phones in London... well, I guess it has its perks to have a cheap as fuck device 😂

also, I saw one of my crushes on a billboard of the theatre he has a play at right now and on the second day I went to the cinema to see his movie so that was bloody lovely 😍

ofc the architecture and everything was STUNNING although it didn't feel much different than back at home. I lived in a big Polish city for a long time during uni and it felt very similar only bigger and prettier. it didn't feel like a completely different world (like Athens did to me).

I was also very surprised how KIND people were!!! OMG??? how can people call the English grumpy??? for a Polish person like me I felt safe and taken care of everywhere?! people were kind and helpful and when they were helping me, they were never annoyed (not openly at least and that felt so weird because in Poland people are often so fucking RUDE). and it was not only people working at the tube etc. but strangers as well. one older lady helped us enormously in the beginning and she just walked up to us because she saw my friend and I were looking lost.

our favourite place was Notting Hill although we were there on Sunday so there were SOOO MANY PEOPLE lmao I also felt fancy and bought an ice coffee at Starbucks (I've only been to Starbucks once before because they're too expensive) but walking around Notting Hill with a Starbucks ice coffee on a sunny day was certainly an IT GIRL MOMENT

I miss London already and I certainly want to go back there but atm I already have plane tickets bought for Dublin in October 😂 this time with my mum because she's jealous of my London trip but she doesn't have a passport (now she'll surely make one because she wants to go to London and Scotland) 💕💕💕

[amysteryspot]

Hey Ari!! How are you, darl? For the Help Me Outline asks, #1 and/or #12 pls!!

Hey Lee. Im doing okayish, how about you?

Let me tell you about two different stories this time.

1 - One character apologizing to another

I have this idea about a Bradley x Reader x Jake fic where reader is kind of an introvert but ends up with Bradley at first. After she goes through and attempted assault and Jake saves her, she and Bradley talk about bringing Jake into their relationship and one day she ends up kissing him. Being the cocky little thing he is, he ends up saying some hurtful thing to her and she storms out of the room. Bradley has to explain to him about the fact that they both want Jake and thought about bringing him into their relationship. Jake realizes he fucked up and wants to go talk to her, but Bradley says that he has to give him time. The next day he goes to her and they talk it oout, he apologizes and tells her that he was confused because he likes both her and Bradley and she explains to him that he just can't keep pushing people away when they try to get close to him.

2 - A tragedy

The one that comes to my mind right now is one I have planned for a while. It's for Nothing's Fair in Love and War, so if you don't want spoilers, stop here. Daphne will end up prgnant with Tommy's child, but since Grace appears saying she is pregnant too, she hides it from Tommy and he only discovers it when she miscarries. It's kind of a tragedy because even though she knows she can get pregnant again, she won't have other opportunity to have a child with Tommy again. She was ready to live her life alone, Tommy gave her the hope of loving again only to take it away from her again.

Help Me Outline My WIP!

[peakyblinded]

JOHN SHELBY & ESME SHELBY (née LEE) PEAKY BLINDERS S01E04

for @zablife

[zablife]

Sorry I've been away, darlings! My living situation is in flux and I'm not able to get to all my messages atm, but I hope to be on a more normal schedule very soon. Sending loads of love to everyone who has checked up on me 💕