#I am running out of body parts to give up in exchange for bootlegs

[watchingroger]

It’s from the Boeing Boeing opening night after party, February 15th 2007. The woman hanging off Roger who we would all love to be is Michelle Gomez, who is a celestial body in her own right.

Happy birthday Mr. Allam!

[morningstargirl666]

How many wips do you have? Like ideas either started or just in the idea stage and share your favs if you would like to

HI ENNIE!

[swallows you in a hug]

Now how many wips do I have? Is that the wips that are posted... or the wips I have overall? Because LET ME TELL YOU there is a huge difference lmao.

[checks wip list] [winces in writer pain]

So. Technically, on AO3, I have three wips listed: The Big Bad Wolf, Falling For You and Divided We Fall, all at different stages of completion. However, although Into Eternity is listed as a complete work, I do have ideas for a second chapter from Klaus' POV, so perhaps I have 4 wips on AO3.

As for off ao3....

[nervous laughter]

I think it's probably easier if I give you a list:

Songs of the Sea: Mermaid/Siren AU that I have written one chapter for, where Caroline is kind of a mash up of mermaids, sirens and sea vampires. She was drowned at sea, and now her and her sisters in arms spend their eternity sinking ships, including the ship that was carrying very precious cargo - a moonstone. Naturally, Klaus Mikaelson isn't pleased. Intended to be a short multichap, it would be a part of the Dark Nights, Darker Tales series that I have started on AO3 (slightly darker toned one-shot/short multichap fics, like The Red Wedding).

To Hold A Dragon's Heart: In the midst of her wedding, Princess Caroline is kidnapped by a formidable dragon and carried away to its lair on a remote island. Trapped, Caroline dreams of freedom, and meets a mysterious young man by the name of Klaus, urging him to help her escape. But not everything is as it seems... The storyline is based on one of my favourite films I am Dragon or дракон and would also be a multichap, a long one, which is why I haven't started writing it yet (even though I have ideas and outlines).

The Cabin in the Woods Fusion: Probs would be a multichap, otherwise a massive one-shot. Based on the film plot, with various changes and would be a gift for @lynyrdwrites since they requested it as a gift in an exchange (I made edits for it instead of writing it cause it deserves more time than I could give it at the time).

Peaky Blinders AU: Klaroline rewrite of Peaky Blinders s1, with an epilogue. Mob/Gangster AU, 1919 England setting, multichap, Mikaelson Shenanigans. Currently outlining this as its my latest obsession lmao.

Untitled One-shot 1: It’s the 1920s. Chicago. Marcellus Gerard owns the most exclusive - and by far the best - Speakeasy in town, an illegal private bar born from the rising desires quickly running rampant due to prohibition. It sells the best bootlegged whiskey and showcases the most exquisite flapper girls, but the real treat is what happens on Saturday night - fight club. Caroline attends, not to watch, but to participate, longing for a way to take back control over her life and her body, after such choices were taken from her by a previous ex. None of the men want her to fight, loudly protesting against it. After all, to them she was just a woman. But then the dashing fella at the bar sends her a dimpled smile and bets on her winning. All Human/Gangster AU. @bellemorte180 kind of inspired this idea, though they are unaware of this.

Untitled One-shot 2: Ghost AU. Influenced by Daphne Maurier's Rebecca, The Haunting of Hill House and Peaky Blinders. Summary would be - “You can’t go on living in that big old house with her ghost!”. In another world, another life, Caroline dies. But dead doesn’t mean gone. And the dead have a tendency to linger sometimes. Another instalment of the Dark Nights, Darker Tales series. Started writing this, may come out soon or I might save it for Halloween this year.

Untitled One-shot 3: Not Klaroline, but would be a complimentary one-shot for the Wolfblood universe (The Little Wolf, The Big Bad Wolf). Written through the eyes of various letters, invites, memoirs and newspaper clippings, it studies Klaus and the various friendships and enemies he's made throughout the centuries. A.K.A - the Klaus Mikaelson and Vlad the Impaler are drinking buddies au.

Untitled One-shot 4: Bluebeard fairy-tale inspired. Caroline marries Klaus Mikaelson, both madly in love. Then she discovers the bloody chamber storing the bodies of his previous wives. May end this on a really, really dark note, or I may end it with Caroline asking if they can go on a murder spree for their next date night. Will probably depend on my mood. Dark Nights, Darker Tales series one-shot.

Untitled One-shot 5: Blame @certifiedceraunophile for this but I want to right some kind of red riding hood inspired one-shot where Caroline carries an axe. That's it. That's the entire idea. Caroline with an axe. Another Dark Nights, Darker Tales series one-shot.

Untitled The Big Bad Wolf Sequel: Have some of this outlined, though I refuse to think about it until I get The Big Bad Wolf finished.

...

...

...

So, er, with the 4 wips on ao3, the 5 multichap wips I have outlined and/or started, and the 5 one-shots...

That's 14 wips.

FOURTEEN.

Christ. I've probably forgotten about some too. Which are your favourites? Any you want to see arrive sooner rather than later? I’m curious.

[ugly-crying-over-bucky-barnes]

Roguish Women Part 2

Summary: Kate Rosseau is an American who fled to Paris to escape her past life. Now she's dancing and playing the part of a courtesan at the Moulin Rouge. There she meets Tommy Shelby who thinks she can be useful in expanding his empire. But has he been blinded?

Part 2: Tommy and Kate debate and reach an agreement. 

Tommy helped Kate out of her fur coat upon entering the hotel suite. The luxury of the ornate room wasn’t new to her. She had spent plenty of time in lavish rooms being spoiled by expensive food, fine wines, and Egyptian cotton. The black, white, and gold embellishments of the Art Deco style was familiar to her. She was used to the light of glittering chandeliers and passing by her reflection in the many mirrored surfaces.

Although the expensive decor wasn’t any comfort to Kate. Not when she had to fake affection and love. In fact, the atmosphere of hotels had begun to make her nauseous. She knew what was awaiting her.

But it still wasn’t exactly clear if those were Tommy’s same intentions. He had expressed interest in what she knew but not her services. Still, he was a man. A man who had become accustomed to the finer things in life and that no doubt included expensive courtesans.

Kate had changed out of her stage costume before departing with Tommy. She left under the guise that he was an expensive client who wanted to take her somewhere a little more intimate. To complete the appearance, she left in a seductive jade colored dress. The one made of silk that left little to the imagination and had a scandalous open back.

Tommy noticed this very quickly as she walked over to the sofa. The silk shifted with every movement, clinging to her body and revealing the curve of her hips. He cleared his throat and hung her coat up on the rack by the door. He was careful to maintain his appearance of business by leaving everything on but his coat. This wasn’t a situation to be comfortable with. He still knew very little about this woman.

“Drink?” Tommy asked while moving to the liquor cart by the large windows. He looked down on the lights of Paris still sparkling in the night.

“Do you have wine?” Kate settled on the plush sofa, grateful to be off of her sore ankle. She reached down to take off her heels and inspect the area. Luckily there didn’t appear to be much swelling.

“Merlot.” He answered after inspecting the lone wine bottle among the liquor.

She made a face. “I prefer Chardonnay. Don’t particularly like red. I’ll just have gin.”

Tommy poured her a glass of gin and whiskey for himself. He walked over with the glasses and set them down on the table by the sofa. He took a seat across from her so they could talk.

“Do you have someone back in England, Mr. Shelby?” Kate wondered. It seemed unfathomable that a handsome and wealthy man like himself wasn’t married. But perhaps he’d simply taken off his wedding band while he was in the Moulin Rouge. Some men did that, some didn’t seem to care and left them on. Kate wasn’t sure which was a worse sin.

Tommy’s mind went to the blonde barmaid he left behind in Birmingham. Grace had captured his attention but it had been a long while since he’d allowed himself to succumb to love. He hadn’t opened his heart up since he lost Greta. But he was getting dangerously close to that territory with Grace. “I’m not married.”

“Hm.” Kate didn’t remark on his answer. But it led her to believe there was someone. It was anyone’s guess why he was keeping it a secret.

“Tell me what you know about the Americans.” Tommy redirected the conversation.

She took a drink of the gin and grimaced at the taste. “I don’t understand why Europeans like their gin so bitter.”

He crossed his arms over her chest and stared at her. For a moment, he doubted his decision to bring her back to the hotel. She could’ve been reading his reactions and telling him what he wanted to know. Could this all be a ruse to get something out of him? Blackmail? Maybe she wanted a free ride to England or even back to America. What if she didn’t know anything?

Kate raised an eyebrow at his expression of displeasure. “Are you always so serious, Mr. Shelby?” She asked.

“I asked you a question.”

“And I asked you a different one.”

Tommy’s jaw tightened. “I’m not here to play games. Either you know something or you’re wasting my time.”

Kate looked slightly amused despite his intense tone. “I grew up in South Boston. They call us Southies. There’s a group there that runs all of the bootlegging operations.”

“The Gustin Gang.” Tommy nodded as this wasn’t news to him. “I’m aware. I’ve done my share of research.” It was necessary to do such investigations if he was really going to expand overseas.

“Then you’ll know that they’re weak. Easy to take over if you’re strong enough.” Kate leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “But if you’re so smart, Mr. Shelby, then you won’t need my assistance.”

He balked a little. Yes, he knew about most of the active gangs that controlled the smuggling operations on the east coast as well as Chicago and Detroit. But he didn’t have enough intel to know how they operated or what their weaknesses and strengths were. “I brought you here to give me information.” He replied without explicitly saying that he needed her help. Admitting that would only give her power.

“There are Italians in the North End, lots of them. It doesn’t matter what city you’re in, Boston, New York, Chicago, the Irish hate the Italians and vice versa. Neither of them like to share control. They’re looking for allies, strong allies.”

Tommy considered what she was saying. It was much like London, various gangs all pushing and shoving each other for a larger piece of the pie. Would the Americans find a relationship mutually beneficial? Could he even trust them? Could he trust that Kate wasn’t looking out for her own interests?

“That’s very vague.” He responded.

Her confident demeanor wavered a little. “Well, more in-depth information could get me in trouble. I don’t want to risk that for a man I don’t know very well.”

So they were at a stalemate. Both of them standing with their backs against the wall so neither of them could stab the other when they weren’t paying attention.

“You were in the war,” Kate concluded.

He eyed her for a moment before nodded. “Yes.”

“Where?”

“Here. Northern France.” The break in the conversation gave Tommy a chance to find his cigarettes and light one.

Kate watched him. Each movement deliberate and firm. He was a man who hid his weaknesses well. But that didn’t mean he didn’t have any. All men had a weakness. So did women. “You must hate America for coming so late.”

His blue eyes didn’t meet hers as he lit the cigarette. “There were many people to blame. I’ve got more important things to deal with now.”

Little did he know, the woman in front of him had been through trauma. No, she hadn’t been in an active battlefield but she’d fought her own personal wars. Came across enemies who were ruthless. Suffered enough to warrant building up her defenses.

Tommy decided to throw her an incentive. He wasn’t there to talk about the war. “You want to get out of here. If you can’t go back to America would you want to come to England.”

Although she perked up, Kate was suspicious about his intentions. She hadn’t given him enough information to warrant a reward. He’d been vague about his relationship status. Maybe he wanted to bring her along as some sort of toy. “I don’t want to be a whore.” She replied. “Not here, not in America, and not in England.

“What else are you good at?” Tommy replied callously even though he didn’t intend to come off so harsh.

She scoffed, her eyes widening in disbelief. “You mean what am I good at beside fucking men?” Her voice was incredulous.

“I didn’t-”

“I’m not an object, Mr. Shelby, I have plenty of redeeming qualities. Or do you have your head so far up your own ass that you can’t see that?” She demanded.

He subtly rolled his eyes. The woman was testing his patience. “Are you using me?”

“Are you using me? ” She retorted.

Another stalemate. Neither of them looked away or softened their glare. It was as if the world had never seen such a dramatic clash of personalities. A mysterious woman who held valuable information, although it was questionable how she acquired it. And a man who wanted nothing more than to rule an empire but had severely lost his trust for others.

Kate decided to break the tense silence. “Mr. Shelby, you must understand that I fled America for a reason. I’m not looking to stir up the pot again and have them out for blood. They have no issue sending men to come and find me. If I give you information that can be traced back to me, then I have a problem.”

Tommy prided himself on being a good judge of character. He rarely trusted anyone that was outside of his immediate family. It was easy for him to pick up on tells that someone was lying. And he saw the hint of fear hidden behind Kate’s slate-colored eyes. He cleared his throat and stood up to pour himself another whiskey. “Say I were to trust you. You gave me the information I want and in exchange, you come to Birmingham with me. I can give you work at my company. Legitimate work.” He clarified before she argued with him again. “If your information checks out and is valuable, you’ll be compensated. And if there’s a threat on your life, you’ll be under the Peaky Blinders’ protection.”

Kate fidgeted and was a little uneasy with the proposition. But it was the only lifeline she had to get out of Paris. She had men promising her large sums of money before. Enough cash to leave the Moulin Rouge and find a life of her own. But they were hollow promises that were never kept. They promised to bring her home and provide her with everything. But what was expected from her in return made her sick.

Tommy could be holding out. Maybe he would break his promise once he got what he wanted. Maybe he would bring her to Birmingham and still treat her like a whore. Still, the walls were closing in on Kate. She didn’t have another option. It was a calculated risk, but it was a risk for Tommy as well. Maybe that was why she stood up and reached out to shake his hand. Sealing the deal.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Tommy was quite the picture sitting outside of a cafe. Sat at the small table, he was enjoying the Parisian sunlight while nursing an espresso and smoking.  He stretched out his legs a bit to keep comfortable. Activity bustled around him, men in fine suits, women dressed in the highest fashion, and mothers lugging along crying children. The romantic allure of the French language enveloped him and strangely eased his tension.

           Tommy assumed that coming to France would only trigger negative memories from the War. The rapid-fire foreign tongue that mixed with English in the trenches. The scent of their cigars. But the city was different enough to make him forget. Well, at least push the thought aside for a moment. He could never forget.

           A bright lilac covered cloche hat caught his attention. Tommy didn’t know whether the peacock feather stuck in the hat’s band was real or not but it certainly looked the part. Tightly wound blonde curls peeked out from underneath the short brim of the hat.

           Her blue eyes found his before he saw her hat. Kate walked towards him, maneuvering through the passing crowd. “Mr. Shelby,” She greeted and plopped herself down at the cafe table across from him.

           “You can call me Tommy.” He replied.

           I pegged you for more of a formal man.” Kate dug into her black purse for her compact mirror and lipstick.”

           Tommy watched her pull out the mirror, a small disk embellished with emerald stones. Most likely they were fake, and some were missing from the circular pattern. Her lipstick was a dark red. She flipped open the compact mirror and began to apply it. He saw her eyes poking up above the edge of the silver-plated mirror. That’s when he noticed the shadow under her right eye and the knot on her forehead. Injuries that certainly hadn’t been there when they’d spoken the night before.

           That morning, they had met in the lobby of the hotel the Peaky Blinders were staying in. Kate informed Tommy that she would be going to the Moulin Rouge to speak with her employer. He offered to go along with her but was turned down. Kate didn’t trust the British man yet. There was no need for him to be involved with her resignation. Mostly because she knew it would be ugly. Her boss, not the owner of the club but the manager, had a strong temper and often lashed out at the women. Especially women who were trying to escape their lives of night entertainers.

           “Who did that to you?” Tommy kept his tone even. He didn’t want to make it a spectacle of pointing out her injuries, lest she clammed up and denied anything happened.

           Her eyes flicked over the rim of the mirror to look at him. “Do you care?” The hand applying her lipstick paused, her lips parted slightly.

           “Yes.”

           Kate sighed and finished touching up her makeup. With a snap, she closed the mirror and shoved it back into her purse along with the tube of lipstick. “Some people don’t like to take no for an answer.”

           The cryptic answer didn’t satisfy Tommy. “Who did it?” He repeated firmly.

           A bitter smile crossed her face. “What? Are you going to act the knight in shining armor for me?” She accused. “Rest assured, Mr.-Tommy, I’ve met my fair share of men who had no issue roughing up a woman. They call it equality.”

           Tommy frowned. “That’s not how I operate.”

           The dark conversation about abusers appeared to amuse Kate in a twisted way. Perhaps she had become so accustomed to the brutal nature of some that she expected it. It simply became a way of life. Either she fought back, which was appropriate in some cases, or she expertly covered up the marks with powder the next morning. She didn’t fight everyone who aggressed against her. She chose her battles wisely.

           “How do you Brummies operate then?” She inquired.

           “If someone lays a hand on you then they lose their hand,” Tommy replied bluntly. “That’s what being under the protection of the Peaky Blinders entails.”

           “Why’d you call yourselves that?” She dismissed his explanation of his policy regarding abusers.

           He raised an eyebrow but reached up to slip off his flat cap, passing it over to Kate. “Razor blades sewn into the brim.”

           Kate examined the gray cap and gently pushed back the seam to see the blades hidden. She lightly pressed her thumb against the sharp edge, making an indent across her fingerprint. “Huh, so you blind people.”

           “When it’s necessary.” Tommy took the cap back from her and placed it back on his head.

           “So, what work do you have for me?” She folded her hands on the table, leaning slightly forward to address him.

           “It’ll all be explained once we get to Birmingham.” He answered and reached into his pocket to pull out a few coins for the coffee. “Until then, you should start compiling all the information you’re going to give me. I’d rather not leave a paper trail but if you must write things down to remember, then you may.”

           “How gracious of you.”

           He continued talking, skipping over her snarky remark. “Until then, I’ll have you meet me brothers and a few of my men who are here. For now, you’re simply my new hire. They won’t need to know you’re an informant.”

           “You keep secrets from your family often, Tommy?” Kate tilted her head to the side with a simpering glance. “That doesn’t make for good business.”

           Again, Tommy chose to disregard what she said. “I’ve already bought you a ticket for the ship. We’re leaving tomorrow morning at eight.”

           Kate waved over the waiter and ordered a coffee in French. She crossed her legs and picked up Tommy’s silver tin of cigarettes without asking. He didn’t stop her, instead just pulling out his lighter and offering it to her. After a few drags, she smiled coyly. “You must be excited to return to your sweetheart back home.”

           Tommy knew that he’d left his relationship status vague. He’d done so intentionally. “I don’t have anyone back home.”

           “I think you do.”

           “Is that so?”

           Her smile grew a little as he teased her. It was as if he wanted her to show off her intelligence, to prove herself. “You have a past; anyone can see that in your eyes. I also know you’ve had your fair share of whores. So, when you’re alone in a hotel suite with one of Paris’s finest and you don’t try anything, it usually means you’re holding out for someone. It’s honorable.” She shrugged. “Not many men have your...restraint.”

           He frowned. This wasn’t the conversation he was looking to have. But he figured it wouldn’t bode well if he arrived from Paris with a woman in tow. Grace would surely have a few questions. “You’ll meet her once you’re in Birmingham. She works at the bar I own.”

           “What’s her name?”

           “Did your boss do that to you because you said you were going to leave?”

           Kate smiled. It was fairly entertaining to her, the mental games that Tommy seemed to play in conversations. The man clearly liked control even when simply talking to another person. “So, what if he did?”

           Tommy pondered the idea. Would he be willing to risk getting revenge for a woman he hardly knew? Would he let a man who worked with vulnerable women get away with hurting them? It seemed like a good job for Isaiah and Finn. Get their feet wet a little bit. “Then he’s a bad man.”

           “Were you like this before the war?”

           “Like what?”

           His composure fascinated Kate. At the Moulin Rouge, men didn’t like when the women asked questions. There were several reasons. He was a high profile man who was risking a lot to have a little fun at the club. He felt talking interrupted the show. Or he simply didn’t see women as humans. Sometimes it was all of the above. But Tommy didn’t seem to mind the questions, even if he never answered them.

           “Like you want to make sure every bad man pays for his sins.”

           He exhaled a stiff snort of laughter and let his eyes wander out to the street. “I think I know how you came by all this information you claim to have.”

           Her lips quirked up into a smile. “Oh?”

           “You don’t drop an issue.”

           Kate grinned. She thanked the waiter who came over with her order. “Merci, I am on his tab, and make sure he leaves you a generous tip.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

           “Tom, of all the bad fucking ideas-”

           Tommy waved a hand at the liquor cart. “Take what you’d like and sit down, brother.”

           Arthur grimaced but did pour himself a drink before going to sit where Kate had been the night before. After a hearty swig, he held his hands up as if waiting for Tommy to hand over the explanation. The explanation of why suddenly a French whore was joining them on their return journey to Birmingham.

           “She’s got information about the Americans. Things we can use against them once we expand overseas.”

           “Expand overseas...hang on when did we discuss this?” The eldest Shelby demanded.

           “I’ve been playing with the idea. We’ve got the ability and we shouldn’t limit ourselves to Birmingham or London. Shouldn’t fucking limit ourselves to the continent.”

           Arthur frowned and finished his drink. “Think you’re biting off more than you can chew, mate. We’ve just done a deal here, why can’t we fucking focus on what we’ve got in Birmingham for the time being?”

           “You can focus on Birmingham, but she’s going to give us good information. I’m not saying we’re going to make a move on America tomorrow. It’ll take time.”

           There was obviously no point in trying to talk Tommy out of his decision. “Right, so what is she gonna do? Just sit ‘round your office talking? How’d you know we can trust her?”

           “We can’t.” Tommy admitted coolly. “But I’ve offered her a job in the company. One that’ll test her loyalty.”

           “So you’re risking our family and company because she might have some information on people we ain’t even fucking fighting with yet?” Arthur was appalled at the idea.

           Tommy leaned over the back of a chair with a glint in his eyes. “Yet. Arthur, yet.” He smiled slightly. “But when we do start fighting, we’ll be ten steps ahead of them. They won’t know what fucking hit them.”

           The desire for power in his brother’s eyes wasn’t unfamiliar, at least not in recent months. It seemed more than ever Tommy was itching for any opportunity to grasp more power. And it was far too late to try and cool him down. “You’re a fucking madman, Tom.”

           “And yet you keep following me into battle.”

Permanent Tag: @sansajonsastark​ @giftofdreams​

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