#Shelby Cobb

[milliondollarbaby87]

The Greatest Hits (2024) Review

Harriet Gibbons travels back in time through listening to different songs and allows her to see those romantic memories of her deceased boyfriend, with this will she actually change the past to give a better future? ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Continue reading The Greatest Hits (2024) Review

[of-fear-and-love]

Interiors of Derek Flint's house, from Our Man Flint (1966)

Art direction by Ed Graves, Jack Martin Smith Set decoration by Raphael Bretton, Walter M. Scott Set construction by Greg C. Jensen Sr.

[tomshelbystits]

the smuts good but i NEEEEED ANGST😭

I DON’T WANT SMUT I WANT FLUFF OR SOME GOOD ASS ANGST GOD DAMN IT

[justrainandcoffee]

Non, je ne regrette nien (Eames x fem!oc) Part II

Eames masterlist - first part

Summary: Cobb tells the group about the new project they have to do and to Eames' surprise he knows that, somehow, her former sister-in-law is involved.|| Jasmine's life is quite chaotic at the moment and things are about to getting worse when Eames finally calls her.|| His and her friends, know about the other.

Warnings: None. || I took the liberty of using some of my mutuals' beautiful OCs. Eva belongs to @evita-shelby , Holly belongs to @cillmequick and Alice belongs to @emotionalcadaver

Words: 3.1k (believe when I say that only one hour ago, I had half of it and a massive writer's block 😭.)

2010

Eames' cat, named Bes after the Egyptian God of the dreams, was a fat girl who always was where Eames was. From the cat tree that Eames bought for her and put inside that warehouse, Bes was listening to the team while they were discussing the last job.

Dom was hired by a Parisian politician to perform an inception in an important judge by implanting him the idea that he was innocent and could avoid the prison that inevitably was his fate. The politician could bribe the rest of the tribunal but him. He just wanted immunity and forgiveness due some corrupt things he did in the past.

"Did you accept?" Arthur asked not believing his ears.

"We did much worse things."

"It's different, Cobb! We're talking about a man who stopped the construction of a school to buy a fucking house in the Polynesia!"

"It was a hospital," corrected Eames.

"Much worse, then! Let me ask again, did you accept?!"

"I did," Cobb looked at his friend, hands in his pockets touching the token that was there.

"You're losing your mind, Dom. Fuck. And all of you are okay with this?"

"To do this job you don't have to have morals," Eames replied. "We're not angels. You either."

"Do we have options?"

Dom shook his head and Arthur sighed. "Okay, then, let's help this motherfucker. It seems that the only honest being here is Bes."

"That's what you think. That's because you're not living with her," Eames said looking at his cat sideways.

"Better her than you," Arthur stated.

"If it helps to ease your mind, this person promised me to finish the hospital."

"And did you believe him?"

"I can destroy his life," Cobb said, "he knows that."

"Still…"

"Arthur, if this man doesn't do what he promised, I'm going to kidnap him and going to do the same but in his mind and in the next hour he's going to expose himself in public television. Now, can we focus on this?"

Arthur finally nodded.

They left the less important projects aside for the moment to focus on the judge. The next few days Arthur investigated him the same way he collected a good number of data for the politician as well.

The judge was a 56 years old man called Pierre Durant. He was married to an important chef, but despite the money they have their lives were still simple.

"When do we have to do this?" Ariadne asked, three days after Cobb announced the project.

"We have time. But we can't waste hours. I'm guessing a couple of weeks or a month. We can train, we can think about this detailed."

"He has a dental appointment in three weeks," Arthur said writing the date on the whiteboard. "Le sourire blanc his dentist is doctor Jasmine Prince."

"What?" Eames stopped what he was doing to stared at his friend.

"I said he has a dental appointment we can use to…"

"The dentist name, Arthur."

"Jasmine Prince. Why?"

"No, we can't use that appointment to do this."

"Why not?"

"Because I know her. The woman who greeted me the other day in the street… that's Jasmine Prince. Or Jas."

"Well, we can persuade her to help us," suggested Ariadne. "Is she your friend?"

"Not exactly."

"Is she your ex, then?"

"Not exactly."

"Eames, for god sake!" Arthur was exasperated and it was notorious. "You were the one who said we don't have morals when we're doing this job! Amazing that you're more concerned about a dentist than a senator that used people's money to his own benefit."

"We're going to use that appointment to do this," interjected Cobb before Eames could replicate. The leader of the group saw him frown "Talk to her and try to convince her."

"Easy to say, Dominic."

"You screw up somehow with the dentist?" Arthur asked again.

"Maybe."

"How bad that can be?" Ariadne wanted to know, but Eames didn't respond, instead, he walked towards Cobb.

"I'm going to talk to her. But if she refuses we're going to find a new place to do this or I'm out."

Cobb nodded "deal."

_

The days that followed the moment Jasmine saw Eames were chaotic to say the least. Her patients were everything but patient, her secretary decided to start a new job and left her alone dealing with the schedule, the callings, new appointments and cancellations as well. The new rhythm of the world seemed to be affecting everyone and without help, at the end of the day Jasmine just wanted to go home and sleep for three years consecutive.

And when she was sleeping Eames appeared in her dreams. Usually it was that night but the scenario changed almost every time. Sometimes she was just with him dancing, others Sophia appeared accusing her of being an awful sister. Once, a nightmare woke her up and she spent a couple of hours trying to erase the image of Eames and Sophia laughing at her.

A friend of hers gave her the number of a girl who was looking for a job. Jasmine needed a secretary urgently or she was going to collapse before the end of the month, she promised herself to call this girl soon.

It was those days that she realised that she needed holidays. She was tired, stressed and possibly suffering from anxiety. Jasmine thought that she needed to start therapy as well. But free time wasn't something she had.

That day Jasmine started her day as usual. She fed her ferrets, prepared coffee for her and listen to the first news of the morning before parting to her job. The subway was crowded ad usual at that hour but she managed to get a seat. Music, as always, helped her. Music was part of her the same way books were part of a librarian. She couldn't imagine a world in silence, a world where songs and melodies weren't part of the humanity. She promised herself that at night she was going to play the guitar, despite the complaints from her moody old neighbour and her useless son.

Same as always, that day for her it was full of patients and few time for her. Jasmine realised that she ate anything around 4pm when her stomach growled. In less than an hour, fortunately, she was going to be able to go to her house again.

.

That same night, Eames was already in the apartment he was renting while he was in Paris. Every new case brought new challenges and usually he was always prepared because it never involved people he knew, but now it was different. How many dentist were in Paris in that moment? Thousands. And of all those dentists, the stupid judge had to choose her? Eames understood that she was good, but it was the problem that could cause working with her what bothered him.

He didn't want her to think that he was playing with people's minds. Even if it was exactly that what he was doing.

"Should I call her now?"

It was a serious question directed to a serious listener as Bes was.

Owner and pet were eating french fries watching Breaking Bad, popular tv show if any in 2010. But Eames wasn't paying attention to Walter White in that moment.

Arthur got him her telephone number and address. Was it legally? No, of course not, neither of what they did was legal. But Eames wasn't going to harass her either. He just wanted to talk.

"As a friend," he said out loud. Bes seemed to judge him when she heard his words.

"As a friend," he repeated. "What do you know about it, girl?"

Meow.

"I know better, Bes."

Bes wasn't so sure.

.

Jasmine, as she promised to herself, was playing the guitar. The Beatles' song was filling the room and she was lost, feeling the strings in her fingers. She also sang. Not many people knew, but she learnt how to do it decades ago when she was just a teen.

Back then Sophia spent her days learning karate because she wanted to be part of the school team. She was really good at it, won several medals and trophies. Sophia tried to persuade Jasmine to join her, but she refused every time and seeing that, her parents allowed her to learn music and sent her to a nice academy. Jasmine thought more than once that the moment they chose different extracurricular activities it was when the twins started to be independent individuals. And for good or not, it lasted till these days.

When her phone rang, Jasmine was still playing the guitar. The ID showed a number she didn't know, so she thought it was a patient. It wasn't strange for her receiving calls from different people asking her if they could go to her clinic without an appointment or if she could give them some medicine at… 2am.

"Doctor Prince," she said without looking at the number again.

"Doctor Prince? That sounds good, Jas."

Jasmine put the guitar aside and it took her few seconds to recognise his voice.

"Eames? What…? How…? Who gave you my number?"

"Hi, Jas. Uhm. No one. Everything is on internet these days."

"Did you search my name on Google, Eames?"

"Well, no if you say it like I'm a pervert looking for my next victim, Jasmine. It surprised me to see you the other day and I barely could say hello. You ran away."

"No, it's not like that. I didn't ran away. I was tired, and I didn't know what else to say. But I was glad to see you again."

"Were you? For a moment I thought that you weren't."

"What? No. No… I was tired and you were with people."

"Cobb and Arthur, yes, my friends and colleagues. Jas, I have something to tell you and it's better you heard this from me. But it can't be over the phone. I thought, I don't know, maybe we can talk? How about a coffee?"

"Talk about what? What do you have to tell me?"

"Talk. I don't know, life? What are you doing here, what I am doing here. We're friends, after all. Or we used to be."

"Eames…"

"It's okay if you don't want to. That's my number if you ever want to talk, just call me maybe. If I don't answer immediately it's because I'm sleeping."

Her ferrets were looking at her. Dumb idiot, they seemed to think as they were looking at her with their judgy black eyes.

"I'll save your number."

"Sounds good, Jas. I still don't know if it's true that you are happy to see me. But I am. Good night, Jas."

"Good night, Eames."

Jasmine stayed there with her heart pounding in her chest. She added his number on her phone and contemplated it several minutes, while her thumb brushed the keys ready to type a message as soon as her brain give the order. But that didn't happen.

.

Unaware of what the other was doing, the other day both called some friends to talk. In Jasmine's case, it was an old friend of hers. She was living in United States and they each other from the years they were studying un college. She was friends with Sophia as well, although they cut all ties after Sophia returned to Canada. Time zones were always complicated, but at those hours, it could be considered adequate for both of them.

Holly Matthews was one of the people she trusted the most of her, among with Eva Smith who was living in the USA as well. Both were in stablish relationships and sometimes, more often than Jasmine wanted to admit, she felt behind in life compared to them. Yet, the last thing she felt was envy, quite the contrary. Both Zach and Jack -Holly and Eva's partner respectively- were good men and her friends were happy. In consequence, she was too. But for now, that was something that life didn't give her. Her relationships usually ended very soon. Or very bad. Or both.

"Hospital was really crowded the last week. Suddenly all women decided to have their babies at the same time, it seemed. But I'm getting some rest now and Zach is very happy about it." Holly commented. Medicine somehow joined both friends, although their works weren't the same at all.

"For sure, he is" Jasmine chuckled. She was eating her lunch, something she didn't do the day before, while talking with her "you are lucky, Holly. Hope you know that."

"Gary didn't talk to you again?"

"He better not! I rather be alone than with someone like him again…"

"But?" Holly could hear her friend from the other side of the line and she knew she wanted to say something.

"Eames reappeared. Well, it's not like he reappeared magically. I found him here two weeks ago and he called me last night."

"Oh my god."

Only Eva and Holly knew about the whole thing about Eames and her and that infamous night when they had sex.

"Yes. That was my reaction. He wants to talk, but he didn't tell me about what. I have his number, tho."

"Well, call him then!"

"Holly…"

"Maybe he just wants to know how you are. It's been a lot of years. Who stops you? Sophia gives a fuck about him."

"Sophia gives a lot of fucks about her exes. She collects them like limited edition figures."

"But they're people, Jas. Individuals who have a life despite what she thinks. And you do want my opinion on this matter, otherwise you will be laughing at this. Call him! Did you talk to Eva?"

"No… not yet. I'm afraid that she'll push me towards him. It was hard not to hear her years ago."

"Because she's right. You should hear her. Jas, you know what I think of Sophia."

"But she's still my sister."

"And this happened when? Four? Five years ago? And it's just a fucking coffee with him or a dinner or whatever, if you want, do it. I have to go, love, but let me know, ok?"

"Yeah, I will. Thanks, Holly."

Jasmine stared at the opposite wall for several minutes.

Five years ago, the next day after spending the night with her former brother-in-law when Jasmine called Eva her friend was categorically: "if you like him, go after him."

And to be honest, part of Jasmine wanted to go after him. But the love she had for her sister was stronger. Eva had snorted back then when Jasmine told her that Eames returned to London where he lived in 2005. "Hope you don't regret it. With due all respect, Sophia is a bitch, Jasmine. And I'm telling you this as her former friend. I sincerely regret introducing him to her instead of you. I didn't see the things clearly."

Eva was his friend back then in 2003 and thought that Eames and Sophia could be a good couple and for a while it seemed to work. But sooner than anyone expected, the arguments began and a bit longer than a year and a half, they broke up. Jasmine thought she wasn't going to see him again, but in 2005 she found him and now, in 2010, Eames appeared in her life again. Not Sophia's life, but hers. Twice.

.

As for Eames, he was talking with his best friend. Unlike Holly and Jas, the time zone between him and Alice Emerson was huge considering she was living in Australia. But she didn't seem to mind. He was in her kitchen (technically his boyfriend's kitchen, but now it was hers as well) talking to Eames. The phone was in speaker as she was taking advantage to be there to eat ice-cream. It was winter in that side of the world, but that didn't stop her.

"So, yes, Cobb told me about this new case and told me too, that Arthur is a bit upset. I agree, but I like the idea of Cobb destroying this politician's life if he fuck with us."

"I agree. Are you coming with us?"

"I am, yes. But not now, maybe near the day you're planning this inception. Did you do your part yet? Cobb told me you know the dentist."

"I do, yes. I do."

"So?"

"I called her last night. I didn't tell this to the group yet, Al, but I'm her former brother-in-law. I dated her sister."

"Oh shit!! That's why you wanted her out if this!" Alice exclaimed while was holding the spoon near her mouth. "Did you screw up very bad with her sister?"

"No. We broke up because we're going anywhere with that relationship and we were arguing constantly. The this… Jasmine and her sister are twins…"

"So?"

"I fucked Jasmine, too. It happened only once, after I broke up with her sister, but it happened." Eames finally confessed.

Alice's spoon fell on the floor to much her cats happiness who were craving a bit of ice-cream. "You did what?!"

"Only once, Al."

"You're an idiot, Eames. Tell me, for god's sake, that it wasn't because you fantazised about having sex with the two of them…"

"Well, no. I mean, when I knew that Sophia had a twin the idea crossed my mind. But I didn't have sex with Jas because she was 'the other twin'. I did it because I wanted to. Jasmine is a sweet girl, I could never do that, even if I thought about it. We both agreed, otherwise."

"Shit. Eames, you're very lucky that I'm on the other side of the world! I want to smack you! Okay, let's see. Do you think she wants to talk to you?"

"Hard to know. When I saw her by chance weeks ago, she ran away, but she says she didn't."

"Can you blame her? At least she talked to you last night, that's something. Eames, just… I don't know, just give her some time. I can talk to Cobb and persuade him to give you extra time without giving him details. He listens to me."

"That could be very helpful."

"Fine. Wait for her call, then. If not, we can think another thing. But don't screw up this time, Eames."

"I'm an angel, Alice."

His friend rolled her eyes and finished the call.

Eames remained in his apartment that day, thinking about alternatives to do the job. He also checked his phone every ten minutes.

But it wasn't until the night that he received a message.

"Can you tomorrow afternoon? xoxo, J."

He couldn't help but smile

"I can. Tell me where. <3."

Next

[aneurinallday]

Green Eyes

Chapter 19: Atonement

He took Alec home - not to Arrow House, but to the old flat above the betting shop in Small Heath, where Thomas had lived as a bachelor before Grace, and which was much closer.

All eyes were upon them as they entered, Alec an arresting sight with his dishevelled curls and smudged makeup, clutching Thomas’s coat around himself. The fringe of his dress was visible below it, the long tassels dancing around his bare legs. But nobody would dare remark upon his appearance.

“You’ll be safe here,” said Thomas as he guided Alec upstairs. “I own this part of the city, and the people answer to me. Nobody can harm you here.”

The small, sparsely furnished flat overlooked the dreary cobblestones of Watery Lane, a view which Thomas had looked at every day while building his empire brick by brick. Alec stood lost in the middle of the room, glancing at his unfamiliar surroundings. He was still clutching the empty picture frame - the only material object that still mattered to him.

“You can put that down - nobody will take it away from you.”

Alec reluctantly set the frame down on the dresser.

“Are you hungry? I can heat up a tin of something.”

Alec shook his head.

“Alright. Let’s get you cleaned up, eh?”

Leading Alec into the small en-suite, he sat him down on the edge of the bathtub and turned both taps. He removed the blanket from around Alec’s shoulders, folded it, and set it aside.

“Take a bath,” he said, “I’ll have my men start looking for your daughter.”

He left Alec staring into the water, and headed downstairs into the betting shop. From there began the search for Clara Cobb - a search he knew would most likely end in failure.

“Her name is Clara,” he said to the assembled Peaky Blinders, “She’s a year and a half old. Yellow hair, green eyes. If Cobb didn’t kill her, he most likely dumped her at an orphanage. Pay a visit to every children’s home in the area. Track down everyone who’s adopted a little girl of that description since late January. Tell them she was kidnapped and should never have been put up for adoption. Whatever compensation they want in exchange for her, tell them Thomas Shelby will pay it.”

He faltered, reluctant to voice what he needed to say next.

“It’s possible that Cobb planned to raise her until she was old enough to start working. Search every business he owned, in case she’s being kept among the other prostitutes’ children. Those businesses belong to Bragg now, and he won’t like us poking around, but he won’t risk starting shit with us - not when he’s still trying to establish himself as the new man in charge. Go in pairs, and don’t leave a single fucking stone unturned. This child needs her father and he needs her. We don’t have time to waste. Understood?”

A map of the West Midlands region was rolled out, and pins were placed to mark the brothels Cobb had run. Once he’d finished giving the men their orders, Thomas returned upstairs to his flat.

He expected to find that Alec had finished his bath, but instead found him sitting in a half-empty tub. His naked knees were drawn up to his chest, and he was gazing vacantly at nothing. His tasselled dress had been dropped in a pile on the floor, unwanted.

Thomas dipped his hand in the water. It had turned cold.

“You’re going to freeze,” he said.

He turned the hot taps on full blast, then crouched by the side of the tub. With a bar of soap and a sponge, he began to scrub Alec’s body, trying to wash away the memory of the Arcadia. The downward trajectory of Alec’s life was mapped out on his skin - fresh welts layered on top of old bruises, ribs making their presence known above a malnourished stomach, rope-marks itching on his wrists and ankles. On his neck and shoulders were love-bites left by loveless encounters - uncaring visitors who’d taken what they’d wanted and given nothing in return.

“I’m sorry,” Thomas said quietly. “I never should’ve sent you away.”

Alec didn’t respond.

With his thumb, Thomas attempted to wipe away what remained of the smudged liner from around his eyes, but it held on stubbornly.

“That’s not giving up easy,” he said to fill the silence, “I’ll ask my Aunt Pol if she’s got anything to remove it. While I’m at it, I’ll ask her if she’s got anything to make these marks go away quicker. A cream or something...”

He checked the water temperature again. It was warm. He turned off the taps. Picking up a bottle of shampoo, he shook some of the fragrant liquid into his palm, and began to rub it into Alec’s hair.

Finally Alec spoke, his voice thin and hoarse from disuse.

“I’m never going to see her again,” he whispered.

“You will.” The dark, wet curls were slick in Thomas’s hands. “I promise you will.”

“She’s gone, Mister Shelby. I’ll never find her.”

“I’ll find her for you,” Thomas assured him, though the words sounded hollow even to his own ears.

“She won’t remember me,” Alec mourned, “Even I find her tomorrow, she won’t remember me. It’s been two months. She’ll have forgotten me by now.”

“You can’t be sure of that.”

Alec put his face in his hands and took a deep, shaky breath to steady himself, trying to suppress his tears.

“I’ll be nobody to her. I’ll be nothing. She won’t love me any more. If she has new parents, she’ll love them instead.”

“She might not remember you, but she will come to love you again. She’s still just a baby. All she’ll care about is that you’re the one holding her, you’re the one singing to her, you’re the one playing with her. Those are the things that matter to a child.”

Alec lowered his hands and looked desperately around the bathroom.

“I can still hear her, but she’s not there. Sometimes I dream that I’m holding her. I can feel her in my arms like she’s there. When I wake up, I just…I just want to go back to sleep, so I can feel her again.”

“I’ll find her,” Thomas repeated firmly.

With wet hands, Alec grasped at Thomas’s arm and clung tightly to it.

“I don’t know what to do, Mister Shelby,” he whispered, “She was…she was all I had. Before I met you, she was my only friend. And after you sent me away, it was the same. But now she’s gone.”

“I’m sorry.”

“My whole life, I was just…I was nothing. I was invisible. People only saw me when they wanted to use me. I didn’t know why I was here - what the point of me was. But when she was born, suddenly I became someone. Someone who mattered. Clara loved me and needed me, and she didn’t care what I was. She didn��t care if I was a whore. To her, I was just her dad. And I was a good dad too.”

He could no longer see through eyes stinging with tears and soap-suds.

“When I held her, I could see her whole future. All the nice things she’d have and all the places she’d go. And I knew I’d do anything to make it come true. I knew I’d do anything for my Clara. And I didn’t hate myself anymore, because I knew I was finally doing something good.”

He choked back his sobs.

“I was nobody until I became a dad. But now she’s gone and I’m not a dad any more.”

“You still are. You always will be.”

“I’m not. How can I be?”

“My Grace is dead but I’m still her husband. Your Clara is still out there, and she will come back to you. I don’t know when, but she will.”

Alec’s ragged sobs subsided into hiccups.

“I’ve always protected her. I’ve always tried my best. But now she’s gone, and I don’t know where she is, and I don’t know if she’s alright. What if she’s in danger? What if she’s…?” He couldn’t speak the word.

“She’ll be alright,” Thomas said, “Whoever she’s with, I’m sure they’re taking care of her. There are decent people in the world.”

“But…”

“You’ve come this far by yourself. Now I’m here, and I’m going to help you. We’ll see it through together, the two of us. Understand?”

Alec nodded through tears and released his grip on Thomas’s arm.

Scooping up more water, Thomas cupped the young man’s jaw to hold his mouth shut, and tipped his head backwards. He placed his hand over Alec’s forehead to shield his eyes, and carefully poured the jug over his hair, rinsing away the foam.

“There.” He kissed Alec’s shoulder, pressing his lips against damp skin. “All done.”

“What should I do, Mister Shelby?”

“Right now? Nothing. You’ve worked yourself to the bone. It’s time to let us take over.” Thomas straightened up. “Now, come on. Up you get.”

Alec’s body was stiff from sitting in the tub for so long, and he struggled to rise. Thomas helped him to towel himself dry, then led him back into the main room. In the corner stood a narrow bed with an iron frame and a single pillow.

Thomas pulled back the old patchwork quilt and sat Alec naked on the edge of the bed. Then he helped him to lie down, lifting his bare legs up onto the mattress.

“Get some sleep,” he said, covering Alec warmly with the quilt.

Alec was unresisting, his mind elsewhere. Then he startled. He suddenly sat up, pushing back the quilt and attempting to rise.

“I shouldn’t be here,” he croaked, “I should be out looking for her.”

“My men are already looking for her. You have to rest.”

“I can’t just wait here. I can’t just do nothing.”

“Easy now,” Thomas said as if soothing a skittish horse. “Easy…”

“How can I stay here? It’s been so long…I haven’t held her in ages. I need to find her.”

“Alec, stop. Listen to me.” He held Alec’s face between his hands, stroking his haggard cheeks, gazing into his hollow eyes. “Listen. We’re searching for her. We’re the Peaky Blinders and we own this town. Wherever she is, we’ll find her much quicker than you could.”

Alec seemed to feel slightly comforted. It was probably the first time he’d been offered any kind of reassurance.

Thomas gently pushed him back onto the bed. Physically and mentally spent, Alec lay unmoving while Thomas adjusted the pillow and straightened the quilt. Thomas fetched the picture frame that was all that remained of Clara, and pressed it into Alec’s hands, then pulled up a chair beside his bed.

“Get some rest. If anything happens, I’ll wake you. Alright?”

“...Alright.”

Unable to argue any longer, Alec closed his eyes, hugged the empty picture frame to his chest, and sank into miserable unconsciousness. Thomas kept a silent watch over him, and when the nightmares came, he was ready. As soon as the sleep turned uneasy and the restless tossing began, he stroked Alec’s damp curls and murmured softly in his ear until he settled again.

Thomas knew that it was his own failures that had led them here. In his desperation for companionship, he’d refused to recognise the obvious warning signs before it was too late. And once the undeniable truth had been revealed, he’d failed to show mercy to a powerless pawn who’d been wielded as an unwilling weapon. Failed to predict the extent of Cobb’s vindictive cruelty. Failed to protect an innocent child from being separated from its father. Now Alec and Clara were paying the price for Thomas’s catastrophic mixture of stubbornness, complacency, and pure aching loneliness.

He knew there was nothing he could do to make up for those abject failures. But he had to start somewhere, and for now, all he could do was offer Alec a moment’s respite from the living hell of losing his daughter.

[oldfashioned-lovergirl]

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GAME OF THRONES / HOUSE OF THE DRAGON / ASOIAF

Tyrion Lannister, Jaime Lannister, Jon Snow, Sandor Clegane, Oberyn Martell, Stannis Baratheon, Daenerys Targaryen, Cersei Lannister, Petyr Baelish, Tywin Lannister, Sansa Stark, Robb Stark, Theon Greyjoy, Ned Stark, Robert Baratheon, Jorah Mormont, Asha/Yara Greyjoy, Brienne of Tarth, Benjen Stark, Euron Greyjoy, Beric Dondarrion, Daemon Targaryen, Harwin Strong, Aemond Targaryen, Aegon II Targaryen, Jacaerys Velaryon, Cregan Stark

Jaime x Brienne, Sansa x Theon, Jon x Daenerys, Jon x Sansa, Stannis x Davos, Robb x Theon, Jon x Satin, Ned x Robert, Robert x Lyanna, Cersei x Oberyn, Tyrion x Oberyn, Jaime x Oberyn, Sansa x Margaery, Daenerys x Asha/Yara, Daenerys x Jorah, Daenerys x Euron, Stannis x Davos, Melisandre x Stannis, Rhaenyra x Daemon, Rhaenyra x Harwin, Rhaenyra x Alicent, Daemon x Laena, Jaecerys x Cregan

STAR WARS

Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Han Solo, Din Djarin, Boba Fett, Shin Hati, Darth Maul

Han x Leia, Han x Lando, Anakin x Padme, Obi-Wan x Satine, Obi-Wan x Darth Maul, Obi-Wan x Cody, Finn x Poe, Din x Luke, Din x Cobb Vanth, Shin Hati x Sabine

ATTACK ON TITAN

Eren Yeager, Jean Kirstein, Reiner Braun, Annie Leonhart, Porco Galliard

Erwin x Levi, Jean x Marco, Eren x Mikasa, Mikasa x Annie, Eren x Reiner, Reiner x Jean, Eren x Jean, Mikasa x Jean, Pieck x Porco, Reiner x Porco

JUJUTSU KAISEN

Satoru Gojo, Suguru Geto, Ryomen Sukuna, Yuji Itadori, Nanami Kento, Toji Fushiguro, Megumi Fushiguro, Maki Zenin, Nobara Kugisaki, Mahito, Choso, Yuta Okkotsu, Shiu Kong

Gojo x Geto, Sukuna x Megumi, Yuji x Megumi, Nanami x Haibara, Maki x Yuta, Mahito x Geto

MORTAL KOMBAT 1

Johnny Cage, Kenshi, Liu Kang, Kitana, Bi-Han

Johnny x Kenshi, Liu Kang x Kitana

COBRA KAI / THE KARATE KID

Johnny Lawrence (y/a), Daniel LaRusso (y/a), Miguel Diaz, Eli Moskowitz/Hawk, Tory Nichols, Sam LaRusso, Terry Silver

Johnny x Daniel (y/a), Miguel x Sam, Miguel x Tory, Tory x Robby, Miguel x Robby, Eli/Hawk x Moon, Kreese x Terry (y/a)

HARRY POTTER

Harry, Draco, Ron, Hermione, Cedric, James (y/a), Sirius (y/a), Remus (y/a), Albus (y), Lucius (y/a), Barty

Harry x Draco, Ron x Hermione, Sirius x Remus (y/a), Harry x Cedric

MARVEL COMICS / MCU

Frank Castle, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Thor, Loki, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff, Yelena Belova, Kate Bishop, Stephen Strange, Peter Parker (any version), Felicia Hardy, Carol Danvers, Peter Quill, Gamora, Wanda Maximoff, Vision, T’Challa, Victor Von Doom, Erik Lehnsherr, Matt Murdock, Elektra, Maria Hill, Reed Richards, Johnny Storm, Susan Storm, Ben Grimm

Tony x Bruce, Loki x Mobius, Sam x Bucky, Tony x Bucky, Bucky x Natasha, Natasha x Yelena (non mcu), Yelena x Kate, Peter x Gamora, Scott x Hope, Frank x Matt, Frank x Karen, Victor x Tony, Victor x Reed, Victor x Stephen, Reed x Susan

DC COMICS / DCEU

Bruce Wayne (any version), Selina Kyle, John Constantine, Diana

Bruce x Selina, Bruce x Harvey Dent, John x Zatanna, John x Bruce, Roman Sionis x Victor Zsasz, Harley Quinn x Diana

OTHERS

Thomas Shelby (Peaky Blinders), John Shelby (Peaky Blinders), Ragnar Lothbrock (Vikings), Joe Goldberg (You), Joe Goldberg x Rhys Montrose (You), Tyler Durden (Fight Club), Rust Cohle (True Detective), Kai Anderson (AHS), Tate Langdon (AHS), Tate Langdon x Violet Harmon (AHS), James March (AHS), Lalo Salamanca x Nacho Varga (Breaking Bad), Billy Butcher (The Boys), Soldier Boy (The Boys)

[esoterium]

top 100 characters statistical "which character" is similar to yours personality quiz

**picking five characters i know to add to the list while i take a couple!!*

Nomi Marks (Sense8): 83%

Marianne (Portrait of a Lady): 83%

Inej Ghafa (Shadow and Bone): 83%

Salvatore Romano (Mad Men): 82%

F o x M u l d e r  (T h e X - F i l e s): 82%

Torvi (Vikings): 82%

Baby (Baby Driver): 82%

Ally Maine (A Star Is Born): 82%

Marie Kreutz (The Bourne Identity): 81%

Riley Blue (Sense8): 81%

Elisa Esposito (The Shape of Water): 81%

Buck Vu (The OA): 81%

Alice Cullen (Twilight): 80%

Abby Sciuto (NCIS): 80%

Ben Hargreeves (TUA): 80%

Andy Dufresne (The Shawshank Redemption): 80%

Floki (Vikings): 80%

Rogue (X-Men): 80%

Amanita Caplan (Sense8): 80%

Juliana Crain (The Man in the HC): 80%

Ola Nyman (Sex Ed): 80%

Willow Rosenberg (Buffy): 79%

Neo (The Matrix): 79%

Ariadne (Inception): 79%

Guinan (Star Trek: TNG): 79%

W i l l G r a h a m  (H a n n i b a l): 79%

Bonnie Bennett (TVD): 79%

Monica Dutton (Yellowstone): 79%

Sam Button (The Perks): 79%

Frenchie (The Boys): 79%

Robin Buckley (ST): 79%

Marianne Sheridan (Normal People): 79%

W a n d a M a x i m o f f  (WandaVision): 79%

Violet Parr (The Incredibles): 79%

Luna Lovegood (HP): 78%

Nymphadora Tonks (HP): 78%

Trinity (The Matrix): 78%

Jasper Hale (Twilight): 78%

Toni Topaz (Riverdale): 78%

Kalinda Sharma (The Good Wife): 78%

Han Lue (Fast & Furious): 78%

Amélie Poulain (Amélie): 78%

Maeve Wiley (Sex Education): 78%

Cassie Thomas (Promising Young Woman): 78%

River Tam (Firefly): 77%

Omar Little (The Wire): 77%

Morpheus (The Matrix): 77%

William H. 'Shakespeare' Hill (This Is Us): 77%

Jonah Byrde (Ozark): 77%

Chris Washington (Get Out): 77%

Lane Kim (Gilmore Girls): 77%

Céline (Before Sunrise): 77%

Ada Shelby (Peaky Blinders): 77%

Jonathan Byers (ST): 77%

Benjamin Button (TCCBB): 77%

Heloise (Portrait of a Lady): 77%

Lily Iglehart (Sex Ed): 77%

Naomi Nagata (The Expanse): 77%

Hester Prynne (The Scarlet Letter): 77%

Remus Lupin (HP): 76%

Maeve Millay (Westworld): 76%

Daniel Jackson (Stargate SG-1): 76%

Rosalind Walker (CAOS): 76%

Storm (X-Men): 76%

Hernando Fuentes (Sense8): 76%

Dr. Sean Maguire (Good Will Hunting): 76%

Mozzie (White Collar): 76%

Kinsey Locke (Locke & Key): 76%

J o h n W i c k  (John Wick): 76%

Ekko (Arcane): 76%

Albus Dumbledore (HP): 75%

Inara Serra (Firefly): 75%

D'Angelo Barksdale (The Wire): 75%

Janis Ian (Mean Girls): 75%

Damian Leigh (Mean Girls): 75%

Dom Cobb (Inception): 75%

Michael Scofield (Prison Break): 75%

Jughead Jones (Riverdale): 75%

Darlene (Mr. Robot): 75%

Wyldstyle (The Lego Movie): 75%

Nairobi (Money Heist): 75%

Penelope (The Odyssey): 75%

Aunt Polly (Peaky Blinders): 75%

Penelope Garcia (Criminal Minds): 75%

Joyce Byers (ST): 75%

Will Byers (ST): 75%

Angela Montenegro (Bones): 75%

Maleficent (Maleficent): 75%

Kang Sae-byeok (Squid Game): 75%

Jules Vaughn (Euphoria): 75%

Viktor (Arcane): 75%

Suzuha Amane (Steins;Gate): 75%

Natalie (Yellowjackets): 75%

Jyn Erso (Rogue One): 75%

S i r i u s B l a c k  (HP): 74%

Elizabeth Bennet (Pride & Prejudice): 74%

Black Widow (MCU): 74%

Paul Smecker (Boondock Saints): 74%

Ciri (The Witcher): 74%

Kurt Hummel (Glee): 73%

[mischievouslittlecreature]

*Shyly pokes head up out of my cave* so I saw @zablife and @runnning-outof-time talking about their OCs and wanted to play too.

I have a total of six current OCs, five of which are for Cillian characters. They are all my babies and I love them to death.

Lucy Winters is Tommy Shelby's lover, closest confidant, and personal assistant. She also works as an assassin and spy for the Peaky Blinders, and is later involved in a polyamorous relationship with both Tommy and Grace Burgess. (Fandom: Peaky Blinders) Masterlist

Vanessa Sullivan is Jonathan Crane's wife and fellow psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum, and later his partner (if you call her his sidekick, she'll rip your guts out) in literal crime when he becomes the Scarecrow. (Fandom: The Dark Knight Trilogy) Masterlist

Alice Emerson is the childhood best friend of Robert Fischer, whom she has been pining over for the better part of two decades. She is also a member of Dom Cobb's dream sharing team. (Fandom: Inception) Masterlist

Daisy Preston finds herself on a boat headed for Dunkirk during the second World War to help with the evacuation, where she becomes smitten by a beautiful, shivering soldier with stunning blue eyes. (Fandom: Dunkirk) Masterlist

Rose Mason is the long term girlfriend and partner of fellow Timekeeper Raymond Leon, with whom she has a somewhat tumultuous past. (Fandom: In Time) Masterlist

Lily Callaghan is a nurse during the Vietnam War, where she meets and falls in love with soldier Elias Grodin. (Fandom: Platoon) Masterlist

[denimbex1986]

'There are some trademarks that appear in every Christopher Nolan movie, firmly establishing the filmmaker's personal style over the years. Beginning with his feature debut, Following, in 1998, Nolan's filmography now includes Batman Begins, Inception, Interstellar, and Oppenheimer. Only Memento and The Dark Knight have been chosen for preservation by the National Film Registry, but all of his movies are largely critically acclaimed. As with any long-time director, Nolan's films are united by certain shared elements. Though some may not literally show up in every single one of his movies, most of Nolan's work actually has these elements in common.

Every Christopher Nolan movie is unique across a wide range of genres, yet they are all united by the director's singular vision and storytelling style, which in turn rely on particular elements, themes, and factors in order to be effective. This characteristic is especially true for a filmmaker like Nolan, who has achieved the status of an auteur — a director whose distinct artistic vision has been refined to the point that they are considered to be the primary author of their movies. For viewers seeking a better understanding of the director's filmography, there are at least 10 things that happen in most if not every Christopher Nolan movie.

10. Obsessive Main Characters

Obsession is a quality that can be observed in every main character in Christopher Nolan's movies. From Following's Young Man and his fascination over other people's private lives to the titular physicist in Oppenheimer haunted by the impact of his research, every Nolan protagonist suffers from obsession. While Inception's Cobb, The Dark Knight Trilogy's Bruce Wayne, and Memento's Leonard Shelby all have different goals, their actions are mutually defined by obsessive pursuit. This trademark quality is reflective of Nolan's own obsession with making groundbreaking films.

9. Psychological Thriller Elements

Only about half of Christopher Nolan's films can be technically categorized as psychological thrillers: Memento, Following, Insomnia, Inception, The Prestige, and Interstellar. However, elements of the genre are also fundamental to the entire Dark Knight Trilogy, Oppenheimer, Tenet, and Dunkirk. Nolan is a prolific director in the sci-fi, historical drama, and superhero genres, but through his obsessive protagonists and typically non-linear plots, the mind-boggling suspense of psychological thrillers is constantly present in his films. Among the things that happen in every Christopher Nolan movie, this is the most likely to be present in his future features as well.

8. Non-Traditional Plot Structures

Unorthodox plot structures have also become a Christopher Nolan trademark over the years. He famously refined this storytelling style in the non-linear structures of Memento, Inception, and Tenet. Even Nolan movies with mostly straightforward narratives such as Oppenheimer, Dunkirk, Interstellar, and The Dark Knight Trilogy films still contain elements that challenge conventional plot structures. This is part of Nolan's vision of crafting movies that are considerably distinct from mainstream cinema, which tends to stick to linear plots. Nolan's consistent use of non-traditional plot structures is also connected to what the filmmaker calls the "snowballing effect," which is another common element that Nolan employs in his work.

7. Nolan's "Snowballing Effect"

While this is one of the things that happen in every Christopher Nolan movie, the director described the "snowballing effect" particularly in the context of Dunkirk. "What I wanted to do was take what I call the snowballing effect of the third act of my other films, where parallel storylines start to be more than the sum of their parts," said Nolan (via ABC News). "And I wanted to try to make (Dunkirk) that way, and strip the film of conventional theatrics." Indeed, from his earlier movies like Memento, The Prestige, and Inception, to later features like Dunkirk and Oppenheimer, seemingly divergent storylines converge throughout Nolan's filmography.

6. More Practical Effects Instead Of CGI

The reason Christopher Nolan uses practical effects more than CGI is because it simply looks better and is more grounded in reality. This is a trademark of every Christopher Nolan movie that necessitates the use of visual effects. As Nolan explains, if the use of CGI is not built on real physical scenes that have already been filmed, “it’s going to feel like animation." From the zero gravity fight scenes in Inception and the strange inverted action in Tenet, to the otherworldly scenery of Interstellar and the atomic bomb in Oppenheimer, practical effects and principal photography lay the foundations for the believable and minimal use of CGI in Nolan's films.

5. Unexpected Twists

Many of the shared elements across Christopher Nolan's movies also lend themselves to setting up incredible twists. At the end of Following, the protagonist is unexpectedly framed for murder. Meanwhile, Memento reveals that Leonard himself is the killer he's looking for. In The Dark Knight Trilogy, the twists come in the form of the real identities and motivations of characters like Ra's al Ghul, Talia, and Harvey Dent. Even in the biographical thriller Oppenheimer, Lewis Strauss betraying J. Robert Oppenheimer serves as an unexpected twist, as it was a relatively unknown historical fact prior to the movie. Audiences actually look forward to Christopher Nolan's plot twists in each new movie.

4. Characters Sacrificing Themselves Or Others

The Dark Knight Trilogy revolutionized the superhero genre with its gritty and realistic take on Batman's story, which is ultimately based on heroism and sacrifice. In Dunkirk, the main characters sacrifice themselves so that others may survive the war. Meanwhile, J. Robert Oppenheimer is racked with guilt over sacrificing his principles for the advancement of nuclear fission research. Even the major twists in Tenet are about what the Protagonist and other characters are willing to sacrifice for their goals. Though the theme of sacrifice isn't as well known as most other trademarks found in Christopher Nolan movies, it's actually a uniting factor across the director's filmography.

3. Failing The Bechdel Test

In order to pass the Bechdel test for female representation in film, a movie must have at least two named female characters, they must converse with one another, and they need to discuss anything that's unrelated to a man. Inception nearly passed the test when Ariadne and Mal talk in the third act. However, apart from the fact that Mal in this scene is entirely imagined by Cobb, a male character, the women also essentially discuss Cobb during their short interaction. Although every one of his films has failed the Bechdel test, and most include dead female love interests, there are many strong female characters in Christopher Nolan's movies.

2. James Bond References

Another trademark of Christopher Nolan's movies is their subtle yet constant tribute to the James Bond franchise. “I love those movies," Nolan said of the James Bond films (via L.A. Times). "The influence of those movies in my filmography is embarrassingly apparent. There’s no attempt to shy away from that." Indeed, 007 was a heavy influence on The Dark Knight Trilogy, particularly in Bruce Wayne's suave billionaire playboy charisma and Batman's gadgets, elite military training, and dark past. Meanwhile, the suits in Tenet are actually directly inspired by Sean Connery's James Bond. From the overarching themes to the characters' wardrobe, James Bond references are hidden across Nolan's work.

1. Renowned Actors In Lead Roles

Only the cast of Christopher Nolan's first movie, Following, consists of unknown actors. From Memento onwards, Nolan has exclusively worked with stars. The biggest names included in Nolan's cast lists include Christian Bale, Guy Pearce, Emily Blunt, Heath Ledger, Al Pacino, Anne Hathaway, Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Liam Neeson, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Michael Caine. Casting renowned actors and A-listers is a common thread among successful filmmakers, and it's reflective of what Nolan has achieved. It may have only started in his second film, but the presence of renowned actors is one of the more consistent things that happen in every Christopher Nolan movie.'

[antnbvll]

statistical character personality test. take the linked quiz from the perspective of your character, then select 5 - 10 results from the complete matches list that you feel resonate with your character the most.

bruce  wayne    (  batman/the  dark  knight  )    :    83% dom  cobb    (  inception  )    :    82% thomas  shelby    (  peaky  blinder  )    :    81% james  bond    (  tomorrow  never  dies  )    :    79% jean  grey    (  x-men  )    :    79% shiv  roy    (  succession  )    :    78% john  wick    (  john  wick  )    :    76% jason  bourne    (  the  bourne  identity  )    :    75% villanelle    (  killing  eve  )    :    74% dean  winchester    (  supernatural  )    :    74% mazikeen    (  lucifer  )    :    71% kaz  brekker    (  shadow  &  bone  )    :    71%

[jxrm]

book log - 2023 (continued)

the good lie by a.r. torre

something wilder by christina lauren

pineapple street by jenny jackson

drinking games by sarah levy

the housemaid by frieda mcfadden

full disclosure by camryn garrett

the dream job by kiersten modglin

never lie by frieda mcfadden

the silent woman by minka kent

hidden pictures by jason rekulak

girl in trouble by stacy claftin

the waitress by nina manning

xoxo by axie oh

yellowface by r.f. kuang

unmissing by minka kent

the rise by shari king

take me home tonight by morgan matson

the best lies by sarah lyu

arsenic and adobo by mia p. manansala

our missing hearts by celeste ng

the locked door by frieda mcfadden

where the crawdads sing by delia owens

the couple at table six by daniel hurst

survive the night by riley sager

the wife upstairs by freida mcfadden

one of us is dead by jeneva rose

five little indians by michelle good

the push by ashley audrain

i’ll stop the world by lauren thoman

silver nitrate by silvia moreno-garcia

romantic comedy by curtis sittenfield

the maidens by alex michaelides

every last secret by a.r. torre

the headmaster’s list by melissa de la cruz

last summer at the golden hotel by elyssa friedland

the collective by alison gaylin

one true loves by taylor jenkins reid

the trade off by sandie jones

my summer darlings by may cobb

the last housewife by ashley winstead

good rich people by eliza jane brazier

the club by ellery lloyd

phantom limb by lucinda berry

the night shift by alex finlay

layoverland by gabby noone

the writing retreat by julia bartz

never never by colleen hoover

reckless by cecily von ziegesar

the family game by catherine steadman

just say yes by maxine morrey

a pho love story by loan le

the birthday girl by melissa de la cruz

local woman missing by mary kubica

the last to vanish by megan miranda

yolk’s on me by d.t. henderson

the housemaid’s secret by frieda mcfadden

happy people are annoying by josh peck

the fraud squad by kyla zhao

wrong place wrong time by gillian mcallister

the grayson legacy by boris bacic

remarkably bright creatures by shelby van pelt

the couple in the cabin by daniel hurst

yerba buena by nina lacour

the ex by frieda mcfadden

notorious by cecilyn von ziegesar

layla by colleen hoover

the inmate by frieda mcfadden

last night at the telegraph club by malinda lo

the friend zone by abby jimenez

how to american by jimmy o. yang

lunar love by lauren kung jessen

the it girl by crackly von ziegesar

what lies in the woods by kate alice marshall

queen of thieves by beezy march

weather girl by rachel lynn solomon

the perfect marriage by jeneva rose

my sister, the serial killer by tonkin braithwaithe

things we never got over by lucy score

like me by hayley phelan

do not disturb by frieda mcfadden

for the love of friends by sara goodman confino

reckless girls by rachel hawkins

ghost 19 by simone st. james

the winter people by jennifer mcmahon

please join us by catherine mckenzie

under the whispering door by t.j. klune

the bookstore sisters by alice hoffman

lessons in chemistry by bonnie garmus

the new year’s party by daniel hurst

the house in the cerulean sea by t.j. klune

trixie and katya’s guide to womanhood by trixie mattel

i kissed shara wheeler by casey mcquiston

horrorstor by grady hendrix

yours truly by abby jimenez

happy place by emily henry

the soulmate by sally hepworth

i have some questions for you by rebecca makkai

what happened the ruthy ramirez by claire jimenez

mad honey by jodi picoult

really good, actually by monica heisey

the ballad of songbirds and snakes by suzanne collins

the lightning thief by rick riordan

harry potter and the philosophers stone by j.k. rowling

the sea of monsters by rick riordan

the titan’s curse by rick riordan

harry potter and the chamber of secrets by j.k. rowling

the battle of the labyrinth by rick riordan

harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban by j.k. rowling

the last olympian by rick riordan

the lost hero by rick riordan

harry potter and the goblet of fire by j.k. rowling

the son of neptune by rick riordan

the mark of athena by rick riordan

harry potter and the order of the phoenix by j.k. rowling

harry potter and the half blood prince by j.k. rowling

harry potter and the deathly hallows by j.k. rowling

harry potter and the cursed child by john tiffany

[penguicorns-are-cool]

Since the U.S. Supreme Court's Shelby v. Holder decision in 2013 eliminated key federal oversight of election decisions in states with histories of discrimination, Georgia's voter rolls have grown by nearly 2 million people, yet polling locations have been cut statewide by nearly 10%, according to an analysis of state and local records by Georgia Public Broadcasting and ProPublica. Much of the growth has been fueled by younger, nonwhite voters, especially in nine metro Atlanta counties, where four out of five new voters were nonwhite, according to the Georgia secretary of state's office. The metro Atlanta area has been hit particularly hard. The nine counties — Fulton, Gwinnett, Forsyth, DeKalb, Cobb, Hall, Cherokee, Henry and Clayton — have nearly half of the state's active voters but only 38% of the polling places, according to the analysis.

Georgia Public Broadcasting/ProPublica found that about two-thirds of the polling places that had to stay open late for the June primary to accommodate waiting voters were in majority-Black neighborhoods, even though they made up only about one-third of the state's polling places. An analysis by Stanford University political science professor Jonathan Rodden of the data collected by Georgia Public Broadcasting/ProPublica found that the average wait time after 7 p.m. across Georgia was 51 minutes in polling places that were 90% or more nonwhite, but only six minutes in polling places that were 90% white.

Voter suppression "is happening with these voter impediments that are being imposed," Jones said. "You're closing down polling places so people have a more difficult time getting there. You're making vote-by-mail difficult or confusing. Now we're in court arguing about which ballots are going to be accepted, and it means that people have less trust in our state."

Nguyen's organization has challenged a number of Georgia election laws in court, including the "exact match" policy that blocks voter registrations that do not exactly match a state or federal database. AAAJA also filed a lawsuit that forced Gwinnett County to change its process for rejecting absentee ballots. She said the metro Atlanta counties' election administrators have not kept up with the wave of newer, more diverse voters, increasing the chances of disenfranchisement. Nguyen was a poll monitor at the Infinite Energy Center arena for the primary and did not leave until the final votes were cast, well after polls closed at 7 p.m. "Georgia made national news because of the breakdown in our election systems," she said. "Long lines are certainly an issue and they happen more often in under-resourced places, which tend to be where communities of color live."

They are trying so hard to stop voting. They can't make it outright illegal so instead they just make it so very hard and inconvenient. Especially for POC because they know that any marginalized community is more likely to vote blue. They don't want you to vote, that's very very clear

The reason why GA is still a swing state is because we are voting anyway. people wear their "i voted" stickers like a badge here. the voter suppression would be so much worse if it weren't for people like Nguyen being in office fighting for our rights. Yeah, we've had some shitty laws passed recently, but do you know how many didn't pass??? do you know how many of those new laws were modified to not be as bad before being passed??? it's the difference between a total abortion ban and an after six weeks abortion ban, they both suck but six weeks is still better than nothing and we know there are people actively fighting to make it no ban. who is in office is so important, you want people fighting for you, even if they aren't perfect in every way.

It's not about letting people know who you like most so much as it is about making sure there is someone representing you. that means voting strategically not idealistically. your vote for a third party candidate isn't going to defend you against project 2025 becoming real like a strategic vote for biden and trying to get a democrat majority in congress will. Like, yes, the democrats are pretty shitty too, but at least they're not having a hissy fit and trying to shut down the government every few months.

If you want to vote idealistically, then we've gotta start a movement to change the voting system. as it is now, we're just trying to make sure the people in government aren't the ones going around telling people that they want to take our rights away.

pin button that says Voting =/= Endorsement When It Is A Hostage Situation Which Forces You To Support The Status Quo Under Threat Of Fascism. followed by second button which says To Be Clear Voting Is Important But It's Okay And In Fact Good To Be Furious While You Do It. next to these is a smaller third button which says My Kink Is Ranked Choice Voting

[wedgeantill]

Tagged be @futilefangirl post this character personality quiz

Top 20

Francisco d'Anconia (Atlas Shrugged): 84%

Danny Ocean (Ocean's 11): 84%

Christian Grey (Fifty Shades of Grey): 84%

Harvey Specter (Suits): 83%

Marsellus Wallace (Pulp Fiction): 82%

James Bond (Tomorrow Never Dies): 82%

Magneto (X-Men): 82%

Thomas Shelby (Peaky Blinders): 82%

Russell 'Stringer' Bell (The Wire): 81%

Bruce Wayne (The Dark Knight): 81%

Rhett Butler (Gone With the Wind): 81%

Berlin (Money Heist): 81%

Raymond 'Red' Reddington (The Blacklist): 81%

Tony Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe): 80%

Avon Barksdale (The Wire): 80%

Dom Cobb (Inception): 80%

Ellis Wyatt (Atlas Shrugged): 80%

Jake Ballard (Scandal): 80%

Chuck Bass (Gossip Girl): 80%

Oliver Queen (Arrow): 80%

tagging @natures-marvel @mauraeyk @carlaroson

[as-mod-eus]

・ JOE MANGANIELLO as 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐔𝐒 𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐙𝐎 𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐈𝐀𝐍 ✦ FORTY-NINE

𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐃, 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐖 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍. 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍 𝐌𝐄… 𝑩𝑼𝑹𝑵 𝑴𝑬 𝑻𝑶 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑮𝑹𝑶𝑼𝑵𝑫. There is elegance to be found amongst the unthinkable—the sinister and heinous; the territory of which so few others dare to venture. The Venomous rises only in the night, sending silence out as hymn of his cleansing rituals. A baphomet under darkness, stalking through the corners of which the unsuspecting knows only as secure and safe. He is infamously coined the Angel Maker, as his need to exercise power over those who have stolen it all their lives—vigorously, relentlessly—overcomes him. He justifies his reapings on the vow that the victims deserved it; that he has given their wretched existences a new beginning in death. He is spiraling, losing control, losing himself, amongst the moonlight.

This muse is in development and is available for new plots. Please note, this muse is a serial killer. Do not inquire if you are not comfortable writing against this archetype.

・ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐘 / 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒 / 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄 / 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒

character parallels include: the angel maker (hannibal), jigsaw (the saw franchise), dr. hannibal lecter (hannibal), joker (the dark night), patrick bateman (american psycho), thomas shelby (peaky blinders), raymond 'red' reddington (the blacklist), berlin (money heist), light yagami (death note), frank delfino (how to get away with murder), gus fring (breaking bad), dom cobb (inception), ursula (the little mermaid), hector barbossa (pirates of the caribbean), lux luthor (smallville)

[ao3feed-arthureames]

Shelby's Inception

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/MecwjL5

by goatsgobaah

Tommy Shelby has agreed to help Oswald Mosley build his fascist empire. However, an anonymous tip-off informs Mosley that Tommy isn't really on his side, so he decides to fix that by enlisting the help of a group that claims they can plant ideas into the mind. Inception, they call it.

Words: 1316, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Peaky Blinders (TV), Inception (2010)

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M, M/M

Characters: Tommy Shelby, Oswald Mosley, Dom Cobb, Ariadne (Inception), Arthur (Inception), Eames (Inception), Yusuf (Inception), Robert Fischer

Relationships: some background Eames/Arthur because why not, background Tommy Shelby/Lizzie Stark, background Dom Cobb/Mal Cobb, literally every ship is a background ship

Additional Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, the author is very tired, The Timelines Are Fucked Up, just pretend everything works idk

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/MecwjL5

[aneurinallday]

Green Eyes

Chapter 1: Arcadia

Thomas Shelby was lonely. There was a coldness in his bed that he couldn’t warm, an emptiness that he couldn’t fill no matter how many whores and paramours he brought back to his mansion.

His beloved Grace was dead - gunned down during a failed attempt on Thomas’s life. He’d watched the life leave her, one breath at a time, while he’d cradled her in his arms, helpless to stop her from slipping away. He’d felt her go motionless, and after some time, he’d felt her go cold.

Now he lived alone in his great house in the countryside, his only company the servants who tried to hide their fear, and a young son who was a constant, painful reminder of the life he’d lost.

Little Charles had been only two years old when Grace had been killed - barely old enough to understand the gaping hole that had been ripped through his world. Now he was old enough to not just ask how his mother had died, but to blame the one responsible.

She’d taken the bullets meant for Thomas.

To Thomas, it was almost a relief when work took him away from his country estate in Warwickshire and back into the city. Back into Birmingham.

The Peaky Blinders operated out of Small Heath, an impoverished, crime-infested area of central Birmingham - a square mile of grimy streets and rundown terraced houses, where steel foundries coughed out smoke and where gang violence was rampant.

As much as he enjoyed the peace and beauty of the countryside, Thomas would always belong to Small Heath, to its dirt and squalor and misery. It was the beating heart of his criminal empire; and even as his reach extended outwards to London and New York, it remained the seat of his power.

He missed it. He missed the stench of industry and the non-stop noise of the factories. He missed his pokey little flat on Watery Lane, where he and his siblings had lived just a few doors apart. He’d grown up there, and become a man there, and part of him hoped to die there. The filth of the Grand Union Canal was in his blood.

After meeting his brothers at the Garrison pub, they piled into a car, and from there, drove across the darkening city into unfamiliar streets. There, they kept their eyes sharp and their hands near their holsters.

Night had fallen, and they were no longer on their own turf. This was Cobb territory.

Cobb’s Boys were the only gang left in Birmingham that could still rival the Peaky Blinders in power and wealth. So far, they’d managed to coexist because they moved in different circles. The Blinders were bootleggers, bookies, and fixers; they made their vast fortune by smuggling alcohol and Chinese opium, rigging horse races, and manufacturing automobiles. Cobb’s Boys were pimps and hit-men. They weren’t stepping on each other’s toes.

Nevertheless, an overlap of interests was unavoidable. Thomas didn’t want to take over Cobb’s brothels, and Cobb didn’t care about horse racing; but Thomas was interested in establishing more smuggling routes and overseas contacts, and Cobb was interested in receiving Chinese opium at a discounted price. Both of them had something the other wanted.

Thomas had strongly resisted the suggestion of a Cobb-Shelby merger. He considered the Cobbs’ business dealings, which tended to be of a dirty and degenerate nature, to be beneath the level of the Shelby Company Limited. These weren’t the sort of men he wanted to break bread with.

Nevertheless, he’d accepted the proposal for a mutually beneficial alliance, which promised the Shelby family an annual cut of the Cobbs’ earnings in exchange for peace between the two gangs. After all, without money there was no Shelby empire, and without the Shelby empire, there was no Thomas Shelby.

So here he was, walking into Cobb’s kingdom, about to inspect one of the brothels whose earnings he would soon be claiming a cut of.

The Arcadia.

What Small Heath was to Thomas, the Arcadia was to Cobb. What had started as a tiny, grubby operation had grown into one of Britain’s most infamous establishments. Men travelled from all over the country to lose their minds here. What happened in Arcadia stayed in Arcadia, and the owner’s high standards ensured that its employees were the cream of the crop.

With his hands in his pockets and his brothers watching his back, Thomas walked through the doors into a sweltering haze of tobacco smoke, opium fumes, and musk. They passed through ostentatious gold curtains onto a crowded dance floor, where a pianist was hammering an energetic melody on a grand pianoforte, while people danced and revelled. Cobb’s Boys lurked around the corners of the room, watching the clients with sharp eyes.

A young man wearing a sleeveless, tasselled flapper dress was standing on the piano, singing a bawdy song with gusto - slightly drunk, but mostly on-key. His curly dark hair flopped over his eyes as he twirled, almost losing his balance, much to his own amusement. Thomas’s gaze lingered on him, until Arthur’s voice drew his attention away.

“There he is,” Arthur commented, nodding towards a figure approaching them. “The proprietor of this fine establishment.”

“The bastard,” John muttered under his breath.

Cobb was a lean and wiry man, blond-haired, sharply dressed in a tailored suit and colourful tie. He walked with a limp which did nothing to detract from his threatening aura. He greeted them with a grin on his face, but his eyes were dead and cold.

“Mister Shelby! Welcome to my den of iniquity - you won’t find one better on this side of the Atlantic.”

“Mister Cobb,” Thomas greeted him with a curt handshake. “Shall we get this over with?”

Cobb guided them to a table, where they sat on comfortable couches. Drinks were poured for them, and opium was offered but politely refused.

John was behaving himself, but Arthur was restless - Thomas could feel it. He was more interested in the nearby whores than in his little brother’s dealings. His eyes followed their enticing movements while he pretended to listen.

“A toast, gentlemen,” Cobb held aloft his glass, “To our agreement. May it prove lucrative to both our esteemed parties.”

They clinked glasses. It was hot - there were too many dancing bodies and too many lit pipes, and the fluttering fans did nothing but circulate opium smoke. Thomas had already begun to sweat.

“What do you think of her, Mister Shelby?” Cobb waved his arms in a grandiose gesture, indicating the Arcadia. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she? She could’ve been yours, if only you’d had the guts to take her by force.”

“Your line of work doesn’t interest me,” said Thomas.

“You’d rather sit in your little office and shuffle papers all day, hoping it doesn’t rain during the races?”

“I’d rather take advantage of the rich than the poor. That’s one of the many differences between us.”

“Oh, come now, Mister Shelby,” Cobb scoffed, “We’ve got a lot in common! We both like money. We both like driving new cars and wearing nice suits. We both served our country with honour, and lost parts of ourselves on the battlefield. I nearly lost my leg - you nearly lost your mind!”

Cobb laughed at his own wit. John opened his mouth to speak, but Thomas silenced him with a warning glance of his blue eyes.

“You’re no different from me,” Cobb continued, “The quicker you accept that, the better. Anyway, I didn’t invite you here to chat. I invited you here, so that you can see with your own eyes how the sausage gets made. To assure you that our service is of the highest standards. Care to sample the goods?”

The young man was still singing and dancing merrily, seemingly having the time of his life.

“I’m alright, thanks,” Thomas said.

“You don’t trust their quality?”

“I’m sure they’re good enough for your regular clientele. Whether they’re good enough for me is a different matter.”

A brief commotion distracted them. At another table, a man had grabbed one of the dancing women and yanked her onto his knee. His hand wormed its way inside her skirt. Laughing, she squirmed away, prompting him to shout and gesticulate angrily. She was quickly replaced by a different girl, who hushed his raised voice and began to rub his crotch through his trousers. Thomas watched them coldly.

“Does my business offend you, Mister Shelby?” Cobb chuckled. “These women needed work, so I gave it to them. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Women can do other work besides whoring, Mister Cobb. You could’ve put them in a school and taught them how to type letters.”

Cobb laughed.

“You’re a real man of the people, aren’t you, Mister Shelby? They call you a thug, but really you’re an altruist. You set up soup kitchens and charities and affordable housing schemes. You work with orphans and war widows, and crippled veterans, and all the other miserable cunts who need a leg up. You give the poor people of Birmingham what they need: better jobs, better lodgings, better lives. You’re a regular fucking saint. Except that’s not true, is it?”

He leaned forward.

“You act all high and mighty, like I’m beneath you. But you still shook my hand, didn’t you, Mister Shelby? You present yourself to the world as an honest businessman, with a respectable company and a bunch of fancy titles. But deep down, you haven’t changed at all. Deep down, you’re still just a common street rat, scrapping for coins in the gutter. You wring your hands over the suffering of these poor women, yet here you are, graciously accepting a cut of the money I make off their hard work. Now, how about you sample the goods, like I kindly offered?”

John and Arthur had grown tense, the latter’s knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists. Thomas remained composed.

“You said this was the best whore-house in Birmingham,” Thomas said, “So go on. Prove it. Show me your best.”

“That’s better.” Cobb leaned back in his seat again. “Girl or boy?”

“I’m not fussy.”

“Come on now, you must have a preference. Every man does.”

“Well, I must not be every man, then.”

“How about both, then?”

“Just one will do.”

“Fine, be a bore. Hey, Green Eyes!” Cobb called out. “Client for you.”

The singer jumped down from the stage and began making his way over to their table.

“He’s a particular favourite of mine,” Cobb remarked, “You’ll see why.”

“How much for him?”

“Oh, he’s on the house. No payment necessary. Feel free to leave a tip at the bar, though.”

“How kind of you.”

“I am a generous man. Normally I’d charge three pounds for him.”

“Three pounds?” Thomas scoffed, “That fucking much?”

“He’s worth it. Trust me, I know.”

Thomas was about to change his mind - the thought of Cobb conducting quality checks on his own merchandise soured the appeal - but it was too late. The young man had already reached their table.

“Hello, gentlemen!” he said. His voice was bright and sweet. “You wanted me?”

“Come here.” Cobb grabbed the singer’s face and angled it towards the light, showing it off. “Look at him. Look at that face. If he had a cunt, I’d fuck him myself.”

The singer extricated himself with a laugh, but a hint of distaste curled the corners of his mouth. Cobb’s touch seemed to repulse him. He collapsed onto the couch beside Thomas, adjusting the shoulders of his rather ill-fitting dress. He was dolled up with a generous layer of cosmetics, which had become rather smudged. He’d been exerting himself, and a sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead and upper lip.

“Which one of you is mine?” he asked.

“That one,” Cobb answered before Thomas could. “He’s a valued business partner and a good friend of mine, so make sure he leaves satisfied. Now, would you excuse me, Mister Shelby? I have an establishment to run.”

“Of course.”

“I’ll send over some more drinks, and some girls to keep your boys company.”

Thomas nodded goodbye, and Cobb walked away.

“Fucker,” John grumbled as he watched Cobb’s retreating form. “You sure you want to go through with this, Tom?”

“I don’t see why not,” Thomas replied.

The singer turned to face him on the couch. Up-close, he was beautiful. Truly beautiful. His lovely face was still softened by youth, with a noticeable roundness about the cheeks. His eyes, surrounded by black liner, sparkled a bright green.

“What should I call you?” he asked. His smile was a wondrous thing to behold.

“Call me ‘Mister Shelby’.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Mister Shelby. We can do it here, or we can go to my room. It’s nice and clean.”

“Up to you.” Thomas shrugged.

“Tom, I don’t like this,” John interrupted. “This boy belongs to Cobb. He might have something planned. I don’t trust that bastard…”

“I’ll be fine, Johnny. Our arrangement is as advantageous to Cobb as it is to us. He won’t jeopardise it.”

Green Eyes heard their exchange, and stifled a giggle.

“You’ll be safe with me, sir,” he teased, resting his curly head playfully on Thomas’s shoulder. “And if our service isn’t to your liking, I’m sure I can make it up to you.”

John looked disconcerted, but whether it was because of the young man’s flirtations or because of Thomas’s willingness to go along with them, Thomas wasn’t sure.

Arthur seemed to share John’s suspicion. He started to speak. But then the promised women arrived in a cloud of sequins and tassels, giggling and smoking, carrying trays of drinks with them; and Arthur’s mood lifted instantly.

“Come here, you,” he grunted, putting his arms around one of the women and pulling her onto his lap. “I’ve had a long day.”

“Fuck’s sake, Arthur.” John rolled his eyes, but his disapproval - and the wedding ring on his finger - didn’t stop him from smiling at the women.

“They’ll be busy for a while,” Green Eyes whispered in Thomas’s ear, “We’ve got plenty of time. Come with me.”

He tugged on the gang-lord’s arm. Thomas sighed and allowed himself to be pulled away from the table.

“Want me to come with you?” John called after them.

“No need. Have fun with the girls.”