#i'm trying to think of more things that build tension in an arranged marriage like this and still keep vash in character

[novasintheroom]

It's been months since your wedding, and there hasn't been any sort of consummation of the marriage between you and Prince Vash. It's a topic you both dance around like acrobats - with the court, and with each other. So when you knock on your adjoining room's door and open it with nothing but your bloomers and an undershirt on, Vash's mind immediately jumps to wedding rites and a strange feeling of nerves and excitement overtakes him.

But, you're just there to get his opinion on a few things and couldn't wait to get dressed - part of the reason is because you want his opinion on your dress, which you hold in front of you with a flourish. You don't come into his room - barely toeing the line at the door when you show him, and he holds his tongue on inviting you in. He doesn't want to make you uncomfortable, not when you've both come so far from being strangers to friends.

You do this several times - open the door in your underwear and ask his opinion on your dress, your necklaces, your thoughts on the upcoming meeting with the dukes and duchesses of the land. And every time Vash's mouth waters, but still you toe the line at the door, never entering.

[stormyandodd]

Thoughts on Hooky-Marionetta. Some spoilers!

I know it probaly won't happen, but I would love to see the characters from Hooky interact with the characters from Marionetta. There are so many possibilities, but the ones I'd enjoy the most are:

Since Dani and Nico are spreading the word and building new bridges between people and witches, I'd love to see them interact with the members of the circus during this time in the story, but I'd especially like to see them interact with Sahed, Rainah and Julia.

I'd also be curious to see Dorian and Sahed interact, since, if I can recall correctly, Dorian had a lot of inner conflict about how he felt about non-magic users, and he had a lot of trouble making friends outside the people from home, which reminds me a little of Sahed in this way. Things weren't so black and white in regards to racial relations in Hooky, both did terrible things and sought revenge against the other, perpetuating a loop of voilence. I t's been a while since I read the series, but I'm making my way back through. Anyway, this is just all to say I remember it being really hard on Dorian to realize that yes, there are terrible non-magic users, but there are also terrible witches, and you really have to judge each person individually and not hold them accountable for the sins of others. You catch more flies with honey than with vinagar, so to say. Maybe knowing Dorian was coming from a somewhat similar place would help Sahed learn how to convince the other circus members to see the plight of his people.

I would love for Julia to get to talk to Monica and Will. I think there's a lot they could share with her that would help. Monica had prejudice against the witches initially, and she overcame it, even becoming a witch herself. Will grew up with suffocating expectations and sense of duty, both to his father and kingdom. They both know what expecting an arranged marriage is like. They know what it's like to fall in love with someone who would be very difficult to be with due to the social tensions and wars being fought between their races.

On a lighter topic, I think Monica would totally get into the shipping! I remember her trying to be her friends wing-woman, and her advice always seemed to fall flat, if not cause disaster (the love potion, telling Nico to button his shirt). She would definitely get into all kinds of romantic high jinks. Her and William's marriage situation also might give Julia a heart attack.

I'll bet Kamille would love to go adventuring with Mark and Aisha.

These are just my personal thoughts and opinions. These are just a few that have crossed my mind. There would be lighter interactions too, I think, but these are the ones that my brain has been latching onto. I'd be interested in hearing anyone else's if they felt like sharing!

If I need to mark this spoiler, let me know, I am new.

[redbayly]

Zutara Fic Progress

Currently trying to get my next chapter finished for "Hot Ice, Strange Snow" and I'm getting close to smashing my laptop in frustration. It's been over a month since I've updated and I'm furious with myself.

I am so close. So very close and I want to post the chapter so badly. I probably shouldn't even be distracting myself by writing this, but it's like 1:00am and I'm tired and want to ramble.

I've been reveling in Northern Water Tribe worldbuilding and developing Gran-Gran's backstory beyond just "she was engaged to Pakku and ran away because arranged marriage sucks." There's this whole thing about how regressive policies get passed and some stuff about access to education and student activism and protests.

And then I began writing in stuff about classism and bullying and academic pressure and domestic abuse and reproductive rights and how inherently horrifying the idea of forced marriage actually is. I kind of went off when thinking about all the ways NWT culture probably messes with the people who are part of it. Not that I'm making everything and everyone terrible, I've just been thinking far too much about how sexism influences and shapes culture and people.

Obviously, Katara ain't having any of this shit.

Also, I've decided to make Yugoda a more notable character because she deserved better than, like, five or six lines of dialogue and two background appearances.

Anyway, here's where I'm at story-wise.

(spoilers ahead)

I've dived head-first into Katara starting an underground waterbending class as part of her master plan for a full-on social revolution. In doing this, I ended up giving Katara a bunch of new friends around her age and made things ten times more complicated for myself by building those OCs as characters and using them to explore the effects of NWT sexism.

Aang is having some problems in Pakku's class and unintentionally offends people wherever he goes. He also gets caught up in some tension among the Water Tribe boys that he doesn't really understand.

Sokka gets to witness the effects of sexism on a society and has a proper epiphany about why Katara has always been so mad about it. Like, not just realizing girls can fight, but finally understanding the deeper problems. He has therefore decided to be a supportive big brother who aids and abets in illegal activities if they are for a good purpose. Also, he's thinking of busting out the Kyoshi Warrior uniform for good measure because non-bender girls need a teacher, too (yes, he still has the uniform. He was wearing it when they left Kyoshi and he's not going to get rid of something that important. It's a travesty that he never got to wear it again in the original series).

The main part I'm struggling to get through is the Zuko sections. I've got him into and out of a seedy tavern and onto a northbound merchant ship where he's learning that, while being a deckhand isn't great, you can't yell at people to solve your problems. I'm trying to figure out him having a meaningful chat with the captain who hired him to give him some sort of important life lesson but I'm still feeling stuck.

I'm so sorry, Zuko. You've been taking kind of a back seat in this chapter. I promise, you'll get your spotlight back soon. You just need to get up north and reunite with the Gaang (and especially with Katara).

[smashfeelingss]

Here's a sexy/smutty OS.

Michael/Julia fanfic. Rated M.

Takes place in Boston during the S1 finale.

FF.net : fanfiction.net/s/14299948/1/S…

AO3 : archiveofourown.org/works/51702421

Here's a bit of it, please let me know what you think. 🔥

They have been rehearsing almost all day since 10 am and true the show is in good shape but there's still so much to work on, the previews have been going good for the past 2 weeks but there are still so many rewrites to do… which is precisely what she's doing right now.

Most of the cast had already left to sleep, everyone was genuinely just too exhausted to keep going which Derek obviously had issues with but they were almost done anyways, besides she just needed to make some arrangements on the lyrics of the Lexington song.

That was a problem on its own because it meant that the last ones here and working were her, Derek and Michael.

Ever since he came back she has been trying everything she could to avoid him as much as possible but there were moments when she just couldn't, he was a cast member of the show she was writing and she needed to be professional. Frank hated it, she knew that much and she had fired him before, she fought his return as much as she could yet he was still right here.

The other issue with him being here aside from causing tension in her marriage once again is that it made her realize that she still had feelings for him.

From the moment she met him up to the moment she fired him weeks ago now, she pretended that everything she shared with him was nothing, meant nothing, just a big mistake she was now over.

She couldn't have been more wrong.

When he got out of that car and their eyes met, she instantly knew that even for work, she couldn't end up talking alone with him.

It wasn't just because of Frank like she had been trying to convince herself but also because she still had too many feelings for him and she knew he would pull her back in even if he didn't mean to. His telling her that he was separated from Monica only reinforced that because ever since the crazy possibilities had found their way into her brain and she chased them off every single time. Still, they seemed to be relentless and come back.

It didn't matter though, she made her choice.

Deep in her thoughts, she barely noticed Derek getting ready to leave. "Right, guys I think we are basically done here for the night, big bad monster is going to get some sleep."

She smiles, people really see him worst than he actually is.

He was right though, they were mostly done she just had two lines she wanted to work on before calling it a night. "Yes, you should go," she says, waving Derek goodnight. "Michael, can you give me 5 more minutes?" There's surprise on Michael's face, he wasn't expecting her to ask him to spend any time with her, specifically not alone.

"Right, I'm going, don't stay up too late." Says Derek as he leaves the room, "Goodnight."

Both she and Michael tell Derek good night as he makes his way over to her.

"Did you need anything?" He asks as she finishes writing the latest changes to the scene before the song.

"Nothing much, I just made a few minor changes to the scene before your song and I wanted to run the new lines with you so I could hear if it works." One thing she doesn't understand is why she still feels so nervous each time she needs to talk to him.

Her theory so far is that she doesn't really know how to act around him, their history is too much for them to act like they're simple co-workers but at the same time, it's done and over and her husband is in the building so they can't really act as they used to either.

"Sure," He nods, "Do you want to read Marylin?"

She chuckles, they did that before and that's how she got the scene. "No, it's not necessary, here's your new lines if you could just run those and the first verse of the song?"

He nods again, "Do you mind if I sit next to you?"

Yeah, this is awkward. It seems she's not the only one who doesn't really know how to act around the other. "It's okay."

She doesn't really want to keep the awkwardness though, so she adds "Look, I know it's not easy, working together but we have to do it, I know I got a little…" She's trying to find the word, the word that is not her saying she was afraid she would fall back into his arms the second he talked to her. "Over defensive? At first?" He chuckles at that, they both know that's not exactly it but they're good at pretending, aren't they? "But you don't need to ask if you can sit next to me."

He smiles and nods at that, things get less awkward after that.

Yet, she's glad that they don't have much to do because she is having trouble focusing with him sitting right next to her. During the time they take to work, he keeps giving her this look, look he used to give her when he wanted to kiss her, when he wanted to get close to her but couldn't.

She hates that he's giving her that look and she hates that she can still recognise it.

Most of all though, she hates that her eyes are telling him the same thing.

It's been years, she doesn't understand why he still has this effect on her and what it means. She misses him when he's not around, has to hide a smile when she thinks about him or talks to him, she wants him close to her all the time…

All she knows is that those feelings are dangerous and send her on the wrong path.

They need to be done here so she can go back to ignoring him.

They're okay though, she managed to ignore him well enough lately, she's over him enough. As long as she keeps running they will be fine.

As promised, they wrap up pretty quickly, he does run his new lines and the song before she tells him he can go, that she'll be wrapping up anyway.

He leaves really quickly, barely tells her goodnight, understanding just like she does that they can't be alone for too long if the looks they exchange are any indication.

She loves being a writer, she has tons of big ideas but one thing she doesn't like is how long it takes to actually put the words on paper.

Once Michael's gone, as promised, she doesn't take long to wrap up and leaves to get to her room.

She texts Frank when she's on her way, he is most likely already asleep but at least he will know that she didn't overdo it again.

She doesn't rush to get to her room, she loves the feeling of being in a quiet theater, knowing so many beautiful things happen there and the magic that comes with creating them. Everything usually happens so fast in this world, it's nice to see it stand still for a moment before the craziness starts again the next day.

Once she gets into the elevator she's too lost in her thoughts about the previews and is completely distracted until at the last moment Michael slides in right as the doors close.

"Woah, huh, I'm sorry I didn't see you." She simply says, "I thought you were already in your room."

"No, I decided to go for a quick walk first to clear my head." She simply nods, stepping closer to the buttons and away from him.

"What floor are you stopping at?" She asks bitterly. For two weeks now she had no idea which room he was staying in which suited her perfectly fine, at least it would avoid being tempted to go to him.

[call-sign-shark]

I've been waiting impatiently for this chapter, Reb!! My apologies in advance 'cause this is going to be quite a long commentary.

From the get-go, I love that Nina sounds cold and unsympathetic from the get-go despite her polite words. She makes zero effort to hide her annoyance with Tommy lmao. Which is rendered even better when she just looked at the razor blade in his cap and is just like "oh whatever" while Tommy expected her to be scared (hence his nickname The Peaky Blinder Devil). This is a very interesting detail because 1. it's unusual for Tommy, 'cause he's used to exerting a certain power over people, and 2. It fleshes out Nina's strong spirit.

"There was a fiery stubbornness in her eyes, but it wasn’t intentional, or a mere way of presenting herself to the world. It was rooted in her very nature."

I am just in love with your prose here, Reb. The way you describe her fierceness flows naturally and doesn't seem forced. Even before this description, I envisioned Nina's behavior as something deeply rooted in her rather than a voluntary bratty way of behaving. So kudo to you!

Now the scene between Agnese and Nina was exquisite. I don't know how you did but you've managed to give realistic family vibes in your text. I feel like I'm wandering in this house: this is quite an intimate and pleasant feeling 'cause it creates ties between the reader and the characters. I'm particularly thinking about the topic of forced marriage and the line "Being a Teresa was not that uncommon", so painfully true. Also the scene between these two (I love how you portray their relationship by the way) is a beautiful critique of women's place during this era. Normally, the trope of the wild girl that doesn't want to get married but still has because of her times' codes is quite common, but you succeed in rendering it insanely interesting and we, as readers, can only root for Nina. I particularly appreciate this quote:

“Yes, but doesn’t it bother you?” Nina asked, her dark eyes full of obstinacy. “They don’t involve us in the business, but they use us as some sort of bargaining chip when it suits them.” She spat out.

You go, girl! Nina spits facts and her anger against the world is as legitimate as beautifully described.

It might be something personal 'cause I'm Sicilian, but gosh I laughed so much at Tommy trying to hard to remember all the info he has learned and being relieved he hasn't to remember every name and face of the family. THIS IS SO TRUE FOR ITALIAN FAMILY. Then, I also laughed (a bit more sadly) at his sarcastic thought "They had to make things the right way // but it just looked like some kind of sale". You can't imagine how much I loved this line. A short, simple, but undeniably powerful image to illustrate arranged marriages.

Nina's relationship with Tommy is delightful, as well as their exchanges. On the one side, we have this young woman with her teeth bared, and on the other side, we have that older gangster who appreciates provoking her. Yet, her quick wit always leads her to have the final word and I love this. Despite the mutual distrust, I feel like Tommy particularly enjoys her presence, or at least his intelligence is stimulated by her. Nina would prolly yell but... I kinda ship them already 🤭

Now, the parts that got me squealing... First of all, I love how you slowly built tension between Tommy/Nina without being cliché. It's far from being love at first sight. Quite the contrary, she's supportive of Agnese and is kind of happy for her -- which I found very endearing. It's glad to see there is no competition between the two of them. Taking this into account, I want to ask you a question: how? How dare you be that talented? The way you construct the family diner scene got me speechless. From Nina's slow-building irritation to the women making more or less direct and nasty comments to her... This was an emotional whirlwind. You managed to instill a slight claustrophobic sensation in me, just like Nina probably feel.

“Look at them, sitting at the table like fucking kings.” Nina murmured, looking out the window as she scrubbed a plate. “God forbid they raise a finger.”

I enjoyed this line a lot. This is so true, and I could perfectly picture it. Nevertheless, this leads me to the final scene, and ... I AM YELLING. Once again, your talent for description and balancing tension reveals itself as Tommy's eyes dive into her and have for immediate effect to quiet her. As if the ice of his iris tamed the fire of her: it was such a poetic moment, probably my favorite of this whole wonderful chapter! And the fact he helped her with the plate of coffee, not minding Pietro's comment, made me fall a little bit for Tommy LMAO. And you perfectly ended this incredible chapter with Nina snapping at her brother.

Reb, I often have to force myself a little bit when I start reading a Tommy work. Not that it doesn't interesting, but I have to focus more and tell myself "okay, now we're gonna take a serious read at it". But since you post the first part, I've become addicted o your new series. There's something refreshing in the way you address the topic of arranged marriage. Whether it is the "relationship" between Tommy and Nina, who are two stubborn people, or the Sicilian settings, I am completely hooked. In truth, I can't wait for chapter 3. Also, please tag me in all your Peaky works, please.

Heart, Body and Soul || Tommy Shelby x OC

PART II

Summary: Nina has a chat with Tommy, and she doesn’t hesitate to make some things clear. As they get to know each other more, they learn one thing: neither of them wants to let the other win.

Warnings: mentions of arranged marriage, slow-burn, small age-gap (Tommy’s 30, Nina is in her early 20s), time-typical misogyny, English is not my first language.

A/N: This is set somewhere between season 1 and 2. Feedback is always appreciated🤍 Read part I HERE

SERIES MASTERLIST

SERIES MOODBOARD

Gif credit

Dividers credit

Tommy followed Nina’s quick steps down the hallway of her big house, his mind still racing from the past events. He still had to come to terms with the fact that he was in Sicily, he was alive, and the deal was not some trap set in order to get rid of him.

Nina stopped in front of a door, turning to look at him for the first time since she had started walking. She tucked a loose strand of her long hair behind her ear, finally resting her gaze upon him.

“This is your room.” She said, opening the door. “It has a private bathroom. If you need more towels or stuff like that, you can take them from the cabinet at the end of the hallway. Make yourself at home.”

Her flat tone, in high contrast with her polite words, made it plain that she had been told to be civil, and that she didn’t really care about him feeling comfortable. Tommy figured that the grudge she apparently held against him was probably due to the fact that, just like he didn’t trust those people, she didn’t trust him.

Nina’s dark eyes shifted to stare at something right above his head, and it didn’t take him long to realise she was looking at the razors sewn in his cap. He waited for her bold facade to crumble, to read the unmistakable signs of fear appear on her face. However, defying all his expectations, the glimpse shining in her eyes was not one of fear, rather one of curiosity.

“The Peaky Blinders…” she murmured, more to herself than to him, with the tone of someone who was suddenly aware of something. Then she blinked, seemingly recollecting herself. “I just wondered why you called yourselves like that.” She explained.

“Now you know.” He said, with a nod of his head.

Silence fell between them as they stood face to face, studying each other, all while keeping their distance. There was a fiery stubbornness in her eyes, but it wasn’t intentional, or a mere way of presenting herself to the world. It was rooted in her very nature. That restless gaze was something that Tommy knew all too well.

“Anyway, you won’t need it.” Nina suddenly spoke, nodding towards his cap. “Just like you won’t need the gun you’re hiding inside your coat. Don’t bring them to the lunch.”

Tommy squinted his eyes, opening his mouth to say something, but no sound came out of it as words failed him. How the hell would she know what he was hiding in his coat?

She shot him one last glance before walking past him, without giving him the chance to speak. Only when she reached the middle of the hallway, she spoke again, slightly raising her voice. “Lunch will be served in an hour. Don’t be late.”

“He’s not an old man.”

Nina went straight to the point as she stormed inside her cousin’s bedroom, eager to ease at least one of her worries. After her conversation with Tommy, she had hastily left her house, crossed the shared garden, and rushed inside Agnese’s house for an update session.

“Good.” Agnese said, taking one last look in the mirror before turning to face her cousin, who had proceeded to sit on her bed. “How does he look?” She asked, some sort of trepidation in her eyes.

Not like a Devil, Nina thought to herself. She had heard stories about him, about how everybody called him “The Peaky Blinder Devil”. She had pictured him like an unpleasant man - nasty, even -, rough and surly. Instead, he couldn’t have been any different. She had to admit that he was, in fact, quite attractive. And his manners were fairly good.

“He’s… nice.” She hesitated, the word feeling like a burning lump she had to swallow. “He has blue yes.”

Agnese stared at her with a puzzled look in her eyes, probably expecting something more articulate. But as much as she tried, Nina couldn’t find the words to describe the man she had just met. For some reason, they just wouldn’t come out.

“Don’t worry, you won’t be a Teresa.” Nina broke the silence with a joke, making her cousin chuckle.

“Well, that’s a relief.”

Teresa was a girl they used to play with when they were children, a sweet girl, unfortunately born in a poor family. She was married off as soon as she turned eighteen. The man was twice her age, smelled foul and missed a front tooth.

Being a Teresa was not that uncommon.

“Anyway, it’s not like he’s betrothed to me. They just suggested him to marry me.” She remarked, grabbing a hairbrush and turning towards the mirror again. “He might not choose me.”

Nina raised her eyebrows as she looked at her cousin in disbelief. “Are you serious?” She asked, slightly raising her voice. “You’re the most beautiful girl in the village, everybody says. And you’re gentle, and good.”

Agnese shook her head, slowly brushing her brown hair. “My sisters are beautiful as well. And so are our cousins both from your mother and my mother’s side.”

“Yes, but your sisters are not even twenty yet. And our cousins don’t know a single English word.” She pointed out. “Who else would he choose, me?”

A genuine laugh escaped from Agnese’s lips at her cousin’s sarcastic remark. Everybody knew Nina wasn’t exactly marriage material, with her smart mouth and unusual ideas. Silence fell between them as Agnese struggled to tie the front parts of her hair behind her head with a ribbon. Nina got up from the bed and walked up to her. She took the ribbon from her hand and started to style her hair. “Don’t be worried, Agnese. I’m sure he’ll only have eyes for you.” She said softly, giving her a supportive smile through the mirror.

When she finished, Nina sat back on the bed, suddenly becoming serious. She fidgeted with the hem of a blanket, trying to voice her thoughts without sounding negative. “Is this what you want, though?”

Agnese glanced at her with furrowed eyebrows. “Why wouldn’t it be?” She asked, pure wonder in her voice. “I’ve always known I’d have to get married.”

Nina sighed, slightly shaking her head. Sometimes she felt like her thoughts were something that could be understood by her and only her. She had no one to share them with, no one who would genuinely listen. And even though her cousin was the only one who didn’t look at her as if she was some lost cause, Nina knew that, deep down, she thought what everybody else did. That one day, Nina would have to stop with her nonsense and get married.

“Yes, but doesn’t it bother you?” Nina asked, her dark eyes full of obstinacy. “They don’t involve us in the business, but they use us as some sort of bargaining chip when it suits them.” She spat out.

“The business is men’s business, Nina.” Agnese said with a soft voice, trying to reason with her. “We help the only way we can.”

“But what do we get from it?” She insisted.

“Security, stability. Someone who provides for us. That’s how things are. It’s not like we have any other choice.”

Nina scoffed, putting an end to the conversation. It was an important day for her cousin, and she didn’t want to ruin it for her. But as much as she tried to support her, she couldn’t understand how she could just accept that. In moments like those, their difference emerged in all its magnitude.

And she was well aware they really couldn’t be any more different. Not just in the way they thought, but in the very depths of their being. That difference was right before everyone’s eyes. She had been compared to Agnese all her life, to her beauty, to her softness. There was nothing soft about Nina. She was all sharp edges and searing looks. Where Agnese wore a smile bright enough to put the sun to shame, Nina wore a scowl. Where Agnese’s words, sweet like honey, meant to soothe, Nina’s words meant to cut. She was outspoken, and defensive, and angry. Angry at her family, whose judgmental stare burned on her skin. Angry at her mother, who had wanted her different since the moment she had drawn her first breath. Angry at her father, who still treated her like a little girl who knew nothing of the word. Angry at Tommy Shelby, who thought he could just barge in and state some claim over one of them.

Standing up, Nina shot her cousin one last look before walking towards the door. “I’ll wait for you in the garden.”

Not even half an our after Tommy Shelby’s arrival, the garden was already full of nosy relatives, half of whom didn’t even have a part in the business. The news of there being a gangster had roused the interest of ambitious mothers and their giddy daughters.

“Is it always like this?”

Tommy’s voice came to Nina’s as he walked up to her, stopping by her side. She was quite pleased to see that he had listened to her and taken off his cap, along with his coat and his jacket. No gun nor razors in sight.

“No, thank God.” She shook her head. “Usually, we only gather on Sunday. But now you’re here, and everybody’s curious.” She explained, her Italian accent coming through with all those r’s. “Those people there,” she pointed towards a group of people talking next to the table, “they’re from my mother’s side. And those ones-” she indicated another set of relatives, “they’re from Aunt Rita’s side, Agnese’s mother. I’d tell you to introduce yourself, but they don’t speak English.”

Tommy nodded to himself, trying to keep all that information in mind. “Are they part of the business, too?”

“No. The business is only run by my father’s side of the family. By they do benefit from it.”

A part of him was glad that he didn’t have to remember all of those people, or to interact with them. His main concern were the Ferrante brothers - or rather, two of them, since Antonio had stayed in England -, their wives and their sons and daughters.

“For the next few days this is how it’s gonna be.” Nina spoke again, a hint of annoyance in her voice as she looked around. “Once you make it clear who it is that you want to marry, the whole thing will die out. I hope.”

“Your uncle Mario has three daughters, right?” Tommy asked, trying to put together what he had learned about the family. He was pretty sure he remembered all of the important things, but a recapitulation wouldn’t hurt.

“Yes.” She confirmed. “Agnese, Rosa and Sofia.”

“And you only have brothers.” He said, taking his cigarette case out of his pocket. He opened it and offered Nina a cigarette, but she politely declined.

“No, thank you. Two older brothers.”

He rubbed the cigarette against his lower lip before lighting it. He took a long drag, relishing the calming feeling of the smoke filling his lungs. All that situation was nerve-racking, way more than he had imagined. They could’ve simply arranged a marriage with Agnese and get on with it, but no, they had to do things the right way. See if they got along, see if there could be a better match. But it just looked like some kind of sale.

“So it would be convenient to marry one of you four.” He noted, speaking more to himself than to her. “Because all of your other cousins and their family are not directly involved in the business. And they don’t speak English.”

“One of them.” She corrected him, crossing her arms over her chest.

Tommy blinked, feeling like he had missed some part of the conversation. “What?”

“You’re here to marry one of them.” Nina clarified, emphasising the last word. “I took myself out of the list.”

He exhaled a cloud of smoke, trying to hide the amused grin that threatened to appear on his face. Although he barely knew that girl, the thing didn’t surprise him in the slightest. “Could you do that?”

“Who cares?” She shrugged, raising her eyebrows. “It’s not like you could force me anyway.”

There was something entertaining in those quick answers, in the way she didn’t hesitate to make things clear. He had the impression that she had been constantly challenging him since the moment they had met, and it was something completely different from what he was used to. He wasn’t even sure she was doing it on purpose, it seemed to be just her way of being. “No, I couldn’t.” He agreed, flicking the ash to the ground. “And I wouldn’t. But if I were to choose you, and you were to say no, and I were to consider all of your cousins as unsuitable, I could decide to go on with the war. Would you take that responsibility upon yourself?” He provoked her, squinting his eyes.

Of course, Tommy would’ve never done something like that. It wasn’t in his interest to find a wife that was “suitable”, he only wanted to put an end to that war. But the girl in front of him seemed clever and quick-witted, and he was curious to see how long she would manage to hold her own.

“As I come to understand, this peace is more necessary to you than it is to us.” Nina started. “You were the ones who have been hit the hardest. You lost two pubs and a warehouse, right? And a few men.” She added, and it sounded more like a statement than a question. She cast him a sly glance, her brown iris glinting with smugness when she noticed the muscles clenching in his jaw. “You won’t go on with the war, it would be suicide.”

Tommy raised eyebrows with a nod, finding himself in the position of acknowledging that she, in fact, had a point. “I thought you weren’t involved in the business.” He said, before taking another drag from his cigarette. He knew the Italians were more old-fashioned in that sense. The men didn’t trouble their wives, sisters and daughters with the matters of business, not only because said business was dangerous, but mainly because there was a hierarchy to respect.

“I’m not.” She shook her head. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t know things.” She added cryptically.

Tommy had to give it to her, she was smart. However, there was a small detail she was forgetting, and he was determined to have the last word. “The thing is,” he drew on his cigarette again, taking his sweet time before going on. “If your family didn’t need me, I wouldn’t be here.”

He turned to look at Nina, staying quiet for a few seconds to test her reaction. She kept her gaze on a spot in front of her, waiting for him to go on, and from the expression on her face Tommy knew he had a chance of winning that conversation. “You can’t defeat Sabini without my help. You know he’s working with the Solomons, now?”

That was it. With a certain satisfaction, Tommy realised that she had no idea of what he was talking about. Maybe she didn’t know everything, after all. “You don’t even know who Solomons is, do you?” He rubbed it in with a taunting tone, stomping out his cigarette.

Before she could have the chance to answer, a voice called from behind them.

“Mr Shelby.”

Vincenzo Ferrante approached him, followed by a man and a young woman. “Meet my brother, Mario, and his daughter, Agnese.”

Tommy shook Mario’s hand before shifting his attention to the girl. They were right, she was a beauty. Her brown hair fell down to her shoulders, framing her sweet face. The pink, floral dress she was wearing flowed around the soft curves of her body, gracefully brushing against her rounded hips. Her doe eyes looked at him with shyness, and for a moment she seemed almost intimidated. But then, her full lips curved in a gentle smile, and her cheeks turned a vivid shade of pink as she held out her hand to him.

“Pleasure.” He shook it delicately, offering her a kind smile.

Agnese then turned to Nina, giving her a warm hug, but it was clear that it was just an excuse to whisper something in her ear. Nina shook her head, saying something in a fake scolding tone, making her cousin laugh.

“Come, Mr Shelby,” Vincenzo spoke again, drawing Tommy’s attention back to him. “I’ll introduce you to my wife.”

Against Tommy’s expectations, the lunch ran smoothly. He was introduced to Nina’s mother, Maria, and Agnese’s mother, Rita, although he didn’t speak much with them because of their lack of English. He engaged in conversation with Nina’s older brothers, Salvatore and Pietro, who were starting to take part in the Italian side of the business, and he met Agnese’s sisters. Sitting across from Nina, he noticed how she only spoke with Agnese, while her interactions with her aunts - the ones from her mother’s side of the family - were brief and characterised by some kind of tension. Her numerous cousins, for their part, seemed to barely acknowledge her existence. Tommy couldn’t help but steal a glance at her from time to time. For all she tried to put on a serene face, her rigid posture gave away how uncomfortable she actually was. Perhaps this time he had stared at her for a bit too long, because she raised her gaze from her plate to look at him. Their eyes met for a second, but Tommy was quick to look away, nodding at something that Mario Ferrante had said to him.

The lunch lasted until the early afternoon. After the majority of the relatives who had joined it had left - except for some of the aunts - Maria and Rita called their daughters to help cleaning everything up. Tommy remained sat at the table with Vincenzo, his two sons and Mario, all of them ready to settle the terms of the peace once and for all. Tommy’s headache, which had been plaguing him since the moment he had left Small Heath, was finally starting to subside. Now he would declare his intention to start courting Agnese, as they had suggested, and hopefully in a few weeks he’d be married and with one less enemy. Too much time had already been wasted, and getting to know the other girls would’ve slowed everything down even more. He wasn’t there to find the perfect match, he was there to save his family and his business. Agnese would do.

“So one of yours might get married soon, eh, Mario?” Vincenzo teased his brother, grabbing a bottle full of some bright yellow liquid that his wife had brought, before pouring it five small glasses. “Limoncello.” He said, handing one to Tommy.

“Who says? Maybe it’s your Nina that will get married.” Mario playfully retorted, winking at him with the glass in his hand.

Vincenzo chuckled, as if his brother had said the most amusing thing in the world. “You know my Nina’s not ready for marriage. Let’s leave her alone for a couple more years.” Having said that, he shot Tommy a look. It was a silent warning, my daughter is not up for sale.

Tommy cleared his throat, straightening his back. Maybe it was a bit too soon to declare his intention. As much as he wanted to get it over with, he didn’t want to seem hasty. Because, again, those people wanted to do things the right way.

Waiting two or three days wouldn’t hurt.

“Look at them, sitting at the table like fucking kings.” Nina murmured, looking out the window as she scrubbed a plate. “God forbid they raise a finger.”

Luckily for her, neither her mother nor her aunts could understand what she was saying, and her cousins were too busy talking amongst themselves to listen to her. She was in no mood for a scolding. She kept on cleaning, getting lost in her own thoughts. That day had been draining, and it wasn’t even over yet. It was always like that, every time that the family gathered. Feeling judged and looked upon for everything she said or did was tiring. It didn’t matter how much she tried to be good, there was always someone ready to point their finger behind fake curiosity and nasty smiles.

And now they were speaking loudly, talking about how beautiful Agnese was, about how Mr Shelby surely was already in love with her. Nina pretended not to see how they tended to look at her while making their comments. It was an implicit comparison, she knew. And she knew she was right when the comparison became explicit. Aunt Clara, one of her mother’s sisters, said only half jokingly that Nina would find a husband as well one day, if she decided to get rid of that frown and put some meat on those bones.

For once, Nina bit her tongue and kept on scrubbing the plate, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of a retort. Her mother, however, blushed and cleared her throat, almost embarrassed by the situation. Nina knew that her opinion about her was not that different from her aunts’, and that her behaviour was indefensible even for her mother.

Maria poured the coffee she had just prepared in five small cups that she had placed in a tray, then asked her daughter to bring it to the men. Nina sighed and grabbed the tray. At least she could leave that kitchen now.

She went out into the garden and walked to the table, that was now full of cigarette holders, matches, bottles and small glasses. She squeezed between their chairs, trying to find an empty spot big enough to place the tray. No one seemed to notice as she struggled make space with one hand, while with the other she balanced the tray, trying her best not to spill the coffee. A wave of irritation spread from her stomach, slowly rising to her chest and shoulders, all the way to her head, and soon she was gritting her teeth, her patience rapidly running out. Just when she was about to snap, two strong hands grabbed the tray, guiding it towards the space she had just cleared. Tommy’s blue irises pierced through her, and for a moment all her anger left her. There was something calming, in that particular shade of blue. She cast him a grateful glance, not only for his help, but mainly for preventing her from throwing a fit.

“Oh, no, no, please, sit, Mr. Shelby.” Her brother Pietro said, waving his hand. Nina raised her eyebrows, fighting the urge to slap him on the back of his head.

Tommy squinted his eyes and for a moment it seemed like he was about to say something. Then his gaze rested upon Nina again, and he nodded at her. “Thank you for the coffee.” He said, sitting back in his chair.

She took a few steps back, looking at him one last time before starting to walk away. Before she could go far, Pietro’s voice came to her ears again.

“Hand me the ashtray.”

Nina stopped in her tracks, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She gathered all her strength to remain calm, and turned around to look at him “You have hands.” She simply said, before going back to the house.

It would be a long day, indeed.

Heart, Body and Soul tag list: @zablife @queenofshinigamis @raincoffeeandfandoms @call-sign-shark @kmc1989 @babayaga67 @kmhappybunny240

Regular tag list: @iamngoclinh08 @lilywinchesterlove @fandom-puff @capitanostella @caelys @lucillethings @peakyxtommy @queenofkings1212 @lyarr24 @kmc1989

Tommy Shelby tag list: @50svibes

[thinking-bubbles]

Review: Golden Stage

Hello, I'm here with another review I need to get out of my system.

So first, everyone around me hypes this novel up a whole lot and perhaps that had set my expectations too high?

Don't get me wrong. The novel started off really strong. The moment I got into the first few chapters I felt I was in for something promising. But in my opinion, it fell flat in the second half. The reviews I've seen of it praise it to the sky, which I'm genuinely confused by, so I really appreciate the handful of reviews that have resonated with me.

[SPOILERS ALERT]

✨ What’s great about it ✨

Amazing, strong start to the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the way the author introduced us to Fu Shen, his family background, and his achievements prior to that unfortunate incident.

The ambiguity of Fu Shen's relationship with Yan Xiaohan progressing into something more concrete and certain was a delight!

Mature relationship between the MC and ML

I LOVE that arc where the author shows us how the main CP first met, their interactions, how they grew closer, and even that 'betrayal'. It was super fluffy and there was a lot of tension that kept me on my toes.

Let's not lie to ourselves, the arranged marriage trope is just fucking tasty

😞 What I was disappointed about 😞

The "enemies-to-lovers" trope was very misleading... I don't know about the novel's fans but I expected enemies to lovers. To me, YanFu felt far from that...? In this case, they weren't enemies to begin with. They presented themselves as rivals at court, even though in private they had a far more amicable relationship. Even though Yan Xiaohan's 'betrayal' was a thorn in young Fu Shen's heart, it's revealed at some point in the novel that Fu Shen had already rationalised this 'betrayal' when he grew older. By the time the pair were married, what was left was some remaining tension that gradually gave way to them affirming their romantic attraction to each other. So actually, I feel it might be more accurate to portray this novel as one where the main CP grows closer with the trials and tribulations they go through together, including the political scheming they have to overcome with each other's help.

Towards the end, the plot generally fell kind of flat and the narrative became rather bland. Perhaps there wasn't enough explanations for some of the things that were happening. In addition, the conclusion felt slightly rushed with little build up.

While the novel gave us lots of sweet moments between MC and ML, I did not feel like there was any significant developments to their relationship, which was a bit of a pity but hey, main CP does have a strong and mature relationship, which is definitely a plus in my books! ❤️

I read this some time ago and I have an extremely poor memory so I don't remember much of it now. Rather than some glaring faults, I think it's probably the narrative style that didn't quite make the cut in my books. However, there are lots of people who enjoyed this novel, so it might still be worth a try for any interested folks out there! 💪

[mimick-the-mcyt]

Okay so I actually may or may not have brain rotted on this plot last night so I have a Lot Of Thoughts (hence why I decided to make a side blog instead of just bogging down your inbox lol)

So here are the many thoughts me and Friend Of Mimick™ had about this au

So basically, yeah yeah arranged marriage plot all well and good. I ain't one to scoff at a classic.

BUT what if they were both given the order to assassinate the other? In an attempt to spark a war between the two kingdoms/factions/Existing Government Bodies(???). (I'm sure justification can be given. Fantasy politics is always the most fun part about arranged marriage plots /gen). They are both given these orders independently.

Now here's where the fun is. This AU is mostly from Jackie's~< overly dramatic sparkles > PoV.

(Also a lot of the Shenangians of ya know Sudden Marriage That Neither Rly Agreed To would also be included, I just don't plot that stuff (like more lighthearted or awkward sorta silly character interactions) cuz i like just writing it as it comes. that stuff is also extremely fun. like its literally mostly what i think about when i think about this au lol. They Are Such Fun Characters Oml.)

Now, Jackie, upon getting this order to kill the husband that he Really Didn't Sign Up For, Seriously He Didn't Even Rly Sign Up To Be General, decides. Hmmmmmm nah. At least for a bit. He'll take what he can get and the enderman ain't half bad looking either.

Jackie, of course, still notices, how curious, that Ran is tryina kill him. Almost as if they're trying to spark a war. Ran, of course, has about as much luck as in canon when it comes to killing Jackie.

Tho despite the fact Jackie got One Hell Of A Husband, free of charge, on top of one of the highest positions in all of Subbin, he ain't rly having a dandy ol time. Cuz woo yay in this AU Jackie is the so called bearer of the curse.

He has to train a bunch of recruits, on top of deal with the fun mental hoops of the fact porkius still holds a guillotine blade over his head at all times, on top of the fact his so called husband (who he is definitely getting attached to) is tryina murder him, on top of tryina figure out why in the world would these countries want to start a war, and he ain't even 20 yet.

He's having a grand ol time. /s

But time passes as it does, and things slowly get better. or at least Jackie adjusts. Ran isn't trying to kill him 24/7, and Jackie's able to, just a bit (a lot, rly) let his walls down around him (ran does as well. Yay them being able to be cute and bond). The recruit's are training up well, even if it's like herding cats. Porkius accepts the half-true excuse for why Jackie has taken so long. "Im waiting so no one will suspect me. The perfect time will come". Jackie knows there's never a perfect time. He didn't get this far as an assassin waiting. It's a lie he hasn't even been bothering to tell himself.

Although, even as things adjust, shits still Tense < more overly dramatic sparkles >. The guillotine blade still hangs over his head from porkius. He's started to put together some of the things about the geopolitical bits I didn't build (yet, perhaps). And he's noticed how antsy ran has been getting over the past few weeks, seemingly being plagued by nightmares.

And then the tension snaps. Like a rope. and then there's a blade at his neck

Held non other by ran.

(this guillotine thing was done on the fly but I kinda love it)

Cuz WOOP ran was not having a handy dandy time either.

Similar to canon, the council is like Wtf Dude Why Haven't You Murdered The Guy This Is Your One Job. And ran is struggling cuz every damn day he gets just a bit of what he could keep, if it wasn't for the fact the council wants Jackie dead for whatever reason. Ran is able to ignore it for a while but willpower only lasts so long.

Aaaaand that's all I schemed out. I am Bad at endings lol, I'm lucky I even figured out a good one for the Other Knifetrick fan²fic I planned out. Although this one is definitely on the workbench still,

The guillotine theme kinda came out of the blue but I Love It and if I eventually get around to writing this I'm definitely including it.

If I disappear for the rest of... Existence, lol, after posting this. Blame anxiety.

Now that I'm done with this I'm gonna go work on Actual Writing and not just endlessly scheming out endless plots. Big compliments to Knifetrick tho cuz OOHOHO I haven't even been this schemeing-out-plots trigger-happy since my last hyperfixation. Very good characters.

Complete and utter opposite au idea: In a universe where Subbin actually knows about Terminus, the two come to a treaty that involves the arranged marriage of subbin's war general and the council's first executive in command

OHOHOHOHO