#zablife housekeeping

[zablife]

Zablife Update

My lovely moots, my head is such a jumble atm. There are so many fics I want to read!! There are so many fics I want to write!! BUT my brain is on strike apparently.

Pls cont to tag me bc I will return when I'm able. And if you see me liking your work, that is a bookmark I'm coming back to later when I have the spoons: @cillmequick, @darklydeliciousdesires, @garrison-girl-08, @xxanaduwrites

@strayrockette, @copinghex, @justrainandcoffee, @evita-shelby, @runnning-outof-time

@novashelby, @capnmachete

For anyone wondering about my WIP list. I'm working on the following:

Peaky Blinders:

dark!John leads his gf into a life of crime

Green Gloves-Part 2

Tommy x Esmerelda Gold

The Bikeriders:

Save Me Darlin'-Part 2

Johnny has a hard day

Sweet Cherry Pie-Part 2

[evita-shelby]

A different sort of man

Chapter 5

Cw: cheating (technically?) Racism

Taglist: @thegreatdragonfruta @zablife @cillmequick @look-at-the-soul @midnightswithdearkatytspb

Gif by @jeonfknjungkook

“I will not leave until I have seen him.” Grace demands with her arms crossed.

“The Lady is not to be disturbed, please come back later.” Lady Smallbrook's housekeeper stands her ground and tried to get her to leave.

But Grace heard it all the same, god, he was never this enthusiastic in bed with her.

Angry tears welled up in her eyes.

Wasn’t it enough that she’d given him the boy? Wasn’t it enough that she had killed for him?

Grace takes her gun and aims it at the servants.

“Tell me to leave one more time, and I will shoot.” The Irish woman warned and went to confront her dirty gypsy husband.

He's got dirty blood, no amount of money’s going to wash it off, her aunts and uncles had said and she hadn’t paid attention to their cruel words even when she discovered he still had his way with Lizzie Stark during their long engagement.

“I love you, Evie,” her husband said to the woman who she had believed to have gotten rid off for good in 1919. “God, I missed you.”

Campbell had promised to send her back where she came from for interfering in her mission.

And yet here she was in bed with Grace’s husband.

She could kill them both. She’s got the bullets for it.

But she doesn’t.

Not when the whore takes Thomas’ gun and aims it at her.

“Fire that gun, Miss. Burgess, and I’ll make sure you it’s you who meets us in hell.” The woman threatened and Grace does the best not to cry, but her angry and heartbroken tears flow freely as she stands there like the pathetic wife in a novel.

“How could you?” she shouts at them, at her husband. “How could you?”

“Fuck, fuck,” Eva paces as she tried to make sense of what went wrong.

This Eva has a baby, a complex business and hopefully a diary of sorts.

The only diary, Eva has kept was that one with visions she had in the desert and of no use.

Or could it?

“Call Polly, she might be helpful.” Thomas, not the Tommy who lives here, suggested as he dressed for today.

She should do the same, but in her panic when the three-year-old boy cried for her, she forgot.

There are photographs, a list the other Eva made for Thomas and hopefully a Polly Gray willing to help.

They still spoke to each other, not as warm as it used to be. Polly thought she had been using them when she was told to choose between certain death or boring Lord Smallbrook.

“I know, Shelby. I’m not stupid.” She told her apparent husband.

What had she done wrong? She said the words exactly as it said, what went wrong?

“Should we stop her?” Eva asked and Tommy shrugged as Grace ran out in tears and saying all the horrible things she had been holding back.

Gypsy bastard, bean-eating tramp, son of a whore, brown-skinned foreign whore, fucking tinker.

Tommy wondered if this Thomas knew how racist his wife could be when pushed over the precipice.

Eva never stooped that low, the most hurtful thing she said to him was that he had big fucking head for such a short man and immediately apologized after.

“She’s not my wife, I don’t know.” He said wanting to return to much better things.

“No, but she thinks you are her husband.” Eva pointed out.

“Fuck.” How do you explain, I am not your husband, at least not in my universe?

How do you explain that the Thomas who loves her is stuck in a universe where he got over her less than a few days after she left?

Fuck.

It was one thing pretending to be this Thomas for a day, it will be hell to be Thomas Shelby for any longer than that.

Hell, he already had ruined his marriage in the span of twenty-four hours.

Oh, well, there was nothing he could do about it.

“Do you know what you fucked up in your spell last night?” he asked turning to his real wife.

“I have some theories. One involves the house.”

Up until this year, Eva was relatively weak.

Somewhere, an Eva had begun using her magic to its full potential and opened the tap for every Eva in every fucking universe.

Every attempt at scrying used to end with a headache, once she lost her shadow at a party and her husband may have died because she separated his soul from his body when she played the wicked witch and tied him to a cursed chair.

This Eva had chosen at random following a dumb question by her husband.

What would my life be without you, chovvikanon?

And as luck would have it, the spell had worked and sent him to Grace Burgess’ bed.

At least that universe had her, some universes Eva has been dead for years, is married to someone else, or flat out doesn’t exist.

The obsidian mirror Eva inherited from her late aunt manages to become clear as a window and reveals, not Tommy and his wife. No, it reveals and absolutely livid Grace who just trashed Arrow House in all its gaudiness, packed her things and has her muttering the letter she has written to her cheating husband.

“I lied; the boy isn’t yours.” She says and ordered for Mary to give this to her husband.

“I’m sorry, Thomas.” The witch apologized to the man who is more heartbroken about the boy not being his than his wife leaving.

“I had my suspicions about the boy, but it wasn’t your fault.” He dismissed her apology as he watched Grace take the crying boy and leave his life forever. It hurt him, not that the man would admit it.

“Still, I’m sorry this happened to you.” The witch said softly, and he nodded accepting her sympathies.

When they arrive at Arrow House, a grim-faced Polly and an apologetic Johnny Dogs greet Tommy.

“She took the boy and left a letter, Tom.” The Romani man said, taking his hat off and giving him his sympathies.

“A problem for the other Thomas, Johnny.” Polly said as she took them inside where every painting has been torn apart, everything breakable broken and a letter in a vase missing roses and filled with thorns. “This one is just relieved Grace won’t be an inconvenience.”

“Unfortunately.” Tommy said with a shrug.

[zablife]

I'm Back!

I had the most incredible holiday, but it's good to be home settling in again. I'll slowly be answering messages and catching up on all the amazing work I missed. Tysm for the kind notes I've yet to respond to esp on my "accidental series" Now You Know the Truth. I'm working on the last part to it now along with another chapter to my ongoing series Partners in Crime! Looking forward to interacting with everyone again. I've missed you 💕

[zablife]

✈ Hiatus

I'll be traveling until the beginning of March with little free time to check in. I've set up a queue so I don't disappear from your dash completely tho! And I hope you'll continue to tag me in your fics, GIFs and anything else you think I'd enjoy. Love and light ✨

[zablife]

Fandoms

I'm currently enjoying Peaky Blinders, The Bear, The Last of Us, Top Gun Maverick and The Bikeriders. Characters I write for can be found on my ➤➢Masterlist . If you don't see a character listed, feel free to send an ask.

Requests

My requests are currently OPEN. When requests are open, please note I take my time writing to ensure quality. If you choose to send the same request to another writer, please let me know as a courtesy. I reserve the right to decline requests, but will let you know immediately if I do not feel I can fulfill it.

Rules

I am an adult and my writing is for adults only. If you are a minor please do not interact! I block all blank and ageless blogs unless you message me to verify you're 18 or older. This is bc some of my work contains NSFW and/or dark themes. All NSFW material is marked 🔞 and Dark AU material is marked 💀 as a warning.

Reblogs

Please consider a reblog instead of a like if you enjoyed one of my stories! Comments are love so please don't hesitate to share your thoughts. Engagement is the biggest reason I share my work on this platform. I want to talk about my fics, but yours as well! If there's something you'd like me to read, tag me or drop a link.

Fic Recs

For a list of writers I adore. Check out this post My Peaky Blinders Rec List.

Tag Lists

I am currently organizing my tag lists by fandom. If you'd like to be added to the tag list for one of the fandoms mentioned above, please send an ask.

[zablife]

Tagging Issues

It's come to my attention that tagging might not be working for me?!?! 😫 If you've missed some of my recent work I'm posting it again here.

A Night Like Tonight Tommy Shelby x gf

Partners in Crime - New part added A Small Favor John Shelby & Solomons sister reader

Now You Know the Truth- New Part 5 and Part 6 added Tommy Shelby x wife reader

[zablife]

Zablife Update

Quick post to let all my beloved Peaky/Cillian moots know I haven't lost my mind, I'm just a bit distracted atm with a new fixation so I've not been reading or commenting on your work as usual. I would apologize for all the Bikeriders spam, but it's actually lovely to feel so inspired again, along with discovering new writers whose work makes me positively giddy.

With that being said, I'll be slowing down after next week bc I'm gainfully employed once again! So for anyone bored of me, don't worry you'll be seeing less. It's actually a good thing tho as I get my life back on track, happier and healthier (60 days and counting, Yay me!)

Last bit of housekeeping, I know there are at least 3 requests to finish for my 2.5K celly and I promise to return to them soon! If you'd like to catch up on what I've already posted, you can read them here. Love and light ✨

[zablife]

WIP List 29/3/24

Hi lovelies, here's everything I'm working on atm and a few updates below the cut.

I should be writing 🙈, but instead I'm organizing the remaining fics I have in my inbox before announcing any plans for a 2.5k celebration which is long overdue! (If you have any ideas for that, pls send them my way!)

BLURBS:

Currently taking requests from this prompt list. So far I have received:

❧ It terrifies me what I would do for you. w/ Tommy or Luca from @cillmequick

❧ I've killed for you. Who else can say that? w/ Tommy from @thomashelbyswife

ONE SHOTS:

❧ Lovefool Tommy x gf reader

Summary: An infatuated Tommy finds his gf in a state of confusion, leading him to question her devotion. Will she say she loves him and not another?

❧ Secrets and Lies- Tommy x OC

Summary: The new barmaid has a secret she's desperately trying to hide from Tommy. When her past begins to threaten his family's future, who will he remain loyal to?

❧Untitled -John x female reader and Tommy x female reader

Summary: When John's fiancé offers comfort to a distraught Tommy, they forge a bond that threatens to break the alliance the Shelbys have worked so hard to forge with the Lees.

SERIES UPDATES

Recently completed:

❧ Now You Know the Truth - Tommy x wife reader

Returning soon:

❧ Tachipen- Tommy x female reader

Summary: With the flip of a coin, Tommy makes a deal to bring a gypsy girl into the Shelby clan. Considering her too young to marry, he employs her as a nanny. When tragedy strikes, he’s forced to confront the truth he has always known. 

Discontinued:

❧ My Sun, My Moon and All My Stars- Luca Changretta x OC (Aurora)

[zablife]

Last Call

It's almost time to close requests for the year!! I fully intend on focusing on the 2 series I have (Tachipen and My Sun My Moon and All My Stars) in 2024!! So if you have anything you want to send, pls do so by Dec 22 💗

[zablife]

Like many of you, I'm having issues with notifications so as I reply today, I'm also tagging the person I'm responding to. I apologize if you end up with double notifications in the process! I want to go back to bed now, Tumblr is hurting my brain 😫 Btw, to all my lovely moots, I'm quite behind on my reading. Comments are coming, darlings 💕

[zablife]

GIF credit @drrav3nb

Sorry about the spam guys, I've been rearranging my masterlist! I think I have something I can live with for now tho and feels cozy. Now to tackle the WIP list to see what stays 😬

[zablife]

An Evening at Arrow House: A Collection of Harrowing Tales

Here you'll find all the spine tingling fics and haunting artwork created for my 2K follower celebration. All writers have the same goal- to frighten, deceive and otherwise torment Tommy Shelby's new bride until she leaves Arrow House permanently. As submissions are posted, I will add them here or you can follow #zablife 2K celebration. If you enjoy dark fics, you're in the right place ❤ If not, you might want to follow Mrs. Shelby to the nearest exit.

My fics and moodboards

Meeting Arthur in the Wine Cellar

A Walk in the Garden with Heaven Shelby

Michael's Wedding Gift

Ruby's Tea Party

Drinks with Polly in the Parlor

Mary the Helpful Housekeeper

The Last Supper

Careless People

A Wrench in Our Plans

No Peace For You Ever

Ada's Tour of the Library

Thanks to all my lovely and talented moots who have contributed! ❤

Fics

An Evening at Arrow House by @there-goes-thefighter

The Attic by @noforkingclue

Bad Omen by @peakyswritings

Barbe Bleue by @notyour-valentine

Behind the Green Door interactive fic by @raincoffeeandfandoms

Betrayal short story by @cillmequick

The Choice by @look-at-the-soul

Codependent Siblings by @multifandomwriter56

In the Graveyard with Lilith Rose Shelby by @chaosinkest1996

Love in a Haunted House and Part 2 by @pacifymebby

Love Ritual by @call-sign-shark

Mrs. Francesca Shelby by @kmhappybunny240

Nightcap by @murderousginger

Nocturnal Me by @emotionalcadaver

Polly's Intuition by @the-makingsofgreatness

The Red Room by @evita-shelby

There's Something About These Grounds by @runnning-outof-time

Third Time Lucky by @brummiereader

When They Cry by @thegreatdragonfruta

Which One is Safe to Drink? game by @raincoffeeandfandoms

Moodboards and GIFs

An Evening at Arrow House by @cljordan-imperium

Arrow House Riddle by @moral-terpitude

The Brides by @thomashelbyswife

Butcher!Alfie by @alicent-targaryen

Dusk at Arrow House Stables by @holacia3

Nocturnal Me by @emotionalcadaver

Psycho!John by @alicent-targaryen

The Red Room by @evita-shelby

There's Something About These Grounds by @runnning-outof-time

Music recs

An Evening at Arrow House Playlist by @shelbydelrey

"Girl With One Eye" Florence + the Machine

"Francesca" Hozier

"A Heart Made of Yarn" Franz Gordon

"Dead Come Talking" Roe Kapara

"Me and the Devil" Soap and Skin

[evita-shelby]

National Anthem

Chapter 2

Cw: mentions of injuries, death, sex and scars

Taglist: @thegreatdragonfruta @zablife

“I thought you were a nurse during your war.” He said tracing idle circles around a spot on her shoulder where a bullet grazed her and left its mark on her.

They had ended up at his place, tearing each other’s clothes off and fucking again in his magnificent four poster bed.

She’d never been with a man, done things that had him question her uncle’s claim until he learned it for himself.

Eva had wanted him to take her in the confessional, and he had, against the wooden walls that were supposed to be holy.

A religious experience in many ways.

You are the first woman I fuck here; he had said out of breath after.

The only woman you will ever fuck here and there and everywhere, she had corrected, and he agreed only to humor her.

I’m gonna return you to your uncle with a limp, Mrs. Nelson, he had promised as he carried her over the threshold of his house like a bride.

He had no driver, thank God, it had been so long Eva had ridden in the front seat of a car.

They had decided on the flowers, the colors and the name of their first child by the time they got to his place, a lovely townhouse he shared with his sister-in-law who mercifully was visiting family in the country.

Didn’t help he was calling her Mrs. Nelson and introduced her as such to the housekeeper, a middle-aged woman with an Irish accent strong enough to remind her of her grandfather.

“Nurses are in the line of fire too, you know.” She responded, keeping her secrets to herself.

The witch isn’t sure if she trusts him enough to tell her what she really did during the war.

Would he look at her the same way when she tells him she killed Americans by the dozen to avenge her parents, neighbors, and friends?

It is better if we forget it happened, her aunt had said as they wiped her records clean.

But she cannot simply shut the door behind her.

It comes and goes as it pleases, sure her sobriety has helped quiet the screams and the grief that led her to try and take her life several times, but it will never be over.

Jack was lucky that his post as the newly minted General Manager exempted him from military service.

There was a part of him that hated he was seen as less manly for not having fought in France like his brother had, though, but Laurance Nelson had died in his first real battle and left little Gina and her mother in his brother’s care with his kid brother resenting him for leaving them all behind.

Jack had lived and risen to great heights his brother never got to see. Would live to see his children have grandchildren of their own.

Still, Jack has his own set of scars, scars she kissed and caressed as they come to know each other here.

Eva kissed a faded stab wound near his clavicle and kissed every inch of skin down his sternum.

Marked him as hers to the next lady he fucks, then he’ll know she meant what she said that she is the only woman he’ll have from now on.

He had another one in his abdomen, had found him to be ticklish there as she ventured lower until she reached that wondrous thing that made her see God several times that morning.

Jack was an open book, with the right person.

His past he keeps guarded under lock and key and yet she knows it.

Grown up being an errand boy to a gangster and eventually Party Boss of South Boston, who had taken him and his brother under his wing once they were old enough.

His mom had been his whore for a while, needing to keep her children clothed and fed by any means necessary when his father up and left her with four little ones.

By the time Jack and his brother, Laurence, had become men, they’d seen so much death.

After their little brother and sister died, their mother followed shortly after.

Asked PJ Kennedy to watch over them for her on her deathbed and good old Pat had sworn on Saint Patrick himself to honor her last wishes.

The man had done more than that, he’d left him and his brother everything, including the steel factory that Jack eventually became General Manger of in 1914.

She wasn’t supposed to know that. Eva had learned it when she had seen him from her window when he came to meet her uncle on business.

He hadn’t seen her, but she had gotten a good look at the tall American man who came looking for a wife.

Saw his intentions and past laid out bare before her as he came into the house.

“Frank Wallace, Gutin Gang tried to hijack me thinking I’d gone soft when PJ gave me Bethlehem Steel. Last time they every thought of fucking with me.” He says before she asks.

They have been doing this for a while, worshiping each other’s scars and learning the context for them.

“Zacatecas, artillery felt like it was raining from heaven. Didn’t notice I was hit until we got my brother, Alan, to the only hospital left with an operation theater.” The witch supplies feeling more comfortable as she returns her head to his chest. “He died of sepsis a week later.”

“Laurence died in his first battle. Went in ‘because he wanted to die, and God granted him his fucking wish. They gave him a fucking medal for bravery and called him a hero.” Jack says not bothering to hide his bitterness at having his big brother abandon him and his daughter and have only a fucking medal and a folded-up flag to mourn him.

“I’m sorry for your loss, it must have been terrible for you to lose your brother that way.” She says because she understands his pain. “And I’m sorry for making the both of us dredge up the past, Jack.”

Gabriel could have chosen to accept the deal with Carranza and wait out the war in the safety of America with their uncles.

But when he refused to stop fighting, Eva stayed by his side because she didn’t want him to die alone.

In the end he did, everyone dies as alone as they came into the world.

Such a dark turn this wonderful moment took.

“Got to admit for first dates, it sure as hell it’s gonna be one to remember, Mrs. Nelson.” He said, tilting her chin up and kissing her.

“It sure is, Mr. Nelson.”

[evita-shelby]

Mandy the Cat

For @dancerlittle006

Taglist: @joossieisdabomb @johnathancanines @peakyblindas @whitejuliana1204 @kissmyquill @zablife

Gif by @pcllygray

For Charlie’s fifth birthday, Tommy takes initiative and takes him to a local pet shelter to pick a puppy of his own choice.

While Cyril was greatly cherished by the boy, he wasn’t the dog he wanted. Picking out a puppy that his father would let him adopt with absolutely no judgment would be a great way to fix the disaster of 1926 ---when they realized Tommy had stolen a dog from a not-dead Alfie Solomons.

Eva’s reasoning, Cyril was the family dog, this new pet would be Charles’ personal pet dog and a way for Tom to make it up to him for last year.

Gabe sleeps soundly swaddled tightly to her chest. He’s a month old and Eva wouldn’t trust anyone with him who is not blood.

Dia at almost two still likes Polly best out of anyone and because Pol wants to keep Aberama at bay, Eva has allowed her husband’s aunt to take her for the day.

Tommy’s campaign had focused on him being the family man, working class self made millionaire who was still very down to earth and as such needed to be seen getting his kid the dog he promised him.

Eva felt terribly for using Tommy’s political career against him, but he had brought it upon himself when he did not remove the fucking collar off Cyril when he stopped to put a bow on him.

The telephone rings and Eva doesn’t need Frances to tell her who it is. “Mr. Shelby is on the line, said it was urgent.”

Eva thanks the housekeeper and takes the call, speaking softly so as not to wake up Gabe. “Did he kick the reporter who took a photograph of him in the balls again?”

Her sweet boy panicked and often reacted badly ---and occasionally violence--- to people taking photographs of him when he didn’t consent.

It was adorable, it was funny and a lot of people agreed that Tommy Shelby had done a great job at teaching his young son how to defend himself.

That had been taught to Charlie by Linda, something Eva, Linda, Arthur and Polly felt Linda deserved all the credit for.

“No. The reporter made sure to ask Charlie if he wanted his photo taken and he said yes. Unfortunately, the boy chose a cat.” Tommy is trying his best not to laugh.

If he doesn’t come home with a dog of his choosing, I’m kicking you out of the bedroom again, Eva had playfully threatened this morning.

“No, he didn’t.” Eva was tough to surprise, but when it happened it was rarely a good thing. She likes cats, had a beautiful Siamese cat imported from China growing up.

It was just, Charlie had made no mention of wanting a cat at all.

“That’s not even the funniest part.” Tommy said preparing her for whatever it is. "Try to laugh too loudly, he might hear you."

“I promise I won’t laugh, Gabe just fell asleep.” Somehow Eva knows she will break that promise.

“Amanda has a full goatee.” It was rare to hear her husband laugh. She loved hearing it and she had missed it so much thus past year. “Fucking cat has better facial hair than most men I know.”

“Amanda? He named her after his teacher?” Eva asked. She shouldn’t judge, she had a chicken named Majo after cousin Maria Jose.

“Yes, and told the man from the Birmingham Daily so.” There is a pause, she can see him in her minds eye, running a hand through his face. “Mandy Russell already hates us for what Ada did to her in school.”

Oh, Ada, why did you have to steal Amanda Russell’s boyfriend and ruin her hair in secondary school?

“I’m sure it will be fine, Tom. We’ll laugh about this awful coincidence when you two come home.” She said feeling the baby stir. He was a light sleeper; any sound was enough to wake him up. It was a miracle he hadn’t woken up when Tommy called.

“Fine.” He said before adding,” I love you.”

Tommy Shelby, despite all his faults and the image he projected, was a loving man who had just discovered he liked to say I love you at the end of a phone call to his wife.

“Love you too, now hang up before he finds another cat to name after Eden.”