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lawyering-and-running · 3 years

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Chapter 4 - Don't Shoot The Messenger

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♡ Pretty proud of this one beauties. Don't forget I'm open to suggestions and/or requests xx ♡

Nicole had been sat by the fire for a while, one of the women had passed her a bowl of warm stew and a flask of water. Yet despite feeling more comfortable than she had in months she couldn’t relax. The idea of not knowing what was happening back in Small Heath was nearly too much. That was her town too, why should she not protect it just because she had something different between her legs. She was just as capable as some of the men. Mind made up, she put down her bowl and stretched out her legs. She quickly thanked the women for their kindness before setting off.

Quickly she ran back towards small heath climbing up onto the rooftops until she found her favourite, on top of one of the warehouses with great views of the canals. She raised a flag on top of the building, lighting a fire beside it. A beacon to signal to her people that she needed a meeting. Shelby’s had their family meetings; the runners had their own. She did not have to wait long before the others started the respond. Shadowy figures dropped down on to the roof until all seven of them were gathered.

“We all know what’s happening in those streets below us, and what’s going to happen. This is our home, we know it better than anyone, so we’re going to protect it.” The group was made up of two other girls and four boys, all lean from years of too little food and too much activity. All in dark grey clothing and covered in a fine layer of dirt, they really did look like shadows come alive. When it comes to fight or flight instincts the usual for the group was of course flight. They were used to being ignored, eyes peering into the dark privy to the city’s secrets because nobody realised they were listening in. Nameless, faceless, and voiceless.

But now. As this group stood before her, she realised that maybe they all had an equally strong fight response. Nobody moved to leave, nobody looked scared. “All right then Nik, what’s the plan?” asked Kaz, one of the boys. “I say we use what we’re good at. That we take down Kimber’s men before they even know we’re there. That we keep an eye on things when the other Peakies are unable to do so.” The others nodded their heads in agreement reaching into pockets for hidden switchblades and razors. “Let’s show them what we’ve got” Nina, one of the girls, cheered raising her fist in the air.

Nicole moved towards the edge of the building, looking down at where she could see the men gathering. ”May we die in the shadows as we were born” she said. The group repeated back ”May we die in the shadows as we were born” they wouldn’t quite consider each other family, none of them really knew the concept, but they did have an understanding that they were all one and the same and that they were in this together. With everything said and done the group moved across rooftops, spreading out before slithering down into dark corners, lying in wait.

A hush descended over the group of men as Nicole watched the Shelby brothers from her alleyway, hidden behind a stack of crates. Suddenly Tommy’s voice rang out “It doesn't have to be like this, Kimber.” Kimber’s nasty voice replied “Too late for all that. You've bit off more than you can chew, you little toerag. And now I'm going to take over this shithole.” Nicole quietly fumed, it was no London, but it was their little corner of the world, no way was this outsider going to come in here and disrespect her home. She reigned herself in, it wasn’t her place, wasn’t even her personality really. She stayed hidden watching the conversation take place.

“Now now Kimber, that isn't very polite. I expected something more from a man of your grand standing.” Tommy mocked. “Listen here you little shit, I am going to kill all of you. Every last one of you fuckin Peakies. Then I am going to burn this place to the ground, maybe build myself another racetrack instead. Whilst you lot all rot in hell.” Steam was practically pouring out of Kimber’s ears. His face had gone an odd shade of red, his moustache twitching. It would have probably made for a funny picture if it were not for the seriousness of the situation. Although Nicole swore she could see that glint of amusement in Tommy’s cold blue eyes from where she was perched.

Tommy remained unbothered by the mounting tension in front of him, he shrugged “So that’s how it’s going to be.” Suddenly all hell broke loose. Both sides running for each other, opponents nearly indistinguishable. The loud bangs of gunfire rang through the streets as screams filled the air. Already a hazy mist of blood was settling over them. Nicole saw a Peaky struggling against one of Kimber’s, she crept up behind him and quick as lightning she stabbed him in the neck. She’d rehidden herself by the time the body slumped to the floor, the Peaky looking around for who had saved him.

She continued to dart out where possible to help others in difficult positions, trying as hard as she could to ensure that none of her people lost their lives today. That none of the women of Small Heath would be turned into Widows by the day’s events. She recognised her other runners doing the same, a flash of black, a glint of a blade as they wove through the fighting.

In all of the chaos Nicole had lost track of where the Shelby brothers were. Too focused on what was directly in front of her to think of anything else. She had just unarmed a Kimber for a Peaky to finish off when she saw Kimber raising his gun up to Tommy just a couple of steps away. No one else seemed to have noticed that their fearsome leader was quickly running out of options, his own gun nowhere in sight. Flat cap no match at a distance to a loaded gun. No other thought in mind she jumped for Kimber’s outstretched hand.

Time seemed to slow as she became airborne. As if she were trapped in a bubble, the sounds around her became muffled, tunnel vision focused solely on the weapon. Hands knocking the gun away time sped back up, as noise rushed back in. Angry shouts. She thought she heard a “What the fuck are you doing here?” but that was not important.

She tumbled to the ground with Kimber’s heavy body. The two rolling around trying to gain an upper hand. She lost her blade in the shuffle and had not accounted for Kimber having a backup weapon. Her mistake. Her tired body was no match for his larger frame as he lodged the knife into her shoulder. Yelling obscenities at her. A white-hot numbness spread through her body; she had not felt anything like this before. A pain far more vivid and sharp than a sprained ankle.

Before Kimber could actually finish her off there was a loud bang, the loudest Nicole had heard that day. The weight of a dead body suddenly pressing in on her. Kimber’s unseeing eyes gazing into her own. There was a warm wetness trickling over her, but very little seemed to really be registering in her mind. Her limbs becoming heavy from blood loss and perhaps shock. The heavy body was shoved off of her. The man she had saved appearing above her. “Why would you do something like that, ey?” Tommy asked. His body kneeling next to hers to try and stem the blood flow. All that escaped Nicole was a moan of pain.

A hysterical thought bubbled into her mind, why the hell did she care so much about a gangster. She had only spoken a couple of words to him. Maybe her luck had finally run out, drowned in her own stupidity. Clearly those blue eyes had more of an effect on her than she thought. She laughed out loud, lest she cry out from the pain otherwise. Her eyes shut as the blue-eyed face hovered above her, lips moving but nothing registering in her ringing ears. Then nothing.

Upon seeing Kimber fall the remaining few of his men had quickly tucked tail and run away. The cause no longer worth dying for. The Peakies cheered. “You don’t mess with the PEAKY FUCKIN BLINDERS!” Arthur shouted to even louder cheers. Turning to see Tommy’s crouched form the other two brothers ran over to help. “Is that the girl from before? What’s she doing here?” John questioned. “I don’t bloody know John. She just appeared and saved my life like some fuckin guardian angel. Help me carry her into the Garrison, we need to stitch up the wound.” The men lifted up her limp body as six pairs of eyes watched from the shadows, ready to help but feeling useless all the same. I quite murmur rippled through the group, but a whisper ”May we die in the shadows as we were born” Nicole’s life was in the hands of the Shelby’s now.

They burst through the doors of the pub shoving aside glasses as they laid her body on the table. Tommy ripped her shirt sleeve, heavy and slippery from the blood. Suddenly Polly was by their side as well “Someone get me some whiskey” she commanded whilst taking out a sewing kit. Arthur thrust the bottle at Tommy. He poured half the bottle over the wound grateful that the poor girl was already unconscious for this before pouring the rest of Polly’s waiting hands and needle. His work done he slumped back as Arthur passed him a new bottle of whiskey, this one meant for drinking. He took a couple of gulps as he slowly came down from the adrenaline. The fight, nearly losing his own life, being saved, and then this girl who he for some unexplainable reason cared for nearly dying. Slowly his shaking hands steadied as the alcohol took effect.

Polly had meanwhile sown up the wound and wrapped it in a cloth to stem any further blood flow. Nicole would be alright now. “What a day” she sighed grabbing the bottle from Tommy and taking a swig. Tommy stood up, carrying Nicole to one of the benches and covering her up with his warm black coat. Moving back towards the bar, he turned to face his family “If you check behind the bar Arthur... you will find a bottle of champagne.” Arthur fetched the bottle as Tommy continued “Today was a good day, we only lost a couple of men. All of Kimber's men were busy here, so we managed to take all of the pitches at the Worcester races.” Arthur popped the cork on the bottle “It couldn't have gone better if we'd planned it.” He poured some into the various glasses “Shelby Brothers Limited are now the third largest legal racetrack operation in the country.” Handing them out to the three other family members and keeping one for himself “Cheers! Only the Sabinis and the Solomons are bigger than us. And all my family is here to celebrate. To Shelby Brothers Limited.” “Shelby!” “Brothers!” “Cheers.” Rang out through the room. “There'll be others.” Polly spoke up in warning. Tommy merely raised his glass and toasted her again “To the others. All of them.” His eyes had settled on Nicole’s sleeping form, to new beginnings he thought to himself.

#peaky blinders #peaky blinder fanfic #thomas shelby #thomas shelby x reader #thomas shelby x oc #tommy shelby #tommy shelby x reader #tommy shelby x oc #peaky blinders x reader #peaky blinders x oc

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teddybeirin · 2 years

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Answer all of the system vine asks.

Step the f**k up Kyle!: Do you have specific alters that deal with any conflicts or decision making?

Anselm, definitely. But not because we leave it up to him by choice, more like he takes charge naturally and doesn't leave much room for debate once he's decided on something? Very rude sometimes, but he's almost always right about things so he has a track record to back up his "I *should* be in charge" thing..

and they were roommates! (omg they were roommates): If you have an inner world, do any of your alters share a room or a certain space?

Not that I know of. I haven't actually explored a lot of this inner world, the current castle, it's really difficult for me to access it. But I am kinda sorta sure, I am wanting to say that Rain and the other littles share a section of it? And some of them have bunk beds. But I could be wrong, because I have little to do with it (it being, everything in there)

I am the sand guardian, guardian of the sand: which of your alters do you think are the most protective of the system?

Oh god. Well... I don't think it'd be easy to try and figure out which among them is the Most protective out of them all, but Anselm, Estelle, Maeve, Nik, and Carmel are all very protective. Anya too, in her own way? But in a waaaay nicer way.

I’m in me mum’s car, brum brum: If you drive, do any of your alters have different driving styles/techniques? Are any alters not allowed to drive?

We don't have our license! ...the perks of being trapped here. But you didn't hear this from me, we've driven before as a teen and Cassia wishes she could drive like a maniac but was pretty good at what little we got to learn while we had that taste of freedom.

hey my name is trey I have a basketball game tomorrow: Do any of your alters like or play any sports?

The kids love dodgeball, Anselm loves shit like races and obstacle courses if that counts.

when there’s too much drama at school, all you gotta do is walk awayeyeyey: have any of your alters ever gotten you in trouble at school? how so?

YEAH. It'd be so much to get into the "why" of it, but there was a period of time where we were intentionally trying to get kicked out of a school so that our family would react to the shame of it how they always do (run away/move away) and we'd move away from a very scary situation. That came with... feet up on the desks, causing trouble in class, responding to questions with jokes, responding to the birth name for roll call with "Wish I wasn't!", getting into fights, not doing the homework or classwork anymore, being tardy, not following dresscode, slacking in general, and generally being as much of a little shit as possible. Other than that specific time? Nope. Family said I was like a little angel before that year, lol.

Chris, is that a weed?? I’m calling the police!: do any of your alters smoke/do drugs? how do the others feel about it?

Not anymore. Cigarettes have always been off limits (would rather die than be like mom, yadda yadda) but alcohol was the soother of choice for a little while as a teen, weed was fun with friends until it wasn't fun anymore.

hey I’m lesbian - I thought you were american?: do your alters have different sexualities?

Yep. Majority that I know of are bi, but Anya is a lesbian, there's at least one straight guy and I am pretty sure it's Mattie. Dunno about everyone I don't know, obviously, but I think that counts for being different from one another - it's a pain.

I wanna be a cowboy babyyyy: what are your alters dream jobs?

Fifi? Ballerina. Anya? Kindergarten teacher. Estelle "I don't care, do what you all want", as for Yvette they really want to do more divination for pay, Maeve would ideally wish to be a full time artist but knows it "isn't realistic", Mattie wants to become a carpenter, and much of the kids have agreed to design and create toys for a living incorporating various things from the rest of em that care about the work life. As for Carmel, just survival work I feel I should mention but don't want to mention?

this b*tch empty, yeet!: are there ever times where no one wants to front? if so, how do you deal with it?

Noooo idea. There's certainly times when none of us want to be here, but that's... usually because of household shit and other stuff that makes it all very "oh god I have to get out of here I can't take this" so it goes to whoever gets put in front to handle it first based on whatever fuckery is going on with however the brain chooses to switch out. I don't get it if you can't tell.

omg I love chipotle, chipotle is my life!: what are each of your favourite fast food places/restaurants?

Street tacos. Do street tacos count? There's a diner I really love that I can't name cuz it'd be too recognizable location-wise, but it's got lots of bear stuff. Denny's, too.

I didn’t get no sleep cuz of y’all, y’all ain’t gon get no sleep cuz of meee: what are each of your alters sleeping behaviours like? do you have different sleeping patterns? do any of you remember your dreams?

Yvette is really into dream journaling, so I'm fairly certain they remember the dreams. I try to push them away as soon as I wake up, myself. We have such a shit sleeping pattern right now... Theo sleeps like a baby and falls asleep easy stays asleep easy, but Estelle and the rest of us can't sleep for shit - laying down feels really bad, so it ends up being a "how much work can I do to avoid sleeping til dawn comes?" and falls into a kind of faux-nocturnal "pattern" lmao.

Thank you for asking!! <3

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