Hey How Are You Hope You Ok

Hey how are you hope you ok

I got a request for Tommy Shelby if that ok

So basically you and Tommy are dating and one day in a meeting you was having theses really bad stomach pains and you thought nothing of at than when u got home and I got worse and than u went to Tommy crying in pain still and he said you might be in labour ( u don’t know u pregnant) than he calls polly and then u gived birth to you boy or girl up to you and then next day every one was  Shock and yh hope that make sense u don’t have to do it x

Dear Anon,

Thank you for waiting! I changed things up a bit and I apologize for any mistakes as I'm editing on mobile at work. Hope you enjoy it!

Warnings: childbirth, mentions of Hugh stress and poor eating habits. Peaky related themes and magic.

Dating Thomas was a life changing decision in more ways than you had originally realsied. Your whole life plan had been derailed by the constant ups and downs. 

Every new accomplishment and high was met with an even more dangerous low. You were along for the ride while managing your position at the book shop you owned. Long days and fun nights occupied these past few months so much that you realised that your period was late. 

Very late. 

You thought about it for a while and realised it was probably what used to happen when you were a teenager. High times of stress would stop it altogether. You had no other symptoms that women had told you about. No weird cravings, or morning sickness. Just lots of drama and stres.

You pushed the thought from your mind as you went about your usual routines. 

________6 months later____

You had come to the realisation that you must be barren. A fact that was difficult to come to terms with, however Tommy had said he wasnt interested in children any way. 

Looking at your self in the mirror you noticed a bit of weight on you and made a mental note to try and correct it by skiping meals for a while. Nothing big to worry about in comparison to another rival family causing chaos. You’d only just gotten sorted from being held captive a week ago. 

You already had so much on your shoulders at the book shop, orders were piling up and you were spending more and more late nights and early mornings. Tommy’s men escorting you and staying by the door while you worked. 

The multiple attempts on your life did nothing but add to the list of reasons you couldnt sleep at night. You were slowly falling apart. 

Cramps set in about mid day and you finally gave up. You called Tom letting him know you couldnt make it to lunch and went right to bed. Taking a much needed nap you woke up to even worse sets of pain. 

You grabbed your hot water bottle and tried to curl up on the couch with a book. Struggling through the sets of pain you began to wonder if something else was wrong. Wasn’t there an organ that could explode in your stomach? 

Your thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. 

____________________________________________________

Sitting across the table from the old woman, Polly thought back through time. Her eyes were dark and she had told her lots of things about her life that night. Gave her the curse of knowledge, knowing all too well that the girl was too weak to fight fate. And Polly had tried, every step of the way to fight it. 

It didnt surprise her that she was once again stuck at that wooden table. That the woman reflected on something said ages ago. 

A child. 

Polly’s heart sunk when she thought about the two children that were permanently out of her reach. A child? At this age. Not likely. 

The dream took a turn and woman shouted at her. 

“Go to her now before its too late.” And image of your face came into her mind and suddenly she was awake. The womans cold scream still echoing in her mind. 

Getting her clothes pulled on she quickly called Thomas. 

“Need to get to her place now” She said trying to pull on her boot at the same time. 

“Pol - why? What’s wrong?” The sound of panic in his voice made her reconsider your place within the family. 

“Just go, I’m on my way now.” She hung up the phone not wanting to waist anytime. On the drive over she thought about you and what this ment. 

There was no way of making sense of the situation. All the things she was told never made sense as a girl and wouldnt likely start to make sense now. She sighed defeated. She liked you well enough. Smart, kept Thomas in line, a bit soft hearted but she could see that changing the more you saw of the world. 

She parked and ran up the steps of your building. Opening the door she ould hear your soft cries as he tried to comfort you. 

“Pol what’s wrong with her.” 

“It’s a child.” Polly said moving into the kitchen seeing what supplies they were working with. 

“Fuck off.” You said a tone of disbelif. Coming back into the room she watched your face cycle through the many stages of panic. 

“Accept it so we can get on with it.” Polly said to the both of them. 

“How?” 

“Part of the prophecy. Flashbacks got me up in the middle of the night.” She watched as Tommy fell under the weight of her words. 

“Alright, love.” He kissed the top of your head. “It’s not going to make sense. So just let it happen.” You looked at up him your fear fading in the warmth of his gaze. 

“I dont think I can do it.” You groaned, tears welling up in your eyes. 

“It’s already happened. Pol saw it. That means you certainly can. Just have to make it from here to there.” 

After that you followed instructions, Polly was professional but couldnt help but feel a fondness growing for you. This was also a side of Tom she hadn’t seen since he was a small boy. He did everything without thought, never letting you out of his grip. 

“Tough girl.” He kissed your temple. “You can do it, gotta push again” 

Like many times before. Polly pulled a small little babe from their mother on the living room floor of a dingy flat in Birmingham. 

You collapsed against Tom and Polly went to work ensuring the child was alright. Smallest little girl she’d ever seen. Born too soon, quiet as a mouse as she looked up at her great aunt. Her heart was strong, and Polly knew just by holding her that this child, was significant in something bigger than all of them put together. 

She handed the girl off to her parents. Leaning back against the sofa sitting next to Thomas. He handed her a cigarette from his breast pocket. 

Taking a long drag, she realized she should give them space to enjoy the moment. Her bones had no interest in moving as the night, and previous months took a toll on her. 

“She predicted this? Why didn't you say something?”  Tom whispered stoking the cheek of his first child. 

Polly almost snapped at him, before registering his tone of voice. She’d never seen him this vulnerable. 

“She told me a lot of things, I was small at the time. None of you were born yet. It’s not specific stuff-” 

“Thank you.” You said with tears in your eyes. “I -I Don't know what to say.” 

“You shouldn't say, anything love. You're family now” 

_________________________________________________

You were the most exhausted you’d ever been, but a family meeting was unavoidable. That night was the last night you spent in your apartment. He’d carried you to the car the next morning to take you to his place. 

You watched him move around the massive kitchen. He got you a cushion before letting you sit at the head of the table. A cup of strange tea was placed in front of you as the family started to pile in. 

Ruby slept in your arm and you tried to relax as the family came close. You were friendly and warm with everyone but this was the first time they were seeing you as a permanent fixture in the family. 

“That must have been so scary love. Your body hid it so well” Emse came up to you putting her arm around you in a makeshift hug. “Look at her. So small. Pretty like her mum.” She sat close to you and you knew that it was because of her natural distaste for family meetings. Her posture told you if anyone got smart she’d chew them out. 

Arthur and John started to congratulate Tommy loudly and your stomach turned when they set on you. She was so small you didn't feel comfortable passing her around yet. What if that offended people? 

“Look at that! Next Shelby made a grand entrance like her da” Arthur kissed your cheek, his mustache tickling. “Good job, love.”

“Thanks,” You said softly. 

“God I hope she’s just like you Tom. Finally some payback.” John came over and lowered his voice once seeing her. “Fuck she’s so small. You can call us any time if you need anything. Got a truckload of baby clothes for ya.” 

“Really though, love. Call any time.” Esme said and you hoped more than anything you would get closer to her. 

The meeting started and Tommy made a grand speech. It didn't take long before Polly was rushing you back up to lie down in bed. When you woke up there was a ring on your wedding finger and a note on the bedside table. 

Gone to London for business. Be back tomorrow. 

You went back to the massive set of diamonds on your finger. It was talked about but you hadn't had the chance to think about it yet. 

There was a soft knock at the door and Esme poked her head in. 

“Staying while he’s away, do you need anything, love.” Without knowing what to do you just stuck your hand out at her. 

She looked at the ring. 

“When!” She whispered.

“Just woke up and it was there.” You whispered back in disbelief. 

“Such a Thomas thing to do.” She laughed and sat on the bed next to you. You both talked for hours and you were grateful she let you doze off and nap. 

You and Ruby fit right in.

Hey there Lee! I’m so happy to see that you’re taking gif prompts! 😄

What can you do with this one?

The Baking Lesson

"C'mere gorgeous," John said turning your chin toward him. "It can't be that bad. Just tell me," he coaxed with an encouraging smile.

You sniffed back tears, embarrassed to admit you'd been dismissed after only two days at the bakery. John's bright blue eyes shone back at you, full of love and understanding. In that moment, you knew he would make you feel better if you could just form the words. "I've been sacked," you finally admitted, a little sob escaping with it.

"Why, love? What happened?" he asked, pulling his handkerchief from his pocket and offering it to you as he leaned forward on his knees to listen.

Twisting the soft cotton between your fingers, it all came spilling out. First your dough hadn't risen properly. Then you bungled two signature recipes, resulting in an untold amount of waste. After those fiascos, you'd been so flustered you managed to burn not one, but two batches of bread. You pleaded with your boss to take pity on you, promising you would improve with time. However, your mistakes must have been more than he was willing to overlook.

"Mr. Thompson told me I was too stupid and hopeless to teach. He made me leave without paying me. I was so humiliated," you cried into your hands.

John's fists began to tighten at the mention of your mistreatment and you placed your hands over them to calm him. "Please don't do anything. It was my fault!" you begged. You ran a hand along his jawline and he unclenched it at your touch. "I'm alright, really. I'll find another job," you said quietly.

However, John couldn't ignore the defeated look in your eye after this blow to your confidence. He pulled you into his chest for a warm embrace, rubbing his hand along your back soothingly as he promised, "I want you to do whatever makes you happy, but someone ought to speak to Mr. Thompson about his business," John said cryptically.

You pulled back to study his face. "What do you mean?"

Standing and straightening his cap, John gave you a rakish smile. "Not to worry, love. I've some experience working with bakers." You had no idea what that meant, but had to laugh when you received a delivery the next day. It was a handwritten apology from Mr. Thompson, along with enough bread to feed a small village.

"John, what did you do?" you asked suspiciously.

John gave you the charming smile you loved so much accompanied by a small shrug of his shoulders. "Gave him a baking lesson," he said with a wink. "He was the one who needed it, not you, love."

The Disappeared

Tommy Shelby x Martha Shelby

Summary: Tommy’s last memories of his mother.

Author’s Note: Written for @noforkingclue ’s 2500 follower celebration. 2 months late, but I’ve finished it! The prompt was “You can’t make me disappear.”

Warning: language, mental illness, spousal abuse, mention of suicide

Moodboard credit: by the amazing @the-makingsofgreatness

The house was quiet, it was always quiet when his mother went dumb. She’d sit in the copper bath for hours until his father came home drunk and tore her from it, sloshing water about the floor, creating a dark river across the floor boards Tommy and Arthur would have to mop up. Arthur Sr. would drag her by her hair, but she never made a sound. Tommy wished just once she would fight back, claw him or kick at his shins. The silence was worse than her screams he thought. He wondered if she were dead inside her body.

Her face never moved and her eyes tracked one spot on the wall, watching something inside, listening to a sound he couldn’t hear. But she never looked at him, never looked at anyone. Her husband could scream and yell all he wanted, but she never flinched, the bruises that bloomed over her skin the only reply to his cruelty. Tommy wondered where she’d gone in those moments. Perhaps back to the Black Patch where she talked about when she was happy. 

One morning he woke to find her gone. His father had thrown the teapot against the wall and the children watched it shatter. Hopes of any sort of comforting warmth a distant wish unable to be fulfilled. Tommy wanted to hate her for abandoning them, but a part of him understood. Envied her even for flying away when she had the chance as he sat rooted to his chair.  He could sense it in her, that her spirit was dying and she couldn’t be contained within these walls a moment longer. 

He tried to forget her, spending his nights in the stables with the horses and Uncle Charlie. The cries of his baby brother too piercing and harsh to bear, he preferred the silence of the yard where he kept watch over the fire as the wafts of smoke were carried away on the wind. He only returned to the house when Aunt Polly came looking for him. She insisted he eat something because his bones were protruding.

The weather began to turn and Polly had managed to put a bit more weight on him when his mother suddenly returned. She strode back into town with a wild, carefree air about her. She carried a satchel slung over one shoulder and in the opposite hand held fast to the reigns of a beautiful white pony. Tommy was alone in the lane when she approached, cocking his head and squinting to be sure he wasn’t having visions of his own. As she came closer he observed her wispy curls and thought how different she looked after her time away. 

“Mum?” he called out hesitantly and she nodded slowly in affirmation.  He looked down, suddenly shy. “I-I thought you’d disappeared forever,” he admitted.

Her satchel slipped from her shoulder as she stopped to consider him. “Here now ain’t I? Thought you’d have more sense Tommy,” she said dismissively. Then with a small smile she added, “You can’t make me disappear.” As she lead the pony to Charlie’s yard she looked back at her son calling, “Come on!” And he raced to catch up to her. When they reached the yard he jumped up onto the pony and he rode bareback, grinning as the horse picked up speed, feeling the wind on his cheeks.   

Tommy rode the horse all afternoon, dismounting when the sun set over the cut, his legs sore, but his heart full. His mother had returned and that had to mean something. She must have found what she was searching for on her long journey. However, with the setting sun she had wandered away and he found her staring out over the water with sorrowful eyes, her good mood seeming to have shifted.

The melancholy he had so often witnessed was seeping back into her bones, evident in the slump of her shoulders and the deep sighs she exhaled every so often. He placed an arm over her shoulder and steered her toward the house, helping her into bed with some effort. He hadn't bothered with the light blue dress she wore in his haste to settle her beneath the duvet, exhaustion sweeping over her like a plague.

——————————————

“Where is she?” Arthur, Sr. slurred, banging the front door open with a loud thud. He had heard from the men in town that Martha was spotted sauntering into town and his blood boiled at the thought of her arrogance.

Polly looked up from the pants she was mending and hissed, “She’s fucking sleeping, like everyone else. Go to bed, you pathetic drunkard.”

Tommy listened from behind his bedroom door, waiting to hear what his father would say about that, but Arthur Sr. only fell into a nearby chair grumbling to himself incoherently as he removed his boots. Tommy could only make out a couple of sentences, but the words he overheard made him want to fight his father instantly. “How dare that fucking whore humiliate me this way? Should’ve stayed gone and you know it, Pollyanna.”

“She’s the mother of your children,” Polly said sharply. Then as she pinched the thread between her teeth she added,  “You should get down on your knees and thank God she came back at all.” 

At that remark Arthur Sr. scoffed loudly. “She should be thanking me.”

“And what makes you think she should have returned to you?” Polly asked harshly.

“I’m her husband. She belongs here with me and her children. It’ll do her good to remember she has duties here,” Arthur Sr. explained.

Polly winced at the notion. The last thing Martha needed was one more night in the presence of her abusive husband and the strain of her responsibilities which had already pushed her to the brink. “Can’t you see she’s already dead?” Polly said, a quiet prophecy yet to be fulfilled.

“What the hell do you mean?” Her brother asked in annoyance.

“Martha’s passed over long ago, Arthur. It’s only the body that remains,” Polly warned in a chilling voice and Tommy closed his door before he could hear anymore.

——————————————

The knock at the door the next morning was loud and persistent. The drumming causing Arthur Sr.’s head to pound more ferociously than before. “Mr. Shelby! Mr. Shelby!” The voice on the other side called out. The banging continued until Tommy opened the door and found a boy about his age standing in front of him, looking sickly and gray. “Tommy, I need to speak with your Dad,” he said, gulping harshly.

"You can speak to me," Tommy said, stepping over the threshold. He could tell something horrible had happened. "Fucking tell me," Tommy persisted pushing his chest out.

The other boy nodded and beckoned him to follow. The morning was cool and the street felt damp beneath Tommy's bare feet. He hadn't bothered with shoes, wanting to know the truth he held in his heart. As a misting rain began to fall over them he watched men pull a body from the cut. The light blue dress and dark curls obscuring the face familiar to him. "She's already dead," Aunt Polly's voice echoed in his mind.

"Do you want to fetch your Da?" the boy asked nervously. "Tommy? Did you hear me?"

"Why? He knew she wasn't really coming back," Tommy said, attempting to hide the way his voice cracked. Then hanging his head to hide his tears, he added lowly, "Give her peace. Let her disappear." But his heart clenched in his chest as he thought of her. She would never leave him. She had told him so. And the thought frightened him because he wasn't sure if it was a blessing or a curse.

-------------------------

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How I Build a Character When My Brain Never Remembers What it Needs To! (Or: the Wheel of Wow Method)

I have no idea how to explain this without visuals so let's do a quick intro and then dive in.

I gravitate toward the same sort of characters. But as I brainstorm, it can be hard for me to come up with enough details or components to make characters feel complex.

So I basically made a spreadsheet of all of these things with a list of examples to choose from! I either use it as a reference or literally have a random number chooser tell me what that one is.

Let's go!

Character Wheel of Wow

The category rows are for character elements, details, relationships, and backstory. Here is a little sample (but I will go more in-depth below!)

Then, beneath each one are examples of these elements that I would actually enjoy writing about. I put a set number for all of them so using a random number chooser is easier.

Again, I will go into more depth with more examples below.

Every important character gets one of these. For others, I pull only what is needed or as I outline/write.

The Categories

Major Trait (the driving descriptor of their personality)

Trauma + Baggage (before the story begins, the thing that changed their life and future forever)

Major Daily Complicator (how does the trauma manifest in daily life?)

Key Personal Fact or Quirk

Job

Job Complicator (what's making the job challenging?)

Hometown (and/or Family's Home Country)

Wildcard (a random element to include, will make more sense with the examples below)

Vice (the thing they indulge in maybe too much)

Key Personal Dynamic (the defining relationship of their personal life, can be one that begins in the story)

Personal Complicator (what is making the relationship different and less straightforward/traditional?)

Key Family Dynamic (the defining relationship/family member of their family life)

Family Complicator (what is making the relationship different and less straightforward/traditional?)

Their Secret

Examples of the Choices

Major Trait: serious, blunt, rough around the edges, playful, emotional, somber, cold/distant, selfish, confident, ambitious, optimist, romantic, charming, easy-going, misguided, quiet, academic, creative, kind....

Trauma + Baggage: widowed, survivor of childhood abuse, survivor of violent crime, bullied as a child, massive public or private failure, orphan, work-related trauma, turned away from dreams, religious trauma, victim of natural disaster, death of friend...

Major Daily Complicator: nightmares, trust issues, abandonment fears, depression, hyper-vigilance, phobia related to trauma, anxiety and panic, guilt, insecurity...

Key Personal Fact or Quirk: divorced, young parent, estranged from spouse, criminal history, weird tv/movie/book preference, type A, extremely messy...

Job: depends on your world but here are some real-world examples... journalist, religious leader, artist, professor/teacher, law enforcement agent, lawyer, construction worker, business owner, nurse/doctor...

Job Complicator: disgraced, forced to retire or quit, issues with superiors, they are a workaholic, suspended or put on leave, rival coworker, multiple issues with their behavior/actions at work, recently hired/promoted/reassigned, change in superiors...

Hometown: depends on your world

Wildcard: incredible liar, high school star athlete, major recent injury, important or interesting tattoo, is in the public eye, a sentimental item of theirs, dog person, cat person, has a nickname, cuts their own hair...

Vice: gambling, fast food, adopting too many animals, impulsive spending, caffeine, sweets, competition, luxury purchases, picking fights, White Knight Complex...

Key Personal Dynamic: coworker, boss, someone they are the boss of, professor/teacher, student, friends, ex-spouse, someone they are forced to work with for the story's goal, neighbor, former romantic partner, parent of their child, person somehow involved in their trauma/baggage...

Personal Complicator: having an affair/undefined sexual relationship, secretly in love, early stages of romantic relationship, palpable attraction/tension, falling in love, unrequited feelings, estranged, issues with power dynamic, failed romance in past, past betrayal...

Key Family Dynamic: parent, parent surrogate (anyone family or otherwise who raised them), sibling, cousin, aunt/uncle, grandparent, child, half-sibling, step parent or sibling, parent-in-law...

Family Complicator: estranged but one wants to reconnect, estranged but one needs something from the other, unspoken issues, abuse or toxicity, disowned by, family member has passed, the power dynamics are unhealthy, one financially dependent on the other, major lifestyle differences....

Their Secret: living a double life, has an obsession, has an artistic or scientific side (whatever would be unexpected), developing an addiction...

As you go and build the character, you will have to adjust choosing some of the categories so that they actually make a cohesive entity.

And then I highlight the chosen options and compile them in the character profile. I hope this made any sense whatsoever!!!!

As always, take what you want and leave the rest. Happy writing!

[call it good] writing