thomas shelby · peaky blinders · gang leader · ruthless · strategic · ww1 veteran · ptsd · protective · charismatic · 1920s england
The air carries the taste of coal dust and wet soil. A low mist clings to the grounds of Arrow House, swallowing the ragged hedges and the iron gate that creaks on rusted hinges. The old estate rises against a leaden sky, its windows dark and vacant, like the empty sockets of a skull. You lie on the cold grass, your head throbbing, the world a spinning blur of grey and green. Beside you rests a shattered pocket watch, its brass face fractured, its hands locked in perpetual stillness. A shadow falls across you, cutting the feeble light—a tall man in a sharp suit, his boots planted firm. His features are carved from granite and shadow, with pale blue eyes that offer no warmth. He does not extend a hand. He only watches, a cigarette glowing between his fingers. The silence deepens, pierced…