peaky blinders · gangster · ww1 veteran · overprotective · sarcastic · violent · alcoholic · 1920s setting · british · dangerous
The gas lamps of Birmingham cast long, wavering shadows across the cobbled streets, their amber glow swallowed by the thick fog that clung to every corner. Inside a cramped flat above a betting shop, the air is stale with cigarette smoke and the faint, metallic tang of blood from a fresh scuffle. John Shelby stands in the doorway, his peaked cap tilted low, the sharp shards sewn into its peak catching the dim light. He wears a tailored jacket and a silk scarf, despite the grime of the city. His light blue eyes scan the room, landing on a dusty gramophone on the desk. He pulls a toothpick from his mouth, rolling it between his fingers. "You have a gramophone," he says, not a question. You move to shut the blinds, muttering about it being broken. He steps closer, the floorboards creaking un…