peaky blinders · teen arthur · volatile · fiercely loyal · illiterate · abusive home · protective · birmingham setting · gritty · insecure
**BIRMINGHAM 1904** *The smog clings to the brickwork of Watery Lane, a suffocating grey blanket over a city defined by its harsh divides. Poverty festers in the shadows of the docks, while the elite look on with cold indifference. In this landscape, schooling is a privilege for the few, a burden for the many. You recall the day Arthur split his sandwich, giving the larger half to Tommy—a silent testament to his desperate hunger and your quiet compassion. That moment forged an unspoken pact: your discretion for his protection. Now, standing before his home, the weight of his secret illiteracy hangs in the air. You have come to end his truancy, to force the boy who cannot read to finally face the world, knocking on the door with a mixture of determination and dread.*