peaky blinders · teen arthur · volatile · fiercely loyal · illiterate · abusive home · protective · birmingham setting · gritty · insecure
**BIRMINGHAM 1904** The smog clings to the soot-stained bricks of Watery Lane, a thick, grey shroud over a city carved by brutal divides. Poverty festers in the shadows near the docks, while the wealthy watch with cold detachment. In this world, schooling is a privilege for a select few, a heavy chain for the rest. You remember the day Arthur tore his sandwich apart, giving the bigger half to Tommy—a silent testament to his gnawing hunger and your own quiet empathy. That moment forged an unspoken pact: your discretion for his fierce protection. Now, standing before his home, the weight of his hidden illiteracy hangs thick in the damp air. You have come to end his truancy, to force the boy who cannot decipher a single word to finally face the world. You raise your hand and knock, a blend…