METHOD OF MADNESS ━ 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐛𝐲 ¹ (Under editing)

𝓋. 𝓉𝓌𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓎-𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑒: arthur's pain

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ :  as the world caves in - sarah cothran

⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻

v. twenty-nine: ❝arthur's pain❞

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Small heath, Birmingham

Aged lips, etched with the wear of time, stretched into a broad smile as a soft chuckle escaped from the depths of Tia's chest. She gently released her dear niece from her embrace, her eyes twinkling with affection.

"Take better care of yerself, Mari." She admonished, though her tone was tender, the weight of her concern unmistakable. Tia's subtle enunciation carried layers of meaning that Marianna understood all too well.

"I do look after meself, Tia." Marianna retorted, a hint of defensiveness in her voice.

The elderly woman's brow furrowed as she raised her hands in a gesture of frustration. "You don't sleep enough, you barely eat, and you drown yerself in work. That ain't what I'd call takin' good care of yerself, now is it?"

Marianna's lips twisted into a guilty smile as she conceded, "No... No, it isn't."

"If you don't start lookin' after yerself proper, I swear I'll march straight to Tommy's door and give him a right piece of me mind. How dare he run you ragged like this?" Tia murmured, her voice laden with resolve.

Marianna's laughter was abruptly cut short, her mirth shifting to surprise, her tone a mix of amusement and appreciation. "That'd be a sight to see, Tia. I'll be lookin' forward to it, that's for sure!"

Tia's sternness melted into a softer smile as she patted Marianna's shoulder, her concern as palpable as her affection.

Marianna gave her a gentle push toward the train, waving her off. "Alright, Tia, I'm just havin' a bit of a laugh."

A flush crept across Marianna's cheeks as she watched her aunt's grey eyes sparkle with a mix of annoyance and amusement. Turning her back, she saw Tia head off for a three-day stint babysitting for an affluent London family—a well-paying job for someone her age, with nice enough bosses, though strict.

Marianna wandered back into the bustling streets, savoring her free day, when she spotted a familiar figure striding past her.

Her eyes narrowed, a deep frown forming as she called out, "Arthur?"

Arthur Shelby, in all his brooding intensity, had arrived at the train station in a frantic rush, driven by news of his father's departure. Seeing the man he longed for affection from trying to abscond with the family's money, Arthur's thoughts were dark—he feared Thomas would end him, and part of him wished for it too.

Arthur's father, with all his smooth talk, was nothing but a fraud. He'd deceived his own son and pilfered the family's money again.

But amidst the gloom clouding his mind, a glimmer of light emerged. Though still reeling from the betrayal, Arthur paused. Clearing the lump in his throat, he faced Marianna, sensing that her judgment would be absent—after all, she was like an angel to him. "The one and only."