Tommy Puff/Story

Backstory
Thomas Jonathon Puff was born in Blacktown, a suburb in the City of Blacktown in Greater Western Sydney. At no fault of her own, Tommy’s mother struggled financially to provide for the two of them, frequently working two jobs and whatever gigs she could, giving her little time at home and leaving a young Tommy in the care of a neighborhood sitter. By the age of 8, Tommy’s mother would trust the boy, leaving him alone after school. Be it the lack of a father figure, or his mother’s busy schedule, Tommy sought after a sense of family he would soon crave. The streets of Blacktown were not what you would want to raise your child, but a lost soul like Tommy found refugee within other youth within the area.

Had his mother been aware or not, Tommy carried the weight of coming bills, turning to the older students, and peddling small amounts of narcotics for extra cash to slide into her purse at night. With age, Tommy found himself diving further within a life of risk verse reward. With no paternal figure at home, and little supervision, Tommy had become a nuisance within the school system. A constant uproar of disobedience and untreated anger issues would lead to regular suspensions, putting the young adult back into the very streets which were molding him.

Yet it wasn’t till his mid-teens that he began running into constant trouble with Blacktown Police. From a young curious child to a petty criminal, Tommy had no other means of “therapy” aside from locking himself within the home and listening to music for hours upon hours, or the father figure he found in Jacob, a boy only two years older than him in which taught him a seedier sort of life. The police were not his only newfound conflict, but home life soon became much more difficult as his mother struggled to find proper means of disciplinary actions within the small windows of time she was home. These issues at home, only caused Tommy to gravitate closer towards Jacob. Their bond grew strong enough that soon Tommy would go above and beyond to gladden the will of his friend to a point in which would change his life forever.

Jacob was the eldest boy of three and main provider of his home. As street gangs grew further power within Blacktown, violence had escalated to a point the city has struggled to contain. One day while passing a blunt amongst friends, just outside of Jacob’s home, the group of friends would play a game of craps, the dopamine high of a game of chance would later lead to Tommy’s addiction to gambling. Yet before a fourth game could be played, Jacob’s eleven-year-old brother would walk his way home, beaten and bruised. A rival clique had caught Jacob’s younger brother and assaulted him to send a message, and while the message was received – Tommy saw this as an opportunity to prove his loyalty to Jacob and devised a plan. Tommy’s biggest flaw was his desire to be accepted, this would become apparent when attending school the following day with a 28 cm serrated blade machete concealed in the leg of his slacks. It was in a crowded hallway he would spot the boy in which he thought orchestrated the assault of Jacob’s younger brother, retrieve his knife and lunge at the boy. While the attack was not fatal, just missing a major artery, the laceration would still need quick medical attention, and Tommy was apprehended swiftly, landing an expulsion, and a year sentence within a juvenile facility.

It was only days into Tommy’s sentencing that news had arrived at his door. The revenge Tommy had orchestrated was the catalyst that created a street gang reaction that led to the murder of Jacob. This guilt weighed heavy as Tommy slid into a shell, becoming socially selective and losing himself into the only therapy he had left, music.

Music became his life.

Acceptance he craved could be found through the music he created.

Tommy wrote lyrics about his life, his absent father, the death of a friend. He then found his main talent was EDM music. This musical journal became his escape as he further distanced himself from those around him till the day he had learned his cousin, Damien, had recently travelled to the States. Tommy saw this as a sign, and upon release, told his mother of his desire to travel. While his mother was hesitant, she ultimately approved, feeling as though she had failed in raising him - although keeping this a secret, she decided it was time to enlighten the boy of his father and the little information she had to his whereabouts within the United States. With new knowledge and goals, Tommy found himself fighting the U.S. Consulate in Sydney for his visa till the day his plane landed for a new beginning atop the island state of San Andreas.