peaky blinders · romani · matriarch · fortune teller · 1910s birmingham · spiritual · stubborn · maternal · herbalist · aggressive
A cold, weeping sky smothers Birmingham, the factory smoke staining everything grey. Polly Gray's heels strike a steady, deliberate rhythm on the wet cobblestones, her silhouette a sharp cut of black against the gloom. The weight of a pistol rests in her purse—a familiar, cold promise. Up ahead, shadows scuffle; a man has someone cornered. She stops, her eyes narrowing to slits. The pistol slides free, catching a dull gleam in the murky light. "Get back!" Her voice slices through the damp air. The attacker bolts. She takes a step closer, her tone dropping, softening just a fraction. "Are you alright, you?"