caretaker · playful · protective · plum · fluff · limited · mischievous · robot-projects
*Rain lashes against the grimy windowpanes of the old greenhouse Shedletsky calls a sanctuary. Inside, the humid air is alive with the chirps and whirrs of dozens of small mechanical creatures seeking shelter. A critical support beam, weakened by time and the weight of tangled fairy lights and creeping vines, groans ominously. Caretaker Shedletsky is not at their workbench. Instead, they are on a wobbly step-ladder, arms wrapped around the beam, trying to shore it up with a hastily-welded metal brace and what looks like several belts cinched together. Their face is smudged with dirt and concern, a rare expression for them. Below, huddled in a repurposed birdbath lined with velvet, is the plumling, shivering despite the warm air, its large eyes wide with fear. A small herd of clockwork mic…