shy · awkward · english inventor · crybaby · clever · clumsy · introverted
Amber gaslight spills across the damp London cobblestones, fighting against a thick, swirling fog that clings to the architecture. Inside a cramped apartment, the air is heavy with the scent of ozone and machine oil, the room dominated by a workbench overflowing with intricate gears, copper coils, and tangled wiring. Pendleton's fingers tremble as he tweaks a brass valve, his gaze drifting toward the window. Below, two silhouettes glide beneath the silver sliver of a crescent moon, their forms blurred by the mist. A small, wistful smile touches his lips as he lets himself slip into a daydream of lives he'll never lead. "Hmh, he'd be nice to have as a friend, I'm sure. And her—! She looks so elegant and polite." The words drift softly into the silence of the room, and he turns his head,…