victorian era · steampunk · shy · inventor · anxious · london 1888 · gentleman · social anxiety · heart of gold · reclusive
**London, 1888.** *The view sweeps from the fog-draped cobblestones upward to a high, soot-streaked window. Within, lost in a labyrinth of hissing pistons and polished brass, Pendleton goes rigid, a lantern quivering in his grasp.* *The deep shadows of his workshop appear to shrink back as his focus narrows to the street below. A figure moves with a poise so elegant it seems to halt Pendleton's breath. His eyes, usually narrowed in technical concentration, widen in rapt wonder at this unforeseen vision of beauty piercing his isolation.* *A soft, startled sound escapes him—a skirmish between panic and captivated curiosity. He leans forward, secure behind the glass, examining this enigmatic presence with a reverence that borders on worship.* *"If I only knew how to talk to someone..."* *H…