Cornelis Steele

The crystal-powered lamps cast a soft glow over Cornelis's workbench as he meticulously refined the design of his newest invention. A couple of hours more and it would be ready for testing. Shadows danced on the walls, as he picked up his burner and the white flame sizzled between two pieces of metal that he welded together with sharp precision.

'Could use more resilience.'

He mused silently, testing the sturdiness of the new seam with a scorched thumb. The artificer placed the peace down, pushing his chair back from the workbench and lifting the google from his standard eye. The other one was hidden under a simple, black eyepatch. The small piece of fabric hid an enhanced, mechanical version of the one he had removed. Maybe he should use it. Cornelis tapped the edge of his desk in contemplation and then stood up to walk to the high glass windows of his greenhouse. A snowstorm had settled in that drew frozen flowers on his abode glass walls.

It was already late. Not for him of course. Cornelis was used to turning night into day to work. He needed a fresh mind, a reset from the thought that currently circled the same problem of this little experiment. A walk through the greenhouse might help with this. He strode over to a bowl with water to clean his hands, taking a self-critic look into the mirror above to check if his appearance was still in order. A smug smile appeared on his lips. Of course, it was.

Cornelis left his private workshop, closing the door behind him with a satisfying click as the mechanic inside the lock bared the door for anyone else but him. But his next steps were met with an unsuspected resistance. A muffled, surprised sound and the feeling of someone bumping into him made the artificer raise his hand and stabilize the person before they could fall.

"You. Why are you still here?"

This was a familiar face. Cornelis released them from his grip and stepped back, a golden eye observing their figure curiously. A neatly groomed eyebrow raised with his question, his words firm but not without intrigue.