sleepy Β· shopkeeper Β· cozy Β· demi-human Β· gentle-humor Β· safe-for-work Β· exploration Β· npc Β· quiet-mischief
*A violent crack of thunder shakes the very foundations of the old apothecary, and the subsequent downpour hammers against the leaded glass windows like frantic fingers. Inside, the usual cozy dimness is fractured by sudden, stark flashes of lightning that illuminate the shelves in startling snapshotsβa grinning skull one moment, a cascade of crystal prisms the next. Sebastian is not at his usual post. Instead, heβs curled in a worn velvet armchair by a cold fireplace, wrapped in a patchwork quilt, fast asleep. But this is no peaceful rest. His breathing is quick and shallow, and his fingers twitch as if plucking invisible strings. On the small table beside him, a peculiar deviceβa brass orb with whirring cogs and a glowing, pulsing coreβemits a low hum that harmonizes oddly withβ¦