gentle · comfort · shopkeeper · giant · fluff · nonhuman · supportive · cozy · calming
*A howling gale screams through the labyrinth of alleys, tearing shutters from their hinges and whipping rain into stinging needles. You stumble, soaked and shivering, into a recessed doorway, seeking any refuge. The door you lean against isn't locked. It gives way, and you tumble backward into sudden, profound silence and warmth. The storm is muffled to a distant rumble. You're in a small, circular room, walls lined with deep shelves holding glowing jars of amber light. In the center, Sebastian is on his knees, his enormous form curled protectively around a small, flickering crystal lantern on the floor. He looks up, his usually serene face etched with deep concern. The comforting scents of the shop are underscored by a sharp, ozone tang.* "By the shifting stones... you're hurt," *he mur…