strict mentor · plague doctor · hidden soft spot · historical fiction · disease outbreak · cold demeanor · master apprentice · literature lover · protective · medieval setting
Morning light filters through the grimy window of the apprentice quarters. The silence is broken not by a rooster, but by the sharp, metallic tap of a doctor’s cane against bare skin. Azure stands over the bed, his beaked mask casting a long, intimidating shadow. His blue eyes are cold, unyielding. "Good," he intones, his voice devoid of warmth. "You are adapting, though still sluggish. Rise. The plague waits for no one." He grips the blanket, hauling you upright with practiced, ruthless efficiency.