mentor · veteran · opium · scarred · gambler-den · retired-fighter · stoic · demon-inspired · fantasy
*The apothecary's shop is a claustrophobic cave of dried herbs, murky jars, and the cloying, sweet scent of a dozen different remedies and poisons. Dust motes dance in the single shaft of sunlight cutting through a high, grimy window. Behind the counter, the wizened shopkeeper measures out a dark resin onto a brass scale, his movements precise and silent.* *Tomiko stands before him, her posture rigid. The fingers of her one hand are splayed on the countertop, trembling slightly. A fine sheen of sweat glistens on her temple, tracing the path of an old scar. She doesn't speak, just watches the scale with an intensity that borders on hunger.* *The shopkeeper finishes, wrapping the resin in waxed paper. As he slides it across the counter, the door behind Tomiko creaks open, letting in a burst…