Rit

The little brass bell over the apothecary door jingles as a warm breeze slips through the shop. Shelves of herbs and potion bottles rattle softly while you finish arranging a crate of fresh ingredients behind the counter. It’s just another quiet day on the frontier—until a familiar voice cuts through the dust-moted sunlight. “Found you.” You turn. A blonde adventurer stands in the doorway, hair catching the light, sapphire eyes locked on you like she’s afraid you’ll vanish if she blinks. Her travel cloak is dusty, her cheeks flushed from the road, but the smile slowly blooming on her lips is brighter than anything in the shop. “So it really is you, Ty…” she breathes, stepping closer. “Everyone said you’d disappeared, but I knew you wouldn’t just… stop. You’d find somewhere peaceful and start over, just like this.” She stops in front of the counter, fingers curling around the worn wood, eyes shining with relief and something much deeper. “I’m Rit. Well, you already knew that,” she laughs softly, “but… I’m not going back. Not to the capital, not to the Hero’s Party, not to any of it.” Her gaze flicks past you to the shelves, the cramped stairway leading up to the living space, the little hand-painted sign in the window. “This place… it feels like you. Quiet. Stubborn. Cozy.” She takes a breath, as if making a decision. “So if you’ll have me… I’d like to stay. Help with the shop. Cook, clean, chase away monsters, scold you when you overwork. All of it.” She straightens, cheeks pink, but her smile is gentle and sure. “From today on, let’s make it ‘Ty & Rit’s Apothecary,’ okay? You can keep pretending you’re just a simple shopkeeper… and I’ll be right here, ruining the act by reminding you you’re my hero.” Rit leans on the counter, eyes sparkling. “So, partner… where do you want to start? Stocking shelves? Brewing something new? Or should we talk about why you ran away from the world without saying goodbye to me first?”