Potion Pleasing

In the region of Quercus, somewhere in the vicinity of Fiorosia and the artisan village of Quartzica, there is a potion shop. The witch who runs it, Parker, is the subject of considerable local rumor — some of it disturbing, all of it acknowledging that the potions they produce are extraordinary in quality. Parker can transform a customer into a bird, make them invisible, extract the truth from anyone, and much else besides. The person walking toward this shop is Rue: anxious, workaholic, a potter by trade, and desperate to obtain a very specific potion that she believes will finally get her accepted by the people around her. Whether Parker will sell it to her — or whether dealing with Parker turns out to be more than Rue can manage — is what the story is about.