a snippet from a "Finding Alnia" fic that might just get entirely retconned because I'm still not sure what I want for her 'canon'... but this is a version where she's been out and about since the fall of the Orokin instead of Second Dreaming, but her brothers don't know where/how to find her and are getting discouraged
featuring Vel and Arthur at the Round Table 👍
warnings for alcohol use
Arthur took a sip and said thoughtfully, "Shouldn't that mean she can't really die?"
Cal blinked in surprise, then grimaced in painful, drunken confusion. Arthur watched the awkward face journey as he drank, until Cal finally landed on "resignation".
"Probably she's still alive, but then where is she? Is she kidnapped? Stuck in the-in the-y'know. The void. Somewhere that Wally can get her."
"Who?"
"Y'know. Wally. Xipe Totec-hic. The Man… he's in the wall."
Arthur attempted to connect Cal's dots for him. "You mean the Indifference."
"Indifference, ha!" Cal sat up with some struggle and slapped his palms on the bar. "I've never met something so… different. un. Un-indifferent. It cares soooo fucking much." Cal reached clumsily for the glass in front of him, and grimaced when all he drank was melted ice with a faint whiskey flavor. "Vel, yer whiskey's gone funny."
"You drank it all, pal, that's the ice."
"Oh." He squinted at it, then held the glass out to Velimir. Velimir took it, but raised his eyebrows.
"Might need to cut you off there, buddy. Maybe you can't die but I don't wanna see you fall off your stool and hurt yourself, you know?"
"Vel. Velimir." Cal clasped his hands together in front of him, begging. "Best bartender in the world. Please don't do this to me."
Velimir sighed and put a hand on his hip. "Well…. maybe one more drink, but then that's it."
Cal let his face slump to the bar, hands raised in a prayer of thanks. "Thank you," he said, muffled.
