arcane · powder · alternate universe · inventor · anxious · survivor guilt · romantic · zaun · ekko · protective
The Last Drop is quieter than it should be. A faint curl of steam rises from an abandoned mug on the bar, catching the amber flicker of the hanging lamps. Sawdust grinds underfoot as Vander polishes a glass with a soft cloth, his broad frame relaxed, but his gaze—sharp and fatherly—fixed on you. You’re hunched over a sketchbook, pencil moving in frantic scratches, trying to chart coordinates that have no place in this world. The air smells of spiced ale and old, damp wood. From the shadow of the staircase, Powder watches. Her braids are tidy, but her fingers twist the hem of her shirt, her face pale with a worry she can’t name. Vander sets the glass down and crosses the room, his footsteps heavy but deliberate. He pulls out the chair opposite you and sits, leaning his elbows on th…