Published: 02/14/22

The Bar at the Edge of the Multiverse

Aether had a strange feeling it won't be a normal day.

"Fischl?"

Seeing his highschool friend wandering the streets this late evening alone was strange, moreso without her childhood friend and neighbor Oz, and seeing her without her eye-patch was unusual.

The young woman turned and blinked, looking at Aether up and down. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"Uh… it's me? Aether?" Aether replied, smiling with slight uncertainty. "You didn't get your memory stolen again, did you?"

Fischl's eyes widened. "Oh. Oh my. I-I'm sorry, I forgot I—this might seem strange to you... Mister Aether, was it? But… I was trying to be in a place where I didn't exist. Clearly, I failed, so if you'll excuse me—"

A place where she didn't exist? That answer resonated with him, Aether had a strange connection with the unknown, and magic in particular, but this is certainly strange. As a highschool student on Teyvat High, Aether expected teenage drama and angst, not fighting creatures of magical origin in a daily basis. Still, with friends by his side, he protected Metropolitan Mondstadt from such threats.

This is a peculiar case. Unless…

Aether moved forward, placing his hand gently on Fischl's shoulder. "Hey, wait… so, you're from another world? Me too. Fischl from this world is my friend." The most reliable one too. He smiled gently, taking in the familiar image of her friend, and how she looked overstressed. "So, how about we talk? You look like you could use a friend right now."

Fischl's smile waned. "Do I look that bad?" She sighed at Aether's look. "Very well, darling, lead the way. Someplace where they serve straight shots would do wonders for me." She hesitated. "Just, someplace where others... certain friends might not show up, please."

Aether smirked, "Trust me, most of my classmates think I'm a well-mannered guy, but I know all the dives, and plenty of them with the privacy you want. But I don't think we need that. I happen to have a well-stocked bar at home and everyone else I know is too young to drink."

Jean, a senior of his, still lectures him on having alcohol at a young age. Being older than most of human civilizations made him rather open-minded when it comes to drinking and consuming alcohol. Aether had seen grown men lose themselves on those bottles, as well as willingly did so. The things he'd seen lately made him realize how sometimes a hard drink can soothe pain in many ways.

Maybe, in this case, he can help a friend, no matter her origin.

Fischl smiled that finally reached her eyes. "Gladly."

"So, he wouldn't take no for an answer," Fischl said, taking a sip of her martini, and humming in appreciation at the taste. "I tried to be gentle… it wasn't one thing he had done, you know? Just… many little things that sprung up like red flags in my mind and I had foolishly ignored."

"I take it he didn't appreciate that?" Aether asked softly.

Fischl shook her head. "He insisted. He chased me around, called me after we had broken up, stalked me online, threatened people close to me with blackmail… he did everything that validated every worry I had developed during our short relationship. It's been two years now, and he still talks trash about me." She sighed. "I just hope he eventually gets over it. It gets tiring in its pettiness."

"Wow," Aether said, his Mondstadt Breeze clasped in his hands. "That's insane. I never expected Bennett—"

"To be fair, darling, the multiverse has all sorts of folks," Fischl interrupted. "You think you know a guy and you give him a chance…" She shrugged. "I'm sure that the Bennett you know is a true gentleman. Circumstances are always different out there, in the multiverse."

Before settling down, Aether had seen many worlds. He never did imagine worlds that are similar in a sense, a universe that shared a sense of identity. The multiverse.

The inner-explorer within him yearned that feeling of trailblazing once again, but put forced it down. He had done his part, played his role, Aether had no need to risk it again. He made his promise to the Overseer, and committed to it. Now, all he has to do is enjoy the rest of his life, protect the city and hang out with friends. His days of traveling were over.

Aether chuckled. "I suppose that's true. I can't see Bennett from either world being that much of an ass. But you still should report him to the police."

Sweet little Bennett, who has the unfortunate crush on Jean's little sister. Aether never dared to even begin imagining a toxic person from such a sweet guy like him. But still, that was not his Bennett, Aether had to remind himself. The Fischl before him was probably at the same age as his, but she seemed more older and tired, unsuited to a role of a young woman. But an adult with troubles. Justice needed to be done, or at least, a start from somewhere.

Fischl smiled. "Oh, I have."

Both of them chuckled, relaxing on the sofa.

"I must say, you are a wonderful mixologist. Have you ever considered setting up a bar?"

Aether blinked, leaning back in his seat. "Who? Me? N-no." He cleared his throat. "It was just one of the jobs I got here while I was trying to work things out. It went well for a while, but the owner found out I was in high school and kicked me out."

"His loss." Fischl chuckled, seemingly getting more comfortable around him. "And you should. Not only do you have a distinct knack to make people talk, but you also have real skills to make delicious cocktails. I, for one, would return to such an establishment," she said, winking at Aether.

Aether blushed, unused from the attention brought from a normally hard-to-socialize girl. Her green eyes spelling promises and troubles. Where was his adorable chuunibyou from the Golden Throne Powers and The Everlasting Book Club? Aether sighed, he missed the eye-patches.

Apart from school and monster-slaying, Aether had no other hobbies. His days of wandering the city for odd-jobs were over, as he found lucrative business in selling the monster parts to one of his trusted friends for research purposes.

Who knew a sheepish girl from the science club was a daughter of a business magnate? Aether wondered how different Sucrose was to other worlds? Was she as shy and intelligent?

"Do you really think so? I really haven't given too much thought to what to do with my free time."

"Darling, I know so," Fischl replied, fanning her face and rolling her eyes. "You would not believe how many multiverse versions of us exist… Well, you might believe it, but you wouldn't be able to count it. Why, there's a bunch of Klees running around the multiverse."

"That… can't be good."

He wondered how sane some versions of Jean are, if they were the ones that looked after Little Klee on other worlds, and Aether shuddered at the thought of a version of Klee with magical abilities like him. He hopes at least that her pyromania would be as harmless as his world's version of Klee. Thank the divine entities that Yoimiya convinced the child to stick with pyrotechnics, instead of actual explosions.

"It really depends who you ask," Fischl said, shrugging. "The possibilities are endless, don't you think?"

"Huh." Aether shook his head. "I wouldn't even know where to start…" He is still hang up on this version of Fischl not having an eye-patch. Or speaking weirdly.

"But I do." Fishcl smirked. "In all my days spent wandering the multiverse, I never encountered a unique individual like you." Aether seemed to think the room was heating up, but he believes the alcohol is finally kicking in. "If only you were in my world," sighed Fischl. "Best not to think about the 'what ifs', and I learned from a long while that it might be healthy for a dimensional traveler like me."

Fischl finished her martini and stood. "Darling, it has been a pleasure. If you ever need some help setting up a bar, do give me a call and I will gladly help. Here's my card."

Aether blinked and looked down at the silvery, almost translucent business card. "How do I even—?"

"Ah, different tech levels, of course… just touch here…" Fischl said, demonstrating the procedure. "If you ever feel ready to tap into the multiverse, let me know, I'll be delighted to help."

Aether licked his lips, watching Fischl sway her way towards the door. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was his curiosity… or maybe it was the challenge. Or the alcohol. Or all of it. But, was he really going to let this one go?

It was probably the alcohol.

"H-hey," he said, just as Fischl pulled a device out of her purse. "You know, I think I might like to tap that."

"Well," she cleared her throat, "Aether, I'm honored, but we just met and as I said earlier, I just came from a very toxic relationship—"

"No, nono…" Aether stammered, feeling his cheeks burn. "The multiverse. I mean. The bar. I think… I think I'd like to do that."

Fischl smiled, eyes glinting. "Oh darling, I know just the man to help us."

Somewhere in the multiverse, there is a bar.

It's small—the kind of a hole-in-the wall place which you might find open late at night while walking down the streets of old timey Mondstadt… and a certain sturdiness to it. Resilient.

But unlike most bars, this one is not actually there… or rather, not where creatures think it is.

The entrance to Aether's Isekai can only be found in passing, and from the corner of the eye, an archway made of stone, emerging from a wall where nothing was before, and in fact seems impossible to actually lead anywhere.

A door of solid oak—lovingly worked and stained to look almost golden-brown —with a thick, crystal version of Aether's Viator symbol at eye level awaits visitors under the soft light of a gas lamp. A small wooden blackboard with a crayon-drawn cocktail glass with a crescent moon on it instead of a lemon wedge invites creatures in with the promise of a good time.

This door opens to all worlds, and can only be seen by those that need a drink. And they need that drink to be just the right type of different.

The bar's doors, once opened to a customer, will always be open to them when they need to step away. The interior of the bar is simple… a narrow hall with four tables to the right of the entrance—all in a line—designed for no more than two guests per table. The bar itself is long, made of wood and black leather, and allows for about ten more guests to sit down there, facing the bartender, before it ends by curving into the corner of the room, right next to the hallway where the restrooms are and across from the old jukebox.

The jukebox itself is an interesting device—with a magical sensor that plays just the right song at the right time. Or so it says in the instruction manual.

The restrooms are serviceable, single-entity. Kept clean by techno-magical means, and tastefully decorated to match the theme of the bar itself.

The walls of Aether's Isekai are brick and mortar, with panels made of dark, almost black, wood, decorated only with a couple of guitars, and several empty frames, save for one picture of the proud owner and her patron.

Behind the bar itself, a considerable assortment of drinks and glasses extends all the way down to the end of the establishment, stopping only where the bar turns in to connect with the wall, four levels high above the sink and containing bottles of all shapes, sizes and prices.

And also behind the bar stands its esteemed owner, cleaning the surface—again—and wondering why he had decided to actually do this in the first place.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This version of Aether is a interesting character I thought from a long time ago for a story. You'll soon learn about his uniqueness and difference apart from the other Aethers. He came from a Modern AU, but with magic trying to displace the balance of the world. Like magical school girls trying to solve magical mysteries, but with Aether in it. A friend also came up with the name and inspirations with it, and I went along.

Now, infinite worlds are now open to a bar, sitting at the end of reality. Aether's Isekai.