it is not too late

[ending_of]

There is a bar where a bar does not usually go.

In the bar there is a woman, sitting very still in a chair with her eyes closed, not doing much of anything.

Comments

[intricate_engineer]

They walk inside.
"Hey!" Glen says, to the woman sitting inside.

[ending_of]

She opens her eyes, but doesn't otherwise move.

"Hello," she says.

[intricate_engineer]

"I'm Glen. It's nice to meet you."

[disregards_the_lines]

"I'm Raiden," he says to the woman, then turns to Glen.
What is this place? It's not like anything I've seen before."

[ending_of]

Since the question was not addressed to her, the woman doesn't answer. She looks at Glen and Raiden with mild curiosity but doesn't offer a name of her own.

[intricate_engineer]

"It's some sort of interdimensional bar. The doorways appear in random places. I stumbled into it once a while ago."
Glen turns towards the woman, "Where are you from?"

[ending_of]

She considers this question for probably longer than it deserves, especially considering that after a few long seconds her answer turns out to be, "I am from... a place."

[disregards_the_lines]

"That's very helpful," Raiden says, dryly.

[intricate_engineer]

"Go get a drink."
Glen gives Raiden a gentle push towards the bar.
"Sorry about him."

[ending_of]

"I have never had to describe the place before," she says, unruffled. "It contains air and rock."

[intricate_engineer]

"It can be hard to describe home to outsiders. There's no way to know what makes it unique, when it's the only place you've ever seen. Is it a planet?"

[ending_of]

"No. It is a universe. One half of it contains rock, and the other half contains air, and on the rock there is one building, because I had not yet made any more when I discovered this place."

[intricate_engineer]

"That sounds lonely. Is there anyone else there?"

[ending_of]

"No," she says. "But I do not get lonely."

[intricate_engineer]

"Did you create your universe?"

[ending_of]

"I created all of the things in it. The universe itself was already there when I arrived."

[intricate_engineer]

"I met someone who could create worlds once. I always wondered if he was the only one."

[ending_of]

The woman looks contemplative.

[disregards_the_lines]

Raiden returns to the table, carrying a steaming mug filled with a dark orange liquid.
"I'm not sure what this is. I asked for something warm."

[intricate_engineer]

"Maybe I should get one."
She turns back to the woman, "What was your name by the way?"

[ending_of]

"I do not use one," she says absently. "And it seems I can expand the number of universes in my domain. That's interesting."

[disregards_the_lines]

"That doesn't sound ominous at all.."

[intricate_engineer]

"What do you mean by your domain?"

[ending_of]

"The place. I was curious about whether I could create universes, so I tried. Now I have one that is full of air and rock and one that is empty."

[disregards_the_lines]

"Oh now that's interesting. What can you create?"