Entrance Post

[johnnycoolguy]

Milo, carrying an armload of folders back to his desk, strolls into the CTU breakroom and winds up smack in the middle of the Bar.

He's so engrossed in the report he's reading that he doesn't notice that the coffee pot he's pouring himself a cup from has just materialized out of nothing on the bartop.

When this does register, there's a loud yelp

Comments

[callitavesper]

"Found yourself at the end of the universe," says a British man who's replenishing his own coffee at the bar. He hasn't introduced too many new people to Milliways and is quite looking forward to breaking this man's head.

[johnnycoolguy]

Aw, Bond, what did poor Milo ever do to you?

Milo is staring all around him with a rather pitiful WTF expression. "Jesus. This is just...not okay."

He has work to be doing.

"What the hell was that about the end of the universe?" He turns suspiciously back to Bond.

[callitavesper]

Nothing! But he's there! And new! And impressionable! And Bond has a mischievous streak.

James nods to the Observation Window. "You're in it."

[johnnycoolguy]

He's also drenched in coffee and was in a bad mood to begin with (because Milo is rarely in anything but a bad mood these days.)

He narrows his eyes at the window as though it's run over his kitten.

"Okay. Sure. End of the universe. How the hell did I get here?"

Just humoring the crazy person, as far as Milo is concerned.

[callitavesper]

James shrugs. "Just walked in. I can't explain how people come here. They just do." He sips his coffee. "This place brings in all sorts of people, from all sorts of worlds, from all points in time."

He suppresses the grin that wants to emerge.

[johnnycoolguy]

"Uh-huh." Milo wonders if he should offer Bond some spare change.

"And I can just...leave, if I don't like it?"

[callitavesper]

Oh, this guy thinks he's nuts. This is going to be sweet.

"Can you see the door behind you?" he asks calmly.

[johnnycoolguy]

Now that's a foreboding question. Milo's only half taking Bond seriously, but he turns around with a look of dread. This place is bizarre enough without disappearing doors.

"Yeah," he says. "Yeah, it's...right there."

[callitavesper]

"Ah. Well, if you didn't, I'm afraid you would have been Bound here."

[johnnycoolguy]

"What, permanently?" Milo raises an eyebrow, alarmed.

Relax. He's delusional, right?

"That...can't happen." Just because.

[callitavesper]

"No, not permanently," he says, leaning against the bar. "Only for a little while. A few days, weeks, months, even years depending on the Landlord's whims."

[johnnycoolguy]

"Yeah, well, what happens if they've got work to do outside? Or families wondering where they are?"

[callitavesper]

"Nothing. Time stops out there when you're in here."

[johnnycoolguy]

Milo sighs. "Yeah, all right." If it's true, he'll cross that bridge when he comes to it.

Changing the subject is looking like a good idea. "What's your name, anyway? Do you just hang around the door telling people they're at the end of the universe?"

[callitavesper]

"James," he says, deciding at the last moment that his last name, while conductive to breaking the man's head, would also spark debate on whether he is who he says he is. That would annoy more than entertain him.

"You'll find that most patrons here tend to approach people who're new and explain what it is they've found themselves in."

[johnnycoolguy]

Smart man, Bond. Introducing himself would probably get a patronizing laugh and a 'Sure, okay. I'm Harry Potter.'

"Well," he mutters, "it's nice that they're all so friendly."

He rubs the back of his neck, at a bit of a loss. "Anyway, good to meet you. I'm Milo."