milliways_bar | (no subject)

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The Door opens and through it a sharp-eyed patron of Milliways can see the Main Hall of MiB Headquarters. In fact, there's a Man in Black standing in the doorway right now, his back to the bar as he calls out:

"Chief! Zed!" He's yelling.

And somewhere in the distance, Agent J: "Hey, OLD GUY, you can't use the laser platform! It's tech--!"

And now there's a tremendous ROAR of rage, followed by a worlds-shattering CRASH.

Yup, looks like Zed is still having that little problem with technology. K quietly shuts the Door behind him and goes for a drink at the bar. He'll leave J to cover that one.

Learning experience, after all.

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"Classes in a Magic Guild must be quite a thing to see."

"Absolutely. You would be welcome to observe if you like. Unlike other patrons, I don't keep Milliways a secret from my students and we encourage them to write thesis papers on how they believe the whole thing to work. Though the part about you being from the Blue Star might be a bit too fantastic. They can swallow up theories about magical locations one after the other but make mention of life on other planets and they stand by their legends that Earth is a barren wasteland."

"Miss Mia, I do believe I'll take you up on that offer. We don't get many opportunities to visit locations governed by magical paradigms."

"And don't worry about my cover story. Coming up with those is all part of my job description."

K probably won't even have to neuralyze anybody.

Probably.

Mia would be very upset if he did have to neuralyze someone.

But he shouldn't have to. If anyone learned the truth, they wouldn't believe it.

"Splendid! Do you need me to provide suitable attire for the trip? No offense to your fine clothes but we don't have mass-manufactured clothing and you'd stand out like a frogzard in the town square."

Beat.

"A frogzard being about the size of an Earth elly-phant, I should likely clarify."

K s-t-a-r-e-s at her.

"It's the Suit. My Suit."

K's not sure what just happened, but poor Mia started babbling crazytalk for a moment there. He hopes she isn't coming down with something. Babies do pick up every illness that comes along, after all.

"Okay, okay, you don't have to change your suit."

What is it about men and clothes?

"But it's still something to consider with the students. You're going to stand out and the particularly inquisitive ones will want to know why."

K gives her a cryptic smile. "I have a feeling this Suit will stand out a lot less than you think it will, Mia."

"Let's just say it has certain properties that Milliways patrons don't usually notice."

Probably due to the Landlord minding the store around here, but K's been to enough other worlds to know the normal field of unobstrusiveness reasserts itself as soon as he passes through the Door.

Then again, Mia's magical world might break the usual rules. But even that would be useful to find out.

That does have Mia intrigued but all the ways that his suit will change are related to magic in her mind. It's just how she thinks. She really has no clue how technology would do it.

"Well, if you're sure. Otherwise I guess I'll just have to fabricate an extraordinarily good tailor."

A moment passes and she realizes what she just said, complete with facepalm.

"Just how well do people know geography on your world? Got any uncharted lands left lying around?"

"Seems to me I could always claim to come from one of those."

"There is the Frontier but I know for a fact you wouldn't pass for a Tribesman from there. The people of Vane would expect someone more inhuman."

"If we made one up, could anyone call us on it?"

"I suppose not since some have taken more human shape but it's not really something you would want to be as a disguise. I've referred to them as the Tribesmen but most call them the Vile Tribe. They lived on the Frontier because they were banished by Althena to that desert. They've held it against humans ever since. They've only recently started to realize there are innocent humans as well and have begun their attempt to peacefully integrate. In short, the whole matter is somewhat delicate."

"Can't say claiming to be part of the 'Vile Tribe' has a lot of appeal," K agrees.

"Well, I 'll tell you, Miss Mia. I've spent the last forty plus years getting my way through one impossible mission after another. Why don't we just see how I do?"

"Frankly, I don't think they're vile at all. Two members of the Vile Tribe were but that's a far cry from the entire population. Still, try telling that to the city deceived by those two."

Definitely not the sort of thing they want to stir up.

"Sounds fair. I imagine you wouldn't still be at your job for over forty years if you were bad at it."

"I'd like to think you're right," K replies modestly.

"Give me a few days to clear out my Inbox and maybe we can find a time that works best for the both of us. Deal?"

"Deal," she says, nodding instead of the traditional handshake.

She's sure K will forgive her considering the armful of baby.

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