milliways_bar | (no subject)

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The door swings open and in, letting in the tail end of a conversation.

"…wasn't the nicest guy, sure, but Jerry didn't deserve to go like that. Not at the hands of a homicidal talking computer system."

Mulder steps in, long-limbed and languid. His spine straightens as he sees where he is, a keen excitement overtaking his features.

"Scully. Hold the door."

He disappears from the bar again, ducking out of sight. Seconds later he's back, suit jacket abandoned, sleeves rolled back, armed with a camcorder. It looks brand-new but that's relative—it probably came with a manual that looked something like this. He boots it up right away.

"This is it. Evidence of the Bar Abduction Phenomenon." Swivelling the recording end at his partner: "Smile. We're making history."

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"Special Agent."

He fumbles in his pocket for his badge without taking his eye from the camera. This makes for a rather impressive balancing act.

"I'm with the FBI. Federal Bureau of Investigation."

Blink. Blink.

"I, um, okay?"

"You're not in trouble," he assures her with a lopsided grin. "This is just for my own benefit."

He's halfway through the next line before he realizes how it might come across.

"Do you come here often?"

Wince.

"Kind of?" says Ako, "It's hard to tell - things don't always match between the bar and home."

"Divergent timelines?" Immediately rephrasing: "Time moves differently here and there."

Ako frowns - big words are tricky.

"Time doesn't move at home while I'm here," says Ako slowly, "And I've not come here a day or two at home and missed months here."

Adding time for friends in different worlds only makes it worse.

Mulder nods. The camcorder bobs.

"How many times do you think you've visited here? How many individual… journeys between worlds?"

Ako counts on her fingers. Both hands get used, twice.

"A two dozen times, maybe," says Ako, "A few more times where I've been to other people's worlds."

"You've used this bar as a conduit to other worlds beyond?"

Though each word is clear and clinical, he's thrilled.

A nod and a smile.

"People always open the door back to where they came from," says Ako, "So if someone else opens the door instead of you..."

There's definite awe building now.

"And how many other worlds have you been to? For how long?"

It is pretty cool.

"Just one other," says Ako, "And for a week total, I think.Other people visit more, others less."

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