Big City Living (Midpoint Mingle)

[midpointmods]

The town of Midpoint: called thus because it is at the exact center of the game arena, a busy little Western town full of strange people, many of whom don’t look remotely human, because this is where all the players gather and live. Midpoint Saloon: called thus because it is the only bar in Midpoint. It’s also the biggest building in town, four stories high, dotted with windows, painted a jaunty yellow and decorated with red and green flowers in all the window boxes.

This is where your veteran teammate points you. Or just stomps off to and hopes you follow.

Downstairs is a bar and tavern, Old West style, right down to the upright piano in one corner and a raucous crowd of locals - largely locals, but with a healthy smattering of unusual or downright alien faces that clearly indicate the presence of other Players - eating, drinking, gambling, and getting into trouble. There’s a broad, bearded man behind the bar, waving cheerfully at you as you enter.

The rest of the night and the next day is yours to do with what you see fit. Explore the town, take a long nap in your new room, try to get to know people... everyone is here for the next twenty-four hours before travel to the mission site, so it’s a good chance to scope out the competition, at the very least.

Comments

Midpoint Saloon

[midpointmods]

“Come in, come in!” the bartender bellows, waving the newcomer over. He looks... kind of like Santa Claus. If Santa Claus were more muscle than fat, had bushy black eyebrows, and wore a scimitar at each hip under his cooking apron. His beefy army even have “naughty” and “nice” tattooed on them, visible below the rolled-up sleeves of his shirt.

But he seems in high spirits, at least. “Such a big, new crowd this time! Sit, sit, I make you dinner. And get you a room, yes? It’s a good thing we expanded recently, eh? Ha!”

It’s not quite a belly laugh, but it’s loud and very friendly.

[notabirdcostume]

Sam lets the others get their bearings and breaks away from the small crowd. It wasn't so long ago that Bucky (not-Bucky) had brought him here for the first time. Sam had been feeling a lot of mixed emotions and he understood that sometimes you just needed a minute to get your bearings. He was just glad that the friendly face in charge of the saloon made that a bit easier.

I mean, come on, how could you not smile back at the big, jolly guy who looked like he could throw you out the door or give you a big hug depending on the day? Sam may have strong feelings about this place, but he'd liked North almost instantly. He smiles back, sliding up onto a stool across from him.

"Hey North, we're back. What've you got cooked up today?"

[midpointmods]

"Sam Vilson, good to see you!" North shifts aside to show him the hash browns and sausages currently sizzling on two separate pans. "Dinner for someone who is not you, I think. Vat are you looking for, eh? I start dat next."

[notabirdcostume]

"Good to see you too."

Sam checks out the food being prepped and can't help but feel a little disappointed to it is NOT necessarily what was on the menu. Oh well, he could put his own order in and let whoever had the idea to get sausage and hash browns enjoy those.

"Well since you're teasing me with someone else's meal, I'm tempted to follow in their footsteps. That smells too good." There's a pause and then he adds, "I'd be remiss if I didn't ask what the special was today though."

[midpointmods]

"Special today is chili with cheese, or Russian pelmini," North says. One of the specials with him is almost always Russian. Wonder why? "But I make vatever you are craving, no questions asked," he adds cheerfully, winking at Sam. "More hash and sausage is easy."

[notabirdcostume]

As North has probably learned by now, Sam's expressed a decent interest in cooking, especially after he'd learned that North COULD cook. So, of course, as soon as North mentions a dish he isn't familiar with he has to ask: "What's pelmini?" He appreciates a good chili as much as the next guy, and he has no doubt about North's ability to whip one up, but he's always been the type to want to try new things -- especially when it came to food.

[midpointmods]

Mod cannot spell, technically it is in fact spelled: "Pelmeni! Russian meat dumpling, very tasty, very filling. Can be baked with sauce, fried up vell, or frozen for later or if you are very hot." North counts the options on his fingers. "I am very good at them. If I do say so myself. And I do!"

[chalicejoker]

Before Hajime can say anything to this, the mantis on his shoulder all but yells, "Is there candy? Can we have candy?"

Priorities.

[midpointmods]

To his credit, North does not seem particularly phased by giant talking insects. When you live with elves and yetis, and your partners employ hummingbirds and eggs with feet, it takes a lot to surprise you.

Besides, Ryo is just the kind of personality he likes best. "There is candy, my small green friend. So long as you eat good, healthy meal to go with it. Vat kind of candy would you like?"

[chalicejoker]

Ryo is all but vibrating with excitement at this point. "M&Ms? Or Mochi?" He got these often enough from Hajime, even if he'd never realized that the sticky mochi was when Hajime needed him to stop talking for a while.

[midpointmods]

"Haha, I can make you mochi, little one!" North laughs. "And vat for the big one? Eh?" As he flips his current meal onto a plate and slide it down the bar for someone else, he starts getting out the ingredients for mochi first.

[chalicejoker]

"Yay! Mochi! Thank you!" It's clear who got all the manners in this duo, and Ryo's jumping up and down a bit now.

Hajime is a food snob at this point in his life, but hell, he supposes he should eat something. It's not strictly required but it might help him focus on something other than...everything. "Depends. What have you got?"

[midpointmods]

"Anything you vant. Am sure I have something to make it here, vatever it is." He's already mixing up the bean paste and rice for Ryo. It's going to take a little bit, but not too long. North still has a little magic, after all.

[cicadashell]

Jiro's never been to bar, so he doesn't have things to compare the saloon with, but he thinks this place is likely more dusty and dirty. Which is totally fine. He's also thinking... there's not a drinking age in wherever-the-fuck, wild west.

"Skip dinner. Gimme a drink."

What the fuck do they even drink? Whiskey? Ale? No, ale's like some fantasy shit.

[midpointmods]

"Now, now, that is not healthy," North chides amiably. "You have had long trip, yes? Not eaten all day. Drink first vill make you drunk and then I vill have to throw you out ven you make trouble." Because drunk teenagers always make trouble.

North turns back to the fridge, behind the bar, and starts pulling out ingredients. "I make you meal, and then give you drink. If you do not tell me what you want, I vill have to choose for you."

[cicadashell]

Figures. But he could always eat, so he doesn't argue.

"No meat."

He can't imagine much grows around here though. Is cactus edible?

"I'll take one of the rooms too."

Sleeping outside in the dust doesn't sound fun.

[midpointmods]

"Good, everyone should have room. Need a place to sleep in this desert, yes?" North pours Jiro a water, first and foremost. "No meat is a good start. Vat else you thinking? Or am I to surprise you?"

[cicadashell]

"Whatever," he waves his hand dismissively. "Just get with the cooking, old man."

[midpointmods]

North peers at Jiro. Then he shakes a finger at him briefly. "You could learn some manners, Jiro Azuma. Could wind up on the naughty list." But then he does turn away and sets about putting together a pasta with marinara sauce for the boy.

[givemyrightarm]

"What do you have?" Not that Irene's picky; she's been living off whatever she can hunt or forage for herself for years, and her body automatically neutralizes toxins anyway if whatever he gives her turns out to be poisonous.

As for the room, it's not a priority. She can bunk in the stables if need be.

[midpointmods]

"Anything you can think of!" North says, spreading his arms wide as if to encompass all foodstuffs ever. Or perhaps to offer a hug. "Tell me vat you like, my friend."

And she's probably getting a room whether she likes it or not. Nobody sleeps in the stables but Soap, or Soap gets tetchy.

[givemyrightarm]

...That is very unhelpful.

Since Irene doesn't really have any particular favorite foods, she stalls. "How is that possible?"

[midpointmods]

"Trade secret," North says, putting a finger aside of his nose as if this somehow indicates good-natured secrecy. "But if you have no preference, I make you the daily special. Good? Anything you do not like?"

[givemyrightarm]

That just makes her more suspicious of you, North.

But she recognizes that that's all the answer she's going to get from him (which frankly galls her, but it's not as if the Organization's men had ever been much different on that score), so she just shrugs.

As for his question: "Anything that requires two hands at once to eat, I suppose."

[midpointmods]

Yeah, it makes other people suspicious, too, Irene. You're not alone, there.

North says, "I make you pelmeni, then. Russian dish, very good, just spear it with a fork and eat." And he turns away to start gathering ingredients.