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

[chalicejoker]

"Just one of those novelty decks for kids." Considering he comes from a kids' show... Hajime is not the greatest liar in the world and is hoping that plausibility sells it.

[worthallthis]

"Uh-huh." Soldat looks down at Ryo for confirmation, brows up pointedly.

[chalicejoker]

"Hajimeeeeeee," Ryo says, voice rising into a whine, "you said Rouse Cards were really important! Important history! Life revolved around--" And yet again, he gets cut off by a gentle finger to the mandibles.

"Doesn't matter here," Hajime says flatly. He's just going to try that.

[worthallthis]

"If you really don't want to talk about it, we can just play," Soldat allows after a minute, looking between them. "But I'm pretty curious now, gotta admit."

[chalicejoker]

Hajime thinks for a moment. Probably only a matter of time before he shed green blood somewhere or Fuwa talked, but after a moment, he settles on, "There's a group of monsters from my world that match up to what you'd call a standard deck of playing cards. I've spent a lot of time fighting them, is all."

Because he is one, but details, details. "Probably pretty tame compared to some of the other stuff people here have gotten into."

[worthallthis]

"Some. Not all. Some people here have no powers whatsoever, come from worlds with no magic at all. Or very little." Soldat doesn't press further, that's a perfectly good explanation as far as they're concerned. Instead, they push a peanut into the center of the table. "What do you bet?"

[chalicejoker]

"...hold on." Hajime sets his hand down (face down, of course), gets up for a moment to go back to the bar to grab a few more peanuts...but he's left Ryo alone there for a minute. Act fast if you want to ask the mantis anything without any supervision, Soldat.

[worthallthis]

Asking about the cards would be rude and against the spirit of the game. And besides, Hajime did explain, at least a little. So what Soldat asks, after a beat, is, "How did you and Hajime meet, Ryo?"

[chalicejoker]

"Was born when Hajime first arrived in Questing Country!" Ryo says brightly. "Am his Spirit Companion! Help him to fight nightmares while in Questing Country, didn't want to leave him when he had to leave Questing Country!"

Because yes, this all makes so much sense.

[worthallthis]

Yeah, not a single piece of that makes any sense. But after this many years since their death, Soldat is kinda used to that. "There's not a lot of nightmares here. Just people."

[chalicejoker]

"Is okay!" Ryo says. "New adventure! New friends! Even if Hajime isn't good at making friends!"

[worthallthis]

Soldat smiles a little. "I'm not very good at it, either. I understand." They used to be. There was a time when they had more friends than they knew what to do with. They have no idea how to get back to that, now. It's possible that they simply can't, not in a place where they have to kill each other all the time.

Ryo shouldn't be here. Jesus, the poor guy. "You seem like you'd be pretty good, though."

[chalicejoker]

"Am very good at it!" Ryo says proudly. Poor thing has no idea what's coming.

At this point, Hajime returns with his own bowl of peanuts. "Alright," he says, shoving a few into the pot (and then adding one more after Ryo immediately takes and starts eating one he just put in), "now I'm ready."

[worthallthis]

"I would have shared mine with you, you know, I've got plenty," Soldat says, sounding vaguely amused, mostly at Ryo's thievery. They set a small pile in front of Ryo, for eating, so he doesn't delve into the betting pool again.

Starting bets made, Soldat discards two cards, draws two more, and nods for Hajime to do the same.

[chalicejoker]

"It's the principle of the thing," Hajime says, maintaining his hold on his three threes and discards two of his own.

"Ooh." And fortunately for Hajime, Ryo's too distracted at peanuts to comment on the two new cards he's drawn.

[worthallthis]

"Funny principle if all of it comes from North, anyway," Soldat reminds him, still amused. "Ain't like we're betting something with actual stakes. I'll call. Any raises from you?"

[chalicejoker]

Look, Soldat, he just likes to win and he's got to do this competition thing right. Hajime looks down at his hand and grimaces. "No, no raises."

[worthallthis]

"Okay." Soldat puts their cards down, showing two pair, both kinda pathetic: twos and sixes. So does that beat Hajime's three of a kind? Hajime probably didn't get lucky and get a fourth three, not with that look on his face.

[chalicejoker]

Hajime's added a four and a seven to his three threes. "Three of a kind still beats two pair." He makes no move to stop Ryo when Ryo rushes over to collect all those peanuts.