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

[shadowsran]

"Oh-- oh, I'm so sorry." Tremendous sort of occasion. Midpoint is worse than most anyone there deserves without question, but there's another layer of sympathy for individuals taken from something happy. Nothing in town to help with that. She scrambles for any worthy reply, ultimately coming up with a meager, "There's the point bailout, I guess? I've had weird sucked-into-places trouble before, and the time in compared to the time out might be a lot less than it feels like."

[unofficial_ambassador]

There had been some strange time dilation things going on back where she’d come from because of damage to the crashed ship. Strange to think that might be happening here, too. Of course, in the end, it might not matter anyway. If they're copies or something like it her friends are happy back there without her - with her but not this one - and she'll never be able to return.

"Thank you. It's all right." She might cry later, but certainly not here in front of a relative stranger. "How long was it last time? For you."

[shadowsran]

"Easier than most. Helps that I've never been leaving much behind." No family, friends, or mission, but if a non-depressing way of stating as much exists she hasn't yet found it. Simple answer does just fine. "Confused, more than anything. I'd been worse places, and I guess that's still the case? I'm not alone here, and in some ways it's been an upgrade every time."

She shrugs. "I'm a glass half full type. So. Biased."

[unofficial_ambassador]

"Don't worry about that. It's good to have someone like that around." Sure, people talked big sometimes about wanting to duct tape Kaylee so she'd stop being cheerful, but no one ever did, did they? Everyone needs their spirits buoyed a bit now and then.

[shadowsran]

"Reviews are pretty historically mixed," she replies, though not without a laugh. This has been plenty of time to get horses settled; even her own, easily agitated soul the he is, is focusing at least semicontentedly on his feed. There's meals to eat, teammates to continue touching base with, and she's eaten enough of this woman's time. "I should probably put in a meal order before North's swamped, but I'll be around the saloon awhile. Be seeing you?"

[unofficial_ambassador]

"Yes, I'll see you. Hopefully not on opposing teams, this time around." Or any time, but it's inevitable if either of them stick around.