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

[worthallthis]

The plates on the metal arm shift in sympathy to someone with only one arm, but the thing that really deserves a mention is: "Transforming mantis." Soldat met the guy with the giant bug last night. ... the bug'd been pretty cute, actually. "Didn't seem that aggressive, to me. We played poker last night after dinner. The bug kept eating our peanuts for the bets, and narrating his cards out loud."

[ragingwolf]

"That mantis can turn into a dragon and a pony, and tried to attack me with lightning." It reminded him of Aruto, a little. "Don't underestimate it. Or him, he's the one that did this," he adds, tapping his cheek with a wry half-smile. "Said he was going to hunt some undead before I knocked some sense into him."

[worthallthis]

Well that's. Nice. Soldat glances around, as if Hajime would be in here now and able to explain that. He's not. "Huh. Wonder what he meant by that. Not a lot of walking skeletons around here."

[ragingwolf]

"Apparently it's got something to do with immortals." His gaze drifts over to North behind the bar. "Said he can sense them. I'm just worried he's going to start a fight with someone that's not our problem." He doesn't want the jail time.

[worthallthis]

"He does, you just keep out of the way," Soldat suggests. "Probably won't punish you if you've done what you can to tell him not to, and he keeps doing it anyway. Then it's all on him." They do wish they'd known about the undead business when they spoke the night before. They'd love to have asked about it.

[ragingwolf]

"Yeah, yeah," he mutters in response. "Doesn't make it any less stupid."

He drums his fingers on the table lightly as he thinks. "He came with half a deck of cards, too. Used one of them to transform, almost like me." The sniper has seen Fuwa's overdramatic key-breaking and bullet-smacking. "A lot quieter, though."

[worthallthis]

"Magic cards. Of fucking course." That might as well be a thing. Fuwa has magic bullets that give him armor, so why not playing cards that do the same thing? Soldat doesn't actually miss the days when the weirdest thing they had to deal with was a metal arm and not having memories... but it sure was simpler. "We played poker. He was very focused on the cards when I shuffled and dealt."

[ragingwolf]

"Huh. Maybe if he gets too antsy I can make him play Fifty-Two Pick-Up for a few minutes to shut him up," he comments, with a self-indulgent little grin on his face. "I might get a deck off Booker."

[worthallthis]

"Might be a good idea, if you're polite about it," Soldat shrugs. "Distractions stop fights sometimes before they start." But he'd have to not be an ass about it. Soldat is not entirely sure Fuwa would manage that.

[ragingwolf]

"Worst comes to worst, I can always shoot him in the back," he says evenly, pushing himself to his feet, but there's a pointed sidelong look sent at the sniper. "If it doesn't kill him, it'll definitely distract him."

(Congrats, Soldat, you're entirely correct.)

"I'll let you know how it turns out," he finishes snidely, as he pushes his chair back under the table a little bit too roughly, scoops his chewed-up beat-up hat back onto his head, and strides towards the saloon doors.

[worthallthis]

Soldat sighs and lets him go, instead settling in to eat. They're never gonna live that down, and probably Fuwa is an enemy that's not going away any time soon.

It's okay, though. It's worth it to never have to shoot Misty in the back.