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]

That brings a pause. Soldat has not actually introduced themselves in... at least a year. Misty and Sam knew who they were (sort of; Sam used the "wrong" name, but still). No one but Misty and Sam know who they are. But being social means... people ask for names.

The hell should they even say.

Maybe these two don't know Russian and won't think it's a weird-ass name. Because Soldat is still the most comfortable, these days, so they finally say: "You can call me Soldat. Nice to meet you, Ryo. Hajime."

[chalicejoker]

They absolutely don't know Russian, and while Hajime does catch the 'you can call me,' he sees no point in pressing the issue. Goodness knows he's got a name he doesn't want to be called.

"Is nice to meet you too!" Ryo obviously sees nothing wrong with that name. "We just got here, so now we can meet all the people we've never met before!"

Hajime sighs. "Yeah, there's no one here we actually know."

[worthallthis]

"Probably easier that way," Soldat shrugs, and starts deftly shuffling the cards. "Teams change up every round. Having people you know. Care about. It just means you might have to shoot them later." This is not an easy place to have friendships, unless neither of you actually care about killing, temporary or not.

[chalicejoker]

"Well, it's not like Ryo needs to be the one to worry about that." Hajime smiles grimly. "I'll take care of that end of things." He sounds a little tired. Killing's very much not something he wants to do, thanks.

And oh, he can't help but immediately focus on those cards for a half-second before catching himself. Normal cards, normal card game, everything is fine. Sensing an Undead nearby--that he can't get to and hasn't been able to identify--has him a little more inclined to be weird about that sort of thing. He's got to watch himself.

Ryo looks a little distressed. "Why so much shooting? Why can't people be friends?"

[worthallthis]

The intense look at a bunch of playing cards does catch Soldat's attention, and earns Hajime a cautious sidelong look, but otherwise doesn't get a real comment. Instead, they finish the shuffle, and start dealing. Just themselves and Hajime-- Ryo doesn't really seem like he'd be good at cards, if he even knows the rules.

"Suppose you can be friends. As long as you don't mind maybe having to shoot your friends. Game makers don't give us a lot of choice there."

[chalicejoker]

"Do they ever? It's not my first experience with crap like this." Hajime says dryly as he reaches out for his hand once Soldat finishes dealing. His expression remains even at the hand; he knows how to maintain a poker face. He also knows how to handle cards; the way he fans the hand out suggests a lot of practice.

Ryo, at this point, has finished his peanuts and curiously goes to look over Hajime's shoulder. "Ooh! Lion and a shark and a mole."

[worthallthis]

"Lion and. What now?" Soldat repeats blankly, baffled but kind of amused, too. Hajime had said Ryo might read off his cards. That just doesn't sound like any cards in their actual deck.

[chalicejoker]

"And a shark and a mole!" Ryo says plainly. "Spades, and--" he cuts off as Hajime gently puts a finger on Ryo's mandibles.

"Come on, Ryo, we talked about this." Yet Hajime knows that's not going to matter to the mantis; he's too excited.

[worthallthis]

"I. Don't think these cards have pictures on them. Mine don't." They're pretty sure. Like 98% sure. They haven't had actual hallucinations in a long-ass time. Anyone want to explain this to the poor soldier?

[chalicejoker]

"Oh," Ryo says cheerfully, "is very simple! Lion is Three of Spades! Beat! Pu--" And of course, Hajime's cut him off again with another gentle finger to the mandibles.

"Kids, am I right?" Hajime is making an attempt to make this not weird. He is well aware he is likely failing.

[worthallthis]

"Uh huh." None of that clears this up at all. Aside from apparently Hajime has a three of spades. What that has to do with lions, they have no idea. "You know this is a lot more interesting than poker, right?"

[chalicejoker]

"Maybe you just haven't played very good poker." Misdirection? Misdirection!

[worthallthis]

"Apparently not, if it's not got lions and sharks in it where you come from." Misdirection failed. Soldat has mission focus. (Even if this isn't exactly a mission. Curiosity can be a mission! No. Fuck off, Asset.)

[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."