midpointsaloon | Big City Living (Midpoint Mingle)

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Big City Living (Midpoint Mingle)

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.

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“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.

Edited 2020-05-09 08:53 (UTC)

The second largest building in Midpoint isn’t quite as impressively large, but still notable; twice as wide as the houses surrounding it and situated directly across from the Midpoint Saloon is a pleasant blue weatherboard building, with BOOKER’S GENERAL STORE written across a sign that stretches all the way across the narrow decking in front of its single door and wide windows.

From outside, it’s difficult to see through them, and inside clearly explains why: piled high on every wall and forming crowded isles across the floor are shelves stacked with goods: food, both fully cooked and raw ingredients, healthy and otherwise; sacks of grains, oats, a few hefty barrels, baskets, brooms and blankets, along with other household supplies; behind the eight-foot counter, the shelves are stocked with various kinds of mundane medical ingredients; and even higher sit various kinds of guns - pistols, mostly, but a few rifles sit on hooks, displayed properly if not immediately obviously.

And behind said counter, a tired and somewhat nervous looking man offers whoever enters the building a warm smile, and a quietly pleasant voice with a pronounced stutter. “Ah-- w-welcome, partner! Let me kno-know if you need anythi-i-ing at all!”

[[For any major purchases, or atypical items, please lodge a bid at the point-spending page!]]

Edited 2020-05-09 08:51 (UTC)

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?"

I. Arrival - Closed to Daylight and Inarra

It's taken most of the day to get here from the jail, and the sun is starting to set off to their left and in their eyes. Soldat is pretty sure their companions are ready for a break. "See those buildings?" Soldat gestures ahead, at the first outlying homes of Midpoint. "That's town. We'll get you rooms. Some dinner for the lady."

Since Daylight doesn't... eat. They're pretty sure of this, even if he's all different colors and actually swears now.

II. Home - Closed to Sam and Misty

It's been a long-ass day, and as soon as they've got their new teammates settled with rooms, Soldat retreats upstairs to see where their allies are: Sam's room is checked, and their own, shared with Misty, is checked. They know both of them were summoned to a mission, as well, and they're trusting that the game makers know better than to pit them against their volatile sniper.

"You back yet?"

III. Social, or attempting to be - OTA

In the past, Soldat has mostly taken meals in their room. Making friends with people they had to kill over and over again had been too hard a thing to wrap their brain around.

But now that there are people here they know... and they're starting to think some quietly rebellious thoughts again... they're making an attempt at not being a complete hermit. After a little time to catch up with favorite people, they're back down here, sitting at a table near the wall where they can see the exit, the door to the kitchen, and the stairs.

When they're not eating, Soldat alternates between playing solitaire and folding paper into little animals, but anyone showing interest gets the question, "Know how to play poker?"

I. Arrival - Closed To Teammates

Shade is worth something here, at least. She has something of a leg up on their peers regarding heat, in general, but the arena is a far cry from the humidity of a swamp. Why dry heat is considered preferable she isn't quite sure; it's the only lingering discomfort on the ride to what could only generously be called home.

"I'm thinking," she starts, unprompted, as they approach the stables, "Keep quiet, much as you can. Socialize, good impressions, all that obviously, but don't let on about what our assignment is." Sooner people know, sooner they can strategize. "Any other new people are probably active too, and not allies. Sam and I can ask around and rule out a couple people, but the rest is on us."

A glance at Sam, signifying that 'ask around' primarily means 'ask Soldat about his team'. That's the only moderately sure bet. Then, more for the newer pair:

"Don't stress too much. Eat, sleep. If you need points for something, I'll try and hover around the saloon. Easy to find."

II. Stables, General Store - OTA

The store isn't where Misty is at her most social, but she's nothing if not a relaxed presence. Nothing being toted in one arm looks to be mission related - run of the mill groceries, standard tinctures, and the bulk of her time in-store shuffling carefully through sacks of grain for a pattern on the bag she fancies. To any new-seeming passersby she may peer over the shelving with an offer.

"If you find a sturdy looking canteen and don't have the points yet, I'll spot you. You go through them faster than you'd think."

The same friendly, olive branch approach is on display in the stables, where she'll spend longer than strictly necessary ensuring her mount isn't just secured, but soothed. One would be correct to assume he's timid, and between the constantly flickering eyes and ears and a habit of trying to pace in his stall it's an assumption he invites. She's patient with it.

Any and all unfamiliar horses are subject to an open, though admiring, gaze. There's nothing match-related about it. Merely an animal person. "Named them yet?" She'll ask, tone as conversational as she can make it.

III. Saloon - OTA

After a cool bath and a conversation with Soldat, she deems the remainder of the day best spent at a table. A large dinner is all but inhaled. She keeps to water, a sober presence to the very end. The most daring activity of the night is jumping to another table closer to the piano, which takes up the gist of her focus when not immediately occupied with someone or something.

Speaking of, she's quite quick to usher people over. Company's good, in a crowd.

"How're you feeling?"

Physically? Mentally? About the upcoming match? About their very bizarre circumstances at large? All of the above. It's good to check in.

Edited 2020-05-09 20:58 (UTC)

"I am."

It doesn't sound drained, but it lacks the usual pep. Contemplative, mostly. Nothing identifiable in that tone that would imply something more worrying than that. She's in a fresh change of clothes, curled against one arm of the sofa in their shared space, eyes fixed on the ceiling fan overhead. They focus on him almost immediately.

"How's the job? Team?"

She sits up a little higher, the ready-to-move tension in her shoulders an unspoken 'do you need anything'.

"Kidnapping. Two new players. Not probably going to go well. They really don't want to do it." Soldat comes in to claim the other end of the couch, dropping their head into their hands. They sound tired.

Doing the new-people shpiel had been bad enough. But the shock of seeing Daylight... Misty will understand. They look up a little, just turning their head against their hands. "Misty. One of the new ones. It's Daylight. But not our Daylight."

Fully sitting up, now. That's indeed the tired tone.

And...that's a hell of a fair reason why. A hand goes to his shoulder, careful and light. "He...doesn't belong here." No one does, but particularly and especially-

"Not our one?"

[I - Arrival - OTA]
Problem: Hajime doesn't have the horse most everyone else seems to arrive here with.

Solution: Ryo, his little mantis spirit companion, has the ability to transform into an adorable pony. If Hajime's riding his mount without a saddle or reins (and a posture that suggests more of a familiarity with motorcycles rather than horses) seems impressive, well, that's because Ryo can talk and he's just letting Ryo go wherever Ryo wants to go. Surely nothing at all bizarre might come of this.

[II - Around Town - OTA]
The presence of nonhumans makes Hajime relax slightly, but only just slightly. All that means is that Ryo won't have to hide, but he still suspects a guy who looks like a human with a foot-tall praying mantis on his shoulder is going to get some attention.

Part of this is because the praying mantis on his shoulder is extremely friendly and absolutely delighted at not having to hide himself here. "Hi! Hello! Hi! How are you?" the little mantis calls out in his little childlike voice at, well, pretty much everyone as Hajime sizes up the town. He ignores Hajime's attempts to shush him, and, eventually, Hajime just gives up. Everything is fine, normal, just fine.

[III - OTA]
By the time Hajime and Ryo make it to the saloon, Hajime's...not exactly tired, not in the physical sense, but he's a little stressed out on account of this whole situation. He's very much going to try to look super tough...which he might have managed on his own were it not for the mantis riding atop his head. He has given up trying to stop Ryo from doing that.

But there is one primary concern he's got with a saloon in some kind of stereotypical Western town. "So do fights break out here often?" It's absolutely a normal sort of question to ask someone at the bar you're sliding up next to. Super normal. He is the best at socialization and trying to not look like a weirdo, he's got this.

Hajime is...not exactly shy, but reserved. The sort to try very hard to ignore a stranger asking how he's feeling.

The foot-tall praying mantis on his shoulder, on the other hand, is delighted to meet any and all new people. "Feeling good! Lots to see here! Lots to do!"

Don't mind Hajime, he's just going to run a hand down his face now because of course Ryo was going to be like this. Of course.

I. Arrival - Closed to Taako, Yoda, and Jiro

Riding along on Groot's shoulder, Rocket is surprisingly dust-free after traveling all day across scrub desert. Groot can't say the same, but since he's basically made of living wood, it doesn't look like he minds being a little dirty.

"Okay," Rocket says, standing up on Groot's shoulder and pointing at the biggest building in town, as they head in. "That's where you eat and live and drink. You got all day tomorrow to do whatever you want. But you'd better be down there for breakfast the day after, or I'll have to hunt you down."

"I am Groot," Groot puts in.

"Yeah, and you ain't gonna like that."

II. Saloon Time

While he's hard to find during the day, both nights Rocket's in the bar portion of Midpoint Saloon. Despite his rude demeanor, he's cheerful in a kind of manic way, drinking and laughing and playing cards, hurling amiable insults on other older players. Or newer players, for that matter. Groot leans over his shoulder, smiling contentedly, not nearly as raucous as his little friend.

Rocket pokes somebody near him. "Hey. You gonna eat that?"

"You could say that." Hajime's relationship with cards is a complicated one. And he's got a full suit of hearts from an entirely different deck in his pocket. But he's not going to look away from a game of cards and, if it looks like that's an invitation, he'll slide into a chair at the table. Just don't mind the foot-tall mantis on his shoulder.

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

Priorities.

They lean a little into her hand, but don't move their own yet, looking back down and putting their palms to their eyes. "No lantern. Older. Different paint job." (Said "fuck". You are never gonna let that go, are you? Not for a while, anyway.) Then the worst part, said kind of sadly: "Didn't know me."

Soldat has seen a lot of weird things. Giant bugs sitting on people's shoulders are not among the things they have seen. They don't stare, because that's too much like inviting eye contact, but they do sneak a few glances at Ryo, sidelong. "Answer like that. Either you're only vaguely familiar and humoring me. Or you're going to take all my peanuts and leave me snackless. Yeah?"

Because that's what they've got for betting: a bowl full of peanuts.

"I'm so sorry." There's no increase of pressure, though she does slide a little closer. Proximity, rather than contact. The illusion of a side hug. "That's...I can't imagine. Didn't know you, or didn't know Beacon at all?"

"Hajime knows a lot about cards!" Ryo says cheerfully. He hops off Hajime's shoulder and onto the table. "Can I have a peanut, please?"

Thanks, Ryo. Hajime sighs. "Let's just say my chances for a peanut dinner are good if he doesn't hop back onto my shoulder and narrate my hand for you." He can't just go out and say he's a playing card monster who's fought other playing card monsters, now can he?

The point of no return was crossed the second she laid eyes on a food-tall praying mantis. Zero effort is made to veil what is in turns surprise and delight. Her mouth hangs in an open beam for just one silent second too long before she catches up.

"Good-! Great! The novelty wears off fast, but that's probably the best attitude to take. From anyplace like this, yourself?"

Ignore her if you like, stranger. There's mantis chattin' to be done.

The mantis is all too happy to chat, much to Hajime's eternal chagrin. "I'm from Questing Country! Is magical land of wishes and dreams and adventures!"

Hajime's honestly feeling like he's letting his chatty toddler bother a random stranger, and yet it is too late. There is no stopping this. He's got to engage in the conversation before Ryo somehow drags him into it anyway. "We've been traveling a lot."

I. Arrival

There's no way that whoever is running this game has been running things for this long with Inara in mind, but still a lot of this feels like a practical joke on her specifically. She's still wearing the sundress she'd put on this morning expecting to work at the shop's front counter - though now it's paired with a jacket as a concession to Soldat and a wide-brimmed hat in concession to the desert sun - and sitting awkwardly side-saddle in a saddle that wasn't intended for it. Her elaborately twisted braid has been let down as bait for her horse to keep him from chewing on things (her clothing, Soldat's clothing, other horses, pieces of Daylight) and the end is still damp and mangled.

And here they are, riding into a replica of the sort of town her friends used to do criminal nonsense in while she was doing a real job like a grown up. There are people here who are, in less than twenty four hours, going to be trying to foil a kidnapping attempt orchestrated by herself, the taciturn man who'd freed her from her cell, and a giant robot.

"Is there anything we should... keep in mind? For tonight?" She's still not certain how it all works, whether or not there are rules about how to act around other players.

II. Saloon

Despite the look of the place and its owner (she's not really familiar with Christmas traditions and the 'naughty' tattoo does briefly cause some consternation), Inara does manage to get some food that she can actually eat without too much fuss. Actually navigating a room full of strangers with an unknown social hierarchy after spending most of her life in these sorts of communal situations with small groups of people where she knows everyone, on the other hand, is a bit more intimidating.

After some consideration, she decides to spend the evening there and try to get to know as many people as she can.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

I. Arrival (closed to teammates)

The trip through the desert by itself hadn't been terribly onerous; when the heat had gotten worse, Irene had simply altered her metabolism to compensate. The greatest challenge had been the horse; as a warrior of the Organization, Irene had mostly walked everywhere she needed to go, and with her left arm gone, mounting had been a challenge. Still, they'd managed.

Though she's still not sure what she's going to do with a horse.

She eyes her 'teammates' warily. She still isn't quite sure she believes everything she's been told about this place or their 'missions' here, but even if she did, neither of those two are particularly helping matters. They may very well be the competent fighters they claim to be, but they're also both hotheaded idiots, and whatever tolerance Irene had once had for hotheaded idiots has long left her. Unfortunately for her, their mysterious masters don't particularly care about any of that, so she'll just have to make the best of it.

As they draw near to the town, she turns to whichever one is nearer. "Now what?"

II. Exploration - OTA

It's been a long time since she was last in a human settlement - or any settlement, really. It's certainly a far cry from a tiny shack in the woods, though whatever feelings Irene has about that she is keeping firmly to herself.

She cuts a memorable figure as she makes her way through the streets, a pale, statuesque woman with pointed ears, her long silver hair hanging down her back, flowing around the massive sword also sheathed there. Silver eyes take in the sights with wary curiosity; the heavy belted cloak she wears flares out around her as she walks. Irene won't not talk to people if they approach her, but conversation isn't her primary goal at the moment.

III. Saloon - OTA

She does eventually make her way to the saloon, though she's not particularly interested in the recreational activities. She might try out some of the food, although as her nutritional requirements aren't the same as a human, she doesn't need to eat nearly as much as some. She will avail herself of some of the liquor, but notably, it doesn't seem to be hitting her at all. As for procuring a room for herself... well, she's not really in any hurry to do that, either.

Inara gives the buildings of the approaching frontier town a bit of a dubious look. She doesn't know this place, but she's been to a few places that look like it, and some things might be easier said than done.

"I don't eat meat. I can find my own meal if that's a problem..." She’d made do that time Mal had taken her to a seafood restaurant because he had somehow known her for two years without noticing, and she can make do now if she has to. There is the complication of not really being able to pay for things on her own yet, though.

"Neither. He's a version who never died." Which Soldat is aware of. There's a version of them somewhere out there who never died, that Sam knows. They're okay with that (if kind of jealous). It's harder coming at it from the other direction.

Good thing Sam didn't actually like his version of them, so he's probably okay.

Oh Jesus, the giant bug talks. Okay, now there's a little staring, but eye contact with giant bugs are not quite the same as eye contact with humans. So they'll manage. "Uh. Yes. Yes, you can."

Soldat picks a couple out and offers them to Ryo, not sure yet whether to be charmed or disturbed by giant talking insects.

"I was thinking of naming him Aethon since he wants to eat everything." True to form the horse already has the end of her braid in his mouth again, chewing placidly while Inara tries to work. "He’ll chew your hands too if you don't watch him."

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Page 1 of 22

Big City Living (Midpoint Mingle)

Midpoint Saloon

Booker's General Store

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Bucky Barnes/Soldat | MCU | Veteran player

Misty Day | AHS | 'Veteran' Player

II

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Hajime Aikawa | Kamen Rider Blade | New Player

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Rocket (and Groot) | MCU | Veteran player(s)

III

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Inara Serra | Firefly CRAU | New Player

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I.

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II. Stables