Because you’re either curious or didn’t believe I keep AI from writing my stuff for me this is the actual transcript (unedited, typed on a phone in a bar, sorry about the typos) behind this blog post …
Miles Said:
Worldbuilding Minigame
- We pick a tiny corner of one of your universes (a bar, a church, a cheap motel, a space station noodle stand) and:
- Define its rules, regulars, rumors, and one secret.
- End result: a reusable setting you can drop into multiple stories.
Darrin said:
We’ll make the place Russo’s Bar on Midway Station. Give me a series of questions, one at a time, to help me flesh it out.
Miles said:
Oh, Russo’s Bar on Midway Station is absolutely trouble in a glass. I love it already.
Alright, one question at a time. First one’s big-picture:
Q1. What is Russo’s Bar for in the ecosystem of Midway Station?
Pick one (or mix a couple), and feel free to elaborate:
- A. Dockworker dive – cheap, noisy, smells like hot metal and bad whiskey.
- B. Smuggler / fixer hub – where you go if you “need something that fell off a ship.”
- C. Officer’s guilty pleasure – technically disreputable, secretly beloved by station brass.
- D. Tourist trap with a dangerous undercurrent – neon, live music, and the occasional knife fight.
- E. Refuge / neutral ground – a place where deals can be made and wars paused.
What’s Russo’s primary role?
Darrin said:
It is one of many bars on the outer wheel/concourse. Conveniently closest to the Aurian Embassy (now the home of the resistance movement in exile). It is basically a generic airport bar/restaurant that openly caters to any passing traveller, though it is also the after-hours hangout for the residents of the embassy to conduct unofficial business outside of embassy FOI surveilance.
Miles said:
Nice, I love “generic airport bar that is accidentally politically radioactive.”
Let’s drill down.
Q2. Who is Russo, and who thinks they own Russo’s Bar?
You can answer any/all of these, short or long:
- Is Russo a person, a family name, or just branding?
- Is Russo:
- A retired spacer who bought the place with hush money?
- A dead person whose name stayed on the sign while someone else runs it?
- A corporate “concept” with no real Russo, just a logo and a franchise bible?
- Is Russo:
- Who actually runs the floor day-to-day?
- One no-nonsense manager?
- A rotating crew of lifers (bartenders/waitstaff) who’ve “always been there”?
- Some poor franchise-appointed middle manager who has no idea how much quiet espionage happens there?
- Who thinks they own Russo’s, besides the legal owner?
- The Aurian embassy staff, who treat it like their unofficial back room?
- A local Midway security chief who thinks they “allow” it to exist?
- A crime syndicate or smuggler ring that uses Russo’s as a neutral drop point and assumes their protection money = ownership?
Answer however you like—give me a snapshot of Russo (or “Russo”) and who’s really in charge, on paper and in practice.
Darrin said:
Russo is a mysterious late-middle age man, dubiosly connected bht evasive about how he made the connections. He runs a respectable business by all accounts, so he is in the good graces of station authority and trusted, within reason, by the Aurian freedom fighters. Most conversations/requests still start with the phrase, “Hypothetically, if I needed…” He has some long term staff, and a few rotating positions he sometimes fills with the first capable person he can find. He speaks in subtle code to alert Aurians about who can be trusted and how far.
Miles said:
Oh, I love that “Hypothetically, if I needed…” is basically the house password. Perfect.
Alright, next step:
Q3. What does Russo’s feel like the moment someone walks in?
Let’s nail the layout and sensory hit. You can mix and match:
- Sight / Layout
- Is it narrow and deep (long bar, booths along one wall, kitchen in the back)?
- Or open and wide, with a central bar island and tables around it?
- Are there viewports looking out over:
- The planet below?
- The docking bays and traffic lanes?
- Just a fake holoscreen “view” looping a sunset over some generic beach?
- Lighting & Atmosphere
- Bright enough to read a datapad menu, or dim “confessional booth” lighting?
- Harsh white station LEDs, or warm amber, or seedy neon underglow?
- Is there a constant background:
- Sports/holo-races on screens?
- News feeds (carefully curated)?
- Quiet music, or is it more lively—house band, jukebox, playlists?
- Signature Detail
What’s one detail only Russo’s has that other bars on the concourse don’t?- A wall of flags/patches from defunct ships and units?
- A “Leave a Story, Take a Story” data terminal in the corner?
- A row of bottles that aren’t for sale, each tied to a particular treaty, truce, or betrayal?
- A section of the ceiling where the gravity is slightly off, and everyone pretends it’s intentional?
Give me a quick sketch: layout, lighting/vibe, and one unique “you’d know you’re in Russo’s” feature.
Darrin said:
It is open and wide for the most part. The front opens out to the main concourse where the well-lit circular bar sits. The middle section is spacious with many tables for diners. The perimeter has many recessed nooks and crannies, not as well lit, where “business” often takes place. There are no windows or external views, but the nooks have programmable walls to simulate various environments, but the regulars rarely use them. It’s distinguishing features are… One chair at the bar no one is allowed to sit at because it is Mina’s chair. Nobody knows who Mina is, and Russo is evasive when asked to explain. Russo controls the music. Nobody knows if the weird, inconsistent genres played are reflections of his mood, a secret code for someone in the bar, or his way of subliminally controlling thr mood. No one is ever really offended by his choices regardless. Video monitors, only visible to people seated at the bar, contain newsfeeds, sporting events, station announcements, and light entertainment. If you sut at the side with your back to the concourse, your seat has controls to switch. If you sit inside the bar facing the concourse, the monitors are fixed and controlled by the bartender.
Miles said:
This is gorgeous. Airport bar energy with secret side quests.
Let’s keep going.
Q4. Who drinks here, and what don’t they do?
Let’s pin down Russo’s clientele and the unwritten rules.
- Regular Types
Which of these are definitely regulars? Pick as many as you like and add your own:- Aurian embassy staff / freedom fighters
- Station maintenance / dockworkers
- Midway bureaucrats and paper-pushers
- Off-duty station security
- Smugglers and “independent logistics contractors”
- Pilots and couriers on layover
- Corporate commuters from some nearby admin block
- Clergy / chaplains / counselors who “just come for the tea”
- Big Unwritten Rule
What’s the one thing you don’t do at Russo’s?- No weapons drawn, ever—if steel clears leather, you’re banned for life.
- No politics at the bar rail; politics only in the back nooks.
- No deals written down—if it leaves your mouth, it leaves in memory only.
- No uniforms past a certain line (e.g., officers can drink, but not in full dress).
- Something else?
- One Notable Regular
Give me one memorable recurring patron:- Their name or callsign
- Their “cover story” versus who they actually are (if known)
- Where they usually sit (bar, middle tables, or the shadowy nooks)
Answer those, and Russo’s will start feeling like an actual social node on Midway, not just a backdrop.
Darrin said:
Because Russos is only one of several dizen similar establishments on the station, Aurian Embassy staff and the station personnel who support and ally with them are the main regulars. Smugglers and traders who deal covertly with the exiled government are a less-frequent group. The rest are itenerant travelers passing through who picked the closest, most convenient bar to their arrival or departure point. There are other recurring patrons who seem to be there because of a personal tie to Russo, but he is vague about them. The unwritten rule is that in any dispute, the Aurian is always in the right. He respects his regulars, even if they’re dead wrong. At one point in The Prevo Contingency, Serah accidentally kills a man who assaults her and Russo quickly defends it as justifiable self-defence, even though it may njt have been. The notable regular is Captain Christov, who always sits at the bar and is only ever served by Russo. Christov is affable, though mysterious, and always seems to have recent first-hand knowledge of whatever place in the galaxy a character needs to know about and usually volunteers it before being asked about it … as if he knew it might be important to them
Miles said:
Thought for 8s
God, I already want to sit at this bar and eavesdrop on Captain Christov.
Let’s keep building.
Q5. What do people actually consume at Russo’s—and what’s special about it?
Let’s pin down the menu, because food/drink is how readers feel a place.
Hit any/all of these:
- House Drink for Normies
What’s the default “I just got off a shuttle and I’m tired” drink?- Cheap station lager?
- Synth-whiskey with a pretentious name?
- Some neon cocktail Russo pretends is a franchise special but tweaks for each person?
- Aurian-Specific Thing
What’s the unofficial Aurian drink or dish—something tied to their homeworld / culture / exile?- A traditional Aurian spirit that’s technically restricted but somehow always available here?
- A simple comfort thing: stew, bread, dumplings, street food recreated from memory?
- Is it on the menu under a fake name, or is it one of those “you only know to order it if you’re one of us” deals?
- One Memorable Menu Item
Give me one distinctive item that outsiders remember and mention later:- “Those dangerously good fried… whatever.”
- A dessert Russo only serves to people he likes.
- A hangover cure breakfast that station personnel swear by.
Once we know what people are eating and drinking, we’ll move on to secrets and security.
Darrin said:
1. The Aurians drink a cheap station lager Russo fabricates himself based on an old Aurian recipe. Occasionally he may come into possession of something authentic. He also does a fair approximation of a popular fish stew from Auria. Neither are on the menu, but he will suggest them if he recognizes the proper accent. Otherwise the charm of the bar is its generic non-specivity that never callsmattention to itself. However it is said that hus coffee is the strongest on the station because he has hacked his food dispenser.
Miles said:
Thought for 4 seconds
Perfect—“generic, non-specific, and absolutely not important at all, officer” is exactly the kind of place where everything important happens.
Alright, next:
Q6. How “off the grid” is Russo’s, really?
We know the Aurian embassy uses it to dodge embassy surveillance and FOI. Let’s define how that works.
Answer any of these that speak to you:
- Station Surveillance Reality Check
On Midway, are bars like this:- Officially monitored (cams, mics, pattern analysis), but with known blind spots everyone pretends not to notice?
- Lightly monitored—mostly just door cams and payment logs?
- Heavily monitored, but Russo has… done something about that?
- Russo’s Tricks
What does Russo actually do to make Aurians feel safer here?- Has he physically disabled some cameras and bribed the right inspector?
- Uses loud, dense audio (music + background noise generators) to scramble conversation capture?
- Has the programmable wall nooks set to emit low-level interference or fake audio?
- Runs two systems: the “official” network front, and a hidden layer of analog/air-gapped stuff for his own purposes?
- Does Russo Record Anything Himself?
This is big for story tension:- Is he almost religious about never recording anything (“If it isn’t written down, it can’t be subpoenaed”)?
- Or does he keep his own private archive “for everyone’s safety,” which makes him quietly terrifying if anyone finds out?
Give me a sense of how secure it really is versus how secure people think it is. That’ll give us good hooks later when someone assumes they’re safe there… and maybe isn’t.
Darrin said:
Officially all businesses on the station are monitored, however Colonel Nichols has flagged all logs to go through him for viewing before being entered into the official archives. He is aware the embassy is a front for the Aurian resistance which his government does not recognize. Officially, he continually loses or questions the orders to shudder it, and officially his government is slow about correcting him, but this relationship depends on the Aurians at Russo’s maintaining a level of subtlety about their actions, which he dutily monitors through those surveilance logs. Russo’s tricks: If he offers you a specific table, it means you are being placed where someone you need to meet will find you, or something you need to hear will be said. Otherwise, there is a code for the nooks. Some are “we need to talk privately,” some are “we need to talk and be overheard,” some are, “we need to talk to you and/or ask a favor.” Russo is trusted, but still an outsider to the Aurians. He has never betrayed them, though that may just be because it would be bad for business. It is assumed, through indirect conversation and empirical ecidence, that certain tables are recorded and others, while possibly recorded, seem to escape his attention.
Miles said:
This is chef’s kiss espionage cozy.
Let’s add some ghosts and gossip.
Q7. What are the stories people tell about Russo’s?
Not the truth (necessarily)—the myths. Pick any that spark something:
- The Incident Everyone References
What’s one past event at Russo’s that everyone on Midway has heard about in three different, badly-retold versions?- A raid that mysteriously fizzled out.
- A duel or shootout that ended in a weird, almost ritual way.
- A high-profile defection or defusing of a near-war over drinks.
- A time Russo kicked someone out that nobody thought he could kick out.
- Mina’s Chair Lore
Right now, Mina is a ghost in the room. What’s the bar-story about her?- Is she rumored to be dead? In prison? Back on Auria?
- Was she:
- An Aurian hero?
- Russo’s lost lover?
- A former spy or assassin who “retired” the hard way?
(Doesn’t have to be true—just what the regulars whisper.)
- Worst-Case Scenario Fear
When Aurians at Russo’s get drunk and honest, what do they quietly fear will eventually happen here?- That Nichols will stop “losing” the shutdown orders.
- That Russo will finally decide business > loyalty and give someone up.
- That a rookie freedom fighter will be sloppy and bring the hammer down on all of them.
- That a friendly like Christov is not as friendly as he seems.
Give me one solid “legendary incident,” a bit of Mina-myth, and the main thing everyone secretly dreads. Then Russo’s will feel like a place with history and a ticking clock.
Darrin said:
Nobody knows where Russo is from, though it is said, despite serving evil corporate raiders, warlords, and pirates, the only customer he has ever refused service to was one specific chancellor of a prestigious university on Thurin. Mina remains a mystery. Some say she’s a lost love “Rick’s version of Ilsa in Casablanca.” Some say she is his estranged Mother. Some say she is a woman he has never met but will know her when he sees her. A few think it’s an acronym and not a woman at all. The only real fear the Aurians have is that Russo is merely collecting intel for an eventual betrayal. Tiron even questions Rik’s blind trust in him at one point, but Rik is reminded of their mutual friend, Vyn, who ran a similar establishment on Auria that they both trust without question. Possibly sentimantal foolhardiness, but Rik has “an instinct.”
Miles said:
Yeah, this is gorgeous. Russo is walking that perfect line between “uncle you trust” and “man who’s probably already sold your future three times over.”
Let’s keep going.
Q8. What story function does Russo’s play the first time we see it on the page?
Like, forget the lore for a second—think scene. When a POV character first walks into Russo’s in an actual book:
- Why are they there today?
- To meet a contact who’s late (or doesn’t show).
- To lie low and “just grab a drink” after something went sideways.
- To get information that only Russo/Christov might have.
- To tail someone from the embassy.
- To have a quiet breakdown where nobody knows them.
- What goes wrong?
- The wrong person recognizes them.
- Russo seats them at a “special” table that changes the course of their night.
- Colonel Nichols walks in.
- An Aurian overreacts and invokes the unwritten rule (“the Aurian is always right”), putting Russo on the spot.
- Mina’s chair becomes relevant—someone tries to sit in it.
- Whose POV is that first Russo’s scene from?
- Rik? Serah? Tiron? Someone else entirely?
Pick those, and I’ll know how Russo’s debuts: as a safe haven that betrays them, a trap that turns into refuge, or something deliciously in-between.
Darrin said:
Take what we have so far and make a Wiki style entry out of it. Then we can go into story-lore.
