Noir type game

Started by RedEve, December 07, 2014, 09:29:53 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Ontan

#75
Ask and ye shall receive! … Well, eventually.

I’ve started hammering out a draft for Lloyd Carter, the obligatory alcoholic, burned-out police detective. I just need to decide on a photo and make a few finishing touches to the history - expect the CS in the next 24 hours!

GnothiSeauton

Name:  John Martin
Age:  31
Role:  Ex- Army Soldier, Mob Soldier
Background:  For most of my life, I was a good kid.

I didn't get into any trouble growin' up.  My Ma was always there to keep me on the right path if I ever even thought about strayin' from being a good kid.  Pops was never around.  He died when I was just a few years old, fighting the Krauts in the Argonne.  I did alright in school; a lot better than some of the guys I hung around with.  For a while, I even thought of college, of makin' somethin' out of my life, but me and my Ma lost just about everythin in the Crash, and I went to work out in my Uncle's butcher shop.

For a while I was doin' alright, until the Japs paid a visit to Pearl.  I got drafted, and fought and killed for my country.  I was pretty good at it, sad to say.  I was in North Africa when I got wounded.  Lost a leg, and got sent packin' back stateside.  Took me a while to get used to the prosthetic, but finally did.  Now I got a bit of a limp in my walk, but don't think that slows me down none.

I found work working for one of the local Bosses in town, putting my skills to use.  Nowadays, it's not hard at all to spot me hanging around one of the Boss's clubs.

I'm a simple man with simple tastes by most standards.  I enjoy goin to the Pictures once in a while.  I've got a few comics I enjoy readin from time to time.  I've got a nice collection of books goin on I my little apartment downtown. More than once I've been called a romantic kind of guy, whatever that means. Almost always am I strapped and ready for a fight.
If I can't have you, my love...  I'll destroy you
~World Building Workshop ~ Current Ideas and Requests  ~
~ Preferences ~ Status  ~ Nightmares and Inspirations~
~Gnothi's Stories Without Homes~
A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies... The man who never reads lives only one.

Seeking New Stories

Chrystal

"Yeah, I know da guy, officer, walks wid a gimp, says he lost a leg in the war...!"

*giggles

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

RedEve

If your character has been approved already, please move your CS in here:

https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=219675.0

"I don't have a dirty mind, I have a sexy imagination."
My ons and offs- My F-list

Ontan

Character Sheet sent! If all goes well and it gets approved, I'll copy it to the dedicated thread.

RedEve

In terms of the narrative, I would suggest that at the start of the story, some gruesome crime has taken place that most of the characters would be aware of.

That doesn't mean they are somehow involved themselves as a witness or even culprit. Rather, it would be something that most everyone is talking about.

The Black Dahlia murders would be another 6+ months away at the start of our game, but I would suggest a similarly gruesome murder on a working girl.

Perhaps a girl some of the characters (vaguely) know because she attended the same club a few times, or she had a few brushes with the law, ...

"I don't have a dirty mind, I have a sexy imagination."
My ons and offs- My F-list

Beguile's Mistress

#81
I'm working on an opening post from my character's perspective.  Charlie is a hands on owner and circulates among the patrons of the club on a regular basis and in that position knows the faces and possibly the names of many of the people who frequent the place.

I'll keep the details of the mob people involved in the gambling end vague until someone steps in to take that role.

Anyone can use the club as a setting or base of operations but other than a casual greeting and welcome she'll not interact unless the writer wishes it.

I'm also thinking that Charlie could be walking a fine line between a more intimate relationship with the mob boss and the illegal nature of the gambling activities.  The boss is pushing her to give in to him and she's strongly resisting.  It's sort of a game they are playing, a dance if you will, because he is sure he'll wear her down eventually and she is positive he won't.  That is all open for discussion, though.

I'm really looking forward to this.  Some of the movies from this era are among my favorites.

Chrystal

In terms of opening posts, if anyone wants to randomly wander into the Sunset Diner between midnight and 8 am (Liza's shift ends at 9, but it gives time for some interaction if you get there a bit earlier...

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

RedEve

Quote from: Chrystal on December 17, 2014, 01:26:24 PM
In terms of opening posts, if anyone wants to randomly wander into the Sunset Diner between midnight and 8 am (Liza's shift ends at 9, but it gives time for some interaction if you get there a bit earlier...

I might have Tina drop by for a cup of coffee and a friendly chat. :)
"I don't have a dirty mind, I have a sexy imagination."
My ons and offs- My F-list

Beguile's Mistress

Since Charlie would be busy at the club I could have her get into something that would have her wanting some space for a bit.  A drive to cool her down and stop for pie and coffee would be just the thing. :-)

Chrystal

Quote from: Beguile's Mistress on December 17, 2014, 02:47:49 PM
Since Charlie would be busy at the club I could have her get into something that would have her wanting some space for a bit.  A drive to cool her down and stop for pie and coffee would be just the thing. :-)

Would the club be open all night though? Seriously it would have to close some time, probably in the small hours of the morning, say 3:00am. So Charlie would finish her work, close up and head on over to the diner for breakfast before going home to sleep until noon!

At least, that seems reasonable to me!

This is one reason why I put Liza on the night shift, so she would be at work when most people aren't! It also means she's there when bad things happen in the middle of the night!

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

Beguile's Mistress

*nods*  After closing would be a great time to take that cool down ride.  The roads would be deserted and some speed on the winding curves would always send the adrenaline soaring. ;D

It's also a great chance for someone to follow her and maybe try to run Charlie off the road to get revenge or stop her asking questions.

Ascia

#87
Right now my plan is to start Theo in a small party at the club, then have her wander alone later into the diner.

And if someone wants a more specific, or intended, run in with Theo or her people, just let me know. I can change a few things around, no problem.

Beguile's Mistress

There is a maitre d' who will greet your party, a hostess who will seat you and attractive waiters dressed in black slacks and white tuxedo shirts with black ties.

Here is a general idea of what the place might look like.



Think shades of medium and dark blue, white and silvery gray colors for the decor and a bar along one wall.




Chrystal

Okay, so this is the sort of place I have in mind.





I'm sure everyone has seen places like that, at the very least on TV, if not in real life (You folks on the left hand side of the pond). They always look to me like a cross between an attempt to make it look like a "futuristic" space ship (something out of the original "Buck Rogers" cartoon strips) and a grounded railway carriage!

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

Beguile's Mistress

The first of that type actually were converted railway cars and the decor followed the railway styling and/or art deco.  It was durable, timeless and easy to keep clean.  Small town burger joints followed the same kind of style for their brick and mortar shops.

Chrystal



This one is in my town.

And the inside looks pretty much like every TGI Friiday's the world over. Bar in the centre with stools, tables and chairs in most of it but there are the booths too!

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

Ontan

It's already posted in the dedicated character thread, but just for completion's sake:



Lloyd Carter, Detective

Name: Lloyd Carter
Age: 29
Role: Burned-out detective

Background: See that soak sitting in the corner by himself? That’s the guy I was telling you about. That’s Lloyd Carter. He used to be the chief of police’s number one attack dog. If the law wanted someone brought down, they’d just set him on the scent and turn a blind eye to whatever happened next. Hard to believe, right?  But that’s him. Or rather, it was. At one point, Carter had it all: a dozen high-profile arrests to his name, near immunity from the chief of police, and a dame that could make every jaw drop when she entered the room. If you ask me, that’s why he fell so hard when he lost the lot. Let me tell you about it.

Following a shaky start in Scotland Yard, Carter decided to try his luck across the Atlantic, thinking that folk over here would be a little more accepting of his… assertive… detecting style. I can’t speak for everyone, but it sure as hell charmed one person: Sarah Holston. In case the name doesn’t ring any bells, Sarah was a promising actress who – get this – also happened to be the daughter of the chief of police. I know, right? When we heard that Carter of all people had shacked up with her, we all thought the limey bastard was the luckiest man alive.

The thing about luck, though, is you only ever get in on loan. Sooner or later, the devil takes it all back again.

For six long years Carter and his lady love prospered. Now granted, a lot of that success came from the chief of police giving his new son-in-law a lot of favourable treatment, but surprisingly Carter ended up earning it in his own right. He had a knack for detective work and a good nose for sniffing out weakness. The latter was his real gift, the thing that got us jumping at shadows: after all, it only takes one rat to sell out an entire gang, and when it came to breaking weak links, Carter always knew just where to apply pressure. Six god-damn years he went on the warpath, rattling cages and collecting scalps, and nobody could touch him because of his connection to the chief. But Carter had a weak link of his own: Sarah. When she died, his life tumbled down like a house of cards.

Assassinated? What, are you kidding? Nah, it was nothing like that. Hell, the whole thing was pretty stupid, actually. One evening, Mr and Mrs Carter (as she eventually became) went to the grand opening of a new social club, along with a hundred other people… which was a problem, because the owner cut corners and the structure could only support half that number. The building collapsed. Plenty died. Sarah was one of them. And Lloyd Carter? Well, he might as well have died, because what they dug out of the rubble wasn’t the same fiend that went in.

His injuries weren’t so bad, but something broke inside Carter after that. You know how some guys survived the war, but never really come back the same? Similar deal with Carter and the building collapse. He became reclusive, antisocial, apathetic. He became a burned-out booze hound, and these days he’s just going through the motions rather than actually doing his job. What’s more, he’s now a pariah to his own kind. The chief of police blames Carter for what happened to Sarah, and has been dropping the hammer on him ever since. Not sure why… maybe the chief just needed someone to blame. Either way, a lot of people breathed a little easier when they realised the old Carter was gone.

Long story short, Lloyd Carter is harmless. These days, the police only send him out to ‘investigate’ dead ends and hopeless cases they know will never get solved. Any why not? If they send Carter, it frees up a proper detective to do something more productive.

That, my friend, is why I’m telling you to let Carter drink in peace. He won’t look up as long as there’s a glass in front of him, and that's the way I like it.

EnglishMaster

Quote from: Beguile's Mistress on December 17, 2014, 02:47:49 PM
Since Charlie would be busy at the club I could have her get into something that would have her wanting some space for a bit.  A drive to cool her down and stop for pie and coffee would be just the thing. :-)
Here's a small idea for early posts to fit with this.  George has turned in for work tonight with a limp and a black eye.  He's not himself.  When Charlie talks to him, he tells her he's been warned off taking the little bets he used to run for Silvio, because a new illegal gambling franchise is taking over.  (He could have been told 'Theo' or not, as you want).  How would that be? 

GnothiSeauton

If anyone wants to work on a backstory or connection, feel free to PM me.
If I can't have you, my love...  I'll destroy you
~World Building Workshop ~ Current Ideas and Requests  ~
~ Preferences ~ Status  ~ Nightmares and Inspirations~
~Gnothi's Stories Without Homes~
A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies... The man who never reads lives only one.

Seeking New Stories

Chrystal

Okay, I has a question, which is in my head after reading Otan's character sheet aloud in my best imitation of a Bronx accent...

Noir films are invariably narrated in the first person.

"I was sittin' in the bar mindin' my own business when up walks dis dame, see?" In the style of the pulp detective novels of the time.

What are people's thoughts on this? I know a lot of people find writing in First person to be uncomfortable, so I'm really just asking if people think it would add a nice feel to the game, and if people would like to give it a go?

Feel free to tell me not to be so silly...!

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

RedEve

I'm sort of on the fence about that one. My favorite noirs don't tend to have that 1st person narration. However, I'm not opposed to other players using it if they so choose.
Unless 1st person perspective is a dealbreaker for some of our players?
"I don't have a dirty mind, I have a sexy imagination."
My ons and offs- My F-list

Chrystal

*shrug*

I'm not going to make an issue of it...


By the way, would you class "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" as a Noir Spoof? It's set in the same era and has the same set of characters... Just that half of them are Toons!

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

RedEve

It was certainly influenced by noir.

Movies I would consider good examples of the genre (beyond the oft listed Maltese Falcon) are Double Indemnity, The Big Sleep, Laura, Scarlet Street, Kiss Me Deadly, The Petrified Forest, Crossfire, ...
"I don't have a dirty mind, I have a sexy imagination."
My ons and offs- My F-list

Chrystal


Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!