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Disorient Express Test Drive Meme

Episode 1: The Disorient Express

Test Drive Meme

Welcome to Grief Street! Won't you come and see what awaits you in our game? We've provided a few prompts below so you can brainstorm AU ideas and voice test your character in the setting. Don't feel beholden to anything--this is the space to experiment and see what works and what doesn't, so be bold! If you have any questions, ask below!

i. meet & greet

So, you've ended up on the Disorient Express. Maybe you've got a few connections that snagged you a first-class ticket, maybe this was merely a business expense and you're traveling second class, or maybe you even smuggled on board the train and are hiding out in the luggage car. Do you happen to know why you're traveling, madame or monsieur?

Whatever the case may be, you're now stuck on this train with the other passengers for the next four days. It would be good to meet with the other passengers on board, since you'll be seeing each other so often. Are they strangers? Old friends? Enemies? Whatever their relationship to you, perhaps you'll learn a few new interesting tidbits about their lives.

If you want a place to chat, why not enjoy a conversation in the dining car, where you can feast upon all manner of delicacies? Looks like the menu today--and every day--is oysters, soup with Italian pasta, turbot with green sauce, chicken 'à la chasseur', fillet of beef with 'château' potatoes, 'chaud-froid' of game animals, lettuce, chocolate pudding, and a buffet of desserts. Or, if you're not that hungry, you can make your way to the lounge/bar car to enjoy an alcoholic beverage or two. Those more interested in simply brooding or hanging around can walk to the caboose, where you can look out upon the train tracks and think about the journey ahead....

ii. another day of luxury

The train's staff provides all manner of luxury to its guests. Those in first class cabins receive complimentary champagne when you first step on board, and the next morning, both first and second class passengers wake to a concierge knocking at their door with a basket of decadent Parisian pastries and a pot of freshly brewed tea. Your every need is tended to, and the staff are more than willing to accommodate you. Maybe being stuck on this train for four days isn't so bad, after all.

It seems like someone had the bright idea of setting up a few games in the lounge. Looks like a gaggle of people have set up a makeshift poker table, gossiping among each other about what they've learned about the other passengers aboard the train. A few others are enjoying a round of drinks and something called "truth or drink"--a twist on the classic "truth or dare". A third table is playing two truths and a lie. Boisterous laughter and shouting fills the car. The bartender smiles towards you, wiping down the table and tending to the passengers. What'll you be having, then?

iii. murder in the night

First, the train gets stuck in a snowdrift, delaying your trip. Next, the conductor tells you that one of your fellow guests was murdered! Worse still, he believes that someone on board this train was responsible for the man's death. If they don't find out who did it, well...they'll need to bring everyone in for questioning at the next station.

Do you know who to trust? Perhaps you ought to do a little bit of investigation, yourself, lest you be suspected as the culprit. It wouldn't hurt to try and question people on what sort of secrets they're hiding, either...after all, who knows? Maybe they have a bigger stake in this murder than you think.

iv. optional info blurb

We've provided an optional blurb you can add to your toplevels with information about your character in the AU. Delete/add fields as you see fit, use it however you want!

NAVIGATION

Main Community:

griefstreet
OOC Community:

dressingrooms
Mod Account:

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Character Name: Nick Verghese
Occupation: (Former) private investigator
About: A surly, disgraced private eye from America. Several years ago, he was involved in a high-profile case that resulted in the wrongful arrest of an innocent man. Once the police seemingly arrested the 'right' culprit, Nick was mocked and shamed by the media. This caused him to quit his job and leave for Europe. He's been trying to find a job ever since. He's still reeling from a recent job rejection.
Looking For: Rivals, enemies, or friends. Most people would also probably recognize his name from the newspapers.

i. train time
[Nick had only been able to get onto this train by a friend-of-a-friend connection. He sure as hell didn't have the money to afford this kind of transportation--but he had to admit that it wasn't half bad. He'd arrived in his second-class cabin, put away his meager luggage, then straightened out his shabby trench coat and walked towards the bar.

His shabby dress certainly makes him look a little bit out of place among the other, more refined passengers. The haphazard tie and dress shirt are passable enough to be formal wear, at least. He scratches at the stubble on his chin, frowning lightly at the neat, calligraphy menu, then slides on up to a bar stool. He leans against the counter, his elbow propped up against the surface and rests his chin on his hand.]

Just a gin and tonic, please.

[The bartender nods, turning towards the shelves and fetching the appropriate bottles. Nick rubs his face, then turns idly towards the person next to him.]

So, where are you going after we get to Paris?

ii. truth or drink (cw: alcohol)
[Looks like someone's getting way into truth or drink, because accusations are flying back and forth about the veracity of some people's stories.]

I'm sorry, run that story by me again one more time? [He shoves his arm forward in an accusatory manner, some of his drink spilling onto the carpet.] There's no goddamn way that's the truth!

iii. murder most foul
[Dead. Dead. As if this trip couldn't get any worse. He runs his hands through his hair, pacing back and forth in front of the scene of the crime--a cabin, just a few short steps away from his.]

Shit.

[He mutters under his breath, smoothing out his coat and fidgeting with his hands. His breath is quick and shallow as he tries to calm himself.]

No. No. I am not fucking qualified to deal with this bullshit, Jesus Christ. I'm leaving that shit behind, you hear me?

[He doesn't seem to notice anyone in front of him, and might...just...inadvertently bump into you.]

iv. wildcard
[Got another idea? Plot with me @

wolfnoir!]

How good is the coffee served aboard the train?

Character Name: Dale Cooper
Occupation: FBI... but wait, it's a little different from canon
About: Agent Cooper is assigned to the division of the FBI which handles illegal gambling... after switching divisions when a case he was working in Violent Crimes went horribly, terribly wrong and his partner turned out to be the culprit all along. He survived a nearly fatal injury, and took some time to recuperate, during which he became very enamored with Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and decided to change career tracks ever so slightly. Currently he's traveling undercover on the Disorient Express to a destination where he's hoping he can track down an infamous bookmaker who has run rings in several casinos in his jurisdiction and was trying to flee to a country that would give him asylum. Anyone who asks will be told that he won tickets for the vacation from a morning radio show and is looking forward to bird-watching at their destination.
Looking For: Friends, enemies/targets, rivals, people to flirt with, I'll take anything! If you'd like to be the Former Murderous Partner, we can roll with that, too!

1. Train Time
Dale has made himself comfortable at one of the larger booths in the dining car, though he's alone: hoping that other folks will be just as adventurous and want to sit down with a stranger - or perhaps a friend, if they're both so lucky. There's a large birding guide on the table beside him, full of bookmarks and little slips of paper sticking out from the edges, but at the moment his attention is on the menu.

When someone draws near, he looks up at them with a sunny smile that's so genuine that it almost loops right back around into false. "Won't you join me? I was just trying to figure out what a 'turbot' is, while I wait for a fresh pot of coffee."

2. Luxury
Dressed in a suit that's a few steps below the first-class room he's been bunked in, Dale helps himself to a seat at the poker table and puts down a miniscule bid.

"Deal me in, please," he says to the dealer, all smiles and eager naivete. Glancing to the people on either side of him, he nods happily in greeting. "That is, if you don't mind, of course. I haven't played since college, but ... I'll try to keep up."

Is it possible this fresh-faced yokel is hustling you all? Absolutely.

3. The Reason We're All Here
Murder is decidedly not his jurisdiction ... not anymore. Just the same, Dale finds himself drawn to the scene like the tide to the moon, back again, his hands in his pockets as he scrutinizes the scene. It's like riding a bicycle, he thinks, as he realizes he's already looking for signs of where the killer could have come in and left the scene from. Small details jump out at him - anything that might be out of place, even the nap of the carpet if it's been scuffed. Is the body where it was at time of death, or was it moved? How are the other passengers standing as they come to rubberneck? He reads their faces, their body language, the tone of their whispers.

Someone inevitably remarks that it's a terrible shame. Dale shakes his head.

"Not to one of us, it isn't." That affected, easy tone he's had for most of the trip is sliding into something a little more serious, thoughtful, as he steps a little closer to the body. "No ... for someone on board this train, this was exactly what they needed. Did any of you know this person?"

Edited (formatting, why am I so picky about you) 2022-10-14 04:15 (UTC)

[Coop has yet to lose a round, and is still stone sober. he takes a hankie from his pocket and kneels to mop up the drink that Nick has spilled, still smiling. it might be just a little infuriating, it might be endearing. people's mileage seems to vary.]

Of course. Would you like me to start from the beginning, or should I just go from the part where I got picked up by the van full of hippies?

Pretty damn good! It's a luxury train!

[Good lord, this guy is ridiculous. Nick presses his free hand to his face, twisting his mouth to the side.]

Man, come on, you can't get me to sincerely believe that they just happened to be there. And, on top of that, that they'd pick you up. I mean, no offense, but you look like you've never smoked weed in your life.

[No offense!]

[ Gaius, as a prominent member of a prestigious family from another country, has expected some bumps in even what appeared to be at first a scenic and relatively comfortable train ride. To say that 'murder most foul' happens to be one of those bumps is ... well, not exactly something he has ruled out to end up coming face to face with, but hey. He doesn't even know that he is to encounter that just yet. ]

And what, exactly, are you leaving behind?

[ The former private investigator may have perhaps bumped into a sturdy, tall, and dark-haired man whose appearance seems to scream important authority. Not without reason, given the fact he mostly spends his time in first-class, and his normal attire is indicative of such a thing. ]

[He stumbles back, trying to straighten out his coat and shirt. Ah, shit. It's this guy. Nick is inherently a little wary of anyone coming from the first class coaches--mostly on account of the people he's encountered thus far looking down upon him.]

Sorry, shit--I mean, uh, this.

[He says with a slightly indignant tone, gesturing to the cabin behind him. As if it explains the situation any more.]

I'm retired, you know. I'm not going to go off solving any murder mystery just cus a dead body shows up at my feet.

[ It is hard not to notice that he seems to have startled the other man—what with him stumbling back as he does—but it is what it is, as far as he's concerned. Gaius has a tendency to do that with the kind of presence he has, for better or worse. ]

So, you are stating that you found a dead body and ... what was your next plan of action regarding that, if you had no intention of solving it? Bringing it to the attention of those in charge of the train?

[ Gaius presses, though he does not step forward into the cabin himself. It would not do to contaminate the crime scene. Ideally, if any reporting is going to occur, someone should stick with the body...assuming the man in front of him is not complicit in such a thing. Time is of the essence, regardless, and his eyes flicker across the general area; there are usually attendants around at this time of day. If one is nearby, they can also simply flag one down... ]

Character Name: Tisias Arpázei Keravnós
Occupation: Defense Attorney
About: A young defense attorney with Sezyat and Company Law Office, Tisias's impeccable record is only matched by her growing notoriety. Depending on who you ask and how much you believe big newspapers, she's either a scoundrel who'll lie and cheat her to acquittal on behalf of anyone who can pay and even forged her law degree, or a hero of the people who protected innocents from insidious framejobs that prevailed against the sexist institutions of Columbia University.
Description: Tisias is not a grey-skinned alien, but instead a tan Greek woman with a prominent nose, curly black hair, and a disheveled fashion sense. Her most striking feature is a pair of teal eyes that almost glow, especially in contrast to her dark skin. For her clothes, imagine this but with a few buttons on the vest undone, a teal theme, no cap or cane, and a stainless steel flash instead of a pipe.
Looking For: Former clients, detectives she might've crossed paths with, reporters interested in the cloud of scandal that follows her around, or even a rival prosecutor!

i. meet and greet.
[Tisias stares down the trove of culinary delights on her menu as if it was a firing squad. She shifts uncomfortably in her booth seat, adjusting her glasses as she scans her options for the umpteenth time in the past four minutes while the waiter stands as stiff as a statue, customer service smile growing more plaster by the moment.

Finally, Tisias settles on her appetizer. She straightens, the waiter breathes a quiet sigh of relief, and-

Leaning over the waitstaff's shoulder—damn, she's tall—Tisias says,] Oi, are you gonna eat the rest of that?

[Shrugging, she continues,] Might as well go with the exact dish someone else is enjoying rather than risk my precious fuckin' tastebuds on the bougie moneyburner roulette.

[Behind Tisias, the waiter looks like he's about half a straw away from collapsing.]

ii. another day of luxury
Yanno, if you're gonna stack the deck, you should at least have the good fucking graces to do it well enough so I can admire the craft rather than get annoyed.

[The dealer at the impromptu poker game sputters as he realizes that Tisias is once again putting that prodigious lank to work by looming over him. (The particularly attentive will note that Tisias's accusation is, in fact, entirely correct.)]

Pay up, bub. At least one of the schmucks you swindled tonight is probably inclined to to bust your nose, if we take the law of large numbers into account.

[As the rest of the table turns toward the dealer, he freezes entirely... before burst into violent motion and punching Tisias square in the jaw, yelling about how he has no reason to take the word of a disingenuous harlot with a disgraceful reputation. Tisias reels for a moment before going down like a sack of bricks.]

Fuck.

Character Name: Ruby
Occupation: Current fugitive, former truck driver and criminal, amateur radio operator.
About: On paper, Ruby is a truck driver for an unremarkable Chicago-based logistics company. In reality, Ruby used to manage supply, distribution, and other logistics for a notorious organized crime syndicate, La Puta Madre, based in New York City. After double-crossing La Puta Madre, Ruby fled to Chicago, where she did similar work for the Hardie Boys, a smaller group with connections to the Steelworkers' Union. That, too, went south once Ruby got mixed up with a girl, a murder, and a couple of unconventional cops. She's now fled the country, using the remainder of her money from La Puta Madre to buy a second-class ticket aboard the Disorient Express, where she's going by the alias "Amber" and spending a bit too much time playing poker and brooding.
Looking For: People who knew of Ruby from NYC or Chicago, law enforcement officials or private investigators investigating her disappearance in connection with a Chicago murder and subsequent violent labor protests, fellow runaways or people down on their luck, hot women Ruby can have unwise crushes on.

another day of luxury.

[ For the first couple of days of the journey, no one sees "Amber Smith," save a roommate who knows to keep her mouth shut.

She doesn't emerge to accept tea from the concierge. Once a night, she quietly makes her way to the bar car, head down, for some crackers and a shot of their cheapest whiskey. It's still loads nicer than what she's used to. She's certainly out of place here, dressed more like one of the train's mechanics than an actual passenger.

By day three, "Amber" knows it'll be more suspicious of her to keep this up instead of mingling with the others. She's not interested in talking to most of them -- rich people are generally assholes, after all. But you can catch her at the poker table quietly and unassumingly cleaning the fuck up, or at a window, watching the landscape go by. The gilded decoration of the train is whatever, but this? The world outside?

It's very nearly beautiful.

Wherever you find her, approaching the denim-dressed woman with dyed red hair growing brown at the roots will get you a taciturn: ]

Hey.

murder in the night.

[ Of course. Let's board the most expensive train I can afford, Ruby had told herself. Everyone here will be too concerned with their vacation to mess it up with, you know, murder. She would have been better off hitchiking.

Ruby regards the dead body with the dull disinterest of someone who has seen this shit before, and someone who has been massively inconvenienced.

Still, she knows most of the silver-spooned passengers here aren't used to this. Which means: this is an opportunity for "Amber" to, if not clear her name, at least make herself less likely someone would want to suspect her. She turns to the person nearest her, and ask, not warmly but not unkindly: ]

You good?

[Nick is halfway through stuffing his mouth with a piece of chicken when Tisias leans over to address him. He pauses, raising an eyebrow and slowly looking up at her. He's already on the shorter side--being five foot six--and he has to crane his neck a little to look up towards her from his seat.]

Uh, yuh-huh-- [he says, through a mouthful of food. He covers his mouth with his hand for a moment, holding up his other hand to signal for her to wait. There's about five seconds of silence as he tries to chew faster. He swallows, then continues.] Yeah, uh, it's good. It's hard to go wrong with chicken, though.

[The waitstaff looks a little peeved at this rather...unimaginative description of the food. Nick studies Tisias for a moment. Something nags at the back of his brain. Her face is familiar--he can't quite place why, though. Maybe he saw her in a newspaper or something?]

Weird question--have I seen you in the papers?

[Nick raises an eyebrow. Is this man softly accusing him of killing this man? Sounds like it. Maybe he's just being a bit paranoid, but his previous experience with murder investigations have rarely led to good things. At least, on his behalf.]

Yeah--yeah, ask the conductor to deal with it. Good idea--

[And then he stops. His instincts tells him it would be bad to just flee the scene. It would give whoever is responsible the opportunity to tamper with the scene and perhaps implicate him.]

You think we could flag someone down, instead? What if the killer comes back to try and clean up?

[ Gaius is naming him as a possible suspect indeed, because he simply thinks it prudent to consider all options, as cold as that is. But he is not exactly a warm man at all—the opposite, in fact.

At least when Nick stops himself short, Gaius does wait for him to say what else is clearly on his mind. If there is something that he is, it's patient. In some instances, anyway. ]

That would be wise. It shouldn't be too difficult, though it will require us to wait in this area for some time. So, you should be prepared for that.

[ For various reasons it would be unwise for either to have the other just leave the room to flag down staff. This is the most prudent course of action, as far as Gaius is concerned. ]

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Disorient Express Test Drive Meme

Episode 1: The Disorient Express

i. meet & greet

ii. another day of luxury

iii. murder in the night

iv. optional info blurb

NAVIGATION

QUESTIONS

nick verghese | oc

This Is Very Important

Dale Cooper | Twin Peaks - will match format

II

no subject

no subject

iii;

no subject

no subject

Tisias A. Keravnós | Tyzias Entykk/Hiveswap Friendship Simulator

ruby | disco elysium

i.

no subject

no subject