Subject: It's the classic femme fatale for me.
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Posted on: 2019-09-02 06:22:00 UTC
The quiet sister of a mean moonshining family, until you realize that there's a stiletto strapped to her shin and a handgun in her jewelry box and she's the brains behind the whole show.
I know there already is a PPC noir AU (the PPA, courtesy of PoorCynic), but I thought us PPCers could also come up with a noir AU of ourselves (the idea came from a discussion on the Discord from a while ago where everyone was picking roles in a PPC urban fantasy squad, and from my new fedora, which makes me look like a hardboiled detective from a pulp novel).
So! Aside from genderfluid private detective (role currently occupied by yours truly), we could also have:
- a femme fatale or two;
- tough police detective trying to crack a very hard case;
- shady mobsters (if we're keeping it PPC, it could be a glitter smuggling ring or selling Pink Stuff under the counter);
- lady detectives;
- thieves and grifters;
- cute secretary who's tougher than they look;
etc.
What would your role be in the PPC noir squad?
A big guy that follows the boss wherever he goes and never talks. Basically a bouncer. Think Oddjob.
Classic! I'm jealous of how the boss blatantly likes you more than me and at some point you probably throttle me!
We need a few good lackeys in this noir world.
The dedicated reporter on the trail of The Truth, who means wells but ends up creating a bunch of problems for the protagonists and quite possibly getting into lots of trouble herself? May or may not have a mysterious personal reason for getting involved and blame the protagonist for something the bad guys did years ago.
(I don't know a ton about noir, but this is a fun thread to read. ^_^ )
~Neshomeh
I'm not an expert on noir either, but I'm so glad I've started this thread - we've come up with an amazing cast so far. I'm glad you're enjoying it, too.
And yes, the PPC noir gang could always use a dedicated thruth-seeker and especially more noir ladies. We have enough good guys for the reporter to turn to if she gets into trouble. :P
When he wakes up, I'll see if he agrees. ^_^
~Neshomeh
Heh! Eheheheh!
Let's hope Phobos agrees - the noir squad needs a mob boss. :P
Also, I have a proposition. When this thread quiets down, why don't we make it into a PPC writing event? We really have an excellent cast here, and I think some wonderful stories could come out of it.
The Truth-Seeking Reporter will totally need to rope in the Wire-Tap Techie for slightly dubious information-gathering purposes. Look, it may not be strictly legal, but if it leads to catching the Real Culprit, it'll be worth it, right?
~Neshomeh
The quiet sister of a mean moonshining family, until you realize that there's a stiletto strapped to her shin and a handgun in her jewelry box and she's the brains behind the whole show.
Which one of you will try to seduce the genderfluid detective when they get too close to the secrets of the crime family?
Expect more of a villain monologue from me. So few of the city's cops really care about what they're doing. About what I'm doing. The city doesn't care either, and never will, no matter how many villains you hunt. Why stick your neck out for them, for rain-soaked, useless heroism? It doesn't have to be this way. You're intelligent, skilled, determined.
But I'll leave it at that. When you're tired, when you're bleeding, when you've had enough of their apathetic, gawping faces as they shuffle away from questions about bribery and violence... you know where to find me.
I think this means we fight at some point. A long John Woo-inflected gunfight, slowly transitioning into a knife fight, then a fist fight, then a grappling match. The last three are all insane one-take swirling transitional shots following us as we battle through your lair.
Well, it's either that or we confront each other and start snogging like teenagers. Both work for me ',=]
A proper fight scene is practically a calling card. I'd be a fan of skipping on the grappling, maybe adding swords in the mix somewhere instead? Because really, what's a lair without blades on display and conveniently at hand for fighting with. And swordplay works better with long one-take camera swirls than grappling.
And then of course we snog. Probably with at least one knife to a throat in the process.
And write a song about it, trying to keep exactly who was involved a secret
Everyone not involved in the underworld thinks it's just a story I came up with
I would probably figure out the meaning behind the lyrics but keep my mouth shut out of gay solidarity. I would definitely buy the record though, or drop by to listen whenever Moons sings it live.
*has a copy, listens to it at night, crying*
Aha! Does that mean we're both secretly running the show? Let's do it. Best crime buddies?
...since you're both heads of different criminal organizations, you could be rivals, or frenemies. With a ton of UST, of course.
Also, Cicada, if Phobos is our mob boss, are you his sister? Or are you with an entirely different crime family? (The plot thickens :P)
But perhaps that's just a rumour.
Moonshining families and quiet femme fatale's are a terrific addition to this noir world!
That is, the villain who will work with the mob boss if their schemes suit her interests, but if she doesn’t like them will just as happily help the protagonist to thwart them. I could also be a bit of a femme fatale (never mind how much this is warping my character!).
I think this sort of characterization would work great with a femme fatale type. And we're getting a great team of noir ladies here.
I'd be the enigmatic, melancholy, alluring singer who has to show up in every noir pub. Except gay, and when I'm not singing I'm waxing poetic about depressing things. I probably know something important about the case, but good luck getting me to stay on topic long enough to tell anyone. Will befriend anyone who shows genuine affection - admiration for my singing doesn't count and lust certainly doesn't count, I've gotten enough of those already. This could get me on the heroes' side, or it could lure me to the villains.
It's a great character concept, Moons - I like the melancholy edge. And the gay. Gay noir characters are always great.
I'll take the role of the quirky technical specialist. Y'know. Tapping telephones and stuff.
That totally fits the time period.
How about working on a police surveillance team then? That should fit into the setting.
I'm bad at this. :-P
I suppose Theives and Grifters would be optimal for my talents...
Pick a character concept and let's roll! A good noir always needs a thief or two.
The one who might not seem like much but has one ear to the ground and tends to know about the local goings-on. The hardened police detective knows to pay me in vodka.
My private detective might seek you out every now and then, too. Come to think of it, the police detective and the private detective in this squad would either be total rivals or they'd get along like a house on fire.
Can I be a bartender in a rundown shady pub that's essentially an underworld info/goods exchange place?
What a great character concept, Cousin.
We're slowly but surely building a pretty dang good cast for a noir story here.
Hm- could I be the mob boss's sister, who just might be sympathetic towards our protagonists but who turns out to have been the real villain all along?
What a fine concept for a noir villain! Welcome to the squad.
It's an honor to meet you... Detective. *ominous musical sting*
Who repeats all the mob boss's lines while chortling at the hero. So the mob boss will say like 'yeah and you'll be sleeping with the fishes pal' and I'll lean over and say 'hehe, yeah, you'll be sleeping with the fishes. Pal. Heheh.' and I die in the first gunfight or whatever.
Alternately, dead body, you need a few of those for crime stuff.
We always need a good henchman or two. Just be sure to put on a hat before you step into the story.
(Speaking of, next Shipfest we should totally write this Boarder noir AU.)
In addition to these folks, we now also have:
- Larf as the villain's top henchman who repeats his boss' every line with a menacing chuckle;
- and Cicada as the mob boss' sister who appears sympathetic at first, but turns out to have been the real villain all along.
Unless 'Dispatch' is an option.
Any suggestions?
How about being a person with connections to pretty much every shady operation on the city, who the detective and the bad guys go to for information? A sort of information broker, if you will.
Thankyew kindly, then. :>
There is only one constant toll (aside from money, when I know who's willing and able to give it): Pet the cat.
Bonus points if you bring your own cat.
I could be the real sensitive and squeamish guy who nonetheless pulls through when he's most needed.
Hey, no one said anything about having to follow all the noir tropes.
You're right - no one said this will be a traditional noir. After all, those don't tend to have gendefluid private eyes. :P And if you're willing to take a tough, grizzled partner whose butt you end up saving in the finale, even better.
That idea for a partner somehow matches up pretty nicely with some ideas I've been bouncing around for Leo, who if all goes well will be the partner to my self-insert in PPC canon. So it's pretty great!
And yes, I'll take any opportunity to make my heart my greatest weapon.
As I am cute but will fight you. Or possibly just never shut up. One of those. =]
*nods solemnly* Secretaries who are cute but will fight you are very important in good noir stories.
Would you like to be the genderfluid detective's secretary (played by me), or someone else's?
Can I be a shady mobster? Can I? Please?
Pick a shady trade to be involved in, grab a suit and a hat, and you're all set. Are you going to be shady friends or enemies with the genderfluid detective?
Numbers racket sounds good...less chance of getting shot. *has perhaps watched a couple too many old gangster movies*
I'd like to be the detective's shady friend. :P
(Oh, hey! I'm genderfluid, too!)
You could be the detective's trusted contact within the shady organization. Sounds good?
(Genderfluid high five!)
*high-fives back*