Archived La Vie de Luxe

[Narrator]

Type: Free-form site-wide Role Playing Game
Rating: PG-13

Information:
This is a site-wide free-form role playing session, it will end when it wants to end. Anyone may join in, there are no restrictions. Yes, all detectives currently on a case may join too.

Rules:
Regular role playing rules apply, please see this link.

To enter, type your location at the start of your post to let other players know where you are then write what your character is doing. You do not have to be at the same location as everyone else, or you may plan to meet up with other characters in various locations later. If you're idle, other players will continue without you, and you may join in at a later time.

Because this game started with the mention of Luxembourg, the title is "La Vie de Luxe", but as players, feel free to start anywhere in the world.


ADDENDUM:
The main Luxe RP will be limited to ACME Headquarters, Luxembourg, and (for all intents and purposes) wherever Carmen Sandiego is standing. A prelude to this RP can be found here: "Oh Canada" (Creator: Vic the Slick)

 

[Narrator]

[El Halcon Verde]

ACME Headquarters, San Francisco

El Halcon Verde was preparing himself for this case the way he prepared for his numerous wrestling matches: He already made quick work of all the high-tech weight and aerobics machines in ACME Weight Room Net, and was now doing one-handed push ups across the center of the floor. "I shall not fail in my test...I will always bring los criminales to justicia..." He repeated under his breath while he switched hands.

 

[Eartha]

Luxembourg, near Am Tunnel

Yesterday morning, Eartha Brute was enjoying one of her favorite pastimes, bending metal bars into pretzels. After only about fifty bars, she got an assignment from Carmen, telling her to go to Luxembourg. Eartha was big and when she traveled, people noticed, so the muscle-woman slowly figured that Carmen needed her to lift something, or act as a distraction to those pesky ACME agents.

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was a nice place and Eartha found herself fitting in better than she thought. Except for her green hair, nearly everyone here was about her height.

She put a little down payment on an apartment there, like Carmen told her to, so she'd look like a local. The place she picked was near the Am Tunnel, which was a nice contemporary art gallery. There was a place nearby she could exercise while she waited for more instructions from her boss, and that was all Eartha really needed. Art was for buffoons who could see things that weren't there, and, Eartha proudly told herself, she wasn't a poser. That night, she wrote so in her diary.

 

[Chief]

ACME Headquarters, San Francisco, CA

Chief foresaw this as a busy week from the quiet Monday morning that just passed. Cases were popping up faster than any other week in quite a while. Things were moving well too. A new instructor has allowed for advancement in flight courses and additional professional upgrades to the existing air fields.

Through Melissa Wayward, Chief discovered things were just as busy in the Special Operations section. Ever since Chase Devineaux returned to ACME and accepted the responsibility to head S.O., Chief Weller had concerns about whether the Agent's head or heart was in the right place. Some men are simply too reclusive. Chase had no extended family to speak of, and rarely talked of anything outside the company. If Chase wasn't the very best suited for this job, Chief might have asked the board for an extended background check. Asking for a check now would have seemed offensive.

Chief Weller sat in his office, scanning through reports with a smile on his face. Today, his son, daughter in law, and his granddaughter were visiting. His wife, Mrs. Geraldine Weller, should be on her way back from the airport with that package of joy now.

 

[Carmen]

Undisclosed Location


Carmen, exhibiting a modest white blouse and caramel-hued skirt, walked into an enclosed space in her wraparound platform sandals. Shades of gray muted the relatively lofty area and she felt, without a doubt, unwelcomed. The space was masculine and discreet, but so noncommittal that it seemed almost Machiavellian. Carmen paused to catch her breath. Simply strolling in amidst daylight was close to complete foolishness, and her heart raced much faster than her calm demeanor would suggest.

The only sign of life in the room, a winged pet, watched her eagerly from its corner. It seemed happy to see a visitor but remained cautious, Carmen was sure, in respect to its owner. Poor bird, she thought, he doesn't let anyone else feed you, does he?

The intruder turned to study her surroundings then waited with subdued patience, ultimately sinking into a dark, modern throne that presided over trifle bureaucracy. Acting victorious, she took the liberty of taking over objects belonging to the 'enemy', making quick work of a rather mundane Rubik's puzzle cube.

 

[Chase]

[Co-written with Carmen and mention approved by Chief Weller]


ACME Headquarters, San Francisco, California

Steadily making his way up to the corner office after excusing himself from breakfast, Chase Devineaux thought about Luxembourg. The decision to send out an S.O. Trainee in response to an informant's message sounded convincingly like protocol, he liked that. Despite the informant being Lee Jordan, Chase was confident that things would go smoothly.

Entering his workspace, what greeted him was odd -- a woman in his chair. At first glance, Chase recalled that Chief's family was visiting and some may be wandering about. It would explain why she looked familiar; but as he opened his mouth to ask if she thought this office was someone else's, their eyes met, and he realized that she was far from lost. Whatever question he had evaporated, and Devineaux shut the door behind him.

"Do you live here now?" Carmen commented, putting away the puzzle cube. Chase's hungry falcon and the clothes he wore hinted of an overnight rendezvous with work and an early morning shower at the building's gym. A sense of pride at her ability to deduct all that sparked a momentary smile.

He saw no need to answer her question. Seeing her outside the usual coat and hat, Chase recalled parts of her features that he had forgotten. When they first met, she was lanky and boyish, attractively witty but crude. Later in the years, she deserted her jeans for skirts -- admittedly, those were some of the best memories Chase had of her. She grew up, and despite being demanding, she had an appealing way of approaching everything. Her years among other children in orphanages must have made her sociable. As an only child, Chase never quite understood childhood hierarchy, and spent much of his younger days mimicking his father. Carmen opened his eyes, and he wondered if that was enough of a reason to let her sit in his armchair.

"Speechless?" she playfully hinted at his silence, "I wasn't here long."

"You can't be here," He said, decidedly, "A meeting in the desert, and now this..."

"What are you afraid of?"

He shook his head, and then breathed, letting her continue.

"I'm not here for much, Chase," she flatly stated, "My Knight, perhaps."*

"Wrong office," he countered, "you'll get him when Chief's department is done."

"That could take months, and you have the authority to give exemption." Carmen remembered what Sarah Nade told her. The interrogator for Sarah's case was Chase Devineaux, who evidently granted the detainee an early release for cooperation. In immediate retrospect, Carmen wished she had not mentioned Sir Vile; that only deviated from the point.

"This isn't yours anymore; you can't ask for favors," by 'this' Chase meant ACME, "playing with fire doesn't magically make things go your way."

She wanted to correct him for making assumptions, but it was useless to argue. Not long ago, Carmen asked Chase to find Lee Jordan. Weeks later, she discovered from sources in Hong Kong that Lee was now an ACME informant. From her perspective, Chase not only kept his word, but also sagaciously placed Lee where the threat was least pestilent. Her unfeigned reason for coming here was to thank him for that, but now, she questioned it. He was naturally chivalrous. The former agent had seen, even through times of uncertainty, that his moral compass had an incorruptible way of pointing true north. In his eyes, helping her might have been merely the right thing to do.

If that was so, then he was right. She should leave, but should she also thank him?

"Your informant in Luxembourg," she restarted the conversation in a calmer tone, "I know who he is."

Right, Chase thought, expecting a full lecture on judging character, I brought Jordan back to ACME.

He inadvertently hired Lee Jordan, nothing he was particularly proud of, but nothing he would hide if asked. Things had been circumstantial, and he was doing his best keeping the punk from destructive behavior.

"I didn't hire him on character," Chase took a seat on the office couch, feeling somewhat defensive. She was sitting; he might as well do the same, "Don't confuse me for something I'm not."

Carmen was certainly not confused, but thanking a man who didn't care for gratitude would be extraneous. Talking to Chase, apparently, was a waste of time. After a moment of infuriating silence, she stood from the chair to leave.

"Hold it," Chase was on his feet, "I'll walk you out." While he couldn't pinpoint her motives, he knew it was safer for both ACME and the infamous Carmen Sandiego if he made sure she left the building.

"Don't." She snapped at him a serrated look. "I know my way around."

She's angry again, Chase realized with a taint of bitterness, and he let her go. "You can't have it all," the agent added as an afterthought.

"That...," she rejoined when she was half way out of the door, "and you can't save it all."

Exiting, the thief walked towards what was now Chief Everard Weller's office. Even when she knew him as Doctor Weller, before he became chief, Carmen liked his style of teaching. He was patient, and always a good sport. From the hall, she saw him in his element: humming a tune in a bright office with his pipe at hand, and breezing through reports.

"Good morning, Dr. Weller," She greeted in passing.

From there, she made her way to the underground parking, where a car awaited. The ACME lobby should now be full of detectives, leaving out the front door, while titillating, would be ludicrous.

-----
* 'knight' here was in reference to Sir Vile recently arrested around this time

 

[Chief]

[OOC: Well done you two! You had quite a bit to cover, but focusing on the views of two people that ultimately lead to a misunderstanding gets a "hat's off!" from me!]

"Good morning, Dr. Weller," She greeted in passing.

"Good morning to you!" Chief Weller promptly replied to the voice. It struck him as familiar and he peered down the hall. The woman walking away was lovely, and the direction she came from, Chase's office, suggested she was in Special Operations.

Chief Weller expressed approval and returned to his work. Those Special Operatives, they grow up so fast.

 

[Lee]

Near Am Tunnel, City of Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Lee Jordan, the best at everything, was hanging around near Am Tunnel. He isn't too happy as an ACME Informant. This position would do, though, until he could build trust. That's the good stuff, isn't it? Trust. After all that drama going from ACME to VILE then out on his own, Lee settled on starting over.. but not completely honestly.

Some months ago, he did his research and heard Chase Devineaux was in Canada for some conference, Lee didn't pay attention on what it was, but Chase was key to get Lee back on his feet. He introduced himself to Mr. Grand-and-mighty Devineaux and convinced the man to hire him as an informant. Now he's backed by ACME, and back where he started, running after Carmen. Being low on the food chain didn't bother Lee one bit. It was all part of the master plan.

Carmen told Lee a story once of the Orloff diamond, and how it started out being being a diamond eye of a Hindu idol. A French soldier, according to legend, heard about the diamond from locals and was determined to seize it, but no Christian was allowed far inside the pagoda. He first converted to local religion and little by little, gained the confidence of the Brahmins until they appointed him guardian of the inner shrine where the statue was kept. Taking advantage of a stormy night, he stole the diamond from the statue's eye socket. That kind of patience takes years, and Lee was willing to wait for his diamond too.

In Luxembourg, Lee thought he was on Carmen's trail, and was disappointed when he instead spotted Eartha Brute. As soon as Eartha put a down payment on an apartment, Lee knew it was going to be big, and like the good informant he was pretending to be, he messaged his boss. Chase had better find him soon, Lee was starting to run out of resources already, and Eartha's gym routine was boring him.

 

[Narrator]

[El Halcon Verde]

ACME Headquarters, San Francisco

A moment later, El Halcon strode into the office. He was wearing his fedora in trenchcoat, ready to travel as incognito as a masked wrestler possibly could. "Buenas Tardes, Senor Weller....eh, Chief-f." That was going to take some getting used to. "I am ready for my assignment. What exotic location deserves this humble crime figter's presence?"

 

[Chase]

Silence settled in, seconds after Carmen left, and Chase started to wonder if he did anything wrong. Before he could go into details about what he should have changed, Phoenix, also a witness to what happened, flapped her wings. That's right, you're hungry, Chase thought, and I need to send 'Missy' her objective.

From his handheld, he requested a file on Lee Jordan and typed the following to Trainee Melissa Wayward:

Objective: Locate target (file attached), then immediately report to me. Do not make contact.

"Want to come with me to Luxembourg?" Chase picked up and wore a falconry glove then extended his arm. The bird glided to him. Yeah, figured you would... But first, Chase slightly condemned his own frame of mind, we need to go free a knight.

 

[Chief]

El Halcon Said:
"Buenas Tardes, Senor Weller....eh, Chief-f." That was going to take some getting used to. "I am ready for my assignment. What exotic location deserves this humble crime fighter's presence?"


"Indeed, I was expecting you," Chief said, handing El Halcon his official ACME Handheld Communicator, the language was set to Spanish. "When you are ready, go ahead and access the C-5 corridor to Luxembourg. Eartha Brute, the suspect in question, was spotted there, but you'll need to be discreet, no crime has been committed yet."

"If you need anything, just hold the 'dial' button for three seconds," Chief Weller instructed, "there should always be someone on call in our department. Good luck."

 

[E. Mayhew]

"Come on, 'Mr. D'..." Missy grumbled under her breath as she waited for a message with her instructions to come through her ACME email which was conveniently enough accessible through her blackberry. To her knowledge the ACME Head of Special Operations was much more punctual than this with his messages. When he said he'd send her mission information in 20 minutes it usually meant it would be there at 19:58. However at the moment it was 5 minutes past the due time. Eventually, after taking the chance to double check her foundation her blackberry gave a vibrate and she pulled it out to take a quick glance as she exited her room.

Objective: Locate target (file attached), then immediately report to me. Do not make contact.

"Right. Easy training observation..." Missy said to herself, having known she would most likely not be doing anything particularly interesting this time around. "Predictable." Pulling her wrist closer to her mouth she pressed a button on its face.

"Agent Melissa Wayward requesting C-5 to..." she looked at the message again. "Luxembourg in Luxembourg please."

After a few noises and shifts in the air a large glowing portal opened and Missy took a step in, as opposed to waiting for it to suck her in. Accepting the portal always made arrival on the other side a little easier.


Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Landing on her feet in a bit of a jog to keep up with the pace she was launched out of the C-5 with Missy stopped and took a look around. Mmmmmm, Luxembourg. She'd never gotten the chance to come here before and by the looks of things she was regretting that fact. Bringing her blackberry up to her face again Missy started to scroll over the file of the man she'd been sent to find.

Lee Jordan.

Taking a seat on a nearby park bench Missy read up on her detainee, giving a light snort as she read first his ACME Detective accomplishments and then his accomplishments as a thief. 'Another detective turned thief.' she thought to herself. 'Must be a popular career path.' Picking herself up from her seat finally and sending the image of her man to her wrist communicator Missy took off to look for the suspect.

"He's only one man in a city of thousands. Sounds like fair enough odds to me." she muttered to herself, starting to browse the selection of men visible for the one she was looking for.