JOYCE MESSIER – "What world?" The fading pearls of her eyes look to the sea. "The only one, I suppose -- the world of matter and its pale antipode..."
Rejoyce Leyton-Messier, usually just called Joyce Messier (in fact, she prefers it), is a major character in Disco Elysium. She is found at the northwestern edge of Martinaise proper, near the apartments. Once the water lock is open on Day 3, Joyce will move over to the fishing village. She will then disappear once the player catches up with Ruby, the Instigator.
Background[ | ]
Wild Pines representative Joyce Leyton-Messier is an older woman with an upper-class accent and a Vespertine passport. Appearances can be deceiving, however, as Joyce is not Vespertine, but Revacholian, born in year 3 in the Commune of Revachol. However, rather than a communard, she became the most horrifying of abominations - an ultraliberal - and eventually betrayed the Revolution when the Coalition came knocking. She gained dual citizenship after marrying one Mr Messier, a Vespertine citizen. She finds this handy during travels, and as a Wild Pines representative, she does quite a lot of it.
Serving as Wild Pine's ambassador to the Union, she has an affinity for sailing. She sails a Cor-de-Leite '19, manufactured in Revachol East, 19 paces long and rated for Category 1 racing, worth more than most RCM members will earn in their entire lives - and decidedly unromantic about it. She still loves participating in regattas, and has taken her boat for a spin in two Insulindic regattas.
Despite being the Senior Labour Negotiator for the Wild Pines Group, has a very big problem: no one wants to negotiate with her. She came to Martinaise to replace Mr Gaumont, the previous negotiator, hoping to work out a compromise with the Dockworkers’ Union and end to the strike that has been going on for months, resulting in major losses for the Wild Pines. But Evrart Claire, foreman of the Dockworkers’ Union, has been unwilling to make any concessions, and, having kicked out the previous negotiator, isn’t even letting Joyce into the harbour.
Worse yet, the Union stopped all communication with her following the murder you’re investigating. And so you find Joyce docked by the pier in her sloop, sipping tea, exasperated by the entire situation and three weeks of inactivity.
This must be something of a new experience for her. Not only is she a professional negotiator, she represents a major logistics conglomerate with a 250-year history — The Wild Pines Group owns the harbour! What's more: it was the Wild Pines Group that built the district of Martinaise, or at least invested the money for it to be built. Trouble is, Evrart Claire and his twin brother Edgar now unofficially run Martinaise. In this standoff between the Wild Pines Group and the Dockworkers' Union, who will prevail?
As befits a representative of the Wild Pines, Joyce has the air of very old money — generations upon generations of politesse and finger sandwiches. She will be more than courteous with you and even helpful — if you can successfully negotiate with her. Beyond information that may aid you in your investigation, however, she has something to offer that came down to her with that very old money: a broad education of the sort one doesn’t usually comes across in impoverished Martinaise. Joyce is a treasure trove of knowledge for an amnesiac detective who doesn’t really understand what planet he’s on and how it came to be the way it is. You just might find yourself whiling away some hours with her by the water, listening to the waves lapping against the hull of her sloop, entranced by her erudition and lulling eloquence.
Interactions[ | ]
- Joyce is met on the first day of the investigation and has multiple opportunities for the world-weary detective. Perhaps the most important one at first is that she can provide the ✤ 130 for the detective to pay off their debt over at the Whirling-in-Rags (✤ 70 or any other amount if the player already negotiated it down). She passes this obvious bribe off as a... Donation to the RCM, in keeping with the organization's principles of self-funding.
- By knowing about the Wild Pines annual revenue is 200 billion Real you will gain a +1 modifier (asking her about the Wild Pines).
- By opting in to the Mazovian Socio-Economics thought you will gain a +2 modifier. (It's not necessary to internalize it)
- By opting in to the Revacholian Nationhood thought you will gain a -2 modifier. (Again, it's not necessary to internalize it)
- By opting in to the Indirect Modes of Taxation thought you will gain a -1 modifier. (As above)
- Beyond that, Joyce will also offer information and opportunities for resolving the Get a reality lowdown and Talk to Joyce about the pale without Kim tasks. The former can take quite a bit of time, so keep that in mind, while the latter is a white check that can be bypassed by sending Kim away (eg. with the body) or having a high Esprit de Corps and asking him to step back.
- Joyce also offers The Jam Mystery task to gain Joyce's info on the lynching without having to retrieve your badge. Completing it also offers a Red Logic Check that allows Harry to point out the Scab Leader at the gates of the GRIH, as standing out and a likely member of the merc posse. If Harry loses his brain, Kim will chime in.
- You can receive more information about the case from Joyce once you find your badge at the crashed Kineema beyond the water lock or by completing a special task for her, tracking down the source of drugs flowing through the GRIH.
- As a side effect of extended exposure to the Pale in her line of work, Joyce does not sleep. She can be visited at any time, day or night up to the point the player finds Ruby
Gallery[ | ]
in-game appearance
Concept art
Concept art
References[ | ]
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JOYCE MESSIER – The woman -- born in the year 3 in the Commune of Revachol -- smiles at you, face adorned with frown lines and crow's feet. The photo is recent. The name reads Rejoyce Leyton-Messier.
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JOYCE MESSIER – "Yes -- anyway." She adjusts her hair. The permanent wave in her auburn locks radiates victory.
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JOYCE MESSIER – A well-kempt, yet tastefully short bob of dark hair. Despite the first hints of grey, she's elected to keep it au naturale -- shaped into a permanent wave, late-Forties style...
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JOYCE MESSIER – While dull orange pearls hang from her ear lobes, red from cold. Her light green eyes scan you, full of knowledge -- and worry. Wealth and all its possibilities.