Is It Black Or Is It Noir?

Means Streets

'The sky overhead was black, black as Satan's heart. Rain ricochetin' off the sidewalk like bullets, as I watched the people below my window! Silently scurryin' about resemblin' roaches, trying not to get stepped on! That's when I saw it, bright red in the darkness, like fire. Seemingly floatin' down the sidewalk, headin' in my direction. The dame below it all in black, lettin' her umbrella do the talking!'

"You're doin' it, that voice you're doin' it again!" Jasper's own voice broke the silence, as he whined exasperatedly at his brother,

"No, I'm not! What voice?" Peter retorted quickly, knowing he'd been caught once again; sliding into a 'Film Noir' daydream, it for some reason freaked Jasper out.

"I can feel your emotions change when you do that, they become laconic and almost drained! It's weird, stop doin' it when I'm around, please Peter, it gives me the fuckin' shivers?" Jasper asked deliberately nicely, so he'd not upset his brother too much.

"Okay, okay! So what's first on that list in your head?" Peter queried letting the matter drop, knowing Jasper would have a mile-long list of jobs, he always did.

"We need to decide on a colour for the walls, from this lot and paint this place; it's totally shit just now!" Jasper nodded to the paint in front of him then continued,

"The electrics and plumbin' are good, so that's a bonus. Then it's pickin' the furniture and decor. Do you want to sort out our licences or will I? We can frame copies for the walls. Then next week we start interviewin' for a secretary or in your parlance a 'Girl Friday'! I've put a flyer on the window out front already" he said smirking at his brother, who just gave him the finger and said,

"I'll go sort out the documents, do it Ivory, that won't offend anyone, dark furniture for our office, lighter out here. How's that sound? Leave the decor to the secretary, we need a woman's touch to make it more user-friendly," Jasper smiled, people thought Peter was just going to be the muscle in this venture, but he was anything but stupid, he just hid it well. Sometimes too well!

That boy knew what he liked and could lecture on many subjects if he put his mind to it, he just didn't let on, is all. The dumb hick act worked in their favour often, as folks talked around him, thinking him too thick to understand. Edward Cullen used to do that all the time.

"Grey or Black?" Peter asked as he passed his brother on the way out,

Grey or Black what? Jasper asked raising an eyebrow.

"Fedora man can't wear our Stetson's or we'll look like hicks!" Peter replied laughing,

"Ah, grey for me then, but no goddamned suspenders Peter okay?" Jasper drawled, knowing his brother too well.

"I'm gettin' a holster though, you want one?" Peter's voice said from the street now,

"Yeah, why the hell not! We need to at least look the part" Jasper called after him, not actually raising his voice above a speaking tone. He was trying to rein his brother in a little; otherwise, they'd end up looking like something out of 'The Big Sleep'.

IIBOIIN

Not that he, Jasper hadn't loved that era, the suits, vests and his second favourite style of hat. He was a cowboy first and foremost, but there was just something about a tilted Fedora and a vest that called to him. He remembered Alice trying to continually keep his hair under control back then. She resorted to biting it off, fighting to keep it short. But being a vampire, how you died is how your body wanted to stay, so it always grew back.

Wow, Alice, he hadn't thought of her at all in over two years. She just ended it, their relationship. Sixty plus years thrown aside, with a brush off three years ago. No discussion, no talking just,