chapter word count: 341

noir heart: five

Aster's voice is gruff, but there's a twinkle in his eyes that tells Jack that his outwardly abrasive manner is for the benefit of everyone else still glancing at them – some even forgoing discretion for unabashed glaring. He knows the truth. He also knows that the resident I.A. detective Hans Southernisle is keeping tabs on Jack.

"Love you too." Jack grunts as he rolls his eyes.

"Whatever. I smell the bar smoke on you from here. Surprised your liver's not packed in." Aster says with a thick edge of sarcasm.

"Aww, you do care." Jack smirks, and it earns him a harder rap on his feet.

"Shut it, you. Anyway, boss lady has a job for you. She wants you to interview a witness."

Jack groans as he rolls his eyes with even greater theatricality, and slumps further into his chair. "Oh, joy. What is it now? An old lady saw a masked man steal her neighbour's prize kale? Maybe Arendelle High's football mascot uniform was found impaled to a goalpost, and the janitor saw someone do it. Oh hell; let's push the boat out – city socialite Cinderella witnessed…"

His tirade of growing sarcastic irritability is swiftly cut off by something that hasn't graced his ears for a year.

"How about the witness to a murder, mate?" Aster snaps grumpily, and his eyes drift slowly to the pathetic excuse of a case folder on Jack's desk, "or would you rather investigate bad artwork?"

Jack sighs exasperatedly, and gives him deadpan. "You're serious?"

"Dead serious, mate."

There's a palpable silence while his cobalt eyes intensely scrutinize Aster's face for any sign of a prank, or a lie, and it's the same silence that once graced the interview rooms back when he was actually a detective, not a pariah.

"This had better not be some bullshit thing Hans has cooked up." Jack growls. Aster shakes his head.

"Nope. Bona fide witness to a bona fide murder. Boss lady wants you to interview her."

Jack blinks. "Her? What's her name?"

"Elsa Black."

A/N: I put this up early to explain a few things to those who read both this and "Of Ghosts and Valkyries". The next chapter is a third of the way to completion and still coming, but recently my wife and I had to say goodbye to our family dog. I'm not saying it for sympathy, simply explaining that as a result, the update to OGaV is going to be a little slower this time around while I come to terms with the loss. Most of my updates will be for this as I have several already written and ready, thereby not requiring much writing at all. I just feel obligated to give you all somethingfor being such lovely readers, and...well...generally making me feel good.

I hope you all understand.

miki fubuki: Well, he's not an ass per se, he's just a bit "what's the point". Nihilistic, I suppose. Thanks for the compliment, I'm actually enjoying this experimentation with drabbles.
lunasnoir: I'm glad you enjoy it - and you're right, bad coffee is memorably awful.
Stefalove: Hai! Long time no see! I'm happy to see you're excited about this.
heartonfire: Exactly! That's what I'm trying to convey. Jack's been through so much, and nearly everyone has turned their back on him, so he doesn't really care anymore.
e-teens: Indeed, and thank you. As for longer chapters, that's what OGaV is for!