A big guy that follows the boss wherever he goes and never talks. Basically a bouncer. Think Oddjob.

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

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.

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'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.

I'll take the role of the quirky technical specialist. Y'know. Tapping telephones and stuff.

That totally fits the time period.

I suppose Theives and Grifters would be optimal for my talents...

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.

Can I be a bartender in a rundown shady pub that's essentially an underworld info/goods exchange place?

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?

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.

• A genderfluid private detective who changes presentation depending on which suspect they're talking to. (Yours truly, Mirage Fontane)
  - A mobster involved in the numbers racket who is secretly the detective's trusted contact within the shady organization. (SunAndMoon)
  - Cute, talkative secretary who can and WILL fight you. (Scapegrace)
  - Police detective trying to crack a hard case; he's sensitive and squeamish, but manages to pull through when he's really needed. Also has a tough, grizzled partner whose butt he ends up saving in the big finale. (Neo Skater)
  - Information broker with connections to every shady operation in town, whom both the detective and the mobsters go to for information. (S.M.F., if they agree to the role)
  
  Honestly, I really dig this noir squad. c:

Unless 'Dispatch' is an option.

Any suggestions?

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.

As I am cute but will fight you. Or possibly just never shut up. One of those. =]

Can I be a shady mobster? Can I? Please?