My dear friends,

It is with great sadness and regret that I must inform you of my untimely retirement from this thing of ours.  In a moment, I will share with you all, my reasons for doing so, and perhaps bring a little enlightenment and even some vindication for those who have come before me.... However, first I would like to take a brief moment and thank those whom I have had the privelage to serve with in New Orleans, and in New York, these past few weeks.  My leader in particular, ClockworkAngel who has inspired my intellectual curiousity and commitment towards creating a brighter future for all of us in LSS... I cannot thank you enough for the honor you have given me on service to our family.  As your Right Hand Man, although short-lived, I was entrusted with the responsibility of renewing the light that once glowed so bright for our family and inspire others to take up the mantle of responsibility and provide for others the care and service that honor demands.  It was in this calling that my bloodline was again able to experience the truth in success - one that is measured not by what a man does, but by what he inspires others to do.  You bestowed upon me, great influence and great responsibility, of which I hope I have so repaid in my efforts at your side.  

With that said, I would also like to thank all of my dearest friends in LSS whom also entrusted me with their care as a watchman on the fence.. A sleepless knight and guardian... And i hope also, as a true friend.  I hope I have honored all of you in my service to our family, and even at one time... To our entire city.  I would also like to apologize to all of you, and even my colleagues in other cities whom I have had the pleasure of discourse and interactions on both the diplomatic level, and personal.  All of you have made my experiences in this thing of ours rewarding once more, and have brought hope to this mans bloodline for a promising future for young Mafiosos in the years to come.  It was a pleasure, truthfully, and I am so sorry that my disdain for one mans actions has forced my hand, and turned me away fully, from the life I so enjoyed and the people who have touched my life especially.

And now, I must elaborate on the heart of the matter, which has caused me immense grief these past few days, and ultimately led to my choice for retirement.  Everyday, someone chooses to leave our line of work, but not all have such personal cause of principle as I am about to detail.  There are two men in particular, in the city of New York who have brought me great dishonor, and I am sad to say that they are the highest of authorities here in the big apple.  I am of course referring to the Godfather, Phil_Steak and his not-far-from-behind servant, Whitey.... My utter disgust for whom, I cannot possibly lament any more.  I was once told by a close, personal friend to be mindful of this snake in the grass.. He warned me of his cunning, ferocity, and determination to seize any opportunity to lash out at unbeknownst victims.  Even with this in mind, I could not possibly have calculated the level of resolve and commitment towards advancing oneself by the detriment of others as Mr. Whitey has proven these past few weeks.  It is well known that Godfather Phil_Steak is a paranoid man, by his own admission and actions particularly, but Whitey has proven this has been advantageous for his advancement in the upper echelon in NY and it saddens me to know that a man can advance himself on the whims of others.  I am however satisfied to know Mr. whitey that your unpopularity is mounting further and that many others share my utter disdain for your words and actions behind the backs of those who chose unwisely to have a level of discourse with you.  Your end will come in due time, of that I am sure.  Whatever stations in life you may reach, titles you may claim, and power you may grasp.. Know this... Men do not follow titles; they follow courage.  And you sir, are without.  I have no remorse for your inevitable fate and will rest well knowing that death may grasp you as cold as your life has grasped others.  I do not hate you Mr. Whitey, I pitty you... for a man who may only advance himself on the betrayal of trust of others is no man at all.  He is a coward not because he fears the dark, but because he fears the light.  

The last person I will direct my frustration towards is Mr. Phil_Steak himself, whom has disappointed me with his arrogance and paranoia for the last time and whom i will not serve under a day longer.  Our interactions have been nothing short of interesting in this thing of ours in years past, though you may not remember my bloodline.  However, my analysis on your character and integrity in the past has been shaken by what I have seen these past few weeks.  All too often we speak of these "logs" and evidence of men's commitments towards actions and inactions.. Through Whitey, you keep tabs on all New Yorkers who faithfully serve you, particularly with the use of these "logs."  You have claimed to be paranoid and for good cause; that it is how you have survived.  Yes, you have survived... At least for a while... But here's the thing about slight paranoia my old friend... Much like that of slight pregnancy... It tends to get worse.  You hold in high esteem those who serve you only to serve themselves and this mutually beneficial relationship mimics that of natures symbiotic-like parasite and host dual-survival.  I promise you old-timer... It may keep you alive, but it will taint everything that you are or will be.  As I mentioned before... It's not about the station, it's about the ride.  You've simply made it bumpier than it had to be... Unfortunately for those you have disenfranchised with your misplaced trust in the symbiotes and not your own kind.  It will be your undoing, of that I am certain.  Oh yes, I forgot to mention... I have good men who are loyal to me as well and they have in confidence, entrusted to me logs as well of their conversations with yourself and your lapdog, Whitey.  What?  Did you think you were the only man keeping tabs on others?  It is sad that your forced micro-management of every crew in NY has actually made your position weaker, not stronger... Your allies fewer, not greater... And your efficacy diminishing, not endearing.  No, they won't turn on you Phil_Steak, but from what I have heard... When the wolves are at your gate, you will be standing at the fence a very, very lonely man.  I am certain however, there will be a couple sheep to keep you company in that end.  

To the many of you who are confused by this, I must apologize as it may all seem like one big riddle.  Believe me, I've thought about how this would sound from someone who is not in the "know".. And perhaps it is the old ramblings of a fool... But I ask you, why are you here?  For me, that question was simple all along - for my friends, for my family, and for the ride... When the ride becomes more about the station and the conductor, it is no longer the train to be on.  Wait for the next one, there will always be another shortly along the way.  Do not follow men who have not earned your respect... There are worse things in life than death... Follow them for too long and you will discover for yourself.   My family and friends were taken from me when you forced ClockworkAngel to retire me from the RHM position out of fear that I had grown too powerful, politically and too popular with those in my own crew.  Of course, you gave no others reason for your rash decisions out of fear your position would be viewed as weak.  But I ask all of you listening here on the street this day... What kind of leader holds a meeting where the main topic is what he is doing wrong/right or could be doing better?   It's a trick question, if you haven't figured that out by now my friends... No leader by definition, acts accordingly.  

And now my time here as finally at an end and i must part ways with all of you.  There may be a few others who choose to follow me into the shadows, as the disdain is shared among more men than myself.  So please, do not pass judgement on them.. They are not selfish, nor am I.  In reality, all they wanted was family and good men to follow... NY let them down and I feel as if I must take ownership in that failure as well.  My loyalty until the end to the Godfather only enabled his paranoia further, and took whatever heart from our crew we had left.  His own personal smearing of our crews reputation off the streets and behind the backs of those who swore allegiance to him went unchallenged by I for far, far too long.  But no longer...

So take heed Godfather, you are no longer endeared as you once were.  Your title, shared by more men; your time like all things, finite.  Paranoia has consumed you, and for good reason my old friend... You are not as strong as you once felt.  But you only have you to blame for this.  Every man is gifted with choice in life.  We all must make our bed and lay in it.  My choice is to fade away and not to go out guns blazing because i must protect in my death, those i promised to protect with my life.  And i dont think either you or Whitey are worthy of my attention beyond this final speech, let alone a stray bullet.   But when i think about your legacy Phil_Steak, and that of Whitey, your faithful protoge, i cant help but think how ironic and a sad story, it all really is..

"I envy paranoids; they actually feel people are paying attention to them..."

Ballistic tips his hat as the curtain calls...

Upset you were demoted from rhm and HSL because you didn't update shot reports for 3+ weeks and didn't know to tell an unmaxed gun to stop shooting at durdens when he told you he had shot at two?
Get off of your high horse, you were a useless, high maintenance twat who thought was gold.

im sorry you felt like this bro...rest in peace mate

Speaking of "don't know how to"... have you figured out how to mail someone yet, Mr. Steak, or do you still "accidentally" shoot them when you try?

Whitey sighs deeply with his arms crossed looking at Ballistic’s dead stinking corpse laying in the middle of the street. Reading his suicide note he rolled his eyes and chuckled a little to himself.

Jesus kid, we really gave you a chance to grow in this thing of ours… Not long after you became a member of our city we gave you a position of power, a chance to further improve on your claimed abilities.

I don’t come to these streets often, because it’s not often that people see me as anything but some asshole who fell in to a position, no power and no prestige. You flatter me though kid you really do. I know I’m talkin to a corpse but I figure it’s better than mumbling to myself or keepin it locked away in a dark corner of my mind.

First off I wanna say, some of the shit you say is true – or near true. Ya see kid, lotta people had to die for Phil_Steak to get where he is today. That’s the simple fuckin fact of the matter. A lot of hard work and dedication was put in, for him to be where he sits. So yeah, if somebody threatens his position of power and I hear about it? Of course he’s gonna know. I’d have to be fuckin stupid not to tell him – and anybody that tells me somethin that could damage him – is stupid to believe he aint gonna hear about it from me!

So, yeah, that part you got right cunto – if you’re lookin to hurt Phil_Steak you’re lookin to hurt me – And I aint fuckin goin out like that.

As far as you though?

Whitey chuckles to himself, his hand on his chest to keep his balance

You think paranoia was the reason you were removed from Right Hand and Hit Squad Leader? Ha – Buddy you really do think highly of yourself don’t you? Nah – You were removed due to incompetence. You can try to say it was cause we saw you as a ‘threat’ but fuck man, who are you? Who the fuck are you huh? Nobody.

We had your fuckin men in a meeting one day, cause they were trying to hit Consigliere member of the TylerDurden gang with UNMAXED guns. And this was AFTER Tyler had trained his men in cahoots with The Gods in order to be stronger and deadlier.

Not only that, You didn’t even fuckin update us on the status of these men. THREE FUCKIN WEEKS without telling us what’s going on with your hitters – You’re pissed about losing the position? Most people would have shot your dumb ass for that level of incompetence.

You were given a golden opportunity my friend. You did a great job on some things… But you were whiney, paid no attention to detail, and slacked on your core duties.

As for me using ‘logs’ whatever the fuck those are, in order to get ahead? You should really consider my other ‘skills’ and realize that I don’t need to do shit to get ahead.

Whitey crouches down and gets real close to Ballistic’s face, tilting his head admiring the flies laying eggs of what will soon be maggots on his mangled yet somehow improved face

As for me dyin… I don’t really care. My son will have no problem being welcomed back with open arms… It’s a damn tragedy you probably won’t be able to say the same for your’s…

Whitey stands up and leans over to grab his can of gasoline with a sick twinge of pleasure on his face, pops the top off and douses Ballistic’s body in it, skillfully flicks his zippo against his pants and carelessly drops it to the gasoline, walking off – still with that twisted little grin.

regardless of what has occured here whitey you need to remember youre a member of new york and we dont act in that manner. a hand in this city doesnt come out and speak like that. carry yourself with a bit of dignity. i dont approve of this nor your mouth.  you should know beyter

I have to echo the words of my boss here.. New Yorkers are a proud folk. We carry ourselves with a bit of class, or so we like to think. As Hands we represent not only the people we work with, but every single resident of The Big Apple. I know I can stir the pot, but I try to do so in a respectful manner.

You may not have to "do shit" to get ahead, but some of us have had to work our asses off and would like to retain the pride of our accomplishments without them being tarnished by your contribution to this discussion started by someone who is now dead.

I know if it were myself or most anyone else that acted as you have today we'd be receiving a severe tongue lashing or worse. That's how things go and I've accepted that.

There was no need to return fire and air the dirty laundry of our city here for the world to see. These matters were internal and by doing so you have proven you are no better than the man you have stood here and insulted after he took his own life.

If I am struck down because of what I have said at least I know my descendants will always be able to find a home in these cities that will welcome us with open arms and that my loyalty and respect for the residents of New York was unwavering.

Normally, I'd be one of the first to jump on Whitey for something like this.

The 'rule' (I say rule, but its more of a code) has always been that you are not to piss on someone's grave. Granted what Whitey said was a little below the belt, but I'd much rather he said what he's said here than in the deceased funeral. We all know Whitey can be a bit 'highly strung' and that a reaction like this was the more likely one to occur, so I'm not sure as to why you guys are so shocked.

On the flip side, Whitey if you want to change people's opinion of you (as you know you're not the most popular guy around these shores) then you're going to have to learn to bite your tongue a little... no matter what someone says about your city or family. Mr. Steak has made it clear that he doesn't care much for people's opinions on him, hence why his reply is somewhat warranted. You however are much different, I sense that you DO want people to like and respect you. You have even asked me in the coffeeshops before why so many people dislike you. It's the overly-dramatic reactions you have to situations like this where you do nothing but point the finger at the perp and commence with a torrent of abuse... of which you usually later regret.

You want people to show you more respect? Show others more respect... even if they'd done something that's a slight on you or your boss you can still get your point across without resorting to name calling and curse words.

I'm not going to touch upon what Ballistic said because I don't really know, or care, what his reasonings were for ending his life or airing his dirty laundry like he did. My concerns lie with Don Cassi and the district of Brooklyn, NY.

And for that reason I feel obligated to speak on behalf of Whitey, who has taken a bit of what I perceive to be undeserved reprimand for his response to an obvious attack on his character. New Yorkers don't talk like what exactly? Mobsters? Perhaps I missed something that he said that was that out of line, but aside from bad language I don't see any issue with how he chose to speak, or the fact that he dumped gas on the corpse of a man who took a public shit on him in the streets.

Not all mobsters choose to speak like goddam bards from the Renaissance period trying to court a fair maiden off a horse. Not everyone speaks in fruity soliloquy. If I were to go to the theater to watch a motion picture about the mafia, and the characters in it spoke the way half of you dullards do here, I'd walk the fuck out and beat the ticket guy half to death for my money back.

And lets be real here, what Whitey said in response to Ballistic is coming off the heels of MY Godfather Phil_Steak calling the guy a twat, yet nobody said shit to him. Interesting. I think this example could be filed under Countdown's "Passive or Aggresive" conversation as "both".

My dealings with Ballistic were always positive, even in circumstances that were negative. If he had grievances he chose to air publicly before offing himself then that was his choice and frankly there isn't much anyone can do to change that now. But it's still a blemish on NY, and using it as a platform to springboard yet another jab at Whitey, who as far as I can see has served my Godfather quite faithfully at least in the short while I've been in this city, doesn't make NY look any better.

i dont address dead men. i address the living and those that fall under the banner of new york. no jabs have been thrown. only disapointment as hands of this city know better than act like that. my point is clear and to the point. you act like a man and act professionally at all points in time.

Admiral Ackbar was on his daily stroll down the streets as he heard a shot. He quickly increases his pace and hurry’s towards the place the shot came from. Spectators had gathered and it sounded like there was an argument going on around the already dead body.

Admiral Ackbar stood there, intimidated by the at least one thousand bodyguards that stood around the great mobsters that were shouting at each other and pointing at the dead body.

He heard Phil Steak talking about shot reports and  un maxed guns.. He took a good look as his own gun and thought to himself

‘What the heck does that even mean?’

’Was his gun not loaded ? or uhm, was his gun broken or something’ Admiral starts to become confused.

Whitey came running down the street and bowed over the dead body and started shouting about the past and what kind of fuck up Ballistic had been the past few months.

Admiral was already confused but got even worse as so called “Gods” got involved in the story.

‘How disrespectful…’ Admiral thought to himself

‘He’s already dead you know, show some respect’ Admiral mumbled, but wasn’t heard by a single mobster.

Silently Admiral walks off into a nearby alley completely confused about what the high ranked and well respected mobsters where talking about.

(OCC:  I am disappointed to see the Role Playing level drop around the streets)  

Whitey looks around somewhat confused, people seem to be talking about him or something

I didn't see you guys here, 'ol Ballistic has been taken care of, no need to worry. 

Whitey shrugs at the pile of ashes and walks off

Frank had been sitting off to the side on a bench listening to Ballzy's final words before taking his own life. He'd listened to everyone. He'd watched the body of a deceased crew mate be burned to ashes.

With a sigh, he shook his head in digust, and removed a pack of cigarettes from him pocket. He lit one and inhaled deeply.

I guess this is how we treat the dead and act in public nowadays....

And with that Frank returned the pack to his pocket, looked back at the ashes once more, shook his head, and left.

Lilac chews on her cheek, thinking, then speaks.

It has to be said, Whitey, that this is not the best advertisment to have on the streets for your district and city, sir.

I don't mind the swearing or foul language. I can handle the visuals. But there are two things that I find detestable about this.

Firstly, you've done this in public after your own superior, Godfather Steak, responded himself and clearly, for him, a few simple words were sufficient. He set the tone of the response; your actions were surplus to requirements.

From the outside, your display of futile rage casts a negative shadow on the reputation of New York, I'm afraid - it certainly isn't something I would have expected to see and I am quite shocked.

Secondly, this:

As for me dyin… I don't really care. My son will have no problem being welcomed back with open arms… It's a damn tragedy you probably won't be able to say the same for your's…

Whitey, this hints at something I see as one of the most despicable practices of our world: bloodlining. To infer that any man's son may not stand a chance due to his father's alleged incompetence or any other fault is...well, let me just say it's something I detest, personally. What's more, it certainly doesn't encourage those coming upon our shores for a fresh start that they stand much of a chance in New York and, therefore, hinders the future growth of your home.

It may be worth considering that, however passionately you may feel about something, it is usually wise to consider how you choose to present yourself rather than flying off the handle - particularly when you are a Right Hand Man of your city.

Deadly was on his way down the street after replying to Godfather Alexander. He notices Ballistic, a Consigliere from the city of New York. As he stands listening to Ballistic rant on he checks his holster and makes sure his gun is loaded - you can never tell with these kinds of people what their next move will be. As Ballistic drew his own gun, Deadly did the same while his bodyguards jumped out from behind hedges and bins to protect him. Much to everyone's surprise, Ballistic pointed his gun at himself and pulled the trigger.

Deadly checked his watch after everyone had finished speaking. He had enough time before the police or an ambulance arrived to say a few words to the people gathered. He put out the cigarette that he'd lit just up the road and began.

"I'm going to first address some of the points that Ballistic has made here. I know some people may view this as pointless seeing as Ballistic already took his own life, but these words will echo through the streets and I think it's only fair that an alternative opinion is echoed alongside it."

Deadly lights up another cigarette, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"I'm going to ignore all your slanderous comments against poor Whitey. Quite frankly the fact that you're complaining about back-stabbing, lying and ferocious ambition in the business we're in, makes me believe you were never cut out for this world in the first place. Ahh... I seem to have encountered a problem. I was going to retort to anything worthwhile that you said, but I've already run out of stuff. Okay, onto the stuff about Phil Steak."

Deadly takes a drag of the cigarette, quickly reminding himself of what was said.

"Arrogance? Paranoia? Interesting. As the person that gave Phil Steak his leadership position, to giving him his own city, to where he is today, I have not seen anything of his behaviour that would lead me to think this a problem. I will address both of these points individually."

"Arrogance - Phil Steak worked damned hard to get where he is today. He is in control of an entire city. He has earned the right to be arrogant, if he chooses to be so. Personally I don't see much, if any, arrogance coming from Phil."

"Paranoia - well now this is an interesting one. You say paranoia like paranoia is a bad thing. I will state for the record, that too much paranoia is very unhealthy and has lead to many bad decisions throughout the history of this thing of ours. That being said, a small amount of paranoia is actually quite good for staying alive in this thing. Think of this for an example... You may recall quite a while ago now that a certain person within this society approached Phil Steak and told him that there were people planning on making a move against myself including those from my own city. Of course I was dubious when presented with this information as at the time I did not think that my own would turn on me. However, due to the small amount of paranoia that is healthy for a person to possess, I asked Phil Steak to play along with this person to see how much truth there was to it. Guess what?! It turned out to be completely true. I foiled their plans and am still alive to this day, all thanks to that tiny paranoid voice in the back of my head that said 'what if..'."

"Oh, I almost forgot. Paranoia is nothing like pregnancy. Pretty sure I don't need to explain that one, anyone with a brain will know that for themselves."

Deadly takes another drag, checking his watch again to make sure he has plenty of time.

"Allies fewer? Funny, because last time I checked the city of Philadelphia still firmly has the back of our friends in New York as I know they have our backs, as it always has been between our two cities. Your speech seems like a riddle? Not really. If it was, the answer would be that you're clearly throwing your toys out of your pram because they pointed out your flaws, you got demoted from Right Hand, and you didn't like it."

"As to your question - 'What kind of leader holds a meeting where the main topic is what he is doing wrong/right or could be doing better?'. Well quite frankly the only answer to this that I can think of is a leader that wants to keep his people happy, and is willing to listen to people's concerns instead of forcing them down a path they don't want to be travelling. Seems like quite the friendly thing to do, to be honest."

Deadly looks around from left to right, and strains his hearing.

"Nope. Looks like nobody else is following you. I'm not entirely sure how you dying protects anyone at all.. the fact of it is that you're dead. You're protecting nobody now."

"You think rising to the top is an ironic and sad story? I highly doubt that. Sounds like another tantrum comment."

"You say you 'envy paranoids'... I say I pity you Ballistic. Too proud to go back to the drawing board and learn the necessary skills to succeed, you instead made a bad attempt at making your city look bad before killing yourself. Bravo."

Deadly sighs and shakes his head. He takes the last drag of his cigarette, stamps it out on the floor and carries on down the street.

Thomas makes a standard, generic appearance from the shadows with an unreadable expression of grim indifference.

"To the memory of Ballistic, as I have no desire to air my opinion of this little public display. He was however, a true gent to myself and I can only give him my thanks for that. He always answered my questions with the truth, very rightly slapped me down when I fucked up and had his heart in the family. I cannot fault a man for that."

"It is such a shame though it ended here"

"Grazie, Signore Ballistic, and Arrivederci."

Wiz finishes his blunt, and flicks the roach on the road. After hearing Ballistic's speech, he shakes his head and returns to his car and bodyguards.

I don't even know how to react to this. I can't say I'm happy with your decision Ballzy, but I respect it. I'm surprised suicide was your reaction to things. You always seemed to be stronger than that in my eyes. I wish your son luck if he makes it to this life of ours. 

Rest well my friend... I may not be able to make it to the funeral.

Silke emerges silently from the shadows, a mask of complete lack of emotion covering his face. Taking in all that witnessed the event and their reactions, he straightens to the position of attention and renders a perfect military salute to the dead.

“Thank you for all that you have done, my friend.” Silke whispers. “I will continue as you taught me and bring honor to our Family and City”.

As he finished, Silke let his salute fall and spun on his heels to disappear back into the shadows. A cold resolution fell over him as he set his mind to the tasks that now lay before him. Without his mentor, he would have to find his own way to bring honor to the Family and his City.

Countdown would be correct that this was better than the funeral, if the line wasn't so blurred by Whitey making this a cremation. I take no issue with the language used, my own is typically notably foul. The name calling certainly doesn't help, as it's typically a sign of weakness or just being petty in argument, but an emotional reaction could to an extent be expected to Ballistic's words.

A line was crossed with the descecration of the corpse though. I am not even making the argument that this is unacceptable for a mafioso, but this is the street, not the alley, and we have all been taught that in the streets you handle yourself with some decorum. Applauding the presence of maggots and then grinning while setting a body on fire in the middle of the public street is about as far from that as one can go. It's not just disrespectful to the people walking around who have to smell, and see, such a gruesome thing, it's uncivilized.

Whitey while Ballistic was far from pleasant toward you in the airing of his grievances, he was still a man you worked with. Not a villager in a town you invaded 700 years ago. Your words and actions are seen as representative of your city because of your position in it. This is a city with many good people (who I personally care about) whose image you are tarnishing by acting in a manner that is not acceptable for this venue. Your slanties come with responsibility. If they're enough justification for Epsilon to be resting in a mass grave right now soley for wearing them, they're certainly enough justification for you to behave like a respectable adult. 

The disrespect shown by Ballistic erase any relations he had with the city.
As for Whitey burning the body, this was at my request.
I didn't want a body to be available for the police to investigate a potential murder, even if it was a suicide. Whitey was simply instructed to ensure that the body was disposed before any investigation could be put in place. There were too many crimes Ballistic was associated with, and having his body readily available to the police is not something that could result in anything positive, as Ballistic had ties to other top level mafioso in New York including myself.

Let us also shun the suicide taken by this member. He had no blessing to be "out". He did not have my blessing to retire and leave this life. Ballistic spoke of the family to outsiders, breaking laws of Omerta as well as retiring from the family without my consent.

This man at that point should not be considered a made member, and should not be given the same respect that would be given to the deceased who keep their oaths.