Just over a week after the death of her mother, Anna went to visit a local stonemason to pick out a headstone to be prepared for the grave. The earth was still too unsettled the place the stone, but one of the things her mother had requested of her was that she deal with the stone at the earliest opportunity; "You never know, Anna, when your own life may be cut short. Do this for me, ask your own daughter to do it for you. Don't let a family grave go unmarked". Words her mother had spoken to her just before she'd moved to Chicago to take her own mothers place.

She chose the headstone, black granite, to be marked simply, and in gold lettering:

ZIVA
FEDERAL AGENTS

 As she paid the stonemason, she found herself thinking of the other lessons her mother had taught her, in various forms. The odd line scribbled at the end of a letter, words written in her birthday cards, things her mother had said in person before she'd left. Little tidbits of advice to help Anna when she started her own life in this world - she realized this now. At the time though, she'd had no idea.

Walking out of the shop, still deep in thought, she soon found herself leaned against a lamp post on a busy street, eyes fixed on a spot in the road, lost in her thoughts. When two cars almost collide on the road in front of her, leading to a plethora of horns beeping and threats shouted out of windows, before both drove on, she was snapped out of her thoughts, and decided that it was time to share them.

We come to this world, many of us, fresh and new. A blank page to make an impression on. Sometimes we are lucky enough that we can learn lessons from the journals of our ancestors, and this gives us guidance through our first steps, teaches us how to find a family, teaches us how to impress early doors. It gives us some knowledge from a young age of how to conduct ourselves and carry ourselves if we are to ever become men and women with the button.

My own mother taught me lessons. She taught me to speak up, speak out, to be vocal, to have presence. To give the world something solid to remember me by when I'm gone. Sure, she taught me to try to have a little more tact than perhaps she sometimes did, but she taught me the value of honesty, of speaking ones mind as much as possible.

She taught me how to begin to think of earning my keep, left instructions as to where to find the dealers most likely to give me preferential rates on my transactions.

She taught me, one rainy Sunday afternoon, on her final visit back home, how to keep and balance the books for a business, even one designed as a front to launder money.

She taught me the value of good friends and a good family.

Bearing in mind the lessons I was taught by my mother, I was wondering whether anybody else had had similarly helpful messages passed down the family line, so to speak. And, when your time draws close - what would you leave to guide your next of kin in following your footsteps?

It seems odd being so new to this world to even consider that, but I do think for myself, the main thing I would try to pass down would be my own mothers advice on street presence. It isn't always glamorous; hell, I'm not getting rich quick doing it, but I've found it very beneficial in other, more subtle ways so far.

So, please; won't you think of the children?

when your time draws close - what would you leave to guide your next of kin in following your footsteps

The words echoed in Danas' head for a few minutes as she listened to the woman speak, after a few moments of gathering her thoughts she composed herself and stepped up to speak;

"Beloved, my friends, my family... and other associates. In my time here I have witnessed many things, some I was proud to be a part of and others I would like to have done something about. If not for the experiences of my ancestors I wouldn't know what the consequences of taking matters in to my own hands were. If not for those who came before me, who thought to pass down notes and journals to leave pearls of wisdom for their next generation my lifespan here may have been shorter then it is destined to be. To those children just stepping on these shores I would note that there is a time to act, and a time to hold ones tongue. If you see something wrong, as I have some things of late the best thing to do is pass those problems up the 'chain of command'. Hopefully you have an associate as I am proud to say I do, who is willing to at least listen and sometimes just talking is all that is required. You can probably see the Irish in the bloodline so you know we have a temper and there were times members of my bloodline would reach for a weapon instead of a pen. These days however are not those days.

It boils down to this then, the pen is indeed mightier then the *coughs* sword. You, being the fresh faced kid off the boat have no power to speak of except the power to make friends and influence people. If you want to make true change that will take time for the ways of this world are not changed by those fresh off the boat. They are not brought about by the gun, change in this world is brought about by the pens of those in power. The weapons, they just provide a means to an end at times to the words of those men and women written with a pen."

Dana looks over the gathered and sighs

"If I were to vanish into the shadows for a month, and come out here and look at the crowd again I would undoubtedly see a very different cast of faces. That says something of this thing of ours, that change is inevitable. My advice then, to the next generation is to make that change the best you can that your children will see the fruits of your work and be better for it."

what would you leave to guide your next of kin in following your footsteps?

Don't be a dick.

The first thing I always seem to acquire from my ancestors, is honesty. I think it's important to be honest around people, and to not just feed them bullshit. You know exactly where you stand with me, if I don't like you, you'll know about it, if I do like you, I'm quite the opposite of public perception. This kind of attitude has led to a few of my bloodline being hated by more than a few people. If those people want to hate me because of it, I couldn't give two shits really. At least you know that I'm not buttering you up, and then running your name through the dirt when you aren't looking, cause with me, I'll do it when you're looking too!

Another thing, which is sort of tied in with the first thing, is having a back bone. Grow some balls, and say it how it is. Don't beat around the bush, or try to make people like you by being the nice guy, if that genuinely isn't you. Don't like something someone did? Tell them! Don't cower away.

The third thing is to try to give people something to remember you by. Whether it's being one of the big hitters of our world, or building an empire to rival any other city. When you die, will people remember you? If they won't, what the fuck have you been doing all this time!?

The last thing, and one of the most important aspects, in my opinion, is loyalty. I can only recall one time where my ancestors have been disloyal towards their Crewleader/Godfather, and that was due to being misinformed on a few things. I'm sure if they could take it back now, they would. Loyalty is important to show, it's one of our core values. If you aren't loyal to your Crewleader/Godfather, why are you in the family or city? Disloyal members are bad for business.