Who are you? Why are you here? What do you want?

Taking a swig of his ever-present bottle of vodka, Jerusalem stares up at the sky, pondering for a moment.

These are easy enough questions to ask, and if you're one of those who puts forth the minimal amount of effort in life, easy enough questions to answer.

But for those of us who expect more, these can be some of the most difficult questions we face in our life.

Who are you? I am a son. A brother. A cousin. A friend. An associate. I am all these and I am more. My name is Jerusalem, but is that who I am? Am I defined by my name or is my name defined by me? What of the legacy left behind by my father and my father's fathers. Is that me, is that what I will live up (or down) to, or is it just history to be forgotten? Who am I? I don't know. Yet. But I trust that someday I will.

Wandering down the street, he spies a bum and yells "Get a job yeh lazy git!" before continuing as if nothing happened.

Why are you here? The simple answer, of course, is to be a productive member of our society. To knock over post offices and deal drugs, all in the name of making my family stronger and more profitable. But is that all there is for me in this life? Or can I aspire to something bigger? Already I'm more than I expected to be. But can I be still more? Can I use my voice and have it mean something? To stand in the shadows of giants and find a way to make a difference - that is why I am here.

Taking another swig of vodka, only to find the bottle empty, he chucks it backwards without a glance, a muttered "fucking OW!" following him into the night as he continues wandering the street.

What do you want? To make a difference. To leave things better than when I first stepped foot onto these shores. To speak truth to those who need to hear it, and challenge those who need to be challenged. I want to do good and to be good, I want to be a help to those who need it. I don't want to be silent, I don't want to be anonymous, I don't want to stifle my voice, to be too afraid to speak up and speak out.


So. That's me, then. What about you? Who are YOU? Why are YOU here? What do YOU want?

I'm Exxo. Long-time mafioso, a wise guy with more value in his mind than his pocket. I've been around a while, and my bloodline has been around much longer. Am I my bloodline? No. But it's a large chunk of the way I act and what I say.

Unlike most of our society, my main goal isn't to make money. I'm not here to drive profits and murder down fellow criminals. While I take part in both of those activities, I find my purpose to be much simpler: I try to keep things simple and logical. New York is my primary employer, and Reason comes next. In discussions such as these, I like to give my two cents to provide my thoughts, not only to support or oppose an idea, but for the sake of discussion altogether.

What do I want? That's the easiest question of all. It's pretty similar to what you want; but for a different reason. I'm not looking to change things for change's sake, rather to change things that need fixed, and make sure our criminal world is aware and working towards its potential.

I'd like to see other responses; as I expect to see multiple personalities represented in our world these days. The earners, the hitters, the aristocrats, the jailers, the pocketpicks, the lazy-asses (yeah I may fall in there too). I certainly hope to see more responses to this.

You're right these are easy questions to ask. I would even go as far to say that these are very cliche questions to ask. However, that does not change the fact that they are good questions. Sometimes these questions need to be asked to remind ourselves what the answers are... or maybe even should be.

I am a man who is in service to his family and his city. Nothing more, nothing less.

I am here only because I choose to be. Nothing more, nothing less.

I am always wanting more. More power, respect, loyalty, honour, valor. But most of all I want to earn all of this, not for it to be given to me. Nothing more nothing less.

I know what I've said sounds cliche, however, it is what I believe in and believe how most everyone should answer these questions. Maybe not in those words but in theory anyways. I agree with Exxo on wanting to hear other peoples response. Maybe I could be wrong on how these questions should be answered.

Jimmers walks into this public forum and realizes that the conversation at hand is much larger than him or anyone else currently involved in it. He is slightly taken back by the subject matter and needs to take a moment to gather his thoughts and put together a chain of thought that is not only understood by the outside world, but one which truely reflects his thoughts on the matter. He hopes that his answer or rather his contribution to the conversation is valuable - if not, it doesn't matter because in essence,the answers to these questions don't matter, it's the actions that take place after them.

I'm in agreement with Tyrant on the fact that these questions do sound very cliche and also that his answers sound very cliche - one only deserves the other really. I don't think he could have put it any better and that's a great politically correct answer. If every member in our society were to do waht he just stated, we'd have a perfectly functioning society. I do argue however, that these answers don't matter and nor do these questions. While they are very nice to reflect upon, no one really cares what you say you're hear to do, or what you are trying to do,but rather they care about the actions and your path you take to get there.

"actions speak louder than words" - Another great cliche that I feel like fits in perfectly with this situation. It's one thing to say that you're hear. It's another to prove it.

Here are my thoughts on the matter though: Everything I do in this game is about me.

Yes, you heard me, everything I do in the game is about me. I do it for me, and I do it because in the long run, it's going to help me. Some might say that this is selfish - i'd say those people are ignorant. I haven't even told you what me means. Me could be that I'm selfish and that walk these streets trying to get to the top. Trying to prove myself and show that I am better than everyone else. I'm sure that's the path many take on these streets. I don't believe you can fault them for it, it's only natural.

Then there is another point of view on the idea of me. Me could be the everything that I represent or value in this game. It could be the idea that my place in this world is only kept by the values and ideas I take with me. If I were to say I do what I do for me, it could be inferred that I do it to help my family - I am a member of my family, and my family defines a part of me. Doing things for me could take the form of helping fellow friends out, as that helps me, because in this world, I'm only a strong and powerful as those I choose to surround myself with. Or maybe it just means I do it for me to make me happy - however that is. Happiness can be found in many places and ways.

I know this is a very vague answer but it is also a very vague question. Not a bad question - I feel like it's a great question, it's just a vague one. I don't know if many will understand this, as obviously it hold personal power as oppose to a common understandable one but I do want to leave with this idea and maybe this will help.

I Do Everything In This Game For Me - but it's what defines me that makes me whom I am. Me is a collection of things and overall, the asnwer to the question, who I am is I am me. And Only me will ever really know who and why that is.

Who are you? Why are you here? What do you want? The words ring in Radioactivity's mind, as he races for answers. His first time in this life has been interesting so far, but listening to the speeches made the past 24 hours has made him think of these questions constantly. Finally, he thinks of the answers he needs. Before stepping up, he dusts himself off and makes himself presentable for the massing crowd. He clears his throat loudly so that his voice can be heard.

Who am I? My name is not important, for I plan to prove who I am by my actions in this world. They say actions speak louder than words, and I will be an example of that, and prove with my worth with what I do, instead of leading you all up with words. Who am I? That is yet to be seen, but I look forward to showing you.

Why am I here? I am here because I wanted to make something out of myself. I wanted to prove to myself, and those who knew me before, that I can be something special, even if it is in a life of crime. I also hear you can make pretty good money with this lifestyle. Radioactivity chuckles a bit before continuing. I'm here to be who I want to be, and help my family achieve greatness.

What do I want? I want to make a name for myself. My father abandoned me when I was young, I want to prove that I can be a better man than he. I want to prove that I can be who ever I want to be. I want to prove that I can do what I put my mind to. I want to prove who I am.

With all that said, I'm off to prove my words with actions.

Radioactivity wipes the sweat from his brow, looks out to his audience with a bit of a grin. As he walks off into the distance, you can vaguely see him pick the pockets of an unsuspecting passerby.

Fuckin', ow!

LoveGun cried out as the vodka bottle Jerusalem tossed hit her in the head, he probably did it on purpose. She scrunched up her face and charged forward, taking pace next to him. LoveGun rubbed her head, glaring up at him, but it didn't look like he noticed her hints as he kept going on answering his own questions. Which was silly, the whole point of questions is for someone else to find you the answer. Like herself, she could already feel her brain start to tick.

Here, here!

She called out, punching her bottle of rum into the sky before taking a sip. LoveGun then offered it to Jerusalem. She'd be keeping an eye on this bottle, she didn't want a black eye as well.

I find that th' easiest th'n t' be answer'n from your barrel o' questions be who does all hands expect me t' be.

LoveGun paused before continuing her thought. A smile crossed her face as her words started to slip past her lips in an electric charged energetic sort of way.

I'm suppose t' be a lustily well mannered member o' society. Polite. A lass that knows her place an' has dinner set on th' table fer when her husband comes home from work.

LoveGun stopped dead in her tracks, daring anyone to believe that. When no one slapped her and reminded her what sort of criminal life she lived, she continued on with a much more serious tone in her voice.

I'm suppose t' be a high ranked mafioso, professionally trained blastedly right hand t' th' Godfather o' Philly. I'm suppose t' be talk proper, suppose t' learn from th' journals o' me previous criminal ancestors an' nay have a past o' work wi' pirates. I'm also nay suppose t' call people seagull, Seagull.

I'm suppose t' work salt-blastedly hard, pour me blood an' sweat into this life that I've chosen. It's me job t' help out th' city an' all its members. I'm suppose t' be loyal, t' keep this city protected from any who dare destroy it, big or blunderingly small. I'm suppose t' be a carbunculously powerful an' an active role model t' those blunderbustingly new t' our shores. I'm suppose t' have a presence in our world, a voice an' a mind t' speak. A style o' how I do business, connections an' how I make booty.

This brings me astern t' square one. Who be I? Th' only way t' truly know be t' watch me become someth'n o' myself. T' take this rank o' Wise Guy an' turn it into someth'n better. Thar be a difference b'tween say'n someth'n an' do'n someth'n. Me words be only words until I put action behind them.