Sammy tended to hangout on the streets quite often, and rarely had much to say other than passing a story or two from his past. It may have been to much nicotine or whiskey from the night before but today he had something on his mind that he just wanted to air out.

“You know what really keeps me up at night?” he said approaching the proverbial soapbox making sure the only people who could hear him were somehow ‘connected’". 

He paused to light up a cigarette, hoping to calm his anxiety of being front and center.

“In this little thing of ours, we spend our days rolling up our sleeves and doing work that most wouldn’t have the stomach to do. We put ourselves and the ones we care about in danger, and some would say, that takes a certain kind of personality. I get doing what you gotta’ do to put bread on the table ya’ know but look around at this little community of ours and notice some of the bloodlines we have all known for some time.”

Now, after shaking off some of the nerves, Sammy spoke a little louder.

“Whatever, I guess the point I am trying to get at here is society has deemed us the deplorables. But when I look around these streets for the most part, I see some of the nicest people I have had the pleasure to meet. So, at the end of the day, what makes us flip a switch if you will and turn from friends to rivals at the drop of a hat? What allows us to become what society says we are in the heat of the moment? What allows us to be so cordial by day, but on occasion, so ruthless in the night?

Sammy waited to see what others had to think about the topic.

Scarface saw him and opened his mouth to speak like he usally does but stoped because he couldn't think. Later when he came back he said "Well people have mood changes for instance say I robbed the bank with other members or assocites of a family we must be tight. But say someone gets mad over there share of money then they can become enemy's. It's really brotherhood and omreta and our power that to me make us tick."

With that Scarface went over to Shellfish Thomspon resturant he needed some fish.

Waving to TheExecutioner as he walked away, Sammy turned to Mr_Keating .

"I guess I don't quite understand what you mean? Hell, I can barely rad and write. So what exactly makes you think that?"

Noticing Sammy talking about what makes us tick, he laughed at his thought as he walked up to Sammy and Mr_Keating. "I have to running out of cigs after the store is closed. What a pain in the ass!" 

Julius listened as Sammy was speaking, occasionally nodding at some of the points illustrated. What make us tick? Flip a switch? The answer became less personal the more Julius thought about it rather something shared. An instinct that comes naturally to mankind.

"Survival." It's our only crime really. "We do what we must to survive."

Not wanting to risk going off on a tangent, as he so often does, Julius kept it brief.

Looking towards Julius , Sammy smiled.

"Ya' know, that is a very valid point. But I guess part of my counter argument would be then why are we so nice to each other the rest of the time? You would think that there would be more a of natural born tribalism here that would keep us all somewhat divided. But, as I can tell, the overwhelming majority do not feel divided. Some of the long standing good natured relationships between the different city leaders across the country would show."

I would think it still applies, respecting others is a great way to avoid being wound up six feet under. Sometimes that respect is feigned and part of a long term strategy. Other times it's genuine like what we see today. Perhaps a huge part of the reason for such unity is due to majority of the city heads originating from the same city. Whatever the case is, we've long evolved from the natural born tribalism as you described because it was bad for business. Doing whatever it takes to survive is good. That includes fostering relations, sustaining peace, etc.

"War is a great cause of wide spread peace. Like Julius said ,"Doing what ever it takes to survive is good" It really is best intrest to me that make's us tick. If we go to war we belive that it's done for a right reason which is in our intrest we shoot kill and steal to please ourselves and fufil our wants our intrests. Its almost like greed" He walks away.

Shrugging his shoulders to Julius in recognition of what he was saying.

"You could be right, that is a very valid point. I think it may be a vast majority of it. But, I still wonder if there are any other opinions out there."

SammySoul - the Competitive Writing Community is a group of individuals with a creative streak.  We are engaged in the organisation and implementation of competitions, often incentivised, which cause quite a stir on the streets.  At present, I'm working with a few others members of the CWC to bring about a new contest.

We are gonna aim for as few casualties as possible, this time.

I think the ability to turn from cordial in the daylight and ruthless at night is one some might deem sociopathic, but I believe it comes at a cost.  The cost in this case is whatever piece of our soul we sacrifice the first time we turn to violence.  Whether that violence leads to greater harm or even death is up to us adn how much of our soul we're willing to give away. 

Personally I became who I am due to tragedy and the way I was forced to handle it.  Although I felt as though I hadn't changed, the violence I perceived made me angry and therefore prone to more violence.  Some people can go through great tragedy and survive unchanged, I was not one of those people. 

We all know what make kuku tick.

Its the kuku-watch and thats very important to know for all.

Me myself make me tick when ordinary people are good and make other glad and so on.

perhaps this is what everone should try to be instead of harrassing other way to often.

Hope everyone have it the best this time of year.

And if not make sure to get to it instead of being to non ticking which aint so good.

Looking around at all of the recent onlookers.

“Mr_Keating As much as I enjoy competition. I can’t say that a competitive writing community is exactly what makes people tick.” he said shrugging in confusion.

Now turning his attention towards Cherry_Darling…

”Thank you got that input, I can see where life circumstances could definitely condition people to be able to flip in and out of survival mode easily.”

He paused and surveyed the area and listened to Tutte …

”It seems a lot of s discussions in the streets these days are being tainted with the drama surrounding whom ever this ‘Kuku’ person may be, but I personally have to say some of us have no idea who it is. And it baffles me that some dead person is now the talk of the town.”

Tutte looks at SammySoul and after a short while says to him

"if not knowing what Kuku have done is very weird, he had done so many bad things that made so many of us just shakes  our head in anger after all he had done and if not knowing who is is it is easy to spot him since he never can hide from us"

Its pretty amazing that this guy dont knwo what he had done which made us very furiuos.

Tutte let it be and lights a smoke to seetle his nerves after thinking all that guy done to so many in years.

SammySoul - Kuku was a distant relative of mine.  The only thing I have in common with my ancestry is a love of words, poetry, and incentivised competitive writing. 

Tutte cannot seem to move on from the past.  That means he is missing the happiness of the present and the potential of the future. 

And dont forget to say you were banned for long after cheating and shit and showing  picture of horrifying things to all, were many that neve rforgett hat, no sorrys or anything, just thinks all forgets and moves on, never, the kuku-watch is on and ready for action!

Sammy once again scratched his head in confusion...

"Tutte , so is this person Mr_Keating or someone from his ancestral lineage? The tense in which we are talking about this KuKu fella' keeps changing leaving me to believe we are speaking of Mr_Keating."

He paused for a moment to make himself clear...

"All I am simply trying to say here is everyone deserves to be forgiven for the crimes of their fathers in this thing of ours. In my opinion, the only thing more dangerous than someone who cheats, and whatever other allegations there are no matter how true or false they may be, is not allowing new voices to rise up to fill our ranks. If we do not allow this than over time this life of ours will become more and more based on 'bloodlines' than it already is. And I personally do not think that will be good for business."

Turning to Mr_Keating ...

"Do you care to elaborate on that one a little more? Are you claiming Tutte is defining himself based on the actions of this Kuku individual? It would seem that this Kuku individual is even older than that. These feuds remind of the Hatfield's & McCoy's , bloodlines plagued by past transgressions done by ghosts who are no longer with us."