Dagda had spent more time than usual of late, out in the streets perusing the whimsical mutterings of the common man. He didn't comment on them often - generally they did not concern him, even if they mentioned him. He had long been at peace with his place in the mortal world. He sat idly in the coffee shops and listened to the conversations, occasionally hearing an interesting nugget in between rants, arguments, and JimmyJr's (god rest his soul) nonsensical rambling. After which, he would return to his forest clearing for privacy and meditation, reflecting on what he had heard and what it meant.

Eventually, the desire within him to share his thoughts became powerful enough that he decided to come forth and speak a bit on the subjects that had been lodged in his mind. He made his way to the offices in Brooklyn, but he did not enter when the doorman opened up for him expectantly. He nodded with a smile, and walked past the building to the little alley that wrapped around the back of the building. A few homeless folks were gathered around a trash bin, which they had lit on fire to warm themselves against the cold January evening. Always more comfortable in firelight, this suited Dagda's purposes perfectly fine.

He joined the homeless next to the fire, causing them to stir and look at him uncomfortably - clearly they knew who he was, and didn't expect him to be happy with how they were utilizing the alley behind his offices. He noticed they seemed to be shrinking away from him, trying to melt into the shadows.

"Fear not friends, I come only to speak, not to scold. You are as welcome here as any other."

The garbage fire smelled a bit, so Dagda pulled some sage and herbs from his coat pocket and sprinkled them into the flames. The effect was almost instantaneous - the fire ceased smelling of burnt ass and began to feel more like the forest to him. The homeless folks continued to eye him nervously, as though they could not believe he was only there for a friendly chat. Sure enough, before long the doorman came around the corner, followed by several mafiosi from inside the offices. Obviously they were curious as to what he was up to out here in the cold, when he had a perfectly stuffy and warm office upstairs. He beckoned them to join him, and the homeless folks melted into the shadows in earnest, hiding themselves from the view as a small crowd of criminals began to build around the trash bin fire.

"Good evening friends. Undoubtedly you are wondering why we have gathered here tonight by this fire. I have some thoughts I'd like to share with you, and hopefully hear your thoughts on my thoughts. A bit of lively discussion can do wonders." He smiled out over the fire at the people gathered around him.

"I grow older every day, and at times this life feels like a burden. I love New York and I love our way of life, but I would be lying if I said I'd not considered going back to Otherworld multiple times over the past few months. My true home lies in the trees, not in this concrete jungle of lies and manipulation. It is something that weighs on me often, this life.

Fear not, I'm not about to retire and ride off into the sunset. I am still needed here, for various reasons. I only mention it to shed some light on my state of mind and my reasons for coming out here today. To date I have survived five legitimate attempts on my life - two in the past week alone. Clearly there is unrest out there in our world, not to mention the nominal jealousy or dislike of those in power that is to be expected.

I hear the murmurs and complaints, the whinging and the whining. Peace is boring, they say. Our world is stagnant, they say. A fair observation to make in reality - peace does breed stagnation and decay at times - that is undeniable. But for years it was rare for there to be a single godfather in every city, let alone nearly having one in each district. Surely peace has it's strong points, does it not? Yet, I know that were it the other way around, with bloodshed every other week and mafiosi being shot in their sleep across the country, I would still be the bad guy. Alas, such is the way of our world. You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

Dagda smiled, more to himself than anyone else, and paused for a moment to warm his hands by the fire. He contemplated a bit on what he would say next.

"I've always been a legacy over longevity man. I didn't set out to be a leader, or a godfather, or to 'get to the top' so to speak. I didn't want to see how long I could survive or how long we could be on top. I wished for none of these things. When I arrived on these shores I had a single purpose: serve Bosco as best as I could. After some time, circumstances required that I take the mantle of leadership, and eventually godfather. I did not wish it, yet naturally I would never turn the opportunity down when presented. A rock solid alliance between myself and Qui-Gon-Jinn blossomed into something more than just an alliance of friendship. For some time now, every city has been occupied by either a direct product of Philadelphia or New York, or an indirect one via those direct alliances. Our friends and allies have received opportunities and reached new heights along with us. We have enjoyed peace and prosperity for months on end. I am proud of what we have achieved."

He was starting to sound sentimental, so he decided to switch the tact of his monologue.

"How does one decide when it is time to go? I remember reading about just such a question in one of my ancestor's journals. It is something that has been discussed before in these streets, of course. But opinions change. Motivations and circumstances change. Our world, despite it's tendency to be cyclical, is an ever changing and molding world. But I digress - I did not intend for this to be about retirement - although I'd certainly hear your thoughts on it if you wish to share."

He stared into the flames for a while, almost as if he was trying to see his reflection within them. Sensing he was not yet finished, no one interrupted his reverie. 

"Much has been said of late about the (relatively) recent changes within our world. Notably, distance has had a profound effect on our world, altering the way we think about and execute war. I've heard arguments from both camps, whether it is good or bad for our world as a whole. I tend to lean towards the opinion that it will eventually be seen as a good thing. You may say I am only saying that because I have benefitted from it as people learn the ins and outs. This is true in some respects, it has benefitted me at times and hindered me at others. But overall, I think a shakeup to how we operate, and a return of mystique regarding how things work, will greatly benefit our world in the long run. I guess only time will tell.

As ever, 'new blood' is a topic in various avenues, and it's a topic I tend to react to often. There is this never-ending presumption from certain sects that proven, reliable bloodlines should be passed over for opportunities simply to give that opportunity to a person young to these shores. This ideal baffles me to some degree: why would I pass over someone I trust and value for a new bloodline who may not actually be new? I am by no means against new blood having opportunities, should they earn them. If they have shown themselves to be the best option for the position, they will be offered it 9/10 times. As I mentioned elsewhere, I myself have offered opportunities to new bloodlines in New York, and been turned down for legitimate, worthy reasons. Some people just aren't ready to make the leap, or can't be sure of their time commitment, and I respect that. It takes a lot of sense to look at the situation practically rather than jumping the gun. And lets be real: there isn't a lot of new blood to choose from. Some people make it seem like there is this tidal wave of eager, bug eyed newbies chomping at the bit to join our thing and rise up the ranks - this just simply is not true, unfortunately. It's been discussed at length in other areas but I still feel like saying my bit on it. Our way of life is an acquired taste that the younger generation isn't inclined to. They see it and immediately are put off because there are no pretty pictures on the wall to entertain them. There are a lucky few who meet someone genuinely interested in them and a bond is formed - those are the ones that stick around and develop into true mafiosi. Perhaps rather than whining about them not getting chances, we should be making greater effort to make them feel welcomed? Just a thought."

Once again Dagda paused and stared into the flames. He was beginning to miss his forest clearing, the rustle of leaves and the scurrying of creatures in the brush. He decided it was time to wrap up.

"Lastly, I'd just like to take a moment and give out a broad congratulations to the several recent godfather ascensions we have had across the country. I am an old man and regretfully do not feel up to making the rounds and visiting each other their speeches. Hopefully it is sufficient to say that I am glad to see our community reaching new heights, regardless of any outside perspectives.

Why have I said all this, you may be wondering? To what purpose does my speech serve? Frankly, no purpose other than an old man's thoughts on random subjects, in attempt to stir a bit of conversation, for better or worse. I just felt like talking. If you sat patiently through the whole thing, I thank you for your time."