Daiquiri walks out to the streets to find a box to stand on. She wasn’t really from a line who did that often, but why should that stop her from doing so now? Maybe she is from a line which suffers from stage fright and is ultra coy. It doesn’t matter, she is here now and she has something to say. She steps up upon her box and goes about catching people's attention. 

As people began to gather, she began to nervously speak…

“Greetings Ladies and Gentlemen. I would like to start a general conversation about bloodlines. I will be using Don twigs as an example." 

"Ever since the war ended there have been many queries about my leader’s, Don twigs’, bloodline. Many have been muttering to each other about it, ‘What bloodline is twigs from?’ they say. Even though I can understand the questioning behind it, I can’t help but wonder ‘Why is it so important?’." 

She paused to take a sip from her flask. It sure was thirsty work trying to talk out loud. The anxiety was real as her palms were beginning to sweat. She took a deep breath and continued to speak…

“As Don twigs’ right-hand lady, I have seen many telegrams that he has got from people trying to work it out. We have also seen it in a newspaper, with the rumours about him 'apparently' being from the ‘Goku Tree’, which by now, most of you will have realised isn’t true.” She couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “We have also seen people within the coffee shops wonder too. So here I am, standing in front of you all to ask that question instead of wondering it. Why is it so important to know?” 

She paused again for a moment to take a sip from her flask as she wished for something stronger to drink, before resuming to speak.

“Who is Don twigs? I can tell you he is very engaging with his members at The Forest headquarters. As a family, and on a one-to-one basis at times too. Even as our leader he gives the impression he is approachable and is actually there for us. I have seen him work tirelessly in getting this world back up and running from the ashes of the war alongside the other leaders. This shows he can deal with the organisation and politics too. Aren’t these things what matter the most? When it comes to one of the leaders of our world?"

"Who is Don twigs? I can further tell you, that his line has never been in the position he is in right now before. That should please those of you who love to moan ‘Yo dude, it’s always the same lines! *snorts*’ types. Right? Or is that still not enough to be content in knowing that?"

"At the end of the day, this conversation, as I stated at the start, isn’t entirely about Don twigs, it’s about bloodlines and the need people have in being the ‘all-knowing tree of knowledge' types. So, Does it really, really matter to you? Which bloodline your leader belongs to? If so, Why? The floor is all yours”

Daiquiri stepped down from the box to allow room for anyone who wished to engage in the conversation.

A man approaches the gathered crowd looking simple as if he were the unfortunate recipient of a botched lobotomy his skin greyed his eyes glassed, lifeless even. As if standing before the community were not a man at all but the undead, the man removes from his hip a suspicious pouch of the finest silk how a man so unruly came across something so refined was a mystery in itself but from the pouch a mystery indeed is revealed as a crystalline object adorned with the finest jewels is produced. The gaze of the simpleton is widened as he holds the skull he is heard mumbling lowly to himself before it becomes apparent he is possessed by this artifact he then begins to speak loudly in a rasp as if his words were not his own

”It bears mention that it matters not to me as an entity what bloodline a person stems, but you see an apple tree will produce fruit and that fruit in turn will produce an apple tree. History has shown that on these shores some of these trees only produce rotten apples, apples that become sour, poisonous even. Would you want a tree of poisonous apples feeding your loved ones? I think not. And so in relation many people seek out these trees so they can be avoided, monitored, or in the worst of cases culled. For you see this thing we have here is worth protecting at any cost, as I’m sure we all know to well after recent events, that cost means different things to different people. I firmly believe the crimes of a persons fore fathers ought not be held against them, but they ought to be observed to know what said person is capable of.”

Iron Mike saw well know Las Vegas Mobster Daiquiri making a speech standing on a box. He listhned to see if he could follow the conversation. The baddeth man on the planet loved listening to a good public speaker. Must be something to do with his lispth, hearing someone raise interesting points was always high on his priorities list.

Mike notices Daiguiri looking to him for a response. How could she miss him? Iron Mike is 5 foot 9, 200lbs of pure aggression. His 20 inch super vascular neck visibly contracts as he swallows to compose himself for a reply. The reply rings out in a high pitched voice.

"Letth fathe it thome people jutht love to be nothey"

Iron Mike realized spouting cliches would not be enough so he continues.

"I have no idea of the family tree of my bothss Denith. Doeth it bother me? Not one iota. We are here for a thhort time & I intend to have fun. Denith ith a fun guy & letth me do my thing. Why would I conthern mythelf with who hith grandad thix timeth removed wath?"

Iron Mike scratches his bald dome.

"I think the main interetht in bloodlineth cometh down to thothe who want to hold or seize power. Keep your friendth clothe keep your enemieth clother, that sort of thing. Iron Mike's only interetht in power ith the power he can generate with an uppercut...The other opthion whith ith quite thad to conthider ith people have a burning need to know the bloodlines of people as they harbour thuth bitter hatredth for thome memberth of thociety they would hate to have an aththociathion with these individualth muth lethth have an inadvertent good time in their family. That would be dithguthting. Muth eathier to keep people in sight & keep the old grudgeth going."

With that Iron Mike turns & heads off to the gym. HeadCoach had recently put him on a brutal squats regime while muttering something under his breath about 'glutes for the sloots' & looking good in leisurewear being much more important than life.

Being out and about as he usually was, Void liked to lend a listening ear to whatever topics are being discussed in the streets. A lot of the recent musings had to do with the events of the past weeks, something that he was not familiar with given his more recent arrival after the fact.

In the tone of Daiquiri's voice and various telling signs of body-language Void recognised much of his own reservations to engage in public discourse. Inspired by the speech from one of a similar disposition he began thus...

I can imagine that this topic was inspired by the discussion a few blocks down the city. I think it goes to show that this subject is both an interesting and relevant one, not to mention its timeless nature.

What strikes me is that both now and historically I've found that many hold conflicting opinions on this. On the one hand you often hear the mantra of 'rotten trees bear rotten fruit', and then a few seconds later one immediately hears the conflicting idea that 'The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son'.

To pose another possible answer to the question of 'Why?' besides the point of 'genetically inherited behaviour' presented by CrystalSkull, I think some people might also be afraid that historical bloodline ties could outweigh the loyalty to whatever crew someone might belong to. I would like to state that this general mistrust is not one that I personally share.

I believe that a paranoid attitude towards lineages can unfairly disadvantage those whose kin has not been previously involved in this world in 2 ways:
1. Saying 'I don't have any predecessors' can spark mistrust if someone believes that they could be hiding their 'rotten tree'.
2. If mobsters get favored because of their bloodline then newer lineages are naturally one step behind the rest.

I'm personally of the rather controversial opinion that one should be judged for their own actions instead of those taken by an earlier relative and that this should cut both ways, one should not be negatively nor positively favored because of who they descend from. This is also why I've also always a certain form of respect for the fellows colloquially referred to as incognito. In a way they choose to not be revered because of what daddy did, and force themselves to prove their own merit.

After this mouthful of words and opinions Void clears his throat and gives his ever-faithful feline companion perked on his shoulder a pat on the head. Turning back to the gathering crowd with a slight smirk on his face he then says

As for the seemingly much-speculaculated family-tree of our lovely Don twigs, I think a few mysteries here and there will serve to entertain the general public, no?

Jester was a man on a mission in the streets these days. He finds himself listening to another age old discussion that as always - still deserves the time of day and attention on the streets that it’s getting…

“So. Twigs is from the Goku bloodline. Got it.”

Jester starts walking away and then breaks out into an uncomfortably loud cackle and starts slapping his knee.

”You know, no one is wrong here. I’ve read in the all infamous journals about a family tree who killed everything once they were given power. Curtis, Disorder or something like that. You’d be foolhardy to put his relative in a position of power and think that he wouldn’t kill you. Yet, he was a nice guy with the gift of gab. Right up until he killed you. It continuously placed him in regarded positions here in our community.”

”However, I don’t think that his case needs to be the case for all gangsters here. You see, I feel that success is often hinged upon our ability to work with others - and that to me is a two way street. I feel that by being fair, engaging and trusting - there are those “bloodlines with roguearrific tendencies which you can reel in to be useful parts of the team.”

”Really, it comes down to having a good read on the people around you. Eventually I’ll bet we’re all going to be wrong and die, and such is the cycle here, or so I’ve heard. But - looking at every bloodline and assuming they have the same characteristics is unfair and toxic. Assuming a bloodline is going to treat you the same as they treated someone else is also unfair and toxic.”

As people are giving the noble/virtue signally answers (depending on your preference) about bloodlines, and one fellow has even managed to load a few Curtis digs in for good measure, I'll skip over that bit and head right to the why does it matter part. And the answer to that is that it only matters when you, the powerful, decide it matters.

As you've eloquently stated here, twigs sounds like he's doing a cracking job with his family and we need not consider anyone's bloodline in that context because the evidence of it is displayed through actions, which we can see before us and judge at face value. In that context, which acorn twigs grew from is irrelevant.

However, what we can't judge at face value is how twigs and the other victors of the recent removal came to their positions. Someone on another corner pointed out that 40 people came together, regardless of family, to take control of the country. What was it that linked these disparate cells and splinter groups together and how did they decide who was getting fucked as a fence sitter and who going to be doing the valiant fucking? There seems like there is only one answer to that and, as usual, when the bullet starts flying, bloodline tends to matter whether we pretend it doesn't it or not. In that context, which acorn twigs grew from is entirely relevant.

I suspect that is how it will continue to go moving forwards, but I can't even make the starting 5 in Detroit ahead of a orangutan, so what do I know? 

twigs had listened with great interest to the speech delivered by his right hand woman. He'd been told that public speeches were a rare treat from Daiquiri's bloodline, so he was delighted to witness one such speech in person. Chuckling at the rumor that he was from the Goku lineage, he couldn't refrain from adding a few comments.

"I thank Daiquiri for initiating a discussion on this very important topic. I must admit that I find it amusing more than anything else that people are guessing. I didn't plan on going incognito for this long. I will say, I take it as a compliment that people have mistaken my blood for Goku's as I look at his achievements with great admiration. But it also frightens me as I know the truth will only lead to disappointment. Sooner or later, my heritage will be revealed, and everyone will learn that I'm a nobody in this world."

Finished with addressing Daiquiri, twigs now turned to another person in the crowd. A man who presented himself as CrystalSkull had made a comment which carried a metaphor which was eerily similar to twigs' own speech not long ago.

"Thank you for contributing to the discussion, CrystalSkull. Your arguments have made me realise the fallacies in my original speech. I erroneously said that the entire tree was rotten when that wasn't the case. Sometimes, symbolism has a way of simplifying matters too much, and much nuance is lost.

Perhaps it would have been more apt to describe the soil in which the seeds were planted as poisoned, or the barrels containing the stored apples from multiple different trees - and the rotten apples spreading to the healthy ones once inside the barrel? If you'll allow me to drop the allegory for now, I would posit that the structure surrounding one's life matters much more than their DNA.

There were a few great crew leaders out there who had what I personally consider the "right" values. They didn't subscribe to the idea of mindlessly hunting down and executing people of certain bloodlines. And just as importantly, they didn't react to rogues showing up and ravaging lesser-known individuals with pure apathy and inaction. I fear the latter point is something which has been largely ignored during the last few public debates. Purging was an important factor which tipped the scale towards rebellion, but it wasn't the only one. My point is this: Even if there were good leaders out there, they were trapped in a structure which incentivised being "bad". To bring back the apple analogy, it doesn't matter if a few trees produced the most perfect apples. They would simply start rotting once in contact with the rest."

twigs finally broke eye contact with the man he had been addressing for a while, and instead went to face the rest of the crowd.

"It is a classical example of nature versus nurture, and I know this debate will be never-ending, but I still wish for it to take place. I would like to take this opportunity to make my views on bloodlines public. I hold no ill will against anyone, even if it isn't reciprocated. In my city, I will not be searching for specific bloodlines, nor will I kill anyone if their ancestry comes to light. Only if there is hard and undeniable proof of plans to kill me or my allies will I shoot first. A "strong suspicion" isn't nearly enough. Perhaps my views will lead to an early demise, but at least I'll die with a clear conscience."