Consider these the out-loud musings of a Consigliere, without actually being that to someone. The pale moon is my spotlight. The cobble-stones are my audience. Words without direction, carried on the wind till someone catches them or time stills their echo.

"Not that long ago, two rogues did significant damage to the current leadership. In short, but brutal attacks two Godfathers and several others fell. In response the daily routine came to a halt. Or perhaps we are by-default idling and we got set into motion. Regardless of perspective, the threats to what-was were chased, isolated and taken care of."

"Hardly any words have been spoken about these events on the streets. At the church some things were said, with plenty of people paying their respects to victims and aggressors alike. At one of these events I overheard the following as a reflection on what had happened."

"If a crew leader and family can't turn a heart in over 100 days then I guess we failed."

"Picking up conversations like this, paired with no evident shock-effect about the rogue, hints that what happened is like rain; we might not like it, but it is to be expected at times. We may even consider it as part of the natural cycle, rather than a shock disruption of our lifestyle. Visiting another funeral that sentiment was pushed further when I overheard this."
 

"Throw the first stone who never rogued."

"This familiar modernised quote from Jesus - the messiah, not that other one - sounds very fair in an awkward manner. It feels that the actual opinion of rogues is far less negative than it used to be at times. With that updated public image of the Rogue, we might inspire even more people to follow this career path. With the recent examples, the longevity for rogues wasn't great. But as some of our current leadership can attest to, the viability increases with more people going rogue."

"Why did this shift of thinking happen and are we okay with it?"

Melis had been wandering by when she overheard the musings. Deciding to stop and listen, she thought it was an interesting thought. Although roguing is not her line's path, she couldn't help but find herself thinking about rogues in general.

"Interesting, very interesting..." She mused to herself. Talking to no one in general.

Having a bad habit to just say things whether people were listening or not, she couldn't help herself as the words tumbled.

"Loyalty is something I hang onto in this lifetime but I can understand how it may be exciting to some to watch a rogue, or cheer on a specific side. Sort of like a sport. Mayhap like boxing but deadlier. Gets all the adrenaline pumping I am told. Sports are rarely seen as negative and maybe that it's our attitudes towards it that makes it seem less taboo."

With a shrug of her shoulders, she wandered off the way she came. Thinking a little more on the matter with each step.

I've never heard HeadCoach described as high-achieving or hardworking before. Gormless, vindictive and a corpulent wind-bag, sure, and usually just from his own mother before breakfast, but these positive views are something new. New and wrong, it has to be said. The guy was a buffoon and I am glad he was bested by Ian 'Illuminatiated' O'Keefe in every measurable way. 

As to being ok with rogues, I think FrenchieHorn said it best in the funeral home of Ryza (a rogue):

"My one and only BFF.  This is an absolute tragedy.  I am so sorry, don't even know what to say. RIP" - FrenchieHorn.

Food for thought. 

"The hardest thing of all the chaos, pain and destruction of the last week has been to see Headcoach turned into a martyr, rather than a tomat-a. That's right, I said it. Now before anyone says "Hobbs, weren't you the one talking of hosting a HCMAST (Head Coach Memorial All Star Team) game?" I must point out I was only doing that to once again prove my pre-eminence versus my fallen nemesis. If a well renowned ball and dribbling hater can become a great basketball team it really shows just how poor a coach he was.

"Will he be missed? Of course he will, and even now I worry about how lonely poor Mrs Head Coach must be without him taking up 90% of every room he was in."

Hobbs shook his head to shake the cobwebs.

"If we were to get serious for a second we could talk about how this much vilified regime have not gone down the route of purging. They have allowed crime to flourish. They have allowed people to build in peace. Will there be some who take advantage of such things? Of course. It is the nature of this life. What kind of statements should the leaders make about that? No reaction is sometimes the best reaction that given be given to such events."