Pepper sat at a small cafe table on the sidewalk overlooking the street, staring at the blank piece of paper on the surface in front of her. She had a pen, the addresses of all available places of employment, and a piping hot cup of coffee to see her through the end of the task. As if it wasn't hard enough finding a legitimate job these days, she had to find employment on the wrong side of the tracks, and picking the wrong organization may cost her more than a paycheck.

There were recruiters and headhunters, and she'd been approached by just a couple, but when having to give your life as collateral for a job, it seemed she should take her choice a bit more seriously than choosing a dessert cake off a spinning carousel. She looked inside the small coffee shop at the rotating confection display and her stomach rumbled.

She stared once again at the empty paper and thought of what she'd write.

"How do I put who I am in a letter to these leaders? They don't know me. They don't know if I'm good at my word." Pepper mused aloud as she drummed her pen on the table.

"I'm writing promises that for all they know could be empty and unfulfilled." Pepper bit her lip and furrowed her brow at the paper, as if it had personally caused the conundrum she found herself in.

She paused to take a sip of coffee, and when she replaced her cup on the table, she spotted a small, coffee colored droplet on the cream paper.

"Shit," she muttered, trying her best to dab up the spot, but leaving a noticeable mark behind. She hadn't brought any other paper with her, and now her only method of finding a job was marred and imperfect.

Pepper looked at the paper with a wry smile. This sheet was an extension of her, and now stained, was a representation. She, like the sheet, was a blank slate, waiting to be filled in but still bearing a stain she could not remove. Feeling a headache coming on from all the thought going in to her invitation request, she balled up the paper and tossed it on the sidewalk, and rubbed her temples with her hands.

"What are they looking for?!" she said, a bit too loudly, startling a few passersby. She smiled apologetically, and looked for other passersby. Finally, unable to sit with the havoc in her head any longer, she stood up from her seat and approached the edge of the sidewalk.

"There's been so much change lately, and sometimes (especially in this case) change is very welcome and good for all of us. But I find myself looking for a job. Sure, there are recruiters and headhunters, but me and my family lines have always set out to find a job, not take a handout when it was tossed to us. I want to be someone in a family, not another line on a crew ledger."

"So for those of us still versed in and who care deeply about the invitation request, what can a blank slate offer you to entice you to invite?"

After seeing a odd girl walking down the street, mumbling and rambling on, and on, about who knows what Tonks decides to stop and listen to her.  Almost as soon as Tonks stops, and is ready to listen, the woman begins to talk.

 "There's been so much change lately, and sometimes (especially in this case) change is very welcome and good for all of us. But I find myself looking for a job. Sure, there are recruiters and headhunters, but me and my family lines have always set out to find a job, not take a handout when it was tossed to us. I want to be someone in a family, not another line on a crew ledger." The woman began in a quiet tone, but with much strength and conviction in her tone. "So for those of us still versed in and who care deeply about the invitation request, what can a blank slate offer you to entice you to invite?"

 Tonks looks at her, and begins to think about that question.  How can a blank slate prove their worth to you?  What can they do to show you that they do deserve a position within your business?  There are so many answers that could be correct, but there are also so many wrong ones.

 Tonks turns to the female, and extends her hand to her.  “Hi, I am Tonks. I have heard the question you pose to all “Managers” and I believe I might have one answer.  My answer would be a person can always offer up the knowledge that their relative, whom was in our business, has to offer.  They can then explain to us, what they are willing to do for the business,  and how they will go about achieving these thing.”

You had me at "waiting to be filled"

Lotta couldn't help but notice a distraught young woman talking to whomever would listen. Lotta sipped her coffee and listened to a few people reply, then cleared her throat to speak her two cents.

I think this en excellent issue to be brought to the streets, Ms. Pepper. Lotta smiles at the redheaded young woman An excellent issue indeed.

It is hard for those coming to our shores without a clue who's in charge, who runs their business in what style, or the working environment one may be working in.

Personally, I've always felt someone finding their way should be the one doing the interviewing, instead of business recruiters foaming at the mouth on the docks. Its the best way to ensure your fit into your new home, as well as ensuring you will live up to your own expectations.

Lotta smiles at the young woman once more before standing from her table, dropping a $5 on the table for the bill.

I must be back to work now, but I hope my advice has helped. Feel free to come interview Philly anytime.

Favara having being rudley awakened from his makshift home in one of the nearby alleyways by this youngish looking upstart of a girl decides to venture forth and share his twisted, delusional thoughts on the subject at hand.

Personally I prefer to know as little as possible about possible candidates for my expert tutelage. I don't care who your fathers father was, I don't care who they served with many years ago, I don't care about what skills you think you possess, I don't care!

He rubs his three week beard and then begins to explore the contents of his nose, looking upon the fine specimen produced from his famously large schnoz he digests further.

I crave the day when I get sent a simple one liner from a disrespectful little runt, I relish it. Straight and to the point, and usually all my meagre intellect can comprehend. And occasionaly if I've awoken on the right side of the park bench I'll even throw about random invites at any poor unfortunate that entertains my curiosity.

I suppose you could say, I'm a product of my environment. Would you like an invite by chance Pepper?

Limping away while mumbling himself Favara searches for other innocents to harrass.

Ms.Pepper this is a fine subject you bring to the streets. Like you said our world has seen recent change, with this comes a rebuilding phase and a transitional period of one era to the next as the current leaders try to create the environment that the old era couldn't quite provide. With this there will be headhunters on the docks looking for new blood. I like your style though and reminds me a lot of myself and my bloodline.

Never did my ancestors jump into a family at the first offer, the way I look at things it's a two way street. It is not only what I could do for my new family but what can they do for me. Are they going to be able to match my ambition? Do they respect the ranks the way I do? As if not that's a family I don't want to be apart of

As for you being a blank slate to me that is the perfect associate, someone that will hang on your every word as they need all the information and tools to make something of themselves. So can a blank slate in my eyes can offer a lot as long as they are willing to listen, learn and work hard.

I hope that goes someway towards answering your question.

When my bloodline first showed up to these shores, I did however get swarmed with these headhunters. I thought wow they obviously need me, but do I necessarily need them? No I thought. I continued on my way snatching purses from wicked ole' ladies until I found a few organizations that did not come to me. I took this personal. Why? Because I thought I had already reached a certain Wealth Status that only Wise Guys had, I already had a couple of tattoo's even, I even had a nice suit. Those are the people who I went to... to wonder why they didn't want me. Eventually it was their inability to see true talent.

Mikey flexes...

I showed them what I was really worth. And to this day, my bloodline has resided in the great city of Philly.

And as Giuliano said, "being a black slate to me that is the perfect associate, someone that will hang on your every word as they need all the information and tools to make something of themselves.", this is the best aspect anyone can ask for. In my mind bringing in someone new and you bring them up yourself, they only know what you have taught them and ultimately only know you. Loyalty goes a long way in this world and can only benefit us younger affiliations in Philly.

Its also good to know where Vasily's head is at. Nice one buddy.