The sun was rising in Clarity's room, you could see her shadow slowly grow bigger as she sat at the edge of her bed with her elbows on her knees, thinking. Her blonde hair falling down around her face as she rested her head on top of her hands. Her eyes staring in the mirror in front of her. She stared herself down as she thought. Things around here had changed greatly, with the death of many friends, and the rising of others. Her mother had brought her into this world, not to ruin her life, but to breath life into her. Simplicity had opened doors for her and gave her a life that was her own. The ability to make it what she wanted was something not many had the chance to do.

She could hear the world around her starting to rise with the sun, and the great city of New Orleans began to come to life like it did everyday. Her family was below her getting ready for the day. Their laughter rang throughout the house as they joyously chatted below her room. Her mother had been taken in by Kimble when she was on the run from her real family, real family...Clarity's real family was Kimble and her mother who had now passed. Kimble had gave Simplicity a chance, that was all she needed to prove her worth. Now it was Clarity's turn. She was living under the same roof once again with Kimble and the rest of her friends, which was also her family. She could sense it felt like old times. Even though everything had changed, one thing remained the same, friendship.

There was a comforting feeling to having people you cared for around you. The safety net of trust was something that was warming to the heart. Friends, was a word that everyone cherished. This was also the word that was going to help rebuild their world. For a few they would say that power and deceit was the name of the game, but in all reality it was trust and friendship. At least that was how Clarity saw things. The banding together of so many people for one cause. Working together to see everyone through to a new day. Is the word deceit or friendship more powerful here? From the look of things, Clarity had to believe it was friendship. Like love and hate, love conquers all, while hate attempts to destroy. Hate can only work so well, the same with fear. While love and friendship triumph over everything. Her mother showed her this in how she lived life and how she accepted death.

Clarity removed her head from her hands and stood up off of her bed. She wasn't here to live in her mother's shadow. She was here to create her own journey. Not knowing where it would lead her only made her more excited. She was ready to take on anything that came her way. The world was an inviting place, filled with many different opportunities for her. She had the personality of someone who wouldn't just sit back and do nothing. She was going to step out and be heard. The world was in for a ride because Clarity wasn't going to let them muffle her voice. They were going to hear her and they would hear her loud and clear. Ignoring her would just challenge her to be louder. 

There was a strength like no other flowing through Clarity's veins. Her eyes held no fear and her heart held no pain. She was here to stay and her loyalty would remain.

The sun was now shining in all it's splendor. Turning to face the window, Clarity held a smirk on her face. With her gun in her hand she stood before the world and whispered,

"I am Clarity."

Xiphos stood on the lower deck of the HQ, drinking his morning coffee, itching for the first cigarette of the day. Kimble would kill him if he caught him smoking in the HQ. Why, he didn't know...the glitter addict does it all the time. Perks of being the Godfather, he assumed. He looked up and saw his good friend Clarity walking down the stairs. Their parents had been pretty good friends as well. He and Clarity essentially grew up together, seeing as their parents were big players in the mafia, with the same circle of friends. Held similar morals, even sometimes had a similar views.

Xiphos' bloodline have always held family and loyalty above all else. Friendship was valuable as well, but when it comes down to it the loyalty must lie with the family. Luckily for Xiphos, friends and family have been one in the same. The past few weeks have been a trial for everyone in our world, but it really showed how well people can band together and accomplish things. Unfortunately this banding together had been the death of his father, but he looked at his fathers death as something to be proud of, dying for a cause, dying for what he and his family believed in.

Xiphos, however, had a new family to look forward to. New experiences, and new chances. He looked forward to all the things he would get to accomplish with his friends and family. The only thing that worried him, was not living up to the expectations that had been placed on him. When he saw the people around him, his doubts disappeared.

"Clarity...finally decided to wake up?"

Clarity had just walked down the stairs as she heard Xiphos voice. Looking over to where it came from she smiled. Her eyes seemed a bit tired, but her smile was still able to light up her face.

"Ah, yes, after the recent days I needed a good night's sleep. I'm sure you can relate."

Moving over to the refrigerator she grabbed the bottle of milk and poured herself a glass, she never had cared much for coffee. Returning the bottle back to it's spot, she then moved over to sit down with him at the table. Taking a sip of her milk she looked over to see that he seemed a bit worried. Granted he was trying to hide it by smiling, Clarity could still read his expression.

"You seem a bit uneasy about something. Everything okay?"

Listening to him mumble in respond, Clarity laughed a bit. She had a hunch at what he was nervous about.

"I know that having to fill our parent's shoes is gonna be hard to do. Yet, like I told SexyBeast the other day. We don't need to worry about living up to the expectations our parents set for us. We should create our own path and make our own story. Yanno'. Wouldn't be our lives if we were living through our parents."

Clarity could tell that was what was on his mind as he relaxed in his chair. Shaking her head she looked around as the rest of the family was making their way in for breakfast. The days were growing shorter and colder, but the warmth and brightness that the house held comforted everyone. Spending time with family was one of the most precious moments Clarity would ever have.

Xiphos sat there as he was "interrogated" by Clarity. He hated showing that something was bothering him. Always the suffer in silence type. He didn't like being interrogated, but Clarity seemed to have a way of reading his thoughts. He didn't know what bothered him more. He chuckled at the thought. She did have a point though.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Better to look to the future than look to the past. I was always told we make our own path, so I need to start paving my way."

He downs the last bit of his coffee. He looks around, hoping Kimble doesn't walk into the kitchen.

"Fuck it."

Xiphos pulls out a smoke, and lights it with a match. He inhales deeply, and blows the smoke respectfully away from Clarity. She'd beat him senseless if he blew the smoke in her face. He leaned back in his chair, relaxing for the first time that morning. With each intake of smoke and nicotine, his body visibly relaxes.

"So what's on the agenda today? Anything exciting?"

Clarity shook her head as the room slowly filled up with smoke. Standing up from the table for a second she went and opened the window near Xiphos. Then turning back around she went back over to sit down. She could never understand why men loved to smoke. Then again so did most women in this time.

Clarity was untouched by society. She rarely drank, she didn't smoke, and most of all she held onto her morals. She was a respectable woman and didn't need a man to complete her. In this line of work that was best, especially considering how she could walk out the door one day and die. That was the life they lived and for Clarity, putting love into the mix would never happen.

Wondering how she even got on such thoughts she sat back down and glared at him. This whole family seemed to enjoy smoking, but it didn't make her love them any less.

"Besides taking that, throwing it on the ground, and stomping it out...nothing besides the usual business. I do know that Ricyn was supposed to meet up with me to possibly work on tidying up this house. All you men have made it a mess. We were thinking of taking a day to go shopping and fixing the place up a bit. Would be nice to have some parties for friends and family here."

Clarity looked around to see if she had arrived yet, but she was no where to be seen. That girl was always busy and they both had been looking forward to a day to go out and do some shopping. Would make them feel a bit more like ladies again.

"What about yourself? You care to join us when we go out?"

Giggling a bit at the joke, she knew the men folk would never care to go shopping. If it was left up to them they would be using suits that had fabric coming apart everywhere.

Appearing in the doorway wearing not much more than an over sized shirt Ricyn yawns as she stretches her arms up towards the ceiling. Mid-yawn she catches the taste of something nasty in the air which causes her to wake right up. Glaring at Xiphos she stomps over to him, and snatches the cigarette from his mouth. After throwing it into a glass of water she quickly smacks him on the back of the head.

"Other people have to breathe this air as well. Take your nasty habit outside."

She grumpily snapped at the man. She was clearly in a horrible state this morning, as she is most mornings, and was in no mood to deal with breathing in smoke. Ricyn walks over to the coffee pot and grabs her mother's old mug from the cabinet and proceeds to pour herself cup of coffee. Muttering to herself she grabs the bottle of milk from the fridge and adds a dash to her coffee before taking a seat with the other two. Looking over at Clarity she couldn't help but smile at the beaming young woman. Clarity's smile was contagious and Ricyn knew just by that mischievous look on her face that she was the one behind the incident that started the bad mood.. and Ricyn couldn't help but go from angry to laughing. Clarity was one of the few people that could nag at her and get away with it.

"I'm assuming you are the one who set my alarm to go off at the crack of dawn? You could have at least given me proper warning.. I nearly kicked.. err never mind that. Still a warning would have been nice."

Ricyn caught the glimpse of a half naked man running past the doorway over her mug as she took a drink. She begins to laugh nearly spitting the hot liquid all over Xiphos. Catching her breath Ricyn tries to look at Clarity with a straight face."

"Still up for a bit of shopping and cleaning today?"

Xiphos sits there, flabbergasted at what Ricyn just did to his cigarette. He'd make her pay him back for it later. Seeing the mystery man run out the door, he looks towards Ricyn and grins. He grins into his coffee mug before taking a sip.

"Who was that Ricyn? Friend of yours? Why didn't you invite him in for coffee...I'd love to meet him."

He takes another large gulp of coffee, and scoots his chair to the nearest window, making sure it's up all the way. He lights another cigarette, just to spite Ricyn. He looks across the room, and sees Mr. Mysterious come back through the door, eyes darting across the room, and grabs a t-shirt he dropped in his rush to leave the house. Xiphos throws his head back and laughs

"So...chuckle chuckle...when are we going shopping?"