Standing on deck of his faithful ship, SquidMaster begins to run his hand down the brass holding of a nearby line. Pondering in his own thoughts about his adventures and where he has ended up, he begins to take a nice look around his ship and smile as he reminisces through memories... turning to his left he notices a few nearby Buccaneers and stops them, thanking them for their hard work day in and day out. Knowing every man and woman is here on their own free will brings nothing more than a tear to their Godfathers eye.

Turning his shoulder around... SquidMaster notices the list of people who has died under his watch... the names go on and on since he first began Sailing his ship back in the city of Brotherly Love. Not really knowing how to feel... SquidMaster can do nothing but try to remember those people for who they were and how hard they worked to make things a little easier. The little things in life are taken for granted way more than needed it would seem.

Stepping foot off his mighty vessel, SquidMaster turns to the streets of this thing of ours and begins to ask the good people for their opinions, as he brings a few lads and lasses around, he begins to speak...

"Life... we all work hard for it, we all tirelessly work for the treasure at the end of our adventure... so many are cut short from their hopes and dreams..."

"I have but a simple question for you folks today... something that has been on my mind for awhile now as I venture these streets and sail these seas with my fellow friends and family."

Pausing he takes some tobacco out of his jacket pocket and loads his pipe... sparking up his special blend, SquidMaster releases the question as he releases the smoke...

Do you fear death?

Smirking as he notices a few people laugh at his rather abrupt question, SquidMaster finds a nearby chair and he calmly awaits the for the good peoples response...

Walking through the streets Tom was casually trying to listen in to what was the way of things. There was much he wished to catch up on. He overhears his Godfather make a rather blunt and somewhat odd question, however he has some thoughts he wished to share.

Godfather, might I counter your question with one of my own. If there is no fear of death, what is the point in life? For me life is to be lived, it's to be cherished. Who if given the chance wouldn't wish to live forever. A fear of death is healthy, more so it's one of the very fabrics of living. We can accept that it is going to happen, cause well it is. But our main goal is to live for as long as we can, by doing so it shows a natural fear of death.

Taking a nice drag off his pipe, SquidMaster listens to Tom_Collins' rebut. Passing his pipe to his fellow Chicagoan, SquidMaster replies with a cracked grin...

Haha, right you are my good boy! Life is sustained by only living and through the fear of death, ultimately. However, in this thing of ours, we have so many who die at the jump of anything for a very small handful of people at the very top. Some of these people will never even get to converse with the people they need to protect the most. Yet, they still carry on, time after time; dying for the cause of the family...

Is it situation based? Is it depending on who their friend is that brought them into the lifestyle? Does it matter you think on who is warring whom?

What keeps you truly loyal? What keeps you from not fearing death when it would come knocking on your very door, Tom_Collins?

Lilac patiently waits her turn before lighting up a smoke of her own, crossing her legs and leaning forward.

Do I fear death? No.
Do I fear dying without a legacy, having made no mark on this world? Absolutely.

As long as I have that, Godfather Squidmaster, I need nothing else. I'm serving a legacy that I was born into, right on the streets of Chicago, and so it will continue until my death, only for the mantle to be picked up once more by my son or daughter and carried further and further until the last breath of my blood is drawn.

Hence, I have no fear. No fear whatsoever.

Taking draw from the pipe Tom leans back and thinks for a moment before replying

One thing that we can be sure of is that death comes for us all, some sooner some later. That I can't change, but after I die I'm sure my off spring will follow me into this way of life. So what keeps me loyal is basically my own reputation.

Noticing the aromatic smell of a "special blend" Peacemaker stops, and listens and smells. He thinks to himself, about the question asked. Ringing in his head "Do you fear death"

Scratching his ginger beard, he continues to ponder, while toking on his own special blend, now.

Smell that smell, Squidmaster!

I would say death is not to be feared. It is a simple fact in our life. We all fall to a gun, or the pressure of legit life from our not so understanding families. It is inevitable. Why fear, and worry about that which we cannot control?  Best to cope with it, and keep plugging away for the cause, because at the end of the day, its the common end game. Making your move, and setting in changes that we ourselves would see to benefit our life, and our families,  to reach that greater good...

Peacemaker takes another pull off his home rolled "cigarette" and reflects while holding the.. flavor, in. For maximum taste, and pleasure, of course.

unpon exhale, with a bit of a stammering speach, Peacemaker continues

...Ffffear has propelled some of our founding fathers, and mothers/fathers before our time in this world, to the top. Thats not saying it was because they feared death. They respected death, and the power it wields, when confronted with it. You stare down the barrel of a gun, and even the hardest man may crack an insulting joke for his final words, but fear will be seen in his eyes ( or eye for us pirates! yarrrrrrr SquidMaster! ) in one reflection or another...

cutting himself off before some annoying ramble sets in, Peacemaker wanders away.

Emaya looks around her at everyone speaking up. Taking some time to gether her thoughts before speaking.

I do not fear death. I fear the death of those closest to me though. I fear how I will be remembered. It's a question I find myself wondering. Would I be remembered as a good earner only? As someone who helped her family in any situation? And the questions would carry on. However, I know only time will tell.

A short kid wearing a cowboy hat with a gun holstered at his side approaches the masses surrounding Godfather SquidMaster. Dropping his soapbox in front of the crime boss he begins to speak.

Mr. Godfather, my only fear of death is being reincarnated. I've dedicated my life to organized crime and there is not any one person in Chicago that I wouldn't take a bullet for. Every breathe we take here is not taken advantage of, but taken in stride as I hope to one day fulfill my promise to die for my cause.

We must do what we can to leave a promising future for the people who strive to succeed. We could be wiped from our world at a moments notice and it is imperative that we live life to the fullest. I appreciate everything my crime bosses have promised me in housing a young boy looking for protection. The least I could do is put my life on the line for any of those great men.

MT was walking in the street looking for a fine new linen for a new suit to be tailored when he notice people building up around Godfather SquidMaster. He became curious and walks towards them and listen for what the Godfather have said. He thinks deeply and remember all his ancesstors who died in this same line of work. He bow his head like he was thinking of something and started to talk.

"Indeed death is a miracle to each and everyone of us could happen. You would know the secret of death. But how shall you find it unless you seek it in the heart of life? The owl whose night-bound eyes are blind unto the day cannot unveil the mystery of light. If you would indeed behold the spirit of death, open your heart wide unto the body of life. For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one."

MT pauses takes out a cigarette from his packet and lit it. he continue...

"Death is someones to be afraid of if he is not accomplished something, nor he has no chance to complete a task. He will be afraid for what will his son/daughter will be in the future if he died early without giving them a good grace in the future. Death is someones will be in the future and to be expected. For once death will let someone cry but makes other happy. I should only say makes the most of it while your still alive and be ready if this time has come. My father died because of what they say traitory of once city but not as a traitor for all his friend, other say he is a hero and other say he is an ePiC that failed to do his duty, for me he is a father that thought me a lot and would do the same as he walks to this path. The only different is i have learned from his mistake and will do the right things in this thing of ours. Death will come and i will always be ready on it." MT look for a bench where he can sit for a while and listen to others what would they say.

Do I fear death? I'm not sure yet.

Did my father fear death? No. He knowingly walked straight into deaths arms and let death hug him until he couldn't breath no more...Leaving me, his son, with little knowledge on what to do next. Do I continue were my father left off? Work my ass off knowing that if I make a small mistake, like him, I could also walk into death's arms? Or do I take a different path? A path that if I were to make a mistake I would know that I could take death on with his own scythe.

It's sounds like an easy choice but it's not, all my father worked on to achieve could be handed down to me and would make my life easier but does my fathers pride rub off on me? All the hard work he had put in wasn't even taking into consideration. Can I live with that same feeling? Would it stop me from trying to progress?

Time is a healer, I guess I better hand this over to her and let her decide my route and time is short for me.

"To fear death is only a natural human instinct. A better question too ask would be if I have any regrets and no I do not. I have been around the block in this life and seen some things I agree with and some things I don't but my life has been varied and filled with a lot of love from my family but even if I were to go tomorrow I would die knowing I died doing what I love and have relatives who would happily take up the torch in the future. That's the way here."

Fydora then walks away feeling all spooky from such a morbid topic so close to the holiday season

Those without a healthy fear of death are usually the first to perish. Beyond being a mafioso, a shop keeper, a President, or a religious figure, beyond all that, we are human. The human instincts that drive us daily are what keep us alive and what keep our kind going. Everyone wants to live to see tomorrow. It is that basic need for life that grows great men and women. Those with the healthiest fear of meeting their maker tend to live the longest. They use all their cunning and wit to keep themselves breathing. Anyone who claims not to fear death is either arrogant or really have nothing to live for.

This is not to say when the time comes that your pulse finally stops that you go without dignity. I know the saying is "Go out kicking and screaming" but that seems a bit childish to me. If I must die, it will be with the same dignity that I lived with. When the time comes for me to go meet my ancestors I want to meet them with strong shoulders, not watery eyes and a dripping nose. Too many times we have seen the "whiners" and the real respectable men and women just shake their heads.

T-Mans was wandering down the busy streets with a cigar in his mouth, T-Man was about to buy the paper but he was interrupted when he heard SquidMaster ask such a brilliant question. "Do you fear death". T-Man walks towards SquidMaster thinking about the answer.

"Hello SquidMaster, Such a great question.
Do I fear death? No I don't, but I fear what's comes after death. Well basically I fear the Unknown!"

T-Man walks over to the newspaper stand, buys the paper. T-Man walks into the distances and disappears into the dark, thick fog.

looks upon the crowd with a little grin, do i fear death she thinks to herself

Fear is such a strong word in my mind, i think you have to be concerned, worried and fearful of it, but not to a stage it becomes to consume you and toy with your mind.  Most of us have looked around and thought X or Y has a great skill with a gun but at the end of the day we all have to die and is nothing we can do to avoid it; could be a bus driving down the street, a pimp unhappy with what you did with his girls, a rogue or anything else.  Sometimes you just have to make the most of where you are, see what can build and what knowledge and finances your next of kin will have set aside if and when that fateful day comes.

she pauses and takes a breath

Just think enough to visualise yourself in all positions for when it comes, train the gun, build the bodyguard enemy and get good healthcare.  it won't always save you but maybe it will keep you around that little bit longer.