The past few days had been hectic for Shogun. There were a lot of new faces in the family; some vaguely familiar, some new to him altogether. The underworld was rebuilding, as it had done so many times before. Shogun didn't sleep much at this time, he was lucky to get three hours a night. He would spend all day with the family, teaching the young ones, doing jobs with the soldiers, getting his hands dirty along with his best men and women. Then he would come back to his office late at night and just think. His mind could go a million miles a minute. He would contemplate many things, but one thing in particular kept coming up in the wee hours of the morning.

Grudges.

He decided to take his thoughts on the matter to the streets. Partially to get some feedback from the criminal underworld, and partially to announce to them his stance on the matter.

"Grudges. We all have them, or have had them in the past. Grudges can span generations, even entire bloodlines from day one til now. Dozens of ancestors going back through two bloodlines may have all despised each other. Why? Because his grand daddy killed yours? Her aunt stole your mom's boyfriend? Bob's great great great uncle called you out in the streets?"

"It's really irrelevant, if you really think about it. What someone's ancestor did ages ago should not affect your opinion of them now, at least not in my opinion."

"I understand the reasons why grudges are held so long, of course. You loved your ancestor, and from their journals know that they busted ass to get whatever it is they had. It's easy and simple to put the blame for their end on one person, or a group of people. It's much easier to hate someone than to take the time to see it from their perspective, to really try to take a walk in their shoes and understand what happened."

Shogun paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts before continuing.

"I want to strongly advise to anyone currently holding a grudge: Bury it. Put it behind you. You have so much more to gain from forgiveness! Look at SpikeS, may he rest in peace. He was a great man, with many friends. But he held grudges, probably more grudges than anyone this world has ever seen. He purposely held people from advancement, or had them "purged" when they became too strong. Now don't get me wrong, this is not a "bash Spike" speech, he is just an example. Clearly, his tactic worked well, as he ruled the cities for a decent period of time. But eventually it went too far, and he lost a lot of lifelong family friends in the process. As with all true tyrants, sooner or later those closest to you will rise up and be your end."

"This is why I urge you to bury the hatchet. Should you ever come to the point in your life where you have power, real power, giving people a fair chance can do you so much better than holding them back."

"Look at DoctorBoom. My grandfather shot his father, ending his reign at the top. I won't go into the circumstances, if you're curious about them I'm sure you can find a transcript of my grandfather's speech somewhere around here. But almost instantaneously, he forgave my grandfather. He took me in when I had nowhere to go. He stood up for me when I was to be "purged." He went to war for not just me, but for his CITY. This is the kind of person you want leading you. This is the type of person you want to strive to become."

"My line has always stood by this, we have always tried to give chances. It may get us burned, but so many times it has worked out for the better. We've taken in our greatest enemies, and by doing so created friendships and bonds that have made us better people, better mafiosi. I'm not telling you to trust blindly. That would be ignorant, and is a surefire way of getting yourself shot in the middle of the night, as my grandfather found out all too well. Your first instinct about a person may be right. I'm just saying give it a chance. Extend the olive branch, have a conversation with whoever it is you hold a grudge against. You might just find out you have a lot more in common than you had first thought."

"Bob's great great great uncle called you out in the streets?" 

Yeah not the greatest person alive thatt one. Bob nods.

It's an admirable line to follow, to forgive, forget and move forward. However we don't start again each lifeline, trust with fellow bloodlines is formed over years and in one single moment it can be ruined forever.

It's not holding a grudge, it's realising that person and their bloodline (despite them trying to claim that they aren't one and in the same in their goodbye/retirement speeches) have in some way broken your trust and it will never be the same as it was before. Because that little bit of doubt will always be in the back of your mind, every single time. That's just something you have to accept and live with. 

Some of us do start again each lifeline. It really comes down to choice. You can change your ways, and be different from your ancestors in many ways. But you have to want to change things before you can make any real progress. I haven't needed to change from the path of my ancestors yet, as Ronin's friends are my friends and those relationships have done me well, for the most part. However, in the past, my family has had to do so and has done so with little issue.

I don't have to accept and live with anything. You may choose to do so, and that is your prerogative. However I will never choose to hold someone's past against them, should they show the willingness and desire to be something different. You may see me as naive, but it is my personal choice as a leader that no man or woman wishing to be in my family should have to hide who their father was or what he did. 

If some distant relative of SpikeS were to come to me looking for a fresh start, I would hand it to him with no second thoughts. I might have a closer eye on him than someone I trust 100%, certainly. But I wouldn't altogether ban him from being in my family or city simply because of who he is related to.

I do agree fresh started our good Shogun.... As Tianna thinking about it but still hard for ones live and find a home  where they fit in....

Not everyone can find that place again

Tony sauntered onto the Streets. Yes. Sauntered. He heard that Shogun was giving some sort of a speech and he managed to catch a fair bit of it and was quite impressed that Shogun managed to get out here,away from his dragon's balls(or as he called it...mafia business).

 He waved.

Hey, Boss. Quite a nice topic to bring up in all honesty. Guess this is less a invitation for debate but rather a sort of 'this is how I do business' type piece. Which is cool. Which is super cool. 

However, a couple issues. Now, you bring up SpikeS(the dead one) and I don't really know if he did hold grudges but I'll take your word for it. However, someone who was apparently this vengeful ended up running this world for quite a long period of time. Isn't that the 'aim' that most of us are supposedly striving towards? I realize he was killed by his friends but then again....whose bloodline hasn't? At least he went out in a fashion that will be remembered. Not the retirement in the middle of the war, but you get what I am trying to say. So it doesn't look like holding grudges isn't suuuch a bad thing to do, in my opinion at least.

I mean, in all honesty which 'all ruling godfather' hasn't held grudges? No, I really would like to know as pretty much everyone who ever 'ran the world' and my blood was close with(which granted, isn't a lot) held grudges against soooomeone or the other. Sure, they probably weren't as notorious for it as Spike apparently was but there must have been one or two bloodlines they were always 'wary' of. 

Now....moving onto my second point. This is an issue with just the principle of friends being made across generations but not enemies(grudges?). I assume you would be ok with bloodlines staying friends across multiple generations,yes? Then why can't the converse be acceptable? Why can't disliking a bloodline to the point to never wanting to cross paths with their kin be the right thing to do in certain situations? 

I am not saying never to forgive and/or forget. All I am saying is maybe there is a reason being the saying 'A leopard never changes its spots'.

Amen and amen. He who forgives much loves much. What a wonderful gift whether given or received is forgiveness. A debt excused. A crime pardoned. A sin absolved. A transgression forgotten.

Truly putting the past where it belongs - in the past - and moving on releases both parties. Freedom. But it is not natural and so very hard to accomplish. We tend to get in our own way, letting pride and ego distort our judgment. Taking offense at the least little provocation.

I believe in second chances. Trusting someone and letting them make amends. If that trust should be broken there is no shame in it on my end. What fault lies in doing what is right? Experientially I find that when challenged to overcome past mistakes and indiscretions most rise to that same challenge. 

Does that mean some won't try to fool you along the way? Not at all. But don't let that harden your heart. In time that will be forgotten as well.

It's quite interesting how forgiveness becomes a desireable trait when you are the one in need of it But dont mind me, Ill just enjoy my Maraschino and the two sided speeches that accompany every conflict.

Most of us will always do our best to start this life fresh, holding grudges is notoriously bad for business.

That being said we have all suffered betrayals and put our trust in people that have disappointed us. The problem with starting each life fresh is that each time a particular blood line causes your family to die for whatever reason, them trusting the wrong person, or even them abandoning your allegiance for their new friends, the more the same line continues to disappoint the less likely they are to be afforded the benefit of the doubt. Eventually this reaches a point that is irreconcilable and that person just can't be trusted again.

There are a number of lines who have proven themselves to be untrustworthy, and disloyal. It shouldn't be a tremendous surprise when they are treated as such.

You shouldn't speak on matters you no very little about, Selenity. 

As per norm, you have one side of the story and formed judgement based on that. It's who you are; shortsighted, ignorant, petty. You see what you wish to see, never more. Your line hasn't been here in some time, you do not know the story between myself and DoctorBoom, or myself and SpikeS. You know nothing.

But, knowing you as I do, I realize that anything I say will be tossed to the side and treated as irrelevant. I'm wasting what precious little time I have left in this word on someone not worthy of it, quite frankly. 

Enjoy your run, if you do indeed stick around. Thankfully I won't be around for it.

xoxo

What will never cease to amuse me about your line is it's ability to get people that actually look out for your interests killed, if you only got yourself killed that would be one thing but you always manage to bring down everyone around you.

Someone approached me a few days ago about your line and I cautioned them that association with you is dangerous and will likely lead to their death. Once more your mouth gets people killed.

Point proven. 

Shortsighted, ignorant, petty.

Curious you failed to come out and have your say while Shogun still breathed. You and I both know you are intelligent enough to have discerned that this thread was also partially inspired by your return to these shores.

Taking shots at a man right after his father dies is pretty low, but I should have expected it. 

I told you last time there is no reconciliation to be had between us. You destroy everything around you and the sooner people realize that the better. 

I feel fine kicking the son of a man who has just died, it is significantly better than being the man who thrust a knife into a friends back. Or who assisted in wiping all his ancestors from the world time after time after time. Remember Vazzi? Remember Me? Remember Mike?

Rather just leave and don't return.

I remember them well.

Vazzi was just as much in on the plan as I was. He forgave me within minutes, I simply trusted the wrong person.

The situation with you has been well documented and it's been made clear that I was indeed not behind your death, although I did fail to prevent it, again, by trusting the wrong people.

Mike is angry with me, but he's a big boy and will get over it. He's not you.

Congratulations, you remain the saltiest bloodline in the world. Well done.

Bye, Felicia.

Sup y'all,

-Goku, when you were a child, did you repeatedly burn your hand on hot stoves?  Most children burn their hand once and have sense enough not to do it again.  They say "damn that was stupid of me... maybe I shouldn't do this dumb shit over and over and over again." 

Goku wasn't explicitly aware of the exact time and date of the take down, but was long since aware of the intention.

His exact remarks to my father ''I thought I had more time to change their minds, I know they have wanted to but they promised they would give it some more thought before doing anything'and we would discuss it some more''.

Moral of the story is don't trust anyone, especially people with infamous bloodline.

If history has shown us anything in this place it is that your best bud will shoot you down when the opportunity of greater power comes along. Time and time again we have seen it happen and it's usually by the same bloodlines. The idea of a fathers sins not carrying over to his/her kin is just plain naive. Yes it is not the same person but you'd be blind if you didnt see the eerie similarities between a father/mother and their kin. But isnt that what makes this place great!? People keep trusting that same bloodline that is known to shoot down their own GF or jump ships when shit hits the fan and then they are hurt or mad when it happens to them! It is quite amusing to witness this happen bloodline after bloodline, the story never gets dull, this story is the heart of our world. Lying, cheating, braying, deceiving, you have to get your hands dirty to make it anywhere in this corrupt world of ours, just be smart enough to be able to get away with. I understand that to keep this world going you have too give bloodlines a "second" chance but that's just purposely turning a bling eye and you put yourself at a disadvantage by doing so.

People/Bloodlines are set in their ways, the faster one to the trigger wins the game. 

*Disclaimer: I'm just a CatBug and I have no idea what I'm talking about. Meow? :3