new years '97, the vitelli residence, post-tragedy and pre-chaos, early morning with @withoutmonsterswebecomethem ( azazel hawthorne ) and @mcdesties ( meera chaettiar-vitelli )
The room is thick with tension, silence, and the air vibrating with pain, uncertainty. Francisco feels the tug in his chest, however buried, of the loss of his father, the man who saw something in him, chose him, and built who he is today brick by brick, but in this moment it paled in comparison to the thrum of urgency. The faces of his adoptive siblings surround him, the rigor mortis besides them an undeniable presence; some stare, some avoid its gaze. He takes in the scene, the quiet all consuming, disruptive, and his mind reels. This was premature, the death of the don, the position of underboss still unclaimed and the family left scrambling in its aftermath. The war was just beginning, swallowing the electricity in the air.
He’s the first one to stand, to speak, simply cannot stand the suffocating silence. “I’m not going to attempt to discount the grief, and I’m not going to pretend this isn’t a horrible loss. I have my own feelings about the death of our father to reflect on as well.” A breath through his nose, slow, considerate. “That being said we all know what happens next, and we don’t have much time.” A pause, dark eyes solid, shifting about the room, straight posture, undeniable confidence and intensity bleeding in his tone.
“If we take too long to make this decision they’re going to take everything from us, as soon as the news breaks there will be Weiss’ and Cats at our door, trying to destroy everything Augustu has built, they won’t feel empathy. They’ll see opportunity, because if it were them I would see the same. If we don’t fill the position it will be seen as a weakness, we need now more than ever to show them that we’re prepared to move forward no matter the circumstances we're dealt.” He addresses the whole room, ensuring that includes the deceased don, his eyes flickering to him as steadily as he meets the other occupants in the space.
“I’m prepared to take on the position.” There’s a shuffling, blank stares and quick, heated looks. They don’t want to discuss this now, not this soon. Too fucking bad. This is the mafia, they aren't a regular family, they don't get to take breaks, to cry on each others shoulders and pause the rest of their lives like civilians do, and if he needed to be the one to say it, he will be.
“I’ve killed and bled for this family, and I’ll do it again and again until it ultimately takes my life. I started in this conglomerate mopping blood off of the floors, scraping skin off of the walls; I have never once shied from the things that needed to be done no matter how gruesome, and I don’t plan to start today. I know I’m capable of getting us through this. This is not the end, but merely the beginning of the blood shed on the streets that we’re going to drown in the next few months following this loss. Failure is not an option, and if it falls upon us because of my actions I’ll be the first to put my head on the chopping block.”
“I’m giving everyone the ability to take the time they need to grieve and forgo the responsibility of trying to keep this business running at what is likely to be the hardest period since its insurrection. I have shown my strengths in physicality and devotion through my triumphs in the field during my time as a soldier and even now in my position caporegime which I’ve held for over five years. I’ve displayed my intelligence and ambition through placing myself in the public eye and being accepted into city hall despite the political scope being a primarily Weiss owned domain.” A pause, glancing at the room of downtrodden faces.
“At the moment, it only needs to be temporary, until we get our bearings and can discuss it further under more favorable circumstances. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I can keep us above water, I've only ever had this family's best interest in mind since day one. If anyone else here believes they have the ability to do the same, that they can pull us through this period, I give you the opportunity to speak now. Otherwise, I’m prepared to take the next steps to protect this family and everyone who has pledged their loyalty to us immediately.”
@withoutmonsterswebecomethem
