text: [Themes: fantasy, fantasy]
  
  Year 17
  
  "Another good haul!" Jake laughs.
  "Yeah, that old man didn't know what hit him." Vaughn remarks.
  "Old bastard is lucky we didn't kill him." Zalmora says.
  
  Meanwhile you just shake your head at the lot you've hooked up with. While you knew this organization had some problems, you thought there was going to be an attempt at restructuring it by Tom. He seems content however on just taking a hands off approach, or at least an approach that doesn't involve a lot of rules.
  
  Which you guess is good in some ways, but it's not exactly doing this organization any favors, especially with this lot who barely plan anything out. If it wasn't for you being so cautious, you think the militia would have apprehended most of this crew already.
  
  Most of them don't seem to realize that this city is too damn secure to just go on the way they've been going on. A lot more subtlety and a lot less smash and grab is in order.
  
  Still, you feel like you've already invested a bit in this organization by sticking around this long so you're not willing to bail out just yet, but something is going to have to change soon and you're going to bring it up to Tom.
  
  "Hey lockboy, why're you so quiet over there?" Vaughn remarks.
  "Just thinking about something." You respond.
  "You do a lot of that don't you?" Zalmora says.
  "He does a whole lot of nothing. Don't know why Tom even sent you with us on this job, you were pretty useless." Jake says.
  "Well, I agree my skills do go to waste when the plan isn't followed. I was supposed to pick the lock to the door and then one of you was supposed to quietly subdue the old man if he woke up and the others cleaned out the place. Instead what YOU did, was break the window on the door and unlock it that way. When that inevitably woke up the old man, you lot spent a bunch of unnecessary time taunting and beating him unconscious." You say.
  
  Jake stops walking back to the Talon hideout and walks over to you.
  
  "Yeah? And what of it? Listen you little shit; you're just some small town snot nosed punk. You know exactly fuck all about what it means to be a Crimson Talon. If you don't like the way we do things, you can just leave. Not like you'd be missed."
  "Hold on, hold on. We had a good night. No need for all this, let's just get back to Tom, okay?" Vaughn says getting a little bit in between the pair of you.
  
  Jake's been on your case since day one. You just know you're going to have to deal with him someday. Maybe today is that day.
  
  > let it go
  As much as you might feel the urge to do so, you resist starting a fistfight. With a guy like Jake, it's likely to turn into something a little more fatal and this isn't like the situation with Klint. Jake isn't just some loudmouth bully with a chip on his shoulder. He's a real violent criminal and has loads more skill than you in a street fight.
  
  "Yeah..." you say still looking at Jake before walking past.
  
  When you get back, you're about to go straight to Tom who is in his office, but before you can Zalmora stops you.
  
  "Hey where are you going deep thinker? Aren't you going to celebrate our successful job?"
  "You guys seem to have a handle on that, besides don't really feel like celebrating with Jake." You respond.
  "Well how about just a private celebration between us then?" Zalmora says and moves in closer to you.
  
  You weren't aware Zalmora had any kind of attraction to you before, but it's definitely apparent now.
  
  "What? Seriously? Weren't aware you were interested in me." You say.
  "Hah, don't flatter yourself. I just want a quick tumble and I don't feel like finding myself some rent boy or dealing with Jake's usual asshole behavior right now. Plus, you're young and a lot less repulsive...hey are you a virgin?" Zalmora says.
  "Not that it's any of your business, but no."
  "Pity, might have been fun to deflower you."
  "I'm sure, but I'm not interested..."
  "What? You seriously can't be saying there's something wrong with the way I look! Oh shit, you're not like Vaughn are you?"
  "No...wait, how is Vaughn like?"
  "He's into guys. Thought that was obvious."
  "Never noticed, but no, I just got something important business to talk to Tom about."
  "Like what? More ideas about how to improve things around here? I know how you're not satisfied with how things are around here, but then I suppose you aren't the only one."
  "Well if everyone here isn't satisfied with how things are, why aren't changes being made? I mean Tom even said he was going to start reorganizing the Crimson Talons."
  "Hah. Tom's no leader. He's just leader because nobody else wants the hassle. Well except maybe Jake, but nobody really wants to follow him either."
  "So why stick around?"
  "Why not? What else are we going to do, get real jobs? Besides, things are actually going a little bit better than they were with Edmond. Tom's not likely to start executing folks over small mistakes at least. Plus in this line of work it's a lot better to have a few people watching your back. Now how about we stop all this talking and go to your room where you can watch my back up close?"
  
  Zalmora now puts her hand directly on your cock, which is definitely interested even if you claimed that you weren't.
  
  Well, you can think with one head or the other, but you can't do both.
  
  And like most guys your age (Or guys in general) you make your most important decision with your dick.
  
  You figure you can always talk to Tom later, but Zalmora might not be in the mood later if you turn her down now. She's actually attractive in a trashy sort of way (Sort of reminds you of Annah in that way), it's just she seemed sort of inaccessible since she was several years older and never paid much attention to you before.
  
  You and Zalmora go back to your room and get into it pretty quickly. You also learn a few things, which is a fun process even if she's a bit bossy about it. Eventually you're entirely spent and satisfied.
  
  "That it? Figured we'd go around a third time." Zalmora says.
  "Maybe in a few minutes. Um, you uh...good?" You ask.
  "More or less. You guys always fall a bit short, but at least I wasn't dealing with Jake's whiskey dick this time around. Thanks for asking though at least."
  
  You don't reply to that and instead just keep quiet, not wishing to dwell on any potential bedroom failings on your part, let alone Jake's dick.
  
  Zal soon breaks up the silence though.
  
  "So, Mr. ideas, what exactly were you going to bring up to Tom as far as changes and such?" Zal asks.
  "Why do you want to know?" you ask.
  "Because I'm a Crimson Talon and if you're going to be whispering ideas into Tom's head and I'm going to be affected by those changes, in the unlikely event he even listens of course. Besides, I might have a few ideas of my own."
  "If you have ideas, why not bring them to Tom's attention?"
  "I have. I don't think he likes me though. In fact I think he's got a deep-seated dislike of women in general. I'm sure it has something to do with his mother being a lesbian or something."
  "Wait, Tom's mother was a lesbian?"
  "Yeah. You didn't know that? His buddy David used to tell stories about her and make jokes all the time back when he was still alive. She used to work as a miner and had a girlfriend who Tom always insisted was just her roommate even though they slept in the same bed. Still in denial about it, though he might actually be that clueless. Y'know, I don't think he ever knew who his father was. Now that I think about it, I'm sort of wondering how Tom was even conceived in the first place considering from what I heard his mother was firmly into pussy."
  
  Well there's another bit of information you can add to your mental notes.
  
  "But getting back to my point Tom doesn't really want to be bothered to change things too much because as I said, he lacks the ambition to be a true leader. Still, he seems to like you since you rescued him from that cage and you generally don't give him grief, so maybe there's a chance. Come on, I let you into this temple I call a body, you can at least let me into that head of yours a bit."
  "You got a way with words Zal. Well okay, I suppose this stuff isn't really top secret or anything."
  
  You begin to tell Zalmora about your concerns with how things are done regarding robberies. There is little finesse, nobody sticks to a plan and it's more outright thuggery. You go on to mention that it might not be as much of a problem if you weren't in a city fanatical about curbing crime, but since you are, this is kind of a big problem in the long term.
  
  "Yeah...I hear you there. I admit we've all sort of gotten lazy about that over the years. I remember when I first joined I was one of the best cat burglars here. As things slowly deteriorated, guess I just said fuck it. So what else you think needs changing around here?" Zalmora asks.
  "Well for a criminal organization we aren't exactly diverse. Granted I don't know much about running something like this, but I have heard the old Crimson Talon glory day stories. The Talons used to have fighting pits, used to sell Green Lotus and Yellow Devil, we had whores, I mean a whole bunch of shit that brought in a steady revenue of coinage."
  
  Zalmora nods her head.
  
  "Yeah, you're right about that as well. I wasn't a member when they still had the fighting pits, but I do remember seeing a few when my dad bet on them. Even as a little girl I knew I liked seeing two big guys get all sweaty and bloody, beating the shit out of each other. I know there are the Klyton gladiators, but they wear so much damn armor that they barely get hurt and it's very rare to see a fatality. Pretty sure it's all fixed anyway. The Klyton Council probably makes a shitload of money off that racket. Too bad we aren't politicians." Zalmora says.
  "Well what about the other stuff?"
  "The drugs? Well Green Lotus or a milder form of it is legal here now, so that's out. Yellow Devil as far as I know was never a big money maker due to it having a major chance of causing the user's innards to melt and bleed from every orifice. Of course Blue Dream is the big one nowadays, but the Ebony Claw Syndicate mostly has a monopoly on its production and distribution. None of us knows how to make it or has connections. But then drugs have never been an interest of mine. The Talons actually did control a few whorehouses at one time, until government shut them all down and then built some nicer, fancier and Klyton run ones. Being a whore has never been more respectable. Okay, maybe not. But the point is, the Klyton Council effectively destroyed the Talons by legalizing shit and taking it over more than they ever did with just the militia."
  
  Before you can go into some of your other ideas, Zalmora stops you with some of her own.
  
  "While I'm impressed that you're thinking a lot more about this shit than most people here, I'm of the mind that for now, we should play more on our current strengths. We can diversify again later." Zalmora says.
  "Our current strengths are basically smashing people in their face and taking their shit. I thought we established that isn't exactly good in the long term." You remark.
  "It isn't in Klyton, but we could always start doing it outside of Klyton. Robbing caravans and such on the roads. It isn't like Jake is going to care where he does it and those two half elf whores will probably be ecstatic about working outside the city. Also, the militia isn't going to be as fanatical about tracking down shit that goes on outside the city."
  "Hmm, well that style would favor road robberies a lot more. It's still not really what I'm about though."
  "Well, you could always gather the intelligence for us. Find out what caravans and wagons are leaving, which way they're going, how well protected, all that stuff. Plus maybe you can start actively look for recruits."
  "Me?"
  "Why not? You spend most of your time walking around the city anyway when you're pilfering pocket in your free time. Not saying that you have to be the one to speak with them, but you could bring it to Tom's attention and I'm sure he'll be receptive. I'm sure when we build up our numbers AND wealth we can start branching out a bit more again. Like property and fronts."
  "So...is this all what I should propose to Tom?" you ask.
  "The plans to move our activities to mainly outside Klyton, yes. The rest of it, I'd keep a lid on until later. It will be better to not overwhelm him with suggestions. So, you ready for another round stud, or do we have to waste more time talking?"
  "Huh? Oh yeah, sure!" you say and immediately move on to more important matters.
  
  After spending more fun time with Zalmora, you do eventually get around to speaking with Tom and just like Zal predicted, he's actually receptive to your ideas. He says that it probably would be better to start reigning in the loot and pillage tactics in the city.
  
  "Really should have thought about doing it before. I was just so concerned about keeping everyone together and happy, I neglected to remember that I'm supposed to be improving our position as leader, not just being content on survival. Anyway, I'm sure this will be something everyone can get on board with, well the majority of them anyway. And yes, since you came up with all this, you can still keep your activities to Klyton while you seek out potential new members. I know you won't make a damn mess of things and generally keep your head down." Tom remarks.
  "Thanks. I'm really going to do my best to make this work."
  "I know you will kid, you've always been a good earner. Looks like Yag really blessed me when you I met you in that cage that night. Good thing the rest of that lot out there were late after all."
  "I guess so." You answer.
  "Okay, well let me go address this new change to everyone."
  
  Tom announces the changes and like with any change, everyone has an opinion. Mostly for the better thankfully. Jake complains the loudest, but when it's pointed out that it doesn't matter if he kills people as much, he grumbles slightly less.
  
  Zalmora is certainly pleased about all this and says she knew you' d be able to convince Tom better than anyone else.
  
  Only time will tell if any of these changes mean shit though.
  
  > Time passes...
  Year 21
  
  "The Bloody Smiles are lead by a vicious bandit calling himself the Grinning Man. Nobody has gotten a really good look at him as most don't survive his attacks, but based on this crude sketch, I implore anyone seeing him to run and contact Klyton militia immediately! This man and his band of cutthroats have been plaguing the roads and the surrounding area for years and hopefully now that his identity is known..."
  
  You suddenly receive one of the many sketches a concerned citizen is handing out. You take one look at the sketch as you walk away from the crowd and shake your head.
  
  "Doesn't even look like that asshole." You say and toss it in a nearby bin.
  
  Jake's job has really been doing the trick as far as distracting the Klyton militia, though maybe it's been going a little too well. You suggested that Tom to pull him back from this two years ago, but predictably he never did.
  
  Zalmora and Vaughn returned pretty quickly after this plan went into action, though in Zal's case it seemed to be more because she wanted to get back into regular burglary again. Vaughn said he couldn't deal with Jake anymore and was getting too crazy.
  
  Now, he's given himself a nickname, gone on to call his group the Bloody Smiles and doesn't report back to Tom for months. When he does, he just sends one of the newer Talons with some goods and loot. While Tom as usual is taking a laid back approach to this figuring as long as he's still sending shit back then everything is good, you question whether Jake is even thinking about the Talons anymore.
  
  Meanwhile, you've been more or less successful in building up the Talon's numbers. Not as much as you'd like, but since you're the only one doing it, it is what it is. Despite all this extra help however, it's not being utilized properly. Most of it is being sent to help Jake as his numbers get whittled down every now and then and that's really a waste you believe.
  
  The ones you insist on keeping around to train are fewer in number and you're also the only one bothering to train them properly. You never thought you'd be in that sort of position. Occasionally Zal and Vaughn help out, but it's mostly fallen on you.
  
  Basically, it's a case where the opportunity to expand is there, but once again Tom is failing to pull the trigger on it. You should be setting up another underground fighting pit, setting up gambling dens or even running a protection racket. Something needs to be done about Jake because the Crimson Talons can't proceed if half of the members aren't even Talons anymore and have declared allegiance to another leader.
  
  "Something has to be done about Jake." You remark.
  "Like what?" Vaughn asks.
  "I dunno, but Tom can't just sit on his ass anymore about it. Jake hasn't done it yet, but it's only a matter of time before he splits off from the Crimson Talons altogether and takes half of our members that were assigned out there with him. Ideally we could just tell him to come home and his purpose out there is no longer necessary, but I doubt if he'll listen."
  "So...what? You just going to go in there and tell Tom what he needs to do?" Zalmora asks.
  "Someone needs to tell him something! As I remember it was me who told him to start changing shit up last time too."
  "That's true, but doesn't that sort of mean you're sort of responsible of what's going on with Jake? Pretty sure that's what Tom will point out as well." Vaughn says.
  
  You're about to tell Vaughn to shut the hell up when Zalmora interrupts.
  
  "While you have some good ideas as usual, honestly, I'm not sure why anything needs to be done about him. I say if Jake has split from the Crimson Talons, well that's more for us." Zalmora remarks.
  "Actually that's LESS for us since he won't even be sending his cut anymore." You say.
  "Maybe in the short term, but you're not thinking long term. The militia hasn't been as much of a problem in the city for us because they've been focused mainly on catching Jake and the rest. That gives us a little more freedom to expand like you said. Hell, now that Jake has foolishly started to give his group their own name, they aren't even directly connected to the Talons anymore."
  "So? If he gets caught he could still blab his mouth about our secret hideout."
  "Jake's a lot of things, but he ain't no rat. Chances are they won't even take him in alive anyway."
  "Okay, so maybe Jake's no rat, but what about some of others with him? I mean sure, we've all stressed how important loyalty is to the new recruits, but if Jake's gained their trust somehow, then they're loyal to him not to the Talons and they aren't going to think twice about ratting us out to save their own skin."
  "Hmm, you might have a point there." Vaughn says.
  "Look, all I'm saying is Jake not causing shit for us in the city and running around out there like a mad man is better for us. If he's gone, then the militia is just going to refocus more of their attention on the city again. I mean maybe it might be best to make it an official break up. Let Jake know he can go his way and we go ours. Might diffuse any potential problems with Jake. Dunno if Tom will be into that though." Zalmora says.
  "That's true too." Vaughn remarks.
  
  You rub your hands through your hair.
  
  "I dunno. Maybe. Something still needs to be brought up to Tom though." You say.
  "Oh I agree with you on that. It is time to give him a little push again." Zalmora remarks.
  "Well? Aren't either of you coming in with me?" you ask.
  "Um...I hadn't planned to. I mean it sounds like you've got this under control on what to discuss. I think me being there is just going to look like we're ganging up on him." Vaughn says.
  "Yeah. And as you know, Tom has never been fond of me. So I would be more of a detriment. Just go in and talk to him, you did fine last time remember?" Zalmora says nudging into you a bit.
  "(Sigh) Why do I feel like I'm the only one who cares about this organization?"
  "Hey! That's not even true! I just gave you my fucking thoughts on the situation didn't I? You bring up whatever you want to Tom. I'm sure everything will work out fine, he likes you after all."
  
  And with that, Zal and Vaughn leave to let you go speak with Tom. You swear you never thought the day would come where you would be known as the "diplomat." You guess your sister's charm rubbed off on you just a little bit. You sometimes wonder how she's doing. Probably better than you are at any rate.
  
  Mentally preparing yourself, you head to Tom's office, though when you think more about it, you don't know why you're mentally preparing yourself. It isn't like Tom's going to even threaten to kill you if he doesn't agree with what you have to say.
  
  At this point you're practically his second in command anyway and you're still baffled by this since you haven't been here nearly as long, though you suppose with all these new folks coming in, you are starting to become a "vet" as it were.
  
  "Hey Tom." You say entering his office.
  "Hey kid, any new blood you need me to check out and make a final decision on?"
  "Uh, no not today. I wanted to speak with you about another matter...it's about Jake."
  
  Tom's head drops down briefly with a deep sigh and then he looks up.
  
  "Yeah...I figured it might be getting close to dealing with that situation. Trust me, I HAVE been giving some thought to it, even though I'd rather not." Tom says.
  "Well I'm afraid something is going to have to be done about him. You can't just have a divided organization with half of it's members calling themselves something else and primarily pledging allegiance to another leader." You say.
  "Maybe it isn't that bad! I mean he's still providing a share of the loot to us right?" Tom says hopefully.
  "Perhaps, but think how much longer the intervals are starting to get, not to mention how much is he actually holding back? How long before he just stops sending altogether? No, we have to do something."
  "Are you suggesting an attack? Because while I know around where he's currently located, I'm not entirely sure of the exact area. He may have even moved since he has to do that a lot anyway. Fairly certain not only would he have the advantage, but even if we win, we're going to suffer heavy losses which sort of defeats the purpose."
  "I was thinking more of a stealthy assassination."
  "And you're going to do that?"
  "I could try. Maybe I could take a few others with me to help."
  "No offense kid, but even if he didn't have half our numbers with him and you had help I don't think you could take Jake. Jake is the best fighter we have and he's probably only gotten better since being out there. I'm not risking anyone in a foolish assassination attempt, let alone an internal conflict. Although...no...that's not an option..." Tom says trailing off.
  "What? What is it?"
  "Well...if we DID go this route, and I'm not saying we are. I know a few outside folks that might be able to do it without problems. Damn, I just wish there was a less messy way of handling this."
  "(Sigh) Well I hate to bring this up, but I have thought of a diplomatic solution which might be possible." You say.
  "Oh?"
  
  You explain to Tom about a potential split with Jake altogether and just letting him go his own way since he seems happier anyway. Tom isn't too fond of the idea since it no longer means gaining a cut of Jake's looting profits, but he's not outright dismissing it. In fact out of all the options, Tom still seems to think the best plan is to do nothing.
  
  At this point, you're wondering why you're bothering.
  
  > Assassination
  Something has to be done and the best way to do it is to kill Jake. Not like you were ever friends with him.
  
  "Look, we can't do nothing and if you aren't fond of diplomacy, then we need to kill Jake. So who are these independent assassins you know?" you ask.
  "Really only know two and out of those two, only one is a proper assassin and I don't know if it's even possible with him." Tom says.
  
  Frustration increases...
  
  "Okay, so tell me about the guy who isn't a proper ass