Parle Aboard Med Force One

[Madvillain]

Buonocore noticed how Cesar swirled the glass in his hand, watching the dark liquid catch the light, as if the answers he sought lay somewhere in its depths.

"Cesar…" Buonocore sighed, his voice heavy with something between annoyance and disappointment. His eyes lingered on the rum a moment before flicking up to meet Cesar’s gaze. "If you say nothing, others will speak for you. And trust me, mi hermano, there’s an imperio full of muchachos with plenty to say. Their voices are loud, and not all in favor of the Brotherhood."

He leaned forward slightly, the glass tapping softly against the table as he set it down. "Things are happening, muy rápido. Situations are slipping through your fingers whilst the Brotherhood sits still, hands tied by indifference." His eyes narrowed, drilling into Cesar with quiet intensity. "Tell me, cariño, where is that hunger that once burned in you? The one that made you rise above the rest, that made you feared and respected?"

Buonocore’s lip curled faintly, not quite a smirk, but close. "I don't even know if you still have it in you, unlike that niña of yours, the youngest Elder to ever sit at the Council’s table. She has some fuego in her, I'll give her that, yet she lacks the experience and wisdom of the Elders in our days. Very progressive, Cesar, truly. But progress?" He clicked his tongue. "You've been standing still ever since. Stagnation doesn’t suit you, hermano."

His voice darkened, and his gaze sharpened like the edge of a blade. "Yet I do not wish to offend you, you do not need another knife in your back. Those young ‘Sails,’ as they call themselves. Pfft." He waved a dismissive hand but couldn’t quite hide the flicker of disdain in his expression. "It still unsettles me how some rabble could steal the glory of names like Espingarda and Vito. Though..." Buonocore leaned back, resting one arm over the back of his chair, "even they make a point, whether you like it or not."

He paused for a long moment, letting the weight of his words hang in the room.

"The Brotherhood is the oldest and strongest foundation the Council of Elders has to lean on. But you, Cesar " Buonocore’s eyes narrowed to slits, "you must act now. Do your duty, allow me to do it, or step aside and pave the way for those with the fire to lead. And if they rise, Cesar.." he spread his hands slowly, palms up, "then you must do whatever it takes to ensure they succeed. No honour, no diginity, no pride. Only the survival of the empire."

His voice softened, but the urgency in it remained. "Time’s running out. You have my demands. You can no longer delay what is coming. Soon hermano, there’ll be no turning back. Make up your mind."

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Baila Morena | Toilet Trouble | Elder Presidente[TBH] | The Titan Combat Manual | Confession
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