[The camera shows nothing but darkness; unknowing if it’s a pitch-black room or if it’s all artificial. It remains completely silent for several moments before footsteps are heard; growing louder as someone comes closer.]
Cash: Ya know… I’ve got all this money to burn… A beautiful family… Prospects that you wouldn’t believe…
[Cassius - dressed in an entirely white suit that contrasts with the darkness of the room he’s in - steps in front of the camera with only his legs showing as he’s standing too close.]
Cash: Ya know, pretty much everything you don’t have, Violet.
[Cassius takes a seat in front of the camera as there seems to be something there for him to sit upon as he stares with the same familiar smirk on his face that he usually has.]
Cash: All of this… More than I know what to do with… but I sit here and I think to myself “Why waste it on her?”. Why should I take the time and the effort to put together something beautiful for you - and your little friend there, Lillie - to enjoy the sights and sounds of? I take a moment and I gotta think about it and realize that you not only don’t deserve a family or riches or a good life… But you don’t even deserve to see what one looks like. You don’t get to feed off of the Corleone Family anymore, much like you continue to do with all of your World’s Finest buddies. You won’t live vicariously through me for one more second, you little bitch. Do you understand me? No, of course you don’t. Your head’s a puzzle with the pieces all jumbled up, ain’t it? No wonder why you chose to make it in this profession - you were probably hoping a few hundred chairshots to the head would be enough to fix whatever’s wrong with you, weren’t ya? Well I ain’t no Doc, but I think there is no fixing what’s wrong with you unless you simply take your last breath. I mean, you came awful close to your last breath when you were gasping for air after what I did to you at Chapter 16, right?
Well I ain’t here to fix ya. I’m here to break ya. If that malfunctioning walnut rattling up there in your head is cracked, then make no mistake about it, when you and I are done playing, it’ll be beyond the sheer thought of repair. So since you’re having a tough time following along with my words, allow me to do what you’ve probably needed your whole life - certainly as a part of World’s Finest - and hold your hand to guide you through. See, I’m not gonna waste any extra effort on you. Consider all of this you see right now to be the maximum amount of my time you will ever get. In fact, as of right now, Nutjob Violet, consider me just another voice in your head. I mean, this IS what it’s like up there for that army of yours, right? Aren’t they all just pacing around in darkness - each of them trying to jump into the light and be the one in charge when needed, or hell, when not needed? Well here’s how it’s gonna go for now on, sweetheart… One by one by one… Your little friends in your head - they’re gonna disappear into the darkness. Maybe for a while. Maybe forever. But you’re not gonna be cured. Do you know why? Don’t answer that, I doubt you’ve been able to follow along even with my help. All your helpful friends who come to your aid when you need them… I’m gonna make them all go away. Not to help you. I’m another voice in your head, remember? They’ll be gone, but I’ll still be there, Violet. I’ll be there, and I’ll do more damage to you in one moment than has been done to you in your entire fucked up, traumatized, miserable life! I’ll be the only voice you can hear, but I’ll be louder than the rest of them combined! I’ll be the one that makes you rip out your hair, hurt yourself, and wish you were fuckin’ dead!
That moment you felt my elbow connect with your throat - that wasn’t Chapter 16, Violet. No, no, no… That was only Chapter 1. We’ve got so many more to go before this book finishes, and I’m gonna enjoy every single moment of it. And look at you! You’ve made new friends outside of the ones we just humiliated! Pretty little Lillie Saint… Ain’t she just adorable? Violet, I don’t know you or where you came from exactly. I’ve heard some things here and there, but I don’t really know you. But just looking at you, I can just tell you’re someone who’s lived a life filled with hurting those that get close to you. I mean, look at what happened to Steph Matsuda and April Song, Violet. Look at what you caused! You’re a fuck up when it all comes down to it; a stain on the lives of everyone you come into contact with. Yeah, I can tell. I ain’t no therapist of yours, but I can see that. What makes you think DOMINION is gonna be a different story, sweetie? Now you can open your mouth and one of your vessels can tell me how it’s gonna REALLY be… But you know as well as I do that they’re full of shit. Your poker face don’t scare me. You lost the first gamble already, and now you’re already making another? Not so smart, but then again, look who I’m talking to. It’s alright with me though. Gamble away. Just know it ain’t chips you’re putting down on the line. It’s your friends. It’s your allies. It’s everyone you come into contact with, and it ends in that same familiar way. I’m gonna truly enjoy knocking your ass back so deep into your consciousness that you think you’ve gotten away, only for me to drag you back out and hurt you some more. Your friend Lillie is just a passenger along for the ride. I’m not gonna break you yet, but her? She’s open season. The friends in your head are gonna start disappearing, Violet… But they ain’t the only ones.
[Cassius silently stares into the camera with a wicked smile as it slowly fades to black.]
Sat Dec 03, 2022 4:36 pm by 
Subject: The Friends We Make Along The Way 
