Zenobia walks up to the podium always on display in Pasadena, LA. "I have something important to say. If I could have just a couple minutes of your time."

A crowd begins to form. A few of those visiting from New York hold their hands by their sides, the butts of their fancy revolvers all the outlaws carry glisten in the sun. Zenobia knows that they are waiting to see if they need to shoot her like her kin.

"As everyone is aware, my mother was Esmeralda. And she was murdered a few days ago. There are rumors that she was a problem and short tempered and caused disillusionment amongst her family. For that I am unable to confirm or deny." Zenobia shifts uncomfortably on the podium. "What happened Sunday is an unfortunate series of events caused by stress and short tempers on both sides. Essy could have handled the loss of her family's HQ for a second time better than she did, and Fenton could have not been so reactionary."

"I am not calling out specifically any member of the NY leadership!" Zenobia puts her hands up in a disarming gesture. "I am just saying that this was not the way this game should have been played, in my opinion." She pauses briefly.

"If an HQ is lost and a CL is not consistently able to be active enough to make sure everything is taken care of, then a CL should not be able to return as a CL right away. There are certain standards that a CL should be held to and the GFCs are just as culpable in allowing it to happen more than once." Zenobia sees some Outlaws draw their guns quietly in the crowd. Zenobia glances and sees her family's leadership fidget in the wings... Zenobia keeps her hands held up.

"That being said, God has already implemented an adequate solution to prevent this from happening in the future. This shall prevent any other member to become homeless and are shot by their leaders for declining an invite back." She pauses and puts down her hands.

"This brings up my last point. Esmeralda wrote in her journal shortly before her death, her reasoning for declining the invite. Perhaps this will shed some light on that part of the situation." Zenobia pulls a worn purple book out. She flips to the last pages and begins to read.

"I have declined the invite to return to the Outlaws due to Fenton losing his HQ a second time. I've expressed my frustration to my friend and I think I can use this as an opportunity to start over. I've contacted Chicago, my old stomping grounds, to see if there's room for me over there. Perhaps I can have a new start, or a chance at leadership. I'm optimistic.

I can't believe he lost his HQ a second time. I really hope he is held accountable because that is not something that should be allowed by a CL even once. So as far as I'm concerned, I am absolved of any commitment to the Expendables. If he had been a strong CL he wouldn't have allowed this to happen and left me homeless a second time. On principle this is unacceptable.

I hope that I can start over in Chicago. I miss the windy city..."

Zenobia slowly closes the purple book and sets it on the podium. Shortly after writing this, she was gone.

The crowd mumbles amongst themselves as they take in Zenobia's speech. "As I alluded to a moment ago, there could have been other issues with Essy that were not made completely aware to her and that, more than anything, could have contributed to her death. The declined invite was just an excuse for them to shoot her without question."

"That being said, because of the public outrage that has been expressed as a result of Esmeralda's death, I have decided that to not bring any further disgrace to the family that took me in, aware of my heritage, and I will now bid you all adieu. I have spoken my peace and have allowed my ancestor to say her's and with that, I thank you all for your support, outrage, and words of encouragement. It is time for me to go."

Zenobia steps down from the podium and takes a small dagger from her belt. In a moment equal to a Shakespearean tragedy, she places the tip on her chest and plunges it into her heart. As she collapses to the ground, the crowd gathers around her and the Outlaws holster their weapons.

The sky was a beautiful shade of azure as Zenobia closes her eyes and peacefully dies.

scratches his head and turns to the man next to him, "never seen someone blow their brains out peacefully before".

Interesting stance. Bold statements when speaking about an entire city and on behalf of a different entire city. Especially from someone who took the cowards way out. If any of your relatives see this know I mean this with the most respect I can possibly offer, don't follow in this person's footsteps. Making positive changes in life requires one really important thing, being alive. 

walks away head and shoulders slumped

It must be nice to speak of things you have zero knowledge of, I hope your daughter learns a lot from both yours and Esmerelda's mistakes.

As someone who has always been pretty anti-IA CLs etc... FentyWenty himself isn't particularly inactive at all... The mistake was in an assignment of a hand that FentyWenty made. A dumb mistake yes, but still, just a simple and very fixable/reversable mistake. It was just a slip on an assignment, not some big giant unbelievable act, as you sensationally describe. 

Losing a headquarters sucks, but FentyWenty, as a known dicer, could easy replace the HQ with his own funds without any financial detriment to his members. 

My understanding is that Esmeralda was a Boss in FentyWenty's crew. If we are to see value in that rank from a promotion, above Made, allegiance by blood should be held to the FentyWenty crew until death. Should a person choose not to return to their home, in a situation like this, I do not see any reason why the former CL can't shoot them just on that reason alone. That is reasonable practice. I also have been advised that there had been ongoing issues before this all in terms of attitude from the executed individual. 

"Perhaps I can have a new start, or a chance at leadership." This line really is emblematic of what I view as a sense of entitledness and/or the real issue here or motive driving the drama. 

Moreover, this whole sort of dramatic spectacle is indicative of other underlying issues in terms of sense of place, attitude, knowledge of political handling, and sense of rank in this thing of ours. There are better ways to handle displeasure and disagreement with how things are or simply how to ask your Leader respectfully to move to another crew (to avoid getting a bullet in the head). With respect, hopefully, you can move on from this and learn, if your intention is to be a long living member of a new crew. 

All that said, CLs should be responsible for their crews. Given certain changes, they will have an extra punishment if they slip up. But that said, it isn't some big terrible atrocity if they do make that error. 

Hello Fenton

As someone who has always been pretty anti-IA CLs etc...

Let me just stop you there, your own CL can barely be arsed to be here and has shown the same level of commitment prior to your birth so if you don't mind me saying... what the fuck are you on about?

For all the witticisms and sarcastic responses I'm sure I'll generate, can we just attempt for just a couple of hours to stop defending mediocrity.

I'm bored, you're bored and it's fucked unless we get half a dozen 1%'s in the near future, I guess we can go shoot dice with the Gods and pretend this isn't happening though.

I hate you all.

This mediocrity is nothing new, but it's not like people are willing to step up and change it. Not too easy to find able-bodied men and women willing to put in some serious time for this world fresh off the block. Or, like in my case, those who could just don't have the interest to actually go and do it.

Makes me wonder if the older regimes where crews were regularly wiped every month or so is more appeasing, since at least something is happening rather than nothing. (Am I really saying that?)

Hopefully these new city hall regulations should improve that cycle a bit, or perhaps generate some new faces.

LittleArkansas rest assured with the amount of commitments that I have that are other worldly, "can barely be arsed" isn't even remotely close to the truth. If that were the case, I simply wouldn't be here at all. You have no idea who I am, what my situation is, or how much I have to sacrifice to be here at all. I'd choose the target of my vitriol a bit more carefully if I were you, especially if you're gonna chat absolute bullshit.

Hey Balls I’m going to speak quickly, mainly because I think Giraffe is going to put me on ice once I stop, he really doesn’t like me talking, I’ve been warned, please don’t think he’s supportive of my viewpoints, but here I am and I’m going to say a few things you aren’t going to like.

I don’t give a flying fuck about your otherworldly commitments, go and deal with them, that’s a you problem, don’t bring your inactive bullshit here. I’m not sure if I’m actually being trolled at this point when you’re talking about your sacrifices? You’re right I have no idea who you are or what your situation is because that’s a symptom of your leadership, or lack thereof, nobody knows anything and everyone’s disinterested, I don’t think there are any further layers for you to be reveal here.

All I’m hearing is excuses for your absenteeism and it’s pathetic coming from a GFC, take some accountability and responsibility for the world that’s under your stewardship, the gods themselves are having to slowly shepherd your apathetic style of leadership away, I take accountability for my actions, I know how this plays out and I’m at peace with the ramifications of speaking, if only you and those of your calibre had the self-awareness to to see that you’re part of a problem, not the solution but I just don't think you've got the b... cohones to do what is right by the wider community.

Step up, step down, stand aside, I think doing anything beyond your normal remit would be a pleasant surprise at this juncture for everyone, including yourself. You’re clearly not enjoying whatever this is but stifling everyone else’s progress shouldn’t be a legacy you wish to leave behind.

LittleArkansas - nice to see that you finally grabbed a hold of your own cojones and addressed me directly rather than what you did previously. You can speak as quickly as you like, it doesn't change the facts and it doesn't change the fact that if you're respectful you can share any opinion you like with me - anyone who's had any kind of conversation with me knows this. It's a shame that you seem to think that this doesn't apply to you and that you've jumped straight back into acting like an utter gobshite.

You realise that my activity averaged over my entire life, still sits right at the top of what you'd consider "extremely high" - bordering on the cusp of "insanely high"? So yes, I will give you very broad and non-specific excuses, and if you knew a single thing about me you'd learn to shut the fuck up and listen.

I'm going to ask you this.. do you really believe that it's a lack of leadership that got me into this position that I'm in now? Have you been in a coma for your entire life and you've just decided that what you can see in this instant is what has always been?

You've just come back here and spewed more vitriol without actually countering a single thing that I've said to you. You say that the gods are shepherding something away from me? Not a fucking chance. Not a single leader during my tenure as head of Philadelphia, including myself, has lost their headquarters whether that be by mistake or by going inactive - neither have any of the people that I've given cities to, or their auths. You can read whatever you like into that. Or not, it's your choice.

It is often impossible to distinguish one crewleader from the next and especially tricky in hindsight to look back and point out what made them memorable, if anything at all. But Fenton has spread his wings and risen above the canopy. Fenton has a legacy. The Fenton Rule will exist until its origins become a tale from time immemorial, while all of us, even the likes of 'PlagueDoctor' or 'PhillipMarleau', will be completely forgotten. I wouldn't be surprised if a year from now, we're all referring to periods of 30 days as one Fenton. Has any one man commanded such a siege against mafia property law as him? The world is your oyster. 

I think amid all the rancor and illwill  there is perhaps a ray of light.  A beacon.

For it is time, surely, soon, when we will see those without vast lineage experience of leading crews actually leading crews.

Let a million flowers bloom.  For my part, I while embrace any challenge put to me by the uppers from my city.

I adore debate and love everyone.  One million dollars to the next five people (*NOT* BagPipeBarry) who discussion the flowers blooming concept.

Ian listened to the original speech before the young woman ended her own life. He wandered over to where she fell.

"I killed your mother. It was me. I didn't know her at all before, but I looked her in the eye and sent her back to god. 

Now you've come here and projected this absolutely absurd take on things, I must say I'm glad I did."

He rubbed his hands together slowly and gazed up at the air.

"There is a great deal more going on behind the curtain, than you will know until you've been there. Even down to the functions and governance of the grand mechanisms, that run this circus. It may often seem one way but very few ever really know the truth, the real truth, of what goes on. But then, it isn't always a mystery. Like here.

Sometimes people just haven't learned the rules."