"I can't keep going on when there is someone better waiting in the wings."

Okay, so maybe that's paraphrased a little. (Read: A lot. I have piss poor memory lately.) Either way, ThomasRourke said something similar to me several days before he retired, after making the decision to do so and to pass the city onto his successor, Deimne. In short, he felt that his time had come to an end, and that he couldn't continue to sit there when someone else deserved the chance to prove themselves to the rest of the community.

The time has come where I too feel I am in a similar predicament. In fact, I've felt like this for several months now- just could never get the timing right. Well, now it is.

Detroit, since it's very beginning, has always been a city of potential, of hard-work, and of limitless talented people. Every dedicated player worth their salt has made their way through that city at one time (even if briefly!), and I am thankful to have worked with every single one of them in some capacity or another. The time has come, the walrus said...

Oh, wrong thread.

The time has come to give these talented, creative people new chances. To give Detroit a new opportunity, a new face, a new guiding hand, a new style of leadership. In short, just a lot of 'new' for the Motor City. In saying that, you can read all the going-ons in my Street thread. I wish my buddy PR the best of luck as he makes the city his own, and leads Michigan into the next generation and beyond of MafiaReturns.

I'm sure a LOT of you are throwing your hands in the air and singing your Hallelujah chorus, but I know for every excited person streaming tears of joy and happiness there are probably just as many people who are shocked, startled. Maybe even a bit sad. It is for these people that I will continue to prattle on a bit for. The rest of you can go pop open a bottle of champagne.

Despite the outside influences that are playing a larger role in my life at the moment, it is not because of them that I am giving up Marietta. Sure, a huge promotion at work as well as a big move on the horizon are keeping me plenty busy, but they are not my sole decision for hanging up my holster, so to say.

As I've said time and time again, when I first created this character it was to roleplay with my friends- nothing else. I love to RP and more importantly- write (obviously). Somehow, as the nature of the game so often does, I was swept up in the other aspects- gaining a crew, warring and contests. Politics and newspapers. Giving people chances and Godfa...mo...ther (one of the two, it always confused me which one to use).

At the core of my heart, though, my attraction for this game has always been within the forums.

Sadly, when you get to a place where you are running a large crime syndicate (even with a SUPERB structure in place to help you), you tend to get bogged down by the ebbs and flows of everyone else's actions. Though I have loved guiding people, giving advice and solving problems, every day was another step away from the time I used to look forward to- roleplaying. The past few months have been frustrating for me, to say the least, that I could never seem to find the time to write or respond to something, or, when I did have time, quickly found myself too worn out from helping someone else get something done.

I hope in the near future, after a small hiatus from MafiaReturns, that I will be able to come back and roleplay to my little gossip-girl heart's content, and thus fill that large void in my creative life that I have been missing.

That is not to say that I won't miss Detroit, or it's companions, or any of that. All of you, this community, helped me to create a very special time in my "career" here. As Marietta I experienced many highs, sort of making the last year and five months euphoric. I was able to be the first (authorized) Crewleader in a new city. I was able to write probably one of the most entertaining (albeit borderline offensive) newspapers with my friends and live through it. (Slanty face!) I became a Godperson; the first Godperson of Detroit, in fact. I've run multiple newspapers, multi-million dollar contests (they weren't chump change, people!) and have enjoyed watching Detroit build itself from an empty city to an empire, only to watch it collapse and rebuild a few times to what it has become. I believe I was the first person to make it a full year on their character (Belle said don't quote her on that, but I will anyway), as well as a full year as a crewleader and, most recently, a full year as a Godperson. This has been a period of time that I will never be able to forget (or live up to!) as long as I remain here. Thank you, everyone, for a wonderful and joyous time.

It is simply time, as TR said, to let that 'someone better waiting in the wings' have their shot. I have every faith that I am leaving this virtual city of Detroit in the most capable and caring hands possible.

Well, with all the normal droning on I do out of the way, what retirement thread wouldn't be complete without the "thank you/love you" section?

First and foremost, I have to give all my love and thanks to my better half, who has been there for me through a lotta thick, a lotta thin and a lotta rape kissing. I'm speaking of my dearest and darling Belle. I would be lying if I didn't say the last year andsomechange didn't build and strengthen our friendship in amazing ways. You've always been there for me, even when at times it seems I've been borderline crazy/raving/rapist-y (but those things haven't been proven yet!). I'm extremely excited for our next adventure together, because I'm pretty sure it's going to rock harder than anything anyone in the world has ever done. <3 you, Slagathor.

Billy; you've been my biggest supporter since day one of Marietta. Since the day I called you all excited to tell you about the newspaper idea that me and the girls cooked up called "Tea Time", and how it was officially going to be my catalyst back into the game after my first short (and obviously unsuccessful) retirement. Every idea I ever had you encouraged me to follow through with, even if I still felt borderline hazy on all the details. Thank you for always pushing me to do my best, even if it is just a game. You're wonderful for me. <3

To Freckles and Kissypop; you two, without a doubt, have been some of my best crew members/R-L Hands, my best confidants and best friends in this game. Hands down. You have always been there to lift me up when I've felt down, and to promptly kick me back down again when I was feeling great. Bastards. Whatever the rhyme or reason, from looking for new dogs to plotting against, well, everyone, the things we've done have felt like a magical, unicorn blessed adventure into the beyond. Someone said we were the perfect trio once upon a time. I think that person was Telkin. :/ Either way, it's true. We're the Three Musketeers. I'm obviously the cool one, and you two are the other ones that get talked about significantly less. Nfp. i like u, surs. <3

Cam; you've always been there to talk about omelettes and books with me when I've needed a break from the game. Your mum is a nice laydaaay. Thank you for your refreshing sense of humour ('u' in your honor) and for being there along my journey for GF. (But you wouldn't beat Edward Cullen in a fight, sorry.)

Pedro; I've already said what I need to say to you in many ways and multiple times. Congratulations on your new city, and I'll be back to check up on you and make sure you're kicking as much ass as we agreed you would. You've been the best 'bodyguard' a girl could ever wish for. :)

Kates; Well bud, I finally had to go. You have been nothing short of an amazing leader, and never let yourself think that for a moment I felt otherwise. Continue to strive for excellence, and always push your boundaries and standards. Go for the gold, CK! <3

Rhuarc; Since I've known you, you've always been the type of player I've admired and loved working with- even when you bought out of my crew that one time way back when and made me sad. :P I always knew from the get-go I wanted you as one of my Captains because you have a kick-ass attitude and work ethic, and I'm just finally glad we got around to seeing that goal into reality. Best of luck- and yes, I'll admit, Rhuarc is the greatest. ;)

Recro; From the very beginning your enthusiasm and eagerness to help Detroit caught my eye, and I'm extremely glad that I could reward you with your own family. It has been nothing short of a pleasure getting to know you and working with you. You're going places, bud. Live it and own it. *Gropes your bosom.* :)

To the faithful Detroit Right Hands: HairyBaby, Nino, Jack and Apollonia; Keep our guys in line, eh? We all know that you are the ones REALLY doing all the work anyway. I kid, I kid. Either way, I never had the chance to properly thank you for helping to keep our city run smoothly. You've been superb, each and every one of you.

To the other Godfathers/Godmothers/City Heads I haven't yet mentioned, Deimne, Scipita, Grassboy, Boaby and yes, even you Iota; it's been a pleasure working with you (some of you longer than others), and I hope that your cities continue to grow, flourish and reach new heights as I watched my own do. I can't think of a better group of people to have at the top right now leading our game (yeah, even you Deimne, sigh). Take care of this place!

To the Admin/Owner/Assistant/Coder staff; thank you, as always and ever, for keeping this the game that I continue to have a heroin-like addiction to, no matter how many times I try to go to rehab. You've created this place into more than just a game- it's become (as much as I dislike to admit it :P) a second home to me. My friends are here, my family is here. Thank you.

To all of the RIOT! past and present; Thank you for the countless hours of crimes, entertainment, loyalty and devotion that you have all shown me. I never understood why you all seemed to keep hanging around, but I'm certainly glad you did. I hope I gave you all the opportunities, responsibility, promotions and fair shots you deserved, because honestly, you all earned them beyond belief. I hope the RIOT! remains a happy spot in your MR careers, and that months from now you look back upon me, fondly, and all my massively long mass mails with a smile on your faces.

And finally, to all of the Detroitians, past and present; I have never seen more amazing feats been accomplished by one city. Never would I have ever had the motivation to continue coming back here every day on my own; I know that most of my being here was my devotion to seeing you all achieve your goals and ranks, and I (once again) hope that you all enjoyed your time under my 'reign'. I think of us all as a collective little group that started as "The Little Train That Could", and over time we've become the train of "Where Are We Going and Why Am I in a Handbasket?". Even if we were traveling to Hell, I couldn't think of a better city to travel there with. Stay strong, Motor City.

I wish I could go on and list, well, most of the site individually, but to be honest I'm lazy and have written enough as it is. Still haven't mastered the art of brevity, even after all this time. Oh well. I've written many of you letters anyway.

Besides, this isn't goodbye. It's merely a "let me catch up on my sleep for the first time in ages, then I'll be here once again".

I'll still be around IRC under one of my assinine Julio names or something. And I still have email and all that fun stuff. And besides, I'll be back again soon, roleplaying like a tornado. Catch ya on the flipside, MR.

- Marietta May Rossi (Rourke) / Kendra

The term legend is usually tossed around freely to describe anyone of a high rank who dies, so I feel it would be an injustice to characterize the character of Marietta as such. Perhaps there is something above legend... Mythic? It's nearly impossible to put a word on someone who is directly or indirectly responsible for the success of the majority of the game's advancements and its players currently and for the last year.

Having been a part of the Detroit Empire I can say with complete honesty that Marietta is the most important and influential character this game has ever seen. You talk about a benchmark people should strive for? She has been sitting in Detroit for well over a year, and I hope none of you took her for granted while she was here, and those that did, you should be ashamed.

Many times in our history there have been threads made about the Best Player or Best Leader, but I am happy to state my opinion tonight, that it is unequivocally Kendra/Marietta. If you want proof I would be thrilled to give you the statistics. In her time at the top she authed 9 people out of Detroit who went on to become Godfathers. She had three people come from her direct family that lived for longer than a year, four if you obviously include her.

Marietta probably had more money pass through her account than any other player in history... And it's not even close. Yet, she retires with 61 Bodyguards. Instead of hoarding money, she spent almost all of her money reconstructing the game after the October '08 War until around February. Money she gave to the rest of players for HQs, Bodyguards, or loans. Her generosity was never just limited to Detroit, she took care of the people who were her friends or business associates within the game. I know from personal experience she helped fund some of my bodyguards as ThomasRourke as well as giving money to buy the bulk of the start-up bodyguards for folks like Odd, Aurora, Deimne, and ScipitaRourke, and seeing where we all wound up I would say she had an eye for good investments.

I would also invite anyone to stack up their account stats to hers:

Messages Sent: 36666
Unread Mobmail: 0
Original Threads: 129
Posts: 1744

Even tonight, the night of her retirement, 0 unread mobmail. The dedication it takes to answer almost every mail sent to you as a public figure as prominent as Marietta is immeasurable. Tack on to that several successfully long running newspapers with life partner Belel (something the site hadn't seen for years), and you can MAYBE start to understand her impact here.

The landscape of MafiaReturns changed in October '08, and one person was left with almost absolute power over the game. For many years, that uncontested power has led to tyranny, paranoia, and general iron fistery. You can date it back to the days of folks such as Morbid Angel and sims on old mafia.org. Instead of slaughtering everything in her wake for the last year and a half, Marietta had the divine inspiration that if you let people rank up and achieve their goals you can make a shitload of cash doing business with them.

Marietta took over the game and let others flourish under her. She did this in the face of grotesque accusations about how she survived in October (Obviously by use of Premeir's second server). A handful of people who were once her friends could not deal with their personal failures within the game and as the months passed jealousy got the better of them as they began to lash out with personal attacks on her. The bottom line is she outworked EVERYONE, and she kept outworking them, but she still moved forward and innovated ways for the game to be new for the rest of us. I have to say to the few of you who ever uttered anything about her playing this game unethically, please realize that you have a lot of self-improvement to do as a player and human being. If you honestly don't trust me or her, I would be truly surprised if you'd think Izzy would put up with any kind of shit like that. That said, I don't know how she did it. Some of you, even if you are on good terms with her now, berated and were cruel to a person who played this game as a hobby. I admire the perseverance she had to make her way through the folks who more than likely wear tinfoil hats so aliens can't read their thoughts.

MafiaReturns is just not the same if Marietta didn't come out ahead in October '08, I'm not saying it would've been worse... But it would have been different. She spearheaded many initiatives that
exist now and will probably continue to exist for a while to come. She began the zero tolerance on -48 hunting, enforced the Detroit IA Tax, stripped away the taboo to have more than one family in a city, ran 800 newspapers, held Detroit is Crazy Week, and won more multi-day wars than I wouldn't wish on anyone because those things are taxing.

Marietta retires undefeated and her legacy unblemished. I am proud to have been in her crew, and this game as a whole was left in a state that we should all feel lucky to be playing in.

The last thing I know is that as Marietta rides off into the sunset, Scott and I are going to do everything in our power to knock her off the horse and make her a full-time Admin.

I come here not to give a long speech, as I wish I sometimes could do, and I know many will do in response to this thread, but to wish you the best of luck in the ventures that lie ahead of you. If you will read any of this I will never know, but I'm sure what people say in response will be told to you somehow.

You were one of the best, if not the best city lead and like said before you are why many of the players are who they are today. We owe you a thanks for that. I'm going to keep this short and sweet so I shall end it here. I hope everything in your future is bright and don't let the dark times bring you down. Good luck and take care.

Verona

Where do I even begin?

The time spent with you when you were Marietta was amazing. It was definitely a roller coaster, but filled with more good times than bad. I remember when you were talked into coming back just to RP, we were excited. We RP'd up a storm, and had a lot of fun doing it. Then you got a shot at your own city, something you weren't sure you wanted to do again. You did it though, as you were thinking of others instead of just yourself. In those first few months leading in Detroit, you faced a lot of trials. Hate mails, friends turning on you, new friends being made as a result of good leadership, and a huge war that wiped out virtually the entire user base in a matter of a few days. You lived through it, even though you had your doubts at times. You didn't give up and that says a lot for the way you lead.

I had the pleasure of serving as your Right Hand for quite awhile as Lily, Tatiana, and Aurora and the whole time I was happy doing so. Even in the times where we would disagree on something, I always knew that we could meet in the middle somewhere. I think that is what makes a good team, rather than just being a yes man or throwing around insults when someone doesn't get their way. I won't lie, those rape kisses scared me straight sometimes. You always gave people the benefit of the doubt, even when they didn't deserve it. Sometimes it worked out for the best, and other times it didn't. When it didn't, you took the higher road and moved forward instead of resorting to threats and name calling. It takes a strong person to do that.

It's a very bittersweet feeling to see one era ending.  I'm happy that you are starting a new chapter as I know you need it, and sad to see one end as I won't get to greet you with "GOOD MORNING GODMOTHER" anymore. It will be there in spirit don't you worry about that.

I wouldn't be in the position I am today without your support, and for that I can't thank you enough. Even when I didn't think I could do something, you were a voice of encouragement for me. You literally had to push me out on my own because you know I would've been just as happy as your Right Hand. Thank you for your friendship and faith. I look forward to our next adventure together because it will be an awesome one.

Thank you for your friendship and faith. I look forward to our next adventure together because it will be an awesome one. Do you like to eat at Arby's?! Beard, no beard, beard, beard, no beard, MOUSTACHE!

I will just leave you with this:

GO HOME NINJA.

Not yet, buddy. I'm sure you will go before I do sir.

Seriously, Boo_Shit? Coming out here and disrupting the flow of sincere and meaningful goodbye's with garbage like that? It's not only directly insulting to Aurora and the belated Marietta, but a blemish on the face of an otherwise beautiful work.

To come and disrespect a God Mother/Father is one thing, but to do it in a manner such as this, after what is probably the single most influential and inspirational piece of work to ever be written is more than a slap on the face to Aurora and Marietta, it's a slap on the face of Mafiareturns.com as a whole.

NO FEAR COW WILL STEP INTO THE BREACH...

Just have to figure out how to get 4 hooves into a 2 leg breach...

There is little doubt that what you have done in your time has been a wonderful achievement. Your drive, enthusiasm and originality has always been plain to see and was evident, especially in building the place back up from the ground. Honestly, I can't imagine the time, dedication and effort you've put in over the piece. Exceptional.

Well done, and enjoy the peace and quiet.

I cant help but agree with Roman. Marietta was a ebb of change for the game and that cant be under cut by any means/likes or dislikes. Im not gonna make this long, but since were reflecting on a year and a half, allow me ample words to reflect accordingly.

The "Don war" took place, EVERY CL in the game was dead and we had one women standing. At that point after days of blood bath and conquest she could have very well let her hitters feast on the non sponsored as housing was full. Instead she gave mafiosos's (and i cant remember the name) the umbrella protection which circumvented outside her crew. Then as stated above she setup 2 CL's per city. I know that was a BIG change, cause before that there were 6 CL's total in the game, and two of them were captains i think. Anyway, a month down the line she was GF and in complete control of every thing. As it was my luck i was there for the coronation of the first God Mother of Detroit...and mind u it was a blast!

Now picture this, the entire site is building, Marietta is the ONLY GF and at this point she can shoot, crush, wipe any city/CL of the map. But what does she do? She lays out plans to BUILD. And build she did, she built an empire in the heart of Detroit. I remember i was very young to these shores, didnt know the game as i do now and she had just received Auth. I sat there thinking with the likes of accounts 2-3 months old (a medocrity now, but was HARD back then) as Iris, Caligula, TM, does she really stand a chance. And boy did she persevere.

Now thats your history lesson, this is your lesson for being thankful. For all the nay sayers, and i cant say i agreed with everything that Marietta said or did, but give her credit where credit is due. I spent half my life in Detroit, minus my staring accounts and i spent all of it in Det. Was she rough, hell yea...her standards on the mobs of Det were greusome. The stuff that some people in other cities could get away with was unthinkable in Det and punishable by death. Now not many folks out there can stand up and say that laws came above all. Even in my days in bold i tried to sneak one or two by "bend the law" trick, but in Det laws were simple...there was black and white, there was no grey. And every one knew that and respected that. I remember i had a conversation with the GM about it and she always said "Players will come and go, faces will come and go...the only thing that stands are the laws and standards we leave behind"...hence the -48 rule.

Now thats what she was like with Det and btw thats only the greusome part. It would take me a day to talk about the 'sweet as cake' part of her in det. Need to see what she's really like, idk if it still exists or not, but check out her Ice Cream shop in the Det Business Districts.

So back on track...why should you be thankful she did what she did? Look around how many slanty's do you see? How many Made's and up? How many blood lines have touched the rank of Don in the last year? How many made the elite rank of God Father? Plain and simple thats why you should be thankful. The game has gone from 'let me live for two months, kill or die' to 'live, build, rank and if necessary kill'. Now i know some oppose that whole heartedly, and there are pro's and cons to that argument. But simply for everyone that sits bold, you would have never touched bold if she wasn't focused on "Building".

Last but not least for those that care to read this thread remember this name "Zoey" that ring a bell? I know some people that came out of retirement to take her off the 'war path' as they called it. If she was still around think anyone else would have made GF?

It may seem like i am singing riddles/tales of greatness for Marietta, but trust me she knows i am a straight shooter and those who know me, know i dont hold anything back. We've had our up's and downs (for gods sake i work for the man that tried to kill her three times in a day)...but quite simply she did more for the game then some others will ever get close to doing. She changed the Culture of the game!!!

Tips his hat to God Mother Marietta

Congrats on a great run. A well earned break, enjoy it and stay off the liquor! :P

Oh the links in our blood lines, you have had me killed more times than I care to remember, been my Left hand person during times. Always a laugh yet totally dedicated to the game.

I hope you enjoy your retirement and good luck with the promo.

PS thanks for the mention :)

I don't really know what to say as I can't express my words in writing which upsets me. But I will give it my best...

Kendra, you are like a mother to me. You have taught me in many ways.. also punished me in many ways aswell but I won't go into that. You have always been there for me when ever I have needed someone to talk to and you are what it takes to be a true friend. You did your best to answer any question or problem I have had whether it be game related or RL related and I owe you a million. Thank you for everything <333

Also...

You are truly amazing. You are the biggest inspiration to many many players. I have learnt so much from yourself and I owe you a million things in return. You have helped me so much.

Marietta will be a name that goes down in MafiaReturns history as the top number 1. You truly are and no one can take that from you. You lead a great family/city and a great life.

Enjoy your Obscenely Well Deserved break and I can't wait to see you back. Catch you on IRC or anywhere else I can find you.

Kates is a guy?

A lot of guys role-play they are girls, like ....

I'm going to keep this one fairly short, simply because no matter what words I do manage to come up with... it simply won't do it justice.

The death of 'Marietta' is the end of an era for MafiaReturns. Love her, hate her, envy her or having never spoken to her... she had more of an impact on this thing of ours than anyone could even dream of achieving.

She won wars, she guided her city to become the shining light on MR, she built friendships and she earned her right to become a true legend in MR history. It's very easy for a leader to put self preservation above all else, something she successfully avoided doing during her entire reign prefering to allow the game develop to be fun and reward hard work rather than simply ruling it with an iron fist. What fun is it ruling a game if you nor anyone else actually enjoy playing it?

She didn't achieve her outstanding longevity by simply being stronger than anyone else (although that did help at times), it was her ability to work with others that made her excel. Her ability to make others see their importance in the big picture, as already outlined by Squishy, showed that she really understood how this game works.

It doesn't matter how many hundreds of bodyguards you have, or how many thousands of kills you have, it's the people around you that get you into a position of real power and they're the ones who will decide if you will or will not remain there. She surrounded herself with great people, not by chance, but because those people wanted to work for her. Even those of us who never worked directly with the lady, had a respect and friendship that meant she always had the height of respect from the other leaders and cities. It all sounds so logical and simple, but try and do it... it's not easy!

I consider it a true pleasure to have gotten to know the girl behind the ho, for while Marietta is a true legend... Kendra is a true friend. She manages to bring a smile when you're feeling down, makes you laugh when you want to scream and gets hammered drunk when you're bored just to give some giggles ;)

It was a hell of a run dear. With Marietta, we lost a true legend. RIP.

Marietta, your were one of my firsts...( if this is your way out of child support, forget it!)...

Seriously though Marietta if you leave...im going to cry. And when I cry I flood. And when I flood I kill poor little helpless animals who cannot swim.

Marietta youve helped me alot in the past year and I thank you. You were great.

Enjoy retirement.

P.S.
The kids are starving.

Well, I can't take anything from Marietta at all. She did what many have tried to do and almost all have failed to do. Rule this game. She though didn't rule it like some other's. Some did it through fear, other's did it with just their friends and didn't even make the game worth while.

My bloodline is known for bad things over the good, but I have to admit something to the entire MR world. Today I'm a better player than I was a year ago. A year ago I thought I was everything and more. Not the case, obviously. I was banned by Squishy himself and unbanned by him. When unbanned Hypno (Captain of Relentless under Marietta took me in). Marietta, Aurora, ThomasRourke, WildTurkey, Benjamin_Button and Hypno all molded me to have the best account I ever have had. I successfully reached Don and Crew Leader. Two things I never had done before.

Since I have reached Consigliere (Absolut) under Sherlock, Boss (Skate) under Rhuarc (another captain for Marietta), Made Man (Lars_Umlaut) for Lastik before being shot in war. Now today I am LHM and a made man for the great city of New Orleans.

I personally have been changed by all of them in many ways and I owe a lot to them. It's a sad and great day. I hope that Detroit continues to be a strong city and I wish Marietta a long rest.

I can't believe Fridgey was forgotten OH THE PAIN.


All I have to say here Kendra is that You achieved alot that many wish they could. You brought joy and excitement with the many ventures you had. You also gave me my first real chance at a crew and helped guide me into becoming the first male godfather in thus breaking the strong line of female godmothers.

You gave many people there chances and many are thankful. I am sad to see you step down but know that just as Jimmy knew it was his time, you have found your own time.

<3

I think billy said it best, when he said legendary doesn't begin to describe what you've done. It's weird for me, because I've only been enjoying this game since March, you've always been in power, always been on top. 

Though I never got the chance to work with Marietta, I do hope that someday, when you return Kendra, we can work together then. My hats off to you, you have done amazing.

There's three people in my mind that are legends, and you are above even them. A tear fell irl when you suicided.