The lights of the theater go down, leaving only the brightly lit stage before an eager crowd. From overhead, the voice of an announcer is heard.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please take your seats and silence your cellular devices, because it is time to begin the First Annual Writers Vendetta Awards!"

A spotlight bounces around the room, coming to a stop on a tuxedo-clad conductor leading a big band in a glamorous introductory song while the crowd cheers wildly.

"And now, please welcome your host for the evening- you know her as the good doctors Ilaria Santoro and now Eva Hadley in Detroit- here's Mars Rinaldi!"

With a huge smile, Mars pats her lapel mic to make sure it's in place, then strolls out on the the stage from the wings. The crowd is phenomenal- more excitement than she ever imagined she'd see for this event. When she reached center stage, she took a deep breath while waiting for the applause to die down. The speech was cemented into her memory, but the excitement of the evening made it easy to remember exactly what she wanted to say.

"Friends, I cannot tell you all what it means to me to see this awards show come to fruition. I've been playing Mafia Returns for more than a decade; and I don't mind dating myself that way, because in that time, I've met some of the most talented, creative, inspiring, and good-hearted people I could ever have hoped to meet. People that made the game so much more than click-and-earn. I found friends, confidants, fellow authors, and even my husband.

"Tonight is about celebrating the writers; those who took the phrase "the pen is mightier than the sword" and made it a battle cry- going on to create characters, businesses, stories, and families that helped bring this game to life. Ask many of the people sitting here tonight what brings them back, and they are likely to tell you at least one of two things: the people and the writing. Among us, there sit some of the most creative minds I've ever had the pleasure of meeting and working with. I created this awards show to honor them- to honor all of you, and to say thank you for doing what you love, and doing it here with us.

"I named the show the Writers Vendetta Awards for several reasons. Some of you might think that I was trying to allude to some kind of feud between the writers and the 'clickers,' but that's not the case. I named the show after a woman who I met within my first year of playing. She wrote stories and engaged characters as naturally as breathing air, exuded enthusiasm, and encouraged writers to really own their characters and bring them to life. This woman was known to many by the name Vendetta James. She was, and continues to be my inspiration for the characters I bring to MR. Strong women who are determined to establish their place in a time that was mostly known as a man's world. She was not only an amazing writing partner, but became a life-long friend with whom I celebrated weddings, the births of our children, the heaviness of personal loss, and every little thing in between. That's the thing about RPing- it's not always just about putting stories in a forum- it's about finding people that you like to work with and seeing what comes of it; in character and in real life.

"We have so much to celebrate tonight, so rather than wax poetic any further, I would like to bring out our first presenter; my friend and South Philly's own- Mr. Louis Mezzo!"

The band strikes up again, and Mars sweeps her hand toward stage right, where Louis is emerging from the wings.

Hope gulped heavily and felt her breathing increase.  What the heck was wrong with her?  This was fine.  This was FUN!  This would be absolutely awesome.  So why the heck did she feel like her heart was trying to jump out of her by way of her throat?  She absolutely thanked her lucky stars that she had bumped into Dee...  Almost literally!  As the moments ticked by, more and more of those that she cared for and wrote with as often as she was able to began to arrive.  There were some that she had yet to write with, and some that she loved to write with and longed to write with again.  She moved along with Dee in a determined fashion, seriously hoping the lovely woman didn't mind her glittery shadow.  She didn't seem to mind a bit, and they were on a mission after all!  

Her eyes lit up as Reb made his way over to them.  Oh now this was a young man that she held an adoration for that ran so deep it was almost painful.  She enjoyed his company and wrote with him in multiple realms, not only limited to MR.  He was one of the only ones that could boast that detail.  She giggled softly as her heart pounded a tad harder just for good measure as his hand warmly took her own.  She smiled in a sheepish demure fashion and yet her smile didn't match her eyes.  There dancing with all the playfulness and antics that she typically possessed underneath the shy exterior shone through as she gazed upon him.  A light giggle of glee lifted from her as she was twirled about in a happy playful manner.  Hope loved to dance...  Something she dearly shared with each of the characters that she played so far.  It was a common denominator that always showed up somewhere.  It just wouldn't be her if she didn't dance...  And Reb knew that.  It warmed her heart more than she'd be happy to admit out loud.  

But just as fast as the moment began it was over.  But as she was twirled and then released, she would spin like a joyful little top away from the growing batch of people, only to bump right into an unsuspecting young man by the name of Jason (@aurelio).  Hope gasped softly, her large blue eyes fluttering wide open in shock and then turning to apology as she began to mumble incoherently, feeling her face flush a brighter red.  "Deepest apologies sir."  She beamed shyly at him as he didn't seem to mind terribly even as she bounced off again to rejoin Dee, clearly determined to remain attached at the hip even if she seemed to be the focal point of a lot of the attention.  She grinned brightly at those around them, greeting each of them in turn even as they continued to seek the fabled Green Room.  "Goodness gracious Dee, I don't know that this Green Room exists!  Even if I'd love to see it!"  She enthused before waving happily to those that were rapidly joining their little group.  She beamed as she noticed Jon (@Billy_Mastrosimone) in his wonderful Lilac attire.  Clashing colors or not, Hope wouldn't so much as hesitate to throw her arms around the man to express her adoration.  Goodness she seemed to be becoming more and more comfortable by the moment and yet still she did not say much.  There were a number of the ladies that she knew that she adored, but did not know near as well as she'd like, but as the minutes ticked by she began doling out more and more hugs.

Soon enough the beautiful player of @Rain made her way in dressed to the nines!  Oh she looked absolutely stunning and Hope found herself thrilled not to be too rare a breed to have worn a dress to this thing.  Once again without hesitation she moved over to hug the woman tightly in greeting.  But she hardly had time to say anything when she noticed someone instructing her Dee to move to her seat.  Oh it was time!  Hope could hardly contain her joyful excitement and she fairly vibrated with it.  Careful scanning eyes caught sight of Remy (@Giovanni_Ferrari), and a couple of her newer writing partners and friends, Eddie and Beonard (@Caeserion and @Anakin_Skywalker).  She would wave gleefully to the lot of them sending smiles so bright and joyous that it was nigh painful before tagging along after her bacon clad Lovie to seat herself, trembling all over as she awaited the beginning of the ceremony.  Oh yes...  It was time...

And she was terrified.  

She could spin a tale, and she even loved to do so, but what if they asked her to speak...  Oh her heart had just dropped to the pit of her stomach...  Maybe she should run now...  But no...  There went the lights.  Oh goodness help her.  She shifted to sit up straighter.  She had this.  She could do this.  She would enjoy this.  A glance over at Dee told her exactly what she needed to know.

We got this.

Backstage was awash with the great and good of MR showtime; well kent faces from the businesses and streets on their way on stage or back to their seats mingled with the lovelies escorting the presenters along with the glossy black envelopes.

Shaking a couple of hands as he passed through, Stephen met up with Felicity by the stage edge.  She carried with her three envelopes.

“I’ve no idea why they have me presenting all these awards, I’ll be handing one to myself.  You can hand it to me.”

Stephen shrugged and smiled.  As Mars waved him on Felicity took his arm and the pair strolled out to the lectern.

“Ladies, gentlemen, animals and mythical beings I’m actually here to take up more of your time than you probably want so I have arranged for some drinks to be brought round while I prattle on.  I’d like you to hold your applause until I’ve gone through all the awards.”

Stephen paused as hostesses brought drinks round to all the nominees and guests.

“The first categories I’m presenting are best supporting actors and actresses.  They say that nobody can be successful here on their own, some manage to keep things alive alone but behind every good man or woman there is often a writing partner that helps shine a light on the main talent.”

Stephen took a sip from a glass of Irn Bru, the only item on his rider for the evening.

“The nominations for the supporting actors and actress are too numerous to mention but obviously most of these have some sort of connection with the fine city of Philadelphia.  We have done tremendously well in helping a lot of the other cities excel in our shadow.  I won’t bore you with examples of their work you can find them for yourselves but needless to say, the work required to match the key talent while perhaps not being the headline act needs acknowledgement.”

Felicity handed the first envelope.

"The winner of the best supporting actor and actresses awards are Katherine_Pride, Lo, Billy_Mastrosimone and Caeserion.”

Felicity handed a second envelope over.

“The best actress award, is a sign of sustained excellence driving the discussion and drawing others into the conversation like moths to a flame.  This award is only awarded to those who stand out.  Someone once said that if you want something said ask a man, if you want something done ask a woman.  These women show that getting something done and said are not mutually exclusive things.”

Stephen looked at the list of nominees he had been given.

“The nominees for this category are Apollonia, Lo, Rain, Katherine_Pryde, Eva_Handley, Rain, Rebecca_Ferrari, Isabella-Luciano and Valencia.  Every single one of these names give hope to the millions unencumbered by exceptionalism.  They show that hard work goes hand in hand with talent to reaching the pinnacles of this line of work.  The winner of best actress, is the one and only Isabella “Mrs B” Lucianooooooooo!”

The audience were sparked into a spontaneous round of applause at the announcement of Bella’s name.  Felicity handed Stephen the last envelope.

“Don’t stray too far love, you’ll be needed shortly.”

Stephen takes another sip of Irn Bru.

“Finally, for my part of the evening, in this celebration of many things Philly, I come to the best actor award.  This award stands hand in hand with best actress.  For behind every good man stands a good woman.  The list of nominees are a veritable who’s who of the great and good; Aurelio, Giovanni_Ferrari, Heinrich Grimm, Caeserion, London Holmes, Giacomo_D_Amico, Albert_Anastasia, LouisMezzo, Elias, KennyRusso, Luis_Patangeli, Billy Mastrosimone...some unfortunately no longer with us.  All the names in the list are fine, fine examples with great bodies of work.  As the work shows, we are all winners, anyone not winning here should not be disheartened and know that they are valued and exceptional.  Unfortunately though, there can only be one winner.”

Stephen bowed his head slightly with a grin, his heart beating faster as he took a final sip of Irn Bru.

“The winner of best actor award is…Lou…”

Stephen opens up the envelope and glances down…

“...Aurelio?”

Stephen glanced over to the side of the stage mouthing What? Is this the right card? to Mars.

“Aurelio.”

Stephen stormed off to the left of the stage leaving Felicity to clap the winners onto the stage.

On cue, the band played a jazzy little fanfare as Mars took the stage again. Standing at the podium, she chuckled softly.

"Thank you, Stephen. Can someone get him a dram of Glenlivet?"

The crowd laughed a little and Felicity reappeared with a few more envelopes and handed them over.

"Alright, let's keep the excitement going, shall we? I have the privilege tonight of presenting a few of the group RP awards. I think many of you will agree that the only thing more fun than just writing is having the opportunity to write with others who are just as enthusiastic for storytelling as you are. Every once in a while, you find someone that you just click with, and it seems as if you could create volumes and volumes of work interacting with just that person alone.

"The first award I will be presenting is the award for Best Character Couple. This duo was a hands-down winner, with a body of work between them that is longer than Joe Ligambi's rap sheet. These two also happen to be some of my dearest friends, so it is my distinct pleasure to announce the winners are Lady-Integra and Lord Alucard!"

After a short pause for the eruption of applause, she drew the second envelope and began to unseal it.

"I learned that a group of dolphins is called a pod. A group of baboons is called a congress- insert your own joke there- and a group of crows is called a murder. I'm not sure if there's an actual term for a group of writers, but the next award goes to a gaggle of writers who have put out a spectacular, singular piece. This is team work at it's finest. Group RPs take a lot more coordination than one might think, and it's a lot of fun seeing where individual players might steer a story.

"The nominees for Best Group RP are: 'Never Eat Spicy Turkey Pizza After Midnight', 'Find My Daughter,' 'The Tambini Takedown,' and 'The Lucchese Clan in America.' And the winner is..."

She opens the envelope and reads the card inside.

"The Tambini Takedown!"

More applause, and another fanfare from the band floats through the room while Mars takes the next envelope.

"Speaking of dynamic duos, the next award goes to the Best Duo RP. The nominees are: 'Night of the Walking Dead,' 'Three Ring Circus,' and 'The Lucchese Clan in America.' The winner is..."

The envelope seems to be sealed a little more tightly than the others had been, and Mars fumbles with it a bit before getting it to open without tearing the envelope.

"Night of the Walking Dead!"

After the next round of applause dies down, Mars continues.

"I don't know about you, but nothing gets my creativity flowing like good drama. This goes for a lot of you, too; and I know that from personal experience. In fact, I'm pretty sure 'drama queen' is a term of endearment around here. So, it's only natural that we would give an award for the Best Drama RP. The nominees are: 'Find My Daughter,' 'Looking for a Fight,' and 'The First Death of Christmas.' "

Eagerly, she opens the envelope and looks at the winning title. A smile crosses her face.

"Oh, a heart-breaker and legendary work, indeed- the winner is 'The First Death of Christmas!' "

Joining in the applause this time, Mars gestures out to the crowd, where the winners are all hugging each other and exchanging handshakes or high-fives.

"And now, to continue the awards ceremony, it's my pleasure to introduce our next presenter; the indomitable and multiple-personalitied Isabella Luciano! Dee, come on up!"

Dee came out onto the stage and smiled out at the crowd of her peers.  A hard mikes in hand, she clearly had found the mythical green room before coming out to present her award.  

"In the words of the legendary MR writer, John Keats in his final letter to me before his recent retirement - 'mafia writing doesn't just mean writing about the job. How much of the Godfather dealt with personal relationships? Family? Creating full characters is a special thing...'"

"Tonight's nominees and winners recognize this truth and they boldly write stories, not just about mafia crime but the human experiences within the world of the Cosa Nostra.  Whether detailing out the struggles of balancing family life with The Family, building lasting relationships such as friendships and romance, combating enemies without or within ... or just finding ways to put some humor into what might seem a very dark place - those people we recognize tonight have taken a risk not everyone is willing to take."

"Some people questioned the necessity of writers 'patting themselves on the back' with these awards... but I remind the community at large that it takes courage to step out into the streets and share your talents.  It is a risk to hold up your best creative efforts and possibly face ridicule and derision by your peers simply because you have a story that demands to be told.  And it is these stories that give depth to the MafiaReturns community setting it apart and above other similar gaming sites and so, for all that you do in our streets whether telling stories or engaging in debates ... whether you are nominated, receiving an award, or not:  thank you.  Thank you for getting out there, thank you for sharing your talents and thank you for making our community a better place."

"The nominees for Best Comedy RP are:  Inquire & Detect and Hot Dog"  Dee opens the black envelope and says with a smile.  "The winner for Best Comedy RP is, Hot Dog!"

She claps for the winners.

"The nominees for Best Action RP are:  The Head of the Snake, The News of Today, If Only Things Were Different, Find My Daughter, and Russo Bar ... and the winner is..."

She opened the black envelope.

"If Only Things Were Different."

Once again she pauses for the crowd's applause before going on.

"The nominees for Best Business in the Business Districts are:  Purgatory Gym, South Philly Employment Agency, and Russo's Bar.  The Winner is..."

She opened another black envelope, "South Philly Employment Agency"

Smiling she picked up the last black envelope she had for the night, "The nominees for Best Streets RP are:  Montreal Mischief, Hell is Holmes II: System Failure, Find My Daughter, The Luccese Clan in America, and A Carton of Cigarettes a Greaser and a Hot-Rod.  And the winner is..."

She opened the envelope and read with a bright smile, "A Carton of Cigarettes a Greaser and a Hot-Rod!"

Applauding she walked off the stage.

From the opposite side of the stage where Dee exited, Mars returned and opened a small piece of folded stationary to the podium.

"Before I announce the last two awards of the evening, I want to take a moment to thank some very important people- without whom this event wouldn't have taken place. First and foremost, I want to thank Squishy and his staff for serving as our judging panel. On top of all they do to keep this game running and always improving, they were so very willing to take the time to review all the nominations and determine our winners. Additionally, Squishy was extremely generous in donating some of the prizes that will be given to all the winners AND all the nominees. Please, let's have a round of applause for Squishy and all the staff!"

Joining in the applause, Mars blows a kiss toward Squishy.

"Of course, I must thank Stephen and Dee for agreeing to help me present these awards. Both of these people make such a huge contribution to our community, and I really appreciate their time and talent."

Leading the applause, she gestures toward her co-hosts.

"And of course, I want to thank ALL of you- nominees, winners, guests, and literally everyone in the writing community. Whether you are just starting to feel out RPing, write a little, or write a lot, you're an inspiration. When Squishy and I were discussing the awards show, he said to me, 'I hope these people know how much they are entertaining people.' I share that sentiment. Even if you just do it for fun, I hope all of you know that the pieces you put out are very entertaining, and inspiring to many. I hope you all keep it up as much as your heart leads you to do so. Know that you all are a massive part of what makes this game such a huge success." 

Felicity brings the last remaining envelopes out.

"That being said, I'd like to present the last two awards for the evening. These winners were chosen by the nominees themselves. The first award is The Rising Star award- presented to a writer who has recently ventured into RPing and has shown not only excellent ability, but an eagerness to excel. Tonight, I am extremely proud to present the first Rising Star Award to... Giovanni Ferrari! Congratulations, Remy!"

The applause erupts from the audience, and the band plays a few bars of "We Are The Champions" while Mars giggles a bit.

"Yes. I made them play that."

When the applause finally dies down, Mars takes a deep breath.

"The final award for the evening is named for someone who has not only inspired many, but served as a mentor and cheerleader for the RP community. Whatever character name you knew him by, the name Keats is well known to MR- role players and non-role players alike. I named this award for him because he has been an exemplary player for many years. It broke my heart when real life took him away from this place, but his enthusiasm and inspiration live on through each of us. The winner of the John Keats Exemplary Role Player award was nominated nearly unanimously by the nominees, and I think it's more than fitting that the first winner of this award goes to Isabella Luciano."

The auditorium erupts into thunderous applause, overtaking the song being played by the band. Looking out over the crowd and clapping along with them, Mars can't help but smile from ear to ear.

"And that's the show, ladies and gentlemen! Thank you all so much for coming, and I look forward to seeing you all- plus many more- when we gather again next year. Goodnight!"

Dee steps back up to the podium and puts her drink to the side.

"I wish to dedicate my award to the incredible people who have been my writing partners over the last two years.  By partners, I not only mean the love interests of my characters but also, those who have played my adversaries, friends, and proteges.  It is possible to write in a vacuum, but it's far more fun to write with others and I've been blessed to write with some of the best."

"In no particular order and off the top of my drink addled head, I wish to thank:  Frank_DiCaprio, Nikki_Swango, Wrench, Cesare_Torretta, The_Kid, Capazzo, Marie_Lucania, Salvatore_Lucanio, William_Bowden, Charlie_Pavanno, Giovanni_Ferrari, Elias, Jewel, Rat_Smiley, Alexander Knight, Louis Mezzo, Jack Mezzo, RayneMartini, Grosso, Eleonora_Luciano, Stella_Viacelli, Luis_Pantangeli, GangsterPriest, Kris_Kringle, Luna, Joli, ArturoStrigliori, DonnyDonowitz, Lady-Integra, Lord-Alucard, Draven, Dubliner, Stephen_Strange, VictorParry, Marcie, Calimero_DiGrazia, SullivanBlack, Jessica_Coniglio, Heathro, Rubix, Fat_Sal, GavinAndTaraByrne, and (of course) Billy_Mastrosimone."

"I'm sure I've missed a good deal of you but the reason for making this list wasn't to make sure I named everyone it, was to show how many amazing people you come across while writing this community.  Each of you has added to MR and to my stories.  Even if we've moved on from one another's writing circles - even if we've become adversaries in the game itself (lord knows we've all had to shoot at people we actually like!) and even if you've disappeared from MR, perhaps for good, you've meant something to me and I want to thank you all."

"To the man whom this award," She holds up the Keats award, "Is named... I do remember what you said to me as KateLogan.  And if you want it back... you're going to have to return to us and pull the torch from my cold dead fingers and believe me when I say that no one here will complain one bit about it.  I miss you.  We all miss you.  May you find joy in all the worlds you walk in - both real and imagined."

She kissed the award.

"Thank you all so much."

When she heard her name being called, Ana decided she was hearing things. It could not be. But as people kept cheering her on and nudging her, she realized it was real. She got up, straightened her dress and as she made her way to the stairs on the left side of the stage she prayed silently she wouldn’t pull a Jennifer Lawrence at the Oscars.

She thanked Stephen with a kiss on the cheek, and said her congrats to Dee. All the awards tonight were so well deserved.

“I always liked to read, write and tell stories. I remember one time when I was seven and on primary school when after recess I told my teacher I wanted to tell a story to my classmates. I don’t remember what I said, but I remember I only had a rock and my imagination with me. My teacher never stopped me from exploring my creativity and I thank her for that” - Ana added.

“Then, when I went to nursing school and started working I felt I needed a bit of a creative aspect in my life. I traded fiction books with scientific articles and I got a bit sad because something was missing, specially since I always had a creative outlet growing up with dance. I then decided to channel my creativity into photography. Fast forward a few years and I ended up discovering this website when I was looking for an article about the war and nursing. I know, weird” - she smiled - “I didn’t expect anything and that’s why I’m so happy to be a part of this community. Here I found some of the most incredible people: some living the same lives I’ve know them in, others with different names but all of them very welcoming. Here I found friends, people I worry about and a great support group that always lift me up and supports me in my crazy ideas. I’m forever thankful for that. I’m also thankful because you don’t expect crazy things from me. You know I write when I can and where I can and you don’t make me feel bad about it, you don’t pressure me and you give me wings. Thank you for being such a incredible group of people. I’m a lucky girl” - Ana said - “And I’m going to have a few vacation days soon, so I expect to get my writing on! I’ll probably just end up sleeping most days, but fingers crossed!” - she bowed, raised her award like in that scene in Say Anything from 1989 and left the stage with a smile on her face.

Stephen returned to the stage following the news that The First Death of Christmas was the winner of the drama RP.  The Irn Bru was in a taller glass and there was a paler orange glow...diluted with vodka probably.  He looked around to see who else was about; Dee was busy being awesome and Jason...well he looked like he was just basking in the adulation of his newly found female fans flocking to look at his sizeable...prize.  Never one to shun the spotlight really, he grabbed the microphone.

“Thank you Mars for this, thank you to all who took the time to read and tip the participants.  The premise for it was done obviously by the great JackMezzo and what you saw in the streets was actually a watered down version of a completely different concept to be run across the entire month of December.  Events transpired to change the vision that Jack had and obviously ultimately it chronicled Jack’s final demise but to have the recognition of the effort that Dee, Keats and Jason put into the whole thing is great.  There were concurrent storylines that went with it, culminating in one of the hardest pieces I have ever had to write. 

I hope we did Jack proud at the end of the day.

The one thing I can say as someone new to that style of writing is if anyone is unsure about their place in this world and with a story you want people to get involved in...chat with Dee...but not too much, she has money to earn."

Louis wandered off stage to the sounds of the orchestra in his head...