And I believe it in poor taste to use Destro's death as a stepping stool to try and sweep our friendly competition under the rug. Or perhaps it rubs you wrong, not because of Destro's death, but because of the fact that we are trying to host our own writing competition that has nothing to do with The Iron Bank... Aside from allowing any and all to enter? That includes you, Commissar, and Destro if he were still alive.

What I truly find in poor taste, is mocking our title and encouraging people to not write in our competition because of a death that I wish hadn't have happened. Even if I didn't care for the man, his street engagement was something to marvel.

Anyway, I digress.

Instead, I implore others to take a moment and say their peace here... And then enjoy a fun, creative time writing in a competition that, while promising smaller reward than the Commissar and his hoarded money can offer, at least offers something stimulating to the mind. Why do we have to push for people to not write in one place, only to write in another?

No.

Write in both. Enjoy your free $1M from the Commissar. I know I'll be expecting mine. But then challenge your own creative ability to craft and weave a story like no other, and then tell us your story. Narrate it for us with passion and zest! Be something you never thought you could.

I believe we can stand taller than petty moves to try and block out competitions that aren't our own. Let's see if others think the same.

One of EvilClown's army of midgets rollerskates up to the billboard. Chewing profusley it grebs out a large piece of bright purple chewing gum and sticks a note under Commissar's advert:

A man walks down the street
He says why am I soft in the middle now
Why am I soft in the middle
The rest of my life is so hard
I need a photo-opportunity
I want a shot at redemption
Don't want to end up a cartoon
In a cartoon graveyard
Destro, Destro
Dogs in the moonlight
Far away my well-lit door
Mr. Zverev Zverev
Get these mutts away from me
You know I don't find this stuff amusing anymore
If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty when you call me
You call me Al

I believe the only poor taste was using Destro's death as an excuse to further troll Philadelphians and continue to be a thorn in my side.

I can tell you with absolute certainty that the timing of Theo's competition had nothing to do with Destro, and that Theo had been preparing his competition for days before launching it. 

This is borderline plagiarism, you're literally taking his idea, which was fantastic, and trying to shit smear it and steal the idea. You continuously speak to me about mending relationships, and yet your actions continue to point in the other direction.

I would tend to agree with Victor in this case kindly Commissar, your hijacking of his Citiy's writing competition under the guise of it being disrespectful to Destro is actually disrespectful itself, both to the organiser of said competition and Destro himself. Having said that, at the end of the day this is the Mafia and all is fair in love and war, as long as you have the testicular fortitude to back up your play.

I never said he needed my support, does not prevent me from offering it. And I assure you I am not drunk, I am a member of a temperance Lodge in the Masonic and am therefore forbidden to drink under lodge by laws. But regardless of my state of sobriety, I know how to spell Viktor, how I choose to pronounce Victor is my business, what, on top of running competitions are you now the ennunciation and diction police?

CommissarZverev, I have watched you peacock around these streets like you paved them yourself. You did not, sir. You have made some very questionable decisions and continue to make out like you're whiter than white. Well, you aren't. You, together with your mystery financiers (hi, NotoriousBIG) have insulted us for the last time.

When I was a lowly Wise Guy, I had no choice except to take your disdain towards me and my city. Now that I am a Man of Honour, I tire of you and your continued disrespect. You mock our contest and expect us to just sit back and smile? I say, "no". Destro was a villain, granted, but he never pretended to be anything other than that. He was not my friend, but you are most certainly my enemy.

I challenge you to a duel if you've got the stomach for it. May the gods let only the most honourable survive. 

I have no wish to spill yet more blood, but if you challenge me, I will accept.

Since my CL has seen fit to make a reply, I suppose I will make my own... if only because I know that personal statements early on can go a long way toward a person/crew/city's reputation at times such as these. To that end, I would like this record to show (for whatever little it's worth):

1. MY CONTEST HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH DESTRO, YOU, OR ANYONE ELSE. I don't know you. Or any of the names you've mentioned. You mean nothing to me. As a general rule, I don't follow the streets. Mostly to avoid shit shows like this. On top of that, this character is a whopping 13 days old. So, even if I did, I wouldn't have seen much of whatever fiasco you and your associates have created for yourselves. I meant no disrespect. But, that being said, you claim to be offended for Desto's honour, but shouldn't continuing the legacy he created be an honour? How would shutting writing contests down be of service to his memory or the work he put into these streets? That's entirely counterintuitive to me and seems quite selfish. 

2. I (player, not character) have been running contests off all kinds on these shores longer than your name (this one, at least) has been known in these streets. So allow me to be very clear when I say, IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU. Or anyone else. My whole idea was inspired by a journal that I revied as a gift. Not you. Not Destro. Not Shannon. And not any other name you can think to throw around. And I stated so much in mails to my CL, who will happily corroborate. 

3. I'M SORRY THE TIMING WAS CRAP, BUT YOU'RE WRONG. I had no idea that Destro had died... or what that even implied until it was later explained to me. As Viktor stated, this has been in the planning process for days. It came out when it did by sheer coincidence because I chose to wait for my CL's approval before posting something with my city's name attached. Nothing more, nothing less.

4. I don't want or need to "corner the market". My ONLY aim and intention is to provide some intellectual stimulation and entertainment to my fellow writers. If that gets you panties in a bunch, then I seriously question whether you have the community's interests at heart or your own (Not really. I think you've made that pretty clear. But hey, whatever.) I write it's what I do. I write and I make competitions. That's it. That's been it for years now. So, from where I'm standing, if anyone is trying to "corner the market" it's you... by commandeering, smearing, and disallowing any other competitions to enrich the rather dull "market" you currently have running. Which, I must say, feels rather like an affront to the "competitive writing community" you espouse to stand for as well as the wider creative writing community at large. 

All that being said, I applaud you for having generated this much buzz for yourself. I'm fully aware that there are many among our streets that ravenously devour your particular brand of fiction. And you're very good at it. So, in a way, I'm happy to have created something so "flashy" (pun fully intended) that it was actually able to ruffle your feathers in a way that inspires and stimulate your particular kind of writing. That is, after all, all I aim to do. (The writing, not the feathers... just to be utterly clear.)

To be clear, I'm not going to cancel my contest. Because I think that would be in poor taste. Especially since you gave me no time to respond, negotiate, or defend myself before taking to the streets about it (considering this post is earmarked at Nov 19, '19 08:27, while the mail you sent me came at Nov 19, '19 08:31). And let's face it, old chap, that's poor form, indeed.

I will, however, carry on the MANY legacies that have brought me here by continuing my contest schedule as planned. You can look forward to seeing me every other week, as originally stated. And you are welcome to do what it is that you do... I'm sure you will, regardless. Perhaps, together, we can create a fertile environment for all manner of writers... those who prefer your flair as well as those who prefer the intellectual challenge of something a bit "more". 

Lastly, I'll leave you with this little gem for a bit of comic relief: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j13oJajXx0M

<3 Theo

Theo, son, you're speaking in tongues.  See, out here, we are constantly on aware for those with a condition that makes them talk like they're from a world different to ours.

But to deal with the points.  Son, you're wrong.  I didn't corner the market.  I just identified the market and brought these Streets to life.  Brought them to life in a way that nobody really can.  Dozens of people, hundreds of conversations.  Heck, people have been so invigorated by it that they brought their guns out.

Now, to be blunt, if you weren't aware of Destro's murder, you ain't a writer worth writing about.  Gotta keep on top of events as they happen.

That's rule number one.

Now, I didn't ask to be a representative of the competitive writing community, it's just that most of these cities turn to me for their competitive writing demands, questions, queries and competitions.

Now your competition, it would take me all of 45 seconds to devise that.  Maybe less.  So why was yours help up in clearance for so long that you missed the most heinous murder this world has ever seen?  Why?

And why not just say "Commissar - you made a good point.  Let's honour Destro and cancel this competition."  Had you done that, I'd have given you a million dollars and a position on the judging panel.  But you didn't do those things.

Representatives of your city, a city I constantly try to be friendly with, are now upset with me.

It begs the question, did you think at all before launching this?

Competitive writing takes a certain quality of personality.  I question if you have that quality.

I wish one of your legacies was being able to stay in character in the streets, deary me.

My Thanks Commissar, I am currently looking for a music editor to publish that ditty. I believe it has 'smash hit' written all over it

My entry:

A dream I don't remember: The Best Night You'll Never Remember

I went to bed last night. I didn't think about any of the following:

Puzzle, Scorpion, Snout, Ward, Seltzer, Shake, Tiger, Exhausted, Stumble, Posse

Why?

I don't remember the night. It was good though. Was it the best night?

Perhaps.

Perhaps. 

Add 444 more words.

Great idea to hold a contest to honour the late great Destro, CommissarZverev.