Kuku's bodyguards secure the area, before he steps out of his car, looks around, and stands on a podium.  He begins to speak...

FRIENDS, and at least one enemy...

There is now a price on my head.  The person who kills me, will benefit. The person, or persons, responsible for placing the hit will be listening to this.  You have, in a sense, accomplished what you set out to.  I could say that I'm not worried, flex it out.  

But that's not true.

I am worried.  I'm worried that someone might take a shot at me, whereas before they wouldn't.  I'm worried that Tyler might descend and have a go.  I'm worried that more hits will follow, and that my murder might seem more of an enticing option than it was before.

So, you have achieved, in a sense, what you set out to do.

If I knew specifically what it is that I am doing, or have done, then perhaps I could try to make amends.  But I don't know, and can only speculate.  

I can't buy the hits off.  I can only hope that my poorly trained BGs go that extra mile for me when the time comes.

And you'll have, what, won?  Will you have killed Kuku, or Zverez's son?  Which is more important to you?

Is my life so offensive to you that you will spend your hard-earned money on trying to end it? 

What is it about me that upsets you so much? 

Why not try talking to me?

I wonder if these things had anything to do with it... let me quote you:

"You know, the more I think about this, Grin-07, the more I think that I just helped a couple of fantasists realise that they just aren't people of honour.

Retiring?  From this thing of ours?  Were they actually really part of it to start with?  I mean, I risk my life every day, every hour of every day.  My father, despite being the richest man to ever walk these cities, did the same: risked his life for the Streets.  Sally and Sully?  Meh.  I hope their civilian life is good, but their mafia life was...  pointless."

My legacy will be making the fantasists fantasise elsewhere.

But hey, I heard you got the hits bought off so that's good.  Congrats on raising the funds.  

Griffith - I feel that it's a lose/lose situation, and I really wish the people placing the hits reached out to me, anonymously would be fine, and we can try and work out just what it is that the issue is.

Well as the streets top VIP, the leader of the streets, the heir to the great iron bank - at least we know you have the funds to keep buying off these hits placed by these unnamed villains. 

After all, if there wasn't untold wealth to be had as the top VIP, what point would there be to complaining about all the 'crap' being 'spewed' in the streets?  I mean, it's not like anyone would call out people for what they share in the streets just to be a jerk, right?  It's obvious that people only write in the streets for the incredible wealth there is to be made there.

So... no worries about your pockets.  Right?

Actually, Isadora, my net worth is nil.  I can't afford to buy the hits off, so I will die.  And maybe my son will be left alone.

Being the top VIP on the Streets really, really doesn't pay well.

And if you look at anything that I've said, ever, you'll realise that it's the quality of the discourse on the Streets, not that people made money off of it.

"So you are here, and I can quote you as saying, that the bloodline of the man infamously dubbed 'Spamvanno' couldn't have been making that much money off his consistent holding of the top ViP position in this thing of ours and that anyone who was complaining about him leaving his journals around was just doing so to be assholes?  That you will PERSONALLY vouch that there is not any real money to be made in holding that top seat?  I can quote you?"

You can quote him, but it isn't true. 

Isadora pens the words of CL Grin the 7th.  "Thank you for your input!"

Isadora - well, things are relative.  Let me bed into my new position and I'll get back to you in a few days.

"Fair enough!"  Isadora says penning Kuku's reply.  

Isadora - why would you be penning my reply?  That would mean you were pretending to be me.  I like you and all, but you should maybe aspire to be yourself, rather than me? 

Isadora holds up her pad of paper and shows where she's written down quotes from both Grin and Kuku, "Perhaps this point eludes you because you're so used to talking only about yourself and insulting others, but reporters report what they see and hear.  I'm taking down your responses for possible use in my paper later this week.  Is that plain enough for you or should I try to explain it in smaller words?"

Isadora - smaller words, please, little Rory words.

"Well now you're the one who needs to explain something, what do you mean by little Rory words?"

I will give my earlier response some context then, if you're going to quote me in something in relation to this.

The VIP credit positions are a source of amusement to me and others and I personally have enjoyed the battle between myself and those I viewed as competing for this attention legitimately. This was an opinion shared by the late SullivanBlack who commented to me that they got a kick out of it. I was not a fan of their werewolf spiel, but appreciated that it took effort, co-ordination and most importantly interaction between more than one person. 

The objectionable part for most people is the volume of credits accumulated by someone without undertaking any sort of interaction with anyone else whatsoever. It was starting a discussion and shouting to yourself 8-10 times and then walking to another block and doing the exact same thing. Over and over again. A chief culprit of this is the Charlie__Pavanno bloodline, who you have referenced. I will give you a couple of numbers and then I would ask if you feel the objections of some people are justified or not:

These rewards have a street value today of $568,650,000. The vast majority of his appearances were in the manner I described above. Should that result in such bountiful returns?

"Incredible."  Isadora took down the numbers.  "Do you know how long a period of time these amounts were gathered over?  I would like to have that information for my next article."

She considers the words of Grin, "I can tell you that's a lot of greenbacks.  I personally agree with you regarding the idea that journaling probably shouldn't receive the same rewards that attempting to create entertainment for others - even if that's only one, two, or three others.  Ideally, if we all did that, the streets would be alive with all manner of activity and no one would have time to complain about the content of others submissions but would be too busy enjoying their own interactions."

"Alas, City Hall has set up the system this way and I don't know if I can fault a man for taking advantage of something that is legitimately put into place for people to profit from.  It would like being angry with a capitalist for successfully running a business when you haven't enjoyed his level of success."

"I remember this motion picture I once watched about a young schoolboy who took a day off school with his best friend and girlfriend.  At the end of the film his sister is in trouble at a police station.  She's talking to another boy.  She complains about how unfair it is that her brother gets away with all these things.  Why doesn't everyone know what a weasel he is?!?  The boy sitting beside her, points out to the sister, that her anger wasn't with her brother... but should be with herself.  Why did she not just do as her brother did?  Didn't she realize she could have all that he did if she was but willing to make the effort her brother did?"

Isadora shrugs.  "Maybe it's not how you want to spend your time.  Maybe you don't have that kind of time.  Maybe you don't have that sort of skill.  Maybe you see your decision to not do as he does as a matter of principle.  Whatever your reasons, they're yours and still, nothing prevents you or anyone else from doing just as he does.  Perhaps that's why City Hall hasn't changed things?  To be honest, I wish City Hall would give me an interview.  I'd love to ask them such questions because, as I said, I agree with you - but there MUST be a reason why these things are as they are.  Don't you think?"

This isn't school though, it is the Mafia and the other solution is to remove these people from the equation in order to benefit more yourself. That is exactly what you have been lambasting CommissarKuku for doing, no?

As to City Hall, they make the rules and we follow. I would not want to speak to their motivations and don't think they would give interviews to the mob. 

I have never been a fan of these 'journal' types of stories people seem to be doing, but not necessarily because of the amount of rewards it gives. Exploiting the system is absolutely disgraceful no matter what the amount is you could be getting from it.

My problem initially was the fact that it incited no interaction between people, and I always thought that was one of the main ideas behind this place.

However, after learning just how much a person can make from these shameful acts, I've gotta say it just adds fuel to the fire of why this shouldn't be allowed.

I don't find myself agreeing with Grin very often, but on this I couldn't agree more.