#PR Media Coordination

[hsdigitalmedia]

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[fishtank32]

instagram is wild bcs WHO ARE THESE PPL FOLLOWING ME. WHAT.

[little-pondhead]

DP x DC idea:

Paulina Sanchez becomes the Wayne family's new PR manager. She works hand-in-hand with Alfred and Tim's secretary (maybe another Amity Parker?) to coordinate meetings with the press and keeps a lid on the family's more unique civilian adventures.

Everything is going well until she suddenly comes onto the comm system late at night, startling Nightwing so badly that he almost misses his next flip.

"Robin, don't forget to assist the civilian. They're recording the fight and will probably post it on their Instagram later."

"Batman, turn to the left a little bit. The street lamp is casting an ugly shadow; you need to seem more mysterious."

"Red Hood, don't forget to return the heads of the gang leaders in a canvas bag this time, not polyester. It'll add to the ambiance of the situation."

Little snippets like these filled their ears each and every night, despite all surveillance indicating that Miss Sanchez was home asleep in her bed. Was someone copying the manager's voice on purpose? Why couldn't they trace where the extra comm signal was coming from? Was Paulina Sanchez a spy sent to rattle their resolve? What was going on???

It was a lot more innocent than the paranoid-stricken Waynes thought. Paulina was simply doing her job according to Amity Park's logic.

Most people didn't have some weird lair in their basement, usually filled with world-ending secrets. But 9/10 Amity Parkers did, so it was a cinch to find the entrance to the Batcave on her first day. And when Paulina signed on as a manager, she didn't realize that the job did not extend to the family's nightlife. Nor did she realize that no one else knew who the Batfamily were since Amity Parkers could clock secret identities in an instant. (Thanks for that wish, Wes.)

So while the Waynes are freaking out about the breach in their system, Paulina is mentally patting herself on the back for being so good at her job. She even utilized her hard-earned sneaking-out and liminal skills to create a fake body double to confuse any aggressive intruders that crept into her apartment while she was gone. And honestly, the Bats have never had such a positive online reputation! Getting Tucker to encrypt her secondary social medias was the right call. Now she can post about her bosses without anything being traced back to her.

Paulina is a little peeved about her overtime pay not showing up on her paychecks, however. Maybe she'll bring that up to Mr. Wayne the next time she sees him.

[arieslost]

reader and little leclerc meeting at a karting comp when they were tiny and growing up charles developed the fattest crush on the reader but only later in his f1 career does she find out. not from charles himself but from carlos who ‘accidentally’ slips up and mentions it

i’m assuming by little leclerc u meant arthur so i hope i was correct 🤞🏼🤞🏼

© arieslost 2024. DO NOT REPOST WITHOUT PERMISSION.

crush | cl16

you always thought charles leclerc had some sort of underlying hatred for you, even though he was nothing but kind to you every time you interacted. maybe it was the way he’d always look at you with what you could only describe as a pained expression, like it hurt to even be in your presence.

not that he had much choice, considering you’d been racing with his brother arthur since the beginning of time.

it never evolved into a career for you, but having formed such a close bond with arthur, as well as the rest of the leclercs, you stuck around. you remained a close friend even after arthur was promoted to single seater racing and you never left karting, not until their father passed and you dedicated all of your time and effort to comforting the family and helping however you could. eventually, that evolved into you working for ferrari in pr and other various communications a year after charles signed to ferrari.

wherever a leclerc was, you were bound to follow.

which leads you to now, having landed in imola a few days before most of the team (including the drivers) to coordinate interviews, filming, photography… the list is endless sometimes, but you love your job. even more so when you’re given the privilege of briefing the drivers on what to expect for the day.

except for the fact that charles comes in and sits down without sparing you so much as a fleeting glance.

that’s how your suspicions had started— when he stopped looking you in the eye. it used to be you who was intimidated by eye contact, those green eyes of his never failing to make your cheeks heat up. but eventually you got over it, and one day you fixed him with a brave stare that left him unable to mask his surprise. and then he stopped looking at you. then the incoherent mumbling started, then the abrupt “i have to go” in the middle of a conversation. you never understood why he was acting the way he was. you still don’t.

“good morning, querida,” carlos greets you smoothly as he enters the room, and you swear you see charles’ brows furrow for a split second.

“good morning,” you smile at him, chancing a look at charles, who is still deeply engrossed in whatever’s on his phone. “there’s a decent amount of things i want to go over with you guys, so i really need you to pay attention.”

you went through the itinerary, pausing every now and then to make sure both drivers were paying attention. charles had shut off his phone, but he was still looking anywhere else but at you. when you caught his eye upon glancing upwards, he looked down at his lap like you had told him he massively screwed something up.

you’ve often thought about confronting him, but to be honest, you could never really come up with a solid reason to do so. if he didn’t want to look at you, that was more his problem than it was yours.

“okay, i think that’s all i have for—” you’re not even finished with your sentence before charles is uttering a hasty “thanks” and rushing out the door.

“you’d think he would’ve caved and told you by now,” carlos muses when the door clicks shut, shaking his head.

“told me what?”

“you know,” carlos begins, rising from his seat, “that he’s madly in love with you.”

“what?!” you exclaim.

“oh, dear,” he continues dryly. “did i say that out loud?”

“carlos sainz, so help me—”

“you’ll have to excuse me, i don’t want to be late to the media pen,” he interrupts, making to leave as well. “i suggest confronting him, that’s probably the only way to get him to talk.”

your opportunity comes after the free practice sessions the next day, where you manage to corner charles as he’s leaving his driver room.

“is it true? do you—” you want to say love me, but the words just won’t come out. they feel too intimate. “do you have feelings for me, charles?”

he opens his mouth, but you don’t give him the chance to respond. “you won’t look at me, you barely talk to me anymore, and it feels like you hate me. so honestly, just tell me anything other than saying you hate me.”

“i don’t hate you,” he says immediately. “not at all— why don’t you come in so we can talk? i don’t want to have this conversation knowing someone with a camera could come around the corner.”

fair point. you allow him to guide you into his driver room, watching as he shuts the door behind him.

“who told you?” he asks.

“carlos. in a weird, unnecessarily cryptic way.”

“classic carlos,” charles huffs, raking a hand through his hair.

“is it true?” you repeat quietly, beginning to fear his answer.

he looks at you. “what if it was?”

“charles—”

he interrupts you now. “i can’t look at you because every time i do i think about how much i want you. i look at you and i wish more than anything that i could hold you, kiss you, make you laugh. things just haven’t been the same since… since papa.”

you reach for his hand, squeezing it tightly in your own.

“and eventually i just couldn’t talk to you, because if i did, everything i want to say would come out… like it is right now,” he smiles shyly.

you never thought you could make charles leclerc shy.

“anyway, i like you. a lot.” he declares, taking on a confident tone. “i’ve had a crush on you for a while, and i’m sorry that it manifested as something else. i don’t expect you to forgive me.”

“maybe…” you begin slowly, watching his eyes light up. “maybe you could take me out.”

he smiles widely, squeezing your hand. “i think i can make that happen.”

“good. i’ll be waiting for your call.” you lean up, pressing a brave kiss to his cheek before exiting the room.

the blush creeping over his cheeks stays imprinted on your mind for the rest of the day. it won’t be the last time you see him that way.

word count: 1,041

masterlist — join my tag list here!

note: this was such a cute request. i hate the ending (when do i not, honestly) so if this flops it’s fully my fault

my inbox is always open for comments, criticism, and conversation! feel free to pop in!

reblogs are greatly appreciated <33

dividers by @/saradika

tags: @venusacrossthestars @67-angelofthelordme-67 @emails-i-can-send @nelly187 @cixrosie @fangirl-dot-com @sainzluvrr @imheretoread @mellowarcadefun @yourbane @monsieurbacteria6 @c-losur3 @papayatori @ssprayberrythings @namgification @maih23 @evlkking @witchycarmen @ilovethispookie @maxverstappenfan79 @sya-skies @sweatrevenge5436-blog @kimis-gloves @mia-rrrs @decafmickey @customsbyjcg-blog @bigheartsthings @tania2748 @scuderiadevils @iloveyou3000morgan @ctrlyomomma @hiireadstuff @daemyratwst @arian-directioner @evelyn-ny @avg-golden-retriever @likedbygaslyy @vintagefucksstuff @piastorys @jisungstuff @personwhoisther @bernelflo @ahgase99 @ferrarisfailedstrats @levidazai @brune77e @watersquirtpewpewboomm

[leclsrc]

wait and see ✴︎ cl16

genre: enemies to lovers, fluff, angst barely, other drivers appear

word count: 2.5k

The grid recounts the evolution, nature, and many ups and downs of your and Charles' vague relationship.

auds here... req'd, this was p fun to write i hope u guys like it! :) short bec if it was any longer it wouldnt have been as nice to read i think? anyway... i love u guys. title from this.

Lando takes a seat. “Is this the thingy for…? Yeah? Okay. What am I supposed to do again?”

“Just describe the two of them.”

“Easy. She was always pissing him off.” He rubs his chin, lost in thought. “But… in a good way?”

—

“I told you a hundred times I didn’t want this to be the soundbite you published.” Charles chases after you, his footsteps quickening like a lost puppy as you wrestle your way into the media pen. “A hundred times, and you said okay, and you still published it. Che succede?”

You turn, crossing your arms over your torso. “Look. I said yes, but when I looked it over, nothing else you said was really worth it. It was all just repetitions of the same PR bullshit that makes you look good on camera.”

He rakes a hand through his hair, exhaling with frustration, watching his biting comment on Iñaki rack up hundreds of thousands of views. “This was not a good idea!” He repeats, the same sentiment he’s been telling you in the half-hour he’s known of this video’s publicity.

“But it happened.” You adjust your mic and gesture to Lando, who’s awkwardly waiting for the cameras to roll so you can start the post-FP2 interview and he can talk about his shit car. “I’m busy, so deal with it. Your fans will appreciate you not riding Ferrari’s dick all the time.”

Charles opens his mouth to argue, but shuts it, shoving his way back outside and into the motorhome so he can cooperate in damage control. He doesn’t admit it—to you, to Carlos, to anyone—but the PR that comes of it is more good than it is bad in the end. He doesn’t admit it because it means admitting you’re right, and God if that’s the last thing he’ll ever do.

—

“They were always butting heads,” George says, laughing as he soaks in the memories of it. “Always fighting over something. Anything. Whatever there was that could be disagreed on—they’d be disagreeing.”

—

It started harmlessly enough. Seb walked in with two swatches of color—a blue and a purple—and addressed the room with a light tone, asking what color would best suit the tablecloths at his wedding. And then, as it always did with you and Charles, chaos ensued.

“Blue suits green better.” You wave the blue in his face. “You’re busy thinking of red all the time so you don’t understand color theory.”

“It’s not about coordination! It’s about creating a highlight!” He gestures with his hands, aggressively gesticulating to try and get his point across. “Highlight!”

“Oh, bullshit! Blue!”

“Purple!”

“Are you crazy?!”

Across the room, Seb and George watch in mild horror at the two figures caught in a needlessly intense argument over colors at a wedding that isn’t even theirs.

An AlphaTauri engineer comes in to refill his coffee for the third time, finds the two of you still fighting and is genuinely stupefied. He turns to the two onlookers, asks, “Bridezilla, huh? Happened to me once, too. I swear the grooms always try to weasel their way in to seem more involved but their choices never make sense.”

“Oh, no. They, uh, they’re not together.” George clarifies quickly.

“They’re not?!” The engineer and Seb ask at the same time.

They all watch the argument, bemused, but secretly they all wonder just how correct George is.

—

“We have a saying in Spanish. Del amor al odio hay un paso. Neither of them will understand it—it’s in Spanish, obviously—but I think that applies to them. One minute you think they hate each other, and the next…” Carlos lets himself taper into silence, smiling softly.

—

Being around Charles feels like karmic retribution, a constant eternal push and pull. But it makes the both of you better, even if neither of you admit it in the end. You can’t really grasp why, or how it started—it might take ages if you do so much as try—but you’re content with letting things happen the way they do.

Or maybe you’re not. “You ruined my fucking broadcast, dickhead!”

You toss your earpiece at his chest, body welling up with annoyance. Your segment was being casted live until Charles insisted he take up your airtime to do whatever-the-fuck, you honestly don’t care. And yeah, sure, he’s way more relevant, but the less airtime you get, the less easily you get the exposure you need.

“It happened one time.” He sounds amused, and it patronizes you, sets you on fire. He clutches your earpiece to his chest and hands it back to you.

“Fuck you.” You tug it toward yourself, and suddenly you’re closer, noses almost touching. You step back, but it’s not enough. “You have no idea how much that mattered to me.”

His eyes flit toward your lips, your bodies melting together. “If it really did…” he says, inhaling, “you would’ve just ignored me.” And damn, he’s right.

Charles does not like you. He just knows you well. But then one might argue—isn’t that the same thing?

—

“They have trouble not calling the shots, is the thing,” Lewis offers. “So put them in a team, in a room together, and boom.”

—

“…We didn’t agree on this script.” You underline the problematic lines and toss it onto Charles’ lap from where you stand in front of the sofa. “You want your fans to hate you?”

“The questions were clumsy. I asked you to reword them, but you didn’t.”

“You didn’t ask, to be clear. You demanded.” You click your tongue.

Lewis is in the middle of posting on Roscoe’s Instagram account and manually making typos, but he looks up, interest piqued by the increasingly heated conversation.

“I asked,” Charles insists stubbornly. “Plus, this is a Ferrari segment. You get hired to write on Ferrari, you follow Ferrari.” He points to the yellow logo on his shirt. Ferrari, he mouths. Lewis stifles a chuckle at the sarcastic exchange.

“Jesus.” You reread the script. “Fine. I’ll reword this and this.”

“And that.” He points, tapping the paper.

“Only if you edit this and this. Oh, God, and this.”

“Fine. Wait, that?”

“Are you serious? It’s the corniest statement ever. Edit that or I edit nothing.”

“Okay, bossy.”

Lewis exits Instagram in favor of texting Seb to ask if you two are dating. The response he receives is equally unhelpful: Nobody knows mate.

—

“You know, for all the disagreeing they did, they actually agreed on so much of the same stuff. If they stopped fighting for two seconds they would agree on most things.” Alex muses. “But they never did, so. Or maybe a few times.”

—

Media is a tricky thing. It’s either on your side, or it isn’t.

And this weekend, Charles has drawn the short straw, subjected to bouts of backhanded journalists and tweets for his strategy during quali. You know this especially well—you’re media, for Christ’s sake—and you’ve seen your colleagues hound Charles for how he chose to tackle the session.

Alex is in the middle of a FaceTime call with Lily when he hears it. “Wait—I think they’re talking,” he says to his girlfriend when he hears you approach him, carefully maneuvering himself into optimal eavesdropping position.

“Is this the right thing to do?” Lily’s voice comes through like static.

“I know it’s wrong,” Alex confesses. “But—”

“No, I meant I can’t hear properly. Move the phone closer, you dick.”

So he does, and the two of them listen intently to your talk. You go first, a few shuffling footsteps and an adjustment of your media pass, then. “Will’s been all over you today.”

“Yeah,” comes Charles’ voice, tired if anything. “I, uh… I just hope I can understand where I went wrong and, uh. Well, uh.”

“No, I…” There’s heavy silence. “I think you did the right thing. You didn’t get pole, but it was a good strategy. Better than what was being proposed, anyway. I think that would’ve landed you at the back of the grid, to be honest.”

You both laugh. “Thanks,” he croaks.

“You did great. Don’t, um… don’t let them tell you otherwise. I’m proud of you.”

Alex never tells anybody what he heard. But it inspires many long-winded conversations with Lily about the nature of your relationship. Each time, though, they never arrive to a solid answer.

—

“Hey, listen. I always knew something was there with those two. They had the kind of dynamic you only find once in, like, a million instances.” Daniel says firmly. “But I also kept thinking… poor Charlotte.”

—

You’re half-sure Pierre was the one who bought you all shots. Or a quarter-sure. Okay, you’re not sure at all. Your mind’s cloudy, your inhibitions lowered, tongue loose and laugh contagious. Around the table everyone is laughing, some others have gotten up to dance, but you, Daniel, Lewis, and Charles are all conversing about work, albeit while drunk.

“Is… tequila… plant-based?” Lewis grimaces as he throws another shot back and you all laugh mindlessly.

“Danny,” you say, tapping his shoulder. “Any plans once you’re out of the paddock next season?”

“Ah,” he hums. “Self-discovery and a shit ton of shrooms.”

You all cheers to the epiphany, shots once again entering your system. “And a party again tomorrow!” Daniel adds half-jokingly, much to your delight. Charles, right beside you, throws an arm over your shoulder as he laughs. You’re unfazed.

Daniel’s gaze lingers on his arm a little too long, especially because your own hand reaches upward to wrap around his wrist, to make sure he doesn’t pull away. But you’re both drunk, he reasons. And plus, you can’t usually stand each other’s guts.

“I’ll pass, mate, if it happens,” Charles says, his tone clearly inebriated.

“You’re no fun,” you say lightly, laughing and turning to him. Your eyes are on the other’s, dark, lips almost touching as if you’ve forgotten Daniel and Lewis are even around (though the latter is as good as dead, honestly.)

“Invite Charlotte instead,” Daniel says with a smile, to try and test your reactions. “How long, now? Three months?”

You clear your throat, looking away with a faux smile.

“Oh. We’re not doing so well, to be honest.” Charles smiles, tight-lipped. He hopes Daniel doesn’t ask why. He can’t think of a lie quickly enough to cover how Charlotte told him I love you, Charles, but this is over. I hope you end up with her someday.

—

Seb takes some time to think about it. “Those two always fought. Everyone said that, didn’t they? All the time, disagreeing.” He hums. “I could tell very early, though, that they were also the only two who could truly understand the other. Figuratively, obviously—but as a result, also literally.”

“Elaborate?”

“When you understand someone that well, inside and out, you end up understanding everything they say.” Seb smiles. “That was them, I think.”

—

“It’s impossible to transcribe your interviews,” Will says to Charles. It’s that hour on the paddock where everyone’s waiting for the pre-race bustle to start, so small talk is what’s keeping them busy.

You’re reviewing a few clips from practice on your phone and Seb is chipping into the conversation, which has moved from Mick’s future to F1 into Sky Sports into this.

“What do you mean?” Charles asks.

“You’re always sliding in and out of your three languages!” The Englishman laughs. “I have to consult a native speaker of both Italian and French each time. And you’re always going I, I, I, or we, we, we… but hey, the fans dig it, innit?”

“I think I sound perfectly understandable.” Charles smiles. You’re still busy, unfocused on the conversation at present.

“Like, okay. Look at this.” Will retrieves his phone, opens his voice memos app, and plays one of the audio recordings there. It’s a scratchy one of Charles describing his quali session, and sure enough, even if he’s speaking straight English, the adrenaline and exhaustion have him sounding totally indecipherable.

We—we had gasjdhfhs and I, I, I… I think we need to rejshdhs and thijsjsh about the hsfhdh, yeah? And, and, uh, we ajhshajs. And

Will closes it. “Sebastian, can you tell me that said?”

He shrugs, amused. “Sorry, Charles. I genuinely can’t.”

“See?!” Will makes a voila motion. “Nobody understands this.”

“He said we had good traction and I think we need to recalibrate and think about the boxing strategy, yeah? And we need that mindset.” You’re still going over your phone, busy and not 100% invested. “You two just aren’t listening.”

Charles doesn’t take his eyes off you, or the smile off his face, the whole hour.

—

Pierre comes last, clearing his throat. He’s ready. He knows exactly what to say, so he says it. “Those two are fucking soulmates.”

—

It’s three-thirty when somebody knocks on your hotel room.

But your body still feels like it’s five in the evening, your brain’s stuck at two in the afternoon, and your sleep schedule thinks it’s nine in the morning, so you’re not asleep but instead rewriting notes from the weekend prior.

You’re horribly disoriented when you grab your pepper spray and unlatch the door, and even more disoriented when you see Charles on the other side of it.

“Am I crazy?” He asks, breathless, like he’s been waiting for you all his life. Maybe he has.

“You’re at my hotel room at three a.m., so… a bit.” You rub sleepiness and jetlag out of your eyes. “Charles, what’s going on?”

“I love you.” There it is. “It sounds so stupid. But I love you. And it’s almost—I can’t bear it. I woke up this morning? You, on my mind. Lights go off after a race? You. I go to sleep? You. It’s always you. And I know, I know it’s—I know, with Charlotte, and—but it’s true. I, I, I—I think about you every minute. And usually this happens accidentally. Nous sommes tous des idiots quand il s’agit d’amour... moi y compris.

“But this was… I knew I was falling in love and I let it happen. And so I thought, why keep waiting? Why let it drag on and on and fight over and over when I can just come and tell you how much I—and maybe, hopefully, see if you feel the same?”

He pants, tired from his clearly rambled and unplanned confession.

“I love you, too,” you say, struck. Oh God.

“Can I kiss you, then?”

“It’s may,” you breathe. “May I kiss you.”

“You may,” he whispers.

“Right now?”

“Anytime.”

“So now.”

“It’s now or next Tuesday,” he jokes.

“Now is… the best. Now would do.”

“Now would do.” So you cross the threshold and let him scoop you into his arms so he can well and truly kiss you.

—

“Is that all?” The interviewer asks Pierre. “Just… those words? We need a bit more for the article on this event.”

“Oh, yeah.” He gets up, straightens his tie. “Don’t worry. You’ll hear the rest during my best man speech.”

Del amor al odio hay un paso – From love to hate, there is one step.

Nous sommes tous des idiots quand il s'agit d'amour... moi y compris – We are all fools in love... me included.

[the-offside-rule]

Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) - I Don't Wanna Live Forever

Requested: no

Swift Series

Warnings: age gap, cursing, forbidden love, cliffhanger

*he's fine asf in this gif*

Fernando sighed contently as he walked through the paddock, the all too familiar buzz of a new season on the horizon. The new season was about to begin, and with it came new challenges, new cars, and, as he had just been informed, a new assistant. His previous assistant had moved on, and Fernando was curious about the person who would now be helping him navigate the whirlwind of his career. He walked into the new hospitality, looking around at the slick interior design of the building. He looked over to see his PR manager stood up, waving towards him. He smiled, walking over towards him. "Alright Fernando, how's it going?" She asked as he hugged her. "Yeah, pretty good. Yourself?" She smiled. "I'm doing well. I actually wanted to introduce you to someone-" She paused, turning to the young woman stood behind her. "Fernando, meet Y/n. She'll be your new assistant."

Y/n extended a hand with a confident smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Alonso. I'm excited to work with you." Fernando shook her hand, noting her firm grip and steady gaze. "Please, call me Fernando. And welcome to the team." Y/n nodded, mentally noting the informal tone. "Thank you, Fernando. I've already familiarized myself with your schedule and preferences. If there's anything specific you need or any adjustments, just let me know." Fernando was impressed. "I appreciate that. It's a demanding job, but I'm sure you'll handle it well."

As the days went by, Y/n quickly adapted to the fast-paced environment of Formula 1. She managed Fernando's schedule with precision, coordinated media engagements seamlessly, and ensured he had everything he needed before and after races. Her efficiency and calm demeanor under pressure did not go unnoticed by Fernando. One afternoon, during a break between practice sessions, Fernando found Y/n in the team lounge, engrossed in her laptop. "How are you finding everything so far?" He asked, sitting down across from her. Y/n looked up, a hint of surprise in her eyes. "It's intense, but I love it. The energy, the speed, the team, it's all very exciting." Fernando smiled. "That's good to hear. It's important to have someone who enjoys the chaos as much as the rest of us."

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

While Fernando was no stranger to the hectic life of a racing driver, he found a peculiar comfort in the presence of his assistant, Y/n. She was efficient, calm under pressure, and always seemed to know exactly what he needed. Over time, Fernando had developed feelings for Y/n, but he kept them hidden, fearing it would complicate their professional relationship. Y/n, on the other hand, had admired Fernando since the day they started working together. His dedication, passion, and charisma made it hard not to fall for him. But, like Fernando, Y/n kept these feelings concealed, believing it was best to maintain their professional demeanor.

This particular day had been nothing short of exhausting with back-to-back media obligations. Interviews, photoshoots, and press conferences filled the schedule, leaving little time to breathe. Fernando signed the final cap and packed it off to the side. He looked out the window, the sun had set, and the team was packing up. "Finally." He sighed. "Y/n!" Fernando called out. Y/n peered in the door. "Done?" He nodded. "Perfect. You can leave them there, and I'll get them to marketing first thing tomorrow." She said walking towards him. His eyes wandered down her body. He stopped himself, feeling bad. "Stay back for a bit, would you? I think we both could use a drink."

"I can't. You have media day tomorrow, and I think a good nights sleep would do you best." Fernando sat back in the chair. "Come on. Just one." Surprised but curious, Y/n agreed. "Sure, Fernando. A drink sounds good." He smirked. "That didn't take too much convincing."

Fernando stood up and headed downstairs, grabbing a bottle of red wine and twk glasses before making his way back up to the office. "I hope you like wine." He chuckled. She sighed. "Not really, but it's a drink from the Fernando Alonso, so who can complain?" He closed the blinds, trying to block out the world, away from the prying eyes of fans and journalists. Fernando poured the glass and handed it to her, before taking his own. They sipped at their drinks, and for a while, they sat in comfortable silence, savouring the moment of peace. "Do you mind if I ask you something?" Y/n nodded. "Shoot."

"How did you end up in the world of Formula 1?" Fernando asked, genuinely interested. Y/n smiled, taking a sip of the drink. "It was a bit of a twist of fate, really. I always loved motorsports, and when the opportunity came up to work with a team, I took it. And here I am. I didn't think I'd be working for you, though." His brows furrowed. "How come?" She shrugged. "I always loved watching you growing up, so it just seems a bit surreal, I guess." He groaned. "What?" She chuckled. "You're making me sound old." He replied. "You're not that old."

"I am 43 years old. That's old." She eyed up his lips subtly, her finger tracing the rim of her glass. "I don't think so, but okay." Fernando nodded, his eyes never leaving Y/n's. "You're 25. You have no say in this."

As the night went on, the conversation flowed easily. They talked about their childhoods, their passions, and their dreams. The more they shared, the more they realized how much they had in common. "Sometimes, I wonder what life would be like if I hadn't decided to race." Fernando admitted, a rare moment of vulnerability. Y/n reached out, placing a hand on his. "I think you'd still be the same incredible person, just a little less stressed." Fernando's heart raced at the touch. "Yes, but I wouldn't have met all the people I have. We wouldn't have met." Y/n's breath caught. "You'd live without me." Fernando took a deep breath, his eyes locking with Y/n's. "I don't think I could." Y/n's heart swelled. "Fernando -" Fernando leaned in, his lips hovering dangerously close to hers. Their eyes scanned each other, both wondering if they should move closer or simply walk away and pretend it hadn't happened.

Y/n's eyes fluttered shut as Fernando's lips met theirs in a tender kiss. The world around them faded, leaving just the two of them in that moment. She set her glass to the side, her hand flying up to his face, pulling him in closer. He felt euphoric. She was everything he could have asked for and more. He deepened the kiss, pushing her back until she was laying on the couch. Her hands roamed under his Aston Martin shirt, trailing up his tone back. He loved it,every touch, every sound she made below him, he loved it all. That was, until Y/n came to her senses and pulled away. "Wait, stop!"

Fernando's heart sank as she pulled away. "We can't. I can't. It could ruin your career, and it could cost me my job. I've worked too hard for this job for it to be thrown away over a stupid kiss." His brows furrowed. "A stupid kiss?? Is that what you would call this?" She stood up, straightening her skirt out. "I say it as it is. It was a mistake, and it will remain that way. It has to." Fernando shook his head, his eyes pleading. "Y/n, listen. I like you, I like you a lot. I don't care about the risks. I care about you." Y/n looked at him, unsure. Unsure if he was telling the truth or if he was drunk. "I care about you too, but we have to be realistic. This-" She pointed between them both. "This could destroy everything we've worked for." Fernando took her hands in his, his grip firm but gentle. "I'm willing to do anything for you, Y/n. You're worth everything to me." She sighed, closing the door behind her and leaving the spaniard there, drunk, alone and pondering.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Y/n lay in bed, the soft glow of the city lights seeping through the curtains and casting delicate patterns on the walls. Despite the late hour, sleep eluded her. Her mind was consumed with thoughts of the kiss she shared with Fernando earlier that evening. She could still feel the warmth of his lips, the gentle yet passionate way he had held her. She sighed and turned onto her side, pulling the blankets tighter around her. But no matter how she tried, she couldn’t shake the image of his face, the intensity in his eyes as they parted. Tossing and turning, she fought against the whirlwind of emotions swirling within her.

Finally, unable to bear the restlessness any longer, Y/n sat up, her heart racing with indecision. Should she go to him? Confront these feelings head-on? She hesitated, her fingers gripping the edge of the blanket. But the pull was too strong, the need for clarity too overwhelming. Taking a deep breath, she threw the covers aside and slipped out of bed. She threw on her cardiganHer footsteps were light, almost silent, as she reached her door. Her heart pounded with every step, the anticipation building.

Reaching for her door, she paused, her hand hovering just inches from the wood. She closed her eyes, gathering her courage, then reached for the handle and opened it, her eyes widened in surprise. There stood Fernando. He was dressed as he was earlier, as if he had been up and about, unable to sleep just like her. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the air thick with unspoken words and emotions. “Y/n…” he breathed, taking a step closer. “I-"

It didnt take long for her to wrap her arms around his necl and lock her lips with his again. She had needed this. He pulled away first, looking deep into her eyes. "I need to tell you-"

"Tell me in the morning. I need you now."

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

Dan Wootton

(The video and the substack article have the same information and graphics/visuals.)

Harry has several anonymous accounts on Twitter and other social media (that he reportedly hates) to monitor how he and Meghan are being covered and talked about.

The Sussexes are fully aware of what Sussex Squad does and directly feed into it. Scobie and Bouzy are in direct contact with the Sussexes. Bouzy and Meghan's PR teams are also in direct contact with many of the Sussex Squad accounts/users. Byline Times is one of Harry's partners.

Sussex Squad has been targeting Wootton since he published Megxit. Wootton's sources include people close to Harry and people close to Sussex Squad.

Sussex Squad created KateGate and began certain rumors about William. Wootton was able to identify the account responsible for starting #WhereisKate and alleging her disappearance is because of William's temper.

Bouzy is most likely the individual responsible for Getty's flagging of KP's pictures and Kate's video statement as being edited and inauthentic.

Wootton hints that Sussex Squad somehow found out about Kate's cancer diagnosis and/or their coordinated attacks on KP (probably via the KateGate hysteria) forced Kate to announce her cancer and treatment plan before she was ready and before she had fully come to grips with it.

Sussex Squad has been spooked off Twitter and now use Discord for their collaboration.

Wootton also identifies and discusses 3 Sussex trolls:

Troll 1 is a techy in NYC who is a close Bouzy collaborator. She is one of the main accounts that have harrassed and targeted Wootton and his partner because of Wootton's critical coverage of the Sussexes. She has publicly admitted to it. She is no longer trolling because it's toxic and allegedly has quit Twitter, though not before claiming that Wootton and his people were threatening to hurt her and her dog.

Troll 2 is a business dude in Tampa. He specifically targets Camilla and has claimed that she is Meghan's main bully and has enlisted Jeremy Clarkson and Piers Morgan in her bullying campaign. He also tries to keep connecting Charles to Germany, and specifically to N*zi Germany.

Troll 3 is a British advertising executive. This individual has alleged that Camilla is responsible for Charles's cancer, because she has been poisoning him since the coronation so she can retire "young."

One of Wootton's bigger points is that if the Sussexes want to be taken seriously as advocates for internet reform/social media protections, then they must publicly disassociate from and condemn Sussex Squad's behavior and activities. He doesn't think they will.

*****************

First, I'm pleasantly surprised by this. I was expecting Wootton to be a little more sensational about his discoveries, but it's clear he's really done his homework and has really spent some time investigating this. If you're into this kind of thing, you might actually enjoy getting his updates so why not sign up for it. Use a burner email, though. You can never be too safe.

Second, I'm not really sure about using Wootton's reporting to validate some of the rumors and theories I'm tracking. On the one hand, Wootton has legit sources and a track record that makes him one of the more reliable reporters. But on the other hand, I like double-confirmation for my verification so I can be sure that it's the absolute truth.

What do y'all think?

[retroghouls-if]

THE STORY

Music has always been a part of you.

You could hold a bow (violin/viola/cello) before you could hold a pencil. Unfortunately, life has catapulted you into a downward spiral. Your college band disintegrates. A close friendship goes up in flames. You’re doing nothing with your life. Death and a personal betrayal have left you bereft. You have never felt more worthless. Everything culminates on the night of your sister’s wedding when you drunkenly form a Faustian contract with the entity that haunts your apartment.

For better and for worse, you are now destined for greatness.

The devil has but one thing to ask in return: absolute domination. You are to conquer anything and everything through the power of good ol’ fashioned rock n’ roll. And you’re not alone. Armed with friends (new and old), a new band, and quite literal hellspawn to help, you are going to conquer the world.

Not because it’s what you want, but because failure is not an option.

Not for any of you.

CONTENT WARNINGS

Retroghouls is intended for mature 18+ audiences for dark topics including abuse, violence, explicit language and sexual content, and more.

FEATURES

Customize your MC from their physical appearance, personality, sexuality to their musical background (violin, viola, or cello), familial relationships, and more.

Choose your band’s concept and determine its overarching message. Is your group activist, a sex symbol, or a harbinger of destruction? Will you tell your fans that they’re not alone? Will you challenge them to persevere no matter what? Or will you encourage them to burn it all down?

Manage your newfound inspiration and the cornucopia of side effects that come with it.

Protect the anonymity of you and your bandmates.

Outwit a demon or two – if you play your cards right.

Romance a cast of troubled individuals.

Make objectively terrible decisions! Ruin lives! Or don’t. You will face the consequences of your actions either way.

ROMANTIC INTERESTS

Camille ‘Ilim’ Vaughan [she/her or he/him] is the drummer of your new group. Having been involved in the music industry for over a decade, they are a person who invokes a myriad of opinions. Both beloved and reviled, Ilim themselves operate in extremes. They make no effort to hide their agenda. So the question follows – what part will you play in the reckoning? [MORE]

Tuesday ‘Needle’ Nelson [he/him or she/her] is the bass of your band’s guitar trio. So, whether it is during concerts, midnight comp sessions, or just casual riffing at hq, they are always close by. Music has always been their one true love and so they’re determined to pour their blood, sweat, and tears into this project. Tuesday has very little else otherwise. [MORE]

Micky Monroe [she/her or he/him] You two took orchestra together in high school and haven’t given a passing thought towards one another since your graduation performance. Now, courtesy your prodigious manager, Micky & Archangels are the feature on your upcoming album. Once the album is done, you’ll surely fade from one another’s lives just like before. Both of you agree, it’ll be just like before. [MORE]

Jack/Jackie Graves [he/him or she/her] is the heart of your PR team, coordinating with managers, publicists, and social media specialists to ensure no unnecessary information about the band leaks. Your privacy is their bread and butter. Your security pays their bills. Don’t mistake their friendliness. Don’t mistake their kindness. It’s just common business to look out for one’s best interests.

[thecrazygamingzombie]

Helluva Boss/Hazbin Hotel corporate AU:

Wrote this AU with some friends last night and it was too good not to share publically:

Hell is replaced with a massive afterlife based corporation called 'Hell Inc' that handles the production, distribution, and management of all the various types of evil in the world; while also acting as the largest employeer of damned souls in existence and a direct competitor to Heaven LLC.

The company is headed by it's Chief Pride Officer and founder, Lucifer Morningstar, beneath him is the company's Vice President Charlie Morningstar after the former VP retired and disappeared under odd circumstances. Charlie has been trying (and failing) to get the company in some semblance of order and addressing the horrible working conditions that arose as a result of her father's near endless apathy and depression stemming from a millennia of accumulated burnout.

Below them are the six members of Hell inc's board of directors who run the various company departments:

Mammon, Chief Greed Officer (CGRO) and head of the greed department. Which manages the company finances as well as several financial institutions on earth like Banks and Casinos

Beelzebub, Chief Gluttony Officer (CGLO) and head of the gluttony department. They run Hell Inc's marketing campaigns and manages several fast food chains in the human world such as Bee Burger

Asmodeus, Chief Lust Officer (CLO) and head of the lust department. They run Hell inc's production lines in the underworld and various media conglomerates on earth.

Satan, Chief Wrath Officer (CWO) and head of the wrath department. Which handles all security related matters along with war and conflict in the human world, primarily arms manufacturers

Leviathan, Chief Envy Officer (CEO) and head of the Envy department. Which runs Hell Inc's research and development and various construction ventures on earth

And Belphagor, Chief Sloth Officer (CSO) and head of the Sloth department. Which is in charge of all health related company matters along with various hospitals and insurance companies on earth.

Each has their own unique management problems and while they once worked in tandem, which has resulted in a slough of issues from a lack of individual oversight. Such as Greed's severe budget cuts, Envy's ridiculously long working hours coupled with high standards, and employees in Wrath that spend more time arguing than getting things done.

Beneath them are the middle managers, the Ars Goetia, but they're among some of the most useless members of the company. Holding nothing more than figurehead positions to create the illusion of a centralized hierarchy when in reality they just pass their work onto the various supervisors within each department. Recent hire Stella is particularly bad in this way as the only reason she has the position at all was due to the nepotism provided by her brother Andrephelus who works alongside her in the Envy department.

(the only exception is Lust's middle manager Stolas)

Then we have the supervisors, the actual managers of the department divisions who occupy the role of authority figure that the Ars Goetia fail to fill themselves. Notable supervisors include:

Crimson Knolastname: Greed department supervisor overseeing most organized crime with a focus on blackmail activities

Wally Wackford: Greed department supervisor in charge of scams and white collar crimes.

Verosika Mayday: Lust department supervisor and PR manager for the department

Fizzarolli: originally an intern in greed, he was later transferred over to Lust and supervises the roleplay and costume divisions of the lust department

Vortex: the primary event coordinator for the Gluttony department along with new employee orientation

Striker: Wrath department supervisor, handling any and all matters relating to mercenary work and assassinations

Joe and Lin: Wrath department supervisors, the former managing the hand to hand combat division while the latter runs the in house medical center and trains all Wrath Department employees in battlefield aid.

And last but not least are all the rank and file employees that makeup Hell inc's primary workforce. They're usually sorted by species: Baphomets work for the Sloth Department, Imps work for the Wrath department, Succubi and Incubi work for the Lust department, etc. However this is only for their initial probational period, if their skills prove to be more suitable elsewhere in the company then can be transferred into another department.

With one exception: Pride. The department in charge of processing all damned souls at the time of death and general evil relations in the human world

The Pride department is the largest and most chaotic of all of Hell Inc's departments, it's facing an ever increasing workload that it struggles to manage and even with the steady flow of Sinners rolling in to fill vacancies the department is constantly short staffed. So not only are sinners forbidden from being transferred to other departments, but any hellborn that get transferred in Never. Ever. Leave. Getting assigned to the Pride Department is basically a life sentence and it doesn't help that the department itself has basically gained a reputation as a dumping ground for misfit employees that can't properly function in any other department.

To make matters worse, while the other departments have some level of rules and standards when it comes to employee conduct. The Pride Department is left in almost total disarray thanks to every supervisor in the department being blood thirsty corporate climbers who are constantly screwing one another over to gain more recognition in the overall company. The supervisors affectionately nicknamed the Vees: Velvette (social media manager), Vox (IT supervisor), and Valentino (employee recruitment manager) are the absolute worst when it comes to this backstabbing.

However, the biggest problem facing the Pride department is none other than the man eaters in the Demon Resources division. Ran by two supervisors known as Rosie and Alastor, the former handling employee disputes while the later is in charge of terminating employee contracts...and employees. If you get called into Alastor's office, that's usually the last anyone hears of you. The rest of HR isn't much better either as they all tend to be of a similar temperament to their supervisors.

But for all it's mess, VP Charlie genuinely believes she can clean up the company one department at a time; starting with the Pride Department. With the backing of both her father and the HR rep Alastor, she's assembled a solid team of employees willing to help her with the task.

And by that I mean employees that were voluntold to help her:

Husk, former supervisor in charge of managing Hell inc's gambling holdings that had been partially outsourced from Greed's own workers. Alastor had personally handled his demotion after it was found the cat demon had been skimming off the top.

Vaggie, the head of the security division of the Pride Department and Charlie's girlfriend. The rumors of her rise to power via nepotism are matched only by the rumors that she transferred in from Hell inc's rival company, Heaven LLC

Angel, a rank and file employee of pride with no particular specialization who's working directly under Val. He claims he's only on board with Charlie's plan in hopes of getting a promotion, but it's rather obvious he really just wants to get away from his current boss by any means necessary

Sir Pentious, part of the R&D team and widely considered to be one of the worst researchers in the entire company due to the numerous cases of collateral damage he's caused. Charlie's project is not only his last chance to avoid getting a pink slip for both his job and his life, but also to get the professional recognition he so desperately craves

Niffty, once a member of the janitorial team. Nobody knows where she came from or how long she's been working her, only that she's some what of an oddity even by Hell inc standards. The only thing that's certain about her is that she's an employee you should give a wide berth to if you value your personal safety

Meanwhile in the Pride department, a small little clique has formed of low level demons that have transferred in from other departments and work in the revenge division:

Blitzo, the supervisor of the division who's quite skilled at falling upwards. He is completely and utterly incompetent at his job, choosing instead to slack off with the toy ponies he spends his salary on or flirt/sexually harass his coworkers rather than actually performing any administrative duties. The only reason he still has his job is likely due to a 'friend' he has in middle management that keeps covering for him.

Moxxie, an accounting intern that transferred in from greed after a disastrous project with now ex-employee Chaz that resulted in massive losses for the greed department, causing Mammon to dump the 'useless' imp into the Pride department. Usually the one doing Blitzo's job for him, very begrudgingly I might add, and frequently grumbles about his station but secretly enjoys the group he's found. Especially his wife...

Millie, a security guard transferred from Wrath after several complaints in regards to 'excessive force' were leveled against her. Luckily she's adjusted quite well to her new position in the Pride Department even if she tends to drift under the radar more often than not, but she remains optimistic that she'll get a worthwhile promotion someday. In the meantime, she makes use of her spare time tending to her weapon collection or having sexual encounters with her husband around the office; away from most prying eyes

Loona, one of Hell inc's newest hires. Originally slated to be an intern in the Gluttony department, her attitude problems forced Beelzebub to personally see to it that the hound was relocated to a position in the Pride Department for both her own safety and that of her coworkers. Takes after her supervisors slacker tendencies in an apathetic way, spending practically every waking moment glued to her phone, much to Moxxie's frustration.

And that's the lot of the company! We hope you enjoy your stay at Hell Inc! Remember: Today is the first day of your eternal life....

(P.S. you didn't hear this from me, but rumor has it that Heaven LLC has been experiencing plenty of problems of it's own. Such as poor leadership, communication issues, and nepotism even worse than anything seen at Hell Inc. And there's even a few sources that claim that former VP Lilith was seen on their board of directors, but you know how people like to talk.)

[hourcat]

31 for piarles pls 💙

(continued.)

Pierre's heart is in his throat as he stands in the Ferrari garage, fingers twisted in the VIP access badge hanging around his neck. He's been to Abu Dhabi before--training in the offseason, vacations with his influencer friends, even one time when he was a scraggly teenager invited to the Formula One World Championship over a decade and a half ago--but he's never been here. In the garage of the championship-leading F1 car, eyes glued to the screen playing the race out on track: the last two laps of the final race, the championship leader in the lead.

Charles is going to do it. He's going to win it all. Pierre swallows thickly at the sudden emotion that rises in his throat. He is going to win it all. Ten months ago, when he was sitting a good arms-length apart from Charles Leclerc in Fred Vasseur's office, he never imagined the contract he signed would lead him--them--here.

"Go on," he hears from somewhere beside him, and turns to see Silvia standing next to him. She's got a look in her eyes that makes Pierre shiver, some deeper level of knowledge that apparently comes with being the point person for Ferrari's biggest success on the racetrack in over a decade.

"What do you mean," he tries, but he knows what she's saying. The commentary box is going crazy as Charles starts on the last lap. Barring something absolutely disastrous, this is going to be what wins his boyfriend the world championship title.

Fake boyfriend, his brain corrects, and Pierre staggers a little at the reminder. Once the season ends, they're done with all of this--they can coordinate the break-up with the PR firm working overtime back in Maranello, and it'll be one last big cash grab news cycle before Pierre gets back to his bike and his own team and the knowledge that they'll probably have a fucking shot at success next year. The end is in sight.

Pierre's stomach flips at the thought.

"You should be running to parc ferme right now, Gasly," she says with a roll of her eyes, "because your partner is about to become the world champion and he'll be a journalist magnet for at least the next 96 hours."

She...knows. Silvia knows their relationship is for the media, knows that it's all been made up from the very beginning. But the look on her face...

"Shit." The Ferrari garage isn't that far away from where he needs to be, thank god, but the race is speeding to a close and she's right, he needs to get a move on if he's going to congratulate Charles, even just to kiss him one last time before their elaborate ruse ends. "Shit. Shit." Pierre turns on a heel and starts in a full sprint, only noting absentmindedly that he can hear her laughter as he goes.

It doesn't matter, really. All that matters is Charles. All that matters is Pierre being there, cutting through the chaos and the champagne and the confetti to get to his fake boyfriend before the rest of the world grabs hold of him. It's the only thing he wants right now: more than a new bike, more than another contract, more than anything he thinks he's ever wanted.

He skids to a halt at the barrier after colliding with about half of the press members and team staffers alike trying to reach this point. For a fleeting moment, he considers hopping over it--and then remembers the last time someone tried to go up against the unbelievably tight security here at the track and thinks, faintly, he'd prefer to be in one piece when Charles finds him. So he just...waits. Heart in his throat, breath half-frozen in his lungs, Pierre stands at the parc ferme barrier and waits for the eruption of joy and the fireworks to start.

There are no screens here, he realizes belatedly: anything could happen. Anything could be happening right now, without his eyes on it, a whole race of possibilities suddenly jumping to life in his traitorous brain, and he's never even cared about Formula One in his life before but the thought of anyone but Charles winning tonight, taking the championship home, is so nauseating that he has to grab the metal fencing more tightly to stay upright.

But victory comes. There's a flurry of sound all at once, as the world lights up with the victory apparently decided, and it only takes a few moments of listening to know that he'd been foolish to worry. Chants of IL PREDESTINATO rise high in the air from the stands, from the crowd around them, and that could be no one else. Charles did it. Charles won. There are tears on Pierre's face before he even registers he's crying.

"My champion," he says out loud, and remembers the conversation they'd had a lifetime ago, back when they were getting to know one another better--how this was Charles' biggest dream so far. To become champion of the world, if for no other reason than to honor his family name. His father, his grandmother, his godfather. Their old childhood friend who never mentioned a thing about knowing Charles. All people Charles considered family, all people he drives for every single weekend--and he's done it. Fuck, he's done it.

The podium cars pull up to their respective spots and all hop out, enthused enough about the stage and the end of the season to jump on their teams. Pierre watches as the three of them come together to shake hands, then split apart to celebrate with their engineers wildly, and it's so breathtakingly emotional that he chokes on his own breaths, drawn in hastily as he watches Charles get clutched by their beloved ensemble of red. Ferrari is for him. Ferrari has always been for him, but tonight, right now, it's more apparent than ever. As he stumbles away from their arms, unsteady on his feet from delight, Pierre watches as he tears his helmet away and shoves it into the arms of--one of the engineers hanging over the barrier, smile and tears both plastered onto her face. She nods at him. Charles turns, then, and catches sight of Pierre, and--

It's instinct that has Pierre thrust his arms out to grab him tight, tighter than he's ever held anyone before, and press his face into Charles' neck. He's soaked in sweat, he's trembling from exhaustion and emotion and adrenaline, and yet Pierre can't imagine an embrace that feels better than this. He could hold this man here for hours and it would be enough.

Charles pulls back first, though: his eyes are shining, mouth wet and red and trembling, and Pierre can't even think to say congratulations before he surges forward to catch the Frenchman in a full-on kiss. It's messy and formless and they're in front of the world but Pierre can't think to care. He can't be bothered to. It's easy to kiss him back fervently, hungrily, tenderly, because it's real. It's real to him, even if it's not real to the team or to Charles. Tonight, as the clock strikes 10, Pierre realizes that it's been real for a very long time.

When they part for a breath, Charles leans his forehead against Pierre's tiredly. "You're here," he manages, and laughs some soft and barely-there laugh. "Pierre, you're here."

It's almost incredulous sounding. "Of course I'm here," he answers, uncaring about the way his voice breaks on the words. "I love you, where else would I be?" And--well, he certainly hadn't meant for that to come out, but it's not untrue. In fact, he realizes with muted awe, it's truer than he'd even imagined it could be before now. "I love you, Charles." Repeated again, because it's true, it's true, it's true--

"You're stealing my moment," Charles responds with a choked laugh, but he doesn't move away. The hand he'd tangled in Pierre's hair gets firmer, keeps them pressed together for another long moment. "God dammit Pierre. I love you too. Christ, I've loved you longer than I think I even--"

Pierre won't let him finish that thought. Another searing kiss does the talking for him.

(from the i love you prompt meme)

[hsdigitalmedia]

Why Choose HS Digital Media For PR Media And Coordination:

Proactive Media Outreach : We proactively shape opportunities, not merely wait for them. Our proactive media outreach ensures that your brand is consistently in the spotlight, reaching your audience through various channels.

Crisis Management : PR is not just about successes; it's also about managing challenges. Our crisis management expertise allows us to navigate through challenges, minimizing impact and maintaining brand integrity.

Comprehensive Reporting : Stay informed with our comprehensive reporting. We provide detailed analytics and insights, allowing you to track the success of your PR campaigns and make informed decisions for future strategies.

Event Coordination : From product launches to press conferences, our event coordination services ensure that every interaction with the media is strategic and contributes to your overall PR goals.

Amplify your brand presence with HS Digital Media's PR Media and Coordination Services. Contact us today to embark on a journey of strategic public relations and seamless brand coordination.

[kayfabesource]

* BACKSTAGE ROLES MASTERLIST !

because there's so much more than photographers and makeup artists. jobs on this list can apply to most any wrestling promotion, so you can find something fun and unique for your oc. i found many of these by searching job titles on linkedin, so they're very much real! if you found this at all helpful, please reblog / like.

(keep in mind many of these titles can have intern, junior, associate, senior, & director titles ahead of them – based on experience. for example: associate producer, or senior producer)

creative.

art director

motion graphics designer

graphic designer

music producer

videographer

photo editor

photographer

costume / gear designer

marketing / pr.

project manager

marketing manager

marketer

social media specialist

social media manager

branding and communications specialist

content manager

media relations

public relations specialist

human resources / talent relations.

human resources coordinator

recruitment manager

hr operations specialist

talent operations

talent relations

travel and logistics coordinator

manager of talent appearances

payroll & benefits manager

personal assistant

production.

producer

production assistant

director

writer

live events.

athletic trainer

lighting designer

live event production specialist

retail

merchandise coordinator

carpenter

broadcast engineer

editor

sound/av engineer

administrative.

information technology (it)

logistics supervisor

administrative assistant

globals sales & partnerships

attorney

[asteria-argo]

fuck it I'm elaborating on that last post actually. My preface is that I don't work in or study marketing, but I had to do extensive unit on it for my actual course which means while I'm not an expert I do know enough that the arc annoys the shit out of me! This is a disorganized rant on my part, no one read too much into it.

POINT A.1

a lot of the work we see Keeley do in season one and two isn't actually PR, it's brand coordination. That's a separate department to Public Relations. They both fall under the marketing department umbrella, and there is an overlap in responsibilities depending on the size of the corporate entity but they aren't the same thing!

This doesn't actually matter that much, and sometimes it varies from company to company how marketing teams are structured anyway but it bothers me that it's called PR when she's doing Brand Coordination! They aren't the same thing!

POINT A.2

jumping off from point A.1 into the actual rant, the show likes to treat Keeley as an all-rounder, which I'm sure is just for convenience sake so they don't have to write in or hire actors to actually be Richmond's marketing department, but I think that's stupid! Most corporate marketing and communications roles in real life require at least a bachelors degree, she wouldn't have the necessary knowledge or experience to fulfill multiple of these roles at once.

Which leads me to my actual point, which is that Keeley is supposed to be a self made character but they consistently just hand her things.

Rebecca just hands her a job she isn't qualified for, very similarly to what she does to Ted, only with Keeley her motivations are to provide Keeley with a new avenue* in life rather than Keeley actively seeking these opportunities for herself! It's not self made if Keeley isn't trying to make it happen for herself.

I will admit it's been a while since I properly watched season one, so I might be wrong about that above statement, but it doesn't change the fact Keeley, much like Ted and probably even moreso than Ted who is at least qualified to coach to some degree, is not qualified for the job that Rebecca just hands her in any formal capacity.

(*side note; I can't remember if Rebecca was being genuine or trying to sabotage the club some more when she offered Keeley the job, but if she was doing the latter that is an entirely separate rant)

Then, they just hand her her own company she is equally underqualified for! She has maybe a year of formal marketing experience at the time, she has no formal training and she is a free lancer with one known client. They never show us Keeley working for anyone but Richmond! in fact, she works within Richmond, so it's safe to say they are literally her only client!

look, I'm not saying it's impossible for her to have gotten a free lance PR job at Richmond, that isn't actually my main concern with Keeley's arc, it's a good starting point, but it's important that it's acknowledged that Keeley isn't as prepared for the role as she could be. It's a conflict and conflict is what makes stories interesting.

My main problem is that they ignore the fact she isn't qualified, make her seem perfect and on top of everything, give her multiple legs up via friendship nepotism and dumb luck, and then when she is finally shown to be struggling, the rug is swept out from under her due to external, bullshit factors that have nothing to do with her actual professional struggles. And then she gets bailed out, via more friendship nepotism. It's BORING! You had a perfect plot sitting right there and you stepped over it!

POINT B

But Asteria, I hear you asking, why do you keep calling Keeley a free lancer? Because, dear reader, if she actually worked for Richmonds Marketing department, she would be in their marketing department!

There are mutliple interconnecting roles in a marketing department, data analysts, social media teams, media coordinators! They typically work together in an office building, similar to Keeley's PR company! There are a lot of different roles and a lot of different employees involved! think cubicles and break rooms, not a private office in the dungeon of a stadium.

So, Keeley from what the show tells and shows, is a free lance PR consultant not for the stadium itself, but for members of the team and later the greyhounds as an entity. This is where I would veer off course!

Instead of ending season two with a bullshit out of the blue here's your own company girl boss arc, I'd have Rebecca offer Keeley some kind of formal training avenue to get some more experience, build up her portfolio, and make progress in her career via some kind of internship or traineeship with Nelson Roads marketing team.

Why does this cause conflict? Because Keeley sucks at it! Keeley, for as friendly and sociable as she is, is not a corporate team player. She canonically doesn't understand corporate etiquette, she doesn't respect a lot of corporate practices, and to the people who have actually spent years of their lives studying and working for their positions, she doesn't deserve to be there!

She's there because she's a rich model whose friends with their millionaire boss. She's not self made to them, she hasn't come from nothing, she owns a mansion and wears designer almost exclusively. She has weekly lunch with the owner of their company, she was dating their star player and now she's dating the assistant coach, she got hired with no experience or education because she has friends in high places, if I was some poor marketing employee with student debt who worked my ass off to be there? I'd be pissed off, I wouldn't like her!

and Keeley is a very make her own way person, she isn't prepared for the rules and parameters that working in a corporate environment has! She also isn't used to not being liked! The team all love her, she makes friends really easy! It isn't an environment that she is comfortable in or used too, and she struggles with it!

Her arc would be about deciding if it's worth it! Where to compromise and where to hold to fast! Proving that she does deserve to be there to herself and to others! Realizing that she has had a lot of things handed to her, and that she is not as self made and independent as she previously claimed to be! Deciding how to proceed with that realization! Working on herself to understand the perspective of others!

You can give her a crisis of confidence and self doubt with that! You can make her actively trying to learn more and better herself! Give her the Elle Woods Arc She Deserved! She doesn't have to be The Boss, she just has to be an active character in her own story!

POINT C

Splitting Keeley from the main cast was dumb! It was just a bad choice! It's an ensemble show, ensemble shows never work when you split up the ensemble. That's part of why season three felt so weird to watch!

I love Keeley, I really do, but her story was not substantial enough to stand on its own! She needs to be connected to Nelson Road and Richmond one way or another, or she might of well have been written off because the KJPR story line doesn't serve the over all plot or Keeley's character development. She starts and ends the season in the exact same spot, and she contributes almost nothing to the main story line.

This point of mine is more of technical perspective on writing but if something doesn't serve a purpose in a story, especially a story that is actively trying to be concise like the third season of ted lasso allegedly was, you need to either change it so that it does serve a purpose or cut it. Characters aren't people, they are tools used within a narrative to tell a story. Keeley wasn't used effectively as a tool to the narrative in any capacity.

Also I just think it would've been a lot more interesting to explore Roy and Keeley's relationship breaking down in real time. Them breaking up off screen and then ignoring each other for most of the season was, once again, boring!

In Conclusion

I hate the KJPR story line because it was so easy to fix and it could've elevated the narrative in so many ways but nooooooo we had to have THAT shit show. You could even keep Barbara in my version. Like,, she can still be there and it would work better. They fumbled so bad, Keeley deserved better.

[sassyfrassboss]

Harry really wants us to believe that in the 15 minutes that he met with his dad - while his dad was on his way out the door and already getting late - he, Harry, managed to squeeze in the mandatory pleasantries, put forward his demands to be back in the royal fold, propose a basic outline of the pr plan and media strategy, assure his father it would work, coordinated media sound bytes nofor the next 3 weeks, made assurances that he and his missus would behave and not spill secrets at Invictus, also included inquiries about his father's health and diagnosis and managed to secure a firm affirmative for this royal return plan.

Harry, alone, did all of that on his own in 15 mins while he was jetlagged, coming straight from the airport? All that without a shouting match? All that one-on-one with Charles with no one present in the room? And actually succeeded with his mission of secure a temporary royal role for himself? In just 15 mins? Even though he hadn't had a direct face to face conversation with him in over a year? Ha ha ha ... Ya I don't believe it at all.

At the most (giving him the benefit of doubt) he probably Sai, "Pa, you were sick, so I think I'd come back."

Charles said something like "Sure, my boy. Anytime". The same way my dad would "sure" when I used to asked him if we could go to Disneyland in the summer break. That never happened but he always said "sure", and I'd then tell all friends we were going to Disneyland for the summer. This happened right up to highschool too lol.

We finally went 2 years back. As a cheer up present for me because I was getting divorced. I was 32 lol.

HAHA! Congrats!?

My go to is "We'll see..."

As to Harry and Charles. I guess what I want to know is when did these "warm conversations" happen.

In my experience "warm conversations" revolve around pleasantries and happy on-goings in life, not "Pa I want back in because you're sick and I this is how it's gonna go."

There may have been some phone calls in the past couple of weeks where Harry asks how Charles is but also, and people forget this, Charles doesn't have a cell phone. Reaching him requires contacting his staff and making an appointment. It's not as easy as you and I just picking up the phone and calling our parents.

Years ago when my dad announced he had cancer, I immediately asked how bad it was and if it was curable. When he explained that his local/rural doctor gave him six months I gave my dad a hug, walked out the door, went to the store and bought a few bottle of wine, chocolate and Kleenex. Drove back to my house where my dad, mom, husband (at the time), brother and brother's gf were...poured myself a glass of wine and starting talking game plans. A couple days later dad had appointments at one of the most, if not THE most, prestigious cancer research hospitals in the world, located in the city I was living. He is still with us and that was 12 years ago.

But when you find out that type of information that is how you react. You start talking treatments, appointments, logistics, overall outlook, etc. Only a true narcissist would use this as an opportunity to force his way back into a role he abandoned.

[fans4wga]

WGA UPDATE: "Where We Are and Where We’re Going"

From WGA West on Youtube: WGA Negotiating Committee Co-Chair Chris Keyser gives an update one month into the Writers Guild strike.

Mod note: While this video is intended for WGA members, it's a great morale boost and affirmation that what we do as fans and audience members matters. Make your voice heard on social media. Studios are losing the PR battle right now, but strike fatigue may set in later on—fight it and keep up morale among yourself and your fandom communities!

Full transcript below the cut (1992 words)

“Where We Are And Where We’re Going” June 2, 2023

Fellow members of the WGA, East and West, thank you for giving me a few minutes to update you on where we are and where we're going. Our strike against the companies of the AMPTP is now in its fifth week. We have walked together on picket lines for a month. With the acknowledgment that there is no letting up until we ultimately achieve the contract we deserve and that we need to survive in this business, I will say, we should all take a minute to appreciate what we've accomplished. We have been highly effective in inflicting pain on the companies by withholding our work, by picketing itself, publicly demonstrating our resolve, our endurance, our sometimes even joyful commitment to a joyless task, by bringing to our side a coalition of labor that this town has not seen in generations, by disrupting production in concert with those union allies who honor our lines, and by informing investors and advertisers of those disruptions.

Our message has power because it's true. We believe in it because we know it's true. But that only goes so far. What has real power, what moves people, what will move this town one day, is our belief in each other. So thank you, all of you. All our picket site coordinators, all our incredible captains, every single member who has spoken with their feet as well as their voice, who has stuck with both the letter and the spirit of the strike rules. Thank you to Guild staff, who have gone above and beyond and then beyond that. Thank you to the other Guilds and unions: the Teamsters, IATSE, SAG-AFTRA, the Musicians, the Electrical Workers, the Plasterers, the Laborers, the DGA, and everyone else who have sent a message to the companies with their solidarity.

What have the companies been doing in the meantime? Well, they've been putting out heartfelt statements from their executives that they truly hope the strike can be resolved quickly for everyone's benefit, which is weird. They hope? Aren't these their companies? Don't know where to find us? We are, after all, right outside their gates. They claim they don't have time for us, that they're busy. That's a lie, it's just a lie. They could talk to us if they wanted to. This is their strategy, such as it is. The same old strategy. But it's not going to work. If Carol Lombardini thinks negotiating with the DGA while we're out on strike is some kind of trump card, she's gonna find out that her 2007/8 playbook doesn't belong in a negotiating room, it belongs in a museum. Any deal that puts this town back to work runs straight through the WGA, and there is no way around us. We wish the DGA the best in their negotiations. That goes for SAG-AFTRA as well.

We are, as I said before, infinitely grateful to all their members who have marched with us every day. We are rooting hard for them to exercise their power and achieve the contract they deserve. They are hurting just like we are. They are at risk just like we are. SAG-AFTRA's SAV vote should send shivers down the companies' spine.

The month of June will bring us all some answers. By the time it's over, the companies may find themselves embattled on more than one front, or we alone may be without a contract. And either way, we will fight on with this understanding: We are girded by an alliance with our sister guilds and unions, they give us strength, but we are strong enough. We have always been strong enough to get the deal we need using writer power alone. We were strong enough in 2007/8, we were strong enough during the agency campaign, we are strong enough now.

As David Goodman and I have said from the very beginning, the single thing that will determine whether we succeed or fail in this strike is our endurance, both physical and emotional. I have no doubt about that endurance. Writers' strength of character aside, the companies have made us strong. They have taught us, however painfully, to withstand months and months without work. Their abuse of us has made it untenable to rush back to jobs that may not even be there in a year or two in a career where even success is financially unsustainable. But even as we endure, there will be challenges, it will be painful. Uncertainty is painful. Is there any one of us who doesn't wake up feeling the weight of this every day? I don't think so. Having no income in a tenuous job market is painful, there's help for that, of course, through the Strike Fund and the Good and Welfare Fund and the Entertainment Community Fund, but none of that is the same as having a job, and everyone understands that.

We will need to steel ourselves against arguments whispered in our ears designed to weaken our resolve, to distrust each other. I'm gonna say them out loud again because it's better to talk about them than to ignore them. The first is that the Guild is just waiting for the AMPTP to decide when negotiations begin again. We are negotiating now. Every day, we are negotiating. We are making the only argument the companies can hear, the argument of power. We are withholding our work, disrupting productions, talking to Wall Street, to City Hall, Sacramento, and Washington D.C. We are bringing allies to our cause. This is the work. This is the leverage. It is the same in any strike, and it will take time. But if we believe the central truth of our cause, that it all starts with writing and that nothing happens without it, then we have to trust that truth and stay the course.

Related, of course, is the lie that the companies are impervious to all of this. Every day, the cost of not negotiating with us adds up. And it's not just from the shutdowns that get all the attention, it's the shows that will shoot until they run out of scripts and then stop dead, the shows that will finish shooting and grind to a halt in post, it's the fall broadcast season that day by day will begin to slip away. It's the pain that for others will come later but will come. Because subscribers don't pay for platforms with meager product and advertisers just don't pay for shows with meager audiences.

So all the silent CEOs lounging on their summer yachts, leaving it all to Carol and the AMPTP, will have some explaining to do once it becomes clear that we are not going anywhere. The parent companies of the broadcast networks as well as Sony will have to explain the strategy of risking those broadcast interests to the interests of tech companies who will still have products to air in the fall. They'll have to explain linking their fates to the fates of those same companies whose explicit intention is to eat them for breakfast, one at a time. They will have to explain their refusal to negotiate with us over business practices that are roughly in line with how they have done business for decades. Even those companies whose business is a half-and-half mix of streaming and linear programming, Disney, Comcast, NBCUniversal, and Paramount, but whose streaming businesses rely heavily on the content they make for network television, content that is about to dry up, will have to explain. Warner Discovery will have to explain why writers are a greater threat to them than Netflix and how, having dumped content and shut down development for the past year to pay for one man's merger, they intend to compete without scripted programming. Apple will have to explain how this little experiment in branding is working out for them and why, with their nearly $3 trillion in market capitalization, they refuse to even talk to writers over a $17 million ask a year. Why this company that became rich beyond measure from its creative brilliance refuses to allow writers just a fair share of ours.

As for Amazon, given the way they treat unions, maybe they think they don't have to explain anything. But this is a different town they're in now. Even Netflix, who alone among all these companies, has no other product but its programming and for whom subscription churn is a huge problem, whose quarterly results can be made or broken by the success of a single smash hit show, will have to explain. Because the hole in content is coming for them too. It may be coming later, but it's coming, and Wall Street will take note.

All of which is to say, hang on. We are doing what we set out to do, and it's having an impact even beyond the lives of writers. It began with every other Guild and union in this business who saw in our struggle a mirror of their own. What I'm telling you is that when you walk in circles in front of every studio in town, you are carrying with you a cause that is larger than just us and this business, though just us and this business would have been enough. We are marching for labor, and labor is watching us. We have, it turns out to our great fortune, something very precious. We have a strong union in a heavily unionized industry. We have what many workers in this country do not. If we succeed, we will make it easier, not easy, but easier, for others to succeed after us. If we falter, if we fail, if it is the companies' power that wins the day and not ours, then we will have failed for everyone. We will have made it harder for everyone.

And I mean that not as a burden but as a purpose. The signs we carry have messages written on them in invisible, visible ink, and all who labor can read them: that everyone who works has a right to be treated with dignity, that we are not diminished by the size of the company that employs us, that what we want is not just a gig, not just a job, but a career with a future and with promise, and that first among those promises is that if you do good work, you can make a life out of doing that thing. That technology driven only by unchecked capitalism and with no attention to its human costs and moral implications is a threat to us all. It must be controlled. It cannot be left only to those who would always rather make a dollar than a good decision. And that, as I have said before, the promise of this country belongs also to those who make something other than just money.

The companies think that time is weakening us, but they are wrong. It is making us stronger. Every day they refuse to negotiate, they bring us together at their gates to hear each other's stories, and in those stories to hear echoes of our own. They have reminded us every day of the thousands of other people for whom we are fighting and reminded us, too, that thousands of other people are fighting for us.

To paraphrase a line, we are now perhaps at the end of the beginning. No one knows how long this will take. The companies will have some say in that. What they will have no say in is how we behave along the way in our fortitude. But they will come to understand it, and they will pay it the respect it deserves in time.

On behalf of the leadership and the NegCom [Negotiating Committee], I thank you all again. We have marched with you every day. We are in awe of this membership. You give us strength. Union now. Union forever.

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

What a February

Well...what a great couple of days to be stuck in the office, amiright? (I work mostly from home but on occasion I have to go into the office and of course some nice little royal bombs get dropped when I can't be here.)

I've gotten some anons about what's happened but I won't be posting them (sorry, everyone!). Because so much has happened, I think it would just be confusing to rehash some of it, and other asks were also sent to Empress and Sassy (nothing wrong with that! They were doing answers in real-time and they've said pretty much the same things I'd have said).

So to recap recent events:

2/5/24: Buckingham Palace announced King Charles has cancer. Fortuntely it was caught early, Charles is doing/feeling well, he's beginning treatment immediately.

2/6/24: Harry catches a last-minute flight to London. Clarence House puts out a story "business as usual, nothing to worry about, King can still work and he is still working" (i.e., Harry go home).

2/7/24: Harry arrives in London. He goes directly to Charles, who is delaying travel to Sandringham to see him. Harry's PR says they met for an hour, Meghan wanted to say hello/wish him well via Facetime but Charles declined, and Harry went to BP for the evening. The Daily Mail tracked the comings and goings from Clarence House and realized the meeting lasted less than 15 minutes, from the time of Harry's convoy entering the grounds to Charles's helicopter leaving. It is further revealed that Harry spent the night in a hotel, William didn't return Harry's calls, Harry didn't want Camilla involved in the meeting, and none of Harry's "friends" offered to host him for the night. Also, William makes his first public engagements since mid-January when Kate's treatment began; Tom Cruise is there.

2/8/24: Harry flies home. He's papped at Heathrow entering the VVIP suite (as one does). Wait, Harry's not at home! He's in Las Vegas for the Super Bowl (or the Superb Owl) and makes a surprise appearance to present the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award. Sussex PR immediately begins telling everyone that Harry and Meghan will be attending the Super Bowl.

2/9/24: Lambrook School begins half-term break and the Wales family travels to Anmer Hall/Sandringham estate. Harry's appearance in Vegas gets picked up by the media.

2/10/24: Meghan's PR starts walking back their own rumors that they'll be in Vegas for the Super Bowl, citing the need to prepare for their Canada IG trip.

2/11/24: Super Bowl Sunday. No Harry and Meghan to be seen.

2/12/24: Meghan's PR reveals she spent the weekend cooking with Afghan immigrants in an Archewell initiative.

2/13/24: Harry and Meghan launch their newest rebranding effort with their new Sussex website with Meghan's coat of arms (rather than their joint coat of arms). Meghan announces a new podcast deal with someone no one has really heard of.

2/14/24: Harry and Meghan arrive in Vancouver for the "one year to 2025 Invictus Games." Meghan coordinates a photoshoot with outdoor activities; merches two outfits; and virtue-signals their "we're still royal" demands with Kate cosplay, a coat called Kensington, and a 'you can call us Sir/Ma'am' exchange caught on camera. In the evening they're papped going to a super-romantic Valentine's Day dinner date.

2/15/24: Day 2 of the Vancouver IG kickoff visit. They visit wheelchair basketball. Meghan gives her signature full-body contact-hugs. Sussex PR announce that the family has changed their surname to Sussex (from Mountbatten-Windsor) and this is the first time all family members have the same surname. Meghan also claps back at mounting criticism by saying "We will not be broken."

2/16/24: Day 3 of the Vancouver IG kickoff visit. Harry gives an interview to GMA's Will Reeve (son of the late Superman actor Christopher Reeve and his wife, Dana) in which he blabs about Charles's cancer and reiterates how much he loves his family, hinting that he's available to come back. Sussex PR also drops an article in the afternoon (with BP collaboration) announcing Harry and Meghan's plan to return with half in/half out; this is very clearly one of Charles's trial balloons from Clarence House.

(Today) 2/17/24: Backlash to the trial balloon is swift, so Clarence House backtracks immediately and does damage control. Kensington Palace announces that William will attend the 2024 BAFTAs tomorrow. Half-term break for Lambrook School ends on February 19th so the Waleses are traveling back to London/Windsor this weekend. And Hollywood has fought back by leaking about their Netflix deal, which contradicts a ton of Meghan's PR from 2020/2021.

Since some of you have asked for my thoughts, here you go. I am warning you now it's probably going to be my usual essay.

On the new website:

The new Sussex website is a problem. It conveys a legitimacy to the public that Harry and Meghan do not have, which The Queen and Edward Young made very sure was publicly known back in 2020. In particular, it's the use of Meghan's coat of arms, which signals palace support or endorsement. IMO, Buckingham needs to force them to take the coat of arms down.

I suspect they are using Meghan's coat of arms because a) Meghan believes it was personally awarded to her and is hers to use as she wants, whereas Harry's coat of arms probably comes with strings from the BRF and b) it's CYA if ever there's a divorce - if you look at it from a business standpoint, this is nothing more than Meghan branding the company with her name so she can prove ownership when they're splitting assets in a divorce, increasing her chances of getting the "company."

What about Archewell?

They're probably phasing out Archewell. It doesn't have the same visual connection to Harry and Meghan that Sussex does. I think they struggled so much with Archewell and were never able to get it off the ground in terms of a brand or an identity, in part due to the COVID-era launch. Sussex is a much stronger association for them and connects them more tightly to the royal identity. Archewell will probably be either their nonprofit arm or their content creator arm but it won't be as important going forward as it's been in the past.

Frankly, I would be surprised if Archewell v Sussex branding didn't come up in the brand analysis that WME did when Meghan first signed with them. We know they did a brand analysis because there was a ton of PR in August 2023 about Harry and Meghan becoming separate brands, which didn't work at all and they were back together as a "Sussex" brand in September 2023 with Dusseldorf Invictus Games. Seeing the success of "Team Sussex" in Dusseldorf definitely informed the website and the rebranding attempt.

What about the timing of all this?

They're taking advantage of the quietness from the royal family. They do this every year like clockwork when 1) the BRF is on summer holidays (July through early September) and 2) the BRF is on winter holidays (late December through early February). What is unusual about this timing is that it's taking place in mid-February and possibly well into March, which is a clear signal that it's the Sussexes taking advantage of Kate's absence to draw attention to themselves because Kate isn't there to steal their headlines.

And that it was a whole week of Sussex PR is not unusual either. It's their usual pattern when they have something big they want to promote and dominate the news with. It's cyclical at this point: first is a reminder of their royal status (Harry flying to Charles's bedside), then it's a reminder of their celebrity status (the Super Bowl appearance), then it's a big announcement (Sussex website), culminating in a set of public engagements/appearances (Invictus Games) with media attention. And to keep the attention coming, they drop breadcrumbs about the royal family to look like they're still "in," which buys them a few extra days of coverage because Charles falls for the bait every time.

The more interesting bit of timing in all of this is the Netflix article. Netflix wouldn't randomly give comments like this, so something must have happened behind the scenes for them to be pushed to this particular breaking point. I feel like perhaps the Sussexes may be trying to renegotiate their deals - maybe they asked for more money or maybe Meghan is trying to get more out of this 'Meet Me at the Lake' production than was agreed - and this is Netflix making it clear that it's over and done. I also have a niggling feeling that it might be connected to the upcoming film awards (BAFTA Film Awards tomorrow, Oscars on March 10th) - maybe they're trying to score tickets to parties using Netflix's name?

Are they really going to come back? Will Charles let them work again?

Analytically, the evidence points to 'no.' The trial balloon failed quickly faster than any other I've seen recently, which is and isn't surprising. It's surprising how quickly Charles backtracked since it had his implicit endorsement. It's not surprising that Charles pulled it down - he's as thin-skinned as Harry and Meghan both are when it comes to criticism.

But it's also more than just the trial balloon. It's everything else.

Charles wants them back on the family side. That's always been pretty clear. I think he waffles on having them back on the "work" side: on the one hand, the BRF needs the help since 10 of The Queen's 14 working royals are elderly (all 5 Kents, the 2 Gloucesters, Charles and Camilla, and Anne) and 2 of the remaining 4 are dealing with a signficant health issue and are temporarily out of commission - in the business sense, this is unsustainable and untenable succession planning. But on the other hand, no one wants Harry and Meghan back, for a litany of reasons including how much shit they've talked about the family (collectively and individually), the petty PR games they play for attention, and the Sussexes' general toxicity. And by 'no one,' I mean family members, courtiers/staff, others in the aristocracy (not getting invites to the Grosvenor wedding is a huge reflection of what "their kind" thinks of teh Sussexes), and the at-large general public.

Charles probably has entertained the idea of half in/half out now that he's in charge and the Sussexes are now lovebombing him (vs in 2020 when they were lovebombing The Queen) but his biggest opposition is public support - it took Charles 30 years and 4 significant deaths (Diana, Queen Mother, Philip, and her own forthcoming death) to get The Queen's support for Camilla to become 'Queen Camilla and, in turn, the public's support or the public's indifference.

Charles doesn't have that kind of time to get the institutional and public support to bring Harry back. He's got 10 years at best, which is now handicapped by a cancer diagnosis.

Beyond that, he doesn't even have Harry and Meghan's cooperation the same way he had Camilla's cooperation. Camilla cooperated with a 10-year wait to be liked well enough that no one would object to her marrying Charles. Camilla then cooperated with a further 17-year wait to be liked well enough that the institution would support her becoming Queen.

Can Harry and Meghan wait that long? No. They can't. They couldn't wait an extra year to get engaged. They couldn't wait to have their first child. They couldn't wait out the criticism from Fall 2018. They couldn't wait out the criticism from Summer 2019. Harry couldn't wait for the phone-hacking settlement. When they want something, they want it now. They buy completed projects and slap their branding on it vs. developing their own programs.

Can Harry and Meghan cooperate with anyone? No. They can't. They couldn't cooperate with William and Kate on the Royal Foundation. They couldn't cooperate with the courtiers for Archie's birth. They couldn't cooperate with the family on Megxit. They couldn't cooperate with the rota for tour coverage. They need to be totally and fully in control of absolutely everything. Their idea of cooperation is 'I tell you what to do, you do it.'

And because they're too impatient and because they refuse to cooperate, there's no way they'll support a 10-years long PR drive for Charles to rehabilitate their public image and get William's support. Heck, they can't even last a 3-month media rebrand. Charles knows that, which I suspect is why he may be trying to fast-track it but 1) when has fast-tracking something ever gone well for the BRF and 2) William is the linchpin holding it all together. Charles can't do anything without William's support. Yes, William is that powerful now - the public does pay attention to what he and Kate signal and the public would support them more than they would support Charles. Charles can't risk losing William's favor any more than he already has.

The third reason stopping Charles from taking Harry and Meghan back as working royals is Camilla and that Harry doesn't want her involved. He admitted it last week when he didn't contradict her leak about it. IMO, this reveals Harry's hand: he wants to position himself (or Meghan and himself) as Camilla's alternate, the way Charles often stood in as Philip's alternate. They want Camilla to retire so they can take her place in prestige, wealth, and attention. It's the only way they can "be better" than William and Kate, and they probably think it's how they can get "more" in the inheritance than William. Unfortunately for them, Camilla is Charles's line in the sand so no way will Charles let that happen after he spent 30 years getting Camilla to be able to sit next to him, and on top of all that, Camilla herself didn't wait 30 years to be Queen just for a pair of narcisstic glassbowl shitheads to usurp her at the last second.

That's the "working royal" side of it.

When you look at the "family" side of it, we know that Charles is more accepting of allowing the Sussexes back as family members, albeit with two strict rules:

No Meghan

No royal work

We know these are Charles's rules because it's already been communicated to us, most especially in the events around the Queen's funeral and his own coronation.

We also know these are Charles's' terms because Harry is publicly fighting against them this week, which suggests that these may have been reiterated (or relitgated, perhaps) during the <15-minute visit on February 7th.

"We all finally have the same surname for the first time as a family" and "maybe I'll become an American' is Harry's way of telling Charles and the courtiers that all four of them are a package deal and they all move together (like Archie's salt and pepper shakers). Meaning that if Charles wants Harry back, Charles must also take Meghan, Archie, and Lili too.

The Vancouver trip being such a royal rip-off is Harry's way of demanding royal work. His position is that he and Meghan must have the exact same lifestyle now that they had back in 2018: a palace residence, glamorous patronages, military honors, gushy praising media coverage, carriage processions, and equal precedence to the entire Wales family.

All this to illustrate that the dividing line is over the work aspect.

On one side is everyone saying "no, they can't work, they're just family." On the other side is Harry and Meghan saying "we're not just family, we're also working royals." And Charles is there smack in the middle saying "don't make my last years miserable" begging someone to give in. It's clear that Charles hopes it will be the institution (i.e. William) that gives in so he can fast-track the rehabilitation.

So no, I don't think Charles and the Sussexes will succeed in being part-time working royals. I think we'll see a lot of negotiating in the coming weeks and months (like Sussex demands for Trooping) and it may get loud and it may look frighteningly real, but that's only because William and Kate are on leave from work and their absence lets Harry and Meghan play offense. Once the Waleses are working again, or a new picture of Kate is released (I'm still hedging my bets for something celebrating Mother's Day next month), the Sussexes go back to playing on defense, and playing poorly.

We only need to worry if William, Kate, and Camilla appear to be changing their minds. They represent "the institution" to Charles, as well as public support (William) and establishment media (Camilla). William continues to tell everyone he isn't speaking to Harry. Kate's body language at the Windsor Walkabout keeps resurfacing. Camilla has leaked that Harry doesn't want to see her when he visits Charles and that she doesn't support the Sussexes coming back. There's nothing to worry about for now.