#always been a social media mogul

[brionbroadway]

everybody say thanks zac

[elryuse]

pls make a yandere rei fic, from a sports setting

Injured.

YANDERE REI X MALE READER

The ache in Rei's knee was a constant phantom throb, a cruel echo of the roar of the crowd that once cheered her name. Her once-pristine apartment mirrored the emptiness within her. Gone were the trophies, the motivational posters, replaced by a suffocating silence broken only by the relentless tick of the clock and the gnawing emptiness in her gut.

Her fall from grace had been swift and brutal. A misplaced landing, a sickening crack, and suddenly, the golden girl of Korean gymnastics was yesterday's news. The agency, once hovering like a pack of vultures, had become ghosts, their calls replaced by a chilling silence. Only Y/n, her ever-optimistic manager, remained a constant.

Y/n, with his perpetually rumpled suits and sunshine smile, was a lifeline in the storm. He brought her takeout on bad days, meticulously researched alternative therapies, and held onto the belief in her comeback with a fervor that mirrored her own, fading hope. He saw the fire in her eyes that others deemed extinguished, a flicker that warmed a tiny corner of her desolate heart.

But hope, like a fragile butterfly, was a delicate thing. The agency's silence spoke volumes. They were dangling her over another agency, a rising star named Minji. Beautiful, talented, and the daughter of a media mogul, Minji was everything Rei was not - a living, breathing embodiment of everything that had been stolen from her.

A cold dread coiled in Rei's stomach, a serpent awakening from a long slumber. The thought of losing Y/n, the only person who saw beyond the shattered athlete, was a terror that eclipsed the physical pain in her knee. The once fragile butterfly of hope morphed into a monstrous, possessive creature, its wings a chilling black.

The following days were a whirlwind of calculated actions fueled by a twisted cocktail of love, despair, and a chilling intelligence that had always lurked beneath Rei's dazzling smile. She delved into Minji's life, a spider meticulously weaving a web. Training schedules, social media habits, even the brand of protein bars Minji favored - everything became a weapon in Rei's warped arsenal.

One rainy night, the meticulously planned "accident" unfolded with horrifying efficiency. A strategically placed puddle, a shadowed figure, and a sickening crunch. Minji's scream, swallowed by the downpour, was a macabre symphony to Rei's twisted sense of justice.

With Minji sidelined, the agency, desperate to avoid a PR nightmare, revoked Y/n's transfer. Relief washed over him, tinged with a growing unease about Rei's sudden manic cheerfulness and the cloying sweetness of the lilies that now seemed to fill every corner of her apartment.

"Rei?" Y/n's voice was a tremor as he entered the apartment one evening. "Where have you been?"

She emerged from the shadows, a chilling smile playing on her lips. The once sterile apartment was now a shrine to her twisted love. Pictures of them, stolen from his social media, adorned the walls. News clippings about Minji's "accident" lay scattered on the coffee table, their bold headlines screaming of misfortune.

"Taking care of some… inconveniences," she purred, her voice a chilling caress. Her touch, once comforting, sent shivers of dread down his spine.

"You're mine now, Y/n," she whispered, her voice a terrifying melody. "We'll be happy together. Far, far away from everyone."

Tears welled up in Y/n's eyes, but they were not tears of relief. He was trapped, a prisoner not of chains, but of a love as beautiful as it was terrifying. As Rei bundled him into a waiting car, the lilies seemed to mock him with their oppressive fragrance. He wasn't going to a happy ending, but to a gilded cage, ruled by a love as beautiful as a serpent and as deadly as a nightshade bloom.

Days turned into weeks, then months. The world outside faded away, replaced by the confines of a secluded cabin nestled deep in the woods. The initial terror Y/n felt slowly morphed into a suffocating routine. Every day was a carefully orchestrated performance - forced smiles, shared meals, and nights spent under the watchful gaze of Rei's increasingly erratic behavior.

The once vibrant fire in her eyes had morphed into something cold and calculating. Gone was the athlete, replaced by a woman consumed by a possessive love that bordered on obsession. She'd meticulously recreated Y/n's old life within the confines of the cabin - a gym stocked with outdated equipment, a makeshift therapy pool, even a shrine dedicated to her "comeback."

The charade, however, began to crumble. The equipment gathered dust, the therapy pool remained unused, and the "comeback" shrine became a constant reminder of the life stolen, not just from Rei, but from Y/n. The yearning for his old life, the connection to the world outside, gnawed at him like a starving beast. He started leaving coded messages in online forums for athletes, desperate pleas for help disguised as motivational quotes.

One day, while "training" on the rusty equipment, Y/n noticed a loose screw on the weight bench. A spark of defiance flickered in his eyes. It was a long shot, a gamble, but it was his only hope. He spent the next few days subtly manipulating the screw, hoping for a catastrophic failure.

His chance came during one of their "therapy sessions" in the pool. With a practiced smile, Y/n lifted some weights. The loose screw gave way, sending the bench crashing down. Pain erupted in his shoulder, a scream ripped from his throat. Rei, startled by the noise, rushed to his side.

"What happened?" she shrieked, fear momentarily extinguishing the cold glint in her eyes.

Y/n, clutching his injured shoulder, saw his opportunity. "Help… help me get my phone," he gasped, feigning unconsciousness.

Rei, momentarily blinded by panic, scrambled to grab his phone. It was on the coffee table, lying open on a familiar athlete forum. Her eyes widened in horror as she read the cryptic message Y/n had left earlier that day: "Sun sets at 7:30. Help needed. West cabin, Maple Ridge."

The panic in her eyes turned to a chilling fury. Y/n, his heart hammering in his chest, knew he'd made a fatal mistake. Rei's smile, returning this time with a monstrous edge, sent a shiver down his spine.

"Looks like we need a new routine, Y/n," she whispered, her voice laced with a dangerous sweetness. "One that doesn't involve disobedience."

As the sun dipped below the treeline, casting long shadows across the cabin, Y/n knew the nightmare was far from over. He had ignited a spark of defiance, but at what cost? He was trapped in a twisted love story, a prisoner in a gilded cage with a predator who now knew he was prey. The fight for his freedom, and perhaps his life, had just begun.

[blue-cordial]

UNEXPECTED VOWS - RAFE CAMERON X READER

Y/N stood in front of the ornate mirror, her reflection a stark reminder of the charade she was about to enter. Today was meant to be her sister Sofia’s wedding day, a day Y/N had anticipated with conflicting emotions — happiness for Sofia, and a deep ache for the man standing at the altar waiting for her.

Rafe Cameron, the elusive billionaire media mogul, had always been the object of Y/N’s affections. From the first moment they met, she had been captivated by his charm and magnetism. But Rafe had only ever had eyes for Sofia, her vivacious and enchanting older sister.

As Y/N adjusted the delicate lace veil over her hair, she felt a surge of bitterness mixed with resignation. Sofia was nowhere to be found, leaving Y/N with no choice but to take her place and marry Rafe. It was a duty thrust upon her, a duty that felt like a cruel twist of fate.

The ceremony was a blur of white roses and whispered vows. Rafe’s gaze was stoic as he recited the words, his eyes occasionally flickering towards Y/N with an unreadable expression. She couldn’t tell if he was relieved or disappointed that it was she who stood beside him instead of Sofia.

The reception was a lavish affair, filled with champagne toasts and congratulatory embraces. Y/N moved through the crowd with practiced grace, her smile firmly in place despite the turmoil raging within her heart. Rafe mingled effortlessly, his charismatic persona drawing admirers from every corner of the room.

Alone together in their suite later that evening, the tension between them was palpable. Y/N stood by the window, staring out at the moonlit ocean, while Rafe paced restlessly by the fireplace.

"Why did you agree to marry me, Rafe?" Y/N finally broke the uneasy silence, her voice barely above a whisper.

Rafe stopped in his tracks, his gaze piercing as he turned to face her. "Because Sofia didn’t show up," he replied bluntly, his tone tinged with frustration. "You know how crucial this alliance is for our families."

Y/N felt a pang of hurt at his words, knowing deep down that Rafe’s reasons were practical rather than heartfelt. "Is that all it is to you? A business arrangement?" she challenged, her voice trembling with emotion.

Rafe hesitated, his jaw tightening momentarily before he responded. "I didn’t expect Sofia to leave me in this position," he admitted quietly, his gaze softening as he met Y/N’s eyes. "But that doesn’t change the fact that we’re married now."

Y/N turned away, fighting back tears of frustration and longing. She had dreamed of a future with Rafe, a future where his love was hers and hers alone. Now, she was faced with the harsh reality that their marriage was built on duty rather than desire.

As days turned into weeks, Y/N resolved to make the best of her situation. She threw herself into the role of Rafe’s wife, accompanying him to social events and supporting him in his business endeavors. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being an outsider in her own marriage.

Rafe remained distant, his attention still occasionally drifting towards memories of Sofia. Y/N found herself constantly compared to her sister, a comparison she could never live up to. It was as if Sofia’s absence had cast a shadow over their marriage, a shadow Y/N couldn’t seem to escape.

One evening, as they stood together on the balcony overlooking the city skyline, Y/N mustered the courage to confront Rafe once more. "Do you ever think about what might have been?" she asked softly, her voice tinged with vulnerability.

Rafe turned to her, his expression unreadable in the dim light. "Sometimes," he admitted quietly, his gaze searching hers. "But we can’t change the past, Y/N."

Y/N nodded, her heart sinking as she realized that Rafe’s heart still belonged to her sister, no matter how much she wished otherwise. "I know," she whispered, her voice barely audible above the distant hum of the city below.

In that moment, Y/N knew that her love for Rafe would forever be unrequited. She had married the man of her dreams, only to discover that dreams did not always translate into reality. And as she stood alone on the balcony, watching Rafe walk away, she made a silent vow to herself — to find happiness not in the love she couldn’t have, but in the life she could build for herself, one step at a time.

[stergeon]

can someone please write this doropetra fashion designer/journalist modern au for me. i spent too long thinking about the devil wears prada today and now i have all the beats mapped out for this story i Do Not have enough time in the world to write.

please help. please. i'll give you everything. all of it. it's all right here. take it. mention me if you swap the names to sell the movie or streaming rights. i just want it to exist.

pitch: dorothea is a hot-nasty fashion mogul and petra is a journalist-turned-reluctant model who captures dorothea's attention (and her heart).

btw this is a Really long post so look out. also i know nothing about the fashion industry and Will Not Learn so don't tell me anything.

setting: various major cities in the USA. NYC, LA, Enbarr (you know, Enbarr, that major city somewhere between florida and texas. we've all been there).

cast

most everybody is in their mid-to-late 20s at the start.

petra: the last journalist with integrity in a world that's actively trying to eliminate journalism as a field. worked her ass off writing listicles and bullshit SEO articles for years until she caught a break and got in with a "Real Publication." she now works her ass off there. unfortunately there's rumors of her team getting laid off due to AI crap so she's stressed af trying to line up her next gig, just in case.

dorothea: hotshot young fashion mogul with a cult of personality around her. was a complete unknown barely out of college when she designed manuela casagranda's absolutely breathtaking met gala dress and her company blew up overnight. now does high-profile lines that are popular with movie star types and bougie social media influencers. notorious for being very, very friendly with her preferred models.

edelgard: petra's finance major/arts minor friend from college and her former roommate. nepo baby with Lots of connections. got petra her first big job writing PR crap for a division of the hresvelg business empire. caused a scandal by getting romantically involved with her TA (byleth) in grad school but they're still together. complains about her PA (hubert) and her lout of a stepbrother (dimitri), both of whom she's constantly texting or otherwise having to corral.

shamir: petra's boss/editor. admires petra's guts and her writing chops, as well as her ambition. somewhat of a mentor to petra, but is absolutely no-nonsense when it comes to work. she's been in this business a long time. there's no fucking around. leonie is another journo on the team. ignatz and linhardt also work with them doing layouts, formatting, and photo/video editing.

manuela: a famous singer from dorothea's hometown who basically adopted dorothea as a protégé after dorothea sent her sketches of designs she'd made. essentially responsible for dorothea's career. they have a bit of a contentious relationship these days as manuela's a bit jealous of dorothea's rising star and because dorothea's been ungrateful in recent years despite how much manuela's stuck her neck out for her. still, she's always there to give dorothea terrible advice when she needs it. her evolving relationship with dorothea is kind of a b-plot.

bernadetta: a reclusive, but well-connected social justice blogger and internet activist. one of petra's good buddies who regularly sends her scoops.

ingrid, ferdinand, sylvain, catherine, felix: models who commonly work with dorothea.

Jeritza: a nobody fashion photographer who thinks he's somebody. he's absolutely awful.

claude and hilda: paparazzi who work for tmz, buzzfeed, whoever will take em. petra thinks they are the scum of the earth. they are.

act 1

we open with petra on yet another bullshit assignment for her crappy job writing articles about things that don't matter. this one is a profile piece about a local fashion photographer, the mononymous Jeritza, who might be somebody someday and seems to think he already is. leonie was supposed to do the article but she flubbed it by offending Jeritza, who now won't give her the time of day, so shamir asks petra to please step in last-minute. petra's mad, but she gets her hustle on and goes anyway. it's not like she can be too picky with gigs in this economy.

by the time she gets to the shoot, she's late, and Jeritza is throwing a tantrum. the model isn't working out. Jeritza cannot work in these conditions. Jeritza fires the model and is about to freak the fuck out when petra walks in the door. oh, Jeritza says. i can work with you. petra did NOT sign up to be a model, has never wanted to be a model, has no interest in this whatsoever. but let's be real: it is a great angle for the piece. this could get clicks. shares, even. so she does it.

the shoot is a massive success, which is to say Jeritza is delighted with the results, but as it's just for a local streetwear company, the impact on culture is negligible. petra writes her article, which gets some attention due to the very funny portrait it paints of the histrionic artiste that is Jeritza. it's not much buzz, but it's just enough buzz to get shared around in fashion circles—enough for it to wind up in dorothea's inbox, courtesy of manuela. "Thought of you!! XD XD This is so funny!!" manuela writes. dorothea replies "lol" and is about to move on with her day when she decides to give the article a courtesy skim and scrolls down far enough to see the pictures.

oh. who is that model?

a few days later, petra's out at a bar getting drinks with edelgard and bitching about life when she gets a call from an unknown number. she figures it's probably spam, but they leave a voicemail. the transcription mentions it's from a dorothea arnault, whoever that is. edelgard almost shits a brick. DOROTHEA ARNAULT? you need to call her back. right now. petra's like okay jeez, i will. what's the big deal. edelgard facepalms. she forgot that petra doesn't follow fashion even a little bit ("isn't the gucci, like, the area between your butthole and your—?" "no petra it is not"). embarrassing for her, but there's no saving some people.

edelgard briefs her on the arnault situation. dorothea's studio is huge right now. edelgard's family business has been sponsoring some of her recent fashion shows and everybody who's anybody is trying to get an arnault outfit for their next event. while dorothea's very popular on social media, she's very tight-lipped about her private life. a profile on her could be a huge break for petra.

okay, petra thinks, what the fuck, okay. i'll call her back.

dorothea picks up on the fifth ring. uh-oh: she sounds hot.

hel-looo, miss macneary, she says, it's nice of you to pick up the phone. i saw that little article you wrote recently. you're sooooo funny. [her voice is sweet and smooth like butter. she sounds like she's twirling her hair as she talks. she doesn't say how she got petra's number. petra doesn't think to ask.] and those photos of you... my, my. you're quite the looker, aren't you? and you don't even model professionally? that's a terrible shame. you'd do well, you know. i'm in berlin right now but i'll be in enbarr's fashion district on tuesday afternoon. why don't you come by the studio? we're doing a shoot for some designs i'm releasing soon... a secret summer collection. oops, i shouldn't have told you about that, should i? well, i'm sure i can trust you to keep my secret. and maybe i could even trust you to write something nice about me? i think they'd suit you, you know, these new pieces i've got. if you have any interest in trying your hand at modeling again, i'd love to see you in them. 11 o'clock. ciao!

petra gets a handful of words in edgewise. most of them are yes. she keeps her phone held to her ear for too long after dorothea hangs up. she wishes she'd been sober for this conversation. she's not really sure what she just agreed to. she doesn't want to forget the sound of that voice.

she shoots a text to shamir. edelgard buys her a shot the instant she steps back into the bar.

tuesday comes and petra's nervous. she packed and repacked for this. checked twenty-five times that she brought her tape recorder and her good camera. arnault is gonna think that camera's a joke, but it is what it is. she's trying to play it cool, hyping herself up the whole time she's on the train. it's gonna be fine. just keep the tape rolling. write the profile. she doesn't have to model, she can just do what she does best. listen. pay attention. write honestly. move on.

sure.

if petra thought dorothea sounded hot, she's wholly unprepared for how hot she is in person. she's spellbinding. drop-dead gorgeous. positively unreal. and on top of that, she's so charming. she's graceful. smart. funny. flirty. and she keeps touching her—little touches on her hand, her arm. chaste things. friendly things. things that could be accidents.

she's exactly petra's type.

but petra is a journalist with integrity, dammit. she's going to be professional. and to her credit, she is professional. arnault makes it hard, but she manages. she blends in, listens, stays focused, stays out of the way. the model's cute—ingrid something-or-other. she can't remember but she got it on the tape recorder. told petra her instagram handle like six times, too, so she won't have any trouble finding her. the shoot is almost wrapped when dorothea asks if petra would be interested in modeling for her. she's not at all offended when petra politely declines. she poses when petra asks to take her photo for the profile. thanks her for coming out and talking to her. says goodbye with a polite handshake and that dazzling smile. she thinks about that smile and that touch throughout the whole train ride home.

skip ahead to friday. petra is working on the story and transcribing the audio recording when she gets a text from dorothea. so lovely meeting you on tuesday [heart emoji] [kiss emoji] [heart emoji] i know it's last minute, but the final pieces of the summer collection are coming in tomorrow and i think you'll like them for your profile. i'll fly you up tomorrow morning to meet me at my studio in manhattan, unless you're busy, of course~

petra is not busy tomorrow. shamir is considering opening a new style division of their publication.

the flight is the train ride but worse. keep the tape rolling, macneary. listen. pay attention. write honestly. move on.

she's resolute. committed. her resolve doesn't waver even when she gets off the plane, ready to call an uber, and there's a guy in a suit with a sign that says MACNEARY on it. it doesn't waver when the guy stops her and says no, he's not looking for another macneary, he's here for her, courtesy of ms. arnault. it doesn't waver throughout the ride—the chauffeured ride, in a fancy car, just her and the guy—from jfk through the streets of nyc, seeing the skyline she's only ever known from movies and on tv. it doesn't waver when she's escorted into a skyscraper in the garment district and guided up to the floor where ms. arnault is waiting for her.

it wavers when she sees her. when dorothea says her model couldn't make it that day and she could really, really use petra's help, it falls completely.

you can guess how the rest of that trip goes. petra barely remembers it herself. she gets back home to enbarr, trying to recover from the whirlwind week she's had by doing what she does best—working. she can scarcely believe any of it was real. she has to believe it when she gets back to her shithole apartment, sets to the task of transcribing the audio from her tape recorder, and realizes it was rolling the whole time.

the whole time.

and there's absolutely no denying any of it after dorothea sends her the photos for her review.

you look so good in these, she tells petra when she sends her the first photoset. i think you look better out of them, she says when she sends the second.

petra considers her options. considers freaking out. considers not replying. considers moving to australia. she considers and reconsiders and does none of those things.

what she does do is send dorothea the audio recording. dorothea sends her some photos of her own.

they meet up again in LA on the day the profile drops.

act 2

if that first week was a whirlwind, the summer is a hurricane. petra's being lauded for the quality of her profile on dorothea, as well as for being the only member of the press who can get close to ms. arnault. it's borderline scandalous, how she's also modeling the summer line despite not even being a real model. it's a thinly-guised affair—almost completely un-guised when their flirting gets a little too overt during a show in tokyo. who cares. petra's entranced. dorothea takes her everywhere, her personal reporter, lavishing her with gifts, showing her the world. she's keeping her busy between all this travel and all this passion. they go to show after show, shoot after shoot; petra works her ass off, keeping the tape rolling, listening, paying attention. so what if she doesn't have time to answer shamir's texts right away the way she normally would. the website's getting more traffic than it ever has, carried by petra's inside scoop on the world of dorothea arnault. shamir can cut her a break.

and she's surprised by how much she likes dorothea. how much she likes spending time with her. dorothea's all the things petra thought she was: glamorous, bubbly, charismatic. but she's also so brilliant, so hard-working, busting her ass every single day of her life. and she's sweet, too. she lavishes petra with attention, gives her all kinds of little gifts and things—nothing too expensive as to make petra uncomfortable (the jetsetting is bad enough as-is), but small, practical things she actually likes and could use. she asks petra about herself almost as often as petra asks questions about her. it's not petra's job to talk beyond getting the conversation flowing, to put more of herself into the discussion than there needs to be to get dorothea to open up. she's here to listen. to pay attention. write honestly and move on.

but she's finding she doesn't really want to move on.

one night they're hanging out in dorothea's fancy hotel room eating room service and drinking wine when dorothea makes a crack about how little petra knows about fashion. petra admits that she really didn't intend to get into it, that it just kind of happened. that what she really wants to do is investigative work, writing about events, exposing corruption, that sort of thing. no offense to dorothea! it's been fun doing this, don't get her wrong, but she's got goals, other things she wants to do—once dorothea gets tired of her, she jokes. sort of jokes. dorothea laughs. she smiles at her and asks why she wanted to be a journalist.

and petra's honest again. honest like she hasn't been before. she tells her a little about her childhood, her family life. about growing up in brigid (you know, the country on planet earth) and moving to enbarr as a teenager after her father died. seeing her super-smart, brilliant mother and grandfather go from these auspicious jobs in their home country to shitty ones that just barely pay the bills here, all in the name of long-term security. how they taught her to work hard and always act with integrity, no matter what she's doing. she tells her about the struggles of learning a new language, how it made her become a good listener, how she fell in love with writing because it gives her time to think about her words, to express herself the way she wants to. she wanted to be a journalist to speak for those who can't raise their voices loud enough on their own.

dorothea smiles at her the whole time she's talking. petra's not used to being on this side of the table, to being listened to like this. she almost doesn't know how to handle it; she's apologizing, feeling embarrassed for having said so much, but dorothea says don't be sorry. that's beautiful. she's lucky to have such wonderful people in her life who love her and support her. and she likes hearing petra talk.

things are different after that night.

act 3

the start of the Drama Arc. the summer's coming to an end. petra and dorothea are still spending so much time together, jetsetting around the world. petra's working on a piece that's a backstage look at the arnault company's leadup to milan fashion week. the stress is getting Real and the cracks are starting to show. petra's missing deadlines, blowing off shamir, blowing off edelgard, blowing off her family. she's barely in enbarr these days, jetlagged to hell, lost between time zones. her pal bernadetta reaches out and says hey, there's something Big i'm working on that i could use help digging into, can you give me a hand? petra says sure, i'll take a look. she doesn't. she forgets somewhere between london and são paolo.

things are still hot between her and dorothea, but she's starting to see the cracks in her, too. she's getting to see more of her, more of what lies beneath all that glam and bubbly personableness. you don't go from being a nobody to a mogul in your 20s by being nice, and what petra slowly discovers is that dorothea isn't just not nice, she is ruthless. she's nonstop, working her ass off, and anyone who can't keep up with her gets left behind. she hints at her past sometimes: at her shitty childhood, at growing up in poverty, at being orphaned, at having spent years in foster care. but she never opens up. she's 100% focused on the future, and it's all she wants to talk about. dorothea wants to live her dreams, yes, but more importantly, her goal is self-preservation.

petra finds this out when they're at a shoot one day. petra's off to the side, fucking with her piece of shit camera when who storms up to her but ingrid, and she's pissed as shit. she chews petra out. calls her an asshole. says she stole her job. asks what the fuck is wrong with her, doing that while posting her articles, publicly announcing to the world that she never even wanted to be a model. petra's floored. she doesn't even know what she's talking about. she asks ingrid to start over.

that "second date" of theirs in manhattan, way back when? turns out dorothea was telling the truth when she said her model couldn't make it that day. ingrid was supposed to be modeling. she was dorothea's #1 for ages. she'd just come off back-to-back-to-back shoots when she got sick, really sick. stuck-in-shanghai-and-probably-not-going-to-be-able-to-board-a-flight-to-manhattan-tomorrow sick. she told dorothea so, said she'd try her best. dorothea said not to bother and didn't call her again.

it'll happen to you, too, ingrid tells petra, once you aren't useful to her. you're giving her all this press now, but if you ever do anything else, she'll drop you like she drops everyone else.

ingrid storms off, leaving petra standing there, holding her stupid camera. she looks at dorothea, standing across the room, running the show, correcting this and that, getting everything perfect, exactly the way she wants it. petra looks at her and wonders. wonders what would happen if she wrote something dorothea didn't like. if somebody new caught her eye.

they get dinner that night and it's tense. dorothea's stressed. she's carrying on about this and that, talking about the shoot, texting and responding to emails, slamming back glass after glass of wine. petra's quiet, letting her talk. too quiet, apparently, because dorothea eventually takes her head out of her phone and asks her what's up. nothing, petra says, just thinking about everything going on, about the shoot today. dorothea rolls her eyes. i know, she says; on top of everything else, ingrid was there, and she wanted to have a whole conversation with me, like i wasn't busy and like she didn't fuck me over the last time i saw her. she texted me earlier, too. the audacity of this bitch, she gripes, going back into her phone, still mad. a little later into dinner, manuela calls and dorothea answers it; she's bubbly and sweet, all hi how are you omg it's been so long, i miss you, sorry i've just been so busy~ i've gotta go but we'll catch up soon. she hangs up and shoots petra a look. she's so needy, dorothea says, laughing. petra tries to laugh too and can't quite manage.

they're still going everywhere together in the leadup to milan fashion week, and petra's still working on the piece, but she's feeling a little gross and she's quieter than ever. she lets herself believe that maybe it's fine, maybe it's okay, maybe she's not really that cold and ruthless. but then dorothea shows her one day.

everything's been going wrong: there's equipment stuck in customs, marketing materials haven't been delivered from the printers yet, the studio they rented for pre-shoots is double-booked. then a model's late to the shoot and another one is complaining and dorothea is done, so done. she fires them on the spot, gets on the phone and calls two new ones who will get the job done and done without question. petra's quiet. listening. paying attention. keeping the tape rolling as dorothea justifies herself aloud, without prompting. don't judge me, she says. i do what i have to do, and everyone else should, too. i know no one is going to take care of me. i've got no reason to take care of anyone else.

she's a mess all night. angry. stressed. shutting herself off. petra's seen her get like this a few times, but this is the worst it's ever been. she's in her phone all night. practically snaps at petra when she asks if she can help her with anything. shrugs away from petra's touch.

they go to bed and petra barely sleeps. she just lies awake, thinking. thinking about dorothea. thinking about herself. thinking about how she's been blowing off her friends, her family, her boss. thinking about how swept up she's been in all this crazy stuff she doesn't even really care about, putting off her own career. feeling guilty about ingrid. feeling guilty about blowing off shamir and bernadetta. worrying about who she's become around this woman. wondering what happened to her integrity.

fashion week goes great. flawlessly. petra heads back to enbarr afterward. she's almost ready to publish her piece, but she's gotta make up with shamir first. she apologizes. says she's so sorry. sorry for blowing her off. sorry she missed her deadlines. shamir is pretty fucking done with her and has told her as much already, but petra's earnest, and her piece is ready, and she wants to give the girl one more shot. she tells petra alright, i'll forgive you, but i need this piece tonight or we're done. i can't keep waiting on you and your schedule.

okay, petra says, you'll have it tonight.

she's worried. nervous. there's so much on her mind. the piece is ready but it's not going to make dorothea happy. she wants to call her first. she tries and gets her voicemail. tries again. nothing. texts her instead, a few times. hey, she writes, i need to talk to you. call me when you get the chance. it's about the profile. it's important. i'm on a deadline.

nothing. the hours are ticking by. she calls her. texts her. it's really important, dorothea. i need you to talk to me. please.

nothing.

petra's left wondering. wondering what to do. whether she should hit send on this email or hold off. wondering what she wants out of this.

and what is this, anyway? a summer fling? are they dating? girlfriends? they've never put a name on anything. do they have a future? can petra even think about building a future with someone she doesn’t trust to keep her along if she ever should need help? maybe dorothea’s hot and smart and maybe she’s got incredible drive but if she doesn't share petra's values, if she’s not going to be able to live for more than herself, and be true to herself, can petra accept that? does dorothea even know herself well enough to be able to be authentic?

time runs out and petra sends her piece to shamir. dorothea leaves her on read.

the piece is published. it's a huge hit, and not just in fashion circles, because it's a perfect portrait of dorothea arnault, and who doesn't love a biography of a wunderkind. it's honest. it's real. it talks about everything: her light, her darkness, the ups and the downs of being with her. it's raw. personal. revealing. it's all her brilliance and all her evils, captured in the way only someone who really loves her could do.

when it drops, petra expects dorothea to call and rip her a new one. she doesn't expect her not to call at all. but dorothea's radio silent. a few days later, some dickhead paparazzi petra has the misfortune of knowing (hilda and claude) send her a picture of dorothea in LA, running around with some red-headed douche (ferdinand).

sorry, dorothea texts her eventually. i've been soooo busy. i've missed you, but we'll catch up soon.

sure, petra writes, knowing they won't. i'll see you soon, she writes, knowing it's goodbye.

act 4

petra goes back to her career. back to her friends. crashes on edelgard's couch for a while. spends time with her family. starts addressing the connections she fucked up, fixing things with shamir, trying to gain momentum again. despite the profile on dorothea being such a success, it takes a long time for her to get back on her feet. but it's okay, 'cause if she's busy, she doesn't have to think about her.

months go by. every couple of nights, dorothea drafts a text to petra and deletes it.

it's february now, which means new york fashion week is here, and although petra is branching into investigative stuff nowadays, shamir calls in a favor and asks her to help cover it. petra knows she might see dorothea there. knows it’s a risk. decides she’s gonna be so strong and brave, and she can’t really afford to pass it up anyway because it’s a big career opportunity, a chance to revisit fashion after her profile last year. so she goes.

and they see each other. and nothing happens. they don't even say hello.

but that night, when petra’s in her hotel room, spiraling, dorothea calls her. she's in a hotel up the street. she asks petra to come over. for all her sense, her morals, her logic, petra is no more than a lesbian, so she says yes.

they don't talk. they jump right to making out sloppy style and fucking nasty and holy shit, it’s just like it was when they first met: hot and intense and so good, so perfect. except it’s not, it’s not, because this isn’t going to work out no matter how much they want it to, and they both know it. they get into a big fight after dorothea makes a crack about the profile and petra loses it. she puts dorothea on blast for being such a piece of work, saying she can’t ever be with her no matter how much she wants to because dorothea won't ever put someone else first and she’ll never figure out how to be anything other than alone.

then petra drops another bomb. over the past few months, she's made up with bernadetta, and it turns out that the big scoop bernie uncovered is about exploitative business practices a certain scummy fashion company engages in. a certain scummy company that dorothea's company is partnered with. said company's dealings wouldn't get their business partners in legal trouble, but public perception would certainly change. she's been working on an exposé about it. she's going to release it soon. really really soon. like as soon as she gets back to enbarr.

dorothea looks like she's been hit by a truck. she begs petra not to release the story about the company. it’s going to fuck her brand. she'll be ruined. she offers petra whatever she wants. gets nasty, even, defensive. then she fucking breaks. she doesn’t fully open up, but it’s the closest she’s ever come to doing it. she says she's sorry, sorry for hurting her, sorry for shutting her out, sorry she cut and ran like she always does when she might catch feels, when she might be vulnerable for once. she says she's sorry and she asks her please, please, not to release the story.

petra doesn’t give her an answer. she just goes back to her hotel.

once she gets back, she doesn't sleep. she stews for ages, pacing, going back and forth, trying to figure out what to do. act with integrity and drop the story as-is. don’t drop the story and protect the person she cares about, in spite of herself. amend the story so maybe dorothea won’t catch heat...? no, that wouldn’t be acting with integrity either. she can’t win either way.

and dorothea’s having a think, too, which is to say she’s a fucking WRECK. realizing how bad she’s fucked up her life. realizing that petra liked her for her. wanted to get to know her for more than her name and her money and her connections. told her things about herself she didn’t even realize were true. and she hurt her at every single turn. for the first time in her life, she had a chance at something real with a good person who really loved her and she fucking blew it. there’s so much dissonance as she tries to defend her own actions to herself and can’t because petra’s wormed her way into her head, the only person who ever Really questioned her, the only person who ever made her question.

she's always figured things out alone. she's always had to figure things out alone. this time, though, dorothea's not sure she can handle it. so she does the only thing she can think to do: she goes to manuela with her tail between her legs. manuela's a little pissy at first as dorothea's been blowing her off for a while now, but she's also worried, because dorothea has never come to her like this. not once. and she's offered for her to, a lot.

when manuela hugs her, dorothea breaks. she ugly-cries into manuela's arms. tells her how bad she's fucked up. how much she hates herself. how sorry she is for being a dickhead when manuela's only ever wanted to be there for her. manuela comforts her. chastises her for being an asshole, yeah, but shores her up, too. tells her if she's really sorry, she'll figure out how to change. tells her that she's there for her, and she'll keep being there for her, so long as she tries. dorothea's blown away. she thought she'd lost her shot at having love in her life, but she was too blind to see there are other types of love she's been shutting herself away from, too.

dorothea leaves manuela's, still feeling like shit, but with plans to get lunch or at least call each week, and with the promise that she's going to do better, be better.

she makes an effort, too. she cuts ties with the skunks. changes her business practices. starts being more charitable, less ruthless, less aggressive. it’s a slog and it sucks and she’s bad at it but fuck she’s going to try. even if petra never takes her back, even if petra just thinks dorothea’s trying to cover her own ass again and protect herself from the impact of the story, it doesn’t matter. she’s going to be better. she’s going to try to do things right, because someone believed in her, someone thought she could be better. and she’d never thought so highly of herself, never thought she could be more until petra came into her life and saw the potential in her.

petra releases the story a week or so later, unrevised. she texts dorothea before she does. says she’s sorry. dorothea says it’s alright. she understands.

the story drops and it’s a clusterfuck. an absolute PR disaster. the scummy company folds overnight. a bunch of related fashion companies, including dorothea’s, are in huge hot water. dorothea’s on the press circuit, doing damage control. petra’s watching an interview with her, listening to her spouting off her PR beats. fully expecting dorothea is going to deny everything, throw everyone she can under the bus to keep her shit afloat. so she just about has a heart attack when dorothea admits she’s fucked up. admits she made the wrong decisions, did stuff she knew was scummy. takes accountability. is honest for once. honest in a way petra didn’t think was even possible for her.

dorothea outlines her plans for how she’s going to be better, the changes her company’s making, how things are going to be different. says she’s making a commitment. if it all folds, so be it. at least she’ll be able to sleep at night.

because capitalism is the way it is, the company doesn’t go under. they’re in the red for a while and the "Controversies" section of her wikipedia page is now significantly longer, but the news cycle goes on and consumers forget and a few months later, pieces from dorothea’s summer line are all the rage with the kids on tiktok. petra’s more than a little bitter about it, but mostly she doesn’t give it any thought. she did her part. wrote honestly. spoke the truth. kept her integrity. she’s become a big name since that scoop, too, with her career really taking off. she's writing books and shit, appearing on tv, what have you, doing the investigative work she's always dreamed of doing.

she’s in london one night on the final leg of a press tour, sitting in her hotel room, when she gets a call.

it’s dorothea. she’s in london too. would petra like to get brunch tomorrow?

yeah she would. bitch loves a mimosa.

they get brunch and it’s tense. they try small talk but don’t really know what to talk about. dorothea makes it more awkward by cracking a joke about petra writing an article about her after this brunch and petra only kind of laughs.

but then dorothea apologizes. earnest. honest. like she’s never been with petra. tells her she’s sorry. tells her how she changed her life and made her think about herself differently, made her think she could be a better person. made her Want to be a better person. convinced her it’d be worthwhile to try. and she has. she’s made so many steps since they last saw each other. doing better. living kinder. living true. says she doesn’t expect anything from petra at all. just wanted to say sorry, and thank you for seeing the best in me.

petra says you’re welcome.

dorothea pays for brunch and they go their separate ways. dorothea holds it together until she gets to her hotel room and then she loses it, bawling her eyes out like she has never ever done, like she’s never let herself do. but it’s okay. she loves petra, that hot journo with the cute accent and more morals than sense, but dorothea knows she doesn’t deserve her, and she’s going to be okay with that. she’s going to live better anyway, for herself, because she’s worth it.

act 5

a year and a half goes by before dorothea and petra run into each other at a formal Thing. they talk, cordial, business-like, just catching up. dorothea makes a crack about the tmz photos of petra with three or four different high-profile supposed gfs over the past year and a half, calling her a heartbreaker. petra laughs, a real laugh. says dorothea's one to talk. asks if she's been keeping up with her? how often does she google her? dorothea says she does it more often than she'd like to admit. petra blushes, laughs again, flattered.

she asks if dorothea's been breaking more hearts lately herself and dorothea says nah. she's been focusing on her business. she's got this non-profit going now too, and it's been taking off. just landed some pretty big investments that will bring arts programs to schools that don't have funding for them. she looks proud of this. she is. she's actually spending more time doing that these days than her fashion stuff, which makes her a little sad, but it's not so bad because it's given her a bit of a mystique: the designer whose work was once Everywhere, now dropping limited release lines every few seasons instead of keeping up with the fast fashion whirlwind. it's different but it's good. she likes it. she's happy.

petra says she's glad to hear that. that she's happy for her. makes a reference to the new line dorothea's rumored to be dropping this fall. dorothea's eyes almost pop out of her head. you know about that? yeah, petra says, i google you. she's known about the non-profit, about everything dorothea's been telling her about. she's a journalist. she likes knowing things. but she likes knowing about her. knowing that she's doing well. and it's really good now, knowing that she's happy. she tells dorothea she's happy for her. that she's proud of her. that she knew she could do it.

dorothea doesn't cry. just says thank you. she gets called away by somebody else, and petra does too, pulled in the opposite direction. dorothea thinks about hugging her first. almost touches her hand. elects not to. says it was good to see her. then they're both whirled elsewhere and they don't see each other again.

but that night when dorothea's in her hotel, she gets a text. it's from petra. would she like to get coffee tomorrow?

FIN

[lilyfreshwater]

none of the evidence amanda gave is very credible btw. that's why no cc cares. you can thank all the pieces of shit who decide making fake allegations is fun bc there's been so many fake allegations about dsmp members for example so the real ones just get lost in the masses. also lets be real these famous ccs are men they don't care about a 17/18-22 age difference.

actually, the evidence amanda gave for the instagram dms dream later verified, so if you're saying it's not credible then idk what to tell you. also in those dms both verify the existence of the dreamclay account and are very similar to anastasia and jay's dms, therefore corroborating their stories of dming on ig dream while they were minors as well. amanda was also able to prove that the dreamclay account belonged to dream, and we have also demonstrated with the mascara doc that there is currently no known way to fake snapchat dms as they would appear in the video amanda presented.

so here's the evidence that we know 100% is real. dream was dming amanda on ig while she was a minor. at some point dteam suggested they move to snapchat, a platform where all messages and photos permanently delete unless they are saved. dream then dmed amanda on snapchat for extended periods of time while she was a minor.

anon lots of times if you work with an organization that works with kids, you have to do some kind of training related to how to conduct yourself as an adult around kids. the number one rule is always never EVER be alone separated from the group with a minor. the second rule is to never keep secrets or have private communications with minors outside of whatever activity you're engaging in while working. these rules are important because, when enforced, they protect children and adolescents from predatory adults. dream intentionally and egregiously violated the second rule

all of the evidence i listed above are the facts of the case. not speculation or allegations, facts. this is more than enough to go on a 10 minute long rant about why talking to minors (of any age) who are your fans in private dms (especially ones that delete) is bad! it's not about whether dream as a person is horrible (although he is). it's about the fact that 1) young people can't conceptualize the true repercussions of social media. im sorry if you're a teenager but as someone who's been there it's true you simply do not have the perspective to understand it fully. 2) an adult does have that understanding, and therefore dream doing what he did is manipulative and taking advantage of amanda's naiveness. 3) lastly, dream is manipulating amanda's parasocial attachment to him as a fan. i mean you favorite content creator with millions upon millions of fans privately dms you and gives you a private snapchat account, tf are you gonna do not do him? let's be realistic here.

the fake allegations suck, but it's untrue to say no one would care because the cmc situation was 17/19 and as i recall people cared a lot. there's more than enough nuance here to fill an entire mogul mail or a segment on hasan's stream, and everything i've listed above is a discussion completely based on the facts of the case. i did not mention a single thing about the setting allegations at all, nor did i even mention grooming. i just spoke about dream's blatant disregard for the safety of his teenage fans. it's literally that easy

[signalhill-if]

I HAVE AN ASK that I actually thought of while working earlier so HERE GOES c:

Lets say, the world didn’t go to shit, and our beloved characters are transported into the year 2023. What are they doing? How are they holding up? Job wise, and just in general? How is what they’re doing different from canon, now that things like social media and all that ‘fun’ stuff is around, if it’s different at all?

Thank you for the question! And also thank you to the anon who asked a very similar question that I forgot to answer 🥲

Rather than just saying what they'd do if they were in the present, I'm gonna sorta Modernify their canon lives because it's fun :) Also, SPOILERS BEWARE, I'm obviously not including anything super spoilery about the plot but if you want the character's backstories revealed naturally in the game then maybe don't read because there's a bunch of new stuff here!

Doc's trajectory in life is a lot different, in a world where he can actually get a proper education. His dad was a veterinarian for a horse racing place, and he didn't exactly have the most wealthy upbringing, but he was comfortable and learned a lot about horses. His dream was always to attend medical school, but money was tight- until he started dating Yvette in his first year of university, who helped him get into dealing drugs. After getting his MD, he started working at a not-for-profit local clinic, and oversees their needle exchange program. He still owns a sniper rifle in our universe, but he doesn't use it (usually)

Yasmin is the daughter of a prominent media mogul who was recently assassinated, putting her even more in the public eye than she already was. She had a wealthy but miserable youth, one of those rich kids who was privately tutored and never really had friends, y'know? At a young age, her mother died, and she's been in a spiral ever since. She had a brief but stormy relationship with KC in college. Since then, Yasmin's become a minor social media star, posting moody selfies and doing a lot of drugs with her influencer friends- specifically, Yvette.

KC grew up poor with a struggling single father and took the idea of "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps" seriously. She worked throughout high school to get into a good college for business management, with a mix of money saved up from part time work and scholarships. She excelled at soccer in high school and wound up playing for her college's varsity team. Through a mutual "friend" she met Yasmin, and the two of them dated until KC got a job at Yasmin's dad's company and realized how terribly it treated its employees. She got heavily involved in the (successful) effort to organize a union at the company, and since then has been involved in helping other baby unions with their organizing efforts.

Yvette found it hard to stay in the closet from a pretty young age, and growing up in a place where that was frowned upon, he learned to be resilient and self-sufficient. As an adult, he moved to the big city and befriended a wealthy drug dealer while working as an escort. Through some questionably moral events, he wound up in charge of this operation with the other guy... out of the picture. From there, it all happened so fast- buying the club (which he named the Rose and Thorn), the fancy car, the nice condo. Living the dream. But he has his sights set even higher ever since he befriended Yasmin, the heiress to a multimedia throne.

Levi had a sheltered youth, attending private Catholic schools in Quebec alongside his childhood best friend Maxime. He excelled in his studies, but Maxime was always a step ahead of him, especially in the area of religion. Despite being an attentive student, Levi struggled with anger issues and was a target for bullying throughout his youth. When the two were seniors in high school and Levi's long-time bully disappeared under mysterious circumstances, they decided to move away and start a new life together in the big city. Here, Maxime's (or now, Aldrich's) spiritual ideas flourished, getting the attention of people on social media. But being labelled as a cult leader is barely better than their youth.

[sllowshow]

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 James!

james's mom, paola (justina machado fc) was a paralegal at the firm her father, adrian (mark consuelos fc) was gunning for partner at when they met. this alone would have been enough to cause ripples in their office, but to make matters worse, he was married. when they tell the story, her mother swears up and down they didn't do anything physical until after he was separated from his first wife, but she admitted to james once after a couple post break-up gin and tonics that that wasn't true. she'd been his full blown mistress for months and his ex wife had actually caught them in his office one night when he was "working late."

but, it'd seemed like they made the right call, because they were always happy, as far as james could tell. her parents didn't let that sour beginning dictate their relationship. they got married, paola quit her job to be a stay at home mother to her and occasionally her half brother, from adrian's previous marriage. and for that, james never really begrudged her parents for the facts of their meeting. in her mind, that just became what love was: drama and rash decisions and passion. people who fell in love made selfish choices. whether she ever wanted to interrogate that or not, i think it's definitely something deeply engrained in her.

i think she gave them hell as a teenager. and really rushed into being an adult and successful social media mogul. but when she got older, and never really settled down, she started coming around to like. gossip with her mom or talk work with her dad. like i think she had to get out and do her thing before she could have that relationship with them. her parents are really proud of her and she actually appreciates it way more than she thought she would.

they did hate when she was posting that thot shit though. if you don't quit toddling around in those giant wedge heels and those long ass ponytail extensions...

[msclaritea]

‘Unequivocally False and Baseless’: Bishop T.D. Jakes Issues Statement Denouncing Explosive Allegations Linking Him to Sean 'Diddy' Combs

Unequivocally False and Baseless’: Bishop T.D. Jakes Issues Statement Denouncing Explosive Allegations Linking Him to Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

Posted byBy Nicole Duncan-Smith | Published on: December 23, 2023 CommentsComments (0)

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Bishop T.D. Jakes has finally responded after his name was dragged into recent allegations involving Sean “Diddy” Combs. A spokesperson for the popular televangelist has called the claims that have been circulating on social media “unequivocally false and baseless.”

Rumors surrounding the “Women Thou Art Loosed” author began circulating on Monday, Dec. 18, when a video surfaced, produced by a person titled Tuff News TV, implying that Jakes had been involved in various events hosted by Diddy, engaging in same-gender relationships, and allegedly participating in inappropriate sexual conduct with a minor.

‘Unequivocally False and Baseless’: Bishop T.D. Jakes Issues Statement Denouncing Explosive Allegations Linking Him to Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images for MegaFest 2017 / Prince Williams/Wireimage)

The video claimed that the federal government ascertained evidence from Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who settled a civil lawsuit allegedly for tens of millions after accusing the hip-hop mogul of abusing her during their relationship for nearly a decade. This claim has not been validated.

Various social media influencers, like TikTok user Jusnene, whose clip on the subject received close to 2 million views, have shared the video despite not having proof that the content is true. The clip went viral, and within minutes, Jakes became a trending topic across various social media platforms.

Jakes has been married to his wife Serita Jakes for 41 years and they share five adult children. Over the years, he’s become a well-known public figure in the religious community, inspiring many with his books, sermons, and philanthropic work.

In light of protecting his reputation, Jakes’ team released a statement shortly thereafter regarding the veracity of the allegations and defending the pastor’s honor.

“Recent claims circulating on pockets of social media about Bishop T.D. Jakes are unequivocally false and baseless,” Jordan A. Hora, executive director of public relations and communications for the T.D. Jakes Group, T.D. Jakes Ministries and The Potter’s House said via an exclusive statement to The Christian Post Thursday.

Adding, “What has always been true, in the words of the late Pastor Charles H. Spurgeon, ‘If you want the truth to go round the world, you must hire an express train to pull it, but if you want a lie to go round the world it will fly; it is as light as a feather, and a breath will carry it.'”

Also, the executive vice president of TD Jakes Entertainment, Derrick Williams, has spoken out about Jakes seemingly hanging out at one of Diddy’s birthday parties a few years ago, claiming that his attendance was not abnormal because of his close connection to entertainment.

“As a filmmaker, executive producer, and one of the pioneers of value-based movies, Bishop Jakes, in his role as CEO of T.D. Jakes Entertainment paid respect to the former Chairman of Revolt during the celebration of his birthday,” Williams said.

Adding, “Bishop Jakes was in LA for important business meetings, and we felt that a quick appearance at the former Chairman of Revolt’s birthday event was the respectful thing to do since Bishop Jakes’ sermons are aired on the Revolt Network.”

In 2021, Jakes and Diddy announced Jakes’ show, “Kingdom Culture with T.D. Jakes,” on Revolt, a network founded by the troubled rap producer.

The 66-year-old pastor, who leads one of the top 50 most prominent congregations in America, is a father, grandfather, and trusted member of the community who has expanded ministry for people of all ages for decades. Despite the philanthropic work he has done in the world at large, and specifically the Dallas area, many were quick to not only believe the bloggers’ stories but make the unsavory allegations the butt of many untasteful jokes.

The spokesperson said that it was “disheartening to witness” how fast the rumor spread through social media, how quickly people were able to create “deepfake” and distort his words, and the massive “sensationalized misrepresentations, encapsulating purported statements to falsely speculate and attack others, including Bishop Jakes.”

“There is much more important work to be done to create a better world,” she said. “The Bible teaches us the importance of compassion and care for others, especially those who may be marginalized or in need. Chairman Jakes undeterred by false, perverse, ignorant, and conspiratorial speculations will persevere in his continued dedication to create meaningful change for millions around the globe guided by the timeless principles of compassion, service, and ministry.”

However, not everyone believes the rumors. Popular comedian Lil Duval tweeted, “I can’t believe y’all believe that T.D. Jakes s—t.”

With the rise of this most recent rumor, another one resurfaces. Many online have speculated that the Bishop also owns and runs, The Shade Room. This, too, was denied by Jakes.

“I do not own it. I do not have stock in it. I do not have shares in it. I didn’t know that even existed until I heard it,” he said at the top of the year. “Like most rumors, the person that they’re talking about discovers the information when they read it. So I do not own The Shade Room.”

“I am a proud investor in a lot of businesses, a lot of companies,” the preacher continued. “And The Shade Room is not one of them.”

Diddy seemingly denied the allegations in Cassie’s lawsuit as well as the three others that were filed after her. However, he has yet to speak on these allegations involving Jakes."

[saintlaurentproblems]

If the original cast agreed to do a reunion film, what storylines would you want to see? I always wanted to see Nate and Blair together again.

IM SO SORRY THIS TOOK LITERALLY TWO MONTHS TO ANSWER. it has been sitting in my drafts for months!

Here's my old idea. We’re pretending that the recent Gossip Girl reboot isnt canon.

The reboot title wouldn’t have Gossip Girl in it. It would be more like “Upper East Side.”

I would like to change my old idea a little bit.

Chuck - Dead. Everyone has to come back for his funeral. He can be in flashback scenes with Blair. He was hiding that he was terminally ill. Only Blair and Lily knew he was sick.

Dan - successful novelist and travels the world with Serena. Serena wants to start a family while Dan keeps pushing it off. They separate and Serena goes back to NY. Vanessa and Dan rekindle. Dan goes back to NY to ask Serena for a divorce. However, Dan decides to stick around because he missed his friends and family and gets jealous when Serena is seen with an old flame.

Serena - Steps back into the NY social scene after living in Dan’s shadow for years. She decides to live with Blair to help her after Chuck’s passing. Serena has been having an emotional affair with Carter since running into him during one of Dan’s press tours in Europe. Serena tries to hide her feelings for Carter by dating [insert new celebrity character]. Serena distracts herself by focusing on becoming an IT girl again.

Blair - Chuck and Blair were keeping Chuck’s illness a secret. They were hoping they could find a cure but Chuck ends up not wanting to fight anymore. Blair and Chuck failed to conceive another child through the years. She tried IVF and researched the surrogate route but she found herself putting her career first. Later, Serena gets pregnant with Carter’s baby. This causes drama between Serena and Blair because Serena got pregnant without trying. Blair is so angry and exhausted from Chuck’s death and family drama, she approves a marketing campaign that gets horrible backlash. Blair has an emotional breakdown and starts going to therapy. Blair ends up meeting a new love interest that catches her off guard. Serena ends up working with a competitor which drives a bigger wedge between their friendship.

Jenny - Surprisingly, Blair and Jenny worked several years together under the Eleanor Waldorf brand. Blair and Jenny won’t call each other “friends” but they have a mutually respectful relationship. Jenny ended up leading the company and started her own brand similar to Staud, Anine Bing, etc. She’s an edgy fashion mogul and dated many rockstars, photographers, and artists. Blair talks shit in the press about Jenny’s brand which causes drama. Jenny creates an alliance with Nelly Yuki.

Nate - Sold the spectator to a major media outlet. He became a VC and loves to invest in new tech companies. His family wants him to revisit the idea of becoming a politician. Nate’s family set him up on a date with a woman in the political world. Nate has a been hooking up with Jenny on and off for years. Nate just started becoming friends with Dan again so it makes their friends with benefits relationship awkward. they end it and just stay friends. Nate is jealous that most of his family settled down and started a family. Nate ends up becoming a politician and finds himself in an enemies to lovers relationship with his arranged love interest.

Carter Baizen - Considering Sebastian is pretty famous now I think he deserves a bigger role. Carter becomes the main love interest of Serena. It’s a slow burn relationship. He reconnected with Nate and gets asked to help with his political campaign. After paying his debt to the Buckley’s, he ended up working his way up in the business and became a well-respected businessman/public figure. He is still shady at times and will cross the line to get what he wants. Similar to a Michael Rubin type of business man. He tries not to fall for Serena again but it ends up happening organically.

Georgina - Makes a grand entrance at the funeral causing a lot of drama with Blair. Georgina reveals that Chuck has been secretly paying off press and PR representatives to make Blair’s collections seem more successful than they actually are. Georgina finds interest in an new anonymous gossip IG account “Deuxmoi inspired.”

Vanessa - I want Vanessa to be less annoying. So I think she should be an executive producer for an independent entertainment company (A24). She mostly focuses on projects that promote important causes but her boss demands that she gets a producer that will bring in money for the company. So she pitches a docuseries about Chuck Bass’ life. Blair is against the idea at first but then eventually agrees to it. It documents his career journey and the last few months of his life.

Lily - On husband #7 now. She’s married to a Mark Cuban type businessman (New Character). Lily and Serena aren’t very close. Eric moved to London with his husband. Lily has two step-daughters who are 23 & 27. They’re very Mary Kate & Ashley meets Gigi & Bella vibes but more public and kind of Serena 2.0. Lily started a company like Goop with her husband.

Lily’s Step Daughters - I figured we need a few younger characters who have a different perspective. They’re cool NY socialites who know the ins and outs of NY. The become the face of Jenny’s brand which launches them into the spotlight. Blair also takes a liking to them. The sisters end up choosing sides in the Serena vs Blair war that takes over NY. Some of their friends can also make appearances that get entangled in the OG cast’s drama.

Rufus - Married a world renowned artist who is very popular amongst Lily and her friends. Rufus is far less annoying and opened his own Weed Dispensary that’s doing very well and collaborates with Goop. Maybe an affair with Lily?????

Who is Gossip Girl?

Gossip Girl is…one of Lily’s step-daughters. But she’s rebrands gossip girl to be something cooler and more exclusive. Think of it like Raya and the clubhouse app. She anonymously hosts a party at zero bond and when guests download the app they have access to secret videos, scandals, and text messages between the OG Casts, Celebrity Gossip, and Political Figures.

[uenodivision]

Kisouna's Thoughts on Ginza Division

Masa Judice

"Masa Judice, a.k.a. Father. Leader of the Ginza Division team, Last Judgment."

"I don't agree with Aranai very often, but when it comes to this individual, I agree with her wholeheartedly. Don't tell her I said that. Ever since the previous priest of the church mysteriously disappeared and this man took control of the church, I've had my eyes set on him for a long time. I've gotten numerous reports of cult-like activity surrounding him and his church, and though it may just be circumstance, I can't help but think he's had a hand in some of the recent killings that have been going on in Japan."

"What truly worries me about this man is the vendetta he seems to have against Shisuta and her family. I don't know the full story, but apparently, Shisuta's mother prevented the priest from amassing religious power and now seeks to get revenge. I don't know what makes him think Aranai and I are going to sit back and let him hurt our friend, but he is sorely mistaken. And if it comes to light that he is involved in something more sinister, he won't get away with it."

Eiji Noguchi

"Eiji Noguchi, a.k.a. MC Mogul."

"I've, unfortunately, had to deal with Noguchi-san and his company, Sigma Inc., on more than one occasion. Usually, it seems like there is always some lawsuit that is going on against his company. And it is almost always for things revolving around his social media platform, PROFILE. Aranai tried to get me into it, but I refused. Social media, in my opinion, is a waste of time. And though I know it has some uses and benefits, it does nothing for me. And ever since its creation, its caused me no end of headaches."

"A prime example is when a man tried to sue Sigma Inc. for the dissolution of his marriage after his wife had been found cheating on him via some messages sent online via the site. I had been hired to represent Noguchi-san. Needless to say, the case was thrown out within an hour or so. Noguchi-san thanked me for my help and paid me well."

"Truthfully, I've nothing against Noguchi-san. He seems like a family man with a good head on his shoulders. Why he chooses to affiliate himself with someone like Masa Judice, I don't know. I simply hope he isn't involved in any of that priest's wrongdoings. It'd be a shame to have to be on the opposite side of him in court this time..."

Oki Teagan

"Oki Teagan, a.k.a. ATLAS."

"The former frontman for the rap supergroup, C H A R O N. Even back when the group was active, reports of this man's attitude and penchant for starting brawls and fights were commonplace. I never had to arrest him, myself, but to say he has a record would be a gross understatement. Shisuta-san wasn't wrong to compare him and Samatoki. I wouldn't be surprised if the two of them were acquaintances."

"His disappearance for the last two years raised some eyebrows. Though a search was put out for him, no sign of him was found. Either he had completely disappeared or something had happened to him. When he turned up now to participate in the D.R.B., it wasn't certainly surprising, to say the least. I may be wrong about this, but I don't think it's too far-fetched to say that Chuohku may have had something to do with his sudden reappearance after all this time..."

Last Judgment

"Like Shisuta-san mentioned, this team doesn't put me at ease, especially the priest. Whatever plans he has for the D.R.B. and for Shisuta, I promise, they will not come to pass. Shisuta is one of my closest friends, and I will protect her, regardless of what I come up against. If this priest seeks to do her harm, I will have him arrested. I promise that. Consider yourself forewarned, clergyman."

[the-real-zhora-salome]

The thing is out of all the guys she's dated, Tom probably would've been the most respectful about her career. He wasn't about to retire or anything like that. But I'm sure he would've been supportive and as obliging as he could be. Would've been at shows, at red carpets, etc. The thing is idk if that would've worked both ways. Like I can't remember her doing much to support Joe other than getting him work (which I guess is something) but I don't think she can handle people with drive and ambition of their own.

Tom, even then, was a veteran of the world's biggest film franchise. I don't think she liked that he had to work. But I'm sure he would've supported her.

You think about the way he was during MML promo. Even though he was filming, he went to whatever he could, avoided being photographed so that the focus stayed on Zawe. And if JA being an introvert and quiet was a problem (I don't believe that, but we'll go with it), definitely would've been an issue there. I'm sure she's reflective.

Thing is I don't think she wants to be part of a supercouple. She wants her man to be like Meryl Streep's or Dolly Parton's. In that case she needs to stop dating actors and musicians. Find a tech mogul or something. Thing is at this point, creative guys are probably the only people romantic enough to be bothered with her.

Yes, Tom would have been all that for her. She threw it away. And I think she knew what she was throwing away. There's a reason why I always say that for her Tom is the one that got away.

I don't know if she had ever accompanied any of her former actor boyfriends to one of their sets, but she did for Tom, and I think she hated it. He went off to work every day, and she was cooped up in their hotel suite all day because she couldn't go out because the hotel was under siege. I guess she had thought she could just use the time and write songs, but I think that got old real quick for her. I can picture her checking social media obsessively all day and having to watch things get out of control, and she was stuck in Oz.....and probably (sex)texting JA all the time behind Tom's back.

Remember how they returned to the States together for SDCC, and after that she retreated to her house in Rhode Island and never joined him again when he came to the US after that? Oh yeah, I think her time in Australia sped up the break up. And she already had lined up an easily impressionable and docile new boy toy for herself, so she just wanted out.

I think she's been one or two red carpets of Joe's. Which is definitely more than what she'd done for any other boyfriend before. He should pat himself on the back for that.

[kennak]

The new boss of a J-pop agency disgraced by the extensive sexual abuse committed by its late founder Johnny Kitagawa has also been accused of sexually assaulting young boys.Noriyuki Higashiyama said he could not remember the reported acts which he said may or may not have occurred.He was named the new boss of Johnny and Associates after Kitagawa's niece stepped down on Thursday. He will lead the agency's efforts to compensate victims and seek amends.Japan boyband boss resigns over mogul Kitagawa's abuseHowever, on Thursday at a press conference announcing Julie Fujishima's departure and his appointment, he was also faced with questions about his own reported abuse.Journalists asked him if allegations published in a book saying he massaged the crotches of boys, exposed his genitals and told them to "eat my sausage" were true.He replied: "I don't remember clearly. Maybe it happened, maybe it didn't. I have trouble remembering."Alluding to claims that he had bullied younger performers, the 56-year old added it was possible that he had been stricter with them, and that he may have done things as a teenager or in his 20s that he would not do now.Mr Higashiyama, a household name in Japan, was one of the first talents recruited by Johnny and Associates. Online, many users have criticised his appointment, noting his long history with the company."It will take time to win back trust, and I am putting my life on the line for this effort," he said. He added that he had never been a victim of Kitagawa's abuse but had been aware of the rumours."I couldn't, and didn't, do anything about it," he admitted to the news conference.Mr Higashiyama's decades-old ties to the Johnny and Associates brand have also led many to question how he can change the company and, more crucially, protect its talent. On Friday, Kauan Okamoto, one of Johnny's victims who went public, broke down while speaking to the media, and said the person hurting the most is his mother. "She has to live through it over and over and hear things that were done to me. There are things I can't even say to her. I don't want her to have to go through this ever again," he said. He also said he "respects" Mr Higashiyama and considers him "brave for taking this job that nobody wants". While Mr Okamoto said he hated Kitagawa for what he did, he is still "grateful to Johnny" for introducing him to the world of music. "I know some would say this is grooming but this is how I feel," he added.Kitagawa was arguably the most influential and powerful figure in Japan's entertainment industry. His agency has for decades been synonymous with J-pop culture, and was the gateway to stardom for many young men.But Johnny and Associates now bears the name of a sexual predator. At Thursday's press conference, when asked if there were plans to change the company's name, Mr Higashiyama said there were none.On social media, a user questioned how he would be able to "rebuild the agency when everyone will be looking at you with coloured lenses?""Is this the end for the company?" the user added. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Johnny Kitagawa (pictured on screen) was a J-pop titan who used his immense power to sexually abuse aspiring boyband idolsLast week, an independent inquiry found the pop mogul abused hundreds of boys and young men over six decades, including while head of the boyband agency.He died at 87 in 2019, having never faced charges and always denying wrongdoing. Kitagawa's death was a national event - with even the then prime minister sending condolences.Although reports of his abuse were an open secret in the industry, for decades mainstream Japanese media did not cover the allegations.But a BBC documentary this year about Kitagawa and the J-pop industry sparked national discussion and prompted more victims to come forward. It led to the independent investigation, which last week recommended that the agency's boss resign.The BBC investigation that led to long-awaited abuse admissionOutgoing chief executive Ms Fujishima acknowledged Kitagawa's abuse for the first time on Thursday.She said the pop mogul had been so powerful that many in the agency, including herself, kept silent. The company also has considerable power over many media outlets, said Soichiro Matsutani, a journalist who has covered the Japanese entertainment industry for years. He told local media in May that declining revenue for TV stations and magazines have made them overly dependent on Johnny and Associates' idols for ratings. In 2019, for example, a Japanese regulator issued a warning to Johnny and Associates after it found that the agency had pressured TV stations not to showcase idols who had left the company. Mr Matsutani added that unless the root of the problem is addressed, similar things could happen at other talent agencies.Additional reporting by Derek Cai and Akane Furukawa

Johnny Kitagawa: J-pop agency's new boss Higashiyama also faces abuse allegations - BBC News

[bopinion]

2023 / 24 (Short Holiday Edition)

Aperçu of the Week:

"There are many paths to happiness. One of them is to stop complaining."

(Albert Einstein)

Bad News of the Week:

The mountains have always been there, it feels - there for millennia, imposing, immovable, unimpressed by man. But now this parasite, which normally only walks over the mountains like ants, has made it. Its irresponsible behavior of the last centuries - actually only a blink of an eye in the history of the earth - shows consequences. Last week, there were landslides in the Alps of Switzerland and Austria that can be attributed to climate change. The seemingly eternal ice that holds the rock masses in the high mountains together like glue has disappeared in some places. Even though no people were harmed - experts had predicted the development - the images are shocking: Thousands of cubic meters of rock, tons of kinetic energy have stopped just a few meters from (evacuated) houses. One could almost say that nature is sending us a message: Stop torturing me at last. This is a final warning before I fight back.

Good News of the Week:

Switzerland doesn't really have a reputation for social innovation. "Status quo preservation" is certainly a term invented by the Confederates. Only a few years ago, a referendum - Switzerland has a very direct democratic system - decided that there should be no immigration, except for millionaires and asylum exceptions. But now, with 58% approval, the Swiss have opted for a climate and innovation law. This not only provides for an accelerated expansion of renewable energies, but also (drum roll please!) tax increases to finance the plan. So our neighbors have apparently understood what is necessary: without renunciation, we will not be able to effectively counter climate change. Bravo!

Personal happy moment of the week:

"The sea of stone" - that doesn't really sound like a place of longing. But it is. And also very green. Because this morning I woke up in this beautiful region of the Austrian High Alps around the Hochkönig. And thus start into a week of vacation. The sun is shining. Only for me.

I couldn't care less...

...that many are upset about NATO's large-scale maneuver "Air Defender 2023". The biggest since the alliance was founded, over two weeks, with over 10,000 participants, all over Germany. It's funny that it's taken for granted that firefighters, for example, train their missions, but eyebrows are raised when it comes to soldiers. And when a fighter jet whizzes by, it makes a little more noise than an e-scooter. We live in times of military flare-ups and a destabilized security situation. To be honest - and I say this as a pacifist! - I have no objection to those who are supposed to defend us in the event of war knowing what they are doing.

As I write this...

...I am already very excited: tomorrow I will sit on an e-bike for the first time in my life. We have reserved two bikes and tomorrow we will ride a mountain trail - which I certainly wouldn't be able to do without the support of a motor. Bodacious!

Post Scriptum

Silvio Berlusconi is dead. Normally I have no problems to respect the life work of a personality even if I don't like him. And what a personality he is: sales genius, building contractor, media mogul and the longest acting prime minister of Italy after Mussolini. But Berlusconi has also been criminal, corrupt, sexist, greedy, racist, encroaching and mendacious - all proven. Above all, however, he has established populism in Europe and made the right-wing acceptable in his homeland. As I said, number two after Mussolini. And his life's work continues to have an impact. Giorgia Meloni, current prime minister of the extremist Fratelli d'Italia, became the youngest minister in Italian history under him at the age of 31. Unlike plastic surgery and the Mafia, I won't miss this guy.

[thisisabernieblog]

Gal Gadot, Kylie Jenner, Mark Ruffalo: Israel-Palestine war leaves celebrities divided

Several Hollywood stars, athletes and singers face a backlash for supporting Israel, while others are praised for their nuanced take on the conflict



Actress and model Gal Gadot attends the premiere of the movie Barbie in Los Angeles in July 2023 (AFP)

By Ayah El-Khaldi

Published date: 9 October 2023 10:44 BST|Last update: 1 day 9 hours ago

Celebrities including Hollywood A-listers, influencers, and pop stars have been giving their opinions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict after fighters from the besieged Gaza Strip shocked Israel with their unprecedented land, air and sea assault on Saturday.

Influencer and fashion mogul Kylie Jenner found herself at the centre of a social media storm when she shared a now-deleted post expressing support for Israel.

The Instagram post featured the Israeli flag alongside the message: "Now and always, we stand with the people of Israel." 

Jenner's stance drew widespread criticism.

Many questioned her understanding of Israel's 75-year occupation of the Palestinian territories. 

One social media user wrote: "Kylie Jenner wouldn't know where the Middle East is on a map but is letting her 400 million Instagram followers know she stands with Israel."



Kylie Jenner attends the Met Gala in New York in May 2023 (AFP)

Israeli actress and star of Wonder Woman Gal Gadot, who has previously shown support for the Israeli army, was also criticised for her response to the latest bout of violence. 

"I stand with Israel you should too," Gadot posted on Instagram.

"The world cannot sit on the fence when these horrific acts of terror are happening," she said. "My heart is aching. Praying for all of those in pain."



Palestine: 10 celebrities who have voiced their solidarity

Read More »

Gadot's comment section has since been flooded with users writing "Free Palestine" and messages featuring the Palestinian flag emoji.

Comedian Sarah Silverman expressed her concern for her sister, nieces and nephews, who have been protesting against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's controversial judicial reform plans for months. 

"Fight for a two state solution. Israelis are Jews and Arabs and all colours," she said.

Silverman also acknowledged the nuanced complexity of the conflict before denouncing Hamas' mission statement.

Mark Ruffalo, who has played the Hulk in several Marvel blockbuster films including The Avengers franchise, was also criticised for blaming both sides for the latest escalation.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, the usually pro-Palestine actor shared a message from journalist and author Nathan Thrall, which said: "It is horrific to see innocent civilians killed and held hostage, and there is no justification for it.

"We pray for their safety, as we pray for the safety of the innocent people of Gaza who are being bombarded and besieged."



​Mark Ruffalo consistently uses his platform to speak out on events in Israel-Palestine (AFP)

Professional boxer and model Younes Bendjima criticised the idea of blaming both sides for the fighting, writing: "I'd love to but I can't... there's only one side."

He went on to highlight the illegal occupation of Palestinian lands, restrictions on movement, the discriminatory treatment of Palestinians at checkpoints, and the presence of Israeli snipers in the occupied territories.

Bendjima also emphasised the disparity in international support, noting that Palestinians don't enjoy the backing of the United States.

He also drew attention to the constant presence of Israeli warplanes in the region, which fly over the Palestinian territories making, he said, "kids wet their beds in fear".

Former New Zealand rugby international player Sonny Bill Williams posted: "Praying for Gaza!" accompanied with a Palestinian flag.

Meanwhile, US Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad shared a quote from Malcolm X which read: "If you are not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." 



​Ibtihaj Muhammad speaks onstage at The National Center for Civil and Human Rights in August 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia (AFP)​

However, Arsenal and Ukrainian full-back Oleksandr Zinchenko found himself mired in controversy when he reposted an image from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs featuring the Star of David.

Alongside the image, his story read: 'I stand with Israel.' 

But after he was met with a fierce backlash from his own fans, Zinchenko removed the comments and made his account private.

'When you hurt children, your cause is doomed'

Singers also weighed in with mixed reactions to the conflict.

Swedish singer Zara Larsson drew attention to what she perceived as a double standard in international reactions to conflicts, posting on her story: "Oh so it's stand with Ukraine when Russia invades but not Palesti-." 

Larsson's remarks shed light on the wider issue of the West's inconsistent response to various conflicts.

The fashion influencers Simi & Haze Khadra shared a similar sentiment, reposting a series of slides on their social media platform, highlighting human rights violations endured by Palestinians.

They noted that "absolute Zionist thinking collapses conversation and villainizes empathy for a Palestinian population that has extensively experienced torture, kidnapping, murder and other oppressive colonialist tactics at the hands of an apartheid state for decades."

However, singer Boy George expressed support for Israel, writing: "When you hurt women, children, and the elderly, your cause is doomed. I stand with Israel." 

His remarks were met with criticism by several social media users who responded with lists of the women, children, and elderly killed by Israeli forces in recent months and years.

[williamchiu]

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 /

William Chiu, better known as William (윌리엄), is a Taiwanese-American idol that is based in South Korea, and signed to Everlast Entertainment. He is currently active as a soloist and variety TV personality. Formerly, he was the lead vocalist, lead dancer, and visual of project boy group 2THE★ after placing 3rd on competition show REACH4THE★. He has gained popularity in various international markets—particularly in the United States and China—and is on a steady rise in South Korea. Most recently, he was the closing model for local designer SLING STONE at Seoul Fashion Week 2023, and is in talks to enter the Chinese market next year.

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄 /

Everlast Entertainment: 2021— Debut: May 2022 (Solo); February 2018 (Group) Current Status: Active Active Years: 2018— Languages: English, Mandarin, Korean Training Period: N/A Education: High School Graduate

𝐅𝐔𝐍 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒 /

William Chiu was born in Palo Alto, California, United States. His father is film director, Tony Chiu, and his mother is mogul, model, and socialite, Barbie Tai.

He was raised in Los Angeles, primarily in Bel Air.

It has always been a longtime dream of his to enter the limelight. According to William, he auditioned for many films and record labels in the USA, but was never given a break.

Deciding on a whim to submit an audition tape to REACH4THE★, he relocated to South Korea after his acceptance, and has been living in Seoul ever since.

In his downtime, he loves shopping, discovering new restaurants, going to concerts, and spoiling all of his loved ones.

He claims that his favorite types of food are Mexican food, Korean food, Chinese food, and Mediterranean food. He's not picky, so long as the meal is balanced.

When asked "what's your favorite 2THE★ song?", William responded with "Our debut, 'Can't Stop Shining!'" He claims that it's because of the special meaning it holds in his heart.

His coffee order is a sweetened cold brew latte with oat milk.

Instead of giving him gifts at fan-meets, William has asked fans to donate to charities that he, or they, believe in. He says it's best if his supporters' hard-earned money is spent on good causes, not on him.

He is an outspoken supporter of the LGBT+ community, as well as many other marginalized communities, as shown on his pre-debut social media accounts.

While he claims not to have any now, William has expressed an interest in getting a few small tattoos. He loves how they look on other people.

Ideal Type: "The most important thing to me is loyalty."

[moonieshinesims]

Generation One - Chapter One

River had never been a very popular girl. She garnered some attention, thanks to her all-black outfits and rotten attitude, but besides that, there wasn't anything special about her. She had no special talents, and didn't do much for fun, but before the start of her junior year in high school - she vowed to make some changes.

While she had never been a huge fan of social media, she figured she would have to put herself out there somehow. SocialBunny was the way to go. All the other teens were using it, so it had to be the place where she would get noticed.

River did already have one friend - Havarti Camambert. Not only did she have tons of money because her dad was a tech mogul, but she was also super pretty, so boys all over the school had the hots for her. She'd always been into fitness, but never joined any teams, so it scared River a little to hear that she was trying out for the cheer squad. If she got even more popular than she already was, she'd leave River in the mud!

"You could always join the cheer team with me!" Havarti suggested, but River only scoffed. She'd never been good at sports or gym class, and she wasn't flexible at all. It wasn't even an option as far as she was concerned...

Or was it?

River had secretly had a crush on Rohan Giles ever since she laid eyes on him freshman year. He was beautiful, with long red hair and smooth skin. He and his twin sister Rowan were artists, and you could tell. They always wore fashionable clothes and seemed so cool.

Rohan was friends with a guy named Joe who'd had it bad for River since he moved to town in middle school. River never cared for him though. She didn't like his goatee or his ear gauges. She wasn't sure it was true, but she'd also heard he was kinda clingy, which River didn't like.

However, on that same afternoon Havarti asked River to join her on the cheer team, she had a revelation. Rohan was cool, and if cheerleading would make her cool, then maybe he would actually like her! They were friends as it was, but maybe putting herself out there would actually get his attention!

So, on the night of try-outs, River came along. While she wasn't one of the more talented potentials, she was offered a position on the junior varsity team anyways!

River came home and told her family about her success. Her mother was too busy with work to care, and her sister Mercy didn't exactly believe her. But it was true, and River suffered through many practices and dance routines with her new teammates.

On the bright side, however, all her hard work seemed to catch someone's attention...

Rohan motioned for River to come into the dining hall. Oh my gosh, what does he want? River thought to herself. Rohan looked her up and down and with a nod asked her if she had a prom date.

"I, uh, well no. Nobody's asked me yet."

"Would you like to be mine, then?"

River could see Rowan rolling her eyes over Rohan's shoulder. Even though they were twins, Rowan was shorter than her brother, and thought that her expression was hidden behind her brother's broad shoulders. It wasn't though, and that made River seem self conscious. She was excited to go to prom with Rohan, of course, but Rowan didn't seem too happy about the decision.

"I would... love to!" River feigned a smile. She was happy, but something about that interaction made her feel like she shouldn't be.

Opal's warning didn't sit well with River either. While Opal was not well liked at the moment, she used to be pretty cool and even dated Rohan when they were freshman. River wanted to pretend that Opal was just being jealous, but she had to know something about him to make her say that...

The time drew closer to prom and while River was hanging out more with Rohan, she was still nervous that he was up to something. No matter where they went together, Joe was always close behind too. It made River uncomfortable, but for some reason he never seemed to take the hint that maybe River wanted to be alone with Rohan.

Finally the weekend for junior prom had arrived. River and Havarti got ready at each other's houses, then rode to the venue together. Havarti didn't have an actual date, and River didn't want to leave her hanging, so she told Rohan she would meet him there.

Once at prom things started to go downhill fast. Rohan greeted River with a hug, but his comments seemed off-putting and rude.

"You see, Joe and I had a bet on how you'd come dressed, and while he's totally obsessed with you, I wasn't really expecting much...!"

River wasn't sure what to say to that. She knew Rohan and Joe were good friends, but didn't realize they were making weird bets about her appearance. Was this what Opal was trying to warn her about? Was him asking her to prom all a part of some big joke?

River tried acting like she was having a good time and even tried to get Rohan to participate in stuff with her. He turned her down for photos and getting drinks together. But as soon as Joe walked through the door Rohan pulled her onto the dance floor and swung her around. Something was up with those two and River didn't like it.

As soon as Prom Royalty was announced, River snuck out the door. Havarti was off talking with Lisa and Cassandra, two girls River wasn't close with, so she didn't want to ruin her fun.

The night was cold, but the walk to her house wasn't long. She was only a few blocks away. Before she could get started on her journey, however, someone called out to her, "You should come to the wharf!" She knew it was one of her classmates. Probably one of the ones who skipped prom altogether. It sounded more fun than being home all alone on prom night. There were rides and food at the wharf. Things to take her mind off Rohan being a weirdo.

River went home first to change into warmer clothes, then headed back out. Once she arrived, she realized she was right, there were a lot of kids there that hadn't been at prom.

"I woulda probably had more fun if I had just come here to begin with..." She told herself.

She ran into Steve, an awkward pasty boy she never really talked to, and Will and Mike. Will and Mike were a package deal since they were always together. Then she made her way to the bubbly tea stand to grab a drink. She ordered her favorite - a mix of ube and matcha, then turned to go back to the group she was talking to before.

However, standing behind her awkwardly was Ichiban Kasuga, the foreign exchange student. She hadn't seen him at prom, probably because he scared most of the girls and he didn't speak enough Simlish to ask anyone out. River tried to go around him, but he side-stepped and blocked her way.

"Hi."

"Uh... Hi? Do you want something?"

Ichiban just stood, staring, and smiling. River wondered if he even knew what she had just asked him.

"Uh... Dancing fun?" He asked, probably referring to prom.

"No. Dancing no fun." River said. She shouldn't have been talking to him like he was stupid, but she wasn't sure what level of Simlish his studies had brought him to. She knew she'd seen him around school hanging out with Bart, Possum, and Koshari, but she only ever saw them all laughing, cutting up, and playing pranks, not actually speaking.

"Oh. Sorry." He said, looking legitimately sad.

"Well, I'm gonna..." River tried to make her escape, but Ichiban began talking again, "I want to show you!" He motioned excitedly towards the end of the wharf at the statue of Womp Womp. River wasn't sure if Womp Womp was supposed to be a yeti or what, but what she did know was that he was based off a local legend.

"All right, let's go." River nodded and allowed Ichiban to lead her over to Womp Womp. He pointed at it and asked, "What's this?"

River tried explaining to him what Womp Womp was, but he didn't understand, so she figured calling him a yeti was good enough. She pulled out her phone and found a site about yetis translated into Komorebigo, Ichiban's native language. After reading the page, he excitedly said a few words in his language and handed River back her phone.

"Do you speak Komorebigo?" Ichiban asked, but River quickly shook her head, "No! I wish!" She had never actually thought about learning it, but suddenly realized about how cool it would be if she could speak another language. "You should learn." Ichiban smiled like a dope.

River had never really thought about this before either, but Ichiban was kinda cute. If it got her closer to him, maybe learning another language was actually worth it!

"I can help you with Komorebigo." Ichiban nodded and formed a fist, "It's good and fun!" "I would really like that!" River found herself feeling kinda giddy. Prom may have sucked, but she ended up making friends with someone who genuinely seemed like he was interested in her.

They tried conversing a little while longer, before they were joined by a few of the other kids. They all joked and talked, ate some more snacks, and rode the ferris wheel, then River decided it was time to go home.

At home River ran into Mercy who was still awake and watching TV. "What on Earth are you doing still awake? It's late."

"Mom's not home and my favorite show is on."

River looked at the TV and saw that she was watching something on the ghost hunting channel. Mom hated it when she watched stuff like that, but River had gotten in trouble for the same thing as a kid. So, they really were sisters after all...!

"Anyways, how did prom go?"

"Prom itself sucked, but..." River thought back to the fun she had hanging out with Ichiban at the wharf, "the rest of the night was pretty good. I think I made a new friend."

"Oh, that's awesome..." Mercy's show was coming back from commercial and her attention quickly diverted away from River.

With a chuckle River got up and headed towards the stairs, "I'm gonna go lay down. Don't stay up too late." She figured now was as good a time as any to get on Simlingo and start practicing her Komorebigo. After all, if she wanted to impress Ichiban, she had a long way to go!

*note: please ignore any spelling mistakes I made :)