#kate blabs

[thychesters]

oh hell yeah i have blank wall space now. i can do a post it note plot wall

[yocalio]

For the record and in my opinion, there was nothing ambiguous about the way Twisters left Tyler and Kate's relationship. There definitely was a tiny love triangle but I saw it resolve with Javi's nod towards Tyler after Boone jokingly exclaimed that he loved Kate. His "seriously?" when Tyler didn't get that Kate had slyly asked to be chased, his "atta boy" when Tyler finally understood and runs into the airport after her. They bent over backwards giving us all those romantic cliches. Girl looks at thing and says it's beautiful and boy just beams at girl. I mean even going as far as having Tyler chase her down in a freaking airport only to withhold the logical conclusion of such a gesture. It was a subtle and sweet little thing they had going on and Glen and Daisy's very natural chemistry made it work without even getting physical. Such a refreshing take and really felt like a beat for beat 90s movie in all the best ways. I still want that kiss in the special features though...... You hear me Spielberg!?

[snowflakeanimelover]

Y/N: “at the clurb, we all fam.”

John: “what?”

Y/N: rolls their eyes, “At the clurb, we all fam.”

John: raises a brow and gives them a pointed confused look.

Y/N: sighs in defeat. “At the club, we are all family. Are you racist?”

John: “wtf is wrong with you? We’re in the middle of a fight.”

[fahclove]

My pitch to “““fix””” Lost (2004): switch Kate and Sayid’s storylines

[neapolitantoebeans]

so Tanya and Kate are “vegetarians” because of their romantic/sexual preferences, gotcha

(also Tanya is said to prefer humans because they’re “soft and warm” which when you think about makes sense for someone who’s literally a living porcelain doll)

[thedndgoblinwholivesinyourwalls]

Ough animating power pleaseeee (i want to do something with Black Sheep-Brie Larson Vocal version btw- and adele i can’t explain my vision rn for it is late but yeah)

[johnbottoms]

sketch pass 2 vs sketch pass 1....

[snowflakeanimelover]

Besides the few mutuals I have lol. I appreciate those of you who stay in contact and interact with my posts❤️

Something I love about Tumblr is having over a thousand followers and yet absolutely zero activity when I make a post. Thank you everybody for ignoring me 🙏🙏 allow my sillyness to slip into the silent succulent dark

[cloveroctobers]

OUTTA LUCK — Javi Rivera [Fall Crumbles] 🤎

A/N: The final piece to this November collection has finally arrived! It’s also the shortest one as well? I think. Hope you still like it readers for twisters? Or simply readers for Anthony! Also thank you for 3k of you supporters 🤎🥹

WARNINGS: Written in note form since it was a quick write? Slight reference to an old October prompt that was scrapped from being written this year but still works as somewhat of a plot for this, language, questioning of what the heart wants, & regret?

⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆ ⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆ ⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆ ⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆ ⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆

Javi felt as nervous as he did at 2am as he did later on in the day, not expecting to be face to face with you again after two years. He lets out a string of curse words, stopping in the doorway before the meeting and even made Kate bump into the back of him in confusion at his abrupt stop.

As of lately, Javi found himself up late at night, mind racing over not only his new extension project to Kate’s successful experiment a few years back but he started to feel a sense of emptiness, even if he wasn’t in his bed alone.

He only had himself to blame for that.

The both of you did not end on the best of terms so yeah it was something to see a missed call and hear a voicemail from: Javi Rivera as you checked your phone over breakfast. His contact has been removed from your phone and life but you couldn’t lie and say that the number didn’t look familiar.

That speculation was confirmed once you heard a voice you once upon of time loved listening to.

“Hey, um shit. It’s Javi. I guess it is a good thing that I didn’t get you. Why would I at 2am?! I just wanted to see how things were going with you? It’s been a minute…I hope things are well with you, honestly. I’m still wishin’ you nothing but the best and I wouldn’t even be mad at you if you deleted this—how would I know, right?”

He’s blabbing, which lets you know that he’s probably jittery, fidgeting, and with a clearing of his throat after his pausing, makes you aware that he’s not entirely sure why he was calling.

You knew why.

It’s been a few years and you were still on his mind.

“…anyway! Sorry for holding up your line.”

It was a whole bunch of nothing without saying anything yet you could read between the lines. You deleted the voicemail, not checking to see how many minutes the message was in the first place. Sipping at your herbal tea, you sat in silence for a moment before you got a notification that your driver was waiting for you downstairs.

Time to get the bag.

As a businesswoman, your job was to get shit done and be professional. Some already referred to you as a lioness, taking the silent strike approach when it came to deals. You were thrown into this meeting last minute since your partner decided to back out of it. Talks about this experiment was in the works months ago and you knew he would give it up once your company was officially reached out to since science and the environment was never his “thing.”

It was too boring for him!

Your assistant gave you the run down of what the potential client(s) were trying to accomplish and always the punctual one, you had at least fifteen minutes to get the gist of this major project in full.

“Three out of the seven of The Tornado Wranglers came all the way out here to New York,” You greet as you wait for them to approach the head of the table, “Welcome to Apexi Co.”

Tyler sends a wide grin your way, clasping your hand with both hands, “Ma’am, thank you for meeting with us and so last minute too.”

The trio were informed that they would be meeting with someone else due to “creative differences,” but never dropped any names.

Kate’s eyes were wide as she flicked Javi’s shoulder from behind, “isn’t that…”

Javi hummed out a, “Uh huh.”

Kate’s success with her project was huge but Javi’s idea for this next new thing, required a lot of money and needed an investor. They had one with Kate’s but Javi knew that business needed to keep booming. So he came up with his own idea, that was crazy but brilliant.

Once gaining their friendship back, Javi encouraged Kate to see what could happen with the cow-boy with the grinch laughter lines, Kate couldn’t help but to wonder what Javi’s love life was like. She learned that there was one girl in the service that he commonly hooked up with but apparently he was too stuck on Kate and dealing with grief to dive into a meaningful relationship.

That is until he met you.

It’s been some time since Kate and Javi reconnected. She suspected there was someone else and as soon as Javi spilled that there was? It was over before she and the rest of the wranglers got to meet you.

All because Javi had a pattern of going back to the past.

Kate saw pictures though and even browsed your socials to see that you brought a lot to the table. Not to say that the old vet he was back involved with, didn’t…Kate just never saw the military life for Javi in the first place. She’ll say that!

He got caught on the balcony of your apartment, late at night on the phone with the girl from the service.

It wasn’t as simple as you think and it wasn’t just talking.

“…and these are my partners, Javi Rivera and Kate Carter.”

Your eyes held a flash of something in them before it vanished. You were never one to show your cards but nonetheless, a smile was on your lips as you shook both hands.

“Please have a seat.” You gesture to the empty seats.

Javi felt as if he could just melt into the floor, being in the same presence as you after all this time.

A lot can happen in two years.

A elbow to his side, makes Javi snap his attention back to you. You have a brow quirked up while your eyes slowly blinked, awaiting an answer.

“I’m—I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” Javi clears his throat, lightly rubbing at the facial hair he was now sporting.

A smile stays on your lips, “Certainly Mr. Rivera. Since you are the lead of this project, would you mind telling us how this differs from…Kate’s project?” You peek at the notes, although you had a photographic memory.

Javi glanced at Kate who dips her heard at him in support. He turns back to you and you listen as he goes into depth passionately about the use of androids that would be able to track the change in weather in states that are most affected by tornados. Javi slides over the mock-up design to your view, “They will be able to alert everyone much faster than a simple warning siren. Depending on what they’re programmed for, I have two versions: one that will also go into the tornado to decrease its intensity in a quicker manner than Kate’s project and then the other version will tend to those who need to be escorted to safe zones and assist in the clean up after.”

The room goes quiet, as the three watch you scribble some notes down.

Javi licks at his bottom lip, waiting in anticipation for whatever else you had to say. He watched nervously as your assistant leans towards you, with you whispering in their ear.

“I’ve reviewed the video that was sent over of you giving a test run of your project. Very impressive. The android that was delivered just last night is being analyzed as we speak.” You inform, “Congratulations…we’ll give you a trial run for two months to see your progress. If successful, you’ll be fully funded by Apexi co.”

That almost felt too easy.

Even with the hugs from Kate and congratulatory squeezes on Javi’s shoulder from Tyler.

“Good luck.” You tell Javi on your way out.

Which sent him right to the restroom, sick over not you agreeing to take on his project, but the fact that he was seeing you after leaving a rambling voicemail on your phone. If you listened to it, you gave nothing away. Your business suit was on and that only made Javi miss you more.

He’s holding onto his stomach, when he leaves the restroom, looking around the modern appearance of the company but he knows Tyler and Kate are waiting for him downstairs outside. Javi tries to shake off the nerves and start walking again but not without spotting you by the elevators, typing away on your phone.

It was now or never.

“Hey uh…I appreciate you deciding to take us on, considering…well you know.” Javi speaks from your left.

Blinking, you shift and say, “Considering that you emotionally cheated on me with an ex? You can say it you know. I’m not going to crumble to the floor at the mention of what happened. Plus it’s a great business opportunity and I know how to keep personal business separate…if you’re successful in this you won’t be dealing with me much anyway.”

“What if I want to.” Javi finds himself saying, his honey haze hues peered at you.

Your head tilts to the side, catching the hint, “I’d say your shit is outta luck then if you think this is going to develop into something more.”

Javi feels as if his heart was a balloon slowly deflating. “I…don’t know if I ever apologized.”

“You did.” You dip your head, “and life went on. I’d like to ask how life’s going with her but…I can already tell just by what you’re trying to pull here.”

“I’m not trying to pull anything I just…can’t get you outta my head.”

“That’s unfortunate for you.” You say with a furrow of your brow, trying not to be condescending but it still came out that way, “And also not my problem? You made your choice.”

You’re both entering the elevator, just the two of you with the doors closing you both in. It was suffocating for Javi, who rubbed at the slight ache that formed in the back of his neck, just listening to you be so closed off with him.

So cold…but what did he expect?

Javi hated to admit it but it was his truth, “She’s not you.”

“I know.” You exhale before turning your head to meet Javi’s saddened eyes, “And I know your heart…at least I thought I did. Listen to me when I say this, so that I’m clear. This will strictly be a business relationship…I finally fell out of love. As for you? Look at it this way, this will all just be another project for you to figure out, right?”

A ding is heard, before the doors are open and you walk out first, slipping some shades over your eyes as you blend into the crowd. At this point Javi knows there’s no need to chase after you, he screwed up what was once good for something that should be temporary.

There was nothing else there but lust with his old fling.

And now?

There were no ties to you either, you would make sure of that.

Which is as good as nothing, if you asked Javi.

⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆ ⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆ ⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆ ⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆ ⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆

FIN.

[thychesters]

hii gyro thank you for the tag @swordsmans

words posted:

7,758 LMAO vs 2023's 53,886 but hey, words are words.

additional words written:

uhhhh i've been doing a lot of writing ft. a lot that hasn't been posted so the actual number is probably closer to like [redacted] 😬

fandoms:

one piece lmaoooo

highest kudos + highest hit one shot:

wave after wave. with highest kudos & hits! i only posted two fics in 2024, one in jan. and one in dec.

new things i tried:

not in anything posted, but in a wip i tried my hand in stepping out of my comfort zone and messed with formatting and stream of consciousness. this year i let myself write and put down whatever words came to mind and didn't let myself edit until i was done. i also wrote my first ever proper outline!

fic i spent the most time on:

nautical dawn. took me the longest, purely for the sake of ensuring i felt like i hit the right beats. it's the shortest fic i've written in a while, but it was also a gift.

fic i spent the least time on:

wave after wave. technically took two months start to finish, but that was only because i wrote 95% of it on a plane, closed the doc, and then opened it again mid-jan like "oh oops". realistically it took maybe 3 hours?

favorite thing i wrote:

that's tough because some of my favorite ideas i haven't shared! from wave after wave. though i still like the line He’d raised his eye long enough to meet Luffy’s, gaze bleary, but under the blood, the dirt, and the pain that flashed across his face, he’d looked relieved. because while it's simple i like to think it says a lot about luffy and zoro's relationship. (strong contender was nami and zoro's bickering in nautical dawn. but that more than one line lmao)

favorite things i read:

aughhhh this is a tough one and i'm biased but that is that and this is this by kurgaya! i've always loved the way cams writes zolu/luzo and this was such a delight to see in my inbox. 100% biased here though and absolutely zero shame

writing goals for 2025:

do it, mostly. i have a few small ideas i'm tossing back and forth, but we'll see what sticks and what comes of it. maybe we'll break into smut again, who knows!

new works:

you'll see!

tagging:

i'm tagging @majormiles, @dogteethkakashi, @beck-a-leck, and @svtboo

[yocalio]

The way Tyler and Kate were like little kids in a theme park when they went chasing storms alone together, sharing in their passion and excitement for storm chasing got me thinking about the original Twister in like, this must've been how Jo and Bill were when they were kids first falling in love. 🥲

[snowflakeanimelover]

══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹════════════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════

Relationship: Thomas Shelby x Female Reader

Fandom: Peaky Blinders

Warnings/notes: Cussing, kidnapping, threats, enemies to lovers?, hurt/no comfort, badass reader, reader needs a hug, so does Tommy, SPOILERS, reader is written as American(with no Irish slang or speech mannerisms) but it's not detailed in the story.

Summary: As the leader of the notorious gang Peaky Blinders, Thomas Shelby knows his life won't be easy. Nothing ever is. However, he always felt he had the upper hand.

Until he gets kidnapped and dragged across land by a woman.

NOTES: this might be a mini series. I’ll probably post two chapters and see if people like it. Go from there.

Master list | Chapter 2

══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹════════════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════

All This Time

It had taken years of patience, blood, pain, and heartache to get where Thomas is today. He had a goal, and he got there to the best of his ability. He got there with hard earned rewards. He pissed a lot of people off while doing it, but what gangster doesn’t have enemies? Thomas has gone through many trials and errors, and he’ll continue to do it until his goals are fulfilled…no matter the cost. He has gotten this far, why stop now?

Thomas Shelby is a man of his word, a man with honesty, a man with smarts. He tends to be one step ahead of everyone. That includes his family and his enemies. However, there’s someone who ends up getting the upper hand.

One night, he remembers just falling asleep at the brink of midnight, and then a forceful push against his mouth with a sweet smell. He felt as if he was suffocating. Suffocating with fear and paranoia. All he could think of was the war, and he couldn’t help but to think how real this dream was. How this person held him down so firmly, pressing a cloth to his mouth. His arms flailed, his legs kicked, and then…

Darkness takes over.

══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════

A cold breeze was what awoke him so suddenly. For a moment, it felt nice, it felt peaceful, until he had almost forgotten what had happened. It was a nightmare, wasn’t it? A horrid dream that felt so real. However, the faint sound of crackling flames, chirping crickets and hooting owls, and many other outdoor noises made him realize he was far from home.

Thomas jolts up within seconds, eyes swimming in dizziness as he tries to wake up. He could feel his body sway from side to side as he sat up, shaking his head here and there to help him focus.

“You’re awake,” a voice says, matter of fact.

He wasn’t sure what it was, but he felt so frantic, so on guard. His ocean blue eyes, that have now become focused, land on a person sitting a few feet away from him on the ground, knees up in a relaxed hurdle sitting form.

A woman.

Thomas didn’t see it at first, mostly because this woman was wearing men’s clothing. Pants, boots, and a simple blouse. Unusual clothing for a woman, but he didn’t particularly care about that detail at the moment.

It’s not like he hasn’t been through this before, being kidnapped or jumped from behind for a good beating. His heart calms instantly, and he takes a deep breath to soothe his nerves. You can’t do anything if you’re frantic.

He takes a moment to study his surroundings, given this woman was sitting so casually close by. Thomas finds himself sitting on a blanket, feeling the prickling grass underneath it, and another blanket laid over his legs. He wore his nightly clothes, which can only prove what he thought was a dream…wasn’t.

Two horses shuffled in place nearby, their reigns tied to a thin tree. A handmade fire pit warmed his form beside him, and a large bag sitting behind the woman. Were they traveling?

”I wouldn’t try anything, if I were you,” the woman speaks up, her gaze flicking up from her fidgeting to the man she kidnapped. “He wants you alive, but he never said I couldn’t harm you.”

A clear threat, but one that hardly phased good ol’ Tommy.

Thomas’ blue irises are trained on the woman now, watching as her fingers pick apart some piece of bread, stuffing some in her mouth here and there to chew. “Where the fuck are we? Who are you?”

She doesn’t answer right away, taking her time to mess with her food and stare at the dancing flames between them. “You can call me Y/N,” she answers vaguely. ”And yes, I kidnapped you.”

”What do you want? Money, eh?” His tone was frustrated, panicked, even. He was trying to think. Trying to answer all of the questions piling in his mind, and figuring out how to get out of there. “I’ve got plenty enough to give you.” It was a cheap shot, honestly. He grimaced at such an easy way to get out of this, but he didn’t really care. He doesn’t like being in a situation where he isn’t in control.

Y/N huffs a breathy laugh, an amused smile adorning her face. The sky was dark, and the orange flames lit her complexion nicely. “I'm sure you do, Mr. Shelby.” And with that, she doesn’t say anything else.

Now Thomas was getting frustrated. What in the world could this woman want? What would she gain out of this?

“You said he,” Thomas asks, thinking about her words from just a few minutes ago. He figured that was enough of a question as it was for her.

”I did,” she nods, not bothering to add anything to it.

He scoffs. And he thought Polly or Ada were difficult…now he surely knows who’s on the top of that list. “Who is he,” Thomas continues. He wants answers, and he wants them now.

“For a powerful gangster, Mr. Shelby, I’m amazed you don’t know all of your enemies,” Y/N comments nonchalantly. “He is someone you’ll find out once we’re there.”

”Where’s there?”

”Boy, you sound just like your son. What’s his name again?” She smirks, glancing at Thomas. “Charlie, right? Although that’s what you all call him. His real name is Charles-“

”Where the fuck is my son?!” Thomas begins to throw the blanket off of him, determined to reach her and wrap his hands around her pretty neck.

But a simple cock of a gun freezes him, and he looks down at her relaxed hand. A 1911 pistol held tightly in her grip as she pointed it right at him.

“Take another step, and I’ll shoot you in the leg,” she warns, “now that wouldn’t be a good idea, hm? If you want to see your son again, I suggest you stay calm.”

With labored breaths, Thomas reluctantly sits back down in his spot, feeling defeated.

”Relax,” Y/N then says, putting her gun back by her side. “I didn’t touch Charlie. He’s right where you last saw him, at home.” she doesn’t miss the way Thomas lets out a breath of relief. She is surprised he believes her so quickly, not that she’s lying, anyway.

Suddenly, a harsh thump is heard as a small half of a loaf of bread falls on his blanket. Thomas’ brows furrowed in confusion as he hesitantly picked it up, glancing at the woman for answers.

“Hungry?” The corners of her lips quirk up into an amused grin, seeming to have the other half of the loaf and takes a bite of it. “You’ll need to eat. We’ll be riding at dawn. It’ll be a long day tomorrow.”

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

What a February

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

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

So to recap recent events:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On the new website:

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

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

What about Archewell?

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

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

What about the timing of all this?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No Meghan

No royal work

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[thedndgoblinwholivesinyourwalls]

i need to sleep but NAY JADELE ART MUST BE DRAWN!!!

[snowflakeanimelover]

I highly agree with this! Please go check it out❤️

If you are a Douma simp looking to be fed, PLEASE do yourself a favor and go to AO3 right now and read Cold Affections by ULS. It's a very natural slow burn yandere douma x reader fic, and the way the author portraits each character is very realistic including douma. Which the author makes an amazing job in keeping him as canon as possible.

ITS SIMPLY AMAZING!!!

[johnbottoms]

I don't want to see any of my favorite couples married or pregnant or parenting a bunch of kids. that's for facebook this is tumblr.com