#tfrwinterball

"This can't be happening."

"I'm going to tell you what I'll be telling everyone behind you. Don't say anything until we know more. Keep your mouth shut. Tell me you understand."

@tfrstarters

Whether he was going to be sweet or distracting was lost on him though when he saw just who was standing beside her. William's fists clenched and all illusions of calm left him. Slater. He should have known he was involved in this somehow. Suddenly, William was between Juliette and Slater, jaw clenched as he now weighed up the options of killing him.

"Get the hell away from her-," he said carefully if not through clenched teeth. Slater's shit-eating grin made William sick. But before anyone could do something they'd regret, he was gone. William took a minute longer to come back down, turning to face Juliette. "Are you okay?" @juliettevanderbilt

TFR Winter Ball ↣ Plot Drop

Ella Fairchild was about to announce it was time for the waltz when it happened. The lights went out. There was a crash! A scream. Then in the blink of an eye, they came back on. But what was that in the middle of the room, surrounded by Ella's guests - their nearest and dearest associates and their families. Was it... a mannequin? In a suit!? On closer inspection, some guest bravely poking at it with the tip of their Louboutin, it was a mannequin, in a suit, with rope around its plastic neck. And then someone read the mannequin's name tag:

Howard Archibald

Howard Archibald. The whispers threatened to turn to uproar when suddenly everyone's cell phones started going off. Was it... Gossip Girl? No, Gossip Girl had never made anyone's parents make a face like that. Suddenly, the crowd was shouting, yelling down their phones, demanding answers! Shrieks of 'is that true' and 'get the lawyer, now!' echoed around the party. So, what happened? A number of powerful families had received word that their companies had been hacked. That their secrets were being leaked. That employees' good names were being dragged through the mud - true or not. Stock was tanking. Security was breached. And there was a message from Howard Archibald to each of them.

For hanging me out to dry.

For hanging me out to dry. Was this just the beginning? Who had known about this? Nate Archibald? Anne Vanderbilt? The rumours were already flying as Ella Fairchild tried to salvage what was left of the night. One thing was clear: the holidays weren't going to be very happy for some.

OOC Information:

So, big yikes! You can now have your characters react to the above plot drop. Whether they're clearing out for the night, sticking around to see what happens, stealing champagne or grabbing a goody bag. Go for it!

If you would like your character or their families to be affected by Howard's devious deeds, please do! Families like the Bass', Hunters, Watts', etc. have been hit so please do hop aboard! If there are any secrets that have been leaked about your character's family or business, let me know and we can shine a big, dramatic, light on it!

The event will officially conclude on 17/2/25. As always, you can finish up your pre-plot drop threads for as long as you need. You can also do any December-y threads as well, if you want!

I will be posting a Holiday Themed task before posting the next IC Month Update - moving us into January 2025 by end of this month!