#also their relationship to kendall when compared to each other has a lot to look at

[swankpalanquin]

the kendall greg shiv and tom quadrangle of characters was so good in succession

[raging-violets]

you already know what i will be asking about but ⭐️ for playing with fire! how did you come up with the idea of riley going with kendall to minnesota? the jail plotline? the katie scenes? many questions my apologies but i absolutely adore that fic! it’s one of my favourites that you’ve written!

I had to skim that fic just to remember what happened in it since I haven't read it in a while. Anyway, to answer your questions:

How did you come up with the idea of riley going with kendall to minnesota?

This was actually supposed to be a series of fics where each of the Jacksons went with a BTR boy to a different place to get some time away from each other/be prepared for adoption etc and followed the angst from there. So Riley went to Minnesota with the Knights, Rhuben would've gone to Texas with Logan, Patrick would've gone to NYC with James, Noah would've gone to FL with Carlos, and Sydney would've been in LA with Ronan. Because I'm so obviously pro Kiley, that was the one that came up first before I completely nixed the idea. But it was also because I always wondered what Riley would've thought of Kendall's home life with him being excited but also anxious to show her. He wouldn't have been embarrassed by his old life per se but he was aware of how...'boring' it was compared to everything music related she'd experienced up until them.

The jail plotline?

Jail plotline is from the canon plotline of the trouble that Riley, Rhuben, Patrick, and Noah got into when they were in Australia. It's fixed in their canon background because if it's a story or fandom where their parents are alive, it's the catalyst that has them move to the US. If it's a story or a fandom where their parents aren't alive it's part of their backstory. Long story short, Riley and Rhuben had great friends and a great family and tend to bend the rules but don't break them often. But then Riley and Rhuben meet some people who aren't the best/cause trouble and who they want to impress and start to do stupid dares that bend the rules of things. After a while it's clear that those friends are part of a gang and they get so stuck that, eventually, they steal their parents' wedding rings to sell off for money to, essentially, pay for protection. Patrick and Noah get wrapped up into it when they start to figure out what's going on and eventually there's a fight they get caught up in that has them detained for assault. Just back when I wrote it, I had no idea what I was writing and just added it for angst driven reasons so it kind of came out of nowhere. But at any point Ri, Rhu, Pat, or No ever mention they "got in some trouble at home" that's what they're talking about. And that's what that plot is.

The katie scenes?

So, one of the things that I've always been curious about is Kendall's and Katie's relationship in that...if you watch the show, a lot of the time it looks like Kendall's relationship with James, Carlos, and Logan are more important than his and Katie's. Makes sense, they're best friends, hockey players, in a band, they're brothers. They're family. But Katie is his actual family. You can tell they're close with the 'Big Brother', 'Baby Sister' thing and how quickly they will help each other when needed, and he used to sing her to sleep. The six year age gap between them (though we always push it to a three year age gap) would make it harder for them to have the same plotlines. But he's her brother and it looked like he all but abandoned her once they got to LA and they had much more than they could've ever wanted in Minnesota. So, how would she fell about that? She'd probably be really upset and pissed. She looks up to Kendall and probably sees him as her best friend in a way, and also as her dad, so why is it that everyone and everything else in his life has a bigger point of importance over her? That's the feeling I was wanting to explore with Katie...especially because of the fact that she really looks up to Riley as well and wants to spend some time with just her, but it seems that she only wants to spend time with Kendall. She's talked to Patrick about it but Patrick doesn't feel that way as he spends plenty of time with Riley just them and then also spends time with Katie just them, and doesn't really feel that he's been neglected in that way. Katie, on the other hand, feels neglected because of her big brother's new job, new friends, new crush, new experiences and it's like she's just an afterthought, especially since she didn't want to be in the limelight at all. She misses her brother (probably as much as she misses her dad) and that's not looked at a lot.

[littledreamybeth]

For you

A/N: I actually don’t know what to think of this. So I let you decide. I never thought I would finish this piece one day, it has been in my drafts ever since October 2020. There is a fandom mentioned that I do not intend to offend. If I do, I apologize profusely. Please leave some feedback, criticism behind, anything that can help me improve and progress. The goal I’m pursuing is being an execeptional writer, who can move people with her skills. Please a comment, anything that’ll help me :) I haven’t properly checked grammar and spelling btw

In which Y/N is jealous, and it has to end

Winter 2022

An indescribable pain shot through my body, aiming directly at my heart. The intensity with which the pain was rammed into my vital organ nearly knocked all the air out of my lungs. I tried tuning down my hiccups in order to not wake up the sleeping man in front of me. The last thing I wanted was to explain why his girlfriend was bawling her eyes out in the middle of the night. I just wanted to get on with this, forget and move on with my life.

I knew it was a cowardly move to break up with Harry over a text message, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at him, watching him crumble into pieces while my lips formed words that were for away from the truth. “I don’t love you anymore.”

One the one hand, I wished I had never woken up to use the bathroom and seen these pap photos of him and his group of rich, influential friends; of him and Kendall Jenner-his supposed ex- goofing around familiarly with each other at the beach. When Harry had told me he’d meet up with them for a get together, a little part of me had hoped that he would not interact with her in any sort of way. Naïve of me to think that, knowing how close they actually were. Pictures of him scooping her up and twirling her around circulated everywhere. I couldn’t be angry at him. Not over this. She was his friend and always would be. There was nothing I could do against it.

One the other hand, all of this opened my eyes somehow and made me realize I couldn’t live like this anymore. A young woman constantly overrun by a feeling she wished she could get rid of.

I had met Harry shortly after the release of his second album ‘Fine Line’. Knowing a little bit about his past relationship, I was afraid that I could’ve been just a rebound to mend his broken heart, but Harry made it clear through his words and also his actions that he wanted more than something based on mere attraction.

Our first encounter was something compared to a scene from a cheesy rom-com. I was grocery shopping at a supermarket somewhere nearby the street I was living at. Having a lot in mind back then, I had completely spaced out, strolling absentmindedly through the aisles, and not really taking any notice of my surroundings until I ran into somebody extremely hard. The items I held in my arms, which mostly consisted of canned food, instantly fell down and was scattered on the floor. The loud noise emitting from the collision with the stranger attracted everybody’s attention towards us, making me want to dissolve into thin air. I was never a fan of attention. The feeling only intensified when I met eyes with the person standing in front of me. Deep, sparkling green eyes, sharp jawline, plump pink lips, ring cladded fingers and the outline of an anchor tattoo under the sleeve of his black sweatshirt with ‘Treat People with Kindness’ labeled on the front were enough to attach the puzzle pieces together. My heart accelerated at the realization that I almost had knocked over one of the most influential and famous people in the music industry. Harry Styles. My celebrity crush for almost a decade. As if me running into him wasn’t terrible and embarrassing enough, I only stood there, unable to speak and stared at him as if he was an alien. A handsome one on top. This was not the way I imagined meeting him. I had better scenarios in my head than this one. While I struggled between developing an escape plan or staying there and making an idiot out of myself even more, the sound of his angelic smooth voice rang through my ears.

“Are you okay?”

I instantly answered, “Y-yes. I apologize. I should’ve been more cautious.”

“No worries. It’s fine. I mean, I’m still alive.” The corner of my lips emerged slightly. I appreciated his effort to make the situation less awkward for me. We smiled at each other before I crouched down to collect my stuff from the ground. Through the corner of my eye, I noticed that Harry also did the same thing.

“You don’t need to do that.” I immediately commented, despite feeling gratitude. “I’ll be fine on my own. Don’t let me stop you from doing your shopping.”

Harry, on the contrary, wasn’t listening to me, piling up item after item in his arms. After the floor was free from the stuff I was going to buy, I thanked Harry for his help. Harry did not bid farewell instantly but steered me towards the checkout instead. The friendly cashier scanned my shopping and when I was about to pay, somebody placed his warm hand on top of mine, stopping me from taking money out of my purse. I just saw a credit card being handed over to the cashier lady.

“Please, it’s on me.”

“Wait, Harry. That’s not n-“  I tried to intervene, however, he shot me a glance which indicated that he didn’t tolerate any objections. We then silently placed everything into some plastic bags and then we were good to go.

Outside the supermarket, I expected him to say goodbye to me once again, yet the anticipated reaction never came. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that didn’t enjoy his company, it was everything I ever hoped for, but still I didn’t want to bother him any longer. He had probably forgotten what he was there for in the first place anyway because he came out of the supermarket completely empty-handed. Because he felt like he had to take care of me. This was a typical attribute of his.

My encounter with him didn’t stop there, no, he also asked me to grab some coffee with him, and the next place I found myself was somewhere in a fancy coffee shop with a cup of hot chocolate between my hands. I still couldn’t believe that all of this was happening. It seemed so unreal to me- Harry seated in front of me, casually talking about his career and how he gets inspiration for his songs while my brain absorbed every given information. I could’ve sat there for an eternity and just listen to what he had to say. He had some remarkably interesting views on certain topics, and I was astounded at how smart and intelligent he was. The shy, uptight young woman in me disappeared the more we were in each other’s company. Harry made me feel comfortable in a way that I was brave enough to share some aspects about my life- even the embarrassing ones. Hours and hours had passed, and we had left the coffee shop after the sky had turned dark. He was generous enough to offer me a ride back home, escorting me to his car and giving me a ride straight to my apartment. He noted he wanted to keep in touch with me for whatever reason and that was the general outline of how our story had started. He confessed his feelings for me on his birthday in 2020, and we had been a couple ever since. An inseparable one, too.

I couldn’t quite remember when everything started going south in my head and I began reading into things that usually didn’t look the way they were. Pictures of him posing with plenty attractive women, whether it be fans or artists, suddenly caused an invisible knife to ram right in the middle of my chest. I lost focus on counting of how many times I had shed tears over an innocent, meaningless photo. I had been in a few relationships before Harry and I got together. But in none of them had I felt jealousy in such tremendous intensity as I did with my singer boyfriend. I assumed my jealousy most likely stemmed from the fear that Harry could drop me any time for another woman because he didn’t find me beautiful anymore. As a young individual with no confidence, with no respect and love for herself, deluding yourself to such thoughts was very easy, but it also caused unnecessary emotional pressure. My soul was never really at peace. Harry remained with me for over two years, so did the green-eyed monster who took every opportunity to eat me alive.

Someday in September 2020, Harry had proudly announced that he had accepted an offer from actress Olivia Wilde who had asked him to participate in her upcoming movie called “Don’t worry, darling”. I had liked the idea of him wanting to expand his chances in acting and make himself a name in the film industry since Harry had shown through Dunkirk that he was indeed capable of acting, but that was before I had seen the script. My boyfriend was sat next to me while my eyes skimmed through the plot, his knees nervously bouncing up and down while observing me intensely, trying to decipher my reaction. My blood started freezing in my veins when I had read the first scene and found out what it included. My brain could hardly register the information it was receiving. Harry was going to play a husband. He was the second lead, and he was going to star next to Florence Pugh who played his on-screen wife. Wife. Intimacy. Kisses. Touches. The green-eyed monster in me had immediately emerged to the surface at the realization. These factors were enough to spoil the entire movie for me. But still suppressing the bitter emotion, I feigned excitement and bid my congrats, saying that he was going to do an amazing job and meet lots of incredible actors- as a supportive girlfriend should, right? Yet, I still ended up sitting on the cold tiles of my bathroom floor hours after Harry had left my apartment with his marks on my skin, heavily crying like I had never cried before. 

The night before the filming had been planned to start, I had rolled back and forth in my bed, unable to sleep. My mind had drifted to stupid thoughts about Harry falling in love with his screen partner- albeit she was also taken- abandoning me for the petite, blonde, gorgeous woman. This and some other thoughts about them had been firmly anchored in the back of my head, increasing my anxiety tremendously that I had constant nightmares about it. Harry had often inquired whether I could accompany him to the set- I remember, how his eyes lightened up at the idea- but every time, I’d decline, coming up with different excuses. I knew he badly wanted to introduce me to the cast, however, if I had seen Florence, beautifully dressed in her character’s attire while I looked like a homeless person because I had no single sense of fashion, I would’ve instantly started crying and humiliating myself in front of Harry’s colleagues. I did not meet the entire crew until the film was wrapped up and finished, ready to be shown to the world. Our paths only crossed at the premier of the movie.

Sitting at the cinema and watching “Don’t worry, darling” had been the most terrible nearly two hours of my entire life. Seeing Harry touching and kissing someone that wasn’t me drove me nuts although I tried to console myself by repeating it was just acting- none of that was real. No matter what had happened, Harry still belonged to me. However, my stupid mind had been unwilling to comprehend or accept this. I could also hardly look away at scenes that bothered the crap out of me since my boyfriend had been placed next to me, often sparing a glance at my direction, probably to check what I thought about the movie. By the time “DWD” had come to an end and the credits were shown, I had been able to breathe properly again.

The entire night of the premiere I had pushed a fake smile on my lips, gushing about how much I loved the movie when I was asked even though it was quite the contrary to what I truly felt. Harry had just proven what a great actor he was with his incredible performance as Jack, and I couldn’t even be happy for him because his co-worker was, well, a woman. What kind of girlfriend did that make me?

My jealousy reached a peak when Taylor Swift published her album “Folklore” in 2020. Of course some Haylor-enthusiasts would take the opportunity and thoroughly examine each lyrics and the meaning behind it, concluding that some songs where somewhat related to my boyfriend. I knew I should have refrained myself from reading these theories, yet I did, and I went crazy shortly after. I regretted having read them in the first place because each theory was so convincing that it made me believe Taylor still had feelings for Harry. Which girlfriend would love the idea of having their boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend writing songs about him, then sharing them with the entire world? But could I blame her if it were indeed the case? Who could ever manage to get over Harry so easily? It was nearly impossible. Harry has something about him that holds you captive, something that makes you want to keep him in your life. Once he leaves, he leaves visible traces behind.

Had Harry ever provided a reason that evoked my distrust? Had he ever looked at a woman in way other than friendly? Absolutely not. Harry was the most affectionate and loyal boyfriend I had, and he showed me every day how much I meant to him- whether it be little gifts, every-day calls and messages, or “I love you’s” and physical love.

To clear things up, I felt no single resentment for these women, nor did I hold some grudge against them- at least that was what I tried keeping in mind. I just wanted them to stay away from my love as far as possible. I just wanted every woman, posing a possible threat, to keep their distance from Harry. That’s sick and twisted, I know. Despite having these thoughts, it was not my place to decide whether my boyfriend, well now soon-to-be ex-boyfriend, could hang out and make friends with women. And it should be okay for me. Florence was a good woman, I had no doubts, and if the circumstances were different, I bet we could’ve become best friends. The same applied to Taylor. She was a talented musician with gifted skills of composing remarkable, touching lyrics.

I bent down on my knees, inching closer to Harry’s sleeping frame. I just wanted to savor up a little bit more time before I let him be completely ripped off of my life. My fingers automatically and instantly found their way up to his curls, itching to feel their softness against them. The fresh scent of his oh-so familiar shampoo hit my nostrils. The realization that I wouldn’t have the chance of burying my face in his hair ever again after I exited this room made tears well up my eyes one more time. I was so sick of crying. Even though I longed putting an end on my jealousy, I also didn’t want what Harry and I had to end. However, he was the essence of my abnormal behavior, so I had no choice but abandoning him. I didn’t want to blame him for our breakup- it was my fault, not his. Because I couldn’t control my jealousy. Because I had to be jealous over the littlest thing.

I kissed the side of his head. “I’m so sorry, H. I’m doing this for you, and I hope you understand.”

I was about to switch off the light on his side of the bed when suddenly something grabbed my wrist tightly. A gasp escaped my mouth, and my heart literally slipped down to my belly. Harry started shifting in his position, and all I prayed for was that he kept sleeping. My wish wasn’t granted. The love of my life opened his eyes, blinking a few times before his green orbs adjusted to the dim light illuminating the room.

“Y/N?” He asked groggily, the deep tone of his voice sent shivers down my spine- as usual. “Are you heading somewhere?”

He eyed me from top to bottom and noticed that I wasn’t wearing my nightwear anymore but my everyday clothes instead. A glint of concern washed over his face as he detected the tears running down both of my cheeks.

“What’s wrong, lovie? Is everything alright? Why are you crying?”

He took one of my hands between his warm one, squeezing it gently to provide comfort while his other hand was placed on my cheek, swiping away the salty liquid from the corner of my eye. I wished he wouldn’t act this loving. It only made the choice to go through with my plan harder. I kept my eyes shut, my lips trembling. I felt like a ticking timebomb about to explode any second. I was going to break his precious heart, and that was going to crush mine.

“Y/N, what the hell is going on? You’re worrying me. Has something bad happened?” He sounded more demanding and impatient now, waiting for an answer.

“I’m sorry…” I only croaked, trying to swallow down the lump in my throat and avoiding eye contact.

“What do you m-“

I felt him freeze in his posture as I laid the amulet he had bought me for our 1st anniversary into his palms. It carried meaning for the two of us. It stood as a symbol for our everlasting love. We spoke about passing it on to our next generations once we became old and wrinkly, and they would continue passing it on to theirs then. We wanted the piece of jewelry to become an heirloom for our future family. Harry had been so certain about me becoming his wife someday, now I felt horrible for ruining his plans and taking away his hopes.

“I’m doing this for you…” My voice was nothing but a whisper permeating through the room. I watched his expression change from pure confusion to sheer fright as he figured out the meaning behind my statement. I didn’t give him a chance to speak, connecting our lips for the very last time and then starting to move backwards to the door. With each step that I distanced myself from him, I felt like I was stabbed by thousand knives.

“Y/N, wait!” I had no clue why my body listened to his plea in that moment while my mind just wanted to move forward. When I turned back and faced him, he still sat in the same position as earlier, not having shifted an inch. He had his gaze trained on the small amulet before his eyes met mine.

“Are you seriously breaking up with me?”

My tongue and lips failed to speak. So I simply nodded with my head.

“But why?” he whimpered. The urge to go back to him, wrapping my arms around his waist and consoling his sadness was enormous. It took a lot of strength refraining myself from doing it.

“So, this is it?” he sniffled. “You won’t give me a reasonable excuse as to why you’re leaving me out of nowhere although everything was fine between us only a few hours ago? Did I do something wrong? Is there anything I need to apologize for? Please, tell me because I don’t know why I deserved to be dumped this way, for fuck’s sake.”

Memories of last evening flashed before my eyes. Us standing in the kitchen, the counter full of sprinkles and ingredients for cookies, parts of our faces and clothes covered in flour while we attempted mixing everything together. ‘Adore you’ was blasting through the speakers in the living room, the song echoing through the entire apartment.  While I was more or less occupied with the cookies, Harry occasionally danced around in the background from time to time, often grabbed my hand and pulled me against his chest, singing, “Walk through fire for you, just let me adore you” into my ear, eliciting a giggle out of my mouth. Every once in a while he would steal kisses from my lips. We ended up having a movie marathon, filling our bellies with feel-good-foods and cookies. It was one of the many moments in which we were carefree and happy, blending out the harsh world outside the apartment. If I only had known that this memory was the last one we had created. If I only had known that our happiness wouldn’t last long because reality had overtaken my senses.  

I should tell him. I should open up to him. I should address the elephant in the room.  But I was deeply abashed to the core. Because if I told him, everything would change. Harry would make sure he cut ties with each of his female friends- no joke. He’d pay more attention to never crossing the line because he’d fear losing me. He’d give up all the connections he’d made because of me. I couldn’t risk that.

That’s why I was taking a deep breath and then claiming, “I just want you to be happy, Harry. Trust me, it’s for the best. It’s for your best.”

“Y/N, please, I’ll be miserable if you leave!” he cried. “Stay, please stay. Let’s talk it out whatever that is that’s bothering you. I’m here for you. I love you!”

“I don’t,” I blurted automatically, instantly regretting it. I had tried avoiding this situation, but now it was here, and there was no turning back. The text message wouldn’t serve any purpose anymore as I had hoped. It was as if destiny wanted me to face my fate. I loved Harry more than anything, he had to know it, but in that moment, my words were convincing enough to make him choke on his own breath. I had the urge to empty my stomach at his reaction. The lie I just spit out tasted awfully foul on my tongue. Harry himself looked like someone had kicked him in the guts. All I could see through my teary gaze was how he directed the amulet to his forehead and had it rested there while his shoulders began shaking heavily. He held onto it tightly as if everything depended on it. He held onto the remains of something that once had been a beautiful, steady relationship. The cries leaving his mouth would always haunt and chase after me for the rest of my life. Everything in that room began to suddenly rotate. A quick pain shot through my head. I wanted to grab something to support myself- my trembling legs would give up on me any second, but unfortunately, nothing was there.

“T-that’s n-not t-true…” Harry mumbled, facing me again as denial washed over his handsome features. “Y-you’re lying. I know you’re lying. Y-you must b-be. But the question is why?”

Because I don’t want you to have to deal with a jealous girlfriend, because I don’t want this feeling to transform into something more terrible than it already is and ruin everything between us, I added in my head.

“Make me understand, Y/N. Let’s not end it like this. I’m begging you…”

“Harry,” I sighed, the sadness in the room killing me. I needed to get out as soon as possible or I would faint because of guilt. Clearing my throat, I continued, “You need someone in your life who’s better than me. A young woman who’s supportive and accepting of all people roaming around you. Of all connections, decisions, and friendships you make. I’ve realized I cannot give you that. You shouldn’t have to handle a green-eyed monster like me.”

I truly hoped my explanation was enough. Harry frowned, looking perplexed.

With the final words of “I’m genuinely sorry from the bottom of my heart”, I was already out the door before he could even jump out of his bed and run after me, leaving my whole world behind in that room.  His devastated cries filling the night were powerful enough to shatter our planet into millions of tiny pieces.

[leewritesstuff]

Keeping Up With The Hollands | 03 (Interview)

Summary: You and Tom were offered to document your life since you are both famous in the entertainment industry. Now as you got older you left the entertainment industry and head for the medical field. How difficult can it be? Also, did I mention that you have kids?

Previous | CHAPTER 03 | Next

Series Masterlist

WORDS: 1.04K

If you have questions that you'd like to ask for Tom or for.. you? Then don't be shy to send them. I apologize for this being late, my sister had a project and I got invested with Love Island

'

'

"Hey I'm Y/N L/N and I'll be playing with puppies while answering your questions, hit it" One of the staff members hands you a cute white pomeranian puppy.

"Oh, my fucki- wait I can't curse in front of you! You're too cute for me to do that" You sad suddenly forgetting that you were doing an interview. The Pomeranian puppy licked at your nose then barked at you wagging its tail. As you were giggling you heard a cough, realizing it was coming from the staff members.

"Oh right, sorry! I forgot I was doing this interview. Okay so let's start."

How do you deal with all the hate? And what's your motto for this year

"Uh I mostly ignore them, actually I have a high tolerance to ignore bullshit so if someone dislikes me or something I do and sends hate, I just basically say okay! ...Or just fall asleep. For the motto question, um well I don't have one but I could think of one....'Reject the status quo?' I don't know, I was watching too much High School Musical. Next question"

While you were answering the questions, another puppy came. You took it and place it on your lap, it was a German Shepherd puppy. You took your hand that has bracelets on it and dangled it in front of the puppies watching as they try to catch it. Smile instantly forming on your face.

Were there any struggles in you and Tom's relationship?

"Mhm, I like this question. Our relationship isn't as complex as thinks everyone thinks it is. When we first started dating there was a few issues since the age gap. We started dating when I was 27 and he was around 21, and people were sending me messages saying how I'm using him for his money and that I was some weird pedophile and I was so confused because don't you have to be with someone who's underage in order to be called that? Plus, I'm not bragging but I have more money compare to Tom. People are weird these days dude."

Do you have a crush on Harrison? If not, is there any other guy you find attractive?

That's a weird question to ask. Harrison is a very attractive guy and we respect each other. He's more of a best friend than anything. I really love him! For the other half... probably Niall Horan wait not, let's say the members of One Direction except for Harry yeah Zayne as well but um...maybe James Franco or Chris Evans? Look if I were to list all of my celebrity crushes we would be here all day so let's move on" You let out a giggle and smile when the Shepherd bark at you

"See, Sheppy here thinks so as well, don't you?"

There are rumours about Tom and Zendaya, saying that they are in a relationship do you think so?

"No, I don't, if anything I'd say Zendaya and I are in a secret - well not so secret now. I'm sorry Tom...but yeah uh, I don't think any of it, they both are close to me so I honestly don't think they would ever do something like that. Zendaya is an amazing actress and friend and if there's any issues I would most likely go to her for a second opinion and Tom, he's spectacular- oh my god,  I've been hanging around with brits too much but anyway, he's amazing and the way that his parents brought him up, he wouldn't cheat."

Will you make music?

"Actually I thought the old songs...that I made weren't that good, but I'm surprised people actually like it. Uh, I probably have a good... 5 or so finished and a few unfinished ones but who knows I may put out some!"

Are there any upcoming movies?

Actually, there is. I have two upcoming movies with Tom, which was a surprise to me, but I'm not going to give any more details! I have a minor part in both The 100 and Euphoria. Any other projects you'll just have to wait and see~"

Why did you break up with Harry?

"Mhm, I'm not surprised at this but now, it's getting very old being asked this. I love Harry but it seems that Kendall Jenner was better than me? Not sure, but I had wished we had talked about this instead of me finding out from the internet. Wish him and her the best"

Noticing your distress, the Pomeranian came over and licked your face, a sad smile forming on your face.

What's one moment from your career that you'll never forget?

"I think one of the best moment I'll never forget is when a fan of mines came to a meet and greet and gave me a stuffed toy, I got two, one of a butterfly and one of me, and when she gave me it and I almost cried because I haven't gotten something hand made like that. She literally spent a whole week on it, what makes it even better is that they light up!"'

You lay down on the floor watching as the German Shepherd tried to tug your hand while the Pomeranian lays on your stomach. The camera shifts to face your view.

"Am I making your hands hurt?" You asked the cameraman but he just gave you a smile.

"Ah my bad, my back hurts from sitting like that so I needed a break, if your hands are hurtin' lemme know"

Last question: What advice would you give to a fan who's struggling with depression?

"Well, there isn't a best advice. For me when I had depression is that you aren't alone. There's actually a lot of people suffering from depression and I think being not okay is fine, you just need... to find something that's positive- actually, surround yourself with positive people that cheers you up, do something that you like, talk to people, that's what I did and  I can honestly say that I'm doing great now."

As you sat up, you grabbed the Pomeranian and gently rest them on the floor, while the camera follows you. You smiled at the camera and wave.

"Thanks for sending in your messages! I really enjoy them. I am Y/n L/N and this has been Buzzfeed!"

T A G L I S T

@webmeupspiderdaddy @runawayolives @nerdy-collector-festival @hopelessromm@bi-lmg @speedyhandsbonkpalace

(If you see this then I couldn't tag you) Want to be added? Then message me!

[uzumaki-rebellion]

“Wet Sugar” [Part 21 of 30]

Summary: Erik has doubts about what he has done...

Mature Audience. NSFW. 

"Gotta be careful, I know, I know You and me can't be nothing no more I've been lookin' for something from you I've been gettin' nothing at all You're such a fuckin' woman (woman) But deserves the fuckin' world, yeah…"

Lucky Daye—"Love You Too Much"

The saltwater in the pool soaked Erik's sunburned skin as he floated on his back. He would've preferred to swim at the cove, but going there was all her. Too much her.

That woman he tried to ignore became a specter before his eyes. He would catch glimpses of her around the compound, but she was like a rumor whispered in hushed tones. They were able to work around each other, but sometimes he caught her lingering above the gun range when he was there firing the new weapons with the other mercs. He acted like he didn't see her in the distance when she did that, or when he caught her slipping out of the kitchen when they all came to eat. He felt her eyes on him even when he couldn't directly see her.

He did the same, often hanging back after meals, sipping on dinner espresso and waiting to hear the side kitchen door open with her bounding in to help Leona clear away dishes and leftovers. Or he would stay out by the pool for a long time and catch the sound of leaves rustling as she snuck down to the cove using the secret path no one else knew about. She would sometimes cuss at Jerome while heading there and he would stifle a laugh while thinking about the first time he heard her talking to the iguana. The sound of her voice still thrilled him. It was the girlish softness of it mixed with the smart-ass personality behind it that still made him excited about her.

He dreamed about her. And Sydette.

Those night visions were often a replay of the earlier days of them alone at the compound. He'd wake up suddenly in the middle of the night clutching at his side hoping she was there. When he heard movement from Linda in the room next to his, he would pretend it was Sweet Pea sneaking out of her bed to crawl between him and Yani.

He knew from jump Yani despised Linda.

But that was to be expected because Linda tended to rub people the wrong way and of course...he had fucked the woman. Linda could be condescending to people that she felt were inferior to her. She treated a lot of the other mercs that way and they couldn't say shit because her skills were so tight and she proved it to be true time and time again. She never tried it with him. His game was tighter than hers and she respected that.

He never saw Yani act funky in front of Linda personally, but Linda often commented on how Leona was very nice to her, but Yani was just direct and spoke very little.

"She's efficient and like a damn ninja around here…but I can't get more than two words out of her when I ask her for stuff. It's like I'm bothering her own personal things. She acts like Klaue's house is her house. I had my feet on the coffee table and she walked past me with the laundry sucking her teeth."

Erik knew the reason why Yani was acting that way. It wasn't because of no feet on the furniture.

Klaue moved Linda into his house and her bedroom was next to Erik's. She was sleeping in Sweet Pea's old room. She was sleeping too close to him.

Yani wasn't the only one feeling irritated by new interactions.

He was feeling a way about her and Zachary.

Erik still lurked on her social media to see how she was doing. At first, it was to keep tabs on Sweet Pea from afar, and he could also see what Yani had to say about her classes. She was acing school like he knew she would, but it was the posts about her social life that had him uptight.

As expected, Zachary pounced on her, and Yani seemed open to the rekindling of some type of relationship because Erik saw pictures of them together at clubs and group gatherings. Yani had big smiles on her face when she posed with Zachary, and apparently, they took a trip to Jamaica together for a concert Kendall performed at. He saw pictures of them posing in front of a waterfall together in swimsuits holding hands while facing one another. Yani's eyes were closed and the grin on her face told him that they had either kissed before the picture was snapped, or they were about to kiss.

He couldn't even be all that mad on a certain level if he were honest with himself. He would've done the same thing. If he'd lost a bad bitch being stupid, he wouldn't waste time snatching her back up.

She looked happy in that picture. Zachary looked…enamored with her. Erik wondered if she was sleeping with him. Getting new dick to forget the old dick. Erik scoffed a bit while staring at them. Ain't no way Zachary could handle what Yani had. Fire pussy needed bomb ass dick. That was the only thing that kept Erik from going off seeing her with someone else that soon.

What nigga could compare to him with her?

He used to make that bitch's pussy jump when he called her on the phone. He could snap his fingers and have her pulling open her slit for him whenever he wanted it, had her cumming and crying and begging him not to stop until she couldn't hold onto him anymore. Made Yani sit anywhere he wanted—indoors or outdoors-with her legs wide open while he watched her slam a thick blue dildo in her pussy just to amuse him before he picked her up and stretched her walls out all night. He made her cum in her sleep with just the thought of him fucking her. She would lay in bed next to him having multiple orgasms that woke her ass up and made her beg him to fuck her wide awake. What could that civilian do for her?

She looked good though. Damn good. She had lost some weight from running around again, but shit was looking hella tight.

Shit.

Thinking about her in that picture made Erik want to fuck.

He climbed out of the pool and took himself a long shower. Afterward, he drove himself to a barbershop in Havensight and had his locs cut off and his beard trimmed and groomed. He needed the change. His mother had done it often when she needed a fresh start. At least two times in his life with her he had witnessed his mother shaving off her hair. Shedding old energy to welcome the new.

He felt a few eyes on him in the shop. Maybe they recognized him from being with Yani.

Before meeting up with Linda and Klaue in the main house he shot off a few emails to his grandfather and his Uncle. He also loaded more money onto Yani's credit card. She didn't use it all that much anymore, probably because she didn't want him tracking her purchases, but more than likely not wanting to stay connected to him. No matter what happened between them, he wanted her to have some sort of back-up support if she ever needed it. If not for herself, then for Sydette at least.

Strolling into the main house, both Klaue and Linda gave him a double-take when they saw his hair.

On the viewscreen in the living room, Erik posted up a picture of the C.I.A. agent that he was tracking for Klaue. The man had a mousy face and the strait-laced look of one who believed in toppling other governments in service of making America great again. A weak-looking yes man by the name of Everett K. Ross.

"U.S. Air Force. Decent pilot. Currently the Deputy Task Force Commander of the Joint Counterterrorism Center. He reports to the Secretary of State. That good ole boy, Thaddeus Ross."

"He's taking nibbles from me. I've been dropping hints at wanting to sell vibranium," Klaue said, "the U.S. wants their hands on all they can find. But he's a bit skittish right now."

"No one likes to look like they're in bed with mercs and terrorists," Linda said.

"The U.S. fucks with them all. They must be under scrutiny," Erik said.

"Any sales aren't going to be done in the U.S. The Great Satan needs to come where I say," Klaue barked.

"Nowhere in Europe," Erik said.

"Definitely not Africa," Linda added.

"What a wimpy looking oaf," Klaue surmised.

"That's what makes him effective. A milquetoast-looking face can get away with anything anywhere," Erik concluded.

"Well, the moment you find me a chunk of the good stuff I'll set up the sale," Klaue said.

The three of them sat around drinking until dinner. There was to be no meal at the house that night. Klaue took everyone out to a restaurant on the Northside of the island. The food was exceptional and Erik didn't get into any arguments with Neal or Huntsman. Surprising. There were great bars to crawl around and when Shipley let them toke on some blended weed, Erik felt pretty mellow. He actually wanted to hang out a bit.

Klaue caught a cab back to the compound but the rest of their crew stuck together. Linda was really floating, acting like the Snow White to their ragtag team of six non-Dwarfs. Shipley was trying to run game down on her, but Linda wasn't interested. She put up a front of being all business. But not with him.

He kept it friendly between them. Even when she sunbathed topless on the porch of Klaue's house, he treated her like his colleague.

It wasn't easy at times.

When his sexual urges came on strong, he was tempted to seek her out in her bed, but he didn't want the headache of Neal or Shipley. They were both jockeying for some play and there was nothing worse than working with hard-up men and the tension that jealousy brought.

Linda would give him looks sometimes and he hoped that no one else caught on.

Some really hard-sounding island music caught their attention and they stumbled upon a boisterous club that excited Linda. Shipley got into the spirit and they were all sucked into the space ordering drinks and watching the spectacle of winding hot bodies and good sounds. Linda grabbed Shipley's hand and dragged him out among the crowd. The place was a lot bigger inside than it looked outside and there was an actual stage on one side with a D.J. spinning tunes with a massive sound system. No wonder they could hear it blocks away.

Erik found a honey with loose hips and he followed her out onto the floor. Neal sprang for drinks and by the time it turned midnight, Erik had a good sweat and copped a few feels on some Grade A ass that seemed to come from an endless supply throughout the space. He found another shorty that made his temperature rise, and he was getting her number when she and a few other women swarmed the stage. The music was thumping and there were a few eager men on stage where a solitary chair sat in front of them.

Erik bought himself some Henny and walked closer to the stage with Neal and Shipley in tow.

"What's happening?"

Huntsman eased up beside them, his voice loud over the music.

"I don't know," Erik said.

"I think they are about to…ah yeah…we about to see some rump-shaking," Neal said.

A man with a chiseled chest poking out of his half-unbuttoned shirt sat on the chair as an MC talked to the crowd.

"What's the point of this?" Huntsman said.

"Watch and see," Neal said.

Erik sipped on his drink.

The music got a little buck and several women, even the one Erik was trying to mess with climbed on stage and took turns dancing with frenzied athleticism on the lap of the man who sat in the chair.

"Man…I couldn't do it!" Neal squealed.

Linda found her way over to them. Her face was flushed from dancing and drinking.

"Poor guy!" she said.

"Be right back, gonna refresh my drink."

Erik left them and headed to the bar. He could see the different women trying to out-dance one another, and by the time his new drink finally got to him, a new dude was in the chair getting his junk pummeled.

"Shit," Erik whispered.

These women were not playing. He grinned when he saw Linda reach up to the MC and he helped her on stage to take her turn at grinding on a stranger. She stood out with her light gray booty shorts and half top. Kicking off her sandals, she made the man sit on the floor of the stage as she did the splits and pounded her groin on him. Her wild cascade of curls covered part of her face. The audience went into a frenzy and Erik could hear Shipley and Neal cheering her on.

"Did y'all dare her to get up there?" Erik asked when he returned to his entourage.

"Nope. She said they needed an expert up there," Shipley said.

The woman could move, and she played to the audience while she awaited her chance to dance on the next guy in the chair.

"This gyal is on fiyah!" the MC shouted.

Linda wiggled her hips fast, throwing her cheeks in a wild circle. She dropped down and grabbed her ankles letting the audience watch her cheeks move.

"She too much, man…too much!" Shipley shouted.

"Goodness gracious," Neal said.

Erik looked around the stage to see who he was talking about, but then he saw Twyla moving near the front.

"Twyla!" Erik shouted.

"You know her?" Neal asked.

Twyla looked his way. She saw who was calling her and she smiled.

"Big nigga. Where yuh hair go?"

Twyla's hand rubbed his head.

"God damn…she thicker than a pot of grits," Neal barked looking toward the stage again.

"That girl is small—" Shipley answered.

"Not that one…her. Oh my damn. That's…shit. That's Klaue's girl," Neal said.

Erik saw Yani staring at the stage. He recognized a couple of her friends with her that saw him fuck her in a club.

"Don't be scared to say hello," Twyla said.

Her eyes regarded Erik's face.

"Yuh can't hide back here."

"I'm not hiding—"

"Lookin' like yuh back at Juvay," Twyla teased.

One of Yani's friends jumped on stage and stood next to Linda.

"How is she?"

His eyes were sheepish looking at Twyla.

"She's as good as can be expected from a bad break up. Doing well in school—"

"Sydette?"

"A busy body. And you?"

Erik shrugged.

"Still hurts, yeah?" she said.

He didn't answer.

"I see it on your face. Hers too."

Twyla glanced back at her cousin.

"She say yuh leaving the island."

"Yeah."

His eyes were focused on Yani.

"Big man…if there are things yuh still need to say to her, best tell her before yuh bounce. End it the right way with she, yeah?"

He decided to suck it up. Test the waters.

He sipped on his drink again as he walked over to her.

"Yani."

She turned to look at him and he realized it was a mistake. He should've kept his ass in the back and ignored her.

"Killmonger."

Damn.

He got goosebumps hearing his name on her lips despite the coldness. Her eyes took in his new appearance and he couldn't tell if she liked it or not. Indifference settled around her toward him.

The crowd surged and she turned back to watch her friend on stage. He stood behind her and could only concur with Neal's words. Lil Mama was thick as fuck, and the tight black pants she wore did not hide a damn thing. His body yearned for hers. He stepped closer, close enough to feel her body heat. He wanted to kiss the back of her neck and trace his tongue around her tattoos again. Erik had to fight his own hands to keep them from circling her waist and pulling her back toward him. As far as she was concerned, he wasn't even there.

"She doin' too much."

He heard one of Yani's friends talk about Linda.

"She gwine break his dick if she keep that up!" Another one cackled.

Yani giggled and covered her mouth.

Erik's eyes swept back up to the stage. Linda was living it up in the spotlight, and she was getting plenty of rousing support from a lot of men and women.

The current man in the seat had a serious expression on his face, like all that ass pounding his dick from different women wasn't affecting him in any way. Stoneface.

"Go up there, Yani."

She shook her head as her friends cat-called her name.

The D.J. changed the song to a track that had been remixed to death over the years. But it revived the crowd and the women on stage. Linda received some more cheers when she had another turn at bat, and for the first time, Stoneface reacted a little bit. The audience laughed and the MC teased the man about losing his cool.

Yani and her friends walked away and Erik felt himself actually deflate a bit. Yani straight ignored his ass. He watched the lights of the club hit the bronze of her top with them titties sitting, her platinum fade lined up tight, and that ass just being totally disrespectful in public.

He felt absolutely proud to see her not giving a fuck about him.

Gulping down the last of his Henny, he saw the MC bend down to the crowd trying to catch Yani's attention. She stopped with the rest of her homegirls to listen to him. Her hands flew up waving him off, but her friends nudged her arm. She put a hand on her waist and said something to the MC, and Twyla sauntered over pushing her up toward the steps leading upstage.

Fuck.

She went up the steps and once the full lights hit her, Erik had to stop and take inventory of what he had once. That used to be his woman, but there was something different about her that was turning him on in a way that made him feel out of control.

Linda saw Yani approach the chair and the look on her face told Erik that she was in a bit of shock recognizing the woman who cleaned her room and cooked her food.

The MC let Linda and a couple of other women do their booty shakes again, but then Yani stepped over the man, spread her legs wide and did the slowest drop down onto his lap that put the audience in a tizzy. Unlike the other women who moved with hyped up energy, Yani slowed it all the way down until her cheeks were popping in a way that had the man's legs jerking.

Erik felt his jaw get tight when Yani turned her head to look back at everyone as she let each ass cheek bounce in syncopated rhythm. She rolled her hips and the MC, along with several other people on stage started laughing hard and slapping arms. The MC started jumping up and down and pointing.

"Lawd -a-mercy! She done made this nigga buss in his pants!"

Yani lifted up and stepped away from the man with his eyes glazed over and his left hand grabbing at his protruding erection. Eyes watched Yani sashay away, and even Linda gave a painful-looking laugh as her eyes watched Yani leave.

"She dangerous. That gyal dangerous!" The MC shouted.

Yani's friends laughed with her as the entered back into the fray of bodies swaying to the music. A few men tried to get Yani's attention, but she was focused on her friends.

A song they used to listen to at the house came on and Erik took long strides to get to her.

"Come dance with me," he said touching her hand.

She pulled back from him as if he stung her.

"I don't want to dance with you."

Her friends surrounded him and their eyes were ready to cut him in two.

"It's just a dance, cuz," Twyla said nudging her cousin's arm as she walked past heading to the floor herself along with other people. The lap dance show was over.

Yani shoved past him and her friends followed.

Bet.

He headed back to the bar and ordered a couple of shots. Shipley joined him and they drank and talked, watching people dance on the floor. Erik tracked Yani's movement as she danced with different men.

"Can't believe that's the same chick at the compound," Shipley said.

"Yep," Erik answered.

They watched Neal approach Yani and she wasted no time sending him on his way. The way her friends swooped in to protect her, Neal had no chance of harassing her further.

"Whew, I gotta slow down," Linda said.

She plopped down on a stool next Erik and asked for water from the bartender. Twyla walked past him and gave him a look. Erik shrugged his shoulders at her and Twyla rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Had no idea Yani was a regular Cinderella," Linda said.

"She fine," Shipley said.

Erik found that surprising since he never showed interest in women built like Yani before.

"Thought you didn't like thick bitches," Erik said.

Linda eyed Shipley with amusement.

"She could be the exception," Shipley said gulping down a shot of tequila with lime.

"He'll fight you for that," Neal said.

Erik watched Neal grab a beer from the bar.

"What?" Shipley said.

Erik felt his face harden.

"That's Killmonger's pussy."

"Shut the fuck up," Erik snarled.

"You're fucking the help?" Linda asked.

She tossed her head back and laughed at him.

Erik stepped off the stool he sat on and left the bar in a huff.

"Killmonger…hey….hold on…."

Linda followed him and tugged on his arm.

"Hey…we're just drinking and pulling your chain. Calm down."

She steered him to the dancefloor.

"Relax. Loosen up."

Linda swayed in front of him and tried moving his arms. His eyes darted about looking for Yani again, but he had lost track of her.

"How can you not dance to this?"

Linda moved around him, bumped her hip into his and he eventually gave in and danced a little.

"Oh, come on now. You're better than this. We fucked it up in Jo'burg. You remember that club with the roof that was caving in!"

Erik smiled. He remembered. The music was hot, fast, and so were the club patrons. That was a good night. Right before the raid…

"…fucking her?"

Erik missed what Linda said. The confusion in his eyes made her repeat the question.

"Is it true? You and Yani?"

"Nah. Neal had been bothering her and I put a stop to it."

"He is aggressive. Nasty piece of work."

His eyes flicked around. Searching still.

"You want to fuck her?"

His eyes glared at her like she was insane.

"It's just a question. She watches you all the time—"

"I barely have time to—"

"I'm just telling you…I think she has a thing for you. I hear her cleaning your room and she stays in there for a long time. You are a neat freak, so there's no reason for her to be in there so long."

Yani in his room lingering?

"I catch her watching you at the gun range…"

Erik dismissed Linda's words when he felt his cell vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out.

A text from Twyla.

Yani is alone in her apartment this weekend. Chez has Sydette. Roommate gone too. Chance to talk?

Erik stopped dancing.

Unger ran up and grabbed Linda's hand to dance.

"I'ma head back to the compound," he said.

Linda nodded her head.

"I'll catch a cab."

"I'll let the others know."

He watched her and Unger head further into the crowd on the floor.

###

Looking around his room, Erik tried to see what Yani would see.

A clean room. Sterile almost without her there anymore. Two boxes of condoms on the dresser. One empty and the other half used. She would probably think he had been with Linda. He hadn't. But he was seeing women outside the compound again. He couldn't help it. It kept his mind off of her.

But seeing her that night brought up all the things festering in his mind about her. Was she okay? Was Sydette fine? Did Yani hate him? How would she react if she saw him in public?

If Linda was able to glean Yani's feelings for him around the compound, maybe she still had a soft spot for him. Maybe he could…

No.

It was stupid to think of going to her. Even with Twyla's encouragement. He hopped into his bed fully nude. No one was at the compound. The secret tracker he placed in Klaue's arm told him the man was on the other side of the island. Inside a hotel. Probably with a woman.

Staring up at the ceiling, his mind settled on Yani again. Seeing her wind her body on that man onstage made him groan as he felt on his dick.

He reached for his cell again and read Twyla's text two more times.

It wasn't worth it.

What could he say to her? I'm checking to see if you've been able to salvage your life after I blew it up?

But damn…

She was so beautiful on stage. Her whole demeanor was just…sexy…bold. She used to make him cum in his pants all the time. Maybe she did that because she knew he was there watching.

He slammed his fists on his bed.

He wasn't going to get any sleep. He would think about her all night.

He reached into his nightstand and pulled out some weed. He smoked a bit and felt his muscles ease up from the tension he carried in them after seeing her.

Killmonger.

His name on her lips sounded so dead to him. There was no malice in her eyes, but they seemed clouded like she was really and truly over him.

That's what he wanted, right? He told her to focus on school and to forget him. But faced with it, faced with true indifference…he didn't want her to forget him.

Taking a long drag he thought of Linda and what she told him. She noticed Yani keeping her eyes on him. She had to still feel something. Lingering in his bedroom had to mean something. Too many good memories in the place. All the things they did to one another. All the time they slept together in a pile with Sydette between them.

Twyla was right. He had to have a final conversation with her that didn't come from a place of anger, but one of love. They still had to part, but he wanted it to be on better terms. He did have things he wanted to say to her. Secret things. Maybe even promise her something that he didn't think he had a right to.

Stubbing out the joint in an ashtray, Erik jumped out of bed and put on some loose sweatpants and shirt.

He borrowed one of Klaue's smaller cars, a blue Beemer with a moon roof.

He let air flow through from the roof of the car as he drove to Yani's place. Every few minutes he thought about turning around, but once he pulled into the parking lot of her small complex, he was fully committed to talking with her.

After a bit of deep breathing in the car, Erik walked up the stairs and tried to find the right words to say. Once he was in front of her door on the far end of the floor, he felt a bit calmer, less afraid. He debated about texting or calling her. It was too late. He was already there and high as fuck…

He pressed his ear to her door.

Noise.

Talking.

No…not talking.

Moaning.

Shit.

"Yes, Baby!"

The seductive mewling in her voice raised his blood pressure.

She was fucking someone.

Zachary.

Erik removed his ear from the door. His hands pressed against the door frame and he closed his eyes. His body burned with rage. That little punk bitch.

He heard a loud male groan erupt from behind the door.

Erik clenched his fists.

The weed had him spinning scenarios. Bust the fucking door down and drag her off that nigga's dick. Or wait for Zachary to leave and pound on the door and…and do what?

Yell at her for getting dick when he had empty boxes of condoms in his room that she saw? Two days prior he was guts deep in some bitch with big ass titties making her holler out his name. Nutted all in that woman's face and didn't even think about Yani while he did it.

But that's your woman in there. Giving your pussy away.

Erik walked away from the apartment.

Back in the car, he pulled out his cell.

Call her. Break up their little party.

Fuming in the car, he sat there for a long time until he could think straight. The weed still had his mind spinning, but he was able to drive back to the compound and crawl into his bed. The sun was rising when he finally fell asleep.

###

"Hey, lazybones."

Erik blinked his eyes.

Linda looked down at him.

"You were out for a long time. Thought I'd check on you," she said.

Erik sat up.

He was still wearing his sweats.

"What time is it?"

"Two."

"Shit," he said.

"Stay in bed. You looked worn out last night."

Erik leaned against the headboard.

"You want anything to eat?"

"Nah. I'm just gonna chill. I feel tired still."

She touched his forehead.

"Are you feeling sick?"

He shook his head and pulled off his sweatshirt and pants. Crawling under the covers he tucked himself into a ball.

"I'll be up in an hour or so."

"Okay. Call me if you need anything. I have to get some things in town. Klaue is still out."

"Cool."

He pretended to go to sleep and Linda left his side.

When she opened his bedroom door, Yani was using a soft bristle broom to sweep the floor in the hall.

"Don't bother him. He's sleeping in," Linda said.

Erik saw Yani's eyes sweep over Linda's short house dress, and then her eyes caught his on the bed before Linda shut the door.

"Bring him some of that soup around three," Linda said.

"Him sick?"

The lilt in Yani's voice had concern.

"No," Linda said.

"Does he need medicine?"

"No. Just bring him the soup to the kitchen like I asked and he'll be fine."

Erik stayed curled under the covers until he saw from his bedroom viewscreen that Yani had left the house. He jumped in the shower and cleaned up, shaved, and threw on some light cologne. He pulled on some beige loungers and hopped back on the bed.

Exactly in one hour, he saw Yani heading down to Klaue's main house with a covered tray. She entered the space and headed to the kitchen.

He hopped on the intercom.

"Can you bring that here, please? In my room?"

He watched Yani's face look perturbed as she stood in the kitchen. She knew he was watching her.

"Yuh not sick. Get it yourself."

She left the kitchen.

"Bring it here please."

He watched her calculate her next move. Unlike the time when they were together at the compound alone, Klaue had everything watched. If she refused to do her job, Klaue would see it. The bedrooms were pretty secure because Klaue did allow that privacy. He wanted her in his room.

"I have some laundry to be picked up too," he said.

He saw her lip pout and he smiled. Her cell phone rang.

"Yeah?" she answered.

Erik waited. A smile came across her face and she started to giggle into the phone. Flirty-like.

"Mi can't tonight…can't. I'm working…"

She hung up and put her cell in her back pocket. Her smile left her face when she picked up the food tray and carried it to his room. She kicked the door with her foot softly.

He opened it.

"Thanks," he said taking it from her hand.

She turned away.

"Wait, the laundry, my sheets—"

"You do your own cleaning, remember?"

Her eyes were petulant looking up at him.

"Yeah, but um…I'm not feeling great—"

"Linda said you were fine…can I go?"

Mean.

She wasn't with the shits.

Her mind was on giggling over Zachary.

He walked slowly over to his bed and climbed in balancing the tray. She moved over to help him.

"Thanks," he said.

Her eyes took in the room and when they glanced at his dresser, he made sure the condoms were gone. She went to the hamper in his bathroom.

"There's nothing in here," she said, annoyed.

"I need these sheets changed," he said.

"I'll come back then, or you can have Linda change them for you—"

"Yani, wait a minute."

He lifted up too fast and the tray tilted. He spilled some soup on the covers.

"You did that on purpose," she said.

"No, I didn't."

"What do you want, man?"

He hated the sound of her voice at that moment. She didn't want to be around him.

"I miss you," he said.

"I don't think so."

"I do—"

"You got Linda and whoever else…"

Her eyes drifted toward the dresser.

"And you have Zachary."

Her eyes regarded him with suspicion.

"I heard you on your phone."

"You don't know who I was talking to."

"You're not with him?"

She left the room.

Erik jumped off the bed and ran after her.

"Hold up—"

"I don't have time for your shit—"

He grabbed her hand. She snatched it back.

"Clean up your own fucking mess!"

She stormed out of the house and he let her go.

"Whoa. That was…awkward."

Linda walked into the room, coming in through the back door.

Shit.

"So…um…the help…" she said.

Erik stomped back to his room and slammed the door shut.

###

Chp 22 Here

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@raysunshine78 @the-illllest @terrablaze514  @l-auteuse @amirra88 @jimizwidow @janelledarling

@chaneajoyyy @sweetestdream92 @purple-apricots @blackpinup22 @hennessystevens-udaku

@scrumptiouslytenaciouscrusade @bugngiz @stariamrry  @honeytoffee @meilintheempressofdreams

@tyees @eye-raq @writerbee-ffs

[fyeahgerrikellman]

Refinery29 (9/9) - J. Smith-Cameron On Succession’s Universe, “Beset With Ambition & Greed”

One could imagine how focusing so intently on men and their obsession with power could turn women viewers off of this show. But by treating its men like the babies they are, Succession does the opposite: It’s the women on the sidelines who are really running court. And since she appeared minutes into the series’ second episode, one woman has been at the true center of this whole charade: Gerri, brought to life by the incredible J. Smith-Cameron.

Vogue (6/10) - Succession’s J. Smith-Cameron on Spoiled Brats, Ambition, and Weird Sex

Even among this cast of indomitable women, one character has become a favorite of Succession’s audience like no other: Gerri Kellman, the inscrutable general counsel of the Roys’ media empire, Waystar Royco.

Back in season one she emerged unscathed from Kendall’s (Jeremy Strong) attempted coup against his father’s leadership, despite largely being the backbone of the operation. Thanks to her position she holds the company’s darkest secrets—and therefore its future—in the palm of one well-manicured hand.

Elle Magazine (22/9) - Twitter Has Decided Gerri Is Officially the Best Character on Succession

Brilliantly played by J. Smith-Cameron, Gerri is objectively the smartest player in the room at all times, and she knows it too. Despite a quiet presence in season 1, she plays a big role in Season 2 with her position on Waystar Royco's already very crowded board. She's also developing a rather... interesting sexual relationship with Roman.

Gerri is razor-sharp, consistently lingering in the background, but not someone to be ignored. She's a standout character from the snooty band of scions she serves, and Twitter has, rightly, crowned her the Queen of Succession.

The Guardian (29/09) - Succession star J Smith-Cameron: ‘Gerri is quite a badass but also relatable’ (28/09)

Your character, Gerri, is proving to be the cult star of season two...

J. Smith-Cameron: I don’t know about that but, if so, it’s delightful. I think it’s because she’s always having those eye-roll moments, looking down her glasses or taking a pointed sip of water, which the audience find satisfying. She’s in the inner circle but slightly removed because she’s not a member of the Roy family. Gerri’s largely unflappable so it’s fun to watch when she does react. And those reaction shots are pretty meme-friendly, as it turns out.

Awards Daily (30/09) - J. Smith-Cameron Talks Gerri, Motives and Roman Roy

J. Smith-Cameron:  I feel she is ambitious and with good reason. I don’t think she knows yet how she feels yet about Roman’s advances. I think she likes him in spite of herself.

That scene in Hungary when I’m giving him business advice and buttoning his shirt, there’s almost a tenderness like they’re genuinely fond of each other as well as whatever other perversions are going on. It’s really interesting especially compared to the world of the story where everyone is out for number one and cold-hearted.

TV Guide (4/10) - Succession's J. Smith-Cameron Breaks Down the Weird 'Oedipal' Gerri-Roman Relationship

J. Smith-Cameron: It's been interesting, because part of me would think, "Why don't I just kick him out?" It's one thing to be on the phone and not hang up on him, that's one thing. But then the next time, why don't I just show him the door? I don't quite, it's like a kind of... there's some sort of little, codependent thing or [I don't know] what it is. There's some sort of little bond getting forged between them.

Vulture (9/10) - J. Smith-Cameron Knows Why You Love Gerri

J. Smith-Cameron: And then they came up with a great story line in season two with her and Roman and their relationship. There’s a sexual component, but they’re also confidants, plus there’s a maternal aspect. There’s a lot going on there!

Late in season two, Logan says he doesn’t need psychotherapy because he already knows he doesn’t want to fuck his mother. Then the camera cuts to Roman with a very complicated, uncomfortable reaction on his face. It’s a payoff for all your scenes with him up till then.

J. Smith-Cameron: I love all of that! But I must say, given the, uh, sorts of people you see on this show, it’s fascinating how certain characters become fan favorites — if indeed Gerri is a fan favorite, as I’ve been told that she is. I’m just so tickled by that!

Collider (13/10) - ‘Succession’ Star J. Smith-Cameron on Gerri’s Evolution & Her Season 2 Journey

J. Smith-Cameron: She does feel slightly out of favor, which leads her to have her own interest in Roman. She believes that they could be allies, and that’s appealing. They were left in the peanut gallery, at the beginning of the season, reacting to Kendall and Shiv and Rhea. And then, his other strange perversions start to assert themselves, and Gerri doesn’t know what to make of it. My feeling is that she gets attached to him, in a way, in spite of herself. She’s fond of him and gets a kick out of him but is also a very careful, wary person.

[mermaidsirennikita]

That succession finale omg!! tell me all of your thoughts!

UGH YES OKAY.

I think it was SO GOOD first off.  

People are kind of deluded, in my opinion, if they think this was all some Grand Master Plan of Logan’s.  Firstly, he is definitely kind of proud of Kendall and has more respect for him at the end.  Kendall may jumped out as the potential successor, even if his resentment will override his logic and he won’t move forward with it.  (Conventional wisdom, and Roman’s showing in the finale, would say that s3 will be the season of Roman+Gerri.)  But people vastly overestimate Logan’s abilities and see this show as like, a Game of Thrones type piece in which everyone is trying to outmaneuver each other in chess.  No.  Logan is a good businessman, and he is smart, but this season more than ever has hammered home that he needs to step down.  He is overly protective of himself; he would have looked better had he just copped to his own issues and stepped down willingly.  He showed real fear after that phone call in which he was told to step down, and there was no one for him to act for there.  He’s an old man, outdated yet still in power, which is one of those things the show is trying to make a point about.  I feel that Logan thought that Kendall was past his sell-by point; he’d given him chances to bite the hand, but he hadn’t...  So he assumed that he wouldn’t.  There’s no way Logan knew that Greg would flip with the documents.  

But all of this has been seeded.  I don’t think Kendall had a master plan; I think that he decided to snap in the moment as he realized that this accidental killing he’d been wracked with guilt over never mattered to his father.  His father would literally not respect him unless he became an even worse human being, and Kendall has been trying to be BE A BETTER PERSON lmao.  So he went all in.  You want me to be a killer?  CHILL.  His metaphorical deliberate murder of his father paralleled, of course, his literal accidental killing of an innocent.  I also feel that when we saw Kendall beg Shiv to look out for him, that seeded it to.  That was his one request, and she would have been smart to keep him on her side--he has value.  Shiv’s fatal flaw is that she deludes herself into thinking that she’s sO DIFFERENT, so much smarter than her “dumb brothers”, but she’s not.  All the Roy kids have their strengths and weaknesses and probably work better together a a cohesive unit, as seen when Shiv and Kendall teamed up to make Rhea look bad.  But Shiv wanted to keep Tom close, as he was slipping away, more than she wanted to keep her brother, someone who is much more potentially dangerous, in the fold.  Tom would have taken the hit and walked away.  In fact, I think it would have borderline been something of a relief for him to have an excuse to leave.  Shiv knew that, and in a sick way she does love him--though I also think that it’s about control, about needed that “safe” person with her. Tom has so much less power than Shiv, and she likes that.  Shiv’s downfall of the season was in this blunder, and in the fact that she revealed herself to be a daddy’s girl through and through.  Please save him, getting all emotional right before Kendall motherfucking axed her lol.  Her downfall was not as dramatic as his, but when you see her watching Logan, you know that he couldn’t be less impressed with her in that moment, and more comparatively impressed with Kendall.

We also, of course, had everything seeded with Greg.  Greg is a somewhat normal-ish person still, and he can see, like any outside person can, that Kendall is being abused in the worst way by Logan.  I think he could also see that Logan was probably going to feed him to the wolves, and almost did...  Whereas if he gets in good with Kendall from the start, he may have more longevity.  Now, I am a believer that Greg will Bran Stark this shit and win the long term, but I’ve also thought that a beautifully complete arc would be Kendall shadow mastering Greg’s reign on a level.  Like, for whatever reason he can’t be the public face, but he’s lost his soul completely and is maneuvering shit from behind the scenes for Greg.  Similar to Logan with Kendall, tbh.  This only solidified this being a possibility, which I loved.  Kendall knows that Greg has the documents; Kendall has also, intentionally or not, done things over the season to draw Greg in.  He may have thrown Gatsby parties in Greg’s penthouse, but he’s still casually letting him stay there.  He and Greg probably do coke together now lol.  It lines up.

I’m excited to see where Roman goes.  He’s fully with Gerri now--I was impressed to see him throw down the gauntlet for her, which I didn’t fully expect.  Roman is still too close to his father, and too vulnerable, to really have that “killer instinct”.  I think that he’s a creative guy, a big picture guy.  The interesting thing too is that he is the only one who really stood up for Kendall--which BROKE ME, those two really do love each other--but Kendall kinda fucked him, and knew he would, I think, as Roman pushed against “killing” him.  Roman just got a promotion from Logan, and he’s more in this company now than ever, just as Kendall puts a dagger in its heart.  So though Kieran gives Roman a bit of a smile as Kendall flips, it’s bittersweet.  He’s happy that his big brother DID SOMETHING, and deep down all the Roy kids know their father deserves it.   But they’ll be adversaries on the business end of things, for sure.

Other little things--beautiful moment between Shiv and Tom as he expressed how little her love really made him happy.  It’s toxic.  He’s a pet to her.  She’s leaning on him, he’s a crutch, but she doesn’t care for him.  A lot of people don’t seem to realize how abusive their relationship is, and Tom finally called that out.  “You told me you wanted an open relationship on our fucking WEDDING NIGHT”.  That was so calculated and emotionally abusive.  Matthew was amazing with his material in this episode.

Marcia really is fucking pissed, huh?

I really have no idea where Kendall goes from here.  The show has opened the door for a lot of possibilities.

Shiv could definitely rise from the ashes, like Kendall, but this was a huge blow of an episode for her in a way I don’t think people get.  Like.  She basically looks like a clown in front of her father right now, and is very much in his power.  But what does his power even mean anymore?  She backed the horse that got shot crossing the finish line, too--what now?

[larryatendoftheday]

Harry’s Songs About Women™ (or what we learn from pronouns, patterns, and themes)

Ok it’s time to get this off my chest.

I don’t think Meet Me in the Hallway or Only Angel are linked to each other...or to Woman. In fact, I think Harry’s Songs About Women™ on HS1 are largely misinterpreted. 

Let’s back up. There have been some excellent close reading of the lyrics of Harry’s solo songs. There are clear lyrical links. 

Only Angel and Hallway reference doors and meeting in hallways. (On Only Angel Harry sings, “End up meeting in the hallway every single time and there’s nothing we can do about it.”) Only Angel begins with an audio clip--”I saw this angel. I really saw an angel”--from the film Barfly, written by Charles Bukowski. Woman references a Bukowski poem. (“This thing upon me howls like a beast. You flower; you feast.” compared to Bukowski’s “this thing upon me / like a flower and a feast”) 

These links connect all the Songs About Women except Kiwi and Carolina, both of which have unique inspiration stories that isolate them from the rest of the album. Kiwi is not about Harry’s personal experience, but it is likely to be an angry and silly reflection on babygate/Brianna/Freddie. According to the lyrics, Carolina was written after meeting a woman, Townes, once.

So the full list of Harry’s Songs About Women™ on HS1, in order of track listing is Meet Me in the Hallway, Carolina, Only Angel, Kiwi, & Woman.  However, when we look at the theme and tone of the linked tracks, it doesn’t quite add up.

The Songs About Women are largely fun, danceable rock songs. Carolina is about a “good girl” that impressed him. He says she “feels so good,” but he also admits he only met her once and sings “she’s so good” instead at the Abbey Road session so that is likely a metaphor. In Kiwi, he sings “She's driving me crazy, but I'm into it“ which again is a positive spin.  Only Angel focuses on desire and sexual attraction in what feels like a fling. Harry might “wanna die tonight” to sleep with her, but he likes it.  

However, Woman and Hallway, the other two songs Only Angel is linked to, are much more melancholy. On first glance, it’s possible that Only Angel is another dimension to the same relationship, but it’s also possible the links between the songs are less meaningful than they may appear. Spending a lot of time in hotels where hallways are omnipresent and fostering an interest in Bukowski could seep into writing regardless of the topic. 

Let’s look further.

Hallway is the only Song About Women that doesn’t use any gendered language. In it he sings about failing to communicate with his lover, something that is a theme across almost every other non-gendered song on the album.  It has much more in common with the rest of the album than the other Songs About Women.

“We don’t talk about it. It’s something we don’t do.” -- Hallway

“Tongue-tied like we've never known, telling those stories we already told cause we don't say what we really mean” -- Two Ghosts

“I always think of you and how we don’t talk enough.” -- Sweet Creature

“Comfortable silence is so overrated. Why won’t you ever say what you want to say? Even my phone misses your call, by the way” -- From the Dining Room Table 

“We don’t talk enough. We should open up before it’s all too much.” -- Sign of the Times 

The only gender neutral song without this explicit theme is Ever Since New York which Harry has reportedly said was inspired by receiving bad news about a family member while in a hotel room. That same source said he described it as “ a love song but not a love song.” A completely different analysis argues convincingly that it’s a reflection on bearding with Taylor Swift in NYC. Regardless, like Kiwi and Carolina, this song is a unique instance and it still hints at the themes of loneliness and miscommunication.

[You might stop me to say Sign of the Times is not about a relationship, to which I would say I mostly agree, but his attention to the lack of communication is what matters here.]

Turning now to Woman, we see it starts with a man speaking, saying, “ Should we just search romantic comedies on Netflix and then see what we find?” We know all about Harry’s love for romcoms and his band’s habit of ending each day’s work with one, but it does not match the tone of the song. Including it seems out of place...unless it is an important clue. If the song is about women in general--much like how romcoms use stereotypes and cliches--or even simply inspired by the plot of a heartwrenching movie, the introduction makes sense.

A complementary possibility is that the pronouns in the verses were adjusted. On tour, Harry sometimes changed the pronouns, singing things like, “SHE’s right where I should be.” Extrapolated across the song, this pronoun shift is huge. It’s no longer about a woman just outside his grasp, but a woman taking his place beside his lover. He is howling in pain about the woman (in fact any and every woman) who is beside his lover. It is thematically proximate to Girl Crush, notably one of only two songs he chose to cover on tour.

So what does all this mean?

What emerges from this thematic analysis is an album about a single, tortured relationship with a scattering of one-off songs. Harry’s Songs About Women™ are not necessarily related at all. Instead, they paint a picture of quick flings or brief attraction that pales against the longing and love in his genderless songs.

So Only Angel may indeed be about Kendall Jenner as so many have argued, but unless you believe Sweet Creature (for which he stuttered out a Louis denial) and Two Ghosts (written in 2013/2014) are also about her, you have to acknowledge the rest of the album is not inspired by her. A part of me wants to believe it is all about Louis. Another part aches at the thought of all those painful lyrics (”give me some morphine”) being penned about Larry. Regardless, this album is thematically cohesive enough to point to one main inspiration, someone he has been involved with seriously and for some time but with whom he has a difficult relationship. The echoing of lyrics between Louis and Harry’s solo music further solidifies the sense that it is about Louis.

I can’t leave you without noting that Harry tends to wave pride flags during Only Angel. Seems like an odd choice unless it’s a purposeful queering of his Straightest Song™. [Further reading: this post discusses this and also offers an alternate understanding for the Bukowski reference as an analogy for Harry’s public image.]

[wazafam]

Family always comes first for the Kardashian-Jenners, but what’s family without drama? During its two decade-long run, Keeping Up With the Kardashians has witnessed some of the most explosive and scathing fights between the family members. 

RELATED: RHOBH: Every OG Housewife & Their Most Iconic Scene

While some feuds fizzled faster than the others, some of the scuffles got too ugly. As Kourtney decided to distance herself from the show, tensions flared up between her and her sisters. Plus, Kim, Kourtney, and Kylie began setting up certain boundaries as their family grew bigger which shifted the family dynamics somewhat. Here's a ranking of some of the most engaging and explosive fights and meltdowns on KUWTK.

10 Kylie Lashes Out At Kendall, Kris, And Tyga

During a family vacation, Kris asks Kylie to spend some time with Kendall since the sisters rarely get any time to hang out with each other. Kylie was devoting a lot of time to her then-boyfriend Tyga and his son. As Kylie leaves the room, Kris complains to Kendall and Tyga about Kylie and tells them that she acts cranky at times. “She doesn’t get life, she’s too far ahead of herself,” Kendall tells Kris. Kylie was actually within earshot and could hear them talk about her which annoyed her and retaliated; this was actually the first time the viewers got to see Kylie put her foot down and establish boundaries. “Are you guys talking about me? Can you go somewhere else and do that?” Kylie lashed out at them.

9 The Candy Fight Between Kim And Kourtney

This disagreement was quite tame as compared to other Kardashian fights, but fans noted that the argument between Kim and Kourtney had created friction between the two, as tensions had started flaring between the two sisters season 17 onwards. Kim basically wanted a candyland-themed birthday party to celebrate their daughters’ joint birthday. But Kourtney wanted healthy, sugar-free candies for the bash, which Kim thought was ridiculous.

RELATED: 10 Best Seasons Of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Ranked

“There are other treats that are not disgusting and filled with chemicals,” Kourtney told Kim. “It’s a candyland-themed party! Yes, that’s like what the party is about - Candyland. It’s not gluten-free land over here,” Kim retaliated.

8 The Bizarre Fight Between Kourtney And Kendall

Post their ski-ing trip to Aspen, Kendall ranted to Khloe about how ridiculous Kourtney made her feel during their trip. Kendall basically told Khloe that Kourtney teamed up with Kendall’s friends to laugh at Kendall and she felt bullied. Kourtney, on the other hand, told Khloe on a separate occasion that Kendall was being very controlling during their whole trip and she would try to micro-manage everything and wouldn’t even let the squad spend their own money at the supermarket. Kendall and Kourtney soon confronted each other and Khloe was put in a tough spot because she was caught between the two sisters, so the fight actually escalated quite a bit due to Khloe’s involvement.

7 Khloe’s Meltdown Post Tristan Cheating Scandal

As details of Tristan Thompson’s fling with Jordyn Woods started emerging from various sources, the Kardashian-Jenner clan struggled to cope. Things took a turn for the worse when Khloe found out that Jordyn was planning to make an appearance on Jada Pinkett-Smith’s Red Table Talk show to talk about the fling. Kris Jenner told Khloe that Jada’s team had gotten in touch with her and Khloe lashed out against her mother for not taking a stand against the interview.

RELATED: RHONJ: Every OG Housewife & Their Most Iconic Scene

Khloe was also seen going through a few difficult family roundtable discussions where she blamed Jordyn for not apologizing to Khloe one-on-one before agreeing to be part of a show.

6 Kourtney And Khloe’s Fight About Furniture

Season 15 onwards Kourtney began to express how she wasn’t ready to be so open about her personal life on KUWTK. Kim and Khloe thought Kourtney’s distancing act could mess with the show and would often be seen talking about Kourtney behind her back. During one such instance, Kourtney comes to visit a pregnant Khloe and Kim as they’re planning a cherry blossom-themed party for Kim’s newest arrival. Kim pointedly thanks Khloe particularly for being "so present," which was a clear dig at Kourtney. And soon after, Kourtney began criticizing Khloe’s choice in furniture which offended Khloe. “Well thank you for coming over, thank you for being so lovely,” Khloe told Kourtney sarcastically. “Seriously what is wrong with you these days? You’re so b****y,” added Khloe. 

5 Kylie And Kendall’s Fight Over Clothes

In 2015, as Kendall and Kylie were getting ready for the ESPY Awards where Kaitlyn Jenner was about to be honored, the sisters got into a huge fight over clothes. For any other siblings, a fight over clothes is rather commonplace, but things got heated during this incident, as Kylie put her foot down and refused to lend Kendall any of her clothes.

RELATED: 10 Best Keeping Up With The Kardashians Couples, Ranked

Kendall basically wanted to borrow a brown dress from Kylie and asked one of Kylie’s assistants. “No she can’t borrow that,” Kylie tells the staff member. “You’re literally the biggest f****ng b**** I’ve ever met,” Kendall roared at Kylie.

4 Kim And Kourtney’s Photoshoot Tussle

On the Season 15 premiere as Kim struggles to schedule a family photoshoot, Kourtney tells Kim that she can make herself available till 4 pm and will leave post that. That didn’t work out for Kim and as Kourtney continues to stand firm on her scheduling issues, Kim lashes out at her sister and tells her that no one wants her at the photoshoot because she’s the least exciting to look at. “Maybe if you had a f****ng business that you were passionate about then you would know what I’m talking about,” Kim yells at Kourtney as she leaves the room.

3 Kim's Meltdown Over Kourtney’s Look

This was actually one of the moments when the fans got a look into what really goes behind Kim’s iconic fashion looks. As Kourtney and Khloe try to come up with a look for Kourtney, they settle on a vintage Dior number. They FaceTime Kim to ask her opinion when Kim accuses Kourtney of copying her look as Kourtney vehemently denies ever dressing like Kim. “I don’t think Kourtney realizes the legwork that goes behind this, I don’t think anybody understands. You have to really have a relationship with the designer…. She has no idea how this works,” Kim said.

2 Kylie And Kendall’s Palm Spring fight

This has to be one of the most shocking fights in the Kardashian-Jenner history. During a trip to Palm Springs, Kylie had promised to lend Kendall something to wear for dinner but eventually backed out due to some misplanning in scheduling. Kendall has a meltdown as she yells at Kylie in front of family members as everyone tries to calm her down. Kylie doesn’t respond to Kendall and instead does shots with Corey Gamble in the kitchen. Later that same night, Kendall and Kylie get into another scuffle as they travel in the same car while on their way home from dinner; in fact, Kylie allegedly got physical with Kendall, forcing Kendall to leave the car and run out crying. 

1 The Altercation Between Kourtney And Kim

The physical scuffle between Kim and Kourtney has often been dubbed the most brutal in Kardashian history. A discussion over work ethic gets heated between the two as Kim implies that Kourtney doesn’t work as hard as her sisters. “You have this narrative in your mind… no, no. I will literally f*** you up,” Kourtney threatened Kim, as she launched an attack on Kim who was sitting opposite her. Things escalate really fast as Kim hits back and slaps Kourtney twice. Khloe and Kendall weren’t much help as they too were pretty shocked, and it took many days before things were back to normal between the two sisters.

NEXT: Keeping Up With The Kardashians: 10 Most Expensive Things Worn On The Show

KUWTK: The 10 Best Fights & Meltdowns, Ranked | ScreenRant from https://ift.tt/3ytoR4P

[herestheteaig]

What should I do??

Hi, I don’t really know if anyone will see this but I'm gonna try, just incase. If you do choose to respond, you can be as brutally honest & unbiased as you’d like, I’m not easily offended.

I am f19, and have been in a relationship with m18 for almost 6 years. For the sake of his privacy lets call him Joe.

lets call me Mina.

Backstory:

- Joe & I have been together since we were 13, we went to the same secondary school & college (for Americans, same middle school & high school)

- we had been close friends since we were like 11, very visibly super close friends in school.

- when we started dating at the end of our second year, we spent the entire summer together.

- when we got back he just... pretended I didn't exist????

- like tf?

- anyway, we were still hanging out outside of school, but my school separate the year based on grades in third year, so I was placed in X and he was placed in Y, therefore we had 0 classes together

- though, in the corridors, at lunch, at break, etc, he’d pretend I didn't exist???

- he also told me not to tell anyone we were dating???

- this lasted maybe 2 years? until I got really mad and he started acknowledging me in our final year of secondary school & people knew we were dating.

- his mum ended up convincing me to apply to the same college as him, we did different courses so rarely saw each other, but occasionally took the train together on one of our mutual starting times.

- now, I go to university about 2 hours away from our hometown and live there, he doesn’t go to university at all.

the catfish:

- of course the initial: “don’t tell anyone we’re dating”

- when I was still 13, I did something SUPER childish, though no regrets and made a fake iMessage account so he’d think someone was texting him.

- I used Loren Gray’s picture because this boy had NO social medias, he was SO anti it.

- anyway, pretended I had gotten his number on Facebook, and that I had seen him at athletics (he’s an athlete) and I thought he was attractive and asked if he had a girlfriend

- then we went through this long “no I don't” “jk I do” back and forth bullshit. 

- oh he also didn't tell me about her until I said she had messaged me, but whatever idc but that's the first piece of info. 

Sabrina:

- next, I must've been 15?? idk exactly how old I am

- I do not and have NEVER cared who my boyfriend talks to, girl, boy, non-binary, whatever, I don't give a shit. 

- so I'm on his phone, taking snapchats to save to his memories and I kept seeing this girls name pop up. 

- let’s call her Sabrina.

- I had noticed he talks to her a LOT, but he never had mentioned her, but eh its whatever... probably just one of his friends, right?

- I used to just message his friends on his phone so I went onto her chat intending to be like “heyyyy bro, nice to meet you my name is Mina, do you wanna be friends?”

- but I'm seeing messages talking about: “what age would you have sex?”

- side note: he and I both lost our virginities when we were 15, later this year but at this point we had both been “handsy” down there??? 

- anyway she says “18″, he says “you know its legal at 16 tho right?

- “yeah, but still 18″

- “why not 16″

- whatever I don't remember the entire convo.

- so I was like hmm this is a bit sus and scrolled up to see their messages. 

- “do you have a girlfriend” “no” “actually yes” “im joking, no.”

- so im like wait what???

- anyway, I don't mention it for like 7 months? he denies it before saying what he said was innocent and he was just curious in a friendly way. 

- I let it go.

Kendall:

- I was probably 16 or almost 17 at this point 

- again, for privacy, we’ll call this girl Kendall.

- Kendall and I have a mutual friend, we’ll call her Tiana.

- Tiana and I were best friends.

- One day, Tiana messaged me and said hey, my friend Kendall was speaking to  Joe & realised wait isn't that Mina’s boyfriend and sent me these screenshots as soon as she realised.

- I had probably seen her name in his recent chats but didn't care enough to ask about it.

- anyway, the screenshots were just him being super flirty with emojis? like sounds childish but you know what I mean.

- and he was joking about “go to bed its past your bed time” and she was like “no why are you chatting, you’re up too”

- then. THEN. THIS BOI HAS THE AUDACITY.

- “shush and listen to your daddy”

- wHAT.

- I immediately confront him and he denies knowing anyone of that name at first, before saying oh I didn't mean it like that, it was like a mum/ dad joke we have

- so again, I let it go

Adrien:

- back in school, my maths teacher sent myself and this boy to the study area which is an open space in the school, visible from all levels.

- lets call him Adrien.

- note: adrien and I were both quite smart and in top set for most classes, our surnames are next to eachother on the register so were often seated beside each other. 

- we were very very close FRIENDS

- so we’re doing work, chatting a bit- whatever

- at some point, he jokingly pushes my head away, idk what I said, I do not remember. 

- note: the entire school is IN CLASS.

- a few seconds later, I feel my phone vibrate, sneak it out of my pocket to see a text from Joe: “why is Adrien touching your face?”

- I look around and no ones there, anyway he still gets mad about it now.

Other stuff:

- he used to threaten to kill himself if i broke up with him

- or if we were arguing he’d say he can do this anymore, imply suicide, the leave his phone for ages and get super mad if I contacted his sister or mum to find out if he was safe.

- sometimes i’d see him joking around on his sisters snapchat story when I'm panicking because he said he’d kill himself.

- I'm not materialistic, but the fact that he rarely would get me bday/xmas presents was kinda upsetting. (he has a lot of money, my family is broke but I make the BIGGEST deal out of xmas and his bday and everything)

- would work extra hours so he’d feel so so spoiled on xmas and his bday. 

- once he got me just a xmas themed toilet roll on Christmas, last year he gave me a small jar of vegan candies.

- I think he acknowledged valentines day twice in our relationship? 

- which was sad because pre-relationship, valentines was my fave day of the year & I'd hand out heart shaped chocolates to everyone at school.

- often blames his mental health on me.

- will cut me off and then act like I'm the one not listening to HIS problems. 

- if another guy has a crush on ME, then he gets mad at me?

- every boy in my college class admitted to having a crush on me at some point, awkward but my course was reliant on group projects so I couldn't just block them??? they all knew I had a bf

Extra:

- I have never orgasmed ONCE in my entire life... rip

- when I say he is ACTUALLY jealous, I mean like ACTUALLY jealous of me having a crush on like... cartoon characters?? (& also anime characters)

- has said sexist and transphobic things, that I DRAGGED him for.

- I think he's very manipulative and also immature. 

- hates that I'm smart

- HATES that my love language is acts of service. like HATES it.

- there's more but I won't bore you.

mini story:

- we went to Paris for my 18th birthday. 

- he tried to break up with me right before because “he feels like shit compared to other guys”

- I was crying down the phone (I never ever cry) begging him to reconsider

- we went to Paris, it was nice. 

- note: we also had sex there

- and then we get back and he says: “I hated you the entire time” and other stuff but I don't remember

this is according to him:

- I think I'm right all the time and think im little miss perfect

- I put in no effort

- I do not listen

- I just need to realise that all my male friends are only my friends because they want to fuck me.

- I do not care about anything

- I assume things 

- I compare him to other guys????

- I make him feel like shit 

(his words, though I disagree)

- we have been in a relationship for almost 6 years

- he’s my friend

- I love his family so much, I've watched his nephew grow up and I text his sister and I just love them.

- though he isn’t my type on paper, I do find him attractive 

- we have somewhat similar kinks

- my family seem to like him

- not gonna lie, we’d make cute babies.

- we both enjoy sports and also he sometimes plays video games with me (I'm an avid gamer, I twitch stream and play PC, PS4 & Switch, he sometimes will play fortnite or Mario kart with me)

- we have this cute cheerleader/ athlete thing which I like

- oh, right, pls don't judge this but its important to me to raise my children plant-based until they're old enough to decide for themselves- he isn't plant-based but is 100% onboard which is very important to me.

- has done cute things for me before like turn up at my house with my fave candy or buy an extra pack of gum/ drink for me.

- this sounds irrelevant, but I DO love to party/rave but I do not drink alcohol, I actually have a weird phobia of it, though I would 100% get high

- Joe and I both do not drink and although that's not something id look for in a s/o, it made me feel like I wasn't the only one lmao. 

- my first & only relationship

ANWYAY, we’ve been arguing for months, if you see this what do you think I should do? would it be overreacting to break up? I would still wanna be his friend because I care but I dunno what to do

[reflectionsonice]

Community

Last week I got to attend the Kendall Square Holiday Ice Show and Community Skate in Cambridge.  As a skating fan most of my life, I’ve had the gift of being able to attend many ice shows, from local productions like Skating Club of Boston’s Ice Chips to large national tours like Stars on Ice. I love ice shows, and frequently find myself caught up in the beauty, mesmerized by the music and sounds of the blades as they grind into the ice, and energized by the power and speed of the athletes.  So why was this show so singularly  inspiring?  

Produced by Joy Skate Productions, Elin’s company, the Joy Skate Productions show left me feeling joyous, energized, and deeply connected.  Spectators sat and stood around the rink outside. There were few chairs compared to the numbers who arrived to experience the show, but I saw lots of adults graciously give their chairs to kids or allow them to stand in front of them to get a glimpse of the beauty.  Kindness abounded in the audience as strangers shivered together in the cold and chatted about their relationships to the skaters or to skating in general. Smiles were abundant.  I glanced over and noticed Elin’s mother, Tenley Albright (1956 Olympic champion, and 1952 Olympic silver medalist) in the audience and then noticed Elin’s daughter was also skating.  Three generations of skaters, all with their own unique styles and expressions.  

The skaters were all amazing of course, and each skater was showcased beautifully.  The choreography was brilliant and seeing Nancy Kerrigan skate after all these years was a treat. (She seriously has not aged).  But none of that was as powerful as what came next. After the show, they announced a community skate -- wait for it -- with the performers!   And here’s what it looked like.  Performers holding hands with little kids, clapping at their attempts to step across the ice, photos and selfies, high fives, holding hands, hugs, and big smiles. This was more than community; it was fellowship, and it was something I have never seen in decades of attending ice shows.  It didn’t matter what we did for a living or what we accomplished. We didn’t even know each other’s names. But it was a party on the ice that day, and we all celebrated together. 

We are becoming increasingly aware that in our busy, agitated world, disconnection from the people around us is an epidemic that hurts our well-being on all levels. I read recently, that if you place two living heart cells, taken from different people, in a petri dish, they will, over time, find a third common beat. That’s incredible.  I believe we  have an innate call to find each other and connect.  Hardship makes us forget our impulse to join,  but is actually when community is most important.  

A large component of Ice Flow includes community.  We breathe together - inhale, exhale - before each pattern.  We move in concert with each other.  We encourage each other.  We laugh often. We sometimes stumble. We lean in together  and we glide.  Elin and all the skaters at the Joy Skate Productions show created a community that day and that is no small thing.  Perhaps, the power of community comes down to this: skating, gliding, stumbling, tripping, encouraging, laughing, getting up and skating again through all life has to offer - surviving the falls, holding hands, breathing, and teaching each other as we help each other up, again and again and again. 

[filmcave]

HBO’s Succession: TV or not TV

(Yes, there are spoilers in this)

This is a deviation vrom my stated purpose of this blog but without conventions there would only be a riot of non-conventional styles - which would in turn then be the convention.

I’ve already broken a maxim of my blog (no reviews) and now will be doubly at fault in reviewing a TV episode. Sacré bleu

Succession, season one episode seven - otherwise known as - Austerlitz was a virtuoso presentation. It was greek tragedy and Shakespearean drama all wrapped into one. It was a hologram of the history of a family, a Haiku and a stand alone “slice of life” movie at once. I haven’t seen this kind of high quality work on TV, behind and in front of the camera collaboration, since the early days of The Sopranos and the better days of Six Feet Under. SS1E7 might even surpass those.

Its not TV, its HBO in this instance is more than a catchy marketing line.

In SS1E7 we learn more about the characters, their relationships and dreams and fears than at any previous time. It was entirely captivating nearly start to finish. The characters really came to life because gone were the veils, deceptions, proxies and covers for the sublimated emotions that were hinted at in prior episodes.

We also have the pleasure to see the actors talents and the production skills, restrained and nuanced. At work is an incredible stylistic dynamic both the bold and raw set against a pastoral setting. A smoldering kindling on which a splash of psycho-therapy gasoline hogwash sets off a wild ride.

Logan, Marcia, Connor, Roman, Shiv and Kendall all have a new stage and unknown surroundings here in the middle of New Mexico - at Austerlitz, Connor’s newly renamed ranch. The familiar physical environment is no longer the polished steel city or lustrous posh of the Hamptons and we see how this new environs affects them. The environment is all highly symbolic but at the same time part of the natural aesthetic.

The dialogue is sparse but precise. The direction moves the story forward but doesn’t get in the way (There seemed to be far fewer annoying zoom jump cuts, for example). The dialogue was snappy, emotion filled, poetic and well balanced. The family joking and jostling ranging from mean and cutting to tender and toying.

What is most compelling and what elevates this simple TV episode to a higher level - nay a filmic level - is the extraordinary way it exists as a stand alone artistic entity while it fits in perfectly with the series narrative, arc and history. It advances the prior story lines yet could easily and satisfyingly be enjoyed as its own single entity,

What also helps this stand in stark relief are the fullness of the performances. We learn so much about each character and how they relate to each other. We see Logan railing, fuming, frustrated, patriarchal. Shiv - confused, frustrated, ambitious, Roman as lost, dismissed, sardonic, mean and desperate. Connor seeking solace and connection, peace and harmony, family unity and relationship building. Kendall as jilted, angry, posturing - and resentful. Deeply resentful.

This stew of these personalities are seasoned with the orbit of “satellite significant others” who play out their own personal turf battles. Tom Wamsgans, Marcia Roy and Willa

To this all we add in the “well known, highly respected, Harvard educated corporate therapist” Alon Parfit who does a fabulously good job of doing a fabulously terrible job. This performance by Griffin Dunne is understated, completely serious and comically perfect. He starts the session off with a ditty/limerick that is more stand up than kickstarter for insightful therapy.

While there are lots of rich and interesting moments in the “family unity event” but the one that really helps the wheels come off are when Logan, un-ironically states: Everything I have ever done, I’ve done in the best interest of my children.

It is one of the most stultifying and astonishing statements which no one but Logan believes is truthful. From here the kids start to figure out there is an alternative agenda. Pictures of everyone becomes pictures and interview (“its optional” says Logan) and as a fraudulent and deceptive connivance.

This whole vignette becomes a kind of “who’s afraid of Virginia Wolfe” for the whole family.

And then...things really start to unravel. Dr. Parfait (how symbolically perfect of a name) suggest they get into their “good bodies” and go for a swim and then everyone follows their genetic code. Shiv runs off to Santa Fe for a job interview as a political consultant,

Connor tries to corner Willa to kind of, sort of, maybe being together with him..in New Mexico, but no not maybe all the time - so she could be in New York, uh..and have an allowance,,,and uh, uh, uh...”we’d be together but in a different way”.

Roman hangs around for the photo op with Daddy (“sure, I give good cheek”) and Kendall (which just sounds so much to me like “Ken doll”) well, in addition to his aspiration of becoming a meth head decides he’s no wheres close to done with his failed palace coup in the boardroom.

But the pieces that really powers and accelerates this super charged race car of a family are the exceptional direction/cinematography/editing and Lucy Prebble’s script. Miguel Arteta‘s direction shows us what we need to see, how to see it and tells the visual story. Even simple moments like Kendall’s car rental and subsequent slide from sobriety at the bar tells us a lot about the character. There’s the aloof, voyeuristic distant camera shot and angle as he finishes up with the rental guy underscored with equally aloof and sarcastic throwaway lines:

Rental agent: “Its gassed up and ready to go. Big plans while you’re here?”

Kendall: “ Maybe. Patricide? Fratricide?”

In addition there is an incredible soundtrack that adds to the mood. Haunting, foreboding, lyrical, sad. The score too really adds to the flavor of this episode in a clear but subtle fashion.

The music and scoring is really complimentary to the entire aesthetic of Succession. Brilliantly done by Nicholas Britell (of Moonlight fame) it sets the mood for the soundtracks of the show episodes and the Roys family. As it should it adds to the storyline.

Its unfortunate that thus far the combo of Prebble and Arteta only collaborated in this one episode because their efforts truly reveal the inner lives of the story and characters versus the intriguing but more mundane soap opera like quality of most the other episodes. Prior to this episode the primary quality was a kind of prolonged exposition with the foreplay teaser of things to come. From SS1E1 through episode 6 each one ends with a kind of cliffhanger.

As I’ve already suggested even the non characters have meaning here. Austerlitz for example (Connor’s renamed house).

I had to look it up but was surprised and amused to learn it was the site of Napoleon’s greatest battle victory. According to Wikipedia:

also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of the most important and decisive engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. In what is widely regarded as the greatest victory achieved by Napoleon, the Grande Armée of France defeated a larger Russian and Austrian army led by Tsar Alexander I and Holy Roman Emperor Francis II

How perfect the symbol of a battle as foreshadowing for a family battle. That’s the historical part, even with echos of King Lear. The hysterical part is as Marcia and Willa explain:

Marcia: Austerlitz? Was this the name when you bought it?

Willa: Oh, it was racially insensitive, so he picked a new one.

Ha! How perfect, how prescient. They’re dropping hints before anyone’s even walked into the house (called a ranch but which is really an estate)

Its all brown, as Shiv puts it, but if you look a bit closer the accoutrements, nick-knacks and decorations are anything but vintage old world west. The furnishings, art work, ersatz homage to the history of the land, all “put together”. Very Pottery Barn meets Restoration hardware, meets Sam Shepard.

Connor, at this point the most self deluded of the bunch, even welcomes them by saying “Welcome to the real America”. How innocent and ignorant.

But Connor is an aspiring maven and bon vivant so he delights in his cursory knowledge of history.

So he doubles down as he proudly introduces everyone to his “humble” Abode and that the chapel next door dates to 1878. While he gives no context for the importance of 1878 (or his reason for mentioning it).

A bit of research seems to suggest this was an important period for New Mexico, commerce and local history. According to the National Park service and other online sources, this was the timeframe when the Santa Fe trail (the primary commercial route between Independence, MO and New Mexico) was being developed (possibly through hostile means) from “highway” to railroad way. The war with Mexico (over territory) had ended just thirty years earlier and the Republic of Texas had seceded from Mexico about a decade before (1836 Texas revolution). Again, signs of war, conflict, antagonism..could this be an over interpretation of a line of dialogue. Sure, but who goes to the length to not only name a house for Napoleon’s greatest victory but the entire episode and stop with the clues there?

Theres so much layering of elements in this episode, its hard to pick what to highlight.

However I am also drawn to another unique interplay of moments. There are two occasions when Shiv, beginning to sow her seeds, compares her father to the earthly elements of Fire and Water. At one point exclaiming in reference to the chapel: “do you think he can cross the threshold or will he spontaneously combust? And later explains why her father won’t take a dip in the pool, “he doesn’t even trust water..its too wishy washy”. But in the end we see the ramifications and scars from the encounters...

Shiv is brought to tears

Kendall climbs a mountain to gain perspective and snort some drugs

Connor realizes his illusion of family unity was never to be and

Logan, Logan goes into the pool (a very high end infinity pool) amidst the mountains, and cactus, tumbleweeds, dirt with steam rising to wash away the stress and as he emerges crawling out of the depths we see what appears to be lashes or scars in his upper back with Marcia there, his protector and defender to wrap him in a towel as an acoustic guitar melody plays under the scene.

Succession Austerlitz Haiku

Roys go West together

seeking salvation in sand

No one’s left unhurt

[minnievirizarry]

Best Marketing Techniques of 2017

2017 is seeing a myriad of marketing techniques being implemented with great success.

Largely, it’s because marketers now understand that consumer needs are changing.

As we reach the end of the third quarter, let’s take a look at some of the best to hopefully guide your marketing strategy for the remainder of the year - and perhaps into the oncoming year.

1. Expert Blogging

In this day and age when social media rules, just about anyone can proclaim themselves an expert, guru, or self-made CEO.

As such, content consumers crave content penned by the real experts.

They want informative, in-depth, actionable content they can immediately implement, not cookie-cutter, run-of-the-mill content that’s haphazardly done, just so you can publish as scheduled.

Expert content demonstrates a focus on quality instead of quantity.

The content you create must be relevant and informative, helpful and actionable, and created primarily for readers in mind.

But because putting together expert content is a time-consuming exercise, take the time to actually sit down and develop content suited to your audience’s needs.

If that isn’t an option, hire an expert - the real deal - to create trust-building content for your brand.

Examples of marketers and marketing organizations that consistently put out expert content are Neil Patel, Jay Baer, Moz, Kissmetrics, and Copyblogger.

Does it surprise you that they’re widely known and considered authorities in the online marketing industry?

2. Mobile Marketing

If you’re yet to look into mobile marketing as a strategy for 2017, you have a lot of catching up to do.

According to comScore, 2014 saw mobile devices lording it over desktops, as majority of digital media consumption took place on handheld devices.

In 2016, data from analytics firm Flurry confirmed that U.S. consumers spent an average five hours per day on their mobile devices.

As of August 2017, Statista’s figures are at 49.73% for mobile internet traffic versus global online traffic, and 3.5 billion active mobile internet users worldwide.

Long story short, mobile marketing has long ceased to be a nice-to-have.

People are already on mobile, so mobile is where you should also be connecting with them.

To reach out to your target market, mobile marketing involves a combination of digital marketing strategies, such as email, mobile search, web content, social media, SMS and MMS, and mobile apps.

The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) has compiled a number of mobile marketing case studies to take inspiration from, such as the campaign by Levi’s Shanghai where their creative team partnered with Tencent’s mobile app QQ Music, which Mashable calls “China’s Spotify.”

The goal was to engage millennials, particularly those in lower-tier cities, who saw rival Lee Jeans as the better denim brand.

OMD China, the agency that handled the mobile marketing campaign, set out to connect with millennials for brand recognition and sales increase.

They did this by giving the younger Chinese demographic (15 years to 24) a chance to express their originality through music and fashion via the “We Are Original” campaign.

The results were clearly a winner:

2.6 million Levi’s ads by millennials in just two weeks

2.9 million consumer engagements in the form of likes, shares, forwards, and comments

50% higher CTR on fan-created digital ads over display ads

15% boost in sales year-over-year

14% increase in eCommerce site traffic

45% annual spike in total online sales

Read the full case study here.

3. Personalized Marketing

Personalized marketing is pretty much what it says it is - a marketing strategy that aims to connect with a target consumer on a more personal, deeper level.

Think about it: Every day, your target buyers are bombarded with numerous ads from an endless list of brands, all shouting to the high heavens how they’re better than their competitors.

The subway, the streets, building facades, the bus station - ads everywhere!

The New York Times even suggests adding blank spaces to the endangered list.

Why?

Marketing research firm Yankelovich surveyed 4,000+ people and discovered that the average person today is exposed to approximately 5,000 ad messages a day compared to 2,000 three decades ago.

What’s even worse, about half of the survey respondents believe that marketing has gone “out of control.”

People are tired of being treated as walking, breathing sales targets, which is why personalized marketing makes absolute sense.

Personalized marketing is a strategy that tailors the online experience to your audience’s unique interests.

It’s a marketing technique that sees your target consumers for what they are - human beings with needs different from the next person’s.

So how exactly do you personalize your marketing?

Below are five ways from WordStream:

Data. Leave no room for guesswork by collecting as much data as you can from your target audience (e.g., demographics, challenges, goals, fears, and interests).

Buyer persona. Create buyer/customer personas using the data you gathered.

Content roadmap. Map out your content structure so every piece of content you create addresses the specific needs and interests of your target audience. Ask questions such as “What type of content do top-of-the-funnel leads need?” or “What additional information do qualified sales leads look for to seal the deal?”

Content creation. Roll up your sleeves and start crafting personalized content. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes and create content you’d be willing to consume.

Holistic personalization strategy. Use analytics tools to personalize not just the content on your website but the entire customer experience with your brand.

One personalization marketing example that has seen tremendous success is Coca Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign. It started in Australia in 2011. In the U.S. where it launched in 2014, sales grew “after more than 10 years of steady declines.”

Said Lucie Austin, one of the original brand executives in Australia to launch the campaign: “At the end of the day, our name is the most personal thing we have. It's our fingerprint…our identity…in one word.”

4. Email Marketing

You’d think that spam would have tolled the death knell for email.

According to Statista, the global spam volume as a percentage of total email traffic worldwide is a whopping 56.87%, with the most common spam emails originating from the healthcare and dating sector.

(Viagra tablets, anyone?)

But alas, despite our collective hatred for spam, email marketing is still alive and well. In fact, statistics compiled by Constant Contact indicate that:

Radicati expects 3 billion people to use email by 2020, which is half the total global population

205 billion emails are sent every day, a number expected to reach 246 billion by year-end 2019

Email ROI is a spectacular 3,800% - meaning, $38 for every $1 you spend

80% of marketing professionals believe email is a prime factor for customer acquisition and retention

Research by Forrester found that people are two times more likely to subscribe to your email list than engage with you on Facebook

Email conversion rates are higher than search and social media combined

There are more where those came from. But the bottom line is that email is alive and well, and email marketing, based on the stats above, still is a powerful way to reach your target audience.

Ninja Outreach recently compiled a list of email marketing case studies, and I’d like to focus your attention on “How Vero Got a 450% Increase in Conversions.” The case study demonstrates the power of segmentation in email marketing, with the Vero team gleaning the following top three lessons from it:

Send the right message to the right segment

Use targeting, style, and tone to avoid the dreaded recipient fatigue

Determine which email campaigns work and automate them

In other words, each email you send should be tailored to the unique needs of the recipient.

Top-of-the-funnel leads won’t respond well to “Buy Me” emails. “Hot” leads - meaning those ready to buy - will likely turn cold if you keep sending them information on something they already know.

And subscribers in Asia will likely unsubscribe every time you send them deals only available in Chicago or California.

5. Influencer Marketing

From Kendall Jenner to Lily Singh, from Rand Fishkin to Instagram’s hand-holding couple Murad and Natalya Osmann, influencer marketing is going stronger in 2017.

It’s the fastest-growing online customer acquisition channel, with 94% of those who have used the marketing technique believing it to be effective.

The benefits include:

Creation of authentic content about a brand

Increased traffic to websites and landing pages

Boost in brand engagement

But influencer marketing isn’t about getting the most popular face on the planet to endorse your brand. There are other factors that play into it - factors that have nothing to do with popularity, such as:

Authenticity. Is the influencer a good fit? Would anyone believe that this or that celebrity actually wears your jewelry line or drives your car brand?

Long-term relationships. You don’t want an influencer who endorses you today and will readily endorse your direct competitor the following day.

The rising influence of micro-influencers. What about the escalating costs of celebrity endorsements? The good thing about influencer marketing, it isn’t anchored on popularity. Micro-influencers - or influencers with small but a more engaged following - can win you bigger returns than if you focus your attention on a popular influencer who will come off as fake to your target consumers.

With influencer marketing, it’s all about finding the right fit.

But how do you find the right influencers for your brand?

There are many ways, and one of them is by using prospecting tools like Ninja Outreach.

In the old days when similar tools were unheard of, the most popular way was feeding your search keywords to Google Search and spending a good chunk of time manually separating the “wheat from the chaff.”

With Ninja Outreach, all you do is enter your keywords, and everything you need to know about prospective influencers are available in just a few clicks, including:

Contact information

Social engagement

SEO metrics

Website traffic

The content types they publish or promote

For a more granular drill-down into the data at your fingertips, you can filter the results based on content reach, social media following, engagement, site metrics, and the like.

We also put together a list of influencer marketing case studies to show you how this marketing strategy works and how it helped several businesses so far.

6. Interactive Marketing

How much has “Game of Thrones” f*cked you up?

Which Power Ranger would you have been back in the ‘90s?

If you’re a regular on BuzzFeed, you know those to be the titles of two of their user-generated quizzes.

Then again, what’s quizzes got to do with marketing, right?

The human attention span, reportedly, is now less than that of a goldfish, no thanks to smartphones and a hyperlinked web.

Whether this human-goldfish comparison is true or not remains to be seen.

What is indisputable, however, is the fact that so many things are competing for people’s attention these days, which makes attention a highly valued commodity in the attention economy.

Interactive marketing, also called event-driven or trigger-based marketing, is a one-on-one marketing technique where the direction of the content varies based on customer input.

Quizzes, assessments, calculators, and interactive storytelling are all interactive content tactics implemented by marketers to make the user experience more engaging and effective.

Other popular interactive content techniques implemented by marketers today include:

Polls/surveys

Galleries

Interactive video

Sweepstakes or contests

Interactive white papers

Interactive infographics

To prove that this type of marketing works, here’s a case study by interactive marketing platform Ceros.

After posting interactive, visually compelling content that gives the reader freedom to influence the content’s direction through the choices they make, NewsCred registered thousands of unique visitors, increased average view time, posted a 20% CTR (from ebook to NewsCred Academy), and tripled their social media engagement.

If you want to see more interactive content in action, here’s another example, also from Ceros:

Final word

Digital marketing is an ever-evolving field. While the above are undoubtedly some of the marketing techniques making marketing teams busy these days, keeping your pulse on changing consumer preferences and other trends should help you steer your strategies in the right direction when the need arises.

What have been your best marketing approaches for 2017 so far?

The post Best Marketing Techniques of 2017 appeared first on Ninja Outreach.

from SM Tips By Minnie https://ninjaoutreach.com/marketing-techniques/

[viralhottopics]

Inside Kylie Jenner’s NYC pop-up shop with her most hardcore fans

Image: kyliejenner/instagram

“We’re literally just waiting in the cold for hours for makeup we can buy online,” one girl explained to her friend.

I had been waiting a little over an hour in light snowfall to enter Kylie Jenner‘s New York City pop-up shop, but I was nowhere near Lip Kit heaven the line wrapped around two blocks. A security guard told me that the most dedicated of Kylie’s Kings showed up at 5 a.m. for the chance to buy some stuff with her face on it and maybe see her IRL.

Over here at my POPUP making sure it’s PERFECT

A video posted by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on Feb 12, 2017 at 1:09pm PST

Some resilient fans came as early as Saturday, during what I will remind you is the dead of winter, to be at the front of the line. They were rewarded when Kylie herself dropped in the night before the shop’s launch to take selfies advertising the space.

Things weren’t looking great for those among us who waited for the sun to come out before leaving the comfort of our homes. But the second I saw the Kylie Cosmetics-branded, pink drippy doors the very same hue Kendall Jenner paints her walls to suppress her appetite I remembered my destiny to suffer for fame capitalism.

SEE ALSO: Hey, Kylie Jenner, here’s a bunch of things you can trademark besides your name

Wow can’t believe I’m coming to NYC next week to open up my second Pop Up Shop.. DREAMS!!! I’ll see you guys there.. Address: 27 Mercer St. New York City When: 2/13/17 I’ll open the doors at 10am that morning & will be open daily until 9pm! Store will stay there until supplies run out! XOXO ** Yes, we will be open on Valentines Day

A photo posted by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on Feb 8, 2017 at 11:57am PST

A very important element of the dynamic here is that a lot of these girls (it’s mostly girls, though there were a few boys) don’t really care about Kylie Jenner or the Kardashians, and certainly not enough to spend hours standing in melting brown snow to buy her merch. “I like Khloe, though, she’s at least done something with her life,” an NYU student explained to me.

I overheard about a dozen variations of, “Are you mad at me? We can leave if you want, just tell me.”

Others were there partially for themselves, but were also psyched to buy eyeshadow palettes for their friends and sisters.

Fortunately, I was totally alone and didn’t have to deal with other people’s wants and needs.

Keeping Up With the Kardashians and the entire Kardashian-Jenner empire rests, at its heart, on the complex, and ultimately life-affirming relationships between women. That and Olympic-level vanity and consumerism, so it really all ties together.

At 10am.. #kyliejenner #thekylieshop #kyliepopupshop #kyliecosmetics #kylie

A video posted by Nana’s Grandaughter (@elanaofnyc) on Feb 13, 2017 at 10:06am PST

Eventually, the cold became too much for some, and two by two, the line dropped off. But many stuck around even though it was 35 degrees outside and event staff warned us that, even though the shop was supposed to stay open until 9 p.m. and it was just after 11 a.m., we might not even make it inside.

Nevertheless, they persisted. They helped each other out with coffee runs and borrowed gloves, because female friendship is a beautiful thing. We had a short-lived sing along of Justin Bieber and DJ Snake’s “Let Me Love You” to pass the time.

“It’s so cold in the ciiiiitaaaay,” one dude in the crowd sang, improvising the tune as he went along. “So cold! So cold! So cold!” True, but he was no Bieber.

MY TEAM! Can’t BELIEVE the LOVE today!!!!!!!

A video posted by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on Feb 13, 2017 at 9:18am PST

Eventually, a couple hours after Jenner had vowed be on the scene to open the shop, she arrived to a sea of noise as the crowd chanted her name.

From what I gathered from the girls I talked to, the hot ticket items were lip kits and hats. Convinced that frostbite would imminently reach my brain, I seriously considered purchasing the latter as a medical necessity.

New Dad Hats

A photo posted by Official Kylie Jenner Shop (@thekylieshop) on Feb 4, 2017 at 1:34pm PST

The best item is this Kris Jenner tee, though.

Who’s Ready for New Merch?

A photo posted by Official Kylie Jenner Shop (@thekylieshop) on Jan 31, 2017 at 3:01pm PST

Pins, underwear sets, sweatsuits, lighters and jackets are also part of the lineup. A lot of it featured the word THICK and lots of exclamation points, referencing the Tyga and Kanye West collaboration where they both rap about their sexy significant others’ bodies, which certainly isn’t creepy!

Kylie modeled some of the looks with her bestie, Jordyn Woods, which felt way more in line with the vibe of the fans I encountered than the shots of Kylie and Tyga groping each other and wearing her face. It’s fitting that the actual debut happened on Galentine’s Day and not whatever happens the day after Galentine’s day.

A photo posted by Official Kylie Jenner Shop (@thekylieshop) on Feb 4, 2017 at 9:47pm PST

Jenner always makes a point to include one item that flashes a hint of self-awareness, too. Her first round of merch included a tee referencing her mercilessly mocked (I’m guilty myself) but ultimately true prophecy for whatever the hell last year was. “I feel like this year is really about, like, realizing stuff,” she predicted, and was she wrong? If we had only opened our eyes and realized more.

This time around, she’s gloating with a message for all the people that moan about her family being “famous for being famous” and having “no talent.”

Who’s to say you don’t have any TALENT ?

A photo posted by Official Kylie Jenner Shop (@thekylieshop) on Feb 7, 2017 at 10:46am PST

Some customers noted that they were fully aware they’re just paying a markup for the name and comparable items and drugstores would be much cheaper, but the actual product is only one factor in the experience.

But even more thrilling than even a lip kit wall and a momentary glance at Kylie in the flesh is the selfie potential at the shop. Naturally, the Queen of Snapchat has her own location filter for the occasion.

After waiting in the cold since 5am it was worth it . #kyliepopupshop @kyliejenner

A video posted by (@cami.gj) on Feb 13, 2017 at 12:12pm PST

By the time Kylie actually showed up a good nine hours before the shop was set to close, plenty of the items were sold out already, and security was advising those remaining in line to make their peace with the situation and leave empty-handed.

I’m a celebrity merchandise pop-up shop veteran at this point, and I can confidently state that this is the most bonkers one I’ve attended. It makes sense Kylie’s bro-in-law Kanye West changed the game when it comes to limited-edition merchandise. Superstars like Drake and Justin Bieber followed, but couldn’t quite match the Yeezy frenzy. Kylie’s merchandise borrows heavily from the KIMOJI line big sister Kim launched last year, because this family knows what works for them.

The pop-up is scheduled to go online for Valentine’s Day and local Kings can always hope that the shop will restock and chill out a little after first-day frenzy. But if not, Kylie will certainly find new ways to sell you things.

2017 could just be the year of, like, purchasing stuff … and things.

BONUS: Who’s in the Illuminati?

Read more: http://on.mash.to/2lFujPV

from Inside Kylie Jenner’s NYC pop-up shop with her most hardcore fans