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hstyleshoney · 3 years ago

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Luck On Tour

A/N: Soo, this is my little thing for @oh-honey-styles HSFICSLAM 2 challenge. I’ve been struggling to write something for a while now and this kind of just caught my attention because it seemed like fun. It’s nothing too serious or fancy. Just a little bit of fun. If one person enjoys it then I’m happy, bc I just had a good time writing again.

Let me know your thoughts, it would mean a lot!!! xx

WC: 2.7K // a cheesy story about good luck charms and love

“You’re jealous aren’t you?”

“What?”

You blinked and turned around to glance at Charlotte who was looking at you with a smug smile. She raised her eyebrows knowingly and nodded her head in the direction you had just been glaring.

“I told you this was gonna happen.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” you told her, taking a deep breath, before forcing a strangled laugh from your chest. “Why would I be jealous?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Charlotte hummed and tapped her chin, pretending to be deep in thought before continuing. “Maybe because you two have been sleeping together for a couple of weeks now and you won’t admit it’s more than a ‘friends with benefits’ type of thing.”

You opened your mouth to tell her she was wrong, but Charlotte stopped you by putting her hand up and adding; “And now you’ve been glaring at poor Rosie for the last ten minutes for doing his hair - which, you know, is her job.”

“I have not.”

“Sure,” she chuckled mockingly and pressed her lips together to stop herself from grinning. “If you say so.”

Instead of replying you turned around to look at Harry again. He sat across the room from you, getting ready for the last and final show of his tour, with Rosie standing in front of him. Your eyes went to her hands as she ran her fingers through his brown hair and twirled his locks around her fingers to give him a little more definition.

And you had no reason to be jealous - but maybe you were? Just a little bit. Just the tiniest little bit jealous.

Because you now knew just how soft his hair was and that morning you had been the one to soothingly run your hands through it as he rested his head on your chest, cuddling up to you and holding you close.

Still, you really shouldn’t be jealous, because Rosie was only doing her job as his hairstylist and there was absolutely no reason for you to be jealous. None. Nada. Zero.

But then there was also that interviewer who, in your opinion, sat way too close to him and touched his arm a little too often. Laughing and flirting with him like no one else was around. It left a sour taste in your mouth, although you would never admit that outloud. Especially not to Charlotte.

It was only supposed to be a bit of fun. It was never supposed to get to this point. You were only supposed to be the tour photographer. Harry had liked the pictures you had taken of him during one of his Jingle Bell Ball performances a while back. And when his regular photographer wasn’t able to join him on the North American part of his tour, due to a conflict in her schedule, his team reached out and asked if you were available.

You were.

So a couple weeks later you were on a plane, traveling across the Atlantic, and ended up befriending one of the world's biggest pop stars.

How you ended up naked in his bed after the show in Chicago was still something you were trying to figure out.

It kind of just... happened.

One of the crew members had turned 40 and Harry had arranged a big birthday party for him after the show. You weren’t supposed to be working but you couldn’t stop yourself from pulling out your camera, the moment was there and you wanted to capture everyone's good spirits. Harry came up to you, a plate of cake in one hand and a drink in the other, forcing you to take it from him and telling you to put the camera away and have some fun.

One drink turned into another, and another turned into a third, and the third turned into a shot of tequila. It was all just downhill from there.

As the night went on you found yourself being drawn closer to Harry and when his fingers danced across the skin on your thigh you knew there was no going back. An hour later you stumbled into his hotel room, and his hands and lips were all over you as you ripped his shirt from his body before the door was even fully closed behind you.

The next morning you woke up with a raging headache and a belly full of regret because it was terribly unprofessional of you to sleep with the artist you were supposed to be working for. You were sure you were going to be told to pack your bags and go back home.

Of course that didn’t happen and Harry was nothing but sweet. He ordered both of you breakfast and let you sleep off your hangover in his bed while he got himself ready for the day.

Then it kind of just became a thing, because life on the road could be a little lonely and your pink vibrator wasn’t always enough.

It didn't bring you the same warmth Harry did.

And he didn’t seem to mind sharing a bed with you either, even if he sometimes complained about your cold toes rubbing against his legs.

So, really, who were you to say no?

But perhaps you should’ve because now the tour was coming to an end and you had no idea where the two of you stood and the uncertainty of it all was making you jealous of his hairstylist touching him - not ideal.

Which was why you decided to remove yourself from the situation and went to get your camera ready instead. You found yourself a quiet spot in a small corner next to the stage and tried to ignore the immature thoughts about Harry and Rosie running through your mind.

You shouldn't be jealous. It was stupid. Besides you and Harry weren’t anything exclusive. Sure, he made your heart beat twice as fast and made you feel things you had only ever read about in novels before, but you hadn’t told him any of that yet.

And you weren’t really sure how to tell him any of that.

Should you even tell him?

Telling him would make it real and what if he didn’t feel the same... that would certainly be the end of whatever was going on between the two of you.

But it was possible that the end of the tour also represented the end of the two of you, so, maybe you didn’t even have anything to lose by telling him?

You groaned to yourself and ran a hand over your face in frustration, eyes squeezed shut as you tried to drown out your thoughts with the sound from all the screaming fans in the already full-packed arena. The anticipation was high and usually it made your whole body itch with excitement as well, there was just so much love and adoration going around for one person. It was impossible to not be part of it, but tonight it only made your belly twist with anxiety.

You were going to miss it. The loud crowds. The anticipation. The joy radiating off of everyone in the arenas. The ringing in your ears as you got into bed hours later. The sparkle in Harry’s eyes as he looked through the pictures you’d taken and saw the happy faces of his fans.

You were going to miss him. Harry.

It was one of the reasons you hadn’t asked him how he felt about the two of you. If he turned around and said that your late night rendezvous was only a bit of fun while you were on the road... Well, it was something you weren’t ready to hear just yet.

Fuck.

It was also at that exact moment that Harry decided to show up, only a couple minutes before he was due to go out on stage.

“There you are,” he called out when he spotted you, your green trousers and matching striped blazer making you stand out from your little hideout in the dark corner. You watched as he said something to Jeff before making his way over to you. “Been lookin’ for ya for bloody ages - thought I’d have to go on stage without a goodluck from my little ladybug.”

You tried your best to ignore the way your whole body tingled from his little nickname for you; a nickname that started after he noticed the small little ladybug ring you always wore on your right index finger. You had had it since you were twelve and you just couldn’t get rid of it. Ever since you first saw it in the small thrift shop in your hometown it had been your good luck charm.

And once Harry asked about it and learned that you wore it every single day for good luck, he decided it was also the reason why the North American tour had been going so well and didn’t go on stage before you had wished him a good show.

“Well, here I am.”

Harry frowned and stopped in his tracks. You couldn’t look at him, the high waisted trousers and sparkling suit jacket he was wearing made your already racing heart beat even faster.

“Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just getting ready,” you muttered and nodded down to the camera in your hands. You didn’t mean to sound so bitter but the words fell from your lips before you could stop yourself. “Are you all set for the last show then? Maybe you should go find Rosie again to make sure the hair is good.”

You regretted it as soon as you said it, your cheeks turning hot as the last phrase slipped from your tongue.

That was stupid.

His eyes burned through your skin and you knew there was no way he was going to let your snide little remark go. Stupid stupid stupid.

For a moment you contemplated just making a run for it so you could hide in the lively crowd for the whole show and then simply just disappear into the night, so you wouldn’t ever have to look Harry Styles in the eyes ever again.

But something stopped you.

A low, almost inaudible, chuckle fell from the man in front of you and you glanced up at him just as his lips curled into a small smirk, his dimple appearing on his cheek, and you felt your face grow even hotter. “Don’t look at me like that.”

Harry held his hands up innocently.

“I’m not looking at you in any way,” he said, still smirking, and let his tongue poke out to lick his pink lips.

“Yes, you are! I don’t like that-” you started and waved your finger at him, “Whatever it is you're doing with your face.”

“Are you jealous?” Harry asked, ignoring your frustrated little stomp, and took a step closer to you.

“What? No, don’t be ridiculous,” you said, taking a shaky breath and a step backwards away from him, making both of you disappear in the shadows of the dark corner where you had previously been hiding as he followed and continued to come closer.

“You are, aren’t you?”

“I’m not.”

“It’s fine if you are.”

“You really need to stop or I’ll only snap pictures of you from your worst angles tonight.”

Not that he really had any bad angles but that was beside the point. It was absolutely infuriating how he could see right through you so easily.

Harry laughed and took one final step forward, trapping you between his body and the wall. His familiar perfume washed over you and you wanted to bathe in it forever. He always smelled so damn good, and for a moment you forgot about your childish behavior from a couple seconds ago and let yourself get lost in the green of his eyes

“You know you have nothing to be jealous of, right?” Harry told you and reached out to push a strand of your hair away from your face. His fingers gently brushed across the apple of your cheek, making your heart flutter and head fuzzy. He was no longer smirking at you but his lips were still turned upwards. Instead of the smug smirk he was now looking down at you with a soft smile - the same smile you had gotten so used to seeing first thing in the morning, and you were sure you wouldn’t mind if you got to see it every morning for the rest of your life.

“Do I?” you breathed out nervously.

“Well, when we’re back in London I'm gonna make sure to finally take you on a proper date and-”

“What?”

You didn’t mean to cut him off. It just took you completely off guard and the words fell from your lips before you could think twice about it. “You want to take me out on a date in London?”

That caught him a little off guard.

“Oh,” Harry faltered a little and scratched the back of his neck. For the first time there was a hint of nervousness across his otherwise confident features. “I kind of just assumed we would, eh, we don’t have to- I mean if you, um- if you don’t- I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed you wanted to continue things back home.”

And you probably really should’ve said something then, but you were at a loss for words. It was the first time either of you had ever mentioned something about seeing each other after the tour was done. You finally had an answer to the question that had swirled around in your head for days and had created the uncertainty and jealousy in the first place. Just like that.

You had spent all day trying to decide whether you should tell him your feelings for him had changed and admit you wanted to see him more, and there he was -- already planning for your first official date.

You really needed to say something.

But someone else beat you to it.

“H!” It was Jeff. “You’ve got less than a minute until you have to get on stage, c’mon!”

Harry turned around and gave his friend a thumbs up, to let him know he had heard him, before he looked down at you again.

“Alright, duty calls I guess,” he said and gave you a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Again, I’m sorry.”

And you knew you had to say something because you couldn’t let him do his final show thinking you didn’t actually want to continue seeing him. Especially when it was the opposite of what you wanted.

“Wait,” you burst out and reached for his hand to stop him from leaving. “I do. I do want to see you.”

Harry’s dimple made another appearance and there was so much more you wanted to say to him. You wanted to tell him how thankful you were to have met him. How happy he made you. How safe you felt in his company. How you could always be yourself around him. How he actually had no right to complain about your cold feet because his own were even colder.

But Jeff beat you again.

“Harry!” He shouted. “Get your ass over here!”

“We probably shouldn’t talk about this right now,” Harry chuckled and pulled you a little closer, his hand still in yours.

“Probably not,” you mumbled and watched as Harry ran his fingers over your dainty little ladybug ring, before lifting your hand to his mouth and pressing a soft kiss to it. His warm lips lingered for a couple seconds on your skin and you could have melted into a puddle right there and then.

“Wish me luck then,” he smiled, his lips still brushing against the skin on top of your hand.

“You don’t need it.”

“Shhh, don’t ruin it now,” he shushed and shook his head lightly. “S’the last show. I need my ladybug luck.”

“If you need your ladybug luck,” you began quietly and pulled your hand away from his. Harry pouted and reached for your hand to have the little ladybug on your ring between you again, but you were quicker and put your arm around his waist. “Why haven’t you kissed me yet?”

A grin broke out across his face and he didn’t waste any time before pressing his lips to yours in a soft kiss that filled your belly with butterflies. Warmth consumed your whole body as you leaned into the kiss and Harry smiled against your lips. You really could’ve stayed in that moment forever.

“Harry!”

Jeff called his name again.

Harry let out an excessive sigh as he broke your kiss and leaned his forehead against yours. His breath warm on your face and as he pressed his lips to yours again in a short peck you realised you were still smiling as well.

Then he was off to do his final show.

And despite the thousands of ear piercing screams that filled the arena as he entered the stage the sweet little “Good luck” you shouted after him was the loudest one.

#HSFICSLAM #Harry Styles fanfiction #Harry Styles fanfic #Harry Styles writing #harry styles x reader #Harry Styles concept #Harry Styles blurb #Harry Styles Drabble

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animebookworm16 · 2 years ago

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A Rilvalry Born Out of Not Changing Seats.

So @jacquesthepigeon was talking about giving Adrien a rilval like Lila is to Marinette and that made me think of this... I’m pretty sure at this point it’d have to be a whole canon rewrite thing. But either way jacquesthepigeon if you ever see this, your salt brings me life.

If we're going with an AU (because the actual show wouldn't have the guts to do this) I think it would be hilarious if Nino was that rival. Like maybe in this version Bustier didn't tell Nino to sit in front so he didn't hear Adrien's very first Truama Dump.

But do you know what he does see? Marinette standing up for herself for the first time, Marinette and Alya becoming best friends (and feeling genuinely happy for the shy girl he's known for years) and he sees Adrien. The same Adrien that Chloe has been ranting and bragging about since school started. He sees the new guy do nothing to stop Chloe or Sabrina and all Nino can think is ‘Oh great. Another Chloe.’

So Nino starts off already pretty jaded toward Adrien, but much like with the actual Chloe he’s content to leave things be. Until he becomes friends with Marinette and Alya as well. Let’s say it’s from the episode where Nathaniel gets akumatized and Marinette, Alya, and Nino get partnered together. (Adrien gets stuck with Chloe and Sabrina but that doesn’t matter since he wouldn’t stand up to Chloe) Nino discovers that the shy girl who always brought the best snacks to school was actually very kind (and charmingly awkward).

The three quickly become friends and Marinette lets Nino in on her big secret. Not the Ladybug one. The crush one. Now Nino, like most the class, already had an idea that she liked Adrien, but unlike the rest of the class (who were seemingly charmed by his model smile) Nino didn’t fully trust Adrien. Sure the kid had been homeschooled, and that was painfully evident in his social awkwardness, and apparently the only friend he’d ever had was Chloe, which was like five red flags in and of itself, but there was just something off about Adrien. Maybe it was in the way he said he wanted to make friends but flat out refused to stand up to Chloe unless one of her schemes affected him personally.

But Nino isn’t one to needlessly hate on someone, it takes too much energy to hate someone, so he doesn’t say anything against Marinette liking Adrien (at the end of the day she’s her own person and will like whoever she wants to regardless of what other people say) but does recomend maybe dialing it back a little.

Aside from that, if Nino keeps a sharper eye on Adrien then it’s just to make sure the new kid is ‘adjusting’ alright.

But other than that Nino is still ‘meh’ towards Adrien. That lasts right up until Lila and Kagami show up. And since he’s sitting in the back instead of in front of the embodyment of goodluck and beside the embodyment of badluck, he’s a little more removed from that particular drama, so he can see that Lila is just as off as Adrien is. But again Nino isn’t one for hating people based on a gut feeling, so Lila gets the same ‘meh’ treatment as Adrien. And that is why when Marinette admits to having seen Ladybug confront Lila in front of Adrien about the girl being a liar, Nino belives her. And this is when the anger towards Adrien comes in. Adrien knew that Lila was a liar and didn’t tell anyone. Not wanting to alienate the new kid? Understandable. Letting her use your classmates as her own personal servants? Now it was Chloe 2.0

So at this point Nino now actively dislikes Adrien.

And then Adrien’s first date with Kagami happened. Or as Nino soon learned, Marinette planning Adrien’s first date with Kagami because Adrien asked her to. Nino isn’t a violent person by nature, but he just about smacked the blond boy when he heard that. A blind person could see that Marinette had feelings for the model. And as far as Nino was concerned, Adrien had used those feelings to make sure he’d have a perfect date with another girl. No one deserved that. Hell Chloe wouldn’t deserve that.

Nino’s had enough. Adrien is a spineless coward and shouldn’t be treated like the golden child he isn’t. So Nino starts speaking up against Adrien every chance he gets, both against Adrien himself and Chloe and Lila.

Now in the canon universe this would cause ungodly amounts of tension between him and Marinette, but in this hypothetical AU Marinette is genuinely hurt by everything with Kagami, so her crush isn’t as big when Nino starts blasting salt in the general viscenity Adrien.

And the way to get Adrien to hate Nino? Very Easy.

First, Nino doesn’t like Adrien. And as we’ve seen, everyone apparently likes Adrien so Nino practically blows the boy’s mind. Adrien would try to befriend Nino but Nino would shut that down so fast. And Adrien, ever the non-confrontist that he is, would drop the subject but it would rub him raw every time he saw the other boy.

Second, with the seeds of discord planted, when Nino starts challenging Chloe and Lila is when Adrien’s hatred starts. Nino’s rocking the boat. Nino isn’t letting things lie. He’s actively starting arguments and destroying Adrien’s perfect little paradise. And as we know when things disrupt Adrien’s paradise, he goes straight for the nuclear button.

So Adrien tries to force Nino to stop, but a.) The two aren’t friends so Adrien has no clout there. b.) Gabriel’s name only has weight in the fashion industry so Adrien can’t pull a Chloe and get him blacklisted. and c.) When Nino heard Adrien trying to threaten him he laughed and said, “Try me I dare you.”

And thus a rilvary was born.

#miraculous ladybug #au

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digitalworldbound · 4 years ago

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can i have a koukari in 10? it can be romantic/platonic, i just need the combination needs more love :D thank you!

Number 10: “I know you’re not a fan of Valentine’s day…I just thought that maybe I could change your mind…”

Characters: Koushiro x Hikari. I’ve never written for Koukair, but I find the pair so fascinating. I’ve been working on this for a month, but it still reads kind of clumsy and awkward. However, I want to write more of the two of them, so hopefully practice will make perfect. ALSO, I am going to rewrite this in the future, but I just wanted to get something out to you in the meantime :)

Feel free to send me a prompt!

Hikari had never been one to avoid confrontation. She liked to think herself as diplomatic; easily navigating the relationships around her. It wasn’t until a messy-haired ginger waltzed into her heart with his nervous chatter that her heart began to waver.

Somewhere along the messy business of growing up, her heart began to flutter whenever he was near. Hikari wasn’t avoiding confrontation per say; she was avoiding Koushiro. There was a clear distinction between the two (or so she believed).

Her red pen marked one day closer to Valentine’s.

Like most girls her age, Hikari typically spent the days leading up to the holiday in a frenzy of melted confectionaries and drafts of handwritten notes. This year, however, she planned to lay low. She couldn’t trust herself not to get caught up in the excitement an accidently make Koushiro honmei chocolates instead of the customary giri.

After wrapping seven sets of identical chocolates – her friends would never forgive her if she forgot them- Hikari began to wonder if chocolates were the way to go. In all the years that she had known Koushiro, she had never known him to be particularly fond of sweets. Unlike the other boys, he preferred the bitter taste of hot tea or a protein bar. Chocolate, she decided, would be a no-go.

“Onii-chan?” she asked, rousing Taichi away from scavenging through the refrigerator. He grunted, frozen corndogs in clutch. “Do you know if Koushiro-san is busy tomorrow?” Hikari mused, trying her best to sound nonchalant over the pounding of her heart. Why was she so nervous? She had no idea.

Shoving two of the corndogs into their toaster oven, Taichi answered with a shrug of his shoulders. “How am I supposed to know? You could just send him a text.”

A mixing spoon clattered onto the kitchen floor. Hikari jumped in surprised, narrowly avoiding the droplets of melted chocolate that ricocheted in her direction. Her brother was not as quick on his feet. “Hey, watch it!” He struggled to wipe the sticky syrup from his face. Glops hung from his hair, but Hikari stifled her giggles. As beep of the toaster oven regained the attention of the older, less graceful Yagami, Hikari allowed herself to breathe a quick sigh of relief before cleaning up the mess.

Morning sunshine filled her bedroom with an ethereal glow, but Hikari’s eyes nervous glanced over to the cat-themed calendar on her wall. The angry red circle seemed to lasso itself around her thin shoulders, constricting her stomach into tight knots: it was Valentine’s Day.

But luck appeared to grace her with one favor; it also happened to be a Saturday.

Seven little pouches of neatly wrapped chocolates guarded her bedside table, making the gift bag appear even more out-of-place. Late into the night, she swallowed her pride, realizing that if she wanted to have any chance of getting through to Koushiro, it would have to be more personal that a standardized gift.

Dressing herself in her favorite pink skirt and ladybug-hairclip (partly for good luck, partly to see if Koushiro would notice), Hikari dropped one of the bags in front of Taichi’s door before giving her mother a kiss goodbye.

“Goodluck today, sweetie!” Her mother called out. Hikari’s mother - who didn’t even realize that Gatomon was a living creature until three months of her being there – took note of the tension in her daughter’s shoulders. Flashing a quick, tight-lipped smile behind her, Hikari disappeared into the light of midday.

Once she was seated on her bicycle, Hikari allowed the breeze to carry her anxieties away. It was only Koushiro. Some of her earliest memories of childhood were stained with his fiery hair. His quick wit was more coveted than her brother’s bravery, and there were days that his smile warmed her like sunshine. She had seemingly known him forever; how could she be afraid? The bicycle wheel clicked to a stop, and Hikari wished courage was hereditary.

Gift bag in clutch, the young girl nervously fixed her appearance in the reflection of the window. The ladybug charm shone brightly amongst her bangs, and she absentmindedly wondered if he would like it. Flipping her cell phone open, digitalized numbers told her what she already knew: it was now or never.

Hikari sent Koushiro a text letting him know that she was there. She perched herself on a bench, folding her hands in her lap to keep from fidgeting. The sun warmed her shoulders, the heat adding to her anticipation. “Hello, Hikari-chan.” Koushiro’s voice washed over her. His shadow loomed over her, offering some reprieve from the sunshine. Through her squinted eyes, she did her best to read his facial expressions. When she made no move to speak, he motioned for her to follow him.

Hikari let the silence filtered between them for a few beats, sighing in appreciation as the air conditioning enveloped her. “You know,” she began, hands clammy around the handles of his present, “It’s about time for your lunch break.”

Koushiro only hummed in agreement, turning the corner to his office. His khaki pants were wrinkled compared to the crisp pleats of Hikari’s skirt. She noted the tense outline of his shoulders and shadows underneath his eyes. “Have you been sleeping alright?”

“I’ve been sleeping as much as I can, but I still have so much to work on.”

As they crossed the threshold into Koushiro’s workspace, Hikari did her best to cover her surprise. She had almost forgotten how shiny the floors could be without its usual coating of trash and debris. He stood sheepishly in the middle of the room; hands buried deep in the pockets of his pants.

“Wow, you’ve cleaned! It looks great!” she praised, eyes glittering in appraisal.

“Well,” his hand found its way to the back of his neck, “I knew that you were coming over.” It could have been any combination of his rosy cheeks, downcast eyes or subtle confession, but there was a hum of anticipation in the air. To avoid her heated stare, Koushiro sat behind his computer, fingers clasped in his lap.

Her hair fluttered around her face as she thrust her gift in his direction. “Here, this is for you.” As Koushiro took the bag from her, he allowed his fingers to linger a second longer than necessary. Blurting out his obligatory “Arigatōgozaimashita”, he methodically removed his favorite flavor of tea and bags of jellybeans. Hikari clasped her hand behind her back, doing little to conceal her anxiety.

The bags of tea and snacks sat listlessly in Koushiro’s lap, his eyebrows furrowed close together. If she hadn’t been so nervous, Hikari might have laughed at how the resembled to little caterpillars on his forehead.

“I know you’re not a fan of Valentine’s day…I just thought that maybe I could change your mind…” Hikari faced colored, eyes staring intently at the shine of Koushiro’s dress shoes. The room was eerily silent, the buzz of anticipation dancing around them like static.

His office chair squeak as his weight shifted, shoes moving closer to her own. Hikari’s head tilted the slightest bit upwards. She couldn’t breathe. He took a step closer, cheeks aflame. Koushiro’s eyes fluttered shut as he leaned in slowly, hand bringing itself to rest at the small of her back. Anticipation burned in her stomach; her heart was doing somersaults in her chest. His fingers reached out to run themselves through her hair but got caught.

“What’s this?” He mused, words no more than a whisper that ghosted over her lips.

“A ladybug” her breath mingled with his.

He leaned in.

#koukari #koushiro izumi #hikari yagami

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youarejesting · 4 years ago

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Missing

Rating: Teen and Up Genre: Mystery, Romance, Drama, Action, Angst, Paranormal. Pairing: ? x Reader Summary: In Bightville there is never any nonsense, the scariest thing one might face is tripping at the roller-disco. But, when you move to the small town, crazy things start to happen. Suddenly people are going missing without any leads. It’s when your neighbour Seokjin goes missing that things get serious because now his friends suspect you!

[First] [Previous] [Masterlist] [Next]

Jimin yawned rolling out of bed, he was happy to have gotten some sleep. He was finishing his paper for economics. He had fallen asleep at the desk in his work uniform and sighed, going for a long hot shower Jimin had a knack for being almost always late, so why should he break tradition.

Looking into his wardrobe he contemplated what to wear while drying his hair with his free hand. “Jimin, you are going to be late again honey,” a sweet old voice called up the stairs. Jimin laughed in response, getting dressed quickly and boundy down the stairs to see his Grandmother.

“I have to be fashionably late gran or otherwise I am just a nobody” He gave a cheeky grin.

“I packed a few extra goodies in your lunchbox, share them with your friends,” The old woman handed Jimin his lunch box and sighed, “Okay, puppy have a good day at school”

“Thanks Gran I will see you tonight okay, I will help make something for dinner okay?”

Jimin took off on his bike towards the school and grinned there was something about today that just felt different. Jimin arrived at the administration to sign in late.

“Ah mrs moss you wouldn’t believe the morning I had, my bike tire was flat so I had to search the house for the pump as my dear sweet gran moved it so she didn’t trip. Bless her.” Jimin tried his best to charm the woman into letting him go without a scolding, but she didn't look too impressed.

“And might I add that this shade of lipstick is quite youthful, my if you weren’t a teacher, I would ask you to this saturday’s roller disco”

That did the trick, the woman was flustered enough to right up a late slip and not a ticket for a detention. “Hurry on to class, and stop trying to charm your teachers”

Jimin gave his signature cute smile and went to leave the admin when he heard talking from the principal's office.

“He didn’t come home last night, that's not normal,” The woman pleaded “Our son comes home the same time everyday and last night he didn’t even text or call”

“Alright, the police have been notified and we will ask around if anyone remembers seeing him yesterday afternoon” The principal said “Please trust me we are a small town he couldn’t have gotten far, he will turn up”

Jimin went to leave but the parents exited the office and spotted him, “excuse me son, do you know our boy?” The husband handed out a photo and Jimin looked at the photo and nodded.

“Yes, he is quiet and doesn’t really speak to many people. I sit beside him in art, he is good. He doesn’t have many friends and I know a few people pick on him, and yesterday he fell over in the hall and the new girl helped him.” Jimin tried his best to recall all the events he could, the principal was looking over the parents shoulder, “I had work after that at the diner and then I went home to finish my economics paper which is due today… Oh no I left my paper at home”

“We will talk with the new girl and see what she knows. Thank you so much Jimin for your help. And I will talk to your teacher about your paper, make sure to bring it in tomorrow”

“Yes sir, thank you sir” Jimin ran off and slipped into the classroom with a note, sliding into his desk beside Hoseok and Namjoon.

“Why are you always late?”

“I was in the admin office, talking to the principal. A kid has gone missing Joon.”

“Which one?” Taehyung said, laying his head back onto Jimin’s desk as he was in the chair in front.

“The outcast,” Jimin said watching all of them frown, “His parents are really upset”

“Could have been a prank gone too far…” Yoongi muttered from beside Tehyung.

“Has anyone seen Jungkook? He didn’t come to school either,” Yoongi muttered from the desk behind Namjoon’s.

“Maybe they eloped,” A feminine voice spoke directly behind Jimin, “I am trying to work here, please keep it down.” They all quit trying to act stealthy and turned in their seats to look at the new girl.

“How is it she looks like a nice person but is actually so rude?” Seokjin muttered beside her and the whole group promptly got detention.

When it was time for detention, the group sat quietly and worked on their assignments waiting until they were free to leave. They each sent glares towards the new student who was called upon by the principal who asked if she had seen the student who had gone missing.

“Do you know this student here?” Jimin listened and assumed the principal showed her the same photo he saw earlier that morning.

“Yeah, I helped him with his books when he fell in the hall and then after school I offered to walk him home as there was kids bullying him but he disappeared”

“Alright that’s detention time over, try not to come back again, this isn’t a daycare�� the male teacher sighed from the front of the classroom before promptly leaving.

“Hey, I think we should go check on Koo,” Jimin said and Yoongi nodded

“Put your bike in the back and we can stop by?” Jin said confused and Hoseok jumped in as well, looking nervous.

“There is something strange going on and I don’t like it.” Hoseok shivered in the back seat, side eyeing the empty parking lot.

“I agree, you can’t fart in this town without someone hearing it?” Taehyung called, as he, Namjoon, and Yoongi headed to Yoongi’s car across the parking lot. The oldest waited for the other three to safely enter their vehicle before they all drove off parting ways. They pulled up at Jungkook’s house and Jimin knocked on the door. “Hello miss Jeon, is Jungkook home?”

“Yes he is upstairs, he said he wasn’t feeling well, You can see him if you would like?” Jungkook’s mother was sweet and doe eyed just like her son, who was slowly outgrowing her, soon he would outgrow Jimin entirely.

On that note the three raced up the stairs and pushed into Jungkook’s room, “Jungkook, hey man what is going on?” They saw the young man huddled and wide eyed on his bed, entering further into the place. Seokjin was looking around the room while Jimin and Hoseok checked on Jungkook.

“A kid went missing, you know the outcast?” Jimin said “The parents are desperate for answers, they even asked the new girl if she had seen him.

“What did she say?” Jungkook asked curiously

“She said she helped him but he disappeared”

“I saw them in the alley outside the arcade and afterwork she dumped his jacket in the bin and got into a car.”

“What is this?” Seokjin laughed trying to ease the tension, they all looked. Instantly filled with a sense of dread, his eyes landing on the papers on the desk and the horrific image drawn, the massive long legged creature with its hollow eyes made Jimin’s knees feel weak.

Jungkook got really quiet and looked at his hands to avoid the picture. “There are things in the dark.”

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brightsun-and-darkmidnight · 4 years ago

Text

Don’t Let Go

TITLE: Don’t Let Go

CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: 3 / ?

AUTHOR: brightsun-and-darkmidnight as well as @melodylnoelle

ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine Loki's life if he did not let go at the rainbow bridge... (After the Bifrost being destroyed.)

RATING: Explicit

NOTES/WARNINGS: Depression. Thoughts of suicide. Odin is a dick. Thor is an asshole but still cares about his brother. Frigga is a concerned mother but puts the image of the Odin family first. Okay… everyone still treats Loki badly.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is my thoughts of what it might have been like if Loki did not let go. This is set immediately after the Bifrost being destroyed. Loki has a lot to sort through...

My Ao3: brightsun_and_darkmidnight

*FINALLY..Read the warnings. Once you agree you can handle it...

~ ~ ENJOY ~ ~

"Loki."

He stopped and turned towards Thor with apprehension.

"There is someone I would really like you to meet."

"Meet? Who could you want me to meet?"

Sif and the other three came looking for someone then noticed Loki and Thor.

Thor studied the group and then looked as if a piece was missing. "Where is she?"

Volstag yelled, "She ran off again!"

"Perhaps she just doesn't want to talk to anyone." Sif grumbled in annoyance.

Fandral's charm showed as he spoke with high regards, "She is a shy thing but she is beautiful."

Thor smiled and patted his friend, "Fandral is not wrong." Turning to Loki, Thor smiled. "Have you met mother's new student?"

Loki thought back to the quiet girl that would be seen only with his mother and no where else. "The lady with light brown curly hair?"

Thor smiled, "Yes that one. We all think it would be amazing if you could talk to her. Try to get her out of her shell."

Loki answered with a denial, "I haven't said a word to her, neither did she to me. Now if you excuse me I am going to meet with mother."

Loki walked away with annoyance. "As if I could get acquainted to someone those fools wish me to meet."

-:-

However… Loki noticed how quiet the woman was with all the times she would be present before Loki would walk off. There was something about her that pulled Loki's gaze to her. She was nothing like Thor and his friends. She was quiet, kept her distance, respectful, and she held her head down most of the time. Loki noticed her curly thick hair seemed to always be hiding her face. The most Loki seemed to see her move was to glide her hand over the hair blocking Loki's view. She was indeed shy.

-:-

The only times Loki ever seen her was when in Frigga's presence.

As well as hearing about her constantly running away from Thor, the warriors three, and Sif.

Loki was wondering if maybe he could become a friend of hers. Loki was not one to assume a lady was not able to handle themselves but Thor could be heavily annoying. Perhaps he could learn her secrets of evasion...

Thus, it was a game of trying to see more of the unique woman.

"What are you doing?"

Loki nearly jumped out of his skin at being found but turned with a grin.

"Hello Mother. I was looking for you." The person he was actually searching for was not with her.

"If you are looking for Alexandrite she is in the gardens underneath the elder tree."

Loki fiddled with his hand as he looked normal otherwise. "What would give you the impression I was."

Frigga rose an eyebrow with a knowing smile, "why else would you be sneaking around all of my favorite places to teach?"

"Just looking for you to discuss dinner."

Frigga hummed, "I am certain you know I go to the healing wing at this time. However, I am late so you will do me a favor. It seems to be a coincidence that she is going to be with me for dinner in my study."

Loki's eyebrows raised then furrowed, "I didn't know that."

"Of course you did not. She doesn't know yet because as my favor, you are going to ask her."

"I was asking you for dinner."

"You better go before that girl wonders off, she is very difficult to find when she doesn't want to be found."

Frigga shooed him away and Loki began his search. True to his mother's words Alexandrite was under the tree. He approached quietly but she glanced up from the book.

"Im sorry prince Loki. The Allmother said I could stay. I can leave so you can.-"

"No. Stay." Loki gave her a smile after his quick reply. "You like this spot as well?"

"It very beautiful. Everything is pleasant here."

Loki gestured to the bench, "may I join you?"

Her eye, uncovered by hair, looked near the tree before quickly going to the book on her lap. "If I could stay."

"Of course." Loki sat and watched her read the page of a book. It was an advanced healing spell on transformation. Loki tried to read her face but most of it was covered with her hair. Loki chose not to comment on the book but would ask his mother later. That book Loki put himself into many difficult situations when he was learning how to shape shift.

-:-

Loki had slithered around the garden, awed at how everything in the garden looked so much bigger in this form.

He had finally perfected his shifting with his mother, having worked every day until she was confident that he could do it unsupervised. To celebrate, he decided just to give it a little more practice for the day in the form of one of his favorite animals.

He was, however, surprised at how the sun seemed so much brighter in this form, and decided to make his way to a nice place in the shade to admire the garden from.

He was almost there when a pair of feet appeared in front of him, and a smiling Thor beaming down on him.

Oh great.

“Well hello there, little snake.” He bent and picked Loki up at an awkward angle. “How did you come to be in the gardens?”

Loki wriggled in his grip, trying to get himself down. The more he moved, the firmer Thor’s grasp was, not willing to let him go.

Thor was overly excited. “I should bring you to my brother! He would love this.” Still holding tightly to Loki, he started running back inside.

Loki’s head bobbed to the pace of Thor’s footfalls, making him hit his head every time. It was becoming incredibly uncomfortable to remain like this. He needed to get Thor to put him down so he could turn back. He did the only thing that he could think to do.

He bit him.

“Ow!” Thor only slightly loosened his hold, but kept Loki in his hand. Rubbing his arm, he continued down the hall, at only a slightly slower pace.

Ok, that’s quite enough of this, Loki thought after another few minutes of Thor searching in vain. Thor’s hand had moved and was squeezing harshly on Loki’s lungs now, making it hard to breathe.

A glimmer of gold overtook Loki as he turned back into his normal form.

What is this?” Thor asked aloud as he let go, dropping Loki to the ground as he did.

“Ah, it’s me!” Loki stood, drawing his dagger and stabbing into Thor’s forearm, right over the bite wound. “Next time do not hold snakes so tightly, you fool. You were suffocating me!”

“How was I supposed to know it was you?”

“Well if I used my seidr right, you weren’t, but that’s not the point.”

“And the point in stabbing me was what?”

Loki shrugged. “You made me uncomfortable, I made you uncomfortable. We are equal.”

“This is what you call equal?”

“Oh, stop your sniveling, brother, you are fine.” He slid the dagger away and gestured a hand behind him. “Come on, then, I shall bring you to the healing room.”

-:-

"My mother, I, was wondering if you would like to join us for dinner."

She paused in running her finger along the script. "That is a very nice offer."

A smile was pulling her lips but she frowned. Loki's chest felt a little tight at the sight of the confliction in her lips. Loki shifted to try to ease himself from the sensation in his chest. An ache forming prematurely but hopefully the wrong assumption of rejection.

Her voice was quiet in her confession. "I don't like crowds and I know the dining hall is always filled..."

Loki smiled nervously. "It seems she has already taken that into consideration… She wants to eat in her study tonight."

Loki waited as Alexandrite played with her extremely thick hair. He watched her hair go back to the curls as she pulled on a strand a little. "I think I need to train more. The Allmother is planning on putting me through a test soon."

Loki hummed as he gestured to the book. A silence enveloped the area for a moment before Loki could think of how to get more time with her.

"In transformation?"

She turned her head towards him and his breath steadily left him as a calm overtook him. Her facial features were as if made with soft clay, rounded and curved to highlight her eyes. Her exposed eye was a captivating series of greens and blues. She quickly glanced away and Loki wondered if he stared at her too long.

He hoped he did not offend her.

Although, Loki wondered what the rest of her face looked like. To see both of her eyes must be just as mesmerizing.

Her fingers gliding over an image of a wolf had Loki pondering how many forms she could take.

Finally an answer. "In sorts. She is helping me expand my transformation choices. I am pretty new to this."

Loki smiled at fond memories… "My mother is an excellent teacher. I am sure you will do well."

Alexandrite closed the book and stood with a small, but perfect, curtsey. "Thank you prince Loki. I shall try to make it for dinner. I should go practice before seeing your mother again."

Loki stood as well, "I hope to see you for dinner then, and goodluck."

She bowed her head as she walked swiftly to the farthest exit point that went to a long hall. Loki thought for a moment before going the same way. He was rude to not ask to escort her and he could help her train. Seder was not something to practice alone.

He was about to call for her but she was already gone…

#brightsun-and-darkmidnight #chapter 3 #loki #don't let go

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letterboxd · 4 years ago

Photo

Life in Film: Kris Rey.

As her new comedy I Used to Go Here opens, Chicago-based writer and director Kris Rey talks to Letterboxd editor-in-chief Gemma Gracewood about turning 40, divorce, female friendships, why nobody but Jemaine Clement could pull off a scene making tea, and what we can all learn from Generation Z.

If Kris Rey’s new comedy I Used to Go Here were a typical Hollywood rom-com, it would finish just before Rey’s film starts: with Kate Conklin (Gillian Jacobs) as a newly published author, engaged to be married to a handsome guy. Instead, we meet Kate in a Bushwick apartment she can no longer afford, as her publishing company breaks the news that her debut novel (Seasons Passed; terrible cover art, purple prose) is a failure and the publicity tour is off. That’s on top of the insult that her fiancé has recently ended their engagement.

Kate is given a faint ray of optimism when her creative writing professor (Jemaine Clement) invites her back to the liberal arts college she graduated from a decade earlier, to give a talk to his Gen Z students. Leaving Brooklyn and her pregnant bestie behind, Kate dives into the nostalgia of her old Illinois stomping ground, and I Used to Go Here turns into a low-key, pot-fuelled, intergenerational romp through ideas of success, friendship, creativity, authenticity and idolization.

The film’s fans on Letterboxd include Matt Neglia, who writes: “Gillian Jacobs brings charismatic charm and restraint to her role as a writer longing for a time when we were filled with endless potential without the fear of failure.” Matt DeTurck identifies with this theme: “Relatable for anyone wrestling with fitting the pieces of their life together in ways that feel truthful.”

On the contemporary representation of university life, Alex Billington remarks that “it’s got all the college movie tropes… but it repackages all of these in a smart adult-looking-back indie film package”. Max notes that “the college kids are an invaluable addition and feel like people rather than college or Gen Z stereotypes”.

Kate (Gillian Jacobs) and David (Jemaine Clement) in a scene from ‘I Used to Go Here’.

Your film starts just after the point at which a mainstream comedy about a single white woman in her thirties would end: with Kate’s book being published to no acclaim, her engagement being broken off, everybody else pregnant except her. It runs in opposition to the happy endings Hollywood has made us expect. Kris Rey: Oh god, [that’s] so astute. No-one has said that before and I have never thought of it before, but that’s so true! I think what’s so interesting about the whole journey that she goes on, and all of our own personal journeys, is that you’re used to, like, at the end of the movie, they get married! She gets her book published! And then everything is perfect! And then you realize: ‘Oh. Oh god, okay. How do I move on from this?’ So, you’re right, that is what’s so different about this.

The other thing—and I’m sure this can be said about most films this year—is how the set-up feels weirdly right for these times, which is to say: the widespread derailment of plans that the pandemic has wrought. It’s like we’re in a strange global coming-of-age. Several Letterboxd reviews observe how, for women in their late twenties to early thirties, there’s a second coming-of-age where everything suddenly feels extremely nostalgic. The film dives into that longing feeling by literally returning Kate to her old college. It’s funny, you know, a lot of people have pointed out how this doesn’t quite fit into a category. It’s not a rom-com, it’s not a true coming-of-age film in a sense of what we know that to be. I think that part of it is exactly what you’ve just pointed out, which is that it’s about a unique period of time for women, where you do reach this precipice. Mostly, it comes out of this big ever-pressing question which is “Am I going to have a family or not?”. Not every woman, but most women, have that question in their head until they either have a baby or they reach the age where they can’t have a baby anymore. “Am I going to have this? Am I going to follow this path of domesticity? Am I going to find a relationship that works long enough to have a family with them? Am I going to have to make sacrifices in my career to make room to have a family? Am I going to find them all at once?” Men just don’t have that point, to no fault of their own, but the fault of the patriarchy in general, which is that it has to be a conscious decision for women in a way that everything revolves around that, as we go about our lives at that age.

And you’ve explored that idea in more than just this film. I loved the awkward-yet-sincere moment at the baby shower, when the friends make her hold her book alongside their third-trimester bumps for a group photo. A book is a baby, and its publication should also be celebrated! Scenes like that emphasize how well Gillian Jacobs embraced the role of Kate. What did she bring to it that wasn’t on the page? There’s such a special thing that happens when you cast anyone for anything. It certainly happened with Gillian, but also with everyone. Definitely Jemaine was a big one, which is that I don’t typically write for specific actors. I write a character, I write the dialog, and then when I cast them I think ‘oh, Jemaine Clement is going to be in this role’, so then I go back through and read the whole thing in his voice and think ‘maybe he’d say it like this instead’ and maybe after [a scene we don’t wish to spoil], he would make tea for everyone. Very few, if any, American actors would be able to pull that moment off. That is kind of what I’m looking for: who are they? Are they able to feel like real people? Because so often they feel performative.

Like versions of a person. Right. Like they’re acting like a person! Gillian is very authentic. If you were to talk to her, she would just seem like her real self, and that was what was so appealing about her for me. Gillian just really brought herself, and I learned about her as a person.

As well as great comics like Kate Micucci and Jorma Taccone, there’s a lovely assortment of inclusive young characters who live in Kate’s old student house. Where did you find them? I just flushed them out and gathered them and held them close! There’s a couple of them that I didn’t know but I had seen in other stuff. Josh Wiggins, who plays Hugo, I’d seen him act in a movie called Hellion. Forrest Goodluck I saw in The Miseducation of Cameron Post. He’s incredible in that and I knew I wanted him to play Animal. Hannah Marks was someone that was sent to me, and we talked on the phone and I just knew she would be perfect. She’s such a brilliant go-getter and filmmaker and so ambitious in her own life. Khloe Janel, who plays Emma, auditioned for me here in Chicago and she’s so good. I adore her. I was taking a walk yesterday through the neighborhood and I saw her name on a little sign—she was making these poetry zines! I bought one.

Hugo (Josh Wiggins), Animal (Forrest Goodluck) and Tall Brandon (Brandon Daley) in ‘I Used to Go Here’.

The person we need to know about is whoever the guy is who plays Tall Brandon! Brandon Daley, who plays tall Brandon, is a person that I just knew. He is on the periphery of my social circle and he had come to a few parties at my house. His buddies called him ‘Tall Brandon’, in this very demeaning way! They were of course all good friends. I thought he was such a funny character that I wrote the character based on him. But I didn’t know him. Then he heard that I had written a part called Tall Brandon and he asked if he could play the part. I was like, “I don’t think so, Brandon!”

Was he an actor? Kind of. He’s a filmmaker but he’s much younger than me and he hadn’t done anything besides his own work. But I made him audition for the role based on him! [Laughs] I don’t know, I was just like, it’s a huge role, you know? The last thing you want is someone who can’t act like themselves, which everyone struggles to do. Anyway, he was so good in the audition, so funny, and he just nailed it. He steals the whole movie! He’s just so good.

I Used to Go Here is a long way from problematic college fare like Revenge of the Nerds or the angst of St Elmo’s Fire. It feels thoroughly 21st-century, especially in how the Gen Z housemates take an inclusive, ‘sure, why not’ approach to having Kate tag along with them. What inspired the way you wrote the intergenerational aspects of the film? There weren’t necessarily college films that I was using for inspiration. I wanted the place to feel the same that she left, but I wanted the people to feel different. This is what I’m finding in my life. I’m gonna turn 40 this year, and when I interact with people in their twenties, I’m blown away by the way that they view the world and the way that they view themselves and each other. I’m so impressed by it. And I am on board with a lot of these cultural changes that we’re seeing happen before our eyes, like, the idea of gender identity has changed so much, and so quickly. I’ve never seen anything change like that in my life. The idea of consent. When I first heard it I was like, “What? You have to ask if you wanna touch someone or kiss someone? It seems so lame!” Now, I can’t believe that we ever did that! I’m learning so much. They seem so clear-headed about it all. I just think that we have a lot to learn from that generation.

The movie’s not about that, necessarily, but it’s infused into it and I wanted that to influence Kate, in her life. Some of it is specific to this generation, but some of it is also just specific to being in your twenties. The character April, the way that she thinks about the [publishing] industry and her art, and the way that Kate, who is jaded, is like, “Okay, whatever, you’re naïve, make your little magazine, but you’ll have to follow the rules.” We’ve all been faced with that before.

Kris Rey with her son Jude Swanberg on the set of ‘I Used to Go Here’. / Photo by Blair Todd

So it’s a watershed year for you, turning 40. What would you define success and happiness as now, compared to when you were in your twenties and the ideas you had about the industry then? Oh, god. Okay so I’ve also had a lot of personal growth because I got divorced this last year, which was crazy. I’ve got two kids, a four year old and a nine year old. So I’ve been through so much; it’s been such a huge change for me. I have learned a lot, but one of the things that I have learned so much is that the relationships that matter the most in my life are my female friendships. I’ve always known that, but I’ve never seen it so much as I have in the last two years, both personally throughout my divorce, and professionally through making a film without a romantic partner to lean on. Of course I have male friends that are wonderful and supportive, but my female friends, those relationships are where I’m realizing I wanna put my effort into more than any other part of my life.

Okay, it’s time for a few questions about movies that are important to you. Thinking back, what is the film that made you want to be a filmmaker? Boogie Nights was the first film that I watched when I was in high school that I thought ‘oh, this is a job, and I’m seeing someone make stylistic choices that are interesting and unique’. You can see the behind the scenes in that movie a little bit. I remember watching it and thinking ‘that would be a cool job’. I also really loved the movie Bottle Rocket in high school. I began my filmmaking career thinking that I wanted to make documentaries, and so there’s also a lot of docs that I loved. But those were the early films that made me realize that it was even a job. Unfortunately not any female filmmakers, because I think that was just so rare [then].

What is your all-time comfort favorite film? Sleepless in Seattle, no question.

There’s your female filmmaker! Yes, but with a movie like Sleepless in Seattle, it’s such a mainstream movie that I never thought of it as ‘a job’. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I saw more independent and auteurish works. But Nora Ephron is a genius. That movie is perfect in my opinion.

What’s a film that, as a teenager, felt like a mirror into your soul? That movie with Chris O’Donnell, an Irish film, Circle of Friends. With Minnie Driver! Who is also in Good Will Hunting, another film I saw in high school. I haven’t seen Circle of Friends since it came out, but it felt very real to me, that movie. I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned that movie to anyone!

Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes in ‘Shakespeare in Love’ (1998).

What is the sexiest film you’ve ever seen? Shakespeare in Love! [Laughs.] There’s two movies. One was Legends of the Fall. It was literally the sexiest movie I’d ever seen up till that point. I was very young when it came out and there was this lovemaking scene by candlelight and I was like, ‘oh, that’s what sex is!’. And then Shakespeare in Love. That scene where he’s unwrapping her? So hot.

Who is another director you’d die for? I’m such a huge fan of Nicole Holofcener. I love her films so much. I have never met her. I do know some people that know her and I am honestly so scared to meet her because I like her work so much. She’s probably my favorite filmmaker. I just vibe with everything she makes. I love the tone. I just love all of her movies.

What’s a film that we should watch after we watch yours? You should watch She Dies Tomorrow. It’s so good, and Amy Seimetz is my very, very close and dear friend. We started making movies at the same time. Our movies were supposed to premiere at SXSW on the same day, and now they are being released on the same day, and we’re just in love with each other. Amy and I are— the movies are so wildly different from each other, but her movie is so good. It is really funny, it’s really weird and it’s really appropriate for the times right now.

I feel like some reviews are missing the comedy in it. I laughed so much throughout that film. I agree: people don’t get it! Can I shout out another movie that I watched recently? Crossing Delancey. I had never seen it before and my sister-in-law texted me and she was like, “you should watch this film like right now—this seems like something you would love”. I couldn’t believe how good it was. It’s so great. It feels like it could be shot right now in Brooklyn. All the cool kids in Brooklyn are dressing exactly the same way that all the cool kids in Brooklyn dressed in 1988, or whenever it came out. She’s having a dialog with a friend and the friend is like openly breastfeeding. And the way that they’re talking about romance and all this stuff is so on point. That movie’s great.

And another female director! Joan Micklin Silver. Yeah!