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#assist life stage transition
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Disability Services Providers in Brisbane
Disability support services offer a wide range of services and activities for people with disabilities. These include physiotherapy, positive behaviour support and speech therapy. These services can help people improve their quality of life and achieve their goals.
My Disability Provider is an NDIS registered provider that offers a variety of services for individuals with disabilities. These include community access, group and center-based activities, personalised support, and respite care. To know more about Disability Services Providers Brisbane, visit the Maximum Support Services website or call 1300983885.
They provide home support, respite and short term breaks, community participation, and allied health. They also help participants to find the best housing for their needs. Their residential services include Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) and shared NDIS housing. This includes purpose-built apartments in the suburb of Mitchelton.
Other than disability services, Maximum Support Services offers a variety of health care services such as mental health support and nursing services. They have been providing person-centred supports and services to people with disabilities for over 18 years. They are a leading NDIS registered provider for Logan, Ipswich, Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Redland Bay, and Lockyer Valley.
They offer a wide range of disability services in Brisbane. Their services include a disability service coordination, allied health assistance, and thalidomide support service. They also provide home modification and community nursing services. They are open 24/7 and are responsive to urgent requests from clients. To learn more about their disability services, please call them or submit a contact form online.
If you are looking for disability services providers Brisbane, look no further than Diverse Disability Services. This NDIS registered service provider offers a wide range of support options, including home and living assistance, community participation, life stage transition support, and mental health and wellbeing support. It also provides community nursing care and support coordination.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is an Australian government scheme that provides day-to-day disability support to help people with disabilities live a more independent lifestyle. It can be difficult to navigate the complex landscape of NDIS, but a good disability services provider can help you make sense of it all.
There are many services and resources available to people with disability in Australia, including the Disability Gateway website and phone advice line. This service provides information on disability services and how to access them, and can help you make a complaint about an NDIS service provider. It also has information on the National Auslan Interpreter Booking Service and the National Companion Card scheme.
National Ability Service is a non-profit organization that provides disability services to empower individuals with various disabilities. Its programs are designed to help individuals achieve their goals by building self-esteem, confidence, and lifetime skills through sport, recreation, and educational programs. Its aim is to inspire individual achievement and create a global impact for people with different abilities.
This provider is a registered NDIS provider that offers customized services to assist participants with their daily activities. They also provide community access, home support, respite care, and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA). Moreover, they can assist participants in finding comfortable and secure housing.
The National Ability Supports System (NASS) is a database that records information about disability-funded services. It is maintained by the Health Research Board (HRB) and the HSE. Its data collection is conducted through an online web-based system, LINK. NASS collects demographic, socioeconomic, and diagnostic information about service users and their needs. The information is used by the HRB and the HSE to plan, develop, and organise services.
WMQ provides community care services, including home support, respite and specialist residential care for people with complex needs. Their compassionate team is committed to helping you to stay independent at home as long as possible. Their home care packages are subsidised by the Australian government and include personal care, domestic assistance and regular nursing help.
Wesley Mission Queensland is also the provider of two new mental health and wellbeing service streams launching in early 2023. The first stream is designed to support adults experiencing situational distress, while the second is aimed at people who identify as LGBTIQAP+. To know more about Disability Services Providers Brisbane, visit the Maximum Support Services website or call 1300983885.
Karl Meng says moving into Wesley Mission Queensland’s Rosemount retirement community in Sinnamon Park “just felt right”. “I know I’m getting good care, they look after me and it feels like my own home,” he says. “And I can always ask for help if I need it.” Located in Geebung, the community offers spacious single, double and superior suites.
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everesthealthcare · 1 year
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Assist Life Stage Transition | Everest Healthcare | Everest Healthcare
Everest Healthcare provides NDIS life stage transition assistance services in Melbourne. We help participants develop necessary skills. Book a consultation.
Visit Us for More Information:-https://everesthealthcare.com.au/life-stage-transition/
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nestedcaregroup · 1 month
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5 Quality Care Support for Life Stage Transition
Introduction:
Life is a journey filled with transitions, and for individuals with disabilities, navigating these changes can present unique challenges. At Nested Care Group, we understand the importance of providing quality support during life stage transitions, ensuring that individuals receive the assistance they need to thrive at every stage of their journey. As an NDIS registered provider, we offer specialized ndis assistance with life stages and transitions, empowering our clients to navigate changes with confidence and resilience. In this blog post, we'll explore five quality care supports that Nested Care Group provides to facilitate smooth transitions throughout life stages.
Personalized Transition Planning: Transitioning between life stages, such as moving from adolescence to adulthood or transitioning to independent living, requires careful planning and preparation. Nested Care Group offers personalized transition planning services to help individuals and their families navigate these significant milestones. Our team collaborates closely with clients to identify goals, assess needs, and develop comprehensive transition plans tailored to their unique circumstances and aspirations. Whether it's exploring educational opportunities, securing housing options, or accessing community resources, we provide guidance and support every step of the way.
Emotional Support and Counseling: Life stage transitions can evoke a range of emotions, including excitement, anxiety, and uncertainty. Nested Care Group offers emotional support and counseling services to help individuals cope with the emotional challenges associated with life transitions. Our trained counselors provide a safe and supportive space for clients to express their feelings, process their experiences, and develop coping strategies to navigate change effectively. By addressing emotional needs, we empower individuals to approach life transitions with confidence and resilience.
Skill Development and Training: Transitioning to new life stages often requires acquiring new skills and adapting to new environments. Nested Care Group offers skill development and training programs designed to equip individuals with the tools they need to succeed during life transitions. Whether it's learning independent living skills, developing vocational skills, or improving communication skills, our programs are tailored to meet the specific needs and goals of each client. Through hands-on training and personalized support, we empower individuals to build confidence and competence as they transition to new life stages.
Access to Community Resources: Navigating life transitions often involves accessing a variety of community resources and support services. Nested Care Group provides assistance with connecting individuals to relevant community resources, including educational programs, vocational training centers, disability support services, and social and recreational activities. Our team works closely with clients to identify their needs and preferences and facilitate access to resources that align with their goals and interests. By leveraging community resources, we enhance individuals' support networks and promote social inclusion and participation during life transitions.
Ongoing Support and Follow-up: Transitions are not a one-time event but rather an ongoing process that requires ongoing support and follow-up. Nested Care Group offers continuous support and follow-up services to ensure that individuals receive the assistance they need throughout their transition journey. Whether it's checking in regularly, adjusting support plans as needed, or providing additional resources and guidance, our team remains committed to supporting clients every step of the way. By offering consistent support and follow-up, we help individuals navigate life transitions with confidence and resilience, ultimately empowering them to achieve their goals and thrive in their new life stages.
Conclusion:
Life stage transitions can be challenging, but with the right support and assistance, individuals with disabilities can navigate these changes successfully. Nested Care Group is dedicated to providing quality care supports to help individuals transition smoothly throughout life stages. From personalized transition planning to emotional support, skill development, access to community resources, and ongoing follow-up, we offer comprehensive services designed to empower individuals to navigate life transitions with confidence and resilience. If you or a loved one is facing a life stage transition, Nested Care Group is here to provide the support you need to thrive.
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123coach · 10 months
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https://123coach.com.au/how-does-ndis-assist-life-stage-transition-and-benefits-in-living-the-best-life/
NDIS Assist Life Stage Transition Melbourne programs offer a wide range of support.These programs enable a smooth relocation process, reconnection with social circuits and finances, and recreation. NDIS, with their programs, ease the process of movement and reconnection, offering comfort and security to people with disabilities.
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jonquillacare · 1 year
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Oppia Health Services Can Assist Life Stage Transition
For individuals who are struggling to cope with a life stage transition, it is important to seek assistance in a professional setting. Fortunately, there are several organizations and resources that offer assistance in a number of different ways. One of these is the Oppia health services. This organization helps individuals deal with the challenges of a assist life stage transition ndis, including transitions to school and work. It offers long-term support.
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School-to-work transitions
Transitions from school to work can be challenging. There are many supports and programs that can help individuals move from their education to the workplace. However, there are fewer services available to students with disabilities. This is not to say that there isn't a need for more help.
One of the best ways to support an individual in transitioning from school to work is to create relationships with employers. These can include providing assistive technologies, teaching job readiness skills and helping individuals build a good working relationship with employers. In addition, these efforts should be supported by a coordinated approach across all education and workforce programs.
Developing a systematic transition planning process is also important. It is also essential to have the voices of young people with disabilities in the planning process. By engaging these individuals, you'll be able to account for their values and the problems they are facing. Working with them will also provide new insights and responses to issues.
While transitioning through different stages of life isn't easy for everyone, it can be especially difficult for those with disabilities. For example, people with intellectual disability often live in disadvantaged situations, lack access to technology, and have limited one-on-one support. When they're ready to enter the workforce, they need resources and supports that are specifically tailored to their needs.
Long-term support
For those with disabilities, transitioning from one phase of life to another can be challenging. It may involve switching home, school, or even career. Having a solid support system in place can go a long way towards helping you get through it all. Fortunately, there are companies out there who can provide a hand. Whether you are in Melbourne, Brisbane, or Perth, there is a service provider that can help.
The best NDIS service providers are capable of providing you with the appropriate information and assistance. One company in particular, Welcare Support Services, is a good place to start. This Melbourne based company provides a myriad of specialised support services. Among the most important, you can expect to be offered a robust life stage transition NDIS plan. They also offer an assortment of short and long term supports, a well stocked library and informational hub, and a hefty dose of social support. In fact, you could argue that they might be the best place to find an NDIS support system in Melbourne.
Regardless of where you live, if you have an NDIS, be sure to ask your insurance provider for a list of recommended providers. Having a handpicked, personalized list of providers will help ensure that you have access to the best care possible.
Oppia Health Services
For a number of reasons, many people with disabilities may experience a transitional period. The best way to go about this is to have a plan of action to help navigate the landmines of life. Oppia Health Services is one organization that specializes in this type of support. With its help, you can be on your way to a brighter future. Whether you're just beginning the search for your dream job or you've been in the workforce for years, Oppia Health Services can make your journey smoother than a silk road. Whether you're in need of an initial assessment or have a question about your benefits, Oppia Health Services can help you make the most of your time and resources. To find out more about the programs and services they offer, visit their website today. Located in Los Angeles, California, Oppia Health Services offers a number of programs and services, including Medicare and Medicaid plans, Medicare enrollment and counseling, Medicare benefits consulting, and health insurance claims handling. Unlike the hulking bureaucrats at your doctor's office, Oppia Health Services is staffed by compassionate, friendly professionals who understand your unique needs.
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xerith-42 · 5 months
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I know it seems like striking on social media might not do enough, but as someone who has been outright obsessively using the internet since I was a child to the point that it is literally woven in my soul, been active and involved in online activism for about five years, and been using social media as marketing for about the same amount of time, I can confidently say that
THIS FUCKING WORKS!!
People base their entire businesses on their success on social media. They look at trending topics on twitter and don't see bite sized chunks of culture distilled to its finest and worst moments, they see market data! They don't see you as a single human being, they see you as a data point among thousands run through a probably AI assisted system that's prone to fucking up, that determines everything they're going to do.
How they're going to advertise, who they target it with it, what the general public wants. Every single major corporation uses data from social media websites to do this. Every. Single. One. Social media is a lot of things, and one of those things is a tool for business and politics. We know for a fact that social media politics bleeds out into the real world very fucking quickly.
Even if you can't strike financially, even if you have to go to work or school to survive, striking on social media is one of the best things you can do. Even if it's quiet. People are going to notice when thousands upon thousands of users across various sites go completely dark, and even more when some of them start getting real fucking loud about this. The US Capitalist Infused Government loves sweeping war crimes under the rug once they think the general public has forgotten about their atrocities and fallen into complacency. This system has been doing this for literal centuries.
Social media is just the newest and most expansive form we as a species have developed in the ongoing invention of ways to express our thoughts about things. It's the weirdest one, that's for sure, but executives pay attention to it. They don't often seek to understand it beyond a very basic level, because as I said, they view us as numbers on a screen, not as multifaceted incredibly and deeply fucked human beings. They do not seek to understand us on a personal level unless they think the cost of it won't outweigh the potential profit.
Pattern recognition is the tool of the moment. Machine Learning. Gathering endless amounts of data so we can replicate human existence through machines. You may think that social media strikes are ineffective because social media is just on the internet and it's "not real", but it is real! You are really doing stuff! You are contributing! Even if you're just lurking! Basic amounts of engagement can make a huge impact in a busted algorithm. Maybe you're not someone who would ever be drafted into an actual war-zone due to physical or mental health conditions, but you are probably a part of a key demographic of people that businesses are absolutely hungry for.
The budding adult has always been the target of greedy capitalists basically since this system was established and continued to get worse over time. The stage of your life when you are in the age range of 18-25 is an incredibly important transitional period, followed by a transitional period every six months until you lose sense of what six months even is because you haven't been happy in eight, and if you're in the 18-25 range currently, you got extra fucked by the pandemic. The world is in a turbulent stage and we are at the center of all of it and have been since 2001. Every single social media marketing expert will tell you the 18-25 demographic of social media users is a target demographic, because they are the most prone to extremes due to a life chock full of them.
We have to remember to be human, but we have to also know how to speak their language. They just see us as numbers? Let's show them some fucking numbers. Make posts about Gaza trend on every platform you have your hands on. Even if it's just liking posts, that gives them a slight boost in the algorithm. Commenting on posts is especially important on sites like Twitter and Instagram. But across every site the most important thing to do is reblog/retweet/share/send/copy link, whatever it is for that site, it is the biggest thing that everyone, and I mean EVERYONE looks at.
From a humble artist to a head of marketing at a billion dollar corporation about to have a meeting with a barely over 21 intern about how they need to run the twitter account, to said intern bumbling their way through adulthood with a job they only feel they're good at because they've been using social media since Skype was invented. We need to be loud, we need to make sure this can't be ignored, we can't sweep this under the rug. Mass media, especially coming out of the West, has been trying to censor, de-sanitize, and keep this issue quiet.
DO NOT LET YOURSELF BE SILENCED
There are tens of thousands of DEAD CHILDREN who have been BOMBED while in CIVILIAN AREAS and that is a FUCKING WAR CRIME.
THIS IS A GENOCIDE
Say that as many times as you can. Do not let it be ignored. A silent populous is a complacent one. Use your voice, even as small as it may seem. Make noise. Be loud. Be annoying. Don't let this be ignored. Talk about it everywhere you go. Do not let this be ignored.
Sometimes even we get disconnected from the real people around us. We base our sense of worth as a person based on the numbers going up or down but instead of developing a gambling addiction we just got angry about it but still fall into it because of cultural conditioning. But even if you only have let's say, completely random example, 70 followers. And only a small percent of them will see your post. Let's say maybe 20 on average, 30 on a good day, and even higher based on the machinations of fate. That's still 20 people who took time out of their day to read something you wrote, process something you created, share a part of your experience of living.
And likely they felt compelled to share it too, therefore increasing the spread of people who feel your influence. 20 people may not seem like a lot, but that has a major impact. Now imagine posts into the hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands and even millions. Those aren't just numbers. Each and every single one of those is just another person who might have reblogged a post because someone they like shared it, or because they wanted to spread its message, and that simple act causes a single post to have massive waves of effects from simple ripples.
Don't let yourself be discouraged. Don't think your voice or your impact "isn't enough to matter." Everything counts.
Don't let this be ignored. Don't become complacent. Know that every little thing counts, and to do every little thing you can.
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thecuddlycauldron · 2 months
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Pick a card!
What is something I need to be aware of moving forward so I can reach my goal?
✩°。🧸𓏲⋆.🧺𖦹 ₊˚ These are general readings, only take what resonates and leave the rest! These are only meant to be for fun and nothing else. Trust your intuition and don't overthink. If nothing resonates, feel free to move on. If you stay, I hope you enjoy what the cards have in store for you today! ✩°。🧸𓏲⋆.🧺𖦹 ₊˚
☁️ Card 1 (3 of pentacles)
The 3 of pentacles signifies collaboration, teamwork, and the initial stages of a project or endeavor. Recognize the importance of working with others towards a common goal. Be open to collaboration and cooperation, as pooling your resources, skills, and perspectives can lead to greater success, in any aspect of your life. Stay dedicated to your goals and persevere through any challenges or setbacks you may encounter. The three of pentacles reminds you that success often requires hard work, patience, and a willingness to keep pushing forward, even when faced with obstacles. As you move forward, keep your long-term goals in mind and develop a strategic plan for achieving them. Set clear objectives, timelines, and milestones to help guide your progress and ensure that you stay on track towards success.
☁️ Card 2 (8 of cups)
The 8 of cups signifies a period of transition, leaving behind something familiar or comfortable in search of deeper fulfillment or emotional satisfaction. Understand that change is inevitable and sometimes necessary for personal growth and fulfillment. Be open to letting go of situations, relationships, or aspects of your life that no longer serve your highest good. Listen to your inner guidance and trust your instincts as you navigate this period of transition. Your intuition will lead you towards the path that is right for you, even if it involves uncertainty or stepping into the unknown. While leaving behind the familiar can be challenging, remember that it opens the door to new opportunities and experiences. Maintain a sense of hope and optimism for the future, trusting that your journey will ultimately lead you to greater fulfillment and happiness.
☁️ Card 3 (7 of wands)
The 7 of wands represents standing your ground, defending your beliefs, and overcoming challenges with courage and determination! Be prepared to assert yourself and defend your position when necessary. This card suggests that you may encounter opposition or obstacles as you move forward, but you have the strength and resilience to stand up for what you believe in. Trust in your abilities and believe in yourself. Confidence is key as you face challenges and navigate through uncertain situations. Cultivate a strong sense of self-assurance and know that you have what it takes to overcome any obstacles that come your way. And remember, don't be afraid to reach out for help if you need it. Surround yourself with supportive friends, family, or mentors who can offer guidance, encouragement, and assistance as you face challenges.
Love, Willow
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syrena-del-mar · 5 months
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Blind Spots of Motherhood: Last Twilight, Episode 10
We're coming off of the emotional rollercoaster of last week's episode and seeing the consequences of Day and Mhok's getaway. And the consequences are big, which not even Night can assuage.
I love scouring the tags as I watch Last Twilight, and I've been seeing many call Day's mom evil or a narcissist. In my opinion, she does not fit the bill (if you're looking for one that is, go watch Twins, now that's a narcissist). There's a tendency of wanting to villainize mothers, and BLs do a great job of giving us mothers that do fill that role, but I sincerely don't think that's the story P'Aof is trying to tell us here. Rather than evil, I think her arc is more about being a flawed mother that does more harm than good through overparenting, her perceiving Day to be more vulnerable than he really is, and sidelining of Night.
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Stages of Adjustment to Vision Loss
Just like the seven stages of grief, similarly there's a theory about the seven phases of adjusting to vision loss. The Stages of Adjustment applies not only to the one suffering the vision loss, but even their friends and family.
Phase 1: Trauma, where personal attitudes and generalization form one's personal view of a person who is blind takes over.
Phase 2: Shock and Denial. Self-explanatory.
Phase 3: Mourning and Withdrawal, it's where the loss of regular activities and routines occur.
Phase 4: Succumbing and Depression occurs when an individual is unable to come to terms with the sudden low vision/blindness and they stop caring for themselves. Feelings of inadequacy becomes prevalent.
Phase 5: Reassessment and Reaffirmation occurs when individuals regain and maintain control of their life. Loved ones play a significant role in assisting them to reach this independence at this stage.
Phase 6: Coping and Mobilization happens when individuals develop coping techniques to live with the vision loss and acknowledge their abilities and accept when the need assistance.
Phase 7: Self-Acceptance and Self-Esteem occurs when the individual realizes that they have value and their loss of vision is just one of the many attributes.
When the Last Twilight first started, we met Day as he was dealing with Phase 3 and 4. With the help of Mhok, we've seen Day grow in his independence, but also come to terms that his vision loss may be forever. He no longer was thinking and hoping for that transplant surgery, he wasn't even counting on it anymore. Instead, with the help of Mhok (and Night), Day was able to reach Phase 6 and was transitioning into Phase 7.
But just as Day was moving on with his, his mother wasn't. She's still struggling with his disability and has gotten stuck in Phase 3 and 4, just as Day had been. She's so blinded by Day's disability, that she's drowning in the fears of what could happen to Day rather than seeing the strides of improvement that he has made.
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Overprotective Parenting fails in Harm Reduction: Day
"Expecting him to be independent at one time and overprotecting him at another will only result in a frustrated youngster. It is important to judge and treat the blind child fairly; not indulging him, yet not setting goals and expectations so high that he is discouraged." -The Blind Child: Becoming an Independent Adult
Day's mother is frustrating, to say the least. She is so incredibly misguided in how she treats both of her sons, it's no surprise that Day locks himself away into the cavern of his bedroom.
She only sees Day for his disability. Acknowledging and accepting that Day is blind is important, and that does signify life adjustments, but that doesn't mean making Day's blindness the only thing about him. She forgets that Day was a full-functioning adult that had his own lifestyle before he lost his sight. She's only come to known Day for his blindness. She's the one that puts his blindness at the forefront.
She wants him to get out of his bedroom, to stop locking people out, but once he has some sense of independence, apart from his family, now she's afraid? Her son, vision loss or no vision loss, is an adult, but instead of giving him such dignity, she regresses and infantilizes him. She pushes him back into that suffocatingly big bedroom. She takes away his phone, his internet, every tool that connects him to the outside world. She takes away what little independence he had started to build up again.
Any good parent would be worried about their child who has undergone a traumatic event, but over-protecting does more harm than good. In her anxieties, she ends up resorting to using unintentionally abusive tactics. Yes, Day would be physically fine, but in her overprotectiveness, she fails to realize that it could lead to dependency inducement, learned helplessness, and bouts of depression. Day's mother fails to realize that taking away any autonomy that Day has only started rebuilding, would only result in Day's emotional state worsening.
Blindness doesn't have to mean debilitating, but locking your son up in his room without any way to interact with the world around him that he is trying to relearn? That's more crippling than any vision loss could ever be.
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Readjusting as the Glass Child: Night
"The most egregious form of rejection that anyone can ever experience is parental rejection" -Is Rejection, Parental Abandonment or Neglect a Trigger for Higher Perceived Guilt in Adolescents
Oh man, the pain I felt for Night this whole episode was next level. The idea of a glass child is not one's delicateness but rather as a sibling of a individual with disabilities, the sibling becomes invisible to the parents, only seen when the parents need them. If it wasn't obvious before, it's clear that this was the role that their mother was forcing Night into.
There's nothing that hurts worse than the sharp words of a mother directed to her child. His mother explicitly blaming Night for Day's disability was a new low-blow. Night had already been beating himself up for the accident, his father (who doesn't even live with them) knew that, but seemingly their mother was oblivious. The only one that Night could rely on was an outsider, a father that they hadn't been in contact with for years. Their mother created that environment by not paying attention to her other son, who was also in that accident.
Nothing fuels sibling rivalry like preferential treatment from parents. Even worse when one has to be the caretaker of the other when they already have a fractured relationship. Instead of easing the tension between the two brothers, their mother is too busy worrying solely for Day without accounting for Night. Caretaker burnout is already incredibly exhausting when you're caring for a loved one, but Night has personal guilt and Day's resentment to deal with as well. Not once does their mother ask him how he's doing, if Night is alright.
Night is the forgotten child, the child that's expected to take care of his brother no matter what, no matter how independent Day has become. She has parentified Night without any consideration of how he was doing or what was going on in his life. This was probably already a running theme as they grew up, assuming from their positioning in the family portrait. In doing so, she unknowingly worsens the strife with the brothers, making Day believe that Night had only been "behaving well" in order to win some preferential treatment from her.
Even on Christmas, their mother only cares for Day, feeding him first and putting food on his spoon, body fully turned against Night. In that scene, visually Night seems like he's intruding and he feels it as well! It's why he excuses himself, saying that he's going to meet up with some friends. Even after being forgiven by Day, his mother doesn't make any effort to include Night other than just having him at the table. It's as if he wasn't part of their nuclear family, just a convenient body that is there to help out as Day adjusts to his new life. If it hadn't been for Day, Night would have left that table that night and would have believed that nobody cared for him. I'm hoping this makes her confront and reassess how she's treated Night, now and in the past.
It's ironic, even though Day is blind and held a lot of contempt for his brother, he was still saw Night and all his struggles. Meanwhile, their mother was seeing right through him, blaming him for what happened to Day. Driving a dagger, that Night had already stabbed himself with, even deeper.
Final Thoughts
I'm not quite ready to jump on the 'Mother Gothel' train for Day and Night's mom. I think she is juggling being a career woman and being a mother at the same time, while failing to adjust to Day's blindness and making mistakes in her parenting as a result.
I also don't think it's out of maliciousness or self-importance, either. When I see their mother, it's as if she's trying to save a sinking boat that is already pierced by numerous holes. There's no going back to their lives before Day's blindness. She needs to adjust her priorities, because disregarding Night and locking up Day is not the answer.
This episode was frustrating, not because I found her to be outright abusive, but because of her worries she ends up hurting her sons even more. No parent is perfect, and they can hurt you while thinking they're acting in your best interest, but they have to be willing to love and let their kids learn on their own.
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When We Are Together - Matty Healy
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Summary: In which Matty falls in love with you in stages his entire life. He knows everything is better when you're together but the two of you are oblivious to the fact you're in love with each other.
Warnings: Swearing. A small section of smut in flashback 2. Unfortunately it's not with Matty. It's with George because I am a whore. Mentions of The S*n. Mentions of Matty going to rehab, obviously we don't know all the personal details apart from the fact there was an intervention after the ilwys era ended and he went and now he's in recovery.  
Author's Note: Self proclaimed 'Not a Matty girl' just wrote 12K lol this has legit taken so long cause I procrastinate but hope you like it!  Really fucking long because I tend to let my mind wonder, I don't even know if this is any good but I'm trying to get better. I thought the concept was cute anyway. So enjoy! Let me know what you guys think and if you liked it x
Word Count: 12K
Your life had always been surrounded by the boys. So many moments in your life that their fans could only ever dream of knowing about or being involved in but you didn’t know any different, it was just your life. You had no choice in the matter when your brother and best friend in the entire world was the bassist in the band. That’s right; Ross MacDonald was your big brother and you seemed to be somewhat of a legend amongst their hardcore fanbase yourself for putting up with their antics for as long as you had! Not that you really had a choice when you were tied to them via blood but they had also hired you as their personal assistant so you could follow them around the world and so none of them had to part from you for too long.
You had personal relationships with all of the band, not just your brother who genuinely was the best big brother you could have ever asked for. He was your best friend and had been since the moment you were born. Sometimes it irritated the others how annoying the two of you were when you both got into silly moods, with all your inside jokes and side looks that nobody else understood. Especially Matty who always wanted in on the joke. But Ross was a ride or die kind of guy and you were the same. If it came down to it you would fight over who took the first bullet.
Adam Hann. Adam truly was an angel of man sent to earth to be your bestie and you don’t think you could love him anymore if you could. Someone you could geek out about The Office with on the tour bus and who brought you coffee when he could see you needed a pick me up. The most level headed of the boys, you know he’ll always be on your side. Someone who’s come to your rescue during many nights out both pre and post fame and took your hand, pretended to be your boyfriend with no questions asked and got you away from creeps more times than you would have liked. You couldn’t be more grateful for a selfless friend like Adam Hann.
George Daniel. Your ‘little’ Georgie had been in your form at school, so apart from your brother until you were much older and started hanging out with them more, you had spent the most time with him. So it’s fair to say that the pair of you were close. So close that you lived with him and Matty in your early twenties. Even a small indiscretion on his 23rd birthday much to your brother’s dismay didn’t change the course of your relationship. Now that you were both thirty two and you were still working for him, clearly the two of you didn’t care that you had seen each other naked. If anything your night together all those many moons ago had brought you closer together. You would trust him with your life.
Then there was Matty. Matty was something else. If you asked his fans, depending on if you were asking old or new fans. He was something else in two senses of the word. To you he was just Matthew. Your big brother’s best friend who was a bit of a weird kid, transitioned into a somewhat cool teenager who you had a bit of a crush on when you were seventeen, to the most annoying person you’ve ever laid eyes on. But also he was your best friend. An old married couple is what George labeled you both and he wasn’t wrong, the pair of you did have a bit of a domestic life together when he wasn’t busy being a rockstar. 
I think the fans would be shocked to find out he likes doing the mundane things in life like doing the food shop with you and fighting at the tills that it was his turn to scan his club card. Or walking the dog, drinking a good cup of tea at his Mam’s house or cooking with you over a glass of wine with Donny Hathaway playing in the background on the record player.
He had done so much for you over the years and you always thought it was just Matty being Matty and looking out for you. Hiring you as the band’s assistant, so you could see the world with them so you weren’t stuck in a stuffy office job in England. Even though you had graduated from uni with a first class degree in photography. Moving you into his home when you broke up with your long term boyfriend in 2020 so you weren’t wallowing in self pity. It was probably then, that George cemented your “marriage status” because you did do everything together and apparently you had been oblivious your entire friendship until now.
It was in this moment in Belfast on the last night of the UK tour that your head swimming with all of the moments in your life that led you to here with Matty, tears brimmed with tears. That you realised that it was him the entire time.
April 2007
You pulled the front of the white tank top you were wearing down, allowing the frilly cups of your red bra to peek out the top. Your top tucked into a short black mini skirt, paired with a big chunky belt and hoop earrings and some wedged sandals on your feet. You actually felt good about yourself for once! You, Sarah and Rebecca ready to get drunk and dance your asses off with all of your friends as you celebrated Matty’s birthday.
Matty’s 18th birthday party was being held at his house. A classic Healy house party yet you still wondered how Denise and Tim were somehow trusting him enough for the night to not burn the house down so he could celebrate his birthday with his friends without parental supervision.
You of course had yet to turn eighteen, as had your brother who was only eleven months older than you. So you turned to your lord and saviour Adam Hann who went to the local off license and bought you a pack of Bacardi Breezers for the party.
When the three of you arrived; you immediately got swept away by your other school friends, giggling at the thought of getting drunk with all your friends and making out with boys your brother would definitely disapprove of was the motivation you needed to open your first drink of the evening.
It was after a few drinks, definitely too many shots of whatever George had proclaimed Matty’s Dad’s had left for the birthday boy. You were starting to feel the effects of the alcohol you had drunk that evening when you spotted Max. Tall, brunette, curly hair and a killer watt smile that made you weak at the knees, talking to George.
Silent motivation from Phoebe as she ruffled her hands through your hair and pushing your tits into a good position as Sarah dabbed on some more lip gloss before pushing you in the direction of the boys, slapping your ass with a quick “Go get him tiger!”
Shooting her a grin over your shoulder, you strutted on over to where George and Max stood clutching their beer bottles as they conversed about god knows what. Hoping to catch his attention, you threw on your best smile as you stopped in front of the two of them. 
“Hello boys!” You beamed a the two of them, eyes lingering on Max a little longer. “Having a good night?”  You asked, twiddling the straw around your drink as you waited for their answer.
“Even better now you’re here gorgeous!” 
Your heart fluttered for a moment. Max was flirting back.
“Your tits are looking mega tonight babe!” 
George broke your eye contact with the tall brunette as your eyes flitted towards him. The blush flushing across your cheeks at George’s compliment, “Ohhh thanks G!”  You laughed awkwardly, catching his eyes fall to your tits once more just as Ross walked past the three of you.
“Dude! That’s my sister!” He punched him in the arm; a scowl on his face and immediately pulling you away with him and far away from the boys and into the crowd of people dancing in Denise and Tim’s living room.
“You’re no fun!”  You huffed.
“You can do a lot better than Max sis. Believe me! I’m just looking out for you.” 
He smiled softly at you and you sighed, knowing you couldn’t ever stay mad at him. He knew you better than anyone else and always looked out for you no matter what. “Thanks bro.  I know. I’m just going to get some fresh air, it’s a bit stuffy in here.” 
You sent him a smile, squeezing past him and all the other sweaty bodies to head out the sliding doors at the back of Matty’s kitchen. Letting out the breath you hadn’t realised you had been holding as the cool spring air brushed over your skin. Taking in the serenity of the night air, you didn’t realise anyone else was out there until you heard a cough causing you to snap your head towards the noise.
Matty was leaning up against the back wall, cigarette hanging from his lips.
“Alright birthday boy! What you doing out here by yourself?” You laughed lightly as you approached; leaning next to him as you took in the slightly solemn look on his face.
“Bit overwhelming in there. Thought I’d like the attention but there’s too many people. Half of them are just here to get drunk, they don’t care about me.” He laughed bitterly; blowing smoke into the air. “Anyway. What are you doing out here?”
“Just needed some air. It was a bit stuffy in there. Too many people.”
“Ahhh so we’re alike in our thinking.” Matty laughed. “Wish it was just you and the boys to be honest.” He mumbled, shuffling his feet.
“Hey. You know if you want we can have a do over. Come over to mine and Ross’ tomorrow. We’ll order pizza and watch True Romance. I’d hate for you to not look back fondly at your 18th.”  You smiled softly as you spoke.
“You’re brilliant.” Matty’s eyes bright as he looked at you. “I’d really like that. Thanks sweetheart.”  Matty shot you a genuine smile for the first time since you stepped outside.
A brief moment of silence settled across the two of you before Matty spoke again.
“You look incredible tonight.”
“Ohhh.” You looked down at your feet, unsure of how to take the compliment.
“Hey.” Matty lifted your chin up. “What’s all that about? You’re the most beautiful girl in the room.” He said earnestly; swiping at the apples of your cheeks and holding your jaw in his hands.
“Just didn’t think anyone could look past the fact I’m Ross’ sister. Nobody ever calls me beautiful.”
“Not even Josh? Didn’t you date him for nearly a year?”  Matty asked as you shook your head.
“Then he’s an idiot. You’re always the most beautiful girl in the room darling.”
“Matty.” 
It came out a whisper as you both stared into each other’s brown eyes. Matty’s eyes dancing across your features, settling on your lips before looking back up and catching your gaze already on him. Matty leaned in, his face getting closer to your own as your mind started racing. 
Did you want to kiss Matty? Kinda, yeah! 
Should you kiss Matty? No, definitely not. Ross would kill the both of you. 
Did you kiss Matty? Yes.
“We shouldn’t.”  You whispered, lips mere inches away from his own.
“But a birthday kiss is all I want this year.” 
His words came out of a whisper, you didn’t say anything else just pushed your lips against his and allowed him to pull you closer as his mouth moved against the softness of your glossed lips. His hands moving from your face, dancing down the sides of your body and landing on your waist before he reluctantly pulled away, forehead resting against your own.
“You’re good at that.” He pecked your lips once more.
“Mmmm.”  You hummed; opening your eyes as Matty held you close. You quickly opened your mouth to say something and promptly shut it again when you caught the way Matty looked at you. “Fuck it!” You mumbled and slammed your lips back against his own.
The birthday boy now pushing you up against the wall, hands impossibly tight on your waist as he pulled you as physically close as possible. Your hands uprooting themselves in the hair at the back of his neck and tugging as you snogged him like your life depended on it. Like you weren’t pushed against the back of his kitchen wall in his garden, where any of your school friends could come out and catch you. Or worse; your brother but you didn’t care because the way Matty was kissing you made your whole body tingle.
Tugging his hair again as his tongue moved against your own. Matty groaned loudly; finally pulling away. “Fuck settle down! You know I can’t be found with you and if you keep doing that, someone is going hear us.” He groaned as he continued to pepper kisses up the side of your jaw.
“Hmmm, don’t feel like being murdered by my brother right now.”  You sighed; leaning back against the wall to take him in. Lips swollen and eyes bright as he watched you.
“I don’t want to be murdered by your brother either. Worst birthday ever!” He chuckled; hands dancing across your waist. “But that was my favourite birthday gift! Thanks sweetheart!” Matty grinned; watching you push yourself off the wall and smooth yourself down before heading back towards the house.
You paused for a moment; your foot on the last step, your hand lingering on the handle to the back door for a millisecond as you looked over your shoulder one last time at Matty who was just watching you. You sent him a soft smile, your hair falling in front of your face as you laughed before leaving him the dark as you rejoined the party.
A kiss with Matty who was your big brother’s (and your) annoying friend, someone you had an innocent schoolgirl crush on once he started becoming a tiny bit cool as the lead singer in their band. Something you didn’t think was an overly big deal, after all people kiss people they shouldn’t when they’re drunk all the time. Turns out it was the starting point of the trajectory of how your’s and Matty’s story begun.
March 2013
In the midst of releasing a series of EPs and gigging around the country and building up their hardcore fanbase. You had managed to get the boys all to just relax for a moment and celebrate the release of their Music for Cars EP and the fact that it was George’s 23rd birthday this weekend. And how did you celebrate? The only way you lot knew how, a dirty ole’ house party just like the good old days.
You had managed to squeeze God knows how many people in little flat you shared with George and Matty. As far as flatmate’s go, they weren’t all that bad. You had moved in with them straight after university so you had definitely had worse.
You had just downed what you believe was your fifth vodka shot of the evening and decided you needed to pace yourself a bit more if you weren’t going to stumble into your room and pass out any time soon. So upon spotting Ross, you wondered over to your brother who was sat talking to Hann; wiggling your way in between the two of them with a giggle. Ross automatically lifting his arm for you to slip under as you nursed the rest of your wine at a slower pace until your glass was empty.
After your head stopped spinning a sufficient amount, you found yourself milling about the flat and smuggling yourself into Matty’s embrace as he poured you another glass.
“Enjoying yourself sweetheart?” 
“Mmm. Have you see the birthday boy?” You felt Matty’s lips pressed to the top of your head as you asked.
“You leaving me already?”  He chuckled. “Think he popped out the back for a cig.” 
He motioned towards the back door. You immediately unravelled yourself from him, a kiss smacked against his cheek, catching the corner of his mouth. Not that you noticed in your flurry but Matty did. The longing for the feeling of the two of you had shared in his back garden prickling at his chest as his eyes locked onto your retreating figure as you rushed through the throng of remaining people in the kitchen and exiting the flat.
Matty was right. You found George smoking out the back in your little tiny back garden under the dying glimmer of your shit security light that was attached to your back wall. Turning in your direction at the sound of the back door shutting, George automatically opened his arms for you to slot into his side, arm hung loosely over your shoulder as he let out the smoke he had just inhaled. Wordlessly placing the cig in your mouth to let you take a drag yourself, you passed it back and forth between the two of you in silence.
Stubbing the end into the brick, George dropped it into the bucket of dirty filters before breaking the silence. “God what time is it?”  He asked as you watched him push the balls of his hand into his eyes.
“Nearly 2am! Why you need to go to bed Grandad?!”
“Fucking maybe?! How many people are left?” The now blonde motioned towards the house.
“Only a few. Heard Sally talk about some of them heading into town on the way out and Luke and Helen have to be up early so they left nearly a hour ago. Just the band and about three other now. You ready to head in birthday boy?” You asked; holding out your hand for him to take with a smirk.
With a silent nod George didn’t hesitate to grab onto your hand as you tried not to trip over the many plant pots that were littered across your garden path. “You given me my birthday present yet? I can’t remember?” You turned to look at the drummer. An amused look on your face because he had given you the brightest smile when he had opened the personalised drumsticks you had gotten him earlier. “Or are you my present? Wait is this an ambush?” George gasped. “Please be an ambush!” He grinned at you.
“You should be so lucky!”  You scoffed; before shooting him a smirk as you opened the the kitchen door.
“Your tits look mega in that dress by the way!” His tone smug as he closed the kitchen door behind him. Your only response being the cackle that left your mouth as you left George to watch you walk away as you joined the rest of the band in the living room.
Lucky indeed because once the remaining guests left about twenty minutes later. You had snuck into George’s room to say good night and wish him a happy birthday and it’s how you found yourself currently with aching arms. As they were locked either side of George’s knees, his hands tight on your waist as you bounced on his cock.
You weren’t sure how long you had been in this position. You do know he had already made you cum twice though. Once on his tongue and once with his fingers but my God were you spiralling towards your third. The thick drag of his cock between your legs as he stretched you out was delicious but you needed to cum quick because you weren’t sure how long you could stay in this position for.
“Jesus Christ! So fucking good George!” You wailed; as George’s thumb swiped through the slick between your legs and rubbing at your clit.
“Feel good baby?”
“Yes. Shit! So good!” You panted. “Arms hurt though, fuck.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got you.” He said; pulling you forward.
You fell forward at full speed; having to catch yourself on either side of his face to stop yourself from head butting him as his large hands moved from your hips to grab on to the globes of your ass before plowing up into your cunt so fast you saw stars dance under your eyelids. All you could do was shake and babble out a string of, “So good. So good. So good.” As George made you cum again.
Pulling out quickly. You had no time to recover as George flipped you over; face already in his pillows as he pushed back into you as he chased his own orgasm. The drag of his cock made you feel delirious at the speed in which he was fucking you back into the mattress.
“Fucking hell. You’re so good G! Yes! Yes! Yes!”  You screamed into the mattress, really not caring that your mutual best friend was on the other side of the wall.
His name fell from your lips like a chant. You hadn’t been fucked this good in forever, if at all and the fact it was your Georgie made your head spin.
“Come on baby. One more and I’ll give it to you.” He whispered in your ear, kissing the back of your shoulder before pulling you back on to his cock at rapid speed and sending you hurtling towards your fourth orgasm of the night (well morning) and George to fill you up with a satisfied groan.
Pulling out; your gentle giant rolled over, the pair of you catching your breath after fucking for a good hour. Rolling your head to the side to take him in, you pressed a kiss to the top of his shoulder with a chuckle. “Happy Birthday G!” 
The now blonde let out a loud laugh as the pair of you snuggled into each other’s arms, like you would normally do under any other circumstances as George pressed a kiss to the side of your face. The temporary bliss shielding you both from the circumstances you’d have to face in the morning.
When you did manage to wake up the next morning, George was still fast asleep but his alarm clock read 10:12 and you knew you’d have to get up to tidy the flat because Matty certainly wouldn’t. As you looked around George’s room, you scrambled to find anything to hide your dignity as you moved around to clean up. As you pulled the shirt George was wearing the night before over your bare body, you didn’t have chance to register the other voices on the other side of the bedroom door.
“Where is she? She’s not answering her phone? She’s not in her room either.”
Matty didn’t answer Ross’s question, just grumbled into his arms before flinging himself down onto the dining room table dramatically.
“What’s the matter with you? You look like shit Healy!” Hann shoved his shoulder with a laugh as he threw himself on the sofa.
“Well you’d look like shit if you didn’t get any sleep cause you could hear George fucking at all hours of the night too.” Matty snapped at the two of them.
“Who was he shagging? I thought he wasn’t seeing that blonde anymore?”
Unfortunately for you, this was when you decided to make your grand appearance. Walking out of George’s room in nothing but his shirt and your knickers from the night before. The three of them silent as they took in your appearance.
Adam’s jaw slack as he looked on in shock as everything clicked into place before his very eyes.
Matty looked pained as he ran a hand through his curls before pushing himself up off the dining room table and shuffling into the kitchen, silently flicking the kettle on.
Ross looked angry. You could see it simmering in his eyes. The vein on his neck pulsing as he starred you down.
“I’ve been trying to ring you. Why were you in George’s room? ”
“I’ve been asleep. I’m here now aren’t I? Everything alright?” You brushed past him, trying to avoid talking about the inevitable. You hated when Ross was angry.
“Why do you have George’s shirt on?”
The two of you competed in a stare off. The both of you silent. Neither of you making the next move. If there was one thing you MacDonald siblings were, it was stubborn. Adam was watching on in anticipation. The only noise to be heard was Matty shuffling around the kitchen in the background. Your brother asked you again. Why was he asking you questions he didn’t want to know the answers to.
“Don’t make me say it bro.”  You sighed; annoyance flashing across his features.
“You slept with my best friend?”  Ross immediately started raising his voice. He already knew the answer, he didn’t need your confirmation. Not that he waited for it because he was already storming towards George’s room and right on queue, the door swung open to George just in his boxers.
“Ross. Stop!”  Your voice loud and going ignored.
“YOU SLEPT WITH MY SISTER?!”  
Ross was seething. Hann was immediately by your side ready to intervene. Matty still off and away from the drama (which was very unlike him) that was about to unfold. He was unlawfully quiet but you couldn’t think about that when Ross was squaring off with George in the doorway to your rooms. The shouting sounded like you were under water as you zoned it out. This was a disaster. It was only when Hann touching your arm, whispering if they should intervene or not that brought you back to reality and had you storming right in between the two giants.
Pushing your way in between them. You stood with your back against George’s chest, a hand on your brothers and looking up at him with pleading eyes. “Ross. Please. Fighting George isn’t going to solve anything.”
“You slept. With my sister. What about fucking bro code?! Not cool dude!”
“It was me.” You shouted over the top of his booming voice, all four of them turning to look at you as you very rarely raised your voice. “It was me. I initiated it. So if you’re going to be mad at someone, shout at me because it’s my fault.”
“Babe you don’t have to defend me.” George touched your shoulder gently. “I know, we shouldn’t have done it.”
“Don’t touch her!” Ross zoned in on George’s hands upon your shoulders. He quickly lifted them up in surrender.
“George, we’re both consenting adults.” You addressed him before turning back to your brother. “I’m sorry but if you’re going to sulk about it, blame me because I started it. Ross you know I love you more than anything in this world but you can’t hate everyone that goes near me.”  You reached for his hand to give it a squeeze. “It was literally a one night stand. Promise it won’t happen again.”
Ross tried to pull his hand out of yours at your words, the vein in his neck twitching at the fucked up thought of his little sister casually sleeping around. “I’m not fucking happy about it. Fucking bro code dude.” He threw his hands up dramatically before turning towards the door. “I’m going for some fresh air.” 
Ross quickly yanked open the front door, Hann hot on his tail, muttering something about checking on him which left you with Matty and George. The three of you standing in silence for a moment before George popped a kiss on top of your head and mumbling about a cig and heading out the back.
Matty disappeared again into the kitchen as you plonked yourself down at the dining room table with a groan. The ticking of the clock the only thing to be heard as the two of you were now the only ones left in your tiny flat. Sitting down next to you, Matty didn’t say anything. Just pushed a mug of coffee towards you and sipping his own.
“You don’t hate me do you? You haven’t said anything all morning.”
Matty took a sip of his coffee, a look of contemplation on his face as his eyes flitted towards you. The silence deafening and the thought of him being upset with you made your heart ache.
“You never offered me that on my birthday.”
You blinked rapidly as you stared at him. That was it. That’s what he chose to say.
Matty tried to say it with a joking lilt to his words. A smirk hiding behind his mug of coffee as you took in his words. But he knew deep down that there was a seriousness to it. It was true, you’ve never done anything with him other than when you kissed at his 18th, on his birthday or otherwise. Apart from one drunken weekend about two weeks later. He wasn’t sure why the thought made his heart pang. But it did. You opened your mouth to respond, quickly shutting it again as a flush rushed to your cheeks as you remembered the night in his garden five birthdays ago.
You let out a shaky laugh, not knowing what to say, shoving his shoulder playfully as you settled back into your chair, steaming coffee ready to be drunk.
“I don’t, you know.” 
You turned you head to curly haired man beside you confused at what he was saying. 
“I could never hate you.”
2014
You weren’t exactly sure where you were. What state you were in. What time it was or how much you and the band had to drink or what drugs Matty had taken tonight but you were fucking exhausted. You had been following your brother and your best friends around the world for the best part of just over a year, ‘acting’ like their personal assistant. 
You were essentially a glorified baby sitter for these four man children. You wouldn’t change it for the world though, you got to travel the world with your best friends and take cool photography in the cool cities you visited but it was all catching up to you. All whilst they were busy being rockstars, some more than others but that was a different story.
You wanted nothing more than to be in the dingy little flat you shared with Matty and George in Manchester, catching up on washing, going down to your local Sainsbury’s and doing the weekly shop. Anything that didn’t require going to bed post 3am.
But you were currently in a club in Atlanta or was it Nashville? You didn’t know but what you did know was that you were bloody tired and the thought of travelling on the tour bus to the next state with a hangover was genuinely about to send you into a downward spiral if you didn’t get yourself back to the hotel asap.
Tucked neatly underneath Hann’s arm, his arm loosely hanging over your shoulder as you rested your head upon his shoulder, you prayed for your brother to round up the other two quicker than he was because you were actually asleep standing up at this point. You didn’t think it was possible to be asleep with your eyes open but you were positive at this precise moment in time it was currently happening.
Ross finally reappeared with George in tow but there was no Matty trailing behind the two of them. You groaned loudly as you clapped eyes on the two of them. Ross looked defeated, tiredness set his eyes too. George smirked when he heard your groans.
“Not the usual type of groans you make when you see me baby.”
“I’ll punch you so hard before Ross even gets the chance to if you don’t shut the fuck up Daniel's. Where’s Healy?”  You huffed, scowling at the boy in front of you.
“Mumbled something incoherent before refusing to leave.” Your brother grumbled.
“Give me two minutes.” You sent Hann a soft smile, before removing yourself from the bubble the two of you’d created at the end of the bar before pushing your way through all the sweaty bodies until you found him trying to chat up some blonde model type near the DJ booth.
Gently placing your hand around his bicep to get his attention, his curls whipped in your direction to see who was touching him. The first thing you noticed apart from the bright grin he was now sporting were his dilated pupils. So he had taken coke again, brilliant. 
The sigh that left you so deeply rooted, you’re surprised he didn’t pick up on it. You hated the way it made him feel after the high was over.
“Hi darling! Hasn’t tonight been amazing? Wait where are the others? Can you believe your brother tried to make me to go back to the hotel? How sick was the gig tonight? Do you want to dance? Hey let me introduce you to…” He spoke at a hundred miles a hour as he spewed out utter nonsense, turning to realise the blonde he was chatting up was long gone.
You watched Matty’s shoulders sag, sad eyes now back on your own. “You fancy coming back with me? I’m dead on my feet and don’t really fancy nursing this inevitable hangover whilst being stuck on the tour bus for over six hours with you lot without at least four hours of decent sleep.”
“But I don’t want to go home yet.” He pouted.
“You come with me now, I’ll let you stay in my bunk tomorrow and I won’t complain about how clingy you are. Promise!”
“Like a sleepover?!”  Matty’s face lit up again.
“If you like, yeah!” You laughed at his childlike enthusiasm.
“Come on then, let’s go right now!” He started to drag you through the crowds. “I’m sharing with Ross tonight. I think he’d rather kill himself than watch you throw yourself at me!” 
“I don’t throw myself at you.” You laughed at the frown he was pulling at you.
“It’s been known to happen Healy! I don’t mind though. My bunk tomorrow. Pinky promise.”
“Tomorrow.”  Matty sent you a soft smile; his pinky looping around your own before you started to tug him back towards the boys. “I just want to clarify, I don’t throw myself at you I just like lying on your tits is all!” He said, pulling a laugh out of you as you approached the rest of the band. Your brother already leading the troops out the club as he saw your approach, eager to get out of there and into bed.
You had currently been on the road from Atlanta to Raleigh, North Carolina for the past two hours and the hangover was showing no signs of disappearing. You had already watched half a season of The Office with Hann and had taken a half arsed nap with Ross but it was hard trying to sleep in the lounge, when your head was knocking off his shoulder every time the bus hit a pot hole.
Not to mention; if Matty made one more fucking sound, you were absolutely positive one of you was going to throw him out the window. It was a toss up between you and Hann, whoever got to him first I suppose. But he was getting on your last nerve. He was annoying at the best of times but there was something about his come down today that was irritating you to no fucking end. He so much as breathed too loudly and it was sending you spiralling into deep pit of annoyance.
You and the band were up back in the lounge area, some Adam Sandler movie playing quietly in the back ground that you were pretty sure none of them were even paying attention to. When Matty threw his phone across the bus, swearing something incoherent under his breath and it was the last straw.
Standing up abruptly, you managed to startle both Ross and Hann at the speed in which you moved. Pulling down George’s hoodie that you had stolen, so it covered more of your ass over the pair of gym shorts you had on. You turned back towards your brother and Adam, irritation etched across your features, scowling at Matty as you eyed him out of your peripheral, as he moped about next to George. 
Just the image of him, made you want to roll your eyes.
“I’m going to my bunk before I fucking throttle him!”  
You sent them both a sarcastic smile before storming off to your bunk. You can’t have been there ten minutes before your peace was interrupted by Matty who was peering around the curtain and asking if he can join you. You let out a big sigh before silently nodding your head as he lumbered on into the small space.
Immediately wrapping his arms around your waist; his head found home upon your chest just like it always did when he wanted a cuddle. Your hand that was wrapped around him made its way up to his head, where it settled in his curls, finger tips running across his scalp. The sound of his soft sighs automatically calming down the irritation that had been bubbling inside you since he had awoken this morning.
You weren’t entirely sure how long you had been lying there in silence. You only broke the silence when the coldness of Matty’s fingertips slipped underneath your hoodie to touch the warmth of your skin. His thumb rubbing circles across the softness of your hips as he snuggled further into your tits as one of his legs started pushing its way in between your own as he got comfy.
“Matty?” Your voice gentle as you tried to get his attention.
“You said you wouldn’t complain.” His voice muffled as he spoke into your covered breasts.
“Your fingers are fucking freezing that’s all.” Your chest vibrated with laughter.
“Sorry sweetheart” Matty moved the slightest bit, to kiss the underside of your chin before snuggling back into the warmth of your hoodie.
“I don’t mean to, you know?”  He whispered softly.
“What are you talking about?”
“I don’t mean to make you angry.” 
His voice was barely above a whisper, that you nearly missed it.
“I’m not angry. Why would you think I’m angry at you?”
“You looked like you’d rather die than be anywhere near me before.” The hand that was weaving through his curls stopped. “I hated it. Hated that you looked at me like that. Made me feel even more shit than I already do.”
“Healy look at me.” Matty didn’t move a muscle, head still tucked underneath your chin, no effort in moving at all at your words.
“Babe. Look at me.” Your voice more stern, wiggling away from his grip so you could look down at him properly. “I could never hate you. Ever.” Your eyes flitted across his features, hardened by the late nights on tour and the hardcore partying. “I hate what that stuff does to you. I would never stop you from having fun but when you do that stuff, I hate how it makes you hate yourself the next day. I don’t want you doing something you’re going to regret because believe it or not Healy. I’m quite fond of you and I don’t think my heart could take it if something happened to you. Neither would my brother’s or Hann’s or George’s. We love you a stupid amount you know.”
Matty blinked at you as he took in your words, his brown eyes glossing over before shoving his face into you neck, the grip around your waist becoming impossibly tighter. Your body shaking as his vibrated against yours, soft sobs leaving him as he chanted; “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” Over and over again.
All you could do was hold him closer and reassure him, that he had nothing to be sorry for and you were just looking out for him because anything else, you were afraid it might break you and you’d cry too. As your best friend was breaking his heart and wetting the hoodie you were wearing.
“Don’t apologise for having fun. I just want you to be careful. All I ever want is for you to be okay and sometimes what you do with all those people you don’t know isn’t good for you sweetheart.”
You squeezed him tighter, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. As he mumbled how “I’ll be better, I promise” into your neck, pressing multiple kisses in quick succession to just under the right side of your jaw before settling back into silence where the two of stay for some time.
The soft regular movement of Matty’s thumb rubbing circles on your hip stopped, his hand significantly less colder than they were before he had them up your hoodie, moved across the expanse of your lower back and rolling you over so you were now draped over him instead and tucked into his side. 
“You know sometimes I feel the only time I might get better is when we are together. You ever feel like that?”
It was now your turn to nod silently, a soft hum leaving your mouth as you pressed a quick kiss into his skin as you settled into a slumber.
2017
You had been pottering about your flat most of the morning, doing a deep clean of the place before you were supposed to be heading to meet the boys for Sunday dinner. Your boyfriend of nearly a year Michael, once again opting out of spending time with you and your family, claiming he had better things to be doing that sitting about and listening to the boys talk about what they had been getting up to in the studio again.
Personally you think it was because George let slip last time Michael could actually be bothered to join you all for a drink, that he had slept with you in a drunken ramble, much to the dismay of your boyfriend, your brother and yourself. And Michael didn’t take too fondly to the fact you were still close with George after the confession.
You were in the middle of folding the last bit of the washing that you had dumped on your bed when your phone pinged with a text from Hann.
‘Did you get a letter in the post this week? x’
‘I get a lot of stuff in the post Ads! Off who? x’
‘Matty x’
The moment you saw his name, your heart got stuck in your throat. None of you had heard from him since he he had left, something to do with his recovery. So the thought of contact from him had you dropping your phone on the bed and rushing from your room, shouting at Michael about the post you had received this week. Only receiving a mumble from him about the fire place; had you dashing to the living room, where you rifled through the post sat on top of the mantelpiece. 
There slotted in between this months Rolling Stone subscription and a local take away menu was a white envelope addressed to you. 
A Barbados post mark sitting in the top right corner.
Dropping the rest of the mail on the coffee table, you rushed back to your bedroom, locking the door immediately before sitting at the edge of your bed and taking in Matty’s scrawl of a penmanship. Running your fingers over the ink; your mind flashed back to that day. 
The day you realised he wasn’t okay. 
How completely out of it he was as you watched him at their last festival gig of the iliwys tour cycle. How utterly miserable he looked as he threw himself about the stage, looking just the shadow of the man you knew and loved.
You knew something wasn’t right as you watched from the side of stage with their manager Jamie. George ever the professional, had even broke his concentration bubble to catch your eye several times during their festival set, worry set in his features. 
The way your gentle giant walked straight up to you, stopped in front of you and just by the look in your eyes. Your face never one to hide your emotions. George wrapped his arm around you and without a single word, the pair of you knew you had to speak to the other boys about it. You needed to talk to him.
The night of the intervention. The way he screamed and shouted at you all. He admitted to using but he didn’t do it quietly. The way Ross stepped in front of you in defence when he swore at you. Hann’s hand wrapped tightly around your own, George’s hand squeezing your shoulder in support as your brown eyes glossed over as you took in the man in front of you. He wasn’t your Matty and you hated looking at him like this. 
You didn’t want to look at him at all and it broke your heart.
Slipping your finger into the envelope you finally tore it open, slipping out several pages of paper. You weren’t sure how long you were holding them before you actually unfolded them but it felt like a lifetime of contemplating before you managed to finally take a deep breath and compose yourself enough to read his words.
‘Darling,
As part of my recovery, I’ve been tasked to write a letter to everyone I’ve hurt and yours is the last one I’ve got to write. Not because you mean the least to me. Quite the opposite. Yours has been the hardest to write. Harder than Gabby. My Mam, Dad & Louis & the boys because you mean the absolute world to me. 
This is actually the third time I’ve attempted to write this. Admitting that I’ve hurt you is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. You know what I’m like, I’m a stubborn twat at the best of times but I needed to do this because you deserve this apology probably the most.
You’ve never once judged me and the fucked up things I do when I’m on one. Since we were kids you’ve stuck by my side, defended me when I really didn’t deserve it and loved me endlessly from the sidelines and I’ve definitely not deserved your love but you gave me it anyway.
Do you remember that time we were on tour in 2014 and I was fucked up on coke for god knows how many days in a row and you couldn’t even be in the same room as me that day on the bus when I was on that god awful come down on the way to North Carolina?
Yet you still didn’t say no when I selfishly came crawling to your bunk to interrupt your peace and quiet with my tail between my legs, asking to come lie with you. You could have told me to piss off but you didn’t, you let me squish myself into your bunk and your arms and let me sleep off my hangover in your arms without complaining once. I would have complained but you didn’t, you let me and my cold hands snake their way into your personal space like I hadn’t gotten on your last nerve just ten minutes prior. 
I’m quite a selfish person. You my darling are the most selfless person I know and I don’t deserve the good grace you’ve given me time and time again. Especially seeing as I dragged you along for the ride and then you’ve had to babysit me because I can’t control myself when it comes to drugs and showing off because I want everyone to like me.
You could have taken the tough love route, told me I’m a big fuck up and judged me for my drug use and tried to get me to stop (which probably would have have had the opposite effect out of defiance) but you didn’t. You silently kept an eye on me and made sure I didn’t end up killing myself. Until I took it too far.
I’ve seen you look at me with distaste over the years. Yet nothing compares to the way you looked at me that day you guys staged your intervention. I didn’t think you guys had noticed. I thought me and Miss H had this great big secret going on and I didn’t want to let any of you guys in on it because it would ruin what we had.
Yet you know me better than anyone. You and George both just knew that day. Of course you did. You’re my best friends. But you don’t know how happy I am the four of you staged that intervention and told me I needed to get my shit together.
When I think about the way I lashed out at you. The way your big brown eyes that usually sparkle with mischief when we’re with each other, glossed over as you just stood and took it and didn’t even raise your voice at me once. I can feel the lump in my throat tighten as I write this.
I deserved it you know. I deserved whatever fury was bubbling inside you because I was a class A cunt that day! I’m truly surprised Ross didn’t knock my head off and I wouldn’t have blamed him either if he had done!
I’m just so glad you did something because the thought of losing every single one of you shatters my soul so much, I would cease to exist without you.
I could sit here and write down the list of all things I’m sorry for but physically we don’t have the time or enough paper! But you should know that I am.
I’m sorry. 
For everything.
I’m doing okay. The best I’ve been in a long time. The only way being here might get better is if you were here too.
I don’t deserve your forgiveness. But I’m begging for it because the thought of you hating me and not being able to trust me anymore kills me.
You really an angel on this earth.
I don’t deserve you.
I love you.
Yours Matthew x
p.s I cannot wait to be reunited with your tits! I’ve missed them!
You let out a chortled laugh as you read through the last line of the letter. Your hands quickly making their way to your face as you wiped the tears that were streaming from your face. The cuffs of your hoodie wet from where you’ve tried to stop the flow of tears. Pressing the letter to your chest, you took a few deep breaths to try compose yourself before you left the confinements of your bedroom.
Hurriedly shoving the letter into your handbag, so there was no chance Michael could stumble across your letter. He didn’t like Matty as it was, you didn’t want to give him ammunition to say anything. You grabbed your car keys and rushed out of the house without a word to your boyfriend and heading straight to Hann’s.
2020
You had broken up with Michael.
The red flags should have been there from the start really. He always had less than nice words to say about you and your relationships with the boys. He didn’t have a lot of nice things to say in general but you were blinded by love and the man he was when you first met that you didn’t see the red flags being waved right in front of your face until your heart (and self confidence) were already broken.
Your brother didn’t like Michael, he thought there was something off about him from the off but you put it down to Ross doing his job as your big brother but his opinion didn’t waver once in the four years you were together. George never liked how possessive he was and the fact he became even more so and tried to stop you from speaking to him after he found out about your night together. Which just fyi happened three years prior to meeting him, so he (everyone) was flabbergasted as to why he was so bothered! Hann. Your sweet angel of a bestie had even voiced how he didn’t like him and he was never one to be rude which should have also been a clue you were dating a dickhead.
Then there was Matty. Matty hated him. The feelings were mutual. Michael had told you plenty of times over your four years together that he hated your best friend but he would never tell you why. Matty told you it was because ‘he was a twat who didn’t deserve you’. You were obliged to agree because that mother fucker cheated on you!
Multiple women across the last two years of your relationship. 
To say you were stunned was an understatement yet it somehow made sense and fell into place so easily when you thought about it all. Yet that didn’t make it hurt any less. But a friend of yours sending you the evidence whilst you were on the last night of the UK tour was the final nail in the coffin that was your shitty relationship with him.
You weren’t sure who wanted to kill him more. Your brother? Matty? Or George? The three of them were raging amongst one another at their after party which should have been a celebration whilst Hann sat with his arms wrapped around you as you cried to him and Carly. You didn’t think anything would make you feel better apart from getting obliterated with your favourite people and forgetting about Michael and the impending doom that was about to be bestowed upon the entire world.
Matty was your saving grace.
Asked you to move in, without even hesitating. Naturally you said yes, sitting in your flat all by yourself whilst you cried over your douchebag of an ex during lockdown did not sound appealing to you. It was giving ‘Emma Pilssbury crying to Celine Dion in her car from Glee’ and you weren’t quite ready to hit that stage of your breakup depression just yet.
Two weeks turned into two months and then four months of lockdown but quite frankly you had never been happier. Living with Matty again, surprisingly was just as good the second time round if not easier. Except this time you weren’t poor, your kitchen roof wasn’t leaking and there was a 95% less drug taking which made your life a whole lot less stressful.
It was just easy with him. At some point whilst the world stood still, Matty and Tahliah broke up and then it really just was you two; doing your washing, fighting over who’s turn it was to use their club card during the weekly shop at Tesco and raising his (both of your’s) new dog, Mayhem.
The two of you had been getting ready to move into a studio tomorrow with George after four months of just the two of you playing house, the pair of them just itching to get back to work. You were aware that Matty had been writing already but you knew it would be full steam now Notes had been released and you wanted to make use of the time you had left just the two of you.
Only because you knew as soon as you got your hands on George. That was it! Not a chance Matty was getting any attention. You had missed your big friendly giant more than anything and you knew from your FaceTime with him last night whilst you couldn’t sleep that he was more than excited to see you too.
All three of you were sunbathing in the garden. Mayhem by your side as the two of you soaked up some much needed sun. The heatwave the UK was currently in the middle of was doing wonders for your skin. You had been lying in silence for the past thirty minutes, a book covering your face to block out the sun as you tried to read. Matty’s head in your lap as you presumed he was napping when you suddenly felt him turn over in your lap, now on his side and looking up at you.
Lifting the book ever so slightly, so you could peek underneath at him, you cocked an eyebrow as he watched you with a gentle gaze. “Yes?” Your tone rich with sarcasm as you stared back at him. “Anything actually going through that pretty head of yours Healy? What you thinking about?”
“Us.”
“Us?” You laughed. “What about us?”
“You remember my eighteenth birthday?”  He asked; peering up at you with a soft smile.
“The party?” Matty nodded. “I remember Ross stopping me from getting with Max! Remember him? I was gutted!”  You laughed. “Why?”
“You know that’s not what I meant?” Matty frowned slightly as he pouted at you.
“Of course I do.” You put your book down, your hands automatically reaching for what was left of his curls,“What about it?”
“You ever think about it?”
“Sometimes. Think we’ve done a fantastic job at keeping it from my brother! Especially with your big gob!”  You smiled down at him as you ran your hand through his curls gently.
“Funny!”  He sent a glare your way, causing you to laugh loudly at his attempt to be intimidating. 
“What’s got you thinking about that kiss from a million years ago anyway?”
“Wanking material.” He somehow managed to say without cracking smile.
It was your turn to shoot him a glare at his crudeness. It wasn’t long though until he was grinning up at you from his place in your lap. You pushed his head away from you in fake annoyance. God you couldn’t stand him sometimes!
“Ohh come on darling. I hear you sometimes! We all do it, you’ve got to think of something!” Matty tried to lighten the mood.
“Yeah I think about G’s 23rd birthday.” You smirked. Your vibrator was good but it wasn’t George. You couldn’t remember the last time you had a good orgasm and thinking it might have been before Michael makes you want to cry. Your confession/kind of a joke caused the grin to fall from his face and you almost felt bad, knowing he doesn’t want to hear about the incredible night you had with George because if anyone asked him, he absolutely did not want to relive it.
“I’m joking!” Your hand reached for his curls again. “Seriously though, what’s got you reminiscing about it. It’s been a long time.”
“Just thinking about how much I love you is all.” His confession made you stop. “What would have happened if we’d said fuck it and we ended up together.”
“I don’t think Ross would have been too happy. You saw how mad he got about G!”  You laughed nervously as you thought about stopping your brother from knocking his band mate out.
“He’d have gotten over it.” Matty was now leaning up on his arms, leaning forward to press a light kiss to your bikini clad torso before pressing several kisses in quick succession up your stomach until he was hovering over your chest and looking down at your face. “If we were happy, he’d have been happy. You know he would have been.”
His actions made you hold your breath. It being strangely intimate and probably the most intimate you’d been since you were teenagers. You wondered if he was actually going to kiss you again but he just looked down at you fondly.
“You know I’d do anything for you right?”  You nodded. “You’re one of the only people who makes me truly happy.  I’d literally go too far just you have you near. I’d go blind just to see you!”
You rolled your eyes at the dramatics of his statement but the sweet sentiment made you smile, you reached up to hold the side of his face in your hands. Your thumb sweeping over the apple of his left cheek. The pair of you just basking in the warmth of the sun and each other. Unsure how long you hadn’t said anything, Matty broke the silence in the most Matty way.
“Literally anything you need. I’ve got you for life sweetheart. A cuppa? A joint? An orgasm? I’m your man!” 
A chortle left your mouth as he cheekily beamed down at you, waiting for what he knew would be a somewhat sarcastic response. He didn’t realise he’d really set himself up for what you were about to say.
“Don’t worry I’m good. I’m seeing G tomorrow!”
The way his eyes narrowed at you made you cackle even louder as he finally jumped up off you, to walk back inside without another word. “I’m sorry!”  You laughed. “I promise not to shag George when I see him. I’m good with my vibrator I promise!”  You manage to sputter out through your laughter. “Stick the kettle on whilst you’re in there love.”  You shouted after him.
Matty threw you the middle finger over his shoulder which made you laugh even more as he went though the back door, Mayhem hot on his heels; knowing fine well he was going to put the kettle on and make you a brew just how you liked it because for as long as he can remember he’s never been able to say no to you and he didn’t think he’d ever will.
2023
The 1975 in Show and Concert was possibly your favourite tour that you’d been apart of with the boys. There was an accumulative of factors; the fact you weren’t the only girl on tour this time round, Carly had joined Adam with their son and Charli had come to as many shows as her own schedule permitted. You also had a little part to play at Matthew’s request (obviously!) donned in a white lab coat, you brought Matty a hot honey and lemon on stage every night and pottered about with the rest of the crew, making sure your brother and the rest of the band were all good before slipping off to watch the rest of the show from backstage.
Or it could have been that you and Matty were closer than ever. Ever since lockdown and the pair of you had been living together, everything seemed so simple that since restrictions were lifted, you just carried on living together. I think when George removed the last box of things from your old flat to take to Matty’s did it for him, that he just shook his head with a laugh. 
“You guys really are an old married couple!” He chuckled; slamming the boot close and jumping in the car before you could get a word in edgeways.
He wasn’t wrong, you guys did essentially everything together apart from have sex. Not that you hadn’t thought about it. Somewhere between moving into the studio with him and George and then your brother and Hann joining them to start recording their fifth studio album. You hadn’t shagged anyone in over a year and there was only so many times you could use your vibrator before you got bored and there wasn’t a cat’s chance in hell you were ordering a new toy to the studio because Matty didn’t have boundaries and absolutely would have opened it before you could even get the chance to get your hands on it.
You had also promised after day one; after one too many jokes and essentially mounting George at any given moment just to have him near you that you wouldn’t sleep with him. Even though a repeat of his birthday from seven years prior was literally so so temping to you! So what the hell were you going to do? The thought of dating apps made you want to vomit and hanging about bars really didn’t seem that appealing.
But Matty being Matty; was being overly affectionate one night after one too many glasses of red after a show, had the two of you giggling like teenagers and wondering if the two of you had gotten better at kissing since Matty’s 18th. Curiosity getting the better of the both of you, had you surging towards one another in a flurry of horniness after the kiss, was how you found yourself straddling his lap and snogging him like your life depended on it! Until you physically had to pull away to get your breath back and a rush of sense flashed through your brain. The two of you went to bed separately.
Neither of you spoke about it again.
Nor did you ever think about how the two of you were always drawn to each other no matter what shit storm was going on around you until now. You were just tying up the end of the UK leg of the tour, you and the band were in Ireland and Jamie had just told you that *The Scum* were running a horrendous article about Matty. This had in turn resulted in an argument after their penultimate show between the boys. 
You knew he did things in the heat of the moment whilst he’s on stage or says shit without thinking and it comes to bite him in the arse almost every time but he’d never do what they’re accusing him of on purpose.
But seeing your brother hurt by Matty’s stupid actions; the repercussions for not just himself but for the rest of the band, your brother, yourself just by association. It was enough for you to step in, in defence of your brother. He came before everyone else, every single time.
This you didn’t realise; had as big of an effect until you were stood frozen on stage in front of your brother, Matty in between you and Ross. Apologising to him, crying in front of thousands of people. How Ross hadn’t broke the facade and took him in his arms was beyond you because your brother’s face was currently blurry to you and he was stood a foot in front of you. Tears filled your brown eyes and were threatening to spill as Matty let his vulnerable side show in front of everyone. Something he never does.
You had done so well until he apologised once more; removing his hand from Ross’s arm and reaching behind him blindly to grab on to you. The tears automatically fell; the action enough to make Ross twitch in an ache to comfort you. Something he couldn’t do until the band had come off stage at the end of consumption.
After the final song of tour; the boys usually head on out for the after party. Tonight you had Matty back at the hotel in your room on his knees and begging for you. 
Begging for you to not leave him. Begging for you not to move out. Begging for you to stay by his side. Begging for you to still love him.
You furrowed your eyebrows as you looked down at the man in front of you; on his knees as his hands grasped at your legs, pulling you close as he hugged you as physically close as possible as he sobbed against your legs. Instinctively you reached for his curls, running your fingers through them softly.
“Baby. Look at me.” The softness of his curls tickled your thighs as he stayed pressed against you. “Matthew. Darling look at me.” 
You managed to loosen his grip enough to slide down on to your knees in front of him, taking a hold of his face in your hands as you eyes flitted across his face, smiling softly at him as he tried to calm himself down.
“I can’t lose you. I can’t lose any of you.” He shook his head, curls flying in front of his face. “But I can’t lose you darling. I can’t.”
“Matthew. Look at me. Why do you think you’re going to lose me? You’re never going to lose me. You’re kinda stuck with me!” You laughed. “And even if I decided to fuck off, my brother being your bassist kind of means I’m stuck with you anyway.” The grip on his face got tighter as his hands reached up to hold on to your wrists.
“But last night…”
“Ross and I just want you to use your brain sometimes before you do stupid shit! You’ve not lost either of us. I promise.”
“Promise?”
Your heart jumped into your throat at the swell of tears in his eyes and his lip quiver.
“Life. That’s how long you’ve got me for Healy. Promise.” As soon as you stopped speaking; Matty threw himself at you, arms around your neck and squeezing you so tightly you nearly stopped breathing. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you” Being repeated in your ear over and over as you squeezed him back, pressing your lips to the side of his face in consecutive kisses until he abruptly pulled away. Eyes red and looking at you so softly you thought he was going to cry again.
“I love you.”
“I love you too. You know I do.” You smiled at him warmly.
“No. It’s always been you.” He said as he reached for your hands and it felt like you had been hit in the chest. The sting of tears trickling up your face and threatening to fill your eyes as you silently took him in. You went to open your mouth but nothing came out.
“I know I always talk too much but just listen to me. I love you. Since we were kids I reckon, I was just too chicken to ever do anything.  When you kissed me on my 18th birthday. When you saw I needed help,  you saved my life sending me to rehab. Every day, I thought about getting home to you.  It’s what got me through every day. You make me a better man darling. When you take my shit when I don’t deserve it. When you make me a brew in the morning just how I like it. When you roll me a joint when you realise I’m too tense and in my head without me even having to ask. When you tell me to shut the fuck up before a situation escalates. When we go to big Tesco and walk the dog or do all the washing together. I fucking live for that shit because it’s with you. Fuck I’ve been writing songs about you for the past decade! You are intertwined with every era of this band sweetheart. I mean 60% of the last album is about you! ” He chuckled softly.
“What?” Managed to escape you in a gasp.
“Come on sweetheart. Some of this music has literally been out for ten years!”
“I - Just never - Why have you never said anything before now?” Your voice horse with frustration.
“I love your brother too much. But thinking I’d lost the two of you, just made me think fuck it. You deserve to know. You need to know.” Matty shrugged casually.
“That’s stupid.” Your deadpan tone, stunning him silent.
“Sorry?”
“Wasn’t it you that said to me that if Ross knew I was happy. That we were happy he wouldn’t care. He’d have gotten over it? And you’ve just subliminally been telling me you love me through music this entire time?”
“Yes?” 
You cocked an eyebrow at his hesitation, the questioning tone as your eyes flit across his handsome features. Cheeks tinged with pink due to his tears, his chest falling up and down rapidly at his confession as he awaited you answer. You still didn’t say anything, thinking about how to respond until you found the perfect response.
Surging forward you pushed your lips against Matty’s. Hands reaching for the curls you loved so much. Waiting for him to reciprocate felt like a life time but your Matthew was well equipped in the art of kissing you back so realistically it was 0.2 seconds after he had gotten over the shock.
You kissed him over and over again, not wanting to stop the feeling of how your lips moved against his, how his tongue felt against yours. You felt like you were on fire, he was intoxicating. He always was but fuck was he more than ever. Finally finding the strength to untangle yourself from him, chests heaving as you both got oxygen back in your lungs you said the words, the way he’d been wishing to hear for the past sixteen years.
“I love you too.”
When he was finally seen in public two days later on the eve of their Gorilla gig in Manchester. The fans noticed Matty was in higher spirits than he had been two days prior when his breakdown was caught on camera. You had been nervous to tell your brother but Ross claimed he already knew Matty was in love with you, he was just waiting to see if he’d actually grow some balls or not! Then he hugged you so tightly and whispered he was happy for the both of you, which in turn had you and Matty crying backstage in their green room as you found yourself in a 1975 sandwich! 
You don’t think you had seen Matty look so happy on stage in a long time. He loved touring but it was gruelling but seeing him on stage in this tiny venue with his best friends and his girl watching and waiting for him side stage. He couldn’t stop beaming. The fans noticed, the comments already flying in online about him. They increased tenfold when he jumped offstage, not waiting the ten second walk backstage before kissing you like his life depended on it.
The blurry picture of Matty holding your jaw in his hands as he kissed you in the shadows of the stage was on a 1975 update account within minutes.
Captioned: If you know you know. Finally 🖤
You were obliged to agree.
725 notes · View notes
kiwisa · 1 year
Text
serenade ✩ cl16
Charles Leclerc x Fem! Famous! Singer! Reader
fluff • 1,500 words • sequel to sweet melody
IN WHICH... a song is better than a thousand words.
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The metronome that had been counting the rhythm in your earpiece ⏤ disturbing you, if anything else ⏤ finally ceased as the last notes of your song faded away in a transition which you did not notice, too busy catching your breath. The spotlight faded for a few moments, giving you just enough time to take three big gulps of water, which dripped down your lips to your throat and cleavage, already wet with perspiration.
It was hot on stage. Too hot, you thought, wiping your forehead with a brush of your forearm. The spotlights would turn an autumn evening into a summer afternoon by the sheer force of their light, almost as if the sun itself were trapped in those damned bulbs. The heat did nothing to ease the heaviness of your limbs, exhausted by two intense hours of dancing, singing, sometimes both at the same time. Your legs, arms, and back were aching terribly, but you showed nothing. Why complain about a career you had chosen? As they said, the show must go on.
The cheerful shouts of the crowd gradually brought you out of your trance, though your chest continued to heave rapidly as the spotlights dazzled you. You squinted for a moment, getting used to the artificial daylight again, punctuated by a pixelated starry sky woven by the phones’ flashes.
“Usually, this is the point in the show where I announce that this was the last song…”
You laughed at the reaction of the fans, who were quick to boo you when they realized the enchanted interlude that was this concert was coming to an end. The worries of everyday life, left at the entrance of the stadium, were only waiting for the last note to come back and slump on everyone's shoulders, yours included.
“… But today, because we are in Nice, and because this city is special to me, I have decided to sing a song for you that is just as special. This may be the only time you hear it, so enjoy.”
An assistant brought an acoustic guitar and a stool. No one could see your fingers shaking as you adjusted the microphone stand, anxious at the mere thought of making a false note, of ruining what was supposed to be perfect. Hours and hours of secret rehearsals had brought you to this moment. You would not fuck up something so important to you, to him, was going to fall flat.
“Hm. So… Yeah, this is dedicated to a special someone in the crowd.”
It was hard, but you managed not to turn your head towards the VIP section of the pit, isolated at the front, and far more visible than anything else in the Stade Allianz Riviera. The phones were focused on you, on your every move, reminding you that every second of the concert would be analysed and posted on Twitter within the hour, before being relayed hundreds of thousands of times. That was precisely why, tonight, the music would speak for you, and the notes would replace the words you were not allowed to chant out loud.
Unveiling without saying too much.
Private but not secret.
In your earpiece, the metronome resumed its rhythm, but this time you welcomed it. Like Odysseus and the sirens, the first notes of the song blurred your senses and plunged you into a melodic trance in which only a silhouette stood out. The first words were shakily sung, and you immediately cursed your stress, or perhaps your stupid heart, which was beating furiously in your chest, catching up with the heady metronome. A new rhythm that had begun tuning with another.
Young love was beautiful, so beautiful it inspired poetry.
You were no Hugo, nor Lamartine, nor even a Shakespeare. In your verses, no iambic pentameters, no embracing rhymes; simply the raw evidence of blossoming love, even as the leaves of the trees gradually turned orange.
As the first words rang out, you thought back to that damn crossed-out page, its words never suitable enough to explain the unexplainable. How to describe love? Some had succeeded, with rough metaphors, comparisons to nature, to art. You, faced with the white sheet of paper, with the image of two large green eyes in your mind, found yourself speechless, wordless, unable to put into phrases the love you felt for Charles.
“Love,” a word you had not yet uttered. Too soon to do so, some said. You simply thought that “I love you” was not strong enough.
Your head swayed gently to the rhythm of the strings strummed by your ⏤ still shaky ⏤ fingers, eyebrows furrowed. The low, slow, melodious sound echoed through the speakers and into the hearts of the entire crowd. You just hoped it would touch his.
In the middle of this shapeless mass of people, you could only see him, dazzling in his white shirt. The spotlight didn't allow you to see the expression painted on his face, but nights spent admiring him allowed you to imagine it without any problem: his ears flushed, his mouth folded inwards to avoid seeing them tremble, his fingers playing with his ring…
He'd been to all concerts since the beginning of your relationship ⏤ a few weeks before ⏤ following you to Los Angeles for a festival, to Italy for a concert, without ever hesitating once. Here in Nice ⏤ so close to Monaco ⏤ everything was special. His presence tasted of home.
In the middle of thousands of people, he was the only soul that mattered.
Tears ⏤ an overflow of love at his sight ⏤ rose and rolled down your cheeks one by one. He was your most beautiful verse, your most beautiful arpeggio, the last sound added to the harmony that made up your life.
On this stage, the melody of love resounded, until the last chorus:
Qu’est-ce que j’irais faire au paradis Quand tu t’endors près de moi?  Qu’ils le donnent à d’autres, le paradis Je n’en voudrais pas* 
Déjà vu: the metronome stopped, the lights went out, the water was thirstily gulped. This time, however, nothing was turned back on. Applause and shouts rang out, making the floor tremble, or perhaps it was your legs, both tired and relieved.
An assistant guided you backstage. The microphone was taken away, the earpiece as well. A towel was passed around to dry your forehead, back, and thighs. Your heart was beating hard, so hard that you thought it was trying to escape from your rib cage and lodge itself in your temples.
It was finally over. You had done it. You had sung his song.
Five people tried to talk to you, debrief the concert, make changes, but you didn't care, your attention no longer on them since he had entered the room.
A hazel spot in the middle of the black-dressed staff. His eyes were red, as was the tip of his nose. Furrows of tears marked his cheeks but contrasted with the blinding smile he gave you. Your heart skipped a beat, the mere sight of his figure triggering a wave of affection.
You immediately threw yourself into his arms, breathing in his Dior perfume, his musky scent, the aroma of tobacco: a smell that was so unapologetically him.
“Did you like the song?” you asked with a small voice, your head buried in his chest.
He pressed his hand against your head, pulling you even closer to him, as if he wanted your two bodies to become one. His lips pressed against your forehead, and did not let go, even when he spoke: “I adored it, mon ange.”
The tremolo of his voice spoke for him, his wet tone doing nothing to hide his emotion. Charles spoke little, chose his words carefully, did not waste them on wordy periphrases. Thus, he did not exclaim, did not dwell on explanations that would spoil the intimate atmosphere. He merely whispered these simple words with all the tenderness in the world, filling your heart, which was already on the verge of giving out from all the attention you were getting from him.
“Je t'aime.”
Your breath caught in your throat at his three little words, whispered as if they were second-nature to him. His chest vibrated with his laughter, purely in adoration of your reaction, before he took your face in his hands to kiss you tenderly. More tears joined the first you had shed on stage, but you ignored them, content, in love.
“Je t'aime aussi.”
He swayed both your bodies gently, never loosening his embrace, never taking his lips off your skin. Around you, the staff was already packing up to make room for the next day's performer, but you did not care. In the frenzied tempo of life, your sweet melody played off-beat.
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FOOTNOTES !
*Chorus from Paradis, Orelsan.
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nikolliver · 5 days
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Future out of reach
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[Word count: 3301 words]
(with a small participation of Glamrock Chica!)
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Another day, another show comes to an end, the curtains close smoothly and Eclipse directs themselves to the backstage. Complimenting the assistants and other actors for the spectacular show, Eclipse cleans their faceplate from the makeup of the day and returns the figurines to the clothes hanger, back to their usual jester pants. Now time to clean up the stage props.
The employees starting to clock-out one by one, the seats finally empty. Geppetto compliments his creation before he walks to his office. He had no idea how his praising brightens their systems. Eclipse lifts up the cradle and takes it to the backstage, their animatronic strength makes everything so much easily, yet an extra careful need so they don’t break anything.
Today’s show involved a baby kidnapping scene, but with no baby. At the lack of human dolls, they had to use a discreet replacement, since the baby’s face on the scene wasn’t so relevant, a Chica plush was used for the baby wrapped in blankets. The cradle was placed along with the other background props, but oh! There’s something missing!
The skyhook hangs Eclipse in the air and they fly quickly to the stage. Feet back to the ground, they attentively analyze every bit of the floor looking for the missing object. Until they found it! The pacifier used for the baby scene. Orange with a blue star on it, obviously Glamrock Freddy themed. Eclipse hopes that this pacifier wouldn’t be returned to the shelf to be sold or at least cleaned first, but they were pretty aware that Fazbear doesn’t care about this detail. So, they hold themselves accountable for this task!
The jester’s attention is dragged to the seats, the blue rubbered carpet right near to the stage. The place reserved for the children to stay. A specific spot in the middle is pinned against Eclipse’s gaze.
The spot where Karma usually sits.
They didn’t show up today, they had a science fair at their school. Their fingers fidget with the pacifier on their grasp. Hopefully Geppetto plans a reprise of this show in the future and Karma will be there to watch, they would love this one.
The silence of the theater echoed the distant sounds of the Pizzaplex. Muffled sounds of children laughing or crying, wishing to stay a little longer. Pre-recordings of the Glamrocks to their locations of the building, arcade noises and other mysterious sounds of this cursed place.
Eclipse graciously flies to the backstage with the pacifier. They gently place the pacifier on the Chica plushie’s beak with a soft giggle, their LEDs glowing pink and magenta. The plush seemed so cozy and safe wrapped in the star patterned blanket.
How would this feel like?
The thought pokes against Eclipse’s systems, but that thought was shared. Its LEDs transition to its debut bright yellow and blue, they sit cross their legs on the ground with a gloved hand holding the cradle’s side. A long stare at the Chica plush in it. Eclipse starts slowly swinging the cradle side to side, like trying to soothe the baby to sleep. A soft lullaby song starts playing from their soundbox, and now they are zoned out in their thoughts. The sound of the children slowly fading away from the location.
How would this feel like?
This one was different now.
As animatronics created only to entertain the children, it wasn’t expected to be caught having these thoughts. It wasn’t expected to wonder about those human bonding moments in life.
Being raised by people with love and care. In the future, returning this love and care to another being that you will raise on your own if wished so.
It’s not so different from what we are having now, is it?
Geppetto treated the animatronics differently from how ordinary people treated them. People treated them like what they are; Machines. But Geppetto treated like something else; They couldn’t tell what. He always had been so careful with the animatronics, but with them? It was different. Sun and Moon were more self-aware than the others, they knew more of their surroundings than the Glamrocks. They might have been remoted to jesters, but not to fools. He realized this at their Salvage procedure.
He doesn’t know what we can do. Any expectation that Geppetto had, was already surpassed by us.
It would be only his survival instincts at first, trying not to upset them in fear that they might harm someone. But now… It felt different. At least they hope so.
Geppetto treated them with care, with heart.
They don’t want to lose that.
The pacifier falls from the plushie’s beak. With a metal click, Eclipse cradles the Chica plush in their arms and places the pacifier back on its beak. Holding it like a fragile baby wrapped in those blankets. Just like when they first met Karma.
They were so small that time, smaller than the plush on its arms. What common babies would look at and start crying, Karma would look at it with no reaction. It was like they were looking at some ordinary person when staring at the uncanny jester, being safely held by their grandmother’s arms.
Its metallic fingers fidgeting against each other like a thumb battle while they have a staring competition with the baby during Geppetto’s conversation with the old lady. He can’t help but not ignore the jester’s behavior at his back.
The lady asks if it wanted to hold Karma. The old man’s eyes widen at the old lady and the jester flinches with a “shock.mp3” effect. She holds the baby to the animatronic, the tiny one staring at it with oblivious apathy. It lifts its shaky metallic hands to the baby, but retreats and offer the gloved pair of hands instead.
This day it found out that it was actually horrible at holding babies. Its hands were flat while holding the baby for a long minute. The lady softly laughs at the scene, while the man smiles awkwardly. The jester shakes its head and decides to try something different. Now mimicking the way that the lady was holding the baby on her arms, Karma was carefully cradled on its hands.
From how small they were, it could easily cup the baby on its hands. The baby yawns at the jester and it just stays at this position until the end of the conversation and Karma left with their grandma.
They have been watching Karma grow with the time since then. Time is passing by and it’s getting more puzzling to hold Karma properly on its arms. One day, it wouldn’t be able to hold Karma so easily. They would turn into a teenager, then an adult, an elder and then… It doesn’t want to think about that part.
But it was pretty aware of how its presence on Karma’s life had a great impact on how they see things. They don’t treat it differently from a person. Their conversations would follow casually like a genuine friendship! An actual bond! Karma would actually learn things from them! And it would learn things from them! The four of them would learn more things about this world while sharing their own experiences! And Karma would take this for their life outside the Pizzaplex!
Don’t forget that our minds aren’t as private as theirs.
… Yet, it had its own limits of… The “privacy” that they had. There was so much they wanted to learn, yet having Fazbear holding them on a leash wouldn’t be a pleasing consequence. Well, they just watch from afar.
Geppetto and Karma have a unique dynamic between them. They talk about their shenanigans with Geppetto when they are not on the Pizzaplex, his presence at Karma’s life was important, and not just because he was their grandma’s friend. Even if Geppetto didn’t have such relationship with their grandmother, his bond with Karma was significant to the child. He knew things about their “father side” of the family than anyone, also having an old beef with their father that it didn’t knew nothing of… yet. From how distant Karma’s father was from their life, even if living under the same roof… Geppetto seemed to have another special role in Karma’s family.
Family…
The jester holds the plush tightly on its arms…
There we go again…
Family…
It would never have the opportunity to be in an actual family. It knew that. But still…
From all the animatronics from the Pizzaplex, Sun, Moon and Eclipse had something that none of the other have. It was small. Very small. And it would last long. But it was very meaningful for them, they couldn’t physically hide this. It wasn’t so common for the others, so they don’t overlook it so much. However, the jesters would hold this on their systems until their end. They knew it would hurt, yet they weren’t prepared for it.
Eclipse feels a cold stare on their back.
They turn their head to find a Mop bot staring at them from afar, near a soda puddle waiting for the S.T.A.F.F. bot to come and clean it, so it comes. The bot looks down at the puddle with the scouring pad on its hand, then at the mop bot and then at Eclipse. The cleaning bots stare apathetically at the jester holding the plush like a baby with a long awkward silence…
Eclipse forces a weak laugh as they place the plush back to the cradle. “H-hi! I was… Just organizing the props! Heheh…” They stutter softly.
The S.T.A.F.F. bot tilts its head at them and then goes back with its existence and starts cleaning the puddle. Eclipse side-eyes their surroundings and yanks themselves away from there.
Almost stumbling in their feet on the way to the hidden door behind the poster, leading themselves to their room. The celestial jester meets their miserable and sad room, but they would give some of their theoretical heart into it. The wooden surface of the room brought them some kind of comfort, or… déjà vu? An inexistent nostalgia? They were not sure, but they don’t want to dive deep into that. The room was used to some kind of deposit for the theater, but it was left with no purpose so they decided to keep the room for themselves. Geppetto didn’t contradicted, he didn’t know how to react so he let them be.
Eclipse clicks as they stand awkwardly at the door while staring at the room. Not sure why they walked themselves there.
Why did we walk to our room?
Uhhhh… Panic?
It happens quite often; they were almost afraid that it might be some malfunction on their processors. They did not tell Geppetto about this and personally they hope he doesn’t notice this. He can read his creation easily like a book, since he was the author.
They fidget with their fingers against their gloved hands looking at the corners of their room, slowly walking towards the big red curtains after the staircase to the platform. Peeking through the curtains they see right under their eyelevel, a pirate island themed area closed for construction. What was the exhibition area for them when they were not at the theater and play along for a bit with Captain Foxy and his little sailors, will now become a daycare. They heard little of the planning from Geppetto, but are aware that he’s having some headache with this project that the CEOs threw onto his shoulders.
Eclipse recoils back to the room and stares at a pair of black curtains on a wall. They crawl to it and slide the curtains to reveal a small passage to a smaller room. The structure of that place was odd, they read something about that room being a playroom but then changed to a deposit and now it’s just some solitary room being used by Sun and Moon. Two medium boxes with some scrap they collected from the discard deposit to turn it into something else later, some kid’s drawings on the wall of Sun and Moon, all of Eclipse’s drawings were drawn by Karma. At the corners of the room were a Sun and Moon nightlights placed on opposite corners to each other, by their sides their respective plushies of each other.
They extend their gloved hands to each plush and nightlight to give them a head pat before they recoil back to the bigger room.
Eclipse’s eyes click to a Glamrock Freddy and Bonnie plushies at the table. A child forgot them at the theater, their name was written on their tags and the kid frequented the theater during the whole weekends so they would return the plushies back to the kid on the next day. The jester rests their metallic elbows and gloved hands on the table while glancing down at the plushies, clicking their fingers against their chin.
Glamrock Freddy and Bonnie’s relationship was peculiar for them. Under the eyes of the public, they were seen as the best of friends ever. Behind the stage… They were something more special. One of those details that is only true among the animatronics themselves, like Eclipse’s existence or the tiny Mini-Music men crawling through the walls of the building. The jesters would often peek their thoughts on Freddy and Bonnie’s thing, they were not sure if they wanted something similar, a “special someone”, this someone being each other or someone else entirely… Being two individuals sharing the same body might generate ticklish thoughts stabbing through their systems.
They would just shake it off with some clicks, spin their faceplate and keep going with their duties at the Pizzaplex. Eclipse walks off their room and lock the door at the end of the small corridor. Being dragged by their hook to check everything from above for the last time.
Are those thoughts normal for us to have?
They hear Geppetto leaving his office from the distance. And also, the noises of a metal chicken digging her beak into a trashcan at the theater exit. Eclipse lands their feet near the exit, right at the other side of the wall where Chica was. Seems she didn’t notice their metal clicking or their bells because of her eating noises.
Eclipse shrink-spin their rays before clicking to peek through the wall to see the chicken back facing them while going down on the trash like a stereotypical cartoon pig. They step out of the corner and yet comes unnoticed. The way the Glamrocks and the other animatronics interact with their own little environment tickles their systems, they don’t have the same proximity to people like they have with Geppetto or Karma. Which is not surprising, considering their “celebrity” dilemma they carry for the brand on the company.
A mischievous spark invades their systems at the opportunity. Sinking their head onto their shoulders, they force their soundbox to a loud horn sound effect. Startling the chicken to the point she would choke on her trash food, if this was physically possible. The chicken turn with a cluck to see a gloved hand holding onto the wall.
Another metallic glowing light red hand waves in. “Sorry, sorry.” Eclipse walks in to Chica’s eye sight. “Hi Chica!”
“Bawk! Eclipse!” Chica brushes off a stain of sauce from her beak. “You startled me!”
Eclipse giggles awkwardly as they scratch their hands before shaking their head. “Isn’t it too early to start the trash digging?” They tilt their head clicking.
Chica adjusts the trashcan cover back to its place. “I know, but- Today they released a new cover to the popcorn buckets and I just couldn’t resist! B-Bawk!” She shakes off her head. “Worth it.” And gives a thumbs up.
Eclipse giggles softly with a hand near their teeth.
“What have you been up to? Your little chick didn’t come today?” Chica leans against her leg.
The jester clicks. “… “Little chick”?” Their head tilts to the side.
“The little one! With a purple bow.” The chicken gestures to adjust a big bow over her head.
“Oh, you mean Karma.” Eclipse clasps their hands down.
“Karma! That’s their name!” She knocks her own head. “I don’t see them much often and I need to archive their name in my super special guest list.”
“They… are… not on the V.I.P subscription…?” They click slowly with each word.
“Oh- No not like that! Bawk!” Chica waves off. “I meant “Super special list” because they are one of your little ones! You know, I noticed that Karma is really attached to you guys and I just want to ensure you guys that they are safe when I happen to be around them when they are not near the theater. I have this protocol for children with a specific pattern of activity in the building and helps me to monitor their routine here.”
Eclipse blinks. “So, this is like…” They raise their gloved hands. “A “Mother Hen” protocol?” They air quote.
Chica blinks back. “… I think so? There isn’t a specific name for that yet.” She shrugs.
“Do the others have this protocol too?”
“Not sure, I don’t hear much of their handlers about this.”
Handlers…
The jester hums at the word.
“Does your handler happen to know something about it?” The chicken leans over a bit.
Eclipse clicks with the question. “…You mean Mr. Geppetto?”
“Yes, Bawk! A good old man he is!” She jumps at her feet, clasping her hands together.
“Huh…” They scratch their gloved hands. “Sorry, is that things like this are different for… us.” Their rays retract shortly.
“Oh Bawk! No need for that! It’s lovely to see your relationship with Geppetto.” Chica holds their gloved hands. “We are not in touch that much with our handlers and seeing you and Geppetto is so sweet! BAWK!” She covers her beak with this louder cluck and a shy giggle. “It’s like father and child bonding!” The chicken pauses… “Does that make you guys siblings?”
The jester slowly retracts their rays in, out, in again… And then shrugs. “Geppetto created them as different characters. If they wanted to see their relationship as siblings or not, is up to them.”
“What about you?”
“I’m fine with whatever. As long as we are together.” They click.
Chica laughs softly. “Awn, you are so sweet Clipsy. Bawk! Geppetto created you well!”
Eclipse held their hands with their other metallic pair for a silent moment. “… Do you ever wonder to have something like this with your handler?” The jester clicks their rays out. “Like… Family bond.”
The chicken stays silent for a long minute while looking at their cuddled hands. “Well… I never actually think about it.” She shakes her shoulders a bit. “But… I think it would be nice! Getting to know her more or at least getting to be friends with her…” Her voice softens at the end.
They would never actually know what goes through her head about this… From her general reaction it seems that her “celebrity” like routine distract her from thoughts like this.
Is this why humans keep trying to make excuses to busy themselves even with nonsense?
Their conversation is interrupted with the Dread Unit’s audio echoing through the whole Pizzaplex announcing the closing time. The jester clicks and the chicken clucks with the cut.
“Bawk Oh! I need to go now!”
“Ye ye ye! Closing time! Closing time!”
Both of them share some hurry stomps before leaving to finish their duties, Chica rushes out of the theater and Eclipse flies hanged on the skyhook.
The jester crosses paths with his creator with some papers in hands. What Geppetto sees is just a colorful blur rushing back and forth above the theater. The jester waves to the elder with some boxes in hands before flying away again.
He adjusts his glasses as he watches patiently his creation bouncing back and forth. The man sighs with a smile hidden under his beard as he looks down at the papers. The metal clicking and bells jiggling being music to his ears.
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Interpret and Translate in Brisbane
Interpreters and Translators must capture the content, style and form of the original language and accurately render it into another. This involves a great deal of work and expertise.
It is important to note that Queensland Government departments and agencies are required to provide interpreting services to customers with language difficulties. This is to ensure that their information is understood and their needs met. To know more about Interpret and Translate, visit the Maximum Support Services website or call 1300983885.
The Brisbane region is a multicultural hub that attracts migrants from all over the world. As such, it has a large need for high-quality translation and interpreter services. This is especially true for businesses, which rely on effective communication to build trust with clients.
According to the latest census, the majority of people in Brisbane speak English at home. However, many other languages are also spoken, including Mandarin, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Spanish.
In addition to English, many Indigenous Australians use their traditional language at home. There are more than 100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and dialects that map the experiences, lore and stories of First Nations peoples with their country and community.
These languages are under threat as only a small number of fluent speakers remain. Nevertheless, the State Library of Queensland supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in their revitalisation, documentation and preservation efforts. You can listen to songs in indigenous languages from around Australia on Spotify through the playlist ‘Holding Our Tongues’.
In Australia, a NAATI translator is a professional who specialises in translation and interpreting services. The qualifications required to become a translator are a bachelor’s degree in translation or equivalent experience and certification from the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI).
NAATI translators must be proficient in both languages and understand cultural differences. They use their expertise to convey meaning in an accurate and natural manner. They also recognise idiomatic expressions and emotional nuances, which machine translation cannot.
There are various levels of credentials that NAATI translators can hold, ranging from recognised practising translator to certified translator. The highest level is a certified advanced translator, which is only available to those who have proven their skills over many years.
Migrants in Brisbane must navigate a rigorous visa application process to live here, and all documents that aren’t written in English need to be translated by an accredited translator. Choosing the right translator is crucial to ensure that your documents are understood and accepted by all parties.
Often, important documents like birth certificates, medical records, and legal proceedings will require certified translations. Moreover, procedures with government entities such as applying for visas or claiming benefits may require that these documents are translated by a NAATI-certified translator.
Professional translation services provide not just a word-for-word conversion but also adapt the content to the context and tone of your target audience. This is especially important in marketing materials, which are designed to engage your audience and build trust.
To ensure your translations are of high quality, look for a provider that has linguists with industry expertise in the subject matter of your documents. Translators with industry knowledge can help navigate complex technical terminology and convey the original meaning of your documents. This helps you build trust with your international stakeholders and achieve business goals.
Business translation involves translating documents, communications, and marketing content from one language to another. It is an important tool for businesses that are seeking to expand their global reach and cultivate long-term relationships with international customers and partners.
Translating business materials and communications is a complex task that requires an in-depth understanding of both cultures, languages, and business practices. It is also essential to know how to properly localize business content, as some words may have different meanings in other countries. To know more about Interpret and Translate, visit the Maximum Support Services website or call 1300983885.
It’s also helpful to have a translation management system (TMS) in place that can help reduce turnaround times, increase consistency across markets, and provide visibility into project progress. Using a platform like Centus will allow you to create a translation repository that all translators can access, which will save you time and money in the long run. It will also help you maintain consistency in terminology and brand messaging. This will ensure that all translations are done according to your brand’s guidelines and overarching localization strategy.
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vitaminseetarot · 7 months
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PAC: Lunar Eclipse - General Messages
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Sup y'all, I'm back for the second round of my PAC marathon happening before the end of October! I wanted to pull some guidance from this lunar eclipse season, especially since it's felt very energetically heavy since the last full moon. All three piles are going through some stage of great transformation taking place -- just in time for Scorpio season.
To assist me, I've consulted three red dragons, known in the deck as Watcher dragons, to help you choose your reading. I like Universal Dragon oracle as an "energy" deck by embodying the traits each dragon represents through meditation practice, and these red dragons specialize in guiding through important life transitions. If you prefer to choose intuitively by color, I've also added three gemstones for your piles below:
Pile 1, Knowledge Dragon + Cherry Quartz Pile 2, Awakening Dragon + Lepidolite Pile 3, Emergence Dragon + Lapis Lazuli
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Pile 1: Knowledge Dragon + Cherry Quartz
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Supermoon, 21. Venus, 5. Heart Healing, Alcalb: Poison and Medicine, 4 of Cups, 2 of Wands, VI Lovers, King of Pentacles, XX Judgement
Please be gentle with yourself at this time, pile 1. You're in need of a soothing kind of support. This could be a turbulent time to deal with purging out any negativity from your past. You may get reminders of some old issues which return out of nowhere to grab your attention. Even if occasional, you may need to remind yourself that you will be okay.
Be open with giving yourself comfort, or letting others baby you a little bit when you're feeling down. The King of Pentacles could be you or someone else, but this is the profile of somebody who is generous and aims to please. Embodying Venusian energy, this King wants you to feel at rest and does not mind offering tasty fruit or a warm blanket to cheer you up. Sitting next to the Four of Cups, it may be emphasizing that you need to allow yourself the chance to receive this care.
If your issue is related to a partnership, going out and spending time with friends or even on your own may be a better way to take it easy, instead of trying to work out anything now. This is not the exact time or place to be settling out bigger issues in your relationships unless it's urgent. They'll show up on their own time anyway. This reading wants to focus on maintaining your emotional well being. If this is not relationship but involves a situation in the present, then step away as much as you can and be as kind and patient with yourself as possible.
The key here is to maintain self awareness when these strong emotions move through you, that's what the Knowledge dragon wants you to know. "Knowing is half the battle." There may be a strong pull to making the kind of choices that can lead to major growth in your life path, but although new events and alliance are waiting ahead of you, the lunar eclipse is a golden opportunity to just purge and completely release whatever trauma based feelings are trying to hold you back.
You could be particularly affected by the phases and placements of the moon. Check your natal chart to see and compare the transiting moon with yours, see how the moon makes contact with other planets as it moves through each of the signs. If you're interested in brushing up your studies, whether astronomy or astrology, this is a very good time to glean a lot more insight than normal. It's easier to learn lessons when you're in a state of ease.
(extra note: I see multiple fruits in your pile: the apple stained glass, cherry quartz, pomegranate, and the berries the blue jays are holding. Fruits can be a reference to eating healthy snacks, or an emphasis on romance. These mood swings may feel intense, but they will yield fruit for you. Please take it how it resonates for you.)
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Pile 2: Awakening Dragon + Lepidolite
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Full Moon Sagittarius, 15. Retrograde, 6. Freedom, Aldebaran: Destruction and Rejection, Knight of Wands, 6 of Cups, 8 of Wands, 9 of Swords, 8 of Swords
Hey pile 2, you picked one of my favorite cards in this dragon deck! I love how the light in the tree hollow resembles a portal. The energy of the Retrograde card looks to be the very opposite: all the colors of nature are drained, and all that's left are structures of near perfect symmetry and order. It's almost like you're the figure in the Retrograde card who's actually looking back and choosing to leave behind the old structure for the new and unknown with nervous enthusiasm., but not without wistfulness.
This is something you've likely sensed would happen and now that the predicted situation is at hand, things must change quickly to adjust. It reminds me of movies where the character is watching something like a building fall or a ship sink, but they have an escape pod where they can be safe with family. In these movies, the character always takes another look back to remember all the good and bad times that made it so special. The character wants to stay in that space forever until the others shout "c'mon! Hurry up!"
It's understandable that when we sense a big change is underway, we take time out to appreciate the good times had. There's a difference, though, between simply being nostalgic by enjoying memories, and the fear based resistance of walking towards whatever lies ahead. You may have recently gone through a deep shadow work period where some of your anxieties were brought to light and dealt with. You're nearing the end of this difficult cycle, however, so give yourself the chance to breathe a little before moving on.
When the next chapter comes, it may happen rather quickly. That's why the Six of Cups and Lepidolite want you to take a step back just a little and heal your more gentle, imaginative, fun loving side. Read an old comic book or bake cookies, surround yourself with familiar things. This will allow you to be more flexible and resilient about encountering anything that comes next, instead of feeling worn out.
You're at a place now where you're ready to let go of an old cycle, one that kept you feeling a little stuck in the dark. Some balance is needed. Enjoying pieces of the past does not mean getting mired in it and unable to progress. If anything, sometimes it's necessary to take a step back to move two steps forward, like when we watch a movie twice and see new things we hadn't noticed during the first watch. Bring the best from the past with you. When the time is right, don't be afraid to not run, not walk, but to step carefully into the portal.
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Pile 3: Emergence Dragon + Lapis Lazuli
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South Node, 8. Scorpio, 2. Understanding, Atlas: Guidance and Discovery, XX Judgement, VII Chariot, 4 of Wands, Knight of Swords, XV Devil
Overwhelmingly, pile 3, I'm seeing that you're getting the green light to go ahead and embark on your next path. Notice all the teal color in your oracle cards? It's a popular color in hospitals as it provides a gentle contrast to healing that could be painful and frightening for patients. I initially imagined someone wading through a dark sewer only to approach the light of the other side. In the Understanding card, you can see that the hooded figure is walking over the stream and not in it. It's as if the bridge appeared out of nowhere. And the water looks pure and flowing smooth.
Something in your external world may be pushing you along to your next journey, whether or not you're entirely ready. What is it you would like to do, or where is it you would like to go next? I feel with the Judgement card, it's talking about a specific issue or event in your life. It's less a case of throwing darts to see what will stick and more of following the path that aligns with your true self. Your life is leading you to your life path with two thumbs up.
It's as if Judgement as a card represented an intersection, where many roads of various directions diverge into one area. You must put your turn signal on and indicate where you plan to proceed next. The sooner you can get clear on which road to take, the faster your next chapter will roll out. Just make sure you're using the right signal.
The biggest hurdle to overcome will be the ever present comfort zone. A comfort zone is not something to be fought. It's a necessary part of keeping up with the body and mind. Imagine constantly taking in novel material? That's what babies do, and they speak in gurgles 'cause they can hardly stand that everything is so new! It can be overwhelming.
People aren't always meant to push themselves to miserable exhaustion like Atlas just because a life of being more relaxed and certain seems boring and less fulfilling. But at the same time, we must learn to expand past what we know and love to something fresh and exciting. Whatever goal you're seeking to start or resolve, the light is green and you have the right of way. Spend time getting clear on your choices. But don't hold back anymore!
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This reading has not been evaluated by the FDA to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or infection. Please ask your physician before going online.
2023, @VitaminseeTarot ™
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brilliant-red-eternity · 10 months
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Wouldn’t it be better to ship Akane with a guy who isn’t absolutely morally bankrupt or something?Not that she needs to be in a relationship to be happy or something.But isn’t Kougami just a serial killer with just extra steps😭I never got his appeal or how he became the definitive charecter for psycho pass when plenty of better charecters out there.The way people romanticise him(or his trigger happy tendencies lol) just because he’s hot doesn’t sit right with me.Absolutely no charecter growth whatsoever,literally causing problems for everyone by his selfish decisions.At this point I think Kougami getting killed to save someone would be considered his charecter growth.I don’t even see the case for Akane even being attracted to him in the first place.I am sorry.She’s extremely kind to everyone.That’s why she treats him like a human.
To be honest, I had a hard time coming up with an answer. You make it quite clear that you don’t think much of Kogami and how should I argue against it? It’s a matter of personal preference whether or not you have sympathy for a fictional character and want to understand his or her motivations. It’s true that Kogami is not the glorious hero of the story, but wasn’t that precisely the author’s intention? To contrast him with Akane and have him take a more pragmatic stance, leaving moral reasons aside?
I won’t see Providence until the end of August so I can’t really grasp where the negativity is coming from. My advice would be to not dismiss his character out of hand but try to dig a little deeper. Kogami is not some one-dimensional caricature. In the Psycho FES stage play, Akane says that Kogami is a person who “lives between violence and philosophy”. There is a whole spectrum of characteristics that he has, including very contradictory ones. Kogami is idealistic, but also arrogant. He’s courageous in battle, but cowardly when it comes to interpersonal relationships. He has a sense of morality, but doesn’t strictly adhere to it. He is intelligent, but makes stupid and harmful decisions. He’s selfish, but also selfless enough to sacrifice his life for a higher purpose. He fights his opponents with brute force like a beast, but his desire to protect the weak shows that he’s also a kind and compassionate human being.
Kogami is a walking contradiction. Most people are and that is probably what makes him so popular among fans. People can identify very well with a character who has flaws, screws up or fails as long as he tries to move forward somehow. The road to self-knowledge is rarely a straight line, so I can understand that his character growth (or lack thereof) may be frustrating for some. Providence seems to be another important transit station for Kogami and he appears to have learned his lesson. We don’t get to see his rampant violent behaviour in PP3. He also managed to survive three more years until he came to pick up Akane which wouldn’t have been possible if he had continued his self-destructive lifestyle with the SAD.
The term serial killer doesn’t fit him. Kogami isn’t a psychopath who wants to gain control over another human being, nor is he thirsty for fame. People seem to forget that he doesn’t kill law-abiding citizens but criminals and scum and it wouldn’t be a problem in any other action movie/comic book where the climax is always a final battle between protagonist and antagonist. I don’t want to justify violence and murder because it’s morally wrong, but other characters seem to understand Kogami well enough: Masaoka and Saiga assisted him with Makishima, knowing full well what the outcome would be. Ginoza helped him fight Rutaganda and said “I owe you” (because he killed Makishima and revenged his father’s death) before handing Kogami back Masaoka’s revolver and letting him escape. Garcia’s “mug shot” was already on Frederika’s laptop before anyone even knew this man was pulling the strings behind the attacks in Tibet. She probably supported Kogami so generously with expensive high-tech during his suicide mission because Garcia was on MoFA’s hit list all along. However, it is always Kogami who gets his hands dirty. If anything, it makes him an incorrigible idiot.
Kogami seems unable to look away when injustice happens. In this respect, he is no different from Akane who challenges Sibyl every time she sees a problem. They’re both stubborn, but Kogami’s desire for vigilante justice makes him a complicated character. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind is exactly why Akane rejects violence and defends the rule of law. However, the law didn’t protect people from Makishima under Sibyl and it doesn’t exist outside Japan. The law of the jungle creates only fear and instability, and innocent people get hurt. Kogami has accepted to be a tool in the lawless world and he may even consider it his fate. Is that selfish? It rather looks like he doesn’t attach much importance to his own happiness and treats his life as disposable. His selfishness brings him no advantages, quite the contrary. Kogami sacrifices his own salvation and it sends his life into a downward spiral as he becomes more and more detached from the people he loves.
I think Kogami is a baka but he isn’t morally bankrupt. While he claims to have no regrets, his actions and thoughts paint a very different picture. He tried to live without violence and killing in Tibet and he didn’t want Tenzing to end up like him. He openly admits to Akane that his way of doing things is wrong and he was haunted by Makishima’s ghost right after the murder which proves that he has a conscience. I think the only slip he ever had was when he told Akane to kill Makishima in Nona Tower. The scene emphasizes his selfish nature and just like Hamlet, he seemed willing to not only accept his own downfall in the pursuit of revenge, but that of others too. He also didn’t think about Saiga’s future when he showed up at his house after escaping the PSB.
Kogami has refrained from dragging others into his business since then and has kept to himself like a lone wolf. But no man is an island and his egoism remains a problem. I guess he won’t realize that his actions have an impact on others until he receives Akane’s letter as a wake-up call in Providence. It remains to be seen whether he’s willing to change his habits in the future or not, but I’m hopeful.
Regret and remorse are usually two different things. Kogami says that he has no regrets about the past when he talks to Akane on the phone and I think he’s sincere. He doesn’t wish to undo his decisions. In his view, the “dirty work” needed to be done and Kogami believes that he alone bears the consequences and the sorrow, no one else. That changes when he finally sees how much his actions affect and hurt others. Akane’s letter makes him helpless and angry. I think it’s clear that Kogami starts to feel remorse and to develop a sense of responsibility. Remember how Garcia said that Kogami would be living the life of a guy who never took responsibility for anyone else? At some point between PPP and FI, Kogami undoubtedly realized that he needs to apologize to Akane and that he needs to mend his ways. I would consider this character growth.
I understand that some people take a dislike to Shinkane and wish to find Akane a “better” man. I adore this ship but I’m not indulging in fantasies about Kogami and neither does Akane. She has learned to see him for who he is, especially since Shambala. Is it a surprise that she likes him anyway? That she still has faith in him? Kogami is not evil. He’s a man with good intentions who lost his way and nobody but himself can save him. Letting him die while protecting someone would be the easiest way out of his character dilemma so I hope they won’t do it. It would look like a death sentence with a quick karma reset. I don’t even want to imagine how Akane would feel about his death, especially if he died protecting her. There are other ways to atone for one’s sins: to help others, take responsibility and do good in the long run.
Kogami is indeed a brooding hot type of guy, but that’s not why he’s in the story. His purpose is to interact with the protagonist. Kogami started as Akane’s mentor and he inspired her to grow by challenging her. She soon surpassed him and confronted him with her own views about humanity, the law and the idea of how society should look like. They began to form two opposites of the same coin and it became the premise of season one and beyond. No one cares that Frederika kills vagabonds or that Gino shoots Peacebreakers. It doesn’t matter because it’s all about the contrast between these two. Akane’s approach is non-violent, that’s why Kogami’s violent approach looks particularly extreme. They’re like complementary colours where one colour emphasizes the properties of the other. She’s a disciplined person, he’s a wild animal. She looks like a saint, he is the epitome of a sinner. She operates within the system, he is on the outside. They’re incompatible. They’re also intertwined like yin and yang. Is it so outlandish that fans want to see the two of them together? Maybe. But it also feels natural, like holding two magnets with opposite poles together. I can’t help but feel the pull.
Akane doesn’t need a romance to be happy, I agree. She has friends and she completely dedicates her life to creating a better society for everyone. However, her options to influence the system seem exhausted at the end of Providence. Sibyl wants to get rid of her by promoting her to a less influential position in the Ministry. Sibyl also wants to abolish the law. Akane probably felt she had nothing left to lose and therefore killed chief Kasei as the final act of her career. I don’t see her having a happy marriage or kids and all that stuff but Akane shouldn’t remain alone like a martyr. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to experience love, especially in world dominated by algorithms and AI.
We all want Akane to be happy and I can understand your annoyance with Kogami. They’re not a perfect match, especially since they repeatedly find themselves in situations that are extremely stressful and existential. But every relationship is a learning process and a daily struggle. It’s a gain in knowledge about myself and the other, and it’s doomed if there is no forgiveness. Akane and Kogami have known each other for eight years but they have only spent a few months in each other’s company. Wouldn’t it be interesting to see what they could achieve together, now that Kogami is back in Japan and Akane is released from confinement? Akane doesn’t place much value on material things, and I doubt she cares about etiquette or social conventions like marriage anymore. She’s an outlaw just like Kogami. Their existence has become an act of rebellion against the system and since they both have been spiritually connected from day one, it would be great to explore their bond further and not just stop.
You said that Akane treats Kogami like a human being only because she’s kind. Is that so? When they first met, Kogami represented the exact opposite of the artificial world of Sibyl in which Akane grew up. I guess she was attracted to Kogami (and developed a crush on him) because he was a human being, someone from the mundane world, a world she thought had perished long ago: paper books, no holograms in his home or closet, file folders and photographs, physical strength and critical thinking. All of the enforcers had a different lifestyle, but it was Kogami who fascinated her the most. He had something archaic about him, something mystical and exotic. He was also quite masculine and Akane liked his physical appearance very much, although this was a bit more obvious in the novels where she described his face as handsome. Was Kogami her first love? Did she like the idea of saving him? I don’t know. Fact is that Akane wanted him to remain human, that’s why she didn’t like the term “hunting dog”. She didn’t want him to become a murderer because she genuinely cared about him. And even after that, she wished that someday they would meet again like two human beings.
Kogami’s obsession with Makishima made it impossible for him to understand Akane. Only on his journey did he gradually come to his senses at the sight of all the shitholes created by lawlessness and anarchy worldwide. After that, he tried to hold on to Akane’s words. He tried to live without violence and killing in Tibet. He saved a bus with refugees. He ensured that Tenzing did not throw her life away. He managed to shake off Makishima’s ghost and found the courage to return home. He allowed Akane to arrest him for the killing of Tonami and apologized after picking her up from the isolation facility. Is it just me or didn’t it look like Kogami was bowing to Akane, because his head and gaze were tilted slightly downward?
Kogami has serious flaws and a preference for violence, but he isn’t bad through and through. I bet we will see his character grow from here. Look at Akane’s happy face at the end of First Inspector ! If that doesn’t give you hope, I don’t know what will.
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coochiequeens · 2 months
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If they allowed one TIM in because he had the surgery and legal documents changed then it would open the floodgates to other TIMs in various stages of transition.
Females-only app that banned trans woman says it was creating a 'safe space'
This is the first time a case alleging gender identity discrimination has been heard by the Federal Court.
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Roxanne Tickle was issued a birth certificate stating she was female a year after undergoing gender-affirming surgery in October 2019. Source: AAP / Bianca de Marchi
KEY POINTS
Trans woman Roxanne Tickle was banned from female-only social media platform Giggle for Girls.
Her lawyers argue this is discrimination on the grounds of gender identity.
Giggle's barrister Bridie Nolan said the app was created to give women a safe space.
Lawyers for trans woman Roxanne Tickle have argued she is a woman and was discriminated against when she was banned from using a female-only app.
The question of whether someone is a woman is not just biological but also social and psychological, a court has heard on the first day of a landmark trans-rights lawsuit.
Trans woman Roxanne Tickle is suing female-only social media platform Giggle for Girls after having her access to the app revoked in September 2021.
The app and its founder, Sall Grover, illegally discriminated on the grounds of gender identity, Tickle's lawyer Georgina Costello told a Federal Court hearing in Sydney on Tuesday
"The evidence will show that Ms Tickle is a woman," Costello said.
"She perceives herself as a woman. She presents herself as a woman."
'An online refuge'
Giggle's barrister Bridie Nolan said the app was created to give women a safe space, free from "male online digital violence".
Grover experienced sexual abuse during her time working as a screenwriter in Hollywood and had undergone trauma therapy, the court was told.
The app offered a range of ways for users to connect, including finding roommates and engaging socially or romantically.
"The vision was to create an online refuge," Ms Nolan said.
"It would be a place without harassment, mansplaining, d*** pics, stalking, aggression."
Nolan argued the app was not in breach of sex discrimination laws, which allow for "special measures intended to achieve equality".
The app created greater "equality between men and women in public life" by creating a safe space for women online, she said.
Therefore, excluding Tickle, who Nolan argued was a man, would constitute a "special measure" under the laws, she said.
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Lawyers for trans woman Roxanne Tickle argue she was discriminated against when she was banned from using a female-only app. Source: AAP / Bianca De Marchi
Costello labelled Giggle's arguments "artificial, after-the-fact justifications" for discrimination against transgender women.
Tickle was issued a birth certificate stating she was female a year after undergoing gender-affirming surgery in October 2019.
Costello told the court in her opening statement that "gender is not merely a biological question, it is partly social and partly psychological".
"Ms Tickle was assigned male gender at birth but she has changed to being a woman and that fact is clear in this case," she said.
Representatives from the Australian Human Rights Commission, including Sex Discrimination Commissioner Anna Cody are assisting the court by providing submissions about the "meaning, scope and validity of relevant provisions of the Sex Discrimination Act".
"The commissioner is not a party to the proceeding and has not made submissions about whether Ms Tickle was in fact discriminated against," the human rights commission said in a statement.
It is the first time a case alleging gender identity discrimination has been heard by the Federal Court.
'Unwilling to tolerate any view contrary to their own'
Supporters for both sides gathered outside the Federal Court for the start of the proceedings, protesting within metres of each other.
Justice Robert Bromwich said the court would not tolerate any "intimidation or harassment" either within the courtroom or outside it.
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Protesters against transgender rights gathered outside the Federal Court of Australia in Sydney. Source: AAP / Bianca de Marchi
"I appreciate that the issues from this case give rise to strongly held views and emotions," he said.
Some members of the public had shown they were "unable or unwilling to tolerate the existence of any view contrary to their own", Bromwich added.
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Justice Robert Bromwich said the court would not tolerate any "intimidation or harassment" either within the courtroom or outside it. Source: AAP / Bianca De Marchi
In a statement filed with the Australian Human Rights Commission in December 2021, before the Federal Court case was launched, Tickle outlined the alleged discrimination.
"I believe that I am being discriminated against by being provided with extremely limited functionality of a smartphone app by the app provider compared to that of other users because I am a transgender woman," Tickle wrote.
"I am legally permitted to identify as female."
The hearing continues.
Published 9 April 2024 3:56pm
Source: AAP
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middlenamesage · 2 months
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A dilemma that probably anyone who’s ever read peoples’ charts is familiar with:
Seeing the issues, and even having insightful information of how to try working with them or how to embrace gifts, is not the same thing as having the magic influence that person needs to swipe a wand and solve those issues, in arenas that are transforming for them over a lifetime. And it can actually be arrogant to think just because we can point out where we see the issues and articulate how the person might be happier to conduct themselves differently, that they are at a current stage where they are even capable of making those changes. Most people with most of their challenges probably already were very aware they had that challenge, before an astrologer brought it to their attention. So to assume we can help heal a person simply by pointing out the problems, and even also by pointing out what a person should/could do differently (something else that person quite likely could already know) is a little bit asinine.
I think I’m learning that generally the most helpful approach in astrology is to not try to help “fix” someone or heal them, but to recognize and let them know that they are walking a complex evolutionary path with the Universe, as we all are. If people are merely open to continual change and growth, the issues shown in the natal chart tend to naturally find healing on their own divine timelines.
Rest assured if there’s something in your natal chart that’s really haunting you, the Universe will make sure you get many assistances from the transits throughout your life to begin to work those things out.
As someone reading charts (although teaching is my true love!) I feel the most helpful “advice” (more like influence) I can try to impress on anyone is to have self compassion. It’s not easy for any of us walking this human journey. And without any self compassion and forgiveness, you could be blocking gifts from the Universe in the form of transits to help you grow or heal.
On that note, I think gratitude for the Universe is another worthwhile thing to try to impress on others.
Personally, my spiritual healing journey kicked off when I found self compassion and gratitude for the Universe while looking at the astrology. I don’t use astrology to try to manipulate my life around it or “fix” myself. (Ok the second I have made attempts with😂) I use astrology to know that I am one with the Universe and to cultivate my more nuanced understandings of situations and people, with an underlying sentiment of gratitude and faith.
There really is divine order in the Universe. I used to assume the world was merely chaos. Astrology completely busted open and tore down that worldview. 💫💖
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