#indeed part time jobs sydney

[ybklix]

𝐂𝐫𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐲 ♡ 𝐃𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 ₊⊹

CRY BABY .♡⊹ (( bang chan)) mdni

Chapters:

1: cry baby ((wc: 4.1k))

2: dollhouse ((wc: 3k))

ONE: cry baby.

you're all on your own and you lost all your friends, you told yourself that it's not you, it's them ⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡

It didn't matter how long the journey had been; when it came to reaching his hometown, fatigue and jet lag ceased to exist for Chris once his body felt the air of Australia. He had arrived at a wonderful time, with time to arrange things in his new home and visit his girlfriend.

Chris picked up his phone and sent a text to his girlfriend letting her know he had arrived and that he'd pick her up after work. There were still a couple of hours left, so he decided to order a taxi to take him to his new home. He had planned his stay in Sydney carefully and thoughtfully, considering every angle. It favored him quite a bit; his girlfriend of two and a half years lived here, he could continue working from the comfort of home, and he could pick up extra jobs that he didn't completely dislike. Indeed, for Chris, working hard and keeping his mind occupied was always better.

Everything was going quite perfectly that he couldn't help but smile. He bought his dream house a couple of months ago and had since begun his official move, moving his entire life from Seoul to Sydney. Returning, for him, was something he hadn't expected. He found it almost funny that after all his effort, he returned to where it all began, where everything started as a simple dream. But all his sacrifice had yielded excellent results since he had a steady job and stability, doing what he loved most, writing and producing music. When he announced he had to leave, his colleagues almost tried to stop him. He was quite successful and famous as a producer, but they understood that he could continue working, just not in that distant country anymore.

Chris looked at the beautiful landscapes the city offered through the taxi window. He was so excited that once he spent the afternoon with his partner, he would consider immediately go to visit his family. A long day awaited him, but he knew it would be worth it.

Buying a house in a neighborhood like this, spectacular in every aspect, suitable for childless couples, professionals, and simply for families, whose children rarely went out to play and make noise, and for retired elderly people living alone, was just what he needed, a large space just for him, even though it wasn't part of his plan; but suddenly a change in his life and routine sounded so good. Chris didn't know exactly why a house and not an apartment, to start with, as he had in Seoul; not even his own father understood it, Chris just excused himself saying he needed to own a more spacious place where noise could easily be canceled out, for the construction of his own recording studio... but inside him, perhaps there was a certain instinct that he wanted to start a family soon, he knew exactly that this wasn't his girlfriend's idea, not even as a joke, but maybe, just maybe, there was a tiny feeling like that in him.

Once entering the neighborhood, he felt the warmth of living in Australia again despite it being a slightly cool afternoon with the sun hiding behind the clouds. He never thought he would come to this place; he always believed he would live in Seoul for the rest of his life; he was so excited to start a new life but still leaving aside illusions, if something went wrong, he knew he could flee to Korea whenever he wanted... but he wasn't like that, he was never the type of guy who just run away. In fact, he thought that he left Sydney to pursue a dream, never by choice; it would be a lie to say he didn't like Seoul since it was his home for a long time... but once he could see the green grass, the well-kept roses of the people, he realized he had disconnected a bit and had lived in the noisy city long enough. This was what pleased him the most, nature, and if he wanted more buildings and noise, the city center wasn't far from his new address.

He stood there for a few seconds admiring the facade of his new home and noticed a teenage boy entering the house next door, they must be the neighbors, he thought. When he was initially given a tour of the house, as he stepped out onto the sidewalk, a woman welcomed him, told him her name but Chris didn't remember it, she mentioned that she lived with her family and other things like how much they had started to remodel and modernize that house. Still, he felt strangely safe, the distances between the houses were large enough to provide privacy, to his right was that family he supposed consisted of the teenager, and to his left was an older widow, or at least that's what the real estate agent told him.

He sighed in frustration at the sight of the pile of boxes scattered around and thought that he didn't have enough time, but fortunately, he was always prepared and a step ahead, so the interior designer would come tomorrow with her team to help her move stuff. He had to prepare as soon as possible for the start of his new job in the morning, as a professor at the university. He would teach two subjects related to music at different levels, and a few courses about Asian culture. He was nervous, but he had become a teacher in his spare time, and he felt quite prepared for whatever he might face.

He was hesitating whether to take a nap or move a few things in case Leah, his girlfriend, wanted to come; Chris ran his hand through his hair, thinking, so he opted for the second option; he cleared the living room area, tidied up, cleaned a few things, took a shower, and without thinking twice, it was time to pick up Leah.

He took the keys to his new car, really taking seriously the idea of living in Sydney and being well prepared. Ready to have a new life. He felt tense when he realized that he would be driving in Australia again and that the steering wheel was on the right side, unlike his old home where he had obtained his license from a very young age. Still, he set his GPS and left; this time, as he passed by the house next door, he now noticed it was a girl entering the house.

When he finally picked up his girlfriend, the sky was completely dark, and he noticed how tired she looked; Chris felt slightly bad and reproached himself for not thinking earlier and not bringing her a small romantic gesture of welcome, even though he was the one who had just arrived. They hadn't seen each other for a long month, he missed his girlfriend so much that it almost physically hurt not to be with her. A few seconds later, Leah's expression softened, and her serious demeanor turned into a warm smile.

—Channie —she called him affectionately by his Korean nickname, almost in a sigh, and extended her arms.

Finally, they hugged for just the right amount of time and exchanged a tender kiss. He had met her almost three years ago in Seoul; she worked in advertising for a magazine and was somewhat related to the entertainment world, so her social circle was so similar to Chris's; like him, Leah had grown up in Australia with Korean parents, the only difference being that she did have her whole life back in Oceania; still, he was captivated by her at that party, she was only two years younger than him, Leah at that time was just a beginner still in college on a trip in Seoul with her other circle of friends, and he was a recent graduate with a special gift. Despite the differences, they decided to give it a try, leading them to a long-distance relationship for just over two years, but it didn't matter now, at least not anymore for him; right now, he was with her, and he could have her whenever he wanted.

Chris, or Chan to her, caressed his girlfriend's face as he gave her a gentle kiss, breathing in her perfume one last time before pulling away and lowering his hand to her bare thigh with a smile.

—Do you want to go out to eat? Should we go somewhere...? —he spoke.

—Mm, let's order food and you can show me your house.

—It's still a bit of a mess —he warned.

Chris let out a small laugh and did exactly as Leah had suggested. She had been inside the house before, but she was always surprised at how well laid out it was in terms of space and design. He found her reaction endearing and with a smile on his face, he thought about how all of this might one day belong to her too. They both headed to eat at the small and only nightstand table in his TV room; some larger items were arriving tomorrow, so for now, that was what they could improvise with. As they ate, Leah kept talking about how stuff should be arranged to create harmony and coherence in the house. Chris listened attentively and lovingly; they talked about their respective jobs and what awaited them.

After sitting in silence and letting the food settle for a while, Leah spoke.

—Is your room upstairs...

Chris turned to look at her; not seeing her for a long time suddenly had a quick effect on him, and from one second to the next, he found her ten times more attractive.

—Yeah, do you want to give it your approval? —he replied playfully, hoping this would lead to something else.

Chris looked at her profile for a few seconds before she turned and gave him a teasing smile in response. He examined her, from her smooth, slightly upturned nose and her legs barely exposed by the skirt, to her shiny, loose silk blouse. Suddenly, every detail of her drove him crazy and made him feel like a hormonal teenager. He wanted to fuck her right there, right now.

He felt that her mischievous smile and soft gaze were enough signals for him, so he dangerously leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. He started slow and passionate, his right hand traveling up to the hem of her skirt, playing with the thin seam, unsure whether to slide his hand gently between her thighs or do it quickly in one swift motion, while the other hand firmly held her waist. Chris was gradually losing himself, his tongue slipping in, giving her a bolder, dirtier kiss; however, after a torturous session of just wet and hot kisses, Leah squirmed out of his grasp and pulled away from him slowly.

Chris looked confused, but his girlfriend's expression only worried him. With her pink, swollen lips, Leah suddenly seemed shy, with her eyes cast down. In seconds, Chris realized that maybe it was just something she didn't feel like doing right now, and he respected that... but it still seemed quite strange to him. Had she pushed him away? Since when did she reject him? Every time they saw each other, because of their painful long-distance relationship, the most intense and pleasurable sex awaited them.

Chris wanted to believe that maybe it wasn't the best situation for her, tired in her work clothes after a long day.

—It's a bit late... and we both have to work tomorrow —she said, raising her gaze and captivating Chris's gaze—. You'll do great, love —she smiled.

He knew her so well, he didn't understand why she suddenly gave him an awkward smile pretending to be kind... Had something bothered her, and he had no idea? He wanted to ask her so many things, but Leah stood up from her position on the floor and grabbed her bag.

—I really need to rest, and it's getting late. See you tomorrow? —she interrupted.

Chris quickly got up and gently took her waist.

—Of course, I'll drive you home.

As they got into the car, Chris looked at the completely quiet street, with no noise, the houses perfectly illuminated, there was no one outside except for the two of them and the mysterious girl next door coming out of her house with the cold wind blowing her hair.

During the drive, Leah became herself again, outgoing and energetic. She told her boyfriend how they should spend the short break he had as teachers in September; he just thought about how grateful he was to have a sweet moment with her and looked at her with tenderness when the traffic lights indicated he should stop... yet, he was a little hurt, deep down, slightly bruising his pride as a man that he didn't get any physical intimacy from his girlfriend that night... he had waited so long, he thought he could reward her, and when his house is no longer a mess, he would make sure to satisfy her and shower her with gifts.

—I'll see you tomorrow, Chan —she leaned in, giving him a quick goodbye kiss—. Call me.

Again, for the third time that day, she felt strange to him. It was obvious she wouldn't be the same young woman she used to be, capable of throwing a party every time they saw each other... but he felt there was something about her that she had to tell him as soon as possible, or he would go crazy. It wasn't surprising, Chris was an intense guy.

Once he returned home, he threw the keys with fury... he had tried to keep his sanity, but the more he overthought it on the way back home, the less sense it made to him. She didn't anger him, never could he be angry with her, it just, maybe, he thought, it was about him.

He went up to his room, in one swift movement he took off his shirt, feeling the cold air seeping through the small opening in his window. He checked the time on his phone, 11:43 p.m., he needed to rest, to take a shower in the morning and start his day... but he could only think about the romantic date options he could do on a simple Monday.

As he took a few steps towards his bed, approaching it, he noticed through his window how a faint, warm light, not so noticeable, managed to penetrate into his dark room. He turned his body and cursed for not remembering to put up curtains before; for a moment, he felt sorry for not realizing that significant detail, he was so used to the large windows in his old apartment in Seoul restricting the view. It was obvious that there was another room, right next to his.

Chris didn't want to pay attention, but catching the subtle silhouette of a girl sitting by his window captivated him inconsistently. She was wearing a thin white tank top despite the cold weather. He thought about how warm her room looked while giving it a quick inspection. The girl had her face buried in her naked knees, and her loose hair covered her face; her arms embraced her legs. Suddenly, she pushed her hair behind her ears, revealing just her profile. Yet it wasn't hard for Chris to see that she was crying. Her cheek was shining, wet, and he could see the small tears sliding down.

The girl by the window began to sob, causing her back and chest to contract. Chris suddenly didn't want to watch; he felt like he was invading her privacy and pain. But somehow, he couldn't stop watching her; he was so dismayed, but he was more bothered by the fact that he couldn't take his eyes off her.

He had no idea how long he had been watching her... but somehow, deep down, he thought, in the most hidden part of himself, that she looked strangely beautiful crying. The large rectangular window frame captured that girl with glowing cheeks and slightly messy hair, crying in what seemed to be a corner with books and a seat by the window.

The girl by the window closed her eyes tightly and slowly lay down, facing away from Chris's window, ending the performance completely. Finally, he reacted; she was still sobbing, her back moving uncontrollably, but it was harder to see her now.

Chris didn't know what had come over him; he almost felt annoyed that his neighbor didn't put up her own curtains. He could see everything, from his bed, which was positioned so that it faced his room directly, to his posters on the wall, to her backpack thrown on the floor.

Chris sighed and tried not to worry about his neighbor anymore. He wanted to think it was just a young girl in the age of broken hearts and not something deeper... but she was crying with such emotion that it made his head spin. He puffed his cheeks, letting out a sigh, and, retreating to the window, he took off his pants, slipping into his sheets, making sure she wouldn't accidentally turn and see him. Unlike her room, his bed was positioned sideways, his front door facing his bed, and her room's door was on the right side of the bed. Somehow, he felt like her room was more exposed, so he would have to move to avoid causing her any discomfort.

At dawn, the light bothered him, and he prayed that the girl had her curtains closed. Otherwise, he would have to get up semi-naked, and if she saw him, she might think he was a pervert. And just for his luck, some pretty white lace curtains covered her window; Chris was able to leave freely and go to wash up, taking his clothes with just a towel covering his lower half and changing in another room.

Chris looked at himself in the mirror, wondering if his outfit was appropriate: formal pants with a black button-up shirt. He wanted to think it was the best option for winter. He adjusted his dark hair before heading downstairs for breakfast, tired of boxes everywhere; he hoped everything would be in order between today and tomorrow for a better rest.

As he left, driving his car towards the university, he saw her again, walking down the sidewalk in the same direction as him; the famous girl who had been crying by her window, his neighbor, wearing blue jeans, white ankle boots, and a thin pale pink sweater. He saw her so fleetingly that he only saw her profile once again and noticed her backpack slung across her body.

And then she saw him too, just in a quick glance, driving his car, dressed all in black. She hadn't seen him completely, they hadn't even introduced themselves, but her mother confirmed it, he's a very handsome young man, he lives alone, and he bought the property outright, he must have a lot of money. His name is Christopher.

She had seen him at least twice, an embarrassing encounter in the morning when she tried to open her curtains just before leaving home, as she always did, but found his broad back naked, wearing only a towel while holding his clothes; Celeste immediately slid the curtain with embarrassment and just left her room. She hated to admit her mother was right, but the short two seconds she saw of his build weren't bad at all. And the second time was just moments ago as she headed to the university.

So that's her new neighbor, a man who emerged out of nowhere, bought that modernized house that had been empty for so long. She was so used to there being no one next to her room, now she had to be careful of walking around wearing with what she’s comfortable with.

Celeste took a couple of buses and one more subway line to reach her campus, where the first classes went by normally, and it wasn’t until brunch when the only person she talked to approached her.

—Celeste —he said to her.

She looked up from her food, observed him, gave him a smile, and invited him to sit with her gaze.

—I heard we’re finally getting a music teacher —he said again.

—Wow, it’s about time, it’s been a week —she replied.

The guy smiled at Celeste and took one of her fries.

—There’s going to be an art exhibition, you should come —he suggested.

—When? —she asked.

—Friday at 7.

Celeste raised her eyes, thinking if she had to work that day and concluded that if she asked for the day off they’d give it to her since she worked a week with no days off, she could perfectly go see Hyunjin’s exhibition.

It wasn’t new for Celeste to be somewhat… strange. She didn’t know how to explain it, but little by little, she distanced herself from all the people she once spoke comfortably with, and surprisingly, the handsome exchange student was the only one who talked to her. He was two years older than her and was studying visual arts, yet he decided to take music courses, and that’s where they met.

—I’ll be there —Celeste replied, checking the time on her phone—. We still have about 20 minutes ‘till class —she added.

Hyunjin smiled at her; he was quite handsome and popular, so a part of Celeste wants to feel human and like him like most do, if she paid proper attention to him... she could develop feelings for him, she hated the feeling part, and that feelings lead her to false illusions but she felt that in her dull life she needed to at least, have a little crush on someone. Maybe that would help distract her.

Falling in love was something Celeste didn't know, something that was out of her hands and even something she thinks is out of her reach. It's not that she doesn't want to have attention and affection... she just gave up and decided to think that maybe life is lonely for her. Her last intimate encounter and affection for a man was when she was 13 years old at a birthday party when she was dared to kiss someone, that was her last and first kiss. The rest of her years she lived normally without the opportunity of a prospect and love... that was one of the last things she thought and cried about, truly. Love.

The depression and anxiety was diminishing her libido and she remembers that maybe the last time she masturbated out of boredom was a year ago.

But Hyunjin... Celeste thought about whether she should like him, whether she should bring excitement into her life for the first time in twenty years.

She was an interesting and pretty girl, shy, but lonely, she isolated herself too much and lived absorbing the pain and problems of her surroundings; her issue was that she felt too much that sometimes she would go into a kind of self-control, on automatic, off without feeling anything, until she overloaded herself and exploded, it was always the same with her and she felt pathetic that she could never change. Her behavior led her to pull away from everyone... wondering why they didn't come back to her, maybe it's them, not me, she thought constantly.

Celeste watched Hyunjin closely as they talked for 10 minutes and the next 10 they used it to walk to the classroom. She was quite observant and took it upon herself to memorize every detail about him, his full lips, his eyelids hiding in his sharp brown eyes, the almost invisible mole under his eye, thick dark eyebrows, long hair and big hands, come on Celeste, feel something, she thought.

She wanted to bang her head against the wall, only then did she think she would come to her senses to feel something for someone as attractive as Hyunjin, besides he was an artist and the only person nice to her... she felt like a heartless bitch.

Arriving at the classroom, Hyunjin and Celeste sat together and the teacher was already inside as well. She spotted his silhouette as she passed, but saw him completely once again looked up at him... suddenly he seemed so similar, those broad shoulders and all black clothes, she shouldn't have been excited, but something small grew inside her, perhaps the intrigue that maybe her teacher is also her new neighbor? Suddenly the big city she always grew up in seemed small to her with such a coincidence.

Celeste was at least ninety percent sure it was him, she watched him a minute longer and as she felt their gazes cross, she turned to Hyunjin, embarrassed. Class started two minutes later and he finally introduced himself.

—I am Christopher Bang. Sorry for the delay of the subject by a week.

TWO: dollhouse.

places, places, get in your places, throw on your dress and put on your doll faces. everyone thinks that we're perfect, please don't let them look through the curtains ⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡

Celeste had lived in that house her whole life. It was only when she turned 18 and graduated that she managed to leave for a year and breathe… but due to economic reasons, she had to return. It's not that she wasn't grateful… she just needed a break from what her family could sometimes be.

Her father was an accountant who worked hard to provide his children with a home in what was considered one of the best neighborhoods in the city. At least she agreed that he did the right thing in that regard. However, he was insolent, dishonest, and unfaithful. She discovered her father's infidelity when she was only eleven years old, one June night when her father probably thought the house was completely empty since her mother usually took them —her younger brother and her— to visit their aunt… but that day was different, one of those when Celeste's puberty rebellion hit, and she refused to go with them. So, she wanted to stay in her room… until she saw them, him and his lover entering the house. She was so surprised, scared, and overwhelmed with emotions that she didn't know what to do, so she pretended not to be there. Overnight, her innocence was gone in an unpleasant way.

She couldn't live with the guilt, so a year later, she confessed it to her mother. Celeste already knew the gravity of the situation by then and had considered a million options that could happen: her mother going crazy, even blaming her daughter for not telling her, or a calm and depressive reaction… but in all scenarios, Celeste maturely considered divorce as a good option. She felt that she was no longer a child, she could live with it; after all, she had discovered that her father was not a good person and that her mother could take care of them. The only concern of poor twelve-year-old Celeste was her younger brother, who at the age of eight, for them, everything seemed like a fairytale, and having both parents was part of their fantasy world. She hated that she cared and loved him… but she was sure that the little one could overcome a divorce. She didn't want to be there anymore; she couldn't even look at her father in the eyes, she was always avoiding any encounter with him.

But her mother's reaction to the truth was… something different from the expected options. Even after years had passed, it still seemed so strange to her. They were there, sitting in the dining room, and it was three days after Celeste turned 12, on a rainy day in July when Celeste got tired of crying and wondering every night why… her birthday celebration made her angry; she didn't feel so sad and dejected anymore. She hated the way her father pretended to love her and everything was fine, the way he played with her brother and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek, she couldn't stand it anymore, so she told her mother. That time she had murmured an oh, and stared fixedly at a fixed point.

“I know, because I saw them,” Celeste said before her mother even asked anything else, but she didn't, she didn't do anything and was shocked. During the night, it was as if nothing had happened, and she served dinner… that wasn't what she expected, she wanted a scene and chaos; she wanted there to be shouts, but somehow she was grateful that there was no such behavior because of Celeste's little brother. But she was blinded by hatred and remorse towards her father.

The next day she remembers that she reproached her mother, shouting, “won't you do anything?”. She didn't answer. After that, she felt so cold and distant, her father was becoming more and more obvious with his affairs, the smell of a perfume that wasn't his wife's, spontaneous outings, and even nights without returning home.

Celeste couldn't stand pretending to be okay, and two months later, after seeing how her mother deteriorated and faded more and more, she walked to her father's small office in the house, being completely a mess, and told him the truth. “I know you have another woman, maybe mom wants to keep pretending with you but I can't.”

She remembered her father's expression, the surprise on his face and its paleness. Celeste didn't expect a response from him, so she was about to leave, but back then her father acted quickly, getting up from his chair and questioning her. “I saw you, don't try to deny it.”

The following years were him trying to fix it and build a bond with her but it was in vain; suddenly her little brother wondered why his father was too lenient with his sister. Celeste lived through her remaining teenage years trying to be someone normal until she finally got lost in music; she didn't want to spend time at home so she tried to enroll in all the extracurricular courses at her school that didn't involve physical effort like sports. Months later after her horrible confrontation, she found a passion for the piano, all her following school years were based on music, being in recitals whose events she never invited either of her parents to, playing for the drama club, being in the literature club, debate club, creative writing club… until she enrolled in her chosen university dedicated to that one thing she was passionate about.

At first, she knew she would annoy her parents with her career choice, but it was the perfect time to blackmail her father to pay for her institution. She wasn't anywhere near forgiving him, but the psychological damage somehow had a price: getting out of that house. Celeste had a busy life, after rehearsals, she started having part-time jobs since she was sixteen with the dream of living in her own space near the university.

She was so busy, she would come home around 10 or 11 at night and what she found at home was devastating. Her mother was a secretary who became a housewife after her second child was born, a boy named Blake. She dedicated 12 years to taking care of her children until she found out about her husband's infidelity. Cecille gradually became an alcoholic.

Celeste had to see it every night when she came home from work. Her wasted mother lying on the couch with the TV on and a strong smell of alcohol. Celeste had tried everything, her aunt's intervention, enrolling her in support groups, but her mother didn't seem to cooperate.

When she turned fifteen, she begged her father to divorce her mother, but she refused to accept it.

Every now and then she had to go check on her brother, to make sure he didn't turn into a complete idiot like his father, or simply into a bad person, related to what was he seeing at home. But even in that, both dysfunctional parents were lucky, Blake was a shy boy, four years younger than Celeste, who grew up with a passion for physics and mathematics; unlike her, he did go out in the afternoons with his friends and lived a life outside of his home. He didn't care how bad things were, as long as he had somewhere to live and his own space he was more than okay, even when he was fourteen he managed to steal alcohol from his mother to go try it at a friend's house later, not everything had to be so bad, or at least that's what he thought… sometimes Celeste wanted to be like him and try not to worry too much. Little by little, both of them grew up without showing affection, Celeste thought that maybe that's why it wasn't something she sought in other people, her perception of love and respect had been so damaged since she was young but she couldn't accept it. She never felt anything when she saw her classmates holding hands, seeing the cheesy actions of strangers showing affection, a hug was something she only remembered fleetingly from her childhood.

When she finally turned eighteen, she found a roommate and rented a dorm room on campus; that place wasn't her dream, the floor was noisy, full of extroverted theater kids, but it was all she had. She had lived like that for a whole year, with no communication to her parents, working and studying at the same time, only communicating with her brother to wish him Merry Christmas and New Year, and in May, to wish him a happy birthday. It all fell apart in her second year of school when her roommate told her she was moving out and Celeste couldn't afford the full expense, she already had an academic scholarship and her parents were still paying for her institution.

Celeste did it, she called her brother on a normal day that wasn't a holiday, her little brother advised her that she could go back home, that's what he would do when he entered college, since it would only take him routes and buses to get there. “I'll let mom and dad know,” he told her over the phone before abruptly hanging up. Celeste couldn't answer, she couldn't say don't do it. And she insisted by text that she would manage on her own. That day her heart broke when she read the text from her fifteen-year-old brother saying: why do you hate them? come back home for me the uni is literally half an hour away from home

She had no choice, she had everything, she wouldn't pay rent, her payment at the university would continue, she would only work to buy her own things and take care of Blake. She never thought he would feel abandoned. She thought about how much it must have sucked to come home alone, with an absent father and an alcoholic mother.

When she told her roommate that she would return to her home in Woollahra, her expression was incredulous, “you've been living there all this time? Why would you want to live in an uncomfortable dorm?”. Celeste wondered if she was being ungrateful.

And then she returned, her father couldn't be happier, and even her mother's dull face lit up at having her only daughter back. She would go back to being the same, practically just going home to sleep.

If she had everything… why did she feel so empty. Her room was still the same as they had decorated it since she was eight, covered in pale pink and white shades. The years passed and she continued to support her brother, going to academic competitions he attended, and for the first time, she asked him to come see her perform at a recital in her university's auditorium.

And so her life remained, until now that she felt stuck once again, in her third year of university. She felt like she was repeating her high school years and it was suffocating her. If she could leave with Blake she would, but she was just a simple university student with anxiety attacks in the school bathrooms.

—You should ask the new guy next door if he has a girlfriend, seriously, he's cute, Celeste. You've never had a boyfriend, right? —her mother mentioned, leaning on the kitchen counter.

Celeste looked at her incredulously, wondering since when her private life mattered to her, and if she had a boyfriend, it wouldn't be something she'd inform her about. She was about to leave for university, she didn't want those kinds of conversations at 7 in the morning.

—Ew, isn't he like thirty? —her brother added, eating a spoonful of his cereal.

—Age can just be a number, Blakey, we want your sister to find love.

—I have to go —Celeste sighed, escaping the conversation.

She couldn't stop thinking about it. Once again, she was right, why couldn't she find love? Her only friend, whom she rarely contacted, moved in with her mother in Melbourne after finishing high school. And now socializing at university where classmates change and come and go, it was so difficult for her to establish any kind of relationship with anyone. The only person she talked to was… an exchange student who shared only one class on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Celeste couldn't help but wonder if she should start flirting with him, just to try to feel something in return.

Every time she examined him more… she realized how cute he was, should she approach him? Anyway, he would leave at the end of the semester, no one could die trying.

When they sat together in class, she couldn't help but be distracted by thoughts that tomorrow she would dress up more for Hyunjin, fix her hair more, wear more makeup… the idea of being liked by someone made her so nervous.

And when she looked up, she saw her new teacher, who she could swear was her new handsome neighbor.

As the class began, she remembered her mother's voice saying he was handsome, and without realizing it, a slight mocking smile appeared on her face as she analyzed her new teacher's appearance in detail. Slightly tanned skin, short, dark brown hair semi-wavy, his intense gaze beneath his slit eyes, prominent nose, and thick lips… and his voice was strong, commanding, and nasal, and his build was… Celeste thought… was this what imagination was like when dealing with the sudden rush of hormones?

She had the idea that maybe she wasn't the only one so surprised and delighted by the assignment of the new teacher. She discreetly turned her gaze to the sides, to her other classmates, and noticed how they looked at him intensely without taking their eyes off the man giving the class, Celeste felt foolish, had she looked so obvious? Had Hyunjin noticed?

Once the class ended, Chris said:

—Before you all leave… —he approached his desk and quickly and gently picked up a paper from his desk— Is Celeste Burton here? —he looked up searching among the students.

Celeste frowned and timidly raised her hand, Hyunjin quickly glanced at her friend and then at the teacher, it also seemed strange to him but he didn't pay attention to it; Chris finally managed to perceive her and added:

—Can you come up for a moment to talk?

His gaze fixed on hers, Celeste nodded gently and began to gather her things, suddenly she was feeling nervous and not understanding why.

—The rest of you, I'll see you tomorrow —Chris concluded.

With a nervous smirk, Celeste was about to approach but a warm and large hand holding her wrist made her turn, Hyunjin was so close to her face that she couldn't even react.

—I have to go to the arts campus now, but I'll see you tomorrow, Cel —he informed her with a smile, almost feeling his cool breath.

—Sure.

She limited herself to answer, she was so overwhelmed by the situation's overload, Chris wanted to talk to her and suddenly Hyunjin was approaching dangerously, she couldn't process it. Celeste returned her gaze to Chris, who had his eyes fixed on Hyunjin until he left the classroom, after feeling Celeste's soft gaze, he cleared his throat and looked at her, waiting for her to come closer.

Celeste walked to his desk and the last two students had already left the classroom, leaving only the two of them; she didn't want to appear nervous, she didn't have to be.

—You signed up during the academic break as an apprentice to some teacher at the beginning of the school year —Celeste quickly processed the information while he made eye contact with her—, well Burton, I'll be your mentor, is that okay?

—Oh, sure, I didn't know I had been selected… it's a pleasure, Professor Bang.

Chris gave her a smile and observed her, her still and straight posture with her hands together against her jeans.

—Yes well, the other students applied for classes with other teachers, but you were selected as my apprentice, I heard you're the best in the class.

Chris raised his eyebrows waiting for a reaction from her to his last comment and suddenly he realized that he was starting to ramble, he didn't understand why he did it. He shook his head slightly and tried to refocus.

—I want to discuss schedules. Wednesday is general rehearsal, so I like discipline, how about Monday to Friday excluding Wednesday, from 1 to 4? It'll be in the music room, for tomorrow.

Chris looked at her intently and Celeste began to think… she would have to shorten her work hours if she said yes, she couldn't miss the opportunity, it would be so beneficial to her resume, she wants to believe that he is a good teacher in terms of his knowledge and being his apprentice could lead her to expand her mind. But she would have to sacrifice a few hours of work; despite being sunk in sadness, she liked the little things like makeup, clothes, going to nice cafes, visiting the cinema alone, all without having to ask her parents for money at her twenty years old, so being his apprentice would only mean a little less pay, and working with him, or for him, for free.

Celeste thought for a second about how young he looked to be a mentor, she wondered if he was really qualified.

—You can’t…? —he interrupted her, expecting an answer.

—Oh, sure, yes, I'll be there. Thank you.

She smiled at him and Chris returned the gesture. Celeste was about to leave when the female desire to play a little took over.

She was steps away from walking through the door, but she turned, with a playful smile she searched his gaze, Chris was drawn to her sudden movement thinking that maybe she had forgotten to say something.

—By the way, Mr. Bang, did you just move to Woollahra? —he looked at her with a slight furrow of his brow and she continued— Oh, I didn’t want to sound weird; I just think we're neighbors now too. So, welcome.

Her tone was so sweet and innocent yet somehow wicked; Chris recognized the slight intentions of approach.

She left and left him sure of one thing, that it was her, the pretty and poor girl who cried through her window the night before. Chris swallowed, she's even prettier up close, he thought.

--------------------------

₊˚⊹ ᰔ TAGLIST: @forklesschowder @bubblebisk @calisnewworld @sunarins-whore @bangchansslut6 @snowyquokka @chansbabygirlsstuff @athforskz @heeyboooo @chrizzztopherbang @yerijaksel @moonlightndaydreams @readr1221 @skzswife

lmk if u want to be add 2 the taglist☆

2nd divider by chilumitos, i dont rmber by who the first one oop

#skz #stray kids #skz x reader #skz imagines #skz scenarios #skz bang chan #bang chan #skz fanfic #skz smut #hyunjin #bang chan x reader #bang chan smut #christopher bang #stray kids fanfic #bang chan x female reader #bang chan stray kids #bangchan fanfic #bang chan fic #bang chan fluff #bang chan imagines #stray kids smut

[tinypixl]

Doctor's visit

So uh... ever thought about yandere Harper?

Pairing(s): Yandere!Harper (m) x Reader (f)

Warnings/Additional Infos: 18+(smut), Non-con, Afab reader (no pronouns), Obsessive/Yandere themes/behaviour, Medical themes, Mentions of shock-collars, Syringes, Imprisonment, Abuse of power, Slight dissociation, Mentions of alcohol, Aphrodisiacs, Cunnilingus, Self-victim blaming (?), Slightly violent thoughts, Former defiant/mentally exhausted reader, veeery slight Stockholm Syndrome towards the end

Sometimes little breezes of wind flow by even when the windows are all closed, you had always found it a bit odd. Was something open? Where did that random breeze just come from? You noticed one of them as you laid there in your bed, staring out of the dingy little window at the sundown. The last rays of the blood orange sun seemingly dancing with gold illuminated clouds.

One of them kind of looked like the small bunny pin Robin had given to you on your birthday a few years ago. The thought made you feel warmer and you almost smiled.

But there was no way anything was open. Nothing could be opened in this cramped little room. Not without a key that is.

You shivered under your blanket. You were not cold. Even if something was indeed open, it was summer. The 19th of july in fact, you made sure to keep track. The school year was reaching it's end with all of the final exams having been finished which would send Sydney to collage, Robin into a full-time job, Kylar to god knows where and Whitney (to River's horror you bet) to retake the year. Probably. Maybe. You didn't know, it didn't really affect you here. You were just trying to pass the time. Not trying to think about how this room was in the abandoned part of the property and that there was no (living) soul within a 50 metre radius of you most of the time you spend here.

You could ask for another book or puzzle or whatever but the thought of having to ask for the most basic forms of entertainment made your jaw clench and none of them could replace going out with your friends or being able to run your hands along trees like those you could see outside your window behind the walls of this place. And it would only be an empty distraction from he fact that you were slowly going absolutely fucking batshit in-

The turn of a lock outside your door made shivers run down your whole body again. You hadn't even noticed the small clock beside your bed striking 9.

"Good evening dear", he smiled, stepped into your room and made sure the door behind him was locked. Good, atleast that meant no "tests" today.

"Evening doc...", you mumbled dryly not meeting his gaze directly.

"Harper", he smiled again and you briefly wondered if he'd still smile like this if someone were to push him into a woodchipper.

"Sure...", you murmured, still not looking up. You knew that his aggravating fake demeanour was better then the alternative. You had learned that the hard way being too cocky. It had brought you into this room in the first place.

This was usually the part where he'd sit down on the edge of your bed and pretend to be a normal therapist. Ask you how you were feeling, if you needed anything, discuss changes about your medication (trying out anything to make you more susceptible and willing) the likes, you were his little experiment after all. It was grating but better than the times he actually tried to have a "normal" conversation with you.

One may wonder what made your little shenanigans so scientifically groundbreaking that they had to be studied so closely. You figured that you might have not been the first patient that opposed him or had been suspicious about him from the very start before you ended up here. Not like it mattered, no one would believe you anyway. But you had stopped asking yourself the "Why me?" question long ago, it's not like it would change his sick little interest in you.

He moved over to you. Instead of sitting down though, he came to stand right in front of you. A bit bewildered, you now looked up at him completely. His entire face was flushed, his blond bangs sticking to his forehead as he smiled down at you, breathing heavily. He lifted his hand and traced two digits gently over your cheek. In that moment you caught a whiff of something pungent. Whisky... Your breath hitched in your throat. This was not something that had ever happend before. You've never seen Harper drunk and it put you on edge. It was always a bit unnerving when his professionalism hung on by a thread. His piercing gaze never left your face. And yours was frozen on his as well. You didn't know what you were doing to him when you looked up at him with big eyes like that. So "tough" but just a deer caught in headlights-

"How... how are you feeling darling?", he questioned, a shaky exhale and you got the feeling that he actually wanted to say something else, his composure oh so fragile..

You swallowed thickly before responding:

"I'm... fine..."

Your palms were getting sweaty.

Harper nodded. "Stick out your arm", he ordered gently. You hesitantly did as you were told and he pulled out a a syringe holding a bright pink liquid. His favourite little solution. For the blink of a moment you considered snatching and stabbing him with it. But the shock collar around your neck served as a not so gentle reminder why you shouldn't.

The needle pricked your upper arm. A familiar feeling of dazed warmth seemed to wash over your entire body. Harper shrugged off his doctor's coat, hanging it neatly over the desk chair beside your bed. He turned towards you. You were gently pushed down onto the hospital bed as well as stripped of your blanket. He moved on top of you lifting your patient's gown just above your chest. A garment that never failed to turn him on. Your only source of protection deprived left you bare before his eyes.

His gloved hands traced over your slit, elicting a shameful tingle that traveled up your belly. The latex slowly dipping into your warm lips. You bit down on your tounge. Without warning he pinched your clit. A yelp escaped your parted lips while your hands clenched around your pillow to supress a moan.

"...It seems your reactions to stimulation have gotten stronger...", he noted quietly, looking up with a sleazy smile. He continued: "But... I wonder..." Harper looked down. You tensed as you felt his breath on your cunt. Two gloved hands parting your lips just as a tentative lick over your folds had you gasping again. This time, the moan slipped from your lips like second nature. You cursed in the back of your mind while similar sounds escaped your lips in the time the doctor had his face buried in your thighs. He could hardly call this professional anymore..

Two gloved digits prodding your entrance snapped you out of your thoughts. Looking down you didn't think it was possible for his face to get more flushed. The invasion of your walls and a flick of his tongue over your nub had you throwing your head into the pillow again, almost biting your lip bloody trying even harder to supress the sounds coming from you. The confusing feelings of pleasure and shame overwhelmed you. A voice at the back of your mind was nagging you why you let him do this to you? You would've fought him tooth and nail almost a year ago, consequenses be damned.

A yelp escaped again. Another finger was added and the tip of his tongue kept teasing. The teeth on your lower lip were starting to break the skin. Harper's latex gloves kept moving in and out, elicting lewd squelching sounds that made you cringe. He closed his lips around your clit and started sucking. It was too much. The heels of your feet dug into his sides. You were so close and it made your cheeks burn with shame...

But nothing. He had suddenly stopped. Your pussy clenched in disappointment which made you want to bash your head into a metal pole as soon as you felt it. Harper's clothed lap met your bare crotch as he sat between your legs. His arms supporting his weight on either side of you. His face almost leveled with yours. His panting was now even heavier than before. Eyes half-lided and riddled with a near animalistic lust. It made a whimper fall from you, eyes growing wide. He got to working on his belt and pants as soon as he heard it. Trying to make yourself as small as possible, your arms clutched over your chest. The clinking of a belt made your pussy tingle and you tried to stop tears from forming. A deer caught in headlights.

"Don't... don't worry... it won't hurt, you're almost dripping..", Harper assured you quietly under his breath, the last part an octave lower, tracing his exposed length over your puffy folds. That just made everything worse. You dug your nails into your chest, closing your eyes which caused tears to spill over your cheekbones. He glided into you without much resistance. More and more shame kept bubbling in your gut. He groaned slightly as he started to move. So pretty, you were so pretty...

His lips pressed against yours and his tongue invaded your mouth. His hand crept over your stomach and dipped under your hands which were protecting your chest, stroking and grabbing. It was a sloppy kiss, uncoordinated and rough. Not like him. He sped up the pace, the slapping of skin against skin getting louder. Everything was so overwhelming, little moans kept escaping you like prayers. You still didn't want to feel pleasure from this...

Harper pulled away, a trail of saliva connecting you two. He cooed at you:

"D-don't- ahh... don't cry... it's- hnggh.. okay to feel good. Just give in..."

The hand that was stroking your chest trailed down and found your clit again. The contact coaxed more lewd sounds from you. When had he taken his gloves off? He kept rubbing your clit with his thumb while his cock pumped against that one spot, that he knew had you seeing stars.

It was just too much.

The orgasm that crashed down on you was brutal. Mouth hanging agape, your back arched involuntarily. Guttural sounds spilled out of the back of your throat. But the high didn't stop. It kept crashing down on you as he kept going, courtesy of the aphrosidiacs. Clenching the bedsheets, your eyes rolled into the back of your skull. You couldn't care about the way you looked right now. The mind numbing orgasms overriding every last bit of hesitation that you had left.

Harper's movements grew faster and more sloppy. His face inches from yours, glazed with a love drunken expression. You registered him talking again:

"Haah... I lo-"

Cutting himself off, he buried his face next to yours into the pillow. A low groan slipped from him while something warm filled you as you came crashing down from your high.

It was hard to catch your breath. Your heart was still pumping at such a high rate and your throat felt so raw you are certain you must have been screaming. Harper stirred beside you. A soft kiss was placed upon your temple and it made your stomach flutter.

Yep, you were slowly going absolutely fucking batshit insane.

#degrees of lewdity #harper the doctor #minors dni #yandere x reader #yandere harper the doctor #yandere x you #this took way to fcking long #yandere x female reader #absolutely not beta read #this is the first time i ever finished a bigger fanfic

[nana-kom]

Hi 👋🏻

This is a weight gain ff, so if you don’t like don’t read, this also contain smut.

Happy Meals

It all began when Chan returned to Australia. After finishing his studies in Korea, he had thought for a long time about what he wanted for his career, and finally returning to the city where he'd grown up reassured him. As you can see, Chan had always been a good student, graduating with good marks and with good memories of his university years. However, Chan also hid a lot of his stress, he'd never really managed to calm it down, only to find ways of putting it out of his mind. During his studies, he relieved his stress by taking part in sports, in fact, he had signed up for a swimming team at university, which enabled him to work off his stress and forget about the things stressful in his mind. This was one of the reasons why he decided to return to Sydney to be with his family, believing that living there would calm him down. Together with his sister, he had opened his own production agency, which had been going very well for a few months now and he was happy with his job as a producer. Even so, he hadn't really planned for the stress to stay after his studies, and opening the company had taken up all his time so he could say goodbye to sport. Chan tried various means to relieve his stress, but nothing helped: he just couldn't control it, and all the tension he felt one day ended up in what he ate. Indeed, he began to eat when he was stressed, which made him feel a little better, because during those moments he just thought about the food he was enjoying and not about his everyday problems. The times when he could eat and feel relaxed began to happen more and more often, and these were moments of happiness for him, which he began to call his happy meals. And whenever he felt his stress rising, he would nibble, making him feel better. What's more, Australia offered him a wide choice of food, from burgers and pizzas to pastas and cakes, Chan had fallen in love with eating and had no intention of stopping. Especially since he felt less guilty about putting on weight here and even felt better about his life. Of course, being full every day was a real stress reliever, and all he could think about was the next meal.

So it was that Chan spent his days in Australia, and three years after graduating the slim, athletic, muscular man had totally disappeared and been replaced by a much fatter version of himself. Chan now weighed at least 283 lbs. His belly jiggled every time he walked, his wide thighs only rubbed against each other, his arms could no longer reach his dick without many efforts, and his whole face was coated in fat. Despite the problems this could cause him on a daily basis, Chan was happy all the same. He still had trouble feeling confident about his body in front of people's stares, but he was less stressful in the end. Everything was going well in his job, and he'd even started working from his new apartment so he wouldn't have to move around so much, being fat made him lazy.

This morning, Chan's day began like every morning. He took at least 10 minutes to get out of his bed and sit down before getting up from it, which left him breathless everytime, and then he would wash himself using a shower chair so as not to have to stand for too long. Usually he had breakfast while working but this morning he decided to go to a coffee shop to test new pastries. So he went to the coffee closest to his home held by Changbin who had become his friend as he had been there many times. So he ordered a coffee with milk with sugar and caramel as well as whipped cream, and he added a dozen pastries to his order before going to sit at his table and start working on his computer. After a few minutes someone advanced towards him.

"Chan ? Christopher Bang ? " Then said someone in front of him and he raised his head facing a man his age smiling with freckles on his face. "I don't know if you remember me we were at the same university, Lee Felix !" He said, holding out his hand to him.

"But of course Felix ! We were in the same swimming group!" Chan replied, shaking his hand.

"Yes, exactly! What are you becoming then? May I sit, I would be delighted to hear from you. ”

« Well…yes of course » say Chan and Felix sat in front of him.

Felix couldn't believe his eyes, what had become of the most athletic guy in the university ? He seemed so big that he did not know if the chair would not break under his weight and every part of his body had become big, even his hands and the man who often had the opportunity to wear crop tops to show his abs had breasts. Almost as big as a woman's chest, and when what he had ordered arrived at the table Felix swallowed. No wonder he’s so big. He said to himself, looking at the number of things Chan had ordered, he noticed that he was a little embarrassed when all that food arrived at the table.

"So what do you do for a living Felix?" asked Chan as he began to eat his breakfast.

"Oh well I work in a food agency, I'm on vacation at the moment but otherwise I'm working in Korea! How about you?"

"That must be great, I hope you're blooming, well with my sister we run our own music agency, she's released an album by the way I take care of the rest." he said smiling.

"Yes that’s true, you've always been talented, that's true.....and uh...you...you still swim?" asked Felix, biting his lips.

"No......I...don't really have the time anymore..."

He was a little bit confused at the question but finally Chan was very happy to see Felix again, and felt kinda safe around him. He was kind and didn't seem to judge him for having changed so much. They decided to meet every morning at the coffee shop while Felix was on vacation. Chan didn't mind, quite the opposite, he was quite happy to get out and see someone, as he usually stayed at home. They always met at Changbin's coffee, and Chan noticed that the more the days went by, the more Felix ordered food that he didn't eat and offered Chan to finish (which he didn't refuse). It had become like a routine between the two men, they'd talk, then eat, and Felix would turn around at the counter several times to place orders for Chan, making him so bloated at the end of the meetings. Chan waddled out of the coffee each time, taking breaks to walk to catch his breath because of the number of pastries he had swallowed. Felix was falling more and more under Chan's spell, even though at university he'd already found him handsome, but now he was simply in love with the man who'd gained over 130 lbs in 3 years and seemed to be getting fatter by the day, especially at Felix's side. Not just because of Felix by the way, but because Chan was gorging himself all day, he couldn’t even feel stress anymore because he was too busy thinking about food or about his hunger. He was definitely more happy that way, and Felix made him eat everyday more as he could just so he could be bloated all day. His belly was even more huge the day passing and his ass was so fat, remember when Felix was scared for the chair ? Now Chan was using either the bench either two chairs to maintain his big ass who was one of the biggest part of his body. So on the last evening before Felix returned to Korea, he stopped by Chan's house as Chan had invited him to do a diner for saying good bye and he was determined that something should happen. They eat together on the food Felix had brought, and due to the enormous amount of food Chan had eaten that night (and during the day of course) he could barely stand up from his sofa feeling too full to move. Felix put his hand on his stomach and looked at him.

« You are so beautiful Channie…can I kiss you ? » Felix say shyly.

Chan nodded and Felix start kissing him slowly and gently, Chan lips have still the tasted of food but they were soft. Felix ran his hand over Chan's cheeks and tenderly caressed them, which were so soft and fluffy. Chan's belly, which was swollen from the food Felix had made him eat, still ached, but the kiss relaxed him more than he'd expected, especially with Felix's hand rubbing it tenderly.

« So fat… » Finally say Felix looking at Chan.

« Wh…what ? »

"How could you change so much? Do you spend your days eating?" Chan felt himself getting harder under Felix's words and blushed, shaking his head.

« But…it’s too good… »

« Of course it is, a big boy like you need to eating well. So squishy… » say Felix grabbing Chan belly in his hand. « And I’m sure you will be even bigger when I come back… »

« I just can’t stop eating… »

« How much do you weight Channie ? »

« At least 290… » Felix smile at him.

« Do you think you can reach the 300 during my absence ? » Chan nod his head and Felix kiss him once again.

« Such a good pig… » Chan moans under his word while Felix was actually touching his dick.

« Since how long haven’t you being able to touch yourself ? »

« Too much time…please…makes me cum… »

« Since you’ve been so good yes…my big boy. »

Chan moaned thanks to Felix's caresses and could finally feel pleasure, he let himself go under Felix's touch and finally reached the orgasm in no time since it was so long ago since the last time he could feel a hand on his dick. He was also surprised to feel so breathless even though he hadn't moved and he had to stop a minute to catch his breath and wipe his sweat. It was all too hot and he hadn't expected someone like Felix to enjoy his body, but on his side, with all the time they'd spent together since the start of his vacation, he'd realized that Felix liked him too and of course he was very attracted by Felix. And he had every intention of continuing to be a good boy for him, and of continuing to put on weight for Felix. Especially by the day he wouldn’t be in Australia by his side.

——————————————————————————

#weight gain fic #chubby skz weight gain fic weightgainkpop #chubby skz #weight gain skz #chubbybangchan

[corporateaccountant]

Navigating Bookkeeping Jobs in Sydney: A Comprehensive Guide

Bookkeeping is the backbone of any successful business, and in a bustling city like Sydney, the demand for skilled bookkeepers is ever-present. Whether you're an aspiring professional seeking opportunities or a business owner looking to hire the right talent, understanding the landscape of bookkeeping jobs in Sydney is crucial. In this guide, we'll explore the intricacies of bookkeeping roles in Sydney, the skills required, where to find opportunities, and how to excel in this dynamic field.

The Demand for Bookkeepers in Sydney

Sydney, as one of Australia's economic powerhouses, hosts a myriad of businesses across various industries. From startups to multinational corporations, every business requires accurate financial records to thrive. As such, the demand for skilled bookkeepers remains consistently high.

Skills and Qualifications

While formal education in accounting or bookkeeping is beneficial, practical experience and a strong skill set are equally important in securing bookkeeping jobs in Sydney. Employers typically look for candidates proficient in financial software such as MYOB or Xero, adept at reconciliations, payroll processing, and possessing a keen eye for detail. Additionally, strong communication skills and the ability to work independently or as part of a team are highly valued in this profession.

Where to Find Bookkeeping Jobs

Sydney offers a plethora of avenues for finding bookkeeping opportunities. Online job portals like Seek, Indeed, and LinkedIn are excellent starting points. Networking events, industry seminars, and professional associations such as the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB) can also provide valuable leads. Moreover, leveraging personal connections and reaching out to local businesses directly can often uncover hidden job openings.

Freelancing and Remote Work

The rise of remote work has opened up new possibilities for bookkeepers in Sydney. Many businesses, especially startups and small enterprises, are outsourcing their bookkeeping needs to freelancers or remote professionals. Platforms like Upwork and Freelancer.com offer a wealth of freelance opportunities, allowing bookkeepers to work flexibly and remotely while serving clients in Sydney and beyond.

Tips for Success:

To stand out in the competitive landscape of bookkeeping jobs in Sydney, consider the following tips:

Continuously upgrade your skills: Stay updated with the latest accounting software and industry trends to remain competitive.

Network actively: Attend industry events, join professional associations, and connect with fellow bookkeepers and potential clients.

Showcase your expertise: Build a strong online presence through LinkedIn profiles, personal websites, or professional portfolios to highlight your skills and experience.

Provide exceptional service: Deliver accurate, timely, and reliable bookkeeping services to build trust and rapport with clients or employers.

Seek feedback and learn from it: Solicit feedback from clients or supervisors to identify areas for improvement and refine your skills accordingly.

[immigrationpathways]

Tech Job Market in Australia Scaling up Despite Mass Layoff

In February 2023, the mainstream media and industry websites were awash with news of huge job losses across the Australian tech sector, predominantly in US-owned enterprises.

However, despite the shock imparted by so many largely unexpected sackings, the sector has nevertheless shown extraordinary resilience in terms of job opportunities. Despite the initial gloom, it seems that many of those who found themselves out of work at the beginning of the year are already in new jobs, with the tech industry as a whole in the midst of a job boom.

It would appear that optimism is permeating the sector at all levels, with recruiters reporting new opportunities and roles opening up all the time; in fact, the overall impression is that Australia is suffering from a technology skills shortage, given that the country has only hit 78% of its 2030 tech job target of 1.2 million, according to a report released by the Tech Council of Australia.

And with some of the biggest names in tech running operations in Australia, including Google, Netflix, Twitter, Atlassian, Stripe, Microsoft and many more, anyone with experience and expertise in virtually any part of the sector will find plenty of job options open to them.

This is also in large part due to the fact that there are new jobs being created in non-traditional tech industries, meaning that a wide range of less specialized digital and IT skills are increasingly in demand across the country.

The Tech Sector in Sydney

Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales, is the most populous city in the country and is widely regarded as Australia’s principal tech hub, which is why it is the most likely destination for tech professionals looking to develop their careers in Australia.

However, conditions in the tech sector across the country are such that the workplace environment is generally going to be positive, well compensated, and promote a healthy life/work balance wherever in Australia you’re based.

Generally, the Australian working week is 39 hours, from Monday to Friday (although each state has its own laws in some areas, employment law is made federally and can be found in the Fair Work Act, 2009), with overtime being paid when an employee works beyond their normal daily or weekly hours of work, and/or outside the ordinary spread of their working hours.

Full-time employees receive four weeks’ annual paid leave, the exception being shift workers, who receive five weeks. In addition, employees receive ten days’ paid leave each year, which can be used either during illness or to provide care for a member of the family.

New mothers in Australia are entitled to 12 months of unpaid maternity leave after a year of working for the same company (some businesses will offer paid maternity leave as well).

How to Find Tech Jobs in Australia

For anyone looking for tech jobs in Australia, there are a variety of online job boards and sites that list opportunities in cities across the country.

Seek is one of the biggest and most popular Australian job sites, along with Indeed and Hays. Commonwealth and state governments also list job vacancies on their own websites, as well as advertising on job boards (cyber security is a field in which there is a multitude of government IT jobs advertised regularly).

There are also a number of specialist tech recruiters in Australia. Some will just be Sydney-focused, but most have a national reach and fill positions in all capital cities. Some offer a broad range of jobs in all sectors of the tech industry, while others are a little more specialised.

Talent Locker is a particularly well-known tech recruiter, as are PRA and ScaleUp Recruitment. Luvo Talent is also worth checking out, as are Thornhill and Datasource Services.

The Tech Scene in Canberra

As mentioned above, there are numerous tech openings working for the Australian government, most of which will be located in Canberra, the nation’s capital, although the federal government has a large presence in Sydney and in most capital cities.

Being a government-centric work environment, jobs in the tech sector tend to pay well in Canberra. The average wage in the ACT is around AUD$80,000 a year, but people working in IT can generally expect to earn significantly more.

For instance, a software engineer can expect to earn in excess of AUD$90,000, a project engager will earn AUD$125,000, while a senior project manager in the IT sector can usually earn more than AUD$142,000 a year.

In Canberra, as elsewhere in Australia, significant numbers of people (particularly those in certain areas of tech) are afforded the opportunity to work remotely at least part of the time (although there are growing demands from employers for workers to get back to the office).

At the same time, remote work, while based overseas, is also becoming more commonplace in the ACT, Sydney and elsewhere in Australia. The latest data reveals that a total of 29% of Australian adults worked remotely in 2022, while 14% are now planning to work remotely from overseas in 2023. 

Investment in Training and Education

As a consequence of the widespread skills shortage in tech across Australia, driven in part by the fact that hitherto non-tech jobs and roles nevertheless require digital and IT skills to some extent, Australia is trying to grow the number and variety of training opportunities that are available, both for those already working in tech and those who are looking to join the industry. 

Both the federal government and key players in the Australian tech sector are increasingly working together to encourage people of all ages across the country to upskill so that they are better equipped to meet the country’s growing needs, not to mention the nationwide 1.2 million tech job target that the government wants to reach by 2030. 

What Next for the Tech Sector in Australia?

Ultimately, the outlook is fairly positive if you are looking for work in the tech sector in Australia, as significant numbers of jobs continue to be available (it is estimated that 70,000 new jobs in the sector have been created in the last twelve months). 

However, as stated above, there is a need for people with digital skills in all areas of Australian enterprise — not just the specialist tech sector — and so there are new types of roles opening up all the time, particularly for those with transferable skills. 

It is also a relatively good environment for employers at the moment in that although there is something of a skills shortage, a large number of vacancies does mean that skilled and qualified tech workers are not as hesitant as they once might have been to move jobs. So it is possible to attract the best tech talent with the right compensation package.

This does, of course, put upward pressure on wages, but this is inevitable in an environment where those with the right experience, expertise and know-how are consistently in demand.

Source: ITBrief

[dreamyourselfxbackagain]

Look who just woke up- is that CHARLIE VICKERS? No, I must have been mistaken, that’s SAURON from LORD OF THE RINGS. I heard they are APPEARS 31 and stuck here just like everyone else. Even in the 20’s, he still give off a the road to hell is paved with good intentions, always wanting more, confidence that could kill, five steps ahead, the nightmare you tell your children about impression. But here, they are working as A POLITICIAN. They’re known to be quite CHARISMATIC & PATIENT, but have a tendency to be MANIPULATIVE & CRUEL on their bad days.

Gender/Pronouns : Male / he/him

How long have they been in Sydney : In his memories, 3 years. In reality, 2 months

Which suburb do they live in? Darling Point

Personality description : 

Strangers - he is a little cautious with strangers. He knows given his job people dislike him sometimes, but he won't try and be rude straight away. Often he will try and charm. He will definitely manipulate

Casual friends - He is still cautious, though a lot more relaxed. If he needs to manipulate them then he will, but for the most part he is at least pretending to just be a normal person

Loved ones - he has very few of those. Though he does try to be honest, more often it comes over as he can give them power, not always something they want.

Enemies - adding this one, because a lot of people aren't going to like him. He doesn't really care too much about that, if people need a villain he is happy to be it. If only because he knows now, no one really is going to listen to him.

Memories of their real life : 

The road to hell is paved with good intentions, and once upon a time a Maia named Mairon did have good intentions. Created by Eru, he was good and uncorrupted. However he wanted order and perfection, and soon realised the quickest way to archive this was by working with Morgoth. To begin with, keeping this a secret so he could gain information but before the end of The Years of the Lamps, his true intentions were revealed. Mairon was no more, instead he became Sauron.

Throughout the First Age Morgoth unleashed terror onto Middle Earth, with Sauron doing his bidding. During one battle, he picked up an insignia off a dead man. However after a defeat, he all but vanished. Morgoth was defeated, and Adar claimed he had killed Sauron due to his cruelty to the orcs.

Perhaps the story would have ended there. Sauron had indeed survived, but now lived under a fake name Halbrand, claiming to be a man running from orc attacks. He wanted to repent for what he had done, but also knew very few would believe him. It may have worked, if Galadriel had not ended up on the same raft.

They ended up on Númenor, where she learnt the insignia he carried belonged to the King of the South. He told her the truth, that he had found it on a dead man, however she didn't believe him. Meanwhile he became a blacksmith, his intent was to remain in Númenor, a peaceful life. But Adar was in the Southlands, and the thirst for revenge soon became overpowering. However when they did return, Galadriel prevent him from getting his revenge, believing Adar could tell her where Sauron was.

Míriel informed the people there that he was their long lost King, and suddenly a feeling he hadn't had in a long time came back. Power. If they were willing to give it to him so easily, perhaps it would be enough. But then Orodruin erupted and he was gravely injured. Whilst he wanted to stay and fight for the Southlands, Galadriel realised he would die from his wounds, and they left.

In Ost-in-Edhil he said something, phrases she had heard Adar use about Sauron, and she finally realised Halbrand was Sauron. After a confrontation he left, returning to the Southlands.

What was their fake life like:

Born into a normal family, it didn't even occur to Sauron to want for power. He was planning to spend his time as anyone in the 1900's would. Except a war broke out.

Like many his age, he ended up serving and it gave him a hatred for how the world was if this was what could happen. There was also horrors he saw out there. In his eyes, the world needed to change and likely the current one would need to burn for that to happen.

On returning, he opted to go into politics, starting at the bottom and slowly working his way up. He wanted to make the world better.

But then his memories came back, and suddenly he had centuries of memories. Had he been wrong before? With getting his memories back at the same time Mairon's thoughts were strong again, as were the ones of wanting redemption. Yet hadn't his point been proven here as well? The world cannot change unless it is broker first.

Optional, please pick at least three and interpret them however you wish ::

Location they work in: Parliament House

Theme Song: Gonna Know My Name - Diamond Dust

Quote: You don't know what I did, you don't know how I survived

#thebridge: intro #Sauron | intro #tldr: he's set just after ROP so I'll probably redo graphic when more awake I just couldn't think of anything else for it #kind of in his wanting to repent for what happened in the First Age but also remembering what power feels like #and 100% he does not know what hobbits are

[skyvinn]

The Re-visit: South Melbourne Market

On one of your ‘visit the dogs’ day at Flagstaff gardens, you met a friend studying here in the heart of Melbourne. She has a cute brown toy poodle called Yo-yo. Being both dog lovers and new to Melbourne, you bonded with her. Naturally, that means an agreement to meet up once more, triggering your second visit to South Melbourne Market to check out the ‘famous’ paella people have been mentioning.

The easiest way to get to south Melbourne from yours is to hop on a bus at the end of your street. It would be your first time on the bus. You start to understand a little of your cousin’s ranking of public transport in Melbourne: Tram > Train > Uber > Bus. Suspension so terrible you take back all your complains of taxis and busses in Singapore, seats threadbare, floors dinghy, and - perhaps a little coloured - suspicious people.

The bus does take you right to the market though, and with its purpose served, you hop off to enjoy the weekend festive air of markets. It was indeed festive with a Mussels and Jazz event going on. A band plays on stage while pop-up shops add on to the galore of food options of said market.

(Simply Spanish with Dim Sum equipment)

With both of you famished, you decide to wander after eating the famous paella. Here is the thing about hyped-up food, its either really good or the hype raised expectations so high it tastes bad. The paella was terribly super normal that it left you and your friend, absolutely disappointed. Thankfully, you had decided to share that one dish and explore the rest of the market. Otherwise, it would be a pricey and sorely lacking meal. [There will be no separate food review of Simply Spanish as it really just isn’t worth it].

We roam the pop-up stalls where we find a truck selling made-on the spot churros! Since we began with Spanish food, we decided we should find a good Spanish snack to replace the disappointment. The churros lived up to its expectations - piping hot, crispy churros with softer centres. We were now happy and full.

Now the problem with digesting food by taking walks, is that where you walk matters. Walking in a place filled with the aroma of food and the sight of it all means that you get peckish really quick. You had mentioned to your friend about how you enjoyed the oysters at the market during your previous trip. Going past the stall mentioned, naturally triggered this memory and she became peckish for oysters. Seeing her order some, and seeing people walk buy and slurping them down made you well peckish as well. (╮(╯▽╰)╭) You decide to behave however, you only bought 2 oysters of different varieties. Yes, just TWO. Not two dozen, not 12, nor 6. Just two.

You savour the two and decide Sydney oyster > Coffin Bay. But really it could just be in your mind. Your friend says – ‘they all tasted as oysters should, yummy!’. Indeed, they were yummy. It is like your ability to taste wine – you only have two rankings “you like it, you hate it”. Maybe one day, your taste buds for oysters and wine will be more refined. Till then they will taste as oysters and wine should.

Satisfied and terribly full, the two of you head back home. Food coma settles in, and you drift off into a lazy stupor on the bus. Your friend gets a message for a last-minute job in 1.5 hours and so you decide to part ways at the bus stop. But then she asks if you like tea, bubble tea to be exact. Naturally you do and with that, the both of you decide there is still time for a bubble tea before heading home. She introduces you to a place near where you live, Top Tea. With its relaxing décor and good tea, the two of you engage in conversation where the topic of selfies pop-up. With that you are introduced to the world of selfie apps! As stereotypical east Asians, this means you end up taking tons of selfies as well as downloading the app.

With that, you call it a day and head home. You will soon be out for the next outing at 4pm and then call it a night, but that’s for the next post.

#south melbourne market #churros #spanish paella #oysters #bubble tea #top tea #ulike #selfies

[newerabalustrade]

Why Do You Need Stainless Steel Handrails Sydney Cbd

Stainless Steel happens to be a sturdy as well as trusted material when it comes to creating an ornate decor at home. This is why this material is a popular choice and an attention-grabbing trend that sets the right tonality for the room. Strategic installation of Stainless-Steel Handrails Sydney CBD will have room for a dynamic renovation. Have a thoughtful glance at the following points and they will expound on why you need stainless-steel handrails. 

A perfect admixture of design, colours and aesthetic accents 

You can always feel a strong professional vibe in Steel Handrails Sydney CBD because it will authenticate a flawless synergy with the colour and design of the room where you propose to install it. These aesthetic embodiments will also adorn the beauty of your garden space which features water bodies, lush greenery and architectural specimens.

Stainless Steel Balustrading 

The world of Stainless Steel Handrails Sydney CBD happens to be replete with the best Stainless Steel Balustrading experiments. These creations seem to be a perfect match for the diversified tastes of people from various social strata. When you gaze at the texture of these steel-based products, you have to feel that they are the most sumptuous treats for your eyes and you can never ignore the enchantment.  

Custom-made handrails up for the grabs 

The beauty of Custom-made handrails is that they would characterize the essence of steel as well as iron infrastructure. As the name suggests, you can choose the shape as well as size of the handrail that you want to place the order for. Professional artisans will take care of your choices and aesthetic preferences. They will ensure that the final product turns out to be a perfect match for the interior design you have implemented in the room. 

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The apt implementation of StainlessSteel Handrails Sydney CBD will be a valued addition to your residence or commercial place. With the help of these artistic efforts, you can brighten up your residence and office with textural elegance. The creative endeavour will be hard-hitting and it will make sure that your residence and office start getting appreciation which they deserve. If you think of the creative aura of the stainless-steel handrail, there is indeed a lot that you can do with these inventive products. The best part is that you do not have to push out of your budget.  

If you are looking for a distinctive, and stunning renovation at home, Stainless Steel Handrails Sydney CBD will be a perfect fit for the scenario. With the most prominent steel handrail works available around you, it is time for you to relax a bit and leave the job of the home remodeling initiative to a pro entity in Sydney CBD. So, utilize your leverage at your disposal in the form of stainless-steel handrails. Make sure you have them installed with the suggestions and guidance of a seasoned pro. 

#Stainless Steel Handrails Sydney CBD

[health-mastery]

Chapter 1. Health problems and evidence.

I was in my mid-forties when the serious health problem I suffered began. This was still a time when I believed in what I had been taught at university about the body being a machine,

My major is in chemistry. I am not a biomedical scientist, but I had taken some biology subjects, which interested me as part of my science degree. They were human physiology and anatomy, microbiology and insects,. In those biology subjects we were repeatedly taught that the body is a machine. Indeed everything, from the functions of organs, right down to the cellular and sub-cellular levels, is explained in the light of all living form are everything from more simple to more complex machines. My lecturers were adamant that there is no ghost in the machine. The sense of self is considered to arise out of brain activity. The mind is seen in science as an emergent property arising out of the brain’s complexity. So too with consciousness, which is considered “the hard problem”. Every effort is made to try and explain consciousness as some sort of brain activity. We were basically taught that biological chemicals drive the show. Dead matter evolved to become complex and even self-aware! And as all other students, I faithfully learnt the material I was given in my lecture classes for my exams. And having obtained my degree I had accepted the machine model without question for the next twenty years. Even as a theist, I didn’t think to question it. I had no reason to question it. It was science.

In mid-1993 I had two cancer diagnoses. In the first one I was told I had uterine cancer and that it was urgent to have my uterus removed. I decided on a second opinion and travelled to Sydney for that. The doctors in Sydney diagnosed stage 4 ovarian cancer, with metastases to the uterus, cervix, bowel and both lungs AND type 2 diabetes as there were high blood sugars. “Nothing we can do for you” they said. But the early part of the following year, about 6 to 8 months after that horrifying diagnosis, further tests showed that there was no evidence of disease. I’d had a jaw dropping spontaneous remission of the cancer. I did not appreciate at the time why that happened. I thought partly the Chinese herbalist I had turned to “did the trick”. Partly I thought I was just lucky and many people reinforced this second idea. But as I found out a decade later, it was neither the Chinese herbs nor luck.

Anyway, I enjoyed several months of good health and then decided it was time to look for work. I had a loan from my bank, which my late husband was paying off for me. I told him that I was thankful for his help, but I wanted to work, to have my own income and pay my own debts. My husband didn’t object, rather he said he’d support whatever I wanted to do but also pointed out that I didn’t need to worry about the loan. I went ahead and found some jobs that looked interesting. And I was delighted to get an interview for the job I thought was the most interesting. And a few days later when I left to go to the interview, my husband cheerfully wished me good luck.

Carefree I drove into the city and parked my car, but as I approached the building where I was to be interviewed I started to feel anxious.

Once I stood outside the building, and only a few meters from the large glass entrance doors, I experienced a panic attack. It was not a very serious panic attack, but bad enough for me to not want to go inside the building.

So of course I did not attend the interview. I sat down in a nearby coffee shop for a while, had a drink and some cake and when I felt okay again I drove home.

Back home my husband eagerly asked about the interview. I told him I didn’t go because I had a panic attack and felt too apprehensive about going inside the building. “Oh no” he said and moved to comfort me. He said “don’t worry, maybe you were nervous and didn’t realise it”. He wanted me to tick it off as just bad luck. But a week later, when it came to my second job interview, I had only walked a few meters down our driveway to my car when I began to experience chest pain and a general feeling of unease. How was I to drive feeling like this?

I went back inside the house and this time, looking very concerned, my husband suggested that maybe I should see a doctor because maybe there was something wrong. He said “you know you might have a health problem and it only shows up when you’re feeling stressed. I told him I didn’t feel stressed and that I was looking forward to the interview. But he put his arm around me and told me that stress can be present even without us realising it. He made me some tea and in a little while I felt much better, but I had missed another interview.

In the following week I had another few occasions where there was pain in my chest and a feeling of unease, but now these came out of the blue. They were not associated with anything; at least not anything that I could see.

So I decided to go back to a Chinese herbalist, whom I trusted, for help. My husband though insisted that I should see “a real doctor”. So I agreed to go to a doctor, as well as, the herbalist. He didn’t seem to like my decision, but agreed.

The doctor found nothing wrong with my heart, but said that the symptoms may be the early signs of heart disease and suggested some drug. I told him I didn’t want to take any drugs unless it was necessary. The doctor wasn’t too happy with my decision and after a short pause said something like “okay, however we should keep a watch on your condition”. My husband defended my stance and told the doctor that he would take good care of me.

The herbalist on the other hand was adamant that there was nothing wrong with my heart and gave me some herbs to balance the yin and yang and make me feel calm. I don’t know what was in the herbs that he gave me, but they made me feel fantastic, almost euphoric. On my next visit to the herbalist, for him to see how I was going, I told him I wanted more of whatever herb it was that he’d given me because it made me feel really, really good. He shook his head in dismay. “Everyone tell me same” he said in his minimal English, “but too much no good” he added. That was a disappointment, especially as he refused to even write the name of the herb on a piece of paper. I don’t know what it was, but it was sure good while it lasted.

Over the next six months my condition appeared to deteriorate. I began to experience tightness in the chest sometimes chest pain and they were accompanied with a feeling of unease, sometimes even dread. At first it was only now and then, but it soon became my daily experience. Sometimes there was tachycardia (rapid heart rate) and distress.

The doctor was sure it was heart disease and even suggested that it was possible to have surgery and have a wire put into my heart to make my heart beat regular. I didn’t like the sounds of that, especially as my cardiograms and other tests continued to be within the normal range. And more so because the herbs I was given had continued to bring relief. I had also found an acupuncturist and his treatment also gave relief.

Over the next six months, and after I had given up the idea of working, my health once again steadily improved. So during the summer of 1995 we decided to sell the house in Sydney and together with our three cats in 1996 we went to Cairns in Far North Queensland, in the tropics. We build a new house in the leafy suburbs at the edge of a rainforest. While our house was being built we rented a house and all of that time my health was good. We put that down to the good weather since the worst period I had suffered in Sydney had been during the autumn and winter of 1994-5.

A few years of living in our new house went by as we enjoyed the rainforest and the wildlife that came around every day. Life was good again. I lost some weight, dyed my hair red to get rid of the grey and reconnected with many friends I had in Cairns. I was looking and feeling great and many people remarked that I looked much younger than my fifty years.

And then came the days when I talked to my husband about starting some new career, to have some new interest, maybe something to challenge me.

Again my husband said that he would “support whatever I wanted to do” But as I looked at what there was for me to do, the old problems reappeared, most especially the tightness in the chest, the chest pain and some tachycardia. So this time my problems began only after I had looked at the employment section of the local newspaper. Again my husband appeared concerned and said “it might be stress”.

The first time I had thought, “it’s a single incident, so what?” And then considered that maybe I’ll take my time and not discuss anything until I had some firm plans. But over the next few months my health slowly deteriorated. The doctors in Cairns were also saying it is the early signs of heart disease. “So do the early signs of heart disease come and go?” I wondered “and most particularly if I look for work!”.

One doctor told me that many women develop heart problems as they get older. I remembered a time when heart disease was considered a man’s disease. Now this doctor was telling me, “heart disease is emerging as the major health problem for women all over the world”. From another doctor I again heard the suggestion of a wire in the heart to make the heart beat regular. Again I baulked at the idea and once more I found relief with Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture.

Indeed this time I went so far as to take lessons on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and acupuncture from the Chinese acupuncturist and his wife, who were treating me. Both of them were MDs and acupuncturists, having studied both Western and Eastern medicine in China. I learnt enough to be able to administer acupuncture for myself, and I saw a faster remedy than with the herbs. I did however still take herbs, now from a herbalist in Cairns, because they had a subtle and long term effect.

All of this time I believed what I had learnt at university, that the body is a machine. Any health problems that one would suffer were due to a malfunction of, or damage in, the machine. So how to fix the machine so that it functions normally?

I looked at diet, but my diet was good. I ate a lot of Greek food, which was the highly recommended Mediterranean diet. I did plenty of exercise every day gardening and going on long walks. I had given up smoking some 5 or 6 years earlier. And I lived in clean environment, a rainforest for Goodness sake. I was living in a place of full of clean air, full of wonderful sights and sounds, but the machine still malfunctioned! How could diet and exercise be relevant when they didn’t change all through the years? The only issue on the table was my desire to work.  And my health problems reappeared with a vengeance this time. Indeed my health deteriorated only after I talked to my husband about working again and my problems were worse than in Sydney. I hadn’t made any calls. I hadn’t arranged any interviews. What the doctors were telling me and the conditions in my life, just didn’t add up. I became suspicious.

I began to suspect that my husband was, in some way, adversely influencing me and that was somehow affecting my health. Indeed my suspicions were such that I became vocal about them. He told me it was crazy thinking and asked “haven’t I always supported you? Haven’t I always supported whatever you wanted to do?” I couldn’t deny it. He did say and do things that strongly pointed to support. And for sure, I could not imagine how it could even be possible that he could have had adversely affected me.

Soon though, the issue of my getting work put us at odds and we began to argue. On one occasion the argument reached boiling point. I felt I was at an impasse. In frustration I screamed at him “I was going to leave you and this time I want a divorce”. We’d had a short trial separation much earlier, and all through that time he was keen to give the marriage another go and make it work. He gave a deep, dark frown and growled as I angrily stormed off, but said nothing.

I went to my bedroom to pack and leave that very day. I grabbed my large travel bag, opened it up and began to sift through my belonging. Within about five or ten minutes I began to feel unease. And in another ten minutes or so I was experiencing some chest pain and some difficulty breathing.

I thought “why does this have to happen now!” But I was determined to leave so I continued packing.

Suddenly my husband appeared at the door and said “If you stop packing and stay here with me, all those bad symptoms will go away.”

“What? Did I hear him right?” I was stunned. “What are you talking about?” I screeched. “Have you gone crazy? These are medical problems” I spat at him. I had had a lot of suspicions by that time and I had made a lot of accusations, but I was unable to tie him, in any way, to my health problems. “What could anyone else do to make a heart problem appear?” I thought. It was preposterous so I turned to packing my bag, but unperturbed he continued.

“Just do as I say and you’ll see that the bad symptoms will soon disappear.” This was too much. I told him he was off his rocker. And after I huffed and puffed for a minute or two I said “just go away and accept the fact that I was leaving you”. But he continued to insist. Then in what seemed like a move of desperation he said

“just look out the window”.

“Have you lost your mind?” I laughed. “So what am I going to see out of the window that is in any way related to my health problems? I challenged him, but he carried on regardless.

“Just look out of the window”. he insisted and made me really annoyed

“you’re full of shit” I shouted, but remarkably he stood facing me defiant. “Surely he’s gone crazy” I thought as I walked over to the window and looked out. To my surprise I saw two men in about their mid to late twenties standing around, well in from the footpath section, at the end of our driveway. And I noticed that one of them seemed to have something under his tee-shirt. There was a bulge. And by his hand movements, I thought maybe he had a gun.

The sight of these men made me feel a lot worse. But I simply thought that whatever was wrong with me just got worse with the stress of seeing suspicious looking characters on our driveway. I asked who they were, but my husband wouldn’t answer. That made me angry, but then I thought “naaahh, I hadn’t even seen them while I was packing”. So I said “I didn’t know they were there until you pointed them out, so how could they have anything to do with my bad symptoms? Whoever they are, they’ve got nothing to do with me” I declared. And then in jest I told him “I’m leaving and I’ll drive over them if I have to” I dismissed the matter as coincidence and looked at the piece of clothing I was holding to decide what to do with it. In thinking back to that time, I am amazed at how much confidence I must have conveyed, because I was feeling very poorly.

I recall that my husband was visibly irritated by my dismissal of him. He even looked scared. First time I had ever seen him look scared! It wasn’t comprehensible. He had always had an air of confidence, regardless of circumstances. Anyway, finally he said “I’ll call them off and then you will see that all those bad symptoms will disappear. You will be well again”. I made a disbelieving hmmm sound and held up the piece of clothing I was holding even higher. But he walked passed me, went over to the window and made some noise as he opened it up. Curious now, I moved to the window and saw that the men looked up. My husband then gave them a gesture with his hand as a superior dismissing his underlings. Seeing his gesture the men immediately left. They went over to their cars, each on opposite sides of the road. And as I saw them drive away I felt relief. But what surprised me and indeed filled me with awe, was that within just a few more minutes, maybe five minutes, my symptoms were gone.

“How on earth???? I cried aloud. “How is this possible?” I thought. “How can it be possible that these men, whom I had not seen, nor even imagined were there while I was packing, have anything to do with my health problems?” It was totally illogical. So despite the evidence I had seen I was still unwilling to entertain the ideas that they could have had anything to do with my health problems. I simply thought, “Hmmm maybe he saw them there and thought to take advantage of the situation”. So I turned to him and said “I don’t know what all this is about. It all looks very strange, but I am determined to leave” so I continued to pack my bag.

My husband frowned and threatened to call them back.

His words brought me instant discomfort and I started to wonder whether something like this was behind the many other occasions, in which I had experienced similar problems and worse. It was hard to believe, but now I was truly intrigued. As I picked up the next item of clothing off my bed I thought, “if indeed these two characters outside really did have something to do with my health problems and if I understood what was going on, well then surely I could leave safely.”

Then my husband said.

“What can I do to make you stay here with me?” This was my cue. So I said,

“I’ll stay if you tell me how one person can make another person have bad symptoms? How can a person’s health be affected? Tell me all that you know” I demanded emphatically.

“You are in no position to bargain” he howled. Certainly he didn’t want to talk, but he was also hesitant. I wasn’t sure if he would talk or not, but I thought,

“well if he won’t talk, then I have no option, but to take my chances and leave. I’ll keep a look out for anyone around”. So I continued packing. My husband frowned seeing that I was very determined to leave him. And he looked anxious, which was puzzling. Then he said,

“Okay, I’ll tell you what I know, but I can’t give you any names”.

I don’t want names” I said “ I want to know what is done and how it is done”. So finally he had reluctantly agreed to reveal to me the underhanded means, by which one person can adversely affect another person’s  health. Thus my journey of discovery had begun. And what a journey it was. I learnt how underhanded foul game play was done. He told me how relationship was exploited to gain power and influence over another person. The aim he said was to manipulate and control the other person in relationship. He called it ‘life management’. And it involved some matters that ran contrary to the basic premise of science which is that materialism is all that there is. This is what I had learnt at university. He was a senior scientist, a university lecturer, a researcher in chemistry and head of school for some years. AND he was a dyed in the wool atheist!

In the following chapters I will begin to relate the discussions we had on what he euphemistically kept calling “the procedures”. The procedures were really the foul game play or ways of cheating others in relationships.

[karajaynetoday]

everybody's got their demons, even wide awake or dreaming | part one

Photo credit: Jess Gleeson 

Hello friends! Hope you’re having a lovely day wherever you are in the world. Thank you to everyone who voted in my little Google form thing on what they’d like to see me write next. Here’s Part One of my 5SOS x music journalist story. It’s a little angsty, and as the first chapter this is a lot of introduction to the OC and her story, but I hope you like it! It’s the first time I’ve written an OC into a fic, so I’d love to know your thoughts and if you’re interested in reading more about Lizzie and her adventures interviewing 5SOS.

Shout outs to @wheniminouterspace and @calumrose​ for helping me sense-check this concept, and @spicycal for giving me feedback on it in its draft stages. You’re all gems! 

Word count: 5.1k

Warnings: Fem!OC, minor swearing

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Lizzie Lawson was having a bit of a day. Her train had been late, she dropped her coffee moments after receiving it from the cute barista downstairs (and broke her favourite keep cup in the process), and her work computer had decided to run updates the moment she sat down at her desk. Maybe she shouldn’t have bothered to get out of bed this morning.

Her colleagues were tapping away at their keyboards, answering phone calls, and discussing upcoming story ideas with each other - the usual tasks, especially for a Monday morning. Lizzie, computerless and caffeine deprived, had to settle for a cup of instant coffee from the kitchenette, and had taken to tidying up her desk while her computer was restarting over and over again but still somehow not ready for use. She was on the floor, sorting through the snacks in her bottom desk drawer (crackers that were two months’ past their expiry date, some gummy worms, and what seemed like hundreds of cans of tuna) when James, the music editor, stuck his head out of his office and called for her.

“Lawson! Where are you?” James sounded confused. He could’ve sworn he’d seen Lizzie at her desk moments ago, and then suddenly she popped her head up like a meerkat.

“Jimbo! Here. What’s crack-a-lackin?” Lizzie responded, standing up and brushing herself off as she headed towards where James was standing in his office doorway.

“Got a pitch for ya. Step into my office, if you’re finished with your spring clean.” James chuckled as he stepped back inside and sat down on the couch opposite his desk. 

A number of journalism awards were displayed on the shelf above the couch, and the floor to ceiling window overlooked Sydney’s CBD and its tall, grey buildings, with a glimpse of the harbour ocean in the distance. Lizzie had to admit she’d imagined herself in James’ desk chair more than a few times; the music editor of one of Australia’s leading youth and pop culture publishing companies, regularly travelling the world to interview award-winning artists, and assigning and guiding well-crafted investigative pieces on the entertainment industry and those within in. 

But, in reality, Lizzie had only recently worked her way up to being in the music department, after a couple of years on the news desk and a series of casual internships at different publications around the place. But music journalism, and the passion she had for live performances and watching artists grow and develop their sounds and aesthetics over their careers, was where Lizzie had always wanted her career to go. She was grateful to James for having her on the team, but she also knew that he didn’t recruit just anyone - so her writing must’ve been strong enough to get her here. James was a good boss, salt of the earth, always had his team’s back, but he was also a little mysterious, and this morning’s meeting was one of those where his face was giving absolutely nothing away as Lizzie joined him on the couch in the office. 

“So, what’s up?” Lizzie said, trying to hide the nervousness in her voice.

“Well, Lawson. You’ve only been on deck for a few months, but turns out my gut instinct about you has paid off. That profile you did on the 1975 last month has gotten some good feedback and traction out and about.” James spoke in a measured tone, pulling his laptop off the coffee table and opening it.

“Oh! Well, that’s… good, right?” Lizzie still couldn’t figure out exactly why she was in James’ office. Or why she was so nervous. 

“Correct, it is good. It’s been great to see you come into your own a little bit, and develop your interview style. I also really appreciated you stepping in to cover the Matt Corby interview for Hannah the other day, when she had that stomach bug.” James continued, seemingly searching for an email or something on his laptop as he spoke. 

“No worries! Hannah’s notes were really thorough, plus I definitely had a Matt Corby phase when he was on Australian Idol back in 2006! Oof, that fringe, you know?” Lizzie cringed internally when she heard herself starting to babble. 

James snorted, before clearing his throat. “I’m sure Matt was glad the 2006 hairstyle didn’t take up too many words in the final profile piece. He was pretty happy with it though, and his management were too, according to the label. So happy, in fact, that they’re requested you to profile another one of their artists.”

James had Lizzie’s full attention now, and she still couldn’t read his expression. “Really? Me? Who’s the artist?” She asked, trying not to get too excited too soon.

“Yes, indeed, you. 5 Seconds of Summer, or 5SOS. They’ve got a new album due out in a month or so, and their publicist is keen to fly you out to LA for a few weeks to follow them around while they wrap things up in the studio, and do a profile piece on their journey to date. Are you familiar with their stuff? They’re offering us an exclusive, something about the album being linked to their homeland or something, so they wanted to go with an Australian media outlet first.” James set his laptop back down on the coffee table and angled it so Lizzie could see an email on the screen that had a few lines of text and a photo of a band onstage.

5SOS. Was Lizzie familiar? Oh yes, she was familiar. Lizzie Lawson hailed from the western suburbs, and 5SOS was the area’s biggest success story. Aussie boys made good, with millions of albums sold, billions of song streams, thousands of concerts played all around the world, that was their career to date. But for Lizzie, 5SOS were always a bit closer to home. She’d attended the same high school as three of the band members, and Michael Clifford was someone she called her best friend, once upon a time. Ashton had also befriended Lizzie’s older brother Lachlan when they’d worked together at KFC. That was years ago now, and they’d all fallen out of touch, because sometimes that’s just the way the universe works. You grow up and you move on and you don’t keep the same friends, because sometimes they move to the other side of the world and get super famous as successful musicians. Or something like that. Even if they know your deepest secrets, or biggest fears, or hopes and dreams, or you trust them more than anything, sometimes they still leave you. 

Lizzie’s previous state of intrigue quickly became panic, because what if she wasn’t actually being chosen based on the merit of her work? What if the 5SOS team knew about her connection to the band, and were going to use it to manipulate her writing in some way? What if it was all a ploy to get her and Michael in the same room so he could finally call her out on what had gone down between them all those years ago? What if - 

“Lawson! You on planet earth still, or wait?” James snapped his fingers in front of Lizzie’s face to get her attention. She shook her head to clear it, and wrung her hands together in her lap.

“Yep, I’m familiar with their work. A little fuzzy on the most recent work, but I have a bit of knowledge on a lot of their early stuff. And Youngblood, of course. Everyone knows Youngblood. ARIA song of the year, a billion streams, etc etc.” Lizzie spoke, meeting James’ gaze as he cocked his head at her curiously. He knew Lizzie had a tendency to get a little nervous when she was put on the spot, but there was something about her right now that was a little more unsettled than usual that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

“Good. Well, if you’re down, the label will cover three weeks accommodation in Los Angeles. Labels don’t usually do that kind of thing, but their manager is super keen for you to get enough quality time with the band to build up a solid profile piece. We’ll cover your daily expenses, I’ll send you instructions for the claiming app, and then we just need your passport to get the flights booked. Sound okay?” 

“Y-yep. Yes. Okay. Right. When would I be leaving?” Lizzie pinched her thigh through her jeans to double check that she wasn’t dreaming, and that yes, this was actually happening. 

“Friday midday. We’ll put some feelers out in LA, and see if there’s any other interviews you can do while you’re there, but your focus will be on 5SOS because they’re picking up the bill for your stay. But that being said, don’t let that sway what you write. They’ve requested you because they like your deep, detailed, open style of profiling, so don’t be afraid to ask some curly questions to get the answers that will craft the right piece, you know?” James spoke firmly, looking pointedly at Lizzie who quickly nodded in response.

“Right, well, I’ll cc you into this email chain with their publicist and manager, and we’ll go from there. You can hand over your other pieces to Hannah, you’ll need to spend the next few days prepping for LA and doing whatever research you need to feel ready. You’ve got this, Lizzie. I know you can do a great job.” James was trying to be encouraging, as he stood up and opened the door to his office, but Lizzie’s heart was pounding with nerves and she barely hear his words. 

She walked back to her desk in a daze, and Hannah had to literally poke Lizzie in her side to get her attention and ask what James had said in the meeting. A few excited squeals and a bear hug later, Hannah was off and running talking about lists of things Lizzie needed to organise before her international adventure was due to begin in a few days’ time. Lizzie, on the other hand, still couldn’t believe it. What the fuck was happening?

--

The next few days flew by in a haze of emails, life admin, last minute shopping trips and a lot of deep breathing on Lizzie’s part, and before she knew it, she was wrangling her suitcase out of an Uber and into the international terminal at Sydney Airport. Lizzie, as a generally anxious person, had arrived the full three hours early for her flight, but her parents had treated her to a flight lounge guest pass (because they wanted her to know they were proud), so she was able to deal with her nerves by eating far too many complimentary croissants and hash browns. 

Soon enough, the time to board the plane arrived, and Lizzie was grateful that she ended up in an empty row of seats, by some miracle. Praise be to the airline gods, or whichever higher power had decided she’d be able to at least try and get some sleep in the next fourteen hours. She’d set her phone and watch forward to Los Angeles time, so she could try and adjust her body clock accordingly, which meant that she’d have to stay up for a few hours at least.

Lizzie tried to be productive, and tapped away at her research notes on her laptop for a little while, before she found herself opening up the band’s instagram page in her browser. The four men staring back at Lizzie through the screen seemed a million miles away from the gangly, excitable teenagers she’d known all those years ago. There was an interesting intensity about them in the photograph, steely gazes and defined bodies under carefully selected clothing, but there was also a peacefulness in their poses beside one another. Like being together, in this moment captured minutes before heading onstage, was the most natural thing in the world. Lizzie found her eyes drawn towards Michael; his dirty blonde hair swept across his forehead (not dissimilar to the style he’d had in their high school days, to be honest), and it was accompanied by some scruffy facial hair and a dangly cross earring in one ear. His grey-green eyes seemed to peer right into her soul, and Lizzie involuntarily shivered at the thought of seeing him again in person in a day or so. 

She was still anxious about whether or not this entire thing was a scam, but nonetheless, she was going to try her darndest to be a consummate professional, and write the best profile story of her life. In her research, Lizzie had reviewed some previous 5SOS interviews, and she’d cringed her way through their Rolling Stone interview from many years prior. She remembered reading it at the time it was published, unable to believe some of the words attributed to the boys she’d once called her friends, and the intense aftermath that followed. Understandably, they’d avoided in-depth profile interviews since, so Lizzie was incredibly curious as to why they’d changed their mind. Why now? Why her? She closed her laptop and drifted into sleep, curled up across three airplane seats and tucked under a thin blanket. 

Lizzie’s shoulders and neck were stiff when she awoke, an hour or so before her flight was due to land. She used the in-flight wifi to check her emails quickly, and noted a new one from 5SOS’s publicist Danielle, which welcomed Lizzie to Los Angeles and explained that she should catch a taxi to her accommodation at the address listed, and that she should give her a call once she was checked in. Right. That seemed straight forward enough.

LAX customs were intimidating as ever (god, Lizzie was so nervous), but Lizzie made it through without incident and was able to quickly make her way into a cab with a driver who seemed familiar with her accommodation address. They drove her to a boutique-looking hotel, and when Lizzie checked in and made her way up to her room, she was pleasantly surprised at how nice it was. A queen-sized bed, a good desk for working at, a nice view from her balcony of the Hollywood Hills, a small kitchenette with a fridge and microwave, and a glorious bathroom that had a very enticing bath tub in it (Lizzie’s shoulders and neck were already thankful for the idea of being able to soak in some nice hot water for a while). 

After checking the room for serial killers (better to be safe than sorry, right?) Lizzie had a quick shower and changed out of her travel trackies and oversized hoodie into a pair of jeans, a clean shirt and a blazer, before opening up her phone and scrolling down to Danielle’s contact. A few deep breaths were required before Lizzie built up the courage to press “call”.

“This is Danielle!” A cheery American accent answered on the other end of the line.

“H-hi Danielle, this is Lizzie, from Junkee Australia. You said in my email I should give you a call once I was all checked in, and I am, so…” Lizzie found herself giggling nervously and facepalmed.

“Lizzie, of course! How was your flight? Long and boring?”

“Yep, that about sums it up!” Danielle’s enthusiasm made Lizzie feel like she had to perk herself up a bit in conversation.

“Well, I’m sure you’re gagging for a nap, but we’ve got to get you adjusted to the timezone so we can make the most of your time here. I’m just finishing up something in the office, but I can swing by your hotel in about 45 minutes, and we can go over your story pitch and the band schedule for the next few weeks, and figure out your interview time slots and other things you can go along to observe, if that works for you?” Lizzie could hear Danielle’s keyboard clacking as she spoke.

“Sure, well, you have my number now, so just text me when you get here. I’ll try my best not to nap in the meantime.” Lizzie’s somewhat dry response got a laugh out of Danielle, who agreed and bid her farewell, ending the call.

Placing her phone down on the bedside table, Lizzie looked around the hotel room that was set to be her home away from home for the better part of the next month, and spotted a coffee machine on top of the mini fridge. If she was really going to keep her no-nap promise, caffeine was definitely in order. 

True to her word, Danielle arrived at the hotel within the hour, and soon Lizzie found herself sat beside Danielle on a fancy couch tucked in a corner of the hotel lobby. Danielle had opened up her laptop, and also pulled a plastic folder of documents out of her tote bag.

“Okay, so… I’m sure you’ve done your own research, but here’s a few hard copies of the band bio, album press release, and a few other tidbits from the label, along with a hard copy of the band schedule. It’s all confidential and coded, the electronic version I’ve emailed you will have the proper locations for everything, but I thought a print out might be handy anyway. The boys are recording some stuff at the studio Calum has at his house tomorrow, so I figured we could introduce you there and then after that figure out what else you’d like to get done. There’s an industry showcase for some of the new songs at the end of the week, and then they’re doing various promo and album prep things, finalising mixes, photoshoots, etc, so there’s a bit of variety for you. Any initial thoughts on how you want to do the interviews for your profile?” Danielle rattled off, gazing at Lizzie expectantly when she finished speaking.

Lizzie blinked at her a few times before collecting herself. “In my research, I found it really interesting to hear the band and some of the fans talking about how 5SOS has evolved into the collective effort of four individual artists, not just the band as one artistic music entity, so I was hoping, if possible, to interview them individually, as well as observing them as a group. Would.. Would that be okay, do you think?” 

Danielle pursed her lips, before breaking out into a smile. 

“I think that sounds exactly like something the band would be willing to do. Damn, Matt Emsell was right - you do know your stuff.” She chuckled, handing the folder of documents over to Lizzie and pulling out the schedule that was on top.

“So studio at Calum’s tomorrow from 10am, I’ll swing by and collect you so we can do introductions, I’ll stick around for a bit just to make sure you’re all good but otherwise I’m just going to let you do your thing. The band have been doing this for long enough now, they don’t need their publicist hovering.”

The curiosity was killing Lizzie. She couldn’t not ask. 

“Danielle, I’ve got to ask this, sorry. Do the band… know me? Know that I’m the one coming to interview them?” Lizzie managed to get out, avoiding eye contact.

“What do you mean?” Danielle cocked her head to one side, clearly confused at the question. “I sent them the Matt Corby piece you did, and they liked that, so that was one of the reasons we asked you out here. So they’re familiar with your work, if that’s what you’re asking?”

“No, um… oh god, I’ve made this super awkward now.” Lizzie laughed dryly, wringing her hands together. “I mean, I know them. Personally. Or at least I used to. I’m from Sydney, and I went to school with Luke, and Calum, and… Michael. So I was just wondering,  um, if they realised that it was me and that was part of why I was asked to come to LA for this…Not really sure why that would make them choose me, but I just wanted to make sure we were all on the same page before tomorrow.” Lizzie finally dared to look up at Danielle, whose expression was unreadable.

“Hmm, well, that is interesting. As far as I know, that wasn’t a factor at all. We all genuinely liked your writing style, so whether or not the boys made the connection, I have no idea. They’re not super keen on any irrelevant personal life stuff making it into this piece though, so if this is going to be a problem for you, we should deal with it now.” Her tone was slightly less warm than before, and Lizzie could sense the protective publicist side of Danielle kicking in.

“Definitely not a problem. I entirely intend to be fully professional, and like you said, my writing will speak for itself. Just wanted to put it all out there. Not a problem for me.” Lizzie spoke up, willing herself to sound more confident than she felt.

“Good. We have no problems here then. I’ve got to run, but text me with any questions, otherwise I’ll see you at 9.30am tomorrow for the drive to Calum’s!” Danielle’s tone was nice and bright again, as she shut her laptop and gathered her belongings, patting Lizzie’s shoulder in what she assumed was some sort of attempt at calming her nerves.

It didn’t work though. Not a problem for Lizzie? Bullshit. Not a problem for 5SOS, and Michael in particular? Seemed unlikely. 

--

Lizzie was worried she’d have a restless night’s sleep because of her overwhelming anxiety about the next day’s reunion, but the exhaustion from her travelling overtook her and she almost slept through her alarm. A quick shower and a shot of espresso later and Lizzie was downstairs waiting for Danielle to pick her up to head over to meet the band.

“Morning! How’d you sleep?” Danielle chirped as she rolled into the car park, her car window down. 

“Very deeply, thank you! The room is really comfortable. Thanks again for organising.” Lizzie mentally urged herself to keep up the small talk as a way of hiding her nerves.

The car ride over was mostly quiet, but when they pulled up outside of what Lizzie assumed was Calum’s house, she definitely felt like she was about to vomit.

“Just so you know, I flagged our conversation last night with the band. About your pitch around the individual interviews, and also about your little… connection to them. Ashton didn’t seem to think it was a problem, so it should all be fine.” Danielle mused, as she opened her car door and hopped out. All Lizzie could do was nod, because her throat was dry and she was starting to panic. She blindly followed Danielle through the front gate and around the side of the house to a building in the backyard, Lizzie strained to hear what sounded like raised, male voices floating towards them as they approached. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, but it didn’t entirely sound positive.

Danielle knocked loudly on the door and shot Lizzie a reassuring smile, before the shouting subsided and it swung open. Calum Hood stood in the doorway, and Lizzie sucked in a breath. It’d been eight years, maybe more since she’d last seen Calum, and even then, had they spoken? She couldn’t remember. 

Calum smiled at Danielle, and then his eyes flickered over to Lizzie, not quite carrying the same happiness, but not entirely losing it either.

“Morning, ladies. Welcome to casa di Calum, come on in.” He spoke with that scratchy, deep voice of his that Lizzie had reacquainted herself with when watching hours of interviews during her research. 

Danielle stepped passed Calum into the room, and she indicated for Lizzie to follow, which she did. Lizzie could feel Calum’s gaze on her as she brushed past him, but the minute she stepped inside, any sense of warmth or welcome she’d felt before vanished. 

Luke and Ashton were standing over by the sound recording panel, turning to look at Lizzie and Danielle as they entered. Lizzie thought she saw a hint of a smile on Luke’s face (they had survived Year 8 Maths together, after all… that had to count for something, right?), but Ashton was unreadable.

Entirely obvious, though, was the look of bitter disdain on Michael Clifford’s face when Lizzie finally spotted him hunched over on the couch along the wall. Those grey-green eyes were staring her down with a harsh glare. It had familiarity about it, Lizzie realised, but not in a good way. 

Danielle cleared her throat in the silence, and turned to Lizzie.

“Well, I believe introductions might not be required, but in the interest of professionalism and courtesy - “ Lizzie didn’t miss Danielle’s pointed glance towards Michael, who was still scowling silently towards everyone - “Lizzie Lawson from Junkee, I would like you to meet Calum Hood, Ashton Irwin, Luke Hemmings and Michael Clifford, also collectively known as 5 Seconds of Summer or 5SOS.” 

Lizzie waved, and then immediately cursed herself for being so goddamn awkward.  She received a nod of recognition from Ashton, and small smiles from Luke and Calum. From Michael, more scowling. This was going to be a long three weeks. 

“So, Lizzie, why don’t you go through the pitch for the profile that we discussed yesterday? The boys already have a bit of an idea, but I’m sure they’d love to hear it from you.” Danielle was being overly encouraging, but it worked, and Lizzie took a deep breath before speaking.

“Thanks, Danielle. And thank you to you guys, honestly. I know this is a little strange for all of us -”

“Fucking oath it is.” Lizzie heard Michael mutter under his breath, but she continued, undeterred. 

“But, I’m really excited to have the opportunity to interview you and pull together this story. Especially on behalf of the Australian music media. I know they haven’t always given you the recognition you deserve, but I think this piece is a chance to overcome that. Anyway, the specific pitch I’d love to go with is reflective of you as individual artists, as well as the collective band group. If it’s suitable, it’d be great to have the chance to speak to each of you one-on-one as well as a group, to give a holistic view of your journeys as people and as musicians and what you’re trying to achieve with this album. So… yeah…” Lizzie trailed off nervously, clenching her hands at her sides.

“I love it. We’re happy you’re here, Lizzie. I really loved the Matt Corby piece Danielle sent us, and like you said, it was really important for us to have the perspective of an Australian journalist for this story and where we’re at right now.” Ashton’s calm voice broke the silence, as he nodded at Lizzie in agreeance. Luke and Calum nodded too, and Lizzie tried not to look towards Michael because no doubt he was still glaring at her.

“Great! Everyone’s on the same page. I have to dash off to a meeting, but Lizzie has my number if she needs it, otherwise all of you please behave and don’t scare her off, nor say anything that means I’ll have to destroy her tape recorder. Sound good? Good!” Danielle rattled off quickly, moving out the door and shutting it behind her. 

The tension in the air was thick, and it was all seething from Michael’s direction towards Lizzie. She closed her eyes for a moment, before reaching into her bag and pulling out her phone, notebook and pen. She spotted a chair behind her, and turned back towards Luke and Ashton.

“Well, where do you want to start? A group sit down, some general thoughts on the journey so far and what the album experience has been like?” Lizzie offered, trying to make herself sound enthusiastic, but also in control and like she knew what she was doing.

Luke, Calum and Ashton all murmured in agreeance, and moved themselves over to sit by Michael on the couch, while Lizzie dragged the chair she’d spotted over to sit facing them.

“Right. All good if I audio record this?” She asked, hitting record on her voicenotes app after three heads nodded at her.

“So, the album. Where did it begin? Did anyone or anything influence or kick off the sonic direction or the start of the exploratory process?”

The conversation was flowing quite well, Lizzie though. Ashton dominated most of the responses to her questions, but Luke and Calum chipped in their perspectives throughout. Michael didn’t say a word, even when Calum poked him in the side, and instead of glaring at Lizzie he was now staring blankly at the wall over her shoulder. An improvement, sort of, but still not ideal from a journalist and interviewee perspective, let alone when the interviewee was someone who used to be Lizzie’s best friend. 

Before she knew it, an hour had past, and Ashton stood, remembering a meeting they had scheduled with the label and their management team, and bringing the interview to a close. 

As Lizzie was packing up her equipment, she cautiously brought up the topic of the one on one interviews. 

“So, does anyone in particular have free time in the next few days, so I can start on the individual profiling part of the story?” Lizzie asked, her tone hopeful.

Michael’s response was to push straight past her and walk out of the studio, muttering to himself and slamming the door as he went. The loud noise made Lizzie flinch, and she realised her heart was racing and her hands were a little shaky. 

“I’ve got time, LL Cool J. I’ll meet you at Joan’s on Third for lunch, say 1pm?”  Lizzie smiled at the pld nickname Calum slipped into his quiet response to her question. 

“Works for me, C Dizzle Swizzle. Thanks again for your time today, I really appreciate it. Not to sound like a broken record, but I’m really excited for this piece and the chance to tell your story.” Lizzie found herself grinning like an idiot as she met Calum’s warm gaze, and noted that Ashton and Luke were also smiling at her.

“We’re excited too, Lizzie. Even if… some of us might not quite be as enthusiastic as they should be. But, don’t worry. He’ll come round.” It was Luke that spoke this time, his striking blue eyes somehow staring straight into Lizzie’s soul as he looked at her. 

“Here’s hoping.” Lizzie tried not to sound too dull in her response, but it was a challenge. 

Because honestly, how the fuck was she going to do a profile on all four members of 5 Seconds of Summer, if one of them could barely stand being in the same room as her?

Time will tell, Lizzie thought to herself as she walked out of the door to Calum’s studio and into the warm California sunlight. Time will tell. 

Taglist: @suchalonelysunflower​ @blackbutterfliescal​ @redrattlers​ @loveroflrh​ @spicycal​ @notinthesameguey​ @metalandboybands​

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#5sos imagine #5sos fanfiction #my writing #ashton irwin imagine #luke hemmings imagine #calum hood imagine #michael clifford imagine #5sos blurb #ashton irwin fanfiction #luke hemmings fanfiction #calum hood fanfiction #michael clifford fanfiction #whew this is the longest thing i've written so far #hope you like it #it's fine if you don't tho #the posting anxiety is REAL omg

[mehonaspace]

(Spiritual) Freedom - an unpopular opinion

(From Website: Mehona.Space - Blog Post: "The Covid Chronicles")

Sydney is currently in its fourth week of lockdown. The frustration grows with every new day, and so do the numbers of Covid infections and the uncertainty that accompanies them. Economic, financial, social and individual uncertainty all proves to be a challenge on political leaders and the mind of any individual involved and affected. While the pandemic ravages worldwide, I believe it has its most significant impact on first world countries. That's not to undermine the hardships of other parts of the world but to highlight how comfortable we feel in our entitlement and how different our definition and approach to so-called "freedom" are.

The challenges at hand; businesses are unsure if they will make it through the current restrictions due to loss of income. Individuals are left uncertain when they can get back to work or if their old job will still be available once lockdown has ended. People start questioning their freedom every new day as they long to go back to their old lives. This is indeed a simplified look-out, focusing on why people started to go on the streets and protest, not considering the circumstances of people who are now battling the virus and facing immediate health challenges.

Thousands of people protested yesterday in Sydney against the lockdown, breaching public health orders and demanding "freedom" from the restrictions the government implemented. Fueled by inflammatory media and coated with conspiracy theories, a fiery event of drama starts playing out big time. As of now, individuals affected by the lockdown get a weekly payment of up to $600 to assist them financially. Businesses receive another financial package, and while it may be true that it is not enough to cover expenses, people forget that it is a support payment - not an income. It is financial aid as an immediate response to a state of emergency. While protesters hold up signs for what they supposedly fight for, what they actually fight against can be found in most people's conversations with their friends. The most common complaint is "I watched all Netflix series that are available, I am bored", "I don't know what to do, I just want to be out and have fun again", "I don't know what to do with myself". The main issue first world countries face is not entirely about the economic impact on businesses; it's about the attack on their entitled comfort zone. There, you have it! Yes, the current situation impacts your mental health, "Karen", I understand, but to be honest, stop making more out of that as it is. You are not out on the streets for a genuine call for freedom. You are here because you couldn't stand to face yourself anymore. The loss of purpose that your job and everyday life provided you threatens your identity. It made room for a feeling of emptiness and boredom as the lockdown continued. You started reflecting on your life, and because your entitlement and comfort disabled your creativity to explore and expand your purpose, you start demanding your old life back. Suddenly, those conspiracy theories that you would have brushed off as utter non-sense years ago became very tempting. A welcomed distraction from the fact that you are too afraid to face yourself.

You threw stuff at mounted police yesterday in attempts to seduce a "perpetrator" that would prove your self-proclaimed victimhood. You demand "Freedom" while running away from the condition that would help you discover the true meaning of what you are asking. You shout "Wake Up, Sheeps" while you are running with the herd in the hamster wheel of complaining and blaming. No sight of true empowerment; you only contribute to perpetuating the same drama that we had before. There is nothing new, enlightening or revolutionary that you provide. Your concern for freedom and empowerment is at its loudest when asked to wear a mask and stay at home. You stayed quiet all year while profiting from your advantaged lifestyle that denies your freedom demands in other parts of the world. Parts that contribute to your comfortable, stylish and entitled life but have limited access to those aspects in their own home country.

Surfing on the wave of new-age spirituality, you tell people to "make a change", but your call for freedom is a testimony of how ready you are to go back to the same jail cell. Your inability to discover your own creative nature leaks through your requests for freedom. The fact that you feel suppressed while still having all the comfort of western life (e.g. running water, electricity, food, entertainment devices) is a joke in the face of struggles that people in Cuba, Ethiopia, Madagascar, and other disadvantaged countries experience.

If you want to be part of the spiritual revolution, start by facing yourself. Start by emitting a balanced vibration in the face of crisis rather than fueling the fear and drama that transforms people into brainless rioters.

You believe the government created conditions and circumstances to take away your freedom. In reality, life gave you an opportunity to find true freedom where it always has been - within you. Use your energy to fuel your potential for a genuine change in how we approach life and be the beacon of liberty that you claim to be.

The current crisis is a challenge that holds potential for new ways of business, economics and a much needed new evaluation of how we value social life and job wages like such in health or social work.

So next time when you protest for "freedom", ask yourself if it is for true liberty or simply a demand to get back your entitlement to reap the benefits of a broken system.

If you cannot find temporary freedom in your own four walls while getting financial aid and having the comfort of western life, you simply don't value your actual freedom.

If you cannot find a connection to your own creative nature to handle a few weeks of lockdown, ask yourself if this might be a good time to push the emotional and mental boundaries. Go beyond your fragility and  explore your true potential. Don't ask others to help you reinforce your identity and giving you security.

Reinvent yourself to come out of this stronger. The freedom and benefits of the first world still provide all of us with enough tools to create liberty and expand our potential!

#sydney #lockdown #freedom #spiritualawakening #covid #australia #protest #covid restrictions #writer

[theantagonistsbliss]

My 2020 thus far..... in terms of girls.

November 15th, 2020

I’d like to start of by summarizing the amount of girls that have been a part of my life this year and have decided to up and leave for one reason or another.

Robyn C - I was casually seeing her from work. It wasn’t anything serious, but it was fun for the time being. I assumed we were going to continue seeing each other until she had to move to Vancouver for school; that was one of the appealing parts of the “relationship” because it would have an inevitable end not because of either of us but because of physical distance being placed....that ended early because she slowly stopped talking to me and started seeing someone else without letting me know. Dope. Found that one out through my roommate who knew for weeks. Stung a bit.

Sydney P - Aaaah yes this one. I simped for this girl really hard. Definitely not worth it though. This is the girlfriend that cheated on me the previous year. We didn’t talk for 6 months after that happened. Until I was an idiot and wanted to catch up and see how she was doing . Gave her a call and chatted for a while. We started texting again. I made it clear though that I didn’t want to hangout, because when we broke up I made it public that I caught her cheating, so it would also look bad on me if we were seen together again...because it was. Eventually I caved and we hungout in person...also one unfortunate night downtown at the clubs before lockdown, a very drunk me, her, and her friend ended up at her place and did some regrettable (But mostly awesome) things. Definitely shouldn’t have, but that night is burned into my memory now. Anyways, we were friendly for some time after that, even open about other people that we potentially wanted to start seeing or dating, and it was fine temporarily. Until she started seeing this guy that sounded awful, from her perspective not just mine. I sucked it up until she was drinking with him one night near my house and sent me DIRECTLY multiple snaps of them together kissing and what not, the day after I told her that I needed to take a step back from our friendship because I still had feelings for her. Huuuuuge mistake on my part for trying to keep her around and give her another chance. I clearly thought I saw something in her that wasn’t there, and she wanted me around as a friend. Which honestly I understand, I am a GREAT friend. Most of my good friends are female because of how open I am with them and how comfortable I am talking about my feelings. She felt that too, and wanted me to stay that way. But It would have been disingenuous to myself to ignore the feelings that I still had that she clearly didn’t. And after telling her that we CAN’T be friends anymore for those reasons, she disagreed and said I was “running away from the issue”. Which I’m going to chalk up to her wishful thinking, as she would assume me swallowing those feelings would have been better? I don’t know. All I know is that she is still with this dude and I shouldn’t have anything to do with her anymore. She wasn’t THE reason, but she was definitely a solid variable for me to leave Kelowna as I felt the need to physically distance myself from that kind of one sided toxic friendship. 

Katie B - Didn’t actually date her or anything this year, but she was my friend. And in my world where I was miserable and felt the need to move back home to save money during my last year of school because of the Corona Virus Pandemic, I thought it would be comforting to have a friend that I still messaged regularly to be waiting for me when I got home. But surprise surprise, we hangout one time and it felt...off. She was seeing some guy that hit one her when we were seeing each other, but to my knowledge it still wasn’t anything serious. BUT, she eventually told me that she was intentionally distancing herself from me to respect her now BOYFRIEND...when wee months before she was still sending me pictures of her ass while they were “dating”. To some point I can respect her decision but holy fuck does that timing suck for me. Thinking that I will have a friend in this tough time of isolation where there are few people I actually want to see in my home town. Jokes on me though, #BadLuckBrian

Abby M - for clarification, I never dated this girl. Not one time. Thank God for that though. We simply just messaged each other for years, talking fairly regularly. Because we never lived in the same city for the majority of our friendship we seemed to overshare a lot and be a lot more open with each other, since it was seemingly risk free. So EVENTUALLY, since I had to move back home we got to hangout...like one time. And previously we both said we had a bit of a crush on the other. We would not hangout again for weeks, maybe months, though I have had a lot of free time, same as her seeing as she lost her job and was making mediocre money from her mediocre only fans...Not the best romantic candidate haha, whoops. Anyways, I kept asking to hangout and eventually she said “no can do, I have a boyfriend”, which would be fine...if she didn’t lead me on for months. She said things like “Well I kept calling you my best friend, I put you in the friend zone”, buuuut simultaneously would send me nudes on the regular. Strange girl, strange thing. I called her out for leading me on and how that’s not okay and she simply just said I was simping for her haha. Sorry girl, I would NOT pay for your OF. Strange “Friendship” indeed. Truthfully I do miss some of the talks that we had when I wasn’t in the same city as her. When there was no real reason for us to be anything more than pen pals to each other. I think I learned something from this one. 

Makayla M - This one is the freshest. Scene, I’m still living in Kelowna. I match with her on Tinder, she seems like a cool girl. She wants to meet up for a drink. I tell her yes but I don’t want to waste her time and that I’m moving back home for approximately 5 months. She says that is unfortunate but still wants to meet because she thinks I'm a cool guy as well, at least over text/snap. We have a drink and hangout, its great, she’s great, we really get along. Nothing happens though, no kisses or anything, we both just go home. A few days later we hangout again, this time doing the “Netflix and Chill” thing. We have sex, its great, its fun, I don’t regret it. I leave in a couple days, on the night before I leave I’m having drinks with my roommates, end up going to her house instead of finding my way home, we have sex again. Still great. She's great. I leave the next morning. We ended up talking everyday for the next 4 months. I thought to myself “damn, she might actually still be into me by the time I get back!”. Which maybe was naïve of me. A few days after I told her that I found a new place and roommate in Kelowna and can actually come back she goes...quiet...We were talking pretty much everyday before this, so it was weird that she was being a lot more quiet than usual. It was like that for about a week. I was worried, maybe something had actually happened to her? I was about to straight up ask her roommate if something had happened to her of if I was just being ghosted. After about a week of that I messaged her asking if she was okay, suggesting maybe that she started seeing someone? She didn’t respond for another 2 days, but when she did she said “Hi! Sorry, I’ve been super busy with work. And yeah I’ve kind of started seeing someone”. Which for one, she works at a liquor store, not sure how busy she could be but oh well, and second ouch my heart. She definitely didn’t owe me anything, since we only really hungout 3 times, but I absolutely developed feelings for this girl over the 4 months of us talking everyday. We would send each other lude snaps, and cute messages about how we wish the other person was within reach so we could cuddle and give each other smooches & do cute things for the other. I was in it man, I really wanted this to be a possibility when I inevitably moved back. And then, once I am only 1 month from moving back she starts seeing someone else. I am immensely disappointed. Again, we didn’t owe anything to each other, but God I was into giving her more than she deserved. All I said to her when she sent that was “oh yeah I kind of figured, well good luck with that”. That was the last thing I said to her after months of sending cute nothings to one another. Disappointing is how I would describe that potential relationship. Right now I really want to message her, and let her know how much this upsets me that I can’t message her everyday like before anymore, and I know she will say “we can still talk and be friends!” but dammit I don’t want to be her friend. I want more than that. And I will not do what a younger version of me would do; say “Yeah I’d like that” and suffer silently when said person would get the benefit of having me as a great friend while I would be struggling to keep my composure around them. I’m still not sure if I should keep her on socials. I think it is still too fresh to think clearly about it. 

[ghostgirlvii]

Ok first time doing this, but I need to take all of this out my system. I never did such thing before, but I really want to make some sort of review.

So, I was excited to know that we would have more Pacific Rim content after Uprising and I was really looking forward to it. I did not do much research about anything because I love to keep everything a surprise and of course when Netflix dropped the trailer, I didn’t watch it. Today I binged watch the first season of Pacific Rim The Black with only 7 episodes. It was… interesting. I’m kind of glad I didn’t hype myself too much for it. Don’t get me wrong it was good, but not exactly the best. The only + points I would give now are the animation/design and story. Music vibe with the Pacific Rim universe but not that much. Uprising did a better job at catching the ‘main theme’ vibe. This series have good soundtrack but doesn’t have the catchy theme that make you feel like every thing you do is in a jaeger and you can fight anything. Also, the story take place in Australia. The first movie was a bit a let down with actor not having a real Australian accent, but hey the Hansen are still my favorite! The Black has only 2 (two) characters with Australian accent and it’s two bad guys. Not even the main characters. I’m very disappointed by it.

I guess that was the less spoilers-y part of all that’s coming, so heads up spoilers coming next. I don’t want to describe each episode fully, mostly just talking about general stuff and spoilers come from moment that made me went ‘WTF’, so I won’t spoil everything but probably some major moments.

First episode opens with a jaeger that looks very much like Striker Eureka, which turn out to be Striker Berserker (because we all know what happened to the beautiful piece of metal was Eureka!) Thing happened and the PPDC initiates something big (later reveal to be some sort of protocol that everyone call The Black) We also get introduced to our main character, Taylor and Hayley. Isn’t very clear at the beginning when this take place, however a few episodes later it said that it takes place years after the Uprising war. For now, it is safe to assume 5 years has the story is 5 years after the event of the blackout. Kaiju seems very easy to kill also, then again some are only Cat. 3 so maybe? Even then, I’m not super comfortable with this when we saw how all other pilots always struggled to kill their kaiju. Breaches also seems to appear on land now!

After some events, episode two force Taylor and Hayley to wander off the safe place their parents told them to stay 5 years ago while they went looking for help with their jaeger (Yup Mom and Dad are pilots!) Taylor and Hayley end up in a weird city with dog like kaiju after them and found out an old PPDC lab/place. They found a boy (named ‘Boy’ all season long) in an experiment lab. Oh no is the PPDC the bad guys now?! Well, answer later. We also see a kaiju/jaeger hybrid kind of fully transformed/evolve. That is just so weird at first.

Remark on episode three are small, mostly the usual people selling kaiju part or jaeger part and that feels very normal, honestly that just normal stuff. Also imply some worshippers which is then again nothing new. What’s knew is interrogating someone via drift and store everything on ‘mermory drive’ ? Cool, I guess? I don’t know, drifting always feels more ‘intimate’ it’s weird to force yourself in someone mind to find the intel you want...

Episode four is the moment where I had to check back on info about Uprising, I only saw the movie once, so I had a lot of piece and bit missing. But at this point it sort of made sense that the world would be infested of kaiju because at the end of movie Newt says the Precursors will keep attacking over and over again. So okay at this point I made peace with the idea of the world, no excuse me, Australia being invaded by so many kaiju and left in a post-apocalyse place. Also, I forgot to mention that there’s one kaiju named Cooperhead who sort of is the main kaiju who always find Taylor, Hayley and their jaeger. Which come to the point that is seems like kaiju can hear from VERY far away. Maybe this was always a thing, but it never felt like it would be like 100 kilometers like the series make it feels like.

Fifth episode is by far my favorite for one reason only…. Herc Hansen baby! Yup he made a cameo, voiceless, struggling to fight a kaiju and very old. We learn this because Taylor need to learn solo drifting via ghost drifting (using the memory drive we talked earlier, how did they get his last memory??). Turn out he is the one, under the order of I don’t remember who of the PPDC to initiate the blackout protocol and it has to be in a dramatic way. He fought solo a kaiju while making sure he could succeed his mission. Oh they also included Raleigh and Stacker when they were looking for candidate. The one who survived, although technically Herc died? If this is really canon, yup no original pilots are alive anymore. We learn that trying to drift too much with failure can cause lose of memory and ghost drifting side effect is you gain memory of the pilot you drifted with. Yay, joy! Or not. Because this mean they can, with the help the ‘memory drive’ , change the memories of someone to the point they don’t remember who they are (guess what it happen to one of the side character!)

Episode 6 gave me a headache! It is the episode with the most inconsistency. Uprising was better. I mean this episode had inconsistency coming from both movies, hard to beat. But first may I point a breach open in the middle of ground and no kaiju come up? Ok… At some point, Taylor and Hayley found a cave with jaeger and kaiju remains. Oh, that looks interesting. Wrong. The graveyard it somewhere in Australia, on land, right? Well, here’s the three kaiju found; Leatherback, Slattern and Mutavore.

Mutavore was indeed killed on Australian ground by Striker Eureka, but that was in Sydney and this cave seems very far from any city. Leatherback attacked Hong Kong! How did he ended up always the way there? Slattern was killed near/in the breach by Gipsy Danger. Once again, how it finds the way in the cave?!

Unless we are talking about the ‘cloning’ theory of Newt and there are kaiju with the same DNA has those three but then maybe precise it?

Then our jaegers; Titan Redeemer, November Ajax and Omega Valor.

Omega Valor was damaged during the attack of the Moyulan Shatterdome, then the remaining part used to fix Bracer Phoenix. All of this also took place near Japan, very close to inland Australia. I suppose we could assume Bracer Phoenix had a fight in Australia at some point and when the AI scanned the part, she tought it was Omega Valor.

But then come Titan Redeemer. Taylor has now Herc’s memory because of ghost drifting and he is sure that he knew the pilot of Titan Redeemer and helped/took down Yamarachi. Wrong. Yamarashi was taken town by Gispy Danger aka the Beckett brother with another unknown jaeger. Herc was no part of this fight.

Also remember Boy and the kaiju/Jaeger? Well Boy and him sort of drifted and we learned that the K-J is actually a surviving drone from the uprising war who fully merged to become a actual biomecha. He also eats kaiju. But at this point, Boy feels very not normal for the kind of universe Pacific Rim is. Too ‘magical’ and ‘OP’.

And the final episode, where everything resolves, in away. The kaiju who have been following Taylor and Hayley since the beginning is finally defeated, they found clues about their parents whereabout and Boy turns into a kaiju that looks like a gremlin. Yay everyone happy. Hmmm hold on. Human found in PPDC lab who turn into a kaiju? Could it be that the Precursors found a way to introduce kaiju that look human in our world? That’s what implied at the end. The worshipper called ‘The Sisters’ are revealed too and they seems to have plan… for season 2!

 That’s it! Overall, it left very unfazed. I did not hook me up as much as I hope. A lot of elements feel too magical/fantasy for the world of Pacific Rim (that’s my opinion) and errors in episode 6 really threw me off. I know that there was already some inconsistency between some infos in the first movie and the (not canon) novelization. But there were small. Also, that whole thing of be able to change people memory, I didn’t knew I was in Total Recall. The characters are nice, the story is okay, just some classic tropes, but some stuff just don’t seems to fit. And then again, would it have been hard to find actor with Australian accent? Not everyone but at least for Taylor and Hayley and not just the big bad guy and his assistant, sort of not sure who he was but definitely not the big boss’s right arm. In the end, I would give this series a 6/10. It wasn’t bad but wasn’t not as good as it could have been. I’ll watch season 2, because of the story, I’m curious of those worshippers and their business.

#Ghosty life adventure #pacific rim #pacific rim the black #I would call that an amateur review but honestly this is how I feel about this series #long post

[goattales]

Can You Still Remember

Robert Chase x Male Reader

Requested by @inhumanshadows: Robert Chase x Male reader. You’re an old friend and ex-boyfriend of Chase’s that transfers to the hospital as a new intern?

Note: The reader is a clinical psychologist, both because the team lacks a specialist in that area and because I have the best understanding of psych out of most medical fields (I took three years at A Level, so it was this or a renal specialist)

When you put in a transfer request to continue your residency at the Princeton–Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, well you expected that after your last couple months as a resident you would be stuck in the psych ward and you would start your career there. What you didn't see happening was a certain Doctor Gregory House snatching you up the second you had your full licence.

You didn't turn him down, though. Because you had heard of the team, of the enigmatic head of diagnostic medicine and his very questionable approach to treatment. Saying no would have been very stupid indeed, because this was a once in a lifetime kind of deal.

-

"Do you know any of the team?" House was making conversation, which was probably the most unnerving part of the walk to the team room.

"No, but I did know a guy with the last name of Chase back when I lived in Australia. I spent two years doing psychology in the University of Sydney as part of a scholarship transfer programme, we were in the same dorm." You spoke without looking at him, but a very small laugh drew your attention up and you found yourself swallowing a lot of unease when you watched a very dark grin split his cheeks.

"Interesting" he said, and he paused to push the glass door open and let you cross the threshold first.

"Everyone, meet Doctor Y/N L/N" House called out from behind you, and you slowly raised your gaze from the carpet to the three people sat at the table.

There was a second where you thought your brain was tricking you. You had just been talking about him, so naturally you might think you saw those green eyes, or that sandy hair. But when you blinked and found that those eyes were indeed there, and that they were staring at you with just as much disbelief, you had to talk yourself out of leaving again.

"Always a pleasure to reunite old friends."

The other two turned to look from you to House and you felt your face heat up as you stepped to the side and let him walk past.

"What do you mean?" ask the girl, Doctor Cameron, clearly the braver of everyone in the room.

"Our dear Chase and sweet little Doctor L/N here"- he put a hand on your shoulder and you jumped -"share a past. But I don't actually care, so I'll let you all catch up while I go beg Cuddy for a new case. Might go with the Oliver Twist approach, what do you think?"

No one answered, and from that you gathered he rarely asks a question to actually get an answer. The second he let you go, you released a breath you hadn't realised you were holding, and you watched him leave before taking the empty seat across from Chase and next to Cameron.

"So how do you know Chase?" The man sat at the end of the table spoke up now, and you acknowledged him with a turn of your head.

"I uh, I did two years at the University of Sydney as a transfer student, and we just kind of met through friends. We were close, we uh..." you trailed off, not knowing what to say or how to say it, but Chase was quick to cut in.

"We dated, for almost a year. But then he left and we lost touch because my phone broke and I never sent him my new number. Simple as that, now will you leave it alone?" he sounded angry, and some part of you wondered if maybe you should have said it, but you had no idea if he was out to anyone around here. You reasoned that it was better to risk hurting someone's feelings than it was to risk outing them.

-

For the next few Days House did his best to pair you two together but no more than a few words were shared between you and eventually he just got bored. So you spent weeks just not spending more time with him than absolutely necessary, and neither of you minded.

But then came the coldest day of the year so far, and before he left he went to the coat rack and plucked from it a black leather jacket. The very same jacket that many years ago you had left in his dorm room and just never remembered to pick up.

It had a hole in the lining, right around the left pocket, put there by you the day you got it. It caught on the door as you left a room and tore it; you had never sworn so much in your life.

You saw it as he swung it over his shoulders, or rather you saw the messy patch-up job he must have done himself.

"You kept it." You said simply, and he turned to you as he corrected the collar and blinked. It was just the two of you left in the room.

"What?" He asked

"My jacket. I always assumed you would have thrown it away, but you kept it. You fixed it, too." You approached him and took hold of the leather, pulled it open to run a finger over the stitching. Chase dropped his hands to his sides and watched you carefully.

"Well, it meant a lot to you, I couldn't just get rid of it. Besides, it's comfortable." His voice dropped to a very gentle volume, and you let your eyes stray up to meet his.

"It's still too big on your arms, you haven't changed much at all, have you?"

Bringing a hand up, you put a palm to his cheek and tangled your fingers in his hair. Chase leant against your hand, smiling softly.

"You have, though. You're much more handsome than I remember. And more confident, you've finally grown into your pride,"

Both of you drew closer, pressing your heads together first and then your lips. For a few seconds you just stayed their, locked in a soft but passionate kiss, and then he drew away to look at you again and smile deeper.

"I use to think about you a lot, but a couple years ago I just stopped, convinced myself you probably didn't even remember me." He said, and you shook your head.

"No, you're always at the back of my head. You were my first boyfriend, a real big step in my self discovery. Sure, my family were less than happy to hear me come out, but I was myself for the first time ever. Because you taught me how."

"I just wish you never had to leave." He put a hand behind your head and pulled you into another kiss, but this one was tougher, open mouths and bodies pressed together; you only parted because the doors opened.

You both turned to look at the door with faces like trapped rabbits and saw House stood there with a hand on his mouth to hide a smirk.

"Sorry," he said, not meaning it at all, "am j interrupting something?"

#house md #robert chase #gregory house #male reader #x male reader #male reader insert #my writing #request #asks

[livescamcitynews]

SUPREME Court judge Justice Robert McDougall is never a man to mince his words

SUPREME Court judge Justice Robert McDougall is never a man to mince his words

TWO men have been slammed by a Supreme Court judge as Hunter families, tradies and developers count the cost of a string of construction and financial disasters.

Justice Robert McDougall said “it was open to infer” that Daniel Roberts and offsider Shasanth Shankar Tellakula Gowrishankar had engaged in “the well-known but opprobrious practice of utilising phoenix companies: consigning insolvent companies to the fires of liquidation, and creating new companies to arise from the ashes and take their place.”

A investigation can reveal that dozens of people have spoken out against the pair, alleging a host of defective or incomplete work and unpaid bills. Phillip Kapeller and Rachael Cesnik, pictured right with their children, estimate they are $500,000 out of pocket after a four-year battle, with no end in sight, to get their Gillieston Heights home completed.

Ruling on a dispute between developer Greenwood Futures and DSD Builders late last year, his assessment of the construction company "principals" , Daniel Roberts and Shasanth Shankar Tellakula Gowrishankar, was blunt.

"There is, in my view, very strong evidence that Mr Roberts and Mr Shankar have engaged in structuring their affairs in such a way so as to avoid, wherever possible, paying their liabilities," Justice McDougall said.

His scathing attack on the pair went further to accuse them of "misusing , if not abusing" the system that determines payment in the building industry, known as the Security of Payment Act.

The judge said the construction company had "sought to harass" the developer by lodging repeated payment claims to an adjudicator during a dispute over the construction of three townhouses in Jesmond, that includes allegations of a long list of defective work.

"The whole chaotic situation is essentially one of DSD's making," Justice Mc-Dougall said.

Unfortunately for Mr Roberts and Mr Shankar, he did not stop there.

"It is open to infer that they have engaged in the well-known but opprobrious practice of utilising phoenix companies: consigning insolvent companies to the fires of liquidation, and creating new companies to arise from the ashes and take their place," he said.

Justice McDougall went even further when it came to Mr Roberts, a BMW driving, former bankrupt, born in the United Kingdom.

"I add, referring to inferences that can be drawn as to Mr Roberts' business practices , that there was some evidence from ... a former employee of DSD or another one of Mr Roberts' related companies, of what purported to be admissions made by Mr Roberts to the effect that he would take the profit and leave creditors lamenting," he said.

Mr Roberts denied the allegation, but Justice Mc-Dougall said the former staffer's evidence received "some support" from a history of "financial and corporate transactions" .

Despite the judge's scorching assessment of the men, Greenwood Futures is still pursuing DSD Builders, whose sole director is Mr Roberts' wife Angela Roberts

- previously known as Angela Edith Sendjirdjian - through the courts over hundreds of thousands of dollars allegedly owed.

The project was eventually completed by another builder.

A home in Gillieston Heights has been left unfinished for years as the family battles a claim through the legal system against BH Australia Constructions, whose sole director and shareholder is Mr Shankar's wife Aarthi Dhandayutham.

Phillip Kapeller and Rachael Cesnik estimate they are $500,000 out of pocket and are facing bankruptcy due to crippling legal fees after a four-year battle, with no end in sight, to get their home completed. When the builder left the site in early 2017 the house had no water , power, flooring , kitchen, laundry, insulation and defects were found throughout.

"There is no doubt that they understand the legal system very well and know how to use it," Mr Kapeller said.

"The whole experience has been nothing short of a nightmare, it's been going on for years and our house still isn't finished .

"We're on the brink of going under financially ."

NSW Fair Trading confirmed it is investigating a number of complaints about building projects linked to Mr Roberts in and Sydney, but said it was unable to comment on the cases.

A spokesman said the regulator had received no complaints about Mr Shankar.

He said Fair Trading issued penalty notices in April 2018 to a company associated with Mr Roberts, called Blissful Developments No 1.

"The penalty notices were issued for carrying out unlicensed work," he said.

Fair Trading also placed restrictions on Mr Roberts' builder's supervisor certificate last year, meaning he cannot contract with the public until May 2021.

Bankruptcy proceedings against several companies linked to Mr Roberts and Mr Shankar have been launched by tradies and suppliers, with several cases resulting in counter-claims against the people fighting to be paid.

Windows has taken action in the local court trying to recoup $60,000 allegedly unpaid by BH Australia Constructions . FRI JUDGEMENT

Sydney's Steel Fabrication Services has also taken action against the same company in the Sydney Local Court, in a case where Ms Dhandayutham, Mr Shankar and Mr Roberts are named as defendants, for $45,000 allegedly owed.

Steel Fabrication Services owner Michael Simos said the situation was that bad police had to be called when he attempted to remove steel from a job site due to alleged non-payment .

"The whole thing was a real mess and it's been going on for ages," he said.

"The police allowed us to take the steel, but we still have a legal case going. Noone needs this sort of thing in business."

The Herald can reveal that Mr Roberts has attempted to take out three separate apprehended violence orders against a developer and two Hunter-based tradesmen following disputes about jobs.

Then there is the abandoned construction site at Jesmond, with gaping holes and unfinished works as another round of court cases continues, between Goodwin Street Developments and DSD Builders, over a student accommodation project.

The developer said he was unable to comment as the matter was still before the courts.

Dawn Meredith, of EBH Constructions, said in 30 years in the building industry she had never dealt with anyone like Mr Roberts.

After being given a lawyer's quote of $20,000 to chase $12,500 owed by Blissful Developments, EBH wrote the debt off .

The case between DSD Builders and Greenwood Futures revealed the extreme lengths Mr Roberts went to in an effort to secure a ruling from an adjudicator for payment.

In a move described by the judge as an "outrageous misuse " of authority, Mr Roberts sent information to the adjudicator claiming to be the developer's "appointed agent" , authorising payment to the builder of $220,000.

This was at the same time as the developer was arguing the money wasn't owed because the work hadn't been completed and was defective. Developer Matt Greenwood, of Greenwood Futures, lodged a counter-claim alleging he is owed $256,000.

Justice McDougall said DSD Builders disregarded its legal obligations and its conduct "made it almost inevitable that litigation would result" . "The fact that the litigation has failed reflects no merit on DSD's part; indeed, in some respects, DSD relied upon its own non-compliance with the Security of Payment Act as a reason why it should succeed," he said.

The court also heard from two tradesmen, caught up in a complicated web of interrelated companies, who were not paid for work done at the Jesmond job.

DSD Builders subcontracted the work out to related company BH Australia Constructions, but the tradesmen were contracted through another related company, Blissful Building Procurements, that was later placed in liquidation which meant the workers did not get paid.

Justice McDougall also pointed out some "curious anomalies" in DSD Builders' financial statements as at December 2017.

"The statements show a profit before tax in the sum of $306,000," he said. "They do not show any provision for tax. It is difficult to understand how a company which, on the face of the statements, had no carried forward losses could have earned that profit without being required to pay tax upon it. No income tax return has been produced which could explain this somewhat unusual state of affairs ."

In another dispute, that also made it to the Supreme Court, Justice Michael Ball found Blissful Developments No. 1 had entered into a contract to build a set of units at Adamstown with no builder's licence.

At the time of the judgement , Mr Roberts was the director of the company that was attempting to get an extension of a caveat placed on the developer's land so it could not be sold. Blissful Developments No. 1 claimed an interest in the land because it said the developer owed it money.

But Justice Ball dismissed the claim, declaring no money was owed and the contract was void because the builder was unlicensed. Not long after the decision, Mr Roberts resigned as director of the company and was replaced by Mr Shankar's wife.

Other former clients, tradespeople and suppliers who spoke to the Herald , detailed being caught in a never-ending series of battles that have swirled around the pair, with some disputes dragging out for years.

Allegations of defective work and long delays for jobs to be completed. Marriages on the brink of collapse because of the strain. Tradies fearing they will lose their homes if they don't get paid.

Many asked to remain anonymous due to fear of legal action.

"Daniel comes across, on very first impression, as if he has a lot of money and he knows what he's talking about," a tradesman said. "But when you can't get paid, he simply disappears. Shasanth is the quiet one who is usually in the background, but they spend a lot of time together and are involved in a lot of legal matters."

John Todorovski, who worked as a real estate agent for Blissful Homes, said he left after witnessing a string of unhappy people looking to be paid or lodging complaints . "People would come and have arguments at the office and I figured it was time to look for another job," he said. "There were a lot of complaints."

Tradies, suppliers and homeowners detailed being ensnared in an intractable problem enveloping the NSW building industry, which is lumbered with a tangled consumer protection system that all too often takes those seeking help on a long journey to a dead end.

Several people said complaints to NSW Fair Trading fell on deaf ears.

Any hopes that a large group of creditors could recoup their money was dealt a grievous blow when two companies were placed in voluntary liquidation in March and April last year.

Blissful Developments and Blissful Building Procurements went belly up with no assets and debts of almost $1.5 million. Mr Roberts resigned as director from Blissful Developments weeks before the company went under owing 25 unsecured creditors $750,372.

Mr Roberts also resigned as a director of Blissful Building Procurements two months before the company failed, owing 30 creditors $604,582. Daniel Roberts and Mr Shankar previously sold their shares in both companies.

Liquidator Steven Gladman , of Hall Chadwick, described his investigation into the companies as a "frustrating exercise" . He said when the companies were placed in liquidation there was no money, meaning there was little chance of a return for creditors.

"Very limited books and records have been provided," he said. "There are payments in there that are concerning."

Amid the chaos, Mr Shankar and Mr Roberts have moved onto a new venture for themselves, a multi-million dollar development under construction at Abel St, Wallsend. The Herald found both men working there this week.

The 3480-square-metre property was purchased in June 2017 by BH Australia Constructions, that is owned and controlled by Mr Shankar's wife Ms Dhandayutham , for $1.35 million. She sold the site about a year later for $400,000 to another related company called Abel Street Developments.

Mr Shankar is the director of Abel Street Developments and he and Daniel Roberts are listed as the shareholders . According to a development application approved by City Council, there are plans to build 20 attached two-storey dwellings at a cost of more than $2 million.

The property had a strata subdivision approved in June and two three-bedroom townhouses, recently built on the site, were sold in September to another related company called SD Portfolio Holdings for $536,900 each.

[f1united]

ceo luke/calum part 3

Summary: You are Luke’s PA and have a thing for his rival Calum after meeting him in a bar one night but you don’t know who he is

"Yeah I suppose" you replied, giving him a faint smile.

"You suppose?" he questioned, his eyes looked curious.

"Yeah it was a long day but not too bad. I don't just drink alone after a bad day, I was here with friends"

"Yeah I saw you, couldn't help but notice you, you're gorgeous" he smiled back at you and you looked at his cute cheeks perk up. You blushed slightly at the comment, not knowing what to say. You turned your head back to the bar. "What is it?" he asked as you smiled stupidly to yourself before turning back to face him.

"Nothing, I've just never been complemented nicely at a bar before" you chuckled.

"Oh come on you definitely have"

"No I promise, guys are usually strange at bars"

"Well I can promise you I'm not strange" He laughed. "Do you fancy a drink? I'm Calum by the way"

"How could I decline that offer Calum?" you smirked as the bar tender made his way over to you.

"What can I get you guys?" This time it was a different guy. A lot younger than the one before, maybe in his twenties. You looked up at Calum and he motioned for you to go first.

After receiving your drinks you began to look for a table. Being unsuccessful inside, you made your way outside. The summer breeze was fresh but not too cold, it was the type of weather you loved. You found an empty bench a little further away from the entrance and sat down. Calum joined you, sitting on the same side as you. He was close enough that his scent was still strong and you couldn't help but breathe it in. As Calum sat down he pulled a packet of cigarettes from his front pocket and went to light one up.

"You don't mind do you?" He asked. You shook your head and gave him a little smile.

"Go for it" you gestured. "I'm Y/N by the way" you gave him another little smile as he lit up his cig and inhaled it.

"Lovely to meet you" he sent a wink your way as he blow smoke in the opposite direction.

"So, who were you here with?" You wondered. You hadn't noticed Calum until he had approached you. You weren't surprised as your table had been tucked away and you'd been so focused on catching up with your friends that you hadn't even looked around.

"I had a meeting over this side of town today. I don't live far, a little closer to Sydney. Just with some of the guys from work" he inhaled his cigarette once again.

"Ahhh what do you do?" you asked

"I have my own business" He didn't seem smug about his answer. That surprised you slightly. If anyone was to ask that question to Luke their answer would've been delivered with a smirk on his lips.

"You any good?"

"I mean you could maybe go a little better than good" he laughed. God why was he so cute.

"Oh really?" you smirked

"What do you do?" He asked

"I'm a personal assistant" he nodded his head at your reply.

"I've had some personal assistants, none of them were very good. Except the one I have now. He's a guy called Benny."

"Well I can assure you that I'm amazing at my job" you laughed slightly although it was true, you did know what you were doing when it came to work.

The conversation continued to flow for the next hour or so before Calum started to notice tiredness take its toll on you. Taking the last gulp of your drink, you pushed your glass across the table and gave him a little smile.

"Well I've had a lovely evening Calum" you found yourself smiley stupidly. What was coming over you. These things never usually happened to you.

"Do you mind if I take you home?" he placed his glass next to yours. "Just so I know you're safe" He gave you a concerning look.

"I live just over there" you nodded towards the tall apartment building down the road. He pushed himself up off the bench and stepped over the seat, holding a hand out for you to hold while you did the same. You gladly accepted.

"I'll walk you home then" he smiled, getting a firmer grip on your hand by intertwining you fingers as you began to walk into the direction of your building. You'd only just met this guy, yet you were strolling down the seat hand in hand on the way to your apartment. What was happening?

Once you reached the front of your apartment complex his grip loosened and you stood facing him. Looking into his eyes you noticed the beautiful shades of brown that you never even knew existed. You'd never really had someone politely ask to speak with you in a bar before and then nicely walk you home. You didn't really know what to say and Calum began to smile at your awkwardness.

"So this has been fun, maybe we should do it again sometime?" your voice didn't sound convincing as you trailed off at the end and turned your nose up at how cringey that had sounded. Calum just let out a laugh.

"Never done that before have you" He took your hands in his. "Of course we can, I had a great time. Maybe I could take your number though?" He grabbed his phone from his pocket and handed it to you. You quickly typed in your number and gave it back. He gave you a tight hug. Ah that smell of cologne, fresh linen and now a touch of cigarettes. He kissed you on the top of your head before releasing you.

"Night Calum" you smiled before walking through the glass doors and towards the lifts.

"Night gorgeous" He called back, he now had his hand in his pockets watching you press the button on the wall and step out of his sight.

He sighed slightly, trying to take in everything that had happened in the last few hours. How crazy was it that he had just met a beautiful girl that he could easily chat to and have a laugh with. He turned around and made his way back to the pub to reunite with the rest of his friends he had left inside.

"Not staying the night at hers then Cal?" One shouted at him as he walked back through the doors. The bar staff were clearing up and starting to move everyone out. He grabbed his jacket off the back of one of the chairs and pulled it on.

"You know I'm not like that" he frowned slightly at the remark.

"She was pretty though Cal"

"Very" Calum agreed as he waved to a taxi driving past. "Very pretty indeed". And with that, he hopped into the back of a taxi, and spent the rest of the night lying in bed wondering if it was too soon to send you a text.

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who wants a part 4?

#calum hood imagine #5sos #5 seconds of summer #luke hemmings #michael clifford #ashton irwin #ceo 5sos #ceo calum #ceo calum hood #new