[male and he/him] Welcome to Aurora Bay, [NAOISE HENRY]! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like [TROYE SIVAN]. You must be the [TWENTY-FOUR] year old [COLLEGE STUDENT/ATTENDANT AT SWEET NOTHINGS BAKERY]. Word is you’re [OUTGOING] but can also be a bit [HEADSTRONG] and your favorite song is [THE WORLD IS UPSIDE DOWN BY ECHOBABY]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [SEABROOK QUARTER]. I’m sure you’ll love it!
[ciara / 25, bst/gmt, she/her]
Naoise Henry was born in Aurora Bay to Robbie and Laia Henry. Robbie, a builder with a meticulous and practical approach to life, while Laia, a school teacher, who's warm and nurturing. From the moment of Naoise’s birth, there was an undercurrent of tension in the family—a tension that only grew when they discovered that Naosie was partially deaf.
For Robbie, the news hit hard. Though he had a deaf brother, Elijah, and had grown up witnessing his brother’s struggles, Robbie had never fully accepted or understood what it meant to live in a world that was, in many ways, closed off. He loved his son fiercely but found himself overwhelmed by the fear that Naoise would face the same hardships Elijah had endured. This fear manifested in Robbie's insistence on focusing on speech therapy, a cochlear implant that Naoise grew to resent, and mainstream education, often to the exclusion of fully embracing Deaf culture.
Laia, on the other hand, was more open to learning sign language and encouraging Naoise to engage with the Deaf community. She wanted to support her son in any way possible, but her efforts were often undermined by Robbie's stubborn belief that Naoise needed to be “fixed” rather than celebrated as he was. This created a divide between the couple, with Laia feeling increasingly isolated in her attempts to bridge the gap between her husband’s expectations and her son’s reality.
Naoise’s Uncle Elijah, Robbie's deaf brother, became a central figure in his life. Elijah was a free spirit, deeply immersed in Deaf culture and unashamedly proud of his identity. He introduced Naoise to the beauty of sign language, Deaf literature, and visual storytelling, providing a refuge from the often confusing and contradictory messages he received at home.Robbie, however, was wary of Elijah’s influence. He believed his brother’s immersion in Deaf culture would alienate Naoise from the hearing world and make life harder for him. This fear led to tension between the brothers, with Robbie's often criticising Elijah for “encouraging Naoise to embrace a life of limitations.”
Naoise found himself caught in the middle. He adored his uncle and felt at home in the Deaf community, but he also craved his father’s approval. Robbie's reluctance to fully accept Naoise’s partial deafness as something that didn’t need “fixing” was a source of constant pain. The more Robbie's pushed for Naoise to conform to the hearing world, the more Naoise retreated into the comfort of his uncle’s world—a place where he felt understood and valued.
As Naoise entered school, the family’s internal conflict intensified. Robbie insisted on mainstream education with minimal accommodations, hoping that Naoise would adapt to the hearing world. Naoise struggled, feeling increasingly out of place among his hearing peers. He was often frustrated by his inability to fully participate in conversations, and his father’s push for speech therapy made him feel as though his natural way of communicating through sign language was somehow inadequate.
Laia tried to advocate for Naoise’s needs, pushing for more sign language at home and suggesting that he attend a school with a Deaf program, but Robbie resisted. He saw it as giving up on Naoise’s potential to succeed in the hearing world. This difference in parenting approaches led to frequent arguments, with Laia accusing Robbie of being too controlling and narrow-minded, and Robbie countering that Laia was coddling Naoise and setting him up for failure. Naoise, caught in the crossfire, became increasingly withdrawn at home, turning to his uncle for the acceptance he couldn’t find with his father. He began spending more time with his uncle, who encouraged him to embrace his identity and pursue his passions, particularly his growing love for film.
During his teenage years, the tension between Naoise and his father reached a breaking point. Naoise had begun working part-time at the local movie theatre, a job he cherished. The theatre was a sanctuary where he could immerse himself in visual storytelling, away from the pressures of trying to fit into the hearing world.
Robbie, however, saw Naoise’s job as a waste of time. He wanted his son to focus on academics, to push himself to succeed in the mainstream world despite his partial deafness. The more Robbie pushed, the more Naoise resisted, leading to explosive arguments. Robbie couldn’t understand why his son wasn’t trying harder to fit in, while Naosie couldn’t understand why his father couldn’t accept him as he was. The moment Naoise graduated, however, he fell into hiding in following the trap of his father's way of thinking. Rather than pursuing the fresh start away from his father, Naoise stayed at home after graduation, retreating to his bedroom; to the internet, movies, anything to keep him from making the waves he desired. For the next few years he floated between this isolated approach to life, paired with working with his father part-time.
When he turned 24, Naoise made a bold decision—he wanted to study Film Studies, with a focus on visual storytelling and Deaf cinema. He had found his calling, and he was determined to follow it, even if it meant further alienating his father. Robbie was furious, accusing Naoise of throwing away his future on a “pipe dream.” The argument that ensued was the worst they had ever had, and Naoise left home to stay with his uncle.
This period marked a significant rift in the family. Laia tried to mediate, but the damage was done. Naoise and Robbie's relationship became strained, the two have barely spoken in months. Naoise, hurt and angry, plans to throw himself into his studies and growing himself a new life, even if it is in the same place, determined to prove to his father—and himself—that he can succeed on his own terms.
Extras
wears a cochlear implant but very reliant on lipreading. prefers to sign, but obviously only when he knows the other person signs too
name pronounced nee-sha
PINTEREST!!
Wanted connections
friends from school
film/writing/creative friendsss
maybe internet friends? naoise's STUCK on that computer bro
neighbours
knows from college?
down for anything tbf
( @aurorabayaesthetic )
