#Tattoo Shops Denver

[mantratattoousa]

Denver’s best tattoo studios: quality, creativity, and customer service.

mantratattoo.us is the best tattoo service in Denver. We offer quality, creativity and customer service to ensure your experience is as memorable as possible.

[sleepanonymous]

After Red Rocks, when I got out of my post-concert shower I laid in bed and made this list so I wouldn't forget some important details of the ritual. I was gonna turn this into a cohesive post but I'm home and I'm lazy so you get screenshots instead 😅

[lexieintheforest]

do you believe in rock n roll? can music save your mortal soul?

[mantratattoosblog]

Explore tattoo excellence with Mantra Tattoo - a renowned tattoo artist near me in the USA. With a diverse background and extensive international knowledge, Mantra Tattoo offers unparalleled guidance. Whether you're a seasoned tattoo enthusiast or a newbie, his workshops and consultations will elevate your ink experience. Visit mantratattoo.us or Surfers Paradise to unleash your tattoo dreams.

[rainylana]

Random Eddie Headcanons

no warnings, just strictly fluff and some random things that i think are eddie coded! hope everyone is doing okay! just a reminder that my requests are closed, as i’m trying to give myself more of a break! love you all!

• i feel like his room would be like going into an antique shop. he’s got so much shit everywhere, half of it is trash and beer cans, but he’s got so many little trinkets and what he calls “treasures” that he just can’t seem to part with. he’s probably lowkey a hoarder.

• he likes going yard saling just for the sole excuse to rummage through peoples stuff. he likes to pick out a mug to give to wayne, or a random hat to hang up with his collection on the wall. it’s what he spends his pocket change on.

• still has his baby blanket that’s basically worn down to a rag. he’s too afraid to wash it, thinking maybe it’ll get torn to pieces in the washer. he tangles up with it every night and it winds up at his feet by morning.

• would definitely be the type of person to get a smiley face tattooed on the tip of his penis.

• likes old country music just because wayne does. he’s a big fan of john denver and america.

• hasn’t been to the doctor in years. he’s too afraid to go. wayne got him to go a few times when he was a kid for a regular checkup, but by 15 he refused to go so wayne stopped forcing him. he’s deathly afraid of getting shots or that wooden stick that presses on his tongue.

• there’s a trailer next door that has two little girls who like to have tea parties outside. it’s never real tea, just air in their cups that eddie made the mistake of pointing out, but they always ask him to join and he does, sticking up his pinky and making tea party conversation.

• he definitely wakes the trailer park up when he’s coming home in the middle of the night, whether it’s from band practice or a random hook up. his music is on full blast. wayne will burst out the door, cussing and carrying on about turning it down.

• loves the golden girls and gilligans island, definitely scooby doo. probably hates the brady bunch because of the cheesy family dynamic, but loves watching little house on the prairie reruns in the middle of the night.

• prob made his own tattoo gun and tried to tattoo his leg. he failed. and hurt himself in the process.

• he would love greenhouses i think, but he’s always really hot and burning up inside them. he likes to smell all the types of flowers and pluck the petals and rub them between the pads of his fingers.

• trades cassettes with his friends, but will never give up his metallica or black sabbath ones.

[poledancingdinos]

Hostile Territory - Chapter 29

Pairing: Captain Syverson x OFC (Leah Coleman)

Word count: 3.7K

Warnings: None for this chapter

Catch up: Series Masterlist

Taglist: @amberangel112 @utterlyhopeful-fics @marantha @kebabgirl67 @littleone65 @omgkatinka @luclittlepond @athenepromachos @enchantedbytomandhenry @narnianaos @geralts-yenn @peaches1958 @avengersfan25 @sillyrabbit81 @summersong69 @identity2212 @liecastillo @lena-banena @mrsevans90 @confessionbrain-writings @eclecticfashionbookszipper @happydistraction @hannah9921 @valacircareads @toooldforobsessions @kingliam2019 @rosecentury @wa-ni @secretdream2 @missemrose @shellyshellshell @winter2112rose

Masterlist

Day 671

It felt strange to be in Denver without Leah. Despite having moved to Colorado over a year prior, Sy hadn’t spent much time in her hometown. When he found out he was going to have a few days of leave, Sy decided he would use the first hours of it visiting Ash.

He’d reached out over social media, hoping that the man would remember him as he asked for an appointment. Ash had grumbled good-naturedly at Sy’s request but he immediately rearranged his schedule to make time for Sy. Luckily, it would require very little modification to make the reference image into a well fitting tattoo and he had more than enough time to finish the full design in one eight-hour session as long as Sy didn’t need too many breaks.

The shop was just how Sy remembered it, down to the receptionist who now sported neon green waves. Ash didn’t immediately recognize him but that was to be expected when his entire face had gone from a full beard to baby smooth.

After shaving and prepping Sy’s skin, Ash gave him a quick rundown on the dos and don’ts of sitting for a tattoo. Having chosen to get the tattoo on his thigh, Sy was comfortably seated upright on the chair. The pain was more of a scratch really which meant he was easily able to maintain a conversation as Ash worked.

“Sometimes I regret having pushed Leah to go to art school instead of immediately having her apprentice with me.”

The abrupt switch to such a personal topic took Sy by surprise. He had expected Ash to stick to small talk but it seemed that, just like all of Leah’s friends, Ash had immediately accepted him as one of his own.

“Why is that?”

Ash wiped away excess ink, looking up at the reference image he had set up across from him with a fond smile pulling at his lips. 

“She had insane talent for someone with no formal training but I wanted to push her outside of her comfort zone. I wanted her to gain a little bit more versatility to make her first years easier.” He shook his head at himself as he went back to outlining. “I just didn’t want her to be a one trick pony so that she could get more clients. After everything she’s been through, I didn’t want her to have to suffer through a starving artist phase, you know?”

His eyebrows drew together in a frown, making the beginning of crows feet at the corner of his eyes stand out.

“Leah has a unique ability to make everyone want to take care of her,” Sy remarked.

To Sy, it was both endearing and frustrating in equal measure. He was glad she had such a great support system but a part of him secretly wished she didn’t have so many men buzzing around her. At least, he hadn’t noticed any of them so much as glance at her with any obvious interest which somewhat helped settle his caveman brain.

“No kidding.” There was a pause while Ash seemed to mull something over before shaking his head with a sigh. “In the end though, my actions pushed her towards the military and like the little pain in the ass that she is, she had to go and decide that risking her life wasn’t enough. She also needed to fall out of airplanes and do all this other extra dangerous shit.”

Though he’d meant it with a hint of levity, Sy could tell Ash had likely been holding on to his guilt for some time now. It was uncanny how similar he sounded to Sy’s mama when she’d brought up the same subject.

“The worst part,” Ash continued, “is that I was wrong. Whenever I post a picture of her tattoos I get an extra influx of people asking for similar styles. With that amount of exposure, she could have had her own client base in no time.”

Sy was pretty sure she’d have a dozen willing bodies amongst the guys from Warhorse alone. Himself included.

“If there’s one thing I learned about Leah is that ya can’t make her change her mind when she’s gotten hold of an idea. I don’t think enlistin’ was that much of a backup plan for her. I think a part of her always wanted to be like her dad.”

“I guess you’re right. When she first started working here—and I use the term ‘work’ very loosely, it was mostly her hanging out and watching us tattoo—I got the feeling that this was the one place that didn’t remind her of Gage.”

It hadn’t escaped Sy’s notice that everyone referred to Leah’s father by his name. It always took him a second to make the connection, having never heard of his parents referred to as anything other than Mr. and Mrs. Syverson. Though he knew that Leah had only met Ash after the death of her dad, Sy thought he detected a hint of familiarity in his tone.

“Did ya know him?”

“I did, actually.” Ash shut off his machine, switching out the metal tip that held the needles for another one on his tray table. “She doesn’t know this but he was friends with my older brother growing up. I knew her mother too.”

Sy’s eyebrows flew up. “No shit?” Aside from Caleb he’d never met anyone who had known the woman who disappeared over two decades prior.

Nodding, Ash set down his machine to spray water on a paper towel and wiped down Sy’s thigh.

“My brother and I got the lecture of a lifetime from our parents when they heard she got knocked up.” He tossed the blackened paper towel in the bin. “Gage was a fucking saint though. Entirely committed to taking care of both her and the baby. I didn’t know what had happened to either of them until I realized Leah’s relation to Gage. By then I’d gotten the sense that parents were a sore subject so I decided it wasn’t worth reopening old wounds by telling her I knew them.”

Parents were miles beyond simply being a sore subject with Leah. Perhaps one day the pain of her loss will have dulled enough that she could pick Ash’s brain. He hoped it would anyway, because Sy was pretty sure Leah would enjoy hearing about what kind of man her dad was back in high school even if it was likely to also involve a few breadcrumbs about her mother.

“Did ya ever have any kids of your own? Or was that lecture so traumatic that ya decided it wasn’t for you?”

If Sy had been the one to watch a family friend be confronted with the reality of fatherhood straight out of high school, he would probably have been scared away from women for a few years. Hell, a shiver had run down his spine when he’d heard his then twenty-year-old brother Jax was expecting with his fiance. They’d planned on having kids as soon as they got married anyway so both of them had rolled with the punches, simply delaying the wedding until a few months after their son was born.

“I never found the right girl. Even if I do, I don’t really want to be seeing my kid off to college in my sixties. Plus, I’m stuck in my bachelor ways, I’m not giving up my late mornings for anyone.”

“I get that,” Sy admitted, wincing as Ash started shading the tattoo. Now that all the lining was done, every pass of the machine was like sandpaper rubbing against his already irritated skin. He was definitely of the opinion that if he had kids one day he would like to be fit enough to enjoy his time with them as much as possible.

“What about you?”

“Well, I might have found the right girl but it’s kinda hard to picture havin’ kids with her when she’s busy fallin’ out of planes and doin’ extra dangerous shit.”

Ash hummed knowingly. “I figured that might be what was going on when you were here last time. It’s a good thing you didn’t tell me this earlier. If you had, I’d have felt obligated to try and talk you out of getting this piece. Couple’s tattoos are a big no no.”

“What makes ya think this is supposed to be a couple’s tattoo?”

The look Ash shot him could only be interpreted to mean ‘do I look like a fucking idiot’.

“The fact that your girlfriend drew it, the fact that she also has a wolf on one of her thighs, the potential symbolism behind the Fenrir imagery, the symbolism that wolves mate for life. Do you need me to continue or have I gotten one or multiple right so far?”

Okay, maybe Ash had a point seeing that he was right on all accounts, but he was still missing the most important.

“She was drawin’ it on my back when I woke up in bed with her.” And had given him a hand drawn print of it as a parting gift the last time he’d seen her. “It wasn’t until a while later that I looked up the story and realized how fittin’ it was.”

“Damn. I’m glad you didn’t ask for a back piece, that would have been one hell of a project for your first tattoo.”

If Sy was honest, he’d considered it but something told him that his chest and back were canvases that belonged to Leah.

“But anyway, what part of the Fenrir mythology appealed to you? There’s a couple different themes in there.”

The answer was all of them. Sy could swear Leah had him turning into a fucking poet, looking for the smallest of things he could relate to her.

Overcoming adversity? Their relationship was literally against the law.

Destruction and rebirth? If anyone found out about said relationship they could both lose everything but they would then finally be free to date out in the open.

Prophecy? Other than her being assigned to his team out of all the others in the US military? They both resisted the pull they felt towards one another for months before accepting it was more than just a fleeting emotion born from forced proximity.

Chaos? How his insides felt knowing he shouldn’t be falling in love with his subordinate but being powerless to stop it.

Strength? Leah.

“Man, you really are fucked,” Ash laughed, spotting the goofy grin on Sy’s face as he failed to answer the question.

Yes, he was, but he didn’t care one bit.

Day 213

When Sy had decided to go out for a run, he hadn’t expected that it would be so damn hard. Granted he hadn’t gone for a long distance run in a long time but he hadn’t expected his breathing to be so labored after the first mile. He’d gotten a taste of the higher elevation when they were out hiking but their speed had been significantly slower in comparison.

In the end, he’d settled on running for time rather than distance and slowed down to a pace that didn’t make his heart feel like it was about to spontaneously combust. It was no wonder Leah was in such great shape if this was how she trained.

After a long cool-down, Sy went back inside, making a beeline for the fridge to grab a sports’ drink. As he passed by Leah sitting at the dining table, he leaned over her shoulder and placed a quick kiss to her cheek.

“Lookin’ at baby clothes?” he commented, noticing the website on her computer screen.

“Yeah, I’m trying to find a gift for V before I leave since I’m going to miss her shower.” Leah had one foot on the seat of her chair and the other leg folded under her. Her elbow rested on her bent knee and her chin on her hand as she scrolled through page after page of tiny outfits. “Vic said they haven’t actually planned it yet so there’s no registry and I have no idea what makes a good baby gift.”

Sy sat beside Leah and angled the laptop to see the screen. He’d done his fair share of online shopping for baby gifts so he might actually have something useful to add to the conversation.

“Do you want to give them something fun or useful?”

Leah moved her chair to face Sy, shifting to sit cross-legged. “What’s the point of giving them something that won’t be useful?”

That seemed like a complete waste of money and the best way for whatever it was to spend its life taking up space in a junk drawer until they eventually put it out of its suffering by throwing it out.

Taking a sip of his drink, Sy scooted closer and used the trackpad to click on one of the outfits.

“This is a good example. Babies outgrow their outfits in a matter of months, sometimes even weeks. Sure, a tiny lion is cute as hell but they’ll probably have the baby wear it once for a picture and never use it again.”

“Okay, that makes sense.” That didn’t mean that said tiny lion outfit was not tempting her to say ‘fuck it’ and order one in every available size so that it would last as long as possible. “So, what kind of gift is useful without being boring?”

“That’s usually where the registry comes in but off the top of my head? Toys, books, one of those ‘baby’s first’ memory albums where they can add pictures of the baby as they pass different milestones.”

“Ooh, I like that.”

Leah took the computer back and began looking through the different options available online. She was annoyed to see that a lot of them were specifically designed for either a boy or a girl.

“Do they know what they’re havin’?” Sy couldn’t remember anyone mentioning it the other night but that didn’t mean Leah hadn’t asked since then.

“No, their parents are a little intense so to avoid getting all pink or all blue gifts they’ve decided to keep it a surprise. They don’t care either way since they’re hoping to have at least one of each down the line.”

It was sweet that they already knew they wanted a big family at such a young age. They were only a year older than Leah after all but they were also high school sweethearts. She was pretty sure V used to scribble baby names in the backs of all her notebooks.

“How do you know anything about baby gifts, anyway?”

“I’ve got six nieces and nephews.” He’d had to have all six of their baby shower gifts shipped but at least he’d had his mother as a guide.

Leah hummed, picturing Sy with an ice hockey team of kids. “Are you hoping to add your own to the mix one day?”

Her eyes stayed firmly fixed on the screen, attempting to pass off the question as casual conversation.

“That depends.”

Okay, maybe she’d made it seem a bit too casual. Finding an album that she liked, she glanced around until she spotted her bag.

“What does it depend on?” Leah pressed, missing the way Sy’s eyes studied her as she stood and moved across the room.

“I guess I always knew that if I had kids I would want to be in their lives as much as possible. If I got stationed overseas and my girl decided that she wanted to stay in the States, then I would hold off on having kids until I was back for good to avoid all the responsibility falling to their mama.”

Leah was tempted to tell him that babies, just like the army, didn’t exactly care about best-laid plans but she decided to keep her pessimism to herself.

“I definitely wouldn’t leave a wife and kids behind while I’m on active duty,” Sy continued as she eventually found her wallet at the bottom of her bag. “The last thing I would want would be for them to go through the pain of findin’ out I ain’t ever comin’ home.”

Sy regretted the words as soon as they came out of his mouth, seeing Leah’s face drop as she returned to his side.

“Fuck, I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay.” Swallowing the lump in her throat, she quickly finished typing her credit card information and shut the laptop screen before allowing herself to look at Sy. “As someone who was abandoned by one parent and subsequently suffered through losing the other in high school, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I sure as hell would never want to put my own kids through that.”

Since he was still sweaty from his run, Sy ignored his desire to pull Leah against him, instead setting a hand on her thigh and rubbing small circles over her knee.

“You ever wonder where she is?”

“I try not to think about her at all, actually,” she spat, the venom evident in her words.

It helped that she had no memories of her mother. Leah had refused to ever look at pictures of her so she wouldn’t even be able to describe a single one of her features. Whenever her mind drifted to thinking about where the woman might have ended up, she promptly shut those thoughts down by telling herself that if she wasn’t wanted then neither was her mother.

“You’ve never thought of tryin’ to find her? Even just to sit down and talk.”

Leah scoffed, running both hands through her hair and pulling it over her shoulder. “And why would I want to hear anything she has to say?”

The muscles in her jaw ticked as she began running the strands through her fingers.

Leaning forward, Sy used his free hand to brush a stray lock away from her face.“Maybe it would help ya understand—”

“Understand?” Leah interjected incredulously, pulling away from his touch. “Understand what? Why she abandoned her kids?”

It quickly became apparent that Sy had fucked up. Treading carefully, he explained the reasoning behind his words and hoped he was not going to say anything to make matters worse.

“I’m not defendin’ her actions but…” He gave a small shrug. “I don’t know, she was young, scared, alone. Maybe she thought you guys would be better taken care of by someone else. I just thought meetin’ her might be an opportunity to get closure. Whether that looks like you forgivin’ her or cussin’ her out is up to you.”

The chair screeched as Leah pushed away from the table with a huff, stomping to the kitchen. Sy hadn’t meant to start a fight but it seemed he’d inadvertently done so all the same. 

“Not a single one of her actions can be misconstrued as having been for unselfish reasons and nothing she can say will make me have any sympathy for her.”

Leah reached up on the tips of her toes to pull a mug off the top shelf of the cupboard then let the door slam shut. Pouring herself a cup of coffee, she kept her back turned as she continued ranting.

“If she didn’t want to be a mom, she could have put Caleb up for adoption. If she thought he would be better off with someone else, she could have at least planned for someone to pick him up from school the day she left. If she wanted him to have a better life after she was gone, she could have left money under the fucking mattress rather than running off with every dime dad ever sent home.”

Okay, so maybe Leah had good reasons for resenting her mother and not wanting to hear any of her excuses but, in all fairness, Leah hadn’t mentioned any of those details the first time the subject of her had come up. Sy would never have suggested finding her had he known.

Leah released a frustrated groan, setting her mug down so hard the hot liquid spilled over her hands but she didn’t register the pain. “The only reason she even stuck around as long as she did was because she wanted dad. Us kids were just the stupid, disgusting barnacles that came with him.”

As Leah wiped down the mess she had made with more force than strictly necessary, Sy desperately tried to bite back a smile, not wanting Leah to think he was making light of the situation, but he couldn’t help himself.

“You did not just call yourself a barnacle.”

With an audible sigh, Leah finally turned, her death glare softening only slightly as her voice returned to a more normal volume.

“Would you prefer I use the word parasite? Because that’s what we were to her.”

Carefully, Sy approached her, cupping her face with both hands and drawing her gaze up to his.

“You’re not a parasite,” he reassured, placing a chaste kiss to her temple. “I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean to upset you.”

Deflating, Leah dropped her forehead on his chest. “I’m sorry I snapped,” she mumbled, fisting her hands in his shirt while he wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug.

“Tell me something.” He waited for Leah to give him a grunt of acknowledgement before continuing. “All those things you said… You said none of ‘em were done for Caleb’s well-bein’… not yours and Caleb’s.”

“She made me to be used as a weapon against dad. I was never wanted and my well-being was never a factor.”

Sy pulled back just enough to catch her gaze. 

“You can’t seriously believe that.”

Yes, she most definitely could believe it. “I’m done talking about this,” she stated, slipping out of his hold and taking her coffee over to the living room.

Giving her the space she obviously wanted, Sy went upstairs without another word. As he stood in the shower, going over their conversation in his head, he realized she hadn’t mentioned feeling either way about the idea of having kids.

She probably hadn’t ever given it serious thought and therefore didn’t actually know what she wanted. It wasn’t a deal breaker for him either way. He’d meant it when he’d said that wanting a family in the future would depend on circumstance.

But Sy did know one thing for certain. If Leah ever did have kids, she would be a loving and fiercely protective mother and it would be his privilege to be there by her side.

[lorifragolina]

A Hallmark Christmas Movie in Summer

And now, we're almost there! The poll spoke up and I'm posting the last corner of my first @harringrovesummerbingo card! I had so much fun writing this one, it's my favourite, because both of them are so silly and stupid and funny, and I adored Max, she is a little brat, affectionately!

I love Hallmark Christmas movies and they are perfect for one of them, witha little summer twist!

Title: A Hallmark Christmas Movie in Summer

Square & Prompt: C1 "Caught in a thunderstorm"

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 3679

Major Tags: Idiot to lovers, Hallmark cheesiness, plant shop.

Summary: One is a successful professional person in a big city, probably already an associate, with a healty, handsome neurosurgeon partner. The other is a ripped lumberjack or something similar, living in the same old little Midwest village, maybe not so educated but really good at feeling. One returns home for Christmas and the other turns their entire world "upside down". Now make it in Summer, the one is a bit of a loser and the other is a sort of ripped lumberjack in the same old little Midwest village... Could a thunderstorm draw Steve and Billy near each other?

Read it in AO3

Perfect. Just perfect.

The day couldn’t go worse. 

Not only that, he left his card at the reception of the hotel that morning, so he had to come back  after a three hour drive. Not only he forgot to stop at the last gas station when that red light of the battery turned on, so now the car was at side of the road, out of power, and he just noticed that he left the house’s key inside, but now, the sky was becoming black and silver, the cold air was blowing against him and he could see the lightnings and hear the thunders really near. He was in the fucking middle of nowhere, alone, frightened, and lost.

Well, lost… he probably would prefer being lost. He crossed the “Hawkins” city sign and sighed. 

His parents had sold his childhood home and he came back there to see it for the last time, to take the last things he wanted to keep; he got the chance to take a break from his shitty life in Denver, where his girlfriend had just dumped him for another, less loser, guy, he lost another dead-end job in a insolvent company and he had just to leave the tramp flat he couldn’t afford anymore.

Steve Harrington was coming back to Hawkins in the worst way: heart broken, broke, unemployed and futureless.

And soaking wet, because the dark sky melted down in a cold, heavy and pouring rain in a second, drenching him from head to toe and making him feel even more miserable. 

The city seemed empty and turned off; finally he saw the only open shop along the street that had a light inside and ran to it, opening the door wide at the ting of the little bells, and he took shelter inside.

“Fuck to this shitty city, fuck the rain!” he exclaimed while the door closed behind him, his hair still glued on his forehead and eyes, drippin miserably on the floor.

“And a good day to you too, Harrington”.

Steve’s heart skipped a beat, and he slowly raised his head, moving his wet hair with a hand.

He tried to say something, but words died in his throat and he stayed there, still like a statue, mouth opened, totally blanked.

His enemy, his nemesis, his senior year nightmare… his secret high school crush was there, at the other side of the bar, smirking at him with those perfect blank teeth, his pink lips, his soft flawless skin, his sparkling blue eyes and his blonde curls covered by a hanky, a short sleeves shirt that showed his tattooed toned arms, and a tattoo peeking out  from the collar too, and a black apron cover him and a bouquet of colorful flowers in his hands.

Steve looked around furtively, during an instant that seemed to last forever, to the shop he just entered; buckets of flowers in the floor, shelf with vases with various shades of green and in many shapes, a light floral scent of dried flowers and fresh water. 

He just invaded a plant shop, and Billy Hargove was in charge of it. 

Outside, the storm continued.

“Billy?” he finally murmured, and Billy smiled more, becoming more bright, if possible.

“Hi, Harringrove. Long time no see,” Billy finished the bouquet and smiled again, making Steve blush, and he noticed it, giggling. “Back home, finally,” he added.

Steve shivered, the water still dropping from him. “Just… just visiting my parent’s house… they… they…'' he looked around. “I’m sorry, I just wanted to take cover…”

Billy waved a hand. “Don’t worry. Typical summer thunderstorm”.

Steve could barely breathe, everything Billy said sounded terribly hot and flirty, but it was surely his fault because he didn’t expect to find him here, working between flowers and making a bouquet. He was golden tanned, and he wondered how he could get a color like this in a shithole like Hawkins.

“My car broke and I have…”

Billy smiled again and opened his mouth to answer, but in that moment the door opened again with the jingle of the bells. 

“Jesus Christ, everything happened to me! It always rains when I do some deliveries by foot, damn shit… oh”.

A short figure, covered by a yellow raincoat, dripping like Steve, had entered the shop cursing with a high pitch voice.

Max took off the hood, shaking off the water, and stared at Steve with the same surprise as him staring at her.

“Steve?” Max eyes darting to Billy.

“Hi… Hi, Max…”

“What’s going on?”sShe asked, while Steve was asking the same thing to himself.

“Steve’s car broke and he got caught by the rain like you,” Billy said in a warm, soft voice, and Steve shivered again. “He’s just visiting, right, Harrington?”

Steve nodded. “Yes, I…”

“Well, it’s late and I think nobody would come at this hour, so, what if we just close the shop for today?” Billy continued. 

Max hung the raincoat and took off the boots, smoothing her soaked hair. She shrugged and nodded, turning the sign on the door on “closed”.

“I better get going…” Steve took a step to the door, but Billy snickered a little.

“Oh, not at all, you can’t go around like a drowned rat. Max, can you tidy up while I help Harrington?”

Billy showed a door to Steve, and looked at Max with a crooked smile.

“Slut,” she mouthed.

Billy guided Steve upstairs stairs to the first floor.

“Do you live here?” Steve asked to break the ice.

“Yeah, it’s convenient with the shop. I thought you wanted to dry a little, you seem frozen”.

In fact, Steve felt the water dunking his hair and his clothes and he was beginning to teeth chattering. His hands were ice cold. 

“The bathroom is right there. I’ll get some more towels, if you want to take off those wet clothes”.

Steve kept telling himself that it was probably his fault because he was surprised and nervous, but Billy’s tone seemed really flirty.

He took off his shirt in the bathroom and opened the pants button, but he looked behind him and saw Billy standing there, looking at his narrow waist, some towels in his hands and a smirk in that pretty face.

“Please, don’t mind me, Harrington,” he purred. “We used to be teammates after all, don’t we?”

Steve blushed furiously. Yes, they used to be teammates and change in the same locker room, and he had a hard time in his senior year having Billy around. It took ages to understand that a part of this hate and intolerance against Billy was due to a little attraction too. It took ages for him to come out and accept his past crush on Hargrove.

And now he was half naked, embarrassed, in Billy’s bathroom, in Hawkins, the last place he expected to see Billy again, with his nasty look on his back.

“I’m afraid I don’t have many things that can fit you… but I can borrow you a tracksuit,” Billy entered the bathroom, closer to Steve, and left some clothes for him. “Do you need some underwear too?”

Steve felt his cheeks on fire. “No… I’m fine,” he tried to hide his face, dressing up quickly and drying a little more of his hair. 

“So you stay at the old Harrington manor?” asked Billy from the kitchen. 

“Yes… They are about to sell it and I’m checking…” he nervously went near the door. “I have to go now, I have to return to the car”.

“No way. I’m going with you and I’ll check on it.” Billy took his keys and made it clink, winking at Steve. 

“There’s no need…” Steve tried to brush aside Steve, but Billy nodded.

“Of course. I’m glad to help”.

Steve sighed and got in Billy’s car. He wasn’t surprised to see the infamous blue Camaro and to hear the roar of the gas that Billy liked so much in the old times. 

“It is the battery, nothing serious,” he said after checking the dashboard. “Luckily I have the jumper cables”.

Billy restarted Steve’s car and then cleaned his hand in his jeans, smiling at him. 

“Thank you so much, Billy”.

“No big deal,” Billy leant to his car but he didn’t feel like going away. He shared a little to Steve, who sat in his car, hands on the wheel, too embarrassed to stare back at him. 

“Well, Harrington, have a good time at Loch Nora,” Billy sighed finally, patting Steve’s car and opening the Camaro’s door. 

“Wait, Billy…” Steve gripped the wheel. “Can I… well, I’d like to… do you have plans for dinner?”

“I could cancel, why, Harrington?” he grinned, with sparkles in his eyes. 

“Well, I want… I want to thank you… maybe we can have dinner together?I… I have nothing at the house, anyway…”

Steve sweared internally and cursed himself. Why did he start stammering and begging so pathetically? He bit his lips. 

“Deal,” smirked Billy. “You buy,” he blinked again. Steve nodded. “Can you pick me up in an hour?” 

Steve nodded again and started the car, trying to go away before doing some other screw-up.

Billy had just the time to take a shower and fix his hair, then he dressed up a little bit and bathed in aftershave, as Max noticed in a loud voice when he stormed out the door at Steve’s arrival.

Hawkins didn’t have a lot of fancy restaurants, but fortunately one of the prettier has a table for them. 

Billy ordered a glass of red wine and Steve had the sensation that his way to drink it was too sensual for a simple thank you dinner, and he felt goosebumps all over his body. They chatted nicely about trivial things for half the time. 

“So, what is your life in Seattle, Harrington?” Billy asked abruptly in the middle of the second course.

“Denver,” corrected Steve.

“Denver,” nodded Billy. “Living the best life, right? How are you doing with your girlfriend?” he blinked. 

Steve gulped, swallowing a mouthful. There was no need to tell his whole pathetic story, but there was no need to lie either. They’re chatting about this and that.

“Well my girl dumped me recently, so not very good but one always survives, am I wrong?” he snickered, trying not to seem too miserable.

“Oh. I’m sorry, but I’m sure you’ll find someone better, plenty of fishes in the sea”, Billy smiled again to him. Obviously he hadn’t an idea about how King Steve had sunk so low lately. 

“And you?” Steve teased, raising his eyes at him behind his beer.

Billy scoffed. “Oh, no boyfriend at all,” he stopped a little, letting the word sink between them. “The dating pool is absolute shit, you know…” 

Steve pursed his lips. No, he couldn’t really understand how Billy was single, every man, woman, boy or girl, old or young, any gender and orientation should throw themselves at a stunning beauty like Billy, especially there, in Hawkins, where he should be surely one of a kind. He himself would jump on him either…

“I’m bi,” he shot suddenly, almost without filtering from his brain to his mouth.

Billy choked, blushing a little.

Steve praised the earth to open and swallow him. 

Billy finally smiled, slipping his hand near Steve’s on the table, without touching it, but making the move evidently. He grinned and changed the topic.

When they left the restaurant, the air was warmer than in the afternoon, the heat had already dried the fleeting rain of the thunderstorm, and Billy put his jacket on the backseat of Steve’s car. Steve left him in front of the plant shop and Billy waved him goodnight with a big smile, sighing while the car went away.

The next day started as a hot, shiny and clear summer day, and Max and Billy were working in the shop with the door open to let some fresh air enter. 

Steve appeared in the doorframe in the middle of the afternoon, waving Billy’s jacket as a shield.

“Hello… you left it in my car yesterday…” he lent the jacket to Billy. Max startled looking at Billy, surprised: it was his favorite jacket and he would never forget it. 

“Slut,” she mouthed behind Steve’s back, and Billy grinned at her. 

“Thank you, Steve. It had been a funny night and I wasn’t thinking about the jacket…” he purred, and Max rolled her eyes, while Steve blushed. 

“No problem… Well, I have to go, I… I have some paperwork to handle…,” he turned his back, but Billy stopped him.

“Hey, Harrington, your pantry’s still empty?”

Max sighed, and Steve turned to him, confused.

“Well, yeah… why?”

“What about a homemade dinner… to thank you for it?” Billy whispered softly to him, rubbing his jacket. 

Max wished to be abducted in that very moment: Steve babbled something unintelligible for a long, pathetic minute, before nodding and accepting, bright red like a pepper. 

“Great,” Billy stared at Steve’s eyes until Steve had to lower his gaze and stormed away.

Max stood with her hands on her hips. 

“Harrington, eh? You’re such a slut”.

Billy didn’t look at her face, but took his car keys. 

“I have to go for groceries. Ah, sleep out tonight, I need the house”.

Max shook her head. “What?”

“I need the house, so stay at El’s or Sinclair or whatever, understood?”

Max smirked. “You seem a little bold to me for someone who needs a favor”-

Billy rolled her eyes. “Jeez, ok, fine, please, could you please leave me the house for tonight? Please? ”

”You’ll have me for Thanksgiving and the spring break next year!”

“Are you nuts?”

“And Lucas. And El too,” insisted Max.

“You’re kidding,” Billy looked angrily at her.

“You’re the one who wants to get laid, not me”, Max returned to her work, waiting.

“Ok, ok, fine, you three at my house, whatever!” Billy snapped, and Max smirked. “So you’ll stay at El?”

Max nodded. “Ok, deal, I’ll sleep out tonight. I’ve already planned to stay at El’s, anyway,” she made him tongue, and Billy opened the door with rampage. 

“Bitch,” he snapped at her.

“Slut!” she yelled in return.

Billy opened the door and Steve entered the apartment, welcomed by soft light, a chill music and a delicious smell from the kitchen. The first time he didn’t notice many details, but now he could see a lot of house plants that seemed obvious, and some pictures of Max, Max’s graduation, a portrait and a photo with her and Billy eating an ice cream. 

Billy reached him with a glass of wine and Steve felt a little nervous.

“Is…. Max living here too?”

“Yeah, it’s me and her at the moment…” Billy read the worried look in Steve’s face. “She’s out for dinner,” he smirked, inviting him to sit on the sofa. Steve, instead, followed him in the kitchen where he was giving the last touches to the dinner. 

He had tied his hair up in a bun, with some blonde lock on his neck, a silk shirt, red, and Steve had to awkwardly admit that he had imagined it, the sleeves rolled up on his arms; he had already seen Billy’s tattoos last night at the restaurant, but now they were even hotter with the extra care he put in his outfit. 

Steve had tried to appear at the best too, and after all he hadn’t completely lost his touch, but he almost passed away when he saw the front, the shirt lazily unbuttoned and the tattoo that peeped out on Billy’s pecs, while his golden medal captured the warm light of the room. 

Billy led the conversation during the dinner, and Steve tried to relax, with difficulties, because it seemed that Billy could flirt so naturally that Steve couldn’t even try to resist. After all, an invitation like that had an obvious purpose. 

The food was delicious, another skill that Steve didn’t expect from Billy, but he was distracted by the charming conversation and Billy’s lips, along with more than a couple of the fresh white wine that matched perfectly to the shrimp pasta and the delicate sauce of the meat. 

When they finished, Billy tempted him with a stronger wine and they moved to the sofa. Again, Steve felt nervous for Billy’s proximity, their knees were lightly touching each other, and trying to guess how to carry on with the date.

He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, will Max…”

Billy shook his head. “Oh, she’s busy, she’s out for the night. A pool party or whatever”.

“Oh.” Steve nodded. 

“A pity you couldn't throw a pool party here again, right?”

Steve shrugged. “It’s life, I guess”.

Billy chuckled softly. “Although I can only imagine how big is the pool in your mansion in Denver,” he said, in a tone that Steve couldn’t read. He blushed, thinking at the dump he had called home for the last two years. 

“Well…” he considered putting all his cards on the table or maintaining a little dignity, at least for the moment. “Actually I don't exactly have a pool… actually I’m leaving my… my apartment, I need a fresh start, I guess”.

“Well, it’s good too. It’s a classic, right? The little city golden boy who leaves the Midwest and lives the best life in a big city…”

Steve bit his lips. 

“I guess you can make it successfully whenever you want…” again, Steve couldn't really read Billy’s tone, and it seemed a little mocking to him, but how could Billy know he was all but successfully and rich and that he had had a miserable life since when he left Hawkins without any idea? “Do you already have a plan?”

Steve shrugged again. “I’d always wanted to see California, but lately I was thinking of staying here for a while… like, downshifting a little”.

“Yeah, it’s like a movie, right? The successful man who returned to the shitty little place and made it a big win”. “Well if you’d say living in this shithole is a win...”

Billy blinked, and Steve cursed himself, wondering if he hurted his feelings in any way.

“I mean… there’s nothing wrong with staying here, of course… it’s not a matter of running away or failing, I mean… I’m happy to be there and…”

Steve forced himself to breathe slowly and stop the tornado of thought inside his head. He was better than that, and he could do better. 

He raised his eyes and looked Billy straight in his’. 

“It’s a matter of luck, too,” he said softly, smirking a little.

Billy smiled lightly and put down his glass, hanging out towards Steve; his hand slipped sweetly on Steve’s thigh.

“It’s a matter of opportunity too,” he whispered, closing the distance between them and kissing him. 

Steve released a whine of relief and answered gladly and fiercely to the kiss; he grabbed Billy’s forehead and felt Billy’s hot hands tucking directly under his polo. 

Billy’s chest was moving fastly, and his curls were loose and ruffled on the pillow. His lips were wet and parted, and he was looking at Steve topping him with a feral shine in his blue eyes; Steve shivered, although the contact between their naked bodies was almost scalding. He was about to zone out, he would never, ever imagined in his wildest fantasies he could find himself there, between Billy’s Hargove’s legs, his prohibited high school crush, balls deep inside him and making him squirm and whimper. 

Billy arched his back even more and clinged his legs on Steve’s back.

“I have been waiting for it since I was seventeen..“, moaned Billy. 

Steve blanked out. 

He woke up with the soft touch of Billy’s arms around his waist. It took a moment for him to remember where he was and what happened before falling asleep after the most perfect sex of his life.

Billy suggled on his neck, purring and kissing it softly, and Steve felt his considerable manhood, half hard, against his legs. He moaned of pleasure; his girl didn’t like morning cuddles, but he was a fan. 

Billy kept brushing his naked skin, burning him where he touched, and Steve reached out for a kiss, then two, and laid down on his back, taking Billy between his own legs, this time. 

Billy whispered, satisfied, trying to catch his breath, smiling in the curve of Steve’s neck. It was something he could get used to, Steve thought, if he had to stay in Hawkins, an advantage he had never considered.

After a while, Billy got up and put his briefs on, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“So, you’re thinking of staying in Hawkins for the moment?” he asked, and Steve blinked a little, surprised by the odd and abrupt question. 

“Uhm, yes, I think so…”

Billy stared at his eyes, grinning. “Well, if you come to California one day, you can stop and say hello,” he smiles, satisfied with the clueless expression on Steve’s face.

“What do you mean? I thought… you lived here. The shop…”

Billy chucked sweetly. “Oh, no. I’m just helping Susan for the summer, the shop is hers. She’s on honeymoon right now… this is her apartment. I live in California,” he enjoyed Steve’s astonishment. “I work there… modeling. I actually have a pool. Maybe you could enjoy a little party, if you’d come visit”.

Billy smiled slyly, while Steve was speechless. It took a couple minutes for him to regain his senses.

“But… I thought you lived here…” he repeated dumbly. 

“Well, I hope it’s not a problem,” Billy whispered, bending a little towards him. “Does it change things?”

Steve shook his head. He wasn’t surprised that Billy was successful and that he was a model, he was even prettier than when he was eighteen. Steve lost the opportunity once, and he was tired of feeling like a loser. 

He smirked, smiling at Billy and pulling him closer, grabbing his underwear.

“It’s not a problem. Not at all”.

[lunarcrown]

Hi, sorry if this is a weird question. I saw your recent discussion about the convention and one of your tags mentioned something about Arizona not being that far of a drive. Do you... live near Arizona?? Your tattoos are tasty and I've been looking for an artist since I moved down to this area-

HIIIIII! Not a weird question at all! I know most of the time you’re not supposed to talk about where you live but as a tattoo artist it’s kinda easy to AT LEAST know where my shop is through my socials and through booking so I’m like YEP YEEHAW TEXAS!!

BUT YEAH my shop is unfortunately in Texas so I’m not actually SUPER close to AZ 😭 though for Texans, a 11+ hour drive isn’t THAT wild since stuff is so far apart HAHAH

I’d love to do more guesting tho! So far I’ve guested in Denver and I’ll be in North Carolina in October! So maybe I’ll pay a visit to Arizona sometime!!!

And thank u for the sweet compliment on my tattoos being tasty HEHHE I can’t wait to show y’all what I’ve got cooked up for this con! I just hope the con lighting doesn’t make them look like shit OTL

[junkdyke]

i am homeeeee from Denver (Wheat Ridge) Colorado!! my last trip until next year

tattooed super dope pieces almost every day, ALL of my clients were some form of fem kweer (dykes, enby, and transfems) including one of my fucking COOL ASS MUTUALS @seraphbutch !!!!

my friends are thinking its a potential place to move, but we'll be visiting again soon to really get a feel! idk, its really fucking white tho. speaking of white; so i was making fun of my friend for her Tinder algorithm and finally caved in and remade mine. i have never seen so fucking many granola femmes in my LIFE, amd not like the fun and funky granola either, just kinda beige. I matched with all 10 of the only butch/mascs in a 50 mile radius LMAOOO and then i felt bad bc i exchanged 1 or 2 messages with each of them before just completely not replying to any of them cause i got too busy 💀 a couple of them did, however ,message me again so i answered, they were really cute but it's a shame i am just NOT in place to be doing the app thing rn. Fun to look though!!

i went to a metal show with tattoo crush while we were out there, and I might be going to another one with her later this month!! Both her and Dyke Roomie are down to go to the orchestra with me!! The shop we worked at was SOOO cute with the sweetest artists, one of them wants to get tattooed by me when we come back which is such an honor!! we saw the most gorgeous views during our 16 hour drive, our airbnb host was fucking UNHINGED lmfaooooo, she had us check in late after we had just finished driving for hours, would just NOT leave the room cause she was trying to finish setting it up, had been sick so she had no voice, and then when she finally left, texted Tattoo Crush to say "I'm sorry i'm such a mess. I think I left my vape in the room. jkkkkkkkkk. sorry this is like the worst week of my life, my grandma is sick. the mess is because the other people that live here are going through a nasty divorce. sorry again, im such a mess." just...insanity!!!!! But it was a really fun trip, i love my friends so much!!

We're all agreed that next year we'll be traveling monthly or bi-monthly! Some for sure spots we'll be hitting up are Atlanta, Portland, Seattle, Austin, I'm hoping Vancouver, maybe Boston, San Francisco ofc and maybe spend more time in Oakland, Dyke Roomie wants to go to Salem, another of my coworkers wants me to go to Nashville with her...so excited, so happy, i love life rn and the people in it💖

[mantratattoousa]

Good Tattoo Shops Near Me

Finding a good tattoo shop near you can be a challenge, especially when you're looking for quality work, a clean environment, and experienced artists. Whether you're getting your first tattoo or adding to an existing collection, choosing the right tattoo shop is crucial for ensuring that your body art is something you’ll love for years to come.

 What Makes a Tattoo Shop Good?

When looking for a good tattoo shop nearby, several factors come into play:

Reputation: The shop’s reputation is often the best indicator of its quality. Look for reviews on Google, Yelp, or other platforms to see what past customers have to say. Word-of-mouth referrals from friends or family can also provide valuable insight.

Cleanliness: A good tattoo shop maintains high levels of hygiene and cleanliness. The artists should follow proper sanitation protocols, including using sterile needles, disinfecting equipment, and ensuring a safe environment for clients.

Experienced Artists: Tattooing is a skill that improves with experience. Look for a shop with artists who specialize in the style you're interested in, whether it's realism, traditional, or something more unique. You’ll also want to browse through portfolios, either online or in person, to assess their previous work.

Licensing and Certifications: The best tattoo shops will be fully licensed and regulated by local health departments. Make sure the shop you’re considering meets these legal requirements, which ensure they adhere to health and safety standards.

Customer Service: A tattoo shop should make you feel comfortable from the moment you walk in. Friendly staff and attentive artists who take the time to listen to your ideas, provide feedback, and collaborate on the design are signs of a good tattoo experience.

How to Find Good Tattoo Shops Near You

The first step to finding the right tattoo shop is doing a local search for "good tattoo shops near me." Using tools like Google Maps will give you a list of highly-rated tattoo shops in your area. Pay close attention to the reviews and look for key information like how long the shop has been in business and the types of tattoos they specialize in.

Questions to Ask When Visiting a Tattoo Shop

Before committing to a tattoo shop, there are a few questions you should ask:

1. How long have the artists been tattooing?

2. Do they specialize in a particular style?

3. What is the shop’s sterilization process?

4. Can I see examples of previous work?

5. What is the pricing structure?

Asking these questions ensures that you’re going into the process well-informed and confident about your decision.

Final Thoughts

When searching for good tattoo shops near you take your time to research and choose a place where you feel comfortable and safe. A good tattoo is an investment in your body, so prioritize quality over convenience or cost. Always look for a shop with talented artists, strong hygiene practices, and a reputation for delivering great work. With the right research and preparation, you’ll find a tattoo shop that will turn your vision into a stunning piece of art you'll wear proudly for life.

[henleyxjacobs]

He said, "I'm just curious, is this for real or just an act? Can't tell if you love or hate me, never met someone like that... Drive me so (so, so) crazy, did you know you got that effect?"

⌜  madison beer  ,  24  ,  cis woman  ,  she/her ⌟  ╱    is  that  GREEDY  by  TATE MCRAE,  i  hear  playing?  oh  that  has  to  mean  HENLEY JACOBS  ,  is  about  to  clock  in. i  hear  they're  a  SENIOR  who's  been  away  studying  MUSIC PRODUCTION  at   NYU. it  sure  is  a  shame  they've  grown  up  to  be  rather  COMPASSIONATE  and  DETACHED. word  on  the  strip  is  that  they're  back  home  for  the  summer  and  working  as  a  MUSIC INSTRUCTOR  at  SOUNDSCAPE,  to  earn  some  extra  cash,  in  order  to  buy  a Chanel necklace  but  don't  tell  them  i  told  you  that  !  

►GENERAL INFORMATION

FULL NAME: Henley Noa Jacobs NICKNAME(S): Hen, HJ LABEL: The Girl Next Door AGE: 24 DATE OF BIRTH: September 22, 1999 ZODIAC: Libra Sun, Virgo Rising, Scorpio Moon GENDER & PRONOUNS: Female; She/Her NATIONALITY: American HERITAGE: Russian, Moroccan, Ashkenazi Jewish SPOKEN LANGUAGE(S): English, Russian (very little) OCCUPATION: Aspiring Singer/Songwriter/Influencer || Music Instructor @ Soundscape RELIGION: Agnostic (spiritually influenced, though) SEXUALITY & ROMANCE: Bisexual; Biromantic

► APPEARANCE

FACE CLAIM: Madison Beer HEIGHT: 5'4" WEIGHT: 116 lbs. DOMINANT HAND: Left HAIR COLOR: Brown EYE COLOR: Hazel SCARS: Fingertips from playing guitar for so long (barely noticeable) TATTOOS: Tiny honey bee on right ankle, dainty bow on right wrist with cursive 'lovebug' written right above, 'eventually' in dainty cursive script on side of left ring finger.

►PERSONALITY

POSITIVE TRAITS: Adroit, Romantic, Loyal, Brave, Compassionate, Passionate, Ambitious, Benevolent, Comical. NEGATIVE TRAITS: Reckless, Guarded, Sensitive, Stubborn, Easily Bored, Enigmatic, Detached. LIKES: The beach, surfing, drawing/sketching, going to coffee shops, the sound of records playing, observing others, the smell of a new book and the smell of rain, astronomy, nature, cable-knit sweaters, the smell of rain, the city lights, large bows with curled hair, old drive-ins, traveling, art museums, Shakespeare, Van Gogh, deep conversations, road trips, poetry, midnight dances in the rain. DISLIKES: Being told what to do, confrontation, being the first to show up, being the last to show up, not being taken seriously, someone underestimating her, the cold, feeling rushed, the sensation of being crowded, being called ‘selfish’ or 'ungrateful', restriction of freedom, close-minded people, being talked over, fake friends, when people only compliment her looks.

►MENTALITY

PHOBIAS: Nyctophobia DISORDERS: Anxiety ALLERGIES: Seasonal (Pollen)

►BACKGROUND

HOMETOWN: Denver, CO CURRENT RESIDENCE: Manhattan, NY / Denver, CO EDUCATION LEVEL: BA in Music Production & Business from NYU - working on her MA FAMILIAL CONNECTIONS: - Emilia Jacobs - Mother, Deceased - Alexander Jacobs - 49, Father, Not in Contact

►FAVORITES

FOOD: Sushi DRINK: Water MOVIE: Romeo & Juliet (1968), Serendipity TV SHOW: New Girl, Rick & Morty BAND: The 1975, The Killers, The Beatles, Lana Del Rey SONG: Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles

► EXTRA INFORMATION

JUNG TYPE: INFJ ENNEAGRAM: The Expert (3w4) TEMPERAMENT: Sanguine MORAL ALIGNMENT: Neutral Good SIN: Lust VIRTUE: Humility ELEMENT: Air CHARACTER PLAYLIST

"I'll put you through hell just to know me."

► BIOGRAPHY

Henley was born in Los Angeles, CA to Emilia and Alexander Jacobs. The beautiful sight of the baby girl was expected, what took everyone off guard was that Henley was collateral beauty to her mother's passing whilst in childbirth. The trauma enough that it sent the business tycoon running with his new bundle of joy to Denver. The girl knew the basics of her parents' story; Emilia moved to LA with a dream and $20 dollars in her back pocket. She had a face that belonged in the movies, and she was sure she was going to make it happen. Alexander came from a long line of old wealth - the industrialists that paved the way for the new business magnates of today. He saw her sing at an open mic night and he was a sucker. She saw him from the stage and sung to him - the rest was history. It was why he took the loss so hard, turning to alcohol so quickly like his father before him. Meanwhile, little Henley was trying everything to have any sort of connection. When she couldn't, she found herself boarding herself up. To a degree, she blamed herself. It only made sense that he wanted nothing to do with her when she killed mom. Though her father's choice of escape was alcohol, the brunette would easily slip away into fantasy worlds thanks to books when things got hard. She promised herself that no matter how dark life got, she was to be her own beacon of light; if she couldn't do that for herself, then she would be that for others. She was the quiet girl in school that everyone wanted to know, and she hated it. The reasoning being that she knew she had more to offer than her looks, but that was all anyone really saw in her. Even her own father told her to utilize her looks to get ahead. Instead of anger, it only fueled her to prove everyone wrong. She was in honor society, the president of the physics club in high school, took AP courses in art history and government policy. There was only one person who truly saw her, and that was her first love in high school. Though she had friends, none of them were every as close nor as understanding as Astrid. It was pure - they just wanted to know one another and be around one another. Her father actually liked Astrid, so did all her friends - though no one but their closest circle knew what they genuinely were behind closed doors. What was most important was that she let her walls down around Astrid; she truly felt free enough to be herself shamelessly. When the first semester of college hit, Astrid claimed she wasn't ready to come out and that was the end of what Henley felt was her once in 20 lifetimes. Maybe the fact her father liked Astrid was a red flag. Maybe she did something wrong - didn't love her the way she needed. Either way, her walls came back up and they were stronger than ever. It was that break-up that became the foundation of her inspiration for her first couple EPs. When the second EP came out, Henley didn't expect the attention it got. Now as she works on her first studio album, Henley is cementing her walls in place and attempting to navigate this chaos of the entertainment industry; where no one cares who you are, but cares who you know and the number of followers you attain.

► PERSONALITY

Henley is bright and sunny, but facades as a black cat. She is hellbent on keeping people at an arm's distance, seeing that she opened herself up fully only to get hurt. Her new motto is to leave before getting left. It's funny though, because she does have a big heart and she's prone to loving hard once a crush is formulated. She's a supportive and loyal friend once you have her in your court. Henley is prone to boredom and goes through these bursts of needing to go out, or needing to stay in - there's no in between. Henley knows she's sought after, so she likes to make people jump through hoops only to then walk away and throw their number away. She's into literature, art history and poetry. She actually writes poetry, herself, and her favorite thing to do is get lost in an art museum. Most don't know this about her, but Henley likes to game. She utilizes gaming to alleviate anxiety. She is just a huge ball of sunshine squished into a protective prison she built for herself, okay?

► PLOTS

The Best Friend: This person was most likely there when the Astrid situation went down and is Henley's shoulder to cry on as well as her go-to friend when she needs to get out of the house. They've been friends since middle school, possibly before! There's so many ways to play them - the best friend could be tired of Henley's self-recklessness or they could be the enabler. - OPEN

Childhood Friends: Same as above, these people were there during the Astrid scenario. They could meet at any point in their growing up - but these people would be close to Henley and they're almost joined at the hip. - OPEN (x3)

The PR Friend: Someone in the music industry who is utilizing Henley for clout. Henley wouldn't be aware of this, or maybe she is and is just stringing this person along - but I think it would be interesting to have a fake friend who Henley thinks is genuine. - OPEN

Ride or Die: Was a hook-up in the process but they wound up getting high and just talking all night. This is someone that Henley could sit in absolute silence with and be content, or when she's flying off the handlebars, this person can bring her back. Smoke sessions, deep conversations in the AMs. - OPEN

But, Do I Suck?: The music testers. This person is someone Henley runs her music by before putting it out into the world. They could be her genuine friends in the music industry, or maybe they went to NYU together and they met that way. - OPEN (x2)

Once You Have Me, Will You Want Me Still?: Blind date that turned into a hookup and Henley left before they woke up because she got scared. Ya know, she just doesn't want history to repeat itself. - OPEN

[mantratattoosblog]

Tattoo Artists near Lakewood

Lakewood, Colorado is a great city that offers a unique blend of urban and outdoor experiences. From parks and lakes to shopping and dining, Lakewood has something for everyone. If you're in the market for a new tattoo, Lakewood has a number of talented tattoo artists to choose from. Here are some of the top tattoo artists in Lakewood:

Dan DiMattia - Calypso Tattoo

Dan DiMattia is the owner of Calypso Tattoo, a popular tattoo shop located in Lakewood. He has been tattooing for over 20 years and is known for his stunning traditional tattoo designs. Dan's attention to detail and expertise in traditional tattooing make him a top choice for anyone looking for a classic, timeless tattoo.

Robert Maldonado - Crown and Anchor Tattoo

Robert Maldonado is the owner and lead artist at Crown and Anchor Tattoo, located in Lakewood. Robert has been tattooing for over a decade and specializes in black and grey realism tattoos. His work is incredibly detailed and realistic, and he has a talent for creating lifelike portraits and animal tattoos.

Molly McCulloch - Ritual Tattoo Gallery

Molly McCulloch is a talented tattoo artist at Ritual Tattoo Gallery in Lakewood. She has been tattooing for over a decade and is known for her intricate, detailed tattoos. Molly's style is heavily influenced by nature and animals, and her tattoos often feature intricate linework and shading.

Brian Thurow - White Lotus Tattoo

Brian Thurow is a tattoo artist at White Lotus Tattoo in Lakewood. He has been tattooing for over a decade and is known for his bright, colorful tattoos. Brian's style is heavily influenced by Japanese tattooing, and he has a talent for creating large, intricate designs that flow seamlessly with the body.

Jason Lantz - Lucky 13 Tattoo

Jason Lantz is a tattoo artist at Lucky 13 Tattoo in Lakewood. He has been tattooing for over 15 years and is known for his bold, colorful tattoos. Jason's style is heavily influenced by American traditional tattooing, and his tattoos often feature bold lines and bright colors.

Gabriel Massey - Massey Tattoo Co.

Gabriel Massey is the owner and lead artist at Massey Tattoo Co. in Lakewood. He has been tattooing for over a decade and is known for his stunning realism tattoos. Gabriel's work is incredibly detailed and lifelike, and he has a talent for creating tattoos that look like photographs.

Eric Johanson - Freaky's Lakewood

Eric Johanson is a tattoo artist at Freaky's Lakewood, a popular tattoo shop in the area. He has been tattooing for over a decade and is known for his bold, graphic tattoos. Eric's style is heavily influenced by graffiti and street art, and his tattoos often feature bold lines and bright colors.

Conclusion: These are just a few of the top tattoo artists in Lakewood. Each artist has their own unique style and specialty, so it's important to research and find the one that best fits your vision for your new tattoo. Whether you're looking for a classic, traditional tattoo or a bold, colorful design, Lakewood has an artist that can bring your ideas to life.

[naturiisms]

if you’re hearing GO GINA by SZA playing, you have to know FEMI LUONG (SHE/HER; CISFEMALE) is near by! the 35 year old OWNER OF AFTERTHOUGHTS TATTOO/DANCER has been in denver for, like, TEN YEARS. they’re known to be quite HEDONISTIC but being DIGNIFIED seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble KARRUECHE TRAN. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those BUTTERFLY KISSES, MESSAGES WRITTEN ON BATHROOM WALLS, MISSED CALLS AT 2 AM, FRESH TATTOOS AND HALF USED BOTTLES OF PERFUME vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the CHERRY CREEK DISTRICT long enough!

full name: femi luong nicknames: fefe, em birthday: november 8, 1988 hometown: torrance, california occupation: owner of afterthoughts tattoo, dancer hobbies: giving herself late night tattoos, taking pilates classes, roller skating, washing money lives: cherry creek district

background: tw prison, drugs, criminal activity

born to anika and duy luong, the first ten years of femi's life were picture perfect. family dinners, road trips to visit relatives, summer camp every year. that was until spring of her eleventh year, when her father went to prison for the first time on a burglary charge.

shortly after her father's first sentencing, her mother divorced him and remarried, having known nothing about his criminal side gigs. during the next year and a half, femi had little to no contact with her father as her mom and stepmom felt it would be best for her. after his release, he was allowed supervised visits and eventually every other weekend.

on these weekends her dad would take her to the ice cream shop, which was actually a deal. or the park, where they were pulling a gig. you'd be surprised how many people believe you were under their car because your kid's ball rolled under it, not because you were actually stealing catalytic converters.

femi found these secret trips with her dad exhilarating, the need for chaos and the next come up following her throughout high school. her moms often had screaming matches with her, not understanding where they'd went wrong and still not privy to what actually went on when she went to her dad's.

despite her tumultuous extra curriculars, femi maintained excellent grades and often found school too easy. after graduating high school she was accepted to el camino college where she transferred to ucla, receiving her bachelors in business. up to this point, she'd still been living a double life and painting a picture for her moms while doing jobs for her dad on the weekends.

after graduating, femi decided she needed more than la had to offer and packed her things up, moving to denver. since being in denver, femi has been dancing at various clubs and lounges, with brief stints as a bottle girl to support her luxury lifestyle. it wasn't until 6 years ago when a regular ( wc pending ) let her in on his business, washing money through their nightly dances. after doing successful work for 3 years, he was giving consistent bonuses and realized her business degree was worth something, noticing how she brought in and kept clientele while remaining discreet.

this is when they became partners rather than being his subordinate. being let in on the business, femi knew she would need something more legitimate for the amount of income she intended to have. tattooing had originally been a hobby she practiced on herself and friends, but she decided to use it to her advantage and opened afterthoughts tattoo. she's been successfully washing money and leasing to other artists yet is unwilling to give up her dancing gig because of the familiarity.

[fadedstarsfms]

Bianca Gagliardi Intro

MAGGIE, 21+, CST; SHE/HER. | if you’re hearing RIVER LEA by ADELE playing, you have to know BIANCA GAGLIARDI (SHE/HER; CIS WOMAN ) is near by! the 44 year old OWNER OF SUNSET SOUNDS has been in denver for, like, 6 YEARS. they’re known to be quite DISORGANIZED, but being PASSIONATE seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble MELANIE LYNSKEY. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those WORRIED YOU’LL TURN INTO YOUR PARENTS, DOING ANYTHING FOR YOUR FAMILY, & WANTING TO FEEL LIKE HOME SOMEWHERE vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the MONTBELLO DISTRICT long enough! 

★𝘽𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙘 𝙄𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣★

Nickname Sometimes: Bee Birth Date: June 20, 1978 Zodiac: Gemini Gender: Cis Woman Pronouns: She/Her Sexual & Romantic Orientation: Bisexual

★𝘼𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚★

Height: 5′7″ Faceclaim: Melanie Lynskey Hair color/style: Medium, Brown, Curly Eye color: Dark Brown Tattoos: A flower on her ankle

★𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮★

Positive Traits: Passionate, Empathetic, Friendly Neutral Traits: Persistent, Noncommittal, Outgoing Negative Traits: Disorganized, Defensive, Impulsive Fears: Big bodies of water, Ending up like her parents Goals: To feel like she's at home, To be closer to her family Hobbies: Listening to music, Crocheting, Dancing

★𝙋𝙖𝙨𝙩★

Hometown: Back of a van Education: Homeschooled enough to get her degree and no more Mother: She has one Father: She has one Siblings: Vincent Gagliardi (twin) (penned by Victoria) , Marco Gagliardi-Fortier (penned by Marcy) , & many others (give us more please) Children: Addison Gagliardi (penned by Gemz)

★𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩★

Residence: Montebello District Job: Owner of Sunset Sounds Significant Others: No one currently How Long She’s Been Here: Six years

★𝘽𝙞𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙮★

pregnancy tw

It's not every day that you can meet someone that says they traveled with a carnival for their entire childhood but The Gagliardi's aren't just any family. Their parents were fortune tellers and thought it was a perfect place to raise their six children. At first Bianca thought nothing of it but the more that she saw what children with normal childhoods were like the more she realized that was all she ever wanted. While Vince was more than willing to help out their parents with their younger siblings, Bianca just wanted to live her own life.

As a teenager she could have been around more, and she regrets that now, but she would always run off when the carnival went up and explored the towns they were in. In one of the towns she came across the local record store and absolutely fell in love with the aesthetic and all the music so readily available at her finger tips. Each city they went to she always made sure to check out the record shops and get at least one record from each place, a collection she still has to this day.

When Bianca was young the carnival stopped for a couple of weeks in one city and she met a local. Their relationship and love were fast and by the end of the two weeks there was no way she was going to leave him behind. Saying goodbye to her family and the life that she knew, Bianca stayed behind and got a taste of what it was like to stay in one place for an extended amount of time. By their third month together he had proposed and wanted a wedding that was just as fast paced as they were. Bianca thought it was meant to be until she was standing up alone like a fool with no groom beside her on what was supposed to be their wedding day.

To this day she still doesn't know why he didn't show, but she can only assume he got cold feet. She tucked her tail between her legs and joined up with the carnival once again, a few weeks later finding out she was pregnant. Not wanting to give her baby the same life she had, Bianca once again said goodbye to her loved ones and settled down to stay in one place no matter how much she was unhappy being away from her siblings, she had her child and that was all she needed.

Six years ago Bianca could tell that Vince was really upset about his wife leaving and Bianca knew in an instant she needed to be there for him. So she packed up everything and moved to Denver without a second thought, even buying a space so she could have her dream of owning her own record store. The more her siblings moved to Colorado the more she felt truly at home.

If you were to ask Bianca if she had any psychic powers like her twin or her parents she'd vehemently say no. But she always tends to know what type of mood someone is in, she claims it's due to their choice in music but she fails to see that there might be something more to it.

★𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨★

Employees - have you ever seen Empire Records? it's a great movie about a bunch of young adults working in a record store, that's what this is like. her employees are like family and she'd love all of them

Frequent Fliers - maybe you come to Sunset Sounds all the time, she'd recognize you and always want to talk music

THE Ex - maybe this will be an official wc someday but do you want to be the baby daddy and the guy who left her at the alter? so much drama and angst

Ex's, FWB, Crush - she closed herself off to love after being left at the alter, so she would have a hard time committing to something

Neighbors - she's been in the same place for a while now and would absolutely try to be friends with everyone around her

Really give me anything she's new and I think she'll be fun!

★𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩★

River Lea by Adele

Two Slow Dancers by Mitski

Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush

A Case of You by Joni Mitchell

Tiny Dancer by Elton John

And Then She Kissed Me by St. Vincent

Harvest Moon by Neil Young

99 Luftballoons by Nena

I Saw Her Again by The Mamas and the Papas

River by Leon Bridges

[icxnvc]

If you’re hearing MERRY-GO-ROUND OF LIFE by JOE HISAISHI playing, you have to know MI-JUN "MICAH" LEE (HE/HIM; CISMALE) is near by! the 24 year old EMPLOYEE AT FINDERS KEEPERS / WANNABE ARTIST has been in denver for, like, THIRTEEN YEARS. they’re known to be quite SPINELESS, but being GENTLE seems to balance that out. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those SOFT SWEATERS, SHAKING HANDS AFTER CONFRONTATION, AND AWKWARDLY LONG BLANK STARES  vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the LAKERIDGE DISTRICT long enough!

Basics:

Name: Min-Jun Lee

Nickname: Micah

Age: 24

Birthday: January 14th

Occupation: Employee at Finders Keepers / Wannabe Artist

Sexuality: Bisexual

Residence: Lakeridge

FC: Lee Seung Gyu

Appearance:

Height: 6'

Hair: Black

Eyes: Brown

Tattoos/Piercings: None

Scars: A few, but they're hidden

Aesthetic:

If Micah could be a walking cherry blossom, he would be

Light colors, baggy clothes, sweaters that cover his hands, the color lavender

Bio: tw: abandonment, anxiety, mental health

Micah doesn't remember much of the town he grew up in, though he knows it isn't Colorado

In fact, he doesn't remember most of his childhood except for brief flashes of things in his nightmares and the few photos he has that were in his backpack

He's never gone looking for his family or his memories because if they didn't want him, he doesn't want them

When Micah was 11, his parents took a bus into Denver, and when they got on the next bus, they didn't take him with them

He spent hours in the bus terminal until somebody called the cops to pick him up.

The only reason he knows his name is from the tag that was attached to his backpack. The backpack contained a few pictures, a few changes of clothes, and a stuffed animal

The next three years were full of foster homes that didn't have enough patience for the boy who didn't want to speak, or otherwise replied in a language they didn't understand. He doodled a lot, and for a while, drawing became his main form of communication.

It wasn't until he was nearly fourteen that somebody thought to try getting a translator for him, and it helped. He'd been learning English since he was picked up, but it still wasn't comfortable for him.

By the time he ended up with his current family, he was mostly conversational in English, but still borderline mute. He let other kids pick on him, let adults boss him around, and then some, all while staring off into the distance as if it wasn't happening.

Micah blossomed with his final placement. He grew confident enough to speak, though he was still the quietest of his siblings, and his personality became so much more than "the weird kid in the corner." They adopted him when he was seventeen.

Micah still draws, he even went to college, just a local state school, and sees his family.

College was where he figured out his sexuality, having spent many nights tipsy and making out with any pretty boy or girl that looked at him twice.

Now, he works at Finders Keepers and dreams of what he could do next

Connections:

Friends: You can't go wrong with some pals

Enemies: Micah probably wouldn't have started shit, but he is an easy target

Romance: He's bi, he's shy, and he will not make the first move. If he gets flirted with, he turns red from the tips of his ears all the way to his toes. Though, he's a flirty, giggly drunk. Do with that what you will.

Friends of his family: Micah has 3 siblings, somebody probably knows them, and they might recognize him because of them

Shop Patrons: He works a lot of hours at Finders Keepers, running into him there is highly likely

Comfort Zone: Somebody needs to push him out of his comfort zone, it could be you

The Flirt: Could be a joke or for real, Micah won't know he's being flirted with, let alone know if it's for realizes. Once he does, he's a cherry tomato at all times.

Gym Buddy: You'd never know it looking at him, but Micah is built. He usually goes to the gym alone, but maybe they made friends at the gym, or they think they can help him out.

Date Night: Micah doesn't really go on dates, he's terrified to ask people out, but he would go if somebody asked. He might go because he'd feel bad saying no, but maybe not.

Fuck Buddy: He's not a virgin, but he might as well be. Somebody could fix that.

[eastcoastblood]

i literally never use tumblr anymore but as an update, a word vomit about seeing mcr, because i’ve been posting mcr on this very blog for over 12 years: 

my best friend ollie and i saw mcr twice in september, once night 1 in toronto, the other in denver. they drove us the entire 10ish hours there and back for both. it was my first time going to canada and they got across WITHOUT THEIR PASSPORT. in toronto i got skeleton gerard. in denver i got nurse gerard. i can’t believe i’ve seen bury me in black and boy division live and also literally everything else. black parade made me cry the hardest both times because my dead father took me to projekt revolution for my first concert when i was 11 and he’s the reason live music is so important to me. my chemical romance is the most important band in the world.

i had tickets to night 1 newark, but i am incredibly broke and my new (to me) car was in the shop not to mention i could not afford gas/tolls to get there, so i had to sell them. i’m a little heartbroken because i could have gotten fucking demolition lovers... 

but i digress. because i still got to see them. i got to experience so many new things because of them. ollie and i have matching mcr tattoos and have been emo together for 15 years. my best friend in the entire world and i finally got to see our favorite band together. they finally got to see them, in general. i could understand entirely why they chose what songs they chose to add to the setlist rotation and they speak to their awareness of the state of the world and their place within it. 

i’ll say it again, and i’ll say it forever: my chemical romance is the most important band in the world. they’re an integral part of me and these shows really helped to prove how true that still is. “i am not afraid to keep on living” - i know i got that tattooed for a reason. 

i’ll never get to see them in a basement, but i know they’ll always remember that’s exactly where they came from, and that’s my favorite thing about them.