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nerianasims · 3 years

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Billboard #1s 1976

Under the cut.

Bay City Rollers – “Saturday Night” -- January 3, 1976

They prove they can spell Saturday a lot. Anyway, he's going out to dance with his girl on Saturday night. The song is bouncy to a fault -- I feel like the repetitive, samey beat is following one of those balls the mind-controlled kids bounced in A Wrinkle in Time. It sounds like a cheerleading chant. Something to do aerobics to, not to dance to.

C.W. McCall – “Convoy” -- January 10, 1976

So, besides the cb radio fad, 1976 was also the year of the OPEC oil crisis and basically, it seems the reason truckers became folk heroes evading The Man in popular consciousness had its roots in international relations. Anyway, it's a baritone story song, but about truckers instead of cowboys. I like the verse, "Well, we shot the line and we went for broke/ With a thousand screamin' trucks/ An' eleven long-haired Friends o' Jesus/ In a chartreuse micro-bus." It's a silly song with a lot of trucker lingo (or fake trucker lingo, idk), and I don't exactly dislike it, but I'm not gonna listen to it again either.

Barry Manilow – “I Write The Songs” -- January 17, 1976

It's obvious from the first lines "I've been alive forever/ And I wrote the very first songs" that Barry's not singing about himself. It turns out "music" wrote the all the songs. Except that's obnoxious too. People wrote the songs. Also possibly birds, but definitely people. And it's musical goo.

Diana Ross – “Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)” -- January 24, 1976

It's a song about regretting letting an ex go, and probably more. There's a ton of orchestration that sounds like it belongs in a lightweight movie, and Diana Ross doesn't put much emotion into it. It is a thoughtful song, rather than one calling for melodrama, but I would like to hear some emotion here, and I am not getting it. A trifle light as air.

Ohio Players – “Love Rollercoaster” -- January 31, 1976

It's a funk/disco thing. I've listened to it three times trying to get anything from it at all. The lyrics are dumb, asserting love is like this or that amusement park experience. I'd think "love rollercoaster" would be about how there are huge highs and terrifying lows, but it's not. It's horribly repetitive. I guess it's danceable. But I find it dull.

Paul Simon – “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover” -- February 7, 1976

I love how pared down this song is. It's sort of funky, without all the funk orchestration. The simple drums are the main focus. The melody's also simple, without being dull. And the lyrics aren't complex; a woman is encouraging the narrator to leave his official lover for her. "Just get yourself free." But she's doing it so very nicely -- "I wish there were something I could do to make you smile again." Not that the song expects us to believe she or the narrator actually are nice. Or that it's really all that easy to leave your lover. But it doesn't tell you what to think about the situation either. An excellent song.

Rhythm Heritage – “Theme From S.W.A.T.“ -- February 28, 1976

Apparently, there was a TV show about S.W.A.T., and this was its instrumental theme song. Which is exactly what it sounds like. Not a good TV theme either. I looked up 1976 shows, and here are some shows with better TV themes from that year: Charlie's Angels, Alice, M*A*S*H, Happy Days (which surprisingly only hit #5), All in the Family, Barney Miller, Welcome Back Kotter (which hit #1 later), The Jeffersons (that Movin' On Up doesn't seem to have been a hit is shocking), The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Sanford and Son, The Bob Newhart Show... look, all of them. All shows in 1976 that I can find had better theme songs than S.W.A.T., often to a staggering degree. But songs don't reach #1 for being good. Still, usually I can hazard a reason for them. I can't for this one.

The Four Seasons – “December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)” -- March 13, 1976

It's about the narrator getting laid for the first time. He didn't even know the name of the woman, which completely undercuts anything happy or fun about this song for me, and makes it icky. At least it's not falsetto. I wasn't born when it came out, yet it was overplayed on the oldies stations in the 90s so much that I developed a deep and abiding hatred for it.

Johnnie Taylor – “Disco Lady” -- April 3, 1976

This is a song about disco that isn't a disco song. As such, it confuses me. It's kind of a mild funk/soul song, and it's about how turned on this guy is watching a woman disco. Johnnie Taylor can definitely sing, and I'd like to hear some more traditional soul/jazz stuff from him. This isn't doing it for me.

The Bellamy Brothers – “Let Your Love Flow” -- May 1, 1976

I saw the title and immediately the song shoved itself into my head. It's such a mellow song, but the hook is still monstrous. The song is about how it's the season for love, so grab your lover and "let your love flow." It's one of many 70s songs about sex that sounds like it could be a song about how pretty trees are. It kind of is about how pretty trees are too. I rather like it.

John Sebastian – “Welcome Back” -- May 8, 1976

Welcome Back, Kotter was not on Nick at Nite or WGN or anything else that ran old TV shows when I was watching TV (rather than the internet), so I've never seen it. The theme song lays it all out -- someone moves back to his old neighborhood, where they need him. As TV theme songs go, it's fine. Just fine, though. When "Movin' On Up" and "Love Is All Around" were also theme songs for TV shows in 1976, why this one? The rewards of mediocrity I guess.

The Sylvers – “Boogie Fever” -- May 15, 1976

It's literal. You come in contact with someone who can't stop boogie-ing, and you will catch the Boogie Fever yourself. Listening to the song will certainly make you want to boogie, unless you are immune. A fun dance song, and I wouldn't be surprised if Tik-Tok made it a hit again in the next year.

Wings – “Silly Love Songs” -- May 22, 1976

"Some people want to fill the world with silly love songs / What’s wrong with that?" Nothing. Paul even emphasizes something important in it: "Love isn't silly at all." Still, I can't say it's one of my favorites. I get tired of it about halfway through, and it's a long song. A silly love song shouldn't be nearly 6 minutes long.

Diana Ross – “Love Hangover” -- May 29, 1976

It starts with Diana Ross making sex sounds that I find embarrassing. Then she goes into singing about how she doesn't want to get over "the sweetest love hangover", and a minute and a half in it becomes a disco song. I find the entire thing irritating.

Starland Vocal Band – “Afternoon Delight” -- July 10, 1976

"Afternoon delight" is sex, but these doofuses may as well be singing about tea and scones for all the excitement this song has. It still doesn't deserve the hatred it's gotten. But it's not good either. The number of sexless sex songs in the 70s is just... ugh.

The Manhattans – “Kiss And Say Goodbye” -- July 24, 1976

He has to break up with the person he's been cheating with. It's an achingly sad Philly soul song. It also manages to be way sexier than the vast majority of 70s sex songs. Real emotion (or the ability to fake real emotion) does a lot, as does being able to sing like this. And beautiful backing music. It's so sad, and so good.

Elton John & Kiki Dee – “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” -- August 7, 1976

This song isn't mutual. Elton John's the one who sings "don't go breaking my heart," and Kiki Dee's the one singing "I won't go breaking your heart." It is all and entirely and completely about the male character's feelings. Of course it's an Elton John song so I wouldn't like it anyway, but I really don't like this one, especially because it still gets airplay.

Bee Gees – “You Should Be Dancing” -- September 4, 1976

I hate the Bee Gees. Not on a personal level -- as far as I know they're perfectly decent people -- but their music. And I have a particular hatred for Barry Gibb's voice. His horrible falsetto has caused me immense pain in my life. If I should be dancing, then they need to shut up and sit down and let a band that I can dance to take the stage. As it is, I feel like a dog during the 4th of July; I just want to hide under a bed.

KC & The Sunshine Band – “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty” -- September 11, 1976

Here's a command to dance that I can get behind. Or that my behind can get behind. Again, a great song for dancing but not for listening to from KC & The Sunshine Band.

Wild Cherry – “Play That Funky Music” -- September 18, 1976

Good for both dancing and listening. How you can listen and not get into that funk groove even when sitting, though, I don't know. Play that funky music till you die.

Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band – “A Fifth Of Beethoven” -- October 9, 1976

This was the #1 hit the week I was born. It's a good one for me; it's by a guy who loved classical music enough to write contemporary music based on it. Whenever I'm faced with questions about what kind of music is my favorite, my answer is "the good kind." Anyway, this is a fun song.

Rick Dees And His Cast Of Idiots – “Disco Duck (Part 1)” -- October 16, 1976

Billboard used to base their hit songs on calling record stores and asking what was selling. I think that's how this stupid, stupid song reached number one. I think it was a prank by a bunch of stoned college kids who co-ordinated it over cb radio or something. It's about a duck. Who discos. With an obnoxious voice and obnoxious music. It's by a radio dj, and is as painfully unfunny as radio djs usually are.

Chicago – “If You Leave Me Now” -- October 23, 1976

This song makes me have a weird reaction. It gives me the warm, comfortable fuzzies, and makes me want to sleep. That last part might not be too surprising, as it is a soft song, but to me it is very much more than that. I have always had trouble sleeping at night, since birth. My parents hit on putting me into the car and driving around with soft music playing to get me to go lights out. I need to ask them if they played Chicago during that. I can't think of any other reason for my hindbrain association with this szzzzzzz....

Steve Miller Band – “Rock’n Me” -- November 6, 1976

Good bar rock, since it's the Steve Miller Band. Lyrically, it's also more complex than most of its genre. At first, he sings "I got to please my sweet baby, yeah." Then he starts singing about all the places he's been, including "Northern California where the girls are warm." And then "Babe, you know you are a friend of mine/ And you know that it's true/ That all the things that I do/ Are gonna come back to you in your sweet time." Well then. I can totally see @katatty's Duncan Huckleberry singing this song. And getting away with everything. It's a fun song, though (because?) the narrator is likely a dirtbag.

Rod Stewart – “Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright)” -- November 13, 1976

It's a sex song, and it is hugely skeevy. "Don't deny your man's desire/ You’d be a fool to stop this tide / Spread your wings and let me come inside." No, asshole, cover it up if you want to come near. And how about if you want her, you care something about her desire? This was a huge hit from a huge star, but I have never heard it until now. Ugh. I need to shower, this is gross. Also I hope whoever he's singing to is packing mace.

BEST OF 1976 -- "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover." I don't even think it's an amazing song, just a very good one, but the 1976 #1s don't leave me much to work with. Fleetwood Mac released some singles, but people wanted "Disco Duck" rather than "Over My Head." Tons of great music has survived from 1976, but most of it is not on this list. WORST OF 1976 -- "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)". "Disco Duck" is stupid, but it doesn't make my skin crawl.

#billboard number ones

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letsbenditlikebennett · 4 years

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Petals for Armor || Ariana & Luce

TIMING: Prior to Bea’s ressurection PARTIES: @divineluce & @letsbenditlikebennett SUMMARY: Ariana goes by the shop when Luce happens to have a cancellation. A new tattoo is gifted and the girls get to talk. CONTENT: Some sibling death mentions and general descriptions of tattooing (needles and blood)

“You can take the wrap off in the next two or three hours. No pools, hot tubs, or swimming for the next two weeks.” Luce said as she escorted her latest client out, handing them a little bag of Aquaphor and printed out aftercare instructions. They’d gotten a geometric calf piece that, any other time, would have made her really excited to work. But, her nerves were still raw from her experience with Felix and she felt frayed at the edges, like she might just unravel. Which is why she was throwing herself into the more menial aspects of her work-- she cleaned up her room with even more vigor than usual before returning to the lobby to look at her bookings for the day. As she looked at the screen, the bell over the door dinged as someone walked inside. Fuck. Her 4 o clock had rescheduled. Which meant she had nothing to do for the rest of the day. Her cabin was all repaired and she wasn’t… she didn’t want to go back to Bea’s house. Not yet. Not until she was back. Not until all three of them could walk through that door together. Realizing she’d been lost in thought, Luce forced a smile and looked up from the computer. “Welcome to Ink, Inc. Do you have an appointment or are you here for a walk-in?”

After a couple of weeks off from training under Shiloh at Trusty Wood, Ariana found it felt better to be back again. There was a lot less time to get stuck in her own head when she was busy soaking up all that Shiloh could possibly teach her. As heavy as things felt some days, she knew she had to keep pushing forward. It’s what Celeste would have wanted and she still wanted to be someone Celeste could be proud of. It was all she could do to keep part of her alive. Things were slowly getting easier, she still let herself feel her way through the waves. She still found she preferred to not go back to the trailer alone after work today and Ulf had said he wouldn’t be too much later. She could hang out at the shop a bit, look through some of his newer sketches and watch videos on Tik Tok while she waited. Her air pods had still been in her ears as she walked through the door, but she could still hear a familiar voice over the music, so she took a bud out. She smiled when she realized it was Luce though a wince followed shortly after. She wondered if Ulfric had mentioned what happened to Luce. The last thing she needed right now was questions about her hot sister. She quickly recovered and waved, “Hey, Luce. Not here for an appointment or anything. Ulf had said he’d be done for the day soon, so figured I’d hang around a bit so I don’t have to walk home.”

Looking up, Luce’s expression faltered for a moment as she saw Ariana waving at her. Fuck. Fuck. “Ariana. Hey,” She looked down at the computer and grimaced. Ulf was still in his appointment, but that meant that Ariana was going to be stuck waiting around for a little bit. The night Ulfric had told her what had happened to Celeste, Luce had been… floored. Her heart had broken for Ariana, for what she was going through-- she understood the pain of losing a sister, of the cruel reality of death. But, unlike Ariana… She could bring Bea back. She was actively working towards it. And while it would take sacrifice and magic Luce had never thought she would ever degrade herself to doing, here she was. Preparing to murder a man. Swallowing, Luce stepped out from behind the counter and leaned against the receptionist’s desk. She clenched her jaw for a moment before glancing at the clock. “You need a ride? My next appointment bailed on me, so I can give you a lift if you want.” She said with a shrug, tilting her head out to the 4x4 that was parked out back behind Ink Inc.

While a ride sounded better than waiting around the shop for Ulfric to finish with his appointment, Ariana perked up at the mention of her appointment bailing on her. With her first tattoo, she found she kind of liked the sensation of the needle and it’s constant buzzing. She liked the finished product even more. More often than not, she’d find herself admiring her own tattoo literally any time she wore shorts short enough to show it off. As fun as the 4x4 looked, a new tattoo sounded even more fun. “Thanks,” she said, a small smile present, “A ride would be cool, but taking your appointment’s place actually sounds even better. I’ve been kind of wanting another tattoo anyway.” She looked to Luce hopefully. She totally understood if she preferred to go home as planned, but it was worth a shot. “If you’re ready to head out, that’s totally cool, too.”

At Ariana’s words, Luce nodded. A ride, a tattoo? Fuck, if the girl had asked for one of the art pieces off the wall, she would have given it to her. “Sure, no problem. You got any ideas that you’re thinking about? Or do you wanna take a look through some of the designs I already have? C’mon, we can chat in my room.” She said, walking back to her workspace and grabbing the binder full of stencils and designs that she carefully curated. While her designs lately hadn’t been the most inspired or the ones that she liked the most, she’d done well to make sure that she kept a wide selection for people to look through. And, for the most part, people seemed to like them. Geometric tattoos and floral patterns, blackwork and animals, neo-traditional, those designs were pretty well received amongst the others. “You can check this out to get an idea of my style and talk me through what you’re thinking.” She handed over the binder before settling down in front of her laptop.

Being genuinely excited for something after weeks of feeling like life was a haze was a welcomed feeling. Ariana eagerly followed Luce to her room in the shop and answered, “I was thinking of doing some wildflowers in black ink. Color ink is kind of lost on me because color blind and all. I’d love to look through some of your designs though!” There was a hint of sadness at the mention of wildflowers and she decided to not explain her choice. Maybe she should have told Luce about what happened so she didn’t think Celeste ghosted her or something, but as many times as she already had to say it, she didn’t find it getting any easier. It still felt like a kick to the gut every freaking time. She thumbed through the pages of the binder and found she enjoyed Luce’s style. A lot of the floral patterns seemed to fit perfectly for what she wanted, but one in particular reminded her of a hike with Celeste. The shapes of the flowers and how the flowed across the page reminded her of the ones that grew around Dog Mountain in Washington. She’d suggested the spot for hiking based on the name of the mountain alone, but she could still remember the beaming smile on Celeste’s face as they ventured into a clearing that was filled with flowers as if it was yesterday. It was hard to think that was nearly six years ago and they’d never share another hike like that again. She looked a bit more wistful as she looked back to Luce, holding the binder up and pointing, “I like these. They remind me of--,” she started, ready to say Celeste but quickly cut herself off and said, “One of my favorite hikes.”

“Well, you’ve got the right artist for that. I prefer to do black and white tattoos in general.” Luce nodded as she gestured to a couple of the charcoal art pieces on the wall, the stencils in the binder, and the larger designs she’d tacked up to her corkboard. While she waited for Ariana to make her selection, Luce set to work prepping her workstation. Even if nothing caught Ariana’s eye, there was nothing wrong with wiping down the chair, making sure the drawers of her tool chest were neatly organized. It was just good practice. When Ariana held up the binder, showing her the delicate wildflower patterns, Luce nodded with an approving grin. “Where are you thinking of putting it? So I can size up the pattern for you. And would you want to add anything else to it? I’ve got plenty of time, I can make a couple small tweaks if you’d like.” She said as she opened up the stencil on her computer. She heard the slight falter in the girl’s tone, the way she paused. A part of her suspected that… no-- she wasn’t going to pry. Not about the death of a sister. “Nice. Where’d you go hiking?” She asked conversationally.

“Why am I not surprised that the artists here are werewolf friendly,” Ariana joked before admiring the charcoal pieces on the wall. She enjoyed Luce’s style. Art that wasn’t filled with lots of color was a lot easier for her to process and make sense of. Plus, it was totally an aesthetic. She took a moment to think over where she’d like to put it. Since this one didn’t scream I’m a werewolf, she wanted it somewhere more visible. She scanned over her arms and answered, “My left forearm. I think that’d work nicely. I want to be able to just look down and see it whenever I want to. I’m always bummed when I wear pants because I can’t see my wolf tattoo.” She briefly considered adding something specific to Celeste on there, but ultimately decided against it. The design as it was was already perfect and a subtle nod to her sister. “I’d like to keep the design as it is, but thanks.” Luce was being really nice, noting she had plenty of time to customize it however she wanted. There was even something more gentle about her than normal that Ariana couldn’t quite place, but she figured Ulfric must have told her. That would explain it. It didn’t make her feel too inclined to talk about it just yet. Instead, she focused on the happy memory with a fond smile that slightly deflected from her sad and tired eyes. “Lots of places, but these flowers remind me of the ones Celeste and I saw on a hike through Dog Mountain in Washington. There was this one clearing that was just filled with them. I swear you’d think Celeste had just won the lotto or something with how happy she looked.” The dull ache that came with remembering Celeste was present. Still, it felt better to keep her memory alive than to simply let it fade away with her.

Letting out a wry laugh, Luce shrugged, “Werewolf friendly businesses are few and far between in this town, we gotta maintain our reputation as a safe space for all. Besides, a happy boss means a happy me.” She said as she pulled up the stencil. With a cursory glance over at Ariana’s arm where she directed her, Luce nodded, mentally sizing up the area. Shrinking it down a little, she printed out the design before holding it up to the girl’s arm. Needed to be a bit smaller “I get that. I like my leg tattoos a lot, but yeah, they don’t spend as much time in the spotlight as my others.” She said. Under her black shorts, fishnet tights made criss crossed patterns over the tattoos on her legs, obscuring them slightly from view. That’s what happened when you had an aesthetic and stuck to it. As Ariana mentioned Celeste by name, Luce kept her face neutral. She couldn’t help the twist in her stomach at the thought of the woman, someone she’d only briefly known but was Ariana’s whole world. “Yeah. You see a lot of these in the Pacific Northwest. Not that I’ve ever been there, but I like the flowers that grow there.” She said with a nod as she went back to her computer and adjusted the stencil so it was just the right size. “Alright. You ready for this?” She asked, gesturing for the girl to take a seat in her chair.

Ariana knew she one day wanted both her arms to be covered in tattoos though she hadn’t gotten as far as what all she wanted. She kind of figured she liked enough of Ulfric’s random sketches that she could just point something out she thought was cool and he could just tattoo it on her. It didn’t need some special meaning. It being the art of someone she cared about was enough meaning for her. Plus, doing things just for aesthetic reasons were fun. It was her body. She didn’t need to justify her tattoo choices to literally anyone. Hell, she had half a mind to get the stupid tattoos her and Nell were joking about getting. Those would be more fun to get together anyway. With a small laugh, she mused, “Listen, your arms and legs are both goals.” She took a seat in the chair as directed and swallowed back a bit of the giddy energy that was building up inside her. She tried to position her arm so it was easy for Luce to work with and said, “Oh, I’m so ready. I’ve been dying to get another tattoo since I got my first one.” She kept still as she spoke, not wanting to mess up the outline Luce was preparing for her. “I liked the Pacific Northwest a lot. There’s a lot of places to go where it’s just nature which is basically wolf paradise. Do you do a lot of hiking here? I really love all your floral designs.” Focusing on something that wasn’t the Celeste part of the memory was a little easier. Soon, there’d also be the nice dull buzz of the needle to distract from that, too.

At the girl’s words, Luce offered a crooked smile, glancing down at her arms as she pulled on a pair of gloves. “Thanks. I’ve worked on them for the past eight years. Ulf, he did your first one, right?” She said as she wiped down the area and applied the stencil, stepping back to take a look at it. Hm. “He did my first tattoo, this one.” She said, extending her arm to show Ariana the lightbulb and bouquet that decorated the inside of her right forearm. “Fast forward eight years and… well, I caught the bug. So I get that.” With a smile, she redid the stencil a few times until it was lined up, so that the flowers were angled just so. Measure twice, cut once-- it applied to tattoos in a manner of speaking. “Let’s get started.” She said and turned on her machine, the familiar buzzing comforting in her hand. At Ariana’s words, Luce spoke up, “Yeah, there are a lot of good hiking trails around here. Probably can’t compare to Oregon or Washington or anything like that, but they’re solid.” Working on the outlines first, she smiled, “Thanks. Flowers are kind of a family thing.” She said, though the smile faded slightly from her face as she did so. “I had a lot of references around the house when we were growing up.”

Ariana figured it would take her about as long to work up to a tattoo collection that mirrored Luce’s and Ulfric’s. At least she personally knew two awesome artists and was more than happy to support them in any way she could. “Eight years, I’m sure you’re not done yet either,” she scanned over Luce’s arms and smiled at the lightbulb bouquet Ulfric had done on her forearm, “Oh, I love that one. He did do my first one, too. Though it’s unfortunately covered by jeans right now. It’s a big wolf in a nature motif surrounded by the moon phases because clearly I was going for subtle.” She did her best to remain still as Luce applied the stencil, not wanting to mess the artist up by moving around. Already, she loved the design and the placement. It’d be nice to have something she can glance down at more readily and it’d be nice to have another small piece of Celeste to carry around with her. A small pang reminded her of the sadness that seemed to constantly linger these days, but she wanted to keep those memories alive. She wanted to remember and be someone Celeste would still be proud of. Her focus shifted back to Luce. “The hiking here is actually pretty good, at least in the Outskirts. Although I will say, way more dangerous than the pacific northwest, at least the parts I’ve been too. Never saw a hedgehound out there. Or murder mimes. I’m sure you can hold your own out there though,” she mused, still kind of in awe of the whole witch thing. The hum of the tattoo machine soothed her even as the needle hit her skin. It was a dull pain and it served as a good distraction. “Oh yeah, I remember your sisters had a lot of flowers in the house. I actually got Nell a nice little arrangement of succulents since you said she likes plants. She seemed to love it… or at least she hasn’t cancelled our matching face tattoo idea yet.”

“Definitely not.” Luce agreed as she dipped the needles back into the small tub of ink before continuing her steady linework. “There’s a lot more I want to do. But, I also want to save space. Don’t want to fill things up too soon just in case there’s something else I want.” She said. Listening to the girl speak, Luce focused on the tattoo, mentally planning out where she wanted to add the shading around the petals and the leaves. “That’s really cool that he did that for you. And a super solid design. Ulf does good work, he always has.” She nodded. “And yeah, it’s always a good idea to be prepared for any and everything when you’re out in the woods around here. But, what with your wolf situation, I’m sure you can handle yourself.” Luce said. At the mention of Bea’s house, a lump formed in the back of her throat, but she did her best to ignore it. “Mhm. Nell has a whole greenhouse all to herself, full of all kinds of plants. Doesn’t surprise me that she liked the succulents, I don’t know how many of those she has.” She replied before lifting an eyebrow, glancing at Ariana as she wiped some of the excess ink away, “Matching face tattoos, huh?”

“That sounds like a struggle,” Ariana mused with a small grin. Self control had never been her strong suit and her tendency to act on impulse would make it hard for her to save space for new ideas that came up in the future. “That makes sense though. Saving room for new fun things. I still have a lot of room, so I figure I can go a little crazy with it for a bit. Well, as crazy as my wallet will allow anyway.” She kept her breathing slow and steady, focusing on both Luce’s words and the feeling of the needle in her arm. Even the gentle buzzing of the tattoo gun going had a soothing sound to it. “Yeah, I love the piece and I got to meet Ulf… who’s been totally great. Bet he didn’t expect to end up taking care of a teen werewolf, but he’s a pretty good sport about it. At least, I think he likes having me around. He’s working on getting a cabin built for us,” she rambled a bit, which wasn’t normal for her, but she kind of realized that him taking care of her hinted that Celeste wasn’t around anymore. She felt the slight jump her heart made in her chest and nodded, “Oh yeah, it’s hard to sneak up on or fight a wolf.” The greenhouse thing sounded pretty cool. She hoped to get her own garden going once they were settled into the cabin. “That’s so cool. I’ll have to ask her to see it some time. We’re supposed to be sparring soon, which should be fun.” She laughed a bit at the matching tattoo part, “Yep, they’re going to say ‘My Wolves, My Witches, & My Bitches’, but they gotta be like Post Malone style you know. Alternatively, it’s ‘spicy witch shorty’ and ‘shrimpy salsa wolf’ even though Nell is probably the only person who could call me shrimpy and not get punched… Well, and Blanche.”

“Not gonna lie, some days it is. Particularly when I’m surrounded by great artists.” Luce admitted as she filled in the next area. When was the last time she’d just talked about what kind of art she was looking to put on her body? Not since she’d talked to Dot, when the woman had been sitting in this very chair. Months ago. Must have been. But… it was nice. To pretend as though nothing was wrong. As though it was all normal. “Oh yeah, you’re young. You’ve got a lotta time and space.” At the mention of money, Luce kept her mouth shut as she continued to tattoo. The second Ariana had said she wanted a tattoo, Luce knew that she wouldn’t let the girl pay. A gift, in a way, in remembrance for Celeste. It was only the more fitting that the tattoo directly related to the woman. Swallowing, she pulled away and took a look at the outlines that she’d drawn. It was all coming together, looking even better inked on the skin than it had on paper. “Yeah? Well, not that I think either of you will need an extra hand, but I have a cabin of my own. Didn’t build it, but I’ve done some repair work on it. Some interior remodeling too.” Her jaw clenched slightly at the memory of herself, hurling fireballs at the ruined countertops of her cabin after she’d heard the news of Bea. Not one of her finest moments. “If you need someone who’s decent with a power drill, you can always give me a call.” She said as she drew one of the long stems of the flowers. “Yeah, I’m sure she’d be happy to show it to you. And, have fun with the sparring. Give her a good punch for me.” Luce said with a wry grin that was only half joking. A part of her really wanted to beat Nell into the dirt for all the secrets that she’d been keeping from her. At the sound of their planned tattoos, she snorted. “Sounds like a fantastic idea, I approve as both an artist and older sister.”

“You’re valid. Do you ever go to like conventions or stuff like that,” Ariana asked, genuinely curious if that was even a thing and if she could attend one. Her eyes were still on her own arm, watching in awe as Luce finished up the outlines of the flowers there. Somehow, her arm already felt a little more complete and they weren’t even done yet. The directions the flowers flowed in seemed to follow along gracefully with the curves of her arm. They looked as if they were just always meant to be there, meant to keep a part of Celeste with her always, even on days where she felt even further away. She nodded, “You right, you right.” Talking about the cabin did make her happy though. She’d finally have a permanent home, even if it stung that it wasn’t with Celeste, she was glad to have Ulfric. It wasn’t the same, but it didn’t make his role in her life any less meaningful. “Dude, that’s so cool. I mean, I know that’s literally what I’m going into, but it’s always awesome to see other women who are good at wooding, too. I’m sure one of us will let you know if we need an extra hand. Either way, you’ll have to come by and check out the finished product,” she said as she grimaced slightly as Luce worked on the part of her arm closer to her elbow. It wasn’t unbearable my any means, just more sensitive that the other parts had been. “I’m sure she would, we get along pretty well. Comes with the being short and always ready to fight. Think I can do that for you. Nell did insist I called woodworking wooding around you just to see your reaction,” she explained, smiling fondly as she remembered just how ridiculous 90% of their conversations were. “Well, now we have to get it.”

“I’ve been to a couple of expos, yeah. A couple in Boston. One in Montreal a few years back, one all the way down in New York.” Luce nodded as she moved onto the shading. She wanted to keep it delicate, to match the fine lines of the flower petals that she’d made. So, light, careful strokes were key. “Nah. You’re actually gonna be learning big time woodworking, framing stuff. I’m just a DIY kinda gal when it comes to the smaller stuff. Very stereotypical of me.” She said with a wry grin. The jokes about lesbians and Lowes had some merit to them. But, that’s just what happened when you lived on your own in the middle of the woods. You figured out how to take care of yourself. You learned how to live without needing another person. When had that changed? She hadn’t even realized that she was a different person from the girl who’d first moved into the cabin until the day she’d heard the news. That was when she realized just how… fucking stupid she’d been. To cut her sisters out. Clearing her throat, she focused on Ariana’s words again, “Yeah, for sure. I’d be happy to check it out, if only to fuck with Ulf and tell him the joints aren’t lined up right or something.” She laughed and wiped away some ink once more. Nice. It was all coming together into a beautiful arm piece. “I figured she’d put you up to that. Or maybe Blanche. Either of them have a knack for being little shits sometimes.” But, the words lacked some of the fire she’d normally have. They were both working just as hard as she was in their joint endeavor to bring back. She couldn’t be too hard on them. They were just trying to have fun, to be kids, in this fucked up town.

“That’s so cool. Do they ever do any near here? I think I’d like to check one out,” Ariana replied, still super intrigued with the whole thing. Getting to see a bunch of artists and their work. The prospect of also leaving with a new tattoo was fun. She was still intently focused on this one and was entranced watching Luce work. Her hand was definitely gentle and steady as she worked, never holding the needle to her skin for too long to bear. The flowers were looking better than she could have even imagined. At the mention of stereotypes, she laughed a little bit. “I guess we’re both stereotypes in that regard. Does that one still apply if you’re bi? Oh well, I’m claiming it. You can 100% catch me in a Lowe’s… or Trusty Wood.” At the mention of messing with Ulf, there was a devious grin on her face. “Please do that, I love that. I’ll even go along with it.” She let out a soft sigh at the feeling of the cool paper towel wiping away the excess ink. This was only her second tattoo, but she’d quickly realized what a satisfying feeling it was. “Blanche and Nell? Little shits? They would never,” she retorted with a small smirk as she lightly shook her head, “We have to make up for what we lack in height with pure anger and chaotic energy. It’s the law.”

“Boston’s about the closest one to us. Five hour drive. It’s not terrible,” Luce said with a nod. “If one comes up, I’ll let you know. I’m sure you’d be able to have enough time off to come down for a weekend at the very least. Expos are cool places to see other artists, network, figure out what sorta stuff you like.” As Luce looked at the tattoo, she leaned in to finish up the last few areas of shading. Other than that, the tattoo was done. As she added a few speckles to one of the leaves, she realized that the time had passed by far quicker than she’d thought. Huh. Maybe it was just because she had someone to talk with, rather than being talked at. That must have been it. “”You know, I feel like it’s just a big queer woman mood. So you know, you can own Lowe’s.” She said with a slight laugh. Wiping down the tattoo, she leaned back. “What do you think of it? The offer from before stands. If you want me to add anything, now’s the time to say so.”

“That’s not too bad. I’ll hopefully have enough for a used truck by the end of the summer,” Ariana explained, “But totally let me know. I’d love to check one out.” She watched as Luce added the finishing touches to her tattoo and admired her new piece. There was no doubt in her mind that it would look perfect once it healed up. All in all, it was a win. She’d enjoyed getting to talk with Luce some and she had a dope new tattoo to show for it. She laughed along with the joke and added, “I love that for us. It works either way because we don’t need a man to do our home repairs for us.” For a moment, she thought over if she wanted to add anything to the tattoo when Luce asked and she couldn’t help but admire it just the way it was. “I think it’s perfect as is,” she said confidently. It was a subtle dedication to Celeste, one she wouldn’t have to explain over and over. It was just for her. She watched as Luce wipes away the last of the excess ink and wrapped her arm. She vaguely remembered the instructions Ulfric gave her last time and was sure he’d also be able to remind her at home if she forgot. “So aquaphor and antibacterial soap for the after care, right?”

“Nice. And yeah, for sure. They’re cool places.” Luce said with a grin and waited for Ariana to voice her approval. The way the girl’s eyes flicked over the tattoo, taking in the design-- these were moments that she lived for. When clients got to see the art she’d created, this new part of who they were. It was gratifying. Especially when it was a design she liked. “Awesome.” She said, tossing away the used bits of machinery and gloves into their designated disposal bins. Stretching, she walked Ariana back out to the main office, grabbing one of the bags with Aquaphor and instructions for her. “Yep, you know the drill. And besides, you can always ask Ulf, he knows best.” Leaning against the check in counter, she nodded, “You’re all set to go. I’m glad that you liked that one. It turned out really well, if I do say so myself.”

“Oh yeah, living with a tattoo artist definitely has its perks,” Ariana replied with a small laugh. If she did by chance forget something on tattoo care, she probably didn’t even have to leave the room she was in to ask him. Small place paired with werewolf hearing did have some advantages. The fact she relied on voice to text and audio texts software for half her messaging endeavors was not one of them. She’d slung her bag back over her shoulder and gave Luce a puzzled look. “It does look damn good, but how much do I owe you?”

“You’re all set.” Luce repeated, folding her arms across her chest as she looked at the young woman before her. “The tattoo’s on the house. For your sister.” She said with a nod, her jaw tightening slightly. Ariana would never know it, but she was very aware of what kind of grief the girl was going through. The unique pain of losing a sister. And if getting a tattoo would help, if it could ease the pain just a little, she was more than happy to foot the bill.

It took Ariana a moment to process what Luce had just said. She had a feeling Ulf may have told Luce, but she still hadn’t been expecting the tattoo to be on the house. She nodded slowly, trying to push back the feelings that the mention of Celeste brought up. “Thank you,” she said, barely above a whisper, “Really-- it was… well, it’s to remember her by.” Not wanting to get too emotional in the middle of the tattoo shop, she gave a wave and a small smile before she made her way out the door. The tattoo was still wrapped, but she knew it’d being her a sense of peace in the months and years to come. She’d definitely remember the kind gesture from a friend as well, somehow giving the piece even more meaning to her.

#wickedswriting #luce #petals for armor #sibling death mentions?

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