#Fit is a mix of I feel heart and spade

[nexahexagon]

The Realm doodles of Sneeg and Ros!!

[cloudcountry]

OH MY GOD. THE MIX UP VALENTINE POST. YOU ATE!!!! could i rq a version with riddle, ace, deuce, octavinelle, and lillia? 🫶🫶

SUMMARY: you get a gift that was meant for the student you like, and the contents spur you to action.

COMMENTS: this is a spin off post of this post!! IM GLAD U LIKED IT ANON i was proud of that one myself ehehe

also the character limit is five so i picked azul from octavinelle

You stare blankly at the box of chocolate in your hands, the gift crammed into your desk haphazardly. At first, you thought it was for you—that’s what anyone would assume, right? Except...the note on top of it is not addressed to you, but rather, the guy you like. It makes you wonder if this is some joke, or if one of his friends wanted you to deliver it for him. You pick at the heart sticker sealing the note shut and peel it open, taking a peak of the contents.

Your eyes wide and your heart lurches in your chest, panic and annoyance roaring like red hot flames as you read what sounds like a genuine confession of love. Someone had their eyes on him? How did you never notice?

Was it weird to get jealous? I mean, he’s not even dating you yet...you don’t even know if he feels the same way. You can’t deny it doesn’t feel good that there’s another student trying to woo him, though. You’ve been so scared up until this point, so nervous about what he might think, but the clock is ticking. You’ve got to tell him before it’s too late.

Riddle sits up even straighter when he sees you approaching him with a heart shaped box and an envelope, his cheeks flushing pink. He clears his throat when you arrive, expression all twisted up as if you’re unhappy about something. Riddle turns to look at you, holding his chin high as he addresses you by name.

“Do you have something to tell me?” he asks, arms crossed over his chest.

“This is a pathetic gift for the Queen of Hearts.” you reply dryly, throwing the gifts on the ground and stomping on them, “Someone thought that would be enough for you, but I won’t stand for it.”

Riddle stares open mouthed at the torn envelope and crushed box of chocolates, but a giant bundle of roses blocks his line of sight.

“This.” you say, a bouquet of roses in one hand and an entire strawberry tart in the other, with the truffles from the box placed in a circle around it in your hands, “Is a far more fitting gift for courting the queen.”

Deuce freezes after he reads the note you gave him with a sour face, cheeks turning pink. He wonders why you look so upset when you just confessed how much you like him—even though the words seem a bit off...

“See, Deuce? I told you you were popular.” you scoff, wrinkling your nose in disgust.

You glare so intensely at the envelope that Deuce feels your anger and jealousy.

“Is this...not from you?” he asks softly, his heart plummeting out of his body. And here he was, getting all delighted and cheesy about it—

“Nah. It’s not.” you say flippantly, “I’m confessing my feelings in a much better way.”

Deuce gasps when you pull out a bouquet of dark blue roses, kneeling at his feet as you take his hand. He swears you see hearts in his eyes as he stares at the flowers and your face, which look up at him with determination he knows all too well.

“Deuce Spade, I want you to be mine.” you declare, and his legs turn to jelly as he babbles out an enthusiastic yes.

“I can’t believe someone who isn't me likes your dumbass.” you smack Ace’s arm as he snickers over the note, an immature gesture if there ever was one.

“Well, if you like this dumbass what does that make you, huh? A stupidass?” he quips, knocking his whole body against you.

You squeal and shove him back, sticking your tongue out at his shocked face as he falls off the bed.

“Really!? This is how you’re confessing your love to me?” Ace huffs, playful as always, “I want a divorce.”

“You idiot, I’m just speaking your language!” you snap back, throwing a pillow at his head, “All you do is tease and yap and jab so I’m giving you a taste of your own medicine!”

“Oh you’re on!” Ace jumps to his feet, pillow in hand.

It’s obvious he likes you back. It always has been. And even if that person hadn’t sent that note, you two still would have known just how much you care for each other, even if it remains (mostly) unsaid.

(You still trampled that note at least ten times during your pillow fight though.)

“Is this some kind of joke?” Azul says blandly, placing the letter down on his desk of his VIP Room, “This obviously isn’t your handwriting, nor is it your style of writing.”

“That’s because it’s not mine.” you say just as blandly, raising an eyebrow as Azul looks over his spectacles at you, “Were you hoping it was?”

“What is the purpose of this visit then? You bring me some random letter with a confession of love...don’t tell me you’re hoping to butter me up.” Azul chuckles, standing up as gracefully as ever, “You should know better than anyone that those tricks do not work on me.”

You stand up as well, arms crossed over your chest as you meet his stare with your own.

“Because, Azul, someone left that note in my desk. It was addressed to you, as you can see, so I bought it for you. What you just read is what encouraged me to take action.” you take a deep breath and summon all of your courage, there truly is no turning back now, “Azul, I am interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with you. I can assure you I’ve thought this over many times before coming to you with this proposal. If you’re willing, I would love to sit down and have a talk about the terms and conditions of this deal.”

You hold out your hand for a handshake.

Azul’s mouth forms an o shape, and for a second you’d say he looks shocked, but he composes himself quickly as is all too inclined to place his hand in yours.

“Well, well, well!” he beams, voice light and airy with what you can only assume is joy, “Let’s get negotiations underway, shall we?”

“Aww, you shouldn’t have.” Lilia coos, bringing a hand up to his mouth, “Why do you look so sour, sweets?”

“Because it’s not from me. It was stuffed in my desk and addressed to you.” you wrinkle your nose, the envelope clenched in your fist, “I don’t like the idea of someone confessing to you before I could.”

Lilia giggles, still hiding his mouth behind his hand. You stare blankly at him, tapping your foot so hard your ankle starts to cramp up.

“Oh, no need to look so anxious, dear. I’m sure you’re well aware of where my affections lie, yes?” Lilia approaches you, his fingers intertwining with yours as the envelope flutters to the floor, unnoticed and uncared for.

He doesn’t have much time left. He’s loved and he’s lost, he may as well go for what he wants while it’s still here, in front of him.

“That is such an indirect way of confessing.” you groan, squeezing his hand, “I even got you a whole bag of mystery flavored red lollipops...”

“Gifts are best shared, my dear!” Lilia laughs, pulling you over to his bed, “Now, hurry up! I want to see which flavor I get first!”

[chlmtsdoll]

more of I was an angel just bc 🤍 18+ | shower smut | fluff

It wasn’t a surprise that you had woken up in Arts white T, fit with the smell of fresh linen the next morning.

As you lie sprawled out on your back, the cotton wrapped your skin but also the aroma filled your senses on the frosty winter morning outside, to contrast with how steamy last night with the two men had been. What was a surprise was that last night you assumed you would wake up back in your own bed. Alone and to rise within the empty sheets — But when you opened your eyes to face the day, you were met with the sight to your left and right of not just short golden locks, but also dark curly ones as well.

Art and Patrick hadn’t left you, instead they must of dozed off not too long after tucking you in. — it couldn’t have been a sweeter way to persevere the night you all had. The smell of vanilla mixed with the blend of oaky sent of wood hadn’t just been coming from the t-shirt on you, but beside you. Turning to face the blonde sleeping in peace, your sleepy expression turned into lips being spread into a smile as you ran your finger tips lightly through his soft hairs facing you. And Art had easily felt your touch. After a yawn, he opened his eyes gently, a sideways grin taking upon his lips. Half tired, half risen on his icy blue.

“Morning, sleepy head.”

“I woke up before you.” You laughed.

“Yeah, but you fell asleep before me.”

You beamed more at the note of his voice, raspy but filled with sweetness in the mornings. You wanted to cherish every part of it during times like this when he wasn’t waking up next to Tashi just to go and face the word of tennis and people who never got him like this. Tender and completely defenseless for you. “You guys stayed..” your tone was quite but filled with fondness as your finger tips went to trace over Arts nose and cheeks.

“I didn’t want you to feel like we had treated you like some one night stand, and left to go play pool and spades or some shit.” The blonde chuckled. He took your hand up to his lips and kissed your wrists with lovingkindness and your heart could of exploded right then, your lips curved into a soft pout as you leaned in to leave a kiss on Arts soft lips. Smiling through your pecks as he held you there against his.

You felt safe going into it, you didn’t doubt for a second that the two boys would of made you feel obligated in any way that you’d just been used. Even if you weren’t always all knowing of Patrick’s intentions — you knew with Arts impression on him he knew how to be just as sensitive, even if he struggled to show it. You knew you’d be fine, and taken care of.

“How long till you think he’ll be up?” You gestured to the brunette who was seemingly sleeping faced away from the two of you.

“Well, that depends-” Art leaned up from your embrace to kick the other man’s leg and you covered your mouth with laughter. “..If he’s been listening to us the entire time or not.”

“Fuck off!” Patrick looked over the sheets and crowed pillows to glare at the blonde. “I was waiting for your sap fest to end so I could hear more about myself,”

“You sleep like a bear y’know.. like one of the ones right outside in the forest, for fucks sake.” You commented as Patrick narrowed at you and Art couldn’t help but laugh at your assertion.

“Yeah ? Well we both know you loved to climb this bear last night..” Patrick snapped back with a grin.

And before you could protest Art scoffed “alright, alright..”

Patrick only shook his head as his grin stayed put on his face and Art rolled his eyes even though he kept a light simper on his lips — you could always see just how much he adored Patrick, even with all of his annoyances he was just glad he had the presence of the brunette around time to time.

“I’m starving,” you sighed as you sat up as well.

“Yeah. What are you making us for breakfast, daddy?” Patrick nudged the other man as he propped up from the bed with a grin and Art shoved his hand away playfully.

“I think you need a bath first, baby,” Art glanced at you then to Patrick beside. “We all do. Especially you.. I just know you’re disgusting.”

“I take that as a compliment.” The darker haired man shrugged as he relaxed against the messed up sheets and wrinkled comforter. Arts eyes had peered down at your legs, so tiny to him, and his mind started to worry of the aftermath from last night. He’d pondered if you’d been alright although you said you were fine. Patrick was rough with you, and they hadn’t given your petite body much of a break really.

“Can you walk, pretty girl? I can carry you if not…” Art began as his brows furrowed in concern and when your doting eyes met his, smiling at the way he cared so much that you weren’t in any discomfort emotionally or physically.

“I’m fine, don’t worry.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah..” you lifted yourself up from the bed and stepped on the ground. Your calves were for sure a bit wobbly, and your thighs shook for a minute as you stood up — but overall you were perfectly shape. You stood and turned to both men with a sly smile across your face. “See. Good as new.”

The blonde chuckled as he observed you, “you’re so small I forget your a professional dancer and tennis player.” He grinned.

“Flexible.” Patrick added in a low ring as his eyes grazed over your toned legs, and he had a defining smirk on his face.

“Although, I could use your help to bathe..” your eyes flickered over the two, and your wide-eyes pleaded in a way they both had read as a signal towards your innocent smile that had a lace of minx to it.

You turned on your heels to approach the bathroom that was huge, if not as big as the bedroom itself. The shower taking up a good quarter of the room and when Art and Patrick had both entered, naked and standing godly as they rushed in to accompany you — you reached to lift off Arts shirt that you had been wearing, but the blonde stepped in to help you anyways. Arms lifting above you to reveal your bare body to match theirs, Patrick had been fumbling to turn on the shower head as he fought to watch Art look at you like you were heaven sent just to make this whole trip a little more fun for them.

Your smile was pretty. And you sunk your lip between your teeth as you watched Arts gentle eyes settle on you beneath him. His shirt was somewhere else again by the time you finally gave away to his ardor to make your way to the shower with Patrick.

“Will you help me with my hair ?” He heard you murmur sweetly to the brunette which he nodded all too quick as the water ran and began to heat up on you both. Your eyes met the blonde again provokingly, making him have to almost force himself from staring at just the way your angelic body moved towards Patrick’s six three stature without any caution in the world. He practically raced over to join you both.

Art stepped the tiles and got close to where the two of you’d been under the steamy water. Eyeing the way your delicate hand had been placed on Patrick’s chest, now wet and looking devout as the man peered down at you, his own hand went to entangle in your waves. Both of the men’s eyes darkened quickly, and it couldn’t go unnoticed at all the way their pretty cocks stood up at just the sight of you.

Your little figure glistening underneath the warm water. Your ass looking impeccable as you noticed the way their hard ons only grew as moments went on and you would reward yourself praise for the way you just kept egging them on, you turned to face Art. You brought a finger to your lips and lightly grazed your skittish small smile.

Art couldn’t help but laugh a little at it all, his grin returned, the blonde looked down at you and he viewed the way you looked at him in a pleading manner. To be touched.

“You just never get tired do you?”

It was more like you couldn’t get enough.

“I already slept.” was all you muttered and your soft giggle echoed off the fogged glass around the three of you. You stood on the tip of your toes to reach up and grab on to the other tall man so he would smooch you, Art cradled you body in his and leaned into the kiss while a low grown exited his throat. You pulled away as you felt Patrick’s towering presence nearing behind you,

“You just don’t how much of a fucking tease you are. What you can do to a man, let alone two — what we could do to you.. it’s dangerous.” The darker haired man warned into your ear, his voice a seductive kind of low that made you nearly moan right there. It sent shivers down your spine. You looked over your shoulder to meet his sage irises

“Show me.” Was all you needed to say for Patrick to give Art a look as his smirk spoke messages you couldn’t even comprehend, but Art knew all too well — he picked you up in one swift motion, your legs gone to wrap around his waist, and you smiled with a flirtatious flicker in your eye as you held his broad shoulders tightly. He felt the warmth of your thighs, trailing his fingers to line his dick up to your entrance.

“Already soaked. You’re such a naughty greedy girl, just can’t stop thinking about being filled with cock constantly. Huh ?” Art practically grunted as he felt your wetness just graze him before he started to pushed into you, which made your lips fall agape as you moaned through a breathy dazed smile and you nodded.

“Mmm, yeah.” Your skin was hot. Your pussy had taken Art like a glove almost immediately as he held your ass in his own hands, and you sunk down hungrily with ease — it was until the blonde reached for the other lean man behind you, a grasp of his shoulder making him inch forward to the both of your bodies, and you then felt Patrick’s cock just inches from your heat. You sunk your teeth into your sugary bottom lip as you had put together what was about to happen. Your eyes went soft with a burning sensation of need but also edginess. The brunette’s hands go to your slim little waist as he let himself to your dripping core, feeling you up and your mouth had opened to let out a little sigh of relief before he started to sink into your hole with a deep groan escaping his own. You body immediately started to shake and jerk with the urge to actually lose the feeling in your legs now.

It stung and it stretched your small enclosure in the most delightfully and pleasant way even though,

“Oh ! O-oh.. fuck.. - my god,” you closed your eyes tight and you never felt more full in your whole life. Whimpering out like your life depended on it. You’d been meshed between the two men as the hot shower proceeded around you all while you were getting filled up with dick as the heat rose. Arts face has contorted in pleasure and he let a noise slip from his lips as palmed your face so you’d look at him.

“Be good. Take it like my sweet, sweet little girl, I know you can for me” He panted out as he stared to fuck up into you and the other man thrusted without any hesitation — making your wet cunt their own mess now. Your whines were high pitched and the feeling was like ecstasy as the blondes hands went to run over your figure and he nibbled at your neck, while the other ran a tongue over your exposed skin and your head went dizzy.

Arts back had hit the glass of the shower and Patrick’s free hand had beat against that as well and you’d all been in synchronized moans to the thrash of movement against the shower. Your aching pussy being rutted into senselessly, you feel as if your were trembling from the inside out and pink nails dug into the glossy skin of Arts back as you let out choked cries. Both men practically holding you up as they fucked up your body, skin like soft butter being ruled by sweat now between their lofty gallant frames.

“I’m gonna cum, I’m gonna cum!” You warned, but there wasn’t any time to do much as you’d already been a trembling mess between the two, cries escaping your lips on instant as you let the high run through your body.

“Good girl, princess,” Art had palmed your ass in his much bigger hand as he felt your body cling to his and the men stilled with the way your warmth around them pulsed, gushing your arousal on to their members as you pulsed around the way their hardness throbbed inside of you

“Fuck, your clenching us so much, sweet girl.”

You had breathed out a soft titter as you released your legs from its tight grasps on Arts waist, he lifted your body as he slipped from your drooling cunt with a groan and so did the brunette. You effortlessly go down on your knees, melting with the marble tiles beneath you as both men still had full twitching cocks beyond you and your hand went to grasps them both. You saw Patrick release his head against the glass as he cursed under his breath and you watched as Arts tongue darted out to wet his lips. Your smile couldn’t have been more pretty and dainty contrast your hands that were doing the worst to their erections.

You wrap your lips around Art’s dick and let out a light moan as he immediately went to grasp at your hair. “Fuck, angel.” You looked up at him with pure eyes set on the way his mouth made the perfect ‘o’ shape at the way you throated him, sucking and whimpering on his cock, just begging for it — your hand worked godly on Patrick and he watched you with a deep sulk noise of his own.

“Shit. I wanna feel that pretty mouth, me next.” He panted and your lips slid off of Art to run a tongue against Patrick and you observed him moan now with a smile on your lips. You sucked on him quick as you pumped Art and you knew by the way their veins had been bulging and burning to cum ropes right then you were getting them close.

“Your gonna make me cum, baby.” Art huffed and his eyes fluttered shut, your hand jerked him in sharp movements. Patrick couldn’t help but send his knuckles to your hair as well, you sunk him into your sweet mouth and your drool had covered his dick to the base. You tried not to gag as you eased up to focus on Art again, moving your hand in circular movements around his tip till the blonde palmed the shower handle beside him and he groaned while he came hard, white leaked on to your chest bellow and the two boys where a mess of noises from above. Patrick had started to cum too, the feeling being too great to grasps — Both of their seed slide down your breasts and it made you whimper just from the sight.

All panting harshly you run a clean stripe up Art again to get the last drip from his now twitching cock, never losing his sight as you did the naughty act on your tongue, a girlish giggle escapes you as he bent to lift you to your legs.

“Holy shit, you’re amazing.” Patrick shook his head and his heavy breathing caught up to him. He smacked your ass with a cheeky smile when you stood beyond them — it only made you stumble just a tad bit, but Art caught your movements as he let out a breathy chuckle of his own. The blonde intertwined your tender hands in his as he kissed your knuckles.

“Okay…let’s actually get you clean, little one.”

A/N: can you tell my love language (words of affirmation) by how much I love writing my favorite thing ever ? (dialogue)

[kiame-sama]

what twst yanderes do you think could share? I think there are definitely several that could team up!

Warnings; Yandere Relationships, poly relationships, multi-yandere relationships, I already have way too many OC ideas with different backgrounds that fit with the different yandere groups,

~~~~~~~~

Full House: All Named Heartslabyul characters. Each of the card suits are represented (Ace- Hearts, Deuce- Spades, Trey- Clover/Clubs, Cater- Diamonds) and paired with the Queen card (Riddle- Hearts) you have a full-house in terms of poker.

Poisonous Beauty- Vil and Rook already seem to be in a mutually respectful and beneficial type relationship that pushes both to work on themselves and hold themselves accountable. Throw a darling in the mix and they will share beautifully.

Lion Tamer- Leona and Rook share a darling. The Lion and the Hunter both sharing a sweet little lamb between them. Leona has shown a certain level of respect for Rook and Rook already stalks Leona for the thrill of it.

Dragon's Hoard- All of Diasomnia's named characters. Main yandere is Malleus who insists darling is his mate. He is kind enough to share with his retainers and teacher, but darling is mainly Malleus' prize. Lilia is more of a mentor to the group but does enjoy a quick tryst now and again with darling, the most experienced of the group.

Monster Mash- Leona and Malleus. This only works because of darling, otherwise they will be fighting and wanting the other dead. Truly it is only because darling can tame and diffuse the tempers/prides of the monster men to actually get them to get along. Have a harder time sharing given their dislike for one another.

Sea Monsters- Azul and the Twins sharing a darling between the three of them. The twins already respect and listen to Azul, so Azul is giving them a 'bonus' by allowing this little triangle of sharing when it comes to darling and darling's time. The twins often switch between darling and Azul so both are protected at all times. Floyd likes spending more time with darling than Azul but that is because darling is more fun and squishy. Jade adores his time with darling but understands his skills are better suited for being around Azul. Azul will always set aside time to spend with darling and is happy to include the twins during this time.

Octo-charmer- Azul and Jamil. Both have an underhanded way to manipulate others and have a tendency to be patient enough for the long game. These two working together for a mutual darling would be rather dangerous and impossible to stand against. Both brilliant in their own right, they could share a darling with minimal bickering.

Hyena Charmer- Jamil and Ruggie. The Masquerade special at Nobel Bell College made it clear Jamil and Ruggie have a similar approach to handling situations so I think they could make a good partnership when it comes to sharing a darling.

King of Beasts- Leona and Ruggie. They already have a mutually beneficial relationship in how Ruggie mostly puts up with Leona's behavior and Leona in turn protects Ruggie as his second in command. They could share a darling, but Leona would still get the lion's share of the benefits.

Golden Sands- Jamil and Kalim. I am loathe to put them together given the fact that I feel Jamil deserves his own darling after years of dealing with Kalim, but Jamil and Kalim would make a good yandere pair. Darling would likely prefer Kalim's affections given Kalim is less likely to punish darling, but Jamil could also use Snake Charmer on Darling to make them prefer him instead.

Historic Cruelty- Divus and Mozus. Trein is much more patient and lenient with darling as he is in his 50s and he just wants a settled down beloved that he can spoil. Divus is more of the punishment/reward type for whenever their shared darling acts up or gets rowdy as he is in his late 20's/early 30's and is content to be a brat tamer. Both want to spoil darling and are willing to do their own thing to get the results they desire from their beloved.

Elder Fae- Lilia and Crowley. Both are older fae (I'm just assuming on Crowley's part given his features and age/temperament) and both are more eccentric when it comes to how they interact with the world. They could contentedly share a darling together given their attitudes and tempers. Lilia would actually be the main enforcer of rules despite his more exciteable temper as he still has that paternal experience and put his foot down on certain behavior. Alternatively, Lilia is also the one who spoils darling more due to Crowley being a penny-pincher more stringent on funds. The relationship is more focus on Lilia as far as actual relationships go and the frequent interruption from Crowley wanting attention. It works for the two Fae.

Father Crow's Staff- Platonic yandere team-up of the staff looking after Crowley's offspring. Divus is the father that stepped up when Crowley failed to be a good father. Trein is the adoptive grandfather. Sam is the adoptive older brother. Vargas is the adoptive fun uncle. Even the fire fairies and ghosts try to have a hand in protecting/raising Crowley's young. They will be raised in NRC given Crowley is Headmage and lives there most of the time. Probably more protective of a fem-aligned darling than masc-aligned given NRC is an all male school (minus darling) and that means the child needs to be protected even more from untoward students. Lilia is a constant problem as he frequently tries to adopt this little up-and-coming Fae child given how little Crowley actually parents them.

[savage-sinister]

Fire in the Belly, Spirits on the Tongue (59359 words) by VickytheSnake, thesavagesabretooth Chapters: 13/?

Summary: Sabo promised that he wouldn't leave the Revolutionary army, but what will become of the three of them now that Ace is awake and alive in his heart, and more importantly, his body?

catch up here

-

Koala was making arrangements with Captain Hargrave for the three of them to ship out on the return journey, and Ace was laying in the grass half on top of Deuce, playing with the long strands of his pretty blue hair. They had long finished the bottle of wine– and a second one besides. Ace had been, with difficulty, holding back more fits of crying every now and then.

It was a soaring joy mixed with a deep and strange melancholy.

"I missed this," he murmured. "Just laying in the grass with you. Me, you, and a bottle of wine."

Reminds me of when we were kids, too, Sabo teased internally. Minus the wine.

Minus the wine. I would have given anything to share a bottle with you like this, too, Sabo, when I thought you were dead. Now here we are sharing the same mouthfuls.

Deuce lay reclined, one arm looped around him and the other behind his head as he smiled up at the sky. "Me too, Ace. For a bit there—no, longer than a bit. Ever since Whitebeard, I thought I'd never get the chance to again." 

"I wish I could say 'has it really been that long?' but no– if anything, it feels longer." 

The halcyon days of the Spade pirates felt like a lifetime ago.

Ace sighed. Whitebeard… Whitebeard had derailed everything. There was no Deuce and Ace any more. There was sure as hell no more Spade Pirates. There was just 'Pops' and what he wanted.

Deuce tensed against him with a sharp laugh. "The days sure stretched on and on, at least where I was. Tending to the old man day in and day out. They weren't as comfortable as this, that's for sure." 

Ace leaned his head on Deuce's shoulder. "For me, too. I just… I wish I knew what I should have done."

Sabo was quiet. He didn't have any answers, just a deep melancholy that mirrored Ace's.

-

Deuce knew what he should have done. He should have smothered the old bastard when he'd had the chance. In the moments when Marco was out, in the moments of weakness Whitebeard pretended weren't there.

But it always felt cruel, he'd always hesitated. 'He's doing some kind of good for people I guess, the power imbalance would be a nightmare, Ace would be furious'.

And so it kept going, and going, and going. He hissed softly through his teeth as he rested his head against the top of Ace's—and the strangeness of his host's fluffy blond hair. "We were caught up in a hurricane, Ace. Not much we coulda done." 

"I guess," he murmured through Sabo's lips. Deuce could hear all of Ace's sadness, his frustration. "It feels like I should have been able to do something, but that's the whole point I guess. I couldn't. I couldn't do anything. I lost."

Deuce huffed low under his breath. "He beat you, yeah. And then he took advantage, Ace. He used all kinds of shit against you to twist you up inside so all you'd be is an extension of him. That's what he did to everyone."

He'd bitten his tongue—held it in for a long time—but talking to Crocodile on that ship up here helped. A lot.

Sabo's pretty, scarred face wrinkled with Ace's usual expression of confusion– and a trace of anger. "No!... I mean… did he? I guess… kind of, yeah."

"He absolutely did!" Deuce half sat up, enough that he didn't jostle Ace too bad as he looked down at him. "All that shit about being your dad? You think that was his way of being friendly? He knew—he knew how that kind of stuff can move people and influence 'em!" 

Ace flopped upward, and pushed his fingers through the locks of that blond hair. 

"He had all his men call him 'Pops', didn't he, Ace?" When he answered, Deuce realized that it was Sabo speaking, now. He shook his head, and met Deuce's gaze. "Sorry, he's… shaken."

Deuce shifted against him; he still wasn't exactly used to it. Who could be? Not after such a short amount of time. Two people in one body, one of them someone he'd only recently met. He prepared himself for if he tried to pull away, to let him, without hesitation.

He smiled awkwardly with a shrug. "Yeah…I figured he might be a bit shaken. And yeah…he did. He had everyone call him Pops. He acted like a domineering father, to build a kinda loyalty among everyone."

Sabo didn't pull away– quite the opposite, he lingered closer when Deuce shifted his body. He had a far away look in his eyes. 

"Ace thinks about it, sometimes. He wonders if Whitebeard was manipulating him deliberately. And then he wraps around and thinks that he's awful for thinking that, and that he only feels like he was manipulated because he's 'weak' and 'pathetic'."

"Bullshit." Deuce let his arm linger around the man, leaning his head on him again when it was clear he wasn't going to get upset with him.

"That's bullshit, and exactly the kind of bullshit that staying with the old bastard only made worse!" He ran his hand through his hair. "I mean…I mean—fuck. There were times when I started to second guess myself. 'He must be a good man', 'maybe I really am only suited to being a second rate doctor', 'if Pops said it had to happen, I have to try to be okay with the loss of the crew and the ship'. But—that's bullshit. He knew what he was doing!" 

Sabo wrapped his arm around Deuce in return, and nodded. "I suspected as much. Obviously I didn't know the man myself, but seeing Ace's memories– I feel like I have more of a detached perspective. I think even if he wasn't consciously manipulating Ace– and he may well have been– I think it's just as bad if he was doing it unconsciously. He knew… he knew how to make Ace do what he wanted."

Deuce grit his teeth. "...he did, that was one of the things I hated about him. He took my captain, my partner, and convinced him to run around in Whitebeard's name. We'd talked about our fathers—about wanting our own legacy. Whitebeard killed all that." 

Sabo's body seemed to shiver under him, and he rested his head on his shoulder. Ace's tone came again from their voice. "I felt like I didn't have any legacy at all, Deuce."

"You left an impact on me, Ace," Deuce sighed softly, nuzzling his cheek against the top of his head. "And on a lot of other people too—but after we burned our flag, I think we burned both our legacies with it— or at least the possibility of 'em, anyway

Ace closed his eyes, nuzzling him back. "I feel so stupid. What kind of a man does that? What kind of man just… gives up and lets himself…" He broke off with a choked noise. 

"The kind of man who's had a hard life. The kinda man whose biggest step towards making something for himself got swept out from under him and then beaten down, literally beaten down, until some holier than thou prick convinces him that the only legacy worth following is HIS and your only worth's in spreading his legacy around like the fucking plague!" 

Ace rested his head against Sabo's neck, and took a shuddering breath. His hands snaked up, and grabbed Deuce's coat collar as he lifted his chin to look up at him.

"You're right. Of course you're fucking right. But I– I don't want it to end like that. It ended, Deuce, I'm dead, but I still want to– Do you think we can fix this? I want to fix it." His words were broken, and rambling, but his gaze, shining through Sabo's face, was intense.

Deuce looked deep into his eyes. If he wasn't already convinced that Ace was there, that look would have done it. He nodded firmly.

 "I mean, we've got a pretty good shot at it right now, don't we? Sabo and Koala ain't Whitebeard. You're still here. I'm somehow still here too. If we're both here, and we've got backup like that— I don't see why we couldn't. Just takes a bit of positivity."

Admittedly—positivity wasn't his own strong suit. At all.

"Oh is that all." Ace chuckled, and finally– suddenly– pressed a kiss to his lips. Deep, and eager and hungry and desperate.

Deuce was taken by surprise, but the taste of wine on Ace's tongue and the desperate longing for those lost moments between them eased it quickly enough. He wrapped his arms around him, drawing him close as he met his hunger with a hunger of his own.

The kiss was at once unfamiliar, and terribly familiar. There was no denying it was a different face, different lips, different tongue. But the passion all belonged to Ace– passion Deuce had thought had been fully given up long ago.

It was a passion he'd let wither in himself. Who needed it when you were bound to the operating table? But it came rushing back with the familiarity of Ace's kiss.

He clung to him like a lifeline. If his passion could come back even from death, maybe they really did still have a chance.

When Ace finally let him breathe, panting himself, and flushed in his brother's face– that was when they noticed that Koala had come back.

Deuce was flushed under his mask, and only flushed deeper when he noticed Koala standing there with her arms crossed and an amused smirk on her face.

"You boys busy? Or can I step in?" 

Ace coughed and rubbed his neck, grinning embarrassedly. "Got a bit carried away, but please!"

She leaned in with a grin. "Don't let me stop you. You've earned it. I just got back from finalizing a few plans with our ride."

Deuce ducked his head. "Well…I suppose we've bummed around on this island long enough huh?" 

Ace, who still hadn't broken physical contact with him nodded. "I gotta say, I'm not keen to hang around my own grave. And besides– it's a boring island."

It was. Boring, or idyllic, depending on how you felt about it. Whitebeard's charming little farm paradise.

Deuce looked out at the windmills and the grassy hills. 

"Yeah. Even before you guys showed up I was thinking it was a pretty dull place to die."

Koala puffed out her cheeks, giving him a look with her hands on her hips. 

"No more talking about death! Geeze, honestly!" She shrugged her shoulders "I can promise you both—depending on what we decide to do once we shove off, we could be headed to MUCH more interesting locales." 

With his free hand, Ace reached out and grabbed Koala, pulling her onto the pile with them. Koala squeaked, but she tumbled into the pile of them, immediately curling up as comfortable as can be against him, Ace and Sabo. 

"Where are we going, anyway?" As if interrupting himself, his voice changed. Sabo, now. "Guess we have to figure that out."

"Well…I suppose we do, huh?" She leaned her head back against their shoulders. "Given that two of you are pirates, and two of us are revolutionary agents…"

Deuce chuckled under his breath. "Well…a crew of technically two bodies ain't a lot for a pirate ship." 

"We started from two last time," Ace murmured. "But…"

"But we kind of had a special ship, didn't we? ...a small ship that ran on a devil fruit you don't got anymore."

Koala tilted her head "...oooh?" 

-

Ace felt the loss of his devil fruit keenly, as keenly as every other part of his body, and maybe more so than some. Sabo could feel it in waves coming from him. With the crossover of their minds, sometimes he felt it too– that instinctive reaching for something that wasn't there.

They hung their head.

"It's true, we don't." He gave Koala a little smile. "It was a little ship that ran on my devil fruit's fire. We sailed it until we had enough men to crew a real boat."

"I helped make it, Ace wouldn't have gotten very far without me." Deuce winked teasingly. "...it was a real masterclass of engineering though."

Koala put her finger to her cheek. "Now that does sound interesting, but sadly not feasible with the way things currently are. But there are more traditional methods of sailing if you really want to commit to that." 

"Sure, we could steal Hargrove's ship. If we're going to go pirate, shouldn't we steal one?" Sabo was joking of course, but Ace still rushed to clarify, shoving him mentally. "No, that would be a rotten thing to do to someone who helped us, Sabo. He's joking."

Ace knew why Sabo was joking, too. It was a surprise to hear Koala talking, almost seriously, it sounded, of them running off into piracy.

Sabo had already promised her he wouldn't.

Deuce raised his eyebrow "Hargrave's not a bad guy. I'd feel like a dick, but—I mean. I guess I could go poking around—"

Even with Koala's earnest talk about possibly running off to become a pirate—they could see the way her brow subtly knit and her eyes didn't quite look up. She was probably feeling guilty—and maybe a bit like a people pleaser.

"Of course, the Revolutionary Army's got plenty of ships…and it's suited Sabo and I for a while, but I know you two are pirates. Like—real pirates. I wouldn't blame you for finding it stifling." 

She's trying to make herself okay with it, but she's not, Sabo murmured silently.

I know. I don't even know if I'm okay with it, honestly. I said I wanted to start again, and I do, but–

But being impulsive is what ran you into Whitebeard?

Yeah.

"It doesn't seem all that stifling from what Sabo's been telling me,. Seems pretty interesting, honestly. And besides…" He glanced over at Deuce, "We might want to take our time putting the whole 'pirates' thing back together. Last time was a bit of a rush job."

-

Koala wished she didn't feel so relieved when Ace said the Revolutionary Army wasn't so bad. She wished she didn't feel a little lighter when he seemed to suggest maybe holding off on the whole pirate thing.

It wasn't as if she disliked them that much. Sure, a lot of pirates could be monstrous, but a lot of them were as kind as anyone else. If not kinder. Pirates took her back to Fisher Tiger and his crew; to some of the few happy memories in her childhood.

But every time she thought of abandoning the cause her heart twisted up in knots. It was almost as bad as the near-painful urge to make sure the others were happy, even if it meant turning her back on the organization that gave her a purpose.

"A rush— hey, don't be so down on yourself!"

Deuce winced, though, glancing off to the side. "We did kinda charge headlong into it, didn't we? Even our charming marine rival chewed us out over it a few times." 

Ace held up his hands defensively. "No, I swear, Ko, this isn't me being down, this is me trying to, you know, actually think for once instead of just rushing into something."

Koala peered at him suspiciously for a long moment; she was still pretty sure he was trying to appease her. He'd probably noticed her hesitation, right? But, at the same time, things would probably go better if they didn't rush into it.

It wouldn't end the same as it had before.

"...are you sure?"

Before Ace could answer, Deuce spoke, leaning back into the grass. "A revolutionary agent though, huh? Think I've got it in me, Ace?"

"Well, you're suspicious by nature, and you love to write things down, so you already sound like a secret agent to me," Ace teased him. He had one arm around Deuce and one arm around Koala now. "We could give it a try for a while, while we let our pirate plan cook."

"Ha ha ha," Deuce snorted as he dropped against his side. "I suppose it could be interesting, and—if nothing else, it'll inspire my novel writing a bit more, won't it?"

Koala bit her lip, curling against Ace's side. "There's kind of no end to the excitement in the RA, Deuce! We get right into the thick of anything we stick our nose into! And, if you guys ever decide the pirate plan's ready to take off the burner, just tell me okay?" 

"Of course, Ko," Ace nodded, and smiled at her. Then Sabo's voice picked up, his face rearranging to a curious look. "Would you ever consider turning pirate, dear?"

Koala's eyes widened. Admittedly, she had considered it a few times. She'd been saved by pirates. A traumatized slave taken in by the Sun Pirates and taught to cry, to genuinely smile, in the short time she was a part of them.

Their tattoo still marked her back, covering the scars the Celestial Dragons had left on her skin.

So of course she sometimes daydreamed about taking to the sea just like the Sun Pirates.

She flushed deeply, rubbing her neck as she shifted against him. "Well…I mean. The Revolutionary Army's kind of been most of my life… but… before that I kind of was a pirate. For a little bit at least."

"Ace keeps forgetting that," Sabo chuckled lightly. "Admittedly, sometimes it slips my mind, too. You don't talk about it all that often, well, it's understandable."

Koala waved her hand. "It's because it's complicated—y'know?"

However, Deuce seemed to lean up from Ace and Sabo's side with a raise of his eyebrow. "You were a pirate? Color me curious, I wouldn't have guessed."

Sabo let him up a little bit, but they made certain they didn't break contact, slipping their arm around his shoulders. "It's a bit of an unfortunate situation. I can tell you about it later if Koala doesn't want to discuss it…"

Koala chewed her lip for a moment, thinking it over. It was an unfortunate situation, full of difficult memories, but…well. It was important to get things off your chest, right? And your own story is always best from yourself.

"I was a slave in Mary Geoise for a while, captured, well, sold by my parents, when I was a kid and serving under a Celestial Dragon."

She heard Deuce suck in a sharp breath through his teeth. 

"...I see whatcha mean about an unfortunate situation," he murmured as he leaned into Ace and Sabo's arm.

Sabo and Ace nuzzled between the both of them as they sat in their little pile. Four people in one three person flop. Koala noticed it was Ace who spoke next.

"I haven't really heard the whole story either," he admitted. "But I'm pretty sure she ended up rescued by the Sun Pirates?"

Koala nodded as she rested her head against Ace for a moment before she leaned forward and unbuttoned her shirt enough to slide it down her shoulders just a bit—enough that the edge of the sun tattoo was visible. 

"FIsher Tiger saved me; helped me and the rest escape while he was freeing himself and his fellow fishmen. Back then, I ah… I'd somehow wound up on their ship after the escape." She shook her head. "A human girl who only ever smiled on a ship of fishmen revolutionary pirates. Most of them took a liking to me, and Fisher Tiger promised to help me get home. I was an honorary member of their crew, even getting this tattoo to prove it and cover up my brand."

Deuce whistled softly. "...the Sun Pirates—yeah, they're no joke. A tough bunch if I ever heard of 'em. We ran into one of 'em before, didn't we Ace? Jinbei." 

"Oh we sure did." Ace grimaced, rubbing the back of his neck. "Nice guy, under all that. Haha…"

It was clear Ace had complicated feelings about Jinbei, but Koala—Koala sat up with wide eyes.

"You met Jinbei???" She bit her lip. "He was one of the nicest on the crew to me. Even when Arlong objected—he always took the time to try and help me break outta the shell I was put into."

Koala had known eventually he'd become a Warlord of the Sea, and a bunch of other stuff had happened, including him showing up during the horror at Marineford. But all she really knew anymore was the stuff in the papers and the relevant material that filtered through the RA's intelligence lines.

Deuce grimaced a bit as well. "Well uh, meet is kinda a strong word." 

"We fought." Ace explained quietly, leaning into Deuce a little more. He pushed Sabo's blond hair out of his face. "Stupidest fight I ever got into. Didn't exactly lose. Sure didn't fucking win."

He was quiet for a moment, but before Koala could react, he shook his head. "Well, I'm just brooding about the fight because of the way things turned out. We became good friends. He was there, in Impel Down with me, and at Marineford. He was with me when I… when…"

Ace's voice dropped to a rough whisper. "He would have given his life for me, if he could have."

"Ah…" Koala's fingers clenched against her knees. "I'm sure…sure he would have. I'm sorry, Ace. I…well…" 

Jinbei and Ace had fought—she had to wonder why, over what purpose? 

She remembered Jinbei, tall, broad, with a smile wide and kind, picking her up when she was pushed over, and helping her pull away from chores she didn't have to do.

He'd taught her how to fish, and about the finer details of sailing, and even helped her when she learned how to cry. He, as well as FIsher Tiger and Hatchin, were among the fondest memories she had of her time as a Sun Pirate before—

Before taking her home damned them.

Deuce pressed his hand to his face for a moment, his shoulders lightly shaking as he took a few breaths. 

"Hey, the past is the past, right?" He turned towards them and flashed a smile. "No sense thinkin' about what ifs!" 

Ace smiled his shaky smile and shook his head. "Yeah, exactly. Besides, I didn't mean to roll right over Koala's story, anyway. So, you sailed with Jinbei."

Koala twitched, and she looked up with wide and staring eyes before she nodded. 

"Yeah, I did—and Hatchin, and Fisher Tiger, and Arlong and everyone else. Arlong didn't like me much, c-cause of the way humans treated them, but I was still treated like a part of the crew anyway. They were gonna take me home, but, it was a long voyage and we weren't exactly in a rush. They taught me about being a pirate—about fishing—fishman karate, and even little things, like that I don't have to serve or pretend to be happy.." 

Ace– or maybe it was Sabo– grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. "It must have been a hell of a voyage, huh?"

She squeezed his hand back with a smile. 

"It was. Honestly, some of the most fun I'd ever had in my life. Even if things were a little hard, even if not everyone accepted me, I was part of the sun pirates—and I'm very, very proud of that fact!"

Her smile faltered. "Even if it's partially my fault we lost Fisher TIger. Or…rather…my parents' fault." 

Sabo– it was definitely Sabo– squeezed her hand again. "It was not your fault. No matter what anyone said, dear. And I think that's probably all the story we need to go into for now, yes? The point is you're just as much of a pirate as Deuce and Ace here."

Deuce nodded his head, leaning around him with shaky grin. 

"Yeah, no need to get into it. I believe you. You're a hell of a pirate, which means when the time comes, I'll try to tempt you guys back into the pirate life for sure!"

Koala squeezed Sabo's hand back, and she pushed the well of feelings back down with a bright smile. "You're damn right I am! But…Deuce, that'll be only after we've tempted you into the life of the Revolutionary Army!" 

"Exactly." Sabo's smile came back again. "We'll show Deuce a taste of what it's like to run with our crowd, eh, dear? And anything else is further off on the horizon."

Deuce looped his arm around them with a shake of his head. "Never saw myself as a revolutionary—wonder if this means I'll someday have to go against my hometown."

Koala waved her hand with a smile. "Oh don't worry, as long as it's not a fascist regime or some kinda oppressive kingship, you're fine!"

She leaned on Sabo's shoulder with her chin, smiling from ear to ear "I think you're gonna have fun~." she reached over to poke Deuce just under his mask. "we'll see if the big bad pirate can keep up with the banner of freedom!" 

-

On the return voyage, Ace and Sabo, and Koala kept Deuce close. There wasn't very far for him to go of course, but he found himself rarely out of arms' reach of one or the other of them. Usually both of them were right on top of him.

He got the feeling that Ace worried that he'd disappear if he let him out of sight. It wasn't as if he was a solitary man (at least when he was in a good mood) so it wasn't unpleasant. When he'd been parted from Ace, he let himself get prickly and distant, but he didn't have to do that anymore, did he?

So sure, he let himself get clingy right back, usually leaning on Ace and Sabo's shoulder, or holding hands—even Koala, who he'd only just met before the voyage, seemed keen on suction cupping to his side. In a good way, it reminded him of some of the better times amongst the crew, and the honorary crew. Before things went so bad.

They'd told more stories on the trip, giving plenty of time for Deuce to hear countless tales about the Revolutionary Army from both Sabo and Koala. In a way, it got him a little excited. 

He'd always assumed they were kind of a stuffy group—lofty but ultimately ineffective. The way Koala told it, he had to imagine he'd been wrong all this time.

He would miss piracy of course, but maybe this would be something interesting to fill the void. Like being an adventurer fighting for justice. That was what he'd set out to do in the first palace, wasn't it?

"I'm going to keep it a secret for a while," Ace said, the last night before they arrived on Dressrosa, where they'd meet up with Revolutionary Army contacts. "Me being here, I mean."

They were all laying together in the bunk, a comforting tangle of limbs and blankets. Him, Ace and Sabo, and Koala.

Koala nodded, her head against Deuce's chest as she spread herself out under the blankets with a little 'mmmh' "I was thinking you might—we'd talked about it a while back."

"Keepin' it a secret huh? Then I'll make sure my lips are sealed. Won't even write about it in our memoirs until you give me the go ahead, Ace." 

Ace chuckled and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. "Thanks, Deu. I just… I don't know. I'll figure out a good time to reveal myself. But until then, just pretend we're just Sabo when we're around other people."

Deuce nodded, rubbing the back of his neck with a flush before he turned to catch his lips "Hey, don't worry. You know how I am about secrets."

He tapped the mask on his face with a wink. Honestly, it all took a lot of getting used to anyway. Ace and Sabo—he could often tell when Ace was the one speaking, but sometimes he'd be thrown for a loop. Two men in one body. It made for a unique kind of conversation, and it made for its own unique difficulties.

Like hearing Ace's voice, his words and inflection, coming out of another person's mouth. At least it was a handsome mouth—Sabo was a handsome man, charming too. Real charming. But it didn't make it any less weird.

At the very least he was trying to get used to it.

"It must be true, " Koala mused."For one secret, you haven't taken that thing off once in the last week or so." 

"He almost never takes it off." Ace reached over to touch Deuce's cheek just under the rim of the mask. "Mostly only when he's washing."

Deuce felt his face flushing deeper, and he let his hand rest atop Koala's head as well as she squirmed to look up at him.

"It's part of my mystique. My secret identity. If I took the mask off you'd all guess who I used to be."

Koala made a little. 'hmmm' sound, touching her fingers to her lips. "Well…I mean…I can take some guesses but they're probably way off." 

Ace idly stroked his cheek. "It never made a difference to me when I found out. I don't think Koala would care, really. She sure wouldn't tell anybody. She's just as good with a secret as you are."

"Maybe even better! I'm pretty well known for being one of the best intelligence agents in the biz!"

Deuce leaned his cheek against Ace's hand with an amused smirk. "Is that so. Heh. You trust her that much, huh Ace? I think my secret's pretty big—even the Revolutionary Army might get in a tizzy about it." 

"I do trust her," Ace nodded. "But don't get me wrong, I'm not pushing you to tell her. I love a man of mystery, you know? Just, if it would make you more comfortable, I know she'd be okay with keeping your secret."

Koala nodded, a small smile on her face. "I'd be happy to keep it. And I'd keep it as secret as can be. But don't feel pressured if you don't want to say…"

Deuce sighed dramatically, and placed a hand on Ace's head. "I'm trying to hype up the mystery here, Ace. If I'm gonna tell her—I'm damn well gonna make sure it's dramatic enough to make good literature." 

Ace chuckled and nuzzled his head against Deuce's fingers, the soft blond curls moving against them. 

"Well, if that's the case maybe we should wait until you can stand on the peak of a church under the full moon or something."

Deuce waved his hand. 

"No, no, no. You can't just go ruining my setups like that. Now I can't do that one! I might as well just…"

He hooked his fingers under his mask, and pulled it away. HIs pale blue and wavy hair framed his sharp and expressive eyes as he took a deep breath.

Koala was staring at him, taking in every detail he was sure—especially the distinguishing feature he wore the mask to hide. 

A large, pale birthmark that stretched under one eye in a curling shape through the deep olive color of his skin. A birthmark perfectly covered by the delicate curlique accent of his mask when he wore it.

Koala's brow knit for a moment. "Birthmark…that hair…" she squinted a little more "you're Alabastan, right? You've got Alabastan features when I look at you without the mask."

Deuce smirked, running his hand through his hair with a shrug of his shoulders."Got that in one, yeah…I'm from Alabasta—though I didn't live in Alubarna." 

-

Do you think she's going to flip when she finds out?

Sabo was so distracted by the rare look at Deuce's handsome face– sharper and more present here in the now– than in Ace's shared memories that he stumbled to even respond to the thought from him.

Huh? Oh, because he's– well, maybe she'll be shocked, but I don't think it'll be that much. Koala's known a lot of strange people.

He could feel the grin on their shared face as they watched the interplay between the two unfold.

"That hair, too. I'd noticed it's a rare shade," Koala was musing as she reached out to tug a lock of it between her fingers. "That shade of blue cropped up recently among the royal family of Alabasta—namely , in the children of King Cobra. "

"It's a pretty rare shade. Most people in Alabasta have darker hair, black, blue-black, the like…" Deuce was saying with an ear to ear grin. He was clearly having fun playing 'guesswork'.

"Which means…" Koala leaned in to squint at the birthmark again, nearly nose to nose with him. "Are you the lost prince of Alabasta?? The azure haired son with the birthmark on his face who vanished from the palace without a trace??" 

Ace couldn't help but let a giggle escape from their mouth. The guess was close, very close. But…

It's what Deuce is always worried people are going to think. Even though he's not quite old enough for it.

The lost prince of Alabasta, with blue hair and a birthmark on his face, who had vanished from the palace decades ago. People didn't speak of him much, but there were whispers that he hadn't died, but lived somewhere in secret. Even rumors that he'd turned pirate.Deuce held his hands up. 

"That'd make for a wonderful story, wouldn't it?" he said with a lopsided grin. "but not quite—I'm a little young for that, Miss Koala."

"True, though you could have looked young for your age," Koala flushed a deep pink, pressing herself against the both of them with a pout. "But I can't be wrong, you're connected to them somehow. I mean—"

"We all got the hair from my side of the family," Deuce laughed out loud. "both my cousins look more like my aunt than their old man." 

He's from a branch family, right?

Exactly. I'm pretty sure they've been marrying back and forth every couple of generations. He's the son of the second most royal family in Alabasta.

"So…the branch family?" Koala echoed with eyebrows raising. She didn't look exactly surprised, but she certainly looked interested as she traced the birthmark on Deuce's face. "The second most powerful royal family in Alabasta—originally an offshoot of the king's family, and renowned as great healers in both the mystical and medical fields…"

"Yeah, the Hekau family—offshoot of the Nefertari's." Deuce flushed under the trailing of her finger, his showman's smile twitching shyly. "My old man wanted me to be a doctor—but my older brother was always better than me. I ran away instead of playing second fiddle to people who didn't respect me." 

Ace felt a sting of guilt at the reminder that after all that, Ace himself had accidentally forced Deuce into the very position that he'd tried to escape. Playing second fiddle healer to Whitebeard.

He squeezed Deuce's hand, and hoped he didn't blame him too much for it.

You know he doesn't. And if he was hurting, so were you.

Deuce squeezed his hand back, and the look in his eyes, unblocked by the mask, held absolutely no blame in it. He smiled at him with a wink "hey, partner—I think I impressed your brother's girlfriend."

Koala puffed out her cheeks, and pinched his, just under his birthmark. 

"Hmph! Maybe a bit—I mean, I'm gonna admit, it threw me for a loop! I was expecting something crazy—like, I dunno, that you're Buggy the Clown's half brother or something—but I didn't expect the Hekau Family's escaped son crazy!" 

"Buggy's half brother!" Ace laughed. "Now that would be crazy!"

Deuce's eyes widened for a moment as he started to sputter. His hands waved in the air as he spat out. "Absolutely fucking not!!!"

-

Buggy the Clown's half brother. The very idea was laughable to Deuce. Even if the obnoxious clown grin on the wanted posters was—well…

There was something about that fucking clown that always made Deuce have to look twice.

"Way too fucking crazy. He's just a clown, dumbass." 

"Hey, for all I know you could be half clown!" Ace teased, elbowing him. "Wait, sorry, Sabo says he thinks it's me who's half clown."

-

Out on wild stretches of the Grand Line—staring out at the grand ocean ahead of them—Buggy the Clown suddenly sneezed and nearly tipped into the ocean.

"The fuckin' hell?" he barked, pulling away his clown nose long enough to rub beneath it with a furrow of his brow. "...must be the salty air."

[satellite-blossom]

NEW ART !? It's more likely than you think !

I've redesigned Léa's Magical form again, but this time around I've actually colored (& shaded) the whole thing ; I'll share more of my process under the read more.

Feel free to reblog this (but it's ok if you don't) !

(Léa use they/them pronouns and are agender)

So this is Léa's old Magical form, or at least the last art of it I had completed before the 2024 version :

I was going for a fancy, somewhat ouji inspired outfit that'd still be comfortable to wear, as Léa Acorn's style is all about being cute yet comfy. Their body saw no change from their regular form.

I think I was already not fully satisfied with this design by the end of 2021, but as time went on my list of grievances kept growing longer. I started to dislike how much of the design was pure white ; it's not really something I like on Magical Girl designs but for some reason I included it here, probably because I was trying to branch out and take inspiration from series like Lolirock & Pretty Cure for once. I also ended up finding the jacket kinda dumb, or at least the way it fit on top of the shirt seemed off. I had no idea how to color the shoes when I drew this design and it was bugging me more and more over time.

But while I fell out of love with the outfit, my main grievance was the staff-paintbrush-scythe hybrid, which was not only drawn poorly but also pretty boring. I couldn't help but try to redesign it just a month or two after completing the new ref, but I didn't want to redo the whole thing as back then I still made my refs in Microsoft Publisher with the help of Photofiltre, which was a slow and painful process I dreaded.

(Léa's Mobian forms 2021 ref, for... Reference)

So between my laziness, art block and the general state of my life I wasn't able to complete any new design before this year (2024). Let's break down this new design, shall we ?

This was my main inspo board this time around :

As you can see I kept the lolita/ouji influence but added some streetwear elements to it. I felt like the previous design didn't do a great job showcasing the mix of preppy prince & comfy fashion Léa are supposed to encapsulate, so I brought up pictures of a character that had only influenced their story and personality so far : Sora from Kingdom Hearts !

It's not something I bring up a lot anymore, but I used to be well-versed in Kingdom Hearts lore and Léa's story was heavily influenced by it ; they were even supposed to fight with a keyblade at one point ! Design-wise, I borrowed the length of Sora's shorts/jumpsuit for Léa's bloomers, and replaced their cropped suit jacket by a short-sleeved hoodie (which also mirrors some of their Sonic.exe world designs). I mixed these elements with lolita items for a cuter look.

Léa share my love of ties, so I've replaced their bow tie by a regular one ; it's somewhat short to showcase their shirt, which is a revamped version of the old one.

For the legwear I took inspiration from some long flowy legwarmers I saw in a few fairy kei coords, and also the shoes from this CocoPPaDolls screenshot I've taken years ago, back when the game was still up :

(I miss this game every day)

And of course I needed the shoes to be velcro LED shoes, because that's just the Léa Acorn way.

The rounded pink heart-shaped gems throughout the outfit were somewhat inspired by Amulet Heart from Shugo Chara.

Talking about gems, time to talk about the staff ! It was inspired by Amulet Spade's paintbrush, some Lolirock items, and a bunch of bootleg Magical Girl wands. Why reference bootleg wands, you might ask ? Well, since they're already off compared to the real deals, they allow me to not design wands that are too similar to ones from well-known properties.

I've been meaning to make Léa's eyes pink in their magical form for years but didn't actually follow through for a while. I ended up making their eyes brownish pink to not make their eyes too light, as I felt like it'd remove some of their charm (I already felt guilty for not keeping their eyes brown in this form). And of course, I had to bedazzle their eyes to hell and back.

Actually all this shininess and sparkling was inspired by the original drawing of Léa's Magical Form drawn all the way back in 2017 and redrawn in 2018 :

For some reason I took a lot of inspiration from Sailor Moon for these despite Léa's role being inspired by Card Captor Sakura (and Kingdom Hearts). Also Wish Gems used to be called "Magical Chaos Emeralds" and look just like the regular Chaos Emeralds, which was kinda dumb. But I loved the energy of these pieces so I've tried to recapture the "sparkly pink magical transformation void" vibes they had ; I hope I've succeeded on that front.

Anyway, thank you for reading this all the way through ! I hope this was an interesting read, somewhat.

[castlebyersafterdark]

I find the way they both interact with the concept of byler to be very interesting,sometimes eye brow raising, and even complicated in Noah’s case since he said playing Will essentially made him realize/accept (however he framed it) his own sexuality…

Wholeheartedly agree with vinny's response here as the mature and practical way to look at the strange vocation of acting. Its a very strange mix of professional AND personal - and this, i think, is what creates tension in the is RPF morally acceptable? debate. because if we're talking literal speculation about whether two people have the hots for each other... name a less groundbreaking pastime lmao. imagine the saucy gossip that would have been spreading through the roman baths in like... 78 BC lol. human love and connection have ALWAYS interested people.

but for some reason there is disapproval about discussing chemistry and potential attraction when it comes to actors who also portray fictional characters. you don't see frowns when people pair actors together in regular celeb gossip columns; it's only through the lens of 'fandom shipping', where fictional blends with real, that it gets hate. perhapss most see it as an extrapolation with no grounds, a crossing of boundaries? but for me, its a question of your emotional intelligence as an audience member: can you separate fiction from reality in a mature way while also acknowledging that you see something sparkling in the reality? it's not NOT possible. but are you being honest with yourself about the origin of the chemistry? for me, noah and finn have it in spades, and i dont need them to officially start a relationship to prove it, because that, for me, is not the only sign of two people having true feelings for each other.

and even though professionalism should be top priority on a film set - on s5 of ST - let's not discount the fact that actors are human first and foremost, and not only that, but creatives, storytellers, performers, who are most likely more sensitive and emotionally affected than most 'regular' non-creative folk. sure, noah and finn started acting as kids, so perhaps they're not passionate about the craft like someone who chose the career later in life might be. but in a way, that's MORE telling? because their authentic selves would have been spilling out accidentally on red carpets and in interviews as they grew, no matter how much media training they had. there are unique circumstances that mirror their real lives and the show; growing up together, noah's queerness. it's not like two middle aged actors who barely know each other, portraying a totally fictive romance where their chemistry is the only similarity.

anyway, no amount of professionalism is going to prevent real feelings potentially arising. having feelings is not unprofessional; it's about how you deal with those feelings. and their behaviour is very, very interesting.

Noah is very intense, and candid about his intensity, especially re: byler. I think his tweets are certainly marketing in some ways, but you can't deny that he's not exactly, to put it bluntly... cool about it haha! He's not a nerd like finn is a nerd, but he's not cool and collected, you know? He is clearly comfortable having a public image (whether fabricated or not) of being someone who wears his heart on his sleeve. He and his team have clearly chosen to go down the route of: 'this actor is a bubbly young man who has no filter'. Even without the many times he's accidentally spoiled the show (lmao), it seems to me like Noah's passion IS authentic precisely BECAUSE being a young male actor these days often IS about being too cool for school, and Noah exhibits many traits that do not fit our society's idea of a cool young guy.

He's clumsy. He says things that could be seen as cringe. He is passionate and open. He admits to crying a lot. He makes tiktok lives naked shirtless from his bed. He gushes about Harry Styles. He does silly dances on social media. He gushes about byler. None of these things are objectively uncool - that's not a thing - and tiktok dances are popular, sure, but it's the WAY he does them. If he and his team wanted to craft a different persona that might have launched him into higher echelons of the A-List cool list, they could have. But I personally love how authentic noah feels. He is living life for himself, going to college, speaking honestly, being totally real. I respect that a lot.

And I think Finn does too, even though they might have clashed as younger teens, because he speaks highly of noah's coming out especially, and Finn also lives life for himself. My eyebrows have raised many many times seeing how Noah handles byler, and quite honestly, I wonder if Finn was/is more than a little intimidated playing opposite this rambunctious, passionate guy who is most likely going to kiss him within an inch of his life when they finally get to the s5 byler scenes lmao.

Then we have Mr Wolfhard. Finn, Finn, Finn. This year during filming, he seems... calm. Happy, glowing. My instincts tell me that he's, at the very least, enjoying this season and getting artistic satiation from it, whether that's reuniting a final time with the gang, pure nostalgia, gratitude, or enjoying filming byler. Probably all of the above. Viewing his behaviour through the lens of his disgruntlement with mileven in prior seasons' press, however, is hilarious - because whereas at one time it could have seemed like he was a teen boy who was embarrassed to talk romance, it's now looking more and more Mike Wheeler-esque. He was a young guy who was sick to death of hearing 'mileven mileven mileven' non-stop, perhaps without really knowing why. Honestly, if Finn's life ends up echoing Mike's in the way Noah's has with Will's, it'd be so coincidental that it's almost ludicrous, yet so so beautiful; and no wonder they'd both be reeling from it for a very long time. We're only just in the midst of filming - perhaps the most telling events have yet to come?

I will agree that Finn's s4 interviews were very telling re: whether byler will happen - the giggling, as you mentioned, because eyes and smiles don't lie, even on actors when they're off the clock. Finn's responses, if will's romance storyline was going to be tragic, were nonsensical. As for a kiss, I think they have already filmed one. If not, their giggles were certainly anticipatory, and there's definitely a similarity between finn's gigglyness and noah's glee at byler, isn't there? Whether that's thrill at good storytelling, or a hint to Finn's queerness, or both... you decide! Because being passionate about a story is one thing, but being reduced to self-conscious giggles, especially at age 19 or so? When portraying a romance at a younger age did NOT make you giggly during press...??? Very interesting.

For me, it's the other aspects of Finn's personality that prevent people from seeing foah as a possibility. Finn is too cool for school, reserved and private. Half of his press responses to byler HAVE mirrored his one's for mileven - 'why would I ship my own show?' etc. But there's that cheeky other half of the time, where he giggles or looks discreetly right down the camera, as if he's trying to silently tell us something. Even if he just adores byler, I find that very endearing.

And let's not forget that they're both totally adorable. At the very least I expect s5 press where they respond to questions portraying this romance. Noah laughing and saying "I wasn't exactly complaining" on Jimmy Fallon or something. "I mean, look at him" as Finn points to a magazine cover with Noah splashed on the front for s5 promo.

Lastly, noah's storyline/real life convergence is impactful. There's no way that this isn't something that influences the rest of his life. And, seeing as he was a teenager growing up with Will, I can't see how he could have entirely separated finn from mike, will's love from his own feelings, whether they were an actual crush, or simply the love and trust that comes from a genuine transformative friendship. The crazy thing is that noah has admitted in interviews that he looks at finn and sees Mike - so, with regard to what I said about about noah having no filter, take that as you will. If this is what he is saying publicly, what on earth is going on inside that head of his?

They are both endlessly fascinating and for me, this doesn't simply feel like RPF but studying the human condition, love and connection itself. Ha! I have nothing but love and respect for the two of them, so I dont feel like my 'shipping' is a bad thing. I think vinny would agree, being the romantic sap he is <3

Posting this one because this says it all, what a thorough read and reflection on these two. Thank you for sharing, I have very little to add, right on right on. So I'll let this one stand alone as a good read!! ❤️❤️❤️

[ducky-bah]

a medium template based on Rodya from Limbus Company please, prefering guilt holder/manager similar role. o7

One Rodya below the cut! Edit/scrap anything that doesn't fit!

༄~𖦹︎ Name(/s) ➪ Rodion, Rodya, Ace, Baccarat, Valentine/Valentina/Valentino, Roulette

༄~𖦹︎ Pronouns ➪ She/her, Jackpot/jackpots, 777/777s, Axe/Axes, Fortune/fortunes, Gamble/gambles, Cas/Casin/Casino/Casinos/Casinoself, It/its, Ace/aces, Red/reds, Platinum/platinums, 7/7s, $/$s, $$$/$$$s, Sin/sins, Luck/lucks, Roulette/roulettes, Di/dice, Card/cards, Deal/deals, Spade/spades, Heart/hearts, Cash/cashes, Poker/pokers, 🪙/🪙s, 💴/💴s, 💷/💷s, 💸/💸s, 💲/💲s, 💵/💵s, 💶/💶s, 💳/💳s, 💰/💰s, 🪓/🪓s, 🎱/🎱s, 🎰/🎰s, 🎲/🎲s, ♣️/♣️s, ♦️/♦️s, ♥️/♥️s, ♠️/♠️s, 🃏/🃏s, 🫀/🫀s

༄~𖦹︎ Gender ➪ W o m e n... Feminess, Stargirl, Nongirlic, Primagirl, Evilgirl, Genderxeae, Entrogirl, Femvoid, Girllike, Stargirl2, Strawberryoreogender, Strawberrycakegender, Strawberry Hoarder, Casinocoric, Deckfluid, Acecardic, Casinosoulic, Casinocatgender, Gendern't, Catgender, Cat Hoarder, Hearttragic, Eatyourheartoutphrasic, Sinlexic, Bloodyorgancoric

༄~𖦹︎ Orientations ➪ Quoisexual, Futch Lesbian, Prettyboy Lesbian, Arojump, Aroace Sapphic

༄~𖦹︎ Age ➪ Unknown or ageless adult

༄~𖦹︎ Species ➪ Human? (the sinners are human right???)

༄~𖦹︎ Role(/s) ➪ Guilt Holder & Guilt Manager, May also be a guilt-specific Emotional Regulator &/or guilt-specific Emotion Nullifier

༄~𖦹︎ Source or Theme ➪ Rodion "Rodya" [Limbus Company]

༄~𖦹︎ Appearance or Faceclaim ➪

➪ Art Links; 1 & 2 & 3

༄~𖦹︎ Likes ➪ Money, gambling, risk-taking, her axe, luxuries (expensive food, 5 star hotels & restaurants, fancy cars, etc), chihuahuas (if she could, she'd probably buy one), spiders, beetles, moths, spider plants, webcomics/etc, billiards

༄~𖦹︎ Mixed Feelings ➪ Rigged games, holidays, the cold, movies/films (prefers shows/series), forests, mountains, sugarcanes, the zoo

༄~𖦹︎ Dislikes ➪ When she becomes the topic/focus of conversation? Her past and such that reminds her of it. Hypocrisy, most bugs, Sonya

༄~𖦹︎ Proxy Option ➪ 🎰🪓/🎱🫀/🎲💵

༄~𖦹︎ Personality Traits/Quirks ➪  Laid-back/casual nonchalant personality, caring/loving, social/sociable, low-key BPD and NPD coded, stubborn/strong-willed, has some need to define herself independently(?). Carefree, will take risks based on the perceived idea of a reward/rewarding outcome, gambling addict.

༄~𖦹︎ Typing Quirk(/s) ➪ Casual/laid back typing style; still uses capitals at the start of a sentence though has a lot of run-on sentences without much punctuations other than commas and apostrophes and parentheses, names of people have capitals but place-names don't

༄~𖦹︎ Extra Notes (If Applicable) ➪ Yuri.... Women....

Why is almost all the art on pinterest make Rodya nekomimi? Also the first six times we searched up her name the wiki took us to Ryoshu's page so obviously they're lesbians and i refuse to see any other perspective on that

actually internally screaming at how the proxy options are all kinda giving cquackity (<- specifically tried to separate emojis in a way that it wouldn't be giving cquackity but the efforts were all futile

[notebookmusical]

hi friends!! i've gotten a few asks / messages about book recommendations for the new septembers readathon so i figured i'd list some here! i tried to do a range of genres & mix up YA/adult + tried to fit the autumny september vibes where i could! if anyone wants more specific recs, feel free to send me a message 🤍

a book about witches: the very secret society of irregular witches by sangu mandanna, the witch haven by sasha peyton smith, the nature of witches by rachel griffin

a murder mystery: tita rosie's kitchen mystery series by mia p. manansala, queen of the tiles by hanna alkaf, miss aldridge regrets by louise hare

a book that takes place at a private school/boarding school: every heart a doorway by seanan mcguire, if you could see the sun by ann liang, a lesson in vengeance by victoria lee

a creepy or horror book: house of hollow by krystal sutherland, the gathering dark: an anthology of folk horror, our wives under the sea by julia armfield

a book that takes place in september: answered here!

a short story collection: eternally yours, toil & trouble: 15 tales of women & witchcraft, in these hallowed halls: a dark academia anthology

a gothic novel (classic or contemporary): a dowry of blood by s.t. gibson, all the dead lie down by kyrie mccauley, wuthering heights by emily brontë

an autumnal romance: the dead romantics by ashley poston, the ex hex by erin sterling, the night circus by erin morgenstern

a book about a haunted house: mexican gothic by silvia moreno-garcia, the haunting of hill house by shirley jackson

a book about vampires: court of the undying seasons by a.m. strickland, house of hunger by alexis henderson

a cozy fantasy: legends and lattes by travis baldree, the undertaking of hart and mercy by megan bannen, half a soul by olivia atwater, emily wilde's encyclopaedia of faeries by heather fawcett

a classic / retelling: little thieves by margaret owen, a wish in the dark by christina soontornvat, enter the body by joy mccullough

a new release (published this september): you again by kate goldbeck, the wake-up call by beth o'leary, cleat cute by meryl wilsner, a study in drowning by ava reid, if i have to be haunted by miranda sun

an autumnal classic: anne of green gables by l.m. montgomery, rebecca by daphne du maurier, northanger abbey by jane austen

a dark academia book: babel by r.f. kuang, these violent delights by micah nemerever, ace of spades by faridah àbíké-íyímídé

a graphic novel: the tea dragon society by kay o'neill, the witch boy by molly ostertag, check please by ngozi ukazu, heavy vinyl by nina vakueva & carly usdin, cheer up: love and pompoms by crystal frasier & val wise, displacement by kiku hughes

[jinsai-ish]

So... I don't normally do Cardverse but this piece has been eating my brain:

Hetalia Cardverse Aces!

Who would they be and what would their roles be?

I think we're pretty much agreed Canada would be the Ace of Spades. Based on what I've seen in fandom, the most common agreement seems to be the following:

Spades: Canada

Hearts: Romano

Clubs: Lithuania

Diamonds: Spain

So, in a deck of cards, the Ace can be used as a stand-in for a one, but more often it's a rank above the King, or a wild card either in place of or in addition to the Joker.

So what would this mean in Cardverse?

I've seen personal guard to king, magicians, or assassins. It also seems like they either answer to only the king OR only the king and queen OR they're kinda outside the ranking all together.

I GUESS I'd be inclined to see them in some sort of magical or spiritual sense to fit with the rest of the Court. If not a sort of actual magic user, then a religious one instead like a high priest. A mix of both? As such, I feel like they would work with the king but they have their own power and authority from outside of the rest of the royalty.

Again I don't do much with Cardverse so I don't know too much about fandom opinions there. Anyone have thoughts?

[apocalypsewriters]

❤️ Happy WorldBuilding Wednesday! ❤️

What are your cities or towns like? Feel free to talk about the layouts or the people or the architecture, etc. and to talk about more than one if you'd like!

You have no idea what you’ve asked for from me. Prepare for a full breakdown of what I have done with human built architecture in my latest world. I will hide it so no one suffers a wall of text without consent

Functionally I have decided to destroy government and economy on large scales. Each settlement has organisation but this is self contained. If anything requires a bigger effort, like a widespread national disaster, there is communication employed to organise between the leaders of cities/towns/villages. Because everything is so small scale, trading and favors are used for goods and services.

I am aware this is an idyllic way to run things, but its a fantasy world that i will write as i please. it's incredibly ancient world, but i am okay with that. An excuse is that the governments were built around the deities and so no one person was allowed to take over, and such a pattern had continued even after they were gone as tradition

Bit of background for the world itself in terms of magic, four goddesses asserted themselves on the plane a few centuries prior. They gave the world magic which was used to varying degrees across the plane.

In the local village where the story begins about half of the residents have magic from the goddesses, but not everyone used it beyond aiding in menial daily tasks. This, when magic disappeared with the goddesses’ banishment, they continued living with little readjustment.

This is not the case for all places. To fit with theme cos it makes me happy, each established place is categorized by the latent use of magic by residents. hearts is 0-29%, clubs is 30-49%, spades is 50-69%, and diamonds is 70-100%.

The magic is mixed with technology that is advanced as what was around during the first American Industrial Revolution/antebellum era. It powers the technology, boosts it, or is served by technology. The level of dependence each town had largely aligns with the level of disrespect they’ve fallen into. Hearts like the main village are mostly fine, while Spades and Diamonds are suffering or in complete ruin/are abandoned.

[cleverhottubmiracle]

Laura Lifshitz has found that all it takes to get into the right swimsuit is time, patience, humility, self-tanner, her daughter’s approval and a total alignment of the stars. See if this month’s “Life with the Girls” sounds like an all-too-familiar process. There are few decisions more anxiety-inducing in life than buying a bathing suit. Deciding whether to swipe left or right, signing a divorce agreement or choosing the right time for a colonoscopy might be roughly equivalent to the level of thought that goes into whether I bring a given tankini home with me. And if you’ve never had the pleasure of doing any of the above activities like I have, well bless your heart. Bikinis, bottoms, one-pieces, cup support, cover-ups…the options are endless. I so envy a man’s toughest decisions: blue bathing trunks or red? Clean pair or out of the hamper? Of course, with all the excitement that goes with swimsuit shopping—summer, you came back!—I’m also furrowing my brow way too much and earning serious Botox units on the road to choosing the right suits. By the time I finally plunk down my credit card, here are the deciding factors that have already come into play: 1. My child Much to my chagrin, my daughter is often a key stakeholder in my swimsuit shopping.  She’s only eight, but the feedback started last year. What she lacks in tact, she makes up for in candor, which comes in spades; she has zero qualms about crushing her mom’s Spandex illusions. “You’re not going to get that one, are you?” she asked me recently, eyeing me up and down as if I was wearing litter I picked up off the street. (This reaction was actually better than what she served me with when I tried mixing-and-matching a bikini: a grimace that looked an awful lot like my former mother-in-law’s default expression.) Apparently, I embarrass. That’s okay, I remind myself. Her teenage years, and my wardrobe vetoes, are coming. 2. My cycle Sorry, progeny, but on second thought, my menstrual cycle seriously has more pull on the bathing suit trigger than almost anything. Am I bloated? Yeah, I’m gonna have to pass on that low-cut bikini bottom in favor of the high-rise. Are my breasts nearing Coast Guard-approved flotation device status? Then I’d better look for a 5-hook-and-eye underwire supreme. 3. My vacation destination Okay, come to think of it, it’s the destination that decides everything! Do I really want major boobage while hanging out at the town pool? It’s hard enough to find the courage to wear a bikini when your cup size sounds like an algebraic equation (U.S. DDD-cup = E.U. F-cup = U.K. E-cup = meltdown), let alone while worrying about other moms—or, heaven forfend, dads—looking at you. But if I’m going to the beach alone or with friends, well, then it’s balls to the wall. Or boobs to the shore. All I really need is an adults-only tropical resort…single, straight male readers of this ladies’ lingerie blog, are you picking up what I’m putting down? 4. The company I keep It’s not just about the age or life stage of the humans with me but often, the level of judgment those humans exhibit. So before I say yes to a suit, I try to take into consideration the comrades who may be along for the ride. Showing up to the beach with my sarcastic and somewhat emo eight-year-old requires a different strategy than say, a really hot man. Or a family member. If children are present, I’d rather not have someone’s tweenage boy judging my boobs, be it out of trauma or fascination. If I’m with my somewhat conservative girlfriend, I will put on a moderately cute tankini so as not to offend. If my New Age-y girlfriend is with me, I’ll take risks, depending on whether my aura is feeling hot or not. 5. My blood sugar level Going to a store and trying on in a dressing room is enough to give me hives or pull my hair out in chunks, whichever is faster and less attractive. Personally, if I shop online with the moral support of a really empathetic, dedicated Bra Fit Expert, I’m know I’m bound to come away with a decent purchase. But if I’m left to my own devices, wandering rack after rack of suits hung without rhyme or reason, willpower fading, I’m typically back in the car faster than you can say, “Grande vanilla non-fat chai latte, please.” 6. My shopping destination Once I finally realized I had way more options online, my swimsuit game changed. It was like that giddy happiness I got when my divorce was finalized, but better. The first time I found Bare Necessities, I could’ve cried. Options, options everywhere! Sizes, styles and silhouettes for summers until I retire. All it requires is a bit of self-control. Okay, a lot of self-control. 7. My skin tone Since my only complexion settings are barely alive or burned to a crisp, I know I need to lean heavily on the power of both a good pattern and diligent reapplication of bronzer. If I had the forethought and the time to use self-tanner, I might take a shot on a teeny bikini. But if I’m my normal shade of “two weeks into a morgue visit,” I’ll play it safe and pick out a jewel-tone tankini. 8. My bikini line Let’s be honest, my haircut downstairs also determines how I’m gonna turn up at the beach or pool. A clean look is always best, but sometimes time constraints (mom life, amirite?) or razor burn get in the way. And that, my friends, is when I reach for a pair of boyshorts. Now you know. 9. The price tag When it comes to buying swimwear, my dollars inform my choices as much as my derriere does. How many times have I cringed at the cost of a suit I just had to have? But still I would argue every time that a good bathing suit is worth the spend. My strategy is to pretty much stalk a suit online and obsesses over it, remembering all the details and visiting it regularly until I’m absolutely sure I’m in love with it and feel prepared to commit. (Side note, maybe I should try this approach with dating?) Usually, I nab the suit at the right time, but there’s a chance you take. I have returned to the link to find that my size is sold out in the top or bottom, dashing my dream look. The pain is unending, I tell you. Spare yourself if you can. 10. The stars Sometimes, my astrological chart is out of whack, and my plans for what to pack are dashed against the proverbial rocks. Other times, my celestial house is in order and I score big: That maillot and bikini top are on sale, in my color, in my size. They look damn good on, and it’s all been worth it. Source link

[norajworld]

Laura Lifshitz has found that all it takes to get into the right swimsuit is time, patience, humility, self-tanner, her daughter’s approval and a total alignment of the stars. See if this month’s “Life with the Girls” sounds like an all-too-familiar process. There are few decisions more anxiety-inducing in life than buying a bathing suit. Deciding whether to swipe left or right, signing a divorce agreement or choosing the right time for a colonoscopy might be roughly equivalent to the level of thought that goes into whether I bring a given tankini home with me. And if you’ve never had the pleasure of doing any of the above activities like I have, well bless your heart. Bikinis, bottoms, one-pieces, cup support, cover-ups…the options are endless. I so envy a man’s toughest decisions: blue bathing trunks or red? Clean pair or out of the hamper? Of course, with all the excitement that goes with swimsuit shopping—summer, you came back!—I’m also furrowing my brow way too much and earning serious Botox units on the road to choosing the right suits. By the time I finally plunk down my credit card, here are the deciding factors that have already come into play: 1. My child Much to my chagrin, my daughter is often a key stakeholder in my swimsuit shopping.  She’s only eight, but the feedback started last year. What she lacks in tact, she makes up for in candor, which comes in spades; she has zero qualms about crushing her mom’s Spandex illusions. “You’re not going to get that one, are you?” she asked me recently, eyeing me up and down as if I was wearing litter I picked up off the street. (This reaction was actually better than what she served me with when I tried mixing-and-matching a bikini: a grimace that looked an awful lot like my former mother-in-law’s default expression.) Apparently, I embarrass. That’s okay, I remind myself. Her teenage years, and my wardrobe vetoes, are coming. 2. My cycle Sorry, progeny, but on second thought, my menstrual cycle seriously has more pull on the bathing suit trigger than almost anything. Am I bloated? Yeah, I’m gonna have to pass on that low-cut bikini bottom in favor of the high-rise. Are my breasts nearing Coast Guard-approved flotation device status? Then I’d better look for a 5-hook-and-eye underwire supreme. 3. My vacation destination Okay, come to think of it, it’s the destination that decides everything! Do I really want major boobage while hanging out at the town pool? It’s hard enough to find the courage to wear a bikini when your cup size sounds like an algebraic equation (U.S. DDD-cup = E.U. F-cup = U.K. E-cup = meltdown), let alone while worrying about other moms—or, heaven forfend, dads—looking at you. But if I’m going to the beach alone or with friends, well, then it’s balls to the wall. Or boobs to the shore. All I really need is an adults-only tropical resort…single, straight male readers of this ladies’ lingerie blog, are you picking up what I’m putting down? 4. The company I keep It’s not just about the age or life stage of the humans with me but often, the level of judgment those humans exhibit. So before I say yes to a suit, I try to take into consideration the comrades who may be along for the ride. Showing up to the beach with my sarcastic and somewhat emo eight-year-old requires a different strategy than say, a really hot man. Or a family member. If children are present, I’d rather not have someone’s tweenage boy judging my boobs, be it out of trauma or fascination. If I’m with my somewhat conservative girlfriend, I will put on a moderately cute tankini so as not to offend. If my New Age-y girlfriend is with me, I’ll take risks, depending on whether my aura is feeling hot or not. 5. My blood sugar level Going to a store and trying on in a dressing room is enough to give me hives or pull my hair out in chunks, whichever is faster and less attractive. Personally, if I shop online with the moral support of a really empathetic, dedicated Bra Fit Expert, I’m know I’m bound to come away with a decent purchase. But if I’m left to my own devices, wandering rack after rack of suits hung without rhyme or reason, willpower fading, I’m typically back in the car faster than you can say, “Grande vanilla non-fat chai latte, please.” 6. My shopping destination Once I finally realized I had way more options online, my swimsuit game changed. It was like that giddy happiness I got when my divorce was finalized, but better. The first time I found Bare Necessities, I could’ve cried. Options, options everywhere! Sizes, styles and silhouettes for summers until I retire. All it requires is a bit of self-control. Okay, a lot of self-control. 7. My skin tone Since my only complexion settings are barely alive or burned to a crisp, I know I need to lean heavily on the power of both a good pattern and diligent reapplication of bronzer. If I had the forethought and the time to use self-tanner, I might take a shot on a teeny bikini. But if I’m my normal shade of “two weeks into a morgue visit,” I’ll play it safe and pick out a jewel-tone tankini. 8. My bikini line Let’s be honest, my haircut downstairs also determines how I’m gonna turn up at the beach or pool. A clean look is always best, but sometimes time constraints (mom life, amirite?) or razor burn get in the way. And that, my friends, is when I reach for a pair of boyshorts. Now you know. 9. The price tag When it comes to buying swimwear, my dollars inform my choices as much as my derriere does. How many times have I cringed at the cost of a suit I just had to have? But still I would argue every time that a good bathing suit is worth the spend. My strategy is to pretty much stalk a suit online and obsesses over it, remembering all the details and visiting it regularly until I’m absolutely sure I’m in love with it and feel prepared to commit. (Side note, maybe I should try this approach with dating?) Usually, I nab the suit at the right time, but there’s a chance you take. I have returned to the link to find that my size is sold out in the top or bottom, dashing my dream look. The pain is unending, I tell you. Spare yourself if you can. 10. The stars Sometimes, my astrological chart is out of whack, and my plans for what to pack are dashed against the proverbial rocks. Other times, my celestial house is in order and I score big: That maillot and bikini top are on sale, in my color, in my size. They look damn good on, and it’s all been worth it. Source link

[ellajme0]

Laura Lifshitz has found that all it takes to get into the right swimsuit is time, patience, humility, self-tanner, her daughter’s approval and a total alignment of the stars. See if this month’s “Life with the Girls” sounds like an all-too-familiar process. There are few decisions more anxiety-inducing in life than buying a bathing suit. Deciding whether to swipe left or right, signing a divorce agreement or choosing the right time for a colonoscopy might be roughly equivalent to the level of thought that goes into whether I bring a given tankini home with me. And if you’ve never had the pleasure of doing any of the above activities like I have, well bless your heart. Bikinis, bottoms, one-pieces, cup support, cover-ups…the options are endless. I so envy a man’s toughest decisions: blue bathing trunks or red? Clean pair or out of the hamper? Of course, with all the excitement that goes with swimsuit shopping—summer, you came back!—I’m also furrowing my brow way too much and earning serious Botox units on the road to choosing the right suits. By the time I finally plunk down my credit card, here are the deciding factors that have already come into play: 1. My child Much to my chagrin, my daughter is often a key stakeholder in my swimsuit shopping.  She’s only eight, but the feedback started last year. What she lacks in tact, she makes up for in candor, which comes in spades; she has zero qualms about crushing her mom’s Spandex illusions. “You’re not going to get that one, are you?” she asked me recently, eyeing me up and down as if I was wearing litter I picked up off the street. (This reaction was actually better than what she served me with when I tried mixing-and-matching a bikini: a grimace that looked an awful lot like my former mother-in-law’s default expression.) Apparently, I embarrass. That’s okay, I remind myself. Her teenage years, and my wardrobe vetoes, are coming. 2. My cycle Sorry, progeny, but on second thought, my menstrual cycle seriously has more pull on the bathing suit trigger than almost anything. Am I bloated? Yeah, I’m gonna have to pass on that low-cut bikini bottom in favor of the high-rise. Are my breasts nearing Coast Guard-approved flotation device status? Then I’d better look for a 5-hook-and-eye underwire supreme. 3. My vacation destination Okay, come to think of it, it’s the destination that decides everything! Do I really want major boobage while hanging out at the town pool? It’s hard enough to find the courage to wear a bikini when your cup size sounds like an algebraic equation (U.S. DDD-cup = E.U. F-cup = U.K. E-cup = meltdown), let alone while worrying about other moms—or, heaven forfend, dads—looking at you. But if I’m going to the beach alone or with friends, well, then it’s balls to the wall. Or boobs to the shore. All I really need is an adults-only tropical resort…single, straight male readers of this ladies’ lingerie blog, are you picking up what I’m putting down? 4. The company I keep It’s not just about the age or life stage of the humans with me but often, the level of judgment those humans exhibit. So before I say yes to a suit, I try to take into consideration the comrades who may be along for the ride. Showing up to the beach with my sarcastic and somewhat emo eight-year-old requires a different strategy than say, a really hot man. Or a family member. If children are present, I’d rather not have someone’s tweenage boy judging my boobs, be it out of trauma or fascination. If I’m with my somewhat conservative girlfriend, I will put on a moderately cute tankini so as not to offend. If my New Age-y girlfriend is with me, I’ll take risks, depending on whether my aura is feeling hot or not. 5. My blood sugar level Going to a store and trying on in a dressing room is enough to give me hives or pull my hair out in chunks, whichever is faster and less attractive. Personally, if I shop online with the moral support of a really empathetic, dedicated Bra Fit Expert, I’m know I’m bound to come away with a decent purchase. But if I’m left to my own devices, wandering rack after rack of suits hung without rhyme or reason, willpower fading, I’m typically back in the car faster than you can say, “Grande vanilla non-fat chai latte, please.” 6. My shopping destination Once I finally realized I had way more options online, my swimsuit game changed. It was like that giddy happiness I got when my divorce was finalized, but better. The first time I found Bare Necessities, I could’ve cried. Options, options everywhere! Sizes, styles and silhouettes for summers until I retire. All it requires is a bit of self-control. Okay, a lot of self-control. 7. My skin tone Since my only complexion settings are barely alive or burned to a crisp, I know I need to lean heavily on the power of both a good pattern and diligent reapplication of bronzer. If I had the forethought and the time to use self-tanner, I might take a shot on a teeny bikini. But if I’m my normal shade of “two weeks into a morgue visit,” I’ll play it safe and pick out a jewel-tone tankini. 8. My bikini line Let’s be honest, my haircut downstairs also determines how I’m gonna turn up at the beach or pool. A clean look is always best, but sometimes time constraints (mom life, amirite?) or razor burn get in the way. And that, my friends, is when I reach for a pair of boyshorts. Now you know. 9. The price tag When it comes to buying swimwear, my dollars inform my choices as much as my derriere does. How many times have I cringed at the cost of a suit I just had to have? But still I would argue every time that a good bathing suit is worth the spend. My strategy is to pretty much stalk a suit online and obsesses over it, remembering all the details and visiting it regularly until I’m absolutely sure I’m in love with it and feel prepared to commit. (Side note, maybe I should try this approach with dating?) Usually, I nab the suit at the right time, but there’s a chance you take. I have returned to the link to find that my size is sold out in the top or bottom, dashing my dream look. The pain is unending, I tell you. Spare yourself if you can. 10. The stars Sometimes, my astrological chart is out of whack, and my plans for what to pack are dashed against the proverbial rocks. Other times, my celestial house is in order and I score big: That maillot and bikini top are on sale, in my color, in my size. They look damn good on, and it’s all been worth it. Source link

[chilimili212]

Laura Lifshitz has found that all it takes to get into the right swimsuit is time, patience, humility, self-tanner, her daughter’s approval and a total alignment of the stars. See if this month’s “Life with the Girls” sounds like an all-too-familiar process. There are few decisions more anxiety-inducing in life than buying a bathing suit. Deciding whether to swipe left or right, signing a divorce agreement or choosing the right time for a colonoscopy might be roughly equivalent to the level of thought that goes into whether I bring a given tankini home with me. And if you’ve never had the pleasure of doing any of the above activities like I have, well bless your heart. Bikinis, bottoms, one-pieces, cup support, cover-ups…the options are endless. I so envy a man’s toughest decisions: blue bathing trunks or red? Clean pair or out of the hamper? Of course, with all the excitement that goes with swimsuit shopping—summer, you came back!—I’m also furrowing my brow way too much and earning serious Botox units on the road to choosing the right suits. By the time I finally plunk down my credit card, here are the deciding factors that have already come into play: 1. My child Much to my chagrin, my daughter is often a key stakeholder in my swimsuit shopping.  She’s only eight, but the feedback started last year. What she lacks in tact, she makes up for in candor, which comes in spades; she has zero qualms about crushing her mom’s Spandex illusions. “You’re not going to get that one, are you?” she asked me recently, eyeing me up and down as if I was wearing litter I picked up off the street. (This reaction was actually better than what she served me with when I tried mixing-and-matching a bikini: a grimace that looked an awful lot like my former mother-in-law’s default expression.) Apparently, I embarrass. That’s okay, I remind myself. Her teenage years, and my wardrobe vetoes, are coming. 2. My cycle Sorry, progeny, but on second thought, my menstrual cycle seriously has more pull on the bathing suit trigger than almost anything. Am I bloated? Yeah, I’m gonna have to pass on that low-cut bikini bottom in favor of the high-rise. Are my breasts nearing Coast Guard-approved flotation device status? Then I’d better look for a 5-hook-and-eye underwire supreme. 3. My vacation destination Okay, come to think of it, it’s the destination that decides everything! Do I really want major boobage while hanging out at the town pool? It’s hard enough to find the courage to wear a bikini when your cup size sounds like an algebraic equation (U.S. DDD-cup = E.U. F-cup = U.K. E-cup = meltdown), let alone while worrying about other moms—or, heaven forfend, dads—looking at you. But if I’m going to the beach alone or with friends, well, then it’s balls to the wall. Or boobs to the shore. All I really need is an adults-only tropical resort…single, straight male readers of this ladies’ lingerie blog, are you picking up what I’m putting down? 4. The company I keep It’s not just about the age or life stage of the humans with me but often, the level of judgment those humans exhibit. So before I say yes to a suit, I try to take into consideration the comrades who may be along for the ride. Showing up to the beach with my sarcastic and somewhat emo eight-year-old requires a different strategy than say, a really hot man. Or a family member. If children are present, I’d rather not have someone’s tweenage boy judging my boobs, be it out of trauma or fascination. If I’m with my somewhat conservative girlfriend, I will put on a moderately cute tankini so as not to offend. If my New Age-y girlfriend is with me, I’ll take risks, depending on whether my aura is feeling hot or not. 5. My blood sugar level Going to a store and trying on in a dressing room is enough to give me hives or pull my hair out in chunks, whichever is faster and less attractive. Personally, if I shop online with the moral support of a really empathetic, dedicated Bra Fit Expert, I’m know I’m bound to come away with a decent purchase. But if I’m left to my own devices, wandering rack after rack of suits hung without rhyme or reason, willpower fading, I’m typically back in the car faster than you can say, “Grande vanilla non-fat chai latte, please.” 6. My shopping destination Once I finally realized I had way more options online, my swimsuit game changed. It was like that giddy happiness I got when my divorce was finalized, but better. The first time I found Bare Necessities, I could’ve cried. Options, options everywhere! Sizes, styles and silhouettes for summers until I retire. All it requires is a bit of self-control. Okay, a lot of self-control. 7. My skin tone Since my only complexion settings are barely alive or burned to a crisp, I know I need to lean heavily on the power of both a good pattern and diligent reapplication of bronzer. If I had the forethought and the time to use self-tanner, I might take a shot on a teeny bikini. But if I’m my normal shade of “two weeks into a morgue visit,” I’ll play it safe and pick out a jewel-tone tankini. 8. My bikini line Let’s be honest, my haircut downstairs also determines how I’m gonna turn up at the beach or pool. A clean look is always best, but sometimes time constraints (mom life, amirite?) or razor burn get in the way. And that, my friends, is when I reach for a pair of boyshorts. Now you know. 9. The price tag When it comes to buying swimwear, my dollars inform my choices as much as my derriere does. How many times have I cringed at the cost of a suit I just had to have? But still I would argue every time that a good bathing suit is worth the spend. My strategy is to pretty much stalk a suit online and obsesses over it, remembering all the details and visiting it regularly until I’m absolutely sure I’m in love with it and feel prepared to commit. (Side note, maybe I should try this approach with dating?) Usually, I nab the suit at the right time, but there’s a chance you take. I have returned to the link to find that my size is sold out in the top or bottom, dashing my dream look. The pain is unending, I tell you. Spare yourself if you can. 10. The stars Sometimes, my astrological chart is out of whack, and my plans for what to pack are dashed against the proverbial rocks. Other times, my celestial house is in order and I score big: That maillot and bikini top are on sale, in my color, in my size. They look damn good on, and it’s all been worth it. Source link

[oliviajoyice21]

Laura Lifshitz has found that all it takes to get into the right swimsuit is time, patience, humility, self-tanner, her daughter’s approval and a total alignment of the stars. See if this month’s “Life with the Girls” sounds like an all-too-familiar process. There are few decisions more anxiety-inducing in life than buying a bathing suit. Deciding whether to swipe left or right, signing a divorce agreement or choosing the right time for a colonoscopy might be roughly equivalent to the level of thought that goes into whether I bring a given tankini home with me. And if you’ve never had the pleasure of doing any of the above activities like I have, well bless your heart. Bikinis, bottoms, one-pieces, cup support, cover-ups…the options are endless. I so envy a man’s toughest decisions: blue bathing trunks or red? Clean pair or out of the hamper? Of course, with all the excitement that goes with swimsuit shopping—summer, you came back!—I’m also furrowing my brow way too much and earning serious Botox units on the road to choosing the right suits. By the time I finally plunk down my credit card, here are the deciding factors that have already come into play: 1. My child Much to my chagrin, my daughter is often a key stakeholder in my swimsuit shopping.  She’s only eight, but the feedback started last year. What she lacks in tact, she makes up for in candor, which comes in spades; she has zero qualms about crushing her mom’s Spandex illusions. “You’re not going to get that one, are you?” she asked me recently, eyeing me up and down as if I was wearing litter I picked up off the street. (This reaction was actually better than what she served me with when I tried mixing-and-matching a bikini: a grimace that looked an awful lot like my former mother-in-law’s default expression.) Apparently, I embarrass. That’s okay, I remind myself. Her teenage years, and my wardrobe vetoes, are coming. 2. My cycle Sorry, progeny, but on second thought, my menstrual cycle seriously has more pull on the bathing suit trigger than almost anything. Am I bloated? Yeah, I’m gonna have to pass on that low-cut bikini bottom in favor of the high-rise. Are my breasts nearing Coast Guard-approved flotation device status? Then I’d better look for a 5-hook-and-eye underwire supreme. 3. My vacation destination Okay, come to think of it, it’s the destination that decides everything! Do I really want major boobage while hanging out at the town pool? It’s hard enough to find the courage to wear a bikini when your cup size sounds like an algebraic equation (U.S. DDD-cup = E.U. F-cup = U.K. E-cup = meltdown), let alone while worrying about other moms—or, heaven forfend, dads—looking at you. But if I’m going to the beach alone or with friends, well, then it’s balls to the wall. Or boobs to the shore. All I really need is an adults-only tropical resort…single, straight male readers of this ladies’ lingerie blog, are you picking up what I’m putting down? 4. The company I keep It’s not just about the age or life stage of the humans with me but often, the level of judgment those humans exhibit. So before I say yes to a suit, I try to take into consideration the comrades who may be along for the ride. Showing up to the beach with my sarcastic and somewhat emo eight-year-old requires a different strategy than say, a really hot man. Or a family member. If children are present, I’d rather not have someone’s tweenage boy judging my boobs, be it out of trauma or fascination. If I’m with my somewhat conservative girlfriend, I will put on a moderately cute tankini so as not to offend. If my New Age-y girlfriend is with me, I’ll take risks, depending on whether my aura is feeling hot or not. 5. My blood sugar level Going to a store and trying on in a dressing room is enough to give me hives or pull my hair out in chunks, whichever is faster and less attractive. Personally, if I shop online with the moral support of a really empathetic, dedicated Bra Fit Expert, I’m know I’m bound to come away with a decent purchase. But if I’m left to my own devices, wandering rack after rack of suits hung without rhyme or reason, willpower fading, I’m typically back in the car faster than you can say, “Grande vanilla non-fat chai latte, please.” 6. My shopping destination Once I finally realized I had way more options online, my swimsuit game changed. It was like that giddy happiness I got when my divorce was finalized, but better. The first time I found Bare Necessities, I could’ve cried. Options, options everywhere! Sizes, styles and silhouettes for summers until I retire. All it requires is a bit of self-control. Okay, a lot of self-control. 7. My skin tone Since my only complexion settings are barely alive or burned to a crisp, I know I need to lean heavily on the power of both a good pattern and diligent reapplication of bronzer. If I had the forethought and the time to use self-tanner, I might take a shot on a teeny bikini. But if I’m my normal shade of “two weeks into a morgue visit,” I’ll play it safe and pick out a jewel-tone tankini. 8. My bikini line Let’s be honest, my haircut downstairs also determines how I’m gonna turn up at the beach or pool. A clean look is always best, but sometimes time constraints (mom life, amirite?) or razor burn get in the way. And that, my friends, is when I reach for a pair of boyshorts. Now you know. 9. The price tag When it comes to buying swimwear, my dollars inform my choices as much as my derriere does. How many times have I cringed at the cost of a suit I just had to have? But still I would argue every time that a good bathing suit is worth the spend. My strategy is to pretty much stalk a suit online and obsesses over it, remembering all the details and visiting it regularly until I’m absolutely sure I’m in love with it and feel prepared to commit. (Side note, maybe I should try this approach with dating?) Usually, I nab the suit at the right time, but there’s a chance you take. I have returned to the link to find that my size is sold out in the top or bottom, dashing my dream look. The pain is unending, I tell you. Spare yourself if you can. 10. The stars Sometimes, my astrological chart is out of whack, and my plans for what to pack are dashed against the proverbial rocks. Other times, my celestial house is in order and I score big: That maillot and bikini top are on sale, in my color, in my size. They look damn good on, and it’s all been worth it. Source link