#Corbin Family Reads

[shesamreads]

Ooooo, what a start!

(Either Harry is talking directly to us, or she's pregnant.) (I know what I said about Pride month, but this is mom's choice for our book club.)

[copperbadge]

I am so close to being done with Royals/Ramblers I can taste it, and it's one of those frustrating situations where the last remaining work to be done is just annoying. I have to write one damn scene, which of course is the most emotionally fraught and difficult one, and then pick from the *counts on fingers* three separate versions of the epilogue I wrote, none of which are very satisfying. I'll probably slam them all together and then sort it out somehow.

And then I definitely have to give the whole thing one more pass before I think about posting, because it's going to clock in at right around 150K words, and I already have notes on continuity issues that need fixing.

Anyway, please enjoy this scene, in which I realized at the same time Gregory and Eddie did what a great joke their names make. (Some brief context -- Joan uses she/her but doesn't like the word "princess", so she chose the gender neutral Princeps as her title.)

Friday evening, when Gregory came on the air for the address, Eddie was sitting next to him, and Joan was leaning on Eddie's shoulder. Her excitement was almost a visible thing; she'd been fussed over that afternoon, Gregory helping her pick out clothing followed by Jerry doing her makeup for camera and Eddie doing a slightly less clumsy job of braiding her hair than she generally did. 

"Good evening, Fons-Askaz, Askazer-Shivadlakia, our neighbors, and our viewers abroad," Gregory said. Behind the camera, Jerry mouthed the words along with him absently. "I'm pleased to greet you all this Friday evening and I hope you're well. I find myself, for the second time in a year, setting aside the usual issues of the day and questions from citizens to talk to you about family...."

His idea had been to talk about Joan's history just a little, then introduce her as the newest Royal, their daughter the Princeps. He could use that as a platform to present to the country his new funding package for adoptive families, meant to encourage adoption and support children coming out of the foster system. Each half of that would hopefully make the other half seem less random.

It went pretty smoothly; Eddie chimed in at all the right moments, and Joan got to say a few words of introduction at the end. After he signed off, he gave her a hug and a forehead-kiss and told her she'd done a great job. 

And then Noah, standing with Monday and Jerry behind the camera in the little studio, said, "Well, you crashed the internet again."

Gregory sighed. "Can't blame Eddie this time, can we?" 

"It was only the tourism website, and it wasn't on purpose," Eddie said. 

"He was always breaking my stuff when we were kids," Monday said.

"Nope, this one's all Joan," Noah replied. "As soon as you introduced her as your daughter, traffic started spiking -- palace website, tourism website, and every royals' Photogram."

"Katie in Communications says told you so," Jerry said, already on the phone with her.

"Joan's Photogram is down, looks like bandwidth-suck. And there goes mine, and yours," Noah said, nodding at Gregory. "There's two hashtags trending, PrincessJoan and PrincepsJoan." 

"Let me call my guy at Photogram," Eddie said, taking his phone out. 

"You have a guy just like, at Photogram?" Monday asked.

"Yeah, he handles my requests, I send him sausages," Eddie answered. 

"How is it you simultaneously live in the 22nd century and the 14th?" Monday asked. 

"Have him kill the Princess hashtag," Noah suggested.

"It's fine," Joan said. "They can use it for now, it'll keep things, um." She narrowed her eyes, searching for the word. "Segmented. Spread out the discussion a little."

"Someone's been reading my data analytics memos," Gregory said. 

"You leave 'em out," she pointed out. 

"Good news is people seem excited," Noah continued. "The hashtag's glitching, it's moving so fast, but overall pretty positive," he added.

"Well, we knew this would be intense," Gregory said. Joan, studying her own phone, squeaked. "Joan?" 

"Mas Corbin tagged me," she said, with possibly the most excitement they'd seen from her, at least since her first trip in the Jaguar. 

"The footballer?" Gregory asked, confused.

"Who?" Noah and Eddie chorused. 

"He's a Shivadh footballer, I think he's playing in Ireland right now," Gregory said, and his voice took on a slight edge as he considered some of the reasons a football player might mention his daughter. "What did he say?" 

"Dedicating my next game to my new Princeps JoanMac, long may she reign," Joan read, and Gregory relaxed. "Congrats to Gin&Tonic, she's cute as a button. Mas Corbin thinks I'm cute!"

"Gin and Tonic?" Gregory asked, and then said, "Gregory and Theophile," right as Eddie and Monday both began to laugh. "How did neither of us think of that before?"

"You get used to it," Noah said to Joan. "All kinds of famous people are going to have opinions on you."

"What do I do?!"

"Gram him back," Noah said. "Comment and say thanks and that you're a fan and you'll be watching the game."

"I'm gonna have to do a video with some gin and tonic recipes," Eddie said, as Noah and Joan debated the best wording for her response. Gregory leaned back in his chair, exhaling, and let the chaos happen around him for a minute. 

[pinazee]

Meat is murder, but murder is also murder.

Ill be honest, the writing in this ep is a bit, uh, disney channel-esque at times- like when Uncle Burton tore up the postcard, or finagled his way into the crime scene. It’s not one of my favorites. I really like the premise though, because Dulé got to be the psychic for a change and have some fun (and boy did he!), and we got to see someone from Gus’s family for the first time, even if he was an asshole.

Which makes me wonder why his mom would name him after him. Maybe they were close when they were younger?? Or maybe she just told her brother that but it was really after a different burton (i looked up famous burtons, scientists named burton etc. just to see if i could fill the gap myself but it was fruitless. Though i did learn theres a villian in The Call of the Wild called Black Burton, so theres that).

I wish the resolution of Gus’s family drama had been him telling Uncle Burton that although it was a privilege to have been given a name with purpose and honor, he was his own person that could define himself however he pleased and to fuck off.

What are the fan theories surrounding Lassies broken wing? I know Tim had a real life tumble, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun ;). Obviously it has to be something really embarrassing if he doesn’t want to talk about it. Figure skating? Im going to go with figure skating.

This is a really creepy kid poster

So just to summarize, Lassie is an Aries, Juliet is Libra, and Henry is Sagittarius (also it’s weird henry read it at all) This is just a small inconsistency but lassies paperwork in the poker ep says his birthday is feb 22 so he is not an aries, hes a pisces. And if anyone is curious, tim’s a leo, james is aries, dulé is taurus, maggie is Leo, corbin is virgo, Kirsten is libra

The way Dulé says but muurder is also muuurder! Kills me.

I hope James got to keep this fish. No prop is safe from him lol

This is the best part of the episode and frankly the only part i care about haha

P.S they had this green striped shirt dude walking behind them with 3 different ladies in the same scene. Why would they change the actress and not the guys blaring blonde hair and bright ass shirt??

Almost forgot! Props team is on point.

[ember-owlet]

ohhh mr blue 🥺 such a sad but sweet song…do you have a favorite character or any agere headcanons for them? todd and mr peanutbutter would be great cgs (although maybe not together or their kiddo would get stuck on a flaming rollercoaster hahaha), hollyhock is a trauma regressor and i think todd would actually be a flip bcs he does have that childish side to him and would enjoy expressing it with someone who won’t be mean or judge him about it and i think sarah lynn isn’t a regressor necessarily but she never let go of her childhood dreams after everything she went through and when she had the time she would definitely like read space books or architecture books and stuff and imagine things differently…eep sorry for rambling hehe hope ur doing well

you never have to worry about rambling here firelight, when it comes to headcanons or interests i love to hear what you have to say! i know that its hard to find a space to share age regression headcanons for nicher fandoms/shows so i'd never want to dampen that enthusiasm. (and these are some AMAZING headcanons!! i especially love flip todd, i'm glad everyone agrees that he'd be a good cg but he is also the silliest guy. you are also 1000% correct, mr. peanutbutter and todd are a dangerously chaotic duo to keep a little one safe.) /gen

aa thank you for asking!! my favorite characters have always been princess carolyn, todd, diane, guy, and beatrice (for all the same reasons someone would like a "villain", she's a deplorable person and mother but a beautifully written and flawed character).

i realized i'd never fully put down my headcanons to notes before regarding the show, and if i wrote every single headcanon i had this post would be a novel so i made a chart/drabbles! have a wonderful day yourself and i hope you're staying safe.

personal headcanons/rambles under the cut, nothing formal but spoilers for the entirety of the show ahead:

i hope i got everyone, but these are the main ones!

caregivers:

guy

diane's cg, also a familial caretaker for sonny. just the best guy!!

judah

princess carolyn's cg! he is fully aware of how stubborn she can be when regressing to a teen and is just there to make sure she doesn't get hurt.

corbin

honestly one of the most stable cgs (/lh /pos),, in another universe he would've been beatrices' cg and supported her to get help for her trauma.

charlotte

mama cg all the way, she takes care of penny through her vent regression and truth be told her and herb used to be caregivers for bojack once upon a time.

biscuits braxby

a caregiver through and through, for some reason i used to daydream about her taking care of a regressor after the bojack interview and reassuring them that she would make sure they were safe.

ralph

personally, in terms of cgs i think ralph was princess carolyn's cg while they were together, and the role being taken over by judah once they get married as princess carolyn would be hesitant to regress around anyone else (vulnerability to her is scary!!)

vanessa

canonical mother for the win!! she just gives judgemental coworker that means well but would take care of someone if needed (but doesn't mean they're getting out of it without being teased a little)

kelsey

another canon mom!! she just seems really sweet and means well despite her firm demeanor when working.

flips (cg! lean): todd

beloved!! personally i don't see him as a parental caregiver, but definitely is one of the silliest and laid back caregivers out of the bunch. i could also see him regressing if the environment were relaxed enough but always in a middle headspace. herb

okay. hear me out. i just KNOW herb would've been a good caregiver for bojack along with charlotte, i've been thinking about this for a while now but i really think they'd have been such a healing dynamic for bojack as parental cgs. during that time in his life they were his favorite people even if charlotte knew about how awful he was.

rutabaga

i purely put him down for my friend who had talked about him being a caregiver,, i have no idea what she sees in him but to each their own. /nm /lh

flips

honey sugarman

ah yes one of the most tragic characters in the show. honey to me is a flip purely because i think she became an involuntary regressor after her lobotomy. i am purely going by headcanon than science but i assume losing so many of your functions as an adult would cause her to go to a more simpler state (either by choice or not) to forget the pain of losing crackerjack.

princess carolyn

my favorite flip (/j /lh) to me she already is a canonical caregiver when taking care of so many of the other characters in the show over herself (and being a mother to ruthie). but, if she truly trusts someone enough she'll regress a little to unwind and feel like she can take back her childhood after growing up WAY too fast with cutie and her siblings.

flips (regressor! lean) :

hollyhock

precious girl,, i can totally see her being a teen regressor or cool older sister as a caregiver, i almost was tempted to add her to the babysitter pile as well since her caregiving is a very relaxed style. she relies mainly on her dads for comfort (especially when having flashbacks from living with bojack) as well as having an accepting friend group to let her feel child-like around them.

paige sinclair

totally random and a hot take but i adored her character. she was just so passionate about her job and of course pushy but its the same reason we love princess carolyn. i think baxter would mainly be her caregiver but i think when she is caretaking her style is very whimsical.

pickles

my sweet girl,, totally a regressor with endless energy and interests to keep herself entertained. mr. peanutbutter would do his absolute best to calm her in most situations but after a while let her emotions run their course.

regressor:

bojack

i do not trust this man caregiving for anyone. (/hj)

i don't think he fully understands what regression actually is but tends to fall on habits of wanting someone to care for him and only truly regresses when in an emotional state that brings him back to childhood (aka vent regressing).

most of his long-term partners have seen a form of his regression and have taken on the role of a caretaker.

the only other person that has understood him in his regression without putting a name to it is diane. they're just naturally child-like at times and they don't mention it further than that.

diane

at first didn't understand the concept of regression and thought it was "weird" until researching "inner child healing" to help with her ivy tran novel series.

the only person she truly trusts to fully regress around is guy and he is more than willing to take care of her and make her feel loved and appreciated (she's his beautiful salad bowl /lh)

sarah lynn

my sweet girl pt. 2

even if she doesn't know what regression is i just want to give her a happy childhood,, she deserves to be an architect!!

the way she held herself in the that's too much man episode breaks my heart every time and therefore she is my child now!!

penny carson

my sweet baby girl pt. 3

charlotte is more than willing to be a caregiver/mama again, helps her work through the trauma and grief of what had happened between her and bojack but gives her the space she needs to feel in control of certain situations and then a gentle hand to hold her.

i also think penny wears her mom/dad's oversized sweatshirts to feel safe and comforted when having flashbacks.

beatrice

another character that deserved better!! and to have better coping mechanisms!!

loves to play with a very specific doll that she keeps close to her heart, as well as large elegant dresses that she loves to feel the fabric as she twirls and dances in

in an au that i have corbin and her got married, and though he can't heal her past he is a very stable figure in her life and assures her that she can in fact open her heart to loving again.

babysitters:

mr. peanutbutter

i believe he genuinely wants to help when others regress and becomes extremely enthusiastic about hearing that you can be tiny around him, but is nowhere near responsible enough to be an actual caregiver.

just as distracted as the little one, and just as easily persuaded to get them what they want

anna

will watch a regressor if they paid her (/hj).

was bojack's babysitter in-between takes of secretariat, but wasn't a lasting relationship.

keeps him in line when he becomes fussy or throws a tantrum, but ultimately forgets to also reassure him and that leads to further emotional outlashing.

crackerjack

beatrice's big brother babysitter!!

at least once in his life he's snuck her an ice pop/ice cream to let his little sister have a taste.

wanda

a positive and fun-loving babysitter, was possibly one of the kindest caregivers that bojack had when regressing (and also the one that let him get away with the most).

[simsdaughters]

Alchemy.

Finally, Corbin's powers awakened, inherited from his mother, Cassandra. First, he toiled over the family cauldron for hours, reading from his mother's alchemy books and notes to replicate every single potion she had learned. So far, he only mastered a few, but he was confident that soon enough, they would all be in his palm.

[statichvm]

— WRITE DOWN YOUR URL ONLY USING SONGS FROM YOUR TOP SONGS OF 2024 PLAYLIST 🕺🏻

i was tagged by @tuseranita! thank you! 🫶🏻

S — sun bleached flies / ethel cain

T — the family house / ross tregenza, wes keltner

A — all over the road / easton corbin

T — tennessee orange / megan moroney

I — i’m comin’ over / chris young

C — cowboy take me away / the chicks

H — halfway / atta boy

V — (no actual v songs so) hell is a dance floor / vincent mason

M — madly / atta boy

tagging whoever is reading this because i’m still exhausted from juno’s candle debacle. yeah. you. i mean you.

[nothingunrealistic]

Corbin Bleu and Stephanie Styles will headline a private industry reading of the Broadway-bound musical comedy, Get Happy. The invitation-only reading will be held on January 17 in New York City. Get Happy, which premiered under the title Summer Stock in 2023 at Connecticut’s esteemed Goodspeed Musicals, features book and additional lyrics by four-time Emmy Award winner Cheri Steinkellner, musical supervision, arrangements and orchestrations by three-time Tony Award winner Doug Besterman, and will be directed and choreographed by Donna Feore, making her long-awaited New York City debut after years of acclaimed work at Canada’s Stratford Festival. Read the reviews for the Goodspeed production here. The producers are Steve Peters and Michael Londra of VenuWorks Theatricals, Greg & Marissa Frankenfield of Excelsior Entertainment, and executive producers Carolyn Rossi Copeland and Nancy Nagel Gibbs. Get Happy is produced by special arrangement with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures. Bleu and Styles, reuniting after starring opposite each other in the 2019 Broadway revival of Kiss Me, Kate, will play the roles of Joe Ross and Jane Falbury, originally played onscreen by Gene Kelly and Judy Garland. The reading will also feature Stephen Lee Anderson (Broadway: Bright Star, Fiddler on the Roof, Wicked) as Lt. Henry ‘Pop’ Falbury, Gilbert L. Bailey II (Broadway: The Book of Mormon, Beetlejuice) as Phil Filmore, Tony Award nominee Veanne Cox (Broadway: Company; Caroline, or Change; La Cage aux Folles) as Margaret Wingate, Zoe Jensen (Broadway: Six; The Heart of Rock and Roll) as Gloria Falbury, Will Roland (Broadway: Dear Evan Hansen; Be More Chill) as Orville Wingate, and Tony Award nominee Douglas Sills (Broadway: The Scarlet Pimpernel; Little Shop of Horrors; War Paint) as Montgomery Leach, with Nicholas Cunha, Francesca Mancuso, Corinne Munsch, Kaylee Olson, Aaron Patterson, Jack Sippel, and Cayel Tregeagle. When the company of a new Broadway show loses their rehearsal space, the gang hoofs it to a family farm in Connecticut where, in the best musical tradition, the show must go on. Along the way, there are unlikely romances, some of the greatest songs of the American songbook, show-stopping choreography, and a farm – and a musical – to save. 

[aestophobia]

@corbin-is-sleepy I did it.....

So a lot of my ideas aren't very specific, they're just random edits set to songs from the blitzstone playlist I made four years ago (I Hear a Symphony by Cody Fry, Paper Rings by Taylor Swift, She by Dodie, Stolen Dance by Milky Chance, and a lot more)

BUT I do have some more specific ones

I'm not very good at explaining why, so bare with me

so hold me

wrap me in love, fill up my cup

cause I'm hollow

LITERAL EMPTY CUP ANTHEM

like i can't even express how empty cup family this song is

but sometimes I feel

like I'm only a ghost, like I'm only a wall

and if you come around, honey, I'll probably just follow you home

this just feels really Hearth to me

oh I wish I was more than my skin and my bones

I've been arranging each of my movements

and all of my gestures trying to fool myself

Hearthstone being shamed for being deaf by his father perchance

I know that it ain't much, I know that it ain't cool

oh but you don't have to tell the other kids at school

my dad'll strike it rich, we'll be the big house on the block

someday I'm gonna be somebody people want

switching it up!!! this song is very very blitzen to me

if there's no one beside you

when your soul embarks

then I'll follow you into the dark

they would literally do anything for eachother uugghghs i love them sm

the moon will sing a song for me

I loved you like the sun

the blitzstone sun/moon dynamic is something that can be so personal actually

the fact that personality wise Hearthstone is the moon one and Blitzen is the sun one, but Hearth needs the sun to survive and Blitz needs the dark

I don't even have a specific lyric from this one it's all just so blitzstone

I can't break the cycle, am I just a fool?

falling down like dominoes, hit by family jewels

this part is Hearth

pass it down from kid to kid, the chain will never end

'less I decide to go to it will I see the end?

and this part is Blitz

I don't have any specific lyrics for this one either, they just care so much about each other

Hearth core, reminds me of "Daisies in the Shape of an Elf"

rate yourself and rake yourself, take all the courage you have left

and waste it on fixing all the problems that you made in your own head

BLITZEN BLITZEN BLITZENNN

all of this song reminds me of Blitz, but this part stands out to me

I also have already made two Blitzstone edits before and I kind of want to talk about them lol

the first one was to "Fire and the Flood" by Vance Joy (this was also the very first edit I made ever)

the big reason that this song reminds me of blitzstone is because the first time I read THoT, I was in a mall and that song was playing (right as I got to the Blitz being stabbed part)

but also the more I listen to it the more it feels actually blitzstone coded

the second one was to "Chemtrails Over the Country Club" by Lana Del Ray

this was actually a fairly recent edit and I really like how it turned out (even thought I don't like doing edits with fanart and still pictures)

I did it to the "you're in the wind, I'm in the water" part if you know what I'm talking about and I had Hearth as the wind because elfs are creatures of air and Blitz as the water part because of the shower scene

Long post omg but any excuse to talk about blitzstone

[enchantress-emily]

Happy Webcomic Day!

I'm not actively posting a comic at the moment, but you can read my completed webcomic, The Shifting City, HERE. It's a fantasy adventure about a group of friends (scholarly, single-minded Rosana; street-smart, mischievous Sage; gentle, levelheaded Corbin; and curious, stubborn Elidor) assigned to map a city where the streets constantly shift position.

(Left to right: Sage, Rosana, Corbin, Elidor)

The theme of this year's Webcomic Day is sharing your creation process. This post got more rambly than anticipated, so details about my process, as well as a sneak peek at the new comic I'm planning, can be found under the cut!

I work traditionally, using a Pentel .05mm mechanical pencil and Prismacolor Premier fine line markers in various widths. This handout I made for a talk about making comics is a good illustration of the steps that go into drawing one of my pages:

Before the actual drawing happens, the script and thumbnail sketches need to be worked out. For The Shifting City I wrote the script on notebook paper, then made rough thumbnails for each page. Here's a comparison of the script, the thumbnails, and the finished page for the first page of chapter 2.

For the comic I'm working on now, Tales from the Embassy, I decided to combine the scripting and thumbnailing process, as seen below. I'm a visual thinker, so having a sense of what the overall page is going to look like helps me with figuring out what happens on that page.

Tales from the Embassy focuses on the people who work behind the scenes of a huge complex where members of various magical races meet up to do business. Each chapter will be a self-contained story starring a different set of characters, although since they all live and work in the same place, readers will see familiar faces popping up here and there in later chapters.

Chapter 1, The Clerk's Tale, follows Elsiné as she finds her feet in her new job as a clerk in one of the Embassy's offices; navigates her complicated relationship with the birth mother she only recently met (who also happens to be the head of the Embassy); and discovers a different kind of family with Galen, a bubbly mural painter, and Feneree, a kindly aide to the Elven ambassador.

(Left to right: Elsiné, Galen, Feneree)

I'm hoping to finish the script for The Clerk's Tale and start drawing pages by the end of the year. Watch this space for more news!

[kanerallels]

AHA YOU DID PUT THE ASK GAME BACK UP

I humbly request something with Saville and Galen because my beloveds 🤲

I DID and took so long to respond to this lol. But! Since you didn't specify an AU I decided to explore a concept I came up with in the shower the other day: Valiant Cinderella au (featuring Ever After vibes, The Flight Of Swan characters, and one subtle reference to my liveblog)

I’d only taken my eyes off of Will for a second. We were in the market— he and I and Corbin, my stepbrother who hadn’t been convinced to hate me, despite my stepmother’s best efforts.

Will was family too, after a fashion. I’d found him, just a street urchin fighting dogs for food, and brought him home under the guise of a servant. Really, I’d just wanted to keep him safe, even if I couldn’t protect myself.

He was a hard worker, but too eager to rush ahead. I’d only looked away to barter for bread for a minute— one minute! And then I heard his voice shouting my name, and turned to see soldiers dragging him away.

King Eldin was supposedly a weak king, weaker than his hard-headed brother had been. He wasn’t a bad man— but he was easily manipulated, a fact that had been taken advantage of by Lord Leymonn, one of the top advisors in the castle. And Lord Leymonn had little tolerance for the parentless urchins wandering the streets. Which Will wasn’t— but clearly the soldiers didn’t know that.

Dropping my basket, I bolted towards the soldiers, ignoring Corbin shouting for me to be careful. I couldn’t let them take Will. I couldn’t.

The soldiers were shoving him into a cart as I approached, heart pounding with terror. I hated being scared, and that fueled me enough to shout, “Stop! What are you doing?”

The two soldiers paused, one still keeping a firm grasp on Will’s arm as the two of them looked at me. The older of the two, brown eyed with a beard, lifted an eyebrow at me. “Arresting this thief.”

“He is not a thief,” I protested, glaring at them. “Do you arrest all children you see because you suspect they may be thieves? He’s a servant in my stepmother’s household. Let him go.”

“Lord Leymonn has ordered that street urchins—”

“Hang your Lord Leymonn,” I spat out, and was surprised to see a look of amusement cross the older man’s face. The younger looked affronted, and was opening his mouth to respond when a third voice cut through our conversation.

“Orion, Hayden, what’s going on here?”

I turned, ready to fight— and the words shriveled up in my mouth.

Fine Coat. Sky above, it was Fine Coat— the noble who I’d met six months earlier on the road to Reggen, traveling back home with my father. Before he’d remarried a witch woman and then fallen ill, leaving me in her hands.

He wouldn’t remember me. He couldn’t. No matter how much I may have annoyed him at the time.

“Lord Verras,” the younger man said, straightening a little. “We’re arresting this street urchin. Lord Leymonn’s orders— we’re to keep the streets as free of thieves as possible, sir.”

“He’s not a thief,” I broke in, my fear for Will overwhelming my fear that Fine Coat would know who I was. “He’s a servant in my stepmother’s household, and he wouldn’t steal anything.”

“He’s a street rat,” the younger guard said.

“He’s a child,” I snapped, glaring at him. “Or is that an instant sign of guilt in the eyes of your precious Lord Leymonn?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lord Verras and the older man exchange a look that I couldn’t read. Hardening my heart against fear, I turned towards him. “He’s just a child. He hasn’t done anything, you can’t arrest him. Or have the nobles already forgotten what justice is?”

The younger guard gaped at me, as shocked by my audacity as my pounding heart was. Lord Verras regarded me, with eyes that almost seemed to look through me. I held myself straight, refusing to look away. I wouldn’t back down.

“You have such a low opinion of our royalty?” His voice was calm, curious.

“I have a low opinion of anyone who would lock up a child,” I told him, and he nodded.

“Fair enough. Release the boy.”

“But Lord Leymonn will—”

“I will deal with Leymonn,” Lord Verras said, and I didn’t miss the look the two guards exchanged. The older one nodded to his companion, who let go of Will’s arm.

He scrambled free, tumbling into my arms, and I pulled him close, trying to hide my trembling. “Thank you,” I told Lord Verras.

“You were right,” he said simply. “If the boy hasn’t done anything wrong, he deserves to go free.” He paused, frowning a little. “It’s rare to see someone around these days who’s so willing to speak up against one of the king’s advisors. Particularly among the nobility.”

I almost snorted. “I’m no noble.”

He didn’t seem surprised, just curious. “Really? You mentioned your stepmother’s household.”

Internally, I cursed. I was supposed to be a nameless servant, not the daughter that witch didn’t want. If I let anything slip about her, or her plan, Will and I were done for, to say nothing of my father. And despite our differences, it was my responsibility to protect him.

Though if it came down between him and Will, I’d hand him over in a heartbeat.

Lord Verras was still watching me with those keen eyes, waiting for an answer I didn’t know how to give. “Um. I—”

“Saville!”

Corbin was heading my way, holding the basket I’d dropped, his frown deep. For a brother who wasn’t blood, he was plenty protective, and his scowl deepened at the sight of Lord Verras. Glancing between me, him, the guards, and Will, he seemed to put together the pieces. “We should get home,” he told me. “Mother won’t be pleased if we’re out too late.”

“Saville?” Lord Verras’s voice was quizzical, and I saw a furrow appear between his brows. He’d realized something was off, or familiar, and my heart lurched.

Time to go.

Grabbing Will’s arm, I said, “Thank you for your help,” and forced myself to walk away, not run. Despite the urge to do so, twisting in my chest. It was time to get away from this nobleman and his eyes that saw far too much.

I didn’t breathe easy until there were several yards and a few turned corners between me and him, and Corbin gave me a confused look. “Who was that?”

“Someone who met me on the way here,” I told him. “Someone who could find out who I am, and destroy your mother’s plan.”

Scowling, Corbin muttered, “If only he would.” A heartbeat later, remorse smoothed away the scowl, and he shot me an apologetic look. “Sorry. I know you’re as stuck as I am.”

“At least I don’t have to marry any princess.” Breathing deeply, I glanced at Will. “Are you alright?”

Nodding, Will said, “Are we in trouble, Sir?”

Shaking my head, I said, “I don’t think so.” As long as we don’t bump into Lord Verras again. With any luck, that would be the last I saw of him.

[thephantasmalmaze]

hmmmm another one? the DM is in the zone and needed to write something as im def not crying over a tv show rn.

"fix it" au, this time tho lets take a look at shay, but instead of a new father (as she already has a perfect one) lets give them a new set of mentors and people to call home even for a little while.

If I were Silvanus I could fill books upon books about Shay, about the darling little teifling playing in the woods who pracned into his life, like a newborn fawn into the the budding wild flowers of summer. But I am not, and so I can't fill pages upon pages with words of fatherly joy nor can I write with the pride one has to watch their child accomplish the even the smallest of tasks.

But I can tell you of a version of the story where finding a new man to call father and mentor is not the end to dear shays change, but mearly the begining.

One of the first children in years to catch the favor of Silvanus is nothing to brush aside, and while subtle hard to over look by the correct eye. A Lady, of a kind heart and dispostion passes through town not an unusual occurance in a small town but shes so unlike anyone else. Instead of holing up in the inn and leaving as quickly as possible, she stays and enjoys teh scenery for a while. She sits at the tree lines and writes, she wakes up at the dawn and grounds herself to the soil, she too walks out into the woods alone with out fear. This my dear friends is how a young shay meets Thea.

Shay is headed out to her favorite pond, a small wooden bird she learned to carve clutched in hand, a lady on a mission. As they walk with purpose to their little creak determined to show their best friend the wonderful thing they made, shay is shocked instead to meet that new lady who has been hanging aroundthis town longer then anyone has before. Thea for her part notices the little teifling much faster as Shay, still young and learning is quite noisey in their little welly boots.

It takes some coaxing but Thea is eventually able to strike up a conversation withthis brave child who wanders the woods alone like he owns it, and cant help but grin from ear to ear as they speak.

Sadly though as all good things are known to do Thea must leave, to be an advisor is a full time job and Corbin can only handle her being gone so long. But the trip to this little nowhere town becomes a annual occurance, for her to stretch her wings and keep up with her little teifling friend. Eventually when shay is old enough to read and write well, annual meetings turn into letters sent between a mentor and mentee, and annual trips becom bi annual, once alone and once with the little prince and his knight, far away from duty even for just a few days.

And eventually when Shay is grown and old enough to make decision on their own, Thea extends an open invatation to come along, back with them to the city of Tarrin the city of gems. Shay eventually accepts, but dispite a new place to call home and more people to call family they never forget the wild father, and always stops to smell the roses

until next time ig o/

[shesamreads]

We made it to the end, friends! 2022 was the year I got my reading mojo back. I read lots of romance and audiobooks, which is a trend that will very probably continue.

This year was my first PopSugar challenge. I had fun! I didn't complete it, but Storygraph shows I got 88%, which is not too shabby.

I'm doing PopSugar again in 2023. I'll also try my best to do the Uncorked Reading Challenge.

I will also also be doing a book club with my mom and sister. January's book is The Family Game by Catherine Steadman.

Here's to another great year of reading!

[chewbokachoi]

OC Ask meme: 🔵 Blue and ⚫️ Black for Cassan or all three pls! <3

of course i will do all three

From this ask game!

Ryu

🔵 Blue- How would your OC spend a single day of interrupted peace? Where would they go or who would they be with?

Depends on if he's doing this to recover from a bad mood or is having a good day.

Bad mood - Alone and smoking on the rooftop of his store. His tree is up there, so he'd be sitting under it, glowering at the world.

Good mood - Day off for everybody! Off to the beach or a hike or zoo or some sort of fun all day cobbled-together family outing.

⚫️ Black- When was a moment in your OC's life that they felt the most in control and secure? Was it gained through negative or positive means?

Ryu scoffs at the idea of him never being in control

I think when he found out what Liu Kang claimed to be (just the God of Fire and protector of Earthrealm) and he still told Liu Kang to fuck off or strike him down right then and there. Liu Kang did neither but agreed to make a deal with Ryu.

Ryu felt pretty badass for that one. It was gained through questionable means as he was pushing the rules with his powers and abilities, but was also grieving another death in the family.

Cassan

🔵 Blue- How would your OC spend a single day of interrupted peace? Where would they go or who would they be with?

Before Oliver: She enjoys spending her days off either hanging out with her former roommates from Hell House (the shared home for people who have sought Ryu or Marle out for help--it's where Rain stays while in Earthrealm). Or she'll go and just read at a coffee shop be it books or on AO3.

After Oliver: I imagine at this point in the story she is way busier than she's been before, so days to herself aren't as common. So long as she and Oliver both have a day off, she'd spend that day watching a movie with him or slip back to her old self of coming up with comic scripts and Oliver illustrates them.

⚫️ Black- When was a moment in your OC's life that they felt the most in control and secure? Was it gained through negative or positive means?

Almost never. It isn't until certain spoilers happen does Cassan finally feel in control of herself. And it's debatable on whether or not it was positive or negative. She certainly made more enemies than allies by doing it.

Rain mostly approved of it, at least. Make what you will of that 👀

Oliver

🔵 Blue- How would your OC spend a single day of interrupted peace? Where would they go or who would they be with?

Before Cassan: Down in the meadowy area where Erron tends to be when he wants to be alone. Oliver is just sort of in his proximity and is either enjoying the outdoors or drawing. If he can actually leave the compound, he might go hang out in the city and just people watch with the hopes of Cassan showing up.

After Cassan: At this point in the story, he's also probably busy trying to balance out what he did with the Black Dragon by doing what he can. Don't know what faction he works better with, but I also see him running off with Takeda and doing whatever he's doing. Days where he and Cassan both have a day off, he'd like to spend it watching movies with her or drawing whatever stories she's coming up with. He isn't sure how to feel about it at first when he finds out half of her ideas came from lives where she died oops

⚫️ Black- When was a moment in your OC's life that they felt the most in control and secure? Was it gained through negative or positive means

Well, you see, Cassan told Oliver she's never leaving him again (even if the first time was against her will), and she can't imagine him doing anything she'd never forgive, so he kind of got a blank check to do whatever the hell he wants...

So probably when he tracks down Corbin. One way or another, Oliver finds out Corbin shot Cassan in the heart (she survives). He is not pleased, to say the least. Oliver felt very in control of the situation and secure that now no matter what happens, he'll still have family to go back to.

So uh...negative cuz he kinda killed a guy. But the guy kinda deserved it so it depends on your views on killing.

[tearsinthemist]

John Roberts’ Secret Trump Memo Revealed in Huge SCOTUS Leak

Corbin Bolies

Sun, September 15, 2024 at 9:33 AM CDT·3 min read

1.3k

The Supreme Court was hit by a flurry of damaging new leaks Sunday as a series of confidential memos written by the chief justice were revealed by The New York Times.

The court’s Chief Justice John Roberts was clear to his fellow justices in February: He wanted the court to take up a case weighing Donald Trump’s right to presidential immunity—and he seemed inclined to protect the former president.

“I think it likely that we will view the separation of powers analysis differently,” Roberts wrote to his Supreme Court peers, according to a private memo obtained by the Times. He was referencing the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision to allow the case to move forward.

Roberts took an unusual level of involvement in this and other cases that ultimately benefited Trump, according to the Times—his handling of the cases surprised even some other justices on the high court, across ideological lines. As president, Trump appointed three of the members of its current conservative supermajority.

I Saw the Grim Brutality of a Conservative Supreme Court Close Up

Such was the case in March that debated whether Colorado, or any state, had the authority to remove an official from a federal ballot. Roberts persuaded the other justices to make their opinion—that states could not unilaterally drop a federal candidate from the ballot—unsigned to authoritatively signal their unanimity, according to the Times.

The judges agreed, until the conservatives sought to include an additional proposition that mandated anyone seeking to enforce the Constitution’s ban on insurrectionist candidates get congressional approval. Four justices—Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Amy Coney Barrett—thought that idea went too far, and wrote concurrences in disagreement. Roberts himself wrote the majority opinion.

Roberts also took charge of the court’s ruling that declared the government went too far in charging those who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6.

He had initially assigned the case to Samuel Alito but abruptly took it over himself days after the Times revealed Alito’s wife Martha-Ann hung an upside-down U.S. flag—an emblem of the “Stop the Steal” movement, and propagated by some Jan. 6 rioters—outside his home, according to the Times. It was unclear whether the two episodes were linked; none of the justices answered the Times’ questions

Michael Ian Black: Can We Stop Acting Shocked About Alito Family Shenanigans?

The switch, however, was unusual among court standards. Such instances usually only occur when a decision changes, experts told the Times.

Thus came the Trump ruling. The conservatives had voted to grant Trump, and all presidents, expansive immunity for “official” acts during their tenure. But Roberts again took the case for himself, prompting some at the court to wonder whether he may have taken on too much. He got pushback from justices both liberal (Sotomayor) and conservative (Barrett), though the opinion made it through in July, providing Trump with a clear win.

The clear loser? Judge Tanya Chutkan, who must decide how the ruling applies to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s still-pending case against Trump for attempting to overturn the 2020 election.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now.

[oursummer-if]

₊˚ପ⊹DEMO✬˖*°FAQ*ੈ✩‧₊˚DIRECTORY✧ ೃ༄

think high school musical 2 but instead of working over summer you find yourself on a outerbanks style treasure hunt in the pacific islands with as much mystery and danger as an uncharted game!

You've just finished senior year at high school, final exams are over and now you have a two to three month wait till you get your exam results and decide what your want to do with the rest of your life... which is the best time to take a senior summer trip all the way in a different continent, right?

Well even if it wasn't you're doing it anyway, having planned this with your best friend and next door neighbour for the past few months.

After coming across a piece of seemingly random information, you find yourself in a group chasing lost pirate treasure while being chased yourself!

OUR SUMMER (is what we make of it) is rated NC17/16+ on account of explicit language, sexual references, depictions of violence and the use of weaponry. please read trigger warnings! play at your discretion!

₊˚ପ⊹FEATURES✬˖*°[ trigger warnings ]✧ ೃ༄

customise your mc! from your appearance to your gender to your family relations and academic background!

chose which age bracket you fall into! are you graduating at 16 as a certified genius? did you have to retake the year, ending high school as a 19—year—old? or do you fall somewhere in between?

choose your familial background! will you create a fully customised family or with you go with one i've sprinkled in for flavor text?

+so far i have three planned backgrounds──american born and bred; afrikaans immigrants; and not—so—recently moved from canada! you are not restricted to these choices. they're just options that give you a bit of flavour text!

choose your feelings on travel! do you have an aversion of public transport? does flying give you the heebie-jeebies? do you have experience in cross-country or would you rather die than walk another step?

romance one (or more.. or none!) of eight love interests! are you romantically inclined? are you in touch with your feelings? could you be non-committal? do you fall hard and fast and with everyone? get attached to everyone or leave them all in deep waters.

+with an aroace route, eight solo routes ad three variants of poly routes you have a plethora of choice! poly routes include a triad (a/o), a vee (n/o) and a polycule (a/b/m/n)!

choose a special interest! are you into marine life? do you like history and historical artifacts? are you a bit of a polyglot? are you good at parkour?

find a hidden treasure! decide if you want to sell it for profit or simply split the money you'd get as a finders fee. or──do you take hush money and leave it to the gold hunters on your trail?

endure deadly and dangerous situations! or don't, not everyone knows their limits after all...

suffer through water based puns or bathe in water based metaphors!!

₊˚ପ⊹CHARACTERS✬˖*°[ li intros ]✧ ೃ༄

Adelaide/Adrien Beauchêne──your best friend!

[F/M—18] French. Your best friend, you met at the young age of 8 years old and have been kind of inseparable ever since!

Genuine, kind, loyal, safety, vulnerability, pining, frustration, trust.

*best friends to lovers──option of mutual pining, option of they fell first you fell harder, option of triad poly route with O Baek, option of polycule route with Bodie Monroe, M Wattson and N Rojas.

Bodie Monroe──the mysterious newbie!

[NB—18] Italian American. You only met Bodie about six months ago, for some reason you were the one the school asked to show them around and help them integrate into their last six months of high school however, you really don't know much about them other than they're polite and artsy!

Eye—opening, thoughtful, secretive, intriguing, frustration, worth.

*strangers to lovers──option of fwb route, option of polycule route with A Beauchêne, M Wattson and N Rojas.

Corelia/Corbin Malich──your mortal enemy!

[F/M—19] African American. You met C on your first day of middle school and instantly hit it off... in a bad way. It may have been an utter miscommunication or something you actually did but after that 'incident' it's felt like they've had it out for you any chance they got. You're left wondering if there's anything to be done to mend bridges or if this particular one is long past up-in-flames.

Anger, hurt, insecurities, tension, release, finality, heat.

*enemies/rivals to lovers──option of miscommunication of feelings, option of hard feelings to soft feelings, option of one sided rivalry!

Khin Thein Saeli─Kelly──your self—appointed tour guide!

[M—20] Half Thai Australian, Half Myanma (Burmese). Upon reaching your destination vacation you find yourself bumping into Khin Thein more than once, in what he calls a brush if fate he takes it upon himself to be your tour guide around the area. You don't know him at all but his charming smile and cheeky words are enough to keep you wanting!

Wonder, adventure, curiosity, questions, connections, mystery, cheek, timing.

*strangers to lovers──option of meet cute, option of gay awakening (masc!mc's), option of summer fling, option of near-instant-love!

Mohini/Mohan "Mo" Wattson──your home room desk partner!

[F/M—19] Indian American. Graduating a year before you did, M has always been kinda out of reach. They're nice and funny and always engaged in conversation with you during home room but you didn't have much more of a connection than that. After finding them in the same vacation spot as you, courtesy of their friendship with C, isn't something you considered before and you're left wondering if this is a good or a bad coincidence...

Enigmatic, charismatic, untouchable, fraternising, determination, unearthed, surprising.

*acquaintances/friends to lovers──option of long time crush, option of annoyances to lovers, option of fwb route, option of polycule with A Beauchêne, Bodie Monroe and N Rojas.

Nola/Noah Rojas──your plane seat mate!

[F/M—18] Venezuelan Canadian. After meeting on the first plane ride and finding out you have neighbouring seats the entire journey to the same location──“just what are the chances?”──you find yourself knowing more about this stranger than you ever thought you would. With an unwavering smile and an enigmatic personality you can't help but find yourself drawn to N. They're not shy about what they're interested in and you seem to be catching their eye!

Whimsy, easy, connection, hyper, emotion, bold, straightforward, cunning, athletic, unpredictable.

*strangers to lovers──option of meet ugly, option of it-must-be-destiny, option of vee poly with O Baek.

Oliver/Ollie/Olivia Baek──your next door neighbour!

[F/M/NB—17] Korean American. Having been your next door neighbour for as long as you can remember, you're more than familiar with O! They're a familiar and comforting face, more than you ever seemed to realise. O's warm demeanor and kind appearance seem to radiate like sunlight and you're left wondering if you'll be wilting if they ever leave your orbit!

Kind, comforting, radiance, withdrawn, quirky, concerned, shyness, reason.

*childhood friends/neighbours to lovers──option of first love, option of second chance romance, option of option of triad poly with A Beauchêne, option of vee poly with N Rojas, option of polycule route with A Beauchêne, Bodie Monroe and M Wattson.

Siteri Van Every──your islander info girl!

[F—17] Fijian New Zealander. At first she was just a name on a page, an option of information until she found you! Quick to make herself known as valid source of information she's inducted to the quest after a set of events that leave you with more and more questions for her.

Knowing, arrogance, secrets, intrigue, adventure, banter, answers.

*strangers to lovers──option of instant connection, option of gay awakening (fem!mc's), option of betrayal, option of summer fling, option of finding the one?

pictures aren't true representations of character visuals, none of them are mine──all found on pinterest.

Levi──your younger brother!

freshly turned 16, a bit of a tech nerd, got himself into two part time jobs and bought his own gaming PC, his gamer tag is Leviathan and you never let him forget it! he's not exactly shy, but compared to your sister he's definitely the quiet one. he floats on the surface of water, occasionally kicking out bursts of energy and easygoing wisdom that leaves your family stunned as he retreats back to his man cave of a bedroom──he may be the youngest but he's also the tallest, standing taller than even your father (and still growing). easygoing, smart, introverted, blunt.

Ellery──your older sister!

born on the day before your birthday, Ellery's the early twenties to your late teens. after taking her gap year times three she's ready to get into college and has been preparing for months now. she's a tiny ball of chaotic energy at the big age of 22 and has always, always, encouraged you to go with your gut.──easily the shortest of your family, you often joke she gave all her height to her siblings. energetic, creative, loyal, scattered.

Tanya──your mother!

working as a travel writer, Tanya has travelled pretty much all of her adult life! your 47 year old mother is somehow the perfect blend of your siblings—she's creative and energetic like Ellery while also being contemplative and thought provoking like Levi. she's committed and rooted as well as not compromising who she is to her core. Tanya has always wanted to support her family and was blessed to be able to do so without sacrificing her love of adventure... it's probably where you (may) get it from.──only just taller than Ellery she's still quite short. Supportive, busy, caring, semi-absent, accommodating, emotional.

Waylon──your father!

working as an art historian, Waylon hasn't had the most stable job in the world. when he landed his job at the high–end art museum you were 8 years old. he gives your life stability, finally finding a place to move to and stay there he became the backbone of your family. similarly to your mother he seems to be a combination of your siblings, he's calm and collected like Levi and always has your back like Ellery.──having only just been overtaken in height by your brother, he's easily one of the tallest in your family. stability, loyal, introverted, detail–oriented, secret keeper, logical.

Lillian──your niece!

a little ball of joy at only 6 years old. she's quite easily the most loved of the family, quite possibly due to the chubbiness of her cheeks or the dimples she shows off when she smiles. she absolutely adores you and always wants to hear your stories... you wonder if you'll ever make it back to tell her this one.

Maurice──your father's brother!

Lillian's single-parent father recently out of a divorce with his menace of a partner. He's had to pick up more jobs just to pay the bills and keep Lilli safe and cared for, especially when he refuses to take money from your parents. your family took it upon yourselves to step up and support him with Lillian, which really wasn't a chore to do. you just want to help.

Miss Patricia──your rival treasure hunter!

the real enemy on your treasure hunt. armed with a sharp and cutting smile and a shotgun Miss Patricia is not someone you ever want to come up against... except when you uncover a new piece of information she didn't have before you now you're a threat to her fortune.

Raphael&Tane──patricia's 'henchmen'!

big. burly. mean. scary. men... you could take them! or... outrun them? one is never far from the other so don't get cocky if you only come across one of them... you may just have fallen into their trap!

I'll do my best to give options regarding family closeness and reactions but for the most part it'll be set in stone that you come from a loving, if not chaotically busy, family with little strained relationships.

You can definitely decide how much you like or dislike Miss Patricia and The Guys™️

©️ bonnie berry 2023──@moretinyideas

[felixfeliciswriterblog]

Hey!

A reader asked for a Draco x Dione one-shot fic years ago. They wanted to see how Draco and Skyrah's sister got together after Voldie's death. I'm slow at writing. You know me. But it's here and it's too long to be considered a one-shot, so it'll be a three-chaptered story plus its epilogue.

Here are the links to the story:

AO3

FFN (this site says the story can't be found; I think it's a bug and in a few hours the issue should be solved. If you prefer FFN over AO3, you'll have to wait, I'm afraid).

Though this is a Drione fic, the Snapes (including Harry Potter-Snape) will be present throughout the story. As will the Malfoys and a special character (though the latter won't make an appearance just yet).

Under the cut, there's the last Drione scene after the war is over, in case you have forgotten this adorable Slytherpuff couple. The new update takes place right after this scene.

Enjoy!

Spoilers ahead if you haven't read "It's Not That Simple" (AO3, FFN):

He kissed the top of her head, resulting in her giving him a watery smile.

"We should pick Corbin up," she whispered.

Severus nodded and craned his neck, scanning what was left of the Great Hall. Harry was still with his friends. Dione, however, was out of sight. Without them, the Snapes wouldn't leave the place.

"Where's your sister?"

After a quick glance-over, Skyrah mumbled, "Over there."

Following the direction she was pointing to with his gaze, he spotted not Dione but the Malfoys, near the Slytherin table. Narcissa and Lucius stood arm in arm in an attempt to feel less judged under the wary looks they were being thrown. Their scruffy appearance, though uncharacteristic of them, didn't surprise him, not as much as Narcissa's squinting eyes and Lucius's agape mouth.

Stiff as a board, Draco stood at a short distance from his parents. Dione was pressing her cheek against his, chin resting on his shoulder, arms tight around his form. His self-restraint vanished along with his embarrassment when she whispered something in his ear, if his face now buried in her unkempt curls and his arms drawing her closer were of any indication.

Severus walked towards them, pulling Skyrah with him. No longer out of earshot, they were able to follow the conversation between the teenagers.

"We're no longer enemies," said Dione, eyes gleaming in anticipation.

Draco, enchanted by her until then, took a sudden step back, breaking the embrace. The sneer back on his face hardened his already sharp features.

"Haven't you seen the way they're looking at me? At my family? You better get away from me. I should have never allowed myself to–"

"To what? To get close to me?" She blew out a noisy breath. "I'd be gone if you hadn't."

"I'm dark. I'll end up hurting you."

"The only thing you seem to do is help me, even when we're on different sides. And you still have the nerve to tell me you'd hurt me?"

"Everybody would gossip and wonder why you'd be with someone like me, and they'd be right," he finished in a bitter tone.

"They don't know you like I do. Why do you care about other people's opinion, anyway?"

"Why don't you? If we were together and I or my parents were sent to Azkaban, you'd–"

Dione flung her arms round him, and the world stopped.

"What the…" started Severus, unable to finish the sentence.

He recovered soon from the shock of witnessing Dione silencing Draco with a smacking kiss. Granted, he had caught many students engaged in snogging sessions and other acts of intimacy, but the fact his sister-in-law was involved made all the difference. He glimpsed at Skyrah, concerned about her reaction. To his surprise, she was grinning lopsidedly. He uncovered the reason as soon as he realized she was staring at the Malfoys. Oh, quite the comical sight, they were. Lucius's eyes were virtually bulging out of his face. Narcissa, on the other hand, looked more curious than shocked, occasionally shooting hostile glares at those who dared whisper about her son.

Dione smiled into the kiss, putting an end to it, and Draco, try as he might, couldn't look anywhere but her mouth. Even if he felt the prying eyes of his parents and professors on him, probably waiting for an explanation, he couldn't bring himself to offer one. He cared only about the girl who kept her hands around his neck.

"You shouldn't be seen with me, let alone kiss–"

"Don't worry about the future now. We'll figure everything out."

That argument wasn't convincing enough for him. Draco detangled himself from her, ignoring his shattering heart.

"I can't do this."

Dione swallowed hard, having noticed his dark tone. "W-what do you mean?"

"We can't be together."

He hung his head to avoid seeing the pain on her face. The pain in her voice, however, was perfectly palpable.

"We finally can. You just don't want to. Have I done something wrong? Do you believe I can't make you happy? Is that why you're so against us?"

"N-no. Even my patronus…" he trailed off, passing a hand through his hair.

She became aware of her heartbeat at the realization the only reason he would have mentioned his spirit guardian was that she was part of his chosen memory.

"Wouldn't you like to be friends at least?"

"You should aspire for more than someone who could end in prison, a death eater."

She was about to protest when Severus called Draco's name.

"You won't go to Azkaban. Nor will your family if I can do something about it. I owe you."

Draco startled, realizing his parents and the Snapes were close enough not only to see but to hear them.

"You don't, sir. You helped me even when I didn't want to be helped. We're even."

"My sister-in-law would be dead without you. My wife. You were brave enough to change sides. Trust me. I've been there. I know it isn't easy, and I won't let you go to Azkaban. I already talked to an auror. He won't arrest you today, and even though a trial is bound to happen, I'm willing to advocate for you."

Draco unstiffened, feeling much lighter and hopeful having his support, even if still uncertain about his future.

"Thank you, sir, but I wouldn't have been able to reach you if Skyrah hadn't believed in me to begin with. You healed her. I…" He eyed Skyrah. "You believed I could invoke a patronus. I would have never done it without you."

"Don't take the merit away from you. I told you that you'd succeed one day. And you aren't a bad person, much less a death eater."

"I don't think many people share your opinion."

"Just because you've got the Dark Mark–" interrupted Dione, but Skyrah cleared her throat, letting her know she needed to talk to Draco alone. Resigned, the girl joined Severus.

To avoid being overheard, Skyrah tottered towards Draco and spoke in whispers.

"The only opinion that should matter to you is your own. You saved so many lives when you gave your wand to Harry. Mine and my sister's, too. A loyal death eater would've never done that. I can only thank you."

"For being selfish?" he scoffed. "When I gave the wand to Harry, I wasn't thinking about others. I was thinking that would be the only way to have a slim chance to avoid Azkaban."

"You wanted Harry to win; otherwise, you wouldn't have risked your life." She grinned ruefully at his sudden incapability of looking her in the eye. "I used to be like you, pushed everybody away for fear I'd hurt them. It took me years to be brave enough to have a friend, and I never opened up to him completely, not even when I was about to marry him. I believed I was protecting him, the same way you think you're protecting my sister."

"I am protecting her."

"No, you aren't, because she clearly wants to be with you, and your refusal is hurting her like I kept hurting Daniel."

"She'll find somebody better."

"Better than the person who jumped in front of a killing curse for her?" At his silence, she asked, "If you believed you weren't dark, would you like to be with Dione?"

"That doesn't matter. I'm bad for her."

"If you were, you wouldn't care if she got hurt. I told her to keep her distance from you years ago, but after everything that's happened, there's no doubt in my mind you can make her happy, and I want her to be happy."

As did he, by his wishful expression. He had fantasized about a future with Dione for too many sleepless nights. Having the real thing would elate him, but not at the expense of her reputation. It wasn't just the gossip that bothered him but his parents'. None of their potential reactions were reassuring. He was convinced the only reason they hadn't shown their discontentment yet was they wouldn't cause a scene in public.

"I need to think about this," he murmured finally.

Skyrah was about to reply Dione wouldn't have demanded anything else of him today when Lucius told him they had to go. Draco nodded at him absentmindedly, studying Dione, who kept staring at her dirty shoes, leaning against Severus for comfort. He wished she'd look at him before taking leave, if only to let her know there was no reason to feel so hopeless yet.

"I'll tell her that you need time," offered Skyrah. "You should go with your parents."

So he did, his head bowed.

"I expect you to tell us what exactly is going on with Skyrah's sister when we get some privacy," Narcissa said, keeping a straight face.

To his relief, she sounded intrigued rather than disappointed. He didn't dare look at Lucius, though. Before the Malfoys disappeared amongst the crowd, the Snapes made sure to thank them for their help one last time.

"My, my, little one," Skyrah said in a sing-song voice, now next to her family. "You do know how to leave your future in-laws with a lasting impression."

At the sight of her flustered sister, Skyrah had to cover her mouth to keep from tittering. So red her face grew, her blue eyes stood out and appeared bigger.

"In-laws? Draco doesn't even want to be my friend!"

Despite the crack in her voice, Skyrah's playful attitude prevailed, in fact, she clucked her tongue.

"Of course he doesn't. He's interested in more than friendship." Dione was torn between snorting and looking at her sister with hopeful eyes. "Trust me, he'll ask you out eventually."

It was only when Dione asked how she could be so sure that Skyrah's grin turned rather sad.

"I couldn't stay away from Daniel, even if it took me a while to accept him in my life."

"And you're okay with that? With me and Draco possibly dating?"

"I approve of him. It's clear you both care deeply for each other."

Dione visibly relaxed despite sensing a 'but' her sister wasn't mentioning. Skyrah looked serious all of a sudden, debating whether she should say what was on her mind or not.

"What's the matter?"

Skyrah sighed. "I thought you kept your distance from him at school. You said you'd be careful. That didn't look like a first kiss."

"I-it wasn't," she admitted, fiddling a curl. "But we've never been together! We both knew what was at stake! We kissed just once last year and didn't kiss again until the battle began."

More hurt than angry, Skyrah asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you'd have worried about me and, honestly, You-Know-Who and the war and Harry being away and the Carrows… Everything was too much already."

"Dione…" she whispered, her face softening at the realization her little sister had just meant to protect her.

"Please, say you forgive me. Mum's already going to disown me if she ever finds out I fancy a Malfoy."

Skyrah chuckled despite herself and put a hand on her freckled cheek, noticing just mentioning her mother turned those blue eyes slightly glassy.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll defend you when you tell her. It can be in a few minutes."

Dione tilted her head in confusion. "A few minutes? The aurors still need to look for her."

"Not anymore. Whom do you think has been babysitting Corbin all this time?"

Dione looked at Severus, in search of clues Skyrah wasn't kidding even if deep down she knew her sister wouldn't joke about that. When Severus gave her a nod, she could barely breathe.

"Mum's with Corbin? Free?"

Skyrah hummed. "In Ireland."

Dione controlled the urge to jump at her and throw her arms around her lest she'd hurt her sister. Instead, she hugged her gently, resting her chin on top of Skyrah's shoulder. Though the girl managed to blink back tears, she sniffled soundly.

"Mum's okay, little one," crooned Skyrah, planting a kiss on the top of her head. Fatigued, she allowed herself to close her eyes. "She wouldn't disown you even if you decided to date a troll, although she'd undoubtedly question your sanity and your taste in boyfriend material."

Dione chuckled, finally releasing a few tears.