I have no excuse for these. Absolutely none. May the female bonding commence!

"I'm telling you- a man must have invented these damn things!" DG grumbled, picking through the pile of what the court tailors deemed 'appropriate' undergarments for a lady of her station. They were corsets, every freaking one of them. Over the irate princess's head, her mother and sister shared an amused glance.

"It could be worse, Deeg." Azkadellia decided to leap, or at least kneel, into the fray at her side. She lifted a delicate pink number and considered it critically. "They could all be leather."

DG turned and brandished another at her. "You were saying?" The younger sister stared down at the thing in something like awe and horror. "The witch might have worn this one!" The black patent leather was festooned with buckles and straps, as if to rope in some poor woman's breasts and keep them from escaping.

Az studied it for a moment, frowning. "Actually, little sister, I think she did." She shuddered.

Their mother was startled into a laugh at that, and followed both her daughters to the floor, joining in on the rather disturbing study. "Oh, my Azkadellia, that is-" She dissolved into helpless laughter. "Frankly, I don't know what that is!"

"Neither do I!" Az answered. After a moment, the girls joined the Queen, giggling until they were breathless.

Still gasping, DG leaned back against the mountain of lingerie, glancing over at her sister. "Az… Az, I gotta ask you something. And there's really no polite way to ask it…"

Az wiped a few giddy tears from her eye. "Go ahead, Deeg. Frankly, it's likely a question the entire O.Z. is going to ask eventually." She crossed her hands in her lap, face sober. "I'd rather it was you to begin with."

DG blinked a few times, blue eyes wide. "I don't know that they will… no." She shook her head, as if to chase away a stray thought. "But what I wanted to ask is, weren't you… well" she gestured vaguely at her chest, "bigger before?"

Az's jaw dropped. Next to her, the queen simply buried her face in her hands, shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. "I-" Az tried valiantly to regain her dignity. "I'm sure they weren't-" She brought her own hands up in front of her as she stared down at herself. "Oh hell, maybe they were." She grinned over at her hysterical sister. "Most of it wasn't mine though! I swear the corsets she had me in were pushing these up from my knees." She gave up and actually cupped her breasts in her hands, staring at them in bemusement. "She was rather… fond of them, actually."

That, of course, started off yet another round of laughter. The queen calmed herself first, and gazed over at her daughters in affection. "You both have no idea how good it is to hear your laughter." The girls quieted, reaching out to clasp hands with her and each other. "It tells me that we all shall heal."

Az leaned her head against her mother's shoulder. "I think maybe we already have."

Of course, I don't own Tin Man. I'm just playing in the well over-due sandbox of these women. Strangely enough, I swear me and my girls have had most of the conversations I'll be presenting here. Be afraid.. be very afraid lol.

I will continue with Down the Road, this just begged to be written.

As always, reviews are love!